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I just assume things are ether ghosts until proven otherwise, I dunno whatchall are talking about. But yeah, back in the day when I only played MARY SUES YES I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE I kinda doubted my ability to write a woman. I did, I'll admit it. Then a little character named Tali Alihera Relo happened and life changed. I did one, very specific thing that changed my entire perception of all writing the opposite gender ever. IT DOESN'T MATTER. What Purple Devil said up there was true. Write with the personality you choose, and you're golden.

That's the trick, mate. Figure out how to rework the char into a female and add some twist. Use it to enhance your creativity, not diminish it.

IC: "No need to warn me, mate. I'll be clear with them, too." The Sergeant whirred to his feet. "You have any messages for Ahka Tamara, or can I be on my way?"

IC: "I can propose a little deal to 'em, mate. I know they need a healer, all I need is the go ahead from HQ. After all, I assume that you ain't a fan of Ko-Koro's attackers any more than Ihu is, and I assume you ain't gonna be trading with 'em. Way I see it-" The Vortixx was talking a little faster now, eyes focusing again on Jaller as his mind reached the conclusion, his mouth spreading in a grin. "-we have a perfectly neutral group of troops bottleneckin' trade to Ko-Koro. They ain't part of either of our military forces, we don't hafta feed and clothe them. Use that to our advantage. We strike a deal with these men and women -mercenaries, by the smell of them- get free trade between Ihu and Ta in exchange for the services of a healer, in this case likely Special Corporal Murrae Rocun. Doesn't cost you nothin', gives them a healer and the guarantee that they can raid Ko-Koro's shipments without reprisal from Ta, and we get ourselves the supplies we need."

IC: "Some other enterprisin' individuals have made it difficult to travel. Not any kinda nuisance worth clearing out, they might be useful, but still... That many refugees comin' though could cause a problem." The Sergeant scratched his chin with his uninjured hand, sharp blue eyes lost in thought. "Might be a way to deal with that, though, if you're willin' to help us with supplies."

IC: The Sergeant sat gratefully, eyes staying on Jaller's face, his voice immediately going back to the strange accent he had held now that he was at ease. "Thanks, mate. And we're standing alright, maybe a little too well. Got more refugees than we know what to do with..."

IC: The Sergeant nodded at the Secretary and whirred into Jaller's office, noticeably leaning more on whatever skeleton was holding him up. "Captain Jaller, may I get a moment of your time?"

OOC: The Sergeant from Ko. IC: The Sergeant shook his head as he stepped off the cable car, clearing the fog that the blood loss had created in his mind. He had stopped bleeding, but still... Felt a little woozy. The walk to the Guard HQ was short, though, and the equipment that created the whirr helped. He stepped up the secretary's desk, and sighed. "A Sergeant of the Ihu Koronan military, to see Captain Jaller."

IC: "Not a refugee, mate, not escaping. Military, yep. Toll exemption, like the man said." The Sergeant grinned, saluted with his bandaged arm, and hopped on the cable car. OOC: The Sergeant to Ta Koro. IC: Murrae sighed. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

IC: "Might seem like a stupid question," Murrae said, her gaze flicking up from the snow at her feet, "But wouldn't the injured be in the medical bay?" The Sergeant sighed and rubbed his face with his uninjured hand. "Murrae, asking the real questions. Excuse me, mates, but I have to be going to Ta-Koro. Better be gettin' a toll exemption too." The Vortixx strode toward the cable car, glancing at Tracer and Fyura as he went. Murrae just bit her lip slightly and stared back at the snow.

OOC: Now that a slight OOC issue has been taken care of... All approved by Tyler. IC: As a matter of fact, the Sargeant hadn't left the bazooka at home. But advertising how much weaponry he was carrying -or how much was carrying him- was never a good idea. The package strapped across his back, wrapped in cloth, was not an ordinary weapon. And the slight whirr that accompanied his movement was not just a hallucination. But saying that... Was foolish. "Okay, mate, whatever you want."

Yeah, maybe I should explain what I need here so maaaaaybe I can get more interest. I need four people total. Not particular on elements so much, but I'd like a person with a Sanok, a Pakari, and two people with Trynas. That's about it XD

Ihu Koro always needs people, like old Carson said. Highlander positions are always open.

IC: "Not making any remarks on whether that matters, mate. Stating an observation of fact. If I had delusions 'bout heroism, it'd be me on the pyre, not the old LT." The Sergeant glanced up at the incoming cable car and the outpost, still walking toward it. "Hope it's friendlies. Left the bazooka at home." It was impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

IC: Murrae's eyebrows went up, her face communicating pure shock. The Sergeant, on the other hand, merely sighed. "Never said they wouldn't go down," he said, finshing wrapping the bandage around the tips of his fingers. "Said it wouldn't be easy." From their reactions and the way Murrae's badge sat lopsided on her shoulder, it was obvious the difference between them. Murrae was a town medic- maybe technically part of the military, maybe very experienced at her craft, but the woman had obviously never seen actual combat up in the isolated village of Ihu-Koro, where even Makuta seemed to be a far off rumor until the new path had been built and leveled and the militia became regulars. Her spine was always stiff and at attention, the perfect military posture, her poise and carefully maintained grace an attractive quality- but not an experienced one. The Sergeant, however... Despite his injured arm, some blood soaking through the cotton white bandage, he carried himself with an ease known only to the most experienced of soldiers. But there was something in his slouch, in his easy and crude way of speaking, that seemed to suggest that he wasn't an ordinary army veteran, that he was used to giving his own orders and not being regimented in their execution. He had been a mercenary. It would be painfully obvious to anyone else who might happen to find themselves that profession, and had been one for a long time before he joined the Ihu-Koronan military. One had to wonder what he was looking for, in a military position in the wastes of Ko-Wahi.

Guys, I have a thousand headcanon reasons for how the mask was replaced, and if any were explicitly approved I would have added them at the time of posting XD As it is, gonna have to channel Bioware in the Mass Effect 3 debate and be all "ARTISTIC INTEGRITY" And yeah, the Hiripaki is the ultimate trump card and plot device. Makuta wouldn't a been defeated without it. But as much fun as it is, it breaks the game and is really hard on the player using it.

And this is a reason for me too. This so much.

I didn't like the Hiripaki for a lot of reasons (plot device, very OP, no fun, pluuuuuus the nagging feeling that it might be possibly an expy XD), and I really think that the Warua fits the direction I'm wanting to go with Stannis more than it did. The Hiripaki was undoubtedly cool, but it's gone and for good reason. That's it. The Hiripaki is the mask of deus ex machina.

Why exactly the mask received little fanfare is a real life issue. I wanted to get it dealt with sooner rather than later, but I'm being murdered by school right now. But Kapura had nothing to do with it. XD

Well, number 1, the staff told me I couldn't use it. Didn't want a doomsday weapon in the hands of an overgrown nooblet, I guess. 2, I would have asked for a replacement, period. Hiripaki, while it may be fun, would make things too easy on me... And I like having a power I decided on.

The Hiripaki is gone. And, announcing the mask Stannis will have while I control him. Information on its powers should be in my profile post.

IC: The power was gone, actually. Stannis adjusted his mask as he walked toward the Koro, fingers running over the familiar lines of the cheek guards on what used to be the Hiripaki. It wasn’t though, not anymore. Now… Now it was… The Warua. Standing maskless on a plane of dreams, Stannis saw the Kanohi Warua for the first time. He’d originally taken it for the Hiripaki, this dream just another metaphor for achievement of destiny. He walked toward the mask. No tentacles of shadow, nor servants of Makuta stopped him. The Kanohi felt warm in his fingers when he picked it up, taking a moment to appreciate the noble contours, the seemingly inherent wisdom in the mask. But then, he turned it over. On the back, slowly spreading like a plague across the back of the forehead, the word Hauwarea appeared, emblazoning itself where no one but the wearer could see. Hauwarea. Coward. His eyes had gone wide, even as he realized what this dream was about. He hadn’t faced destiny, and now… This was his consequence.

IC: Sergeant "No idea. Ko-Koronans were tough sons of #######, doubt they went down easy."