That Matoran with a Vahi

IC: Tarutu - Tesara marketplace Oh... Makuta-spit. The moment the first explosion hit, the Ga-Matoran had hit the ground, years of learned instinct from her days as Ga-Koro guard kicking in. When things started going to Karzahni, you didn't stand around making yourself a target, and she was far too disciplined to run screaming; no, your best bet was to get low and keep your head down and try to make some sense of what was going on rather than panicking wildly. Scrambling under the nearest shelter she could find - not that another market stall offered her more than the most basic protection, and even that was hopelessly optimistic considering how easily they were being blown to pieces across the way - the Matoran fumbled for her weapon even as she took stock of the situation. For a moment, she glanced back in the direction of the guard who she'd acknowledged upon arrival. She hadn't given Jira any thought since then, having busied herself with glancing over prospective merchandise... but somehow, she couldn't summon any surprise when the glatorian was no longer anywhere to be seen. Figured, didn't it? Those who were supposed to be responsible for everyone else's safety always seemed to be the first to want to save their own necks, in this accursed world. Give her the camaraderie from back in Ga-Koro, any day. But, for now, that was neither here nor there. Other guards were shooting at the trio who seemed to be responsible for the carnage, while many of the market's occupants scrambled for safety; and Tarutu registered some surprise as a fellow Ga-Matoran, rhotuka launcher in hand, dashed past her in the opposite direction to those who were fleeing. Most matoran who hadn't been guards themselves in their past lives would have gone to great lengths to avoid any and all conflict... so the sight of another running straight into the heart of the fight left Tarutu reluctant to let herself be upstaged. Grasping her electro-blade tightly, she sprung from her hiding spot and sprinted after Paju. "What's the plan of attack?" she called ahead to the other.

IC: Tarutu - Tesara Marketplace The largest market Tesara had ever hosted, huh? Count her interested. The whine of engines that weren't quite as well-tuned as they maybe could have been broke the stillness overhead for a moment, as the very world-worn Rockoh circled once, its occupant craning her neck over the too-high control panel to scan for a place to land. Given the occasion, the area was understandably crowded; all the same, her orange eyes were sharp and it took her no more than a few moments to pick out a vacant parking bay. Cutting abruptly downwards, the Ga-Matoran claimed the spot for her own, pulling neatly into bay. The battered vehicle rather clunked as it set down, but its driver seemed not to think anything of this. After taking a moment to disconnect the Lucky Find's ignition - she didn't know why anyone would want to steal a battered wreck like this... but it was her livelihood, so better safe than sorry - she hopped down from the pilot's seat and looked around her. Tesara wasn't a usual stop for her, unless a client specifically wanted something that had to be found in the jungle village; but as purveyor of rare items, Tarutu thought, it would be remiss of her to overlook such an opportunity. While she half suspected that the advertised great market would be more about selling food and produce than anything else, you never knew just who else might set up a stall for other kinds of wares. She had no commission to acquire any specific goods this time around, for business had been slow for the past couple of days; but Tarutu was a Matoran who always had an eye for things that might prove valuable later. She would browse... and she would pick up anything that showed promise, keep it until she found someone who was actively looking for it... and sell it on to them for a healthy profit. What? She wasn't doing this out of the goodness of her heart, after all. Shielding her eyes against the sun - did it seem even brighter and more withering when you were high up on this pillar of a village, overlooking the whole desert, or was that just her? - the Matoran flicked a quick acknowledgement in the direction of the guard who seemed to be overseeing the marketplace. While her chosen profession was, arguably, bordering on the wrong side of the law (at least, the part of it that included the smuggling of illicit goods) Tarutu had discovered a while back that you gave lawpersons far less cause to be suspicious of you if you simply acknowledged them with respect. As far as Jira need be concerned, she was just as legal as any other market visitor going about their business. OOC: Tarutu is open for interaction ^^

IC: Blizzard The gesture was an unfamiliar one to her, as Explota held out his hand. So far in life, Blizzard's only interactions had been with her fellow 'old breed' Rahkshi, her Makuta, and the Xian rebels her squad had been assigned to exterminate; and none of them had ever simply extended a hand to her in this manner. The gold-armoured Rahk tilted her head for a moment, quizzical; then, folding her own hand into a fist, she bumped it lightly against Explota's knuckles. That was something she'd seen a couple of the Xian defenders do together, before she had run them down, and it seemed the closest approximation she knew to what her fellow newbie might be after. That done, she turned, again, to Draco as he laid out a rough plan for the tour. A library, too? She marvelled slightly. The Makuta who got this place built sure had thought of everything... even the most unlikely things for a species whose main reputation was for being engines of destruction. This 'experiment' certainly seemed to be no-expenses-spared, and that fact alone was enough to convince Blizzard that she wanted to take full advantage of all that was on offer. And who knew? She'd not had reason to read much before, but maybe she'd find something interesting, when they reached that point in the tour. If the girl Rahk had one goal here, it was to try a bit of everything, no matter how out-of-the-ordinary it might seem. She gave a nod of acknowledgement, the pendant around her neck swinging a little with the motion. "In that case, lead on!"

Oh, whoops ^^; I'm still getting used to the way RP works on here... it seems a little different than on other sites I've been on, where I'd typically wait until everyone my character was interacting with has posted before I replied again. Sorry for the confusion!

Just to say, Laval, I'm not ignoring you in the thread; but I've been waiting for Sassy Dalmation to post again before I do, so they don't get left behind in our Rahks' conversation ^^

Newbie to the game here... but it looks cool; and, after rping on other sites for several years, I'm just starting to get into it over here on BZ too. Hope this character looks okay as a starting point ^^ Character: Name: Tarutu Species: Ga-Matoran Gender: Female Powers: Minor elemental affinity for water, but no powers to speak of. Gear: Powerless blue Komau, shaped after the great form of the mask. An electro-blade of Mahri-Nui make. Small satchel of 'useful tools'; pliers, lock-pick... just small things that could prove handy in her trade, nothing crazy. Personal Aircraft: The Lucky Find Allegiance/Role: New Atero, purveyor of 'rare items'... which is another way of saying she's a smuggler and seller of hard-to-find (and often illegal) goods. All manner of unlikely items have passed through Tarutu's hands; some she sells, some she keeps for her own use, and some she holds onto for 'just the right buyer'. In any case, if you want something that's difficult - or illegal - to get hold of, she's your girl... for a modest fee, just about anything can find its way into her hands. Appearance: A blue-armoured Matoran with darker blue accents. Personality: Presenting quite a jaded view of the world, she is not exactly anyone's idea of good company. While this isn't necessarily the truth of who she is, Tarutu has very little love to spare for life on Bara Magna... most of her cynicism, in fact, is bred from homesickness for her beloved Ga-Koro. Still, she's a capable businesswoman, and she's not afraid of a fight if it comes down to it; and she has her fair share of customers who regard her as a valuable resource. Too, she's not all cynicism and bitterness; in fact, she has a soft spot for those who are more naive about the world. A part of her, perhaps, wishes that were still her, and she doesn't want to crush their optimism - no matter how misplaced she believes it to be. Bio: A Matoran of Metru Nui Tarutu, like the rest of her brothers and sisters, has no memory of anything before the Great Cataclysm. On the island of Mata Nui, she was a guard of the village of water, vigilantly maintaining watch against Makuta's Rahi; but, while she was good at her job, she never took any passion from it. Her great love was the ocean itself, and all of her off-duty time was spent diving deep, swimming, exploring... and, as often or not, accidentally running into wild Tarakava and getting clobbered. Somehow, this never seemed to deter her... though if she ever seemed to be acting oddly, her fellow Ga-Matoran would attribute it to these blows to her head. Tarutu served through the Makuta Wars and the Bohrok War; she returned to Metru Nui with her fellow Matoran; and, after the final clash between Makuta and Mata Nui, moved out to Bara Magna. And never before had she felt so out of place. The ocean was her true love, the vast desert world before her could quite literally not have been more different... and she hated it. While the rest of the MU's inhabitants found their places, Tarutu drifted with no real destination in mind, from one village to another. It was only arriving at New Atero, seeing the nearby lake and ocean, that she finally decided to settle... it looked like the closest to 'home' she was ever going to find in this wasteland. For the first few months, she eked out a living as a scavenger, retrieving old junk from the ocean floor, patching it up as best she could and selling it on; it was only after finding a particularly rare item, that sold for a premium despite its worn condition, that she realised she may have found her calling. Ever since she came into possession of her battered Rockoh, crashed and abandoned not far from the lake, she has taken to her little business. If a being wants something valuable, rare, or illegal, they only have to ask her; she has become very good at acquiring any such items. The politics of Bara Magna are of little concern to her... while she has a vested interest in New Atero remaining secure, Tarutu's concerns are more of a looking out for number one type of nature. Aircraft: Name: The Lucky Find Model: Rockoh Weaponry: Twin Kanoka launchers, with preference for disks of code 62- (Onu-Metru return to shooter if diverted, freeze power, any power level), of which she keeps a limited number stashed in the cargo compartment. Customisation: 1) A Hau integrated into its systems; given how vulnerable its gappy armour makes the craft, this was one of the first major modifications Tarutu pursued once it came into her possession. Much like when the mask is worn, this provides a limited amount of protection against direct attack, but is no use at all in guarding against ambush; its purpose is mostly to repel bandits who might otherwise see her craft as easy pickings, as she has no intention of engaging in dogfights. 2) Additional thrusters to aid manoeuvrability, though these can only be used in short bursts and are prone to burning out. Appearance: Battered; Tarutu came into the craft second-hand after it had been crashed and then abandoned and, while she arranged to get it patched up, aesthetics have not been a priority. As such, its bodywork is scarred, its armour missing in several places, and its paint job entirely non-existent. Too, it should be noted that piloting it isn't a perfectly comfortable arrangement for her, as the craft was designed for larger races; often, she has to stand up on the seat to be able to control it adequately. Still, it gets her from A to B with little difficulty.

I think you're remembering series three; series two was the bulkier remakes of the original knights. As JAG18 says, there were four in metal cans in that third series: Sir Adric, Sir Kentis, Dracus and Karzon.

IC: Blizzard "Didn't I just say? It's Newbie #1, pleased to meet you." She managed to keep a straight face for all of ten seconds, before quickly shaking her head. As much as her sense of humour amused her - though maybe the others not so much - the gold-armoured Rahk was still discovering how to put it to best use; and she didn't want to get stuck with such a dumb nickname simply for the sake of a joke. The opportunity had seemed a good one, but now that she'd voiced it, it seemed to have fallen a bit flat. Some thoughts, probably, were better kept to herself in the future. "No, no, it's not. It's Blizzard." Still, her tone was light and easy. She hadn't meant any harm, after all; and she anticipated her fellow Rahks to simply ignore her not-so-great attempt. "I wouldn't don't look to me for help; I literally got here ten minutes ago, too. But we can be clueless newbies together, right?" If she was at all fazed by her supposed 'clueless newbie' status, Blizzard didn't give any impression of it. She already seemed at home in this place, as if knowing next-to-nothing about her surroundings didn't trouble her in the slightest; and as she fell into step behind the two male Rahkshi, her stride spoke, as ever, of that quiet confidence of hers. She tilted her head again, though, in the Panrahk's direction. "But I don't think I got your name, either?"

Re. the first idea: Ages ago, I approached Mr. Farshtey with that same thought... I will admit, more because my teenage self wanted to have a place in Bionicle history than any other reason, and I certainly hadn't thought on it in as much detail as you have. He pretty effectively shot me down with (and I'm paraphrasing because I no longer have the message) something along the lines of "are all the places where you live named after famous people? Probably not. So why would you expect that to be the case on Mata Nui?" ...which is low-key ironic, because around here, a ton of the streets ARE named after former mayors of the city. But as he had clearly seen right through me, and rightfully so, I didn't want to press the issue. Even far removed from my regrettable motivation of the time, however, I can still see the potential in the idea - particularly with the level of thought you've put into it here. It does, after all, seem odd that the Turaga would single out only one member of the team to honour in such a way. This long after the original run's end, I don't see any reason why Greg wouldn't approve some of this to canon; but I've also no idea if it's possible to contact him any more or not.

IC: Blizzard So, there was a fellow Rahkshi attached to those explosions. Blizzard could hardly claim surprise; not only was there presumably not anyone else, except for the Makuta-in-charge, within several bio, but she had heard at least a little of the spontaneous explosions that some Panrahks were prone to cause. So, while her brows rose higher still as the scarred - presumably battle-worn - Rahkshi made his presence known, not even the slightest fraction of surprise registered on her armoured face. For a moment, she had opened her mouth to say something; Draco swiftly beat her to the punch on that count, however. She also didn't bat an eye at his harsh response. Not all Rahks were going to get along with each other, that was something Blizzard had known practically from the outset - her fellows back in the Xia region, the ones who weren't of this advanced breed, certainly didn't get along much with her - so again, she simply took it in her stride. All the same, she had no such hostility of her own for the newcomer, and raised a hand in greeting in spite of Draco's sharp tone... and despite the other's equally sharp retort. "First-day nerves for you too, huh?" He hadn't said as much, but she was hazarding a guess... both because of the fact Draco didn't know him, and because of Explota's implication that something had him riled. "Draco here's an old hand, but I'm newbie #1 around here. I guess that makes you newbie #2." OOC: Sorry for the delay! I lost track of time... forgot this had been waiting on me almost a whole week ^^;

Ah-ha, here we go... I just took a delve back into the BZPower reviews archive for you, which turns up the answers. All the pins and axels for the build were apparently in a separate small bag in addition to the main three (image here), while this photo of the parts unbagged shows the Kraahkan in the pile of pieces that came from the same bag as his torso construction (bag 1, I would guess?). So, yeah, not a mistake on the seller's part... just Lego doing weird things with the bags. (Source: http://www.bzpower.com/story.php?ID=1078)

I am 100% behind a Chronicler's Company spinoff. Those guys are still some of my all-time favourite Bionicle characters, and after 2002 they really just kinda... all fell by the wayside apart from brief cameos here and there. Let the Chronicler's Company be relevant again 2k19! Most of the minor matoran characters though, to be honest, would catch my attention. Spinoffs on the six Great Disk matoran; or the Voya Nui resistance; or the matoran of Mahri Nui... I think more because stories of the matoran characters can be big and adventurous, but they can also capture the 'day-to-day-life' aspect better than another big story following the Toa could; and in canon we only really ever got to see that in the MNOGs. On a similar note, I'd also be really, REALLY interested in a spinoff story that followed Gavla, the Av-Matoran who never felt she fit in and chose the life of a matoran of shadow. She'd been fascinating to me for a while now, and I'd be totally on board with a story that made her the central character. Or... okay, anyone could probably see this coming a mile away. But anything focused on Toa Lhikan would also be one I couldn't say no to xD

IC: Blizzard "Well... huh." Rahkshi cooks. That was a mental image that Blizzard hadn't known she needed, and the female-identifying Rahk covered her faceplate with one hand to stifle a snort of amusement. It wasn't really at anyone's expense - she hadn't even met one of these cooking Rahkshi, and Blizzard wasn't going to judge on that fact alone - but just... cookery. it was so outside of anyone's expectation for one of their kind that... how could she not laugh? Just picturing an armoured form, much like her own, hunched over doing delicate kitchen work was simply too entertaining. And as for herself? Blizzard wasn't sure. She'd try her clawed hand at anything once, but she couldn't claim great enthusiasm for throwing herself into any of the creative pastimes. Still, she was fully prepared to surprise herself. "So what's the deal with specific classes? Are they organised... or do we just teach ourselves whatever we feel like learning?" She couldn't really imagine any of the Makuta taking the time out of their day to teach Rahkshi anything that was really non-essential, so Blizzard's widgets were on the latter. Still, as the newbie here, she figured there was no harm in asking the question; she'd rather ask, even if it made her look a little silly, than end up looking far more dumb later on because she'd assumed something that turned out to be wrong. Scratching beneath her chin for a moment as she awaited Draco's response, the weather control Rahk's attention was drawn by a muffled explosion from further down the hallways. One armoured eyebrow quirked upwards as she swung her head in the direction of the sound. "Just your average day at school, huh?" (OOC: I figured she and Draco are probably near enough to Explota to have heard him... if you want him to join in their conversation here, Laval, then you're welcome to ^^)

IC: "Welp. RIP Matoran, I guess." Her tone was pleasantly light, clearly joking... and while, to many of the Universe's other inhabitants, that kind of 'humour' would probably be regarded as grim, Rahkshi had never been famous for having good taste. In fact, as far as Blizzard was concerned, her words had been pretty tasteful compared to some of the jokes she might have made instead. Besides. It was pretty much a given that Matoran village + eager Rahkshi couldn't equal anything else, right? "Huh." The gold-armoured girl scratched her chin thoughtfully as Draco explained the deal here. Makuta Antroz had told her very little, but had made it sound more like this was the kind of place for training her breed of Rahkshi into elites. What use other skills could be to that process, Blizzard hadn't a clue; but then again, her worldly experience wasn't wide. Perhaps there was more to it than she thought. Maybe a Rahkshi with an appreciation of... she didn't know, poetry, for example... might make a better soldier in the long run. Who knew? "I'm mostly here for the warrior bit; if I've got these powers, I want to make the most of them. But I'll probably dabble in the other things too." It couldn't hurt, right?

IC: Blizzard "You'd be right there." Falling into step behind Draco, she nodded once. Between her gold-toned armour and her name, Blizzard supposed, she was pretty much a walking dead giveaway of that fact... all the same, she didn't regret either of those things. Her armour colour pleased her, and she always made sure it was well-maintained; and as for her name? When she'd learned she was allowed to choose one, her first thought had gone to the power she possessed - and, in particular, the kind of weather that she most looked forward to levelling up enough to conjure. For now, all she could do was blow gusts of wind about. But, all in good time... Her companion, though... he didn't give anything away in name, and Blizzard couldn't quite put a claw on his colour scheme, either. But it seemed rude, somehow, to admit to not knowing; she didn't ask it, therefore. If this was a tour, however, she felt like she had leeway to ask at least a few questions. "How many of us are there here? Enough to make it worth the Makuta's while, I'd guess?"

WAAAAAAIT, I've just noticed that the story cut off short of its end D: I didn't even notice this at the time, I'm so sorry! Um... here, belatedly, is the rest of the final scene: --- “The unloading is going smoothly, Captain!” Even though Rau-wearing Matoran saluted smartly as he gave the report, it was obvious to Jaller that the guardsman was as eager to see more of their former and new home as all of his fellow villagers who were scurrying back and forth across the shore. Still, the Ta-Koro Guard was holding together well, managing the unloading of the boats – their cargo consisted mostly of items of too great personal or spiritual significance for the Matoran to willingly leave behind – with their customary efficiency. Jaller gave a nod to the excited guardsman. “Right, good. Keep it up, Keahi.” If he sounded noncommittal, it was only because his attention was elsewhere; Keahi seemed to realise this and hastily returned to his work. It had taken a lot of thought, on Jaller’s part, to decide that he was indeed ready to resume leadership of the Guard; but, once he had done so, a lot of other things had seemed to fall back into place. The journey back to Metru Nui had given him time enough to think long and hard about everything that had happened since he and Takua had set off on their search – and, finally, to draw some conclusions from it all. His Duty was to his friends and his people, just as it had always been. This world was a beautiful place, and he would protect it, and the Matoran who called it home, at all costs. He would lead the Guard wherever it took him; even to death, again, if it were asked of him. He might not welcome it – but he wouldn’t run from it. And Hahli… He finally felt ready to talk to her. He hadn’t deliberately caught her eye through the crowd; but on the whole, Jaller thought, it had been good that he had. Maybe she’d take it as an invitation to catch up with him later, once all the commotion died down a bit. That sounded like a good plan to him, and Jaller nodded to himself as he stepped around a half-demolished statue that had probably once depicted Toa Lhikan— Only to feel something catch his elbow gently. Looking down at the blue-armoured hand, that had snagged him, Jaller didn’t have to guess who it belonged to… and he couldn’t really claim to be surprised, either. Hahli had never been one for waiting around when she had something on her mind. “Hey, Ta-Matoran.” Her tone was light; but, despite her words, it was clear to Jaller that teasing wasn’t what was on her mind today. That was fair, he supposed – he hadn’t really been making himself very open to her advances recently, while he’d been working to get his thoughts in order. He regretted blowing her off in such a way, but… it had seemed unavoidable back then. “Spare a minute?” she asked. “For you? Of course.” Capturing her hand in his own, Jaller allowed Hahli to lead him back behind one of the pillars of the loading dock. For a moment, no further words were exchanged, and the two Matoran just stood there; Jaller, for his part, uncertain whether he should break the silence or allow Hahli to do so. Eventually, she spoke first. “I just wanted to say, Jaller… I know you’re going through a lot. I guess you don’t want to trouble me with it, but…” Her yellow eyes, catching his own, were alive with compassion, and Jaller felt his heart stirring again as he looked into them. Regardless of everything else, she was such a special Matoran that he just felt very privileged to call her his friend. He wondered why it had taken so long for him to learn to think that way. “…if I can help, or even just listen, I want to do that for you. Otherwise…” She looked away, but continued to speak. “I just want you to know that I’ll be here for you, whenever you’re ready. If you need time, then I won’t butt in; but I hope—I hope that you won’t keep me out.” “Actually…” Stepping around to be in her field of view again, Jaller met her gaze with his own. Hahli… it hadn’t really occurred to him, while he’d been wrestling with his own thoughts, but she’d been through almost as much as he had – on an emotional level, if not a physical one. She’d had to see his life stripped away from him and, given the feelings they shared, that must have crushed her. He could only imagine the strength it had cost her to keep going, in spite of that. “I think I just about got everything sorted up here.” He tapped the side of his mask, drawing an unwilling smile from Hahli. “I never wanted to shut you out; I just needed the time to re-evaluate everything. There’s been a lot to come to terms with – but I’ve mostly managed it, now. As long as no other big, universe-shaking changes come along in the next year, we should be alright.” Hahli’s smile took on a wry edge. “I don’t think we can count on that. Even when he’s asleep, Mata Nui seems to like to shake things up.” “True.” Jaller shook his head slightly as he conceded the point. Who knew what the year ahead would hold? In fact… “Actually, that leads me on to the other thing I wanted to say. I think we need to reconsider…” “Us.” Hahli supplied the very word Jaller had been intending, just moments before he spoke it. He had, in fact, been meaning to ease her into the subject more gently… but, it seemed, he wasn’t the only one who had been doing some thinking. “Yeah.” Again, the half-awkward silence, as each waited for the other to go first. This time, Jaller took it upon himself to take the lead. “I care for you a lot, Hahli; don’t ever think that I don’t. I’ve never been closer to another Matoran – even a Ta-Matoran – than I am to you. But our relationship, the way we had it… I don’t think it’s sustainable.” “So…?” Hahli’s prompting was cautious, but also hopeful; and Jaller got the distinct impression that she’d been thinking along similar lines to him… but run in a completely different direction with them. “So, I think maybe we should take a step back. You’re my friend, and I never want to lose that, but… our trying to make it more than it was, without committing anything, was damaging that more than helping.” “We could go serious, you know.” Hahli’s interjection was quick, the words all spilling out in a rush. “If our old way didn’t work, we can try a different approach. We don’t have to give up… I don’t want to give up.” “Hey. Hey… neither do I.” He was still holding her hand, Jaller realised, and he rubbed the back of it gently now. “But we’ve got no time to explore all our options right now. We’ve got a whole city to rebuild. I’d rather focus on getting to know you as a person, and as a friend; and then maybe, once all is said and done, we can go for a deeper relationship. But for now, there’s too much getting in the way.” It hurt, to see the emotions dancing through Hahli’s eyes; but Jaller truly believed he was making the right decision. He was no Ko-Matoran seer, no prophet like Turaga Vakama… but even he could anticipate that unsettled times would lie ahead. Even if Makuta was dead, there were whispers that he had a whole brotherhood who may or may not want to finish what he started; and if that was the case, Metru Nui was going to be on the defensive for a long while yet. If he and Hahli were going to be snatching moments in the midst of all that, then he wanted them to be meaningful ones… not ones full of questioning exactly what their relationship ought to be. “Building memories together.” Hahli’s musing drew Jaller’s attention back to her; and, at his uncomprehending frown, she elaborated. “It was something I noticed, when you were… gone. So little of our time together had really meant anything. If I want to change anything, it’s that; I want to be able to look back on the times we’ve spent, and feel like they were valuable; not just empty teasing.” “Then… you understand?” “I think so.” It couldn’t have been easy for her to admit, and her expression gave that away; but all the same, Hahli nodded. “We need time to learn about each other as we are, before we dive into anything involving us.” She took his other hand in hers, too. “And I want to learn to know you, Jaller. Not just the Captain of the Guard face; not just the empty flirting; but the real YOU beneath.” “Same.” Without letting go of her hands, Jaller turned to face the skyline of the City of Legends. Around them, he knew, Matoran were continuing to work, some more efficiently than others, at unloading the boats, dismantling some of them for parts, and preparing to make their way deeper into the ruined streets; but for now, that could continue without him. “I’m going to head into the city, look for somewhere sturdy enough to set up as a new guardhouse.” He smiled at her, enjoyed seeing her genuinely smile back. “Care to join me?” “I need a quick word with Turaga Vakama, first. Meet you in Ta-Metru?” Slipping her hands out of his, Hahli slipped back into the crowd towards the shore again, where the Ta-Koroan elder stood aside from where many of his companions were exchanging enthusiastic greetings with the Rahaga and a giant that had to be Keetongu. Watching her go… he couldn’t help his smile growing wider still. Whatever they had now was bound to be different from what they’d enjoyed before… but it was a good different, built more around sincerity and trust. Maybe it would take a while for them both to get used to. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to keep it up – or maybe they would. But that was a part of the future that he wasn’t worried about. Whatever happened… it would happen. And, for as long as it took, he was glad to freely acknowledge that Hahli was, probably, going to be his closest friend throughout it all. Whistling softly to himself, the captain gathered up his guardsman’s pack, and began to pick his way over the bits of scattered rubble, and into the body of the city proper. Nothing in the future was going to be quite the same as he’d known up to this point; and that, Jaller decided, was the way he liked it.

IC: Blizzard "Well, as long as you're offering..." A helpful Rahkshi? Who knew, right? Blizzard supposed she had no real reason to be surprised; all the same, she hadn't met a fellow one of the 'new breed' before. All her squadmates under Makuta Antroz had been grown from older kraata than her, and none of them had the streak of individuality that marked apart all of those here in the Academy. Perhaps that, more than anything, was why the weather control Rahk hadn't known what to expect from another of her kind. This was going to be quite the experience. "I'll take you up on it. I've got a lot to learn about this place, clearly." Far better to learn where everything was now than to get lost later, she figured. And besides, this Rahk didn't seem like awful company by anyone's standards. If she was looking to find other students to hang out with, he was as good a starting point as any. She would see what she would see, the weather control girl supposed. "By the way?" She gestured to herself for a moment. "Blizzard. I'm called Blizzard."

Hm... as a traditional animator who's still in the process of teaching himself the craft, this definitely seems like something I'd like to be involved in; more practice on something that's different from my previous work, in particular. I can PM you a link to my existing animation pieces, if you want to check whether I meet the standards for this project ^^ A few more questions, if I may, before I commit: - Which version of the character designs would be used? Movie-style, set-style, another style entirely? - Do we get to chose the parts we want to work on, or will they be assigned randomly? I can think of at least a couple of scenes that I'd be most interested in trying a hand at, but I don't want to bite off more than I can handle. - How close to the original animation do you want to stick? Are we going to be reproducing it exactly, or can we take more liberties with the action, as long as it still matches the audio? Thanks, in advance, for your answers ^^

What sort of animation are we talking? Traditionally-drawn, or CG? If it's the former case, count me as tentatively interested.

Regarding the above question: looking at last year's exchange, it seemed to be about a month after the deadline wrapped up that information about the set rewards was posted ^^

IC: Blizzard "Sounds perfect." It did, really. While she didn't quite know what Draco was getting at with his mention of an assignment, it sounded - at least to her - as though it would be informative to spectate upon. Even if it was closed off, it would give her a bit more of a clue of how things were played around here... and would maybe show her where to place herself to get in on the next one. Between that, duels, and training equipment, it would be her kind of scene. "Just straight down the hall, huh? I think I can find that okay." It wasn't lost on her, of course, that this guy had been heading in the opposite direction. Wherever he was going, it clearly wasn't the gym, which meant that their paths were going to diverge just as quickly as they'd intersected. The fact didn't bother her at all; to Blizzard, it was just something worth noting. And... ah dang it, she was curious. "Where does that mean you're heading? Anywhere fun?" She wasn't thinking of following, of course; no-one liked a clingy Rahkshi shadowing their every move. But, the more she could learn about what was where in this place? The better.

IC: Blizzard "Heh. I shouldn't be surprised." How many unruly Rahks would willingly sit through an initiation, in the first place? Blizzard herself was willing to, it was true, if only so that she wouldn't be so hopelessly behind everyone else; but patience wasn't a common Rahkshi trait. It was hardly worth the headmakuta's while to beat it into them, either, if the ultimate goal of this was to turn them out as more efficient killing machines. How many of the Rahkshi here, who were presumably all as prone to individuality as she herself, had that as their actual goal, the weather control Rahk couldn't imagine... it was just one of many things that she'd surely learn in time. But that left her immediate destination as... what? Just wander the halls until she found something happening that she could stumble into the middle of? Blizzard didn't much like the idea of going in completely blind. She scratched her faceplate for a moment, considering. She could ask for something simple, like direction to a dorm room where she'd be settling in, or to whatever her first class might be. Or... Or... "Okay, let's put it another way: obviously, I'm a newbie here. Where do I need to go to find some action?" She'd leave the specific definition of action up to Draco's determination. OOC: I'm not going too fast, am I? It seems like we're getting a little ahead of everyone else... or, since our interaction is separate from theirs, does it not really matter? I can slow down, if need be; mostly, it's just that I'm just excited to be getting involved ^^