EmperorWhenua

IC Stannis | The Massif It was not immediately clear who it was who greeted him, but in the time it took to get close he racked his memory—the voice was familiar, as was the stocky body of the matoran, and by the time they stood a bio apart, the Wanderer stopped his march and smiled down at the matoran. "Nichou, my friend," he said, "don't you remember? Size matters not in the eyes of Mata Nui." "Well put," Nichou grinned wistfully. "If only everyone could see the way He does..." Nichou looked upwards as Stannis drew closer. Seeing the Maru in person was altogether strange, albeit not unexpected. When seeing a friend again for the first time in a long time, it's easy to get lost in the different details. One may not be able to place each and every incongruency, but there is a shimmer, an unreal feeling, as one's imperfect memories of a person attempt to line up with the version in reality, altered by time and growth. Nichou already knew Stannis was different on the outside, and, to a degree, on the inside as well. New proportions, a new element with new powers, as well as new a Kanohi, and other equipment. He may still have been the same underneath, but with new experience lurking behind those grey eyes that seemed to wisen the Wanderer beyond his years. Stannis had weathered challenges Nichou could only imagine, and from just a glance, it was evident across the granite guardian's body. The carpenter was no doctor, but he had seen his fair share of wounds up close in his time. Clotted blood clung to Stannis's shoulder and knuckles like frost, and a deep gash across his chestplate exposed a fresh scar. "Looks like the 'protecting and serving' business has been as busy as ever." Nichou said as he looked towards the recent wounds. "Is everything okay? Let's find somewhere warmer for you to rest—it looks like you've had a long night." "Ko-Koro is safe now, again," Stannis said with a weary voice. "The evildoers have been routed and a new akiri has been set in control. For the first time in a long time, I have hope for the city." His damnably grey eyes were blank vacancies against the backdrop of fog, making it seem as though the august toa-hero had holes all the way through the back of his skull, but Nichou could tell they were resting on him. It gladdened the Wanderer to see an old friend again, wishing only it were under more comfortable circumstances. He winced and eyed the parapets of the town's keep. "Yes, rest sounds... good. I'll be alright, I know where to go and can get there fine, but your company is more than welcome." Nichou nodded and began to walk with Stannis to the new elevator at the face of the massif's titular stone foundation, listening to his friend's good news. "That's wonderful—and the legacy's hostages...?" The companion trailed off, the question clearly the next immediate worry on his mind. "Is there someone you are most concerned about?" Stannis gently asked, sensing the urgent intent. "Well, actually... yes." Nichou stuttered. "I came to Ko-Wahi with a friend I made in Po-Koro; a Po-Matoran Kohlii player named Kyhra. Kaukau, eyepatch, snakeskin duster—hard to miss." As they walked, Nichou's left hand absentmindedly toyed with the pocket with a Ishi's letter inside. He gave a sigh. "I went here, he went to Ko-Koro just before it locked down and subsequently fell. It's a long shot, but... I was hoping he'd made it out." The elevator whirred as it slowly heaved the Po-Toa and Onu-Matoran upwards towards the keep overlooking the Massif. Nichou shrugged. "If you don't know any news... well, it is what it is." The Wanderer tilted his head in thought a moment and then said, "It's not that I have no news, but I call Po-Koro home now but I do not know a villager by that name. There were no Kolhii players with snakeskin dusters and eyepatches in Ko while we were there." "Strange... but thanks, regardless." Nichou was silent for a moment as he processed the news, or lack thereof. His face had a solemn, but unsurprised expression. The odds of Kyhra surviving, AND having been met by Stannis, were not a bet many gamblers would take. Conditional probability was a deep rabbit hole, easily eating away at hope with the multitude of dark possibilities. In his heartlight, Nichou knew his friend's survival was a fool's hope, and this was useful nail in the coffin he needed to set that worry aside. Maybe he'd put up a poster or two in the city regardless, just in case. Everyone probably had a friend of family member that they were separated from, surely such missives would congregate somewhere in the city as it rebuilt from the siege. Perhaps the fledgling architect would build that memorial wall. But... now that Stannis mentioned it, a one-eyed kohlii player with such a distinctive fashion sense was quite the improbability in and of itself. Nichou avoided mulling on what that meant—instead, the talk of survivors had reminded him why he had sought out Stannis those many months ago. The elevator shuddered to a halt at the top of the cliffside. The Massif's keep dominated the horizon ahead. "Have you heard from any of our other Companions since you destroyed Makuta?" "I've heard Lekua was called to something and Lepidran is running a miniature zoo in the jungle, but I have not heard much more. I do miss Atiel sometimes," he said fondly. He liked his hammer. "And you? Any more strange matoran visitations?" he asked, good-naturedly recalling the time when the Chronicler had visited the Companions. Perhaps Takua had seen Nichou as well, but perhaps not. It was a harmless reference to the past. An eyebrow was raised as the duo walked towards the cathedral. "Strange matoran visitations?" Nichou scoured his memory. The strangest visitation he had had was that time when that unusual Ta(?)-Matoran ran into the companions on a Ko-Wahi mountain trail, looking for Aurax, Lepidran, and Stannis. "Any more? Like that time soon after Nuju got captured?" Nichou asked in response. "No, nothing of the sort." "I tagged along with Lekua for a bit, but I haven't seen him in a while. Nice to hear he's found his calling - he was always the most vocal about his disappointment with the Companions disbanding, though his feelings weren't unique. If he was doing anything less than some adventure, I'd be disappointed - he is a Matoran most fit for it. As for me? I've been mostly going here and there: seeing the sights, learning new things, meeting new people - did some stone carving in Po-Koro, wound up doing some light architectural work here, et cetera. 'Working and preserving', as you told Toa Noran back in the day." Nichou wistfully paused as they began to navigate through the keep's halls, with Stannis taking more of a lead. The more the Onu-Matoran thought about his own travels since he saw Stannis, the more he remembered Sigrus's longing for adventure the night before. Nichou was glad that he had plans to set out - this conversation reminded him that he needed to, in Sigrus's words, be lost again, moreso than the carpenter wanted to admit. "Visitors are few and far between." Nichou was silent for a moment, though it was clear he had more to say. "I was going to ask about Lepidran. I'm... glad to hear he's doing well, doing what he always wanted to do. I'll admit... I feared worse, when he went off with you on your destined quest, and did not emerge from Mangaia as a Toa like you did. Same with Aurax. Is he well? I couldn't find his workshop anywhere when I lived in Po-Koro." "Aurax is dead," Stannis said, "murdered by Rahkshi early in our campaign." It came off matter-of-factly but it was meant as a kindness. Stannis had come to appreciate the grace of ripping a bandage off in certain turns of discussion, and the fate of the erstwhile Company member remained a rough subject for him. In some way he'd felt like he'd let Aurax down, that it was somehow his fault that a member had been killed when it was not Stannis' choice who his companions would be, and the commander in him did not let that wound on his sense of Duty down. "I am as sorry as can be." Nichou could only grimly breathe. It wasn't a sigh as much as it was a singular, conscious, measured breath. As if the crisp air overflowing throughout his lungs took his mind off the grief. The carpenter's pace slowed. Inhale. Hold. Linger. Think. Stop. Exhale. Pause. Repeat. This wasn't news. News implied... new-ness. Nichou always wondered if any of the former companions had met a grim end to their journeys, and if so, how he would react to such news. To Nichou's surprise, there were no tears, only a sinking emptiness behind his heartlight. An empty pit of darkness that would be even more painful to claw out. The news sank like a lump in Nichou's throat that couldn't quite be swallowed. The itch could now be scratched, but it hadn't left him. Perhaps time would heal. Exhale. "That's...'" Inhale. Hold. Linger. Determination. Restart. "Aurax went into the unknown knowingly..." Nichou continued after a gulp. He took the time to find the proper words. "Hindsight makes the danger more obvious, yet also lessens it. Makes your eventual victory more assured. Destined." He began to recite a cryptic stanza of the prophecy that had been forever burnt into both of their memories since they were just a plucky band of ragtag Matoran in Ko-Wahi. "Enduring their strife, "Mortality's knife, "The heroes will find what he took." Silence. "I've long wondered what the cost for victory truly was. The assault on the hive, Pala-Koro, the Rahkshi attacks... so much death for our protection, but never, it felt, in the service of ever truly bringing an end to the war. Just to hang on to what we had. At least in his final moments, perhaps Aurax knew he died for that great purpose, that greater progress, as it was destined." Inhale. "He lived and died by the Virtues. May Mata Nui watch over him." Exhale. Nichou resumed his previous pace, having finished eulogizing. Boots clacked against stone, the sounds resonating off of the tight corridors. They were now in the halls of the Massif's keep. "Where was he laid to rest?" But as Nichou looked up at his toa-hero he saw those thin lips quiver in a recital of the same litany Nichou had said. "Mortality's knife," Stannis echoed aloud without thinking, only remembering. Nichou asked where their friend was buried and, for a moment, Stannis could not say. He could not say it because he was still there in his mind, standing at the dark earthen mound marked with just the humblest of totems in one of the most dark and inaccessible sections of an ashen wasteland. The smell of smoke and soot was still fresh in his nostrils and the red of blood still painted his hands, or, at least, he imagined it all to be so, over, and over, and over again. There wasn't a single threat or enemy that Stannis had confronted that he remembered the Prophesy and the losses they'd suffered because of it. Mortality's knife. Aurax was not the first death in the great war against Makuta but he had been the first one to happen in the company of seemingly spiritually ordained heroes, and until Aurax was butchered by rahkshi the company had been under some delusion that they were destined to succeed. Stannis did not cling to such high hopes, however, and constantly feared that mortality's knife was a blade with his name on it—not Aurax's, not Oreius, not anyone's but the one who treads ahead, and so the loss of someone Stannis treasured as a companion, friend, and believer had come as a grisly shock and macabre reminder that they were not predestined to do anything but suffer, because they were soldiers in a war. And ever since then, whenever Stannis faced odds against him, he still felt death's shiv cut closer to him again. The keep came into focus—How long had I been remembering? he wondered—and he realized Nichou was still expectantly awaiting his answer. "Ah—in a remote corner of the Charred Forest, near where he died. I have tried to find his place of rest since it happened in order to provide higher honors but have not been able to stumble upon it, so perhaps it is not meant to be." Their presence in the Keep reminded Stannis why he had come to the Massif and he looked around the space with new alertness. Few things had changed from when Antrim Vakitano resided in the small fortified redoubt, but it looked more as a reproduction homage than a time capsule from the past. The new Toa-Protector had taste, yet Stannis did not seem reassured. While he ostensibly came for rest and respite after Ko-Koro's battle, he was truly there for business with the lord Brykon.

IC Yumiwa | Ga-Koro "Lieutenant," I said with an incline of my head to look at her feet, the bow to use when recognizing someone of lesser rank I trusted. "I heard the message, same as you." Aya's request for me to make way to the Yukanna was in earnest but my excitement for a real-life little dragon was tempered by my suspicions of something else at play, concerns likely stirred up by Aya's mention of a joke by her or Taz. After all, there were others who could make such tricks real and my feelings for legendary draconic creatures was no secret. "I want to see this spectacle from safety first," I said. "Take me to a porthole or periscope that gives us a clear view of the Yukanna's decks from within the Chiisai Ryuu. I want to be assured this isn't a Sighteye's ploy." I was aware of the general layout of the submersible but mostly in reference to my room and main areas, as truth be told I'd never set foot within it except for the briefest of inspections at its christening. Plus, having Taz by my side helped ease my tensions a bit as well.

IC Yumiwa + Zafin | Ga-Koro, Chiisai Ryuu The empress looked at the azure sky and spied the birds that flew over the village. The fauna on Mata Nui was different that back home. She tried to recognize some species, and when she could not identify them she instead considered whether there was an equivalent creature had been kept in Sado's Garden district sanctuaries. Most of them had kindreds in kind, like the ubiquitous Mata Nui fishing bird that swooped and screeched teasingly that reminded Yumiwa so much of the albatross on Oki, and the strange puffins that waddled around the cliffsides on Naho Bay evoked the images of pilfering shorebirds that enjoyed the sheer sides of Sado's crystal towers. Others were less familiar, like the weird gulls that seemed to hang overhead in the breeze like living kites, felt quintessentially Mata Nuian. Yumiwa couldn't quite tell why, truthfully, but maybe it was the searing effect when a local matoran referred to them as "dumpster chickens" that immediately admitted the sea-gulls as a local treasure of dubious repute. The gull she'd been spying suddenly tilted its wings a fraction and dipped away from view, vanishing from sight with a muffled cawww! heard faintly through the walls. "That was a fat one," Zafin said in amusement. "'Wombodibus'," Yumiwa added, still peering up through the large windows of the submersible's bridge. "That's another thing they're called—the large ones, at least." "Have you taken quite a liking of these birds?" the handmaiden remarked inquisitively. "I have! They're amusing to me, but also I just kind of... like them?" She looked at Zafin and grinned. "I like the way their beaks turn up in those dorky smirks, and how they boldly do whatever they want without regard for the matoran's routines. They're apparently flying trash pandas but I just think they're neat." They saw another group of boats roll into Ga-Koro's docks, stacking on top of other boats that already stretched out through the villages network of piers like sprawling tree branches, each adding to its own length with new limbs. "Clan Korae, at last," Yumiwa said, noting the bright orange pennants on the lead boat's masts. "I would have expected them to be at the front of the fleet, you know, on account of their sea prowess." "Prowess, but also caution. They are wise to distance themselves from my proximity," Yumiwa observed. "If Toroshu Tyee survived and is in charge then they'll want to provide a large berth. Inokio shamed their precarious status immensely and Tyee will want to ask for penance when she's certain my anger is stilled. But, you know, Tyee—and her clan—were never the closest to Sado or myself, either. She doesn't realize that I don't hold bad feelings for the clan, just for their erstwhile First Son's treachery, so they're wise... but not intelligent." "You'll see each other soon enough," Zafin opined. "The council meeting..." "Yeah. Tomorrow at midmorning, probably, provided I have news to bring to the collected toroshu. The Korae are tiny these days, a minor clan among minnows, but they're old and will be eager to seek respect again. I can count on them in the session now that they're here." "Do you suppose you'll need clout?" "These are still the toroshu we're talking about," Yumiwa chided. "Political maneuverings and jockeying for resources and power are what they do, and we're in a new world with lots they could benefit from. Some are more like the gulls then the matoran, and if they can squeeze something out of this place then they will do all in their power to claim it. And me, I'm an empress without an empire," Yumiwa said with a deep frown. "I'll have to steer the clans as best I can as their rora and arbiter. I need allies here more than ever." Zafin nodded. She understood what her ladyship was saying though it didn't sink in quite as well. Politics and governance was never Zafin's hobby, an effect from her vocation veering away from the Umbraline diplomatic corps and more towards martial and domestic arts, but she was well aware that the role of rora was a dangerous game of power plays. The rora was not unassailable as it was in ages past, and Yumiwa in particular was subject to the highs and lows of public opinion in polarizing clarity. Some toroshu may even believe themselves more suited to the throne-in-exile, believing that the exit of Sado was the final chapter of the ancient Umbraline clan's reign. Yumiwa was on precarious ground, and yeah, she needed allies. Fortunately, and also unfortunately, Yumiwa had inherited her position on Sado instead of coming with the mission on the Chiisai Ryuu. "Come on, let me show you what would have been my cabin," Yumiwa said, tugging at Zafin lightly and then surging ahead. They were had left the bridge and were headed to the other deck to the bunk rooms when they heard a hatch's grinding hinges. The two nobles gave each other quizzical glances, neither detecting any indications of who could be coming on board. Their security was not in question, there were several guards outside the submarine and the docs were literally crawling with Menti, but the lack of a mental signature was the first tip that something weird was happening. As far as they knew, they were the only Dasaka on the boat, until they heard footsteps. .:I guess we're not alone anymore:. .:Shrug:. .:Would you like us to meet whoever came on deck?:. .:Yes—they may have come looking for me:. .:Mmkay:. They wordlessly started to walk back towards the entrance section of the submersible to intercept whoever their company was. @Razgriz

IC Zafin | Great Takea "I'll take a refill, too, please," Zafin said politely and pushed her emptied flagon across the bar, retracting it back when the ale's head peaked masterfully over the rim, a wave of seafoam flooding precipitously to the edge, never crashing over the barrier but slowly retracting back into the sea that it came from until the foam and fluid evened out just a hair below the lip. Pouring ale so precisely took skill, or at least muscle memory learned from practice, and such simple mastery pleased the Umbraline lady. She nodded her thanks to Rhow. Daijuno seemed to be lost in thought, perhaps finished speaking after offering his invitation to discuss philosophy of state. Yumiwa was sure to take the offer up, Zafin opined; she could not afford to miss the opportunity to mend matters and bridge gaps, and she was not one to miss the opportunity to deviate from the paths of her mothers. Instead it was Shuuan who sidled up nearby. She looked exhausted, the way someone looks when they are coming off of a high and left bereft of dopamine for the first time in a while. The show was winding to a close and there was nothing to turn attention to but inward, and that probably felt nauseating. Zafin knew that feeling well, that empty pit that gnaws at your heart and doesn't let up its hunger because the hunger is yours and yours alone. Nobody else can see the pit, and if they claim to it's not the same pit, just an allegorically parallel one of their own making, but they can see the effect of the pit on you, a veritable vortex of gravitic power pulling you into its maw. It's a dreadful thing, that pit, inescapable except by way of further distractions—the very same things that brought you to it in the first place that serve as the only form of escape left. She could not understand Shuuan's pit, or discern what its nature was, but she could see that Shuuan yearned for a distraction. There was a pit she stared at as well, even right then, and she warily played with the flagon's handle for an instant. The foam had rescinded to nothing and the ale was still, only rippled by the tiny bubbles of carbonation that licked the surface from within. She could use the distraction, too. With a single gulp she could show the Dasaka and Skakdi in the tavern one of the reasons why Umbraline Zafin was given crude monikers like "Deep Throated" by her peers in Oki's schools. Alternatively, she could demonstrate a reason why she was never selected for the diplomatic corps, though she could wager the feat would probably work differently in present company. But no. There was someone who needed distraction more than she did. She passed the flagon to Shuuan before walking out of the tavern. Her lips were straight but she gave a wink as she left. "Until later, Plangori. Dastana." @Void Emissary @Vezok's Friend @Mel

IC Zafin | Great Takea ”Is the Tidalpool the same as the Tidepool Inn?” she asked as she took the card and pocketed it in her skirt.* *Yes, her skirt had pockets. @Void Emissary

IC Stannis | Po-Koro, Akiri's home The Wanderer's eyes paused abruptly on Ra'lhen. A smart one, that, he admitted to himself, wondering why the former Ronkshou wasn't a more prolific soldier for Makuta considering his mental senses were far keener than Plimbo the Black Magnet and his abilities surely better suited for a commander. The answer came to him just as suddenly in a dawning clear as the sky when he recalled that Makuta was a slavedriver, and disciples with too expert faculties were a threat as a tool too sharp could bite back at the owner's knuckles, so even the sharpest minds were dulled in the darkness' service. "Probably as many mugs as you can pilfer from the honorable Renaka's cabinets," he said in a serious tone but as a joke. "Over there." @Silvan Haven @Emzee

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea "Men," I said with a little bit of awe. "Perhaps there is something for me in this land as well! Most of our men I know have left... well, much to be desired." I inclined my head, hearing someone send a message to me, a Hogo code to come back to base. "Sorry, Arisaka, I must leave on this note but I am so happy to see you are well. After we build our new home, come visit for tea sometime—I insist! "Zafin, hey! We're headed back!" IC Zafin | Great Takea "I'll be along in a moment, my lady!" she hollered back to the rora then looked back to Daijuno. Zafin was angry, but her rage was not directed at Yumiwa like the rest of the populace was ought to do. She did not have the same juvenile necessity to pin her depression on a figurehead since she understood the problem was far greater than, and her proximity to the empress meant that she was in a position to help influence policies since she understood the issue was with the Dasaka society and not with the ruler herself. That was an awareness Daijuno, for all her erudite skills, did not comprehend as her philosophy was one of anger and survival, not privilege and theorization, which meant the Umbraline lady could not petition such a side of Daijuno's mentality. I am trying to do much to help you and the other subjects by keeping Her Majesty's company, Zafin seethed inside her mind, though could not bring herself to say it aloud since she understood it would fall to easily incensed ears in the bar and be read as callous lording over saihoko survivalism. Zafin was not a savior just like Yumiwa was no messiah, she was a cog in a machine like everyone else, a tool being put to use. Instead, she toyed with her skirt's hem while she thought a moment, until Rora Yumiwa stepped back outside the restaurant. There was no way to be out of the rora's keen mind's ear, but at least she could be assured that Yumi wouldn't hear her words outright in the public's opinion. "Like most things, it's not that simple," she said, then folded her hands at her lap. "My anger is at the past, at the sins my own clan has fomented, but not the figurehead. Yumi's not without fault—I know this and so does she—but I don't blame her. I don't need to. What I can do is help her govern for all the Dasaka and not the elite classes. Both Yumi and her sister don't want to do things the way they always have been. And so long as she wears the crown and can hold a steady hand on the reins of government I think there's still some hope for meaningful, systemic change. "You'll notice, of course, there have been no beheadings. The wars of assassins, disappearances of opposition leaders, and even Menti priviledges have been carefully uprooted and set aside like fouling plants in a garden. It's a different empire and it's a different rora. Yusanora took many of the old ways with her to the grave and there isn't a single saihoko who would have expected to find her walking among the citizenry when she still walked at all. And that's the truth."

IC Stannis | Po-Koro "I'm a wizard."

IC Zafin | Great Takea “I’m not a diplomat,” Zafin said without missing a beat, “and I won’t pretend to be, so I’ll tell you what I think: You’re dam right.” She took another long gulp of her ale, swallowing nearly another half of the pint before setting it down on the bartop. “You are angry at a society that has not been kind. Saihoko have died at the hands of nobles of lesser pedigree than my own. I do not defend their deaths, but Zataka’s left tit I will defend the right for you to be angry about them. What is called justice is not always right, and meaningless death is never right, whether it’s done by outsider killers or the Menti warriors in your company. “True: The office of Rora is an institutional relic that serves less and less utility with each generation. The Crown is an effigy of society, a cross upon which you can either idolize or crucify, and while you don’t need a rora to tell you how to live your life the irony is that you can’t live without it, because you are angry. Frick, I'm angry. We have a primal need to direct our rage at something—because you just know Zuto Nui isn’t saving you. Yumiwa isn’t saving you. The Menti aren’t saving you. We fight for our lives and save ourselves, always have." She downed the rest of her ale. “So take your anger out on my clan, on your Rora; it’s what she’s here for so go on, use her. Yumiwa doesn’t care how you live your life or will tell you how to exist, she only wants you to exist, and if she didn’t care, then all Dasaka would have perished on the home turf they stood on in the name of tradition and honor. This isn't the same Dasaka Empire anymore.”

Yumi's about to head out from the Takea soon, so if anyone wants to interact and/or interject before she leaves: Heads up.

IC Zafin | Great Takea "Perhaps that is the case, Dastana Daijuno..." the lady said, then her face hardened. "But... you were there when the Chaotic Six ravaged and raqed through the Sado, weren't you? You haven't forgotten when they hored and murdered indiscriminately in the city, treating Menti and Dashi alike as through they were ragdoll toys as they went about flinging their corpses into the streets with catapults made of whatever they found, have you? Surely the insult of their wanton destruction of the Markets, setting both flesh and fiber aflame and reducing one of what was probably your shipments of fine ebony to slag with their acid, has not faded from your memory. When they scuttled the flotilla at dock and fought our people for fun and bloodlust alone like holograph game characters in a made-up world. "Whether what is 'normal' here is different from our orderly world, that does not diminish the suffering we have felt or the gravity of the justice sought." She took a long sip of her ale, aware of the quiet that fell at the bar. "Or do you disagree?" Siiiip. "Good ale." @Void Emissary

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea “The pleasure is all mine… ma’am,” Nale said. I nodded back. "Mostly the latter." Arisaka could feel the slightest smirk on her lips. Arisaka had subtly adjusted to a more relaxed posture and demeanor in order to mimic my current behavior and mood. "How is Ga-koro treating you so far? It has taken some time getting used to this place myself, and I'll admit I still don't fully grasp the way of life here." "In the day that I've been here so far, I have found the Matoran and their city to be charming and welcoming—which is the exact sort of respite my people require. Akiri Hahli has been most gracious, indeed, and I am grateful for our alliance..." I stopped, catching myself upon realizing I was letting my politician self enter the chat too heavily for my current company. These were subjects and family members, not dignitaries and administrators, and I could see Arisaka's posture shift again to meet my increasingly straighter spine and formal tone. Reel it in, Yumi. "I've had local sake and bubble tea so far and look forward to experiencing Mata Nui cuisine as well soon enough. Not hungry right now, but soon. What differences have you uncovered between our cultures, clan-cousin?" I asked. With me seemingly now preoccupied by Arisaka, Nale looked to Lekua and raised an eyebrow. “You had tea together? That’s not a euphemism for anything, is it?” Lekua winked back. “Don’t worry about it.” They thought I was too distracted to pay them heed, but not enough to disconnect entirely. "Um, yeah, no..." I gasped in horror between glances back at Arisaka. "Just tea." @Snelly @BBBBalta @Tarn IC Zafin | Great Takea She let her laughter subside, then turned her attention fully back to their guest from far away. “Anyway, your chaotic six, I heard of ‘em. They’ve been on the loose here too. Bloody Piraka, the lot of them. So what havoc have they visited upon ye to have an entire people wanting them caught?” "Yeah, yeah," Daijuno said, nodding along with the bartender who had slid me the drink. "Did I hear right that they had been seen in that great city of ice on the other side of the island a few months back? Ko-something, wasn't it?" "They still live?" the lady said, alarm once again seeping into her tone. "And are here?" It was troubling to Zafin that the Chaotic Six persisted still and were somehow allowed, in whatever way, on Mata Nui. These were the same beings who had totally destabilized things back on Sado and caused suffering beyond the death and injury to individuals. "These beings, they were chaos personified to us. They used our naïveté and betrayed our trust, shattered our perceptions of life outside our homelands, and heartlessly murdered and mutilated several of our people. Needless to say, they are criminals in the eye of our Courts." She tilted her head. "I am somewhat surprised to hear you have not heard the stories about them yet, given that multiple Dasaka diplomatic members have been here for a while now. Have they been tight-lipped, or have paths not crossed?" @Vezok's Friend @Pteronura Brasiliensis @Void Emissary

IC Stannis | Po-Koro "Akiri," the Maru leader saluted with a sluggish morning bravado and tossed a halfhearted salute. He still hadn't finished his second cup of joe, and while it was tough to say whether the caffeine ever actually quickened his pace any it at least made him more sociable, much in the same vein as the hashish and cactus leaf made him believe he was a wizard. The drilled military precision of his Ta-Koro Guard days was long gone, and Stannis took small pleasure in the luxury of never having to worry about rank again. He respected the akiri, truly, but he was not a soldier anymore, nor would he bother playing one on Brickbuster shows, either, so the nonchalance was a genuine nod of honor. "Thank you very much Akiri," Ra'lhen said. Doing a small salute, "It's an honor. I'm Ra'lhen, a Sentinel from Ostia under Squad Leader Wokodin's command. We're here to inquire about possible expeditions that might further ensure Po-Wahi's security," Ra'lhen rattled off. Stannis set the platter of still-warm bread and cold sausage slices on the nearest table, said a small prayer to himself that started with something like "All hear the tale..." and then produced a pair of hot kettles held by their long handles in the same hand that the platter was in before. "I may have said something about the Dark Walk needing a sweep. Ah, so, coffee... or tea? Both are black. It's PYOM*, unfortunately." @Silvan Haven @Emzee *provide your own mug

IC Zafin Umbraline | Great Takea Unlike the handmaidens of Clan Herupa who were born and raised to be veritable encyclopedias of Dasaka society and culture and who's life vocation consisted of being all-around advisors for their assigned nobles, Zafin's role as lady-in-waiting was the backup career path. Oddly enough, that almost made her better suited for the job than her predecessor had been, as unlike Herupa Hanapoo (or whatever) who's skill was a matter of trade and as broad as the Yukanna's bulwarks to suit the greatest variety of circumstances , Zafin's abilities were refined to Yumiwa's exact personality and needs and were focused on attending to the then-chojo and now-rora's affairs. Zafin's shrewd attention to detail made her read up and be aware of a specific section of Dasaka society, specifically anything directly relating to her lady, and that in particular included the party sent to Mata Nui on the Chisaii Ryuu. It was because of this specificity, and the liberal honesty Yumiwa promulgated in her ethics and policies, that Zafin quickly realized who it was who had sidled next to her and offered to pay for her tab. A more highnosed noble—such as the Herupa handmaidens who were raised to emulate, if not outright believe, the aloofness of Sado's high nobility—would have seen Daijuno as what she was was instead of who she was, the difference between a 'Hoko worthy of nothing more than licking the fishscales on the sodden heels of highborn boots and a veritable lumber baron of Odaiba. Dastana or not, Daijuno was her own person. Zafin swallowed the pride of being the rora's handmaiden and a cousin to the throne and humbly welcomed Dajuno's offer without any protestation. "With gratitude, Dasatana Daijuno," she said, wondering if Daijuno's loyalty to the Crown was still in earnest, having left Kentoku before the cold civil war had broken out and Dastana allegiances become self-focused. The Skakdi named Rhow served the brew and allowed her to take the sip first. “Over from Mt. Mangai brewery. Guess you gotta come up with some good drinks to compensate for living inside a volcano. ... So... what’s up with all the side eye me ‘an my crew have been getting from you and yours? We step on some toes in a past life?” "Not you, personally," Zafin said honestly, "but people of your kind—Skakdi, six of them in all, one green, one red, one blue, one brown, one white. We branded them the Chaotic Six and knew they came to this land after creating havoc in our home. We'd kill them if we found them, which we haven't... yet." She took another swig of the ale, liking its bitter hoppiness. "You are kind, though." @Vezok's Friend @Pteronura Brasiliensis IC Umbraline Yumiwa | Great Takea Nale looked puzzle, briefly, then glanced down at her armor. “Oh. No, Miss, uh, Your Highness ma’am. Magnetism.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I just…happened to be visiting today and, well, here I am.” "And here I am," I said with an almost lamentous tone and gave a weak smile. "A pleasure to meet a fellow azure non-water lady." Eita bowed again to Yumiwa. "Thank you, Rora, I appreciate your kindness," he said. He glanced at Lekua, then back to the Empress, then to Lekua again. "You... already know each other?" "We do indeed, in a sense," I said, nodding to Lekua again. The full story was not worth getting into, and one I didn't have all that much fondness for in the first place, but it was sufficient enough to state that we'd met previously. It was just over a quick afternoon tea, and Lekua was one of a set of Matoran who had somehow come to be in Kentoku from a portal's maw, and the meeting was brief as it only took as long as necessary to acquaint myself with the small retinue and their mysterious presence in my realm. Before our pot of tea had cooled down, the meeting was over, Uncle Ray collecting his wards and I being pulled in an opposite direction, each unaware that our fates were irrevocably intertwined somehow and that they—along with my uncle—would awake a sleeping avatar and unwittingly release devastation on our lands. "We have shared tea before." I could not fault them for doing what they believed was right but I did not understand their motives, try as I had at hearing their story, or comprehend what evils they had unleashed. My anguish was tempered immensely by sensing their own confusion, and remorse, and I knew we were like ships in dead wind at sea, at the mercy of stronger tides. And then Arisaka walked into The Great Takea. Well, it was more like she slammed the doors open as she came in, apparently dramatic entrances were the thing to do in Mata Nui and she was trying to learn their culture still. Her eyes found Yumi and she immediately gave her a bow. "My Rora, it is good to see you well after all this time." "Umbraline Arisaka!" I greeted in kind and my thin smile turned broad with glee at seeing my clan-cousin alive and intact. "I'm glad to see you are fine, clan-cousin. Tell me—have you been giving the commodore trouble or have you been handling her trouble?"

IC Zafin | Great Takea A third one. Are these Skakdi as plentiful as the matoran here? she wondered, not sure if that eased or escalated her concerns. She stared at the newest one intently, taking his visage in its entirety into account. He sounded brutish and looked like he'd picked a fight with a propeller, but moved with a fluidity and care of intent that belied his simpleness, and his eyes twinkled with an intelligence that already looked insulted. The newcomer was playing an act—that deception, playful as it was or could be, made him dangerous, and she picked up on his disdain immediately. Eyes peeled on him, and subconsciously understanding what he meant but did not say, she simply said aloud, "No-ted." “Anything I can get ya? Something to ease the spine ache from the long journey?” "Appreciate the concern; my spine is well oiled and massaged, but I will take an ale. Do you have a speciality?"

IC Umbraline Zafin | Great Takea "Rora," Zafin corrected the Skakdi quickly. "Technically, Her Majesty the Rora of the Dasaka Empire and Empress of Kentoku Umbraline Yumiwa the First... but unless you're in a ballroom or court session even she thinks that's overkill. 'Your Majesty' or 'Rora Yumiwa' will do perfectly, and 'Ma'am' thereafter." She cleared her throat, not having to explain even the barest parts of address etiquette to anyone in for-ever. "I am Lady Zafin."

IC Stannis | Po-Koro "Neither have I, much," he admitted. Truth was, the Wanderer looked forward to building an actual functional relationship with the new akiri and hoped the lessons of the past could be remembered and prevent future mishaps. There was no sense applying the same dogma that almost fomented a larger conflict than the schisms that came to pass. A staunch defender of the everymatoran, Stannis had opted to steer clear of politics and intrigue to focus on what was ostensibly the best for everyone—that got him in trouble with Akiri Hewkii, who's nationalistic policies were being quietly defied by the wayward Maru's philosophies of pacifism and social cohesion, and as a consequence Stannis had not been "home" much. The truth, of course, was always darker than the story. Stannis' "big picture" approach was less focused on helping every Matoran he came across with the same degree of love, though that legitimately was an important keystone of his philosophy. Rather, Stannis' attentions were directed towards understanding what truly happened to Makuta, how to fight his influences, and explore the deeper mysteries of Mata Nui... indeed much the same as what he did as a Matoran adventurer. And in those adventures Stannis had not been slothful, his legs still ached from the many miles he'd trekked, oftentimes by himself, from the highest alps to the deepest depths in search for answers and challenges, and his body bore the scars from the several swords he'd crossed with and felt the edges of. When he needed rest, Stannis had retreated to the only alcove he was truly untouchable in and healed in the Keeping Place in communion with his god, though also never stayed for long. Complacency was a drug he daren't indulge on. "She won't be too busy for us," he finally added and set his coffee mug, now fully drained even of the dregs, on the nearest table. "Come, let's have a meeting with her." In no time at all, they were upon the akiri's abode and politely knocking at her door with a tray of warm bread and dried sausages to share. One lesson Stannis had learned: Never bother someone's morning without food to offer. @Emzee @Silvan Haven

IC Umbraline Zafin | Great Takea The attentive handmaiden to the rora, being quicker with her eyes than her lady and less distracted by the endearments (and chiding) of subjects and new friends, had been watching the skakdi in the bar from the moment they'd entered. Instantaneous alarm rose to her bright eyes like a match struck aflame, but she quieted herself upon quickly determining neither of them were one of Them. The memory of the Chaotic Six remained seared on her mind as much as with any other Dasaka, and any likeness of Them recalled the same terrible trauma reaction or rage and fear. Up until then, however, she was only dealing with picture-etches and nightmares. Seeing one of their kind in person... was different, somehow. There was once a time when Zafin would have let her anger get the better of her senses and challenge the Skakdi on the spot to prove their innocence or pay for their people's crimes. It came as a boon to everyone that Zafin's sensibilities by then were far more pronounced, and instead of surging to conclusions—well-meaning though they may have been—she chose to trust the evidence before her, that not every Skakdi was Chaotic, Ga-Koro was a lawful and safe place, and these particular people were not posing any threat. Still, she chose to investigate. Zafin approached the counter where Rhow and Iraadus were. "Hello," she said in a stern tone with a terse smile. She was trying to be friendly but failing to seem wholly kind. "How are you?"

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Yumiwa. I'll admit, despite hearing tales from a number of visitors from Kentoku, none seemed to do your beauty justice." Well thought Nara, I'm going to die now. But oh, what a story. The use of the term "visitors" to describe my people was both quaint and ill-fitting. We were visitors in a sense, sure, but that word was usually meant for travelers and tourists, not—as fate would have us—refugees, which is exactly what we were. Not quite exiles, not quite sojourners, somewhere in between on the run and on a passthrough. Refugees. Visitors seemed like an improper oversimplification that circumvented the trauma and death that we had left behind in the search for a brighter day. Still, with a slight application of my Willhammer abilities it was assuring to sense no offensive intent, and so I chose to look past it and chalked it up to a simple stumble from a lack of understanding rather than callous absence of empathy—such gaps could be easily bridged. I smiled at her kindly and returned the flirtatious gesture. "The pleasure is mine! And wow, I really like your armour, it's very pretty!" And with a small nudge of my powers, my voice continued in her mind. .:And nobody's dying on my account, Matoran Nara. Mayyyybe le petit mort, but not death...:. She loosened up and sat straight again, clearing her throat loudly not long after Nara had finished speaking. “As… others have said… it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rora Yumiwa. I’m Nale.” The Fa-Matoran gave a quick bow from where she was seated. I returned the gesture in kind. "Hello, Nähl-eh, a pleasure to meet you as well. I take it you are... not a Ga-Matoran?" Eita looked at the empress and smiled sadly. “Your kind words are appreciated, your Majesty,” he said. “Hopefully some of my fellow clan members were lucky enough to survive…” He glanced over at Nara. Is she flirting with the Rora? Is she nuts? he thought to himself. .:Maybe, but anyone's open to shoot their shot.:. I quickly corrected myself by adding .:—Romantic shot:. Sheika took a shot at a rora, too. Cringe. Sometimes levity had no place in conversation, and this was one such scenario. Loss was something we were all experiencing, and the depression of mourning should never be swept under a rug. We were the product of our pasts, and Zataka's sons suffered just as heavily if not moreso than the rest of us. This was hardly an act of diplomacy from me, this was genuine sentiment, and I needed Eita to know it well. "I have not heard of any others yet; you are the first of Kinzoku I have heard about thus far, but Commodore Ayiwah is reviewing the rosters as we speak so if any others came with us we shall find them. Words alone cannot do justice for your loss, and sorrow cannot bring family or clan back, so as hopelessly inadequate they may be you still have my deepest sympathy. "And should you find yourself challenged by something within my power to remedy, please, send word to me. There has been enough suffering at the hand of fates beyond our control." Also present were the Matoran Lekua, to whom I gave a sad but friendly nod and smile, and others who were different kinds of quiet. As this all transpired, behind me (and unbeknownst to me at the time) Zafin had taken a defensive stance, warily eying the same beings who looked akin to the Chaotic Six. @BBBBalta @~Xemnas~ @Tarn @Mel @TL01 NUVA

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea "Surprised?" I said with just an ounce of sarcasm and a cocked brow. "I surprise myself sometimes, so maybe you should be. "Plangori Morie believed in the office I inhabit more than who I am. She's a traditionalist, or at least always struck me as one, and maybe that stony grip on the-way-things-have-been is why she decided to stay behind on Oki instead of coming with to Mata Nui for refuge. But things are changing and the past can't be the future anymore, so while I respect your mother for her strength and resolve, it—" Then he jumped up out of his seat, determined to break the tension, and bowed deeply to the Rora. "Rora Yumiwa! I am Kinzoku Eita, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" "Well met, Kinzoku Eita," I greeted with a polite bow of my head, then suddenly knotted my forehead. "I—my deepest of condolences for your clan."

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea My smile turned icy for a second and Zafin came around from my back with a glare in her eye. "My condolences, Shuuan, that the last joke you ever hear falls two heads short of a double-eagle." Another beat. My tone suddenly softened again. "Hah! Who are you kidding, though? With how your mother is, I'd expect the bar would be low enough to beat." I'd also heard the stories of how Morie treated her kids. It wasn't discussed in polite circles, but there were few cups of tea that didn't come to my inspection one way or another, and it was no terrible secret Shuuan did not get along with her... at all. At least she had a mother... but her circumstance was much akin to Des' situation, and it made one wonder if having a mother who does not care for you is truly a good thing compared to not having one at all. Then again, I couldn't even be sure if Morie was still extant—she was not among the roster of refugees with me. "Plangori Morie was an unpleasant grade-AA snake up my arse; I can only imagine the ishs she took on you. I speak this plainly here and now since she did not come and we are as far away from Sado's rigors as we can be."

IC Yumiwa | Great Takea "Well, I walked here on my own two feet," I said as I stepped towards the table with my countrypeople at it. "But yes, I sailed here on my boat with the rest of Sado's denizens." At least the ones who chose to come. The ones who could come. Zafin was just a step behind me. There were no threats immediately around me and we were all but guaranteed safety by the combined might of our warriors coming in waves (lol) and the mindful policing Akiri Hahli's marines offered, but while I allowed myself to relax fully Zafin's complete job was to ensure my well being. Her eyes darted from corner to corner of the place, meanwhile I let my mental senses override the more mundane kinds. "Plangori... Shuuan, right?" I greeted, kowing full well who it was. I'd know that signature imprint of yours anywhere—rumours had it before she came on the Ryuu that her Menti abilities could rival Des' own, though I doubted that'd be the case anymore. Her abilities, I'd been told by my old tutor, were very much like his own in that they were offensive in nature and slow to come to bear for defenses, and that made it relatively simple for me to get an instant read on what Shuuan was thinking, at least the gist of it. "Uh, you know, we're not actually in the beheading business. The average bodyguard only kills zero offenders per year. Royal Executioner Rayuke, who lived in mine and kills over 10,000 Dasaka a day, is an outlier and should not have been counted." I waited a beat. Please laugh please laugh please laugh oh god why aren't they laughing it's obviously a joooooke (Also I'm really sorry Uncle Ray, lmao [please be okay]) @Tarn @Mel @~Xemnas~ @TL01 NUVA

Maybe he's scrimblophrenic

Okay Plimbo.

@ Everyone in the Great Takea, you've got two newcomers to the party.