Palm

IC: Motini - Po-Koro Streets Motini's eyes narrowed, "I'm... great..?" she looked to Onamazu who held out an open hand full of coins. Honestly, Mot hadn't finished counting, although she knew she wouldn't have enough for new boots. She just didn't know how many. She eyed up the money. It was laden with disgusting germs. Covered in a deadly weapon, poised to strike her immune system. Mot reached forward and took a handful of widgets, cleaning the palm off completely, "Thanks."

IC: Motini - Po-Koro Streets Mot stared at the giant for a moment before looking to his companion. She wanted to ask if he was well, but that would just be too rude a thing to say to- "Is he well?"

IC: Agrona - Ko-Koro - The Citadel I cooed as the former leader of Ko-Koro was tossed to the Citadel floor.

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse Pae let silence speak for him. He simply looked at his open palms.

IC: Dastana Arsix - Sado - Apartments "We only have to aim them at him," Arsix said, "Just like we only have to aim at Sheika."

IC: Motini - Po-Koro Streets A shadow covered the street and seemed to envelope the whole world in darkness. Or at least that's what Mot saw when the giant stranger approached her and spoke. The earth seemed to rumble. Was this trouble? Maybe. Mot - being somewhat short for a toa - looked up into the blue eyes of the stranger. "Um," she began, somewhat uncomfortable, "I was countin' m' money?" Her eyes darted to the side for a moment, "Why are you starin' at m' starin' at m' hand?"

OOC: c: IC: Motini - Po-Koro Streets Mot cursed under her breath; loud enough for just about anybody in her proximity to hear. In her pockets the vagabond did not find half the money she thought she had. She glared at the loose widgets in the palm of her hand, as if hoping they would multiply before her very eyes, but of course nothing came of it. She stopped where she was. Of course. She had to be drunk with decent cash. She did this every time. Maybe she had more than she thought last night. Or maybe the price of whiskey just seemed smaller when intoxicated. Mot cursed again. With a fist now closed over her spare change and a pouting lip sticking out, Motini quickly tried to side-step the crowd, hoping to avoid bumping into viral-vehicles in the street. She stopped, and began to count her money carefully.

I've got a character I haven't played in a VERY long time looking for interaction in Po-Koro! Feel free to drop in!

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse Pae thought for a moment. He considered possible outcomes of the whole debacle. Pae hadn't even considered what it meant to trust Nika and Jin. He didn't trust them at all. He didn't trust their collective employer Vera Polzin either (even if he believed her intentions were "good"). Or at least the word he used wouldn't be 'trust'. He remained silent for a moment, his eye-contact with Nika never wavering, "We all have secrets. Secrets that would kill us if they were known," he finally averted his eyes for only a second before returning, "But you are right." Pae turned around and said loudly so Nika and Jin could both hear, "The only people capable of taking on our enemy are those elite," he paused, "Either we are honest, or we are the wrong team to take on Aurelia." The toa of iron took a step and pointed at Jin, "Your vengeance cannot get in the way. If you want a fresh start, you have to succeed. Remember that." He looked at his hands, "You aren't the only one who needs something from Polzin."

IC: Motini - Po-Koro Motini waltzed into the streets of Po-Koro with a cigarette loosely held between her two lips, a bottle of liquor held loosely between her fingers, and loosely between her ears, no sign of a life-plan. With a sigh, Mot picked her smoke out of her mouth, and flicked it onto the ground, taking a moment to stop and crush the butt with her heel. She reached over to the collar of her cloak and pulled it tighter over her face. If being broke was a personal peeve, then getting dirty was a personal torture. While others saw a "perfectly safe" and "normal" world, Mot could see the sickness that plagued every man, woman, and other, slowly eating away the world. Mot knew the secret few dared to even whisper. Germs were everywhere. And they were killing everybody. She took a moment to consider all the gross touching everybody would be doing in Po-Koro's ever popular bazaar, and nearly gagged. Unfortunately, Motini had to make her way into the wretched wedding party of sweat, saliva, and germ ridden money. So many hands. So many chances for a single coin to become riddled with sickly diseases. Motini needed a new pair of boots, and the best place to find them was in the germ jamboree that was Po-Koro's market. There weren't much better places on Mata-Nui to find footwear as practical, long-lasting, and lightweight as a cursed desert village. The biggest question however, was if she had enough money with her. With a glance down at the hole in her old pair's left boot, Mot considered for the briefest of moments to count her widgets. She remembered the bazaar and shoved it aside. She hadn't had a change to sanitize her money (and then her own hands after). Of course the toa had enough. It wasn't like she'd been spending the stuff carelessly on booze and other expensive things. Motini looked at the alcohol in her hand. She shoved the bottle into a pocket awkwardly and began ruffling through her pockets. OOC: Motini, the ever magnetic vagabond, open for interaction!

IC: Dastana Arsix - Sado - Apartments Arsix mulled this over, "It depends. We keep him under our thumb and we have an in. But, if we don't come clean, I doubt we'll find the support of the Rora we're looking for."

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse Pae was as quiet as ever, whispering softly to Nika, "We need her. She needs us," Pae's disposition towards Jin had hardly changed despite the revelation that she was one of the assassins. At the least though, Pae would be sure to keep an eye on her especially. There was little to back up Jin and her cutting ties to former employers except for what Vera promised her. To him, that would have to be good enough. He knew the reality was Jin was their ace in the hole. Things would be exceptionally different should the trio drop to a duo. But he was not the only one in the equation of three. Nika had a voice too, so Pae asked a simple question, "Has anything changed."

Utu Kotore Still

OOC: Suggested listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqXPrylWkBE IC: Utu Kotore - Tu-Koro Death is nothing at all. There it was. My home. It was barely recognizable sans the doorway and pillars which held up the patio roof. To anyone else here it was a ruin, but to me it was so much more than that. It was where I first experienced living like the dead; being beaten, slashed, used, abused. Every moment was turmoil here. Today was the second time I was living like the dead. We reached the doorstep and I growled, “Let me down.” Praggos and Valria took their time in resting me upon the steps carefully. But as they sat me down, I looked up into Praggos’ eyes - my hand still on his shoulder and arm - and said, “Thank you,” My breath was a ghost, “for taking me here,” my consciousness an unfinished painting, “For bringing me home.” And my life, only a dream. "It's the only thing I could've done," I responded, my voice quite subdued, even compared to earlier. "To honour both yourself and the friendship we had." "Don't honour me," I said resolutely, suddenly becoming more intense, "I don’t want pity." I took a breath, "But your friendship, I will accept." I smiled, somewhat sarcastically. "You know, Utu, I'm not sure that I expected anything else of you," I responded, stepping back, although not fully leaving. I wouldn't be gone yet for a while. After a brief moment, I took a breath and said, “My sword.” I stepped forward again, retrieving the weapon and handing it to Utu silently, before retreating a second time. I turned the sword over, and placed the tip of the blade into the icy earth. With a heave, I lifted myself up, putting all my weight and trust into the weapon I lived beside for so long, and turned to face the home of the Kotore family: Scourge of Tu-Koro, the kings and queens of this frozen ######. I was once remembered as their whipping boy. Not any longer. I turned my head behind me to look to those who brought me here, “You’ve done enough,” I looked back to my home, “You can go.” Was this it? Was this her test? To put into action those traitorous thoughts? To leave someone to die? She had taken an oath; she had followed those she loved to the brink of death and beyond and back. Now, at the end, in this wasteland of swirling snow and bitter wind, was this the only choice left? This is what he wants. Cael bit her lip, then, before she could debate it with herself, she turned and walked away. Like jumping from a cliff into the ocean, like pulling off a bandage: you have to do it before you can think. You have to commit before you can decide; you have to leap before you look. She had never been any good at that. But now, for the first time, she was the first to leave. She turned her shoulder into the wind and trudged, slow and silent, out of sight. I watched Cael turn and walk away, standing silently in the wind. I knew, at some point soon, I'd have to leave as well. But that time wasn't here yet. It had been my plan before to be the last one to leave, and that was still my plan now. I was not going to leave either. On an admittedly selfish level I remembered all the tasks that we had set out to do in the past months and that still hadn't been completed. I wasn't going to turn away now and add another to that list. I was seeing this one through. But more than that it felt wrong to let Utu face death alone. Why exactly I felt that way I wasn't sure, but the fact of the matter remained. So I stayed. The world was so quiet. I cursed myself. Never in my life had I taken the time to stop and listen to such beauty. But in death I could hear it now. I wished to smile, but I had other business to attend to. “My name…” I began through grit teeth, “Is Utu Kotore,” I could feel the shapes return, ready to take me to my death. I fought beyond them to look at my former home, “And I am still here.” I nearly collapsed, but with some added vigor to my grip on the blade, I continued to stand. “I am still here.” The shapes began to become more intense. They swirled around me, death on their tongues. I took to one knee, “I am still here,” then my other, “I am still here,” my fingers began to lose their grip on the hilt of my blade, “I am still here,” my hands fell to my sides, which could hardly expand as I tried to draw breath, “I,” there was a warmth welling up inside of me, “am,” the shapes ‘spoke’ to me to join them, wrapping formless arms around me, kissing my face and neck, holding me close. I could not resist. I was home. “still-” I felt no fear as I slipped away, one last time. My name, was Utu Kotore. When I was alive, I fought to become immortal. But to be eternal meant to fight forever. For me to finish that fight, meant a different forever. A peaceful forever. That doesn’t sound so bad.

I must apologize for my absence. However, I will not have any Internet connection until the 9th so I will not be posting. If needed, my characters may be bunnied slightly.

Thanks for all the great interaction over the years. It was great writing alongside you every so often! <3

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse "You may need to start again," Pae said with a long pause. He looked at Nika. "Jin. May Nika and I meet?"

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse "Others who know. Maybe people within your group."

IC: Dastana Arsix - Sado - Apartments "Maybe," Arsix said, mulling this over, "So we... don't ask for help. We're helping them." She looked to Jasik, "I'd be willing to bet the Empire wants to find out who really is responsible for the Rora's death. We have information the Umbralines want. So we give it to them. That's all."

IC: Arsix Dastana - Sado - Apartments "Rayuke might not like us, but he'll listen to us." Arsix looked at her brother, "We need to see him."

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro "Tarkahn," Kongu began, "Getting some wordly things is not cause enough to enter Ko-Koro," he said sternly, "I would suggest you look to replace those things instead."

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro Kongu nodded, "Yes. She's participated in a number of abroad missions as a Force member."

IC: Dastana Arsix - Apartments Arsix had to sit down to catch her breath before she could say anything to her brother, but when she recovered, the Toroshu explained the best she could, "Sheika told me to meet her outside the prison," she began, speaking through grit teeth, "Told me it was urgent. I thought she was in trouble," Arsix took a breath, "Next thing I know, the prison wall explodes, and Relisai is tossed into my caravan - driver's gone - and before I can stop her Sheika has vanished." She stood up, wringing her hands together for a moment, "I thought I could control her. I was going to start paying her more," she stopped the wringing and made fists instead, "She set me up to take the fall. The whole Archipelago knows that Sheika works for me." Arsix wiped the sweat off her face and after a moment of silent contemplation she looked at her brother, "She does work for me doesn't she Jasik?" The Dastana Toroshu narrowed her eyes for a moment. She knew that there was something her brother hadn't been telling her. Ever since their meeting with the Fursic's, Arsix knew she simply wasn't as in the loop as she could be. "She does." He looked down at the golden bracelets on each wrist, and their reflections glinted angrily in his topaz eyes, the same color as the ornaments. "Well...I thought she did." Arsix narrowed her eyes further. "I was wrong!" "You can't protect me anymore Jasik," Arsix said softly, "Not in the ways you used to," her moment of respite upon her brother was quickly washed away as it had come and she looked at him harder again, "Sheika hasn't been ours since the Rora's assassination has she?"

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse "You kept this to yourself, yet knew we were about to find out," Pae said, as calm as ever, "Why waste your time, our time, and risk your safety in Ta-Koro? You could have avoided this," he brandished one hammer again, showing the others the weight it held, "You risked this." He took a step forward, "Why?"

IC: Pae - Ta-Koro - Abandoned Warehouse "Is that lie, or truth?"