Cadias

IC: Kadon Well, despite the ending of the book (or, more accurately, because of it) I'd won the fight. My brilliant plan had crushed Drome's fighting spirit, leaving me the victor.... or something like that. Either way, I definitely won that one. "An explosion would have helped, yeah. And yes, the jungle is like the jungle. How astounding." My eyes rolled skyward, and I briefly wondered how Drome managed to stumble through life with such a horrible sense of humor and so little wit. Oh, yeah. He had me. "So, do we want to head to Le-Koro or get the Karz out of here? I'm in favor of the latter."

IC: Kadon "Really? Huh... why would his book suddenly get terrible? Maybe he ran out of ideas..." I sighed and started back to camp, leaving the book where it lay. Whatever. I was getting hungry. "Let's go! It's about time we got out of here anyway. It's hot and muggy and muddy and full of plants and bugs and.." I continued grumbling about everything wrong with the jungle, feeling thoroughly disgruntled. Not only did my head ache, now I felt depressed.

IC: Kadon "That's supposed to be, like, one of the best love stories of all time!" I said, still wondering at how horrible the ending of the thing was. "Who wants to read depressing stories like that?" Still feeling somewhat curious, I picked up the book, shook off a bit of mud, and reread the last few pages to get a bit of context. I was appalled. "Mata Nui, they committed suicide! That's horrible!" I flung the book down. I couldn't help but think it was a bit of poetic justice that it landed in mud and decaying leaves- reunited with its own kind. Still, I felt just a bit of curiosity. ".... So it was pretty good until the end, yeah?"

IC: Kadon One word stood out from the rest: Death. What? Wasn't this supposed to be some sappy romance novel or something? Romero and Julette couldn't just die in the end! No, there had to be a mistake... no, there wasn't. It was right there, plain as day. I ignored whatever Drome was blabbering on about. "Who writes a book that ends like that?" I exclaimed in disgust. "That's just stupid!"

C: Kadon Fortunately, the ringing noise had faded by the time Drome started blundering around in search of me. I turned to face him and make a stinging remark just in time to see him throw his morning-star at me. Uh-oh. I fell off the branch backwards, which did NOT help my headache. Thoughts raced through my aching mind- my sickles were back at camp, too far away to get to. If I made a run for it, Drome would blast me with more noise... why did I have this worthless mask instead of something like a Kualsi? Then I spotted the book laying next to me, and a brilliant idea popped into my head. I lunged for it, flipping to the last page as I turned to face Drome. I was grinning triumphantly. "One wrong move, Drome, and I read you the end of the book!" Yeah, sure, the plan wasn't foolproof. But Drome wouldn't spot the flaws until it was too late. I glanced down and read a few sentences, ready to shout a book-ruining, fight-winning line. Then, my grin turned to a frown. "Wait, that can't be right."

IC: Kadon With no small amount of satisfaction, I watched Drome collapse. "Hahahaha- oooooh, my head," I winced. Thankfully, my vision had cleared up, but there was still a tremendous ringing in my ears and my head throbbed. Briefly, I wondered if my ears were bleeding. Either way, Drome was out for the count for the time being. No doubt he'd announce his recovery with a bunch of yelling, which I would probably hear above the ringing. Hopefully. Whatever. Karz, Toa of Sonics could yell. By now, I was starting to wonder what was so great about the book he was reading. I walked to the other side of a considerably thick tree and climbed into one of the lower branches to give me a bit of time to react to the revenge Drome was probably planning at the moment and stared at the cover. Romero and Julette, huh? Wasn't that some sappy love story? Drome reads love stories? Oh, Mata-Nui! That's hilarious! Ouch, my head. As I opened the book, a thought crossed my mind. Shouldn't I be more concerned about Drome's health, considering I'd just blasted him with a bunch of electricity? ... Nah. He's been through worse. Besides, it's only been a minute or two. He'll be up in about, oh, ten seconds, probably swinging his Morning Star around in an effort to kill me. Not like it'd work. I always win, after all.

IC: Sanei - Sado A waitress walked up and handed us menus. I glanced over mine quickly, already knowing what I wanted. Without looking up, I addressed Eshai mentally. "Keep the change. Consider it your first paycheck." The waitress returned, and I placed my order. She returned shortly with our drinks- mine was a cup of tea. I sipped at it while I waited for the rest of my meal, thinking. Eventually, my thoughts turned to Sato. She'd seemed a bit surprised by how eager I was to fight- and she was right. I was too quick to resort to force, though I didn't have to do it often. I was used to getting my way... it would be wise, I decided, to try and use diplomacy more. After all, the Umbralines didn't rule the Archipelago by threatening others. My thoughts also drifted toward Eshai. I wondered what was going through her head- she likely hadn't been in a decent restaurant since her Clan had been destroyed. I often found it hard to treat her as I should, the lowest of the low- after all, she was like a Menti warrior in every conceivable way except status. It was easy to look down on someone like a Saihoko sailor who spoke, looked, acted, and smelled like someone of a lower caste, but when they acted almost exactly the way as you... hmm. Still, Order must be respected.

IC: Kadon "Serious? What do you mean by-" I began, ready to say something witty, when suddenly my words were drowned out by the loudest shout I'd ever had the misfortune of hearing. My ears rang and my head felt like it was splitting as Drome's favorite, and lamest, insult rang out for all the world to hear. I felt certain half the village of Le-Koro would hear 'you are a moldy blueberry' ringing out from the jungle, accompanied by a bunch of scared birds. It took all of my willpower to stop myself from falling over, book now hanging somewhat limply from my fingers. Aware that a certain scheming, deceitful, cheating, rotten orange was probably going to try to take advantage of my stunned state, I raised my free hand and pointed it at the big orange-and-teal blob that was standing a few feet away in a sea of green blobs. I couldn't help but grin. Drome, your gaudy colors were about to be your downfall. I let loose a blast of electricity that was hopefully enough to let Drome feel the pain he had inflicted on me, plus some. I would have said something clever as well, but my head hurt too much for that.

IC: Sanei - Sado In response, a coin floated toward Eshai. "Order what you will." Again, I couldn't help but smile a bit. I remembered the days when a simple task like that would have forced me to stop walking and would have exhausted me... I had come a long way since the first days of my training. Of course, I still had a long way to go yet. As we neared the Coliseum, more and more people appeared around us. It made sense- the streets were lined with restaurants and inns, and there was doubtlessly an event happening soon in the arena. I hadn't watched a match of Paoro in a long time... perhaps I should do that? Having free time was kind of nice, although I felt uncomfortable. I wasn't doing anything important, anything that contributed to my honor or that of my clan. I walked into one of my favorite restaurants, one of the more expensive ones that was less likely to be frequented by the likes of Saihoko. I sat down at a table that was a little more out-of-the-way and isolated than the others, out of consideration of Eshai's status. Taking small precautions wouldn't hurt, after all.

IC: Kadon I grinned viciously as my foot collided with Drome's face. I was effortlessly beating him, as usual. "Go ahead and try! Hard to do with my foot in your ugly mug!" Pleased with my quip and victory, I leaped back a few feet. To my surprise, Drome didn't try and futilely swat at me. Instead, he took a step back and charged, after I had just given him more space to do so. An image of myself getting stabbed with his shoulder spikes flashed briefly through my mind. "Whoops." Luckily, though, Drome's tactic had about as little thought put into it as was possible. Waiting for him to get close, I merely dove to the side, grinning triumphantly. "You'll have to come and get it, Fangs!"

IC: Sanei "Yes, I've put some thought into the matter. It was wise of you to ask." Perhaps paying someone of Eshai's rank a compliment wasn't proper, but it was for the best that I encouraged her to bring up concerns. It could very well be very important one day, after all. "Just look as if you're a guard and you should be fine," I replied. "I assume you want something to eat?" I have to admit, I liked conversing with Eshai via Ideatalk. It was a decent way to pass the time, and to others it would look like we were walking along in silence, proper behavior for a guard and her employer. Though I was a bit alarmed at how easily her and I got along and how much we talked, considering the gulf in our status... it was a bit worrying. For now, though, it wasn't a problem.

IC: Sanei - Sado Eshai had a point, but I'd given it some thought. The answer was simple. "I am a Menti warrior of Clan Umbraline. If I wish to employ someone, that is my business, regardless of her status," I replied. Then, with just a hint of a smile, I added, "Besides, you and I have discovered that we share a few ancestors. To leave someone related to you, even distantly, with no source of income when you can provide them with employment is shameful, is it not?" Though us being related at all was almost certainly untrue, it was a decent enough excuse for the time being. Of course, if someone of a higher status than I questioned my choice in employing Eshai, someone with the means to check if we were related... hmm. I'd probably have to say that I didn't know she was without a clan. We exited the building my apartment was in. It was still fairly early, so the streets were largely devoid of others, but that would doubtlessly change soon. The Coliseum was always busy.

IC: Sanei - Sado I was impressed. Eshai obviously took her role very seriously... good. Ever since Ankora had pointed out that I really didn't have a real reason to need a guard, I'd felt a bit silly about hiring Eshai, but if she was going to take it seriously, then there was no reason I couldn't. As I put on my armor, I thought over what we should do that day. I'd wanted to get back to Sado as soon as possible, but now that I was here I didn't have anything to do. I'd still be on leave for the next few days, and I wasn't particularly eager to go back to my post early- while the Towers of Knowledge were one of the great achievements of my people, guarding them was rather dull. Hmm, going and seeing one or two of the museums housed in the Towers actually might be interesting.... I'd have to keep that in mind. The first thing to do, though, was obvious. Feeling sufficiently prepared, I exited my apartment, walking swiftly as usual. "We'll drop by one of the restaurants by the Coliseum for breakfast first," I said to Eshai, without bothering to look and see if she was behind me. "Afterwards, we might watch one of the games or visit the Towers of Knowledge."

IC: Sanei - Sado Eshai fell silent. I supposed that, considering we hadn't known each other for very long, it was a bit soon for me to assume that her being silent was normal. Still, it seemed to fit. We made our way to my apartment in the Wards as night fell over Sado. It was rather unusual for a Menti warrior to live in the Wards, but I'd never cared much for the barracks. I liked having a little space to myself. Besides, my family wasn't incredibly important, but we were still well off. I could afford to indulge myself a little. My apartment was small, like most in the Wards were. Composed of two rooms, it was short on space but served my needs admirably. The first served as a sort of living room/kitchen/dining room and contained a table and a small, heatstone-powered stove. A few pieces of art depicting things such as the Palace's famed Gardens, a Kanohi dragon circling Mount Koshiki, and the Umbraline family crest. The second room was simpler, containing my bed, a tiny closet, a desk and a chest. Fortunately, I still had the cot that had come with the apartment tucked away in the closet and found it with minimal effort. I'd have get something more comfortable for Eshai to sleep on later. *** When I woke up the next morning, the sun was already gleaming on the crystal spires of Sado. Sleepily, I got up. "Ugh, I slept in... good thing I'm still supposed to be on vacation in Odaiba," I mumbled. "Awake yet, Eshai?"

IC: Sanei - Sado I nodded again. That explained why I only recalled the barest details- I probably hadn't been born yet. That thought made me pause. Eshai was almost certainly older than I by a few centuries. I suddenly began to wonder what she thought of me... young and foolish, maybe? She'd already commented on how hard I worked at everything, and said she'd once had goals similar to mine... perhaps I reminded her of herself at a young age. Had her life once revolved around honoring her family name, much like mine did, only to find it torn away from her? Then I caught myself. What she thought of me didn't matter- after all, she had no clan, something that even the lowest of Saihoko possessed. Besides, I was a member of Clan Umbraline, the most powerful Clan in the Archipelago. My clan would certainly never fall within my lifetime, if ever. Really, comparing myself to Eshai was laughable. She was my guard, I reminded myself, nothing more. "Hmm? Oh, yes," I said, returning to verbal speech. Some of my usual insufferable tone was beginning to creep back into my voice.

IC: Sanei - Sado I nodded. Power may be a virtue, but it must be pursued with caution. I faintly recalled hearing about a clan collapsing in the way Eshai described, but I couldn't recall the details. "How long ago did it happen?"

IC: Sanei - Sado I nodded. "I can see the advantages to that, yes." I waited for Eshai to continue.

IC: Sanei - Sado Again, Eshai had managed to surprise me. I'd expected her to become silent once more, but instead she seemed to want to have a conversation. While a small part of me objected to talking to someone with as low a status as hers for longer than was necessary, there wasn't any harm in getting to know her a bit better. And, though I'd never admit it, her abilities as a warrior had earned her a bit of respect from me. Besides, any onlookers would assume that I was talking to a Menti, so there wasn't much risk in speaking with her. "As a Menti should," I 'said.' "Yes, I would like to know more of your clan."

OOC: I think I'll try writing Sanei in first-person for a change... might be interesting. IC: Sanei - Sado I fought back a wave of frustration directed at my guard. I'd made it perfectly clear that I didn't want to talk about it, but she'd brought it up anyway. Still, the topic would probably come up again later... might as well address it now. Besides, the question wasn't all that different from something I'd heard a thousand times before-'Slow down, Sanei, take it easy. Why don't you take a vacation? You're killing yourself.' So, it was only natural that I reply with something I'd said and thought a thousand times: "It is befitting of a member of Clan Umbraline to work tirelessly." My tone was crisp, the familiar words 'spoken' with just a hint of pride. "It is only natural that I strive to uphold my family name."

IC: Geklan - Ga-Koro Geklan remained silent, having tucked the tablet away. Feeling that he wasn't being observed, he let his mind wander. A small frown appeared on his face, which was devoid of its mask. After all, he was a Lesterin. The conflict between Theriss and Barthel sounded a lot like the one he'd had with Theriss over the chair. So much like it that it was scary, in fact. Still, Geklan felt that it wasn't wise to mention the similarities. He didn't want to end up having to apologize to Theriss, after all.

IC: Sanei - Sado "Oh, uh..... yes." There was a long pause as Sanei stared up at the buildings, obviously grappling with something. She'd been hoping that Eshai wouldn't bring that up. She'd almost been defeated without her opponent doing so much as lifting a finger... it was unsettling. More importantly, it brought a lot of the doubts she'd buried deep rising to the surface. To nearly have been defeated with such ease... had all of her hard work been for naught? Could she ever hope to truly live up to the name Umbraline? Switching to spoken language, she began to say something. She spoke quietly and softly. "Yes, it was... uh..." Realizing that she had been on the brink of showing weakness in front of her bodyguard, she shut her mouth and tensed up. "That is to say," she said, using Ideatalk, "Yes, it was very effective. I'll have to work at overcoming that particular strategy." Again abruptly, she began walking, with no particular destination in mind. She walked quickly, annoyed with herself. Getting all sentimental in front of someone so far below her was shameful. How could she let herself act like that if she ever hoped to become important? She still had so very far to go... She continued walking hurriedly. She didn't have anywhere to go, but she still felt the urge to be moving, to be doing something. Anything.

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, the Yard, Sado "As befits a Menti warrior of Clan Umbraline." Abruptly, Sanei began walking away. "We should have more practice bouts in the future. It'll challenge and improve the both of us. Also, it is essential that I know your tactics and vice versa if we are to fight as a team." She stopped and looked up at the crystalline structures that rose up around them both. "Now, what to do?"

IC: Sanei Sanei spun around, ready to charge again. She hadn't managed to land a blow on Eshai with her last attack... Then, she sheathed her sword. "Alright. I think that it's safe to say this fight isn't going anywhere. You fight well."

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, the Yard, Sado Sanei narrowed her eyes as she charged forward. Eshai didn't look very concerned about her charge- perhaps she had a trick in mind? Besides, she was giving her opponent the advantage by doing something predictable. As she neared Eshai, she ducked, slicing at her opponent as she continued moving forward. Hopefully, she'd be out of Eshai's reach before she could react.