BULiK

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri's Abode, Tea Time?] There was a flash of astounded fear - similar when someone sitting down had the abrupt feeling that they were inexplicably falling - on Vrill's face for a split second as he was caught off guard by the counter-question. However, Vrill was a slave to his addictions and couldn't pass up the offer. "Coffee. Black."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Renaka's House, Plaintiff's Bench?] A general doesn’t win a battle from their desk, nor by leading the first wave’s charge. The best commanders observed the state of the battlefield from just behind their lines, directing lieutenants to bolster their army’s forces where needed, and exploit the vulnerabilities of the enemy’s as quickly as possible once those weaknesses had revealed themselves. Fenn and Stannis were locked in heated combat, just with diatribes and redirections in lieu of thrusts and parries. Vrill, from his position just outside of the arena, had the benefit of a wider perspective and focus. He saw two warriors that fought battles neither had the framework to fully comprehend. The sinful priest dealt in spirits, parables, and legends, while the blind symbol of justice could only grasp facts that he could feel between his fingertips. The Sanctum’s spy saw all-too-familiar displays of anger and judgement, as well as his own regrets and dogged justifications for work that would never see the light of day either. Vrill had been in Stannis’s position before – defending how his actions were cloaked in shadows, and how that such deception was necessary for the good of the Matoran. Muir didn’t buy it then and Vrill knew five minutes ago that he wouldn’t buy it now. Not when Stannis’s omission left the island without an enemy to rally behind - a stepping stone that lead to the fractures within Muir’s own community. Vrill knew Fenn would fruitlessly chase the pointless minutiae of truth until the Mukau came home if he didn’t shift the conversation. Finally, there was a lull of awkward silence as a stalemate was reached. For the first time that any of those in the room besides Muirtagh could recall, the Cy-Toa behind the lawyer opened his mouth to speak. His deep voice flowed with the smoothness of sandpaper, carrying a surprising nonchalance and almost discomforting calmness beneath the hardened tones of a man who’d fought his fair share of battles. "There was ‘nothing more to be learned here’ a few minutes ago," Vrill began, opening with a swift critique of how the whole affair had long since been derailed. "But we’re still here, aren’t we?" "My apologies, Stannis Maru," the detective continued, stepping forwards from the shadows that clung near the walls of Renaka’s home. His notepad and cigarette had disappeared, replaced by the firm stance of his crossed arms. "When I brought together two people who kept their distance from the Sentinels, when the Sentinels were under Hewkii’s stead, that is," he added with a glance that danced between the two matoran in the room. "I was, perhaps, naive in expecting them to agree on anything." "This isn’t an inquisition on why you did whatever you had to do in Mangaia, and while I would be interested in knowing more about a substance that can turn a Toa into a murderer with a single dose, that’s not why we’re here either." The investigator's golden optics darted to his partner's as he attempted to mend the wounds he and Stannis exchanged with their words, find a common ground, and eventually reposition on the topics that the duo was actually after. "Our business is not that of raw, unrefined Truth – we deal in Justice. In his words -" a hand waved in Stannis's direction before returning to reinforce his prior posture. "- we fight the same Darkness." Vrill refocused on the aforementioned Po-Toa. "We’re here because of that particular Darkness that you said is within every one of us. I’ve seen what happens when it’s left to fester and grow, and we all want to prevent that from happening, on our own battlefields, and in our own ways." "So before we leave, I’m curious to hear from both Toa Stannis and Toa Ra’lhen," Vrill said with a nod to the companion on Stannis's sideline, who had yet to reveal how he was involved in all of this, but whose body language had long since revealed to Vrill's trained optics that this subject was all too personal in some way. Vrill just had to keep them talking, and the conversation would shift back in his favor. "What exactly are you planning to do in this expedition of yours?" Besides keeping the conversation from totally disintegrating under the pressure of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, Vrill's question had another utility; If the Toa Maru had important knowledge that could bolster Po-Koro’s defenses against Makuta's return, perhaps Vrill could relay that information to Korzaa. It was cynical, but perhaps the intel such an experienced team could prevent a slaughter of the Sanctum Guard’s newest recruits when Makuta began to strike again, or if for some reason his Koro’s foolhardy new leadership decided that such an expedition into their own Dark Walk was warranted.

IC: Reyal [Ko-Wahi, Drifts, Crevasse, Abyss] There was a tumbling of icy crystals as Kreigero's Hapaka make the final calculated leap to land in front of Savrehn. After an uncharacteristic and urgent-yet-still-way-too-long lick against the Ko-Matoran's kanohi that delivered a smell that could prove to anyone that they were still alive, the pet began to deftly rush to a nearby mound of snow, and began to paw at it unfruitfully, kicking up snow behind himself in a noisy process.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Abode] A little what now? The Cy-Toa's pencil stood still for a moment as he glanced to Stannis's mysterious companion. The one who also seemed familiar with antidermis somehow, judging by the Vo-Toa's optical twitch and the thousand-bio stare that Korzaa's special agent had picked up on. While Vrill was taking some notes, his main investigative focus was indeed the body language of the others in the room.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Abode] Truth be told, Vrill hadn't worked closely with Muirtagh for long. But he knew how to read people and remember them. It helped that some things were very hard to forget. Like the time Fenn walked out on him. Even from the detective's position up against the wall just over the Fa-Toa's shoulder, the pattern of subtle tics during his deliberate pause shouted to Vrill; he could see what Fenn was going to say from a kio away. More specifically, he knew that what the ex-sentinel was going to say wasn't going to be short. As Fenn began his elaboration, the Cy-Toa off to his side leisurely stowed his notepad and pulled a cigarette and lighter out from pockets within his crystal armor. The undercover guardsman's smoke was alight well before the lawyer had finished, the ritualistic motions of his habit performed with a swift finesse developed from years of practice. By the time Fenn had ceded the floor to the Maru, Vrill's notepad was back in hand, ready to record whatever account might come next if the Granite Guardian complied with the investigator's request.

IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Portside] "If it looks like a dragon and flies like a dragon, then it is most likely a dragon," the Tajaar warrior stated as she stood up and confidently strode to match the Rora's pace, lingering closer to the empress than perhaps Zafin would have preferred. She was distinctly aware of the bodyguard, and yet regarded her as if she was invisible. "It is not one of our dragons, yet it still is a dragon, much like this island is not ours, but still is an island nonetheless." The master's mind was grounded in a focused awareness on the present's surroundings, yet always had the future on its horizon. Fascinating as a new dragon was, especially to someone whose culture revered them, its strategic and tactical implications were of much more import than those zoological. "What matters is not what it is but how it will be useful, if at all, in the storm ahead." Everyone present knew what was coming next. "But even a dragon cannot compensate for the strengths of our own spirits. This is why you mustn't delay your training any further. Inspections and tours won't inspire as much as your strength will." "Now that we're on land, there will be more space to continue without garnering as much attention."

IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, BoardLilywalk] The independent Menti sat cross legged on the edge of one of Ga-Koro's many elevated lilypads, watching the mysterious new dragon and pondering on what sign its presence could possibly entail. A dragon of will and a dragon of no will had been the deciding factors in the Yumiwa's escape - what would this dragon of the unknown bring to this war? Could its fire be harnessed? Time would tell... but the Battlemaster knew that her people were running out of it.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Abode] Even on the very dangerous line that was Vrill's line of work, it wasn't often that he was inside the home of another Koro's Akiri or speaking to another Koro's Maru, let alone simultaneously. Out of caution for the potential diplomatic risks, the undercover detective kept his silence held dear. The only noise he'd made was a rustle of papers as he withdrew his notepad, which he began scribbling shorthand in on a fresh page alongside Stannis's answers and Fenn's questions. The scrapes of the charcoal on paper were like an eery echo of the words of those in the otherwise silent room. The Maru's answers only blossomed more questions for Vrill, many of which Fenn was already on top of. For now, the Cy-Toa continued to observe the chamber and those within while taking notes as per his disguise, though he allowed his body language to mirror the disgust and horror his partner had at the revelations of antidermis's foul effects. This certainly complicated things, although Vrill was not yet sure how exactly. For now, his focus was on cataloguing and indexing this information until the bigger picture and their path within it could once again be seen.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Akiri Abode] The Cy-Toa in the corner couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the disconnect between both participants - one fully prepared for verbal fisticuffs and mind games, the other innocuously curious as to 'what was going on?' in the first place. Vrill didn't know what Fenn's kanohi said, but his own internals lead him to the conclusion that Stannis was either a devious, machiavellian logician thinking twenty chess moves ahead with the goal of utter dominance over the verbal battlespace- Or, more likely, Vrill thought as he attempted to get into such a mindset himself, he realized that Stannis really might not have a clue about any of this, or even if he did, lacked the context to answer such broad, indirect questioning in a way that would satisfy the duo's hunches. Externally, the undercover operative looked bored.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Renaka's Office House] Vrill didn't let the fact that he held no cards bother him. At all. He was as curious as to what Fenn would ask as he was how well his own gut stacked up to his partner's Rode.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Renaka's Office] The orange tinted lenses above the undercover detective's optics melted into the rest of his amber-colored crystalline armor as he followed Muirtagh inside, feigning discomfort and subservience. He would let the lawyer do the talking, preferring to keep his guise as long as plausible. Inside, however, every exit was accounted for, every detail observed. A pleasant surprise to find their quarry so soon, but the location complicated things. The enigmatic Toa that accompanied Stannis and the Akiri herself were very much independent variables. Hopefully Fenn could ask his questions and get everything they wanted to know, and as fast as possible. Vrill wasn't a desk jockey - in fact, he had done everything he could in specializing his career in the Sanctum Guard in order to avoid just that. Though even a free-range cop like himself needed to check in with Korzaa every so often. Vrill mused on how offices had some looming inevitability to them as he waited for the opening move.

how did you find out about my entire zakaz plotline

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Stannis's Hut] "Well, all I know is going somewhere is a faster way to find Stannis than waiting for him to appear here," Vrill incorrectly stated. "Let's swing by there and keep our eyes open." The duo strolled towards the Akiri's hut, with Muirtagh taking the lead given his familiarity with the renovated streets of the stone city. As they drew nearer to the hut, Vrill broke the pleasant silence. "By the way, when we find him - I'm your intern, Kardyr."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Toa Noran's Stannis Maru's House] With so many decades of experience in the Sanctum Guard under his belt, even from looking from his standing position outside the window, Vrill could easily hone in on and discern more temporal information from the state of Stannis's coffee mug than an archeologist could with radiocarbon dating. "Well, someone's been here recently." The investigator pensively put a hand to his chin as he ran through the options. "Stannis Maru isn't one to patrol... doubt he'd be with the Sentinels, or that going to their headquarters would be a good idea to begin with..." Vrill suddenly made an amused grunt, optics shifting towards his partner with an ironic expression. There was an unusual, lighthearted buoyancy underneath his typically gruff voice as the spy continued. "Say... how do you feel about your new Akiri? And how do you think Stannis does, given he's actually in town again?"

IC: Kreigero [Ko-Wahi, Drifts, Crevasse Opening] A crash against the wall, heard by Kreigero as well as felt through vibrations in the ice wall. The rope jerked backwards with the inertia of two falling matoran, choking Kreigero's waist. Burning palms as the handles of the ice picks were yanked from her alongside her breath. Still embedded in the ice. Slowness. An involuntary scream. A spin. Barking. Her shoulder. Spin. Her- Crunch. Darkness. IC: Reyal [Ko-Wahi, Drifts, Crevasse Opening] The Hapaka's descent would be slower, but much less dangerous. It lept between outcroppings with surprising agility. It could not see the Matoran yet, but their scent was unmistakable.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] The glass sheets of notes floated beneath Vrill's light grey cloak, slotting into compartments that grew in the crystalline armor where he kept all his belongings. Orange, shaded crystal grew in the eye slots of the detective's kanohi as he stepped outside and was illuminated by the desert sun.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Exactly - pursuing the local leads first before going further is the best option," Vrill agreed. "The Maru have a habit of hopping around the island, so if Stannis is here now, getting info from him now will save us a lot of time. I'd much rather chat with him about Skorm than try to uncover and decipher hospital and police reports." "Better to start with the most recent event and work our way backwards to Ta-Koro and maybe Ga if needed. But hopefully Stannis can tell us everything we need to know. Karz, it must be good if what he did convinced them to let Skorm in on the team." The crystalline outer coating of Vrill's Kanohi shifted from it's typical kakama-esque shape into that of a Calix. He turned around and snuffed out his cigarette in the well-worn ashtray on Fenn's desk. The detective looked back to Muirtagh. "Anything else before we move out?"

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Same as it was with Hewkii," the detective began with nod to Fenn. "Not everyone agrees with what Tarkahn's up to." Muirtagh's disdain for Hewkii's own mandates wasn't a shock to Vrill - in fact, their prior experience on that subject was precisely why he knew Fenn was the only person he could trust with helping in his mission. It was a pleasant surprise that he'd been following Ko's politics this closely - the detective was satisfied that his hunch about Fenn had proven true. So far. "Plenty of Sanctum vets know that conscripted civs are only meant to fight a PR battle, and will lead to a slaughter if Ko-Wahi heats up again." Another drag on Vrill's smoke as he got up and moved to stand at the board. The fog of war manifested with every exhalation, lingering in the open space around the red strings. "I agree - there's definitely more to Tarkahn than the Sanctum's press releases would lead us to believe. Maybe your Kanohi can make some headway with anyone on the board that we meet. If we go to Ko to check out what Tarkahn and the Kalta have to do with each other behind closed doors, we'll have to be careful." A knowing glance. "You know what they say - Matoro's always listening."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Tarkahn," Vrill smoothly stated. "Onu-Matoran inventor. Former arms dealer. Won the election on his policy of militarization, and promise of keeping the city safe, preventing another calamity." The Legacy's invasion of Ko-Koro left an unspoken legacy of it's own, which could be seen in the optics of every Ko-Koronan native. The streets were different. Quieter and less lively, something outsiders might not have considered possible. It would take years of renovations to remove all the city's scars, those subtle reminders of the battles that haunted the Ko-Matoran. Vrill didn't blame them for voting out of that fear.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Not much - and that's what worries me," the detective said, careful to keep the conversation on how the Toa Kalta stood out to him and not why he was digging around in those records in the first place. "Seven Toa, leader is a Ba-Toa called Aelied - there's plenty of fluff like that in the Mata Nui Daily articles about their appointment," Vrill began. He leaned forward, his chair now stable against the stone floor, as he pulled out a notebook from the many hidden compartments in his armor's crystal layers, reviewing his notes. He'd need to get a lot more familiar with these names, just in case. "Aelied, Kalyss, Casanuva, Vakua, Cyrix, Zueya, and our pal Skorm. Wide variety of elements, you can check the file. From what I could tell, they must have formed relatively shortly before the recapture of Ko - there's just not much out there on them before then. Their participation in that battle is probably a large part of why the new Akiri wanted them on retainer." "The only major thing before that I could find was that skirmish Skorm had in Ga-Koro. From the sounds of things, it was some kind of infighting, as he was fighting the Kalta. Supposedly joined the team after this Stannis Maru thing some time after that."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] Vrill's grip was firm, almost robotic, as his hand smoothly went through a motion long since pre-calculated, but rarely practiced. "Yes," the detective curtly affirmed. He leaned back in the chair once more, the smoke he exhaled in long relief filling the chamber's dry air as he quietly preoccupied himself with his thoughts. The front legs of the Po-Koronan stonework lifted off the ground slightly in a precarious yet careful balance. Vrill gave a nod towards the infodump now sprawled across Fenn's desk. "Take a look at the tablets - maybe something will catch your eye, but you already heard my summary. It's enough to get leads, but nothing to paint a whole picture, let alone build a case off of." His golden optics twinkled in the haze. "Yet." The detective paused for a moment and glanced up at the loose trails of smoke twirling in the wake of the fan above. Muir could almost hear his mind rapidly flipping through its neural notebook as Vrill mentally recalled and sorted his list of leads before continuing. "Skorm's the biggest red flag - the tabloids certainly didn't make much effort of hiding it, either. I may be in town because I want to get to the bottom of his... rehabilitation... but to begin with, a relatively fresh Toa team without too many battles under their belt being promoted as the official Toa team of Ko-Koro raises nearly as many questions, 'specially after what went down in Ga." Vrill knew he didn't need to clarify which incident in question - the less that guardsmen talked about the infamous Daedra infiltration, the less embarrassed they felt for their sisters in the marines. Practically an unspoken rule that was understood by both the Sanctum Guardsman and the former Sentinel. "Not even Kethrye had that kind of clout back in the day..." the soldier reminisced.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] The outstretched hand snapped into a finger gun. "Sure." It snaked back into the crystalline armor pocket to nab another cigarette, returning a moment later with a smoke and with its counterpart snapping the lighter on in preparation.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] (Quick vibes if you have none of your own to supply) "Yeah," Vrill nodded, allowing himself a slight smile as he began to reel in his catch. Truth be told, their cat and mouse dance to get to the point was a breath of fresh air. One of the more fun parts of the job that made the library visit worth it. Two players, both skilled enough to see the ebb and flow of the game and instinctively know the next moves before they happened. One counted his cards, the other had a few up his sleeve. After taking another sip, the detective set his mug down on Muir's desk, atop a matching quartz coaster that his other hand conjured with ease. He reached his right hand into his left forearm's armor, the crystal outer covering parting at the strength of his willpower, and whipped out a glass sheet he had created at Wise Man's Archive. On it was a perfect replica of a drab document, with words seamlessly printed in darkened obsidian. Some phrases were annotated with amber highlights, others were a bold ruby, glowing from a miniature lightstone core. Vrill began to deal out his deck, placing one sheet after another on Fenn's desk with the same smug excitement of a kid showing off a foil Joske Nimil Kohlii card he had lucked into. "I'm here because I'm wondering why a suspect wanted for the murder of a marine -" The next copy rattled against the desk. Aces high. "- multiple assaults in Ga -" A resonant clink as more paperwork joined the pile. Vrill reached inside his other crystalline vambrace and neatly pulled out a cigarette with an all-too-instinctive motion, the binary sunset of his orange optics still locked onto Muirtagh's own with unwavering stamina. "- and fits the description of the last person seen intimidating the MagnaTide Inn's receptionist a few days before she went missing -" The next sheet floating out and onto the desk by the elementalist's command, as his hands were preoccupied with loosely fitting the Ga-Koronan herb roll in the mouth of his kanohi and extracting a lighter from his thigh armor, respectively. "- and wound up as tinder for an apartment fire..." he casually continued, articulacy muffled by the paper rod that bobbed up and down with each syllable. Click. Snap. Sparkle. Hum. The wick took light and a warm crackle dominated the office's silent air as the miniature flame ignited the toxic treat. "So, I'm wondering why he's one of my Koro's new poster boys -" Clink. Mata Nui Daily. Front page. "Ko's New Akiri Announces Partnership with Toa Kalta." Diamond flush. "- and what that has to do with Stannis Maru and Antidermis." The sanctum guardsman tapped a highlighted portion of one of documents with his offhand as he took another drag on his cigarette, ending with a relieved sigh. The kicker. 'See Po-Koro hospital records. Keywords: Stannis, Warua, Antidermis' "That's why I'm in town this time." "You understand why I can't use my department's own assets for this," he stated with a frightening nonchalance as he sank into the uncomfortable chair. "And that this ain't a solo job - one man can only get so far." Another puff of smoke, the Cy-Toa clearly deliberating on his next statements. Eye contact wandered for a moment, as if the ceiling fan's slow twirl hid a memory. "I need your expertise, your abilities, and most of all, that unwavering commitment that got the better of me last time I walked through that door," Vrill continued, pointing over his shoulder at the door with his cigarette. A few ashy embers scattered across the spartan stone floor. "This is a different case, different Koro, but as you can see, it's fundamentally the same problem." Vrill said as he picked up his mug again. Much warmer. "And I..." The hand holding the beverage spun lazily in a circle. It slowed down, and his optics refocused. "I need your help this time..." Vrill said before finishing the rest of his coffee, the scalding liquid overpowering the bitter taste of that last sentence. His hand curled into a fist as it absorbed the empty crystal mug, and then it flattened out as he reached across the desk for a handshake. "And this time, we're partners."

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Of course," Vrill replied to both statements, standing up with a feigned great effort as the legal disclaimer began. He circled around the desk, during which time a quartz mug appeared in his left hand. "You really don't need to tell me that," the coffee-pourer said in such a way that it felt like he was winking at Muir despite his back being to him. "But you know the way they tick, how to search their public records, and how to navigate the system to get what you need to know if it's not there. Maybe even a few stories of your own," Vrill continued, ending with a casual shrug. The sanctum guardsman could already tell the pot was lukewarm. He made a bit of of heatstone on the inside of the mug. He'd wait a bit to let it warm back up before taking a sip. The detective sat back down again, and when he opened his mouth to speak again, his gravelly voice suddenly lost all humor as the Cy-Toa sliced straight to the point. "You wouldn't happen to know of a toa named Skorm, would you Fenn? In particular, an incident he had with Stannis Maru?" Vrill had cast his line - he took a long sip of the bitter coffee and watched to see if Fenn would bite.

IC: Vrill [Po-Koro, Fenn Legal Clinic] "Nice to see you again too, Fenn," Vrill blankly stated with a slight nod. His optics darted around the room once more. A moment later, the guardsman stepped further into the office, pulling up a chair to Muir's desk. Not too fast. From the looks of things his acquaintance was in no rush, and Vrill felt fine holding the energy of the room hostage as his pause lingered. "Yeah," he answered as he sat down. "New case. Official unofficial business." The Cy-Toa leaned back in his chair, looking almost as bored as he sounded. "Need to double check some Sentinel reports, cross reference a few things... et cetera." The detective accentuated the last point with a flourish of his hand - the arm in question already lazily strung atop his chair's backrest. His vision drifted to a pot of coffee on a shelf behind Fenn, before snapping back to the blue Akaku-like lenses on Muirtagh's kanohi with chilling precision. "Figured you're still into that sort of thing and could help me out."