WriterofReapers

IC: SalamanderSalamander watched i silence as more people flocked towards Skyra, all of whom Skyra seemed to be familiar with. They must be his friends..."I should probably go. It looks like you guys have some catching up to do."It hadn't even been an entire day since he had left, but already so much had changed. Salamander had replaced Skyra as a Mark Bearer of Fear, losing access to the power of his Kadin at the same time. More importantly, however, was the fact that Utu had returned.Salamander began to walk away, his destination already decided upon. Time to return to Ga-Wahi.

IC: Salamander"Hey! Wait!"Salamander stopped in surprise at the sound of Skyra's voice. The Toa of Air must have had ridiculous vitality in order to be back on his feet so soon after having the majority of his blood drained."Hmm?"No, seriously. How are you already awake after that?

IC: Salamander"Thanks... I'll be sure to keep that in mind."As Kearrstrun prepared to leave, Salamander noticed that he was still holding Skyra. The Toa of Air was still unconscious, and no doubt would remain that way until receiving some kind of treatment.Naturally, it was Salamander's job to make sure he was taken to a hospital.Better get moving...With an exasperated sigh Salamander left the house and, after asking for directions, made his way over to hospital.

IC: SalamanderSalamander stood in a daze as Kearrstrun handed him Skyra's limp body while speaking words in a hurried fashion that seemed to never quite reach Salamander's ears. Perhaps it was the effects if the Mark, or maybe it was the fact that Salamander's stomach was now full blood, but Salamander felt as if he would pass out at any moment.He desperately hoped it was the latter."When will I notice the effects? Is it immediate, or will it take a while to adjust? Basically, how much longer do I have before I have to start resisting the mark's influence?"As Salamander spoke, he began to feel a bit better, although he still felt like lying down would do him a considerable amount of good.

It's a bit better as far as fanservice goes, but it's still pretty bad. On the other hand, there is more focus on the survival/story aspects in the manga, so there is that to factor in.Of course, if you thought the anime was "absolutely disgusting", I'd have to recommend that you stay as far away as possible from the manga; chances are you'll think the same of the manga.

IC: Salamander"Do I want a cup... Maybe...? I dunno, I'm just not exactly keen on the idea of latching on to his arm and trying to suck him dry. Sounds like something out of a cheesy Matoran horror story."He stared apprehensively at Skyra's arm as he spoke, Kearrstrun's eyes boring into his skull. It was clear that the Toa of Sonics didn't have the patience to for Salamander's hesitation.The things I have to deal with..."That's a bit much, even from you. Fine, I'll do it."He carefully stepped forward, the drops of blood on the floor trembling slightly with every step.This just seems so backwards... So wrong...Slowly, reluctantly, Salamander began to ingest the blood.

IC: Salamander"What."What Kearrstrun was suggesting Salamander do was completely ridiculous. If what mattered was simply the transfer of Mark-tainted blood, then there had to be alternatives to sucking out Skyra's blood. Even if one were to ignore how disgusting it would be, it was simply inefficent. In the time it would take for Salamander to ingest enough blood (provided he didn't get sick halfway through and have to start over), the three of them could easily find a hospital and set up a more normal procedure.And Kearrstrun has to know this... So why would he want to take this route? What does he have to gain?"Do I at least get a straw?"

IC: SalamanderSalamander thought for a moment before replying to Kearrstrun."It's a long story... And involves a friend of mine who gave me what eventually became very sound advice. Don't worry about me."Despite his confident words, Salamander couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease at the thought of what would happen once he had a Mark of Fear to call his own. Would he finally lose in his struggle to not fall into darkness and become just like Utu?I can only hope not. I can only hope that even when at the same level as him, I can still tell right from wrong, that I can still do the right thing. I can only hope.

IC: SalamanderSalamander grinned as he continued to stare at Kearrstrun, his orange eyes glowing with a fierce light."Of course I'll stop them. Just point me in the right direction and I'll crush them all. And I don't think that will be a problem for me, Kearrstrun. This is my chance to prove to myself that I am better than Utu after all; I won't waste it."Thanks, Venator.

IC: Salamander"Someone has to have it, right? If Utu is back, that means that there is an extra Mark of Fear: this one. You aren't needed to the Mark Bearers, and neither am I. However..."He turned to face Kearrstrun before continuing, a determined expression upon his face."You shouldn't be the one to risk your life in this situation. You chose to bear that mark out of a desire to help your friends, not a selfish desire for power. I will take the mark. I will take that burden. I will take that risk, and if I die because of it so be it."After a moment of silence he continued in a softer tone, as if speaking his real thoughts without a trace of bravado."Please... Let me help you."

IC: Salamander"I'll take it."Salamander spoke up before he could stop himself, but he found himself strangely pleased with that fact. It felt like decades had passed since he had felt such an honest desire to help someone else stir in his being, and now that he had he was not going to let the opportunity slip by.In the end, Venator was right. I'm not all that much different from Utu, am I?"Utu isn't dead anymore Skyra."Called it.

IC: Salamander"Isn't there anything else you could do? Or are you content to die if it means not scaring others in order to feed your mark?"Salamander was surprised to find that he was genuinely curious. More than that though, was something akin to a desire to help.

IC: SalamanderSalamander thought for a moment before replying, trying to weigh what he knew about the marks and how they worked against the current situation. There was a certain logic behind it all that tied everything together, and all he had to do was discover the basis of that logic in order to find a solution.Or at least that's what he hoped."But there is a way to avoid that, right?"

IC: SalamanderThe tone of Skyra's voice told Salamander that something was going on, and the Toa of Fire's mind immediately began to try to figure out what exactly that was. His first thought was that Utu had managed to come back and Skyra was no longer necessary, but Salamander brushed it off as merely wishful thinking. However, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that it had something to do with the Marks."What's wrong?"

IC: Salamander"Nothing in particular. I guess I was getting a bit too comfortable back in Ga-Koro, so I decided to leave. No idea why I chose to go to Le-Wahi, though."

IC: Salamander"Oi!"Salamander frowned at the greeting. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on who it belonged to. A moment later, Skyra stepped into view and provided Salamander with the answer he had been looking for. Salamander tried to ease his face into something a bit more pleasant before turning to Skyra."Ah... Skyra, right?

IC: SalamanderSalamander flew above the treetops, searching for signs of Matoran habitation. It had been nearly an hour since he had arrived in Le-Wahi, and there had still been no sign of Matoran or other Toa.Great. I'm lost. Again.Just as he began to think it would be better to go to Ta-Koro instead, Salamander heard the sound of music in the distance. It was faint, but it was clearly recognizable as music regardless. Within a minute Salamander had found the source, and by extension the village of Le-Koro.Yay.OOC: "Salamander heard the Sound of Music."Sal, that should have been your cue to turn around and fly in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. XD

I don't care about errands. He can go get his mother a gallon of milk later. :PI just find it funny that on the same day Salamander leaves Ga-Wahi (after over a week of complete inactivity, too) Utu finally makes his return.

So many updates... it hurts...But seriously. Thanks for bringing Utu back as soon as I had left Ga-Wahi. Thanks.

IC: PakaruPakaru chuckled as he stood up to follow Parata. His mug was still half empty, but Pakaru didn't care; the drink hadn't tasted very good anyway."Of course you are. Although I'm sure the barkeep will be most perplexed as to how 'double' instantly transformed into 'equal'... At least until he finds his empty wallet. That would be fun to watch, but seeing as how one of us can't become invisible I'd say our best bet is to simply leave before that happens."Pakaru stepped through the doorway and into the dim lighting of a side street of Onu-Koro. Even if the rest of the village was never as brightly light as its neighbors, Pakaru suspected that this street was particularly dark due to its relatively poor location."Why would anyone want to live in a cave anyway? I mean, the location only makes sense if entire village was completely obsessed with mining..."He stopped speaking as a group of Onu-Matoran armed with what seemed to be a ridiculous amount of mining equipment marched by."Go figure."

Wow, way to go! Hopefully I can one day link to a book I wrote... What's weird is that I was thinking about being able to do just that earlier today. Anyway, I'll definitely purchase your book as soon as I can!

OOC: Salamander from Ga-Wahi...And wow I can't think of anything to say.IC: SalamanderSalamander landed roughly on the branch of a large tree, his weight causing the branch to tremble slightly. Looking around, Salamander could see little that wasn't bright green in color, and the majority of those that weren't were simply a darker green. Patches of brown were interspersed throughout the area, but it was far too rare to actually be correct.Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me?

IC: PakaruPakaru barely even blinked when Parata reappeared in his seat thanks to years of traveling with a shameless kleptomaniac with easy access to invisibility. It had taken some getting used to, but Pakaru had long since given up on convincing Patara to give up on robbing every person he encountered."I said give the money back to the barkeep before we leave. We don't need money right now, but judging by the look of this place he does. I don't expect you to only steal from those who are evil or ridiculously wealthy, but could you at least refrain from stealing from people who have barely anything at all?"Pakaru glanced at the small pile of widgets Parata had stolen, a humorous gleam in his eye."Besides, you can do better than that."

IC: PakaruNot again..."Parata, you had better give it back to the owner once you are done tormenting him. I'd rather not have to walk past wanted posters of myself next time we head into town."Of course, since I can't see him I don't even know if he heard me...