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BZPRPG - Kentoku Archipelago

Nuju Metru

By Nuju Metru
in Bionicle RPG

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shadow pridak money gang The Tracer

shadow pridak money gang

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IC:

 

It seemed, to Desdemona Umbraline, that she was a poem-boat herself, and the days that ensued after her mother's death tossed her about like the cruel waves that had railed against her epitaph.

 

The little princess had been engaged in a two-front war, fighting tooth and nail; with her left hand, she made arrangements for the crown to succeed effectively from her mother to her older sister, but not until the funeral arrangements had been made and carried through, and they had to be done chastely, this was no time for opulence or backhanded grandiose gestures, the Rora was dead and her mother had died too, they could not afford to let it look like a party, but at the same time they couldn't afford to stiff arm any nobles who wanted to pay their respects (or nobles who may just have been the killer) so a balance had to be achieved; with her right hand she was managing the expedition, which Yumi had seemed determined to go on even now, despite the fact that clearly she was needed here, clearly her sister needed her here, but Yumi was taking the new sub out to sea with her in the cabin and Hana by her side and the Commodore at the head of the fleet, leaving Desde devoid of any friends in the middle of a political viper's nest, how was she supposed to defend her sister's infantile reign when her sister wasn't even here to reign, how was she supposed to do anything when she hadn't slept since Mother was alive, there needed to be a balance, there was always a balance, it was always Des' job to find it but she had no help and frayed nerves and the dayswerefusingbeforehereyes...

 

No, she thought, forcing her eyes open after they had closed for the first time in three days, if you sleep, Yumi will know. She'll ask why you haven't done anything to stop the killers, why you didn't do anything to save Mother, why you're not helping her become the greatest Rora that ever was. You can sleep later. You can remind her that she has a sister.

 

Things had gotten easier after the funeral, at least. Sitting there, hearing courtiers and family and Yumi herself singing Mother's praises while Mother herself lay in repose with a convenient dragon ornament clasped in her hands over her heart (most likely to cover the fact that she had no heart they blew my mother's heart out) she had to wonder how many of the speakers and attendees had said this all to Mother's face, and if they had, how many of them truly meant it. The only ones she could be sure of were Ayiwah and Yumi herself; her sister had started crying, but she made her grief look like strength in the face of adversity. Desdemona Umbraline was made of the same fine stuff, though, and the little princess made sure that she only cried from the shadows, so that no one could see the tears. 

 

The night leading up to Yumi's coronation had been easier, but more eventful. Desde had been avoiding Yumi up until this point, but she had called another meeting of her councillors in the hours before she inherited the title of Rora. For once, Desde had been amongst her chosen and Hanako was inexplicably absent; Yumiwa's eyes and ears had been off with the Commodore to discuss the sailing plan that would best suit the chojo  empress. With her gone, Des' nerves - coarsened beyond repair - had not been assuaged in the least. When she tried once again to make her argument that the Rora had no business leaving on the dawn of her reign to visit Mata Nui without consolidating loyalists, especially on the heels of the first royal assassination since the first and greatest of the Fursic Rebellions, Yumi had said something about her serving as regent, unleashing the hurricane on her enemies. That had driven Desdemona too far too quick, with no Hanako to keep the peace, and for a second she forgot her role as princess and little sister - she snapped, screaming that she was not some weather event to be taken off her leash and sicced on whoever Yumi felt like blaming for Mother's death that particular day, that if she were any sort of ruler she would be start her reign off for the betterment of her people, not combing Mata Nui for some beautiful man who was hiding away in a tree like some squirrel with a nut, and that if she wanted Desde to do something she could treat her as a sister and a beloved ally for once instead of some commodity or power-up! Reprieve had only come when she pointed angrily at Yumi, and in the process eight priceless vases that had been in the Umbraline family going back four hundred years had exploded into shards.

 

The two sisters had not spoken since, and Desde had watched from the back of the Dragon Hall as Yumiwa Umbraline put on the elegant headdress that had been their mother's, and her mother's, and her mother's before her. That had been yesterday, and five days since the Rora her Imperial Majesty Yusanora Umbraline of beloved memory had died.

 

Still, Desde had not slept, and she could not sleep today. Not when things were so tense, and her mission so important. Yumi would hate her for it, but she would do as Mother had always asked of her - she would support her sister, for better or worse, for love or hate. For the good of the family. For the good of the family, she had to make Yumi see.

 

She needed Hanako, and sent one of Yumi's handmaidens to retrieve her. The girl had been gone for five minutes before Des changed her mind, slipped her pouch of crystals around her neck, and went out to find her friend herself.

 

-Tyler

ＳＡＹ　ＩＴ　ＯＮＥ　ＭＯＲＥ　ＴＩＭＥ　

ＴＥＬＬ ＭＥ　ＷＨＡＴ　ＩＳ　ＯＮ　ＹＯＵＲ　ＭＩＮＤ

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25K Now!

25K Now!

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IC: Higashi

 

Higashi ducked under the pillow, grinning at her clanmate.

 

"Last night was great wasn't it?" she said, her smile widening even further. "You're a bit loud though."

 

One second to watch Akone's expression change.

 

Two seconds to watch her reach for the sword Higashi knows is underneath the mattress.

 

Three seconds to shift back and avoid death via slashing.

 

"Just joking."

 

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NorikSigma Mask of Time Discovered

NorikSigma

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Posted (edited)

IC: Akone

Akone stumbled and slashed again, driving Higashi backward to the wall. She materialised her Soulsword and pressed it against Higashi's neck.

 

"You should know better. If you were a heartbeat too slow your head would be juicy slices of fruit on the floor now."

 

Akone withdrew and sighed, dispersing the Soulsword and putting the sword back under the mattress.

 

"So what're you doing here?"

Edited by Just Norik

BZPRPG ARC 3 / Breaking Point Profiles

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Krayzikk Astral Lightning

Krayzikk

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IC:

 

The Yards were quiet. They usually were when the Menti Umbraline visited them, but most often that was early in the morning. It was a rarity for them to be so empty during the day, but then, these were rare times. The Rora had been assassinated, and the new Rora’s coronation had proceeded swiftly after the old’s funeral. People were too shocked, too grief-stricken, to be spending much time in the Yards. Those were the reasons that others avoided the training grounds, but they were the very reasons that Sinshi Umbraline had not left them.

 

The silence was interrupted by the sound of a swinging sword, punctuated occasionally by a loud breath. The Menti stood opposite a vaguely person-shaped target, practicing her strikes. Her rapier flowed smoothly from a mock-parry to a riposte, her blade ringing off of the target before her. She sought not just to practice form, but also speed and strength, if the furious nature of her attacks were anything to judge by. Her movements were graceful, but to a keen observer, one other thing was clear; they were nearly automatic. They were not conscious decisions, they were instinctive. The movements were there, the intent was there, but the brunt of her focus was not. The Menti’s mind was preoccupied with other things, thoughts that took up far more of her focus than her training regimen.

 

Try as she might, she could not prevent her thoughts from drifting back to two events. They had happened in quick succession, one before the other. She could scarcely believe, even now, that the first had actually occurred. When the Hogo guards had begun to allow guests to exit, she had slipped out the door quietly, after allowing herself to be screened by the guards. She hadn’t made it any more than half a dozen paces past the exit, however, before she had been stopped by the Battlemaster, Inokio. Sinshi recalled that he had been planning to talk to her during the party, but she was quiet surprised that he found it to be important enough to talk to her about, even after all that had happened. If that had been a surprise, she had not been prepared in the slightest for what came after. The Battlemaster wished her to be a part of the honor guard for the envoy to Mata Nui on the expedition, and his reasoning was elaborated on quickly; he had seen her practicing here. He had seen her use of the Soulsword discipline, and come to the conclusion that she was what he sought.

 

Without really thinking about it, she sheathed her sword and moved to the exterior of the Yards, promptly beginning to jog laps about the training area. More strenuous physical exercises had occurred earlier, when she first arrived. This was the intermission between rapier training, and training with her discipline. It allowed her a brief respite, while still providing aerobic exercise. She would, in a few minutes, pause to take a drink of water, and them move on to her Soulsword practice.

 

Nevertheless, her mind continued to wander. While the first event had been unbelievable, she found that she could believe the second all too well.

 

Her arrival home had been late that night, so late that in truth it was more morning than night. Her dress had been battered in the chaos following the Rora’s death, and it had sprouted a few stains she hadn’t seen before. The mask she had been wearing hung loosely around her neck, and the scarf around her neck had long since been knocked out of its proper alignment. As she approached and carefully opened the door, she spared a moment to hope that her family was asleep, and wouldn’t notice her presence.

 

She should have known that Zuto Nui wouldn’t let her be that lucky.

 

“Umbraline Sinshi!” An aged, instantly recognizable voice piped up indignantly. The Datsue who had spoken, her grandmother, regarded her from a seat not far from the door. Despite the late hour, she showed no sign of being tired. “Your aunt had told me that you’d been invited to the Chojo’s party, but I never imagined that you’d go dressed like that. For someone so concerned about the Honor of our family, you certainly don’t act like it.”

 

“Yes, grandmother.”

 

That exchange had gone on for nearly an hour, to her decidedly lacking surprise. She had grown used to the pattern, whenever her grandmother became angered. Every flaw was noted, and berated at length, all with the lens of nostalgia that her elder possessed. That the majority of them possessed, truth be told. Most of her elders had never accepted that their family had fallen so far, and believed that they were still important.

 

Her younger family members had simply accepted their lot, and that was no better. To be stuck in the past was to never advance, and to accept the world as it is would be to never succeed. Both mindsets were self-defeating. Neither was acceptable. Sinshi would do what neither of them could, and she would find a way to restore to her family its Honor. She was a Menti of the Umbraline. She had been accepted as part of the envoy’s guard.

 

Somewhere along the lines, she had ceased her jogging and moved to the center of the area once more. She took a deep breath, reaching out with her mind to where she knew her power lay. Many philsophers had discussed the Soulsword at length; as the name implied, it was an extension of the user’s very soul. It was their mind made real, made tangible. It was not a tool. It was an extension of the user’s very body, their very essence made real. If their heart wavered, so would their weapon. If their heart was resolved, so was their weapon. It was this resolve that so many seemed to lack, that kept them forever confined to their role in society. One must never forget their place, but that did not mean that they stopped striving for a better place.

 

With a slow, controlled, exhale, she summoned her Soulsword in her left hand. It came to life as bidden, a glowing manifestation of her hook sword. She did not move it, however. She inhaled again, and held out her other hand. As she exhaled, she once more willed her weapon into existence. Once more as bidden, it appeared. Held in either hand were mirror images, two twin blades.

 

She was Umbraline Sinshi, of the once honorable family line. She was a Menti. She was capable of what only two others were known to be able to do. And she would restore her family to Honor.

  • Upvote 1

fK5oqYf.jpg

 

On this eve, the thirtieth anniversary of that first colony, many are left to wonder; is the world fast approaching a breaking point?

 

 

  Breaking Point: An OTC Mecha RPG

 

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Vezok's Friend Mask of Light Unveiled

Vezok's Friend

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Posted

OOC: I am skipping ahead with Ayiwah a bit as well. For one, because things need to be moving along, the other reason being that that Sinshi post provided such a nice setup for this one. 
 
IC:
 
"Continue to hone your skills and you will be able to wield them both without your hands; using only your mind." 
 
Sinshi glanced in the direction of the voice that had spoken up near her. It was easy to recognize the figure, now that she was back in her regular uniform. Ayiwah watched the Menti exercise with a benevolent look in her eyes. There were many fine soulswords among the Dasaka, most of them were capable warriors, but there were only a few who had the ability to make their discipline seem this artful. Summoning only one psyonic blade required a great deal of concentration for average Menti. Two were indeed a rarity with great potential.
 
"I was about to send a Suhei to summon you and the others when I spotted you running." the commodore simply explained her presence, before continuing with: "The Chiisai Ryuu will be launched shortly and the crew should be there to familiarize themselves with the ship as much as possible before we sail for Mata Nui. Once you are done with your training, come find me in the dry-dock."
 
Since the meeting was informal and because she did not want to take up more time then necessary, Ayiwah forwent the usual protocol of salutes and simply nodded, before turning away. While she had taken it upon herself to summon Sinshi to the dock, the others would be contacted shortly by messengers to make their way there as well, at their earliest convenience, as she had put it in the message, which was the nice way of saying to hurry up and get there asap.
 
She walked through the yards, which were indeed quiet this morning. The mood wasn't helped by the fact that the weather still hadn't improved, covering the archipelago in a grey blanket of foggy clouds and the occasional rain showers. Even now, Ayiwah could hear the very distant rumbling of thunder, somewhere to the east. In this weather, the yards appeared almost like an abandoned ghost-town at this early hour, though for a good reason: Most military personnel had been called upon to boost security on Sado during the time of the late Rora's funeral and Yumiwa's coronation. Nobody was taking any chances anymore when it came to making both ceremonies absolutely safe. Naturally, she had been present at the funeral, standing with the other high-ranking officials and Toroshu to pay her final respects to Yusanora. While many had given into their emotions openly, including the new Rora and princess, she had dealt with the grief in her own way. Instead, she focused on trying to spot anything suspicious while keeping a stoic face and only shedding a few quiet tears at the ceremony. The majority of them had been left back in her apartment in the yards, without anybody present to see her, not even Tazera. She had not seen the first mate after the night of the party, in the company of Mako, Xania and Sinshi, until the end of the funeral.
 
They had attended to coronation together again, which had been a happier, but still very respectful event without much pomp and circumstance. Out of the three major occasions that had been scheduled to take place within the week, only one was still outstanding now: Launching the expedition. In an effort to be proactive and to assuage the populace, the Toroshu had moved up the date of the departure. It had been deemed necessary, not just in order to establish Yumiwa as the new Rora and show she was capable, but also because talk of the expedition drew away some attention from the hunt for Yusanora's assassin, giving the investigators a bit more breathing room.

Originally, the commodore had planned to have the crew assembled with enough time to spare to get them all accustomed to working together and to have them all learn the ropes required to properly man the submersible. That included herself as well, since the relatively new submarines were, at least compared to the other ships of the navy, not her forte. Especially considering that the Ryuu was a brand-new ship, larger than any submarine the yards had built before. It would have been preferable to not throw the crew into the deep end right away. But since Yusanora's death, the deep end was all that was left.
 
Ayiwah did not worry too much though. They had selected the crew with great care, so she was confident in their ability to master this challenge and become stronger for it. To that end, the Ryuu would be launched today, though the official christening was scheduled for the day of the actual departure. As was her duty, Tazera had already gone ahead to supervise the preparations for it and when Ayiwah arrived, the first mate was waiting for her at the entrance to the dock, ready to bring her up to speed. As expected, she told her that everything was going according to plan and that the workers and technicians had slowly begun to flood the dock. Ayiwah followed Tazera and after rounding a corner, they finally could see the dock. It basically was a  large rectangular pool, long and wide enough to hold the Yukanna, with a lock on one end and a gentle slope on the other to easily move new ships from their assembly positions into the basin. And there in the middle, sitting on large support struts still holding the ship above the slowly rising water, was the Ryuu:

 

Artwork Link

 

 

"A fine ship, just waiting for the crew to man it." the commodore commented, with a small, pleased smile.

 

OOC: Alright then, recruited crew-members that are not otherwise engaged in events right now, you can come join Aya and Taz at the docks. 

  • Upvote 1

 

 

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Observedhalo Seeker

Observedhalo

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Posted (edited)

IC: Ahrusa

 

The past week had been hard on Ahrusa. The Rora dead, and already a new one in her place. She felt somewhat responsible for her assassination. She knew something was going down, and she had no doubt that her own clan had something to do with it. At the part she had been given a letter. Orders. She was to be stationed aboard the Ryuu, as part of the expedition to Mata Nui. Her crew was hand picked by the Commodore herself. She grabbed everything she would need, and set out for the docks.

 

Ahrusa had no idea why she had been selected. It's likely they just wanted a member of the Imperial Bureau of Security aboard. However, Ahrusa hadn't done anything of significance in a long time. She found it strange that she was being pulled in the middle of a major investigation like this. The assassination of a Rora is no small thing. Ahrusa had attended the funeral and the coronation. There was much weeping, but Ahrusa couldn't bring herself to shed a tear.

 

Soon, she arrived at the docks. The Ryuu had been commissioned for the expedition to Mata Nui. She was a fine vessel to be sure, and just completed by the looks of it. Ahrusa saw the Commodore standing standing in front of the ship with another. "Judgement day", Ahrusa thought to herself. Not wanting to keep her waiting any longer, she quickly strode to meet her. "Ahrusa Fursic reporting, Commodore Ayiwah ma'am." She stood saluting her superior, respect and all that.

Edited by Observedhalo

"Poor Cyclonus - Sworn To Reject A World That Hates and Fears Him. He And I Are Very Similar, Really: Two Reformed Characters Struggling To Make Our Way In Life. He Just Has Less Violent Coping Strategies." Whirl

 

 

My BZPRPG Characters

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Hanako Herupa

Hanako Herupa

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Posted

IC: (Hanako)

 

In the days following the Rora's death, things were...tense to put it lightly, not many people got sleep, and while I had late nights I still got my rest. With everything that was going on, including the expedition continuing as planned my time was short and to be honest I think Yumi should be staying on Kentoku. Not to mention I had heard about Desdemona's breakdown, the poor girl had been doing everything she could to help and it was pulling her apart and given Desde's frailty putting her through that much stress wasn't healthy, as soon as I got time I went for her, as much as Yumi needed me, Desdemona also needed me, I had headed straight to her room, only to see her leaving and heading straight my way, I picked up the pace, seeing the dark circles under Desde's eyes and wrapping her tightly and yet gently. "Desde, I'm sorry...I should have been here earlier."

gallery_99567_147_39590.jpg

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shadow pridak money gang The Tracer

shadow pridak money gang

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IC:

 

"Hana," Desdemona called softly, the name raw in her throat. Aside from Nihi and Yumi, she had not spoken to a single Dasaka since her mother last drew breath, but at the sight of her friend the dam had burst and for the first time her youth spilled out. Hanako turned to see who had called, but by then Des was already pacing towards the handmaiden. It was a break of character, an unforgivable display by most lights, but Desde had clung to the shadows all her life, and knew that they were masking her even now, in her moment of truest weakness. She wrapped her arms around Hanako's back and squeezed with as much energy and emotion as her fragile bones, muscles, and heart could muster; her eyes were dry, but the smile she gave her only friend was sweet and tremulous, as liable to break as the rest of her.

 

"I..." Ran off the night Mother died? Haven't slept since she was alive? Have combed the guest list so often I can recite it by heart? Am so scared? Don't want everyone to go to Mata Nui and leave me here? "I...am sorry I disappeared. I wanted to talk as soon as I could. Please tell the Rora. I was...about her business."

 

-Tyler

ＳＡＹ　ＩＴ　ＯＮＥ　ＭＯＲＥ　ＴＩＭＥ　

ＴＥＬＬ ＭＥ　ＷＨＡＴ　ＩＳ　ＯＮ　ＹＯＵＲ　ＭＩＮＤ

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Void Emissary Mask of Light Unveiled

Void Emissary

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Posted

IC:

 

It wasn't long before Amaki had managed to lead us back to her home. I'd figured that it wouldn't be safe for someone in such a state of shock to be left to her own devices in her travels.

 

I smiled at her, not even certain what emotion I was trying to convey; relief, sadness, hopefulness, bitterness. I patted her arm, and for a brief moment the smooth-talking businesswoman had disappeared, replaced by just another witness of a great tragedy.

 

"Well, uh," I tried saying. "Good night, Ms. Fursic Amaki. If you need anything, well, just call me up."

 

I turned and began walking back home.

 

-Void

 
 
[ BZPRPG ]

 

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The Nold Stalwart Defender

The Nold

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IC(Moeru, Rida, NPC Messenger(Iki)):

 

"No."

 

"Yes."

 

"Absolutely not."

 

"Rida, I'm never going to get another chance like this. I'm going."

 

"You have a job to do, Moeru. A job here, on Iki. I'm your Toroshu, and I say no."

 

"You may be my Toroshu, but you're also my little sister. You can't make me stay here."

 

"With all due respect, Toroshu Rida, this isn't your choice. The expedition needs a crew, and it's too late to get replacements."

 

"Shut up!"

 

We were in my sister's home, where I'd been working as usual. The poor messenger had arrived at least fifteen minutes earlier to notify me that it was time to go to the docks to begin the expedition, and had been forced to stand by a listen to our bickering over the matter ever since. Now, I turned to him.

 

"Tell the Commodore I'll be there shortly. I just need to take care of something."

 

As the messenger exited the door, I turned back to Rida. She fell into a chair, weary.

 

"Why?"

 

There was a short pause.

 

She looked back up at me. "Why did you wait until now to tell me about any of this?"

 

I shrugged. "To avoid this conversation as long as possible.

 

After the ensuing storm of fists and screams, Rida fell back into the chair, even more tired than before.

 

"Don't worry," I said, "I'm sure you can find someone else who can do my job just as good as me, a sword-for-hire or something. Mamoru will be fine."

 

"I'm not worried about Mamoru, I'm worried about you. What if Mata Nui is just a nest full of being like the Chaotic Six? They'll tear you apart! You'll become a meal!"

 

"I don't think it is," came my reply. "But even if it is, I think you're grossly underestimating my abilities. After all, I didn't become your bodyguard for no reason."

 

"You were appointed to be my bodyguard because you were my brother, and all my other options were even more insufferable than you are."

 

"Granted, but I can still take care of myself. Who knows? There's a decent chance the inhabitants of this place, whoever they may be, will pay some nice prices for some good Mamoru crystal."

 

"Well," she sighed, resigned, "just promise me you won't get yourself killed."

 

"That won't be a problem. I'll see you when we get back."

 

As I stepped out the door, I looked back at my sister one last time and gave a final nod, which was returned.

 

:a::k::i:

 

Upon nearing the docks, I couldn't help but wonder. Wonder what lay between us and Mata Nui. Wonder what lay on Mata Nui. Wonder how many of those who set out would return. Wonder if there would be war or peace between us and them.

 

Wonder if I could keep my promise.

 

Well, too late to back out now. I approached the submersible.

 

Mata Nui, here I come.

 

OOC: No, I don't know why the last part is back, it's supposed to be navy like the rest of Moeru's stuff. So... I guess we'll all just have to deal with it.

 

:a::k::i:

Edited by The Nold

Xbox LIVE: FlamingCheese77

BZPRPG Profiles: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/9733-bzprpg-profile-pages/?p=547516

~Ignitus~Rerus~Xadah~Moeru~Rida~Turi~Sokia~Kashikoi~Yujin~Bani~Waru~Tasuke~Therin~Diabhal~

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Void Emissary Mask of Light Unveiled

Void Emissary

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Posted

IC:

 

While the commodore was busy overseeing the rise of our ride to Mata Nui, I was stuck keeping the supply girls from dumping all of our food into the sea by mistake.

 

I'd been out here since dawn, after days of sleepless nights as Zyla and I wrangled together funds and supplies for a full-on submarine voyage across the sea, directing the transport of tonnes of, amongst other things: barrels, timber, rice, dried seaweed, green cod, white cod, freshwater, pots and pans, utensils, crystal jars, dried citrus, dried madu, dried bula, fruit preserves, salt, hardtack, air bladders, whiskey, crystal weaponry, boots, armour, waterskins, and, for some goddess-forsaken reason that I'll never understand, bird food.

Now, if we could just get it on board properly....

 

"C'mon folks, the fish have never needed boots in my years of experience; let's get them into the submarine, shall we?"

 

OOC: Daijuno open for interaction at the docks.

 

-Void

 
 
[ BZPRPG ]

 

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