BZPRPG - Ta-Wahi

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"Growing up here must've been quite interesting" Zelvin admitted.

 

"How did you become a Toa?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Eh, it involved a bit of family issues."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"Your family didn't approve of your career path, your transformation, or both?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"More the first. I wasn't a very obedient daughter."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"I see," Zelvin mumbled, "well, we can't all be perfect either"

 

"And for what it's worth you seem fairly well-adjusted right now, but that's based on surface perceptions so please don't be offended if I change my opinion"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"What you see is what you get. I leave the layers of mystery to my siblings."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"Being straightforward is to be admired when you commit to it" Zelvin admitted as they rounded a corner, bumping into a slew of panicked citizens going to the other way.

 

"Oh my"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Ah ... ."

[Hanako Herupa]

IC:

 

"I mean...is that really what you want?" Angelus asked naively. "I mean...people tell me I get kind of expressionless sometimes. Like a mannequin. Just kinda go slack." He ran his hand over his face; when he moved it away, his face was still and unmoving as a pond.

 

"Of course Angel, I love hanging out with you! You can be nervous sometimes, I think it's kinda cute though."

 

Unblinkingly, Angelus moved his hand back over his face, and when he set it back down on the table he was beaming again. "Fine. I'll shoulder the burden of snack duty. I love going to the market."

 

-Tyler

 

IC: (Kino)

 

"Alright then, I'll bring the drinks!" I grinned. Poker night with Angelus, that would a lot of fun. It was around this time that the waiter came back, carrying Angelus's salad with bacon bits, and my shellfish bisque. I had also whispered for two glasses and a bottle of aged bourbon from Le-Koro for the two of us to share over dinner. I poured just the right amount for Angelus and I and pushed the glass over to him with a grin. "You drink your bourbon straight, right?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Elysi

 

"Ah ... ######."

 

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

Zelvin sighed.

 

"If it weren't for the fact I'm not actually in a position of power here..."

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Must say something about us if we're running towards the thing responsible for this mess."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"We are Bounty Hunters, Elysi. Where there is trouble, there is also the promise of fortune" Zelvin replied with a knowing smirk, half-secluded beneath the shadows cast by her hooded cloak.

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Well then let's hope we're paid."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"We merely need to make sure the Guard notices our hand in this little debacle. Doubtlessly they've already taken measures against the situation"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Right."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Angelus shrugged with one shoulder while she poured.The smell of fresh fruits, vegetables, and the crisp aroma of bacon wafted up at him when he took his food and drink from the Toa of Air. "Straight it is. What are we drinking to?"

 

"To new ties." Kino Iho winked. The Toa of Fire looked at her incredulously for a second and then his poker face split, grinning and laughing as he held his glass out to toast. The lips of the glasses brushed lightly with a klink, the merest of kisses, and then they both took a long drink. The Captain of the Guard caught the house dressing he'd been given for his salad out of the corner of his eyes and held his drink in his left hand while he poured the dressing with his dominant hand - then he slowly drizzled the remainder of his bourbon across the salad and began to toss it lightly with his fork.

 

"To new ties," he toasted back, spearing a tomato, lettuce, and some bacon bits with his fork and letting Kino take the first bite of the salad. I'll play your game, you rogue.

 

-Tyler

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Kino)

 

I couldn't but laugh a little, okay giggle uncontrollably when I tore down that wall of stoicism so easily. Angelus seemed so focused and driven at work I was worried he never took a break from it. Tonight however was rather eye-opening. Not only was he capable of a hearty laugh, he exchanged barbs easily, and flirted a look more than the naive man I pegged him for. He came off as so straight-laced and honorable I wasn't sure he'd make it past the first half hour with me. I leaned forward, taking the first bite that Angelus so gentlemanly decided to give me. I smiled, enjoying the texture and taste. The crispiness of the lettuce, the creamy house dressing, the sweet tomatoes, and the smokiness of the bacon, and the slight bite of the bourbon that Angelus had added. "Thank you Angel."

 

I picked up my spoon, dipping it into my creamy seafood bisque and deftly holding it out for Angelus to take the first spoonful of my soup. Inwardly I was practically jumping for joy that this was going so well, figured I'd somehow screw this night up along the way, but so far everything had been perfect, and I could have asked for a better man to accompany me for dinner this night.

[- JL -]

OOC: Huh i missed it O.o my bad

 

IC:

"Alright," Aurum muttered, before proceeding to take a generic look around to see if there was anything else that might be useful in the shop, and also just so he didn't stand around doing nothing and feeling awkward.

[25K Now!]

IC: Stronin

 

It didn't take long for Stronin to return, carrying in his arms a cloth-wrapped bundle. He moved towards the counter, placing it down carefully on the hard stone, the slight tap of steel against rock lost to the rumblings of the forge elsewhere within the room. This was a trying time for him. While he had made quite a number of weapons in the past, this was really the first major order that he had worked on without Soli's assistance, and hopefully, it would satisfy his customer.

 

"Let's take a look, shall we?" grinned the Iron Toa, hiding his panic behind a facade of carefree cheer.

 

He slowly unravelled the bundle, his breath held tightly as more and more of the set was revealed to the world. Protosteel was definitely not an easy substance to work with: had he not trained under a master smith for so long, he'd have completely failed to craft his customer's order. But he had somehow managed, and the fruit of his success was right in front of his eyes. It was beautiful. A pair of weapons sat on the cloth alluringly. The obsidian shortsword was sleek, its sharply defined edges screaming danger. Its pommel and hilt were simple, but matched the deadly efficiency of the sword. Next to it was a dagger of the same colour, its edges shining underneath the forge's dull light. There was more to it than being a powerful-looking knife. It was a dealer of death, nothing more, nothing less, and to Stronin's trained eyes, it would do so ruthlessly.

 

Now was to see his customer's reaction.

 

"Voila," he stated, keeping his excitement and expectation from exploding outwards. "Your order."

[- JL -]

OOC: Now to just get 5 more blades and Aurum would be a Setsuna F. Seiei.

 

IC:

 

As a Toa of Iron, there was something about metal that could always click in an almost empathetic way. Whether it was actually due to his elemental power, or if it was simply just Aurum's instincts, there were times when he could somehow 'feel' the metal itself. For example, the hinges of a door, or the metallic scaffolding that is being used. It almost seemed like he could innately sense how badly done these works of metal were; to feel the stress of the metal as it suffered under pressure due to the idiotic calculations of an architect, to feel the rust of a door hinge after it has been used for years on end, exposed to the elements without so much as a coat of oil to keep the iron from turning into red...waste.

 

There were also times, though, when you could similarly feel how good a metal was. No, not just good; amazing. Good would apply to the blades and shields that Aurum could conjure up in the middle of a fight to switch up his combat style, to get the better of the opponent by changing weapons, strategy and tactics. Amazing would be the ornate weapons used by the highest calibre of the guard, the greatest of warriors.......the gifted of Makuta.

 

And the weapons in front of him that he now felt......were amazing.

 

And that was before he even laid eyes on the weapons. Two blades, dark in color but thus made deadlier within the guise of the shadows. The edge was thin and marvellously crafted, and the blade itself looked like it could go through ###### and still be a potent weapon to use for killing others. Looking at the blade in such a pure and untarnished form, you could almost imagine using them, feeling their blades cut through flesh and bone like cleaving through water. It would be clean, easy, yet threateningly dangerous.

 

If anything, this was Aurum's gift from Makuta. And he couldn't ask for more.

 

Although he remained passionless, he gave a nod to Stronin. "A fine craftsmanship indeed." Credit given where credit was due. 2 weeks of waiting? Worth.

 

"Uhhh....Is there a...sheath?"

Edited May 8, 2014 by -JL-

[25K Now!]

IC: Stronin

 

"Here," said the Iron Toa, placing a simple yet well-made sheath on the counter.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Angelus took a chip from the thinning supply in the basket and held it underneath the spoonful as a precaution; when he swallowed he was quiet for a second before eating the chip whole and smiling at her. "It's good," he critiqued. "Really creamy. Maybe a little more salt to season, but good." He took a bite of his salad and his smile grew.

 

"I've been getting bacon on almost everything since I became Captain," he explained, after he'd taken a second bite. "Just one of those acquired tastes, I guess. Never really had it before I came here, and as soon as we got back from the Kini-Nui, first thing I did was check on all the people I knew here. Second thing I did? Bacon. Lots of it."

 

IC:

 

A G O N Y.⁴

 

The word kept blaring in my head, over and over. Thok had ditched at the first sign of trouble - how someone who gleamed so prettily in the sun could disappear like a shade into the crowd I would never know, but who knew? Maybe he got trampled by the crowd. Maybe I was stepping on him now - maybe I'd ground him underneath my heel like the manipulative, backstabbing roach he was. The mental image was enough to keep me from roaring out in pain at the barrage of pain, digging into my body like so many needles.

 

The sound had come from nowhere and everywhere at once - Toa of Sound, my creative mind told me, but who knew from where? To distract, I had to raise my Pickaxe (and what a chore that was!) and fire in literally every direction (including diagonals and straight up) at whatever buildings, landmarks, or people I saw. Between that and my vision powers, I could keep a pretty good eye out for any Guardsmen or bystanders who caught the hero bug that thought to charge me while I was being distracted. No one had come - yet - but if I stood here immobilized forever then it was only logical that, by extension, I'd be just as immobile in a jail cell in a few hours. The Lavapool's corpse was in front of me - burning from the upper floors, hollowed out, but give me three minutes and I could fortify it just as well as any prison in the city. I just had to make it there.

 

One step, out into the street. Something screeched. Two step. My ears were howling. By five step, one had popped entirely, and everything I heard was accompanied by a little buzz-zuzuzuzuzuz. By six step, I had an idea.

 

The only buildings that were still standing were to the east, downwind of the heavy smoke the Lavapool was billowing - if anyone had a visual on me without me having one back, it was from there, where the smoke most heavily distorted my vision. I whipped out three Jitter Spheres and fired them off, one after the other, into the flames - there were the distinct sounds of glass zuzuzuzuzuz-smashing in my hornet's nest-esque ears, and I crowed in delight (then promptly winced) as I watched the resulting smoke take on a faint greenish tinge. Another burst of Jitter Spheres. Load the Koro up with the gas. Let them regret this.

 

Slowly the sound died as people started to try and divert the direction of the smoke, fanning and using powers desperately to make the plumes push westward. Already blessed relief flooded my head and body; with every step now all I could hear were the shouts and orders citizens and pedestrians barked at each other. That's better.

 

I inched into the Lavapool, blackened with soot, and crouched down between the remains of two windows. Barstool legs for bars on the windows. If I could slip my Pickaxe through, I can block off any potential return fire and ward off guards from the ground floor. Something big. Some kind of fan. If I could blow the smoke down into the street proper, I could hinder any vision of me tinkering on the ground floor while I used my handy-dandy eyesight to lock onto any Ta-Korans with delusions of grandeur.

 

With a final sweep of the blocks I was in, and a deep, satisfied breath, I crawled over to the ruins of one of the barstools and got to work.

 

-Tyler

[Geardirector]

IC: Elysi

 

"Right."

 

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

As the two got closer to the carnage, Zelvin and Elysi had taken to using the narrow backalleys and street corners in order to approach upon the area unnoticed.

 

And there it was, the Lavapool Inn, blown to smithereens. Zelvin bit her lip from where she stood half-secluded in an alleyway, her mask active to let her take in as much as possible.

 

"A shame, I always found the place rather quaint"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Tch," muttered Elysi. "That blows. Although, you think those guys standing around in the rubble are responsible?"

[Ghosthands]

OOC: Korero and Oreius from Ko-Wahi

 

IC (Korero)

 

In a white flash, two Toa materialised in a Ta-Koro back-alley. They looked up in unison, seeing the pillar of smoke rising from the conflagration that had been the Lavapool Inn. With a quick nod to one another, they sprang at the wall of the building in front of them, the powerful red limbs of the one and the lithe green ones of the other propelling them upwards. Their hands caught the lip of the roof and they hauled themselves upwards onto the stone.

 

Once on the rooftops they began to move swiftly but carefully forward. Sharp eyes scanned the surrounding blocks for any sign of the Piraka. So far, it seemed, they had managed to keep their presence undetected.

 

They crept from roof to roof, leaping between them where necessary, always careful to keep something between them and the area around the Lavapool so as to remain unseen.

 

They stopped on the roof of a small shop; it was tiled, and sloped in a V-shape. To the top of this climbed the two Toa Maru, halting just shy of the top.

 

Korero shifted slowly upwards, raising his head until his eyes were above the roof's apex and he could see the square ahead. There was the Lavapool Inn, seeping with black fumes and sagging as its structure was eaten away by the flames - and there, in the square in front of it, was a heavily-armed brown Skakdi. He appeared to be staggering in pain (Korero thought he heard an unpleasantly high-pitched noise over the sounds of chaos around him) and seemed to fit the bill for a Piraka.

 

This hunch was justified when the Skakdi raised his weapon and opened fire indiscriminately at the surrounding area.

 

Korero ducked down, flattening himself against the tiles as the whipcrack-shots of the Seismic Pickaxe filled his ears and chunks of the roof were torn away to either side of his and Oreius' hiding-place.

 

"That's all the proof I need that he's a Piraka," he hissed to Oreius as he gingerly pulled himself back up to his vantage point. "Get us the low-down on him."

 

The Toa of Air regained his view of the scene just in time to see the brown Skakdi disappear into the burning Lavapool. Moments later, the smoke emanating from the building blossomed a little wider. Korero discerned a greenish tint to the fumes - that couldn't be good.

 

It seemed there was no time to waste - but the Skakdi group seemed to be split (two more were nearby, spreading panic and destruction), so the plan of stealth would only go so far. It seemed there was only one thing to do.

 

"I'd better get the others."

 

Slipping back down the roof and out of sight, Korero vanished.

 

OOC: Korero to Ko-Wahi.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Ghosthands

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

Zelvin was about to answer Elysi when the patter of feet against concrete reached Zelvin's sensitive ears. She looked up in the direction of the sound to see two unmistakeable silhouettes of green and red dash over their heads as they jumped from roof to roof. Toa Maru Oreius and Korero moved with impeccable grace as they disappeared before her enhanced sight.

 

"It would seem these suspects of yours have attracted quite a bit of attention." Zelvin mumbled with a long stare in the direction the Toa Maru had leapt.

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Wanna leave it to them?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

"Certainly not," Zelvin shot back with a tense glow in her eyes, "this changes little"

 

"The Toa Maru may be formidable, but so are these unknown terrorists if the remains of the Lavapool are any indication. They are exactly the type of wrongdoers that I focus on nowadays."

 

"We'll let the Toa Maru go about their business as they please, and in the meantime we will go about ours"

[25K Now!]

IC: Elysi

 

"Righty-o," said Elysi, grinning. "Lead on, 'honourable elder'."

[Geardirector]

IC: Zelvin (Ta-Koro)

 

Zelvin threw a glance at the Lavapool Inn, her eyes reflecting the orange sheen of the smoldering flames.

"I have a feeling that the brown Skakdi that crawled within is up to something, I say we throw a wrench or two into his machinery"

[Constructelf]

IC Turo

"Lavapool Inn reached. Potential perpetrator spotted. Commence tailing." As the brown Skakdi fired indiscriminately in every direction, Turo clung to the shadows, waiting for the Skakdi to stop during. He silently cursed when the Skakdi went inside; a closed area engagement was not his strength. "Really should've bought some grenades back there," he thought to himself continued his approach, running up the wall of the building and hiding behind it when he was sure the brown Skakdi always 100% inside. Garotte was in hand, just in case he could get the jump on the perp. "Definitely not my specialty."

[Eyru]

IC (Oreius, Inu)

 

The Toa of Fire had only managed to get a glimpse of the brown Skakdi before its random attack forced him and Korero to duck out of sight. The Auporo was always activated, and it had immediately analyzed and highlighted the Piraka's weaknesses and strengths, but, unfortunately, he hadn't had enough time to fully absorb the new information before the criminal was out of sight.

 

Intelligent. Weak in body.

 

That was all he knew. He'd need a closer look if he was to get any more, but, as Korero vanished from his side, he knew the chances were slim. Closing in on the Piraka was more likely to result in a confrontation than recon, and it would be foolish to engage an unknown threat without backup. These Piraka had already proven themselves dangerous, as evidenced by the swath of destruction cut through the Ta-Koro, and one Toa -even a Toa Maru- might not be enough.

 

A blaze rumbled in his chest, and Inu's golden thoughts were dark with anger and bloodlust: The news of the attack had awakened the Parakuk'as primal instincts, and Oreius could feel his friend wrestling with them, even as he struggled against succumbing to the tide of rage that threatened to drown him and the world in fire and blood.

 

He tried to call up Reka's face, to remind himself of what would happen when he lost control, but he could hardly remember. Her face was indistinct; all he could see was the sneering face of the Piraka.

 

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the texture of the hilts of his swords, of the smell of smoke, the taste of ash on his tongue. The sound of flames.

 

Breathe.

 

He'd seen two now. There were four more. He had to find them. Had to study them. Then, when the others arrived, they would defend his city, and wipe this scourge from the face of the island.

 

He moved.

[- JL -]

IC:

"Alright. May I?" Aurum said as he reached forwards and picked up the shortsword and the dagger, each in one hand, testing out the weight of the weapons. Neither were too light or too heavy; they didn't feel like it'd be a problem to swing or stab with, but they also didn't feel like they would crumple the moment any sort of force was applied on them.

 

"Good weapons."

 

OOC: How do people pay here? O.o

[Ghosthands]

OOC: Korero and the remaining Toa Maru from Ko-Wahi

 

IC (Korero)

 

Two by two, Korero transported Leah, Reordin, Sulov and Stannis to the side-street behind the building where he'd left Oreius. The Maru had arrived.

 

Wasting no time, Korero scrambled back up the roof and peeked over at the sinister-looking green smoke. Other people below had sensed its malevolent nature and begun to try to divert it, but to little success.

 

That was something he could help with.

 

Careful to keep himself as hidden as possible behind the roof's peak, he summoned the powerful elemental energies inherited from Lewa, and conjured a strong wind, directing it to capture the fumes and bear them up and away from the village. Once they were high enough, the thermal updrafts from the Lake of Fire ought to do the rest of the job.

 

He hoped Oreius would return with a low-down on the Piraka before he caught their attention.

[Razgriz]

IC: You know, I never asked if this tune had lyrics...

A lone figure approached the gate to the village, several small animal carcasses slung over his shoulder and a casual hum on his lips.

Doesn't really matter, I guess. He amended, squinting as the ambient radiance of the lava moat assaulted his eyes. True, he'd had time to adjust from the darkness in the Charred Forest during his approach, but that stuff was bright, man. You don't even know. After a long few hours in those woods checking and resetting traps, you got used to dark, not having molten rock a mere fifty feet away. And then the smell...

Wait.

No, that's not right.

That's smoke.

He stopped abruptly, gazing inside at the village. "The karz?"

Jolek Highwind, the ever-expressive son of Perkahn Highwind, scrunched his face up in marvelous fashion, confused. Despite what you might think, smoke was not something you normally smelled at the gate. Not this strongly, anyway.

Something's up. Again. Of course. Never a dull moment in this town.

He sighed, continuing inwards and double-checking to reaffirm that yes, Rebellion is still on my back.

 

"Wonder what I've missed this time." he muttered under his breath. "Bet some cool dude blew up Lavapool. Dad'll be ######."

Such was life.

Edited May 9, 2014 by The Doc

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Kino)

 

I took another spoonful of the seafood bisque, I tried to see what he meant. Then again I wasn't the foodie that Angelus was, although I had quite the sweet tooth. The soup was savory, and although Angelus thought it could use a bit more salt, I was perfectly fine with what I had. He really seemed to enjoy bacon, that was for sure. I enjoyed the smokey taste of it, but Angel seemed like he could go on for hours about it. Cute, perhaps I'd grab some at the market, seemed like it would be perfect for breakfast. "Kini Nui seems like it would have been insane to deal with, considering all that was going on here," I commented, eating my soup.

[Hitoshura]

IC: Ryzen

 

It was a few hours after I'd woken up and left the inn. I looked around at my surroundings, planning where I should go next.

 

I sighed. Always the wanderer. Never in one place, but I can never bring myself to do so. Shrugging, i headed to some place i saw in the distance.

[Razgriz]

IC: Okay. Priorities.

Get dinner home BEFORE getting caught up in whatever cityscape changing event has happened now.

I mean if I up and lost it in a fight, that'd be a waste. A terrible, terrible waste.

 

One spry young gun of a Toa of Magnetism rounded a corner, dashing through the somewhat crowded Ta-Koro streets like a bat out of karz.

 

You know, you'd think that people wouldn't be out and about with what was going on. If you'd only lived in the place for a week, that is.

Truth was, crazy shenanigans were about as common occurrence here as lava filling the moat surrounding the city. This sort of stuff happened often enough that Jol had actually managed to tune it out for the sake of living normally for months.

And considering he was a jungle rat, infamously adventurous group they were, that was quite a feat. Either way, though, he got a sense of attraction to this one in particular. Wasn't sure why. Maybe he just wanted to shake the cobwebs out of the parts of his psyche that'd recently fallen into disuse.

Whatever it was, he had to drop these things of ASAP. Not missing this one if I can help it.


OOC: Open for interaction bee tee dubs.

Edited May 10, 2014 by The Doc

[Makuta of Time]

IC: It seems no one was alive in the wreckage of The Lavapool. "So much for saving the day." Then he heard a moan not far from him. "Someonew alive. Thank the Great Spirit." He immediately followed the sound of the moan, and soon found an Onu Matoran buried in ruble of concrete. "I got you friend." He began to lift the heavy block of concrete, but it barely budged. "I'm going to need help."

[Razgriz]

IC: LarderLarderLarder.

Gotta Larder harder.

The unusually empty household's front door found itself flung open with wild abandon, then shut with just as much force. Well gee, who might that be?

The Highwind's youngest, in a feat of mental strength, stopped all that momentum the very moment he stepped inside. One of the unwritten rules of Arianna Highwind's was that running in the house was unacceptable. No matter who you were.

Arianna did not run.

Perkhan did not run.

Jolek, sure as karz, did not run.

He was a man in his own right. He'd grown up in the jungle, on his own, by his own rules. He hadn't known Arianna and Perkhan for more than half a year. Some might have found it amusing that he was so obedient, in that light.

That did not at all matter. You don't run in the Highwind household unless it is burning down around you.

He placed the fruits of his labor carefully in the larder, did a quick double check of everything on his person, grabbed a quick drink, and then calmly walked back outside, locking the door behind him.

"Alright. Let's see what all the hubbub's about." he remarked to himself, testing the still-unfamiliar weight of Rebellion before hoisting the massive axe back onto his shoulder.

A brisk jog will get you places quickly, but not wind you nearly so much as running at full tilt. Starting off down the street, Jolek made for...

Lavapool's this way.

Ooooof course it is. Big surprise.