BZPRPG - Ta-Wahi

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Solvi

I do not know what it's like to strike a man twice. In awe and skepticism of such an amazing anecdote, young Solvi had trained long and hard to reach her teacher's level. Taking in his style, discarding the parts that did not fit and bolstering what remained. What did remain was an extremely close form of close quarters combat. Powered by the zhen jiao charging step, a quick and sturdy form of footwork designed to put her into striking range without the openings or weaknesses of faster or more fancy footwork.

 

She took up her own stance, deceptively loose and with the elbows raised peculiarly high, almost parallel to the ground. Her steps towards the Bo-Toa were short and forceful, not exactly quick, but powerful. 

 

Inside her opponent's range, she had a single goal that encompassed all the others. Instead of worrying about and micromanaging the acts of dodging, blocking or preparing strikes, she simply focused on finding an opening, a strategy that necessitated all the above and from pursuing achieved them naturally. She knew even the smallest fissure could be pried apart with enough strength, an attribute she had more than enough of.

 

Her arms came down a little as she neared, held close to her body. She would wait a moment to see if he would open his guard himself, or if the aforementioned prying was going to be necessary.

[Razgriz]

IC: What the...

Rule of thumb: Get off first, establish your range, don't wait for her to throw back until you know what this is.

If he didn't know what she was doing, the best course of action would have to be keeping her out of range, right? Those short, sharp steps covered distance quick. He'd have to use his length well.

Staying on a straight line with this chick might not be an option. Better test the waters.

Beginning to bounce on the balls of his feet, the Bo-Toa met her halfway, stepping in with a probing jab, right hand held tight to his chin to either guard or fire split seconds after, in a one-two salvo.

Always a good start.
 

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Solvi

Her arms had inched downwards for just this reason, the preambulatory motions of his punch elicited a response hard wired into her brain by years of training.

 

Duck ever so slightly as she continues to advance. Move to block or deflect the punch with her right arm. But, instead of continuing on that straight forward gambit, grab his wrist and direct it upwards and outwards, letting his momentum carry him forward. Simultaneously continue her forward step and bring her left elbow up to slam into his sternum and/or defensive right arm.

[Razgriz]

IC:

As soon as she moved to step in, his own eyes caught her intent. Acting on more instinct than thought, he met her once more, twisting at the hips to draw as much power out of his body as possible and firing a ramrod right straight to the head with the intent of checking her advance, even as the action of doing so moved his head and torso off the center line. 

Thankfully, this shift caused her elbow strike to not hit quite so cleanly, resulting in a bearable impact as opposed to one that could be debilitating, had it hit his still-weary solar plexus. That would have been a much worse trade, he'd imagined, than a glancing blow for a strong shot that she was running into.

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Mariko):

 

"Looks like you wore out your welcome." the barkeep said, watching the Toa Maru and entourage leave as he put down the drinks Mariko had ordered. 

 

The dark Toa looked back at him, taking a gulp from the bottle in front of him, before carefully putting it down again and saying: "So did you." 

 

The next moment, the barkeep slowly sank to the floor, fast asleep. Thankful for the peace and quiet, Mariko turned his attention back to his drink. 

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

"Whaddaya mean we're earl--"

 

--which was about when I turned my head around to see Reo (or Reordin Maru? can I still call him Reo?) and Skri walking towards us. Didn't take a genius to tell that they were leaving, and I suddenly started worrying that we'd taken too long with breakfast and weapon-shopping and now they were all ###### with us--

 

--until I realized that Ril was still sitting around the bar; and no matter how much of a prick the guy could be, Reo(ordin Maru) would never have left for Ko without the half-blind bomber on his tail. I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had left Tall, Dark, and Spooky and his Boy Wonder behind, but Ril and Alfon were too Old Guard to abandon--

 

whoa who what when hold up alfon's here

 

> tsundere-mode   a c t i v a t e

 

"Hey chief," I said, flashing Saporta a casual, two-fingered salute. "'Sup, Casanova. Long time, no see."

 

IC: Gunner - Path to Ta-Koro

 

It had been a long time since I'd last been to Ta-Koro, so I figured that I'd make a day of it.

 

The path from the beach to the village gates, after months of industrialization and renovation, had been transformed from the charming little dirt path of old between the lava flows and the Charred Forest into a broad boulevard capable of accommodating the crews of merchants and soldiers that never seemed to stop coming to the Koro ... disregarding the fact that it had been built on top of lava and was the third-hottest place in the world (after Po-Koro and the Sun).

 

Some people's children, I lamented quietly.

 

"So, Axardis," I said, waving one hand airily without looking back at the Toa. "A lot of the guys who wash up on shore end up having some kind of memory loss or something. I mean, I know you didn't know where you were or anything else like that, but uh, is there anything you do remember? Like, about your old life and stuff like that?"

 

-Void

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Hey Plagia. Hold it down, gorgeous." Reordin and Skrihen sidled out of the bar without another word. Wait, gor--

 

Heh hehhhh. Gotcha ######.

 

Reo couldn't even disguise his sigh of irritation. Cutting out his brain and heart were becoming more attractive prospects by the day.

 

-Tyler

Edited May 15, 2015 by Aikuro Mikisugi

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

Wait, gor--

 

I looked back at the departing form of Reordin "Dudebro" Maru, raising an eyebrow.

 

Reo I'm so tattling to your girlfriend.

 

-Void

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"That ain't the sound of someone who's had a few beers." The comment was casual, but the glance the Toa gave him out of the corner of her eye was definitely attentive. The sigh had registered, and its incongruity had too. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Well, actually, you're a Maru. S'pose it'd be more expensive than that."

[Wade.]

IC: Casanova Alfon

 

By this point, we've already established that I'm who's always smiling. Always. Even when there shouldn't be anything going on with my face, it automatically defaults to some casual grin like I'd thought of something funny. Been that way forever. It's kind of weird really, creepy sometimes, and most of my smiles feel pretty generic as a result, but when Plagia walked in, I beamed, flashy white teeth and all.

 

'Course, she was still playing it cool as usual. Drove me nuts, but I had to bite. Game recognize game and I wasn't about to look unfamiliar.

 

"Long time, no see." I parroted. "Been staying out of trouble, I hope? Or you got any new battle scars to show me?"

Edited May 15, 2015 by TX Wade

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

I turned back to Alfon and flashed a smirk his way.

 

And so the game begins.

 

"If you're looking for an excuse to check me out, you're gonna have to be a little more subtle than that," I said, hands moving to my hips.

 

-Void

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

...

 

"The Maru transformation had...some side effects," Reo said vaguely. "Not all of us are adjusting to a couple as well as the others."

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

IC: I miss the superball Ria brought me, Gev muttered internally, still afraid too much usage of the diaphragm would rack him with pain.

Stupid hospital and it's stupid safety concerns. So what if I knocked the "get well soon" flowers over? Did they even SEE how fast it was goin'?

He grinned, tears lining the bottom lids of his eyes as sharp aches on his sides were irritated by the spasming that passed for a chuckle in his sorry state.

'Course not. Came straight from BI-AMI BEACH! UH-HUH, UH-HUH.

At least the mental flex game was on point. He'd have done it physically were he not entombed in a cast.
 

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I can't even begin to describe the sheer amount of willpower it took for me to not follow her hands. I've held a hungry Muaka's mouth wide open with my bare hands as it tried to eat me, and that paled in comparison.

 

Okay, I'm exaggerating but the circus life was rough. 

 

"Noted." I chuckled. "You just missed Reo cheating the bartender, but there's still some beer left in the pitcher if you want some. Even if it is only...what, ten thirty now?"

 

It only occured to me now that Plagia had a plus-one.

 

"Also, who's your friend?"

Edited May 15, 2015 by TX Wade

[Snelly]

IC: Taleen

 

"Taleen, a pleasure." She gave him her best smile, it would have rude to do otherwise.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"Casanova, pleasure's mine."

 

I looked at Plagia. 

 

She doesn't have to know.

 

"Free beer?" I asked, swishing what little that was left in the pitcher for emphasis.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Yeah, I noted the spontaneous height change. Probably should get that checked out."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

" yourself." Despite himself, Reo rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a normal growth spurt. We all...I shouldn't be talking about it. Not even to you. Things weren't as pretty on the ground as they are on all the Walls, Skri."

 

-Tyler

[Snelly]

IC: Taleen

 

"Never been one to turn down a free drink."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"That's what I like to hear." I said, pouring Taleen a glass and sending it her way. I shot Plagia an inquiring glance next.

 

"Thirsty?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"Took you girls a while," said Ril, the eyepatch-wearing Toa swiveling (despite the fact that he was not on a swivel chair and I am not making a joke about lubricated butts thank you very much) to greet the latecomercomers. "I've nearly prepared sixty jokes."

[Ghosthands]

[Ta-Wahi, Mangai Tunnels]

 

In one smooth movement, Lucira sheathed her her sword and drew another axe.  She knew she would have to get the timing correct if she wanted to severe all of the vine.

 

She readied herself to throw as soon as the vine positioned itself.

 

 

IC Mirin:

 

Though progress to the vines in question might be blocked to large beings, The Ga-Toa was not so limited as to be helpless.

 

Drawing what water remained in from the severed plants, she formed a compressed stream of water, moving from and back to her hand very quickly.

 

She then directed the water jet at the tendrils on the left of the Turaga's body, hoping to slice through them with the high pressure water stream.

 

 

IC: Corex (Mangaia)

 

Still fighting off the vines, I had a hard time getting a fix on the Turaga's position, getting to him proving to be an even bigger problem.

 

I couldn't barge through or slip to the side and go around. I'd have to take action from where I was standing.

 

I attempted to fire an energy net at the vine aiming for the Turaga's neck

 

 

 

IC: Sanguivox

 

Sanguivox struggled lightly, making sure not to move his head closer to the vine. He saw his friends coming to rescue him, and he realized how lucky he was at this moment to have protectors... to have friends.

 

 

IC: Venemi - Mangai tunnels

I think quickly as my fear becomes real - at this range, I have neither the time nor the precision to slice off the barbed tendril behind the turaga's neck so I opt to distract the structure, which all seems to be connected to the same mind (if it can be called that). As fast as I can, I un-clip a vial of strong acid from my belt, hurling it at one of the vines holding the elder's struggling legs...I can only hope that my last-minute aim holds true...

 

 

IC: Vaisaga

 

He should have known that the plants would be stronger than expected. His air currents, though sharp, could not stall whatever strange entity the vines were; it was not a person, a being that felt obvious pain. This was a monster.

 

The androgynous Toa refused to make the same mistake twice. His throwing dagger flew true, the sharp blade leaving his hand and speeding through the air towards the stubby head vine.

 

 

IC-Tavari

 

Tavari had wandered off from the group, searching on her own. She was about to head down yet another tunnel, when she heard commotion down another route. When she Ran into the new chamber, She saw what looked like a...Humongous plant monster?!

"What the Karz is that?!" She Cried in disbelief, and partially shock.

 

IC-Rendo

 

Rendo Was trying to stave off the plant monster, and failing. "How did this plant monster get here?" He said, Stabbing one of the tendrils.. "We're at least 300 feet underground by now!"

 

IC

 

 

"Karzed if I know!" Loraan yelled in response to Rendo as they lashed out at any tendrils that came too close. "Not to mention that we're in a volcano!"

 

Mirin's water jets thudded into the thick tendrils gripping Sanguivox's left arm and leg, and though the plant matter was too tough and thick for them to cut cleanly through, they did leave gashes in its surface and the force of the impact alone knocked them away from the Turaga. Sanguivox was now being held rather unsteadily by only his right arm and leg, but nonetheless the 'starfish'-headed tendril behind him stiffened and shot forward at his neck.

 

Tentacles deftly swatted away Lucira's axe and Vaisaga's dagger, but they failed to intercept Corex's energy net and Venemi's vial.

 

Green-white energy crackled and sparked as it enveloped the attacking vine, paralysing it and causing it to droop down towards the ground a split-second before it would have latched its payload onto the Turaga's neck. The two tendrils that still gripped Sanguivox dropped him immediately to wrap around the falling 'starfish'-headed one and catch it, hoping perhaps to dispel this strange glow that numbed and paralysed it.

 

Then the vial struck them. It shattered and splashed its caustic contents over all three tendrils, which began to writhe helplessly as the acid gnawed deep holes into them. The cave was filled once more with the nightmarish scream of the plant-creature. The other tentacles thrashed about, appearing to share the others' pain, and all at once they began to withdraw, dragging themselves back with surprising speed down the right-hand passage and towards their source.

 

In the cave, the various members of the expedition breathed heavily from the fight, looking around warily in case the thing had not fled but was trying to catch them unawares: but all that remained of it was the severed tips of several tendrils and a single lifeless 'starfish'-head that hissed softly in a small puddle of acid.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Ghosthands

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Mariko): 

 

Tall, dark and spooky leaned over the bar after he'd finished with the bottle, reached for a glass and put it under the tap with the really real drinks and not the alchemist water-wonder-mix. As his hands worked the tap, liquid filling up the glass at a quick pace, he glanced down at the bartender who was out cold, sitting propped up against the counter and working his way through cutting down all of Le-Wahi judging by the snoring. More impressive was the fact though that the others present were too busy eyeballing each other to notice that customer service had taken a nap. 

 

Mariko glanced down at the unconscious barkeeper with a smirk. 

 

"Buddy, this just isn't your day."

 

But for fairness' sake, he dropped the appropriate amount of widgets into the passed out man's lap. Least he could do was pay the man for his troubles. 

 

He leaned back, full glass in hand, taking his seat at the bar again, casually observing the others. He didn't care too much about the flirty birds, but the one called Taleen caught his attention a little. But it wasn't for the same reason Alfon's eyes were glued to Plagia. No, there was just something distantly familiar about her, though he'd never met her before. But he brushed the thought aside. The group had their minds made up anyway. He was just a pair of hands: helpful when needed, unwelcome at any other time. That's how it went for an Aitua. Same dungheap, different day. 

 

And he was okay with that. 

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Whatever it was, it managed to turn the Reordin I knew into... You. Tall and brooding. Isn't a bad thing, but a change that big doesn't just happen." She shrugged without taking her hands out of her pockets, and glanced at a few of the signs lining the street. The village had recovered well from its earlier damage, but the heavy atmosphere remained, only amplified by the Ko-Koran refugees. "Couldn't tell you what, and you're not going to tell me, either, but something went down. Not something you gotta do yourself, though."

"Said it yourself; it was a Maru thing. Means there's five other people who know what you mean, and five to listen. What a team's for. If it's eating you, talk to one of them. They're your team." 

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"You know neither of us would be here if that were true any more."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"I'd still be here. I had a paycheck to get." The quip flew, almost habitually, but what followed didn't quite fit. "Maybe you wouldn't be. But whether they're a team anymore or not, there's bound to be individuals on it you trust."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Who the is she to tell us about the team?

 

There is no us. You're not part of the team, and you are PART OF ME, not the other way around.

 

Whoa, look, buddy, someone has to get indignant. Look Reo I came to have a good time and hone--

 

"I don't know anyone who came out of it the way I did. Sulov, maybe." Reordin looked thoughtful for a second, and then shook his head impatiently. "Sulov would just drag me back to the rest of the Maru, though. And they definitely wouldn't get it."

 

...

 

...

 

"You know what Takua said to me?" he asked. "There, in Sanctum Only. Just after the fight at the Hive. He said...he said there was darkness against me, but that I fought against Makuta anyway. I told him why. And he told me...he'd been worried he'd made the wrong pick. More and more time I...I don't know. Nothing, I s'pose."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

“All of this ###### about good and evil, choices, darkness, all over my head. Normal people don’t look at the world that way, people like me even less. I see bad, and I see good. I see the ######### and the #########. If you’re breaking the law, you’re bad. If you’re attacking people for no reason, you’re bad. None of this ‘inner darkness’ ######.”

 

“And by those ideas, pretty hard to see you as a bad guy. A ######, maybe. But you fought Makuta. You won. You fought the Piraka, here, and you won. Only fight you’ve actually lost you weren’t there to fight, and all of ‘em are against guys that’re evil by just about any standard.” She shrugged again, glancing over at the Ko-Toa for the first time in a few minutes. “And Takua did pick you. Might’ve had some misgivings, but end of the day, he trusted you more than he didn’t.”

“All that in perspective… Think it’s pretty safe to say you’re still you, and as good as you’ve been. Take that for what you will.”

Edited May 15, 2015 by Riku Tryon

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

"You can take it, Tal," I said, nudging her side with an elbow. "Casanova and ###### Jokes over can fight over who gets to buy me a Bula."

 

-Void

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"I'm gonna take some dip outside. Gotta see this." The Ta-Toa said, grabbing a bowl of dip, some chips, and making for the door.

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"I ain't paying for squat Plagia."

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

Slowly, I looked over at Alfon, tilted my head and arched one eyebrow.

 

Nothing more needed to be said.

 

-Void

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Redhot put the cap back onto the Salamander's Revenge and carried it outside after Saeva, flipping the bottle in his hand like a switchknife and taking a seat on one of the steps of the porch just in time to see Solvi's opening advance and move on Erzu's solar plexus.

 

Don't see how he could have gotten out of that one any better than he did. Fighting Saeva Sareta and a Guardswoman within a few hours with only fifteen minutes worth of sleep and strawberries with dip in his stomach?

 

C'mooon, Erzu.

 

-Tyler

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"I can feel the vulturesque vibes coming from you."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Stralix)

 

The inventor breathed a long, low sigh as he gazed at the unholy mess that had been made of his workshop.

[25K Now!]

IC: Vaisaga

 

"What," said the androgynous Toa of Air quietly, "is that?"

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia - Magma Lounge

 

"You're just jealous, Ril."

 

-Void

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"Says the person who can't pay for their own drink."

 

Wait a moment.

 

"Wait did you lose all your moolah to me in that bet?"

[Ghosthands]

IC

 

"I don't know," murmured Loraan. "But one thing I think we do know...is where it is."

 

The detective stared at the tunnel down which the plant-limbs had disappeared.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Ghosthands

[silo]

IC: Venemi - Mangai tunnels

"Are we following it or not?" I ask bluntly - I'm a warrior, not a tactician, but I'm also strongly aware that this mission has quickly become a lot more dangerous than that which was promised.