BZPRPG - Ta-Wahi

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

As the group walked (and the Maru was thanking Mata Nui on high, all praise be to him: finally), Leah and the others found themselves at the back of the group and in silence. It might have had something to do with earlier events, but Leah didn't like the feeling of being isolated in a crowd. It also didn't help to know that they had wasted precious time before and could have been well under way by now. It dragged her spirit down and somewhat frustrated her. And frustration For Leah Maru translated to...

 

There was a rumbling overhead, as the sky, already grey and hazy from Mangai's ash-clouds, grew more overcast and heavy with rainclouds, which started to unload their cargo over the region of fire.

[Timageness]

IC: Dahrak Nade - Ta-Koro (Outskirts)

 

If Dahrak knew how his story was about to start, he likely wouldn't have been too surprised.

"And stay out!"

The Po-Toa mostly felt numb as the Lesterin bouncer tossed his limp body through the doorway and out into the street, and for a second, he actually thought that a specific someone upstairs had finally taken enough pity on him to release him from his burden and reunite him with those he cared for most. It wasn't until he made contact with the ground that everything started to hurt again, and he soon realised that he was still amongst the living.

Well #### you too then.

Considering the physical agony he was currently in, it was all he could do just to pick himself up enough to crawl up against a nearby wall. Pain radiated throughout his face, mostly due to the flurry of punches he had received while he was still inside the bar, but the broken glass that had embedded itself into his jaw wasn't exactly helping matters either. The same could be said for his back, but that was to be expected when someone breaks a wooden chair across your shoulder blades. His ribs ached as he breathed, indicating that they may have been fractured at the very least, but there wasn't anything he could do about them at the moment, save for calling it quits and stumbling his way towards a hospital. No one would blame him for doing so either; taking on that sucker-punching little ##### of a Vortixx was a daunting task in it of itself, despite having knowledge of his tactics beforehand. Throw his two ####### buddies, a ticked-off bartender, and a hired thug into the mix as well, and anyone else would've saw it as downright impossible.

Truth be told, however, he wasn't exactly ready to do that just yet, despite how much his body was begging him to.

Tasting blood and turning his head to the side in order to spit it out, he soon discovered that it wasn't actually coming from the inside of his mouth. Upon further inspection, he learned that his nose had been broken as well, but thankfully, this was actually an injury he could do something about... at least for now, anyway. Forming a very thin rock in his hand and carefully placing it inside of his own nostril, he let his eyes wander a bit, only to catch sight of an obviously homeless, wizened Turaga watching him from a nearby alleyway, clutching an empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and using the other to help him peer around the side of a building. Hoping with every fiber in his being that he wouldn't live to be that old, he simply closed his eyes for a moment and braced himself for what was about to come next.

Don't try this at home, kiddies.

Wrenching the bone back into position, he let out a low growl, cursing up a storm as he let the object fall to the ground. Producing a cigarette and lighter from the depths of his armor shortly afterwards, he proceeded to take a few drags, and was about to toss it carelessly to the side without even bothering to put it out when he glanced back towards the Turaga and caught him eyeing it from afar.

"Trade?" he asked, jabbing his finger at the bottle in his possession.

A moment later, and he threw the stubbed-out smoke in his direction, only to watch on as the elder completed the transaction and slid the container across the street. Forcing himself back onto his feet after picking it up, he took a minute to rotate his shoulders before cracking his neck and walking back towards the door. Any normal person would've had the sense to stay down, to lick their wounds and live to fight another day instead of charging head-first back into a fight they had little chance of winning.

But unfortunately for them, he was Dahrak ####### Nade, and if he had anything to say about it, those clowns were about to learn the hard way that he wasn't one to try to screw over.

As the vagrant relit the cigarette with his powers, he was treated to the sounds of the Toa's foot kicking in the door and glass shattering against the skull of one very unfortunate Lesterin of Earth. A few seconds passed by, and they were soon accompanied by something heavy being slammed into the closest wall, only to be casually tossed back towards the center of the room soon afterwards.

"Alright, Karz-Bags! Which one of you is ready for Round Two?!"

 

After a relatively short period of yelling, smashing furniture, and an extremely liberal use of his powers, Dahrak had finally inflicted the retribution his foe so rightly deserved.

Trouble was, achieving victory meant he had to both knock the Vortixx off-balance and tackle him through the building's large, boarded up exterior window.

Hitting the ground amongst the splinters of wood and the shards of broken glass, the pair barely moved during the seconds that followed. As the dust began to settle, and Dahrak was in the process of forcing himself back up to his feet, he noticed his opponent trying to do the same, and decided to prevent that by punching him square in the jaw.

"There..." he panted, nearly falling back on top of him. "Now we're even... more or less."

"You stupid ####... I'm a member of the Ta-Koro Guard. When my squad finds out about this - "

"Frankly, I don't care if you personally wipe the ### of Mata Nui himself," the Po-Toa growled, yanking a sealed envelope out of his armor, now drenched in blood. "The restraining order says three hundred feet. Not two-fifty, not one twenty-five, and certainly not sixty-two and a quarter. Three hundred feet. Here's an extra copy to help you remember that."

Tossing it carelessly into his face, he had barely turned himself around to leave when an irate Su-Matoran poked his head out into the street.

"Hey!" he shouted. "What about my bar?!"

"What about it?" he responded. "Guard-Boy over there started it; just put the damages on his tab or something. Oh, and when your friend finally wakes up and pulls himself out of that table, do arrange for him to not suck so much. As it stands right now, my grandma could probably put up more of a fight than him, which is really saying something, considering that she's worm food."

And with that, Dahrak set off to find another place to grab a drink before eventually planning on making his way to the hospital... after he was thoroughly plastered, of course.

If people were going to go poking around in his wounds later, he was going to make sure he was good and numb before he even arrived at their doorstep.

 

OOC: Dahrak Nade open for interaction.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Timageness

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I'd never heard of rain in Ta-Koro, so when the sky showered us in something that wasn't ash, my first thought pointed to the end of the world. But hey, I'm an intuitive, hot-blooded young man with a keen awareness for all beautiful women in my vicinity. It only took two-hundred or so raindrops to figure out that Leah might have been responsible for the gloomy weather.

 

That or the world really was ending.

 

"Hey, I'll be right back." I said to Plag, sliding out of her grip. "I'm gonna go talk to Leah, see what's up."

 

Considering my rep, I knew that sounded like an excuse to go flirt, so I just hoped Plag wouldn't hold it against me. Casually, I slowed my pace until I fell to the back of the group where I walked side by side with Leah. 

 

"Nice weather, eh?"

[Vezok's Friend]

IC(Leah):

 

Toa Leah turned her head to give Alfon a quick once over. Truth be told she wasn't too keen on small talk with him after watching his flirtation for the better part of the day. However her mask showed his intention as harmless.

 

Overheard there was rumble throughout the clouds.

 

"I don't mind it." She replied casually.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I'd been turned down enough times to know that a simple reply like that probably meant she wasn't interested in talking. Not surprising, really. She struck me as a serious piece of plywood that wouldn't bend for a lame sense of humour, and odds were she saw me as just another slick clown trying to hit it off with a celebrity.

 

So for now, jokes were off the table.

 

"Me neither," I said simply. "Something on your mind?"

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

On second thought, talking might not be the worst thing. For one they we're walking and nothing else, for another talking might help put some structure to the thoughts running circles in her mind.

 

"Way too much. Where do you want to start?"

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I smiled. Turns out I had a shot after all. 

 

"Well, how about we start with you. You feeling alright?"

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

She lifted her left for a moment, watching the rain hitting her hand and running down her palm. Quietly, so only Alfon would hear, she answered.

 

"Just me by my lonesome? I'm fine. It's this new team dynamic that worries me. We haven't seen Reordin in weeks - months, even. We haven't exchanged more than two sentences since we got here. Stannis was out of contact even longer. And Oreius hasn't sent word at all lately as far as I know. Korero has been scouting the island but this weighs heavily on him as well and he's grown bitter as a result. You probably noticed. Sulov is still as rock solid as ever, which provides us with a good anchor."

 

She flashed Alfon a grim smile. "Some heroes, eh?"

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"Eeeeeeh, don't cut yourself short." I countered reflexively, speaking in an equally low tone. "I don't know anyone else who can say 'I kicked Makuta's ##### and lived to tell about it'. As far as I'm concerned, you guys are still top dog in the heroism department." 

 

I shrugged, giving her a quick smile before focusing on the road. 

 

"Still, I wouldn't let the whole team schtick weigh on you so much if I were you. It's probably not what you wanna hear, but I've seen enough people come and go in my life to know that it won't last forever. I mean, look at the ILF. We used to be, what, thirty something strong? Right here, right now, I only count me, Plag, Reo, Skri, and Ril. That's five, reunited by chance alone."

 

I paused.

 

Talk like this didn't suit me at all.

 

"Things change, y'know?"

Edited March 30, 2016 by TX Wade

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

"Maybe." She replied, letting his words sink in a bit before going on: "But you all joined together voluntarily. Nobody came knocking at your door with a prophecy putting the entire island's fate on your shoulders."

 

She said the last bit without bitterness, merely stating the fact that Stannis had stopped by one night and given her a choice that didn't really leave her with one - which had less to do with Stannis and more with who she was. She could not have turned her back when there was a way to help people.

 

"As for change," she continued: "You're right, it is inevitable, but the big picture hasn't changed all that much. Just look where we're going. We may have beaten back Makuta at the Kini-Nui, but deep down I know we're not done. The island still needs us. But we're fractured and right now I don't know how to fix it. Look at Reo and Korero. We may be in the same place, but we're not a team. And while we waste time fixing our own mess, innocents suffer. And if it stays that way, Makuta may have the last laugh after all. That's the worst part, to come through all this together and then to defeat ourselves."

 

"And it's p###ing me off."

 

That was where the bitterness came in and the stormy skies responded to the renewed emotion with another gust of wind and cold rain.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

A slight shiver ran up my spine. 

 

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from." I replied, nodding sympathetically. "If it means anything to you, just know that the Maru aren't alone in all of this. There are plenty more people out there trying to turn things around for this island."

 

I lightly patted her on the shoulder.

 

"Just look around: everyone here's already got your back." I said, before the pat on the shoulder turned into a playful punch. "More importantly though, you've got me. That's all the help you'll ever need."

 

My grin was the perfect parody of shaky confidence.

 

"r-right?"

[Snelly]

IC:

 

Taleen smirked. 

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

Despite her bad mood, Leah couldn't help but chuckle at Alfon's remark. Mata-Nui, he was trying. Rubbing her shoulder, she shot him a sideways glance.

 

And somewhere deep down, her Le-Wahi sense of humor kicked in and a mischievous look showed through her eyes.

 

"My, my, Alfon. Are you implying something?"

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

Kids, I was between a rock and hard place right there.

 

To put things in perspective, Leah just flirted with me. Whether it was a joke or not, I didn't really care, because if you know me, you know that opportunities like this are far and few in between. Nevermind that girls always blow me off, but focus on the fact that this is Leah Maru we're talking about. Ma-ru. Hottest celebrity on the island, successor to Gali and vanquisher of Makuta.

 

Flirting with me?

 

#####, I would have jumped on those words in a heartbeat.

 

And there's the rub. I had more than just one hot girl to worry about. Nothing was set in stone yet, but you know the cutie with the scars that can break every bone in my body? Yeah, Plagia. Pretty sure I had a thing with her. Pretty sure I had a thing with her for a loooooooooong time. Thing is, nothing happened between us yet; nothing was even close to being remotely official. At most, I had a future dinner date that I might not even live to see.

 

Technically, I was still a free man.

 

So did I ##### off Plag and ruin something that hadn't taken shape yet? Or did I pass up this one chance, no matter how slight, to get with the Toa Maru of water?

 

At times like this, I truly hate myself.

 

"Only if you are."

Edited March 31, 2016 by TX Wade

[Vezok's Friend]

IC(Leah):

 

"What do you think?" She shot back, watching his Aura shift between violet, green and a hint of yellow. Moral concerns aside, her mask really did come in handy in ordinary situations from time to time.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I glanced at her, carefully thinking of a reply.

 

"I think you know exactly how to push my buttons."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

The Maru shot him a knowing look.

 

"I think you might be right. And you're probably fine with it."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I knew I shouldn't have been, but yeah.

 

I guess I was okay with it.

 

"Maybe." I tempted. "And you're probably getting a kick out of it."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

"It's good entertainment for sure."

 

As they continued to walk, the rainfall slowed, though it did not stop.

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"Just entertainment?" I asked, too preoccupied to notice the weather anymore.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Man, I should've brought a raincoat if we were gonna get mood-weather." The Toa of Plant-Life commented, looking up at the sky, and then briefly back over her shoulder. Not that she minded too much; the cool rain was doing wonders for her headache. Much like it would an actual plant.

 

Figures.

 

"Not a bad thing, though. I could use the hydration, and it'll help with Alfon's thirst."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

"Alfon." She said slowly, noticing how focused he was on her. As in 'not watching where you're walking'.

 

"You're staring."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

The barest hint of a suppressed laugh showed as I averted my eyes and focused back on the road.

 

"I wouldn't be the first."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

"Nor the last. Tends to happen in my position."

 

Another sideways glance.

 

"Heavy risk...but the prize..."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

"Is gonna have to wait."

 

I tilted my head forward, gesturing to the docks. They were less than a minute's walk away. 

 

"We'll be boarding be soon." I said, feeling an unexpected surge of relief. "So let's pick this up later, alright?"

Edited April 1, 2016 by TX Wade

[Vezok's Friend]

IC (Leah):

 

Leah shrugged slightly.

 

"Alright."

 

She wasn't entirely sure they would have much time later to 'pick this up'.

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"Taleen your smirking creeps me out."

[Wade.]

IC: Alfon

 

I nodded.

 

"Yo!" I called out. "Which one of these ships is our ride?"

[Snelly]

IC: 

 

Taleen looked at Ril, her expression quickly changing into one of innocent confusion.

 

"Whatever do you mean?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"You know, when your mouth curves upwards about twenty degrees."

[Snelly]

IC:

 

"Oh I see..." Taleen paused, looking thoughtful for a moment before looking back at Ril. "Is it really that creepy?" 

[25K Now!]

IC: Ril

 

"Yeah."

[SnowyAegis]

IC:Rodyr

Rodyr opened his eyes to see vague clouds and a small flying Rahi rush past his vision. Ah. He knew exactly what was going on.

He'd fallen asleep with his Miru on.

Again.

It wasn't every day that this happened to him. But then again, 'every day' has a separate meaning to 'most days'. Gathering how fast that small bird went by, he calculated that he was already roughly at terminal velocity. Or about as close as a free falling armor-clad explorer and occasional archaeologist with about as much grace as a Kane-Ra Bull in the rapids gets to terminal velocity. Looking down, he gathered from the unending black rock, smoke, fire and hardcore lava moat that he was above Ta-Koro. 'Above' about to be replaced by 'In'.

 

And so it was that the Ba-Toa known to few as Rodyr fell from the sky, and impacted the ground with enough brutal force to be heard a long way away. Anyone listening in the entire Koro might have been able to hear it. That, and enough force to bury him in a foot-deep crater. Fortunately, Rodyr had been lucky enough to miss someone's house. And the lava moat.

Now, for some, a roughly two-kio fall at terminal velocity straight into solid rock might have been lethal. But for Rodyr, this was a relatively common occurrence. He'd developed a mighty resistance to accidental plummets from great heights.

 

Well, kinda. His bones had toughened a bit after the first few times. That, and a combination of his mask and his gravity powers decelerated him to nasty, if survivable speeds at the last second. Enough speed to leave a crater, though. Well, all the more painful memories to remember this place by. After about ten seconds of making sure he was, in fact, still alive, he sat up. Yeah, change 'foot deep crater' to 'foot deep minimum crater'. He closed his eyes.

"Aw, heck, I'm gonna have to pay for damages aren't I?" Rodyr groaned. "I was gonna buy food with that money!" He stood up, dusting himself off and stumbling out of the crater.

OOC: Rodyr OFI

[Krayzikk]

IC: "Whatever you say." he replied dismissively, tossing another strip of bacon into his mouth.

 

She'll lighten up.

 

----------------------------------

 

IC: "Hey, Cancer."

 

What.

 

"You think we should go out to the volcano and see if there's any nice stuff to dig up there? Do a li'l bitta cheeky prospecting like the old days?"

 

The old days didn't involve leaving a perfectly fine city street to go run scarf-first into somewhere called "way too close to lava".

 

"Yeah, me too."

 

If my shell turns red, I'm gonna toss you in there myself. Just so we're clear.

 

"Let's go, pal!"

 

And so, shaking the dust off cerebrum and carapace wearily, the island's most dynamic duo set forth from the Village of Fire's inner sector.

 

IC:

 

"Hey, there!" 

 

As Kellin and Cancer made their way towards the village gate, a Matoran coming from the opposite direction raised a hand in greeting. He slowed down as the miner and his companion approached, stopping eventually so he could speak without passing him. "I think you might be just who I'm looking for. Kellin?"

[Razgriz]

IC: "That's-a-me. What do you need?"

Moreover, how does he know who he is?

I feel the De-Matoran's fingers tapping my carapace. I'm sure that looked innocent enough to those around us, like it was some idle thing, but he always did that to tell me to relax.

I sometimes forget that as my rider, he can feel what I'm thinking a good half of the time when he wants to.

For his part, the miner simply put on his usual smile, tugging slightly at his ever-present scarf. Something he probably wouldn't take off even in the desert.

 

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"A favor, I suppose. There's a spot near the Kini Nui called the Keeping Place. I need you to go there." A pause, while the Matoran gave a faint smile. "I'd try the same speech about Destiny I gave the last few times, but you strike me as about as religious as the Dashi."

[Razgriz]

IC: What's a Dashi?

That's a long trip. I'll need to turn him back and stock up.

"Destiny, huh?" the miner said at length. Mulling it over in silence, he placed a hand to his chin.

"Well, business's been uprooted after that whole Ko-Koro thing..."

...

A sharp chitter. Get on with it.

"Nothin' better to do, I guess! Keeping Place, right?"


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IC: The sound of a nearly finished drink rising through a straw in more bubbles than liquid filled the air.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Oshino Meme

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Yeah. Head towards Kini Nui. You'll find it just fine." The Matoran gestured towards the center of the island, in the general direction of the Kini Nui. "It won't be on a map, but you can't miss it. Five others will arrives as well. You'll be able to get in with no problems, and you'll know what to do from there."

 

He pivoted slightly, beginning to head back down the road. "You'll need enough supplies for you and Cancer. Best of luck."

 

IC:

"Well, s'one way to break the silence."

[Razgriz]

IC: "Got it. Thanks."

As matoran and crab turned about-face to head towards supply establishments, he looked over his shoulder for a moment as if struck by a thought.

"I guess 'destiny's' why you know our names, right?"


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IC: "Man, thinkin' about it, complete silence'd probably freak me out." he mused.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"That'd definitely be a good guess." The Matoran said, glancing back with something approaching a grin.

 

IC:

"Yeah. Complete silence'd be ."