BZPRPG - Ko-Wahi

[Palm]

IC: Tuara Drigton - Ko-Wahi

 

Tuara watched as one by one each member of their party left the cave. She was angry.

 

It wasn't easy to have brought back Utu, and it wasn't easy not to kill him herself every day. Tuara wasn't exactly left unscathed after her long encounter with the Mark Bearers and Utu.

 

Of course a part of her blamed him for the Iris virus somewhat partially, but at least she knew that she wasn't expecting Utu to do anything about it. It just so happened to work out in his favor, and he was dead during most of it anyway. Nobody really got out of that not guilty in some fashion. She knew that's what made Dorian angry about the whole situation. He seemed to believe that Utu was being given a chance he didn't deserve, but as far as Tuara was concerned by the same logic Dorian shouldn't have been given the same chance. A world without Dorian wasn't one Tuara would have been pleased to live in. Not now at least.

 

She knew that idealism wouldn't always be healthy. But a good part of Tuara truly believed that Utu wanted this. She was angry when Dorian killed him on his own. Did he not struggle for another breath? Did he accept Dorian's murder openly?

 

So as Agni hopped down into the snow and towards the others, Tuara stood there with clenched fists.

 

Maybe that was it. Utu didn't choose to die. He was forced to die. She relaxed a little at this realization, but it wasn't enough to follow them.

 

Tuara stepped out of the cave, but carved her own path in the snow, one which would lead her away from the others and towards her own destiny.

[Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)]

IC: Verulas (Spectre) - Obsidian Outpost

Turning around and quickly fist-bumping Kain, Verulas slid open the door to the cable car and began to patiently wait inside for the rest of the team.

 

 

IC (Ace): The snow flickered, and Ace was there, his Kakama glowing softly from a recent activation.  Nodding at Spectre, he took his seat inside the car.

[Timageness]

IC: Verulas (Spectre) - Obsidian Outpost

Seeing that everyone was now aboard the cable car, the Bo-Toa gave a silent thumbs up to Kain, who closed the door behind them and sent them on their way across the Break.

OOC: Spectre, Tracer, Ace, and Scholar all to Ga-Wahi.

[EmperorWhenua]

Xxeth looked to Ambages. "After you... sir." He made a mock bow, before simply shoving the Matoran forward. 

Ic: No honour among thieves, Ambages mentally scoffed. Even a former head of state was only given superficial grace, it seemed, and Ambages could do nothing but humbly take the plow and hurry his steps to keep his balance. 

 

The city didn't seem to have changed much. Whatever damages his creation had suffered had since been repaired, or at least covered, and it kept the same surreal stark gleam. Ambages thought that was appropriate; before, he'd been the outlier as the villain in a city of purity and wisdom, and then he remained the black spot in the populace. In more ways than one, he was the cancer in Ko-Koro's body and no mater what he simply could not be permanently removed. Somehow, he always found a way to return. 

 

"So," he casually started conversation as Xxeth followed intensely behind him, "what's your story? How did you get involved with this cabal?"

 

Those other villains who looked out into the causeways of the city could see the familiar black speck pitifully cross the expanses. He imagined everyone had a different opinion of him, though by and large he'd be hated. That was fine. He never was much liked by anyone anyway.

Edited March 25, 2015 by EmperoressWhenua

[Snelly]

IC: Xxeth

 

"My story?" Xxeth said, rather incredulously. "I'm just a mercenary that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I'm not exactly welcome most places, banished from Le-koro and pretty much anywhere else that 'good-doers' roam." Xxeth shrugged apathetically. 

 

They continued to walk toward the citadel. Soon enough Xxeth would deliver Ambages to Echelon and his nightfall. It would be interesting to see if Ambages would prove useful enough to be kept alive, if not well, that was entertaining too. 

 

"Why do you want to know my story anyway? What's it to you?" Xxeth looked at the Matoran skeptically, surely Ambages didn't want his life story or whatever cause he thought Xxeth was an interesting person, no way. From his read of him, Ambages seemed like the kind of person who would try to learn as much about you as possible and then use it against you. Information could be a weapon as well. 

 

Not that Xxeth really had anything to tell that could be used against him. But if Ambages wanted to know more he'd have to work for it. 

[NorikSigma]

IC: Lunefeld

 

"You're going to have to use a language we all understand."

 

What manner of archaic tongue was this?

 

IC: Greisk(Toros)/Cyrena

 

Tell me why we haven't escaped yet. Yes, there's a million guards between here and freedom but I'd think they would be celebrating-

Guards aren't the issue. Nightfall is.

I don't think Echelon or Agrona would hunt you down if we escaped.

If we didn't? Not a pretty sight.

 

Greisk and Cyrena conversed as the mute Toa listened in to Nightfall's plans.

 

Very interesting, I must say. This information is definitely helpful.

Let's hope we live long enough to use it.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Tenth Norik

[Timageness]

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Wilderness (Near the Ko-Wahi Coast)

Dravennica stirred, slowly opening her eyes as she began to take in her new surroundings.

She could feel the shackles suspended from the cave's natural ceiling digging into her wrists, leaving her feet to dangle just barely above the freezing earth beneath them. The sound of Shredder's howls reached her ears, momentarily catching her attention as the Kavinika repeatedly slammed his body up against the door of the nearby cage he was trapped in. The opposite side of the room was host to a table displaying various bladed instruments across its surface, none of them especially sharp, which she assumed was exactly how they were intended to be. In front of her she could make out what appeared to be an even larger alter than the one that she had previously discovered, this one surrounded by bones of all shapes and sizes, though they were somewhat obscured by the two decomposing bodies standing upright before her very eyes. One formerly belonged to a rather emaciated Skakdi of Ice, a grim indication of the fate awaiting her if she didn't find a way out of this, clenching his fingers around the shovel used to render her unconcious. The other used to be a Vortixx carrying what could only be the shape of a bucket, though the once proud eyes she pictured her to once possess were now lifeless and grey.

And sitting on a wooden chair between the two, with her legs crossed and the Ko-Toa's Miru resting gently upon her lap, was their puppeteer; an ornately dressed Toa of Earth wearing what seemed to be a specially carved Tryna.

"Well, well," she said, her voice the same volume as before as she stared coldly into the eyes of her captive. "It seems that our tresspassing guest is having some trouble waking up."

With a wave of her hand, the Vortixx stepped forward, stopping mere feet before Dravennica as a smile formed across the necromancer's face.

"Be a dear and assist her with that, would you?"

Before she could even tell what was going on, the zombified creature pulled the bucket back before proceeding to toss the ice-water it once contained directly into her face, jolting her awake as she flailed around in an attempt to shake it off. When she eventually came to a stop and once again hung limply from her bindings, the Onu-Toa herself decided to step forward, cradling the mask in her arms before motioning for her undead servant to return to her previous position.

"After you broke into my home and killed two of my pets, I was very tempted to mount your head on my wall for the next unfortunate individual I brought here to gaze upon in horror," she whispered, slowly walking around her captive as she did so. "You see, back on my home island, such an offence would be met with the immediate execution of the perpetrator before displaying their remains somewhere in the halls of our fortress. However, I possess enough hindsight now to know that doing so without properly interrogating the prisoner first was part of what lead to our eventual downfall."

Reaching her hand up and gently grasping the Ko-Toa's chin, she then tilted her head towards her so that her face was mere inches away from her own.

"So in the interest of making your demise as painless as possible, I'm giving you one chance to tell me exactly who you are and what you're doing here before I tell my friends to start cutting the information out of you."

There was a brief silence before Dravennica decided to speak.

"I... am Dravennica, ally... to Makuta's Legacy," she stammered, mostly due to exhaustion. "The conquerors of Ko-Koro."

The Onu-Toa seemed to ponder this for a moment before waiting to see if she was willing to talk some more.

"I... set out intent on... scouting the area... before accidentally falling through the ceiling of the... your cave system, and was soon attacked by your... pets. I... had no previous knowledge concerning the... location... of your dwelling, nor knew that it was even... inhabited."

"So I am to believe that not only did a sizeable force composed of Makuta's faithful assault and capture one of the main villages occupying this island, but that you blundered in here accidentally and killed the Kavinika in self-defense?" she said, slowly making her way towards the table as she set down the mask and began looking over her various tools of information extraction.

"You... wanted the... truth, didn't you...?"

"That I did," she confirmed, her smile returning as she picked up a small sickle and slowly began to run her fingers down the side of the blade. "So tell me, "Dravennica," is it? Does anyone else know that you're out here, galavanting around in the woods?"

Another brief pause ensued as the Ko-Toa prepared to answer the question.

"It isn't wise to keep me waiting."

"No...," she finally said, recalling that she hadn't in fact told anyone exactly where she was going, a choice that had clearly been an unwise one. "Nobody knows... where I went..."

Unbeknownst to her captive, the necromancer's smile slowly became a frown.

"I see," she muttered simply.

Returning to her chair after passing the weapon into the hands of the Skakdi and taking his shovel, she sat down, crossing her legs once again before doing the same with her arms above the tool's triangular handle and resting her chin up against them.

"I think that our "guest" may be suffering from some sort of head trauma caused by her "fall." Start cutting into her until her story becomes more believable," she commanded the zombie.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Timageness

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

She could hear Varan calling out to her; the key word being could. She chose not to absorb the words, instead letting her senses guide her further and further into the building, her eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light in the corridors, the only source being that which spilled in through the doorway.

There was a certain smell in the air.

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Varan

 

Varan was angry. Seemed like every time he got a sense of reality, it was smushed by an outside force. He'd met a perfectly nice traveler, who'd been content to travel with him - and the, out of the blue, some idiot ruins things.

 

Ruins? He found himself rethinking that. I barely know the Toa... so why the Karz do I care so much?

 

Then he remembered. She was different. She radiated... uniqueness. Something was strange - deeply so - about this one. That's why Varan cared so much. Because, though he might not admit it, he wanted to solve the mystery that was her.

He cursed himself. He should turn around and leave, right now. He should do it. He should...

 

"Arcturia?" he called again. He inwardly sighed. 

Edited March 28, 2015 by Jakura Nuva

[Ghidora131]

IC Rinnoz

 

 

Piling out of the snowbank, Rinnoz opened his mouth to snap off a witty insult when he saw the Toa he was trailing looked distressed. For some stupid and insane reason, he took pity on him. Rinnoz had almost always been an aristocrat, living in wealth and ego, unable to care less about other's opinions.

 

He opened his mouth again to say something mildly encouraging, but closed it yet again. Some heartwarming humour, but he decided no on that as well. Finally, he gave a soft groan of distress mostly to himself - But the Toa probably noticed it.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "Oh," Ambages moaned, as if waxing lamentingly, "I just want to know the caliber of person you are, the history and traits that make you who you are—" his voice took a sharp tone and dropped a few notes—"before I kill you."

 

Both men stopped. Xxeth continued to size up the little villain's threat level and Ambages, to his credit, managed to stand his ground and keep a straight face. Finally, he cracked a smile and shook his head. "No, I want to understand what sort of people Echelon commands these days. They would have to be decent enough to take my city, at any rate. Color me intrigued."

[Snelly]

IC: Xxeth

 

...

 

"You know,  threatening the guy holding the crossbow is a pretty gutsy move. If I wasn't such a nice person I'd have shot you in the leg." Plus, he'd have to drag his screaming body the whole way to the sanctum if he did that, such a hassle. 

 

"But alright, I'll amuse you for a moment. Since we have some time before we reach our destination..." They started to walk again. "They call me Xxeth, Xxeth Daring. If you hadn't figured it out, I'm originally from Le-koro, born and raised there. Believe it or not I come from a family that was about as self-righteous as you can get, all in the name of Mata Nui and all stupid ######. Of course in their self-righteousness my parents got themselves killed by a horde of Rahkshi, leaving their three children orphans." Xxeth didn't sound sad when he spoke, or even angry, it was more of a tone of indifference. 

 

"Growing up, I suppose I could be called the 'black sheep' of my family. My brother..." No, that wasn't the correct description anymore. "...err, sister rather, Skyra. She took it upon herself to become as self-righteous and judgmental as possible, joined the Gukko Force, became an officer. While I took a liking to...much shadier work, I started taking jobs as a mercenary, didn't really care who I got the jobs from, or what they were. It wasn't a problem till Skyra started to secretly investigate my actions, used me to bust an entire operation. She got a promotion, and then banished me from the village." When he spoke of his sister, you could almost sense a silent rage. 

 

"Thankfully, I'm good at what I do, I've done a number of jobs for Echelon in the past, it was easily enough to join this little cabal of his. As long as I can stay here, get good pay, that's all I need." Xxeth turned to look at Ambages. "Well, you satisfied with that? Enough to get you to shut up about it the rest of the way?" 

Edited March 26, 2015 by Lara Croft

[Palm]

OOC: Recommended listening:

 

IC: Utu Kotore - Ko-Wahi - The Wastes

 

The howling winds whipped snow around us in the icy drifts of Ko-Wahi. I didn’t turn my head but I did address Praggos, “Thank you.”

 

I ached all over. The freezing air was the only sensation I could feel which alleviated my pain; if only in the slightest way.

 

Ever since my Mark was damaged I had been regressing, but now the intensity of the damage was reaching its apex.

 

Only 20 yards or so out of the cave I coughed into my closed fist.

 

I use to wonder who I was. What did the world think of me? Did the world think of me at all? I thought that maybe I could find some sort of comfort in knowing. Not only that, but deciding what the world would think of me seemed - to me at least - irresistible. When I emerged from the splattered blood and scattered bones of Tu-Koro I believed myself to be incredibly powerful; as if I could take destiny in my hands and mold her to the image I wanted. I was high off of my own strength, craving more every day. But I wasn’t powerful. I was weak. I was afraid. Nothing truly changed.

 

Fear shapes us. It forces us to make rash decisions. We lash out at others when we’re afraid, and if we’re alone we’ll attack ourselves instead. Fear can control, and fear can create chaos. Fear can be found in a politician’s speech or the response of their peoples. It is in the eyes of a sick child, and in the hearts of Ko-Koro’s cold and captive.

It was in me for as long as I could remember.

 

Dizziness took me and I lost my footing. I fell, just able to stop myself by clumsily putting my hands out in front of me.

 

Now I could see that my right hand - which I had coughed into - was spattered with blood; a stark tainted red against the pure snow.

 

I pushed myself up and continued walking.

 

Every step sent a burning shock up my back. It felt as if I was trying to breathe through the head of a needle; unable to fill my lungs. The back of my eyes felt like they were on fire. My temples throbbed. My heart even felt sore and strained.

 

I was never weaker than I was today.

 

My eyes turned to the clouds overhead.

 

I never felt more alive.

 

I had faced death before, but now it was different.

 

I began to lose feeling in my hands and feet. This made walking a bit more difficult. My lower appendages seemed to slowly fade away, leaving me with the sensation of walking on clubs.

 

I slipped, this time landing in the snow without reacting quickly enough. I tried to push myself up to find that I actually couldn’t get much higher up than on all fours. I gave a couple grunts as I attempted to pick myself up, but simply found that it was impossible.

 

“I-” I began, barely able to speak between breaths, “I can’t move. I can’t move,” I had to make it to Tu-Koro. I had to make it to Tu-Koro. I had to make it to Tu-Koro. I tried moving my legs, but I was mostly cycling my (partially unresponsive) legs through the snow. My right arm collapsed from under me, and my voice began to choke with oncoming tears, “I… I… I need to… I can’t-”

 

I stood for a moment, watching as Utu tried, repeatedly, to get himself up off the ground. My heart sank further down every time he failed to do so, proving just how far his disease had progressed. I'd had my doubts that we'd even get him to the temple in time to help him, with everything we had to do first to be able even to get in...Now it seemed almost as though this quest to save his life had been doomed from the start.

 

“I have to…”

 

Wordlessly I bent down, getting on one knee and putting one of Utu's arms around my shoulders. I told him I'd stick with him, and now I had to show it. Grunting, I tried to stand, trying to pull Utu back up with me.

 

I moved to Utu's side putting his other arm around his shoulder and pulling them back up. I activated my gravity powers. I had no idea how far Tu-Koro was away, but Utu could be our guide. It hurt watching that the guy couldn't even make back home on his own two feet, but we couldn't let it end here for him.

 

"Alright Utu, just point us in the right direction. Praggos and I will do the rest."

 

When Yuru launched me into the sea with a destroyed mask and an open chest I was afraid. When Dorian pinned me down in a hospital bed and smothered me with my pillow I felt fear. But today as I walked towards my own death, I felt no fear.

 

I took a step as my eyes began to well up.

 

'My name is Utu Kotore', I thought, 'I am greater than the rest.'

 

I took another step. Tears streamed down my face.

 

'I am the master of my own destiny.'

 

Step. I faltered, my weight taken by my companions.

 

'Death may take me today.'

 

Step.

 

'But it will be on my ###### terms.'

 

 

 

 

 

Step.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Palm

[Timageness]

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Wilderness (Near the Ko-Wahi Coast)

A cry of agony escaped Dravennica's mouth as the undead Vortixx shoved the red-hot poker up against the most recent knife wound to her abdomen, cauterising it almost immediately.

Many similar marks were now scattered across her body, still stained with the blood that once flowed from both them and a few other areas where such a technique would prove ineffective. The last twenty minutes she had suffered through felt like hours, hours in which no matter how many times she had repeated the truth, her only rewarded with more pain. She could still taste the blood that had emerged from her nostrils, and her fingers still ached from where the Skakdi had forced his blade beneath her nails even though the similar injuries to her toes had long since numbed due to the snow beneath them. Pieces of skin still littered the ground from when the duo went to work on her back, and the smell of burning flesh that was hanging in the air had made her want to pass out on many occasions, bet every time she looked like she was about to do so, another bucket of water was thrown onto her face in order to keep her awake throughout the entire experience.

And all the while, her captor sat back in her chair and smiled.

"This could all end if you would just admit to what you're really doing here, you know," the Onu-Toa said. "If you continue to insist on sticking to that ridiculous story of yours, however, I can guarantee you that what you're feeling now is only going to get worse."

The Ko-Toa summoned up a small bit of her remaining strength, using it to swing herself forwards before spitting out a glob of blood aimed directly at the necromancer's feet.

"I already... told you... everything," she struggled to say."Go... to... Karzahni..."

The smile faded as she returned to her feet, walking back over to the table and picking up a pair of shears before gracefully stepping towards her victim.

"I actually prefer my current location, thank you very much, though I am growing quite tired of listening to the lies that keep spewing out of your mouth," she said. "Perhaps you would be more willing to change your tune if you were to find out that I now plan on doing something about that little issue we seem to be having, hmmm?"

Holding the instrument fairly close to her face, she wrapped her fingers around the handles in order to mimic the cutting motions that she was now planning to perform.

"Screw... you..."

The Onu-Toa looked down towards the ground and silently nodded her head before turning her attention back towards her minions.

"Hold her head back and open her mouth."

Dravennica struggled as the Skakdi pulled back her forehead back and wrapped his arm beneath her chin, trying desperately to move her face away from the hands of the Vortixx dropped what she was holding an made their way towards their eventual destination. Although she managed to bite off two of the zombie's fingers during her futile attempt at resistance, her eyes widened in horror as her jaw was eventually forced open, watching helplessly as the blades were pressed up against the sides of her tongue. A muffled scream escaped her throat as she felt them slowly begin to close, her expression changing to one of pure rage as she stared down at her captor defiantly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did so.

A moment later, the walking corpses released their grasp, and it was over.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Timageness

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

Ah yes, that smell.

The smell of rot, tinged with rusting iron and a sting of sweetness.

Something she knew well.

Delving further into the dwelling, there were two corpses - Ko-Matoran, one male, one female - laying in a pool of dry blood. Stab wounds evident.

Their home was already ransacked - drawers ripped from shelves, vases smashed, that sort of thing. Not a lot she could find here.

Peeling one corpse away from the other, she checked the two bodies for anything left behind. On the female, nestled in her palm was a small pendant of sorts - a quartet of small greenish stones set into a polished chunk of dark wood. Obviously not very valuable, but valued nonetheless.

The accompanying chain was sticky with blood. The Onu-Toa unclasped the joined ends and hooked the pendant around her neck.

Without another word or a thought, she turned. There'd be no prayers for the dead today.

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Varan

 

When Arcturia turned, Varan was a mere few inches in front of her - if he was any closer, she would've bumped straight into his chest. He tilted his head in curiosity.

 

The Toa looked over the female's shoulder, saw the corpses. His face expressionless, he looked back at Arcturia's face. His cloak hung around him in the shadows, making him seem much larger than he was.

 

After a moment of deep silence, he spoke.

 

"Why?"

Edited March 27, 2015 by Jakura Nuva

[Ghidora131]

IC Rinnoz

 

Wait, what was that Toa doing now? and what did he say? 'why'? that's confusing. And what's that awful stench? and what's that on the floor-

 

Peering at the corpses, Rinnoz quietly snuck by the pair hidden in the darkness, and landed next to the bodies. He then pulled out some medical doodas and got to work taking small blood samples and inspecting wounds.

Edited March 27, 2015 by Ghidora131

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

She'd been focused on the pendant and hadn't noticed him come up behind her.

Too close behind her.

In the space of a moment, as he opened his mouth to speak, her brain kicked into fight or flight. She backpedaled a step or two and grabbed a knife from her belt, raising it and swinging it down at he who had invaded her personal space.

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Varan

 

Never before had he been taken by surprise. But this one was faster than many...

 

The knife came down in it's arc, and though Varan attempted to move, he was too late - with a screech of metal pierced the Ba-Toa's shoulder armor, driving through into the tissue of his shoulder.

 

He half-grunted, half-shouted in pain, sinking to his knees. He reached over and yanked the blade from his arm, throwing it onto the ground. Blood seeped from the hole in his cloak and covered his hand.

 

Varan looked up at the Toa, pain in his emerald eyes. But they still asked Why?

Edited March 28, 2015 by Jakura Nuva

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

 

She backed further into the room, hands still beneath her cloak, gripping weapons.

"Stay away from me..." she growled.

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Varan

 

Varan rose from the ground, his eyes suddenly glowing with fury.

 

"You're no better than a wild Rahi," he hissed angrily. "Constantly lapping at the blood of others - harming those you deem too close, whether they pose a threat or not. I was a fool to take interest in you. I thought that you were different... but not in this way. I won't make that mistake again."

The bleeding from his shoulder had mostly stopped - the blade, while sharp, had to pierce first his heavy cloak and then his armor to reach the tissue beneath. The Toa reached inside his cloak, pulled a weapon from his belt. It was a short staff, ending with a metal tip consisting of three razor-sharp prongs. Stepping a number of feet away from the entrance they had come in through, Varan gestured towards it with his tri-blade. He made sure he was far enough from the other Toa that she wouldn't jump him.

 

"Leave," he growled menacingly. "Get out of here, before I put you down."

 

He glanced over at the Matoran, whom he's deen sneak in earlier.

 

"You, too," he said, more strict than angry. 

Edited March 28, 2015 by Jakura Nuva

[Timageness]

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Wilderness (Near the Ko-Wahi Coast)

Dravennica watched as the Toa of Earth collapsed into the snow before her very eyes, her body so exhausted that her previously struggling arms, once so desperate to break free from the frozen shackles pinning them behind her back, were now as still as the ice surrounding them. Shredder turned his head back towards them momentarily before growling, clearly still harboring a grudge towards her after she had her minions lock him in a cage. A collar similar to the Kavinika's, fashioned from the Ko-Toa's very own element, now hung from around her neck, drawing attention away from her maskless face and the myriad amount of wounds spread out across her body. The two Kavinika that the duo had killed before encountering the necromancer were long since hog tied together and placed around her shoulders, their bloodied fur providing her at least some extra protection from the elements around them as she was forced to carry them during their trip back to Ko-Koro. Seeing her like this, mere moments from unconciousness and slowly losing what little remained of her will to live, would most likely strike a chord of pity into the hearts of the majority of the island's inhabitants if they were unlucky enough to have passed by at that moment in time.

Dravennica, however, was a different story altogether.

 

The Toa of Earth pulled the shears back out of her victim's mouth, releasing their hold on her tongue as she did so. She then began caressing the Ko-Toa's cheeks with her hand, wiping away her tears as she did so.

"I've had a... hmmm, let's just call it a change of heart," she whispered softly into her ear, sliding a finger down the skin of her neck. "Your body would look so much better as a full mount rather than just a bust, and cutting out that tongue of yours would absolutely ruin the look of it. It would be far better to pull it through your lacerated windpipe after I cut your throat."

Moving back over towards the table, she dropped the instrument back onto its wooden surface before picking up a sewing needle and a spool of thread.

"Unfortunately for us, that still leaves you without a proper punishment for your lies, but I'm sure I'll think of something..."

 

She remembered how her zombies held her steady, allowing their master to push the needle through her lips, sewing her mouth shut as painfully as she could possibly manage before releasing her hold on her servants and moving towards the alter to pray to her god as she prepared to perform the killing blow. She remembered creating two small pillars of ice beneath her feet, wrapping the chains that once supported her body around her wrists in an effort to silently dislodge herself from the hook embedded into the cave's natural ceiling above her head. She remembered picking up the poker that her captor had let the Vortixx drop carelessly onto the ground before sneaking up behind her and cracking it over her skull, knocking her unconcious and sending her mask flying off of her face.

And most of all, she remembered dishing out a whole lot of payback after she had freed herself, cutting through the stitching with a blade that not too long ago had been used to flay her skin before donning her own Miru and regaining a portion of her strength.

In other words, if the feeling of sympathy had still remained buried deep within her, today's events had clearly exhausted her supply of it.

Wrapping the fingers of her uninjured arm around the back of her captive's collar, she pulled her back up to her feet, pulling her head back towards her mouth before doing some whispering of her own.

"Unless you want me to tether you to that tree over there and start giving you another taste of your own medicine, you will stay on your feet until we get back to Ko-Koro," she hissed. "And after we get there, I have big plans for you."

 

Eventually arriving at the village gate, looking much worse for wear, she stood before the guards, her tone a warning to any that were thinking about messing with her despite the fact that she bore enough injuries to cause a lesser being to pass out.

"I am Dravennica, ally of Legacy," she declared. "And this is my newly acquired slave, Celphrithia. We wish to be allowed to enter the city."

Edited March 28, 2015 by Timageness

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

She slowly shook her head.

"What I do and why is none of your business," she whispered.

With one hand still under her cloak, the other emerged, pointing towards the doorway.

"And I never asked for your company. There is nothing stopping you from leaving."

[Void Emissary]

IC: Lunefeld

 

"You're going to have to use a language we all understand."

 

What manner of archaic tongue was this?

 

IC:

 

Sylus glanced over at Hakann, bringing up one fist to cover a feigned so as to prevent the (heavily-armed and dangerous) Skakdi from seeing the smirk playing on the information broker's lips. His gaze then drifted to Lunefeld, the mercenary with the molten eyes and the cruel smile; the man who would be Hakann's eyes and ears his protector for the next little while. He let his hand fall from his mouth and slip into the pocket of his slacks, revealing a glittering white smile to the Toa.

 

"Now, where's the fun in that?"

 

-Void

[Simulacrum]

-IC:-

 

“The fun,” My voice is crisp, controlled. I blink calmly, every infinitesimal movement of my body determined and carefully designed. “Is intrinsic. 'Co-operation is its own reward' is the saying, I believe? Especially important in consideration of a group such as our own.” It isn't a threat so much a statement; I continue and do not let this become a dramatic moment. “We are wasting time. Translation, Mr. Tudor.”

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

When given a choice between honesty and lying, a good information broker should always provide a little of both.

 

"He speaks of nothing, as the Bard would say," Sylus explained without a bat of an eye. "Gossip which his addled mind thinks is worthy of encoding. Honestly, it doesn't even merit repeating."

 

-Void

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Varan

 

Varan shook his own head. The anger was gone, replaced by sadness.

 

"No remorse, no guilt... you desecrate the bodies of those murdered in cold blood by stealing the last things they carried with them... perhaps items of personal importance, things that were special to them... and you don't care. You don't even blink an eye. What kind of Toa are you?"

 

He stared fixedly into her eyes. He saw nothing but emptiness.

 

"You have no feelings, do you? Washed away by something tragic, no doubt, long ago... or maybe a short time ago; I don't care. It's no excuse. You bring shame to your title - to our title. To our species. You're no better than the ex-Toa... the mercenaries... the villains."

 

He swept around, his back facing her.

 

"Mata Nui have mercy on you. I hope I never see you again."

 

With that, he stalked away into the darkness.

 

 

IC: Transient - Obsidian Outpost

 

Transient sat motionless on his chair. He couldn't think, he couldn't see or hear. He just... sat. Motionless.

 

 

IC: Marauder - Obsidian Outpost

 

Marauder hummed to himself, tapping his clawed feet on the ground. He was bored.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Jakura Nuva

[Simulacrum]

-IC:-

 

My gaze shifts to Sharky. I say nothing, letting the incredibly loquacious Ga-Matoran present his own case.

[Ghidora131]

IC Rinnoz

 

Rude. All he did was examine the bodies. Whatever. Tjhis one seemed to have killed them, so on his departure, he glared at her and said "Piraka!" He spat on the ground in front of her and walked out the door defiantly.

 

 

He also kept within a good distance from the other Toa, the one with the wounded shoulder. He would need assistance.

[otter]

IC:

 

"Wonderful job we're doing so far," Marfoir commented dryly to Hakann..

[Simulacrum]

-IC:-

 

“Precisely my point. I was operating under the delusion that I hired professionals. I have seen little evidence of the intelligence necessary for organised crime.” My Rahkshi shift their stance slightly, their grips tightening. “Perhaps we shall resolve from now on to work together, as befitting of sapient beings?"

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Sharky

"I don't mean to insult your intelligence Big Red, but right now we're in the, shall we say, 'frying pan'. I can provide a translation and intel, but I think you would agree that doing so in a more private place would be prudent so we don't end up in the fire." He kept his tone both as low and surreptitious and simultaneously unsuspicious as was possible, all throughout the sentence his eyes made complicated gestures at the vanished vortixx and her probable posse of ne'erdowells and hidden ears and eyes.

[Perp]

IC: Arcturia

The two beings left her in peace.

No feelings? Untrue. No remorse? Also untrue.

To them she was just someone in the background -  a two-dimensional representation of a full person. There were few things she cared about, and that was not one of them. It's why she didn't often associate with others. Nobody seemed to get that they weren't the most important things to happen to the universe.

The dead understood that just fine, though.

And though she wasn't one of the dead, Arcturia understood them, and through them, understood her own unimportance.

After all, she wore the reminders.


OOC: Also, I know he's already said it at least five or six times by now, but Arcturia never told Varan her name.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Perp

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Gresak:

Gresak walked through the streets of Ko-Koro, fingering his belt and grumbling under his breath. He greatly needed to replenish his supply of both Patero ammunition and grenades, but hadn't found a good place to buy such materials yet.

OOC: Open for interaction.

Edited March 28, 2015 by The Manhunter

[Void Emissary]

IC Sharky

"I don't mean to insult your intelligence Big Red, but right now we're in the, shall we say, 'frying pan'. I can provide a translation and intel, but I think you would agree that doing so in a more private place would be prudent so we don't end up in the fire." He kept his tone both as low and surreptitious and simultaneously unsuspicious as was possible, all throughout the sentence his eyes made complicated gestures at the vanished vortixx and her probable posse of ne'erdowells and hidden ears and eyes.

 

IC:

 

Sylus slipped his other hand into the pocket of his slacks, chin low to his chest;  he flicked his gaze over to Hakann, then to the little man, then back, giving the Skakdi a nod which was so small that it was nearly imperceptible. His original plan, having been to keep the Matoran's information for himself, was quickly becoming untenable, and so he would have switch back from a mere guise of loyalty to the crimson Piraka and actually work towards his aims.

 

At least, for the meantime.

 

-Void

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Ayar (Obsidian Outpost)

 

Leaping down from the wall after having waved goodbye to the Ga team, Ayar landed lightly on the frost-chilled ground, the dirt crunching beneath her silver-armoured feet. "Who's up for the next trial, then?" she asked.

 

IC: Khil'rayu (T.O.Y.S Store)

 

"Good luck with that then," I chuckle. "I hear the Piraka don't like giving tech to those with a Vault Kanohi or Antidermis. You'd be better off finding someone who already has some tech and killing them for it," I continue, glancing at the Skakdi with a large rifle attached to his back walking past the window.

 

OOC: That Skakdi's Gresak.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Miras: Makuta of Awesome

[Simulacrum]

-IC:-

The Matoran is wiser than I originally believed. I suspect I have found the reason for his continued survival.

“This is acceptable. I expect any other withheld information to be released as well.”

[Not Quite Dead]

IC Sharky

He gave a nonverbal sign of approval ;

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Gresak:

Walking, Gresak glanced from side to side, then stopped, seeing a store that had big piles of junk. Wicked-loooking sleek junk. Gresak knew weapon parts when he saw them.

[silo]

IC: Mortem - TOYS Store, Ko-Koro

"Regrettable." I reply to Khil'rayu. I too notice the Fe-Skakdi outside...he seems familiar, but I can't quite place where I've seen him...

Edited March 29, 2015 by 000