BZPRPG - Ga-Wahi

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Maeloc nodded. "Well, then, we finally have a cover story. Now, some precautions. I'm sure most of you know what dangers our kind can face inside the Koro, but I'll go over them anyway. The Marines will arrest any of us should our identities be found out, myself in particular. Our cover story should cover that up. We know at least one of the Toa Maru is here; do not engage her in any way. I'm sure most of you know that there is a bounty posted on a De-Toa here; do not engage him, since murders tend to get quite a bit of notice."

 

The Onu-Turaga had managed to get in front of the rest of the group. "There are also some visitors. Our informants tell me a foriegn species has arrived, and they have psionic abilities. I don't think I have to tell you how to behave around them. Any questions?"

[Jakura Nuva]

IC: Toenga

 

"Shape up, dude," Toenga hissed to Arzaki as he elbowed him in the the kneecap. "You're making a scene. Eat like a normal Toa, please, not a Rahi."

[Arzaki]

IC: Arzaki

 

"I didn't know my cooking was that bad, alright? I don't think I've ever had this breed of fish and eating a burnt one wasn't too great."

[Toa Fanixe]

IC:

 

Seconds passed. Ten. Twenty. Forty. Then a minute. And another.

 

Labelle felt a pit of guilt deep down. She had liked Dakte, he was so nice, he'd been kind to her, then he'd ruined things, now she was drowning him. Drowned him, the Toa of Water corrected herself. The Dasaka had to be dead now, she was sure and his lungs full of water, food for the hundreds of fish and other creatures that lived beneath the surface of the sea. 

 

But who cared?

 

Labelle felt so alive. The warmth had suffused her entire body and blocked out all the pain, filling her joy and ecstasy. She could hardly contain herself, she just wanted to started jumping and laughing and feel the world on her skin. All she had to do now was get the others inside on the couches, and when they woke up they would all be friends. Dakte will have drowned in a tragic accident, and Labelle would have to get rid of that darned bird.... It would all turn out all right.

She moved to Tarkus and pulled him from his chair. It was a jerky action and he tumbled to deck floor in Labelle's hand. She might not have felt the pain, but the injuries to her arm and back were every real. Labelle gulped. This was not good. This was not good at all.

 

With great effort she lifted the others from their seats and brought them to the edge of the deck, arranging them in a parallel line. 

 

Sighing in exhaustion, Labelle looked at her handiwork. What to do now?

 

Bump.

 

What was that? Oh probably nothing, and besides, she had to figure out what to do with her guests, and that stupid bird was still squawking at her and trying to tear her arm apart.

 

Boom.

 

The Toa of Water turned her head now and in a few seconds saw a form rushing at her. It was another Dasaka person. She'd broken through Labelle's front door and was now crashing through the back with one of those mental swords in her hand. Well, that wouldn't be a problem. Labelle had already dealt with Dakte and his powers, one more foreigner wouldn't be snag. And Labelle wouldn't even have to explain this one's disappearance! She could just cut up the body and spread it on the ocean floor, nobody would know.

 

Arisaka was almost right on top of her. Labelle raised an arm in defence and:HELLO THERE.: She froze for the slightest instant, then heard a swipe before she dropped to the side, leaving one leg outstretched to trip her assailant. She was watched satisfactorily as Arisaka did indeed trip, falling into the same hole Dakte had.

Things were working out perfectly. She'd drown Arisaka just like Dakte, make sure she was never found and then everything would be all right. Wait a minute. Something was wrong. Labelle looked at her left arm in terror. Her hand was missing. No, not missing, lying on the deck a few feet away. She whimpered and fell onto her back. 

 

She was truly deformed now. Labelle had been ugly ever since the surgery, but she'd been whole. For the most part anyways. But now the stranger had taken a part of her away, it was gone forever. Strangers, she realized. There must have been another foreigner that screamed inside her head with those strange abilities of theirs. Karz, for all Labelle knew the entire expedition was here and ready to kill her. At least she wouldn't be broken for much longer. It was a shame, she'd just made great friends. 

 

Take the strangers down with me.

 

No, I probably shouldn't.

 

Do it, Sadism feels amazing doesn't it? Imagine what it'd be like bringing them with me to the grave.

 

It does feel good...

 

So good! Their families will miss them so much, treaties between them and Mata-Nui will be blown out the door and I'll be the cause of it.

 

I'll be the nexus! I'll live on in the history books for all time, I'll never be forgotten. I won't die, I'll be immortal!

 

Do it now! And who knows, I might even survive this. Healers will come, I'm sure.

 

No, I'll bleed and drown. Alive they can punish me, but dead I will haunt them for eternity. Nobody will stop me.

 

Maybe I shouldn't do this.

 

I should!

 

Summoning all the strength she had left Labelle created a surging wave underwater and directed it at the stilts keeping the house afloat. Some houses in Ga-Koro were light enough to rest completely on the giant lillypads of the village, and some had special pumps to keep them high and dry. And there was some that were so heavy, and eschewed that particular technology, that they rested on stilts that kept them propped up above the sea. This home, as large as it was in this affluent neighbourhood, used stilts. 

The flowing water hit the stilts at the back of the house first, knocking them aside. The entire house and platform it was attached to tilted, the end of the deck dipping deep below into the water. Bangs and crashes were heard as furniture and glass fell forward and downward. A large aquarium on the second floor, in her bedroom, came flying through a window and crashed onto the deck. It broke open, spilling it's water into the ocean along with the creatures housed within it.

 

Labelle felt herself slide into the water. She didn't have any power left to resist the pull of gravity. She just knew her friends had slid in as well. And in another second or two the wave would hit the stilts at the front of the house and the whole thing would sink down. Everyone inside, the strangers, would perish. She began to laugh even as the water rose and swallowed her. She was giddy. This was all too hilarious, and that feeling of euphoria just kept on growing within her. Labelle never wanted this to end, she kept on laughing and the bubbles of air continued to rise....

 

Worsh was small. So small. He had never had a host before, not a real one anyways. She couldn't quite remember when he'd been born. Created?  It didn't really matter. Those thought's didn't cross his mind. All Worsh though about was hunger. That, he could remember. It had been hungry for as long she could remember. A deep gnawing hunger. He'd swum around, feeding on small fish. They were ok. They kept it alive. But Worsh knew he needed something bigger, something stronger, something smarter. Then he'd wounded up in that pool, stranded with the others. They were mean. And bigger than Worsh. They'd bullied him, eating all the fish. Worst had nearly starved.  Then something had picked Worsh up, carried it away and put him in a cage, again with others. Worsh hadn't had any fun then.

 

That was a few weeks ago. Worsh was free now. The cage had broken and Worsh swam happily in the water. 

 

He sensed blood. Worsh was good like that. It just felt so different, the smell of it was so intoxicating. Not all blood was so alluring, but this one was. Worsh twisted his body this way and that, hunting for the source.  Worsh felt something. Big, warm. Bleeding. Food. 

 

Insinct drove Worsh. He slithered this way and that, feeling his way around Labelle's body. It moved to her back, sliding across it, up. Higher. He felt a small bump, Worsh positioned his mouth just above it. He aligned his body with Labelle's spine. Worsh quivered in anticipation. He knew exactly what to do. He bared his teeth and...

 

 

Labelle's body, underwater, went rigid. She stopped laughing, her face was no longer riddled with joy. It was frozen in shock as  it punctured the back of her neck. Something was driven into her, Labelle could feel it wrap itself around her spinal cord, becoming entwined. It hurt more than anything she'd ever experienced before. A moment later and more sharp edges propelled themselves into her, hooking into the Toa's flesh and filling her with dread. 

 

Worsh the Parakuka squealed with glee as he enmeshed itself into his first host. He felt her body roll beneath him and follow suite as he curled into a more comfortable position. He began to drink in the juices, and extended his body and mind deeper into Labelle's, and the two became one, and darkness overcame her.

 

The other three Parakuka swam on. With a bit of luck, they would find hosts as well. 

[Eyru]

IC (Akimoto)

 

##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####

 

##### ##### #####

 

##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####

 

Aki's soulsword dissipated, but she hardly noticed; she was busy trying to keep her balance as the house suddenly tilted alarmingly and began sliding into the water, along with the mad Toa and the Dasaka inside. There were a few bangs and crashes from the second level, but the whole thing was surprisingly quiet aside from that. The sea was swallowing the house, that was all. Just like that.

 

The Dasaka took a deep breath. Then, without pausing to really think about what she was doing, she dove into the house. The main room was completely submerged and sinking fast; in a few minutes, the hut would probably come to rest on the bottom of the bay, along with anyone inside. The water was clear enough, but cups, cutlery, paintings, and chairs floated around, making it hard to swim in a straight line. Aki ducked between the legs of a chair and swam deeper, her lungs beginning to ache.

 

There! She spotted someone. She couldn't tell who it was, and even if they were awake, they'd probably be too groggy to help. Aki grabbed the Dasaka around the waist and began to swim up, towards the ceiling, and, beyond that, air.

 

Zuto Nui help me.

 

...

 

And Zataka ##### that crazy chick.

[Razgriz]

IC:

I felt like I was... floating.

Yeah. Floating, in a dim, gray, featureless void. I couldn't feel anything. Like I was... dreaming.

Maybe I was. ######, had I really succumbed to the drugs that fast? I feel like I should be ashamed, but it's just so hazy...

Was that pit I felt in my stomach me... falling? No, that can't be right.

How can I fall? I'm not doing anything.

Not going anywhere.

Not thinking, even.

I can barely even feel, aside from a brief... lurch.

Strange... were we getting evacuated by Datke? No...

I feel too still...too blue...too

Cold!

Really, really cold!

"What the--" I'd tried to say as my faculties surged back into me at once, but it came out garbled and bubbly. We were underwater?! Just what the karz had happened?!

Oh, right. Our lunch date with Labelle had gone sour...

First things first, I needed to locate everyone. Miss Sinshi, Misters Mako and Datke... where...

There they were! All scattered in the same area, coming too just as I had! Great, the sooner we all got out of here, the better...

It was right about then, as my fortune so often makes it, that the situation went from "bad", to "really, really bad". I felt myself get swept up by an immense current, headed straight for the house...

That I realized would completely annihilate the support beams. There were others from the party in there, I had pieced that much together when another Dasaka had jumped in and scooped someone back out of the water.

The moment that house went down, they'd all be dead. All those people with only instants to react and make it out before they were all killed for trying to save us, because we got ourselves in trouble.

I'm a normal guy.

A normal guy who happens to have power over the domain of gravity.

That house was not going down.

I focused my energies to the utmost degree upon the house itself, extending my arms forward under the water and taking a big, deep gulp of air from my non-submerged head. This was a massive undertaking, to say the least.

And it would find itself suspended in the air, falling slowly, ever so gradually, at under a tenth of it's original velocity.

It was almost indescribable the kind of strain this put on me. Imagine tensing every muscle in your body, at the same time, then add a splitting headache on top of it.

Now, double that.

My pulse sounded... no, it felt like a stampeding herd of Kane-ra in my head, but I needed to buy time. If I could stop these people from getting crushed and drowned by buying even a few seconds, then there's no good reason I shouldn't.

Especially since they're getting us out of this mess.

I was going to need such a day off after this...

Edited February 18, 2015 by Uncle Chael P. Sonnen

[Snelly]

IC: Arisaka

 

Well this had all gone to ######. Arisaka had (somehow) been tripped by the deranged Toa, but not before her soulsword had cut clean through Labelle's hand, who had raised it up instinctively to stop the blade. Falling into the cold sea hardly fazed the conditioned Menti, however as she returned to the surface, it seemed the structure itself was collapsing...her comrades falling into the sea. 

 

She had to get to them right away, but not before she noticed Labelle...there was...something attaching itself to her neck. What the ###### is that thing...

 

She shook it off quickly, her priority was her comrades. From the looks of things the house didn't have long, it would collapse into the sea. It seemed a Toa of some sort was using his powers to hold the house up. From the looks of it however he wouldn't last long. The others were waking around him. 

 

Arisaka sprung into action, her mask giving her limbs more powerful strokes as she swam through the water quickly. She could drag at least two of them out if needed, no problem. 

 

Then she noticed them...as she swam closer she saw three of them in the water, slithering towards the others. They looked just like that thing that had attached to Labelle. 

 

Priorities had changed, whatever they were they were beyond dangerous. She swam directly toward them, summoning both her soulswords as she came with striking distance. 

 

The worm-like things became fish food that day. 

 

OOC: Well that takes care of the Parakuka. :3

Edited February 18, 2015 by Grochi Cat

[25K Now!]

IC: Treize

 

"Wherever explosions are happening."

[Eyru]

IC (Akimoto)

 

It could've been her imagination, but Aki swore the house was falling slower, as if gravity itself decided to take a coffee break. Probably just a result of her being lightheaded (she could really use some oxygen), but maybe not. Either way, she was getting out.

 

Lifting her left fist high, her soulsword blazed to life. Underwater, the blade's energy fizzled and glowed, heating the water around it. All soulswords emitted heat to some degree, but, being a blacksmith, Aki had learned how to make her hammer hot enough to shape crystal. That kind of heat could do some serious damage, even underwater. Vision getting hazy, she focused all her strength on this one act. Her hammer slid through the water in slow motion... then hit the wall of the hut.

 

Instantly, the plant burned away, and Aki's blow tore a large hole through the wall. Beyond, she could see the light of the sky shimmering through the water. With a last, desperate kick, she pushed through the hold and surged to the surface, passenger in tow.

[Snelly]

IC: Darien

 

"Well from the sounds of things...we should go that way!" Darien started running that way.

[GSR]

IC: Soraya [Ga-Koro]

 

Oh, no you DON'T.

 

So: plan A, "tackle that waste of air straight into the ocean", unfortunately had to be cancelled when Ari got there first, little miss psychopath tripped her (how, exactly?!), and then the ocean decided to eat them.  (She was really getting tired of the whole elemental powers thing.)  Which left her, Mako, Sinshi, a funny-colored Toa, and way too much water for comfort standing on (or, in the case of the water, engulfing), the deck. 

 

Soraya was pretty sure the swear words coming out of her mouth at that point hadn't even been invented yet.  The world slowed down around her - stay calm, Sor, she who panics loses - and she felt herself dashing to Mako's side.  Get the old geezer first, least likely to make it out on his own.  "Hey!" she yelled, and slapped him across the face.  "Awake! You! Now!" He stirred.

 

She glanced up; the deck was still falling.  Adrenaline-induced time dilation was one thing, but they definitely should've been underwater by now.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Toa grimacing.  Okay, maybe elemental powers weren't so bad -

 

There was a crash and a splash as one of the waves smashed against the deck.  For a few moments, she was loose - spinning, flailing, just like the crewwoman back during the attack - and then she grabbed onto Mako's clothes.  In the back of her head, the ever-present stream of curses amped up in volume.  She didn't have a choice - she had to get out of there with Mako now - he was more than enough dead weight.  Zataka take it, Sinshi, you better have good lungs, because I'm coming back.  And same for you, Toa.

 

She kicked; Mako sagged.  Useless old pile of bones and stories and birdfood and mild irreverence you aren't dying today and I'm definitely not either so if you could kick just a little bit that would be fantastic!  Her lungs were starting their own set of curses; she'd taught them too well.  Come on, come on, up, I've got to get up, I've got to get-!

 

She broke the surface, gasped, dipped back under, flailed for a moment, gasped again, pulled Mako up after her, slapped him on the back.  "Wake up, you senile old bird-head!" She started paddling toward the shore - and the rest of the Dasakans - with her free arm as best she could.  "Listen!" she shouted as best she could, then coughed up water.  "Two more in there! Plus Ari and Dakte and the maniac in the water! Quit standing around!"

 

Zuto Nui, did yelling at people ever make her feel alive.

Edited February 18, 2015 by GSR

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

She was falling. 

 

She didn't understand. She was falling, she couldn't think, everything felt sluggish... So much resistance around her, a constant pressure... But she was falling, there shouldn't be any resistance. Her eyelids were heavy, and her muscles reacted sleepily to every command. She was tired. So tired. And cold. The sunlight had been so pleasant, but her surroundings were so much cooler. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask what was going on around her.

 

And water came rushing in.

 

She couldn't breathe. 

 

She snapped awake. Her mind woke to its plight, shaking aside the voices. The soft, alluring whispers of sleep. Sleep was so much easier. There was no panic in sleep, no worries. The tea had put her to sleep, and the culprit wished for her to return. But to give in was to die. She would not give the Ga-Toa the satisfaction. She would not give her grandmother the satisfaction. She would not give Sorei the satisfaction. She was Sinshi Umbraline. She had never given in to anyone.

 

Labelle would not have that honor.

 

Her eyes snapped open, ignoring the feeling of salt in her eyes. The water was rapidly growing disturbed, silt and debris beginning to cloud her vision. She could see shapes, so many shapes. People, she could see them, but she could barely sense them. They were fuzzy, as though somehow they weren't really there. As though they slipped in and out of reality every few seconds, briefly taking their minds with them. Gravity couldn't seem to make up its mind, decide where she was.

 

No, She realized. I'm the one who is fuzzy.

 

Sinshi was still disoriented, and it had cost her. She had continued to sink even as she awoke, and her panicked breath had brought seawater into her lungs. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't cough up the water inside, and the surface was so far away. She kicked her legs, forcing herself to try and ascend. The simplest stroke she knew, but her movements were still imprecise, far too sluggish. Her mask was pushed as far as she could possibly manage, but her ascent was still so slow. Deep, buried in the back of her head, she knew why. The Calix could only permit her the maximum extent of her physical capabilities. And right now, those abilities were dangerously low.

 

Kick.

 

She needed to keep swimming.

 

Kick.

 

Her lungs burned, screaming for air. She didn't know how long she had been underwater, or maybe she simply hadn't been able to take a breath. But her body craved air.

 

Kick.

 

Still so far. 

 

Kick.

 

She could see the surface, but she couldn't gauge the distance.

 

Kick.

 

Her muscles burned, and in an instant, her Calix stopped. In her right mind she would have known why. She couldn't focus on it. She was too starved for air to maintain its power.

 

Kick.

 

Her lungs screamed, and the water grew dimmer. She couldn't think. The world was dim. She couldn't see anymore, couldn't tell if she was going the right way. Her entire being was consumed by a single, overriding thought. A single driving need, the struggle to keep performing one action.

 

Kick.

 

She was slowing down, and the surface's light was so dim. Was she almost there? Was it within her reach? 

 

It had to be.

She was Sinshi Umbraline. She had wanted to be a Willhammer, but they made her a Soulsword. So she had become the best she could be. They told her she was nothing. They told her she was a dishonor to her family. They had tried to force her to submit. Give in.

 

She would not give them the satisfaction. 

 

Kick.

 

....

 

But sleep was so nice...

 

...

 

...

 

...

Edited February 18, 2015 by Riku Tryon

[25K Now!]

IC: Treize

 

"My legs are too short for this! Go go go go go!"

[Eyru]

IC (Akimoto)

 

Aki broke the surface, gasping like she'd never tasted air before. Sweet, cool, salty sea air; her lungs drew deep, and then she was pulled under again.

 

Zataka's #####, she's heavy.

 

Aki's passenger was still either half-conscious or fully dead to the world, so the Dasaka summoned the last of her strength and kicked back up to the surface. The lily pads of Ga-Koro were only a few metres away; she paddled breathlessly and managed to grab on. She hung there for a long few seconds, then someone was pulling her up. Hands grabbed at her passenger, too; her eyes were full of water and salt so she couldn't make out any faces, but she didn't care. She was alive, and hopefully she'd just saved someone.

 

The blacksmith collapsed on the lily pad, breathing heavily. Did the others make it out? She didn't know, but half the crew'd been on their way. Someone else must've gotten them out. She couldn't go back anyway - she was exhausted and half-drowned herself. She was a blacksmith, not a diver.

 

She coughed and wiped at her face, then looked over at the Dasaka she'd pulled from the sinking house. It was Dakte.

Edited February 18, 2015 by conclusions

[Snelly]

IC: Arisaka

 

The slug creatures were no more, she'd made sure of it. She turned back toward the others above the surface. 

 

Except Sinshi, she was not above the surface. 

 

Arisaka kicked her legs together, and with a little help from her mask she was flying toward Sinshi, she grabbed her by the torso and pulled her to the surface. Once they were there, she took a breath of her own, before seeing that Sinshi was not. 

 

She wrapped her arounds around the other soulsword, putting her fists together and then pushing hard against Sinshi in order to force the water out. "Sinshi! Breathe!" 

[Razgriz]

IC:

A crystal-and-blue figure surged past me for the surface, kicking furiously away at the water.

Miss Sinshi? I ought to given her a boost, but I had my hands full with the deck and the whole "rest of the house" behind it.

Ah, one of her comrades had her, the one who had dived in when I first came to.

How long had it been, anyway?

Three seconds?

Five?

...

Just a little longer. I'd make sure it's five.

One...

Two...

Three...

Was that black at the edge of my vision?

Fourrrrr...

My lungs are on fire. Brain feels like it's about to explode.

...

Was I about to die?

This thing was so heavy. Way different from altering your own gravity, or that of another person. Messing with the force of something thousands of times as heavy...

It could be done, but not easily. Especially for a plebeian like me. 

I'd given just about all I had to give here...

...

...

...

...Five.

I let it go with a gasp.

Unfortunately, I was also so focused on the task that I had stopped treading water. Let me tell you, water filling the lungs is not pleasant. I had cast my greatbow off to the depths prior, so I wasn't sinking like a stone, but I'd also lost a great deal of buoyancy with that action. Trying my best to not panicked, I kicked and clawed towards the surface, a scant few feet away.

It felt like eternity.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Uncle Chael P. Sonnen

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

For a single, worrying moment, it seemed like nothing was happening. 

 

Then the Menti's body was wracked by a deep, shuddering cough, expelling water from her mouth. Two more followed quickly, each one purging more of the liquid from her lungs. Then her lungs expanded, sucking in more air than she would have thought she could hold. It was all forced out of her again in a moment, followed by swift, shallow breaths. From her current position, Arisaka could feel that her heart was pounding a though she'd run a marathon, and a second coughing fit interrupted her breathing, but Sinshi was breathing again.

 

And after a moment more, her eyes slowly opened.

 

"What.... Where...."

[Snelly]

IC: Arisaka

 

And that was enough, Arisaka didn't waste time answering. They needed to get as far away from the house as possible. She began to pull Sinshi away from the house, treading toward the nearest lily pad. It felt a lot farther away when you were in the water. 

 

Arisaka's mask allowed her to keep a good pace without to much trouble, but it was taxing none-the-less. She didn't worry about the others, she couldn't afford to. She had to focus on the one she had. 

 

 

IC: Darien

 

They arrived at the scene. 

 

"Holy ."

Edited February 18, 2015 by Grochi Cat

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

The Umbraline Menti blinked again, forcing herself into something resembling a back float to make it easier for Arisaka to move her. She blinked again to herself, her breathing very slowly returning to normal. Her mental faculties were recovering more quickly, at least enough for her to be somewhat aware of her surroundings.

 

She'd ask her questions once Arisaka thought they were safe. 

[GSR]

IC: Soraya [in that particular mental and physical space known as "I'm running on nothing but adrenaline and the hopes my exercise schedule was up to snuff"]

 

Mako up and onto not-water - there you go, he's waking up, not bad - and that was one.  She grabbed the edge of the lilypad and took a few deep breaths, looking around.  Triage.  The old man was safe, Sinshi was with Ari, Aki had Dakte, that was good, that was - TOA YOU FORGOT THE TOA YOU MORON

 

She pushed away from the pad and scanned the bay.  Debris was everywhere; the house had all but sunk beneath the waves now, and that couldn't be a good sign.  Come on, move those arms, get back to where we were!

 

There!   Oh, whoever this Toa was, he was going in her good books.  First the house trick, now he was swimming up, no rescue needed.  Kind of a funny stroke he had there, though, almost like he wasn't swimming, just bobbing up and down - oh come on, it's like six inches!

 

She groaned, tried very hard to ignore the fact her arms had started burning, and took off towards the Toa.  She kicked around him, took a deep breath, and forced herself underwater a few inches, grabbing under his arms as she did.  Air in the lungs and a few kicks, and -

 

They broke the surface; she drove a fist into the Toa's back, and he spat out water.  "Hey!" she yelled.  "Hey, hang in there! I'm gonna need you to kick, I can't carry the both of us!"

Edited February 18, 2015 by GSR

[25K Now!]

IC: Treize

 

"Okay we need like, a long pole object!" said Treize rapidly, trying to remember her water safety lessons. "Do you have anything on you?!"

[Razgriz]

IC: 

 

Oh, come on. I've run myself ragged here, cut a guy a little slack, would you? There was a reason I hadn't joined the marines, as a matter of fact, and it wasn't just because I didn't handle stress well. That knuckle sandwich to the small of my back was just uncalled for.

Nonetheless, I coughed and sputtered out a "Yes'm" as best I could, and my legs began to churn even as the precious, precious air of the surface had finally gained a toehold in my lungs. I wasn't in any position to complain. At least, not at that particular moment. It could wait until we were on dry land.

Within a few short seconds, we made it into the arms of the rest of the party, guard, and onlookers gathered at the shore, a sea of hands hoisting us up back onto terra firma from the sea of water. 

Rather, nymphaea firma.

Whatever.

Anyways, I then spent the next couple of minutes purging the water from my lungs as best I could, coughing and spitting out water and generally looking about as ragged as I felt. When I finally felt confident that my bronchioles were no longer trying to pump a load they weren't designed to handle, I spoke up in a rightfully exhausted croak.

"Did everyone make it out?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Soraya [Ga-Koro]

 

She broke the surface, gasped, dipped back under, flailed for a moment, gasped again, pulled Mako up after her, slapped him on the back.  "Wake up, you senile old bird-head!" She started paddling toward the shore - and the rest of the Dasakans - with her free arm as best she could.  "Listen!" she shouted as best she could, then coughed up water.  "Two more in there! Plus Ari and Dakte and the maniac in the water! Quit standing around!"

 

IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro)

 

"Ummwhaa?" I asked as my body jolted upwards.

 

For a split-second, I just sat there, flabbergasted, and then my instincts kicked in.

 

I scrambled to an upright position and reached into my tunic, pulling out one of my weapons as my senses desperately searched for something to beat on.

 

A familiar squawk, and the weight of something settling on my shoulder snapped me out of it.

 

"Kama?" I asked, turning to the bird, "what happened?"

 

I reached out towards Kama's mind, establishing the usual connection. Kama's memory wasn't as coherent as any Dasaka's, but I saw images, flashes of rapid movement and urgency.

 

My head snapped in the direction Soraya had come from, where I could spot the Toa, Labelle, who'd been the cause of all this. Witch.

 

More importantly, it looked like the rest of our group still needed some help. I ran in that direction.

[Snelly]

IC: Arisaka

 

They managed to get ashore without incident. Arisaka pulled Sinshi all the way out of the water before she stopped to rest, catching her breath. A mask of strength didn't stop you from getting tired after all.

 

IC: Darien

 

Darien created a long stick with his powers. "Got it."

Edited February 18, 2015 by Grochi Cat

[shadow pridak money gang]

 

IC:

 

"Alright alright alraiiiight.. Dantas, do you still have the bingo card or do I have the--Dantas, I have the Bingo card. Did you have the Blue Oni pen or the Red Oni pen? I can never remember this ######...find 'International Incident' on the bingo card and cross through it while I do this ###### Hot family style."

 

The White Hot Munequita, Chief Petty Bad ###### at Large of the Ga-Koro Marines, clad in an anime-###### uniform that Dantas could probably describe much better than this low normie chronicler, waved a terse hand to each of the Marines in her squadron, sending one to Arisaka and Sinshi, one to Soraya and Tarkus, one to Ari and Dakte, and two out to Mako.

 

Munequita herself withdrew a jar of dirt, and started to sprinkle it with lazy flicks of one wrist into the water. Her eyes never left the house. Dantas' never left her Badge of Office  the Dasaka  a mirror the perpetrator, still bobbing in the water. 

 

She'd done well by him. Redhot could take notes...if Redhot had any sorta penmanship. There were only two words he could write in anything halfway resembling calligraphy, and...well, I think we all know what they are.

 

With another lazy flick of her wrist, the dirt started to congeal below her like blood; the wet soil, though dark and heavy from exposure to the bay, glided effortlessly along the water's surface to its new space under the house. With a wide, upwards flick of her wrist and two fingers outstretched, Whitehot sent the construct jolting up - the house creaked violently with it, but when she put her hand down it was permanently levelled again. Tarkus had given them quite a bit of time with that gravity trick. Bless that endearingly average ######. 

 

"House is clear," Whitehot said, trying not to feel like A++ the coolest where was Sulov Maru to date her single ###### already. "Goldie, ready to apprehend?"

 

-Tyler

Edited February 18, 2015 by tylerlicious definicious

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Her limbs shook, she was still breathing far too quickly, and her heart felt like it was trying to hammer its way out of her chest. But Sinshi was alive, and that was a lot more than she expected. She carefully pushed herself to a kneeling position, not yet really trusting her limbs to obey her properly. She could see the crew, scattered across the area, but she could also see....

 

Approaching beings. Armed. Intent unknown. 

 

With a sharp intake of breath, she forced herself to her feet, hand on the hilt of her rapier. She hoped she looked a lot more threatening than she felt. She was fairly certain that a strong breeze could remove her from the equation.

 

"State your intent."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"To get my baby brother a real job," she said dryly. "Settle down, nobody wants to see you hurt. We're the Marines."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Sinshi's sigh of relief was a lot more audible than she wanted to admit. She braced a hand against a signpost, grateful for the support. She was out of the ocean, the water now dripping onto the ground beneath her, but her mind was still swimming. And her abrupt stance had only served to make it worse. 

 

"Did... Everyone make it out alright?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Thanks to the rest of your people, it looks like it. Obviously we don't know if there are any difference in the organs and stuff that are inside us, but if you're as close to the crowd here internally as you are externally, I would drink lots of water and get some rest. Your lungs'll burn like Karz for a few days but you'll all be a-okay." Her attention shifted to a young, slim Toa of Water who looked nervously at the Parakuka chunks drifting in the water. "Corporal, go down to the Tidalpool and get me as much Bula juice as you can carry."

 

While the Toa ran off, looking more thankful than perhaps she'd like to betray, Whitehot gave Sinshi the best wan smile she could.

 

"Whenever you're feeling up to it, we'll need to ask you some questions about what exactly happened here. Me, I'd rather grab her by the ankle and bola toss her out to sea, but there are regulations against it these days."

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

IC:

A chuckle.

"Haven't found anything bout the inverse, though." came the casual addendum from one Dantas Goldenpecks (yes seriously), spinning a length of chain he had created while his bad big sister immediate superior and that cute Dasakan Warrior were having their chat.

With a hearty heave and a ho, the be-Calixed Fe-Toa tossed the chain out to sea, letting elemental control take over where kinetic momentum could no longer help him, once it had fallen above their perpetrator. Wrapping once and then twice around her body, arms pinned behind her now hunched back, the chains then elementally fused their ends back together, essentially creating a snug metallic lasso that Labelle was going nowhere from.

Keeping his mask active, he began to haul her in.

"So, I take it you guys didn't get off to the best start here?"

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

IC: More like they didn't have the smartest guide.

Should have known better, shouldn't I?

I didn't say anything about it, though. Too busy rejoicing in the wonders of fresh air and the ability to relax for a moment. As soon as I felt like walking again, we'd have to go eat.

An actual restaurant too. Something nice. Definitely not a McDonal's.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"I... Can talk. Need to clear my head. Thinking's probably the best way."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Sure you don't want to wait for the Bula juice? It's a hydration agent, tastes sweet, nothing in the world like it. Pretty much a miracle cure for hangovers..." Whitehot hesitated, "...that I'd know dick about, because I have never partied once in my life. Especially not on duty."

 

Especially not on duty.

 

...

 

"You know what, let's...let's just talk. I'm technically...well, I guess my name doesn't matter much, no one calls me by it...everyone around here just calls me Whitehot. Can't imagine why." Her wan smile became a little bit more of a eating grin. "You can do the same, I guess."

 

-Tyler

[Geardirector]

IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro)

 

"Zataka's right and left ####, Ryuu's Breath and a side order of Fursic's delight!" I grumbled as I sat down near Sinshi. 

 

"So this is what we get for ignoring our guts and accepting some good old fashioned hospitality?"

 

What I didn't say out loud was that I felt like beating myself up for having willingly drunk a spiked beverage. That went against practically everything I knew. Not only was it the oldest trick in the book, it was an old book to boot.

 

Either way, Dakte and the others had gotten us out alive, and that demanded plenty of respect. I'd have to talk a little more with that kid sometime...

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Umbraline Sinshi." The Menti, with more than a little effort, managed a half bow, despite never taking her  hand off of the signpost. "Surname first, then personal name. I... Made that error a few... Times today. Good to meet you... Miss Whitehot."

 

Every few words, she forced herself to take a deeper breath, trying to get her lungs and heart under control. It was, unfortunately, proving to be easier said than done. Her mind was fuzzy, and more than that, an undercurrent of fight or flight still racing through her system. Her body seemed to believe she was still in danger, and convincing it otherwise wasn't easy. When Mako spoke she almost went for her sword, gripping the signpost more tightly. Somehow she'd missed the Datsue approach. Calm down. You're fine. Everyone's fine. 

 

"Would... Seem so... Vilda Mako."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Nooo, just Whitehot. My family is...nowhere...near 'Miss' levels of importance. Can I...call you Sinshi? It's cool if I can't, it's just...kind of how we do things. I can't imagine calling that chuckler back there 'Goldenpecks' every day of my life."

 

She shot her partner a baleful glare.

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

IC:

"Be careful with that one, you never know what's modesty and what isn't. And hey, you do use Goldie a lot."

Goldenpecks.

You're kidding, right? That had to be a joke.

To his credit, he took the elbow well enough to to laugh and keep hauling. On the other hand, I had different plans. With a little more effort than I would've liked, I forced myself up into a seated position, facing Miss Sinshi and Miss...

White...

Hot.

Well, now that I'd had a good look at her, I could definitely understand her underling's warning. Whether or not I should heed it...

Well, first I'd pretend I didn't hear "AA Plus" being murmered under the sound of moving chain behind me. Whether that was some sort of in-joke or not, come on, man. Those were at least D's, at the very lowest.

Anyway.

Scooting myself a bit closer to the gang, I threw my name into the hat as well.

"Tarkus Vafbagr."

Edited February 18, 2015 by Uncle Chael P. Sonnen

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Yes... You can." The Menti paused a moment, looking over to the Ba-Toa who had spoken. "Mr. Tarkus... I am... Happy to see... You are alive."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Hey," she said gently, giving the same small smile she'd given Sinshi. "Guessing that was your trick with the house. It's lucky you were here, Tarkus. We got held up at the station by the storm of the---" Whitehot went on to cheerfully use half a dozen patented and increasively creative curses to refer to the crowd of goons who had been arrested in the wake of trying to troll the submarines -- "--kers that thought it would be a laugh to throw a fireball at a sub full of trained warriors."

 

-Tyler

[Geardirector]

IC: Vilda Mako (Ga-Koro)

 

"Dealing with hooligans and madmen is no easy task" I remarked, speaking from experience.

[Razgriz]

IC: "Same to you, Miss Sinshi. Glad everyone's out okay." I said, favoring her with a relieved smile.

Held up at the station, huh?

Figured as much.

"They aren't the brightest bunch, no. I'm just... glad I could manage it. I'll be perfectly honest here, I want to just sort of curl up and stop moving for a few hours after that."

I wasn't exaggerating these things, either. That house was, it bears repeating, heavy. Way too heavy for a guy like me to try and take on. Were I a less humble soul, I'd say I deserve a medal of valor and a purple heart. But I'm not a less humble man, so really, all I'd ask is for a warm meal and some non-drugged drinks. A nap would be nice, but then I'd have to be left behind by the little crew I'd just nearly died together with.

For once, I figured I'd be happier if I wandered aimlessly around and ignored my fatigue for today.