Bzprpg - Ga-Wahi

[Light]

IC: Tera's fingers recoiled from the slightly scaly feeling of her mask, and even the Guard member who had been raised not to be easily sick had to force down her gag reflex. Oh come on. I'm not that ever-gross. Time to be leaving, anyway.Tera nodded slightly and stumbled into the light, forgetting all about her time in the lab apart from her mask. Far past time to return to her duty.OOC: Tera to Po-Koro.

[AuRon the champion]

OOC: I do not meddle in the affairs of admins...

 

But when I do, it might give off a little distraction.

 

IC: NPC Green Matoran:

 

It had been a long treck from the Kini-Nui to Ga-Koro. When he arrived, he saw the Matoran celebrating the return of their foul leader. The Matoran did not understand it. How could these fools celebrate the return of the one who controlled their lives? The one who limited them? It was an impossibility to the Matoran, to imagine being controlled in such a way. Everything he had done in his life had been by his choosing, including loyalty to his master. That was how the world was supposed to work.

 

But that wasn't the mission that his masters had given him. He was to deliver the message. And so he would do so, not out of fear, but of loyalty, and the willingness to serve his masters.

 

He moved through the bustling streets quickly before arriving at the Turaga's hut, where he withdrew both a small knife and a scroll, bound in string. He quickly hid the knife behind his back as he approached the first of the guards...

 

Then lept at them, his grip on the small weapon was light, he didn't want to battle them, but he needed to deliver the message.

 

And this would reinforce the point.

[Silvan Haven]

Lenat- Ga-koro

 

IC: "We should certainly be careful about it but as long as we stay away from it we should be fine. See, the Marines are already on it." Lenat replied as several of the village's guardians moved to deal with the problem.

He looked around for a moment, before saying, "Why don't we enjoy this party for now? It provides a free meal at least and I'm getting hungry."

[Legolover-361]

IC: Venedico (Ga-Koro)[...]"Have you seen Baruk?" "Baruk?" "Yeah, Baruk. You know, about yay tall, about yaaaaaaay wide, Lord Regent and Defender of the Ga-Koran food courts...?"

IC: KynaeraMiddayHotel, Ga-KoroKynaera shook her head. "No; I just came here maybe seven minutes ago, and before that I was decorating at the entrance for half an hour. Why?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Venedico (Ga-Koro)

 

"Well, I just don't trust him," Envy muttered, before taking a quick glance at Pride, then over towards the crowd, where Wrath was putting down a minor tussle. "Well, I mean...I trust him even less than I do the rest of you, anyway."

 

-Tyler

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayHotel, Ga-Koro"Funny how you're saying that," Kynaera muttered before taking another bite of her fruit. She swallowed before speaking again. "What's suspicious about him?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Venedico (Ga-Koro)

 

"Well, I mean, think about it. Have you ever heard him say anything, ever, since we met at Xa-Koro?"

 

"I... don't remember," Kynaera admitted hesitantly.

 

"Exactly. He never says anything because he's always got food in his mouth. We know nothing about how he thinks, where he's from, how he even met Greed. The only person who has any clue about anything past his name is Greed himself, and you know how he gets about secrets. What I'm saying is that he could literally be serving anyone and we wouldn't know it because all we can be sure of is that his body fat can block bullets."

 

-Tyler

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi & NPC marines

Tohi was getting frustrated. She assumed the two armed matoran brought her here for a reason, and that they had a way for all of this to make sense. So far, the two dummies were clueless, most of the time arguing with each other. For some reason, the scene seemed quite familiar, but she couldn't place it. She suddenly realized she didn't know how she was called. The two Matoran seemed to have came up with a name for her, but she could not understand it, just like anything else they said. To be fair, she admitted the problem was in her. All of this was so confusing she could just sit behind the tiny, matoran sized table, looking at the ceiling and tap her fingers.

 

Then she decided she was fed up of the two bickering. The tapping stopped and a slam of a fist to the table followed. The marines jumped and looked at the figure in the back of the hut. The ancient toa was gesticulating angrily, making shapes with her hands and beeping like mad. When she saw none of them understood, she stood up and punched the wall, letting out a surprised gasp as her wristguard fell off, spilling sand that was left in it on the floor. The Toa however flared up, kneeling over the pile of sand and waving the matoran to her. The two curiously approached as the toa hastily drawn something to the sand. "IS that the Turaga? I doubt we should disturb her, she seemed tired." the first guard said, but the other finally understood: "No, it's just what it is, the kanohi Rau! Don't you understand? The mask of translation! Do you know anyone who wears it?" the other guard asked. The first one flashed her a smile and nodded fiercely, running off to find the guy.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Nohiki

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

"And, as such, the Vortixx's language-while entirely similar to our own-relies far more on technical terms than even ours does, while the Skakdi's is more emotional. Our language is the middle ground, and it could easily be understood that the language of our more distant brothers has evolved from it," Mila finished, signing the small scroll with a flourish. It was to be sent on to a colleague in Ko-Koro, for review, before it would be published and sent across the island. Just as he was looking it over, letting the ink dry, a Matoran guard ran in.

 

"Mila!" she gasped out, entirely breathless. "There's a new Toa. A wash-up. She can't speak any civilized language-" here, Mila rolled his eyes at the Ga-Matoran, "--But she can, at least, draw. We need you over there to help us." She waited for her confirmation from Mila, and received it soon after, as the large Toa stood.

 

"Go, go," he said, shooing the Ga-Matoran out of his hut. "Lead me over there, like I know you want to." The Ga-Matoran smiled, rolling her eyes as well, as she ran off, Mila lumbering after her.

 

******

 

Mila looked at the Toa before him. He could tell from the styling of the armour, and the light in her eyes, that she was an older specimen, yet she still appeared young for her age. And the rust, blegh. He'd have to fix that soon, as well-he couldn't well stand rust.

 

"Hello," he said, nodding to the Toa of Water. "Please, speak for me. It'll help me to begin to understand you."

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayHotel, Ga-Koro"Not necessarily. Body fat can't halt bullets except in cases of serious obesity, and Baruk doesn't have that wide a girth--" Kynaera paused as she saw Dico smirk in the corner of her eye. She glared until the Toa of Plant Life visibly and audibly swallowed. "Er, anyway, I see your point. Have you asked Ketan about him?"

[ARROW404]

IC: HaroSeeing that the Toa was busy, the Matoran stepped away to eat his fruit elsewhere. Feeling suddenly guilty for taking advantage of the free food, he produced a small, intricate coral carving of his own craftsmanship and set it on a low shelf. He was more one for bartering than for dealing with widgets. That done, he stepped outside, wandering the edge of town to avoid the noise of the festivities. Seemed the Turaga was back in her hut now. Along the way, he spotted a fellow Ga-Matoran leading a Rau-wearing Toa he recognized as Mila somewhere. For no reason other than lack of company, he skipped over to them and fell in stride. "Hello," he said simply, "Would you mind some extra company? I'm not one for crowds."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Venedico (Ga-Koro)

 

"Ahhh...no," Dico admitted, filling his cup of punch and taking another sip as he watched the band play. Out of the corner of his eye, down a ways, he could see Ketan and Anthyn patrolling with a Toa whom he recognized for a second after Embok keeping watch over Nokama's hut. Killing the Turaga: the very phrase had at first sounded alien to Envy, but as time rolled on a sort of excited acceptance had taken hold. The Turaga had done nothing for this village that the Arete couldn't do, and even now, here, it was clear that her grasp did nothing to truly stop the violence that erupted sporadically; even now, Wrath was putting the finishing touches on his latest example of crowd control. The Daedra had kept order, whereas the Turaga had lounged around Pala-Koro trying to find herself post-Parakuka infection.

 

They deserved Ga-Koro; it was almost a birthright for the Daedra at this point. Now, it was Nokama's turn to accept it, just as she would soon be forced to accept death...

 

"I wanted to talk to someone I trust first," he added, quieter, almost as an afterthought.

 

-Tyler

Edited December 29, 2012 by Tyler Durden

[Padishah Mehmet II]

OOC: Players of the BZPRPG, I am proud to present a huge longbottom jam by me and Grochi. Complete with our mid-jam discussion, for your entertainment.

 

IC: (Ga-Wahi Plains) Oh, dear, a stone pillar. A rather large one, at that. And it's falling.That was the main thought that went through Grochi's mind, before he shrugged, rolling out of the way of the pillar, not bothering to use his mask. He was still wondering how a wrist blade could be just as long as a rapier held by an outstretched arm, as this Arkei person's seemed to have been, but no matter. This crazy island lacked anything resembling sense or physics.A moment later and he saw his target, Arkei, fighting against Perkahn, and he smiled. A moment later, there was plasma in his hand.A moment after that, when Arkei and Perkahn broke away, the latter beginning to speak, he launched the plasma straight at the former.Arkei rolled out of the path of the attack. Sure enough, rolled right into the path of a very very angry Toa of Iron swinging his battleaxe back and forth. His continued well-being demanded that Arkei get back on his feet and, pointing his wristblades at his slightly more... irony opponent race forward, aiming a threatening cut at Perkahn's left shoulder, easily blocked by the flat of Perkahn's battleaxe's blade. The Toa of Stone hastily slammed the ground with his feet, raising a pillar that was aiming to shoot Perkahn off balance. The former guardsman, however, would not prove that easy to toss around - behind himself, he produced a pillar of iron shooting up from the ground to easily land on. What followed was an intense clash of two not really that conflicting elements as the two Toa launched a few pillars of their respective elemental variety at each other, and as they clashed, broke, and fell around each other, Arkei made yet another set of pillars, this one rather like a ramp for him to use to gain momentum.He leapt over the fray of elements, and, with his wristblades pointed forward, at a completely unexpectant Perkahn. The Toa of Iron, having just a second to think, did the first thing that shot to his mind. Using his Kakama, he shot out of the way and back to where Grochi was.OOC (Dov): what if two COMBINED Nova BlastsArkei IS kind of my character so it's legitimate for me to allow him to suffer something as -redacted- crazyIC: Perkahn took a deep breath. This was taking a lot more energy than he was expecting."We need to blow this maniac away, Grochi. And quick. And well.""Well, I have plasma, a Kualsi, and a rapier. And I'm annoyed. It won't be hard. You trap him, and I'll melt him.""Done deal."Perkahn, swinging his battleaxe back and forth from one hand to the other before tightly fixating it in both, approached Arkei with a cautious stance not unlike the one that Arkei himself was using. Once again, spikes of both elements shot from the earth, clashing with each other and doing nothing at all to best the other."Oh, no," Perkahn glared through the collision of the elements towards his enemy, "You're not using that trick on me again."The Toa of Iron, activating his Kakama, sped round the barricade aiming to deal a painful lunge to his opponent, but this plan didn't quite work because Arkei was expecting him. The very splitsecond the Toa of Stone noticed the air flutter just by the elemental spikes, he raised another three pillars in an attempt to form himself a shield. The lack of any time to do so properly, however, resulted in that when Perkahn's battleaxe slammed against the pillars, they promptly fell on Arkei. The Toa of Iron, his chest heaving with exhaustion, did his last action in this battle - spawned spikes from the earth, forming a cage around the unconscious Toa.Perkahn stood still for a second, then realized something.An extra spike broke through from the earth, raising up Arkei while it was at it by impaling him through the hand."Bleed, ," the Toa of Iron hissed. "I want you to bleed."Arkei's eyes lay closed. Perkahn, naturally, thought he was unconscious, what with all he had just suffered. But then they suddenly flit open, nearly making the Toa of Iron jump back."Is this your justice, Perkahn?" the Toa of Stone cackled of all things, a victorious smirk on his face. "You know, you may have defeated me now, but there's one thing I've robbed you of, and that's terrible, because even I haven't lost that yet.""What's that?""Your humanity."Perkahn's face contorted into an expression of mixed anger, surprise, and horror. No matter how vague the statement was, Perkahn seemed to have gotten it to the full stop.He stood with that expression for what seemed like far too long."You're a monster," the Toa of Iron finally hissed, "But I'm not."The middle spike subtracted, leaving an alive (whilst exhausted and painfully bleeding) and extremely surprised Arkei just lying there."Come on," said Perkahn to Grochi as he turned his back on the Toa of Stone almost demonstratively. "Forget him. We're out of here.""Incorrect," Grochi growled, launching a blast of plasma at the Toa of Stone lying in the cage. With any luck, it would leave him with sever scarring along the face, and likely leak into his nostrils and mouth, damaging, eventually, his lungs."You might still have your humanity," he said quietly. "I don't. And I really, really don't like that guy."

OOC (Eli): (I'm assuming he has room to dodge, y'know.)

IC: Perkahn took one, almost absent-minded, glance at the burning cage and then his eyes widened. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened. Then remained hanging.Arkei wasn't there.The Toa of Iron didn't waste much time in getting the Karz to the cage, just to find out what the rabid muaka was going on here.OOC (Dov): no don't say anythingIC: Perkahn, his head bowed, a few moments later, whispered it so desperately you could literally hear the exhaustion: "Grochi, come here. Look at this.""I'm looking," the Toa of Plasma said, his voice carrying with it his annoyance. "Please tell me it's something that will have redeemed this crazy Toa we were fighting, so that I decide I don't have to hunt him down later."What they were looking at, exactly, was a hole in the ground right in the middle of the cage - which Perkahn promptly dismantled, to get a better look at said hole."Judging by what I can see of the cavern below, what we have here is a Nui Jaga cave. Weird, too, considering Nui Jaga don't usually make their nests in Ga-Wahi and prefer the desert. Either way, unless you feel like going into a cave you might not come out of, we can't follow him there.""I could just pump the whole thing full of plasma and you could seal it up with protosteel. He'd have a fun time getting out, I'm sure.""Let's do it.""Right. Give me a moment." Grochi looked down the hole, eyeing it for a moment, before nodding, slightly."This should be fun. And tiring." He held out his hands, plasma emanating from the space just before them, and shooting for the hole like water from a hose. Like blood from a broken artery, for you more gore-oriented types out there.It took a few minutes, but Grochi finally expended himself. The hole had a bit of light coming from within, there was a nasty hissing and bubbling, what may have been a scream from a Nui-Jaga, and one rather tired and still grumpy Grochi."Alright. Seal it up, then let's go get some food. I'm really, really hungry right now."Perkahn did so without any further comment, save for, "and some ale. A lot of it.""Milk stout for me."

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayGa-Koro"Just because I can keep a secret doesn't mean you should come to me first," Kynaera chided. "If Ketan's a good leader, he will have noticed Baruk's isolation... In case he hasn't noticed, you should tell him."She turned from Dico to stare into the depths of the crowd outside the open hotel doorway, her left hand propped on the edge of the table behind her, her right holding the fruit to her mouth so she could take another bite.

[Parugi]

IC - Decaia - Ga-Koro Main Square: While Ketan and Anthyn were speaking with the approaching Skakdi and Hahli, Decaia had opted to keep a closer eye on the surrounding area. Easy enough of a task as it was to do, given his position in relation to the Turaga's hut, he didn't have much of a choice given the whole "watch each other's back" thing.

 

Still, it was probably a good idea that he was. A fairly inconspicuous Matoran had made his way toward the two Arete, only to leap at Ketan as soon as he was close enough to do so. Decaia acted quickly, reaching out to the water surrounding the hut and lashing out with a whip of water, striking the Matoran in his side and knocking him to the ground, away from Nokama's guards. Decaia--Toa 'Caidae'--simply nodded at Ketan as his fellow 'Arete' threw a thankful wave to the Toa of Water.

 

Leaving the Matoran for Ketan and Anthyn to deal with, Decaia started toward another hut, looking for a position closer to Nokama's...

[WriterofReapers]

IC: Savina - Ga-Wahi Inland - Savina nearly jolted back as Salamander turned around and gave her a friendly greeting, for some reason she hadn't expected him to respond, or maybe part of her had been hoping he wouldn't. "I'm a...I'm doing alright...I guess..."

 

IC: Salamander

 

"Well, that's good to hear... Anyway, if that's all, I think I'll be going. I had no intentions of sticking around for so long, so I'm afraid I really do have to leave now. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you."

 

Salamander turned away, his Mask power already activating and his destination in mind.

 

OOC: Salamander to Ta-Koro.

[Mr. Coffee]

OOC: Italic is unintelligible to anyone without a Rau or understanding of machine code

 

 

IC: Tohi / Ga - Koro

Tohi clapped her hands. The matoran seemed to understand her this time. "Finally we're getting somewhere." she said in her own way, which seemed to be long mess of beeping and clicking. Even with the mask of translation, one has to be prepared to spend more time in a conversation with someone who only speaks binary. "Uh, hello? I'm sorry to disturb you from your duties, but could you answer few questions for me?" Tohi continued in hopeful tone of beeps, "I just reactivated and i have no clue what is going on, where do I start... Where are we and what year is it?" she finally picked two questions, following quickly with: "And if you expect something from this, all i can offer is a favor in return if you ever need it. The only thing of value i have left is my blade, and the two of us will only part in death." she said, stroking the handle attached to what was believed to be belt gently. "So if you are a business man, please kindly continue whatever you were doing before the matoran disturbed you." she said, trying not to sound overly offensive.

 

She felt miserable. Although she would try to help them, she figured she would not like beggars, and now she was forced to act like one. But it's a shame she will have to bear for now. Furthemore, she was hungry, which was understandable after spending great spirit knows how long buried in the sand, but her body was still hurting so much just the thought of food nearly made her stomach turn inside out. The newly arriving matoran holding a piece of fruit didn't help at all, and her mask was useless in easing her own pain. Tohi didn't feel good about her chances were she left to her own devices over night in this alien world. To crown that, her armor was beyond busted, and the new Toa's looked like it would fare a lot better even if her own was brand new. Just how long has she been out? From the looks of things, it could have been hundreds if not thousands of years.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Nohiki

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

Hmm. She speaks an older version of the machine code that the Vortixx sometimes used. How interesting. Mila's eyebrows fell, thinking of how best to word what he was to say. A few moments later he had it figured out, and his eyebrows rose again, his face taking on it's smile.

 

"We are on the island of Mata-Nui, so named for the Great Spirit who protects us," he said, grandiosely, in a typical diplomat's fashion. "And it is the year eleven-hundred after the Reawakening. For us, of course," he added with a small smile. "You appear to have awoken rather recently." He thought for a moment, again, before nodding.

 

"Now, I need no favours in return...but you look like you need your armour and weapon fixed up a bit, and a bit of food as well." And I hope to Mata-Nui that she understands me.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Dorian (Ga-Koro)

 

Ga-Koro was still celebrating: Turaga Nokama lived, at least for now.

 

That meant that Grokk could still, technically, be anywhere. With that in mind, I clung to the crowds, blending in perfectly with the assortment of Matoran, Toa, and even the occasional friendly Skakdi or Vortixx. The Toa Arete were scattered here and there, keeping watch. I saw a Toa of Air and that wench Anthyn across the plaza, though they couldn't see me: to be honest, I didn't even feel a lot of ill will towards them. It wasn't in me. There was Grokk, next to them, probably trying to sweet talk his way into Nokama's hut and making bird jokes to Anthyn's face. Attaboy. Don't get yourself killed. I <3 you.

 

Flank the fruit stand. By the docks, a band is playing, loud and boisterous to the point where I kind of want to just run up and bonk each of them right square on the top of the dome. The music's party music, though, and it kind of put a spring in my step as I walked towards one of the several drink stands and looked around. I was about to just order something sweet for myself, but then I saw her. Kynaera. She was talking to a Toa of Plantlife she obviously wanted nothing to do with at the present moment and generally looking alone and frustrated. A crack, left of center, ran down my blackened heart, and I signaled for two drinks, paying an extra ten widgets to go over and have it delivered straight to Ky.

 

I took out a small piece of paper and scribbled a note, which was quickly affixed to the lemony drink, waiting patiently to be read: To the lovely Toa Arete Kynaera, please, please, please drink this. Vitamin C is good for you. Can't wait to catch up: I have all the time in the world.

 

The waitress moved over to the Toa of Gravity at the snack table and handed her the drink, pointing and gesturing at the note, and for some reason I couldn't quite explain, I smiled.

 

-Tyler

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi/Ga - Koro

 

The Toa in front of her took a little time to speak, but when he did, smile appeared on Tohi's face. His words made sense. It wasn't exactly the same, but what he said was more of a different accent than entirely foreign language. After the first few words, she adapted well enough to understand the rest. To her dismay, understanding didn't help that much. The name of the Great Spirit seemed familiar, but land named after him? Unheard of. The answer to her other question provided even less satisfaction. They used their own base of time. But in the very least, she could calibrate her inner clock to local time.

 

 

To her surprise (And great relief), the other Toa extended an offer to help. She would be stupid to refuse, yet she wasn't about to completely trust a stranger who just shown up. "You are too kind, Toa, to offer aid to a complete stranger. I do not even know whom i should thank? What is your name?" she asked in a curious tone, her eyes measuring the Toa of Iron. She was sure she would fall should he decide to attack her. She sighed, mentally cursing herself for assuming there was no good left in the world. "I know it is not polite to ask for someone's name without introducing yourself, but... I have no idea who I am! These two seem to have come up with one for me, one that i can't even pronounce let alone understand, but i guess any name is better than none, so let's go with that." she apologized.

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

"My name is Mila," the Toa of Iron introduced himself, still gently smiling. "And yes, they call you Tohi, their own little...play on words, I suppose," he said, shooting a friendly glare to the two Marines near him. "A portmanteau meaning something similar to 'Not like a Toa.' Somewhat interesting, I suppose." He shrugged, stepping over to the door.

 

"Come, let's find you something to eat. We can finish this discussion later."

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Ga-Wahi -

Savina was getting nervous, well...more nervous than before. Like a timid rahi she'd gained a little trust in Malik because he had helped her and fed her. Salamander she trusted even less, she had kept her distance. Though it was alright, she could handle it, she was fine.

Or, maybe not. She'd been away from Anthyn for quite some time now; her desire to find her again was becoming unbearable. Besides that Salamander had left and it was just Malik, as much as she appreciated the food he'd given her she had to go. She figured by now the guards who had chased her out of Ga-koro had to have long forgotten all about her. It was time for her to return. Silently she began to creep away from Malik, who seemed distracted by Salamander's leaving. Her skills at stealth were coming in handy as she slipped away unnoticed.

***

Soon enough Savina was at the gates of Ga-koro. She found that there the place was surprisingly vacant. She entered to koro, wondering where everyone was. She soon found out, there was much cheering and celebration in the square. Savina wasn't sure what the celebration was for but it seemed to center around one of the larger huts, which Savina guessed belongs to the village elder or someone similar. Savina, being one who had lived in the wild with just the Rahi for company had little interest in any of this. She just wanted to find Anthyn, around her she at least felt more…complete, a forever side effect of having her soul taken from her and given to Anthyn, as well as the souls of six others. She could just as well live without a soul and go back to her old life in the jungle, probably. But something inside her just wouldn't be content with that.

Savina knew Anthyn was in Ga-koro, she could sense it. The question was where exactly? It was important to note that Anthyn's mask granted her the powers of illusion, she could easily look like anyone. Savina, for all her faults and fears, still had the mind of a hunter. Any good hunter knows that to draw the attention of your prey, you have to give it bait.

Savina would be her own bait, no doubt Anthyn still had some interest in her, why else would she have allowed Savina to accompany her before? All she had to do was stick around, make herself noticable, Anthyn would come to her soon enough.

OOC: Open for interaction I suppose. :3

Edited December 30, 2012 by Snelly

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayGa-Koro"Excuse me -- uh, miss?"Kynaera's impassive stare must have unsettled the approaching Ga-Matoran waitress, because she hesitated before approaching the Toa of Gravity to hand her a glass of lemonade. "For you, miss," she said, and turned to leave."Who bought this for me?"The Matoran stopped, her escape stymied, and turned back round. Kynaera was examining the glass and the paper adhered to its side. "A Toa of Iron, he looked like," she said. "Calix. Very handsome young man, bright smile, athletic..." She caught herself before she got too poetic, straightened her posture, added, "There's a note there, too, um, from him," and glided away with what remained of her dignity.Kynaera peeled the paper off the glass. It was damp, but its message was still legible.To the lovely Toa Arete Kynaera, please, please, please drink this. Vitamin C is good for you. Can't wait to catch up: I have all the time in the world."If this is Ketan's idea of a joke--"She glanced to the nearest lemonade stand, the one across the street, and stopped. There, leaning against the stand with a smile copied from a professional model and bright eyes to match, was Dorian. He winked. Kynaera swallowed."I'll be back," she said over her shoulder to Dico. She tossed the pit of her fruit into a trash bin on her way out.The crowd was still thick as ever, but the citizens of Ga-Koro made sure to get out of Kynaera's way as she approached. Some of them glanced questioningly at her, maybe wondering why she hadn't participated in the festivities. Her cool gaze was all the answer they needed: She was a hero; she had no time for fun and games when evil remained afoot.Of course, Dorian saw through her disguise. Some things never changed.When Kynaera emerged on the other side of the masses, lemonade untouched in the glass in her hand, she had to pause a moment to sort her thoughts."Hi," she said finally. "I'm, uh... glad you're not dead." Not the best conversation starter, but it would have to do.

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi

 

Tohi thought about the sound of her nickname a few times. That didn't sound too terrible, though she refrained from trying to actually say the name out loud. And she liked the meaning behind it - It was sincere, accurate, yet not offensive. She was nothing but different from the Toa of Iron she followed. To her it appeared like she traveled to the future. But on second thought, the huts the matoran occupied seemed strangely primitive. She would have assumed that a thousand of years would be sufficient time to develop at least industrial society. Something was off with this island.

 

 

"Thank you for your help, Mila." she said, waving the matoran goodbye. At least the marines understood that, saluting in response. "You mentioned you have been here for quite some time, yet these houses are primitive. Is something holding the matoran back? Huge taxes maybe?" she asked, unnaturally curious for her attitude. But right now, she wanted to know as much about the place she would call home from now on as possible, and her guide looked like he didn't mind. "And this piece of history is beyond repair, i'm afraid. It is not even complete, parts of it fell off while i walked here." she said, waving her arm over it, "I can do without armor for now. I don't think i could handle myself in combat. Not yet anyway." she thought out loud.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Nohiki

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

"Then you will require new armour," Mila said in reply to her comment about her armour being beyond repair. "And on an island like this, everybody needs armour. As to the seemingly primitive society..." he stopped for a moment, and nearly laughed. "We just like to live in huts like that. However, there is something that I will explain later, that accounts for quite a bit of the danger and lack of unity there is here."

 

He strode forwards, again, on to a small street stand selling a simple noodle dish, and he pulled out some widgets.

 

"Knowing your, eh, speech impediment, you'll likely have to tell me whatever meal you want," he said quietly. "But don't worry, the food is perfectly safe here."

[Padishah Mehmet II]

IC: (Ga-Koro)

Meanwhile on the streets Cylund, despite the band playing loudly, woke with altogether another song playing in his heid, as it is known in Ko-Koro. He was not particularly sure on what the song's lyrics meant, but, no doubt, they were the solution to some grandiose philosophical conundrum upon the solving of which you would achieve nirvana.

 

they're taking the hobbits to isengard!

gard gard g-g-gard gard

they're taking the hobbits to isengard!

gard gard g-g-gard gard

 

Not at all putting aside his considerations on what may be meant by the deep mind of whoever wrote this genius piece of music that was currently for some utterly random reason playing in his head, Cylund removed himself to the nearest fruit stand when---

 

"HEEEEEEY!" he yelled to Dorian, who was just flanking the aforementioned stand. "I know you! We drank together. What was your name again... Drivelan? Derrean? Juan Pablo?"

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi

 

"Something dry and light please. Herbal if possible." Tohi replied, swallowing her dignity, "I'm still aching all over. Believe me, growing back together after lying in pieces for decades hurts. May you never suffer the same fate, Toa Mila." she said, and her hand instinctively drawn a hexagram in a circle over his forehead. She knew it was a good luck blessing, though how did she knew still eluded her. "You seem troubled about the dangerous thing. If you do not wish to talk about it, don't." she whispered compassionately. "Although if you happened to have language book for young children, i could use one so you won't have to shadow me around." she gave a weak smile, "I feel like such a bother."

 

The water village seemed like a good place to stay. It was her native element of course, but for some reason she felt better close to the shore. But she wanted to see it all. As far as she could see there was land, only a small portion of the place opened to the sea, suggesting to her the village was located in some sort of a bay. This was no small island. Even the village seemed crowded. Of course, her definition of crowded was more than five other people, but the sheer amount of people here gave her the creeps, especially were somebody to ask her something. She didn't need to feel more awkward than she currently did.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Nohiki

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Dorian (Ga-Koro)

 

"You caught me," I purred, leaning against the stand as Cylund came into view, obscenely, dangerously, gloriously drunk. "It's me, Juan Pablo. How you been, Cyborg--?"

 

"Hi. I'm, uh... glad you're not dead."

 

Kynaera.

 

"You look stunning."

 

No. Wait. I didn't...I wasn't supposed to say that. Flustered. You're flustered, Dor, stop. Calm down. Try not to think that this might actually be the last time you ever see Kynaera, the last time you ever stumble over words trying to say something witty or poetic, the last time you ever lose yourself in those spring green eyes...

 

"I mean...I am, too. And...yeah. You...look great."

 

-Tyler

Edited December 30, 2012 by Tyler Durden

[Padishah Mehmet II]

IC: (Ga-Koro)

Throughout the crooked kingdomsI watch the weather change

The clouds collide on either side

As nations rearrange

 

The changing of music playing in Cylund's head was almost philosophical. If he had been snowboarding and/or fighting a giant rabid Rahi at the time, he'd probably think of some meaning. Right now, however, he was far more interested in thinking of the philosophical meaning of the exchange before him. Here was Pablo, and then a quite pretty she-Toa right before him, and frankly, the equation here was not one of much difficulty to solve. Sure, it might have seemed otherwise, but by now, that unconsciousness had cured Cylund of a good few hangovers.

 

"Right, uh," he murmured, albeit loud enough for them to hear. "You two, Juan and... beautiful, don't mind me, I'll just... get a drink. Uh, you," he gestured to the guy at the stall, "gimme some kiwi juice."

Edited December 30, 2012 by Leon Davidovich Trotsky

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayGa-KoroKynaera didn't blink at Dorian's compliment or at the ramblings of the stranger beside them. Her eyes were fixed on Dor's arm. "Your timestamp is gone?"

Edited December 30, 2012 by Legolover-361

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Dorian (Ga-Koro)

 

My eyes followed hers down to my right arm, where the Timestamp had once rested: in its place was the stark black ink that had started on the back of my right hand and then slid upwards, like a cancer, over my arm, shoulders, collarbone, pectorals, and was currently stopped cold at my left elbow. I saw Kynaera tracing what little of the patterns she could see, and I shrugged easily, leaning against the stand and sipping my own lemonade.

 

"About as gone as those dorky hipster mask attachment things you used to wear," I replied cheekily.

 

-Tyler

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

Mila nodded, slightly, turning to the owner of the stand.

 

"One order of Shahe fen noodles for her," he said, nodding his head to Tohi, "With light soy sauce, and no meat-just your vegetables, basically. And I'll take some beef chao fen, myself." The stand-man nodded, taking hold of the widgets Mila gave him for the food, and quickly preparing the dishes in a typical fashion for a Toa of Fire: theatrically.

 

And soon Mila and Tohi were sitting at a small table in the centre of the Koro, eating their dishes slowly-one because he liked to savour the food, the other because she hadn't eaten in who-knows-how-long, watching the hustle and bustle of the Koro around them.

 

"I'll have to think a bit on teaching you to speak Matoran," Mila said, breaking the silence. "I haven't actually written a book to teach the language before. At least, not to a beginner like yourself. We all speak pretty much the same, and all dialects are mutually intelligible."

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayGa-KoroMask attachments. Karzahni, that was so long ago. Back when--She stopped. No. Don't think about back then. Thinking so far back would only bring her pain. "It was only for a month," she chided, reestablishing eye contact with Dorian. "If anything, your new tattoo is sillier."

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi

 

The centre of the village was a mayhem. Tohi figured she has arrived just in time for some celebration, judging from the decoration all around, thought the point of the celebration seemed to be missing, and the party had devolved into drinking contest. She could also see remnants of a brawl, but she couldn't see any blood spilled and decided nobody needed her help. And surely, they had healers before she came. Why did she feel obliged to help anyway? Because she could? She needed to stop wondering who she used to be and start thinking about who she is going to be. Surely, helping others seemed like a good way of life, bu this place seemed a little bit more depending on currency than she would have liked. Like it or not, she is going to have to find a job sooner rather than later. Her mysterious knowledge of healing seemed t be the only option. Surely a toa could lend themselves out es mercenaries, but she wasn't anywhere near the shape to defend herself, let alone anyone else. A thought crossed her mind.

 

 

"Glad to provide distraction and diversity." the water Toa smiled. "What is it that you do? Surely a toa of iron is not a librarian or a writer. A hobby?" she guessed, trying out the food. Sallowing was hard, but she was getting better with every bite. Surely her body needed materials to reconstruct itself, she reminded herself. "Maybe i could help you with something. Anything. I just need to take my mind off of what's happening." she sighed, resting her head in her palms. "I should have stayed buried."

[ARROW404]

IC: HaroThe Matoran of Water shyly remained at the door for the conversation, feeling a little out of place. Especially considering the strange language the two Toa were speaking. His eyes wandered over the Toa of Water's rusty armor, idly wondering if he might be able to touch it up with some coral carvings. When the two Toa got up to leave, he called out uncertainly, "Uhm, if the Toa of Water requires a place to stay, I do have a spare room. With a bit of touching up it could..." His voice trailed off. He wasn't sure if they'd heard him, or if it would have made a difference either way. Shrugging, he wandered the Koro again for a little bit before hopping into the water to observe the wildlife below, and maybe pick up a nice piece of coral for carving later.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Dorian (Ga-Koro)

 

"It's important," I replied defensively. Reverently, almost. I wasn't sure why, but the tattoo felt...right. Like it was meant to be. I know what you're thinking, I know, prettyboy's got jungle fever for a bunch of tattoos like his father figure, but the ink along my arms and upper body felt more important than anything had to me in ages, like it led to something that only I could truly decipher. What could only I decipher that had never been deciphered before?

 

The only logical answer I could come up with was me. Well, if that ain't a...

 

"Point is, for now, I'm alive and fine."

 

-Tyler

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

"Me?" Mila asked, slightly surprised, before smiling. "Well, half of what I do involves linguistics of all kinds, as well as translation work for that which isn't understood by most. I also write quite a bit on the subject, and on more besides. After that, I am a smith, and I have been for many years." He chuckled, slightly, before taking another bite of his food.

 

"It's a rather typical profession for one of my breed...and you, Tohi, are a little small to be a smith. Though remaining buried isn't a good wish for yourself either. Now perk up, eat your food, I'll set up arrangements so that you have a place to sleep tonight that isn't a floating piece of driftwood, and we can get on to figuring out just what you're good at, eh?"

[Nuju Metru]

OOC: Jam between Eyru, Grav, EW, Tyler, and me. Enjoy the ridiculous length.

 

IC:Ketan smiled at the Skakdi, who approached them carrying Hahli on his shoulders, although inside he wasn't exactly thrilled to see the toothy creature. Though he usually savoured the adoration and attention he received, now was a time for scheming, not idle chatter.He opened his mouth to reply, but an odd sight caught his eye. Behind the Skakdi/Matoran combo, a small, green Matoran was sprinting up to them, clutching a scroll in one hand and a knife in another.The Toa of Air raised his hand to blast the Matoran away, but Decaia -or, rather Caidae­- beat him to it. The Toa of Water lashed out with a whip drawn from the ocean, knocking the Matoran to the ground.At the same time, a series of firecrackers were launched from the opposite side of the village, whizzing and popping and filling the air with colorful sparks, drawing the entire village's attention away from the main square.Ketan seized his chance, and called forth a mighty gust of wind that swooped out of the sky and blew the would-be assassin far out to sea, landing with a splash a few kio out from shore. Nobody saw; they all were busy oohing and aahing over the fireworks.“Yes, it is a nice day,” Ketan agreed, a sparkle of genuine good humor lighting in his eye. “You and Hahli look like you are... enjoying the celebrations.”It was true. The Ga-Matoran's grin was almost as wide as the Skakdi's.

 

"Oh, we are," I (Grokk, in case you'd somehow forgotten) said, toothy as ever. "Aren't we, Birdie?"

 

"That's right," Hahli said. "We totally are."

 

Anthyn regarded the Skakdi with some amount of suspicion, but the presence of Hahli perched like a bird on his shoulders served enough to allow Lust some degree of allowance for the man. The Valkyr smiled at the two with slightly artificial form and asked, "What'd your favorite part be of the festivities so far?"

 

"Well, you know me, Toa Anthyn!" Hahli chirped from atop the shoulders of Grokk, keeping the inner bubbling pit of disgust she held for the pig-like "sapient being" holding her disguised underneath an aura of good cheer and a genuine-looking smile. "After such a long period of rebuilding, weeding out trouble, giving Ga-Koro something to look forward to for every tomorrow...it's nice to be able to relax a bit. Good music, good food, friends and family..."

 

"And of course, our good leader back," I agreed, laughing with convincing panache. "That's the most important thing. It's nice to see you fellas and ladies doing the Koro some gratuitous service; like me. I'm a Matoran Pony, see how much fun it is."

 

The golden-armored Toa of Plasma turned towards the approaching duo, head tilted to the side slightly. He had heard a splash, but paid it no mind. There wasn't exactly a smile on Embok's face, but his strong features weren't warped into a frown. It was about as impassive as one could possibly get. He nodded slowly to the pair, recognizing the Matoran perched on the Skakdi's shoulders as Hahli, one of the Ga-Matoran villagers.“I see,” was his only reply, eying the Skakdi with a slightly raised eyebrow.

 

"So tell me, shiny," I said, addressing the impertinent bling-ball who had just spoken. "How'd you get this gig, huh? Was it on a volunteer basis, or were you assigned by some rent-a-guard agency to stake out this plot of lily pad, or what?"

 

Embok didn't seem all that pleased with his new nickname, shown on his face with the slight frown forming. “No,” he stated coldly. Toa were generally supposed to inspire the Matoran, but it didn't seem like a 24/7 thing for the Toa of Plasma. “I volunteered, because it is my duty.” Embok had failed once before, and it wasn't like him to do so again.

 

"Whaddabout you, Wings?" I persisted, cheery as ever. "Same deal?"

 

"I and the other Arete are here to creaye and preserve order when there was none. You could say it is our duty to be wardens paramount of this village, too," Anthyn said. "Mata Nui needs its heroes." She shrugged. "We saw a need and fit right in. This job is only a part of our responsibility to Ga-Koro. "And how did you end up being a party pony?" she asked in return. "Did you volunteer for it or are you for hire?"

 

"Depends on who's asking for a ride," I said, winking. "But I figure that this guard job you're all doing looks more important and impressive than anything else, especially playing horsie. Mind if I join up? I think I could be of some help here."

 

"No, thank you," Anthyn said, straining to be polite. "I think we have this covered between the three of us."

 

"The safety of our Turaga is paramount," Ketan added, keeping his cool much better than the Valkyr. "I'm sure you understand."

 

I didn't even pay attention to the nice one. I went straight back to Wings, a knowing smile growing on my face. She tried to hide behind snootiness, but I saw her realize what I'd picked up on, too. "You said 'the three of us,' not the five," I chuckled. "What about the two marines, eh? Are they chopped liver? Not to say that they're not; they're more for show, we all know that; pint-sized morale troopers, that's all." I drew face-to-face with Wings, my smile all the wider as she leaned back slightly from my teeth. "But no, that's just it: you don't think of the marines as a part of this your group. So, if you don't consider those marines part of your posse, part of doing whatever it is you need 'covered,' then that means you're not here for the same reason as they are. And I'm much easier inclined to believe those chicks with sticks down their small intestines are the ones who are honest about their intentions here."I could see in Wings' face that I had struck some kind of nerve; I was right. "So that really begs the question," I said, leaning in close. "What is it you're here to do? I think I know, and I think it's the same reason I'm here."

 

"We are the Toa Arete," Anthyn replied stiffly. "We protect this village and direct the Marines as their heaviest hammers of justice. We are the Guard just as much as the Matoran are. There are two Toa here and myself, and when I say we don't need your services I mean we don't need your services. And we don't give rides to Matoran, Skakdi, so unless you have another purpose on your mind then we don't have the same reason to stand here."

 

Embok's eyes narrowed as the Skakdi drew up to the angel-like being Anthyn. Wouldn't he just leave them alone? He had to forcefully calm his growing temper. He couldn't afford for the hot temperment common to those of his element to get the best of him, not while he was standing guard over Nokama. His annoyance was clear on his not-so-impassive face, but the Toa of Plasma otherwise remained unmoving.

 

The Toa of Air stepped into the rapidly escalating situation, gently but firmly pushing Grokk back. “That's enough,” he said, his red eyes meeting the Skakdi's. “If we are here for the same reason, then perhaps you had best explain yourself, else you may leave and go back to whatever you were busy with before you started insulting my comrades.”

 

"I don't think 'insulting' is accurate," I said, throwing my hands up in subtly sarcastic shock. "I think a more fair term is 'gracing my comerades with your conversation.' I am an excellent conversationalist, you know; I once entertained the Grand Archduke Sir Bacon Willoughsby of Lesser Suffix for more than three days just with my mouth. My words, that is to say, you gutter-mind." I grinned and continued."I've been called many things in my life," I said. "Most of them quite flattering, but also occasionally terms like low-life, pinchpocket, or, I dunno, contract killer get thrown around." They exchanged a glance but did nothing else. Birdie almost called out in shock, but I quickly grabbed her off my shoulders, unceremoniously lowered her to the ground, and held her mouth shut with one hand. She squirmed but I clacked my teeth and she stopped. Nice and cooperative; it was almost disappointing, considering her sassiness earlier. Since these 'Arete' hadn't snagged me yet, I continued, encouraged."Let's be real, here, people. I see through your charade as easily as an Akaku directed at an attractive woman's garments. You aren't selling me on the whole 'helpers of Ga-Koro' deal. There's only one reason I could think of why you'd be standing guard over the house of such an important person - you're here to make sure she leaves again in a box, just like me, and whatever the reasoning behind that may be, I honestly don't care. I just figure this whole sitch can easily be a win-win."

 

There was a small sound of metal grasping metal, as Embok wrapped a hand around his longsword's hilt. As of now, containing his white-hot temper was beginning to seem like a hopeless task. How /dare/ this Skakdi accuse the Toa Arete of such things! Those that had protected his village from infected rahi. Those that had swept through the streets and ridding the village of crime. Those that had relit a dying hope. His arm tensed, and his hand gripped the hilt tighter. The air had yet to take on a ionic smell that often went along with his rising temper, but it seemed it was only a matter of time now.

 

Hahli, meanwhile, was seemingly helpless in the grip of Grokk. Contract killer hadn't been on the list of things she'd assumed the Skakdi to be, if she had to be honest with herself. Petty thief? Wasn't a stretch of the imagination? Some sort of kidnapper, perhaps, someone after a quick ransom? That was probable, too. But apart from the massive, rapid bursts of hot air that flew from his mouth as though his head was hooked up to a hot air balloon, the Marine hadn't assumed the Skakdi was truly dangerous.That had been her first - and only - mistake. Protect Nokama became the only thing on the Ga-Matoran's mind, and so, for now, she held her tongue and began to bide her time. For the sake of Ga-Koro, she had to keep her head, and so she did, relinquishing herself to Grokk's grip reluctantly.

 

The Toa of Air locked eyes with the Skakdi, his gaze so intense that surely the air between the two was going to burst into flame. Finally, he shrugged, and stood aside, giving Grokk a clear line of sight to the door. “You're smarter than you look, Skakdi. Go ahead. I think you're right: we can all benefit from this.”

 

Embok's and Hahli's eyes widened, but before either of them could move, Anthyn pushed the golden Toa against the wall of the hut, her arm cutting off his breath, her talons at his throat; meanwhile, Grokk tightened his grip on the Ga-Matoran, covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. Most of the village was still watching the fireworks bursting in the twilight over the bay; anyone who wasn't wouldn't be able to make out anything odd about the scene. Hahli was hidden behind the bulky Skakdi, and Anthyn look like she was merely having a friendly conversation with Embok.

 

“Listen to me, and listen well,” Ketan hissed. “Nokama will die tonight; there is nothing you can do to stop it. It is is as good as written in the stars, and, believe me, it is good. She was holding this village back from its true potential. However, you now have a choice: you can reveal this treachery to the village, and in doing so plunge their spirits to the very depths of karzahni; or you can keep quiet and let them keep their hope in the Toa Arete.”Ketan knew he had them cornered: if they revealed to the Matoran that the Arete were willing to let their Turaga die, the village would shatter. All hope would be gone. On the other hand, if they kept quiet, they would lose their Turaga but keep the heroes, and in doing so keep the Koro's hope alive.

 

"Much obliged," I said, tilting my head to the cooperative one. "I knew someone here had enough sense to fill a piggybank. Hey, someone give me a hand with this Birdie. Make sure she doesn't sing while I take out the trash." The Toa of Air grabbed her mouth-first from me, and held her in place like I had. I snagged the keys off his waist as he did so, opened the door, and went inside the hut. I closed the thing behind me for privacy's sake.My target was up and about, rearranging some hefty and boring-looking books on a shelf. If that's what she did for fun, I mean hey, death would be a sweet release. As the door shut again, I got her attention. I bore a large smile and carried my hands respectfully behind my back. It was also a pragmatic choice - my gun was back there, ready for my usual lightning-draw. "Good evening, Turaga," I said. "I've been sent in here to ask what your fluid eloquence would like for dinner. The chefs have volunteered several items on the menu, including tonight's special: fileted Ruki fish, squeeze of lemon, side of frog entrails. Be warned, though, those entrails are hallucinogenic, so be careful... We also have fruit bowls, shrimp cocktails (with live shrimp!) and more."Throughout my little speech, Nokama watched me with equal measures curiosity and caution - I'm sure she didn't know what to make of this whole thing. It was that look of bemusement that gave me the go. I swung up my gun, fired with (typically) impeccable accuracy, and hit Nokama with one of my special blue Zamor spheres.See, the explosive kind is awful boring, garish; I prefer my signature style of sphere, both for its myriad of uses and the fact that it's mine: the Containment Sphere. Exhibited on Nokama: when the blue ball smacked her in the face, the Zamor's shell ruptured, became a rapidly expanding sphere of blue energy that was as strong as protosteel (while it lasted) and as shock-absorbent as a bouncy ball. Nokama would be captured inside until either the sphere dissolved (in a few minutes), or I dissolved it myself with one of my counteractive acid spheres.

 

Through the blue membrane of the sphere, I saw Nokama's shock become anger, and unfortunately her irateness translated in more than just facial language... Before my eyes, Nokama and her slug buddy transformed inside the bubble into a darker, sharper, thinner, lankier, and overall less friendly-looking being with red eyes and a kitchen set for fingers. Shoulda taken the lethal headshot earlier, huh. Nokama-Beastie squirmed around in the Containment Sphere, hacking at it with what looked to be a lot of strength. More of a challenge, right? I didn't like the look of those fingers, I tell you that.While I waited, I changed spheres in my weapon, opting for acid shots now, read a few pages of stuff from her library - fascinating stuff about the life cycles of geothermal rahi germs, I could hardly stay awake - and plucked up her trident. I mean hey, I love irony, and what's better than dying at the hand of your own weapon?

 

Finally, the sphere visibly thinned, and Ugly over there noticed. She thrashed about with even more speed and eagerness; I stood poised to take my shot just as soon as the bubble broke. It did. I fired at where Ugly's face had been. My acid sphere hit nothing but wall. Yipes.I barely registered the blur running on the inside of the wall like a super speedy spider before it was upon me, slashing with its sharp digits at my quick shins. I leaped aside in time, barely caught one of the hands in the prong of the trident by stabbing the thing into the ground, and tried to take another shot while Ugly was pinned, but she was too fast and too strong, and she wrenched the trident aside like it was a toothpick, sending me sprawling off-balance. I turned that sprawl into an agile roll over one of her tables, and flipped the table on its side to be used as cover. Some help that was - she broke through the wooden thing in one blow, like a battering ram, but I hadn't pretended the table was gonna protect me. No, it was to buy me time. I changed shots again, quick as a wink, and did what that box store always told me to do: "contained myself."Ugly was hilariously frustrated by the blue shield I resided in. If I knew anything about the Paraphrase Slugs, or whatever, it was that they gave the host super everything, but that those enhancements had to fail sooner or later - maybe about ten minutes? Sounds right. She had been in her own sphere for about three. We'd scrabbled for maybe ten seconds. My bubble would last me another three minutes. I just had to keep burning time.

 

Forced against the hut unexpectedly by Anthyn, Embok's hand was shoved away from his longsword. His breath was ragged, and the talons were pressing into his throat, while his eyes burned like the suns. His entire world had just been flipped, leaving him in a daze. The Arete had just... The couldn't have... They weren't...Something snapped within the Toa of Plasma. Something that had been weakened from past hurts. Something that had been mended with the arrival of the Arete. Something that he had clung to in times of need. Something that held him up when things would have otherwise dragged him to the ground. Hope.Embok's hope had been shattered. His hope for the Toa Arete. His hope for the village of Ga-Koro. His hope for the entire island of Mata Nui. His hope for the Great Spirit. The betrayal of the Arete had been more than enough to break such a fragile thing. It had pushed him over the edge and beyond. His sense of confusion had washed away under a torrent of pure, burning anger. Rage. He had trusted the Arete. He had believed in them. He had defended them. They had been his last hope in the concept of good on the island. What good? There wasn't any good left.Embok's armorless hand curled into a tight fist, his white-hot rage now growing unchecked. “You monster,” he spat through clenched teeth at the Toa of Air. He didn't dare make a move. Embok did not fear death himself, it was a fear he had lost long ago. Death would bring peace, but Embok wasn't ready for that yet. But they had Hahli. The Toa of Plasma wouldn't risk another's life.“A false hope is no better than no hope at all!”A false hope.It was all the Arete had been and were.

 

False hope.Had Hahli not been held by Ketan and Anthyn, beings who once seemed like godsends, here to mold Ga-Koro in the image of the Great Spirit and who now bore souls blackened and brittle, like trees in the Charred Forest of Ta-Wahi, she would have cried. She had worked alongside these people; Ketan, from the moment he had walked into her office inquiring about the Mark Bearers, had been so smooth, promised so much while never really promising anything at all, and Ga-Koro had been saved.Salvation, though, was always temporary. There was no such thing as keeping something safe forever. Salvation came along for all of a second, which could turn into a minute, which could turn into an hour, or so forth. The Arete had turned Ga-Koro's darkest hour into its hour of salvation, and now, as the hour's close drew near, she was trapped.Trapped. The Skakdi had been right: she was no Marine.If it were not for her pride, her desire to look strong in the final moments of Turaga Nokama, the woman who had been like a mother to her, she would have cried. As it was, she was speechless, caught in Ketan's grip.

 

The moment my protective bubble dissolved, I jumped upwards as high as my limber legs could take me, which Ugly probably hadn't foreseen, and hit myself with /another/ Containment Sphere in midair. I could this was extremely aggravating to my enemy, not only because I'd cleverly prevented her from turning me into meatloaf, but also because the Grokk-Bubble, created in the air, came down on one of her clawed feet; it probably hurt a little bit, what with the repeated and heavy bouncing. But Nokama was far from disabled; she was still in the middle of her angsty slugging (geddit?) state, and her eyes looked meaner than ever.Just using a flick of her leg - that was the really crazy part - Nokama dislodged her foot. In the same movement she irresistibly rolled my elastic blue ball to the wall, which it bounced off of, sending a topsy-turvy me rocketing back towards her. Ugly was ready; she threw her whole weight against the kick this time, sending me spinning up to the ceiling. Like a motorcycle in a cage, my safety sphere rolled around the inside of the domed structure, building speed and then (with some steering by yours truly), colliding head-on into the Turaga-thing. She was fast, but not fast enough, and with all the kinetic force of my object in motion (lookit me, all scientific today), she was thrown back against the strengthened wall of her hut, leaving a sizable dent. I hope nobody else heard the bell-like "dong" noise.Nokama got up, in a hunched but ready stance, but I could tell I had winded her. She looked suddenly tired. I also stood, combating dizziness, fell into the side of my ball, rolling it to one side - experimentally, honest, not just accidentally - and I saw Nokama responded, but not with her usual speed. Her exhaustion, it was clear, was my best friend here. I fumbled around blindly in my bag and changed mags, getting my acid shots loaded. Nokama's fingers started to shorten, and her posture improve. Ch-yes; I had successfully waited out the beast.I grinned, pulled my gun, and shot an acid Zamor carelessly at somewhere on the inside of my bubble. The Containment Sphere was eaten away like ice by salt from the blast point, dissolving away quickly. I stepped out of the smoking hull of my former vehicle, trying not to let the ground playing see-saw throw me off too bad. Nokama's eyes, pink now rather than red, widened; she knew she was finished. I raised my gun, winked, and fired; my dizziness made it go wide. Nokama tried to run for the door, but my second shot, more carefully delivered, pegged her good. Like a water balloon, the corrosive acid of the green sphere splattered all over her. I gave her a second sphere for good measure.I didn't waste time watching the acid eat away the Turaga's upper half. I took what was left of her corroding mask, wiped it on the ground to get rid of the stuff that would have dissolved it if left unchecked. I opened the door of the hut, and walked out as easy as you please. Birdie was still there, held securely captive by my new favorite Air Toa. What I could see of her face was slack with shock at the sight of the mask fragment in my hand. "Messier than I woulda liked," I told the 'Arete', "But done."

 

Anthyn's grip on Embok's neck tightened and she exerted a fraction of her immense strength, lifting him up effortlessly. Though he was taller than most toa Anthyn's face lingered over his a little; then they were equal and could stare into each other's eyes. And then, to Embok's surprise, the one thing that kept him safe from Anthyn's baneful grip, snapped. His collar broke at several points and he started to feel not only the incredible power of the angel's fingers but the sharp edges of the broken armor that dug into his jugular and chin just the same.Anthyn tilted her head slightly to speak into his ear. "Oh, don't scream," cooed softly, mockingly, to Embok. "Don't say anything at all. Ever. In fact I think if you said anything I would have to kill you. First I would peel your armor off like skin from a fruit, then I would slice your skin and tear your heart out. And when you see your beating, bleeding heart held in front of you, we'll see how well-placed your hope is, Embok."Her grip grew even tighter still as she whispered, "Or I could just crunch your throat here and now and drop you in for a swim. That way you can be spared from the storm that is coming. That would be almost merciful, wouldn't it? Mmmmhmmmm," she hummed. At that moment she was not Anthyn, Angel of Peace, but Lust, Valkyr of Kill-you. "Mm-hmm!"

Edited December 30, 2012 by Nuju Metru

[Legolover-361]

IC: KynaeraMiddayGa-KoroKynaera nodded, but her eyes and presence remained feeling painfully distant, even to her. Sometimes she felt like she was a puppeter, controlling her body from afar. Was this how others viewed her?"Why are you here?" she asked of Dorian.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Casa Juturna, once the site of grand festivities, gatherings of friends, and loud celebration, had been silent for weeks. In a way, this was unsurprising. The home's owner, Tillian Juturna, had himself been gone for weeks, off doing god knows what god knows where. Or at least, that was as far as his wife Emotia knew it. Emotia had taken to sitting silently in the living room, reading books or simply staring. It was, in a way, terribly reflective of the way things had gone. Once, the house had played host to a group of friends, friends forged in fire and conflict, friends thought inseparable.

 

How horribly inaccurate that had proven. Skyra was gone, traumatized and changed. For the second time the Le-Toa had departed without another word. Krayn was gone as well, off to Po-Koro with the crew of the Fowadi. No one had heard from him since. Naona was gone as well, back to Po-Koro, her place of work. Tillian, the glue that had bonded them all together, was gone, and further gone than people knew. Possessed by a force unimaginably old, whose only goal was to eradicate the unnatural from the world. Not that anyone knew that.

 

The final member of this core group hadn't spoken in weeks. Despite living in the same building as Emotia, neither of them had spoken since Tillian's abrupt departure. In fact, they seldom even saw each other. But for the first time in weeks, Liara was completely sober as she stood in her room. A small pack lay on the floor nearby, stuffed with all of the belongings she had carried with her. Her stylized mask, the only remnant of her former identity, lay on the bureau. Instead she wore a mask shaped like a Miru, even though the powers were identical. In the corner of the room a pile of bottles were neatly stacked, the remaining sign of Liara's drinking habits. They hadn't changed, merely been lessened. And even that was likely to be temporary. Old habits died hard.

 

She'd sobered up long enough to realize that she needed to leave. There was no reason to stay, no ties to keep her there. And as long as she remained, she stayed stagnant. Miserable. She kept deluding herself into thinking that things would be fixed, that things would go back to how they were. Happy, carefree times. The times before everything fell apart. But those times weren't coming back. Everyone else had moved on, and it was time she did the same.

 

Shouldering her pack, Liara activated her mask, drifting out the window, and landing lightly on the ground. The Le-Toa took one last look behind her, before turning, and walking toward Ga-Koro.

 

She didn't know where she was going, but it had to be better than where she'd been.

 

*****************************************************************************************************

 

That was weeks ago. Weeks ago that she’d started on the path to turning her life around. Well, more accurately, weeks since she’d stumbled down that path.

 

The first step, of course, had been sobering up and staying that way. In that regard, she had been mostly successful. Most of the time, she could avoid the bottle completely, and keep going about her days. On the rare occasion that she couldn’t, she was able to stop herself before she became completely drunk. No major relapses yet. That’s not to say she’d completely turned it around, but it was a start.

 

The next step was finding a place to live. With the money she had from her days as a mercenary, affordability was no issue. She eventually settled in a relatively small beach house overlooking the bay, just a brief walk from the main village. And it was from there that the first big steps were taken. The bottom floor was completely transformed from a living space into a small hospital, complete with beds, and a room for potential long term patients. The cupboards were stocked with medical supplies, ranging from bula berry cream for burns to disinfectants. Most of it she never needed, as the injuries she dealt with were rarely severe. Most commonly she dealt with sicknesses, or broken bones, perhaps a cut in need of stitches. And with the local hospital as horrible as it was, she dealt with these things often. Over the course of a few short weeks, she went from a practically unknown figure, to the preferred consultant of a large number of villagers. And she was known to almost all of them, whether they personally were her patients or not.

 

She didn’t fear the Marines anymore. Without her old mask, and without her distinctive armor, she no longer resembled the mercenary that once ranked on the most wanted list. Even her old friends would be hard pressed to recognize her, not that she ever saw any of them. Gone were the knives from her belt, gone were the many darts, instead replaced by medicine and herbs. That’s not to say she went unarmed, she still kept a few darts on her just in case, but they also served a medical purpose. And the knife hidden on her person was always ready, but had not yet been needed.

 

Not for the first time, as she walked through the village, Liara reflected on the events that had lead to up to the present. It had been a long journey, from mercenary to healer, but it had been worth it. She only wished those who had helped her along the way were still around to have seen the end of it.

 

She slipped carefully through the crowds celebrating Nokama’s return on her way to a small hut not far from the fishing docks. A Matoran had come to her earlier in the morning, their friend had come down with a fever. Since it wasn’t urgent, the Matoran had left her the address while Liara gathered a few supplies. Relatively simple problem to deal with.

 

OOC: If you feel like interacting with a former mercenary, now small town doctor, feel free.