BZPRPG - Ga-Wahi
Ga-Wahi
IC: Baszlin - Ga-Koro, Tidalpool Inn
Baszlin did not avert his eyes from the Matoran opposite him, as he spread a daub of pâté across the surface of a cracker as the latter spoke. The scrape of butter-knife serrations over the waver nearly drowned out the hushed tones of Surdo’s voice. Popping the whole thing in his mouth and crunching down on it produced much quieter sounds.
“Mmmhmmm, yesh,” came the response after a time, followed by an inaudible gulp. “Quite distinct. Dreadfully, even. Your confidence in the matter of locating this individual will suffice for now. I’ll get the information I need one way or another.”
As Surdo continued his inquiries into Baszlin’s commitment to their pact, the Skakdi carefully considered the mechanical components of his artificial limb, ensuring that no refuse had become lodged in the joints.
“Yes, yes, our agreement shall be honored by both parties,” he replied distractedly. Satisfied, he laced the fingers of both hands in front of him, and returned that amber stare to the face of the Matoran who was now remarking upon his appetite. He continued staring after the Matoran had finished his sentence, almost expectantly so, for a few moments too long before-
“Hah!” The chortle was accompanied by a sharp thump upon the table with the flat of his organic palm and a wry smile, as if there was some joke the Matoran was not privy to. “So be it.”
At that, he likewise slid out of the booth, retrieving his weapon from where it was propped up.
“Do you have further business in Ga-Koro? Or would you like to depart for… Obsidian Outpost, was it? The name rings a bell, but my memory is not quite what it once was, you see.”
IC Sigrus | Ga-Koro
"Saltwater air and the winedark sea—ahhh it doesn't get any better than this, no."
IC: Nichou [Ga-Koro]
"Is that where the name came from?"
On 2/14/2022 at 1:52 AM, Umbraline Yumiwa said:IC Yumiwa | Yukanna
"Long Dihunai," I said, finally focused and lusid enough to breathe evenly and think complex thoughts again, "tell me what ancient legends the Tajaar have of the dragons. I know your folk keep better oral traditions than the Imperial clans do."
IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Docks, Yukanna, Interior]
Dihunai had not expected the Rora's answer to be a question. She did, however, correctly predict that it would be a non-answer.
"Kanohi Dragons are the embodiment of all that we aspire to be. Strong. Wise. Free."
The ninja's posture straightened in indifference.
"But that was not a Kanohi Dragon, and I am not here to tell stories. What is your point?"
On 3/6/2022 at 12:10 PM, Vezok's Friend said:She took up position besides the Toa, and although she addressed them, her attention was still firmly on the submarine.
“That was a brave thing you did, Toa Timak; jumping in to help out strangers like that.” she commented. “And it was a nifty trick, too, letting us listen in like that. Thank you.”
[IC: Timak, Ga-Koro]
Timak noticed the Commodore approaching and picked themself off the ground, still rubbing their head gingerly. "Thanks Ma'am. It would've been a lot more nifty if it hadn't given me this pounder of a headache... I guess I need to ease myself into the new elemental stuff. No idea where my limits are yet."
They gave a small groan and slumped slightly, holstering their sonic blade. After a quick glance back to the Ryuu with an exasperated puff, they continued. "I figured a sinking ship was worth telling Toa Leah about, regardless of allegiance, and since she was so quick to dive in, I felt ok with helping out too. But the voice of the attacker on the ship... that had to be a Toa, right? I put my blind trust in Leah simply because she's a Toa, and yet there's other Toa around here doing stuff like that! I've been following people around looking for someone to teach me how to really be a Toa on this island... but maybe I should be more careful about the people I get involved with..."
Timak turned to look back into Ga-Koro.
"There are so many more faces here than I ever remember seeing back where I came from, and if some Toa aren't putting the Matoran first, then I guess they need all the help they can get. I should see what I can do to help the Matoran here..."
OOC: @Vezok's Friend
Timak is open for interaction
12 hours ago, BULiK said:Dihunai had not expected the Rora's answer to be a question. She did, however, correctly predict that it would be a non-answer. "Kanohi Dragons are the embodiment of all that we aspire to be. Strong. Wise. Free." The ninja's posture straightened in indifference. "But that was not a Kanohi Dragon, and I am not here to tell stories. What is your point?"
IC Yumiwa | Yukanna
I blinked once, then twice, as I looked up doe-eyed at my adviser's looming face. My point? I'd asked about the oral histories of the dragonkind without a leading thought. My heart still beat harshly like a small reactor that threatened to overwhelm its confines and break out of my body and its beating thrash resounded like a drum against my ribs and flushed all other sounds out of my ears. What did Dihunai mean by my "point?" Had I missed something important? The past few seconds had felt like minutes and the last minute felt like hours, but despite that feeling of vast time I could not recall what transpirations had filled those moments or what had been uttered. I'd been on the deck of the Yukanna, and then I was here, riveted to my seat by some unknowable, unseeable force that clamped my hands to the bench with such tightness that the blood was drained from my knuckles. The force, naturally—though I had not come to terms with it yet at the time—was my trauma.
The warrior seemed to notice the confusion in my empty eyes but her strength did not warble or accommodate my state of dysfunction. Instead, her eyes bored into mine and pulled my attention to her and settle on something other than my current state. She'd said something to me before I asked about the dragon lore, hadn't she? She must have, but it was all a blur. What had she said? I blinked again, trying to cobble together some semblance of lucidity through the quagmire of fog in my head.
The thought of it was first a distant memory that became clearer as I looked in Dihunai's eyes before it roared aflame in my mind — ::"What are you afraid of?"::
"What am I afraid of?" The Tajaar nodded once. "I'm scared that the Dasaka civilization is doomed to die. That every one of us were handed death warrants by our foremothers and that we cannot stop our doom and the wisdom of Zuto Nui's virtues are a curse and not a salvation.
"I am afraid... so deeply, terrifyingly afraid, of not being able to help my people."
IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Docks, Yukanna, Interior]
It was with immense restraint (and admittedly, an awareness of how on edge everyone was) that Dihunai did not slap sense into the Rora then and there. The champion's palm still twitched out of want, however.
"You're afraid you can't help?"
"This is not a matter of mythical feats, long-winded legends, or acts of the gods. Your people will help themselves, so long as you continue to empower them to do so. Just as a captain does not man the helm or rig the sails, you can't let your eagerness to personally contribute narrow your vision - being able to see the wider battlefield from the height of a soaring dragon is your greatest power."
"You think our mothers cursed us to witness the flame die? Good. Embrace opportunity to rise and lead, to strengthen your roots instead of being another leaf in a family tree defined by someone else who is long dead."
"We're in a dangerous new land of foreign friends and enemies? Good. A crisis forces tribes to join together. Injuries callous and create strength."
As if to emphasize that spirit, Dihunai bashed a fist against her chest, but it stopped short of her body and instead momentarily revealed a tapestry of flaming dragonscale beneath the wisps of ethereal smoke and luminescent sparks of soulfire scattered by the impact.
"Your mothers once tried to subjugate mine. Conflict grew dire and much was lost, but it let us turn inward and foster the fires in our hearts until our own selves now are as strong as they have ever been. If there is any draconic legend I can tell you, it's that the great dragons always survive, no matter their number. It is said that long ago they personally taught my teachers' teachers this lesson."
"Do you know how many of my sisters wish they could have fought in alongside the first Rhonyu, back when they were Xhanoks? To have their life or death carry meaning to generations beyond, inspiring the children in the clans they forged? Regardless of if you wanted it, you have the power to help your people, it's your job to not squander it."
"How? Your empire protects you so you can push onwards, and see formations and weaknesses within the armies on our doorstep with clarity instead of just the tips of their blades. You have to prioritize so you can execute, while letting your leaders lead."
Dihunai reached out an arm in an offer to raise the Rora on her feet as she consolidated her lesson to a simple point of action.
"Ignore the Ryuu, trust your admiral to do as she must. Prioritize and execute: what is the most important thing for you to do right now?"
IC Yumiwa + Zafin | Yukanna
The warrior lambasted me, but I was used to it—I'd been rebuked by Battlemasters and Datsue many times already by then, though that never made the lessons less stinging. My eyes widened in alarm as she pounded her points home in poetic emphasis after emphasis, and all I could see was the fire in her soul.
My handmaiden, perhaps seeing the fright in my face, tried to intercede for me, starting "Mistress Dihunai, please calm down, Yumiwa needs—"
"No, no, no," I said with a shake of my head. "Zaf, stop." She stopped. "I'm listening, and learning."
I inhaled deeply and let the air out again slowly... You know how when you just had a long night of drinking heavy ales that hammered your stomach more forcefully than you expected because you forgot to have a luncheon, so it's barely sundown and you find yourself in the water closet staring at your reflection in the sink and you realize you're well on your way to being wasted? You look at yourself like some stupid schmuck and gather all your fortitude just to berate yourself with a stirring slurred pep talk that goes You're drunk! every other line, just to really drive the point of your inebriation home? But before you do that, you take that critically heavy breath to steel your senses in some halfassed attempt to supercharge your wits with a hard dose of oxygen? Yeah, it was one of those breaths. I was trying to purge myself of the fog in my head and instill a clarity of purpose again.
Long Dihunai was a warrior through-and-through and that was one of the reasons I let her come this close to me, because I valued her input and trusted her instincts. The Tajaar were fierce, loyal fighters and apolitical to the strife of the Imperial circuits, which meant her counsel could be depended on to be honest. What Dihunai said was said in earnest, but it troubled me even so. It did not take long for me to discern the why.
"You sound like Inokio did," I said, and I felt no ill by it.
IC: Makua — Ga-Koro, Streets
The Mercenary of Ice could not help be amused at the sight as he walked the streets of the floating city. For a place known for calmness and purity, the village seemed quite chaotic at the moment. Everything was crowded, and the people, both natives and foreigners alike, seemed on edge.
He wondered if The Great Takea was faring better, given the heightened stress.
He knew the route by heart and walked along the boardwalk, brushing past rushing Matoran and Matoran-like creatures. As the Toa strolled through the city, he tried to analyze the appearances of these apparent refugees. Wherever they had come from, it seemed to have an abundance of crystals. Between their clothing and general demeanor, the newcomers were easy to spot.
Eventually, Makua had arrived at the famous Ga-Koronan tavern. It’s sign and entrance were as familiar as they had always been. Wasting no time and paying no attention to the people running away from The Great Takea, Makua strolled inside.
Ga-Koro, The Great Takea
The bar was certainly bustling... but it looked like people were making their away outside the bar. Curious, Makua turned around and looked out over the giant lily pad. He stood there for a moment, watching where people going.
OOC: I’m gonna stop saying this because my characters are literally -always- open for interaction, but one last time: open for interaction.
On 3/10/2022 at 1:48 AM, Umbraline Yumiwa said:IC Yumiwa + Zafin | Yukanna
"You sound like Inokio did,"
IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Docks, Yukanna, Interior]
Dihunai crossed her arms.
"We all heard the stories of his fury unleashed to cover the final retreat to the docks. One could only hope to have a soul burn so bright. The fearless can make their enemies cower and turn even the most dire fights into winnable ones. Inokio understood this."
"If you tame your fears, when the next battle comes, your example will make your Menti fearless as well. I believe that is the best chance m-our people have."
IC Yumiwa + Zafin | Yukanna
That wasn't what I meant, but Long Dihunai didn't know that. She was a warrior, a fighter, so she knew her contemporaries as warriors, as fighters, so it made sense that Inokio's valorous last stand stood at the forefront of her thoughts on the former battlemaster. The apolitical inclinations of the Tajaar made her oblivious to the other dimensions of Inokio, of his status as my sensei, spy, and reluctant political mastermind, as those facets were revealed only behind closed doors and whipped cloaks. I'd been given countless lectures by the man on matters of honor and power, and Dihunai's sermon evoked the sentiments of some from my then-teacher. These two had their similarities; they'd probably even get along.
I kept that knowledge to myself. I didn't want her to draw too many comparisons between her and Inokio. That, and I didn't want to be reminded of his betrayals even if he did die preserving me.
Something struck me then, something they'd each said:Your empire protects you so you can push onwards.
My former advisor's last words to me before following his blade were, Little Yumi, let me suffer by protecting you... one... last... time. Now go.
I glanced at Zaf, wondering if she shared a mind with me on this as well, and she looked knowing but I couldn't be sure if she saw the connections I did. Dihunai and the late Inokio urged me to grow, to survive, and to lead from promontories of strength. It did not matter that one was a double agent and the other an Imperial outsider, they each wanted the same thing for me, somehow.
Zafin, on the other hand, continued to study her empress' eyes long after she'd returned her gaze to Dihunai. She knew how the rora's mind worked better than most people still alive, and she could tell how even in the wake of a panic attack Yumi was still thinking... sensing. "Clever Yumi" had become a rather irritating moniker from previous years, but there was some truism to the joke. Yumiwa had been groomed to be a peacetime ruler who never was meant to be exposed to the horrors of war or strife, so concepts of strength and prowess were harder for her to grasp, but behind the facade of weakness and overeagerness was a lady trained in softer skills of diplomacy and subterfuge to serve her well in matters of court. For all her recent failings as a warrior queen, particularly highlighted with the trauma of the sacrifice of Sado, Yumiwa was well trained in mind games. Pattern sensing. Tactics and analytics.
Zafin watched as Yumiwa turned back to Dihunai. Her ladyship's thoughts were unknowable, but one thing was clear: Yumi was sizing Long Dihunai up as an adviser whether she was conscious of the effort or not. And this Dihunai was making her think.
Zafin tore her gaze from Yumi and back to the Tajaar. She liked this Long.
I released my vice grips on the bench upon which I sat and felt my blood warm my knuckles again as a calmness started to restore itself on me. I shook my hands like dispersing water from my fingers to eradicate the last of the tinglies and shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but I looked at Dihunai with a mixture of understanding and admiration. I like this warrior, I thought.
It was essential for me to learn and to let other people carry their own weight, so when I next spoke, there was more force behind my tongue as the confusion and hesitancy had been banished; I spoke with the intention to listen. "What do you advise is the most important thing for me to do this moment?"
IC: Long Dihunai [Ga-Koro, Docks, Yukanna, Interior]
Dihunai looked almost surprised. The whole point was to get Yumiwa back on track, not to arbitrate - Dihunai wasn't privy to as much classified knowledge as the Rora, how could she give good direction without kno -
Actually, Dihunai knew just as much as Yumiwa did about the present moment's opportunities and crises (the unknown dragon and the onfolding sabotage of the Ryuu): very little. After a moment, the warrior drew her battle plan in prose to show her reasoning.
"Focus on the immediate, given this is a dynamic situation. To make a good decision, we need good information. There is a threat, but we must read our opponent, tell if she is within striking distance or not, preparedness, et cetera: those details determine the response in any battle, be it a duel or a brawl of formations."
Dihunai paused to reach her tendrils of flame out into the ideatalk plane once more to listen, as she had occasionally throughout their confinement below decks. Even indoors, there were ways to be situationally aware of the wider battlefield.
"I told you to give Ayiwah the space to flex her muscle, but sometimes you must also be by her side to show you're invested in her mission. The situation is more secure now, I think it's best to go outside, show that the Rora supports her allies and will not be intimidated."
"Everyone will see that statement and it will strengthen your stance for the future," Dihunai concluded, continuing to use the terms of her trade in lieu of terms with more diplomatic finesse. "A stumble is not the end, so long as you recover your balance before your opponent exploits it."
"Whoever chose to attack us, make sure that all they have accomplished is demonstrating our strength and wisdom."
IC: Tuara Drigton - Ga-Koro - Inner Port
Tuara nodded, a little unsure how she should have been addressing a 'Toroshu' all this time, if there ever were any rules for it anyhow. She allowed Yukie and Agni to change the conversation swiftly from the situation at the docks, "You'll definitely find customers here - and some friendly competition too. There's a lot of trade that goes on in Mata-Nui, and there'll be room for more. I'll bet you'll have the leg-up on them too, being from another land."
Tuara looked back to Agni again, "We should probably move along here, but I hope Matoran and Dasaka alike can tackle any oncoming challenges, together," she said, turning back to Yukie with a smile, "And if there's anything you ever need, or if you just find yourself in Ta-Koro, you're welcome to come see me. Just gotta ask." Tuara finished, a little short, trying to avoid speaking for Agni - or the Guard. She wasn't an official representative right now, unlike Agni, and while it seemed certain that these Dasaka - and in particular Yukie - were genuine, it wasn't for her to decide. Not anymore. "And, I know who to ask for next time I need something nice to wear."
OOC: @Vezok's Friend @Mel
IC: Daijuno | The Great Takea
"A dragon?" I said, tapping the side of my empty glass idly and wondering if all that ale was affecting my hearing. "By 'Taka, didn't think they had those, even out here! But all the more reason to stay indoors for a little while longer, I think -- let the soldiers handle something like that. Still, would be nice to have had a witness who could describe...."
It was then, by chance or destiny, whichever showed up first, that someone new stepped into the bar: a tall, snow-white figure, Toa by the looks of him. Fighter by the looks, too, considering the rather dashing scars he was sporting, along with the sword and shield he had on him. The big Muaka was just standing around, as though he was lost and trying to figure out where his wrong turn had been -- maybe not the best witness, but the best I had on-hand.
"Excuse me!" I called out, waving a hand to get his attention. "Yes, you! Come over here for a second? Want to ask to you something."
OOC: @Vezok's Friend@Mel@Emzee That's Makua that she's calling out to.
-Void