BZPRPG: Ga-Wahi

IC:Elaadis

"Hmmm." She rubbed her chin.

"You got any ideas?"

IC: Toku and Raku - Ga-Koro

Something didn't feel right to Toku, Raku was feeling the same.

"Well we must be off, do feel free to look for us whenever you need to!"

He said to the toa they had been travelling with for quite a while.

Raku began walking, Toku swiftly followed.

OOC: Raku and Toku are going to Po-Koro. 

IC:

 

Sinshi paused, and turned back round. 

 

"I could help you carry it back, Daijuno. I am, however, still slightly intoxicated, and after today... Arguably not at my peak." The Menti paused, thinking a moment. "Or we can roll it under the docks over there, and have Whitehot use her mask to help us move it before breakfast."

IC:

"As a Menti, what do you think the chances are of this lovely, lovely piece of metal being ... reacquired from us during the night?"

Call me paranoid, but I wasn't about to just leave my ticket to the Big Leagues for some hooligans to steal for their notorious (and undoubtedly enigmatic) purposes.

-Void

IC: Vaíl, Naho Bay

"Right."

The silence hung for several long moments. The Matoran didn't seem particularly interested in making conversation. For that matter, neither was Vaíl, not particularly - but there was one matter she needed information about.

"I heard about some sort of ... That there was a bunch of foreigners that showed up near here recently - from across the sea, or something. Not any concrete details, though." She paused. "You know anything about that?"

IC:

"Given that metal is not nearly so rare here, and that taking it would require just as much effort for them as for us, I find it unlikely that anyone will take it in the wee morning hours between now and our breakfast."

IC: 

The thought of spending the night, knife between my teeth and eyes blazing, standing guard over the buoy, did cross my mind, admittedly.

But Sinshi made a good point -- and I say that as a woman with a long-standing belief that anyone higher than Dashi in the social order was in possession of a terminal case of "you're a stuck-up idiot"-itis -- and I can't deny that the thought of spending the night curled up in my bunk asleep wasn't a teensy bit more endearing to my urbanite sensibilities than nocturnal guard-duty SO--

"I guess you're right, Sinsh," I said, lighting up again to try and keep away the shoreline chill. "So then, how does buoy-rolling work, exactly?"

-Void

IC:

"A bit like this." The Umbraline Menti stretched a moment, crouched, and braced her hands against the side of the buoy. Then, after a deep breath, she started pushing. With her legs, of course, every step rolling the buoy a little further, but the sand didn't make the going very easy. "Keep an eye on the path, please. Let me know if I'm going to hit anything."

[Ga-Wahi, Naho Bay (Talli)]

Talli made a noise a little too noncommittal to be called a snort.

“Saw a bit of them, yup.  Looked a bit like sparkly toa and claimed to come from this Empire across the sea.  A little more snooty and eyecatching than the average toa from around here, but not that much otherwise.  Dunno what their elements were, but I heard something about matatu-related powers.”

IC: 

 

"The Naho Falls," he said, placing a smile on his own face.

 

-Void

IC (Akimoto)

For a moment, Aki forgot about everything else and just tried not to stop breathing.

An enormous mask was carved into the cliffside, water spilling through and catching the sun as it fell. The dying sun lit up the rocks so they almost looked like they were made of gold. The falling water sparkled and shone in the light before crashing into the bay in a cloud of spray.

"It's beautiful."

IC:

 

"A bit like this." The Umbraline Menti stretched a moment, crouched, and braced her hands against the side of the buoy. Then, after a deep breath, she started pushing. With her legs, of course, every step rolling the buoy a little further, but the sand didn't make the going very easy. "Keep an eye on the path, please. Let me know if I'm going to hit anything."

IC:

restrain jokes

r e s t r a i n    j o k e s

R  E  S  T  R  A  I  N    J  O  K  E  S

"Nah, you're fine," I said, puffing away on my smoke. "The most you'll do is bounce off a rock, graze the dock, tap W--"

(R    E    S    T    R    A    I   N)

"Uh. Yeah. You're ... you're okay. Keep going."

IC (Akimoto)

 

For a moment, Aki forgot about everything else and just tried not to stop breathing.

 

An enormous mask was carved into the cliffside, water spilling through and catching the sun as it fell. The dying sun lit up the rocks so they almost looked like they were made of gold. The falling water sparkled and shone in the light before crashing into the bay in a cloud of spray.

 

"It's beautiful."

IC:

"One of the most beautiful places on the island," Tyrus said, hands clasped behind his back, a smile behind his mask that, for once in his tenure as a Marine, looked almost genuine. "I have travelled from one end of Mata Nui to the other, and yet, somehow I always find myself coming back to the Naho Falls."

-Void

IC: Vaíl, Naho Bay

"Weird," Vaíl said. Sparkly? she thought incredulously. "Any idea how they wound up here? Or why?"

IC (Akimoto)

A long moment passed, or several moments. A gentle breeze carried the scent of salt off the sea, and the sun sank lower. 

"Whose mask is it? Was it carved for someone?"

IC:Lihada

Lihada sat by the window of her home, elbow on the edge and face sat in her hand, pushing her cheek up. A Ga-Matoran in gloves walked up, one hand clenched shut. The Bo-Toa's eyes drifted down to watch as she approached.

"Hey, uh, this broke." The Matoran rubbed the back of her head as she handed her the remains of a snapped sickle.

"Oh, yeah. Accidentally made this too thin, didn't I?" Lihada sighed.

"Yeah." The Matoran shrugged.

Sitting back, Lihada reached down into a small bag by her side, pulling out a small nut from a tree not far from Ga-Koro. Her building material. In most cases, anyway. She put the two pieces of broken sickle next to each other, where the pieces should go, and the nut on top. Focusing, she started with her powers. The wood shuddered and budged, the sickle parts initially thinning as they moved and fused back together. She then added the nut, the material twisting and sliding as it merged with the tool, the sickle thickening again and hardening. When she stopped, the renewed and improved sickle sat in her hand. She turned it around, holding it out to the Matoran, who took the sickle.

"Thanks!" The fisherwoman smiled, handing Lihada a couple of widgets.

"It's fine. Go on, have a good day." The Bo-Toa returned to sitting her head in her hand. With a wave, the Ga-Matoran turned, heading back to her workplace. "Or whatever." Lihada sighed, eyes drifting left and right.

OOC: Lihada OFI. She makes stuff for people too.

IC:Elaadis

"Hmmm." She rubbed her chin.

"You got any ideas?"

IC: Arkrak

"I would likely endeavour to stop Incommodo from killing himself in some manner first, but the underwater greenhouses do strike my interest."

IC:Elaadis

Underwater greenhouses?

Underwater greenho-

Underwater.

EEEEEEEEAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH-

"Yeah, that sounds fine." She cleared her throat.

OOC Recommended listening music:

Cael from Ko-Wahi.

* * *

IC (Cael)

She came home.

The village gates stood tall, sentinels against the land, but they welcomed her back. She walked through without stumbling, even as she stepped from sand to lily pad, whose surface swayed gentle on the surf like a mother rocking her child to sleep. The waves sang a rhythmic lullaby, susurrous and sweet.

The village greeted her like an old friend, with houses green and alive, built of leaves still breathing. She moved through its spaces; they were both familiar and strange. The passing days had worn its surfaces smooth in her memory, had softened its edges until they gleamed, but the reality of this place had changed. She saw the difference in the eyes of those she passed; she saw it in the way the sun lit up the waters of the bay as though a thousand fires burned beneath its surface. The sky, orange and pink as the sun died, faded to an ethereal blue in the east where a single star shone, beautiful and cold.

Her vision blurred; this village had lost more than its healer, and where had she been?

Jellyfish danced and spun in their glass as she entered her hut, bathing the room in a calming glow. She closed the door and listened for the latch as it caught, a sound she had known a lifetime ago. The familiar shapes of furniture stood comforting in their places; her world had waited here, patient, for her return, as if it had known all along that she could not leave forever. Had it been as obvious then as it was now, that the pull of that whirlwind man was only temporary? She had followed him then because he promised a world she had never known; she stayed because he was her world. Now he was gone, and she was back at the beginning.

She ran her fingers over the edge of a chair; they came back grey. This place had waited, like she had. Waited for a return that seemed less likely with each passing day. Spent patience on nothing but dust and empty hours. She would not make that mistake again.

Her feet took her to the next room, where she had practised her craft a lifetime ago. In the days before Joske, before her thoughts revolved around him, she had cared for others. She had studied the lives of her people and learned the names of their children. She sat on the edge of the bed, where she had watched death turn to life. Was it so different because it happened here? It was no less worthy just because it was not a hero she was saving.

She had left to become a Toa, sure that she would find a greater purpose beyond the shore. That search had led her back here, back to the place had given her life, back to the waters that had delivered her. Her life here was spent on healing; she could think of no greater cause. She had come full circle, and here she would remain.

The comfort of the ocean swelled beneath her as she laid down and closed her eyes; she reached quietly out to its calm expanse, to the fathoms of sacred beauty unlit by stars or sun. Its depths were an everlasting cathedral, stretching beyond sight and understanding. She drank deep of its strength, vast and mysterious and pure. It promised rest at long last; it embraced her, promised never to let her go.

She was home.

* * *

OOC 

Thank you to everyone who has followed Cael's story thus far. It's been a long ride and a lot of fun, and it's over for now. Probably not forever, but for awhile. I had a lot of plans for this Toa of Water; some panned out and some didn't. I decided that this was the best place to end, with her realizing that not everyone can be saved, but losing one life doesn't negate saving others. That identity should be found in what you do, not in whom you follow. 

As a last note, I want to thank everyone who's interacted with Cael over the years. It's been fun because of you, and I look forward to many more good times ahead.

IC Thak:

Scooping up the freshly made widgets, Thak handed them over. A few extra bits of money never hurt anyone.

OOC: Erike & Samera from Po-Wahi

IC: Erike & Samera

 Trip took a little longer than normal. Detours and side-roads away from Ko-Wahi and anywhere their influence was thought to lie. Erike scowled to the West, towards Ko-Koro. It was people like them that he hated. People like them that....created creatures like Samera.

 I am no creature. Samera hissed, wiggling on his back. I am the daughter of Makuta.

 "Shut up." Erike snarled, stalking away from the caravan with his hands in his pockets. "Some daughter of Makuta. Can't even find yourself a proper host to attach yourself on."

 That seemed to shut her up. For now, anyways. He headed towards the docks, which was most of Ga-Koro incidentally. He always find Ga-Koro calming during the day, exciting during the night. It was probably one of the least evil places on the entire island. "Excellent." He muttered.

 OOC: Erike & Samera OFI

IC:Lihada

Lihada's eyes continued to slowly scan the surrounding buildings. The entire village was made of plant matter, she could twist and turn this village however she wanted to, if she wanted to.

Heh heh, what a thought. A small smirk cracked onto the Bo-Toa's face. Unfortunately, she was also one of the people who decided to live there, so chances are that wouldn't end so well for her, either. That and the local authorities.

Her eyes locked onto a Vortixx who had just come through the gate. Another traveler. Woo. What fun. More false stories of fighting animals of various descriptions or something.

Then her eyes locked onto...whatever that was on his back. What was that? A curious eyebrow lifted on the Bo-Toa's face.

Well, one way to find out. Aside from poking it with a stick. She waved to get the guy's attention.

"Hey, uh, if I may, what's that thing on your back?"

OOC: Hey Erike.

IC:

Sinshi might have cast a confused look Daijuno's way, but she didn't really have the time. She was too busy pushing, and pushing, and building up the inertia needed to keep the buoy going. She hadn't needed her mask, the momentum mostly kept it going over the minor obstacles, even if it slowed down a bit. But she couldn't really see where she was going so well. She mostly knew she had reached her destination when a shadow loomed, and letting the buoy kept rolling led it to smack into the dock's support.

After a moment's thought, she grabbed a few big armfuls of seaweed and dumped them over the top to help disguise it. 

"There," The Menti proclaimed with a hint of pride. She took a moment to catch her breath, then continued. "Should be hidden pretty well til morning."

IC:

 

restrain jokes

 

r e s t r a i n    j o k e s

 

R  E  S  T  R  A  I  N    J  O  K  E  S

 

"Nah, you're fine," I said, puffing away on my smoke. "The most you'll do is bounce off a rock, graze the dock, tap W--"

 

(R    E    S    T    R    A    I   N)

 

IC:

OH GOD OH GOD ITS B A C K

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA--

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*click click*

AHCHOOOOOOOOOO

Whitehot leaned with her back to the railing, taking in mouthfuls of air. 

give dantas my meal card when i'm g-g-gahhCHOOOOOOOO

"C'moooooooooooooooon!"

-Tyler

 

IC: Melna (Naho Bay)

 

Melna surfaced nearly simultaneously with the Toa of Sonics. She breathed in a few times, not as deeply as him, but still notably so.

 

"Cold enough for ya?" she asked, a bit suddenly

 

IC: Day

Day would have attempted a shrug, but his shoulders were submersed so he cocked his head in response.

"I find it refreshing." he said, still squinting beneath the sun yet seeming more calm and at ease. There was a small pause, as was usual with him, and he looked over to the beach, searching for a yellow small yellow shape that had left moments ago.

"Lux is gone."

"What you've seen, has been my escape many times"

IC (Dakte)

It was a while before Dakte opened his eyes.

"I can quite imagine," he said, quietly.

IC: Natharius.

He straightened to his full height, glowering at the being who'd so rudely almost crashed into himself and Septima. "And who exactly are you?" 

[Ga-Wahi, Naho Bay (Talli)]

“There were on some kind of underwater boat when I saw them last.  As for why--”  she sat up, shrugging.  “Curiosity?  They needed more people to suck up to them?  Look, why don’t I take you to where they docked.  It’s near my house anyway, and I should be getting back before my family starts looking for me.”

IC Sorox

Oh, greeeeaaaat. "Hm? Oh, that is of little consequence."

 

"What you've seen, has been my escape many times"

 

IC (Dakte)

 

It was a while before Dakte opened his eyes.

 

"I can quite imagine," he said, quietly.

IC: Vilda Mako (Naho Bay)

"You've taken the first step on a much longer road, Dakte" I said, with just the tiniest hint of sarcasm. I knew how I sounded by saying that, but it was also true, and the truth is something people can handle (imagine that) best when it's given to them straight and simple.

"I think we should head back now, though, seems the sun was not impressed by my display and decided to let time fly"

IC (Dakte)

"I don't doubt that it's a long road," Dakte replied as he got to his feet. "But aren't the ones worth taking always so?"

IC: Vilda Mako (Naho Bay)

"Yeah, if only for the fact that once you stop and consider how you got where you are, it's what you will remember the most" I replied.

Walking a path through like the one I (and presumably, Dakte as well) marks you, it shapes you in some way, regardless of how much you try to avoid it. I tried not to think too hard about it while walking back.

IC: Septima - Ga-Koro (Streets)

Septima simply picked herself back up and began brushing herself off before eventually collecting her lunch.

The last thing she wanted to do was escalate the situation any further.

IC:

"There," The Menti proclaimed with a hint of pride. She took a moment to catch her breath, then continued. "Should be hidden pretty well til morning."

IC:

"Yep," I said, admiring Sinsh's handiwork. "Then we'll be able to get Whitehot over here and you'll have some help and grunting and sweating it out--"

D A I        N O

"--to, ah, get it back to the ship. Yeah."

IC (Akimoto)

 

A long moment passed, or several moments. A gentle breeze carried the scent of salt off the sea, and the sun sank lower. 

 

"Whose mask is it? Was it carved for someone?"

IC:

"That is the mask of Toa Gali," Tyrus said. "The Spirit of Water, the champion of Ga-Koro, she of the First Toa who descended into the dark lair of the Makuta over a century ago."

-Void

IC: Arkrak

"They're visible from above-water. You need not worry."

IC: Zephyr

Tucking the widgets away, she motioned for the skakdi to take a seat.

"Where's this cave we're heading to?"
 

- - - - - - - - - -

IC: Gabe

As the others lapsed into an eternally awkward, soul-crushing silence, the Chosen Prophet of Tired Memes started sewing up a new fedora.

IC Kavala

(Ga-Koro):

Kavala was angry.

It wasn't long ago that the dark Toa had been released from the Onu-Koro prison, after a long and monotone punishment for kidnapping. He had gone to the village of earth to use an item known as the Shadowstone in order to prove his worth to the Piraka, who had given it to him. However, his plans of kidnap had been foiled by a few Matoran, a Toa, and most importantly: a Vortixx. The Vortixx, known as Lash, had claimed to be a follower of Makuta like Kavala, but in the end had decided to betray the Toa, knocking him out and effectively sending him to prison.

During his long imprisonment, Kavala had had time to think. For the second time, his plans had ended in failure, and his original goal of liberating the Kumu Islets from Ga-Koro presence was no closer to being realized. He wondered where his ally Iegasa was. It was doubtful he was still in the Nokama Port after such a long wait, and would have found something else to do by now.

With all this, Kavala was back to square one once more.

At this point, all tactical planning was absent from Kavala's mind. What burned in his mind stronger than ever was revenge for his imprisonment. While he despised the followers of Mata Nui, he could understand why they were against him. Lash, on the other hand, had fooled Kavala into trusting her, then stabbed him in the back when he was defenseless. That, Kavala found, was far more despicable. And he was going to make his resolve clear to the Vortixx.

Saying and doing it proved to be very different things. In prison, Kavala had lost track of time and much on the island had changed. He hadn't had much luck in locating Lash, but fortunately he encountered news that a Vortixx, along with a Rahkshi, had been escorted out of the village some time ago. With that knowledge, it wasn't hard for Kavala to retrace the path she had taken, and ended up in Ga-Koro. With any luck, he could still find her here.

Lucky for me that she's a Vortixx, Kavala thought. There aren't that many of her species on this island. And soon there will be one less.

Few Ga-Matoran were willing to talk to Kavala, but he happened to find one who wasn't so reluctant to speak. From her, he found out that a Vortixx matching the description of Lash had checked in a Ga-Koro inn and was still residing there.

Watch out, Lash, Kavala thought darkly. Vengeance is heading your way.

It took barely any time to locate the inn Lash was staying in. With anger burning in his eyes, Kavala marched inside to the reception.

IC: Lash - Ga-Koro Inn.

Lash had only been on Mata Nui for a few weeks, but karz, those were some long weeks... She'd started off in Ko-Koro, lured into the Darkwalk by tales of riches and power. She'd emerged with a Rahkshi by her side, instructed to aid in the attack on Onu-Koro - an attack that never came. She'd been paraded out of that city by a contingent of guards, and eventually made her way to Ga-Koro. 

They'd let her in, this time, so long as her Rahkshi remained outside the city gates. But her past just wouldn't leave her alone. An agent of Niralle, the obnoxious businessman from Onu-Koro, had sent her to the charred forest in Ta-Wahi, where some crazed revolutionary had been waiting for her, offering her a job as part of Niralle's private security force and refusing to take no for an answer. 

So she'd returned to Onu-Wahi, making sure to stay well outside the Koro's boundaries for fear of provoking the Ussalry, and been tasked with serving as the head of security for the Kohli tournament Niralle was hosting - a tournament that never wound up happening. So she'd returned to Ga-Koro, thinking she'd finally managed to move on... 

...and then he walked into the inn.

She'd found herself a nice spot at the bar, in a quiet corner that afforded a nice view of the other patrons and the entrances - more out of habit than anything else - and spotted a decidedly unhappy looking Kavala step inside. She didn't like the chances of this being a coincidence, so that only left one real possibility...

He was here for her.

"Another drink, please," she said to the bartender, placing a handful of widgets before her, "It may just be my last..." 

IC Kavala

(Ga-Koro, inn):

Kavala's eyes scanned the bar of the inn, and immediately locked on Lash, sitting in a quiet corner, ordering a drink.

"You!" Kavala cried out in rage. He approached the Vortixx and, despite the disapporving look of the bartender, drew his sword. Many things had been taken from the dark Toa recently, but at least he still had his signatory weapon, the sword with engravings of the various symbols used to depict Makuta. It was the most valuable thing Kavala possessed, even if its value was mainly symbolic.

Kavala pointed the sword at Lash and, his voice quivering with rage, said, "Any last words, traitor, before I slice your head off?"

IC: Lash - Ga-Koro Inn.

She sighed, taking a sip from her new drink before turning fully around to face Kavala. "You're clearly angry that I got you arrested," she said carefully, "but did you stop to think about what's going to happen to you if you try to murder me here, in public, with witnesses all around? You really want to spend the rest of your life in yet another jail cell?" 

IC Kavala

(Ga-Koro, inn):

Lash's response prompted Kavala to look around him. Customers of the inn were staring at him, some annoyed, some fearful. All were prepared to call the Marines if the situation escalated.

"True," Kavala said. Then, after some thought, he added, "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to disturb these fair Matoran with bloodshed. We're settling this outside."

IC: Lash - Ga-Koro Inn.

"That's not quite what I meant," she replied evenly, "Instead of trying to kill me over such a trivial misunderstanding, why not focus on something more productive, like getting revenge on the people who screwed us both over?" 

IC Kavala

(Ga-Koro, inn):

"Trivial misunderstanding?!" Kavala spat. "And just so you know, the only one who screwed me over was you, when you turned on a fellow servant of the Ma-"

The looks of the Ga-Matoran silenced Kavala.

"You know, what I said about settling this outside... that wasn't a request," Kavala said. "Now get up or I'll make you."