Corpus Rahkshi

IC: Zex

I began practicing parkour in my enclosure.

IC: Raptor

Raptor nodded, holding on to Rider's shoulder and helping him into the hallway.

IC: Mantis

Mantis stepped out of his hiding place. Eavesdropping? What could be more dishonorable?! Mantis steeled himself, promising his mind it was for the greater good. He neared the other Rahk - the one who had previously identified himself as Titan - and followed him to the gym.

"Brother! Titan!"

IC Kat: That stopped me dead in my tracks.

He was right.

Karz, it hurt, though.

Like a lance through my heart, I managed, "Y-yeah. Okay."

I turned back, and went into the gym, To comfort Hoto and Era if need be.

OOC: Open for interaction.

IC Kat:

I stopped, nearly running into Xara as she stopped me.

"Wha- oh..... yeah. Trying to teach Hoto without doing physical training."

I shook my head, looking at her still apologizing to Jayar.

"Fat lot of good we did with that."

IC: Mantis

When Titan didn't respond immediately, Mantis walked up to him and bowed.

"Forgive me for interrupting your training, but I believe we seek the same goal."

IC: Tridax raised an eyebrow at Fog. He didn't really understand the student's invented language, and had only picked up on a few words. Palma swiftly realised what was going on and offered a translation.

"Yet more proof that I need to be less lenient in my punishments. Behaviour like this should be discouraged. You have my thanks for bringing this matter to my attention, student." The Makuta thought about things for a second or two, "I think we shall have some sort of event to mark the passing of your fallen brothers. A wake of sorts. That should go some way to alleviating bad feeling." His interest clearly fading from Fog and turning to the future, Palma took the student by the shoulder to lead him out the office. Their work here was done.

In another office, lower down in the same block, Exxan was knocking on a door. Behind that door was the school's resident Skakdi, who called out an "Enter!" in response

IC: Xara - Gym.

"It looked like there was plenty of physical training back there," I gestured towards the patalysed snot monster. "Speaking of which..." Kat had a formidable reputation, and that was before she'd been part of a Kaita. She'd had access to the minds and tactics of two other Rahkshi. ".... want to spar?" 

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IC: Exxan - Suvak's Office.

I opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello sir." 

IC Kat:

Spar?! 

Makuta, Xara, I just traumatised my best friend, and you want to spar?!

It was too much, I snapped, "Is that ALL you ever think about, Xara?!"

OOC: Sheesh, Gukko, give me a chance. I'm getting to it.

IC: Jayar / Gym

"It wasn't your fault, Hoto. Everyone should know not to mess with a Kaita," Jayar replied. "And there's no permanent harm done."

Inside, however, he feared this was not the case. Forming a Kaita had upset Hoto significantly... and if she decided not to form another, that would mean he had lost his chance as well.

IC: Shark / Gym

"Perhaps," said Shark, turning to the newcomer. "What is your goal?"

IC - Regaining Consciousness

At the words spar, his mind regained some semblance of form.

"sp.... spar?"

IC: Xara - Gym.

I paused. Her words were too similar to what Glass had said to me just before. "It's not all I think about.... but yes, admittedly, it's a large part of it." At least I'd had the self-control to ask her first, and not just attack her like I normally would have...

IC: Suvak's "office" was clearly just a dorm that had only been half converted. There was a bed at the back there, not quite concealed by the desk that had been dragged in for Suvak to actually work at. Currently he was looking at a series of receipts, costs for the food supplies brought in to feed the students.

"Can I help you, Exxan?"

IC Kat:

Karz, why was I so mad?!

"You know what, Xara," I said jabbing a finger at her, "Some of us have to work with other people, and deal with the consequences of the actions we take with those people. We can't all just fight and fight and fight until everyone  around is is battered and bruised!"

I turned away, leaving one last comment over my shoulder, "Some of us have responsibility, Xara."

I walked back to Hoto, my voice shaky.

"H-hey...."

IC: Exxan - Suvak's Office. 

If he'd noticed that my arm was free, he gave no sign. "I've been meaning to talk with you for a while, sir. I just.... haven't had the nerve until now..." 

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IC: Xara - Gym. 

Karzdamnit.... she was right.... Glass was right.... I was wrong.

IC: Mantis

"To find the jagged blue Rahkshi with the net launcher. I believe he achieved that very weapon through murder. Do you have any leads on him?"

IC: Rain - Squid's Dorm

They had been far too nervous and given her not nearly enough time to build up the eyes and "nostrils" to her usual standard, but they would be... passable.

"Yeah, they'll regret ever intruding. I still wish we had dumped them when we had the chance..." she sighed wistfully.

IC: Fang - Hallways

Fang watched Kat go sadly. She had more important things to deal with than him.

He walked back to where he left Rider only to find the blinded Rahkshi gone. Fang's mind instantly jumped into a panic, and he ran through the halls in a frantic search.

IC: Bullseye/1st Person/Gym ---> Halls

I left my brothers to wander the halls. I felt so...lost.

IC: Toxin and Stronghold/3rd Person/Gym

They watched their brother walk out. They believed that Bullseye just needed some alone time.

IC: Punch/Counterpunch/3rd Person/Gym

He stopped training and joined the two brothers.

IC: Alpha/1st Person/Library

I looked around for a book on Kaita. Once I did so, I sat down and began to read.

IC: Shark / Gym

"Wait, first explain this murder. The more information I have, the better a lead I might be able to deduce." Zex had told him that he'd killed two Rahkshi the first time Shark attacked. But at that point, he hadn't had a net gun. Either he had committed further crimes, or this was a different Rahkshi. Mantis' answer might make the truth clear.

IC: Bullseye/1st Person/Halls

Somewhere I bumped into Fang who was looking for someone. I got over my problems for a moment, even though it was obvious that I was moping around for a while, and approached Fang. He helped me a little, why not return the favor?

"Hey, Fang. Looking for someone?"

IC: Era - Gym.

Finally, I heard Kat somewhere near Hoto. "Are you two okay?" I asked. Zivon had flown back to me from wherever he'd been hiding, and now chattered nervously on my shoulder as I approached the other two. "That was.... maybe it was too soon to do that here....?"

IC Kat:

I looked at Era with dead eyes.

"Yeah...."

"Hoto, I'm so sorry. I.... I should have known better."

This one was arguably, well and truly my fault.

IC: Fang - Hallways

Fang quickly regarded Bullseye before resuming his search.

"Rider," he explained. "He was blinded earlier, and I was trying to help him find Hoto, but he left."

IC: Hoto - Gym

"I... I thought we... killed him," she choked out. "I... I just wanted to practice. We weren't supposed to hurt anyone."

She turned in closer to Jayar as she heard Kat's voice.

IC: Squid

"Good. Now, let's get back to business. You've painted my walls, and I made my lampshade and drapes. Your paint job is astounding, and the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. My lampshade looks okay on the outside, simple but practical. The inside is a knot of metal and a lightstone. My drapes look very plain and are attached in an odd way, but they serve their purpose. The only thing I can think we have left is making a dresser. I know next to nothing about metal or wood working. Do you know anyone who does?"

IC: "Talk about what?" Suvak asked, "Bear in mind, if this is some deep philosophy type thing I am not the Skakdi for the job. You want the meaning of life, try the library."

IC Kat:

.

That hurt me deep. Maybe deeper than Fang pushing me away.

For the first time since.... ever.

I didn't know what to do.

How do you get back the trust of someone you broke a really important rule with...?

I sank to the floor, in a daze.

IC: Mantis

"I believe he murdered some Matoran on the beach to get his gun."

IC: Era - Gym. 

"I think he's just paralysed." I tried to be reassuring. "Dekako's powers seem to be surprisingly non-violent. I think we got that from you, Hoto." 

I heard the sound of someone hitting the floor. "Kat?!" 

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IC: Exxan - Suvak's Office. 

"It's about my punishment...." I cleared my throat, "...I've spoken with Palma, she confirmed what I'd suspected from the start, that Tridax didn't rally consult with you two. So I'm curious... You knew me, you knew Omega. Was my punishment too harsh, not harsh enough? What would you have done if the decision had been up to you?"

IC: Jayar / Gym

Jayar could see how upset Hoto was...

Well, maybe... Kat and Era understand better now, though, don't they?

That was not to be worried about now. Jayar couldn't help but hold Hoto closer, because he had no idea what to say to that. True, Booger would recover, that wasn't the issue now.

"Let's go somewhere quiet," he suggested. "Back to the empty dorm wing. It'll be calming, easier to think there."

IC: Shark / Gym

Matoran? On a beach? That didn't point towards or away from blue-spine being Zex.

"I am reasonably certain that a Rahk responsible for the murder of two Rahkshi," Zex had told him as much himself, "is inside that enclosure." He gestured to the wall. "I believe that he has disguised himself as blue-spine, but I can't be sure - unless I see him leaving that enclosure. Therefore, I came in here in reality not to train, but to watch for whoever leaves the enclosure. When they do, I intend to capture them and take them to the Library for trial." A lie, but close enough to the truth. "Your help in that would be appreciated, if you wish to watch with me."

IC: Mantis

"I'll do what can, but I am limited by my code of honor. And I'm not entirely sure it was him who caused those deaths, but his recently acquired launcher... well, it reminds me of one owned by a Matoran I met on my way here." Mantis paused.

"I saw his corpse in the sand."

IC: Bullseye and Alpha/3rd Person/Halls

Alpha was walking around musing about what she had read and encountered Fang looking for Rider.

"Wait, you lost him?"

Bullseye nodded to her before thinking for a while.

"I'm aware that Rider's blind. I'm the one who rushed him to the infirmary when it happened. Either way, without someone guiding him, he wouldn't get any far."

"...There was this loud Rahkshi who wanted to talk to him and Revenge. Maybe he found Rider and took him to see Revenge for something?"

IC: Shark / Gym

Shark gave a solemn, and utterly fake, frown. "I'm sorry," he said, in a convincing but equally fake consoling tone. "Madmen like him must be stopped. Don't worry about your code of honor, though. Like I said, I want him on trial in the Library." Like Karz he did.

IC: Mantis

Mantis looked at the ground for a moment, but then his head shot back up.

"Wait, if we can control the gymnasium's functions, can't we just will the enclosure to shut down?"

IC: Shark / Gym

"Perhaps. I could not do it on my own, since his will is holding it up, but together we could," Shark said. "However, I'd rather not do that. He's probably training inside, so if we wait for him, then he'll be tired out by the time he leaves and it will be easier to capture him."

IC: Mantis

"Sound words, brother."

IC: "I was a soldier in an army, Exxan, I would have used the same punishments they did," Suvak explained, getting up from behind his desk, the pistons in his mechanised limbs hissing, "A flogging, perhaps, something that would hurt you enough to sink the lesson in an provide a public display that would deter others and satisfy those bearing a grudge. Try and end the matter there and then. Crippling you then throwing you to the ones against you, like a piece of meat being dangled on a hook, that was unnecessary. All that does is encourage infighting and bickering and that doesn't help anyone." Suvak sniffed, and rubbed his eye, worn out as it was from pouring over the paperwork, "Well, it helps Tridax. Because then he gets to see what happens next, see if any more evolutions happen."

IC: Pyre

A while back, the wall I was leaning on dissapeared, only to reappear now. I begin leaning on the wall again.

IC: Zex - Gym

It's been a while. That fellow has probably known by know that I left my dorm. I make a tiny hole in the wall. And notice that fellow conversing with another rahkshi. Making sure the whole is small enough to not be seen by them I look and watch what the are doing.

IC: Exxan - Suvak's Office. 

"It didn't accomplish anything," I sighed, "one of the other students seemed to think the same and cut me free." I hesitated. He'd given no indication of knowing about Discord or Silencer, and I hated to be the one to break it to him. "But now... two more students have been killed." 

IC: Rain - Squid's Dorm

Rain grinned at the complements, but looked down at his question. "Believe it or not, but I don't have many 'friends' in this place. I can't possibly imagine why."

IC: Hoto - Gym

Hoto nodded and pulled away. The empty dorm wing had been where they made the Kaita the first time. After the initial shock of sharing minds, it had seemed easy. There was no one to hurt up there.

But it was also where the lesson had been. It had been quiet and calming then. Jayar had been so nice, and she wouldn't have minded staying there, in his arms, forever.

She looked around with her sonic sight as she moved away. It wasn't the same. So many Rahkshi still looked on, but she didn't know if they were shocked or angry or just curious. Her mind kept imagining the worst, trying to recall exactly what they had looked like with Dekako's eyes, but with faces twisted in fear and hatred.

Then she turned back to where she heard her friend's voices. Where Kat was, there was only a shapeless mound. No, it was a Rahkshi, sitting down. It was Kat, sitting silently. Hoto wished she could borrow those eyes just to see what Kat was feeling. It was so much harder to tell when you were blind. Not that she had any words for Kat.

Even if Dekako's powers were non-violent, they could still hurt. And they had. It was too much power for her to wield. She wasn't sure she could do it again, even if it meant staying blind forever. Blind was harmless.

"It didn't help," she mumbled to Era. "They were just scared... scared of us... of me."

She let Jayar lead her out this time. She didn't have the energy to watch her surroundings.

IC: Fang - Hallways

"I... I hope so." Fang replied, still searching above their heads.

His eyes landed on a paper posted near the Courtyard. It probably had nothing to do with the missing Rider, but it caught his attention.

"What is this?" he asked, pouring over the words. It was so much like what he used to believe.

IC: Mantis

Mantis's main two eyes broadly surveyed his surroundings, but his smaller, additional three eyes were bouncing around the gymnasium, taking in every detail. Suddenly Mantis turned his head towards the enclosure, noticing a speck of movement. But then it was gone.