Corpus Rahkshi

IC Flabbergaster

Now with the description in hand, Flabbergaster would plow through the corpus to assist. Nothing could stand in his...

Oh, there it is. Behind the healer, in the corner, out of reach from the other Rahks.

"Ah, it would appear the healer has it." He half-whispered to the blind Rahk. "perhaps you should inquire her for it."

IC: Hoto - Infirmary

Hoto searched the indicated corner by Palma, but the staff was still too narrow for her to see. She frowned. As much as she trusted Palma, the last time she had been in here, she had slipped off while she was supposed to be resting. Palma had even told her friends to leave her alone, and she used the opportunity to escape. She worried what the nurse might say.

"Thanks," she whispered back. "I'll just... go and get it."

Sneaking around was much harder when your joints clicked at every move, but she had to keep a metaphorical "eye" on Palma. She slowly pushed towards the corner, trying to make the overly-suspicious motions look idle and inconsequential. She worried with every step.

What if she sees me?

Clickclickclick

What if she recognizes me?

Clickclickclick

Is the staff even worth this?

Clickclickclick

It was so beautiful, but now... it hurts.

Clickclickclick

Maybe I should just leave it.

Clickclickclick

No, too late now. Almost there...

IC: Nightmare

Nightmare washed the Blood off his Knives, and then Started off to Hide his Disc launcher in his Cave.

IC Flabbergaster

Noticing she was attempting to sneak poorly, Flabbergaster continued his usefulness.

"Oh, pardon me," he said addressed to the healer. "When you have the time, I'm missing a kneecap and could use a replacement."

Saying that also reminded him of the biting pain of having no kneecap. Fun.

And perhaps it would buy the blind one some time.

IC: Snake - Dorms

I'm sitting in my dorm, surrounded by cans of paint acquired from the art rooms. The light's dim and, as always, miscellaneous objects litter the floor, dusty books stacked in precarious piles, scraps of parchment bearing hurried notes and half-written letters covering every square inch of the small desk. Half-eaten food, tarnished coins, interesting shells, heaps of dust and assorted cutlery form gigantic drifts and mounds, the largest of which practically touches the rough ceiling.

I always meant to do something about this room, but always procrastinated. I guess I'll never get the chance now.

It's occurred to me that it would be best to change my appearance if the rebellion is going to go ahead, if we really are leaving this place. Nothin' fancy, mind, just something to change how I look. I won't be changing, or at least I hope so...well, maybe I do need to change, but my mind's clouded with tiredness (or at least that's my excuse), so I'd rather not think about it right now. Put it off 'till the morning - classic Snake, eh? People always say that things will look better in the morning, but they generally look...fuzzier.

I begin to repaint myself.

IC: Shield

Shield ran up to Bullseye, who was apparently making a memorial. "I need to make Root's one. Now."

IC: Whakatio

Whak strolled through the school, trying to find Legion.

IC Kat:

"I'm hoping there will be a lot less of that....."

Finally, it was done. I looked like a completely different Rahk.

I stood. The weight was different but not overly so.

"How's it look?"

IC grim:

Grim could not help but to smile. True approval from one if the Dark Ones was rare, and highly sought.

Even so, he wondered why Tridax had begun to read the mind of the winged one, rather than the traitor that they'd brought to him.

IC: Hoto - Infirmary

Hoto paused for a moment as she heard the Rahkshi's explanation to Palma. There had been no way for her to know how he was injured, and the thought made her feel slightly queasy until she realized he was trying to make a distraction. She ran over and snatched up the staff. The blades rang softly at the sudden movement, and Hoto resisted the urge to throw it back where it came from. She could hear... Sontiri in that note.

IC: Fang - Cauldron

Fang looked back to Kat and blinked a few times. He had to remind himself who that Rahkshi was.

It took him a moment to find his voice, and longer to put any confidence into it. "I... It looks... you look..." He sighed, and his eyes traced the intricate designs now spiraling across her armor. The armor modifications made her look much bulkier. She was no longer the vibrant quicksilver he had known, but now a lethal force to be reckoned with. Heavy blows and durability took the place of agility and speed. The blades on her joints looked suspiciously and uncomfortably familiar, but just as effective.

He gave her a weary smile and decided on, "You look great."

IC: "You really don't know much about how Tridax tries to operate do you?" Suvak asked, "Giving you that kind of free rein isn't exactly the sort of thing he's known for."

IC: Palma tapped Flabbergaster's leg, planting a new patella on him. 

"Also, lose some weight," she advised

IC: Tridax soon learned what he needed browsing through the mind of Draco. It was impossible to lie through that kind of "interrogation" and the Makuta was appreciative the student had co-operated. He was presented with images of multiple Rahkshi, whispers of conspiracy, proving that the claims were not simply a falsehood designed to land another in hot water. 

"I thank you for your reports of this. Bring the traitor inside. We will see if any further answers can be gouged out of him."

True, he could have read Mangai's mind to try and take what he wanted...but it was the students who had turned him in. Why not let them have a little fun as reward?

OOC: Yep, thats totally why Tridax grabbed Draco. To ensure he wasn't trying to get someone in trouble for hate lulz. Not me covering my behind after goofing it up at all...

IC: Draco

Relief came upon Draco as the "probe" exited his mind. Showing as little pain as he could, he slowly stepped back. Could hav been worse, he thought to himself, smiling grimly. "Sounds painful for him. This will ge fun," he said, while his wings in the back gave a flutter of excitement.

IC: Sliver - Tridax's Office.

Stepping over the unconscious rebel, I entered the Makuta's office and took in the interior. Ominous, with a hint of decadence... Very stylish... It reminded me of home. 

IC Grim:

With little effort, grim hefted the unconscious Mangai up by the spines, and dragged him inside, their smile widening.

IC Kat:

"You wanna do you?"

IC: Hoto - Infirmary

Hoto wasted no time in running right back out the door with staff in hand. She mouthed a quick "Thank you!" to the Rahk who had helped her, though she couldn't know if he responded or even noticed. She would be halfway back to her room by the time she could have seen it.

IC: Tube - Hallways

Tube groaned wearily as they trekked through the halls. Still no sign of... whatever Whak was looking for. "You know, we could always visit Legion's room," they pointed out, just for something to do. "He said your weapons were in there, and it would be fun to break the door down!"

IC: Fang - Cauldron

"I... I..." He took a deep breath. "Maybe... it's time."

Fang stood and looked around the Cauldron and all the shades of paint that were waiting there. There was the white they had used last time, the one he still wore across his head and back. Somehow, he had always thought it made him look intimidating. White was the color of light, the bane of the shadowy Kraata. It had set him apart from all his violent and uncaring brethren. It showed he was different.

But now, he had proven it, as much as he was able to. A rebellion had formed from his "mad ramblings." A group, no matter how small, pledged to fight the Makuta whenever they were able. He had fought orders and those that supported the Makuta, nearly losing his life in the process several times over. 

White would not do him much good. He needed to shed his old colors for the same reasons Kat did. They could no longer be seen as dutiful servants once Kat's plans were acted upon. His life from now on would be a life of fleeing from the Makuta, and he couldn't very well do that in white.

He reached down and picked up a can of paint. The deep cobalt of a night sky, or the hottest flame. It would do nicely. He slowly brought it back and held it up for Kat's inspection.

IC: Era - Hallways.

 

"Okay, sure..." I tried to calm myself down, "...let's just get away from it." 

IC Phogen: Happy to oblige, Phogen strode down the hall towards Tridax's office.

IC: Era - Hallways.

I trudged after Phogen, soon hearing voices from up ahead as we neared Tridax's office. 

IC Kat: I took a look at the paint he held up.

Blue.

I smiled.

"That'll look nice."

IC: Toxin/Causeway

It took a while but the task was done. I looked to Bullseye who had decided to play a song to the dead on his own will. I sent a Fohrok with orders to tell Tridax what has occurred.

IC: Draco

Draco strode into the office. Ah, the perfect dwelling place! Dark, ominous, and yet, it had its charm. Off to the side, a pool of Energized Protodermis layer there, letting off a glow of silvery light.

Draco heard footsteps, faint, but growing. It appears that perhaps they may have company. No matter. The interrogation must go on, and hopefully, they would learn not to betray Tridax.

IC: Fang - Cauldron

He grinned back at her, then suddenly whirled around to look for a few more colors. Tan, orange, and silver. The new designs were already coming to mind. Dark blue down the back, rimmed in orange and etched with jagged fangs of tan.

He brought it all back and set it down by Kat's feet to work on it. He sat down, grabbed a brush, and started filling in the blue.

IC Flabbergaster

Flabbergaster opened his mouth to say something to Palma, but decided against it. He nodded quietly to Hoto as she darted out of the room. If the healer had noticed, she was keeping a silent tongue.

He tromped out of the infirmary, hitting the floor harder with each step than a Panrak.

OO|C: Open to interaction.

IC: Sidonas - Suvak's Office

"Just wondering how far in terms of avoiding limitations I could push it. Just let me know when to show things for approval to Tridax. Thank you for your time Drillmaster." At that Sidonas walked out of Suvak's Office, not saying a word, but thinking of how the situation was set up, and how he might have to go 'Shopping' for supplies. Sidonas decided the best next course of action would be to find those who he thought had the highest probability of forming any kind of Anti-Makuta rebellion. "Let's hope my calculations are correct." Sidonas muttered as he went to look around the beach to find those he believed to be sympathetic to his idea on what should be done about the Makuta.

IC: Nightmare

Nightmare hid his Disk Launcher and Disks at the end of his Cave, and Began to Cover them up with Rocks.

IC: Torch - Halls

I laugh as we step inside. "What's your favourite colour?" I ask - I personally think that these things are pretty important if I'm going to get to know this rahk.

IC: Whak

"Sounds good to me." Whak said.

IC: Subject

The giant grinned as Grim brought in the traitor.

IC: Lucid / Library

"Nobody else here?" Lucid repeated, incredulous. "I think the chairs would like to have a word with you! Oh yes, you sit on them, but you don't think of them as actual people, do you? They're just furniture to people like you." She crossed her arms, indignant on behalf of the oppressed, devalued masses.

IC: Glaciem Ignis - Hallways.

"I fail to see how that's relevant to, well, anything," we snap, before taking on a calmer tone, "We don't have one." 

IC: Jayar / Gym

One might have expected Jayar to go to the Library, or his own room, or even simply wander about the halls, to clear his head. But it would do no good to try to think with all everything pent up inside of him - if he was going to try think clearly, he must exhaust the fiery frustration bubbling beneath the surface of his calm exterior. And that could be done with sweat as well as with meditation.

So instead, he entered the Gym, and found before he could even ask it anything that an obstacle course was rising from an empty region of the floor in front of him. Very well, if the Gym had chosen this to be his trial, it would be this he surpassed. He lay down his trusty wooden staff – for this, it would be unneeded– and leapt a hurdle into the barrage of hazards. Today, the Gym was inventive, and dynamic obstacles obstructed his every move. He slid beneath a swinging beam, only to immediately spring upwards and over a rising wall...

Now limited, Jayar's reality became crystal-clear, the blur of chaotic life walled off by a singular simple illusory purpose: he would reach the end of the course, regardless what got in his way. And so began a mad manic dance of a masterful duo, room and Rahkshi partners in the show, each determined to outdo the other in a game where only one can be the last. The Gym would not relent – no matter how far Jayar went, the obstacles behind him retreated to make room for more awaiting him, another set of shifting pillars or wavering tightrope or row of hurdles. But neither would Jayar, and no matter what the Gym threw at him, he raced to surpass. He leapt, he ducked. He performed nimble dodges and managed clumsy escapes, eluding jarring impacts by everything from the clearest margin to not at all. When he fell, he rose unwaveringly from the floor with rapidly dissipating pain and new determination. And when he rises, the Gym redoubled its efforts to impede him.

Until at last Jayar slid down a treacherous slope and collapsed. No! The Gym would not outdo him. He stood to find that he had been returned to where he started, but the ground upon which he stood had been altered. His staff now leaned against a stony pedestal to his right, ready to be taken up to fight, and in front of him stood a lone training dummy, blocking his way past. He tried to go around, and the dummy shifted to block him. He reached for his staff – if this obstacle could not be circumvented, it must be destroyed for him to proceed –

But he wavered, breathing heavily. He didn't come here to destroy... pant... he came to expunge that instinct. And it... pant... it seemed that he had, or he would have... pant... struck down the figure. He was too exhausted now to rage. With a satisfied nod, he dismissed the Gym, and the obstacles retreated back into the stony ground. Gleaming faintly with triumphant sweat, the Rahkshi of Quick Healing returned to the halls, prepared to enter a mental obstacle course that would make the Gym's look like a wide and empty hallway.

IC: The Rahkshi now known as Mangai was still unconscious. It would make it difficult taking anything from his mind, as it would be an unformed mess of random colours and shapes. If even that. Measures would need to be taken to...clarify things.

"My task for you loyal students is a simple one. Cause this traitor pain," Tridax instructed, "You will start small, but gradually escalate your efforts as I instruct. The pain you inflict will cause a...sharpening, I suppose, if you wish for an appropriate analogy. His thoughts will be brought into more clarity as the pain drags his conscious mind close to the fore, and will keep what little mental defences he may have occupied trying to block it out, thus leaving me free to take what I want. Further action will be explained once we have accomplished this."

He placed one hand on Mangai's head, slowly slipping into the mind-soup that was his consciousness.

"Begin."

IC Grim:

They nodded once, then began with a smack to the faceplates. Hard. The metal gauntlet leaving indentations in his face.

It had the added bonus of waking him up.

IC: Sliver - Tridax's Office.

"Primitive," I said dismissively, as Grim went ahead and punched the unconscious rahk right in the face, completely ignoring common sense, as well as everything Tridax had just said.

"Let me handle it. I'm good at causing pain," I hissed softly, kneeling beside the unconscious rahkshi and pulling one of my arrows from the quiver. I pressed the tip against the palm of one of the traitor's hands and slowly, ever so slowly, pushed it in.

It was strangely beautiful to watch, the sharpened protosteel blades slicing into his armoured flesh, black fluid beginning to bubble to the surface as I gouged the arrow in deeper. After several long moments, once the arrowhead had sunk all the way in, I gave it a slow, tortuous twist, before suddenly and brutally ripping it free. 

Flicking blood off the arrow, I turned to the headmaster. "Shall I do the other hand next?" If that wasn't the kind of gradually escalating pain Tridax had asked us for, I wasn't sure what was.

OOC: grim smacked him, he didn't punch him.

IC Grim:

"The most effective predators are often the most Direct."

They drew their staff, and began their own slow torture, wrapping the pincers around the joint where foot met leg.

The pincers squeezed. Slowly, gnawing away at flesh and armor alike as Grim took his time.

Removing the foot too quickly would be wasteful. Too slowly would be pointless.

A slight screech could be heard, as the metals fought for dominance. Fluids seeped from the wound.

Once Tridax gave him command to move further, he would clamp harder. Maybe even break bone. Grim smiled. Perhaps the traitor would resist long enough for them to begin removing pieces of him entirely.

IC: Subject

Subject had another approach. He grabbed Mangai's other arm and slowly bent it in the direction of his other arm. He could hear the grinding and groaning of the metal as the arm was bent unaturally into an L shape. Just to add more pain, he then stomped on it.

IC: Torch - Front of Academy

"Strange..." I utter, stridin' through the halls.

IC: Raith - Library

My eyes widen...days ago I would have found it hard to believe, but now anything seems possible - in fact, I'd never given it any though that there could be some other kind of life, one that does not exist in the same way as ours. "I-I'm sorry," I mutter, "I didn't realise..."

IC: Glaciem Ignis - Hallways.

Is he talking about us again?

Will you please rein in that temper of yours? 

IC: Torch - Near Infirmary

"BEHOLD," I say again, "The infirmary." I slow a bit, "This is, like, where you go if you're hurt and they patch you up..."

IC: Glaciem Ignis - Infirmary.

"How very informative," we replied, "Thank you." 

Because the medical instruments and hospital beds weren't a dead giveaway....

Be polite. 

IC: Torch - Halls

I beam at the double-rahk, turning to walk down another hallway.

IC: Glaciem Ignis - Hallways.

"So, where is everyone?" we ask as we walk. "This place seems kind of empty."

Kind of like your head.

Oh, grow up. 

IC: Nightmare

Nightmare properly hid the Disk launcher and Disks, Reclaimed his staff from the cave, and headed back to the school.

IC: Torch - Halls

"I dunno," I reply, "Some of them were just on an Assignment, so..."