BZPRPG: Kumu Islets

IC: XerovI nod in agreement, although my thoughts are already drifting away...- - -I see myself standing outside a shop with Jalna and the others. She disappears inside, but tells me to wait for her. The moment she's gone, the others start looking at me suspiciously. "What?""Well, I don't mean to get involved with your business, but what exactly is going on between you and Jalna?" I think I can safely say that that was the first time Traxia ever spoke to me directly."Nothing! We're just friends." I sigh."Come on, it's obvious that you're interested in her." I'm not entirely sure if Nikarra was smirking or smiling while she said that."As a friend!" I lie. I know I'm lying, and they probably do too, but I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. It's a miracle in itself that these people consider me their friend, it's downright impossible that anyone could like me as something more."'Friends' don't talk 24/7." Okay, I don't have a reply to that."What's your deal, Elax?" Great, now even Myka is getting involved- wait, what?"What?""You know, girls, guys...?" I stare blankly at her. "Look, are you gay?"There's an awkward silence, which I feel drags on a little too long. "No?""So you're into girls?"A similar silence. "Yes?""So ask Jalna out!""Hey, she's coming out!" I'll admit that I'm hit with a wave of relief. "We said nothing!"As Jalna exits the store, she notices us all looking strangely at her. "Why are you staring at me like that?"I cough and shuffle my feet."We're not staring at you." Nikarra smiles, winking at me. I cough again, and I think I can see myself blushing.I shouldn't have let them get to me. I should've just ignored them, carried on like nothing had happened, talked to Jalna a little less. I had a good thing going on there -- I had friends who liked me. Actually liked me. Who knows, maybe I'd still be in Ga-Koro right now. Maybe I wouldn't have met Joske. And maybe, just maybe, Jalna and I would still be friends today.- - -But I'm not in Ga-Koro, I did meet Joske, and the closest thing I have to a friend is Echelon, and he's a frickin' psycho. We must be nearing that meeting place by now...OOC: Yep, more of the boring stuff from Xerov's past. I really hope I get to the interesting parts soon...

IC: IraIra silently nodded in agreement. The sooner they could get this business over with the better.

IC: Dorian (Ferry, Xa-Koro)A pleasant wind sliced diagonally across my face, cooling half of it and leaving half slightly humid in the foreboding Le-Wahi air. I didn't particularly mind; it wasn't often that a breeze came through this part of the Wahi, so in this case, half really was better than nothing. It was a silent testament to my professionalism that even though my ego - which, despite my best efforts, hadn't exactly been tempered by any sort of humility as of late - told me that I wanted it all, and that I should have it all, I was still able to settle for half.My eyes turned to Jin, sitting behind me and boring her beautiful gaze into my back as a hammer would a nail, pushing and driving it into plywood, and as our eyes met she smiled slightly; after returning the gesture I turned my gaze eastbound and down, towards the dock of Xa-Koro, and I found myself calculating the time it would take to pull into the derelict harbor and find my way to Brykon. My thoughts turned to Illicia, who I was most anxious to see again, and to Grokk, and even to Sev. These latter two had grown to be people I could trust, instead of just people I knew would respect and fear me. They were allies. Not friends, but colleagues nonetheless. No, the members of Bad Company were not my most pressing concern. Naara, Nikarra, Jin, even Anthyn; none of these women were my concern. No, my concern was that one tool which had always been honed and ready for action whenever I needed it, thirsting to pen poetry only blood could vocalize: myself.This Timestamp was gradually becoming an irritation, instead of something I could to help me achieve any sort of immortality as I knew it; the fact that so many other people wanted me for it, aiming to use me for their own ends, didn't bother me. As an assassin, you learn to be treated like that. What bothered me was the fact that now that the Timestamp was active, and Utu really was proven to be alive, the Mark Bearers would become more and more difficult to stay away from. I had other things to concern myself with; let Tank make another Mark of Rage and use that Bearer. I didn't care. I had more pressing concerns. I mean, really. This thing wasn't going to kill me. People with diseases, people marked for death, never truly die until they get it into their heads that they will. That's why you can live your whole life with a chronic illness, a tumor, an infection, and not know it until someone tells you. You don't hear about people dying from things they don't know about nearly as much as you hear about people dying from the things they do.My thoughts turned to a little boy who, once upon a time, had shown no fear, not even a modicum of knowledge, about death, or agony, or cruelty, or destiny, or any of the concepts I'd courted over the last few months. As I stared into the big blue of the water, its flirtatious, beautiful color mirroring that of the eyes I used to stare at it, I thought of a little boy who had no real knowledge of evil, only of life and love and trying to make people proud, and happy, the kind of little boy who had devoted himself to the sort of life that a knight dreamed of, as he baked alive inside his shining armor. What the little boy had failed to realize was that he was living in a dream world, and for that, he would suffer as only those who were true idealists would suffer. And all because of one girl, who he had suffered for, physically, mentally, and morally, until the point where she could no longer even look at him without staring into the twisted, distorted soul that he had come to call his own. It would be easy to find people that had suffered worse than the little boy had suffered; here, on this island of souls marked for damnation and despair, broken birds were a stone's throw away no matter where you plucked the rock from. What had made the boy different was his incredible resolve, his belief that his suffering would be rewarded either in this life or the next, and the way he had kept it, right up until the moment where Kynaera had first looked into his eyes and then turned away...The bell of the harbor sounded, and despair reluctantly released its grip on my heart as I pushed myself off the railing I was using as a perch, landing on the dock and walking alongside Jin onto the harbor itself.-Teezy

IC (Lohkar)Lohkar walked around from behind the Infernavika, chuckling a little at Tellus and Verak. The two Toa of Plantlife were like an old married couple already...As Lohkar walked along the dock, another ship moved into port a couple of berths along from the Infernavika. The passengers stepped out onto the dock.One of them was a Toa of Iron.It was Dorian."Oh, bugger."Lohkar was about to run and hide, when suddenly a thought entered his mind. He stopped, turned, and began to walk casually in Dorian's direction.

IC: Gunner - Xa-Koro DocksUnbeknownst to either Lohkar or Dorian, I had spotted both of them, and had monitored their movements. Both were heading to a literal and metaphorical crossroads, and if they met, one of them was bound to die earlier than he planned.A list of possible options flashed before my mind's eye. This Dorian fellow had quite a reputation, apparently, a big enough one that he had to die for it. But that was the full extent of my knowledge on the subject, and without anymore, there was no way I could defeat him.Now, how to acquire this information. That was the trick. That was where Lohkar came in.Easing my face into a deadpan expression, I slipped into the crowd like a shadow, pulling my coat tighter around me, and ducking my head down to avoid detection. Slowly, I allowed the crowd to push me forward, guiding along its ebbs and flows towards my target duo.Within moments, I was within spitting distance of Dorian, with Lohkar only a short ways away from me. Not wanting to interfere with any discussion between the two of them, I ducked backwards, against the grain of the crowd, giving myself a bit of room away from the pirate and the Mark Bearer.-Void

IC (Jin)As Dorian and I walked off the ferry, I let myself gradually fall behind him until we were walking a good ten feet apart. It was easy keeping him in sight, even with the crowd of people: I've had years of experience tracking people, and most of them didn't want to be caught. Dorian walked tall and confident, with a bit of a swagger, obviously apathetic as to whether anybody would notice him.It was easy to see why I'd chosen to come along with him. He had so much confidence, he could make you believe anything. I made a note to watch out for him when we started working together; he could probably convince a Turaga to drop their robe and do a tap dance. And I never dance to anyone's tune but my own, even a handsome guy like Dorian's.As I absentmindedly let my thoughts run around, I kept one eye on Dorian and another on the crowd. You could never be too suspicious in Xa; just about anyone would gladly rob you blind given the chance. It's my kind of city, my kind of people, but that's not to say I trusted any of them.

IC: Dorian (Xa-Koro)My mind caught him before my eyes did; he was moving towards me, not as casually as I but not nearly in any sort of tense stance. If Lohkar was here, that overrated tugboat of his would have come along with him, along with all of his little acolytes. To the west and south there was dock, and the captain was advancing before me, so he had to be to the right. I was banking on Jin having made the same decision, but if she didn't, I could handle another pirate or two. The crowd was mostly gone, drawn away into the village proper by some perceived "major" event - probably just another fire - so that anything more than a cursory scan could probably pick out Lohkar's backup...There. The Toa of Air, the one that had come after me when Lohkar first ordered his ship to turn back. He was a ways back, crouched slightly and doing a moderate job of being stealthy, but he was hardly good enough - or ready enough - to avoid my years of experience when it came to tracking. He would be Jin's job, if things got hairy; I, on the other hand, was curious as to what the Lesterin wanted, but not nearly enough to engage in any sort of prolonged conversation with him. Bad Company did await, after all...-Teezy

IC-Marfoir:"He's back," Marfoir muttered to himself, tracking Dorian and those near him through the scope of his sniper rifle, the Vortixx carefully watching the group that was seeming to converge-as well as the new Vortixx, most likely somebody to replace Illicia. She'd done little but try to seduce the others, after all-it would be good to get somebody a little smarter into the group.He put on his listening device, training the beam from it upon the window of one of the discarded buildings there, hoping to pick up vibrations from the group as they spoke, to determine just what Dorian had been doing, whether or not the new Vortixx was there to help the team, and whether or not he'd have to shoot somebody soon.

IC: [Gunner] - Xa-KoroI remained stoic and silent as I followed Dorian through the streets of Xa-Koro, careful to keep myself as deep in the crowds and shadows as possible. I didn't know the full extent of his abilities, but if he managed to stay alive this long, he was probably skilled enough to know when he was being followed.I kept my hands in my pockets, allowing my eyes to flit around to the surrounding beings, as an attempt at appearing casual, as well as watching for potential enemies. Or the much rarer variety of companion; allies.There were plenty of people around, most of whom were probably far less innocent than either me, Lohkar or Dorian. Many gave passing glances to the Mark Bearer, but that was to be expected. The Toa, as much as I hate to admit, seemed fairly attractive, not only physically, but in spirit. Already, I could tell that he radiated a sort of cool confidence that appealed to most beings.One such being, was female Vortixx, clad in black and green (Jin), who, no matter what, was keeping one eye on Dorian at all times. She was pretty, I would say, but in a deadly sort of way. Doom Viper pretty.Vortixx pretty.She obviously had some ties to the Toa, but what sort remained a mystery. Was she an ally of the Mark Bearer? Friend? Colleague? Girlfriend?Or was she here to track him? Kidnap him? Kill him?Keeping myself from appearing too interested, I fell back a few steps, keeping my eyes trained on the two beings.-Void

IC Yasurek- Xa-koro:Yasurek was having quite a bit of fun, which was a new experience, or at least one that he hadn't felt in a very long time. He just sort of loved running and jumping and being as athletic as he could while moving. His being on the rooftops of the village lent him a good deal of privacy and stealth which meant that he didn't have to deal with odd glances or rude comments or anything of that sort. After all, most people really didn't think to look up. He had learned quite quickly in his guard days that whenever you were looking for an enemy, one of the most important places to look was the ceiling or, if a ceiling was not available, the sky. Most people had to learn that lesson the hard way.As he traversed the village he noticed an odd shift in one of the areas he moved through. It seemed like the village had experienced a very large fire somewhat recently, one that had just sat around burning things without any attempt to stop it. He quickly turned away from that area and moved on. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop in an area that had recently been on fire was never a good plan.Eventually though, Yasurek started to make his way back to the ship, if only to check in and see if any of the crew needed his help with anything. Or at least wanted his help. Or would accept his help. Regardless, he soon arrived on a rooftop near the Infernavika, taking some time to plan out his descent. It was then that he noticed Lohkar making his way in a particular direction. Attempting to identify Lohkar's destination revealed Dorian walking by. Yasurek's eyes narrowed as he tried to pick out all the details he could from the crowds in the area around them. A vortixx behind Dorian seemed to stand out, but Yasurek had no way of confirming anything. A cloaked figure that might was almost certainly Gunner.All of these details meant that either a very tense conversation was about to happen, or a fight, and Yasurek definitely wasn't looking forward to a fight. Fortunately, he had a good position on the roof to keep an eye on the events while remaining relatively hidden. He crouched down and backed away from the edge of the roof to conceal himself as much as possible, Just in case Dorian happened to look up and wasn't distracted by Lohkar approaching. He also scanned the rest of the crowd as nonchalantly as he could to avoid making the target of his observations obvious. Although Yasurek was pretty sure Dorian wouldn't even recognize Yasurek if he did see him since they had never really met, Yasurek had only seen him from a distance, and the time Dorian visited the Infernavika he never saw Yasurek. Also Yasurek wasn't really important enough to remember, but you could never be too careful with psychopaths, so Yasurek was going to be as invisible as he could.

IC: LasiniaLasinia began to heave the tree to and fro.

IC (Lohkar)As Lohkar approached Dorian, he cracked a smile as if recognising an old friend."Mate!" he cried, grabbing Dorian's hand and shaking it. "It's been too long. We should get a drink in the Black Spot some time, an' catch up."As the Lesterin shook Dorian's hand, he pressed a note into the Toa's palm. It read:I've got a proposition for you.

IC: Kearrstrun - Kumu-Islets - Unknown LocationThe Assistant stopped at the edge of the clearing, peering at the camouflaged house. He didn't want to be here, dealing with what he had to deal with. But it had to be done.Kearrstrun quickly slammed the door open, he quickly caught the gaze of a large Toa of electricity. Kearrstrun had met him before. Before the Toa had drawn his sword and opened his mouth to alert his master, Kearrstrun plunged the knife into his neck, the guard gurgling on his blood before shortly dropping onto the ground. Dead before he hit.A flurry of loud noises erupted from the falling Toa, knocking into the wall, causing various books and desk side ornaments to fall onto the stone floor.Kearrstrun gently pulled the knife out of his neck, closing his eyes. The Toa deserved it. Just like his master.Who just rounded the corner.Arekule was obviously shocked to see Kearrstrun there, crouching over his assistant. Eye-contact was made. He quickly reached for his blade, ripping it from it's sheath, preparing to run it through the Toa of sonics. Kearrstrun responded by slinging a wall of sound at Arekule, who was sent flying back, knocking over his kitchen table, breaking some of it. Kearrstrun moved to take control of the Toa of stone but wasn't expecting Arekule to flank him with a slab of stone.Kearrstrun was sent flying across the room, slamming hard into the wall and the counter, dragging down kitchen tools with him to the ground. He moved to his feet, Arekule already on him. Although his stance was poor. Kearrstrun flipped his knife upwards, parrying back the long blade, bringing his own closer to the handle before moving to the Administrator's side.Arekule, as fast as he could, swung his sword downwards, hoping to catch Kearrstrun's side. Kearrstrun leaped out of the way, moving in to stab Arekule's abdomen. Block, parry, swing, duck, parry, parry, block, duck, swing.Kearrstrun jumped back to avoid Arekule's iron sword, this time pushing back off his landing, tackling Arekule, back into the table again. The pair struggled for a moment until Kearrstrun gained the upper hand, positioning himself on top of Arekule. Arekule grabbed Kearrstrun's wrist and twisted it downwards fast and hard, forcing the Toa to drop the knife. Kearrstrun apparently didn't need it.Kearrstrun started to blur.Wailing on Arekule with a flurry of fists, aided by his Kakama, Kearrstrun aimed to cause pain and subdue the Toa of stone.Arekule struggled to block to blows before grabbing hold of Kearrstrun amidst the punches before rolling over, Arekule now on top. Kearrstrun screamed, smashing Arekule's face up, knocking him into the wall beside the door, breaking the cupboards and pushing them inwards. Kearrstrun got up to move to the now weaponless Toa but was interjected when a pillar of stone struck his chin, an upper-cut. Kearrstrun stumbled backwards, dazed.Arekule took this moment to reach for his sword, dropping the pillar down. He went for a wild swing, hoping to cut off his attackers head. Kearrstrun ducked again, ramming his full force into Arekule under the blade, knocking him back, but not quite tackling. Arekule stumbled. Kearrstrun started up his mask again, this time super speed kicks to the Toa's chest and abdomen. Strike after strike Arekule moved closer to the wall in the next room where Kearrstrun went back to punches to the face, knocking his head into the stone wall over and over again. Kearrstrun continued until he could see to weakness in Arekule's face, obviously exhausted, clearly given up. He looked Kearrstrun right in the eyes with fatigue before sliding down the wall, sitting against it lazily, blood covering his face.Breathing heavily Kearrstrun went for the sword, tearing it from Arekule's hands, redirecting it at Arekule's chest, "Where is he?"Arekule struggled to look up. Staring at Kearrstrun. The pain and emptiness in his eyes didn't match his now flashing smirk, "He's gone. And he's coming for your little friend. Your little master-" Kearrstrun kicked Arekule across the face, splattering blood across the door frame, falling over from the momentum. Kearrstrun reached for the Toa and hoisted him back up, looking him right in the eye. He looked back at the sonics Toa, a devilish look on his face."Why?"Arekule's smile just grew wider, "We don't want your Pain Bearer to get to close to figuring what's this all about do we?"Kearrstrun tilted his head, mimicking Arekule's smile. Kearrstrun, with much effort, shoved Arekule into the other side of the door, knocking him against the wall, his back on the floor, "You tell your master, that weasel, that poison; if he tries to touch Tank, directly or indirectly, I will destroy him, and everything he's ever worked for. I will wipe him and every person that knows of his existence off the face of this island."

IC: Dorian (Docks, Xa-Koro)I felt the note press smoothly in no palm, but gave no indication of it; I merely smiled back charmingly and shrugged with an air of slight uncertainty."I actually have a couple prior commitments, but give me some time to stretch my wings, get reacquainted with this place. We'll see what we can do after that," I said, my meaning clear. Right now, we're cool. If you want it to stay that way, get your guys off my trail, or I'll make sure to knock them off it myself.-Teezy

OOC: Moving from Le-Wahi...IC: The ship slowed and halted against the hand as the crew hastily moved three medium-sized boxes and one rather large crate towards the bow of the ship. After several moments of lifting, Ahkmou and his crew had managed to get the supplies off the ship. "We must make haste," the hooded Po-Matoran said, "We don't want the Makuta's loyal servants to become impatient"-------------It was pitch black outside -- not even the moon was brave enough to shine through and threaten the shadows. It was just how Ahkmou preferred it -- the shadows made the Po-Matoran feel safe, much safer than the broad daylight that everyone else enjoyed. To him, broad daylight brought nothing but persecution. After much walking, Ahkmou had finally made it to the rendezvous point. As he expected, the followers of the Makuta recognized him (and his crew transporting the rather large boxes) before Ahkmou recognized them. Echelon, Xerov, and the others turned to face the twelve hooded Matoran, whose masks were concealed by the darkness."Greetings, fellow worshipers of the Makuta," Ahkmou said, "I am Ahkmou, at your service"Ahkmou bowed to Echelon, and the other eleven Matoran followed suit. After a moment, they rose again. "As agreed upon, you shall receive these munitions and supplies," Ahkmou said, gesturing towards the four crates, "I have been asked to set up a base here in Xa-Koro, so expect more of my crew to arrive here. As of now, you all are my only customers, so it's not too inconvenient for me"Ahkmou turned back towards his crew, "Fellas, open up those crates for my fellow patrons here!""Aye-aye!" shouted the crew in unison, and they quickly made their way to the three medium-sized crates, followed by the large crate. The followers of the Makuta were first greeted with a mound of dust rising from the boxes. Once that cleared, Echelon and his men were greeted with hundreds of small vials of medicines and remedies, from curing poisons to increasing mind and strength. Another crate had bandages of all sizes and functions, as well of braces and crutches -- everything that would help wounded soldiers. The third medium-sized crate was filled with foodstuffs, enough to feed a small battalion. "Not much, but it's a start," Ahkmou commented.Finally, the biggest crate was opened. Inside lay a wooden divider; on one side lay armors, gauntlets, and helmets -- made of the strongest metal alloys that money could buy. On the other side lay swords, metal disks, bows and arrows, knives, ropes, and even a couple of flails, and some other more exotic weapons. Again, these tools were made from the finest material that money could buy.More specifically, the finest material that the Cultured Gentry's money could buy."So...", Ahkmou began, somewhat intimidated by the status of the Dark Toa of Magnetism and his party, not to mention the pressure put by Ronkshou, the Makuta's 2nd Lieutenant, "What do you think?"

IC: IraIra looked over the materials carefully. These crates had many items that could be useful. If their group had medics that could use them, that would be even better. He looked at the items with silent approval then looked at Echelon and gave him as much as an approving look as he could behind his iron mask.OOC: Are the makuta followers anywhere close to the crew of the Infervanika?

OOC: (Kino Iho)IC: Kino had made it Xa-Koro and hung near the back of the group for a while when she reached the rendezvous. The cloaked Toa let out a low whistle when she had seen the goods. So many weapons, supplies, armor, and just goods in general, it was more than enough to support their small group, and she didn't doubt that the Cultured Gentry could support a small army if they could deliver objects of such quality. She would have reached forward to pick up one of the daggers as she made her way to the front. Smiling from beneath her coverings she overlooked them and let out a small laugh."You boys really outdid yourselves here. This is the kind of partnership I could get behind. Our agents might not be as numerous yet, but with quality like this and the support of your Gentry...there is much we could do to spread Makuta's influence." Kino said in a jovial tone, she paused for a second. "Hmmm...if there are certain..."goods" we would like to acquire, I assume the Cultured Gentry would be able to provide those...for a price of course. Personal purchases are after all personal, so I would pay handsomely for the right goods." She said, thinking this over. Ahkmou was effective and he seemed to be well connected. She never trusted businessmen, but Gentry clearly had a stake in this. She assumed the elimination of competition, which she assumed was Ambrages contract was all about. Which she had sighed of course. Now to get the ball back into this group's court.

IC: Kearrstrun - Kumu-Islets - Arekule's LabKearrstrun pulled Arekule's face closer to his own, all the while bringing his head down. He hissed through his teeth the anger as volatile as acid. His voice was low and intense, "You're lucky I don't kill you right now for doing what you're doing. I'd much like to bring this to an end with the death of you and your puppet-master."Arekule's expression changed from exhausted to fearful, "But it can end here, and it can end now. All you have to do, is to leave this place, leave these islet's, and leave, us, alone. You're gonna go tell your boss the same thing."Kearrstrun tilted his head, "Do you understand?"Arekule tried to look away, but Kearrstrun wasn't going to have any of that. Not when he was this serious, Arekule slammed him against the wall again, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"Arekule nodded. Kearrstrun dropped the Toa of stone again and stepped back. Arekule moved to get to his feet as Kearrstrun turned around. The Toa of sonics stopped at the doorway before dropping the sword, disappearing almost instantly.

IC (Echelon)Echelon nodded in approval. This was exactly what they needed...the perfect resources for a small but powerful army. Enough to stock their Xa-Koro base of operations for a good time. And doubtless the Gentry would provide more when it was needed...One particular set of items caught the Necromancer's eye. A particularly large set of armour, made of thick plates of alloy. He walked over to the crate, and examined it. He turned back to Ahkmou."A pleasure to meet you at last, Ahkmou," he said, looking down at the Matoran. "Your Koli ball plot may have failed, but I respect your way of thinking."He ran a long finger along the rows of bottles in the medicine crate."These supplies will be most useful in our undertakings," he continued. "For that, I thank our...sponsors..." he put it tactfully, "...and hope that this partnership may continue. Now, may I inquire as to your plans regarding our base's construction?"IC (Lohkar)Lohkar nodded."I'll see what I can do ta make your stay as peaceful as possible," he said, and continued on his way. As he walked through the crowd, he grabbed Gunner by his cloak."Leave 'im alone unless I tell ya," he whispered in his ear. "I've got a plan."

IC: "Hmmm...if there are certain..."goods" we would like to acquire, I assume the Cultured Gentry would be able to provide those...for a price of course. Personal purchases are after all personal, so I would pay handsomely for the right goods."Ahkmou nodded, and then shrugged his shoulders while wearing a sly grin."The Gentry would never sell to you, m'lady," the Po-Koronan said, winking, "This is, of course, why I'm here. And while we're on the subject, be mindful -- it is impossible for my suppliers to be truly implicated, but if they were to get uneasy..."Ahkmou then raised his index finger to his neck and moved it across."That being said, outside of this circle, I am Kufa," Ahkmou said. He then gestured to his comrades, "He's Kufa, and so is he""We are all Kufa," the eleven men whispered in unison."Useful to know, in case you hear the name drop somewhere on this island," Ahkmou said, still grinning slyly, "To answer your question, m'lady, just send me your order. The only caveat is that rare items will be much harder to retrieve. I can get you perfect-quality items easily, but the people will notice if a low-quantity item is missing, and moreover, in your possession"Finally, Echelon spoke."A pleasure to meet you at last, Ahkmou. Your Koli ball plot may have failed, but I respect your way of thinking."Ahkmou nodded in thanks."These supplies will be most useful in our undertakings," he continued. "For that, I thank our...sponsors..." he put it tactfully, "...and hope that this partnership may continue. Now, may I inquire as to your plans regarding our base's construction?"Ahkmou then looked to his comrades, seemingly unsure."We were trying to figure that out ourselves," Ahkmou replied, "The Dark One's Lieutenant told us on short notice to move our base of operations here. Once we figure out where and how, we'll rebuild the small shack that we had back home""It's enough to provide as a meeting ground for you all as well, but you may need something bigger for the long term," said one of the other Po-Koronan outlaws."Point is, once the rest of my men arrive, we will work as a team, to get somewhere more... solid to meet on this chaotic islet," Ahkmou said.

IC (Karemo and Kitano): "This is good stuff" Kitano commented at the stockpile of armour and weapons. He recognised its quality, but he wouldn't be using any of it himself. His armour and weapons were already top notch. That was one of the perks of having a toa of iron for a brother.No, it was the potions that held his interest. He had seen and made a large number of concoctions as part of his own experiments, but the sheer variety and number represented here triggered his curiosity. He would have to take a better look at them later, but for now he contented himself with taking a tiny vial of healing potion from its rack and holding it up to the faint starlight. After a quick examination, he held the glass up to one of the diamons embedded in his armour. Using a tiny amount of his elemental power, he merged the glass of the vial with his own crystal, allowing them to flow into each other. The potion, still contained, flowed into Kitano's armour where it took up residence inside the diamond. He out the now empty glass vial back into the box, along with another, which he formed out fof he volume of diamond that the potion had displaced from his armour."Returning his attention to the conversation at hand, he said to the Matoran "If you need help with building, I believe my brother and I might beable to help, once he arrives. Our powers can easily be put to use in construction".

IC (Jin)I watched as a being spoke briefly to Dorian, then left, grabbing a cloaked figure on his way through the crowd, which was dwindling. I frowned. What was going on? Though the situation looked like it was over, I kept my guard up. I could feel one of my fans against my left forearm, collapsed into its stick shape under my sleeve, and prepared to slip it out at a moment's notice. You didn't stay alive in my business as long as I had without being ready for anyone to pull a knife.I waited for Dorian to give a signal, keeping an eye on the beings around me.

IC (Echelon)Echelon nodded."We will need a solid base of operations here, as you say," he said. "And Karemo and Kitano and their powers will be very useful in its construction. Naturally, it will need to be both defensible and inconspicuous."

IC-KuAnLo:KuAnLo, meanwhile, had noticed Ahkmou...and he didn't appear very happy, glaring at the Po-Matoran with anger, as well as hunger...needless to say, he had not fed in a while, but...no. Not Ahkmou, he was too important. One of his Matoran crewmen, perhaps?KuAnLo slowly moved forwards, stepping about the Matoran near them in a predatory fashion, as though he could pounce any moment."Tell me," he said quietly, "Just how...expendable are your crewmen?"

IC (Echelon)Echelon rolled his eyes momentarily, and disappeared off down an alley. After a few seconds, he returned, two unconscious Matoran floating in the air behind him."Will these do for your little snack?" he asked, gesturing and causing the two Matoran to fall at KuAnLo's feet.

IC: XerovWhile the others were speaking, I moved towards the crate, and I am now examining the weapons. A knife would probably be easiest to wield, hide, and place firmly in someone's back.There are a few weapons, though, that I don't quite recognise -- they're likely some of those strange devices you see Vortixx carrying around. I turn to Ahkmou and gesture at them. "What, exactly, are those?"

OOC: I called them 'exotic weapons' so that I wouldn't have to describe them, Vorex. You guys can decide what they are. IC: Ahkmou sighed. It had only been a few minutes, and he was already starting to fear for his safety. Lack of discipline in that one, Ahkmou thought, One widget says that he dies first in battle.The Matoran of Lightning then asked a question while examining the weapons."What, exactly, are those?" Xerov asked. One of the Po-Matoran, this one wearing a black Hau, walked over to the crate and began picking up weapons."Well, there's this flail," the Hau-wearing Po-Matoran said. It was a long stick with a spiked elongated round shape, joined together with a chain, "That other stuff though, I can't say that I know""We don't use the stuff, we just sell it," Ahkmou said, chuckling. "But right, about the base," Ahkmou turned to face Echelon. The stress of almost being eaten had distracted the outlaw, "I think you may know this area better than me. Very rarely do I travel south of the desert. From what I've heard though, we should probably head south. A lot less people there, but much more wild Rahi. Shouldn't be much of an issue for Makuta's prime warriors however"

IC-KuAnLo:KuAnLo looked at the Matoran Echelon brought, and he nodded. He quickly moved away from the group, before he plunged a clawed fist into one of the Matoran, instantly jolting that one awake. He looked up to KuAnLo in fear as the Toa of Stone lowered him down, making light, 'shh'ing sounds to calm the Matoran. Slowly, that one died, and the other...he had watched in sickened fear at his friend's death. And now...now he tried to escape.But he wasn't fast enough for KuAnLo. The last thing that Matoran saw was a clawed hand before his face, similar to that of a Rahkshi's, as it plunged towards his throat.Soon, KuAnLo came back from the shadows to the group, gnawing on a large hunk of unidentifiable meat, a few scavenger birds behind him picking at his leftovers, the clinking of armoured plates being heard as they moved about.

IC: Dorian (Xa-Koro)All was quiet for a second. I could acutely feel the eyes of the dispersed crowd slowly move away from me, slinking and sliding onwards towards another target, and I smiled easily, flicking my wrist lightly for Jin to follow as we moved parallel to the water and towards a side alley, where we could cut into the city itself and then see what all the fuss was about.-Teezy

IC: Gunner - Xa-Koro"Yeah, well, I hope its better than your idea to get that mystical Kanohi away from Lady What's-Her-Face and her Marines," I said, twisting my coat away from Lohkar's grip.-Void

IC: CimondCimond glanced at the weaponry."Umm... I'm not really much of a fighter myself. But I prefer to avoid combat when possible, so I've become good at staying hidden. Might there be anything to help one keep one out of sight?"

IC: IraSomething caught Ira's eye. Two giant tonfa-like blades that seemed to combine into a lavaboard of some sorts. He picked them up, trying to ignore the sound of KuAnLo eating. He held them in his hands and tested their heat resistance. "Pretty good," he said.OOC: The tonfa look like the set form of the Fire Greatswords

IC:Feongulf stood several paces away from the others, watching the Makuta-followers as they met with the the Matoran outlaw. Huh. This is goining better then I'd thought. Heading right towards the target without any extra prodding.She considered slipping off to try and find that Dreamer-guy again, but decided against it. No need to make a bunch of heavly armed borderline (and not so borderline)-lunatics suspicious, not now."So, what do we do next?" she said, taking a few meandering steps forward. "Now that we'll all geared up and all. . ."

IC (Jin)To be honest, I was kinda disappointed that nothing had happened. Things were just looking interesting, and then that guy had spun away from Dorian and left, dragging a lackey behind him. I followed Dorian towards a side alley, which was dark and narrow and smelled of garbage. Xa was full of these pleasant little corners; you could cut through the city, bypassing the major streets, but there was always the threat of being mugged or beaten up where nobody could see. That said, I used them all the time.I walked a little faster, and caught up to Dorian in no time. "So, who was that guy?"

IC: Dorian (Xa-Koro)Laaaaawdy, lawdy. This place is the raunchiest.The alley was narrow, large enough that Jin and I could both fit in at the same time, but not nearly big enough to, say, do jumping jacks, or make out in, or anything that would remotely interest me. It smelled like straight liquid garbage in a shot glass, and broken liquor bottles, discarded joints, and what looked suspiciously like a person's toe could be seen in the dark alley, which was such a deep midnight hue that it was almost impossible to see in front of you unless you had a pearly white grin like mine illuminating the way."Secret admirer," I called to Jin, managing to keep my mouth as closed as possible as I spoke to avoid having to taste the thick, putrid air. "He won't be a problem."-Teezy

IC (Jin)I skirted around a puddle of some liquid that I had no interest in identifying, more or less keeping pace with the Toa of Iron."Guy like you must have a lot of those," I replied with a grin, stepping over a spilled pail of refuse that stank to high heaven. "How do you get anywhere with all the ladies and men hanging off you the moment you step off the boat?"

IC:Okay, I decided to have some fun. I happen upon my overdressed fop-of-a-friend alone with a lady? How could I resist! So, I adapted a voice very different from my own, and let fly."Now now, miss," a melodramatically booming voice, positioned above the heads of 'Dorable and his sweet lollypop of a lady-friend, called down. Both of them looked, with comical sharpness, upwards at the source of the mystery voice - the top of the alley, over which I was peeking my head. "Don't give the man you're with too much credit--"But my snappy entrance line was cut tragically short as I saw Dor-dor pull his gun from its holster. I reacted just in time to not be Grokk-kebab, rolling aside from the edge of my rooftop as Dorian's projectile whizzed right past. If I had had hair, it would've gotten singed (but since I knew I didn't have hair, I decided to dodge within that hairsbreadth anyway, just to maintain my reputation and make this story all the more epic... you're welcome, reader). Immediately once the bullet had passed, I sprung to my feet and stood in full view on the ledge, my body's silhouette displaying my identity to Dorian. To be even more sure he wouldn't shoot any more, I returned to my normal voice. "Ey!" I exclaimed (because "said" doesn't do justice to the moment). "Whodaya think you're shooting at, Dor-Dor? I thought we were friends. I guess I'll have to remove my BFF ring now."

IC: Dorian (Xa-Koro)"Aw, shucks, Grokk. You didn't already remove it and pawn it for beer money? I'm flattered."Despite the barb, I grinned and moved forward, trying to climb up the ledge and shake the Skakdi's hand, gesturing to Jin and doing a wordless introduction. I could see the Skakdi already giving her the once-over and bit back a joke, deciding to just continue playing straight man to his funny man. That dynamic was why we worked together so well, and upsetting it could bring about consequences no one would want.-Teezy

IC: IraIra turned to Echelon. "So you're planning to construct a fortress here?" He combined the two giant blades into the lava board combo and put them on his back.