BZPRPG: Kini-Nui

IC Kavala

(Tunnels):

Though it wasn't visible to others in the darkness, Kavala's expression twisted into a grin of satisfaction. His intuition hadn't betrayed him, after all. He was looking at a group with a goal not that far from his own.

"I agree," Kavala said. "An agreement between us could turn out to be... most fruitful. I would not mind aiding you in your efforts, and I'm sure I can be of use to you until we are ready to take matters to Ga-Koro."

IC: Yenroot

Yenroot nodded, "'Course."

He reached out and grabbed the pack, and pulled it up. It came up easily enough, but the amount of weight in there certainly shocked him.

They, the hunters, had enough luggage already; and to kill a creature didn't take much effort at all. What was all this stuff? Long-term camping? "Hmmp." Yenroot grunted, passing the bag along.

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

"I will, of course, need to run this by at least one of my companions before removing the barrier, however," the Ko-Toa stated. "Hopefully you'll forgive the formality, but in my experience, suddenly finding yourself in the presence of somebody you've never met before generally isn't the best way to wake up, as it usually leads to... unpleasantries somewhere down the line."

IC Kavala

(Dark Walk):

Kavala nodded. "Of course."

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

Stepping towards the Ta-Matoran, Dravennica attempted to nudge her awake in order to inform her of the current situation.

"Wake up," she whispered. "We have company."

IC: Dayeth - Tunnel.

"I'm awake," she spoke up, not opening her eyes or shifting from her position, "Whatever you decide to do, leave me out of it. I came down here to help you out with you plan, not to wage a war against Ga-Koro." 

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

"Actually, I just wanted a second opinion on whether or not I should let him inside," the Ko-Toa said softly and well out of earshot from the barrier, not surprised that her companion had been listening in on their conversation the whole time. "Launching any type of assault against one of the villages without the proper numbers or supplies is downright suicidal, and not something I plan on doing in the forseeable future... at least not yet, anyway. For now, though, it might be better to make an ally of him rather than an enemy, especially considering our current surroundings."

IC: Dayeth - Tunnel.

"Well, then..." she lowered her voice as well, straightening a little and opening her eyes, "...I guess that depends on whether you think we can deal with him if he becomes a problem." 

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

"It would be a three on one situation... four on one, if you count the corpse," mumbled the Toa of Ice. "Still, he wouldn't have approached us if he didn't have at least a few tricks up his sleeve, so we should still be wary."

IC: Dayeth - Tunnel.

"Go for it, then." 

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

Stepping back towards the wall of ice and earth, Dravennica reabsorbed her element from the frozen mixture before stepping off to the side.

"You can enter now, Kavala; all I ask is that you reposition the barricade on your way in so I can freeze it again. Wouldn't want anything else wandering in here as well, now would we?"

IC Kavala

(Dark Walk):

Kavala nodded and obliged to Dravennica's request, saying "I am honored that you decided to accept my trust."

IC: Vail (Vault Door)

"Hm, well let's see..." The Toa of Fire stepped slowly towards the door to absorb the meaning of each phrase. The words bounced around within his cranium, and his eyes closed meditatively. He seemed to be on the verge of an answer...

Suddenly his eyes shot open, and his hand dropped from where it had previously been caressing his chin.

"Yeah, no, I doubt this door is moving an inch. Sorry fellas.... However..."

He arched an eyebrow, and jabbed the air with a thumb in the direction from whence they had come.

"Didn't we pass a staircase back thataway?"

IC Forger

Yes, the eerily out of place staircase.

"We did." Not bothering to restate the obvious, that the door was impregnable and Enforcer was correct, I turned and began to head towards the staircase. It was closer to the mouth of the cavern and spiraled into the inky dark above, little to no signs of wear or tear, the peculiar placement and the absence of any natural ore within it screamed elemental construct in my mind. I took my two light stones in their metal brackets and tossed them into the air where they hung, providing illumination for several meters ahead of us.

"Vandal, you take point."

IC:

Acknowledging Yenroot's assistance with a brief word of thanks, I take my pack, open it up, and rummage around inside the main storage pocket. After a moment's search I pull out a small collapsible campfire grill. It's battered and slightly bent in places and obviously well-used. But it's clean and rust-free; like most professional ne'er-do-wells, I make it a point to keep my equipment in good working order.

From a second, smaller storage pocket, I produce two paper-wrapped parcels. Each contains four huge, thick-cut t-bone steaks, which gives us eight total. Hopefully enough, if you calculate by poundage... and of course we can always roast a few potatoes (yeah, I've got some of them too) just to round things out. Y'know, meat and 'taters, not just... meat.

I always did prefer a balanced diet.

...

With a casual deftness born of long experience, I unfold the grill, lock the legs in place, and set it carefully over the fire. I then unwrap the parcels of steak, using the paper as a clean work area, and announce, "Time for seasonings, lady and gents! ...and if someone with more culinary skill than I wants to try their hand at it, feel free. Not that I've killed myself with my own spice blends as of yet, but..."

I grin jovially.

"...it might just be luck. That, or the infamously resilient Lesterin digestive system."

IC: Trava (Crowded Campground)

"I got it" Trava spoke up, her hands emerging once again with wrapped bundles of herbs, her own personal addition to any meal.

"and I guess you would know, you look like you've got a lead belly from over here already." Trava remarked. This was of course a fairly covert way of pointing out the fact that she had noticed the fact that Hammerlock was a guy who kept in shape, with all that followed. Farfetched, but she could live with that if it slipped underneath everyone else's notice.

IC: Celphrithia, Dravennica, and Shredder - Mangaia (Tunnels)

Sheathing her sword as she moved to refreeze the earth, the Ko-Toa soon thought it best to begin introducing the newcomer to the rest of the group.

"Kavala, meet Dayeth and Celphrithia," she said, motioning to her companions as the necromancer sat up to see what was going on. "Celphrithia, Dayeth, this is Kavala. He will be accompanying us for the remainder of our journey."

IC: Dayeth - Tunnel.

"Hi," she mumbled lamely. 

IC Kavala

(Dark walk):

"Greetings," Kavala said.

IC: Yenroot

Yenroot stood up from the fire and the smell of cooking meat; it was getting crowded here, and he didn't feel like just sitting around until dinner was done.

"I'll be back." Yenroot said, to the camp as a whole. He spun on his heel and headed off into the sprawling forest of Kini-Wahi.

IC: Vandal - Mangaia

It's always me, isn't it...

I aim down my rifle, creeping forwards as cautiously and quickly as I can. I've noticed the same thing as Forger about this cavern - it's...barren, pure. Nothing metallic, nothing nonuniform. That can only mean one thing.

IC: Trava (Crowded Campground)

 

"I got it" Trava spoke up, her hands emerging once again with wrapped bundles of herbs, her own personal addition to any meal.

 

"and I guess you would know, you look like you've got a lead belly from over here already." Trava remarked. This was of course a fairly covert way of pointing out the fact that she had noticed the fact that Hammerlock was a guy who kept in shape, with all that followed. Farfetched, but she could live with that if it slipped underneath everyone else's notice.

IC:

"I... have not heard the term 'lead belly' before, but it strikes my ear as a compliment," I note wryly, catching Trava's eye in an alert, almost wary sidelong glance that contrasts sharply with the glinting humor in my voice.

A slight pause. Again I note the wild, restless beauty of her gaze. Untamed, elemental, as vividly potent as jungle sunshine on the forest floor. And I, who have ever and always been a figure of unshakable confidence, born and trained to habitual preparedness, feel all at once at an inexplicable terrifying loss.

I mean, it's like all she has to do is exist for that one single instant when I've got my guard down, and pow! ...total systems failure.

...

...

...

But so swift is my mind; this all happens in but a barely detectable amount of time. Like, literal milliseconds. Then I recover (*whew*) just enough to ratchet the clamps down on my sense of self, reboot all processing units, and return my focus to the business at hand: steak and charcoal.

IC Flabbergaster

The brutish figure had collected a small set of skinny logs and set them aside the fire in case the lightstone got old. Adjusting his Rau, he took a seat, shaking the ground directly next to him as he did so.

IC

The smell of cooking made the silent Toa of Plant life stir. More muffins? No, too smoky. Meat.

The ivy that served as his cradle snaked away from his bark-clad form, allowing him to step forward, away from his resting spot. A tree he had grown as part of his effort to restore the Kimi, complete with a hole his size and ivy he could grow around himself for camouflage and support.

His exit wasn't quiet, but the rustling sound could easily be mistaken for a product of the wind. He raised his arms and stretched, the vines and bark interwoven in his armor stretching out his malleable form to an additional foot in height, then relaxed, slinking back to his normal, imposing height.

His relaxed awakening finished, he observed the source of the savory smell. A number of dark figures of various shapes and sizes.

IC Flabbergaster

Flabbergaster had a slight nagging feeling, but he didn't think it was-

Someone else is here.

The blood signature was no mistake. Someone was in their presence that wasn't before. Asleep, maybe? Or maybe they walked up? Or... Perhaps a Rahi to catch?

Picking up a small stick, His massive hand slowly began writing in the sandy dirt, to be visible by those in front of him: Someone Is Watching

IC:

 

"It'd make a pretty sweet epic, yeah?"

IC:

"Yes! We could tell it to our children's children and they could tell it to their children and we'd live on for all time!"

...

...

Savina snorted. "Nah who cares about that, I just want to have an adventure!"

IC: Tehlin

fffffffffffff

"I can run with that,"  Well, not right now, but whatever. Oh, right, Rahkshi. This place was supposed to be crawling with them, though we hadn't even run into a spare staff. I hadn't actively been looking for the past few minutes, given the distraction, but even then. Big metal suits of armor, how stealthy could they really be.

IC:

"What do you think we'll find down here? An ancient civilization? Treasure? A box full of kittens?" 

IC:

"Kittens, obviously. I mean, baby muaka have to be some evil creation by the Master of Shadows. Have you seen them?"

IC: 

Savina nodded. "Yes, I befriended many in the Le-Wahi jungle so that they wouldn't eat me and Grecko."

IC Flabbergaster

 

Flabbergaster had a slight nagging feeling, but he didn't think it was-

 

Someone else is here.

 

The blood signature was no mistake. Someone was in their presence that wasn't before. Asleep, maybe? Or maybe they walked up? Or... Perhaps a Rahi to catch?

 

Picking up a small stick, His massive hand slowly began writing in the sandy dirt, to be visible by those in front of him: Someone Is Watching

IC: Trava (Crowded Campground)

Trava blinked...

one more time...

She hadn't noticed, not until Flabbergaster wrote the message and alerted her senses. Now she could tell someone was standing not too far away, watching.

"Well, guess Dad was right about one thing... boys be distracting" she mumbled to herself before standig up to face the newcomer. He was in shadow, but with the help of her mask she managed to make out a peculia silhouette; hints of leaf, branch and vine intervowen, intertwined, like a Toa of Plantlife gone native, which it might very well be.

She stepped out of the ring to approach him, casually but ready to act.

"Hello there," she said "did we disturb your work, maybe?"

IC Forger

"Usually the point talks to the people he's leading into likely danger..."

IC:

Note to self... this 'Flabbergaster' person possesses some as-yet-unidentified means of detecting hidden life forms.

Something to remember. And something to investigate further, when the opportunity presents itself...

But for now, even as I'm filing the noted information, I'm shifting my position ever-so-slightly, casually half-turning to keep both Trava and the unknown in easy visual range. My right hand, hidden by my body, drops and flickers in a single cobra-quick movement. Practiced and sure; when bolstered by my passive elemental energies, far too fast for the untrained eye to follow.

And then my blade's out, free of the sheath, snugly secured in a standard RGEO grip. But still hidden.

Just in case.

IC Flabbergaster

Now that the issue was met, Flabbergaster pressed his hand in the sand over the writing as he slowly stood, making sure to erase the writing entirely. He looked towards the general spot where the figure was, a quizzical look on his face.

IC

The recluse observed the female as she approached. He took in her posture, gait, and eyes, and felt a small spark of... anticipation, as he believed this was another kindred spirit, accustomed to the wild.

He turned to face her as she addressed him. His Matoran was still rusty, but he understood the word 'disturbed' and the inquisitive tone. He shook his head and looked at the currently artistically overgrown temple. Supported by trees, adorned with bioluminescent vines and flowers. No, his work was done, other than clearing some of the rubble.

Not to forget the red grass, though that was an old feat.

IC: Trava (Crowded Campground)

"So what is it, then, man of the wild? What brought you here?"

Trava kept her inquisitve tone, and avoided closing in on the Toa. If he wanted to get further acquianted, that'd be his prerogative.

IC

The recluse gestured behind him, at the plants simultaneously decorating and supporting parts of the temple he had just been napping in. 

IC: Trava (Crowded Campground)

"Oh, we woke you up? Sorry 'bout that"

Just then, an evocative and inviting smell hit her nostrils, beckoning her to turn her head back over to the encircled fireplace, quietly sniffing all the while. The food was getting close to ready, and her stomach delivered and insistent request she get on the case of filling it right this second.

"Well, if you care to join us now's the time to say"

IC:

Plainly, this new arrival is no immediate threat. Trava wouldn't be inviting him to stay for dinner if she thought he might be. And I trust her judgment, more or less.

Meaning, I relax a bit but not entirely. Which is nothing unusual. To those who live by the fist and blade, a mental Condition Yellow is a constant. It's not something you can just turn on and off. It's a semi-conscious instinct, and like every instinct it can be more fully awakened, more completely tempered, by training and lifestyle. And once it's strong, it can never truly be lulled to slumber or neutrality ever again. You can't unlearn things like that, things that have to do with life and death and adrenaline. It's just not the way the brain is wired.

I casually re-sheath my knife and turn my attention back to the steaks.

IC

The silent Toa of Plantlife followed her gaze and nodded.