#hewkii: so do i!!!!!!!!

[randomwriteronline]

You know its true that out of the four stone toa we know Onewa is the exception due to being An Asshat but i think we could focus more on Pouks being the white sheep of a flock of goats. Hes the only one of them who was like, formally employed and working an actual job as a toa. His siblings are just his coworkers. I dont think he knows a sport. He was so glad Pohatu and Hewkii were nothing like Onewa for all of twelve seconds before dreadfully discovering that they are exactly like Onewa, just in previously unimaginable ways, such as the batshit circumstances of their toahood and accidentally kicking a ball into each others face at mach speeds for fun

[magicalgirlmascot]

[ID: a riff on the "I see no difference love is love" meme with Bionicle characters, with 4 boxes in a square. All text is in all caps. First is Hewkii and Macku from the Bohrock animations sitting on a lilypad looking at each other, captioned "NORMAL COUPLE." Second is Pohatu standing on Kopaka, who has been buried in a landslide, from the first comic, captioned "YAOI COUPLE." Third is a promo photo of Toa Nokama talking to Vhisola in Ga-Metru, captioned "YURI COUPLE." Finally is a photo of Greg Farshtey facing the camera and holding up a canister for Toa Iruni, captioned "I SEE NO DIFFERENCE, ROMANCE IS NON-CANON." End ID.]

Surely this has been done before

[wjbs-bonkle-au]

Bionicle names in 2001: "This is Tahu. His name is Māori for 'burn' because he has fire-powers." Bionicle names in 2002: "This is... uh... Hewkii. His name was something else, but we got sued- uh, he played an important role in repelling the Bohrok invasion, so the spelling of his name was changed." Bionicle names in 2003: "These are Vorahk. They have hunger powers. Get it? Like 'Voracious'? What do you mean the word 'vore' has other connotations?" Bionicle names in 2004-2005: "This is Dume. He's not actually evil, but the series big-bad is pretending to be him, so we called him a name that sounds like 'doom'. That being said, the actors in the movie pronounce the 'e' as 'er', but I doubt 'doomer' will come to mean anything within the next decade or two..." Bionicle names in 2006: "This is Axonn. He carries an axe. Also his ex-husband former-friend Brutaka, who is brutal." Bionicle names in 2007: "This is Kalmah. He's a fucking squid." Bionicle names in 2008: "This is Photok. He is a light-elemental, and 'photo' is the Greek word for light. Also this guy is called Vamprah, because he's literally just the Bionicle-universe equivalent of a vampire, and his two main allies are named after various taxonomical terms related to bats." Bionicle names in 2009: "This is Gresh. He's named after a character from an earlier book by one of the series' main writers."

Bionicle names in 2015: "This is the Lord of Skull Spiders. I guess." Bionicle names in 2016: "This is Umarak. He's vaguely deer-themed, but for some reason his name contains the Japanese word for horse."

[sepublic]

So remember that Zamor sphere pack that came with (at the time) exclusive gold, silver, and gunmetal colors? Since this is Bionicle, there’s actual lore for these exclusive Zamors and the powers they possess! Gunmetal causes a target to be tracked via an energy pulse they give off, and silver binds the target to the nearest living being with an energy chain (Interesting how they’re both centered around capturing people)! These powers were listed only in the Bionicle Encyclopedia and have no known canon usage/wielders. By contrast, we did see an instance of a golden Zamor in the story; The one used by Hewkii to transfer Brutaka’s power back from Hakann and Thok. So Greg applied that to these golden Zamors as well by making them the same type.

Unfortunately, there’s no lore for the blue-green Sea Squids exclusive to this pack they were sold in; I guess the species just comes in different colors the same way animals do? I remember actually adapting this difference into my Bionicle RaE fanon for G2, explaining the color comes from absorbing a specific type of energy that they can now use, kinda like the Creeps from the Deep commercial (canonically a vision Dekar received from the Ignika) having a Sea Squid glow from lightstone energy Ehlek drained… Did anyone actually buy/use this pack, especially with how unpopular the squid launcher was as a gimmick? I want to see the color paired with a set like Takadox or Nocturn.

[tiredspacedragon]

Quick and dirty image edit of what Hewkii's Toa forms would have looked like if his yellow parts had been tan instead, to look a little stonier. Certainly a lot less vibrant than he was before, but I kinda like it anyway. Not sure if I prefer it to the yellow, but I do like it more than making these guys brown. That's never looked quite right to me, not in the Piraka animations, not even when I did it a few years back. So here's a middle ground alternative for the heck of it.

[toainatreehouse]

Finally built all the 2006 combiners:

Botar - 11/10. This made me realize *why* Axonn was built so weird while Brutaka was a killer solo set; it's in order to meld them both fully into Botar. If you only have time/budget for a single combiner in your collection, this is the one you want to get. How small the pile of unused pieces is when your done is *shocking,* it might be the smallest ratio ever amongst combiners. I don't want to spoil it too much, but it's great.

Kardas - 3/10. Points mainly come from an interesting chest and wing build, but *all* the limbs feel wrong. Wrong to look at, purposeless and spindly vibes as you build it, squandered use of the piston pieces. I've table scrapped better arms and legs. The neck barely stays upright, and falls over from a stiff breeze. Loses points because of: how annoying it is to need to rebuild Vezon from the waist up and the Fenrakk skull; I lost a 3Long pin in the Kardas skull when rebuilding it into Fenrakk, truly bad design there; it doesn't conserve pieces in order to provide pins for Vezon to stand on, he's just hanging off the chain in the promo pictures even.

Whereas Brutaka and Axonn combine beautifully, Kardas needs another draft to incorporate V&F. I think an opportunity to make the axes the hands of the dragon exists, but serious work would need to be done on the legs and neck. Not worth your time, unless you're the kind of mad lad who wants to rebuild it better AND you have the budget to buy three titan sets, or already have some of them. (Tangentially, I have a vague memory of OnuaNut doing this on BZP with the Mata Nui titan set but I don't know how to find it again, anyone seen that thread?)

Lava Hawk - 9/10. Similar to Botar, I now get that the matoran looked That Way to accomodate this satisfying build. Also just a great looking bird. If your combiner budget isn't super high, this one is an easy second to Botar.

Dagger Spider - 7/10. Body build is neat, but another spider? After all that visorak stuff? C'mon man. The Matoran look That Way for this again. Solid little build, slap it together if you have the sets but you don't need to seek out another four legged spider, there's already a dozen of those.

Jovan - 5.5/10. It's... Nuparu but bristling with metal. Totally devoid of the blue or yellow from Hewkii and Hahli. Iunno. Maybe this'll be good for people who buy the Batman or evil Star Wars sets made of only black and grey. It's not doing anything for me. Neat use of Hewkii's chain but it is, truly, just another Inika build, if slightly wider. Bonus half point for staying upright, unlike Kardas. But it's also unsalvageable, unlike Kardas - I don't see a way to nullify the problems here. Skip this one, even if he's the only non-Takanuva Toa set to control an element that's not one of the main six.

Irnakk - 8.5/10. Honestly, this is as good as the Lava Hawk, but I'm docking half a point because you can't build it with just the sets, you technically need five extra pieces. Still looks *really* good without them, and the build is even fun unlike some on this list. Next to Zaktan, it does look like something that would fuck him up. Give it a whirl.

Protodax - 7.5/10. Bahahaha. This one was made for me specifically. It's goofy and silly AND it looks better than most of the 2005 rahi combiners. YMMV but I loved it. Good use of a piraka spine. The build isn't anything to write home about, but I looks like a blorbo, if a blorbo had three heads. Adding a half point purely because of the out-of-the-box design that may be the most unhinged *while-still-cohesive* build I've seen simultaneously. This is the anti-Jovan in a lot of ways. Look, just build it for me so you can have a good laugh as well, okay? Great.

[tourneys-by-me]

So I'm going to answer some of these questions cause there aren't a lot of questions, and I think it would be better to answer them not as an ask game.

🐉 - What was the very first submission you received? Regieleki from Pokemon! Not what I'd expect to be the first submission, but unfortunately, pikachu beat them out.

🔐- What was the last submission you received before closing the submissions? Serenade.exe from Mega man Battle Network! Unfortunately, they didn't make it out of the preliminary round.

👵- Who is the oldest/most ancient character/media source/object or event, that was submitted? There a few mythology and irl animal submissions that are definitely old, but when it comes to a character from a story intended for pure entertainment, it would be the Big Bad Wolf from The Three Little Pigs. I looked it up, and the first publication of the story was in 1840, but the story might be much older since it is a fairytale.

🌪️ - Who/what did you have in mind when you started the tournament? When it first started, I was a lot more stingy on who or what could be in. But, as more submissions kept coming in, I had to let go of some things in regards of what is allowed.

🤠 - Which media did you discover through the submissions that you now want to watch/read/play/other yourself? Less "discovered" but more "rediscovered" and that would be Bionicle. I was pretty young during g1 Bionicle's run but I do remember having at least one of the toys as a kid. I also remember watching the "The Legend Reborn" movie multiple times as a kid and I played the flash games on the Lego website a lot too. A few Bionicle characters were submitted and, while reading their wikis, I was really fascinated by the lore. Like omg Bionicle lore is so deep and good y'all! I'm not that deep in, and I haven't really consumed much Bionicle media yet, but I rewatched that movie I mentioned before and now, with a lot more context, I can fully understand and appreciate that movie!

💗 - Did you submit characters (or whatever the tournament is about) yourself, to your own tournament? (not forced to say who it was) I did! here is the list:

Lewyn Fire Emblem

Azelle Fire Emblem

Ishtar Fire Emblem

Canas Fire Emblem

Lucius Fire Emblem

Lyon Fire Emblem

Terra Brandford Final Fantasy VI

Celes Chere Final Fantasy VI

Blaziken Pokemon

Tornadus Pokemon

Greninja Pokemon

Splashmon Digimon

AncientMermaimon Digimon

Duskmon Digimon

Bloomlordmon Digimon

Rosemon Digimon

Floramon Digimon

AncientWisemon Digimon

Meramon Digimon

Dark Magician Yu-Gi-Oh

Metatron Megami Tensei

Odin Megami Tensei

Gotsumon Digimon

Tumblemon Digimon

Leafeon Pokemon

Onua Bionicle

Lewa Bionicle

Kopaka Bionicle

Gali Bionicle

Pohatu Bionicle

Nikila Bionicle

Dume Bionicle

Jaller Bionicle

Lhikan Bionicle

Norik Bionicle

Vakama Bionicle

Hewkii Bionicle

Onewa Bionicle

Pouks Bionicle

Bomonga Bionicle

Nuparu Bionicle

Whenua Bionicle

Iruini Bionicle

Kongu Bionicle

Lesovikk Bionicle

Gaaki Bionicle

Hahli Bionicle

Helryx Bionicle

Kualus Bionicle

Matoro Bionicle

Nuju Bionicle

Darkrai Pokemon

Meganium Pokemon

Fiona Mayfield Arcana Heart

Metalman.exe Megaman Battle Network

Micaiah Fire Emblem

Angemon Digimon

I did mention before that I submitted characters after the form closed, and I didn't double up on characters, so these were all single submissions. I submitted characters because: 1. certain elements didn't have a lot of characters, so I just wanted to make sure that these elements could actually be in the tourney. 2. I like Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, Digimon, and Megami Tensei, so I wanted more characters from those franchises to be in the preliminaries. rip fire emblem 3. I was on a bonkle high

[hollowtones]

Do you like the Game of Thrones/ASoIaF series? If so: what House is your favorite? If not: I hitch two Bionocles would have the most fun playing together?

Never read 'em. The extent of my exposure (aside from the normal cultural osmosis) was half-watching an episode or two of the show on a plane with no dialogue because the person sat next to me had it on. I saw boobs. I felt nothing about the boobs. I remember the boobs because I thought an airplane showing you boobs was pretty funny.

You could honestly take any two Matoran and they would literally have so much fun playing together in the park. I've decided to pick Hewkii and Onepu. I guess Hewkii's not a Matoran anymore, but whatever.

[magicalgirlartist]

[ID: 3 images with 2 full body characters (one higher to the left and facing left, the other lower to the right and facing right) each. The first has 2 young women. The higher one is thin with a short sleeveless blue wetsuit, an orange flower tucked behind one ear, and a translucent blue wrap draped around her waist. She has one hand on her hip and a shy expression. A text box beside her reads "HAHLI, assistant flax maker, never played a sport in her life, friendly, but shy, hates shoes, spends most of her time swimming or doing chores for Amaya." The lower one is chubbier with a bright blue halter top, dark blue crop leggings, and white sandals. She's standing on her tiptoes with her arms stretched behind her and smiling. A text box beside her reads "MACKU, left hand of Turaga Nokama, mega jock, sweet, outgoing, easily distracted, definitely not dating Hewkii." The second has 2 young men. The higher one is somewhat muscular, with dark tank top under red vest, yellow pants with a red waist tie, and red and yellow shoes. He has his hands on his hips and is frowning. A text box beside him reads "JALLER, captain of the guard of Ta-Koro, right hand of Turaga Vakama, chronically incapable of relaxing, only wears sleeveless shirts." The lower one is scrawny, with goggles, red t-shirt, red shirt tied around the waist, bright yellow cargo pants tucked into blue boots, and blue fingerless gloves. He's winking with his tongue out and flashing two peace signs. A text box beside him reads "TAKUA, Chronicler, professional responsibility avoider, "but I stay silly :3", friends with like half the island." The last has 2 young men. The higher one is beefy, with an open light brown robe and no shirt underneath, loose brown pants tied at the waist with an orange sash, and light brown gladiator sandals. He's waving and smiling. A text box beside him reads "HEWKII, celebrity athlete, right hand of Turaga Onewa, just a little too smart to be a True Himbo, definitely not dating Macku." The lower one is skinny, with a light brown tunic over loose black pants, and brown sandals. He has one arm behind his back and the other hand to his chest with a smug expression. A text box beside him reads "HAFU, master carver, left hand of Turaga Onewa, "ANotHEr hAFU ORigiNAL" (plain text: another Hafu original), smug and insufferable, the perfect man." End ID.]

Concepts for the Bionicle Sports Anime/MNOLGII comic!! I think Takua's is my favourite honestly lol. Gonna do the rest of the kohlii teams next and then some uniforms maybe!

Some notes about village fashions under the readmore!

[Commissions open!]

Ga-Koro Fashion: I figure Ga-Koro is warm and humid, but still can get cold at night. Ga-Koronans tend to wear warmer clothes for sleeping, but cooler clothes during the day. They also tend towards clothes that dry quickly, aren't super uncomfortable while wet, and/or can be removed easily before swimming, like Hahli's wetsuit/wrap combo. They also mostly wear sandals since it's not the end of the world if those get wet. Hahli prefers going barefoot since she's constantly in and out of the water gathering materials for Amaya anyway, and she's lost or destroyed so many sandals that way that it's just easier to not wear them at all.

Ta-Koro Fashion: Ta-Koro is fucking hot, but most of the people who live there are used to it. They generally dress in lighter fabrics, with short sleeves and sweatbands being common. The terrain is rocky as well, so shoes with decent soles are a must. As usual, the main outlier here is Takua, who doesn't handle Ta-Koro's heat as well as the others ~for some reason~ but also frequently mixes in clothing types from other villages due to how much he travels.

Po-Koro Fashion: Like Ga-Koro, Po-Koro is hot during the day and cold at night. It's a much drier heat, though, being a desert. Light, loose clothes are practically required, and often several layers of them are worn at night. Pants tend to have elastic, drawstring, or some other form of binding around the legs to help keep sand from getting in there. Sandals are best for Po-Koro as well, unless you're playing kohlii of course!

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Right of Law, Section XXXIV

(Hewkii helps Neton with his recovery in Xia, and Ulwin offers his help to Carna in Ga-Koro.  With preparations finally complete, Zaekura marches on Atero, putting Miserix’s defenses to the ultimate test.)

Neton gripped the bars that stood next to him on both sides, bracing himself as he took a small step forward.  His new leg was almost indistinguishable from his old one: identical at a glance or a distance, but further inspection would reveal darkened metal standing in for biological components.  Hewkii was on one side, walking atop a stone platform he had made to put him at the same height as Neton’s shoulder, sticking close in case his friend needed help.  Neton took another step and sighed heavily.

“You’ve made incredible progress!” Hewkii said, adjusting the Kanohi Rau he wore.

Neton chuckled and hissed back.

“I’m sure your powers help, but they don’t entirely solve the problem, right?  I know prolonged adjustment of gravity is taxing in its own right.”

Neton shrugged and steeled himself for another step.  He asked a question, and Hewkii stiffened slightly.

“...No, still nothing.  But I’m sure he’ll pop up any day now.”

After catching his breath, Neton reassured him, and then heaved forward once more.

“Thank you.”  Hewkii paused.  “...Say, Neton.  Do you think…participating in the tournament was a bad idea?”

Neton glanced at him.

“Ah, sorry.”

The Rahkshi shook his head.

“...It’s just, I…I thought I understood the danger, and that I was willing to face it.  But now, because I went through with that plan, Dekar may be…”

After waiting a moment, Neton hissed.

“Of course I’d like to stay optimistic, but in this case I’m worried it might make it seem like I don’t care.”  He gave a short sigh.  “Well, I can’t really do anything about it right now.  Thanks for listening, Neton.”

Neton nodded.  Facing forward again, he resumed his slow trek forward.

Soon the door opened, and Ackar entered through it.  At first he spared them only a glance as he crossed the room, but then he took another long look at Neton’s prosthetic, and his steps slowed.

“Good morning, General,” Hewkii said.  “What brings you here?”

“Trying to find ways to stress-test this restraining band,” Ackar said, slightly waving with his mechanical arm.  “...One of Bitil’s, I take it?”

Neton nodded and hissed.  Hewkii said, “That’s right.  Neton is his name; Velika took his leg during that last attack, so I’m helping him get used to his new prosthetic.”

Neton said something else, and Hewkii chuckled.  Ackar said, “Hm.  Never seen a Rahkshi getting rehabilitated.  Any trouble with the linkup?”

As Neton replied, Hewkii translated, “The maker worried about that as well, but there haven’t been any problems yet.  Guess Rahkshi physiology isn’t that different after all.”

Ackar nodded silently.  Neton was just starting to take another step when he shook violently, saved from meeting the floor only by Hewkii’s intervention.  The Toa asked, “Neton?!  What’s wrong?!”

The tremor vanished as quickly as it had arrived; Neton pushed himself upright as he communicated this.  Hewkii shook his head.

“Still?  Did the doctor say when the phantom pains would stop?”

“It varies,” Ackar said.  “When I lost my arm, I had phantom pains for over a month.  All you can really do is endure it…but they will pass, eventually.”

Neton nodded wearily as he spoke.  Hewkii said, “He says ‘thank you’.”

Ackar didn’t reply, just watched as Neton resumed his exercise.  Eventually, he said, “Hey, Hewkii.”

“Yes sir?”

“You seem to really believe in Zaekura.  Why is that?”

Hewkii took some time to think.  “For the most part, I’ve just been acting on what my gut’s been telling me.  Zaekura, Neton, everyone…right away I felt like they weren’t bad people.  I saw how much they cared about the citizens, and keeping them safe, so when the others who came with Velika showed they didn’t care…I mean, I don’t know.  Joining the rebellion just made sense, I guess.”

Ackar crossed his arms and hummed.

“If I may, sir: I know you feel the same when it comes to the safety of the citizens, but I can also see that you’re still hesitant.”

“Hmph.  Regardless of details, Zaekura is the reason this whole war started.  And no matter how hard you work to protect the citizens during a war, there are always civilian casualties by the end.  Whether or not it’s intentional, whether or not her forces are the ones killing, every death that does occur is a direct result of her choice.  I won’t participate in absolving her of that.”

Neton hissed something.

“...Well?”

Averting his gaze, Hewkii said, “He, uh…disagrees, quite strongly.”

“Understood.”

Neton continued.  “You’re so intent on seeing blame placed on Zaekura that you have none left to place on anyone else.  Perhaps, instead of focusing on the one whose only means of self-defense was to fight back in full force, you could turn your ire upon those who are intentionally and actively killing civilians?  Which approach do you think will save more lives?”

Ackar locked eyes with the Rahkshi.  Neton did not relent.  The two of them ceased only when Zaekura and Charla entered the room.

“Oh, there you are,” Zaekura said.  “I…no, before that, I wanted to see how you were doing, Neton?”

Neton answered.  Hewkii said, “‘It’s progress,’ he says.  I think he’s being a bit modest.”

“Did you come to visit my brother as well, General?” Charla said as she inched closer.

“Just…bumped into each other,” Ackar said.  He unfolded his arms and took a step back.  “...I hear you’re about to march on Atero.”

“We are,” Zaekura said.  “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.  Well, not about marching, but…we want to be sure that Xia is safe while we’re gone.”

Ackar’s gaze drifted.

“Bitil’s staying behind to oversee the defenses, but we want him to have help in case in needs it.  We’ve gotten several volunteers already, and I wanted to—”

“I’ll do it.”

Zaekura blinked.  “...Huh?”

Ackar faced her.  “…I’ll…help keep the people safe while you’re gone.”

“Uh…thanks?  Thank you.  That was, uh…easier than I expected, frankly.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea: I still don’t like you.”

Zaekura deflated slightly.  “Right.”

As they began to discuss the specifics of the matter, Charla turned to look at Neton.  Her brother met her gaze, chuckled quietly, and then took another step forward.

***

The street ahead was lined with artists of all disciplines—sculptors, painters, musicians, playwrights, and more, all busy with their respective crafts and filling the air of Ga-Koro with a cacophonous symphony of creation.  Ulwin was overflowing with glee as he made his way through the performance, finding his soul both soothed and lit ablaze by the all-consuming racket.  It was the sort of thing the young Guurahk had always dreamed of: a meeting of like minds with lifetimes of experience he could learn from and, even better, work alongside as equals.

And we’ve only just begun.

Down at the edge of the water was a small hut with a “do not disturb” sign tacked to the door.  As he drew closer, he started to hear muffled music coming from within, and unconsciously slowed his steps to better absorb it.

“…and though we finally see the light

It’s way too soon to give up on this fight

We’re all still trapped in this nation—

This state of suffocation.”

Ulwin smiled.  He recognized the voice as—

“RAAAAGH!!”

He recoiled.  The shout was followed immediately by a loud crash.  In a panic, he threw open the door and said, “Are you alright?!”

The only person inside the hut, Carna, whirled to face him; she had her teeth bared in a furious snarl, and her bloodshot eyes seemed to shine with eerie light.  A music player, still serenading them undaunted, sat on a small table on one side of the hut, while at the other a heap of canvases sprawled out over the floor.  One of the sheets rested on a stand surrounded by cans of paint and a stool.  Next to the stool lay the remnants of a clay pot, scattered across a murky puddle along with a frayed paint brush.

An awkward tension pulled at Ulwin’s muscles.  “…I…heard something break, so I…”

Carna turned, put a hand over her face, and let out one very long sigh.  “…It’s fine.  Everything’s fine.”

She turned off the music and then began picking up the clay fragments.  Ulwin stooped down to help her, saying, “Um…pardon my intrusion, then.”

Carna picked up her brush and examined it.  “…I’m guessing Natan sent you?”

“Well, Basaik was the one I spoke with, but she, uh, did ask me to see how your progress was coming along.”

Carna clenched her fist around her brush.  “It isn’t.”

“Ah.”  Ulwin cleared his throat.  “Well, they haven’t finalized things on their end yet either—Basaik was just curious.”

With a hum, Carna resumed cleaning up.

“…If, ah…if you’re having some trouble, I’d be more than happy to help.”

She dumped the fragments onto the table and came back with a rag.  “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Oh, um, alright.”  Ulwin picked up the final piece and went to add his collection to Carna’s.  “…Perhaps someone else from Nynrah would be of more assistance?  I could fetch them for you.”

Carna sighed again.

“Er, sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Just…!”  Carna pinched her nose.  “…I’m sorry, I…I’m not exactly patient on a good day, and today is…not a good day.”

Ulwin shifted his weight, trying to construct a response.

“…I’ve got nothing.  I sure talked a big game, setting up this grand idea, telling the band I’d come up with the perfect cover art for their album…but I’ve got nothing.”

“Oh…I see.”  Ulwin’s gaze combed over the pile of canvases: some were still blank, but the majority had big splashes of paint blotting out unfinished images he struggled to make out.  The one currently on the stand depicted a half-complete grove of evergreen trees behind erratic crimson zig-zags.

“It’s like it’s just gone.”  Carna sat down on the floor, gazing wearily up at the still-wet paint.  “Like I lost my entire ability to create, somehow.  I keep digging deeper and deeper, but there’s just nothing there.”

The hut went silent for a few seconds.  Then, Ulwin sat down next to Carna, saying, “Miss Carna…you’ve been through enough events to fill a lifetime in only a matter of months.  It’s only natural such a thing would exact a toll on you.”

Carna hung her head.  “Isn’t trauma supposed to be great inspiration for art?  If anything I should be at the top of my game right now.”

Ulwin averted his gaze, tilting his head slightly.  “Art is…can be a very useful tool for dealing with trauma, certainly.  Personally, I don’t subscribe to the theory that it’s some natural, effortless reaction.  Trauma can damage any tool, art included, and when that happens, that tool must be repaired before it can be put back to use.”

Carna glanced at him.

“Well, not entirely repaired, of course, that’d be asking the impossible.  But the damage can only worsen if you keep trying to wield the tool without taking any steps to mend it.  Feeling a lack of creativity is excrutiatingly frustrating…especially if that creativity is part of how we’ve come to define ourselves, or if the project in front of us is one we care deeply about…or if we feel we’re letting others down by making them wait.  It’s very easy to blame oneself.”

She looked back down, strangling the rag in her hands.

“But that ease is not justification.  Our instinct may be to blame ourself, but none of that blame is truly ours.  No one should have to apologize for the wounds they bear, or the limits those wounds impose.  This is no different.  We all have the right to feel pain.”

Carna said nothing; she stared blankly at the floor and finally relaxed her grip on the rag, but she didn’t say a single word.

“…I’ll leave you be.  Please forgive me if I spoke out of turn.”

He got up to leave, careful to avoid tracking the murky puddle along with him.  As he grabbed the door, Carna quietly said, “Ulwin.”

He looked over his shoulder.

“…Thank you.”

Ulwin nodded.  “My pleasure.”

***

The protosteel walls of Atero loomed high over the desert sands.  At Zaekura’s command, the rebel army came to a halt at the edge of the rampart’s shadow, and the Glatorian waved her Peace banner back and forth in the sunlight.  When Miserix emerged with a banner of his own, she, the Sand Lord, and Pridak waded into the darkness to greet him.

“So…you’re Zaekura,” Miserix said, looking down his nose at her.  “That you’ve managed to come this far defies all logic.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Zaekura said.  “Thought we’d pay you a visit before you had the chance to launch another surprise attack.”

“Hah!  Am I expected to apologize for my tactics?  War is an underhanded business, young one.  One should always expect one’s foes to act as such.”

Zaekura ground her teeth.  “...Well, that’s not what we came to discuss.  Our goal today is to take control of Atero, and if at all possible, we’d rather do it peacefully.  Is there any way that can be arranged?”

Miserix crossed his arms, saying nothing.

“Your words are wasted on him, Lady Zaekura,” Pridak said, preparing to draw his sword.  “Allow me to attempt an alternative means of persuasion.”

Zaekura turned sharply.  “No!  These banners aren’t set-dressing!  I’ll talk as long as I have to, even if it doesn’t accomplish anything.”

Pridak shrugged and relaxed his sword arm.

She turned back to Miserix.  “Look.  If you’re still this loyal to the Great Beings then I have to assume either you don’t believe the things I’ve said about them, or it doesn’t make a difference to you.  But I’m taking Atero, ‘logic’ be damned; I’m just giving you the option to make it a smoother transition for the sake of your people.  Please, take it.”

Miserix squinted.  “A conqueror who pleads…you are a strange one, without a doubt.  Perhaps others thought you weak, and underestimated you, and that is the secret behind your success.  Let me assure you: you will receive no such quarter here.  No matter the cost, your rebellion dies at Atero’s gates.”

Bright light flashed from his eyes, blinding Zaekura.  Miserix swiped one hand, plasma trailing from his claws, and cut clean through both banners as he closed in on his target.  However, Pridak leapt forward and grabbed his arm with both hands, and, after taking the smallest moment to brace himself, twisted Miserix’s gravity askew and pulled, managing to flip the reptilian Makuta onto the ground.  He immediately sprang up, but Pridak had already flung his seaweed cloak to entangle the Guardian and obscure his vision.  Zaekura was too shocked to do much, so the Sand Lord used her power to pull them both back towards their (now advancing) army.  After suffering a few quick punches, Miserix ripped through the cloak to clamp his claws around Pridak’s neck, but his foe reacted quickly and grabbed him back, leaving them both locked in place struggling to overpower each other.

Soldiers stationed on Atero’s wall opened fire.  Blasts of every Element rained down on the rebel forces, supplemented by shots from catapults and mechanized turrets.  Some of the launched boulders hit the ground ahead of them, the erratic protodermis growths they spawned weaving together to form an extra barrier, but it was almost immediately torn down.  A great tsunami of sand rose up and crashed against Atero’s wall.  The soldiers were shaken, but only briefly.  When a second wave of sand arose, a focused deluge of rain appeared over it, compacting and drowning the sand before it could make its approach.

Up above, Antroz deflected as many attacks as she could—what got past her was easily dealt with by fighters on the ground, but she didn’t want them getting overwhelmed.  She dodged to the side as a procession of Cordak rockets flew at her.  As she turned to face some plasma shots, however, the rockets turned sharply to strike her in the back, the rapid series of impacts keeping her stunned for a good few seconds.  Antroz was shot out of the sky, but one of the larger Rahkshi caught her before she hit the ground; she thanked them before teleporting back into position.

“Homing Cordak rockets,” she mused, spotting another line of them moving in.  “That complicates things.”

She used her Magnetism powers to deal with the rockets, while below, Zaekura watched the firefight with a grim expression.  “Maybe we should use the anti-elemental weapons now?  It would let us rush the gate much more easily.”

“That’s true,” Charla said.  “But I think we should stick to the original plan.  If we start using them now, the Generals might have time to prepare before we can reach them.”

“Right, right.”  Zaekura tapped her foot.  “…Our momentum is starting to slow, though.  Think it’s time to send in Tanzag?”

“I shall contact her at once.”

For all their zeal, the Aterans had left themselves one crucial blindspot: the base of the wall.  That was where five Rahkshi materialized, two with powers of Teleportation to facilitate their appearance; the other three were there for only a moment, however, as light enveloped them and their bodies merged into one.  The resulting Kaita was a towering mantis with six wings on her back, and arms that ended in long, razor-sharp blades.  Her weapons gleamed as she made a series of lightning-fast swipes with them.  A moment later, searing-hot gashes appeared on the wall, cutting open a massive entrance she then dashed straight through.  The Aterans were already moving to cut off access to the breach, distracting them from the approach of another Rahkshi Kaita, this one like a wyvern with an elongated body.  They flew up to the wall’s edge and turned intangible, phasing straight through a long line of turrets and other artillery.  One by one, every device they passed through began to spark and smoke, rendering them all inoperable.

Seeing this, Miserix snarled.  He fired Laser Vision into Pridak’s mask, sending the other Makuta reeling, and used an overhead blow augmented with Sonics to smash him into the ground.  Miserix charged back towards Atero, taking shots at the rebels as he went, until Pridak teleported after him and grabbed him by the tail.  He reeled Miserix in, though Miserix was able to turn the momentum into a powerful kick.  Pridak took the hit and didn’t let go.  After swinging Miserix around, he slammed him into the ground so hard he bounced into the air—but Pridak was quick to seize him in a telekinetic grip and drop him back down.

“Leaving so soon?” Pridak asked.  “You wound me, Miserix.  Aren’t you as eager as I to see who comes out on top when we test our might?”

Blades of solid light rained down on him.  Exerting his own Light powers, he just barely diverted them all.  Miserix then materialized in front of him, one electrified fist drawn back, and said, “I am not.”

He punched Pridak into one of the blades and then called up vines to restrain him.  Pridak broke free easily, swiping and missing, and then let Miserix get in close before knocking his mask askew.  Miserix retreated and hurriedly righted his Kanohi.

“Pity,” Pridak said.  “Either way…we’re going to find out.”

Pridak ran forward, appearing to split into three as he closed the distance.  With a snort, Miserix swung one hand through the air, conjuring a wave of plasma to carve a trench where Pridak and his illusions stood.  He tilted his head to one side—Pridak thrust his sword out the moment he materialized behind Miserix, but the blade met empty space, until Miserix reached up and ripped it from his foe’s hands.

“You’ve always been far too pushy, Pridak,” Miserix said as he dodged an incoming storm of blows.  “Fine: see what happens once your sad excuse for an army trespasses into Atero.  Let’s fight.  Watch your ego die miserably before the rest of you is snuffed out.”

Miserix jabbed once.  Pridak dodged, then dodged again as his own sword swung towards him.  Miserix rushed him shoulder-first, and he braced himself to take the impact and counterattack.  He was caught off-guard as his foe’s free hand stretched out with the power of Elasticity, hitting him in the side just enough to disrupt his balance so Miserix could tackle him.  Pridak tried to grab Miserix before he could withdraw, but the other Makuta phased through his grasp, cut him with the stolen blade, and then dealt a heavy punch while using his Cyclone powers to fling Pridak away.  After landing hard, Pridak picked himself up—his sword came flying next, and he caught it by the hilt as he glared at Miserix.

“Hmph…enough of that,” he said.  He rent his weapon to shreds with the forces of Magnetism and Gravity.  “A weapon that betrays its owner is no good to me.”

Miserix teleported in front of him and slammed both fists down.  Pridak backed away from the swing and the burst of electricity that sprang up when it hit the ground.  He was quick to charge back in, managing to catch Miserix’s fist as he pursued, though Miserix also caught his fist when he punched with his free hand.  Miserix again attacked with Laser Vision, but this time Pridak turned invulnerable and attacked with his Slow powers, reducing Miserix’s reaction time enough that he was able to connect with a knee and then use his claws to tear a gash in in his armor.  Miserix retaliated with a wide blast of Light to force him back, and then kept his distance.

“Slippery as ever, I see,” Pridak said.

“I could say the same about you,” Miserix said.

“I feel I should inform you, however, that my ego remains in very good health.”

Miserix patched up his armor.  “Feh…I’ll admit to being a little rusty.  But based on everything I’ve seen, my forecast still holds.”

Pridak grinned.  “Heheh…sounds to me you’ve found your enthusiasm.”

Meanwhile, the Atero militia was fending off the rebels’ attempts to enter the breach, though each one of them harbored doubts as to how long their success would last.  If nothing else, this doubt lessened their shock when another Rahkshi Kaita rose above the crowd, this one a tall metal skeleton with long, writhing tendrils extending from the ends of its ribs.  Debris began to move through the air towards the fusion: fragments of Atero’s wall, the singed remains of their artillery, anything that was made of metal that did not already belong to someone.  The scraps all converged, warping and twisted around the Kaita’s bones and melting seamlessly into each other.  In time, the empty space between his bones was filled, with protosteel and exsidian taking the place of skin and muscle; this new body was just as tall as the wall of Atero, and the Kaita wasted no time in using it to furiously pound away at the barrier.  The soldiers at the breach tried to hold their position, but in their distraction they were powerless to stop the incoming Makuta Krika from sweeping them all aside.

“Pardon us!” he called.  Emsar and three Rahkshi were a step behind him, but in a moment they all were gone.

As her allies finally burst into the city, Antroz landed in the courtyard just inside the gate and took stock of the situation.  Many of the soldiers stationed on the wall were coming down to face the invaders, and from the other side, a small number of Velika’s drones came to greet them.  Wanting to stop them before they had a chance to combine, Antroz flew to the nearest drone and plunged her sword down through its body.  It continued to move, if much more slowly, so she used her Plasma powers to reduce it to a puddle of slag before searching for a new target.  Three of the machines were drawing near each other; Antroz prepared to dash at it, but yet another drone appeared and forced her back with a shot from its deadly weapon.  She spared another thought towards the trio to find Alize leaping at them.  The Rahkshi of Magnetism unleashed her unique ability, warding the drones’ metallic bodies from manipulation—they still attempted to combine, but after moving slightly their components locked, unable to contort as needed.  Antroz sighed.

I suppose Bitil was right, she thought.  That should give us the upper hand on these infernal constructs.

She took a moment to slice her attacker into fourths before advancing down Atero’s main road.  To her relief, it seemed the civilians had already evacuated, but at the same time, it struck her as odd that there were not more forces marching down the path.  Soon, however, she sensed one person coming down the road.  Only one.  And immediately she understood why.

No…if she reaches the gate, she’ll slaughter them without a second thought!

Telepathically warning Charla to keep everyone clear of the area, Antroz dropped down to the street and walked forward to meet her foe.  When mere yards separated them, they both stopped, and a long, silent moment passed.

“So you are here,” Gorast said, each word dripping with malicious delight.  “Finally…FINALLY, I get my chance to put you in your place!”

Antroz hesitated, wondering if she should even try.  “…Gorast.  More than anyone else, I understand how fervent you are in your devotion to the Great Beings.”

Gorast unlimbered her scythe.

“I know how difficult it is to have everything you have ever known called into question.”

She drew her axe.

“But please…do not let your loyalty blind you to the truth as I did!”

Her spear was third.

“Ask yourself—not the Great Beings—what you truly believe to be right!”

Finally unsheathing her sword, Gorast held her four arms wide and lowered her body.  “Are you done?”

“…Yes.”  Antroz raised her blade.  “I am.”

Another moment of stillness passed.  Then, each with a ferocious battle cry, the two Makuta lunged towards each other and swung to kill.

[sumi-sprite]

Dumb Theory of the Tryna...

Yo I forgot to post this last week lol

Don’t take this remotely seriously, I just thought it was a neat idea and a sort of interesting “what if” scenario. It basically all boils down to, if given little ot no physical or mental limitations by using his mask, could Kingdom!Matoro, in theory, reanimate Mata-nui’s dead corpse? And whether or not there is any sort of implication of this not only being true, but was his being given a Tryna perhaps pre-determined in case Matoro failed to revive Mata-nui in time?

Under the cut for length!

So in regards to Kingdom!Matoro (or Matoro as a Mahri I'm general) he was bestowed with the kanohi Tryna - the mask of necromancy reanimation. An interesting choice by the Ignika (which is the supposed source of his and the other Mahri’s mutation) but it got me thinking... (ie I was VERY bored at work).

Now again, this is not to be taken seriously, but after rereading the Into the Darkness podcast transcript again, something just really bugged me about the whole situation with Teridax and Matoro. So, Teridax’s goal was to blackmail Matoro into reanimating Tuyet, because she had remnants of the Nui-stone embedded in her armor (though apparently in the main universe, it wasn’t Nui-stone fragements), and the reason was...so he could bestow it on a Toa? 

That got me to thinking just what this implies. We’re all fully aware of Teridax’s psychopathic ability to plan and prepare a thousand backup plans to his backup plans. We also know he has an invested interest in The Plan to take over the Matoran universe, but it can’t be achieved if Mata-nui dies. So, taking into account his tendency to have backup plans in stacks, could he have, say, predicted Matoro being given the Tryna, and thus, his plans for the Nui-stone were in fact to somehow sway Matoro to his side, give him the Nui-stone, and in the event Mata-nui dies, have Matoro harness the stone and, I don’t know, reanimate the husk? At least enough to allow Teridax to slip into the Core Processor and do what he needed to do, because as it stands, it SOUNDS like for him to even get into the GSR, Mata-nui HAD to die at least briefly. 

And to me, it just doesn’t entirely add up. Or maybe I’m not remembering things correctly (it’s been A While since I read the books). Why would he want the Nui-stone to begin with? As far as I can tell, it’s used exclusively to enhance Toa.

He showed an unusual interest in Matoro, and I’m going to guess it’s because, one, Matoro is inherently linked to the Ignika for obvious reasons, and two, he has a mask that may or may not be of use to Teridax in some way if something goes wrong. 

So, if given the Nui-stone, could Matoro have proved useful in reanimating Mata-nui? My guess is yes. In Tuyet’s hands, she apparently was able to essentially take over the Toa Empire Universe. If given that enhancement, Matoro probably could reanimate a massive, universe-sized robot with very little strain; at least long enough for Teridax to do whatever he needs to do. 

On the flip side of things, there is also the possible reason why Matoro got the Tryna. The Inika/Mahri were mutated by the Ignika, and due to the Ignika’s sentience, I wouldn’t be surprised if it had chosen their masks from the get-go. So why the Tryna for Matoro? Why such an obscure, taboo mask? 

Supposedly masks are a sort of nod to a trait of a Matoran/Toa's personality or ability, or perhaps at the least prove utility to their programmed profession. So, supposedly, masks align with one’s destiny. Matoro’s destiny is to die to revive Mata-nui. If we assume over-use of mask powers causes strain, we can assume if he tried to reanimate Mata-nui without a Nui-stone, he would probably die in the procees. But what would be the point? There is no utilitary reason for Matoro to have the Tryna that isn’t just symbolism (which is rife within the MU, but I digress). The other Mahri, on the other hand, all got masks they could utilize to their new enviroment. Jaller got echolocation, Hewkii got gravity powers, Hahli can mimic Rahi, Kongu can summon demons and Rahi and god knows what else, and Nuparu got stealth ninja powers. One could argue there’s A Lot of dead things in the ocean, but there is literally SO many other masks Matoro could have been given that would have been much more useful in The Pit. 

So does the Tryna just imply his destiny is to revive someone (ie Mata-nui)? Or was he given the Tryna because, regardless of the Ignika and REGARDLESS of whether or not Matoro dies or if he has a Nui-stone, the Tryna would act as an end all contingency? I can't see it being the former, and while the latter is REALLY pushing it, it makes more sense. This may or may not also be supported by the fact that a contingency mask DOES exist, and that is the Ignika itself. It’s supposed to both be Mata-nui’s defibrillator, but it’s also a reset button.  

I don’t know, it just feels very off to me, both Matoro’s mask and Teridax’s motivations for the Nui-stone. I can’t recall if it was ever expanded upon if he even had a Toa in mind to give the stone to, and if not, I doubt he would have gone to the trouble of finding it. That’s a HUGE detour to take when he’s on such a tight time crunch now.

Anyways, that’s gonna do it for me, so if anyone has any thoughts, discuss! 

[randomwriteronline]

"Nuparu, I need your technical prowess."

"Hm-hm?"

"I need a bra."

Nuparu turned off his blowtorch, removed his goggles, turned away from his current vehicle prototype, and looked Hewkii directly in the eyes.

Which, due to the fact that he was sitting on the ground while the other Toa was standing, and due to said being's fairly enormous chest being directly in the way of his gaze, was a way harder task than it should have been.

"Eh?" was all that managed to leave his mouth.

"I need a bra," his brother repeated.

Nuparu stared harder.

"You want armor?" he asked.

"No, I need a bra," Hewkii corrected.

"Wouldn't armor be more useful?"

"You know it messes with my breathing and it's too heavy. And these are great for intimidation and distraction."

"What do you want me to do, then?"

"A bra."

"Seriously?"

"Brother."

"I honestly cannot tell."

"I am dead serious." the other assured him, and his face did look every single bit of both the 'dead' and the 'serious'. "I can't run like this. They bounce so hard if I so much as break into a light jog that I have a very real fear they'll rip themselves off one day."

Nuparu hummed. That was a very nasty mental image, so he stopped thinking about it.

"And you don't want armor."

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No."

"Hewkii, this is beyond my expertise."

His Stone brother crouched down next to him, hands joined in prayer. His eyes held a genuine plea for help.

"Please, please, please," he whined: "You're the only one who can help me. I've tried getting some Agori-made ones and none of them fit - they were too small, it was like getting compressed to death by water pressure. I literally can't go to anybody else. I'm begging you. I'll do anything you want, just please please please, for the sake of my health and breasts, I need a bra."

His Earth brethren inhaled through gritted teeth, chin in his hand. He reached out to grab a piece of paper and some chalk, balancing the whole thing on his spindly thigh to scribble something, face scrounched up in something between concentration, resignation and a third secret thing.

After roughly a minute, he turned to offer Hewkii his rough draft of some kind of chest harness: "This good?"

Considering the Toa's enormous grin and the incredibly tight hug he squeezed him into, yes, that was good.

[magicalgirlmascot]

Continuing to think about KNPS Inika bc I love them

Jaller is both student council president and on the boy's floor hockey team. Not captain, he doesn't have time for that. He has college applications to prepare for, and homework, and his part time job at Kini Nui's only grocery store, and keeping Takua out of trouble. Chronically single. Does not still have feelings for Hahli and no one can prove he does. Trying to unionize his workplace despite being 17. Wants to be a firefighter.

Hahli is assistant captain on the girl's lacrosse team (Macku is captain). She always feels like she's at the edge of her friend group and never really knows what to say. Often feels like she's behind with regards to trends and stuff because she gets crap internet out at the farm. Has dated a few different guys over the years. Does not still have feelings for Jaller and no one can prove she does. Has no idea what she wants to do after high school and is sick of people asking.

Kongu spends almost every lunch hour in the gym's weight room working out. He's not on any sports teams, he just likes working out and doesn't want to dedicate time to going to a gym after school. Will still throw hands for Tamaru without a second thought. Plays the clarinet in band class and wants to learn the drums. Gay and loud about it. Wants to be a pilot.

Hewkii is hands down the most popular kid in their grade. He's the guy who's on every sports team and gets along with everyone. Took drama as his obligatory arts credit in grade 9 and loved it so much he's taken it every year since. Joined at the hip with Macku. Likes going to escape rooms and axe throwing with friends or on dates. Wants to go away to university, but is worried about what that will mean for his relationship.

Nuparu is the star of shop class and has won awards at every science fair he's ever entered. Has like four friends who are all just as geeky as he is. They hang out under the stairs by the tech hall like it's their own little clubhouse. Built like a brick shithouse. On the school's tech crew for theater and other shows. Has been waffling between getting a degree in engineering or going straight into a trade after high school, and is stressed about the fact that he's going to have to make a decision about that soon.

Matoro keeps to himself, gets good grades, and tries to fly under the radar as much as possible. Took vocal music as an arts credit in grade 9 and loved it but refuses to take any other classes that involve getting onstage, no matter how much Hewkii begs him to try out for the school musical. Spends most of his time in the library with Kopeke, had a rough first year of school. Neither closeted nor out but a secret third thing (acts like everyone has always known he's gay and they're the weird ones for not remembering). Wants to be a sign language interpreter and a wildlife conservationist and also run away to live in the woods.

Takua has become the undisputed champion of hallway gossip. They know everything there is to know about everyone in the school, and if you ever need anything ever, they definitely know a guy. Still terrified of the dark. Goes to a lot of parties. In the anime club, GSA, and game club. Writes a lot of short stories and has put together a compilation zine to sell. Works part time for the same cleaning company as their mom. Wants to get a creative writing degree.

[ctrl-alt-tahu]

A Bionicle Advent Calendar: November 29th (Day -2)

The Prompt: Write a story involving one of your characters getting amnesia.

60,000 years after the reunification of Spherus Magna, a messenger came to the Realm of Artakha in the remote mountains of the arctic coast, and was admitted to the titan’s presence. A Po-Matoran from one of the volcanic isles, Artakha could tell by the shape of his feet that he was a first generation Matoran, made in the heyday of the Matoran universe some time before he Matoran Civil War. From the tint of his armour, Artakha thought he must have been native to the Northern Continent.

“It’s true,” breathed the Matoran. “Everything Turaga Hewkii said was true! You really do exist.”

“But of course I do,” said Artakha, looming over the suppliant figure, his voice deeper than the ocean, but still kind. “You have seen me before, little one.”

“I… I have?” said the Matoran.

“Yes, Granif, you have,” said Artakha, finding at last the name in his deep memories. “You were there, were you not, in the Great Evacuation?”

“I… I suppose I was,” said Granif, but his head was down, blocking the light of his eyes from escaping his mask to gaze at Artakha. “I don’t remember it.”

“No, I suppose it has been enough years that you would not,” said Artakha, gently. “The Matoran mind was not designed to hold so many years. Your Turaga would still remember, or perhaps some Toa.”

“If it is not too bold of me,” said Granif, looking up, “why do we forget? When I visited Metru Arraxus, I saw the Wall of History in the great museum, and it spoke of many forgettings. The Great Evacuation, the Cataclysm, the sacrifice of Mata Nui: I lived through those. So did many Matoran, but I don’t remember them—no one does.”

“Is that why you have come so far?” asked Artakha.

“Well, no,” admitted Granif. “Pirates have destroyed the Womb of Kini-Koro in my islands, and no one knows how to fix it. I have travelled from Metru to Metru, seeking those who know that lore, but no one can tell me more than that the Wombs were made by Artakha and how to tend them. No one can tell me how to fix them.”

“The Order of Mata Nui once knew those tasks,” said Artakha.

“Who?” asked Granif. “I was told how to find you—and it was a long, difficult journey. I lost a friend in the Lasxan Pass. I wouldn’t have come so far if I had been given any other choice.”

“There, there,” said Artakha gently, his voice as soothing as the bass below a song, and he crouched down over the small, shaking figure, still more than thrice its height. “You have come far and with much bravery. I will give you the lore you need to repair to the Womb. The Matoran of the Isles are not doomed to extinction. Perhaps it is about the failing of memory that you have come to me.”

“Do all beings forget?” asked Granif, “or just the Matoran?”

“You are not uniquely forgetful,” said Artakha, still on one knee beside him. “The Agori have long memories, but they too forget. Indeed, organic beings forget more efficiently than Matoran: they remember great deeds and they remember their youth, but they forget the passing years and facts no longer needed. Even the Turaga, whose memories contain the most of your species, will forget in time. It is merely the misfortune of the Matoran to be surrounded by those who remember longer—but even those who surround them will forget.”

“But why?” asked Granif, and it was nearly a plaintive cry. Artakha’s gaze held him for a moment.

“This troubles you, Granif,” he said.

“Our Womb was damaged once before,” said Granif, “nearly forty-thousand years ago, when the Skrall tribes reunited and spread the Orgy of Blood across the eastern seas. My best friend, Sedima, gave her life-force to save it.”

“And that is why you care so much for your people’s Womb and have travelled so far to fix it,” said Artakha.

“I can’t remember Sedima’s face anymore,” said Granif. “Or her voice. I remember her name. I write it down. I have recordings of what I remember, but it is no longer in mind. It… the Womb is still here, and it still gives life to our Wahi. Even if I don’t remember her, Sedima still lives in the Matoran it makes. But if there are no Matoran, and I forget, what will be left of her? Already, some of our village has forgotten her.”

“You are reaching the end of your memory,” said Artakha. “I can help with that, a little, as I will help with repairing the Womb, but it is the way of the Matoran to forget.”

“But why?” asked Granif again. Artakha rose to his full height, surprisingly quickly for a being so large, like a waterfall cascading backward, up.

“Matoran are mortal, but if they avoid the misfortunes of life, they are repairable unto the end of the universe,” said Artakha, “and though ye are marvelous creations, yet the space in your memories is not as boundless as the time you might live. If you become Toa, and again Turaga, your capacity for memory expands, but even then it is not endless. The Agori die, as the Great Beings did, but if the Matoran do not fall to vicissitudes of life, their memories must die for them.”

Artakha reached up to a ledge high on the wall, too high for Granif to even reach, and grasped what, in his hands, was a tiny, egg-shaped stone, and handed it to Granif.

“When you are ready, little one, this will make you a Toa. Find your way home, and you too can sacrifice of your lifeforce as Sedima did, and your Toa power shall join her in making the future Matoran of your isles, and you will remember long as a Turaga.”

“But not forever,” said Granif. “Sorry!” he added. “It is a great gift, mighty Artakha, and I am grateful. It just doesn’t seem like it will be fair in the end. It seems like the sort of thing you should try to fix.”

“To forget can also be to fix,” said Artakha gently. “A grudge forgotten is a grudge destroyed. A wound obsessed over will never heal.” The titan did not look at Granif, but out his tall windows and the night-covered, frozen sea beyond. “Perhaps even Karzahni might have healed, could he but have forgotten.”

Lost in thought, Artakha did not notice the silence that followed, but Granif soon thought he should be going.

“Thank you again, mighty Artakha. I will spread the word that you are not a legend, and, while I can, I will remember.”

“Thank you, little one,” said Artakha. “I have been forgotten before. I do not mind.”

Granif was about to go, but he could not resist another question.

“But… what about you?” he asked. “Will you forget too?”

“No,” Artakha’s voice was barely audible, the deepest, softest of rumbles. “That others might forget, it is left for me to lift the unbearable burden of eternal memory.”

[wjbs-bonkle-au]

Yo i did the descendent bionicle continuation and saw your reblog and i must know your idea

Ok so I tried to come up with stuff, but I ran out of ideas, so here's the most concrete stuff I have about both the hypothetical concept, and the equally-hypothetical meta stuff surrounding it:

It's a series rather than a film trilogy, with four seasons; the fourth one ends on a cliffhanger, with Tuma (who is there, I'll explain later) having just destroyed the school.

All the characters are human, with the exception of the Spherus Magna characters (again, I'll get to it later).

The villain protagonist characters are Teridax's fairly-generic daughter Therese, Roodaka's son Rodney, Nocturn's himbo son Noah, and Vezok's tomboyish daughter Violet. Noah stops appearing in Season 3 due his actor being cast in a film, and he's replaced by Mutran's "son" (that is to say, creation) Mike, who is basically the same character as Noah in terms of personality and plot-function, except as a Frankensteinian stitched-together monstrosity. The in-universe justification for him being written out is that he punched the school's gym so hard it collapsed.

The main hero characters are Tahu's mean-girl daughter Tina, Helryx's nerdy granddaughter Helen (who is one of three hero characters to be a protagonist), and Onua's himbo son Oscar. In Season 3, Hewkii and Macku's kids Henry and Marina start at the school, and are an extra set of protagonists who have their own plots.

Season 2 has a prom story-arc, where Therese wheres a white dress with big shoulder pads and gold gloves, which is a reference to Melding!Teridax. The arc's antagonist is Vakama's grandson, who invites Therese to the prom, then tries to trick her into using her shadow powers to destroy the school.

Takanuva is the principal.

Axonn is the school's caretaker. He stops appearing around the start of Season 4 due to his actor retiring, but the writers don't bother justifying it.

Season 4's plot has the Spherus Magna characters, who are now aliens, landing their spaceship and warning everyone of impending danger; however, the Skrall attack the school (and surrounding city), so the protagonists have to defeat them to save the world™. And then Therese delivers a big dramatic speech telling everyone heroic and evil, to rise up and save the world, dramatic music plays and... the credits roll. The show's over.

A few months after the show ends, it receives a Lab Rats: Elite Force-style crossover-sequel with a Hero Factory-themed monster-of-the-week series. It "resolves" the cliffhanger in a very anticlimactic way in a flashback at the start of the first episode (the Hero Factory heroes show up and apprehend Tuma, who doesn't even try resisting), and it ends up being cancelled after only 15 episodes, the last of which also ends on a cliffhanger, with Tuma breaking out of a Hero Factory prison-facility with a bunch of villains from the Hero Factory half of the crossover.

If anyone wants to add to this or draw what they think the characters would look like, feel free. Also, I might do a relationship chart possibly, unless someone does one first.

[tiredspacedragon]

Thing about me is that I'm a huge softie. I want everybody to get happy endings and be alright in the end. And that's great for fluffy headcanons. But when I actually buckle down and think about my ideas for how things would go post-canon, it's a little rough. Because the point of Marendar is to kill Toa, and to have it show up and be defeated or change sides or what have you before doing any Toa-killing would just be a cop-out (especially after 10+ years of irl buildup). So that means some Toa gotta die. But who?

On that note, here's a potentially gruesome poll. Pick whichever option you think should happen most, and add anyone else you think should bite it in the tags.

Would have added options for surviving, non-zombified Toa from the Red Star, and Nobody <3, but alas, ran out of room. Also, Krakua isn't here because he has to survive to do the whole "lone guardian of an island fortress" thing and send Vakama that Kratana-induced vision he got back in Time Trap. So his survival is guaranteed. Everyone else, not so much.

Some anti-propaganda (reasons they all should die *evil laugh*) below the cut:

Toa Nuva: Would there be a bigger gutpunch than this? The flagship characters, the six heroes with one destiny! But that destiny is complete now, they don't need to be kept alive anymore. Imagine how much it would shake things up to take them off the board, how ruined the survivors would be if only a few of them went down. Wouldn't it just be so juicy?

Toa Mahri: They're one down already, so it's not like you'd be breaking up a complete set. Besides, we all know they're built for tragedy at this point. Jaller and Hahli could fall together. Hewkii could go down in front of Macku's eyes. Nuparu could sacrifice himself using one last invention to stop Marendar, perhaps making up for the perceived sins of the Vahki and Boxor. Kongu could accept death as it takes him, at least now he might see Matoro again.

Toa Hagah: These six are prime candidates, aren't they? Important enough for it to hurt, for us to care, but not so important that they aren't expendable. Never truly frontrunners. Named characters it's safe to kill. What more could you ask for? I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out Greg had planned to kill them so he'd never have to describe Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, and Kualus' appearances. Plus, Norik dying just after getting to see Varian again? Or even just before? Doesn't it hurt so good?

Takanuva: He only needs to live long enough to end the civil war between the Great Beings, but after that, if Marendar is still in play, he's fair game. What do you say? It would torture him more to see his friends fall while he lived on, but there is something poetic to "Takanuva, the first and greatest Toa of Light, whose life burned brightly, but quickly."

Yesterday Questers: These three are like the Toa Hagah, but even safer. Named characters, important enough for their deaths to matter, but brand new, without much audience investment. Besides, they're asking for it, aren't they? Ancient Orde, the chip on his shoulder as old as he is, could finally know peace in oblivion. Perhaps Zaria's death would finally clear his guilty conscience. And Chiara... Does anyone actually like Chiara? Would anyone miss her? Are these questions she asks herself? And wouldn't it hurt to hear her ask them in her final moments?

Varian: Talk about tragedy. Thousands of years, locked in a tube, dead to the world. Unaware time is even passing. And when she finally awakes, it's only to die. A waste of her character, perhaps, but if you don't mind fridging, it would piss off Norik somethin' fierce.

Tuyet: Doesn't she deserve it? And you know, Marendar does track Toa Power, and there's no greater source of that than Tuyet and the Nui Stone. It would be gunning for her. And it would be so deliciously ironic. All that power, all the effort she put in to get it, and it would be utterly useless to save her in the end. Her dreams of empire ground to dust in seconds, right before her eyes, as Toa Tuyet dies one last time.

Helryx: Think of the poetry. Marendar, the Toa's bane. What more worthy opponent could there be for the first Toa's last stand? It practically writes itself. Helryx has done her duty. The will of Mata Nui has been carried out. This is her perfect chance to go down fighting on her own terms, not as the leader of the Order, but as a Toa once more.

Lesovikk: This guy is Orde and Zaria but worse. He wants death so bad. And what else is there left for him to do? Karzahni is dead. His Matoran are found. What, will he become a Turaga and gift his power to the next generation of Toa? Will he wander the woods and care for the animals? Will he find joy and beauty in living? Lame. He misses his team so bad? Let him join them.

20-odd nameless mooks: By far the safest option. A Toa-killer would be pretty pointless if it never killed any Toa, but nobody said it had to be anyone we cared about, right? This is the best of both worlds. A pile of bodies to make Marendar a credible threat, but nothing and no one of consequence lost. A perfect solution, right? Just uh. Hope you don't have any OCs in here.

Mutants: The Dark Hunters are scattered, vulnerable. If these lost souls haven't found the greater group yet, they'd be easy to pick off. Good options too, right? Actual characters, so their deaths have some weight, but not major ones, so they won't be missed. Guardian was killed off in Reign of Shadows for those exact reasons. Why not have Savage, Spinner, and Prototype carry on the tradition, and tie off some loose ends in the process?

Shadow Takanuva: Sure, it might suck for their home universes to lose their Takanuva like this, but hey. If you have a whole army just sitting around, might as well put them to use, right? The fight could be interesting to watch too. Shadow might be the only element Marendar has no countermeasures for, since Toa of Shadow were never meant to exist. Maybe this is how it's finally beaten, after taking several alternate Takanuva down with it, of course. Besides, Melding Teridax flattened several of them already, so it's not like they were all making it home to begin with.