pawnstorm | closed | leave me alone i have nothing witty to put here

Entry tags:

closed | leave me alone i have nothing witty to put here

Who: Kija and Bolin
When: Some time after the first dungeon fight
Where: A remote part of Capablanca
What: Two manchildren go on a gingerbread adventure and try not to die.
Rating: Possible violence but otherwise none.

[ Rule of thumb when travelling in a foreign land: Always make sure at least one person in the party actually knows what they're doing. That doesn't seem to be the case with these two, as they've been trudging around for close to an hour and there still doesn't seem to be any sign of civilization. Navigating a wild forest took a manner of skill. The terrain was harsh and seemed to go on forever, and with how all the trees and rocks looked exactly the same, it was impossible to tell if they were making progress at all. Any regular person would be having trouble. Kija's depended on others for most of his life. Of course he doesn't have a clue what to do.

He thought this other Blanc hero he had chanced upon would be of help, but he turned out to be in the same situation as Kija. Oh well, two heads are always better than one.

Even if they aren't ... very sharp heads.

There's something so familiar about Bolin, but Kija still hasn't been able to put his finger on what. It's almost like they've met somewhere before. He'll definitely ask later. For now, their goal is the return to their quarters in Blanc some...how........ ]

I am certain this time. It is this way. [ And he points in some random direction. Why does it feel like they've walked here before? ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ As much as Bolin enjoys putting his faith in strangers, and he's been dutifully obliging Kija's claims that he knows where they're going because the smaller man has this weird confidence thing going on, he's really starting to doubt the fair haired boy. When Kija insists on leading them in another direction one more time, the earthbender stays put, a small frown on his face. ]

Don't get mad. [ He prefaces - ] But I just think you're wrong. I mean, it's not totally unfounded since you've been wrong pretty much every time since we've gotten started, so I think you're wrong.

[ Was that too harsh? ]

But don't get mad.

[ When something is prefaced with 'don't get mad', you just know you're going to get mad. Kija is receptive the other people's ideas, but that mention of how many times he's been wrong (rood) puts him on the defensive. His cheeks turn rosy as he starts to get huffy. ]

T-That is not true! I wasn't wrong at every turn! [ Deep pause. If he were right, they would be home by now...... ]

D-Do you know the way then?!

[ He gives Kija a sympathetic grimace that just says, yeah, you were, but doesn't say anything further because he's not looking to get into a fight. Instead, he takes Kija's accusation to heart and steps back a moment so that he can look around. It's difficult to see far because of the thickness of all the trees around them, and he ends up turning his gaze upward, but it's not like there are any stars to navigate with, and even if there were, he doesn't know them here.

Ah, but! ]

Why don't we climb the trees to see if we can spot the city?

[ Is this a time when he can be proud of himself... ]

[ Kija is receptive to all ideas, and this doesn't sound too bad. His mild indignation seems to fade away on its own as he considers Bolin's suggestions. Eventually, he decides to just go for it. ]

Very well. Moving to higher ground would surely be helpful. [ Nevermind that he would probably still get lost even if he knew the broad direction to be heading toward. Kija looks around for a particularly tall tree. Once he finds one that's to his liking, he raises his dragon hand activating it. The hand seems to morph, its nails sharpening themselves and the rest of it growing larger. He's going to use it to climb.. ]

Are you good at climbing? [ Otherwise he's ok with carrying Bolin tbh. They can be koalas. ]

[ Kija's probably asking Bolin a question or something, but Bolin's attention is 100% shot as soon as he sees the dragon hand; eyebrows shooting up and stepping backward with a ] whoa!

[ Suddenly his memory is triggered (or what he thinks might be a memory, even though he's never met Kija before?), but at least he knows why he finds the skinny boy so familiar now. ]

Your hand is really old!

The white dragon's claw has been passed down for thousands of years. [ But the actual hand .... is as old as he is. Meaning it's only 21 years old.

But wait, why does he feel like he's explained this before? And why does he feel irritated for no reason? Kija starts to clutch at his chest, as if searching for the source of the feeling. Meanwhile, his other hand is still being sharp and menacing. ]

[ Bolin frowns as he stares down the hand, suddenly feeling as though Kija doesn't like him all that much, and that his safety might be compromised.

He crosses his arms over his chest. ]

Are you going to hit me with that?

[ He doubts it, But that aside, hadn't Kija asked him a question? Whether or not he could climb the tree? Bolin doesn't have that much experience with such a thing, if he's honest; there weren't that many trees in Republic City, and he would often cheat by using his earthbending anyway.

But if he can't climb... ]

Or are you going to carry me with your—uh, dragon hand?

Of course not! Why would you think that ...?! [ Kija, in his marveled lack of self-awareness, has no idea that his gradually sharpening and growing hand might be a menacing sight to most. That's why he's clueless as to how Bolin got that impression. He sounds aghast. He would never hit an innocent party for no reason!! ]

Edited 2016-04-13 12:06 (UTC)

[ There's a huff, and his temper recovers quickly. Then, he takes on a serious tone: ]

I will use the dragon's claw to climb the tree, and you can cling to my back. [ LIKE A KOALA. It might look a bit ridiculous because Bolin was much bigger than him (this bara ho), but Kija believes he can do it, so whatever. ]

...

[ Bolin stares at Kija in wonder. ]

I hold onto your back. [ It comes out as half a question and half a statement while Bolin just gives the smaller man a disbelieving stare.

He doesn't really doubt the ability of Kija's freaky hand, but he is a little skeptical about the rest of him. To put it frankly: Kija's kind of a noodle. ]

Okay. [ So that kind of decides it. ] I have to see if you can actually carry me.

[ A test, huh????? Kija always rises to a challenge. ]

Not a problem. [ Spurred on by the determination to prove himself to Bolin, Kija walks over. Without much warning at all, he grabs hold of the other man, hauling him over his right shoulder with ease. ]

Brace yourself. [ Bolin probably meant ... the rest of him though. His dragon hand could carry Bolin easily, bu the rest of him is another story. ]

Wh—

[ HE DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.

Bolin grunts only a little bit when Kija's throws him over his shoulder without much preamble—and it is pretty impressive. Even if Kija's bony shoulder is digging into his gut and this is not at all comfortable.

So he complains. ]

Why am I on your shoulder? You said I could get on your back! How are you going to climb when you're using one arm to hold me anyway?

[ THAT'S ... TRUE!!! Kija's so embarrassed by his blunder that he gets all flustered, going red in the face and scrambling to put Bolin down now. ]

I-I am aware of that! [ Once Bolin is safely on the ground, he turns around to show the bigger guy his back now, urging him to climb on. ] I told you it will not be a problem! Now, climb on at once!

[ Kija flusters so easily that Bolin is starting to feel like the competent one, which is a bizarre turn of events. He makes a slight noise as he's swept down again, trying to orient himself before he faces Kija's back.

His small, fragile back. ]

Okay...

[ Then, as gracefully as he can, he steps forward to koala on. ]

[ Right. He's up to the brim with self=confidence and determination. There's no way he can't do this! ]

See? It is not a pro --

[ Kija's body slumps down the moment Bolin puts his full weight on it, and he catches the weight with trembling knees. This fellow was HEAVY. The right side, where he's using his hand to support Bolin, was not a problem at all, but the muscles at his left side were screaming with strain. ]

b..lem.....Ah. [ Kija's much too prideful to admit that this might be more than he bargained for, though. Especially in front of someone who's been doubting him all the way. He's going to pretend he has everything under control. ] R-Right ... Let's begin.

[ His breathing quickens and he starts to sweat a little as he slowly makes his way to a tall tree, each step looking labored. HE CAN DO THIS!!! BELIEVE!!! ]

[ This endeavour's got Bolin's heart rate up too, though he's mostly worried that Kija will drop him. There's no way that he's going to be able to actually carry the earthbender up the tree, and honestly Bolin is worried for his own safety as much as he is for Kija's spine.

With a shake of his head, he wrangles himself free of the dragon's grasp so that he's standing on his own once more. ]

Don't try to show off! You're gonna hurt yourself.

[ Seriously. He frowns at Kija one more time before facing the tree and getting ready to climb it himself. ]

We can't fool around anymore anyway, we gotta get out of here!

I was not fooling around!! I was prepared to complete the task!

[ Somewhat. Okay, no, there's no way he could have accomplished it (in fact, he's only just catching his breath now that Bolin's weight was of of him), but Kija still believes in himself!!

Since the other guy looks ready to climb the tree on his own, that's ... fine, but Kija still has something to add. ] Just so you know, I could have done it if given the chance!

[ Yea, sure, whatever. Once he's recovered, Kija prepares to climb as well, his claws sharpening for the task. ]

[ Kija's protests are quite impassioned, but Bolin doesn't really care to entertain his lies at the moment. How many tags have already been wasted on this preamble!!

Staring up the tree, he nods to the other man before rubbing his hands together to grab onto the trunk. The lowest branch is higher than he can reach comfortably, and the bark bites into his hands as his feet push against the trunk to get himself high enough. He's definitely going to have splinters, but at least they're making progress.

(Maybe he should just let Kija climb the tree with that freaky hand of his and spare himself the trouble, but he's just not sure how much he trusts the other man's sense of direction.) ]

[ Yeah maybe you should sit your meaty ass back on the ground, homie!!!!!!! But it's true that Kija's sense of direction isn't the greatest.

Digging his claws into the bark to anchor himself, Kija slowly pulls himself upward. Within seconds, he's already a few paces above Bolin, and he continues to climb with much ease. He used to do this a lot as a child. Eventually, he looks down to Bolin. ]

Are you having trouble? The offer still stands.

[ be a koala with him!!! (Kija's still feeling unsatisfied about what happened before.) ]

You're gonna fall if I get onto your back.

[ And then they'd both die, which Bolin isn't too keen on doing before he even reaches middle age or at least has sex again. There's so many things left that he wants to try!

He gestures for Kija to keep on climbing ahead of him. ]

Don't worry about me! You should go on ahead.

[ Bolin's ascent is a bit slower, but it's steady and he's comfortable enough climbing the tree that he doesn't really think he needs help. ]

Edited 2016-04-16 08:23 (UTC)

[ wow stop your thirst

HE'S STILL UNSATISFIED THAT HE FAILED EARLIER but Kija accepts his answer. He also makes a note to start training up the rest of his body. He spent so much time training his dragon's claw that he let the rest of him become so weak and skinny!!!!

If only he could have a work out montage and come out Thique. ] Very well. [ Kija continues this upward ascend, and it's not long before he's high enough to get a good look of what was around them. Unfortunately, he can't see the town from here, but what he can see is smoke from someone's chimney. ]

I do not see the town, but ... there is a house.

[ A really odd looking house. It was brown in colour and seemed to have many colourful decorations. It's hard to see what those colourful specks were from where they were though. ]

Edited 2016-04-16 14:59 (UTC)

[ Bolin's head pops up above the branches beside Kija's a short while after the smaller boy reaches the top, and he gazes curiously out in all the directions, trying to figure out how they could've wandered so far that they would see nothing but trees all around them. He's sure that he hadn't been in the forest that long when he met up with Kija!

But his companion is right, and all he can see is one lonely house. ]

Maybe some super wizened recluse lives there? [ Like Toph, alone in the swamp. He looks over at Kija and shrugs. ] It's our best shot for now.

[ Then he contemplates the climb back down... how tedious. ]

[ Little did they know, they've been wandering further and further from their quarters all this time.

ALso pretend they're still at Capablanca.

There's a nod, and Kija starts to climb down - also faster and with more ease than Bolin, by the way, sorry you suck. ]

We will ask him for directions then.

[ This thread is such a mess.

But Bolin begins the tedious climb downward, opting to allow himself strategic falls to speed the process up. He dusts his hands off once his feet hit the ground, nudging Kija's shoulder before starting off in the direction of the house. ]

Let's go then.

[ Let's just speed up so that they get there already. ]

[ Fine. After several minutes of walking, they are now here!! And the house isn't quite like anything Kija has ever seen. He thought the brown-coloured walls of the house were an odd choice of bricks before, but now that he can get an up close look, they seem to be made of another substance entirely - a softer-looking substance with a very appetizing smell. And the colourful decorations plastered all over the house weren't signs at all. They appear to be ... sweets?

Kija blinks, not quite believing what he's seeing. ]

What sort of house is this? I have never seen anything quite like it. [ He gives the general air a whiff. ] It has an odd smell ...

[ IT SMELLS TASTY ?? ]

[ Bolin is nothing if not a lover of sweets and good food, so he approaches the house with eyes narrowed and a suspicious squint. If he didn't know better, he'd almost say that the house looks like it's made out of a cookie. ]

Kind of smells like... ginger?

[ There's definitely the tang of ginger among the sugary sweetness, and Bolin's stomach is rumbling. ]

Is this even a real house?

[ He frowns, reaching out with his staff to knock at an outcropping of a window, eyebrows shooting up when a piece crumbles off easily. Picking it up from the ground... he just eats it. ]

It is cookie!

[ Kija is horrified when Bolin just goes and puts something that fell onto the floor ... into his mouth!! ]

Do not eat it! It fell onto the ground! What is the matter with you?! It is filthy!!

[ And here is where you'll see the marked difference between a spoiled rich kid who's only had clean, tasty food for most of his life ... and the poor kid who's had to make do with whatever was available....

Then, an afterthought: ] And you should not be eating someone else's house!

It's fine. [ Bolin shrugs off Kija's concern. ] I've had plenty of worse meals than this.

[ But really, that's not what's important. What's important is that this entire house is a giant cookie! ]

Anyway, how can this even be a real house if its walls are edible?

[ Oh god, he can't think about where that piece of cookie has been. Who knows how many animals have stepped on the forest ground! Insects might have crawled all over it too!! While it's true that Bolin's habits are none of his business, he's just so scandalized by his actions!! He's also concerned about his health. ]

It is shaped like a house, is it not? The owner might have unique tastes. [ And that is not a pun, believe it or not .... ]

We should not eat what does not belong to us! [ Kija is such a boyscout okay. Rules and manners are the world to him. ]

[ It's for Cool Bolin to make an appearance, and the earthbender just shakes his head, waving off Kija's concerns before leaning one arm on the smaller boy's shoulder. ]

But Kija, [ he starts, feeling pretty suave, ] that doesn't make any sense! It can't be a house because it would just dissolve in the rain, wouldn't it?

[ He pulls away, raising his arms to gesture at the size of the house. ]

Plus, it's huge! And we're hungry travellers lost in the forest. Who would even notice a couple of missing bites?

[ wow bolin, you're a naughty child. Kija just stares at him as he makes that smug look. It's true that this house would just dissolve in the rain, and he does wonder how it's even still standing, but his principle still stands! ]

It is not proper to eat another person's things! [ HE IS A GOOD BOY, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE. ] We must practice discipline and self-control. Besides, I am not hungry --

[ And then his stomach growls LOUDLY. Kija freezes, his face turning red in embarrassment. ]

...

[ Bolin lets the silence stretch between them for a while, just so that Kija can feel even more awkward.

Then: ]

Kija, listen. [ This time both his palms close around the other Hero's shoulders. ] If you pass out from hunger, I'm not gonna carry you back.

[ Kija smacks his hands away, so embarrassed from what had happened that he goes into a fluster. ] T-That was not my stomach! It must have been something else!

[ He then holds himself and starts to look petulant. A small part of him is trying to will his stomach into staying quiet. ] And I will not be needing you to carry me back!

[ He doesn't care anymore!! Whatever!!! ] Eat if you must, but do not destroy the house. I will keep a lookout for us.

[ Because he does understand that Bolin is hungry, and this might be their only food source for miles and miles. This is such a moral dilemma!!! ]

That was definitely your stomach! [ Bolin's laughing a little, apparently warming up to Kija's stuck up attitude and poking fun at the other boy.

He's not about to harass him too much however, mostly because Kija's an adult and he doesn't need Bolin to tell him when to eat.

Unfortunately, as things turn out Bolin never gets a second bite when the gingerbread door to the gingerbread house finally swings open, an old woman peaking out and raising her eyebrows, offering nothing but an, "oh my." ]

[ It's like the worst possible thing had just happened. They've been caught red-handed, destroying some poor old woman's property! Okay, they haven't actually done anything yet and the piece Bolin had eaten actually fell off on its own but it surely looked like they were up to no good.

And that's enough to bring Kija great shame. ] W-We are very sorry!

[ Other people might lie about their intentions or try to cover things up in some way. Other people aren't boyscouts like Kija is. He immediately throws himself to his knees, kowtowing to show his sincerity. ] My sincerest apologies. I will accept any punishment you see fit, Madam.

[ He then tugs at Bolin's pant leg. ] You apologise too, Bolin!

[ Bolin's eyebrows shoot up when Kija suddenly kowtows. Bowing deeply when the other man tugs at his pants, but not throwing himself on the floor. ]

We're very sorry to be trespassing!

[ He can't really believe someone lives here!

To their relief, the old woman just laughs. It's a weird kind of wheezing chuckle, but at least it's friendly?

"It's fine," she tells them, hobbling over, gesturing for Kija to get up while reaching out to take Bolin's chin.

The action gets him to still abruptly, trying to figure out if this is some sort of weird grandma thing where old women think it's totally appropriate to grab younger folk like this.

"It's a pleasant surprise." And she's not letting go??? ]

[ Kija ... doesn't catch on to how unnerving that gesture appears to be. He's too busy feeling relieved that he's out of the hot water (see what i did there). She doesn't appear bothered at all! As the old woman inspects Bolin, Kija ... doesn't think to help him, opting to explain the situation to her instead. ]

We were looking for a way back to town, and we were wondering if you could help us! [ The old lady shoots Kija a glance. He was a polite boy, but way too skinny. She had no use for boys with this little flesh.

But maybe he could make a good servant ...

Finally, she lets Bolin go and offers them both an amiable smile, trying her best to sound grandmotherly despite the hoarseness in his voice. Just excuse it, it's a throat condition.

"I can show you boys the way back to town, but you look famished! Why don't you come in for tea and biscuits first?"

It was a sweet offer, but Kija felt obliged to refuse. He didn't want to impose. ] Thank you, but I am quite fine, you do not have to --

[ And then his stomach growls AGAIn. ] ...

[ The woman's smile only grows wider, unnerving at how obviously she's seizing the opportunity that Kija is presenting her.

"My, you mustn't lie," she admonishes, "bad habits like that rot the flesh."

She ushers them both inside then, and Bolin finds himself growing more uncomfortable, though he can't bring himself to argue with an old woman. He hovers closer to Kija, finding the other man considerably more comforting despite their rocky first meeting. ]

We should leave ASAP. [ He whispers, anxiety increasing once the door shuts behind them, leaving them in the dark house. (It's made of gingerbread, there's no electricity or plumbing??)

But she hears him, and urges them further into her kitchen.

"You wouldn't consider leaving before we eat, would you?" ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

closed | leave me alone i have nothing witty to put here

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject