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closed | workin hard for caps

Who: Bolin and Kija
When: May 5th
Where: Cemetery
What: Never fear, for Bolin and Kija are going to do their best to help but probably not succeed.
Rating: As pure as Kija's untouched body.

[ Bolin stares grimly at the site in front of them, trying to wrap his head around just what exactly they're about to do. Both of them, together, sober.

It had all started with a cute young girl. She'd run up to Kija first, incredibly distressed, clutching her bonnet with big tears running down her cheeks. Bolin had come across the pair before she'd even been able to get out a few words, though she didn't seem to mind the interruption, saying that they had to help her find her mistress' cat or else her mother (a maid) would be in grave trouble!

And you couldn't just say no to a request like that.

Luckily the cat was unique, dressed in the cat equivalent of a red gown, with bows in its hair, and they'd manage to track it from one place to the next. Until they'd arrived at the cemetery.

Now, Bolin is frowning. ]

So we're going to snoop around a cemetery... where there's a bunch of dead people buried... [ ??? ] Why would I cat even go in there?! Don't animals have a sixth sense, and know to avoid places like this?

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[ It seemed like a mundane task, but Kija was taking it with utmost seriousness. He had promised the young girl that he would find the family cat, and now that he had given his word he absolutely had to achieve it somehow. Even if it meant working with someone he wasn't quite getting along with so far! ]

We cannot rule it out. [ They had to give this task their all, and this meant searching through every corner and under every rock. They couldn't discredit any place, no matter how creepy it looked.

Kija didn't seem to find this cemetery creepy, though. The dark, ominous atmosphere didn't seem to have any effect on him, in fact. It's like he's wearing an invisible shield; he still appears radiant and energetic despite the gravestones and chipped angel statues around them.

But he understands why others might be wary. Bolin actually looks kind of wary. ]

Are you afraid ...? [ He won't laugh at him!! ]

I'm not afraid. [ Bolin has no idea why he's trying to put up a front in front of Kija. He should just be honest. ] I just don't want to accidentally step on someone's grave and then offend a thousand generations of ghosts, we just don't know how things work here, so what if I'm a little scared, it's just reasonable, isn't it?!

[ Well, the truth comes out in his rambling anyway.

He looks Kija in the eye, and he knows that they have to do this. They can't let that girl down; she's depending on them as Heroes, and they'd told her that they would find the cat for her. There's no other option.

Taking a deep breath, he turns for face the cemetery again, taking one gallant step forward. ]

But it's fine. [ It has to be! ] There's no other choice.

[ Bolin does have a point!! Stepping on a grave is a general no-no. Kija isn't too worried about being cursed but it's just a disrespectful thing to be doing in overall. ]

We will just have to tread carefully. [ He doesn't know why Bolin has to ramble on, though, really he wasn't trying to undermine his manliness?!?? It's okay to be afraid. Just look at how Kija gets whenever there's a bug on the ground. (And he can't see any bugs so far, thankfully.)

They don't always get along, but that doesn't mean Kija hated him. It's in his nature to offer comfort to a person in need of it, so he offers Bolin a scaly dragon hand. ]

You can take my hand if that would make you feel better.

[ That's a surprise; Bolin wouldn't have expected Kija to offer his hand like that. He's not really shy about it at this point, since they've done more than hold hands. (As in, they've hugged. He's not Jae-ha.)

Still, he frowns anyway. ]

That's your fighting hand. [ He shuffles around so that he's on Kija's other side, taking his normal hand with a mildly embarrassed look. ] This is fine—let's go!

[ Like it hadn't been his irrational fears slowing them down, the earthbender just tugs on their joined hands to pull Kija forward, braving the eerie atmosphere of the cemetery with a puffed out chest. ]

Here Little Lady!

[ dont be rude just because you arent getting kisses

Oh. He hadn't expected Bolin to actually accept his offer but it was kind of nice. This was an obvious sign that the other boy trusted him enough to depend on him for comfort, and that knowledge made Kija kind of happy! He likes being depended on ... ]

Yes ... [ Why was Bolin so eager to trudge on forward now, though? Kija's finding the other boy a little difficult to understand. He follows after, calling out for the cat as well. ]

Come out at once! We are here to bring you home!

[ At first, there's no response, and the cemetery continues to be deathly silent. Then, a soft little meow can be heard from deeper into the darkness of the cemetery ...

If they go closer, they'll find that it's coming from ... THE INSIDE OF SOMEONE'S GRAVE????????/ ]

[ "Come out at once". That's no way to talk to a scared, little cat? Bolin's going to have to talk to him about his bedside manner.

EXCEPT THAT IT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Bolin is incredibly quiet beside Kija, taking careful steps and wishing that Caissa would just cremate like they do back in the Four Nations so that he wouldn't have to worry about bodies and skeletons, right underneath his feet. He's glad that it hadn't taken them too long to find the cat however, and now it's just a matter of getting it down from whatever tree its stuck in.

Except that it's not in a tree. It's in a grave.

There's silence as the realisation sinks in, and then, with the utmost poise, Bolin turns so that he can look Kija straight in the eye. ]

I'm not digging up a grave.

[ Kija actually agrees with him. It feels like they're agreeing more and more on things these days. ] I do not want to as well. We should always respect the deceased.

[ He appears to glancing around, hoping that the meowing sounds were coming from somewhere at the side instead. Maybe his ears were playing tricks on him, and the cat is behind the gravestone instead?

No such luck. There's another meow, and it's obvious that it's coming from down below! ]

But we cannot leave her inside of there ... [ Luckily, they won't actually be doing any digging, since the only thing covering this grave appears to be a slab of concrete. That doesn't change the fact that it's a grave, though. Someone's even left flowers underneath it in honor of the dead! ]

[ Bolin visibly relaxes when Kija agrees with him. He knows that the other man can be incredibly stubborn when his mind is set on completing a task, and neither of them want to disappoint the girl, so he had been a little afraid that Kija would just barrel on ahead and rip the grave out with his giant hand. He's pretty thankful that's not the case.

But the fact is, they still need to figure out what to do about the cat. ]

She must've gotten in somehow. [ Unless the grave was buried today, the cat had to have dug its way in somehow, and the flowers don't look all that fresh. ] Maybe there's a hole or something that she crawled through? Let's look.

[ He pulls Kija along as he rounds the gravestone, eyes watching the ground intently for some clue. ]

[ Kija follows along, not minding the pulling at all. He keeps his eyes peeled for any sign of an entrance, a hole of some sort that a cat could get into, but there was absolutely none.

This was really quite baffling. ] There is nothing at all. How could she have gotten in there?

[ There's really no way for a cat to crawl in on her own. Not without some kind of help.

And here's where another meow can be heard from inside that grave. Kija was no expert on cats, but it was easy enough to tell that this meow had come from a different cat! Kija doesn't let go of Bolin's hand (he's still considerate for him), but instead tugs at it to urge him to crouch lower. Kija then gets on his knees, leaning over the grave and cupping a hand around his ear for a better listen.

Another cat meows. And another! ] There are more down there!

What's going on? [ Bolin doesn't hesitate to vocalize his confusion. ] Did this person have some grudge against cats? Is this area cursed for them?

[ It's been a while since Bolin has been faced with a situation that would be so easily solved with his earthbending. It would still be pulling up the grave, but at least it would be neat, and putting the grave back would be clean as well. (And he suddenly realizes that he hasn't thought about his earthbending in a while; the thought leaving a sinking feeling in the put of his stomach. He doesn't want to forget.)

There has to be a way in there. ]

If a bunch of cats can find a way in there, then so can we!

[ In a moment of bravery, he lets go of Kija's hand and drops to his knees. ]

Maybe it's not something we can see. We'll have to feel around with our hands.

[ youll get earthbending back one day homie ...

There was no visible way that the cats could have gotten in, so maybe Bolin was right. Maybe it was something they had to feel around for. Kija starts to shift his palms across the concrete. He doesn't actually know what he's looking for, but it was worth trying.

One part of the concrete actually .. .dips in, under the pressure of his dragon's hand. At first, Kija wonders if he had accidentally exerted too much strength (WHICH HAS HAPPENED). Then, he hears the sounds of gears turning, of a mechanism being activated. Gradually, the concrete covering the grave shifts ... ]

Huh?! What?! It's moving ...? [ GRAVES DON'T DO THAT. Underneath, there's a stairway that leads to an underground tunnel. It's pitch black. ] There is a passage!

[ So Bolin had gallantly let go of Kija's hand in order to thoroughly inspect the area and rescue the cats, but he is not in the least prepared for things to suddenly start moving on their own. And in his total lack of preparedness, he issues a (manly) yelp when the grave suddenly shifts, jumping a good foot backwards and watching the concrete move with his heart in his throat.

Of course. Of course, they'd actually have to go down to where all the corpses and bones are. ]

Yeah, I see it. [ His response is a little strangled. ] So uh, what are the chances we can lure the cats out with some fish?

That would take far too long. We cannot waste time. [ Kija is a lot of things and patient isn't one of them. He doesn't know where they can get fish, anyway. The ominous look of the dark passage does nothing to shake him. He only knows he has a goal in mind, and he intends to achieve it.

So Kija starts to move, taking a few steps forward. Seconds later, he remembers to be considerate of Bolin, who seemed quite afraid before. Turning back, he offers his human hand. ]

Come. [ You big baby ... ]

[ Yeah, let's find a spider and then see who's the baby!!

But anyway, the fact remains that Bolin absolutely doesn't want to go down there. Even while holding Kija's hand. He likes cats and thinks they're cute and all, but not this much.

—Except. He remembers a small crying face, and can't help but recall that this isn't about saving cats. It's about the little girl, and her wanting to protect her mother. He can't turn his back on that.

Heaving a sigh, he takes the other man's hand and carefully ventures into the passage. ]

Fine! Let's make it quick.

[ Luckily for Bolin, their descent into the grave doesn't lead them so much into a dank and skeleton ridden tomb as much as it does a neat and purposefully dug tunnel, lined with unlit torches. It's enough to distract him from his discomfort, and he peers around with his brows furrowed. ]

Caissa's graves sure are spacious.

They are. It does not look like a grave at all. [ Kija isn't the expert on graves but they should have walked into a body by now ?? He's starting to get a feeling this may not be an actual grave at all. For starters, a grave wouldn't have a secret entrance...

Still holding onto Bolin's fingers, Kija moves along the passage, following the meowing he hears. Once they're close enough to the end, something else entirely can be heard. It's the voice of an adult man!

'Stop meowin' already! It's driving me nuts! How do you get these cats to shut the hell up?!'

Around the corner is a room with several large cages. Each cage houses a different cat. A lot of them look frantic and anxious, pacing around the cage and meowing pitifully. The feistier ones hiss whenever that man goes close. ] ...

[ Kija doesn't know what's going on but this looks like Trouble. His hand starts to ... grow ...his nails sharpening themselves ..........and this is usually an indication that he's ready 2 brawl. ]

[ Attention shifting to the frightened animals, Bolin quickly forgets about his own fears, his hand slipping from Kija's to grab his weapon from his pocket: pressing the weapon between his palms, the metal colouring his veins. He has no idea what's going on, but this is obviously bigger than just one missing cat. ]

We'll knock the men out, then free the cats. [ He looks over at Kija, incase he's planning to go after the cats first. ] We don't want them all to run away before we find the one that we're looking for.

I was thinking the same. [ No he wasn't, he just wanted to beat people up. Kija always goes straight for the violence ..... But he sure sounds smart saying that, or something.

Without any further warning, Kija barges into the scene, his hand ...growing larger and more menacing. Immediately, the men go on defensive, scrambling for their knives and pistols.

"A monster!" one exclaims, staring at Kija's hand in horror, "What is that guy?! Some kind of demonic dragon spawn?!"

"Who cares, just kill him! And search the place for other intruders!"

Kija ... picks up the first guy in his monstrous hand, and that poor fellow just looks so horrified. ] Do not be rude. This hand is sacred. [ ?? why is he getting offended now ] And these cats do not belong to you. [ He throws the first guy against the stone walls, knocking him out. He then gets ready to take on the other men in the room.

Those men have probably noticed Bolin by now, btw, and they'll be trying to stab him with their knives. ]

[ Thanks for the shout out, bro.

Bolin is considerably less deadly as he launches into the fight, dodging out of the way of his first assailant with a muted yelp, and essentially fairy dancing his way away from his attackers to get to an empty cage sitting on the ground. Once he's got his hands on it, he starts a counterattack: melting the metal in to one smooth piece that he then breaks up and sends flying towards the evildoers. The metal pieces wrap around their hands and feet before crashing into the ground in quick succession, effectively trapping them.

There's no anger or malice to Bolin as he makes his way through the room, just focus and method. He doesn't expend any energy trying to hurt the men either, simply winding ropes of metal around them to snuff out the flames of their fighting spirit. Capturing animals is an awful thing, but Bolin doesn't see any signs of abuse, so he's going to give this troupe the benefit of the doubt for now.

When it looks like Kija doesn't need his assistance in the fight anymore, Bolin turns his attention to the cage, frowning and wondering what the best way to get these animals back to where they belong is. If they just let them all out, there's no telling where they might run off to, or if they're smart enough to find their way back home. ]

[ leave him alone, it's hard to be gentle when your hand is a fucking claw

As Bolin takes the pacifistic approach, the unlucky people trying to cross swords with Kija end up beaten into the dirt. One by one, he knocks them out with a hard punch to the face or a smack across the head. At least he isn't using his claws, so he's technically going easy on them.

Once he's finished knocking the fighting spirit (And consciousness) out of the catnappers, Kija rounds them up by dumping their limp bodies into an unceremonious pile. SO, should they leave them here or turn them in ... He doesn't know yet.

He turns to find Bolin preoccupied with the cats. Come to think of it, they haven't really figured out what to do with them either. THIS WAS A WELL-THOUGHT OUT PLAN. ]

Should we take them with us? If we put up signs, surely their owners will come looking for them.
[ Crazy cat people Kija and Bolin bringing home 67 cats though

-- ok maybe not that many, but STILL ...... ]

[ Let's be realistic and say that the number is closer to ten—ten cats is reasonable, right? Nine once they return the cat whose owner they already know. ]

I don't know if my roommates going to appreciate shacking up with all these cats. [ Saber is a pretty tolerant roommate, but even she probably has her limits. ] Wait—you live alone right?

And what are we supposed to do about these guys?

[ Bolin gestures to the group of bad guys in various states of unconscious and tied up. ]

Is your Carrier around? I left mine in the dorms, but maybe we could call the police.

Come out, Moon. [ moon ... whom i haven't mentioned in the entire thread but is somehow HERE. She pops her head out of Kija's collar. Immediately, she knows what to do, dialing the number for the police station. ]

I do live alone. I suppose I can house the cats for now. It should not be a lot of trouble. [ After all, they look so docile right now!! And Kija isn't one of those people crazy about cute animals but he must admit that they're quite cute. It's so lonely in his room at times.........

He has no idea what he's in for. ]

[ Running his hands over the metal of the cages (they're not going to carry them by hand??), Bolin nods to Kija. There's about five cages in total, with most hosting around two or three, though there's one particularly tubby cat that gets his own, but he easily moves them together to form two large cages instead. (Face metalbending rocks!) ]

Cool! You call the police and I'll take these guys out.

[ He's feeling pretty good!! They did good work today. ]

I'll meet you outside?

[ And they called the police to capture the bad guys and returned the cat to the servant girl and brought all the other cats home.

THE END. ]

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