DUNGEON ♛ GISELA TOWERS

[boardmaster]

GISELA TOWERS
20 MAY (VALLARIA) 2016

High in the skies, the howling winds tangled around the Gisela Towers make it difficult to hear anything. The monolithic structures believed to exist only in legend or harpy memories loom over you. The thick ropes of ivy crawling up the length of each tower is the only sign of life. Every now and then, shadow seems to pass overhead. It might just be a trick of the light.

Instead of the usual suspects, another familiar face comes forward to greet our Heroes: the devil-may-care Lei, captain and commander supreme of the Airy.

Lei Nervous that your commanders ain’t here? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. So! Here we are at this… thing. Something something tragic romantic tale about a dragon and a phoenix. Anyway, it’s stupid and you don’t gotta know. Ask one of your commanders later or bribe me with a drink. Now for something more important— [ the winds roars loudly, muting lei’s voice. but heroes can watch his hand gestures and actions as he teaches them how to use the grappling hook: aim and shoot the gun. maybe twirl it with a fancy flourish first ] —did you get that? All right, good! I don’t have enough hooks, so you’re gonna have to share. And take good care of them, I want them back! Now get in there and clear it ASAP! I ain’t got all day to fly you all back home!

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
One does not simply walk into the Gisela Towers. The only way in is up the long and weathered staircase that wraps around the structure. However, the thing is riddled with missing steps, weak stones and slippery condensation from the cloud cover, so you’re going to need a little help. Should you attempt to climb the stairs, they will crumble beneath your feet at best and bury you beneath their rubble at worst.

This is where Lei’s newfangled(?) contraptions will come in handy! The pockmarks and small ledges created by weathering in the first tower’s structure could prove useful. There are, of course, a limited number of grappling hooks available, so you’ll have to partner up if you want your party to get anywhere. Parties of four are given two of these guns, while the poor souls with less party members get one.

Gisela’s gale-force winds will knock you around and make it seem like the towers are close to toppling over. However, as you make your way up you’ll see that the towers are actually far from abandoned.

MONSTER ♟ Ocypete
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Wind	Immune to None
Regarded as abominations of the avian world, ocypetes are BIRDS the size of horses, which would be incredibly advantageous if they had wings. The offspring of a human and a harpy, ocypetes have HUMAN ARMS that they use to scale surfaces and strong TALONS that can crush rock. They don’t fly, but they do RIDE THE WIND with the use of their long tail feathers, which possess magical wind properties and are nearly twice as long as they are tall. They would look almost elegant if they didn’t have a tendency to flap their arms while gliding. Legend has it that when the phoenix left the towers, the ocypetes were accidentally left behind because dragons plucked their wing feathers, making them look kind of funny. Now with a few millennia’s worth of abandonment issues on their semi-feathered shoulders, they’ll seek to prevent Heroes from ascending the towers by any means necessary with an odd variation of Airy MARTIAL ARTS. Their TAILFEATHERS may be acquired as loot.

What will Heroes encounter once they finally make it inside? More broken staircases, more monsters, even stronger winds blowing in from cracks in the walls and the foot of the tower (which is open to the air), and no floor whatsoever. Gisela’s Towers are hollow! The only footing to be found is on small ledges: some similar to those outside the tower, some that look more artificial; and intact sections of the stairs winding around the walls. You’ll need magic or some ingenuity to stay on your toes—literally! If you lose your grip or footing, it’s a several thousand foot drop back to Gresser. The quickest way down… and the deadliest.


TWO ♙
The treacherous and exhausting climb brings you to a more sturdy area that looks a little less like a wrecking ball just passed through and more like some kind of hive. Blocking your way are dozens of sturdy-looking nests suspended like particularly ugly balls of twine from the walls. These are home to the insectoid Aellos. Tearing the nests apart for loot is only a good idea if you want angry swarms after you.

MONSTER ♟ Aello
Weak against Fire, Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind
Aellos resemble large eagles more than the DRAGONFLIES they’re supposed to be. Mature Aellos can fly, but the flightless and fuzzier larvae are just as formidable. They can HYPNOTIZE with their dozen kaleidoscope-like eyes, rendering targets IMMOBILE but still aware of their surroundings. In order to free them, a fellow Hero must gaze deeply into their eyes for at least 15 seconds. These monsters are also able to SPIT a gelatin-like substance that will stick Heroes to any and every surface and also each other. FIRE will reduce its stickiness. The larvae use hit-and-run tactics: they hunker down in their nests, peek over the edge and launch gobs of spit. The flying aello like to drop their SPIT BOMBS from above and occasionally also release a POWDER that ruins visibility and makes you sneeze. Feeling adventurous? Why don’t you give the spit a lick? It’s actually totally EDIBLE, tastes like jello, and is filled with mana. Just be sure to heat it up so you don’t get your mouth stuck shut. Their GELATIN SPIT and INSECT PARTS may be acquired as loot.

The staircases at this altitude are in better shape than the ones you have—or haven’t—been using. That doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous. Not only do the Aellos chase you down here; traps are hidden in the steps as well. Some may act like quicksand, trapping an unwary Hero halfway into the stone. Others are enchanted with wind spells that can toss you up in the air, the long way back down to the ground, or blow your skirt upward. There might even be some that provoke the pesky bugs even more!

This floor has flowers and trees creeping their way in from the outside and covering every inch of the place, including treacherous weaknesses in the path. Behind these overgrown plants is a mural depicting a sensual dance between a dragon and a harpy. In order to advance, at least two Heroes will have to mimic the dance painted on the walls to open the door.


THREE ♙
A barrier prevents you from progressing any further. Magic, physical attacks or sheer willpower will do nothing. To dissolve it, you must create a concoction from the random ingredients available on the table and splash it on the barrier. There is no set recipe, so trial and error and a little creativity will be your friends! Along with your trusty party Bishop, of course. (You did bring one, didn’t you?) Those not well-versed in alchemy may end up with potions that explode upon completion, splashing party members standing too close with a variety of strange side effects ranging from mild body horror to a bad case of halitosis. The unfortunate effects seem to differ from Hero to Hero, and they last for a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Once your party crosses the barrier, you will find yourselves outside. The skies are darkening, but you’re still able to discern another tower wrapped in the clouds. A bridge once connected the two structures, but most of it is missing. Use those grappling hooks!

Upon entering the second tower, a marble floor at odds with everything from the last tower will greet you. Lift your head and you’ll find that the rest of the tower is also hollow all the way up; those heights allow room for fountains and waterfalls. It’s a suitable area to replenish mana and rest. Parched throats can be quenched with the sparkling water all around you, but approach any waterfalls and they will start moving in a very unwaterlike way.

MONSTER ♟ Celaeno
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Fire, Earth	Immune to Water
Possessed by pride and cursed by the phoenix’s wrath, these dragons are nothing like the ones you encountered before. Celaeno resemble huge snakes made of water and possess ENCHANTED SCALES that float through their bodies and render them extremely RESISTANT to both magical and physical attacks. You will have to find WEAK POINTS in their protective aura. Hopefully you have a Knight or Bishop on your team to find those weaknesses as soon as possible! Each dragon’s weak points differ. Fortunately, all Celaenos go down easily once you find that soft spot. They use their long, slender tails like WATER WHIPS to knock down or douse their targets; the force of a tail may equal that of a fire hose at full blast! The only time it sheds its armor is to shapeshift into a WATER PRISON that can trap one or more enemies. Try not to attack it while a Hero is trapped inside; it will hurt your friend as well! Use STATUS EFFECTS to confuse or distract them so the prison loses shape. Their ENCHANTED SCALES, SMALL GEMS, and DRAGON WATER may be acquired as loot.

Without any stairs in sight, the way up lies in those dragons. After their defeat, their magical scales can be put together to form a boat that can ride the waterfalls upwards to the top floors.


FOUR ♙
The skies continue to change once you reach the top. Black clouds begin to close in, stray bits of land that have broken off from the main island hover nearby, and a sudden torrent of powerful mana may disorient your party. A storm is approaching.

Just as the first chunk of hail falls from the sky, a mighty roar reverberates through the darkness. Something very large lands on the walls of the tower and causes a tremor that whittles chunks from the tower and actually rolls the clouds back; is that the toll of thunder, or just more roaring?

Finally, an impressive three-headed dragon emerges from below. Once it has perched itself on the tower, one head speaks in a rumbling growl.

BOSS ♟ Tianya the Thrice-Scorned
Weak against Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind, Fire
“Did that phoenix send you?! Tell her she cannot return! Not even over my dead body!” Unsurprisingly, Tianya ─the dragon once wed to the phoenix─ is more than just a legend. He lowers his heads and another loud, guttural cry fills the skies. For now, he remains STATIONARY at the top of the tower. All three heads attempt to SWALLOW a Hero whole if they get too close. Should you go on the offensive, you may be able to chop off at least one head before he’s pissed off enough to move. The fallen head writhes in agony as it moans: “It hurts… it burns…” At this point, Tianya takes flight. The strong GUSTS from those wings can launch a Hero right off the tower. Use your grappling hook(s) to play floating island hopscotch: evade devastating dive attacks and run from the MANA BEAMS shot from his mouths. “You’ll never understand! I never wanted her!” As you travel from island to island trying to get close enough to deal some real damage, Tianya hides in the CLOUDS to launch ambush attacks. Eventually, a PHOENIX descends from the heavens in a burst of fiery light. However, it’s not the phoenix of legend; it’s actually one of Tianya’s spells, and it will burn away most of your mana if any of its flames make contact. MANA EXCHANGE may be the only way to continue this battle... Once Tianya is down to one head, he will immediately rise higher into the sky. “My last words are for her and her alone.” After Tianya is defeated, the storm clears; Enprise’s twin suns shine once more. That precious DUNGEON CORE floats down, blanketed by a SINGLE LARGE FEATHER, golden and shining in the light. “It’s warm… She was always warm…” A SCORNED DRAGON HEART and a MYSTICAL PHOENIX FEATHER may be acquired as loot.

As soon as both core and feather touch the tower, an ominous rumbling and shaking begins. The Gisela Towers are falling apart and it’s now a race to escape before you’re buried under the rubble.

And don’t forget the grappling hook(s); Lei wants them back.


FIVE ♙
All that’s left of the Gisela Towers is rubble. The dungeon has been conquered, the island reclaimed, and the ruins of the old regime can now become the foundations for something new: the site of the harpies’ homecoming after hundreds of years.

LOCATION ♟ Gisela

An ancient sky island that has existed since time immemorial. What enables Gisela to RIDE THE CLOUDS may be an even greater mystery than the mechanisms powering the Airy. The island appears most frequently above Gresser, though its extraordinary altitude makes it DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. The landscape of Gisela is overgrown with JEWEL-GREEN FORESTS, crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with networks of small caverns. But its crowning glory is the THIN GLEAMING WATERFALLS that flow from its edges and into the sky beyond. The water is embraced by RAINBOWS and condenses into CLOUDS when Gisela is high enough, lending to its unusual weather patterns. Although the island initially seems largely uninhabited apart from the Gisela Towers, there is a SEALED OFF AREA that, when viewed from the air, looks suspiciously like LUSH, TILLED FIELDS. Should you ask Lei about this, he will only give you an unusually stern warning against disturbing it. Looks like you’ve solved the mystery behind the pai tiles. Now that the menacing Towers have been demolished, a variety of animal life — usually airborne — will begin to appear on the island. Some of them you’ve never seen before! The fall of the Towers also uncovered the existence of HOT SPRINGS below; newspapers speculate wildly about the source, but most agree that it must have something to do with the renewed vows between phoenix and dragon. The few structures already in place on the island have been speedily converted into BAZAARS manned by Airy harpies. Most specialize in legal alchemical gimmicks, but there’s always another side to these things. Everyone’s here to soak in the breeze, and by that we do mean everyone. In response to the tourism boom, NEW AEROPORTS have also opened in both Gisela and Gresser to provide reliable transportation between the two locations.

Comments

TEAM UKE (BOLIN, KIJA, SAKURA)

[sediments]

[ caps and britt have stolen my dignity ]

THE LONG CLIMB

[sediments]

Kija.

[ They're stopped for the moment, have narrowly escaped the assault of a particularly enraged ocypete. It had very smartly decided to try and pick off Kija, who had his fighting hand occupied with keeping him fastened to the "staircase", snapping at him and trying to tear him off the wall with his talons. It had taken some awkward one-handed swatting with Bolin's staff, and some precarious swiping from Kija—having switched hands so that his human hand was now clutching the wall—to ward the beast off.

And that was only one ocypete.

Now they're all panting a little, Bolin's heart at least is racing from the threat of almost falling to his death (as well as Sakura's!), and it's becoming very apparent that this isn't going to work. ]

Maybe... [ He starts, brows furrowed with concern as he looks over Kija's considerably worse off form. ] It's not really a big deal for me to carry you both, maybe you should get on my back and Sakura can...

[ ...

Someone please finish that sentence for him. ]

[passtave]

[ Ugh, she feels so useless... without anything to protect herself except her weapon (which she doesn't even feel confident enough to use properly), she can only hold onto Bolin as they ascend—leaving him and Kija to do all the work of protecting their little party.

Why did they pick her to do this...? Surely there must be a more useful Hero out there.

In any case, she looks pretty relieved to be standing on solid ground again, her hands white-knuckled as she clutches them in front of her chest. They're so high up already, and they haven't even reached the top yet! She's really... not looking forward to the rest... but they really don't have a choice. Even if she has to— ]

U-Um... I-I can... do that... [ There's the rest of that sentence. It's a little awkward, but... she doesn't want to be even more of a burden than she is already. ]

[yaoihand]

You cannot possibly carry us both. I am fine on my own. [ Kija assumes Bolin's unsure tone is coming from some doubt he has in his ability, and with his can-do attitude he always tries to prove people wrong!!

It doesn't occur to him that if he lets Bolin support him, his hand will be freed to protect them all.

Now that someone's doubting him, Kija is even more determined to reach the top somehow. They're halfway up, and by now he's panting hard from fatigue, his mana reserves dwindling by the minute. Though his clawed hand is doing quite fine, his human hand - the one he has to depend on on occasion when he needs to take a swipe at those pesky ocypetes - is aching in so many places, his grip trembling and his fingertips raw from abuse.

None of that mattered. He knows he can do this!!

Though he's pretending he has things under control, the truth is, he's getting a bit frustrated. Another ocypete swoops in to hassle him and Kija grabs hold of it with his large hand, tossing it far away. ] That is quite enough already!

[sediments]

[ Maybe he should find Kija's determination admirable or endearing.

Instead, Bolin's just really annoyed. Teamwork comes so naturally to people back in the Four Nations, how else would they pull of those sick, choreographed fight scenes? ]

Kija, we don't have time to go back down for you if you fall because you're so tired! [ He's crossing his arms, wondering if this is how Mako feels when Bolin is being whiny about something. ] If you get on my back you can protect all of us better too, I can't defend myself and climb at the same time.

[passtave]

[ One thing Sakura has noticed so far: these two tend to argue... quite a bit... as a fairly non-confrontational person, it's hard for her to watch without wanting to try to smooth things over between them. They're teammates, so they shouldn't be fighting among themselves! But... um... how should she... ]

U-Um... [ She flinches as another ocypete swoops in close, her fingers curling into white-knuckled fists against her chest. She just wants this to be over with... ]

I-I think Bolin is right... y-you can protect us this way...

[ Hopefully that will soothe Kija's ruffled ass feathers... ]

[yaoihand]

I will not fall! And I have already said that I am just fine! [ Said with a huff and a petulant little glare directed at Bolin. He doesn't like being doubted! Kija also has considerably less self-awareness than most, so he would continue to press on forward even when he's at the limit of his ability.

-- And he's certainly reaching that, at the rate that he's going. His muscles continue to ache, and the tips of his human fingers have been rubbed to the point of almost breaking skin.

As much as he hates to admit it, Bolin does have a point. He would be far more useful focusing only on keeping up defense. It turns out that phrasing things in a different way is really all it takes to convince Kija to do something (he's dumb) ...

And taking a softer approach, as Sakura was doing, really, really helped too (he's so dumb). The both of them are right. If he gets on Bolin's back, he can protect them as they climb!! Kija can't quite shake that petulance from him (he's certain Bolin was still doubting him!), but he does ... listen. ]

... Very well. I do not want to see Sakura hurt. [ (He loves you too, Bolin.)

Slowly, he moves across the wall to where they are. How does he even fit into this equation, though?? Girl, you have to move... ]

[sediments]

[ Heaving a sigh of relief, Bolin shoots Sakura a grateful smile for her help in winning Kija over. Now that they're all in agreement, the next problem is mostly logistical.

That is, he's not exactly sure how he's supposed to get both Sakura and Kija onto his body in a way that they can all semi-comfortably climb up. ]

So, uh. [ He furrows his brows, looking between the two of them. Kija will obviously have to get on his back, but where would that leave Sakura? Bolin can't carry her in his arms since he'll need those to hold onto the rope. ]

Can you guys... both fit on my back?

[passtave]

[ Kija... well, either way, Sakura is just relieved that he agreed, and they don't have to stand here arguing about it any more. She gives Kija a small, grateful smile. Now... just to figure out how to do this...

She shoots Bolin an unsure look—he looks pretty big and muscular, but can he really carry them both on his back? And wouldn't she just get in the way of Kija trying to protect them? If only she wasn't so weak and could actually protect herself... then they wouldn't be in this situation! ]

U-Um... would it be better if I got... on front?

[ This is the most awkward conversation of her life. ]

PITBULL PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND

[yaoihand]

[ After being clawed at, spit at, and confused by those eagle-like creatures (Kija was actually glad to find that what had swarmed out of that large hive was not, in fact, giant bees) and tossed around by the numerous booby traps, our heroes might be delighted to find the floor ... finally in sight.

Kija sure is. It meant that they could advance to the next floor, and leveling up was always exciting!! ]

We have -- ahh, ahhh, choo! [ And mid-sentence, he lets out a delicate maiden sneeze.

Excuse him. He's still affected by the powder. Kija's eyes are watering, and his face looks flushed from allergies, but none of that seems to dampen his enthusiasm. ] We have made it!! The exit must be around here somewhere!

[ Some...where... There's no actual exit that can be seen, but surely it's just underneath all those vines. Kija starts to hack at them, tearing them away. The more he hacks, the more they extend and replenish themselves, however. After a good few minutes of his efforts, it's clear that he's accomplishing nothing.

He doesn't quite take notice of the mural all around the room. ]

[sediments]

[ Despite the fact that using fire is weird as hell, Bolin's kind of happy to see that it had come in handy against the giant birds. (Because bug is weak to fire, standard Pokémon laws apply.) He's still pretty crappy at using magic, but thankfully Kija's enough of a tank to help them power through. At this point, the earthbender's pretty used to fighting alongside the other man.

They almost make a good team.

Bolin's hanging back near Sakura as Kija scouts ahead, but even he's glad to see the floor and has to restrain himself from now running ahead. ]

Aw man, I have never been happier to see dirt.

[ He feels like Toph after she's spent an extended amount of time on Appa's back.

Anyway, it looks like Kija's got a lot of energy, so Bolin's just going to chill and admire the pretty flowers while Kija hacks away at the vines. They really do make a good team. ]

[passtave]

[ Meanwhile... Sakura is actually doing something useful here and exploring the area, looking for any clues to help them advance, since Kija and Bolin have been doing most of the work so far. The murals on the wall are fairly immediately obvious, though it takes her a few moments to piece together that they go in order... for some... reason...

Oh.

Suddenly, her face goes as pink as her hair, and she glances nervously towards Bolin and Kija... then back to the mural... then back to the two boys, struggling with whether she should say something. It doesn't look like they'll be able to get through the plants, so... maybe the mural is a clue? But... ]

U-Um... t-the walls... m-maybe these can help?

[yaoihand]

[ As Bolin lounges (lazy ass??) and Sakura deliberates, Kija continues to rip up those vines, tearing up vine after vine with little progress made (and sneezing ... on occasion). For each vine he shreds up, another two grow in its place, covering the dungeon floor once again. The fruitless task doesn't seem to deter him, however. He isn't the type to give up so easily!!

He's in the midst of ripping up yet another vine (it's right there in those claws of his) when Sakura brings his attention to the mural. Kija blinks. He hadn't even considered that it might be of significance! ]

A dragon and a phoenix ... [ By now he's caught on that the dragons of this world aren't quite like the ones he's familiar with. He also remembers something about a romantic tale ?? There's another sniff, but he tries his best to ignore the allergies. ] What are they doing?

[ Some kind of art form??? They seem to be going through a series of motions. ]

[sediments]

[ You guys are so rude, Bolin is just!! Letting some of his mana recover all right, he's not used to casting magic.

But he does get off his ass eventually, wandering over to the mural and squinting at the images. Something about this all seemed so familiar to him. Trapped in an edifice that sang stories about a doomed love? ]

Oh my god. [ His eyebrows shoot up. ] This is like the Cave of the Two Lovers.

[ It's a story that he's fairly familiar with as an earthbender, not to mention that it's one of the locations for the stories of Avatar Aang. Bolin crosses his arms, shifting through the many stories that he's heard about the previous Avatar trying to remember specifics about the Cave of Two Lovers, and how the Avatar's group had escaped. ]

We might have to kiss or something.

[passtave]

[ K-Kiss? Sakura looks a little surprised by the suggestion, her face immediately growing hot. Does... does she have to kiss them? Not that... she wouldn't... if it's for the dungeon! But... she barely knows them... even though they're very nice! She just... um... ]

I-It looks like they're just... d-dancing.

[ Very... intensely. She hopes. She doesn't see any kissing involved—can phoenixes and dragons even kiss?—so maybe they're off the hook on that one... hopefully...

She looks a little more closely at each mural, as if that might lead them somewhere that doesn't have anything to do with kissing or dancing. ]

[yaoihand]

Kiss?! No, I could not -- [ That's so lewd??? Says the guy who's been kissed twice in thirstcheck already i guess. Kija goes a little red, gawking at the suggestion. He barely knew Sakura, and it felt rude to kiss an unwilling girl! He cares a little less about Bolin's comfort but that doesn't mean he's on board with the idea of kissing him either!

The creatures in the mural aren't kissing, though. They appear to be dancing, as Sakura had suggested. A part of him is relieved to know this, given that it was the better alternative, but another part ... is taking notice of how closely intertwined the dragon and the bird appeared to be, their bodies lining up. The more he thinks about having to do that with one of his companions, the more ... ]

A-And, this dance is too improper! Who is the one who decided this?!

[BOSS BATTLE MUSIC]

[passtave]

[ This is definitely... not what she expected to find at the end of this dungeon. Sakura is wheezing as she jumps to the next floating island, struggling to keep up with Tianya as he darts between the clouds. Her chakrams are orbiting around her as she scrambles to her feet—she'd managed to activate them thanks to a pretty lucky hit, but the repelling ability isn't really doing much against an enemy that's just trying to ambush them at every possible turn.

Suddenly, Tianya swoops by her left side, and she reacts quickly, throwing one of her chakrams as hard as she can at the passing dragon—unfortunately, she doesn't even get to see if she lands the hit, because his wings blow a huge gust of wind that knocks her off her feet and sends her careening, end over end, towards the edge of the island. ]

Wh-Whoa!

[sediments]

[ If it weren't for the fact that Tianya is rather aggressively trying to kill them, Bolin might actually feel bad for the dragon. He barely has time for those kinds of emotions right now however, trying to keep track of his teammates - particularly Sakura - while also keeping an eye on the dragon for opportunities to attack. Despite being a Queen, he's not even bothering with his magic, instead his veins are alight with the magic of his new weapon, two metal bars that he'd found while traversing the towers in his hands.

He's too afraid to lose them if he turns them into harpoons, instead forming discs out of the pieces, throwing them toward the dragon and calling them back before they waver out of his control. The dragon is fast, but large and difficult to miss, and one disc slices along it's side while another cuts halfway into one of the necks, causing the head to go limp.

Maybe Bolin might feel a little victorious at this, finally feeling useful after so long, but there's no time when the dragon suddenly roars, flames sparking at its mouth as it readies an attack. ]

Look out!

SAKURA

[sediments]

[ As much as Bolin wants to celebrate, to rub both of Kija and Sakura's stupidly cute hairstyles out of relief that they'd all made it despite how ridiculous parts of this adventure were, but he's just sitting down. Though, in reality, "sitting down" is a fairly generous term, when Bolin is actually just kneeling on the ground. His weapon, the metal sphere, is on the ground beside him, harmless now that it's out of his body.

His vision as cleared at least, but the nausea is still crawling in his stomach and he feels really stupid to be in a state like this after Korra had warned him about metal in the blood, but he'd just been so glad to feel useful again; to have something that really felt like bending, even if it wasn't. He just wanted to say that he was part of this team and really believe it.

All of his good intentions however, don't stop him from pitching further forward, breathing like he's going to throw up but not that far into tumultuous territory yet.

This is dumb. He feels dumb. ]

[passtave]

[ Bolin please... Kija's hairstyle is atrocious... Sakura is the only one with a cute haircut here.

Anyway, Sakura is so relieved to be through with this harrowing dungeon experience that she plops down on the ground right where she was standing, torn between relief and disbelief and joy. For a moment there, she really thought the three of them weren't going to make it... not because of Bolin and Kija, who did great, but because of her. She was only dragging them down and she knows it, but...

There's nothing for her to do about it now. They made it.

She looks up to find the boys, only to catch sight of Bolin kneeling on the ground not too far away, as white as a sheet. There's something not right about him—something wrong—and so she quickly gets to her feet and approaches him, concern shining in her eyes. ]

B-Bolin? Are you all right?

[ But she can see that he's definitely not all right, pitching forward and breathing heavily. She reaches out towards him, her characteristic reserve overturned by worry as she rests her hand on his shoulder. Did Tianya injure him? Did he get hit with some sort of spell? ]

Do you feel sick?

[sediments]

[ Whoops.

He looks embarrassed as Sakura wanders over, because Bolin is a terrible actor and unafraid to show his feelings, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have any pride. It's usually because he's so confident in himself that he doesn't care that much to guard himself however, there's always an underlying desire to appear at ease and comfortable. When he's down, crippled to the bone like this, Mako's usually the only one that gets the brunt of his pitiful whining.

For Sakura, he smiles a strained smile. ]

Don't worry about it.

[ His head feels muddled, fever stealing coordination from his senses. ]

I just... [ His gaze cants toward the metal sphere, innocent at his side. ] I just used my weapon for too long.

[ It'll subside in a few minutes, at least that's what he's assuming. There's a fresh breeze up at the top of the towers, which relaxes him, even as waves of discomfort roll through him.

And then, he gets impossibly sad, the way someone who's sick longs to be at home; longs to huddle in their bed away from anyone that would see their miserably states, and he's sad because he knows that's not going to happen. He knows, and that makes him angry at himself, which makes him all the sadder. ]

[passtave]

[ He's trying to be strong so that she doesn't worry, isn't he? All of her siblings are the same way, and so Sakura isn't fooled—she crouches down in front of him and tucks her skirt around her legs, her eyebrows pulled together in concern. ]

It... It makes you sick?

[ This is the first time she's hearing about a weapon that negatively affects its wielder, and so she looks a little horrified. Why didn't he says anything? Why did he keep using it if it hurt him? They definitely struggled through that last battle, but...

Well, she can guess why. It's the same reason why she presumes he's acting tough. ]

Um... I don't have a healing spell, but this might help... [ This is where her experience as a healer takes over, her touch gentle but firm. Normally she wouldn't be so bold, but... healing people is one of the few things she has confidence in, and it shows. She taps his knee, urging him to pull them up to his chest, and then directs his head between his bent legs. Then she takes one of his hands, turning it over and pressing her fore and middle finger against the inside of his wrist, under the pressure point there.

It's... it's the best she can do right now, without a staff or healing spell. They're just little things, to help him breathe easier and alleviate his nausea, but... she wants to help! ]

Is that better?

[sediments]

[ When he's not feeling well, Bolin can be quite petty. But he's been on his own for a while know, and he knows very keenly how much he'd taken for granted when he'd been surrounded by Korra, Mako and Asami. He's not about to turn down Sakura's help, the young girl having already experienced so much today (his and Kija's "sensual" dragon dance is more suffering than anyone deserves), and still extending a hand out to him.

He lets her guide him, the distraction nice on its own, and her hands careful but assured. For a second, he just wants to wallow in misery, but it fades so quickly as he focuses on taking a deep breath. It's not instantaneous, but the slightest bit of relief feels so nice, and he slumps against his knees, a small smile crossing his lips. ]

Yeah, thanks. [ It would be pretty nice to have a nap right about now, and he thinks about how fast he's going to pass out once he gets back to their room. ] It really makes me feel better to have you here, Sakura.

[passtave]

[ She never really knows what to do with praise, especially when she feels like she hasn't earned it at all—and so she just looks flustered and glances away. ]

I-I'm sorry I can't do more to help... i-if I had a staff I could heal you right away.

[ But... she doesn't... so this is all she can do. Her fingers press a little harder against his pressure point, her eyebrows still pulled together in visible concern. She's still worried that... that he didn't say anything even though his weapon was making him feel sick, and—and the fact that it was making him sick in the first place! What kind of weapon is that?

Not to mention his downcast expression just a second ago... she's sure that there was more to it. ]

B-Bolin... [ She hesitates for a moment before blurting out: ] If something's wrong, p-please let me know! I want to help...

[sediments]

[ His breaths have started to come deeper, and he's almost being lulled to sleep as the tension slowly eases from his body. The relief is numbing, and he doesn't want to feel any of the aches and bruises on his body, focusing instead on the blissful feeling of the receding nausea. If all of the threats have been cleared, then there's probably nothing wrong with a little nap.

But he blinks up at her question, startled by the way that she'd rushed it out, and wondering if she was nervous about it.

She's in luck, in any case, since Bolin is fairly open, and never one to be mindful of oversharing. ]

Oh, I was just...

[ He doesn't want to talk about the hopelessness he'd felt; the impossibility of going home again. Sakura is in the same position as him, and he doesn't want to crush her with those kinds of thoughts. ]

I guess I just missed home for a minute there. My brother always used to take care of me when I got sick.