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

[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?!

[sediments]

[ Bolin's expression dies a little as Kija starts yelling. He's too tired to deal with the other man's hissy fit, so he addresses Sakura for the time being. ]

We might have to just follow the movements of the dance? I think we had something like this back in my world. [ He crosses his arms, nodding a little to himself. ] It probably doesn't have to be that accurate; just a formality and a "congrats! you figured out the next step!" kind of thing.

[ His expression softens, hoping to reassure the girl. ]

Me and Kija will do the dance, it's no big deal.

[ Because he wants to spare Sakura and more mortification after the climbing debacle. ]

[passtave]

[ Hissy fit or not, she doesn't feel like Kija's... wrong... exactly. She's just not quite as... loud... about her embarrassment.

In any case, what he's suggesting makes some sense, and she doesn't see any other way to get past this place. It doesn't hurt to try, right? Still, she looks a little relieved that there's no kissing involved. If it's just a dance, then that isn't so bad! ]

A-Are you sure? [ The fact that they're both guys doesn't really bother so much as the fact that... she feels like she isn't contributing at all. They've been doing all the work... even if it means doing something so intimate, she wants to be useful! ]

I-I'll do it! You've both been doing e-everything...

[yaoihand]

We will?! [ god kija just shut up

He's too scandalized by the movements at first that he doesn't really see Bolin's reason until ...Sakura speaks up. In all honestly, between the both of them he would prefer to dance with Bolin. Sakura was a sweet and innocent girl who didn't deserve such humiliation! It would be shameful of him to allow the young girl to take on the task.

So, yeah, they'll have to do it. ] ...It is fine, Sakura. We will not subject you to something so humiliating.

[ HE DOESN'T WANT TO DANCE WITH BOLIN BUT HERE GOES -- How does one even dance?!? Kija glances at the mural. At least the first step doesn't look too scandalizing. All the dragon and phoenix do is join their hands.

-- He knows it's going to get worse as they go on, so he can't quite fight the petulant flush rising to his face, but Kija approaches the task with bravery and determination!!! This means extending a hand to Bolin and barking an order at him. ] Come.

[sediments]

[ Oh, so now Kija's in charge?? Bolin can feel his own sulky petulance rising at the command, but it's not worth a fight, and Sakura would probably become increasingly alarmed if the two of them started to bicker and try to volunteer herself again or something. No, it's time for Bolin to show his manliness. ]

Okay...

[ The reluctance on his face is pretty evident however. Which is weird, because Kija, even if he isn't a girl, is still fairly beautiful and Bolin tends to like that kind of aesthetic.

But he's spent too much time around the other man to be distracted by beauty, probably.

Resigning himself, he takes Kija's hand lightly, keeping a safe distance between them as they begrudgingly follow the sweeping movement outlined in the mural. It's not at all graceful, and whoops, Bolin stumbles a little as they try to follow a quicker turn and accidentally steps on Kija's foot! ]

[passtave]

[ Ah... the cold sting of rejection...

They both sound so certain that Sakura doesn't have the confidence to try and protest again... so she finds herself standing to the side as the two men join hands and start to dance. They're not very good at this, are they? What... an awkward scene... ]

[yaoihand]

[ Yes, this sure is an awkward scene. Kija's not actually that good at dancing, so his movements come stiff and in need of guidance. He constantly needs to glance back at the mural to know what to do next.

They probably aren't doing this in a very satisfactory way with that stubborn measure of space they had put between themselves. The dragon and phoenix in the mural are holding each other tenderly.

Despite his unease, Kija thinks they're doing a good job (surely there is a limit to positive thinking)???? It all feels like it's going smoothly until Bolin's foot crushes his, and he's forced to make a pained noise. The other man is not light!! ]

Ow! You stepped on me! You must watch where you're putting those feet!

[sediments]

[ Bolin winces at the accusation, shoulders drawing up in distress and defense. ]

Sorry—you should move faster!

[ He doesn't meant to pin the blame on the other man, but it comes out anyway. What they need to do is zoom through these dance steps so that whatever magic is going to happen happens, and they can move on. This isn't even that awkward, Bolin's not scared of proximity and they're just dancing innocently. But Kija's personality just puts him on edge; makes him defensive.

Huffing a little, he tightens his grip on Kija's hands as he all but starts to drag the other Hero through the steps, waiting for the inevitable jingle to signal that they've completed this task. ]

[passtave]

[ This is hard to watch... but Sakura doesn't really have any choice, since she's currently third wheeling. She's quiet as they go through the steps, wringing her hands in front of her anxiously. Ah, they missed a step... should she point it out? They have to get it right in order to advance, so... ]

U-Um... [ Her voice is soft—they might not even be able to hear her with all that yelling going on. ] I-I think you missed this one...

[ She gestures towards one of the murals, with the dragon dipping the phoenix almost to the floor. ]

[yaoihand]

[ No jingle so far. Just what are they doing wrong? It could be the fact that nothing about what they're doing is sensual in the slightest. ]

Is that true? [ Kija glances at the mural. That's right, they had missed a step! There's only one thing to do then. Kija's hand moves to the back of Bolin's neck, and he suddenly gets dangerously close.

HE'S TRYING TO DIP HIM. But it's kind of hard to dip someone bigger and heavier than you. ] Fall back into my hand.

[sediments]

[ Bolin looks a little dubious at the idea of Kija dipping him, but he is apparently the phoenix in this relationship so he just steels himself. ]

Sure. Okay. You have to dip me, because if we don't follow all the steps, we'll be trapped here forever. [ This is a pep talk. For himself.

Despite his words however, Bolin remains standing straight for a beat, unwilling to lean back. But before Kija has to chance to start complain, he lets out a deep breath and carefully shifts his weight to his heels, letting himself slowly fall backwards for the dip. It's pretty awkward, like this entire dance has been so far, and as he finally relents his balance to actually fall—

He doesn't hit the ground. Instead, he actually remains suspended in Kija's grip, until he can feel the tremble in Kija's arm and.

And then he hits the ground. ]

Wha—hey!! [ He grunts from his new position, frowning up at the other man. ] Maybe we should switch roles.

[passtave]

[ This looks... precarious... Sakura finds herself tense with impending doom as Kija lowers Bolin into a dip, his arms shaking.

Sure enough, Bolin goes crashing to the floor, and she's quick to make sure he looks all right. ]

B-Bolin! Are you okay?

1/2

[yaoihand]

[ Maybe he should have used the dragon arm .......... Kija looks pretty determined to complete the task, an intensity building up in his eyes (or is that strain?? either way he's looking increasingly constipated as he gazes into Bolin's eyes), before his thin wrists finally give way, and the larger man falls to the ground. thanks for godmodding me spoon ]

Eh?!! I-I did not mean to -- [ IS THIS HIS FAULT?! He seems so mortified at that fact. Kija was so certain he could accomplish this. ] Are you all right?!

[yaoihand]

[ He would normally be much more stubborn about giving up his role, but a large part of him feels ashamed for letting Bolin fall. That's the only reason he relents. ]

V-Very well. [ The task is suddenly so difficult, though. Kija's far too used to taking the active role, he doesn't know how to sit back and let things happen! Plus, it's somehow far more embarrassing being the one that's dipped. He becomes meeker, his face colouring with pink. ] Do I just lean back?

[ what does he even do? Just wait?!? That's so difficult. ]

[sediments]

[ If Bolin was a nicer person, he might show some sympathy for Kija who's not embarrassed at being dipped, but considering how ready the other man was at making him do all of the embarrassing parts of the dance, Bolin doesn't show any consideration.

Instead, he powers forward with a determination and focus to get this stupid dance over with. Reaching out he takes Kija's human hand with one of his own, putting his other on Kija's back to forcibly tilt the other man back into a dip. ]

We're gonna get through this!

[passtave]

[ Kija... it's okay, we can't all be bara. This is also... the most uncomfortable dance she's ever witnessed.

While the two boys are focused on the dance, Sakura keeps her gaze roving between them and the murals, making sure that every move they make matches up. Now that they get the dip right this time—ah! Was it just her, or did the door suddenly budge just a little? ]

I-I think the door just moved a little! [ She claps her hands together, looking hopeful. ] Keep going! You're doing great!

[ Sure, Sakura... ]

[yaoihand]

[ It feels just as uncomfortable as it looks. apparently everyone's doing lewd r-18 threads and this all we have ...

Kija shuts his eyes throughout the dip, clearly feeling very uneasy about it. At least the hand on his back feels strong and firm, so he doesn't think Bolin will let him fall.

Sakura's encouragement does manage to life his spirits, motivating him to continue. Kija catches a glance at the door, and true enough, it's moved just an inch from before! Immediately, Kija can feel his fierce determination coming back ... ]

I-It moved ...? I see, this is working! [ His eyes scan the mural for the next step. Ok, apparently they have to line their bodies together and one has to put their leg ... around the other ?????/ If he survived the dip he can survive anything ... ] Come closer to me. [ And if Bolin doesn't shift close enough, Kija will supplement with more urging. ] Closer!

[ They need to embrace!!! He's just excited because they made progress. ]

[sediments]

[ Bolin doesn't want to get any closer! Why is Kija pulling him closer! He needs an adult!

The earthbender's expression becomes increasingly distressed, and he eventually resists, stepping away from Kija instead with a mildly annoyed look. ]

Stop! Stop. If the door's open a little, can't you just force it open the rest of the way with that hand of yours?

[passtave]

[ Sakura had already rushed to the door to find that—yes! It's open just a crack, but it's something.

In fact, it's open just far enough that she can wedge her fingers in between the door and the wall and try to pull it open the rest of the way. Obviously, considering she has only like 6 Strength points, the door doesn't budge one bit—she might as well be trying to push Bolin around.

Her expression falls. ]

U-Um... I don't know. It's not moving at all...

[ Bolin how badly do you want to get out of dancing with Kija... ]

[yaoihand]

[ Kija has a moment where he realises ... how much more sense Bolin's suggestion makes. He was so excited at the progress he had forgotten about the easiest option of all - brute strength.

And so, Kija employs this brute strength, moving to where the door was. ] Step aside. I will try. [ He waits for Sakura to give him some space before his large claws go latching into the edge of the door. With the strength of ten men, Kija pulls, trying to drag the door a little more to the side. When he tries, he really does give it his all, the muscles in his dragon arm tensing up, and his veins popping in his neck and upper arm (the parts that were simple human flesh).

His face scrunches up, flushing, and Kija continues to pull, feeling his muscles burn under the exertion. It isn't like him to give up, however.

Eventually, his sharp claws slip out from the gap and leave one angry scratch mark across the door (the sound of nails against concrete is painful). The door itself, however, hasn't budged at all.

Kija collapses to his knees, panting hard and holding onto the wall for support. HIS HAND IS STRONG BUT HIS BODY IS WEAK. ]

Hah... Ah ... It will not move.