#like uhhhhh i dunno what you expected?

[missycolorful]

"This team is a hypocrite because ___" "No, that team is so hypocritical because ___" I think you'll all feel better that knowing every single one of these teams are hypocrites.

"But my team doesn't--" No, no, especially your team. Remember that they are all struggling to survive in Purgatory. All morals are thrown out the trash here, people.

Plus, if they weren't being hypocrites, it'd be boring as shit to watch.

[thelampisaflashlight]

A Lack of Engagement Pt. 4: To Have and to Hold

[Previous Entry: Here.] Below the cut.

Rain is sleeping on the couch.

More accurately, he's laying on it, very much awake and contemplating his life and the decisions that have lead him to this point.

But, physically, mentally, emotionally... He's sleeping on the couch.

Swiss taunts him about it.

Asks him how he managed to get in trouble with Dew this time.

Truth is, Rain put himself out here.

He'd given Dew the bed, knowing even if he could sleep anywhere, HE was the one that deserved to be ousted from their bedroom, even if it had been Rain's to begin with.

Dew's allowed to be upset.

Just as much as Rain's allowed to... do this.

Avoid the situation.

Avoid Dew.

Swiss tries to get him to open up about what happened during their date after getting his fill of tormenting him, but Rain rolls onto his side, facing the back of the cushions instead.

"That bad, huh?" Swiss remarks, sitting down by Rain's feet, "Dew not like your surprise?"

"...I'm just..." Rain sighs, looking over his shoulder at his friend, "I don't know why Dew... Swiss, why does Dew like me?"

"What?"

Rain sits up.

"What about me-" he pokes himself in the chest, "-made Dew fall for someone like me?"

"I... You expect me to know something like that?" Swiss asks, looking terribly confused, then sits back, thinking, "You two must have had a pretty serious fight if you're wondering about stuff like that..."

"...He doesn't want to talk to me." Rain confesses, drawing his knees up to his chest, "I said something hurtful and... Honestly, I don't think I can walk it back, even though I feel like... I don't know."

His mouth wobbles a bit.

"I dunno, I don't want to lose my best friend..." he sniffs, and Swiss pulls him into a hug.

"Aw, buddy, I'm sure Dew will forgive you, but just in case, what did you say so I can know if I need to be stopping Dew from hitting you or helping him?"

Rain stiffens.

"Uh..."

Swiss slides his arm up slightly, around his neck.

"Awfully quiet there, Raincloud."

"Uhhhhh..." Rain laughs nervously, "...I plead the fifth?"

Swiss pulls him into a headlock.

"Sorry, man, I know that's code for 'I fucked up and I know it', so I have to do it."

"Do wha-HAH!" Rain squirms trying to escape Swiss' hold as he gives him a noogie, "HEY!"

After a minute or so, Swiss releases him, and Rain holds his head in his hands, groaning.

"Go talk to your husband already." he says, patting the water ghoul on the shoulder, "Exiling yourself to the couch is just gonna cause more problems. C'mon, up, up!"

Swiss pulls him to his feet, brushing him off.

"Now march off to that bedroom, get into bed, and tell your husband you're sorry for being a major ass!"

"I'm going, I'm going-" Rain grumbles, wandering off down the hallway, pausing to look back at Swiss, who salutes him, then does an inverted cross on his chest and then a prayer gesture, "-You stop that!"

"Not on your life!"

Rain rolls his eyes and continues down the hallway.

Worst case scenario, he enters the bedroom and Dew kills him on the spot, best case scenario, he's asleep... lukewarm scenario, he's awake and not so murderous that he won't let Rain climb into bed.

Reaching his bedroom door, Rain pops it open just a crack to see if he can locate Dew, but finds the room dark, save for the glow of the power cable on his laptop, which he usually nudges a book in front of at night to keep it from shining in his face when he sleeps.

In the dull glow, he can make out the vaguest silhouette of something people shaped on the bed; Dew is tucked into the farthest corner of the mattress, his body curled around something, either fast asleep or close to it.

Stepping inside, Rain shuts the door behind him and makes his way over to the bed.

He lingers there, watching Dew shift in his sleep, he's wrapped around Rain's pillow, holding it close.

Rain feels guilty.

Without turning on the lights, Rain rummages through his dresser for his pajamas, and slides into the on suite to get changed, before climbing into the bed beside him.

He starts off on the very edge, not wanting to disturb his sleep, but at some point, after laying there for what feels like an eternity, Rain rolls over closer to where Dew is, and reaches out, tugging at his midsection and pulling him into the curve of his body.

Dew makes a little noise of discontent, but settles shortly thereafter.

Pressed against him like this, Rain feels... strangely soothed.

He breathes out and allows his eyes to drift shut, chin resting on top of Dew's head.

"'m sorry..." he mumbles.

"...I'm sorry, too."

Rain blinks.

"...You're awake?"

"Couldn't sleep... felt lonely."

Rain frowns.

"I'm... Dew, I'm sorry I said what I said earlier." he admits, "This is all just... a lot. Not you, but, going from friends to this... It all feels like it's going a bit too fast, like I don't have time to process what's happened, or how I feel about it all... and I know it's my fault."

"Kind of, yeah." Dew replies with a yawn.

"Yeah? Aren't you supposed to comfort me and say it's not my fault and that you forgive me?" Rain jokes, but when Dew begins to move in his hold, he thinks he's messed up again, "I-"

Dew rotates so that he's facing Rain, coming practically nose to nose with him due to how close they are.

"I can forgive you for getting us into this mess, but I'm not gonna say it's not your fault. Both of us tested the rumor, and you may have heard about it first, but I went along with it. Fuckin'... it takes two to tango." Dew says, "And, yeah, I'm upset about what you said, but, I dunno... laying here, thinking about things on my own, I'd rather have my heartbroken then lose my friend... even if it's my friend who's breaking my heart."

"You... really like me that much?" Rain asks, and Dew headbutts him slightly, "Ow..."

"I do, have for a long time now... Sorry if that's weird."

"It's not weird... I have..." Rain pinches his eyes shut, "I have feelings for you, but I know they're not the same. It's... Fuck, this is awkward."

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me..."

"No, it's... Dew, you make me feel..." he clears his throat, "...Physically speaking..."

"You don't feel attracted to me?" Dew offers, and Rain panics.

"No! No, I think you're fucking hot as Hell!" he shouts, and they can both hear the chorus of annoyed hisses through their door.

"Quiet down!" someone groans, "We don't wanna hear it!"

"Satanas, you two need to get a room in your fucking room..." someone else mutters, muffled by the walls around them.

"...So, you ARE attracted to me, just not... emotionally then?" Dew concludes, "...Okay."

"Okay?"

"I mean... I like you, and I'm pretty sure if we fucked right now it'd really mess me up, because feelings and shit, but... uh... good to know." he says, clicking his tongue, "...You would fuck me though, right?"

"In a heartbeat."

"...That's too slow."

.

.

.

Rain lies awake, a surprisingly chill Dewdrop snuggled into his chest, tail lazily slapping against the blankets now and then.

As long as it's stuff like this, being with Dew... it's manageable.

He can do this.

They already did this before they wound up in this situation, so it's not a big deal.

Except is absolutely is.

If Dew didn't have feelings for him, would they have gone further than this by now?

Was it a mercy that Dew loved him enough to keep them from ruining their friendship?

That Rain has the common sense and decency to realize faking it just to get into Dew's would be wrong, and that even the idea of trying something like that -no matter how much he wants to explore their bodies together- disgusts him beyond all belief?

Rain huffs.

He'd never do that to Dew.

Especially if Rain knows he needs it to mean something.

That if it's HIM, Dew wouldn't be able to get over the hurt of being used like that.

He's more worried about losing his friend than getting his dick wet quite frankly.

But...

Rain bites his lip.

...Someone really needs to tell his junk this is not happening.

Lying here pressed against Dew's body is making it hard to keep his body from reacting, the stimulation is... it's not a lot, but, come to think of it, Rain hadn't gotten laid in a while now, and that dry spell is really making asses of pillows, if that makes any sense at all.

He could seek out someone to sleep with, but, he's also not sure what their -the versions of themselves in this world or whatever it is- boundaries are in terms of cavorting outside of their relationship.

He's not sure if it would raise any red flags to his packmates if he approached one of them for sex, or if their bond was more like that of Cirrus and Cumulus, who explicitly stated the openness of their relationship -save for being emotionally exclusive- before beginning to date.

The uncertainty is enough to keep him cozy in their bed, but another part of him, a small, odd little facet of himself he didn't know existed, wants nothing else but to be with Dew, even if it's cuddling just like this.

Weird.

[strawberrymilk-sunshine]

Octopus night

I'm baaaaaack~

Warning(s): mutilation (but don't worry it'll grow back), biting, Jade gets a concussion

The other day, while having lunch with Azul, you were very surprised to see him order a dish that included octopus.

"Um, Azul...?" You asked. "You... you do know that dish has octopus in it, right...?"

"Hm? Of course I do." Azul responded.

"It's just, uh... aren't you an octopus...?" You asked.

"Yes? I don't see the problem, (Y/N)." Azul looked confused. "Octopi eat each other all the time. I don't see the problem with eating something if it's dead."

"Alright then..." You said.

A few days later, you noticed that the Mostro Lounge was having a special "octopus night", whatever that meant.

Might as well see what's going on.

The atmosphere of the Lounge was... different than usual. You're not sure why, though...

"Hey, uh, could I have a talk with Azul?" You asked one of the random Octavinelle students who was waiting tables.

"Oh, he's busy in the kitchen right now." The student responded.

You walked your way to the kitchen doors, and when you opened the door, well...

Azul was in his mer form, sitting on the kitchen counter. Jade had a butcher's knife in one hand, and was holding one of Azul's tentacles in the other. Floyd had his arm in Azul's mouth.

You ran up and punched Jade in the face so hard he fell backwards into the counter.

"(Y/N)!!" Azul yelled. "(Y/N) IT'S FINE I AGREED TO THIS!!"

"...what-?"

"I can regenerate my tentacles, it's fine." Azul said.

"Holy shit are you feeding your tentacles to the customers????" You asked, horrified.

"No! Of course not! Just to the twins every two-to-four months..." Azul admitted. "...do you like octopus dishes...?"

"YES BUT NOT WHEN IT'S MADE FROM THE LIMBS OF MY FRIEND!" You yelled.

"Wait... friend...?" Azul asked. "Did you just call me your.... friend...?"

"Of course I did!" You told him. "I really appreciate, Azul! I don't want you to be hurt...!" You said, tears in your eyes.

"Floyd, bite me." Azul said. "I want to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"You got it."

Azul basically shut down when he realized he wasn't dreaming.

"Holy shit Shrimpy I think Jade might be concussed." Floyd said, walking over to his brother. "How hard did you punch him???"

"Uhhhhh..."

"Jade, how many fingers am I holding up?" Floyd asked his brother who was still on the floor.

"Floyd, I don't mean to alarm you, but I think I'm seeing our siblings ghosts right now...!" Jade said, looking very shocked. "Either that... or you've learned to duplicate yourself..."

"Ok yeah, I'm gonna take him to the infirmary..." Floyd grabbed Jade's hand and pulled him up off the ground. "You two, uh... I dunno. Kiss, or something. Shrimpy, can you make Jade and I our food? Thanks later bye."

"...um. Y-you're very strong, (Y/N)." Azul said, a blush on his face.

"Oh, thanks. So uh... I have no idea what food they want."

"Takoyaki and octopus carpaccio."

"I don't know how to make either of those."

"Don't worry, I'll make it." Azul smiled. "I know how. You just go sit out in the waiting area, I'll make a special dish just for you~!"

"Please nothing involving octopus..."

You sat in the booth seat, waiting for your food.

And eventually, Azul came back out of the kitchen, now looking human again.

"Ah, there you are, (Y/N)." He handed you your food. "You said nothing involving octopus, so I decided to give you a dish that was partially based on what happened earlier. Some unagi."

"Oh, thanks."

"Now, I'm gonna deliver the... special dishes to the twins." Azul winked. "And, uh, if you're available and willing to... please meet me in my bedroom later~"

Then, Azul walked away, gave instructions to some random Octavinelle student, and left the Lounge.

Oh wow.

He really just asked...

If you wanted to...

...

Safe to say you didn't expect that.

[lookismaddict]

Lookism Chapter 430 Memes/Thoughts I Have:

(SPOILERS !!! I don’t own any of the Lookism panels and the translations. Only the memes that I made.)

I ALREADY KNOW EVERYBODY ON TUMBLR IS GOING CRAZY OVER THIS CHAPTER RN. I STG. 💀💀💀💀 (But same guys… 👀) AND HERE ARE THE REASONS:

Honestly, all of us in this chapter because it’s gonna be a DOOZYYY. 🤭

Oh boy. Back to this photo again.

I kinda already had a feeling this was the case because why did Charles freak out during that time when he visited Daniel?

Ooooooo, new ally? 🤔

Uhhhhh…. 😬

SURE JAMES… YOU MAY LOOK LIKE AN ANGEL, BUT I FOR SOME REASON DON’T TRUST YOU. AFTER THAT LITTLE STUNT YOU PULLED WITH THE WORKERS AND YOU BETRAYED CHARLES CHOI, I DUNNO… KINDA FISHY TO ME. 😑 (I have a feeling he’s going to betray Daniel… maybe. Idk that’s just my hunch.)

Uh ha ha, Mr. James Lee… WE KNOW WHERE THIS MAN IS AT!! 

DANIEL I DON’T TRUST JAMES. PLSSSSSSSSS NOOOOO. NOT YET.

Bruv. LMAAOOOOO NICE SAVE, IG. James be like, “Uh... ok?” 💀

Oh god, oh god, oh god oh god... Jake and Lineman....

Bro, I bet most people forgot that this was a war amongst TEENAGERS. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The crazy eyes, bruh. I cannot... 😬 

Awww, Ryuhei... 😭 Missing Samuel. ❤️

Literally Ryuhei @ Samuel Seo:

HELLOOOOOOO????? PTJ????? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID WITH THAT PANEL, SIR. IT WAS YOUR DECISION TO DRAW THAT. WHY DOES HE HAVE A GAG, AND WHO’S IS IT???? KINKY ASS- 👁👄👁 

BRUHHHH IM SCREEEAAAAMMMINGGGSAHJDKFHLDJ!!!!!!!

HELLO??? NEW GIRL CRUSH???? 👀👀👀👀

Oh...

Well I expected that she was working for them. Sorry Samuel, ya done now- 

Oh... x2 Poor Johan, Samuel, and Daniel bruh. R.I.P. Ayo, Workers First Affiliate???? HOLD ON NOW-

DANIEL BEING THE BOSS ASS BITCH THAT HE IS!!!!! YESSSSS KIIIIINNNGGGG. YOU GO AND MAKE YOUR OWN CREW AND THEN GO BEAT THEIR ASSES!!! 😤😤😤 (Even though I believe that’s what Gun wanted from him in the first place from that one chapter.) ALSO DAMN, LOOK AT DANIEL’S MUSCULAR YET BROAD BACK. MODEL MUCH? 😩😩

THE 3 BIG J’S ARE BACKKKK!!!!!!!!  I GOT CHILLS, BUT IN A GOOD WAY.

WAIT, DANIEL. IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS??????? PLSSSSSSSSSS

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! *VELOCIRAPTOR SCREECHES* OMGGGGGG!!!!! JAAAAAYYYYYY, OUR KING IS BAAAAACCCCKKK!!!!! IM CRYING, PISSING, AND SHITTING MYSELF RN. OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN FUCKING HEARD, LETS GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! 😤😤😤😤😫😫😫😫😫😫😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 HE LOOKS SO FUCKING GOOD BRUH, I CANT. IM SOBBING RN. YOU DONT KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE THIS MAN AFTER 200+ CHAPTERS. 

OHHHHHHHHHHH SHIT. ANOTHER MEMBER TOO? WHO IS ITTTTT???????? 

Bruh. I’m betting it’s the Hudson dude who Daniel fought with. If not, then I’m guessing Vin Jin. OR TAESOO MA. Those are my two guesses. PERO OVERALL, THIS MF CHAPTER ASDGHFASKJDFHASKJFHSADKHJF. SO MUCH WAS GOING ON HERE. I feel bad for Big Deal for being forced into hiding like that. I just hope that they join with Daniel’s crew eventually so that they can beat the Workers. Also, free ya bois Samuel, Johan, and Daniel’s 2nd body. They really need it rn. 😔🙏🏽 AND WE GET TO FINALLY SEE JAYYYYYYYYYY!!!! OUR SOFT KING.  DANIEL PARK’S KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. 😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕 I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. SHIT IS GONNA KEEP GETTING INTERESTING FROM HERE ON OUT. 

(ALSO, I’M SORRY THAT THERE’S LESS MEMES IN THIS CHAPTER. THERE’S TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AND I CAN’T SEEM TO THINK OF GOOD IDEAS BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL MOSTLY SERIOUS.) 

[liliallowed]

crimson but it's dustbelife

dust belief papy: I'm going to kill yo-

crimson: okay okay wait stop. let me process this. did you catch the crazies pap?

papyrus: huh?

crimson: Asriel died to the humans up there, I caught the crazies from flowey sans caught it from me and now you're here. did you catch the crazy pap? *sandwiching his face*

papyrus: what? NO! I accidentally killed sans! I WON'T LET HIS EXP GO TO WA-

crimson: go to waste blah blah blah, sacrifice your loved ones, yeah yeah I know. what I'm more interested in *wears detective hat* IS THE PLOT HOLE! YOU CAN'T EVEN KILL ME ON ACCIDENT! your control over your magic is so good that you won't even kill ME in the normal runs!

papyrus: uhhhhh

crimson: who is it? is it gaster? I SEE YOU, YOU SONAVA BITCH! JUST CUZ I LIKED SANS GOING CRAZY DOESN'T MEAN I'LL LIKE IT IF THE WHOLE FUCKING UNDERGROUND LOSES THEIR SHIT! undo this shit to papy he doesn't deserve to be the executioner or the angel of death you keep trying to replace!

Papyrus: who are you talking to-

crimson: shush. the cosmic horrors are talking.

papyrus: sans should I kill them-

crimson: buddy. buddy. pal. let me reset. bring your brother back, and we can all fucking fix this before this glitch friking drives the temmies crazy.

papyrus: the... temmies?

crimson: oh yeah. those lil shits remember EVERYTHING. I do NOT wanna see what they'll turn into if the catch the crazies.

papyrus: so you're... NOT loading? you're just gonna reset? sans will be back?

crimson: DUH! I'm not a fucking sadist! I miss him too you know!

papyrus: you literally saw him last reset.

crimson: it's been 15 years.

[after reset]

papyrus: human uhhh I don't think the reset worked?

sans: god fucking dammit, I LITERALLY DID ALL THAT SHIT SO YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO DEAL WITH... crimson I'm going to rip you to shreds UNDO this from my brother.

papyrus: HELL NO! I'M NOT LETTING YOU DEAL WITH THE PURGATORY BY YOURSELF.

crimson: see that's just wholesome. but uhhh we're ignoring the fact that even I don't know wtf is going on...

sans and pap: you don't???

crimson: NOPE! believe me I didn't expect this to happen but for this to happen twice means it's spreading. uhhhh so like... stop killing me? till I figure things out, them we can go back to the murder spree.

sans: haha. no.

papyrus: wait so you're just gonna spare everyone?

crimson: you know undyne? I'm basically her but murder is included in my fight. I'm not evil. I just want a good fight! and like... I DON'T want to torture people??? well, maybe if they'll fight me harder or kill me more but... COME ON. I DON'T WANT GOAT MOM TO TURN PSYCHO! that's just sad. it's not exciting. it's just depressing.

sans: you broke the world, it's all your fault.

papyrus: wait WHY ARE WE FIGHTING then?

crimson: I dunno. wanna continue? I'm still down to fight if you want but like, can we think outside of the box for a sec? I think this world is trying to kill itself.

sans: and who's fault is that.

crimson: see this shit paps, your lazy ass brother is blaming me instead of trying to fix it.

papyrus: both of you are unbelievable...

crimson: THE WORLD LITERALLY SABOTAGED YOU TO KILL SANS PAP. IT'S ALL CONNECTED YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT, SABS WOULDN'T DO THIS. THE SCRIPT US BENDING OVER BACKWARDS JUST TO DESTROY ITSELF.

sans: you sound like a mad scientist.

crimson: DAMN RIGHT I AM. WHERE IS MY LAB COAT

papyrus: sans why did you resort to LV.

sans: skeedoodle skedaddle their choice of fate is now a noodle.

papyrus: god dammit STOP JOKING ABOUT LITERAL GENOCIDE SANS.

[swiftsaltsweet]

Thief in the Avatar’s Estate: Chapter 6- A Condition

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi and Yun (plus whoever appears in Rok)

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:   Yun decides to head off to bed after his travels from fighting with the Fifth Nation. But as he does, he and his bodyguard, Rangi, hear strange noises coming from Kelsang’s room. When they go to investigate, they are surprised by what they find.

(Canon divergent AU-What if Kyoshi was raised by her parents?)

Prev chapter

Other Sites: AO3 and Fanfic.net

A/N: Just a heads up ch 7 was where I stopped because I got my attention taken away by Hunt For Kyoshi. So uhhhhh yes slower updates on this one. Sorry. u_u

Oh! I know this is an AU of Rise of Kyoshi, but….expect maybe some spoilers for Shadow of Kyoshi…..esp in regards to Kuruk here. (and maybe Yangchen too, but that’s for next chapter)

Also enjoy the art edits :'D May have gone to town on this chapter....jfdkslafja (miiiiight update one of them, I dunno if y'all get notifications for changes but.....if you do it's cause I updated a pic)

______

It had been several days since the trio had entered the Spirit World. It was unknown how long time in the real world had passed. They could only hope it hadn’t been too long. 

The group had gotten into a rhythm. They’d travel in silence, dodge some spirits, all three would have a few arguments, Rangi and Lee would fight, and Yun would tease Rangi every so often. Rinse and repeat. 

It was on the fifth day, Yun’s attempts to pry deeper into Lee’s life started becoming successful. 

“Why did you steal from me?” Yun finally broke one of the hours-long silence between the trio.

Lee, however, didn’t seem phased by the question. “I have my reasons.”

Deflecting again, huh? Yun frowned. 

“Well, did you get what you wanted?” he goaded some more.

“Hmmm, I suppose.”

“Which was?” 

Lee didn’t respond. She didn’t respond for so long, it took Yun and Rangi by surprise when the silence was broken again.

“I wanted something with the Avatar’s seal on it.”

Yun and Rangi blinked in surprise. “Just, anything with the seal on it? Not those documents in particular?” 

So she wasn’t trying to gain intel on what the Avatar’s next move was? Then what was she doing?

“I mean, I did try to find some Earth Kingdom related documents, I mean that’s where I usually reside. But no, it didn’t really matter what it was. These seemed like some non-important Air Nation related documents, so I figured no one would notice nor care if they went missing.”

“And the toy?” Yun asked. Even if she was telling the truth here, it was the one thing that didn’t line up.

Lee bit her lip, a very bad habit of hers that Yun realized, “That one’s…more complicated.” 

“Please, enlighten us,” Rangi sighed, rolling her eyes.

Lee was silent for a while, and then spoke again when she finally found whatever courage she needed. “It’s mine.” There was an intense possessiveness that took over her voice. 

“No, it’s the Avatars’.” Rangi corrected her. “It’s been in their lives for generations.”

Lee looked at her confused and then downcast. “Oh, I had no idea. It was just the toy I wanted to get back then.”

Yun cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Years ago, some weird officials came into a town we were passing through. They were asking for kids to come up and choose toys from a pile.” She moved her hand instinctively to a place in her tunic. Possibly where the turtle was being held. “I happened to see the turtle and thought it was up for grabs. But my father pulled me away and told me not to ever approach them.”

Yun furrowed his brow. He had heard of Jianzhu’s attempts at finding him by using the Air Nomads' way of finding the Avatar; they were desperate. He had been unlucky to be too sick to move when Jianzhu came to his city to perform the toy test, otherwise he would’ve been found sooner. 

But why that toy? Why an Avatar’s toy? He didn’t like it, it set him on edge. Even though he heard about how they almost crowned Suzu as the Avatar cause she happened to pick out three of the four relics one time. He still didn't like the idea of people touching his things.

“But, why?” Rangi asked, pulling them back to the original question of the papers. She didn’t seem interested in Lee’s parents and their version of stranger danger. “Why would you risk your life and livelihood to break into the most important place on the planet? And for something so….meaningless?”

“L-like I said, I have my reasons,” Lee stuttered as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. 

Something about this didn’t add up to Yun. If she wanted something benign and to not get caught, then why the explosion? “But why would you go so far as to set a trap for such meaningless documents?” Yun asked. 

Lee stopped and blinked at them, “Trap? I didn’t set a trap. Why would I when I thought no one was going to be there and I was trying to be sneaky?!”

Rangi and Yun looked at each other, “Then if it wasn’t you, what was that explosion back at the mansion?” 

“I dunno, it wasn’t me.” Lee scratched her head, equally confused. But she decided to steer the conversation back to the original track. “Listen, I can let you look at the documents, to show you it’s nothing. So will you let me keep them without a fuss?”

Yun gave her a long look, measuring her reaction, before responding. “Fine.”

Rangi turned towards Yun with widened eyes, “Yun-!”

But Yun put his hand up to silence her. “One condition. If, and again, only if, they are just bland governmental documents that are but a footnote in my life, and hold no real meaning. You can have them.”

Lee gave him the brightest smile, her cut threatening to open up again with how wide she was grinning. As if he had made her day, no, life. If he was being honest, it made his heart thump a bit. 

“But-” Yun continued, Lee’s face falling slightly. “In exchange you can’t tell anyone you encountered us. We didn’t give chase, you didn’t save us, this whole journey never happened.”

The wide grin came back full force on Lee’s cheeks, “That? Of course, fine by me!”

Lee continued marching forward, with a new skip in her step. He’d need to figure out how to deal with the turtle toy some other time.

“Yun, what are you thinking?” Rangi whispered to him.

“Better to have people, especially criminals, think they can steal from me when I’m away than to have the hope in people’s eyes tarnished because we were in figurative bed with an outlaw.”

Upon hearing that, Rangi could only nod in agreement. All they would need to do was increase security at the estate. It’d be annoying, but it was a better trade off than his public image being ruined.

“Hey you two slowpokes!” Lee yelled, apparently she had gotten farther ahead than they’d realized. “Get over here and let’s take a break!”

Lee was waving for them, she was in a field surrounded by…..very bright and very large mushrooms. 

“Check it out! I found some spirit mushrooms!” Lee laughed as she poked the giant fungi.

Yun marveled at the spirit mushroom, it was large and squishy…. And glowy. It was out of this world, nothing could tear his eyes away from it. Except something more surprising and extraordinary.

He noticed an odd motion coming from his bodyguard. Rangi was….wiping away drool coming from her mouth. Not only that, her eyes were sparkling. 

Yun was stunned, it wasn’t often, no ever, that Rangi showed an active liking towards something. Anything, really. 

“Ah I wouldn’t eat that one!” Lee yelled to them as she scoped out some other mushrooms in the area. Only Yun had the pleasure of seeing Rangi’s face look so crestfallen. “Not if you want to lose your sense of self! …..or is it that you’ll leave your body for good?” She wandered off, muttering to herself, apparently trying to remember which were safe to eat. Not that eating really mattered here… but it didn’t not matter. 

“So you like mushrooms?” Yun whispered to Rangi.

Judging by how straight Rangi’s back became, it seemed like she’d come to her senses and returned to her usual self. “N-no. It’s just food. I like it as much as any other food.”

Yangchen forbid she admit she likes something. Yun sighed before realizing he had a new opportunity to press the firebenders buttons.

“So…” he took a step closer, nudging her shoulder, careful to avoid the spikes. “Mushrooms or Lee, which do you like more?”

She turned to him, face blazed and eyes bewildered, but she wasn’t able to give a coherent answer. Yun gave her a shit eating grin. Maybe she’s attracted to Lee more than I thought. Or maybe she’s reading into the question more than I planned. 

Before Rangi could form an answer, Lee popped out from behind another mushroom. “Did someone say my name?”

“No one is talking about you!” Rangi spit out, stray sparks leaving her mouth.

“Oh I thought I heard my name?” Lee smiled, oblivious to….everything apparently. This was good for Yun, it meant he could be more risky with his teasing. 

“Oh but we were! Rangi was just telling me how she liked you more than mushrooms!” Yun gave Lee the best political smile he could muster, all while Rangi gave him a look as if he had just stabbed her in the back. The fresh red in her face drained instantly, along with all other color. 

Lee just blinked, “Cool. I guess?” And then promptly walked away. 

As soon as she was around the corner, Rangi dropped to her knees, exhausted by the interaction. “Avatar Yun, do you hate me?”

Yun tried not to laugh at the helplessness in her voice. “No. I’m just trying to figure out why you’re attracted to my enemy. Just want to know if she’s going to steal you away from me.”

“I’m not atr-I mean… I’m not going anywhere,” Rangi said weakly. Yun noticed the slip up. Can’t even lie about it anymore, huh?

“Well I think you should go for it,” he laughed, half-jokingly and half-serious.

Rangi looked at him incredulously.

“What? Do they not have flings in the Fire Nation?” the incredulous-ness of her look intensified, but she did gnaw on her lower lip. Thinking about something.

Yun imagined himself on Rangi’s shoulders, one acting as a righteous spirit, the other as a dark spirit. Then he merged them together, he was going to be both. He did owe her one, for using his Avatar status to command her to steal the documents back, it was time he paid her back.

He knelt down next to Rangi, and gave her a one armed hug around the shoulders while avoiding her armor’s spikes.

“C’mon, we aren’t going to see her again after we leave! What’s a little handle holding? A stolen kiss?” He jostled her a bit, and she looked at him, eyes wide. Sweat pooled from her face, and her ears were redder than a white dragon bush flower. He started walking two fingers up her arm. “A little….” Then he booped a finger on one of her spikes. “Tryst?” 

The flush had spread throughout the rest of her face, she was redder than the Fire Nation’s hottest volcanic lava. And about as warm too. He was definitely putting her into a spiral again, but this one seemed to be less devastating. Maybe just one more push?

“C’mon, live a little! Who’s going to know?” He gave her a smug grin. “As your Avatar, I command you to seduce the beautiful daofei and to have some fun!”

Yun watched as the bronze left Rangi’s eyes. Actually her entire body lost its color, and she felt rigid, like her spirit left her body. Maybe I went too far? He thought. He didn’t have time to right his wrongs, as he felt footsteps making their way back to them, unbeknownst to Rangi. He decided to just double down. 

Yun slapped Rangi’s back encouragingly, “Go get her tigerdillo!”

“Whatcha doin’?” Lee appeared before them, head cocked to the side. Yun could feel Rangi' under his hand practically jump out of her skin and flee into the woods. Well at least it seemed her spirit re-entered her body… “Did you eat the mushroom I said not to?”

“No….” Rangi muttered, not bothering to look up.

“The air’s just a little thin here, don’t you think?” Yun said coming to her rescue, he waved his hand to punctuate the issue of the seemingly bad air.

“No? It’s not like we’re not on the mountain yet.” Lee said pointedly. But then she shrugged and made her way to Rangi’s side. “Well good news, I found some edible mushrooms! They’re over here!” She scooped down, picked Rangi up around her waist, and proceeded to carry her like a very docile cat mouse…or a sack of flour. Regardless, Rangi hung there limply, not bothering to protest.

Lee plopped Rangi down on a mushroom that was stool level, and then handed her what appeared to be an edible mushroom. Lee took a mushroom seat on the opposite end, while Yun took a mushroom seat next to Rangi.

Rangi stared at the mushroom sullenly, but then brightened up after she took the first bite. Life and light shone back into her being in an instant, it was almost as if Yun’s earlier conversation never happened. 

“Oh so you do like mushrooms,” Lee said as she happily bit into one of her own. Her comment caused both Rangi and Yun to choke on their bounty, and slowly drained the life right back out of Rangi once again. Maybe Lee wasn’t as dense as she let on? “And here I thought you were being sarcastic.”

Yun tried coming to Rangi’s rescue again, but could he really say it was a rescue when he got her into these situations in the first place? “Of course we were being sincere! You could say we’ve grown fond of you these past few days!”

Lee blinked at him, surprised. “Really?”

Yun nodded, “Yup! I feel a kinship! Almost like a friendship!”

Lee’s eyes sparkled, “Friendship?!”

Yun was a bit taken aback by the utter happiness that was radiating off the criminal. “Y-yes?”

“So, we’re kinda like…friends?” Lee had dropped her mushroom and stood up, excitedly.

“Yes? R-right, Rangi?” Yun looked at Rangi, who was in the middle of chewing another bite of spirit mushroom. 

Why are you dragging me into this?! You brought it up! Is what her look communicated to him.

“I’ve never had friends my age before!” The sparkle in Lee’s eyes was getting dangerously happy. “So if we’re friends, that means we can do each other favors right?!” 

“S-sure?” Yun couldn’t stop agreeing to the girl’s questions. Her enthusiasm was magnetic.

“Then…” She turned to Rangi, expectantly. “Can you show me some of your Firebending moves?!” 

______________________

Rangi started choking on her mushroom. “What?! Why?”

Some skittishness seemed to seep into Lee’s demeanor. “Um, well, uh…..”

“No, really, why? What use could an earthbender have learning firebending moves?” Sure there were some stances that overlapped, but it made more sense for an earthbender to learn from another earthbender!

Lee bit her bottom lip, wincing a little when she bit her cut. “I…I’m not really all that great with my earthbending.” She looked down, fiddling with her hands. “I’ve gotten some help, drawing off of other bending forms, like waterbending. You know what they say! ‘Wisdom can be gleaned from any nation!’”

Rangi thought back to when Yun questioned her about her odd earthbending movements days ago.

“So I thought, maybe firebending could help……fix my issue? Or at least improve it?”

Rangi blinked at the taller girl, still dumbfounded. She supposed it could work, but it was still a waste of energy. It’d be more beneficial for Lee to learn from an earthbending master. Rangi was about to say no, when Lee cut her off.

“I’ll tell you all I know about Kuruk!” she blurted out. “Whatever you wanna know!”

Rangi and Yun shared a look, “You want to give up your leverage for….this?”

Lee nodded, relieved. “Yeah! I mean, you said I could keep the documents if they were bunk, right? And we can easily part ways after. So besides those two things, this is really the only other thing I need.” 

Rangi raised her eyebrows at the girl. She really wanted something this useless in exchange for something that could be otherworldly useful? It almost hurt her honor taking advantage of someone in such a lopsided bargain, but if it helped Avatar Yun…..

“Fine, but you tell us what you know first. And then I’ll hotsquat you to Koh and back.”

Lee beamed. “Ok ok! So um, where do I start? Oh! He tried to teach me Pai Sho a few times, but I really hated it.”

Rangi glanced a look at Yun, sure enough, it looked like he’d been gutted. “How about something a little more useful. You mentioned something about his hunting earlier? Something about what he really hunted, if I recall correctly?”

Lee smacked her forehead. “Oh right! His hunting! You’re, like, Avatar Kuruk’s reincarnation correct? And remember when I said it’d be best if we just avoid spirits in general?”

“Yes and yes,” Yun nodded in recollection.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly the whole truth.” She grinned sheepishly. Rangi could only wonder what else the girl had lied about, but didn’t press. This information was more important. “There’s another reason we need to avoid spirits than the ones I explained a few days ago. That reason is because the spirits really dislike Kuruk. They have a big grudge against him.”

Rangi blinked. That didn’t make sense, nothing they knew about Kuruk would indicate spirits would hate him. Did he even interact with spirits? Outside of Koh stealing his wife? If anyone would have a grudge against him, it’d seem more likely to be the human world. Considering he neglected it and all.

“Why?” Yun asked. 

“Because he killed them,” Lee shrugged. She said something so heavy, oh so easily. As if handing a 100 pound weight to a scrawny child, unaware of how it would cause them to fold. 

Yun’s eyes widened in shock, “W-why?!” 

Lee took a step back, surprised by the reaction, “Um, for some reason the spirits were angry. They were threatening to destroy the world, so he had to take them out.”

Rangi blinked at the other girl, this was the first she heard of this information. It was never in any of her mother’s stories. 

“Why were the spirits angry?” Rangi asked. 

Lee shook her head, “I dunno. He never wanted to tell me the why. He said I’d have to ask someone else, since it wasn’t his story to tell.” 

Rangi scrunched up her face. It was so hard to believe, maybe Lee was making this up?

“That’s why he died so young!” Lee blurted out, seeing the apprehension on Yun and Rangi’s faces. “The spirits he killed, they took a piece of him with them each time. He told me that’s why he drank and partied, to numb the pain.”

The two stood shell shocked by the revelation, and Lee kept going. “That’s why Koh stole his wife's face! Why else would a spirit just do that, you know? He obviously hated Kuruk and what he did to the spirits!”

Lee looked at the other two teens expectantly, but they only returned with stunned silence. “He also taught me a poem.” Was the last little ‘fun fact’ she could come up with for her earth shattering bombshells.

Rangi and Yun could only stare at Lee, mouths agape.

Lee waved her arms a little impatiently, “So….are you going to teach me firebending- I-I mean firebender forms, or what?”

Rangi nodded, but asked if they could have a moment to collect themselves.

______________________________________________

A few hours, and a very long conversation with Yun later over the revelations. Rangi was finally in a headspace to teach Lee. 

They weren’t exactly sure of the implications of Lee knowing vital knowledge about Kuruk, nor why he would tell a random daofei of all people. But they decided to run it by Jianzhu when they got back. 

There wasn’t much they could do now, so instead Rangi set out to be the first firebending sifu for an earthbender. It didn’t make any sense to the girl, but she was damn sure going to do it as right as she could.

“I told you to mirror me! It’s already hard enough I have to do this form in reverse for you, can’t you just copy?! Mirror! Shadow! Anything!” Rangi yelled, like the drill sergeant that she was. “Your elbow is too low! Your legs aren’t low enough! You call that flexible?!”

“I’m sorry Sifu Firecracker!” Lee pleaded, some fear showing in her voice. Sweat dripped from her forehead and other exposed parts of her skin. She’d kept her entire attire on despite the layers, opting to only roll up her sleeves and pant legs for ventilation.

Not enough to drop that ridiculous nickname apparently. Rangi frowned. 

Yun was off to the side of the meadow, watching them like he was at one of those fancy theater plays. He lounged back, laying down on his arms, and hollered at the girls. “Rangi, why don’t you just physically guide Lee? Cause shadowing is obviously not working!” He then gave a wink when only Rangi was paying attention.

That jerk! Rangi scowled. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he could tell Rangi was trying her best to keep a safe distance between her and the daofei. Rangi still hadn’t forgotten the last time she invaded the daofei’s personal space. She didn’t think her heart could take a repeated offense. 

“Um,” Lee’s squeak pulled Rangi’s scowl away from Yun and onto Lee. Lee flinched and looked away. “He’s right, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Lee looked back at Rangi with the eyes that would put a deer puppy to shame. 

Damnit! Why does she have to have such pretty eyes? Rangi bit the inside of her cheek, willing it to not heat up, as her heart thudded hard against her armor. Then mentally kicked herself, realizing too late her thoughts were starting to get a little too honest. 

Rangi grimaced, and made a move towards the earthbending girl, “Fine.” 

It’s fine, I’ll just make it quick. Rangi thought as she stomped over. Just don’t look at her face and you’ll be fine.

She kept her eyes to the ground and saw Lee’s foot placement. Perfect. She put her foot on Lee’s thigh and lightly pushed. “Lower.”

Lee yelped as she dropped into the position Rangi was pushing her towards. Rangi made a mistake by looking out of the corner of her eye and saw Yun wiggling his eyebrows at her as he mouthed ‘You've got this!’

She snapped her attention back to Lee, absolute focus on her face. 

Ok, now arm placements. “You need to bend it more here.” Lee bent her arm as she was told. “No! That’s too far! Go back!” Lee bent it back but past the original position. “No that’s wrong-argh-just-”

Rangi gave up, and grabbed Lee’s arm, both girls visibly flinched at each other’s touch. Rangi cursed to herself, as caressed the other girl’s much cooler arm. Rangi wasn’t regulating her body temperature well, how was she going to explain this? 

She shook her head, deciding ignoring the problem was better than addressing it. Let your opponent make the first move. But Lee kept quiet, perhaps she assumed that firebenders ran hotter than others? That wouldn’t be incorrect, but the temperature Rangi was running wasn’t exactly a normal firebender temperature at the moment. 

She put Lee’s arm into position, “Like this, now thrust it outward as a palm strike, and bring it back to this position. Then do the same but with a closed fist.” Lee obeyed fairly well. “Good, now stand up, and do the same thrusting motion, but bring your leg down to that bent position at the same time.”

Lee complied, after attempting the form a handful of times, Rangi stopped her. “Ok now watch me.” Rangi performed the same attack, but this time twisting her shoulders and hips to give the thrust more impact. “Do that.”

Lee attempted the action, but didn’t get the twisting movement down right. “No! Not like that! Just-here!” Rangi got behind Lee, before her brain caught up to her. 

When she placed her hands on Lee’s shoulders, she realized her mistake. Lee’s shoulders were broad and firm, there was definitely muscle underneath her tunic. It wasn’t the first time she was getting acquainted with them, but she also didn’t get a chance to really appreciate it the first time. Due to their lives being in danger and all. She briefly wondered if they were as chiseled and defined as the abs she happened to catch a glimpse of the night they met. 

Rangi tried not to be distracted by how nice Lee’s back felt, choosing to look away from it to save her from the distraction.

She made yet another fatal error by choosing to look up rather than down, because she could see Lee’s fully exposed nape. Lee’s long hair was tied up into a messy bun for this exercise, and Rangi could see everything in all its glory.

Strands of loose hair stuck to Lee’s neck, caressing it in a fashion that Rangi could only view as a taunt aimed directly at her. She watched as a stray bead of sweat fell down, tracing every muscle along its path, before disappearing into the tunic below. 

The action caused Ragni’s breath to hitch, which led her into suppressing a cough. She realized she was drying the air out as well. She needed to move soon or she’d be caught. 

She gripped Lee’s shoulders. Ignore your hands. Ignore your hands. Ignore your hands. Ignore your hands. Ignore your hands. Ignore your hands! She chanted in her mind as she twisted Lee’s shoulders into the correct movement. 

“There like that,” Rangi forced out, clearing her throat. 

“Don’t forget the hips!” Yun jeered. “That’s where all the power comes from!” Rangi briefly considered if it’d be a crime if she burned the Avatar’s eyebrows off, before she found her distracted by Lee’s body again.

Rangi could feel a white hot flush forming throughout her body. Just make it fast!

She put her hands on Lee’s hips, and turned them, Lee easily complying with every motion. “Just rotate it at the same time as your shoulders,” she forced out breathily. It, or the steam that came out of her mouth, caused Lee to flinch, which caused Rangi’s heart to quicken even more. Damnit, control! Control yourself!

Rangi took a step back, “Now, show me the form again.”

If Lee had noticed something was up with Rangi, she didn’t let it show on her face. Rangi prayed to Yanchen and every Avatar she could think of for that minor blessing.

It was short lived when she noticed Lee’s hand placements, how could she have not noticed sooner?!

“No! No! No! You’re going to hurt your wrist with that palm strike! And spirits of the islands! What are you doing with your fist?! Are you trying to break your fingers?!” 

She grabbed Lee’s hands in annoyance, with the intent to put them in the correct position. Another mistake. Just mistake after mistake today, or really since she met Lee. 

Lee’s hands were much softer than Rangi thought they’d be, and smoother too. They were so pleasant to touch that Rangi’s heart stopped for a moment before it spluttered back to life. Rangi was mesmerized by how her thumb dented into Lee’s hand as she pressed into it. 

She slowly made her way up from the wrist to the fingertips, making sure her own fingers gently scraped over Lee’s tendons, as well as a bulging vein that’d become more prominent since they started the training exercise. 

Her hands are so big. Lee had a wide palm and long fingers, even longer than Rangi’s. Rangi wondered how big they really were. Twice as big? They could definitely engulf Rangi’s if they were ever intertwined. 

It took all of Rangi’s strength to return to her sense, and readjust Lee’s fingers and hand into the correct position. “You want to strike with your palm,” she whispered, her hand still over Lee’s. 

She could hear Lee gulp dryly. She really needed to get her heat under control, she was drying them both out.

“Now show me your fist.” 

Lee compiled again, curing her fingers. Her fingernails catching the tips of Rangi’s fingertips, and accidentally curling Rangi’s hand over hers. 

Rangi stopped breathing, and her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she could’ve sworn it was at risk of bursting through her armor and running off into the wilderness. 

Very big. Was the only thought that could come to mind, when she noticed the size difference.

She bit her lip, trying to ground herself.

“Sorry,” she heard Lee mutter from what felt like a very far distance. Rangi was torn between forgiveness and ire. 

With the strength one would require to move a mountain, Rangi detangled her fingers from Lee’s, and quickly readjusted them into a proper fist. 

As she was in the process of turning her head and body, so she could get away, she caught the side of Lee’s neck. 

A collarbone teased Rangi from just under the tunic’s collar. It gleefully pointed her to the divet in the throat. From there she followed a line from Lee’s very sharp muscle up to her jaw line, and stopped at Lee’s lips. 

The bite mark she’d given Lee when she performed CPR on her was still prominent. It seemed to have healed a lot faster than Rangi had anticipated, even with Lee reopening it from her bad habit. 

Something in her didn’t like that it was disappearing. It made her want to do it again, albeit, more tenderly this time.

Her eyes went up from Lee’s lips, to her cheeks, and marveled at the freckles that dusted her face. It was the first thing Rangi noticed when Lee took her makeup off, and it was something she couldn’t help but steal glances at since. 

Lastly was Lee’s eyes, gray like storm clouds, but there was a light that danced in them. There was a sparkle that drew Rangi in, especially as they bored into her like they were now. Wait. 

Rangi’s eyes widened. Lee was looking at her. She could see Rangi was ogling her. 

Without thinking, Rangi grabbed Lee’s face by her cheeks and forced it forward, “What are you doing looking at me? Focus on your form! Look straight!” 

She tried to make her words sound like a strong instructor. Did it work? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. How long was she in that stupor? A second? A million seconds? 

“Yefsh Sifuuu” Lee slurred out between her puckered lips and pinched cheeks. 

Rangi released Lee from her grip, her thumb accidentally sliding over Lee’s bite mark. Rangi was surprised by the heat in her thumb it left after she pulled away, surprised she hadn’t spontaneously combusted against her will just yet. 

“We’re going to run that form again! Mirror me properly this time!” she commanded her student.

She turned away from Lee, planning to get back to her position, and caught Yun’s eye. He’d transfer to laying on his stomach, his face in his palms. He was kicking his feet lightly, like a schoolgirl. When their eyes met, he gave her the smuggest grin she’d ever seen. She almost set the whole meadow on fire right then and there, her honor and all, but somehow kept it restrained. 

“I won’t let out any flame at the end of the set, so feel free to relax.” It was easier said than done, her entire body wanted to let loose the flame building up inside of her. But maybe her focusing would help keep her mind off things. Such as Lee, and how she seemed completely unperturbed by the whole situation that just happened!

Not a single blush was in sight. Rangi chewed the inside of her cheek and let out a string of curses in her mind. Why was she the only one that felt this way? Why was she the only one who had to suffer? 

She inhaled sharply, and got ready to start the set. No, maybe I covered my tracks better than I thought. She doubted it, but now she had to focus regardless. 

They started in sync, only five feet apart. Lee was mimicking her perfectly this time. Guess she was a fast learner. 

There was a twist here, a stomp there, a palm strike here. 

The last move was the punch she’d just helped Lee with, Rangi inhaled on the twist, making sure to repress her firebending. 

Right as the duo followed through on their punch, a giant ball of fire appeared before them. Rangi grabbed Lee by the shoulder and threw her behind her as she jumped back. Rangi was just barely able to escape the licks of the fire as she maneuvered it upward, and Lee ended up flying to the ground.

“Woah are you alright?!” Yun yelled at the girls as he ran over. 

“H-hey, Firecracker! I thought you said you weren’t going to bend!” Lee asked, nerves clear in her voice as she shakily stood up. She tried to laugh “You scared me!”

Rangi just stared dumbly where the fire appeared. Yun grabbed her shoulder. “Rangi are you ok?”

A distant part of Rangi, one too far to occupy her body at the moment, knew he was probably concerned about her lack of control she had been experiencing. That part of Rangi wanted to reply, but she couldn’t. 

Rangi shook Yun’s hand off and warily approached Lee, she could feel her look of shock and horror still on her face.

“Hey if you’re going to be the Avatar’s bodyguard, you should really learn to control yourself,” Lee laughed, trying to make light of what just happened.

Rangi grabbed Lee’s hands, unperturbed by her earlier feelings. She gripped them tightly for one second, then dropped them instantly as if she’d been shocked, and took a step back.

Rangi’s ears were ringing. She was finding it hard to breathe, it was a struggle to talk but she gasped each word out as she gained what little air she could. “That- it wasn’t- That wasn’t me.”

Rangi couldn’t see Yun’s face, she couldn’t see anything now. Anything but Lee. Her whole world was crashing down, and Lee was ground zero. 

Lee’s smiling demeanor started to melt away, into a more horrified expression. She attempted to speak, but nothing came out. It looked like a scream was caught in her throat. 

“What do you mean it wasn’t you?” She heard Yun ask from a million miles away.

Rangi took a couple gulps of air before forcing out the words, “It. Was. Her.”

The hands Rangi had held, which were ice cold to her before, were now scorching hot. A flame out of control. 

“N-No it wasn’t! It wasn’t me!” Lee took a step back, terrified.

“Why?!” Rangi screamed, her voice cracking in sync with the tears welling up in her eyes. Hope and what she thought was the truth, hanging onto the bitter end before it all blew up. “How is it that you earthbend and firebend?!”

Rangi’s eyes widened in realization. The dark spirit. When her fire had lost control, there was wind. The wind had fed into her flame. “And airbend?” 

The edges of Rangi’s vision started blackening, everything was being consumed by the blackness. Everything but Lee. Who’s face looked as decimated as Rangi felt. Fury coursed through Rangi, and she ran up and grabbed the girl by the front of her tunic and started shaking her.

“HOW?! Tell me!” The campsite. How she got it all set up in such a short time. Even the way her fire dagger had gone out! How she was able to talk to Kuruk! It was all adding up!

Rangi finally met Lee’s eyes, the storm clouds inside threatened rainfalls.  

WHY?! Don’t make that face! Not when it’s me who-

“Answer me!” Rangi screamed. “Answer me, you- you-!” Every word that came out felt like a sob, as she shook the other girl. She couldn't say the word. It would be final if she did. 

Lee pushed Rangi away and fell backwards onto the ground. 

“Th-this isn’t- It’s not-. This isn’t what it looks like!” Lee scrambled to her knees, arms outstretched pleading, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Pleading. As if she was afraid for her life.  “I have a condition!” 

________________________________

A/N: Heh….stool level……mushroom……heh…… (I meant stool the chair level btw TT0TT in case that was confusing, but the pun was so enticing I had to keep it, confusion be damned)

Neck and hand fetish….how does one write a neck and hand fetish???? TT0TT Gdi Rangi and your canon fetishes! That itself made the chapter longer than I’d meant to dkfljaskfja;k This was just supposed to be a tiny fanfic with small chapters at at time TT0TT 

Anyway ummmmm that was a rollercoaster, huh? :’D We’re not off this ride just yet buddy-bois!

[fire-but-ashes-too]

nine people tag

thank you soooo mucchh @flock-from-the-void

last song:death by a thousand cuts (listening to it right now)

last movie: uhhhh... thats a good question. i have no idea honestly.

maybe....it could be the city of lover concert, but i didnt finish it, sooo either the barbie movie or some other movie i forcedly watched with my family.

currently watching: the summer i turned pretty, pll (kind of, its been a month since the last itme i watched it), one of us is lying, and i also started vienna blood (thanksss @holdmyteaplease) so just a couple of things😅

currently reading: *inhale* so, we have a few! the night circus (actually re-reading) but im kinda stuckcuase re reading gives me reading slumps, the picture of dorian gray, but its also on hold since im not understanding anything, like the ages?? what exactly dorian wants from the other guy, the lord something etc. dunno.

but im reading reading the catcher in the rye, and its pretty nice... its different from how i expected it to be, and thats saying smoething since i didnt even know the plot, but its nice.

currently craving: uhhhhh i just had breakfast, but maybe... oh yes this little pastry that kinda looks like a mushroom and is filled with hazelnut cream, its one of the best things to ever cross earth

last thing you researched for writing purposes: names that start in a and end in is. literally a minute ago. i found a couple of them, now i have to choose between Alexys, Atlas and Artis but im indecisive🥲

gently tagging @leisoree @holdmyteaplease @digital-chance @maewrites13 @briannaswords @mjparkerwriting @fioreshere @canadjester @cabbojage

[tigresslanzhu]

It’s Your Character That Counts: Buster Moon

Yeeeeeeah, things aren’t looking that great for Buster, but we all expected that.

We all know that Buster absolutely sucks here. The guy kept up the facade of the $100,000 prize money in the first film (although in his defense, the extra zeroes were an accident), he kept promising previous stage crew employees that there’d be payed, but because of financial constraints, couldn’t do so and COME ON! He was willing to steal electricity and water, all for the sake of keeping his theater afloat!

And don’t get me started on the second film. He stole equipment to break in to the Crystal auditions, promised a major celebrity would perform in the newly pitched space opera and of course, continued to lie about it, even when he got caught. To be honest though, he did try to find Clay Calloway and was confident that he’d get him to agree to perform after 15 years of solitude.

I can’t really say anything for the future of Buster Moon, as we’re not getting any solid information on a well deserved Sing follow-up, but I think we all know that Buster is going to lie to get his way again all to get ahead!

Well… he’s getting there in regards to respect.

You can see that during his open auditions he let anyone who wanted to perform, and at least unlike Jimmy Crystal, he let them all finish before making a proper verdict. That doesn’t stop him from axing some good performers for ridiculous reasons, (nervous flatulence, being too tall to communicate, etc.) And even with the acts he wanted to keep, he still belittled most of them in some way. “A soulful guy like you tenderly playing the keys” to Johnny, him rolling his r’s when addressing Rosita the first time (DUDE, just because someone is named Rosita, it doesn’t automatically mean they are Hispanic) and don’t get me started on his “pop star princess” suggestions for Ash! Also we know that the real reason Buster didn’t want the red panda idols in his show was because he had never been taught about Japanese culture before so communication was almost impossible. It’s quite clear that he had ZERO tolerance for these performers who didn’t speak English.

The second film? Much better. He treats his cast much better, although he’s still not perfect. Buster notices that Meena isn’t very comfortable with Darius, but because he had won a bunch of awards, he still pushes her in the role. And do you call breaking into a reclusive rock star’s mansion respectful? No siree Bob! Even if it did help Clay in the long run, I’m sure there are more proper ways to get his attention. Maybe he could have tried to contact Clay’s lawyer? I dunno! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is sort of conflicting… In regards to perseverance, Buster has got it down natch! In regards to doing what he should and setting reasonable goals? Uhhhhh… NO! The guy said he wanted to do a singing competition, but went about it the wrong way! Instead of selecting only six slots for his favorite acts, he should have charged for an audience to watch these performers and vote on who they wanted to move on!

It takes him a long time to realize the consequences of his actions, but to he honest, he does try and correct his mistakes on occasion. When Jimmy confronted Buster about him “firing” Porsha, he told him that it was a misunderstanding, as he wanted to give the lead role of Out Of at his World back to Rosita, not that the mogul listened, but the koala did try!

This one is a pinch higher than the last pillar, but only slightly. As mentioned before, Buster did give everyone a chance to audition for the Singing Competition and left no one behind. While that definitely helps him be a fair person, the theater owner is awful at one important aspect of fairness… BEING A GOOD LISTENER!

If you think long and hard, the main contribution of the conflicts in the first film were because Buster didn’t listen to his co-stars. No matter how many times Ash points out that she’s not going to wear pink or sing cheesy pop songs, hehe koala still expected her to do what he wanted. He didn’t seem to want to hear any of Johnny’s concerns and he clearly seemed to favor Mike a lot more than everyone else.

Okay, this one is pretty self explanatory and the fullest pillar of them all! All his decisions, good and bad are mostly because he cares! He cares about his theater, his dad’s efforts, his cast and crew… that doesn’t make it right, but Buster does want to do all he can to show that he’s a compassionate person!

Yeah, no!

I only have this a little higher than trustworthiness because after the first film, I think he got a little better at managing money and is better able to pay his dues when necessary. The guy still broke the law on several occasions in both films and even used Meena as an accomplice. Heck, by Sing 2, he makes everyone an accomplice! Once again. I should state that if another Sing movie happens, we can guarantee that he’s gonna disobey more laws and that he’s lucky he’s not dealing with a lifetime in prison!

[identitycrysys]

wheeee...

I'm bored and tired...

got any dialtone, helpful anon, and/or alchemist headcanons?

alchemist has probably drank acid the same way a cop would have to go through the effects of pepperspray first to see how the other person felt when they were sprayed (they almost DIED and they still have burns in their mouth)

helpful rarely sleeps because theyd rather be going around helping people .if they do sleep, it’s because they were forced to or just. couldn’t stay up any longer

sometimes when helpful is idling about theres the little roblox question mark thingy over their head you can click on to interact with an npc. when you talk to them or they find something else to do it disappears. most of the time if you do talk to them when they’re like that they’re most likely to give you tips for something you asked about (if you did ask)

alchemist has insomnia. kinda

if you show alchemist what little alchemy (the game) is or let them play it on your phone you can expect to not be bothered for like 2 hours

helpful has a 10+ knife set (this might already be canon smh/j)

helpful has a dubious fear of ghosts because of bob. it’s gotten just a teensy bit better lately (pretty sure this could be canon too i dunno)

alchemist actually. lives in a FUCKING CAVE they have all their ingredients and books and glasses and whatever there.dialtone’s house is more comfortable smh. it’s why they fell asleep on the couchj. this is a new level of softness to them

alchemist is non-binary

uhhhhh i dont know what gender helpful is

[pebblebbles]

Hello I wrote a thing :O dunno what inspired me to do this but uhhhhh

Here you go! Enjoy?

Sussy Baka: Pebbles's Mount Rokkon Adventure (Part 1)

"…from Kugane?"

Pebbles frowned at Shallow Moor as every mote of her excitement disappeared off into the aethereal sea. Of all the places she could possibly be called to, it HAD to be Kugane. Shallow Moor's first mission to explore the depths of Ul'dah with Nanamo had set the standard for what Pebbles expected of these sorts of things, which made it all the more disappointing that she would have to go to one of her least favorite places on the entire star for her second. Just the exorbitant cost of aetheryte travel was enough to make her head spin, let alone all her other gripes about the place.

Shallow Moor seemed unaffected by Pebbles's lack of excitement.

"Well? Care to give it a read?" she asked, leaning over to wave the letter in Pebbles's face.

Pebbles sighed and snatched it from her hand.

"Dear Pebbles,"

"In the selfsame spirit of friendship which has defined our every interaction to date, it is my pleasure to extend to you a humble invitation."

Oh boy.

"‘Tis because of your endearing efforts to save this star that we may benefit from this rarest of opportunities, for it was in service to your noble quest to build the good ship Ragnarak that I was able to forge a fruitful bond between myself and another of Hingashi’s Elites."

"This lord has seen fit to grant me – and a guest of my choosing – leave to go where few ijin have tread: beyond the bounds of Kugane, to the sacred slopes of Mount Rokkon itself."

"I cannot overstate the significance of this gesture, nor the allure of sights heretofore unseen by Western eyes. Nor is it an exaggeration to say that no one is more deserving of this boon than your magnanimous self."

"I eagerly await our reunion at the gates of Bokairo Inn."

"Ever your faithful servant,

- Hancock Fitzgerald"

Pebbles's eyes hurt from rolling them so much.

"Laid it on a bit thick, did he?" said Shallow Moor with an amused grin.

"I don't know what I expected, honestly," Pebbles groaned. "But seriously, OF ALL PEOPLE it has to be HIM??"

Shallow Moor seemed more fixated on the letter's contents. "Well, I'd expect no less of a consummate merchant. Not too proud to debase himself when sufficient profits at stake."

Sure.

"Still, there may be a crumb of sincerity beneath that slathering of honeyed words. And if not, you still benefit from playing along, right?"

"I guess…"

Pebbles stared down at the letter again. Even though the prospect of working with one of Lord Lolorito's lackeys made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach, she couldn't help but be a little bit intrigued about this holy mountain. And it's not like she had anything better to do anyway.

"So you'll be heading to Kugane then?"

Pebbles shrugged. "Got nothing better to do I guess."

Shallow Moor clapped her hands together joyfully in response. "Perfect! I'll send word that you're on your way then."

"Fantastic." Pebbles faked a smile and turned to leave Scholars' Harbor, her scaled tail curling back and forth in frustration.

Shallow Moor waved after Pebbles excitedly. "Fair fortune and safe travels, Pebbles! You'd best come back with plenty of stories to tell, you hear?"

Pebbles spent none of her strength to lift her hand in response. Sooner rather than later, believe me.

[basslinegrave]

should i buy a ticket to the local anime con tomorrow or nah... i will be close to the store where they got tickets..... rant->

cuz idk if i wanna go? i mean i do but hhhhh its always too much... like the shitty moments outweigh the fun ones, and its never a given there will be any good moments...but i have a cosplay idea, kinda in the making, i have no idea if i will be able to make it cause im having trouble with one part but it could be quite comfortable... more or less... id just wear some regular ahh clothes and a mask (which is always the best, i get to hide my face and be comfy at the same time!) but i also want some recognition and idk how many ppl will know this. i never know cause if i expect that nobody will know it, i get a ton of people chatting me up (like wwx) and if i expect people will know the character nobody even takes one photo (like tokoyami. i got one pic taken? two? was so weird, the other bnha cosplayers were giving me weird looks and didnt even say hi back 😶)

obvs the cosplays i put the most work into appeal to more people, like wukong which id love to wear again now (with slight alterations like making the tail just hang down instead of standing up cuz that was hell to fix every 2 minutes.. looked great while walking tho) but its 2 outcomes: everyone that asked me to wear it again wont give two fucks and nobody will care. or after the new netflix move comes out, people actually watch it and more will recognize wuk... also, some people dont go in march but go in september so i can meet new ppl?

i go for 2 days so the second is best to have something simpler (so i get to move around more freely and fit into places like artist alley and can play games etc..) aand im trying to make a mxes mask which would be cool to wear even though people are either scared of me or im just weird idk and when it comes to fnaf cosplays ppl only loved my sun cos but other fnaf cosplayers avoided me like the plague i dont know what did i do

that said id actually love to wear sun again too 🥴 but i need to find all pieces and see if i can make the top work... its too stuffy and hot so i didnt wear it last time but like, nobody cares. nobody cares aboit accuracy here

i dunno man its also the local fandoms somehow they feel like nobody is caught up on the last media except the few that know it too much. but if you bring out an oldie Nobody knows it

oh also friend wants to cosplay shadow i think but he didnt say if at this con or what ans if hes buying a full ticket or what but like if i were to cosplay sonic and he would just leave after 10 mins i would be just there like uhhhhh now what and i wanna cosplay him again now really... its just a good backup i guess :/

[fangtastic-vampyra]

SRA DREAM/RANT/The Cursed Monthly Gift/Contagion

Being miserable. From. My family. Like I keep dreaming I am walking around naked lol. Maybe cause the blankets are heavy? Irl? Or just feeling way too open and such, online, yet some say vulnerable is strong. But anyway, once I found some clothes um, I was asking if my cous could be my roommate, and they say we get "another patient" as a roommate, it was like a sort of um, HUD thing? Well. I went off. Said I am leaving there, and everything, and going to take over my mom's house. WHICH was like a pt3 from a dream of a Hurricane happening in LA again, and I kept asking people to secure my stuff, I really am not rich enough to buy the 3RD round of clothing and tech and everything. (I also dreamed I was THE JOKER in a movie, starring me.. and had like two boyfriends and two girlfriends lol)

Um, cont with this recent one from a few hours ago... Telling them (my family) abt me with the suicidal ideation within it, dr knows, its just a side effect of being trans, and not as tall as i think i "really am". Like. Begging them to bring me back across the lake and stuff. As we would say. Ugh. {Thirty minute drive.}

Before I passed out, a voice told me, that I was pretty much (my balcony oversees the lot, obv, but like REALLY, does, our location) abandoned here, she/mum doesn't care if i have food/money/etc, and with the schizophrenia (being like jimunji) as it's, V2K DEW EMF SPRITE AI and Handlers, Im often spinning/out of it/dazed feeling... Like they know you have mental probs but expect you to "act" like you don't? How could you even comprehend that?

So I found some guy that cared, he looked me up all over internet from a FB dating profile. Guise, be careful what you put out there. Me? I figure I'm just..dying from Covid anyway..and The Contagion...

Feel grouchy, breasts are feeling uh tenderness or wahtever, prob starting period, but I really dont think thats what it is "spotting".

...my fucking dumb ass. had sex with this guy but like WHY does woman have to be the one "put a condom on please" like Im not doing okay... adjusting to this whole "society as a targeted individual with people who come to the house with rx psychiatric meds"--Pushin going to a DR with me. it could be side effects of T/Estrogen.

This guy is like a handler and that. Dont you know in 9 months. Dont you know child support and that. Idk I was looking at TV and it said abort. Idk probably lil antichrist in there.

I dont even want to be here, alright?

But as far as no one ever loving me, as some mistake of God, a baby would love me. Forever.

Fucking dudes. Weirdos.

Im weird. No. I realize. I am perfectly naturally fucked up from this HORSE SHIT. I have to now take responsibility as some kind of uh. Fuck up. Fubar. I dunno. We shall see. Stupid woman body. Cant even really stop itself from being pregnant. Its just..the dumbest shit. Yeah pills? I pass out. Surgery? Demons. Lots of them. Uhhhhh idk. Kinda hung up on a kid loving me. FECKING LIL RETARDED ASS CHICKENS KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF UNWANTED PREGGERS. (They can get rid of the sperm ugh) HUMANS? NO. This is so fucked up. And politicians and all like want us to have babies in our tummies. Where are they when this baby is hungry and sick? Stealing my Fucking money, calling me an undesirable, and whathaveyou. Prolly, you know, tilling him/her to the grave,

[astrxealis]

uhhm ,,ik we dont rlly talk + we're technically alr mutuals and ur one of those cool ppl, but u seem nice so can we be moots?? ;; no pressure

WHWJBSKAJS WAIT WAIT IT'S NO PROBLEM AT ALL FR 😭😭😭 >< <33 kejwoswosjw seeing this made me smile tyvm TuT ♡ i hope my twin doesn't think im weird for suddenly smiling out of nowhere WHAJSKA nw tho she's used to me :" ok but srs fr nw at all n ofc we can be moots !! tbh i think you're rlly nice too hehe u seem like a fun person ;D \o/

[mmyriapoda]

Hi hello yes @ people with curly hair do you mind if I ask where the FUCK you're getting your relaxers??? I've had my hair permanently relaxed like 3 times throughout my life and it never did anything but I've seen people with much thicker, curlier, frizzier hair get great results so what am I doing wrong

[crowning-art]

TGCF SPOILERS!! LOTS OF THE THEM

------------

WOOOAAHH this was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, I know I will fangirl for some parts but mostly I'm going to be focusing on plot cuz DAMNNN

Firstly,

Xie Lian smiled cheerfully at him. “That’s not entirely true. Our team’s San Lang might be extremely lucky, but my luck is extremely bad. With the two combined, one good one bad, don’t we cancel each other out?”

IM IN TEARS, YOU DONT UNDERSTAND, THIS IS- THIS IS- OMG THIS IS WHAT THEY DID FOR ONE ANOTHER FROM THE START, YKNOW THE WHOLE HUA CHENG BEING BORN UNDER THE STAR OF BAD OMEN (OR SMT SIMILAR, I CANT REMEMBER THE EXACT NAME) AND XIE LIAN BEING THE ONE TO REMOVE THE OMEN, IM CRYING THIS IS LITERALLY THE SAME THING I CANT

LMAO the truth and dare game was hilarious cuz I did NOT expect Shi Qingxuan to pull the classic teenager dare of stripping someone's clothes, but like HUA CHENG WAS SUCH A GENTLEMAN, IM BACK TO CRYING also very interesting to note that although Xie Lian couldn't tell what Hua Cheng was thinking at that time, I imagine he actually wasn't too happy with the situation since it wasn't smt that Xie Lian had wanted and seemed 'comfortable' with (Imao tho I think he totally didn't mind lol) but at the same time, Hua Cheng might have been kinda happy as indicated by him messing up the dice roll to make them lose on purpose AGAIN, even when he wasn't supposed to? Really interesting insight into Hua Cheng's thoughts. I feel like from what I've read thus far, Hua Cheng flickers between loving Xie Lian and hating himself (although these feelings seem quite dramatic, he often dances in between that spectrum, occasionally landing on one end or the other)

In between all that, this happens...

“I’ll tell you what it is,” he said softly. “To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed, yet be unable to do anything. That’s the worst suffering in the world.”

Uuuuhhhhhh the truth and dare questions.....uhhhhh

Except unless Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan were not real blood brothers, but such an unbelievably shocking turn of events shouldn’t be possible

Are you...trying to...hint at...something?

This part lol

In that moment of urgency, he turned to Hua Cheng. “San Lang, lend me a bit of spiritual power, I’ll pay you back later!”

I thought they were gonna...yknow.... lmao, I totally forgot there were other ways to pass spiritual power lol

THE WAY I PANICKED WITH EVERYONE WHEN MING YI WAS LIKE, "UHHH NO, I DIDN'T TAKE WINDMASTER WITH ME?!?!?"

- I LOVE THIS PART SO MUCH, you don't understand, THIS IS SO CUTE IBDWIBWIOUBFDWB

I really, really enjoy the snippets of Old Xie Lian slipping through, like the way he fought the Reverend of Empty Words.

Anyways, I'm like dead tired, BUT I REALLY HAD TO STOP IT AT A CLIFFHANGER, DIDN'T I? LITERALLY AT THE PART WHERE THEY REACH THE PAVILLION AND THE DOOR THAT IS VERY CLEARLY SUPPOSED TO BE SEALED IS CRACKED OPEN jnfwjkfbwkfb but ya, the plot is getting so good and the Reverend of Empty Words seems like he's either really good at his job, or he actually seems to have something personal with the windmaster. I wonder if it has anything to do with Shi Wudu, LIKE maybe it's his third calamity??? Or someone's getting back at him through the wind master??? I dunno, just speculations but ugh, anticipating the next few chapters sbsiskkskskdkd

But also really thinking about whether wind and water master are actually brothers or not....

OMG AND ALSO THE SECOND ACSENSION???? WHAT HAPPENDD??? WHY DOES XIE LIAN REGRET IT?????

(Plz no spoilers, I just speculate and question for fun and not to get a real answer lol)

[mrs-dr-reid]

The Girl Behind the Desk

(A Criminal Minds Fic)

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: Requested by @imagining-in-the-margins​; “Spencer goes to the same library whenever he can. In part because he likes to read the encyclopedias, but also because he’s in love with one of the girls who works there. Unfortunately, he’s also convinced she doesn’t know he exists.”

Genre: Super fluffy, doods

Warnings: Pining, I guess? (is that a thing that needs a warning? I dunno, maybe)

A/N: Okay, this was so fun to write? Oh my god. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Word Count: 1858

———————————————————————

Spencer didn’t know why he kept going there. Well, he takes that back. He kind of knows why he keeps going to a very particular library in the D.C. area: There’s a very robust collection of encyclopedias there that he can go and read whenever he has time off from the BAU. Therein lies the kicker: he’s already read the entire collection at least half a dozen times. So why does he keep going there if he’s already read the one thing there that interests him?

The answer is quite simple... the encyclopedia section is within viewing distance of the check-out desk, and whenever he goes in to read them, there’s always a beautiful young woman there with shiny Y/H/C hair and striking Y/E/C eyes checking out books, answering the questions of other library patrons, and taking the reshelving cart to some other section of the library. He’s never plucked up the courage to go over and talk to her, but he knew from overhearing the conversations she had with her coworkers that her first name was Y/N.

Spencer’s played out a thousand interactions with her in his mind, but he’s never gone over to the desk to actually play one of them out. So for the past month and a half, he’s just been sitting in the corner by himself pretending to read a book while staring at the beautiful librarian from across the room like a lovesick idiot. And he was a lovesick idiot, because he couldn’t recall a single time in his life where he was utterly captivated by a woman he’d never even spoken a word to before.

He noticed every little thing about her: the way she would smile at young children who would plunk a Magic Treehouse or Percy Jackson book on the counter and stand on their tiptoes to hand her their library card, then give them a small lollipop from the glass bowl on the desk before they left, the way she laughed when one of her coworkers told a really lame library joke, the way she could pull her hair into a neat bun while she was working without one of those hair donut things he’s seen JJ use a couple times, and the way there was always a skip in her step and a song in her head when she was pushing the reshelving cart to whatever section she needed to go to.

She never looked over at his lonely little table because she was busy focusing on the more busy sections of the library, like the magazines, the research computers, and the children’s books, so the logical half of Spencer’s brain managed to convince him that she had no idea he even existed and that he really had no business being in the building. Still, the other more fantastical half of his brain kept him rooted in his plush library chair on the very slim chance that one day she’d look over and at least give him a smile. He highly doubted that would ever happen, but a guy can hope.

—   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —

Y/N could tell that the guy in a purple sweater vest with unruly brown hair and thoughtful brown eyes sitting at a table near the encyclopedias wasn’t really there to read all of them every time he came in, because she was pretty sure she saw him read every single one of them and put them all back in the right place in the span of a few hours the first day he came into her library.

Sometimes when she was refilling the candy bowl, she would steal a quick glance over at him and see him absentmindedly flipping through the pages of an encyclopedia she knows she’s seen him read in record breaking time with a furrowed brow, because she had to admit he was handsome in his own nerdy little way. And she’d always feel her stomach flip when he pushed his hair away from his eyes or adjusted his tie, because his hands look HUGE, even from far away, and she knows that if they ever shook hands, his would completely swallow hers.

She only knew his name because he answered his phone one time, and she heard him say, “Dr. Spencer Reid,” which made her raise her eyebrows in amazement, because he couldn’t have been much older than she was and he was a doctor. She could tell by the way he dressed that there was no way he was a medical doctor, so she assumed that he was a college professor with a proclivity for literature.

He came into her library sporadically over a month and a half period, and when he was gone for long lapses in time, Y/N assumed he was doing lectures either at the school he worked at or at nearby schools as a guest speaker. But whenever she looked over at the empty table where he usually made himself at home, she couldn’t help but miss him, which was utterly ridiculous because how could you miss someone you’ve never even spoken to? She then made a pact with herself: the next time she saw him come in, she was going to find some excuse or another to talk to him.

—   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —

Spencer got back from a really rough case, and he figured that a trip to his favorite library might lift his spirits. He walked in through the doors, expecting it to be a normal session of “pretending to read so I can stare at the desk girl”, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a voice he’d only heard from a distance say, “We just got in a couple new ones about fungi and spores, in case you wanted to look at something new.”

He turned around to see the woman he’d been admiring from afar for nearly the last two months with her award-winning smile on her face. She pointed at his table and said, “I noticed you liked hanging out by the encyclopedias, so I thought I’d let you know if I caught you before you hunkered down over there,” making him struggle to find the right words to say. He finally settled on, “Ummm, okay. Cool. Thank you for letting me know,” and smiled before starting to walk away.

Y/N knew that was her last chance, so she said, “I’m Y/N, by the way. Y/N L/N,” and held out her hand, so Spencer hesitated before grabbing it and saying, “Hi, Y/N. I’m Dr. Spencer Reid. Sorry, but, handshakes aren’t normally my thing. You see, the number of pathogens passed during a handshake is outrageous. It’s actually...,” making Y/N say, “Safer to kiss, right? I’ve dealt with my fair share of germaphobes who whip out that fact,” before shooting him a wink.

Spencer didn’t know how to react to that, but he knows for a fact he went pink in the cheeks. Y/N continued, “And I already knew your name. I heard you answer your phone once. You’ve never checked out any books, so I just thought you were too busy with teaching to remember to return them and never went over to ask you about it,” while she started grabbing new books to stamp and stack.

Spencer didn’t really know how to respond to that, but he remembered how to speak English, and he said, “You think I’m a teacher?”, so she said, “Yeah. I mean, based on the way you dress and the fact that you’re slightly too germaphobic, there’s no way you’re a medical doctor. I figured you were a college professor, more specifically in the English department. How close am I?”, while sitting down in her swivel chair.

Spencer was impressed by her profiler-level deduction, so he said, “I’d say you were 70% accurate. I’m not a medical doctor, but I do have three PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, 2 BAs in Psychology and Sociology, and I’m working on a BA in Philosophy. I am a college professor, but I teach Criminology. I’m also a Supervisory Special Agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI,” which made Y/N’s eyebrows fly up. She said, “Seriously?! All this time, I’ve been sneaking peeks at a super genius pretending to read an encyclopedia in the corner for the past two months?”, which made Spencer’s sly smile drop off his face.

He said, “You knew I was pretending?”, so Y/N grabbed her water bottle and said, “Yeah. You breezed through the entire collection in less than 3 hours the first day you came in, then you put every single one back in its rightful place. I even double checked after you left, and I didn’t have to swap a single book into the right place,” before taking a sip of water. Spencer said, “Well, I guess that’s what happens when you have an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute,” which nearly made Y/N choke on her water.

Spencer’s eyes widened in concern, and he said, “Oh my god, are you okay?”, but she waved him off and said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting that,” before setting her water down. She checked her watch, then said, “Okay, my shift ends in a couple hours. And knowing you you’ll probably finish all those new encyclopedias by then, so how about when I clock out, you and I can go get coffee or something?”, which took Spencer completely by surprise. He said, “Uhhhhh, sure! Yeah, sure! That sounds great!”, his voice betraying him by cracking awkwardly.

Clearly Y/N thought it was cute, because she grabbed a pink sticky note and a clicker pen from the cup on the desk, jotted something down, then handed it to him before saying, “Be sure to think of some interesting fungus facts to tell me later, Dr. Brainiac,” winking, and heading off to reshelve some books. Spencer stood there awestruck for a solid minute before shaking himself and going to his usual spot. He finally looked down at what she had written, and he felt himself go completely red, because on the note was a series of numbers that could only be her cell phone number, an address that could only be hers, and the words “call me sometime, Boy Genius” written in a gorgeous looping scrawl.

Spencer looked up again to see her talking with one of her coworkers behind the desk, so he pulled out his phone and punched in her number before typing “Is texting okay, too?” and pressing send. He saw her pull out her phone, and she looked up and gave him a playful eye roll before typing something and putting her phone back in her pocket. His phone buzzed again, so he checked it to see that she had sent back “Of course it is, Dr. Reid ;)”, making him smile before going to grab those encyclopedias she was talking about.

———————————————————————

Tag List: @agenthotchner​, @hurricanejjareau​, @xgoldentigerlilyx​, @therestisconfettis​, @less-intelligent-spencerreid​, @aryaarathornson​, @thomasgibsonfan01​

Let me know in the comments if you want to be added