#everyone's an idiot but Rangi's the biggest one of all~! uwu

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Two Knives Interlude 2: Rangi- Damn It

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Rating: M

Summary:

Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.

(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3 

A/N: Listen, can you even call it one of my fics if Rangi’s not going through it just a bit? u_u

I title this “the breaking down of a pine tree” uwu

____

Kyoshi’s such an idiot! Was Rangi's final verdict. But Rangi was in love with said idiot, which meant Rangi was a bigger idiot.

And she was an idiot without much of a plan. While her duty was to protect the Avatar first and foremost, she was willing to spread herself thin to make sure Kyoshi fell under that same protection. 

Her first order of business was getting Kyoshi some new gloves that went with the battle outfit that Jianzhu ordered for her. That same outfit happened to be something she and Yun were able to stop arguing long enough to pick out for Kyoshi. At least they could agree on that one thing.

Rangi still hadn’t given up convincing Yun to keep Kyoshi in Yokoya, she may not have been able to pressure Kyoshi into staying. But she could at least annoy Yun. It was her little revenge. A treat so to speak, just for her.

“Rangi!” she heard Yun yell her name from across the courtyard. 

Well he looks annoyed. She thought, a little gleefully, and tried to hide her smile of satisfaction that tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Yes, Avatar?” she bowed to him.

“Walk with me,” he said in a low voice. Which meant, he had a private matter he wanted to discuss with her. Great. She’d fill the time airing her selfish request at him then.

They walked to a more secluded part of the mansion, only stopping when Yun found a sufficient spot.

“I know why you’re acting like this,” he said, his arms crossed. A little smugness gleaming in his eyes.

Rangi snorted. Well no duh. Yun knew how she felt about Kyoshi. The two of them had been competing for her attention and love since the day they all first met. He may have been her charge, but he was also her rival. She didn’t get why Yun was stating the obvious.

“Was I not apparent enough before? Or did you happen to forget?” she raised her eyebrow at him. Unimpressed at his sudden horrible memory. 

Yun laughed. “Oh, no, I’m hinting at a more recent development.”

That sent a wave of dread through Rangi.

“I…don’t know what you mean,” she forced out.

Yun smiled with his eyes closed, and began tapping his chin. Then he began to circle Rangi.

“I’ve got two knives that are cast in bronze / they pierce all the way to the soul” Yun began Kyoshi’s poem. He cracked open an eye to look at Rangi’s expression as he sang.

Rangi swallowed, throat suddenly dry. She kept her face expressionless. Not a lot of good it did her, with her quickly paling complexion and clammy sweat starting to form.

“They draw you in with the promise of sin / like the moth to the flame to the coal,” Yun continued his singing with gusto.

“What are you doing? When did you become a poet?” Rangi grumbled, trying to feign ignorance.

Yun kept circling, his smile smug. “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about Rangi. I mean, it’s the hottest gossip with the staff at the moment.” He tilted his head and tapped his foot on the ground.

Right, Rangi had been so caught up with the Fifth Nation, she’d forgotten about the other big possible disaster happening right in her home territory. Had her mother caught wind of the gossip? She wasn’t much for that, but neither was Yun. At least, she’d never see him chit chatting with the staff casually enough to gossip.

Rangi could feel sweat threatening to drip from her clenched fists as she saw his foot was still tapping the ground. Did he “hear” through his earthbending? Vocal vibrations? Was that possible? Or maybe he earthbent secret tunnels around the estate so he could spy on conversations? Did he hear Rangi’s plea to Kyoshi the other day?

Rangi’s jaw clenched, but kept silent.

“I, like most people, possibly including you, think that Kyoshi was singing about you, Rangi.”

Rangi gulped. “Where are you going with this?”

Yun stopped circling right in front of Rangi. He clapped his hands together. “It means you have a chance!” Then he clapped both of Rangi’s shoulders on each side with both his hands. “This is something to celebrate!”

Rangi eyed him warily. He was giving her that same fake smile he’d give to diplomats. His grip on her shoulders tensed just slightly. 

“Nothing’s set in stone unless one of us confesses and the other accepts.” Rangi wasn’t going to count her pig chickens before they hatched, even if she was confident about the song herself.

Yun rolled his eyes, “You are such a downer!”

Rangi gave him an even stare. “Please tell me this isn’t why you’ve been insistent on Kyoshi coming with us.”

Yun’s playful mask slowly melted into an emotionless one that mirrored Rangi’s. He released her shoulders. “No. I found out after I asked.”

So that was just his usual power move, not one in retaliation. It comforted Rangi, but only slightly. She was used to these kinds of things, these little micro transgressions from him. The way he’d bring up fire lilies in her presence, knowing full well that she knew what that interaction would mean; especially since she was pretty sure he attempted to orchestrate her walking in on that little incident.

But he’d gone too far this time in her eyes, for all she knew, he chose not to see reason to spite her because of the poem. She was fine with whatever mud he wanted to sling at her, she was no innocent party herself. She had done the same to him on occasion. But if Kyoshi got hit in the crossfire, well….

“Fine, perhaps you’re right,” Rangi whispered, finally giving him the answer he wanted to hear. “So are you going to keep her here? What do I need to say to make that happen?” 

“Does that mean you’re going to beg me too?” 

So he did hear. “Yes. If that's what it takes.”

Yun’s eyes widened then softened. “That’s…surprising. And not something I want to hear, Rangi.” He looked away, almost sorrowfully. “I’ll save you the humiliation, it won’t work. I really do need Kyoshi there. You’re not the only one who draws from her strength.”

Rangi looked away from him. She hated that there were times that she saw the worst in Yun. Thought she figured him out so well. But she understood where he was coming from. There was no malice, just stupidity. The same stupidity she was constantly at the mercy of herself.

Rangi sighed. Damn him…..

“Which is why, as your Avatar, I command you to put Kyoshi’s safety above my own!” Yun declared, with a wink. 

He clapped Rangi on one shoulder one more time and gave it a squeeze. This time she didn’t feel an underlying threat, but she still didn’t feel any actual encouragement from him either. Perhaps, it was the comradery of them just wanting to keep the girl they liked safe. 

Rangi just nodded at him. Still unsure if he was throwing her a bone for once, or if he did this out of Kyoshi’s benefit alone. Regardless, she was grateful.

_______

Rangi paced around the tent. Her sleeping quarters were arranged for their night on the iceberg.

Damn it! She bellowed in her head. She couldn’t scream aloud, even if she wanted to, so she focused her energy inward. 

Damn Tagaka! Damn Yun! Damn-! She thought of her mother, her stern face filled with hurt eyes. She thought of her face, but couldn’t bring herself to curse her name in her mind. No matter how much her reputation had harmed them both and caused them strife. Damn this whole day!

Rangi chose to just cycle through her other two offenders and the events of the day.

Damn Yun for taking Kyoshi with them. Damn Yun for setting up sleeping arrangements so that she and Kyoshi would share a tent, alone! Damn Yun for making it so there was only one bed!

If she was any more of a fool, she’d think he was throwing her a bone. But she knew him better than that, he was trying to torture her. As if this whole excursion wasn’t tortuous enough itself!

Then there was that damn Tagaka! Damn her for being a daofei! For all the crimes she has committed, same crimes that she may get away with, all because of that damn treaty! Damn her for scaring Kyoshi. Damn her for airing her mother’s dirty laundry, and doing it right in front of Kyoshi! Damn her for causing her mother and her pain, one they thought they finally escaped by leaving the Fire Nation!

Rangi stopped pacing and crouched down, putting her head in her hands and folding in on herself. 

What did Kyoshi think of her now? Of her mother? Did she also see her as a killer? An assassin? Would she hate her or Rangi? 

She was already nervous about being in the tent with Kyoshi when she first heard about it! But having her mother’s dirty laundry aired out like that? Now Rangi had more than one thing to worry about.

Rangi got up, and began pacing again. Trying to figure out the best solution, and coming up with no answers.

It wasn’t until she exhausted every possible avenue, she stopped dead in her tracks and realized she had a third thing to worry about. Kyoshi still wasn’t back yet. 

Dread built up in her. Like an idiot, she left Kyoshi’s side after the incident with Tagaka. But she assumed Kyoshi had gone to confront, or comfort, Master Kelsang. Surely she was still with him…... right? 

She swore to herself. Her one job, and she failed to do it. For all the grief she gave Yun, he deserved to give it back to her a thousand fold!

Rangi ran to the side of the room where her armor lay, ready to put it on, when she heard rustling outside. She generated a small flame in her hand and went to investigate.

When she opened the flap of the tent, she looked down to see Kyoshi, laying in the snow. Kyoshi looked up at her, relief dancing across her face as she gazed at Rangi. Then she saw a bottle that was clasped in Kyoshi’s hand. 

Rangi sniffed the air, smelling the familiar sting of alcohol. “Kyoshi, have you been drinking?”

“Yes?” Kyoshi didn’t sound sure of the statement. But she didn’t show signs of drunkenness. It was a stupid thing to lie about, but Rangi would let it slide.

Rangi sighed inwardly. Happy the girl was still in one piece despite Rangi’s own fault in the matter. And was especially happy that Kyoshi wasn’t sloshed either. She didn’t need another problem on her hands for the night.

Rangi quickly grabbed Kyoshi by the arms, and with some difficulty, dragged the larger girl into their tent. I need to do more pushups. Rangi thought. If she could barely drag the other girl, there was no way she’d be able to lift her. Rangi shook her head at the thought, her brain conjuring up only explicit scenarios that would require such a thing.

Stupid brain, I need less problems on my plate not more!

She helped Kyoshi up, and began taking off her armor, still trying not to let her mind wander to places it shouldn’t. “You can't sleep in that get up. Especially not the armor.”

“Shouldn't you be sleeping with Yun?” Kyoshi asked.

Rangi snapped her head up to look at Kyoshi, completely appalled by her insinuation. Is she stupid?! Does she really think that Yun and I are a thing?! W-what about the fire lilies, did she do that thinking that Yun and I were together? 

Or was this a conclusion she came to after the fire lilies moment? Is that why Kyoshi and Yun didn’t get together, even in secret? A misunderstanding on Kyoshi’s part? Rangi didn’t know if she should feel sickened, relieved, or horrified. So she was all three, at once.

“You know what I mean,” Kyoshi said, a little embarrassed.

Oh, she meant as a bodyguard. Right, of course she did. 

Rangi felt herself instantly cool down from the mini panic attack. “The Avatar and Master Jianzhu are reviewing strategy. Master Amak only ever sleeps in ten-minute intervals throughout the day, so he and the most experienced guardsmen will keep watch. The order is that everyone else should be well-rested for tomorrow.”

After Kyoshi was sufficiently stripped down, and ready for bed, the two settled into the furs. They both laid as far apart as they could.

Rangi didn’t face Kyoshi, she was trying to fall asleep. Not like she could, her crush of two years just an arm's length from her. She could feel every slight movement coming from Kyoshi’s side. Was she a restless sleeper? What if she moved and got too close to Rangi while she slept? What if Rangi moved in the night and did something?

Her heart pounded and ached at the same time, it was torture. She’d curse Yun again, but her mind was only filled with Kyoshi’s presence next to her. There was no room in her mind for anyone else.

She heard Kyoshi sigh. Apparently she also hadn’t fallen asleep. 

Rangi’s mind whirled, strengthened by the proximity of Kyoshi. By the setting they were in. The lack of armor and multiple layers of clothing. She had a thousand questions for the girl, no, more than a thousand. So many they could be up all night and still not get through them all. 

 She tried to ignore them but it was too much. One slipped out of her lips before she could catch it.

“Why didn't you listen?” Rangi whispered, barely audible, her throat felt sore. Why did you choose Yun over me? Was the real question behind those words. The question burned her since she begged Kyoshi in the garden.

“What?” she heard Kyoshi ask, and then shuffling noises. The sound of Kyoshi getting closer. 

Rangi’s heart started to race again. She somehow found the strength to ask the question again, just a bit louder. “Why didn't you listen to me?” 

More shuffling, Kyoshi getting farther away now. Terror thrummed in Rangi as she waited for Kyoshi’s answer. 

“I don't know what you mean,” she heard Kyoshi say simply.

A cord in Rangi broke, and she snatched her pillow and turned over, slamming the item onto Kyoshi’s face with a soft plop.

Damn her! Damn Kyoshi! Damn her for her neutral jing! Or was it avoidance this time? Negative jing? Regardless, damn her! 

She was undoing Rangi thread by thread, while she just laid there and pretended nothing wrong was happening.

Rangi cursed herself louder. For being unable to voice her real wants and desires. To voice what was wrong.

She removed the pillow, and almost crumbled. She was so close to Kyoshi’s face, able to count each one of the girl's precious freckles. She could feel herself melting as she looked at her beautiful girl.

Rangi raised her pillow to strike again, trying to conceal her failing willpower. “You know what I mean! Don't act like you only have rocks in that head of yours!”

Rangi watched Kyoshi’s shocked face slowly melt into a fit of giggles and laughter. The sound was music to Rangi’s ears, a harmony that came from heaven itself. The sight, Kyoshi’s freckled smile, made Rangi want to drop her pillow and kiss the girl silly.

Instead, she remembered herself, and hit Kyoshi with the pillow again instead.

“I-it's not funny!” Rangi cried, she kept hitting Kyoshi with the pillow and it only caused the girl to laugh harder. The heavenly torture assaulting Rangi at full force.

“S-stop it!” Kyoshi cried back, tears were in her eyes from laughing so hard. She made several grabs for the pillow in Rangi’s hand, missing a few times and accidentally caressing Rangi’s hand without realizing.

Rangi’s heart felt like it was going to burst. “K-Kyoshi! Stop it!” Kyoshi was getting closer with each grab, and it took all of Rangi’s willpower to try to push Kyoshi back with her free hand. If they got any closer, she didn’t know what she’d do.

Rangi gave in, and let Kyoshi take the pillow, but it was too late. Kyoshi was well within her boundary, Kyoshi just didn’t realize it yet.

Kyoshi’s eyes were still closed, her beautiful, unguarded face was still laughing without a care. It was the most breathtaking thing Rangi had ever seen.

“But you're the one who…started…it.” Kyoshi’s eyes finally opened, and her voice trailed off when she saw the situation they were in.

They were nose to nose, their breath tickling each other. Tickling Rangi’s lips, teasing her of what could be. Kyoshi’s shocked eyes staring into Rangi’s wanton ones. Kyoshi’s scent, morning dew on grass, made Rangi melt like she was the very same dew. 

“Kyoshi….” Rangi murmured, as she looked at Kyoshi and the red hue spreading across the other girl’s face, deepening the color of her freckles. Did she feel the same way?

Rangi lowered her eyes to Kyoshi’s lips. Move. She thought as gazed at Kyoshi’s lips. Damn it! Move now, Kyoshi. Move or I…. I might…….. Rangi’s grasp on everything loosened. On the pillow, on Kyoshi. On her self-control. She went to lean forward.

But, as if reading Rangi’s mind, Kyoshi suddenly flipped over. Her back facing Rangi.

“W-woops! S-sorry about that!” Kyoshi stuttered out. “Sorry for messing around, we should get to sleep. Big day tomorrow!”

Kyoshi’s voice shook, her body shook too. Was it because Rangi had made her uncomfortable? Scared? Or maybe….. Maybe it was with desire? The same Rangi felt pulsing through her. 

Rangi laid there for a good while, waiting for the atmosphere to finally fade from her body. But it never did. She felt bolstered by it in fact. She started leaning into a courage she shouldn’t have. She decided to take a plunge.

Instead of turning over and falling asleep away from Kyoshi, she instead placed and leaned her open palms and forehead onto Kyoshi’s back. “You have my pillow, stupid.” She chuckled just slightly to herself.

She felt Kyoshi fling her arm around, and heard her pillow flop to the floor on the other side of the tent. But it wasn’t the pillow Rangi had wanted. 

Damn it. She let herself settle in closer to Kyoshi, letting her body meld into Kyoshi’s back. She enjoyed the feeling of Kyoshi’s racing heart pounding against her forehead, taking in Kyoshi’s scent. She fell into a lullful sleep, and dreamt of laying in a meadow under the warm sun with Kyoshi.

____________

Rangi couldn’t breathe. The ice that encased her blocked the air from reaching her lungs. 

Tagaka had ambushed them during the treaty signing, and now Rangi, along with many others, were trapped in the iceberg. 

She generated a fire fist, and forced the ice to melt around her. She found a way into a pocket of air with the waterbender who had pulled her in. She swung at the waterbender, breaking their nose, rendering them unconscious. Possibly leaving them for dead as well.

Water from the melted ice started to form around her. She tried not to panic, but it was becoming impossible to breathe again. She tried to calm down, focusing her heat inward instead of outward. If her body was wet she wouldn’t be able to generate external fire well. Instead, she heated herself and let the heat billow out from her. Sure enough, the internal heat started to melt the ice around her faster. Even evaporating slightly so she could get a few precious breaths in.

She looked around and saw their guardsmen fighting off the other waterbenders. She tried making her way to them, hoping Kyoshi wasn’t in there, but if she was, that she could make it to her in time!

She saw a familiar red figure in the corner of her eye thinking the same thing. Her mother. They were both heating and bending their way to the guardsmen. 

They were only able to save either a third or half until it all became too much. Too much cold, too much water, not a lot of air pockets. They simply ran out of time. Rangi and Hei-Ran blasted their way out of the side of the iceberg, the rescued guardsmen falling behind them.

As they landed on an icy platform below, they saw something come down from above. It was Jianzhu with Pengpeng. “Get on!”

Rangi and Hei-Ran did as he commanded without hesitation. They jumped aboard Pengpeng, trying to superheat their limbs to evaporate the water off of them faster, so they could make it possible to bend their fire without failure.

They ascended into the air, Hei-Ran and Rangi each taking a side on Pengpeng and letting off fire blasts at any pirate they saw.

The trio flew closer to where they assumed Tagaka and Yun had gone, and what they saw caused Rangi’s heart to almost fail.

Kyoshi was the lone person fighting Tagaka. She was winning, but reinforcements were closing in on her. There was a pulse of light from an icey prison, and Yun burst forth. He started taking out the reinforcements, but Rangi knew there would be too many.

She took the risk and jumped off of Pengpeng!

“Rangi!” She heard her mother cry, but it was too late, Rangi was already barreling towards the ground.

She used blasts of fire to slow her descent in the air, and to aim for what looked like a soft bed of snow. She landed with a fwump! And as she scrambled and heated her way out, she felt the earth shake. She looked over and saw Yun in a deep stance, and the earth being pulled up from the sea bed. Taking out several ships in the process.

Rangi watched in horror as a pirate got by Yun and struck Kyoshi! 

She started sprinting over there as fast as she could, cursing the snow for slowing her down. She watched as Kyoshi tried to get back up, only to fall back down. She had no more strength. The pirate readied his ice spear above his head, ready to strike.

“Kyoshi!” Rangi screamed. 

Fear gripped Rangi tighter than it ever had before, she slammed her foot down into a deep stance, and thrusted her fist out as fast, hot, and hard as possible. A white fiery terror shot forth from it in the form of a fireball, and blasted the pirate from across the iceberg. Kyoshi was safe from him.

She watched as Jianzhu fell from the sky, to clean up the rest of the ships and how Yun ran off to join him. She watched as the last of Kyoshi’s strength left her body and sank to the floor. Rangi reached Kyoshi right before Kyoshi’s head hit the ground, and cradled the larger girl in her arms. She turned up her body heat and did what she could to warm Kyoshi up.

“Kyoshi! Kyoshi! Please, don’t go to sleep! Kyoshi!” 

Rangi gently shook Kyoshi, and watched as the blood from her face fell onto Kyoshi’s forehead and cheeks. Kyoshi looked up at her one last time with a bleary eyed smile. Then her eyes closed for sleep.

___________________

Rangi fell back on what she knew best. Pacing.

Positive jing. Always moving forward. Just. Nonstop. Pacing. 

She paced back and forth in the infirmary wing where Kyoshi was located. She did so for three days straight. The staff was going to need to replace the floorboards. There was a hole where the floorboards used to be. Rangi had paced a rut so thoroughly into the floor that she made it seem like those floorboards never existed in the first place. 

Rangi ran a hand through her hair. Paying for damages on the house was the least of her worries. She’d failed to guard the Avatar. She’d chosen Kyoshi over the Avatar. It didn’t matter if the Avatar commanded her to do so, in her heart she’d chosen what she wanted to do without anyone’s prompting. And that’s what made the looks she was given by the Masters that much harder to take. 

They knew what she did, regardless of Yun’s defense. To his credit, it was a good defense. “What was she going to do? She couldn’t follow me on those ships! It’s best that she stayed with Kyoshi!” 

A good defense didn’t mean it was the truth, she didn’t even want to follow him in the first place. 

But the hardest thing of all was in the room with Rangi at that very moment. 

Rangi looked over from her rut and saw the sleeping face of the girl she loved. Kyoshi was unconscious, and she hadn’t woken up once in three days. Rangi didn’t know what to do, she was completely….and utterly…helpless.

She began pacing again, biting her nail. Searching for solutions that wouldn’t come nor could happen, when she heard a noise. Her head snapped over to Kyoshi’s bed. Rangi jumped out of her foot deep rut and sprinted over to Kyoshi. 

Rangi hovered with baited breath.

But Kyoshi didn’t awaken, and Rangi collapsed onto the chair next to Kyoshi’s bed side. Head in hands, and began to sob. 

If Kyoshi didn’t wake up, didn’t return to her. She didn’t know what she’d do. She didn’t know how she could keep on going. 

Rangi sat there, pleading to any and every spirit that could hear her. Pleading for a miracle.

Please, just bring her back to me…..

She sat there, still as a statue. Afraid that even a single molecule of her being would ruin the prayer. Then she heard it, rustling. 

Rangi’s head shot up and saw Kyoshi’s eye’s fluttering open.

“Kyoshi!” she gasped, grabbing the water gourd from the bedside table. “You're awake! Are you feeling alright?”

Kyoshi tried to speak but coughed, and Rangi instantly put the water to Kyoshi’s lips.

“What happened? Where's Yun?” Kyoshi finally asked.

Of course she’d ask about him first. Rangi tried not to feel so deflated. Tried to reason with herself. Of course she was asking! He’s nowhere in sight. And he’s the Avatar. It’s not because she loves him more.

“He's fine,” Rangi replied in a sullen tone. “Master Jianzhu and my mother are with him. He’s plenty guarded. Yun ordered me to be here to make sure you were alright.”

He only ordered me because I begged him. It wasn’t literal begging with words and kowtowing, but with pleading eyes and an understanding gaze.

“Sorry, you should be with him instead of me,” Kyoshi whispered. 

Rangi’s eyes widened. Oh, Kyoshi was still thinking of other people first again, instead of herself. That's why. It wasn’t because she cared more about Yun…..

Rangi’s fists and jaw clenched in unison. This idiot! Why, why couldn’t she ever spare a thought for herself?! Why did she have to be so good and just? Why couldn’t she be a little bit selfish? Just….think of herself for once?!

“Yeah you better be sorry,” Rangi stood up from her chair. “Think of yourself for a change!” 

Kyoshi could only stare at her in surprise. Did she not understand the severity of the situation she was in?!

“You've been asleep for three days, Kyoshi! Three days! Do you know how worried I was?” Rangi’s chest heaved as her voice wavered. 

“I-I’m sorry!” Kyoshi strangled out, with the pure sincerity only Kyoshi knew how to exude.

“I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up!” her voice cracked, and tears were welling in her eyes as she collapsed back in her chair, the thought of Kyoshi ceasing to exist making her weak again. “How could you be so reckless?”

The possibilities and what-ifs from before came barreling down onto Rangi again. Her strength left her with each tear that escaped her. 

She felt something touch her cheek. It was Kyoshi’s hand. Kyoshi was….touching her face, wiping the tears away. Comforting her.

“Oh….” she could only gasp. Kyoshi couldn’t have known what that meant in her country. You didn’t touch the head region unless you were family or married. Not engaged, married. There were no exceptions. 

Kyoshi couldn’t have known the transgression she was doing. The violation. The dishonor. She wouldn’t have done it if she’d known. 

But she didn’t. Kyoshi didn’t know. She only, and wholly wanted to comfort Rangi in the only way she knew how. Kyoshi was good, and she was loving. And- 

Rangi was so utterly and completely undone by Kyoshi. In that moment, she realized couldn’t fight it. It was just better to surrender herself at this point. She would give herself to Kyoshi. Absolutely and completely. 

She then performed an action, one that would have her own countryman demanding her topknot for. She closed her eyes as she placed her own hand over Kyoshi’s, and held it there. Accepting the touch, and soaking in the comfort and basking in the transgression that it brought.

“Rangi, I’m sorry,” Kyoshi started. “You were right, I shouldn’t have gone. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

Rangi took in a sharp shuddering breath, and moved her head to the side so Kyoshi's hand covered her mouth. To kiss her the palm of the one she loved, and also to cover up her erratic breathing. Her throat was sore, from the crying, the yelling, the dishonor, Kyoshi’s love, everything.  “T-take responsibility, you idiot!” she sobbed.

Take responsibility for the mess you’ve made me.

That’s all she wanted. Kyoshi could do whatever else her heart desired. As long as she accepted Rangi’s mess, Rangi would be happy.

“A-alright…. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, without question!” Kyoshi announced, a serious look in her eye. That was so Kyoshi, always taking her own word seriously.

Rangi took another sharp breath and looked at Kyoshi. “You promise?” she pleaded, half-heartedly. Kyoshi didn’t owe her anything, and she didn’t want to demand anything from Kyoshi. She just wanted to be beside her, for as long as she was allowed.

“Promise,” Kyoshi said. Then she smiled at her, a smile that was too good for Rangi. A smile that Rangi didn’t get to enjoy for long, because Kyoshi’s body waved and then fell back asleep onto her pillow as Rangi called her name.

_________________________

A/N: Spiral Rangi! Spiral! \u0u/ *elmo fire meme* uwu

Also, ummmm Interlude 4 might be like…….not JUST interlude 4 cause it’s getting longer by the second……  (ﾉ≧ڡ≦) Whoops~! Salty doesn’t plan things well sometimes~! (I wasn’t going adapt a lot of the 3 chapters, just the highlights…….but…..I felt like I probably should….and then now I’m 20 some pages deep again u_u Plus, some of y’all asked more spice and….I will try TT0TT But I don’t wanna change this from M to E, but horny Rangi incoming maybe jklsdajfa TT0TT)

I’ve also been distracted with editing Rangshi stuff on my main blog, as well as reading things (dunno how many Wednesday fans are here, or if they read my Hyde in the Shadows fanfic, but we got a new novel and now it feels like my attention is being fractured~! *sobs* Fighting off my Wenclair feels so I can focus on my Rangshi feels is like really hard right now TT0TT), and other life stuff happening…. So ummmm not a lot of writing was done the past two weeks, sorry. u_u Luckily, I still have one more chapter buffer to go! :D *sobs*