#rangi is on a box

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

How Rangi and Kyoshi became friends (HiimdaysxP4 edition)

Note: Rangi is on a box. :)

[foibles-fables]

We laugh about the Grumpy Noodle Rangshi Scene (because it’s genuinely SO charming)—but when the language of Rangi’s anger is juxtaposed with this dialogue from a previous chapter, it becomes…kind of soul-rending.

What is Rangi deeply afraid of, to the point where avoiding that fear has become a central motivator for her? Being Nothing.

………what does she call herself to Kyoshi during their argument?

🙃🙃🙃

[raethetea]

Another Rangi sketch i suppose

One day maybe i’ll finish all my sketches and don’t do hundred WIP’s…

[cedarart]

“and there, slouching in a corner by the sidewall, a thin and rangy youth, hair spiked, hands in pockets, staring at me. he stood amid a pile of discarded jars and boxes. he was as gray as the inhabitants of the dark village, except for his grin, which gleamed sardonically even in the swirling dusk and was somehow most familiar.”

time for that redraw, i wasn't so fond of this one in the beginning, but after rendering, it's become one of my favorites. here's to getting weirder, happy 2024

[rat-woman876]

Risk of Rain 2 is cool and im gonna rant about my favorite character and the funky threoy about them.

Void feind is bizarre, they're a rangy self healing keep away character AND a super high damage rush down monster.

Look at this THING look at IT look at how strange it is. But also look at its general design and style, thin legs and arms, dome like head, slightly more top heavy.

Thats this guy:

But not.

Thats the funky theory about the Void feind, its the Commando from Risk of Rain 1, similar design, clearly never made it home and this answers why, purposely freeing Acrid, the lizard acid dog who helped Commando in cannon and then there's a actual reason for why void creatures would capture them.

Its the same reason as Acrid, they killed a GOD, a GOD who was stopping the Void from encroaching on the planet, this garden of eden made by Providence burned to the ground by a single human and a beast.

They just shoved Acrid in a box not thinking too much about him but Commando? He was intelligent, a veteran of combat, a god slayer. They put him through simulations, he would live through hell again and again and again only to remember everything each time he went through another one. Each time he "escaped" he would just have all the trauma, the violence, the fear the deaths forced back into his head, the void seeping into his body, transforming him until he just broke out.

It ripped its way through the void, yearning for escape, it even knocked the cage loose for Acrid so it to could escape the void until it broke free, once a man who slayed a god, who left a planet soulless, heartless, empty, taken by things beyond his understanding and forced to relieve its own torment and hell over and over again ripped its way out of that and escaped and now is dedicated to slaying the beasts who ruined him, its no longer even human in a literal sense anymore, it didn't think itself human after what it did just to survive. It can't even be considered human ever again now. Literally every shred of humanity torn away leaving a seething creature only capable of violence in its wake.

Love this character.

[kingwuko]

Also I've made a post about this before but aside from Airbender Wu I'm obsessed with the idea that canon nonbender Wu has the potential to be a competent badass like Asami but different, in his own style.

And I actually got this idea during the clip show episode and the wuko segments, when it occurred to me that Mako is probably training him to fight the way Mako himself learned to fight.

And I don't think that fighting style fits Wu's mindset, temperament, build, anything really, it's a style informed by street fighting and firebending, two things Wu could not be further removed from.

He's an earth kingdom prince used to fine silks and jewelry, expertly moving about the world with the grace and balance of a dancer even when confronted with physical aggression...

Say, doesn't that sound familiar to anyone else?

I'm just saying, he could be the earth kingdom royal to denounce the Dai Li and bring the Kyoshi Warriors to the forefront of their culture.

By becoming one himself.

When it comes to Wu learning to defend himself and fight, I have two favorite hc.

1. Yes yes yes to Wu training with Kyoshi Warriors. I will say that I'm hesitant to have him become a Kyoshi Warrior, because Kyoshi Warriors are women. (Though if people have hc about Wu's gender being different, that's certainly worth exploring!) But much like Sokka was permitted to train with them, I see no reason why Wu couldn't learn from them as well! I think if given the opportunity, Wu would pick up the fighting style quite well. The method of fighting practiced by the Kyoshi warriors, and originally taught to them by Rangi herself, is focused on turning your enemy's strength against them. Seems like an excellent style for Wu, as he's built much more slender. I think he'd be into the overall aesthetics, too. I also love the idea of some Kyoshi warriors becoming his royal guard and replacing the role of the Dai Li.

2. Training with Asami. Asami has taken formal self defense lessons since she was a child. She has the technical know how of self defense and since she learned it formally, I think she would be excellent at teaching it formally. To further my Asami-teaching-Wu propaganda, check out the description of Asami as a teacher from the Avatar Legends Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide:

As a teacher, Asami is encouraging and supportive—she prizes an individual’s own inventiveness when channeled appropriately, far more than her own ideas. When it comes to the overall tone and style of mastery conditions set to PCs, Asami will emphasize thought over force, clever ideas over direct results. Asami wants those who learn from her to see how problems can be solved in many ways, and there’s nearly always a better way, in addition to seeing how they can help others and don’t always have to solve the problem on their own.

I just feel like Asami would make a good, patient teacher, I think her formal training would translate well into teaching skills, I think she might actually appreciate Wu's creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, AND I think her foundation in self defense would be ideal for Wu to learn. I don't see him needing to be a fighter in the thick of battle right alongside the rest of Team Avatar, but he should certainly learn to hold his own to protect his own life and limb.

Regardless of how Wu learns self defense and/or martial arts, we can all agree on one thing, I'm sure. Mako is a terrible person to be teaching him. He was literally the worst teacher in Remembrances lol like what was he even doing. And you're right, his style of fighting does not match the kind of fighting that Wu should learn or that he would be able to master.

That's ok. Mako can cheer him on from the sidelines!

[coochiequeens]

Women's sports is for women. Subpar or older male athletes can try something else or just retire with dignity

By Amy HammJuly 30, 2024

The Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) has issued a six-month suspension to Anne Andres, a trans identified male competing in women’s powerlifting, for uttering threats and engaging in a campaign of harassment towards several women and sports officials.

Andre’s six-month suspension was recommended by ITP Sports, an arbitrator brought in by the CPU after Andres targeted several women, as well at the Alberta Powerlifting Union (APU), and the CPU, with abuse, death threats, and harassment. In their disciplinary ruling, made based on the decisions of a panel, the CPU deemed Andres’ words “harmful, disparaging, insulting, or otherwise negative.”

In his response to the original complaint which led to his suspension, Andres simply said “Fuck the APU.” They noted that Andres demonstrated “a lack of remorse” despite having removed several of his harassing posts from his social media accounts.

Andres’ conduct included threatening to commit suicide if the APU refused to comply with his demands, lying about having been banned from the female sports category, and bullying and harassing the APU’s executive board.

See rest of article

By Sarah Ditum AUGUST 2, 2024   

It looked like a man punching a woman. Algeria’s Imane Khelif, at 5’10”, is only two inches taller than Italy’s Angela Carini; but watching the two in the ring of the women’s 66kg boxing at the Olympics, the difference between them was painfully obvious. Khelif’s hard, rangy body had more reach, and more power. After taking two ferocious blows, Carini abandoned the bout, receiving the final result in devastated tears.

It looked like a man punching a woman because, according to the International Boxing Association, Khelif is not a woman. In 2023, Khelif was disqualified from the World Boxing Championships along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting  — “a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition”. This decision was based, not on testosterone levels, but on “a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential”.

A Russian-language statement (the IBA is Russian-led) put it more bluntly: “Based on the results of DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to deceive their colleagues and pretended to be women. Based on the results of the tests, it was proven that they have XY chromosomes.” Lin did not appeal, while Khelif initiated an appeal and then withdrew it, meaning that in both cases, the judgement became legally binding.

See rest of article

[swiftsaltsweet]

The Hunt for Kyoshi: Chapter 7-Moonlight Tryst

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

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:  

“What are we going to do?” She asked steely, still not looking up from the ground. She was ready to uphold her duty, or at least, what remained of it. “We need you to capture Kyoshi,” Jianzhu instructed. “Capture?” “Yes, we need to set an example of an Avatar murderer,” Jianzhu responded, oh so matter of factly again.

(Canon Divergent AU- “What if Rangi wasn’t there when Kyoshi ran away, and Rangi had to hunt her down?)

Prev chapter

Other Sites: AO3 and Fanfic.net

A/N: Hey look! I slowed down enough to take a second and actually name my chapters TT0TT (not sure if you get notifications for that but…..sorry u_u)

Sorry for the delay in releasing the chapter btw, I started writing ch 9 (which was originally ch 8) and then had to pivot. And then got sick on the vacation (and thus was not really doing anything but existing lol) and fdksljaflkjaf now I’m back and just running around. 

Anyway RIP to Kyoshi, poor girl can’t breathe without people reading it the wrong way

________

It was very clear to Kyoshi, she and her new team were not in a good position. Kyoshi hadn’t thought to pack any rations or supplies in her delirious state at the mansion. Only contents from her room and chest. And even then, she’d apparently forgotten a shoe she meant to pack.

The rest of the team hadn’t had a chance to grab anything from Cameleon Bay either. No supplies, no food, no money. It was like she was flung back exactly nine years into the past, like a homeless orphan on the street. 

“We need a score,” was all Kirima said, as she leaned back into the saddle. “Hujiang’s too far, and we need supplies…stat!”

“Hujiang?” Kyoshi asked. She’d never heard of such a place.

“It’s a secret daofei gathering place,” Wong explained. “It’s not on any maps. You’d only know about it if you traveled in daofei circles. We keep it well hidden for a reason.”

“The best jobs would be there, but we need a job now because we’re in dire straits thanks you to!” Lek yelled from the reigns. 

Kyoshi flexed her jaw, but remained silent. Neutral jing, neutral jing. She kept repeating.

It wasn’t entirely her fault, but she didn’t help the situation back in Chameleon Bay. That being said, they also would’ve been stuck there without her and Pengpeng. 

However, she didn’t need to defend herself, as Kirima was the one who came to her defense. 

“We wouldn’t have a bison now without her, you know?” 

Lek pouted, almost looking a little guilty. The boy had been the most attached to Pengpeng since she had joined the group. Everyone loved Pengpeng if she was being honest. Kyoshi was the one that dampened the mood, but that was something she’d grown accustomed to over the years with the villagers. It didn’t seem to annoy her that much, since she realized she had a really good bargaining chip she could use. 

“What are we going to do?” Kyoshi asked, a bit concerned about what Kirima meant by ‘score.’

“It’s exactly what I meant.” Kyoshi continued to give her a confused look. “We’re going to break into a joint and steal.”

Kyoshi’s stomach twisted into a knot, this was exactly why she hated daofei. They just took things that weren’t theirs. But perhaps she couldn’t judge, she used to do the same in Yakoya when she was a starving child. She even kept a coin from an offering box she stole from, too guilty to spend it and too scared to bring it back. 

“We aren’t going to hurt anyone, right?” She wasn’t prepared to hurt innocents on her revenge quest, at least not yet. The thought of being able to made her nauseous, but she knew it would most likely be a reality she must face at some point.

“Of course not, dear!” Lao Ge spoke up. “That would defeat the purpose of us being sneaky. Plus, what kind of scum would we be if we just harmed laymen willy-nilly?” 

The other three members nodded, to Kyoshi’s surprise. Well, her mother’s journal did say they were a smuggling operation. Maybe they weren’t the worst kind of daofei? Like they weren’t the violent kind? 

Kyoshi inwardly grimaced as she remembered two of Kirima’s stunts with Rangi, contradicting her earlier thought and making her rethink her perspective on the group. She may have to get back at the waterbender some time for that. Especially for the second offense.

Oh, right. Rangi. 

Kyoshi rubbed her face in exasperation, then winced when she accidentally touched the bruised spot on her jaw where Rangi had headbutted her. 

“I can fix that for you later if you want. After the job, and after we get something to eat. I need energy,” Kirima told Kyoshi, receiving a muttering thanks from the tall girl.

What am I going to do about her? She thought, her mind back on Rangi. 

There were five constants in this world of theirs. The sun will rise tomorrow, there will always be taxes, death is inevitable, and the Avatar would be reincarnated. And the fifth, and unknown to most people, was “If Rangi makes a promise, she will deliver.” 

Kyoshi’s stomach curled inward. It wasn’t if she was ever going to see Rangi again, but when. 

Kyoshi leaned her head back on the saddle and let the cool air flow over her as she steeled her resolve. Ok, next time I see her, I’m going to tell her everything!

She tried to picture how the conversation would go.

“Rangi! I’m the Avatar! Please don’t throw fireballs at my face! It’s against your duty!”

“Rangi, listen! Jianzhu killed Yun and Kelsang, I need you to join me on a quest to get revenge and kill him myself!”

Kyoshi curled in on herself. The more she thought about it, the more the idea sounded cringey and horrible. Rangi wasn’t going to believe her if she just blurted that out, who would? If anything she might get angrier. She’d need to use such a method as a last resort. 

She also couldn’t just go around yelling about how she’s the Avatar, especially with the way her bending was. 

My bending. She groaned. She’d convinced the rest of the Flying Opera Company to teach them their forms in exchange for Pengpeng’s services, even Kirima. Though Kirima was very confused why an earthbender would want to know waterbending forms, Kyoshi’s excuse that ‘wisdom can be gleaned from every nation’ tied her over well. 

But that type of training wasn’t going to start until they were in a more stable position. Which meant, the faster they got their ‘score’ over with, the faster Kyoshi could get her revenge. 

“So, what’s the plan, where are we going?”

_______________________________

The group hid on the outskirts of Youke village, a decent sized village where travelers frequently passed through. It wasn’t supremely wealthy, but it did contain enough riches to hold the group over.

Their first order of business was food. Luckily, there was a lake and large stream nearby the cave they hid Pengpeng in. Kirima got to fishing, with Lek starting the fire. Wong and Kyoshi were in charge of carrying and cooking the meat, and Lao Ge was…..well…. He was there. Sometimes they’d see him by Pengpeng, feeding her various greens and feed he must’ve sneaked off to forage for her.

While Kyoshi and Wong prepared the food, Lek and Kirima wandered off south of the village. When they came back, their hands were full of bundles of black clothing.

“What’s that?” Kyoshi asked as she twirled one of the fish sticks over the fire. 

“Our disguises,” Kirima said. “We normally wear make-up for jobs, but, well, we don’t have any.”

Kyoshi stood up in surprise. “Wait, I think I have some!”

Lek’s ears perked up, but became sullen with Krimia’s next words. “No, that’s yours. We can’t take it. At least not yet. Plus, it would be worse luck for us to wear our face with someone who hasn’t taken the code yet, than us not wearing it on a job at all.”

Kyoshi blinked. Code? Oh, right. The code her mother had written about in her journal. It was a ritual to join the Flying Opera Company, many oaths had to be taken. “Then, let me take the oaths now!”

“No.”

“Wha-why not?!” 

“You need to earn our trust, kid. And this,” Kirima threw a stack of clothes at Kyoshi. “Is your initiation.” 

______________________________________________

“This one looks good,” Lao Ge eyed a scroll in his hand. 

It had been about a day or so since they had been in Youke village, and since they’d been scoping out the place. The team had decided on how to split things up.

Lek and Wong would scope out places that had money and various treasures. Kirima would handle places with make-up, and if time sufficed, medical supplies as well. Kyoshi thought the priority for Kirima’s part should’ve been reversed, but she held her tongue. 

That left Kyoshi and Lao Ge, who decided to scope out bookstores and libraries. Lao Ge had made a convincing argument that wealth can be found in knowledge or something or other. 

Kyoshi glanced at the scroll in his hand, it looked like some kind of government document on wells or something. She frowned. “That’s not a bending scroll”

Lao Ge had made special mention that one of the reasons they were doing this was so they could gather special bending scrolls for Kyoshi. Any kind, really, she needed all the help she could get. But they were especially in dire need for air and fire scrolls. So far, they've had no luck.

“I know, but there’s something special in this one. Maybe not for you, but for the group!” He hid the scroll behind a shelf, probably to find later that night.

They walked around the store a few more times before it felt like they were drawing too much attention by just looking rather than buying, and left. 

The duo walked by an inn, where two older women appeared to be gossiping. 

“Oh I just hope that girl can find her in-law soon!” The woman with a fan cried, fanning herself for dramatic effect. 

“It’s such a shame when a family gets separated!” The other woman dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.

“Oh I know, sometimes I think my husband is still shaken up from when-”

The conversation became harder to hear as they got farther away, which was pretty far. Those two women were very loud. She looked back, and saw the inn and noticed various windows were open due to the heat. She made a mental note, in case she needed to hide away in a room tonight.

“Worry not, little disciple.” He waved a hand at her, getting her attention back. “Just go to that bookshelf on the far right side, I think it’ll have what you’re looking for.”

Kyoshi hadn’t looked in that section of the store, that had been Lao Ge’s side, but she could only take his word for it. “Thank you, Sifu.”

“And don’t feel too nervous, we’re just here for a quick hit and we’ll be gone. As long as you don’t sell us out, or get captured, it’ll be fine.”

Despite his intent, his words didn’t settle Kyoshi’s nerves down.

_______

Kyoshi finally understood why her outfit had a lot of bands around the arms and legs. It was to to pocket stuff into her clothes, and for the items to stay there more easily.

She and Lao Ge, and the rest of the Flying Opera Company, were dressed like stereotypical thieves. Head completely covered except for the eyes. Lao Ge carrying a giant sack to fill their goods in. 

“No no! Put those in this bag, and stuff this in your tunic!” Lao Ge whispered as they cleared out sections of the bookstore. He’d made sure to gather the scrolls and books he put aside first. 

Kyoshi scanned the walls and noticed a few new scrolls that weren’t there that morning. Some with a lot more colorful binding. She grabbed them. 

“Ok we’re done here! Let’s get back!” Lao Ge yell-whispered to Kyoshi. 

Kyoshi nodded, stuffing the last of the scrolls that took her fancy into her tunic, and carrying the rest in her arms. Lao Ge heaved the giant bag onto his back, and they slowly squeezed it out of the window.

The quiet night was broken with whistles and alarms in the air. 

“Quick! Get her!” A commanding voice called in the dark, it made Kyoshi stiffen in response.

“Tch,” Lao Ge got into a bending position. “Looks like Kirima got spotted. Listen, stay on the roof and out of the light. Just focus on making your way back to camp!”

“But how am I going to get on the ro-” Kyoshi swallowed her scream as she saw Lao Ge’s foot come down and launched her into the air. She landed on a nearby roof with a soft thud. 

Kyoshi gripped the uneven tiles as her foot rested on the gutter, trying to steady herself before pulling herself up. 

A little more warning could’ve been nice. She thought, annoyed. 

She stood up slowly, until she was in a stable half-crouching position, and slowly moved her way over the roofs. Staying out of the light wasn’t too hard, as the giant moon was obscured by clouds for the time being.

She was surprised to find she was more athletic than she realized, as she was able to clear gaps in the roof with a jump, small or long. Or perhaps it was just the benefit her height and the close proximity of the roofs had. Either way, it made her feel good in a way.

She moved swiftly through the darkness, surprised to see her servant training and light footsteps coming in handy. 

She was about three-fourths through her route when she saw guards appearing on the street below. Kyoshi cursed to herself. She’d been so lucky up until now. All the ruckus was on the other end of the town. If the guards were here, either the other  members had shaken them loose, or some guards had wisened up and thought to check for other members around the city. 

As Kyoshi wondered if she should stay where she was at, or continue onward, the moon decided for her. It started peaking through the clouds, if she stayed she would most definitely be spotted. She looked at her surroundings and noticed the inn from earlier. Unlike that morning, most of the windows were closed now, except for one. 

She took a deep breath, and started running and bounding to the door as quietly as she could. Her foot slipped slightly on the roof tile just as she jumped through the window, just enough that it made a sound. 

She slipped behind the window and sneakily looked out. The guards were whipping their heads back and forth.

“Did you hear that?” One said.

“Yeah but I don’t see anything,” said the other.

“Maybe it was a mouse cat?” The first one offered. 

After a few moments, they finally started to walk away. Kyoshi finally let out the breath she’d been holding. She was lucky that this inn happened to be here with a vacant room. At least , she assumed it was vacant. What kind of sane person would keep their window open while they occupied it? 

They must’ve left it open to keep the air circulating. 

But Kyoshi’s moment of reverie in her escape was put to a halt by the sound of sharp small breaths.

Someone’s in here! She whipped around to look, but she was met with pure darkness. Oh now you go back behind the clouds! She cursed at the moon. 

The sharp breaths continued, at first Kyoshi thought it was a person, then an angry spirit. Now, she realized they sounded familiar. She wasn’t sure where to place where she’d heard it from. 

“Kyoshi….” she heard a familiar voice whisper in the dark. Hearing her name caused Kyoshi to lurch. 

Unsure whether to run backward or take a step forward, her feet accidentally entangled themselves over each other, with her body decidedly flying forward. She caught herself with her left foot after a huge step forward, but the momentum got her again and she needed to bring her right foot forward to balance herself out.

Her right foot, however, connected with something on the ground in front of her, and caused Kyoshi to fall tail over teakettle over the object on the ground. She landed upside down on her shoulders, as she heard the voice gasp in pain. 

Kyoshi scrambled, rolling herself over, and attempted to sneak into the shadows as the light of the moon came back. Damn it! That thing has it out for me!

She pulled her leg back, but not fast enough before the figure, their features cast in shadow in front of the moonlight, turned their head. 

There was a flick of a wrist, and a flame torch appeared in the figure’s hand. Kyoshi stared in the eyes of her second worst fear. She was alone in a room with Rangi.

______

Kyoshi needed to reevaluate her friend’s ability to keep a promise. Apparently, she was as quick as she was capable of delivering on them. 

Kyoshi froze, gripping at the loose scrolls in her arms. 

Is it better she can’t recognize me in this get up? Or is it worse? Was the only thought that went through her mind. She decided on ‘worse’ because in the time it’d take for her to reveal her identity, Rangi would’ve already turned her into barbecue pork shrimp.

But as Rangi slowly analyzed Kyoshi, she stopped at her face and her features became soft. “K…Kyoshi?” she whispered.

Really?! I know there’s not a lot of ‘almost seven feet tall’ people in the Earth Kingdom, but surely I’m not the only one! Kelsang and Wong were around her height too!

But Kyoshi’s frantic train of thought came to a halt when she really took a look at Rangi’s appearance.

Rangi didn’t have her armor on, instead she was just dressed down to her sleeveless white tunic and under shorts that fell short on her upper thigh. 

Her eyes were slightly glazed, as if she was half awake. Her cheeks had a slight sheen to them, as if fresh tears had just been spilt. She also had a large bruise formed across her face accompanied by a busted lip.

Yeah, I’m going to get Kirima back for that.

The most important thing she noticed from Rangi was, she wasn’t attacking her. Kyoshi’s eyes widened in surprise. This was her chance! 

Kyoshi shifted the scrolls so that all the loose ones were being held by her left hand, then she scrambled to face Rangi and close the distance.

“Rang, I have something to tell you, please listen!” Kyoshi took her right hand and cupped Rangi’s face, wiping away some of the wetness. Rangi flinched a bit, but didn’t move away, her eyes were still wide and glazy. “Jianzhu he-”

There was a sudden crash that shook the room, and in an instant the room was illuminated with new light. 

Kyoshi turned around. Guardsmen stood at what used to be the entrance to the room, a giant hole cratering the frame. Light from the hallway spilt into the once darkened room.

Kyoshi looked at the men, who bore a shocked expression that matched her own. After a brief standoff, Kyoshi’s brain came to a screeching halt. She realized what the men saw.

There was an unknown person, dressed as a stereotypical thief, in a dark room with the window open. With said thief’s hand on what appeared to be a defenseless, half dressed, and crying woman. 

To her horror, Kyoshi painfully realized how much of a prowler she really looked liked.  

Kyoshi's brain went into overdrive, a scream stopped midway up her throat by her heart. Sweat was pooling all around her body. She was sure the spirits had it out for her, why else was everything going so sideways? Did one of her past lives screw the spirits over so bad they had to curse her? Was it Kuruk? She bet it was Kuruk.

She pulled her hand away from Rangi, and put her hands up in a surrendering pose. “I-uh, it’s not what it looks-” Kyoshi’s eyes widened and her body moved instinctively in front of Rangi, as she saw the guards bending a giant earth boulder. 

“M-miscreant!” One yelled in a high pitched voice, before hurling the rock at the two girls. “Lech! Intruder! You despicable fiend!”

Kyoshi quickly pushed Rangi out of the way of the boulder and dove past her, saving them from the boulder. Then she made a break for the window. The boulder left a giant crater in the floor, and Kyoshi could hear disgruntled voices from the room below. At the same time she registered that, she also heard a slam and a clattering. Kyoshi was sure she may have thrown Rangi too hard and her poor friend had hit the wall. 

Kyoshi was sure that wasn’t going to help Rangi’s mood, but at least Rangi wasn’t crushed. Definitely lost some friend points there. She grimaced to herself as she jumped out the window and onto the roof.

She started running down the rooftop when alarms and sirens started to blare in her direction. Great.

With no need for stealth, she began sprinting to the nearest rooftops, light be damned.

As she bounded her way over roof tops, she realized she heard a whooshing sound. She risked a chance to look back, to see a very angry Rangi hot on her heels. She was using that new jet-stepping move she created back in Chameleon Bay to make her way across the rooftop gaps. 

“Gah! I’m sorry!” Kyoshi yelled. Hoping the blanketed apology would balm whatever rage her friend was in. Instead it acted more like gasoline on a fire.

“YOU’RE SORRY?!” Rangi roared incredulously. Kyoshi felt a weird pull from her left side, and quickly leaned to the right to avoid it. 

Great, now she’s chucking fireballs.

A candle went off in Kyoshi’s head. Wait, I felt the fire! I can sense that element! M-maybe if I firebend, that’ll stop her! Yelling her Avatar status might not be a good idea, but maybe showing it would be. Especially since she had a firebender near her that they could use as a cover-up!

As she ran and dodged the oncoming fireballs, she kept trying to perform a fire fist. C’mon, just a little flame! A spark! Anything!

But no matter how many punches or swings she made, she just couldn’t get a flame to burst from her fist. Ah, forget it! Seeing the futility in her efforts, she swung her fist down and behind her as she ran.

She felt something respond to her motion, a different kind of pull. Kyoshi watched in horror as a giant chunk of the ground from below, followed her arm motion and shot right into the rooftop behind her. It decimated the rooftop, knocking Rangi’s feet out from under her and knocking her off the roof. Rangi locked eyes with Kyoshi, a look of surprise and betrayal on her face, before she was soon sent barreling towards the ground.  

Kyoshi could feel the blood leaving her face as she painked and quickly threw her arms up into the Soft Bridge position. Hoping either the ground would soften, or a pillar would come up and meet Rangi before she fell too far. 

Her bending took the form of the latter. A giant pillar shot up from the ground at a rapid pace, meeting Rangi mid air. Rangi hit the pillar with a resounding THWACK. Arms and legs sprawled out like she was performing a belly flop in the water. 

The pillar shot up higher than the tallest building nearby, due to Kyoshi’s lack of control, and only stopped when the pillar was perfectly framed in front of the moon. Almost like the moon itself was mocking her.

Kyoshi didn’t move, she just stared with an expression mixed with deadpan and terror. It felt like an eternity as she saw Rangi’s hand slowly appear and grip the edge of the pillar, and then pull her head over the edge to look at Kyoshi. 

Fresh blood trickled down her nose and forehead from where she made contact with the pillar. Rangi’s face bore an expression that walked the lines of absolute contempt and “You HAVE GOT to be kidding me!” 

Kyoshi felt sweat pooling down her body as her anxiety increased. Yeah…… I can’t salvage this. And then started sprinting harder than she ever had before. Sprinting over the last few rooftops, and having to haphazardly bend a too high of an earth slide to tumble down to get to the bottom.

 

As she rolled she could hear Rangi screaming her name. She was far back, but Kyoshi could tell she was gaining. Kyoshi opted for a riskier route, and cut through the nearby lake. She earthbent a sloppy, giant bridge out from the water.

Kyoshi quickly scrambled across, and as she did, she could see the rest of her team just over the hill; they quickly maneuvered Pengpeng to get closer.

Kyoshi looked back as she ran up the hill, Rangi was now crossing her bridge. Kyoshi, in a panic, threw her hands down into Subduing Bridge, and the earth quickly retreated right beneath Rangi’s feet, causing her to fall into the water. 

She could hear the Fly Opera Company yelling for her, and she pushed herself into a full sprint. She heard Lek call for Pengpeng to take off just as she felt something cool wrap around her waist as someone earthbent a launch pad beneath her feet.

Kyoshi was flung through the air, but was gently pulled into the saddle by Kirima’s waterbending. Kyoshi was surprised to find herself still holding onto all the scrolls she’d taken, none had left her tunic or grasp since she sprinted out of the hotel. 

Kyoshi looked down and saw Rangi just reaching them as they were well into the air. She saw Rangi let off some sparks in frustration, before she completely disappeared from sight behind the clouds they’d ascended too. 

I’m really in the gopher dog house now…. Kyoshi thought, gasping for air after the intense chase.

When she turned around, everyone, sans Lao Ge, was giving her the biggest side eye she’d ever seen. 

“So, quick question,” Lek started, sizing Kyoshi up. “Why was your ex chasing you half-naked?”

Kyoshi’s only response was throwing the scrolls in their faces. 

____

A/N: FOC: What were you doing on the job????Kyoshi: It’s not what you think! Nothing happened! TT0TT And she’s not “half naked”, she’s just wearing PJs! ….I think…..FOC: You’re just raising more questions than answers!

More comedy of errors on Kyoshi’s side, rip Kyo enjoy it while it lasts, cause when the shoe drops well…. u_u

Anyway, Jianzhu chapter next 8U (now you know why it’s been a struggle TT0TT)

[thekingofgear]

Jonny’s Summer 2023 Guitar Pedalboard

Jonny about to stomp on a pedal during the Smile's show at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City in late-June, 2023 (elamplimx).

With Radiohead, Jonny is known for very slowly adding pedals to his setup. While Ed often has half a dozen new pedals for a new album tour, Jonny often adds only one (such as his Headrush in 2000 or his Freeze in 2012). And when Jonny swaps out a pedal for a similar one (like one tremolo for another tremolo), it’s usually only when his old pedals are too worn out for touring (such as his original Whammy WH1 and vintage RE-201 Space Echos). One might think Jonny keeps the old pedals around because, since Kid A, he’s often playing other instruments. However, at live shows Jonny is still happy to replicate some recorded sounds on guitar, whether it be the filtered samples on Feral (using volume pedal, Whammy, and phaser) or the col lengo strings on Burn The Witch (using Whammy, overdrive, and a cello bow). It’s clear he enjoys getting the most out of those pedals in that specific arrangement.

But with The Smile, Jonny has been swapping in new pedals pretty regularly. In 2022, Jonny was experimenting constantly, sometimes adding new pedals for only a couple of days before swapping in a replacement. He quickly eschewed some of the Radiohead-favorites heard during the earliest Smile streams, such as his Small Stone, Tremulator, and OD3. In their place came flangers, compressors, and expression pedals: types of pedals he’d never used with Radiohead.

However, it seems like Jonny found a setup he was fairly happy with by the end of the fall 2022 tour. His latest live board is quite similar to the one used during March 2023 recording sessions for the band's upcoming second album, but even so there are a couple surprises!

A photo of Jonny's guitar board at Philadelphia's Franklin Music Hall on July 8, 2023 (photo by Gio H.). He used this setup for the band's North American tour spanning 14 shows in June and July.

Guitar ->

Peterson StroboStomp HD tuner

MXR Dyna Comp compressor

EHX Freeze Sound Retainer

EHX Pitchfork pitch shifter

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

EQD Hizumitas fuzz

Telenordia/Tortenmann TA-24 Treble Booster

Boss DD-200 delay

Akai Headrush E2 delay/looper

Boss RE-202 Space Echo delay/reverb

EQD Pyramids flanger

Toadworks True Bypass (laptop send/return loop)

Lehle P-Split III signal splitter (A/B) <

(A) Radial JDI Stereo direct box < Radial Ch1 LOW-Z output -> FOH Mixer Radial Ch1 THRU output -> Fender ’65 Reissue Super Reverb

(B) Strymon Iridium -> Radial JDI Stereo direct box (Ch2 LOW-Z output) -> FOH Mixer

The small lamp over the board is a Mighty Bright HammerHead music stand light.

Jonny previously used a Peterson StroboStomp HD with his Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 on the Smile's 2022 tour. But this is the first time he’s been seen with one on his guitar board. It replaces the Boss TU2 he’s used since the earliest Smile shows.

The Telenordia Treble Booster is borrowed from Thom. The Telenordia is still marked with Thom’s guitar settings, from when he used it on You Will Never Work In Television Again during December 2021 rehearsals.

Thom stomping on Jonny's current Telenordia Treble Booster during a rehearsal on December 2, 2021 (youtube).

On Radiohead tours since OK Computer, Jonny has always brought a Vox AC30 — an amplifier well-known for its low and mid gain sounds. With an AC30, Jonny can get different flavors of overdrive by balancing between clipping from the pedal (using the pedal’s gain control) and clipping from the amp (using the pedal’s volume/boost control). And of course, he’d use his separate Shredmaster+Eighty-Five chain for heavy distortion on older songs.

But on tour with the Smile, Jonny has been using a Fender ’65 Reissue Super Reverb, an amp with much more headroom than the Vox thanks to a combination of higher wattage and negative feedback. As a result, we hear the overdrive pedal’s sound more clearly — the Boss SD1’s mid-rangy sound is especially noticeable on live versions of Thin Thing. So it makes sense that even Jonny would want to experiment with multiple dirt pedals for different flavors.

Jonny was first seen using an MXR Dyna Comp in a rehearsal photo, most likely taken when preparing for the fall 2022 tour (despite being posted in 2023). Thom and Ed have both previously used the pedal as well. Thom toured with a Dyna Comp only briefly before switching to his current Telenordia Kompressor. So it's interesting that Jonny first toured with a Kompressor (last year), but has gone the other way and switched to a Dyna Comp.

For those curious about the rhythmic delay setting marked on Jonny’s Akai Headrush E2, check out behind-the-scenes photos from The Smile’s Tiny Desk show. However, so far we’ve still only heard the pedal used as a looper.

Placing his Boss RE-202 after his Headrush allows Jonny to add ambient effects to his loops, as he does during the live outro of Skirting On The Surface.

Jonny first used a Strymon Iridium at a performance of Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint at the Hidden Notes festival on September 25, 2022. For that show, it replaced his amp. But with the Smile, he’s using it as a backup for his Super Reverb.

A photo of Jonny's pedalboard from a November 2022 show in Anthem, DC (Facebook).

UPDATE: we originally listed the Telenordia TA-24 Treble Booster as a Telenordia TA-100 Overdrive. Thank you to Kayky for noticing!

[aiylabaysal]

@faerietothe-otherside RANGI & AIYLA

There hadn't been enough time between her attack and the Ball. She'd had no time to properly thank Rangi for saving her life. Aiyla wasn unsure how to repay something like that, it was impossible she knew. A life for a life even one that can come back again and again the idea of dying again made her sick, she didn't know if she could do this again. The gamble of fate of where she would end up- no. She couldn't think of it, but she could thank the woman who had made it possible for her to draw another breath. "You could have died." Aiyla knew it was obvious, "Chasing after at Catalyst it-" She shook her head free of the violent imagery. She wanted to know everything, but first she pulled a small box from her basket by her feet, "I don't know how I'll ever thank you enough Rangi. You saved my life and have continued to risk yours for this Court and and the whole town." She turned the box over gingerly, "This is the smallest token of what it means to me. What you mean to me and this Court." She turned the box over to Rangi and inside was a small hand carved jewlery box inlayed with mother pearl. "It was my sisters. It is believed mother of pearl heightens intution, psychic abilities and imagination...it's also supposed to protect from negative energy. I'm sure there is more, but I want you to have it."

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

The brainrot is rotting but do y'all see the vision????

[foibles-fables]

might finally dip my toes into writing for the avatarverse…….anyone got any rangshi drabble prompts to help me practice and get my bearings 👀👀

[faerietothe-otherside]

Hidden in a corner of Mason’s room, Dhruv found a memory box that belonged to Rangi. In it are a bunch of photos, little notes Mason wrote to give to Rangi at some point, funny fortune cookie fortunes (eg: this cookie is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down), ticket stubs from various places like the arcade and movies, a moth necklace that reminded them of her wings (which was meant to be birthday present)…and many more things that he collected over time.

[islandtarochips]

Puberty

Serah, Sami’s wife, talking about dealing with their daughter’s puberty: It won’t be THAT bad. You told me that you and your other brothers dealt with TIALA’S puberty while your parents were off-island.

Sami: Yeah…BARELY.

~in the past~

Tiala, 11-years-old, as she was holding a TAMPON: What do you MEAN every MONTH?!?

Hōne, sweating a lot: S-Sis. That’s a GLORY of being a WOMAN! That’s what mom said!

Tiala, threw the tampon at his face: I’m NOT using these! *then threw a box of it at his face*

Tiala: I’m NEVER using these!

Hōne: OOF!

Tiala: *was about to sit on the white couch*

Hōne: !!! NO!

Tiala: *sat down*

Hōne: ………Mama is SO gonna kill me.

~few months later~

Tiala, 12-years-old, pointing on her chest: THIS ISN’T BIG THEY’RE GONNA GET?!?

Rangi: *was sobbing while trying to staple at her* 😭

~another few months later~

Tiala, 13-years-old, was crying as she got a zit: I’M HIDEOUS!!! 😭😭😭

Sami, sweat a bit: T-Tia, you can’t even SEE it. It’s PRETTY…

Kanoa, walked in while drinking his soda before seeing Tiala’s zit: WOW! Hey, sis! Your cheeks PREGNANT! Who’s the FATHER? Touching your cheek all day with your GREASY hands?🤣🤣🤣

Tiala: ……………*grabbed Kanoa by his shirt and threw him out through the window*

Kanoa: AAAAAHHHH!!! *crashed through the windows*

Sami: 😨

~back to the present~

Serah: 🫢……and she was ONLY 13?

Sami: Surprisingly and horrifyingly? …yes😓

Arthur’s Note: Sami is PRAYING that BOTH of his daughters are not like their Aunt😅

Characters:

Tiala “Shark” Toa -> Me

Hōne Toa -> Me

Rangi Toa -> Me

Sami Toa -> Me

Serah Johnson Toa -> Me

Kanoa Toa -> Me

Inspo Vid:

[naamahdarling]

i went to the big box pet store today and they were doing an adoption fair. and this little kitten, nine weeks old. made eye contact with me. meowed loudly and reached through the bars at me. the sign said his name was gummy bear. i wanted to bring him home so badly but we have a little old lady cat with arthritis who would not do well with a kitten in the house. so i had to leave him. gummy bear, i hope someone brought you home today.

Ohhhh Gummy Bear!!! I'm sure he's friendly enough to have found a family right away.

I had that experience a few weeks back, with this little black and white guy that I felt an immediate connection with. I wanted to go meet him so badly, but we have a more than ideal number already. The call was there, though. We stared at each other, really seeing each other, for several minutes. He was so handsome. A rangy, alert little thing, very long. Perfect black and white markings. I would have named him Mister Mistoffelees and made him a little vest covered in buttons. I really wanted to meet him.

[soapy-birblover]

“And there, slouching in a corner by the side-wall, a thin and rangy youth, hair spiked, hands in pockets, staring at me. He stood amidst a pile of discarded jars and boxes. He was as grey as the inhabitants of the dark village, except for his grin, which gleamed sardonically even in the swirling dusk and was somehow most familiar. He stretched out an arm and pointed behind me. I turned, saw the post and chain.”

Little bitch (affectionate)