#ryocos writes

[ryocos]

For @threehoursfromtroy. Thank you for being a staunch writer in the Korrasami fandom! You’ve been such a great influence in keeping the Korra community alive and well. Without people like you, this fandom surely wouldn’t be as great as it is today.

And Now My Favorite Color Is Blue

Rating: All

Slight AU. Avatar universe/setting, Korra and Asami have yet to meet. Divergence from canon meeting. Book 1 timeline, no Amon stuff.

Asami regretted her decision to join the gym as soon as she entered the double doors. A cloud of sweat and heat hit her like a satomobile, and she had yet to set foot in the gym. The front area had some seats, their fabrics worn down over the years from all the use and little care. The giant, wall to wall windows drained the color from the couches against the wall. Though, who would really want to sit in the sweltering heat of the sun beaming through the windows, while enjoying the musk of all the lads working out?

She could have decided to workout in her own private gym - a luxury afforded by her father and his company - but she already spent so much time alone. Either doing her work in her personal office, of training in her sparring in her very own sparring room. She ate dinner alone most nights as her father was far too busy with work to join in for more than it took to enjoy a few bites before running off to make another deal. It was all getting dull, and so very lonely. She really needed to get out of the house.

But looking out at the gym before her, she reconsidered her options. The cardio area seemed sparse compared to the weights section, where the men had gathered and were tossing weights around as if it were a competition. Asami felt as if she had just walked into a zoo, where the monkeys were throwing things around and howling out their personal bests.

She took up a spot in the corner, away from the chaos at the center of the weight floor. By now she had gotten used to the strange smells, and even the obnoxious heat paid her little problems. Working around cars at least had its perks, heat and cold were no problem to her. The sounds around her were startling, though, and she couldn’t help but jump at every loud clang of the weights.

Pushing all of that aside, she got to work. She was here to improve on her sparring capabilities, not dawdle at every sight and sound. She set to work on some simple shoulder exercises, and after a few minutes felt herself at ease. Maybe coming here wasn’t so much of a bad idea after all?

“You’re not doing that right, how about I give you a tip.” Asami felt the person before she even saw them as a man came up behind her. She spun around before he could grab ahold of her elbows in an attempt to dole out ‘advice’. He had placed himself so close she could feel his body heat radiating off of him.

“Excuse me?” Asami bit back, taking a few steps backwards to get the man out of her space. It was incredibly rude.

“You’re going to get too big doing stuff like that.” The man replied, trying again to get closer to show Asami how to do the exercise. He reached out to grasp Asami’s arm, intending to show her the ‘right’ way. “Guys don’t like that, you know.” Asami pulled her arm out of his reach easily, anger bubbling in her chest like molten fire.

He was cut off by a wicked punch to the arm. Asami blinked hard as she turned to see just what was going on. Striking handsome, tanned, and muscular, Asami thought at first that another one of these gym bros had interrupted the other, but upon a closer look it was not a gym bro. Well, at least not a conventional one.

“She doesn’t want any advice from you, chicken legs.” The tanned woman rubbed at her knuckles after the swift punishment she had just given. Her striking blue eyes stood out against the dirt and grit of the gym like a diamond in the rough, and despite the aggression, a smile lit her face like none she had ever seen.

“Back off Korra.” The man meekly said, despite his previous bravado. He was nursing his sore arm now.

“C’mon, leave the lady alone. Can’t have you scaring away all the pretty little things around here. All that we’ll have left will be the ugly mugs like you.” This woman, Korra as she had been called, turned to give Asami a small smile.

Pretty?! A faint blush ghosted over Asami’s face.

Before Asami could get a word in to thank the kind stranger, Korra was already pushing the guy along, back towards the chaos at the center of the gym where the other gym bros hooted and hollered at his failed flirting. Meanwhile, Korra seemed to still be chiding some of the men around her about not bothering the ladies around the gym.

Asami turned back towards her weights, feeling far more flustered than before. As she got back to her exercises she couldn’t help but keep glancing in the mirror, towards the direction of a beautiful, tanned woman.

~

Asami somehow found the time to make it to the gym, day after day and week after week, despite her work load with the family business. She tried to convince herself that she had just found a good groove at the gym. That the lifting was just a great way to relieve stress. That she was starting to enjoy the crowds and the old machinery…

She really tried to think that, but really. There was one reason she was still going, and she was big, buff, and tanned.

Korra, as she had learned, was actually the Avatar. The Avatar that had not been out of the Southern Water Tribe lands for years, and yet was now here working out at a random, run-down gym in Republic City. Perhaps Asami had just neglected the morning paper, but surely this would have been huge news?

In between sets Asami spent a lot of time observing the young Avatar. It was purely for business purposes, of course. A great business women and inventor needed to be curious and watchful. Korra was a bit awkward, yes, but she was amazingly kind and sweet. And that smile! That laugh! 

‘My team could use an Avatar.’ Asami would think to herself. ‘To add a benders’ perspective and showcase the new models, and maybe go out to lunch and…’

A flash of blue and Asami suddenly realized she had been staring. Very obviously. At Korra. Who had definitely noticed.

“Oh spirits.” The Inventor muttered under her breath as she spun around on her heel and began doing whatever machine was closest to her. 

~

Another week had passed, somehow without another embarrassing incident on Asami’s part. She would still sneak her coy glances at the tanned woman every now and again, but today was different. Today Korra wasn’t at the gym. 

‘I’m sure the Avatar has business she needs to attend to. The gm can’t be everything.’ Still, Asami chewed her lip as she continued her exercises.

Then another day went by, and another, and the young water tribe girl had yet to make another appearance. 

The gym just wasn’t the same without Korra around. The bro’s walked around unhindered, flirting freely and taking up much more space than they had before. And maybe it was just her imagination, but the gym seemed so much more dim.

Halfway through her workout, Asami decided it was time to go. Nothing felt right, the weights just felt too heavy and a cloud of worry fogged her mind. No progress was going to be made today.

On the way out she noticed an employee doodling at the front desk. It seemed like a long shot to ask, but it felt worth it to at least give it a shot.

“Hey, about the Avatar. About this tall,” Asami waved her hand a few inches shorter than the top of her head, “tanned, water tribe colors. Does she still attend this gym?”

At first the young man at the desk frowned. It surely was against company policy to talk about gym members, but recognition dawned over his face as he realized just who was speaking to him. “Oh, Mrs. Sato! Yes, uhm..” He pulled at the collar of his shirt as he worked up the nerve to fudge the rules just a little bit.

“You see, the Avatar, uh, Korra, she is delinquent on her membership fees… And, well, our policy and everything.” He looked back down at the paper he had previously been doodling on and quickly pushed it out of view. “We had to inform the Avatar she could no longer work out at this facility.” He finished quickly.

A long, pregnant pause followed.

“You’re telling me that you kicked THE Avatar out of the gym?” Asami carefully said.

“Er, my manager, yes.”

“The Avatar that could be a mascot for this gym? The Avatar that could be helping you gain new members?” 

“Mrs. Sato-”

“Korra, who could be the sole reason why I-, er, people would be working out at this gym?”

“Mrs. Sato!”

“I mean, why would anyone want to visit this gym now? It’s just not a sound business decision. If I were your manager, I would be letting Korra work out here for free. In fact, I’ll pay her membership fees right now! This place just isn’t as great without her-”

“Mrs. Sato!” The attendant finally managed to break Asami away from her small rant long enough to point just behind her. “Perhaps you would like to talk to her yourself rather than me.”

Asami froze while a cold sweat beaded at her forehead. Sure enough, turning to look behind her she found the woman herself, a light blush dusting her face as she played with a small bag in her hands.

“Thats… uh, well.” Korra began, one hand coming up to play with the bottom of her bangs. “I actually came back to pay my fees. I just barely got my money from the pro-bending stuff.” She scuffed a foot back and forth, her blush getting deeper as she spoke. “It took a little longer than I thought.”

It took every ounce of her courage to speak, but Asami managed to meekly hold her hand up. “No, no. Let me cover your fees.” The engineer thought she would faint from embarrassment as she gently pushed Korra’s outstretched hand, her tiny money bag clutched in her fist, back towards her chest. “I think you deserve spending your win on something else.” 

Without another word to Korra, Asami spun back towards the desk, quickly handing the man her business card. “Please inform your manager that I would like to negotiate paying for the Avatar’s gym fees for as long as she would like to attend this gym.” And with that, she did as any cool, calm, and collected business woman would do.

She ran out of the gym.

~

The next day was tough, but Asami managed to get herself to the gym. Despite her previous embarrassment and dread of having to face Korra again, she found herself scanning the gym for the aforementioned muscled woman who was nowhere to be found at the gym.

‘Great, you scared her off.’ Asami groaned as she slumped against the wall. A light tap on her shoulder made her jump nearly a foot into the air, but that mild scare was nothing compared to the flip her stomach did when she turned to face bright, blue eyes.

“Hey there Asami.” Korra said, a finger scratching at her own cheek. “I asked that guy what your name was.” She quickly added as Asami gaped, at a complete loss for words.

Korra pulled a hand out from behind her, a bouquet of bright red hibiscus clutched in trembling fingers. “I wanted to thank you for helping me out, and I was thinking that maybe we could go get some noodles together?”

Asami gently took the flowers and held them against her chest. She could feel herself blushing from head to toe at the accidental, huge compliment Korra had given her by choosing these flowers. 

“I would love to.” She finally managed. “These are absolutely beautiful, and really, one of my favorite flowers, thank you.”

Korra grinned, her features beaming. “It was a lucky guess really. I figured your favorite color was red and I went from there.”

Asami leaned her nose down into the flowers, letting their smell ease her rapidly beating heart. 

“Well, I’d say that now my favorite color is blue.”

[valiantalpacapeach]

Bold Tag

Rules: bold the statements that are true and tag 15 people.

I got tagged by the awesome @justteamavatar aka Mt. Makapu   XD  Thanks friend!

appearance:

I’m over 5'5 / I wear glasses/contacts / I have blond hair / I wear sweatshirts a lot / I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing / I have one or more piercings / I have at least one tattoo / I have blue eyes / I have dyed or highlighted my hair / I have gotten plastic surgery / I have or had braces / I sunburn easy / I have freckles / I paint my nails / I typically wear makeup / I don’t often smile / I am pleased with how I look / I prefer Nike to Adidas / I wear baseball hats backwards

hobbies and talents:

I play a sport / I can play an instrument / I am artistic / I know more than one language / I have won a trophy in some sort of competition / I can cook or bake without a recipe / I know how to swim / I enjoy writing / I can do origami / I prefer movies to tv shows / I can execute a perfect somersault / I enjoy singing/ I could survive in the wild on my own / I have read a new book series this year /I enjoy spending time with friends / I travel during school or work breaks / I can do a handstand

relationships:

I am in a relationship / I have been single for more than a year / I have a crush / I have a best friend I have known for ten years / my parents are together / I have dated my best friend / I am adopted / my crush has confessed to me / I have a long distance relationship / I am an only child / I give advice to my friends / I have made an online friend / I met up with someone I have met online

aesthetics:

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell / I have watched the sun rise / I enjoy rainy days / I have slept under the stars / I meditate outside / the sound of chirping calms me / I enjoy the smell of the beach / I know what snow tastes like / I listen to music to fall asleep / I enjoy thunderstorms / I enjoy cloud watching / I have attended a bonfire / I pay close attention to colors / I find mystery in the ocean / I enjoy hiking on nature paths / autumn is my favorite season

miscellaneous:

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle / I am the mom friend / I live by a certain quote / I like the smell of sharpies / I am involved in extracurricular activities / I enjoy Mexican food / I can drive a stick-shift / I believe in true love / I make up scenarios to fall asleep / I sing in the shower / I wish I lived in a video game / I have a canopy above my bed / I am multi-racial / I am a red head / I own at least three dogs / I am lgbtq+

I will tag: @slowdissolve @lostbeifongchild @zelegendaryfit @ryocos @ryeceps @getfitpippit @beahealthybee @astrodoesart @postfuguestate @otterwater @somonebeatmetoit @megsl0ve @runningfromthecuccos @masterkiddojinora @wibblywobblydragonywagonystuff  Purely optional!

[gfbender]

Tag Game!

The rules: answer ten questions, then tag ten people with your own ten questions.

I was tagged by @justteamavatar ! Thank you love <3

1. Favourite form of artistic expression?

I write a lot! Poetry, fiction. Lore/world-building for dnd. Also art, I love oil painting, though I mostly do digital now. 

2. If you could buy 100 of one thing, what would it be?

Hm... 100 borzois. That’s a lie, I would never buy a dog, only adopt. 100 mangoes! They would go bad before I could eat them all though. This is a difficult question. 

3. What do you consider your ‘first’ fandom?

Young Justice. I started writing fanfic for this show, and joined tumblr bc of it. Sent me into a downward spiral to selling my soul to DC Comics. 

4. If you can cook, what’s your favourite recipe to make? Otherwise, what do you wish you knew how to make?

Ok, I enjoy cooking, but I am more or less a disaster in the kitchen. I really want to learn how to make paneer the way my dida does, it is true perfection. 

5. What’s your three best qualities?

Determination, trustworthiness, intuition. 

6. If you could travel to any time period, past or future, what would it be?

Ooh. Renaissance Italy? I’d rather not die from the bubonic plague though. What about seeing the Tang Dynasty, travel along the Silk Road. 

7. Are you a night owl or an early bird?

Night owl! I’m trying to go to bed earlier though, because I usually work out in the mornings and have no motivation if I’m sleep-deprived. (I say, posting this at 2am.)

8. What’s your favourite colour?

Green/blue. Korra’s eye color?

9. Fiction or non-fiction?

While I used to devour novels as a child, I mainly read non-fiction now. I love learning new things. I still go back to read my faves sometimes though, Murakami, Kundera.

10. What always makes you smile?

The smell right before it rains, cats purring, naginata, when snakes do the tongue blep. 

I can’t keep track of who has been tagged already, sorry if you get this a million times! No obligations ofc :)

Describe your strangest dream?

How many stuffed animals do you own?

Pick one fandom character that you really identify with.

Which season is your favorite?

Incense or candles? 

Flower garden or library?

Have any piercings/tattoos?

If you were a character in an RPG, what kind of class or archetype would you be?

Favorite album?

What do you do/where do you go when you’re feeling sad?

@thewillowtree3 @otakuladylove @didiosuji @thefaultinourbiryanii @jennpaii @croft-fit @gracesorkovsky @ryocos

[littlegreenstrawberry]

9 Biased yo reveal your type! They are: (in no order) Rihanna, Dylan O’Brien, Leonardo DiCaprio, hiei, Kuwabara, Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Lupita Nyong’o, Gal Gadot! My type: uuuhhh I’m not sure. Tall people (excluding Hiei haaaa)?? I’m not sure. Sorry it’s all over the place haha Tagged by the wonderful @tv-writes-ff :D thanks for the tag! Tagging: @mystikoorime @trashtalker @ryocos @paintthesky69 @anyoneelsewhowouldbeinterested

[luckycheesefoodie321]

Manga Recommendations?

Some manga I’m really into right now/have finished and loved:

NOTE: 95% I don’t know the English name of...also I may or may not swap between the first name-last name and last name-first name order depending on how I read them in my head...

Monokuro Shounen Shoujo by Fukuyama Ryoco: This human high school girl Kureha ends up at this Beast school, pretending to be a “rabbit” so the Beast students can get used to being around “humans/prey that can be substituted for humans” because they are at the school with the aim to win a coveted prize to become human if they become the highest ranking student at the end of their three years. Definitely a love story with not love-triangles... no no. Love chains. Rings upon rings of people who like people who no longer like people who actually never liked people who are in love with other people. But the writing is great, the characters - Kureha’s main besties: Ukyou, ChouChou and Chigaya - are funny, and have a lot of great development throughout the series and being in a alt universe with beasts and various kingdoms (since they’re the various princes and princesses of their respective beast kingdoms), there’s a lot of interesting plot lines that get explored. (NOT FINISHED)

Watashi ga Motete Dousunda by Junko: A high school fujoshi - Serinuma Kae - is hit with a tragedy in her favourite anime, and so loses a lot of weight and become super hot, thus attracting the attention of four guys and one girl. I really liked up to the point before she chose who she actually liked of the five (she chose the one I shipped her with so victory to me) that the mangaka took care to show that while initially their reasons were shallow (well 3/5 of them anyway), each of them fell in love with Kae for her character and also while not understanding her otaku/fujoshi hobbies, still tried their best to support her (even if it resulted in her imagining them in various BL situations) and accept her. You get very frustrated with Kae right after she chooses who she chooses (or at least I did) but she kinda comes back from it...mainly because the person she chose is super cute and sweet about everything AND the others all become friends and are just as supportive regardless of being rejected. (NOT FINISHED)

Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn by Kusanagi Mizuho (OBVIOUSLY I’D REC THIS): so basic premise is a princess - Yona - on her 16th birthday witnesses her cousin/childhood friend/crush - Soo-Won - kill her father/the king and so runs away into the night with her other childhood friend and loyal bodyguard - Hak. From there she decides what to do and chooses to seek out the legendary four dragons and also picks up a genius pretty boy along the way to ensuing adventures! Now imma tell ya’ll right now that this is my absolute favourite manga out there and even the anime isn’t half-bad and is a good way to jump into the manga. There’s adventure and mystical/fantasy/magic elements that get introduced piece by piece in a way that you can’t know how it’ll all work together, and it’s supposed to be shoujo but there are so many elements in it that you don’t see in typical shoujo books and the romance element of the series has the greatest build-up ever (the most recent addition to canon is freaking incredible). The mangaka is so clever in how she develops characters and treats basically every main “villain” or “antagonist” as grey because there’s always a backstory. Particularly the main antagonist - Soo-Won. And also the way she develops the relationships between the main cast - the Happy Hungry Bunch (inside joke) - is a gradual building of trust and love through various sweet and VERY PAINFUL (Zeno Arc/Shin-Ah Fire Tribe story/Xing moments) while making it witty, charming and exciting to behold. I could go on but this is just an amazing series and Kusanagi-sensei knows how to rile up a crowd. (ONGOING)

ok that’s enough for today...

[ryocos]

I'm writing a story, doubt it'll ever be published. Anyways, there's one character who's inspired by Korra. Would you be alright me naming her Ryoco? Just a little homage because your blog has been a huge influence on me since 2017.

Oh wow that’s super cool! You could totally use that name, I don’t own it! I’m super honored and flattered that you’d get some inspiration from me and my little blog! :D And if your story goes online or gets published, I would be so honored to buy it and give it a read!