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Kakoom… !
Thunder roiled in the distance after a wicked flash of white lit the evening sky. It came after Yun’s voice, counting, hit the number six. Six miles off the coast? Kyoshi wondered. It was headed their way, would likely hit when the house was sleeping. They’d wake up to muddy ground. Fallen tree limbs. Tipped over objects and scattered debris. It would take a day to get things back in their place, for the ground to dry, and-
And the ships to leave.
The three of them sat in safety under one of the awnings of the lower balconies, looking out toward the sea. Yun enjoyed sky watching during storms, said that it felt like communing with nature. Yokoya was no stranger to thunderstorms, especially in the late spring and summer, and being on the coast only added to their intensity. At this distance it was a spectacle to watch, and Kyoshi knew that residents and guests alike were crowding the east windows to enjoy the view.
Light skittered across the sky, tendrils of electricity arching through the clouds. Yun whistled lowly and began to count. “1… 2… 3… 4… 5-!”
Kakoom!
Closer now, already.
“That was beautiful,” Yun said pleasantly. Rangi nodded, her eyes tracing the paler grays along the edges of the storm clouds in the distance. Kyoshi noticed that she would periodically sweep her gaze across the grounds below them, to the sides, and behind. Even in their moment of stillness Rangi was in Bodyguard mode, although she appeared relaxed. The walls of the estate afforded her that comfort, and Kyoshi was glad for it. Rangi and Yun, with so much weight on their shoulders, deserved the peace the walls provided.
“What do you think, Kyoshi?” Yun prompted. He always tried to include her.
“It’s beautiful,” she lied.
She hated storms.
When she was living on the streets it meant misery. When the first drops of rain came, she would return to her hideaway beneath the blacksmith’s house and scrape her hands raw to dig trenches around her sleeping spot and her parents’ trunk. The time spent doing that meant less time finding food, expending energy that she wouldn’t get back. Sleep was difficult on those nights from the thunder.
And sometimes – on very unlucky days – the space would flood anyway.
At the estate it was easier. She was forever grateful for her small cot, lifted up off the floor. For four walls, a roof, and privacy. She was grateful for clothes that fit, without tears or patches. She was grateful to sit beside her friends and watch the storms, even if she sometimes felt the fingers of lightning were reaching out for her. Felt a sense of foreboding. Kyoshi felt, sometimes, like the day she died there would be lightning.
Don’t be so over dramatic, she chastised herself.
Storms were less of a problem for her now, but they still posed a problem. Yokoya wasn’t a port many ships chose to stop in, preferring the favorable wind currents to carry them further south. However, for storms like this they sought the refuge of the shore. In the morning there would be unfamiliar vessels docked, and unfamiliar men in the village. Overly familiar, unfamiliar men.
She had to go to town tomorrow.
They had deliveries scheduled, and were expecting Air Nomad representatives. It was a rare enough occasion now that Jianzhu had declared all hands on deck. Except for Kyoshi, who was the smartest choice to send out. Yun would be in meetings all day, the rest of the maid staff would be occupied, and Kyoshi? She was strong enough to push the laden handcart on her own. This storm was just poor luck.
“I should turn in early,” Kyoshi mused. “I have to go to town tomorrow.” An early start might help. The sailors may sleep until late, and she might be able to avoid them.
“In that case, I’ll come with you,” Rangi said.
What?!
Startled from her contemplation, Kyoshi looked at Rangi in confusion. “I thought you would be in the meetings tomorrow?”
“My mother is expecting a personal delivery. Rather than sending one of the servants or going herself, we decided she would take my post and that I would go to collect. To have a Commander present at this meeting, Master Jianzhu is hoping to pay high regards.”
“Maybe if we impress them enough, they’ll be more open to coordinating with Sifu,” Yun explained.
“Ah,” Kyoshi said. Politics are complicated. She was glad she didn’t have to worry about them, except how they pertained to her duties. So she would take Rangi with her to town tomorrow, to collect the groceries and deliveries. In the same port where there would be overly familiar sailors who had been on the ocean for weeks on end.
Wait.
That could be bad.
Rangi could handle herself, there was no question about it. No one would get away with accosting her or her honor, and Rangi would be right to defend herself if she had to – but she shouldn’t be put in the position where she had to. She deserved the peace the walls of the estate provided, to be spared any insult. The highly-esteemed Bodyguard of Avatar Yun (and dear friend of Kyoshi, the servant) should not have to endure riffraff the storm was blowing in.
Maybe she could protect Rangi in her own way.
“I could collect it for you,” Kyoshi reasoned. “I’ll be in town anyway, and then you could stay behind.”
Rangi’s lips pressed together slightly. Kyoshi couldn’t tell if she was displeased or merely thinking. “It’s a private delivery, which is why I’ll be collecting it from the Town Hall personally.”
“I wouldn’t open something that is meant for Mistress Hei-Ran.”
“My mother expects me to pick it up myself,” Rangi clarified.
“Well… She doesn’t have to know?” Kyoshi tried again.
“Kyoshi,” Rangi’s lashes fell over her eyes, now for sure frowning in displeasure. “My mother will be at the meeting. Where else would I go?”
“Uh-”
“Ladies~” Yun interrupted, his inflection playful. He was trying to intercept the brewing argument. “Spend some quality time together tomorrow. Who cares about efficiency when it comes to friendship? I’ll hold down the fort, all by my lonesome…”
“Yun, really?” Rangi deadpanned.
“No, no, it’s okay.” With his hand dramatically over his eyes, he made a pushing gesture at the two of them. “Go to town tomorrow. Together. Without me!”
Melodramatic or not, his word was final on the matter. Neither of them had the rank to argue with him.
Lightning flashed.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. It would be nice to spend time with Rangi, just the two of them.
Thunder.
Maybe it’d be fine.
*****
They were later than Kyoshi hoped.
A neglected wheel had a loose bearing on the handcart, and she was forced to puzzle through and fix it herself before they could leave. The stable hands were busy preparing for the incoming Air Nomads and a second sky bison. While the stables were built to accommodate, it was no easy feat. Rangi insisted that she would wait for her, and Kyoshi almost wished she hadn’t. She felt her eyes on her back as she worked, and worried that Rangi might be upset with her for the mishap. Probably, the ever-ready Fire Nation soldier was thinking about how Kyoshi should have checked the night before.
It was hot work.
Kyoshi dressed with intent this morning: Long sleeves, multiple layers, and a thick obi meant to disguise the curve of her hip and chest. As a child her height drew undesired attention, and as womanhood set its hooks in early it only got worse. She also had a sleeveless tunic on underneath, for when they ventured far enough away from the village. Kyoshi felt shy about her bared arms, but if it was just Rangi it would be fine.
She hoped her friend wouldn’t mind.
Once the wheel was secure, Kyoshi lifted the cart by the handles and they left for the main gate. The guards – who had always been polite to Kyoshi, but were under Rangi’s supervision – straightened at their approach and opened the doors without preamble. The road out to Yokoya proper was, as expected, soft mud with its fair share of puddles. She navigated around them carefully, and put in the work when the cart sank. Rangi helped to push from time to time.
“Say, Rangi…?” Kyoshi began, while wiping a bead of sweat from her temple. The sun was out and it was already starting to warm up. She’d been thinking all morning about how she was going to keep her away from the shore. “Why don’t you go to the town hall while I go visit the fishmonger?”
“Why?” Of course, the firebender couldn’t let it be easy.
“If we split up, then only one of us has to smell like fish guts.” Kyoshi supplied dryly. Rangi snorted. “I imagine it takes more work to get smells like that out of your armor.”
“Fine, but you’re meeting up with me right after.” Kyoshi smiled at the firm look she received. “And if those peasants bother you- well, first off, don’t let them, but also come find me right away.”
In all her concern about protecting Rangi from any potential cads in town, Kyoshi had forgotten completely about Aoma and company. She screwed her face up thoughtfully, and muttered: “If they’re smart enough they’ll stay home today.”
“If they were so smart they wouldn’t bother you at all,” Rangi snipped. “I swear to Agni, if I catch you with bruises again I’m going after them and then you.”
Kyoshi’s smile grew into a grin, which became a laugh.
“What???” Her companion huffed.
“Nothing! Nothing! It’s a good incentive to avoid them!”
Rangi was definitely scarier than Aoma, Jae, and Suzu. It was nice to know she cared so much.
*****
She reckoned that she could make a few stops on her way to the shore, get the crate from the fishmonger, and then meet Rangi if she hurried. Normally the shore would be the last place she’d go before returning to the estate, but today’s circumstances were different. Kyoshi did realize that she had completely planned out her day with the intention of avoiding the possibility of some sailors acting like creeps. In hindsight the planning seemed like overdoing it. So far her trip had been without issue. Sure, it was more crowded than usual, but no one seemed to be paying her any mind. No more mind than they usually paid her, anyway. She made a stop or two and was on the main road headed down toward the harbor. The incline always proved a little challenging with the cart, but she was steady.
Maybe the rest of the day would go well, and she’d get to spend time with Rangi.
If she hurried, she may be able to stop by the general store and get some candies for them to share on the way back to the estate. She’d never been able to treat Rangi before, not really. Recently she found a piece of red sea glass on the shore that reminded her of the deep, bloody shade of Rangi’s armor, which she gifted the girl to keep. Candy, she figured, would be like a step up from something she found on the ground. The thought of offering even such a small gift brought joy inside. Hopefully her friend wouldn’t find it too frivolous.
“Hey, didn’t know they made ‘em as tall as the trees here. Damn!”
A low whistle caught her attention, and she felt her happiness curdle. It wasn’t often that she was right, but even in the moments that she was she couldn’t enjoy it. A man merged in step beside her and the handcart. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a wineskin in his hand, and cursed the brewery. They probably made some coin today.
A least somebody was happy.
She heard the sound of another pair of footsteps on her right, and a third jogging up. Kyoshi grimaced, realizing that she would have happily been wrong. She now had an unwanted escort through town, boxed in at all corners except forward.
“Hey sweetheart, ever seen the inside of a ship? We could take you for a tour.”
Kyoshi kept her mouth shut. Was there ever a girl who fell willingly for those lines? It wasn’t a thought she was willing to entertain, fearful of what her mind’s eye could come up with. Men like these were entitled, but the eyes of a community meant some safety. In the darkened hold of a ship, it was scary to think about what could happen.
“Don’t be shy, we’re not pirates or anything,” Said the one behind the cart. “Just docked after that storm last night.”
“Got some repairs to make before we can set sail again. We’ll be in town for a few nights. Maybe we could be friends.”
Without looking at them directly, she could gauge their ages to range from maybe mid twenties to forties. They had the weathered faces of seafarers, with wind-battered skin abraised by salt spray. Whatever the case, they were older than her. They should know better.
“I’m very busy,” Kyoshi said firmly. She had to think very carefully about the words she used. Any formality or politeness tended to come across as an invitation to those who couldn’t catch a hint. It was easier, because these men did not deserve formality or politeness. “You should go back to your ship.”
“Nah, we can keep you company. Pretty thing like you, it’s a sight for sore eyes.”
She turned the cart, reaching her destination at the fish market. The man on her left, undeterred by the barrier of the cart, kept close to her and got in the way. Rather than incite or provoke, she set the cart where it stood and marched around him to pick up orders for the Estate.
“Smell that, Bo? Love the smell of wet fish. Could bury my nose in it all day.”
Kyoshi’s nerves spiked. She didn’t know what that meant but the way it was said – loudly, with bravado and followed by a nasty chuckle among the three – repulsed her immediately. The merchant behind the counter pressed his lips into a grimace, and glanced at her.
There was no sympathy in his eyes.
No silent communication of reassurance or care.
He looked at her in blame.
*****
The men were drunk and persistent, and the longer they lingered the worse it felt. They had nothing better to do with their time except to follow a teen around the port town they were stuck in. No one stepped in to break up the pack surrounding her – the residents of Yokoya were more than content to have her fend for herself against wolves. Kyoshi saw them watching from the safety of their shops, gossiping among one another with hands cupped over their mouths. She didn’t need to hear them to guess what they were saying. There’s that street girl, getting what she deserves. She probably likes the attention.
“Is that an inn I see up there? How’s about a break, lovely? We can have a good romp, ease some of that tension.”
“What tension? Not between your legs! Can you even get it up, the amount of wine you’ve had??”
Her face burned in shame and humiliation. She was late to meet back up with Rangi, and the three men hadn’t tired of her yet. They were drunk on the power they had in this situation, pleased to continue their harassment without consequence. If it was simply a matter of one person she would have been able to do something about it. Maybe thrown him into the sea to sober up, or scared him off by pushing him around a bit. Three was too many to handle without getting very heavy handed.
Jianzhu would probably fire her if she caused an earthquake in town.
Kyoshi set her cart down and took a deep breath. She needed to get rid of them before Rangi saw. Before they saw Rangi.
“Leave. Me. Alone!” She raised her voice, getting their attention. “Go back to your ship and sleep it off!” Kyoshi tried to channel Rangi in that moment, hardening her gaze and straightening her spine. The men blinked back at her, and to her credit one of them looked a touch sheepish. Just a touch.
“Aw, c’mon dove, don’t be like that.” Her stand seemed to have the opposite effect on one of the men, who approached beseechingly and tried to rest a hand on her hip. She swatted his hand away and backpedaled.
“We’ve had a nice time on our walk, haven’t we?” He followed, grabbing her by the fabric of her obi and tried to tug her forward. “Get back here.”
“Stop!” Kyoshi resisted, and the fabric loosened.
A red and black blur wedged between them, and she heard the man cry out in pain.
*****
“Keep your hands off her, you worthless scum!”
The air warbled over Rangi’s form, and Kyoshi felt an intense heat coming off of the firebender. The man who grabbed her reeled back, clutching his wrist to his chest in pain and surprise. From behind, Kyoshi couldn’t see her friend’s face but knew how her true anger looked: Utterly ferocious, like an awoken dragon. Rangi moved with purpose, and a gout of flame erupted between the two girls and Kyoshi’s harassers, who skittishly stumbled back. When they woke up that morning they were in no way expecting to be the focus of a trained Fire Nation soldier’s ire.
“If you touch her again I’ll make you regret it!” She snarled, triggering another blaze of flame at the men.
These sailors, they were cowards. When it was someone on their own and unwilling to fight back, it had been easy to do what they wanted. They could say whatever they pleased. It was easy to forget that there could be consequences when they stepped outside the echo chamber of their crew mates and off the deck of their ship.
Those consequences where here now, chasing them in fire and fury.
They scrambled and tripped over themselves as they ran. One gracelessly stumbled and slammed his face into the post of a hitching fence, accompanied by a disquieting crack as his nose broke. He howled with pain, his escape temporarily hindered by his drunken clumsiness. Rangi released a whip of fire that hit the ground beside him, startling him to resume his undignified fleeing.
“If I see any of your faces in this town again I’ll sear your beards off!” Rangi shouted at their backs with embers on her lips. Kyoshi knew that Rangi was allowing them to flee, but also knew that wasn’t an empty threat. This was their one chance.
If they showed up again they would regret it.
At the end of the street, the soldier slowed. Rangi watched the men rush down the main drag back to the harbor, until they were out of sight. Her pauldrons rose and fell with the force of her angry breaths, fists clenched at her sides. The town around them was still, and Kyoshi realized that the gossiping onlookers had gone quiet and were no longer outright ogling for entertainment. She could still see them, peering around corners, through windows, and cracks in partially opened doors. Trying to pretend like they weren’t bearing witness.
Crunching footsteps approached, and Kyoshi looked back to Rangi. The look on her doll-like face was exactly as Kyoshi expected – utterly livid – and it wasn’t improving as her friend approached. A very animal part of her brain, the one housing her baser instincts, warned her to run but she remained where she was. Apprehension glued her to the spot. Rangi looked really, really mad.
It’s because you caused trouble, Her brain helpfully supplied. It’s your fault that they followed you. Shame bubbled up in her gut, burning at the back of her throat. You didn’t do enough to stop them. T hat’s why everyone in town was looking at you like that. They knew.
“Rangi, I’m sor-”
“Are you hurt??” The urgency in her tone startled her out of spiraling thoughts. Kyoshi hesitated, then haltingly shook her head. “Good-” And she raised her voice again, loud, sweeping her gaze across the shops as she spoke. “I’M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO STEP IN . BEFORE YOU WERE HURT.”
Kyoshi jumped, startled. There was a collective shift of shadows fleeing, and Kyoshi’s eyes widened at the realization that Rangi wasn’t mad at her .
A hand – overly hot, nearly unbearably so – clasped hers, and she was pulled toward the space between two shops.
“The cart-”
“Leave it.”
She allowed herself to be pulled, and tried not to stumble over some of the debris that lay between the spaces. Rangi tugged her to the very back, away from the eyes still watching, and stood Kyoshi up against the wall of the building. In snappy, effective movements she began to straighten Kyoshi’s sash and her robes, which had been pulled askew by her harasser. Seeing that her friend was still frustrated, Kyoshi tried to remain still as a statue and didn’t dare complain.
After a moment Rangi began to mutter. “The nerve of these people, not stopping that when they could. Too busy gawking , didn’t even think to find someone to help you. It’s the least they could have done.”
Once Rangi had straightened out her layered robes and her thick waist wrap, bronze eyes shot up to lock with hazel. The fury seemed to shift and change, flickering for a moment into confusion, but remained fierce. Kyoshi felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck, both from the heat and the worry now that she seemed to have her friend’s full focus again. She was being scrutinized.
“… How many more stops do you have to make?”
Kyoshi hesitated, her throat bobbing with a forceful swallow. “At least three.”
“All right, let’s go. I want to be on our way back before the noon heat hits.”
She was given another military once-over, and Kyoshi noticed the look of displeased consternation settle across Rangi’s face. Once again, Kyoshi hoped she hadn’t upset her friend.
“Rangi? I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Rangi frowned and began to walk back to the street. “I saw you yell for them to go away. Not that it worked but-” The firebender glanced over her shoulder, and Kyoshi saw the corner of her lip curl briefly. Her fears eased.
“It was probably the most positive-jing thing I’ve ever seen you do. Ideally, you would have been able to throttle them from the start, but you’re not exactly trained to take on three full grown men at once.” She sniffed in disdain. “Now, if only you could show some positive jing for those brats from the village. There’s no excuse to let those three walk all over you.”
“Ah, and here I thought you were praising me.” Kyoshi smiled softly, amused.
“Praising you? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves!” Rangi huffed. “I’ll have to approach Aunty Mui about teaching some basic defense maneuvers to the staff. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I wasn’t here…”
Neither did Kyoshi, honestly.
*****
Rangi stuck close for the rest of their errands, and kept on high alert. Kyoshi quietly lamented that her plan to keep Rangi distanced from the sailors didn’t pan out, and the loss of what could have been a casual and care-free outing for the both of them. Her friend’s expression was extra severe when an unfamiliar person walked nearby, causing the strangers to hurry past or give wide berth. Kyoshi didn’t have care or the courage to tell her that some of those people were citizens of Yokoya.
Rangi didn’t get out much.
She loaded the cart with deliveries, bearing the burden of the weight as well as the rising heat. Sweat was beginning to gather at her temples, damp and unpleasant. Kyoshi did find herself lucky enough to have a few moments to herself at the general store while Rangi checked the stock for supplies. Copper coins were exchanged discretely for a small satchel of candied ginger, which she thought Rangi would like. By the time her friend approached the clerk, the satchel was discretely hidden away with the order, which Kyoshi loaded into the waiting cart.
Her mood lifted a little, knowing she accomplished something today.
*****
“Let’s stop for a moment?” Kyoshi asked, once they were far enough out of town. Rangi glanced at her, her bronze eyes lingering on a bead of sweat as it traveled down Kyoshi’s neck.
“Did you bring water?” Rangi asked, and rolled her eyes at Kyoshi’s sheepish look in response.
“I’ll drink when we get back to the estate, I promise. Just hold on for a moment.” She loosened her obi as she spoke, and unwound it from her waist. The first layer of her robes came off, followed by the second, and each article was folded with care to rest back on the cart. Kyoshi brushed her hair back from her face, wiped the sweat from her brow on the back of her arm, and sighed with relief. Without the extra layers, she felt cooler.
“You wore a lot of layers today,” Rangi noted. “And your winter obi.” Kyoshi turned to her friend and tried not to shy away from the deliberate look she was giving her bared, freckled arms. Maybe she did offend? Perhaps she should have asked first.
“It was chilly this morning,” Kyoshi said. It had been, although her attire before was overkill. This earned her a small scoff of disbelief.
“You made sure that you went to the shore by yourself,” Rangi continued. The cadence of her words was slowing down, rounding over each syllable like it held importance.
Uh oh.
“I just wanted to spare you from the fish gut smell,” Kyoshi said. She made a fanning gesture with her hand, as if wafting away a bad odor. “It was worse today, after the storm from last night. It brought in a lot of seaweed to the beach-”
“Last night, you tried to convince me not to come. ”
“The Air Nomad delegation came today. I thought you’d prefer to be there!”
“You KNEW!” Rangi snapped finally, pointing her finger accusingly. “You knew that something like this could happen today!”
Kyoshi winced and avoided Rangi’s eyes. She placed her hands up placatingly in the face of her friend’s angry expression, realizing that she’d been found out. “I might have known… These sorts of men dock after a big storm, and sometimes they like to cause trouble. Some of the things they say can be very disrespectful, so I just… I didn’t want you to have to deal with it. You shouldn’t have to.”
“So it’s fine if it’s you ??” Rangi raised her voice in disbelief.
“Of course it is.” This, she said with conviction. It wasn’t fine that they said it, it wasn’t fine that they approached any woman this way. But if it was going to happen, Kyoshi knew that she preferred it didn’t happen to Rangi.
“And what does THAT mean??” Her friend shouted at her, flummoxed. Kyoshi shrank back a little, uncertain of this sort of impassioned questioning. Yes, she anticipated that she would get yelled at, but maybe for being foolhardy and a bit stupid. When imposed with the question of “why you?” she wasn’t entirely sure how to answer, except the obvious.
“Rangi, you are- You’re Yun’s bodyguard . You’re a lieutenant in the Fire Nation Army. You’re a noble. You’re- well, you’re amazing! No one should be allowed to disrespect you if it can be helped.”
“You’re-!”
“Just a servant,” Kyoshi cut in gently. She smiled, trying to put Rangi’s mind at ease. “A little disrespect doesn’t mean anything to me . I thought I’d try to be helpful, but it didn’t work out. It’s never been as bad as it was today, I promise.”
Kyoshi watched as Rangi pinched the bridge of her nose, seemingly frustrated by this conversation but calming down a little. She released a breath, relieved that she was able to speak her point across. That notion didn’t last too long.
“You’re wrong. ” Rangi said after a few moments. “You’re more than just a servant. You’re wonderful! You’re my friend! No one should ever talk to you like that, or touch you like that!! If you wouldn’t allow it for me, you shouldn’t allow it for yourself, either!” She stomped her foot in frustration, an act which unfortunately lost it’s impact when her boot squished in the mud. “Spirits, they could have HURT YOU, Kyoshi. And no one would have helped in this terrible town! Do you know how upset I would have been??”
Shocked and subdued by her friend’s words, Kyoshi nodded. Her hands joined at the waist to worry her fingers, feeling appropriately chastised. Rangi was right. If she had gone alone today things might not have ended well. “I’m sorry.”
“Promise me, if you feel like the town doesn’t feel safe, you’ll speak up!” Rangi demanded. “After a storm, or any other day!”
Kyoshi thought to other days running errands, where the maids would split from her so she would have to face the shore alone. They perceived her looks as undesirable, and therefore the safest one to send. She thought about the villagers who watched from the shadows, without stepping forward. She didn’t know how speaking up would help, but she nodded anyway.
“I promise,” She said quietly.
“And if you do end up in situation like that again, somehow alone, you fight . Promise me!”
“I promise.” Kyoshi said solemnly, with her head bowed. Silence stretched between them for a few moments, before she dared to look at Rangi again. The firebender was glaring at the ground, as trying to get the puddle there to boil. Even with good intentions she had upset her friend.
“… I bought something for you,” Kyoshi tried gently, remembering the candies in the cart. Rangi lifted her gaze, and she was relieved to see her anger ebbing. She pulled the satchel out and handed over her gift with both hands. When Rangi took it and began to work at the strings, Kyoshi distracted herself with ensuring her tunic was tucked in properly and that the cart was ready to move. She felt too shy suddenly to watch.
When she peered inside the bag, Rangi huffed in disbelief and shook her head. “I bought something for you, too.” She removed her pack and pulled out a similar satchel, which she offered to the taller girl. Very carefully, she peeled apart the edges and looked inside.
Honeyed sesame seed brittle.
Rangi was watching her, the glimmer of humor in her eyes glowing outward. It slowly took over her features, each shift a hard-won battle for her smile. Kyoshi mirrored her, and soon they simply grinned at one another in mutual delight.
“Here,” Kyoshi shook some of the pieces from her bag into her hand, offering them to trade. Rangi mimicked the act, and soon Kyoshi had the sweet heat of ginger and sugar crushed between her teeth. She lifted the cart and they began to move again.
“We agree, Yun doesn’t get any?” Rangi murmured conspiringly around a piece of candy. Kyoshi giggled.
“Agreed!”
There may still be a part of her that doesn’t buy fully into Rangi’s words to her that day, but she valued them the same. Kyoshi considered it from her friend’s point of view, tried to put herself in Rangi’s shoes. The wave of protectiveness that overtook her felt like a blow to the chest.
If anyone were to touch her friend that way…
She would kill them.