#orangepanic

Kanto’s off-campus roommate and best friend (more by obligation than by choice because she’s just so mean to him) Lin was his shoulder to cry on. She knew everything about what was going on in his life, and his growing crush on Toph was no exception.

“You just need to grow some balls and ask her out,” Lin had told him a few weeks back as she munched on an apple slice. “If she’s smart, she’ll say no, and you say she’s smart, so…”

He’d deadpanned at her. “Do you really think this is helping?”

“Trying to keep your mind open to all the possibilities, K.”

“I just,” He ran a hand down his face and then propped both on his hips, “I don’t know what to do because what if she doesn’t want this? Hm? What am I going to do here?”

Lin had stood and rested her hands on the table in front of her. With bits of apple flying out of her mouth, she’d said, “You’re going to ask her out. Ask her out until she makes the mistake of going out with you. You’re persuasive; use it.”

“But also—I—words—”

“Oh, please.” She’d snorted. “Fake it til you make it. She’ll see a side of you—uh, figuratively—that she’s never seen before and she’ll like it. Hopefully.”

Kanto had blinked. “Wow, Lin. You’re really good at this advice thing.”

“Aw, thanks. There’s a reason why I’m studying to be a behavioral psychologist.”

“I pity whoever becomes your client,” he’d muttered.

Walking up to him, she’d rested her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got this. Just be a more… confident version of yourself or she’ll see right through you.” She’d paused, then repeated, “Figuratively.”

And so, Kanto made the mistake of taking Lin’s advice after hyping himself up a bit. Now, he was shitting in his pants, even after about a week of following Toph around like a polar bear puppy who really wanted to be petted. But he just had a feeling. She felt the same way. Or maybe it was just him being wishful and hopeful but he really believed that she was on the same boat, just hesitant.

“You’ve been at this for days already,” Toph told him, seeming wary of his insistence. “What’s gotten into you? You’ve never…” She paused, then shook her head, smacked his calf with her cane, and repeated, “What has gotten into you, Hotshot?”

“I just know what I see,” he responded simply, trying to ignore the pain in his leg and the feeling of his heart beating strongly against his chest. He took another step towards her, carefully and nervously adding, “And I really want to know where things can go with us if we’d… stop avoiding it. So come out with me tonight. It’ll be nice. A good time. Outdoors, preferably if the conditions allow.”

She shook her head at him, brow arched. “You just don’t quit, do you?”

Kanto smirked at her and gave a little shy shrug. “You should already know the answer to that.”

“If I say yes, will you leave me alone and find someone else to annoy?”

“Ah, you don’t mean that,” he said with mock hurt. “But I will if that’s warranted. Uh, no harm, no foul, right?”

He could tell that she was hiding a smile, trying to suppress it as the corners of her mouth tightened the slightest bit. She rolled her eyes to cover it up. “Fine. Pick me up at seven.”

“You’ve got it, Beifong.” He grinned, facing her still as he backed away. “It’s a date.”

…

There was still about fifteen minutes left before Kanto had to meet up with Toph. He planned on using up that remaining time by pacing a hole into the ground as he attempted to keep himself from nervously sweating through his clothes.

Lin stood at his door, watching him until she threw a roll of bread at him. “Do you think you’re going to stop walking the runway soon? You don’t want to be late for your date.”

“I’ve still got time, alright?” He stopped his pacing to glare at her, picking up the roll of bread and not thinking before taking a bite out of the roll. “And I don’t want to be too early or she’ll think I’m, I don’t know, desperate.”

“And you think she doesn’t think that now with the way you’ve been trying to get her to go on this date?” She snorted. “That’s a good one.”

Kanto’s jaw went slack, pointing at her accusingly. “You were the one who encouraged me to do what I did!”

“You didn’t have to listen to me, did you? But you did, and now you’ve secured a date, so you’re welcome.”

“I hate you,” he said, snatching his jacket off its hanger and shrugging it on. “You’re no help.”

She shrugged before pushing off the door frame and walking away. “I wasn’t trying to offer any. But good luck on your outing and use protection.”

His cheeks warmed as he stuffed his wallet and phone into his pockets and left the apartment. It was a cool night so he took his time walking over, knowing he had a bit of time left before he wanted to knock on her door. And despite his sweating palms, he was excited about tonight. He had a good plan in store.

Frustrated with himself, he wiped his hands aggressively off his pants in an attempt to dry them off. What if they held hands at some point tonight and his hands were all humid or damp in his sweat? That was disgusting and he wouldn’t expose her to that if he could help it.

Also, there was no real reason to be nervous, was there? No, they’d known each other for a while and were very familiar with one another, so what was he so worried about?

In his turmoil, he’d managed to make his way to her dorm. He gave himself a bit of a pep talk until he was only two minutes early, then knocked before wiping his sweaty hands on his pants and hoping they kept dry for the rest of the evening.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Toph said, grinning at him the moment she opened the door. One of her hands was propped on the door frame while the other was settled on her hip. She wore loose black pants and a similarly loose dark green top beneath a leather jacket, boots peeking out of the hem of her trousers.

He had to take a deep breath and swallow. “You look—looking good, Beifong.”

Smirking, she replied, “I wouldn’t know, but thanks.”

“Those are getting unfunnier by the minute, you know.”

“You know that’s not true.” She was full on grinning now, a fact that made his stomach twist in the best way.

He adjusted his jacket nervously, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Clearing his throat, he asked, “So, uh—date time?”

Toph raised an eyebrow, snorting. “Lead the way, Romeo.”

…

Their walk to the botanical gardens he’d reserved for this evening was quiet, mainly because he had no idea what to say or talk about. His nerves were at an all-time high because what if he messed it all up? What if he said something and stuck his foot so far into his mouth that there was no going back? He didn’t want to lose her because he couldn’t suppress his feelings.

But, at some point, as they neared their destination, Toph’s hand slid from the crook of his elbow down to his palm so she could entwine their fingers. “Would you relax?”

“I’m—I am relaxed,” he lied.

“Right.” She chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me where we’re going, hm?”

“That is not possible because it would ruin the surprise.”

“You’re going to have to tell me anyway.” She shrugged. “Might as well tell me now.”

Kanto looked down at her and nudged her slightly. “You’re going to ruin it,” he repeated. “And we’re here, anyway, so shush.”

Toph’s grip on his hand tightened a bit, her smirk hidden away by the darkness, though he still knew it was there. He had to suppress his own smile at knowing that she wasn’t miserable, despite his anxiety about this entire thing. At least not yet.

As they entered the botanical gardens, Kanto led Toph down a winding path lined with blooming flowers and lush greenery. Soft ambient lights illuminated their surroundings, casting a magical glow over the landscape. And though she couldn’t see them, he couldn’t help but admire the way the lights made her glow.

He picked this place because of the smells. Other than the visual beauty of it, the flora gave out the single most amazing scent he’d ever breathed. It was one that relaxed him, one that he sought whenever he was stressed. And he figured that all of those components would be the perfect things to consider for their first date, especially one with someone who didn’t rely on sight.

“This place is amazing,” Toph remarked, her voice filled with genuine awe as they approached a small table in the middle of the gardens. He’d set it up with candle lights and something for them to eat while they talked.

Kanto smiled, relieved that his choice had met with her approval. “I thought you might like it.”

They continued to stroll through the gardens, occasionally stopping to admire particularly beautiful blooms or interesting plant textures. Conversation flowed more easily now, the initial nervousness giving way to comfortable banter and shared laughter.

Finally, as they eased onto the seats at the table that was set up, Kanto brushed off his nerves and asked what he really, truly wanted to know.

“Toph?”

“Hm?”

“What made you—why did you agree to this date?” he questioned softly. “You’ve never really—I didn’t think you’d agree to it.”

Her smile was small when she replied, “I didn’t think I’d agree to it either.”

“Why, then?”

“You may be a putz,” she told him, her blank eyes sparkling with something he couldn’t identify, “but I know you know the answer to that, Hotshot.”

He furrowed his brows, wondering if she meant what he thought she meant. “I do?”

For a few beats, she was quiet. It made Kanto wonder if he’d pushed the envelope by flat-out asking her like this, but he wanted to know and he figured there was space for the question to be asked. How else would he have asked if not over wine and food? But he got an answer when she scooted her chair closer to him, leaned over, and pressed her lips against his.

It was short, a peck he wished could’ve been longer because in a split second or two, he realized that he’d never felt the way she was making him feel now. And too soon, she pulled away, her nose brushing his before doing so entirely.

“In case something was unclear,” she said, leaning back in her seat, “I came because I like you.”

He blinked at her, trying to get his thoughts together because they all felt like mush in his head right now. Sure, he knew that she liked him, or at the very least suspected as much, but to know he was right about it? It stunned him.

When he managed to do so, he swallowed and stammered, “So what—why did you never—?”

“I haven’t had a friend like you in a while,” she interrupted, fingers tapping rhythmically against the table. “Feelings ruin friendships in my experience. Wasn’t in the mood for that to happen to us.”

He couldn’t say he didn’t get it.

“It won’t happen to us.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I don’t,” he said, taking her hands and stopping the tapping. “But I do know that—that I’m crazy about you, Toph. And I’ll be happy to have you in my life any way I can have you, even if it’s not in the… romantic way, even if it’ll kill me to not have you in the romantic way.”

Her laugh brought him the relief he didn’t even know he craved, her fingers intertwining with his. It felt so natural that his heart nearly burst. Then, she said, “I’m… okay with the romantic way, so long as you don’t get as corny as you just did all the time.”

“Ah,” he breathed, trying not to shoot up from where he sat and run around in circles happily. “Well, you must know by now that the corn is not going anywhere, Beifong.”

“Guess I’m going to have to be okay with that, huh?” She rested her elbows on the table and leaned towards him. “What choice do I have?”

His heart was beating in his throat now, and despite them already having shared a kiss, the prospect of that happening again in only seconds had his hands clammy and—spirits—what if he somehow screwed this up now.

Still, he brought her fingers up to his lips and brushed her knuckles before closing the distance between them, mouths only inches apart. The amount of cojones he just grew in a matter of seconds would impress Lin.

“None whatsoever, Beifong” he whispered, resisting the urge to give in to just kissing her again. “You going to do something about that?”

Without another word, Toph grabbed the back of his neck, their lips meeting once more. It was soft but not exploratory like their first, full of the feelings they’d just spilled, full of the longing they’d felt for each other. He didn’t know how long she’d felt this way—he would get that out of her eventually and tease her about it—but he could feel in her kiss that she’d wanted this just as much as he did.

Her nails scratched at the back of his head gently as his hand pulled away from hers and slid onto her jaw, thumb caressing her cheek. His chest and stomach were burning in the best way, getting to know her in this new way, in a way that he’d been wanting to know for longer than he wanted to admit. He surrendered to the taste, scent, and warmth of her that enveloped him, nearly overpowering him, until she withdrew moments later.

“Not too shabby, Hotshot,” she told him, lips swollen, smirking as she came to her feet and offered her hand. “Want to get out of here?”

Kanto tried not to say yes too quickly as he slipped his hand in hers and followed her home.

...

First up, combustionbending is a very internal and almost spiritual type of bending. It's actually more similar to lightningbending than it is typical firebending. It is essentially lightningbending without the high degree of control it requires.

That isn't to say that combustionbending doesn't require control, it does. But, there's a difference between controlling your chi inside you and controlling it outside of you. Most basic firebending is focused on controlling the chi right as it exists the body to form it into a stream of fire or a ball, or controlling it once it is outside the body in the form of controlling fire burning a leaf, or influencing other fire sources around you. The only internal chi control required is just whatever is needed to guide it out of your body. It is only once you get more advanced that there is more emphasis placed onto controlling it within yourself, such as heating up your hands to heat up your tea (or otherwise just heating up your body). The technique of charging up firebending before releasing it is a mixture of this internal chi control as well as external chi control.

Lightningbending, on the other hand, places an extreme focus on internal chi control, as well as a decent amount of focus on external chi control. Internal chi control is paramount to separating the positive and negative from the chi, as well as guiding it out toward where you want it to come out of. External chi control comes into play in guiding it. While lightning can't be guided particularly well by most lightningbenders, beginners still have to guide their lightning into a stream. Slightly more advanced lightningbenders can form it into a ball before releasing it.

So what is combustionbending then? It is somewhat of a mix of firebending and lightningbending. Unlike lightningbending, it involves no separation of chi, however it is extremely internally focused. Take Ozai's "seed of fire" used in Sozin's Comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom. He is gathering his chi externally in one spot before releasing it. Combustionbending is the same thing, but internally, resulting in the area closest to where the chi is being pooled becoming superheated before it is released. It involves little to no external control-- primarily because it is extremely hard to control. Think of it as trying to divert the path of an airplane. Skilled combustionbenders can curve the path of their bending, but thats about it. Unlike firebenders or even master lightningbenders, combustionbenders can never create a wall of combustionbending.

It is, for the most part, an innate skill, and an extremely rare one at that. It must be learned and developed, but the average firebender cannot learn combustionbending. Combustionbending requires extremely stable chi, as any degree of instability within the chi (instability being defined as the spontaneous separation of positive and negative chi) will instead come out as lightning, which requires external control or it will explode in your face (a la Zuko). This means that lightningbending and combustionbending are inherently at odds. A lightningbender could never combustionbend. A combustionbender could never lightningbend.

But can combustionbenders firebend?

Well, yes and no. Combustionbenders tend to start off as firebenders (often prodigious firebenders, given the extreme stability of their chi), however the process of becoming a combustionbender involves blocking off all chi routes (through meditation or other means, often against the wishes of the bender) until the chi is forced to be guided toward the head. This is because the hands, feet, and mouth are all natural places for the chi to tend toward, and it will naturally exit all these places as fire. The forehead is the only place that it will not exit and can be pooled to create the desired effect. If a firebender were to attempt to pool their chi there, they would find it naturally escaping through their nose or mouth.

The tattoo is not necessary, but it signifies the completion of the process of blocking off all other chi routes. It is comparable to an airbender receiving their tattoos to signify their mastery.

In gaining combustionbending, they sacrifice their ability to firebend.

Combustionbending training involves a large amount of meditation, primarily before the chi routes are blocked, but also after to ensure none of the routes reopen. If they do reopen without the combustionbender realizing, it will cause the combustionbending to fail and can also cause damage wherever they reopened, as the paths have often been unused for years.