"Since you apologized so kindly before, I'll be nice and spare you the stupid squat and have you do a different exercise. Like you don't even know how nice I'm being here by sparing you this mandatory step. It's so chivalrous and merciful of me, not to mention brilliant, to let you move on to something simple yet equal to the exercise before. I should be a master at this age. All those elders would want me in their little groupies and do all their master stuff with them, but of course I'd turn them down since it's not my style to hang with old dudes. Not saying they're not cool or anything, they're just-"
"Can we just get on with it already!?" Karkat interrupted, "Jesus fuck just show me what to do already! Do you even hear yourself? You chatter more than a reptile bird! How does a person even stand to listen to your nonsensical ramblings and walk away with their ears intact? Or how are they able to process any information that leaves your mouth? It's not that hard to give out instructions. Just three or four sentences to teach me how to do it but no! You have to go on and on about whatever irrelevant bullshit you want and confuse the fuck out of the rest of us!"
"Wow," Dirk stated once Karkat finished his spiel.
"I know right," Rose replied as if this was an everyday occurrence to her.
"It's like being forced against your will to be the audience of a really bad rap off."
The teacher and the Avatar turned to look at the spectators, Karkat was glaring and perhaps Dave was as well but of course with those shades Karkat couldn't tell.
"Fine here catch," out of the blue, Dave threw three candles and a scroll at Karkat. The water tribe boy scrambled to catch them but only managed to catch one and the scroll hit him square in the forehead. Where the fire bender got the items was a wonder. He definitely wasn't holding them before during his strange rant.
"Fuck did you really have to do that?" Karkat snapped at him as he rubbed his forehead before picking up the rest of the items.
"Yes since you're so eager and have such a large urgency to learn. But I think I'm just going to let you figure out what the hell to do on your own. I'm going back to work, I'll check on you in a few hours," Dave turned and left swiftly.
"Hey wait what the fuck? What kind of teacher are you leaving me like this!?"
"If you can't even figure this out on your own then you don't need me."
"Asshole you said you would teach me already!"
"Your attitude keeps changing my mind," and with that Dave went back inside.
Karkat snapped his head to the side to look at Rose as if he expected her to do something. She just sighed and continued talking to Dirk for a few more seconds before following him inside. That probably meant 'figure it out yourself dumbass'.
With a scowl he sat down with crossed legs and put the items down. He first looked at the scroll. Inside were pictures of forms and stances for fire bending. What the candles were for he wasn't sure. Was the fire bender mocking him about the lighting candles thing from earlier that day? His first thought was yes until he thought more about it and remembered the breathing exercises he was supposed to do. How would candles help?
Setting the candles aside, he started with the scroll. Even if he couldn't fire bend properly yet, it would do good to know the forms. As he placed the scroll down to start, he noticed there was some writing on the back.
'Noob fire bending for dumbasses.'
That made Karkat throw the scroll on the ground with a fit.
"Fucking asshole, I'll show him," after straightening the scroll again, he began the practice the forms.
"What the hell is he doing out there?" Dave peeked out the window after working for two hours.
"Looks like he's practicing the forms," Rose commented not looking up from her book.
"Did he even try to do the breathing exercise?" Dave looked around and saw the unused candles before sighing.
"You were not clear on what had to be done. I really do question why of all people I had chosen you to teach him but I had no other choice in the matter."
"Thanks your confidence in me makes my heart a flutter."
"You're welcome."
"Fuck I'll be right back," Dave complained and went outside to the neglected avatar.
Karkat didn't even bother to look at him as he walked out. He just continued to practice the forms.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Karkat responded calmly without stopping.
"Not doing what I told you to do. I said to do the breathing exercise first."
"What fucking breathing exercises!?" Karkat snapped at him, "You've just been a total asshat this entire time! You claim to be a great teacher but you're doing nothing so far! I already apologized and yet you just continue to be a dick!"
"Fine you want mommy to hold your hand through all this then fine," he walked up to Karkat and grabbed his right wrist. He went behind the water tribe boy and held his right arm out. With his left he pulled the boy's shoulder straight and kicked his legs apart into a proper fire bending stance, "Your stances aren't solid enough and you have to go a bit further or you won't get the right momentum to get a good flame."
Karkat was about to curse at him but then he felt Dave's chest against his back.
Too close. He's going to feel my heartbeat.
The Avatar felt his face heat up and he quickly pulled away from Dave. He turned to look at Dave but found himself looking at the ground instead, "D-Didn't you say that we should do those stupid breathing exercises first?"
"Right," thankfully for Karkat, Dave didn't seem to notice or didn't bother to notice his face and went to get the candles.
He let out a breath of relief as Dave set the three candles in a row. He was startled when Dave suddenly pulled him down to sit in front of the three candles, "Gyah what the fuck?"
"Light the candles."
In his head Karkat mimicked Dave's voice before actually lighting the candles, "There, see I can light them just fine."
"Now shut your eyes and meditate. Concentrate on your breathing, be calm and concentrate on the flames."
Without responding Karkat crossed his legs and shut his eyes.
"There hopefully you can even get this done right. I'll be back in an hour."
"Whatever."
Dave made a small tsk sound before heading back. As soon as he got back in he leaned against the door and put a hand to his forehead, "What kind of face was that . . ."
"Face?" Dirk appeared out of nowhere.
"Nothing! No face, uh you finished that last piece yet?" Dave panicked a bit. Dirk frowned at him.
"Yeah, I'm going into town now. Old lady at the bakery wanted to give me something from helping her last week."
"Right okay see you," Dave walked further into the house as Dirk headed out.
"By the way your face is red again."
Dave flinched before going to his room and slamming the door.
"You gracefully handled that."
"FUCK. Lalonde what the hell are you doing in my room?"
"I see your tastes have not changed over the years," Rose inspected the jars preserving strange objects.
"Rose."
"If you want to talk about anything I'll be glad to listen."
"No psychoanalyzing for you today, now get out."
"It's not healthy to keep it in," Rose gave him a concerned look, "It's not like you to be like this. Does it have something to do with Karkat? I know I haven't seen you in a long time but this is ridiculous."
"The only thing ridiculous here is that brat's attitude and how you must feel the need to poke your head into everything. Rose I don't need any talks alight, just . . . I need to be alone. I'm tired from work okay."
". . . Right," Rose head to the door, "Remember if you do need any-"
"Rose out."
And with a sigh she left. Dave flopped onto his bed and took off his sunglasses. He rubbed his eyes with a groan, "Damn what's wrong with me."
A couple of days passed and Karkat was beginning to get the hang of it, even if Dave only led him for a brief moment before letting him do everything else on his own. It kind of felt like Dave was trying to avoid him. It was fine for the Avatar, the less he saw the alleged teacher's smug face the better. The breathing exercise was very calming. The fire moved with his breaths as he meditated and he was able to do some proper fire bending with some of the basic forms. Even if it was mostly self-taught, he was actually getting somewhere.
During one of his meditating sessions a sharp animal cry was heard and he snapped his head up to yell at whatever was disrupting him. A large bird flew overhead and landed on a post by the window of the sword smith. It tapped on the window a few times before Dave open the window.
"Hey it's Dorito."
"Do not honestly tell me you named your raven-eagle after a chip," Karkat had walked over to see what was going on.
"Yeah so what of it?"
Karkat pinched the bridge of his nose, "Okay whatever. Since when did you own a raven-eagle?"
"Since always. I just don't bring him a long everywhere and he likes to wander on his own. He usually doesn't come back unless he has a message for me or if my number one customer comes," Dave examined the bird, "Looks like there's no note so looks like she's coming."
"Who the hell sends messages by bird these days? Phones and computers were created for a reason."
"Hey not all ships have internet you know."
"So who's this number one customer of yours?"
"You'll see. It's someone even you shouldn't be able to forget," the raven-eagle screeched at Karkat before taking off and flying towards the docks. Dave held back a laugh when Karkat almost fell over in surprise, "I guess you can take a break today. Come out to the front and we'll wait for her."
Karkat wanted to object and continue practicing but he was curious as to whom Dave was referring to. At the front of the sword smith Rose was already waiting with Dirk.
"I'm guessing she's as eccentric as ever. Probably more since the last banquet. How often does she come here?" Rose questioned Dirk.
"About four times a year. She's our best customer and makes sure she gets all her crews' weapons from us."
"Can't you just tell me who it is?" Karkat asked Dave.
"Nah you'll see for yourself."
Up ahead at the town's edge, a group of police like looking people came towards them. Their uniforms were made entirely of metal and the first thing Karkat thought of was metal benders. At the front of the group was a shorter girl that looked about his age. She had on a large grin and bright pretty eyes. As soon as she saw the four of them waiting for her she ran ahead.
"Hey cool kid!" she immediately hugged him. Karkat stared at her boldness.
"Hey TZ long time no see. Here to get more stuff already?" he gave her a little smile as she let go and the rest of the men following her caught up.
"Yeah we got a bunch of new recruits and I'm not letting my men use those pathetic weapons that the capitol makes. That's insulting to my team. We might be a while since I got a big order this time."
"Alright sounds fun."
"And who are these two?" the short enforcer grinned at Karkat and Rose.
"I thought you said she knows me Dave," Karkat frowned at the girl. She really looked familiar though.
"She does, she just-"
"Captain! I found your glasses!" another man ran towards them. He handed over some spectacles to the girl and she immediately put them on.
"Ah that's better," she blinked to focus. Her glasses had thick pointed red frames and extremely thick lenses. How she was even able to run towards them without tripping over something was a wonder, "No way! Karkat Vantas!? What are you doing in the fire nation?"
She went up really close to his face with a larger grin than before. He backed up and blinked.
"Terezi?"
