Archive of Our Own ^beta

With a recent visit to an Earth kingdom village, they were in proximity to a monastery up in the mountains that ani-la frequently took them to when they were younger.

Kavik was with her. 

Currently, in another doing calculations for a budget the village magistrate asked for.

Outsiders weren’t supposed to know of the existence of other temples. They weren’t supposed to know that there existed temples outside of the four main ones in the first place. 

It wouldn’t hurt if she took him there, would it? She would be breaking a core rule. Yangchen had thought about this for close to two days now. Sangmu so far seemed okay with it.

“So far, I think it’s fine.” She laid down on her bed. “I could always spirit him away if he gets talked into doing something again.”

“I rather you not,” Yangchen sat down beside her, “I quite like him.”

“Of course you do.” Yangchen rolled her eyes and turned to look at her, frowning a little. She gently touched Sangmu’s chin and tilted it to the right.

Didn’t she have a scar there? 

She thumbed the area. “Where’s your scar? Isn’t it supposed to be here?”

“I had a scar there before.”

“You don’t have a scar there now?”

Sangmu simply shook her head in response. Yangchen took her hand back and laid down, the back of her head resting on her stomach.

“I’m thinking of blindfolding him. Is that overkill?”

“I’m not the one to ask regarding your interests.” Yangchen threw her hand back at her in a light punch. “Be serious!”

Sangmu chuckled, “No, I don’t.” She answered, “Thinking of visiting tomorrow?” Yangchen nodded. “I’ll get Jampo ready early then.”

It didn’t take much for her to persuade Kavik to let her blindfold him. Kisses were distracting, and it turned out she was pretty good at giving them.

“You’re not going to tie me to the bed, are you?”

She stood flush against him while tying the blindfold around the back of his head.

“Well, that depends if it is something you like.” she pulled back to see how it sat on him, adjusting it a little. “I have more knowledge about that than you think.”

“Personal knowledge or past lives knowledge?”

“Yes.” She broke free of his hold and held his arm. “Now, watch your step and don’t tempt me to throw you off a flying bison. Sangmu can catch herself, you on the other hand, can’t.”

“You didn’t whisk me off to a place where I should’ve brought gifts, did you?”

“Kind of,” Yangchen did not feel sorry about that, “but you don’t have to worry.”

“We can practise a bit in the meantime.”

“What for?”

“The people speak a different dialect there. It’s only polite to know how to greet them.”

“Ngak tsey, Kavik.”

“I thought tashi Delek was the normal greeting.”

“It is a greeting, yes, but not the one we’re going to be using.”

“Why?”

“It’s a bit too casual.” She nudged him. “Ngak’ tsey is easier than Gyalo pö sum pa. You have a mouth, you’re good at using it. You’ll get it, eventually.”

Jampo landed right outside the main hall and Yangchen grabbed around Kavik and jumped off the saddle.

“You could’ve given me a warning for that.” He grumbled. “Now how is that fun?” She took the blindfold off, letting him adjust to the light and take in the surroundings.

A group of nuns took Jampo and led him to the monastery stables.

“What is this place?” He looked around, taking double takes when he noticed tattooed monks brushing around the temple entrance.

“Welcome to Ka-nying shedrub ling monastery.” She said, “the seat of Pakchok rinpoche.”

“O…okay?” He was still glancing around. “No offense at all, but why are we here?”

She raised her brow at him. “Because we can be?” She giggled at his flat expression. “But I needed a break. I don’t think I would’ve been able to listen to the magistrate talk first thing in the morning.”

The magistrate, who had a history of greed, had paid out of his own pocket for her stay at the best house quarters. Gasp. What generosity. And he was listening and nodding along to whatever she said?

(She would totally take advantage of that…)

His brows furrowed. “Did you need to blindfold me?”

“Since you’re technically not supposed to know about this place, yes.” She answered. “Yes, I needed to blindfold you.”

Pakchok rinpoche and abbot Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche walked down the front steps toward them.

“Jetsunma Yangchen,” Pakchok rinpoche greeted with a gentle smile. “It has been a while.”

She bowed to him. “It is a struggle to find time to visit. I hope this abrupt visit doesn’t cause any harm?”

He raised his hand in a slight wave. “Nonsense, you are always welcome.” He turned to look at Kavik, still with that gentle smile. “And who is this? Your friend?”

Kavik stared, looking between Pakchok rinpoche and abbot Chökyi rinpoche with eyes as wide as a fox-deer.

Yangchen nudged him in the ribs. “Uh right!” He bowed a perfect 90 degrees. He listened. Good, he still had his ears. “Ngak tsey, ngak tsey! Ngi ming la Kavik yin.”

Pakchok rinpoche’s gentle smile changed, not visible to the normal eye. A slightly amused quirk at the corners of his mouth and his eyes creased a bit. Abbot Chökyi rinpoche’s mustache hid his smile.

He might have mixed some things up a little in his introduction, but it wasn’t bad. His pronunciation could use some work.

“Kavik, eh?” Pakchok rinpoche shot her a look and raised his brow suggestively. Yangchen rightly looked away to not say something she’d regret.

Kavik nodded stiffy. 

“Tell the poor boy that he is welcome.” Pakchok rinpoche glanced at him. “Your usual quarters will be ready for you before dinner.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t have brought a gift?”

“Traditionally, you should’ve brought a khata, but simply having me here is enough.”

Yangchen had way too much fun watching Kavik stumble his way through prayers. And the panicked look he sent her when Pakchok rinpoche insisted he, as a guest of hers, would light the smoke puja almost sent her into a fit of laughter.

“Why gold flakes exactly?” He asked after lighting a small wax candle and trying to get the gold flake off the thin paper it was on.

Yangchen placed her thin flake on a smaller Buddha statue. “It’s to praise people who do good deeds that go unseen.”

“I still don’t get the gold part.” He was comically careful, trying to place his gold flake on the statue in one piece. “Gold doesn’t seem quite air nomad-like.”

“It’s probably one of the most air nomad-like qualities. It represents enlightenment, freedom and happiness.”

“… I still don’t get it.”

“You don’t have to.”

The large prayer wheels stood in the monastery’s courtyard, with people circling it, chanting and moving their prayer beads between their fingers.

“Are those giant prayer wheels?”

“I believe those are normal size for a monastery like this.” There were even larger ones at the southern temple. “Why? You’re not impressed by the size?” She shot him an innocent look, and the angry flush that shot up his neck was delightful.

This was so much fun.

“It’s fine,” she grabbed his elbow, leading him over, “it’s only natural.” with a gleeful grin, she added, “I’ll teach you how to make it sing.”

“You don’t have to eat if you don’t like it.” She told him after watching him hold back a grimace after the first bowl of churu cheese soup.

“No, no!” He insisted, “it’s fine. I like it.” The slight grimace told her he didn’t in fact like it. “It’s like kiviak. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but it’s good. I like it.”

Abbot Chökyi rinpoche had offered him an alternative dish for dinner, much easier to digest for him, but Kavik insisted.

He didn’t puke afterward. She considered that a success.

Kavik so far had not meditated.

He had ‘meditated,’ which often ended with him dozing off. She had given him one of her prayer beads to concentrate on while they were in meditation.

“Straighten your back, Kavik.” She corrected him. “You’ll end up falling asleep otherwise.”

His nose wrinkled, but did as she said. “Speaking from experience?”

“From having to wake my classmates up so that they wouldn’t get in trouble? Yes.” He grumbled.

Yangchen didn’t need to open her eyes to see him correct his posture. She could hear his mispronounced chants of om mani padme hum at each gong hit.

Eh. 

It wasn’t terrible.

He was putting effort in.

Maybe it was Pakchok rinpoche’s doing, but the sleepwear presented to Kavik was a size or two too small.

She heard Sangmu laughing behind her.

“Just take your shirt off.”

“Are you sure?” He squirmed a little where he stood. “Wouldn’t that be immodest? What if someone comes in?”

“This is our room,” she said, beginning to take her shirt off. “I decided what’s immodest and what isn’t.”

At that, Sangmu also took her shirt off.

Kavik squeaked, his face flushing an ugly red.

Yangchen raised her brow at him. “I did say this was our room, now didn’t I?” They used to share and still continue to share the same room whenever they visited. She could imagine the steam coming out of his ears. “I assure you that she won’t bite.”

“Please! You’re the one that’s most likely to bite.” Sangmu nudged her as she walked past her. “Out of all the people I know, you’re the one that bites.”

Kavik squeaked again.

“I know, a wonderful idea, isn’t it?” 

Kavik hid his face behind his hands.

Yangchen hugged him, laughing under her breath. “I promise it’s fine, okay? You won’t get in trouble of any kind.”

It took some persuasion, but she got him out of his shirt and onto the bed.

“What- where do I put my hands exactly?”

The air of Sangmu’s puff of laughter hit her shoulder blade. “I can hold your hand if you want or you can place them on her waist.”

“I find the revelation that you haven’t slept with more people startling.”

“Quit bullying him,” Sangmu nudged her head against her shoulder, “he needs to start somewhere.”

Yangchen was the first of the three to wake up the next morning to Kavik’s loose hair tickling her chin. She glanced down to see his right arm hugging around her waist. Sangmu’s hand was touching his side.

Yangchen felt an arm beneath her head. A muscled arm. She glanced down at the top of his head. 

Poor him.

His arm won’t be the same for a couple of hours.