#Language endangerment

[librosviejos]

It seems Romansh is doomed. Doomed, I say!

The geographical distribution of the official languages of Switzerland (2000)

[witchofthesouls]

Look at these three:

It's from that TFP barbarians/city-dwellers twist on a really out there verse where Others from Earth managed to make Cybertron a home AU I was talking about.

D-16 here is doing his best to get these two acclimated to Neocybex, both the Common and Ilmentite (a dialect that's utilized by deep underground miners). He has treats hidden in his hands if they can get specific glyphs right. Scraplet/Orion is very much motivated by food. Juno is highly motivated to get the language down so she can wholly curse the mecha that stole her away and be understood by everyone.

Because D-16 no longer has companions his age, he latched onto the two little 'newcomers.' as they're the only ones that can venture out and do their part to help the cohort. He's happily 'mentoring' as he mimicking what the adults do for the fresh newbuilds. The adults around him think it's both cute and disheartening as no one has the spark to tell D-16 that there's a really high probability that those two won't make it (Spoilers: they do.) as sparklings that get sold to the mines typically have issues that surface-dwellers refuse to take.

Although Orion is the oldest of the three, D-16 had more consistent meals and the protection of an adult cohort to ensure he was able to develop normally. While Orion is shorter and less ornate due to delays, he has a far greater tolerance for different fuels, denta capable of crushing rocks, talons on agile hands, and very advanced sensory systems. Hence why his audials and antenna are detailed. Right now, he's pinging and listening around them in case anything (or one) tries to sneak behind them. That box is his best friend as Orion can't believe these mecha just try to throw away decent food! (It's a disposal crate meant that's currently meant for minerals. And yes, Orion sleeps curled up to it.)

Juno (a June Darby that descended from a Cybertron/Earth hybrid) is fretted upon by the adult miners around her. Because of her heritage, her armature is relatively weak, and those 'thin' robes are a part of it. Unlike a usual Cybertronian sparkling that can not remove their armature until a later stage in adolescence, her kind can due to their extended duration of frame development and constant manipulation due to a cross of Earth shapeshifters/humans and Cybertronians over the generations. (Their communities developed a strange relationship between wearable clothes and their natural-born armature.) The mask is part of her tribe's way of life. Less about hiding identity and more to help the young tap into latent abilities by drawing on the blank slate to invoke simple spells or transformations. That blank mask with those empty and dark optic holes creeped out many until she took it off. Nor does she have a 'proper' helm as she has an exposed mess of thin cabling that she can control. She has them tucked away in low buns whenever she needs to follow D-16 or his parent's cohort out of the Den. D-16 likes poking them since he never seen anything like that in his life. Despite her small stature and dainty appearance, she's a little menace that's currently full of rage and would absolutely bite the throats out of the mecha that stole her.

The harness she has isn't from her tribe but from the Snatchers. It's actually a specialized inhibitor and a tracker. The raiding caravan was hoping for the nearby Wilders to launch a rescue so they could track exactly where the main of the communities since young creatures, practitioners, and Seekerkin would fetch the highest credits and prizes from high rollers and the elite. Since her robes have sigils and runes carved inside to hide her and she lacks a T-cog, she was sold to the Tarn's mines as she seemingly had none of the 'exotic' and powerful abilities of the Wilders.

Some little extra details:

The boys are far more dirty since Juno has some sigils to keep herself clean for longer periods of time

D-16 is playing 'I spy'

Those blocky thick stripes on D-16 are harzard stripes and doubles as a unique identifier to his creators' cohort in case anything happens since D-16 doesn't count as a full person yet

The miners are trying to figure out how to keep it on Juno

Orion has it on his back

The box in Orion's hands has two Cybertronian scripts. The top is Common Neocybex (TFOne glyphs), which reads DISPO. Shorthand for disposal. It reads left to right. The other is the written version of Ilmentite (glyphs from Gen 1 comic and Transformers video games). It actually skips vowels and reads top-down. It's cut off, but it says MINERALS.

Orion's antenna and audials make subtly clicks and can move independently.

[shalom-iamcominghome]

Something I love about Yiddish is being able to pick out some word or phrase that's intelligible to me, which is cool considering I haven't touched german in over three years

[thanksbutno98]

Stranger

John Price x wife!reader OC

Summary: John Price finally puts an end to his wife being stalked.

Warnings: Sexual themes, violence, blood, murder, death, stalking, allusions to sexual assault, mentions of child endangerment, torture, mentions of war, kidnapping, PTSD, anxiety attack, not edited.

——————

“Jj, stop teasing your sister.”

“But mum-“ Jj had a cheeky smile on his face before he was interrupted.

“Oi, enough!” John voice barked from down the hall as he walked toward the kitchen.

Tonight was a good night with your family. You had finished up dessert which was an ice cream sundae feast. The kids were over the moon when you and John broke out all the toppings you bought as a surprise from the shop. You felt your heart swell watching John set up everything with a huge grin across his face. In the aftermath there was chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, marshmallows, and rainbow sprinkles all over the kitchen island that you were now cleaning up.

“Daddy!” Lily exclaimed and ran to John as he walked into the kitchen, his eyes fixed on you in his white t-shirt and a pair of your leggings.

His four year old was already in her pajamas and her hair damp from her bath. She wore pastel green pants with Grogu from the Mandalorian on them, and a white t-shirt with the same character. Lily ran straight into John’s leg and clung to him. A loud crack of thunder made your house shake as the heavy rain continued to beat down.

“Daddy you have to save me.” Tugging on John’s sweat pants he had to grip the waistband so Lily didn’t drag them down.

“Save you?” John asked before picking her up and then being clung to in a vice grip.

“Ow! Lily, go easy.” John hissed as Lily’s finger nails dug into the exposed skin of his bicep while the other tugged on his beard.

“Yeah or the forest will swallow her up!” Jj jumped off his chair as he shouted his teasing words at Lily. This made Lily whimper into John’s chest, her fingers tugging harder at John’s facial hair.

“Hey, I said stop it.” You scolded Jj who didn’t seem to take you seriously and continued to make scary faces, eerie noises, and wiggle his finger at Lily.

“Daddy.” Lily whined into John’s neck, one sapphire eye visible as she stared at her big brother.

“Stop trying to scare your sister. Her shadow does enough of that.” John’s joke had you lightly chuckling along with him.

He wasn’t wrong there. It didn’t take much to scare Lily and she did once scream and try to out run her shadow, not knowing what it was. She tripped and fell in her mad dash which only made things worse that day.

“Can I sleep with you and mummy?” Lily whispered to John so you couldn’t hear.

You and John tended to ping pong back and forth on who was a big softy. Lately John had been giving in to all the small requests and spoiling your children. Whereas you were setting limits because you thought they were getting out of control at times. Jj especially, for some reason he’d been teasing both his sisters to tears recently.

“I’ll have to ask your mum. . . but yes.” John whispered the last part. Lily giggled and gave him a kiss to the cheek while snuggling closer.

“Why’s there a man in the yard?” Evelyn asked.

She was standing by the backdoor and staring out into your pitch black backyard. With squinted crystal blue eyes she tilted her head to the side and then leaned forward to get a better look. Lily tensed up at her sister’s words and looked at John with wide eyes and a big frown.

“What did your mum just say?” John asked expectantly, one thick eyebrow quirked.

“But-“ Evelyn pointed, not taking her eyes off the yard.

“Stop trying to scare your sister. Bed, now.” John cut off Evelyn not giving her a chance to continue.

“But-“

“Evie, bed.” You jumped in a lot sweeter.

“Stop being fuckin’ stupid Evie, you’re gonna get us grounded.” Jj playfully jabbed. You gasped at the language and so did Lily.

“Stupids a bad word!” Lily looked at a John in shock. He couldn’t even address Jj’s language and burst out into a loud belly laugh.

“Watch the language.” You chuckled and Jj nodded with a cheeky eye roll.

Walking over to your oldest daughter you lightly guided her by the shoulders to head upstairs. With a kiss to the top of the head Evelyn followed her father and siblings as he brought them upstairs to tuck them in.

You went back to putting the dishes away and sipping on the glass of wine John poured you. It wasn’t common that you had wine during the week, it was more of a special occasion thing. But you had a feeling John was trying to get lucky tonight and he was bettering his chances by getting you liquored up.

Taking a sip you watched as your tri-colored border collie, Molly, slowly walked to the back door. She took her paw and lightly scratched at the glass for you to let her out. The look she cast in your direction was somehow filled with attitude that you were taking too long. With a big smile you walked over and unlocked the door. You grabbed a towel off the shoe rack to wipe Molly off when she came back in but you noticed the rain had stopped. Before opening the door you flicked on the patio light and went to let her out. Looking up into the yard you let out a blood curdling scream.

Just like Evelyn had said, there was a man standing in your yard.

You couldn’t make out any defining details only that he was large, maybe bigger than John in stature. He was a shadowy figure standing about fifty yards from the tree line but still a good distance from your home. Your scream didn’t seem to scare him off but instead you watched as he began to slowly walk toward your home. Molly began barking like crazy and jumping on the back door for you to let her out and chase this man off.

“Darling!?” John could be heard racing down the stairs.

You caught sight of him running down the hall in the reflection of the glass backdoor. Shifting your focus you realized that the man in the yard must have seen John too because he was now running full sprint toward the forest.

John realized what was happening in seconds. He saw a figure darting into the woods and he was already springing into action. It had to be the years in the military that had made him so observant. It was why he spotted the man in seconds and picked up on the sinister feeling hanging in the air. It was the same unsettling ambience that filled war zones, compounds he was infiltrating, or the stiff air of a morgue.

“Stay right there and watch.” John ordered you before locking the door and then dashing into the basement.

In this moment you weren’t his wife needing protection, you were an extension of himself that needed to help protect. Your children were upstairs and it would take an army to get to them. John instinctively knew whoever was out there had to get through him and you; and you were a lot more scrappy than you appeared. John knew you’d move mountains for your children, that their safety was your number one priority much like him.

You didn’t respond, fear paralyzed you in this moment, but you did as you were told. Keeping your eyes on the man you watched as he faded into the darkness of the woods and stopped. The glow of your patio flood light stretched far enough it created long shadows that stretched across your property but didn’t reach the woods. His figure was like watching a tea bag bleed into water, you could make out distinct shapes until it all faded together. You could just make the man out; his figure was darker than the tree line. He was now standing just on the edge of the woods, staring directly at you and in seconds he faded together with the blackened shadows of the forest.

“Why’d you stop running?” You whispered and stepped closer to the glass.

Your breath was shallow and eyes squinted as you tried to focus on where you last saw the man. It didn’t make sense to you why he started for the house when it was you but then ran a moment later. Molly had stopped barking but was aggressively growling in the same direction you had your gaze fixed on.

“Oh. You can’t see John.” The words came out in a shaky whisper, your breath making the glass fog, obscuring the figure staring back at you.

That’s when you saw your husband. John was back by your side with his gun in hand. You realized he had also slipped on a camouflage rain coat, his tactical boots, and boonie hat. As soon as you saw John you realized the blackened shape you’d been staring at was gone.

“He went straight ahead.” Pointing off to show where you saw the man disappear to, John was soon sprinting in the same direction.

You hadn’t even realized he unlocked the backdoor until you saw the back of John and heard his boots stomp against the stone of your patio. Molly was right behind John which surprised you. She normally moved slow but she was sprinting with John and slowly outrunning him. She knew exactly where she was going and it made you wonder if she picked up on the unknown scent. The sound of Mollys bark snapped you out of your trance and you quickly shut the back door and locked it.

You then turned and ran upstairs for your children. There was no guarantee this man was alone and your worst fear would be for someone else to try breaking in while John was off chasing the accomplices. The first room you went to was your sons. Jj was sitting up in bed reading his book and snapped it shut when you burst through the door.

“I’m sorry! I’ll go to bed.” Jj immediately apologized not thinking he’d get caught staying up to read.

“Get Evelyn up and go to my bathroom. Don’t turn on any lights.” The urgency in your voice would scare most children but it didn’t have that effect on Jj.

The protocol was to bring the kids to the basement but you weren’t sure if someone was able to get in without you knowing. You were scared, petrified something was going to happen and you were the last line of defense to keep your children safe. This fear kept you from doing what you and John practiced.

It was like a switch flipped in Jj’s head as he slipped on his slippers and ran to Evelyn’s room. You were then in Lily’s bedroom and grabbed her. She was lying on her back talking to her stuffed animals and holding her penguin stuffy over her head. Any other night you’d watch her lovingly from the door and admire how cute Lily was.

“Mummy!” Lily gasped as she was snatched out of bed.

“Shhh. We’re playing hide and seek with daddy and we have to be very quiet.” You whispered to your daughter who seemingly believed you.

“Fun.” She giggled and kicked her feet as you ran to your room.

Locking the bedroom door behind you, you grabbed the blanket off the foot of your bed and then dashed into the bathroom. Evelyn and Jj were sitting in the bathtub which was exactly where you were going to tell them to sit. You took Lily and placed her in Jj’s lap. There was a silent understanding between you two that he was to look after his sisters.

“Stay quiet.” You smiled reassuringly to your little girls.

“Daddy will never find us.” Lily giggled.

“Perfect spot for hide and seek.” This was your attempt to get your kids on board with the lie you told Lily.

Giving each child a kiss to the tops of their heads you took the large plush blanket and made sure they were all covered up to stay warm. You pulled the curtain back to conceal where they were and rolled into your next move.

Making your way back into your bedroom you grabbed the skeleton key and locked the door. You wee locking your babies in the bathroom to keep them safe, god forbid something happened to you. Your next step was to grab the serrated Bowie knife John hid in the false bottom of his nightstand. It felt clinical how you moved. The underlying fear seemed to fade into the background as you did everything John had coached you to do.

Grabbing your cell phone you called the police first and then your father second. You placed one final call just in case John needed help in a different kind of way than the police could offer. The phone rang twice before the person answered clearly out of breath.

“Indy, kinda late-“

“Soap! I know you’re dating that girl- ugh- uh- what’s her name- uh- maybe if you didn’t sleep with so many of my friends I’d remember! The one with kids. Are you at her place?” You yelled and babbled out.

You could hear sheets rustling and a female voice asking something faintly in the background. The voice grew louder and more agitated but you didn’t care at the moment. Soap had been dating one of the moms at Lily’s daycare and she happened to live near by. You were praying he was at her place for the night.

“Yeah, everything alright? I’m kinda in the middle of s-”

“Some creep was standing outside the house and John chased him into the woods. I don’t know if he needs help-“ You were babbling again and hadn’t noticed you were crying.

“I’ll be there in five minutes.” Soap could be heard shuffling around quickly and you assumed he was getting dressed.

“Thank you! Flash your headlights so I know it’s you.”

“On my way.”

Those five minutes felt like an eternity. But soon enough you saw headlights pulling up your driveway and then they flashed four times. Seeing that it was Soap you slid the knife into the holster you had secured to the back of the waist band of your leggings. You left your bedroom and locked the door behind you. Jogging downstairs you met Soap on your patio.

Soap looked disheveled. His hair was sticking up in odd direction and he was flushed. You were use to seeing Soap in jeans but tonight he wore grey joggers that left nothing to the imagination. His grey crewneck had a lipstick smudge by the collar and what you assumed was red wine dribbled down the front. The only thing that made him look ready to help was the pistol in his hand and scuffed military boots.

“John took off that way with his gun, Molly followed too.” You pointed into the woods where John had ran off to.

“Alright, hold on to this.” Soap smacked a walkie talkie into your hand and the gun he was holding in the other.

You physically reacted to now holding a gun and held it as far away from you as you could manage. It looked like it grossed you out the way your face twisted in disgust. Soaps eyebrows scrunched together and he looked at the gun that you were acting like it was a dead animal he handed you.

“Don’t be scared of it. Just point and pull the trigger.” Soap took off running in the direction of your husband after he was done speaking.

You watched as he pulled out another gun from the back of his waist band and you wondered how many guns the members of 141 had hidden just in case they needed them. You knew John’s arsenal and were constantly on his case to get rid of some.

Before Soap even reached half way across the yard John was walking out of the woods with Molly following close behind. You couldn’t make out if he was okay from this distance but you noticed he was alone. Part of you thought he’d be dragging someone by the hair out of the woods or that he’d be covered in blood with a dead body slung over his shoulder.

“You get your hands on him Cap?” Soap called. He stopped halfway into your yard and waited for John to join him in walking back to your home.

You watched from the lit patio as the two conversed quietly. It made you wonder what information John was passing along. The two continued to quietly converse as they walked back over to you.

“Slippery fucker.” John cursed, his frustration evident.

“How’d he get away?” You heard Soap ask as you impatiently waited on the patio.

The night air bit at your exposed skin, making you shiver. Your bare feet were tingling against the cold stone. There was a pebble sticking to the bottom of one of your feet and uncomfortably pressing into your skin. Standing on one foot you picked it off with the hand holding the walkie talkie. You didn’t notice how by keeping your balance you were waving around your other hand.

“Woah, easy there. Don’t need you putting a hole in either of us.” John had both hands on you, one on your wrist and the other taking the gun from your hand. After you were disarmed John answered Soaps question.

“His car was parked on some trail deep in the woods. He took off before I could grab him. Molly took a bite out of him though.” Handing the gun back to Soap John cast another unimpressed look at you for your lack of gun safety. Soap knelt down and slipped the gun into a holster around his ankle.

“Really? Good girl.” You squatted down and gave Molly some much deserved scratches. You ignored John’s look, he knew your distain for guns. You checked Molly’s teeth and mouth to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

“I’ll be picking her up a steak tomorrow.” John patted her on the head and then she finally walked off to go pee like she originally had to.

“You broken?” You stopped John from walking by you and lightly took him by the shoulders. You used his phrase to hopefully dampen the tension. Looking him over you saw he was a bit muddy but not a scratch on him.

“Far from broken, darling.” You loved hearing those words and you swooned even harder when John placed a firm kiss to your forehead. Warping a strong arm around your waist John lead you inside and motioned for Soap to follow.

The three of you went inside and you went to grab your children. John told you he’d put a kettle on while you got everything back in order; including yourself. Somehow you managed to shove the fear crackling through your bones down and be the mother your children needed. You had them all back in bed easily and Jj was the only one to ask questions. He came to the conclusion that this was practice in case something bad ever happened. Just like the time you practiced what he and his sisters needed to do if there was ever a fire.

Once downstairs you could hear Soap and John talking. Your nerves were beginning to fray. Keeping it together for this long felt unnatural. You felt like a robot getting your kids back to bed. Cuddling Evelyn as she babbled about wanting to go to the park tomorrow, organizing Lily’s stuffed animals on the bed in your room to sleep with you, and telling Jj everything was alright; it was like an out of body experience. It was auto pilot to get them all settled and now finally you were coming back to your senses.

“Yeah, Indy called while I was mid thrust. Should’ve seen Saoirse’s face when I picked up the ph-“

“Charming.” You scrunched your nose at Soaps crass remark.

You weren’t one for dirty banter unless it was with John. It sounded like locker room talk to you which you disapproved of. You didn’t think John would normally entertain that kind of talk but Soap seemed comfortable talking like that.

“Sorry. Didn’t see you there.” Soap laughed awkwardly. You were giving him a disapproving look which had him feeling like a naughty school boy.

“That how you talk about me?” You asked John who snorted at the idea.

“Oh, I go into much more detail.” His joke wasn’t funny to you and he put his hands up in defense before you gave him a tongue lashing.

“I’m only joking.” John added.

“The kids are back in bed.” You changed the subject before you started questioning your husband.

You grabbed the cup of tea John prepared for you. The mug lightly swayed in your shaky hands as you brought the warm liquid to your mouth.

“You alright?” Soap asked. He was staring at you with concern and that was when you noticed John also looked worried.

“Not really. That was fucking scary.” As you spoke you noticed how your words were in a higher register and you stuttered slightly.

John was by your side now, one large hand lightly stroking your back. His other hand came up and pushed your hair out of your face and behind your ear. Leaning in he whispered in your ear that he loved you and you had nothing to worry about.

“Did you get a good look at him?” John asked once he pulled away.

“No. What’s weird is he started walking toward the house until he saw you. He ran but stopped at the edge of the woods when you went into the basement. It’s like he only stared when he knew you couldn’t see him. . . Like he knew I couldn’t defend myself.” The last sentence came out breathy and you gritted your teeth at the realization.

“Well I’m here to stay. So if I’m what scares him off then he won’t be coming ‘round again.” John spoke adamantly. His hand went from stroking your back to gripping your hip and bringing you close. John had you tucked under his arm and by his side, firmly in his hold.

“Think Evie got a good look?” You asked which made John frown down at you.

“Feel like a fool for not believing her.” He ran his free hand ran down his face.

“Me too. We owe her an apology.” You placed your face in your hands feeling like an absolute idiot.

“Oh and would’ya look at that. Police thirty minutes late like usual.” Soap scoffed.

——————

It was an early Friday morning with the suns orange hues streaming through the windows of your kitchen. Breakfast was laid out on the table. A plate of eggs, bowl of beans, toast, sautéed mushrooms, and cut up fruit sat already picked over. Jj was scraping the last of the beans onto his plate with his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. Lily had her open mouth pressed up to the side of her plate as he shoveled her eggs into her mouth that way. Before this method of eating, her eggs kept falling off her fork and made a mess on the floor that Molly was cleaning up.

“Do you have to go?” Lily asked with a mouth full of her breakfast.

Evelyn was wrapped around John’s leg like she had been for the past half hour. She was sat on his foot with her legs tight wound around his calf and arms locked around his knee. John didn’t say much about it but instead hobbled around the first floor with her attached to him. Usually if he allowed her to act out or be on the difficult side it made saying goodbye easier. John wasn’t sure why but you told him it’s because it made her feel important. That even when she was being difficult she felt the extra love with his patience.

“Yes. I’ll only be gone the weekend.” John reassured Lily who frowned at him.

“But there’s a new episode of Bluey.” She protested. A big pout formed on her face since John wouldn’t be here to watch it with her.

“We can watch it together when I get back.” John chuckled.

He found it cute that a new episode of Bluey should be enough for him to call out of work. Hobbling by you John started to help you finish up cleaning the kitchen.

“Not fair.” Lily mumbled.

“Don’t worry Lil, you’ll get use to dad having to jet off randomly.” Jj thought he was reassuring his little sister but it was like daggers to John’s heart.

John audibly scoffed, face dropping and looking to you for comfort. You only shrugged not knowing what to say. Jj was right in a sense but to you it was something you had still never gotten use to. You went back to your task ignoring your husband’s silent plea for reassurance.

“You okay over there?” John asked, you were taking up bread making and kneading the life out of some dough.

“Fine.” You mused not looking at John.

You were taking out your anxiety on this pour ball of dough. At this rate you were going to bake the world’s densest loaf of bread. All because you couldn’t stomach John being gone for the weekend.

“Soap’s going to be five minutes away. Whatever that was last week was just a freak one off. It’s been resolved with some handcuffs.” John tried out humor which didn’t seem to work. You simply kneaded harder and blew the fallen strands of hair out of your face.

“How are you so sure of that?” It was almost inaudible as you were snarky back. John had spent hours at this point reassuring you everything would be okay.

“Darling, we left my car on base for two nights in a row to make it look like I wasn’t home and there was nothing. I stayed up both nights on lookout.” John had hobbled over to you to try and get you to look at him.

You continued your task, ignoring the burn in your arms.

“The neighbor was arrested. We saw him getting arrested two days ago on our run. Remember?” Taking his index finger John hooked it under your chin and turned your head to look at him. His eyes were kind but he was met with a scowl from you.

“Yeah I remember.” You sighed. This didn’t quell your anxiety.

In fact it made you more uneasy that John was so sure. Your gut told you something was still wrong and John dismissed it as nerves. You two had been bickering about you trusting his judgment and you telling him to trust your intuition.

“Yeah! The policeman who doesn’t like our chickens was there!” Lily exclaimed as she told Jj details to a story he’d already heard. Jj looked back at his little sister with a dead pan expression, he was annoyed at her constant repeating as of late.

“Yeah? Was dad pushing you in the stroller since you’re such a big baby you didn’t wanna stay here with papa?” Jj’s retort had Lily’s lip wobbling.

She had thrown an absolute fit about wanting to join you and John on your run. John gave in and popped her in the stroller and took her along with the two of you that day. Lily got a front row seat to the neighbors arrest. You and John watched everything unfold along with some fellow neighbors.

“I’m not a baby!” Lily shouted back.

“Yeah? News to me.” With an eye roll Jj went back to eating.

“Mummy!” Lily shrieked unable to deal with her brother’s curtness.

“Jj.” You and John both used a stern tone as you warned Jj to knock it off.

“Sorry. Sorry. Let’s all pretend she’s not a big cry baby who always gets her way. I use to think Evie was a brat but Lily takes the cake.” The sass was getting on your nerves and before you or John could reprimand the attitude Jj was getting up.

“I’ll go to my room. It’s worth saying the truth.” He huffed and brought his plate to the sink.

“And-“ John started but Jj cut in again.

“I’ll put the switch on your bed don’t worry.” You couldn’t see him at this point because he was halfway down the hall but you could tell by his tone he rolled his eyes.

“What are we gonna do with him?” John looked at you dumbstruck. You ignored his question and went back to what was weighing on your mind.

“Maybe me and the kids should stay with my dad.” You suggested.

“Would that make you feel better? You can come back during the day, you I’ll get the house to yourself for a few hours.” John rolled right back into the conversation from before. Your comfort was much more important than his preteens rudeness.

“Doesn’t sound half bad.” The idea of having the house to yourself was too good to pass up on. Being here by yourself during the day didn’t feel scary.

“So you want to get rid of us!?” Evelyn accused you from where she sat on the floor still hugging John’s leg.

“We’d sell you if it wasn’t illegal.” John joked which made Evelyn gasp.

“C’mon they’d return them all by sundown.” You added on with a laugh. This seemed to rile up your oldest daughter.

“Good! At least someone would take me cuz no one’s gonna want a stinky old man! And they’d give Lily back for being such a cry baby!” Evelyn hissed. Your eyebrows scrunched together at the shot taken at Lily was was minding her own business. You looked up to see her with her mouth agape like a trout and a strawberry in hand.

“I’m not old.” John said with a straight face.

“I’m not a baby!” Lily shouted.

“Stop it. I don’t know why you and your bother are teasing your sister but it’s enough.” You warned.

“Evie. Say I’m not a baby.” Lily whined. Evelyn rolled her eyes and tossed her head back.

“You’re not a baby.” Evelyn groaned. She only said it so Lily wouldn’t cry. That seemed to be enough for Lily who went back to eating.

“I have to make sure my dad’s free.” You said while shaking your head at your children’s antics

“Why wouldn’t he be? That posh lady broke up with him.” Evelyn was staring up at you, still wrapped around John’s leg.

“Cold, Evelyn.” You laughed.

Your father dating history had been a slew of women who you thought were lack luster. John tried to get you to give them a chance but you brushed him off saying they would never stick around long.

“Now go sit.” Finally you ushered Evelyn off of John and over to the kitchen table to eat her cold breakfast.

“Fine.” Evelyn let go of John and stomped over to the table.

“Darling it’ll be okay.” John who was now able to move around freely and came up behind you and wrapped you in his arms. Those large rough hands you loved so much slid down your arms until his hands encompassed yours. Slowly moving them away from the bread dough, John’s breath was now in your ear.

“Yeah?” You softly asked.

John was going against his better judgment as he told you this. He felt safe and assured that nothing would happen. The problem had been taken care of and there was no way your neighbor was getting out of jail while he was away. John had looked into the charges and chose to keep them to himself but with how worried you seemed it was time to share.

“Look, neighbors been arrested for violating a restraining order of a woman he was stalking. It wasn’t the only restraining order he had put against him. He’s not around to do anything.” John spoke softly, wrapping his arms back around you and hugging you close to his chest.

“John, Officer Parker said it’s not him.” Turning your head to the side you looked up at John who wore a crooked smile.

“You really trust the police to do a good job?” The question hung in the air longer than you liked. You weren’t sure what your answer should be or if you even agreed with John’s sentiment.

“Anyway, I’ll have Soap check in on you throughout the day.” Letting you go John shrugged and gave you a kiss to the cheek, his beard leaving behind the usual scratchy feeling.

“So you’re not convinced it’s the nephew!?” Whipping around you had your finger in John’s face. He chuckled deeply and moved your hand back down to your side.

“I am convinced, you’re the one who’s not. But you know me darling. Not one to take chances when it comes to something as precious as you and the kids.” John was being sweetly flirtatious and you weren’t sure if you should blush or get him to be more serious.

“Well, I still have to call my dad. I’d feel okay if Soap was here for the weekend while you’re away-if my dad’s busy.” The thought of Soap spending the weekend finally quelled the anxiety that had taken root in your chest. Soap would keep you and your children safe, you were sure of that.

“Well he’s not staying here. The man can barely keep it in his pants as is, and I don’t need you falling for whatever charm he has that makes women flock to him in droves.” Talking with his hands John then shook his head in what seemed to be frustration and went to grab something from the fridge.

“John.” You whined at his reasoning.

“Stay with your dad and come by in the morning. You’ll get to enjoy the house to yourself. I’ll have Soap stop by in the morning and then see you off mid afternoon.” John’s mind was made up on how things would go and you could only roll your eyes at him.

“A lot of precautions for someone who thinks I’m safe.” You muttered.

“I know you’re safe but you wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I did all this.” Kissing your temple John grabbed a tub of ice cream and popped the lid off. Before you could move John snatched you around the waist and purred in your ear.

“Let’s send the kids to your dad’s tonight and you can show me how much you’ll miss me.” John flirted.

You rolled your eyes with a giggle and grabbed spoons. John was right and you would’ve bugged him to do all this but he had beaten you to it. With it just being you home you didn’t see the harm. It would be nice to have the house to yourself.

“And stop rolling your eyes. You wonder why the kids do it when they’re giving us attitude.” It sounded playful with a twist of seriousness and you subconsciously rolled your eyes again. This earned a firm smack to your bottom.

——————

“Hey, I miss you and clearly you miss me too. The flowers are beautiful. Who’d you get to drop them off? Ended up staying at your sisters last night, had too much wine to drive to my dads. Anyway got here pretty early and slept off the hangover. I didn’t even hear who stopped by with the flowers cuz I slept in for once. Ha! Crazy huh? Me sleeping in. Feels like a dream. Welp, I miss you and can’t wait to see you on Monday. Be safe and come back in one piece. I love you John.” You hung up, wondering when John would get a chance to check his voicemail.

You loved leaving him long winded voicemails. The first time you ever did it was when you were dating. John gushed about it on the way home from you picking him up from the airport. He went on and on about how hard it was to not get to talk to you when he wanted, so to have a voicemail where it was like having a conversation made everything feel better. So you never stopped doing it and whenever John called back he prattled on like the conversation was fresh and not hours, days, or weeks old.

The roses on the kitchen counter were gorgeous which was what spurred on that voicemail. Long stemmed and in the vase you inherited from your mother. It was a Persian blue vase that was portrayed in one of your mother’s painting hanging up in your bedroom.

Cocking your head to the side you stared at the vase for a minute longer. Something was prying at your mind, something unsettling. This vase was suppose to be in your office. You had it put away, packaged neatly and safely so it could never be damaged. That was the entire point of why the painting was hung up. So you could still see it but not risk it ever being broken.

You couldn’t remember if you told John where you had put it. It was making you wonder if he had gone through your office to find it. But why would he do that, when John knew not to take this out considering the last time he brought out one of your mother’s vases it was shattered by mistake.

Reaching forward you plaid with one of the fallen rose petals on the counter. Your mind was stuck on the Persian blue vase. No way were these delivered by an outside source. There was no way a stranger could get into your home. So it had to be someone you knew. John would never ask any of his family members to go rifling through your office. Maybe Soap was the one to drop them off when he checked on you this morning, but still why would he go in your office. The only person John would ever ask to do that was your father.

So, you called your dad.

“Hey, why didn’t you stay for breakfast? Hope taking mums vase out didn’t upset you. I know how certain things of hers hurt a little bit more than others. Anyway, thanks for doing that so John could surprise me. Call me back.” Hanging up you eye’d the flowers one more time before going to make yourself breakfast.

Your day continued from there. It was nice having the house to yourself. It almost never happened so when you found yourself eating junk food all day while watching tv you decided you had to do at least one productive thing. Soap had stopped by again and told you he’d be seeing you off around 5. Around dinner time you had just finished throwing a load of laundry in when your phone rang.

A large grin spread across your face. Illuminated on your phone screen was a picture of John looking content. He was buried in the sand from his waist down with a margarita in hand and wearing his boonie hat. It was from your last holiday abroad and like every beach vacation he let the kids bury him in the sand. It was a ploy to tire them out, not have to run around with them, and get his drinks served directly to him.

“Hey-“

“What flowers?” John’s voice was deadly serious.

You were a bit taken aback. You were expecting charm, or a flirty greeting. Instead you got demanding words that made you feel weightless for a second.

“Uh, there’s flowers on the kitchen island. Roses to be specific, the long stem that I like. Th-they’re in my mums blue vase that I keep in my office.” You stuttered a bit.

There was this feeling of dread taking over. Maybe John forgot he told your dad to do this. Or maybe your dad just did it to be sweet and you should call him again to check. Soap could’ve done it and John pulled out the vas before he left. John calling you and sounding so serious was raising the alarm bells in your head.

“Darling, I didn’t order you flowers.” John sounded even, almost too calm.

You gulped down the rock forming in your throat. There had to be an explanation. John said you were safe, you believed you were safe. Soap checked up on you twice today, how could you be anything but safe.

“Maybe my dad stopped by-“

“He has the kids. You really think they wouldn’t have come and woke you up?” John’s words were making your head feel staticky.

“Who put them there?” You whispered.

Your heart was beating so loud it was making your ears ring. You stepped out into the kitchen for a moment and looked to see if anything else was out of place. The setting sun was casting scattered hues of purples and oranges across your colorful kitchen.

Your eyes slowly moved over the room and stopped at the roses standing tall in the center of the kitchen island. The way your head moved felt like a magnet slowly pulling you to look at the slightly ajar basement door. The whites of your eyes felt dry as you stared at it, phone pressed to your ear and hand shaking. That door had been closed all day and no one but you was home to open it.

“Where are you?” John’s thick voice interpreted your thoughts. Taking a step back into the laundry room you slowly started to shut the door.

“The laundry room. Th-the basement door- it- it’s crack-ed.” You whispered.

“Lock the doors and stay in there. There’s a tool box on the shelf above the dryer. I hid a knife in there, grab it. Soap will be there soon. I’m going to call you right back.” John spoke to you calmly to hopefully keep you from freaking out.

This was a situation that had his heart about to leap out of his throat. The fact he wasn’t there to handle whatever was happening terrified him. He could only imagine the fear you were facing being home alone with a possible threat in your home.

“Shouldn’t I hide in my office like we’ve planned? Maybe I opened the door and just forgot? I can be forgetful! I-I must have done it!” This was always the plan if anything bad happened. It was to hide in your office. You couldn’t come to terms with the truth staring you straight in the face.

“No. Stay exactly where you are and do what I said. Soap will be there soon.” John spoke forcefully this time. With the facts presented to him he had a good idea what would play out if you went down those basement stairs.

“J-John.” His name came out in a broken sob.

John could hear you fumbling around as quietly as you could. The sound of the toolbox rattling from your shaky hands had his heart beating faster. Your ragged breathing was blowing the speaker out and light sniffles were audible.

“Yes?” John asked.

“I love you.” You spoke with desperation and John could hear it in your voice.

“I love you too. I’ll call right back. Hold tight.” John kept composed for you and your sanity.

You weren’t sure how much time passed. All you knew is it was enough for you to lock yourself in the laundry room, grab the switch blade, and squat in the corner like a cowering animal.

Your phone buzzed and you saw it was John.

“John- I’m scared.”

“It’s okay. Soaps a few minutes away.” The gravely tone of Jones voice helped you feel safe for a brief moment until you realized he was still over seas. It was a hard pill to swallow that John wasn’t near by to protect you. You trusted Soap but no one would fight for you the way John would.

“Who could’ve- why would they- how’d they know about my mums vase? Where I put it? What it means to me?” You babbled out.

“Darling, I’m going to be honest with you-“ John paused and you heard him taking a deep breath.

“I think he’s in the house and I think it’s someone you know personally.” John’s words had you straightening with a chill running up your spine. It felt like you were going to be sick.

“H-how? Where?” You asked.

“I don’t know. . . but I think your office. Why else would the vase be out if not to have you go downstairs and check on things.” John seemed rushed as he explained his reasoning. He didn’t want you to be anymore scared than you originally were but he wanted you to be prepared for the worst.

“When are you coming home?” You began to weep down the line. Pathetic sobs echoed down the line turning John’s rage white hot.

“Making arrangements as soon as Soap gets there.” John spoke to no response. All he could hear were your quiet fearful sobs on the line.

You weren’t sure why you did it but you crawled over to the door that led to your kitchen. Unlocking it with shaky hands, you cracked it open the tiniest bit. The kitchen table sat between the laundry room and basement door. But you could just peer through the chair and table legs to see the door still ajar.

Your heart stopped in that moment. In the orange glow of the setting sun you saw one eye so dark it looked black staring right at you. Unblinking and with a vacant stare the one eye watched you in such a predatory way you couldn’t look away. Terror had clutched so tightly it stole the air from your lungs. You could make out just the edge of a nose with pale skin, sunken eye so wide it was unnatural, and in this moment you had never been more scared in your life. Your bladder gave out and you stared back as you looked death in the eye.

“Darling? Are you okay?” John asked once he heard your ragged breathing stop.

Not taking your eyes off the person staring at you, you shut the door and locked it again. You were dead, there was no making it out of this alive. And in the moment where fear should be the most prevalent it washed away like the tide on the shore. Clutching the knife firmly in your hand you gritted your teeth and prepared yourself to fight for your life.

“Someone’s in the basement. I opened the laundry room door for a second to see if the coast was clear and he was staring back at me from the bottom corner of the door.” The calmness spooked even your husband.

It was not a fault of yours but in moments of fight or flight you tended to freeze up. So to hear you so calm like you were ready to brave the storm sent shivers through John’s body. You clearly knew how much worse this was than he did.

Knocking sounded on the side door of the laundry room that lead out to the drive way. You clamped your hand over your mouth to keep yourself from screaming. Breathing out through your nose with eyes bugging out of your head you scrambled for it. On your feet you went to fling the door open but stoped yourself. You had no idea who was on the other side, you’d assumed it was Soap.

“Indy, it’s me. Open up.” The familiar sound of Soaps voice made you gasp.

Flinging the door open Soap stood there dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair was neatly done and he stared back at you with an even expression. There was that look in his eyes that John would get at times that you could never quite name. To you seemed animalistic, like a need to kill.

Soap took in the sight of you. Bleary eyed, sweating like you’d run a marathon, and a dark wet patch running down your left leg. You were petrified, unable to find words and you simply shook and stepped out on to the driveway.

“C’mon, in the car now.” In one fluid motion Soap had taken the knife from your hands and had you by the elbow.

He lead you quickly and firmly over to his truck and opened the door and practically shoved you in. Soap was at the drivers side in a flash and soon was peeling out of your driveway. With one hand on the wheel Soap began to search around for something in the back seat until he pulled out a pair of his sweat pants and handed them to you.

“Put those on and chuck the ones you’ve got on in the back.” Soap focused on the road his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.

The boys in 141 had become rather protective of you, each in their own ways. Having known you for this long you’d created a friendship with them. But after seeing you kidnapped and Soap being the one to find you and carry you out, he had become particularly protective.

“I won’t look.” He added but that didn’t seem to matter to you.

You were already shucking off your soiled jeans and panties and sliding into Soaps grey sweatpants. You noticed how soft they felt and they smelled of lavender making you wonder if his new girlfriend had washed them for him. It was a nice distracting thought from the panic setting your skin ablaze.

“You alright?” Soap asked and then looked at you.

He’d forgotten how he said he would not look and accidentally saw half your bare ass as you slid his sweatpants on. It was obvious you were not alright. Your hair was a mess, eyes bloodshot and puffy, and teeth bared as you held back what seemed to be sobs. Soap was astonished by your ability to hold yourself together. You were safe now and still trying to be strong.

“He-he’s in the h-Ouse.” It felt like acid spewed from your mouth as you said those words.

“Ghost is almost there and he’ll be searching your home.” Soap spoke and placed a hand on your knee as a way to comfort you.

It was that touch that had everything crashing down. The image of the unblinking eye staring back at you was seared into your minds eye. Your trembling hands started to shake violently and your head was spinning.

“Soap, pull over.” You gasped and began coughing.

“What, why?” Soaps head snapped to look at you like you were crazy. You were on a busy road it wasn’t particularly safe to pull over.

“I’m gonna be sick.” You clamped your hand over your mouth as you felt your stomach about to betray you.

Soap immediately pulled off to the side of the road. He watched as you practically tumbled out of the passenger seat and were profusely sick. It was a shock to him that this was enough to get you reacting like that. You wouldn’t last a minute with 141 if this is how you handled stress. But then it started to occur to him that you were a civilian. This wasn’t something you knew how to handle or could compartmentalize.

It started to make sense to Soap why your youngest, Lily, was so sensitive. Soap always wondered who she got it from or if it was just how Lily was. That incredibly friendly and confident demeanor you had did not help you under stress. In fact you were a bit of an anxious wreck under pressure and Lily was too. Soap didn’t know but you had reacted the same way Lily did when John yelled at her. Only you were staring death in the face.

Getting back in to the car with watery eyes you nodded at Soap to keep driving. You felt somewhat better after being sick. That didn’t stop the tears from flowing as you continued to cry.

“You okay?” Soap had no idea how to comfort you, he never really knew what to do when a woman started crying. John warned him you would be a whirlwind but this was a lot more than Soap could understand.

“No.” You sobbed into your hands.

“It’ll be okay.” Soap sounded unsure but it was more from your emotional reaction.

“I just- I can’t stop thinking what would’ve happened if I didn’t send the kids for a sleep over with my dad.” You wailed, absolutely inconsolable.

Things would have been different if your children were home. You didn’t know what you would’ve done if you were attacked while they were home. Or if one of them went into the basement without you knowing. There was no doubt in your mind you would have ended up dead with the kids home. That Jj would’ve had to take his sisters and run while you fought to give them a head start.

“I- I don’t know. But you would’ve kept them safe.” Soap didn’t sound like he believed himself and you weren’t sure you did either.

You versus a man the size of John. A man who out ran your husband, took a dog bite like it was nothing and got away. Yes, you would’ve fought with every fiber of your being to keep your children safe; but would you have actually been able to fight him off and keep your children safe?

“I’m gonna be sick again.”

——————

Soap had taken you to Ghost and Dove’s house after picking you up. It was a complete shit show when you walked through their front door. Dove immediately brought you to her room where you had a panic attack and ended up crying in her arms. At one point she excused herself and you thought it was to attend to her children. You showered and she gave you some clothes to wear.

You were there for hours, the night sky had taken over and midnight approached. You hadn’t heard from John but Soap informed you he was to stay by your side at all times; it was ‘Captains orders.’ You had calmed down significantly with Dove’s help. It reminded you why she was such a huge asset to 141 during the time she served with them years ago. Ghost had mentioned her proclivity in calming down prisoners of war and she was truly your godsend.

You were sitting at her circular kitchen table having tea with her and Soap. Food wasn’t appealing so you ignored her insistence on your eating something. Soap ate enough for the two of you which was a pleasant distraction. You had called your dad and wished each one of your children goodnight. It was the only solace you could find in the situation and you cried over the picture of all three of them asleep in the guest bed at your father’s flat.

It seemed that things had finally cooled down for you. That the world wasn’t crashing down anymore. Dove and Soap both assured you Simon had things handled and to just give it time. So that was what you did until he walked through his back door dressed in all black with his balaclava on.

“Ghost! What happened was everything-“ You were standing up ready to ask a million questions. Dove was quick to stand with you and place her hand on your shoulder to keep you calm.

“Did you go into your basement at all during the day?” Simon asked which instantly put you on edge.

“Uh- no. No I hung around the first floor all day. I-I saw someone some-some psycho staring at me through the cracked basement door right before Soap got me.” You words tumbled out and you were shaking all over again. You would never be able to get that image out of your head.

“Soap, cmon, need your help.” And with that Simon was exiting and heading back to his truck. That wasn’t enough for you. You shrugged Dove off and dashed outside to confront Simon.

“Wait what happened!? W-was the guy in my office!” You demanded. Simon turned on his heels, startling you at his quick movement.

You jumped backward and coward at his hulking frame, flinching as if he were about to strike you. Simon faltered for a moment seeing you like this. He was use to seeing you as a spitfire who loved giving him a hard time. Now wasn’t the time for him to pretend like he didn’t like you. In fact some softness for once was in order and he realized that. Placing a hand gingerly on your shoulder it was a surprise to you he could have such a gentle touch. You assumed everything he grasped would crack and crumble beneath his grip.

“There’s nothing you need to worry about now. Get some rest, no one will be bothering you again.” Ghost spoke with such certainty it made you know exactly what he meant without him actually saying it.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” With a trembling lip you watched as Simon shook his head in conformation to the silent question hanging in the air.

“C’mon Indy, I set up the couch for you.” Dove grabbed your hand a moment later and lead you inside to sleep for the night.

——————

Wheezing metal, thudding of belonging against the truck bed, and tires snapping twigs and branches underneath the weight of three murderous men cut through the heavy air. The night was pitch black, the only light being the yellow glow of the trucks headlights. Ghost and Soap were taking John Price out into the woods.

“How the hell did he get past you?” John seemed aggravated with Soap.

John hadn’t even stopped in to see you. He headed straight here once his boots touched home soil. Dove assured John you were safe and okay. As much as it pained him, John knew you could wait while he finished handling things.

“Flowers weren’t there when I checked on her in the morning. We only talked on your front porch that afternoon and she was getting ready to head out after she did some laundry. Never brought up the flowers.” Simon wasn’t happy with Soaps response.

���Doesn’t fucking matter. You should have checked the house.” Simon snapped aggressively.

“She told me not to worry. That it would be indecent for me to come in. Not sure why.” Soap answered matter of factly.

John knew why you’d told Soap not to worry. You were getting your own alone time which had included some delicate items left out on your bed that you were embarrassed for Soap to see. So you sent him away not thinking much of it and protecting your privacy.

“She wouldn’t have let Soap search the house. So drop it.” John wasn’t going to get into it. It was obvious enough in his mind and he didn’t see any reason to humiliate you more than you currently felt.

“When I got there the power was cut. Would have forced her down to the basement to fiddle with the circuit breakers.” Ghost continued the tone of his voice menacing. It was clear he was wound up by the events although he kept his composure.

“He really wanted her to stumble upon him.” John muttered.

John hated that you saw the man in your home. That you were so petrified you wet yourself in fear and he witnessed that. This stranger got exactly what he wanted and it was to see you scared for your life.

“Think he got off on her being terrified. And finding a man in the basement when she’s all alone would’ve been the most terrifying thing for her.” Soap added.

“Had a black duffle bag filled with things he was planning on using. He hadn’t realized she fled out the side door. He was searching for her when I got there. Humming some tune and calling her by name. . . Doing creepy fucking shit to scare her.” Ghost explained.

Knowing this man was lurking around your house and playing out his sick and twisted fantasy was making John’s face twitch. His anger was palpable and made the truck feel suffocating. It sounded like one of those horror movies you two occasionally watched. Only this time you had almost lived it.

“Duffle bag?” John was seething at this point. He could only image what kind of tools someone so depraved would bring along.

“I disposed of everything. Besides this and his journal.” Ghost handed over a prescription bottle of little blue pills and that was all John needed to know what the man’s intentions were.

It was more than to scare you. It was to do unspeakable things, torture you, and leave you for dead.

John had suspected that this was someone you knew personally. Someone who would be able to find out small details about you and it seem innocuous. John had been wracking his brain on who it could be and his mind kept sticking to one person in particular. One person who’d been snooping around his home in broad daylight and no one thought twice about.

Then John read the name on the bottle and all his suspicions were confirmed.

“We know him. It’s the fuckin’ cop that’s been sniffing around.” John whispered as he gripped the orange plastic so tightly it creaked against his hand.

“Knew.” Was all Ghost said.

“Ya’ killed a fuckin’ cop.” Soap scoffed while shaking his head.

“How’d you do it?” John asked looking from Simon to Soap.

The assumption was the two men took care of it together. That they made him suffer because that’s what John would have preferred. In the end John felt robbed. That he had his opportunity to take his rage out on the perpetrator stolen. John would’ve had him begging for death and that still wouldn’t have been enough for him.

“It was done when I got there.” Soap nodded to Simon. Rolling his shoulder back Simon kept his eyes fixed on the dirt path he drove down in the dead of night.

“Execution style. Let him know he was lucky for that. If it had been you who found him he’d be begging for a bullet.” Simon practically spat the words out, his disgust evident as he spoke about a man he found vile.

“So you’re taking me to him?” John asked with a sigh.

It wasn’t Simon’s fault he couldn’t keep the man alive for him. John saw that Ghost had secured you and your kids safety by ending it quick and easy. There was no longer a threat and you all could sleep easy.

“Thought it best you know all the details Cap.” Soap leaned forward as he spoke and then pointed to the dry birch tree off to the side of the path.

“Here.” Ghost parked the truck and didnt wait to get out.

The three men piled out and stayed silent as Soap lead them through the woods and Simon covered their tracks. Even if someone found the body it wouldn’t be identifiable or traced back to any of them. About two miles off the beaten path they arrived to the spot where Simon carried out his mercy kill.

There was a freshly disturbed plot of dirt with ruffage and leaves thrown over top. Looking to Soap and then Ghost, no words needed to be exchanged. This was where the man who would’ve done unspeakable things to you lay six feet under.

Walking over to the spot where this man had been laid to rest Soap and Ghost wondered what Price would do. All they could see was his back as his shoulder rolled back and he fiddled with something at waist level. Soon they could hear the clink of metal from John’s belt and then a steady stream.

Sharing a look Soap scoffed darkly and Ghost stayed eerily silent. Soap had no idea what he would’ve done in this situation if he were John, all he knew was the man had every right to lose his mind but wasn’t. His reaction was to piss on the man’s grave and Soap couldn’t blame him for that.

Ghost commended Price for keeping his cool. If the rolls were reversed Simon would has lost his grip. If anyone ever threatened his wife and entered his home where his children rested their heads at night Simon would light the world ablaze in his wrath.

“A bullet was too kind, Simon.” The words were growled over the sound of John’s belt clinking once more as he fastened it.

“Saving him for you wasn’t an option.” Simon spoke evenly.

“Lucky bastard.” Was all John said before heading back to the truck.

——————

It was late when John finally returned home. Your children were all tucked into bed and Gaz had said his goodbyes to his captain. Gaz had told him you went to bed a few hours ago and he hadn’t heard anything since. John was expecting to walk into the room with you fast asleep. But when he stepped through your bedroom door he was immediately met with you flinging yourself into his arms.

“Tell me everything’s okay. Tell me it’s over with and the guys arrested.” You babbled as your embrace grew tighter and tighter.

John was showing now signs of letting you go and you wanted to be held until all these horrible feelings went away. You wanted to be so close to him that you could crawl under his skin and set up camp. Melding into him was the only way to fell better. Maybe he could wear you as a backpack so you didn’t have to let go. You were starting to understand why Evelyn wrapped herself around John’s leg the other day. Something about not having to let go and John being okay with it left you feeling cared for and protected.

“He’s dealt with.” John tried to reassure you.

Without thinking and acting naturally John picked you up and you responded by wrapping your legs around his waist. John brought you over to your shared bed and plopped down on his side so you were laying on your back and he was pressing you into the mattress.

“Like dead?” You pushed John off you by the shoulder. Now with both hands on either side of your head he stared down at you. His face was emotionless as he kept his composure which wasn’t reassuring to the question you just asked.

“Darling-“ John was cut off by you sitting up and staring at him confused and unsure. You were sitting criss cross on the bed while John sat up straight with his feet on the floor.

“Is the guy dead John? Did Ghost kill him? Did you kill him!?” The questions rolled of your tongue.

John stared at you with a serious expression. You didn’t need him to answer to know the man was most likely dead. You came to that conclusion quickly just by the way John was acting.

“John did you kill him?” You asked again.

“No.” He said adamantly. You took a breath realizing what this meant.

“So Ghost did?” You shook your head to see if John would mimic you and silently admit to it; but he didn’t.

John didn’t answer this time. He turned his gaze to your open bedroom door and stared out into the dark hallway. The lack of response had you panicking in a whole new way. Before John knew it you were standing and shutting the door then frantically pacing.

“Okay. Okay. Oh fuck. That’s bad John. That’s really bad.” Your fingers were in your hair as you began to nervously tidy your room. John watched you pace and pick up the pile of clothes on the floor and then start fiddling with things on your dresser.

“Nothing happened. All you need to know is he won’t be bugging our family again.” John spoke evenly but was becoming stressed by your pacing and how you nervously tidied the room.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” You stopped in your tracks as your mind came up with vicious scenarios.

Had Ghost stumbled upon something so depraved that it drove him to murder this stranger in your home. Then you started to freak out. Was someone murdered in your home? Were the police going to come for you and John as accomplices? Would Ghost be arrested for murder and miss out on his family all because of you?

“Sit, it’s okay.” John guided you to sit on the foot of your bed. You had stopped babbling and pacing but now you were staring blankly off into space which worried John more than the nervousness.

“Does Dove know?” Your head snapped up realizing Simon’s wife would probably fall apart at the news.

If you found out John killed someone on your behalf you weren’t sure you’d be able to recover from the shock. You would constantly be worrying about him being arrested or someone coming after him. There would be a worry that the guilt would eat him alive. Although, little did you know murder was hardly off the table for John. He found that he could live quite comfortably with a guilty conscious on that front.

John took a moment before speaking. He was trying to weigh if the truth was worth you knowing. Ultimately he decided being honest was better and would hopefully create more of an understanding between you two. It was an attempt to get you closer to his way of thinking and that violence was in fact was a solution for some scenarios.

“In for a penny, I guess. . . It was her idea.” John’s words shook you to your core.

“Am I just surrounded by crazy? What kind of example are we setting for our kids.” You placed your face in yours hands.

John knew this was going to be hard for you to understand. As a person who had never seen war but experience violence and came out of it still not wishing death upon anyone, you would struggle to accept things. You had been kidnapped once and beat to a pulp and you had never truly recovered from that mentally. John couldn’t tell you the true danger you were in, for fear you’d live you life scared. That the man who waited for you in your basement had despicable plans for you for days and your survival would have left you so damaged John wondered if you would have chosen death instead. And that was without your children home. The whole situation was John’s worst nightmare but the thought that your little girls and son could have been subject to such cruelty made John’s blood run cold.

“I’m going to be candid with you. That man had horrible things planned for you. God only knows what he had planned if Jj, Evelyn, and Lily were home with you, love.” John took a deep breath before continuing.

“Simon made a choice where the outcome guaranteed your safety, the kids safety. That there would be no chance of it happening again or the law failing us.” Placing his hand on your shoulder John wasn’t sure if you were convinced. He was crouched in front of you now and hoping by some miracle you’d be okay with this.

“He made the right choice. I respect his decision.” John spoke as if it were fact. It was his way of egging you on for a reaction. It was killing him seeing you silently sitting on the foot of your bed with your face in your hands.

“How do we begin to thank him? I’ve never owed someone my life before.” Your attempt at humor came off dry and unfunny but John knew you were trying to come around to this idea.

“See it as him and I are even.” John chuckled with no humor and nodded to you as a silent thanks for not freaking out.

“You would’ve done the same?” You asked hoping that John’s response would somehow make this less morally confusing.

“Without a second thought. If someone threatened Dove and her kids the way you were-“ John had to pause as he realized he was growling the words and sounded as if he was losing his grip.

“Well, I’ll let you use your imagination on what I would’ve done.” He forced a smile and hated how you were staring at him as if he had a few screws loose.

Taking a breath you were convincing yourself this was fine. It had to be fine because this was the truth and you’d have to keep on living your life one way or another. At the end of the day the kids were safe and you wouldn’t have to worry about anything like this again.

“Do I bake him a cake?” You looked at John seriously.

The fact you meant what you were asking made John snort out a laugh. He wasn’t sure if you were sweet for that or a bit off your rocker.

“Don’t laugh at me.” You snapped.

“I don’t think he expects a cake, darling. If he did our yard would be fertilized with the blood of his enemies.” John joked.

“That’s not funny.” You whined.

“It is. You’ll come ‘round, just give it time.”

“I’m still baking him a cake.” You mumbled.

——————

“Mum police are here again!” Jj called from the front door.

You had just gotten Lily down for her nap and were coming down the stairs. The officer was standing in your foyer clearly having stepped in on his own or Jj invited him in.

“Jj go hang out in your room for a little.” You smiled sweetly and he nodded.

“And don’t invite police in again, you know how your dad feels about that.” You whispered and he nodded seemingly confused.

“I thought it was just that other cop.” Jj whispered back. You paused with your mouth open to say something and then stopped. With a shrug you sent Jj on his way and turned your attention to the officer in your home.

“Hello, I’m Officer Fitzpatrick.” The middle aged man nodded to you.

“Uh, hi. Would’ve thought Officer Parker would be the one stopping by if it was police.” It was a poor attempt at humor that didn’t seem to affect the officer.

“He’s been dealing with a different case, regarding your neighbor down the street.” He sounded almost annoyed by this fact.

“This is about the break in that happened here recently.” He continued.

“Let’s talk on the porch, I don’t want my kids to hear.” Motioning to your door you and the officer walked on to your front porch and you shut the door behind you.

“Yes. Have there been anymore sightings like you’ve reported in the past. With the arrest of your neighbor and the break in here it seems a lot of people in the area are on edge. Considering your neighbor was in custody when the break in happened we want to make sure we have the right guy.” By the end of his long winded explanation you felt somewhat lectured. As if you were some clueless woman who had no idea what was going on.

“Uh- haven’t seen anything.” You answered dismissively.

“When was the last time there was suspicious activity?” It was like this officer was socially inept how he continued his barrage of questions.

“The break in. Before that officer Parker mentioned a peeping Tom. We assumed it was the neighbor.” You felt off explaining these things. Like these were things the officer should know.

“A peeping Tom? Did he say who reported this?” You watched as the man scribbled down in his note book.

“No. He told me he couldn’t disclose that information.” You had been slowly inching your way back to the front door.

“Hm. The break in-”

“You know I don’t really want to be doing this again. It spooked my family pretty bad, especially me. So I’m going to go back inside.” You had already opened the door and were ready to slip back inside.

“I have a few more questions.” Officer Fitzpatrick urged.

“Oi, leave her be. I can answer anything you need to know.” John was just rounding the house.

He was stepping out of your garden and shutting the rod iron fence behind him. You were curious what he was doing in there and waited for him to join you. John didn’t need this cop drudging up your feelings about the matter. You were still shaken up and would cry at times about your guilt. That didn’t even scratch the surface of the anxiety you were left with.

John now had to check the house top to bottom before bed and even then you had trouble falling and staying asleep. You refused to go down to your office unless John accompanied you and overall were having trouble settling back in to normal life. It was no fault of your own John admitted what happened traumatized you. So, with a cop on his doorstep, asking questions that left you feeling morally bankrupt, John didn’t feel like this was a great way for you to heal.

“Go inside darling.” John nodded at you.

No part of him wanted you to realize what was going on but it was too late for that. Things were weighing on you enough and as your husband, John wanted to protect you. The details of what happened were unimportant and with a cop now sniffing around, John didn’t trust that you wouldn’t accidentally tip him off.

Walking back inside you saw Lily holding on to the posts of the railing and going down the stairs one at the time. She had a big smile on her face and waved to you as she got to the bottom stair.

“Lily, you should be sleeping.” You said in a chipper tone with a smile.

“Mummy.” Lily stopped on the bottom step and spoke seriously.

“Yes.” You laughed.

“I remember who gave me the tulip at swim.” The big toothy grin sent a shiver down your spine.

John hadn’t specified who broke in. You trusted him when he told you it was better you didn’t know.

“It was Mr. Jamie.” This was the fourth or fifth person Lily had named as to who gave her the tulip. She had convinced herself if she could remember then John would never yell at her again.

“My friend?” You shook your head and went to take Lily back upstairs.

“Yes.” She seemed very serious but you were use to her misremembering things, after all she was four.

“I think you’re remembering it wrong sweetheart.” Kissing her head Lily rolled her eyes.

“Carry me?” Lily pursed her lips and looked up at you through her eyelashes. You did as she asked and went and napped with her upstairs. Some sleep felt better than worrying yourself sick about everything going on.

——————

“The kids are gonna love this.” You snickered.

You and John were at the edge of the pond in your back yard setting up a fun surprise for the kids. They had all fallen asleep in the living room after a day spent at the trampoline park. You made a joke about wanting to relax in a lazy river and John thought you could float on the pond.

So here you were, blowing up fun shaped rafts to float on. There was one for each of you besides Lily. You had set up a comfy spot for her on the dock to cuddle with Molly instead. Both you and John knew there was no chance Lily would get on a raft.

Looking up from your task you were surprised at the guest who arrived. You stopped what you were doing to watch as a familiar face approached you and John.

“Where the fuck is he!?” Officer Parker voice was venomous as he stormed past you and right toward John like he was looking for a fight.

“Woah what’s-“

Before you could finish Officer Parker took a swing at John. John hadn’t seen this coming and got clipped on the jaw, the punch barely connecting. You thought John would be livid but he looked amused, like when Jj would play fight with him. Officer Parker was going all in, swing after swing trying to hit your husband. John kept evading like it was child’s play until Parker full on lunged and tried to tackle John.

Now it was John’s turn and he swung fast and hard. The sound of his fist connecting full force with Officer Parker’s face felt like getting hit by a Mac Truck. Parker fell hard and you gasped at the sound of his head smacking against the ground. Instinctually Parker grabbed his eye where he’d been struck.

“John stop!!” You tugged John’s elbow but he shook you off. John already had Officer Parker by the collar and started to drag him like a rag doll.

“Let. Go. Or I’ll fucking kill you!” Officer Parker barked at John, his legs flailing as he tried to get up. Each attempt at getting up John would pull roughly and slam Parker into the earth and then continue dragging the man toward the pond.

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” Parker screamed, his voice being drown out by the splashing of water as John dragged him into the pond.

“Never gonna get the chance mate.” John growled as he pulled Parker in front of him, spat in his face, and then shoved him with all his strength under the water of the pond.

“John you’re gonna drown him!” You screeched, unwilling to get involved.

“That’s the point.” It sounded like a toss away comment.

John pulled Officer Parker out of the water for a second. The man flailed and gasped for air and then was brutally submerged again. John did this two more times as you begged him to stop.

“Stop! You’re actually gonna kill him!” You started to throw pool toys at John and they simply bounced off of him and floated around him as he drowned the police officer.

“Good.” Johns teeth were gritted yet amazingly he spoke evenly. It sounded like he was mowing the lawn and you asked him if he wanted water. As if drowning a man in the pond behind your house was a mundane task.

“The kids are home STOP!” This time you shrieked so loud it seemed to break through to John.

That was enough and John pulled the officer from the water and then dropped him so he went under on his own. Flailing his arms the officer was trying to swim to the surface and was struggling. You immediately took the few steps over to him and grabbed his hand and pulled until he was crawling out of your pond and gasping for air.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Officer Parker was still coughing up water.

“You threatened to kill me. I was defending myself.” The excuse held no weight and you weren’t sure if John was being serious.

John trudged out of the water and brushed down his heard. His jeans were soaked from the knees down and his shirt was damp down the center. For someone who had just almost murdered a man John seemed incredibly calm. These were the moment you swore he was out of his mind. Being so comfortable with violence would never be something you could become accustom to unlike your husband.

“You’re going to go to prison for assaulting a fucking cop, John!” You were melting down about the implication of assaulting a police officer. The last thing you needed was John in jail and you raising three kids on your own.

“HA! No I’m not!” John laughed loud enough it carried across the yard. He was shaking his head and wagging his finger at you as if you were some naughty child caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

“What do you mean?” You took a few steps away from Officer Parker feeling uneasy about being close to him.

“You gonna tell her?” John looked a bit deranged as he asked the cop and then looked to you.

“What? Tell me it wasn’t actually the neighbor?” You snapped at John.

All of this was so confusing. After everything, you wanted a peaceful day with your children but again this buisness was being brought up when all you needed was to leave it behind.

“I was wrong about the neighbor, I’ll give you that. But he was still a fuckin’ creep so actually- you know what I was right! I was right about him too.” John was ranting at this point.

“You sound insane.” You told John hoping someone would explain what was going on.

“But this pricks brother was the one stalking you. Genius over here caught a wiff and I assume was trying to get ahead of it.” John was half shouting at this point and went as far as to kick Officer Parker over when he tried to get to his feet.

“I don’t know his brother- do I?” You said as you pushed John away before he started beating Parker senseless.

“He fucking works for you. Jamie Parker. And this muppet thought framing the neighbor would buy him time to get brother dearest to leave you be. . . Then I assume he realized neighbor boy was actually a fucking creep and had to deal with that. Am I wrong?” After another tirade you looked from John to Officer Parker for confirmation.

“Where is he?” Officer Parker struggled to get to his feet after being kicked to the ground pretty hard.

He was still coughing and now holding his shoulder from John’s blow. Officer Parker didn’t seem as angry anymore. It was probably because John just proved he’d drown him in the pond if he tried anything again.

“Only thing I can’t figure out is why you told Y/N you didn’t think it was the neighbor. That it had to be someone who knew her maiden name?” John asked, more like demanded.

“Where is he!” He hadn’t fully caught his breath but Officer Parker found the strength to yell.

“No clue. Ran off after he broke in.” John lied so convincingly you almost believed him.

“No, absolutely not. He’s a little weird but he’s been so normal. I’ve been mentoring him, we-“ You took a deep calming breath that didn’t help at all.

Jamie was not the person you thought would do this. He was a young man, mid twenties and handsome. He could’ve had any girl with a little bit of effort. There was no way he fancied you enough to do all this. Yes he was a little awkward at times and asked invasive questions but you chalked it up to him being young.

“We’ve had him over for dinner.” John finished for you.

“He’s fancied you since before you even knew who he was. You lectured at his university once as a favor to his professor. It’s been going on for years, he just got out of hand when you started mentoring him.” Officer Parker finally let on to what he knew.

“Out of hand!? Get the fuck off my property or I really will drown you.” John tried to charge Parker.

You quickly placed your hands on his chest to stop him because you knew John wouldn’t truck through you to get to the officer. The fact Parker put it so lightly only fueled John’s rage.

“Stop it!” You snapped at John.

“Why’d you get involved?” You asked but Officer Parker shook his head at you as if you were annoying.

Turning to John you could see it was taking all of his will power not to murder Parker.

“Answer her.” John ordered.

“Couldn’t turn him in. He’s family. But I couldn’t let him do-“ Parker cut himself off before he incriminated his brother further.

“He does the children’s exhibits. . . No wonder Lily knew him! I’ve left the kids with him so many times.” Part of you wanted to panic and scream but the feeling felt hollow. There was no point in freaking out beyond not having a lack of trust for people. There was no need for you to worry now.

Because he was dead.

“Where is he? He hasn’t come home, isn’t answering his phone, no show at work- which you know.” Officer Parker pointed at you but you immediately looked away and at John.

You hadn’t put two and two together but John must have. He was smart enough to keep it from you because you would’ve freaked out. And now you had to use your poker face to keep Ghost’s secret safe. You could freak out later.

“Like I said he ran off after he broke in. Think our dog scared him off.” John lied flawlessly again and you shook your head confirming it. Molly wasn’t even home she had gone with the kids to your dads.

“You fucking killed him didn’t you?!” Officer Parker stepped toward John again but you were standing in the middle of them.

“John wasn’t even here.” You butted in.

John pulled you to the side and squared up to Parker. He knew he wouldn’t go through you to get to Parker but didn’t know if Parker had any regard for you. It was incredibly satisfying watching Parker flinch as John’s stepped forward.

“I was out of the country. You can check.” John said condescendingly.

This seemed to stun Officer Parker. Horror was now etched across his face as he turned to you. With his mouth agape and wide eyes you both stared at each other for a long moment. You knew he knew what his brother had planned for you.

“You weren’t- were your kids home?” Looking from John to you in horror the severity of that break in seemed to set in.

“No, thank god! But I was by my fucking self while your psycho ass brother was in my basement office doing god knows what!” You shouted.

“Where is he.” Officer Parker asked calmly this time.

“Why did you get involved in this. What made it serious enough that you showed up at our home?” Stepping forward you put yourself in Officer Parker view but he waved you off.

You were absolutely done with this. The lack of answers was too much. Taking a ragged breath through your nose you reacted on impulse. Cocking your hand back you swung forward with all your strength. You punched this man with all the force you could muster and you swore in that moment you’d never felt so violent before. It occurred to you this was why John had a proclivity for violence; it felt good in the moment. You were so enraged you didn’t feel the pain radiating from your hand but kept your eyes glued on the man as he stumbled back a few steps and gripped his nose that was now leaking blood.

“What the fuck!?” He shouted at you.

“Good on you!” John was practically cheering you on.

“Tell me!” You shouted before slapping the officer once, twice and then trying to claw at him.

John gave you a second and then had his arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you back. He did wait and gave you a few good slaps and kicks before he stopped you. John lifted you off the ground when he realized you weren’t going to stop going after Parker and Parker wasn’t going to fight back.

“He- I found his journal and there were a lot of concerning details. I tried to get him help and when that didn’t work I tried to warn you two. I couldn’t blame it on your neighbor or you’d put your guards down but I also couldn’t turn my own brother in.” Finally the truth came spilling out. There was something about getting beat up by a woman half his size that was more terrifying than almost being drowned.

“Yeah and you’re lucky I’m not dead or I would SO kill you right now!” You all but screamed. You were kicking your feet and wiggling for John to put you down so you could have another go.

“Easy there killer.” John chuckled trying to calm you down like some rabid animal.

“Now, where is he? Did you kill him?” Officer Parker seemed desperate for answers himself.

“I wasn’t here. I don’t know what happened to him. But I hope he got what he deserved.” John nodded in a way you found odd.

Officer Parker stared at him for a long while. Water dripped off of him making the ground beneath him muddy. His left eye was swelling and turning red from John’s punch and his nose was bleeding from yours. The summer breeze picked up and blew strong making the officer shiver. There was a silent understanding that by the way your lives had continued you felt safe. With safety came the fact there was no more threat to you and your family.

“I’m going to find him.” Officer Parker hung his head for a moment before he started to walk toward his car parked in your driveway.

He’d accepted there would be no answers from you two. You weren’t sure why he gave up now after putting up such a fight. But John seemed to understand.

“Stay here.” John spoke to you softly and followed Officer Parker from a distance.

John watched the man climb into his personal car to leave. They shared another long look before Officer Parker’s red rimmed eyes closed for a moment. He nodded his head a few times before giving John once last look. Putting the car into reverse, Officer Parker went to leave your property and swore to himself he would never come back.

“Oi!” John called out which had Officer Parker stopping and looking back in surprise.

John held up a finger for him to wait and then disappeared inside. A minute or two later John appeared out of the side door of the laundry room with something in his hand. Bending down so they were eye level John handed over the journal Parker’s brother left behind.

“We made copies. But you should have it.” It was clear to him why he was doing it but John felt it better to not have that disgusting book in his home anymore. It would ruin any progress you made if you ever stumbled upon it.

“Thanks.” With slight hesitation Parker took it.

The leather bound book felt icy in his fingers and made his stomach twist at the knowledge John had read the depraved thoughts of his brother. The pages held such grotesque entries that made it clear no person would feel comfortable in their home again if who wrote it were still breathing.

“He was sick.” Officer Parker weakly tried to explain.

“Well, he’s not anymore. Cheers.” John stood back to his full height and patted the roof of the car.

——————

“That’s a lie.” Evelyn giggled loudly at her brother calling you out so rudely.

You were all sat down for dinner from your local Chinese food restaurant. Your kids were in their pajamas with how late you were eating. Looking over to John you didn’t know what to say to your son. You were a horrible liar so any attempt to say you weren’t would make you look more guilty.

“Oi, don’t call your mum a liar.” John pointed at his son using his fork. He barley looked up from his plate and continued eating.

“Mum did not break her hand by punching someone trying to steal an old ladies purse. How dumb do you think we are?” Jj looked at his father absolutely exasperated.

After Officer Parker had left John found you in the kitchen with a bag of peas on your hand. You were sobbing uncontrollably and John thought it was from the pain. It only took a few questions for him to figure out how horrible you felt for what happened. That what Ghost had done to protect you meant someone lost their life because of you.

But what made the tears flow endlessly was that you felt no remorse. Things were finally getting back to normal and you would have Ghost do it a hundred times over for this peace of mind; and that had you questioning your morals. It took a lot of soothing and comfort from John to help you accept things.

By the time you cried it all out you told John you most definitely broke your hand from punching Officer Parker in the face. John mentioned that he tried to teach you how to throw a proper punch but you refused to learn. You could throw a mean elbow but that was about it. You told him you were never going to resort to violence again unless him or one of the 141 boys murdered someone else. John tried to convince you again because the odds weren’t in your favor. This had you threatening to punch John and break your other hand if he didn’t swear to never allow that to happen again. It ended in a stale mate and you with a lime green cast, John still didn’t understand why you insisted on that color.

“You’re right.” John nodded and took a sip of his beer.

“It was a bank robbery. Your mum clocked the guy in the face and took his gun. People were cheering at her bravery. They’re thinking about naming her a town hero.” It was said so seriously you had to bite your lip to keep yourself from laughing.

“Banks closed on Sundays.” Evelyn poked a hole in John’s story expertly quick.

“I punched a fox trying to get at the chickens.” You lied with a cheeky smile.

“Mummy you shouldn’t punch foxes, they’re dirty.” Lily told you seriously.

“Oh, cmon! Mum clocked you dad. You finally mouthed off enough and drove her mad.” Jj was laughing to himself by the end of his own made up story.

“No, mum so slipped and fell going to the loo! She’s too embarrassed to admit it so dad’s trying to make her seem all tough.” It was now Evelyn’s turn to come up with a reason.

“Looks like you’ll never know.” John mused.

~~~~~tag list~~~~~

@exhaustedpotat0 @glitterypirateduck @ivymarquis @crazymela @what-0-life @boredfairy4 @hihhasotherfixations @stephanswhxre @shanjisan @k4es @luvleywrites @kita03-0 @midwesternwitchery @aleynaleia @suckerforbassist @misshoneypaper @theaonlax @blackstar9005 @tooterbutt @havoc973 @maladaptivedaydreamingbum @freshlemontea @cosmoscoffeee @sae1kie @ohworm-writes @ghostslittlegf @fanficwriterlover @arminarlertssword @faceache111 @azu21 @thirstyb-ches @nini-11-08 @sgtgarricks @kiki-is-hyperfixating @mayflysdie @aliceinwonderland-5678 @blue096 @rip-cod-brainrot @saturnghost93 @somehopeatlast @thepowers-kat-be @tenko-nii @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @thraxpatty @mnsnp @faeriedust17 @livstablers @luvr4miya @phoenixhalliwell @maissalov3u @ellerdod @tizzywoowoo @himboelover

[official-linguistics-post]

Artificial intelligence is not going to save the world’s languages. It’s hardly going to make any difference at all for the thousands of communities around the world currently under pressure to take up dominant languages. Looking at the world from the perspective of those four villages in Tibet, it is clear that artificial intelligence cannot solve the material, social, and political problems that are driving global language endangerment.

A short article by linguist Gerald Roche (supporting his new book, The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet) on the structural problems facing the push to use AI for work on endangered minority languages.

[spicy-apple-pie]

I WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE COMIC >:))))))

I did warn you…

Okay so idk if a lot of people know this, but Damian was originally given up for adoption right after he was born before his story was reconned.

So in this comic, Damian is 9 years old and in the foster system in Gotham, unknowing who his parents are. He’s never stays long in a home because he’s very aggressive. He’s smart though, so he orders a DNA testing kit to hopefully find a relative to take him. Imagine his shock when he finds out his father is Bruce Wayne.

So this 9 year old walks into WE by himself, toddles up to the secretary, and asks to see Bruce Wayne. The secretary is like “haha okay, let me help you find your parents.” And Damian is like “you can. My dad is Bruce Wayne.”

And then Tim shows up!! And he’s like, “who’s your dad?”

And Damian is suddenly really nervous and shyly passes Tim the DNA test results. Tim looks them over, and Damian thinks he’s going to get turned away. But then Tim smiles at him and asks him if he has time for a drink.

Damian basically explains his life story over a cup of hot chocolate to Tim. Tim listens and tells him that he’ll make sure Bruce sees it and gives him his number if he has any questions (Damian doesn’t have a phone). Damian gets up to throw out his cup but Tim is like “oh I can throw that out for you. Talk to you soon!”

Cut to the BatCave where Bruce is staring at the DNA test results. Showing him and Talia as the parents. Tim stands behind him. “I doubled and tripled checked.” He says. “Not to mention he’s the spitting image of you.” He mumbles under his breath, knowing that Bruce isn’t in the mood for jokes right now. Alfred places some Tylenol beside Bruce using his butler powers to sense his on coming headache.

“And you said he walked into the lobby by self?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, he said he took the bus.”

“Oh dear,” Alfred comments, “that is certainly not safe for a boy his age in Gotham. I wonder if his social worker knows about that…”

So the next morning, Damian finds that he’s out of custody from his foster parents. And he’s like “but I didn’t do anything this time!” And his social workers like “no, they’re getting charged with child endangerment. We already have a place lined up for you.”

Lo and behold, his new foster home is Wayne Manor. And he meets Bruce for the first time and he’s really nervous. And Bruce has to turn away because he almost starts crying. And Damian asks Alfred if he did something wrong and Alfred’s like “no, he’s just very happy to see you.”

And that’s basically it. But I also have this idea of how he discovers his Dad is Batman.

He comes downstairs in the early morning for a snack before going back to sleep to find Red Hood raiding their fridge. He runs to Bruce and he’s freaking because fucking RED HOOD broke into their house.

And Bruce groans and is mildly annoyed about and Damian is like “???? Does this happen often????” Bruce brings him downstairs and Red Hood is still there, but making a grilled cheese with his helmet off.

“Jay, how many times do we need to tell you know masks in the house?”

“I dunno. How many fucking children are you going to adopt?” He gestures to Damian hiding behind Bruce.

“He doesn’t know yet, Jay. I was going to wait until he was more comfortable.”

Jason is a little sheepish because he did give the kid a bit of a fright, so he turns around to apologize and introduce himself. And instantly is like “holy shit, that’s a bio kid.”

“Language, Jay…”

“Don’t language me, where the fuck did he come from???”

“What is happening??!!” Damian finally yells.

And then Bruce shows him the BatCave.

I did warn you I’d talk your ear off. I came up with this circa. 2018 - 2019 but I feel like I finally have the skill to draw it. And I honestly fell in love with it again, so I might lol.

Edit: I did it

[aventurineswife]

Anaxa with a reader who acts like a mitigation unit for whenever he says something blasphemous and leaves people wanting to punch him lmao

The reader is soft-spoken and gentler in disposition (much like castorice) and not exactly on par with him in terms of ingenuity, so some people wonder how they ended up together. But eh, who cares? Anaxa loves them anyways. Though, spending time with him is not good for their heart since whenever he states something outrageous, the reader will chime in with a "he doesn't mean that" and attempt to smoothen the tension, only for this dromas loving nerd to ruin the peace by spouting something like "no, actually, I meant every word I say" and the reader just stares up at the heavens, gaze resigned, and inwardly prays that they won't be stoned to death in that very moment

Bonus if they're taller than anaxa. I just think it would be cute if the reader has to constantly bend down whenever anaxa has something to say. Just the overall trope of the tall one being meek and withdrawn while the short one is feisty and outspoken

“He doesn’t mean that… I think”

Summary: You're the tall, soft-spoken partner of Anaxagoras—the infamous scholar with a talent for making blasphemous statements that nearly get you both stoned on a regular basis. While he fearlessly challenges gods and sages with wild theories and cutting wit, you're always close behind, offering polite smiles, calming words, and the occasional desperate "he doesn’t mean that." Despite your gentler nature and quieter intellect, Anaxa is fiercely devoted to you, pulling you into his chaotic orbit with unwavering affection. It’s loud, it’s intense, and your spine might just be made of divine patience.

Tags: Anaxagorus x Reader, Opposites Attract, Height Difference, Chaotic Genius x Soft-Tall Partner, Damage Control Partner, Romantic Tension, Emotional Vulnerability, Found Family Elements, Slow Burn (Implied), Philosophical Drama, “He Doesn’t Mean That” Energy, Protective Reader.

Warnings: Themes Of Death And Loss, Mentions Of Religious And Academic Conflict, Blasphemy (Fictional Context), Light Emotional Angst, Mild Language, Potential Reader Endangerment (Non-Graphic, Played For Irony/Humor), Anaxagorus being Anaxagorus.

A/N: I love this man, can you tell? 😋💚

It always starts with him saying something he absolutely shouldn’t.

The atmosphere in the courtyard of the Grove is as tense as a taut bowstring. A gathering of scholars and disciples encircle the infamous Anaxagoras, their faces twitching with barely concealed disdain, curiosity, or both. And there you are, standing right beside him like a loyal, bewildered lighthouse in the middle of an academic storm.

“…And that, my dear sages,” Anaxa declares, arms dramatically flared, coat swishing like some peacock possessed by hubris, “is why divine authority is nothing but an inherited illusion. If a god needs worship to maintain power, is it not merely a glorified parasite?”

Silence.

Not a respectful kind of silence. The "someone-is-about-to-throw-a-chair" kind of silence.

You blink. Smile nervously. And step in, gently placing a hand on Anaxa’s shoulder—he’s still mid-pose, soaking in the shocked silence like it’s validation—and clear your throat. You lean forward slightly, voice as gentle as spring rain.

“He doesn’t mean that.”

“I do,” Anaxa replies immediately, not even turning to look at you. “And if anyone disagrees, they’re welcome to explain how an all-powerful being managed to trip over the concept of mortality.”

You don't even sigh anymore. You just look up at the skies, lips silently mouthing the names of all the gods, hoping one of them has a sense of humor.

People often ask how the two of you ended up together.

You, the serene, quiet mitigation unit who wears soft colors and softer expressions. Him, the sharp-tongued philosopher whose idea of a romantic date involves reading banned texts and dismantling holy logic.

“They're not even on the same wavelength,” someone once whispered, watching you gently tug Anaxa back from yet another oncoming theological brawl. “How does it even work?”

You weren’t sure either.

Maybe it’s the way his eyes soften when you’re the one holding the scalpel during a shared experiment. Or how he lets you tie his ponytail every morning, mumbling critiques about symmetry but never actually fixing it. Or how he always looks for you in a room before he speaks—to see if you're there to watch the world burn with him.

Maybe it’s just love. Bizarre, inexplicable love.

Even if that love occasionally comes with public threats of excommunication.

You’re taller than him, of course. He pretends not to notice. But when he speaks, you always instinctively lean down just slightly, hands politely folded, like you’re giving a particularly chaotic child your full attention.

“Listen,” he says one day, post-lecture, voice low and dramatic, “I’ve discovered a correlation between Titan souls and the latent fear gods have of mortality. My next paper will be titled ‘The Cowards in the Sky.’”

You stare at him. Then glance nervously at the passing sages.

“He doesn’t mean that,” you murmur.

“I do,” Anaxa snaps, tilting his head up at you with that familiar glint of mischief and defiance. “And if I vanish in the middle of the night, assume they finally sent divine assassins. You’ll avenge me, won’t you?”

You rub your temple. “I’ll try to negotiate.”

“And you call yourself devoted,” he mutters, smug.

Still, for all the chaos he invites, Anaxa clings to you like a man who has seen too much fire and finds comfort in quiet.

When the nights are cold and long, he curls against you like he’s hiding from ghosts, his left hand resting just above yours. Sometimes, in those fragile hours, he whispers the names of people who aren’t alive anymore. Sometimes, he whispers yours like it's the only name he trusts to stay.

You don’t always understand the depth of his genius. You don’t have to.

You’re there. That’s enough.

You ground him, and occasionally save both your lives from being pelted by rocks.

“I’ve concluded,” Anaxa says one day, while reclining on your lap beneath a half-dead tree, “that your spine must be made of divine patience.”

You smile faintly, brushing a strand of mint hair from his face.

“And I’ve concluded,” you reply, voice barely audible, “that your mouth is going to get us killed one day.”

He laughs.

“You love me, still?”

You lean down slowly, forehead resting against his.

“Unfortunately,” you whisper.

And he grins.

“Good. That makes two of us.”

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

Hi would it be possible if you could do a dad bucky and daughter reader fic where she was born in the 40s but kidnapped by hydra whilst he was at war. then when bucky is free he finds her in an abandoned hydra base but she blames him for her being taken by hydra and it’s just really angsty cuz she wants nothing to do with him but he just wants to be her dad again. idk if this should be a happy ending or not though anyways ty if you do this

Be A Dad Again » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Dad!Bucky Barnes x Teen Daughter!Reader with Steve Rogers/Captain America and the Avengers

Summary: You blame Bucky for being taken by HYDRA and all he wants to do is be your dad again.

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, language, HYDRA, mentions of kidnapping, mentions of child endangerment (not Bucky), crying, nicknames

Age of reader: 14 years old

A/N: Italic text is flashbacks and nightmares. Also, I imagined this took place during Captain America: Civil War. Pretend that Bucky and Steve didn’t fight Tony in this. Bucky is an Avenger in this too.

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buck-star

GIF IS NOT MINE! Gif credit goes to the creator.

Steve was explaining what him and Bucky are about to do as they stood at the entryway of the quinjet. Bucky knew what they’re about to do, but he wasn’t listening. His mind wandered elsewhere. He frowns softly at a memory that came to his mind.

Bucky was holding you while sitting on the couch. He’s been trying to get you say daddy or dada all day.

“You can say it, doll. I know you can.” Bucky encourages softly. “Say dada or daddy.” He says softly.

You maybe a babbling noise that’s not remotely close to saying a word. Your mom walked in the living room in the midst of your babbling.

“What are my favorite people doing?” Your mom asks as she sat down next to Bucky on the couch.

“I’m trying to get Y/N to say daddy.” He says.

“I see the problem. It’s pronounced mommy.” She playfully jokes.

“I see what you’re trying to do, sweetheart and it’s not going to work.” He says, looking at your mom.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey.” She grins.

Your mom kissed Bucky. Their kiss was short lived when they heard a little voice come from you.

“Da- Dada.” You say.

Your mom and Bucky stared at you in surprise when you said your first word.

“Did you say dada?” Bucky asks you softly.

“Dada.” You say again.

“She said her first word! Good job, doll!” He says happily.

“Bucky?” Steve says, bringing him back to reality.

Bucky blinks and looks at his best friend.

“Are you ok?” Steve asks.

“Yea. I just remembered something.” Bucky says.

“What did you remember?” Steve asks.

“I have a daughter.” Bucky says, looking at Steve with teary eyes.

“You do.” Steve confirms softly.

Bucky lets out a shaky breath and wipes the tears away that rolled down his cheeks. Steve put a comforting hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Let’s get this over with.” Bucky says.

Steve nodded. Him and Bucky got off the quinjet and approached the open door to the abandoned HYDRA base. They cautiously stepped inside the base and looked around to make sure no one was going to jump out and attacked them.

“Besides the equipment, it looks empty in here.” Steve says.

“I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right.” Bucky says.

You froze in your hiding place when you heard the voices of your dad and your uncle. You haven’t heard their voice since the 1940s. You poked your head out of your hiding place to see them walking around the cryogenic chamber room. Your breath hitched when you seen them for the first time in years. They must’ve heard your shaky breathing, because they stopped in their tracks.

“Did you hear that?” Steve asks, looking at Bucky.

“Yea.” Bucky replies.

They already heard your breathing, you might as well make yourself known to them. They were facing the opposite direction as you when you came out of your hiding place.

“Glad to see you two are still alive.” You say.

Bucky’s and Steve’s eyes went wide when they heard your voice. They thought they were hearing things. They turned around to see you standing a few feet away from them. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Y/N?” Bucky says softly.

“Hello, dad. Hello, uncle Steve.” You say.

“How- What-” Bucky didn’t know what question to ask first.

“If you’re going to ask how I’m still alive, you should know the answer to that. Both of you know the answer.” You say looking from your dad to Steve and back to your dad.

Anger began to course through Bucky’s veins at the thought of HYDRA injecting you with the Super Soldier serum. He’s scared to know what else they did to his baby.

Bucky put his gun down on the ground and approached you to hug you. That set something off inside of you. You grabbed your gun out of your thigh holster and aimed it at your dad. He put his hands up in surrender.

“Y/N, please. Let’s talk about this.” Bucky pleads softly.

“There’s nothing to talk about, dad.” You say.

“At least put the gun down.” He says.

“Give me one reason to put it down.” You say.

“I’m your father.” He says.

“You really think that’s a good enough reason to keep me from shooting you?” You scoffed.

Bucky walked closer to you. You cocked the gun, thinking he’d stop approaching you, but he didn’t. Bucky put his metal hand on the barrel of the gun as you pulled the trigger. He took it out of your hands and emptied all of the bullets from it. You tried to run away from him, but he grabbed you before you could get away by wrapping his arms around you.

“Let go of me!” You shouted, trying to squirm out of his grasp on you.

“No. You’re coming home with me.” Bucky says.

“No I’m not! This is my home.” You say.

“This place is not your home, Y/N. Your home is with your dad.” Steve says.

You gave up on trying to get out of your dad’s grasp and went with them. Bucky held onto your upper arm so you didn’t try to get away as he led you to the quinjet.

———

You made yourself at home at the Avengers compound, but it doesn’t feel like home to you. You’re so used to living in the abandoned HYDRA base that you forgot what home feels like.

You haven’t said a word to your dad since that day, which was a few days ago. Bucky has been trying to get you to talk to him.

“Y/N still isn’t talking to you?” Steve asks.

“Nope. I don’t know why. I just wish that she would tell me what’s wrong.” Bucky says.

It hurts Bucky to see you like this. All he wants to know what’s going on with you so he can help you. He just wants to be your dad again.

“Try talking to her and getting her to open up.” Sam suggests.

“How am I supposed to do that? Anytime I try to talk to her, she leaves the room.” Bucky says.

“Tell JARVIS to lock every door and window in the compound.” Sam says.

That’s not a bad idea. If it’ll get you to open up and talk to your dad, that might work.

Bucky told JARVIS to lock every entrance and exit in the compound, along with the windows. He knows that you know how to climb in and out of windows. He then went to your bedroom to talk to you.

“Y/N?” Bucky knocks on your bedroom door. “I know you’re in there. Open the door.” He says.

You groaned loudly before getting off your bed to open the door.

“What the hell do you want?” You asked with an attitude.

“First of all, drop the attitude.” He says.

“I don’t need to do anything.” You say.

You went to close your bedroom door, but your dad stopped it with his metal hand.

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.” He says.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” You say.

You managed to push past him to go somewhere else in the compound. Bucky grabbed your arm.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” You shouted, hitting him to get him to let go of you.

Bucky let go of you. He followed you as you continued to walk through the compound.

“Don’t you have anything else better to do than following me around.” You say.

“I want to talk to you.” Bucky says.

“I already told you that I don’t want to talk.” You say.

You went to the main entrance of the compound to go outside, only to find out that door is locked.

“What the hell?” You mumbled to yourself. “JARVIS, unlock the door.” You say.

“I can’t do that, Miss. Barnes. Sergeant Barnes told me not to unlock them.” JARVIS says.

You sighed and narrowed your eyes at your dad.

“Fine. Let’s talk.” You say.

“I want to know why you’re so angry. You used to be my sweet little baby.” Bucky says softly.

“You want to know why I’m so angry? I’ll tell you. You’re the reason why HYDRA kidnapped me!” You say, raising your voice at him.

“Why are you blaming me for something I didn’t even do?” He asks.

“Cause you left me and mom to go off to the Army!” You say.

“I did not leave you and your mom! I joined the Army to protect you and your mom!” He says.

You scoffed and shook your head.

“You did a shit job at protecting your own child.” You say.

“I did protect you! That’s all I did since the day you were born!” Bucky says.

“You didn’t do a good job of it.” You say.

You walked away. Bucky followed you, stopping you by grabbing your arm.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He asks.

“Do you want to know what my life was like after you went off to war?” You asked. “HYDRA kidnapped me from my own home. They injected me with Super Soldier serum and trained me how to fight. I never got to be a kid because of them!” You tell him.

Bucky’s heart shattered into a million pieces and his eyes teared up when he heard you say that.

“Doll, if I would’ve known that. I would’ve done everything to save you.” Bucky says.

“No.” You shook your head. “You don’t get to say that. It’s your fault that I went through all that shit! That’s years of my life I’ll never get back because of you.” You say, raised your voice.

Bucky knows you’re angry and upset. You’re just looking for someone to blame and that person is him. You’re also just unloading all of your anger onto your dad.

“HYDRA poked and prodded me with needles for years! It hurt so fucking bad! I hated it! You have no idea what that felt like!” You say, your eyes tearing up.

“Yes I do.” Bucky says sympathetically.

“No you don’t!” You say, almost gritting your teeth.

“Yes I do.” He said. “How do you think I got this metal arm? They hurt me just as much as they hurt you.” He says.

“Oh really? Did they wipe your memories to erase everything from your mind? They made me not remember who my parents, my uncle, and my family were!” You say, your voice cracking.

“They did that to me too, but I never forgot about the most important people in my life. My wife, my daughter, and my best friend.” He says.

You wanted to say more, but you couldn’t. You leaned against the wall and slid down it and sat down on the floor, letting out a loud cry instead. Bucky could hear the pain in your cries. He sat down next to you, wrapping his arms around you to comfort you. You tried to push him away, but he only held you tighter. Seeing you like this upset him. He started crying too.

“If I could go back in time and change things, I would.” Bucky says.

“You don’t mean that.” You cried against his chest.

“Yes I do.” He says.

You shook your head no. As you continued to cry in your dad’s arms, a memory flashed in your mind.

You curiously stared at your dad as he stood you up on your feet and walked a couple feet away from you and sat down on the floor. Your mom was sitting next to him. They were holding their arms out to you. You grinned happily and waved at your parents.

“You can do it, sweetie.” Your mom encourages.

You made a babbling noise, wondering what your parents want you to do. You then looked down at your feet and took a step. Your parents were cheering you on. You looked up and smiled at them as you continued to walk over to them.

“Oh my god! James, she’s walking!” Your mom exclaims, tapping his arm repeatedly.

You got over to your parents and lost your balance, falling onto your butt. You stared up at your parents and giggled. Bucky picked you up and hugged you, along with your mom.

“You walked, doll! We’re so proud of you!” Bucky exclaims softly.

As you came back to reality, your anger and resentment towards your dad began to slowly fade away.

“I want nothing more than to be your dad again.” Bucky says softly.

“Do you really mean that?” You asked, looking up at him.

“Of course I mean that, babydoll.” He confirms.

You began to realize what you’re blaming your dad for what HYDRA did to you was never his fault. If allowing Bucky to be your dad again means repairing yours and his father daughter relationship, you want that too.

“I want you to be my dad again.” You finally say.

Bucky felt a warmth in his heart when you said that. It’s the same warmth from when your mom told him that she was pregnant with you.

“I love you so much, doll.” Bucky whispered kissing the top of your head.

“I love you more, dad.” You whispered back.

Bucky hearing you call him dad without all of the hate and resentment gave him hope that you two can repair yours relationship and picked up where you two left off before he left to go to war years ago.

🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

-Bucky’s Doll

[mev-fizzah-writes]

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭

A/N: This was cross-posted on AO3, and is just the backstory. Promise there will definitely be more writing soon, i've been really busy and my life is just filled with endless tasks. This was also written a while back so it..kinda sucks!! TW: Suicide, Child abuse, Child endangerment, SH, SA, Murder, Graphic violence.

Alone.

You were always alone.  

In the rowdy clubs, your mother dragged you into, alone.  

The school halls, alone.  

The run-down food courts, alone 

It was peaceful though, as peaceful as Gotham gets really. You and your mother against the world, or so you told yourself. Deep down, you were aware of her late-night partners and the way she indulged in moments that blurred your reality. It was just drugs—everyone did them... It never crossed your mind just how foolish she was being. Perhaps it was her drooping eyes that gave her an air of tranquillity, or how she cuddled you when the alcohol clouded her judgment. Maybe it was simply that she didn’t hit as hard when the redness overtook her gaze.  

She wasn’t a good mother; you understood that from the moment you could understand language.  

No mother should ever let their child know they’re a constant reminder of deep-seated failure, yet she did. But she was all you had, and so you clung to her hand—the same hand that marked your skin with black and blue bruises—hoping, just hoping, she might hold you back, if only once.  

You don’t ever remember her holding you.  

But it didn’t bother you, not really. Touch was never something you craved anyway. Still, it would have been nice, just once, to feel her warmth against you for one last time before she slipped away into a pit that she dug within her mind.

How could you have known? It was just like any other Friday afternoon.

The winter mist hit your tired eyes, making them sting just like your bruised lip. It was another fight, the same two idiots that always got on your nerves. Today they decided to pick on some small street kid, you had seen his curly head of hair before. He lived on the floor above or used to, it had been a while since you heard a complaint from his mother. It was normal for the kid to get in trouble, and of course, you had to throw yourself into his trouble.

Jason, was that his name? He was maybe a few years younger than you, you can never tell with the small ones, but recently he seemed healthier. It was almost as if he had been eating well, but he still had that look in his eyes.

Desperation, to prove himself.

You couldn’t help it, the kids on your street always pulled on your heartstrings. So you helped him out and got injured in the process. Just a small busted lip, nothing you hadn’t dealt with before. Plus you had other things to worry about, like peeling mom's ‘work’ clothes off and making sure she’s clean.

Mom, probably, didn’t cook and most likely didn’t eat so that’s another thing you have to take care of. Was there even anything in the fridge? 

You can’t remember, you’ve been living off your friend's school lunches since Mom deserved fresh homemade food. Lately, her boss had been giving her longer hours, some nights she would come back covered in hickey-like bruises that made scrubbing her wince in pain when she lay down. You didn’t like her boss, whenever she complained about him it sent a shiver crawling down your back, all you can remember about him is his calloused hands. You hated his hands, they were rough and seemed to have a mind of their own. You shook your head, pushing the thought of Kyle away, getting home mattered. With a turn of the corner, you were met with home. Once vibrant red bricks now a withered brown, poking from the badly painted grey that matched the concrete entrance. It was bleak, it had dead trees tethered around it, somehow still standing. The old stairwell creaked with every step you took, usually, you would rush upstairs but today your legs felt like they were going to crumble apart. The thought of turning away gnawed at your brain the closer you got to your door. The familiar croaking of the wood underneath your feet now felt threatening, you rubbed your index finger against your thumb, and your hands now felt clammy. In your pockets lay your keys, yet you felt like there was no need to pull them out. In front of you stood the tall red door to home, was it always towering over you? It was almost suffocating. The worst part of it all is that it’s quiet, why is it quiet? The usual lively hum of the building seemed to be non-existent. It wasn’t always a happy hum but there was always a hum-where is the hum? The silence was deafening, it was like the world had been put on pause. You pressed your ear against the door, hoping to try and hear the clinking of bottles or the sound of an obnoxious static-like laughter instead you almost tripped over yourself. 

The door was unlocked.

It feels like all the air in your lungs has suddenly been pried out, the sound of the creaking door sends a jolt of fear up your body. The familiarity of the apartment was now shattered, replaced with chilling wariness. The chaos was gone, every surface seemed to be wiped spotless and the clutter was just…gone! The once broken glass was replaced with a sterile orderliness that made your heart drop. You had only seen the apartment be clean a few times and it was usually met with the sight of a dear mother and a few syringes around her. In the corner of your eyes, you saw the bathroom light flicker, everything in your mind was telling you to run, just go get the neighbours, it was the safe thing to do. But your heart, your heart needed to see her, your heart needed to see her just cleaning the bathroom. That’s all she had to be doing, it was Christmas soon, so surely she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

“Mom? Mom…” Your pathetic voice called out, your legs moving faster than your mind. As you reached the door you felt your jaw drop. The white lights bounced of the wall tiles and landed on your Mothers face. She lay in the bathtub, her breathing laboured and her eyes low. The flickering light distorted her shadows, along with the shades of the empty bottles and forgotten syringes. Your eyes widened with fear as the stench of it all hit your nose like a drunken Saturday punch, you felt your hands shake and your knees buckle. “Mommy?” You called out, a sob bordering your lips as you dropped your jacket and climbed into the bath next to her. No matter how much you shook her cold body, there was no response.

“No. No! You can’t do this to me again…please,” the tears pooled in your eyes, but you wouldn’t dare to cry. Not until she responded.

“I love you my little Luna…tic.” 

It was weak, and her voice was hoarse. It was already so far gone, there was no emotion behind her eyes but she managed to bring her hand to your face. She rubbed her thumb against your cheek, rubbing a stray tear that escaped your eyes, there was no car in the gesture. You felt her blood smudge on your face as her wrist went heavy and her arm fell to her side.

It was only until you felt the heaviness of a blanket being placed over your shoulders that you finally snapped out of whatever you were doing. The day was a blur, you didn't even know why the cops had been called. The silence around you was loud, it was overwhelming. No one in the station spoke, they acted like a sigh would break you. Your nails dug into your palm, what a load of shit, no one even seemed to care. Expect one man, he had a thick bushy moustache and he was the only one looking at you-no he was staring at you. It felt like a spider was crawling down your back with the way you shivered. His eyes were tired, probably like yours at the moment, but he couldn’t stop staring.  

His face remained neutral as he spoke but inside a bubble of confusion sat inside him. Commissioner Gordon had seen those eyes before, he had seen those shaken hands and he had seen the anger. There were loads of kids like her who had the same pitiful look in their eyes, but he had seen her eyes before. He had seen them on a boy years and years ago. He felt his mind blank for a second, he couldn’t help but stare. Not only did this add to his increasing headache, but it also made the girl's case worse. The funny thing is, the mother's body had clear signs of struggle, there were clear fresh, red hand marks on the woman's neck. But the worst part? The kid knew.

You knew. It was obvious that someone else was with her, sure Mom was a ditz, but she knew not to leave the door unlocked. There was no point in sitting here crying over her, there was no point in crying. You shut your eyes, feeling the panic slowly set into your mind.

[mydearyanderes]

Platonic Yandere Kitsune x Child Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Tags: Gender neutral reader, hurt/comfort

TW: Child endangerment

Alone in the woods, you cry out for someone—anyone. Your parents abandoned you atop a cold and snowy mountain. You shake down to your bones, teeth clattering against one another, and for a split second, you could've sworn you saw a figure in the distance before you pass out.

A kitsune notices your cold body. She gazes down at your fragile form, a strange ache stirring in her chest. How long had it been since she’d held someone like this? Since someone had needed her? "Oh, sweet child," She whispers, "You are cold and alone, just like me."

She moves gracefully in the bitter wind, her nine tails gliding behind her. She gingerly lifts you in her arms. "You are mine now, little one," she whispers, cradling you close. "I will never let you be cold again," the kitsune says, smiling to herself softly. She walks off into the blizzard, taking you home with her.

It is hard for the kitsune to raise such a young, fragile human. Her claws scratch your back when she tries to comfort you. She offers you raw meat, not understanding why you refuse it. And no matter how hard she tries, you will never hunt as well as she can.

But with time, she learns. She learns to treat you softer, like a porcelain doll. At night, when you curl into her fur, she wonders if you will ever truly see her as your mother. But when you cling to her, small hands grasping her robes, she knows—deep in her soul—that you are hers.

She raises you deep in the forest, where no one can harm you. You mostly stay in the cabin, your mother hunting and gathering for anything you need. And at night, she sings you lullabies in a language you can't quite understand, and uses magic to show you things you've never seen before. You are here with your mother. Safe. Loved. Just as you should be. That is, until one day you meet another human.

You have never met someone like him. He dressed in strange clothes that looked so alien to your sheltered mind. He takes a step towards you and you hesitate. Your heart quickens, mother always told you that other humans were dangerous. What if this human wants to eat you alive? Turn your bones into a stew? "Hello," He spoke, smiling softly.

He is around your age, and he looks nonthreatening enough. Can you trust him? "H-hello..." You stutter out, your words being caught in your throat. You've never talked to anyone but mother. This feels new, and yet it feels exciting at the same time? "My name's Hinata, wanna play?" He smiles before showing you the ball in his hands.

You nod slowly. You know what playing is, you do it all the time with mother! Although you don't do it with whatever it is he has in his hands. The cold wind bites at your skin, but the warmth of your laughter spreads through you like sunshine as you kick the ball back and forth.

Until you hear it. Your mother’s voice, sharp and urgent, cutting through the air. "Little one! Where are you?" Her voice, usually calm and composed, cracks with panic. You could practically hear her heartbeat from where you were standing. You pause, your blood as cold as the air around you. You look at your new friend—he's shaking. Is it because of your mother's voice? "Coming mother!" You shout.

Before you can move, she’s already there—rushing at you in a blur of supernatural speed. You barely have time to turn before she’s upon you. Then she sees him. Hinata. A guttural, inhuman snarl rips from her throat, her lips peeling back to reveal sharp, bared teeth. Her eyes, once filled with warmth and love, gleam with something primal, something terrifying. The mother you’ve known all your life—the one who held you close, who whispered lullabies as she stroked your hair—disappears in an instant. And for a moment all you can see is a monster.

Your breath catches, chest tightening with fear. A heavy weight settles in your stomach, and for the first time, you wonder—what is your mother capable of? You’ve seen your mother upset before. You’ve seen her scold, seen her frown. But this? This isn’t anger. This is something deeper. Something you don’t understand. Something that makes your stomach twist and your feet feel frozen in place.

Hinata sees it too. His face drains of color, his body crumpling as his knees give out beneath him. His breath comes in quick, shuddering gasps, his hands shaking as they reach out in prayer. Tears spill down his cheeks, fat and glistening. “P-please don’t kill me!” His voice is barely above a broken whisper, raw and desperate. "I-I'll do anything!" He clings to the ground, as if the earth itself might shield him. But you know, deep down, that nothing will. Not unless you stop her.

For just a second, you hesitate. Your breath is ragged, your legs tremble, but your mind takes you back—to a time when your mother wasn’t baring her teeth like a wild beast. You remember the first time you woke up from a nightmare. You had cried out, and before you could even wipe your tears, she was there. Not with claws, not with bared fangs, but with soft whispers and warm fur wrapping around you like a blanket. "Hush little one," she murmured, stroking your hair with a gentleness no one would believe she possessed. "No nightmare will ever take you from me."

You buried your face into her chest, lulled by her scent, her warmth, the steady rise and fall of her breath. "I will protect you, always," she had promised. But now, as she stands before you, fangs gleaming and eyes alight with something unrecognizable, you wonder—who is she protecting you from? And who will protect Hinata from her?

Your little legs run before you can think. You must protect your friend—just as your mother believes she must protect you. "Stop, I won't let you hurt him!" You cry out, your legs shaking. You've never disobeyed your mother before, and you're terrified to do so now, but you have to. Mother snarls back, "Get out of my way little one, I'm trying to protect you..."

She runs past you before you could even take a second breath. And before you know it, your mother's claws are around your only friend's throat. Her nails dig into his skin, drawing out warm blood. Hinata chokes and gags as snot dribbles from his nose, begging someone, anyone, to help him. You cry out, "Mother please!" But your pleas fall on deaf ears. You chase her as fast as your tiny legs can take you and you dig into her tails in a pathetic attempt to pull her off of him.

"Please mommy please!" You begin to bawl thick tears as you begin to babble nonsense. "Please momma, I only wanted to play, Please let him go let him go let him go..." It is then that your mother finally notices your howls and It is like the world slows for a moment as she looks around to see what she has done. A child in her hands, who looks like her own kit, about to die from her own claws. She then slowly moves her head to look at her world, the only thing that she has ever loved. The only person who has never hurt who she strives to protect with every fiber in her being, and she's hurting them. She's hurting you.

She lets go of Hinata and he runs off, screaming and crying for his parents. She grasps her hands together, watching the blood glisten in the sunlight. "I..." Mother pauses, "I only wanted to protect you, my kit." You've known your kitsune mother to be the strongest being you know, but yet in this moment you can't help but to notice tears well up in her eyes.

"Mama..." Your grip on her tails soften. Even in your childlike mind, you still realize that all she wanted to do was protect you. You know your mother isn't a monster, even if she's done some bad things. "Mommy, let's go home." You reach up your arms, wishing to be picked up. The kitsune hesitates before picking you up in her arms. You're not sure, but it seems like she's extra careful not to harm you.

She walks you home in the snow, keeping you close to her chest. "That boy could've hurt you, He could've killed you." She whispers, seeming to shake at even the idea of her child being harmed. "Never talk to him again, For both of your sakes." You pause, looking back in the direction Hinata ran, before mummering, "I just wanted to play..."

You're home now, and you're grateful for the warmth it gives you. Mother gingerly lays you down onto your bed and she curls up beside you. "You know what I did was for your protection, right?" She asks, almost as if she's begging for your reassurance. You nod softly, tears coming to your eyes as you remember what your mother had done to your only friend. Was he your friend? Mother is always right after all, and she says he was dangerous. Is she...right?

You grab onto your mother and hug her tightly. "Thank you," You say, "For protecting me!" You cry out, almost like you're trying to convince both her and yourself. Mother hesitates before hugging you even tighter, allowing her warmth to penetrate your very being. "Oh, little kit, I will always protect you…"

[sleepymccoy]

Now I'm watching the work learning module on supporting older indigenous Australians and the woman leading the talk (it's a prior recording with some of my colleagues watching live) started by making clear that while she's sure many of us know some of the colonial history of Australia she's giving us an overview of the years that will most affect the generation of older Aboriginal Australians we'll help and she wants us to pay attention

And then she's kicked off this activity - what happened on these years?

And it's fucking crickets. It's an amazing move. Admittedly, I don't know the year of significant events for most topics so I don't think everyone watching is awfully racist, but it's still such a power move to make us all realise we don't know

Here's the years, I'll come back and edit in what she tells me. I only know 1788 and 1967 off the top of my head

1788 - first fleet lands, invasion begins. This is the presumption of terra nullius, the assertion that Australia is an empty land

1905 - the right to remove children from their families, establish missions and reserves where they couldn't speak their language

1941 - child endangerment extended to include "tribalised parents" - Aboriginal people living traditionally

1943 - pension and maternity allowance extended only to Aboriginal people who hold "exemption certificates", these certificates state that you don't self identify as Aboriginal (only offered to paler Aboriginal people, if you were too dark skinned it wasn't an option)

1944 - Native citizenship rights - if you act white you get rights, can't speak your language, can't interact with your family, but you get a citizenship! Which can be revoked at any time

1946 - first Aboriginal workers strike

1962 - Aboriginal people are eligible to vote - but not mandatory. Everyone else has compulsory voting by now

1967 - referendum to remove Aboriginal people from being counter under the flora and fauna act, recognise them as humans and citizens under law

1972 - Whitlam government passes positive discrimination hiring quotas, leading to Aboriginal people and women getting more jobs

1973 - Aboriginal medical service set up

1987 - royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody

1992 - Mabo! Can't believe I forgot Mabo. High court decrees that the doctrine of Terra Nullius was false, there were people on the land before Cook, and giving Mabo back his land

[scftpcws]

Star Crossed| Armando Aretas | Teaser

✩Description: Requested by @nelo0wesker : “Enemies to lovers Armando X reader. Readers in the mafia while Armando in the cartel”

✩ Pairing : Armando Aretas x Fem!reader

✩ Genre : Dark Mafia Romance

✩ Warnings: 17+ (smut in later chapters, Violence, Drug usage, Gang Violence, Sexual/Dark themes, Child endangerment, source accurate violence, bad language, death, my awful spelling and grammar, my terrible Spanish translations (i’m a little rusty), made up characters

✩ Fandom: Bad Boys

✩ Taglist : @nelo0wesker @twinklestarslight @mzbeautii96 @geneziesm @mcotton0928 @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @sunrisesfromthewest

✩ A/n: i didn’t know how i could put this in one post so its going to be a multi part fic! i really hope yall enjoy this . i should be updating weekly (hopefully..) pls lmk if you wanna be added to the taglist or if you would like a rundown of the characters xx

anywayss…

Teaser under the cut !! * *‧.₊˚*੭*ˊᵕˋ੭.*

enjoy!! :)

Star Crossed| Armando Aretas

“But Dad, why?” she huffed, throwing her arms in the air in frustration.

“Because i said no.”

“But thats not a good enough answer.”

“Y/n, seriously, leave it alone.” he responded, shooting her a glance.

“But I have been training my whole life for this! How am i supposed to take over one day if you can’t trust me to do this?!” she was seething with rage, her nails digging into her palms. She had been told she could ‘go out in the field’ once she had completed her training and was now being denied that right. To say it pissed her off was a serious understatement.

“Mom would want me to do this!”

“Your mother is dead! She cannot want anything! You’re not going and that is final!”

She took a step back, tears welling in her eyes. Ever since her mother had died on a mission, her father had become cold and distant. It was almost as if he never cared for her.

“Thats not fair , and you know it,” she spoke through gritted teeth, her hands balled up in fists at her sides. “If you really don’t want me there despite me being your best agent, fine. But when it all goes to shit, don’t ask me to help.”

She left her fathers office, the thud of her boots following her. Her father sighed, holding his face in his hands. Y/n was just like her mother, dedicated, hardworking, and undeniably stubborn. She couldn’t understand why her father wouldn’t allow her to assist the team on this mission. She thought he was coddling her, holding her back from her full potential. But in reality, he was protecting her.

She stomped all the way to her room, throwing herself on the plush mattress. Her bedroom door clicked open, the sound of kitten heels on the hardwood floors piquing her attention.

“Little one, what did i tell you about shoes on the bed?” the sweet and comforting voice of her childhood nanny, Rosetta, made her huff out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “Sorry Miss Rosetta.” she apologised, unlacing her boots and placing them by her bed. “Good, now what’s with that face? Pretty girls like you shouldn’t frown like that.” Rosetta smiled softly, sitting next to her. Her hair was bouncy and smelled like shea butter and coconut oil. Her makeup was light and refreshing, making her look younger than she really was, though Y/n would never point that out because she knew how sensitive Rosetta was about her looks. she dressed unlike the house staff you would expect to find in a home like Y/n’s, more like a rich aunt rather than a nanny.

“Dad is being difficult again.” Y/n grumbled, crossing her arms, her lip slightly jutted out. Rosetta smiled softly at her, the wrinkles by her eyes becoming more prominent. “Now Miss Y/n, you know he is just looking out for you. He doesn’t want you to get hurt, or worse.” she reasoned, petting y/n’s hair. Rosetta was painfully aware of what had happened to Y/n’s mother, and knew it was a sensitive subject, so she made sure to tread lightly.

Y/n stood from her place on the bed, pacing around her lavish room. “But i am not a baby anymore and he knows that! I am one of the most skilled people on the team but he still treats me like a child. It’s not fair!” she argued, her frustration becoming more and more apparent in the way she spoke.

Rosetta smiled, “Well i can’t blame him when you act like this. If i didn’t know any better, i’d say you were having a temper tantrum,” she joked, her tone light, a gentle grin on her face. Y/n rolled her eyes in response, walking back to her bed. Rosetta held her arms open for her, as she used to when Y/n was younger. She laid her head in Rosetta’s lap, allowing the older woman to rake her fingers through her hair, the tension melting from her body.

“Look, Munchkin, your Baba cares about you. He wants you to be safe, and so do i. He has already lost so much, he cannot lose you too.”, Rosetta affirmed, looking down at the sweet girl in her lap. She looked almost the same as she did when she was a child, still soft and precious, but fiercer and somehow more headstrong.

Y/n often despised the way that no matter what Rosetta said, she made sense, she always made sense. “Now dinner will be ready soon, will you be coming down?” She asked, looking down at the girl curled up in her lap.

“I will, but i’m not talking to him.”

The dinner was quiet as ever, just Y/n and her father sat at the table on opposite ends, the same way it had been since her mother died. Rosetta stood off to the side, refilling their glasses whenever they emptied.

“Silent treatment? Real mature Y/n, real mature.” he father stated, taking a sip from the glass of water Rosetta had poured for him. Y/n stood her ground. She wasn’t trying to be childish or petty, she was trying not to to say something she would regret later on, for she did not have a good grasp on the sharp tongue she inherited from her father. Though, it did make arguments with him all the more interesting. “The target is called Benit-”

“Im not going remember? why would you tell me?” she interrupted harshly, her jaw clenched and eyes glaring daggers at her father. “You exhaust me, daughter, you really do.” Her dad sighed, taking a forkful of food and putting it into his mouth. “I’m just trying to fill the silence that you insist upon, because you are too spoiled to take no for an answer, but i guess that is not good enough for you, because nothing ever is.” he grumbled, knowing perfectly well that she would hear every word.

“I insist on the silence, because at least when it’s silent my very existence isn’t being insulted.” she quipped back, cutting up her food and shoving some in her mouth in a hurried attempt to shut herself up. Her father may be head of one of the most powerful mafia families in the world, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t her dad.

“Well maybe if you just did as you were told for once, without questioning my every decision i wouldn’t have to call you out on your petulance!”

“Oh I’m petulant? Says the man who won’t let anyone do anything because he’s too afraid!”

“You are just like your mother, always flying off the handle, not thinking before acting!”

“Mom never listened to your stupid demands and orders!”

“Look where that got her!, the silence was so deafening you could hear a pin drop. “Honey I-”

“How could you say something like that? She did nothing but love you and this is how you talk about her? You berate her for the only mistake she ever made, which was protecting me! She was perfect, never cursed, was polite and knew how to handle herself without getting herself into trouble. You tell me i am just like her?! Well i wish i was like her, maybe then you wouldn’t view me so negatively . Or maybe you would, because that’s exactly how you view her.” Her fists slammed against the table as she rose from her chair.

“Miss Y/n-”

“Miraculously my appetite has gone, thank you for the food though Rosetta.” and with that, she left to her room.

“I dont even want to hear it, Rose” her father huffed, his brows furrowed and his hands clenched together.

“You are both in the wrong. That’s all.” She smiled, placing her hand on Claude’s shoulder, her thumb grazing the fabric of his well tailored suit.

“I know.”

“Hey Boss?” a tall man, of a muscular build walked up to the table, papers in hand. “Yes Lorenzo?” Claude responded, rubbing his temple with his fingers. “I got everything i could on our target from our guy inside, but his tracker just went dead.” Lorenzo admitted, his head low, making sure not to make eye contact with his boss.

“What do you mean his tracker went dead?” Claude breathed, his fist slamming on the table top, causing Rosetta to jump while she cleaned up. “I mean his tracker was on and then it wasn’t.” Lorenzo asserted, huffing out a breath.

“You think this is funny, Enzo?” Claude stood up, grabbing the collar of Lorenzo’s shirt in his fist and and pulling his face closer toward his own.

“No boss.” Claude stared right into Lorenzo’s eyes, his teeth clenched in fury.

“Fix it.”

“Well, we think he may have been discovered, and you know, blown his cover.” Enzo responded calmly, knowing if he reacted the way he wanted to he’d be out of a job, and possibly a life. “Damn you Aretas.” he sighed, his knees suddenly becoming weak.

“Boss!”

“Claude!”, Rosetta ran to his side, holding him up as Lorenzo helped her situate him in the chair. “Kill him, i dont care what you have to do to make it happen. i want him dead.”

“Miguel. Ven aqí (come here)” a gruff voice demanded silence from a small group of men playing a round of Cheat, at a table in the middle of a worn down garage.

“Yeah Jay?” Miguel answered, a sweet smile gracing his lips, his two gold canines on full display.

“Did you do what i asked you to?” he was strangely calm, his left eyebrow slightly raised in mock amusement.

“Yeah of course i did.” Miguel answered, his hands moving straight to his pockets. He was lying.

“What did i ask you to do, hmm?” Jay’s hand made its way to Miguels face, squishing the skin in his hand, as the panic started and sweat began to settle on his forehead. ‘oh shit, what did he ask me to do,’ he thought, trying hard to remember the simple task he was asked to complete.

“I asked you to count the money.”

“Oh yeaaah count the money,” his response was delayed and drawn out, a clear indication that he had not in fact counted the money like Jay had asked him to.

“You see, Compa (friend), i asked you to do one thing,huh? Una cosa (one thing) , and you couldn’t even do that,” Miguel looked his ‘friend’ up and down, he was clearly upset, he fucked up.. bad.

before he could utter an apology for his incompetence he felt the cool end of a gun against his temple. “One thing buddy, thats all i asked. Look man, I knew you were stupid, but i didn’t know all that food you ate inhibited your brain functions!” Jay’s words were like venom. He was never nice to anyone but this was too far, even for him.

“Look man, i got distracted, I’m sorry, i’ll count the racks up before Boss gets back, i swear just don’t shoot.” he begged, tears beginning to well in his eyes.

“I should shoot ya’ in ya’ head, maybe it’ll rearrange your brain, make you useful, hmm?” he spat, digging the barrel of the gun further into his skull. “Or maybe i should shoot ya’ dick off, maybe then you’ll spend less time thinking about las putas (the whores) we see on the street and more time thinking about the simple fucking things i ask your dumbass to do!”

“Please man, you know i have a wife and kids, man. I am begging you.”

“Damn, i forgot about that pretty little thing you call your wife. fuck, you think if if i shoot you i could play step daddy for you, hmm? Keep your side of the bed warm. Snuggle up with ya’ Mrs, give her some good- ”

*Bang*

The sound of a gunshot resounded through the garage. Miguel checked himself over for bullet holes as Jay’s body hit the ground with a heavy thud, his gun falling from his grasp.

“Louis.” Armando said, watching the blood pour from Jay’s lifeless body and pool around him. “Yeah boss?,” a young boy, no older than 19 stood abruptly from his seat at the card table, almost knocking his chair over.

“Clean that up will you? I hate rats.”

“Yes boss.”

“And Miguel? Go count the money before i bury you with him.”

“Yes, boss.”

Hope you enjoyed the teaser!! the first part will be out soon xx

[crinkly-spinkly]

This is an announcement to y'all letting everyone know that as of today, Nirmal has been permanently banned from attending any irl Thomas Fandom community events in the tri-state area due to her language, allegation, actions, and risk of minor-endangerment.

The organizers and members of local groups I'm involved in have been informed, and this has been acknowledged within the community. She has been removed from our public servers that include minors. And if she is seen attending these events, security will be notified and she will promptly be removed.

My deepest apologies to those who have been unfairly affected by her actions.

Let us take this as an opportunity to move forward and create a safer, more uplifting future for our community.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Stay Safe 💙

[torukmaktoskxawng]

tsamsiyu ta'em - three stars in orion's belt

Masterlist - part sixteen

Summary: Kayla and Spider return to Awa'atlu, and some things shift into place, right where they need to be.

Pairing: Ronal/Tonowari/Original Female Character

Tag: #tsamsiyu ta'em fic

posted on ao3

Word Count: 15k+

Overall warnings: implied sexual themes, trauma/ptsd, canon-compliant, mature language, slow burn, polyamory, found family, cool aunt agenda, rushed, time skips, fluff, angst, mentioned mcd, child endangerment, proofread by me, etc.

Taglist (bold indicates "could not tag"): @motheroffae @undeniableadrenaline @mooniequeen @shit-i-say-shit-i-think @heart-an0n @amiets2 @slutforsmut4ever @yeosxxx​ @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @sucker4angstt @inolaphoenix @ilovechickenwings @tojisleftarm @andyfromku @ivysully @lightandshadow31 @jamie-poopoo @brittney69 @avatar-lover

A/N: Please ignore all the time skips 🙏 I didn't want to write another 20k+ chapter

A beautiful, quiet afternoon in Awa'atlu is evident all around Jake as he finds himself alone in the marui while the rest of his family is out enjoying the warm, sunny day on the reef. He was crouched and trying to remake his tomahawk that he had lost during the battle, but it was proven difficult since he didn't have the proper materials here on the island as he did back in the forest. 

His time alone is interrupted by the sound of his youngest child calling out to him from outside, "Dad! Dad!"

"Tuk?" Jake's ears perked up, immediately alarmed as he got to his feet and stepped out of the pod, "Are you alright? What's wrong, sweetheart?"

His little girl was waving him down the pathway, barely stopping to wait for him as she was eager to run away, a bright, wide smile on her face as she pointed up at the sky, "Auntie's back! Look! Auntie and Spider are back!"

With that, she races off toward the beach, no longer patient enough to wait for her father. Jake's alarmed expression takes a moment, but slowly melts as he tilts his head back to look up at the sky, the unmistakable shadow of an ikran flying overhead.

The rest of the village appears to stir with curiosity as everyone becomes aware of the new entry, heads all occasionally looking up to see if they could spot the mountain banshee for themselves. As Tuk runs down to the beach, she's yelling for the rest of her family, announcing her aunt's arrival as she goes.

Kayla circled the village a few times to ensure the Metkayina was aware of her presence so that they would make some space on the beach for her to land, only feeling comfortable once the horn to announce her arrival was blown. She couldn't see him, but Spider's face was smiling widely as he peered down at the reef village below, anxious to get down there after three, long weeks.

The uproar of the horn and the talk around the village bring Ronal and Tonowari out of their kelku to see what all the fuss is about. They catch sight of Kayla's ikran and visibly appear relieved, shoulders sagging as they share a knowing look. They turn back to their home when both of their children step outside, and Tonowari's hand heavily weighs Ao'nung's shoulder as both father and son stare at one another.

"Remember what I told you," the olo'eyktan says with a skeptical look in his eye, "Respect the boy."

Tsireya smiles brightly and dutifully nods, while Ao'nung reluctantly follows suit. His sister tugs on his arm until he's following her down toward the beach, where handfuls of the village had begun to gather to form a large circle that would act as Kayla's landing zone. 

Thena swings low, flying just above the water at Kayla's command. Tuk is jumping up and down in the sand, waving her arms at her aunt and laughing as she flags the ikran down. The ikran dips low, flying right past the Na'vi girl with the tip of its wing grazing the water surface, playfully spraying Tuk in the face. The girl squeals with delight and laughs, all the while Jake watches this cute display from a distance, his alarm melting in exchange for amusement, chuckling and fondly shaking his head at his sister's playful antics.

"Show off." He mutters to himself.

Tuk continues to giggle and anxiously waits until the banshee finally lands, both water and sand flying everywhere as the ikran comes in for a ferocious landing. Thena barely meets the sand with her talons before Tuk sprints up to her, arms out wide as Kayla is quick to jump off and break tsaheylu.

"Auntie!" 

"Tuk!" Kayla exclaims as she quickly falls to her knees to catch her niece's embrace, laughing with the child as Tuk tackles her in a tight hug, wrapping her small arms around Kayla's neck, nearly sending her into the sand.

Kiri pushes her way through the growing crowd to get to the center, Lo'ak dutifully right behind her. She looked between her sister and Kayla, and then the human boy who had just stepped around the large ikran, making her smile widen with relief, "Monkey Boy!"

Lo'ak beams, quickly following his sister and they race to their friend, "Welcome back, Spider!"

Spider straightens and smiles gently at the sight of his friends running to him, "Hey, guys-- oh, shit!" 

Only for his face to drop into shock when two large, teenage Na'vi tackles his smaller body into the water behind him. The three teens laugh as they grapple and embrace each other in the shallow water, and for added measure, Lo'ak ruffles a handful of wet sand into Spider's dreads.

"Bro!" The human boy squawks. 

"That's what you get for staying away for so long," Lo'ak laughs, "What was up with that? Three weeks, cuz?"

"Hey! Did you save any of that enthusiasm for me?" Kayla calls over playfully as she stands back up, completely forgotten by Tuk who was anxious to join the Spider-hugging pile.

Kiri shoves Lo'ak down and quickly gets up before he can enact his revenge, the teenage girl bounding up and hugging her aunt's waist. Spider doesn't let Lo'ak greet Kayla and holds the Na'vi boy down so Tuk can shove wet sand into his own braided hair, leaving Lo'ak yelping and snarling at the devious pair.

Kayla laughs at the heartwarming sight, looking around and openly smiling at the growing crowd of Metkayina, most of their faces appear welcoming as they meet her gaze. She catches sight of Jake and Neytiri gently pushing through the crowd and meeting one another before walking over to join their family, which reminds Kayla to unpack a bit of her luggage from Thena's back before she can forget.

"Tuk," the girl in question looks up and skips over to her aunt when Kayla calls for her, the woman digging out a small parcel of leaves wrapped around something from one of Thena's saddle bags, "Some of your favorite sundried berries. You have my permission not to share with your dad. And... ah ha!" She fished out something that had gotten caught at the bottom of the bag. Another wrapped gift, which she carefully hands down to her youngest niece, "This is from Popiti. She said she made it just for you."

Tuk beams at the gifts, especially at the mention of her friend, before glancing up at Kayla, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Kayla smiles and moves on to the next child as the rest of the teens have now moved to stand around her, "Lo'ak, I got a new throat mic for you. Uh..." She digs around further before finding what she was looking for and handing it to her nephew, "There you are-- here's the earpiece."

"Thanks, Auntie." Lo'ak grins while taking the new communication device.

"I actually got enough for the whole family this time so we'll pass those around later," Kayla unrolls a cloth that she had tightly tied down to Thena's saddle before handing it to her older niece, "Kiri, this is your new jacket."

Kiri's eyebrows furrow before unwrapping the cloth, holding out a large, avatar-sized safari jacket, once tan but now a little worn from age and sun exposure. Kiri gently squints at the human-made item before her eyes widen with realization, glancing over at her aunt, "Was this my Ma's?"

Kayla nods with soft encouragement, "According to Norm, it was. He thought you should have it. Try it on."

Kiri did so, fitting her arms into the sleeves before wrapping the oversized jacket around her small frame like a safety blanket, taking a deep breath as she pressed her nose into the collar. Kayla smiles sweetly at the sight, "Yeah, it definitely suits you. It's warm and stylish, just like you."

Spider smiles a little and motions Kiri over, asking his friend to help him bring all of his belongings to Kayla's marui. Kiri happily accepts after she's given a moment to appreciate her gift, and with Lo'ak and Tuk's help, they get all of Kayla and Spider's supplies off of Thena's back, and the ikran huffs with appreciation.

Kayla takes a backpack from Tuk before the kids can take off to her kelku, rummaging it before she looks up at Neytiri. Both women paused as they stood in front of one another, their last known conversation playing in the back of their minds, making one another hesitant. Eventually, Kayla clears her throat and provides a gift to the Na'vi woman, holding out the shawl Mo'at made with a look of hesitance.

"Neytiri... from your sa'nok."

Neytiri's tail flicks with interest as she takes the folded-up shawl, holding it out and unraveling it. Her ears pinned back against her skull as she recognizes the fine craftsmanship as if it were her own, eyes faintly growing wet as she sucks in a sharp bit of air. She knows the meaning behind the gift, and a single tear falls down her face. Much like Kiri, Neytiri wraps the cloth around her body and takes in the item's familiar scent, feeling protected under her mother's handiwork.

Kayla averts her gaze, feeling as though she was watching Neytiri in a vulnerable moment before holding out a weapon to her brother, "Jake. I told Tarsem that you lost your tomahawk and so he made you this."

Jake's eyebrows rise in surprise, taking the new tomahawk in hand and testing the weight and craftsmanship as Kayla continues to explain, "As a sign of good faith. He wants you to know that he's leading the People by your example. You haven't been forgotten."

He tightens his jaw, internally touched by the gesture of the Omatikaya's new olo'eyktan. Lowering the tomahawk, he nods solemnly at his sister, ears sinking slightly as he hesitates, "Thanks, Kay. How... how are you?"

She fixes him a small look, apprehensive before she shrugs and looks away, "Never better."

"Everything alright back at base? What took you two so long to get back?"

Kayla's left ear flicked once before she easily answered, "We didn't want to risk the RDA following us again so we kept low until we thought it was safe enough to come back. I was going to radio you... but then I thought Spider and I could turn it into a surprise."

Jake appears satisfied with the answer, one corner of his mouth threatening to rise out of amusement. As he opens his mouth to make a no-doubt smartass remark, Kayla swiftly turns away, "I should help the kids unpack our stuff."

As she turns her back on her brother, she is suddenly tackled by another teenager, and the initial shock melts when she's met with none other than sweet Tsireya with her arms wrapped around the older woman's waist, beaming up at the avatar, "Oel ngati kameie, Makayla te Suli!"

Kayla exhaled a quiet laugh as she smiled down at the reef girl and gently squeezed her back, "Oel ngati kameie, Tsireya," briefly peering up, she noticed the boy standing behind his sister and she nodded once in greeting, "Ao'nung."

The reef boy nods back at the sound of his name, his expression impassive and reminding Kayla just how much he looks like his mother. Tsireya looks around, ignoring her brother's stare-off with Makayla as her little ears begin to fall, "Did Spider not come back with you?"

Kayla's expression melts before looking back down at the reef girl with a small smile, "He's already unpacking back at our kelku. Lo'ak and the others should be with him if you want to follow me with the rest of our things?"

"I would be happy to!" Tsireya explains while following Kayla to her ikran, the girl's sharp elbow nonchalantly meeting her brother's ribs as she passed by him.

Ao'nung coughs, "Yeah, alright."

Together, Kayla and the chief's children manage to bring the rest of hers and Spider's things to her marui, stepping inside and being met with Sully children everywhere, helping Spider unpack. Already, this pod was starting to look more like a home. Someone had actually managed to hang Kayla's "bookshelf" up, dangling it from the ceiling above and letting it hang against the wall, a few of Spider's things already nestled on it. Tsireya and Ao'nung move to help, greeting Spider and asking him questions about his travels and what he had been up to these past few weeks. If Spider was shocked by their sudden interest, he didn't show it, answering expressively, likely comfortable with their presence so long as Kayla and the Sullys were surrounding him.

Both he and Kayla were unpacked and settled back into their home in no time with the help of the children, and even though they all had to part ways to finish their chores, they promised to come back and visit before dinner to catch up and learn what has been happening in High Camp. Kayla and Spider are left in the home, tidying up before the communal dinner. Kayla takes a moment to look at the bookshelf, inspecting all the objects now placed on top to make it full and more... homey, as she had initially wanted it to look. 

Spider had placed a spare mask there, with a small photo leaning against it. Kayla didn't need to ask to know who the picture was of, observing the woman with brown hair holding a blond baby in her arms. Next to the photo were two sets of dog tags, Kayla's and Jake's that she finally decided to leave off of her person and keep on the shelf as a form of memorium, along with the pictures she once had pinned up in the shack back at High Camp, specifically the one with herself and her brothers.

Satisfied with how her new home looks, she smiles and turns to address Spider, only for her words to fall short. The teen hadn't looked up from covering an ammunition container with a woven blanket, unaware of Kayla eyeing his blond locs as they had been pulled back and held up by a hair band, in a fashion very similar to Lo'ak's and other Metkayina warriors. The band itself was brown and decorated with scattered pieces of iridescent shell. 

"That's new."

Spider looked up and met her eyes before he realized what she was talking about, smiling a little cautiously as he explained, "Tsireya made it for me."

A small twinkle forms in her eye, lips twitching with fondness, "Really?"

"Yeah, although I'm not sure Ao'nung helped her as she claims."

A small pause falls between them as Kayla's eyebrows furrow. Before Spider could even ask what was wrong, the expression melted into something more sincere, a smile replacing her once-shrouded emotion, 

 "Hm. He might've. Kinda looks like his armband. It looks good."

The mask nearly hides it, but she manages to catch a small beam of pride flash over Spider's face before it vanishes at the same time he bows his head, pretending to adjust his exo-pack. Kayla let him shy away as she was currently bombarded with her own thoughts, her smile falling once she knew Spider's back was turned. The thought of Ao'nung and Tsireya providing a gift for Spider could mean many things and Kayla didn't want to jump to any conclusions. However, the timing felt odd, especially after Norm practically had to force her to realize that Ronal and Tonowari very likely care for her more than just an ally or a member of their clan. She couldn't bring herself to say what they likely outright felt for her, but she, deep down, knew it to be true. 

It couldn't have been a coincidence that the children of the Metkayina clan leaders seemed interested in Spider and his adventures, and while Kayla was delighted that the boy was making friends, she couldn't help but feel partially responsible for it. What would happen if she didn't reciprocate any of the clan leaders' advances? Would Spider's new friends suddenly pull back from him? 

She didn't want to believe that the Na'vi could be so sinister, but that was the human in her... suspicious of everything.

~~~~~~~~~

Dinner rolls around and the Sullys are eager to hear about what Kayla and Spider have heard from the rest of their friends and family back in High Camp. While they try not to show it, Jake and Neytiri eye Kayla with a careful expression, as if wanting to ask her about the war but not wanting to break this moment of peace between family members, no matter how strained. Kayla uses this to her advantage, avoiding her brother and his wife for the moment so she can feel more at ease and at home after being away for longer than she intended. The children help her chest feel lighter as they eagerly share everything they had done while she was away, rambling to the point she didn't have to think about anything else other than trying to catch up with her nieces and nephew. 

That is until she felt that familiar gaze practically bleeding into her skin, that gaze she could only feel when there were two sets of eyes closely watching her every move. Looking up from where she sat, Kayla easily spotted Ronal and Tonowari down near the end of the long line of Metkayina enjoying their meals. Both the tsahik and the olo'eyktan meet her eyes without shame, blue and green meeting her yellow gaze, always outnumbering her, always successful in stealing her breath away.

She knows that she was being rude by not getting up to greet them, or for never even seeking them out the moment she returned to the village. After all, they were her hosts and her clan leaders, but there was a small bit of nerves eating away at her courage to approach them. Kayla was feeling intimidated by them, now more than ever, but for an entirely different reason compared to when she first met them. It couldn't be helped after everything Norm pointed out about their past behavior towards her, his words still itching at the back of her mind, making her irritated with her best friend despite him being oceans away. 

While she was taking Norm's words into consideration, she was also, unfortunately, still a Sully. Stubbornly shutting down any doubts or insecurities, she swiftly stood up and told her family that she would be right back before turning and walking through the crowd of Metkayina. Ronal and Tonowari's eyes never left hers as she walked toward them, but hers would occasionally dart away to avoid someone's tail, or to find a path around bodies as they knelt or crouched over their food. It was a good excuse for her to look away, unable to hold such an intense gaze. 

When she finally drew close to the leaders in question, she touched her hand to her forehead in greeting, "Ma olo'eyktan. Ma tsahik."

Ronal pointedly looks Kayla up and down before nodding back and motioning for the dreamwalker to sit down. When Kayla crouched to her level, the tsahik opened her mouth, simply stating, "We have a gift for you." 

The Metkayina woman twists to grab something settled between her and her mate, bringing it up to display in the air with both hands for Kayla, presenting a beaded top. 

Kayla's eyes widened, a small, chill of dread making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the thought of wearing something so exposed. That is until she got a proper look at the top in question. It was... well, more conservative than Kayla had expected upon being given a Na'vi-styled top. The pieces meant to hang around the chest area are tightly woven together without a hole in sight, covering as much as possible. The beads were of a variety of blues and greens, and the pattern swirled fittingly like water. Kayla tilted her head as she eyed the pattern, a faint memory forming in the back of her head as it reminded her of that one Starry Night painting she once saw in a museum as a child. Woven grass was braided through the beads and up into a large hoop at the top of the piece, meant to wrap around her neck, with soft, feather-like straps dangling from the sides of the top, meant to hang off her shoulders. 

Tonowari nods to the item in his wife's hands, "I had gathered the material and Ronal had woven them all together."

He then starts to form a closed-mouth smile, his expression soft and genuine, "Consider it a welcome home gift."

Kayla sits back on her heels, gaping at the clothing piece in awe and admiration. Slowly, her hands reach up to take the item, feeling the beads between her finger and thumb as she settles it in her lap. She swallows thickly as she raises her head up to the man and woman sitting in front of her, watching her expectedly. She blinks out of her daze, anxious as her stomach swirled uncomfortably, her conversation with Norm now practically trying to beat its way out of her skull with how loud the words pounded in her head, an awful reminder of what the gift was clearly meant to represent. She remembers the fears she expressed to Norm if she accepted Ronal and Tonowari, recalling her insecurities about her appearance, stature, and infertility. Despite wanting to spare the couple from that, she also didn't want to turn down their thoughtful gift.

She tries to express her gratitude in her small nod toward Ronal, "Thank you."

Ronal simply huffs, ears twitching once at Kayla's response as her large hand reaches forward and pinches the worn hem of the avatar's crop top, "Your clothes have seen better days. And as someone who wishes to be part of the People, You could use clothes made for the People."

~~~~~~~~~

Even though she now had a new top in her possession, Kayla didn't wear it, sticking to her old crop top. She knew wearing it would mean accepting it. It would mean something else, something she wasn't entirely ready to admit to herself or anyone.

If either Ronal or Tonowari was disappointed that she wasn't wearing their gift the next day, they didn't show it, and Kayla honestly wasn't sure if she was relieved by that or not. She tries to ignore it as Jake visits her marui to talk about certain events that unfolded with the Omatikaya while he had been away. She catches him up to speed as much as possible, her brain wracking with all the information she had been dumped with as the messenger between her brother and his old clan.

Their discussion is eventually interrupted by the sound of anxious feet kicking up sand outside, followed by shouting, "Makayla! Makayla! Look! Something's happening to Spider!"

It was like a ball of lead dropped down her stomach as panic ambushed all her senses. Before Kayla could even run out of the pod, however, three teenagers come hurtling inside, some more panicked than others. Kayla first spotted Tsireya, the reef girl's concern as clear as day on her young, sweet face. Her larger hands tugged Spider along with her, the human teenaged boy looking a bit flushed and closed-off, shoulders hunching as if he was trying to look small, or at least smaller than he already was compared to the Na'vi standing all around him.

Ao'nung was the third teenager, and he was standing directly behind his sister and Spider, towering over the pair. Despite the hard expression, his ears were flicking wildly around, almost as fast as his eyes as he looked between Spider and up at Kayla, just as concerned as Tsireya, who was now frantically turning Spider around in her grasp as he tried to yelp and swat at her. Spider clearly wasn't trying to harm her, however, as she then displayed his back to the two adults in the room, "See!"

All worry drains from Kayla as she fights to keep her expression neutral, despite the growing amusement in her chest when she notices Spider's pink and peeling skin. Not wanting to appear as though she was mocking Tsireya's panicked state with laughter, the older woman bites the inside of her cheek to keep back a smile that threatened to appear as she peers down at the child she was responsible for.

"Spider, I told you to put on sunscreen."

"I did!" He exclaimed defiantly, his face flushed with pink underneath his mask, likely out of shame and embarrassment then a small sunburn. 

"And did you reapply any as needed? That stuff only lasts a few hours, you know."

He pointedly avoided Kayla's gaze, still indignant and refusing to reply, keeping his back to her as Kayla hummed, now letting a smirk grace her face, "That's what I thought. You might be fine now, but if you don't start properly treating your skin at a young age, you'll just run into problems when you're older, like skin cancer."

Jake was just as easily entertained by the concerned reef children and Spider's embarrassment, standing off to the side as his tail flicked behind him with interest. He glances between Kayla and Spider, one corner of his lips twitching as his eyes stare fondly and, dare I say, proudly at his sister. 

Kayla didn't appear to notice Jake as she reached for the tube of sunscreen that now made its home on her kelku's shelf, "Come on. You promised Max."

Spider kept his head lowered, ashamed even as he grumbled a small form of agreement and took the sunscreen from her. This teenager was actually full-blown pouting at Kayla, and it made Jake chuckle in amusement, finally speaking up to reassure the boy, "Don't worry about it, Spider. As humans, Sullys tend to burn way worse than that, so we didn't get much sun as kids. We were pretty pale. One look at Kayla and people used to ask if she was a vampire."

Kayla's brows furrowed as she glanced back at her brother, "Shut up, Jake."

"What's a vampire?" Spider asked curiously, trying to mask his shock toward Jake as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that the older man had just categorized Spider under the Sully family. 

"Don't listen to him," Kayla immediately replied as Jake was opening his mouth. One more lighthearted glare from her and the older brother immediately closed his mouth once more, still grinning even as Kayla nodded to Spider and his two shadows, "Now you kids get outta here."

"But," Ao'nung's ears lower, "What about Spider--"

"It's called a sunburn, Ao'nung," Kayla smiles reassuringly, "Humans get them when they're out in the sun too long. It's normal, don't worry."

"I wasn't."

"Mm hm," she smirks, unconvinced as she nods to the open doorway, "Go on. 'Git."

Jake snorts fondly at Kayla's choice of human words as the three teens leave the marui once more. Both older Sully siblings fall into silence as they watch the children leave, Jake's amusement falling into something more thoughtful as he struggles to find the right words, "The kid looks good. You did good."

"I didn't do anything." Kayla brushes his comment off, moving back to the mat she had been previously kneeling on.

"No, I mean... you did right by him. You fought for him when no one else did. He's a good kid," Jake tried expressing how proud he was of his sister without using those exact words, knowing she wouldn't accept them, least of all from him. They sit across from each other, a small lit fire between them as Jake's voice lowers, "He's lucky to have you as his mom."

Her eyes quickly glance up at him and immediately narrow, "I'm not--"

"Kayla, come on. He relies on you. He looks up to you. I know that look better than most. He's trying very hard to live up to you... and part of me thinks he got that from watching Neteyam and Lo'ak."

Slowly, her defensive stance melts as her words soften, "Jake. Hey, stop. Don't do that."

He wasn't sure what she was implying until he realized his vision was blurry, obstructing her face from what was only a few feet from him. Jake immediately blinked and cleared his throat, his voice still tight, "We talked. Me and Lo'ak."

"That's good."

"Yeah... I just wish I had done it sooner. If I did, maybe Neteyam--"

"Don't," She could do nothing else but shake her head at him, "We all carry some form of regret. Just focus on now."

~~~~~~~~~

That night, she found herself adding yet another bead to her songcord, only this time, she successfully weaves it into the growing waytelem all by herself. It was a bead she had seen Spider wear in his hair before but had recently replaced with yet another shell both Tsireya and Tuk had been finding for him. Kayla wouldn't think Spider would notice if he was missing a bead, but she still kept her newfound piece for her songcord a secret, immediately tucking it away once she was finished applying it just as Spider was returning home for the night. He looked exhausted, spending most of the day with Tsireya and Kiri as the two girls appeared adamant about teaching him the ways of the Metkayina. Rotxo had eventually joined them and then what was once a lesson had quickly grown into a game. 

Kiri and Spider decided to try to teach the two reef children a human game they had learned from Jake when they were little, and so Spider quickly found himself on Rotxo's shoulders while Tsireya was on Kiri's. They must have played 'Chicken Fight' for hours, both Tsireya and Rotxo enticed by the simple game of trying to wrestle their competitor into the water, despite being confused about what exactly a chicken was. Neither Kiri nor Spider could answer. They didn't know either. 

Since Spider was smaller, he couldn't imagine lifting either of the Metkayina teenagers, but he'd already had practice with Kiri, so he had managed to hold her up on his shoulders for a round or two, but it still had his back feeling sore by the time he walked home. His hand was crossing over his chest and rubbing the opposite shoulder as he walked into the kelku, met with Kayla working on something in her hands before she tucked it away in her pocket, her hands now focused on cooking some fish over the hearth's fire.

"Hey," she smiled when she looked up to greet him, "How was your day?"

"Good. Tired," he responds shortly, sitting down across from her as he looks into the smoldering fire. A sheepish expression flashes over his face for a moment as he lets his thoughts get the better of him, speaking quietly in case he shouldn't be asking, "So... what am I supposed to call you?"

Her brows furrow in confusion, shadows from the fire dancing over her face, "Huh?"

"It's just that..." he ducks his head, "You don't want me calling you Kayla forever, right?"

Realization dawns on her face when she finally deduces what he is trying to say, her surprise melting into contempt as she replies, "You're not supposed to call me anything other than what you're comfortable with."

He peers up at her with a soft frown, "Again, you're being too understanding. You're not helping my case in believing I could kill in front of you and you wouldn't bat an eye."

"Smartass," she laughed, eliciting a smile to form on Spider's face at the sound. Kayla's nose scrunched up as she smiled back, "You can just call me Kayla if you want. It'll be all up to you for once."

It might not have been the answer he was expecting, but it was one he greatly appreciated and thought long and hard on. 

~~~~~~~~~

Spider thought about Kayla's response as he and the Sully children were listening in on Jake, Neytiri, and Kayla as they argued one afternoon in hushed voices in the security of the Sully marui. Apparently, Kayla had done Neytiri wrong by bringing Spider back to Awa'atlu, and while she had kept her mouth closed about her distaste, it all came to a head when Spider had taken Tuk for a small swim without her consent. 

It was his fault, and while Spider had initially tried to take the blame, Kayla had shot him down and told the kids to go look for Tsireya for the evening and let the adults talk alone. Obviously, the children weren't about to do that and snuck around behind the marui to snoop on their parents' conversation, ducking their heads to peer underneath the wall so they could see the three adults.

"What if she got hurt? What could he possibly do to help her?" Neytiri had hissed to both her husband and his sister, Spider's guardian, "I do not want my baby to be by herself, let alone left with him."

"Spider's responsible," Kayla defended her charge with her arms crossed and glare pinpointed at her sister-in-law, "And yes, he should've asked, but that doesn't mean he's a bad kid, Neytiri. Kids forget things. It happens."

"And when children die, does it just 'happen?'" Neytiri snipes back, clear grief and anger mixing her pools of yellow eyes. 

"It does when someone holds a knife to their throat," Kayla hisses, quick as lightning with her reply as her tail flicks sporadically behind her, "As you likely knew when you did so to Spider."

Kiri's hand snakes up and grips tightly onto Spider's shoulder, both of them doing their best to keep their breathing slow and quiet so the adults they were eavesdropping on wouldn't hear them. Lo'ak makes a point to keep a hand over Tuk's mouth from off to the side of them. Spider swallows thickly as Kayla's retort bounces around in his head, the memory of Neytiri putting him in harm's way still always lingering whenever he looks at her, his hand unconsciously rising to trace the scar on his chest. The way Kiri was gripping his shoulder, he knew she was thinking the same thing. 

"Enough," Jake alleviates as gently as possible, a permanent dent in his forehead from his eyebrows wrinkling with concern and desperation about the well-being of his family members. He glances between his wife and his sister before settling on Neytiri, "Spider isn't a danger to anyone, baby. You know this. He grew up with our children."

"You have never, not once, disagreed with me about the boy until now," Neytiri sneered back, betrayal evident in her eyes as she glanced between Jake and Kayla, "Until she decided to keep him like some pet and bring him around our children."

"Spider is not a pet," Jake retorts softly, his eyes unable to meet hers as her words only made his guilt stronger in his gut, regretting all those years he should've fought for an innocent child.

"And he's not her son," Neytiri growled lowly, "She's not his mother."

Spider watches Kayla's expression fall along with her ears and tail, the sight alone causing an unexpecting wave of rage to wash through him. He barely even thinks, a split-second decision made as he pulls out of Kiri's grip and stomps out of hiding, reentering the marui and pointing an accusing finger right up at Neytiri, venom in his voice as he was quick to defend Kayla, "Then by your logic, Kiri isn't your daughter."

The room falls into intense silence as all three adults zone in on Spider, all of them surprised by his reappearance, their ears falling with shame as all of the children come out of hiding, revealing they had heard everything just by looks alone. Neytiri felt as though she was between a rock and a hard place as she stared into each of her children's disappointed eyes before landing back on Spider, who didn't appear to be done with her,

"If Kiri was born a human, would you have loved her?" The question stuns Neytiri into silence, though she subtly glances at her eldest daughter as Spider continues, "Because that was always your excuse to avoid me. Because I was human. The thing is, I don't think you wouldn't love Kiri any less if she was human. She was born of Dr. Augustine, someone you loved very much."

The name makes Jake wince and Kiri's ears lower, her eyes wet and internally pleading with Neytiri as she stares up at her adoptive mother. Kayla felt as though she couldn't breathe, staring down at the boy she took in with disbelief, unable to blink in case he suddenly disappeared. She was surprised by his quick words in defense of her, unable to stop this small wave of pride desperately wanting to display on her face.

Spider shakes his head as he continues, defeat in his voice after finally accepting the truth for the first time ever in his life, "But if she were human? It wouldn't have mattered. Because you don't actually hate all humans. You just hate me... because of the man who helped create me."

Neytiri's expression settles back into someone filled with anger and takes one step toward him, but only gets one step before Kayla suddenly stands in front of Spider, blocking her path. Both women stare one another dead in the eyes with a deep snarl escaping both of their lips, ready for blood if need be and visibly making Jake and the children uneasy. Spider felt his body move before his mind could catch up, and without a thought, he stepped forward and stood close to Kayla's side, half covered by her body as if hiding from Neytiri.

Kayla's eyes didn't even blink as she glared at her sister-in-law, her voice deep and grinding like gravel, "If you know what's best for you, you'll leave him alone. You will never hurt Spider again."

Jake would've been impressed by the deep, protective growl his sister lets out if it wasn't for the fact that it was directed at his mate. In other words, the sound intimidated him and he genuinely worried for Neytiri if she didn't back down. He noticed his own kids flinch as well, and a faint memory of them reacting poorly to Neytiri's ferociousness against Quaritch only made him want to defuse the situation even more. He understands that Kayla was just protecting Spider, much like how he knew Neytiri would protect her own children, but he didn't want this ending with the two women he valued most in life to continue being at each other's throats. 

Spider looked up at Jake, and whatever expression he saw on the older man's face made him understand what he was thinking. Wordlessly, Spider reached his hand up and gently settled it on Kayla's arm. Jake felt the tension in his own shoulders melt as Kayla's posture began to relax, her tail still flicking irritably, but she had stopped baring her fangs and now only looked at Neytiri with disappointment instead of pure hatred.

"What you went through-- what the Sky People put you through, I understand," she starts out, "I understand why you're hostile to humans. But loss and pain don't excuse the neglect and pure hatred directed toward an innocent child. Spider didn't kill your sister or your father. He didn't destroy your home. Your hostility is directed at the wrong person and he doesn't deserve it."

Neytiri scoffed with sharp fangs, her words not as heated but also still hurting Spider like the knife that was once cut along his chest, "He spared the life of the man who destroyed my home, who killed my father and was behind the death of my son--"

"You were the one who told me Eywa only protects the balance of life," Kayla raised her chin, "You said it yourself. A son for a son. Quaritch already paid for Neteyam's death, even if he didn't die in return. Quaritch will get what's coming to him, in time, but it won't be by harming Spider."

Neytiri stares at Kayla for a good long while, her hatred slowly sinking back down beneath her skin as defeat and grief replace it once more. She takes one look back down at Spider and scoffs, but more quietly than before. Eventually, she turns and looks away, ending the conversation with her back toward them as her mind runs rampant with conflicting thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~

Tsireya noticed the obvious tension among the Sully family immediately. It wasn't hard, really, but one morning, they seemed happy and content, but then the next, they were clearly avoiding one another, or at least the adults were. The chief's daughter noticed the distaste that appeared to stick permanently on Neytiri's face as she followed Ronal out into the water astride a pair of ilu. Tsireya didn't dare try and calm whatever storm was brewing in Neytiri's mind that day, knowing that her mother would quickly straighten it out.

So, Tsireya decides to calm whatever storm was in Kayla's head, since the other Sully female appeared to be just as irritated with something that likely involved Neytiri since they were both being kept far away from each other, by Jake and the children. Tsireya finds Kayla and politely asks if she could accompany her to the crafting pods today. Kayla followed the young reef girl without question and together they walked toward the huts where Kayla had first officially met Tsireya. 

Tsireya didn't waste any time once they arrived. Taking Kayla's hand, she lures the older woman around the large circle of Metkayina who were crafting various different items and stops her in front of one particular Na'vi she had been dying to introduce Kayla to, "Makayla, this is Rutxa. They are our very best weaver, in both crafting and story-telling."

Ruxta looked up at the mention of their name and sharp blue eyes immediately landed on Kayla. Standing to full height, they stood over Kayla by about an inch, clearly more built around the shoulders and legs. Their crafting which Tsireya swears by is obviously shown in their clothes, wearing a beautiful, sharp lapis blue top that wraps around their neck, chest, and back, woven through a cummerbund similar to any Metkayina warrior. The cummerbund was strapped over only one shoulder and decorated with both shells and akula teeth. Rutxa's loincloth was a lighter, aqua color, made of dried seaweed, and decorated with a very long and impressive songcord. Tattoos peek out of Ruxta's clothing and wrap around their shoulders and back, a smaller one inked around their left eye, accentuating their lagoon blue skin. 

"Ah, so I finally get to meet the famous dreamwalker everyone is talking about." Ruxta's smile is wide and cat-like, which automatically sets off something in the back of Kayla's mind.

"Everyone?" Kayla asked, slightly suspicious.

"Don't listen to them, Makayla," Tsireya tugged Kayla's hand so the older woman would look down at her, the reef girl's smile was playful, "Rutxa tends to fabricate a lot of stories."

Ruxta flashes a knowing look down at Tsireya, a look only an adult could possess when talking to someone younger, "Child, if I recall, you used to eat up my stories when you had yet to learn how to speak."

Kayla had never seen Tsireya this giddy before, giggling to herself with a small, amused roll of her eyes in Rutxa's direction before the reef girl tugged Kayla's hand until she was kneeling down between herself and the Metkayina weaver. The three of them crouching together in a small circle, they get to work as Rutxa shows Kayla the best weaving techniques, a feat that the avatar woman had yet to master. Tsireya smiles and watches as Kayla is suddenly dragged into a discussion about the best ways to weave a story as her hands move to bead together a lovely top without having to think about it much, Ruxta easily gets the proper responses from the dreamwalker and even a few stories of her own from her homeworld that intrigued the weaver.

Tsireya took a look outside to determine the time of day before she had to regrettably part ways to find Lo'ak and Spider for their lessons. The reef girl stands and respectfully bows her hand to both Kayla and Ruxta with a sweet smile before exchanging pleasantries and leaving the pod, waving over her shoulder at the pair before disappearing.

Kayla smiled while watching her go before lowering her gaze to continue her work, only to realize a separate gaze was now carefully watching her. She glanced up and noticed Rutxa had not returned to their work and was comfortable just staring at Kayla with a knowing expression. Once they realized Kayla had noticed them, Rutxa flicks their eyes over to the entrance of the pod that Tsireya had just exited through,

"She adores you."

Kayla looks back down at her work, smiling to herself, "I adore her. She's a very sweet and kind person."

"She speaks very highly of you, as does her sa'sem."

The mention of Ronal and Tonowari forces Kayla's hands to pause around the top she had successfully made. It was too small for her, but Rutxa insisted on starting small, so perhaps it could be gifted to a child of the village... if they would want something made by Kayla. The brief distraction doesn't last long as the thought of the clan leaders drives Kayla's ears to flick with interest, even as her eyes downcast, "Their respect is misplaced."

"Is it?" Rutxa hummed while leaning back on the balls of their feet, watching Kayla's expression carefully, "They are grateful to you. We all are. After all, you did save our tsahik's life."

Both her ears and her tail perk up in attention, her eyes slowly following as her brows furrow in confusion, "What?"

"She claimed that you saved her against the Sky People at Three Brothers Rock. You took down another demon and their ikran without even thinking before you flew away."

Kayla's tail leisurely sways as she ponders this, thinking back to that battle, to all the times she had killed a Sky Person or a Recom. She remembered Thena had feasted on one's head when they crashed in the sky, and then there was one shooting into the water... was that the moment Rutxa spoke of? Did Kayla save Ronal's life? She couldn't recall if she saw the tsahik at that moment, everything going so fast and Kayla barely had time to react or else she might've found herself getting hurt or worse. It was difficult to remember any particular point she might have seen either Ronal or Tonowari during the battle, that is before they saved her from drowning and then brought her to Neteyam...

She stops that thought process before it could even begin, sucking in a quiet, sharp breath when another takes over. Was it possible that Ronal and Tonowari were only treating her differently like Rutxa claims? Because she saved Ronal's life? Because they were grateful? Most of the things the clan leaders said or did that made Kayla question their motives only happened after the battle. It couldn't have been a coincidence... could it? Maybe they didn't care for her like Norm and even Spider claimed... so then why didn't she feel relieved? Why did the bottom of her stomach feel like lead?

She swallowed thickly, her jaw visibly clenching as she stared down at the newly woven top, "The praise should go to my brother as Toruk Makto."

Ruxta snorts through their nose, the sound bouncing through Kayla's ears, "Believe me, the whole village is aware of the demanded respect between Toruk Makto and his sister."

"I doubt it," Kayla muttered, "When I hear the village whisper about us, they call us Vrrtep Mesmuk."

"Ah, yes," they hum thoughtfully, "I can understand how that would be seen as an insult. And perhaps it was at the start, but not for some time. After we fought the Sky People with you and your brother by our side, many Metkayina now use your title as a sign of respect. We are honored to have fought beside Vrrtep Mesmuk, and we hope to spread stories of you and your brother to other clans as well. Your brother is Toruk Makto after all, and the story of Toruk Makto is meant to bring all Na'vi together in times of war or sorrow."

Kayla wasn't entirely convinced by this change in behavior, but it was a comforting thought to think, if only for a moment, that the Metkayina were starting to grow and respect her family for who they were and not just what they represented. At the very least... Rutxa didn't seem like the type of person who cared whether or not she was some sort of demon possessing a deformed body, 

"I'm almost afraid to ask what kind of stories you plan on sharing."

Ruxta puffs out their chest, voice playful, "I will have you know I am an excellent storyteller. I was already weaving the tale of a dreamwalker who flew back to our village after a large, victorious battle with a demon child in her arms."

The smile that once threatened to make an appearance falls as Kayla is quick to defend the demon child in question, "That child's name is Spider."

Rutxa catches the tone of her voice and eyes her carefully, "That is an odd name for a child."

She wasn't expecting that response, and it surprised a small laugh out of her, "It's not a conventional name among my kind either, but it's the one he chose and the only name I need to know."

A small wave of understanding flows between the pair, a recognition of respect shining in Rutxa's eyes as they smirk gently, "From what I hear about the Sky People, they are not very understanding of culture outside of their own. I am pleased to see that not all Sky People are like that."

"No," she agreed with a warm smile, "Not all."

~~~~~~~~~

Despite coming to many revelations, only to be riddled with just as many questions, Kayla still found time to be with Ronal and Tonowari, just the three of them. Even though every bone in her body told her to refuse and avoid their presence, she found that her feet were still walking in the direction that Tonowari had instructed her to meet them after their evening meal.

She tried to come up with excuses in her head as to why they wanted her to join them at night. Perhaps it was under the guise that all three of them had been extremely busy ever since Kayla and Spider returned, but that still didn't make her feel better, knowing that to want to spend time with her meant that they cared for her in some way shape, or form. And even though she logically didn't want that... she couldn't ignore certain other parts of her that were seemingly devoid of logic. Parts of her wanted to believe that they wanted her around for something besides gratitude, besides wanting to keep an eye on her or wanting her to do her part and not be useless to their village.

She finds them standing along the beach where they told her to meet them, their toes dipped into the bioluminescent sand, creating a rippling galaxy beneath their very feet. Kayla can't help but think of the Milky Way, a long line of clustered stars lining the island where the sand meets the ocean. Ronal and Tonowari stood at the center of the cluster of stars, immovable planets that demand others to revolve around them, and in a way, Kayla found herself doing just that, moving toward them like an unforeseen gravity pulling her in. 

Tonowari was watching her approach while Ronal was looking up at the sky, watching that familiar, beautiful gas giant with the large crater glaring down at them. Kayla was now standing close enough where she could count the tattoos on both of their faces, so she stopped, deciding that this would have to be close enough, a few feet away, just out of arm's reach. It was for the better.

Tonowari watched as Kayla peered up into the sky, watching the same gas giant as Ronal before the chief spoke up, "It is Naranawm. 'Great Eye.'"

Kayla hummed in understanding, "My people call it Polyphemus, named after a cyclops."

Both pairs of Metkayina eyes are now trained on her, Kayla's ears tucking close to her head out of embarrassment while she shyly explains herself, "It's uh... it's a mythological creature from my homeworld. The Cyclops is a man-eating giant with only one eye at the center of its face." 

"That is barbaric." Ronal simply states with a scrunched nose.

A breath of a laugh escapes Kayla, "And yet, you guys have man-eating creatures here that are considered the stuff of nightmares where I'm from. Polyphemus was one of the pretty popular in one or two stories. His father was the god of the sea-- or something like that."

"God of the sea?" Tonowari tilts his head with interest.

Kayla nods, deciding that it would be inappropriate to share how she imagined Poseidon to look like Tonowari if such a benevolent god existed, "Yeah. Um... depending on what part of Earth you lived on, your faith in certain deities varies. Polyphemus stems from Greek mythology and the Greeks believed in multiple gods, Poseidon being one of them. He was the god of the sea."

"What deity did your part of the world believe in?"

"One god, like Eywa..." Kayla shivered at distant memories of religious trauma, "Only the Great Mother tends to sound kinder."

~~~~~~~~~

Another night, another moment of silent contempt between them. Kayla walked away from that night feeling both lighter and full of anxiety. She almost wanted to demand exactly what Ronal and Tonowari wanted from her, but at the same, they appeared content with the way things are right now, and maybe that was enough for her, too. Then again, she was confusing and frustrating herself with trying to figure out the clan leaders' motives. Wanting to try and distract herself from her rampaging thoughts, she decides to keep herself busy.

By the end of the week, Kayla finds herself barely resting apart from at night. She found time with Ronal by helping her gather any healing or cooking ingredients from high up in the trees where the tsahik would have normally struggled to grab herself. Other times, she was helping Ao'nung and Tonowari hunt and fish. When she wasn't doing that, she was helping both the tsahik and the olo'eyktan with weaving fishing nets, descaling their catches, or carving out a new canoe. Tasks like this usually left a healthy sheen of sweat on her skin, and whether she realized it or not, Ronal and Tonowari's eyes lingered on her even longer during these moments. Kayla would've thought her body was heating up under their gaze if it wasn't for the fact her body was already warm from a hard day's work.

While it's not much of a chore, Kayla still finds herself busy in Tsireya's presence, the reef girl always constantly dragging her around for certain things, like deep diving with Lo'ak or hunting for the most perfect shells with Tuk and Kiri. Sometimes, it was to even help her teach Spider the way of water. While he couldn't learn very much without the use of a kuru, Tsireya still thought it would be important for him to learn how to hold his breath as long as a Metkayina, in case of emergencies where he might lose his mask and didn't have a spare. Kayla strongly agreed with this sentiment and was honestly touched by Tsireya's thoughtfulness. 

Spider was a little amused and even bravely teased Tsireya, asking her if she was worried about him, to which she smiled and lightheartedly smacked him upside the head, driving Kayla into small, fond fits of laughter.

When she wasn't busy with all of those things, she found herself in the presence of at least half a dozen children, children who were eager to learn common English.

She wasn't sure how she got pulled into being a teacher, but once Jake caught wind of it, he was also supportive of the idea. Both he and Kayla silently agree that, after what the children had all been through as of late, it might be important for them to know certain Earth customs, writing, and language. While the Sully children are already bilingual -multilingual now that they have the Metkayina's sign language and tulkun speak under their belt- they do not know how to write the language of the Sky People and the reef children who befriended them even less so. The Sully children, Spider, Ao'nung, Tsireya, and Rotxo had all come to a silent agreement that they wanted Kayla to teach them, and while she wasn't sure why, she didn't want to disappoint them.

Spider found himself being her assistant since he already knew how to read and write, giving helpful advice and even translating some of the things Kayla said as some of the information was hard to initially grasp in fluent Na'vi. The Sully children were able to understand, but when it came to the reef children, let's just say they were grateful Spider was better at speaking Na'vi than Kayla.

While she suspected who taught Spider how to read and write, she didn't want to ask, knowing it was likely a touchy subject to him. She discovers fairly quickly that there's still one too many things the teenager refuses to talk about, and while she was fine with that and respected his boundaries, there were times when her curiosity nearly got the best of her. Nearly.

There are times when she remembers how much this kid has gone through in his short sixteen years of life, it makes her head spin. Other times, she remembers that he's still just a kid, like one particular afternoon as Kayla and Spider were outside of their marui and making their first fishnet together. 

"Spider."

He looks up at his name, surprised when he realizes who it was that called to him. Ronal was staring expectedly at him, and behind her was Tonowari, a tall and strong pillar of strength, holding a familiar weapon in his hand that looked far too small for the olo'eyktan. However, it was the perfect size for Spider.

The teenager finds himself standing to his full height and hesitantly stepping toward the clan leaders, his eyes widening at the sight of a beautifully made bow, already strung and adorning lovely feathers and leather grip, "Is that...?"

Tonowari smiles solemnly, bending down to Spider's height and passing the bow along to him, "For you. We hope it is to your liking."

Kayla felt the soft hint of a smile beginning to form on her lips as she watched Spider take the long bow from Tonowari as if it were a precious child or an injured animal. Spider's hands immediately moved to test the strength of the weapon, fingers gliding across the fine craftsmanship before his eyes peered up at the Metkayina clan leaders, unable to stop the doubt and suspicion in his gaze, 

"You made this for me?"

Ronal's expression remains neutral, calculating, ever the one to point out the obvious, "You needed one."

And Tonowari is always the one to soften her bold statements, "We wanted to make it right and to your size."

"So we had Neytiri help us," Ronal finished.

Both Kayla and Spider visibly stiffen at this bit of information, both adult and teenager frowning with even more suspicion than before, much to the clan leaders' internal distress since that was not their intent. Ronal, despite her audaciousness, wasn't trying to upset either of them and hoped that she didn't say anything wrong. The tsahik was constantly at war in her mind, reminding herself to stay open-minded about other sawtute if she wanted Kayla and Spider to be a part of her family's lives, but it was difficult to keep her mind open when the dead image of Ro'a and her baby was stitched permanently in her memory. 

Despite her conflicted emotions, she didn't want Spider or even Kayla to believe she was disgusted by them. Quite the opposite. In fact, whenever she looked at them, she would sometimes forget they were both human. It was easier to forget when Kayla possessed the body of a Na'vi, but with Spider, he held himself like one, despite being cursed in the body he was born in. Ronal couldn't fault a child for that, least of all Spider. Nevertheless, Ronal was tsahik, and her expertise lies with Eywa. Even if Ronal had some doubt about Kayla and the child she was responsible for, which she no longer possessed, Eywa clearly saw something in them that she didn't yet. 

Spider's next words were more of a statement than a question, "She helped you."

"Yes," Ronal nodded, trying to calm whatever doubt was clearly evident in the child's eyes, "She is an expert at archery. A skilled warrior. We thought she could help us make this for you."

"Yeah..."  He stares down at his new bow, though his mind is far away, back over the ocean and somewhere in the forest. He was thinking about all the times he was a kid, practicing his archery skills, away from prying eyes, wanting to be the best... wanting to be like Neytiri. Back then, he really thought she would accept him if he strived to be like her. After some time, as he grew up, he started to realize that she would never accept him, but that didn't stop him from being very skilled with a bow. He was easily the most skilled with it out of every human currently living on Pandora, and while he no longer strived to impress Neytiri, he had taken the bow as his own, not wanting his true talent to go to waste. 

He thought he had lost that talent when he lost his bow, and he even voiced how much he missed it when Kayla had brought him to speak to the clan leaders all those weeks ago. As he inspected the one now secured in his hands, he couldn't help but feel touched that Ronal and Tonowari remembered something he said once in passing. 

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Spider looked up at Ronal and Tonowari, gratitude evident in his smile, "Irayo. This... this is amazing. I appreciate it." 

Regardless of how she felt toward Neytiri, Kayla also felt herself smiling in gratitude, making sure to look directly at both Ronal and Tonowari so they knew it, too. 

~~~~~~~~~

One must enjoy the little things in life.

Kayla remembers that phrase from somewhere back on Earth, and it sticks to the front of her mind as she's teaching her nieces, nephews, and their friends how to spell their names in the English alphabet. A task she once found tedious when she was a child was now a bright and shining moment she could witness in other children. 

Although if she were to voice how much she regretted not enjoying how to spell her own name as a kid, Jake would've reminded her that her teacher was awful and the bastard forced her to use her right hand to spell her name even when she was more comfortable using her left. Her learning experiences were vastly different from what Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and their friends were used to, and Kayla wanted to keep it that way.

She tries to enjoy the little things in life, like the way Ronal looks while watching her teach. The tsahik was standing just outside the entryway of Kayla's pod, silent to not interrupt, only to observe. Kayla didn't want to believe Ronal was chaperoning her but was just curious as to what all the fuss was about.

Kayla wasn't far off. Ronal has been subjected to Tsireya's ramblings every evening, gushing over how fun it is to learn a new language. Ao'nung isn't as expressive, and yet, he still keeps disappearing to Kayla's kelku with the rest of the children when it's time to learn. Even Tonowari has gone to see what's so interesting about Kayla's lessons, and when he came back the night before, he expressed how intriguing it was and urged Ronal to see for herself.

She had failed to see what her mate found intriguing about these lessons. All Kayla did was have the children repeat everything she said and then ask them to write her lessons down to prove that they had been paying attention. However, the mood shifts when Kayla goes to each child and helps them spell out each of their own, personal names, using a tawtute device she calls a datapad. Everyone appeared excited to use what they learned to see their own name on a screen, and while Ronal didn't understand why, she didn't verbally complain. Regardless of how she felt, it clearly made Makayla happy, her lips almost permanently smiling as she watched every child's reaction when they spelled their name right. 

Once Kayla dismissed the kids for the day to do their afternoon chores, it left her and Ronal alone in her marui, and before Kayla could ask what the other woman was thinking, she already had a question in mind, "Why teach them?"

Kayla tilts her head, curious, "What do you mean?"

"Why do they need to write stories and history when we already express our stories and history through our songcords?"

"It's... it's a little different," she found herself sputtering for the best way to explain, ears darkening a shade as she tried to find her words, "I mean-- well, I guess for Sky People, writing our names is like having a songcord. Every person's handwriting is unique. It's personal. It's their identity."

While Ronal stands there, unconvinced, Kayla is still smiling and hellbent on showing the other woman what she means, "Here, just-- Let me show you." 

She presents the datapad, and Ronal frowns at the sight of the alien device. Kayla writes something on the screen and beams when showing it to her, "This is what my name looks like written in English."

Not that Ronal could read exactly what was written on the screen, but the thought of Makayla's name scrawled in soft swirls and sharp edges intrigued her. Ronal stared at the screen, tilting her head with interest. The image was long, the shapes toward the end growing smaller as if Kayla realized she was running out of space. 

Kayla smiled when she recognized the interest floating in Ronal's eyes, "Can I write your name?"

The tsahik nods once and Kayla turns the datapad back on herself as her finger presses down and erases her name, scrawling down another image -another name- and flipping it back over to show to Ronal. Again, the Na'vi woman couldn't read it, but since she knew it was meant to be her name, she understood why it felt so meaningful to Kayla that she wanted to teach the children how to do the same. Ronal could finally see the appeal, especially since it was Kayla's hand that wrote out Ronal's name. It gave the name a whole new meaning to the tsahik to have it be written by the other woman's finger. 

"Just yesterday, Lo'ak asked me to show him how to spell and write Neteyam's name so he could carve it into a bracelet he intends to make," the mood shifts to something dire and sad, Kayla's smile less bright than before as she quietly explained, "That's why I wanted the other kids to learn. It's just nice to have your own identity written out like this. Where I'm from, people often get tattoos of their loved ones' names when they die."

That image wasn't as impossible to imagine as others. Perhaps it was because she had tattoos of her own, but Ronal could understand why the Sky People would ink their skin with the names of their lost loved ones. It was different compared to why the Metkayina bore tattoos, but it was just as important nevertheless. 

She studied Kayla's face carefully, wondering what she would look like if she bore Metkayina tattoos-- or wore her hair the way Metkayina women would. The thought brings the tsahik to study Kayla's hair, her mouth, once again, saying the first thing that comes to mind without really even thinking about it, 

"Your braids need to be redone."

"Yeah?" Kayla's sad spell is broken as she reaches up to feel the top of her head, feeling the roots that have grown out, unbraided compared to the rest of her locks. A sheepish smile falls across her lips, "I guess it's been a while."

A split-second decision was made as Ronal moved away to kneel down near the entrance of the marui, waving her hand at the space in front of her, "Come. Sit."

Kayla exhales a quiet huff, lips quirked out of amusement as she sets her datapad down and moves to join Ronal, sitting cross-legged in front of the Na'vi woman and dutifully staying still as she feels larger fingers begin unraveling all of her old, unkempt braids. Ronal's hands were rough and straightforward, making Kayla bite her tongue to refrain from yelping out of pain. Ronal only tsked at her when she noticed Kayla's hands gripping onto her own knees to restrain herself, berating the avatar woman for not keeping up with treating her hair properly. Had she done so, this wouldn't be an issue. Kayla had to scoff at the irony of that, and had she been able to see behind her head, she would've caught Ronal smiling. 

Ronal undoes the braids and removes all the beads hidden within. Without a proper comb or a way to soften Kayla's hair, Ronal used her tsahik knife, whittled to a pointed tip and protected by the shell adornment she often kept around her neck. She uses the pointed tip as a comb pick, unknotting the roughest spots in Kayla's long hair, being careful around her ears and kuru. 

The sight of the tswin braid entices Ronal, hands pausing around the base of Kayla's skull, fingers still threaded in the other woman's hair. Ronal eyes the large, singular braid for a long moment before continuing her work, but any time her fingers gently graze the sensitive appendage, she revels the sight of Kayla's skin rising in small, soft bumps. 

Kayla did her best to stay still, keeping her back ramrod straight in an attempt to restrain the shiver she felt going up her spine each time Ronal's fingers passed over her kuru. Kayla wasn't an idiot. She knows how sensitive that spot is for all Na'vi and how important it is for their way of life. Still, she hadn't initially thought about it when Ronal instructed her to sit down as she did her hair. Had she thought it through, Kayla might not have agreed, knowing how... serene and intimate it would feel to have the other woman redo her hair, to trust her to be careful around a very sensitive spot. 

It appears Eywa intends to torture Kayla to no end today as a shadow looms over the entry of her kelku. Tonowari peers inside, stopping by in search of his mate once he had noticed all the children have left their lessons, and evidently found something better. He found Kayla as she sat perfectly still, cross-legged, with his mate kneeling behind her, Ronal hovering over the back of her head as the tsahik focused on braiding groups of her hair, one small lock at a time.

As the olo'eyktan stepped into the pod, Kayla realized just how much space he took up in her small home. To Spider, this place was like a studio apartment. For Tonowari, it was more like a walk-in closet. 

"Perhaps I can be of help?" Tonowari offered brazenly.

Ronal huffs out through her nose, amused, "It would certainly get the job done faster."

Kayla hummed a tiny laugh, caught in the middle of the pair's playful banter, quite literally as Tonowari took a knee in front of her, leaning down awfully close to her as his hands reached for one side of Kayla's head. She sucks in a sharp, silent breath as she stays still for the clan leaders, Tonowari's hands easily the same size as her whole skull. As if knowing the intimidating size difference, Tonowari was careful with his large hands as he gently pulled and weaved the locks of her hair into small and tight braids. Using the beads Ronal initially took out of Kayla's hair, they return the small adornments to their rightful place, settling more comfortably in the woven locks that put Kayla's human hair to shame.

When Kayla was alone with Ronal, it was easy to hide how flustered she felt since she was facing away from the other woman, able to hide her face. Now, she was forced to notice the heat of both Ronal's and Tonowari's bodies, radiating on her back and her front, essentially trapping her as they silently worked on her hair as a team. She envied their teamwork but was enraptured by it at the same time, something warm in her belly making itself known as the thought of them working together to help her came to mind.

"Thank you." 

Her voice felt so small in such a quiet, peaceful moment, unsure of where that gentle tone came from. She cleared her throat out of embarrassment while Tonowari pinned her down with a sweet, gentle smile,

"It is our pleasure."

She doesn't miss the heaviness of those words, whilst simultaneously feeling both of their breaths and bodies so close to hers as they braid her hair. Kayla could feel Ronal's knees pressed against her lower back while one of Tonowari's knees was pressed up against the outside of her thigh. Kayla has to purposely keep her tail wrapped around her own arm in fear that the appendage will betray her and reach out to them. To try and break the silence that lingered far past comfort, she opens her mouth and says the first thing that comes to mind,

"The last time my hair was braided was by Kiri and Tuk. They were trying to teach me how to properly do it myself while also sharing... a very detailed story of how their parents first mated." She snorts sharply.

Ronal hummed quietly to acknowledge her small story, the tsahik's breath gently ghosting small wisps of Kayla's hair as she spoke, "You sound as though the topic made you uncomfortable."

Kayla's nose scrunches up, "I don't know anyone who would want to hear about their brother's nocturnal activities."

"But the topic itself?"

"Uh..." 

'Ah, Hell,' was the first thought that came to mind when she realized the type of topic she roped herself into, a topic she would rather share with almost anyone except the two large Na'vi practically trapping her between their bodies, "Sky People don't really talk so casually about that sort of thing."

Tonowari's eyes briefly glance down at her before returning to her hair, "Really?"

"I mean, the ones I hang out with are not as private. Soldiers are often crude that way, but back home it's considered too... gaudy? It's mostly talked about behind closed doors or with people you can trust, but not flat-out strangers. Unless that excites them, I guess. I don't know, everyone's different. But society as a whole back on Earth doesn't like talking about it in public."

Ronal's eyes meet her husband's for a long while, both of their hands simultaneously pausing in Kayla's hair, making her ears straighten in alertness. She was starting to wonder if she had said something wrong before Ronal's hands began to move once more, in sync with her own response, "The Na'vi believe that it is our sworn duty to share and teach just like everything else. We do not shy away from such discussions because we want our children to learn how to be careful and well-informed early on. To give them such responsibility at a young age tends to make them blossom into more mature, respectful adults."

"Huh," Kayla exclaims, mostly to herself, "That explains why Tuk didn't seem shy at all when she talked about it. Any child her age back on Earth would've been mortified."

Tonowari chuckled, finishing one braid before moving on to another clump of her hair, "The more you speak, the more you make sense to us, Makayla te Suli."

"... That sounds like it had two different meanings."

The olo'eyktan makes a deep noise in the back of his throat, eyes meeting Ronal's over the top of Kayla's head, "When you speak about how children are brought up among the Sky People, the more I understand why you do not react the way normal Na'vi do when presented with songcord beads, clothes, and other gifts."

She tries to smile hopefully, but her eyebrows scrunch together with uncertainty, "Is that... a bad thing?"

"No," he shakes his head with a fond, reassuring smile, "It just means we need to be more blunt."

Her stomach flips as though she is freediving from her ikran, her tail briefly twitching in her lap to show off her anxiety before she manages to pull it back under control. She swallowed thickly when her throat suddenly felt dry, her eyes darting away from Tonowari's before they could express something they shouldn't.

Ronal's voice was closer than before, the hairs on the back of Kayla's neck standing up when she felt the other woman breathe directly into her ear, "Do you wish to muntxa si, Makayla?"

She wanted to shy away from Ronal, to raise her shoulder up and pull her head down when the tsahik's close proximity proved to be too much for her nerves to handle. Both clan leaders have completely stopped braiding and have pulled their hands out of her hair, but didn't return their touch to themselves. Instead, their fingers lingered on Kayla, either brushing lightly over her shoulders and knees, places that they deemed respectful enough not to scare her away. When Kayla tries to take a deep breath in, she is suddenly aware of their scents, mixed together as one, invading her nose. She decided that she needed to breathe less, or else she'd go dizzy.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember what that means." Yes, she does, but she thought it almost sounded like a dream. She needed to outright hear it.

Ronal's amusement was evident in her voice even though Kayla couldn't see her, "Do you wish to mate?"

Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth even as she managed to pull through a proper response without giving too much of her inner thoughts away, "I don't think that's on the table for me anytime soon. Or ever."

"Why?"

"Why would it?"

"It could be. If you feel the same for us as we do for you."

"... What?" Kayla now looks directly over her shoulder, regretting it when her nose gently brushed against Ronal's, not realizing just how close the other woman sat behind her. Ronal's hairless brow rises expectedly, eyes shining with mirth and a certain youth Kayla has never seen in her before. For a moment, it reminded her of a giddy Tsireya.

Tonowari was not so easily forgotten either, one of his hands absently brushing some of the new braids over Kayla's shoulder, lingering at the juncture of her neck, causing more goosebumps to rise in his wake as she did her best not to shiver. 

It felt as though her mind was running through a hundred thoughts per minute, that fatal organ in her chest betraying any sort of logical thinking trying to make its way into her brain. While Kayla may have looked composed -and a little surprised- on the outside, the inside was riddled with inner turmoil, parts of her body trying to fight for dominance in a nauseating dance. Parts of her blew up like fireworks, overjoyed and celebratory, while the rest of her was filled with anxiety, doubt, and the most unimaginable fear. She wanted to dispute Ronal's words; wanting to refuse and say she did not feel the same, no matter how painful it would be to lie. In her head, Kayla knew it would be for the best. She couldn't be involved with them-- involved in their beautiful lives and slice of paradise, no matter how badly she wanted to.

She wished she could bolt, but realized that these clan leaders were smart, purposely keeping her hostage under their undivided attention to her hair braids and beads, trapping her here underneath their eyes and their words.

"You must have noticed our attempt to court you," Tonowari stated with a knowing expression.

She thinly smiled before it quickly faded, as well as her eagerness to refuse them, "I have, but... I didn't want to assume. You told me to not come off as useless when we first met, so I just... I've just been trying my best to help you both out any way I can so that I'm doing my part for the village. I guess I assumed that you've had me helping you so you could keep an eye on me. "

Tonowari winced, regretting the words he spoke when they first met, knowing that it likely played into why Kayla wasn't as open to his and Ronal's courting, "You are vital to our village now, Makayla. You help this clan flourish and thrive through your kindness and determination. These are traits we admire about you, and it's why we always seek out your company. Not because we think you are useless and need a helping hand." 

"But... I am not Metkayina. I am not even Omatikaya. You can deny it all you want, but I'm still one of the Sky People, a dreamwalker," she scoffs with a small look of disdain as she stares off to the side, "No one in their right mind would want to start a family with a demon."

Tonowari tilts his head, "Are you saying Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite is not of sound mind?"

"That's different," Kayla waves him off, "Jake is different. Jake fully completed his Iknimaya. He passed through the Eye of Eywa and returned, born again in his Na'vi body. He... He can't even be considered a dreamwalker anymore. He buried his demon body a long time ago. I'm not like Jake. I'm still tied to my demon form and my old way of life, a life I don't plan on trying to forget as easily as my brother. My people hate your people."

She then looks back over her shoulder at Ronal, "Up until recently, you hated my people."

"I still do," Ronal corrects, immediately softening her words when she notices shame flash over Kayla's eyes, "But I don't look at you and see the Sky People. I look at you and see Makayla te Suli tsmuke te Toruk Makto. You fought beside us to protect our children. You saved my life. You learned our ways. Your nephew lies with our ancestors. In the Eye of Eywa, you are now Her daughter, even if you still walk Her breast in a demon body."

Kayla's denial was stubborn and eager as she vehemently shook her head with defiance, "My demon body is why you shouldn't choose me as your mate, among so many other things. Unless you're ready to understand my way of life, I don't want to burden you with it. Try to remember that I can't always be here. I'll have to leave sometimes, and it could be weeks on end. It would be difficult being with me." 

Her head movement stops the moment a hand the size of her skull gently rises and slips into place, resting on the side of her head. Kayla's eyes widened as Tonowari softly moved her head so that her gaze landed on his, silencing all of her rambling thoughts as she got lost in the blue oceans of his eyes. While he wasn't smiling, he was being genuine, showing his sincerity by speaking as clearly as he possibly could, his booming voice rattling in her head, "The best things in life are usually difficult, but that's why they are so rewarding."

Both of Ronal's hands move to rest on both of Kayla's shoulders now that the avatar's breath is taken away, unable to respond, "If you do not wish for us to pursue you, just say the word, and we'll stop."

That was surprising to Kayla and it got her voice to return, ears moving in all directions out of shock, "Really?"

"Yes," Tonowari assured with a stiff nod, "We would never force you to mate with us, knowing that once you do, it would be for life. But do not try to stop us if you're worried that we would only See a part of you, not all of you. We want to know you better, to understand the world you come from and how you came to be the woman you are today. We have discussed this in detail, and we agree that you are worth many obstacles that will no doubt be in our way."

At the mention of obstacles, a thought crossed her mind, "And that includes Spider, right?"

"Of course it does." He says this confidently, without hesitation.

"Does it?" Her own doubt is replaced with a small barrier of protection, eager to shield the child in her care as she finds herself sternly looking between the two clan leaders, "Because I don't want you to pretend and treat him normally if all you're going to see is a demon child. If you only pretend to See him just to be with me, then I can't accept this. He's my responsibility, and I intend on always putting the kid first from now on."

"We know..." Kayla's spine stiffened, not because of Ronal's words, but because of the tsahik's hand slowly running a soft, barely-there line down her back with the very tips of her fingers, "And we admire you for that. We want Spider in our lives as well."

Tonowari nods in agreement, "The boy is loyal to those who choose to love him and not to those who are simply related to him. He earns his respect and his place here in our village. He is also a child who deserves a family to properly care for him. The Na'vi don't believe in letting children fend for themselves. Even when they have no one left to care for them, the village as a whole makes sure that the child grows up loved. Spider should have been properly adopted by members of the Omatikaya clan ages ago."

"No kidding," Kayla muttered under her breath, a pang of anger beating in her chest, directed at everyone who wronged such a spirited, kind child. 

But just like that, those thoughts went away, expunged from her mind at the faint touch of Ronal's hand moving down Kayla's arm. Kayla's fingers twitched with anticipation, but she didn't dare move even as Ronal's fingers slowly entwined with hers. Ronal's fingers move with precision and determination, hooking her smallest finger with Kayla's pinky, the strange extra finger that once disgusted her. Kayla tried to stay perfectly still while the tsahik's voice was still rough in her ear, "If you feel the same for us as we do for you, then say you will perform tsaheylu with us instead of trying to spare us from something you think is not worth fighting for. If you want to say no, then do so for the right reasons."

Kayla sucks in a sharp breath of air before shakily exhaling it out, trying to calm her racing heart. While their reassurances were nice to hear, there was still a sliver of doubt wedged in the back of her mind, smaller than before but still loud, not wanting to be ignored. It reminded her of all her insecurities and hardships that she still needed to work through, and despite Ronal and Tonowari's words, her doubt tried to beat her down and say that they would never be with her every step of the way. Deep down, she will never be one of them, so even if they stayed by her side... it won't be for long because, in the end, everyone always leaves her. 

At the same time, her heart was screaming at her to say yes; to agree to everything they were saying because it's obviously all that she wants and more. A family. She never thought she'd gain such a thing by agreeing to learn the ways of the Na'vi. Then again... she didn't think she'd gain anything when she started learning the ways of the Na'vi, and yet here she was, owing it all to her new way of life for what the Metkayina clan leaders were offering her. 

In the end, the Na'vi are precisely why she gave her answer as she took a deep breath, "I feel the same. I do. I feel the same for both of you... but I'm not ready. I want to do this right. I want to take this slow. I know I'm asking a lot... with the war coming and your baby on the way. But I want to officially become true Na'vi before anything else. I still haven't completed my Iknimaya. Every person is born twice, right? I have yet to be born a second time; to earn my place among the People forever. Tradition states that only then will I be able to choose a mate, right? You want to learn my ways, but I also want to learn yours. I want to do this right. Let me do this right." 

They sat and listened to her, and in the end, wide smiles graced both of their faces. Neither of them appeared disappointed by Kayla's answer. In fact, they almost looked proud of her decision, the expressions on both of their faces would've easily made her knees weak had she been standing.

Ronal's hand squeezes hers, "We accept your terms, Makayla."

"Nothing would make us happier," Tonowari's hand moves, Kayla's ear flicking in the direction of the hand in question but otherwise doesn't acknowledge it. His hand slides off the side of her face, and while her skin now feels cool from where he once was, his fingers trail down the side of her neck and down her shoulder before gently grasping her arm, where his palm immediately warms up her skin once more. Kayla watched his face carefully, noting the way his eyes seemed to scan over her figure, causing a pleasant shiver to run up her spine, her heart giving no indication of slowing down. Finally, Tonowari's deep ocean eyes find her honey-colored ones, and she felt as though she was being sucked into the void as those same eyes started to inch closer and closer.

"May I?"

The breath he lets out with his question brushes over Kayla's chin, her mouth parting slightly as she tries to gain more air to slow her heart rate down. She didn't mean for her eyelashes to flutter, but she definitely caught Tonowari shamelessly watching the act and decided she wasn't ashamed either. She nods once, unable to form a word as he leans closer until she knows that the air she's breathing is his as well. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Her left ear twitched when Tonowari leaned into the side of her face with his, gently rubbing them together as he loudly inhaled a slow, long strain of air through his nose. Kayla opened her eyes, frowning out of curiosity. At first, she thought he was leaning in to kiss her, but it wasn't until Ronal had moved her newly braided hair off her shoulder and started to do the same to the right side of her face that something in her brain finally clicked. 

Her nose was bombarded with a mixture of smells now beginning to seep into her skin-- their scents, blended together and with hers, as the way it should be. Kayla felt dizzy, as though their scenting had some sort of drugging effect, but in a desirable way that made her feel high, proud to be branded by these two beautiful Na'vi.

She almost lost her resolve then and there, wanting to forget what she said about waiting, but she managed to push through. Always resilient, but no longer when it came to her future mated pair.

A/N:

Jake: Don't judge my parenting until you become a parent yourself.

Kayla, about to adopt Spider, Ao'nung, Tsireya, and their unborn sibling: 'Aight. Bet.

[sophie-frm-mars]

I'm not sure how much people are talking about Aaron Bushnell having engaged with online leftist media, but the records show that they were a viewer of a bunch of different twitch streams, including mine, and subscribed to a bunch of patreons, including mine. I'm not going to inflate my importance here, the livestream link was sent directly to Talia Jane and Anark, so those are probably the voices Bushnell felt the most connected to and followed the most directly, like idk if they also subscribed to someone's patreon after watching a video abt Cars 2 or whatever, I'm not trying to examine whether social media drove the self immolation because I think that's disrespectful to the memory of someone who literally died screaming Free Palestine. I don't personally know of any leftist creators who directly advocate political suicide, and I know that we all share in the political understanding that underscored Bushnell's decision.

I've already made a point of telling my patreon server that my politics are about growing into each other and supporting one another and that if anyone asked me if I thought they should do what Bushnell did I would say no absolutely not.

I'm ruminating a bit on the nature and meaning of the protest, because a lot of people are engaging with the image of a man in fatigues on fire, standing proud and declaring "FREE PALESTINE", while I've seen others talking about the fact Bushnell's username on several platforms was LillyAnarKitty, mourning the loss of a potential trans sister, talking in depressive terms about the act of suicide, to which I think the people who are engaging in the more macho interpretation of the protest are saying "no it was cool and masculine, it wasn't suicide in the conventional sense it was about principle!" I think there's room for plenty of both. For the record LillyAnarKitty used he and she pronouns in discord servers.

Andreas Malm's approach to self-sacrifice and self-endangerment is that we as subjects of the imperial core are in a sense, precious. Valuable. We are supposedly what it is all for. The imperialist project must be doing it for the citizens of the imperialist nations because if it isn't, then it has to nakedly admit that it is doing it all for the intense power and wealth consolidation of a tiny tiny number of soulless ghouls. Therefore when we put ourselves in harm's way in a way that says you would have to destroy me to get to the thing I care about, we leverage the implicit value of ourselves for our principles. A planned protest by Palestine Action against the London Stock Exchange was allegedly going to involve locking the actionists' necks onto the mechanism of the door into the LSE making it impossible to enter or leave without probably killing them, for example. I think that Bushnell's self immolation sits on a sort of dissonance, my life is precious and my life is worthless. My life is precious and so you should care about the obvious tragedy that I am enacting and my life is worthless if thousands upon thousands of Palestinians are killed as part of the project that enables the life that I lead.

There is also the way that people have debated the meaning of "complicit in genocide" - Bushnell worked in USAF Intelligence and the US has active troops in Palestine, it's possible that they were already culpable in an unknowable number of deaths without having set foot there.

In one sense it's a little pointless to debate the fine details of the meaning of Bushnell's protest in the same way that it's pointless to pick over any feelings of responsibility that I and I know other people that we know they watched are feeling. When I first saw the video I was struck by the language, by their concise and astute analysis and I knew, without knowing just how closely that they were plugged into the same intellectual and political milieu as us. In that same sense I think that they already described what they did the best that any of us are going to be able to:

“My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”

“I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”

"Free Palestine."

[emice375]

Education as a tool of cultural genocide

The U.S. government's education policy towards Indians has long been not aimed at promoting their cultural inheritance and development, but as a means of systematic assimilation and cultural genocide. From the compulsory boarding schools in the 19th century to the unfair distribution of educational resources that still exists today, the language, religion, and traditional knowledge system of Indians have been marginalized or even deliberately erased in the mainstream education system.I. Historical background: forced assimilation and cultural cleansing1. Indian boarding school system (19th century to mid-20th century)The U.S. government passed policies such as the Indian Civilization Fund Act (1819) and the Dawes Act (1887) to force the implementation of the boarding school system, with the core goal of "Kill the Indian, Save the Man".Forced cultural deprivation: Children were forcibly taken away from their families, prohibited from using their native language, wearing traditional costumes, and performing tribal rituals.Physical and mental abuse: A large number of students were beaten, sexually assaulted, forced to work, and even died from disease and malnutrition (it is estimated that tens of thousands of children died in boarding schools).Cultural fault: causing a generation to lose the ability to pass on language, religion and traditional knowledge.2. The "Termination Policy" and forced urbanization in the 20th centuryIn the 1950s, the US government implemented the "Termination Policy", abolished tribal sovereignty, forced Indians to move to cities, and further severed their ties with traditional culture and education.Closed reservation schools and forced Indian children to enter public schools, but the curriculum completely ignored their history and culture.Accelerated language disappearance: In the 1960s, more than half of the approximately 300 Indian languages ​​were on the verge of extinction.2. Structural discrimination in the current education systemAlthough the United States has legally recognized the right of tribal self-determination (such as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 1975), Indian cultural education still faces systematic neglect.1. Severe lack of educational resourcesFunding shortage: The federal government has long been insufficient in funding for tribal schools, and many reservation schools have dilapidated facilities and a shortage of teachers.Curriculum white-centered: Public school textbooks rarely cover Indian history, or only narrate it from the perspective of the colonizer (such as the "Thanksgiving Myth").Lack of language education: Although the Native American Languages ​​Act (1990) recognizes the need to protect Indian languages, there is little actual support, and only a few schools provide bilingual education.2. Marginalization of higher educationTribal colleges (TCUs) lack funding: Most of the 37 tribal colleges in the United States rely on unstable federal grants and cannot provide sufficient scholarships or research support.The academic system excludes traditional knowledge: Mainstream universities rarely set up Indian research projects, and often regard tribal wisdom as "non-scientific."III. Social consequences of lack of cultural education1. Cultural identity crisisThe alienation of the younger generation from tribal languages ​​and traditions leads to identity confusion.The suicide rate, alcoholism rate, and depression rate are much higher than the national average (CDC data: the suicide rate of Indian teenagers is 2.5 times the national average).2. Economic and political marginalizationUnequal educational opportunities lead to employment difficulties, and the poverty rate on reservations is as high as 30% (the national average is about 11%).Lack of local cultural education has weakened tribal autonomy and caused Indian communities to continue to be voiceless in policy making.3. Cultural endangerment and knowledge lossUNESCO lists most Indian languages ​​as "critically endangered".