#Na’vi river journey

[mitzis-make-believe-band]

There is something so special about her

[forever--darling]

iknimaya | neteyam x avatar!reader

summary: half a year later and it was finally time for you to make the trip to the hallelujah mountains and claim your ikran. one step closer to completing your training, you can't help but think about the future - specifically your future with neteyam. it's hard to get anywhere though with lo'ak trying to make plans of his own.

pairings: neteyam x avatar!reader

word count: 10.9k

warnings/notes: swearing, less enemies but not quite lovers, still very slow burn, a lot more angst to come -- fair warning, lo'ak x avatar!reader (one-sided), mutual secret pining, ikran flying, fluff

series masterlist | one of us: part four | requests are currently open for now

When a person becomes one of the people, or in other words, when they are born twice, the clan puts on a ceremony for them. It consists of dancing, feasting, and telling stories to one another — it’s all about connection. A connection between the people, their culture, and the new person who has become one of them. Kiri had been telling you about it nonstop, trying to install some confidence in you.

You would be covered in paint and stand before the clan asking them for their acceptance. The Olo’eyktan would approach you and in his eyes from Eywa, you would either be accepted or denied. If he accepts you, he will place his hands upon your shoulders, above your heart, and in turn, the rest of the clan would follow until they form a large circle around you. Interconnected as one, before Ewya. It’s there where you’d earn your place among the people, forever. 

That isn’t the final test that decides your place among the Omatikaya, but only the ceremony. The final test is the hardest thing asked of a person; a journey, filled with an act fueled by the need to prove oneself. A journey into the Hallelujah Mountains where the individual would walk among the floating island of banshees. The most dangerous creature to fly within the sky, aside from the great leonopteryx, the last shadow. You must look one in the eye and if it tries to kill you, it means you have been chosen as a rider.

After that, it's up to you. Live or die. Walk among the people forever or become an outsider. Stay or be exiled. It all comes down to that final test. After spending six months training, learning, and integrating your entire life onto the planet you had once only seen from a glass window, you were about to face the final test. It all came down to that moment after perfecting the language, understanding the orders of energy transfers under Eywa, practicing Tsaheylu, and consummating the skill of hunting. It all came down to sealing the bond with the second deadliest creature of the sky. 

It was the morning before you were set to make the trek toward the mountains with Neteyam, Jake, and a few other young Na’vi prospects looking to prove that they should be accepted among the clan as adults. Before the village, they were hoping to be seen and accepted by their parents and other adults alike that they were no longer incompetent children, but well-working individuals of society. You had more to prove than them and everyone knew it.

For you it was everything and that thought alone had you retreating into the forest just before sunrise, the foliage illuminating under your feet, as you found yourself among the only spot you could find peace to think. The river and the waterfall that Neteyam had shown you five months ago — the night you had called a truce to the immature behavior and sharp tension. 

From that night on, that place had become his spot and yours. Most of the time, the two of you went together at night. It was a place where you could talk, swim, and whisper to one another about the inevitable future that was approaching the both of you far too quickly. Where yours hung in the balance, unknown about what was to come, his was certain.

When you finished your training, he would be close to completing his own. If you did this, completed this, he would no longer be the Olo’eyktan in training but the future Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya. He would work alongside Jake until one day the title would be bestowed on him when needed. He would no longer be seen as a boy but a man, and with that came making his bow from what was left of the wood of Home Tree, finishing a song bead for his songchord, and having a woman chosen for him. 

Neteyam would be old enough and prove himself to have the ability to choose a woman within the village. However, where it would be any other man’s choice, you quickly realized for the future Olo’eyktan the privilege would not be the same. He would need a Tsahik to lead alongside him and his choice couldn’t withstand being wrong. The clan could suffer and Mo’at and Neytiri would work in their power to prevent that from happening.

As soon as his training was over, they would look to Eywa and choose his mate. From that moment on, they would be engaged, and as soon as he turned eighteen he was expected to consummate their marriage and their courtship. But then eighteen came and went and he had pushed it off. He had just turned nineteen and there was chatter going around, that they were already praying and looking to Eywa to guide them to an answer, and suddenly you couldn’t bear it. 

It bothered you to no end, on top of the fear of not passing your final test. The thought of Neteyam being mated with another clan woman left the worst feeling in your stomach and made you so sick, but you shoved it down deep. So deep that no one else could possibly know about how you felt.

The very feelings that started to develop the first evening you met were later masked as dislike during that first month when you refused to listen to one another. It was seen as anger and hatred but after the night when he brought you here, to the river, that feeling still remained. The rage and the resentment were gone but the feelings deep within your stomach were still there, their grip tightly wrapped around your very being. 

You knew though that once, or rather if accepted, traditionally one day you would have been able to be matched with someone. Asked by Eywa to be someone’s mate for the rest of your life but even if accepted, not all wishes and traditions are granted to dream walkers. Neytiri had expressed to you multiple times that you would still be a dream walker, a soul belonging to two bodies after the ceremony. It wouldn’t be fair to be mated with someone during the day but separate from them at night. She had lived that life once and she wouldn’t wish that upon any of the young men of their village, let alone one of her sons, who both seemed to have a strong connection with you. Mo’at agreed and therefore forbade you from being promised or even mated to a man of the village unless you became fully Na’vi. 

That wouldn’t be happening anytime soon either because the more you wished to become full Na’vi, the more you began to separate from your former life. But Mo’at forbade that too. The transfer consisted of a ritual where the consciousness of a single being was transferred from one body to another. It had only been done twice and before that, no one knew for sure. After thousands of years, some things became more and more like folk tales. Out of those two rituals, only one survived. The one was Toruk Makto, Jake Sully.

With that case in point, Mo’at didn’t believe in your odds and she hadn’t asked Eywa enough about it to grant your request. It had been days ago when you had appeared in her hut, in a state of distress. After the whispers became louder about Neteyam’s future mate and the talk about your Iknimaya seemed to circulate the village. 

It all was getting to you, not to mention the more connected you felt to this body, your avatar the body, the less you connected to your own. The original body you had spent almost ninteen prior years in, seemed to be failing you the longer you stayed in the link pod and with the Omatikaya.

The truth was your immune system was shot and somehow months ago you had contracted a virus and from there, things began to spiral. You were taking care of yourself less; by this time, you had become far too weak. Norm and Max had been trying to treat you with everything they had but with their resources limited they could only do so much. It had become worse just a few days prior when you for the first time ever delivered a successful clean kill. The testament of whether you were ready to complete the final test. 

That night you had barely made it back to your own room by yourself as you had lost probably close to twenty pounds and had no strength left in your legs. Max had advised you or rather ordered you to take a few days off away from the link pod and lay in bed. You needed to rest and both he and Norm agreed that the strain on your body from the link process wasn’t helping you in the slightest, but you refused. You were too close, after so many long months, you were so close. 

Not to mention that in this body, in this form, you couldn’t feel it — the weakness, the limitations, the way you felt yourself losing all hope of a normal life. In this body, you weren’t that and you refused to give it all up to become that version of yourself when you were this close. You suspected that Jake knew, that Norm had gotten in contact with him and told him about your human state but he hadn’t brought it up to you yet. Instead, he communicated it through lingering stares and the sudden extra attention you seemed to be getting from both his wife and his daughters. 

On this day of all days though, that couldn’t have your attention, not when you were about to partake in the most important moment of your life. Sat at the edge of the river, you stared forward at the water, your arms wrapped tightly around your legs. Your chin leaned against your knees, deep in thought about all of the worst possible scenarios that occurred if you couldn’t do this. 

You heard him before you saw him, he approached you from behind, his footsteps quiet as he stepped past low-hanging foliage like so many times before. How did you know it was him? Because it always was.

“Y/N?” The sound of your name fell from his lips like woodsprites on skin, softly, gently as if he didn’t want to scare you away. He stood behind you for a moment, staring forward matching where you were looking almost in uncertainty at your quietness. “Hey, what are you doing? You do realize we have to start making our way towards the mountains in about an hour.” 

Silence was all he got in response as you continued to look forward at the water and the ripples that formed from a fish kissing the surface. His voice broke through your fears and worries with ease but it wasn’t enough to overpower them completely. You felt him sit next to you, close enough that his leg pressed against yours. He stared at the side of your face, those gold irises of his taking in every part of it and analyzing every one of your emotions. You felt his fingers brush against your skin as his hand delicately clasped around your forearm. 

As if broken from your spell, you turned towards him, eyes swimming with every doubt in your body, “What if I can’t do this, Neteyam?” 

“What?” his brows furrowed “How could you ask that?” 

“What if I can’t claim an Ikran? Is that it? I just don’t become one of the people and then your parents exile me? I once again am nothing but an outsider? I don’t think I can do that. A life where I am not here every day in the village, or running through the forest. I don’t think I could stand it.” 

He pulled you closer to him, a light chuckle falling from his lips, “Y/N. Woah, slow down.” 

“And not being able to see everyone; your sisters, or Lo’ak, or Jake. I mean I don’t think I could ever live with never seeing any of them again. Not seeing you again…”  

His hand tightened as if your words registered in his ears, the possibility of that flashing through his mind. He shook his head and focused instead on your widened eyes and how they refused to look away from him. “That won’t happen. You have this. We have trained for months and I know that—” 

“But what if—” 

“No, but anything, because you have this,” he said, tone solid, not bothering to let you finish your previous thought. A smile broke out across his lips then, “I thought you were tougher than this, Y/L/N.”

Usually, you would defy him, and argue with him but not like the two of you once did. Now those disagreements seemed to always be interlaced with teasing tones and sly smiles. You usually gave him a look filled with smugness just asking for him to try and regain control over you. This look on your face though didn’t appear anything like that though. Instead, you were deflated and falling apart at the seams. 

“Me too,” you agreed.

“Y/N—” he started but his voice died quickly as you spoke again. 

“If I do this, do you think the people will accept me?”

There was no hesitation on his part, “Of course, they will. Why would you ask me that?” 

You looked away from him, pulling your arm away and scooting closer toward the edge of the river, disconnecting from him completely. He felt the warmth from his side disappear altogether as he watched you dip your legs into the water, your head hung low staring at your reflection. 

“Pivlltxe’u (speak up)!” his voice was commanding of you then while he watched as you lifted your hands to look down at them. 

“I can hear them, you know. After all this time the whispers still follow me around. My alien blood. That I am in a false body. That I am nothing like you but still in every way like them — the enemies, the sky people,” you admitted with a furrow in your brows. 

Neteyam wasn’t quite sure what to say as even after the countless amount of nights the two of you had spent in that exact spot, you had never talked about something so serious. Something that was your past life, who you were, or what would be expected of you after this. Most of the time, you talked about him, and his future rather than your own. 

“My father was like you.” 

You laughed dryly, your hands dropping in your lap as your head lulled back slightly, “Jake Sully was not like me.” 

“Except that he was,” Neteyam argued, glancing down at his own hands. His four-fingered hands didn’t resemble his father’s or his two siblings but something that still was deeply a part of his family. 

“No,” you said, the harshness evident in your voice as your ears flattened back and your gaze fell back to your ten fingers, “Jake Sully was Toruk Makto. He led the clan to victory against the sky people. The very people who killed hundreds of innocent Omatikaya and refuse to leave this place in peace. He is not one of them.” 

“And neither are you.” 

He slid closer to you so that you could feel his warmth across your back and side. His chest pressed against your shoulder as he reached forward, his hand ghosting under yours. He took it and held it within his, the back of your hand pressed against his palm. 

“You know what I see when I look at these hands?” he asked, voice soft, eyes locked on the side of your face, “It’s not the sky people or aliens in false bodies as everyone else calls them. No, I see my dad coming here and falling in love with my mom. I see him becoming one of the people, leading them to victory, and being appointed Olo’eyktan. I see my sister being born and then my brother.” 

His breath slid across the side of your face, and you turned to look at him. The warmth of it then spread to your lips as he sat so close, stare already locked onto your own. Those gold eyes filled with specs of yellow and green haunted you at night every time you fell asleep; this was the first time you witnessed them so up close and personal in months. His gaze flickered down to your parted lips before darting back up to your eyes. You then felt his fingers curl around the back of your hand, slotting in between yours and intertwining them together. 

You looked down at them and that warm feeling inside of you began to spread, like wildfire all throughout your entire body. He smiled as he continued, “When I look at these hands, I see you.” 

Your own breath hitched in your throat and your eyes snapped back up to his, unsure if he really said those three words to you. Words you had been trying to earn from him for months. Though often used as a greeting, to some it meant so much more. It was said out of respect and in rare cases out of love. 

“You can do this,” he said and you swore your heart stopped then and there.

You felt as if any words got stripped from your tongue and yanked back into your throat. You could only stare at him in disbelief taking note of the kindness in his eyes and how gentle his voice was. Five months ago things were so different, the way he looked at you was so different. Even if he still lectured you once in a while or hated how you sometimes did run off with Lo’ak, he was different. Ever since that night in the very same spot where he apologized and opened up himself to you, he wasn’t the same Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan. From then on it was like he promised himself and his people that he wouldn’t be that person again. It started with you. 

His hand tightened around yours, but before you could say anything else, the sound of footsteps and brush being pulled aside was heard. Your eyes broke away from Neteyam’s and he followed where your attention had drifted to.

Lo’ak stood just a few feet away, frozen at the sight of his brother’s hand tightly clasped around yours. When he noticed how close the two of you were sitting his hands tightened at his sides and his eyebrows raised almost in shock. You noticed the way a lump formed in his throat as his gold eyes, appearing so much like Neteyam’s, locked onto his older brother. 

It was almost as if they were having a silent conversation through their matched stares and rigid statues. Lo’ak shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he hadn’t seen the two of you like this. He thought he had known how the two of you felt about one another. His brother hated you and you couldn’t stand the attitude you got from the oldest Sully. You two never acted like this, let alone felt any certain way to justify why you sat so close, holding hands.

Suddenly, it felt like so much more than two people casually comforting one another. Because you and Neteyam were at each other’s throats for months, even if things weren’t entirely the same, the two of you never publicly acknowledged one another outside of lessons. Lo’ak wondered if it had all gone over his head. Were their stolen glances? Light touches anytime you walked by one another in the village? At night would Neteyam sneak out of their tent just to come to find you? 

He was overthinking it, evident in how his eyes flickered from you to his older brother and then down to your joined hands. But how could he not when he felt like he was getting slapped across the face?

Neteyam able to read his brother’s expression sighed and released your hand from his — almost as if it was the easiest thing in the world, almost like he needed to. You scooted back from him, putting more distance between the two of you as Lo’ak’s eyes zoned in on you, lips still parted in shock. 

“Uh what is going on? You two are friends now?” his voice was spiteful and you couldn’t help but let your mouth part in shock.

Neteyam’s eyebrows knitted together and he suddenly became annoyed with his brother’s attitude, “Lo’ak, don’t!” 

“What, I was just asking,” he rolled his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Dad says they’re ready. We should get going.” 

You felt yourself inhale, your breath hitching as Lo’ak nodded his head in the direction of the village, refusing to make eye contact with his older brother. You looked over at Neteyam despite Lo’ak’s glare on your back, needing his reassurance one last time. He nodded at you approvingly, another reminder that you had this. His words ring in your ears and it was like suddenly his opinion was the only one that mattered. That whatever happened, what he thought about you was all that mattered. 

Standing up, you approached Lo’ak as every moment of training seemed to flash before your eyes from beginning to end. It all led to this moment. Win or lose? That was up to you. He watched his brother stand too to follow the two of you as he wrapped his hand gently around your elbow.

You didn’t even question the touch from Lo’ak as over the course of the last six months he usually found some way to be touching you. Whether it was his palm on your lower back, legs brushing against one another during dinner, or his fingers trailing across the back of your hand while standing next to one another.

His physical touch had increased since you had gotten your avatar, but his flirting still remained the same. He was still the same Lo’ak you had met when you were a child and though Kiri had a lot to say about it, you constantly reminded her that things had not changed for either of you — especially for you. 

The two of you walked alongside one another with Neteyam trailing back just enough to hear your conversation but not enough to be right on your heels. Something else that had lessened too, his need to hover over you and Lo’ak. With you spending so much more time with Neteyam, there was less time to be with his siblings so when Lo’ak did manage to swoop you away or convince you to sneak off somewhere, Neteyam turned a blind eye to it.

A part of you ignored the way your stomach dropped every time he let you go even when Lo’ak was asking you to leave early during a lesson. Neteyam would stare over at his brother and simply shrug and then just like that, you were being swept away in the opposite direction. 

“You ready?” Lo’ak asked, his hand slipping down from your elbow to his side, but still close enough where you could feel his pinky bumping into yours. 

It was something that had surely caught Neteyam’s eye. The way Lo’ak’s hand so clearly matched yours and even with the two of you walking side by side, he knew that your hand fit perfectly into his younger brother’s — five fingers and all. Just as he had noticed the certain way his younger brother had been looking at you lately as well as constantly trying to get your attention.

It plagued Neteyam with the worst feeling he had yet to encounter, one that stuck to him worse than the rage he had once pushed down so far. The frustration he once held for you didn’t match the way he felt now watching the two of you interact. A green monster their father had called it when he told his sons about it a few years ago — jealousy. It was a feeling that masked all others and slowly drove you mad if you let it. 

“Yeah, I think so,” you replied softly, unable to look away from the forest before you as if you were taking it all in, in case it would be the last time. 

“You think?” Lo’ak raised a single brow, “Please tell me you are more sure than that.” 

Neteyam had heard the accusatory tone in his younger brother’s voice and he felt like scolding him for it as he noticed the way your ears twitched uneasily. What you needed right now was someone to reassure you not question you. 

“I am…” your voice trailed off, your hand pulling away from where it hung by your side next to Lo’ak’s. 

“Hey,” Lo’ak stopped, his hand grabbing your shoulder This made Neteyam pause too, a couple of feet behind the two of you. You glanced up at Lo’ak, hesitantly, gaze glancing from him and where the village sat just behind the tree line.  

Lo’ak squeezed your shoulder in his, a smile forming across his lips, “You’re going to be fine.” 

You nodded, but you seemed even less convinced now than you had been moments ago near the river, hand locked within Neteyam’s grasp. The older Sully boy cursed under his breath at his brother’s obliviousness, not able to read your feelings as easily as he could. He felt his whole body stiffen worse as he watched Lo’ak’s hand drift to your lower back and continue to guide you towards the village where their father was waiting with the other initiates. 

“My dad and Neteyam will be with you the whole time and lead you up the mountain, okay? Then I’ll meet you up there as soon as I can,” Lo’ak explained even though you hadn’t asked, already aware of how the process would go from Neteyam explaining it thoroughly the night before. 

“You’re not going with?” you asked, cautiously. 

Lo’ak smiled at the question as the three of you broke through the brush and back into the village, “I have to do some things for my mom but I’ll fly to you when I am done. I’ll be there by the time you guys reach the top.” 

You barely made a sound at his words, just continuing to walk through the village as a clear spectacle for everyone to look at. A show for them to whisper about and place bets on if you would manage to pass the final test or not. Their whispers were low and you folded into yourself as you observed the children pointing and the mumbling of the adults.

Lo’ak hadn’t spared a glance in your direction, but your frame relaxed briefly at the feeling of another person on your other side. It was Neteyam. He noticed the shift in your body language faster than anyone else. The way he walked overshadowed your figure slightly from others as if part of him wanted to protect you from everyone else and their loud mouths. 

He as well as anyone else couldn’t deny how this day had proven to be a huge deal not just for every other Na’vi attempting it but because there was a dream walker among them attempting it too. It had been nearly nineteen years since the last dream walker climbed the Hallelujah Mountains and claimed his Ikran. The legend of Jake Sully was still talked about fondly by adults to their children as he was the first sky person to ever attempt it. As he went on to become Toruk Makto, those who had been too young to witness any of it at the time found their eyes forever focused on you — the next dream walker. The next sky person to try and live among them. 

Neteyam could see it on all of their faces; the excitement, the curiosity that came when they saw you. Sure there were other young Omatikaya hoping to claim their Iknimaya but all eyes were on you. Especially considering it wasn’t just a test for you, but a test for the man who had taught you everything you knew. It was a testament to the future Olo’eyktan and if he had the capability to lead his people. Evident in the way all of the gold eyes would drift from you to him and how close he was walking next to you. 

Now add in the fact that you were walking in between both of Toruk Makto’s sons, that sure also had an effect on people, noticeable in the way they would lower their hands to whisper to one another. He heard his name float in around his ears, accompanied by his younger brother’s. It was like adding that into consideration, you were shrinking further into his side.

As you approached the small group of young hunters just at the edge of the forest, you all found Jake standing proudly, speaking to all of them. Suddenly then as you stood just a few feet away, Lo’ak turned to you, his hand drifting down to yours. He squeezed it and wished you luck before he slipped away in the opposite direction towards his family’s tent. 

Jake turned on his heels to see you standing there with his oldest son and he had to withhold the smile that was threatening to form on his face; one of pride almost even though you hadn’t done anything to have earned it. His eyes flickered to Neteyam and then back to you as the other four hunters, all many years younger than you, stared at you in wonder. 

“You ready?” he asked, the same exact words Lo’ak had said only moments before and it brought on another wave of anxiety into your stomach. 

You opened your mouth, lips parted slightly as if you were going to respond but no words emerged as you could feel all of their eyes burning holes into you. Neteyam’s gold eyes looked from his father to you but noticing your expression, he leaned closer to you, his hand ghosting over your back as he caught Jake’s gaze. 

“She’s ready,” he said, without a question as his hand dropped from where it had hung in the air just over your shoulder blades. The warmth of it still ghosted across your skin though he hadn’t actually touched you.

Your fingers were digging into the ground above you, upper arms aching as you hung over the side of the mountain, feet barely hanging onto the side. Short of breath, you attempted to pull yourself up but grunted out of distress as your arms seemed to pop and ache at the attempt. You had felt weaker lately and you had a horrible suspicion why. Cursing under your breath, you glanced to your side, watching as each young hunter easily pulled themselves up. The nerves in your stomach increased again though Neteyam had spent the whole ride over on his direhorse, at your side sneaking you reassuring looks. It was like every few moments, his gold irises would drift back to you almost as if something about you guided him back. 

You had thought no one would have noticed the small interaction but it was clear Jake Sully, and Toruk Makto had. He had been stealing his own glances in your direction having once been in your position and he was not surprised to find you riding in silence, chewing a hole into the bottom of your lip. His look was just as protective as his son’s and the pressure of their lingering gazes felt heavy on your chest.

Not to mention, every time the Olo’eyktan looked over his shoulder, he found his son already looking at you. The corner of Jake’s mouth lifted curiously as he watched the interaction between the two of you. The stolen glances how you would nod over to the older boy to assure him that you were alright. It had completely shifted, almost like a 180 from how the two of you interacted five months prior. 

Just as you were about to try and swing your body up for the third time, a hand extended out to you. Neteyam stood on the edge, leaning forward, his arm out as any strong protector would. Jake watched closely as you shook your head at his son, eyes threatening him to back up and let you do this on your own. Neteyam sighed but took two steps back giving you a little more space. 

The ache at this point was barely tolerable as you felt the rock scratching into your knees and your side. Sucking in a deep breath, you tightened your core and pulled yourself up. Arms bent at a ninety-degree angle, you swung one leg up and stood up with ease, slightly out of breath. Jake nodded approvingly and Neteyam held his hands up in defeat. You had this. 

You followed the group across the floating mountain until you came across a waterfall, a small path hidden behind it that would lead to the other side. To the other side where all the Ikrans were, evident by the sounds of their flapping wings, and screeches. It made your ears twitch hesitantly as beads of sweat formed along your hairline.

You walked closely behind Jake, his tail flicking your leg as Neteyam stood behind you, his hand wrapping around your side to press along your hip as if to keep you from getting too close to the edge. You felt your breath hitch at the action but didn’t react to him, too nervous at the sight of the waterfall opening. Jake stopped right near the edge, looking over his shoulder to where you stood behind him 

“Y/N, you okay going first?” he asked, cautiously, lowering his voice as he reached out to take your shoulder in his hand. 

You nodded, but that didn’t feel like enough as you glanced past him to the crowd of creatures stalking around. All creatures with razor-sharp teeth and large claws. As your eyes met his again, there was a different look about you, “Yes.” 

He smiled, squeezing your shoulder. You felt Neteyam lean closer from behind you, his chest meeting your back as his hand shifted upwards from your hip to your chest, his fingers pressed along your collarbone. His mouth opened softly to speak but they closed at the sound of a screech from behind you all on the other side of the waterfall. All heads turned and within seconds, another person emerged. Lo’ak appeared, his riding headpiece pulled down across his forehead, eyes finding yours immediately. 

A grin occupied his face, “Hey, I told you I’d make it.” 

As he looked past you though, he found his father giving him an unimpressed look, eyes settled into a blank look. He clicked his tongue back as if telling his younger son not to interfere as nine out of the ten times he would probably do something to cost this for you.

Lo’ak held his hands up defensively as he wedged his way between the other hunters and his brother, “Got it. I’ll be good.” 

Sighing, you shifted your gaze back to Neteyam as his breath fanned across your face, “You can do this, okay? This you must feel inside. If it chooses you, move quickly just like we’ve practiced. You will have one chance.” 

His words absorbed into you, your attention shifting from him back to the mountain ledge before you. You scanned the area, the banshees' colors reverberating off your eyes, like a reflection upon glass. You took one last deep breath, puffing your chest out as you stepped by Jake out from behind the waterfall. Confidence filled your statue as the Toruk Makto called your name. 

Jake’s stare matched yours, flooded with determination interlaced with assurance, “Trust your instincts and trust your reflexes. Let your mind go blank and listen to your strong heart.” 

You smiled for a moment before it fell away, a tight line taking its place. With your rope in hand, you unraveled it, able to hear the shuffling of the group of people stepping out from behind the waterfall. All were eager to watch the prospect, the dream walker, the sky person take on their Iknimaya. With the rope interlaced between your fingers, you swung it around as you stalked forward, slowly, the edges of the rocks digging into the bottoms of your feet. 

Jake and Neteyam followed slowly as you stepped forward, eyes meeting each banshee you passed. A few flew off the large rock and with each one that disappeared from view, you felt the base of your stomach form into knots. The groups began to lessen as you moved forward near the edge of the mountain, saliva settling into the back of your throat.

None had shown an interest in killing you. None had shown an interest in your gold stare and sharp fangs. Not a single one could look you in the eye and bare its teeth. It was as if they could smell your alien blood, and see you as an unworthy rider, nothing like one of the Omatikaya. Your heart clenched as you slowly approached a third group of Ikrans. A bead of sweat slipped down from your forehead as you met all of their eyes, a small noise erupting from your throat resembling a yell. 

Three of them flew off, their tails practically stuck in between their legs. Your anxiety spiked again until you found one Ikran still standing in front of you, its head turning towards you as it noticed you out of the corner of its eye. Its large yellow eyes zoned in on your predatory stance. You felt your ears flatten for a moment as you took in the creature. The large creature seemed to have the widest wingspan you had yet to have seen on an Ikran. Its skin was dark blue, so dark, it was almost black, resembling the night sky with bright purple and neon green markings. 

“Shit,” you could hear Lo’ak from a few feet behind you as everyone else took in the Ikran’s large fangs and sharp talons. 

You stood there, eyes widening in shock, tail flicking wildly behind you as the sound filtered over to you of someone smacking Lo’ak across the head. It was Neteyam no doubt. Shuffling awkwardly on your heels, you swung the rope around in your hand as the creature’s claws scratched at the ground beneath it. Its jaws were razor sharp and you felt something spark in you as it leaned its head back and opened its mouth wide revealing them. The hiss that erupted in your ears snapped you out of your daze and you watched as it stood up on its hind legs, snarling nonstop. 

Tilting your head to the side, you felt all doubt, all fear be ripped free from your body. All that was left in its place was confidence in the form of adrenaline coursing through your veins. A small smirk formed across your face and Neteyam watched swelling with both pride and admiration, his eyes flicking back and forth from you to the beast before you. As the Ikran let out another loud screech, your ears flattened across your head, nose wrinkling as you revealed your fangs and hissed — a challenge you were displaying to the Ikran. 

“You gotta move, Y/N,” Jake said, lowly under his breath, but you heard it, as your entire body broke free from the hold the Ikran’s gaze had on it. 

“Let’s do this,” you mumbled, swinging the rope around in your hand as you stepped forward toward the Ikran. 

Just as you took another step forward, the creature jumped forward, its mouth opening revealing its teeth again. It chomped trying to get a hold of you but your reflexes were too fast. You dodged it by leaping to the side and swinging the rope over the Ikran’s snout. It yelled, the scream high pitched, as the rope wrapped completely around its jaw locking it shut. You swung a leg over the creature, wrapping yourself around its neck. Arms locked around its head you struggled as the Ikran began to panic. 

It stood upon its hind legs, wings flapping rapidly as its head thrashed back against you. Your grip kept slipping from around the Ikran, leaving strings of noises to slip from your mouth as it flapped around obnoxiously. Neteyam moved closer but still kept a reasonable distance between you and the beast. He hissed under his breath as he felt your window closing.

“Make the bond!” he yelled. 

With one arm banded across the Ikran’s snout, you groaned as you reached for its queue, all strength leaving your body slowly as you continued to battle the large animal. As you felt the smooth skin of the queue within your fingers, the Ikran growled and threw its head back. Connecting with your body, you felt your grip loosen from the animal and disappear completely.

A yell erupted from your throat as you bounced off the back of the Ikran and collided with the hard ground. Your side hit the harsh material with a thud and you hissed out in pain as you felt it scratch against your skin. Legs limply on the ground and chest heaving up and down, you peered up at the Ikran as it slowly turned around to face you. 

The rope was still tightly bound around its mouth but it was clear that your attempts had only pissed it off. It tried to break free from the constriction around its jaw but stopped for a moment when the cable didn’t snap. Its eyes found your frame on the ground, laying on your back, leaning upon your elbows. Body shaking, you were trying to catch your breath as the Ikran stalked forward, claws ripping holes into the ground. Remaining completely still, you peered up at it, eyes narrowed and a glare reflected across your face. This was the moment, the challenge at hand, the turning point of your entire life. 

Win or lose?

Live or die?

Lo’ak bounded forward, trying to get to you, but he was stopped by his brother throwing an arm across his chest. Neteyam’s eyes had never left you and though his heart was clenching within his chest, a greater feeling had appeared within him. One that felt as if it had been sent from Eywa. A reminder of your strength, your fierceness, and the warrior that had formed deep within your bones. A smirk formed on his face as he watched the intensity in your eyes increase. 

Your gold eyes hadn’t moved from the Ikran and as you looked deep into its black pupils, you saw your whole life flash across your eyes like a movie. Your father’s death. The great war, that convinced your mother to flee back to Earth. A newborn baby unable to travel within Cryo. A childhood stolen in replace of living in the confines of a lab. Spider’s resentment towards you. A human body you refused to accept as a reflection of who you were as a person. Arriving at the village, the constant judgments and fear sent your way from the villagers. The word alien being branded across your forehead.

It all had led to that moment and it all reflected back at you as you were able to see your reflection within the Ikran’s eyes. Smooth blue skin, gold eyes, white freckles, and a challenging curl to your lips. You, this was the real you. 

One of the people or an outsider?

Ears twitching, your stare became deadly as you pushed out another hiss from your throat, the sound igniting your whole body with all of the energy and trust you had left. Just as the Ikran bounded forward, lifting its body, claws glistening in the sunlight. You tucked and rolled to the side out of the way just as the beast slammed its feet down into the spot you initially had been.

Moving quickly, you jumped up upon a rock and leaped for the Ikran. With a huff, you grabbed onto the animal, hand locking around its queue. Your legs folded across the Ikran’s head, tucking it in closer to its body as the creature flopped down onto its side. With your shoulder digging into the ground, you yelled out in pain as you reached behind for your own queue. Tilting the Ikran’s queue upwards, you moved yours towards it and felt your whole body relax as the pink nerve endings finally connected. 

Chest still heaving up and down, your body collapsed for a moment as the Ikran’s pupils widened dilating. It convulsed again, as your hands wrapped tightly around the rope, “Stop!” 

The Ikran’s body fell limp, relaxing at your words, and within a matter of seconds, its breathing leveled out. Staring down at the creature, a smile appeared across your lips, as it stared back at you and you were able to feel the way your heartbeats moved in sync with one another. Its breath you could feel within your lungs and it relaxed under your touch.

Kneeling over the Ikran’s neck, you felt the dirt sticking to your legs as you reached for the rope locked around its jaw. It loosened and slowly the Ikran rose from the ground, stretching out its mouth. It purred underneath your palms as the Ikran slowly stood up, taking you with it. Your feet were lifted off the ground, and you settled back against the base of the creature’s back, readjusting your grip. 

Cheers were heard and as you looked up, you found the young hunters pumping their fists in the air and yelling your name. Jake was grinning from ear to ear, a look of pride swelling on his face. The same look both of his sons got when they completed their Iknimaya. Neteyam stood, shoulders pulled back, chest puffed out with the same look that his father displayed but somehow his tugged at your heart more. 

He stepped forward as if he was going to approach you, but he stopped as Lo’ak blew past him. A large smile occupied his face, but you couldn’t stop yourself from glancing over his shoulder to his brother instead.

“First flight seals the bond," Lo’ak let out a yell and in an instant, there was a flash of blue and green and his Ikran was landing right beside yours. He hopped on, connecting his queue to the animal, before flying off into the sky, “Y/N, come on.” 

You waited for a moment, stuck in a place where you weren’t sure where to go — almost as if your heart was split in half. Neteyam stood in the same spot, his eyes having never left yours and from where he stood he could practically feel the anticipation buzzing through your skin.

He wanted more than anything for it to be him — to be the one you would fly through the sky with on your first flight. After so many months of teaching you and spending endless nights under the trees by the river, he hoped it could be him. But at that moment it wasn’t; even though it was Lo’ak he couldn’t steal this experience from you. He wouldn’t, especially since he knew what it was like to be in your position. 

Even when a part of you wanted him to give you a reason to stay and wait for him and his Ikran, you also couldn’t deny how restless you felt there on that rock. He could see it on your face, clear as day, like how he had seemed to learn every other one of your mannerisms in the last half of the year. Biting onto your lower lip, you couldn’t stop the way your eyes had softened over time as you had gotten to know this young man, who somehow had snuck up behind you and stole your heart.

It was something you hadn’t fully realized until that moment when he smiled over at you, his fangs poking out just past his lips. It wasn’t until he looked up after his brother and nodded his head in the direction, clicking his tongue softly in the air as if he was giving you permission.

Curling your fingers, you brought your hand up near your forehead and extended it out towards him. I see you.

With that you called out to your Ikran, the word fly falling from the tip of your tongue. It took off into the sky, wings extended out to their full length, as it dove straight down off of the mountain. Neteyam ran forwards towards the edge and peered down into the clouds where you and your Ikran had disappeared. But then in a matter of seconds, the clouds broke apart and you appeared again. Soaring through the sky, he watched as the Ikran leveled out, the image of your last action leaving an imprint in his mind and a permanent smile on his face. 

Jake had been right once, in his video log. A direhorse was one thing but flying an Ikran, a person was made for this. You were made for this. With your feet perched along the Ikran’s sides, your hands clutched around its queues, giving quiet commands — it was as if you were at peace, completely free from the cage that your human body had turned into, free from the past that had plagued your memories, and the expectations that a dream walker held.

Feeling the wind on your face and the sun soaking into your skin, you were brought back to that first day with the avatar, when you first walked out of the lab. It felt just like this, able to take a deep breath without the need for an oxygen mask. It was a freedom and a privilege, just as this was.

As you looked around at the floating mountains, and the other banshees floating around you, you knew it then at that moment that you belonged there. You were a warrior, a rider, an Omatikaya, and in one way or another you were going to convince Mo’at of that and every other Na’vi. She was going to approve your request for the transfer ritual if it was the last thing you would ever do. 

You had heard him before you saw him. A yell and then an echo across the sky followed by a shadow above you. Looking up, you found Lo’ak smiling down at you, the same look in his eye that you knew filled yours. The look of an Omatikaya rider. He veered left and then swooped down, his Ikran bumping into yours lightly. You gasped, hands instinctively tightening around your Ikran’s queues as your balance shifted.

Looking back over to Lo’ak, you found him laughing, a devious expression the only way you could describe it on his face. Withholding your own smile, silently you advised your Ikran to lean to the right, straight into Lo’ak’s lane. Your Ikran’s wings bumped into his lightly causing him to bank off to avoid the two of you colliding. When he looked over at you, you couldn’t help but let your head lean back as your sweet laugh escaped your throat. 

You flew like that for a while, him casually bumping into you just to either get on your nerves or hear your laugh again. And somehow even though you wished Neteyam was still there to share that moment with you, you couldn’t help but indulge in the happiness you felt to be with Lo’ak — your long-time friend, the boy who had been flirting with you senselessly, but someone who would never once give up on you. He was loyal and even with your heart wishing for something else entirely, you knew it was a special moment to share with him. 

Hours had gone by and finally, as the sun began to fall from the sky, Lo’ak had gotten your attention. You thought maybe he would lead you home, back to the village, but instead, he nodded his head in another direction, back into the floating mountains. Even with your lack of direction, you knew it wasn’t the right way, but you followed him anyway. He landed on one that had seemed so random to you, but you followed, commanding your Ikran to land.

Listening, it came to a stop near his, and for a moment before you got down from the creature, you looked over to Lo’ak still sitting upon his, and the largest smile formed across your face. Giggling, you shook your head in utter disbelief at the events that had happened the last few hours that were real and now engraved within your memory and soul forever. A look of his own formed across his face as both of your laughter faded. 

He tilted his head to the side, something in his eyes completely different than anything you had seen before, a fondness of sorts, “Look at you, girl! You’re a natural already.” 

His gaze was soft, too soft, you knew that. You looked away suddenly dismounting from the Ikran, letting your queue disconnect for the first time in hours. Letting out a soft breath, Lo’ak followed suit and he approached you to find you already staring over the edge at the fast-setting sun. 

He chuckled, “This was where Neteyam and I both went when we each completed our Iknimaya. We flew for hours unable to convince one another to return home to the village. Even when he had completed his a few years before I did, he always flew like it was his first time — like we both could stay up here forever.” 

You slowly turned your head to face him, his words drawing you in. He smiled at the memory, “Then even after we had been flying for hours unend we would come here, to this spot, and watch the sunset, the evening eclipse. Shit, you should have seen how mad our mom used to get at us when we would return home after dark. It was scary, honestly.” 

“You still do that?” you asked suddenly, your own voice surprising you, “Fly together long after dark.” 

Lo’ak shook his head, his smile slipping from his face just as quickly as it had appeared, “No, at least not with Neteyam. For the last year or so, he's been too busy with training. His focus is entirely put on our father and the role of being the future Olo’eyktan. Dad has him on a tight schedule.” 

“But what about now? He is done training me. Shouldn't he have some extra time now?”

“No, because even if he won't be spending all day every day with you, he'll have other things to worry about. Olo'eyktan things with my father; raids, runs, lookouts, spotting.” 

You nodded, his words making you once again realize, that this was it. Neteyam had done his job and no longer would you be spending days with him in the forest learning the language, hunting, or about the energies of the world. No more nights sneaking off into the forest just to breathe, away from the pressures the adults presented. He had done what was asked of him — teach you the ways of the Omatikaya. 

“Yeah, I guess that would make sense,” you replied, unable to stop the ache that appeared in your chest or the need to pull on the tips of your fingers. 

He examined the expression on your face and the disappointment that seemed to flood your system. He couldn’t help his next statement from slipping out of his mouth. “Yeah, so it's a good thing my mom and grandmother are choosing his mate for him? Because I don't know if he would ever have the time to do it himself."

“Hm, the next Tsahik, right? It’s an important role and an important choice. That will be happening soon then?” 

“Yes, I think so, at least announced soon anyway. Mo'at has been looking for quite a while,” Lo’ak agreed, suddenly leaning closer to you as the thought once again plagued his mind of what he had overheard days ago. “Have you thought about it at all?” 

Your brows knitted together as his question filtered through your ears. Looking away from the eclipse, you matched his stare, a questioning look filling your eyes as an unsure chuckle rumbled within your throat, “Thought about what?” 

He was quiet then, eyes narrowing as they suddenly scanned your face, unsure if he should clarify what he had asked. Lo’ak turned to you fully, reaching out as if he was going to take your hands in his but then after a moment, they dropped back to his sides, a defeated sigh falling from his lips. 

“Are you asking me about—” 

“A mate?” he cut you off, “Yes.” 

“What?” You sputtered out, eyes widening suddenly as your stomach tightened at the sudden shift in conversation. “Lo’ak—” 

“I am asking you about whether or not you’ve thought about it,” he clarified, voice once again silencing yours as his bright eyes never seemed to leave yours, “You’re already eighteen and—” 

“Lo’ak, stop,” you said, lifting a hand and sure enough his voice fell silent with the rest of his thought driting away to the back of his mind. “You and I both know that I can’t be mated with anyone. It is wrong.” 

“But not impossible. You can. It’s just frowned upon.” 

Your mouth fell open agape, afraid of where he was going with the words he had so clearly admitted to you. The way he was looking at you as he said it left a feeling in your stomach, almost as if it was dread, twisting away at your insides.

Yes, it wasn’t impossible, but Neytiri had explicitly warned you how wrong it was and what kinds of problems it would cause. Especially, considering Mo’at had denied your request, it would be even worse if you mated with someone without any of their blessings, defying their direct set rules.

It also wasn't Lo’ak that came to mind when you put in the request. Sure a large part of you could always say you went to Mo'at for yourself, for the health you were currently lacking when you left the village at night and returned to the lab, but there was another reason — another person. It had never been and would never be Lo’ak.

“I mean it clearly has crossed your mind if you went and saw Mo’at. You asked her about the transfer ritual, right?” 

Eyes narrowing in his direction, you held your ground, body tensing as he revealed that he somehow had known. Known that you had gone to see the Tsahik and asked her about the consciousness transfer. He knew and suddenly a panic filled your body. What else could he have known? The reality is there's so much he doesn't know, so that plagued you with the question.

You shook your head, annoyance evident in your tone, “Lo’ak, how did you…” 

“I heard you,” he admitted without a moment of hesitation, “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but when I heard your voice with Mo’at I was curious. Then you mentioned the transfer ritual, and I couldn’t help myself but listen.” 

You exhaled, somewhat frustrated, a sudden notion to get back on your Ikran and escape back into the forest and to the village. Your body had already used up its stored energy for the day and you knew the night would be hell when you returned to your human body. But as annoyed as you were that he had heard the request you had put in with Mo’at, you were interested in why he had brought this up. Why he had chosen to mention it to you — let alone the part about mates?

“What are you trying to say?” 

He smirked then as if he had come up with the most brilliant plan but it only left your body feeling cold and slightly worried, “All I am trying to say is that you will become full Na’vi and that means you will be able to be chosen as someone’s mate.” 

“Lo’ak,” you warned suddenly, able to follow his thinking after having known him for so many years, “Please.” 

He ignored your quiet plea for him to be careful with his words as your eyes fluttered to a close. His hands taking a hold of your arms bought your gaze back to his. A small smile appeared on his lips, “What if we became mates? What if we chose each other?” 

A pin dropped as well as your stomach, as if you were back on your Ikran diving down within the sky, waiting for the air to shift. This didn’t feel like it was going to level out like the air or register in your ears anytime soon. You stared forward at him, scared to look away, scared to break the hope that filled his eyes. 

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I mean the idea is kind of all over the place, but think of it this way. My parents can’t choose my mate for me and you don’t have to deal with all of the assholes in the village that obviously aren’t good enough for you,” he explained, his hand drifting up to cup your face, “Plus, you want to stay, don’t you? No matter what happens you want to stay here with us, right? Like this, in this form?”

“Lo’ak.”

He was quiet for a moment, thumb softly bruising along your temple, gaze staring deep into yours. “We could be happy, Y/N. Just you and me.” 

You found yourself studying the ground, suddenly feeling sick and like a complete mess as your mind somehow wandered to the one person that seemed to never leave it. Neteyam, the future Olo’eyktan. The very man who would have his Tsahik chosen for him by Mo’at and Eywa herself. The very man who would have the perfect match — a woman who was strong, incredibly smart, and a gifted healer. A Tsahik that was selfless and would provide for her people. That wasn’t you. You knew it. Lo’ak knew it. He hadn’t brought up Neteyam again but the hesitancy in your eyes, the anxious thoughts that had slipped from your tongue, he knew was because of his older brother. His older brother who was already spoken for. 

“Lo’ak, where is this coming from?” you asked, hand reaching up to hold his wrist in your hand, a confused look on your face. 

He was hesitant to answer, seen in the way, his eyes shifted to the sky behind you. You made a displeased noise and his eyes found yours again, a smile forming because you knew him all too well after so many years.

“We have been friends for a long time now. For seven years I've always been used to it being us and Kiri and Spider. But somehow even with everyone, we found time just for us. I don’t know, I guess I just feel like I don’t see you as much as I used to.” 

“Yeah, well a couple of things are different now. Huge things,” You chuckled, hand reaching up to take his hand from your face, interlacing it in yours. 

His eyes followed your movement and stared down at your large blue hand that fit suddenly so perfectly in his compared to your human one that had always felt so awkward. He had never been great at communicating the hard stuff or admitting when something was bothering him, so you knew this was his way of saying that he missed you. With all of the sudden changes, he was struggling with accepting them. 

“I’m also not locked away in a lab anymore, I am here with you. Things are going to be different, Lo’ak but it doesn’t mean our friendship is going to change.” 

“I guess I just am not used to sharing you,” he admitted, a flush appearing on his face and it made you realize exactly who he was referring to. Neteyam. “What, outsider and outcast together, you don't want that?"

You sighed, his joke not pulling enough strings in your heart to change your initial apparent feelings. You knew what Lo'ak thought and you knew that he wasn’t going to willingly drop this without you taking the time to fully contemplate it even if his intentions weren’t romantic. You inhaled, the depth enough to reach your core, as his warmly coated stare seemed to engulf you whole.

His attempts were not poorly identified, casted by his loyalty to you but his execution was suffocating you. Where he could be a consolation prize, you be only an entrapment for him. He deserved more than you. “Lo'ak wouldn’t you want to be mates with someone that you love though? I mean do you even feel that way about me?”

He ignored your question and somehow that was an answer in itself.

“Look, I am not worried about spending the rest of my life with someone I may not feel for as my parents do with each other. Because I know this, us — we could make it work. Do you know why I am so sure about that? Because we have been friends for so long and it wouldn’t be so bad. We could take care of each other, be just as we are now, and build a future for ourselves. And if that's what settling for a life with you, looks like, then I’ll take it,” he paused, voice lowering as a smile fell across his lips, “I would rather settle for that than go along with whoever my parents choose for me. Plus I want you to stay, Y/N.” 

His words hit you like a ton of bricks and suddenly just as you thought everything had become so clear, so free from the downfalls of life, reality hit you again. It shifted and all of your problems returned led by an entirety of new ones. Because there's always a choice that has to be made; choose other people, choose to make them happy, or choose yourself even if there is no assurance that it'll all work out for you. Do you decide to take that risk?

Staring in the face of that question, it felt as if thousands of arrows were coming straight for you, its toxicity was inevitable and it would pierce into you, refusing to ever be pulled free from your skin. Yet, everything he said was so true, so undeniably true, but it all left you feeling uneasy for one reason only, one person only.

It was supposed to be a moment of relief, a moment where you were swelling with pride as you had completed Iknimaya. You were hours away from your ceremony with the people. The most important day of your entire life and one you had been thinking about for years. An accomplishment that would be encased in the back of your mind, as you were only the second dream walker to have ever done it.

It was supposed to be your moment but now because of this eclipse, this mountain, this ride — your moment would remain bittersweet, overclouded by Lo’ak’s proposal. 

[sunandsstars]

YAWNETU

CHAPTER 7

Tonowari x Ronal x Na’vi!Reader

Summary: With her arrival in Awa’atlu, reader seeks to find a sanctuary for her family, one that she may find in two particular individuals Warnings: N/A Word count: 2.2k A/N: Sorry for any wait guys! I’ve not been feeling myself lately, but doing good now! 🙈🫶🏼 Enjoy baes

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The reflection of the sun casted a nice warm glow onto the already lukewarm waters of Awa’atlu, the day was just starting and the Na’vi of the reef headed out to do their chores.

Ronal decided to oversee ___, become her teacher and show her the way of water. Of course anyone else could have done it but as a strange Omaticaya stranger who has had no real experience with the ocean, the Tsahìk decided to pay her extra close attention. Or so she told herself.

“Are you sure they will be ok?” ___ glanced back to where the elderly situated themselves with her babies, cooing and tickling their feet. She did not doubt the older Metkayina’s at all, but they were strangers to her. Ronal watched her from the deeper ends of the shore, the waters just touching her upper waist.

“They will be fine. Za’u” she beckoned the anxious woman over to her and took her tiny wrist, noting the lack of fins and feeling the bony edges of her arm. ‘I must remember to give her extras for lunch, she is too skinny’ her mind turmoiled with the thought of this sweet girl going hungry on her long journey, just to feed her boys, it took her back to the question on why she was really here. ‘In due time Ronal, in due time’

___ nervously waded in and fought against the soft currents, yellow eyes glancing across the expanse of ocean. She was not at all used to this, coming from the forest it was just rivers she swam in, avoiding the harsh rapids and only choosing to glide in calm, flowing streams. The Tsahìk looked back at her and smiled, it was barely noticeable but it was there, bringing the blue woman comfort. Then, they dived in, taking deep breaths to fuel their journey.

Ronal swam ahead, letting go of ___’s wrist and using her own arms and tail to propel herself foreword, hips shaking softly from side to side from the momentum. She turned back to sign “Come, just a little further” and watched with confusion when ___ only stared on with a blank look “do you not understand?”. Taking the lack of signing as an answer she shrugged and continued on, slowing down just a little and checking back once in a while. For a forest Na’vi she is breathing quite well.

The corals of the reef were beautiful and vibrant, colours ranging from greens to bright pinks. Fish big and small swam around her, eyes blinking in curiosity at the newcomer in their home. ___ stopped her movement, turning around to admire the sights she has never seen before and watched as the creatures of the reef circled her feet. Her grin was large and pure, heart beating just a little bit faster from nervous excitement. Unbeknownst to the Omaticaya, soft blue eyes watched her every move and observed how curious ___ was in her home.

Suddenly the mother of two felt her lungs constrict and knew it was time for air, she pushed against rocks to go up to the surface, breaking the barrier and gasping for air. Ronal’s head popped out of the water, second eyelids blinking back the excess salt from her blue spheres. “You have done well for a forest girl, but you must learn to hold your breath for longer…and to learn our language”

“Is that what it was?” ___ panted, “the movement with your hands?”

“Srane” Ronal nodded “We cannot speak underwater, and making noises like we do for calling ilu takes up too much air, so my people adapted, created sign language”

“Your people are amazing for doing that. The only thing we have done in the forest is create different calls and noises for communicating when we are on our ikran”

“And that takes skill on itself” Ronal nodded, admiring how their cultures are so similar, yet so far. It reminds her that at the end of the day, they are both Na’vi and Eywa deems them the same in spirit and soul. “Let us dive again, I want to see how far you can go. Then, I will teach you to breathe”

Time flew by so fast, the lessons Ronal gave her on ‘breathing’ took a long time to get right, posture was important, breathing from the stomach was important, calm mind, no racing heart. It was a lot, but ___ felt confident in her abilities to go under the waters for longer than she had. But in due time.

For now she rests in her marui with her boys, whom the elders say were a delight to take care of. Apparently Sylwaì and Syatxì both loved eating the fruit which was gathered deep within the forests of the mangrove trees, they were mushed and paired with various bits of soft fish which was chowed down in an instant. ___ observed the soft flesh of Syatxì’s belly and giggled, noting the large rolls and the slow rise and fall of his chest. ‘Sleeping so heavily, he has eaten his fill for the rest of the day’ she mused.

The padding of footsteps made her ears twitched, hearing the bounce of the netting outside and in front of her home, she turned and saw Tonowari looking in, holding various items in his strong arms. “I have came to drop these off for you, it is your first night here and we want to make it as comfortable as possible for you” he proceeded to step in and place some woven blankets on the floor, along with a basket of fruits in case she got hungry during the night.

“Irayo, Tonowari” ___ nodded in thanks, smiling at him. Sylwaì cooed at the man, taking note of him in the room and reaching out to grab him by his akula teeth necklace.

The Olo’eyktan grinned and held out his large hand, watching as only his finger was grabbed with the babies four fingers, he shook it gently and watched as the boy gave him a gummy little grin which matched his own toothy one. “He is strong for his age. A mighty warrior in the making. Him and my son, Ao’nung will do just fine together”

___ chuckled “maybe the old ladies were right about him being a warrior, a fierce hunter is what Eywa wills for his future” she turned her head slightly and noted how close hers was to Tonowari’s, blue eyes clashing with bright yellow. ___ turned her head back and coughed a little, ears twitching, not getting the chance to see the slight purple on the clan leaders face.

“Srane” he nodded slightly, Ronal was not lying when she told him the Omaticaya woman’s eyes were the nicest shade of amber on the whole of Pandora, rivalling even the most brightest of fish in the bioluminescent night. “Well, I will leave you and your sons to rest. If you need anything, please, we will be happy to help you” ___ thanked him as he left, sighing in slight embarrassment.

Oh Eywa, what was she going to do.

“Good morning ___!” One of the older ladies, Naola, called out to her as she walked down the beach towards them. “How are you and your little ones?”

___ stopped right in front of the group, adjusting her grip on her twins and smiled “We are good, Syatxì is hungry though, even if i fed him a couple of minutes ago” the mother sent a playful glare to him, the baby looking at her with wide eyes in return. ‘too cute’

She handed the two to Naola who cooed and wiggled her fingers at them, Sylwaì giggling. “Well, you best on head out to Tsahìk, she does not take kindly to late comers” ___ nodded, kissing the heads of her sons as goodbye and headed off towards Ronal’s home, as instructed last night after her lessons.

The Metkayina women was inside, grinding herbs and powders into a mortar. Her head snapped up at the cough ___ let out to indicate she was there, “Ah, you are just in time. Come, sit. I have decided to spend our morning today doing my duties, you will join me”

The blue lady blinked in surprise “Ronal, I am not Tsakarem, I do not need to learn”

The said Tsahìk shook her head, frowning. “No you are not, but Eywa sees potential in you” she then smiled slightly, blue eyes twinkling in the morning sun. “During my prayers, she has willed me to teach you, to help you learn. You were a skilled healer back with the Omaticaya. You will do well here”

___ smiled back “irayo…what are you doing now?” she squatted and observed the clay bowl and noted that the ingredients were different to that she was used to at home. Or her old home.

“This is to treat scrapes and cuts, one of our hunters came back earlier with wounds from the coral outside the reef. Luckily it was not life threatening. But it must be treated soon” Ronal turned back to her task and continued grinding the paste, adding more water and herbs when necessary. She glanced at ___ from the corner of her large eyes and watched the way her thin tail moved about in genuine curiosity.

It made her heart flutter just a bit.

“Za’u” the Tsahìk snapped herself out of her daze and stood up, walking out of the marui and towards another a few ways down where the hunter laid, talking to his mate. “Txatì. Your husband lives, he will be fine”

Txatì looked to her clan leader with glistening eyes, “Sorry, Ronal. I am just worried about him” she then turned to ___ who stood behind the healer. “What business does she bring?”

“___ will learn my work. As is willed by Eywa” Ronal saw the look Txatì gave the Omaticaya and decided to shut her down. Who would deny Eywa’s will? She understood the girl wanted the best for her mate and may have not agreed for an outsider to be in the hut with them, but that was no reason to be rude.

Fortunately ___ did not notice the harsh glance that was directed to her and immediately focused in on the grazes that adorned the man’s skin. “Does it hurt?” she knelt down and observed it, not too deep, not too large. It should scab within a week if he was lucky.

“Kehe. I will be fine, thank you Tsakarem” he nodded to her in gratitude for her kindness and hissed when his Tsahìk applied the cool paste into his wound.

Ronal gave him a look “you are a warrior and yet you cower under mere herbs” her ears twitched when the soft giggles of ___ echoed through the marui, pupils dilating. She did not dare look in her direction, afraid she would make her budding infatuation more obvious.

But it was noticeable to the hunter, who turned to his wife and winked slightly, speaking with his eyes. He remembered when he was the same with Txatì, giving her admiring looks but trying to act calm and cool whenever she was around.

Once Ronal finished with her job, guiding ___ on the pastes and the dangers of the coral that can come in and outside the reef and healing other hunters that came and went, she stood and nodded to her last patient and swiftly turned around and lead ___ outside. “You learn fast I have noticed” she turned her head back to watch her “let us go see your boys, I am sure they miss their mother”

They traveled along the ropes above the waters, bouncing slightly with each step. Eventually they jumped down to the beach, the sands getting in every crevice of their feet and leaving footprints when they padded along, searching for the group of elders who held ___’s children.

“Hey! Over here!” A man waved at them from afar, holding a laughing Ao’nung in his strong arms. Ronal grinned at the boy who made grabby hands at her, thanking Lìtxan who passed him over.

The mother brushed the little hair he had over his head and bounced him in her arms, watching ___ pick up her own sons. “Have they been behaving?” she heard her softly ask.

“Oh! No they have been terrible! Always demanding teylu every minute of the morning! Any more and they will sink to the bottom of the ocean!” Naola cried out in jest.

___ let out a loud laugh, blowing into Sylwaì’s little tummy “is that right ‘itan?” the boy squealed in happiness, feeling the love his mother holds for him.

The Tsahìk watched on with admiration in her eyes. Heart thumping in her chest. She understood what these feelings mean, she has the same feelings with Tonowari, she likes ___, really likes her. But she does not know her, not really. She still does not know why she came to Awa’atlu, to live among the Metkayina.

One strong thought plagues her mind though, one that would stop her from ever pursuing the Omaticaya.

Her mates, what happened to them?

previous | next

[yourstrulybluelover]

Title: Heat

Pairings: Na’vi Reader (23) x Lo’ak (20)

Warnings: MDNI

Contains: fingerings, oral, p in v, rough sex, forced, dom Loak, sub reader

Word Count: 2460

The hunting party decided to split up in an effort to catch the next meal. Meat has been scarce lately due to the Strumbeest retreating further into the hinterlands. This only made your jobs more challenging as the hunting party would now have to spend more days away from home to provide food for the clan. It's been a day already and 3 miles from home. You would have packed some belongings to camp out, the team expected to spend at least three days to get enough meat for the clan. You sighed in desperation, beads of sweat dripping down your neck and back, the weather has not been kind either. This dry season was one of the hottest the clan had ever encountered. Strangely enough, everyone was not as bothered by it today as you were.

“Y/n, how you doing over there?” Jake called out to you as you propped yourself up by the tree.

“I’m fine sir.” You breathed out rapidly as you stiffened up trying to regain your stance. You did not want to appear weak, it was rare for women to be a part of the hunting party but not impossible, three other women were already part of the team, and two decided to stay back to assist the clan with fishing.

“I told you we don’t need to bring women with us they just slow us down.” Your ears perked at the sudden comment, and your face grew hotter from the share gall of that comment you opened your mouth to turn to the younger Navi man but your were abruptly interrupted.

“HEY! We don’t make those comments here! Keep that narrow-minded thinking in your hut! Y/n has more endurance and more kills than you, so watch it!” Neteyam hissed as he flashed his fangs.

You shot him a thankful glance, to which he nodded in acknowledgement before returning to his father, Jake. You smiled as you observed Akwey shoot glares at both you and the Sullys. Neteyam has always backed you up no matter what, part of it was due to the fact that he was your hunting instructor at the get go. Insulting you was like insulting him and his teachings.

“Don’t worry about them y/n, you felt a familiar smack on your shoulder, they’re just jealous you’re one of dad’s favourites.” Lo’ak said smirking at you as he handed his canister offering you some water to combat the heat.

“Second to Neteyam, of course.” You said sheepishly.

“Alright guys we’ll split up.” Jake said beckoning the team to come forward. We know that the main river is here, he explained therefore if we split up we can reach them on either side, ambushing them.”

You nodded in acknowledgement before grabbing your bow and hunting knife. “Neteyam, you take your team and your brother and you head down east, we’ll go west.” Before leaving you see Jake whisper into Neteyam’s ear while looking in your direction.

“Alright guys we’ll split up, ensure your comms are working,” Neteyam said. “Lo’ak keep an eye on y/n, she doesn’t look so good, and we both know how stubborn she is.’’

“All right bro,

You rolled your eyes in annoyance. Usually you would have found some witty comeback, and purposely out run them to show them who was truly weak. However, the heat had you dazed, you were suddenly feeling weak when midway through the journey you stopped.

“Shit.” You watched as Neteyam led the team, beckoning some to take to the canopy of the trees. You felt a familiar wave overcome you as you began to sweat profusely. Your skin suddenly felt feverishly hot when the throbbing sensation began to grow in your lower stomach.

“Y/n?” Lo’ak stopped and turned to you, brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I uh, shit, I uh I need to leave.” You stammered, face flushed from both embarrassment and agony.

“What? Y/n why are being so weir-” Lo’ak walkes swiftly towards you grabbing you by your arm when your pheromones punch him right in the nose. He loosens his grip and reaches to cover his nose. He stops to watch you, your body now soaked in sweat, your clothing and hair clinging to your skin, your top now clutching at every crevice of your mounds. Your eyes suddenly darken and pupils dilate as whimper escapes your lips.

Lo’ak turns away sharply. Walking away from you to meet with the team way ahead. You began to back away to continue to distance yourself from the party, avoiding the direction of the wind. One whiff of your pheromones and you’d have the team prying at you. You see in the distance Lo’ak and Neteyam mumble, before Neteyam sends the troops further up, with his second in command.

Lo’ak comes running towards you where you’re now propped up against the tree, in significant pain.

“Y/n, we’ll notify Dad so we can get him to send a Banshee to fly you back home. The comms are down so Neteyam is gonna go look for him. I’ll escort you back to base before the others pick up on your scent.”Lo’ak said hurriedly as he tied a torn garment around his nose and mouth in effort to prevent the infiltration of your intoxicating scent which has evidently gotten stronger.

“I don’t think I can make it back Lo.” You mumbled bent over in pain clutching to the tree.

“Y/n come on you’re stronger than this.” You hear Neteyam coach you, his hands are covering his nose as he struggles to maintain the distance between you two.

“So much for a woman being a part of the hunting party huh” you laughed as you lifted yourself up from the hunched over position.

You hear the brothers hiss at your bad joke in efforts of comforting you.

“Look after her brother.” Before you can thank Neteyam, he springs to his feet climbing to the canopy of the trees as he leaps from branch to branch.

Lo’ak leans to your side propping you on his shoulder as he guides you back to camp, unaware that his touch intensified your heat. Twenty minutes into the walk you began to feel your legs weaken. Not here. You thought to yourself. You pause, moving off from Lo’ak as he looks at you intensely.

“Break?”

“Something like that Lo” you mumbled breathlessly.

“I’ve never seen you like this y/n” he said huskily, his voice low, his face hardened.

“I had no intentions of anyone seeing me like this Lo, this one, this cycle is way off it’s normal course.” You admitted, slightly embarrassed that the Sullys are going to see you experience the onset of your heat.

You propped yourself onto a boulder, asking for water. He reaches out to hand you the canister, the garment over his nose seems to be useless as your pheromones permeate the forest air. You sip on the water in efforts to conserve, but the drops do nothing to tame the heat. You desperately splash the contents of the canister onto your face and chest.

“Don’t worry about it, I have another” Lo’ak says he back now facing you.

Your whimpers soon grow louder as you take advantage of the little privacy Lo’ak gives you. The heat growing between your legs intensifies with evey breath. In desperation to make it stop you quickly reach to touch yourself, but instead of easing the pain, it makes it worse. Your finger pressing slightly on your clothed clit does nothing but make it worse, you decide to push through. Rising to your feet only to collapse once more onto the boulder.

Lo’ak turns to face you, almost entranced by your weakened state, he takes a second to take it in, before reaching down to help you back up onto your feet. You both continue your walk back in silence minus your whimpers and breathless pants. Lo’ak’s grip is stronger and based on his contorted expression one can easily tell that his is fighting the pheromone scent. A sudden snap and within seconds you lose balance, clinging to the younger navi for support only to cause him to crash down with you.

You both groan in pain, looking up there is Lo’ak a tangled and heavy mess on top of you, your legs are sprawled, with his hips snuggly between them. The sudden pressure between your legs caused you to redden, as you began to feel the wetness pool. Lo’ak looks up to meet your eyes feeling the dampness, his eyes widen and the mess before him.

“Sorry y/n” he says huskily, quite aware of the moisture seeping from your loincloth.

You stutter in embarrassment.

“It’s okay y/n,sshh. I can make you feel better.” His eyes are no longer soft but narrowed, and lust-filled as he is now fully enthralled in your scent.

You prop yourself up on your elbows, to try and get up, but Lo’ak wouldn’t move. You contemplate for a minute as your eyes roam the younger Sully’s body tracing his chiseled shoulders down to his toned chest and lower to his abuse to see the vine dip, your core only getting hotter by the second.

“Just say it and I’ll make you feel better.”

You whimper at the sound of those words as you feel your conscience leaving you before leaning forward to press your lips into his. Within that second, all self-control gives way, you both are hungrily devouring each other rustling through the grass as you both undo your coverings His hands rough and hard, manhandle you as he strips you of your top to only grab the soft tender mounds and massage them roughly, biting and sucking at your neck simultaneously as you struggle to undo his loincloth. His focus now leaves your breast to your loincloth. In one swift movement, you’re naked before him as his fingers make their way to your folds. Expertly rubbing and massaging your clit before prying at your already wet entrance. His hands stop moving as he locks eyes with yours before plunging his fingers into yours. You arch your back a bit dumbfounded that the younger Sully was doing everything right. You reach down to grab his member, pumping him as he fingers you and soon your hand is covered with precum. He growls at the sensation and soon you find yourself begging him to fuck you senseless.

He flips you over on your tummy, lifting your hips slightly as he reaches down to now taste you. You gasp from emabrassment, but your heat makes you forget it in an instant. Your push yourself forcefully into his mouth while his tongure ciricles your throbbing bud. Your maons grow louder as you try to turn slight to catch a glimpse of Lo’ak. He smirks, stopping his assault before grabbing your hands, pinning them behind your back. He leans over, towering you, to kiss your check, dragging his fangs down your neck. You hissed at the sudden touch before feeling his mushroom tip push on your entrance. A sudden pressure is felt, as he pushes past, stretching your walls. You scream in both pain and pleasure, before the air is knocked out of you. A sudden thrust causes you to gasp, another hits your walls mercesillessy, another angled thrust finds your g-spot and now you’re spewing his name, begging him to make you cum as you push back onto his cock. Lo’ak lets go of your hands and now graps onto your fleshy waist, digging his nails into your skin as he rams himself into you forcefully. Your moans continue to grow louder as you feel your walls tighten with the familiar build in your lower stomach growing.

“Fuck y/n you’re so tight!” Lo’ak growls.

Within seconds you’re spewing your juices onto him as he throws his head back trying to hold his back. You scream his name as you grind yourself onto him to milk every bit of your cum from him when he suddenly spills into you. A wave of relief washes over you before you come to terms with what just happened.

You’re naked slumped on the forest floor and just had the sense fucked out of you by the younger Sully. You turn around to see Lo’ak recollecting himself with a smirk on his face.

“Didn’t think you were a screamer y/n”

Before you can answer you hear a familiar voice, stern and disappointed.

“Lo’ak what were you thinking!” Neteyam bellows, anger evident on his face. “You know better than to take advantage of someone in their heat, especially y/n.”

“Bro, I swear it wasn’t like that, her scent was so strong-”

“Shut the fuck up and get dressed! Your comms were on during the whole thing, I heard you!”

“Wha-, bro come on what are you talking ab-”

“You said just say it and I’ll make you feel better !” Neteyam yelled angrily.

Oh my god. You instantly went pale. “Did everyone hear?” You got up and asked flabbergasted while trying to tie your loincloth back on.

Neyetem doesn’t look at you, still angrily staring at his little brother. “No everyone ditched their comms as there was a signal problem due to the altitude, I kept mine on in case I contacted Dad on the way back.

You sighed in relief but couldn’t help but notice the bulge evident in Neteyam’s loincloth as he stared angrily at his brother. The familiar wave of your heat consuming you again.

P.S I hope you all liked this. I know I have some others to finish off lmao but this one just happened and I'm also not sure if I'll make a part 2 but it has been awhile since I posted. Thanks for the love thus far 💗❤️

Also the comms part was totally inspired by @puddleswimmingnerd-blog has amazing work particularly "Throat Comm Sex"🔥🔥🔥

[iikatsukii]

Fearless

synopsis: you're a young na’vi named syulang who comes from a horrible family and because of your terrible childhood you have a crippling fear of heights. living in the omatikaya clan everything you did was up in the air. even your rite of passage was in the air. this was something that was heartbreaking to you because you felt like you would never be seen as one of the people in the eyes of your clan. you hated how your fears consumed you. will your life always be this way?

pairings: neteyam x bestfriend!reader, sully family x daughter/sister!reader, ao’nung x reader if you squint really hard. 

warnings: descriptions of child neglect, fear of heights

word count: 4.5k

a/n: i said i was gonna post this yesterday and i lied. i very much fell asleep editing. 

translations: sa'nu - mom, ite - daughghter, uturu - refuge, sempu - dad, za'u - come, ngaytxoa - sorry.

as a child, your parents weren't the best. they would always leave you out of sight, in the way of danger, with no concern for your safety. nobody in the clan knew of this until one day when your mother and father left you alone again in the forest. they didn't care if you wandered off because you would somehow always end up back home. 

you were three years old, almost four, because your birthday was in a week. your parents left you in the same spot they always did, and you waited just a few minutes after they left before you, yourself, departed from the clearing in the trees. you had grown very fond of going to the river just a few paces away from where you were left. you don't know what it was about the water that entranced you, but once you had found this place the first time, it was the only place you ever went. 

you didn't have friends back in the village because your family was closed off from the rest of the clan. your parents just don't want people to know how they treat you. you may be young, but you know that this isn't how parents are supposed to treat their kids. you know this because you sometimes observe the other families at the communal dinners. that isn't very often, though, because your parents rarely attended communal dinners. 

as you reached your destination, the beautiful river waterfall, you immediately felt serenity upon hearing the rush of the river flow, and the song of nature consumed your surroundings. you would spend most of your time here and then start your journey home just before eclipse, knowing the way back very well now, which is a shame because of how young you are. you spend your time admiring the plants and playing with the fan lizards. although you could get home without any injuries too bad, nothing could have prepared you for the hammerhead titanothere approaching you. 

you hear the huff of its breath behind you, creating a gust of wind that catches your attention. terrified to be faced with an enemy like this and not knowing what to do, you ran away, not seeing the hole in the ground that caused you to lose your footing. of course, with your luck, you fell right off the waterfall's edge. the intensity of the wind from the fall, plus the adrenaline rushing through your body, was overwhelming for your tiny body, so you passed out before you even hit the water below you. 

fortunately for you, there was a family of five playing in the river bend just below the waterfall. it was their mother who had heard the loud splash. curious about what it was, she walked closer to the water, spotting an unconscious na'vi child floating in the water. she gasped in horror, quickly moving to get you out of the water. 

"ma jake, za'u" she yelled as she picked up the child, bringing her over to where her family was gathered. 

hearing the distress in his mate's voice, jake stopped splashing with his other two children to see what was wrong. seeing his wife holding an unconscious child was concerning, but even more worrying was that he had seen that child somewhere before.  

there was a day he was out hunting for dinner. he had come across a big open area, avoiding it because there looked to be no hunt. but something stopped him. he noticed a small child sitting on a rock all by herself. and as a father, of course, he was concerned because if this were his child, he would be worried sick. 

he approached her slowly so that he wouldn't scare her. "hey, little one." it was a gentle greeting that grabbed your attention. you turned to him, unsure who he was, as you didn't really get out much. 

"who are you?" you asked innocently. jake was confused that you didn't know who he was because he's the olo'eyktan, but you're just a child, so he brushed it off as childish ignorance. "my name is jake sully. who are you?" he said, sitting down crisscrossed so he could be at eye level with you. 

"i'm syulang. hi, jakesulli," you said as you paid more attention to the flowers that were sprouting between the cracks of the rock.

"why are you here, syulang?" jake asked the little girl. 

"i'm waiting for my parents to hide because we're playing hide and seek!" she says with a smile.

jake sighed in relief, knowing the girls' parents were nearby and they hadn't just left her there. if only he knew the truth. 

"okay, well, be safe little one." the male na'vi stood to his full height, departing and leaving to continue his hunt. 

he thought about the little girl from time to time because he seldom saw her around. but right now, seeing you on the ground breathing shallowly, he knew he had to get you to mo'at. 

"stay with the kids." jake told neytiri. the mother nodded as she watched her mate disappear into the trees toward their home. 

immediately mo'at recognized you as the child who was always missing from her lessons. she figured she would heal you and then ask you where your parents were. mo'at was very quick to aid your wounds, making it easier for your body to replenish your energy. soon you were waking up to the sound of adults talking. 

"hello?" you called out.

"oh dear child you are awake," the two women were quick to come dote on you.

"who are you guys?" you asked them weakly, your body still tired. 

mo'at and neytiri were shocked. how were you an omatikaya child, and you do not know your own tsahik. 

“i am mo’at. i am tsahik of our clan.”

"what is… tsahik?" that question was all the adults needed to hear before they figured out what was going on. 

you were missing lessons, found unattended and unconscious, and could barely speak as well as the other na'vi your age. you looked very skinny and borderline malnourished. 

your parents were neglecting you. 

"who are your parents dear?" neytiri asked.

you gave them your parents' names and explained everything they had ever done to you. you were tired of being hurt. you wanted to be safe now.

immediately jake and neytiri set out to go find your parents, and it only took about 30 minutes. they returned, your parents walking behind them, shame written all over their faces. they were restrained with their arms behind their head. mo'at called an emergency clan meeting, and once everyone gathered, she began her announcement. 

"the omatikaya clan is a family. we are to care for our brothers and sisters, look out for our women and children, and protect our home from any dangers. there is a couple here tonight that is about to be banished. let this be a warning to everyone." her statement was punctuated by jake and neytiri dropping the two na'vi to the ground, having them kneel in shame in front of everyone.

"this father and this mother have been neglecting their child. every day they take her outside to the forest and leave her in a clearing to fend for herself. they do this so nobody would find her home alone while they went and snuck around the forest like immature ass teenagers. they didn't want their neglect to be found out because they knew what the consequences would be." jake said in a firm voice. 

it was like he was giving a silent warning, a threat, if you will. he wanted everyone in the clan to know that this behavior is unacceptable and that if you're acting of this nature, get your shit together unless you want to end up like these two. 

neytiri stepped forward, speaking in a stern and almost menacing tone. 

"these two scum are to be banished to the wastelands. stripped of their title as omatikaya, and blacklisted from every clan in the forest. their ikrans will be taken away, and they will not be allowed contact with the child whos precious life they almost stole away. thank eywa that she was brought to me and my family. my husband, olo'eyktan jakesulli and i will adopt her into our family. treat her as one of our own, and give her the love she deserves." 

everyone in the clan was cheering at neytiri's speech. as the two scouts prepared to transport the two na'vi to the wastelands, their ikrans took off, having no mercy on their passengers, who had to endure the entire ride. 

being 19 is supposed to be fun, but for you, it's anything but fun. as an omatikayan, your way of life is off the ground. high above the trees, soaring across the skies, scaling countless mountains. everything is high up. and to any everyday clan member, life this way was beautiful, and they wouldn't want to live any other way. but you… you felt differently.  

you couldn't stand heights. you had that fall from the waterfall to blame for that. ever since that day, you would never set foot near the edge of the high camps. let alone ride an ikran. you knew from a young age that completing your rite of passage would be impossible. 

the only way anyone could get you on an ikran was if they gave you a blindfold. you also needed something to plug your ears and be allowed to death grip the flyer's waist from how terrified you felt as the wind rushed past you. 

but this fear of heights also meant that you would never be able to complete your iknimaya. that's what has you so depressed. you just wanted to fit in, look for a mate, and be a teenager like everyone else is, but you can't because you are not seen as one of the people. you're 19, and everyone in the village treats you like you're glass, for crying out loud. even your own family. 

you love the sully family. they are your saviors, after all. you were infinitely grateful for them taking you in and treating you as if you were their daughter or playing with you like you were real siblings. you and neteyam became attached at the hip, becoming best friends instantly. you had piqued his interest when he saw you in his grandmother's tent, sleeping while you were healing from your previous injuries. 

the next day he was all in your personal space, asking you questions about your cuts and scars and where you gut them from. it confused him when every single one of your answers was the same. "oh, i just got hurt while i was walking home" the boy never questioned it because as he got older, he started to understand what you meant. he began to understand your past without you having to explain it. 

neteyam had tried to get you to fly on an ikran before, but you couldn't even make it to the climb up. the height was too immense. you got lightheaded and dizzy just seeing it, absolutely petrified with fear. nete, eventually, gave up trying to slowly inch you up the mountain. when the two of you returned home, jake and neytiri scolded neteyam for doing that to you, knowing how afraid of heights you are. 

of course, the boy apologized to you. still, he just wanted you to conquer your fears and pass your iknimaya so the other kids in the village would stop saying things about you behind your back.

everyone knew about your fear of heights, and most of the na'vi your age made fun of you for it. you couldn't help but feel embarrassed because it's not like they're wrong. the omatikayan way of life is in the sky. 

you were returning home from your visit to the nearby river, where you spent most of your time. whether beading necklaces or rebraiding your hair, you were always there. as your home came into sight, you saw your mom and dad sitting outside talking to each other. your mother seemed to be upset about something, so you approached them. "ma sa'nu, is everything okay?" you asked her.

your father sighed heavily, repeating the words that triggered your mother's tears in the first place.

"we have to leave the forest."

you had been blindfolded for a while now, flying on the back of your mother's ikran. the days were starting to blur together, and you figured you would lose your ability to see because of how long you'd had this damn blindfold on.

as you were about to complain, you could smell the air change. it got lighter and easier to breathe. it smelled fresh, almost like you guys were flying over water now. you tapped your mother's shoulder, and she hummed in acknowledgment. 

"sa'nu are we near water?" you asked. 

"yes, ma ite, we are. i can fly down so you can touch it if you like." neytiri suggested. your mother quickly picked up on your love for the rivers back home, so she figured that being near a water body would give you some sense of security. 

you gasped, nodding excitedly as you felt your mom lower her ikran, which caused you to grip her a bit tighter because you were still afraid. 

"you can take your blindfold off," you hear lo'ak yell from above you. 

you hesitated a little bit, knowing lo'aks mischievous nature but figured he was right because the scent of the fresh ocean water got stronger. 

you slowly slid your blindfold up, your eyes adjusting to the sun as you hadn't looked at anything in a while. once your eyes adjusted, you saw the beautiful blue waters below the ikran's wing. you gasped as you reached down, feeling the cool water against your hands. you noticed a small school of fish following close behind your hand, making you smile. you were starting to feel calm until you heard a horn begin to blow. your mom's ikran started to fly higher, away from the waters, and you screamed, and you put your blindfold back on, quickly latching onto your mother's waist so you wouldn't fall to your death. 

as you felt your mother land, you quickly dismounted, planting your feet on the ground, and falling to your knees, trying to control your intense breathing. your mother hadn't warned you that she was going to fly higher, and she felt so bad because you're so shaken up right now. 

"ngaytxoa, ma ite. i'm sorry, " she said, pulling you from your knees and into her chest for a hug. she comforted you until she felt your breath ease and then walked with the rest of your family to the center where the clan had gathered. 

you took in the environment around you. there was water everywhere. your attention was grabbed by a tall, teal man covered in tattoos and wearing a formal shoulder piece. "jake sully, toruk makto, you have brought your family to my reefs. why?"

your father and the clans' olo'eyktan got to talking, explaining the reasoning for being here. 

uturu.

you were absorbed in observing everything around you that you overlooked that the clans' tsahik had also arrived. she went around inspecting all of your siblings, calling them demons, half-bloods. everything in between. but she saw you. 

as tsahik, she is the one who interprets the will of eywa, and from you, she feels that eywa is screaming at her that you are special. telling ronal to give you a test of some kind. so she approaches you, ignoring the hiss from neytiri. she still threw her a glare, though. everyone had gone quiet when you noticed the woman standing before you. she examined you, and you were nervous under her gaze. she looked over your arms, hands, ear, tail, and legs. she even pulled at one of your cheeks. 

"ow," you said. you hadn't meant to say it. it was just a reflex. and hearing you say ow, triggered neteyam's reflex to protect you. 

"hey! don't touch her!" he said as lo'ak held his arm, preventing him from approaching the woman. "neteyam," jake said his son's name in a warning tone. trying to get him to remember that they're here to seek refuge and that making enemies with the tsahik isn't going to help that. 

ronal only glanced over at the boy, not acknowledging his words, knowing she hadn't hurt the girl.

"what are you called?"

“syulang te suli neytiri’ite”

"well, syulang, come with me," she said as she grabbed your wrist, pulling you close to the beach's shores. you walked with her, following behind, not wanting to piss off the tsahik. 

you two stopped as the water came up to your ankles. she released your hand and gave you a straightforward instruction. 

“complete your iknimaya.”

everyone in the clan was mumbling and whispering upon hearing what their tsahik said. 

not even their best warriors were able to complete their iknimaya without training. ronal is telling an outsider who has never even seen a skimwing to complete her iknimaya. she's asking the girl to kill herself. 

"ronal, ma mate, you can't ask this of a forest na'vi–" her husband tried to argue, but ronal just hissed at him, getting him to shut up. 

"she can and she will." ronal said with a strong voice. 

"you are trying to kill my daughter and we haven't even been here for 10 minutes." neytiri yelled, jake holding his protective mate back. 

ronal continued to disregard everything around her except for you. she gave you a look, one that you read as someone who believed in you. but you don't even know what this clan's iknimaya is. 

you slowly walked waist-deep into the water after ronal gave you a push of encouragement to the small of your back. before you could get any further, you noticed something massive approaching you in the water. but for some reason, you weren't scared of it. you remained where you stood as the creature emerged from the waters. 

you could hear the gasps of horror and even a few screams.

"ronal, move her at once." tonowari yelled at his wife as he recognized the creature beginning to approach you. 

hearing the panic in the olo'eyktans' voice caused the entire sully family to be on high alert. what was that thing? was this woman really trying to kill you? neytiri couldn't even defend you because jake made her leave her bow with their ikrans. 

the large animal approach was called, as you heard someone nearby whisper, a skimwing. 

you looked it in the eyes as it came to a slow stop in front of you. everyone froze, and ronal turned to the clan. "this young lady, syulang, will complete her iknimaya. she has been chosen by this skimwing–" the tsahik was cut off.

"ma tsahik, you cannot allow this child to ride that skimwing. that is the same skimwing that we have been hunting for the past few months. the one that has been terrorizing the other animals in the reef, he'll kill her." tonowari was stern as he spoke to his wife, but she looked at him as if his words went in one ear and out the other. 

"this is the will of eywa. now tell me, mister olo'eyktan, who is the interpreter of eywa's will? hm? me… or you?" she said, voice dripping with venom as she spoke to her husband. 

"you are, ma ronal." he sighed in defeat, turning to his hunters, who had their spears ready and aimed at the beast. "standby. weapons down for now. but remain alert." he ordered as he looked at his wife. "i'm trusting you," he said.

"you would be a fool not to, " she said with a sickly sweet smile as she continued her speech that she was rudely interrupted. 

"the child will complete her iknimaya right now. this is the skimwing that has chosen her, so this is the skimwing she will ride." she turned you and gave you a basic rundown of how making the bond, mounting, and diving worked. tonowari was there to provide any pointers that his wife may have forgotten to mention. 

nobody believed it was possible. a girl from the forest conquering a skimwing? there's no way. the skimwing slightly lowered its head, almost as if it was greeting you. you mirrored its actions and stepped forward. this was a new environment which meant new weather, new scenery, and new animals. 

you didn't know how difficult bonding with a skimwing was. so when you walked over to it and quickly created your tsaheylu, mounting its back, everyone in the clan was left speechless. including ronal and tonowari  

ronal spoke, her last piece of advice that she wanted to give you before you set off to complete the rite of passage. "the bond is sealed after the first dive is complete. the key is the dive back into the water, that is the true test," she said. you only nodded, feeling your skimwing's steady breath and strong heartbeat.

this all felt so natural to you. the water, the tsaheylu with reef animals, the breeze, the smell of the sea. you felt like you were in your element. like this is where you were meant to be. 

'let's go,' you thought, and immediately your skimwing was moving, backing itself into the water, gaining speed as he got further and further out. the wind on your face as you carefully stood up on your skimwing, maintaining your balance. you let yourself embrace the feeling of the air rushing past you. it didn't feel the same as when you were on an ikran. the air felt like it was caressing you, not pushing and pulling you in every which way. 

you were enjoying the cool, calm feeling, but you're ready for a thrill. you lower your body onto the skimwing again, preparing for what ronal called 'the real test.' you looked over and saw all the clan people and your family. they were rooting for you, giving you the whoops and cheers of encouragement you needed.

 you focused your eyes back on your skimwing, leaning down, so there was no space between his back and your chest. ronal said to get as flat against the skimwing as possible and keep a strong grip on the handle, and you'll be okay.

you took one last deep breath before saying, 'dive.' you immediately vanished from view. nobody could see you anymore. you had dived, and they wouldn't know if you passed the test unless you came back out of the water. 

underwater you were having the time of your life. you were going unbelievably fast, and you didn't think you loved any feeling better than this. the adrenaline pumping through your blood only encouraged your skimwing to gain speed. curving around coral and weaving through seaweed, you enjoyed every second of it, but you knew it was time to come back up.

a minute had passed before your family started getting worried. you can't hold your breath that long, can you? what are you doing down there? are you in trouble? did the skimwing hurt you? what if killed you out on the reef and- 

before your family's paranoid thoughts could continue, you came splashing out of the water. you released the loudest battle cry you could muster as your skimwing spread its wings, riding the wind. 

you reminded jake exactly of your mother, fearless in your element with a strong heart. 

everyone on shore was jumping and cheering for you from the beaches. you could see your family from where you were. your brothers looked so proud of you, and your parents too. you weren't letting your fears control you anymore. 

you were whooping and celebrating, finally feeling like yourself. you can finally be free from the shackles of the air as you are surrounded by the serenity of the waters. this is really where you were meant to me. 

as you rode your skimwing back to the beach, you dismounted and removed your tsaheylu. you were immediately surrounded by both the clan's people and your family. everyone hugged and patted you on the back, congratulating you, a new metkayina clanswoman. 

you are one of the people, and your family hadn't even settled into their home yet. as things died down, you spotted ronal walking towards you again, but this time she held an incredibly proud look on her face. she grasped your hand, disregarding the five fingers you inherited from your father, as she spoke.

"she has our dna running in her blood. she has our passion in her heart. she has our strong will in her head and a strong heart, gifted to her by our great mother. she is metkayina!" with the last sentence being said, ronal raised your hand to the sky and repeated herself. "she is metkayina!" the clan rejoiced. one of their own had returned home, and now you are a woman of the clan. of course, they all recognize that you weren't born here, but that doesn't matter. you passed your iknimaya within minutes of being on the island.

since you were seen as a woman of the clan, that also means that you could choose a mate. 

boy, let me say, you had a lot to choose from. i mean, every boy in the clan just watched this forest girl conquer the biggest skimwing in history. that's kinda hot... but you decided to focus on your family for the time being. you guys were guided to your home by ronal's daughter, tsireya, as ronal and tonowari left to prepare for your celebration ceremony later that night. 

as you finally had a moment with your family, you got to read all the looks of adoration and love. they were so proud of you. 

"babygirl, i am so proud of you," jake was the first to speak, pulling you into yet another hug. your mother joined not long after. "you are finally a woman, ma syulang. you must be responsible around the boys of this clan," your mother teases you. "i don't want any grandchildren just yet," she said as she pinched your cheeks. 

"hey! no baby talk. she only just came of age." jake said to his mate as she rolled her eyes in response.

"sempu! i've been of age for a while." you argued. 

but your father just shook his head. 

"no boys until you're 25." he said sternly.

your sister, kiri, tried to defend you, though. 

"dad, that's unreasonable. 25??" she complained. 

"you too little lady. don't think i didn't see how the chief's son and his friend were looking at you two." you two avoided eye contact at that last sentence.

you exchanged glances, knowing you noticed the two boys noticing you. you two always had girls talk before dinner and then came into the house giggling with each other, refusing to reveal what the two of you were talking about.

your dad hadn't seen the wink and flirtatious smiles that the two of you had sent the boys away. but that was something that you two could talk about later, of course. right now, you just want to enjoy the beginning of your new life. 

a new life that would bring a joyful you. 

a happier you. 

a fearless you.

[mcverse]

Summary: Trouble doesn’t stray far from the Sully’s. On a hunt, Lo’ak touches a baby animal and the mother doesn’t like it and calls for backup. The group gets separated, a few end up unconscious.

Pairings: neteyam x aviphoenix!reader, lo’ak x aviphoenix!reader, Ao'nung x aviphoenix!reader

Word count: 3.8k

Warnings: ( lmk if you think there is.) not proof read, heights, another chase scene similar to Avatar 1 (reminded by no.1), Neteyam is in this one, so is Ao’nung & Rotxo near the end,

Side Bar: Did you really think it’ll be easy to meet the Avi ppl? LO’AK IS SO UNDER-APPRECIATED, like where do y’all get off?? He’s not my fav but you gotta show him the love he deserves com’on

“Text like this only in italics” are Na’vi.

“Text like this in both italics and bold” are Avi, spoken b/w Avi & outsides.

“Text in just bold” are also Avi People, spoken b/w Avi only.

Text like this without quotations in italics are thoughts.

“Text like this” are in English.

Avatar Masterlist

Previous/Next

As you journeyed back to Flamehaven, you couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the forest floor with patches of golden light. The air was filled with the sounds of chirping and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

It was never your intention to stay in the forest for so long, but Eywa seemed to have other plans for you. What started as a simple task of gathering herbs had turned into an unexpected delay after your encounter with that Na’vi.

You patted the satchel on your hip with a small smile, glad that at least you had what you needed in the end. It took longer but the satisfaction was worth it. The herbs you had gathered were rare and valuable, and you knew they would be appreciated by the healers in Flamehaven.

A little bump on the trail was nothing for an Avi like you. While you may not have approached the situation like the mightiest warriors, you were still pleased with the outcome. Your previous training of remaining calm and thinking level headed has not gone to waste and had a purposeful use today. You were proud of how you handed it.

Still the encounter left you pondering about what’s to come of the outsiders once news hits home. The Avi, historically, were known for their peaceful ways, with many rituals and traditions centered around tranquility.

However, even with the best intentions, your people had encountered some bad aphl (applu) in the past. As expected, the Avi did not back down and were capable warriors when their way of life was threatened. There was more to them than just festivities and sacred places.

As you drew closer to the outskirts of Flamehaven, you felt a sense of anticipation and relief. Your heart was racing with excitement at the thought of sharing your experiences with your fellow Avi, and you looked forward to the comfort of home after your long night in the forest.

Your pace quickened as you approached the river, hopping across the rocks with ease. You could hear the water rushing by beneath you, and the cool mist of the spray was refreshing against your skin. As you approached the hidden passage to Flamehaven, you pushed aside the foliage curtain with a grin.

The sound of laughter and chatter greeted you as you went through, and you could see that the place was already lively. The Avi were busy going about their day, some tending to their gardens and others gathered around cooking fires. The smell of roasting meat and fresh herbs filled the air, making your stomach growl.

You felt a sense of comfort and belonging wash over you as you made your way through the village, heading in the direction of the chief hut. You greet a few Na’vi who had noticed your presence. They sent you warm smiles that only made yours grow. The familiar greeting and sounds of your home filled you with joy, its hard to describe it by anything but love.

Soon you approached the tree where the chief's hut was nested between two others, and began to climb up the worn hand and footholds that had been carved into the fire patterned bark over time. As you reached the top, you swing onto the platform and push aside the woven mat that serves as a door.

Inside, you see your grandmother, Níku the tsakihe (Tsahìk), sitting in the center of the room, meditating. Her eyes are closed, and her wings are folded neatly behind her back.

You hesitate for a moment, not wanting to disturb her. But she senses your presence and speaks before you with her eyes still shut, "Whatever it is can wait. Tsuw'a Cet [Come sit]," she said, beckoning you over with a tilt of her head to the empty space beside her.

Normally, you wouldn't mind taking part in this calming activity, but you were too restless with the information you had. You hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to do as she said to avoid her persistence later on.

You sat beside her cross-legged, but your mind was elsewhere, still reeling from what you had witnessed in the forest. You knew it couldn't wait and would have to tell her soon, but facing your grandmothers wrath wasn’t an option either.

“Kawkkxn nga rawsem [Clear your mind],” Níku said as she picked up two crystals that lay haphazardly in front of her. “And open your hands.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine, amazed by how she seemed to sense your lack of focus. Obediently, you followed her command, opening your hands to receive what you already know to be crystals.

She placed a crystal in each of your hands and you immediately closed your fingers around them, feeling a warm heat radiate from the stones. You waited for her next instructions.

Níku continued, “Breathe in the air, feel it filling you with life.”

Following her instruction, you inhaled deeply, your chest expanding as you held the air within for a few seconds before exhaling. As you repeated the process, you could feel your mind beginning to quiet, the outside world slowly slipping away.

“Feel Eywa’s love warming you up and Pho guiding you where you need to be,” Níku said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

The warmth from the crystals in your hands spreads through your body, grounding you and connecting you to the earth. You feel a tingle of energy in your fingertips and toes, and a gentle vibration in your chest. It was a tingle that felt right in the best way possible.

Meditating with your grandmother always felt different from meditating alone. It was a step up, for sure. The guidance and wisdom of her years of experience always brought a sense of comfort.

As you basked in the tranquility of the moment, Níku open her eyes as she asked, "How do you feel?" Although she already knew the answer based on your expression, she was always eager to hear her grandchild's thoughts and experiences.

You meet her gaze and can't help but smile. The stress and tension from before have melted away, replaced by a sense of peace and clarity, “I feel weightless like a Phoenix souring through the clouds, granny.” you replied, feeling grateful for her guidance and wisdom.

Her lips twisted into a smug grin and she raised her chin, obviously proud of herself. "Then I did what I'm best at. You were so tense walking in, I had to help my granbaby," she said, reaching up to pinch one of your cheeks. You couldn't help but smile at her playful gesture.

After letting go of your cheek, she took the crystals from you and carefully placed them on a nearby leaf. Folding the leaf in four, she placed it gently in a wooden box and closed the lid.

“Now tell gran what troubles you, baby," she said, turning to give you her undivided attention.

You took a deep breath before launching into your story, recounting your journey into the forest and the strange encounter with the wayward Na'vi and his resting clan. Níku listened intently, her wise eyes studying you as you spoke. When you finished, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, deep in thought.

The silence in the hut was palpable as you waited for her response. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes and looked at you with a solemn expression. "This is concerning news. We must gather the clan and hold a council to decide what action to take. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

You nodded, feeling relieved that you had shared your burden with your grandmother and knowing that she would guide you and the clan in the right direction.

In the early morning light, a group of elite warriors huddled together in the forest. They talked amongst themself, eagerly anticipating their upcoming exploration. Some of them carried crossbows and spears, while the eldest Sully had a hunting blade and the youngest had a classic bow.

Neteyam noticed his brother Lo’ak shifting his weight anxiously and looking off to the side absentmindedly. Concerned, he approached Lo’ak and draped his arm over his shoulder, "What's up, baby bro? You seem quiet today." He peered down in his face.

Lo'ak shrugged off Neteyam's arm, making him stumble back a feet, "Just had trouble sleeping last night," he admitted, watching his brother carefully. Though he didn’t give the reason why, he knew his brother would catch on fast.

As if reading his thoughts, Neteyam's expression hardened, sensing something was off, "Please tell me you didn't sneak out," he whispered harshly, grabbing his arm to drag them both further from the group.

Lo'ak rolled his eyes and glared at his brother. "What do you think?" he snapped back, already not liking Neteyam’s overbearing attitude.

Neteyam groaned in frustration, already knowing where this could all lead, "If Dad finds out, you’ll be grounded and lose all your privileges." His hand out in front of him, moving to emphasize his point as he talked.

Lo'ak considered his options and realized that his father was the least of his worries; his mother would be far angrier. She was definitely scarier. Nevertheless, he was confident that he had covered his tracks well.

He shakes his head to dismiss his brothers concern, "He won't find out. Besides you, only Kiri, Ao'nung, and Rotxo know," Lo’ak said confidently, smirking like he had it all solved.

There was a brief pause before Neteyam breaks it, “And Tuk.” He added.

"And Tuk?" Lo'ak repeated, confused as he looked at his brother for reconfirmation. He hadn't even noticed her there. How the hell didn’t he notice her? His heart dropped at the realization and cursed under his breath. If this was true, it was a royal fuck up.

Neteyam watched his brother Lo’ak with a mixture of concern and exasperation. "You couldn’t behave just once, Lo’ak?" he chided, knowing full well that his brother's recklessness was about to land him in trouble.

Neteyam dreaded the inevitable lecture that their father Jake would give to Lo'ak when he found out about his latest misadventure. He wished his brother would listen to reason and understand how much he was trying to look out for him.

Meanwhile, Lo'ak stood with pursed lips, lost in thought as he tried to figure out how to salvage the situation. He had taken a risk and wasn't sure if it had paid off. If worse came to worst, he could always resort to a bribe to buy Tuk’s silence, but he was unsure of what he could offer that would be persuasive enough.

Before he could dwell on it further, their attention was diverted by the arrival of their father, Jake, their mother, Neytiri, Tonowari, and Ronal. Lo'ak quickly mouthed to his brother that he would fill him in on what he had been planning later before turning his focus to the front.

Tonowari took a deep breath before speaking. "Ronal and I have agreed to stay behind and watch over those who remain," he announced, turning to Jake. "Neytiri and Jake will come with you."

Jake bowed his head slowly to Tonowari and then addressed the assembled warriors. "You are proven warriors, Eywa sees you... I see you. But this is not our land," he reminded them. Jake's eyes scanned the group, pleased to see that they were taking the situation seriously. "If we go out there, chances are we could encounter more enemies. I don't want another battle, so follow my orders and stay close."

The warriors cheered and shouted, psyching themselves up for what lay ahead. But Jake quickly silenced them. "Za’u [Come], we move on foot," he declared, taking his bow from Neytiri, who secured hers on her back. Together, they set out in the same direction that Lo'ak had been rescued from, with the other warriors following close behind.

Lo'ak couldn't help but silently hope that he would get another chance to see you again, hopefully while the sun was still up. The night made it difficult, and he didn't want to miss anything.

He simply wanted the chance to talk to you, no matter what you were. Your first encounter didn't go smoothly, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something special about you. The only issue was that he wasn't traveling alone.

His mind raced, trying to come up with a solution in case the impossible became possible. He knew that it was definitely possible to see you again because you looked like the impossible. Although he was aware that Na'vi could look different depending on where they lived, you were unlike any Na'vi he had encountered before. He knew that you were not just Na'vi.

Lo'ak was tempted to tell Neteyam about meeting you, maybe even his parents because they had the right to know that they weren't alone. However, he didn't like the idea very much after thinking long and hard as he followed closely behind his brother.

He knew that they would immediately see you as a threat, the same regrettable mistake he had made. If that were to happen, you might never show yourself to him again, knowing that you were being targeted.

He couldn't risk it. He liked the fact that only he knew about something amazing out there, his little secret — well, your little secret too, when it came to him. He wondered if your people were close by, and if they knew of their existence as well. Maybe he should be concerned about that, but he couldn't bring himself to worry.

Lo'ak paused his thoughts, blinking back into reality when he saw Neteyam stop in his tracks, crouching low with alertness. Lo'ak cursed himself for not paying attention to his surroundings as he had been absentmindedly following his brother in the forest.

“Why’d we sto—“

Neteyam cut him off in a hushed tone, “Quiet,” he looked over to his right to his father, who held his hand up in a fist. They locked eyes, exchanging nods in silent understanding. Neteyam was sure that he heard something, and he wasn't the only one.

Neteyam gestured towards his ears and mouth, silently instructing Lo’ak to listen carefully and keep quiet. Lo’ak obeyed, trying his best to tune out the pounding of his own heart as he strained to hear any sounds. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was out there, or maybe someone.

His mind wandered again, entertaining the possibility that it could be you. His throat went dry as he tried to focus. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before he finally picked up a sound. He turned his head in the direction of the noise, but all he heard was the rustling of leaves from the wind.

He grunted in annoyance, about to give up when he heard a grunt back. It was so close a grunt that he mistook it for Neteyam. However, a shake of the head from his brother indicated that it wasn’t him. Lo’ak’s heart raced as he realized that there was indeed something out here, just two hours into their journey.

No one else made a move to do anything. Everyone was frozen with held breaths but Lo’ak wasn’t. He grunted once again, then waits. Just to make sure he really heard it. It took a minute before he heard it back, he snaps his eyes to Neteyam, his blown wide in shock.

Neteyam looked at him with narrowed eyes, but Lo’ak didn’t hesitate, “Did you hear that too?” he whispered, a tad louder than before. He looked back towards the bushes where the noise was coming from, "I'm gonna go check it out," he warned Neteyam, approaching the bush cautiously.

Neteyam hurried behind Lo'ak, attempting to stop him from uncovering what was making the noise ahead. But Lo'ak was quick and peeled back the leaves to reveal a baby animal, similar to a Prolemuris, but with its own unique features.

Lo'ak reached down to pick it up, and the creature grunted again, but made no move to struggle. It had four arms, four eyes, and bluish-purple skin, and Lo'ak couldn't help but coo at the little thing.

Neteyam's grip tightened on Lo'ak's left shoulder, and he practically growled at him, panic in his voice, "Put it down!"

Lo'ak smiled, trying to reassure his brother that everything was okay. "Relax, bro! It's just a baby."

Movement to their right caught their attention, and Lo'ak's ears fell when he saw his father looking at him with a mixture of disappointment and fear, "Your brother’s right...put it back," Jake said, motioning for Lo'ak to return the animal to where he found it.

Lo'ak opened his mouth to argue, but Jake cut him off with a stern shake of his head, "No. Where there's a baby, there's a mother," he warned.

Neteyam nodded in agreement, and as if on cue, a deep growl rumbled from above, causing the three Sullys to freeze. Adrenaline seeped through their veins, kicking their flight or fight response into high gear.

Ever so slowly, they looked up, cursing together when they saw a larger version of the baby animal perched in the tree above them. It was far more terrifying and less cute than its baby counterpart, its tail swishing menacingly slowly behind it.

"Slowly put it down. Gently," Jake ordered, his eyes locked on the animal in the tree.

Lo'ak didn’t have the be told twice this time. He acted swiftly and deliberately, with a deep sense of caution as he carefully lowered the baby back into the bush. His heart was racing, and his breaths came in shallow gasps as he tried to remain calm and focused. His eyes darted back and forth between the mother and the child, ensuring that he did not lose sight of either of them, nor let his guard down for a moment.

Jake's voice broke through the tension, urging Lo'ak and Neteyam to back away slowly, "Ok. Good," he started, "Now back up. Do. Not. Run." He emphasized the last three words slowly, his tone laced with concern as he waited for the two boys to move away from the scene. All the while, he kept a watchful eye on the mother animal, determined not to lose track of her movements.

As Lo'ak and Neteyam retreated to a safe distance, Jake began to back away himself. However, his movements caught the attention of the mother animal, who lifted her head and fixed her eyes on him. The animal bared her teeth, revealing sharp, menacing fangs, and sniffed the air, grunting loudly.

Jake's heart sank as he realized that the situation was about to take a dangerous turn. He hoped he was mistaken, but his suspicions were confirmed when he heard a series of grunts and growls in the distance.

Turning to the warriors, he urgently gestured for them to run, "Run!" he shouted, his voice rising in panic. "Run!" he repeated, even louder this time, shaking the warriors into full gear. They started running, all going in the same direction at first. It’s when they looked behind him where all hell broke loose.

A group of over a dozen adult versions of the baby animal came charging towards them at an incredible speed, looking passive-aggressive as they tumbled over each other in their haste to reach their targets.

The Na’vi gasped in shock at the sight of them and stumbled over their own feet, discombobulated and unsure of what to do. They all started heading in different directions, desperately trying to get away from the charging animals.

Amidst the chaos, Jake spotted Neytiri a few feet away and quickly made his way towards her, his heart pounding in his chest, "The boys, where are they?" he asked urgently, scanning the area around them.

Neytiri hissed in frustration as she heard his question, "They must have gone in another direction," she replied, her eyes darting around as she tried to locate them, "We must find them!"

Cursing under his breath, Jake nodded in agreement, "We will," he said, determination in his voice, "But for now, we need to get somewhere safe," he added, glancing ahead to assess their surroundings and identify the safest path to take.

Lo’ak and Neteyam were sprinting through the dense forest, their chests heaving with exhaustion as they desperately tried to outrun the trail of enraged animals that were hot on their heels. Despite their fear and fatigue, they did not dare to slow down or look back, as they knew the animals would catch them in an instant if they did.

The other warriors they had been with had split off in different directions, which was a reckless move, but there was nothing Lo’ak and Neteyam could do about it now. They had to focus on their own survival and keep pushing forward.

The thudding of the animals' paws echoed through the forest, growing louder and closer by the second. Lo'ak and Neteyam could feel their anger and hunger, mostly directed towards Lo'ak for his involvement with the baby, but they both knew that being caught by them would mean certain death.

They ran until their legs felt like they were on fire, until they couldn't run anymore. Finally, the sounds of the animals chasing them began to fade away, giving them a moment of respite. They stumbled into a small clearing, hoping to find a way out, only to be met with the sound of rushing water. As they approached the edge of the stream, they realized it led to a waterfall with a terrifying drop.

Lo'ak turned to Neteyam, his chest still heaving with exertion, "We have to jump," he said, his voice low and urgent. He knew it was a dangerous move, but it was their only chance to escape the pursuing animals. "We have to."

Neteyam immediately shakes his head, stepping back from the edge, his eyes scanning the surroundings frantically for another way out, “No way. Find another way,” he insists, his voice laced with panic. The drop was… Eywa no way.

“There isn’t another way! They’re catching up,” Lo’ak pleaded with his brother, looking back and gasped in surprise as he saw Ao'nung and Roxto running their way with the pack of enraged animals hot on their heels.

Neteyam looked behind him and realized that Lo'ak was right. With a curse, he pulled Lo'ak closer to him, ready to take the leap, but before they could jump, they were toppled over by Ao'nung and Roxto, who had body-slammed into them with great force.

The force of the water at the length of the fall is tremendous, knocking them all unconscious on impact. The current carries them downstream, the water pounding against their bodies as they tumble along.

Things to know

Ao’nung is unmated. He doesn’t strike me as the type to settle down quickly. He actually takes that pretty serious given who his dad was.

Y’know why Lo’ak isn’t with Tsireya, but what about Neteyam. Well, Nete isn’t mated yet, even though he has plenty of offers before and especially after his war wound but he’s too focused on trying to get his dad to see him as anything other than disabled.

Yes, Jake was disabled before. He hasn’t forgotten what it felt like but it’s hard on him to see his son in similar shoes. He doesn’t want to limit him… he just doesn’t want him to suffer more due to another accident.

That loss of a friend in the prologue, if you haven’t guessed… it’s spider. I don’t hate him, I just strongly dislike him saving Quaritch. I understand why, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

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[thenightcallsme]

ATWOW | Neteyam Sully, pt. 2

"Every hiss and yell is echoed by the cries of Tuk. She calls to her sister in heart-breaking anguish, who begs her to remain calm. Nobody is calm."

Synopsis: An experiment to improve the Avatars as a child who managed to escape lab confinements and seek refuge among the Ometikayan clan, you are a nobody. You have no family name, no natural ties to the land of Pandora, yet the Sully's took you in. Life could not be the same without them, so when they are forced to leave to protect the clan, fate settles in, and you find yourself journeying alongside them in search of the foreign lands and ways of the Metkayina Clan. Threats of the sky people grow closer every day. Not only is everything you know tested by their advances but by the relationship you have with Jake Sully's oldest son. ...Neteyam.

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Ometikaya OC (Gi'anya, or Gi for short)

Contains: established OC POV, mild violence, crude language

Word count: 4,757

find the rest of the chapters in my masterlist here :)

• • • • •

In fleeting moments, amidst the chaos that has been a year dictated by intergalactic war, I find peace among nature. Pandora’s landscapes never cease to amaze me despite never knowing anything else. Today is one of those fleeting moments. Jake, Neytiri and Neteyam have left on a routine scouting mission, leaving Me, Kiri, Lo’ak Spider and Tuk to entertain ourselves. Not much is expected at High Camp today, so instead of the usual supply gathering and children watching, we take off into the floating islands.

The five of us scale a network of interlocking roots connecting the islands. Whispy clouds snake over the green landscape below, ascending between the suspended masses of rock. Shadows from the larger islands above cast abstract shadows over the forest. In the distance, swarms of birds and untamed Ikrans alike weave through trees and dangling roots, carefree in their nature.

Spider leaps over a lap in the root path, careful not to slip on the lush plant life. Being human, he is incapable of the many athletic feats we Na’vi can achieve, but Spider is an enigma for his species. Growing up alongside us has taught him better agility and reflexes than humanity could teach him. Their dependence on machinery had doomed them. Spider was not like them. As he makes the jump, he cuts off Lo’ak, who laughs, impressed.

“Go, monkey boy, go!” Kiri calls.

“Guy’s wait up!” Tuktirey whines.

I’m unsure of where we are heading. It is not unusual for us to explore the forests of Pandora, but usually, we are exploring together. This time, Lo’ak has enticed us with a vague proposition. You have to see this, at least once. Just once. I was both intrigued and off-put by his persuasions, but upon the other’s interest, I decided to join anyway. Knowing Lo’ak, someone had to be there to ease the blame if he did something stupid, and being the oldest out of us five, who better than me?

After finding our way to the ground, Lo’ak leads us through a dizzying maze of trees and plants. Following his lead, we cross a fallen tree across a small river cutting through the rich soil, only wide enough to allow single file. Fluffy mosses carpet the bark, indicating it had fallen a long time ago. Tuk comes to a stop in front of me. She pants as she crouches down beside a large plant in the height of its bloom. Blue tendrils sprout unfurling pink petals. With a giggle, she runs her small fingers through the tendrils, which come to life and adhere to her skin. I give her a light tickle on her back and whisper for her to continue, though it’s not before Lo’ak notices the distraction.

“Tuk! Keep up!” her big brother urges, throwing his arms wide in exasperation.

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, okay.”

“Bro, why’d you bring her anyway?” Spider questions.

Lo’ak, with a shrug of his shoulders, comes to a stop. “She’s such a crybaby. She’s all, ‘I’m telling. You’re not supposed to go to the battlefield, I’ll tell Mom if you don’t let me come.’” 

“The battlefield?” I repeat in disbelief. “Lo’ak.”

Lo’ak gives me a deadpan stare as if to seem unbothered, but the way his ears twitch downwards gives him away to his guilt. “Yeah, so?”

“So? Your dad would skin us, and I don’t feel like testing him now of all times.” I sigh.

“Oh, come on, what happened to the unbothered you?” Lo’ak counters. “Neteyam is rubbing off on you too much.”

I purse my lips. The jab is lighthearted, but sometimes I wonder the same. In my youth, I was reckless. In fact, sometimes Lo’ak is so alike me, I wonder if I’m looking at a walking catalogue of my past mistakes. On the day that the sky people returned, my mindset sobered. I had become so comfortable in my life without them, too comfortable that, upon their return, an anxiety I did not know I had buried deep down resurged. I’ve spent every day since living on edge. My influence is not great in our clan, but if even the smallest thing I can do helps towards defeating them, Eywa knew I would do it tenfold. 

But she also knew that I missed being carefree.

At my silence, Lo’ak’s tone loses the hard, defensive edge. “You’re not going to turn around, are you?”

“And miss out on seeing the battlefield when I’m this close?”

A smile that is not short of relieved pricks at the corners of his mouth. “That’s what I like to hear.”

It only takes two more minutes of weaving through the jungle before Lo’ak comes to a halt, turning to face us with a proud grin. With a flourish of his arms, he points to the canopy above. Spider whistles in morbid amazement.

Suspended by the embrace of gnarled vines is an old hovercraft. The glass of the front windshield is caved in, the remaining jagged edges coated in grime and fallen leaves. Old designs are overshadowed by the flora that attempts to reclaim the hunk of metal. Rays of pale sunlight shine between the four turbine rotors on either side. From the base of the tree that the vines hang from are great, protruding roots. The arched formation allows us to reach the vines and climb. Lo’ak takes the lead and scales a rather thick one and hangs from the rail. As he does so, Kiri dismisses herself, more interested in the plant life than the ghosts of Pandora’s past.

“Are there any dead bodies up there?” Tuk asks.

Lo’ak peers into the craft, leaning out to say, “Just one skeleton in the pilot seat. The rest must have been cleared out a long time ago by the animals.”

I climb up the vine and tentatively place one foot inside the haul. The rusted metal groans in protest but holds. Satisfied, I swoop through the frame, but not without warning the other two to be careful.

Inside the metal frame of the craft are worn seats charred from an engine fire years ago. Equipment and leaves are scattered throughout and glass sprinkles the floor where windows have smashed. Lo’ak has found himself in the cockpit, sitting in the empty seat and pressing the unresponsive buttons. The array of electronics is confusing to him but makes some sense to me. In my days living with the human scientists, they taught me how to operate machinery—on a smaller scale, obviously. But there were many times when I found myself in the hauls of these things, pestering the co-pilots on its inner workings. 

The human’s ability to guide and command the craft mesmerised me. Hours of my childhood were spent inspecting the way their small fingers glided across the panels and eased the yoke, memorising the use of each one. Over the years, that information has faded, but some of it was still there.

“I haven’t been in one of these things since I was a kid…” I murmur.

Lo’ak is initially confused, then… “I didn’t mean to—”

I shake my head, cutting him off. “No, it’s fine. I had happier memories when flying.”

“Did you fly one?” Tuk asks as she peers around my leg, examining the yellowed bones of the past pilot. 

“I wish. No, but the controls make sense to me. If it still worked, first…” I reach over the pile of bones and flip a switch on the overhead controls. Unsurprisingly, the craft isn’t responsive. “…fuel cock is on. Then the ignition is turned off aaaand the throttle needs to be at about a half…” The throttle, which is found between the seats, is a trouble to move. My fingers then glide across the control panel, picking out the buttons and switches I can remember. As I do so, I mumble beneath my breath the order of startup. “Then the propeller speed lever is set forward, supercharge witched to auto… now ignition foes on—oh, wait, the carburettor air intake filter is closed before that.”

As I ramble, the three watch with interest. Most notable is Lo’ak, who watches my every move carefully as if I’m meant to instruct him. Spider seems indifferent and Tuk is half interested in the view from the shattered windshield than aircraft nonsense despite being the one to ask.

I end my display by releasing the booster-coil button and screwing down the primer pump. “And now you have a running Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson.”

“Impressive,” Lo’ak says. “You reckon you could fly one?”

I just shrug. “I could keep it airborne longer than you could.”

He makes a face as if the very reasonable answer is a challenge. Tuk brushes past me to examine the unintelligible jumble of controls.

“Hey, what does this—”

As Tuk reaches for an enticing red button, my drops and I pull her away without a second thought. “Maybe not that one, huh?”

She frowns. “Why?”

“It’s the release for the cluster bombs.”

“But it can’t do anything—the thing can’t even start.”

“I know, it’s just…” I shake my head. “After years of being unexploded the detonators and charge deteriorate and they get more sensitive. There’s no research on how our environment speeds or slows the process, so we need to be extremely careful. In fact, I think we’re done here.”

Lo’ak rolls his eyes and jumps to his feet. The craft sways. “Come on, Gi, don’t be boring.”

“She has a point,” Spider counters. I give him a look of thanks before turning back to Lo’ak with a ‘see?’.

“I’m bored anyway. Can we find something else?” Tuk asks.

Exasperated, Lo’aks only answer is to shoo her towards the exit, which we climb down one by one. Beyond the thick canopy, the brightness of the blue sky has dimmed into a haze. Midday is nearing; so is the eclipse. I chew at my lower lip in restlessness. There’s no time to find something else because we’re always supposed to be home by eclipse. Even leaving now would be cutting it short.

Our one problem is that Kiri is nowhere to be found. I’m not worried that she’s gone far, but the tightly packed plant life makes it exceptionally hard to find things. Spider and Lo’ak have clashing ideas of where she went and decide to split up. Spider and I go one way while the other two go their own. I hum softly as I follow the human boy through outstretched branches and leaves. Lively tendrils from those explosions of pink flowers suction to my legs, arms and tail as I push through, enticing me to sink into the fertile soils and lush foliage. No wonder Kiri would rather waste her time connecting with life rather than dwelling on the spoils of the past. 

“Kiri?” Spider calls out, his voice slightly muffled from the oxygen mask. He pushes past a ridiculously huge leaf that hangs down from a spindly tree. He calls her name once more, stops, comes to attention, and then advances with purpose. He’s found her.

Laying in the confinements of a quiet clearing is Kiri, curled up on the grass. The pink-tipped, leafy fingers sprouting from the ground sway around her unnaturally—there’s no breeze this deep in the forest. Instead, the grass sways in ripples around her, as if she was the source of a breeze. Woodsprites drift around her, shimmery and iridescent in the fading sun. The sight would, on some occasions, be strange—the seeds were far from the Tree of Souls. Kiri, however, seems to attract them as if she were the tree herself.

Spider drops to her side and shakes at her shoulder, repeating her name. When she doesn’t wake at first, I step forward and stroke her hair from her face in worry. With an exceptionally strong shake, Kiri is finally pulled from her deep sleep. She brings herself up with heavy breathes. You’d think she just ran a marathon.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

She lowers her gaze. “I was doing that…thing again, wasn’t I?”

Spider gently brushes away a sprite that drifts before him. “Yeah, you were.”

“Kiri?”

“Kiri!”

Lo’ak and Tuk’s distant voices reach the clearing. Soon after, they become visible. They both usher us over hurridly and we are quick to comply. The dimming sun sets me on edge the closer it reaches the obscuring planet. Our pace is rushed as we make our way back to High Camp. Although, we don’t reach the ascent to the flying mountains before Lo’ak comes to a sudden stop.

“What is it?” Kiri asks.

Wordless, he leaps down from the snaking roots and onto the forest floor, coming to a crouch to examine something in the soil. Spider follows suit. Nervous at the time that is being wasted, Tuk starts to pace, reciting how much trouble we’d face coming home after the eclipse.

“It’s way too big for a human,” Lo’ak murmurs to Spider.

The comment piques my interest. Pressed into the damp is a large footprint, as Lo’ak said, too big to be human. Not only that but there are no markings of the four or five toes from the Na’vi and Avatar. Instead, the imprint is shaped to resemble the sole of a shoe. Native Na’vi didn’t wear shoes. Those who did were Avatars, and even then, most of the Avatars we knew had adopted the lifestyle down to the clothes.

“Avatars?” Spider voices the shared thought.

Lo’ak purses his lips and surveys the surrounding bush. “Maybe. But they’re for sure not ours.”

Then, wordlessly and in sync as if their ideas were telepathically shared, Spider and Lo’ak rise, carefully creeping forward. Each footstep falls in tandem. Us three girls stand to follow. Kiri tilts her head in confusion.

“What are you doing?” She asks, only to be shushed by her brother.

“We’re tracking.”

Silently, we follow the two off the root path and into a thick underbrush. The ease I’d felt on this day off has vanished, replaced by a heavy, sickening feeling in my stomach. Every sense has suddenly heightened; the smallest rustle of a leaf in the wind has my ears perking up and swivelling in its direction. I find myself with my hands hovering at my sides tensely as if ready to fight. But fight what, I’m not sure. All I know is that instinct is there.

Ahead, the boys slow at a break in the thick foliage, stopping short of a dense fern. The five of us peer through the leaves and at a clearing beyond, greenery illuminated by the blinding, but still dying, sunlight. Swallowed by the roots of a budding tree is a train car looking piece of modified metal. Beneath rust and moss and fungi, the shapes of windows and a door are briefly visible. I can’t get a good enough look, my vision obscured by a towering blue figure sporting human clothing and human weapons.

An Avatar. One unlike those I knew.

It was undoubtably a male. His closely cropped, dark hair fades into the long braided queue protruding from the base of his skull—a trait of the Avatars, unlike the queues from the top of a Na’vi’s skull. His clothes are that of human military; a tactical vest over a khaki tank top, camo trousers tucked into combat boots and a black throat mic. In his hands was a hefty gun at the ready. A second was strapped to his thigh. No doubt his person was riddled with weapons. 

As the Avatar approaches the cart, three more follow; two males and a female. Tattoos, human clothes and human weapons are adorned by the Avatars. None of them are our own…instead belong to the sky people who reinvaded Pandora a year ago.

“We are never supposed to come here,” Kiri whispers to her brother. “Dad is going to ground you.”

Lo’ak shushes her. “Can you stop?”

“For life.”

Lo’ak ignores her, instead nudging at Spider. “Bro, we’ve got to check this out.”

Despite my appaled look and hissed, “Absolutely not,” the two breeze past me as if I was nothing but a thought. I hang back with bated breath and a racing mind as the two advance, bows in hand. Being the oldest here, every mistake they make will fall on my shoulders. Just being her is enough to earn me a piece of Jake’s mind. You should know better. I can already hear the scolding echoing in the distance as if the future was calling to me. A warning. And yet here I am, frozen and afraid to cause a scene as Spider and Lo’ak close in on the Avatars. Kiri gives my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. There is nothing we can do.

Up ahead, the two linger behind the overgrowth of a fallen tree. They lean in, sharing whispers I cannot hear as one of the skinhead Avatar enters the metal shed. The female leans through a broken window to watch. After a few minutes, he exits and motions to another Avatar sporting a pair of sun visors. The deepness of his voice reaches my ears and hints at an accent similar to Jake’s, but his words are incomprehensible.

Relief relaxes the tension in my shoulders when Spider and Lo’ak retreat back to the bush, silent and unnoticed. Lo’ak’s hand hovers over his throat mic. There’s a second of hesitation as he shares a look with his human friend, and after a long, regretful sigh, he presses the mic.

“Devil Dog, Devil Dog, this is Eagle Eye, over.” There’s a faint hum from his earpiece as someone responds. “I’ve got eyes on some guys. They look like Avatars, but they’re in full camo and carrying ARs. There’s six of them. Over.”

There’s a second of pause as he listens to the response. He scrunches his face as he prepares to answer.

“Um… We’re at the old shack.” Another pause. “Me, Spider, Kiri, Gi…and…and Tuk.”

Spider grimaces. So do I. Now we’re all in trouble.

“Yes, Sir, we’re moving out.”

Lo’ak rises as he gives his final answer. The rest of us follow, taking no time to retreat as quickly and quietly as possible. Once enough brush is passed, we rise from our crouches and move at a faster pace through the forest. Tuk races a few steps ahead.

“You’re going to be in so much trouble,” Kiri says snidely.

“Shh, Kiri, stop.”

I shoot the both of them a look. “If anyone’s getting in trouble here, it’s me! I’m supposed to be responsible for you lot, and I let one thing slide, just one—”

“Guys,” Tuk interjects, swivelling to walk backwards. “Come on, it’s almost eclipse.”

I’m only half paying attention to what she’s saying, frowning as that uneasy feeling returns in full swing. It has lingered since discovering the enemy Avatars, but now my fight or flight senses are screaming at me. My gaze wanders ahead of Tuk in sudden fear. A shadow of blue catches my attention, visible and then not within a second, but enough to confirm my fear.

But it’s not in time to warn Tuk.

From behind the trunk of an ancient tree, an Avatar springs from hiding. Tuk is tackled into her grip. She screams and everything erupts into chaos.

The four of us snap into offence and from a line, Lo’ak and Spider drawing back armed bows with snarls and me brandishing my obsidian blade. If it were just us four against one Avatar, I would have no reluctance to launch forward and sever her head from her neck. When four more Avatars emerge from hiding armed to the teeth with alien weapons, I instead remain still, knowing better. Lo’ak and Spider share my concern. That doesn’t stop us from raising our weapons.

Loaded ARs are trained at our heads. In broken Na’vi, the Avatars shout at us to lower our weapons. For a moment we are all at a standstill, screaming at each other with weapons drawn. But we are at a disadvantage. The humans possess adult Avatar bodies, tall and packed with muscle, brandishing automatic weapons that would riddle us with bullets before a single arrow could land. The fight is unfair. With Tuk in their hold, it’s not a fight worth attempting.

“Put it down, or I’ll shoot you!” One of the males yells at me

With a toothy snarl to mask my fear, I slowly lower the blade, drop it to the ground, and then raise my palms in submission. Lo’ak is next to heed their words and urges Spider to do the same. The second his bow meets the grass, the Avatars are moving, launching at us with vice-like grips void of any kindness. A substantially large male takes my wrists in his hands. I cry out as his knee slams into the back of my thigh, forcing me to the ground and switching both wrists to one hand so he can grab my queue. Pain seers through my skull as he squeezes. Every hiss and yell is echoed by the cries of Tuk. She calls to her sister in heart-breaking anguish, who begs her to remain calm.

Nobody is calm.

“Nobody fight back,” I remind the others at the sight of Spider’s exceptional struggle. “Do as they say.”

The Avatar holding me gives my wrists an unnecessary shake, taking the rest of my body with the movement. I slam into his back. “Shut up and don’t move!”

With a proud and purposeful stride, the skinhead slowly makes his way through the circle of captives. His gun remains at the ready. “What have we here?”

Another Avatar comes behind me, taking one of my hands from his companion’s hold. He stretches out my arm with unnecessary strength and spreads my fingers. He then reaches for Kiri with his free arm to do the same. 

“Hey, Colonel, look,” he says in their language, “check it out. Four fingers. We got half-breeds.”

With nothing more than a thoughtful nod, the Colonel makes his way towards Lo’ak. “Show me your fingers.”

Slowly, Lo’ak brings his hands forward, uncurling his clenched fists to wave taunting middle fingers in his face. The Colonel only smiles.

“You’re his, aren’t you?” Jake’s. There’s no mistaking who he means. Lo’ak snarls, causing his grin to widen. “Oh, you’re his, alright.” The male holding Lo’ak steps back, allowing his Colonel to grab Lo’ak’s queue. He’s forced to stand beneath the pressure, groaning in pain. “Where is he?”

“Sorry, I don’t speak English…” Lo’ak says slowly in Na’vi despite knowing their language. “To assholes.”

He snarls and shakes Lo’ak, replying in butchered Na’vi. “Where is your father?”

A gut-churning cry of pain is urged from Lo’ak as the stranger Avatar clenches his queue harder. His knees buckle slightly beneath him. Kiri’s lip quivers at the sight. Tuk cries harder. Despite the look of pain etched into his face, he does not yield to the stranger. Brave. Stubbornly brave. It irks to Colonel, evidently so in the quiver of his upper lip into a short-lived snarl.

“Really? You want to play it this way?”

He unsheaths a blade and everything is thrown into chaos.

“Stop!” I blurt out. “Enough! We have done nothing for you to attack us like this! Do you not have any courtesy?!”

The Colonel’s head swivels so fast in my direction you would think it would fly right off. His grip loosens on Lo’ak and the blade lowers. “What.”

I scowl. “You heard me.”

“Oh, I heard you alright. I hear you perfectly.” His attention is entirely divided. It’s enough to have him stepping away from Lo’ak and in my direction. “You speak English very well.”

“It’s my first language,” I murmur.

He hums in some sort of agreement. “I can hear it in your accent. Impressive. Why don’t you tell me, instead…”

Knife still drawn, the Colonel approached me with interest glinting in his otherwise emotionless eyes. There’s something incredibly offputing about this Avatar. I’ve seen many before, but none of them carry themselves like he does. Otherworldy is the first word to come to mind, and of course, he is from another world, but it’s not admirable or captivating. It’s terrifying. 

“Where is your father?”

I simply shrug. “Who knows? I never met him.”

He snarls. “Don’t play games with me, girl.”

“I’m not lying!” My voice rises when his knife nears. “I was a lab experiment!”

His knife lowers. Thankfully, he believes me. “Project Hawk, huh? I didn’t know anyone survived that fiasco. Fine then, you’re no use to me.”

Without a second thought, the Colonel seizes me, spinning my body so that my back is pressed to his armoured torso. A muscular arm locks around my neck. Any more morsels of strength and my windpipe would begin to close. My breathing hardens and I beg in protest as another Avatar takes my two wrists and binds them crudely with strange electric cuffs. The hard edges rub my skin raw. Satisfied with my immobilisation, I’m spun to face the Sully’s. Tuk wails and the others watch with wide, horrified eyes as a knife is held at the ready against my stomach. A noise escapes me in fear.

“Don’t fight back,” Kiri begs quietly. “We just need some time.”

“Don’t hurt her!” Spider demands.

The Colonel walks me towards Spider in order to address him. “What’s you’re name, kid?”

I share a look with Spider. He’s uncertain. I simply nod. Buy time. I mouth the words. The vague movement of my lips registers, and without further instructions, Spider speaks.

“Spider,” he answers breathlessly. “Soccoro.”

I feel the Colonel’s breath pause. “Miles?”

“Nobody calls me that.”

“Well, I’ll be damned…” he murmurs. “I figured they sent you back to Earth.”

“Can’t put babies in cryo, dipshit.”

There’s a moment of silence as the two stare each other down. It’s less challenging and more…unsure. The Colonel knows who Spider is and from the confusion beneath a fogged oxygen mask, the familiarity is not mutual. Rightfully so; I’ve never seen these Avatars in my life.

“What are we doin’, boss?”

The question from Spider’s captor is only answered by a silent, emotionless glance as the Colonel is pulled from his far-away stare. Instead, he reaches for his throat mic, speaking codenames to someone none of us can see. He waits patiently for a callback. The conversation that entails is not surprising, but my heart sinks nonetheless.

“We are standing by for extract, over. Be advised, we’re bringing in high value prisoners.”

The Sully’s and I share worried looks. Our time was being cut extremely short, and with our help also on the way, there was no telling who was going to get here first—the sky people or Jake. 

The Colonel and the rest of his Avatars promptly bind the others with handcuffs and drag us carelessly through the jungle and back to the battlefield. It’s swarming with more Avatars than I was aware of. Upon direct orders, our feet are swept from beneath us, knees forced into the dewy grass. No amount of pleading even amounts to a more comfortable position. My knees quickly begin to ache. 

Fear settles in the longer we wait. The more I try talking to the Colonel, the less impressed he is with my fluid understanding and ability to speak English. Cold steel presses against the soft flesh of my stomach at my endless rambling.

“You shut it,” he hisses. “You’re English just made this a hell of a lot easier, and it would be a real shame if I had to reward your usefulness with a knife in your throat.”

“My throat?” I scoff. “You’re full of shit, you know.”

He hums. “Fine, you call my bluff. I need your throat. But your fingers? You could do with losing one. Call it a favour, perhaps, to help you blend in with the savages.”

I don’t talk after that. 

As the sun finally disappears behind the distant planet, the Colonel watches something on a tablet given to him by his comrade. It was a file extracted from the old mech body suit used to fight Jake many years ago. From the sounds of the Sully’s familiar voices and the cracking shatter of glass followed by dying wails, it’s the video file documenting Spider’s dad, Miles Quartich’s, last moments. The Colonel doesn’t speak as he watches the violence. Once the video finishes, the sun has entirely disappeared.

[atwowination]

2. The River of Divu

R/m : A little bit of info you need to know : Änee’ite is you, the River of Divu like many things in this novel are invented by me. Some characters are obviously not created by me so all credit to the creator. Thank you for all the love in the first part <3

In the morning, Jake got productive. He started by attempting to collect some food for his growling stomach but to no avail. He continued his walking journey with an empty stomach as he tried to keep a decent pace. He was quickly losing energy and his large body needed abundant food to function which he didn’t have. At some point, he stopped and laid on the floor, staring at the bright blue sky. His forehead was dripping sweat and his eyes were getting heavy. The absence of breeze irritated him as his body was scalding hot from the heat. Thankfully, two na’vi appeared on top of his resting body, staring him down.

“Lepay…” (Water) One of the few words that he learned. The men immediately understood and helped Jake up. One of them had a high ponytail and the other one a bun. Even Though he was barely conscious, Jake could still tell that they looked alike. They led him out of the forest and towards a source of water. Not long after, they had arrived at a pond where Jake kneeled down and splashed his face with the refreshing water. It was a boost of energy for sure, he thought. But, he still needed food.

“Where is food?” Jake spoke a few words in order to make them understand. The man with the bun stepped forward and put his hand on Jake’s shoulder.

“We understand you,” Jake let out a sigh of relief at the man’s words. He put his hand out to shake their hands and both of the na’vi reciprocated. Their names were Selkath and Kaüwi and after properly introducing themselves, they led Jake towards an open clearing that was surrounded by tall trees.

Kaüwi had gathered fruit for the three of them as they got comfortable at the edge of a hill. This gave them the full view of Pandora which stretched to the ocean. Although Jake questioned the safety of this location, the two assured him that it was their hangout spot and it was safe.

Jake had found out that Selkath and Kaüwi were blood brothers and had lost their parents during a human attack. Selkath had started telling stories about their tribe, while Kaüwi cut the fruit. He had recounted the arrival of the humans on their land and how pressured they had felt for decades to leave their home.

“We stood our ground many times without intentions of violence but they kept egging us on. At some point, we had enough.” The desperation was clear in Selkath’s voice.

“And you attacked them?” They both turned their heads to look at Sully.

“No. They attacked us first. They invaded our forest with their guns and threatened us to leave, and only then we turned to violence.” Kaüwi added, slightly raising his voice. Jake had been blinded and lied to. All these years, he had been told stories of how hostile and dangerous the Na’vi were to humans. Therefore, he assumed they were the ones that attacked first, the ones that initiated the war. But according to Kaüwi, it was the other way around.

“We just want to protect what's ours” Selkath stood up and threw his leftovers down the hill. Jake copied his actions and wiped the excess juices on his suit.

“Come with us,” Selkath signaled Jake to walk in front of them as a gesture of kindness which Sully happily did. They were taking Jake to their home so that he could get situated for the night. The sun was still shining bright as the two brothers took Jake on journeys with them.

They had taught him about weapons and about creatures, how to fly, how to run properly as he was still getting used to his body and finally they would show him the most beautiful places hidden in Pandora. Their last destination was the River of Divu which was a common place where Na’vi bathed. It was convenient for Jake who had not showered in a while and had started to smell his own body odor.

Once they had arrived, Jake was left with his mouth open. He had never seen so many Na’vi gathered in one area. They were occupying every rock or patch of grass that surrounded the river. Jake was mostly surprised by the structure of it. He had noticed that the river gets cut at some point towards the end. As they walked down the rock stairs next to the river, Jake noticed that where the river gets cut, it becomes a colossal waterfall that falls unto a gigantic pond.

The water is expectedly clean and there were tall trees enveloping it. It was a beautiful sight, Jake thought as he was now standing next to the waterfall on a slippery rock.

“Now this is tricky. You have to dive into the waterfall but you also have to not slip. Can you handle it, ‘evi?” (kid) Jake was staring down at the waterfall, amazed at its height as he mentally prepared himself.

“I can’t ever be ready for this” The two brothers chuckled as they mocked him for his fright.

“Little chicken boy is scared of heights”

“Yeah, laugh it up asses” he responded to Selkath as Kaüwi gave him a smack on the back.

“It’s easy bro, look.” He took one long leap and dived into the water, and soon enough his brother joined him.

Now, Jake was stuck on top of the waterfall, his heartbeat moving at an inhumane pace.

“It’s just water, Jake. You are fine.” He gave himself a slap on the cheek and hesitated before diving into the waterfall. He had closed his eyes and was holding tight to his chest as he felt the cold water hit his face. His hands cut the water as he dove into the pond. He took his time coming back up as he enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the water caressing his body.

When he finally came up, the two brothers had already dispersed talking to a random bunch of women. Jake smiled at their ignorance and swam around, waving at people. They thought he was strange for waving at them as the Na’vi were all familiar with each other. He had ignored the stares from all around him as he continued swimming.

Jake had noticed a small path through the water that led him to the beautiful view of the sunset. It was so high up, the forest trees from below the pond were not tall enough to hide the view. He had spotted a woman at the edge of the water with her hands on the grass and the rest of her body in the water.

He swam towards her calmly so as to not disturb her peace. Once he was next to her, the woman had detected his presence and turned her head to the side to get a look at him.

It was her.

The woman he had met before who had saved him was now staring back at him with her green eyes. Her eyes that were now wide open stared at his face.

She remembers me too..

“Hi,” He stupidly said. He was so dumbfounded by her that he could not form a proper sentence.

“Jake,” She spoke softly. He was surprised that she had remembered his name.

“Yes,” Jake smiled and stretched his hand under water for her to shake but instead, she turned her eyes back to the sunset. Jake, now embarrassed, lowered his hand and stared at her admiring the view.

“Who are you?” He spoke a little too loud to her and she shushed him, signaling him to whisper. Jake held his lips closed and waited for her answer.

“Änee’ite Aputayp Te Etawaa”

He stared at her once again, dumbfounded as he struggled to remember her long name.

“One more time but slower,” he chuckled and she obliged.

“Änee’ite. You can say Änee,” he smiled and nodded at her words.

“Änee. It is nice to meet you Änee,”

“You as well,” Jake was smiling proudly now that he had cracked her a little bit. She seemed stern but he was determined to loosen her up. His gaze fell back on the sun.

“It’s so beautiful,” he spoke. She hummed in agreement as they both swayed their legs in the water, backs turned to the rest of the tribe.

-

They remained there until the sun had been covered by the sea and the sky was getting dark. Throughout that time span, they had only exchanged a few words and they were all directed towards the sunset.

“We should not be here when it's dark,” Jake turned to her and she did the same.

“We will get pruny,” She slightly tilted her head sideways in confusion. Her eyebrows were furrowed.

“Pruny?” She asked him and he quickly realized she was not familiar with the word. Jake put his hand out and showed her the lines.

“It’s when your hand gets these squiggly lines.” He traced them showing her what he was talking about. She swam closer to him and stared down at his hand. She placed her fingers on the lines, tracing them as she felt his skin.

“Kawl ta’leng” (Hard skin) She commented and Jake nodded as if he understood.

“Kawl ta’leng” He could only repeat. She put her hand back in the water and looked back at the people in the distance. They were slowly starting to clear the area and she took it as a sign to swim back to her tribe.

“We should get out and not be pruny,” Jake chuckled at her using the word and she smiled back at him before dipping her head in the water. He let her swim towards the shore and soon after did the same, meeting Kaüwi and Selkath at a pile of rocks.

“It wasn’t so bad, was it brother,” Kaüwi spoke to Jake, referring to the dive.

“No, it wasn’t,” Selkath patted him on the back and swam towards the shore, Jake and Kaüwi following him. They walked towards the two brothers' home and thankfully arrived there dry. They had put down a makeshift bed for Jake next to the campfire and said their goodbyes before settling into their beds. Jake was resting his hand behind his head as he stared at the moon. Her being his only thought before closing his eyes.

Context : This is what the waterfall is supposed to look like

[zapreportsblog]

↳ a family of our own ↲

✭ pairing : kiri sully x na’vi fem reader

✭ fandom : avatar the way of water

✭ summary : kiri and (y/n) goes to some of the human scientists on pandora and asks them if they could be of services for helping them get pregnant by one another

✭ authors note : firstly how are you guys digging this new format? I find it kinda cute and I’ve been exploring different ways to add to my page and stories. So far I’m trying to find a format that just sticks with me, you know. But anyways kiri is older here let’s say early to mid 20’s, same can be said about you

✭ avatar the way of water masterlist

In the vibrant heart of Pandora's mystical landscape, where the intertwining vines reached for the sky and the forest hummed with life, the legacy of Jake Sully had continued to flourish. His daughter, Kiri, had grown up amidst the harmony of nature and the stories of her father's adventures among the Na'vi. She possessed the same spirit of adventure that had defined her father, her bright blue eyes reflecting the wonder of the world around her.

By the time Kiri had reached her teenage years, the threads of fate began to weave her life together with another. An arranged marriage had been set in motion, connecting her with a young Na'vi woman named (Y/N). Like Kiri, (Y/N) carried a sense of purpose and wisdom that belied her years. Their union, born of tradition and fate, had been marked when they were just fourteen cycles old.

Now, as they both stood on the cusp of adulthood in their early twenties, their bond had deepened beyond what anyone could have predicted. The ties that had bound them since childhood had grown into something profound and unbreakable, shaping their identities and guiding their futures.

Amidst the lush landscape, Kiri and (Y/N) stood beneath the towering trees. Sunlight danced through the leaves, casting a golden glow on their figures. Kiri's thoughts were as turbulent as the river's current, torn between the weight of tradition and the desires of her heart.

"(Y/N)," Kiri began tentatively, her voice carrying a mixture of anxiety and hope, "we've come so far together. Our lives have been intertwined since we were children, and now we're at a crossroads."

(Y/N) turned her gaze towards Kiri, her eyes reflecting the serenity of the forest around them. "Kiri, our lives have been shaped by the choices of those who came before us. But we also have the power to shape our own future."

Kiri nodded, her father's lessons echoing in her mind. Jake Sully had been an outsider who had become a part of the Na'vi, finding a home and family among them. His story had taught her that destiny could be molded through determination and love. She looked at (Y/N) with newfound resolve.

"(Y/N), you're right. Our bond is a testament to the strength of our connection. And just as my father embraced his destiny, we too can choose to embrace ours."

(Y/N) smiled warmly, understanding the weight of the decision they were about to make. "Kiri, let us not forget the love that has blossomed between us. If our hearts are aligned, then our path is clear."

As the sun began its descent, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Kiri and (Y/N) found themselves standing on the threshold of a new beginning. The forest seemed to hold its breath, honoring the significance of their choice. With hearts intertwined and a shared history of love and growth, they stepped forward, hand in hand.

Their journey was one that held both uncertainty and promise, a journey they were ready to embrace. As the echoes of their footsteps mingled with the symphony of nature, Kiri and (Y/N) were united by the strength of their love and the knowledge that the path they chose was uniquely their own.

The soft glow of twilight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm ambience within Kiri and (Y/N)'s cozy Na'vi hut. The aroma of the evening meal filled the air as the two sat across from each other at the wooden table, their eyes meeting in a familiar dance of affection and comfort.

Kiri picked at her food, the vibrant colors of the vegetables a stark contrast to her contemplative expression. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up at (Y/N). "You know, (Y/N), I've been thinking about our future."

(Y/N)'s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she put her utensils down, her attention fully on Kiri. "Our future? What's been on your mind?"

Kiri hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She took another breath and spoke softly, "Children. I've been thinking about bringing children into our lives."

A warm smile crossed (Y/N)'s lips, her eyes softening with affection. "Children would be a beautiful addition to our journey, Kiri. But, you know, given that we're both females, there's something we need to consider..."

Kiri nodded, her own smile tinged with understanding. "(Y/N), I've thought about that too. And while we might not be able to have children in the traditional sense, there are other ways we can build a family. Adoption is one option."

(Y/N)'s uncertainty seemed to melt away as she listened to Kiri's words. A mixture of relief and hope filled her gaze. "You'd be open to adoption?"

"Absolutely," Kiri replied earnestly. "Love doesn't have to be bound by blood. We can create a home filled with warmth, support, and a sense of belonging. And if there's one thing I've learned from my father's stories, it's that family is about the connections we choose to nurture."

(Y/N)'s eyes glistened with emotion, and she reached across the table to take Kiri's hand. "You're right, Kiri. Love is the foundation of family, and I want nothing more than to share that love with our children, however they come into our lives."

Kiri's heart swelled with affection as she squeezed (Y/N)'s hand. "I knew you'd understand. And together, we'll find a way to navigate this journey. Whether through adoption or other means, we'll build a family that's uniquely ours."

With a gentle smile, (Y/N) nodded in agreement. "I'm grateful to have you by my side, Kiri. Your unwavering support and love mean everything to me."

“But…what was the other option?” (Y/n) asked.

“I’m still working on that part,” laughs kiri.

As the evening breeze rustled the leaves outside, Kiri leaned across the table and planted a soft kiss on (Y/N)'s cheek. "Goodnight, (Y/N). Our journey to building a family has only just begun, and I can't wait to see where it takes us."

(Y/N)'s heart fluttered at Kiri's affectionate gesture. She returned the kiss with a warm smile. "Goodnight, Kiri. Here's to the future we're creating together."

As the moonlight cast its gentle glow upon their hut, Kiri and (Y/N) shared a moment filled with promise and love. With each passing day, they knew that their bond would continue to guide them, leading them down a path that was uniquely their own.

The next day, with the sun rising over Pandora's vibrant landscape, Kiri's determination was unshaken. She and (Y/N) walked together towards the human lab, a place that held both curiosity and apprehension for them. The colossal structures of the lab, known as "sky demons" to the Na'vi, loomed ahead.

As they entered the lab, Kiri's eyes scanned the bustling environment. She spotted a familiar face among the scientists—an older man with graying hair, reminiscent of her father's friend. A sense of nostalgia mixed with hope welled up within her.

"Dr. Anderson!" Kiri called out with a warm smile as they approached the scientist. "It's good to see you again."

Dr. Anderson turned from his work, his eyes lighting up as he recognized Kiri. "Well, if it isn't Jake's spirited daughter. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Kiri nodded, her smile bright. "It has. I hope you're doing well."

"Very well indeed," Dr. Anderson replied, his gaze shifting to (Y/N) with curiosity. "And who's this?"

"This is (Y/N)," Kiri introduced, her hand gently squeezing (Y/N)'s. "She's my partner and the love of my life."

Dr. Anderson extended his hand, a friendly smile on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). Jake always spoke fondly of Kiri. You must be something special."

(Y/N) shook his hand with a smile. "Thank you, Dr. Anderson. It's an honor to meet someone who knows Kiri's father."

Kiri's attention returned to Dr. Anderson as her expression grew more serious. "Dr. Anderson, I have a favor to ask. One that I hope you can help us with."

The scientist leaned back, intrigued. "You have my attention, Kiri. What can I assist you with?"

Kiri took a breath, her determination unwavering. "My wife and I want to start a family. We're willing to explore every option. But we'd like to try for a child, one that carries a part of both of us, if possible."

Dr. Anderson's brows furrowed in thought as he considered Kiri's request. "I understand your desire. Biologically, it's more complex for two females. However, with our advancements in genetic research and fertility treatments, it's not entirely impossible."

Kiri's eyes brightened with hope, but she was realistic. "I know it won't be easy. But we're willing to put in the effort and the time. We want to build a family that's connected to both of us."

Dr. Anderson nodded in agreement. "It will take time and perseverance. Successful results might take months. But with dedication and a bit of luck, there's a possibility we could achieve a successful pregnancy."

(Y/N) looked at Kiri, their eyes locked with shared determination. "We're willing to do whatever it takes."

Dr. Anderson smiled warmly. "Then let's begin this journey together, shall we?"

With gratitude and newfound resolve, Kiri and (Y/N) left the lab that day, their steps echoing with a renewed sense of purpose. The path they were embarking upon might be challenging, but their love and determination were unshakeable. As they faced the future hand in hand, they knew that their journey towards building a family was a journey of hope, connection, and the unwavering support of unexpected allies.

In the lush embrace of Pandora's verdant beauty, Kiri and (Y/N) embarked on a journey unlike any other. Their shared determination to create a family of their own fueled their days with hope and excitement. Dr. Anderson, a trusted ally, became their guiding light as they entered the realm of fertility treatments.

Month one saw the dawn of a new routine. Mornings began with the sunrise filtering through the trees, casting a warm glow upon their hut. Kiri and (Y/N) rose together, united in purpose, ready to face each day with resilience.

Their visits to the human lab became a regular occurrence. Dr. Anderson orchestrated an array of tests, mapping out a precise plan tailored to their unique situation. The scientific intricacies of the process unfolded before them, overwhelming at times, yet they pressed on with unwavering resolve.

Each day brought a new challenge. Kiri and (Y/N) found themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of medical jargon, tests, and treatments. Dr. Anderson, with his steady hand and reassuring presence, guided them through it all. Daily injections became a ritual, a symbolic gesture of their commitment to the journey ahead.

As the first month progressed, the forest around them seemed to mirror their journey. Vibrant buds blossomed into delicate flowers, symbolizing the potential growth within them. Kiri and (Y/N)'s connection deepened with each shared moment, their shared dreams anchoring them to each other and their future family.

With patience as their companion, they embraced the rollercoaster of emotions that accompanied the process. There were moments of anticipation and hope, intermingled with moments of uncertainty and doubt. Yet, the bond between Kiri and (Y/N) remained unbreakable, each challenge only strengthening their resolve to overcome.

Dr. Anderson's regular check-ins provided reassurance. His calm explanations and candid conversations helped them understand the complexities of the journey they were undertaking. His genuine care for their well-being resonated deeply, creating a sense of trust that helped alleviate their concerns.

As the days of month one turned into weeks, a rhythm began to emerge. Kiri and (Y/N) found solace in each other's presence, their shared experiences forging an unbreakable connection. The injections, once foreign and intimidating, became a shared endeavor, a symbol of their unity and unwavering love.

With each passing day, Kiri and (Y/N) carried their hopes and dreams forward, embracing the challenges with courage. They knew that the path ahead would continue to test their strength, but they were determined to create a future filled with love, connection, and the joy of family. And as the forest whispered its secrets to the wind, it seemed to echo their sentiments—growth takes time, perseverance, and the unwavering belief that love can conquer all.

In the heart of Pandora's enchanting forest, Kiri and (Y/N) continued their journey toward creating a family of their own. The dawn of month two brought a renewed sense of purpose and anticipation. Each day was marked by a delicate balance of hope and patience as they navigated the intricacies of fertility treatments.

Their visits to the human lab were filled with a mix of nerves and excitement. Dr. Anderson remained their guiding light, offering unwavering support and insight into the complex processes at play. The scientific dance of hormones, injections, and tests continued, weaving their lives into a tapestry of shared experiences.

As the weeks went by, the bond between Kiri and (Y/N) grew stronger. Their unity in the face of challenges was an unspoken testament to their love. They found solace in the rhythm of their routine, in the moments of vulnerability shared during injections and tests, and in the unbreakable connection they forged.

One day, as they sat with Dr. Anderson in his lab, the scientist's eyes held a glint of excitement. "Kiri, (Y/N), I have promising news for you. The tests show that both of your DNA sequences are starting to change, albeit slowly."

Kiri's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at (Y/N) with a mixture of hope and awe. "(Y/N), did you hear that?"

(Y/N)'s eyes shone with emotion as she took Kiri's hand. "I did, Kiri. It seems that our journey is progressing."

Dr. Anderson smiled warmly at their reaction. "Indeed. The changes indicate that your bodies are responding positively to the treatments. This is a significant step forward."

With newfound determination, Kiri leaned forward, her voice tinged with excitement. "Dr. Anderson, how long do you think it will take before we see results?"

The scientist's gaze held a sense of assurance. "Based on the current rate of change, I'm cautiously optimistic that within another month, you might experience a successful pregnancy."

The air in the room seemed to shimmer with possibility. Kiri and (Y/N)'s eyes met, and a sense of wonder passed between them. The journey they had embarked upon was complex and challenging, yet in that moment, they felt a renewed surge of hope.

"(Y/N)," Kiri whispered, her voice filled with emotion, "imagine, in just a few more weeks, we could have a baby growing within us."

Tears welled up in (Y/N)'s eyes as she smiled at Kiri. "It's a beautiful thought, Kiri. Our love and determination are shaping our future."

Dr. Anderson's words lingered in the air, a testament to the power of science and love combined. As they left the lab that day, Kiri and (Y/N)'s steps were lighter, their hearts lifted by the promise of what lay ahead. Month two had brought them closer to their dream, and with each passing day, they knew that their love would continue to guide them through the challenges and triumphs of their unique journey.

In the heart of Pandora's vibrant landscape, Kiri and (Y/N) found themselves in the midst of a journey that was transcendent and life-changing. Month three brought a sense of anticipation that danced in the air like the leaves rustling in the wind. The forest whispered its secrets, as if sharing in the couple's hopes and dreams.

Their visits to the human lab had become a familiar routine, each day filled with injections, tests, and conversations with Dr. Anderson. The scientist's guidance had been a constant source of support, his expertise a beacon of hope as they navigated the complexities of fertility treatments.

One day, bathed in the gentle light of dawn, Kiri and (Y/N) stood before Dr. Anderson, their hearts racing in anticipation. The scientist's smile held a glimmer of excitement as he greeted them.

"Kiri, (Y/N)," he began, his voice carrying a note of jubilation, "I'm thrilled to share that both of you are now successfully pregnant."

Tears of joy welled up in Kiri's eyes as she turned to (Y/N), their emotions mirrored in each other's gaze. "Did you hear that, (Y/N)? We're going to be parents."

(Y/N) nodded, her voice quivering with emotion. "I can't believe it. Our dreams are coming true."

Dr. Anderson's congratulations were heartfelt, a testament to the shared journey of determination and love. With hugs, he bid them farewell, and they left the lab that day, their hearts soaring with newfound hope.

Returning to their hut, Kiri and (Y/N) felt a sense of wonder enveloping them. The news they carried was a precious treasure, a testament to the power of science and their unbreakable bond. Their families were the first to know, and their joyful reactions only served to heighten the couple's elation.

Word spread through the tribe like wildfire, and an air of celebration enveloped the village. The Na'vi people joined together, united by their shared joy and the prospect of new life. The forest itself seemed to pulse with energy, as if the land itself recognized the significance of the moment.

Underneath the vibrant canopy, a feast was prepared, a testament to the unity of the tribe. Kiri and (Y/N) stood before their loved ones, hands intertwined, hearts overflowing with gratitude.

"(Y/N) and I have been blessed with the news of successful pregnancies," Kiri announced, her voice a mixture of wonder and emotion. "Our journey to this moment has been one of challenges and hope, and we're grateful for each of you who have stood by our side."

The cheers that erupted from the crowd were a testament to the tribe's shared joy. Drums beat in a rhythmic dance, and songs of celebration filled the air, echoing the unity that bound them all.

Beneath the starlit sky, Kiri and (Y/N) danced together, their connection deepening with every step. As they moved in harmony with the music, they knew that their journey had come full circle. The love they had shared, their unwavering determination, and the support of their tribe had created a future that was imbued with promise.

And as the celebrations continued, the forest whispered its blessings, a testament to the power of love, hope, and the connections that held them all together.

[pineapple-lanai]

Currently waiting in a 90 minute line for Rise of the Resistance (about halfway through), so to kill some time, here are my Top Two Must-Do Attractions at each Walt Disney World park!

Hollywood Studios

Tower of Terror

Rock ‘n Roller Coaster

Magic Kingdom

The Haunted Mansion

Walt Disney’s The Enchanted Tiki Room

Animal Kingdom

Na’vi River Journey

Expedition Everest

EPCOT

Frozen Ever After

Journey Into Imagination With Figment

What are your must-do attractions?

[materializingthedisembodied]

Since Avatar is coming to Disneyland, what would your ideal Avatar attraction in the park look like?

retroadventures

It would be what we were promised with Na’Vi River Journey, a Pirates length boat ride featuring animatronic alien creatures, more Na’Vi, a ‘underwater’ portion with even more creatures and creative score created just for the attraction, alien and fascinating.

[tailsrevane]

[theme park review] pandora: the world of avatar (2017)

this theme park land is literally responsible for me becoming an unironic fan of james cameron’s avatar. after seeing one of my favorite youtubers do an extremely (some would say unnecessarily) thorough video review of it, i found myself thinking, “what the heck? that looks awesome!” the thing is, said youtuber was like… at least mildly ironic in her enjoyment of it? and i’m completely incapable of irony, so i knew if i enjoyed it once i got to experience it, it was going to be wholeheartedly.

and holy shit did i ever enjoy it?

seriously, avatarland is unreasonably good. there is absolutely zero reason for it to go as hard as it does, but as much as i have an above average appreciation for the avatar movie this is far and away the best thing the franchise has ever produced. it’s one of the best things disney’s done in years, and all of it is in service to an ip that it seemed like very few people had strong feelings about at the time? it’s just truly kinda bizarre.

as far as rides, the big draw is flight of passage, and yeah it’s a flight simulator that truly does kick ass. especially if you get really into it and kind of lean into the turns with the ride vehicle. it does an incredible job of making you feel like you’re really flying, and there are so many awesome little touches like the fact that you can literally feel your “banshee” “breathing” between your legs. the queue for this one is also pretty fantastic, which is good because you’re probably going to be standing in it for quite some time.

but i’m a dumbass so i actually love the much-maligned na’vi river journey? i know a lot of people (including the youtuber i mentioned earlier) think it’s underwhelming, and maybe it helps that i went in with lowered expectations due to all the backlash, but now it is my child and i will defend it.

like okay part of the reason i’m so into it is that i just adore dark rides? i’m working on getting more comfortable on rollercoasters so i can enjoy theme park visits with my family more, but i just love a well-done dark ride. just take me on a chill trip and show me some cool scenery & animatronics. sign me the heck up.

i get it. this could use more than one animotronic. but i kind of just don’t care? it’s like a microcosm of the entire land in that there’s so much attention to detail in the scenery. i’ve been on it four times, but i feel like i’m still noticing something new every time.

so yeah, both rides are great, but i could just walk around looking at the scenery for hours. i took so many pictures, and they all look incredible. the only thing i haven’t gotten to do yet is walk around at night when everything is lit up with fake bioluminescence, and i desperately want to do that because i bet it’s gorgeous, but yeah this whole area is just unbelievable.

s-rank

[spilledreality]

All Stories Are Ecostories

Cam-quality link to the opening minutes, in case you need a refresher or haven't yet seen "Way of Water."

The first shots we see are of Pandora. Of the floating (Ayram alusing) mountains, dripping and saturated, surrounded by mist and clouds condensing into aerial rivers. Of the four-winged, green and blue tetrapterons (fkio), soaring beneath the Tree of Souls—Vitraya Ramunong. The story of Avatar starts and ends with Pandora. The dream in which the films originate wasn’t a dream about characters, or conflict—it was a dream of an ecology, a bioluminescent forest. That’s where Avatar began for Cameron, and it’s where Avatar begins for us. Sunlight peeking through vines; explosively colorful fauna. Here’s the thing about drama, about monomyth, about narrative. All stories are eco-stories; all hero’s journeys are really narratives about an ecosystem. The causal ripples, the structural interdependence, the pressures and tides. The hero is significant because of how he alters the balance. All heroes—and all villains—are either disruptors, protectors, or restorers of equilibrium. That’s why all monomyths begin with departures from reality: the arrival of a falling star, a new stranger in town, a causal arrow that journeys through time and space to the hero’s world. The ready-at-hand becomes present-to-hand. The inherited rituals grow maladaptive. The old gods walk again. 

The animation moves through the canopy and then the undergrowth, from the macroscopic to microscopic, from the view of the Skypeople to the view on the ground. A viperwolf (nantang) shimmers across a tree branch. Sully narrates: “The forests of Pandora hold many dangers. But the most dangerous thing about Pandora? Is you may grow to love her.” This, over close-ups of Sully’s wife Neytiri. Both woman and indigenous stand for “close to nature,” which sets up the basic symbolic indices of the story: white man—standing for literally alienated civilization—falls in love with indigenous princess—standing for embodiment and connection. I don’t make the rules; these aren’t essential or inherent traits of the demographies in question. Historical contingency has given these symbols their meaning and who are we to argue. The freckles across Neytiri’s nose and cheeks and brow are like a constellation of stars, and she stalks the forest silently, her belly engorged by a child within—the fertility of woman and earth merged, united by pronoun. Mother. In the dark, the stars glow ever-brighter, descending down her arms and hands, vaguely elvish. The Na’vi are tall and slender, like dancers, and that’s part of the web of symbolism too. To symbolize is to typify—all compressions leave something out—but the good director complicates, adding something to our understanding of types. Sully: “We sing the song chords to remember, each bead a story in a life. A bead for the birth of our son.” Within the flashback of memory, we see Sully hold his first-born, Neteyam, up to the rays of canopy-piercing light; his clans people turn their heads up to follow, incanting Neteyam’s name. We see Neytiri fingering the beads, Catholic rosary-like, next to a fire—site of animating power, and a promise of destruction—and she’s singing to herself in quiet prayer.

Music is the god channel, spirit manifesting in ever-changing form: splitting, blending, varying, consolidating. One theme is extinguished; another emerges from the silence and empty space. Spirit vying with itself—strife and life and death just means of furthering a story, a recycling of forms. There is ultimate victory in local defeat, and ultimate defeat in local victory. Repetition is death; only novelty replenishes. A Ship of Theseus for a changing sense of “self,” of “family,” of “relatedness” over time. A note or chord that sounds utterly alien—misplaced, erroneous, dissonant—at one point in the song might find itself utterly at home just a few bars later—the progression changing, and the key modulated.

Our narration continues: “A bead for when we adopted our daughter, Kiri, born of Grace's avatar” under mysterious circumstances—a virgin birth. “A bead for the first communion with Eywa. The people say we live in Eywa, and Eywa lives in us.” Parts connecting with whole, connecting with each other through whole. Children at war, gathering around their mother, recalling their relatedness, their shared inheritance. Another son is born—Lo’ak—and a daughter, Tuk. “Happiness is simple, but who would've thought a jarhead like me could crack the code.” The warrior has found peace: we see him playing with his children, watching Neytiri with the children, telling stories together in their canopy hammock. Telling the story of how the wardogs were sent home—spared, rather than executed, in a show of grace—but many of the scientists chose to stay. Cameron makes a lot in this movie of contrasting the scientist and warrior archetypes—primarily through the avatar of Kiri. But he’ll also take pains to pit warrior (integrated, vigorous, spiritual) against marine (myopic, rigorous, mechanical), and techie (analytic, reductionist, deflationary) against healer-priest (holistic, mystical, embodied). Sully’s transition in the first film—for instance—was a journey from marine to warrior, accompanied by an expansion of perspective, consciousness, and moral scope.

Now that we’ve been intro’d to the Na’vi kids, we get intro’d to Spider—the son of Skypeople, abandoned when his father was killed by Na’vi in the war. “Orphaned by the war, he was raised by the lab guys”—in other words, where war destroys, the scientists repair. “He wasn’t part of our family. He was like a stray cat constantly around. Inseparable from our kids.” But that’s Jake’s perspective, as a one-time Skyperson, and the perspective of Jake’s kids, who are innocents. What does Neytiri think? “To Neytiri he would always be one of them. Alien.” We see Neytiri turn to Sully, say “He belongs with his own kind.” But who are his kind? Every part of Cameron’s Avatar—and Cameron’s films generally—is geared towards complicating a reductive family/alien dichotomy. In some ways Spider’s a mongrel, a hyphen, a slash. But to the children, he’s just one of them. Neytiri is still provincial in some ways. Though she has the openness to marry a freak, and to adopt freaks, and to birth freaks, she herself has never quite been a freak, never really bridged two worlds herself. She’s always been a Omatikaya. She always will be.  

Already the lines are being drawn: inside and outside, who is part of La Familia, who’s adopted or biological, who’s a stray cat. Who is wanted and who unwanted, valued and less valued. Whose body is adapted to the planet’s atmosphere; who needs to wear an oxygen mask every waking moment of his life. But all of them are freaks in one sense or another. Sully is an avatar, his children are hybrid avatar-Na’vi, Kiri is an immaculate conception, and Neytiri is the freak who agreed to start this family. Even before Sully got his avatar body he was a paraplegic, someone not quite whole by army standards. It is a family of outsiders who find themselves somehow in possession of immense local standing—the Toruk Makto and the heiress to the Omatikaya clan. 

(It is probably important that in these films, in these Pocahontas narratives, the figurative or literal European is title-less, while our Pocahontas is always royalty. Maybe it’s a form of wish fulfillment; maybe it’s just the practical fact that no monarch would be caught dead hacking through undergrowth; maybe we can’t imagine a prince worth respecting. Instead, the untitled, rough-seeming adventurer-slash-frontiersman must have his excellence revealed; the indigenous princess recognizes something in him, a kind of courage and nobility which she marks as royal, and which makes him a worthy mate. More on this.)

There are hints of strife among the children as they play, echoing battles past and foreshadowing battles to come. They’re arguing over property, a toy tetrapteron, tugging it back and forth shouting “It’s mine!” “I hate you,” shouts Lo’ak. “I hate you times infinity,” Tuk rebuts. Dad steps in and softly polices them, “Don’t make me come over there.” It’s like a microcosm of human conflict and governance, but is it also the way of the Na’vi, or is this the Sullys human side showing? Now we get shots for the moms and dads in the audience—of “date nights away from the kids” featuring Jake and Neytiri performing vaguely erotic aerial acrobats on their banshees. This is the beginning of many nods to the film’s audience of nuclear families: being an all-ages blockbuster, the characters are built to be relatable to each major movie-going demographic, and their problems, relationships, and interactions are partially reflections of modern family life. Me? I kinda hate this aspect of the movie, it breaks immersion and feels corny. But I’m willing to cede that it says something true about Sully’s lingering—perhaps unshakeable—earthly framework of interpretation, the way it naturalizes and domesticates all that’s mystical and strange about his new world. And anyway, these pieces aren’t about what I like or dislike. They’re about the film.

Part 2 here.

[richardgrimes]

hope the hot australian man we met in line for na’vi river journey back in may is having a good day

[marcmarcmomarc]

Miraculous

Chapter 13: Florida Tour

(Now, at Air Force Fun Helicopter Tours, Marinette boards a waiting helicopter.)

TOUR GUIDE: Good afternoon, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Welcome to Air Force Fun Helicopter Tours. I hope you’re ready for extravagant sights of some of Florida’s greatest tourist attractions.

(The helicopter lifts off. They leave the plaza and pass the Premium Outlets.)

TOUR GUIDE: To our left is the Orlando International Premium Outlets, an outdoor outlet mall. It used to be called Prime Outlets-Orlando.

(Later, Marinette sees Aerophile - The World Leader in Balloon Flight.)

TOUR GUIDE: First is Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort. First opened in 1975 as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, it has been expanded and rebranded over the years as Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997, finally becoming Disney Springs in 2015.

(Over Bonnet Creek…)

TOUR GUIDE: Over there is Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, one of two operating water parks at the resort. The second water park to open at the resort, preceded by Disney’s River Country, which closed in November 2001. The park is home to one of the world’s largest outdoor wave pools where it is even possible to bodysurf. The theme of the park is the “Disney legend” of a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly pristine tropical paradise. Ships, fishing gear, and surfboards are strewn about where the storm flung them. Its centerpiece is “Miss Tilly”, a shrimp boat impaled upon a mountain named “Mount Mayday” that erupts a 50-foot geyser of water every half hour, right before the bells of the watch sound on it. Its mascot is “Lagoona Gator”.

(Marinette gawks as they pass the Surf Pool. Later, she points out another attraction.)

MARINETTE: Ooh, that big ball looks epic.

TOUR GUIDE: That’s Epcot. Often referred to as a “permanent world’s fair”, Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture. During early development of the Florida property, Walt Disney wanted to build an experimental planned community showcasing modern innovation, known as Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or “EPCOT”. Epcot remains a popular destination, with Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere, serving as its iconic landmark.

(They fly over Fantasmic!)

TOUR GUIDE: Here is Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Originally named the Disney–MGM Studios Theme Park, it was the third of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World. Spanning 135 acres, the park is themed to an idealized version of Hollywood, California, and is dedicated to the imagined worlds from film, television, music, and theatre, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

TOUR GUIDE: Pandora - The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by the Avatar franchise created by James Cameron. Set a generation after the events of the Avatar films, the area is based upon the fictional habitable exomoon, Pandora, and features Pandora’s floating mountains, alien wildlife, and bioluminescent plants. Spanning 12 acres, it includes two major attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey, as well as retail and dining outlets.

(They fly over DINOSAUR and Dino-Rama.)

TOUR GUIDE: Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres. The park was the fourth theme park built at the resort. It’s dedicated and themed around natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.

(Later, Marinette gawks at the Magic Kingdom’s immense parking lot.)

TOUR GUIDE: As we approach the Magic Kingdom, feel free to take in the gorgeous greenery that covers most of the state.

(They circle around the Partner’s Statue of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.)

TOUR GUIDE: Here is Magic Kingdom Park. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The official park name has changed slightly over the years, from Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom from 1971 to 1994 and The Magic Kingdom from 1994 to 2017. The park was initialized by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises. The park layout and attractions were based on Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and are dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.

(Marinette watches as they pass Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Later, they fly over the Sky Tower outside Seaport Theater and Voyager’s Smokehouse.)

TOUR GUIDE: SeaWorld is an animal theme park. Although separately gated, it is often promoted with neighboring parks Discovery Cove and Aquatica as well as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, all of which are owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. Across the street is Aquatica, its sister park. The park is themed to the southern Pacific and features Australian and New Zealand based mascots. The park features a wide array of attractions for all ages and swimming abilities, some of which pass by or through animal habitats, and has two wave pools which share an extensive, 80,000-square-foot man made white-sand beach area equipped with deck chairs, sun beds, and umbrellas.

(Marinette gawks at the beach near Big Surf Shores and Cutback Cove. Later, the tour guide lands at Air Force Fun.)

TOUR GUIDE: And that concludes the tour of the city’s most popular attractions. Feel free to leave a review on Yelp.

MARINETTE: I will. Thanks.

[the-o-dorable]

Our final park day was dedicated to Animal Kingdom! What an incredible journey this trip has been. It definitely has exceeded my expectations. Animal Kingdom was really chill compared to Magic Kingston so it was a lovely final day for us. The Avitar flight of the passage ride blew our minds. We did it twice! We also did the safari early in the morning and saw all of the animals! We took Rafiki’s train to the conservatory and petting zoo, then watched the Life of a Bug is Tough movie (scary!). The NA’vie river journey was one of my favorites. Theo enjoyed digging up fossils and daddy saved the day by going off to buy us some beers while we watched him play. The Dinosaur ride was too scary for Theo! He was pretty mad about that, so we let him get an ice cream treat to smooth things over. The finding Nemo show was so well done and beautiful! We walked almost 8 miles today with no stroller, so Theo was sure a trooper!