#Noi of Talon

[shy-peacock]

Fun, potentially devastating idea for a ratld fic.

What if when they were turned to stone and brought back, it caused them to lose their memories?!

Imagine not everyone in the RATLD crew was turned to stone. What if only Raya and Namaari had escaped being turned to stone? How would they handle the world that returns? How would Raya handle the pain of looking into her Father’s eyes and realizing he doesn’t even know who she is or who he is.

OR- what if it was only Namaari who hadn’t been turned to stone out of most of the land, then was dealt with the choice of being honest with Raya about EVERYTHING or taking the opportunity to flip the script and keep her innocence in all of this?

Bonus- yet terrifying idea- Namaari keeps the truth from her about how Sisu’s gem broke, wanting peace for her sins. She skips the details about Fang’s part in it- weaving a tale about how it was everyone’s collective fault- and how they had become friends despite the hostility between the various lands. Basically the betrayal and the last six years erased the more people she’s told- until it’s just a bad thought in the back of her head.

Still- It’s her biggest lie and she feels guilt by it. only in time does she accept that she’s made her choice and it was too late to turn back.

Raya and her are married, the nations all aligned and good- Kumandra is formed and better than ever. Everyone is happy

Then, just like that, everyone remembers the real story- everyone’s memories returning all at once.

[princessrayaofheart]

Return

Raya, Tong, Noi, the Ongis and Boun return to their home lands and their families. This entire sequence of scenes along with the soundtrack was beautiful and touching

[927roses-and-stuff]

Not me wanting to write a multi-chapter re-write fic of Raya and the Lasy Dragon that is essentially mostly the same thing but everything from the different "tribes" and character dynamics are more detailed. Oooh but also dragon re-designs. Also making Kumandra into a bunch of islands instead of just whatever tf that map showed because SEAsians is comprised mostly of islands and shoreline countries are you fucking with me. I also want to write about the missing six years, the different people Raya probably met, develop her character a bit more, delve more into Kumandra, its lore, and the different “tribes” and what’s happening there, and even the backstories of all the other characters and what they were doing while raya was on this 6 year mission. Oooh, and expanding the ending after the dragons would be cool.

I also wanna take a look and see if i can make heart, fang, spine, tail, and talon, more coded to just a couple of south east asian countries (e.g heart would be more laos and thailand-coded, while the other four represent different seasian countries as well) ranther than just having them all be vaguely south east asian but there’s like 11 SEAsian countries and even choosing which ones to combine together to keep the five main tribes is problematic in of itself because SEAsian countries and cultures are so different, and separating them like that has Kumandra fall apart because it’s all just SEAsian without any discenibility to different SEAsian cultures. Also, I’m Filipino, so my bias towards my home country will be something I have to be aware of and keep in mind, just in general, but especially for this take.

But anyway, these are just my thoughts. No hate to this movie, I just think it could be better if it was more detailed and had more time to develop outside of the standard 2 hours. Yeah, I know this movie just came out, but whatever. If anyone would like to collab and help with writing this, especially SEAsian creators, feel free to dm me!

Edit: If you dm me, that is giving you and I permission to rant to each other about this and I hope you're ready bc the amount of thoughts I have is a lot and barely coherent when written

[isitbussinjanelle]

so i was today years old when i found out that the old lady who tricked sisu in talon was dang hai’s mom...

[dovelylittlebird]

Something I noticed while watching RATLD is that while most of the beings the Druun turned to stone ended up in this pose:

(Please excuse the shitty screenshots, Disney+ wouldn't let me ss because of security reasons)

A lot of them, especially the dragons, were left in the poses they were in before being petrified:

I wonder what the significance of this pose is, and why some beings are exempted from it. It has baffled me since I noticed this. My theories have ranged from level of trust/hope (Debunked by Sisu's siblings as they three of them were left in the positions they were in pre-petrification, and if they didn't trust their sister that much then the Dragon Gem would not have worked/not have been as effective according to what Sisu explained) to simply being a way to decipher major characters from one another (Again, debunked because I think our main cast of characters are pretty dang important and they didn't get petrified into the cupped hand position).

So if anyone has any idea as to how answer my questions or if you have theories of your own to share, please tag me! I am genuinely curious as to why this is and whether it is of some significance or just me looking too deep into things ^^;

[tikit3]

heres a colored sketch of an older/ aged up baby noi! probs in her early teens like 12 or 13.

[razzle-zazzle]

I was rereading and saw something about Pierce having pictures of Ava and Noi. What are his favorites (and your favorites too since you're cool)?

Mostly the ones of everyday things that Noi and Ava do—playing with Johnny, sleeping in, etc—but also the ones where they’re being really cute, from Noi playing with a snake he found in the grass to Ava just as she’s woken up, from Ava smiling to Noi with a butterfly in his hair.

Pierce just wants to save all of those moments with those he holds dear, even if they’re the kind of thing he sees every day.

(My favorite would be Noi w/ the snake, Ava after getting out of bed, and Noi with a spider on his shoulder and not noticing.)

[nick-writes-stuff]

blackwatch!cassidy x gn!blackwatchpilot!reader

(set during the Retribution archive mission)

WARNINGS: canon-typical violence, description of flying, swearing

an: i looked up way too much stuff about fighter jet tactics for this. also, pretend that walkie-talkie channels work similar to discord calls because that's how i imagined them lmaooo

Overall, you liked being a pilot for Overwatch. It was fun, all things considered. You got paid pretty well for only having to fly a dropship, and you got to live on base. You might not be in the front lines, but you were one of the best pilots on the force. The only drawback is when you're the best in the business, you are the one they call in first.

That's how the night started. You were lounging in your room, reading a book and enjoying your night off. That was until your phone interrupted you. Your ring tone chimed out, breaking the silence you had been enjoying. You considered ignoring it and continuing to read, but you conceded and picked up the device.

Morrison.

It was never a good sign when Morrison was calling you at the late hours of the night.

You sighed before answering it. "What's up, commander?" You greeted.

"I'm going to need you in the hangar in 10. Intel came in about Antonio and we're running a Blackwatch mission to Venice."

You held in your annoyed sigh. You were hardly able to reply, "On my way," before he hung up the phone.

You put your bookmark in the pages before getting up to put on your uniform. You left your room, already mourning your night off.

You had to ask for a bonus for this or something.

You made your way to the hangar, seeing Morrison waiting for you.

"The four of them are already on their way to Venice. We gave them transport that could fly under the radar. You just need to get to the evac point to pick them up once they get Antonio into custody."

You nodded. You started to say something, but the commander was already marching off. You give a light chuckle before making your way to your ship.

You looked around the cockpit before getting into your seat. You didn't waste time getting the jet to the runway. As you took off, you heard the commander's voice ring through your earpiece.

"While they are in Antonio's safe house, their communication might be jammed. You should be able to get in contact with them once they breach the door."

"Got it." You replied. You started your flight. Once the dropship was able to be put on autopilot, you pulled up a map of the city. You knew where the evacuation point was, but planning a route could prove difficult. It would depend on how much Talon presence is in the area, of course, but it wouldn't hurt to get a good idea.

It was a long flight to Venice, around three hours. You passed the time listening to music, occasionally humming or singing along softly.

"I didn't know you could sing, y/n."

You jumped hearing Morrison's voice through your earpiece, instinctively turning the music off. You need to start remembering you're on an open channel.

"It's not something I usually have to do in this line of work." You said nervously. He made a noise, what you thought was a chuckle. You took some pride in making him laugh, as it wasn't a common occurrence.

By the time you were entering Italian airspace, Captain Amari chimed in. "They're heading in now. You should be able to contact them upon breach."

"Understood, Captain." You said. "While I have you, is there any way I can get a satellite scan of the area?"

"I'll see what I can do." She said.

It wasn't long until you received the scans on your monitor. "Thank you, Captain." You chirped, knowing you most likely wouldn't get an answer. The higher-ups were very busy and could be a little stiff, but you still practiced manners when you could. You liked to believe it would help you on your evaluations.

You were looking over the scans, noting where the soldiers were stationed. This landing was going to be hot, but that was normal with Blackwatch.

You jumped slightly as the background noise of the fight on the ground flooded your ears. They must have breached.

"Looks like I'm gonna be your ride outta here. Head for the evac point, Commander."

Cassidy looked back to Reyes, still in the lobby they were about to leave. He was dealing with the last of the Talon enforcers inside. "The commander's a little busy right now, but we'll be there." Cassidy said.

You chuckled lightly. "Is that you, Cassidy? You know, you still owe me money from last week's poker game. Maybe I oughta leave you here," you quipped, a stupid grin on your face. You were clearly messing with him.

"Hey now." He said, his nerves apparent. He seemed to be a bit pissed off already, some of that anger bleeding into his words to you.

"See you at the art gallery, cowboy."

The relationship between the two of you was certainly something. An outside observer would probably think you two hated each other, but it was certainly the opposite (at least for you). You definitely had feelings for him, but you pushed them down in return for playful fighting and sarcasm. Better to repress the feelings rather than lose your friendship, right?

Overwatch really needed a psychiatrist on payroll.

You continued your flight to the courtyard, listening to them over your earpiece. There wasn't much else you could do.

"They've dispatched a sniper." Genji muttered before setting out to sneak up on her.

"Wow, Talon must've deployed a whole army, huh?" Reyes boasted as he took out Talon soldiers with ease. He seemed like he was having the best time of his life.

Cassidy, however, was not. "Yeah, and you just had to kick the hornets' nest, didn't ya?" He retorted, sneering at the commander.

"What do you mean?" You asked. Did something go wrong? If something happened you wanted to know so you could accommodate for it.

"Do you wanna tell y/n what you did or should I?" Cassidy spat. It was funny to you how they considered you an authority in this situation, squabbling like children.

"They don't need to kn-" Reyes started.

"Antonio's dead, y/n."

Things started to click once he said that. You didn't need to ask anymore questions about it. It explained why Cassidy seemed so short with everyone at the moment. You would be too if your commander went rogue during a mission. You thought about paging Morrison, but you didn't need Reyes to be even more worked up.

"That's not ideal." You muttered, trying not to get involved in it.

Apparently the ground team wasn't the only one Talon was mobilizing. Your radar began beeping, a quick glance showed surface-to-air missiles being fired. You cursed under your breath.

"Everything good up there?" The cowboy drawled. It was hard to tell if he was being playful or genuinely concerned.

"I got it, mind your own battle." You shot back. You weren't being mean, just focused at the moment.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

You were lucky you weren't face to face with him. Your face flushed at the comment, almost making you forget about the missiles.

Wait. The missiles.

You looked back to the radar, firing off the flare to create a new heat source. You slowed the engines, eyes glued to the radar as the missiles veered toward the flare.

You muted yourself from the channel on the ground. They didn't need the distraction. "Is there anyway we could jam the SAMs? I should be out of range of the last one but I'd rather not have the heat." You asked.

You almost didn't expect an answer as you waited a few seconds in silence, but the silence was eventually broken. "Got it." Morrison replied.

"Thank you." You chirped before rejoining the call on the ground.

"The whole city must be awake now." Moira said, clearly unenthused with the current situation. You would agree with that.

"Can we just focus on getting out of here alive?" Reyes retorted. He was clearly dealing with some resistance at the moment.

Moira chuckled. "Maybe next time we can choose a less suicidal plan of attack." She spat.

You looked at the radar, flicking through some of the thermal scans provided to you by Ana. You were maybe twenty minutes away, which seemed like you would be there just in time when they reached the courtyard. But they depended on how much resistance you and the strike team faced along the way.

"Shit, is that an assassin?" Cassidy asked, his voice a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

You shouldn't have even thought about how much longer this would take.

"Cole, you have an arsenal of flashbangs, you'll be fine." You joked, and he could practically hear your smile through his earpiece. You heard him rapid fire before he responded.

"What was that thing you said earlier? Mind your own battle?" He said, mimicking your playful tone from before. You could imagine the smug smile he had right now.

Part of you was shocked that he even remembered. It wasn't necessarily because you thought he didn't pay attention to you (which is totally false), but because he was in the middle of a fierce battle.

You chuckled in response, not getting time to say anything before Reyes interjected.

"Looks like it should be smooth sailing from here." He said, confidence flowing through his veins as the art gallery appeared into view.

Not two seconds later, you heard a large crash.

"Oh you just had to say it didn't you?" Cassidy spat.

"I would like to retract my previous statement. We are definitely not out of the woods yet." He seemed unphased by what you assumed was some kind of heavy assault unit.

"I'll note that for the record." You said, maintaining a light tone despite your slight disdain for the commander.

You listened to them bicker until your radar started to beep. Two Talon aircrafts tailing you.

"Listen, I picked up some company on the way in. I'm gonna try to shake them but it may take a bit." You said, initiating the startup sequence for the jet's shields. Between that and the missiles, you would be able to get rid of them, it would just waste a little time.

"No problem," Reyes started, "we're used to waiting around

"-and getting shot at." Cassidy joined in to finish the sentence, the two speaking in unison.

"You two are adorable." Moira said in her usual serious demeanor.

You held in a laugh, trying not to get distracted as you jerked the wheel, tilting the plane to avoid enemy fire.

"Don't make me laugh when I'm flying." You said jokingly, firing your own missiles and boosting the engines.

You watched as one of the planes where hit, plummeting down. You hated that part of the job, but if you didn't do it, you'd be the one crashing.

"Fancy place they got here." Cassidy said, looking around the art gallery as they entered.

Moira didn't seem enthused. "Try to keep it all in once piece." Seconds later Talon soldiers dropped in from the ceilings, breaking the glass dome.

"Tell that to them." He joked before getting started dealing with the new arrivals.

"What's your status, pilot?" Reyes ordered.

The way he said it made Cassidy's blood boil.

You sighed, rolling your eyes slightly. "Finding a way to slip into the city," you said while firing more missiles at the other enemy aircraft. "Next time make my life a little easier and stick to the plan."

You heard the commander chuckle. "Where's the fun in that?"

"It's plenty fun, trust me." You countered. You rolled your eyes, trying not to be too rude with your commander. No matter how you felt about him, he still outranked you at the end of the day.

As the four of them entered the courtyard, they seemed to have a temporary break from fighting. Surely there would be more resistance on the way shortly.

"So, is this what we've become Gabriel?" Cassidy asked, clearly fed up with him. Rightfully so, as Reyes really put the whole team in jeopardy.

"Blackwatch has always had one purpose: to do the real work of keeping the world safe." Reyes shot back. "I thought you had the stomach for it. Guess I was wrong."

The enemies started arriving at their position. Cassidy, however, continued venting his frustration. "Well this is your fault, commander! We had a plan! We could have walked Antonio right out of this city! I didn't sign up for this!"

Reyes clearly wasn't actually listening. "Maintain operational silence, Cassidy." He ordered, disdain in his voice. The cowboy scoffed at him before continuing the fight.

You knew better than to think this was only frustration. Cassidy was scared. You knew he would vehemently disagree, ranting about how he was just angry with his superior, but you knew it was all an act.

The four of them seemed to quiet down. You presumed it either they were focusing on the fight or they were just sick of bickering. It proved to be the former, as once the sounds of gunfire faded in your earpiece, they began to speak again.

"Y/N, where the hell are you?" Reaper asked, clearly getting frustrated with waiting on you.

"I'm just entering Venice airspace, it shouldn't be much longer." You said, eyes flickering to the monitor before you. The radar seemed clear, which was a good sign.

Reaper rolled his eyes. "Are you serious?" He yelled.

You really weren't going to put up with this.

"Listen I wasn't intending on flying into the middle of a war zone! You're just gonna have to sit tight until I get there." You retorted. Screw being nice to your superiors, you didn't care what the consequences were at this point.

"Well if you aren't here now you might as well turn around."

Oh if only you could.

"Woah, don't listen to him, you're getting us out of here." Cassidy said, seemingly playfully but you could hear the worry through it.

You turned your attention to the monitor. You had some communicator settings on your end in case they were busy back in Gibraltar. You flicked through the options, finally finding what you wanted.

You kicked the other three from the channel. You'd add them back soon, but you needed to do something.

"Cole?" You said, voice softening compared to how you were speaking to Reyes.

He hummed in response, hearing his rapid fire before he spoke. "What's up?"

You suddenly blanked on anything you had planned to say.

You stuttered slightly before clearing your throat. "I just wanted to apologize for the command-"

He laughed lightly. "No, you don't have to do that."

You sighed softly. "No it's just, I'm coming I promise. Five minutes tops. He's being an asshole and making everyone nervous and-"

Cassidy clearly started to catch onto the situation. On one hand he was a little embarrassed you noticed his worry, but on the other your were obviously right. "Well I appreciate that, b-"

"Pilot, how much longer?" Cassidy heard Reyes command. However, it didn't come through his earpiece, rather he heard it from across the courtyard.

"Wait a second, did you call me separately to tell me that?" He asked, a playful tone over his amazement that you were actually worried about him.

Your brain immediately shut down. You stuttered slightly, trying to figure out what to do fast. You could feel your face heat up, praying that your blush would disappear by the time you picked them all up.

"Uh yes, but please never mention this again, okay?" You rushed out. You heard his laugh as you reset the call to the original settings, the four members on the ground now able to hear you.

"Sorry commander, I was answering Captain Amari real quick." You lied, desperately making an excuse. You made a mental note to ask her to cover for you. "Head up to the roof of the restaurant for evac. T-minus three minutes." You responded.

Reyes was obviously still annoyed with the time it took you to respond, but at least you were picking them up. "No one do anything stupid." He ordered.

Cassidy laughed. "We won't. You had that covered this mission."

You held in your laughter as you worked on decelerating the engines further and lowering the elevation. You hovered down towards the roof of the restaurant, opening the dropship doors.

Just in time too, as a larged group of enemy forces arrived at the scene.

The four of them jumped onto the ship, shutting the doors when you heard Reyes order you to. Man he was getting annoying.

You throttled the engines, the ship accelerating and gaining elevation. Mission success.

You could hear Reyes talking to Morrison through the communicator. He was skirting around the topic as much as he could.

You didn't have much time to eavesdrop however, as Cole Cassidy stepped into the cockpit.

"Hey." You said, keeping your gaze out the windshield. Heat rose on your cheeks again as he sat in the chair next to you.

"Can we talk about something?"

The words from the cowboy made your head spin. You were confused and scared and excited and every other imaginable emotion.

You cleared your throat. "Yeah, what's up?" You said, focusing on not letting your voice crack.

"About that money I owe you-"

You looked over at him, seeing a shit-eating grin adorning his face. He was really messing with you. Well of course he would.

"Do you think we could talk about it over dinner?"

You were even more confused and scared and excited. But even more, you wanted to wipe the smug look off his face.

"Sure, we'll call it a date."

His smirk turned into a look of surprise as you began to smile. He didn't get much time to respond before Reyes was calling for him. "You should probably go see what he wants," you said playfully.

Cassidy stood up and left the cockpit, a soft smile across his face.

You too had a grin, staring out the windshield smiling at nothing.

The events of the night were much better than that book you'd been reading.

[shy-peacock]

Ratld crew as tiktoks-

Someone insults (human) Sisu in front of her friends.

Raya, Tong, Boun, Namaari and Noi: you can pack your things and leave-…there’s the door! (Points at the door) 😒😒😒😒😒

Sisu: THERES THE DOOR BITCH 😆 (points the wrong way)

Raya: (pushes her hand the correct way) 🤦‍♀️

[moon-spirit-yue]

Idea inspired by @incorrectgg because Noi does not mess around when it comes to her food:

Noi: *literally screeching like a banshee*

Raya, about to lose her mind: for the love of all that is holy if I get you some food will you shut up?!

Noi: *immediately calms down and nods*

Raya: *forgets to get her a snack and moves on with her day*

Noi, internally: I do not know how, but I will get my revenge for this deceit and betrayal, Princess Raya of Heart. Mark. My. Words. You will rue the day you saved my life

*time skip to the gang planning to infiltrate Fang*

Raya: okay, Noi, here’s the note I’m giving Namaari. I believe in you, tiny con artist. Don’t fail me now!

Noi: *takes the note and waddles off with the ongis*

Boun, watching them disappear into the night: are we doomed?

Raya, sighing tiredly: probably, yeah

Noi, as she’s breaking into the castle: *alright what does this sweet little note say? Okay, ‘Dear Namaari, if you want to fix the world meet me at the cliff with Fang’s gem piece*

Noi, choosing violence: *why don’t I edit this note a bit*

*several hours later*

Raya, gulping nervously: okay, that’s the signal. Man I really hope I don’t die. Who will feed Tuk Tuk?

Sisu, shoving her out into the clearing: just go get your lady!

Raya, furrowing her brows: say what now- *stumbles right in front of Namaari* oh, well! It looks like you got my letter and gift! Wonderful

Namaari, nodding and is blushing brightly: yeah, about that letter……don’t you think it’s a bit uh, sudden?

Raya, raising an eyebrow: uh no, this has kinda been a long time coming. I thought you’d be thrilled to be honest

Namaari, stuttering: well of course I am! But, I don’t know…I’m not sure about this

Raya, gently taking her hand and squeezing it convince her: I know you want this too, why else would you come here?

Namaari, stuttering and blushing even brighter: aha, well, you know I just don’t I ahahhah-

Raya: look, I know that this is scary, but you can trust me! We can do this!

Namaari, awkwardly tucking her hair behind her air: if you really think we can make this work, I’ll do it

Raya, relieved: wonderful. Just give me the gem and we can do exactly what I wrote in the note! Saving the world!

Namaari, stopping dead in her tracks:……say that again slowly for me

Raya, raising an eyebrow: wonderful?

Namaari, shaking her head: no the last part

Raya: oh….saving the world??????

Namaari: yeah that part. That was never mentioned in the note

Raya, blankly staring: get outta here

Namaari, handing her the note: I’m serious, look! *passes her the note*

Raya, reading the note out loud: ‘Dear Namaari, if you want to marry me, meet me at the cliff with Fang’s gem piece’

Namaari: *experiencing a gay crisis*

Raya, having a very similar gay crisis: this note isn’t the one I gave Noi! She must have swapped them! How the hell does she even know how to write?! Girl can’t even speak yet! Oh no, this must be because I forgot to grab her a snack back in Talon! Damn it, Noi!

Namaari, looking up at the sky: father, if you’re watching over me from above, please take mercy on your daughter and smite me where I stand

Raya, backtracking: okay wait, so you were willing to give me the gem piece if I married you?

Namaari, having an internal breakdown: uh yeah, guess I was

Raya, blushing: oh wow…..that’s actually kind of sweet dep la

Boun, scrambling out of the bushes: OH GET A GRIP JUST PUT THE GEM BACK TOGETHER ALREADY-

[useyernamesteven]

(Needed some goofy fluff to distract myself from the angst im writing so buckle up, its long. Based on that one post I cannot find so if anyone can help a homie out, much appreciated)

Raya/Namaari Accidental Marriage Proposal

Its not a far stretch to assume that the different tribes have different practices and rituals. And given the 500 year gap in communication its also easy enough to assume that the tribes don't know about each others differing customs.

For example: marriage proposals. In Tail its as cut-and-dry as asking. Talon people propose with rings and jade coin. When you propose in Spine you chop down a tree to show your commitment and strength.

The Fang propose with blades. Fang people love their knives, daggers, spears, and other pointy weapons, so if you want to ask someone to marry you, you do it with a blade.

I like to imagine it'd be because offering a blade to someone- who isn't family -is the equivalent of trusting your life to that person. I like to think the Fang value not only a person's strength and honour, but their ability to care and protect their people. So giving a blade to your chosen love is like saying, "I'm giving you this weapon because I trust you with my heart, literally and metaphorically".

But again, 500 year old divide means others have no clue what giving a knife to someone from Fang entails...

So maybe its been a few months or so after the Druun have been vanquished. Raya is still re-learning how to be a 'princess' while playing liaison between the tribes, with Sisu as her partner in crime. She likes it because she still gets to travel and she gets to see her new friends from the other tribes: Boun's business is booming, Noi has started talking, and Tong has become the new Chief of Spine.

Then there's Namaari.

Six years of playing cat-and-mouse together (or rather angry kitten and homeless puppy) can be hard to overcome. At first it was a struggle. And incredibly awkward. Namaari, too guilt ridden over what she'd done, and Raya, still angry and socially stunted, could barely hold a conversation together.

Eventually Raya, fed up with the weird awkward talk, dragged Namaari to Fang's training grounds and challenged her to a sparring match. And only when it was over, the both of them exhausted and laying on the ground, did they start talking, actually talking. About what happened with the gem, with Sisu, what they can't let go of, not yet, but what they hope they can move past one day.

It made things after easier because it was familiar ground for them, but it also opened up new paths too. Now in the months since they saved the world and having spent that time working together, Raya would like to consider Namaari a close friend.

Which is probably why she's so surprised when Namaari off-handedly mentions her birthday is next week. Namaari, who's less than thrilled about her mother's plans for a big celebration, doesn't even notice how much Raya's caught off guard. Namaari doesn't really care for her birthday, much less when her mother makes a big deal about it, but she still brushes her hair behind her ear when she asks Raya if she's going to attend.

Raya recovers, nudging Namaari saying that she's obviously going, and boasting about the amazing gift she's going to bring.

Which then leads to her dragging Sisu to Talon in search of the perfect gift (Sisu being the only 'person' she knows who can help being that she's a master gift giver... Sisu's words, not Raya's, but still). They run around Talon for ages, with Sisu practically buying everything in sight (with the Heart Palace Credit of course) but Raya can't find a single thing she thinks Namaari would actually like.

And then she spots a Fang vendor selling blades.

The woman is nice and she asks Raya if she's looking for something in particular. Raya says she wants to get a dagger for 'someone special' from Fang (not wanting to rack up the price if the woman knew who it was for, but also completely unaware to what she's just implied).

The vendor seems a little surprised but she easily walks Raya through picking out the perfect dagger for her 'someone special'. Raya ends up buying a pretty, yet functional dagger with a dragon engraved in the blade and an ornate box to keep it in. As Raya's leaving the woman gives her a pat on the shoulder and says, "All the best for the both of you and I'm sure she'll say yes," which Raya can't really make sense of so she shrugs and leaves to go find Sisu and her mountain of trinkets.

So now its the party, and when Namaari said Virana was making a big deal about it, she really meant it. People from all the tribes are attending and Sisu's brought her brothers and sisters and there's music and food and fireworks...

And Namaari stands beside her mother in a beautiful dress that makes Raya's heart thud erratically (it's totally platonic). Her and her Ba walk up to them and start making small talk before her Ba and Virana break off to chat with other dignitaries, leaving Raya and Namaari together.

Raya likes how Namaari relaxes around her when its just them, despite the room full of people. They talk and banter and tease and laugh, but more than anything Raya just likes being with Namaari. And when Namaari mentions how much she hates formal wear, how dresses don't suit her, Raya makes it a game to see how many times she can mention how beautiful Namaari looks while they're talking, just because it makes Namaari flush and do the hair thing she does when she's shy. No other heart-related reason.

Its not until much later when Raya suddenly remembers the gift she brought and she runs off to fetch it. When she returns she hands Namaari the sleek box with a smile and a sheepish "Happy Birthday dep'la".

And Namaari's blushing and smiling as she takes the box, telling Raya she didn't have to as she opens the box-

And immediately slams it shut. Her face turns bright red and she whorls on Raya with wide eyes and a panicked, hissed "whatareyoudoing?!" And poor Raya's totally thrown, so sure she'd picked out the perfect gift. "You don't like it?" But Namaari shoves the box back into her hands, with another frenzied whisper "thatsnotit!"

Well now Raya's a little miffed because "You didn't even look at it" and before Namaari can stop her she's pulling the dagger from the box and offering it back to Namaari.

Meanwhile the room goes incredibly quiet as everyone from Fang suddenly notices what's happening between the princesses. Virana nearly spits out her drink. Everyone else carries on like normal, but a few people watch their new Fang friends with curious looks, completely out of the loop.

So now Raya's essentially down on one knee without realizing it, Namaari's about to have a heart attack, everyone from Fang is on the edge of their seat, and the dragons are having a rousing drinking contest with people from Spine.

So the party is going great.

Raya (oblivious to the world save for Namaari) is giving Namaari her strongest puppy dog eyes because she'd spent so long looking for the perfect gift dep'la, and "You're pretty special Namaari, special to me, and you deserve it."

Namaari, as red faced as she is, softens at Raya's admission, smiling a little to herself before she takes the dagger from Raya with a soft "it's lovely dep'la".

And suddenly the room's loud again as people from Fang start clapping and whistling. Everyone else is lost but soon they join in as well, despite having no clue as to what they're cheering for. Namaari's back to being flustered and she grabs Raya's hand and hauls her toward Virana and Benja. Raya, finally taking in the room around them, is confused as to why people are congratulating her and Namaari.

Virana has recovered by the time the two approach and if no one knew better it might've also appeared she was trying hard not to smile. Namaari hisses something to her mother Raya doesn't hear, and she shoots her Ba a questioning look. Benja looks a little pensive but he's got a quirk in his lips that Raya knows means mischief.

Virana gently pats her daughter's shoulder before turning to address the room, excusing the four of them. They turn to leave but not before Virana calls out to the crowd, "And it goes without saying you're all invited to the wedding as well," and then ushers her horrified daughter, her baffled betrothed, and Benja out the door.

Instantly Namaari's in hysterics, asking her mother why she'd say that when Raya obviously didn't know what she was doing. Virana, quite obviously playing ignorance, asks why Namaari accepted the blade if she knew what she was doing. And poor Namaari can only gape, red faced and no come back.

Raya has finally caught on to what she's done and yeah, okay now it all makes sense. The vendor, Namaari's (gay) panic, the congratulations... she just proposed to Namaari. She just proposed to Namaari. In front of most of Kumandra. Oh toi!

Benja, still smirking to himself, ruffles Raya's hair before turning to Namaari and Virana and saying, "To be fair... Namaari did propose first."

Marriage proposals in Heart are an exchange of necklaces. So when Namaari had given Raya the Sisu pendant back when they were kids, they'd essentially gotten engaged and since Raya kept it, they've technically been engaged for the past six years.

(Too) Long story short, Raya and Namaari get engaged, get married, fall in love, and live sapphically ever after.

End.

(Okay, I'm done. Back to angst.)

[princessrayaofheart]

KUMANDRA

Raya on the lands of Kumandra: Tail, Talon, Spine, Fang, Heart

[the-wolf-who-kissed-the-moon]

• Lady Dimitrescu x female reader 💋

• Warning for: mild horror elements, kidnapping.

glass angel, part II.

What are dreams, but merely secret desires of the subconscious mind; in nightmares, we are faced with our most gruesome fears, yet in fantasies …

Velvet whispers echoed in your ears, singing poetic verse about how young and beautiful you were. Plump lips as cold as winter lingered beneath you jaw, guiding your head back with slow, passionate kisses. You willingly exposed your throat to that oneiric mouth, not knowing that you were inviting the devil in. A soft breath left your lips, yet it was soothed by what felt like a woman’s tender fingertips. That foreign touch was cold, making your lithe body shiver, nearly threatening to pull you from your half-awake slumber.

“Dormi, draga mea…“

Ethereal murmurs caressed the elegant curve of your throat, slowly circling your gentle pulse. The bed of satin sunk with another weight, and all at once everything felt palpable. You could neither move, nor open your eyes as a sultry, malevolent aura begun enveloping your body. Instinct urged you to run for your life, but a deeper, darker, and much more powerful desire shackled you to that soft mattress. Unbeknownst to you, a flame was set alit within your core, slow-burning towards your outer layers and leaving you a willing victim to your seductress.

Talon-like fingers elegantly slipped into the collar of your blouse, meticulously undoing each pearl button that held the soft fabric together and concealed your chest. A rush of heat shook your body from head to toe, albeit your collarbones were met with blizzard kisses. One, two, three… and the fourth was a brief, sharp pain which left as quickly as it came. You hastily sat up and found yourself alone, surrounded by nothing but darkness.

What strange dreams, you thought.

A terrible thirst urged you to move from the comfort of your bed and blindly search for your bottle of water. The carpet felt unusually soft, as if rose petals were laid before your bare feet, and when you took a deeper breath, you could smell their overwhelming floral scent. All of a sudden, the whole room seemed to spin with you.

"Hai afară, Hai afară…

Joacă-te cu noi!"

---

Come out, come out…

Play with us!

Eerie women’s voices echoed from every corner of the dark room, their song as morbidly cold as it was playful. They awoke a fear in you which momentarily made you forget about your parched throat. Something moved behind the walls, scratching its way along the tapestry with animalistic grunts. Wide-awake and terrified, you quickly stumbled back to your bed and pulled the covers over your throbbing head.

It’s just a dream… it’s just a dream…

Your lips shivered uncontrollably as you closed your eyes and silently begun to pray. Someone was on the bed with you, moving over you, but you laid very still, clutching the blanket around your stiff body.

It’s just a dream…

And as if nothing ever happened, the weight on the bed suddenly lifted and the muffled screeching of ghastly women dissipated like mist. An eternity seemed to pass before you managed to gather yourself and loosen the grip on the bedsheets. Steadily, fearfully, you opened your eyes only to find that the room was now glowing with a warm, pleasant light. As the haze of night terrors lifted, you begun to realize that this was not your bedroom, or anywhere familiar. Tall walls and windows surrounded you, intricately designed in old-fashioned styles. Luxurious furniture, fabrics and ornaments were preferred, giving you the impression that you were in some sort of a historical museum. If the situation had been less harrowing, perhaps you would’ve taken your time to admire your surroundings.

There was a large, gold-trimmed vanity to your left, richly adorned with vintage makeup kits and dying roses. As you found your reflection in its grand mirror, you saw that you were wearing a white satin nightgown you’ve no recollection of changing into. Your personal belongings were nowhere in sight, not even your only piece of jewelry you religiously wore; a simple gold bracelet you inherited from your late grandmother.

Panic quickly found its way in every cell of your being, especially as you spotted the tapestry on the wall to your left. It looked flat now, yet you were sure you’ve heard and seen something grisly slithering behind it in the dark. The eerie silence in the room somehow made things worse.

Feeble as you were, you carefully crawled to the other side of the massive bed, never taking your eyes off that terrifying wall as you made an effort to stand. You found leverage in a chair, slowly stepping towards the large, elegant double doors of the bedroom. Before you could reach them, though, the doorknob turned and they opened with a loud, haunting creak.

“Oh dear… you shouldn’t be out of bed.”

Unfolding before your eyes was what you could only describe as the devil incarnate. A massive woman clad in expensive vintage clothing, refined silk flowing like waterfalls over her plentiful hips and bosom. Studded diamonds and pearls shimmered brilliantly around her neck in the dim light of the room as she leaned down to fit through the threshold. When she stood to her full, magnificent height, you had to tilt your head back to see her features better. By instinct you stepped away as you took in her surreal image: unnaturally pallid skin, dark red lipstick akin to blood, and eyes nearly gleaming in the dimness of the room, predatory gold.

Your throat tightened, smothering a scream as you visibly shook before the unearthly being. And she, in all of her beauteous, macabre glory, bestowed the most alluring smile upon you, effortlessly stripping you of your will to run. Under the woman’s spell, you stood beside the vanity as she approached you with large, elegant steps. Old floorboards creaked beneath her heavy footfalls and you wished you could’ve sunk with them. A freezing touch met your cheek, making you jerk by instinct. But she was tender, almost dangerously sweet as she caressed loose strands of hair away from your feverish face.

- - -

The room adjacent to the sleeping chambers was where you had a small meal in the company of the strange woman. Albeit you were ravenous, you were reluctant to truly indulge in the plentiful dinner, partly because you were very much still mortified. You pressed a napkin to your mouth as you gratefully finished a cup of lemon and elderflower tea, sweetened with honey.

“You’re very kind… thank you.”

Humbly, you murmured as you kept your head low. It was a struggle for you to appear more confident when you could barely sit, fatigued and with a throbbing, almost debilitating headache. You glanced at the majestic woman across you, relieved to find her looking back with a most pleasant smile. She placed a glass of red wine on the table, and your gaze followed, oddly intrigued by its unusually lifelike hue. When the madam spoke, your attention shifted back to her.

“Of course, my darling. I’d never let a sweet angel freeze to death in that rundown cemetery.”

Freeze?

Cemetery?

A few memories came back to you, yet they were faint and fleeting. You vaguely remembered being outside, where it was cold and dark.

“Is this your home, miss. . .?”

“Dimitrescu Alcina. For you, just Alcina.”

Dimitrescu.

Your heart shrunk at the sound of that infamous name. Suddenly, your throat clenched and you struggled to find coherent words to politely introduce yourself. Perhaps the madam noticed your distress, for she stood and paced to your side, gently encouraging you back to bed. Back to that room. Fear found its way into your chest again, thrice as intense and deep. You refused to move your legs, but you were easily swept off your feet and carried to the large bed.

The woman’s arms and chest felt cold and rigid, almost deathly, and yet you found a strange comfort in her embrace.

“I need… to get home…”

Gently, you protested.

“I.. I think I’m alright now..”

Words barely passed your soft lips and you could not keep your eyes open, let alone stand. Madam Dimitrescu leaned over you as she laid you on her bedsheets. It somehow felt familiar, like that song whispered to you in your dreams, or those cold lips luring you into sin. Though your eyelids were heavy, you managed to fight the haze of fatigue enough to see her gaze darkening as she observed you with wicked delight. Gloved claws caressed your jugular slowly, dancing along delicate clavicle to brush smooth strands of hair behind your bare shoulder. You shivered beneath her wintry touch, unmoving as she drew closer.

“You aren’t fit to leave yet, angel… Sleep.”

Murmurs dripped like satin off her lips, and as she pressed a kiss to your forehead, you were lulled into another deep slumber.

- To be continued…

*part III.

[thedragonnerd]

Rayaari headcanon - being protective of each other

(inspired by this lovely anon)

Most of the time, Namaari feels welcome when she goes to visit one of the other lands, even within Heart. The majority of people in Kumandra want nothing more than calm after six destructive years, and are happy enough to welcome former rivals now as visitors to their markets and towns. However, there are some who still view her as the untrustworthy Fang Princess, responsible for all the problems in the land. They like to throw insults or barely veiled threats at her, although they are usually smart enough to do so beyond Raya's hearing, and Namaari just allows the remarks to wash over her, choosing to ignore them. And then one of them makes a mistake - hurls a severe threat towards her without realizing Raya is standing right next to her.

Raya has her sword drawn before Namaari can even blink, thrusting it towards his chin. 'What were you saying?' she growls, and one look has him turning into a quivering mess. Not even his stuttered words of apology seem to appease her, and it isn't until Namaari rests a hand on her arm that she lowers her sword.

As Princess of Heart, Raya should be well-versed in attending political meetings and being able to negotiate on trade deals and more. Yet, six years of living in the wilderness and on the run means she is more prepared to face dangers such as bandits and the Druun compared to some Talon politician, staring imperiously at her from across the table. She knows people judge her lack of leadership knowledge - she can hear the whispers and side glances when she's trying to join in during some dinner event after Council meetings.

It's at one of these events where she is cornered by two snobbish young men from Spine, who start to ask her all sorts of difficult questions about Heart policies. She can feel the judgement behind their eyes, and it takes great restraint from her side not to simply punch them in the face. 'I'd spend more time worrying about that awful clause you allowed to happen in article fifteen,' a smooth voice comes from behind Raya, and she feels an arm fall across her shoulders. 'And less time worrying about Heart's policies, since they'll be the ones enjoying your failures once this deal is ratified.' Namaari doesn't move from her side until they slink off into the crowd.

Raya loves to watch how children choose to interact with Namaari. The Fang 'kittens' are already used to their Princess joining in with their games, or settling them down for a story. But the small children of Heart are only just beginning to learn the wonder that is Namaari enacting out some valiant battles or stories, witnessing it for the first time during a cultural exchange visit between children of Heart and Fang.

'Raya, help meeee,' she hears a dramatic cry, and laughs as she watches Namaari falling in slow motion under a mass of tiny bodies. She waits for a moment, letting the giggles increase in volume as the children "help" Namaari in her fake death scene, and then wades into the chaos, scooping Namaari off the ground in a bridal hold. 'Don't worry, Princess,' she says with a wink. 'I'll save you.'

Raya is beautiful. Of course, Namaari doesn't need to be told this fact - she noticed it long ago with her own two eyes. Unfortunately for her, it seems half the population of Fang, men and women alike, have also noticed now that Raya has been visiting more often. And Raya might be unobservant when it comes to matters of love, but even she can notice some of their unsubtle behaviours.

'Oh wow, your arms are just so muscly,' a woman says, reaching out to squeeze Raya's bicep. She's in the midst of a crowd of Fang women, and Namaari can see her slightly panicked expression from over their shoulders. 'Ladies, I believe Chief Virana is looking for you,' she announces loudly, coming to stand side-by-side with Raya in return for an incredibly grateful side glance. The women give her suspicious squints, but shuffle away eventually, a few of them throwing small waves over their shoulders. 'Don't worry, Princess,' Namaari whispers in Raya's ear as they watch them leave. 'I'll save you.'

Raya can see how much effort Namaari puts into getting to know her friends. It's strange enough for Raya that she even has friends now, and perhaps the better expression might be more 'family', but either which way, Boun, Tong, Noi and Sisu have all become incredibly important to her. And so, Namaari tries - she accompanies Raya on strange adventures on Boun's ship, or visits Talon or Spine to see Noi and Tong, or tries to act normal around the dragons while Sisu and Raya catch up on all the news.

Sisu and Namaari have their own form of friendship, Raya knows, and Noi is susceptible to Namaari's gift with children. But Tong and Boun have been harder to crack, so it's with relief that she sees them beginning to be friendlier and invite Namaari on her own merit to their dinners. But then she over hears them plotting to drag Namaari and herself on some wild camping adventure, and, taking sympathy on Namaari's twitching eye, she relents, especially as she knows Namaari seems to feel obligated to say yes to all their requests. 'No can do, fellows,' she says, bumping her hip against Namaari's. 'We're going on a trip for just the two of us this weekend.'

Namaari comes across as extremely badass and tough, and although Raya knows this all to be true, she also knows there is a giant softie hiding just beneath the surface of her personality that few people get to see. However, she initially isn't sure the same can be said regarding Namaari's mother. The first time Virana catches them kissing, shock written all over her face as Raya pushes Namaari back in surprise, Raya's pretty sure her life flashes before her eyes.

'So you're the woman my daughter talks about constantly,' Virana says, and her gaze seems to pierce Raya's soul. 'I wondered when I would be meeting you.' Raya's pretty sure she manages to stutter out some ineloquent response, before Namaari is huffing a laugh and grabbing onto her hand. 'Mother, be nice,' she admonishes. 'No threats against my girlfriend.'

(Raya's almost too surprised by Virana's laugh to realize that Namaari's just called her the big "girlfriend" word)

[lumity-rights]

Rating Raya and the Last Dragon characters by how much I would trust them to hold my drink at a party

raya: first up of course is my main girl raya. she would definitely watch my drink and being the absolute feral gremlin she is after six years in the wild, spit at anyone who tries to come near. 9/10 i like the creativity. #pleasespitinmymouthtoo

sisu: my absolute favorite webkinz worm on a string looking ass. the dragon of the hour. a living legend. sisu would ABSOLUTELY do everything in her power to keep my drink safe. except she would probably end up forgetting it somewhere or spilling it. 7/10

noi (+the ongies): the reason it’s getting spilled. 0/10

boun: my SON. my CHILD. WHAT are you doing at this party. there are alcoholic drinks around :/ go home. but anyway 12/10 even tho he’ll probably spill it cuz he’s pulling a sick dance move

namaari: oh homegirl is watching the absolute SHIT out of my drink. namaari is gonna spend the entire party, one hand mf clenched around that drink and the other on top of it while prowling for any signs of any sleezeballs drugging it right up until the very moment she passes it back to me. on god someone is getting their ass beat if they so much as BREATHE at my drink wrong. and have you SEEN those muscles?? 839478275818/10 those motherfuckers don’t stand a chance. namaari my beloved ily

tuk tuk: he is so so baby but also he would definitely knock it over or drink it then spit it back into the cup -2/10 that’s kinda disgusting bro

chief benja: i mean LOOK at him 10/10

tong: same thing i said for namaari but with 32% more baby. infinity/10

chief virana: yeah. that drink is getting watched alright. very solid drink watcher. absolutely no tomfoolery or feralness. but i ask, where’s the flair?? :/ i give her a respectable 8/10

chief of tail: i mean. she’s a heap of bones. like literally. she’s ded. what is she gonna do. -14/10

chief of talon: -3257387584/10 i’m getting drugged

[isitbussinjanelle]

*they’re babysitting Noi*

Namaari: Noi! If you don't be nice and behave, then we’re gonna have to talk to-

Raya: -THE CHIEF OF TALON.

Namaari: No Raya her mom.

Raya: THE MOTHER OF THE CHEIF OF TAL-

Namaari: NOI’S MOM DUMBASS-