#chaotic wandering warrior

[brynjarchaos]

I was asked: “Why do you gravitate towards the destructive force that volcanoes can do and sometimes feel helpless?”

No one had ever asked me that.

So I thought about it and wrote down my thoughts.

I started to teach myself about volcanoes because I was afraid.

When the earthquake hit Utah in March of 2020, I had convinced myself that the aftershocks would trigger a Yellowstone eruption. Something in me told me that fear was irrational and that I needed to educate myself.

I started with earthquakes. It began with tectonic plates, then fault lines, then “magnitude,” and then how seismographs work. Once I understood how and why earthquakes happened, I was no longer afraid. Instead, I was fascinated. How the ground beneath our feet constantly moves without us noticing very often was mind-blowing.

Next on the list was Yellowstone.

I learned that there are hundreds of earthquakes happening in the Yellowstone area every day. That fact itself was reassuring. Yellowstone is not technically overdue for an eruption, as many people claim. Ol’ Faithful? Every time it erupts, it releases gas and pressure from the caldera. So technically, in a small way, it’s erupting every day.

Do you know where volcanoes come from?

Tectonic plates.

I thought I had learned everything about tectonic plates while researching earthquakes. Nope.

Volcanoes are formed when there is a more resounding crack inside of a tectonic plate that leads directly to the upper earth’s mantle. It’s the same with smaller fault lines. Magma is pushed up through that crack, and when it doesn’t have a way out, a portion of that crack expands and turns into a pool of magma. That pool is called a caldera. Different fault lines form different types of volcanoes - Cinder Cone Volcanoes, Composite Volcanoes (Stratovolcanoes), and Shield Volcanoes. There are different kinds of eruptions too. The six eruption types are from least explosive to the most explosive; Icelandic, Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, Pelean, and Plinian. Each of those eruptions is “rated” by what’s called the “Volcanic Explosivity Index,” or “VEI.”

I can go on and on about how volcanoes work, but that’s not the answer to your question…

What gravitates me toward volcanoes the most, I think, is how calm and beautiful they are on the surface. They look just like the regular geographical makeup of the earth that we know and love. You wouldn’t know that what you were looking at was a volcano unless someone told you so or you witnessed it’s eruption. Nature takes over. Grass and trees grow. Wildlife calls it “home.” The birds sing, and the buffalo graze. Rail falls, the wind blows, and the sun shines. All sorts of footprints are left on a volcano every day … except for the underwater volcanoes … the fish poop on those ones. They’re just a part of the Earth, right?

Until they erupt.

The magma boils and bubbles underneath. Gasses swirl. Pressure builds. The ground above rises and falls as if breathing—the earth trembles. The wildlife calling it home starts to migrate away. They sense the danger, but they don’t know why until…

Then the eruption hits. The violence depends on the type of volcano and the type of eruption. It can be soft; the lava can flow slowly, gently taking over the ground, like Kilauea and Mauna Loa. It can be catastrophic, like Vesuvius and Mt St Helens. The explosion can be powerful - the roar shaking the air, rippling through our bodies, rupturing our eardrums. The shockwave racing around the earth, taking down trees, shattering glass, and moving the water of the oceans. The ash rushing up into the sky, only to fall, hot and thick, suffocating those who breathe air, coating the ground, and burning our feet. The lava and pumice, flying through the sky, rolling down the kills, destroying everything in its path - setting fire to everything we love, crushing the dreams of what once was. Lives are taken and changed—worry and grief strike. The world feels dark.

But, only for a moment, because then…

The rain falls, washing away the ash and taming the fire. The waves calm down. The lava and pumice turn back into rock. The sun comes out. The grass and trees regrow. People and animals rebuild. The birds start to sing again. Flowers begin to grow and bloom.

Everything goes back to normal.

I am a volcano;

Full of love, kindness, patience, understanding, compassion, empathy, courage, and gratitude.

I nurture and support the life that’s around me.

I dig my toes into the dirt, standing tall while I watch over the world beneath me. My head is in the clouds while I dream big. I provide a safe place for those around me, a home.

My mind and heart are filling with emotion.

But the problem is, I don’t know how to open up. I struggle to communicate.

It’s bottled up, like a caldera.

The pressure builds.

My hands tremble. My heart races. My lungs ache. My world spins.

I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t feel.

And then,

It erupts. I explode.

I scream. I cry.

Blood boiling like magma, emotions burning like lava. My words are powerful and destructive, like a shockwave. Outbursts are intense, like the waves. Pride caving in on itself.

Life around me stops.

I caused pain and suffering, even though I didn’t want to.

I grieve the person I was before the eruption.

But, only for a moment, because then…

[whatimdoing-here]

come on, pretty boy.

WARRIOR NUN S2 | Jack Mullarkey as Michael/Miguel

[hopeful-hugz]

🥚 Tag Drop! Feel free to like this if you want a tag for your muse as well.

[redskull199987]

Concubine

Paul Atreides x fem!reader Part II

Word Count:1.6k

Warnings:!SPOILERS! for Dune II, canon typical violence

Summary:"This princess will carry his name and yet, she will be less than a Concubine. She will never spend a moment of tenderness with the man she is tied to. But we who are called concubines - in the eyes of history we will be wives…"

Part I / Masterlist

She was pretty. You had to give her that. Your gaze closely followed each and every move that the Princess made. You knew that her head must have been chaotic at the moment, going through every possible scenario, how this situation could end. And you also knew that her first and last goal of this day would be to save her father’s life and secure the continuous reign of her bloodline.

But from the way she looked at you, you knew that Princess Irulan was aware of the fact that if she did marry Paul, she’d never get to share a bed with him. Would never bear his heirs or even receive an ounce of warmth from him.

She knew that even though you'd officially be Paul’s concubine, his loyalty would lie with you. And only you.

Chani’s hand on your shoulder pulled you out of your thoughts. It reminded you that before it ever came to that, Paul would have to beat the Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha.

You took a deep breath in, as you glanced over to the Harkonnen. You had heard stories of him back on Caladan. Stories of his thirst for blood and his enjoyment of Pain. His reputation preceded him, but his appearance clearly matched it. He looked almost eerily as he stepped forward, proposing to fight for the Emperor and defined his honor.

A small frown appeared on your face, when Paul accepted the proposal. Too fast for your liking. You heard Chani sigh next to you. You looked over to the Fremen. The Woman who had become like a sister to you, who had taught you the ways of her people. You remembered it as clear as day, when she had first told you, that you’d earned her trust.

It was the day you had joined the Fedaykin among their ranks, The day you became one of them.

You were high on adrenaline. You didn’t know how else you could’ve explained it. You didn’t know how else you would’ve pulled it off. Your eyes wandered over the many Corpses of the Harkonnen Warriors, that were supposed to protect their Harvester. Almost like in slow motion, you raised your hand, your fingertips wandering over the specks of blood that littered your face. You knew it wasn’t your own blood, but the thrill that the situation itself brought you, was indescribable. 

You needed a few moments to fully return to the present. The Spice in the Air was clouding your senses, making it feel like you witnessed everything merely from the eyes of a spectator and not as one of the Fremen who ever so fiercely attacked a Spice Harvester of the Harkonnen.

The Explosion pulled you out of your Trance.

You spun around, spotting Chani and Paul. They were fighting off a few Harkonnen warriors. But you quickly realized that Paul wouldn’t be able to defeat them all alone. You’ve never felt slower than in this moment, when you started running towards him. It felt like the Sand was pulling you down, seeking to swallow you whole.

But you didn’t let it. A scream left your lips, as you dashed forward, deeply burying your Crysknife in the back of a Harkonnen Warrior that was about to attack Chani from behind. You sank to the ground together with his Corpse, as Chani spun around, her eyes widening as she realized what had happened.

Only seconds passed, as you looked up to her, Anger and Determination all, that was on your mind. Chani gave you a small nod before Paul finally reached the two of you again.

“Re-load!”, Chani yelled at him and he quickly did as told, pulling out another round of Ammo, reloading Chanis Missile Launcher. 

You glanced past the Mainstay that the three of you were hiding behind. When you spotted the Ornithopter in the air, you gulped harshly.

“The shields only lower when he’s shooting!”, You shouted towards your companions. When you locked eyes with Paul, you immediately realized that the two of you had the same Plan.“We’ll distract him!”, Paul explained to Chani who gave him a court nod as she understood.

“Wait for our sign!”, You yelled, as you got ready to sprint over to the next Mainstay to distract the Sniper.

“Ready?”, Paul asked as he got into position next to you.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”, You grinned, despite the Seriousness of the Situation.

You took in one last deep breath, knowing very well that it could be your last one, before you felt Paul tap your shoulder, signaling you to start running.

Almost immediately, your instincts kicked in and it felt like you were a spectator again, watching how your feet carried you through the hot sand. You saw and heard the shots that rang in the Air as you sprinted through the Desert.

“Shit!”, You heard Paul yell next to you and you quickly realized what he meant, when you saw the Mainstay in front of you start to move further away from you.

“Run!!”, You shouted, as if it wasn’t obvious. 

You knew that from that moment and the point where you reached your destination, only seconds passed but it felt like hours as you ran through the sand. Mere moments before you reached the safety of the Mainstay, you heard Paul yell at Chani to launch the Missile.

 You were knocked over by the Force of the Explosion as the Ornithopter burst apart into the air, signaling to the Fremen that were hidden on the cliffs nearby that they could launch their attack on the Harvester, destroying it entirely. 

“Hurry!”, Paul yelled, as he pulled you to your feet and back over to Chani who was already making her way towards the nearby Dune. You had to disappear in the Desert again, before more Harkonnen would come and attack you.

That night you sat with the other Fedaykin, drank and laughed with them as Paul and you joined their ranks as respectable Warriors of the Desert. You received your Fremen name and you realized that your Heart, your soul and your entire being was with them now. You would fight for them as long as you breathed, would even go to death for them.

And Chani seemed to realize it too.

The young woman had always acted cold towards you, but when you saved her life on that day, risking your own for hers, she realized just how much of a loyal friend and fighter lay in you. From that day on, You knew that you could always count on each other.

“He will survive…He will win.”, Chani whispered into your ear and squeezed your shoulder as you watched how Paul and Feyd-Rautha got ready for their Fight. As the Gaze of the Na-Baron crossed yours, you sucked in a deep breath. What you saw in those eyes scared you.

It was a thirst for Blood and Power that you had only seen in Paul as he drank the Water of life.

You quickly looked over to Paul, giving him a firm nod, signaling him that you were on his side. His eyes told you more than words ever could. It was a silent promise. A promise to come back to you, to survive this battle and to put his plan into action.

It was a Promise that he would become the Emperor.

“I must not fear”, You mumbled to yourself, as the fight began,”Fear is the Mindkiller.” 

Your eyes followed every little move of Paul as well as Feyd-Rautha. The two men were equal fighters, both born to be the One. But only one of them would win, only one of them would come out alive.

“Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.”, You whispered, as you watched Paul get knocked over the head, Blood trickling down his temple,”I will face my fear.”

“Is she your pet?”, Feyd-Rautha mocked as he gave Paul a moment to collect himself. The Na-Baron grinned wickedly and pointed his knife at you. You paid him no mind, as your eyes only rested on Paul, silently telling him not to let himself be provoked.

“I will permit it to pass over me and through me”, you mouthed as Paul got up and the Fight commenced anew. 

Your breath hitched as Feyd-Rautha swiftly disarmed Paul, ramming the Crsyknife into his ribs. A guttural groan left Paul's lips as the two fighters stood close to each other. Wheezing breaths were the only noise to be heard in the room.

“And when it has gone past I will turn to the inner eye and see it’s Path”, You whispered desperately, the Mantra being the only thing that kept you from panicking.

All your senses were focused on the two men in front of you as you witnessed how Paul silently pulled the Crysknife out of his Body, getting ready to attack. Feyd-Rautha barely had time to react as the holy knife of Shai-Hulud pierced his armor and therefore ended his life by the hand of the new Emperor. 

“Where the Fear has gone there will be nothing”, You mouthed as Paul got to his feet again. His steps seemed to carry the weight of the Universe as he walked over to the old Emperor, demanding him to kneel in front of his new Master.

Reluctantly the old man did as told, as he accepted his defeat. Princess Irulans gaze slowly wandered to you, as her father fell to his knees.

“Only I will remain.”

[brucewaynehater101]

DC has an in universe version of Dungeons and Dragons, theirs is Wizards and Warriors, the name is less cool due to lack of dragons but a pass is given because alliteration

Tim canonically plays and has used it to get his civilians friends to help him brainstorm plans without letting them in on secret identity stuff

Tim (not canonically but wouldn't be surprised) plays it with Young Justice, he is generally the DM but sometimes Greta takes over or on rare occasions Red Tornado is available for a one shot campaign, Tim keeps track of everyone's schedules and hosts the sessions at the most convenient location for all of them depending on multiple factors

Bart makes minis for all of them and usually has to borrow dice from Cassie

Cassie has so many sets of dice, Tim funds her addiction to pretty dice because she always gets him a set that she thinks he'll like when she looks for new dice for herself

Kon creates the most detailed backgrounds and is generally the one to bring snacks to the sessions, he has tried cheating rolls with TTK once but he was caught and suffered from disadvantage on all rolls for the rest of the session

Cissie doesn't have the time to play very often but sometimes she'll drop by and be a drop in character that in game has been cursed to be forever lost and wandering so if her character isn't there, it's because they managed to get separated from the group to use the bathroom or something and ended up on the opposite side of the country and it takes them a bit to find the group again

Anita doesn't have time to play very often either and sometimes she has to bring her little parents who Tim lets roll the dice for monsters in the game, Anita's character is charged with tracking Cissie's so anytime Anita's character isn't there it's because they're on the trail of Cissie's character

They have a character ready for Slobo just in case

Greta always plays bard and in almost every campaign her bard has inspired people to revolution and general chaotic behavior, the others almost wish that she'd do the typical seductive bard thing after the third time that she managed to convince a group of goblins to unionize which caused them to somehow be better at their job which was in direct opposition to the party but respect that Greta isn't comfortable with that, she does manage to work in a rick roll to nearly every campaign at least once

The Slobo one almost made me cry, ngl

I don't know much about DND, but I loved this so much.

YJ missions are already so chaotic. I'm curious what their sessions are like. I also would see them putting some of their missions in their campaigns just to make fun of how ridiculous or whack they were

[oxymorayuri]

𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝟷𝟼

𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑡 »

𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟 𝐷. 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝐿𝑎𝑤 ✘ ♀ 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: PyroKnight98

Story: The princess of Tanata

[Long Fic]

➽ Click on this link to see all chapters.

Spoiler: nope

Warnings: nope

slowburn with plot

Wordcount: 6012

Text in italics emphasizes the reader’s thoughts

Bold and italic text emphasizes Law's thoughts *~*

A/N: Hey there sweeties. I've been gone for a while... BUT now I'm back with the princess of Tanata! The last few months have been a bit chaotic (in a good and bad way. lol.) but everything is fine now. I'm going to catch up on this story, promise u. I've been thinking about you guys a lot, wanted to write but well, life got in the way lol..

Tagging: @slytherinambitious - @sassyyassi - @norasincubi - @cottoncandyloverrrr - @one-piece-frvr7

The celebration couldn't be more beautiful. The people dined, laughed and spoke happily with each other. At a table a little away from the others, you watch them dreamily while resting your chin in your hand.

Your uncle and Delia were sitting on two festively arranged thrones, decorated with flowers, while Megara lay in a cradle in front of them. The people came forward one by one, spoke their congratulations and blessed their new princess.

When the king gave his heartfelt speech, you wanted to cover your ears. You just can't bear to hear his voice, especially when he talks about how much he is looking forward, to Megara leading all of Tanata into a glorious future. You have no doubt that she will. No, you are looking forward to it. His voice just leaves nothing but a scratch in your ears.

Who are you to decide for me? What is family? Is it normal that they decide for you?

For Megara, her fate was also decided before she was even born. The feeling of shame boils up inside you. You never realized that it was also so natural for you, that Megara would become queen. Is that how you were raised? Or are you a hypocrite?

What if Megara doesn't want the crown? They're just giving her shoes, and now she has to learn dancing in them.

You lean back a little and stretch your arms. Your gaze falls on the pirate gang that has happily mingled with the people. It looks like fun and you smile enviously at their boundless joy.

Nami's and your eyes meet and a grin spreads across her face as she dances with the people of Tanata in a circle around the great fire. Slowly she separates from the crowd and dances her way over to you.

"Hey, Princess, what are you doing sitting here? Come join us!" It's so loud now that she's almost shouting. Your eyes briefly wander to your family, where the king is gently cuddling Megara. He's distracted anyway, so why shouldn't you have a little fun too?

You jump up from your seat as if you had been waiting for someone to rescue you from your thoughts. Arm in arm, the two of you set off to dance with the others.

No matter which face you look at, the faces are full of joy and even if you could have danced forever, you slowly feel your feet. A little exhausted, you sit down at one of the nearby tables and breathe a sigh of relief as you take a seat, while the pressure on your feet fades. Next to you at the long table, different groups are gathered: warriors, pirates, friends and strangers. Everyone is having a great time and enjoying the company of others.

Your breath slowly eases as you watch the beautiful togetherness. The large fire leaves a warm trail on your face and with your eyes closed, you enjoy the laughter and singing of the villagers.

Suddenly you feel the warmth fade away, as if someone were standing in front of you blocking the fire. You open your eyes a little cautiously and blink in surprise.

A few children are standing in front of you, whispering shyly to each other as they watch you. Their cuteness warms your heart and you call them over to you with a warm smile.

They approached you with excited faces, with just enough space between you that they didn't touch you. A little confused, you tilt your head to the side, as they stare at you with their bright eyes, as if they were admiring the sight of a beautiful princess.

That's probably because you are a beautiful princess. So graceful, beautiful like a painting and gentle. A giggle from your lips makes the three in front of you jump and one child nudges the child in the middle. The little girl in the middle complained briefly and started to speak hastily up to you.

"Dear Princess, may we ask you to sing a song for us?" All three held their hands as if they were praying and their eyes were literally screaming 'pleaaaaaaasee'.

Their words were not left unheard, and a few people at the table joined in, strengthening the children's request. All kinds of songs were suggested, as everyone had their favoritesong. Although you are not a trained singer, your voice is so mystical and soothing that you have been singing songs and ballads since you were a child, and at some point it became normal for you to perform for the townspeople.

Without another word, you just shrug your shoulders with a humble smile. Do you have a choice? When you look at the three faces in front of you, the answer is clear.

"Since the little ladies asked first, they should decide on a song." you announce fairly. The children jump gleefully into your lap while you fall back slightly in surprise.

Your eyes fall on the girls and, in perfect unison, they call out. "Hazel eyes!" You nod your head in approval, it's a good song, a song you like as well. The melody and lyrics always lift the mood and envelop the crowd in a romantic, hopeful atmosphere.

"So be it!" With the children in your hand, you run excitedly to the stage and don't even realize that you've run off without your shoes. It's been a long time since you last got to sing, and you're really looking forward to singing this song.

As the band's music faded, the dancing and drinking people turned around. Glances wandered around and when they saw you on stage, a loud cheer arose. A little confused, your pirate friends stepped forward; they have no idea why all the groups are moving away from their tables to get to the stage, but they will definitely find out and so they also went to the stage.

"Oh, I know what's going on! The princess is on stage!" Bepo excitedly shakes Shachi, who is standing next to him. Ikkaku tries in vain to see you on stage, but she is just too small. A few times she was able to catch a glimpse, but only because she was jumping around. Suddenly she went up in the air as Bepo took her on his shoulders and her face beamed as she looked over at you.

In the silence, an imposing melody filled the air, the drum was hit in rhythmic blows and a soothing melody sounded. Then finally there was the sound of your gentle voice...

A/N: Hello folks <3 We need to talk for a second. Of course I have a song :3 But you can also hear your own harmonious folk song; or none at all, but be prepared to get songs from me, because the readers singing voice is important for future arcs… but I can't reveal any more at the moment… :x This does not mean that the song is for the entire chapter, it is usually only when the reader is actually singing. (I simply adapt the music, since it should be like a ballad in this scene, you know?..) For example, if reader sings a sexy song, you can also choose a song that you find hotter, but maybe you also like my song, which would be cool… ehem…. now I'll leave you alone! Have fun with the rest of the chapter! With love, Yuri.

Song: Sabrina Jordan - Hazel Eyes

♬♩♪♩♬♩♪♩♬♩♪♩

Blue as the wings of a heron in the night Like the rising of the tides on the shores of Isle Skye They gleam evergreen, winds 'a whistling in the pines Like a castle-crawling vine, like the grassy Glen of Lyon And rich as the mud after rain upon the ground They're a whisky hue of brown, braided river running wild I fell astray, but in you, I have found That I am ever bound to your hazel eyes

♬♩♪♩♬♩♪♩♬♩♪♩

The remaining people at the tables turned towards the stage, where your magnificent voice came from.

"Hah, finally I can hear her voice again…" Ambrosios leans back and relaxes while sitting at the table with the others.

"Who is singing?" Zoro tries to see who is standing on the stage, but the crowd is too large to see anything. The warrior from Tanata looks at him with one open eye.

"Don't you recognize that enchanting voice?" For him it is crystal clear. The greenhead just shrugs his shoulders. Yes, it may be a lovely woman's voice, but it is not that important to him and he turns back to his drink. Law, who is sitting at the table with them, leans back a little and casually puts his arm on the back of the bench.

"Isn't that Princess-ya?" With his eyes closed, he listens to your words. Are you even real?

Law can understand what Ambroisios likes about your voice. It is so fine, light as a feather and yet impressive in the right heights. The feeling is similar to when you heal someone, Law immediately recognizes the silky sensation spreading through him. It is so close to what he felt, when your power flowed through him. As if he were sinking into a warm sea without drowning.

Ambrosios grumbles in agreement and leans forward, looking seriously at the black haired man. It does not go unnoticed how relaxed Law is listening to your voice. Somehow it doesn't sit right with him.

"Listen, pirate, she's mine." When the words reach Law, he calmly opens his eyes. He has no idea what he's talking about and is more surprised at where this sudden idea came from. He raises his eyebrows, but his body language still seems rather calm and unfazed.

"Yours?" Law asks, somewhat bemused. But Ambrosios just stares back. He has said what he needed to say.

"I don't want to compete with you, but as far as I know, you're not even a candidate." His mouth twists into a mocking grin, but his voice is still playful. Exactly as he says, the music on stage fades and the crowd applauds, making it seem as if they are applauding because of Law's slander. Ambrosios laughter echoes around and a few heads turn towards them.

"You're right. She belongs to no one. Not even herself." His voice was a little quieter at the end, more depressed and a little torn. His gaze is on the table with a slight grin, but Law makes no further comment. He just analyzes his body language and is thinking about his words.

Around them it got louder again, more straw hat pirates gathered at the table again, who had been dancing with the crowd before. Ambrosios distracted himself in a conversation with Nami while Law is still looking thoughtfully through the crowd. His eyes unconsciously search for your figure, without really knowing it.

When his eyes finally found you, dancing around the fire with the townspeople, he noticed a small detail.

Everyone in Tanata has golden eyes, but you? You have (e/c) eyes. Just at the moment when he managed to see your eye color you met his gaze.

Since you hadn't expected him watching you, you stopped briefly but quickly turned back to dancing with blushing cheeks. Nevertheless, you risked another glance only to realize that Law was still eyeing you. He seems to find it amusing to see you dancing without your shoes while hiding a grin behind his mug.

His tunic was casually draped over his upper body and his cloak was open, revealing half of the tattoo on his chest. With his one arm outstretched and his drink in the other hand, he gave you a barely noticeable smile, that only made you blush even more. He's just so damn cool.

You're almost ashamed to look at him so furtively, but the heat in your chest is even worse.

But you don't let yourself be swayed and continue dancing into the night with your friends. After a lot of dancing and laughing, when you were looking for your shoes in vain, you cross paths with your uncle Zelos.

"Good that I found you, Princess," he says, gently taking you by the shoulder and leading you aside to get some distance from the people. His somewhat serious expression makes you tilt your head to the side. With question marks all around your head, you look up at him.

"Everything okay with you? I'm happy to see you again, it's been a few days since I last saw you." - "Yes, the party is a real success, but I have to talk to you about something important." Your conversation is calm but hushed.

"I need your skills for my mission and we shouldn't waste any time." You nod at him with a serious face, you are ready. But then you remember something.

Your uncle doesn't miss your changing facial expression, as if you had remembered something. When you look up at him a bit ashamed, he raises an eyebrow.

"Hähä uhm, so I lost my shoes." Embarrassed, you scratch your chin and lift your dress so that your uncle can see your dirty toes. You can't run through the dense, dark forest like this. Zelos looks hastily around, but your shoes are nowhere to be seen.

"Are you looking for these?" Law's voice comes from the side and you both look at him. With your shoes dangling in his hand, you hastily grab them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just wanted to bring you your shoes, but are you talking about the other pirate ship?"

You and your uncle exchanged glances and you gave him a nod. You glanced back at your uncle to see if he wanted to say something, but he waited and looked at you expectantly, so you bravely made a decision.

"Hey Law, you should come with us." you gesture and turn around. The two men also glance at each other. Zelos doesn't look surprised, but a little uneasy. You shouldn't involve everyone just like that, for goodness sake. Law's look, on the other hand, is more analytical.

He wouldn't admit it, but it plays into his hands that you have so much power, because he can tell from Zelo's reaction that he doesn't really like it, but he doesn't care and follows you.

If you were attacked, it could be devastating for his crew as well, after all, the Polar Tang is not repaired yet. Knowing about the situation is also his primary concern.

The first commander of the royal army breathes heavily. You would get your way anyway, so what does it matter?

Without attracting attention, you made your way away from the party and hurried through the streets and alleys of the city to the massive city wall. Before you left the valley through the big gate, you turned back to Law.

"Law, it's important that you walk carefully through the forest. Try to be as quiet as possible. The animals of the night are both ruthless and fast." You can tell from his expression that he seems to take your words seriously and with silent and quick steps you make your way through the jungle, led by your uncle.

Every now and then you glance back at Law. You are amazed that he can keep up with your speed, which is almost inhuman. Of course you are a little slower than usual, but the fact that he can keep up with you at this speed is still remarkable.

Close to the edge of the forest, in the crown of a tree, you are watching the ship from a tree house. The tree house serves as an observation post and is quite empty apart from a few chairs.

Zelos is leaning against the broad trunk of the tree and watching you as you examine the ship through binoculars. They must be pirates, but you never expected such a feminine ship. A pink flamingo?

Your curious eyes wander around and examine the deck. When your eyes spot the symbol on the sail, you gasp and flinch back a little, dropping the binoculars. With trembling eyes, you stare into the distance and have to process what your eyes have seen.

Law seems visibly surprised and jumps up to your side. You look terrified. He grabs you by the shoulder and tries to make eye contact.

"Hey, Princess-ya!" But there's no reaction from you. His gaze goes over to Zelos, who is not surprised by your behavior.

"What's wrong with her?" Your pulse is clearly higher than normal and he's sure that whatever you saw is the reason for your sudden reaction. Zelos walks over to you and picks up the binoculars to hand them to Law.

"Those aren't strangers, they're enemies." Law looks through the binoculars and recognizes the all too familiar Jolly Roger.

"So you've met them before?" he asks your uncle. Zelos takes you in his arms, but you hardly notice his embrace or respond. Your arms hang limply at your side and he lovingly strokes your back. You're trembling... but you look like an empty shell.

"Yes, a long time ago these people brought great misfortune upon our people." he replies. You clench your fists. These monsters dare to come back? You grind your teeth.

Law seems lost in thought. He hopes that Doflamingo is not on board, but if he were, he would have gone ashore long ago, wouldn't he?

"We won't let them enter the city." His eyes turn to you as he hears your angry, trembling voice. You seem so different. Until recently, you acted as if you had seen a ghost, but there is no sign of that fear anymore.

Your whole body radiates your anger. Law waits for your next words and you look him in the eye with determination. You break away from your uncle and look out the window into the distance and the blue sea.

"Uncle, so how should I help you?" Without turning to him, you continue to look in the direction of the ship. If it were up to you, you would attack the ship directly and tear it to shreds, but despite your abilities, you are not able to do so.

You grit your teeth again, so strong that you could almost hear your teeth cracking... Being the child of the devil's fruit, defending your country would be your task... Yet you have never been allowed to develop your true power.

You feel so useless and weak.

What is the use of it? Your knuckles are already turning white from being so tense. Zelos would prevent you from doing it anyway.

"Stop time." You turn to your uncle with your eyebrows furrowed.

"Zelos, you know I can't do that." You look a little confused, that's another skill you never learned, but Zelos just stares at you with a serious expression.

"I know you can do it. It wouldn't be the first time either." You look at him in shock, even Law looks up hastily.

You don't quite understand what he means and you search for your words a little confused, while you look around on the floor.

"You definitely did it when you were a child, back when those monsters attacked us for the first time. It was an unpleasant feeling, like regaining consciousness, but nobody around you had moved, while you had changed a lot." You look up at him with a bewildered expression as he pulls up a chair and sits down.

"You know y/n, in the blink of an eye you had caused damage that could not be explained otherwise than, that you had stopped time."

He himself feared your power. What you had done was so overwhelming that he prayed that you would stop, or he believed that the end of the world would arrive. He felt that Armageddon had come. The last fight of time.

The images before his eyes cannot be put into words and he does not want to scare you from using your power. He never thought he would see the sails of these pirates again.

What you did back then should have scared them off forever, but apparently they are as crazy as they are greedy.

"But I don't know exactly how to do that." You feel a little distraught and tears well up in your eyes. A good idea, but where do you start? You are overwhelmed and afraid.

"She probably released these powers, because of the trauma she experienced." Law makes a diagnostic statement, which makes your uncle sigh in defeat.

He knows for sure that it was like that. He was there and saw the trigger. The death of your parents. How they threw themselves in front of you to block the blade coming towards you.

The blood of your parents was on you and pure despair spread in your eyes when you realized that they were taking their last breath. Frantically, you tried to close their wounds, but the damage was beyond repair and their souls had already left their bodies.

There you stood, with your parent's blood all over your body, your eyes wide open and no color in your face. A memory that Zelos will probably never be able to get out of his head.

"I'll do it." Your decision is made. You feel this deep sense of duty to protect your country and give your very best.

For a while there is silence in the tree house and only the sounds of the night jungle can be heard. Law watches the situation with his typical stare. He notices from your side profile how serious you are, but he does not miss your deep swallowing.

Of course you are a little nervous. How are you supposed to pull this off? Then you remember a distant memory from your days as a child. Your mother had always been there to help you understand your powers. In that moment, you hear her gentle voice telling you to trust your inner feelings.

You take a deep breath and turn to the others. You sit down cross legged, raising your arms slightly and making a gesture to get the others to your side. The two of them sit down next to you also cross legged and your uncle reaches for your hand, knowing what is coming next.

Law just looks at your hand a little surprised as you clear your throat again because he still hasn't grabbed your hand. Finally he remembered that the best way for you to use your powers, is through physical contact and he grabs your smaller hand.

Okay okay y/n. Your inner voice is getting ready.

You wish you knew, what kind of feeling you had to rely on. Usually it only takes one thought, but before the thought comes the feeling. How does it feel to stop time? It's like you have to feel the needle in a pile of hay, to get it. You can't reach for it without feeling it.

The voice in your head repeats the words 'silence' over and over again like a mantra, but nothing happens. No other feeling spreads through you, the feeling in your chest remains the same.

"Think of the quiet forest, y/n." Your uncle's voice startles you at first, but the images soon appear before your eyes and you can feel the forest in all its silence. How the forest smells, like moss and soil. You wonder what silence would smell like?

You feel the peace of the forest but you don't understand his approach. He is trying to guide you like your mother, but his words do nothing more than calm you down.

“Okay, the forest is quiet and calming, but what does that have to do with time?” His laughter buzzes through your body while your eyes remain closed and he gently squeezes your hand.

"The first time I saw Delia, everything around her stopped. The light seemed to shine only on her... As if time had stopped for us." He stopped briefly to highlight the key point of his statement; “I felt like a man who was deaf and unable to speak... Many people would have panicked, but it was so quiet around me and I felt at peace, like in the forest…”

A slight pressure on your chest makes you breathe deeply. Your uncle can tell from your breath that his words are guiding you in the right direction.

"Do you remember the first time you saw a Ceberus? You were so overwhelmed that you could hardly breathe." He spoke of your memories and the images played out in your mind like a story.

You had to grin a little when he spoke of the Ceberus, because you can perfectly remember what it felt like, what kind of fear you felt. As if your heart had stopped.

Just as you remember the mystical encounter, another feeling makes itself felt. A cold feeling that threatens to stab your heart. A visible coldness comes out of your mouth, even though it is summer and the temperature around you generally drops.

Law notices how your body temperature sinks with alarming speed and scans your side with a concerned look. Your breath is clear and visible and a few ice crystals form on your lips.

Then you take a deep breath with your eyes wide open. It reminds one of someone, who has been held underwater and finally manages to catch a breath.

Just as you seem to calm down, an arctic coldness runs through him. Goose bumps cover his entire body and a stab in his heart almost makes him want to let go of your hand, but you hold his hand tight. You cannot lose the connection.

Your breathing stabilizes but your throat still feels completely frozen. You have never felt such a cold in your powers before. Normally it is more like pressure but never had it such overwhelming side effects, like ice crystals forming on your lips.

The side effects are making all three of you feel very weak, without even realizing that you had actually stopped time. It was Law who noticed first.

"Do you hear that?" the dark haired man asks. Your breathing is ragged and you look at him questioningly.

"No, I don't hear anything." - "Right." he answers you curtly as he hastily gets up and goes to the window. Still wondering, you look after him, but then it dawns on you.

You don't hear anything! nothing.

Neither the animals nor the sea. You hurry to Law's side and gaze in amazement at the forest. You spot a few animals standing still in the middle of movement and a feeling of inner joy comes over you. You've done it!

Law reaches for the binoculars.

"Time seems to have stopped on the ship too. The people on the deck are no longer moving." His eyes wander around with a look of wonder. What might be the range of your power, he wonders.

Is time standing still everywhere? He looks down at you from the side. Your eyes already look tired, but his eyes are full of fascination. His eyes are watching the people on the ship again. Does your uncle want to slaughter the people on the ship while time stands still?

You suddenly feel quite dizzy and your legs are becoming unsteady. You try to hold on to the window frame, but Law has already grabbed you while he was still looking through the glasses.

"Time is moving again…" - "Then we only have a minute and twenty seconds to deal with them." Law looks down at Zelos, who is closing his pocket watch again. He had hoped for a little more time, but he is still surprised that you mastered it so quickly.

Stopping the time of the whole world is not an easy task and one of the secret techniques.

“I can keep it up for longer, I promise, Zelos.” With your eyes half closed and your chest heaving, you try to wriggle out of Law's grip.

Zelos caught you before you fell to the ground. You are probably too weak to do it again. He won't strain you and will think of something new. A minute and twenty seconds is just enough to explore the shipand you shouldn't risk your own health for that.

“No, that's enough for today.” He looks at you with a somewhat stern voice. A voice that you rarely hear. You look at him and can't even control your irregular breathing. You have to admit that you're not sure if you can do it again. Just the thought of it makes you feel like you're burning out like a light bulb.

With no voice, you surrender and your uncle gently sets your frail body down so that you are leaning against the wall.

“Wait here until I come back.” And without you being able to answer him, he jumped out of the tree house and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

You watch Law from the corner of your eye as he looks out the window at the ship. His face seems a little troubled, as if he is harboring deep feelings. You wonder what triggered his anger, but you are too weak to produce even a sound.

Some time passed in the quiet tree house without either you or Law saying a word, and yet the silence was comfortable. The only thing that was uncomfortable was your aching feet. The alcohol was slowly wearing off and you could feel that you had danced barefoot for almost the whole night.

Fortunately, your exhaustion was fading and, with a bit of a wobble, you tried to stand up. Law immediately became aware of your attempt and turned to you, but before he could come closer you held out your hand and stopped him in his tracks.

You wanted to make it clear that you could manage without any help and thus retain your dignity.

Law respects your refusal and watches you in silence. Only the crickets of the night can be heard and with slow but sure steps you join him at the window again.

You take a deep breath while Law's sharp gaze remains fixed on your profile. His dark eyes observe your profile, he is not quite sure what fascinates him about you, after all, there are countless people with interesting powers, but every time his gaze lands on you, it stays.

"U good?” - “I'm fine, thanks.” There are no more words in your brief conversation, but you feel good that he cares about you.

With thoughtful faces, you both look into the distance, with a small gap between you. A small movement and your shoulder would touch his arm, the difference in height is obvious if viewed from behind, and while your thoughts wander, you look up at him unintentionally.

Law notices your gaze and without moving, looks down at you from the corner of his eye.

His sudden gaze makes your heart flutter. You have never looked into someone's eyes and felt as if your breath is taken away. Law has a look that has crept into your thoughts like an intruder.

His penetrating gaze cuts you sharply, but not a word comes from your lips. You just stare at him, fascinated by the play of colors in his eyes.

The coldness in his eyes seems so heavy and sharp, but you would rather be scrutinized by his eyes, than by all the adoring gazes of your secret admirers.

“Is something wrong?” Law seems a little confused, he can't quite read your expression. You look at him in a dazed way…

“No, not at all.” You are aware of how blatantly you are observing him, but you also know that Law would never ask you point blank. With a small laugh, you turn your gaze away from him and look over the crowns of the trees. You become more and more aware of the feeling in your chest.

“Tell me, why did you want me to come along?” That's something that Law has been wondering about the whole time. Why are you involving him like this?

“It's simple, your strength is very useful.” You say quite casually. You had really only thought that he could be of use. You hadn't expected Zelos to ask you to stop time.

Law seems to have expected as much, but somehow he wanted to hear it from you. But he's not the only one who's been thinking about something all this time.

“Why did you watch me so intently at the banquet?” You turn your body towards him so that your shoulder briefly touches his arm. Surprised, he turns to you, and now you are standing face to face.

He hadn't thought that you would ask him so bluntly. He quickly composes himself and his surprised expression changes back to his confident face.

After all, you are a rather direct person and he has to laugh at himself for being so surprised by his own misjudgment. That said, he found your fascination with everything new and foreign remarkable.

It is something that makes you very charming.

“I just noticed something about you.” His words remain calm and in an even tone, but the content obviously makes you eager to know more, and your face comes closer to his.

There it is again, your unstoppable curiosity, and an unintentional smile appears on Law's lips.

“Why are you the only one with (e/c) eyes? Everyone else has golden eyes?” You didn't expect such a profound question and you close your eyes and lean back again. You look into the distance a little nostalgically before you speak again.

“I'm not a pureblood, so I inherited my father's eyes.”

The fact that he is suddenly so quiet again makes you giggle.

“I didn't know that you were that curious. After all, your eyes are much more interesting.” He puts his head to one side, somewhat confused.

He doesn't often look into his own eyes, and it's not that important to him. Nevertheless, it has sparked his interest that you are so different from the others.

Your eyes, your skin, your hair. Everything is a little different from the others. As if you didn't belong here.

His eyes wander over your entire appearance and compare you to the others from Tanata. The people of this city all have golden eyes, quite fair skin and the same hair color. You definitely stand out.

It's only natural to take a closer look at you, so what's so interesting about his eyes?

"What do you mean, princess-ya?” - “Your eyes are as gray as the stormy sea, but sometimes a spark of gold shines through, as if the sun were breaking through the thick clouds.”

You describe the whole thing as if you were looking into his eyes. As if you were seeing all these details in a picture and reflecting them. Yet you continue to look into the distance.

He has been so deeply engraved in your memory that you no longer need your eyesight to describe the beautiful intensity of his eyes.

Out of the corner of your eye, you recognize Law's startled reaction. It may be because your words sound like a romantic confession, but it is the truth.

His eyes are as mysterious and impressive as Law himself. The golden shimmer in his eyes does not always come out, but you are glad to have seen it. It was as if the sky cleared up and the sun was shining.

Law is not often at a loss for words, but at this moment he is stunned into silence.

He tries not to pay too much attention to what you said, after all, your whole community tends to be a bit on the romantic side. Maybe it's normal to exchange such words with each other.

“Thank you for your picturesque words, Princess-ya.” Even when he speaks such words, he still seems a little confused and you burst out laughing, forcing a few tears from your eyes.

You plop down on the floor, taking off your shoes and massaging your feet, which are exhausted from dancing.

“You should put something cool on your feet.” – “You really are an attentive doctor.” Your smile gently shines at him and he turns his head away in embarrassment, so that you don't see his red cheeks.

“Keep my feet cool…“ you think.

”I've got an idea!” and without hesitation you grab Law's hand and jump out of the tree house, which is countless meters up on the top of a huge tree.

Law would like to shout, seeing as it's quite a long way down, but he can already see various plants on the ground that are growing in your direction. Your reassuring smile makes him calm down immediately and as you fall hand in hand, he knows that you won't hit the ground.

Hey you sweeties, I hope you liked it :3

With love, your yuri ❤

➽ Next chapter

[fisherkn1ght]

A VERY DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF YOUR MUSE: Arisen & Pawn(s) Edition

tagged by: @bees-tes-blog (THANK YOU AGHH🥹)

tagging: @garzzum 😈

(I THINK MOST OF MY MUTUALS HAVE BEEN TAGGED but if you see this.. it's a sign to stop everything and fill this out IMMEDIATELY!!)

(game under the cut ((: )

ARISEN: LEONEN

(I realize I have..0 nice screenshots of him. oh well)

nicknames: 'Leon' (by others), 'Little lion' (by pawn)

age: Ranges, starting from 19~24, ending around 37

race: elven, though from a different region than the Vermudian elves

gender: cis male (if he really thought on it, though, he'd consider himself some degree of apagender)

orientation: gay, demisexual

moral alignment: chaotic good (I thinmk..)

class/subclass: started out as an assassin (DDDA), aligned with warfarer for most of his years as an arisen, but ended as a magick archer/trickster when the left side of his body was burned to the point of being non-functional.

background: Raised in a quiet, distant fishing village for most of his childhood. Once 18, he set sail with his beloved. Upon making their home in Melve, a dragon razed the village shortly after, murdering his beloved and leaving him as that world's Arisen, however unwilling he may have been to the role.

interests/hobbies: fishing and sailing (as a sentimental hobby), bird keeping (lovebirds), and writing (:

languages: a basic understanding of common, but his background is fluency in elven (and it is his preference). He has selective mutism, however, so speaking (with others in general) is often difficult even in his birth language

height: 156 (SHORTTTT)

colors: solid reds, dark purples, and black (:

fruits: fig, passion fruit

alcoholic beverages: Just a solid mead or ale, to take the edge off of whatever state he's in.

smokes: No, it reminds him of his late lover (who was always on greenwarish)

drugs: No

drivers oxcart license: he claims to have one (jumping on the backs of unsuspecting oxen does count right..right..)

ever been arrested: yes.. but he will always deny it (the guards shouldn't have been there) because he is an angel💖

PLAYLIST BECAUSE..ofc🙈: Leonen

PAWN: N'GALAM

nicknames: "little lamb" (by arisen)

age: appears late-twenties

race: Vermudian elven

gender: transgender male (later id's as transmasc)

orientation: aromantic, unlabeled for sexual orientation

moral alignment: chaotic neutral (methinks..)

class/subclass: begins as a warrior, persists as a mage, ends as a sorcerer

background: summoned by his arisen after wandering the Rift for most of his life. Despite their abrasive relationship, they softened eachother for the better. He had initially come to him as a pawn named Angmare, and for the first few years of gaining a conscience (with the arisen's presence) he began to feel uncomfortable, and even sickened by what he was perceived to be. In a possessed fit of rage shortly after contracting dragonsplague, he'd clawed out his own chest and declared himself anew to Leonen (after returning from the rift, that is😭).

interests/hobbies: loveloveLOVES dancing and music, along with stargazing (preferably from inside, though), and making jewelry with the scraps they collect from battle.

languages: common and Vermudian elvish, learned his arisen's dialect later.

height: 203 (I think..🙈)

colors: deep/royal purples, burgundy, black, soft turquoise

fruits: papaya, pineapple

alcoholic beverages: he steals the fruit wines that are wasting away aging in their storage

smokes: noo

drugs: nooo

drivers oxcart license: no (he despises the smell of ox poo... it's worth walking the whole way to him)

ever been arrested: he says they'll never find the bodies (he hasn't)

AWESOME SEXY BEAUTIFUL PLAYLIST: N'galam

thank you for suffering along with my world building that 100% makes sense 🤝

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Jotund Troll

CR 15

Chaotic Evil Huge Humanoid

Bestiary 3, pg. 272

The largest and most powerful of trollkind by far, the Jotund Trolls are also among the most savage and demanding. While other trolls may band together to form societies--simple as they are--the Jotund have no time or patience to settle down in one place and no desire for the company of other trolls aside from the very occasional moments they're driven to mate. The closest thing to 'society' a Jotund may take part in is bullying other Giants (especially Ogres) into subservience and leading them into destructive warbands which terrorize entire countrysides until brave heroes arise to stop them, eschewing teaming up with other trolls to assure that they don't have to compete with any stomach more ravenous than their own.

Despite their solitary nature, Jotund Trolls aren't exactly starved for company. They are, after all, societies unto themselves; every one of the nine heads on a Jotund Troll has a brain and a personality of its own, and most heroic parties hunting one down have located their quarry simply because of the loud arguments and debates each head gets into with the other about... well, just about everything, from who controls which limb to who gets what bite of which food. Notably, adult Jotund Trolls always have nine heads, no more and no less. Whether this is some magical quirk of their biology or because there's no room for another head is left ambiguous, as is their true origins; they may be chosen offspring of the Trollfather (or his most hated children, seeing as how he's 'cursed' them to always be around more trolls), but the Giants of Jotungard are claimed to have created them as a means to test their warrior mettle, though if this is true, their experiment has obviously gone terribly awry! Now the Jotund wander freezing hillsides and cold marshlands, gorging on every living thing their eighteen eyes catches on.

With a metabolism so extreme that they essentially have to eat a ton (as in the unit of measurement, not a hyperbolic intensifier) of meat every day just to keep from starving, a single Jotund Troll is a walking extinction event that can quickly depopulate huge stretches of land, with enough individual strength to let them compete for territory with just about anything but dragons... and even then, only specific kinds of dragons, as their rampant Regeneration 10 is only shut down by Fire and Acid damage. There's little that will keep a Jotund from its meal, even if it must contend with creatures with far more magical power and finesse than them. They don't need finesse.

The Jotund is a simple beast, like most trolls. It wields entire uprooted trees as clubs sized for a Huge creature, swinging upwards to three times for 2d6+10 damage each, or 4d6+10 once a round with Vital Strike, and the bonuses they get to attack rolls from their tremendous size means they can freely use Power Attack to take a meager -4 penalty to their rolls to get +8 to damage. If it gets the opportunity to make a Full-Attack, it can also use its empty claw for 1d8+5 damage and lean down to bite once for 2d6+5... but the claw and bite are more dangerous than they look, as both Grab any creature they hit, and the Jotund has Fast Swallow to instantly shovel a grabbed victim directly into its shared stomach, where such unfortunates take 4d6+15 damage a round until they die or escape.

In a pitched battle where the party has finally gotten into position, a Jotund can force the frontliners into a lose-lose; they have Awesome Blow to take a standard action knocking a single enemy 10ft backwards, and while that doesn't SOUND impressive, these titanspawn have a 15ft space AND 15ft reach, so if one it swats you away if you're adjacent to it, being knocked 10ft back still means you're in its threat radius, but it is no longer in yours. What's worse is that you also fall prone, forcing you to waste time and actions standing back up... which means the troll can AoO you with its club or bite, potentially grappling you, and if you can't get free by the time its turn rolls around, it can Fast Swallow you straight out of the fight for another round or two while it mauls the rest of the party. Not a bad use of a standard action!

Though Jotund Trolls don't have Rend like their smaller cousins, they don't truly need it. A successful bite attack threatens to remove a fighter from combat, but thankfully they can only make one bite attack a round! ... right? Wrong! Their nine heads give them many bonuses, like All-Around Vision and Multiple Minds, but the one we're focusing on right now is All-Seeing Attacks, allowing the Jotund to make nine Attacks of Opportunity each round, making its space and reach even more of a painful mire to wade through. It's unlikely to ever NEED all nine attacks, but it certainly makes snacking on crowds of fleeing citizens and animals hilariously easy. Yes, hitting creatures with its club is good and all, but snatching up and Grabbing a bunch of people with its bite attacks is the REAL threat, because come its turn, Fast Swallow means it can immediately try to eat ALL OF THEM.

Those nine heads also give the Jotund some invaluable defenses, as previously mentioned; All-Around Vision means it's nearly impossible to sneak up on the troll and flat out impossible to flank it, cutting down on the danger it faces from Sneak Attacks and coordinated parties alike... but it also has Multiple Minds, giving it the power to shunt mental attacks on to a head that's not really doing much. This renders the Jotund immune to confusion and insanity, grants it a +4 to Will saves versus all mind-affecting effects (for a total of +17), AND it rolls ALL Will saves (not just versus mind-affecting effects) twice and takes the better result. The normally-reliable 'ensorcel/debuff the stupid brute monster' has a very, very low chance of actually working against the Jotund, which may catch a Hex-spamming Witch, hopeful Mesmerist, or Enchanter Wizard fatally off-guard.

Though the Jotund is immune to confusion itself, it can dole it out with a Cacophonous Roar, an earsplitting sound it can unleash as a standard action every 1d4 rounds. Anything caught in the area has to make a DC 20 Will save or be rendered confused for 1d4 rounds as well, leaving victims fumbling with their equipment, their words, or even their attack actions as the monstrous troll closes in to beat them into a paste, each head clamoring for the choicest bits. The potential whimsy of the troll's heads loudly arguing with each other over who gets to eat what parts and in which order is, perhaps, needed during an encounter with one of these horrors, and is something I wholeheartedly encourage using. Talking is a free action, and they've got nine heads to do it from!

You can read more about them here.

[mother-above]

The Golden Warrior | Chapter 5

Azriel x Reader

Summary: To you, love was a poison that slowly killed. It was something that could make the strongest of warriors and leaders weak and vulnerable. You had successfully evaded romance and relationships for a century until the day you realized it had been plaguing you from within.

Chapters: 5/?

Word Count: 7.5k

Warnings: suggestive, 18+, violence, and swearing

*masterlist*

a/n: Hello, sorry for the delay. Life has been... well life. I hope you all enjoy this long chapter because I had so much fun writing it. Please let me know what you think in the comments. :)

            The setting sun signaled Thesan it was time to call it a night. Although chaotic, the day had been productive thanks to you, Feyre, and Nesta for pushing the stubborn High Lords toward an alliance. Apart from Beron, all the other Courts agreed to unite as one against Hybern. While Thesan personally escorted Tamlin to his suite, other attendants helped the other Courts to their guest suites.

When you revealed your wings and powers to everyone, Tarquin’s facial expressions were the most shocked out of everyone. You couldn’t tell if he was angry, horrified, or both so you decided you needed to talk to him first. They were walking further ahead of you, so you called Tarquin’s name, he halted to a stop and Cresseida and Varian did the same. They looked at you unsure if they could trust you, but Tarquin just waved them away, while you gave them a sheepish smile. Now alone in the hallway, you looked up at Tarquin who had an unreadable expression on his face.

“What the hell, Y/n,” said Tarquin. His face was neutral, but you could hear the betrayal in his voice. “I thought we were friends.”

“We are friends and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Tensions are high, I wasn’t sure if I could trust you. No one knew until today,” you said earnestly. “Forgive me if I offended you, Tarquin.”

His gaze wandered from the scar on your face to the white and gold wings behind you.

He sighed and wrapped you in a warm hug, “After today, no secrets. We’re allies now.”

You leaned into his hug and patted his back. “I wish you told us Adriata was being attacked, our spies only found out when it was over. I sent you a letter and you never responded.”

“It was so chaotic: I could barely think, and I didn’t know who to trust at the time. Sorry for ignoring your letter, there’s been so much rebuilding.”

You pull away from Tarquin and give him a dazzling smile. “All is forgiven, next time you know who to call.”

“Want to join us for dinner?” said Tarquin gesturing toward the suite.

“I can’t. I have more people I need to talk to,” you said as you flexed your wings and tucked them closer to your body.

Tarquin makes an “oh” face and you laugh. You turned to walk away before Tarquin cleared his throat to get your attention. “You look stunning in that armor, my lady.”

You spun around to see Tarquin smirking at you. “Stop flirting with me! I told you it was a one-time thing.”

He shrugged, “It doesn’t hurt to try.”

Rolling your eyes, you go on your toes to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tarquin.”

With a smile still on your lips, you continued to walk towards the Night Court’s suite. Thanks to Tarquin, you were reminded to change out of the armor, so you swiftly used magic to change into the cerulean gown you had at the beginning of the day. After you knocked on Night Court’s door, their chatter abruptly stopped as they discussed who it could be.

“It’s me,” your voice rang clearly.

There was mumbling before footsteps headed in your direction, Feyre’s bright smile greeted you while Rhysand’s quizzical gaze landed on you. You stepped in and gave everyone a warm smile; no remnants of the threatening Golden Warrior could be seen apart from your wings.

“If you’re worried about your mate and friend’s safety, there's no need to be,” you addressed Rhysand.

“Why shouldn’t I be worried?” said Rhysand who placed himself between you and his beloved inner circle.

You brushed past him and made yourself comfortable on one of the loveseats. “Because we’re allies and I’ve learned to like your court,” you said simply. “Just don’t get on my bad side and we should be fine.”

Rhysand and the inner circle blinked at you in silence, the juxtaposition of your friendly threat made their heads spin. It wasn’t until Morrigan giggled that everyone else joined in the laughter. Cassian looked at you in awe, he had never been more attracted and terrified of a female in his life. The only one who was not dying of laughter was Azriel who was leaning against the windows. His shadows were practically engulfing his body turning him into a dark mass, this must have been a regular occurrence because only you thought it was strange. The whispers of the shadows sounded like faint buzzing.

Azriel was in deep thought, upset with himself that he lost control over a comment Eris made about Mor. The situation struck him when he realized that he was always fighting for and defending Mor and yet, he barely received anything from her. Azriel was always attentive and caring to Mor. 500 years of this torture of Azriel loving her when Mor barely gave him scraps. He understood why Mor never reciprocated his feelings; he knew he wasn’t worthy enough. Azriel had known that for a long time yet, he lost control and was ready to kill for her. He could not care less that he almost killed Eris, what bothered him was the disappointment he saw in your eyes. Azriel wasn’t sure why he cared but he did. When you told him to stop, he listened and his shadows didn’t give him much choice, they were screaming at him to let go of Eris.

Cassian leaned forward, to get a better look at the sapphires around your neck. “Your siphons-- they look different now than from earlier today,” observed Cassian. The jewels looked like regular gemstones, they weren’t gleaming or thrumming with power.

You nodded, “Azriel told me about your Illyrian siphons, they’re similar but work a little differently. Since I’m half High Fae, I have trouble controlling my powers so Nuan helped me with a device that can help me control them. These sapphires are what helped me avoid detection for many years.” You willed the power into the jewels and once they started to glow, there was a noticeable dampening of your power felt in the room. Rhysand visibly relaxed and you let out a laugh and shook your head. “I told you not to worry!”

The whispers were getting louder, and you snuck a look at Azriel, his shadows were swarming around him. Cassian and the others took no notice, they must be used to Azriel’s shadows.

Rhysand perched himself on the arm of the couch before surveying you. “Since we’re allies now, what exactly are your powers? Can you heal?”

You took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. This was it. You were finally able to talk about the real you and you could practically feel the weight lift off your shoulders. “I can heal almost as well as Thesan but what I excel at is poison and sickness. I can plague bodies with physical illness, what you saw today… that was harmless.”

“Your power—if feels dark,” murmured Feyre.

A wry smile etched on your lips. “It is dark magic. It’s strange to have the ability to save a life and end it, that’s why I need to stay upbeat and energetic. If I don’t, that dark half of my power can consume me. It happened toward the beginning of Amarantha’s reign, I was so dangerous, and in my head, the Peregryn warriors had to carefully plan an intervention to save me from myself.”

The buzzing of Azriel's shadows was distracting, you leaned and turned away from Azriel to make sure you would be able to hear any of their questions.

“How powerful are you?” asked Cassian.

“Thesan thinks I’m powerful enough to bring down armies or at least weaken them to their knees. However, that’s just a theory. I haven’t had the opportunity to see the extent of what I could do. I’ve been in small battles but never participated in an actual war. The Peregryns and I have been practicing how to fight as a unit,” you said. “Since we’re on the topic of my abilities, it’s also important to know about my blood.”

Morrigan’s eyes flashed in curiosity. “What about it?”

“Direct contact with my blood is harmless but if I intend to use it as poison, one drop could kill us all.”

Feyre looked at you with a mix of fear and admiration, but the males and Mor were grinning, they were ecstatic to have an asset like you on their side. Cassian started excitedly asking about how Peregryns fought, and you had just as many questions about the Illyrian fighting style.

It was strange to see you converse with his family. Everyone was usually stand-off-ish when it came to the Inner Circle, but you walked into the room and fitted yourself like you were the missing piece in their jigsaw puzzle. The shadows wanted to get closer and have a look at your white and gold feathers, but Azriel reigned them, he was sure you’d go berserk if you saw a wisp coming toward you. They were excited about your revelation, fascinated by that power that rolled off you and that was all they could talk about. Some of his shadows were complimenting how pretty you looked, and he agreed with them, you were stunning, and he thought you looked even better with your wings.

You were subtly glowing as you answered all the questions his family was asking you. Mor was absolutely entranced by the Golden Warrior; it was her first time meeting you and Azriel could tell she wanted to be friends. She leaned closer to admire your sapphires and commented that Amren would die of jealousy if she saw you wearing that necklace. Azriel agreed, Amren might even be tempted to steal it if it wasn’t for the poison that ran through your blood. Even Nesta who went straight to her room the moment they arrived, popped her head out to see all the commotion. He saw the two of you make eye contact before coolly nodding at each other.

Mor was about to ask another question but stopped when you grimaced. You peered at Azriel to see his shadows swarming and buzzing, even if their words were incoherent, they were so loud. The sound of dozens of voices hissing over one another drifted from Azriel to you.

“What’s wrong?” asked Cassian.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but how are you not distracted right now?”

They all stared at you as if they had no idea what you were talking about. You lifted your chin toward Azriel whose shadows go still. His lips parted as his hazel eyes looked at you in alarm.

“The shadows—they were getting noisy,” you explained. “I don’t know how any of you could concentrate.”

Azriel felt his knees start to buckle, in his 500 years he was the only one who could hear his shadows. The shadows were slowly hovering around him, they lowly whispered to each other wondering why you could hear them. They had no idea how to react to being heard by anyone other than Azriel, so they continued to watch, one wisp was brave enough to wander close to you.

 Everyone’s jaws dropped, staring as if you were an alien creature with two heads.

“You can hear them?” exclaimed Rhysand. “Can you understa—”

Rhysand was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Before anyone could move to open it, the door swung open to reveal a smiling Helion, no remnants of the jackass façade he had during the meeting.

“Oh! That’s my cue to leave, I’m sure you and Rhysand have much to talk about,” you said as you stood up. “Have a good night!” You inclined your head toward the High Lord of Day who smiled at you.

“I just returned from speaking with Thesan, my Lady,” he said taking your hand and pressing a lingering kiss on top. “I look forward to our future partnership.”

You snorted but that didn’t stop the wink you threw at the handsome High Lord as your wing brushed past him. The moment you left and shut the door, Rhysand threw a silencing glamour around the room and then the chaos erupted.

“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE?” bellowed Cassian. “WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Oh, my gods,” muttered Feyre.

Nesta, who had stood by the door of her room to come to see and listen to you was also stunned. She had not known Azriel for long, but she knew he was powerful, so powerful that sometimes Rhysand was terrified of his spymaster. By the reactions of her sister and her mate’s family, this was significant.

“Cauldron boil me!” exclaimed Morrigan as her eyes darted to the shadowsinger. “Azriel…” said Mor speaking to him for the first time since he attacked Eris. “Did you know she could do that?”

Azriel numbly shook his head, he hadn’t looked away from the door you left in. His brain replayed every interaction he’s ever had with you. It made sense now, every time the shadows were rowdy, you’d look over at him. It explained why you’ve been able to catch him every time he sent his shadows to spy, it’s because you could hear them. His mind flashed back to the image of you covered in golden armor, your hands glowing as he felt that raw power rolling off you.

Azriel thought his head was going to explode, you should be a threat to him, but Azriel didn’t feel that way. You had left the room making him feel vulnerable, yet somewhere deep within him, he didn’t mind that you could hear them. As if hearing his shadows made him feel less alone, like you would understand that darkness within him.

***

The shadowsinger always fancied a drink after dinner, whether it was tea, coffee, or whiskey, he always had a drink. He preferred to stay seated at the dining room table or lounge on a couch, but Azriel could no longer stand to be in the same room as Helion and Mor. The faint smell of their lust as they eyed each other made Azriel want to vomit. So, before he could see them enter Mor’s bedroom together, Azriel stood up to leave and Cassian who shared a look with Rhysand, followed the shadowsinger. They stepped onto the balcony and without a word, the two brothers unfurled their wings and took to the skies.

He needed to get Mor out of his head, so his mind immediately shifted to you. You had told his family so much about your powers but there was still an air of mystery around you. As Azriel and Cassian flew above the Palace and towards the surrounding mountains, Cassian began to talk about you knowing exactly what Azriel needed to get his mind off Morrigan. The general had started to gush about how strong and commanding you seemed. Cassian also said that your bluntness might be your only downfall, but your strong feminine body made up for it. He knew Cassian was only joking but a low rumble erupted from his chest, he didn’t like how his brother fawned over your appearance. Cassian took one look at your bare back and let his filthy thoughts stream through. Azriel wasn’t sure why he was having these irrational possessive thoughts about someone he had just met; you weren’t even flirtatious with him. Most of the times you’ve spoken with Azriel was because you were angry at him. Consumed by today’s events, Azriel didn’t even notice he and Cassian were already making their way back to the castle.

Dressed in loose cotton pants and a simple shirt, you wandered into your favorite courtyard and lounged in the seating area. The breeze was crisp, so you used your wings to block out the chill. The romance book you were reading was just getting interesting when you felt a strong gust of wind, a second later, two booming thuds were heard behind you. Closing your book, you twist to see the tall and menacing forms of the Illyrian General and Spymaster. Cassian gave you a wave as he strode closer, but Azriel’s feet were planted on the spot, he wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.

You give Cassian an easy smile before your eyes rove over to Azriel, his shadows poised and quiet as they watch you.

“I’ll have you know, shadowsinger, that I’m no longer pissed off that you used your shadows on my court. But I am annoyed and slightly offended that you thought you needed to scope the place beforehand. What kind of hosts would we be if we allowed such violence on neutral grounds?” you said with a teasing smile.

You were too mentally exhausted to stay mad at Azriel, you understood that it was his job, but it still irked you that he decided to go against your wishes. He had deemed your warning non-threatening but that was before he knew who you were, what you could do to him. Cassian made his way to the bench across from you, he smirked as he waited for his brother's response.

Azriel started making his way toward you and his brother, he settled into the chair closest to you. “I was just doing my job,” huffed Azriel. He was still wary despite your relaxed state, he thought you were going to throw your book at him now that neither of their High Lords was there to disapprove of her.

You knew that was all you were going to get from the shadowsinger. With a wave of your hand, tea and pastries appeared on the coffee table. You asked them if they fancied a midnight snack and they both dove in, Cassian reaching for a scone while Azriel poured tea into everyone’s cups. The conversation was light at first but then the General couldn’t help but ask you more questions about the Peregryn warriors. You reassured him that under Callon’s command, the warriors were well prepared. You caught Cassian staring at your scars multiple times, you wanted to turn away, but you forced yourself not to.

“It was a Bogge,” you whispered. “I’m sure your friends have already told you my altered version of the story, but I was the one that killed it. It almost blinded me, but I tore it apart and paid the price with these scars. I try not to get bothered by it, it’s a symbol of how much I’ll endure protecting my court and Prythian.”

Cassian’s cheeks turned red, he never meant to offend or embarrass you. He should’ve been more subtle, if Mor was here, she would’ve ripped him apart.

 Azriel’s cold eyes snapped to his brother, what an idiot, he thought. He spotted you ever so slightly angling your scarred side away from the males. Sympathy burst through him as his gaze flickered down toward his own hands.

“It cost you nothing,” blurted Azriel. His voice was so rich and earnest, you fully faced the shadowsinger and looked at him. “If anything, it adds to your beauty… a noble and fierce warrior graces your features, my Lady.”

The smoothness of his words surprises you and are left with a blush spreading across your cheeks. “Thank you,” you murmured. You made the mistake of looking into his eyes, they were a lovely mixture of greens and browns, even a few gold specks scattered around. His gaze was so soft that a wave of comfort washed over you and you sighed. A part of you was pleased the shadowsinger found you pretty and you didn’t like that, so you shoved your emotions down and smothered them. You cleared your throat and waved a hand, a good bottle of amber liquor and 3 crystal glasses materialized in front of you.

“I broke out the good stuff for us today, my friends,” you continued as if you didn’t have a moment with Azriel. “I’m trying to get you Illyrians drunk so I can find out more of the juicy secrets about your people and Court.”

Cassian eyed the both of you and hid the smirk he had regarding his observations about the pair in front of him. He knew he was right when he guessed something was brewing between you two. Pouring the liquid into the glass, Cassian slyly grinned at you. “That’s if you can keep up with us.”

Six glasses of whiskey later, you and the Illyrians were buzzed and were acting like you’ve known each other for years. If you were human, you would’ve been drunk or maybe even blacked out, but it was not the case for three warrior Fae packed with muscles. Your trio went back and forth between asking serious and nonsensical questions, one moment laughing at some stupid story from their teenage years to concentrating on Cassian’s demonstration of different types of battle strategy using the cups and utensils as models. You were itching to ask them a question and you were finally brave enough to ask.

“I heard that Illyrians clipped their female’s wings, and don’t let them train. Is that true?”

Azriel and Cassian stiffened, it was something that deeply shamed the two of them. Azriel hated the ways of his people so much that he sometimes hated to be referred to as an Illyrian. Almost nothing good came into people's heads when they heard the name.

“When Rhysand became High Lord, he banned wing clipping and made it illegal, but these camps are filled with old, rough, close-minded Illyrians. They don’t value females, they think they’re only good for cleaning, cooking, and breeding. We’ve been doing anything we can to put a stop to it.”

You made a face as you sipped on the drink in your hand. You hated to hear these stories. It was so different from the culture of Dawn, females whether High Fae, Peregryn, or faerie were treated equally.

“They’re resistant to change so every once in a while, we’ll get reports of wing clippings happening in the modern day,” continued Cassian. “Only a handful of camps allow females to train but most of the females are too scared in fear of repercussions from their fathers. Recently, there was a case where two teenagers decided they wanted to train, and the males of their families punished them by clipping their wings.”

A shiver runs down your back and it makes the feathers in your wings ruffle. Tucking them close and feeling protective over your feathers you looked at the two males with fire in your eyes.

“Were they taken care of?”

Azriel meets your gaze and nods. “Wing clipping is punishable by death… they got what they deserved.”

Your eyes darkened at the thought, the last fifty decades flashed through your mind. The things you’ve done to keep your court in line would make the toughest of assassin’s shiver. Sometimes harsh punishment was the only thing that could control the evil that lurked.

“Good,” your voice was filled with approval. You run a hand through the gold-tipped feathers. “I would rather die than lose my wings.”

The two Illyrians voiced their agreement, their wings were their life. The idea of losing that freedom that allowed them to soar through the skies made them instinctively shift their bat-like wings toward their bodies.

You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol or the easy-going banter you and the males have developed but you were feeling very friendly. The three of you had shared a vulnerable part of yourselves and it felt nice that you were finally expanding your friendships to another court. Prior to becoming friends with Tarquin and his royal cousins, Dawn Court was all you ever knew so it was nice to socialize with people from different courts and backgrounds.

The two males were engaged in their quiet conversation as you lay down on the large ottoman. You gazed at the starry night sky and sighed in contentment as your wings splayed outwards and drooped to the floor. Azriel’s attention shifted to you, admiring the flush of your cheeks and the dim glow that radiated from your body. He liked how different your wings were from his. Yours were soft-looking white feathers which were slightly different from the other Peregryn’s wings, yours were tipped in gold. He wondered if it was because of your blood relation to past High Lords.

You replayed today’s events when you suddenly remembered Azriel’s reaction to Mor getting insulted. He was so angry he was almost unrecognizable. Azriel was so deep in thought that he jolted when he realized your sharp gaze was on him.

“Eris is a dick, he shouldn’t have said that to her,” the clarity of your voice cut through the air. “Are you feeling better after your little outburst?”

“He’s lucky I didn’t kill him today,” replied Azriel. His voice turned icy as he thought of the Autumn heir.

You studied the handsome shadowsinger next to you. “Are you and Mor… involved with each other?”

Cassian winced. Just when he thought Azriel was distracted, you had asked him the worst possible question. He warily looked at his brother who wore a perfect mask of calmness.

“It’s complicated… centuries of complicated feelings,” admitted Azriel. Cassian tried his best not to balk, he couldn’t believe Azriel answered you. He hated to talk about his feelings with Mor.

Finishing your drink, your mind buzzed at his confession. You were right, Azriel did have feelings for the beautiful blonde. A pang of jealousy fleets through you and without thinking, you blurt out, “That sounds fucking exhausting. You should get over her.”

The two Illyrians looked at you with wide eyes, a second later, Cassian’s deep laugh filled the air. Azriel’s lips quirked at the sight of your shock that you had said that out loud. Thesan wasn’t lying when he said you needed courtier training. Azriel hoped this part of you would never change, it was refreshing, and who could fault you for telling the truth? You were right, loving Mor was exhausting, and he was slowly learning he needed to do so for his sanity.

Cassian had no plans of getting back to the guest suite, he did not want to hear Mor and Helion through the walls. Feeling antsy in the courtyard, he needed a different type of relaxation, he asked you if there were any places for nightlife close by and you recommended a popular Peregryn tavern. He invited you and his brother to move the party elsewhere but both of you were content to sit and continue drinking.

Once alone with the shadowsinger, a sigh left your lips. “I’m sorry for being blunt earlier. It was none of my business.” Your thumbs nervously fiddled against each other.

Azriel shrugged, “Don’t worry about it.”

He said nothing more and you internally cringed, you really had to be more mindful of what you said. You glanced toward Azriel who was looking up at the sky, his shadows calmly swirling around him.

“Your shadows… are they with you all the time? Like in the bath? Flying? With a lover?” You cursed your loose inhibitions for asking that last question.

The corners of his mouth lifted as he examined your relaxed form draped over the seat. He still can’t get over the stark difference between the female in front of him and the one that threatened all the High Lords and their courtiers. “I can hide my shadows but most of the time, they go where I go. Even with a lover.”

His voice lowered in pitch making heat spread all over your body. You could feel your face get flushed, and when you glanced at him, the smirk he had on his absurdly handsome face made you squirm. Azriel admired the deep blush that colored your features, he thought you looked lovely. Delight bloomed in his chest, he was pleased he got you to blush.

“Speaking about lovers, I couldn’t help but notice how close you were to High Lord Tarquin today.”

Surprised laughter bubbled from your lips, “He’s a friend.”

“You stopped him and his cousins from making snarky remarks to Cassian. Only a lover has enough influence to control a High Lord like that,” said Azriel.

“I don’t do love and relationships,” you said tucking your wings together and sitting up on the ottoman.

His eyebrow arched, “No lovers?” Curiosity coursed through him, he had to know if you were with Tarquin or anyone else.

“Of course, I have lovers. Just never with the same person, it’s too vulnerable….” You weren’t sure why you admitted that to him, this was usually something you kept to yourself. The less people know about that part of your life, the better. “I don’t do love. Well, at least romantic love anyway. Love makes you vulnerable and I don’t like that. I can’t be like that.”

Azriel was shocked by your firm and sure tone, he couldn’t imagine thinking like that. Love was always something Azriel desired, he’d been patiently waiting for someone to love him for centuries. It was all he ever wanted, and he couldn’t believe the words that came out of your lips.

Breathing deeply, he made sure his features were still cool and neutral. “Why?” He watched your eyebrows furrow, and your eyes go blank as you relived a memory. Your lips twitched downward for a few seconds before you blinked rapidly and looked at him.

“Because of my parents,” you said short and clipped.

You offered nothing but silence after that and Azriel knew not to push further. There was still a slight frown, and he had the overwhelming urge to reach out and comfort you. Azriel reached for the crystal glass instead and took another swig as the silence settled. Your gaze followed his movements and settled on the scarred hands that gripped the cup. His hands were nice despite the scars, his fingers were long, and his nails were neat and trimmed. You found yourself studying every ridge and dip that marred his tan skin.

“What happened to your hands?” you asked.

He fought the urge to tuck his hands behind his back. “My family,” he said simply. You inhaled sharply and merely nodded, you wanted to ask how his family could do that to him, but you didn’t know him enough to ask such a personal question.

A shadow curled around Azriel’s ear and whispered, he smiled as he heard the other shadows eagerly agreeing and whirring in anticipation.

“Can you actually hear my shadows?”

Sitting up, you hear their fast chatting, and you homed in on one particularly enthusiastic shadow that snaked up his arm to his ear. “That one seems to be very excited about something,” you said pointing to the wisp. “I wish I understood what it was saying.”

Azriel’s cheeks flushed with red, he was glad you couldn’t understand them, the shadow was raving about how beautiful you and your wings were. “If you understood them, that’d make you a shadowsinger.” He tried to speak as smoothly as he could. His mind buzzed as the alcohol thrummed in his veins. “The world would be a dangerous place if you ran around with your poisonous blood and shadowsinging abilities, little dove.”

Your nose crinkled. “Did you just fucking call me ‘little dove’? I am not little, and I am not a dove. How would you feel if I called you ‘baby bat’?” You challengingly stared at him but a small, drunken part of you was preening at the term of endearment. Azriel uncharacteristically pouted and a smirk formed on your lips. “I thought so.”

Azriel stood up to tower over you. “But you are little.”

“I am not that little! You’re just a behemoth of a male!” you said scrambling to stand up to your full height, stumbling a little. The action did nothing to prove your point, Azriel’s stature dwarfed you. Huffing, you flexed your wings outward. “At least my wingspan is bigger than yours!”

His chest puffed out, “No one’s wingspan is bigger than mine,” said Azriel. He lets his wings flare out in demonstration.

You moved closer to him looking at the membranous wings and the symmetrical talons that jutted out on one of the apexes. “I doubt that,” you said spreading the feathered wings out. With disregard for personal space and the scent of cedar and night intoxicating you, the tips of your fingers reached out and traced the soft leather up to a joint.

Azriel inhaled sharply.

He didn’t know what to do. You moved too fast, and by the time he realized you were touching him, his nerves were already on fire. He gently grasped your hand before pulling you away, the feel of your skin against his made heat pool onto his body.

“Please don’t touch my wings…they’re sensitive.” His voice was low and strained.

Your eyebrows scrunched together; you were about to ask what he meant until his scent hit you like a ton of bricks. It was the same wonderful cedar and night-chilled mist but there was something extra—it was musky and irresistible. Your eyes snapped up when you realized what it meant, his cheeks were red, but his eyes were focused on you.

“I’m so sorry,” you stammered. “I should’ve asked—Peregryn’s don’t mind people touching their wings. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

You would be lying to yourself if the smell of his lust wasn’t affecting you as well. Pulling your hand away from his, you took a step back and sat back down even though it was tempting to move closer, to see where it could lead. It’s been a while since you’ve been with a male. You blinked as your mind cleared a little, something deep within knew it would be a bad idea to start something with Azriel. Reaching for a glass of water, you chugged it trying to drown an intrusive thought of what kind of tattoos Azriel had on his muscular chest.

It was too late; your own scent of lust was thrown into the gentle wind. Azriel’s eyes darkened as he inhaled the sweet lilac and the woodsy undertone that wafted off you. The two of you stared at each other in a lust-filled stupor, pupils dilated. Everything within you was screaming to reach out for him, to move closer but you didn’t budge. Deep down, you knew if you kissed him, you would want to come back for more and that would be unacceptable.

“I-uh, just remembered I need to discuss something with Thesan,” you said backing up toward the doors that lead inside. It was such a blatant lie; it was past midnight, and most people were sleeping. “I’ll—uh see you tomorrow.”

Your legs weren’t cooperating, and you weren’t getting away from Azriel fast enough. He was still looking at you with those gorgeous hazel eyes when you mustered enough concentration to winnow yourself inside the Palace leaving Azriel standing there in confusion. You sagged against the wall, but that burning desire was still there, and you needed to fix that before you winnowed back to the courtyard. With your head still in a haze, you found yourself walking toward the guest suites and before you knew it, you let yourself into Summer Courts suite. Cresseida who was reading by a faelight, got into an offensive stance from your sudden intrusion. She relaxed once she realized it was just you. She was about to ask you a question but then smelled the flowery and woodsy scent from you, she snorted and pointed to the bed chamber at the end of the hall.

“I better not hear a peep from the both of you or else I’ll make sure our alliance ends tonight,” joked the princess.

“I make no promises,” you said sending her a wink.

 The High Lord must have heard the conversation or smelt you because Tarquin’s door swung open to reveal an already smirking High Lord. What made your eyes darken was the sight of Tarquin shirtless and loose pants hanging low on his hips.

“This is the last time,” you stated.

His grin widened. “You said that before but look where you are now.”

A growl emitted from your chest as you shoved him into his room. He grabbed your waist and bent to kiss your neck, he stopped before he could press his lips against your skin. “You smell like Night Court and lust,” he growled. “What are you running from, my lady?”

You unwrapped your arms around his torso and leaned back to look into his striking blue eyes. “There’s too much talking happening right now. Do you want this? Yes, or no?”

Tarquin immediately dropped the subject and started to undress you. “Gods, yes.”

***

Cold sweat rolled from your head as you woke with a start. You warily looked around and sighed in relief knowing you were no longer in that wretched cold, dark cellar. After your little tryst with Tarquin, you went back to your room because you prefer to sleep alone. Cuddling was too intimate for you, no matter how hard males tried to get you to stay the night, no one could. But for the first time, you wished someone was next to you, the dream, or rather a vision, chilled you to the bone.

You dreamt of the little boy again, this dream felt more real and visceral than any of the others. His cries were louder, and you could swear you could feel his pain. This time, you were in the far corner of his cell and could see the boy more clearly, there was enough moonlight to see familiar batlike wings protruding from his back. What made you gasp in horror and shocked you awake was the sight of the red healing skin atop the child's hands.

The little boy was Azriel.

You have no idea why you’ve been dreaming of him but the chill that ran down your spine was all that occupied your thoughts. You felt his dread and pain, and the very thought of his wounds brought tears to your eyes. Just hours ago, Azriel told you that his family did that to him, never in your darkest thoughts did you think they would do this to a child. Your heart ached for the little boy in the cellar, the only comfort you had was the fact that he had grown up to be strong and successful. The urge to walk up to Azriel’s room was strong, you wanted to talk to him about it and ask him what happened, but you stopped yourself. You weren’t even sure if this boy was real, and if you dreamt of scarred hands only because you asked Azriel about them.

The thing is, you had a gut feeling this was real, you were having visions rather than dreams. Trying to explain this to Azriel would be too much, you didn’t even understand what was happening yourself. This was something you needed to ask Thesan, he was much wiser and would know about things like this. Wrapping a blanket around your shoulders, you padded onto your balcony and sat on a floor cushion. The sadness for Azriel slowly seeped away as you looked at the stars above you. You stared into the night sky until the warmth of Dawn welcomed you.

***

The meeting chamber was immaculate, with no remnants of shattered wood from yesterday’s chaos. Your wings were out, and the Peregryn’s hooted and hollered as you jokingly modeled the plunging golden tulle gown that accentuated your waist. Thesan chuckled as he approached you, he and Callon looked just as sleep deprived as you. You highly doubted Callon had any sleep, he was probably out flying all night keeping watch of the Palace as Thesan roamed the halls doing the same thing. You offered to keep watch with the other warriors, but Thesan insisted that you relax.

The footsteps of a court approaching the meeting chamber had you and Thesan sharing a look as if to say, here we go again. Your back straightened out and the demeanor of the High Lord and his second graced the room. You and Thesan glowed brightly as you greeted Winter and Spring. The goosebumps on your skin rose when you heard the whispers of Azriel’s shadows. A few moments later, he appeared with his court, and you can’t help but stare at him. Your eyes flickered to the Illyrian’s scarred hands and a wave of sadness washed over you. It felt strange to know that the little boy you cried for and wanted to protect was Azriel, a menacing male whose siphons glowed as he kept a watchful eye on everyone.

His hazel eyes meet yours and you suddenly remember your awkward exit last night where you left him flustered in the courtyard. All traces of sadness for the spymaster were replaced by mortification. He must have thought the same thing too because slight red tinted his cheeks. You said hello to Rhysand and Feyre and led them to the assigned chairs, away from Autumn and Spring.

The atmosphere was still awkward and hostile from certain guests but at least no punches were thrown. Your presence ensured no physical fights were to happen but that didn’t stop the dramatics brought on by the High Lords. There were multiple times you had to hold yourself back from rolling your eyes because of how they were acting. You were all listening to Beron spout bullshit when you noticed Nesta swaying in the corner of your eye. Feyre, Mor, and Cassian flocked to her when she started vomiting, they propped on her side as she heaved from nausea. Helion casts his magic onto Nesta as your cousin places a glowing hand on her skin. They both shook their heads when they could not find the answer to her sudden illness.

You made your way to Nesta and placed a hand on her damp forehead. “It’s not poison,” you confirmed. “Something has to be affecting- “

That was when you all felt it, a sense of dread spread in your gut as a pulse of power overwhelmed you. The earth quaked and the air tremored and a split second later, the impact came and shook the Palace and the other mountains that surrounded you. Callon threw himself over Thesan and there was so much chaos that you didn’t realize Azriel had lunged for you as struggled to stabilize yourself. His arm braced around your shoulders as you both hunkered towards the ground. You tucked your wings inward on instinct and looked at Azriel who looked at you with panic in his eyes.

The ground continued to rumble and your efforts to look for structural damage were blocked by Azriel’s wings. Your already big eyes widened further as you took notice of the thin membranous leather. It’s an incredibly intimate and vulnerable act for a winged fae to use their wings to cover someone. Your shock was cut short by the sudden stillness and yelling of Callon barking orders to the warriors. Azriel pulled his wings back swiftly and helped you stand up as you looked around to find your cousin safe, the next thing you did was scan the room to assess any damage.

Azriel’s head spun as he slowly released you from his protective hold. The second the ground shook, his instincts led him to protect you, not his High Lord or Lady but you. He looked down to see you blinking up at him with your lips slightly parted, it was as if you were also shocked by his choices. Both of your focus snapped toward Rhysand who has used his power to discover that Hybern had used the Cauldron to take down the wall.

Everything moved fast from that point, all the High Lords were eager to get back to their courts to check on their people. Thesan promised that he would have Nuan’s faebane compound delivered in two days. He turns to Rhysand and tells him that the Peregryn legions will join the Illyrians in the skies. Cassian and Callon, the commanders of their court's army shook hands to formally recognize the alliance.

Azriel was always good at suppressing his feelings but this time he didn’t bother hiding his distress as he looked at the beautiful white and gold winged faerie in front of him. Prythian was going to war and from the numbers he’d seen when he scouted Hybern, it was going to take multiple allies and a miracle to win this war. He knew you were powerful, but he also knows you’ve never been and lived through a war. This was going to be traumatic for everyone, especially you and the younger warriors. A horrible feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he thought of all the death and carnage that was to come.

The somber look on your face tells him that you were thinking about this too, he could tell you were trying to keep a neutral expression in front of your court and warriors. But one look into your eyes was enough to tell him you were terrified. He gave you a small reassuring nod, but he knew that would do nothing to ease your worry. He hoped the Cauldron would bless them all, Prythian was going to war.

[vinciwolf]

Loyalty Pt 8

(Recom)Na’vi!Miles Quaritch x (fem)Na’vi!Reader

Warnings: SLOW BURN, EVENTUAL NSFT, ENEMIES TO LOVERS, capture, romance, reader is female

Warnings for this chapter: the series FINALE, violence, action, fighting, blood, gore, death, cussing, a tiny bit of fluff if you have a magnifying glass.

Notes: Na’vi spoken is in [italics and brackets]; inner thoughts are in italics.

Tags: @deliwrites @ikranwings @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @avatar-lover @justasimps-blog​  @mechformers​ @perseny​ @dakotali​ @ragingloser​ @whereireid​ @whxre-bxby​ @miscellaneousfantasies​ @janelongxox​ @myh3artt​ @ducks118

 You had been trapped in this colorless prison for some time since Miles left. When you had finally recovered enough to stand on two feet, bullet wounds still havocking your body under fitted bandages, you were escorted to a basic cell. During that short walk, you realized that this place was still in fact the SeaDragon.

The tinkling of the lights above annoyed you as you sat in isolation, trying hard not to let the earie silence drive you up the wall. Then you heard a commotion through the ceiling making your head peer up, brow furrowed. There was yelling and screaming muffled by the barrier separating you from the world above. Being in the unknown had your leg bouncing. Your ears picked up a new burst of hollering followed by rapid gunfire. Everything rocked and swayed so hard you needed to catch yourself against the wall. Something big hit the SeaDragon while the uproar continued.

You could hear the metal beams inside the ship protest to the massive weight moving around on the docks until that chaotic presence seemed to finally disappear, giving you momentary relief…until you felt the ship moving. And it was moving abnormally fast. Then you were slung to the other side of the room, air being pushed from your lungs as your body slammed into the wall.

Your whole body curled as you groaned from the pain flooding your abdomen. Lifting your shirt, you peeked to see if any blood drained into your white bandages, but when you found nothing, you sighed that luckily the stitches didn’t bust. Now all you wanted to know was what the hell happened. Was Miles alright? Where was Spider in all this mess? And what the actual fuck hit the ship???

You needed to get out of here, so you got to your feet and looked for anything to use to escape.

You threw a chair into the one-sided mirror but it only shuddered, never breaking. Then you had your fingers trying to pry open the door, only to release with a frustrated scream. You hated this feeling… being helpless… then your mind wandered to Sylway. Shame crept inside you. Nothing you did here, then, or in the future will make things right. Jake is probably dead or about to be…but…

Again! Your mind motivated your sorry ass to get up.

You took the chair and were about to fly it into the door but a noise halted your motion. The door to your cell flew open to reveal a face you thought you’d never see again.

“Neteyam…?” You dropped the chair with a loud thud and grabbed the young warrior into your arms, hugging tightly, smaller arms wrapping around your torso in a brief second of happiness.

You let go to then notice Spider.

“Come here!” you cried, grabbing both boys, glad to see they were alive and safe.

“What the hell happened!?” you asked frantically.

“Oh, that was me,” Spider joked with a beaming smile. “I crashed the ship.”

“And Payakan totally messed up those soldiers too, but we’ll explain more later! Let’s go!” Neteyam waved his hand.

You had a pressing question. “Is your father alive?”

“He’s more than fine!” the young warrior replied proudly.

“Yeah, he kicked some ass out there,” Spider added.

Your chest felt lighter listening to their words, but that was short lived when gunfire erupted, your hand pulling the back of Neteyam’s neck low as you shielded him with your body. Graciously, Eywa provided protection from the bullets by allowing you and the boys to scurry just in time behind some equipment. You couldn’t see where the soldiers were that fired at you, heartrate thumping hard against your breast, getting you even more excited when you saw Lo’ak jump down and, using an automatic rifle, blasted holes through the soldiers who were about to find where you hid.

“Holy shit,” Spider breathed in awe.

“Bro, that was insane!” Neteyam cheered his little brother on.

“We can congratulate ourselves later, move,” you begged only for more soldiers to aim their weapons at you, shooting in your direction.

Your hand grabbed Spider out of the way as you watched Neteyam and Lo’ak jump into the safety of the moonpool unharmed, but you were still ensnared by the rage of bullets devastating the environment, unable to dive into the water. So close, yet so fucking far.

“(Y/N)! This way!” the kid shouted, finding a tiny opening amongst the ship’s cargo and smaller vessels.

Following the nimble human, you barely made it away from the chaos only to stumble upon the decks below to witness something more sinister than just armed men.

Ardmore was in her Skel Suit with all the remaining Recoms at attention. The only ones who were missing were Miles and Lyle. Feeling a shift in your gut, there was something about that woman you still couldn’t quite narrow down. Then her voice echoed off the steal walls and gripped your soul, hair standing on your neck.

"As you know, the Colonel has gone soft on me. He's become feral, erratic. His methods are questionable, testing my patience... and trust. On the docks, we were hit by a Tulkun and ambushed by the hostiles, losing countless including a few Recombinants. The captain is still MIA, and the kid the Colonel allowed to be his pet has crashed the ship. This is all becoming one great mess. I've lost faith that he can get the job done, so I'm switching things up. I no longer trust Project Phoenix. I can no longer put my faith in beings that can evolve to become disloyal. As of this moment, I'm retiring the Deja Blu Team."

Your brow pinched together at the General’s last statement, then worried eyes shot to Prager who bravely stepped forward out of line.

“Sir, we’ve been nothing but loyal. You gonna put us on kitchen duty when our Colonel has Sully in his sights!? We’re so close to finishing this!”

It was as if his words fell on ears stuffed with cotton, as an annoyed Ardmore lifted her metallic arm with a huff “—just shut up—” and shot Prager through the forehead.

His body fell limp onto the floor with a crunch as his hallowed skull cracked from the force.

“No!!!” Z-dog shouted before her brains spitted out her skull.

The rest of the Recoms were executed the same way, bodies toppling over. Mansk was shot through the back of his head by a soldier he didn’t see coming. Now his black sunglasses splintered from the hole that gaped where his eye should be. Spider almost made a noise before you caught him in a hug, diverting his eyes from the massacre.

Shocked, your ears turned flat in horror at what you just saw.

Prager

Fucking Prager you shared a stupid kiss with in the half-finished, half-assed Recom issued barracks.

Everyone was dead….

"We need to go," you whispered to the kid, who you felt was shaking.

He peered up and softly nodded his head ‘ok’ before you were making your way to find somewhere to exit this ship of growing nightmares. But as you were sneaking behind crates and various machinery, your tail happened to be so cruel by accidently hitting a metal barrel, disturbing the air with a low vibration.

A soldier spotted you and bellowed, “Na’vi!”

"Run!" You pushed Spider forward away from a thwack of bullets that shot through the metal beams close by, clanking and sparking as they ricocheted.

You were too big to be agile, as the space around you dwindled from the encroaching soldiers following closely behind, limiting the places where you could escape to. But Spider wasn’t challenged, slipping easily past all the works and nooks making you happy that he could get away.

"Come on!" He shouted, an encouraging hand waving for you to follow.

“Shit!” You spat as you ran and dodged what you could, feeling your skin burst open on your arm as a bullet grazed through the tissue.

When you managed to find cover, leaning your back against a wall, you frantically looked around for Spider, who you had lost in the skirmish.

Fuck!

You had to keep moving, so you said a quick prayer before pealing yourself off the wall, holding your bleeding arm, and climbing up a stairwell to the upper deck. The breeze was a small relief allowing you to catch a break for your fatigued lungs, until you heard the click of a rifle. Slowly, you faced the source of the noise and saw Lyle. His focus was serious, gun unshaken.

“Lyle…” you said carefully.

“You killed them,” his voice broke.

Your hand dug into your arm as you tried to stop the bleeding slipping through your fingers, lifting the other in your defense before you argued pleadingly, “I haven’t had a weapon since my capture and if I did, why the fuck would I kill my friends!?”

You could see the falter in the Corporal’s eyes despite his finger never leaving the trigger.

“Please…Ardmore…she…”

That seemed to cause Lyle’s chest to heave strongly as he made his judgement, shaking his chin as he didn’t want to believe your words. But before he could lay his bullets in you, something massive hit the ship again, sending you flying overboard into the water.

You pried your soaked self out of the waves, spitting the sea from your mouth. The rocks under your hands were slippery as you made your way up the wet surface. Then the sky began to dim, eclipse creating a crescent of light as the planets slowly shut out the sun. Looking over to the SeaDragon, the damage was severe. Smoke rose from the engines with fire beginning to engulf the framework. That was when you noticed a Tulkun carrying away Lo'ak and Neteyam by the fin. They were alive. They were safe…but you still couldn't see Spider anywhere.

You hissed when the pain in your arm rang through your muscle, pulsating hot, making you take your eyes off the Sully boys and onto your pierced skin. Tugging off your shirt, baring your torso save for a sports bra and soaked bandages, you wrapped your arm, using your teeth to tug and secure the fabric tightly. A groan reverberated through your lungs at the bruising pull around your arm, blood slowing to a trickle, but your moment of exhaustion diminished when your eyes fell onto the demon that brought you so much agony.

You glared through your brow watching Ardmore before eyes widened when you saw what she had in her grip. A glimpse of Spider’s blonde locks startled you.

No…

He struggled and yanked in her hold being tugged along roughly until they walked out of view.

You couldn’t let the General live another day, even if it meant that this night could be your last, you wanted her dead. Gathering your rage and picking yourself up on shaky legs, you dived back into the ocean.

Night was here and you were ready to hunt.

Eywa give me strength.

~

Emerging from the water with careful silence, you climbed into death’s mouth. Bodies littered the SeaDragon deck, one catching your attention. It was Ja. Patting through his clothes, you found a sizable knife. Continuing over the mess, fire blazed around you so warm that your skin cooked under the heat. Everything was loud and chaotic as the whole ship screamed while its framework and gears broke apart. This had you thrilled, even feeling blessed, because you knew Ardmore couldn’t get away.

Then you came upon a distant clanking echo. As you advanced toward the sound, you saw the dark outline of a small body. Fidgeting with his restraints, Spider was tied to a railing. He grunted and swore under his breath until he noticed you running to him.

“No! It’s a trap!” Your knife sliced through the orange handcuffs as he shouted.

You didn’t listen, more focused on being glad that he was live, a little scratched, but alive, briefly kissing his fuzzy hair. Then Ardmore sprang from above out of the shadows with a roar, spear colliding with the metal floor where you once kneeled, dodging her attack thanks to your better hearing.

“Spider, GO!” you yelled. “NOW!!!”

Without hesitation, he listened and dashed away, jumping into the black sea with flashlight in hand.

The General adjusted herself in her Skel Suit, straightening her form, gripping hard against a double-bladed spear. It looked custom made for killing larger pray…for killing Na’vi.

“I was hoping for Jake, but you’ll do. Either way, they’ll come…one for his whore, the other to kill,” she taunted.

Lifting the hand that held Ja’s knife, your fangs bared themselves followed by a low, vicious hiss as you challenged the tiny human needing a metal skeleton to match your strength. The fingers wrapped around the handle of your blade readjusted and curled tighter preparing, your other hand balling into a fist in front of you as counterbalance.

“I’m gonna butcher you…then when I’m done, I’ll kill your whole family starting with that little brat!” Ardmore seethed.

With the wrath of a taronyu, a mother, a mate, you barreled toward the enemy, Sylway’s spirit making your legs bolt fast like you were flying.

~

Spider gasped and propelled his legs and arms to keep him afloat, clambering onto some rocks. Laying down on his back, he could feel the rapid pulse of his heartbeat in his stomach.

"Spider!" Miles cried out.

The kid shot up. Finally, someone who wasn’t trying to kill him.

"Are you alright!?” The Recom searched the boy for any wounds.

“(Y/N)! She’s alive! Ardmore! It was her! She—she—! Prager’s dead—they’re all dead! She killed them all!” Spider stammered, still recovering from the tiring swim.

"What the hell are you saying, kid!?"

Gulping down some more air, Spider yelled, “Ardmore killed them! Mansk, Z-dog, Prager, Lopez! (Y/N) is still on the ship—she got between me and Ardmore so I could get away! She’s gonna die!”

Miles ground his teeth. Everything he lived for, everything he was told to be, the human legacy of Quaritch he was meant to preserve, felt bitter and alien. The Recombinants were commodified and expendable. Miles shook his head, patting his vest to see how much ammo he had left to find nothing, so he unsheathed his blade and took a deep breath.

Focus.

“Spider, where is she?” he asked firmly.

“She’s on the weld deck, near the moonpool.”

Spider’s eyes filled with concern as he noticed the calculating look that Miles was giving the distance, watching the burning SeaDragon. From where the Recom stood there was movement in the distance that directed his attention from the ship, over the black ocean, to a small cluster of boulders. Jake and his family huddled together recovering from the battle. A bold and stupid idea formed in the Recom’s mind.

“You’re crazy…” the kid said honestly, a little fearful.

“You got any better ideas,” he responded.

After a brief swim, Spider and Miles came upon a stretch of rocks that would be their pathway to approaching the Sully family. The kid went ahead to be a friendly face before the Recom would expose himself to whatever anger Jake and his wife held toward him. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t terrified, heart pounding in his chest at this insane move.

“He’s what—!?” Jake yelled at the kid.

Then Neytiri hissed, drawing her bow, as Miles made his way very carefully over the slippery rocks, palms empty in the air.

“Wait!” Spider pleaded.

Jake stepped forward with rifle pointed.

“Take one step closer—!” he warned.

Keeping his hands up, Miles breathed a little slower, finding the right words.

“I need your help. They have (Y/N).” His tail curved down, slightly tucking between his leg, hearing the clinking of the rifle trigger ready to fire through him any second.

Worry in her eyes, Neytiri’s ears curved back before she turned her head at her mate. Hearing that you were in danger, after too long being separated, made her want to run and kill every single human who dared touch you. She wanted you home.

Tuk whimpered your name, hugging a little tight around Kiri. The rest of the Sully children’s faces etched with fear for your wellbeing.

“You can kill me when this is over…just please…save her…help me save her,” Miles steadily begged.

“Why the hell do you care about someone you held hostage for months!?” Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Because he loves her…” Kiri’s soft voice spoke up.

The small comment from his daughter had Jake looking back at her and then to Miles, studying the way the Recom’s eyes fell shut with his lips tightening, almost afraid to hear the words that bound him to you spoken aloud.

Neytiri shot a look at Miles. Jake only released some air with a subtly of irony playing at the edge of his lips. He must’ve truly looked like a demon from where he held his hands up in the shadows. The only source of light on him was the burning flames of the SeaDragon reflecting off his shiny skin that appeared navy in the dim light. Spider then stood in the space between Jake and the Recom.

“Saving her life, that’s all that matters,” the boy added.

“Dad…” Kiri placed a small hand on her father’s shoulder, head tilting as she studied the Recom.

There was something in those eyes of the young Na’vi Miles couldn’t quiet place. She could see the change in him. She understood what he needed from Jake.

“Then let’s get it done,” Jake answered.

~

Your one lid swelled over your eye, covering your vision. You had fought hard, dodging the General’s attacks until she had managed to slice through your calf that made it difficult to move. Then she had you under her, using her metal hands to punch your face until you submitted, mouth filling with blood and staining your teeth.

Legs long collapsed from fatigue, you slouched against the pole your hands were currently locked together around. Your ear perked up when you heard the whirring of Ardmore’s Skel Suit as she steadied herself behind you. Her men stood guard anxious. All they had to do was wait.

“They’ll come…one for his whore, the other to kill.” Her words played inside your head over and over, making you grind your jaw tightly as the blood from your nose and forehead dripped over your face.

Then you heard screaming in the distance.

The killing had begun.

Ardmore motioned for her men to advance and fight, leaving fewer soldiers at her disposal. You smiled weakly, teeth red, thinking it funny how she’d run out of men sooner or later in her desperation to weed out Jake from the darkness.

Eventually, only five men stood with the General, ready to piss themselves.

Your heart beat faster when you saw Miles tossing a dead man aside as he approached the weld deck, blood speckled along his skin and face.

“Hold your fire!” Ardmore vocalized.

The Recom halted his stride, knife in hand dripping with blood.

“You betrayed me, Colonel.”

The only response Miles gave to the General’s comment was with a swipe from the back of his wrist over his dirty mouth, cleaning the gore off his face.

“I know you’re infatuated with this one—” she yanked your head back by the braid causing you to whine “—now all I must do is wait. You came for her…Jake will come for you. Hell, I might even get a kick watching you two fight.”

“Anyone who still has an ounce of self-preservation left in them: RUN.” Miles’ tone was stern and commanding over the blistering air, sparks flying from the crumbling debris.

It was funny how title and rank meant nothing when the odds stacked unevenly against selfish men. The remaining soldiers that stood around the General fled for their lives, believing in their own best interest before sacrificing themselves for a lost cause.

“Get back here!” Ardmore screamed, but it was too late. She was alone.

Miles then took a step.

“Don’t test me!” she seethed.

The sting of a blade pressed firmly into your throat as your head was held back uncomfortably by the lone woman’s metallic grip on your hair. But then the presence of the knife left you neck unexpectedly, only for your eyes to widen as you felt your braid being pulled taut.

You felt the whole world still, your whole body frozen.

Ardmore placed her blade at the underside of your braid near your scalp.

“If I don’t get to have Jake, you don’t get to have her,” the woman heckled.

“Just kill her!” you yelled, head painfully tugged when you spoke.

“Stop!” Jake hollered as he hurtled himself over some cargo. “Let her go, and you can have me!”

“We can do this another way!” Miles shouted at him,

“Do you love her or not!?”

The Recom was taken aback before he realized his pause.

“Yes, I do,” he answered evenly.

An arrow shot through Ardmore from behind. She stumbled forward, letting your hair go, gasping as she peered down at the massive arrow head stuck through her chest. Then another sliced into her body, this time causing her to completely lose control of her footing and faceplant into the deck. Her blood pooled under her while she took her last breath.

Neytiri jogged into the light, hissing at the dead body, before turning to you and cutting your restraints with her knife. You were weak, falling into her arms. She hugged you and kissed the top of your head.

“Thank you, Great Mother!” she praised.

Finding enough strength to stand with the aid of your sister, you found yourself pushing away from Neytiri gently as your feet shuffled you to your mate.

Miles grabbed hold of you tightly with a hand cradling the back of your head. You cried into his chest. He found your lips and kissed you repeatedly before picking you up and carrying you away.

He had you.

You were safe.

It was over.

[void-ink-studios]

Please... please, Star Child... Help us...

Incarnations AU is back, with more stuff from the poll I put out a few months ago!

This is probably the most fanfiction thing in this AU, the idea of a Redeemed Dark Matter. I always thought Dark Matter was an interesting villain for the franchise, and I've chosen to characterize it as both a villain and a victim. Something that was born from a source of great pain and hatred, that was never shown another way, and left to fester in its own misery for eons.

So, what would they be life if given a second chance? What if they were allowed to live again, with a new perspective?

More on that Under the Cut.

Remember, if you like the art, be sure to reblog!

I have a few ideas on how this could even happen. Most revolving around a Clockwork Star, a wish gone awry, and the concentrated power of a wishing star being too much to handle, even for an Incarnation.

It culminates in a battle between an unstable, barely holding together Dark Matter and Kirby. Kirby hears their enemy call out to them from the chaotic void. But it's not a taunt or a temptation to join them.

It's a call for help. For an end to the despair.

But Kirby doesn't destroy them this time. They spare the Darkness, because they believe the Darkness could do better, if given guidance.

Zero is the first to reemerge from the swirl, in a new form. It is still strange, still terrifying gigantic, but it is a broken and healed angel. It is in a new form, with a new life. Rather than Zero 3, Kirby decides to give it a different name. They give him the name Cipher.

Cipher's subjects form and emerge shortly after him. They emerge with a choice: Stay or Leave. Those who leave will disconnect from the greater hive and be on their own to do as they wish. Those who stay become part of the new Dark Matter. The New Kingdom.

Dark Nebula is suspicious and wary of this truce with the Star Child but is willing to stick around to protect Cipher and the hive with her life. Just as she always has. She becomes the head administrator and advisor to the new king, as well as the primary ambassador to attend events that Cipher's size and reputation prevents him from attending.

The Swordsmen emerge, and those who stay accept their new role as the royal guard, the sworn protectors of Cipher and Nebula. Some chose to leave. Some scatter to the stars to search for a new purpose. Most surprisingly, some stay on Popstar, becoming wandering warriors. One even joins the Meta-Knights. But those who stay take their duties quite seriously.

It's the Drones that are most intriguing. Most stick around the hive. But some decide to leave. Some become normal citizens of Popstar. Some become explorers with intent to return to the hive one day. Some leave with the Swordsmen, coming squires of sorts. And some... well, some can't let go of the old way. They can't let go of the need to infect and hide. It's with a heavy heart that those are dealt with, often by Cipher himself. But, those who stay are the bulk of the citizens of the New Kingdom. They serve as the staff to Cipher and Nebula, as entourage on diplomatic missions, as builders and cultivators and explorers. It's the first time they've been allowed to explore their own interests. To build and grow, rather than infect or take or destroy. They are Cipher's subjects. And he sees them with the same parental warmth Dedede feels for the Waddle Dees.

It's a feeling very new to everyone involved.

Then there's Miracle Matter. The one thing Cipher tried to create. The first thing he felt true grief for. The first to add to the hive when she was destroyed. She emerges from the cloud, still tiny, still strange, but with a very different role. No longer was she meant to be Kirby's counter, a copy, a corrupted answer. Now, she was Kirby's cousin. A new friend, one who they could teach games and play with, like Gooey and Bandie. Now, she was Cipher's princess. His daughter, in a way.

It's a new thing for him, the idea of family. But Nebula and Miracle are his unit. His sister and his daughter. And he learns to love. Love and dotes on them as would any brother and father.

They make a home of Popstar's moon. They keep in contact with Popstar. They try to make amends with other kingdoms, especially Ripple Star. They rise as a New Hive.

And they are happy.

I have a lot of thoughts on this whole thing, so if you're curious or want to see more of this, feel free to send an ask.

And other poll stuff is being worked on! So, stay tuned.

[david-talks-sw]

"the Warrior, the Princess & the Peasants"

Hidden Fortress (1958)

The Akira Kurosawa movie that inspired the structure and some of the character dynamics in the first Star Wars film. The main characters are:

Matashichi and Tohei, the two serfs whose eyes most of the picture is viewed through, Princess Yuki, an uppity young aristocrat on the run from the authorities, who constantly bickers with Toshiro Mifune's battle-hardened general Rokurota.

Star Wars (1973)

In the original concept of Star Wars, the dynamic stayed similar, although more characters were added to the mix.

But you still have the two droids, C-3PO and R2D2 (deriving from the peasants in Hidden Fortress), Princess Leia (loudmouth aristocrat on the run from the authorities), and Luke Skywalker (a battle-hardened general).

As drafts changed and plot details shifted, Luke Skywalker became the young protagonist, the general character became Obi-Wan Kenobi (whom Toshiro Mifune was originally considered for).

It's not a one-to-one copy, but there is clearly an inspiration. And when you look at the posters at the time?

Still Luke, Leia, 3PO and R2.

The Phantom Menace (1999)

As already discussed here, in one of the early drafts of The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan is the one who rescues the Queen from Naboo and finds Anakin on Tatooine. Qui-Gon only comes into the script once the gang gets to Coruscant.

But in this early draft, Obi-Wan is an experienced warrior, who pushes the envelope, eliciting the complaints of princess Queen Amidala (the aristocrat on the run). When on Tatooine, the two "low-ranking" characters are still R2, this time with Jar Jar Binks.

Eventually, for multiple reasons, Obi-Wan was made the Padawan and Qui-Gon was put in early in the script.

(Fun Fact: before this change was made, there was a draft where Obi-Wan stayed the elder, Qui-Gon was made the Padawan, and then Obi-Wan gets killed by Maul and young Qui-Gon takes on his name, going on to become Alec Guinness' Ben!)

But be it Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, the warrior in The Phantom Menace is no longer a general with rank authority, he's just a diplomat.

The only reason he's able to do things "his way or the highway" is because 1) he is headstrong and 2) Padmé is undercover and doesn't wanna give it away (as if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hadn't already noticed...!)

So here we have an interesting reversal of roles: in Hidden Fortress (and kinda in the first Star Wars film), the Princess is the chaotic hellion who must be reined in by the warrior, who's always screaming:

"Princess, ffs! Stop wandering off, they're actively looking for you!"

Here, the warrior is the one going off-book and the Queen is like:

"Stop this at once, you cheeky fellow! We're on the run!"

Finally, as covered in this lengthy post about how The Hidden Fortress informs us of the Jedi's standing within the Republic, Lucas makes it clear that he alternates between projecting the "peasant POV" archetype on the Jedi duo and Jar Jar & R2/Anakin.

There is no clear protagonist in The Phantom Menace, you just have four main characters: the Jedi (who are two separate characters, but functionally are basically one single character), Padmé and Anakin.

All of this to say that just like the themes, these archetypes also echo each other in more ways than one, and it's intentional. As Lucas puts it, it's like a symphony:

"I’m also doing very stylistic ideas, things that are very musical in terms of how I develop themes, and repeat themes. I go do the same thing over and over in certain areas to echo what I have done before. It’s like a symphony more than a movie." - Star Wars Insider #35, 1997

"I'm approaching these films, for better or worse, like a symphony. I have a lot of themes that I keep repeating over and over again through the whole thing. Different notes and different instrumentation, but when you see all six movies together you'll see that there's a lot of recurring notes being played. [...] And it’s done on purpose. And it’s also done in different facets." - Star Wars Insider #52, 2000

So yeah.

Just some fun similarities and tidbits I noticed, figured I'd share.

[discord12395]

Happy Indie Animation Day! To celebrate, here's some projects I'd like to see some support for:

"LITTLE WOLF" by @jenn0wow, @the-sunflower-club

"In a magic forest that’s been decaying for a decade and overgrown with thorns and vines and tainted magic, a little warrior travels through its treacherous obstacles so they can slay the infamous Lady of the forest. Many have traveled far and wide to slay this witch, but all have failed. Her death would mean peace to the forest and it would mean Little Wolf would be taken seriously by their clan. But, when Little Wolf comes face to face with the Lady of the Forest, will Little Wolf be strong enough to defeat her?"

"LUMI AND THE GREAT BIG GALAXY", by @starteas

"An original animated series about six aliens traveling the galaxy to help a lost star return home." Inspired by Craig McCracken's "Wander Over Yonder".

DEFENDERS OF ALODIA', by Naya Fae

"After her mother’s death, a stubborn young girl named Rebecca is transported to the magical and unpredictably chaotic world of Alodia, and must find her way back home. "

"CIRCUS OF WISHES" by @eddie

"The film follows 15-year-old Sadie as she uncovers the dark secrets behind a mysterious ringmaster and his magical circus. If something is too good to be true... It probably is."

"THE WILL OF MONSTERS" by @itsmechriswade

"Jarrad The Scarecrow and his young apprentice, Cham, are surrounded by vicious crows with nowhere to run! And to make matters worse? A dangerous Witch has begin following them!"

YT:

[janners]

Green Eyes

Neteyam (17) x Human!reader (18)

warnings : childhood friends to lovers, fluff..?, slowburn ish, angsty angst, death, mental health, illness

word count : 18.7k

a/n: Another angst one after posting my fluff fic HAHA I live to write angsty shit. Originally it was going to be around like 10k but obviously that didn’t happen so it took longer than expected. The beginning is mostly about you but then it does reach Neteyam content after a bit since it's slowburnish.

_

Throughout Neteyams life, he was like his mother. Not wanting to interact with anything Skypeople related. Despite his dislike for Skypeople, there were distant memories of a certain young girl that always seemed to be stuck in the back of his mind. Most nights filled with frustration and confusion as to who you were. Sometimes dreams would show him his younger self with a faceless girl running around the village playing and picking flowers in the forest. He kept this to himself, not sure if anyone would be able to help him with this mystery.

During the passing days, Neteyam always sees his brother and sister going in the direction of the lab to see their tawtute friends. He never understood why they were so fond of the certain people they met with. Always talking highly of them when coming back from their mini adventure. Especially when Kiri talks about a girl who she is fond of most. The talk of the girl had gotten his attention from time to time wondering if it was possible that she could be the girl he has memories about. But the thought disappears in doubt, not knowing if the girl really exists.

_

When the war was over, two small children remained on Pandora with a couple scientists while the rest of the humans went back to Earth. One boy named Spider and an older girl named Y/n. Spider was the child who was quite chaotic, while you were quite the same but just a little toned down. You had a very adventurous spirit when you were younger, always curious about everything and wandering off on your own. You had also met a few Na’vi kids that you came close with before you became sick.

10 years ago

“PLEASE NORM. I want to explore the forest pleeeasse”

Being eight years old, you wanted nothing more than to explore the large forest. Everyday you would ask Norm or Max at least once hoping they would say yes. Though you’ve gotten no each and every attempt. You tried staying on your best behaviour the past couple weeks anticipating that they would say yes at some point. When you asked today, Norm didn’t have his usual straight face when he was about to reject your wants. Instead there was a small smile that made its way on his lips.

“I was just about to talk to you about that. I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to the Omatikaya clan?”

Your eyes glimmered in excitement, going into the forest was one thing but the clan? That was even better than you could’ve imagined. Jumping up and down eager to get going, you kept pushing and pulling Norm in different directions as he was collecting things to bring with him. As he finished packing his essential things, he held your hand walking to the door. He grabbed a smaller mask and crouched down to secure it one you face. He told you to wait here while he went to link with his Avatar. After a couple minutes the door opens revealing a very tall Norm. You shield your face with your arm from the bright light as you step outside for the first time. Lowering your arm slowly, your mouth gaped open seeing the forest in person.

The green looked more vibrant compared to the window view and the flora was gorgeous. Your small hand is still in the grasp of Norms large blue hand while walking down a certain path towards the village. Lifting your head up, you see syaksyuk swinging from tree to tree as some peer down at your figures in curiosity. Continuing along the path you also spot a few yerik grazing on the grass and small plants around them. Getting closer and closer you hear sounds of chatter. Norm greeted a warrior who was at the village borders before entering the village. You lean closer into Norm, not used to the stares from the clan members. You reach a large tent, much larger than the others. Walking in you spot a family, you quickly noticed Jake who waved to the both of you. Jake comes to visit the lab every once in a while to check on everyone. Everytime he came, you would be ready to give him a new trinket you made.

You waved back with a shy smile as you still hid behind Norm. Norm stepped to the side and pushed his hand gently against your back to introduce yourself to the rest. Jake quickly told the kids to greet you as well. You look to Norm to make sure it was okay to go ahead, he gave you a curt nod telling that it was okay. As he walked away to talk with Jake and Neytiri, the tall kids walked to you with caution. They walk circles around you, studying your strange features and the device on your face. Two of them approached and grabbed your hands observing them before comparing them to their own hands. Their eyes held amazement as they were the same. The third child only watched from a distance, still wary of your presence. They started talking in Na’vi, you couldn’t understand all of it but picked up a few words from it. Norm started teaching not too long ago, but you were a quick learner.

The two were asking their mother a question, something along the lines of “forest…take her?”

Neytiri looked at you with sceptical eyes as she still wasn’t very fond of Norm either, but seeing as you were much smaller compared to them she thought it would be okay just once. She gave them a brief nod, they squealed in excitement as they held your hands dragging you out of the tent.

Not really sure what to do, you just went along. It seemed as though they were taking you to the forest but a different area. Trailing behind you was the other child, he kept a close eye on you not sure if you were harmless to them. As he watched your movements, he also caught the glimpse of wonder in your eyes. Coming to a stop, you look around observing your surroundings. It was a small clear area that was surrounded by large trees and plants. Right in the middle was a pond with small fish swimming around. Your smile at them showing all your teeth while your eyes were wide with curiosity. The smaller boy talked in broken English, mixed with some simple Na’vi words.

“My tstxo is Lo’ak and this Kiri.”

He then pointed towards his older brother. “Tsmukan, Neteyam”

You smile in delight knowing all their names, you then try your newly learned N’avi to introduce yourself. You point to yourself.

“Oe y/n”

Neteyam tilted his head by the odd Na’vi attempt. He turned to Lo’ak speaking fluently.

“fo nìNa'vi plltxe nìfya'o a hek” (They speak Na’vi strangely)

Confused by what he said, you turn to Lo’ak to see if he might translate. But he was looking at his brother as if he was dumb.

“po poltxe nìlaw letam natawtute” (She spoke clearly enough as Skyperson)

Neteyam stuck his tongue out at him while Lo’ak mocked him back. A small giggle left your mouth watching the funny scene. Kiri had come closer to you, saying in broken english that you spoke decent Na’vi for a tawtute. You took it as a compliment as you were working hard to become fluent someday. After introducing yourselves, Lo’ak suggested that they all play tag, something he learned from his father. You agree in joy, never having the chance to play tag with this many before. Normally you only really play with Spider, he’s probably bored at the lab right now. Lo’ak was it, he started counting down from 10 to give everyone a head start. You followed Neteyam as you weren’t familiar with the forest. You all heard Lo’ak yell his heart out ready to capture you all. Hours passed as you all continued playing, Lo’ak captured you multiple times since you were much slower compared to them all.

Eventually the day had to come to an end. Norm and Jake called for all of you to come back to the village to say goodbye. You all had bonded quite well for the first time meeting. Jake and Norm watched as they all looked a little sad to be parting ways. They give each other a look before they sigh in unison. Jake bent down to meet their eye levels,

“How do you feel if Y/n visits 3 days a week?”

All four of them yelled yes multiple times. Jake gave Norm a look of confirmation, Norm looked at you for a second seeing you give him puppy dog eyes. He exhaled through his nose while pursing his lips while giving both you and Jake a nod. You threw your hands up in exhilaration. You give each of the sully kids a hug before heading back to the lab. Reaching the edge of the village line, you look back once more, giving the biggest wave with both hands to the Sullys. Reaching the lab, you went to Spider’s room to tell him everything about the outside world. He wasn’t quite old enough yet to go out so telling him would cheer him up about you going. As days pass, you continue visiting the Sullys to play and hangout. The one day you went out, you felt a bit tired before heading outside. You waved it off thinking it would go away. As you walked towards the spot you guys claimed, the journey had you heaving. You weren’t sure why you were having such trouble breathing. You ignored it once more thinking it wasn’t a huge deal. Stepping into the area, you see Lo’ak, Kiri, and Neteyam talking as they wait for you.

Greeting them with a scare, they tackled you into a hug. Laughing in joy, you completely forgot about the pain residing in your body. All of you decided to play tag once again, never getting sick of the game. Neteyam was it this time. Giving you all a head start, you guys sprint away not wanting to get caught. As you were running the pain returned but doubled, you fell to your knees coughing violently. Hands digging into the Earth, gasping for air as you kept coughing. One last hard cough came from your trembling body. Tears of pain were running down your flushed cheeks. You look down slightly to the glass of your mask. Red liquid drips from right in front of your mouth. Blood? Panic set into your system from the sight of your blood. Your vision begins to blur as you struggle to breathe. From a distance you hear yelling, you weren’t sure who. Just before you could think of who it may be, you went unconscious.

_

You’re 18 now. That day you first passed out was the last time you ever went outside. You were bedridden for a while before being able to walk around again. The tests that Norm ran never helped. It seemed that your immune system was too weak for the Pandora atmosphere causing you to develop a deadly disease. It wasn’t contagious much to everyone's relief but you being the only one having it had them numb. A mere 8 year old getting an unknown disease.

Since that day, the only rule that was set against you was, “No going outside” which made you upset. Everyday you look out your window, gazing at the forest with sorrow in your eyes. Though instead of moping around all day, at age 12 you started watching a woman's logs. Her name was Grace, the way she talked about Pandora and everything about it made you want to continue her studies. Norm continued to help you with Na’vi speaking, while you started studying more about the life of Pandora and the science behind it. It wasn’t until about you were 14 that Lo’ak and Kiri started coming to the lab. When you saw them for the first time in years, you ran into their arms with zero hesitation. They even started bringing their younger sister along, and she was a very energetic child. Spider was also old enough to go out himself and join the Sully kids. You were envious of him, but you didn’t let it ruin your sibling relationship with him. Everyday when he returned, he would tell you everything he saw and did. Even told you about new plants and flora he discovered to add into your studies.

The one thing you always wondered was why Neteyam never came by. Lo’ak told you that he began training a lot due to being the eldest. Although you understood, you missed him. When you first met him you knew he was wary of you, but a close bond formed after he knew you were good. You were the closest with him before you had your problem appear. But after 10 years of not seeing him, he eventually became a distant memory to sometimes look back on. Lo’ak and Kiri continued to grow, as well as you. Unfortunately your condition grew with you, being more sick than you usually were.

_

Waking up was difficult these days, all you wanted to do was stay in bed and gaze out the window. The only thing keeping you going is the work you dedicated yourself to. Getting up, you slip on your slippers heading to your work space. Your hair was like a nest, bags under your eyes, back hunched over. You grab your lab coat and throw it over your shoulder while grabbing coffee. You walk to Norm and give him a quick good morning before settling into your chair. Just as you relaxed, the sound of large footsteps echoed. You spun your chair to face the sound. Kiri, Tuk, and Lo’ak came in waving towards you. As you wave back, you spin back around to start your studies. Kiri appeared beside your desk peering down onto your work.

“You should take a break, you know. I don’t want you getting more sick from overworking yourself”

You lift your head to meet Kiris face. Giving her a gentle smile, you lift up one of your pages showing it to her. Your voice was raspy from it being constantly sore due to coughing and heaving throughout the days.

“I wish I could but this work isn’t going to help itself. Plus working keeps me at ease, you should know that Kiri”

Chuckling softly as you watch her expression go from concern to a really? look. Just as you were about to ask something, Tuk tugged on your arm. You bring your other arm up to pat her head.

“Hey Tuk how’ve you been?”

Tuk had a wide smile displayed on her face.

“I’ve been good! How about you lefpom?”

Lefpom, a nickname she gave you because you always seemed happy around her. Your hand touched hers as you answered that you’ve been good as well. You tell her to go find Spider and scare him with Lo’ak. She nods while having a cheeky grin plastered on her face. As she went out of earshot you turned back to Kiri with a tired look. A minute of silence before you started to talk again quietly.

“It’s been getting worse Kiri…”

Kiri was the only one who knew about your worsening condition, not even Norm. You could tell by her face that she was upset. Throughout the tough years, Kiri really was the only one you could trust with these details. If Lo’ak found out or Norm, you would not hear the end of it.

“What happened in your study for this condition? I thought you were getting close?”

There was a small strain in her voice as she spoke. You could only sigh while you hang your head low.

“I gave up on that months ago. Nothing worked Kiri, it’s all a waste.”

You hand rubbing your forehead in exhaustion, you push the papers towards Kiri. All of them had big red X’s across them indicating each failed attempt. Kiri knelt down to reach your level, she gently put her head against your arm. You rest your head on top of hers to comfort her. You whisper softly.

“It’ll be fine. I’m still here and alive, that’s all that matters as of right now.”

You tried hard to suppress your tears, not wanting Lo’ak and Tuk see you in such a vulnerable state. You hear footsteps nearing once more, you quickly wipe the loose tears and give Kiri one last hug before they all head out leaving you behind once more. You wave them all off telling them to be careful, while Lo’ak remarks “yes mother” in the most sarcastic tone. Rolling your eyes, you say bye nice and loud as you shut the door. You slowly bring your hand back in your lap looking through the window as you watch them disappear in the forest. You wish you could join them, but going outside would be too risky in your current condition. Huffing in frustration, you wander around the lab a bit to get your mind going and distracted. Going into a specific room, you slowly approach the floating Avatar, which was Graces. Right behind hers was yours. You drag your feet to reach your Avatar. It was only last year that Norm surprised you with it, but not once have you used it. Afraid that you’d get used to it too much to the point you’d forget that you have this life sucking disease. Afraid that you would get too attached, and then ending up dead within only a few short years.

Hand gently touches the glass as you study the face of your Avatar. You were too focused not noticing Norm enter the room. He watched as a dull look washes over your face when studying your Avatar. Norm gifted the Avatar to you so that you would be able to go out again. But you were too worried about your condition and decided against it even though you were grateful for the Avatar.  He could only feel horrible for not being able to figure out this disease, he knew how much you wanted to experience the forest once more. He knocked on the side of the wall to grab your attention. Snapping out of your daydreaming, you turn your head seeing Norm leaning against the doorframe.

“I made some food, come eat”

You nod, glancing back once more to your floating Avatar before following after Norm.

_

Kiri, Lo’ak, Tuk and Spider all walk towards the village. Kiri thought long and hard about how she could possibly help you. She knows you said not to tell anyone, but the idea of telling her grandmother could really assist you. Lo’ak noticed Kiri’s furrowed expression, and slightly bumped her with his hip to snap her out of her deep thinking. Kiri blinked, turning her head to Lo’ak with a questionable look.

“You’ve looked like that since we left the lab. Did something happen?”

“No nothing, just some things running through my mind.”

Lo’ak looked unsure with her reply but carried on. They reached the village, Tuk ran around straight away joining her friends. Spider stayed by Lo’aks side as they head to the training grounds to fuck around with the weapons. As for Kiri, she went to the healing tent to talk with her grandmother. She opened the flap seeing Mo’at sitting grinding herbs. She takes a seat infront of her waiting till Mo’at speaks first.

“Kiri, is there something you need?”

Kiri shifts a little closer, leaning forward talking in a lowered voice.

“Is there a possible way you could join me at the lab at some point tomorrow?”

Mo’ats movements stop, lifting her head with a strange expression taking over her face.

“Why should I step foot there?”

She hesitated with her next words, trying to word it properly. Still unsure if she wanted to reveal your current situation to someone. Kiri pondered for a minute before blurting out what she needed to say.

“I have a friend who has an unknown disease and her condition is worsening by the day. I’m not sure if you remember her, her name is y/n?”

Mo’at eyes widened at the name. It has been a while since she last saw you, a mere child. She knew you were a good child, and hearing an unknown disease being uncovered made her worried.

“Is she not able to come to the village, she did when she was a child?”

“The disease is the reason why she cannot come out here. Her system is too weak for the environment here” Kiri sighed

Mo’at was deciding if going would benefit both. She did not want a disease to grab a clan member and not know how to treat it. Nor did she want you to suffer. After thinking for a little while, she decided to join Kiri on her next trip to the lab, which happens to be tomorrow. Kiri thanked her, grateful that you might finally get the help you need. One thing neither of them noticed was the presence of a certain older brother lurking outside of the tent.

Neteyam had gotten hurt at the shooting range due to Lo’aks antics with Spider. The arrow had grazed his arm causing a bit of blood to drip down his arm. He wasn’t sure why he put up with Lo’aks skxawng ass. Trudging to the tent to get paste for the cut, he paused hearing chatter going on inside. Normally he doesn’t eavesdrop but Kiri’s voice caught his attention. Ears picking up the words, disease, friend, y/n…? That name felt familiar to him, he just couldn’t remember from where. He leans in closer hearing his grandmother saying that she will accompany Kiri to the lab. He never expected her to step on tawtute grounds, it must be serious if she was leaving the village to see a mere human.  Waiting another minute to see if the conversation was over before entering the tent. Giving a small greeting to Mo’at, he goes to sit in front of Kiri showing his cut. Kiri mumbled Lo’ak? and he could only nod with a huff.

He contemplates on bringing up their topic from earlier, wanting to come along on the trip out of curiosity. Fiddling with his fingers he decided to just say what he wanted to say.

“Can I accompany you both to the lab?”

Both Kiri and Mo’at paused looking up at Neteyam in unison. They make eye contact before looking at Neteyam once more. Kiri spoke up first.

“Why”

“I was curious about who you were talking about, this y/n girl. It sounds familiar.”

Her brows furrowed and eyes squinted at Neteyams words. He didn’t remember you? She thought it was odd seeing as you two were the closest when you were younger. Though it made sense a little bit knowing you haven’t seen each other in years. She looked to Mo’at to see if she cared. She only tilted her head making the decision for Kiri to decide. Pursing her lips, she said okay as she patched the rest of his cut up. Kiri wasn’t fully sure if his presence would be a good idea considering how long it’s been since you last saw him, but it could be good too. Neteyam gave her a quick thanks, standing up to exit the tent.

Neteyam was in deep thought as he headed back to the family tent. He didn’t know why the name y/n sounded so familiar. Lately due to his intense training, it’s like he can’t remember much from his childhood and it was frustrating. One thing that frustrated him most was the constant appearance of a girl in his mind.

_

You didn’t get a wink of sleep, the pain in your body kept you up all night. You roll to lay on your back, staring at the ceiling with a tired expression. Ever since this disease surfaced you always had pessimistic thoughts. Not having much hope in curing whatever you had, accepting the chance of possible death. There were still times you coughed up blood, mostly on days you hurt most. Those days were like hell, it felt as if your skin was on fire, lungs constricted, barely being able to move your own body. It would last for hours until it finally settled. Sighing, you sit up, groaning in ache as you stretch your limbs slightly. Walking over to your cabinet, you open it to reveal a variety of painkillers and cold patches. Grabbing the strongest one, you pop two in your mouth and washing it down with your day old water. Then grabbing a few cold patches and placing it on the back of your neck, multiple areas on your back, and your shoulders.

You drag your body to Grace's old working area, you turn on her logs to watch through again for the thousandth time. You could never get bored of her logs, you could watch them forever if you could. Minutes pass before a knock catches your attention, you turn to see Kiri with a nervous smile. You give her a confused look, normally she’d come right up and greet you. Kiri claps her hands together, she avoids eye contact with you as she speaks in a quiet tone.

“I know you told me not to tell anyone but I had an idea about asking my grandmother to see if she could figure out what your condition was-”

You interrupted her with a sharp whisper.

“What?!”

“I know! I know! But I just had to, she is Tsahik and she is better than these machines.”

Burying your face in your hands as you groan softly. You pinch the bridge of your nose not knowing how to react to this situation right now. You asked if anyone else knew, but telling from her face you couldn’t help but sigh.

“I swear I only told her but apparently Neteyam overheard our talking”

“Neteyam…? He’s here?” Eyes blown wide. You haven’t heard that name in forever. Kiri slowly nods her head a little worried about how you’d react. But instead she got a worried expression.

“I’m not sure about this Kiri. What if it turns out to be worse than I thought it was. What if-” Your voice cracked. “What if we can’t get rid of it? What do we do then? Plus I’m not sure I really want Neteyam seeing me like this for the first time in years”

Kiri finally walks over to you, grabbing you by the shoulders.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay, my grandmother will help you I promise. As for Neteyam, I don’t think you should be worrying too much about him right now” Giving you a small smile.

Taking in a deep breath before exhaling, you give her a small nod. Her smile widens, she helps you up from the chair, making sure you stand properly. You appreciate her efforts in helping you, you felt lucky to have someone like her in your life. You stop her for a second to turn off the computer, she glanced at what you were doing before you shut it off. You started walking out of the room, heading towards where the other two Na’vi were waiting.

“You were watching my moms logs again?”

“Never get tired of em, you should know that” You give her a small bump with your hip teasingly.

Finally entering the room, you were nervous. You saw the backs of two familiar Na’vi. The first to turn was Mo’at, who gave you a concerned look as she took in your appearance. Then there was Neteyam, his face looked stunned yet confused. Did he not remember you? Turning back to Mo’at, you give her a small greeting.

“It’s been a while Tsahik”

She gave you a curt nod while waving her hand to signal you to come over. Mo’at glances at Kiri and Neteyam, telling them to wait in the other room as she studies your current state. Kiri gave you one last look of encouragement before dragging Neteyam with her as he tried hard to study your features. Something about you felt familiar to him, it was on the tip of his tongue.

You watch as they leave, turning back to Mo’at to start her observations. She sat you down on one of the near chairs, looking around your body to spot any abnormalities. After that she started doing some Tsahik practices on you to determine your health and damage that had been done. Mo’at had a concentrated face that did not falter throughout the practices. After a long hour or so, Mo’at stood up straight, huffing air out her nose. Another concerned look falls over her face, that makes you feel nauseous. Mo’at looks straight into your eyes, talking to you with a gentle voice.

“This sickness has done much permanent damage. I cannot do much about the current damage. I can give you herbs and medicine to help slow the process down of the disease but it’s possible that, that is all I can do for you. Your life span may be much shorter than expected.”

The world froze as those words left her lips. You had gone completely numb not knowing how to react to that news. You knew that this would’ve been a possibility but never did you think you would hear it. Body still in shock, Mo’at sighed and gave you a soft touch to your shoulder before leaving to the other room to give you some time. Knees slowly bending, your hand on the chair for support as your legs make contact with the cold floor. Your back hunches over as you try to process the words you received from Mo’at. A small drop of liquid crashes into the floor. Your hand comes up to your face feeling something wet on your cheeks. Tears. You were numb yet tears were running down your face. The painkillers had slightly worn off, the pain in your body slowly returning. I’m really going to die aren’t I? You chuckle bitterly at the thought before you finally start breaking down. Hand over your mouth to suppress your cries and heavy breathing. The other hand gripping your shirt tightly while hitting it against your chest. What about Norm? The Sullys? Spider? Graces studies? Your thoughts scrambling through your mind as you sob on the hard floor.

As you were crying, in the other room Kiri was worried deeply about how you were doing. She wasn’t sure if she should ask her grandmother about what happened as she walked in. Mo’at did not mention a single thing from the situation. Neteyam was still in deep thought wondering who you were and why you were so important to his siblings. Mo’at happened to notice an unfamiliar Avatar near Graces.

“Kiri, whose Avatar is that?”

Kiri stopped her pacing, ears perking at the mention of an Avatar. That had also caught Neteyams attention.

“It’s y/n’s”

A long silence filled the room. Mo’at felt perplexed about your Avatar, not knowing why she hasn’t seen you use it. Kiri saw her expression, but thought it was best to not say anything. Turning to Neteyam, Kiri saw him still in deep thought about you. She walked up to him and gave him a small tap on the shoulder pulling him from his thoughts. She tilts her head to the corner of the room wanting to talk with him. Kiri sat in the corner as Neteyam took the spot next to her. She twists her head to face him.

“Do you really not remember who y/n is?”

He could only sigh as he shook his head.

“Hm, remember when we were younger, there was a little girl who came to the village with Norm? That girl was y/n, one of our closest friends when we were children. Though, I understand your frustration, we didn’t see her until about 4 years ago. While you haven’t seen her in like 10 years. When we first saw her it was shocking to see her again.”

The moment Kiri mentioned a young girl who came to the village years back, gears started turning in his head. You must’ve been the girl he’s been seeing in his dreams and in his memories. He started thinking a little harder, more memories started flooding in, your face isn’t blurred anymore. Although you were just kids, you still looked like you.

“It really was her”

Kiri gave him a small smile while humming. She looks at the door hoping you would come out soon.

“The first time I see her in forever, and she’s sick.”

She rubs his back as her lips tightened. “It isn’t your fault, you’ve been busy with training. Especially since dad won’t give you a break”

The corner of her lips slightly raised. They sat in silence for a little longer until a creaking sound emerged. They all looked up at you, you had a smile on your face.

“Sorry for taking so long. I just had to gather my thoughts together.”

Your voice is quiet and raspy. Eyes with light red hues from the raw tears that were shed. Kiri had stood up swiftly, striding towards and giving you a crushing hug. You slowly wrap your hands around her, giving her a tight squeeze as if it was the last time you were going to hug her. Exhaling a long breath of air as your head rested on Kiri’s chest.

Neteyam could tell something was wrong as you and Kiri shared a long embrace. He noticed the slight falter in your expression when Kiri hugged you and the redness around your eyes and nose. Staying put in his spot, waiting until the quiet moment to end. Mo’at could only look at you with curious eyes when you entered with a smile moulding your face. A long minute passed before you pulled away from the hug. You look at Kiri, eyes forming into crescents as you give her a reassuring look. You didn’t want to lie to her, but it was best if you kept your permanent condition to yourself. You grab her hand gently.

“I am okay… Tsahik said that’d it’d all be okay. There are herbs that she can give me to help me through this horrible disease.”

Mo’at turned to you, eyes widening slightly to your words. Kiri looked at you with relief washing over her face then to exuberance. She grabbed your shoulders asking if you were absolutely serious, you could only nod your head with a half smile. Neteyam watched as Kiri looked overjoyed at the news. He too felt relieved but felt as if something was off with you. He would’ve thought that you would be just as joyous as Kiri but you only seem to give half the energy. But he didn’t look too into it especially since he hasn’t talked to you in 10 years and both of you changed a lot. Kiri waved him over to join in the happyfest of your healing. He felt a little awkward about joining in, he wasn’t sure if you were comfortable with him coming near you. Neteyam walks stiffly to your figures giving you both delicate pats on the shoulders. His eyes land on you, staring a bit longer than he should have. Studying your features, your cheekbones more visible, dark bags under your eyes, a paler complexion overall. Your head turned to meet his gaze. His focused face faltered into an awkward smile, not really knowing how to face you properly. Giving an awkward smile back, you gave him a small wave with your free hand.

_

The three of them eventually left you by yourself once again. Walking over to your room, you reach your bed and fall back onto the mattress. A long sigh left your lips, you moved to lay on your side to face the window. Gazing out, watching the wind blow through the plants, a small thought popped into your head. You said to yourself that you’d avoid using your Avatar but after hearing the news, maybe it was time to test it out. Kind of like a fuck it thought. Watching the outside world, eyes slowly closing shut, drowsiness finally catching up with you despite your pain. Your eyes opened once more, instead of your room being in your line of vision it was the forest. Looking around you were confused. It wasn’t until you finally breathed in, noticing that you didn’t have a mask. No pain was present either, just you and the forest completely healthy.

Taking small steps into the forest, admiring the plants all around you and the smaller animals. Minutes pass as you continue to appreciate the environment, before stumbling upon a small open area surrounded by the trees. A smaller tree that looked similar to a willow tree that used to be seen on Earth in the books you’ve read on Earth plants. It had beautiful green and brown colourations all over.  Slowly approaching the tree, you duck under the hanging leaves to reach the trunk of the tree. There was a soft patch of grass surrounding the base, you crouched down to sit comfortably against the wood. Relaxing your back as it made contact with the rough bark, hands wisping through the grass feeling the softness. You took a long breath in through your nose, closing your eyes as you exhaled. So this is what it felt like when I was younger.

Though you didn’t understand why you were here, you took the chance to soak up everything you can. Time passes as you stay in a peaceful state under the leaves. There was a sudden twinge in your chest, throat feeling dry. Next thing you knew you couldn’t breathe, gripping the grass in panic. Your eyes opened to find yourself in your room once more accompanied with a strong coughing fit. Hands grasping your sheets as you keep coughing. The last cough finally came out, liquid dripping down your chin. Sheets stained in splatters of bright red. Eyes moistening, hands releasing the sheets as your cheeks became wet. Crying for the second time today, it felt much worse this time. Frustration building up in your system as you wept, the urge to scream as if it would get rid of all your problems. And you did. The screaming led to you throwing your pillows across the room. Hitting objects, making things fall and clatter against the hard ground. You got up striding towards your small desk filled with info about plants. Grabbing them all with a tight fist, crumbling them in your grasp. You throw them all over the place, ripping a few as hot tears flushed your face. It felt long, in reality your breakdown lasted only a few short minutes. Sitting on the floor on your knees, chest rising up and down at a fast pace as you try to calm yourself. Dried up tears staining your cheeks, nose stuffy, dried blood on your lips and chin.

_

Early in the morning Norm went into the linking pod to start his day. He did his things in his Avatar form throughout the day. Went to the village to discuss some matters to Jake, came back to the lab area to finish any other chores. One thing he did notice though was three figures leaving the lab. He noticed Mo’at the most, not knowing why she came all the way here. It took him some time to realise what it may be about. He didn’t worry too much, especially seeing Kiri’s face which seemed to radiate happiness. Going on with his day, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of worry. Possible parent instincts? Who knew, but Norm just felt something was off. Another hour passed while the feeling was biting at him, he gave in and went to the Avatars tent to unlink. Unlinking, he lifted the pod lid, stretching his stiff limbs. Just as he steps out, he hears objects crashing in the direction of your room.

Norm ran towards your room, worried that something bad may have happened to you. Just as he reached your door, the clattering sounds went silent. Opening the door in a hurry, his eyes shifted all over. There were blood splatters on your bed and some on the floor. Papers and your belongings scattered everywhere. Some glass that had been shattered from a few of your things hitting each other. Eyes finally landing on the small figure on the cold floor. Face apathetic, dried blood staining your lower face, red eyes. Rushing to your body, not caring if your things were the way. Crouching down, grabbing your shoulders gently as he examines your face and body. A small sense of relief came as he noticed you weren’t hurt on the outside but extremely worried about the blood that came from inside. Without saying a word, he brought your body into his, embracing you into a warm hug. At times like these, you felt as if you were a child again. The hug made you breakdown once more, burying your face deeper into his chest. Norm had always felt like a parental figure to you. Him hugging you in times like these was something you really needed.

He continued keeping you in his hold, gently caressing the back of your head. Your crying never settled, tears constantly flowing down your face. All the years of pent up emotions, all coming out today. Norm couldn’t help but shed tears himself, seeing you in such a state made his heart hurt. An hour passed, both still stuck in the embrace. Sobs turned into sniffles and heavy breathing. Norm spoke in the softest tone he could.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

In return he got a head shake against his chest. His lips pursed while releasing a sigh. He rubs your back as he rests his head on top of yours.

“How about I get some food ready for you. Does that sound good? Get you cleaned up too?”

Feeling a light nod, he pulls away looking at your face. His expression is full of sombre as he looks at your fallen look. Helping you stand up, he assists you to the bathroom before leaving to cook some food.  You look into the mirror, a reflection of a person you don’t recognise. Tired eyes, sunken cheeks, pale skin, looking down to your hands, small cuts decorating them from the papers and glass. A quiet sigh left your body, slowly taking off your clothes and turning the shower on. Waiting for steam to be visible in the bathroom before touching the water. As the water cascaded down your body, the blood and tears were slowly disappearing. You sat down on the shower floor, letting the water hit against your skin, basking in the heat of the water. The steam made it a little hard to breathe but the steam was calming as well. The steam was like a safety blanket covering your frame. You lift your head to face the water, letting it gently hit your face. All you did was stay in the water, feeling too weak to use the products to fully clean yourself.

Minutes passed before you turned the shower off. Stepping out, the room filled with foggy steam. You grab the towel to wrap yourself in. Peeking out the door you see a pile of neatly folded clothes on the floor in front of the door. Norm must’ve finished the food and cleaned your room a bit. Grabbing the clothes, you take your time getting changed. You looked around your room, there were still bits and pieces on the ground but the majority had been put away. Dragging your feet to where Norm was, you see him patiently waiting for you to arrive. Your steps alerted him and he looked up to see you all cleaned up. He waves you over to sit and eat the bland looking eggs and toast on the plate. Feet pattering as you walk to the chair, pulling it out and taking a seat. You peer down at the plate, gently grasping the fork sitting beside it. Slowly eating the food in front of you, Norm had thoughts running through his head. He knew that your breakdown had something to do with your condition. The only thing that confused him was the look on Kiri’s face. If she was so happy after leaving then why were you acting the complete opposite. As you finished eating, Norm quickly gathered the plate and fork, putting them away in the sink before sitting back in front of you. His hand was gently placed on top of yours to show his support.

“I know earlier you said you didn’t want to talk about it, but I’m here to talk to, okay? Don’t hesitate to tell me anything.”

“I know…”

Finally talking, your voice hoarse and quiet from today's events. You both stand, Norm pulling you into another hug as he pats your head. The rest of the day you spent in bed, looking out the window. Taking pills ahead of time, the pain was at ease for now. It had started raining, the soothing taps against the glass slowly pulled you to sleep.

_

You had woken up to pain once more, but this time it didn’t bother you as much since you had a mission. Waking up earlier than Norm, you quietly wait for his presence so you could ask him a very important question. The nerves in your system couldn’t settle, overpowering the pain in your chest. Minutes passed before you heard footsteps nearing, turning your head you see a tired Norm. His eyes widened a bit as he saw you up and early.

“y/n? Whatcha doing up early? You’re usually not up at this time”

Unconsciously picking at your skin, you avert your eyes not ready for how he’ll react.

“I was uh, I was thinking it was time to take my… Avatar out…”

His brows furrowed but quickly changed into an excited expression. He strides towards your small figure, grabbing your shoulders gently and dragging you to the linking pods. Your first initial reaction was pure confusion, your face was all scrunched up. But then your eyes were wide open like saucers seeing the linking pods come into your view of vision. Norm turns you around to face you once more.

“Are you absolutely sure about this?”

Giving him a firm nod, he guides you to one of the pods. You watch as other people start getting things prepared, a few a little surprised at your sudden appearance in this room. Norm quickly set up one of the pods for you to lay in. As he was setting up he gave you some tips for when you end up linking to your Avatar. Seconds passed before Norm was dragging you again. He patted the open pod, you hopped on, swinging your legs up with you.

“Just remember to relax, and keep a clear mind.”

You give him a crooked smile as you nod your head briefly. Slowly lying down, Norm brought down the top, before closing it completely he gave you one last smile and thumbs up. As it closes, you close your eyes trying to make your mind go blank. In a second, your eyes opened once more, bright lights blinding you. Muffled sounds coming from around you. The first thing you really noticed was the lack of pain present. Adjusting to the light, you see scientists surrounding you. They were checking your hearing and your eyes. They asked if you were feeling okay, replying with a curt nod. Minutes passed as they continued to test your motor functions. All you could focus on was how light your entire body felt. For once your body feels relaxed and not tense 24/7. They gave you a change of clothes, a simple tank top and some shorts. Getting changed, you were beyond excited but also nauseous. It would be the first time going outside in forever. These thoughts completely made you forget about your other body.

You walked to the door that led to the outside world. Your hand reached for the latch but you hesitated. Worried that something bad would happen just like when you were younger. You took a deep breath in before exhaling from your nose. Gripping the handle, you open the door wide open. Bright lights blinded your eyes once more, but quickly adjusted just to see the vibrant outdoors. A wide smile graced your face, not believing that this moment finally came. Your eyes moved everywhere trying to take in the entire view. Then your eyes landed on an Avatar Norm who was walking towards you with some weird looking fruit in his hand. As he got closer he tossed you the fruit, catching off guard as you barely caught it.

You bite into the juicy fruit, a wave of new flavours hit you making you eat more of the fruit. Norm was chuckled at your reaction to the fruit. He pats your shoulder, tilting his head as he wants to show you more of the place. As you walk around, Norm shows you the different areas for the Avatars. The terrain was rough, especially when you opted out of shoes. You wanted the full experience of this body, something you weren’t able to do inside. Norm came to a full stop, making you bump into his back. You step back rubbing your nose, just as you were about to tell Norm off your voice got stuck in your throat. The forest was right in front of you. The vibrant green from the trees and plants once again in front of you after all these years. You couldn’t take your eyes off of the forest. Norm waved his hand by your face, snapping you out of your trance.

“Huh? What did you say?”

Norm only chuckled. “I was asking if you wanted to take a walk in the forest for old time sake?”

Your eyes glimmered in eagerness, quickly grabbing Norms arms dragging him in the dense forest. Not once did your eyes falter, a constant smile on your face to the point your cheeks were sore but that didn’t stop you. It felt like the exact moment you first went out 10 years ago. The flora looked even more beautiful than it did years ago, not to mention the softness from the grass and dirt connecting with your feet every step. Norm struggled to keep up with you. Jogging, trying to keep up with your quick steps.

“Wait up! You’re going way too fast, there was something I needed to show you.”

Your ears perk at Norms statement. He could only chuckle at your childish demeanour. He walks ahead of you, waving his hand to tell you to follow him. As you followed it felt like deja vu. Looking around in curiosity, spotting animals wandering the forest. Except this time you were much taller… and blue. Minutes passed, every minute of asking what it was Norm wanted to show you. He kept saying it was a surprise, which made you groan impatiently. As more time passed as you walked, another blue figure came into view, except they were wearing pieces of clothing extremely different from yours. Immediately you recognized them as an Omatikaya warrior. Your head quickly whipped around to face Norm. He could only give you a small smirk as he shrugged his shoulders. Your new tail whips back and forth in anticipation as you finally enter the village. The smile on your face widened even more, if that was even possible. Clan members looked at you with curiosity, normally they only see Norm come into the village but you were completely new. Everything felt so familiar to you, but there were many new additions in the village that had you interested. Walking a certain path, you knew where you were walking to… Jake’s family tent. The large tent looked exactly how it did all those years ago. You weren’t able to see Jake since the day you fell ill, this made you nervous to see him again. He was like an uncle to you. Reaching the front of the tent, Norm told you to wait as he entered. As you wait, you hear a small voice come from behind you.

“Excuse me? Who are you?”

You recognise that voice anywhere. You turn to face a certain someone.

“Tuk?”

Tuk looked a little puzzled for a moment, studying your features and hearing your voice. It clicked in her head. A gasped left your mouth and eyes big, she dropped her toy running towards you frame. She jumped in your arms as she shouted in glee.

“Y/N! Is that really you? You look like me!”

A hearty laugh came out, hugging her back as you spun her around.

“It is Tuk, it’s me!”

Just as you were spinning Tuk, Jake, Norm, and Neytiri came out. Jake thought Norm was lying about you being here, but that changed after seeing you interacting with his youngest daughter. Neytiri was just as shocked. She didn’t mind you as much as Spider. You heard them from behind you, you gently put Tuk down giving a greeting to both of them.

“Kaltxì, Jake, Neytiri”

Jake grinned walking over to you with open arms. Neytiri only watched with a small simile shaping her lips. Jake engulfed you in a big hug before pulling you back by your shoulders. He let out a small chuckle since you were now like him in a sense.

“Who knew, I actually get to see you in blue.”

You scoff jokingly as you punch his shoulder.

“That’s all you say after not seeing me in years? Well at least I can say that you look older grandpa”

He rolled his eyes before putting you in a headlock and giving you a noogie. Norm laughed at you being teased by Jake, Neytiri was chuckling softly watching the scene unfold. From a distance away, four bodies were walking closer. The three being the other sully kids and the last being Spider. They were conversing with each other, not noticing the figure in their father’s embrace. Neteyam looked away from them for a second before noticing an unfamiliar member near his father. It wasn’t until Jake saw them, waving at them to come over. The moment you turned around, Neteyam felt as if the world stopped for a second. He didn’t notice who you were until Kiri whispered your name in question. His head spun to face Kiri hearing your name spill from her lips, his face filled with shock but a good shock. Lo’ak swore under his breath, he finally got to see his friend outside except this time you're like him. Spider was the same, seeing you outside with a smile on your face made him happy. The three ran towards your figure, tackling you to the ground, hugging you tight and shouting with happiness.

Neteyam was still frozen in place. He was trying to process how you looked. You had beautiful markings covering your arm, legs, and face. Eyes, a vibrant yellow mixed with lines of green. Your small fangs peaking out as you shared smiles with his siblings. His ears and tail twitching unconsciously as he studied your new features. Jake had shouted at him to come over, quickly making him blink out of his daze. Light purple hues reached his cheeks when his father called him, not sure if he had caught him staring. Slowly approaching your figure that had been tackled to the ground. Watching as Tuk jumped into the pile as well, a small amused huff left his mouth. Kiri and Lo’ak finally got off you, pulling you up with them off the ground. The adults all watched with bright smiles on their faces before they started conversing with each other back in the tent. Neteyam finally joined you all, but he still felt a little awkward since you haven’t had the chance to talk to each other much. But he started staring at you again, drifting off into dreamland as you talked with Kiri. Lo’ak noticed the lack of speech coming from his brother, noticing that he was looking at you. He had a knowing smirk, elbowing Neteyam in the ribs which caused Neteyam to smack his arm.

Jake and Norm had come back out with soft smiles wanting to tell you something. You tilt your head in question as Norm lays a hand on your back. He looks at you for a second before returning his attention back to Jake. Jake spoke in a strong tone, but was also gentle.

“Would you like to learn our ways? I know you enjoy learning about everything and maybe you would like to experience it as well.”

Eyes blinking slowly a few times as you turn to Norm with a stricken expression. Both Norm and Jake let out lively laughs seeing your reaction. You let out a meek really? to Norm and he nodded briefly. Hands bursting in the air in celebration as you laugh in joy. Before you could run to hug Kiri and Lo’ak who were also excited about the news, Jake's voice stopped you.

“Neteyam will be the one to teach you everything you need to know”

Neteyam immediately whipped his head in the direction of his father. He quickly mentioned his training but Jake said that it would be okay. Neteyam was nervous to say the least, especially since it was you. As for your reaction, you didn’t know how to react so you just sent Neteyam a small smile. He quickly avoided your gaze, not sure how to feel about this situation. Your smile fell seeing how he looked away, concerned that you may have made him feel uncomfortable.

After everything had been set in place, Kiri and Lo’ak had taken you on a mini tour around the village. Showing you some new additions, the whole time your eyes were eager to see everything. As for Neteyam, he was trailing behind just like he did years ago when he was wary of you for the first time. For some reason, he couldn’t stop looking at you. Now that you looked like them, his interest in you peaked once more. It was interesting to him, how much your Avatar looked like you. Only difference between you and them is the lack of skills and knowledge of the people. He was kind of excited to be able to teach you but unsure at the same time. He still wasn’t sure how to talk with you, and it made it more difficult when he couldn’t speak English as well as his siblings.

They started walking into the forest after showing you around the village while Spider had gone back to the lab to do some chores that he promised Max. Both Lo’ak and Kiri were leading you to a specific spot that they said was special. You were breathing a bit heavily due to your Avatar not being used to all the fast movements. Your stamina definitely needed some improvement. Neteyam was still lagging behind, making sure everyone was in his view.  Tuk was jumping around, playing with some plants along the way. Lo’ak came to a stop causing you to crash into his back. You thought, why does this keep happening? You rub your nose once again, punching Lo’aks back for stopping.

“Why’d you stop”

He could roll his eyes as you punched your shoulder in return. That led to you slapping each other's arms and hands repeatedly. Which then led to Kiri slapping the back of your heads. Despite being older than the both of them, you finally got the chance to really feel childish. You and Lo’ak always had a sibling relationship, the one where you're always bickering and fighting each other but in a good way. Lo’ak blew a raspberry at you, you mocked him back before Kiri once again slapped the back of your heads. Neteyam could only laugh at his actions while Tuk tried joining in. Kiri finally spoke up.

“If you skxawngs are done fighting, y/n would’ve noticed where we are right now”

Your ears lifted, finally studying the area around you. It all looked familiar until something clicked. The small area, surrounded by the plants and trees, the small pond. This was where you guys officially met each other. It honestly all felt like a dream. You quickly remember a singular tree where you guys carved into it. Running over to the tree, you spot the carvings, your initials. The other four walked over, watching as you delicately traced over the initials. You turn to them with a downturn grin, reminiscing the old times. What caught your eye even more was the small plus between yours and Neteyams initials. Cheeks heating up for a second, remembering that younger you harboured feelings for the older sully brother. Although those feelings were from years ago, it was still buried deep within you. Neteyam noticed as well, ears turning purple. Lo’ak noticed once more, snickering at them both with how oblivious they were. Tuk then yelled that she was bored. As if your minds were the same, you, Kiri, and Lo’ak shared a look. Neteyam and Tuk were clueless to what you guys were thinking. Lo’ak ran to Neteyam, tapping his shoulder running off while yelling you’re it. He was completely caught off guard, watching as all of you scattered from his proximity. Even Tuk ran away screaming in excitement. It took him a minute to process what just happened before dashing off to grab you guys. He first went after Tuk, knowing she was going to be the easiest to catch. Only a minute later he grabbed her. Tuk pouted as he led her back to the pond before running off again to catch you guys. Since the three of you were hiding it took Neteyam a little while to find one of you. Finding Lo’ak first, they both went out on a full on sprint. Lo’ak desperately running for his life, not sure if he was laughing or screaming or both.

You could hear his screams in the distance, trying to muffle your chuckles from escaping your lips. The screaming stopped, but then screaming was heard again but this time from Kiri. You could hear her yell cuss words as Neteyam was closing in on her. It fell silent once more. You kept your breathing short and quiet, as you heard soft footsteps coming towards you. Hiding in a bush, you see legs appearing right in front of you which makes you hold your breath. Neteyam had a feeling you were somewhere near, standing still to hear any sudden movements. Right at that moment he heard a subtle crunch of leaves in front of him. He squats down swiftly, eyes meeting yours. You stood up fast and started running like a bunny being chased. Neteyam followed after you, a look of amusement and determination on his face. You were much faster than he expected you to be. You might’ve been faster than Lo’ak somehow and he was fast. Only disadvantage you had was your stamina. Running for a minute straight with Neteyam hot on your tail, you started slowing down due to being tired. Neteyam sped up jumping, tackling you to the ground. A small yelp sound coming from your mouth as you made contact with the ground.

You were huffing for air, not used to running so much. Breathing heavily as you meet the gaze of Neteyams eyes that look green in this lighting. Neteyam talked quietly.

“I caught you”

Exuberant laughter slipped out as Neteyam talked. You haven’t felt this alive in forever. Neteyam joining in your laughter finally loosening up around you. The laughter died down, both looking at each other, then realising that Neteyam was on top of you from tackling you. Both of you had purple hues surfacing on your cheeks as the both of you separated in a hurry. He let out a quick apology as both of you pat the dirt off yourselves. You wave him off saying that it was alright trying to cool your cheeks. The walk back was a little awkward, especially since you ran quite the distance from the pond. Walking side by side both of you spoke at the same time, quickly apologising to each other in flustered states. You talk first seeing that he we​nt silent once more.

“How um, how is training? I bet you’re busy a lot.”

Neteyam fiddled with his fingers behind his back as he gave you a small glance then returned his gaze to the ground.

“Yes, very busy. Training good but very tiring”

You smile softly hearing his broken english. Over the years you were kept inside, the Na’vi language was one of the main things you studied. You appreciated the effort Neteyam had when communicating with you. You jog forward just a bit, walking backwards in front of him.

“Plltxe na’vi” (speak na’vi)

He looked at you with a stunned expression. Feeling the awkwardness fading away as he started feeling more open to talk to you normally like old times. He gave you a toothy smile as his voice gave off a teasing tone.

“Ngeyä lì'upam hek nì'it mi” (Your pronunciation is a bit strange still)

A deadpan face took over your features as you rolled your eyes before it was replaced with an amused look.  Reaching the pond, you started skipping towards the three who were waiting for you guys. Neteyam watched as you skipped away, a content grin on his face. Lo’ak groaned as he spotted you and Neteyam coming out of the forest.

“Finally! You took forever, we were bored waiting on you.”

You stick your tongue out while pulling your lower eyelid down.

“Calm down, it was only a couple minutes. Plus I was getting chased.”

Looking back pointing to his brother who was trailing behind you. Kiri chuckled under her breath seeing you and Lo’ak banter with each other. Neteyam joined Kiri in laughing, happy that he finally rekindled his friendship with you although there were still ways to go. All of you talked for a while and played a few more rounds of tag before the eclipse. Travelling back to the village meeting up with Norm and Jake once more. They told you your Avatar body can stay within the village because of the training you’ll be starting early in the morning. With that, Jake guides you to a small tent for you to stay in. Hugging Norm one last time before you left for the lab knowing it's dangerous to be wandering around at night. Saying your goodnights to everyone, you settle in your tent, laying down comfortably on your mat. You didn’t want to close your eyes. If you did, you’d return to your dying body which you absolutely hated. But you knew it was for the best. Closing your eyes takes in deep breaths before your consciousness is returned to your original body. Immediately pain took over your body. You felt another coughing fit rising in your chest. Pushing open the pod as fast as you could, you fell out but ignoring those around you. Running to a bathroom nearby letting out your coughs over the sink. All the coughing made it difficult to get air in your system, struggling to breathe.

Blood. The crimson colour of the liquid staining the white sink and your white lab coat. Your body finally decided to stop your coughing leaving you heaving for air. You take steps back before your back hits the wall, sliding down as you make contact with the tiled floor. You were so happy and lively a minute ago, now you were in pain and coughing blood on the floor. Just as your body settled, knocking came from the door.

“Y/n? Are you okay? Max told me he saw you running in a rush after unlinking.”

You stayed quiet for a minute not really sure if you had the strength to talk. You heard him repeat your name one more time. Whispering, voice terribly hoarse and strained.

“I’m okay Norm… just another small coughing fit”

Hearing him sigh, you knew he knew that this wasn’t just a “small” fit.

“Do you want me to wait here for you?”

His voice was delicate, as if he was talking to a small fragile child. You could only let out a small no, not wanting Norm to see the state you were in right now. Norm could only rest his forehead on the door, worried for you. He let out a quiet okay, hesitating to walk away from the door. Hearing the steps fading your head falls back against the wall wishing that this could all just end.

_

It had been a couple days since your first linking to your Avatar. The first couple days of training was mostly building up your stamina which was also accompanied by Lo’ak much to Neteyams debate. But also every day after unlinking, the coughing became more frequent. Mo’at had given you some remedies to help slow down the process of your condition but it still didn’t help with the aching and discomfort. Today, you were slightly excited, you moved on from building stamina to using a weapon. Not only that, Lo’ak couldn’t join because Jake knew Lo’ak would distract the both of you. That made Lo’ak annoyed because he wanted to teach you too.

You and Neteyam were walking together to the practice range for the bow and arrows. The first time being alone since the first day of being in your Avatar. The walk was silent but this time it was rather a comfortable silence than an awkward one. Even though the time spent with him was also with Lo’ak, the both of you had gotten closer, only speaking Na’vi when you were with him. There were stolen glances from time to time and teasing nudges. Neteyam felt like he was more free when he was around you. Reaching the range, Neteyam grabbed a practice bow for you to use. He gently passed it into your hands as he grabbed his own bow. Your tail is swishing around in anticipation.

“Now, this is one of our main weapons we use for both hunting and fighting. I will teach you the proper stance and draw back. Also how to aim for your target. Maybe later this week if you improve, we can go hunting.”

You were nervous to say the least. Neteyam demonstrated first, having a strong stance. Arms pulled back as he drawed the arrow, focusing on the target in front of him. As he let go, the arrow swiftly flew through the air perfectly hitting the middle of the target. Your face said it all, completely captivated. He slowly brought his bow back down, turning to face you with a proud look on his face. He waves you over, finally your turn to attempt to shoot an arrow. He let you try by yourself first, and it went terribly. He studied your horrible posture and stance, the way your arms were weirdly positioned in the air. Lastly, how weak your core looked. When you released the arrow, it didn’t reach all the way to the target. You hiss in embarrassment as you look at the arrow on the ground. Neteyam tried to suppress his laugh as you failed miserably. You gave him a glare, shutting him up immediately.

He made his way over to you grinning from ear to ear. He stands beside you, showing you how to stand. You copied him, but you still had some flaws in your stance. So he took on the more physical approach but looked for you permission first. Giving him a firm nod, he started with your arms. His hands caressed them gently as he positioned them in the proper angle as you drew the arrow back. His light touches had your cheeks heating up and your stomach churning. He then went to fix your legs, tapping them to give you a wider stance and making sure your feet are facing the proper directions. You still weren’t able to control your tail very well, so it was wagging in nervousness. When he got your stomach, your breath had hitched ever so slightly. He was too distracted with giving you the perfect stance to notice your nervous frame. His fingers brushed over your stomach as he said to tighten your core and to stand tall. He stepped back to see his work and gave a content nod to himself. He gave you the thumbs up to shoot, but you were still trying to cool down from his light touches. Your arms faltered a bit before shooting so he stopped you quickly. You turn your head to look at him, he is standing right in front of you. He adjusted your arms once more but stayed in close proximity to you to make sure you stayed standing in the stance. You couldn’t help but stare at him, he looked ethereal in the warm light of the sun. Neteyam distracted again trying to help with your aiming but then also met your eyes. Both of you had heat rising to your cheeks as both of you were entranced in each other's glimmering eyes. Neteyam was first to break the contact, quickly speaking with a soft tone to tell you to release the arrow.

From a distance, Jake wanted to check in just to see how you were doing. He stopped his steps seeing his oldest son guiding you. He felt deja vu wash over him seeing the scene. Remembering when Neytiri was the one guiding him for the first time. He saw the way both of you looked at each other. A smile reached his lips, chuckling softly seeing his son so relaxed in your presence. He watched as you shouted with joy after hitting the target and his son joining in with the cheering. Jake thought it was best not to interrupt the special moment the both of you were sharing.

_

Weeks passed. Each day that passes the weaker you feel. You were definitely improving a lot with your Avatar but your other body was the only thing that was dragging it down. There were times the pain got so great that there was physical pressure you felt through your Avatar. Those times you had to unlink to calm your real body down. Not only that, the blood and coughing situation had gotten extremely worse. You coughed up blood at least 2-3 times a day, the pain increasing each time. It hurt to talk and to eat, this led to you being malnourished. Norm had fought with you to eat and take better care of your body. Everytime the argument starts, it ends with you breaking down and Norm losing the fight. Your real body didn’t feel real anymore. Guilt also filled your system, every passing day that was spent with Neteyam only made your feelings for him grow. The past days you and Neteyam shared deep conversations and shared gentle touches. Lo’ak and Kiri can see how you guys looked at each other and constantly teased Neteyam about it. Even Neytiri saw how her son looked at you, vise versa. Although you were an Avatar, Neytiri had accepted you as a clan member which was huge.

When you woke up today, you felt worse than normal. Instead of looking into it, you ignored it, taking it as your normal pain. You quickly take the herbal medicine Mo’at had given you and trudged to the linking room. Halfway there you felt faint, using the wall as a support but you still proceeded to the linking pods. Norm had noticed your figure slowly approaching the room. He was extremely worried for your well being. He even tried to force you to eat but you kept refusing. There wasn’t much he could do at this point but to just let you do what you wanted.

You reached the pod, struggling to open it with your weak arms. Your arms shook as you lifted yourself up to lay down in the pod. Closing the lid, you took in a shaky breath as you transferred your consciousness to your Avatar. Waking up in your tent, you saw Neteyam patiently waiting outside for you. A smile made its way to your lips as you quietly walked up behind him. Just before you could scare him, he turned rapidly while shouting. That scared the shit out of you. Your mouth agape with a stunned expression. Neteyam burst out laughing, tears collecting on his waterline. You jokingly pushed him.

“NETEYAM! How’d you know I was coming up behind you?”

He tried calming down from his laughing fit, taking in deep breaths.

“You aren’t exactly the best at sneaking up on something quite yet. I could probably hear you footsteps from a mile away”

You could only laugh with him as both of you continued nudging each other. Neteyam looked at you, admiring your laugh and your smile. You noticed his silence, meeting his gaze. You looked to the ground with purple hues appearing on your cheeks. His smile widened seeing your reaction. An idea popped in his head.

“Shall we take a walk instead of training today?”

Your head perked up in interest, giving him a shy nod. You both made your ways to the village border. Taking steps into the forest, the sunlight making lines through the pants. Conversations flowed smoothly between you two, hands brushing against each other as you walked. The direction Neteyam took you was relatively new to you. But then again the forest was huge and anywhere would be new to you. Sharing laughs and teasing punches, you felt like you were on cloud nine. Just as you passed another clearing, something caught your attention in the corner of your eye. It was a tree that resembled the one in your dream. Your sudden stop made Neteyam tilt his head at you. He followed your gaze landing on the small tree in the middle of the clearing. He watched as you walked towards the tree, your face seemingly confused. You were confused about how this tree was the exact one from your dream. But seeing it in person, it was even more magnificent. A scoff of joy as you delicately touch the leaves.

Neteyam couldn’t take his eyes off you. In his eyes you looked so spiritual when you looked at the tree with such care. He stepped into the clearing, approaching you with a soft smile. You tilt your head toward the ground as you sit under the tree. Patting the spot next to you, Neteyam crouched down taking the spot. Calming silence took over, enjoying each other's company. You were busy studying the environment around you, eventually resting your head on Neteyams shoulder. This made Neteyams body tense up, not used to this type of contact. He glanced down seeing you fiddle with the fallen leaves and the grass. Relaxing his shoulders, he hesitated for a second before resting his head on top of yours. Even taking another step forward by wrapping his tail around your waist. Both of you found solace with each other.

An hour passed like it was nothing. Neteyam felt like he was dreaming. Normally he didn’t focus much on other females in the clan but you were special to him. Your head was now resting on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heart beats. His chest hummed as he spoke with a gentle tone.

“I am glad that I got to train you instead of someone else”

He felt your cheeks rising, which made him smile too. But what he said next had you pause.

“How are my grandmother's remedies? I never got the chance to ask you about your healing.”

You stilled, ears folding down as guilt washed over you. You separate yourself from Neteyam as you look down ashamed. Neteyam tilts his head wondering why you looked so down. He grabbed your hands pulling them into his lap.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something?”

You gripped his hands gently, finally looking up with a pained smile on your face.

“No no, you didn’t say anything bad…”

He brought one of his hands up to your cheek, delicately caressing it.

“What is wrong then?”

Your eyes moistened, breathing becoming uneven. Your voice was quiet and vulnerable.

“I… I lied to you Neteyam”

His face furrowed, confusion overtaking his emotions. He moved to sit right in front of you, hand still on your cheek.  

“What do you mean?”

You grab his wrist, bringing it down from your cheek. The tears heavily gather in your eyes, voice shaky, nervous about how he would react. You weren’t sure if you should lie again. Opting to tell the truth you avoid his gaze as you let out a shaky breath.

“I’m not healing Neteyam…”

Neteyam froze in place. There was a ringing in his ears that wouldn’t go away. His eyes studied your face to see if you were joking or not but you weren’t. He removed his hand from your grip. The way he looked at you shattered your heart. Neteyam wasn’t sure if he should yell or not talk at all. Instead he whispered under his breath.

“Why”

You tried grabbing his hands again but he avoided your touch. You were stumbling over your words as you tried saying that it was for the best but this made Neteyam even more angry.

“WHY!”

His yelling made you flinch. You were speechless, never have you seen Neteyam act like this. Tears were now freely falling down your cheeks as you tried explaining but it was hard to to get words out from your hard breathing. He felt betrayed, betrayed that you would do this to yourself and him. Betrayed that you would even lie to everyone in his family, especially Kiri. You desperately tried to explain, but the words coming out weren’t good enough for him. He stood up, a dark expression overshadowing his face.

“Neteyam please, lying to you was the only choice I had”

His nose flared. “What about the choice of just telling me at the very start? THAT WAS A CHOICE! We could’ve worked through this together! Instead you chose to hide like a coward and hide the pain. You are selfish, just like all the other Skypeople.”

Neteyam’s voice was strained, not wanting to talk more as tears were now threatening his eyes. But his anger was too much, more words just spilled out.

“You bring shame to the clan and to me. To think that I was falling for you. You will always be an evil skyperson at heart.”

His words cut you and it stung terribly. You tried reaching out, but in return he stepped back. Your chest burned in dejection. You knew you were in the wrong but it was too late. Your body entered a panic mode, your breathing turned to wheezing. Every breath felt like fire in your lungs. Neteyam still stood in front of you, upset and depressed from your lie.

“Neteyam please, please don’t leave it like this”

You stood up taking small steps towards him. But every step you took forward, he stepped back. The next step you took, your body went limp. Eyes closing as your body hits the ground. Neteyams eyes widened in shock. All his anger dispersed, replaced with shock and worry. He got onto his knees immediately, grabbing your shoulders and shaking you.

“Y/n? Y/n? Hey wake up, you can’t just pass out like that.”

He lightly tapped your face, trying to wake you up.

“Stop joking around y/n”

He started to panic. Salty liquid running down his face as you weren’t waking up. Neteyam picked up, carrying you in bridal style. He ran through the forest in a hurry, yelling as he saw the village in his line of blurry vision. The yelling caught Jake's attention, his eyes found Neteyam running with your body in his grasp. Jake ran in Neteyams direction seeing that you were unconscious. Reaching Neteyam, he saw that he had tears running down his face.

“What happened?” Jake's voice stern but filled with concern.

“We-we were arguing but then she uh she suddenly collapsed. I’m so sorry it was my fault sir.”

Neteyam was sobbing uncontrollably as he got out his choked up words. This made something click in Jake's head. You must’ve been unlinked for some reason. He ushers Neteyam to the healing tent. Telling him to place your body down on one of the mats. Mo’at saw this and once she saw your body she knew. She got to work right away making sure your Avatar body didn’t sustain any injuries. Jake told Neteyam to follow him as Mo’at worked on your Avatar body.

Entering the family tent, Kiri was the only one there. She was caught off guard seeing both Neteyam and Jake in distress. Jake had gathered some things to bring with him before setting off to the lab. Kiri tried asking what was going on but both of them left in a hurry. Running through the dense forest, a million thoughts ran through his mind. He remembered what he had said to you and regrets it deeply.

_

When you collapsed, it turned out that Norm was the one to unlink you. The panic attack you had with your Avatar had a large effect on your actual body. Your vitals were spiking as you started to cough up a dangerous amount of blood. The coughing did not slow down until you fell unconscious. Opening the pod, Norm was met with a scene that made his blood run cold. Your unconscious body, blood covering your lower jaw and the top of your shirt. He picked you up, yelling to everyone to get a bed set up with ivs and medicine prepared.

As machines were being attached to your body, a door slammed open to reveal Jake and Neteyam. Norm raced to Jake, pulling him to talk about what the hell happened. Norm was in such a distressed state that Jake had to calm him down. Neteyam stood only still, seeing your body in the white bed. His eyes trailed the machines that were hooked up onto your body. What had him shakened up the most was how sick you look. The last time he saw your human body you were pale and thin but seeing it again, it was like it doubled. Your top was stained in your blood, you were so pale that he could see your veins so clearly. Not only that, your face was so sunken, and your arms so small that it could snap in half if you weren’t careful. He fell to his knees, tears gathering in his eyes again. His knees shifted closer to your body, carefully touching your hand that was hanging off the edge. A hand covering his mouth suppressing his cries as he watches your chest rise up and down slowly.

Norm and Jake were discussing the possibilities. They were interrupted by Neteyams appearance. Jake saw how red his son's eyes were, he pulled him into a tight hug knowing his relationship with you. The hug stopped short when Neteyam mumbled something about you. He pulled away asking Neteyam what he said. He replied in a quavering voice that you were dying. Norms' eyes widened, followed by asking Neteyam what he meant by that.

“She told me that she lied. Lied about grandmother having a cure for her…disease”

The last word coming out strained. Norm fell back into a chair behind him as Jake was trying to process the new information.

_

Days passed, you were still unconscious. Neteyam never left your side, he slept and watched over you every second of the passing days. His family grew worried as he started neglecting his own health. Neytiri understood Neteyam the most. She knew how much he cherished you just as much as she cherished Jake. Tuk was held back at home, Jake didn’t want his youngest daughter seeing your current state. But he couldn’t hold back Kiri and Lo’ak. When they saw your unconscious figure, Lo’ak went numb as Kiri cried. Spider was absolutely devastated when he heard you collapsed. Although you both didn’t hang out as much since the start of your training, he loved you so much as an older sister. Three times a day, one of them dropped food off for Neteyam as he never left the lab. Most of the time he didn’t touch the food and just left it to go cold. Every night he whispers his regrets and sheds warm tears hoping that you would just wake up.

On a certain day, he finally went outside but went directly to the tree of voices. Making tsaheylu, he asked for Eywas help. Wishing to help you recover and for you to wake up. He stayed at the tree for hours, repeating his wishes to Eywa. When he thought that it was enough, he sighed as he stood up and walked away from the tree of voices. As he walked back to the lab, he saw Kiri, Lo’ak and Spider waiting outside. He gave them a look of question. Lo’ak spoke up saying that you had woken up. He made a beeline to the door until Kiri stopped him. She told him that grandmother told them to wait as she examined you. He huffed in frustration, wanting to see you now but knew better than to go against his grandmother's wishes. Minutes passed as Neteyam grew more impatient. But once he heard the door creak open he whipped his head to see what it was. Mo’at stepped out with Jake, giving the children a nod to go on in. Neteyam strides past them both, needing to see you.

His breath hitched seeing you awake and smiling at his appearance.

“Hey”

Your voice was raspy and low. Giving all your strength to give him a bright smile. Neteyam broke down as he ran to you, basically jumping in your arms. A yelp left your mouth as he embraced you tight. His tears soaked your shirt, you rubbed his back trying to comfort him.

“I dont think it’s a good idea to be crushing a sick person”

His eyes shot open, quickly getting off you. He wipes his tears as he apologises. You could only give him a teasing smile. But that smile fell as you needed to discuss something serious with Neteyam. You weakly grab his hands, making him look at you.

“Neteyam, there’s something we have to talk about.”

Telling by your tone, he knew it was going to be serious. You continued talking, as you were talking it was as if Neteyam had gone deaf. The words leaving your mouth had him shocked.

“... I asked Mo’at for a consciousness transfer.”

“No”

His voice is serious and deep. Your grip tightened on his hand.

“Neteyam, this is the only way for me to live longer.”

“no , it’s too risky. I can’t let you go through with this.”

You sat up, fully facing him.

“I understand the risks but I'm dying Neteyam and it's not going to change. This is the best I can do.”

“If it doesn’t work then you will die”

“I’m dying either way Neteyam and it’s a risk I'm willing to take” Tears are now building up in your eyes. “Mo’at already approved of the idea, I’m not going to back out now”

He felt the anger come back into his system. Instead of saying a word to you, he stormed out of the lab radiating with displeasure. You tried yelling for him, but your voice was too weak and strained. Spider, Kiri, and Lo’ak watched as he slammed the door open witnessing his heated demeanour. They gave each other looks trying to figure out what had happened. Lo’ak got up to go after Neteyam while Kiri and Spider went inside to see you. Kiri saw you curled up in a ball, crying. She rushed over to you, bringing you into an embrace. Spider only felt upset, seeing you cry made him rush after Neteyam. Kiri tried calming you down, her heart hurt for you seeing you in so much pain. She waited till your breathing slowed so she could ask what had happened. You had told her in short breaths about your consciousness transfer and how it led Neteyam to disagree with you. Kiri knew the risks of this but she knew you would rather risk it than continue living in pain until you eventually passed. She rubbed your back, hoping Lo’ak could change Neteyams mind about the whole thing.

Lo’ak had finally caught up to his brother, grabbing his arm to turn him around. Neteyam ripped his grip off his arm. Lo’ak stared at him in puzzlement.

“What the hell are you so mad about?”

Those words made Neteyam feel worse, pushing Lo’ak back not wanting to talk to anyone. Lo’ak tried grabbing him again since he kept turning away from him. Which led to him being shoved even harder. Neteyams tone was low and hoarse.

“Back off.”

Lo’ak decided to push back, annoyed at his brother. This set Neteyam off. Pushing Lo’ak to the ground yelling in his face.

“I said BACK OFF.”

“THEN TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED” He got off the ground, shoving his face in his, irritation moulding his features. Neteyam stayed silent for a moment, whispering under his breath.

“Y/n is going to do a consciousness transfer…”

Lo’ak wasn’t surprised. His lack of reaction made Neteyam confused. Why isn’t he mad? Why does he look like he already knew? In fact Lo’ak knew a day like this would come. You and him had a conversation about the transfer, and he reacted a bit like Neteyam when you first brought it up. The only difference was that he didn’t know about the lie until now. But he came to terms with the idea because he wanted you to have a better life. He saw how happy you were when you were in the forest, with the people. After hearing about you lying about being healed, that only made him want you to do the transfer more. He didn’t want you to be in pain for the rest of the time you have left. He knew Neteyam felt that way too but he was in a stage of denial and Lo’ak could see that. You were right, if you were dying either way, Lo’ak rather it be through the eye of Eywa. Passing without having to deal with pain or continue living in pain. And if the transfer worked, you could finally live the life you deserved.

“I know”

Those words leaving Lo’aks lips had Neteyam baffled. His face scrunched up coming closer to Lo’ak, asking what he meant by “he knew '' in a threatening tone. Lo’ak told him that he had a hunch ever since you first talked to him about the possibility of a transfer. You had even told him to not mention it to anyone else. Neteyam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He ignored Lo’aks yelling as he ran away, wanting to be alone. Spider finally caught up to Lo’ak but he didn’t see Neteyam.

_

Two days passed since you revealed your wish to do the transfer. Neteyam never came by once since then and you were disheartened by that. Kiri and Lo’ak would be the only ones that came by and even Jake. They kept saying that Neteyam refused to leave the tent when you asked if he was coming. You were also growing weaker as more time passed after you woke up. Your coughing was still harsh but not as bad as the one that made you go unconscious. That was what you thought at least but Kiri thought it was all the same and it severely concerned her. The only thing you were concerned about was Neteyam. Today no one was here and it was just you. The transfer was to be done tomorrow but you had an itch. The urge to step outside in your current body.

You slip off the bed, holding on to the rails for support as your legs are weak. Walking weakly to your room to grab fresh clothes. You sat on your bed and took a minute to yourself to just study around you. Hand gently touch your blanket and drag it across. Eyes moving to your desk, spotting a picture with your and the others when you were younger. You remember how Norm had trouble taking the picture due you guys running around constantly. A faint smile made its way to your lips, but faded away because this may be your last time ever seeing it. The pain in your chest grew too great and you knew that you wouldn’t last much longer. You thought that you came into terms with death but in reality, you hoped that the transfer would work. You were just a scared kid who went through too much at a young age. Your eyes moistened at the possibility of not seeing anyone anymore. Norm, Kiri, Lo’ak, Spider, Tuk, Jake, even Neytiri. Neytiri had grown quite fond of you over the time you were training with Neteyam. The one person you would miss most of all is Neteyam but now he wasn’t even speaking with you or wanting to see you. Tears streaming down your eyes as you bring the picture close to your chest. Holding it tight not wanting it to disappear from your sight.

You eventually stood back up with the picture still in your hands. Wobbly walking over to the door, grabbing a mask. You look down at the mask, bringing it up to your face and securing it around your head. Your body was tired but you had to go outside. Pushing the door open, warm air floods through the door. You admire the scenery before you, never getting used to the forest's beauty. Your breaths were short, mind hazy and skin feeling tingling. Walking with a calm demeanour towards the forest. The other Avatars looked at you with odd looks as you passed them. It seemed like you alerted them, one of them running to get in contact with Norm. Your steps grew faster as you got closer to the lush trees. The others yelled and ran to get you back but they immediately lost you as your body disappeared in their view once you entered the forest. Your bare feet dig into the dirt with every step you take forward. The sun glimmered through the leaves and plants. Eyes fluttering closed every now and then wanting to memorise the flora and animals you see.

Your body wandered the forest for minutes before you stumbled upon the same tree. Standing in place as you just stare at the tree. Recalling what happened the last time you were here. A frown made its place on your face, the place where you and Neteyam fought. But also the place where you found peace within each other. Taking a hesitant step into the clearing, feet connecting with the soft grass. Hands reaching for the leaves that hang down from the willow like tree. Its leaves were turning orange and yellow. In ways it was similar to you, wilting away as time closed in. Taking a seat under the dying tree, legs laid out flat, picture laying in your lap. A deep breath entering your lungs, it started to ache but you were used to it. All you did was sit and stare at the nature around you. Neither did you realise the liquid dripping down your cheeks. Your breathing shallowed, the hazy feeling taking over your senses. Eyes drifting off into darkness as the grip on the picture loosened.

_

Everyone was in a panic. When Norm got the alert of you leaving the lab and just disappearing he jumped yelling for Jake who was nearby. Norm ran to the tent, Jake stood up quickly seeing the distress on his friend's face.

“She’s gone, she disappeared into the forest”

Those words caught Neteyams attention as he was hiding away in the corner of the tent. Disappeared? In your human body? Jake called a search party, shouting to search the forest for a small female human. Neteyam remembered the last time you were out in your human body, the reason you had caught this horrid disease. He got up swiftly, grabbing his knife in case anything went wrong. His body was in both panic and hunting mode. Lo’ak, Spider and Kiri quickly join in the search, scared for their friend.

Running through the forest, they searched relentlessly for you but time passed and they grew more anxious. Neteyam had this gnawing feeling, regretting not seeing you for two whole days. He knew your body wasn’t adaptive to the pandora atmosphere and every passing minute felt like a needle was stabbing his chest. He was upset with you, yes but he held you dearly to his heart. If he thought the last time he saw you was during the fight you guys had, he would never forgive himself. Even thinking about that made tears well in his eyes as he was searching for you desperately. But as he was running, a specific place popped into his head. The tree. The one place that you and him shared, the place you both shared the most intimate moment but also a bad moment. He dug his feet in the ground, forcing him to stop and turn directions. Racing towards the area where you might be, hoping you would be there. His heart was beating like crazy as he got closer. Bursting through the plants, his eyes landed on your small figure laying against the tree. A feeling of relief washed over him but quickly disappeared seeing your eyes closed. He ran to your body, kneeling down and putting his ear against your chest. He released the breath he was holding after hearing your heart beating. The only thing he was concerned about was how little your chest was rising.

Quickly picking you up in his arms, dropping the picture in your lap in the process. The glass from the frame shattered on the grass as Neteyam ran back to the village. The leaves from the tree, wilting faster and falling onto the ground. Reaching the village, he started yelling to grab his father's attention. Jake spotted him with your small frame in his arms. He took you out of his arms, running to Mo’at. Mo’at rushed them to put you on one of the mats. Neteyam was breathing heavily, tears were now flowing down his face seeing you not wake up. He kept asking if you would be okay but Mo’at ignored him, focusing on your body. Jake went out to call back the search party, making Kiri and Lo’ak rush in seeing your frail body not awake. Spider made it back too and fell to his knees seeing your unconscious state. Jake and Norm pacing outside while Neytiri was comforting the crying Tuk. Mo’at stood up abruptly facing everyone.

“We must get her to the Spirit tree at once”

Neteyam's eyes widened, would the fight be the last thing you guys shared? Jake told Neteyam to grab your body as he went to grab your Avatar. Neytiri went to gather the clan to the Spirit tree instantly. Kiri and Lo’ak helped Mo’at and their mother as both Jake, Neteyam, and Norm raced to the tree. Neteyam's tears never stopped, he was torn and hurt that this could be the last time he would ever see you. The glowing tree was seen from a distance, legs carrying him faster. Clans members catching up to them, gathering around the tree. Neteyam gently placed your body under the tree, supporting your head before gently removing his hand. He looked at your face, you looked so calm. His eyes widened as he saw your eyes twitch. His eyes were the first thing you saw as you opened your eyes. His eyes were beautiful, a green shade in this lighting. It was like looking at an angel. His tears dropped on to your mask as you brought your hand up to his cheek. He leaned into your touch, his hand going over yours.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

His sobs made you tear up as he kept apologising over and over again. You kept forgiving him over and over, trying to reassure him that it was okay but it didn’t stop him. The family gave them a bit of time as they still waited for the rest of the clan to gather at the tree. Neytiri and Jake saw so many similarities with them and you guys. The way you caressed his son's face brought memories back to when the war was finally over.

You kept trying to reassure him but he didn’t listen. Your gentle smile graced your lips as both your hands weakly grabbed his hands for him to stop. One hand went up to wipe his tears away as he gently gripped your hands tighter.

“There’s no need to cry”

He shook his head, “no, everything is my fault. I never should have ran away. It was immature of me to not talk about it. You only wanted what was best for all of us. Instead I got mad and left you alone.”

Your lips pursed as you brought your hand down to lay on top of his.

“It wasn’t your fault. You had every right to be mad. Although when you left it hurt me, I don’t want our last conversation to be fighting. I-”

A stinging sensation entered your lungs. Coughing erupted from your mouth but this time there was no blood. The lack of blood shocked Neteyam, not sure if that was a bad sign. Before he could get up to grab Mo’at your hand stopped him. You shook your head at him, telling him not yet. He kneeled back down with concern washing over his tight features. You caress his face as you let out shaky words.

“Neteyam, there is something important I have to tell you before the transfer starts. Ever since we were children I was always the closest to you. You somehow took my heart away from a young age. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving you but after the long years apart it was buried. But more recently those feelings resurfaced and grew stronger the longer I spent my time with you. The way you talk, laugh, and just exist makes my body feel so light. Your eyes are one of the most beautiful features I love about you. The way it can look different in different lights. The green shades are especially my favourite. They remind me of the forest of Pandora, and all the flora around it. Seeing you everyday was the highlight of my days, and training with our teasing banter was one of the best highlights. I seriously love you Neteyam, for the longest time I've loved you. Nga yawne lu oer ma tìyawn. Oel ngati kameie.”

Tears streamed down his face even more from those last few words. He brought your hands into his chest as he let out quiet words of his own.

“Nga yawne lu oer ma yawntutsyìp fìtxan nìtxan. Oel ngati kameie.”

Both of you shed tears together. His forehead leaning on to your mask. Once he pulled back, the expression on your face was sad once more.

“When this ceremony starts, please be prepared for the worst. There is a chance I will not make it back through the eye of Eywa. But I love you so much, please remember that. I will always be with you no matter where I am.”

This only made him cry harder but he nodded faintly as he understands the risks of this transfer. You told him to prepare for the worse but he knew he would never be fully prepared. But he stayed strong for you. Mo’at taps his shoulder indicating that everyone is here and the ceremony will have to start. He didn’t let go of your hand until he fully stood up, giving you one last look before sitting beside his siblings. Mo’at started the chant as the rest of the clan slowly joined. You close your eyes letting yourself fall still. The ground pulsing with its bioluminescent light in rhythmic beats with the clan. The roots make their way to the back of your neck along with your Avatar. A white tunnel taking over your vision. Minutes passed as the chant was still going strong. The family hopes only good results will come after the transfers end. Neteyam begging Eywa to give you a second life. Mo’at then went silent causing everyone else to go silent as well. Neteyam got up in a hurry to your body. His heart stopped seeing only your human body twitching. It didn’t work. He carefully took the mask off your face, a smile present on your lips as you talked softly.

“I saw her Neteyam. Beautiful.”

Your mouth opened once more but the lights in your eyes faded before you could talk once more. The last you saw was his deep green eyes. The pain fled your body, becoming relaxed as you took your last breath. Jake could only watch as it felt like Grace's death all over again. Neteyam sat there, numbness overtook his emotions. The sounds of Kiri and Tuks' cries sounded muffled. There was a ringing sound travelling through his ears. His hands were holding on to your cold ones as he stared into your blank eyes. Wet tears slipped out from his eyes, collecting on the tip of his chin. The droplets falling on to your cheeks. Neytiri bent down, bringing his head into her shoulder. Louds sobs broke out, burying his face deeper into his mothers embrace.

_

Your body was washed and decorated with traditional Na’vi clothing. Your Avatar has the same done to it. Neteyam had been numb ever since his breakdown in his mothers arms. He took off his armband, wrapping it around your upper arm. He brought everyone to the willow tree. Making a hole at the base, dropping flowers to make a bed. Kiri had braided a single braid with her beads, Lo’ak tied your hair with one of his bands. Tuk laid a wooden sun that you carved for her a while back. They placed your fragile body onto the bed of flowers. Placing your Avatar right beside you. An atokirina' laying in Neteyam’s hand as you let it flow down onto your body. The clan surrounds the tree, singing and chanting for the fallen member. Neteyam could only look down to your peaceful face as the singing in the background drowned his sorrows.

_

As days passed, he would come back to the tree and sit under it. He retrieved the fallen picture that he found before digging the hole. The picture broke his heart all over again. When weeks passed, the tree found life once more. It felt as if you were there with him whenever he visited the tree with the picture in hand. He would always shed tears but today he smiled as he looked at the flourishing tree. He set his forehead against the bark as he whispered.

“Oe nga lomtu ma yawntutsyìp” (I miss you darling)

[coucou-art]

What are some of your headcanons for Sreng and Morfis since the game refuses to give any lore about them

the game gives us way too little information so here‘s what I get from Sreng and Morfis;

Sreng

a land chaotically held together by clans and bandits, with hot climate and rocky desert

sreng people‘s passion: fighting for territory within. they constantly battle for territory and supremacy (or for battle’s sake)

most of the best weaponsmithing in the world can be found in Sreng. Obviously Zoltan, the legendary weaponsmith comes from Sreng

the people of Sreng either are extremely tough and fearless warriors living by a strict code within the clans or they‘re some of the most devious bastard snakes you can meet. anyhow lots of killing over here

Sreng harbors the highest population of beasts and monsters in the world. in some parts of Sreng beasts and monsters are worshipped as holy creatures. Some very few courageous ones are even able to ride those monsters and in some clans this is also a qualification test to select their clan leader

the men of Sreng may be strong and scary as hell, but the women of Sreng could just as well serve as leaders. Those women are metal af and can easily take on most of the male’s work as well. women are definitely on a par with men

there‘s many mineral ressources in Sreng. also a big reason why the clans always fight for territory. they‘re especially rich in iron, copper, fossil umbral steel, salt around the borders and rare local gemstones

Morfis

a city-state/metropolis known as the ‚city of illusion‘ surrounded by a vast sand desert

you‘ll have a hard time traveling there unprepared, because you‘d lose yourself in the desert and wander around forever without getting to the city. It‘s hidden behind an ‚illusion‘ of desert, and without proper guidance you would hardly find the entrance. think Fata Morgana but reversed if that even makes sense

it doesn’t show much of itself to the rest of the world, but that metropolis is actually wealthy as hell. very far developed and full of magic, and canonically has a great economy due to its trading routes if I‘m correct. and some of the most beautiful and mystical women inhabit that land. I like to compare those to the stereotypical ‚Circassian beauties‘ of our world

most of the gold that exists in the world originates from Morfis

below all the brilliance there‘s also a shady side to it. They have a slavery culture and some powerful people undertake human trafficking (which btw Carina‘s mother fell victim to and is how she came to Fodlan. she was meant to be sold to a group of people I can’t name yet and somehow got away but pshhhtt)

I could come up with more headcanons if I had more time. But please let me know what you have in mind, too!

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

Ok so!

My mind is an overtime worker with benefits that loves its job, and holy moley does having writer friends get those extra hours in

So, Reverse Robin Au’s right? General consensus I see is that Tim gets JJ’d in those worlds to coincide with Jason getting crowbarred and/or Steph goes and has her revenge on Black Mask a-la Jason’s revenge on the Joker

My friend, @thefantasmarex, shared their idea and we got to chatting and I thought “Huh, what about a reverse YJ?”

Reverse in the fact that they have their lives swapped with their other counterparts or more villainous characters like them to fit an Outlaws model to go with the Reverse Robins! Tim and Steph

My mind went to swapping Kon with Match, making Kon an initially obedient clone who escaped and has a degenerative issue with his body YJ!outlaws helped him with when they found him. With this swap Kon isn’t a mixed DNA clone, he’s a genetic ‘Match’ to Superman but is really unstable and needs maintenance CADMUS can’t keep up with for their pet superhero so he’s left to die after a mission gone wrong, so he names himself Matthew after getting consciousness the same way he elongated his Kryptonian name. Kon -> Conner, Match -> Matthew

Bart is swapped with Inertia, aged slower instead of faster and this chaotic kid who’s way to smart and aware for his age bc he aged really messed up. I named him Ardor.

Cassie, in lack of villains or nemeses I knew about for her, is swapped with Artemis of Bana-Mighdall. Having been scooped up by Amazons while with her mom at a dig after she’d wandered off really young and was raised as a warrior in the same vein as Artemis, going in this AU but he name Hestia instead.

Plus, I toyed around with the thought of Artemis and “Match” still being around the same way Jason comes into okay and becomes the next Robin later. The new ‘Superboy’ is a mix of Superman and a human donor to be more stabilized but is more attention seeking and only cares about heroism when it’s caught on camera, leaning into being the perfect pet superhero because it gets him what he wants: Adoration from his fans and praise from his creators.

From what I read (admittedly from a few wiki’s and feel free to correct me or add on) Artemis was raised by patriotic American soldiers as parents (??) so while she gets Cassie’s old backstory she’s also a bit flawed, earning the recognition that grants her the blessing that empower her to be like an Amazon but leans more towards the fighting and warrior spirit bit of it all and not the diplomatic “fight with compassion and love” side of it all Diana also promotes.