#express entry pool

[lebizcanada20]

Canada PNP 2024- Provincial Nominee Programs for Skilled Workers

Canada PNP 2024- Provincial Nominee Programs for Skilled Workers

CANADA PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a set of Canadian immigration programs operated by the Government of Canada in partnership with individual provinces, each of which having its own requirements and 'streams' (i.e., target groups). In a program stream, provinces and territories may, for example, target: business people, students, skilled workers, or semi-skilled workers.

While provincial governments manage PNPs according to their individual objectives, the federal government's immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, ultimately administers and decides on permanent residence applications.

What is the process of Canada PNP in 2024?

Have a valid Express entry profile.

Choose a suitable PNP Program.

Check the eligibility & in-demand occupations

Create an account on the official PNP website

Get an invite to apply for the PNP

File an application by submitting docs

Get nomination from Provincial Govt.

Secure 600 CRS Points upon nomination

File ITA in Express Entry & Get a Permanent Resident Canada Visa

What Are The Available Canada PNP Pathways In 2024?

1 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program 

No job offer required. Any profile from TEER 0,1,2&3 can apply.

2 British Columbia PNP Program

Job offer needed in the profile from TEER 0,1,2&3

3 Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program

No job offer required. Any profile from TEER 0,1,2&3 can apply for Canada PR

4 Nova Scotia Nominee Program

No job offer required. Only need a letter of interest to apply

5 Manitoba PNP Program

Must have a family member and experience in the province.

6 Alberta Advantage Immigration Program

Have experience in an in-demand occupation and family connection in Alberta or a job offer from Alberta.

7 New Brunswick Canada PNP Program  

Have a job offer or a family connection in the province.

8 Prince Edward Island PNP Program

Have a job offer or work experience in the province.

BC Provincial Nominee Program

The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an immigration program for British Columbia that gives "high-demand foreign workers and experienced entrepreneurs" the opportunity to become a permanent resident in BC.The BC PNP offers 2 pathways to obtain a permanent residence in BC, each containing different streams one can apply under, depending on their National Occupational Classification skill level, job, or international-student status:

Skills Immigration: This stream, primarily using a points-based invitation system, is for skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC. Candidates may not need prior work experience for some categories; however, Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled category applicants require B.C. work experience. Candidates may have work experience from abroad; and recent international graduates of a Canadian post-secondary institution may not need any work experience, depending on the job being offered.

BC PNP Tech: Those in specific tech occupations may qualify for invitation at a lower points threshold and receive priority assignment for processing..

Express Entry: International Student and Skilled Worker candidates can select either the Express Entry or Standard version of the BC PNP streams. Express Entry streams offer shorter timelines for federal permanent residence application processing.

Priority Occupations: Since 2022, the BC PNP has also provided occupation specific invitations to apply at lower point thresholds based on specific occupations in education, healthcare and veterinary care.

Health Authority and International Post-Graduate Streams - Qualifying candidates, such as those with a job offer from a public health authority or those who've graduated from selected programs at BC post-secondary institutions, can apply directly to the program without registering, obtaining a score and being invited to apply.

Entrepreneur Immigration: This stream, using a points-based invitation system, is for experienced entrepreneurs who wish to actively manage a business in BC. Applicants must create a minimum number of jobs, have the required personal net worth, and make a minimum level of eligible investment.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot: an option for entrepreneurs who wish to start a new business in participating regional communities across BC.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Base: an option for entrepreneurs who wish to acquire or start a new business in the province.

Strategic Projects: an option for international companies seeking to expand into BC, and who require permanent residency for key employees. 

Are you tired of waiting in the Express Entry Pool? Do you want quick Alternate Solutions? You can immigrate to Canada with fast processing times via PNP pathways. Call our experts at +91- 8375012389 or mail us at Daljeet.bhatia@lebizcanada.com

[inc-immigrationnewscanada]

Big changes in Canada’s Express Entry! CRS score drops reshape the immigration pool in 2025. Get the latest data & tips to boost your chances!

[credasmigrations]

Immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry Pool

[abhishekdigi-blog]

The Comprehensive Guide to Creating Your Express Entry Profile for Canadian Permanent Residency

As one of the most sought-after destinations for skilled professionals, Canada offers a robust immigration pathway through its Express Entry system. Designed to streamline the process for obtaining permanent residency, this points-based immigration system prioritizes candidates who can contribute to Canada’s diverse economy. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to create a successful Express Entry profile and optimize your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Understanding the Express Entry System

The Express Entry system manages applications for three key federal immigration programs:

1. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

The FSWP is aimed at skilled workers with foreign work experience. It evaluates candidates based on factors such as education, work experience, and language proficiency.

2. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Designed for skilled tradespeople, the FSTP requires candidates to have a job offer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian authority, in addition to relevant work experience.

3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The CEC caters to individuals with Canadian work experience. It is ideal for those who have gained professional experience in Canada and wish to transition to permanent residency.

Eligibility Requirements

Before creating your Express Entry profile, it's crucial to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for one of the programs listed above:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

Work Experience: Minimum of one year of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time work experience in a skilled occupation listed under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Language Proficiency: Must achieve a minimum score in an approved language test (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF).

Education: A minimum secondary school diploma, along with a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for foreign education.

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Work Experience: At least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade.

Job Offer or Certification: A valid job offer from a Canadian employer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian provincial authority.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Work Experience: At least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years.

Language Proficiency: Must meet the minimum language requirements according to the NOC classification.

Using the Come to Canada Tool

The Come to Canada Tool available on the IRCC website is a valuable resource that helps potential applicants assess their eligibility based on individual circumstances. This tool is essential for understanding your immigration options.

Step-by-Step Process for Creating Your Express Entry Profile

Step 1: Document Preparation

Before starting your Express Entry profile, gather all necessary documents:

Valid Passport: Ensure your passport is current and valid throughout the application process.

Language Test Results: High scores in language proficiency tests are critical for maximizing your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Obtain an ECA to validate your foreign educational qualifications through designated organizations.

Work Experience Letters: Collect reference letters from previous employers outlining your job titles, responsibilities, and employment duration, ensuring alignment with the appropriate NOC codes.

Proof of Funds: If required, provide documentation showing sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependents upon your arrival in Canada.

Step 2: Creating Your Express Entry Profile

Register for an IRCC Account: Start by creating a secure account on the IRCC portal using GCKey or a trusted Sign-In Partner.

Complete the Profile: Accurately enter your personal, educational, and employment information, ensuring consistency with your supporting documents.

Indicate Interests in Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): Express interest in specific PNPs, which can significantly enhance your chances of selection.

Step 3: Optimizing Your CRS Score

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) allocates points based on various criteria. To enhance your score:

Language Proficiency: Consider retaking language tests if necessary to achieve better scores.

Further Education: Pursue additional qualifications or certifications to earn extra points.

Job Offers: Securing a valid job offer from a Canadian employer can add considerable points to your profile.

Provincial Nomination: Receiving a nomination from a province adds 600 points to your CRS score, significantly increasing your likelihood of receiving an ITA.

Step 4: Maintaining Your Profile

Your Express Entry profile remains valid for 12 months. Regularly update it to reflect any changes in your circumstances, such as new qualifications or improvements in your language scores.

Step 5: Receiving an ITA

If selected, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), requiring you to submit a complete application for permanent residency within 60 days. Ensure all supporting documents accurately reflect the information provided in your profile.

Common Challenges in the Express Entry Process

1. Document Preparation

Compiling necessary documentation can be time-consuming. Begin this process early to avoid potential delays, especially when obtaining reference letters from employers.

2. Language Proficiency Issues

Initial test scores may fall short of the required thresholds. Consider investing in language training and retaking the tests for improved results.

3. Changes in Personal Circumstances

Life events (e.g., marriage, new job offers) can affect your application. Promptly update your profile to maintain accuracy.

4. Risks of Misrepresentation

Submitting false information can lead to severe consequences, including bans on future applications. Ensure all details are truthful and verifiable.

Conclusion

Creating an Express Entry profile is a vital step toward achieving Canadian permanent residency. By thoroughly evaluating your eligibility, meticulously preparing your documentation, and strategically optimizing your CRS score, you can significantly improve your chances of receiving an ITA. A structured approach will facilitate your success in navigating the complexities of the Canadian immigration process, ultimately leading to a rewarding new chapter in Canada.

[wolvietxt]

𝓻oom 𝓯or 𝓶ore ??

pairing : dean winchester x female!reader warnings : food mentions, forced proximity, frenemies to lovers, crying, hurt / comfort, offhand comments, fluff, kiss wc : 3.3k a/n : hello supernatural fandom🙋‍♀️ i’m only on season two yet sorry if anything seems off, also taglist form here (i’ve finally added dean + sam)

the diner was loud, the clatter of plates and hum of conversation filling the space as dean leaned back in the booth, looking way too pleased with himself. he’d already finished his burger, one arm slung casually over the back of the seat while his other hand nursed a cup of coffee. sam, as usual, was glued to his laptop, scrolling through case notes like his life depended on it.  

you stabbed a fry into a pool of ketchup on your plate, glancing between the two brothers. "so, what’s the deal with this case? anything concrete yet, or are we still chasing theories?"  

sam didn’t look up, too focused on the screen. dean, on the other hand, smirked and tapped the edge of his mug. "chasing theories, sweetheart. that’s the fun part."  

"yeah, nothing screams fun like getting blindsided by a vetala or a skinwalker because someone didn’t do their homework," you shot back, arching a brow.  

dean grinned, the kind that always made you want to smack it right off his face. "don’t worry, i’ll save your ass. again."  

"oh, please," you scoffed, shaking your head. "the only thing you save is your own ego."  

sam finally chimed in, his voice calm as he flipped his laptop around to show the two of you a map. "four victims, all found in their homes, all with the same m.o. blood drained, no signs of forced entry. we’re looking at a vetala, but the pattern doesn’t quite fit. usually, they target travelers, not locals."  

"so, what’s the plan?" you asked, leaning forward.  

"we’ll hit the victims’ homes tomorrow," sam said, shutting the laptop. "for tonight, there’s a motel nearby. we can regroup there."  

"works for me," dean said, already sliding out of the booth.  

the drive to the motel was tense but quiet, aside from dean insisting on blasting some alice in chains track while you stared out the window, trying to ignore the knot of exhaustion twisting in your chest. by the time you pulled into the parking lot, all you wanted was a shower and some peace.  

"i’ll grab the rooms," sam offered, heading toward the front desk.  

dean stretched as he got out of the impala, giving you a sideways glance. "bet the rooms are gonna be just as glamorous as last time."  

"as long as they’re clean, i don’t care," you muttered, slinging your bag over your shoulder.  

a few minutes later, sam returned, holding two keys. his expression was almost apologetic as he handed one to dean.  

"is there a problem?" you asked as you approached him.

sam glanced back at you, looking sheepish. "there are only two rooms left."

"that’s fine," dean said easily. "i’ll take one, and you two can share."

"not happening," you and sam said in unison.

dean held up his hands, grinning. "okay, okay, relax. i’ll bunk with sam."

"actually," sam said, cutting in, "i already grabbed a key. figured i’d get first pick since i’m the one doing all the work."

your jaw dropped. "are you kidding me?"

"sorry," sam said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all. "but hey, at least you’re stuck with dean and not some random stranger, right?"

you glared at him, but he just flashed you a smug grin and gave a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing into his room, a soft chuckle coming from his direction.

"great," you muttered.

dean jingled the remaining key in his hand, smirking. "c’mon, sweetheart, don’t look too excited. i don’t bite. unless you’re into that." he muttered, winking at you. 

"don’t call me sweetheart," you muttered, snatching the key from him and stomping toward the room.  

"aw, come on," dean said, following behind. "it’s not that bad. i’m great company."  

you didn’t dignify that with a response, shoving the door open and flicking on the light. the room was standard cheap motel fare: scratchy carpet, ugly wallpaper, and one double bed smack in the middle.  

"of course," you muttered under your breath.  

"well," dean said, tossing his duffel onto the bed, "this’ll be cozy."  

"you’re sleeping on the floor," you said flatly, dropping your bag onto the chair.  

he scoffed, already kicking off his boots. "yeah, that’s not happening. bad for my back."  

"your back?" you repeated, turning to glare at him. "what about my back?"  

he grinned, flopping onto the bed like he owned it. "you’ll survive."  

"you’re unbelievable," you muttered, running a hand through your hair.  

"relax, sweetheart," he said, propping himself up on his elbows. "it’s just one night. unless you’re worried about me stealing the covers."  

"i’m worried about strangling you in your sleep," you muttered, grabbing your toiletries and heading for the bathroom.  

his laughter followed you, low and smug.  

when you returned, showered and slightly less irritated, dean was still sprawled across the bed, flipping through channels on the ancient tv.  

"move," you said, gesturing for him to scoot over.  

he rolled onto his side, patting the spot next to him. "plenty of room, baby. don’t be shy."  

you froze at the word, heat creeping up your neck. "don’t call me that."  

"what? you don’t like pet names?" he asked, smirking.  

"not from you," you snapped, climbing into bed as far from him as possible.  

he chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "suit yourself, princess."  

you turned your back to him, willing yourself to sleep. but after a few minutes of silence, dean spoke again, his tone lighter now.  

"you know, for someone who acts so tough, you sure get wound up over the little things."  

"what’s that supposed to mean?" you asked, not turning around.  

"just saying," he said, and you could hear the grin in his voice. "you’re always trying so hard to prove something. it’s like you’re afraid if you’re not perfect, you’ll just... fade into the background or something."  

the words hit harder than you expected, and you felt your chest tighten.  

"wow," you said quietly, your voice colder now. "thanks for the psychoanalysis, dr. winchester."  

"hey, i didn’t mean - " he started, his voice accompanied by a hint of amusement.

"forget it," you said, pulling the blanket tighter around yourself.  

dean didn’t say anything else, and after a while, you heard the tv click off. but sleep didn’t come easily, the sting of his words lingering long after the room went dark.  

the room was too quiet. the kind of quiet that made every little sound seem deafening: the creak of the mattress springs when dean shifted, the low hum of the heater kicking on, the rustle of the thin motel sheets.  

you lay on your side, staring at the wall. the pillow beneath your head felt stiff and lumpy, but that wasn’t what was keeping you awake. it was his words - flippant, thoughtless, but sharp enough to slice through you like a blade.  

"you’re always trying so hard to prove something... like you’re afraid if you’re not perfect, you’ll just fade into the background or something."

dean didn’t get it. he never did. it wasn’t just about proving something. it was about survival. you couldn’t afford to screw up - not in your line of work, not with the stakes so high. the constant pressure to be sharp, to be reliable, to be good enough - it wasn’t a choice. it was a necessity.  

and then dean had to come along and throw it in your face like some stupid joke.  

you rolled onto your back, staring at the ceiling. the tears prickling at your eyes were unwelcome, hot and stubborn. you didn’t cry often - not over things like this. but tonight, with exhaustion weighing heavy on your shoulders and his words still echoing in your head, it was harder to hold back.  

on the other side of the bed, dean was still awake. you could hear his steady breathing, the faint rustle of fabric as he adjusted his position.  

"you asleep?" he muttered, voice low in the dark.  

you didn’t answer.  

"look, i didn’t mean anything by what i said earlier," he added after a moment, his tone uncharacteristically hesitant. "i was just messing around."  

still, you said nothing.  

he sighed, and you could picture him scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration. "fine. be mad. whatever."  

you turned back onto your side, curling into yourself as quietly as you could. you just wanted him to stop talking, stop prying at the wound he’d opened.  

a tear slipped free despite your best efforts, quickly followed by another. you pressed your face into the pillow, hoping the darkness would swallow your silent crying.  

but then dean spoke again, and his words hit you like a brick.  

"are you hugging the damn pillow?"  

your breath hitched. you weren’t hugging the pillow exactly, but you had one arm curled around it for some semblance of comfort. you stiffened, waiting for him to make another joke.  

and he did.  

"what, you need a cuddle buddy?" his voice was teasing, laced with that stupid humor he always used to deflect.  

"shut up, dean," you said, your voice cracking in a way that made you wince.  

the laughter in his voice faded immediately. "wait... are you - "  

"don’t," you snapped, your throat tight. "just don’t."  

the room went dead silent. for a moment, you thought maybe he’d dropped it, that he’d roll over and go to sleep. but then the bed shifted, and you felt him sit up.  

"hey," he said softly. "what’s going on?"  

you shook your head, not trusting yourself to speak.  

"come on, talk to me," he pressed, his voice gentle now. "did i say something? because if i did..." he trailed off, exhaling a long breath. "damn it. i’m sorry, okay? i’m an idiot. we both know that."  

you let out a shaky breath, wiping at your face with the sleeve of your shirt. "it’s fine. just forget it."  

"yeah, no," he said, moving closer. "you don’t get to say ‘it’s fine’ when you’re over there crying into the pillow."  

"i’m not crying into the pillow," you muttered, your voice muffled.  

"baby," he said, the word soft and warm and startlingly tender. "you can’t lie to me. i can hear it."  

your breath hitched at the nickname. it wasn’t one he used often, and when he did, it wasn’t like this - low and soothing, like he was trying to piece you back together.  

"just drop it," you said, curling tighter into yourself.  

"not happening," he said firmly. you felt the bed dip as he leaned closer, his hand brushing your shoulder. "look at me."  

"no."  

"please," he said, his voice quieter now, almost pleading.  

you hesitated before slowly rolling onto your back, your arms still wrapped protectively around yourself. his face was close, the dim light from the streetlamp outside casting soft shadows over his features.  

"what did i say?" he asked, his brows furrowed in concern.  

you bit your lip, the words sticking in your throat, tears rolling down your flushed cheeks. but the way he was looking at you - like he actually cared - made it harder to hold them back.  

"you said..." you started, then stopped, your chest tightening. "you said i’m trying too hard. like... like i’m afraid i’m not good enough."  

his face fell, and you saw the exact moment he realized how much his words had hurt. "oh, sweetheart," he murmured, his hand finding yours. "i didn’t mean that. i swear. i was just being a jackass, like always."  

you shook your head, blinking back fresh tears. "it’s not just that, dean. it’s... everything. the way you always joke around, like nothing’s serious. like none of this matters. but it does. it matters to me."  

he didn’t say anything for a moment, his thumb brushing over your knuckles in slow, soothing circles. "you’re right," he said finally. "it does matter. and i should’ve thought about that before running my mouth."  

his honesty caught you off guard, and you glanced up at him, your defenses wavering.  

"you’re good at what you do," he said, his voice steady. "better than good. you’re smart and tough and... and hell, i don’t even know how you put up with me half the time. but you do. and i..." he hesitated, his green eyes searching yours. "i don’t want you to think i don’t see that. or that i don’t appreciate you. because i do."  

your breath caught, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the heater.  

"dean," you whimpered, your voice barely above a whisper.  

he leaned closer, his hand moving to cup your cheek. "i mean it, baby," he said softly. "you mean a lot to me."  

the words hung in the air, heavy with something unspoken. before you could second-guess yourself, you tilted your head slightly, and his lips brushed against yours - tentative, testing.  

when he felt you kiss him back, his hand slid to the back of your neck, pulling you closer. the kiss deepened, slow and unhurried, like he was trying to say everything he couldn’t put into words. his hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you. he was solid and warm, his body pressing into yours with an intensity that made your heart pound. his fingers traced the curve of your back, dipping under the hem of your shirt just enough to make your skin tingle.  

you felt the roughness of his fingertips, the callouses from years of hunting and fighting. they were a stark contrast to the softness of his touch, a reminder of how layered he was - how carefully he’d built this facade that now felt like it was falling away. he moaned low into the kiss, the sound vibrating against your lips, and you responded with a shiver, your hands finding their way to the hard lines of his chest.  

you couldn’t help but feel his breath hitch as you pressed your palms against him, as if the simple contact spoke volumes. his mouth moved against yours, claiming, exploring, every stroke of his tongue leaving a heat behind that was making it hard to think straight. his hands shifted, one moving up to cradle your face, his thumb sweeping over your cheek, the other slipping under the edge of your shirt again, skimming just above the curve of your hip.  

he pulled you tighter, until you were pressed fully against him, the soft fabric of his shirt brushing your skin. you could feel the heat radiating off of him, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the way he seemed to anchor you to the moment, making sure you were there, right with him. it was dizzying, intoxicating, a heady mix of familiarity and newfound wonder that made you feel like you were on the edge of falling.

his mouth traveled to the corner of your jaw, down your neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses that made your skin burn. you gasped, a soft, involuntary sound that sent a surge of pride through him, made him growl low in his throat as he pulled you back into another kiss. his hands moved, now tangled in your hair, tilting your head to deepen the kiss, making sure you felt every ounce of him, every single unspoken word he hadn’t said yet.  

when you finally broke apart, his forehead rested against yours, his thumb still tracing gentle patterns along your jaw.

"you okay?" he almost cooed at you.

you nodded, your heart racing. "yeah. i think i am."  

"good," he said, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. "because i’m not going anywhere. not tonight. not ever."  

you didn’t trust yourself to speak, so you just leaned into him, letting his warmth and steady presence chase away the lingering ache in your chest.   

you woke to warmth. a heavy arm draped over your waist, the quiet rise and fall of his chest pressed against your back. for a moment, you didn’t move. you let yourself sink into the comfort of it - the weight of his arm, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the faint smell of his aftershave still clinging to the air.  

then reality crept in, and your eyes blinked open. the events of the night before played on a loop in your mind: the fight, his apology, the kiss.  

you turned slightly, just enough to see him. dean was still asleep, his face softer in the early morning light. his lips, which had been pressed to yours just hours ago, were parted slightly, and his hair was sticking up in a way that would’ve made you laugh if your heart wasn’t pounding so hard.  

you were so caught up in watching him that you didn’t notice his eyes fluttering open until it was too late.  

"morning," he said, his voice low and gruff with sleep.  

"morning," you murmured, suddenly hyperaware of how close you were.  

he didn’t move his arm, didn’t pull away. instead, he tightened it slightly, drawing you closer.  

"you okay?" he asked, his tone soft but cautious, like he wasn’t sure where you stood after everything.  

you nodded, your cheeks warming. "yeah. i’m okay."  

his lips twitched into a small smile, the kind that always seemed to disarm you. "good."  

for a while, neither of you said anything. the quiet was comfortable this time, filled with the unspoken understanding that something between you had shifted.  

eventually, you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper. "so, uh... about last night."  

his smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "yeah. look, if you’re having second thoughts, or if - "  

"i’m not," you said quickly, cutting him off.  

his brow furrowed. "you’re not?"  

you shook your head, your fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the sheet. "no. i’m not."  

relief washed over his features, and he let out a breath you didn’t realize he’d been holding. "good. because, uh... i meant what i said. all of it."  

"even the part where you called me baby?" you teased, a small smile tugging at your lips.  

he chuckled, the sound low and warm. "especially that part."  

you couldn’t help but laugh softly, the tension in your chest easing. "you’re such a sap."  

"yeah, well, don’t get used to it," he said, but the teasing edge in his voice didn’t quite mask the affection in his eyes.  

before you could respond, there was a knock at the door.  

"you two decent?" sam’s voice called from the other side.  

you froze, your eyes widening as you looked at dean. he just smirked, clearly amused by your panic.  

"yeah, come on in," he called back, his tone casual.  

"dean!" you hissed, scrambling to sit up and tugging the blanket higher over yourself, even though you were fully dressed.  

the door opened, and sam stepped in, his eyes immediately darting between the two of you. his brows raised slightly, but he didn’t say anything.  

"breakfast?" he offered, holding up a brown paper bag.  

"thanks, sammy," dean said, sitting up and stretching like he hadn’t just been caught in bed with you.  

sam set the bag on the table, his expression carefully neutral. "we should hit the road soon. got another lead a few towns over."  

"got it," dean said, already reaching for the bag.  

as sam left, you turned to dean, your eyes narrowing. "you’re impossible, you know that?"  

"what? it’s not like we were doing anything wrong," he said, unbothered.  

you rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at your lips. "you’re lucky i like you."  

"damn right i am," he said, leaning over to press a quick kiss to your temple.  

and just like that, the tension was gone, replaced by the easy banter that had always defined your relationship - only now, there was something softer beneath it. something real.  

as you packed up and got ready to leave, you couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of hope. the road ahead was uncertain, as it always was, but for the first time in a long time, you didn’t feel like you were facing it alone.  

you glanced at dean as he loaded the bags into the impala, the sunlight catching in his hair. he looked over his shoulder, catching you watching him, and smirked.  

"you coming, baby?"  

you rolled your eyes, but your smile didn’t fade. "yeah, i’m coming."  

and as you slid into the passenger seat, the familiar rumble of his impala’s engine beneath you, you couldn’t help but think that maybe - just maybe - this was the start of something good.  

🌀 dean winchester : @person-005

taglist form linked in pinned post :3

[getaapologist]

would geta ever tell little lamb that he loves her? 🥺

A/N: well... I think so. Even if he can't marry little lamb, he can love little lamb.

[ prior servant!reader entry here ]

“If I gave you your freedom, true freedom… where would you go?”

His words stirred visions of mountains capped in snow, but also the ocean. Not places you had been, or were from, but places you wished to see for yourself someday. But beyond that, there was no home to go to. 

“I don’t know,” you confessed, your voice quiet, reluctant. “I don’t have a place I miss. Just places I want to see.”

“I could take you places,” Geta offered. “Anywhere you wish.”

You shook your head, resting your cheek against his damp chest. “You don’t have to go to all that trouble for me.”

His hand left your thigh and rose up out of the water. He used a finger to lift your chin, steering your eyes to meet his. “What if I wanted to?”

Silence filled the room, echoing off the stone walls, up to the mosaic above. His eyes were watchful, apprehensive, cautious.

He was nervous.

“I… I find my thoughts consumed by your opinion of me,” he admitted. “I know I should not care, but I do.”

“Geta…” His name was a whisper on your breath. You could not manage anything stronger, couldn’t bear the weight of your own hope.

“Tell me,” he begged, his fingers closing around your upper arm, his touch gentle despite the way it rooted you in place. “If you left here, would you miss me?”

There was the barest hint of desperation in his tone, but the look in his eyes gave him away. 

“Yes,” you admitted, the only answer you could have given him. It was the complete truth, no caveats, no specifications. You would miss him. Completely.

His expression shifted, where once was uncertainty and vulnerability, now it was replaced by confidence and ease. Satisfaction. Security. Safety.

“Little lamb, do you understand the hold you have on me? Have you felt it?”

The tether. 

A nod from you had Geta smiling, affection in his soft look as he reclined further against the edge of the small bathing pool, steadying you on his thigh with careful hands. Hands that squeezed, that felt, that ghosted. Giving you chills and contrasting them with a pass of his warm palms. 

“I feel as though I can tell you anything.” 

His fingers began trailing up and down the length of your thigh.

“That I can truly trust you.”

Up over your hip and back down again.

“Perhaps only you.”

Over the top of your thigh, back and forth. Meditative. Contemplative.

His other hand lifted out of the water to hover over the back of your neck, drops falling from his fingers, the water still warm. He soon traced a gentle pattern over your skin, his touch invigorating. 

The way you felt, so warm and skin buzzing from his touch, it was like laying in a sunbeam. His beam of light, his gift. His affection. 

A gasp was pulled from your throat, his touch diving down between your thighs, his hand on the back of your neck finding purchase, squeezing gently, pulling you into his side.

“I need you,” he whispered into your hair, his voice tight with emotion.

“You have me,” you assured him. 

“Not just–” 

He cut himself off as you climbed into his lap properly, a knee on either side of his hips. The stone bit into your skin, but it could be ignored for this. 

He sat up, drawing you in closer. “I need you always, little lamb,” he breathed into your neck, his fingers moving against you. Pressing. Prodding. “Always.”

His meaning was clear. 

Love.

Your hands found his cheeks. His large hand spread wide at your back to bring your chest in against his. He looked up at you, his large amber eyes glowing with affection even as his fingers pressed into you, his face flushed. 

“I do not care about anything else. I cannot function without you by my side. Please tell me you feel this too.”

It was a relief to feel the depth of his devotion. The very idea that he could feel such things for you was almost overwhelming if you dwelled on it too much.

But he was here, real and tangible beneath your hands. 

“I do,” you breathed, your face hot, your eyes locked on his.

He pulled you down for a soft, tender kiss. His lips pulled at yours as he spoke.

“You possess me, whether you know it or not.”

The words tumbled from his lips as his hand began to roam, to prove his desire.

Desperate. Hungry. Needy.

“I love you,” spoken into the column of your throat, his grip so tight. Water splashed against the lip of the small pool as his hands helped to lift your hips and bring them back down, your combined sounds echoing in the cavern-like room. A private grotto.

I love you.

“What?” he questioned, drawing his face out of your neck to look up at you.

“I love you, Geta.” 

You felt his hips snap up and your hands squeezed his shoulders, your forehead pressing to his. His lips curved into a smile as he pressed them to yours, his joy translated in his kiss, in the way he held onto your thighs, guiding you both to euphoria. 

[societyfolklore]

Melting

Title: Melting

Pairing: Loki x Female Reader

Summary:  Loki lets you take charge for once and you set out to unravel the God of Mischief beneath you

Word Count: 1.1k (Something shorter this time!)

Warnings: /Explicit Content / 18+, Minors DNI Wax play, slight tempter play, slight power dynamics, teasing, light bondage-  No beta read.

Square Filled: C5 - Wax play

A/N:  Entry for @thorandlokibingo (whoops tagged the wrong originally lol)

Loki had always been one for indulgence-fine silks, exquisite wines, and most of all, control. He savoured the feeling of power, the knowledge that he could command a room with a single glance, a single word. But tonight, control belonged to you.

The candlelight flickered, casting molten gold over his sharp features, highlighting the contrast between his composed expression and the slight tension in his jaw. His wrists were bound in emerald silk, a gesture more symbolic than restraining, for you both knew he could free himself in an instant if he truly wished. And yet, he remained still, waiting, testing you, measuring your resolve. The weight of his gaze sent a delicious shiver down your spine, igniting something deeper than just desire-a craving for dominance, for the slow unravelling of the God of Mischief himself.

You straddled him on the bed, the air huge thick around you both. He was testing you, waiting to see if you'd falter, if you'd hesitate. But you wouldn’t-not tonight. “Trust me, don’t you?” you murmured, tilting the candle in your grip just enough to let a single drop of wax slip over the edge. The crimson bead of heat tumbled down, landing just above his heart.

You let your fingers trace his collarbone, featherlight touches meant to tease, to build anticipation.

"Such patience," you mused, tilting the candle just enough for the wax to threaten to spill. "But how much longer will it last?"

Loki hissed in a breath through his teeth, his chest rising sharply. His fingers twitched in their restraints, but he didn't move. His eyes, darkened with challenge and something deeper, never left yours.

“Trust is a fragile thing, darling,” he purred, voice like silk unravelling between you. “But I suppose I can be convinced, do this well you might hold the reigns more often.”

Your lips curled into a darker amused smile. You let the next drop fall lower, near the dip of his collarbone. This time, his breath stuttered, his fingers clenching in the silk. The contrast of heat against his naturally cool skin sent a visible shiver through him, the wax cooling quickly into a solid mark against his flawless flesh.

“Oh, my Prince,” you murmured, trailing your fingertips over his stomach, feeling the tight coil of his abs beneath you. Your touch lingered lower, and you couldn't help but notice the way his body reacted, the evidence of his arousal pressing against the fabric between you. A slow, knowing smile spread across your lips. “I think you like this more than you care to admit.”

Your pulse thrummed at the challenge in his tone. You shifted slightly, lowering yourself closer as you let another stream of wax drizzle along his sternum. This time, he let out a quiet, sharp exhale, his throat bobbing with the effort to keep still.

Loki exhaled a low chuckle, though his voice was rougher than before.

“I think you should keep going. See how far you'll take this little game of yours." 

You leaned down, letting your tongue follow the untouched skin along the cooling wax, teasing the sensitive flesh beside it. Loki let out a growl, the noise reverberating through his chest, making heat pool between your thighs.

“Minx,” he murmured, voice hoarse, breathless. His hips lifted just enough for you to feel the hardness pressing against you through the thin fabric between you. “You love making me squirm, don’t you?”

You smiled against his skin.

“Just returning the favour, my love.”

“Such a good boy,” you whispered, dragging your tongue over more skin, feeling his muscles quiver beneath your touch.

His body trembled beneath you, a mixture of pleasure and restraint. You let another drop of wax land on his chest, the red substance hitting his chest. Loki groaned, the sound sinful, needy as it ran warm over his nipple.

Your fingers trailed over the wax-marked path, nails scratching lightly.. You let your lips follow, pressing soft kisses along the untouched skin beside the hardened wax, teasing the sensitive flesh near the marks. Loki's breath hitched, his arms pulling lightly against the silk bindings, but he didn't try to escape. Instead, he shuddered beneath you, completely at your mercy.

“And you love it,” you countered, lowering the candle once more, this time letting the wax trail in a slow, deliberate line down his abdomen, stopping before it made it to the fabric of his pants. His entire body tensed, his breath stalling as the sensation took hold.

Loki let out a sharp exhale, eyes heavy-lidded as he watched you.

“You are dangerous,” he muttered, voice tinged with something far too close to admiration.

His reaction made your core throb with satisfaction. You ran lazy fingers over his skin tracing pattered considering the next place to let the wax drip. Your nails pressing just hard enough to send another wave of sensation through him. Loki groaned, hips jerking slightly in frustration. Maybe hoping for some sort of friction from you as you stay atop him. 

“Patience, my Prince,” you teased, placing a kiss to his neck before sitting back up. “We’re just getting started.”

You let the wax pool on his stomach, watching as it gathered in a glistening puddle against his cool skin. The sight alone sent a thrill down your spine. Slowly, deliberately, you dragged your fingers through it, smearing the cooling liquid across his chest in slow, deliberate strokes. Your fingers dancing over the ridges of wax and muscle, teasing the sensitive flesh beneath. Loki shuddered, his restraint fraying under your touch, his body tensing in anticipation of what you would do next.

Loki’s head tilted back, exposing the column of his throat, the cords of muscle straining as he exhaled a shaking breath. His fingers flexed, his body tense beneath you, and for once, it was him coming undone beneath your touch rather than the other way around.

“Still think I should keep going?” you whispered against his ear, letting your teeth graze the sensitive shell before pressing a lingering kiss just beneath it.

You reached between his bound wrists, tracing your nails over the silk, before reaching the softer skin on the underside of his wrist, feeling his pulse racing beneath. His patience, his restraint-it was intoxicating. He was letting you have this power, surrendering to you completely, and you were determined to make him feel every second of it.

Loki let out a chuckle, but it was ragged, breathless.

“You have no idea how much I want you to.”

You kissed along his jaw, letting your lips linger before you nipped his chin, your other hand trailing lower, teasing, toying, until his breath hitched again, his body arching beneath you.

Loki, the God of Mischief, the master of deception, was at your mercy. And he loved every second of it.

And so did you.

[captainmalewriter]

XY

This story is a part of Occam's writing prompt challenge. I highly recommend y'all check out #occam2000 to read the other amazing entries by the other talented writers!!

LATEST REPORT ON RECENTLY DISCOVERED METAMORPHOSIS GENE 

Few things in this world are as beautifully intricate as human reproduction. However, it is not a perfect system. Any number of things could go wrong during the conception and/or birth of a human being, one of which includes genetic mutations. The chances of gene mutation are never zero. While modern-day doctors and scientists continue to fight the good fight of keeping harmful genetic disorders at bay, there is one particularly potent mutation a tiny percentage of the human population carries.

How long this mutation has existed within our gene pool is currently unknown. What is known is that although this malignant gene usually remains dormant within the human body, it can potentially rearrange an individual’s genetic composition and expression when active. Unfortunately, this information was only recently discovered after it had already wreaked havoc in [redacted]. The mutation has been dubbed the Metamorphosis (MM) gene. The MM gene is linked to the Y chromosome in humans. Fortunately, a male’s X chromosome usually functions as a suppressor, thereby keeping the malignant gene dormant in afflicted individuals. However, it is still possible for the MM gene to rekindle if certain conditions are met.

First, an afflicted male must lack the appropriate allele(s) for their X chromosome to properly function as a suppressor against the MM gene. Second, the individual’s body must be in a state of heightened activity due to intense physical exertion. Lastly, on a neurological level, the individual must experience high levels of dopamine, oxytocin, and norepinephrine (or, in simpler terms— love). Should all these conditions be met, the door opens for the MM gene to potentially awaken within the subject. 

As you may have already surmised, statistical probability works in our favor against the MM gene. Unfortunately, however, there remains a chance, regardless of how slight, that the proper conditions will align for this chaotic mutation to awaken and wreak havoc on both the carrier male as well as any surrounding, non-carrier parties. This was the case with one individual in the town of [redacted]. 

Numerous questions about how the MM gene operates and spreads among non-carriers despite being classified as a genetic disorder inundate microbiologists with, unfortunately, little to no answers at the time of this report. Further research into the matter remains a high priority. 

END REPORT 

***

It was supposed to be an ordinary day like any other when Geovanni R. Diaz stepped into the gym that afternoon. He drank his pre-workout in the front lobby while waiting for his friend/gym partner Evan Washington to arrive. The two men had met at the beginning of summer when they both started hitting the gym on the same day. They bonded over making fools of themselves as they misused several exercise machines. They became close friends and regular gym buddies since then. 

Some 20 minutes had passed, and Evan was still nowhere in sight. Geo finished the last few sips of his pre-workout and decided to start without him. It was common for Evan to flake out, especially as of late. While Geo initially shared Evan's casual approach to the gym, he eventually decided he wasn’t satisfied with doing the bare minimum. He took on an intense 60-day workout regime to really challenge himself. Evan supported his friend’s endeavor, but the differences in their goals eventually showed themselves when Evan regularly skipped days while Geo kept at it. He didn’t take it personally; he had grown used to it, although he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss having someone to joke around with between sets. Regardless, Geo claimed a chest fly machine, powered up his headphones, and then proceeded to get to work. 

“Hey papi, mind if I work in with you?” 

Geo heard a familiar voice behind him as he finished his warm-up set. He smiled as he turned and saw Evan leaning against the machine. 

“Hey, handsome, I thought you weren’t coming today.” Geo stood up and embraced his close friend. 

“Wasn’t planning on it if I’m being totally honest, but then I decided maybe I’ve been skipping too many days and forced myself out of bed to come here. Did you just start?”

“Yeah man! It’s chest and shoulder day today so I figured I’d start with my favorite machine,” Geo looked at Evan with a grin. “Care to join me?” 

Evan only laughed in response. They both already knew the answer, but they enjoyed asking anyway as a joke. With that, they proceeded to go through Geo’s workout plan together. Naturally, Evan couldn’t keep up with Geo anymore and had to lower the weight after every set, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying their time together. By the end of the workout, they were both tired and sweaty in the locker room after hitting the weights hard.

“I have no idea how you manage to stay on track with this whole fitness challenge thing…” Evan huffed as he caught his breath. “I’d probably give up after the first day. You look good though! Your hard work is paying off and it really shows!”

“You think so?” Geo said as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “It’s hard to tell sometimes. I look in the mirror and I feel good, but then I stare at myself too long and I start worrying if I’m just lying to myself.”

“That’s just body dysmorphia talking, you look great!”

“Aw thank you Evan, you’re too kind.”

“Of course! Anytime you need reassurance, I’ll always be here.” 

Evan flashed Geo a broad smile, and he smiled back. A few minutes passed before Evan started talking again. 

“Hey, are you free tonight? I was thinking of making my world famous lasagna tonight, and I'd love to have you over for dinner.”

Geo stopped drying himself after he heard Evan say that. He turned slowly to Evan and saw him with a shy smile. The same smile formed on his face as he began to answer.

“I would love to have dinner with you, Evan. Of course I’ll come over tonight.”

Evan practically exploded with excitement. He ran to Geo for a hug, almost knocking him over due to the impact. Geo wrapped his arms around Evan and held him in a tight embrace. Their hugs always put Geo in a good mood. He was more than overjoyed to discover that Evan shared his feelings. He knew this hug would quickly become one of his top favorite memories. It was a tender moment between two men falling in love, which made it all the more noticeable when loud indigestion ended their sweet moment abruptly. Geo pulled away and held his stomach as he kneeled over in pain.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Evan asked. 

“Ugh… I’m fine. I think I just need a bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Geo ran off while Evan stayed behind in the locker room. Evan finished packing up their things while he waited. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. Growing worried, Evan walked to the bathroom stalls to check on his beloved friend. He heard heavy, labored breathing coming from the only closed stall. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” 

Evan knocked on the stall door and found that it was unlocked. He pushed it open slightly. His jaw dropped to the floor when he found Geo naked and drenched in sweat on the tile floor. His eyes were clenched closed, and his face was distorted due to unbearable abdominal pain. Evan ran to his side. 

“What’s going on!? What’s wrong?” Evan asked with apparent urgency in his voice. Geo could barely get words out as he was too busy hyperventilating. 

“So… Hot…”

Evan held a hand against Geo’s forehead and almost immediately recoiled from how hot it was. Geo was running an extremely high fever, unlike anything he had ever seen! Evan’s eyes darted around the bathroom as he desperately sought solutions but couldn’t think of anything due to his panic. He was desperate. He knew he needed to act fast before—

“Ohhhh it hurts!!”

Geo’s sudden shriek stopped Evan’s negative line of thinking. At that moment, time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Evan’s gaze shot back to Geo. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what was happening to his soon-to-be boyfriend. Unbeknownst to both of them, Geo was a carrier for the Metamorphosis gene, and all the right conditions were met for it to awaken. The gene was hard at work rearranging Geo’s DNA, and he began transforming right before their very eyes! 

It began with his body hair. Like the other men from the paternal side of his family, Geo had never been able to grow much body hair, if any. However, he did have the genes needed for ample body hair, and thanks to the MM gene, it was finally able to express itself. Thick, black hair began sprouting out of his legs in spurts. With each hair follicle that grew in, Geo’s legs grew just a little bit thicker than before, causing Geo to moan obscenely loud as a result. The accelerated hair growth traveled up his legs and into his crotch area where his pubic hair grew in at an alarming rate until he had a jungle of bushy pubes covering his groin. His hairy balls hung lower than before after growing in size and his cock grew an inch thicker in width. Within a few minutes his entire lower half was transformed. His legs became as strong as tree trunks, and with a new, well-endowed package to boot— all covered in a thick layer of hair too! 

The transformation wave continued to ripple throughout the rest of his body. Geo twisted and writhed on the floor as the rest of his body underwent rapid changes. A prominent happy trail formed on his lower abdomen, connecting his belly button and pubic region with a line of long, messy hair. His pecs grew more plump as hair ran up his ab line and onto the center of his chest where it spiraled outward until it formed little rings of hair around his nipples. His chest and abdominal areas were only covered with a slight dusting of body hair compared to his legs. The stubble on his face grew until a thick, connected beard replaced the short goatee Geo once sported. 

His armpits were hit the hardest by the transformation. His pit hair grew and grew until it curled from its long length, leaving Geo with obscenely hairy underarms. Combined with the heavy sweat of an intense workout, Geo’s hairy pit smell began to fill the room. Evan recoiled from how unexpectedly strong Geo’s musky body odor had become, though he couldn’t resist helping himself to a couple of sniffs after he got a whiff of his powerful musk. 

The MM gene had thoroughly scrambled Geo’s DNA sequences, leaving him as a completely unrecognizable, alternate version of himself! 

“WHEW!! God I feel sooo much better now… Hey what’s wrong, babe? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“G… Geo? Is that you?” Evan stood in shock from disbelief. If he hadn’t witnessed it for himself, Evan would’ve never believed that the hairy, smelly jock lying in front of him, staring at him with a lustful smirk, was the same man he had just invited over for dinner. 

“Of course it is, mi hermosito, who else would I be?” Geo winked as he threw his arms up, leaving his hairy underarms exposed. “By the way, I saw you sniffing the air earlier… How about you come and have a whiff right from the source?” 

Evan chuckled nervously, but Geo wasn’t joking. His laughter died down as he realized just how dead-serious Geo was.

“No… You’re not seriously—” 

“Oh but I am,” Geo interrupted. “Just a little taste won’t hurt anyone. Call it a preview for what’s to come later tonight.”

“But right here? In the public bathrooms?”

“Why not? It’s not like anyone else is around right now. We’ll just have to keep our voices down if someone comes in. So, what do you say? I know you want to…”

Geo got up from the ground and approached Evan. He stood close enough that his scent naturally filled Evan’s nose without him needing to sniff. Evan’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as his friend’s intoxicating musk left him in a state of deep arousal. Of course, Evan had some reservations about hooking up with Geo after he had just randomly transformed right in front of him, but between how close Geo’s pits already were to his face and the fact that it still seemed to be the same man he had come to know and love on the inside, Evan couldn’t bring himself to reject the offer. Before he could think about it properly, he was already leaning in without even realizing it. 

Once Evan started, he couldn’t stop. He buried his face deep into Geo’s sweaty, rank underarms. Geo’s coarse black hair tickled Evan’s nostrils as he nuzzled against the crevices of his pits. Muffled groans filled with pleasure escaped Evan’s mouth as he indulged in the manly, sweaty scent, each sniff leaving him more satisfied than the last. Soon enough, both Geo and Evan grew rock hard from all the sensual physical touch. The tents in their gym shorts poked and rubbed against each other as they continued pressing their bodies together. For Geo, the thought of getting worshiped in a public place like a gym bathroom was the hottest thing ever while Evan was just happy he got to service a hairy, sweaty gym rat. 

Evan briefly lifted his head out of Geo’s armpit for air. At that moment, Geo held his face and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Their tongues wrestled inside of Evan’s mouth as they locked lips. Once they had their fill of making out after a while, Geo began pushing Evan down onto his knees, to which Evan happily obliged. Geo’s cock stood at full mast, nearly poking one of Evan’s eyes out as he got into position. Evan was in awe as he held the heavy piece of uncut brown meat in his hands. He was drooling just from the sight of it! Not able to restrain himself anymore, Evan dove right in and guided the leaking tip into his mouth.

Arghh… Mmmmm…

Geo let out guttural moans as his friend went down on him. The sound of a man’s deep moans encouraged Evan to service him as best as he physically could. It was almost like he forgot he needed to breathe as he slurped Geo’s entire length up and down with his tongue until it hit the back of his throat. Geo squirmed and grunted obscenely loud as Evan wrapped his cock with his warm, moist mouth. He only lasted a few minutes until he couldn’t hold in his load anymore. Geo held Evan’s head down, his nose pressing against his unruly bush, and let out a loud groan from deep within his lungs as his load came rushing out. Evan whimpered with pleasure as he swallowed Geo’s heavy load, the salty taste of cum filling up his mouth. Once it was done, they both pulled away with a satisfied ahhh!

“Alright, get up. Your turn.”

Geo helped Evan up to his feet, then got down on his knees himself. Evan didn’t deny Geo’s advances, but he also didn’t help him get into position either. He had a blank expression as Geo proceeded to go down on him. Even as he swirled and sucked on his sensitive head, Evan didn’t react or say anything aside from an occasional soft moan. All he could focus on was a prominent cut on the inside of his cheek that he could feel with his tongue. Was that always there? Evan wasn’t sure, but regardless, it was already too late. The damage was done. He had contracted the MM gene from Geo. 

Evan winced as he began to notice a pain growing in the pit of his stomach. It started as a slight ache, but it quickly became unbearable. Evan hunched over, letting a low groan as he held his hands against his side where it hurt the most. It felt like he was being stabbed from the inside out! The next thing he knew, his muscles rapidly stretched and constricted as the gene started rearranging his DNA. 

Because Evan was a non-carrier and his immune system was not already accustomed to suppressing the malignant virus, the MM gene was able to activate without delay and transformed him much faster than Geo. He threw his head back and quietly moaned as the transformation happened. Geo was too busy giving him head to even notice. He just thought he was doing a good job. 

The MM gene was hard at work bringing out Evan’s hidden genetic traits. Although he was only 12.5% Black from his mother’s side, that was more than enough for the virus to play around with. Various points around his skinny body began to inflate with muscle mass. His thin frame and scrawny chicken legs filled in with much-needed mass, giving him sturdy legs with sharp ab lines and impressive cannons for arms. His biceps swelled to the size of melons as his body flexed under the tension of rapid transformation. Evan himself was surprised with how heavy his new body was becoming.

His facial structure shifted and morphed. His nose widened while his jawline became stronger and sharper. A bushy goatee beard grew in where he once could only grow peach fuzz. The once wholly flat-chested Evan Washington now sported two massive slabs of meat resting on his torso. His pecs were firm, strong, and hung low from their own weight. Coupled with bright pink nips, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he now possessed a perfect chest. Although his pale skin tone stayed the same, the MM gene brought his Black features out to the forefront, giving the once undeniably White young man a more visibly biracial appearance by the end of his transformation.

While Evan underwent a total identity change, Geo kept blowing him all the while. Although he did notice a sudden change in Evan’s girth and overall size, the taste of a nice, sweaty cock kept him focused on the task at hand. Geo simply took a breath through his nose and opened his mouth up even wider to keep deepthroating him. Evan’s body was still sensitive from having undergone rapid growth, which only made the pleasure of having his dick sucked sloppily increase tenfold. The veins in his thighs and cock twitched and throbbed as he climaxed and pumped out his thick load straight down Geo’s throat. Geo swallowed, sighed with deep satisfaction, and got up from the ground. 

“Mmm! You know, yours tastes kinda tangy!” Geo gathered and licked up the few stray drops dripping from Evan’s tip. 

Meanwhile, Evan was trembling, struggling to breathe after all the physical stimulation. Only after Geo finished cleaning up the spunky mess did he realize that the Evan standing before him no longer looked like the Evan he once knew.  

“What the— Who are you!! Where’d Evan go?” Geo yelled. Evan turned to look at him, and Geo saw his pupils dilating unnaturally rapidly. “Dude, what’s wrong with your eyes!?”

Evan said nothing in response. The MM gene fried his mind with a heavy concentration of hormones, leaving him in a state of severe brain fog. Evan stumbled forward to the nearby mirror. His cock was still semi-erect. The sight of his own dick was enough to make Evan drool as he admired and flexed his arm muscles. Geo tried calling his attention but to no avail. Evan was unresponsive to his shouts. He had one thing and one thing only on his horny mind. 

“More…” Evan muttered.

“More what?” Geo replied. Evan snapped his line of sight back at Geo. His dazed eyes wandered to Geo’s exposed junk, then narrowed as they met his eyes. He let out a low growl as his eyes suddenly had an intense look that caused Geo to take a few steps back. It was the same look a hungry lion gave a gazelle out in the wild. Geo swallowed his breath. He became acutely aware of the situation he was in.

“Dick! I want more dick!!”

Evan puckered his lips and lunged towards Geo, though Geo managed to sidestep him in time.

“Get away from me! Look man, you might be hot as hell but I’m not interested! I’m a taken man!!” 

Geo quickly gathered his discarded clothes and hightailed it out of the bathroom. Naturally, being in the hyper state that he was, Evan wasn’t going to give up until he got what he craved. He stumbled out of the bathroom stall ass naked, where he was about to run into the perfect target.  

“Man! Today is just not my day,” a bodybuilder mumbled as he walked into the locker room. Dylan was a muscle gay, and he came to the gym solely to go cruising that day. 

However, despite his efforts, he struck out. He was getting sexually frustrated, which made him incredibly willing to hook up with some random stranger in the bathroom. 

Dylan was as equally surprised as he was impressed when Evan stepped out of the stall with his cock out. The smell of sweat and cum hit his nose, arousing him. Dylan loved what he saw and decided to make his move on the muscle-bound hunk.

“Hey there, stud! Need a hand there?” Dylan whistled at Evan, catching his attention.

Evan turned to him. He was still visibly sweaty and was breathing heavily. Dylan wasn’t sure what to make of him, but Evan didn’t give him a chance to reconsider. 

Evan charged at him, planting his lips against his upon impact. Dylan was caught off guard but had no problem matching Evan’s energy. He kissed him back as their frisky hands began feeling up each other’s bodies. Although Dylan loved making out, Evan’s kissing style was quickly turning out to be way too rough for his tastes. Evan forced his tongue in, had an obscene amount of saliva, and even bit down on his bottom lip with enough force to draw blood.

“OWW! What the fuck man!?”

Dylan pushed Evan away and held his bleeding lip. He was glad that there wasn't a lot of blood, but was still rightfully pissed off. As ravenous as he was due to the MM gene, Evan was oblivious to what he had done. Instead, his attention shifted to another guy wearing only a towel near the showers. He ran off in that direction and left Dylan in the dust. 

“Prick…” 

With that, Dylan decided to just give up and get a quick workout in. He took out a rice bar and ate it as he returned to the main area. He did his stretches, picked up a couple of barbells, and claimed an open bench. But just as he was about to start his first set, a powerful hunger overcame him. He grabbed at his stomach and kneeled over in pain as the MM gene took effect.

All of Dylan’s hard-earned muscles melted away within a matter of minutes. He rapidly gained pounds upon pounds of body fat. What were once washboard abs complimented by chiseled biceps were replaced by flabby arms and a protruding, hairy gut. His pecs lost their firmness and began to sag as they became nothing but a pair of man boobs. All the while, the same overwhelming lust Evan had began growing within Dylan too.

A handful of nearby good samaritans came to Dylan’s aid after he collapsed. While they all tried to help Dylan, most stayed back after witnessing his sudden transformation firsthand. Nobody knew what was happening behind the scenes, leading to anxious rumors and worried whispers floating around the gym. While most people were too cautious to get near Dylan, one brave man decided to step forward and help Dylan. Unfortunately, as he tried to help Dylan get up to his feet, Dylan accidentally scratched him on the back. The young man recoiled and dropped Dylan to the ground as a result.

As other people began to help Dylan, the injured man stepped off to the side to tend to his wound. He felt unusually warm as he finished putting on a bandage. He didn’t think much of it and ignored it but soon found himself sweating bullets as he rejoined the group. It got to the point that he needed to take a seat to try to cool off, but it was no use. He soon joined Dylan on the floor, writhing in pain due to contracting the MM gene.

At this point, everyone in the gym had gathered around the two men. The crowd stood back as they bore witness to yet another transformation. They watched in bewilderment as the short man rapidly grew in height. He groaned and gasped in anguish as his limbs stretched out. His torso grew and widened until he had the body of a tall bear. He pawed at the growing tent in his sweats as he thrashed around the floor, massaging his manhood as hormones continued pumping throughout his body. Within minutes, the infected man had gone from a stout 5’4 to a big, burly 6’4.

Although the afflicted man already had a healthy spattering of trimmed body hair, the MM gene forced his hair to grow to what was genetically possible. His body hair grew out beyond what Geo experienced. From his chest and belly to his legs and arms, every hair follicle grew longer and thicker, leaving him a pelt of curly body hair. His facial hair, in particular, grew out the most. His mustache grew longer and longer until it practically covered his mouth! His beard became bushy and unruly with coarse black hair as it reached his chest. All the while, the hair on the top of his head fell out one by one until he had a shiny bald head. He became an unrecognizable version of himself thanks to the MM gene. Once his transformation was over, he sat up and let out a bellowing belch that echoed throughout the gym. 

“Mrmph… Feels sooooo good…”

The crowd of witnesses backed away from the two transformed men. The two men turned to the crowd and smiled. A cold, ominous air filled the atmosphere. A few intuitive individuals saw the writing on the wall and left before shit hit the fan while the majority stayed behind, anxious and confused at what was going on. A few moments filled with tense silence passed, only for it to be broken when Evan came charging in from the men’s locker room and locked lips with the closest man. Almost as if on signal, Dylan and the burly bear joined Evan’s rampage and lashed out, too.

Pandemonium broke out as everyone made a mad dash for the exit. It was like a zombie attack as Evan and the other transformed men attacked every healthy man they could get their hands on. The unfortunate victims contracted the MM gene. Once infected, they, too, succumbed to genetic rearrangements. Some grew insanely muscular, and others became incredibly overweight. Hair was grown and lost; skin colors changed, and every physical feature rearranged until they were completely unrecognizable. All those transformed men wanted nothing more than to kiss, fuck, and spread their seed to as many people as possible until their hyped-up urges were satiated. 

“Shit’s getting crazy out here…” Geo whispered to himself. He poked his head out of the locker room and saw the chaos he unwittingly caused. He wanted nothing to do with the madness and ran out of the gym as fast as he could, though the infected men paid him no attention as he was already one of them. Police were beginning to arrive on the scene as Geo drove away with only one thought: his dinner date with his best friend and crush, Evan. 

Though unfortunately for him, the Evan he knew and loved was long gone. It would only be a matter of time before Geo forgot all about Evan, and his body gradually returned to its original state after the MM gene returned to a state of dormacy.

At least, until the next time Geo or some other carrier falls in love.

***

PUBLIC STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Good evening.

As you may have already heard, a horrific incident has occurred at one of our local gyms. Dozens of men went on a rampage. It took several hours and almost all of our manpower, but our police department has successfully arrested all of the sexually rabid men and have placed them in custody. 

Security camera footage shows that all of these men were physically transformed before attacking. After an initial investigation, medical experts suspect that a rare genetic disorder called the Metamorphosis gene is responsible. Unfortunately, while there were no casualties, some of our own brave policemen were affected by the viral outbreak and were transformed themselves.

Two big questions remain tonight: how did a genetic disorder manage to spread like a virus, and how did these men contract this previously unheard of disorder? The arrested men were questioned about the events that led to this mass riot. None have been able to provide any concrete information. None of them seem to recognize their former identities, citing amnesia and severe migraines as the cause. 

Patient 0 has yet to be found. An active investigation continues as research efforts for a potential cure to the Metamorphosis gene’s effects continue. 

END OF STATEMENT

[vandnana]

In Love With The Enemy [V]

Chapter 5: Four-Fingered Freaks

pairing: lo’ak x female turned na’vi reader

summary: during the time when jake became toruk makto, you were quaritch’s youngest and most valued soldier, the daughter he never had. but, pandora changed you and you died during the final battle, betraying quaritch and wishing that you had been able to do more. now, you have been reborn again, as a na’vi, tasked with quaritch’s new military avatar crew to kill Jake Sully. taking advantage of this second chance at life, you help the Sullys and fall in love along the way.

genre: fluff, angst ~ slow burn, pining on lo’ak’s part.

warnings: mentions of blood, war, violence

highlights: [entry into the metkayina, reader reconnecting with her love of science and pandora, lo'ak and reader getting closer and closer!!! classic sully sibling bickering and teasing over lo'ak's crush on reader, tuk being sooo adorable]

word count: 22,071

note: this chapter ended up being super long!! let me know in the comments how you liked it!

| prologue | chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4

-

You were headed to the Eastern Sea to seek refuge with the Metkayina.

The Reef People.

Amidst thousands of islands and over fifty clans, you could just vanish without a trace.

And it was in the main village, Awa'atlu, that you would seek refuge.

As you all flew for what felt like days, you tried not to get too sick of the water already, the blue above and below melding together as it hypnotized you. Every time you closed your eyes, you found comfort in remembering the Forest. The thought grounded you and the echoes of Mo'at's wisdom elevated your spirits.

"There!" Jake called out, pointing at the entrance of Awa'atlu in the distance.

Looking ahead, you were surprised to find mountain ranges beyond, the presence of the village distinct as colossal tree-like barriers acted as terraces, separating the treacherous, dark blue, open water from the giant, calm turquoise pools that were against the barrier, waterfalling into an even bigger body of that same water, tranquil in comparison to the roaring ocean beyond.

Their homes were just above the water and were extensions of the seemingly infinite branches from the trees that grew on the bottom of their mountain range, each branch providing a pillar for the people's homes— their maruis.

When you finally landed, you and the rest of the Sullys stepped forward cautiously, awaiting for the chief and the tsahik to arrive. You looked at the metkayina, studying them. Their skin more of a cyan color, striped, almost matching the water below you, their tails were broader and paddle-shaped. Their eyes were larger and so were their forearms and legs, fin-like structures adding to their expanded appearance. Many were adorned with tattoos, clearly symbolic and important to their rituals as a people.

And as you studied them, they studied you, their eyes locked in on your flying forms, mixtures of emotion discernible in their expressions. Confusion, fear, awe, disgust...you saw it and heard it all. Two young men came forward, snickering as they laughed at your odd appearance. You fought every urge to glare at them as you greeted them cordially, placing your fingers to your forehead as you gave them a proper greeting. The other Sullys followed your lead, following your gaze.

"Rotxo, Aonung, stop that." A gentle, but firm voice scolded.

A young woman who had just emerged from the water looked at you apologetically, smiling at you reassuringly. You returned her smile. It was the first sign of kindness from anyone in the entire village.

But, you understood their fear and hesitation. It mirrored how the Omaticaya felt when you first landed on Pandora.

The arrival of the chief silenced the rest of the village, his presence easing the Metkayina as they awaited his judgment.

Tonowari greeted Jake warmly, recognizing him as Toruk Makto. You were relieved to not be met with hostility, the rest of you greeting him properly as you extended your hands from your forehead to his.

"Why have you come to us Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked, his expression remained strong, but behind his eyes you could see his concern.

He knew the Great Toruk Makto would not journey so far for a simple favor. From behind him came his wife, Ronal, her eyes already showing her disapproval.

"We seek uturu." Jake let out, earning gasps from the surrounding crowd.

"Uturu?" Ronal repeated, squinting her eyes as she observed you all.

"Yes, sanctuary for my family." You looked at Jake, your eyes softening.

You had never heard him sound so desperate. He was never one to plead.

"We are Reef People. You are Forest People. your skills will mean nothing here." Tonowari stated.

"Well, we will learn your ways. Am I right?" Jake reassured him, looking behind him as you all nodded in agreement.

"Their arms are thin." Ronal held up Tuk's arm, then moved on to Kiri, "Their tails are weak. You will be slow in the water."

Then she slowly walked toward you, looking you up and down, and her eyes widening as she took your hands and lifted them up, "They have demon blood. They're not even true Na'vi!"

You pulled your hand down from her grasp, huffing quietly as you did your best to hold your tongue, but Kiri defended you instantly, “Yes we are!” You put a hand on Kiri's, showing your gratefulness.

Jake sighed, lifting his own hands up, “Look, look! I was once of the Sky People, but now I’m Na’vi. You can adapt. We will adapt. Okay?"

"Toruk Makto is a great war leader. All Na'vi people know his story. But we Metkayina are not at war. We cannot let you bring your war here." Tonowari explained, but his words were already something Jake had considered.

"I'm done with war. I just want to keep my family safe." Again, although his voice was firm, he was pleading.

Ronal and Tonowari shared glances with one another, and although she seemed to still be against the idea, she gave her silent approval with a gentle nod.

“Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us.” Tonowari announced, “Treat them like our brothers and sisters. Now, they do not know the sea. So they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless."

And although Tonowari instructed the people to act like you were their own, you could still feel the tension as they stared at you, bore into you with judgment.

"My son Aonung, our daughter, Tsireya, will show your children what to do." Tonowari added, extending his arm to one of the young men who had laughed at you before and the young woman who urged him to stop.

"But father—" Aonung protested, but Tonowari's glare silenced him.

Tsireya, however, was delighted, nodding as she approached you all, "Come! I will show you our village."

You took your place beside Jake as he followed Tsireya, and the rest of the Sullys followed after you all. Neytiri and Kiri more so trudged, their sadness evident with every heavy step they took. Neteyam and Lo'ak merely looked lost as they took everything in, while Tuk, with her youthful spirit, peered at the new surroundings with curiosity and wonder.

You, yourself, couldn't help but be in awe of their ways. The scientist in you absorbing all your eyes could see. You were listening to Tsireya as she was explaining where everything was and what everything was. She led you through the village, which felt like a maze at first, collecting supplies and necessities for what would be your new home.

Their walkways were made of strong net-like material, yet with each step you took, the tensile proved to be bouncy meeting your foot with every up and down maneuver.

You looked below you at the water, various fish and aquatic creatures swimming gracefully through the water. The bigger animals, much like ikrans, were mounted by the Metkayina, trilling as you walked past them.

Other Metkayina dove straight into the water from the walkways, others breaching the surface to watch you all walk through, their expressions filled with uncertainty and weariness.

"Like babies taking their first breath, huh?" You raised an eyebrow at Jake.

He chuckled softly, "Yep. When was that for you? Like yesterday?"

You rolled your eyes at him, "When was that for you? Like a million years ago?"

You patted his back as he smiled. It was the first time he smiled since you landed in Awa'atlu and you were relieved to see it.

He looked behind at his family, knitting his eyebrows as he made eye contact with you again, "You think I made the right decision?"

You gazed up at him, surprised by his question, "It's not like you Jake to second guess yourself. What's wrong? Afraid to dip your toes in the water?"

"I'm being serious, y/n." Jake replied, "Maybe there was another way. I've fought your father before, I could have succeeded again. We could have stayed in The Forest."

"You may be out, but you never lose the attitude."

Jake had told you that long ago, and the way he was questioning himself, that phrase rang in your mind.

In his eyes, you could see him wrestling with his old self, the Jake that had an insane propensity to take risks. You brought that old Jake back, your presence returning that side of himself he didn't know he had buried. And while that part of him would always stay, he wasn't just Jake, your best friend, anymore. He was Jake, the husband of Neytiri and the father of their children. He carried the mantle of the name Sully with a legacy in front of him, and risking that legacy was never an option.

"You said it yourself, Jake. You're done with war, but my father woke up ready to start one." You took a deep breath before continuing, "I think what you're really trying to say is that you're worried for your family. But, you don't need to be. They'll be okay."

"You really believe that?" The last time you saw Jake like this was during your conversation before the bulldozers came.

You couldn't help but chuckle aloud, patting his shoulder again, "Jake, you've got a badass wife and your kids," You looked behind you and catching Lo'ak's eyes, you smiled, "They're more capable than you give them credit for."

Jake shook his head, but you knew he took what you said to heart, "I think coming back from the dead made you wiser," He joked, ruffling your hair.

You scowled, pushing his hands off your head, "Ugh Jake! I think you forget I've always been this smart. Remember?" You pointed at yourself, "I was one of your "science sorties."

"Right, I can't believe I forgot how much of a nerd you are," You punched him in the arm in offense, but he only continued, his voice more encouraging, "Hey, this place could be your new frontier. I know your science brain is itching to know more about this place."

Jake knew you well. After your primary military instincts kicked in, your scientist ones locked into gear. Everything was a fascination to you— from the tiniest grains of sand that you walked on from the beach to the creatures that you saw swimming.

Ahead, you were approaching an empty marui, Tsireya quickening her pace as she held out her hand to present it to you all, "This is for you!"

Following her forward, she ran with excitement, standing at the entrance of it, "Your new home."

Jake looking in, remained positive, "Yeah this will work. This is great. It's nice, right?"

You held in a laugh as Neytiri's face dropped, hardly sharing the sentiments as she looked around the marui.

It was bigger than the homes that you had passed with multiple openings, one larger, like a common area, and the other slightly smaller, another living space for families with more people.

Like all the maruis, it hung directly above the water and resembled a canopy, wide and open. Parts of the floors were reinforced with the same bouncy material as the walkways, but other parts were made up of a harder wood, weaved tightly like a net. There was a hole in the middle of the bigger space and above it was a huge bowl-shaped shell hung by a wooden column that connected to the ceilings. Already in the shell were coals for cooking, and above that shell was a basket, designed to store food. The column in the middle was accompanied by other columns around it, actings as support beams for the home, but also as a place to hook hammocks on for sleeping.

Walking in further, you descended the two steps into the other side of the marui, the overall shape of it, sphere-like. The walls inside were made of flexible and durable sheets, stretched between the branches of the trees, while the exterior comprised of a tougher reed, intricately and uniquely woven. The frame of the marui was made of wood, fastened with alternating ropes that were yellow and blue, meticulously laced to solidify the structure. On the right side of the marui, one side of the wall was shaped like a fan, the color a semi-translucent cyan blue.

As you helped the Sullys unload, you never realized how much you would need to furnish your new home, but Tsireya made sure you were taken care of, designating all that you would need—bathing basins, handwoven hammocks, cookware made from sea crystal and wood, various baskets for storage, and even plenty of sea-inspired decorations.

The Sullys had their own things to haul in as well, mostly mementos from the Forest like their bows. But, Jake had taken a large load of weapons and ammunition with him, and despite Neytiri's protests to bring them, he still did it. You didn't have much to bring with you except your keepsakes from your old life, along with the clothes and jewelry that Mo'at and Neytiri had weaved for you.

While Neteyam helped Jake carry the weaponry, you were with Kiri crouching on the floor as you put away the baskets in the main room. Neytiri and Tuk were placing the decorations, colorful shells and gourds of various shapes and sizes, all around. Across the room was Lo'ak, separating the hammocks, which had all been rolled into one another. He held onto one of the hammocks, pawing the material between his fingertips. Smiling to himself, then glancing at you, he remembered that first night with you in the hammock.

He remembered it all. The way you laid so comfortably next to him, the way your hands touched, and the way you told him that you two matched. And naturally, perpetually, he couldn't get that damn kiss out of his head either, his mind replaying it every chance it got.

You felt his eyes on you, but you didn't glance up until Kiri, nudged you with her shoulder, whispering as she stifled a giggle, "If my brother stares at you for any longer, I think he'll burn a hole in the back of your head."

You didn't know what to say, finally looking up from what you were doing to meet his eyes. When you made eye contact, Lo'ak didn't bother to hide that he was staring, maintaining the longing in his expression and the all too obvious adoration with it. And to make things even worse, he unraveled the hammock and made a gesture for sleeping, putting his palms together and laying them on his ear as he tilted his head horizontally.

Watching him instantly reminded you of that same night with him, the night in the hammock, your first night of peace. The memory brought a flush to your cheeks, but you set the feeling that memory gave you aside as you scrunched your nose at him playfully.

Turning back to Kiri, she leaned in again, "You know, he's been looking at you like that since we left home." She paused, flitting her gaze between you two, astute as she asked, "Did something happen between you guys?"

You shook your head, pursing your lips as you replied nonchalantly, "Nothing happened. I don't know what you're talking about, Kiri."

Yet, she saw right through you, leaning backwards and simply agreeing, "Alright, if you say so."

When Jake came back, he clapped, prompting everyone's attention as he called for a family meeting. Stopping what you were all doing, you gathered toward the entrance, crouching as you listened to him."

"Alright, I need you kids on your best behavior. I mean it. Learn fast. Pull your weight."

He paused, eyeing you and Lo'ak, "Don't cause trouble. You got it?"

Neteyam put his hand on Lo'ak's neck, which Lo'ak swatted away in annoyance, snarling.

Jake continued, meeting his fist into his palm as he emphasized, "We're gonna get through this if we have each other's backs, alright?"

"What does your father always say?" Neytiri said, trying to maintain a motivating tone.

“Sullys stick together.” The Sullys all mumbled, Kiri rolling her eyes as she fiddled with the wrap she was wearing.

“That’s right, now with some more feeling!” Jake urged, smiling at his kids.

You put your hands on Lo'ak's back while Neteyam looked at Kiri, the two of you trying to boost their morale. It seemed to help as they said it again, this time louder. Jake was satisfied hearing it the second time, "Now, that's more like it. You're all dismissed. The chief's kids are waiting for you on one of the docks. Go. All of you."

Neteyam escorted his siblings out, but you hung back though for a moment, “Sullys stick together? Who would have thought a Jarhead like you would become such a family man. I'm proud, really.”

He patted your head, “That applies to you too, you know.” Pushing you forward, he let out a slight laugh, “Now go with them! And make sure they don't get into trouble."

You moved forward slightly, "Are you seriously asking me to babysit your kids right now? Excluding Tuk, we're all practically the same age!"

"Would you stop being a smartass? You know what I mean. Now hurry up before they leave you behind, you big baby." Jake pushed you forward again and this time, you finally were out of the marui.

Snarkily, you saluted him before quickly catching up to everyone else.

Growing up, you had studied The Forest from its roots to the highest point of the Hallelujah Mountains. Now, you were in completely new territory, and you couldn't help but feel the curiosity surge within you. Jake was right about that.

You looked beyond watching as Neteyam, Tuk, and Kiri all jumped in together off one of the small docks. Lo'ak, though, was waiting for you and when he caught sight of you coming, he didn't hesitate to meet you where you were, grabbing your hand too quickly for you to protest.

He gave no warning as he ran with you toward the water, feeling it engulf your body. You only closed your eyes for a second on impact, opening them the minute you were submerged.

Blinking in awed disbelief, you were enamored by everything before you. While the Omaticaya Forest was adorned in every gradient and hue of lush green, this new world reinvented shades of blue all around you. You were reminded of the skies in The Forest, the way the wind whispered and spoke to you when you flew through the air. It was similar here in the water. All living things whether moving or still, were in accordance with the flow of the undertow. You could feel how alive everything was, the water being its very life source.

You had only seen pictures of coral on Earth, the environmental crisis not having left you with real ones to see for yourself, but now you were really seeing them, all unique shapes and sizes. Unknown creatures swam around you gracefully, their classifications perplexing you as you pondered their anatomy in your head.

You looked down to see an innumerable amount of flora and fauna on the sea floor. One in particular caught your eye and you swam toward it, pulling Lo'ak along, his hand still in yours. Its roots were planted on one of the larger coral structures, its base a hollow circle with five branches along the outside of it, its leaves, wispy like feathers, moved to and fro, seemingly waving at you. Then, a school of tiny fish blurred your vision for a moment, the fish so tiny that many of them were able to swim through the odd looking plant at once.

You were entranced by it all and Lo'ak shared in your awed moment as his eyes observed everything around him. When Neteyam nudged him, he snapped out of his own trance and pulling your hand with him, you snapped out of yours.

Ahead of you, you saw Tsireya, and moving her fingers, she was seemingly signaling to you guys. Exchanging looks with the brothers, you could tell they were confused, and Tsireya, realizing, changed her gesture, motioning you forward. Aonung was swimming alongside her with their friend Rotxo, disinterested and making faces at you all.

They were quite a ways ahead of you, and letting go of Lo'ak's hand, you urged him to follow you quickly. He nodded and so did Neteyam, swimming after you.

You showed up next to Tsireya rather quickly, and she was pleasantly surprised to see you. The other two, however, looked at you with pure bewilderment, sending each other glances as they wondered how you swam to them so fast. Expecting to see Lo'ak and Neteyam behind you as well, you turned, but found them above you at the surface.

Looking at Tsireya, she signaled something to them, but they only met her with confused looks. You touched her arm gently, pointing upwards as you swam up, and the three of them nodded, coming with you.

When you broke the surface, Tsireya looked at Lo'ak and Neteyam, "Are you okay?"

"We do not speak this finger talk of yours. We do not know what you are saying." Neteyam answered, frustration lacing his words.

Tsireya nodded, "Do not worry. I will teach you."

Tuk, who was catching her breath, whined as she rubbed her eyes, "You're going too fast. Wait for us."

"Just breathe." Tsireya stated calmly, her tone reassuring as she offered a kind smile.

Aonung though, scoffed, laughing as he joked, "They do not know how. All they know is how to climb trees."

Kiri, who had straggled behind to look at the animals for a moment, returned to hear him as she responded, "As if you could ever survive in The Forest."

You tried to hold in a laugh, but it came out anyway, "Nice one, Kiri."

Aonung and Rotxo only rolled their eyes at you two as Tsireya lowered her eyes at them, "They will learn, okay?”

Pointing to the entrance of the beach, she motioned for all of you to come with her, "Let's go over there and start a breathing lesson."

Getting out of the water, she urged you all to sit in a circle. Gathering around her, she began her lesson on the importance of breath, everyone listening intently to her. Her brother, however, sat on the outskirts of the circle, not even feigning any interest as he looked out toward the open water.

Tsireya suddenly turned her attention to you, her eyes curious, "Y/n, you are very good at breathing already. Where did you learn?"

You were surprised yourself. You didn't expect your new body to remember all your underwater marine training too, but when Tsireya asked where you had learned, the memory of your first training day with your father resurfaced. And like a knife to your chest, you actually remembered it fondly.

"I've never been in water this deep before."

You were afraid then, but didn't want to show it, wading in the water with your life vest and looking down into the pool at the training base back on earth. It felt like looking right into an abyss. It had been two years since Quaritch first found you, and while he spent those first two training your combat skills, it was time for you to conquer the water.

"Hold your hands out y/n." Your father instructed.

You obeyed him, putting your hands together.

Cupping water into his hand he poured it into your hands, "Now let go y/n."

You obeyed again, separating your fingers and watching as the water flowed through the cracks. You looked up at him confused.

"No matter how deep the water is and no matter how much that water is pushing at you, it'll never really go through you, y/n."

You nodded, smiling as you unhooked your life vest and without warning, you took a deep breath and submerged yourself in the water.

Taken aback, he pulled you back up, laughing as he brushed your hair away from your face, his expression showing how impressed and proud he was, "Woah, woah, woah there guppy! Let's start with some exercises before we really dive in, alright?"

You chuckled softly to yourself, "My father."

"Toruk Makto?" Aonung interjected.

"No, no. I have a different father from them. We did a lot of training in the water when I was young." You sighed, masking how much that truth pained you as you managed a smile.

"She is still part of our family." Lo'ak let out in a rather defensive tone as he squinted at Aonung, Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk nodding in agreement.

Tsireya sensing a potential argument, continued on, her eyes kind as she looked at you, "It is very impressive. You can help teach with me."

So, she continued her lecture, coaching everyone on the proper breathing techniques. When she prompted you, you offered your own advice, demonstrating a deep breath as you turned to the side, the Sullys following your instruction intently.

Then, you put a hand over your heart, tapping it as you said, "Slow your heartbeat too. When you slow it down, the brain and the heart get all the blood flow and that'll help you stay longer under the water."

You watched as they all followed your lead, holding one hand to their heart and the other on their stomachs.

Noticing Neteyam's upright posture, you went over, placing your hand on his back, "You see, how Neteyam's back is straight?" You put your other hand atop the hand he had over his stomach, "And see how his core is strong?"

Commanding their attention, they all looked intently. Lo'ak, in response and out of sheer competitiveness, rolled his shoulders back and straightened his back too, all while trying to hide the scowl that he had on his face.

You hardly noticed it as you were focused on your demonstration, moving your hands from Neteyam's navel all the way up to his upper chest, "Both are important to swim faster in the water, but also good for your airflow. There's no blockage to the air in your lungs and your core maintains your breath control so you can stay under the water for longer."

"Exactly!" Tsireya agreed, "From your head to your toes, your body is one and your breath is the key to the way of the water."

Tsireya went around to the other Sullys, continuing her explanation about posture and good swimming positions, while Neteyam looked up at you, confused as he asked, "How do you keep your back straight if you're in the water? Does the body not naturally bend?"

"Ah," You uttered, understanding his question, "Well, when you're flying on your ikran, the wind pushes onto you, but you maintain your position, right? Well, the water is the same."

You crouched in front of him, tapping his forehead, "This is solid," Again, you did it where his heart was, "Solid," And then down, you tapped his stomach, "This is all solid. No matter what, the water never goes through you. Just like the wind never goes through you. You work with it, not against it. Does that make sense?"

Neteyam nodded, comprehending your advice and grinning, he put his fist out to you, "You are quite the teacher, y/n. I will look to you when we are in the water."

You bumped his fist and tousled his hair, chuckling, "Yeah, 'cause the last thing I want to see is your skxawng ass drowning."

As you answered Neteyam's question, Tsireya watched as the others practiced their breathing techniques. It wasn't hard to notice Lo'ak's sour expression, childish jealousy seething through the low heavy breaths he was taking.

Tsireya, mistaking his attitude for frustration, put a hand on his back, "You will get this, Lo'ak. Just breathe and be calm," Putting a hand over her heart, her eyes widened in surprise as she instructed, "Your heart is beating very fast, Lo'ak. You must slow it down."

He only nodded, half-listening as his eyes were glued on you and Neteyam, his neck slightly craning as he watched you crouch in front of his older brother.

Tsireya moved on to helping Tuk, leaving Kiri and Lo'ak together. Kiri, catching onto her brother's jealousy, cleared her throat, placing a comforting hand on his back as she chimed, "Oh, I wonder what has your heart beating so fast."

Pulled from his gaze, Lo'ak eyed his sister, glancing at her from the side while she shifted her gaze forward, her line of sight being you and Neteyam.

He followed her gaze for a second before making eye contact again, "You know why." Lo'ak replied, crossing his arms.

Yet, Kiri continued on, baiting her brother to tell her the truth, "Is it because you like her or is it because you're jealous that she's talking to Neteyam?"

"I'm not j—" Lo'ak spoke, the sudden outburst louder than expected as he quickly lowered his voice, "I'm not jealous."

"So you like her then?" Kiri teased him, repeating herself as she sang it out to him, poking at his shoulders, "You like her!”

"Would you stop that?" He pushed her hands away, annoyed, "Of course I like her. Has it not been obvious?"

Kiri rolled her eyes, "You're such a skxawng. Yeah, it's obvious!" She went and poked him again, taunting him as she admitted, "I just wanted to hear you say it out loud."

"You're evil, you know that?" Lo'ak glared.

But Kiri only shrugged, "What are sisters for?"

"Wait, how do I slow my heart? I can't tell if it's fast or not!" Tuk yelped, her hand over her chest as she focused forward, her eyebrows furrowed.

Hearing her outcry, you walked over, chuckling lightly as you sat in front of her, Tsireya moving to your right as she also listened to yoru advice, "Just close your eyes, Tuk. Take a breath and think of something that makes you feel really calm."

She nodded, and as she did so, you put your hand over her heart, feeling its steady rhythm under your palm. You watched as Tuk's face reflected her inner thoughts, her lips forming a small smile.

"This is how it feels for your heart to be calm, Tuk." You explained, "You can open your eyes now."

When she finally did, she cheered, throwing her arms around you with excitement, "I did it! I did it!"

The impact sent you backwards slightly as you took her into your embrace. Caressing the top of her head, you leaned back to look at her, "What did you think about?"

Then suddenly, she stopped cheering, eyes downcast and welling with tears as she quietly whimpered, "Home."

You looked behind you at all her siblings, and seeing Tuk's distress, they came over quickly.

They gathered around you, all of them offering comforting words. Her tears were pouring now, uncontrollable as she found solace in your chest, hugging you tightly, "I want to go home."

The four of you exchanged solemn looks with one another, and you could only encourage the other Sullys closer, all of you in one big embrace as Lo'ak put a hand on his little sister's head, wiping her tears away.

"This is our home now, Tuk." Even though every fiber in his being was resisting that fact, Lo'ak uttered it anyway.

She said nothing, holding onto you tighter as her tears continued to fall, whimpers and wails that she had held in for so long.

Tsireya watched, her heart breaking, and even Aonung and Rotxo were moved to sadness, turning away from the scene as they tried to maintain a blase attitude.

Tuk cried and cried until she tired herself out, her eyes drooping and drooping until she fell asleep in your arms. Rubbing her back, you tried to wake her, but she didn't budge.

You stood up with her carefully, wobbling slightly since one of your legs had fallen asleep. Lo'ak was ready to catch you though, his hand ghosting your waist as you got up.

Turning to Tsireya, you spoke, "Thank you for the lesson," Then, you looked at everyone else, walking backwards toward the village, "I'll just meet with you all later. I'm gonna take her back to the marui."

Without another word, you left them at the shore of the beach, carrying Tuk through the village. When you finally got to the marui, you searched for the hammocks, walking through the common area with an inquisitive eye.

"Looking for these?"

You knew who the voice belonged to without turning around, and standing upright again, you replied, "If you're holding a hammock Lo'ak, then yes."

And sure enough, he walked in front of you with one in his hand, already unfurled, "Knew it."

You watched as Lo'ak hooked it onto the wooden columns, pulling the edges taut to make sure it was secure before motioning you to come over. When you did, Lo'ak held the bottom of it as you sat in it, and while you tried your best to detach Tuk from your body, she didn't want to let go of you, even in her sleep.

"Alright Tuk," You sighed, whispering as you laid down in the hammock, careful not to wake her.

When your back hit the woven material, you were suddenly aware of how exhausted you felt, the tiredness aching your bones and muscles as you sunk into it.

Lo'ak hovered over you, smirking, as he quietly joked, "Tuk's in my spot. But, I’ll allow it this time."

You could feel your eyes fluttering shut, but you fought sleep as you looked up at him, teasing as you said, “Tuk is much better company than you.”

He tilted his head at you, noticing your drowsiness, “Oh really?” Lo’ak replied, challenging you as he sat in the hammock.

“What are you doing?” You whispered, your tone scolding him.

“Don't mind me. It'll be like I'm not even here.” He replied, taking his place beside you comfortably and laying his palm on the back of his head.

You looked him up and down, glaring, "Right, I'll just ignore your whole body taking up all the space in this hammock."

"Oh, sorry, I'll just adjust here and—"

"Lo'ak what are you—" You started, but stopped, holding your breath as you tried to not to wake Tuk when you felt his arm snake under your back.

He shimmied his arm underneath you to pull you closer to him as he moved himself to the center of the hammock. Still, with your arms around Tuk, she shifted too, her upper body laying on your chest as she let her legs rest on Lo'ak.

"There. That's so much better." Lo'ak looked pleased with himself as you lifted your head from his chest.

Deadpan, you lowered your eyes at him, "If Tuk wasn't here, I'd kick you off this hammock so fast."

Lo'ak took an opprtunity to flirt with you, letting a quiet chuckle come out of his lips as he smirked, "If Tuk wasn't here, we wouldn't just be laying in this hammock, that's for sure."

"And what would we be doing besides that?" You flicked his forehead hard and realizing he was about to wince loudly, you put a hand over his mouth.

Gently removing it, Lo'ak placed your hand on his chest, his fingers resting over yours as he innocently replied, "Sleeping, of course." He continued, "Which is what you should be doing right now too."

"I don't need to sleep." You moved your neck slightly, your eyes peering up at him.

He pinched your cheek playfully, "You're exhausted.”

"No, I'm not." You denied, but he leaned forward, his hand touching your left under eye, the gentle pressure sinking the skin in.

"You're dead tired."

You couldn't risk reliving the nightmares you believed were inevitable, especially during such a stressful ride to Awa'atlu, and Lo'ak knew it too. So you had avoided sleep as much as possible, and when you did sleep, you were merely closing your eyes, resting your body, not fully submitting to the state.

"Great. Then, I'll sleep,” You lied, pushing his face away from yours and cautiously looking down at Tuk who stirred from the vibrations of your voice.

He brushed a hair away from your face, "I'll watch over you both.”

“Why? You should look in the mirror. You look like crap. You should probably sleep too." You put a hand on his under eyes too, pushing on his eyebags.

He scoffed, "Crap or not, we both know that I'm your type, so you can put that one away."

"And what is my type exactly?" You raised an eyebrow.

Putting a finger on his chin, he fake pondered before meeting your eyes again, smiling at you as he revealed nonchalantly, "The kind of guy that keeps your nightmares away."

You softened hearing that, and while you had tried your best to ignore the way it made you feel when Lo'ak would look at you, you gulped, seeing his affection so clearly as he gave you that smile he never seemed to give anyone else.

You switched your demeanor quickly, hiding those inner feelings as you hardened your expression, the old glare you had before returning. Lo'ak though was completely unfazed, taking the liberty of shutting your eyes for you as he placed a palm over them, pulling your eyelids gently downward. Swatting his hand away, you were ready to protest again when Lo’ak put a hand over your mouth, playful as he shushed you. You licked his palm in retaliation and he lifted it immediately, grimacing as he wiped your saliva on his cloth pocket.

Satisfied, you shut your eyes, turning away from him, holding in your laugh. Lo’ak peered over at you, smiling to himself. Your sense of safety that you felt was transparent in the way you naturally drifted off to sleep beside him. Tuk was fast asleep too, only adjusting herself to a more comfortable position as she snuggled up to your chest, her little body fitting perfectly between the two of you.

Back on the beach, Tsireya looked at Neteyam and Kiri worriedly, “Will your little sister be okay?”

Kiri held her arm, taking in a deep breath, “She will be. She just misses The Forest,” Her gaze went to her older brother who looked downward, “We all do.”

Attempting to cheer them up, Tsireya took Kiri by the hand, "I know you guys will fit right in here. Trust me."

Aonung scoffed, crossing his arms as he muttered something under his breath. Kiri stuck her tongue out at him as Neteyam held in every urge to punch him in the face.

Tsireya looked at her brother disappointedly, then turned her gaze back, "And don't mind him. He'll get over it."

Aonung sneered at her sister, rolling his eyes and leaving with a huff. Rotxo followed him though, saying a quick goodbye with a wave as he chased after his friend.

"For now, I'll teach you how we communicate under the water." Tsireya met Neteyam's eyes, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers, 'That finger talk we were doing earlier, remember? So, come, I will show you a different area of the village and we can start our new lesson there."

The two Sullys walked with her into the village, and turning, she looked at Neteyam, asking, "Should we wait for Lo'ak?"

Kiri and Neteyam exchanged glances, raising their eyesbrows as they both thought the same thing. Neteyam shook his head, "No, it is alright. Wherever y/n is...that is where Lo'ak is. He will come back with her later."

Tsireya let out an 'ah' sound, understanding immediately, "Oh, I see. They are married, mated for life, right? They are very cute together."

Neteyam couldn't help but burst into laughter, holding onto his stomach as he replied, "No, no...my baby brother with a woman like that....oh how I would pity y/n."

Kiri, coming to her brother's defense, put her hands on her hips, passionately disagreeing, "Hey! You've seen how he looks at her. That's not funny, big brother."

"Oh, but it is." He faked wiping a tear away from his eyes, "Let's just hope his skxawng ass doesn't mess things up."

"She definitely likes him too." Kiri added.

Neteyam didn't disagree with his sister, but continued to tease, "Ah, yes for reasons unknown!"

-

You were woken up by the sound of a yawn and movement on your chest. Peeling your eyes open, you looked down to find Tuk slowly waking up, shifting her body and rubbing her eyes.

You could feel Lo'ak's chin near the top of your head and his steady breath underneath your palm as it rested on his chest. He had ended up sleeping after all.

"Look who's finally awake," You put an affectionate hand on her head, "Are you alright now Tuk?"

Tuk spoke quietly, her grogginess evident in the slight rasp of her voice, "I'm okay," She pouted, apologetic as she took your hand off her head and held it, "I'm sorry for crying so much."

"Don't be sorry." You reassured her, and glancing over at Lo'ak, his face peaceful, you pointed outside, "Should we let your brother sleep and go find the others?"

She nodded, but slowly she shook her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Or we could wake him up right now."

Sitting up quickly, she pressed her knees onto Lo'ak, plugging his nose as she playfully yelled, "Time to wake up Lo'ak!"

His eyes shot open as he took a deep breath in, a cough erupting from his mouth, shock going through him as he glared at his little sister, "Tuk, what the hell!"

She only laughed in response, and you along with her. Jumping off the hammock, she grabbed your hand again, her heels dug into the floor as she excitedly begged for you to hurry.

Swinging your legs to the side of the hammock, she pulled you forward and you obliged standing up and making your way out of the marui. Lo'ak was quick to get up from the hammock to follow, but not before he unhooked it off the columns, sloppily rolling it again and placing it in the bundle with the others.

He took Tuk's other hand in his once he finally caught up, and picking her up, he threw her in the air high toward the water before catching her again last minute, her loud squeal surprising the other villagers passing by.

"You're lucky y/n is here to hold me back or I swear you'd be bait for the fish." He joked with her, but she hardly cared about what he was saying as she shouted at him, "Again! Again! Again!"

Seeing you from afar, Tsireya shouted your names, waving to get your attention, "Lo'ak, y/n, Tuk! Come! You're just in time! We are starting a riding lesson with the ilus!"

Making your way into the water, you waded through it, waving at everyone.

Tsireya led you all to a central pool where Aonung already was with his friends, flicking his tongue and whooping as he called an ilu over.

You and the Sullys gathered together in front of him as he spoke, "If you want to live here, you have to ride."

One of the ilus were already circling around you, its motions endearing as it nudged its head against the underside of your arm, letting you pet him.

"Looks like he likes you." Aonung remarked, walking over to you.

"Right? And you would think he'd know that I only know how to swing on trees." You replied snarkily as you took your queue in your hand and mounted the ilu.

Aonung stood stunned by your response, but ultimately smirked, impressed by your quick wit, "Well, this is no warrior's mount. I doubt you'll be able to tame one, so we're starting off easy Forest Girl."

Taking your other hand in his, he placed it onto the harness in front of you," Just hold here and keep your legs in a good position. They take off fast."

"Thanks." You said simply, following his instructions.

Beside you, Tsireya was giving Lo'ak similar directions, but his focus was on you, nostrils flaring at hearing what Aonung had said.

Tsireya tilted her head, puzzled by Lo'ak's expression until she turned around to see the sight, giggling as she turned her gaze back to Lo'ak's seething figure, "After you follow what I say, you'll be able to join y/n in the water."

"Hmm?" Lo'ak murmured, the uttering of your name taking him out of his daze.

"Go ahead and make the bond gently, Lo'ak." Tsireya stated, "Feel your ilu's strength, then ride."

Lo'ak simply scoffed, "Easy."

Diving into the water, your ilu sped off swiftly, but you listened to Aonung's advice, maintaining your hold as you mentally gave your ilu directions, swimming further out into the deeper end of the water and circling back around.

You watched as Lo'ak dove with his ilu from under the water, the splash of the motion causing bubbles to erupt throughout the calm surface. He managed to wave at you, but in doing so, he lost his grip on the ilu, the creature speeding up and leaving Lo'ak behind.

Everyone erupted in laughter as you quickly swam over to him watching as he coughed up water, "Are you okay?"

He tried to hold in the cough, playing it off as he answered your question nonchalantly, "I'm fine, y/n. I meant to do that."

"Right, right. I saw what you were going for there." Behind you, the ilu he had bonded with returned, trilling mischievously as it splashed Lo'ak in the face.

"I'm good, really." He leaned in, whispering as he flirtatiously joked, "I just think this ilu is feeling jealous that my attention is elsewhere."

"You know, you should probably start taking this ilu bonding seriously," You replied, your lips quirking upwards as you tried to ignore the heat that was rising to your cheeks, "I can't beat you in an ilu race if you don't have an ilu."

"You're right. You'll definitely win," He bit the bottom of his lip as he eyed the water below while nodding, his two beaded braids dangling in front of his face as he flitted his eyes up suggestively, "But just know the loser owes the winner a kiss."

You smacked him on the side of the head, causing him to wince, "Don't lose your competitive edge now."

"I win either way." He rubbed the side of his head with his fingers, smirking at you.

You rolled your eyes, "Better hurry then," Not too far from you, you watched as Tuk was already on the ilu, clapping with joy and hugging her ilu lovingly, "Even Tuk got it done before you."

Clicking your tongue to call your ilu back and mounting it, you left Lo'ak playfully splashing him.

In the distance, you saw Tonowari and a group of other warriors, Jake beside them as they were beginning their own mounting lesson.

Making your way over, you swam under until the water became too shallow, breaching the surface as you neared them.

Noticing you, Jake looked you up and down, "How's your kiddie ride?"

Rolling your eyes, you put your hands on your hips, "Don't mind me. I just came to watch. I've been dying for a good laugh."

He flipped you off in response, the gesture bewildering to the metkayina warriors.

"This is a warrior's mount, a tsurak, not easy to master." Tonowari warned, "Perhaps you should start with an ilu."

"No, this one," He said confidently, paying no mind as he connected his queue, the tsurak growling and thrashing underneath the grips of the warriors.

"When you dive in, good position. Very important." Tonowari was sincere, the worry on his face shown in the way his forehead crinkled.

Jake with his overly cavalier attitude, hummed, "Uh huh," as he threw his leg over, tying his hand to the harness with a piece of crafted leather, "I got this."

Tonowari, although uncertain, nodded encouragingly. The other warriors let go, and you took the opportunity to tease, yelling, "Maybe you should have stretched before this!"

He glanced back at you with a scowl before darting forward with a "Hyah!"

Leaping into the air, you watched as Jake tried to take the normal stance he would while riding an ikran, but unable to find his balance, his movement was awkward. Then, finally, he was submerged into the water and you dove your head under, watching as Jake was blasted backward by the current the tsurak created as it sped away.

"Oooo!" The warriors all said in unision, wincing as Jake popped up from underwater, his hand bloodied from the friction of the leather.

You swam over to him, petting your ilu as you sarcastically remarked, “Maybe we should switch rides. I think that other one was too fast for you, old man.”

Jake sneered at you, pulling your leg off your ilu and dunking you under the water. When you shot back up, he laughed, "Was that too fast for you, kids meal?"

"Keep talking and you'll be fish food." You retorted, pushing your hair away from your face as you splashed Jake.

He put his hands up to block you, but that only gave you the perfect cover to take him down by the legs, your swift movement sending him under the water again.

You laughed loudly as he breached the surface and already swimming toward the shallow you yelled, "Keep up, old man!"

Grunting, Jake swam to your side until your feet touched the sand and sincerely, Jake asked, "So, first day...how are the kids?"

"As good as you can expect," You sighed, "Tuk cried 'cause she was missing home. They all are. But, we're getting there."

Jake stopped you, his hand on your shoulder, "Wait, Tuk cried? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine now and riding her ilu with the others. I took her back to the marui earlier because she fell asleep after crying." You explained, and that seemed to comforted Jake, the heaviness he carried in his heart lessening as he gave you a small smile.

"Y/n!," Tonowari came up from behind you, and turning his attention to you, grinned, "Y/n, Tsireya tells me you are very good underwater already. And I see you've already tamed your ilu. Quite impressive."

You gave him a proper greeting, thanking him as you responded, "I still have a lot to learn, Chief. But, your daughter is doing a great job at making us all feel welcome. Thank you."

Tonowari was touched, smiling at you, then looking over at Jake, he praised him proudly, "You've raised a fine daughter, Jake Sully."

You put a hand over your mouth, uncertain how to respond as Jake corrected him, "Oh no, Tonowari. Y/n isn't my daughter. She's like my daughter, but she's..." He racked his brain trying to explain who you were to him, the truth too puzzling and complicated to clarify.

"Ah, I see!" Tonowari's eyes lighting up as he seemingly comprehended what Jake was trying to say, "She is your daughter-in-law, married to one of your sons! Your oldest boy?"

Jake looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of his head, voice cracking as he spoke, "To Neteyam? No no she's—"

"Ah, so she is married to your younger boy!" Tonowari interrupted, beaming as he extended his hand to you, smiling with his teeth as he exclaimed, "Congratulations!"

You were completely caught off guard by him, furiously blushing as you took Tonowari's hand, firmly shaking it with a nervous laugh, "Thank you Chief."

You glanced to your side to see Jake's expression, clearly bothered as he scrunched his nose at you. You read his lips as he mouthed, "What are you doing?"

You managed a quick, "Shut up," before turning back to Tonowari to continue your conversation, choosing your words carefully so Jake would catch onto what you were doing, "It would be strange for me to come here with the Sullys if I wasn't married to Lo'ak. I thank you on behalf of him as well. I'll make sure to extend your congratulations to him.

Tonowari agreed, offering a joke "He would be a bad husband if he left you in The Forest, no?"

You laughed, letting go of Tonowari's hand and placing your hands on Jake's shoulders, the skin around your eyes crinkled as you kept your grin, "Well, as my father-in-law here loves to say, Sullys stick together! Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake gritted his teeth at you, the vein in his forehead popping out of the side of his forehead as he stifled a laugh, playing along, "That's right."

There was no use interjecting with the actual truth, Tonowari's customs regarding family and marriage a consequence of his assumptions.

But even without his assumptions, how could you so frivolously tell him who you really were?

You were the daughter of the man responsible for countless Na'vi deaths—the daughter of the man that was hell bent on hunting the Sullys.

You couldn't change that.

But, as you stood in the water, not expecting to feel so renewed by this fresh new start, you didn't feel as afflicted by that fact as you expected to be. Your heart was too concentrated on the idea of marrying Lo'ak to pay any mind to your own inner conflict, the very thought of it sending butterflies to your stomach.

You suddenly felt awkward standing between Jake and Tonowari. their differing expressions wanting you to avoid prolonging the conversation.

You inhaled, your gaze shifting to the others in the distance, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on everyone."

Tonowari understood, patting your shoulder gently before dismissing you, and leaving with a proper greeting, meeting your fingers to your forehead, you left quickly, diving under the water and leaving a stream of bubbles in your wake.

The cool touch of the water did nothing to help dissipate the red hot tint that felt perpetual on your cheeks. You couldn't stop thinking about Lo'ak and the potential of a future with him.

And in realizing that, you become aware of how you had lived your old life. And echoing in your mind was one of Mo'at's many reminders to you.

Life is about balance, y/n. To be too much of one thing and not enough of another can lead us on a lost path. Do not mistake surviving for living.

You had fallen victim to that way of life—playing soldier while playing scientist were two roles you had grown accustomed to juggling. Perhaps you had always expected to die early too, it’s the way a Marine would think living through war. Never once did you entertain the dreams that would come with a long life—marriage, kids, a family, happiness. They were just dreams with no chance of ever coming true.

But now, you suddenly felt the hope of those dreams becoming even more than a possibility. You had never even considered it. But, now, the thought implanted itself in your head.

You found Kiri first and seeing you, she resurfaced, the two of you making your way to the shore.

"Your face is flushed, y/n! Are you alright?" Kiri looked at you with concern.

You put a hand on your cheek, eyes widened, groaning, "Still?"

"What happened?" Kiri nudged you with her elbow, "Let me guess...you and Lo'ak kissed, huh?"

You shook your head, not thinking as you blurted out, "No, not since we left The Forest."

You put a hand over your mouth the minute you said it, gasping and mentally scolding yourself.

"I knew something happened between you!" Kiri exclaimed, "I can't believe you kissed! How was it?"

"Shhh! Would you keep your voice down?" You searched the beach, hoping that Lo'ak wasn't lurking around.

Unbeknownst to you, Neytiri was standing on the dock nearby bringing a basket of fruits back to the marui when she overheard your conversation, her intrigue peaking as she hid behind one of the marui columns.

"Okay, yes we kissed, but I told him that we're just friends." Suddenly feeling embarrassed under Kiri's gaze, you eyed the sand, pressing your feet into the grains.

"Ugh, why? You like him, don't you?" Kiri grumbled, confused.

You put your hand on your hips, answering her original question instead of heading her new one directly, "The Chief thinks we're married."

"Ah, so everyone knows that you like Lo'ak except for you." Kiri joked, laughing.

You deadpanned, crossing your arms and Kiri simply shrugged, saying, "What? Even Tsireya thought you guys were together."

You groaned, putting a hand over your head, blinking, "Is it really that easy to tell?"

Kiri scrunched her nose at you, pressing her lips into a thin line as she nodded, "Yeah, it is...for both of you. I told you earlier how he stares at you!"

You couldn't find any words to say, your thoughts taking you backward as you recalled all of your moments together, chuckling as you remembered even the smallest of details and the most delicate of touches.

She took your hands into hers again, dissipating her joking tone as she spoke to you sincerely, "Why don't you just give him a chance? What's stopping you?"

"What is going on? Are you guys alright?" You heard a voice call out to you guys from the distance.

Leaning back, you saw Neteyam walking over, and in his concern, he assumed something was wrong as Kiri held onto your hands, her brows furrowed as she spoke.

Once he approached, he was surprised to find that nothing was wrong as Kiri hummed, "Oh, we're alright. Just having a heart to heart with our sister-in-law."

"Kiri!" You scolded her, but she ignored you.

Snickering, she put a hand beside her mouth as she leaned toward Neteyam, "The Chief thinks her and Lo'ak are married."

Neteyam gasped at first, then sighed, faking a pained expression and putting his hands together in front of him as he looked you in the eye, "I cannot believe you didn't invite us to your wedding. I am deeply hurt, y/n."

Kiri joined in with her brother, wiping a fake tear as she turned away from you dramatically, "Me too! I thought we were supposed to be sisters!"

You couldn't get a word in as Neteyam continued, sucking a breath through his teeth as he separated his hands, shrugging, "I should have seen this coming. Lo'ak went on and on about how you spent a night with one another."

"Spent a—" Kiri gasped, her eyes widening at you, "You said you guys just kissed!"

"I was only joking!" Neteyam shouted in his disbelief, "Lo'ak kissed you?"

Lo'ak, who was finally coming up to shore, caught the tail end of the conversation, interjecting proudly as he put his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice as he yelled out.

"She kissed me actually!"

Hearing Lo'ak's voice, you shrunk, muttering as your eyes went heavenward, "Oh Great Mother help me."

Neteyam placed a gentle hand on your arm, feigning an apologetic expression, "I'm so sorry you had to do that."

Narrowing his eyes, Lo'ak snarkily replied, "And who's kissing you, Neteyam? Oh, right. No one."

Sucking in a breath, Neteyam put his hands on his brother's shoulders, "Y/n kissing you first definitely makes sense. You're too much of a skxawng to make a move that big."

Planting yourself between the two of them, you eyed them both, “Okay let’s stop talking about the kissing."

Neteyam put a fist to his mouth as he let out a snicker, "Are you embarrassed of your husband? Understandably so, I mean, it is Lo'ak."

"What? Husband? What are you talking about?" Lo'ak looked at Neteyam, wholly amused and his heart roused by the thought.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Facing Lo'ak, you were stern, but he didn't take you seriously as he pulled you toward him.

His eyes shimmered with that usual adoration as he kept his gaze on you. "No, no. I want to know. What's this about me being your husband? I haven't even proposed to you yet."

Yet.

The butterflies in your stomach returned hearing that, your heart suddenly beating so fast you could hardly contain it. It didn't help that Lo'ak knew exactly what he was doing to you as he watched your face redden again, the pink tint going sanguine on your cheeks and your flustered expression immobilizing him as he fixated on you only.

You gulped, stuck in that feeling for the moment before you realized your actions, clearing your throat and acting nonchalant as you loosened his grip on you.

"The Chief thinks you two are married." Kiri explained and Lo'ak instantly lit up hearing that.

"Okay, so we're married." He accepted the fact with no hesitation, his reaction casually calm as he shrugged.

Confused, you tilted your head at him, "You're not even going to ask why?"

Kiri and Neteyam were eager to hear his response, stepping forward.

Lo'ak, not being able to resist being close to you, threw his arm over your shoulder, leaning forward as he made eye contact with you, your foreheads practically touching, "We're going to get married someday anyway. We could make his thinking a fact, you know. I'd marry you tomorrow. Or today, whatever you prefer."

"Aw Lo'ak," You began, wrapping an arm around his waist affectionately at first, but then you pinched his side mischievously, shocking Lo'ak out of your grasp, "Stop saying stupid things."

it was all you could manage to say as you scolded him, unsure of how to convey your real feelings and instead, opting to avoid them. Lo'ak had already expected you to react like that, emboldened even more by you as he whimpered dramatically, "You dug in so hard I think I'm bleeding, You're going to have to kiss it y/n. That's the only way it'll heal."

Annoyed, you walked off deeper into the water, but Lo'ak followed you, repositioning his stance to better show you where you had pinched him, the skin clearly scratch-free despite his constant protests.

Kiri turned to Neteyam as you continued to bicker with Lo'ak, "She's our sister-in-law alright."

Neteyam broke his eye contact with Kiri to watch you two, his arms crossed as he shook his head, "I still cannot believe that a fine woman like that is actually into my baby brother. I fear that her only flaw is liking Lo'ak."

"She is pretty cool, huh?" Kiri agreed, "Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing her a lot in my mom's video logs. She's really smart too."

"And yet another reason why I do not understand her choice!" Neteyam threw his hands up.

Kiri laughed, rolling her eyes as she nudged him toward the village, "Come on, brother."

Neteyam put his arms down, "Why are we going?"

Pointing to you and Lo'ak, she sighed, "We both just became third wheels to the two of them. Let's just go."

Neteyam nodded, agreeing with her but jokingly replied, "That's actually four wheels, sister."

Kiri didn't spare a chuckle as she groaned, but Neteyam merely laughed at his own joke. Taking one last glance at the two of you, he looked upon you happily, noticing how well you two got along. Kiri did as well, and Neteyam as if already reading her thoughts spoke aloud, "They are definitely getting married."

When they faced forward to keep their path toward the village, Neytiri stood in their way, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. The unexpected sight of their mother surprised them, sending them backward slightly in shock.

"Hi mom..." Kiri said, letting out a nervous laugh, "What are you doing here?"

"Is what I heard true?" Neytiri asked calmly.

"Well...what did you hear mom?" Neteyam asked, scratching the back of his head.

Uncrossing her arms, she threw her hands up, "Lo'ak and y/n. The kissing! The spending a night with one another! Everything!"

The two of them winced as she passionately listed it all, and could only manage obedient nods as they confirmed the truth.

Neteyam put his hands up, cautiously reassuring his mother, "But, they merely slept side by side with one another the night that she came home with us. That was it."

Neytiri lifted her eyes to see you and Lo'ak in the distance, no longer bickering as you let out a laugh, most likely from a stupid joke that Lo'ak had just made.

She didn't say anything for a moment as she observed you both. And while at first she felt her motherly instincts kick in, her notions of tradition and duty deep within her values, she also felt warmed by the connection you had with her youngest son.

In truth, watching you two reminded her of herself and Jake, and that fact erased the hardened expression she had, and in its place arose a smile. Kiri and Neteyam remained planted where they were in the sand, waiting for their mother to do something, anything.

But she only kept that smile, reflecting on her youthful days with Jake, those memories cascading her unspoken approval onto you both.

When night finally fell, you gathered with the rest of the clan to eat your evening meal. In a large central area of the village, food, mostly fish seasoned with aquatic herbs, was served on massive shells and each clan member used their own handmade plates with holes carved out for easy hand access. You were all mostly ignored by the rest of the metkayina, all of them engrossed in their own conversations and purposefully paying you no mind as you and the Sullys sat with one another beside Tonowari and his family.

You could tell by Neytiri's face that she was only eating because she was hungry, not even trying to hide her frown as she spooned it in her mouth. Jake seemed to have no problem with the food, loading his plate up and even eating what Neytiri had left on her plate. Kiri seemed to have the same distaste for the food as well, matching her mother's expression as she reluctantly ate. You, on the other hand, were like Jake, too scarred by the freeze-dried crap you used to eat at the base to be picky.

Once everyone was finished eating, Tsireya walked back with you guys to your marui, saying good night before leaving.

You were setting up your hammock when Jake called you outside to talk to you alone, but Neytiri kept herself near you two, eavesdropping.

Hands on his hips, you could tell that he was trying to find the right words to say, slightly awkward as he looked up, "When Tonowari thought you and Lo'ak were married...you can't just keep that up forever, you know. What were you thinking agreeing to that?"

You crossed your arms, "And what the hell was I supposed to tell him Jake?"

You stood straight, sarcastically mimicking how the conversation would go as you pitched your voice higher, "I'm not actually Jake's daughter. I'm his friend from twenty years ago, but I ended up dying. And now, I'm reborn as a Na'vi, but so is my father, whose sole mission is to kill Jake and his family, and is the reason why we're even here in the first place!"

Jake placed his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, contemplative, as he internally recognized that you were right, but externally wanted to remain authoritarian, "You should have just let me handle it. I would have told Tonowari that you're with us, that you're part of our family, regardless of everything."

"Right, right, like you weren't stuttering trying to explain who I was," Copying his voice, you repeated what he had said snarkily, "Y/n isn't my daughter, but she's like my daughter."

Unconstrained, you released a laugh, "If anything, you backed me into that corner. The way you said it, it was so easy for him to think that I was your daughter-in-law!"

"Yes but—"

"Ma Jake," Neytiri peeked her head from the side of the marui, "It is time for bed."

Inhaling, he reluctantly nodded and you saw that as the perfect escape, walking past Neytiri, you placed a hand on her shoulder gratefully before going to your hammock.

Tuk met you halfway, begging you to sleep next to her, but Neytiri protested in your defense, telling her, "Tuk, it has been a long day. Let y/n sleep by herself and you sleep with mama."

Tuk pouted, sniffling as she tried not to cry, "Okay."

Even though you didn't mind sleeping next to Tuk, you still gave Neytiri a grateful smile. Silence fell in the marui after that, everyone tired as all of you settled into your hammocks.

But, no matter how much you tried to, you just couldn't sleep. Opening one eye, you peeked at the others and once you were certain that everyone was sound asleep, you quietly sat up. Gently placing your feet onto the ground, you stood, hands out as you carefully maneuvered through of the marui. Stopping by your things first, you grabbed the pouch that had all your keepsakes, feeling reminiscent. When you stepped out into the walkway, you became conscious of how bouncy it was. You walked with utmost care, trying not to prompt the usual creak of it that would erupt with every step.

You had originally planned to walk on the beach, but not wanting to risk waking the rest of the village, you carefully made your way toward the mountains that were behind it. The trees that made up the village provided you with the perfect cover as you disappeared between the colossal branches.

And as if sensing that you were there, your ikran appeared by your side, flapping his wings before landing. Putting a hand on his nose, you smiled, nuzzling your forehead into his as he leaned forward. You walked into a clearing, the sky above not impeded by the leaves of the trees. With your feet planted on the ground, the grass below you providing comfort, you looked up at the stars for a moment before reaching into your pouch, your elbows rested on your knees.

There were, of course, the pictures you used to have on your bunk, hugging them to your chest before placing them beside you. Your hand brushed on a piece of glass and taking it out, it was the face of Trudy's watch that she always wore—something Jake had kept and figured you'd want to have. Then, rattling at the bottom were Grace's hair beads, you felt them in between your thumb and your finger, remembering how they would sway to and fro whenever she would laugh. The clinking of glass against the beads brought your attention to the microscope slide that Norm had given to you before you left— a small snaketree sample between the glass to commemorate your time in the lab.

Then, your finger brushed against two hunks of metal and fishing them out, you felt an ache in your heart— you and your father's dogtags. You didn't know why you chose to keep them. Attached to them were painful, bloody, violent memories, but also you couldn't help but remember those good, rare times with him. Maybe it was the Na'vi blood that was making you soft and sentimental, just like he had told you in The Forest.

You had clearly recalled having only put those mementos in there, but when you looked into the very bottom of the pouch, you found three more things. It was Mo'at who had given you the pouch, and in your haste to pack everything up, you didn't notice she had already put things in there for you.

Taking them out, you read the paper first.

It read,

Dear y/n,

The Great Mother holds all Her Children in Her heart. We live in Eywa and Eywa lives in us.

I knew one day that you would return.

Now, that you are reborn, make your songcord, sing, and remember.

You will find your blood incased in amber from the Final Battle, commemorating your sacrifice for Jake. And the bead, carved from the wood of the old HomeTree, honors you for protecting The People.

I am certain that you will have more to add to it as you continue to live and enjoy life.

I wish you well.

Mo'at

These pieces were memories you didn't have, your final moments only in the minds and hearts of those that knew you all those years ago. But, Mo'at had returned those memories to you in a beautiful way.

Holding the bead and the amber in your hands, you clasped them in your palm, closing your eyes and thanking Mo'at in your head, wishing that you could thank her in person and embrace her one more time.

Placing everything back in the pouch, you set it aside as you laid back down, gazing up at the stars, nostalgia flooding you. Although it was a cheap replacement, you felt like you were back in The Forest and for a moment, you closed your eyes, imagining yourself there again.

You could see it, feel it so clearly, but you couldn't chase it back as you opened your eyes again, the pain of leaving the place you barely got to call home taking over.

Then, you thought of Spider, wondering if he was alright. Worry didn't even begin to describe what you felt about it, but the damage was already done. You and the Sullys had vanished, and while you stood by that decision, you couldn't shake the feeling that you had abandoned him. Because just like The Forest had to become a memory to you all, Spider would have to be too.

Rustling in the distance made your ears twitch, your ikran also sensing movement as he shifted closer to you protectively. When you sat up, you had your hand on your knife and lifting your entire body to stand, you stood in front of your ikran.

Knowing exactly where the sound came from, you turned toward it, ready to strike, only to reveal Lo'ak with his hands up in surrender, "It's just me!"

You sheathed your knife, sighing as you returned to your comfortable position on the grass, "How long have you been following me?"

Lo'ak came over to you, putting his hands on his knees as he crouched down above you, his braids dangling in your face as he replied, "Since you got up."

You pressed a finger into his forehead, forcing his head to lean backward, "You're blocking my view."

He wrapped a hand around your finger, smirking, "Funny, because I'm looking at mine."

You rolled your eyes, retreating your finger back and scooting yourself over. Lo'ak just chuckled, sitting down at first then lying on his back beside you, "So, what are we looking at?"

"The stars." Your eyes fixated on earth, "I've always liked them."

Eyes heavenward, Lo'ak asked you, "Why do you like the stars?"

Reaching far back into your memories, you remembered the time before you met Quaritch, much of it a blur as your own mind drowned out the torture you endured at such a young age.

"Pandora...you'd hear stories about it on earth—the most hostile environment known to man is how they'd describe it." You took a deep breath to calm yourself down, chills going down your spine as that time in your life flashed in front of you like a wave, "When my parents sold me, I was kept in a warehouse. They would never turn the lights on in the rooms, but there were windows. So, at night, even when the sky was at its absolute darkest, the stars, the planets...they kept me company. I just always remember wanting to be where they were."

Aiming to lighten the mood, you jokingly figured, "Maybe the Great Mother heard me all the way from earth 'cause not long after, Quaritch took me in and then we came here. And then...I died and I’m here again," You paused, echoing Mo'at's words in her note to you, "Reborn."

Lo’ak noticed your goosebumps, the nerves you tried to hide so obvious to him. And not wanting to press you any further, he did his best to cheer you up, “I was feeling pretty lonely before I met you, so maybe the Great Mother heard my prayers too.”

Your breath hitched, glancing at him from the side then retreating your gaze forward when he tried to meet your eyes, “You’re just saying that. You had Neteyam and Kiri and Tuk. And you also grew up with my brother, didn’t you?”

He just scoffed, “Okay yeah but your brother isn’t nearly as pretty as you are.”

You pressed your lips together, trying not to give him the satisfaction of making you laugh but you couldn’t help it as a roll of laughter escaped you. It was just what you needed, and although your worries still existed, they were quieted as you and Lo'ak talked.

Lo’ak continued, nonchalant as he joked, “I mean, I know why you hang out with me the most. It’s obviously because I’m the most handsome of my siblings, and that includes Kiri and Tuk.”

You let another laugh out before lifting your head and sitting upright, meeting his eyes, "No, that's not it."

The statement made Lo'ak anxious, but equally as desperate to know as he sat up with you, his front braids falling forward as he adjusted the tilt of his head in curiosity, "Why?"

"I hang out with you because..." You reached for him, pawing at the beads in his hair as you tried to find the words you wanted to say, wondering if you even had the courage to say them at all.

The movement made Lo'ak gulp, his lips parted as he rested his palm on the ground for stability. Instinctively, he leaned forward, the natural intimacy between you so stark. Yet, the gap he aimed to close never did as you tugged on his two braids playfully, making him scrunch his face in response.

"B-because it's fun to do stuff like that to you." You stuttered, turning away from him, your eyes landing on the dirt patch at the edge of the grass.

Tracing stars into the ground, you avoided Lo'ak as he peeked his head beside you, smiling as he understood what you were trying to say beneath your mischief, "As long as I get to be close to you, I'm fine with that."

You didn't say anything, peering at him for a second to see his huge smile. Touched, you looked back on the ground, hiding your own smile as you continued to draw your stars in the dirt.

"Teach me how to do that." Lo'ak attempted to follow your hand movements, but with the third stroke, he gave up.

Holding the back of his hand, you directed his maneuvers explaining it, "Just start from the bottom like this then you go up, down, left, right, and down to where you started."

You let go of his hand and watched as he tried it himself, and succeeding, he looked at you for approval, which you gave to him in the form of a proud nod.

The two of you stayed in the clearing for a while, and helping to take your mind off things, Lo'ak asked you more about the stars, your knowledge of astronomy finally landing on eager ears as you mapped out simple basics of the solar system.

When the peak of eclipse began to wane, you stopped your lesson and looking at Lo'ak you urged, "We should head back."

He nodded upon your request. In truth, he was ready to go to sleep again, feeling the creeping tiredness in the yawn that escaped him. But, he was far too engrossed in being with you for that to take priority.

Lo'ak got up first, reaching his hand out to you, which you hesitated to take, and seeing that hesitation, Lo'ak took your hand anyway, lifting you up with firm strength.

"Thanks." Your voice was quiet as you separated your hand from his and looking down, your eyes widened.

"Oh I can't believe I almost forgot this." You crouched to pick up your pouch, holding it close to you, "Okay, let's go."

"What is that?" Lo’ak cocked his head forward to look, but he didn’t need to as you held it out for him to hold.

“Memories.” You replied simply, and turning to your ikran, you gave him one final goodbye before heading in the direction that you came from.

Lo’ak, picked out each of the pieces, observing them. He read the paper last before tucking it back into the pouch.

“What else are you going to put in your songcord?” Lo’ak caught up to you as you walked, the path narrowing from the clearing and into the village.

Just at the edge of the trees, you saw the water below and the village just ahead. Turning, you were about to respond, but Lo’ak continued his pace, bumping into you. You staggered backward toward the edge of the water, falling backwards with nothing to hold.

Lo’ak in his panic, caught you quickly but let go of your pouch, sending it to the depths of the water.

“Y/n I’m so sor—“ You shushed him, putting a hand to his lips.

“Just shut up and dive.”

There was no time to waste for you as you felt a pit in your stomach form, instantly diving into the water. Lo’ak followed after you, even though he knew he couldn’t hold his breath for long, swimming downward.

You had only managed to grab Mo’at’s paper, your dogtags, and the wooden bead as the rest of it fell toward the sea floor below, beyond the scope of the natural bioluminescent plants and into the dark and infinite.

Out of breath, you swam up, Lo’ak already there as he caught his own breath. When you resurfaced, you opened your hand, defeated.

Lo’ak handed you Trudy’s watch, apologetic, “I’m sorry. This was all I could grab.”

You took it from his hands, closing your palm around it, “It’s okay Lo’ak. Thank you.”

Lifting yourself to the shore, the dirt becoming mud as it caked onto your knuckles, you pivoted, sitting down for a moment as your feet dangled above the water.

Opening your palms, you let out a deep exhale, sadness permeating through you and only amplifying as you shivered from the breeze that cascaded through the trees.

“We can look for your other things tomorrow when it’s light outside.” Lo’ak nudged you with an elbow, but you didn’t budge, your head downcast.

It suddenly felt like a bad omen looking at what you had salvaged, a symbolism of everything you couldn't save and everything in your past that haunted you.

As if to taunt you, you looked at your dogtags, the word “Quaritch” causing scorn to rise within you, a reemergence of the pain and the inner conflict you felt about your existence rising. Then, there was the bead, the wood blackened and charred by your father’s command. And lastly, Trudy’s watch, the hands frozen, forever stuck on the moment when she breathed her last breath.

Somehow, all you could gather were the parts of your story that you just couldn’t forgive, the parts of you that juxtaposed that renewed sense of being Mo’at urged you to be, to feel.

But just like Mo’at’s paper, you felt that tug within yourself, torn. The line between who you were and who you wanted to be blurred like the ink that smudged the wet page.

Perhaps remembering was just too painful and in your desperation to lay waste to the guilt and regret you felt, you impulsively threw them all back into the water, overwhelmed by the need to let everything go, to stop the ache inside of you.

Lo’ak blinked rapidly as you did it, unsure if he was just imagining it, “Why—“

Not sparing the water a second glance, you got up, brushing the dirt off your knuckles. You tried to remain indifferent, but your voice cracked, “Some things are better off forgotten. Let’s go.”

"Wait, y/n—"

Lo’ak watched as you walked off and looking into the water, he prayed in a hushed tone quickly before darting off after you, “Great Mother, please help me find everything quickly tomorrow."

-

The next morning, Tsireya was surprised to see Lo'ak so early, but even more surprised to not find you by his side. Judging by the expression that Lo'ak had on his face, she could sense his desperate urgency and the panic behind his eyes.

She cocked an eyebrow at Lo'ak, his eyes showing his desperate concern, and holding the basket she had at her side, she asked, "What is wrong?"

Rambling, he moved his hands as he explained what happened, not stopping to take a breath as he let his words out, "Last night, y/n and I were looking at the stars and then she had this little sack with all the things she needed for her songcord and I dropped it in the water. And I just—I saw her face when it fell and I hate seeing her so sad. So, I need your help finding it.”

She had expected a more dire situation, and after letting out a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but giggle, "And here I was so worried that something terrible had happened! This is an easy fix. Show me where she lost her things. I will help you."

Leading her to that edge, the slight wave of the water lapping at it, Lo'ak could still see your footprints still pressed into the dirt. Pointing, he directed her, "It fell down right here."

"Stay here. I have something that will help with your breath." Tsireya said, and diving, she quickly swam to the depths of the coral reef, her eyes scanning the water.

When she found what she was looking for, a gill mantle, she put one on herself and held onto another for Lo'ak, their fluid-like movements making them difficult to grasp at first, but once she had her hold on the gelatinous body, she swam up.

Lo'ak crouched near the water, watching for Tsireya, heart pounding in anxiousness. He wanted to find it before you woke up, or at the very least, before you noticed he was gone.

Once Tsireya surfaced, she signaled for him to join her and jumping in the water, she showed him the gill mantle, explaining, "Turn. I will put this on your back. It gives breath in the water."

He obliged, turning. He felt it attach to him, its smooth texture cool on his skin. Then, Tsireya submerged herself again, Lo'ak following after her.

He instantly felt better in the water, keeping up with her as she made her way down. The light from above provided a shimmering beacon for the sea floor, which resembled an abyss before in the wake of the night.

Still though, the surroundings were darker than Lo'ak was used to, and seeing his discomfort, Tsireya gently tapped one of the coral pieces, the entire structure illuminating the bottom, every creature and plant seemingly greeting it as they all, in unison, casted their own lights in response.

Once the floor was illuminated, Lo'ak easily found the wooden bead, your dogtags, and Trudy's watch almost fully buried in the sand, their foreign appearances allowing for his eyes to spot them quickly. It also didn't take long for Tsireya to spot the pouch, the design of it so distinctly Omaticaya that it stuck out amidst the surroundings of the sea.

Handing it to Lo'ak, he smiled, clearly grateful to her. Then, making sure that everything was in there, he peeked inside. Relief took over him as he realized everything was still in there and inside of his mind, he thanked the Great Mother. Placing the watch, bead, and tags in the pouch, he closed it tightly.

Going back to the surface, Lo'ak held on to it with a tight fist, not wanting anything to fall out again. And when they neared the surface, Tsireya took the gill mantle off him and off herself. Taking their breaths, they were silent for a moment and holding your pouch out of the water, Lo'ak couldn't contain his excitement to give it to you later.

Tsireya had only met Lo'ak the day before, but she noted early on that Lo'ak would never smile at anyone the way he would smile at you.

Swimming toward the docks, she suggested, "This will be y/n's first songcord?"

"Yeah, it is," Lo'ak looked up, tilting his head, "Why?"

Her eyes brightened, "Come with me. I know how you can make y/n very happy."

Stopping by her marui, she fished out a handful of items from a basket near the ground and showing them to Lo'ak, she described them, "You can use this twine to put it altogether and then you can add something to symbolize your connection, here are some things—just a few shells, sea crystals, beads, and rocks that you can put on there to make it even more special for her."

Instantly smiling as an idea popped into his head, he took out his knife, "I know exactly what I'm going to add. Thanks Tsireya."

"You are very welcome. Here, I will measure out the twine for you."

He nodded gratefully as he began carving through one of the shells. Tsireya unraveled the twine and looking up, she watched Lo'ak for a moment, moved by how focused he was, his concentration showing how much he cared about the efforts he put into it. When he finished, laid out your mementos, one by one, organizing them with intention.

He remembered all the things you told him about yourself, even the smallest details helping him figure out how to put them all in the right order. As he continued to think, he instinctively touched the ikran claw on his necklace, and eyes widening, he unfastened it, undoing the entire thing to release the claw from its position.

Once again, Tsireya saw that huge smile, her heart warmed by the sight, "You’re putting the claw from your necklace in it as well?”

He nodded, placing it delicately next to the shell he carved for you, “I was wearing it when we met.”

He also remembered vividly how you had hooked your hands around the claw of his necklace when you kissed him. But, he kept that reason to himself, too shy to admit it to Tsireya.

“You are very fond of her,” Tsireya knew she was pointing out the obvious, but it didn’t stop Lo’ak from blushing, "And she is very fond of you too."

"Your father thinks we're married." Lo'ak looked up at her from the side, chuckling.

"So did I." Tsireya said with a giggle. Her eyes wandered to your mementos, curiosity bubbling inside her.

"I have never seen things like this before." Tsireya admitted, intrigued as she eyed each one closely, "These are from the Sky People, right?"

"Y/n is from the same star that my dad is from." He replied as he played around with different combinations of beads and rocks.

"How? How are y/n and your dad Na'vi?" Tsireya asked, sheltered from the very idea that it could be a possibility.

Norm and Max had tried to explain it to him once before in the lab while Kiri was visiting Grace's avatar, but he couldn't recall all of the scientific terms or processes. And not wanting to confuse her any further, he avoided the question, "I don't really know. You'll have to ask y/n. She knows all about it. She was a scientist, one of the natural observers of our world."

Tsireya nodded, seeming to comprehend Lo'ak, "I will ask her later when we have time after our lessons. But for now let us hurry, so you can give it to her! I will help you put it altogether."

Giving him directions on how to weave the pieces, Tsireya helped Lo’ak, making different shapes and manipulating the differing pieces to make a cohesive line. Lo'ak kept a careful watch on the sun, once low, a half dome in the reflection of the water, approached near highest peak, the once pinkish tone of the sky slowly settling into blue. When Lo’ak finally got to the last part, he secured what he had carved for you with a double knot, leaving extra room before cutting the end off.

"There! It’s done!" Coiling it in his palm, he presented it to Tsireya and he took it with haste, already up from his seated position and halfway to the entryway of the marui.

"Thank you Tsireya!," Lo'ak began to whisper-yell as he realized that it was still too early for many of the villagers, "Thank you! I have to go give this to y/n. I'll see you later."

Overwhelmed by hopelessness, you had let your impulses take over the night before, so much so that you had woken up in a daze, not feeling like yourself as you mindlessly rolled your hammock. Although you had so confidently uttered aloud how much you wanted to forget, you were beginning to regret it. You hadn't noticed that you were just turning it over and over until Kiri put a hand over yours.

"Are you okay?" She slowly took your hammock out of your hands, trying to find an answer in your blank stare.

“Oh yeah. I'm fine." You replied cheerily, although she wasn't convinced, the glint of sadness still remnant in the way you were looking at her.

When Jake figured out that Lo'ak was missing, what could have been a peaceful morning turned into a very stressful one as he scolded Neteyam for not keeping an eye on his brother. Apologetic, Neteyam could only manage an obedient nod, taking the heat for it, despite his own inner protests.

Hearing Jake, you pulled yourself out of your daze, quick to defend Neteyam, "Why are you blaming Neteyam? This isn't his fault, Jake. Lo'ak probably just went to go ride his ilu or something."

"That's not the point y/n. The point is that I told him to stay out of trouble." He was absolute in his strict rule, but you didn't care, still continuing to argue.

"How do you know he's in trouble?" You challenged him. narrowing your eyes.

Jake opened his mouth with an outstretched finger at you, "It's Lo'ak. I know."

"Like father, like son." You muttered under your breath, rolling your eyes.

"What was that?" Jake's fists balled, the slight annoyance in his voice amplifying.

Putting your hands at your sides as you turned on your heel, you took Neteyam by the shoulder, "Stand down Corporal. Neteyam and I will go look for him before you have a stroke."

Jake watched the two of you go, Neytiri urging Kiri and Tuk to follow after you.

"Thank you for coming to my defense." Neteyam peered at you from the side, grateful as he smiled at you.

You slung your arm over his shoulder with your other hand out for him to bump, "Anytime. I love seeing that vein stick out of your dad's forehead whenever I do something like this."

Neteyam bumped your knuckles, chuckling loudly, "I have noticed it come out a lot lately."

When he laughed, the way he smiled flashed you back, a warm, but sullen feeling taking over, "Has your mom ever told you that you look a lot like her sister, your aunt, Sylwanin? When you smiled, just now, you really look like her."

He blinked, trying to remember, but shaking his head, "No, she's never told me, but I have seen her when I've connected to the Tree of Souls," He looked at you, amazed, "Now that I think about it, I see it."

"Wait! Wait for us!" Tuk's little voice yelled from behind you.

Letting your arm fall, you let out a laugh as you watched her bounce over, the material of the dock moving up and down with every step. Kiri was watching her intently, making sure she didn't suddenly fall into the water.

"Guys! What's happening? What are we doing?"

All of you shifted your attention to that familiar voice, the slight gravelly texture of it not hard to distinguish.

Neteyam immediately scolded his little brother, taking him by the neck, "Skxawng! We were looking for you. Dad has been wondering where you were all morning."

You all continued to walk on the docks until you got to the beach, Neteyam giving his brother an earful.

"Yeah seriously brother." Kiri began, eyes narrowed, "We've been here a whole day and you're already off on some little adventure. Where did you go?"

Lo'ak, wholly expecting it and being so used to being in trouble, shrugged casually, his eyes going to you as he stepped forward, "I had to go look for something."

"What are you talking about?" You knew what he was alluding to, but it felt too good to be true.

From behind his back, he held your pouch up by its drawstring and you furrowed your eyebrows in disbelief, "You found it."

Grabbing hold of your right hand, he placed it gently in your palm, "I know you said some things are better forgotten. But, songcords aren't just about how you began. They're also about how you continue life," He paused, chuckling softly, "And, I also know that if my grandma was here, she would kill me if I let that pouch sit at the bottom of the reef.”

Shocked, you couldn't move for a second, overwhelmed with warmth as you took in Lo'ak's words.

Eager, he looked at you expectantly, "Open it."

Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk were equally as eager, Tuk annoying Neteyam to pick her up so she could see properly. All of them leaning forward, they watched as you pulled the opening apart, the drawstring shortening to their knots at the end.

When you opened the pouch, you softened instantly, "Lo'ak," You spoke in a soft, gentle voice, pulling out the finished songcord, the sight of it giving way to butterflies in your stomach.

You couldn't believe your eyes. Every piece was perfectly placed exactly how you would have done it. With intricate weaving, the bigger pieces were accented by crystals and rocks, the colors all different kinds all along the twine. As you trailed your fingers down, you stopped at the claw and you looked at Lo’ak again, your eyes going to his bare neck. Touched that he had given it to you, you held it with your left hand as your eyes went to the last addition.

You saw what Lo'ak had worked so hard to carve for you and holding it up, you looked at him proudly, "You made this star?” Pressing a finger into each of the points, you praised him, “Aren’t you a quick learner. It’s perfect.”

Kiri found the whole interaction endearing, watching the two of you with a grin on her face. Even Neteyam was moved, proud of his little brother.

You paused, uncertain what to say next, and impulsively you showed your gratitude as you hugged him, your arms around his neck, finding the words finally, “This is perfect. I can’t believe you did all this for me. Thank you.”

“I-I'm glad you like it.” He put his arms around you, and from behind, Kiri and Neteyam mocked their brother, blowing kissy faces at him when they noticed his sudden shyness.

Tuk though, whined, "No fair Lo'ak! You didn't even ask us if we wanted to add something to y/n's songcord!"

Overcome with annoyance, Lo'ak scowled and you let go of him, putting a hand up to shush him. Moving closer to her, you patted her head, "Like your brother said, songcords are about continuing life. You'll have so many more opportunities to add something, okay?"

Smiling wide, she nodded, putting her arms out for you to hold her. Neteyam loosened his grip on his sister as you took her into your arms and she hugged you tightly, "I love that you're part of our family!"

"Yeah, y/n. You're a Sully. You're one of us." Kiri proclaimed proudly.

The other Sullys gathered around you, Kiri and Neteyam putting their hands on your shoulder while Lo'ak shifted to face you.

"Yeah and when I marry you, you'll be a Sully officially."

You were about to flick his forehead when Tuk did the honors, getting back at her brother with a snarky reply, "You're too annoying to marry y/n! I'd feel bad for her."

The outburst was so unexpected, you let out a boisterous laugh, Kiri and Neteyam following suit as their laughs reined in with yours. Lo'ak though held it in, keeping half a smirk as he glared at Tuk and pinched her cheek.

-

Day by day, you were learning more and more about the sea.

Much like the Forest held the flow of energy in the branches of its trees and in the flight of the creatures that called it home, the sea regarded it in the kinship between life and the water that connects all things.

This wasn't just the mindless repetition that you were used to in your military training or even your countless hours of lab training. You were thrust into the depth of a culture that moved your soul and reignited your love for the natural world. And because everything was so new, you felt like a kid again, trying out new things and throwing caution to the wind.

And although you already felt close to the Sullys before, that closeness only solidified as you all were thrown into this new frontier together.

You and Neteyam would hold contests to see who could hold their breath in the water the longest. Tuk and you would spend time making jewelry or hanging out on the sea floor to look for shells and ocean trinkets. You and Kiri always enjoyed diving to the sandy bottom of the reef to observe the sea creatures, keeping their company sometimes until night would fall.

You usually would cast nets to go fishing with Jake or spar with one another to practice fighting with spears. Neytiri enjoyed watching the two of you do either, usually sitting nearby and weaving materials as she did so. Still reluctant to conform, she did her best to adapt with the help of all of you, But, because you knew she missed home so much, you would often ask her to help you with using a bow and arrow, your request almost always inciting excitement in her eyes.

Tsireya was in the center of all these activities, proving to be a good teacher, leader, and friend as she worked diligently to ensure that you were learning the ways of her people well.

And while you did all these things in your new routine, you spent most of your time with Lo'ak.

Lo'ak and you would take every opportunity to ride your ilus together, and when you all finally tamed your own tsuraks, the two of you would sneak off and race them whenever you got the chance. You had even started playing games in the water, creating obstacle courses for yourselves to train your speed and agility or even just simple ones like hide and seek with different objects like shells or rocks—a favorite of Tuk's when she would come (to the dismay of Lo'ak) spend time with you.

When you weren't riding, you were usually sat across from him on the shore of the beach, detailing your latest discovery in the water, your urge for knowledge making itself known in your endless theories and conclusions about their natural world. In conversations like these, Lo'ak found himself falling in love with the sound of your voice every time you spoke science to him.

And when you would just dive in the water together, you would often try to go all the way to the bottom of the reef using the gill mantles, your constant adventures to the depths leading you to unforeseen caves that surprisingly had air pockets, those places being your refuge when you would get tired of swimming.

You all were beginning to get accustomed to the sea, no longer babies taking their first breath.

Yet, despite how well you all were doing, Aonung and his friends, hardheaded and callous, still met you all with hostility and prejudice.

You were just coming back from an underwater dive with Lo'ak, the two of you walking along the beach as he listened to you enthuse, "I can't believe that cave had that sea glass above it. You could see the reflection of the sun through it that far down."

Spotting Kiri in the distance, you nudged Lo'ak, "Come on, let's go tell Kiri about it."

She was in the shallows of the shore, her head and body under the water with her feet above the surface. Even though you called out to her, she didn't respond and you chuckled to yourself, knowing she was focused on whatever it was she had stumbled upon in the sand.

As you made your way over, Aonung had beat you to it, making a spectacle of Kiri to his friends as he walked up to her, prompting her attention out of the water.

"Are you some kind of...freak?" Aonung asked, the others snickering as he taunted her, "I mean you're not even true Na'vi," He gripped her hands forcefully, "Look at these hands."

"Get your hands off me!" She shook her hands out of his grip with a disgusted look on her face, turning away from them and walking in the opposite direction.

Not satisifed, Aonung followed after her, calling out taunts once more until Lo'ak saunted over, pushing Aonung as he snarled, "Back off fishlips."

"Oh good, other four fingered freaks." Aonung mocked, unfazed.

"Look at their little baby tails." One of his friends insulted, grabbing onto your tail aggressively.

Lo'ak turned ready to punch him, "Don't touch her."

But, you had already grabbed the man by the queue, jerking him backward, "Man, I should have brought my damn spear."

His friend, scowled and looking down at your hands when you stepped forward, he clicked his tongue, "This is just a whole family of freaks."

"Leave us alone!" Kiri yelled out, frustrated and annoyed.

"Yeah, you heard what she said." Neteyam had come too, marching to Aonung, his growl sending Aonung backward slightly and his arm up in front of his friends who all snarled at him, "Back off."

Aonung didn't say anything, scoffing softly as he put his hand up in voluntary surrender.

"Smart choice. And from now on, I need you to respect my sisters." Neteyam said, backing away, "Let's go." He put a hand on Kiri's shoulder and another on Lo'ak's head.

You turned on your heel reluctantly, following them until you heard one of them call out mockingly, "Buh-bye!"

Hearing that, Lo'ak stopped, sighing heavily, unable to help himself as he made his way back to Aonung, smirking as an idea popped up in his head.

"Lo'ak—" Neteyam began, but Lo'ak put his hand up reassuringly.

"I got this bro."

Aonung turned, the others along with him.

"I know this hand is funny." He wiggled his pinky at him, Aonung watching intently, "I'm a freak. Alien. But it can do something really cool. Watch. First, you ball it up real tight like this. Okay? Then..."

One...two...three blows to the head and Aonung was flying backward toward the water, the impact of his body splashing the others.

"It's called a punch, bitch. Don't ever mess with them ever again."

Coolly, he walked off, but he only got to the brink of the shore when Aonung tackled him. Without warning, the friends joined in, one of them slapping Lo'ak with his tail.

"I have to get in there." You began, marching up, but Neteyam put a hand on your shoulder to stop you.

"No, no. I'll go," He grumbled, scratching his head.

"Let me get—"

"Just let me a big brother and defend you guys, okay?" Neteyam let out before grabbing one of the men and kicking him in the stomach.

"Show off," You muttered, putting your hands on your hips.

"This is so stupid!" Kiri put her hands around her mouth, projecting as you both watched Neteyam and Lo'ak.

The villagers nearby quickly noticed, and it wasn't long before a group of them came by and stepped in, separating them from Aonung and the others.

Two of the men held Neteyam and Lo'ak by their queues, leading them toward the village while they let Aonung and everyone else go.

Kiri stayed in the water, but you followed after them, a few paces behind. Jake was outside of your marui, sharpening his knives when you all arrived. Asking what happened, the two men explained to Jake that Lo'ak had started the fight.

Jake looked at them apologetically before they took their leave, and pushing them into the marui, he scolded, "What was the one thing I asked? The one thing?"

Looking downward, sand still caked onto their bodies and a few bloodied gashes, they both said in unison, "Stay out of trouble."

"Yes! Stay out of trouble." Jake emphasized

"Sir, it was my fault." Neteyam put his hands up in surrender.

Jake dismissed him, "I don't think so. You gotta stop taking the heat for this knucklehead."

"He called Kiri a freak, Jake." You said from behind them, leaning onto the side of the entrance, "And then he called us, freaks. What did you think was going to happen?"

Sighing, Jake pointed out of the marui, "Go apologize to Aonung."

"What?" You and Lo'ak both questioned together.

"He's the Chief's son. Do you understand?" Jake, frustrated, he put his fingers around the bridge of his nose, "I don't care how you do it. Just go make peace."

Trudging, Lo'ak walked off, shaking his head. He didn't even stop to give you a second glance, his anger festering.

You got up from your leaned position, lowering your eyes at Jake, "Come on, old man. You know that wasn't right."

"Chief's son, remember?" Jake repeated, but you scoffed at him.

"It's not our fault the Chief's son wants to be an ass." You muttered under your breath, which Neteyam and Jake both heard clearly.

Jake couldn't argue against that, sighing again as he turned to Neteyam, "So, what'd the other guys look like?"

"Worse." Neteyam gave his father a meek, but proud smile, "A lot worse."

"That's good. Now, get out of here. Both of you." You saw behind his stern expression that he was pleased, even it was under unfavorable circumstances.

You both obliged, walking out of the marui. Slinging your arm across Neteyam's shoulder and tousling his hair, you told him, "Let's go get you patched up with Tsireya, yeah?"

"What? Don't you want to go find your husband?" Neteyam raised an eyebrow at you, shocked.

"I think your brother needs to cool off by himself." Ignoring his teasing as you replied and remembering how he barely spared you a glance as he went to find Aonung, "And besides, if we go with him and Aonung is there, we're going to end up fighting again. Ugh, I want to punch him so bad."

"It was a great feeling finally punching him. I've been holding that in for weeks now." Neteyam agreed, chuckling proudly.

Letting a deep breath out, you scowled, "I know and I'm jealous. I should have just joined in, honestly."

Placing a hand on your shoulder, you walked side by side together, Neteyam explaining, "Had I let you, I don't think they would have survived by Lo'ak's hands if they landed a blow on you."

"If they landed a blow on me." You repeated, brushing some of the sand off his shoulder and face, "And you know they wouldn't have survived with all three of us."

Neteyam laughed, "You're right, you're right." Tapping his hand to his chest, he reassured you, "You're lucky to have such a mighty warrior as your future brother-in-law."

You pressed into the skin of one of his wounds and he flinched, the reaction making you chuckle, "Alright, "mighty" warrior, I think I see Tsireya up ahead."

Waving to get her attention, she finally noticed, running over. Looking at Neteyam. Her mouth dropping as concern flooded her eyes, "What happened?"

"This mighty warrior needs a couple bandages after fighting your brother and his friends." Taking Neteyam by the back of the neck, you pushed him along, Tsireya signaling for you to join her in her marui as she gathered supplies.

You all sat down on the floor as Tsireya grabbed bandages made of seaweed. You watched her intently as she instructed Neteyam to lift his arm up. Rubbing the underside of the seaweed, it began to glow slightly, revealing a jellied paste that was already slathered onto it.

"What is that?" You asked curiously, your mind filtering through all the possible properties of the plant.

"There are many types of seaweed. Some for our clothes, others for eating, but this one is for healing. You rub it to activate the part that heals the body." Tsireya clarified, passing you a piece that you could look at.

Trailing your fingers along it, you squinted, observing the plant's ridges, texture, and smell, highly intrigued.

"What else do you use for healing?" You placed the piece back onto the ground near the other ones.

Tsireya, happily, described the other healing practices of her people, the many rituals that they do to heal their sick and wounded combining their spirituality and their knowledge of the body.

Fascinated, you urged her to go on and she did, taking out a myriad of items from a basket in the corner, "As future tsahik, I am obligated to learn how to heal, but for now, I help my mother with rituals. These are just some of the many tools we have."

Displaying each of them in front of you, you were eager to learn and Neteyam listened as well as she described the usage of all her instruments.

As you took in the information, your eyes brightened and putting a hand over Tsireya's you stopped her, "I'm going to go find Kiri. I know she'd love to hear about this too."

"Yes! It would be wonderful for her to join." Tsireya beamed and you stood up, making your way to the beach where you last saw her.

It didn't take long for you to spot Kiri among the coral, the sea creatures entrancing her as they swam by her. She didn't notice you approaching until your movement stirred the fish she was looking at.

"Tsireya's teaching us about the tsahik's rituals. Healing plants and whatnot. I figured you'd want to learn too."

She didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes troubled as she looked downward.

"What's wrong Kiri? Don't tell me they tried to mess with you again 'cause I—"

"It's not that." She sighed, hugging her arms, "I don't care what they think of me. I just..." She paused, putting a hand at her forehead, "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"What? What is it?" You took her hands into yours and she made eye contact with you, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.

"I feel Her, y/n. I feel Eywa." Suddenly, fish came from the depths of the water, circling Kiri's feet, "I hear Her breathing. I hear Her heartbeat. She's so close. She's just there...like a word about to be spoken."

You're not crazy, Kiri." You noticed the fish, the movement isolated only to her as you moved your foot near them, and crouching you looked closer, "These fish seem to know you feel Her too."

Kiri couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief, covering her hands with her face before crouching with you, "Just look."

When she placed her hand in the water, the fish moved from her feet to her hand, following her motions, "I don't know why I can do this. I don't know what the Great Mother wants from me."

You were amazed as you watched them flock to her, "If you can feel Her so strongly that means she can feel you too. You wouldn't have this...gift, if you weren't supposed to use it."

"You think of it as a gift?" Kiri looked at you with wonder, smiling.

"Yes! And you should too." Getting up from your crouched position, you extended your hand to her, "Now, are you going to come with me to see Tsireya?" You looked down, "The fish are invited too if they want to come."

She laughed at your joke, taking your hand as she stood up, "Yes, let's go to Tsireya."

Walking back toward the village, you asked Kiri more questions about what she could do, but she had only just grazed the surface of her abilities before she told you, uncertain of what more this inner power could offer. You were almost at the marui when you saw Aonung, whooping happily with his friends. You were surprised at first at the sight and expecting to see Lo'ak with them, you had assumed they all made up.

But, when you found that Lo'ak wasn't with them, you stomped over, trying to keep the fumes that were igniting inside of you at bay as you asked, "Where's Lo'ak?"

They all exchanged looks with one another, Aonung shrugging his shoulders as he replied with a snobby grin, "I thought it wouldn't be easy getting him outside the reef. But when we said we'd ask Neteyam instead, he was all for it. Then, we left him. Poor Forest Boy won't stand a chance out there."

His friends snickered, egging on more insults and Kiri watched as your whole demeanor changed, "What?"

Aonung put his hands up in surrender, "Do you Forest people not have good hearing too? He's probably dead now that—"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as you threw your knife at him hard, barely hitting him as it grazed his cheek, blood dripping from where it hit him, then landing on the column behind him.

"You better start telling me where he is because the next time, I don't plan on missing." You snarled and Kiri, knowing there was no use in calming you down, left to find her older brother.

"I'm not going to fight a girl." Aonung spat, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about all of you." You spat back, throwing his own joke back at his face.

His friends hissed loudly at you, grabbing their knives out as they hunched over into their fighting positions. They lunged at you both, but you quickly disarmed the first one, kicking the knife away and sending him to the ground as you elbowed him hard.

The other attempted to slash his knife at you, but you dodged it, jumping backward and grabbing onto the hilt of it, leveraging your weight and flipping him over onto his friend that was groaning from your hit.

With the two of them out of the way, you made your way over to Aonung, grabbing him by the throat and backing him up into the column where your knife had landed.

You watched as his usual arrogance melted into panic and fear, your knife right beside his head, "This is me being nice. So, I'm gonna ask you again. Where is Lo'ak?" You took the knife out of the wood, placing it along his neck, "And you better start praying to Eywa that I like your answer."

"Y/n! Y/n!" You turned your head to find all of the Sullys with Tonowari, Ronal, and Tsireya, panicked as they took in the scene.

You let go of Aonung with a thrust, him and his friends gathering together.

"What the hell is going on?" Jake leaned forward, clearly embarrassed and trying to tame the situation.

"Tell them what you told me." Your eyes shooting arrows at Aonung, "Or should I?"

He was silent until Tonowari plunged his spear down forcefully, "Speak boy!"

"We took him outside of the reef." Aonung admitted, avoiding his father's eyes.

You looked at Aonung, your mouth hung open with disgust at his purposeful omission of the truth.

Neytiri put her hand over her mouth, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she was overcome with worry and anger. Jake put a hand over her shoulder to comfort her.

"This is true, Aonung? What were you thinking?" Ronal grabbed her son by the neck.

Aonung said nothing again as his mother pulled him away, scolding him harshly. Tonowari looked at Jake and Neytiri apologetically, "We will signal the horns and look for your son."

Nodding, Jake agreed, looking at Neytiri, "Stay with Tuk. I'll fly out to find him."

You were about to follow the other warriors for the search party, but Jake put a hand on your arm, "And you."

"What?" You tried to shimmy your arm away, but Jake maintained his grip.

"You pulled a knife on him? What was going through your head?"

You took a deep breath, "I was threatening him! I wasn't going to kill him!"

Jake groaned and you put your hands up in surrender, "Okay, fine nothing was going through my head. I was just angry...you know because he left Lo'ak out there to die. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Go be with Neytiri and Tuk." Jake demanded, letting go of your arm.

"No, I'm going with you. I have to help." You refused, but he shook his head.

"No, you need to cool off. We'll find him, y/n."

As much as you didn't want to, you trudged over to Neytiri and Tuk, catching up with the both of them.

"Is Lo'ak going to be okay?" Tuk asked you, holding on tightly to her mother.

"Don't worry about your brother. He'll be alright." You provided her that comfort on the exterior, but inside you were a nervous wreck.

You did well trying to hide how you felt, not wanting to create any more tense worry in Neytiri and Tuk, who busied themselves with weaving as they waited for Lo'ak to be found.

It wasn't like hunting outside of the reef was completely forbidden, but in the time that you had been at Awa'atlu, you had only ever gone outside the reef once while under the supervision of Tonowari. And he had instructed that only the skilled hunters would frequent those waters.

Tsireya had warned you all about the dangers of the open ocean. It was the exact reason why their village was separated from it through those huge wooden barriers. There were dangers beyond even the scope of the metkayina, and knowing that sent you spiraling.

Although your mind wanted to think rationally, your heart's troubled murmurs drowned out any possibility of that.

That fear of loss was so deeply rooted into you. You had died all those years ago to save Jake.

But who were you not able to save?

The memory of Grace and Trudy lay like stones in your heart, wounds on your heart continually fresh but torturously cauterized as you tried to put at the forefront that you are not your father's sins; that inner battle within you amplifying this unexpected influx of desperation and fear.

Mixtures of guilt and regret flooded inside of you as you compared how you felt dealing with your losses when you were human and the seemingly inevitable potentiality of them at that moment.

You shivered as you anxiously wondered what you should have done.

You should have followed Lo'ak out when Jake told him to apologize. Maybe if you had done that, he wouldn't have ended up getting lost out there alone. Because at least if you had went, you would have ended up getting lost together.

And as you reflected on your past, that present moment begged for you to consider that perhaps you should have jumped into the helicopter when you helped Grace, Jake, and Norm break out of their cell, that maybe you would have pushed Grace further enough so she wouldn't have gotten hit. Then maybe you and Trudy would have ended up having one last flight together.

When the horns finally blew again and the outcries of the warriors shouted Lo'ak's return, the three of you all immediately got up. Following the villagers who were riding in the water on the walkways, you moved through the crowd of people gathered at one of the docks.

When you caught a glimpse of him, you ran as quickly as you could, Neytiri and Tuk following behind you. Lo'ak was walking away from the dock, his shoulders slumped and his head down.

Neteyam was right behind him, following closely. You were running too fast to slow your pace down, too overwhelmed and happy to see him. Catching him off guard, you hugged him tightly, almost knocking him to the ground.

You closed your eyes as you wrapped your arms around him, a sigh of relief escaping you, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

Lo'ak didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around you too, savoring in your embrace with a wide grin, "You really missed me, huh?"

"She almost killed Aonung." Neteyam revealed and you glared at him, causing him to shrug, "What? It's true. I have never seen you so angry before, y/n."

He exchanged a look with his brother, Lo'ak mouthing, "Really?" and Neteyam nodding profusely, mouthing back, "Yes!"

When Neytiri and Tuk caught up, they were both relieved to see Lo'ak. Neytiri inspecting Lo'ak before going to Jake. Tuk stayed with you though, Neteyam picking her up as you noted the cuts and scratches on Lo'ak.

You leaned back, your arms still attached to him, "Tsireya showed me how to use her seaweed bandages. Let's go get some from her."

"The blame is mine. Why did you speak for me?" Aonung's voice rang out from behind you, his voice becoming louder as he approached.

You pulled your knife out again, extending your hand as you stepped protectively between him and Lo'ak, "Back up."

Then, realizing what he said, you raised an eyebrow at Lo'ak, "What did he just say you did?"

Lo'ak merely shrugged, cavalier as he glared at Aonung, "Because I know what it feels like to be one big disappointment."

Without a second glance, Lo'ak took you by the hand, walking off with you quickly, leaving Neteyam and Tuk.

You put your knife back into your sheath, questioning him again, "Seriously?"

"Did you see his face when I said that?" Lo'ak laughed, satisfied as he smirked, "This might have been the best thing that's happened to me here."

You pinched his ear hard, "I was so worried about you and you're telling me this is the best thing that happened to you?" You let go of his hand and started heading in another direction, "Go to Tsireya by yourself."

"Wait, wait where are you going?" He chased after you, catching your arm but you swatted him away, "I thought you were never letting me out of your sight again?"

"I change my mind." You dove into the water and he swam after you.

Nightfall commanded the bioluminescence of the plants and creatures, illuminating the water that reflected the darkness of the sky. Your own skin was glowing as you swam, the light blue of your markings matching some of the colors around you.

When he finally caught up with you, you signed for him to go away, but he didn't listen, swimming alongside you anyway until you breached the surface for a breath.

Only a few meters from the beach, you looked up at the sky, the sight of the moons glorious and with them, you spotted Earth, a tiny star compared to the orbs near it.

"I didn't know you cared about me this much." Lo'ak was just trying to get under your skin, his tone unserious as he attempted to lighten the mood.

Frustrated, you swung at him, but he dodged it, sending him toward the water with a splash. Wiping the water from his face, his eyes widened as you yelled fervidly, "I've lost almost everyone I've ever cared about, so maybe I should stop caring about you too! It'll save me all the worrying and the pain for when you do stupid shit like this!"

Lo'ak's face dropped, his heart aching sorely as he watched you quickly turn away from him, hesitant to look him in the eyes as tears that you couldn't control began to fall.

"Hey, hey," Lo'ak came up from behind you, placing an affectionate hand on your shoulder, prompting your attention as you turned.

He wiped the last of your tears, but you still avoided looking at him, focused on the water below, "I'm sorry y/n. This is my fault. I'm an idiot."

"You are!" You highlighted and you exhaled, finally meeting his gaze, "They left you out there to die! And you really could have! All because you wanted to show off in front of them!"

"I'm not going anywhere." He pulled you into him, hugging you as you kept your arms at his chest, your head rested on his shoulder.

"That better be a promise, Lo'ak." You pulled away, looking at him, still angry.

“I promise I’m not going anywhere only if you promise too, alright?”

“I promise,” Hands at his chest, your eyes fierce, the words coming out like a sacred command, “No dying.”

“Yeah, no dying.” Lo’ak repeated, and guiding your head back to rest onto his shoulder he wrapped his arms around you once more.

Feeling the warmth between your bodies, comforted by the feeling of safety, your heart spoke for you, "You're not a disappointment, by the way."

Lo'ak was moved, unable to find anything to say, but hugging you even tighter to acknowledge you. You knew exactly what that meant and reciprocating it, you moved your arms away from his chest, gliding them along his back until you found the spot you liked, closing that gap between you as you met him with an equal force of affection, and feeling it deep within as you closed your eyes.

When you finally opened them, you immediately took notice of his wounds, sporadic on his body, the blood from his cuts long clotted and his bruises turned purple.

Extending your arms out, Lo'ak sighed at the sudden break in contact. He already knew what you were thinking and trying to ease your worries, he placed his hands on your cheeks lifting your head up to meet his eyes, “I’m really okay. These are nothing.”

“Yeah but we should still go to Tsireya and have her put those bandages on.” You protested.

Lo’ak grunted, squishing your cheeks playfully, “I don’t want to go to Tsireya, I just want to be with you right now.”

In retaliation, you pinched his cheek back, "I think you missed me more than I missed you."

"Of course I did." He said back to you without a second thought, "And honestly, I wish you were out there with me. I—"

He stopped himself, choosing his words carefully as his smile faltered. It was instantly worrying to watch his face drop and you asked urgently, "What? Why? What happened?"

"Okay, I did almost die out there—" It was as if he saw your heart drop as your expression matched that sinking feeling, your concern shrouded from your eyebrows to the frown of your lips, "But, I wasn't alone. I got saved."

"Saved?" Begging for more answers, you blinked at him, "By who, by what?"

"A tulkun."

-

| prologue | chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4

Author's Note:

My lovers,

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the new chapters in the comments! :)

How did you like this new one? I swear holding hands is Lo'ak and reader's thing!!

Plus, Tonowari thinking they're married just made so much sense to me, don't you agree?

From my heart, thank you again for reading this new chapter! Please please please let me know your thoughts and favorite moments!

I feel like this is my version of the beach episode in an anime— I wanted it to just be filled with small moments between all of them while also showing how they were getting along with their new lives.

Again, thank you guys again for reading and staying tuned. I appreciate you all! For everyone who's waited for this series to come back, I love you!!

Please always take care of yourselves!

love,

nana <3

new tag honor list! @emilymikado — thanks for the recent love on this series <3

[sevsbunny]

decode | sevika x reader

i was listening to decode and just had an angsty moment that needed to be turned to smut soz!

no word count, smut! fingering! (r receiving) sevika just being vulnerable and soft for you

“how did we get here? i used to know you so well…” you say softly as you look up at sevika, the look on her face traced with pain, and anguish. something you’ve never seen on her face before.

she more or less didn’t have an answer. she had so much to say yet so little in fear of having you walk away from her for good.

she couldn’t handle that happening.

she stretches out an arm, her flesh palm up towards you. she takes as step as she does, which makes you take one step back. she faltered, her step pausing mid move, eyes flickering hurt as she looked away.

“look i..” she huffed, dropping her arm as her palm slapped her thigh softly.

“you left…for months. then you come back here, acting like you own the place.” you ball your fists at your sides, furrowing your brow as you feel anger pool into your throat. you were so pissed at her for thinking she can just leave, without telling you where she was going. who she was seeing.

what she was doing.

“like you own me.” you stated, eyes flickering up to her with hurt in your gaze, tears threatening to spill from your waterline. you were stronger than this, she didn’t deserve to have your tears wasted on her.

“i know that. i know i screwed up.” she started but you shook your head, feeling your heart hammer in your chest. you weren’t one for confrontation, let alone small arguments over menial things

you and sevika rarely had fights. yeah, you bickered over small things like how her hair looked out of place before going to work, or how she still mixes her colors and whites in laundry.

“do you?” you asked, knowing the answer already. she looks up at you, nodding.

“the truth is hiding in your eyes,” you comment, and it’s hanging on her tongue, but she can’t bare to let the words slip past her lips.

“of course i do. fuck, i can’t tell you where ive been…” she sighs heavily before slumping over to the dining room table, the low dim light from the one light on under the microwave and the streetlights were the only things illuminating her frame.

she was still big, that hadn’t changed. she might’ve even gotten bigger while away. you couldn’t remember.

you screwed your eyes shut for a moment, trying to not think of how big she was, what she looked like over you.

“why?” you fiddle with your thumbs, shuffling on your feet as you look over at her. you hear her sigh, before leaning back into the kitchen chair and and spreading her legs. “don’t you trust me?”

her sweatpants were hanging loosely on her hips, a crop top under neath with a red flannel over top., something she’d sport regularly in lounge ware.

“of course i do, doll.” she says gently, her tone low and firm. she looks up at you, your frame leaning against the entry of the kitchen. her eyes raked over your frame, a thin satin baby doll slip over your body.

she could see your nipples poking through the fabric. flimsy shit, she thought.

“i just, it’s silco…” she trails off, running her flesh hand through her short bobbed hair. her piercing glints in the low light and for a second you remember what it felt like against your cunt while she ate you out.

“well is there any way i can at least talk to you? can you tell me when you have to leave?” you ask, coming over to where she was sitting. she sits up a little bit, outstretching her hands once again — both palms facing up.

your finger tips press into the palms of her hands, the contrast of metal and flesh making you shiver. you smooth them over her palm and she lets out a soft sigh at the tough of your fingers on her.

she looks up at you with a nod, as you make your way in between her legs. “i can do that for you. sweetheart.” you smile at her gently, sadness still laced through your expression and she can see that.

she knows that you’ve been affected by her, and she knows it’s not fair to leave with no notice. she’ll try harder, if it means you don’t leave her.

her hands run up your own hands, to your arms and around your thighs, squeezing the skin softly as she pulls you closer to her. she takes one of your thighs and pulls it over hers, letting you straddle her thigh.

“i love you.” she admits, and your cheeks heat up. it wasn’t every day you had sevika vulnerable and soft in your hands. the look she gave you affirmed that she meant that she would keep her word.

“i love you, sev,” you say softly in return, your hands coming up to grip her shoulders. she sits up a bit, her flesh hand coming to the small of your back. her metal hand comes to grip your thigh, and you can’t ignore the feeling of your cunt throbbing against her thick thigh

you let out a small whimper, a knowing glance on her expression. she smiles softly, pulling you closer to her body as she starts to slowly move your hips over her thigh. your clit pressed firmly against her thigh, making you shudder in pleasure

“that feel good, sweetheart?” she asks softly, eyes never raving your face as you scrunch your eyebrows in pleasure, soft whines falling from your lips as she moves your hips against her.

you could feel yourself soaking the fabric of her sweats, making you blush darkly. she coos, her flesh hand coming to cup your cheek. “what is it, sweet girl?” you feel your head fall into her palm, her warm touch against your skin. your hips were moving at an agonizingly slow pace, your clit brushing against her thigh every so often

“more, please..” you begged quietly, looking down at her with half lidded expression. she grunts softly at your request, her eyes darkening as she swiftly takes your other thigh, and hikes it over her other

your spread out for her, her metal arm holding your weight so you don’t fall. your arms are wrapped around her neck, looking down at where your cunt was on display for her

she chuckled as she felt the wet patch on her thigh, tskng gently. “oh, baby. you’re leaking…” she takes her right hand, looking up at you as the pad of her pointer finger presses teasingly over your wet hole.

you let out a bated breath, pulling your hips closer to her touch. she laughs softly, pressing her forehead against yours and noses brushing

“needy girl.” she mutters before pushing her pointer finger into your cunt, groaning out softly along with the whimpers falling from your lips. “so fucking wet.” her brain is filing with desire and lust, swimming with the only thought of how you’d feel around her cock.

another time, though. this is about you.

she moves her finger slowly in and out of your cunt, her mouth falling open slowly to watch the sheen of slick over her index finger. her thumb presses against your clit and you shudder at the sensation.

“vika..” you moan softly. she grunts at that, pushing another finger into your cunt before curling them slowly, making sure to feel all of you.

“what is it, doll?” she asks sweetly, moving her nose to judge your jaw, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. you let your head fall to the side to give her better access before letting soft moan spill from your lips as she picks up the speed of her fingers

“faster, please…oh please…” you babble, your eyes closed as you feel her fingers pick up. soft moans fill the quiet room, the sounds of her fingers squelching with each thrust. it only made you more wet

“anything for you, my love.” she growls as she picks up the pace, her thumb making quick circles around your clit. you felt your hips stutter with each stroke, your cunt dripping every time she fucks you

“taking my fingers like my cock so well, baby.” she mutters against your skin and you let out a moan as she speaks, your body shivering and stomach tensing. you knew you were close to cumming, and you couldn’t hold it back

“‘m close, sev please,” you moan out, matching her thrusts with your hips as she quickens her pace on your clit. you’re clenching around her fingers, feeling her deep inside your cunt. you let out a moan as you feel your orgasm wash over you

“that’s it, baby. so fucking pretty for me. cumming all over my fingers like this, fuck,” she moans out, her eyes never missing how her fingers plunge deep into you and how wet and warm you feel. she felt her own pussy throb with desire, needing nothing more than release

you felt your body shaking after you came down, her fingers slowing inside of you before you cling to her body like a koala. “never leave me, ever again.” you mumble into her neck. she takes her fingers from your cunt before wrapping her arms around you tightly.

“never again. sweetheart.”

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

It’s time to break down the top ten pets we covered this past year before we move into the next! These pokémon would each make good house pets for most owners, and come with our official recommendation. This post will give a brief overview of what makes each candidate a top option. A little later, a separate post will provide the links to the full posts for each one. Let’s get into it!

10. Plusle and Minun

Stand-out pokémon from a type that tends to rank pretty lowly on this blog, both plusles and minuns would make good starting pets for someone interested in Electric-Type pokémon. While you’ll need to be careful of their paralyzing moves, some experts believe that these pokémons’ passive electric powers can have surprising health benefits. That being said, their ease of care isn’t the best (feeding these little friends will be more than a little expensive).

9. Piplup

Piplups have quite the reputation for being unfriendly due to their prideful, haughty attitude, but once you break through that prickly exterior they can make a great pet. They aren’t the best Water-Type pokémon in this top ten, but if you’re looking for a new aquatic friend then a piplup may be a good choice for you (so long as you don’t mind swimming in the cold!).

8. Rowlet

Pretty good year for bird-like starter pokémon! Rowlets are great fits for night owls who could spend some time on training. Plus, if you have a pest problem, a rowlet would be more than happy to help you out with it! They’re also just so unbelievable cute (maybe showing some bias there).

7. Nincada

Good news for Bug-Type fans, you’ve got two great options in the top ten this year! Nincadas are pretty low maintenance, so the barrier for entry into caring for one is perfectly low for new owners. As I discussed in their post, however, you will need to keep in mind the commitment that you take on when adopting one: this is one species of pokémon whose entire lifestyle is geared towards evolution. While I have only discussed one of their evolutions thus far (shedinja), the ease of care and threat level of these evolutions is much higher. Experienced bug-type owners won’t have a problem, but newbies would need to consider this heavily before adoption.

6. Lotad

If you’ve got access to a pool of water for a Lotad to chill in, then you’ve got just the right environment for adopting one. These guys are friendly (at least to other pokémon), easy-going, and their needs aren’t very extreme. They may not be the most energetic or “exciting” pets, but lotads are a great candidate for an aquatic pet!

5. Azumarill

Like the lotads under them in this top ten, azumarills are simultaneously easy to care for and friendly, making them a great option. Like most Water-Types that we discuss, any potential azumarill owner will need to provide them with a place to play in the water, which might not be something everyone is able to provide, but beyond that, they would make a great companion. They’re playful, caring, and cute! What else do you need?

4. Snom

My personal favorite out of the top ten, it’s another delightful bug, snom! While there isn’t a vast wealth of data about this species, given how recently they were discovered, there is plenty of indication that they would make a safe, low maintenance pet. They may not be the most expressive, but their diet of snow and relatively low threat level makes them a great candidate, so long as you don’t mind keeping your home cool.

3. Meowth

That’s right, meowths are especially the same as regular cats, making them an excellent pet! Like regular cats, these pokémon are fickle and free-wandering, but the path to their heart is quite simply paved with shiny things. Plus, as a huge bonus, look at that charming face! If you’re a cat person, you’re a meowth person.

2. Dachsbun

So long as you can keep them safe from their many potential predators, due to their sweet smell, a dachsbun would make an excellent pet. Unlike meowths, who are essentially cats, dachsbuns are much more than “just-a-dog”: are you a baker or a farmer? A dachsbun would make the perfect companion for you due to their ability to provide yeast for baking and to help plants grow with their mysterious scent.

And finally, our number one pet option of 2024 is…..

1. Teddiursa

Adorable, safe, small, and easy to care for, teddiursas would make a great pet for any owner. Their diet is made up almost entirely of honey, which is pretty easy to come by. Plus, if you provide your teddiursa with the right raw materials, they can make their own, providing for a perfect play activity that they may even share with you. Just…uh… make sure you use an everstone, and you’ve got the perfect little friend.

Thank you for another great year of blogging! I truly appreciate all the ongoing support, and I hope to be even more active in 2025. Will a non-Normal-Type pokémon finally come out on top next December? Probably not. But let's see!

[lebizcanada20]

IRCC Approves Manitoba’s request to extend work permits for some PNP candidates

Marc Miller Canada’s Immigration Minister has approved a request by the government of Manitoba to extend temporary resident status for some nominees identified in the province's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Updates ,All the  nominees have work permits that will be set to expire in 2024 and are those who are mainly Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders. Those individuals currently have applications in the pool for the Manitoba Skilled Worker Program, an immigration pathway aimed at filling key job vacancies within the province.

temporary workers means that 6,700 may continue the process  while working ,and the province continues to process their PNP application. The province expects that “eligible foreign nationals will receive an official nomination from Manitoba and eventually become permanent residents” within two years.

the Immigration, refugee & citizenship Canada. guidlines  says it is open to working with other Canadian provinces & territories to help in  more temporary residents into permanent residents to address national labour market needs.

More information may be available following a meeting of the Federation of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) on May 10.

Manitoba’s PNP

The province introduced the program in  1998, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to start a program called the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This program was created to bring in new people who might usually move to big cities like Toronto or Vancouver. Manitoba wanted to attract them to come and live in their province instead.

The idea of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) worked really well in Manitoba. It helped share the good things that come from immigration across the province. After seeing this success, all other provinces and territories in Canada, except for Quebec & Nunavut, decided to do the same thing. They wanted to bring in more people to help their communities grow too.

Data also shows that 10,000 people in Manitoba transitioned from worker status to permanent residents in 2023.

In January & March this year, the province issued 1,560 Expressions of Interest to Skilled Worker candidates leading to 1,478 approvals.

IRCC data shows that in 2022, 20% of all permanent resident admissions came through the PNP. Additionally, the Immigration Levels Plan  (Canada’s admissions targets for permanent residents each year) plans to welcome 110,000 new permanent residents by the end of 2024, and 120,000 per year in both 2025 and 2026.

Changes to temporary resident levels

This is unique in Canada’s immigration space & aligns with a previously announced priority for the year and in years to come. On March 21st this year, Minister Miller announced an intention to pursue more domestic draws to help transition temporary residents to permanent residents.

In another way, IRCC plans to work with newcomers already in Canada to help them become permanent residents, rather than increasing the previously uncapped number of temporary residents who arrive in Canada each year. In 2023 Canada had a temporary resident population exceeding 2.5 million people, or 6.2% of the total population.

In 2023, 157,000 people transitioned from temporary residents to permanent residents.

Regarding Canada Immigration or any other Query regarding refusal cases and visa  ? Do you want quick Alternate Solutions? You can immigrate to Canada with fast processing times via Direct PR pathways.

Call our experts at +91- 8375012389 or mail us at Daljeet.bhatia@lebizcanada.com

[nep-neptune-0]

Seeking You

Dan Heng x Reader

Summary: Dan Heng never liked to be disturbed in his room, especially when he was sleeping. Even the slightest disturbance outside the door easily woke him up, much to his dismay. But he never felt troubled when you were the one who disturbed him.

Content: fluff, reader is injured, description of injury (not too detailed), male Trailblazer mentioned (sorry I luv him)

Word Count: 2k

a/n: I'm not a medical expert or anything like that, sorry if I got it wrong 😭

It was rare for the archivist of the Astral Express to get quality sleep. If he wasn’t out and running into all sorts of trouble with the Trailblazer and March 7th, you could find him in his room, so immersed in his work that he often forgot to sleep. The only semblance of rest he got was from blacking out from fatigue, but he never felt truly energized from it. He was also unfortunate enough to be a light sleeper, so during those rare times he decided to actually sleep in his bed and not pass out on his chair, all passengers made sure to take another route to their destination if their original path crossed his door. Of course, there were instances when they didn’t know he was sleeping, and later during that day his team would notice his fighting became just a tad more jagged, irritated. Though he never got properly upset at any of them.

Tonight was one of those rare nights where all Dan Heng wanted was to sleep, new data be damned. He had been pulled along for some new trouble the Trailblazer found himself in, which obviously triggered a chain reaction of even more trouble, as it always did. The archivist wasn’t sure how long they spent outside the Astral Express before they decided to call it a night. 

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out, and he intended to be out for at least a couple of hours if possible. Since both March 7th and Caelus had fatigue clinging on to them before they went to their rooms, it was safe to say he would remain undisturbed. But he failed to take another potential factor that would threaten his sleep time into consideration.

That factor was you. 

His door was slammed open, a thud following close after. At first, he thought it was one of the troublemakers. He sat up, ready to tell them he wasn’t in the mood for another adventure. 

All words he had thought of died in his throat. There was a lot of blood pooling under you, who collapsed onto your stomach. The faint light pulsing from the data bank illuminated your knitted eyebrows, trembling lips, and the sheen of sweat over your skin. 

It wasn’t the first time you visited his room in the dead of night. Both of you had gotten into some rhythm of keeping each other company without saying much whenever you visited his room. While he was updating and refining data entries, you would be at his desk, sketching and scribbling notes of the new plants and enemies you had found during missions. 

You were a curious soul with a thirst for knowledge that could rival any high-esteemed scholar or researcher. The first time you were there, you merely stood on the other side of the doorstep, asking him with a quivering voice if there were any data entries that matched something particularly eye-catching you had seen on your latest mission. When he had given you an answer, you had scurried away to your room after thanking him. 

The next time you were there, you had bravely stepped into his room to observe him while he found the correct file. And before long it became a common occurrence for you to swing by after a mission, sketches in hand and questions burning at the tip of your tongue. After a few more times, Dan Heng had told you you were free to look through the information yourself.

At first, you thought he was telling you to stop bothering him, but the newest troublemaker on the express had other thoughts about it. He had pointed a shaking finger at you, sputtering about how the coldest person on the Astral Express had given you permission to touch his precious data without any consequences, something that he never thought was possible. Not that others weren’t allowed to, of course, but Dan Heng usually kept an eye on Caelus whenever he wanted to check something. A laugh had escaped you at that, and you waved his words away, saying that it was natural since Caelus somehow managed to cause trouble wherever he went. You weren’t special. In response you got a smug look from him. Whatever that meant.

One day, you were too caught up in information hunting you didn’t notice how much time had passed since you sat down by his desk. But before you could gather your papers and bolt out of the room with a flurry of apologies, he had stopped you and said you were allowed to stay as long as you wanted, so you sat back down. 

You had wondered if he was actually alright with it. Occasionally, you would glance at him, trying to read his body language or facial expression for any sign of annoyance. At one instance, your eyes met his, and you couldn’t look away, but after a few seconds, you forcefully tore your focus away from him, back to the photographs. You felt the tips of your ears burning as intensely as the sun. 

While you promised yourself to not look again in fear of embarrassing yourself, you couldn’t help but sneak some longing gazes at him. And if you had rested your eyes at him for a bit longer, you would have noticed his eyes being drawn to you more than a few times too. 

That night, you had fallen asleep on his desk, face planted on all the photos you printed out to analyze. His coat had been draped over your frame as a makeshift blanket when you woke up and your phone had an unread message. You’re welcome to continue looking through the database even if I’m not there. I hope you slept well, it said. You remembered feeling flustered, not only from the message but also the faint smell of him lingering in the coat.

Soon enough an additional chair was placed by his desk. The surface was spacious enough to fit two people working on their own thing, only occasional talk filling the otherwise silent air. Sometimes, only you were there when he was out with Caelus and March 7th. The Database practically became your second room. 

There were also times you opened the door to find him sleeping, and despite being a light sleeper that became grumpy the day after, he didn’t seem to be moody at all during the days after he was briefly woken up by you. He would merely peer up at you before shutting his eyes again, hand lazily beckoning you in. You had asked him more than once if your visits while he was resting disturbed his performance the day after, but every time he had told you not to worry about it. So you continued to visit him whenever you were finished with a mission, even if he happened to be sleeping. Though, you became more careful when opening his door. 

Dan Heng would never admit that he slept better when you were in the room. The comforting sound of your pen scratching against paper and the occasional sighs or hums you let out somehow made him feel warm, a stark contrast to the coldness that enveloped him when he slept alone in the room. He really didn’t mind you waking him up more often in the middle of the night if it meant he got to experience that warmth.

Although, you had never arrived when he was sleeping with a gash on your stomach. 

A metallic smell had spread through the air. Your breathing was shallow, body twitching from hiccups. 

“What the hell happened?” Dan Heng breathed, though he didn’t expect a response. Before he could think, he was out the door, heading to the infirmary. He gathered all the supplies he could think of getting. 

Detrimental thoughts swirled in his head like a typhoon. What mission were you sent to? Did they not check the danger levels before dispatching you? Did you get distracted? He should’ve come with you, but you were already gone by the time he met up with the troublemakers in the Parlor Car. You could’ve gone to him before heading out and he would gladly have accompanied you to the mission. What if you were gone by the time he came back?

When he had everything he needed, he hurried back. You still seemed to be in some state of consciousness when he entered his room, not dead. Good. 

Dan Heng started wiping off the sweat that collected on your forehead, then he tentatively rolled you onto your back. The wound wasn’t as deep as he thought it was, it wasn’t life-threatening. You’d survive.

“I’m gonna clean your wound.” He shut the door and gave you a towel to bite on before unscrewing the bottle of antiseptic. “... it’s going to hurt.”

Guttural whines and sobs escaped your throat as soon as the alcohol touched your wound. Biting down hard on the cloth, your hand flailed to find purchase in anything that could ground you. The victim happened to be Dan Heng’s thigh. You were sure it would leave crescent shaped indents at the end of the procedure, but you could not be less bothered to care. 

How you managed to stay somewhat lucid was beyond you. The shock probably helped you through the stitching part. Though Dan Heng’s gentle voice, mumbling something you could not quite make out, tethered you the most. If you had heard, you definitely would have been reeling from the profanities and apologies he was spewing out of concern. 

When it was time for him to bandage you up, the pressure on your abdomen relieved you. Your jaw slackened and the archivist removed the now soggy towel. 

“Sorry about the floor,” you slurred. “I’ll clean it up tomorrow.”

“You will not. Now, care to tell me what happened?” 

“Hm.” Tiredness washed over you like a wave. The worst was over, and now you just wanted to sleep. “Found a treasure map, didn’t expect a Reaver to be in the way.”

“Hmph.” His disappointment was evident. “You’re lucky your wound wasn’t that dangerous. Who knows what could’ve happened. Did you go to that place alone? I would have gone with you if you wanted to find the treasure. You could’ve died, [Name]. Why didn’t you just go to Natasha when–”

“I couldn’t think straight,” you muttered, letting your eyes flutter shut. Your voice dropped down to a fragile whisper. “After I got injured– I don’t know– all I could think about was getting back to you first. I wanted to see you.” 

There, you said it. A few seconds went by and he had nothing to say back. Great. When you had gathered enough energy you were heading – crawling if you needed to – straight to your room and–

“You absolute idiot.” Gentle hands lifted you up, trying to avoid agitating your wound. You were half-expecting him to carry you back to your bedroom, but you felt him taking a few steps before you were lowered again, onto something soft. His bed. 

Dan Heng laid himself slowly beside you in fear of making you uncomfortable. He laid on his side, using his arm as his pillow as he gazed at your side profile. His free hand inched forward to brush some hair away from your face.

“I’ll always be here,” he murmured. “Next time you get injured, which I rather wouldn’t happen, give me a call and head to Natasha’s immediately. I will be there as quickly as I can.” 

Your eyes hesitantly cracked open. Upon seeing the worry etched onto his face you brought your hand to intertwine with his.

“Promise?” you asked meekly. 

“I promise.” His lips ghosted over your cheek before he casted his blanket over the both of you with the utmost care. “I’ll clean the blanket tomorrow, so don’t worry about it. Now, get some sleep. After the troublemakers roping me into their schemes and you nearly giving me a heart attack, I really need some rest. We’ll go to Natasha’s Clinic tomorrow.”

“Yeah… good night.” 

“Good night, love.” 

[str4ngr]

was it worth it? [ sae itoshi ]

cw: not proofread, angst, foul language, break up, kinda sae focused, regret, desperate ex. notes: i might... key word might, make this a mini series bc i lowkey love this angst. pt. one, pt. three.

paparazzi was so damn annoying. his brows furrowed as more lights flickered across his face, clicking echoing through the night street like an open symphony as he rushed to his car, men in black forcing a path.

the cameras didn't stop even after the loud sound of the door shutting, the engine rolling as his driver took off to his apartment. within moments, the clicks faded into squabbling and shouting, before it became only the turn signal of the car. it was quiet again.

it was always quiet.

when you first left the apartment, the struggle against your sadness evident on your face, it was quiet. for the first time in a long time. there was only one set of shoes at the door. well, it's been like that for about a month now. he wondered if you've been tying your shoes. guilt tripped in his hear as he quickly shook his head, brushing away the softening memory.

when he stepped past the entry way, the quietness was piercing. he missed the noise of someone else in his kitchen, humming a song without a melody. he missed the buzz of the t.v., playing a show he wasn't particularly a fan of though you were.

sae's hands balled into fists at his sides, flat eyes glaring down at the navy couch in his living room. it was an l-shaped couch with plush, soft cushions and plenty of throw pillows. the seat in the corner was a bit less round, dipped and worn. it must've been a comfortable spot.

feeling as though he was acknowledging too much, sae's mind shut off, mechanically moving through his kitchen, dumping the pre-prepped dinner from his fridge into the pan. as heat sizzled through the thawing rice, his mind began to wander again.

"i don't need your luck."

he did. his stomach churned, and suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore, a strange lump in his throat, an unshakeable tremble in his hand, a burning in the waterline of his eyes. his jaw fell open, saliva pooling on his tongue, desperate to utter your name,

"i needed it. i needed your luck."

sae was speaking to no one and he knew it. his voice an echo in the hollow apartment, absent of you. the dip in the couch, too much space on the entry landing, no random recipes to welcome him home. regret swallowed him like a whale, unable to consume him, yet not pushing him far enough away to do anything but get swallowed up again.

a bitter scent filled the air, and sae scrambled to stir the fried rice around in the too-hot pan, huffing in irritation. he tried to play off his symptoms of sadness, though there was no reason anyone would struggle to diagnose him. his brows furrowed as he stared at the rice, mindlessly mixing the grain and finally lowering the heat.

his gaze flattened again, focused on what wasnt there. sae was curious, he hadnt used instagram in a long time. turning off the heat after learning from his previous mistake, his grabs his phone, pressing his finger to the lock and opening up the app he usually allowed his managers to-as their job entails-manage. the first thing he noticed was the absolutely abysmal amount of comments that arrived in the notification tab. he didnt bother opening it. instead, he opened his chats, and didnt find what he was looking for.

it made sae smile that you didnt message him, maybe you remembered how he always said he doesnt use his instagram. sae's expression falls at the next thought: maybe its because you hurt you too badly that night.

he searches through his following, heart sinking to see that he's no longer following you. stupid managers. "shit," he huffs, wanting to snap the brick of metal, instead angrily scrolling through his followers to find, "...still?"

sae scoffed, furious. angry for you, because why did you still follow him? why did you still look at all his posts? like all his posts? did- "what was that fucking doing for you?" sae walked away from what was supposed to be his dinner, huffing again as he sat on the couch. why couldn't you have unfollowed him? now, his finger trembled over your account, fighting with himself on whether he presses it or not.

air balls up into a lump in his throat. he remembered all the times you posted him, stupid little dates or when he won a game. he remembered the post for your first anniversary the most. you were so beautiful, so happy, your cheeks flushed with blood as the two of you sat in the restaurant that was also your first date. he remembered how he fought--and lost--when he tried not to be so boisterous that night, failing to resist your charm as the two of you laughed together on the couch, surrounded by each others warmth. cheesy. he smiled to himself at the word, trying not to acknowledge the way his eyes began to burn again, or how his lungs felt like they were sinking, or how hard it felt to breathe.

slamming his phone on the coffee table, sae keels over, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, palms digging into his eyes. it hurts. oh it fucking hurts. he feels his shoulders shake with each breath, his palms sweating, his eyes burning, his ears ringing, his pulse in his skull. he messed up. he messed up so much.

he needed your luck. he needed you.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

notes: pt.3?

[diabolik-alice-vixen]

“Hide and Seek~”

A Laito x Reader short NSFW 🍋

. ‼️⚠️WARNING ⚠️‼️ EXPLICT CONTENT MINORS DNI

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Disclaimer: (The following fan fiction contains dark NSFW 18+ themes, including predator/prey dynamics, rough play, sadomasicism, dubcon,and Rough sex… Proceed at your own risk. )

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“Fufu.. come out come out wherever you are Bitch- can~”

You could hear Laitos voice as you hid behind one of the trees in the woods just outside the manor.

Your heart despite your best efforts pounded vigorously against your chest. Your legs which had been running nonstop for almost 2 hours, threatened to give way beneath you. But you couldn’t stop, you had to keep going, keep running. Laito was very clear with the rules of the game. You had one hour to hide and make as much distance as possible before Laito came to find you. If you could stay hidden for the entire night, he promised he would control himself for a whole week . No blood sucking , no harassment..no unannounced entries into your room while changing… a week of peace sounded like bliss to you…

However.. he was also very clear what would happen if he did catch you before sunrise…

You looked around … no sign of him. Was it safe to move? That was probably your best option. Keep moving, don’t stay in one area too long or you’re scent will be easier to pinpoint…

“I can hear your heart racing. I’m going to do soooo many terrible things to you when I catch you. Be sure to brace yourself okay?~”

His disembodied voice despite the laughter sent a cold chill across your body as if covered in ice water. It echoed around you with no way to pinpoint the direction. He was toying with you. You couldn’t see him but you could swear you could feel his eyes on you. . You realized you were shaking as you tried to compose your racing thoughts and thumping heart.

Calm down… you think. Should you keep going left? The lake was that way. If you ran fast enough you could make it there in 10 minutes. How long could you hold your breath? Maybe the water would hide your scent..no.. he’d knew you like that place so he’d no doubt check there first. Or.. maybe the underground passage? Plenty of tunnels to hide in.

Your thoughts raced as you wracked your brain for a plan of action .

Crack*

You heard twigs lightly snapping under footsteps. Your heart dropped in your chest as you stood up. Ready to just run. Doesn’t matter the direction . You lingered here too long. You need to move now.

Snap*.

Another branch. Much too close for comfort.

Before you even had time to react you felt a cold firm on the back of your neck. The grip felt like iron and your entire body seemed to freeze in paralyzing fear.

“Nfu~.. Found you.. “

—————⛔️EXPLICIT CONTENT⛔️——————

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“An hour and 48 minutes! I think that’s a new record!” Laitos voice was cheerful and teasing . His cool breath blowing against your ear gave you chill bumps

His hand wrapped around your throat with a viselike grip. Your breath caught against his hand. Hot Tears begin to well up in your eyes. Every single one of your nerves were on fire as you began to shake. Knowing what was coming.

“Did you enjoy your little brush of freedom? Were you desperate to escape? Mm. That’s good. I quite enjoyed watching your serious expression. So sexy ~

Laito ran his tongue against your blushed cheek. You grimaced and tried to pull away, but the grip he had on your neck kept you in place.

“Ah-ah- ah what a bad girl~ We had a deal, remember ?

The oldest triplet pushed you against the nearest tree roughly. You let out a small pained cry when your back scraped against the bark. he pressed against you , your hands pinned firmly. The slight scrapes on your arms and back stung from the friction and you winced much to his amusement.

“Nfu ~ Oops my bad. Does that hurt?” He brought his mouth to your arms, kissing lightly up your fore arm before licking the tiny beads of blood that pooled along the scratches. .

“Mn.. good. This is your punishment for losing the game .”

You stared up into his eyes, a satisfied blushed smug expression met your gaze back. “ you were never gonna let me win in the first place “ you say shooting daggers with your eyes

Laito chucked lifting you up more, wrapping one hand around the back of your thigh pulling you close to his hips.

“ Neee?- how cold Bitch Chan! But I was VERY gracious. I even gave you an hour head start. That’s more than my brothers would have given you for sure.. . It’s not my fault you wasted precious time catching your breath.”

Without a warning he tore at the fabric of your lower half . Easily Shredding at your shorts with one hand, his nails would dig through and tear at the cloth , leaving faint marks along your skin . Your breath hitched and your core tightened.. attempts to struggle or pull away only proved futile . Laito shamelessly pressed his waist against yours rolling his hips. Feeling his bulge prod and rub against you was nearly enough to make your head spin . His knee raised and pressed against your feminine core.. covered only by the soaked panties that some how managed to survive the onslaught.

Laitos concentrated gaze at your soaking core set your face a blaze. You could practically feel The heat radiating off your body as it betrayed you.

“Mmm these are nice? So Very you~ Next time let’s go out and pick out something alittle more risqué together hm?”

Laito hooked one finger around the lace covered band and without much effort, ripped those away too in less than a second. His fingers traced along the wet folds coating his finger tips completely. He slid in and out tantalizingly slow.. at first rubbing his thumb against your clit, nibbling your throat. Gliding one finger inside he kissed you deeply, eating the moans that spilt from your lips. His cold hands and lips contrasting against your feverish skin sent your nerves into a state of haywire. It was all too much.

You tried looking away but a cold hand gripped at ur cheeks roughly and cupped your face, forcing you to look him into his lust filled emerald eyes.

“Heh What’s the matter Bitch-Chan? Ashamed at your own lust? That won’t do. I intend to make sure you savor every second of this. Every sound.., every touch-“ With a vicious grin he removed his fingers from you and thrust his digitis in your mouth. “Every taste….”

He slid his cold unrelenting fingers In and out, choking you as he continued to rub his clothed hard on against your center. The sensations causing you to mewl around his fingers. He thrust his fingers against your throat ruthlessly,, taking in all the desperate choked cries.

“ say how does it taste? Your own dirty juices that is. Is it sweet? Ah.. that embarrassed pathetic expression. Your half lidded eyes..You know exactly how to flip my switch don’t you Bitch-Chan? ” Your heart squeezed once more… you managed to cough out a single plea between the assault of your mouth”

“Lai- .kuh…To .... P-plee *gasp* s-Stop.. too.. gah … too m- much….”

Laito grinned darkly and pushed you onto the ground. He made quick work of his zipper, tearing it and the buttons off completely in his excitement. “Hm? But I won fair and square no? If I don’t make it unbearable it’s not much of a punishment now is it? Fufufu.. AHAHAH”

You attempted to get up but your legs were like butter. Not that you would have gotten far to begin with as Laito grabs you by your ankle roughly pulling you to him before you even had a chance of lifting yourself off the brush. With a gasped shriek . Your slick naked thighs slid agonizingly across the dirt and branches,as you’re dragged up onto your knees , ass in the air.

Without hesitation he thrusted himself inside of you, burying himself fully to the hilt. The sheer force causing you to scream out. You could feel his body shake and convulse as you heard a familiar breathless sigh then…he stops all movement for a moment that lasted like years.. It was almost worse that he stayed completely still , making sure you could feel every single solitary inch twitching inside you. Stretching you out completely… then it started..

The vampire gripped your ass tightly digging his nails into the soft flesh before rutting into you nonstop at a pace that felt.. impossible… inhuman. Drool trailed its way from the corners of your mouth down your chin as you could feel him stretch your inner walls, grind against your inner stomach. The sounds of your pathetic cries and desperate screams were enough to light a fire inside the him. pushing him to that edge. Over and over again he forced himself back inside you. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to be deeper… he wanted to be closer.. more…. He wanted in your skin…

Laito wrapped his arms from behind you around the front of your waist and lower stomach,and with an aggressive grunt, he viciously pulled you roughly back against him not stopping his relentless pounding for a second. Laito narrowed his eyes and grunted in delight as His chest pressed against your back and hand shoving your neck down, pinning you to the cold ground. Your nails clawed at the dirt beneath you , longing to hold on to something to brace yourself . Your mind was blank and full of static. Over and over the pressure of his dick hitting against your womb made your eyes roll back with pleasure you couldn’t help but to feel. It was insane, it was vigorous.. it was so fucking hot..

. With a dark chuckle he gripped you tightly by the hair and shoved your face into the dirt .

“Look at you. Hah… fufu your face is filthy. Hah.. what a sexy look. Do you like being treated like this perhaps? Like an object for my pleasure? Ha.. aah.. you really are haah.. such a ..Bitch.”

His words cut through you like a knife. A warm tight intense feeling caught in your lower stomach for a moment then passed… and you writhed desperately trying to chase that feeling “Oh? Your body seemed to enjoy that.?” He leaned down into your ear “do you have any idea how tighter you got? Fufu~ what a naughty little girl.. haah…that’s it..” laito slowed his pace just for a second. He rolled his hips upward, dragging his cock against your slick tightening walls over and over. “just keep moaning like that.. fufu.. we are in for a very long night. So suffer lots for me… hah... Bitch Chan. Nfu…💚

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Mun note: yall i have wanted to start posting my dabbles and fanfics and headcanons on this blog for so long now but I was always so scared no one would like them. So fuck it. Let’s see how yall like this shii hehe

Also tagging blogs that give me inspiration so yee❤️ ok baii~

The amazing artist that made the header https://www.tumblr.com/6robotmonster6 💕🫶🏻😩

@everything-laito @writhingecstasy @dialovers-lover-xoxo @kirisakiss @laitosrightearlobe

[coochiequeens]

A TIM couldn't accept that his wife was not going to go along with his delusion and turned to the family annihilator route, a route associated with violent narcissistic men.

By Nuria Muíña García July 11, 2024

A man in Spain is alleged to have poisoned his wife and child in the midst of divorce proceedings following his declaration of a transgender identity. The court has now imposed a restraining order on the man, who has not been named, while the police investigation is ongoing.

According to Diario de Sevilla, the couple were engaged in divorce proceedings but were still sharing a home in Dos Hermanas when the suspected poisoning took place. While it has not been definitively confirmed, the motive for the divorce appears to have been the man’s decision to identify as a “woman.”

Shortly after choosing to split, the woman, whose identity has also been kept anonymous, began experiencing severe and sudden-onset stomach pain. She sought medical care and was told she was exhibiting symptoms of chemical consumption. Police quickly became involved, and an investigation was launched into what was then identified as a suspected poisoning.

Disturbingly, the couple’s 5-year-old son may have also been the victim of an attempted poisoning by his father. Medical tests are being conducted in order to verify whether he had been targeted as well.

Prosecutors speculated that the woman was poisoned by her husband using household pool care products that were mixed into her food. In response to the hypothesis, the court issued a warrant of entry to the couple’s home to gather evidence.

Yesterday, a Dos Hermanas court responsible for prosecuting violence against women heard statements from both the husband and wife, after which it decided to place a restraining order on the man. He is now required to stay 300 meters away from his wife, and has been denied contact to his son.

At the time of this writing, no arrests have been made, but police investigations are ongoing.

The case has sparked particular concern amongst Spanish women’s rights advocates, as they have noted that Spain’s exceptionally strict gender identity laws mean that, if prosecuted, the man will be treated as a “female” by the courts.

Further, crimes marked as “gender-based violence” in Spain result in female victims being provided with specific legal protections and resources to assist them in the aftermath of the crime. These resources may include assistance with divorce proceedings, child custody, and housing arrangements.

If the man’s legal gender marker change was completed before the poisoning took place, it would mean that the victim would have no access to these resources because her aggressor was a “woman.”

“Gender-based violence” is also considered an aggravating factor in violent crimes, and may result in a harsher sentencing.

The situation has lead some women’s rights advocates to speculate that the man had planned to murder his wife, but that he had changed his legal gender marker just before doing so to avoid “gender-based violence” being used as an aggravating factor in the event he was caught.

If the man is prosecuted, this would not be the first time in Spain that a male accused of domestic violence against his female partner was prosecuted as a “woman.”

As previously reported by Reduxx, a man in Catalonia who beat his female partner for opposing his transition avoided charges of gender-based violence by legally changing his identification to “female” and adopting a woman’s name just prior to being prosecuted.

The couple, who were in their 60s, had been together for 11 years, but after the man began expressing an interest in crossdressing, the woman asked to break off their intimate relationship. He became violent towards her, and began sexually and physically abusing her in retaliation for her refusal to participate in his fetish.

After seeking help with the police, the woman discovered he had already changed his legal sex marker, and thus she would not be provided any protections for female victims of male crime.

At the time, Reduxx spoke with Núria González López, the legal advisor for the victim, who explained that “the abuser’s change of his legal sex means that, in the eyes of the law, the female in the situation is not at risk. This means the victim has fewer rights.”

In February of 2023, the Spanish government enacted what is colloquially known as the “Trans Law,” which instituted a “no questions asked” policy for those who declared they were transgender. The law also made it significantly easier for individuals to change their name and legal sex, hastening the process for applicants and removing any medical requirements.

Since the institution of the law, Spain has seen concerns right about the rise in “trans fraud,” in which males change their legal sex marker simply to gain legal or professional benefits.

In Ceuta, an extremely small Spanish autonomous city located in the North African coast, 37 male civil servants are known to have changed their registered sex in order to obtain benefits assigned to women.

Most of the men are members of the Army, the National Police, the Civil Guard, or the Local Police of the city. The men all share a pattern in that they change their legal sex marker while keeping their “male” name.

What Motivates Family Annihilators?

Angry over the family breakup

A need for power

Suffering from a personality disorder

Unable to cope with personal failure

See whole article