#maori!reader

[dilemmaontwolegs]

omg a māori f1 writer! not a request, but genuine question - who’s someone you can see being with a māori girl 👀 like who can you see being taken to a marae and learning how to hongi and meeting all the aunties and uncles

Haha omg it would be such an eye opener for all of them!

Lewis: he would be the type to ask to come with you because he wants to know more about where you come from. He is eager to learn and inquisitive, feeling prepared when he arrives at your ancestral land to a pōwhiri. Lewis has tears in his eyes when he sees the beautiful brown woman welcoming him with a karanga and from there he falls in love with the culture. He loves that there are always dozens of kids hanging around the marae and he never has a chance to sit down as he plays games with them for hours - they also teach him the haka. He would particularly like those hours after dinner where someone brings out their guitar and everyone sings along, the aunties harmonising perfectly, and he feels connected even if he doesn't understand the words.

Daniel: for obvious reasons 😂 being an Aussie, he’s laid back and it probably wouldn’t be the first time drinking a crate of beers in a paddock in the middle of nowhere. It would feel like a second home to him once he remembers to take his shoes off before he steps inside the marae. He doesn’t mind kissing every aunty on the cheeks but takes a bit of practice going in for a hongi without missing the uncles nose. After the formalities are done he is in his element and charms everyone which his infectious smile and constantly makes them laugh.

Oscar: another Aussie that is chilled af so he wouldn’t cause any drama at the marae. He is polite and helpful so the aunties love him and try to coax him out of his quiet state while recalling stories of you as they peel hundreds of potatoes. He is strong too so the uncles would steal him to dig the hangi pit and take the moment to threaten him if he hurts you. He can't hide his surprise when you explain the sleeping arrangements but after all the mattresses are laid out in one cavernous room he warms up to the idea and even feels nostalgic for the nights his family/cousins/friends would all sleep over and they would all drag their mattresses to the living room.

Lando: he’s lived/raced in NZ when he was younger so there would be a sense of familiarity coming back. He likes learning about different cultures (like his recent trip to the temples in Bali) so he would pay attention to the rundown given about customs. Unfortunately he has a terrible memory and may make a few mistakes with what’s tapu like snacking in the marae or sitting on the table. Also, he would fall in love with the food because there’s nothing spicy, something he cannot handle. Known to giggle at inappropriate times with the little cuzzies like when someone says whakapapa. Wakes up to find he rolled the wrong way in the night and is spooning an uncle not you.

Max: takes everything too seriously and is worried about messing up so he buys a book on Maori culture as soon as he lands at Auckland Airport and finishes by the time he reaches the marae. Is pleasantly surprised to find that after the formalities the entire atmosphere relaxes and he is treated like he has always been there. The aunties shoo him out of the kitchen when he tries to help, handing him a drink and sending him to the uncles who are all inspecting the new 4x4 someone bought. Surprisingly, he learns a bit about cars from them and wants his own Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux now, despite Daniel trying to get him to convert to one for years.

[sunandsstars]

the metkayinans are the only clan to known to practice tattoos… imagine z-dog bonding over tattoos with her metkayinan lover and maybe even getting her own metkayinan tattoo 🥺

MARKINGS OF A WARRIOR

Recom!Zdinarsk x Metkayina!Reader

Summary: Zdinarsk feels a little insecure on her tats, ___ is determined to prove they are anything but something to be insecure of. Warnings: Very brief mentions of death Word count: 700 A/N: I am so sorry for any delay, I had to do some research on what all these tattoos mean and plus…lots of brain fart. This is a little short and may be very shit, it is currently 3am :’) I will probably redo this and add some more stuff

Taglist: @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @eywas-heir @reneehillary69 @cavvedinn @itsyoboysparkel

“What are you staring at?” Zdinarsk chuckled and raised her brows, catching her lover with her head turned, eyes wide and examining. Seeing her yellow orbs zoom between her arms and chest Z-Dog got an idea of what was going on.

“What do your markings mean?” ___ inquired softly, never having seen tattoos like her mates’ ones before. The Metkayina’s were different, swerving in elegant shapes and lacked in colour unlike Zdinarsk’s who’s was bright and held sharp edges and strange figures.

The marine glanced at the other woman’s face, then to her own arms and then back up, blinking. She never really had to explain the meaning behind her tattoos before, usually when people saw them they just complimented her and moved on. Her tail swished at the thought of her girl actually caring.

Of course she did, ___ was a curious little thing.

‘’Uh, they don’t mean anything crazy…the one on my neck is a chimera, it means chaos and destruction’’ she started briefly, pointing to her neck and taking note of ___’s blue eyes widening and her body shuffling closer, tails intertwining. Z turned around so her back was facing her, showing off a massive eagle gripping flowers ‘’this is an Earth animal, eagle, the words at the top mean conquer or die… harsh stuff I know’’ she faced back towards the woman who brought her hands up and started tracing the tattoos on Z’s arms.

‘’And these ones? They are colourful’’

Z-Dog’s breath turned slightly shallow, feelings the small fingers going across her arms and chest. Tracing the outlines and markings. ‘’So on this arm, it has an angel, below is a devil. They are sort of religious figures…like your Eywa. It means death and rebirth’’

‘’Like how you were reborn as Metkayina’’

Grinning, the Marin agreed, flushing slightly. She still wasn’t used to being called a Na’vi, even after all this time. Apart of her thinks she would never get used to it, she was human for so long after all, but she did like the praise she always got for adapting so well. ‘’This one over here has a snake, another Earth animal, the words there mean deathless’’

‘’You did survive the ship when I saved you, without me you surely would have died’’ ___ grinned cheekily.

‘’Yea yea whatever’’ Zdinarsk stuck her tongue out, reached over and pulled the women into her lap and continued ‘’what about your tattoos? Everyone here has the same ones, what do they mean?’’

“Our tattoos hold different meaning, they are gifts from the clan and great mother. Ones on the arm mean more exposed protection of the sea wall, one across the chest and heart mean safe embrace of the central island” ___’s hands glided across the others skin, going from arm to chest to showcase where they would be placed, and also a way of saying that this is what Zdinarsk’s mean for the other Na’vi.

The recoms eyes brightened and she grinned, she never thought of her inked skin as spiritual. She kinda just did it as a young adult to feel cool, she was in the marines or God’s sake everyone had tats.

‘’I am a hunter, so I do not have a lot of chest markings’’ ___ grasped Z’s hand and brought it to her own skin, squeezing the fingers. ‘’If we have any on the face it is a hierarchy, it shows rank. Our Olo’eyktan has many tattoos, it shows he is our leader’’

‘’And how do you get them? I don’t see how you can get ink’’

‘’We get the ink from one of the many ocean animals and we tattoo ourselves when we pass Iknimaya, our right of passage…me and the clan leaders have spoken, we decided not to give you any hunters markings…but we will give you one here’’ ___ brushed her fingers onto the side of Z’s head, above her eyebrow.

Zdinarsk felt startled, she didn’t expect to get any tats at all here ‘’why?’’ Her voice was quiet and unsure.

‘’You already possess hunter marks’’ the Metkayinan ran her hands down the sides of Z’s arms and grinned ‘’but you do not have a warriors on the face’’ smooching above the brow where the soon to be tattoo will be placed.

A warriors mark huh? Z-Dog can get with that.

[thevisibilityarchives]

The Bone People (1984), Keri Hulme

LGBTQIA+

Summary: On New Zealand’s South Island, three isolated souls find solace in one another, bonded by their identities as mixed-race, their damaged familial relationships, and the journeys they must undertake to learn how to love. Keri Hulme unveils the deep heart of love, the complexities of abuse, and the poisonous fruits of intergenerational violence in her controversial and monumental work, The Bone People. 

Full review: High atop a tower, amidst the choppy seas, there once dwelled a large and menacing creature, unlike anything the locals had seen…

It is a fitting Brothers Grimm-esque description of the tone set by the opening of Keri Hulme’s The Bone People, which quickly shifts from tragedy on the Pacific to the self-imposed peace of Kerewin’s domicile: an eccentric and imposing structure befitting an equally eccentric and imposing woman. 

In Te Waipounamu, Kerewin has carved out a life for herself that is every introvert’s fantasy. Having won the lottery young and invested the money to win it back tenfold, she lives a labor-free life, spending her days spearfishing, playing the guitar, and drinking without a care in the world. 

The home she raises would plague a suburban Home Owners Association: a multi-story tower with dolphin-adorned banisters, toadstools peeking from corners, and an overgrown weed-strewn garden. It is a home created with a sole purpose: Kerewin. It is not a place for visitors or dinner parties, for hosting family or friends or visitors of any nature. 

By her own definition, Kerewin is very much the “spinster” single and childfree women of a certain age are branded when they are not involved in monogamous heterosexual relationships by a certain age. Written in 1985, off the bat it is refreshing to read a book wherein the dominant narrative does not revolve around Kerewin’s inherent need to “resolve” this status, and it is clear from the beginning that there is an intentional choice in it. 

Kerewin is childfree, not childess, a distinction that is growing but still merits broader discussion. Childfree individuals make an active choice, at some point in their lives, to forgo having children. In doing so they often bear society’s judgement, pressure, and even hostility for going against what many deem to be the “default choice” we should all fulfill with our bodies–to reproduce. Childfree people may choose this decision at a young age or may choose it during their 20s and 30s, after actively giving thought to having their own children and deciding against it. They may love children, dislike them, may fill their lives with the children of their friends, pets, or simply be happy without assuming any type of caregiver role.

Childless people, alternately, can be defined as those who may genuinely want biological children, but be unable to have them. They may experience significant emotional pain over their inability to have children, judgment and stigma directed towards their so-called failings, and may not find adoption, surrogacy, or IVF suitable or financially available options. 

Kerewin makes clear her feelings about children early on: she doesn’t like them. Frankly, she doesn’t like much of anyone: that’s why she lives alone, thrives alone, and chooses isolation, which makes it fitting that when a child appears in her window, injured and alone during a whirling storm Kerewin’s immediate reactions of both pity and irritation are so enthralling. She’s immediately drawn to the boy, a sopping wet thing projecting an aura of mystique and the maturity that precedes and child who knows more about the world than they should.

“Mature for their age” is a compliment granted to children and young women alike, who are today learning that it is often an unconscious recognition of the ways abuse leaves its mark. The effects can be mental, showing up as behaviors that appear to make one older than they are, or physical, such as early onset puberty, thinning in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and reduced cortical thickness according to the Americal Psychological Association (Colich, Williams, et. al 2020). 

As he is unable to speak, Kerewin discovers that she must take time to interpret what the boy, Simon is saying. He in turn discovers that she has patience he is unused to, and from there the two develop a bond that draws them together, transcending his rampant behavioral issues and naturally bringing forth the involvement of his adopted father Joe, who develops an attraction to Kerewin. 

The trio becomes close over their shared experiences having multiracial heritages of Pākehā (European) and Māori descent, and as Kerewin comes to care for Simon and Joe she also notes the symptoms of abuse Simon displays, both physical and emotional. As she tries to get to the root of who is responsible, Simon finds in her the first semblance of a mother he has had since Joe’s wife died, while Joe questions the nature of Kerewin’s asexuality. 

There are several times throughout the book when the direct question of Kerewin’s sexual orientation comes up. As she is directly based on the author, Keri Hulme herself, there could be no better source of writing on this front regarding representation in asexuality than the simple expression of “it’s who I am.”

Asexuality can be a confusing concept to wrap one's mind around, in part because it does not take a monolithic form, as well as because representation is so lacking for those of us who do not belong to the community. Asexual identities encompass nine labels people may gravitate towards, and the spectrum itself, like any, is prone to fluidity. 

Throughout the book, Kerewin is asked whether her asexuality is the result of sexual trauma, whether she is actually a lesbian or bisexual, and consistently whether she and Joe are sexually and romantically involved due to their gradual co-parenting of Simon.

In a brief but poignant speech, Kerewin details that she has never experienced any degree of sexual passion, interest, or feeling. She has attempted to learn about the reason for people’s interest in sex, reading books like the Kama Sutra, and picking apart whether there is something “wrong” with her, only to determine she simply is who she is, a fact Joe must accept. 

Despite being pegged as aromantic, Kerewin is a creature capable of love. While our society harps upon the importance of romantic love (to the deficit of all others), it is a testament to her own love for Simon and Joe the increasing feeling of protectiveness she begins to display over Simon, as well as her reaction upon the discovery that Joe is the responsible party for Simon’s physical abuse. 

The book has generated significant controversy for Hulme’s relentless depiction of this topic, as well as the portrayal of Kerewin, Joe, and Simon as ultimately three-dimensional characterization on this front. 

Simon is a boy who both hates and loves his father, Joe is a man who is both spiteful and pitiable, and Kerewin is both a perpetrator and a savior. It’s complex, and the reaction itself speaks volumes about the way different cultures speak about abuse, view the roles of abusers, and the idea of the psychology of victims, the cycle of abuse, punishments, and so on. 

All of this is draped within a mixture of Māori and Pākehā culture, with the book continuously streaming in and out of Māori dialogue, incorporating the atmosphere of Te Waipounamu in each and every meal, blade of grass, and breath the characters take, and bringing forth the mythology of one of the few cultures who have faced colonialism, yet are permitted the stamp of appreciation under the modern gaze due to New Zealand’s appeal to white culture. 

You can find The Bone People at your local library, on ThriftBooks, or at Barnes & Noble. 

Citations:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5151801806

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/18/childless-childfree-child

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/childless-women-discrimination_n_58b6f352e4b0780bac2f3413

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/11/29/trauma-forces-some-children-mature-here-their-stories/6358716001/

Natalie Colich, Eileen S. Williams, Maya Rosen and Katie McLaughlin. Biological Aging in Childhood and Adolescence Following Experiences of Threat and Deprivation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 2020 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000270

https://www.asexuals.net/asexual-spectrum/

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-bone-people_keri-hulme/265444/?resultid=3817f3f4-addc-4b5f-a780-c9685dac3d8d#edition=14605880&idiq=46581207

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bone-people-keri-hulme/1100258806

[littlereadsandteas]

[taratarotgreene]

Jupiter in PIsces again and whale tale stories

Jupiter in PIsces again and whale tale stories

As Jupiter just re-entered Pisces which ruled big things and the oceans a viral video of a beluga whale playing fetch in the ocean surfaces. Let the big fish stories begin https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/beluga-whale-catch-hvaldimir-russian-spy-programme-video-a9197106.html?r=56895 and another here. Whales ingesting tons of microplastics daily ONE WAY TO ELIMINATE…

[theriverbeyond]

how do we know in the books that john is indigenous? can you say more about how his indigeneity is important to his story?

hello! so there is a word of god post on race (doesn't mention John but mentions that Gideon is "mixed Maori"), BUT I frankly don't think word of god statements are worth any weight without actual in-text support (see: the "dumbledore is gay" situation). SO!

Specific evidence that John Gaius is Maori, as revealed in Nona the Ninth:

When he is listing his education, John mentions having gone to Dilworth School (John 20:8). Dilworth is an all boys boarding school in Auckland and accepts students based on financial need instead of academic or sporting achievements. Demographics appear to be about 70% low income Maori boys, indicating that it is highly likely that John is Maori

John reports that P- said he looked like a "Maori-TV pink panther" (John 15:23) when his eyes turned gold. Maori TV is a TV station that is focused primarily on Maori culture & language revitalization, with presumably all or mostly Maori hosts, and tbh I don't see why P- would say this unless John was himself Maori

John uses a te reo Māori phrase ("kia kaha, kia māia") (John 5:20) when he is saying goodbye to the corpses in the cryo lab before the power is shut off. Though it is possible he said this as a non-Maori kiwi, but in combination with the previous two points of evidence I think this all very strongly points to him being Maori

He also renames his daughter Kiriona Gaia, "Kiriona" being just literally the name "Gideon" in te reo Māori

TLT is not a series that hands you anything on a silver platter but to ME this is all pretty solid proof

Why is this relevant to The Locked Tomb?

In Nona the Ninth, we learn that before he completed apotheosis and ate the solar system, John was basically trying to save the earth from capitalism-caused climate change. Climate justice and the rights of indigenous people over their own land are deeply tied together, in the same way that climate catastrophe and capitalism/ imperialism/ colonialism are linked. disclaimer that this is NOT my area of study and others have definitely said it better; this is just the basic gist as I understand it, but on quick search I found some sources here and here if you want to do some reading.

TLT is not a series that hands you anything on a silver platter, but i don't think it is a stretch to see John as an indigenous man trying to save the earth and getting ignored and shut down at every turn by primarily western colonial powers (PanEuro, the USA) who declare him a terrorist and then as a reader thematically connecting that to the experience of indigenous climate activists IRL

there are absolutely TLT meta posts that have discussed this before me; tumblr search is nonfunctional and I have been looking for an hour and a half and cannot find anything specific even though i KNOW i reblogged multiple posts about this in the first few weeks following NTN's release. sad & I am sorry

I think that by the time the books take place, John is 10k years removed from the cultural context he grew up in, with the Nine Houses having become a genocidal colonial power in their own right (with more parallels to be made between John's forever war for the resources of literal life energy and like, oil wars), but I also think that John Gaius is a fictional character who can represent and symbolize multiple different things in service of telling a story. (not to mention the potential thematic parallels being made to how oppressed people sometimes are pressed into replicating the power dynamics of their oppressors and continuing the cycle--now that is a tumblr post i KNOW i read last year and definitely cannot find right now, once again sad & I am sorry)

How Radical Was John Gaius, Really is a forum thread that was locked by the moderators after 234534645674564 pages of heated debate

[ddollfface]

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞

𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

Okay, right now I'm cooking up some more headcanons for Baki the Grappler men, but I just couldn't keep this idea cooking in my brain.

Throughout history, in multiple ancient civilizations, touching one's forehead with one's own has shown different means, all deep and personal. For example, the Maori, natives of New Zealand, have/had a formal greeting where one would press their nose and forehead against the other's forehead. This was a sign of respect and sharing a spiritual connection. Not only that, but in Ancient Egypt, it was a tradition for the Paraoh and High Priests to press their foreheads to the dead, sharing a spiritual link that would hopefully help the dead through the afterlife.

Honestly, the list goes on and on, just proving my point. No matter where you are in the world, it's clear that something about the closeness of the faces while in such a position is special, vulnerable even. And, I'd have to assume, this would carry through to times before human civilization, to a time when we were more animal than human, back to Pickle's time.

At this time, there was no such thing as verbal communication, rather than grunts and growls, so they (assuming that there were other cavewo/men during this time) had only physical communication to observe. Now, it's my belief that there was no such thing as polyamory during Pickle's time, instead, there was mating for life. You found your one, the person you'd raise a family with and protect. This is why Pickle takes your safety seriously, not letting any of the fighters within a ten-foot radius of you (likely more, if we're being honest).

There's no way he'll let any man near you. You're his mate, whether you understand that or not doesn't matter; the look in his eyes tells you enough, accepting that you have no say in the matter.

Besides that, I think that Pickle, seeing as he can't communicate verbally, would show his affection through his actions, providing food, warmth, and protection is his means of love. He'll curl his body around your, much smaller, frame and hold you tight, not letting you slip from his grip for a moment, far too afraid of losing you. He's much like a possessive puppy once his owner comes home, except he's far more deadly than some pup.

Back to the forehead thing, since Pickle can't say 'I love you,' he has to resort to other ways to say so. One of these ways, I think, would be pressing his forehead against yours, letting his eyes close shut, and bringing your body closer to his.

The two of you will be far closer than necessary, his arms wrapped around your head, his hold suffocating. Of course, Pickle will have to be on his knees, bending down to reach your level. The two of you will share air, inhaling the others' exhalations. Though uncomfortable, you admire and are astonished at how trusting Pickle is in you, seeing as his eyes are closed and his muscles loose. Everything about him screams comfortable, homey, and in love.

The action displays trust, exposing such a vulnerability would be dangerous in any situation, but Pickle trusts you, knowing you're his mate, the one person he can trust in this cruel world. He's been brought into this odd place, where nothing's the same, and he's constantly being introduced to new friends, but he's found you. Your presence allows him to relax and understand that, though he's in a new world, he has you, his mate. (I especially see this being true if reader's a reincarnation or was brought back with Pickle, y'know?)

And it does nothing but shock the other fighters, unable to comprehend how a monster of a man like Pickle could seem so calm, so at home, around someone like you (whether you're a cavewo/man, civilian, or fighter). It's incredible, the bond you two have for each other, how just a look from you can calm Pickle.

Anyway, it's just a thought, y'know?

divider by: @benkeibear

[meshiinuma]

pool day

relationship: poly sashisu x reader

desc: it's your mission to keep your lifeguard date mates company while they perform their duties at the pool

wrd cnt: 3.6k

warnings: gn reader, fluff !!, thats it !!!

a(shley's)/n: this is mostly 4 me bcuz i got my nostril pierced n now i CANT GO UNDERWATER . I ONLY WENT 2 THE POOL ONCE THIS SUMMER AUGHHHHH and i bought some rlly cute swimsuits 2 :[[[ sighhhhh ill resign myself 2 being above water i suppose also the song suguru is humming later is paikea by patea maori club

‘fwee!’

at the sound of the sharp whistle of the lifeguard, you stop.

“no running.” she calls out to you, smugness tinging her tone.

you look up to see shoko sitting at the top of the tall lifeguard chair. she has her sunglasses low on the bridge of her nose, staring you down with a salacious look in her deep dark brown eyes.

“and no food by the pool.” with a pout, you lean on one of the white bases of the high chair and suck at your blue raspberry popsicle.

“this is a dictatorship.” you finally say after slurping out enough flavor to satisfy you for the time being.

“shame.” shoko pulls off her sunglasses and gets a good look at you from your spot underneath the huge red shade attached to the back of her chair, her blindingly white shirt dulled underneath the shadow. if you looked close enough, you could see her black bikini bottoms peeking out.

she tucks some of her hair behind her ear, you thought it was growing out quite nicely. you didn’t say that though. you actually just chomped off the discolored part of the popsicle, pure ice melting on your tongue.

sigh “i don’t know why all three of you decided to sign up for lifeguarding, now i’m all alone, burning. slowly infecting myself with skin cancer…!” your girlfriend chuckles at your dramatic declaration. 

“you know we need some cash, just surviving off of satoru’s trust fund isn’t enough. plus, you have your own job.” shoko reasons, her attention slipping from you briefly so she could switch off her water proof alarm, beeping to remind her to switch out guard posts.

“that pays more too…” you mumbled and licked up a stray droplet about to fall onto the concrete. out of the corner of your eye, you see shoko stop for a moment and stare at the pink muscle work it’s way up the rocket-shaped dessert.

to suck more sugar out of the ice, you take the popsicle fully into your mouth and slowly pull it out with a pop.

by now, shoko was down from her post and smacked you lightly on the shoulder, “in public?” judging by her grin and the little flush across her cheeks, she didn’t care.

“as if you, satoru, and suguru don’t do worse, hm?” you leaned forward with a teasing grin, close enough to give her a little peck with your blue stained lips.

she giggled at the ticklish feeling of your lips brushing against her soft cheek and pushed you away when you bit into it lightly, “okay, okay. there’s kids around, you know that?” she drawls, but still gives you a kiss and nip on your bottom lip back.

the two of you are interrupted by two pairs of feet leisurely strolling down the side of the pool, one voice greeting you and your girlfriend loudly.

you look up to see the last half to your heart approaching, one in a lifeguard tank top and the other shirtless, both have bright red swim trunks on.

“hi baby! hi my darling shoko!” satoru jogs up and gives you a wet kiss on your lips, more spit than lip action. he repeats the action with his girlfriend. she splutters and gently shoves him away.

“you’re like a dog, slobbering everywhere…” shoko leans up to peck him on the forehead, cradling his head like she did yours.

suguru comes up behind satoru and leans over him to give you a kiss on the cheek, deciding to save his more overt affection for later.

once shoko and satoru separate, suguru leans over shoko and gives her a kiss on the top of her head. she reciprocates with a kiss to his jaw while satoru bounds up the lifeguard chair and settles into place with his rescue tube.

when they pulled away, you admired the way they stared at each other. the love they had was palpable. you smiled involuntarily and licked at your popsicle.

they pulled apart when the manager of the pool speed walked by with a bark of an order, “ieiri! to your station! geto! back to making rounds around the pool!” 

there was always something bothering him. shoko just rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to her partners, leisurely walking to her next lifeguard post at a farther end of the pool.

satoru brushed your shoulder closest to him with the end of his crocs, “hey.” you looked up to see his own sunglasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, a silly grin on his face, “can’t eat near the pool.” just like a little puppy dog, he tilted his head to the side and let out a huff of air like a laugh.

in response, you stared up at him with sultry eyes as you tossed whatever was left of the popsicle around your tongue. when you bit of the last of the ice, you slowly pulled the stick while maintaining eye contact.

satoru’s face turned red and his beautiful ocean blues widened. he whipped his head to the side and mumbled, “shut up…” you giggled and slapped his exposed calf, moving towards suguru.

internally, you were giggling and screaming and kicking your legs. suguru was just the type to make anyone shy and flustered, even if he was a big softie on the inside. outwardly, you were coy and sly, “hey, big boy.” at your approach, suguru cupped his hand on the side of your head and granted you the privilege of one of his soft lipped smiles.

“hi,” he fiddled with some of your hair, then perked up.

“oh!” he leaned down to the white plumeria bushes lining the pool fence and plucked one with a long stem. your boyfriend turned back to you, still waiting patiently, and slipped it behind your left ear. after he secured it, he kissed the shell of your left ear, “thought of you after i saw them.” suguru whispered, sending giddy shivers down your spine at the thought of taking up space in someone’s mind.

when he pulled away, a lovely grin split your face almost in two and you bashfully looked away, carefully cupping the flower decorating your ear.

“wh-hey!” you and suguru turned to satoru, who had a grumpy look on his face at the affection you were receiving.

“aw, do you want one too satoru?” before he could answer, you were already making your way towards the bushels of flowers.

your fingers danced around tons of white petaled, yellow centered flowers until you found the one with the brightest center. just like your sun.

you plucked it happily, with ample room on the stem so you could tuck it behind his left ear, and bounded over to the lifeguard chair he was sat at.

“i have something for you!” you singsonged, holding the pretty flower behind your back.

satoru gasped as if he didn’t just watch you pluck from the flower bushes, “for me? i couldn’t possibly imagine what it could be!”

shyly, you stepped up to the first step of the chair and held out the flower. like a dog offering something for its beloved owner.

your other boyfriends hands cupped the petals, making sure not to crumple them, “oh…thank you baby…” he looked up at you, love and adoration crowding his eyes, “i love it,” and he moved to take it from you, but you slipped it away at the last second, “nuh-uh! I’ll put it on for you, then i know it’ll look perfect. a perfect flower for my perfect baby.” 

bright red exploded across the pale cheeks of your boyfriend as you stuck the wooden popsicle stick in your mouth and gently turned his head so you could slip the flower behind his left ear, “i’m your perfect baby?” he asked.

when you finished, you turned his head back to you to get a good look at him, “my most perfect, most loveliest, smartest baby.”

satoru looked beautiful.

he does everyday, but the delicate flower added a more gentle touch to him. something that distanced him from the cold winter beauty he was born with. made him more suited for the bright blue of the pool in the full swing of summer.

you leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, “you’re so beautiful satoru.” you spoke around the stick in your mouth. suguru came up next to you and leaned on the side of the chair, looking up at satoru with reverence shining in his fox eyes.

“you really are beautiful…” he trailed off and satoru got flustered all over again, jutting his wet pink bottom lip out with a shy smile.

“thanks…” your white haired lover turned back to you and suguru, something more down to earth twisting his lips up, “you guys are pretty beautiful too, even more than me.” he chuckled as you ruffled the top of his head (careful not to jostle the plumeria out).

“alright you charmer, weaseling your way into our hearts,” you smacked his bare pec and got down from the chair, going back to the flowers blooming and making the whole area smell so sweet, yet spicy with undertones of cinnamon.

another flower made it’s way into your hands, but this one was a bright blush pink with a spot of yellow in the middle. 

suguru’s intense. he burns with love and care for everything that could ever be cared about. passionate. he craves happiness on the inside. for as long as you’ve known him, he’s always been pursuing joy to complete him. you hope he feels complete around you, satoru, and shoko.

“turn around and crouch down a little.” suguru follows obediently with a hum and lets you part his bun so you could safely tuck the little flower into his top knot. when done, you move his hair out of the way so you could peck the nape of his neck.

at the brush of your lips against him, he shudders and jerks away with a chuckle, “alright, calm down, you can do that later.” you just rolled your eyes.

when looking at suguru head on, the little bit of intense pink poked out behind him. it just added more to his thin and refined features, crafted with light and precise strokes of a brush.

your thumb reached up to swipe at a droplet of sweat starting to run down his forehead, “have you been putting sunscreen on?” your head whipped around to satoru, “both of you?” 

“sir yes sir!” satoru saluted while you and suguru chuckled. satoru has sensitive skin that burns easy, and his refusal to put a shirt on only heightens the chances of him coming home peeling and burnt to a crisp. suguru needs sunscreen less, but he still cares for the health of his skin. that doesn’t stop him from coming home a few shades darker and having tan lines from his work clothes.

you kissed suguru’s cheek and went over to the lifeguard chair that satoru was at, already waiting with his head ducked.

“good. now i’m gonna go give one to shoko,” you plucked a completely white flower from the bushes and started towards where shoko was seated, “make sure not to slack off!” you called out behind you as you threw away the popsicle stick in a trashcan.

satoru and suguru just waved goodbye to you, sporting mischievous grins.

the stem of the flower twirled between your fingers while your mind wandered off to your girlfriend.

smart shoko. smart, beautiful, trusting, obsessively clean shoko. you sighed wistfully at the memory of her forcing suguru out of the pool last summer after he got his nipples pierced, citing the insane amount of germs floating around in a pool, even if they were sanitized with chlorine. if someone was drowning in front of shoko, you don’t think she’d jump in and get them herself.

your feet slowed once they approached the base of the lifeguard chair, “hello lovely girlfriend of mine.” you cooed, reaching for her hand resting on the armrest of the chair.

“why hello to you too, light of my life, fire of my loins.” her hand went to caress you from the top of your head to the bottom of your chin, “i thought we were in public, sho-ko.” you teased and moved to stand in front of the lifeguard chair.

“sorry babe, just can’t resist myself around you.” she chuckled as you rolled your eyes.

“whatever now get over here, i have something for you.” you stood on the first step of the lifeguard chair, still twirling the plumeria in your hand.

“oh? i’d love to see it.” she drawled, offering her head to you.

judging by her nonchalant reaction, she had seen the interaction between her partners.

with tender hands, you tucked the flower behind her left ear and secured it as best as you could. when you were done, your hand slid down to her jaw and brought her head up to face you.

“you look really good, shoko.” you had to restrain yourself from pouring your heart out, or she’d shrink away (a habit you, satoru, and suguru were trying to break). in reality, she looked more than good. she looked stunning. the pure white flower mellowed her out, adding some contrast to her lightly tanned skin and brunette hair. it complimented her faint freckles too, giving the perfect image of a beautiful island dwelling twenty-something woman who spent all her time by the shore.

but you couldn’t say any of that. you just leaned in and kissed her cheek, “like, really good.” 

she flushed a light pink and tucked her stray hair back, “thanks, you look good too.” you couldn’t hold yourself back, you have the most amazing woman in the world and you weren’t going to waste time saving your words for the right time. you could die tomorrow and shoko would never know how beautiful you think she is.

“pretty girl shoko.” a kiss to her jaw, “smart girl shoko.” a kiss to her forehead, “my most amazing girl shoko.” a kiss to the tip of her nose.

your (future wife) girlfriend giggled and pushed you away lightly, looking away so you wouldn’t see her chill facade break at your insistence to love on her, “okay! okay, i get it…”

“anything interesting happen while i was gone?” you hum and turn shoko back to you as she fans herself with a baseball cap satoru slapped onto her head before they left the house for their shift.

“well,” she swallowed and finally looked back at you, “i watched a bird, like, dive for someone's ice cream and take a whole chunk out of it. it kinda looked like a crow and later i saw this lady with a weird braid surrounded by crows.” you leaned against the armrest of the lifeguard chair as she regaled you with more tales of the pool, “and then i saw these two kids, one of them had pink hair and the other had a bob, push this other kid that looked like a sea urchin-”

“how could you say that about a child shoko!” you gasped dramatically, “this is an injustice to all children in the world!” she just flicked your forehead and continued, undisturbed.

“anyway, they pushed the kid in and when he got out he chased them with his service dogs.”

“did you tell them to stop running?” amusement filled your voice, “nope.” she popped the p and settled back into her chair.

“oh, so you’re just targeting me then? how rude.” your fists went to your hips and she just pushed her (you’re pretty sure those are satoru’s, if you were to judge by the expensive luxury brand on the arm) sunglasses up the bridge of her nose, “yup.” 

before you could retort back, the pool manager passed by and barked out another order, “no distractions ieiri! back to work!” and he speed walked past, yelling at other employees as he went.

shoko rolled her eyes and you sighed, “i’ll see you at lunch, yeah?” and you pecked her on the lips.

“yeah, see ya’.” she said after you pulled away and made your way to the many slides at the pool.

for the next hour, you went down all of the slides twice, did some sick tricks on the diving boards, and raided the snack bar for free popsicles and ice cream bars (through all of this, you placed the plumeria safely in your pool bag. you retrieved it when you got sick of the water and pruney fingers, choosing to stay on land for a bit).

the pool lets lifeguards go for lunch during adult swim, so when they call for everyone under eighteen to get out, you happily make your way to the little cluster of circle benches in the food court.

you spot shoko and satoru in the far corner, shaded by a large tree and having an animated conversation.

as you approach, you start to hear bits and pieces of their conversation and pick up on the agitated tone in shoko’s reply, “dude, it’s not even going to happen there’s zero chance of that, so i have no clue why you think i’m the best person to ask for that answer.” satoru sighs, “it’s a hypothetical question, shoko! it’s not going to happen! but if it did happen i’d have to think about it!”

“what are you thinking about? i didn’t even know you could do that, satoru.” you take a seat at the bench next to shoko. satoru opens his mouth to speak, then stops, “hey…” you waved him off, “what were you talking about, though?”

“if it’s ethical to fuck my clone.”

…

“oh.” you blink at him, “well. hm.” you pause, mulling the question over in your mind, “i think we need suguru for that one.” swiveling your head around, you look for him, “where is he, anyway?”

“in the snack bar.” shoko replies, turning back to satoru to comment on the absurdity of his question as you rise to get your boyfriend.

suguru is standing in front of the soda machine, getting some cola in a to go cup and singing under his breath, “uie mai koia, whakahuatie ake…” but stops when you shove your face into his (actually really sweaty, gross) back and wrap your arms around his waist.

“oh! hi baby,” his big hand goes to hold your arm as you listen to him fill up another cup with soda. you pull away pretty fast once you couldn’t take the face-full of stink coming from his semi-drenched tank top. you didn’t blame him, today was one of the hottest days of the month.

“i’m almost done here, can you get our lunch from the fridge?” like the loving and amazing partner you are, you grab the bright yellow lunch box with tons of zippers, the baby blue and gray square lunch box, and the green tiffin box covered with a dark forest green handkerchief. from the freezer compartment, you grab an ice cream bar for yourself.

when you turn around, you see suguru waiting for you with three to go cups filled with various drinks and one heat insulating thermos in his hands, “got everything?” and he tilts his head in that adorable way that makes his bang swish a little and it fills you with the urge to dote over him and pinch his cheeks.

you push down the urge, “yeah!” and follow him out the door.

suguru places down everyone's drink first and you put down lunch boxes immediately afterwards. shoko’s tiffin, satoru’s box, and suguru’s lunch box that could qualify as a mini satchel.

you sit down afterwards and unwrap your ice cream bar, taking a big bite out of it first thing. shoko opens her tiffin and starts to snack from the top compartment filled with shrimp chips. satoru opens his box and unwraps a soft baked dessert, sinking his teeth into it once it was sufficiently out of its casing. suguru doesn’t unzip his own until he sees everyone has started eating, but as he moves to open his lunch he stops and narrows his eyes at you.

“is that all you’ve been eating today?” he accuses you in the middle of your bite of vanilla goodness.

“yesh.” you reply, mouth full of the cold dessert.

suguru pouts and says your name in the way you would when you’re mildly disappointed in someone, “you have to eat something with actual substance!” he declares as he opens his lunch box fully and pulls out something wrapped.

“well maybe you shouldn’t tell me you guys have too much frozen stuff and then give me the key to the snack bar!” you retort after swallowing.

your boyfriend just rolls his eyes and places a wrapped and square object in front of you, “here. since i know you don’t eat anything that’ll keep you full when you’re here.” you reach across the table to give satoru your ice cream bar (so he can have a bite, at this point it’s become instinctual to give him a little bit of your dessert when he’s around) and unwrap the object.

you gasp at what’s inside.

“a sandwich? for me?” you coo and take a bite of the mediterranean sandwich you saw him prep that morning, you just didn’t know he was making another one for you.

“thank you, sugu!” and you peck him on the cheek for his chivalrous activity.

he just looks away bashfully and opens up his thermos to take a sip from the hot tea he brewed that morning.

happily, you gobble down the sandwich made just for you as conversation leisurely flows through the table. sometimes you pick off one of shoko’s spring rolls, satoru’s oreos, or sips of suguru’s tea. none of them mind, willing to give anything to you. their lover. light of their lives.

you were just content. happy to be covered in chlorine water, eyes stinging a bit, and sating your ravenous hunger. here, with your lovers and the scent of sweet and spicy filling the air.

[angelsstranger]

everyone can hate me for tjis but i started reading the locked tomb in 2018 so i have had more than enough time to realize i really find the fandom so so annoying and almost all my criticism for tm as a white author dipping her toes into writing about Maori people and their relations to colonialism have never been adressed after years and the fans still can only compare it to baru another speculative fantasy about colonialism written by a white author. the books are powerful but please i think there is something to be said of white authors making up genocides as allegories for real ethnic cleansings instead of simply platforming indigenous authors. i am willing to do a reread on baru to give it another chance and i love tlt. but i think a bit too much credit is given to Tamsyn Muir as an author for taking the typical approach of never confirming in text the race or ethnicity of her characters beyond a few vague mentions of skin tone and a tumblr post she made after the publication explaining things that should have been adressed straight on in the narrative.

and seth dickinson is clearly very educated and well-read but also my read of baru kind of had me thinking about how i never hear fans of the locked tomb raving about authors like Octavia Butler, Carmen Maria Machado, Andrea L. Rogers, Benjanun Sriduankaew, Jewelle Gomez or any other related fiction authors of queer stories born from their cultures and of their people.

as a white reader writer and creative, i want to encourage other white people to broaden your horizons and read lesbian and queer stories that weren’t written by white people and read new perspectives outside of your ethnicity. I have found deeper narratives that challenge colonialism here and without the need to invent fictionalized indigenous people and fictional brutalizations. Enough subtext ! Read something explicit!

[worstjourney]

Radio 3 aired a whole hour+ programme of music and reading about and inspired by Antarctica.

If you call to mind an image of Antarctica, it is likely you will come up with something informed by the heroic but ultimately unsuccessful Endurance Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton. That’s because the extraordinary photographs and film from that trip planted the so-called White Continent in our imaginations for ever. Shackleton, who was born in Ireland in February 1874 before moving to London as a boy, might be best known for that failed trip but the fact that his crew survived, when so many did not, is now seen as a credit to his exceptional leadership skills. Today’s Words and Music is a tribute to the frozen landscape that inspired the heroic age of exploration. It is not just remote - it contains the world's highest, driest, coldest and windiest places. And these days it’s a hub of scientific discovery, international diplomacy and environmental change too. We’ll hear fiction from Beryl Bainbridge to Edgar Allan Poe, poetry from Samuel Taylor Coleridge to Derek Mahon, memoir from Jenny Diski and Sara Wheeler as well David Attenborough, Maori scientists and other Polar Explorers. Alongside you’ll hear hugely varied music inspired by Antarctica from Vaughan Williams to Tanya Ekanayaka, from The Muppets to Nigel Westlake and Cab Calloway. Our readers are Jessica Turner and John Lightbody.

[sunandsstars]

I just thought of a Polynesian fem human or avatar reader going to the Metkayina w the Sullys and them reacting to her Moko kauae and her reacting to theirs and them realizing how similar their culture is to humans :) just thought it was a cool idea ! have a good day 💓💓

A Poly human meeting the metkayina would be so cool! And seeing their culture is so similar to the humans one from earth would be amazing, i can just imagine the bonding experiences!

If i could write stuff like this i could, and would love to. But i’m afraid i’m not too educated on Māori or any PI/Poly cultures and people, i would love to learn though! The culture and people are beautiful. I don’t wanna disrespect people for writing something i don’t know enough about 😔

[m0chisenpai]

Hm I have something for lo’ak & neteyam with black!reader (they’re in their avatar body tho)

So you remember the scene were kiri unfortunately has a seizure underwater? yeah, so instead of her let’s say we have the seizure instead *for the same reason she did ofc bc her whole reason was for her having a special connection towards eywa*

BUT! You don’t have to go into detail or anything I just liked the idea and then both lo’ak and neteyam being so scared and worried for their mama 😭

platonic!lo'ak x black!avaatr!reader, platonic! netayem x black!avatar!reader

Lo’ak and Netayem were on edge with all that has transpired in the few months that have passed. From their capture bringing you into a near heart attack, your own close encounter with the devil incarnate that was Quartrich. It was all putting a huge strain on your family. And it did not help that your Sylawinn was barely four and you were expecting again during this time. 

The boys vowed to protect you no matter what. 

And so as you all took this time among the Metkayina, you spent this time to soak in this moment of peace. Because you felt it, deep in your bones your family was free from the hurricane of pain.  

As you sit in your family's hut, fanning the faint fire grilling the freshly caught fish to perfection. You heard the clicks of the Ilu approach and Netayem and Lo’ak enter with Tsireya close on their heels entering your family's maori.

“Boys, Tsireya '' you nodded your head, returning the children's gesture. 

“I see you, mate of Toruk Makto.“ 

“ I see you as well Tsireya and Aonung. I thought I told you both to call me Y/N.” And while his sister flashes you a bashful smile he gives you a boyish grin that makes you chuckle. 

“What mischief are you getting into this day?Nothing too bad please, your father and mother had a fit last time” You hummed, placing baskets over the freshly prepared food to be eaten later. Sylawinn now presses herself into your side and you pick her up to sit her in your lap running your hands up and down her back. 

“Of course not sa’nu, Tsireya was going to show us the tree of souls, so that we may pay our respects.” Netayem elbows his brother in the ribs before a sly remark can fall out and you hum. 

“A wonderful honor to show us. You boys behave, it is an honor and privilege I expect you all to appreciate!” Your sharp eyes cut to the boys who immediately nod returning to their little sister who reached up to her brothers with begging arms. Lo’ak was quick to scoop her into his arms and twirl her high in the air making you chuckle. 

“Netyem told us you’ve never connected to the tree before” Tiserya asked with curious eyes that you met. 

“It is true. I have yet to. But the last I ever felt connected was during my transition. There are some feelings that arise when I get close to the tree, something strong. Like Eywa is here, and I feel her” Your hand presses to your chest and Kiri watches with intent eyes.

Because she can recall it. She’s seen it. How the water moves with you. How the creatures of the water surround you. She saw it back home as well. A special moment that she will treasure forever.  As she and her siblings played in the forest, she looked for you, and saw you lie in a field of high grass. Your eyes shut, and with each breath the grass moved with you.

“I don’t know perhaps I am in my own head ” you shook your head blowing out the warm fire and covering the prepared foods with smaller baskets. 

“Come with us then!” Tsierya’s bold declaration sets off the rest of your children who all look up at you expectantly. And you nearly denied them. But it was time you did. Perhaps it was because you knew if you saw Grace, your own family, you couldn’t come back out to face this reality. 

And you could pinpoint this feeling in your bones. So you mounted your ilu and with Sylawinn close to your body, you allowed Tsireya and Aonung to lead you and your family through the waters. You enter a cove and can’t help but let your eyes look up and around at the beautiful floating rocks. It was like seeing the hallelujah mountains all over again. 

Aonung agrees to stay back and hold Sylawinn. While she gets better with swimming each day, she struggles to hold her breath longer, unlike her siblings. And so you kiss her forehead and pass her to Aonung and dive below the surface, swimming behind Tsireya. 

The tree is beautiful. A large tree of coral and ways with the water and a school of fish weave in and out the tree. Tsireya nods her head to one of the floating pieces and connects her queue to it, and the boys and Kiri follow suit with you as well. You close your eyes as you feel yourself being pulled in. 

It's bright and white when you're in the lab. Light shines through the windows of the lab you once worked in. And at one of the benches sits, “Grace.”

And she smiles as she stands up, now meeting your height in her avatar form. “Hey Ginger.”

And when she tries to speak she chokes on her words and you feel the fear bubble in your stomach and now you cant breath. And Lo’ak watch in horror as your body convulses and bubbles rush out of you. Netayem is quick to grab your body and swim as fast as possible to the surface with Lo’ak and Tsireya close behind him.

“What’s happening to her!”

“I don’t know!”

It’s all a blur, as you’re rushed back to the maori. You come in and out and can hear bits and pieces and try your best to calm the children. Sylawinn wails for you and you can feel her hand grip your limp one as you are rushed into the tshaki’s maori.

Ronal will not deny her suspicions of your family and distaste as well when you first arrived. But when she sees you enter her heart drops. Because you are a witch child and seeing how your sons grasp onto you with tears freely falling down their faces. 

“Se’mu…semu!” Lo’aks voice is thick as he lifts your head to rest on your knees. His hands are shaky as he pushes your hair out of your face. And in any normal circumstance Ronal would have hissed at the boys to get out. 

But instead she steadies herself as she kneels beside you and looks deeply into the chidlren's eyes. “I need you boys to steady her head. Calm yourselves. The Great Mother will guide her.” 

She burns her incense, fans them over your body as she chants, clicking her tongue. Silence falls, and then you’re breathing again. And you finally have enough strength to squeeze the boy's hand in your own. 

“Lo’ak…Netayem…” you press their hands to your chest which heaves as you reach behind Netyaem’s head pressing your foreheads to both boys. “My brave boys, you did so well. Thank you Great Mother…” 

[cass1opi4]

my forever - calum hood. (kinda angst, kinda fluff)

a calum hood x reader

she/her pronouns, reader is michael’s sister.

he traced shapes into her back, his cold, coarse fingertips leaving goosebumps down her spine. something he’d always enjoyed, giving the girl goosebumps, seeing the little bumps appear reminded him what power he had over her.

“calum?” she whispered, so quiet that the kiwi boy wouldn’t have heard if it wasn’t for the near silence in his hotel room, the TV playing american psycho being the only other noise source.

he took a small breath, not knowing the topic of conversation before it started was something he always hated.

he liked interviews. interviews were planned, almost scripted, he knew the upcoming questions and he knew exactly how to answer them.

this wasn’t scripted. this was too real for him - life was often too real for him. “yeah baby?” he spoke back, his own tone just as hushed as the girls.

she hesitated, almost regretting striking up a conversation. “this hurts.” her quiet voice broke, calum shooting up to face her.

“what hurts, babe?” he questioned, placing a hand on her soft cheek, rubbing his thumb up and down. “tell me what hurts and i’ll fix it, okay?”

he’d never seen her so broken.

he knew she could be sensitive, micheal had warned him and his friends of that when they’d first met y/n. ‘be careful what you say, she gets hurt so easily.’

but calum had never truly believed such a thing, not once had he witnessed y/n cry, or even heard mention of her being upset from something he’d done. (poor oblivious calum, y/n was just very good at hiding it from him.)

“i don’t think you can fix it, cal.” she pouted, tears spilling from her eyes, her mascara beginning to run. “being.. this with you.. it really hurts”

he took back his hand, humming in silent agreement. he’d thought it for a while, he was almost hit with relief that she’d bring it up.

calum had always struggled at doing ‘casual’. he knew he needed to, especially now. if michael found out he was with the boy’s sister, he’d go crazy.

even then, it killed him. not holding her hand in public, not being able to kiss her whenever he wanted. not having the ability to really call her his.

“i just- i don’t want to be your maybe anymore.” she began playing with her shirt, the button suddenly becoming more interesting than calum’s eyes - though, to her, nothing ever really was. “it’s either we’re together or we’re friends. i’m not prepared to be neither, or both.”

calum remained quiet, unable to gather his words. he was rarely ever speechless, but times like this left him more than so. he was never good in sad situations.

“friends.. they aren’t what we are. they don’t love like us. if that’s what you want to be, be it. be my friend, but don’t keep hurting me like this.”

the maori boy smiled sadly, bringing a hand upward, tucking the girls hair behind her ear “i don’t want to be your friend, n/n.” he sighed, watching her face fall further, a thing he didnt quite think was possible. “i want to be your forever.”

a shocked look replaced the sadness, his words hitting her harder than ever, through sobs she brought his lips to hers, smile refusing to leave her face.

“i would love for you to be my forever, hood.”

(i wrote this at 2am don’t fault me if it sucks.)

[ribbonprincess]

Hey, I LOVE your moodboards. May I ask for one with rafe x maori!reader. Maori's are indigenous to New Zealand!! <3

⋆𐙚₊🌊⊹♡

Rafe's moari gf

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

Quick Notes On Hyrule & Its Neighbors In MoaH

I have plans to do full deep dives into all of the countries in MoaH eventually. I am waiting a little on it to get some spoiler stuff figured out how I want to handle that. For now, as a brief overview, here are the quick notes. All of the countries in MoaH are cultural amalgamates because Hyrule is a cultural amalgamate in canon, but I am still doing my best to research those cultures to makes sure that what is there is as respectful as it can be to the source.

Hyrule - Arthurian European medieval (working on emphasis for Cmyru origins over the British/French romantization, though there is some intentional contrasting of both) & Japanese, this combo is loosely based on canon

Farona - Slavic/Eastern European/Germanic, slight Norse

Holan - Chinese & Roman (this is an intentional contrast to Hyrule's European main and the Japanese secondary influence), Roman focused Mediterranean

Kohno - Oceania cultures like Maori, Hawai'i & wayfinding cultures (Kohno is the general alliance between a number of Pacific islander cultures)

Lyberic - Gaelic/Celtic, chiefly Irish for plot reasons (this is circling back on why I'm focusing Cmyru over Britain for Hyrule, but this is a 26+6=1 kind of plot)

Naydrana - Sami & Inuit cultures, generally subarctic cultures

Rahaal - Middle Eastern, North, East, and West African cultures (generally the Ottoman Empire). As a note, the Gerudo caravans are based loosely on Romani and Bedouin culture, though Rahaal has both nomadic and settlement based cultures in equal standing (generally nomadic cultures are respected as well in setting).

Teromac - Incan and, I can't do the accent so I'm including the modern term, Mexican/Aztec cultures

I am always learning. I'm sure I will get things wrong, and if I do, then I hope folks will push me to do better. I am not above revisions, I wanted to include a wide variety of cultures with their own full countries instead of small regions. Each of these nations get their own full book to explore their setting, and I want to do that right. I can't afford sensitivity readers, this is a fanfic and a no budget kind of project, but I always want feedback on how my representation is skewing.

[zerosomnia]

Neteyam x Human!reader - part 2

Summary: The part 2 is more from Neteyam's point of view, long story short, it's Neteyam's birthday and he is wildly overthinking the little moment between you two - what will happen when you're finally alone again?

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None really, just my personal headcannon of Neteyam being a bit of an overthinker

Word Count: 1.2k

Saying you had been avoiding Neteyam since the little incident the week prior was an understatement. And your avoidance wouldn’t have necessarily been noticeable to the regular person, if you hadn’t been practically running out of the room whenever he was nearby.

Neteyam found himself in a bit of a slump; his birthday was typically a good day, usually consisting of a little rest and some shared family joy. Of course, this time was a tad different with the whole integration into the Metkayina clan. Yet he still couldn’t help but feel it was horribly incomplete. He had been trying to hang out with you more often since the morning in the cabin - but everytime he got the chance, you bolted. Maybe he had gotten too close and made you uncomfortable during his visit? That thought left a horrible, cold dread sinking into the pit of his stomach, luckily, he didn’t get to focus on it much as the hustle and bustle of his siblings barging into the tent after their morning lessons interrupted his spiralling thoughts.

“Neteyam!” Tuk ran over to him, excitedly holding a small, clumsily made bracelet in her hands. Something about her excited  grin had him smiling too, despite his initial upset.

“Aw crap!” Spider cursed aloud, earning a solid glare from Neytiri who had been preparing food by the fire. He slinked back a bit before continuing his sentence, trying to meekly distract himself from her murderous glance. “I left your present up in the cabin, I’ll head back and get it.”

This was his chance! “Well, if you’re going anyway, I can come with you.” Neteyam tried not to give away his true intentions, but that didn’t stop Spider and Lo’ak from sharing a knowing smirk.

“Right… you totally just want to go get your gift,” Lo’ak snickered, earning smiles and laughs from the family. Neteyam rolled his eyes, gently bumping his brother’s shoulder as he followed Spider out of the maori pod.

The walk was mostly quiet between the two boys, it wasn’t until the cabin was in sight that Spider piped up again.

“Y’know, maybe it’s a good thing you’re coming over.” Neteyam side eyed Spider, expecting this to be the lead up to some sly joke, but was surprised when he seemed a little concerned instead. “She hasn’t been out of her room much, well,  she’s been out of it less than usual - maybe it’ll be good for her to see you” Neteyam stayed silent, he knew you two weren’t close - but did you really dislike him that much? He had almost had hope that your shared moment was a turning point, that you two could have been something.

“Maybe… Maybe I should leave her alone then?” He didn’t know what to think.

“No.” Spider was surprisingly stern. “I think you two should talk.” Neteyam’s heart dropped, did Spider know something?

The cabin steps rattled under the boys’ combined weight; he couldn’t tell whether the shaking of the platform was a result of their presence or because his legs had turned to jelly. The door hissed, allowing them into the airlock where the pair swapped gear - Spider removing his mask, and Neteyam grabbing his own. He thanked Eywa that he could still, somewhat, breath human air, he really didn’t want to have this conversation in the silly looking mask. Spider plopped himself down onto the sofa, motioning causally down the hallway towards your room. “Go on, good luck.” The shit-eating grin was back on his face, and it didn’t reassure Neteyam in the slightest. His mouth felt like a desert, and he found himself desperately trying to swallow his nerves. 

The door to your room was slightly ajar, allowing a small ray of light to pierce into the dark hallway. He knocked gently, subconsciously leaning towards the opening so that he could hear into the room. He could hear you fumbling around a bit, and the clinking of glass as you continued working.

“Come in,” you called back over your shoulder, still engrossed in looking down at the glass cases filled with samples that you had collected from your day.

He nervously stepped through the door, closing it after him to keep Spider’s prying ears from hearing your conversation. He awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to get your attention but not wanting to interrupt your work.

“Hi.” You practically fell off of your chair when he spoke, spinning round to face him with saucer-like eyes.

“Oh… um, hi.” You stared at him, the surprise visible on your face.

“Not who you were expecting?” He awkwardly chuckled, suddenly regretting ever inviting himself over.

You visibly relaxed at his observation. “Well, I knew it wasn’t Spider - he never knocks. I just wasn’t expecting you,”

“Yea well, I thought I’d come check on you. Apparently Spider’s worried - in his way. He said you’d locked yourself away in here. “ You blinked at him, processing his statement.

“Locked myself away?” you stood up, Neteyam admired the adorable scrunch of your eyebrows as you tried to recall any indications of Spider’s concern. Realisation dawned on your face. “Oh. I know what this is about.” you groaned. Marching over to your bedside dresser, as you explained. “I wasn’t ‘locking myself away’ - I was doing something.” As you found what you were searching for, Neteyam recognised the netted material of the weaving piece he had seen the last time he visited. You toyed with it sheepishly as you made your way back over to him.

“What’s this?” He lowered his head towards you. His skin tingled with electricity as you gently took his wrist in your hands. Your palms were so soft, he had to stop himself from shuddering as you slid the arm band up towards his bicep. The lack of distance between you both was dizzying, you deftly worked your hands around his muscled bicep, untwisting the parts which had become dishevelled as you had put it on him.

“Happy Birthday,” You kept your eyes on his arm, a small smile gracing your face. He was grateful, but he wasn’t looking at your gift, his eyes were trained on your lips. 

“So you’re not upset, about the other week?” You looked up at him, shaking your head with a confused quirk of your eyebrows. 

“No?”

“Good.” That was all he needed to hear as he gently pulled you in by your hips, finally closing the distance between your lips. His kiss was gentle at first, unsure. But when your arms looped themselves around his neck and pulled him in closer, it quickly became hungry, devouring you like he’d been waiting his whole life. You both let out a shuddering breath when you pulled away, resting your foreheads against each other. He closed his eyes. “I was so nervous that I’d scared you away,” You chuckled a little at his confession.

“You definitely didn’t - I just didn’t want to ruin the surprise before you’d gotten it.” You paused. “You do like it, right?” He pulled back and studied it for a moment.

“It’s beautiful.” You both jumped at a sudden loud voice from the other side of the door.

“Finally!” Spider shouted. “She’s been stressing all week.” Neteyam recoiled a little as you screamed back at Spider, and released you so that you could hunt Spider down in the hallway. As he watched you run out of the door,  Neteyam smiled to himself. 

“Best birthday ever.”