#so i suppose this is like my relationship with spider plants

[hzdtrees]

Misty dark

[ushys]

⸻ spider-verse characters reacting to your jealousy

characters: miles, earth-42 miles, miguel, hobie

a/n: i was thinking of making it a story but i thought you making it into little sections with different characters would be better.

cw: fluff, cussing, jealousy, a small mention of killing, gn! reader, that’s it :p

MILES MORALES: he’s kind of oblivious to that kind of thing, which makes it even worse for you. so, when you see him talking to someone who is obviously into him, you’re mad. you’re mad because they’re trying to hit on him and he laughs it off, not knowing their true intentions. it made your blood boil. they would touch his shoulder, laugh a little too hard at his jokes, all that. you walked away and miles noticed this. he said his goodbyes to the other person and chased after you.

“is everything okay babe?” he questioned, brows furrowed as he was confused. “everything’s fine, go talk to your other bae.” you said rolling your eyes and speeding up. “wha? babe what are you talking about- oh. are you jealous?” you stopped and turned to look at him. then you quickly turned around again and said “no.” yup, you were jealous.

“my love, there’s no need to be jealous. they’re just a friend and i would never leave you for them. i don’t even see them like that! i’m sorry for for making you feel this way, i just don’t know what’s wrong and right and i didn’t think they were doing anything weird.” now you felt guilty. “i’m sorry, you didn’t know and i just overreacted.” you later took him to your room and started talking about different ways people hit on others. he made sure to take notes to not upset you ever again.

EARTH 42 MILES: you were on a date with your boyfriend, walking around and looking at different displays that different shops were showing when suddenly, a stranger goes up to him and compliments him. “wow! your jacket is so cute. where did you get it from?” she giggled as she started touching his arm. miles was obviously uncomfortable and shot you a quick glance, watching as your expression went from a content smile to a rude glare towards the girl.

“my bae got it for me.” he replied as he puts his arm around you, holding you close. they quickly change expressions, now having a hurt look on their face. “oh..! haha, i didnt see her there. they’re your s/o..?” they said as he replied instantly. “yeah that’s what i said. why? do you have a problem with that?” “no. whatever. the jacket was ugly anyway.” they said walking past you, purposely bumping into you.

you were about to turn around and confront them but miles stopped you from doing so. “baby, they’re not worth it” he said planting a kiss on your head. “you were jealous weren’t you though?” he smirked as your eyes widen. “nuh uh” “yuh huh” “nuh uh” “it’s okay baby, you’re the only one for me.” he said, making your face warm. “i could never be jealous of them, they’re the one who was jealous. i hate how good looking you are, having to keep going through that” you pouted. “you’re good looking too, you’re ethereal, you get hit on too.” he said, sarcastically rolling his eyes. “but there’s a difference, i talk bad about them, you plan on killing them.” he laughs and shrugs. “oops?”

MIGUEL O’HARA: he would take good care of you, occasionally. his work has been a huge problem between your relationship, you guys could barely hang out a lot. so, to get closer, you decided to join the spider-verse team with him. as his assistant. you were happy he let you be his assistant, even though you practically had to beg him to let you because according to him, “it’s too dangerous” “”you could get hurt” “too much stress”. it’s a good thing that he wanted you to be safe but shouldn’t he let you do what you wanted?

well anyway, as his assistant, your job was to make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing and helping new members who are joining the spider group feel more comfortable in this new area. so when a new spider-woman joined the team, you knew what you had to do.

“and this is where miguel usually is at! miguel! come down and greet our new member!” you yelled out calling for him. “it’s best if you don’t bother him when you see him doing work, he can get a little.. harsh.” you say as he makes his way towards you. you look at the spider-woman who seems to be biting her lip and smirking. ‘is she okay?’ you thought to yourself as you looked at her and miguel. “welcome, y/n make sure she’s gotten a full tour of the entire building and understands what her job here is.” “oh, but is it okay if you were to help me instead? she’s not that good at explaining things” the woman lied, obviously just trying to get miguel’s attention.

miguel can sense your jealousy as he knew that the woman was trying to hard. he grabbed the woman’s hand, guiding her to another part of the building while he left you there, standing alone, in shock. ‘what?’

after a while, he came back and saw you sitting in your chair next to where he would usually do work at. he walked up to you and questioned you. “is everything all right mi amor?” you ignored him. “amor?” nothing. “silent treatment huh. why is that?” nothing again. “are you okay?” “yeah i’m fine go talk to your other bitch though. ask her if she’s doing fine.” you said, not looking at him and continuing whatever work you were doing. “you were jealous weren’t you.” “no.” “it’s okay mi amor, you don’t have to worry about a thing.” “and why is that” you questioned. “i sent her back to her dimension. she’s never coming back any time soon.”

HOBIE: “babe?” you called out wondering where hobie was. you’ve asked multiple spider-people wondering where he was but they had no idea. until gwen came up to you. “oh hey gwen what’s up? have you seen hobie?” you asked. “oh yeah, i have. that’s what i wanted to tell you. i know where he’s at.” “you do?! oh thank god, i thought he might’ve gone on a mission somewhere and could’ve gotten hurt. so, where is he” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “don’t get mad, because i don’t know much about it, but i’ve seen him walking with someone and i have no clue who they are. i think they’re new. i’ve seen them go into the lunchroom right now. they’re probably still there” someone new huh? that’s weird.

“thank you gwen, i appreciate it.” you hug her as you start walking away. you head to the lunchroom and suddenly you caught eye of hobie with the other person. “who is that?” you whispered. you then saw them getting real touchy with hobie. ‘what the hell are they doing?’ you furrowed your eyebrows, a disgusted look planted on your face. you can see hobie slightly trying to dodge their touches. you let out a small smirk. so, they don’t get the hint that he doesn’t want them.

you started walking up to him and you suddenly appeared next to him. “hello my love.” you planted a small kiss on his cheek, making sure the girl noticed. “hey baby. where have you been?” hobie asked, turning to look at you and putting his arm around your waist. “that’s what i should be asking you, who is this?” you say pointing at the new person, who was clearly furious. they closed her eyes and smiled. “oh! i’m alex! and you are?” they asked, a vein appearing on their forehead. “they’re my s/o.” hobie replied for you. alex slowly opened their eyes and gave you both a blank stare. “oh is that so? sorry to bother you, i’ll be on my way.” they said walking away, not wanting to face the both of you.

“jealous huh?” he said as he smirked at you. “no.” you lied, not wanting to admit it. you were embarrassed. “yeah you were. thank you for saving me. they were making me uncomfortable” he said in a sarcastic tone, even thought what he said was true. “i don’t want anyone taking away what’s mine” you said looking away. “don’t worry, that’s never happening.” he said giving you a kiss on top of your head.

girls next fr 🙈

[ssruis]

Saw someone say it wasn’t realistic that rui is now liked by more people & he should have to experience more social rejection and be fine with it for an arc because it’s “not realistic” & (extremely loud incorrect buzzer) uh oh! looks like someone failed their rui kamishiro classes.

A lot of Rui’s issues with connecting with others/being disliked by his peers had to do with people just not understanding him - assuming he was dangerous, that he was willing to put people in harms way, that he was just a crazy director. There was a massive gap in maturity, of course - if you put a super genius (autism coded) child in a group with average kids, he’s going to stick out. RMD shows this pretty clearly. He attempted to reach out through using shows as a common ground, which didn’t work.

Now that he’s in high school, and his peers are more mature, those who actually speak to him and spend time with him are able to recognize that he’s actually a good guy. Look at his relationship with Akito if you need an example. Additionally, through tsukasa & wxs Rui was able to realize he could connect to people outside of shows and he stopped acting very… indifferent to everyone around him, which also helped with making friends. The pandemonium crew were a special case because they all thought Rui’s knowledge/inventions/etc were cool from the get go, but other students… did not share that opinion. And still don’t.

There are a lot of examples I could bring up, but the 2nd card story in Rui’s “Brand New Style” 2* (TL Haruka’s penguins) is one of the best:

2nd year (greening) committee member A: Well, I’m still attached to the plants I took care of, so I thought I’d take care of them until I graduate.

3rd year committee member A: That’s understandable. Besides… ever since Kamishiro-kun joined us, it’s been much easier to take care of them.

2nd year committee member B: True, the flowerbeds aren’t getting vandalized anymore!

Rui: I don’t think I’ve really done much… but I’m honored to hear you say something like that.

3rd year committee member B: Yeah, I’m really looking forward to working with you again this year, Kamishiro!

Rui: (The atmosphere of this committee has changed a lot.)

Rui: (When I first joined, the looks everyone gave me weren’t exactly ones of “welcoming.”)

Rui: (Now, though, I seem to have gained their understanding. I’m grateful.)

Rui: (But…)

1st year committee members: Hey, isn’t that the senpai we heard those rumors about? The one from the weirdo one-two finish…

1st year committee members: That problem child who flies drones and conducts dangerous experiments in school? Why does he have to be in the Greening Committee…? I thought it was meant to be a peaceful committee…

Rui: (… Well, I suppose it can’t be helped.)

[rui is asked to be the one to explain greening committee’s responsibilities to the new 1st year members]

Rui: Would everyone please follow me?

1st year committee members: O… okay…

[scene change to outside]

1st year committee members: I never thought I’d end up getting involved with the senpai from the rumors like this…

1st year committee members: My friend’s older brother said to stay away from him because he’s supposed to be dangerous…

Rui: We’re here.

1st year committee members: O-okay!

Rui: All the flowerbeds facing this schoolyard are managed by the greening committee.

Rui: We’re in charge of daily watering duty, but we also work with the soil and plant new flowers during committee time.

Rui: The seeds for the flowers over there were planted a few months ago by the committee members. I’m glad to see the buds have finally sprouted.

1st year committee members: Hmm, you’ve been growing them from seeds, these flowers —

Rui: Ah, please be careful when you go to touch the flowers. It’s difficult to see, but there’s a net in front of the flowerbed.

1st year committee members: Woah, there is…! I didn’t notice at all, but there’s a net of threads like a spider web…!

1st year committee members: But what’s the purpose of that?

Rui: This flowerbed is positioned in quite a precarious place.

Rui: The flowers planted here were often crushed by stray balls from the tennis and softball clubs.

Rui: In order to protect the flowers from such accidents… but also to avoid spoiling the scenery, an almost invisible defense net was made.

1st year committee members: “Was made”… Did you make it, Kamishiro-senpai?

Rui: I did. I felt sorry for the flowers, you see.

1st year committee members: … Someone who’s known for dangerous experiments is working with the flowers…

Rui: … Oh dear. This flower seems to have withered.

1st year committee members: Ah… If it’s withered that much, I doubt it’ll grow anymore. You’ll be wasting the nutrients of other flowers, so it’s better to thin out—

Rui: … No.

Rui: I’ll put this flower in another planter and take care of it.

Rui: When it’s recovered, I’ll return it to this flowerbed. It should be together with everyone else, after all.

1st year committee members: Kamishiro-senpai…

1st year committee members: … I will do my best as a greening committee member.

1st year committee members: Senpai, please teach me a lot!

I think this card story is a microcosm of how he started to be more accepted at school - 1st years are scared of him, then they spend time with him and realize he’s not Some Insane Dangerous Monster but instead a nice guy (… when he’s not being a freak), and are like “oh ok he’s not a bad person we accept him.” Crucially: there are still other students who don’t accept him. & Rui has never really had an issue brushing this off, even if it’s obviously not something he enjoys experiencing.

I could talk at length on how I think this is actually a pretty realistic portrayal of what it’s like when you go from being really misunderstood (and therefore unliked) as a kid and then have an easier time making friends when you’re older, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I will say that I think if pjsk elected to instead constantly hammer in the fact that some people still don’t like rui it would kind of run against the story’s message of improving your life. We don’t need to dwell on sad things constantly in the Hopeful Hatsune Miku Game. But whatever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

The thread also mentioned that Rui should have been more upset in BLF over not immediately succeeding, which I don’t have as much to say about beyond. No? It shouldn’t have? Why would it? Rui himself acknowledges that he’s not as well versed in the world of movie directing, and he’s always been eager to learn, which is a sign that he knows there are gaps in his knowledge. Similar to the rest of WxS, setbacks regarding his passions are something he views as an opportunity to improve.

Also. Rui *has* failed before as a director, just not on a massive scale. He mentions regretting type casting Tsukasa up until the torpe show, he mentions being at a loss for how to help Tsukasa in Phoenix, he talks about how his lack of singing knowledge was detrimental to Nene’s growth. I agree that it would be interesting to see him struggle in a big way with directing specifically, but it’s just not true that he’s never failed at anything ever wrt directing.

[ladyelissarose]

Hello there I saw you accepted request so I thought about a somewhat nsfw headcanon of hobie with a tattoo artist partner. And like they’re giving him a tattoo and after that there is some “aftercare”.

Anyways wish you the best of luck with this idea and I love you work <3

Hobie Brown ‘Spider-Punk’ x female tattoo artist reader

Warnings: NSFW HC! 18, fluff :)

Author’s note: Thank you for your sweet words @brainrottsworld I appreciate them entirely Here is this HC for you, I hope I did it right, this will be my first one. Have a great day :) enjoy ;)🤍

SFW Part-

•To put it simply on how this relationship started, any kind of piercing Hobie had, you gave it to him. And every time he came back for a new one, you more than gladly skimmed your fingers over where he wanted it, then carefully added the new gem.

•Hobie was your favorite customer, he was mostly kind with a little bit of a sass here and there, overly sarcastic as hell- but he only used it towards others around you, to see you laugh. Your smile was the best part of his time being there at your tattoo shop.

•Soon he started coming by for more, but in the end he’d mostly sit there on top of your little counter and you two would just chat about life and what you believed in. Every word of his you drank in and couldn’t find any reason of why not to like him. He made you feel seen and understood, plus- you two shared the same thoughts about the government and all.

•What turned into ‘supposed appointments’ soon became he would just come by and be at your shop all day. You wouldn’t mind tho, you actually missed him when he couldn’t come sometimes. He always said his ‘work’ had crazy hours.

•Sometimes he’d come back late with new cuts and scratches, and you’d use your equipment there to clean and patch him up, that’s how you two started coming closer. He never told you how he got them, but he only mentioned that it was the government’s fault.

•Soon Hobie found an excuse to let his hands wander on you as you took care of him (he said it helped distract him from the pain) but he loved to color in your tattoos and give you ideas of where to put a new one. His fingers tracing his imaginary designs always lingered on you longe than they should’ve.

•After that day you two got even closer- and what marked the seal was when you kissed him. He had his face practically in yours that day as he pretended go draw a design on your cheek, so you took the shot and closed the small gap he left.

•There was no room for you to doubt he didn’t feel the way you did, or wanted the same.. for after that, all he did was kiss and love on you. Protect you from weird customers that filtered with you too much to his liking (he’d kiss you in front of them to let them know)

•When work didn’t call, he was there by your side with no excuses. He even let you tattoo your name on the inside of his wrist, letting you know, that he wasn’t letting you go.

NSFW!!

•When the busy hours would turn dead, he’d be in between your legs for a while, eating you out and telling you to relax and he’d take care of the rest. He’d plant open mouthed kisses to every tattoo he passed by, saying they were all his favorite.

•He knew you loved it when he used the words like ‘doll’, ‘my puppet’, ‘love’ and shower you with adoration every time, never missing a beat. He adored the sounds you made when he’d finger you hard and make you come all over his face.

•There were times he’d sense a customer approaching, and if he was in a teasing mood, he’d leave you on the edge and have you wait till they left then he’d finish you and wipe your tears away from the overstimulation of waiting for too long.

•But there were other times he’d be dying to taste and feel you come on his face, that he’d speed up the process and go harder just so you could finish on time. Leaving your juices coated on his face and smirk at you the entire time while you did your job and he could see you trying to relax from your high.

•On his harder days at work, he’d come straight to your place, switch the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ and tell you to turn around and bend over the table. He didn’t have the chance to prep you with his fingers when he’s already lining his cock with your pussy and telling you to take it.

•Hobie could easily be hard and rough, hitting all the right spots and sucking your skin on the tatts as always. He groans loudly when he’d feel you pull on his bottom lip by his rings or tug on his hair when he thrusts impossibly deeper. But you never minded, only accepted it, for you knew he needed to take off the weight of his day on you through pleasure.

•If it was in the middle of the work day, he’d push his cum back into with his fingers and help you get dressed. He almost gets hard again at the thought of his cum dripping out of your pussy as you worked and walked around showing customers the different tattoo ideas.

•On calmer days, Hobie liked to take his time with you, slow but deep strokes, not needing to say much as he loved for hearing your sweet moans and pleas for him to go faster. But he’d tell you to be patient and squeeze for him, and hold onto his shoulders or pull his hair as he rode out your highs long and softly.

•When Hobie pushes you to your absolute limit, where you’re fucked out and barely staying up, he’d close your store and walk you up the stairs to your apartment that rested above your shop and lay you down after cleaning you up. He’d never make you do more or even lift a finger if he brought you too far.

•He loved caressing your skin and rubbing away all sores or tense muscles from your love making, it did something to him to know he could bring you to that point of exhaustion. Yet he always cared for you and gave you everything you desired afterwards, cuddles, snacks, another round if you were ok with it- just anything. And he’d do it gladly.

•Asking questions as always to keep up with you was a must afterwards and during even. Hobie couldn’t live on if he knew you were hiding something from him. But thankfully so far you’ve loved everything about him and are very open about what you like that he does to you.

•One of your favorite ‘times’ with him was when he asked you to place a tattoo of his guitar right under his naval, and once it was all designed and finished, you surprised him with a blowjob right after. It was thrilling to hear his little moans and feel his cock hit the back of your throat every time he’d buck his hips.

•One of his favorite times was when he discovered you had put his name over your hip bone as he kissed you down to your pussy, you bet he didn’t let you go until you had come at least three times on his face while saying his name. That part of you became one of his pride and joys.

•Overall Hobie was a great lover and person... he gave entirely to you in every aspect, from love and safety to sex and pleasure, praising you for everything and thanking you for loving him.

•Maybe he was the quiet and off guy with others, but with you? He was a whole other person... he was himself.

[blooming-violets]

43: giving them a piggy-back ride

[from this prompt list] [feel free to request a prompt from the list]

[tasm!peter parker x reader]

The Piggy-Back

"Are we there yet?" Peter dragged his feet behind you as you trekked ahead. "Can't I just swing us there? It would be so much faster."

You stopped walking and turned around with a huff, "Peter Benjamin Parker, you are worse than a child!" You stuck your finger out at him in an accusatory manner. "We have to walk six blocks. That is not far. We do not need to swing everywhere. And, besides, it messes up my hair and I get wind burn. I'm sick of swinging. I would like to show up to this event not looking like I crawled out of a wind tunnel."

The two of you were attempting to walk the few blocks to your friend's house party. It was colder than you anticipated outside and, you had to admit, that swinging there would be faster. Still, you didn't want to risk the hard work you put into doing your hair. No amount of hairspray could hold it in place after a swing through the city.

"But it's cold," he pouted at you. His bottom lip stuck out to resemble a toddler about to throw a tantrum and his eyes widened into pleading, round saucers.

The look made you burst into laughter, "You're pathetic. Aren't you supposed to be a tough crime fighting superhero?"

Peter shook his head, keeping up the pout, "Not when I don't have a suit on. Now I'm just a normal person who's cold and sick of walking." He shuffled up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, hiding his face into the collar of your jacket. "Carry me the rest of the way."

You gave him another laugh, "You should be the one carrying me." You untangled yourself from his grasp and bent your knees. "Hop on, Spidey. I'll piggyback you. It's only two more blocks."

His amused giggle filled you with joy, "I'll squish you."

"Give it a try! I'm stronger than you think."

Peter didn't question you further and he carefully hopped up onto your back with a kind of grace that only Spider-Man could manage. The second his weight hit you, you took a few running steps forward to keep your balance, before quickly finding your footing again. He wasn't as heavy as you thought he'd be but it was still a struggle to stay up right.

You gave a grunt and attempted to stumble onward to your destination, "Alright. I got this."

His laughter filled your ear and tickled your cheek as he nuzzled his head next to yours, "I'm impressed you didn't immediately fall flat on your face. I should travel like this more often."

You responded with another grunt, struggling to get any words out as you concentrated on not dropping him. The two of you made it approximately one full block before your legs gave out. Peter jumped off and wrapped a protective arm around your waist right before your knees could hit the concrete.

"Careful," he warned with a smile. He steadied you back on your feet and planted a kiss to the top of your head. "I told you I would squish you. Come here, it's my turn now."

He bent down nice and low for you to scramble onto his back instead. You clambered on top of him, a lot less graceful than he had been getting onto yours, and wrapped your legs around his waist. He hoisted you up higher with ease and started a steady jog down the street.

"Now you're just showing off," you rolled your eyes but smiled as you tighten your grip around his neck.

"I'm making up for the lost time. It took you a solid five minutes to walk one block. Slowest horse I've ever ridden."

You gently slapped his chest in protest, saying sarcastically, "You ride a lot of horses, Peter? And, relationship tip, never refer to your partner as a horse."

He chuckled, "Yeah, the second it came out of my mouth, I regretted my choice of words." He slowed his jog as he approached the party. "Oh god, I can hear the music already. Terrible choice. Awful music. Let's go back home instead."

You couldn't hear what he could but you tried to protest, "No, we came all this way. Your antisocial behavior and disagreement on music choice is not an excuse to miss out on our friend's party."

You felt him tighten his grip around your legs and could see the glint of a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Who's riding who?" He asked.

"What are you talking ab-"

Before you could finish the question, he spun around and started a swift walk back in the direction you came.

"Peter!" You gasped.

"This horse says that it's time to go home. You have to be better at controlling your animals if you want them to listen to you!" He quickened his step. "Hold on tight."

He didn't have to tell you twice for you to know what was about to happen. You tightened your arms around his neck and braced yourself for the inevitable jerk as he shot the two of you up into the air. Taking the time to get dressed up, just to skip out on your friend's party right as you arrived, wasn't the sort of disappointment you would have felt a few years ago. Instead, you were relieved as the wind tossed back your hair and you clung to your boyfriend's back. Even hurdling 50 feet above the ground, you felt safe tucked against him. If Peter didn't feel comfortable being somewhere, he would simply just not go. It was a quality you had learned to admire about him even if it often led to moments like this.

"Promise me that the music was actually insufferable and that we would have had a terrible time," you shouted over the wind whistling in your ear.

He nodded, calling back, "They were playing Cotton Eyed Joe, babe. I promise you, this is for our own sanity. I'm saving you from a night of pain."

"Ew," you grumbled. "Fine but at least swing us to the nice Mexican restaurant instead. We look cute. Let's not waste it. Might as well make use of our night."

"One sexy, hot date night, coming right up!"

[dododan]

(Un)mortal love - Chapter 1

This is fan fiction from the game Cult of The Lamb. The story is set before Narinder's imprisonment. It will be a romance, or at least it's supposed to be, and how it comes out in practice remains to be seen. The story will focus on Heket and Margo (my OC) and how their relationship developed. It's hard for me to say when the next chapters will be, but I'm working on them.

Forgive me if I make mistakes with Shamura's pronouns, but English is my second language and I'm translating this story myself, so minor errors may sneak in.

"Anura was a place Heket loved from the first moment. She loved strolling its paths along with her older sibling, Shamura. Normally, she would have enjoyed Shamura's offer, but somehow she felt that this walk was different from the previous ones. What does Shamura want to talk to her about?"

Anura was different from the other domains. 

It wasn't as harsh or grim as Silk Cradle. Wherever one looked one saw rocks covered in webs. The bones of enemies fallen centuries ago, or giant rock formations that were home to followers of the God of War. Even if Heket liked a certain creepiness that Shamura's domain spread, she herself wanted something different. A place where her followers would feel safe and comfortable. They could rest in peace, enjoying the beauty of nature. 

Her Land was also not to be as kitschy as Anchordeep, where there were colored crystals everywhere. Maybe the fluorescent plants could look charming at times, but anyone could get disgusted when Kallammar was talking about them all the time. Heket preferred Anura not to be overwhelmed by her wealth. She wanted her to be beautiful, but delicate at the same time, pleasing to the eye. Her land would spread a serenity around it that hid some treasures. 

And Narinder's domain? Well, only he could reside there and the souls, of those who had passed away. Heket always absorbed her elder brother's every word when he talked about his realm. Creamy clouds stretching to the horizon. Immeasurable space to the eye, and light from beyond the horizon that never disappears. He told of red skylights — the souls of the dead — crossing the land and heading towards the horizon to return to The Beginning. The God of Death never revealed to her what happens to the souls when they disappear over the horizon. He only smiled, silently. No matter how hard Heket tried to force the information out of him, whether by asking or provoking, that he himself didn't know what was next. He just smiled and remained silent. Heket would never say it out loud, but she wished, like Narinder, that she could rediscover the beauty of her domain every day. She feared that one day she would get used to those tall trees, covered with different species of mushrooms. To that captivating smell of flowering herbs in the high grass. To that lush vegetation in shades of red, orange, and brown. She would like to always feel the pride she feels now, walking through Her Anura. 

Anura that has finally fully formed. Looking at her land, she still remembers the feeling of excitement when Shamura took her here for the first time. Back then, the place was no different from the usual green forests that covered the rest of Bishop's lands. The land had changed over hundreds of years under the influence of Heket's divinity. The landscape was slowly changing, forming. Shamura usually said that places of worship responded to the powers of the gods and shaped themselves as their powers developed. 

Heket glanced at her older sibling. They were walking together with Shamura in the warm light of the morning. The God of War walked beside her in complete silence, with his serious face. Shamura may have been strict at times, but Heket knew that beneath that mask, there was a caring and loving spider. She knew they cared for her, but this uncertainty was beginning to stress Heket out. This walk was different from the previous one. 

It was Shamura who invited Heket to this walk. They wanted to talk to them alone, although Heket was not sure how Shamura understood this concept. Although, a group of a couple of Shamura's followers were a few meters behind them, and they had no chance to hear their conversation, still Heket was uncomfortable. Would her followers also follow her like a shadow? 

A shudder went through her at that thought. She liked being the center of attention, but she also cherished moments of alone time. She hoped that when she finally became a complete god and bishop, she would find time for herself. She didn't really believe Shamura's words that, as a goddess, she would have to devote all her time to her followers and maintaining harmony. After all, even Shamura was finding time to read books or spend an evening with the rest of their siblings. It couldn't be as terrible as Shamura described, after all, they were the gods. The last sentence belonged to them. 

Heket felt an unpleasant sensation in her stomach. She might have enjoyed these walks with her siblings, but today the silence was killing her. She preferred to get to the point rather than agonize further. Better to do it quickly so that it hurts as little as possible. 

— So, what did you want to talk about? — Heket asked, trying not to let her voice tremble. She didn't want to appear nervous in front of her siblings or continue to be seen as a child by them. 

— Anura surprises more and more every day — Shamura stated, stopping for a moment. 

They could see the young frog was getting annoyed. Heket plucked at a scrap of her coat with the tips of her fingers, not really knowing how to respond to the comment. It wasn't a very good habit, as it immediately betrayed her nervousness. Shamura sent her younger sister an encouraging smile. Heket tucked her hands deeper into her black cloak, straightening slightly. Her shoulders were no longer as tense as before. The God of War made a mental note to help their sister get rid of this habit. Her future followers must not see her indecision or worries. They might see it as a weakness, and Shamura must not let anyone take advantage of it. A small moment of inattention, could cost a lot. Even if they are gods and mere mortals can't hurt them too much physically, it doesn't mean they can't inflict emotional wounds. 

Shamura picked one of the orange-yellow flowers from the nearest branch. She looked at it carefully, admiring its luscious colors. They turned towards their younger sister, extending their hands towards her. They gently captured her hands in their own. 

— Anura has great potential — said Shamura, with their third hand, setting Heket's flower by the crown. Her eye was still closed, indicating that the true power of the crown was still asleep. Heket hadn't yet had her awakening as a goddess.

— It hides a beauty that cannot be found anywhere else. — Shamura placed their third hand on her sister's shoulder and gently touched her cheek with the fourth. — This place has your strength. We can feel it in every bit of this land. — Shamura pointed with their hand to the surrounding forest. Mighty trees towered above them, and the sun's rays shone through the leaves. — Even though you rarely acknowledge it, your willingness to care is evident in this place. Your gentleness and care for others, sister. — Heket felt herself start to blush from these compliments. Shamura rarely complimented someone openly like this. Slightly abashed, she lowered her head, avoiding Shamura's gaze. They only laughed lightly. They liked to tease their sister sometimes. — Nothing to be ashamed of. — The God of War bent down, trying to look her sister in the eye. With one of her hands, they lifted her chin. — These are qualities that are more than desirable in a god. 

— But I'm not a god yet. — Heket said weakly. — I'm just learning. — She really wanted to escape the gaze of her older sibling. In another situation, she would have been happy to receive such attention, but now she wasn't sure where the conversation was going. It promised to be another conversation about how she would be a great god, but for now she must wait. She hated these conversations. She felt a sting in her heart. She wanted so much to be like the rest of her siblings. 

— Still, that's the key word, my dear sister,- Shamura said, straightening up. She smiled, as if with pride in their eyes. Heket stared at her older sibling, feeling more confused than before. 

— Is this another of the conversations about the philosophical meaning of time and its perception? — asked Heket with a little timidity. 

Shamura only laughed pearly. Out of the corner of her eye, Heket noticed how most of the followers shuddered. It must have been a rare sight indeed for them, for the usually serious and reasonable God of War to laugh so freely. Only one follower, did not flinch. 

— Not this time, but if you're willing? — shrugged Shamura's shoulders, continuing to smile. 

— No! — Heket said quickly, before her older sibling began to lecture. Only after a moment did she realize that she had acted like a child by raising her voice like that. — I'm sorry,- she added, lowering her head. 

Shamura looked at their younger sister, seeing her frowning. They found it heartwarming that Heket was so reluctant to offend them. They put their hand on their sister's head, like when she was a child. Though to Shamura, Heket would always remain the little frog they met on their journey. A brave yet frightened child. Now a mature woman, she was soon to begin a new phase of her path. 

— There is still a lot of learning ahead of you. There are still many things that need your attention. — Shamura said calmly. Heket felt herself shrinking inside. — Taking on the role of Bishop will help you understand them. 

Heket immediately raised her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stared at Shamura, wondering if it was a dream or a bad joke. A dream it certainly wasn't, and the God of War would never stoop to such a cruel joke. Maybe if Narinder had said it, but then she would have heard Leshy's laughter, hidden somewhere in the nearby bushes. However, nothing of the sort was happening. 

— Really? — She asked, wanting to make sure. She felt excitement growing inside her. Shamura saw a glint in their sister's eyes. 

— You are ready, Heket — Shamura said. 

Heket's biggest dream was becoming a reality. She will be just like her older siblings. She will be a god and do what they do. She couldn't stop herself. She immediately hugged her older sibling without stopping laughing. Shamura froze for a moment. They had hoped their sister would react enthusiastically to the news, but not so much. Shamura sighed. They returned their younger sister's hug. This reaction was even better than they thought. 

The God of War had given their younger sister as much time as they needed to calm down. They also didn't want Heket to get tense. She had become very careful in their relationships lately. Shamura knew that she didn't want to let them down, but that would never happen. No matter what Heket would do, Shamura was always proud of her. 

— Remember that you are wonderful, Heket — Shamura said, pulling away from her sister. — You will be an amazing god and never doubt it. 

— Fine,- said Heket, still smiling. If Shamura had said so, it must have been true. Everyone may have had some visions of the future, but it was Shamura who had the most talent in it. It was their visions that were the clearest and most detailed. If they saw something, it had to happen. 

— We have a month to go. I have already asked Kallamar to take care of preparing your temple,- Shamura said as she continued walking. Heket was so happy about her awakening as a goddess that she could even turn a blind eye to Kallamar's help. At least she wouldn't have to deal with it. Decorations were not her fable. They were superfluous and unpractical. She preferred the current minimalist decor of her temple, but her awakening was a not far off event. Maybe a few decorations wouldn't be so bad. — Just please no brawling, okay? 

— I'll be polite, the rest is not my responsibility. 

— At least that's it,- Shamura said. They were silent for a moment, wondering what else they should tell her sister. — The preparation of the followers or other small matters will be taken care of by me and Narinder. You don't have to worry about Leshy either, we'll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't destroy anything.  And most importantly,- Shamura said, folding her hands. — During the ceremony, you will give your first sermon and demonstrate your power. You will discover your calling as a god and your future duties,- Shamura explained further. 

Unfortunately, Heket no longer paid much attention to their words. She was very excited. She was very curious about who she was going to be. She had a certain feeling that her powers would be connected to the earth, as she had long been sensitive to its vibrations. She was also extremely strong and resilient. Kallamar and Narinder had also acknowledged this when she had trained with them recently. 

— Heket - said Shamura, a little more sharply. They had the feeling that their sister had drifted off somewhere with her thoughts. The future goddess blushed slightly in embarrassment. She muttered a silent apology, this time listening carefully to her older sibling. — Well. As I said. Your first solo appearance in front of the followers is extremely important, because it determines how they will perceive you. From the very beginning, you have to show your devotees that you are worthy to lead them, but you also have to show your strength so that they never doubt you. — Although Shamura spoke calmly, Heket felt the excitement giving way. With every word from her older sibling, she felt a lump grow in her throat. — You can always come to us if you need help with a sermon. But I'm sure you'll handle it brilliantly and dazzle everyone. 

Shamura decided that this one time they could afford to get emotional. It was hard for them to let go of old habits, but they knew how significant it was for their younger siblings to show their emotions openly to each other. They hugged their sister. 

— I know you can handle it - they said, pulling away from Heket. Their younger sister stood still, just staring at them. Apparently, Shamura must have surprised them with this reaction, or Heket was already thinking about the preparations for the first ceremony. — Forgive me now, sister. But I must get back to my duties. 

Heket only mutely nodded, gazing at Shamura. She watched her older sibling join their followers. They all followed Shamura faithfully, listening to what the God of War had to say. They were probably preaching her next wisdom to them. Though, Heket's gaze, was caught by another follower. She stood too far away for her to see who it was specifically. She got the impression that the follower bowed to her and then ran after Shamura. 

Heket found this strange, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She had worse things on her mind than strange followers. Shamura didn't seem to notice her nervousness, or at least that when Heket heard about the sermon. After all, she had never written a sermon. 

She had no idea how she was supposed to make her sermon inspire the followers to believe in her divinity? How was she to check that they would both admire her, but also respect or fear her power? Shamura believes in her, but will she be able to live up to the expectations of her siblings? 

Will her sermon be as wise and message-bearing as Shamura's sermons? 

Will she manage to show her power and inspire them like Narinder? 

Will she be able to speak as flowery as Kallamar? 

Heket felt a strange tightening in her stomach. Like a cramp she hadn't experienced before. She couldn't exactly describe it. She took a deep breath. She counted to ten to calm her emotions. Just as Kallamar had taught her. A warrior, she must not be nervous. She must keep her nerves in check so as not to give the enemy the upper hand. 

— It won't be so bad — Heket said aloud, trying to comfort herself. 

If her siblings are doing the sermons, why shouldn't she be able to handle it? She's not alone with this. Besides, she still has plenty of time. The ceremony is only a month away. She can deal with it later. 

I'd be delighted if you wrote what you thought of the story! I would love to hear your opinions^^

[sangorous]

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋

word count: 1.4k

genre/warnings: angst/none really?

kuchiki byakuya x black!fem!reader

Heartbreak invokes different emotions in someone. It can cause suffering, depression, emptiness, happiness, a sense of relief, and the list could go on. For some, a breakup is their escape from something they're not happy with. For some, it's a never-ending saga of sadness.

For Byakuya, he wasn't sure what he felt. He was relieved that [your name] could finally be happy but felt empty. It's been a year since the couple split, and he hasn't found out how he felt. This was supposed to be their fourth anniversary. Now that he's beginning to think of it, there was a time when he was happy. It was when he was with her.

Four years ago, Byakuya was in a happy relationship. His first relationship and he didn't want it to end. Their first encounter was when she entered his plant shop and looked for [favorite plant]. Instead, she became captivated by his cherry blossom tree in the back.

"I've never seen one in person," she gushed in awe.

"Beautiful isn't it?" he stood beside her as she nodded.

"Here, I can let you through the back to get a better view," he grabbed the keys from his pocket and unlocked the back door.

He led her through the back, and her eyes lit up. It was beautiful in person. She looked so happy there, so he didn't want to interrupt her. He searched for the [favorite plant] as she stood there.

It wouldn't take him long to find it, considering that he's the one who created and designed the shop, "there you are..." he muttered to himself. No wonder why she couldn't find it. The other plants in its area covered it.

The last thing he wanted was to disturb her peace, so the plant was placed to the side. Whenever she was ready, she could take the plant.

"Thank ya' so much!" she smiled at the long-haired male.

"You're welcome," he smiled back. This was a genuine smile; it wasn't fake.

Since that day, he's been intrigued by the girl. Every day he'd hope to see her, maybe show up out of the blue. That week he'd purposely act like he was doing something productive by the door. Unfortunately, she never came. Or so he thought.

Hearing the little bells make noise, and he quickly and calmly walked over to where the plants were and pretended to work. It was her again. What should he do?

"Good afternoon," he cleared his throat, trying not to peak over her.

"Good afternoon; how's your afternoon so far?" she hummed, looking around at the plants.

"Been pretty slow, might close up early today," he sighed, glancing over at her.

"Yours?"

"Ugh! I Don't know where to start; let's say my afternoon isn't great. Now I'm here trying to find another plant child to ease my nerves," she huffed, looking at various plants around her.

"Do you own a spider plant?" she shook her head no and gestured for her to follow him.

"This is beautiful," she gushed, looking at the plant.

"Spider plants purify the indoor air by eliminating the harmful chemicals that float around you, and I think that it'll help you calm down at times," he took it from the hanging planter.

"I knew if I came back here, you'd be able to help me again," she followed him to the register.

"I'm glad to hear that," he tried his best to hide his red cheeks, but he couldn't.

"How much?"

"Only $20..." he trailed off, waiting for the receipt to print.

"And maybe a cup of coffee tomorrow if you're not busy?" he added while she nodded with a small smile.

"Of course, here!" she grabbed a sticky note and wrote her number for him.

"See you tomorrow," she waved goodbye as she left the store.

Once that door shut, he let a deep breath out. He couldn't believe he had done that; he had asked her on a date. What was shocking was that she said yes.

The following day came rather quickly, and he was a bit nervous. What if she changed her mind last minute?

He was becoming anxious, but he didn't understand why. He was here five minutes early, while she might be on time.

Byakuya sat down at a booth near the door, hoping to grab [your name] just in case she walked in the door. Tapping his fingers on the table, he heard the coffee shop's bell ding. There she was; she looked beautiful.

"Hey!" and his eyes lit up a bit.

"Hello," there was a slight smile as he exited the booth.

They walked over to the counter, where he paid for their drinks and sat at the booth. When they got to know each other, he learned that [your name] was completing her master's degree in [major], and she was in her last year. She realized that he had started his business two years ago and grew his plants in the backyard of his house. He also had a younger sister.

In both of their eyes, they felt like they had hit it off. Especially Byakuya. "we should see each other again... How about dinner Saturday night?" She slowly nodded, trying not to smile.

Agreeing to that date at the time was probably the best thing [your name] could do. Byakuya had this mysterious aura about him that she was intrigued by.

They'd have dates every Friday, but more than each Friday was needed for him. His eyes lit up whenever she stopped by the shop, and eventually, he'd ask her to be his girlfriend.

Despite him not being fully open about himself, [your name] was okay with that. They found a way to make it work, but it wouldn't be able to last forever. A sweet relationship filled with laughter and good times turned sour real quick. Neither of them saw it coming; it was a surprise. A surprise that grabbed them by the neck.

"I do not understand what you're saying..." he trailed off, staring at her.

Of course, he knew what she was saying. He did not want to accept what she was saying. He was not ready for this yet.

"What is hard for you to understand right now? Let's go our separate ways... We're not happy anymore. We try so hard to try and salvage this relationship, and it just leads to more arguing. I'm unsure why you're so scared to open up to me, but I can't keep losing my mind. I ask the bare minimum, but I can't keep fighting you over that," Byakuya couldn't speak. Everything she said was right.

And he knew that once she was right and made her mind up, she was not changing. So she would be leaving for good this time. There were no breaks from each other for two weeks or maybe a month.

"I'm sorry, Kuya... I can't this time," he felt tears falling down his face or thought he did.

Maybe they were in his head. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Why couldn't he? He didn't understand why his body was suddenly paralyzed. His eyelids wouldn't shut. What was going on?

Hearing the door slam told him that everything was already over. He's lost everything. The only person who'd keep him sane. The only person who made him happy. The only person who helped him try new things in life. He couldn't lie; it felt like he got the wind knocked out of him.

There was a "thud," and those knees were dropping on the floor. The silence in the apartment consumed him while he stared off into space. Now his tears began to stream down his face. He lost the only thing that mattered to him.

He opened the heart in his necklace and looked at the picture of the two of them, "you were beautiful," he whispered to himself.

The slight smile on his face was bittersweet. He wished she could still be here to spend time with him again. He was hoping that they'd be getting ready to do something that they'd love, like going to the beach and staring at the stars until she'd let a yawn out, or going on a picnic at an empty area around the park, or even a lovely dinner where'd they'd be in the farthest booth away from everyone.

Byakuya couldn't lie. Sometimes he'd wait for her to come through the doors. He hoped they could restore what they once had, but he already knew it was done. They were over.

He'd do everything right if he just had the chance to be with her again. He'd listen to every feedback she'd given him and incorporate it into their relationship. He'd be more open with her instead of holding everything in or everything back. He'd also let her know how much he loved her and how beautiful she was.

[thenightcallsme]

ATWOW | Neteyam Sully, pt. 2

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

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

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

Contains: established OC POV, mild violence, crude language

Word count: 4,757

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

• • • • •

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

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

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

“Go, monkey boy, go!” Kiri calls.

“Guy’s wait up!” Tuktirey whines.

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

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

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

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, okay.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But she also knew that I missed being carefree.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hey, what does this—”

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

She frowns. “Why?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Are you okay?” I ask.

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

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

“Kiri?”

“Kiri!”

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

“What is it?” Kiri asks.

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

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

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

“Avatars?” Spider voices the shared thought.

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

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

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

“We’re tracking.”

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

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

An Avatar. One unlike those I knew.

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

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

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

Lo’ak shushes her. “Can you stop?”

“For life.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes, Sir, we’re moving out.”

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

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

“Shh, Kiri, stop.”

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

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

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

But it’s not in time to warn Tuk.

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

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

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

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

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

Nobody is calm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He unsheaths a blade and everything is thrown into chaos.

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

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

I scowl. “You heard me.”

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

“It’s my first language,” I murmur.

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

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

“Where is your father?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Don’t hurt her!” Spider demands.

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

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

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

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

“Nobody calls me that.”

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

“Can’t put babies in cryo, dipshit.”

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

“What are we doin’, boss?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I don’t talk after that. 

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

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Hi I was just asking what would happen if Spider was a cis girl in Cabin in the Woods and I decided to expand on the question 😅 Would Quaritch still make her cut her hair? What if Spider was a tomboy, would Quaritch accept that or is a man the type of "woman supposed to have long hair and cook and clean"? What would she casual wear, a dress or something like dungarees, tracksuits? What would Quaritch's general behavior towards her be, would it be different from how he treated his son? And what about typically "girly" things like makeup, periods?

I love this question so much. Gender bends are really entertaining for me when done right so I have some thoughts.

So before I get into the more detailed things that your asking about I want to get into more broad dynamics. So I write Quaritch as being the type of parent that views there child more as an extension of themselves instead of as there own individual. That's a big reason why he's so possessive of Spider. That sentiment doesn't change if Spider where a girl but the dynamic definitely does. Because father daughter relationships are just going to be different then father son relationships for a ton of different person/social reasons. I think a big one in this case though is that fathers typically see more of themselves in there sons then there daughters, just like mothers typically see themselves in there daughters. So while Quaritch would still be possessive and be all "that's my kid and she should be with me." I think he'd see a female Spider as an extension of Paz instead of himself, and that would probably make him even more protective and possessive.

Next I want to get into what fem!Spider would be like. I'm really not a fan of it when people just make 100% the same character just with a different gender. Of course at her core Spider would still be Spider, a kid with a heart of gold, that's loyal and kind to a fault, while also being snarky and sarcastic, a bit guarded due to there upbringing, very independent and self sufficient. I feel like some foster families/social workers would probably try to enforce stereotypical gender roles on her, to make her more "lady like" and less of a wild child and fem!Spider would just be like "lol no." I write regular Spider as being a skater boy, but I feel like fem!Spider would be more of a hippy chic. Think aesthetic bog witch if that makes sense lol. Loves all things nature, plants, crystals, bugs, snakes. Goes for walks in the woods bare foot and comes back covered in mud. Mostly has guy friends without being a "I'm not like other girls"/pick me type. Also I think she'd like to roller blade for fun.

Style wise I think she'd keep it easy with more lose fitting soft clothes. Things like jumpsuits, soft cotton pants, maybe some comfortable easy to move in flowy skirts when she's in the mood, and lose tops. She'd keep her hair really long (I'm talking waist length) and do fun braids all the time, Fem!Spider would have fun with makeup too, bold colors, glitter, flower stickers on her face. All in all I think she'd have a free spirted hippy look with a tomboy take no shit kind of attitude.

So now as for how Quaritch would treat her in Cabin in the Woods. I think that Quaritch is a very get what you give kind of a guy and that's regardless of gender. Basically he'd respect you unless you give him a reason not to. So he's not a "women belong in the kitchen type." I actually feel that Quaritch would be way less confident in his ability to parent a daughter and so would be thrilled if fem!Spider was more of a rugged nature lover. Like I said up top father daughter relationships are just different then father son. I actually feel like they'd bond quicker if Spider was a girl, because Quaritch would just be more gentile with her. Fem!Spider probably wouldn't have gotten tied up like Spider does in my fic. She'd still get that ankle monitor which is basically a tracker/shock collar that goes off if you hit the invisible permitter. The house would be locked up tight, anything that could be used as a weapon/ lock pick hidden, and she'd be locked in her room every night. But Quaritch would just be such a doting dad that he'd win her over after a long while/the Stockholm syndrome would kick in.

Recently I actually wrote a section in Cabin in the woods that details Quaritch's thoughts on regular Spider's long hair so to summarize that, he doesn't like it, thinks it makes him look shabby/uncared for, and blames Spider's "caretakers" for letting it get so bad. Basically he wants his child to look neat because a clean cut look= cared for, in his mind. That wouldn't be un true for fem!Spider but it would be different since girls having long hair is largely considered the norm. The only reason I could see him giving fem!Spider a dramatically short cut would be if her hair was actually really damaged and poorly maintained. If Spider can take care of her long hair then she can keep it. He'd just trim it for her a few times a year to keep it healthy.

Clothing wise I feel like Quaritch prioritizes function over style. He'd make his daughter wear clothes that are appropriate for the woods. jeans, hiking boots, t-shirts, warm jackets. As long at they fall into that category then fem!Spider can have them in any pattern/color she wants. Makeup though would probably be a no go in the cabin just because it's only the two of them so why bother in Quaritch's eyes.

As for dealing with periods Quaritch wouldn't be a bitch about it and act all disgusted by it but he wouldn't be over the top caring either. It'd very much be, "y'a got everythin' y'a need" fem!Spider "yeah" Quaritch 👍. And that would be it.

Thank you so much for the question! this was so much fun for me💞💞

[magick-musings]

Hey!! How do I transmute energy? Like from someone’s hex on me? Or overall how to do this? Do u have any resources or recommendations or anything 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

So... here's the thing. I'm an intuitive and eclectic practitioner, and pretty private about my personal workings (as you should be too. Can't be giving out the blueprints and schematics of your lair with all the secret passages circled in red ink. There's a reason this shit was supposed to be kept on the down low). All I can say is that there are no crystals and jars lying around my house to break or steal or otherwise render useless. Maybe someone else can point you to an obscure grimoire or a shiny crystal to spend big bucks on to solve all your problems, but that's not how I do things. I don't have a spell for you, only theory.

Hopefully you know the basics of energy work and warding and aura manipulation, and a general understanding of animism and alchemy and whatever divination method you use to receive messages from the many types of incorporeal. Experience in astral workings would also be good too honestly. If not, you can search em on my blog there's definitely more than a few master posts here to get you started.

As we've all heard, good defense is the best offense so start with banishing, cleansing and warding, followed by a recharge. This is a good time for any aura/energy manipulation on yourself as well as your spaces. Gotta start with a blank canvas. If this is gibberish to you... girl idk get to studying bc transmutation is not beginner shit. If you got all that down tho...

First off, having the outer layer of your ward be 'sticky' is a good start. Instead of energy bouncing back, it gets stuck, trapped. this can turn into a layer of grime though, so you have to have a purification process for it. Think like... how plants take in CO2 (deadly to humans) and give us oxygen (life sustaining) and in the same vein, what we exhale is what they inhale. Or oysters, filter feeders in the ocean who take in detritus and sustain themselves off of it while returning cleaner water to the ecosystem. Chicken manure is used as fertilizer for crops that feed us. Spiders catch pests in their webs.

If you're into animism, nurture a symbiotic relationship. Feed the harmful energy to something that lives on it, and in exchange for nourishing it, the 'waste' it gives off is something helpful to you. There are a lot of ways to go about this, I encourage you to use your imagination. Look around at what you got, and do the best you can with that. Transmutation is all around us if you just know where to look.

Either way. Once it's purified, you can apply it to whatever you want. Wards are a great start though. A self sustainable ward goes a whole long way towards peace of mind.

My main piece of advice is never do the transmutation inside your own energetic body. (Well, not never, but that's mad advanced and if you have to ask this you're not ready for all that). (This is said with love and care and concern not condescension). (Exceptions made for shadow work, or any working done with your own energy. That is also transmutation, also related to the aura and astral work i mentioned above, and a whole other beast entirely). Externalize it, separate the malignant energy from yourself if it isn't already (aka caught in the wards before it could get to you and/or banished etc), and then host the purification process outside of yourself. Also, dont be scared to ask your spirit guides/gods/ancestors/etc for help, if you work with any.

Trust your intuition, ask your guides for, yknow, guidance, and don't be too scared to actually try something new or experimental.

[dracothedeatheatingcupcake-ao3]

Hello, this is for that 'Send me a ship' thing. And the ship I'm sending is sokka/zuko please! Have a lovely day-

Ooooh, good one! I love Zukka, so this will be fun, ha.

I'll put the answers in a read more since it's very long, ha.

Send me a ship and I’ll tell you…

Who asks the other on dates: I think they both would, you know? They would alternate date ideas, with Sokka prefering more like... educational type dates, like going to libraries, while Zuko would prolly like more chill dates, like having a picnic by the turtle duck pond.

Who is the bigger cuddler: Sokka. Zuko does not strike me as a very clingy person, but Sokka would attach to you like a pentapus and not let go.

Who initiates holding hands more often: Hm... I think Sokka again, since like I said in the previous answer, he strikes me as a more physically affectionate person. After all, he was raised in the south pole, so he had to be comfortable cuddling close to stay warm.

Who remembers anniversaries: I think Zuko... they're both terrible at it, but Zuko seems like the more quietly romantic type who would want to do things on anniversaries. Sokka would want to, but his brain is constantly thinking up new things and he forgets the important dates. Not that Zuko minds it, ha.

Who is more possessive: Zuko. In my eyes, Zuko is a possessive person given all he lost as a kid. He holds the things he loves very close to his chest (metaphorically) and hates letting them leave his sight for even a moment. Plus, I think in The Beach he was a bit possessive of Mai, right? I don't remember since I dislike that episode and don't rewatch it often, ha. But also Sokka doesn't strike me as a possessive person.

Who gets more jealous: Zuko again for the reasons above.

Who is more protective: Hm... I'd say Sokka, if only because he's been the unofficial protector of the Gaang for so long that it's become a part of him and he's deathly protective of everyone he loves, but Zuko especially since Zuko seems bound and determined to get himself killed.

Who is more likely to cheat: Neither. They're both fiercely loyal and would NEVER betray the other like that.

Who initiates sexy times the most: Ehhhh I don't like thinking of this stuff too much, so I can't really say.

Who dislikes PDA the most: Zuko, if only because he was raised in a very conservative, restrictive family who never touched each other gently, especially after his mother left. PDA makes Zuko anxious that someone will come and make him stop or something.

Who kills the spider: Neither. They make Katara or Toph do it.

Who asks the the other to marry them: They both do. They both have an elaborate plan to ask the other to marry them, but both backfire spectacularly (like Momo steals the engagement necklace that Sokka spent months perfecting, or Aang misremembers what he was supposed to say and sends Sokka in the complete opposite direction of where Zuko requested he send Sokka, etc.) and they eventually just show one another the engagement item they got/made, and laugh over their stupidity.

Who buys the other flowers or gifts: They both do equally. Zuko likes to give thoughtful gifts that he carefully picked out, while Sokka gives things he found on the ground that he thought was neat, like a cool rock or a flower from the garden. Sokka also does the thoughtful gifts sometimes, but he prefers giving small things that made him think of Zuko throughout the day.

Who would bring up possibly having kids: I think it would be Zuko at first, if only because he has to have an heir for the throne, but Sokka would be 100% on board and would actually be much more excited (and nervous) that Zuko once the idea is planted in his head.

Who is more nervous to meet the parents: Well, technically speaking they have already met each others parents, but when meeting them as a romantic partner, definitely Zuko. Given his impossibly strained relationship with his own father, not to mention the fact he was Sokka's enemy and once terrorized the Southern Water Tribe, he'd be absolutely terrified that Hakoda will hate him and will forbid him from ever dating Sokka. Sokka would have to talk him down at least 10 times from a panic attack before the first official meeting. It ends up that the fears were completely unfounded since Hakoda respects Zuko greatly and is proud of how far he's come.

Who sleeps on the couch when the other is angry: Ehhh I honestly don't know... I'd say Sokka maybe? Not much reasoning on that. It's almost 1 am here and I'm too tired to think up more, ha.

Who tries to make up first after arguments: For petty arguments, Sokka, since Zuko is too stubborn and prideful to concede first. But if Zuko truly is at fault and he knows it, Zuko would be the first to own up and apologize sincerely.

Who tells the other they love them more often: Sokka says it more often verbally, again because he was raised in a physically and emotionally open environment while Zuko was raised with Ozai and Azula so... yeah. However, Zuko would show his love more often in small ways, which I'd give an example of but again I'm very tired and can't remember the example I thought up a minute ago, sorry.

[makerscockandballs]

Here's Inquisitor Thelrael Lavellan! (Lots) more info under the cut:

23 but babyfaced. Above average height for an elf and lanky.

Artificer Archer, changed for the worse once he found out how to properly blow shit up with elemental mines. Effective to have in a fight, but needlessly destructive.

Wears lots of eyeliner but still can’t get the wing to look sharp

In a relationship with Dorian, close friends with Josephine, Krem and Iron Bull.

Slutty but without much success (prior to pulling Dorian)

Had a twin sister who died at the age of 10 from a venomous spider bite. They were supposed to get a Falon’Din and Dirthamen Vallaslin respectively, and he honored that connection to her. It’s also the reason he’s still terrified of spiders, but he will take that to his grave.

Was only sent to the Enclave because nobody else in his clan could go due to illness, death etc. Kind of like the last one to be picked in gym class, and now it’s everyone’s problem.

Really grew to like thick-soled boots and eventually, high heels. He just wants to be on eye-level with the humans & be obnoxious noticed while walking by.

Lets being Inquisitor get to his head, but at the same time doesn’t take the whole concept of the Inquisition seriously. It’s complicated.

His politics about choosing a side boil down to “My keeper & this cute tevinter guy I just met are mages and they’re cool. Also, I’m tired of being force-fed chantry stuff as a dalish elf. So screw the templars whatever the fuck they are!” <- guy who knows nothing about any of those factions

Has a penchant for cruelty towards some of his enemies, but it is an offputting gleeful cruelty. You never know beforehand if he will forgive instantly or give a fate worse than death to the person he’s judging. His moral compass is more of a moral Twister spinner wheel.

Smarter than he pretends to be, but very much not the brightest.

Spends lots of Inquisition money to support Dalish clans even outside of clan Lavellan & locate elven artefacts for them. On the other hand, he does not care much for history and lore by itself, preferring to see the elven pantheon as abstract concepts rather than person-like gods. He still enjoys the occasional story where they are personified, but only if it’s a funny one.

The only one who can get Solas to shut up by asking him questions. Due to not paying much attention to his Keeper’s tales, he has some outlandish ideas about history and lore. Some are so bad that Solas can’t bear even thinking about them and shuts down the conversation.

After Trespasser and disbanding the Inquisition, he went to his clan to recover. The craftswoman and keeper collaborated to design a bow for him. It was also a way to express gratitiude that he used his newfound power as Inquisitor to aid them, despite any past conflicts he had with the clan/Keeper. The bow and gesture mean a lot to him.

The prosthetic is enchanted ironbark. It wraps and unwraps like vines, moves along with him to stay tight yet comfortable and puts most of the force on his shoulder instead of the limb. In a way, you could call it a live plant.

After a few hours of wearing it, the enchantment starts to rub off in a way and feel tingly, later downright painful. At worst, it makes the insivible markings of the Anchor show up and hurt again. He needs to take breaks from wearing it, but often neglects that. Luckily Dorian knows one or two pain-reducing spells. All that causes him chronic pain, which he copes with through said spells and... more elemental mines. They’re therapeutic to him.

Outside of fights, he doesn’t wear a prosthetic most of the time. Dorian still has one custom-made for him with the newest tevene technology that even lets fingers move independently. Thelrael cherishes it a lot too, but his arm hurts too much most of the time (due to too many fights) so he rarely uses it.

He should be put in a blender on high

[neonwebs]

@atrocitahs continued from here

My back is killing me. There are twelve stitches on my left side. Three on my shoulder, with at least four fractured ribs. All results of fighting off a Kraven variant. The stalker Ramsey mentioned to me finally has a face, and he nearly tried to peel off mine. Edmund Elliot. Who's been watching my family for weeks so he could finally set his hooks back into her. He knew what he was doing, too. Sticking Ramsey in a refrigerated cell. Everything was heavily monitored. He had kept her just cold enough so they wouldn't be able to defend themselves, but not cold enough to kill her. Just enough, so that slowing her metabolism would keep her alive, weak, and sluggish. Exactly what happens when tarantulas are kept in low temperatures.

It would all be well and horrible enough as is until it's announced to me the roots of this relationship are planted in obsession. He'll keep coming for her. Obsessed over the effects the spider's bite has on her. I guess he doesn't know about how her health is failing. Maybe he just doesn't care. Certainly doesn't seem like their history of running together keeps him from bringing any malice on her.

There's a chair across from her. It groans alongside me when I ease into it, across from Ramsey. I almost don't recognize them without something smart to say or roll of their eyes. I'd only expected to be in the doorway for the entirety of my visit here to the Med Bay when demanding an explanation. It's the most vulnerable I've ever seen her, like having witnessed a fire snuffed out. Now it's more like watching a sink overflow, the way tears linger in her eyes with the threat to fall at any second.

"Thank you, for telling me." Even if I don't know right now how that information is supposed to help as of now, it's a start. "Do you know where he got that spider? Did he.. ever mention?"

[aj-agreste]

what do you think are the pros and cons of the series’ writing?

Had to think about this one for a bit.

Obviously, these are my opinions.

Pros:

Characterization: I think the writers do characterization very well. I'm able to get a grasp on a character's personality pretty quickly. As well as the characters' relationships with each other. I think this is showcased best in the "Macaque" episode and the pilot as well.

Emotion: the writers really know how to tug at the audience's heartstrings. MK's emotional arc in S2 is one of my favorite moments in the show. As well as Mei's devastating rant at Wukong in S3. Of course, the whole tragic conflict between Wukong and Macaque always keeps fans hoping for a reconciliation.

Cons:

Deadend Plot Points: The writers sometimes introduce plot points into the show that don't end up mattering at all. They say because of time, but then why not just write it out entirely? The Huntsman, of course, is the most obvious example. His doubt in LBD and Spider Queen's plan went nowhere. Anyone remember those plant babies in S2? Wukong is supposedly looking for a weapon against LBD but has time to ship these pointless plant babies? MK learning to adopt a more defensive style. He goes to learn a move that could help him defeat LBD. The lesson of the episode is that sometimes defense is the best offense...yet is rewarded with a new offensive power and never fights defensively against LBD at all in the S2 finale. "Game On" could honestly get a separate post on why it's so frustrating.

Inconsistency and Incoherency: most evident in S3 with the Samadhi Fire and LBD's powers. I could write an essay on how the Samadhi Fire is probably the worst written element in the show. But I'll give you the spark notes version. This supposed world-ending weapon that is capable of wounding even Wukong, is established as the one thing that can eradicate LBD's powers and self. It was also established in S2 that Wukong's powers only make LBD stronger. When we get to the S3 Special, all those rules are basically thrown out the window. Possessed Wukong gets a face full of Samadhi and is completely fine? That should have either wounded him or gotten rid of LBD's control. LBD using the Samadhi Fire at all doesn't make sense if this is the thing that weakens her powers. It's like if a fire creature imbued itself with water. LBD's host not really mattering. If she can just shapeshift, why did she need a host at all? If she can physically exist without a host, what was the point of a host. It can't be for protection against attacks since she literally just dropped the host girl on a whim, which got rid of her only defense and the whole moral conundrum of killing her in the first place. Seems like a waste of your power, LBD. Also Wukong being able to defeat the LBD this whole time but thought he needed the Samadhi Fire because...? It can't be because he didn't want to kill the girl because he was planning on roasting her alive with the Samadhi Fire. Tang's powers. Tang is just able to magically erase all the bone essence and create a super mega Monkie Mech without any training whatsoever. Mei keeping the Samadhi Fire, a plot-breaking power that can literally destroy the world and stakes, and will never be used again when she's in trouble. So why not just get rid of it?

As you can see, I can talk forever about the last con. And those are some of the reasons I believe S3 is so poorly written. But yeah, these are some of the strengths and weaknesses I believe the show's writing has.

[kaonarvna]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favorite followers 🖤

I've left this sitting in my askbox for months now, because my brain went "that's silly. what a silly thing to ask of me." As though I haven't had students do this in the past. As though I haven't had other people do the same thing. I'm an arrogant bastard, but hoo boy I didn't realise actually being presented with this would be a tricky thing. So, thank you.

1. My ability to advocate for myself. Medically. In the workplace. In social situations. Relationships. Being able to go "These are my needs, you will listen to them, and I will repeat them until they are met, or go somewhere else. I am worth that." It's taken a lot of time to build that skill. I came from a place where my needs were told to be made up or insignificant. I will not let myself be neglected.

2. My ability to make food and eat it!! I came from a house that told me "Eat what you're given, or make something yourself". I have ARFID, I've always had ARFID. So, I lived off food out of boxes and frozen bags, or ate sleep for dinner until I could cook for myself. I saw a dietician a year or so ago, because I was still underweight. Turns out my diet is (the words of said dietician) "unusual" but "high protein, nutrient rich, and more varied than most Western European diets." My metabolism is just wack, thus the struggle to gain weight. Sure, the shapes and textures of food that I eat are limited, but I've found ways to eat so many things. I'm proud of that. My diet is mine, and I'm healthy.

3. I'm so good at saying "no"! I'm so good at it! I don't do things I don't want to! I tell people why! I have no shame in saying "no"! Social things, taking on additional work, favours, physical contact, answering questions about by body or personal life——I'm so good at "no"!! I'm often asked inappropriate questions about my disability, or about my private life in work contexts. I've become so good at going "I don't answer questions like that. That's inappropriate." or "You don't need to know that information." Does it make some people uncomfortable? Sure. But they're not entitled to my person. Maybe they should hear "no" more often.

4. I'm really good at finding coins and agates on the ground. This one is much less big-picture. But I've collected an obscene amount of coins from the ground. Multiple coins a day.

5. I can keep things alive. Plants. Frogs. Bugs. Myself. I can keep things alive babyy!! Three years ago I bought a Boston Fern and told myself "if you can keep him alive for a year, you can get another plant". Now he's MASSIVE. This tiny houseplant is about a meter wide now. And now I have a parlor palm named João, two troughs of herbs, pothos and spider plants for days, crickets and dubias, two gorgeous whites tree frogs...I can keep things alive! I can keep things and myself alive!

I suppose that's it then. Five things. Five,,, paragraphs of information.

[alwek]

Spiders In My Head: what to call it

I've been wanting to do these weekly ramble things more often. I tire of being beholden to the one format of "this started to document my transition" style, and more into train of thought, autobiographical type thing.

Of course, that means changing the name of it to something else. But what? I imagine you know, person maybe reading this, what I've called it. I still have to have the thought.

I fancy myself a philosopher, you see. I used to hate the idea of being something so pretentious, but I saw a three panel comic one day that completely changed my mind on it. In what could barely be called two sentences, and a visual gag, I was taught that philosophy is so much more than pretentious dick fucks arguing about who deserves to live and die.

A few years ago we got it in our head that maybe our thoughts are worth saying. Maybe we could write some kind of book thing that teaches... something. I don't know. What I think life is, I suppose?

In the summer of 2020 i was hospitalized after a mental breakdown. I was under watch for half a year, and came out with a DID diagnosis and a monthly check for being disabled enough (because it's a competition). I met lively, and lovely people there. People with struggles like me. Before one guy that I hung out with most days was discharged, he gave me a plant, in a shitty little hospital bowl that was full of water. I took dirt from the tree in the common room, and let it root.

It nearly died a few times in the months since, from my own neglect. Her leaves left dull and droopy most days, reflecting the vibes of her terrible caretaker. She clearly hated her old bowl now. I got a new pot. I replanted her at my partners house, which I find sort of fitting. We had a very off and on relationship for our early days. Things got steadier around that time.

Charlotte, the plant, started doing better after. Granted, I also started watering her more, and put plant food in the dirt after it got stale. She became so dark, so happy looking. My happy little spider plant.

I used to get small bugs in my room a lot. The door to the room I sleep in leads directly outside, so it was a daily occurrence having to get flys, and months, and beetles, and spider (black widows get smushed) out. I got fed up with it after a while and decided the spiders could stay, thinking maybe they'd eat the more annoying to deal with insects. And well, it worked.

I let certain corners of my room be spider homes now, and I've had less bug bites in my sleep since. Less bugs noticably in my room in general. I even saw a cutie lil jumping spider in Charlotte a couple times.

That made me think "i wish the spiders could eat the bugs in my brain. They deal with the outside ones so good, why can't they eat the brain bugs"

And so, maybe I lied in the beginning when I said you'd know the title of this little rebrand before me. This whole project, i guess you could call it, of mine is my way of trying to get spiders to eat my brain bugs. So I decided before I even started writing this, I'm calling it

Spiders In My Head

(No relation to cage the elephant)

Maybe someone will listen, maybe nobody ever will. But talking to the nothingness helps too. Doing it here, for me, for us. It helps.

[[Abreviated tag for these posts is SIMH]]