#teylan and ri'nela in the back

[tarsyu]

the graphics of the so’lek’s journey comics are amazing don’t get me wrong but this just isn’t afop so’lek so i'm really curious what kind of character development he's about to experience in this series

i'm curious...

[torukmaktoskxawng]

the song lives on

Summary: Aha'ri Lives AU!

Dedication to: @inolaphoenix for coming up with the idea and brainstorming with me!

Word Count: 1.9k+

Pairing: None (mainly focused on the Sarentu siblings)

Warnings: gn!reader, angst, PTSD, violence, children of neglect/abuse, mentions of brainwashing and residential school trauma, open-ended ending with the intent of writing more 😉

Taglist: @mooniequeen @anemonelovesfiction @avatar-lover @taronyuhunter @daisyyvoid

A/N: Happy Birthday, Inola 💙🥰

~~~~~~~~~

You hardly recognized your sister.

Aha'ri, so brave and fierce, whittled down into a small, scared child, just like you, only this time... it left her physically scarred.

Mercer's shot had left the young Na'vi girl in and out of consciousness, the medics barely able to keep her stable. It was bad enough the TAP personnel didn't appear to care about the children's needs, but their welfare? It was hardly even on the list. No one in the med bay was prepared to treat a Na'vi child with a bullet wound in her back. Sure, they had the means to treat a human, no problem, but a Na'vi? Who's body didn't react to the same medicine and treatment a human's would? You would think, that if TAP were going to house Na'vi children as Alma was teaching, they would be better prepared for it.  

There will be a time when, once you get older, you will come to accept that no one in TAP ever cared enough to learn or do better. But for now, you're scared, innocent, and confused. Why was no one bandaging Aha'ri right away? Why are they poking and prodding at her wound and wondering out loud about how a bullet affects the Na'vi body?

You hardly slept. Barely anyone did. Ri'nela managed to get Teylan to shut his eyes for a few hours, but the occasional twitch in his tail told everyone he never truly slept.

Aha'ri was in and out of surgeries for a week before she finally turned a corner. Alma informed you and the other children of this with a quiet voice, explaining that Aha'ri would have a scar, but she would live.

Alma's version of "living" was breathing and moving around. But to a Na'vi, the way Aha'ri looked when she returned to school, that wasn't living. From then on, she was simply surviving. 

She was a shell, her eyes almost always bearing a one-thousand-yard stare, empty of any warm emotions. She didn't sing or hum, and never mentioned your mother when you tried to prompt her in an attempt to see a small spark of life in her once more. Nothing. 

The scar was on her back. A round, small bullet-shaped wound that made her wince every time she moved her left arm while it was still healing. If any personnel dropped the temperature of the children's room, she would whine and softly cry to herself from how badly the muscles in her back and arm would spasm and ache. Now, whenever she sees someone with a gun, even if it were strapped to their hip, Aha'ri would flinch and curl in on herself.

Mercer had made his warning loud and clear. Next time, she would not be so lucky.

It took months for her to fully heal physically, but once she did... something subtly shifted in her eyes. A small, tiny spark of warmth returned, and you hardly had time to feel relieved to have a small part of your sister back, let alone question it. You were so relieved, in fact, you missed the small bit of determination that returned to Aha'ri's spirit. 

Neither you nor Teylan was prepared for the abrupt wakening in the middle of the night, months after Mercer had shot Aha'ri. 

"Come," Aha'ri spoke softly, even gracing you with a small, familiar smile, "We're leaving."

"What...?" You questioned while rubbing your eyes, your brain not entirely caught up with your surroundings.

"B-B-But we can't!" Teylan whimpers from his bed, where Ri'nela quietly soothes him. "I-I-If... if the same thing happens again-!"

"It won't," Ri'nela shushes with an encouraging smile, "There is another way out of here, Teylan."

"It is time to go home," Nor spoke sternly, more confident than ever. His own personality had shifted since Aha'ri's injury.

The three older Na'vi children led you and Teylan up into the TAP facility's vents, hands gripping pillowcases full of carefully collected supplies from the months they had spent planning a more thorough escape. Ri'nela had expressed patience over the months while Nor was anxious for Aha'ri to heal so they could get a move on. Ri'nela would take a little bit of food here and there during meal times, stowing that and any little bit of supplies up in the vent above her bed to preserve until the moment was right. If any human at the facility noticed they were missing a small bandage here and a compass there, they always chalked it up to misplacement, none the wiser.

Nor managed to distract his eagerness by keeping a close watch on the guards, something that Harding had unintentionally taught him between lessons where she'd force him to hold a gun. Timing their patrols and shifts, Nor eventually saw a small window of time when hardly anyone would be walking by the children's rooms at night, a small flaw that Harding would be furious to whoever designed the patrol schedule, which made Nor internally smug. He made sure the same window of time happened for a full week before sharing this small information with Ri'nela and Aha'ri, vowing to himself to be more thorough so the last escape attempt wouldn't repeat itself.  

As for Aha'ri, she dutifully played her role to perfection. Yes, her traumatic experience and her injury had changed her, but she exaggerated it a little more than she had originally felt. Sure, she would spend years later flinching at the sound of a gunshot, but her will to survive overpowered any fear she had gained after Mercer had shot her. She wanted him to believe he had won, so she kept her head down, her eyes drifting off to stare at the walls as if no one else was in the room. She had let Mercer believe he had broken her, despite his appalling actions further strengthening her.

The vents were large enough for the children to walk through, only having to bow their heads slightly to fit. There were some tight spots where they would have to carefully and quietly crouch down and crawl, hardly breathing if they passed over a vent and noticed humans walking beneath them. Otherwise, part of their natural Na'vi instincts kicked in, their tails keeping them balanced while their feet kept them quiet, sharp ears twitching at any unknown sound.

Finally, Nor stopped and held out a hand to the rest who traveled behind him, his voice barely above a whisper, "Teylan."

The youngest Na'vi child slowly crawled over to the other boy's side, peering down through a vent to follow Nor's gaze. Beneath them was a hallway, and attached to a wall was a control panel that was obviously meant for the double doors beside it. Upon observing the doors, Teylan recognized it to be the entrance to the mess hall.

"The next patrol meant to pass our rooms will come from there," Nor explained quietly, "Can you lock the doors to buy us some more time?"

Teylan lowered his ears, and his big eyes widened with fear. "I can't do that! We'll be caught!"

"Shh!" Nor hissed, small fangs bared, "We'll be caught if you do not keep your voice down. Can. You. Do. It."

"Y-Yes, I can do it, but not from up here."

"If you went down?"

"I-I-I-I can't go down there... they'll see me."

"I have watched these boring Sky People walk these exact same hallways for days. I promise they will not even be around to see you," Nor snarled, beginning to grow impatient, "Not unless you continue to delay."

"I will go with you, Teylan," Aha'ri's hand gently settles on Teylan's shoulders.

Nor's ears stick straight up in alarm, and his eyes fix on Aha'ri, crouched behind Teylan. "No. I will go with him. Keep a watch on us from above."

The boys cautiously, so very gingerly, remove the vent cover and pass it over to the girls before quietly jumping down, their feet meeting the cold floor of the hallway. Their ears move wildly in search of any sound in either direction as they sneak over to the control panel. Once at the screen, Teylan is quick at work, starting to relax once in his element, efficiently locking the doors to the mess hall before slinking back around until the open vent is just above his head. Nor is close behind him and helps lift Teylan back up into the vent before closely following suit with one big leap and Ri'nela swiftly closes the vent once more.

With one more obstacle out of the way, the kids begin to get a little eager, the taste of freedom just at the tip of their tongues. Pressing forward through the vents with less quiet steps, the Sarentu children can feel their hearts racing in their chests and hear them pounding in their ears. Even after buying themselves a little bit of time, they didn't want to take any chances in case Mercer got the drop on them once more.

There's a large, sealed-tight door within the vents, separating the oxygen within the facility from the carbon dioxide and other lethal elements in the outside world the children were told about in Alma's lessons. Teylan makes quick work of this door as well, and by this point, Nor shouts at everyone to break into a run in this final leg of their race. The exit, a large vent that leads out into the world of Pandora, is close at hand and looms over all of their heads. Once right at the foot of it, Nor eagerly takes a screwdriver out from Ri'nela's pillowcase and begins to unscrew all the corners of the large vent.

Aha'ri's grip on your hand momentarily slips. As she whips her head back around in a panic, she finds herself staring at wide, tear-filled eyes. You tug and pull on her hand desperately, stepping back down the way you came, "Wait! We forgot sa'nu's songcord!"

Your older sister relents for a moment, the horrible reminder that Mercer kept your mother's songcord as a trophy around his wrist still hung heavily in her heart. With as much sorrow as she could afford, she gently grasped both of your little shoulders in her hands, making you look her dead in the eyes, "We can not go back for it. We have to go."

"But we will forget her--"

"No, never," she said firmly, and with a determination you had not seen in her eyes in a very long time, "We never will forget, so long as we have the song she sang to us. We may not remember the words, but we can still sing the songs of our people."

"I got it!" Nor happily exclaims, disbelief in his words as the vent comes free and falls outside, the clatter it makes drowned out by the rush of noises that fills the children's ears. 

Bright light surrounds all of you, forcing you to put your hands in front of your eyes before they can adjust. Blinking, you lower your hand and you're met with a vast, enormous jungle, heavily encompassed in vegetation and wildlife. The colors... nothing like you have ever seen before, taking your breath away and distracting you even as Aha'ri takes hold of your hand once more. You finally tear your gaze away from what awaits you, meeting your sister's eyes as she smiles softly.

"Come. Our home is waiting for us."

Whatever you find in her gaze brings a newly found bravery in your chest. You take a deep breath and firmly nod with a small pout on your little face. Together, and with your friends, you and Aha'ri jump out of the vent and sprint as quickly as possible into the world of Pandora, the leaves and branches of the trees stretching out when the wind picks up as if the Great Mother was opening her arms out to you in relief that you are home once more.

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Main Masterlist Here! If Inola and I brainstorm more on the potential of this story I may write more, so keep an eye out for that! Thank you for reading, and thank you Inola for always being a caring and supportive mutual. I'm so thankful that we've become friends 🥰 Happy Birthday!

[onskepa]

Two sarentu's left

Hello, so I am watching the frontier's of pandora, going over clips and everything until I noticed something.

counting the player, there is teylan, aha'ri, nor, and ri'nela. However, in the cutscene, from left to right, we see in the middle row ri'nela on the left and nor on the right, his red shirt. But who are the other two behind them?

And that is their names.

We never saw them be put together with the rest. And we never saw them after. At least in the game plays I have watched. So unless I am completely missing something. Where are the other two sarentu's?

Are they dead? Mercer would have defiantly said if they are. Maybe brag about like he did with aha'ri.

Not only that, but back when they were kids.

You would think the other two would be with the main group in the same bunker room. But obviously they are not.

And when they are older, the other two are not with them. So, one time are they shown. And another time are they mentioned. Never again. And there were times in the game where the player spoke with alma. There were plenty of times to ask where are they. Heck, even the other sarentu's didnt ask where are they.

But I am questioning it now. No mention of where they are and no mention after escaping TAP facility. Are they being saved for something else later? Or did the developers forgot half way?

I really want to know what happened.

[pandorafallz]

Frontiers of Pandora |

Did you know Anqa sits at the radio station after you return back after connecting to the Tarsyu plant but before you find Nor. Almost 1k hours and NOW I've just noticed this??? tbh, I tend to go to So'lek straight off so that's probably why I've not noticed it before.

She bolts from the station like a viperwolf is on her back once you speak to So'lek. It's funny watching NPS run to their routes.

Priya and Anqa do this a lot; running downstairs after talking about the mushrooms, this one, In the clouded forest, after you pair them up in that side-mission, they both bolt once they finish talking.

Bonus: Bothering Alma

I find it so funny stepping in front of NPCs when they're trying to walk and interrupting their pathfinding lol. Since it's early game in this play through, Alma's one of the more active wandering NPCs in the than any of the others at the HQ so it's easy to stalk her and get results, like resetting her pathfinding.

She eventually won and got past to sit on her bench

I stared at Teylan for 3 minutes and that kid just continued to eat his fruit. So'lek don't move bc he's a merchant NPC, like the Resistance Weapon merchant who stays by the weapons cabinet. They're stationary to be found by the MC for trades, which isn't a surprise. Ri'nela and the others don't tend to move without a fast-travel away and back to refresh their routes. Nor spent a while also eating fruit in the command centre complaining.

I was trying to catch Alma going upstairs again, but no luck in the creepy 15 minutes of following her around. This is probably what i looked like to the NPCs.

Me:

*heavy breathing*

[thetombedspirit]

First Playthrough of AFoP: Secret of the Spires! - WARNING! Spoilers Ahead!

The Majority of my thoughts throughout playing the DLC.

Finally, I got the glitching drum quest and the Games Camp community basket done and over with! It was a good way to get back into practice with the controls.

Am I just dumb, or is the game glitching on me?! Why won't the plane blow up- OH COME ON! I'M THROWING EVERYTHING BY THE HOMETREE AT THIS MOFO!! - Really?! You wouldn't blow up because I wasn't shooting you in a very specific spot?! Bird you, dude!

Nor? Oh NOOOOOOR! Where are youuuuuuu? Oh, talk of a stranger Na'vi hanging around the area? About time- wait, Rasi who-? Oh, hello, fellow Sarentu character! Have you seen Nor? He's about this tall, clearly emo (and maybe gay) but we never had the talk.

Oooh, I have more skills for my Ikran and I can actually apply defensive armour and cook treats for her? WHERE WERE THESE OPTIONS IN THE CORE GAME!?

Getting mad at video game mechanics is automatically cured by sneaking around and killing video game fascist mercenaries.

... we don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no.

Oh, random Na'vi identified as a Sarentu saved So'lek from a sniper shot! Is it Rasi and Nor? Nope, just Rasi, that's cool! Love how protective Teylan already is of her once I said she was in the base.

Once I finished speaking to Anufi and Tsu'lo, I go up to find Teylan and Ri'nela and on my way I think, "Wait, what if Rasi is Nor's mum?" . I don't think that's the case, or she would have verbalize as such when we were talking about Nor, but how neat would that be. It'd be like we have a piece of Nor with us until we find him. Anyway, now that Rasi is here, I expect us to be re-educated on the way of the Sarentu. Maybe we'll finally get a Na'vi accent 😆

Cons:

This game needs some SERIOUS fine tuning, because I'm having bad guys be 'alerted' to my presence, when I'm literally half way across the map. One instance, where I'm trying to hunt for some Meer Dear, and this chopper just comes out of nowhere, attacks me, flies off to the horizon, but then summons two more choppers and a squad to my location, and they are already in the red despite being several yards away from me.

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I feel like it should not be so hard to find the objectives of certain quests.

Pros:

New Location!

And it looks gorgeous. The Spires are beautiful, there are new animals, and they freaked me out (the whole bit with the tunnels in the beginning, I thought I was being chased by something much bigger and completely ignored the first appearance of the Chiroptera XD)

2. The New Characters

The story kicks off when Anufi asks us to find another branch of the Kame'tire, who have still yet to return. While it is ultimately disappointing that we're not getting an entirely new clan, just a variation of a familiar clan, we are introduced to a new character: Rasi, a fellow Sarentu Survivor living in self-imposed exile.

Speaking of which, I like the one Na'vi that chided me for using a Sky Person name for a Pandoran creature, and my character correcting herself for it. Yes!

4. The Chrioptera

These guys were so cool, and so annoying at the same time. I thought they were gonna be so much bigger, but thanks Eywa, they were Ikran size!

4. Taylen is as cute as ever.

Just throwing that in there, I love my tall, strange son. I love when he starts geeking out, and we have to kindly reprimand him that we are in the middle of a hostile base and nows not the time!

My poor baby misses Nor so bad and just wants him to come back.

Overall View

While I am a little bit disappointed that we didn't get a brand new clan and that we didn't get Nor back, I do think this DLC was worth the wait.

While tiresome that there weren't that many fast travel points around the map, I actually like that, as it forces us to get to places via Ikran, something that the DLC advertised!

And while the new villain of the DLC was pretty boring compared to our literal kidnappers and abusers, he was a very challenging boss and it felt good to hit him with lightning and watch him crash and burn.

And we have a new veteran Sarentu to add to our family. I love that Ri'nela tries to comfort a homesick Teylan by humming the Sarentu song, only for Rasi to appear out of nowhere, singing the words and painting a Sarentu mural (seriously though, how did she get that done so quickly without anyone noticing? No wonder the RDA couldn't find her.)

And that voice cameo of freaking Quaritch basically putting his foot down on our resistance efforts and demanding we get squashed. Nice! And with how pissed he sounds, I'm guessing that this is right after ATWOW, where not only he lost his entire team of Recoms, but lost Spider too. Cuz yeah, he sounds angee.

Love how tight knit our little family has become and how steadfast they are in their bond (thought Ri'nela was running up to hug So'lek for a second, and my man looked so surprised when Teylan touched his shoulder XD) and now they all agree that it's time to find Nor and bring him back to the clan and prove that the Sarentu has a future.

So, overall, while I felt that this DLC was a bit short and the villain had little meat on his bones, this was a good DLC and with how they ended it with a possible sequel game with the mission to find Nor and the cameo of Quaritch so fingers crossed that AFOP comes back and that whatever sequels pops out pops with a BANG!

And hey! Since this game takes place during the one year absence of the Sullys, maybe if they do make a sequel, it'll take place during Ash and Fire! Maybe, Quaritch's cameo is a hint of him coming in, after aligning with Varang and the Mangkwan Clan! Can you imagine? A small clan that is rising to reclaim what is taken from them, vs a clan that has forsaken Eywa willingly and aligned with the RDA! With Quaritch leading them! That'd be bananas!!

Fingers crossed! C you guys around!!💙

[xxxkvitravn]

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐋𝐂 𝐲𝐞𝐭, 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮

I want to share smth that troubles me.

Just finished the main story of Secrets of The Spires and you know… I've never felt so lonely before, in the ending cutscene. The story was fire, an insane moment with Quaritch too, everything was fun. Still, there is a thing that bothers me. Don't get me wrong, DLC has a nice plot, so many cool cutscenes, but I had expected more. For me the biggest joy was to meet another Sarentu, Rasi. I wish there was more of her tho.

I continue to be tormented by the feeling that our main character will remain on the sidelines of the story, despite of everything they've done, yeah. I feel like we are some kind of killing machine and nothing more. To please all kind of players developers had made a mistake. As a result we have no name, we have no canon gender, we are no one and at the same time we are being someone. So weird. I don't feel connected to our protagonist. In AFoP there are no other options for us except customisation of our hero. You can give whatever name you wish to your Sarentu, you can use your imagination, but this won't change this cruel truth - we are no one at this point. Despite everything, yes. And here they are those little moments of affection between our clanmates. Ri'nela and Teylan, romantic or not, but the way she touched him is crazy and I'm just standing there like 🙃. What a stupid thing, being in a crowd and still feeling lonely. And there is so much talking about Nor who just ran away and left them in the time of great need. I want him back too cause I'm curious how he's doing. If there will be a sequel I won't be surprised either if developers will make Nor some kind of a cool Toruk Makto guy or an Olo'eyktan just to make his comeback epic. Hell no, bro. Unfair. Come on, our protagonist is doing literally EVERYTHING and for what? So much of a reckless tough warrior behavior just to be called a "Kataru's child" in the end, cause we are nameless 😐. I feel like we are forced to see how our clan changes, grows, maybe even fallen in love with each other, while our Sarentu remains still. Who are we? Who is our father? Why there is no a single word about him or us? Even from Rasi. She remembers our mother, but not our father. What the hell?😐 No words about us in the notes or audio logs too. Ubisoft, why? Still, I'm so glad they are not the last Sarentu.

This whole game really has a lack of roleplay options and some details. DLC made me happy, but at the same time it made me think about a lot of things. Maybe I'm not the only one in this.

Or maybe I am.

[mydearneteyam]

AS IT RAINS ;; TEYLAN

summary ;; just one look is enough to want to learn more.

pairing ;; teylan x gn!na'vi!reader

warnings ;; none

word count ;; 0.8k

word of the day ;; nume [ˈn·u.m·ɛ] vin. learn

"Yes, I-I know, I'm sure I know it's name!" you heard Teylan's voice along with a soft laughter from Ri'nela. As you entered HQ you came upon two familiar faces. From the tablet in the female's hands you could guess that she was trying to see if Teylan knew the names of the pictures. Priya told you they were 'memory games' to get the younger Sarentu to get used to Pandora a little more. Behind Teylan's back you folded your arms, waiting for him to speak.

"Well?" smiled Ri'nela, giving you an amused look. The capped one scanned the image in front of him and clapped his hands.

"It's a Whipfang Crawler!" he exclaimed. You gave a couple of soft claps, making him jump in fright and turn to look at you.

"Tslikxyu Txumtem" you corrected. "But very good. I see you've made progress" you sat down next to him, swinging one of your legs over the couch. The girl extended the tablet to you.

"I got eight out of ten right, but the names in Na'vi are still… complex for me" you listen to him at the same time he receive the device, reviewing the earliest pictures.

You remembered a couple of words from Dr. Alma, who had explained to you that Teylan was the most attached to English and in itself, to human practices or customs.

"You're on the right track." you pointed out to him, noticing the boy's face light up all over, happy to have approval, you could guess.

"I have to go. Nor has asked me to help with something." indicated Ri'nela, holding onto your shoulder and carefully, you placed your hand over hers, smiling.

"That's alright. I can go on. I'm a great teacher" you laughed, making Teylan's tail wag anxiously as he noticed how you took the tablet from him and set it down on the couch.

"Are we gonna keep studying?" he asked, to which you stood up, holding out your hand.

"Outside. We are going to study outside" you indicated.

…

"Look, look, a Helicoradian!" Teylan smiled, approaching the plant excitedly, touching it and noticing how it retracted. It had been a while since both of them had left the place and for now, it has been good. Very good.

"And in our language, what is it called?" you asked, keeping up with him. Teylan made a grimace that you found amusing, where he also shrugged, hoping he was right.

"Tawtsngal?" you denied. "Ah, Loreyu!" now you nodded.

"Tawtsngal, 'the plant of love' according to humans… it's from another area" you remember, looking down at your feet as you walked. Suddenly, the sound of some branches and something falling made you raise your head. Teylan frowned and before he could bring his hand to his cap, you stopped him.

"Kali'weya…" now, he didn't remember that name at all, but when he noticed that from his cap dangled something similar to what Nor once caught, similar to a scorpion, his eyes snapped open, terrified.

"Wha...what do I do?" he asked, almost freaking out. Carefully and with only the tip of one of the arrows you had, you received it, pulling it out of Teylan's cap and setting it down on a log.

"They can sting" you said, now taking his face onto your hands and examining to see if something else hadn't landed on his hair. The closeness was such that the boy's tail once again swayed vigorously and anxiously. When you noticed his ears tilted back, you released him, with your cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry, I thought something else had fallen."

Teylan shook his head, embarrassed. "It's okay…" he pressed his lips, starting to turn around. You were just about to suggest to come back at HQ if he wanted, but when you felt drops of water fall to your face you smiled.

"Let's stay here for a while, please" you took his hand before he managed to walk away. Although that action even surprised you, you didn't want to avoid physical contact between both.

The Sarentu looked at you for a few seconds. Your hair was beginning to be adorned by the raindrops and the bio-luminescence of the trees was beginning to glow behind your figure, thought your freckles were too. Your nose wrinkled every time the water hit your face, but you kept smiling.

"You are a blessing…" he said, with a low tone. You turned to look at him and he tried to walk away again, embarrassed. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Syawn, blessing. Rain is a blessing" you nodded with a serene face, oblivious to the context of what he said. "You get it right, well done. We can go back now" you let go of his hand, but he took it again with purple cheeks.

"I want… to learn more"

You noticed that the rain became heavier, but his grip, for the first time, was resolute.

"As you wish".

a/n ;; i had an idea for a series for so'lek but mmmm- and i repeat, people, if i make a mistake please correct me, english isn't my first language and i'm insecure.....

[oasiswithmyg]

Slight spoiler for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

.

Even though I'm a Neteyam girl, however after playing AFOP for 2 days, I swear to god So'lek literally makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. His voice is so good damn good and my god we need more Fanfic of him. I honestly rush back to the base everytime I hear there's a mission with him or just to hear his voice say "be safe" so gently. I love how he is so soft for us and although he sound rough, he genuinely cares about the Sarentu group. I'm so sad that we can't romance him or any character for that matter !

I absolutely love the Sarentu trio, Teylan is so adorable, he feels like a little puppy so excited about everything. His voice is adorable ! It's so sad he is manipulated by that stupid Mercer. God.

Ri'nela is beautiful, her thoughts on how she wants to live her life now and how will she be a leader is just amazing ! I absolutely love her hair, I wanted to beat up Mercer when I heard he kept taking away her beads.

Then there's Nor, which honestly makes me happy to have a character so confused about what the Sarentu means and what is his place in all this. I love his complexity. Though when I read about his character I honestly felt he and A'hari would have been good together

Eetu, I don't know much about him but I will find out as I play more !

I wish we got more time with our sibling A'hari, her strong spirit was beautiful and inspiring. I would have loved to have her as support system or something in the game, I hope later in the game I can hopefully see her at that Tarsyu and just visit her spirit in eywa.

The visuals of this game are so beautiful, the sounds are so immersive and I'm genuinely loving this game as of now.

[frogletscribe]

I finished the main story of A:FoP last night and I have more thoughts but don't want to spoil anything for anyone who is not there yet so im putting them under the cut again lol. Also a lot of this gets into like general Avatar lore things and not always specifically A:FoP. I just have a lot of thoughts and not a lot of people to talk to about it lmao.

Warning: this is very long, i am apologizing now if you choose to read the whole thing.

Spoilers for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora under the cut

TEYLAN oh my god my boy. He scared me so bad when he showed up again but I'm so glad he had a hand in stopping Mercer. It felt like such a moment of growth for him finaly setting himself free of his abuser. Poor guy feels so guilty about everything that happened, and I'm very nervous about whenever Nor comes back in future DLC stuff because he still doesn't know that Teylan 'betrayed' them. Especially after everything with Alma.

Speaking of Alma, I have somewhat mixed feelings about her story? Obviously the Sarentu have every right to be pissed at her, I am pissed at her, she used them (and honestly is still using them) to ease her own guilt. What bothers me is the "You will never be one of us" rhetoric? Mostly because it makes me think of Jake and the Sully kids (Lo'ak and Kiri specifically) who all are/look more like Avatars rather than Na'vi. It makes me wonder how the Sarentu would react to them? The situations are very different, Jake gave up almost everything that made him human to live as a Na'vi where Alma has stayed human, albeit unhealthily attached to her Avatar form. Jake worked to earn his place with the Na'vi where Alma is trying to take it from this group of children she has been lying to from the very start.

But more than that, her still talking as if she was a part of their family at the end made me so mad. I don't think Nor had a good reaction to her by any means, stabbing her was definitely not good, and it leaves all of the other humans scared of him but like,,, i'm on his side tbh. His anger is justified, he's just not coping with it in healthy ways. Like at least the Sarentu did shut her down, Alma is not a part of their family by the end, but giving her the grace they did at the end i think was more than she deserved. Idk, I am glad that they are able to be the bigger persons (pun not intended lol) and move forward, I'm just not a fan of forgiving a person who was partially responsible for the murder of your entire family?

Back to Nor. He is such an interesting character to have next to Ri'nela and So'lek. His anger is palpable and it has nowhere to go. He refuses to connect to Eywa again because he feels he has been poisoned by TAP and humans as a whole and it colors everything he does. He copes with his pain by ignoring it until it becomes too much and he snaps.

And then there is Ri'nela, who is also clearly hurt by everything that comes to light about the Sarentu and TAP, but she is so much more reserved about it. She has a really lovely audio log about how she feels the need to set her own emotions aside so she can take care of others and their emotions. You can really tell how much pressure she puts on herself to be that emotional stability for others. Still she works through it and at the very least tries to talk with the Protag about it in a much more healthy way than Nor does.

Compare that to So'lek, who is similarly reserved in is emotions to Ri'nela, but less to protect others and more to protect himself. Hopefully we will get a little more insight into his character with the comics coming out, but So'lek is i think very similar to Nor in a lot of ways. His clan was wiped out in the Great War, and he was the only survivor to not assimilate into another clan, and we can assume, i think, that those other survivors were most likely children and other non-warriors, either too old or unable to fight for whatever reason. He is entirely alone by choice, and he is angry, but he keeps it together.

So'lek sees the bigger picture, he knows that the resistance is the one other group that's actually fighting back (Besides Jake and the Omatikaya), even if its entirely a group of humans, who we can assume he is not terribly fond of in general. He makes a point of saying the RDA is what needs to be removed from Pandora, not humans. He knows how to separate his allies instead of generalizing 'all humans bad', something Nor is implied to struggle with at least a little. That is especially clear when So'lek calls Nor out after he stabs Alma. But that still doesn't negate how angry So'lek is and is capable of being. He says it after HQ is attacked, he is trying not to follow Nor and his rage. He knows that if he has that conversation with Nor, it will be very easy for him to let his rage consume him as well.

Given that Nor is pretty much gone from the game after he stabs Alma, I'm hoping that in the upcoming DLC we get to find him? Maybe he is being an angry loner out on the woods or if he has found other missing TAP students? There are 4 mentioned in game, either by name (Ri'nela asks where two of them, Telisi and Yefti, are at the very start of the game, and 2 more are mentioned in TAP School Records, Okni and Yuayt) Of course they could all have died while the main four were in cryosleep, 15 years have passed and if they werent with that group when Alma saved them, theres no telling what exactly has happened to them. I just think it could be cool for them to pop up and join back up with the Sarentu.

On, like, an entirely different note, the joy it gives me that there are multiple nonbinary characters! Ahh!!! I think right now the only ones are Tsu'kiri from the Aranahe and Okul from the Kame'tire, at least that I have found, but the way that they are handled, I really really love. They are both just people! Existing in the world! As a nonbinary person myself i also really appreciate the game using they/them for the protagonist and letting you flavor your character however you want so that you aren't locked into male/female like so many games tend to do.

Getting into less A:FoP specific and more general lore territory: Something else I found really interesting while digging around on the wiki is that Mokasa is not the Olo'eyktan? He is listed as Anufi's chief advisor, which made him a sort of stand in Olo'eyktan while she was exiling herself, but he isn't actually the Olo'eyktan the way Ka'nat and Nesim are for their respective clans. Even on the wiki, the Olo'eyktan for the Kame'tire is labeled as Unknown. At most we get Okul being named ? Tsakarem? Thats at least what I took from it. But it makes me curious about the other clans and their leadership (also just very curious about them in general lol). There are 16 clans that we know of (that are all still canon) but we really have only really in depth explored 6 of them in the whole series so far. (Just counting the movies and A:FoP right now because I do not have access to the comics or I think the like one? other games that is still canon) Idk im interested in more Olo'eyktan/Tsahik dynamics beyond just mated pairs like we have seen. Like the Zeswa sisters is really cool to me, or father/daughter dynamic with Ka'nat and Etuwa. Obviously, Jake, and later Tarsem, are not mated to Mo'at but there was the intention of Neytiri eventually taking over as Tsahik before the Sully's left, which would have continued the married couple leaders dynamic that we have been seeing.

We also know that Olo'eyktan don't always have to be men (See Nesim for the Zeswa and Ikneyi from the Tayrangi clan that we see in the first film), so then are there examples of male Tsahik somewhere? Okul being presumably named Tsakarem as a nonbinary/gender non-conforming character would imply that on some level, but im curious if we will ever see examples of it.

And finally, somebody has got to let me smooch the characters in this game PLEASE.

If you actually read all that kudos to you and thank you for indulging my screaming.

[pandoraescape]

Summary: Day 4: "Food" | Memories: The Sarentu (Female Version), after learning Sa'nop's recipe, decides to make the dish for her brothers and sister, which brings back memories of the past—happy ones and…not so happy ones.

Archive of our own

Note: (S/n) Mean Sarentu name. You pick

At the Resistance HQ's kitchen, a young Sarentu woman, (S/n), stood at the kitchen counter, meticulously chopping the vibrant crimson mushrooms into small pieces on the wooden cutting board. Her brothers and sister, Teylan, Nor, and Ri'nela, sat at the dining table, their eyes fixed on their sister with admiration. They watched her every move with a mix of respect and hunger.

"Can't you tell us anything about what you're cooking?" Nor asks, resting his chin in his palm.

"Nope!"

(S/n) cheerful reply only earned her brother a groan. (S/n) Then, carefully place the freshly chopped mushrooms into a separate bowl on the side. She then reached for the refrigerator and pulled out three ripe Shell fruits. She placed it on the board and cut the red skin in half, revealing its juicy and vibrant interior.

"Not even a tiny bit?" Teylan asks nervously, not one for surprises.

"Not even for the tiniest bit."

Both boys groaned, one annoyed and the other in dismay. Ri'nela laughed at the two as she waited patiently for her sister to finish setting things up. Unlike her brothers, she could wait patiently for things. After what felt like hours (10 minutes), (S/n) finally walked to the table with two large trays. One held the food, and the other had the drinks. She placed them down.

"Dinner is served!"

The others gazed at the food. The tray held two sets of three meals, a bowl of shell fruit and sliced crimson mushrooms, and another meat roast. The fruit salad looked fresh, as it was washed and had shiny skin, while the mushrooms were bright in color. The same was true for the meat dish, with marbled fat that glistened under the table light as steam rose from it. The second tray was also intriguing. A glass pitcher held a bright pale blue liquid with seeds. The others were surprised.

"(S/n), all of this looks fantastic! Did you learn all of this from Sa'nop?" Ri'nela asks, still amazed at the spread.

Ri'nela knew that her sister was learning various arts from the Aranahe, such as weaving, crafting, and even cooking. However, she didn't expect this after only a few weeks. "Him and the Aranahe top chef, Relun. I practiced a lot when I had time for myself. They both taught me a lot," (S/n) replies happily, her hands on her hips.

They both were also very particular in their teaching methods. Relun's fiery temper and obsessive nature were challenging, as he always had notes on everything (S/n) did. Cutting the wrong way results in a small swat back of the head, not cooking a meal properly forces you to eat and deal with stomach problems, and if you bring a kill that was not clean or merciful, don't even try to get any note from him. But, despite that, he was always there for her, like a daughter wanting to learn from their father. He seemed always there when she arrived from the clan, even late at night—to Nefika's delight, teasing the older man.

Sa'nop's teaching was very different from Relun's. He's a more carefree and joyful man when making meals. Due to his youth traveling Pandora's lands in exotic foods, he sampled the feasts he enjoyed. He treats (S/n) kindly, much like his own daughter. He educates the young Sarentu by sharing tips from other clans and narrating stories for each lesson. But when it came to gathering, he made her go alone, stating that it was up to her to get the freshest ingredients by her own hands than someone else. In the sense of cooking, it makes sense.

"Well, your work shows. Everything looks delicious," Ri'nela praises.

(S/n) smiles at her sister before she turns to her brothers, seeing their curious and hungry expressions and giggling," What are you guys waiting for? Dig in and tell me what you think."

Without hesitation, all three of them grab their bowls and dig in. Ri'nela starts with the fruit salad, taking bites of fruit and mushrooms. A burst of ripe fruit drove her to hum in delight when it hit her tongue. The sweetness was subtle and not overpowering, which pairs perfectly with the earthy and savory taste of the dice mushrooms. They also have this nutty taste, which this dish makes sense with this type of dish. She looks at the meat dish. She used her spoon to scoop up a good piece of meat. Blowing at it to cool it down, she takes a bite. The meat is perfectly cooked, and the tender flesh falls apart when she eats it. The richness of the roast juices and the spices used to bring this robust flavor make the dish even more delightful.

"Well? Is it good?"

Ri'nela looks at her sister, holding in her laughter, as she sees the serious look on her face while her tail sways back and forth. Before she could comment, Teylan beat her to it with a happy yelp.

"It's so good!" Teylan's ears twitch happily as he eats, and his tail sways freely. Both Ri'nela and (S/n) smile at their brother.

" Aw, thank you, Tey. I'm so happy you like it."

"I don't like it; I love it! You should always cook for us," Teylan adds, still munching on his food.

"He's right," Ri'nela points out," You beat the guys here with your cooking. Nothing can compare.'

(S/n) smiles more brightly at her sibling's comments. If this is the feeling you get when making meals for people, she may need to reconsider her path. She looks at Nor, noticing that he hasn't said anything. His face was down, but (S/n) could see the frown on his lips. Was the food bad? Undercooked? Not to his taste? Was the food not good, Nor?" Teylan and Ri'nela looked at Nor with confusion on their faces. Their food was delicious; was Nor's different?

"Nor?'

"It's taste.."

The three of them stood in silence as he finally began to speak, "It tastes exactly like the meals my father used to make."

As Nor finally looked up, his eyes began to water as memories flooded back. The others were shocked by his reaction, except for (S/n), who quickly moved next to her brother and enveloped him in a tight, comforting hug. He did not hide his face on her shoulder as quiet sobs escaped him, prompting Teylan and Ri'nela to join in the hug to comfort their brother. After a moment of hearing his cries, (S/n) said, "When Sa'nop taught me this recipe, and I got to try it, I couldn't stop stuffing my mouth until it was all gone."

Nor cries soften, and his ears twitch at her words.

"When I told him, he laughed, told me it was alright, and asked me what I liked about the dish. At first, it tasted like it was named 'Mushrooms and Shellfruit.' Then, she gently moves Nor to face her, making the others move away from their hug as she continues, 'But then, I remembered this warmth. A gentle hand that holds me during a storm. Her voice."

As she speaks, Teylan and Ri'nela fix their gaze on her, their ears perked up, fully attentive to the heartfelt words about her mother.

"Then Sa'nap told me how he got the recipe from a Sarentu woman. Who had an amazing singing voice and my eyes."

Shocks ran across the three faces,"You think-"

"He sang the Sarentu song that he learned from her. The one we always sing"

All three gasped, realizing that their ancestors had paved the way for connections with people they had yet to meet. This thought brought them comfort. After wiping his face, he calmly settled down, signaling for the others to take their seats. Then, (S/n) poured juice from the pitcher into each cup and handed it to them. Ri'nela took a sip and immediately recognized her childhood favorite - Yovo fruit, which she and the others had loved as children. Nor and Teylan also smiled at the taste, enjoying their drink.

"Is it sweet?"

As Ri'nela looks at her sister, her eyes are filled with abundant love and warmth radiating from her entire being. Her smile is genuine and reflects the depth of her affection. She responds with a radiant and heartfelt smile, her eyes brimming with joy and tenderness.

"Yes,.It's very sweet."

[romancable-sarentu]

A Call from Ewya

Chapter 1. The last straw

Base on this fanart post that i have reblogged. May make more parts depending on where the story takes me (there will be some canon divergance obviously) but will try and stick to the games story/timeline as much as i can. i will also try and make the sarentu (the player character) as gender netural as i can too. hope you enjoy!

Containing: ⚠️⚠️death (Aha'ri), blood mention, pstd (nightmares), cannon divergence, angst with comfort

Featuring: some mild existential crisis (alma and the kids)

Spoken Na'vi will be written like this

---

A loud bang. Followed by the scent of blood. Aha'ri's blood. You crouch next to her, a small pool of liquid staining the cold metal ground. You look to Mercer. The gun in his hand still smoking. His voice is muffled but you can see the coldness in his eyes still.

Then suddenly your back in the bunkroom. You yelp and swat away the hands shaking you awake. You whirl around and see Alma. Her ears flattened and eyes sad. "You were crying in your sleep..." she whispered. You go to say something to her but she is quick to shush you. "Im not meant to be here... so be quiet while i wake the others."

You nod as she goes bunk to bunk waking the other children. Soon all of you are awake; eyes wide and ears alert from the tension in your teacher despite having been asleep earlier.

"Alma? Whats happening?" Teylan asks quietly, shifting from foot to foot.

"Im finishing what Aha'ri started." She said firmly "We are getting out of here."

"But we cant! It didnt work the first time! Aha'ri died because we tried to leave!" Teylan cries loudly. Alma shushes him harshly. But bends down when he flinches at the sound. "We have to Teylan... its no longer safe here. Aha'ri should still be will with us... it was never supposed to happen. It was wrong. Mercer was wrong." Teylan sniffles and looks up at Alma again. She strokes his head. "Be brave. Let's go"

---

The forest glows in the moonlight. You cant stop yourself from staring at eveything. You hold onto Yefti and Telisi's hands to ensure you dont get lost or wander off too far.

"Alma? Where are we going? How long are going to walk? Its scary out here..." Teylan whimpers jumping as a bug flies past his face. He shrieks again and covers his ears. Ri'nela comes up to him and rubs his back as you keep walking, ensuring he does trip.

"He is such a wimp... dont coddle him too much Rinela, you'll only make it worse" you hear Nor mutter quietly. He, seemingly the most bold and unafraid of the outside. Ri'nela glares at him, before turning back and soothing Teylan whose ears were now uncovered.

After what feels like hours wandering aimlessly in whatever direction your teacher chose you reach a rather large clearing. In it sport a decently sized body of water with a little patch of land sitting in the middle. You and a couple others start to make your way to the waters edge when your ears perk at a sound of pattering seemingly headed your way. Alma gasps loudly. "Hide! Children this way! Hurry!"

She ushers toward an opening in the clifface on nearest to the waters edge. You scamper to her side as she herds you all in. Hudled at the back of the cave - or as far back as you can manage - you hear voices next to you begin to whisper.

"Is it mercer?"

"Has he found us already?! What are we going to do?!"

"Everyone be quiet! They will hear us!"

The sounds of what you now know as a RDA Samson flies overhead. A bright light beaming down on the onto the ground; searching. You listen as the scared sounds of your peers ripple quietly across the stone walls. Once... Twice... Three times the metal machine circles the clearing before it leaves. You can hear Alma heave a relieved sigh as she huddles closer to the group "i think it will be best if stay here for the night. We cant risk being spoted now." She says softly.

"Will we be safe here?" Onki murmurs cautiously, her fingers twisting together in anxiety.

"For now. We will move as soon as it is light outside. So try not to worry and get some rest. Goodnight" she yawns and lays down. Falling asleep almost instantly.

"Alma is right. We will need a lot of rest." Ri'nela agrees. She follows Alma's lead and curls up next to her. Soon, all of you at in a massive cuddle pile, wishing each goodnight. Hands and tails holding each other tight.

---

"Alma! Wake up! Wake up this isnt funny!" You hear the harsh whispers of Yefti as you are jostled awake from a dreamless sleep. They, along with Onki are shaking the Older lady aggressively, eyes wild and stressed. Light streams through the cave and you realise that is already morning.

"Yefti? Onki? Whats wrong? Why isnt Alma awake yet?"

"I dont know! But there are humans outside and we dont know what to do! They have a Samson out there and they are really close to the cave!" Yefti amswers quietly the tail behind them lashing violently.

You look over their shoulder and see Yuayt near the cave entrance; watching the humans. You sneak up cautiously and yank him back harshly. He yelps but you smack his hand over his mouth. "Do you want to get caught Yuayt?" You scold. He shakes his head "then stay away from there. They couldve seen you!"

"But the Samson had markings on it! Ones i dont recognise" He mutters, wiggling out of your grasp. But before you can go and check it out you hear a voice outside

"Is that a cave over there?"

Oh no.

You smack Yuayt on the forehead mouthing "you are an idiot and now we're going to die" scrambling over with him to hide behind Alma.

Just as the voices begin to get closer Alma starts to wake up. Groggily she notices your scared faces.

"Humans. Outside" Teylan whimpers

Her eyes widen and she motions to stay put. Slowly, she begins to go outside. However when she sees who it is, she seemingly relaxes. The unknown voice pipes up again.

"That you Alma? Damn, i almost didnt recognise you! We heard over RDA radio chatter that you spirited away those kids of yours in the middle of the night and figured this was the only way you could go. Pretty ballsy if you ask me, from the sounds of it your lucky we found you when we did!"

"And you must be Anqa Salaam the resistance's pilot. Yeah... it is fortunate you found us first. I dont know how i wouldve talked my way out if the RDA found us first..." she sighs. As she turns to the group she smiles. "Its ok everyone. They are friends"

Nor scoffs "humans? Didn't we just run away from them? How are they friends?"

Ri'nela hisses at him and swats his shoulder lightly.

"Come we should get moving again before the RDA find this place."

She leads you out to where the RDA Machine is. There, stands a lady in a tank top with another lady next to her. "Hey there everybody" the voice; Anqa, says "my name is Anqa, and this here is Dani"

Dani waves and gives a warm smile as well "hey kiddos, lets get you someplace safe huh? We will make sure you dont have to worry about the RDA ever again." Slowly, with the help of Dani and Anqa all of you get into the large metal contraption. As the doors close the whiring of the propellers launches the Samson into the air. Teylan yelps and grabs onto almas arm. She laughs a little and rubs his shoulder. Soon yoir steady in the air and high above the trees. You watch in awe at the view.

"So where are we going now?" Onki asks

"To the resistance HQ" Dani's voice answers "There are a lot of people who will be thrilled to know your safe."

You listen as Dani and Anqa tell you about the resistance, and what they doing to stop the rda as you fly over the forest. The more they talk about it the more excited and nervous you get.

Your mind wanders back to your sister. Aha'ri. You wonder if she would want this too, what she would do. A hand places itself on your shoulder and you see Alma smiling sadly

"I miss her too. But dont worry, we can start again at resistance HQ. Youll be where you belong, living and breathing pandora. As you should. We will take down the RDA and make sure this never has to happen to anyone ever again." By the time Alma has finished her eyes burn with passion and fury. Soon yours do to, a spark burning bright in your chest.

The Samson then lands and you are surrounded by what looks like a run-down makeshift base. The doors open and you see the proud faces of Dani and Anqa again.

"Welcome kids, to Resistance HQ"

---

Hopefully this turned out ok! I will need to look through logs and see what they say about Onki, Yuayt, Yefti and Telisi. Ive kinda just given them small lines and my own characteristics for now until i can get a better feel for them.

[torukmaktoskxawng]

run away with me - part two

Part One Here

Pairing: Nor/Fem!Sarentu!Reader

Summary: Nor hesitantly returns. And while Ri'nela is quick to forgive and welcome him back into the Sarentu... he knew that you would not be as forgiving. But you wouldn't be the woman he loved if you did.

Word Count: +3k

Warnings: Spoilers for AFoP, only one or two uses of Y/n, proofread by me, ANGST!!!

Taglist: @mooniequeen @avatar-lover @taronyuhunter

A/n: This needed a Part 2 (especially now that I finally got to that you-know-what scene on AFoP. I had a feeling it would happen but still!)

Ri'nela is tsahik now.

Nor is honestly so proud of her, and of everyone he left behind. When he returned and realized that everyone in the Resistance was still around -apart from those who were lost to the attack on HQ- even after so long, he was internally relieved. While he initially hated the very sight of his human allies, he had spent so much time traveling alone, surviving in the wild, and reflecting on himself and his inner demons... to the point where he knew that the Resistance was not part of his pain and Priya and the others were innocent. He had come to the same conclusion as So'lek did. They were his allies, and they wanted Eywa to be free from the pain the Sky People inflicted on her just as much as he did.

As Ri'nela shows him around, keeping her arm linked with his as if afraid he would disappear, Nor quickly notices a few things are different among the new Sarentu clan and their tawtute allies. There were several more Na'vi than he remembered. All of them come from different backgrounds, wearing various clothes and different styles from one another, and none of them bore the mark of the Sarentu. Some had very young children among them, and to his surprise, they bore the mark of the Sarentu. They all greeted Ri'nela respectfully as she passed by them, addressing her as their tsahik. The only one who appeared to treat Ri'nela the same as before and call her by her name was Teylan, but Nor suspected that she likely asked him to. Teylan gave the other Sarentu male a wide berth, and Nor couldn't blame him. 

While Ri'nela leads Nor away from the clan to journey to the Hollows, he notices one other thing about the Na'vi living among the reformed Sarentu.

You were not among them.

He didn't dare ask, no matter how much it pained him to do so. He felt as though he had no right to know about you, to know what you've been up to or if you were even still alive. He knows Ri'nela will be expecting him to ask, but he's still as stubborn as when they were kids, so he bit his tongue.

And maybe that's why Ri'nela brings him to the Circle of Ancestors, something he dreaded but knew it needed to be done. He had felt like a stranger in Eywa's presence, not having connected to her since he and his friends first found a Tarsyu flower. Nor felt as though he didn't deserve to connect to the Great Mother, not after growing up in the shadow of the Sky People, learning their ways and forgetting everything he had been taught as a child. After he left the Resistance, he felt more ashamed of who he became and was convinced Eywa would hate him now more than ever after what he did. 

Ri'nela was patient with Nor, encouraging him to connect to Eywa, at least just this once. She promised she would never make him do it again if that was what he wanted, and so, Nor knelt in the grass and slowly took his kuru in hand, finally making the connection. 

He finally got to see the truth for himself, revealing what Alma did... or, technically what she didn't do. While his anger and resentment still festered, there was also unimaginable guilt. After he saw Alma's memories, he also saw yours. 

He saw your fear and pain while walking through the remnants of the Circle of Songs, the place the Sarentu were butchered during their annual moot, now laid barren within the yavä'. He had been on the radio with you as you traveled through it, remembering how he listened to your distress at your discovery in the midst of searching for proof of Anufi's innocence. He remembered feeling helpless, wishing more than anything that he could have gone with you. He should have gone with you...

He saw your grief and pain... your anger and fear. He saw everything you went through, and most of it was without him, when you needed him the most. He saw you every time you connected to the Circle of Ancestors, downloading your memories in case something happened to you. He saw how you wept in front of Eywa while clutching a familiar carved stone in your hand, the one he had gifted you after promising to always stay by your side.

Your memories did little to comfort him, and as he finally disconnected from the Circle of Ancestors, his curiosity got the better of him, glancing over at Ri'nela as she carefully watched him with folded arms.

"Where... where is she?" He finally asked.

"She's persistent in spreading stories and democracy across other clans, like a true Sarentu," Ri'nela doesn't hesitate to answer, having been waiting for him to ask, "While I remain here to lead our clan, she ventures out there, as our envoy, to find new friends and spread our wisdom. She always comes back with stories of her adventures and sometimes brings home other Na'vi who wish to join the Sarentu. She always has something new to tell me from her travels."

"So..." his ears begin to rise with hope, "She eventually comes back?"

"Always. It could be days or months, but she always comes home. Although... she never stays long."

Ri'nela sucks in a deep breath, her gaze heavy, "I can see it in her eyes. She is saddened by us. She looks at me and Teylan and thinks of you. That is why she travels so much... to be rid of your memory. To forget that you abandoned her."

Despite how her tone was soft and gentle, her words cut deep into Nor's skin, making him flinch in pain as his ears and tail lowered in distress and guilt. Ri'nela lowers herself to her knees, meeting Nor's eyes with a stern, cold expression, "When she returns-- and she will, you will not abandon her again."

Nor swallows sharply and nods once, his voice so quiet and strange to him, "What do I even say to her?"

The Sarentu tsahik lifts her chin, "I would do nothing less than beg for her forgiveness on your hands and knees."

~~~~~~~~~

Nor had been living among the Sarentu and the Resistance for two months before you finally made your appearance.

You flew in by ikran, fast and agile, your Bonded barely giving herself time to fan out her wings to stop her descent before her talons landed gracefully on the ground. Luckily, no one was close enough to be ambushed by the harsh entrance, but once people began to realize who had made a quick landing in the center of their community, they all began to flock toward you and your ikran, eager to see you and hear about your travels.

Nor didn't know that it had been you who landed, but when Ri'nela came to fetch him, both relief and dread fought each other in his stomach, his lungs barely expanding enough for him to breathe. He follows the tsahik out of his new kelku and toward the crowd, unconsciously keeping his head down so you wouldn't immediately see him.

Not like that was an issue as you were currently occupied by your friends and family, barely giving you time to dismount from your ikran before you were bombarded with hugs and warm welcomes.

"Y/n!"

"Teylan!" You laugh excitedly, hopping down from your banshee as Teylan runs up to you. He bends low just before he scoops you up in his arms and swings you around in the air enthusiastically, causing you to let out a soft squeal of surprise.

Nor watched this soft display from a distance, a small twinge of his tail indicating he was slightly jealous. He was aware of what Teylan had done and knew why neither you nor Ri'nela felt the need to tell Nor about their friend's betrayal after the first HQ was destroyed. At the time, Nor was hateful and blamed everyone who wronged him and his loved ones. He understands why he was never told about Teylan's betrayal, knowing it wouldn't have gone well... knowing that it might have ended up like what happened with Alma's avatar.

Despite coming to terms with himself and calmly accepting both Alma and Teylan's betrayals, Nor couldn't help but feel bothered as he watched Teylan set you down and begin rambling about everything you might have missed while you were gone. It bothered him that you had forgiven Teylan easily enough, your smile wide and keeping your eyes solely on your dear friend as he talked so he knew he had your full attention. 

So'lek walked up and greeted you as well with a small yet warm smile, asking about your travels and other clans. Nor felt his eyes lower in shame. While the lone warrior was sympathetic to Nor and how he felt, So'lek has yet to speak to him, only watching from a distance with those disappointed eyes. Nor couldn't blame him. He had let So'lek down, just like many others.

He stands back, letting everyone else greet you first, but Ri'nela won't let him run away, no matter how much he wishes he could. Keeping Nor to stay put with just one, pointed glare, she turns away and walks up to you, embracing you tightly before whispering into your ear,

"There is someone here to see you."

"Is it Anufi?" You asked excitedly, not yet catching whatever dire note was in your friend's voice as you pulled out of her hug to inspect her face, continuing to ramble, "Or Okul? I promised them I would bring some of Relun's best recipes the next time I visited. I didn't think Okul would be so impatient--"

You cut yourself off, voice faltering on your tongue as your eyes catch movement behind Ri'nela. Peering over her shoulder, words fail you as your eyes widen in shock, face quickly losing color as if you had seen a ghost. 

Nor felt his skin prickle under your watchful eye, noting the way your ears and tail fell before he could even blink. Standing closer to you than before, he made a quick observation about your attire, his eyes scanning the songcord running up and down your arm, longer than it had ever been before. His own ears lowered when he noticed a familiar item dangling from the cord.

You still had his stone. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse.

~~~~~~~~~

After you were given time to relax and have a home-cooked meal with your friends and loved ones, you found yourself in a secluded part of the forest near the base, arms crossed and internal walls up as you stood before Nor, alone. Ri'nela insisted the two of you talked privately, and the two of you both had your own reasons to disagree with her, but didn't dare protest. 

You let the two of you linger in a long, sullen silence, making Nor's skin crawl uncomfortably, keeping his eyes lowered to the ground while yours practically bore into his flesh. He wished he didn't deserve your hatred, knowing that you were unforgiving when you wanted to be. Perhaps it was because you were younger, but you always seemed so... kind and gentle, but eager to fight for what was right. You always wanted to fight for your home, for the memory of your mother and sister. You had wanted to fight so that other Na'vi children never went through what you went through with Nor, Ri'nela, Teylan, and the other Sarentu children who were abducted. Nor has seen your fire directed at the Sky People and he was always proud to witness your ruthlessness... but he never thought he'd be on the receiving end of it. 

And now that you were less young and less naive, it was hard to picture that younger, more hopeful you. As he stood before you, he couldn't help but wonder where had the time gone.

Your eyes never leave his form, your expression impassive as you finally spoke, "How long before you leave again?"

Nor flinched, eyes still downcast, "I... I don't intend on leaving."

"Like you did last time."

He winced once more, voice quiet in response, "Could you ever forgive me?"

Your eyes narrow, "Why should I?"

"You seem to have forgiven Teylan easily enough."

"Because at least Teylan stayed and did everything in his power to show he deserved forgiveness," you snapped. Although you never raised your voice, your words still felt like a punch to the gut, "At least Cortez stayed and tried her best to right her wrongs, instead of running like a coward and avoiding her responsibilities."

His eyes finally lift to meet hers, irises riddled with guilt and pain, "I'm so sorry..."

You glared at him for what felt like forever when really it was only a few minutes. Eventually, your posture relaxes, the anger bleeding away into defeat and quiet resentment. You shook your head, voice equally as quiet as his, "I don't blame you for how you feel. I don't even blame you for what you did, despite how much I wish you didn't do it."

Your own eyes lowered, unable to look at him as you whispered, "I blame you for leaving and not making it right. For abandoning us-- your family."

Nor wanted to reach out and touch you, but instead curled his hands into fists to restrain himself, keeping them at his sides while looking out over the forest, "Why... Why didn't you just track me down and drag me back?"

He couldn't help but wonder. You were an excellent tracker and hunter, far more observant and patient than he had ever been. Many times while he was alone out in the wild, he would dream of you ambushing him, screaming at the top of your lungs before you grabbed him by the ear and brought him back... back home. Nor would often wake up from these dreams and feel cold, often looking around to see if you were actually there or not. But you never showed up.

You bite your lip, "I thought about it... many times actually. Sometimes it was almost an unbearable temptation and I had to keep busy to stop myself."

He glanced back with disbelief, "Why?"

"Because as much as I hate you..." If you had realized just how much those words hurt him, you didn't show it, your mind far away even as you looked directly at him, practically looking right through him, "I would never make you do anything against your will. That would make me no better than Mercer. You wanted to be left alone. So that's what I gave you... even if it left the most unimaginable pain in my chest. It was worse than Aha'ri because at least I knew my sister was dead... but I had no idea where you were or if you were alive."

Nor was harshly reminded of what he saw in the Circle of Ancestors, your pain still at the very front of his mind, the very pain he caused for disappearing without a trace. His eyes glance down to your wrist, longingly staring at the small stone with the mark of the Sarentu he had carved into its surface.

"I'm sorry."

"You said that. You also said that you go wherever I go," she followed his gaze and lifted the stone up to her eye level, staring at it while remembering all of those promises he made the day he gave the stone to her, "You said if you ever leave, it would only be when I was ready to go with you. You lied."

Nor finally stepped forward, hands reaching out to you as he tried to bargain, "B... But I'm here now. I-- I'm here to stay and make things right again. I can make things right. Teylan and Alma... they came back to make things right. I want to do the same."

"Yes. Now. When the fighting is over, not when it mattered." You bite back.

He sucked in air through his teeth, hissing as though he was in pain, your words like venom, "I know. I know I made a mistake. I should have returned immediately after leaving. I should have gone to cool off and then come straight back to you. I... I should not have hurt Alma. I should not have hurt you." 

"And unless you can turn back time, you can't change what you've done," you step away, keeping your distance, keeping your walls high and on guard as you mutter, "I should be grateful you wanted to try and traditionally court me. If we hadn't taken things slow... had we mated... I don't think I could have survived what you did."

Your eyes glare deep in his soul, "What was that phrase Mercer used to say? 'I dodged a bullet?'"

Nor's ears stay low and pinned to his skull, looking like a kicked puppy, "Please do not say that."

"Why?"

"Because you are not Mercer."

"No, but as of right now, it's easier to say his name than yours," the words stung, hurting Nor even more when he caught the way your voice cracked. Glancing up, his heart shattered at the sight of tears slowly spilling down your face, your lip trembling as you tried to keep your words steady, "I expected Mercer to do terrible things. I... I never expected for you-- for you to--"

Leave.

You scoff to yourself, your words ashes in your mouth, "I should've known. You wanted to leave from the start. Maybe if I had let you go from the start, this would have hurt less."

"But I am here now," he quickly soothes, "I'm here."

You don't glare at him, but your wet eyes bore into him as though he had betrayed you all over again. You let out a shaky sigh through your nose as you slowly open your mouth, making your tongue move before you could hold back your words, "... I don't need you right now. I needed you back then, but not now. I needed you when it mattered."

He could almost see your walls building ever higher in your mind and heart, his own beginning to crumble to dust, "Y/n, please--"

"I'm not going to make you leave again," you quickly add, turning your back to him as you start walking back toward the Resistance base, distantly speaking without sparing any emotions, "I'll do that myself. I have to leave at first light tomorrow to meet up with the Zeswa before they take off for migration. I think it would be best if you and I don't interact from here on out whenever I come back home. Stay or leave, I don't care anymore."

You walk back without uttering another word. You don't even look back to see Nor's reaction. He watches you retreat until you completely disappear from view, the urge to run after you so strong he has to bite his tongue from calling out to you. Something made him stay put, letting you go despite how his anger and sadness were pleading with him to pick up his feet, to follow you, to say everything he didn't know how to say but by Eywa, he wanted to try.

But he didn't. He knew this was no more than he deserved for what he put you through alone.

~~~~~~~~~

A/n: This is definitely getting a Part 3 😈 Lemme know if you would like to be tagged in it!

MASTERLIST

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[naavispider]

I love love love the two parts you posted for Merciless, with John Mercer becoming interested in Spider. (I just noticed the title is a play on his name lol)

How did you come up with that idea?

And if you're planning to continue this, what are your ideas for where to take this? What does Mercer think he's going to get from Spider? Is he planning to use Spider as a solider, or study his body to adapt other humans to Pandora or what?

Thank you! I'm so glad you'e finding it as interesting as I am! 💞💙

I was just discussing Frontiers of Pandora with @hyperfixatedfandomer and @yesthisismycurrenthyperfixation and the topic got onto how FOP is set literally at the same time Jake escapes to the reefs. They are my inspo! Hyper kind of gave me a prompt and I ran with it 💀 I've been watching all the walkthroughs of FOP (because I'll probs never get the game) and really enjoying it! The story of Sarentu is pretty rad and I couldn't shake the idea that Mercer and recom!Quaritch are both alive and in the same facility at the same time.

It felt so fresh to add a new character into Spider and Quaritch's dynamic, one they can both agree is evil! Thank you for noticing the name ahahaha 💞💙💞💙

There are two main directions I could go here, and I'm not currently sure which avenue I'll end up taking.

Ardmore decides to transfer Spider into Mercer's custody while Deja Blu go out on their mission (and thus use Spider over Quaritch to ensure they get the job done)

My own version of Hyper's oneshot, where the resistance destroy the RDA base and manage to get Spider out while they're doing it. Cue found family vibes between Teylan, Nor, Ri'nela and Spider 😭 So'lek would be their grumpy old father figure. (I don't know how the game ends yet so I might be well off with the characterisations here!)

If I go with the first one, Mercer will probably want to study Spider first. He'll want to work out what his body is doing differently to humans who were raised on Earth. I headcanon that Spider is much better adapted to the air than regular humans (as in, he has a few extra seconds/minutes before he would die), and how the reduced gravity has affected his muscle tone. He'd probably want to experiment on Spider a fair degree. He needs a test subject and here is this kid who has no parents, no citizenship, and no one back on Earth who would even have a clue what Mercer was doing, let alone be required to authorise it. It's free real estate baby. He can get away with whatever he likes on this kid.

Plus, it's an excellent tool to keep Quaritch in line 🤭

[pandorafallz]

Since People didn't realise the height differences in my last post with Okul and the MC, i'll post a few more based on my current selection of Photos I've taken; feel free to add more when you notice.

Hehe, Minang is taller than Nesim, probably by two inches?? thoughts? Also, it's theorised that Nesim is the younger sibling out of both, due to the fact Tsahìk usually choose their older child to inherit the role. As Neytiri's sister, Sywanin is chosen first before the role fell to Neytiri.

Ri'nela is taller than Nesim XD tbh, i enjoy that thought; Nesim's fierceness and anger are a lot more condensed with her height hehe

MC is taller than Alma, probably by an inch a well. Alma's bun and the POV of the camera make's it a little harder to judge bc I took this a while back but thoughts? Taller or shorter than Alma?

I think both Ri'nela and Nor are similar in hight, maybe Nor is a inch taller given he's lent forwards a fraction in MC's POV

Alma is also taller than Teylan, tho i doubt by much since Teylan has a habit of slouching forward.

Alma is taller than Nor but again, not much and i think Nor's head is leant forward so it's lost him a inch or so in comparason.

MC is about the same height as So'lek as well, tho the MC is standing forward a little so she looks a little shorter. His and the boxes's hitbox made it hard to get close.

Ri'nela and So'lek are the same height, i think? Thoughts on this; it's hard tp tell.

Anufi's taller than Okul! tho Mokasa is taller than Anufi and seems to be at eye-level with the MC..

Sidenote:

Turns out you can't step on Alma's tail.

I tried bc I wanted to see if the tail would glitch through my feet like the environmental items, turns out the tail has a hitbox and moved me when her tail moved. Strong ass tail.

Couldn't step on and couldn't get close to the ass to see how far she'd push me every time she moved given her body's hitbox was in the way. I bet she tripped a few people up with her tail since Alma has a habit of crouching all the time to be at eye-level with the resistance. Also, bet she got it stood on a few times for the same reasons. I bet some people she tripped did it with spite lol

[thetombedspirit]

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Sky Breaker: WARNING: SPOILERS!!!

1. Getting to run alongside the Zakru on Pa'li was the bomb. My GOD! THEY ARE MASSIVE!!

2. My son has made friends 💙 he's even hanging with Nopsi (a zakru!!!)

Nopsi loves him!!

3. My favourite old ladies are back!! (Love Nafiki calling Anufi darling!): side note, I ship it!

4. Ri'nela really coming into the Storyteller part of being Sarentu!

5. Mokasa's back. And he still has the balls to play victim here. Tried coming at Alma and throwing my mother's name in my face as if he wasn't the reason Alma even knew about them in the first place. Ugh! This bitch!

6. Oh don't mind me, just admiring my giant babies as I make them feel pretty💙

7. It's offical guys. Teylan is our little Anti-Gremlin 💙

(Dammit, no more photos!!)

8. The Games were so fun!! My favorite's the horseback archery challenge! And how does Eetu get to places so quickly!?!🤣

9. Teylan rode a pa'li. The both of them were terrified 😂 don't worry buddy, you'll get there!

10. The RDA are back, they seem to be taking special interest in Anufi and Alma. Guess they're not happy she's back in the driver seat as the Kame'tire's leader.

11. Was not expecting us to be knocked out for several days. Thankfully, it seems the core cast is okay. Mokasa is shooketh over Alma pulling him out of the rubble. Still a dick though.

12. They literally made a Valkyrie crash just to take out as many Na'vi as possible. Assholes.

The poor Zakru were either killed in the blast or fled in the chaos, Nesim is furious (rightfully so) and Harding's back.

13. Anufi and Alma have been kidnapped and Teylan confirmed that the brainscap machine could give someone brain damage and kill em, basically meaning that Spider could have literally died hadn't Quaritch pulled him out.

14. Was freaking out so bad during the NeroSect bit that I only got Alma out by 20 secs. And Harding was drowning Anufi in oxygen!?! WTF!!!

Also, Mokasa came in clutch, saving us at the last minute! But he got shot. Yikes.

15. Okay, maybe I get why people felt Harding's death was lackluster, but it certainly wasn't easy, so I don't know what people were talking about there.

But maybe just a cutscene of her crawling toward us with a pistol to give us that final farewell would be notch.

16. Mokasa finally takes responsibility for his actions toward the Sarentu and the Kame'tire and even has a moment of understanding with Alma. He rests with Eywa now.

17. It's over now. All those that remained of TAP are gone, so all that's left is the Secret of the Spires, DLC. And it makes me wonder who that have planned for the big bad. Surely Nor is gonna make a return, but I doubt he is gonna be the bad guy.

Pros; loved everything.

The new legendary tier weapons and gear, the development of the characters (my baby boy Teylan has grown so much) the colours of the Heartlands animals was stunning (pa'li could have been better) and the upgrade skills bonus was a clever way to spend the points you keep racking up (though that stops when you spend a final 5 points every skill bubble)

Cons; Glitches

There were a lot more glitches this time around. First, one of the Contributions Baskets isn't working and it's ironically the main camp one. I've given it like 20 seeds already and still nothing.

And then there was a tremor machine that was freaking out one of the runaway Zakru, but when I went to hack it to turn it off, nothing happened? Only when I blew it up with a grenade arrow did it work. Or maybe that was just me being a stup 😋

Either way, I loved everything about this DLC, glitches aside and it was a good addition to the Sarentu story and I can't wait to see what happens next.

And I'm almost finished with my Sarentu OC, so stay tuned for that. Buh-bye!!

[xxxkvitravn]

I know some of you have already finished the game, but SPOILERS AHEAD (just my thoughts about Sarentu kids) Okay, at least Teylan is back. He was lucky that Ri'nela forgave him so easily. People died because of his actions. But at the same time, they would not have won without him. Teylan is either really naive or just damn cunning, I find the latter very dangerous. Still, for me his betrayal was obvious right from the start, so I wasn't even surprised. Nor. I wish we could bring him back to the clan, although I do not approve his decision to leave. He told protagonist that he would continue to fight in the name of Ahari, our sister who was so dear to him. And where is he now? Left his friends, the only family, in the time of need. Ri'nela. So wise and strong-willed. I was pleasantly surprised that she found it in her heart to forgive Alma. Or if not forgiveness, then at least the strength to leave the past behind and move forward. She has it. I know they're just fictional characters, and in the end, it doesn't matter what I think, but I like them. I'm sure those of you who have read this will understand me. The Na'vi are amazing and Pandora is beautiful. This is a unique universe. I'm glad I bought this game.