#that's lyle's grave

[spandexinspace]

[dirtytransmasc]

Another continuation from Graveyard Anon and mhm I think I might turn this into a fic...

Anyways

-

Mansk is the one to ask.

It's surprising to Spider, who frankly isn't sure if he's even heard the Recom talk before, but to the rest of the squad? It comes at little surprise.

Mansk is silent by nature - that much is true - but he is a man who doesn't like leaving questions unanswered, and this particular question had been like a noose around the squads necks since they found the Graveyard.

They still haven't told Ardmore. It's been nearly three weeks, and they remained steadfast in that silent agreement. No one knew why, but every instinct they had told them not to.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why bury us- them, why bury all the soldiers?"

There's a distinct look on Spider's face. It's one they recognize as the one he usually pulls when they do something that confuses him.

"Why...wouldn't they?"

It's genuine, his confusion over Mansk's question. To him, the question made little sense: Why wouldn't the Na'vi bury the dead soldiers? What was the alternative? Leave them where they died and let them rot?

The conversation that follows is...dark. None of them seem thrilled to explain the concept of mass graves to a sixteen year old, and it adds to an ever growing and franky, depressing list of things they've had to explain to the kid.

The horror comes quickly, mixing with the confused look on the kid's face. It brings on his own series of questions that none are capable of answering but leave a bitter taste in their mouths and a small sense of self-loathing.

"The Na'vi honor the dead after war, all of the dead. To die fighting for what you believe in, that deserves respect. Sides do not matter."

god's, imagining this group of adult-teenage-newborns (cause most of them were pushing 40 or 50 back on earth, are now in 20-year-old bodies and minds, while only being 'awake' for a few weeks at best) who already going through their own individual identity and existential crises, having to explain the horrors of war back on earth.

only to have this kid lay it out in front of them so simply; respect.

the na'vi respected the enemy, no matter what, human or na'vi.

the recoms are fine, they just need to take a nice long walk to a nice secluded area to scream, cry, and/or disassociate until their thoughts stop hurting and making them nauseous.

also like, having mansk be the first one to crack, is perfection. he spends so much time with his own thoughts that of course they get to him first. I also think apathy was his shield, unlike many other's who took up rage, vengeance, etc. he just stopped feeling anything during war times. so to have his apathy interrupted by being cared for by the enemy, that's one hell of a wake up call.

[gothoctopus]

Part Two. Val -Agape 2, 3 and Pragma 2,4. Lyle -Philia 3, Agape 2, Monty -Storge 2, 4 -Pragma 1, -Philautia 1, 2

welcome to OC spam day!

VAL:

Agape 2- Does your OC feel a spiritual connection to the world around them? Do they have a particular love for nature or living things?

I definitely wouldn’t say they have a spiritual connection to anything, but their love for other people and THEIR spiritual connections to the world are definitely driving forces behind everything they do.

Agape 3- To what extent does your OC believe in the value (or even existence) of true altruism? Do they see an unselfish concern for the welfare of others as being naïve or foolish? Or as a moral quality to which people should aspire?

Altruism is the driving force behind community and just the general health of the world as a whole. They don’t begrudge people for behaving selfishly as they make an effort to try and understand all points of view up to a certain extent, but they definitely value selfless kindness as one of the better qualities of society.

Pragma 2- What is the biggest challenge that your OC has had to overcome in a long-term relationship or friendship? What helped them get through this?

They have a lot of personal struggle with their abandonment issues manifesting and discouraging them from pursuing anything long-term. They still struggle to feel worthy of other people at times, and they fight hard to seem independent so people don’t see them as being more trouble than their worth and discard them. They haven’t…really worked through his entirely, yet, though they have been making progress! 

Pragma 4- After the initial fires of passion cool to some degree, what would keep your OC engaged in a relationship? Shared goals? Similar values? Or contented companionship?

Just…comfort. If the intensity subsides and they feel at home with someone at the end of it all, that’s all they really need. 

LYLE:

Philia 3- What qualities does your OC most value in a friend? Loyalty? Shared sense of humour? Or something else?

Answered C:

Agape 2- Does your OC feel a spiritual connection to the world around them? Do they have a particular love for nature or living things?

My first instinct was just a hard no, but after dwelling on it a bit…I mean yeah! He feels a strong kinship with things that are considered to be “lesser” forms of life — insects, spiders, etc. —things people react to with initial disgust and don’t think twice about stepping on. Things that don’t behave or love in the same way more commonly-valued animals do.

MONTY:

Storge 2- Does your OC have children? If so then how fiercely do they love them? If they have more than one then do they love them all equally? If they do not have children then is this part of their future plans?

Listen. That instinctual dhampir-obsession? ALL of it gets channeled directly to his family. He has five kids at the moment and loves them all fiercely. They’re his number one priority at all times, and he would do anything for them. He can be a little (EXTREMELY) overbearing about it at times, which grates on the nerves of his oldest (who is also prone to fits of jealousy now that he’s no longer the only child and not receiving all of the attention) but he does love them all equally c:

Storge 4- Does your OC have any siblings? If so then did their parents have a favourite growing up? Has their relationship with their sibling changed in adulthood? If they don't have any siblings then do they perhaps feel they have missed out on an important relationship? Do they have any especially close friends who go some way towards filling that role?

None from his mother’s side, no…. 🤫

Pragma 1- Is your OC in a committed long-term relationship (or relationships)? If so then what has contributed to this relationship lasting so well? If they are not in such a relationship, then is this something that saddens them or which they regret?

So, his aforementioned relationship with the city guard…Let’s talk about it! They were together for quite some time before they mutually agreed to part ways once Monty’s growing pool of children became a very obvious priority. They’re still on good terms and consider each other to be close friends, but their breakup wasn’t without complete regret. A part of Monty recognizes that they would likely still be together if only he knew how to properly and fairly balance his affections for him with his affections for his family, but alas. Monty’s attention is a very All-Or-Nothing thing. 

Philautia 1- Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

Monty is very aware of many of his faults and shortcomings, as they are all things he hates his vampire father for. He works hard to be as unlike his father as physically possible, taking the traits he inherited from him and trying to channel them in a more constructive, positive way. I think to that end, in his constant vigilance to suppress or redirect the worst of his inherited traits, he can at times be blind to the ways his overcompensation might be harmful/overbearing. 

Philautia 2- Does your OC believe that it is important to love themselves in the first instance? Perhaps in order to be able to give and receive love authentically? Or because they believe first and foremost in "looking after number one”?

When he was younger, Monty shied away from many aspects of who he was out of shame, changing himself to better suit the tastes of the people around him. It wasn’t until he started caring for his children that he resolved himself to prove to others that being a dhampir doesn’t have to be a wholly negative thing. He wants his kids to be able to live as their authentic selves without suppression or shame.

[nervousd]

Infatuation — prologue

→ Infatuation | m.list

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

#SYNOPSIS— Recom Miles gets a briefing from his predecessor

#WARNING(S)— possessive behavior, unhealthy obsession, abuse of power, dark quaritch, yandere, stalking

#CHARACTER(S)— colonel miles quaritch, Recom! Miles Quaritch

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

❝ In case you haven’t figured it out yet you’re Colonel Miles Quaritch. Only younger, taller and not nearly as good looking— what you won’t remember is my death because it hasn’t happened and it ain’t gonna— And if you are watching this it means I did get my ticket punched. Well whatever happens if your any clone of mine you’ll be looking for some payback that would be Jake Sully he’ll be the top of the list. But he ain’t the reason why I’m making this video log— no. We have more important matters to discuss ❞

Miles tail flicked agitated, he knew exactly who he was talking about. You were constant in this memories, haunting him ins his dreams with feathery touches and whispers.

❝ You see Jake sully took something from me. It belonged to me— and I’m not keen on sharing. No— the thought of even sharing her with you doesn’t sit right with me. You listen to me Colonel, if anything does happen to me than it’ll be your job to bring her back to me. I want her buried beside me in my grave— I rather have her dead than alive ❞ a slow grin curled up the corner of his lips ❝ What’s that sayin again? Not even death can do us part— yeah I like that ❞

He had a vague understanding of the Colonel’s infatuation with you. His memories were still fuzzy— incomplete. The scientist assured him that his memories will come back, bits and pieces. He remembers the basics of who he is but the most prominent memories were of you. His first contact with you. A small chance encounter and he was smitten, you however seemed to be uncomfortable near him. Walking on egg shells whenever he was around— not that his predecessor noticed. No— he was far too preoccupied daydreaming about you and the countless possibilities that could happen.

An immense portion of miles heart ached for you. You— a woman he’s never laid his eyes on had bewitched him. It was an odd feeling— to feel incomplete; to feel like a part of him was missing. This feeling would only escalate during sleepless nights when the cold crept up on his skin— he yearned for the warmth of your skin. But he wasn’t here to rekindle a past romance — no he was here to kill Jake Sully and bury you beside the Colonel. However, at one point his curiosity got the best of him and decided to do a throughout search of information in the RDA database. You were considered traitorous, to be taken alive if found. He scrolled through your profile finding old video logs.

When browsing through the logs, he heard your voice and his ears perked up. He stared at you with wide eyes, ears pointed toward your voice. Your eyes shone brightly as you rambled on about the various species of na'vi that lived on Pandora while making wide gestures. Your rant came to an end— instead you grimaced at a booming voice interrupting you ❝ Buttercup— the Colonel wants to see you ❞ It was his Corporal— Lyle Wainfleet. Miles tail flicked in annoyance, his gut twisted uncomfortably. A rumble vibrated through his chest as he expressed his annoyance.

From his scarce memories, he recalls that he typically sent Lyle to pick you up from the scientist, ready to hear about your report on the relationship with the na'vi. To see if there were any improvements or downfalls etc. However, this was just an excuse; he never actually paid attention to the report. No, he was far too busy ogling at you. Miles scowled, he wondered just how many times Lyle had referred to you with pet names. An unfamiliar feeling scratched at his chest. The video log abruptly ended, probably on your way to go meet his predecessor.

Miles huffed, tail slapping against the ground. It wasn’t enough— as much as he ached to hear your voice he felt the need to have your presence beside him. The only possibly way he could find you is by catching Jake Sully and taking the information from him. But you weren’t his— you were to be buried beside his predecessor; orders from him. Just a small moment— a minute of having you to himself and that would be enough to state him.

━━━ : © NERVOUS.D

[pupsmailbox]

COWBOY ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　abeline. adeline. alfred. anderson. annie. archer. arthur. ash. aspen. austin. automata. axel. barett. beau. beckett. belle. bennett. betty. billy. blaise. boone. bree. brooks. bryce. cade. caleb. callen. callie. calvin. carson. casey. cassidy. chance. chase. clayton. clementine. clint. clyde. cody. colby. cole. colt. colton. connor. coraline. county. cree. cyrus. dagger. dakota. dallas. dalton. damon. darby. darla. delta. denver. dove. east. easton. edgar. eliza. elliot. ellis. emmett. emmylou. everett. everly. fallon. fang. farmer. fletcher. flint. flynn. fritz. gage. georgia. georgina. grant. graves. hank. harrison. harvey. hattie. hawk. hayes. heidi. holster. hudson. hunter. ida. jace. jack. jackie. jackson. james. jed. jesse. jessie. john. jolene. josh. joshua. jude. knox. leroy. lewis. loretta. lucille. luke. luther. lyle. maple. marshall. mason. maverick. meadow. millie. misty. myra. nash. nell. nina. oakley. oscar. otis. owen. pace. pamela. penelope. phoenix. pierce. pollyanna. prairie. quinn. ray. reed. reid. rhett. rhys. riley. river. rochelle. rory. roscoe. rosie. rudy. ryder. rye. sadie. savannah. sawyer. scarlett. sedona. selena. shep. shepherd. sienna. sierra. silas. skye. spanner. sparky. sterling. stevie. stormy sullivan. sundance. tallulah. tate. tess. todd. tucker. twila twyla. verily. wade. walker. walt. walter. waylon. wayne. weston. wilde. will. willa. willow. winona. wren. wyatt. zachariah. zane. zeke. zinnia.

PRONOUNS ⌇　ace/ace. aim/aim. badge/badge. bandana/bandana. barrel/barrel. boot/boot. boy/boy. brash/brash. buck/buck. bull/bullet. cattle/cattle. clad/clad. clash/clash. colt/colt. cow/boy. cow/cow. cowboy/cowboy. cy/cyborg. denim/denim. dirt/dirt. dive/dive. drive/drive. fang/fang. farmer/farmer. fence/fence. fire/fire. foal/foal. gold/golden. gra/grass. gun/gun. hat/hat. herd/herd. hill/hill. hit/hit. hold/holdem. holdem/holdem. hoof/hoof. horse/horse. iron/iron. jack/jack. jump/jump. kick/kick. lasso/lasso. law/law. lawful/lawful. lone/lone. mech/mecha. metal/metal. mount/mountain. mustang/mustang. noon/noon. officer/officer. out/out. outlaw/outlaw. poker/poker. protect/protect. pry/pry. punch/punch. punish/punish. ranch/ranch. ranger/ranger. rev/rev. rev/revolver. rev/rev. revolvers/revolver. river/river. ro/ro. robo/robo. rug/rugged. run/run. rust/rust. ry/ry. save/save. sharp/sharp. sheriff/sheriff. shoot/shoot. shot/shot. shot/shotgun. shout/shout. spark/spark. spur/spur. star/star. steed/steed. steel/steel. sun/sun. thief/thief. tumble/tumble. weed/weed. wheat/wheat. wood/wood. yee/haw. yeehaw/yeehaw.

[afandommultiverse]

How you meet Colonel Miles Quaritch

❀ A/n: the moment you have all been waiting for (more like just me) but still! Here are my headcanons for when baby girl (Quaritch) meets you <3 

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

✿ where’d you meet you say? well it is when Quaritch is looking at his old resting spot(his grave) and after he crumbles his old skull in his hands, you are quick to make a distraction to get their attention off of the kids just in case they make a noise backing away and he is even quicker to follow after you. he didn’t even know why he just felt it in him to go and search not even bothering to think of the possibility of it being a deadly wild animal because somehow he already knew it wasn’t

✿ lo and behold you weren’t a wild animal but you might as well have been, by the way, you attacked and began fighting, throwing grown Na’vi men, military trained and armed, around like they were nothing but pebbles in your way. for a second, he hit a tree after you sent him stumbling back with a kick to the chest. with the lost breath, he took a second to watch you, analyze you, look for an opening, anything; instead, he got lost in staring at you

✿ you were breathtakingly gorgeous, war paint still sprawled across your face no doubt from the job that had been done hours ago on the supply train he’d been debriefed on for so long this morning.  Your hair swang with your movements seamlessly, whipping around just like your tail wildly. as your frame crouched, hissing at his group, waiting for the next one to attack, he saw it in your eyes, his opening

✿ you didn’t mean to but you sold yourself away, your eyes looking behind him, watching something pass behind him, he watched the way your eyes glide for the two seconds they did before you attacked the next man, that's when he took his chance, turning behind himself he grabbed Lyle and ran a few steps toward where you were looking when he saw it, saw them

✿ that's how you ended up here, guns held to you and the kid's heads and arms trapped behind you. glaring up at the man you despised and thought had died all those years ago. ‘he had died’, and ‘of course’, as you ran your eyes up his figure, ‘they made him an Avatar, but how?’. 

✿ Quaritch could not stop looking at you, you were familiar, so so familiar, just on the tip of his tongue he could point you out but still, he was unable to recognize you, the paint and well, some swelling on your left cheek was making it hard, not to mention his memory was honestly kinda toast after finding his own dead body

✿ he stopped thinking about it when he started hearing a yelp off in the distance, he kept talking but he took note of all the kid's ears, moving tentatively towards the call, all in the same direction, even yours. Jake was here, and so was that ‘bitch’ who killed him (I'm sorry mommy Neytiri please it's for tha fic) 

✿ everything as per-fucking-usual fell apart and he lost the rest of Jake’s kids, even the little shit who flipped him off; but it wasn’t all bad, he had you, and he had a kid, well his kid. yet another thing he couldn’t process because of this stupid fucking mission but that thought stayed locked behind like six concrete walls in his mind

✿ it wasn’t until you all got to the base and you two were in an interrogation room did Quaritch realize who you were, well actually he was told by the General. “Can’t believe you caught one of the traitors on your first week, great work Colonel.” he looked at her with a raised brow, she caught on fast and nodded at you in the room, huddling over Miles, well Spider. “ It’s Sergeant Y/n L/n, I don’t know if you recognize them as they were on a different squad during your first time here on Pandora, but they did side with Sulley in the end. Their Avatar was in the making before everything went to shit, it seems they were able to complete the process and permanently transfer, as they have shown no signs of disconnecting from this body. If anything, they’re just like you.” 

✿ ‘Just like me’ Quaratich took that in a lot of ways but he ignored that because it hit him, he did recognize you, and a few collective memories briefly flashed behind his eyes, glossing over as he stared at you through the two-way mirror. glimpses he had stolen of you in the cafeteria and, you guessed it, debrief. In fact, he even remembered when you first got here, to Pandora. You had a different look in your eyes compared to all the others, shit looking back on it now he should have assumed you would have sided with Sulley, but he didn’t seem to be as mad at you. 

✿ he wanted to laugh, an old man with a crush, but he was that old man. ‘Ridiculous’ he thought as he continued his conversation with the General. “I need you to grab the boy, he’s going to be taken to a separate room.” He nodded, before walking in, ducking under the doorway and meeting both of you with vicious glares. 

✿ “Afternoon,” He commented nonchalantly, walking over to them calmly, giving them enough space to feel comfortable, enough. “Are you two going to be up for some cooperation?” He smirked a little, expecting maybe a feisty answer instead he got silence and ever more narrowed looks. He sighed, really turning up the dramatics, and began to pace. “Well, Sergeant, you know how this usually goes, I mean you have plenty of experience don’t you?” 

✿ he could only think of the things you wanted to do to him, the look in your eyes, deadly, it almost sent a shiver down his spine, but he was a good reader and he looked right though you and saw all the worry you had starting to pour out, your heart beat racing, eyes flicking to Spider quickly, just once, tail even curling around him which he thinks you weren’t even aware of as you quickly swished it down when he noticed

✿ “I need to take the boy outta here, so we can either do this the easy way,” he lifted one hand palm out facing up to one side, “or the hard way. I’m only gonna ask once sweetheart.” and lifted his other hand holding them out to you. he watched you balanced it back and fourth in your mind, but he knew you were too smart to fight, you would take the easy way, but that just meant he had to look out for every move after. 

✿  he watched as you whisper to Spider in Na’vi, you too were obviosuly disagreeing about things but one look from you and he shut his mouth, head bowing before looking back up at Quaritch. it pissed him off that he couldn’t understand what you were talking about and vowed to fix that as soon as possible. however he snapped out of that when you stood up and began walking toward him 

✿  he held his ground meeting your eyes, waiting for you to do anything dumb, but you didn’t, you just glared at him a little more before speaking to him through gritted teeth. “If you hurt my son, I’ll do worse than kill you.” The emphasis on ‘my’ was not missed and the threat was noted, because he had a feeling you meant every single word, and he would not let you get the best of him should it reach that point.

❀A/n: Hehe YOU HEARD THIS IS A NO SPIDER HATE ZONE!! Haha but srsly I hope you guys enjoyed and please make sure to request or leave comments! :)

[thebutcher00]

"I brought you the body you needed… now give me my reward."

Since Miski woke up as a recombinant, she was commissioned to continue researching the different types of na'vis on Pandora and to do that research, she needs… well, bodies. So sometimes she's the one who goes scouting with Colonel Quaritch's team, that's how she got close to Corporal Wainfleet.

When she doesn't have time to go with the team, she simply asks Lyle to collect the corpses she needs.

Sometimes Miski prefers to go out at night, with Corporal Lyle's company, because that's when most of the Na'vis sleep and they take advantage of that to loot the odd grave… It's not the most ethical thing to do and she knows it , but it works for her research.

Also, she has never felt judged by Lyle. And how can you expect a murderer to judge a grave robber?

[enc95]

@detective-twinkachu

Prompt what if Spider jumped out of the Samson at the beginning of the movie. We’re are in some serious cannon divergence.

The cold air of the ship brought him out of his daze. He peeks around the cabin there is an emergency flare. He didn’t think anyone would follow them but they could find his body. Spider wasn’t Navi but he didn’t belong to the humans either. Eywa he could belong to her, he never met her. But then again Kiri’s Ma only knew Eywa when she died. Rolling down he kicks when a hand grabs him. It was quick after that he grabs the flare diving from the open hole. Free falling he uncaps the flare. One year ago when he was supposed to go to Bridgehead he refused. His best friends refused to let him go. Now as he falls the long way down to the ground he’s at peace. This was for the best after all he didn’t have a purpose not as a scientist or as a soldier.

Quaritch just stares as the boy falls brighter than a rocket. Lyle puts a hand on his shoulder. “Oh yeah that’s your kid alright.”

“Dad?” Neteyam points as the long red strike like shooting star falls to the ground.

Lo’ak let’s out a horse laughs half horrified, he jumped. “That’s so spider

Kiri pushes always. “Dad go catch him.”

Before he can even call Bob Neteyam drops from the tree his mount Rocky rises into the sky. Neytiri feels her heart stop. “Neteyam came back. Jake get him.”

Jake was already on Bob racing to the falling boy. “Neteyam.”

However before either father or son could catch the falling boy another creature of Pandora does. “Shit.” Neteyam veers out-of-the-way as the mighty Tourk comes down, catching Spider easily in his giant claws.

They crash land on a cliff face as the might symbol flys towards High Camp. “Dad, what was that?”

Jake didn’t know he’d looked for Tourk when the humans came back but his old friend was nowhere to be found. “Come on, we have to get your sisters and brother back to camp.”

When they land at camp Mo’at and Norm are there. Norm in avatar form holding an O2 can. “Jake why is Tourk on our roof why does he have Spider?”

“Spider was captured by evil avatars.” Tuk says with no hesitation.

Kiri hugs her grandmother. “They tried to take him but he escaped. Then Tourk came down and caught him. Did he bring him back?”

Mo’at holds the girl. “Yes.”

“Where is he in the shacks?” Lo’ak ask moving toward the human dwellings. Neytiri hissed at him, keeping him in place.

“No umm…” Norm says his voice trails off unsure.

He looks at Mo'at. “Trouk guards the boy. He will not let any pass. Jake his mask he will not have long left.”

Nodding Jake takes the O2. “I’ll be right back.”

Trouk had set up on the top of the mountain, Jake was nearing exhaustion when he stood before the great beast. He spotted Spiders long form labored breathing. The fall from a tree plus the free fall and the force that was exerted onto him when he was caught by the dragon. Added that he was needing more oxygen. He steps forward, “Hey buddy, long time no see.”

His tail whips around throwing Jake off the mountain. Reaching out his fingers as he tried to grip the cliff. When he enters the cave without Spider, with bleeding hands he seeks out Mo’at. “This is a grave sign.”

“What do you mean?”

“Trouk sees the boy as his own.” She puts his hands into bowls. “A child to be guarded and cared for. He will not surrender him easily.”

Outside his three older children listen. “Cause he thinks Spider is a fledgling?”

She doesn’t answer right away, odd for Mo’at who always seems to know everything. “Tourk is a powerful tool of Eywa. She guides him, all the years that boy has lived among us yet she’s never met him.”

It tugs at Jake’s heart, Neytiri had never allowed him to the tree of souls not even when she let other humans in. “Is this a punishment?”

“No.” The woman says in a maybe tone. “It is simply our Mother telling even the most blind among us who Spider is.”

That makes Kiri smile. She knew Spider was one of them from the beginning. Her mother didn’t see him she only saw his father who wasn’t him. Her Spider was kind respectful to Ewya and never raised a hand in anger to any of the people.

“Then why didn’t he let me take him?”

“You are blind about him too. Your failure to act has caused your old friend to become angry for himself and Eywa. It will be the next Tourk who will bring Spider down.”

That was all the kids needed to hear as they left the cave. Neteyam stood before the great beast picking up the oxygen. If he could do this then he would be Tourk the clans would follow him he could use it to unite the clans. Mother would support his claim. His father didn’t want to lay siege to the city. Grandmother said Tourk taking Spider was because his Dad didn’t act. He holds out his kreu, the long neck comes down. “That’s right I’m-“

With a swift flick of the head Neteyams whole body was thrown against the wall. Not off the mountain as his father. “That didn’t work.”

Rolling her eyes Kiri takes the O2. “Oh I wonder why? You have to care about Spider to pass Tourk.”

Those words hurt. He cares about Spider but his mother said he needed to be firm with humans. Spider wasn’t a scientist like Norm. While it was fun to play as kids they weren’t children. He was heir to the olo’ektan and spider was there. Always around entertaining Tuk and her friends while warriors were fighting. Then he would be off with Kiri and Lo’ak forging, it kept them from getting into trouble. He would also take the young hunters out to hunts coming back with small game. Sitting on the mountain he thinks back over the whole year. He was so busy trying to be a warrior like his Dad he forgot his people, his siblings and the new generation; they all needed a guide too. Had Spider filled that role, he was a learned hunter; the only thing that stopped him was the taming of an ikran. Leaning back he feels his own eyes full with tears.

“Whoa are you hurt bro?”

He did have pain; it wasn't in his physical body but in his heart. “I’m a shwang.”

“You really are.” Kiri stands reached out, she had no desire for glory. All she wanted was for Spider to be okay. Touching the face she feels the need to protect in Tourk too. “Please, I need him. He’s my best friend.” Really Spider understood how she felt like an outsider. She was weird. He was too. They weren’t the same species but they loved each other fiercely. So much that she refused to leave without him. He carried her when she was hurt and fought for her. Was ready to die for her and if he died she was sure a part of her would die too.

Tourk was glad he felt the love flowing from this gentle soul. She lacked the fire needed to protect him. Pushing her back with his head he looks intently at her. Her love was good but he needed to be sure that this strange creature would be protected as well as loved.

Turning away the girl has tears as the final boy takes his stand. He to looks beyond to the small man child.

Lo’ak stands feeling very sure that he would fail but he had to try. Spider was his brother; they had been friends since he could remember. Tourk tries to push him back like with Neteyam but he jumps up running along the neck. Then sliding down his back to Spider. He pushes on his shoulder. “Bro its okay I’m here. There are thin bleeding lines from where branches had nicked his skin. “Your gonna be okay.”

The deep growl makes him turn. “Snarling holding out his knife he slashed at the symbol of his father. “I know you don’t want me here but he does.” He points at Spider whose mask was flashing red. “Let me fix him then I’ll go.”

The Tourk lays his head down in submission. Lo’ak pulls out the old canister putting in a fresh one holding Spider. “Come on big bro wake up.”

He groans, “Lo’ak?”

“Yeah.” Standing he holds him like an oversized baby. “Come on let’s get you home.”

“Home?” He asks in a light dazed tone. “No home.”

“Hey bro,” Neteyam says, putting a hand on his head. “Your home is always with us.”

Spider is sure he’s dying; it had been a long time since Neteyam had said anything like that. He leans into the warmth. If this was death he was okay with that because he was dying surrounded by the people who cared about him.

When his older kids came into camp with his middle son carrying Spider Jake was astounded. Kiri calls for Norm, who takes him to the shacks immediately. Tuk climbs into Neteyams arms. “Did you get him from Tourk?”

Neteyam smiles a very prideful expression twitching his ears. “Nope it was Lo’ak.”

Kiri stays in the shacks with Spider. “Hey Monkey Boy.”

He makes a dim huh sound.

Norm puts a hand on Spider's head. “It’s okay.” He looks at Kiri. “We gave him a sedative. He's got three broken ribs and a concussion.”

“Will he be okay?”

“Oh yeah Spider’s the toughest kid on Pandora.”

He didn’t look tough, his body having been washed was without his blue painted stripes. How would the animal’s respect him now? She would repaint him, she decided. “I hate that he’s alone.”

“I’ll stay with him.” Norm says feeling a tremendous sense of failure and despair. Rather than be taken he was ready to kill himself. His dedication to the mission was too much for a kid. Even a wild one like him.

Kiri was the last one to make it to her family’s tent when her mother fussed over her. “Ma Kiri, you need a rest, it's been a long day.”

She settled on her dads side needing the comfort of her father. Tuk was between both parents. Neteyam was on his moms side with Lo’ak, who was snuggled by his older brother. In the dim light their mother starts a song. It was an old song that put them all to sleep.

¥¥¥¥¥

In the morning Kiri wakes up early, she finds her berry was under ripe meaning the blue she painted would be much darker, generally it would mean his stripes would be longer lasting. Mashing the berry into a pulp wakes Neyeyam who would normally leave her to her childish task as he calls it hold out a hand. “Can I help?”

Kiri smiles, handing over the mash. “Sure.” She moves on to the fire. It is still early but she puts a few handfuls of wolf grains in a cook pot. Given all that happened yesterday her dad would likely be in meetings today ones she will give witness to. Tuk perks up her ears alert to the sound of Neteyam pounding gently at the pulp.

She moves over to her basket of crafts. Taking a long string out, she started a bracelet. It was traditional to make a gift for a sick friend. Spider was her favorite friend, he would play Trouk with her when everyone else was busy. He gave her piggy back rides when she was tired and. A sob escaped her lips.

Her mother wakes to the sad sound. “Oh baby do you have a nightmare?”

“No.” She hides in mothers chest. “I’m worried about Spider.” She hiccups, “He should be here with us.”

“Tuk he’s…” All three of her children glare at her, even Neteyam is daring daring her to say Spider wasn’t one of them. “He is resting in the shacks.”

“But Spider doesn’t sleep.” Tuk says plainly holds the half strung bracelet. “He’s always up helping to forage or hunt. Then at night he’s in the shacks cleaning. I never see him sleep.”

The humans were figuring that out too the avatars equipment needed to be recalibrated every night before links and the bio-labs needed to be decontaminated. So waking up they looked around finding they couldn’t link for the day or some sample had spoiled in the night.

Max starts the recalibration frustrated. “Hey who forgot to do this last night.”

They all stare around each person looking around. They never did it before. A man enters the room smelling like sulfur. “Which one of you guys was on cleaning duty last night?”

Again they all said I don’t clean labs.

It was with sudden and unexpected stupidity they all looked to the normally empty hook. Spider’s mask was there when he would normally be gone already but not before starting some breakfast. There was a mask charged and ready with no breakfast. Norm passes out emergency rations. They all eat bland tasteless food.

Lo’ak helped Tuk finish her bracelet. “This is good.”

She beams but Neytiri grimaces when her small daughter says. “Spider taught me. He said our hands are the same size. His patterns are much better though.”

“He is older than you.” Neteyam says handing Kiri the paste. “He’s older than all of us.”

Jake puts a hand on his son’s shoulder. “You're more responsible.”

He jerks away, if that was true Tuk would have learned to weave from him. Kiri would have picked this berry with him. He would have been with his siblings yesterday. Spider was there, he was off playing soldier.

To say he was surprised to wake-up in the shacks was an understatement. Norm was there to, “Hey Norm.”

The man hugs him. “Your awake, I'm so glad.”

“What happened, how did I get here?” Not dead, he was sure of that. If he was dead he wouldn’t be in a shack.

“Um…”

Before Norm can say another word all the Sully’s spill into the room. Tuk as the only one small enough hugs him comfortably. “Aww nice to see you too.”

“Tuk.” Neteyam scolds. He freezes Neteyam was there to probably to get them out for chores. It was very sad that he used to think he and Neteyam would be buddies forever. Then slowly he drifted away. But he was Jake’s heir, the next olo’ektan he had duties. Unlike Lo’ak and Kiri he couldn’t play with the stray human. He sits down next to his ears flat in submission. He was upset. “How do you feel?”

“Good.”

“Your a terrible liar bro.”

All three of them rise eyebrows, Neteyam didn’t call Spider Bro anymore. Spider blushes then answers truthfully. “Sore, what happened to me?”

Tuk leaps off giving a great re-telling. In one hand is her Tourk the other a small stick . “You fell out of the sky ship.” She drops the stick, “But then out of the night Tourk came down he caught you.” She looks around standing on a chair. “He flew you back home safe. But Tourk wouldn’t let anyone come get you.” Balancing the stick on the back of the chair she takes a pebble from her waistband. “Dad he goes up boom.” Using the Tourk she flicks the pebble off across the room. “Dad couldn't, Tourk was mad.” She pauses looking at her siblings. “Why was Tourk mad at Daddy?”

“Um…” They all trade nervous looks.

Spider feels a darker undercurrent that his removal from Tourk while entertaining seemingly had dual meanings. “Keep going Tuk-Tuk, I like this telling.”

Her ears twitch excitedly. “Then Neteyam tried to but Tourk refused again.” The wooden creature with less force kicks the pebble to the seat of the chair. “Kiri went next.” A leaf Kiri stands before the toy. It smells her. “While he did like her better he still wouldn’t let you go. The leaf falls sadly to the pebble. “Finally Lo’ak stood in front of Tourk.” A Lo’ak stick stands. “He jumped onto the head sliding down the back to reach you. Impressed Tourk, let him take you.” The toy leans on the wall supported by the wall. The stick Lo’ak picks up the stick Spider. “And Lo’ak brought you home with us and you’ve been asleep since then.”

They all clap as gives a bow, it was a good story all Na’vi appreciated good storyteller’s. Tuk sits back on the bed. “I’m glad your okay.”

“He too.”’ Holds out his hand. “Thanks for coming back for me guys.

Neteyam pressed his head to Spiders' tears in his yellow eyes. “Of course your the little big brother.”

Kiri seeing they need a minute, says. “Come on Tuk, let's see if we can find some chocolate bars.”

Raided chocolate was a delicacy. Tuk whispers in his ear. “I’ll bring you some back.”

The three of them leave. Which only makes Spider more nervous. “Am I in trouble?

“No.” He stands backing away he was being to forward. “Um…Damn i…” Even though he didn’t have eyebrows he still rubbed the space where they would be. “I haven’t been a good friend to you.”

“No. Tyem your just busy you're a warrior you…” Tourk knocked him down, Neteyam held himself to high standards. This would be a blow to his ego Spider knew that it “Look I don’t know why Trouk didn’t let you.”

“Cause I didn’t want to save you!” He shouts not letting Spider take the blame like when they were kids. “I just wanted to impress my Mom and Dad.” He kneels down crying again. “I wasn’t worried about you or scared that you might die.”

This was a strange day, maybe the strangest of his life. He stands walking over with Tyem on his knees. They are the same height. Spider puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay I’m okay besides even if they took me I wouldn't have told them anything.”

With fat tears in his eyes the teenager says. “That’s not! You never should have been taken. You… Spider. belong with us, we're family.”

“But your Mom she?” They might think of him as a brother. Neytiri never would, he would always and forever be averted, a demon.

“She’s wrong.” He says with utter conviction. “You almost died again because I was blind.” He holds Spider's hands. “I see you. You are my brother, our brother.”

Spider believes him too and he hugs him. “I missed you.”

Neteyam holds him back “Wherever we go, you're coming with

** And if you like this come say hi and read my other stuff on AO3**

[historicalvandal]

Fandoms and requests! ✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Said I'd make a post about this, so I can't slack off rn and not do it- plus my blood is sufficiently boiled at COD so I need something to let off steam lmaooo-

⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ This is going to be a pinned post about fandoms I'll write about/characters I suppose! Although you can always request any character! Fandoms ; PoTA/KoTPoTA, RDR2, Kingdom of Heaven, ATLA, Avatar (blue ppl) and MW2/3. Not many fandoms but I don't want to be completely swamped lmfao- Characters I'll more then likely write for ; Noa, Soona, Anaya, Proximus Caesar, Caesar, Rocket, Winter, Koba, Blue eyes, Ash, Bad ape (platonic), Maurice (platonic), Arthur, Dutch, Sean, Hosea, Lenny, Micah, Sadie, John, Kieran, Charles, Eagle Flies, Baldwin, Tiberius, Salahuddin, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, Katara, Ozai, Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, Hakoda, Neytiri, Jake, Kiri, Ao'Nung, Neteyam, Lo'ak, Spider, Quaritch, Tonowari, Tsi'reya, Ronal, Tuk (platonic), Lyle, Simon, ⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰, Price, Gaz, Valeria, Rudy, Alejandro, Graves, Nikto, Makarov, Nolan, Horangi, Farah, Alex, Gromsko. (No I will not write for Konig, I know that's mad but I just don't enjoy his character that much, no hate to the Konig lovers though! He's a great character he just isn't a fave for me :PP)

⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ ୨ ♱ ୧ ⏝̅⏝̅⏝̅ Please feel free to send me in any asks, bring me stuff about headcanons, drabbles just anything you'd like to share! My asks are always open :]

[yesthisismycurrenthyperfixation]

Lo'ak Leaves Spider Scarred: Part 4

Couple of things before we get into the story.

Talk of suicide. Please if you find this triggering do not read. If at anytime you or someone you know is contemplating suicide seek help.

This is a short update today. I wanted to show Spider and tell a little more of his story without trying to bring anyone else into the chapter. Reactions will be next chapter in what I want to call the epilogue, but don't quote me on that.

Part 3 available here.

Spider's face felt like it was on fire when he reached his final destination. Stepping through the last of the foliage he entered a quiet clearing, on one side a small stream murmured while the roots of a giant tree created a bordered on the other. It was towards this tree that Spider turned.

At the base of the tree sat a couple large mounds. At the top of each mound was a grave marker made from carefully bound pieces of wood creating a T shape. Spider never understood why they had wanted a T, or a grave marker at all, but they had asked and he had done it. Kneeling between the graves Spider reached out a hand and ran his fingers over first one of the names and then the other.

LYLE WAINFLEET

MILES QUARITCH

The two surviving Recoms from the Battle of Three Brothers Rock had been gone for nearly a year and Spider missed them so much.

The second time Spider had wanted to end it all, mere months after his face had healed enough to wear a mask, he had been stopped. Not by any of the Na'vi or scientists, no, he was stopped by his dad and the man he would begin to think of as his uncle. The two Recoms had never returned to the RDA. Instead they had been keeping as much of an eye on Spider as they could… from a distance.

The pain Spider felt was nothing compared to the knowledge that someone care about him. Someone loved him and were doing everything they could to remain close to him. Spider had been happy for a few short years. He was seen, he had a family, life was good. He had made the right choice in saving his dad's life that day. Then tragedy struck. The two Recoms had been ambushed by a small Na'vi hunting party. Lyle had been killed instantly while Quaritch, body of his best friend held in his arms, had been able to get away.

Spider had heard about the ambush from some of the scientists, later that same day, and had rushed to the clearing to find Quaritch, barely alive, lying next to Lyle's body. Spider had tried to help his dad, tried to save him. But there was nothing he could do except offer comfort in his dad's last moments.

It had taken hours for Spider to dig both graves, and hours more to carefully carve the Recoms names into their grave markers.

The next night, after making it back to the human section of High Camp and as the Na'vi had celebrated the death if their enemies, Spider had tried ending it all for the third time. If only Norm hadn’t left the celebration early to check on him.

Everyone had tried getting Spider to talk to someone, anyone, but every time he got close to opening up all Spider could picture was the look on Lo'ak's face: the anger, the hurt, the betrayal, the rage. Spider’s fear, both of the reaction to his confession and of the pain he could remember so clearly, kept his mouth closed.

With a quiet sigh Spider laid down on his side, front facing his father's grave. Quaritch's last words echoing in his mind over and over again. 'Oel ngati kameie, son.’

“Oel ngati kameie, dad.” Spider whispered as he removed his mask. Taking a deep breath Spider could feel his lungs seize in his chest as they fought for oxygen. Forcing a deep breath into his lungs, Spider reached out placing his hand on his father's grave. A smile covered his face as the constant pain from his injury seeped away and his eyes closed.

Finally, it was over.

Part 5: coming soon

[electronickingdomfox]

"Mindshadow" review

One of these days, Spock will do the logical thing and get an all-risk insurance for his brain...

Novel from 1986, by J. M. Dillard. Okay, this story is quite messy, as it tries to put together a pastiche of plot threads and themes that may or may not be that cohesive. It borrows heavily from TOS episodes, from The Enterprise Incident to Journey to Babel (even a bit from Wolf in the Fold). There are definitely a few plot holes and some silliness. The espionage/murder plot is sometimes too convoluted to follow. Also, some names look like typos: Transporter technician "Lyle"? (I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be Kyle), the penal colony of "Ebla Two"? (should have been Elba Two), "Chekhov"????... In terms of absurdity, it's similar to that other novel, "Black Fire" (and yes, there's even a pirate Spock in here too). But just as it happened with that book... I actually liked this one as well. It's a glorious mess, alright.

The most serious (and somber) thread is that of Spock receiving brain damage, and his struggles to recover his memories and Vulcan mental disciplines. The abuse he suffers from medical malpractice, his frustration with his impaired learning, his loving (and sometimes painful) relationship with his family, or Uhura's tender attempts to help him through music... Those elements have probably the greatest emotional impact in the novel, and are actually pretty good in themselves. This is also, at core, a "triumvirate" novel, with strong character drama between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, and a focus on their closeness.

On the other hand, there's another, more ridiculous drama: both Kirk and McCoy fall in love with the same Mary Sue, and hilarity tragedy ensues. For his part, Kirk seems pretty callous in his seduction of this woman, as he doesn't even like her all that much; at times, it almost looks as if he just wanted to piss McCoy off (isn't there really ANY other woman available for him!?). While McCoy, who truly loves the Mary Sue, ends up looking incredibly pitiful, desperate and, well, downright pathetic. However, out-of-character as it is, I ended up getting some guilty pleasure from all of it, as in "Let's see Kirk's next shitty move and what happens next..." Anyway, even though the woman likes the two of them, she ends up realizing they're both just too gay for Spock, to the surprise of nobody.

Spoilers under the cut:

The planet Aritani has suffered recent raids from cloaked vessels, so Kirk is negotiating with the natives to offer Federation help against the attacks, despite the natives’ reticence towards technology. They erect a shield around the planet to prevent the fighter ships entering the atmosphere, or trap below it those that may be cloaked right now. Then Spock goes alone to investigate the nearby mountains, since he found valuable minerals that could be the objective of the raiders. However, when Spock is late to report, Kirk goes after him… And finds out he has fallen off a cliff and has gravely injured his head. McCoy’s assessment is that Spock has suffered extensive damage to the left hemisphere, so his logic, language and memory will be impaired, and the doctor has many doubts about his eventual recovery; they’d need a neuropsychologist specialized on Vulcans.

Meanwhile, Kirk authorizes shore leave on the surface of Aritani, as several hours have passed without sighting any fighter (the reasoning being that, by now, they’d have run out of fuel to keep their cloaks up). Well, if you ask me, I don’t think it’s the most appropiate time and place for shore leave; and sure enough, a little while later a group of enemy vessels appears out of nowhere and starts attacking the crew on leave. Kirk and Scott can’t understand how that’s possible, and only see two options: either the fighters have an improved cloaking device that allows them to stay hidden for longer, or they somehow managed to penetrate the shields. Actually, there’s a third option, which they never even consider: they’ve been beaming people down to the planet for shore leave! That means they’ve been lowering the shields ALL THE TIME!! Duh… Kirk is having the worst day of his life, and on top of that, the Aritanians refuse further help from Starfleet, after their failure to protect them. Kirk’s orders, however, are to stay in the vicinity.

In sickbay, Uhura comes to visit an injured friend and starts singing for him. Then, upon hearing the music, Spock finally shows some reaction, and is capable of calling her name and asking for songs, as his right hemisphere (supposedly associated with emotions and art) is intact. During the following days, Spock will make some progress thanks to Uhura’s company. Apart from that, a new neuropsychologist is assigned to the Enterprise to study Spock’s case: Dr. Mary Sue Emma Saenz. Five minutes later, both McCoy and Kirk fall head over heels for her (to the point that McCoy is jealous even when Kirk says “Hello” to her). Emma also shows an unusual physical strength when she beats Kirk in their combat trainings. Nonetheless, it turns out that Emma… is actually Dr. Evil!Mary Sue!! She forces a mind-meld with Spock while alone with him, and extracts some important information about what he saw in Aritani, before erasing his memory of the meld. Her diagnostic is that Spock will probably recover in the areas of language and amnesia. But he has lost the Vulcan mind rules to shield himself away from others’ emotions, which he can now receive telepathically at all times. This could turn him into a violent individual, and Emma suggests restraints and an experimental medication: neodopazine.

In the bridge, Chekov manages to locate a decloaked enemy vessel, and they capture it with a tractor beam along one of the pirates. The raider turns out to be Romulan, but he denies the existence of any special device to penetrate shields, and Scotty doesn’t find anything of the like upon dismantling the fighter. Kirk was about to interrogate the prisoner, when they discover he’s been vaporized. Someone stunned the guard, then removed the brig force field and killed the prisoner, trying to make it look like a suicide. Security doesn’t have a clue about the killer (though the reader certainly can suspect who is it…). If this wasn’t enough, Spock is found in bed with his wrists sliced, as if he had also attempted suicide. Spock denies having done so, and says someone tried to murder him, but he doesn’t remember who. Emma is furious and gaslights Spock, saying he’s imagining murderers to cover up his suicide attempt. McCoy, however, takes Spock’s side and has a violent discussion with Emma, who ends up admitting she just wants to help Spock. Of course, the situation is very romantic, so they kiss. Later that night, Kirk is having trouble to sleep (no wonder) and goes to McCoy’s cabin for some pills (you see, he can’t go to sickbay, no; if he doesn’t sleep, then McCoy can’t either). Then Kirk finds out that McCoy is… sleeping with Emma!! Kirk doesn’t like that.

Since Spock believes his only option of recovering the mind rules is returning to Vulcan, he’s sent there in a shuttle with Scotty and Chapel. The shuttle has been sabotaged, and they crash land on Vulcan, though just with minor injuries. Spock is fine, so he leaves Scotty with Chapel at the hospital, and walks to his home town on foot. During the following weeks, he will stay at his parents’ home, trying to relearn the Vulcan disciplines with a Kolinahr master. His progress is really slow, though, and with mounting frustration, he realizes the neodopazine, far from helping, seems to be deteriorating his mind. Spock also meets T'Pala, a girl who's staying with his parents while she studies to enter the Vulcan Diplomatic Corps. T'Pala has many things in common with Spock: she's also half human, and has difficulty adapting to Vulcan life (even moreso than Spock, since she grew up in Earth). Sarek's disappointment with her is a mirror for Spock's own youth.

In the Enterprise, Scotty is put in the brig as the main suspect for the Romulan's murder (of course, he's later cleared of charges). For his part, Kirk hurts his shoulder while training with Emma. She takes him to her quarters to treat the injury, gives him an analgesic, and then they kiss. McCoy waits for Emma the whole evening, grows increasingly suspicious, and finally sees her leaving Kirk's cabin. After that, he mopes for a couple of days, until Kirk visits him with a bottle of moonshine ("here, I stole your girlfriend, but you can get drunk with this..."). Kirk, however, says he doesn't remember what he did with Emma. And Emma confirms that Kirk just passed out because of the analgesic; she's attracted to Kirk and kissed him, but nothing else happened. McCoy is happy with this (he doesn't ask for much, right?) and suddenly he's like "Hey, you slept with me a couple of times. Where's my wedding ring!? I'm a decent boy!". Emma says she'll leave soon, so no, no wedding...

After this, the Enterprise is tasked with bringing a bunch of ambassadors to Vulcan, to discuss the acceptance of Aritani into the Federation. This part is a bit dull and drags too much, in my opinion. During the journey, more suspicious incidents take place: one ambassador is killed, another is badly hurt, and an explosion leaves the Enterprise without warp drive. It seems someone doesn't want Aritani to join the Federation. Then, Kirk discovers that Emma has been making unauthorized transmissions, but she assures him she's been working for Starfleet Intelligence all this time. An Admiral confirms this point, so Kirk is satisfied.

Back in Vulcan, Spock has stopped taking the neodopazine, and experiments a clear improvement. Finally, he's able to recover the mind rules, and his memories from Aritani return to him in dreams. There was something really important he needed to tell Kirk, and now that the Enterprise is near Vulcan, Spock opens a transmission to the ship. But just before he can say anything, an assassin breaks into his house, injures Sarek, and tries to slice Spock's wrists again. He wants to make it look as Spock murdering Sarek, then killing himself. T'Pala intervenes at the last moment, vaporizing the assassin with a phaser. Then, she confesses that Romulans approached her to leak info about Spock, but she couldn't comply with their murderous plans. Having failed at entering the Diplomatic Corps, T'Pala doesn't have much more to live for, and she kills herself too.

Sarek and Spock recover in a hospital from the attack. And Kirk and McCoy band together against Emma to go visit him. Then Spock tells everything. What he saw at Aritani was some fighter vessels beaming up from below the earth, where the Romulans must have an underground base (that's why the atmospheric shield was useless). Knowing that they'd kill him, Spock decided to escape by jumping from the cliff, where he damaged his head. Much to McCoy's surprise, Spock also shows him a medical article written by Emma, explaining all the damaging effects of neodopazine in Vulcan brains. McCoy confronts Emma about the use of such dangerous drug on Spock, just when she was leaving for her next assignment. But she stuns him (and a bunch of other people) and escapes the ship, confirming their suspicions.

In the last part, the Enterprise returns to Aritani to destroy the Romulan base once and for all. Kirk gets again that surgery to look Romulan (as in The Enterprise Incident) and infiltrates the compound with Spock (who's dressed as a Romulan pirate, while McCoy wants to pierce his ear). However, they're captured by a Romulan officer, that Kirk recognizes as Emma. Her real name is Tanirius, and actually, she wasn't Evil!Mary Sue at all. She just carried out the Praetor's orders as a cover-up, all the while working for Starfleet and a group of Romulan rebels, to destroy the underground base. She gave Spock the neodopazine to avoid killing him, once she understood how important he was for McCoy and Kirk. This plot twist really took me by surprise, but that's in part because... well, it doesn't make much sense. You know, despite the novel trying to present Emma as eventually good, she's just not! Not only did she try to kill Spock SEVERAL times, but she was far more efficient at carrying out the Romulans' plans than what was strictly necessary!! (whatever, maybe she was just jealous of Spock). Emma helps them to deactivate the cloaking device of the base, and then stays behind to destroy it whole. Kirk and Spock beam up to the Enterprise in time, while an underground explosion shakes the planet. In the aftermath, Aritani accepts the Federation's help, now that they're free of Romulans. And Spock tries to console McCoy saying that some vessels fled the base in time, and Emma could be among the survivors. Kirk sees through his bullshit, though, and wonders if Spock is just lying because he also has affection for McCoy, much to Spock's indignation.

McSpirk Meter: 9/10*. The Kirk/Spock angle is more evident. When Spock is injured, Kirk just can't think about anything else. He goes constantly to sickbay to check his state, argues with McCoy, is irritable with everyone and everything... Kirk even tries to reach the catatonic Spock through a mind link, to no avail. And once he gets a replacement First Officer, Kirk is unreasonably hostile to him, just because he's not Spock. It's also said several times that Kirk is the person that knows Spock better in the entire world. Another remarkable scene happens when Spock is leaving for Vulcan. Spock can feel Jim's emotions and pain at his departure, and his repressed impulse to touch him, so Spock relents and takes his hand. As for McCoy, his care for Spock comes rather as medical concern, but Emma sees through him quite early. She says he's too emotionally involved with the patient to be of any help. And despite the fact they're in a relationship, it seems that all of McCoy and Emma's conversations revolve around Spock, which causes continous tensions between them. At one point, she states the facts clearly: "I have risked myself for your friend because you loved him". Effectively, the reason she gives for not killing Spock outright, is that McCoy and Kirk cared about him too much. The ending lines have Kirk reminding Spock of this fact, and wondering if Spock also returns McCoy's affections.

Apart from this, there's a certain tension between Kirk and McCoy. Before the whole problem with Emma begins, they're reminiscing their shore-leaves together, and McCoy is said to grin lasciviously at Jim. Also, when Emma tells Kirk that she and McCoy are having dinner together, McCoy starts blushing, and doesn't understand why such a simple statement embarrasses him so much. Later, Kirk comes to McCoy's cabin in the middle of the night, and finds him basically naked (wearing just a short tunic), which almost prompts a sarcastic whistle from him. He attempts to enter the cabin (you know, with naked Bones in there and all) and feels offended when the doctor doesn't let him come inside. At last, after they reconcile, McCoy comments that Kirk looks dashing in his Romulan pirate uniform. There's also something in Kirk's behavior about Emma, that almost seems like a disgruntled ex trying to ruin the doctor's new relationship. After all, Kirk doesn't even find Emma all that attractive at first.

[dalekofchaos]

For context about Javier. I have an idea. The first chapter would be about why Javier fled Mexico. Chapter 2-4 is about Javier's time working for Allende. Chapter 5-8 is about Javier's redemption. A bunch of Mexican revolutionaries who are tired of Reyes' corruption plan to free Javier. Javier sees this as his chance to atone for his betrayal of Arthur and John and to make things right for his people. Ideally it ends with Javier killing Reyes and helping bring true change to Mexico. Side note. We don't know if Javier was executed. John only implies it and I don't believe it's said in the newspaper at all.

For the beginning of the Van Der Linde gang. I picture it starting out with Dutch meeting Hosea in the prologue. Then meeting Arthur. I picture the meeting going like this. Arthur is on the run from the law and gets desperate and tries to run off with The Count. It bucks him off and then Dutch and Hosea take Arthur in. Then we see how Dutch saved John from a hanging. Slowly but surely we see the foundation of the gang and how the golden age of the Van Der Linde gang was like. and it ends with the Blackwater Massacre.

Context about the last choice. Sadie returns to America after a successful venture in South America. The pay is good and it looks like the days of the West are truly coming to an end. Sadie decides to take one last job and retire. She finds a wanted poster and looks at the name and is completely dumbfounded. "Jack Marston, wanted dead or alive for the murder of Agent Edgar Ross" Sadie puts two and two together and realizes what happened. She visits Beecher's Hope to see John, Abigail and Uncle's graves. She promises to help Jack or die trying. At some point she enlists Charles help and they find Jack down in Mexico. Jack surrenders when he knows it's Sadie and Charles. We would play as Jack, Charles and Sadie GTA V style. We would work together to find their redemption and clear Jack's name. It ends with Charles returning home to his family in Canada, Sadie either going back to South America or rebuilding her home and retiring in peace and with Jack writing the Red Dead book we saw in GTA V to tell the tales of his parents and Arthur Morgan and to tell the truth of what happened.

[systemadministratorclu]

🌌- Their alternate universe self

A portal opens in front of Milo and Lyle and out falls canon Rourke. The portal closes behind him, he's in the middle of nowhere with these two.

All three men are, understandably, very confused, each for his own reason.

For Milo, it's because there are now two Rourkes, though it's easy to tell them apart, seeing as only one wears an Atlantean crystal and has a Heart of Atlantis tattoo that covers his entire right shoulder. And only one looks at him with warm, loving eyes. The other has a gaze that chills Milo to his very core. There is nothing but hate in those cold, dark eyes that look at him like a wolf waiting to devour its helpless prey.

For Lyle, it is the instant recognition of who the stranger is. Or at least the recognition that it's some other version of him. This of course leads him to wonder where this version came from and why he's here. Neither he nor Milo asks how the man ended up here, they both have a feeling they know. Lyle feels the hairs on his neck stand up as he looks at the other him. There's a sense of coldness, of ice to him, and Lyle doesn't like the way this creep is looking at Milo like a piece of meat.

Surprisingly, it is the stranger whose confusion is gone first. Of course he wondered where he was and how he got here, and why there was a copy of him here. But those thoughts have been pushed aside for the moment. Because he has acquired a target. His sight seems to laser focus on the one who stands in his way. The one who ruined his plans AND escaped his wrath. Not this time, Mr. Thatch, he thinks, his body coiling up like a cobra preparing to attack.

And then, like lightning, he strikes.

Milo has no time to even blink as the immense weight slams him to the ground, driving the wind from him. He's barely noticed that when the barrage of fists begins and doesn't stop. He manages to regain enough of his breath to cry out in pain, both from the blows and the enormous weight crushing him into the ground. He can't see, and he's not sure if he's lost his glasses or if he's just disoriented from the merciless assault on his face. Ordinarily, Milo is a good fighter, he has even beaten Lyle in some of their training bouts. But this man is nothing like Lyle, despite looking like him. Milo realizes this....this berserker Rourke...isn't looking for a fight. He's hellbent on a kill. And Milo's mind is unable to make his body even begin to try and find an escape or a defense fast enough.

Milo is scared now. He's going to die.

The stranger has a mad, almost giddy look in his eyes, even as he pummels his helpless victim into the ground. He sees blood but it's not his so it only encourages him. He wants to draw more of it. He is so focused on his mission to kill Milo, he has made one grave error. He has forgotten about his other self.

Lyle is just as shocked as Milo. But he quickly becomes as focused as the stranger. Suddenly, he no longer gives a rat's hairy ass who the stranger is or why he's here. Lyle cares only about one thing.

The stranger hurt Milo. Is still hurting him. And Lyle knows Milo's skill enough to realize Milo isn't fighting back....because he can't. Milo's cry of pain is like a starter gun going off for a runner, and Lyle strikes just as fast as his counterpart.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!!" He roars as he throws the stranger back, away from Milo. Lyle then puts himself between the two. He fights everything within him that wants to just run to Milo's side. He can't. Not until the threat to Milo is gone. Not until he ensures that Milo is safe from further harm. He does steal a glance at Milo and sees him just lay there, not moving, and now he wants even more to run to Milo's side. Instead, he uses that desire to fuel his fight as he rounds on the stranger.

He doesn't worry about techniques or strategy or anything else. He just wants this fight over as quickly as possible. And just as the stranger did to Milo, Lyle now does to him. Fists and feet fly in a never-ending torrent of motion. It's all a blur to Lyle, until finally, he somehow knocks the other him unconscious, and it's clear the newcomer won't be getting up for a while.

Lyle then gives in to his desire, running over and dropping to his knees.

"Ohh Milo." He gasps at the injuries as tears spring to his eyes and he sweeps Milo into his arms and just holds him for a moment, telling him he's safe now as he checks the rest of Milo's body to see if he's hurt anywhere besides his face, where he definitely has a broken nose and probably other bones, too. It's too serious for him to just heal it with his crystal, though he does use that on any cuts or scrapes he sees, so they don't get infected. The rest, unfortunately, will require actual medical help. For now, Lyle just gently dries Milo's tears as he heals some more cuts. Milo just whimpers softly in pain.

"It's alright, Mi, you'll be okay. You're gonna be okay." He puts Milo's glasses back in place as best he can, then gently brushes Milo's hair back and gives him a soft kiss on his forehead.

Milo sucks in an enormous breath as the crazed beast is pulled off him. He hears Lyle's voice, then the sounds of the two fighting.....he's barely conscious and everything hurts so much. Then Lyle is there beside him, now he's in Lyle's arms. He winces because everything hurts, even at Lyle's soft touch. He knows Lyle is trying hard not to hurt him more or cause him any more pain. But the backs of his shoulders were scraped up by the ground where he'd been slammed into it (his tank top appears to have spared the rest of his back, but these wounds still look more serious than Lyle feels comfortable trying to heal with the crystal). Lyle sets him down only so he can take off his own tank top, roll it up, and slip it inside the straps of Milo's so it covers the backs of his shoulders. It's not going to help the wounds much, but it might spare Milo even a little pain from having the area touched as Lyle stands up with Milo cradled against his chest. He looks back at the spatters of Milo's blood on the ground and his unconscious other self, but doesn't really care. Sure he probably could've finished him off for good, but Lyle is not a murderer and to him it's more important he gets Milo to safety and gets him help for his injuries. He does utter a curse in Atlantean before he stalks off, holding Milo close, telling him he loves him, among other words of comfort, as he carries Milo away from the scene of the fight.

//this got way longer than I thought it would. Sorry not sorry!!//

[gothoctopus]

Part One Everyone Eros 2, Philia 1, Ludus 3,4 and Philautia 3, 4

Everyone, you say? Much obliged.

Long mc'fuckin post below.

Eros 2 - How important is sex to them in a relationship? Do they see it as something essential to their happiness? Would they be able to remain in a monogamous relationship with someone they loved without sex?

Lyle: This answer might be surprising, given how touch-averse he is, but it’s actually pretty essential for him! He very much craves intimacy after being without it for all his life, and I think him feeling safe enough to have sex with someone would be very personally affirming for him. It isn’t like he would *insist* on sex, but I do think he would be happier if it were part of the relationship. 

Val: It isn’t super necessary for them, though they do like it. 

Aleksander: Aleks…gets around lmao. He’s very charming and very inclined to a good time, but when it comes to pursuing a serious relationship, his partner’s needs and feelings matter more than a good time. Which is to say he would have no trouble abstaining if his partner had no interest, and in Lyle’s case, he’d definitely treat their first time with the care and significance it needs to be treated with.

Anzel: Monogamy? Pffffft, what’s that? Sex is kinda just a fun thing to do for him, but if his partner doesn’t want to that’s alright, there are plenty of other ways to have fun c: 

Monty: He doesn’t have time to fuck he’s a full-time dad 😤 But uhh serious answer? He definitely has other priorities when it comes to romantic relationships. He doesn’t abstain from sex in a relationship, but there are other things that take precedent and I do think he wouldn’t bat an eye at a partner just not wanting to be intimate in that way. 

Philia 1 - Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

Lyle: He’s very much so a loner. There wasn’t much room for friendships growing up, so he doesn’t really…get how to make friends??? The one friendship he had in childhood was a little bit traumatizing lmao.

Val: Val had trouble connecting with people growing up. They made a few casual work friends when they were teaching at University, but it wasn’t until coming to Barovia that they really felt like they had close friends (that weren’t also romantic partners, but I digress). They sometimes still feel like the odd-one-out in the group, but it’s definitely an improvement :} 

Aleksander: Aleksander has a very wide circle of friends, but very few that he would actually consider to be a “best friend”. He and his brother are close, though!

Anzel: Like Aleks, he’s very close to his older siblings, but he did have a close friend he made when he was *just* starting his fencing lessons. They were inseparable until the cursed book caused an…unfortunate incident. 

Monty: Monty makes it a point to befriend as many of the townsfolk as possible in order to try and combat peoples’ preconceived notions about his dhampirism. His best friend is actually his ex, though. They dated while he was still working with the town guard and parted on good terms once Monty retired to look after his kids full-time. They still get together for drinks when their busy schedules allow the time.

Ludus 3 - How does your OC feel about one night stands? Have they ever enjoyed a night of passionate romance with a stranger? Is this something they are quite keen on recreationally? Or only something they might engage in under specific circumstances (such as the eve of a battle or after a difficult breakup)?

Lyle: oh that’s a HARD pass. Definitely not for him.

Val: They never have, and it’s not something they’re super interested in doing.

Aleksander: Yup yup yup. You’d be hard-pressed to find a party or event that DIDN’T end with Aleksander taking somebody up to his room. Or multiple somebodies. 

Anzel: Okay so I’m going to be honest. His “one night stands” almost always end up in a relationship or heartbreak. He is simply not cut out for the hit it and quit it lifestyle he WILL grow attached 😔 real pathetic elf hours.

Monty: He’s had a few! His life’s a bit too hectic for a serious relationship right now, but a mutual no-strings-attached night is perfectly reasonable. Just…not at his place, okay? And he has to be home in time to make sure the little’uns have breakfast to wake up to.

Ludus 4 - Who was your OC's first crush? How do they feel about it now?

Lyle: Ahahaha…oh no. So. Okay. Lyle’s first crush was also his first and only friend, a boy from the Temples named Hektor. He didn’t really have the experience or self-awareness to properly label it as a crush, but it definitely was one, and it ended just about as poorly as most positive relationships in the Temples do. Meaning the Priests noticed, and sought to put a stop to it. To make a long, sordid story short they were both made to compete for a position working for the King of Minhaygard, a competition that would ultimately end in them being forced to try and kill each other. Being smaller, weaker, and thus more vulnerable, Lyle gave the fight everything he had. He realized too late that Hektor hadn’t tried to fight back at all.

Lyle has…complicated, oftentimes conflicting views about Hektor and his feelings for him, now. He tends to fluctuate between believing that Hektor not fighting back was something of a betrayal or insult --a way to make him doubt himself. It’s the only way he knows how to cope with the guilt or understand what happened.

Val: Val’s first crush was an older boy who used to try and steal drinks from Delphi’s tavern and got scolded all to hell every single time. They were only like 5 at the time, so obviously nothing ever came of it lmao. Very much just a lil puppy crush situation. They look back at it with amusement, though.

Aleksander: Aleksander fell head-over-heels for the son of the King’s personal tailor when he was younger. The tailor would bring him around every time he worked and the two would occupy themselves by running around the massive castle courtyard, always under the watchful eye of the guards. It never culminated into anything serious, as the boy was always a little intimidated by Aleks’ father and the castle, but it was nice while it lasted.

Anzel: Hey remember how I said he WILL grow attached? He had such a one-sided crush on that childhood friend I mentioned earlier. She wasn’t really interested in a romantic relationship so eventually he grew out of his feelings and they stayed close friends.

Monty: As a child, Monty tended to keep his feelings under tight wraps. If he developed feelings for someone he would make efforts to distance himself, as he was afraid of poisoning his relationships with the obsessive tendencies that often come with being a dhampir. He wanted so badly to separate himself from all of that, and he really hated how different he became once romantic feelings were involved. His first crush was one of his childhood friends, and he’s always regretted how much of a wedge he’d allowed that to drive between them. 

Philautia 3 - Does your OC judge themselves by the same standards as they apply to others? Or are they sometimes hypocritical in condemning others for faults they also possess? Or perhaps they find it easier to forgive others for things that they cannot abide in themselves?

Lyle: Lyle has a very potent “you get what you deserve” worldview that can oftentimes make him seem cold and uncaring. Which he is, but he definitely holds himself to that exact same standard. He wasn’t powerful enough to reattach his arm properly when it got hacked to pieces? That’s his own fault, now he lives with the consequences of it and will continue to do so. He killed Hektor to get this job and the job ended up being a nightmare, but it’s what he earned for himself so he will do it without complaint. I would argue that he’s far more strict with himself in that regard than he is with other people, because there are times when he does display unusually selfless behavior. He’ll bend over backwards and endure just about anything to ensure that Aleksander never has to make any hard choices or sacrifice his morals. He has a bit of a protective streak when he sees someone he cares for suffering. He desires to protect the people he likes to ensure that none of them have to endure what he did.

Val: Val is pretty hard on themself, and almost unnaturally forgiving of others. It’s difficult for them to stay mad at someone for very long, but when they make a mistake or aren’t strong enough to care for themself they tend to beat themself up over it and shoulder most of the blame.

Aleksander: Okay so…Aleksander is a very kind, compassionate person, and if he catches you being terrible he will arms-crossed shame you into doing better. Or at least into *believing* yourself capable of being better. In the early stages of his character development he is a bit of a hypocrite in that sense, though, oftentimes turning a blind eye to his own father’s wrongdoings as King. His time with Lyle tempers him a bit, helping him see nuance in situations and also encouraging him to hold the people he loves to the same standard as everyone else.  

Anzel: Anzel doesn't self-reflect enough to HAVE standards. Absolutely standardless little man.

Monty: In terms of what he expects of his children vs. what he expects of himself, Monty *is* a bit of a hypocrite. He holds himself to a very high standard and puts in a LOT of work to try and favorably sway his town’s sentiment toward dhampires all so his kids have the freedom to be themselves. And he definitely condemns his father for some of the instincts he fights against on a daily basis. 

Philautia 4 - Which of your OC's qualities makes them the most proud? Do they think more people should be like them in this regard? Or do they quite like being rare in possessing it?

Lyle: His adaptability and ability to just take whatever abuse the world throws at him. No don’t look at him like that, he’s fine, he’s got this, no no don’t treat him like a person deserving of basic humanity he doesn’t know how to deal with that —oh, look at what you’ve done. He’d die for you now. Good job 🙄

Val: Val doesn’t believe themselves to be particularly unique or special, and they would never deign to believe that anyone should change who they are to be more like them. If anything, their genuine love for other people is their favorite quality about themself. 

Aleksander: God, if only everyone were as kind and compassionate as Aleksander, then he wouldn’t have so many moral dilemmas. 

Anzel: What IS Anzel proud of? He has a lot in his life he takes pride in (or at least he used to). He was almost effortlessly good in his classes, his parents and older siblings doted on him, he was a natural in sword fighting, and he amassed quite a collection of magical artifacts over the years that he treasured deeply. His faith granted him luck, and his birth granted him privilege and wealth. But when the curse took all of that away from him, when it took away his wealth, his possessions, his family name, and (to him) the perceived love of his family, what was left? What did he have that was not a fleeting material possession so easily spirited away by an evil book? He was quite devastated to find himself left with nothing of value once all the shiny bits and baubles were stripped away.

Monty: His restraint as well as his devotion to his family. Family is VERY important to him. The most important thing.

[lost-girl-2021]

Maybe Spider will go with his father and the squad to Paz's grave? There they could reminisce about old times and tell Spider about his mother as their friend, maybe the stories of meeting her and Miles Sr.

Here's a lil one-shot :)

Spider had never been to a cemetery before. His mom was buried on the other side of the city, an hour's drive from the McGregor's house, more with traffic. Mrs. McGregor had made promises of taking him more than once, but there was never any time.

He wasn't sure if there was a dress code, but his new uncle, Lyle, had shown up to the apartment wearing another Hawaiin shirt (this one was black and gold) and grass-stained jeans. Spider slept most of the car ride, nearly forty-five minutes with his face pressed against the leather seats. His father and uncle talked quietly in the front seat, the music thumping low in the background.

Spider was tired enough when they arrived that he hadn't even realized the car had stopped until his father opened his door. He wordlessly helped the teenager out of the car, a hesitant hand pushing some of his curls from his face. The boy yawned, following the men through the winding paths of the graveyard.

It was a big place and most of the tombstones looked identical, but his father and uncle seemed to have no trouble navigating through the maze. Maybe they'd been arranged alphabetically? Spider didn't really want to ask, it was probably a stupid question. He wondered if tree roots ever made the headstones fall over? How slowly would that even happen? And what if—

"We're here."

Oh. Spider stopped two steps away from where his father was, staring at the stone. P. Socorro, loving mother, lovely person.

Spider wondered how heavy the stone was. What if someone just broke in and started rearranging them? How would they know?

"You can come closer, son." Quaritch spoke softly, brushing leaves from the— what was that, cement? Some type of boulder?

"I don't want to step on her." He muttered, frowning down at the grass. "Kiri says it's rude to wake 'em up."

Kiri also said he should hold his breath so he didn't accidentally inhale a spirit, but he'd only lasted a few steps before inhaling.

Lyle snorted. "I think she'll understand."

Spider didn't want to risk it. He crouched down, pulling up a few tiny weeds that were starting to sprout. He mouth felt dry, like all the moisture had gown straight to his sweaty palms.

He wasn't really sure what to say. He thought about the picture he'd seen of his mom— smiling, happy. He couldn't really imagine her rotting six feet below.

"You know . . . " His father cleared his throat. "You know, when I met your mama, I kind of hated her. We were at each other's throats for the first . . . at least the first three months."

Spider raised an eyebrow, as if to ask how he'd ended up happening if such a thing was true.

"One night, we all ended up getting drunk off some shit we'd bought off the natives. Moonshine, we'd thought, but it ended up being a lot stronger." He laughed, sending Spider's uncle a look. "Your uncle Lyle ended up passed out in a bush and I think Paz was the only other one sober enough to help me carry him inside."

"Thank God for my low alcohol tolerance, really." Lyle said with a laugh.

Spider rolled his eyes. "What happened after that?"

"Well, we ended up babysitting drunken soldiers most of the night and by the end of it . . . well, I stopped hating her by the second round of cards."

"Did you two actually . . . did you actually love her?" Spider asked quietly, looking down at the grave.

"Yes." He answered without hesitation. "And I only loved her more after we had you."

Spider nodded, throat tight. He took a small step closer, almost leaning against his father. His ribs felt too tightly pressed against his organs, but he took in a deep breath anyways.

Paz Socorro. Loving mother, lovely person.

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

What do the members of Deja Blue think about this whole kidnapping and about Spider in general? I wonder what would happen if Spider say Zdgog that he is unhappy - would she help him escape?

I love this question! Let me break down my thoughts.

I'll start off by saying team Deja Blue features a lot more in the endings I'm working on. I'm writing the scenario where Spider gets really sick forcing Quaritch to take him to a hospital. I've seen the idea flouting around that Ja is the teams medic so I'm running with that. He's actually going to feature pretty heavily and I'm debating weather I want him to have a crisis of consciousness or not (it'll probably depend on the ending you choose)

But my thoughts on the whole Deja blue Quaritch dynamic is that they are extremely loyal to him. He's their commanding officer after all. He's led them through war. They've been through so much together. They're practically family. I actually wanted to write more scenes with them in it in the prologue but they ended up just not fitting in, taking attention away from the Paz/Miles relationship I was building up (before you know- brutally killing Paz off). But they all went to there wedding. They were all in the waiting room when Spider was being born just waiting for Quaritch to burst out and announce the arrival of his healthy baby boy. They spent holidays together. They are all Spider's aunt and uncles and they love and care for him as there nephew. They all saw first hand what a good dad Quaritch use to be. and they were all equally devastated by Paz's death. They all definitely supported Quaritch after he nearly murdered Paz's killer and Lyle and Z-dog, who are Spider's godparents applied for custody of him when Quaritch went to jail, they just weren't granted it.

All this to say Deja Blue is pretty much entirely on Quaritch's side. They think he's completely justified in taking his son back after there family was so unjustly ripped apart. I think some of them, like Z-dog, would take issue with some of Quaritch's "tactics" for getting Spider to come around, but as long as they look the other way....well what the don't know can't hurt them.

And to the question "would Z-dog help Spider escape if he told her he was unhappy" yeah she would. I think of Z and Paz as being best friends. Again I didn't expand on that to much because it wasn't my focus but I think? i mentioned in passing in the prologue that Lyle and Z are still caring for the Quaritch/Socorro house while Quaritch is away. Z keeps Paz's old garden alive, and now that Quaritch is 1,000's of miles away, Z tends Paz's grave for him, keeping it clean and leaving her flowers.

Because they were such good friends Z would have a good sense of what Paz would have wanted for Spider. And while Paz would have been totally on board with just taking Spider back and running off and living in seclusion in the mountains she would not be on board with a lot of the stuff Quaritch does to him. Z turns a blind eye to it out of loyalty to Quaritch but if Spider said he was truly unhappy, if he had begged Z for help, she would have turned Quaritch in like that 🫰Because Z knows damn well that while Paz loved Quaritch if he hurt there son she would have beat his ass in seconds.

I hope all that answered your question 😅 Thank you so much! 💞