#MAH Background

[talesfromcordonia]

Choices Background - Apartment Bedroom

As seen in the books - ALP, AOU, AVSP, BaBu, FR, HOF, HSS:CA, KIN, LOA, MAH, MOTY, MTFL, NB, OH, PM, PT, PTR, ROD, RT, RWB, SB, STD, TF, TNA, TTD, WEH, VOS

(Tag 1)

[ekikosama]

Le bracken

[suddenly-frankenstein]

i was born to haunt you and you were born to haunt me too

[gh0ulsh4rk]

I need people to admire my sweet princess, Ghoul. Look at my baby!! LOOK AT MY PRECIOUS GURL!!!!! her full name is Ghoulia Portal 2 Holloway... :3

[verothexeno]

doodlin' time~ trying to get the hang of some Orlesian dresses I've been writing a lot about my Rook recently 👉👈

[doctorwhoisadhd]

who in the torchwood team would hate nardole the most.

[im-no-jedi]

before I inevitably end up knocking them over while changing my bedsheets, please appreciate the setup I currently have for my TBB figures (plus Rex)

Mom™️ and Dad™️ watching proudly over the babie, while Rex watches Ruby and wonders wtf she’s even doing here. sassy Crosshair judges everyone from behind, while Wrecker and Tech are just being themselves✨

some closeups for posterity:

ignore the dust and other mess plz 😬

[emacrow]

Welcome to the Starlight Toy Galore! How can I help you?

Apparently, 1 toy wasn't enough to in the analysis machine. Dick and Damian were compromised by the toys and refused to part with them.

Babs decided to go this time, but this wasn't the first time she came into the place for investigating, actually..

This was the 36th time she visited, not because a ridiculous tall, very obvious dork of a owner kindly remade his front more wheelchair accessible to enter and couldn't take a goddamned compliment to save his life.

This was her case dammit, and Batman wasn't going to ruin all her processes steps of plans she had already set back, steps now by visiting.

It seem this week was appreciated space theme background that was completely accurate with various sizes planets above attic seemingly look to be floating until one tiny pluto float downward only for a little 7 year old girl with pigtails to wind it up with a blue winding key and watch it float back up with the others.

Danny always went all out in the starlight Toy galore before what caught her eyes was a little boy that had a butterfly hairpin with a broken dolly, a bag of doll pieces that was the missing cracked head and missing arm piece walking up to a station where the Owner Danny Nightingale was await.

"Can you fix mah ma's Sally? Felix got mad at her for not giving him lunchie when he went out with the guys.. and.. and I got all the pieces..! I trade you mah hairpin for you to fix her!" the little boy said softly with quivering confident, raising the hairpin that he was wearing up with his hand.

The Danny looked down on the little boy and bent over slowly, his form still gigantic even crouched down as he nodded, whispering softly to the boy as he ruffled his little hair, carefully picking the broken dolly that seem way too small in those long thin hands.

Carefully placing dolly and the broken pieces out of the bag carefully, The Danny went to the cabinet above the station and pulled out a jar. She could see his body shake as though he knew she was watching. Now, if Babs could almost see what that jar said, she coul-

The hard tug onto her shirt cause her to turn to see a 6 year old little girl in black braids with rose designed beads, bright blue eyes, and a soft grin with a front gap toothy. She had a tagged name, and I'm Ellen Nightingale.

Ellen mischievous little girl who like to play pranks at the beginning but became sweet on her 3 months ago.

She was holding out a strawberry taffy out in her small hand, colorful sensory rings on three fingers and a ducky doodle in yellow and green marker on the back of her hand.

"Oh.. thank you." Babs said softly, holding out her hand to receive the taffy. Ellen smiles with wider, and her eyes gleamed brighter at Babs as she giggles, rushing off to where Babs was previously watching the Dann-..

Ack. She got distracted!

The little boy was walking away, smiling brightly with the fixed dolly now wearing his butterfly hairpin as Danny waved at him.

Ellen tugs onto his apron and points at Babs, whispering something lightly to him as he picks up something from his stationary. Babs felt nervous for some reason, considering he was a ridiculous tall man. Hell, he can give the killer croc a run for his money in size if he were broader instead of slim figured.

And here they come, alright. Babs smiles softly as they both come over. Before Babs knew it, a bouquet of lilacs and purple roses was nearly shoved in her face.

A heavily bright red-faced danny with his hands shakenly holding the bouquet as he tonguedtied on his own words.

"You did the order wrong, Papa!! It was ask, then give the flowers!! All that hard work pwactices over this last night, gone, You big oversized Dumdum!!" Ellen shrieked, pounding her tiny fists on his legs.

Danny wilted like a deflated tube man as if Ellen's tiny blows could hurt him, but Babs couldn't speak as she was laughing too hard into the bouquet she held over her face to hide how red her face was.

Part 1 here <-

[talesfromcordonia]

Choices Background - Modest Apartment

As seen in the books - AOU, ALP, AVSP, BaBu, BB, Hero, ILB, LOA, MAH, MM, MOTY, MTFL, OH, PM, RCD, ROD, ROE, RT, RWB, STD, TBB, TeFe, TF, TNA, TRR, WB, WEH, WT

(Tag 1)

[undertalerainbow]

Welcome to Wonderland Clover

Hi, I just moved into my dorm today and was busy most of the day. I did get some of the Nick Poem drawing done, including the shading and the concept of his background, but not much. After the day I had unpacking, I was too tired to continue that piece today but I still wanted to draw. I was listening to the "I Only Paint in Red Now" Alice villain song by Lydia the Bard and "White Rabbit" by Egypt Central and thought "What about an Alice In Wonderland Au?". Well actually the thought process was more like this: let's make an au of all the soul kids having a different Disney story au, which then got me thinking about which Disney story fits which kid, which then led me to think Alice in Wonderland for Clover. I thought Clover would be a perfect fit for Alice, Flowey as that smarmy cat was obvious, Martlet as the scatterbrained rabbit fit perfectly (plus being the inciting incident for Clover falling into wonderland fits perfectly with Martlet being how Clover fell into the dunes), and Starlo as the Mad Hatter because I thought it would fit nicely with his whole losing himself in his persona and becoming mad would be interesting, plus having those playing tea parties. Ceroba as the queen of hearts was something more of a stretch to me that I still think would be very interesting, like maybe Ceroba was this cruel queen because of what happened to her husband and daughter, possibly killing any threat that comes into Wonderland to ensure that never happens again. Also, I think the whole queen and castle would be more Japanese themed to match Ceroba like maybe she is the "Empress of Hearts" rather than "Queen", maybe Mah-jongg instead of croquet, and more of a Japanese style palace rather than an English one. I do have ideas of the feisty five being playing cards based on their suits and being at Starlo's tea party, if its a tea party maybe I could make it those Lassons instead? I also had an idea of Dalv being the Caterpillar but I don't know if that would fit him, which is why I'd like to get others' thoughts on it. What do you think the others would be? We could make this into a small group project lol. I'm not gonna dive into this au much, I just wanna make silly sketches when I need a break, also I just wanted an excuse to put Clover in a cute dress, sue me. So if anyone wants to take this idea to make a comic just at least credit me (if the designs or ideas you used were mine), or @ me so I can see the lovely art.

[py-dreamer]

@furornocturna, @violetjedisylveon

hey! Remember that shadowalkers au wip a while back?

And I mean damn, like what a leap? Amirite?

(Just realized I forgot Mac's pouch, Mei, & Wukong's beads

...oops

Pls forgive me I'm a forgetful klutz and am lazy)

Ok so well this be quite the turnabout from the last sketch um:

I included the shadows on the floor, it is called shadowalkers for a reason, and added the wee faces in them like I did for the first piece

The background was a pain in the ass and I tried a lil something something with the lighting/lens flares. Something similar to the lighting in the piece I did where they're cuddling

Now everyone might say multiply on the layers does miracles but can I just saw 'add glow' and 'glow Dodge' are my new best friends? Srsly they give that damn good zest that it needs

I had so much trouble just doing Mac's face in particular. Like the contrast between the dark scalera and light irises was too much even though I did it before and it worked then-

And like his proportions were way off even though they matched the f*cking sketch which looked fine and they didn't match up with Wukong's at all-

Then his hair looked too big and clunky like a large chunk rather than hair and cause Mk's head was blocking it, I couldn't shade correctly-

AND I WAS STARTING TO BLOODY LOOSE IT I WANTED TO PUNCH THIS LIL BI-

But then I made his head bigger and it all worked out 'u'

Here's the og sketch for comparison:

I will admit though, I am quite happy with how my art style has progressed over time and this just might be one of my best pieces.

Genuinely to any of my old marshiemallows, thanks for sticking around! And I welcome any new marshiemallows joining me on my little art adventure so here's love from a random artist on the internet who appreciates your presence to her wacky ramblings and drawings

Oh and btw, I will start to get more busy so pls relax ur expectations in terms of posting schedules (not that I really had one anyways but regardless-)

That birthday challenge was fun but man did it do a number on me

And especially cause I wanna try to focus more on writing the next chap of mah fic 'When the sun sets forever' on ao3

(Shameless plug but which you should totally check out btw, angsty monkies, time travel, Macaque bullying train, it's so much fun)

Oh! And for my fellow marshiemallows who have frequented the dreamscape a couple of times, not guaranteed and I am a wee noob with absolutely no experience in this very little chance I'll do this and it's mainly to see any interest in it so pls don't expect much-

BUT.

[verothexeno]

LOOK AT HIM

[takumifujiwarastan]

"look at me, not him."

pairings: megumi fushiguro x best friend!reader contents: jealousy, sprinkle of angst, a bit suggestive, reader has a bit of traumatic past but not too many details. no established relationship (yet)!

594 words

a/n: very self indulgent bc i js wanted to write for mah boi megumi <3

he couldn't hate yuji.

he couldn't hate the fact that he was stealing your attention away from him more and more with each passing day.

that the small smiles only he could see were now becoming regular when you were around the pink haired boy.

of course, he's more than happy that you're smiling. the shell that had been enclosing you for so long was finally starting to break in the company of safe people who cared about you.

he just wished it was him who made you smile like that.

since when did he start wishing that? he couldn't remember. he couldn't count the days he's spent thinking about you. the nights he spent dreaming about you. you somehow slithered your way into his mind along with every thought that whizzed by.

it used to be just you and him. being unofficially 'adopted' by gojo a few years after he was, you'd come to know him most your whole life. he knew everything about you. he knew the background you came from. the pain you suffered. every hit you took. every time you got back up and kept going.

he missed the days of just him and you. lazy afternoons in each others' dorm rooms, spent basking in the warmth of the sun that shone through the window and talking about whatever. sleepless rainy nights that ended with you in his arms, your breathing in sync with his as the rain pattered against the glass of the window.

and the rare smiles he got to see from you whenever you were with him. him. not yuji.

and its yuji you're waiting for now, as you stand patiently at the end of the hallway, where he said he would meet you after showering and changing after training.

megumi's sharp eyes narrow at the sight of you waiting for someone other than him yet again. without even a second thought he starts padding down the wood floor of the dorm hall.

"y/n." he breathes out, stopping just a few feet from you. you look up at him, meeting his eyes that seem to carry unfamiliar emotion behind them.

"hey..." you reply softly. "you alright?" the question falls from your lips so innocently, in such a clueless matter he can't be upset that you aren't spending time with him. his eyes soften at this, then closing them with a sigh.

his fists then ball up at his sides upon hearing yuji's voice at the other end of the hall. he turns his head and shoots him a menacing look, to which the peach haired boy with widened eyes retreated back to his dorm.

you turn your head and watch as yuji goes back into his room, shutting the door hastily. "megumi, me and yuji were going to-" your irritated tone is cut off when a hand is brought up to your face, tilting your head back towards the raven haired boy as he crashes his lips into yours, a small gasp escaping your lips when your back hits the wall. his free hand is seated on your waist, gripping feverishly as he deepens the kiss.

he pulls back a few moments after, looking into your eyes with a fiery anger yet desperate longing at the same time. his hand holds your face so softly, tenderly, contrary to the emotions brewing inside him. his thumb brushing over your cheekbone so delicately, as if you were fragile as glass. you can almost hear the yearning in his voice when he breathes out;

"look at me, not him."

do u want a part 2?

[dark-and-kawaii]

Uhm excuse me, I legit blushed while looking at this masterpiece!!! LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!! AND OH MY GOSH HIS LIGHT!!!!! Look at her (T-T)!!!! She looks like an absolute goddess in this, and I just know he is thinking the same!!!! ♡ ♡ ♡

Eurydia I can't tell you and express how much I love this piece and how well it came out!!! This tells a whole love story and how it began ♡ ♡ ♡

Are you alright? Thank you to @dark-and-kawaii for inspiring me to finally draw this scene! It has been in my head for a while. Details below 💜

Kiwi brought up how Zevlor's nickname for Tav could be "my light" and I absolutely love that. I love the stars and sunlight motif for them a lot. I like the idea that he sees Tav as his savior and salvation, particularly for someone like Zev, who is accustomed to being the one saving people- never the other way around. I picture Saoirse and Zev's first meeting possibly going like this: Aradin punches Zevlor, she punches Aradin right after, and goes to check on Zevlor. He looks up and sees this almost angelic view of her. He isn't used to a kind touch or gaze - especially from a non-Tief - so the memory sticks with him. I'd like to think it might've even helped him regain control of his mind while he was in the pod.

[reverie-obsessingtime]

Is Jiaoqiu a Self-Annihilator?: an analysis into the Self-Annihilator condition (with Acheron and Jiaoqiu as case studies)

Soooouuuu pink fox man huh so pretty right? Sure nothing sad going on in the background..... *sobs*

This be the kind of brainrot you get as a Acheron main and Jiaoqiu haver 😮‍💨 :,)

sighs....WE ARE BACK IN THE BUILDING AGAIN!!!😭

Ok ok, enough fooling around let's get to business *rolls sleeves*. I'm gonna be using S-A for short to refer to Self-Annihilators through all this cause it's a mouthful to write.

TRIGGER WARNING: this post tackles depression and speaks of the nihilistic feelings it brings. It's not too major but if talking about stuff like this can be triggering, please advance with caution.🙏

What does it mean to be a Self-Annihilator? And the similarities between Acheron and Jiaoqiu's stories

Tldr: basically to have severe depression but much worse! :D (yaaaaay! :D)

From the ever so gracious Data Bank, S-A are described as people who have unintentionally but ireversibile stepped into the shadow of IX

To better understand these flowery words by giving Acheron as an example:

When it comes to Acheron, she stepped into THEIR shadow when it all lost meaning to her. She fought against the kami with other blades only for everyone to die. She managed to finally slay the kami but at what price? Why could that sword only be forged from this situation? Why did all have to be swallowed by naught for this blade to be made? What was the point of all this fighting and struggle if it all ultimately ended this way? If the ending never existed? If they all walked into IX shadow a long time ago?

Two worlds how pointlessly fought against one another, only for the ending to be even more pointless.

Because of all this trauma, like all soldiers coming back from a pointless war that had to witness all their fellow soldiers die, Acheron developed severe depression aka unintentionally stepped into IX shadow.

Depression isn't something you actively choose or agree with, it (annoyingly) chooses you and clings to you all the time and whispers in your year even when you don't agree with it anymore or actively try to fight against it.

You develop it from trauma (also H2O is water) and even when you are out of the environment that traumatized you, even when life is going great for you, when you have a limitless future ahead of you, it still exists and clouds ur judgement about those said things. It is something that you are stuck with. It's illogical nihilism and is sadly very hard to shake off...

But you CAN do it. Acheron and the other Self-Annihilators are proof.

There are two types of S-A: the ones who give up and succumb to it and the ones who fight back. Much like in real life (sadly)

Acheron is someone with severe depression who, despite it being uncureable, chose to show defiance against the predicament it brings by fighting back against it and actively trying to prove it wrong. Wrong not to herself, cause she knows THEIR wrong, but to prove THEM wrong to THEMSELVES.

How does this all connect to Jiaoqiu's story?: A Moment Among the Stars and Character Story Analysis

Both Acheron and Jiaoqiu have trauma from war, war that asks them "what was the point of everything you've done in the end?"

For Acheron:

What was the point of fighting if the ending was predetermined?( "Even if the ending is predetermined, that's fine. There are countless things that humans cannot change. But before the end, there are many things that humans can do while on their journey.")

For Jiaoqiu?

....

"While the Alchemy Commission is a good place to be, it is ultimately not compatible with my wish to practice medicine for the masses. The one place that requires a healer the most is undeniably the battlefield where the Yaoqing's forces are."(-Character story I)

And mah man was NOT ready for what the battlefield will ask of him and his master knew this but sadly also knew he couldn't stop the ambitious youth so he let him go. ("The elder looked as though he wanted to talk the youth out of his decision, but he ultimately decided against it.")

"A healer's purpose is to mend wounds and save lives. You pull the dying from death grip....only to see them march back into it. Saving one person is child's play. Saving the world is as hard as reaching the heavens. Do I press forward, or run away?"

Faces with this, Jiaoqiu can't help but be consumed by nihility. Question what's the point? My purpose as a healer is to save them from death grip but despite me doing that they will have to go charging back into it again and again until I can no longer save them. Doesn't that make my actions are, ultimately, pointless? I save them from death, give them hope and then they have to go back out there again and have it ripped away by an arrow. The hope of victory, of living to see it, of making it, I give it to them by saving them from death and then they have to die anyway but live through the pain of the hope I gave then being ripped away from them along with their lives.

So why save them? Give them hope? If they are gonna ultimately die? Why just not let them die at this point? And if I do that? Then what's my purpose? My purpose is to be a healer and save them from death no matter how many times but I just CAN'T bring myself to do it anymore faced with the pointlessness of it...

( -Jiaoqiu.... probably.....for legal and anti-missinfo-spreading reasons he, in fact, did not say all that)

Saving one is easy, but saving them all from death grip? Not so. Faced with the weight of that? Does he keep going or run away? Should he keep going through the pain of the pointlessness of it all or run away from it(like a coward, because it's too much)?

"You can't help but ask yourself... How does a healer heal himself?

Faces with all this nihility, he is at loss as just HOW to heal himself, the healer, amidst all this. Jiaoqiu's at an impasse, not knowing what to do, emotions conflict with each other.

"They answer with victory- Every life saved makes for the salvation of all."

"They" probably refers to all the soldiers, the ones that got healed and made it, the ones who didn't and the ones on the bed getting bandaged up.

Which is interesting. Interesting because despite them giving this answer, he still hasn't returned to the battlefield.

"Those I saved only ended up as another dead soul when they dived head-in back into the battlefield. I prefer to no longer engage in such futile efforts." ( -Jiaoqiu Character Story IV)

That despite being given the answer, the scars and terrors of the past will not make it easy to accept it or march forward with it. And that's ok. That is human and ok.

We don't actually know when he was given this answer, if it was after he started working on Feixiao or not. (something to further note on)

"Now you must make another choice... Will the result of this treatment be "life" or "death"? Are you ready to face the end... Jiaoqiu?"

Here he is probably talking about Feixiao. The choice he made to return, in a way, back to the battlefield, the place that traumatized him so much he accidentally walked into IX shadow. Only this time, it's for one person only.

Will he be able to heal her or will she die? And is he ready to face the conclusion of the case that is Feixiao, whatever that conclusion and the answer it gives might be?

The physical changes that come with being a Self-Annihilator and the suspicious desing choices in Jiaoqiu

WOOOOOOO welcome to section two of this analysis that is gonna be so much more easy for me

Now, let's have a refresher of physical and other changes that come with being a S-A:

-skin turn into something like rotten wood, full of holes and scars

-endocrine system disrupted

-becoming unable to distinguish between pleasure and pain and turning numb to everything

-loss of memories

-loss of senses

-corporeal body, mental cognition, and personal memories will gradually fade away

(Ik what makes me violently rage? WHY ISN'T HAIR TURNING WHITE IN HERE!?!?!?!)

Now based on all of that and using Acheron as comparison (while being mindful that her Emnator powers might make some parts of her S-A different) let's look at Jiaoqiu and take some notes:

-both her and Jiaoqiu have two white hair streaks that are in the same place just mirrored.

-in Jiaoqiu's lightcone description he asks himself "How many springs has it been?" suggesting that he MIGHT have memory problems like Acheron.

-in his character story IV Jiaoqiu says the spicy food boarders on pain and Owlbert commented that the pain might make him feel alive so maybe dulled senses as well (?)

-both of them have their hair turning white. While Acheron's Emnator powers make her able to hide it (refer to one of her idle's when she lets her guard down and her hair starts turning white) Jiaoqiu's hair is a light pink but not THAT light and you can see how the white hair fades into his normal not yet discolored hair. This change in hair is not recorded in the Data Bank oddly enough so we don't know how much time this takes to fully happen. 🤷😮‍💨

-lack of taste. Both Acheron and him can't taste the flavor of any food that isn't heavily spicy or strong in flavor. Acheron directly tells us that through the peach and her favorite drink being Wake the Heck Up. Jiaoqiu's like for spicy foods can easily be brushed as him just being a spice fanatic until you read his character story.

In the first one he eats lotus petals and comments "Sweet and refreshing, it delights the plate" showing a liking to them. But in IV he comments "Ugh, too bland" when eating them again. Even his master comments, "I remember you preferred bland food before joining the army." to which he responds "People... tend to change.".

The change comes from his III story, after Lan hit the battlefield with THEIR arrow, killing both enemies and soldiers. A moment that traumatized him so much that after it all died down, he felt cold from the inside and put EVERY spice he had into his cauldron and only then was he able to feel the taste

"When his already numbed sense of taste finally picked up on the spice, a jolt of current ran through him. He felt alive for the first time! It was a sensation that bordered on pain."

And all of these similarities, ARE FUCKIN SUSPICIOUS!😁😁

--------------------------------------------------------------

Tldr: I'm going insane (the end)

I hope Hoyo's headquarters burn down actually cause I'm tired of getting brainrots from these characters!!!😭

Hoyo literally allergic to leaving pink foxes alone (and melanin- HOW SAID THAT!?🫢)

Anyway who wants to join hands and pray in a circle for Jiaoqiu S-A confirmation cause at this point you don't make Acheron and this mf after and add all that to him with it being completely coincidence ESPECIALLY THE HAIR AND SPICY FOOD HOYO YOU BETTER CONFORM THIS OR ISTFG OSNDODBDODDBODDN

I'm so normal!!! 😁

Anywaaaayyy if you read this far thank you soooo *mwah* muuuuuch🙏 hearts and repost are very much appreciated as it keeps me posting here :,D If you liked this I have some other stuff posted that might pick ur interest. Ik I'm not the best at putting it all together in a neat way but I'm trying my best, I usually keep all this in my head 😅

May the sunlight brush your cheeks, flowers tickle ur skin and butterflies kiss ur nose! :)

[onskepa]

Hii can u write a mama Kataru fic? Lets say she survives the rda attack on her clan and a nomad clan takes her in and she goes to live with them. She thinks her kids are dead and doesnt know the rda took them. So after years of being with this clan they return to the area and rumors of a human resistance that has taken in some sarentu kids reach their ears and she goes to see if its true. And there she reunites with her daughter.

Thanks in advance!

helloooooooooooo~!! Oh mah goooooooosh!! This I can see happen in so many directions! And I chose a good path for this one, enjoy~!

----------------------

Silpey

“Aha’ri, I understand you are upset. But you have to face the fact that your mother left you” Mercer says, trying to sound brave but fear hinted in his voice. Merely a child yet standing taller was ever so brave Aha’ri. Grabbing his wrist tightly, hate and disbelief in her eyes. 

“LIAR!” she accuses. 

Her fellow na’vi gasping. That word did not exist in their old forgotten language. 

Aha’ri remembers. She was young at that time. Gaps in her memories but one thing was certain. Her mother loved her, she loves aha’ari and her younger sister silpey. Their mother’s song chord was their treasure, proof of her love. 

Mercer, Cortez, everyone spewed stupid doubts and manipulation in their minds. Aha’ri remained stubborn, still sticking to her belief. 

Sad that she never got to see how true she was.

“Everyone! We have returned!” 

Loud cheers, reunions, hugs, cries of joy, relief all around. The two branches of the traveling Zeswa clan have united once again. The zakru they follow have joined those who lay already. 

Everyone joins, older members meeting young newborns, long time friends catching up, family recalling many good times. Everyone had someone. 

But Kataru had no one. 

Kataru lives with the zeswa but she is sarentu. 

Karatu of the Sarentu has no one to reunite. No one to call family, no one to call her own. 

The sarentu are no more. None have survived the massacre. The once beloved clan, friends to all, story tellers, artisans, musicians, gone. When word spread the ending of the Sarentu, all of Pandora grieved. Many say it was the Yava that took their lives, that a soulless tsahik spread her poison down their throats, or that natural disasters took them all. 

There is only one truth. 

A truth that is still left with many questions. 

And just as there is one truth, there is also one sarentu left. That is what she believes, the last of her clan, her people. 

Kataru, the remaining living Sarentu. Her mark on her cheek to prove it. 

For years kataru has remained hidden among a nomad clan. Keeping herself safe from the sky demons, as well as the hope to find her children who were tragically taken from her. Her precious children, her darling daughters. 

Aha’ri and silpey. 

Aha’ri was merely 5 and silpey was still a baby barely forming sentences. How did it go wrong? Where did it go wrong? 

For years Kataru was haunted by so many questions, none that she could find the answer to.

“Kataru '' Minang, the Tsahik of the Zeswa clan, calls the na’vi in question. 

Kataru greets the leader, both acknowledging each other. “How may I assist you Tsahik?” she asks softly. A few minutes ago kataru was summoned to see Minang in the leader’s hut. She prefers to hide in the background, not gather much attention to herself. So this was a surprise. 

Minang smiles kindly to kataru, placing her hand on the Sarentu’s shoulder. 

“I bring the more wondrous information for you” Minang says. Her smile grew by the second. Curiosity and anticipation grew within katari. Tilting her head to the side, “how so?” Kataru asks. 

“My sister has gone to visit the human resistance, their morals and beliefs align with ours. But kataru, there at their base,  there is a group of na’vi that you would love to meet” 

Kataru shakes her head, confusion taking over. 

“Kataru, you are not alone. There are Sarentu na’vi in the resistance. They survived the massacre” 

Never had kataru fled as fast as she could. Fast she went, beyond the land, beyond what the wind can go. Faster than pali. It was like she summoned great speed to get there by foot. It didn't matter what lands she had to cross, what mountains to climb. Kataru would do it. She would run halfway around the world if she had to. 

The moment Minang told her about the surviving sarentu’s, nothing else mattered. She needed to see them, feel their hands, look at their marks. What little dwindling hope she had all these years, it grew. Fast. 

As kataru runs, she sees flashes of her past. Her clan, her people. Their traditions, her friends, her family, her children. 

All of them. 

Who survived? How did they hide all this time? 

So when every step she took, every sharp edge that pokes her, every scrap or scratch on her, kataru welcomes these slight pains. It tells her, awakens her, that all of this is real. It is not a dream. Not like her false dreams that gave her false hopes. No, this is real, and the sooner she arrives at the base, the sooner this hope will bloom bigger. 

“Kataru? Wait slow down-”  

“I cannot wait any longer!” 

While she should respect the Olo’ykte of the clan that took her in, kataru’s anticipation and impatience took over her judgment. Nesim understood, holding her still as kataru catches her breath. Nesim was amazed how fast she ran, from base to the Zeswa grounds was very grand. 

To not sound so rustic, nesim was kind enough to hand her a pouch of water to kataru. The sarentu drank it gratefully. 

“Is she the other Sarentu you spoke of?” 

A deep male voice was heard behind kataru, turning around and she saw a fit male na’vi. Could be her state of mind, or it could be something else, but looking at the unknown male na’vi, more specifically, his tattoos, they seem oddly familiar. Perhaps from another clan. One she can't recall at the moment. 

“Yes, this is kataru. The only sarentu we have known that survived the massacre” Nesim replies. 

“I am sol’ek, not Sarentu but from another clan completely” Sol’ek greets her with the respectful “I see you” greeting. Kataru doing the same. 

“Is it true…? Are there sarentu here?” kataru asks, little doubt hinting in her voice. 

Sol’ek smiles a bit, “Yes, come, I will lead you to them. They will be very happy to see you” 

Every step felt like a mile to kataru. 

Time slowed, her vision becoming blurry and her heart beating in her head. 

Sol’ek lead her around the base and into a small cave, a bonfire was seen. She can hear laughter, unfamiliar voices, too human like their tones. As she gets closer, she can see 3 na’vi all sitting down around the bonfire. 

Sol’ek steps aside, gesturing to her to go further. “Go, they await for you” he says, and leaves to give them privacy. 

This was it, this was what she was waiting for 32 years. 

Carefully taking her steps, kataru goes deeper, letting the sounds of her footsteps notify the na’vi. One of them did, a young na’vi with short hair, nervous looking while wearing human clothing. Timid he seems, pointing at kataru. 

“Guys….” he tells the others. 

Everyone turns to look at kataru. 

Time froze. 

They all look so young. 

Kataru carefully analyzes their faces. They bear the Sarentu mark. 

A young female na’vi stands up. Fear and hope in her eyes and voice, “Are you…Sarentu…?” she asks. 

Tears leave kataru’s face, nodding “I am”  she answers. 

Soon enough, she was swarmed by the young na’vi, all hugging tightly. More tears were released, cries of sorrow, happiness, relief, everything. Kataru doesn't know if the cries she hears are of her own, or of the others. She traces their marks, the very thing that identifies them as sarentu. 

Never had kataru felt more grateful for Eywa. Her prayers were heard. 

“Another sarentu…..!! I can't believe it!” one of the young male sarentu says inbetween his sobs. 

“We thought we were truly alone,” the young female says. Kataru understands how they feel. She understands their pain. 

After what felt like hours, they all calmed down. Sniffles, hiccups, and few tears still there, but all rapid emotions have since withered down. 

“Tell me your names, my name is kataru” she introduces herself. 

Smiles, each one does the same. 

“I am nor” the oldest male says. 

“I am Ri’nela” the female points at herself. 

The one with the cap on his head looks down, very nervous, “im…Im teylan” he whispers. 

Yes, their faces seem more reconizable now with their names. 

“I remember….you were all babes…Ri’nela..you. You look so much like your mother, you even kept the beads” kataru comments. Seeing Ri’nela’s face, was like a copy of her fallen mother. 

“I do?” Ri’nela asks. Kataru nods. 

“You look so beautiful, I know your mother would have been so proud of you” she goes on. 

Turning, she looks at nor, “and you. I remember your parents would travel between our clans borders to the Kami’tire grounds for trading. You would always come back with some form of scratches” 

Nor blushes but smiles shyly. “I remember vaguely. I remember my father would take me all the time” 

And finally, kataru looks at teylan. 

She cant help but feel sadness for him. He was the youngest among the three. Was a baby when that night happened. 

“Your parents loved you teylan. I remember….when you were born, your father howled loud and mighty. First born, he was proud of you. Your mother would sing you of our peoples prayers to Eywa. You were very much, "Kataru told him. Her voice is soft and soothing. 

Teylan couldn't form words, so he let his actions do the talking. He hugged kataru tightly, afraid to think this was a dream. Since his earliest memory, Teylan was told his people abandoned him, that he wasn't loved. So to hear from another Sarentu, one who spent time out in Pandora, it made him feel things that he never thought he would feel. Genuine love. 

While Kataru is very grateful to see more Sarentu, happy to know where they were, there was still one thing left lingering in her mind. 

Looking at the three Sarentus, she spoke her more dreading, anticipating question. 

“Do….have any of you known of my children? Their names are Aha’ri and Silpey”

Dread. 

Dread, despair, sadness, guilt, regret, rage. 

It was like relieving that terrible night. 

Aha’ri. 

Her bright, clever, wonderful little girl was dead. At the hands of a sky demon. 

Died all because she wanted to go home. She never gave up on the belief that her mother loved her. 

Aha’ri was right. 

Kataru loved her so much it almost hurt. 

Aha’ri loved music, loved to dance, loved to tell stories, loved to be all that she was. A sarentu. Like the past Sarentu Olo’eyktan, aha’ri was brave, Fierce, and protective of others. Especially her young sibling. 

What Kataru would do to see aha’ri alive. To see her with the other surviving sarentu. To see her older, wiser, stronger, and free. Yet the cruel, heartless sky demon called “Mercer” took her life. Her chance. Her future. 

Kataru was never one to hate. Hate was strong, hate was something she viewed negatively. May Eywa forgive her. For now she hates, she hates this mercer demon. To kill a na’vi was evil, but to kill a child? Hate was all she felt for the demon who took everything from her. 

Taking her home, her clan, her children. 

Yet there is still hope. 

Kataru had lost one child, but there is another she so desperately wants to see. Her baby, Silpey. 

From what the others have said, Silpey is traveling to neighboring clans to learn how to be a warrior. How to fight. Sarentu’s were never warriors to begin with. Choosing peace over violence. To balance things over keeping things uneven. 

Tonight she returns. 

And kataru waits for her. 

The others leave the cave to give her privacy. Lighting the bonfire again, she sits patiently. Humming at her old tune. She doesn't have her song chord anymore, but she remembers how it was sung. Yes, kataru remembers her song so well. Singing loud, letting the stone cave walls echo her voice. 

Kataru sings her heart out, feeling happy, yet sad. Too lost in her song, she failed to hear footsteps coming towards her. A voice interrupts her song. 

“Sa’nu?” 

Okie, I put my all in this one. Hope you all like it! Until next time! See ya!

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Silpey: hope (with tsnì in subordinate clause, unless in independent clause)