#jade of the orient

[ckret2]

"I've decided I'm never getting married," Pacifica said. "I'll just find some guy to date my whole life and never let him move in. It's the only way to make sure he isn't just interested in me to inherit my money."

"What about looks?" Mabel asked. "How will you make sure he's into you for your personality instead of your hair?"

"Oh, that's not happening. Attraction to looks is the basis of all romance. First you find a hottie, and then caring about his personality is just to make sure you can stand actually being around him."

"Aww," Mabel groaned. "I thought you were into Dipper."

Pacifica gave her a stricken look; then processed what she said a second time; then said, "Wait. Did you just call your own brother ugly? The brother you look exactly like?"

"No, he just looks like a dork! And I don't look like him! Mabel squinted off into the distance, the exact same way Dipper did when he was trying to seem dramatic in a cool way. "I'm the cute one."

[mochinomnoms]

MOCHI-- hi, welcome back, sorry I've been busy and haven't said hi yet BUT--

*Play fighting with the tweels.* Is the respective eel letting you win? Oh yes. Or play fighting as a flirting tactic. Play fighting as just a courting thing with them.

Oh, he loves to see how strong his little darling is-- feisty? Oh so great. They're having the best time.

Either tweel, honestly. Either of them. (Both?)

Anyway, got excited to share lol. Welcome back!

Hi babe! I'm happy to see you again it's been a while since I've seen a notif from you!!

The twins definitely like play fighting and they 100% consider it a courting method. Generally, the more predacious merfolk look for partners that will fight them, as a strong mate is someone who can protect you or it allows you to demonstrate that you'd be an excellent protector. It depends on what the merperson leans towards.

I think they especially like it as most people on land are relatively cautious around them and hesitant to fight. Even some of the Savanaclaw students are afraid, but when they see little old you ready to throwdown (like a dumbass)?

Oh they're in love. It's so funny! And cute! And they will most likely overpower you, but seeing you still try and throw fists is so fucking cute and funny they'll allow it.

[galaxywrites]

ㅤㅤ ㅤ incorrect quotes from my freed revenants au!

ㅤㅤ ㅤsome may be nsfw! just a warning!! color-coded.

──────────────────────────────

Kabal: What if the person who named Walkie Talkies named everything?

Kabal: Pregnancy tests are Maybe Babies.

Jade: Socks are Feetie Heaties.

Liu Kang: Defibrillators are Heartie Starties.

Stryker: Nightmares are Dreamy Screamies.

Kitana: Stamps are Lickie Stickies.

Tomàš: I hate you guys so much.

-

Jade: You know, there’s something weird going on with your face?

Tomàš: What?

Jade: You’re smiling! I didn’t know you could do that

-

Tomàš: Be careful, I thrive on negative attention.

-

Tomàš: Well, has Jade been wrong before?

Kitana: How wide are we willing to open this up?

-

Stryker: Liu Kang, can I ask you a question?

Liu Kang: You just did.

Stryker: Okay, can I ask you two questions?

Liu Kang: You just did.

Stryker, frustrated: OKAY, CAN I ASK YOU FOUR QUESTIONS?!

Liu Kang: You just did.

Stryker: When?!

Liu Kang: Just now.

-

Kabal: I have a bad feeling about this...

Tomàš: What do you mean?

Kabal: Don't you ever get that little voice in your head that tells you if you're going to get into trouble?

Tomàš: No?

Liu Kang: That actually explains so much.

-

Kabal: I couldn't do this without you, Tomàš.

Tomàš: Sure you could. Not as stylishly, of course.

-

Tomàš: The path to inner peace begins with four words… not my fucking problem.

-

Kabal: Get in, loser, we’re committing vehicular manslaughter!

-

Liu Kang: Might I make a suggestion you possibly won’t like?

Tomàš: Do you make any other kind?

-

Kitana: What are you two arguing about this time?

Stryker: He's always using common phrases incorrectly!

Tomàš: Cry me a table, Kurtis.

-

Tomàš: We wouldn’t last two minutes without Nightwolf.

Tomàš:

Tomàš: Don't tell him I said that.

-

Tomàš: I love saying 'fuck me' because it can either be sexual or self-loathing and those are two things that describe me perfectly.

-

Tomàš: Fight me!

Kitana, standing behind him and holding her fans: *mouths* Do not.

-

Kabal: Yesterday, I overheard Nightwolf saying “Are you sure this is a good idea?” and Tomàš replying “Trust me,” and I have never moved from one room to another so quickly in my life.

-

Stryker: *falls down the stairs*

Kitana: Are you okay?

Liu Kang: Stop falling down the stairs!

Tomàš: How’d the ground taste?

-

Kabal: Why cant trees give off something important like wifi??

Stryker: So fuck oxygen, I guess.

-

Tomàš: Are you a masochist or a sadist?

Kung Lao, deadpan: I’m a Taurus.

-

Kabal: An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Tomàš: An apple a day can keep anyone away if you throw it hard enough.

-

*During a game of Hangman*

Tomàš: Nope, there’s no Q. You lose.

Stryker: Are you kidding me?! You can still add something!

Tomàš: I already added a belt, four earrings and an extra arm! YOU LOSE!

-

Jade: Can you pass the salt?

Tomàš: Can you pass away?

Jade: Too much salt.

-

Kung Lao: Am I in trouble?

Liu Kang: Take a guess.

Kung Lao: No?

Liu Kang: Take another guess.

-

Kabal, trying to comfort Tomàš: What's the problem? Anxiety? Low self-esteem? Obsessive thoughts of random arson? I've been there.

-

Stryker: Why would you think any of this was a good idea?!

Tomàš: Probably because I’m a trained assassin with a long history of violence.

Stryker: Oh...

Jade, from across the room: I don’t understand how you keep forgetting that.

-

Tomàš: Can you recommend a book that'll make me cry?

Kabal: General Mathematics 8th Grade Edition.

-

Nightwolf: You three, explain right now.

Tomàš: It was Kabal.

Jade: It was Kabal.

Liu Kang: It was Kabal.

Kabal:

Kabal: …fuck.

-

Tomàš: Wait a minute, how did this happen? We're smarter than this!

Enenra: Apparently, we're not!

-

Kung Lao: Truth or dare?

Tomàš: Truth.

Kung Lao: How many hours have you slept this week?

Tomàš:

Tomàš: Dare.

Kung Lao: Go to sleep.

Tomàš: I don't like this game.

-

Nightwolf: I'm going to ask you to be respectful.

Tomàš: I will politely decline.

-

Liu Kang: Did you buy eggs like I asked?

Tomàš: Even better!

Liu Kang: What the fuck did you-

Tomàš: *holding up a chicken* Her name is Fluffy.

-

Liu Kang: Hey, are you free?

Kung Lao: No, I’m expensive.

-

Stryker: Want to hear a hard riddle?

Kung Lao: Sure.

Stryker: A rooster laid an egg on a roof. Which way did it roll?

Kung Lao: ...down?

Stryker: N-

Tomàš: Who cares about which way it rolled, it would be scrambled eggs by then.

Stryker:

Stryker: No, it's that roosters don't lay eggs... Jesus Christ...

-

Stryker: Do you take constructive criticism?

Kabal: No, only cash or credit.

-

Jade: Just be yourself. Say something nice.

Tomàš: Which one? I can't do both.

-

Nightwolf: One time I went to hand Jade a bowl of soup. I wanted to say “Careful, it’s hot!”, and “Here’s your soup!”, so instead I blurted out “Careful it’s soup.”

-

Tomàš: You're right.

Jade: That's... That's an unusual phrase for you. Did you just learn it?

-

Stryker: Anyone else feel good when their brain releases a bunch of endorphins?

Jade: Can't relate.

Tomàš: Why would my brain release a bunch of dolphins?

-

Tomàš: Liu Kang! Kabal got that thing on the control panel working!

Liu Kang: Wow! That looks pretty impressive.

Tomàš: Yeah!

Liu Kang: Any idea what it does?

Tomàš: Not a clue.

-

Tomàš: Where is my fucking mask?

Kabal: Tomàš, guests are around, can you say it a little nicer?

Tomàš: May I ascertain the whereabouts of my FUCKING MASK?!

-

Liu Kang: I don’t think we can mansplain, manipulate, or malewife our way out of it this time.

Kitana: *cracks knuckles* Manslaughter it is!

-

Tomàš: I wouldn’t wish that upon my worse enemy!

Tomàš: Unless of course. . We’re talking about our enemy, Quan Chi. Fuck you Quan Chi, you know what you did!

-

Tomàš: Tired of just deserving better. Gonna start taking it by force.

-

Stryker: Wow, Kano really hates us.

Kabal: Yes, perhaps he's homophobic.

Stryker: But we’re not gay, Kabal.

Kabal:

Stryker:

Kabal: We’re not?

-

Tomàš: Is having a penis fun?

Kabal: It has its ups and downs.

Stryker: Sometimes it’s a little hard.

Kung Lao: It’s a pain in the ass.

Jade: Oh, Jesus, fuck, guys, come on.

-

Kitana: What does 'take out' mean?

Liu Kang: Food.

Stryker: Dating

Tomàš: Murder

Kabal: IT CAN MEAN ALL THREE IF YOU'RE NOT A COWARD.

-

Nightwolf: Good responses for being stabbed with a knife?

Stryker: Rude.

Kabal: That’s fair.

Tomàš: Not again.

Jade: Are you going to want this back?

-

Nightwolf: What do you think Kabal will do for a distraction?

Stryker: He’ll probably, like, make a noise or throw a rock. That’s what I would do.

*Building explodes and several car alarms go off*

Stryker: ... or he could do that.

-

Kitana, carefully running a brush through Tomàš' hair: Did no one teach you how to manage your hair properly?

Tomàš, shrugging: The Lin Kuei elders just said brush it with your fingers, it'll be fine.

Tomàš: When Cyrax joined, he used to do it. But I haven't seen him here in the Netherrealm, so I just assumed his soul didn't end up here.

Kitana: ... We need to teach you a proper hair routine.

Tomàš: Say what now?

-

Tomàš: Did you just call me a shrimp, you asshole?! I'm still growing, dammit!

Enenra: You stopped growing when you were fourteen!

-

Enenra: What’s sexting?

Tomàš: I'm not having this conversation with you.

-

Stryker: Are you okay?

Kabal, crying: Yeah, it was just the onions.

Stryker: *Picks up an onion* What the fuck did you say to Kabal?

-

Kitana: There are no friends when playing board games. I am here to win.

-

Kitana: I am going to need you to swear-

Kabal: Fuck.

Kitana:

Kitana: ...swear as in promise.

-

Stryker: The Ocean is a soup.

Tomàš:

Tomàš: Do elaborate.

Stryker: What are needed for something to be a soup?

Tomàš: Erm... Water, salt, some form of vegetation, and personally I prefer some meat in mine.

Stryker: *Tilts head*

Tomàš: The Ocean is a Soup.

Stryker: The Ocean is a Soup.

-

Nightwolf: I swear to god I'm the only one here with a braincell.

Stryker, Liu Kang, Kabal, and Kitana: ALL HAIL the keeper of the sacred braincell!

-

*Everyone is playing a board game together*

Kabal: I will put 'A' down to make 'A'.

Tomàš: I will add onto your 'A' to make 'AT'.

Kung Lao: I will add onto your 'AT' to make 'RAT'.

Kitana: I will add onto your 'RAT' to make 'BIOSTRATAGRAPHIC'.

Kung Lao: *flips the board*

-

Kabal: *banging a pen on the table out of frustration*

Stryker: Stop that. How would YOU feel if I banged you on the table?

Kabal: I—

Kabal: I don’t know the correct answer to that question.

-

Kitana: Don't break someone's heart, they only have one.

Tomàš: Break one of their bones instead, they have 206 of them.

[corvidcrowned]

Ok well here’s MY human jade winglet designs.

[transmechanicus]

Oh boy another queer event organized by the Neurosci department, ostensibly open to all bio programs, that sounds fun, sure would be a shame if i had first hand experience that it sucks shit to be there if you're NOT in the neurosci program. Ex plode.

[fossilized-honey]

Watching it chapter 2 with my friends who are normal and it taking so much strength to not quote along I need to scream into the tumblr void

[subaru-meteorlight]

the very incredible experience of scrolling phaidei thirst trap fanart and thinking “if anybody saw this on my phone im gonna get outed as gay” before realising that im perceived as a girl so. ??

[medi-melancholy]

i s2g if my childhood geology special interest leads to me guessing a major 2.1 plot twist,

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Seven Covers in Seven Days: UNTETHERED SKY by Fonda Lee.

tagged by: @asexualbookbird

Every day post the cover of a book you love and tag someone to do the same!

tagging: @torbooks

[luveline]

jade i'd be your biggest fan even if you whined all day long, don't you even worry about it. hope that assignment goes by quick!! and you did inspire me to take a look at my physical tbr list and i might start a new book as well😌

I hope it does too!! It’s very terrible of me to leave it to the last minute because I won’t get to give it the fresh eyes treatment but I don’t do that for a ton of my fics and they usually go down ok!! Not that this is measured in the same way 😭😭 but luckily I’ve got lots of practice writing short stories so hopefully it won’t be torturous. My physical tbr honestly is a bunch of books I likely won’t ever read cos I bought them when I was 16 but it’s nice to read a real physical book !!

[maintitle]

I honestly think Jade Empire might have the most engaging combat of any Bioware game, in my opinion.  I’m sure that opinion would change if I was a PC player, but on console you can feel that BG, DA and KOTOR are all way more limited.  Mass Effect is kind of the oddity because it works entirely differently than their other games, and while I’m sure many would go with that and while I also enjoy it, as I get older I appreciate shooters way less.

Jade Empire takes an action game and applies a level of control to battle that most action games don’t have.  You can drastically change a combat just by changing styles, slow it down to your liking or blow through enemies with quicker styles.  You can play hold-off with styles that refresh your skills, stamina and chi bars, you can transform into some of the demons you’ve met along the way.  You even can have a big fuckin’ musket that’s way too slow to use!  It rules!  

It honestly feels like you have the level of control that the average crpg has, but all baked into one character, and I don’t know, that’s even more fun to experiment and play around with for me!

I don’t know.  I get that Jade Empire is a relic of it’s time and can’t really be done today, but there’s so much to appreciate here that gets lost.

[stinkrascal]

What if you like make a duplicate save with the Strauds in it and play that? That way you still get to play but you’re not cheating and do t have to worry about photos? Just an idea!! Idk if that would work!

oh i already have something like that! im basically replaying the history of the straud legacy in my own personal gameplay so i dont have to worry about screenshots, i can just have fun :) actually klaus and anastasia were just born in my gameplay save a few days ago!! but id like to have a new gameplay for simblr, one where i can take chill gameplay pics and post them without having to worry about writing scenes or making poses or creating dialogue or heavily editing. but every time i try to make a save like this, i get bored of the sims bc theyre not the strauds so i only take a few pics before giving up :\

[bodhrancomedy]

Listen, I’ve been told that I put my characters through hell with their backstories, but I still think one of the saddest tropes is a lone wolf who is actually one of the most social, teamwork oriented people on the planet, but circumstances keep snatching that away from them. There’s no “I must keep my distance, I’ve become jaded”, it’s “maybe this time I can close the gap, please God.”

[otakusheep15]

Flufftober Day 31: Proposal - Octavinelle

Characters include: Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech

Word count: 1677

Azul

Who proposes: you

Azul genuinely and truly does not believe he deserves you. For as much bravado he pretends to have, none of it can protect him from the fact that he is deeply in love with every part of you. And yet, he can’t help but think that you deserve better than him. 

No matter how far away he gets from his past, it will always haunt him. He’s still very insecure about his appearance and personality, and it does affect how he handles your relationship. 

Your relationship progressed very slowly. It took him months to even work up the courage to hold your hand, always afraid that you’d find him disgusting for doing such a thing. Of course, you would never, but it took him a long time to actually believe that. 

Even now, as an adult, he still has a hard time dealing with his insecurities. 

Right now, more than anything, he wants to propose to you. He wants to marry you so bad that he might go inside. But he can’t bring himself to even buy a ring, let alone propose. Every time he even thinks about going out and buying you a ring, his insecurity gets the better of him and he brushes it off. 

One day, you ask him out on a date. It’s out of the blue, and he’s rather caught off guard. He says yes, because how could he possibly say no to you? Plus, it’s been so long since you’ve been on a date. He’s always so busy with work, and so are you, so he’s excited. 

On the day of, you take him to a nice restaurant, and you pay for everything yourself. It, yet again, catches him off guard, as he’s usually the one to pay. He doesn’t mind, and he actually kind of likes being pampered for once. 

Afterwards, you take him on a nice stroll around the city, enjoying the sight of all the lights now that it’s nighttime. Azul seems so relaxed, and it makes you happy to know he’s enjoying himself. He’s been so pent up lately, so you knew this would be good for him. 

Eventually, you return home, and you have one last thing for the night. He sits down on your couch as you run to the bedroom, leaving him in anticipation. 

When you return, you kneel down in front of him, and his eyes go wide in shock. He almost doesn’t believe it at first, until you present the box in your hands, opening it up to reveal a beautiful ring. His eyes immediately well up with tears as he looks at you, asking if you’re serious. You are. 

All this time, he was working himself up, convinced you secretly hated him and would never agree to marry him. He didn’t even notice you planning anything. Normally, he would’ve noticed immediately if you were planning something this huge, but you really caught him off guard. 

It takes him a second to find his voice through the tears, but he does say yes. You put the ring on his finger and pull him into a hug, comforting him as he continues to cry. They’re happy tears, of course, but you can tell he’s embarrassed about being so emotional. 

Your wedding is a huge celebration. He has a lot of family, and they’re all so excited to celebrate with him. The big party happens under the sea since most of his family can’t turn human just for one day. However, you do have a smaller party for your land-dwelling friends as well, and it’s just as fun. Azul tries so hard not to cry, and he fails miserably. He gets so emotional, and he can barely get through his vows before he’s an absolute mess. 

Jade

Who proposes: Jade

Out of the three Octotrio, Jade has always been the one most set on getting married. He’s lowkey always been the most family oriented, and even as a kid, he was so excited at the thought of having a family of his own.

Considering how he normally is, his dream of marriage is rather innocent in comparison. It’s truly the only thing he has no ulterior motives behind. He just really wants to get married and create a family.

That idea was even more solidified when he began dating you. He knew almost immediately that you were the person he was going to marry. He also had no intention of hiding that from you. 

Jade is very open about his feelings from the get go. He sees no reason to hide them from you. If you were truly uninterested, you would tell him so. However, you were very on board, much to his pleasure.

His proposal happens the second you’re both financially, physically, and mentally stable enough in your lives. As much as he wanted to get married immediately after school, even he knew that wasn’t exactly possible. So, he waited.

And, soon enough, the day came. The perfect day to finally propose to you. He already has the ring, having picked it out forever ago when he saw it at a lovely market. He knew he had to have it for this day, and he’s been holding onto it ever since.

It’s pretty obvious that he’s planning on proposing to you. He does not even try to hide it at all. In it's own way, it’s kind of cute. He’s so excited to just get to the proposal.

Initially, he had a whole event planned out. He would take you on a nice, romantic date, ending with the grand proposal of his dreams. However, all of that goes out the door that very morning.

Jade wakes up first, and the first thing he sees is your adorable sleeping face. Your hair is a mess and you’re drooling a bit. His eyes are practically hearts as he looks at you. Without thinking he shakes you awake, being careful not to startle you too much.

As you wipe the sleep from your eyes, Jade reaches into the bedside drawer, pulling out the ring box. Right as you begin to wake up, Jade presents you with the ring, and it takes you such a long time to process what’s going on. You look between him and the box, asking him if he’s for real. He said he had a whole day planned out today, so you assumed this would come later.

He explains that he just couldn’t wait even a second more, and he had to do this now. After taking a bit more to process, you say yes, and he immediately pulls you into a tight hug. Then he slips the ring on your finger. Now, instead of a pre-proposal date, your day is a day of celebration. 

Your wedding is simple yet elegant. Jade is very detail oriented, and that really shows here. It’s not a very big event, but there’s still plenty of guests. It’s a fun day, and this might be the most genuinely happy you’ve seen Jade in a while. He’s just so happy to be married to you.

Floyd

Who proposed: Floyd

Floyd is pretty well-known for being spontaneous. Almost everything he does is for the sake of entertainment, and he needs constant stimulation in order to feel something. 

At first, this included your relationship. He initially asked you out on a whim, assuming you’d be a fun fling. As time went on, he went from seeing you as a slightly amusing plaything to actually enjoying your company. You went from a mere fling to his actual partner. 

At first, this kind of scared Floyd. Besides Azul and Jade, he’s never let anyone get this close to him. It was strange letting you in like this. He didn’t plan on you, but now that he has you, he wants to keep you forever.

The idea of marriage was never for Floyd. He found it a weird, somewhat boring concept that wouldn’t be all that entertaining. Being tied down sounded like such a drag to him. That was until you of course. Now, marriage is all he can think about. 

As with everything else, it’s spontaneous when he buys the ring. He was walking by a store and saw the most darling ring, and he knew right away that it was meant for you. Despite what many think, Floyd certainly has an eye for fashion, especially when it comes to shiny gems. He took one look at this ring and had to buy it.

After purchasing the ring, he practically runs home, barreling down the door and startling you away from whatever you were doing previously. 

When you look at him, you see a happy, slightly deranged Floyd as he bounds up to you like a giant puppy. If you were anyone else, this would be a terrifying sight, but you are you, so this is absolutely adorable. You can tell he’s in a good mood.

He reaches you and immediately kneels down, wasting absolutely no time in pulling out the ring. You sit there, wide-eyed with shock, not even sure how to react. This was very unexpected.

Floyd looks at you expectedly, as if you were supposed to know this was going to happen. It takes you a second to find your voice, but when you do, it comes out in a whisper. Still, your yes is heard by Floyd, and that’s enough for him to pull you into a tight squeeze, placing the ring on your finger. 

He lifts you and spins you around, littering your face with kisses. You haven’t seen him so genuinely happy in years, and you absolutely love it.

Your wedding is basically just a giant party. Everyone you know is invited, and Floyd makes sure to make it as wild as he’s allowed. Some people would consider it too much, but you consider it uniquely Floyd, and you adore it. However, you do make sure he doesn’t go too far into party mode. It is still your wedding after all.

[azrielhours]

Soft Spot

Azriel x Reader

Word count: 3k

Synopsis: Azriel is very particular about his lovers; typically hard-hearted women chosen so they don’t develop an emotional attachment. Reader is one of these lovers, except she’s the sweetest and cheeriest on his roster. This causes Az to begin breaking his rules about intimacy, especially when she unwittingly ends up at his home for work one evening and spends the night.  

Warnings: Smut

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azriel Shadowsinger. Methodical, efficient, focused. Rigid dietary habits, discipline in training, unwavering proficiency in espionage. The spies he trained were held to that level of diligence—hell, even the priestesses he oversaw knew he expected order even in his absence.

That detail orientation carried over to his sex life. The lovers he sought were deliberately chosen to allow him to maintain the level of control he desired. Women that understood what he wanted—how he wanted them. Women that didn’t grow emotionally attached, that understood it was purely a physical transaction. Women that he could keep from his busybody family, situated in parts of Velaris that weren’t in their usual line of frequenting.

Azriel found a positive correlation between softer, sweeter women, and their likelihood to form emotional attachment, and an equally positive correlation between women who fucked rougher, who were colder, more jaded, and their ability to remain unattached. Those who didn’t demand he slept over after, that he take them to dinner.

You were the closest thing to an exception, being the cheeriest on the roster, yet you never displayed any attachment to him. Never looked disappointed when he left without eating breakfast. That was one of the things he liked most about you; you were lively—more than any of his other lovers—so he could enjoy the more girlishly charming, satiating parts you offered, but you stayed within the limit of his preferred emotional detachment. It was like a controlled dosage of indulgence.

Besides your vibrant energy, the other thing that made you feel different from the rest was the way you touched him. In a sea of meticulously selected, hard-hearted lovers, you were the only one that touched him softly. The first time you stroked his face tenderly while he was rutting away inside you, he thought you’d crossed some emotional threshold, that you’d begin asking him to be exclusive. To let you meet his family. But that never happened, so he dismissed it.

But it happened again when you once pressed your entire torso to his in an embrace that caught him off guard while you rode him. Held him to your heart until you both found your release.

Azriel figured this was just another avenue of indulgence you sought from him. Pretences of intimacy. If you could enjoy them, so would he. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with that, even when he began seeking you out over his other lovers. He was still in control.

It was the morning after he’d spent the night at your house. He awoke early, his circadian rhythm in tune with his perfectionism. His fingers felt across the sheets—just to gain his bearings. The sheets felt cold. Good, he insisted. This suited him better anyways.

He dressed, washed up, and made his way out. Maybe you had an early shift, or you liked to meditate. It didn’t matter, it was just his spymaster mind naturally seeking answers. In the kitchen, you were nowhere to be seen, but a singular plate on the island caught his eye.

It was homemade banana bread, each slice in a neat paper wrapper. Beside the plate, there was a note.

Gluten-free, sweetened with honey, full of organic nuts for protein. Made yesterday evening. Hope you like ‘em! Had to run to meet with a friend.

Huh.

Azriel wondered if you’d prepared them specifically for him, or if you just happened to have similar nutritional regiments. He took a slice, leaving your apartment.

He strolled, basking in the emptiness in the streets so early in the morning, and admittedly, the banana bread was very good. Who did you have to meet so early in the morning? Or was it a means to keep him an arm's length away? If anything, that was appropriate—it was simply an occupational by-product to find curiosity in everything. Azriel pushed the thoughts aside, finishing his dillydallying, and winnowed home.

~

Cassian sat next to Azriel in the lounge while everyone transferred there after dinner. He hadn’t seen his brother all day with their respectively packed schedules, but Rhys called an impromptu gathering at the Town House.

“Long night last night?” Cassian asked.

Azriel shrugged. “It was fine.”

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“Just another girl. Kind of bubbly.”

“I didn’t know that was your type,” Cassian laughed.

“It’s not. Just trying something new.”

Cassian shook his head, chuckling. “Long as you’re happy.”

Azriel didn’t know if he was necessarily happy, but an image flashed in his head of you baking in your apartment. If you had that concentrated furrow in your brows while you worked.

“What was the meeting called for, again?” he changed the subject.

Cassian shrugged. “Nesta had some new contact she thought would help with research.”

On cue, the twin wraiths entered the space. “Your guest is here,” Nuala spoke, stepping aside.

Azriel’s eyes widened as you walked right into his living room.

Nesta stood from her seat. You squeezed her in a tight embrace, joy unconcealed as you laughed brightly. Nesta began introducing you to everyone who you greeted with similar enthusiasm, the sweetness practically dripping off you. Your pretty smiles and firm handshakes had everyone matching your warm energy, and Azriel found his throat going dry.

Your eyes scanned the room, halting and widening when you spotted him. Then snapped back to the High Lord who was asking you about archive sources for the library.

“I—I have a friend who works in the Day Court. They—um—” another glance at Azriel, cheeks bright red— “they accidentally duplicated some texts. I’ll get the details for you soon.”

Cassian noted your glances at Azriel, not necessarily a rare sight for females to be smitten by him, but when he saw his brother’s shadows snaking the ground hastily—a tell of Azriel’s restlessness—Cassian narrowed his eyes.

You made your way over, shaking hands with the General, pointedly avoiding Azriel’s eye. Cassian tried to ease your apprehension by smiling kindly, making a joke about walking into a den of vipers to which you laughed.

Then it was Azriel’s turn, and he was facing his lover in front of his entire family.

You stared up at Azriel, brows raised and eyes wide like a doe. Your blushing cheeks and nervous fidgeting had Azriel biting back a smile despite the ordeal, unexpectedly amused by the fluster. It was adorable.

Azriel stuck out his hand, seeking to ease your nerves, surprising even himself at the urge. You placed your hand in his, still hesitant. “Y/N,” he spoke softly. “Nesta introduced us earlier,” he lied.

“Oh. Yes. It’s good to see you again, Azriel,” you quickly recovered, and Azriel was impressed, resisting the upward tug of his lips.

His shadows whispered of Nesta frowning at the lie, then just as quickly, her mouth parting in realization. She came over, pointedly staring at Azriel, then looped her arm through yours and guided you to sit as everyone retook their seats.

Conversation resumed. You were occupied with the High Lord and Lady, answering questions about the texts. Azriel glimpsed at you again, taking in how expressive you naturally were, how he could read your every emotion. The way your eyes shone when you showed interest in something, how you nodded eagerly. He’d always taken pleasure in how responsive you were, but he’d rarely seen you outside the bedroom; didn’t get to enjoy it otherwise. Cassian leaned over to Azriel. “Not your type, hey?”

“Shut up,” Azriel muttered as Cassian chuckled.

Someone eventually brought out Rhys’s good wine, and the group indulged themselves. You listened eagerly as Cassian told stories at Azriel’s expense, peering over at him shyly. Azriel couldn’t help but wink, making you blush all over again and break his gaze.

Soon the respective couples began retiring. Nesta was making promises about meeting with you again when she suddenly faced Azriel, mischief bright in her eyes. “Azriel can fly you home, Y/N. Have a goodnight.” She rose, taking Cassian’s hand who was biting back a laugh.

When the room finally cleared, it was just you and Azriel.

You faced him. “Azriel, I’m sorry—I didn’t know this was your house,” you stammered. Azriel had never seen you so nervous before.

“It’s alright, this was an unexpected… coincidence. I hope it wasn’t uncomfortable for you.”

Your brows rose earnestly. “No, your friends are lovely. I just hope you’re not upset or anything.”

Azriel shook his head. “Not at all.” He scanned your tense form. “It’s alright, I’m not upset.”

You nodded, forcing a tight smile. “I can just walk home by myself, it’s okay.” You collected your bag, looking to the door, but Azriel found himself speaking before he thought twice.

“I didn’t know you knew Nesta.”

Your attention was drawn back. “I met her at a bookstore a while back. I was just with her this morning.”

Ah. “So that’s who you snuck off to see,” Azriel smiled teasingly.  

You gaped for a beat before smiling comfortably. “We had a very important meeting.” You finally seemed to relax; he found himself wanting more.

“Is my company so dull that you needed to replace it with books at eight in the morning?”

You laughed openly now, making Azriel grin. “Oh, yes. Real monotonous guy. Quite the prude.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Azriel stepped closer, and you craned your neck back. “I’m just not doing it for you?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“You’re not enjoying yourself?” he murmured.

You shook your head, staring up at him as he stepped even closer.

Then he bent to whisper in your ear. “That’s not what it felt like.”

Azriel relished the sight of your mouth parting in shock. Then your eyes narrowed, and you rose on your tiptoes to whisper back, “You can’t prove that.”

His brows rose. “Is that a challenge?”

You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I suppose.”

Azriel shook his head, glaring playfully as he weighed his options. He’s never brought a lover home. All escapades were done at their houses or some ulterior location. He eyed the stairs, wondering if he could muster the willpower to turn you down, especially with the way you were looking up at him.

When he met your gaze again, he knew there wasn’t a chance in hell. He scoffed, wrapping an arm around your waist, and winnowed to his room.

You gasped, clutching onto him before the world rematerialized. Never in your wildest dreams did you imagine you’d be here, that Azriel would ever let you in like this. You stepped out of his hold, nervousness creeping up on you all over again. Azriel was the most enigmatic male you’d ever come across, but this felt unpredictable even for him.

Azriel watched you pace, taking in his space in the dark. Watched as you crossed your arms across your abdomen, the stress he’d noted in your body earlier becoming visible again.

Worst of all, Azriel had the distinct urge to comfort the anxiety away. Again.

You’d lounged with his family, and now he bore witness to the sight of you in his room. It was too intimate. It broke his rules, taunted his discipline.

Azriel walked over to where you stood near the window, and you turned to face him. He brought a hand up to the back of your neck, cradling it. “Have you changed your mind?” he asked lowly.

“No,” you stepped closer to him.

Azriel kissed you. There was nothing soft about the way he moved his mouth, how he pressed into you demandingly. He felt your gasp in his mouth, gripping you tighter to him. His other hand moved through your hair, fisting it at the scalp and tugging it back for more access.

Your hands flew to his shoulders, matching his fervour, and it only spurred him on. He walked you back to his bed, yanking at your clothes blindly, stripping you without releasing your mouth.

You were naked by the time your knees hit the mattress, and Azriel broke off to watch you fall back into the bed.

His bed.

He growled and began yanking off his clothes. He crawled to where you lay, hovering over your body. Your legs widened instinctually, allowing him to cushion his hardening length against your core, relishing in the warmth. He ground into you, kissing your neck. Your gasps were frequent, hands carding through his hair as your hips bucked of their own accord against his movement. You reached down between your bodies and stroked his length. Azriel shuddered, leaning into your touch. But then you looked up at him again with those damned eyes, and Azriel’s breath caught.

“Turn around,” he rasped.

You stared for a beat, brows faintly pinching before obliging him. He lifted off you to give you the breadth to turn, watching as you braced yourself on your hands and knees.

Azriel stroked himself against you a few more times before easing in, groaning at the tight fit. He waited a few moments as you adjusted to the stretch before he began moving.

Azriel had never made love before, but even when he regularly fucked his women, he did so within the limits of what they wanted. What they could take. But as he repeatedly withdrew and buried himself, there was a distinct urge to take you harder. Like being rougher would salvage his detachment, annul any inklings of intimacy. Erase the etching of your wide-eyed gaze from his consciousness. So he pounded hard, savouring how you massaged him from the inside. How you arched forward from the force, bracing yourself on your forearms from the harsh snap of his hips.

He’d taken you from the back before, but even then, you’d managed to work some tender touch into the act; grasping his hands where they gripped your hips, a stroke to his thighs from beneath your body. But this time, you weren’t making any attempts as he jackknifed again and again.

No soft touches.

That observation grounded Azriel in the haze of his unrelenting carnal chase. He studied your form. You were panting, taking him well and clenching around his length, but he noted that tension was still present in your body—your shoulders and back were stiff. Azriel gentled his thrusting. “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” you breathed. Then you reached a hand back as if to touch his reassuringly, but you froze mid-reach and retracted it. That sent an ugly pang through his chest.

Your words from before echoed in his mind. I hope you’re not upset.

Azriel halted inside you.

He was a bastard for making you endure his callousness.

You pushed back against him, trying to urge him on, but Azriel didn’t let up, holding your hips firmly in place. “Why’d you stop?” you whined.

Because you’re not touching me like you usually do.

It was like cold water to the face, realizing what he wanted.

But Azriel couldn’t explain it. Didn’t want to admit to it—the urge to treat you softly, to soothe away your worry. That he sought your caresses. So he didn’t try to verbalize it. Instead, he pulled out, gently guiding you onto your back, and lowered himself to his forearms on either side of your head. You stared in awe.

When he entered you this time, it was slower, more intentional. Immediately, your face contorted in pleasure, and Azriel could feel how your body eased beneath his, how you relaxed. And when he lowered his mouth to yours, you sighed. He kissed you deeply and softly. Sweetly. You couldn’t help but wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him tighter to your torso, to wrap your legs firmly around his waist. Azriel’s deep groan reverberated through your chest, bringing you back to the edge of release.

He moved with deliberate, deep strokes, adjusting according to how you responded, which angles made you gasp. There was no space between your bodies; with each push, you felt him everywhere, felt him brush against your breasts, felt his hips move languidly between your trembling thighs.

He noted how close you were from your writhing against him, how you arched further into his heaving chest. So he snaked a hand down to your apex and rubbed gentle circles, tipping you over the edge. Release tore through you, and you couldn’t breathe, white-hot ecstasy coursing through you as he worked you through it. He raised his head to watch you fall apart.

When the waves abated, you pulled his head down against yours, his cheekbone resting directly against your lips. His eyes fluttered shut when you stroked his other cheek softly, whispering breathily for him to let go, baby, let go, and you felt his orgasm tear through him, how it erupted warm bursts of his seed deep in your belly. You kept stroking his cheek as he came down, only releasing him when he stopped shuddering.

When he pulled back and looked at you, there was something in his eyes you’d never seen before. Then, a tiny smile tugged the edges of his lips up, and he finally removed himself from you, laying next to you.

Before you could even consider whether he wanted you to stay, Azriel tugged the sheet over your body and wordlessly caressed your hip. By his standards, it was an invitation if you’ve ever seen one, so you silently shuffled closer with your back to him and basked in the way he pulled you to his chest.

For the first time, Azriel initiated the soft touches. He cupped your shoulders, stroking down your arms to your hands, interweaving his fingers with yours with his palms cradling the back of your hands. He crossed your clasped hands across your abdomen.

You sighed, pressing closer to his chest, savouring his body heat. He’d never held you like this—never held you at all. “You’re so warm, Az,” you breathed, squeezing his fingers.

Rules be damned, he thought.

When he was sure you’d fallen asleep, he whispered, “You bring it out of me.”

~

Azriel awoke; the remnants of a feeling lingering in his mind… something peaceful. Something hopeful.

You’d stayed the night. At his house. Slept in his arms.

He reached across the sheets. When they were cold, he couldn’t lie to himself, couldn’t deny his disappointment.

Had he taken it too far? Was it because he’d been so rough before he gentled himself?

Azriel frowned, rising out of bed.

It was ten in the morning. He’d slept in. Whatever’d gotten under his skin lately was really giving him a run for his money. He had a sinking feeling it had to do with a bubbly girl with a wide-eyed stare.

Azriel entered the kitchen, finding his entire family already eating.

“Late morning?” Cassian grinned.

“Late night, more like,” Rhys added as Azriel rolled his eyes, taking his seat.

The food tasted bland. Azriel frowned into his coffee; why did it bother him this much? You were only doing what he always did—leaving immediately. Should he expect something different just because he’d been soft with you?

Then Nesta entered the kitchen, and you walked in right behind her.

Azriel’s eyes widened, and you halted. “Oh,” you breathed.

Nesta smiled devilishly. “I was just showing Y/N the library while you slept in, Azriel.”

Oh.

Azriel nodded in silence, finding his plate suddenly very interesting.

“I—I’m just going to get my bag,” you said, turning to leave hurriedly.

In your absence, all eyes turned to Azriel, who let out a longwinded exhale. When he deigned to look, everyone was smirking.

“Looks like someone had a big boy sleepover,” Mor teased.

Cassian drawled, “Anything you’d like to share, Az?”

“Not particularly,” Azriel replied, standing to leave, ignoring the innuendos tossed around, the wolf whistle sounding above the laughter.

Azriel walked back to his room, an unexpected nervousness creeping up on him. You stood inside. “Y/N,” he spoke softly, drawing your attention.

“Azriel, I don’t mean to impose. I didn’t know your friends would be in the kitchen.”

He shook his head. “It’s alright. You’re not imposing. I’m—I’m glad you stayed,” his cheeks warmed at his own admission.

You bit your lip. “It’s just—I know you’re very… um, particular. With your methods.”

Azriel smiled. “My methods?”

You fidgeted, smiling shyly. “Mhm.”

He walked closer. “Well, it seems you’re making a rulebreaker out of me.”

Your eyes narrowed, glinting with mischief.

“Will you stay for breakfast?” He beamed when your mouth parted, fond of your candid nature. “Unfortunately, I can’t say I baked any pastries for you.”

But you quickly recovered, glaring accusatorily. “Who’s to say those were for you?”

There was that sass he adored. Azriel laughed. “My apologies for assuming.”

You gazed up at him in wonder. “I’d love to. It’s just—you know, your prude tendencies,” you shrugged. “They’re not to my liking.”  

Azriel chuckled. “Not the prude tendencies again.”

You smiled warmly. “I didn’t think I’d be—you know… I didn’t account for our time. I have to run, unfortunately.” Damn. Before he could sit with the sting of disappointment, you continued. “But I’m gonna be really hungry this evening.”

“Dinner, then?”

You touched a hand softly to his arm. He wondered if you knew what those touches did to him. “Yes, dinner. I’ll see you at seven, Shadowsinger.”

Moments later, as Azriel stood by the foyer window watching you leave, Cassian approached him, leaning over his shoulder. “Look’s like someone’s got a soft spot,” he muttered. Azriel scoffed, but the words rang true. Cassian added, “I’m happy for you. Are you happy?”

Azriel unwittingly smiled as you turned at the end of the street, peering over your shoulder, catching his eye and winking.

“Yeah, I’m happy.”

~

taglist: @iimisty-a @feyretopia @aroseinvelaris @cullenswife @reiincarnatiion @sfhsgrad-blog @answer-the-sirens @mrstangerinejohnson @marigold-morelli @courtofjurdan @azriels-mate123 @emotionless-lover @marina468 @slvtherinseeker @owllover123 @banasheefan56 @nyotamalfoy

[s3ggsypiranha]

mean streak (pt. 2)

synopsis you were a cruel mistress and a beguiling puzzle. as a favour for his little brother, neteyam trades some more of his dignity to pick your brain. just who were you exactly?

⚝ neteyam sully x fem!metkayina reader

⚝ tags: fluff for masochists, metkayina family bonding fr, tonowari moment, neteyam is down bad but denial is a river by doechii, if you hadn’t guessed it alrdy, reader is na’vi-fied kat stratford

⚝ wc: 3.8k | a/n: im loving all the love for mean streak pt 1, you guys are the goat fr, internet hugs for everyone 🫶🫶 this took so long but i had so much fun churning this out :>

⚝ taglist: @rafslytherin @slipup0567 @carolineesnell @21-princess @emilymikado @sg-obsessedfreak @yumimak @anonymjuni @ginsenqi @lxon-kxnnedy @tireyun @sasluvscats @y2unagiz @jailbby @eliankm @erenjaegerwifee @tsumuus @xoxotuti @ashrocker123 @laurenow87 @trees-are-books @moradogreen @levi-09

⚝ glossary: sa'nu - mum, mommy | tìmuntxa - mating, marriage | pxazang - akula (shark-like Pandoran creature) | 'tsmuke'tsyip - little sister | 'eveng - child | iknimaya - stairway to heaven, the rite of passage for young na'vi

⚝ series masterlist

(ps. pls don't repost, im absolutely fine w reblogs)

You weren't always horrid.

Believe it or not, there was a time you walked around sporting the skin of a much more idealistic, people-oriented person. Strangers saw you as a friendly face, acquaintances thought you were amiable, and close companions knew you as an honest, real friend. Things were good. You had it all going for you.

Until you got fed up.

At least, that was the general word around Awa'atlu.

All that was known was that something in your demeanor had shifted shortly after your appointment as the clan's tsakarem. But only you could know the truth behind this sudden personality transplant. And why, one day, you vowed that people simply sucked and you were the only person who could truly understand yourself, shedding the flesh of amiability to become a jaded creature.

Otherwise known as a heinous bitch, as Ao'nung so delicately put it at the breakfast table.

"You're funny," you laughed before pinching his ear, "Go on, say it again-"

"Sa'nu, she's doing it again!"

"Unhand your brother at once," your mother requested without conviction.

Ronal sighed with a squeeze of her temple, "It is too early in the day for all this foolishness."

Tsireya tilted her head, reason glinting in her eyes. Be nice, you know it is a trying time for mother.

In all honesty, she, too, was aware of your brother's susceptibility to merit a justified ass-kicking. Not that you were any better with your acerbic tendencies.

You raised a brow innocently. I am nice… on occasion.

You let go of Ao'nung's purpled ear. He cradled it, bitterly sticking his tongue out at you.

"Charming, little brother, charming."

"I am surprised you even know what charm is, being our village beast and all."

You raised a blunt knife at him, stabbing your cooked fish with the pointy end as you mercilessly de-boned the already dead animal, head to tail. This only served to prove his point.

"You're lucky we share blood or I would have finished the job your umbilical cord failed to do."

"Guys!" Tsireya piped.

Contrary to what you had said, you thought Ao'nung was a cute baby when you saw him fresh as morning dew from your mother's womb for the first time. Babbling was adorable on him as an infant. As a teenage boy, not so much. Regardless, you would kill for that boy.

"Children, I wish to speak with your sister," Ronal professed, shooing your siblings out of the room.

Ao'nung took the liberty to 'ooh' exaggeratedly. You threw your leftovers at him as he ducked out the marui after your sister. Skxawng.

"Are you quite finished?"

You smiled modestly. "Sorry, mother, what was it you wished to discuss?"

Ronal watched as you shoved fillet into your mouth between words.

"As you know, our clan encountered a threat never before seen this past year."

"We Metkayina are pacifists. That was our first brush with war. War with the sky people, no less." She strutted imposingly around you, "As the voice of Eywa in these matters, your father and I intend for it to be the last."

"Of course, with the presence of the newcomers, one cannot be sure. As tsahik, and your father, as olo'eyktan, we believe…"

Dear Eywa, no good ever came about whenever your mother threw around titles in a conversation.

"…that brokering alliances within the clans of the ocean is paramount in securing our safety."

You picked at the skin around your right thumb.

"We have arranged for you to meet with the eligible son of our neighboring reef clan's olo'eykte-"

You peeled it frenetically.

"-to consider as a mate."

It tore, bleeding.

No, no, no...

"No!"

"No?" Ronal echoed, eyes reduced to poisonous slits.

"Tìmuntxa! Sa'nok, really?!" you bounced up.

"Your father and I…"

"Sempul!" you scoffed, pacing, "Oh please, this has you written all over it, mother."

"Selfish child!" She sneered, "You would do well to pay heed for this is larger than you are."

You couldn't bring yourself to look at her.

"Ma'ite, we care for your happiness, we do."

Your eyes, stinging with the saltiness of incoming tears, noted that there was a hole in the weaved wall of your marui. Somebody should fix that.

"But we cannot sit around wishing for peace."

Ronal touched your shoulder gently, much composed now, "Now, you must listen and do your part."

You must listen and do your part.

Tough love, much?

Of course, nothing was kept from your siblings for long. Tsireya pestered you about it, glued to your side like a barnacle during tsahik lessons.

"So, tìmuntxa, huh?" Tsireya bounced her knee, engraving a footprint in the sand as you grinded herbs absentmindedly.

"Yes…tìmuntxa."

"I do not know what to say except, maybe, and that is quite a maybe…"

"Maybe?" you asked.

"It won't be as bad as you make it."

"Me and marriage?" You chortled. "No chance."

Tsireya managed a smile.

"Why do you say so, tsmuke?"

"Have you seen the prospects around here? All unwashed cretins." You deadpanned, wiping sweat off your brow. Less a question, more a general statement.

"I would sooner take my chances with a pxazang."

"Oh, but the poor creature," your sister lamented.

"I know," you smirked, "It hardly seems fair."

Tsireya toyed with a tendril of her curly hair.

"Lo'ak washes," she blurts, "I think."

You gasped, scandalized, throwing a used cloth her way. Tsireya was quick to catch it, her fit of giggles growing into full-fledged laughter that you couldn't help but be infected by.

"I really do not know what you see in that boy, 'Reya."

"That is because you don't see him."

You were taken a bit aback. Tsireya wouldn't make a statement like that from nowhere. And she nods, so genuine and so sure of herself but you doubt. Because that was your job. This is your sister. Your sister who wept for the first fish Ao'nung caught when you were but little children.

"'tsmuke'tsyip," you tutted, "Boys are good fun, they are. But you'll have plenty of time for that when you grow into your own."

Tsireya's ears drooped, feeling sorely misunderstood. "It is not fair-"

"What is not fair?"

The two of you perked up at the sound of the imperial tone that unmistakably belonged to one person.

"We see you, sempul," you chorused.

"Girls," Tonowari eyed you, "I did not recall gossip being a crucial part of your training."

"Of course not-" "Father, we weren't-"

"Great mother, it is not about boys, is it?" Your father crossed his arms accusingly.

You and Tsireya shared a look, confirming his thoughts.

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "I gather it is about that Sully boy?"

Oh, shit, who were you kidding, this man was a walking lie detector.

"If you must know, yes, it was," you spoke up, "Tsireya?"

She grinned nervously at you, sirens flashing in her eyes. What are you doing, he isn't supposed to know, you promised, what ever happened to girl code-

Tsireya held out her hands placatingly, "Please, father, it is not like that at all-"

"What is it like, my child? Eywa forbid, does he intend to court you?" He placed a hand over his mouth as if a most unfathomable thing crossed his mind, "Need I remind you, until you are old enough, we have only a few rules."

Here you go again. This spiel was older than Pandora herself.

"One, no boys," he affirmed. "Two, no courtship."

"-with boys."

"Father!" Tsireya rebutted, hearts in her irises, "Is it not enough that Lo'ak is Toruk Makto's son and a true member of this clan? Has he not proven himself? He is wonderful and- and I like him."

Tonowari broke out into a hearty laugh. Impossibly fast, his smile drops as quickly as he puts it on. You can't shake off the shiver that passes through the both of you.

"No. Or better yet, no courtship for you until your sister enters one."

"Mm, and I intend never to do so," you reinforced, earning a pat on the back from your old man.

Tsireya huffed silently as she trudged away.

You faced your father with a sweet, spoiled smile. "Does this mean I still have to meet with the olo'eykte's son?"

"Ah," Tonowari scratched his head, "Yes, you must."

He never could say no to his mate. It was as if she always held a knife to his jugular. You always figured your father was some breed of masochist for loving her in spite of it.

"But, sempul…"

"You understand how it is with your mother," he reasoned softly, then became firm once more. "Run along now, 'eveng."

You walked away, rendered as indignant as your sister. You wondered where that girl was. Your conversation was hardly over.

Now, it wasn't Tsireya's first experience falling victim to your refusal to let her live her own life. She knew it stemmed from a place of love. A protective, suffocating love that often felt like a comfortable prison, but a prison nonetheless. She longed to love freely without repercussions. No amount of no altered that fact. What did you expect? The heart wants what it wants.

So, predictably, she turned to someone who shared the same plight.

"Lo'ak!"

"Hey," he smiled, accepting her hands shyly with relief, "for a minute there, I thought you weren't gonna show."

"Nonsense." Tsireya regarded him through her lashes, mouth curling into a frown.

"What is wrong, ma'txampay-syulang?"

My ocean flower. Ever the smooth operator. Tsireya couldn't stifle the snicker that passed through her frowning lips.

"It is silly that you still try to call me that."

He placed a hand on his chest, offended, "You know you like it."

She rolled her eyes, pulling away with a chuckle.

"Seriously, do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

Tsireya sighed, "I do not think this," she gestured to the both of them, "is such a good idea."

"Woah, where is this coming from?" Lo'ak fussed, joining her in the water.

"Oh, you know, father," she shrugged, "…and my sister."

"'Course."

"Listen, Lo'ak. I care about you deeply," Tsireya touched his forearm lightly, "It is just that father insists I cannot hang around boys until my sister herself agrees to be courted."

"Hey, let's not stress. How about the 'prospective mate' business with your mom? Any news?"

"It is not that easy. If you knew my sister, you would know that kind of thing won’t stop her," she smiled wryly, "I know it is a stupid rule, but I hope you can understand me."

Lo'ak melted under her gaze, completely captivated until she began to turn away. The absence of Tsireya's bright eyes snapped him back into the present. Not that there were any around but, by Eywa, he'd would throw himself at a thanator if she asked nicely.

"'Reya, wait, that's perfect!" he grinned impishly, tucking a stray hair behind her perked-up ear, "Don't worry your pretty head about it, just leave everything to me."

Perplexed, Tsireya watched her cosmic loverboy splash out onto shore with fierce determination.

The past evening weighed on Neteyam's soul as he ambled along the village at dawn.

Throughout his life, he had his fair share of occasional shortcomings. Emphasis on occasional. He was, after all, the proclaimed golden child of the family. But never in his fifteen years had he suffered a failure as monumental as his sour interaction with the olo'eyktan's daughter.

You. Cruel, confusing you.

Your rejection simmered in his mind, raising all sorts of thoughts, turning into questions, which turned into insecurities he didn't even know he had.

What wasn't there to like about Neteyam? He was kind, charismatic, inviting, and, at the risk of tooting his own horn, he didn't think he was a bad-looking guy. Looks were inevitable, what with the blessing known as the Sully gene pool. In short, he never had a problem winning people over at the snap of a finger. He was universally adored.

Except by one.

In all fairness, you weren't known to make exceptions. Though, it didn't exactly even the playing field when it came to all this courting business.

That's right. Just when Neteyam thought the situation couldn't possibly get any worse, Lo'ak's antics reached a new low with a lovely new development from within enemy lines.

"Get this, Tonowari's a complete psycho. The guy just won't let Tsireya date."

"Bummer, baby bro," Neteyam shrugged, feigning despair, "I guess we've got no choice but to fall back..."

"Uh-uh, let me finish."

"Don't tell me there's a catch."

"Oh, there's a catch alright," Lo'ak wagered with a conniving smirk, "Tsireya can't date unless big sis, over here, does. That's where you come in."

Easier said than done. How the hell was anybody going to manage that? Least of all, him?

Lo'ak suggested feeding him hackneyed pickup lines through comms, which Neteyam concluded was an absurd idea. To say that would never work was an understatement. He could talk to girls, for Eywa's sake. Although, with every hour that passed since his fumble, you appeared more like an impenetrable fortress than a cute girl.

He'd never admit that out loud. The last part, anyway.

In the haze of his introspection, he didn't even realize that he was bound for a collision course into a poor person.

Oh, shit. Talk about a sign from the cosmos.

Neteyam shook his head in realization, braids rebounding. "Oh, sorry."

You rolled your eyes without so much as a greeting, heading from point A to somewhere.

"So," Neteyam followed suit, feet on autopilot as he pursued you, "bumping into people now, huh?"

"That's one way to get a guy's attention," he remarked.

"Ah, it is my only purpose in life," you sing-songed, "but, obviously, I seem to have summoned you here so I guess I can say I have succeeded. The world is right again."

He chuckled girlishly. Now, this. This was jarring. Here was a persistent Neteyam Sully by your side, helping himself to a giggle at what you had to say. The solar system had to be out of balance.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Not that it is any of your business," you picked up your pace, "but early morning training."

"No way, I'm headed there too!"

You had to scoff.

"Don't you have a tree to climb or something? A bush you can scamper off into?"

"First of all, offensive," he counted, "And second, I happen to really like training. It's good for the body."

Annoyingly enough, it was true. Neteyam tapped his heart, a few inches away from which a healed scar sat. You looked away abruptly as if your eyes were singed.

"I am not begging for your forgiveness, by the way, if that was what you were asking," you ran a hand through your curls with a snort. Neteyam had to buy himself a glance, even the tiniest one, but before he knew it you had dashed for the training compound.

Not even a few minutes in and you were so desperate to get away. Neteyam waded through a sea of young fighters to reconnect with you. You had taken to abusing a bag of sand, no doubt releasing some pent-up frustration through your fists. He tilted his head with a smile, chin leisurely rested in his hand.

You halted, eyeing him up and down. His amusement was a stranger to you and, honestly, you had to stave off the discomfort tingling in your skin from the way he stared.

Neteyam caught a blade you tossed his way.

"Okay, I get it," he raised an alarmed hand, "Early morning assassination attempt, very cool."

"Do not flatter yourself," you suppressed a chortle, "It is blunt."

He raised a brow as you assumed fighting stance, beckoning him over.

"If you plan to just stand there like an idiot, I don't suppose you would like to at least be a useful idiot."

"Of course," Neteyam obliged with a grin, swinging the weapon in his nimble hands.

You swung your knife with a lunge, movements aggressive as you worked on disarming him. He was quick to counter your attacks, blocking your attempts at every turn. Although Neteyam could beat you in a heartbeat, he settled for the back-and-forth you had eased into. He found himself savoring the image of you, all fierce-eyed, with tightly-knit brows and flared nostrils, indignant huffs escaping your lips now and again.

It was kind of endearing.

"Alright, forest boy," you conceded, "That's enough."

After a while, you accepted you couldn't beat him out of this stalemate.

"Seriously?" Neteyam watched, intent, as you curled indignantly into a ball on the sand, panting. "I didn't expect you to go down without a fight."

"Well, I am not invincible and, besides," you had to admit, though, with a begrudging eye-roll to maintain some semblance of animosity, "The way you fight... you are good."

Neteyam couldn't believe what he was hearing. You thought he was good. And then he began to smile, rather stupidly.

"Could it be that the fierce tsakarem of the Metkayina is actually being nice to me?" He reached out his arm, "There's a chance I'm still asleep, you'll have to pinch me."

"Is that-" you stood, eyes widened in mock horror, "Did your head just double in size?"

He clicked his tongue, "You know what you said."

You narrowed said eyes. Neteyam raised his hands appeasingly, suddenly struck by the image of Ronal ushering them back home after asking your clan for uturu.

"You know," He fiddled with the handle of his blade, "You're not so bad yourself."

Neteyam could have sworn he incited a smile. But it was gone as quick as he saw it, like one of those rare shells Tuk sought after then always complained when they washed away too fast for her liking.

You shook your head, unimpressed, as you brushed past him to retrieve some weapon.

His eyes traced an intricate path of ink along your forearm, a formidable symbol of your bygone iknimaya. It must have been quite the undertaking. He put it on the table after his family's arrival in your village, a time when he tried to acclimatize to your ways as fast as possible, pull his weight in clan duties to win the good faith of your people, become true Metkayina in their eyes.

At least then, Ao'nung would have the good sense not to pull on his tail all the damn time. Perhaps there would be a tiny chance that even you would take him seriously.

Praise Eywa, that was it.

"You fight well," he pressed on. "I think you've got all the right instincts."

"But I guess your technique could use a bit of work," he shrugged.

You raised an accusatory brow.

"Don't get me wrong, I mean- I trained a fair share of young warriors back home-"

"Your point?"

Boy, he'd gone and done it now. He just had to criticize. You must have been pissed off. Any chance of his plan to get you to warm up to him was near to being snuffed out at this point.

"Point being, if you ever needed help brushing up on your skills. I know somebody who would be into that."

His hand took a sudden interest in scratching his nape. Neteyam fully expected you to lecture him, disparage him, just something.

"Oh-kay," you stretched your arms, apparently unfazed, "Thanks for the offer."

"You're welcome?" he shrieked then cleared his throat, "Yeah, you're welcome."

A beat of silence burned his nervous ears.

"I am sensing there's more, though," you observed, looking down at him. "Am I right?"

"Busted," he yielded.

"Out with it then," you hassled.

He raised his heels up and down.

"Well, our brothers are undergoing their iknimaya in a few weeks," he began, teeth clamping down on his bottom lip, "And I plan to join them."

You yawned.

"Though, the truth is, I do not exactly know what I am getting myself into so I thought I would uh- enlist your help?"

"What?" you rubbed your face, "I thought you achieved iknimaya back home."

"I have," his tail wagged aimlessly. "But this is a different case. Different clan. It hasn't exactly been easy to belong all this time so this is important to me, in a way."

You removed the hand shielding your eyes, disarmed by this sudden display of vulnerability.

"Okay," you snorted. "Of all people, why ask me?"

"Word of mouth," he smiled submissively. "According to legend, you have a bit of a reputation for being one of the best."

You raised both brows. Neteyam noted that the apples of your cheeks slightly purpled at the mention of your past prowess.

You crossed your arms, chuckling insidiously. "What makes you think I would even want to help you?"

He shook his head with a growing smirk.

"I am not convinced you're as mean as they say you are."

Your face contorted in disbelief.

"Incorrect," you scoffed. "And I am not interested."

"Come on- at least think about it, I'd be hopeless without you-"

"You see, I just cannot bring myself to care."

Neteyam bit his lip, scanning you for a second, before heaving a sigh.

"Nevermind, you're probably busy all the time." he resigned, "I am sorry for asking, thanks anyways."

You watched coldly as he began to lug himself away, head hung low. What a skxawng. Only a fool would expect you to go out of your way for the sake of altruism. It was the right call. You hardly had the time, always preoccupied by some pressing matter or other. In what world would you sacrifice yourself in an act of goodwill?

You tapped your foot frantically as he gradually came out of view.

Your mind seemed to want you to stay put, but it was as if your cursed feet had other plans, sweeping you towards the direction in which he had disappeared.

Eywa help you for what you deigned to do next.

"Neteyam!"

He came to a halt halfway across the beach. You jogged up to face him.

"Okay."

"Okay, what?" Neteyam looked at you expectantly.

You exhaled harshly.

"I'll... help you."

"You will?"

You blinked, groaning inwardly.

"Yes..."

He exaggeratedly fell to his knees. "Oh, thank you, Great Mother, thank you."

"Get up," you chided. "I will help you but it won't be easy. I will not be easy on you."

Neteyam rejoiced, shit-eating canines making an appearance as he beamed at you.

"I expect nothing less."

You walked onwards.

"We will train at dawn so I expect your mornings for the rest of this week to be free."

"Copy that," he saluted.

You creased your brows, surmising it must have been some kind of strange sky people-speak.

"You will not, under any circumstances, be late."

He muttered a meagre, "Uh-huh."

"I am serious," you insisted, "Otherwise, I won't bother-"

"Okay, okay- I think I got the message."

"Good."

You started to walk onwards, briskly nudging his shoulder.

"I look forward to it," he hollered.

You turned around with an unamused glare.

"And don't be cute about it."