#mountain nuts immediately

[feralghxuls]

guhhhhhhhH i wrote more mountaindew first time fic

its very rough so needs some editing before i post it but. damn these bitches GAY

[heirloomgem]

In which Jinwoo can be sly in ways he didn’t expect just for her

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except for my characters and plot. I’ve taken inspiration from Momo Art's comic.

Warning: Cockro- I’m not even going to say it. Sly Jinwoo😭

Y/n is Jinwoo’s childhood friend. He has met her since they moved right next to their apartment. 

If Jinwoo were asked to describe Y/n, he would describe her as a mountain. Unmoved by anything, steady and strong, mentally and emotionally. 

She has been a mountain for both Jinwoo and Jinah. Despite losing their parents under different circumstances, she has been there for them, in good and bad times.

She’s a strong woman, Jinwoo thought.

She has given him strength when he thought he couldn’t go on and to his sister, a mother figure to lean on.

She’s also kind. 

Growing up with a kind family, who has been kind to them when they needed help, it's no surprise she grew into such a beautiful person.

She has also been a constant in Jinwoo’s life. Even though at one point, Jinwoo thought of her as a stubborn and reckless person. 

He still remembers when he was still called the weakest hunter, the lowest in his rank.

One moment he was being insulted after a raid for getting injured before a blurred figure passed him. The next, he saw Y/n harshly grabbing the hunter’s shirt, snarling and swearing to the point even a sailor would be embarrassed. She almost choked the poor guy as well.

She had come on her own, carrying his lunch which he had forgotten when she saw how Jinwoo was being mistreated. This made her snap and charge recklessly, not even bothering that the guy was a hunter.

Soon, a scream of anguish erupted throughout the area as the man crouched down, holding his family jewels. Y/n kicked the guy in the nuts when he tried to pry and cursed at her.

The surrounding people and Jinwoo instinctually clutch their private area, trembling and paling at the sight. The guy was on his knees, mouth foaming and twitching.

Needless to say, it was chaotic after. Y/n was on the verge of being charged with assault if it weren’t for people stepping out and telling their grievances to the officer about the man. This guy has been insulting and assaulting people, especially female hunters. 

In the end, the case was dismissed and forgotten. The guy, whose balls are still in pain, was fired as a hunter and got charged instead.

It was also the first time Y/n learned that a cute and timid animal can be scary. She trembled when Jinwoo scolded her with a cold close-eyed smile once they got home.

Y/n remembered her auntie being an ice queen with a scary smile whenever she got angry at Jinwoo's father. She guesses blood doesn’t lie, like mother like son.

… 

Y/n is strong however there are times when she’s not. 

Whether to laugh or question the universe, Jinwoo couldn���t help but choose the former when he recall such a moment.

It was a normal day for the three of them and a rare day off for Jinwoo. He had a few days off to rest before he could participate again since he got injured from his last raid.

It might have been because of the summer heat, causing everything to feel humid when that thing came out.

Jinwoo, y/n, and his sister were lounging in the living room, relaxing when Y/n felt something crawling at her legs. Long spiny and hairy legs were felt on her skin.

Y/n breath shallowed and her body turned cold from the foreboding feeling. Lifting her head, two small black beady eyes stared back at her.

A piercing shriek echoed in the living room, shocking both siblings. 

Quickly looking at Y/n, Y/n stood up so fast she stumbled over and started thrashing around, causing it to fly overhead. (y/n refuses to say its name).

Seeing it, Jinah didn’t hesitate and screamed at the top of her lungs, joining her noona. (Jinah refuses to name the thing as well.) Immediately, taking cover.

Jinwoo stood up also when, suddenly, he found it hard to breathe.

Y/n had rammed into him and put her arms around him. If it were any other situation, Jinwoo would have enjoyed it. However, with how hard Y/n is gripping him, he’s sure he would die from this instead of the monsters he always faced.

Y/n called his name and he looked behind. 

With teary eyes, she pleaded, “Jinwoo, please kill it .” 

Jinwoo's lips twitched, feeling his ears burn and his cheeks flush. It’s illegal to look so cute while saying such disturbing words, he thought. Both things don’t match at all.

His sister screamed at him, this time without any reservation as it flew near her. This snapped Jinwoo from his dazed.

Jinwoo complained under his breath at his sister before he got to work but with difficulty as y/n clung to him. Yelling and hugging him tighter, when it got too close to them, his sister was not helping at all as she also screamed the whole time.

Can’t say he didn’t enjoy the whole fiasco though. Just recalling Y/n hugging him made him giddy and energetic for the next few days even if he started working again. The whole time they raid a dungeon, a silly smile stayed on his lips even when he got injured.

The other hunters couldn't help but secretly doubt that he might have finally lost it.

Now as an S-rank, witnessing such a similar event and feeling his darling’s arms around him as she clung for dear life. Jinwoo thoroughly enjoyed this bizarre situation. 

With only his pants on and shirtless, Jinwoo just finished taking a bath when all the chaos occurred and he found himself being tackled.

That thing was flying all over the place, crawling and stopping at a place before flying again.

This time, Jinwoo took his time to kill it.  Completely enjoying having his darling arms around him. 

Immersed with his darling, it didn’t even bother Jinwoo when his sister almost fainted from fright when it got too close to her.

Without his shirt, Jinwoo directly felt her body, Y/n skin is so soft compared to his and so warm. He could even feel his darling's brea-,Jinwoo cough, quickly interrupting his thoughts. He felt his cheeks blushing.

However once Jinwoo finished the job, he felt his darling’s arms swiftly disappear as she ran away from the bug’s corpse that Jinwoo was about to dispose of.

Jinwoo quickly missed his darlings embrace. Unfortunately, he can’t complain since he hasn’t confessed nor are they in a relationship yet.

He could only wait for such a situation again but it's so rare and only when it's summer do these critters come out.

Throwing the bug into the trash can along with the paper he used, that’s when an idea hit Jinwoo.

For a long moment, he eyed the corpse before him.

… 

It wasn’t long before such a situation occurred again and again. Every time, it just so happens that Y/n is in their apartment and it just so happens that Jinwoo is there. It also just so happens that thing appeared even though it's already the beginning of autumn.

Patting his darling's head, Jinwoo comforted and openly hugged her as she trembled in fear.

 Jinwoo thought, it couldn’t be helped since his darling may be strong but there are times when she’s also weak especially when it comes to it. 

He still found it cute no matter what.

Meanwhile, his sister, who has been sitting on the couch, throughout the whole thing, looks at him incredulously. 

Jinah had been suspicious of that accursed thing when it started appearing every time her noona came to visit and, conveniently, her brother was always there.

Her suspicion grew stronger when it never once approached her at all. One time when she decided that it was safe, Jinah observed it and realized that that thing had become her brother’s shadow soldier.

She saw purple highlights on its body similar to her brother's other soldiers. And her brother shamelessly used it to scare her noona nonstop so he could hug her to his heart's content

Jinah had half the mind to shout at her brother when her brother glanced at her.

Smirking before putting a finger in front of his lips, a gesture for her to stay silent before he went back to comforting his darling.

Jinah screamed in her heart in disbelief ‘What a sly sadistic evil man!’

She couldn't decide whether she should pray for her future sister-in-law from that thing or from her brother.

A/n: Thank you for reading. Please don’t hesitate to tell me what you think of sly Jinwoo.

Extra:

Igris: He felt tormented whether he should praise his liege or feel pity for their Lady's suffering.

Meanwhile the other shadows…

Beru: “As expected of our liege!”

Bellion: "Quite clever, my liege."

Other soldiers: Just happily cheering for their king without a thought.

{All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author}

[kateksmallcuteowl]

June 29: Single Parents/Uncles AU for an event by @bagginshieldweek24

I deeply regret that the challenge is a day late! Exams are merciless to me, and even though I started drawing in advance, I still couldn’t handle the deadline 😅 I promise to catch up with feedback tomorrow, after passing bioinformatics exam.

More headcanons and details under the cut>>

— It’s an alternative Middle-earth universe with hobbits, humans, dwarves, and elves, but set in modern times.

— Thorin grew up in Erebor in a royal family (which makes sense), is accustomed to good coffee, can distinguish different types, and knows which brewing devices are best. Now he has moved to London for work and discovered that both dwarf and human coffee shops would often use cheap beans or bad coffee machines, or they grind the beans incorrectly, or even set the wrong amount of grams of coffee per espresso shot. In general, they save money wherever they can, mostly selling the vibe and relying on the fact that taste isn’t important to most of the customers. Elves occupy the niche of coffee connoisseurs, but Thorin would rather drink filter coffee from a kettle on the roadside than go to elves. And then he discovers that hobbits, little hedonists, love good food and GOOD COFFEE! Of course, in hobbit cafes, he has to sit on low chairs and by the small tables, and at first, the other patrons looked at the dwarf in their company strangely, but it’s worth it. Thorin is willing to sit with a bent back if he gets a quiet and cozy atmosphere, excellent Wi-Fi, and delicious coffee (an office in London is good, but sometimes you need to get out of the four walls to not get nuts).

— Thorin rarely drinks pure espresso, preferring softer variations. He also has a sweet-tooth.

— Bilbo is a children’s book writer, mainly known for a series of fantasy novels about a brave hobbit who traveled over and under the mountains, rode in barrels, and played riddles in the dark (Bilbo, in canon, wrote his memoirs, which all hobbits except Merry and Frodo knew primarily for Hobbiton children, so I think he would primarily write for little hobbit kids).

— It’s not a real feather he uses, but a ballpoint pen with attached feathers, like those sold in souvenir shops. Bilbo bought it after a tour to the Tower of London. He likes the ✨vibe✨ and the fact that he can twirl the feather part around his lips when he’s thinking. (It’s literally an instruction on how to seduce Thorin)

— Mr. Baggins only drinks doppio. The cup is big compared to him because it’s hobbit ceramics, and the portion sizes for hobbits, who love treats, are no smaller than human ones.

— Bilbo has taken care of Frodo since his parents drowned in an accident. Frodo is about 8-9 years old here.

— I love the headcanon that hobbits’ ears react to their emotions, so the fact that Frodo doesn’t lower them when Bilbo scolds him is a good sign. Bilbo is a good uncle.

— Thorin and Bilbo have seen each other several times on Wednesdays. Usually, they don’t care about other patrons, but barista keept trying to serve a doppio to the stern scowling dwarf in black leather jacket, and a cappuccino with whipped cream to the little curly hobbit in a plaid sweater. They’ve had to swap their drinks several times.

— Thorin read Mr. Baggins’ books to his nephews in Erebor and quickly figured out who always sits at the table near the window in his favorite cafe. Thorin likes Bilbo’s books but doesn’t know if he’s married because he keeps his personal life private. Seeing Frodo, he immediately assumed he was Bilbo’s son, considering how the little hobbit looks at him.

— Bilbo immediately noticed the stern ( handsome) dwarf sitting with his eyes glued to his phone, but he always felt too awkward to speak with him. How do you even start a conversation with a stranger, especially from another race? So when Frodo, rather bluntly, commented on his appearance, of course, Bilbo was embarrassed. No, he absolutely agrees with Frodo. The exotic braids, unusual for short-haired hobbits, look amazing on the tall dwarf, and the iron clips highlight his blue eyes perfectly, but isn’t that a bit rude to point that out? Wouldn’t a dwarf decide that he is trying to mock his culture?

— Bilbo saw that while he was scolding Frodo, Thorin turned away and for some reason tugged angrily at his braid, so he decided to muster the courage and compliment him himself to ease the awkwardness and not seem rude (not at all because he would gladly say what Frodo did himself and not because Mr. Dwarf has much more attractive features he’d also like to make a comment on, not at all, what are you talking about, no-no-no).

— The dwarf didn’t seem offended at all.

— They started talking and found out that Thorin’s nephews love Bilbo’s books (Bilbo was flattered by this news. He’s still surprised when his books are read by anyone other than hobbits. (Gandalf didn’t tell him that his books are popular among all races. Mostly because for other races they play the role of kids books where main protagonist is a cute mice)).

— And in the end, as we see, they exchanged numbers 🌚🌝

— They will meet again, but without Frodo and not just for coffee.

— The end✨✨✨

I’m still experimenting with a flat-color style and lineart so I’ll be glad to know what do you think about it. Hope the comic was enjoyable!

[alleyross]

zayne may or may not accidentally slip a little about his mt. eternal experience and that makes mc go nuts

so, zayne is a combat medic, which sucks, mc thinks. he’s trained, fit, his evol is deadly and he’s intelligent enough to figure out any emergency situation he sometimes willingly gets into, but it still sucks. mostly because, well, he can die any day and that won’t even be something unusual for him, since he’s out here risking his life left and right. just an ordinary stuff. his colleagues may as well just move his body aside and continue working through some heavy shift somewhere in the mountains or god knows where else, since that appears to be their modus operandi for every business day.

no, she’s not exaggerating. actually, it seems to be an understatement even. a cold grasp of anxiety takes her by the throat, as she lies down in her bed, pass midnight, while there’s no one else beside her, because zayne’s got an urgent call, conveniently escaping further interrogations after accidentally slipping about what happened to him in the mountains four years ago.

she knew nothing good happened there. in fact, there were more dead than survivors, and zayne’s got lucky, even though he never reminisced about it out loud. maybe that was one of the reasons she could manage to go about her days, not worrying that hard about him every time.

well, shit, now she can’t. what a pity. turns out, you can’t just view someone else’s job the same way knowing how extreme it can get and how deep it traumatised your beloved one. even his natural ability to restrain himself which worked a bit too well sometimes can’t fool her now, she swears. he won’t be able to toss aside this topic next time he wakes up from a nightmare. she’ll drown him in anxious tenderness and kisses and will probably cry a little. she wants to cry even now, but that’s just stupid and certainly won’t help to fall asleep. it seems like she shouldn’t wait for zayne tonight — the call seemed serious.

she tries to suppress the urge to call him as well. partially because he can be really busy right now, but also because it would be somehow hypocritical. zayne knows very well about her job. zayne himself treated majority of her battle wounds. once he quite literally bathed his hands in her blood, because her stomach wound was deeper than the pacific ocean, and he didn’t let someone else operate her.

somehow he managed to keep his sanity through this. why would she make her feelings about something that happened so long ago his problem?

she turns away from his side of bed — empty and cold — and sighs deeply. nobody’s safe giving the circumstances of their routine. wanderers are everywhere, you can’t escape them even working at flower shop. yet…

“we had to… you know. leave people where they were lying. we didn’t have any time to move bodies aside. just checked if they could be reanimated and if not, we moved on. until the operation is over. and then the next one. they lied for hours, and we stood there, trying not to look away from our own hands.”

that’s what zayne said to her, looking into the ceiling, when she asked him about his colleagues. she remembered his friend william and how he didn’t make it through that expedition. zayne didn’t mention it before, but she knew that william’s death was particularly painful for him. seems like instead of talking about william, zayne decided to pay her attention to something else. although the topic he chose wasn’t really unusual in general — she’s a hunter, after all — the second she imagined him in that place, lying dead on the ground while people around didn’t even bother to… zayne understood immediately after he took a look at her face. he took a breath to reassure her, to say something soothing, to justify things that happened to him, but no word escaped his mouth.

and in that exact moment his phone rang. then he got up, got dressed and left. the image of his dead body didn’t.

it doesn’t leave until she closes her eyes in a hollow tiredness. when she opens them again, it’s nearly dawn. zayne sits beside her, still fully dressed, still radiating cold after being outside on a december night. his hand brushes against her hair.

“hi”, he whispers.

horrible images fade away with every deem of faint orange sunlight covering his face inch by inch. the dawn breaks mercifully. she clings to his thigh and anxiety slowly leaves her body, unclenching her heart and lungs unwillingly.

“hi”, she whispers back, looking up at him. “is everything alright?”

she just hopes he has good news on him.

zayne smiles faintly.

“yes, love. it’s fine. i’m fine”

there’s no energy for further interrogation left in her body. and she’s sure there’s no energy in his body as well. so she squeezes his knee and sighs.

“i love you. let’s keep us safe, huh?”

zayne agrees without any words. his quiet “i love you too” hides in the nape of her neck a couple of minutes later, giving her a much needed solace.

[quitealotofsodapop]

AU idea: Wukong goes into labor with the stone egg WHILE he's fighting Macaque

Not sure which fight you mean honestly, but I assume you meant the "OG" fight back during the Journey days.

I imagine this all occurs likely in a version of the Jttw Stone Egged au where Macaque joins the gang after he found out.

Wukong and Macaque are fighting neck and neck when Macaque finally stops to listen to Wukong's shouts;

Wukong, in tears: "Macaque please! Don't make me do this! I'm with-" Macaque: "What's that weird noise??" Wukong: "Huh?" Macaque: "It sorta sounds like a... bag of water? With a heartbeat inside of- OHHHH!" Macaque: (*points at Wukong's pants*) Wukong: (*looks down and sees that his water has broken*) Both monkeys: (*start screaming!*)

Macaque drops his glamour immediately to tend to his mate.

Macaque: "I have so many questions! Who, why, and how long?!" Wukong, has Macaque's hand in a death-grip: "You, Mountain, 500 years." Macaque, mental gears turning: "Huh!?! How did- ohhh wait... self-spawning. If I had kept coming and fed you peaches you wouldn't have-" Wukong: "Yeah!" Macaque: "And since I wa- Am your mate the kid would be-" Wukong: "YEAH." Macaque, trying to lighten the mood: "Do I get visitation rights?" Wukong, voice deepening: "DON'T PUSH IT, BUD!"

Eventually the Pilgrims and Guanyin catch up (the Bodhisattva heard that water break from across the sea), and see the Six Eared Macaque has completely dropped his Monkey King glamour and is trying his best to keep the real Sun Wukong's breathing steady.

Guanyin quickly gets to work; bringing Wukong to somewhere nice and warm and dry to have the baby. They suggest that the reappearance of the other parent (i.e Macaque) caused the Egg to prematurely decide to make itself known.

Bonus if this is the first time certain Pilgrims (besides a wise dragon-dragon) heard of such a thing XD

Ao Lie, excited: "It's already happening!? Congratulations!!" Wukong: "Thanks Lie, but I'd prefer to get the kid out before you all start thanking me." Zhu Bajie, oblivious: "Wait what kid!? They heck is everyone talking about?!" Tripitaka: (*hyperventilating into his hat like it's a paper bag*) Sha Wujing: "I suppose well wishes are in order! Did Brother Wukong drink from the same river and choose to decline the cure?" Wukong: "No, it's HIS fault." (*jabs thumb at Macaque*) Macaque: (*blushing, waves nervously at his mate's Pilgrim brothers*) Ao Lie, breaking the tension: "So this is your Equal in Strength you've been telling us about!" Macaque, slight smugness: "That's what you've been calling me?" Wukong, gritting teeth from pain: "Not now Mihou..."

Macaque stays at Wukong's side the whole time, even as his instincts are going nuts, snarling at the Pilgrims if they dare approach. And even when his hand was definitely broken by Wukong's grip during a really bad contraction.

The rest of the Pilgrims meditate and pray for Wukong and the baby's health. Ao Lie makes a point of chilling in his dragon form to scare off any passing creatures or people - dragons don't like being disturbed when they're laying an egg, and he imagines its the same for Stone Monkeys.

After a lot of pushing and encouragement, a tiny egg makes itself known, cracking open shortly thereafter.

What lies within?

A chirpy, chubby-faced baby monkey with glowing (Macaque starts crying then) ears and dark fur - the little thing's cries sounding indignant as if they'd been awakened from a long sleep. Guanyin makes a point to gather the citrine and amethyst-imbedded shell of the newborn for the parents to keep.

Wukong and Macaque can't even remember what they were fighting about earlier - all that matters is the clinging baby on Wukong's chest. Little thing is a bit smaller than expected due to their premature birth, but they're healthy and hungry.

The rest of the Pilgrims are allowed in after everything is cleaned up and Macaque's hand has been bandaged.

First thing out of anyone's mouth is;

Zhu Bajie: "I thought monkeys had litters?" Wukong, growling: "Don't jinx me."

So yeah, now the Journey has a newborn baby and it's dad along for the ride.

[turtle-paced]

Revisiting Chapters: Bran II, ASoS

Happy new year! Have a story.

The story so far…

Having made their escape from Winterfell and deciding to head north beyond the Wall, it’s now a matter of travelling for Bran and company. Lots and lots of travelling.

The Northern Landscape

The land is the first thing we’re hit with this chapter. Trees with autumn colours have given way to evergreens, the Wolfswood to flint hills into grey mountains. The land is scattered with long lakes and devoid of roads - game trails only, as we find out later. And it’s cold. Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen are heading north, following the blue eye of the Ice Dragon constellation, going up and down and occasionally getting turned around for short amounts of time.

Bran is not loving it.

But Bran’s life had turned into endless chilly days on Hodor’s back, riding his basket up and down the slopes of mountains.

Meera is also not loving it, or maybe she is. She has mixed feelings about mountains, which she tries and fails to explain to Bran. Jojen has the more poetic take that opposites, whether it’s fire and ice, marsh and mountain, or love and hate, aren’t so different after all. The land is one, he says. Meera replies that the land's too wrinkly.

Weather and food both are becoming issues as the group travels. Game is scarce. The temperature is cold. They get caught in a sleet storm, which sounds incredibly miserable. Bran wants to go to the Kingsroad, but Jojen says it’s too dangerous. They’ll be spotted.

That said, Bran soon points out that they’ve already been spotted. Summer’s seen them. There are people in these hills. Sometimes Umbers - usually to the east and usually in summer. Wulls to the west, Harclays to the south, and around where they are now there are Knotts, Liddles, Norreys, and Flints. Bran’s maternal grandmother was a Flint - distant family.

The concerns about witnesses are proven valid when rain drives the group into a cave with a Liddle man. No names are exchanged. Lots of helpful information is. Bran asks how far to the Wall; he’s told it’s still a decent journey if you can’t fly over the hills. They’re warned off the Kingsroad:

“When there was a Stark in Winterfell, a maiden girl could walk the kingsroad in her name-day down and still go unmolested, and travelers could find fire, bread, and salt at many an inn and holdfast. But nights are colder now, and doors are closed.

More immediately, the ‘Bastard’s boys’ are on the road. They’re paying silver for wolfskins and maybe gold for walking dead (no, not the zombie kind). The way the Liddle puts this leaves little doubt that he knows exactly who Bran is. Ramsay’s people also know full well that Bran and Rickon escaped. The news that Bran and Rickon are alive cannot be hidden indefinitely. There are just too many people who know. A bit later, the party circles back around to what happened at Winterfell. They noticed a lot of dead Ironborn and no dead women. The immediate conclusion is that it wasn’t Theon who did the killing.

The Liddle also warns Bran off heading towards the Wall, where Sam’s ravens without messages have at least effectively communicated that some deadly serious shit happened north of the Wall. Which tells Bran and company that at the very least, they’re not likely to find meaningful help at the Wall. Perhaps not even safety.

But they can have sausage and oatcakes instead.

One day there would be Starks in Winterfell again, he told himself, and then he’d send for the Liddles and pay them back a hundredfold for every nut and berry.

This is just about the power of small kindnesses. What follows that is more empathic landscape - a bit more sun, a bit smoother a slope. Just a little bit more bearable all round. And with that, it’s easier to tell stories.

The People of the Crannogs

It’s overshadowed by certain other things this chapter, but it’s definitely worth getting into how much we learn about the residents of the crannogs in this chapter. First we see Meera hunting (and Bran’s developing first crush). She’s a lord’s daughter, but skilled at both hunting and spearfishing. Quite what this says about food security in the Neck, or various recreational pastimes, or gender roles, isn’t clear.

In one of the most hopeful moments of the series to date, Jojen promises the Liddle that he will not be left with ghosts - the wolves will come again. He’s dreamed it. “There are dreams and dreams,” he says. Without more of a sample size you wouldn’t like to say that the crannogpeople culturally have respect for true dreaming and perhas the associated mysticism - but Jojen is confident in referring to those dreams as authoritative. He’s not afraid of sounding ridiculous, he’s used to the idea that dreams can give foreknowledge. Given that Meera refers to “the magics of my people”, it seems that there's a level of respect for magic within their society.

Bran asks for stories after a while. Stories about knights! Jojen tells him there are no knights in the Neck. Meera corrects him that there are no knights above the water - lots of dead ones below, though.

“Andals and ironmen, Freys and other fools, all those proud warriors who set out to conquer Greywater. Not one of them could find it. They ride into the Neck, but not back out. And sooner or later they blunder into the bogs and sink beneath the weight of all that steel and drown there in their armour.”

Thus speaks Jojen. Which is another very informative passage about the people of the crannogs. They have a very different fighting tradition, even to the North. The armour the crannogpeople seem to prefer, it seems, are shirts sewn with bronze scales, plus a leathern shield; the weight is not the best when fighting in the marshy ground. Even their greatest castle is camoflauged or otherwise hidden, which again doesn’t seem to invite the whole siege and straight fight. Instead, the crannogpeople seem happy for their enemies to charge around carelessly and get themselves killed. We’ll see in future books that this isn’t the end of their strategies, but even from this admittedly partisan viewpoint, this seems like a brutally effective strategy.

We get some more details by implication as Howland Reed himself is introduced in the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree:

“He grew up hunting and fishing and climbing trees, and learned all the magics of my people. […] He could breathe mud run on leaves, and change earth to water and water to earth with no more than a whispered word. He could talk to trees and make castles appear and disappear.”

Another point for hunting and fishing being appropriate for the upper strata of crannog society. And a good hint at Howland’s moving castle.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree

With spirits a bit higher, the party starts swapping stories. Meera nominates the tale of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. Oddly, Jojen says that Bran must have heard that tale a hundred times. But no, Bran hasn’t heard it even once.

Since it’s Meera telling the story as it was told to her by her father, it starts with Howland Reed (not named within the tale). Howland Reed, who wants to see a bit more of the world than just the crannogs, and who goes to find the Green Men on the Isle of Faces. After a productive winter visit, he heads off when spring arrives, and wanders right into the Tourney of Harrenhal. Meera doesn’t use family names, but the identities of the attendees are clear: King Aerys, Rhaegar, all the Kingsguard, Mace Tyrell, Robert Baratheon. Tywin’s had a spat with the king and didn’t show, but there are a lot of Westerlands lords there.

But women also attend (though Bran asks with suspicion if this is going to be a love story - there’s no other reason for women tot be present in a story except romance!). Elia Martell counts as a fair maid, and she’s brought a full dozen lady companions, with the men flocking around them.

But almost no sooner has Howland Reed shown his face than he’s set upon by vicious Walders. As Jojen says, “sometimes the knights are the monsters.” Squires or not, all of them are bigger than Howland Reed. Howland marks their faces as he’s being beaten - but even as that happens, a “she-wolf” arrives and sends all of the squires packing with a tourney sword. Lyanna Stark insists Howland come with her, first to meet the other Starks (explicitly noted in this is that Brandon’s the leader), and then to the feast.

Throughout the description of the action, Meera uses heraldry to identify the characters, rather than names. While this makes sense - did Howland know those names? What’s easier for the audience hearing this story spoken aloud? - It does mean a little piecing together is needed for the reader. Among the more important interactions are Lyanna crying at Rhaegar’s beautiful music (and then pouring wine on Benjen when he laughed at her), and Brandon asking Ashara Dayne to dance with Ned. Tragically, the woman the readers already know committed suicide is described here as having “laughing” eyes - a good bit of writing that implies the terrible things that happened to her over the course of Robert’s Rebellion.

Central to Meera’s story, though, is Howland spotting the Frey squires at the feast. Benjen offers to find Howland a horse and armour, but Howland is conflicted. He has his pride, and he knows jousting isn’t his forte. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself or his people more than he already has.

“You never heard this tale from your father?” asked Jojen.

At the jousting the next day, a mystery knight shows up, sure enough. Bran thinks the knight was the crannogman - they were short, in mismatched (obviously borrowed) armour, and the small crannogman fits the bill. The knight, named in the story for the device on their shield as the Knight of the Laughing Tree, challenged the masters of the squires. They won the jousts, demanding that the knights discipline their squires for the return of their horses and armour. Afterwards, at the feast, others swear to unmask the mystery knight (including Robert Baratheon), with King Aerys sending Rhaegar out to unmask the knight. But though Rhaegar returned with the shield, the knight vanished into thin air.

Bran thinks the story is…okay. Look, he’s got some opinions about what would be dramatically satisfying here. They needed to commit to making the knights the bad guys. There needs to be more violence, with the knights killed at the end. And for all that Bran complained about love stories, he wanted that romance subplot in - and resolved. (Though this does tell you a bit about how women are perceived as standard rewards in the in-universe fiction. The bloody eight year old has bought into it.) Meera tells Bran that Lyanna was indeed named the Queen of Love and Beauty: “but that’s a sadder story.”

“Are you certain you never heard this tale before, Bran?” asked Jojen. “Your lord father never told it to you?”

Because what Bran hasn’t realised is that this isn’t a far off tale of times long gone. This happened less than twenty years ago. This is his family’s recent past - part of events that shaped his family and the politics of the world he lives in profoundly. What Bran misses is right there for the readers.

Chapter Function

This chapter mostly exists for Meera’s story and the promise that the wolves will come again. The rest of it’s mostly walking.

There are very few ways we can get insight into these key events of the backstory with all these child protagonists who weren’t even born when these Big Deals happened. The mechanism of a story for children is actually a really good one, since it tells us about another culture, another time, and two different families.

In writing terms, it’s also an excellent way of showing the readers what’s important through the implications of what’s not told. Meera’s main narrative is about Howland’s experiences, so the ‘camera’ glances at Lyanna, at the interactions between the Stark siblings, at Rhaegar and Aerys, but doesn’t focus on them. They’re unmistakeably there, but they’re not gone into, which leaves room for speculation and mystery and the certain level of ambiguity that GRRM's stories thrive on.

Even more than this, there’s the in-universe meta-level of what’s not told. Ned’s been dead for a book and a half, and we’re still learning about him just for knowing that he couldn’t bear to tell his own children this story.

And why can’t Ned tell this story? Lyanna. Lyanna is the hero of this particular story, even more than Howland Reed. From the very beginning she’s an active presence. This is a story Lyanna drove, first by rescuing Howland from the Freys, then by taking him into the Stark tent, then by avenging Howland’s honour when Howland could not avenge his own. What we’re shown is a girl with both physical and moral courage. She’s daring, ready to fight squires, stand up for her father’s bannerman, and defy social convention to joust in the lists herself. Even in this little story for children, Lyanna’s a memorable character.

Through this, more than just telling us about Lyanna, GRRM shows us the effect all this had on Ned. The pointed, grief-stricken silence is palpable even as the implications fly over Bran’s head. It keeps Ned’s character and his silence in the reader’s view. Which is going to be important when at the end, GRRM has to talk about Ned’s character, his grief, and his silence - again relating to Lyanna.

Miscellany

This chapter is far more about what’s going on around Bran than his internal experiences, but even then:

He followed it with his eyes, wondering what it would be like to soar about the world so effortless. Better than climbing, even. He tried to reach the eagle, to leave his stupid crippled body and rise into the sky to join it, the way he joined with summer. The greenseers could do it. I should be able to do it too.

That said, it’s worth noting that Bran flips back to explicitly preferring knighthood at the end of Meera’s story. Acceptance is a process. Bran's going through it.

The internalised ableism continues strongly. And on that note, mind Bran’s interaction with Hodor. Hodor likes stories about knights, Bran says. Hodor doesn’t like love stories, Bran says. Are these Hodor’s preferences, or is Bran using Hodor as an excuse? On one level it’s childish behaviour from a child…but on another, it’s Bran using Hodor’s voice for his own ends.

Who doesn’t love Jojen’s shade about “Freys and other fools”?

It’s flagged that Howland Reed did meet the Green Men, “but that’s another story.”

We also learn in this chapter that not-yet-Ser Barristan entered a tourney as a mystery knight when he was ten.

Clothing Porn

The Liddle man wears a squirrelskin cloak with a pinecone-shaped clasp in gold and bronze.

Food Porn

Bran fantasises about the eel, fish, and hot crab pie that Osha might be eating at White Harbour. Later, there’s actual blood sausage and oatcakes. Oatcakes with pine nuts and oatcakes with blackberries.

Next Three Chapters

Tyrion V, ACoK - Eddard X, AGoT - Sam V, AFFC

[idcallmyselfhuman]

XiaoAether Masterlist 👹⛅

Edit: version 2.0 here

Or, every XiaoAether moment that I can remember (and an attempt to organize them)

Starting this off with the one scene that made us all go "wait a fucking minute" at the very start of the game,

Battle of Osial

Aether's feet were already steadied. Xiao could've let go, or let him fall as gracefully as Mountain Shaper did to that guard (I would've hated him forever) but considering that he insists that being near mortals is such a biiiig no-no, he could have, but he didn't. No, even more, he fucking tightened his hold.

-

Teyvat Food Notes (Sweet Dream, Adeptus' Temptation and Satisfying Salad)

Next! The promotionals during Xiao's release as a playable character. Specifically, Teyvat Food Notes. To celebrate his release, they made an Almond Tofu + Sweet Dream Food blog.

Note: Both google translate and Papago seem to use Mandrill instead of Xiao, so... just know that's who it's talking about.

This is where we learn that Xiao didn't even make "Sweet Dream"; this dish was Aether's thank you gift to him. Xiao's specialty dish is a gift from Aether. I'm- agh. ANYWAY.

We actually also see Sweet Dream in Childe's birthday art. And I'm really sorry to Tartaglia but seeing it stole all his thunder. I could not get over it.

I like to think Aether was so busy making Childe food that he absentmindedly started preparing Almond Tofu in the way he's used to (because of how often Xiao requests it :'> ).

Just when I thought that was it for the Teyvat Food Notes and I could've moved on, I found this in the Adeptus' Temptation food note; the one they made for the first Lantern Rite.

Note: "Fairy/Buddha Jump over the Wall" is apparently an actual Chinese delicacy that the Adeptus' Temptation is based on!

I found this part really cute, especially right now because of the poetry event. Since the beginning, Aether's always known that Xiao was capable of being poetic, it just took them being close and his encouragement for Xiao to actually make a poem.

Lastly, Aether's Satisfying Salad. This isn't connected to the food blog this time (since that one's for Mona), but rather, this and Almond Tofu are the first dishes Aether has ever given Xiao in the game. I included this despite it being pretty minor because in Moonlight Merriment, Smiley Yanxiao actually brings this up again.

Smiley Yanxiao: The boss told me to take care of him, but this guy, let me tell you - he is one tough nut to crack. He usually turns his nose up at everything that isn't Almond Tofu.

Xiao willingly ate something that wasn't Almond Tofu because... because what, it was given to him by a cute blonde traveler? The jury's still out on that one.

-

Lantern Rite 1.3, Baizhu Story Quest

I'm sure we're already familiar with this scene, right?

The very first time Xiao promised Aether that no matter what, as long as he calls his name, he'll be there. Right after that was Moonlight Merriment, where the game literally specifies that Xiao made that promise just for Aether. Way to make your commitment subtle.

Ah, Xiao, you're so easy... Of course, this wouldn't be the last time that Aether calls for him and Xiao arrives immediately. This also happened during Baizhu's story quest to, yet again, the astonishment of everyone around excluding these two. (Xiao's dedication is one of a kind)

Xiao worries over Aether often, despite knowing that they're both formidable in their own right. I also think it's sweet how every time they meet, Xiao's departing words are always a reminder to call for him whenever needed, to the point where there are times that Aether just goes "Yeah, we know." before he can even finish the sentence.

Unfortunately, though, there is one time where Xiao failed to reach Aether when he called him, but only because he physically wasn't able to.

-

Perilous Trail (Interlude)

The only thing that prevented this man from getting to Aether like always was being in a different plane of existence. Romeo and Juliet wish they were this romantic istfg

Aether: Come find us.

Xiao: No.

Yanfei: But Aether's in trouble!

Xiao: How do we meet?

Now where else did someone pull this tactic recently-

...Again, XIAO YOU ARE SO EASY. But anyway, back to the Chasm bc I wasn't quite done with that-

As soon as Yanfei tells Aether that Xiao is awake, Ae comes running. Just full on "stop saying you're fine i'll be the judge of that"

And he looks so angry when Xiao brings up writing a will. augguh they are sooooo- (i would put a reaction pic here if i didn't have an IMAGE LIMIT fuck tumblr bro)

To finish off the Chasm Interlude on a more serious note, this entire conversation was really touching, and I love seeing the progress these two have made over the years. Xiao letting himself open up with Aether's help year by year is one of my favorite things about this game.

-

Teapot and Character Voice Lines + Birthday Letters

For the first and second Lantern Rite, Xiao was still adamant on not even stepping foot in Liyue Harbor, declining every invitation to go there because of how much he disliked being near mortals.

Yet in his teapot voicelines, once you reach a high enough friendship with him, Xiao actually takes the initiative to invite Aether to go to the city, if only to understand him better. Xiao explicitly says that his willingness to go to the harbor was for him.

More About Xiao I: I'm willing to protect you.But don't think about getting close, and stay out of my way, or all that awaits you is regret.

More About Xiao V: It's too late. The connection between us is too strong. Even if you wanted to, it's too late to sever it. Hm? You've never thought to sever it?

About Shenhe: It seems Shenhe places a great deal of trust in you. Well, how could she not. There are few people in the world as kind and good-natured as you.

Shenhe, About Xiao: My first impression of him was that he's not one to smile. After meeting him again more recently, however, he's still as reserved as ever, but… he seems a lot more relaxed now. Maybe he… met someone special.

That line by Shenhe made me happy. Aether's effect on Xiao benefitted not only him, but the people surrounding Xiao as well. We even see that in his birthday letters, where at the most recent one, he follows Ae's advice and goes to spend time with old friends.

They're also all just insanely romantic, I feel like that goes without saying. Every year, I wonder how Genshin would possibly top the one before it that isn't just an explicit confession of undying love.

-

Lantern Rite '23

I'm here to remind you all of a beautiful scene that should never be forgotten for years to come.

Regardless of Genshin trying to be mysterious and making us guess who saved Aether, the fact that they both came rushing over is incredible on its own. They know that Aether isn't a damsel in distress, and Paimon's acting was so on the nose, but they still couldn't allow even the slightest possibility of harm to come to him.

Xiao looking away and talking in circles just to say he really was worried is the funniest fucking thing.

For the Lantern Rite event itself, if you've read this far in, you're probably already familiar. I really wish there wasn't an image limit because I have so many screenshots I want to put in here. If you want a refresher, watch this and start around the 2-hour mark

I wanted to put my own video in the post but you can only put one :/// I'm fist fighting whoever put these limits. 1 video file and 30 images? who are you

BACK TO THE TOPIC

There really isn't much I could say that I haven't already said before. For XiaoAether shippers, this was hoyo spoonfeeding content on a silver spoon. It's Aether and Xiao at their most comfortable with each other, talking and spending time with the people they care about. It's Aether fulfilling his end of the bargain of bailing Xiao out of uncomfortable social situations, because if you haven't noticed throughout all of these examples (or even outside of that), Aether is so perceptive when it comes to the comfort of the people around him.

This was also the event where we find out that for Xiao, the most distinguished guest in his eyes was Aether (Even though Ae thought he was going to say Zhongli..)

I have a lot of love for this event. But since this isn't just a lantern rite post, I'll move on.

-

Waterborne Poetry

The catalyst for this post. The reminder of how lovely this ship is, and how far these two have come.

As we have all learned from Xiangling, Yanfei, Venti and Hu Tao, you only need to mention Aether's name to convince Xiao of whatever it is you're planning. The part where Aether and Team Chongyun were trying to convince him to come with them and touch some fucking grass was really cute.

This event and the previous Lantern Rite also had Aether and Xiao talking privately, only to get interrupted by Paimon/Xiangling (as well as calling them out lmao)

And, of course, the scene that everyone freaked out over,

This. I don't think I'll ever get over this.

The fact that they had Zach voice this- A short, but sweet moment where Aether looks at Xiao from afar and immediately gets inspired, performing a poem where the real meaning is shared only between the two of them...

And Xiao's smile.

An expression that Aether had done so well to bring out.

2023 was the year of XiaoAether. Thank you, Hoyo.

-

Done! I HAVE SO MANY SCREENSHOTS AND I COULDN'T EVEN USE MOST OF THEM ToT. I actually had clips that I edited but Tumblr said no. Good thing there's YouTube.

Another reason as to why I made this was because some shippers said that XiaoAe didn't make sense because it lacked depth and I was so affronted by it that I did all this out of spite (and love for these characters. mostly love.)

[selyeji]

amoeba

pedri gonzalez x reader

summary : lovers resting to their own corner in the woods, taking a break from social interactions.

warnings : none

you sat on the opposite side of the table from pedri in the party, loud music playing in the background, chatter filled the building since it was a team celebration. you were done eating your food, occasionally taking a sip from the juice you ordered. you started getting uncomfortable from the amount of people.

you crossed your arms on the table, your eyes darting below. everything was so loud, needing to just shut it out. staying here too long being an introvert was definitely a bad idea. your heart races from new faces entering and walking around. you pulled your leg up to touch pedris. looking up to his face waiting for him to notice. of course, he immediately stops talking to others, bringing his attention to you. once he saw your eyes, he understood.

smiling, he grabbed your hand with his, excusing yourselves from the conversation. bringing you outside to the balcony, to get fresh air. you breathe in, taking a break from the smell of drinks. pedri still staring at you with admiration with a smile on his face. “thank you pedri, it’s like you’re the only one who understands me. you’re the only person i need” you said, blushing. “im glad, i’ll always be here, im yours.” he said, tucking your hair behind your ear, kissing your temple. “c’mon y/n. let’s leave this place.”

…

you and pedri entered a local convenience store. grabbing snacks off the shelves, quietly making jokes and laughing at this late hour. you check out the items, grabbing the plastic bag and going back in the car. pedri started driving, turning on music as he drove to a special spot up in the mountains. he parks his car before you both get out, walking up since you weren’t allowed to drive any further.

“race you up there!” you yelled as you ran before him. you knew pedri would outrun you, obviously he’s a footballer, definitely way more fit than you. before you knew it, he was right beside you running, effortlessly going past until he pulled his hand out, turning his head waiting for you to grab it. you reached out, running along side with him. it was hard keeping up but you grinned happily anyways.

out of breath, you arrive. it was simply just a bench on top of the mountain, but it overlooked the city. dim yellow lights that stretched throughout streets, people living their daily lives, going home from work, the palm trees softly waving. it never failed to amaze you.

you and pedri sat down, opening the snacks you bought earlier. you bring out some pieces, bringing it to pedris face, feeding him. you couldn’t give him as much due to his diet, but he was fine with it.

this spot was truly special to the both of you. deep conversations, truthful thoughts and any sort of laughter was safe. whatever was said stayed there, it helped you get away from people. sometimes we just need a break from life, not completely shutting people out. all it needs it someone you can talk to, you had each other. being introverts, your social battery going out often, you two fitted perfectly like two jigsaw pieces.

no matter how tired you are, your heart would never be exhausted of pedri. you take your earphones out, connecting it to your phone as you open spotify. placing and earbud on your ear, the other on pedris as you scroll through your shared playlist. you both share your love for music, being diverse in almost ang genre. quietly watching people on the streets below working, children going home after playing the whole day, street musicians bringing life into the night sky. birds chirped in the trees nearby, squirrels rustling through the bushes. sometimes throwing nuts for them to eat.

quickly finishing the snack you opened, placing the wrapper back into the plastic bag since there wasn’t a trash bin nearby. as you both sat there in silence, the music still playing. pedri laid his head on your shoulder, you adjusted your position so he could be comfortable. resting yours on his, pulling out your hand to play with his hair. massaging his scalp as you softly smile at the beautiful city with your lover.

daily click to help palestine

a/n : lowkey rushed,,,

[one-vivid-judgment]

I feel like Joongi is THE weird guy of the Ichigang. He may look like the most normal, but he is absolutely NOT:

He goes to Hawaii and spends two days wearing thick ass black clothes and a raincoat before someone tells him to go change, but still hates convertibles cause "they get hot when you're at a stoplight". He gets insecure over pimples. He knows he is hot shit and is obsessed with his physique to the point that he sees a chicken and immediately goes 'chicken breasts'. His boss puts him on souvenir duty whenever he travels anywhere. He wants to buy Macadamia nuts for everyone in the Geomijul. He once swam up a whole river upstream. He loves animals. He almost fell for a parrot scam but forgot his wallet so he just smiled and left. He gets super passionate about video games and comics. He once climbed up a whole mountain to get mushrooms for cooking. His hair is silver ash, not white. He thinks building sandcastles is an art and has mastered it. He had an existential crisis cause he forgot to return a DVD before leaving Japan. He can do perfect math. It took him four years to start singing karaoke around his friends. He warns others that the food is hot yet he eats it himself and gets shocked that it is, indeed, hot. He suggested taking out the shampoo and washing his hair in the middle of a gale. He then remembered all the hair care he needs to do and decided against it. He talks to himself at Revolve and goes "People around here are so muscular... You're great Joongi Han! Don't you worry about that!", "I saw some Macadamia nut chocolates on the way here. Man, they looked good. Maybe I should've bought them... No, surely I will find something better. But they looked so tasty...". He once suggested going full power on a static bike to generate electricity. 

TLDR: Joongi is my little weirdo and I love him so much.

[eightyonekilograms]

I went to the Apple Store yesterday to try the scripted demo of their VR headset. My overall impression is that it's the best possible execution of what might be a fundamentally flawed idea.

The passthrough video is pretty incredible. It's somewhat dimmer than reality, and the color accuracy is just OK, but it's more than good enough to feel like you're looking through clear displays at the real world. I'm told the passthrough on the Quest 3 is even better, but haven't tried that and can't comment. One thing is that there is a weird motion blur effect when you turn your head, I'm not sure if that's a display tech limitation or introduced deliberately by the software as a workaround for a different display tech limitation.

The resolution is 4K per eye, which, as mentioned, is more than enough for a powerful sense of presence in the real world. One of the nifty bits of the demo was when you turn the dial to tune out the world and suddenly you're sitting by a mountain lake, and the feeling of actually being there is overwhelming. The dystopian implications of needing a VR headset to sit at a mountain lake aside, it would be cool to have one just to have your office be anywhere you can imagine. Not $3500-before-tax cool, but cool.

Wow sports leagues are going to love this thing. I don't give a shit about sports and even I was thinking, "If the NBA put a stereoscopic camera courtside and sold you games for $50 a pop, I'd absolutely buy that"

But 4K per eye is not enough to do work, not even close. The experience of using normal computer-y applications on this was not unlike plugging your laptop in to a TV that's at the normal TV distance. You can do it, it works, but it's not anyone's preferred way of working. Text is amazingly legible, but only at sizes that are equivalent to having a single webpage take up your entire 4K monitor at normal monitor distance.

It is not particularly comfortable. Part of this might be that the store demo makes you use the "catcher's mitt" strap, which only goes around the back of your head and so gravity has to be countered only by the pressure of the thing against your face. Reviewers have said that if you use the other band that goes over your head the situation is better, but still.

A lot of early comments were making fun of Apple for having the battery be an external thing you put in your pocket and attach with a wire, but I think that's just fine: we all walk around with giant batteries in our pockets anyway, and anything you can do to have less weight on your head is a Good Thing. But then Apple took all those weight savings and spent them on making the stupid thing out of metal and glass instead of polycarbonate. It's nuts! It's like if you made a car that was 500kg lighter because you invented magical tech for keeping the engine somewhere else, and then went "great! with all the weight savings now we can build the body out of lead". Apple, you don't need to fear plastic. Plastic is good! Plastic built modern civilization.

You control it with a combination of eye tracking and pinch gestures. This is the main piece of evidence of my "best version of a bad idea" thesis: it works really, really well; so well that I can tell this is probably an evolutionary dead end. It's just fine— miraculous, even— for dragging windows around and doing the basic stuff the in-store demo has you do. It's amazing that you can more or less have your hands anywhere, including on your lap, and the recognition works perfectly (by contrast with the HoloLens I tried 5 or so years ago where the gesture recognition was total crap). But it's immediately obvious that you can never do serious manipulation of your computing environment with this.

The takeaway is that it's incredible for passive consumption of specifically-made media, assuming that ever exists at scale. But it will be a long time before we're gogged in like Hiro Protagonist to do our office jobs this way.

[allfryam]

feeder for president!

Lots of excitement was shared when Frank wheeler was elected as the new president of the United States. He seemed to have great ambitions and an incredible spirit. But just a few months after he was elected, he put a new law into place. Every single American over the age of 18 must consume at least 5000 calories per day or they will be executed. He implanted every single American with a chip in the back of their throat that counted their calories. If the requirement had not been met, it would start leaking a poisonous substance into your system immediately. Effectively killing the person. This wasn’t all though. All gyms and any form of exercise equipment became illegal. Sidewalks were replaced with conveyor belts to prevent people from burning calories. Every year, you are required to gain at least 25 pounds. For every pound over this goal, the government will send a $100 check to your home.

as expected, all hell broke loose. People began rioting and begged for the law to be reversed. The smart people didn’t hesitate to start stuffing their face. Fast food restaurants had their busiest days in years as people frantically raced to consume as many calories as possible. To bring in more customers, McDonald’s released the heart attack burger. It was three burger patties cooked in pure oil and fat, then there was 6 pieces of bacon, loaded fries, a mountain of cheese, and McDonald’s new secret sauce. The burger contained almost 2000 calories and people went nuts for it. Companies removed small drinks and fries and replaced them with xtra large and supersize. A supersized coke was two liters and contained almost 100 calories.

the new system quickly weeded out the protesters and the only people left were obedient, soon to be fatties. Fitness influencers became weight gain influencers. They would give tips and tricks on how to eat more and expand your stomach. New stores began to open where you would pay to be mindlessly fed by one of the employees. You could set a certain amount of calories or a certain amount of time to be stuffed. If you were really desperate, some places carried an item called a lard ball. It had exactly 5000 calories all in the size of a pill. You would take it and immediately feel like you had just stuffed yourself silly at a buffet. It was quite expensive, but for those who could afford it, it was a game changer.

after a couple years with the new law, there wasn’t a person in sight without at least a bit of a belly. Abs were a thing of the past and it was hard for new 18 year olds to let go of theirs. But they obeyed and ate till they passed out. Some people took the $100 a pound rule very seriously. With how easy it was to gain weight, some people could gain over 100 pounds and get tens of thousands of dollars. Desk jobs became popular as no one was fit enough to do much else. Jobs were now required to give multiple snack breaks to employees so they had time to stuff themselves. it was paradise. Bulging bellies in all directions, former abs were memories of the past, countless people racing to shove food down their throats to meet the limit. I think this law may stay in place forever!

[bless-my-demons]

Redamancy: Chapter Fourteen

Series Summary: What happens when your soulmate is a vampire that struggles to maintain a diet of trying not to kill you? Common sense says run for the hills, nothing is worth your life - but my heart is whispering why not, what’s there to lose?

Warnings: None… but the angst train has left the station

Notes: If you’re one of the sweet angels that left a comment on the taglist form, it makes my heart so happy - thank you! Please forgive me for the end of this chapter

Word Count: 1860

Series Masterlist

Reader

My entire summer was spent with the Cullens. Surprisingly enough, my mother didn’t protest it one bit, something about finally making friends. I was mostly monopolized by Jasper, but Alice had her fair share of stealing me away for girl’s nights with Esme and Rosalie.

Rosalie, talk about a tough nut to crack. I think at this point I’ve finally crested the mountain of hatred she feels towards her brothers’ “mortal liabilities” and I’m solidly in tolerable territory. She doesn’t outwardly mention her distaste anymore or avoid me like the plague, which I consider a definite win. I think Emmett is partially what wore her down besides Jasper’s lack of give a damn towards his sister’s opinions.

Befriending Alice has been as easy as breathing, she’s always there and might as well have Edward’s supernatural power of mind reading. I can tell her life has been lonely in the way she attaches herself to Bella and I, Rose isn’t the most social female and Esme is more of a mother figure than best friend. I’m grateful for her nonetheless, I’m not exactly flooded with friends myself - nor is whatever this thing is with Jasper an appropriate topic of conversation for anyone outside of this immediate circle.

Emmett has managed to become the older brother I wish I had and he takes that role incredibly serious for someone that’s always the comedic relief. Over the course of the last couple of months, I’ve figured out that he’s a big hugger, and a very good one at that. I’ve also noticed that he’s become my rock in a way - never backing down from a challenge, always hyping me up, and never passing judgement.

I still haven’t cracked the code for Edward. He’s quiet and shut off from the rest, not one for casual conversation or wasting time. And when he isn’t with Bella - well that’s wasting time in the worst way. Majority of our interactions are spent in comfortable silence, Jasper tells me it’s because I’m like a magnet in the way that my energy is calmer than most.

I like to think Jasper and I don’t make his family quite as nauseous as Edward and Bella do, but I know we have our moments… like his sisters insisting we sit apart for movie night because he most definitely cannot keep his hands to himself. The smug grin he had on his face along with his hands raised in surrender as his sisters berated him still makes me blush, damn him and his stupidly attractive smirk.

All summer long I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to realize that I’m human and he’s immortal, that I’m nothing in the grand scheme that is his life. It’s partially my fault for chickening out every time the topic of us rolls around, but my anxiety tends to get the better of me. God he is a patient man though, never pushing me and always in-tune to my feelings.

I’m absolutely head over heels for him but I can’t quite force those three little words of I love you past my lips. The confession simultaneously on the tip of my tongue and clogging up my throat.

Although he would disagree heavily, Jasper Hale is not a hard man to fall in love with. He struggles with his control from time to time, but when it comes to me - I can tell he’s different. He’s quiet in a way that’s patient and at-ease, instead of the closed-off way he was initially. His smile is softer around the edges, less forced than when he was trying for the sake of his adopted mother. His touch is instinct now, no longer robotic or unsure, but softer. He’s quicker to laugh, quicker to whisper sweet-nothings in my ear that make my cheeks hurt from smiling, quicker to reach for my hand when he needs an anchor.

I’ve never been more grateful for a split second of clumsiness on my first day at a new school.

• September 13th, 2005 • Forks HS •

Jasper

“A birthday party at your house?” Y/n asks, walking beside me before first period.

“Yes darlin’, I’m afraid my sister requires your attendance.” I continue to lead Y/n down the emptying hallway with a gentle hand on her back.

“I suppose I can spare you her wrath, but only if you pick me up tonight.” She glances up at me with a mischievous smile.

“Speak of the devil…” I mutter quietly while taking a deep breath, bracing myself for the quick footsteps approaching.

“I heard that!” Alice smacks the arm not around my girl. “I need your help.”

“Help with what?” Y/n asks quietly with a wrinkle in her beautiful brow, but I shake my head already knowing what my sister needs.

As Y/n and I stop at the bottom of the stairs, Edward and Isabella approach our small group as Alice vaults over the stair railing and skips forward in excitement, a neatly wrapped gift in her hands.

“Bella! Happy-”

“Shhh!” Bella stops her, the panic and embarrassment flooding from her almost drawing a laugh from me.

“-Birthday.” She finishes, quieter this time.

Bella flashes an exasperated look over Alice’s shoulder and I respond with a calming nod.

“Alice, didn’t I say no gifts?”

“You did, I didn’t.” My sister smarts back. “I’ve already seen you open it and guess what? You love it!”

Bella scoffs exasperated, but Alice interrupts her before she can object.

“You’re going to wear it tonight, our place.” At Bella’s hesitation she adds, “C’mon, please? It’ll be fun!”

Taking my que, I pull away her hesitation and replace it with a touch of acquiescence, gently in an effort to be inconspicuous.

“Okay, alright.” Powerless to my emotional regulation.

I notice a smile quirk the corner of Edward’s mouth, my brother exuding amusement - humored by our efforts to persuade his girlfriend.

A squeal of happiness leaks from my sister, “Great! I’ll see you at seven!” Spinning in our direction to make a quick getaway, we’re stopped by Bella.

“Jasper! No fair with the mood control thing.”

“Sorry Bella, Happy-“ but I let the sentiment die on my tongue at her exasperated look. “Never mind.”

Pushing my girl and gripping Alice by the elbow, I usher them away and towards class. I may be immortal, but a smart man knows when to let the women in his life win.

• September 13th, 2005 • Cullen Residence •

Reader

Waiting upstairs per Alice’s request to keep Bella company while she finished the final touches on decorations, roping my… Jasper into helping. Wondering over to where Edward and Bella are discussing a painting, I squint at who it contains.

“Is that, Carlisle?” Bella points out.

“Yeah, he lived with them for a few decades. He described them as refined, no respect for humans of course, but respect for the arts and the sciences at least.” He pauses, glancing between us before returning his eyes to the painting. “And the law, above all, the law.”

A shiver runs down my spine at the eerie way he explains the ancient vampires.

“Vampires have laws?” Bella’s tone takes on a rhetorical tone, but Edward answers nonetheless.

“Not very many. And only one that’s regularly enforced.”

“What is it?” The question comes from both of us this time.

“That we keep the existence of our kind a secret. We don’t make spectacles of ourselves. And we don’t kill conspicuously.” A sliver of panic runs through me as Jasper’s past flashes through my mind. “Unless of course you want to die.”

“You gotta stop talking about that. I can’t even think of someone hurting you.” Bella quietly and assertively tells him.

“Bella, the only thing that can hurt me is you.” As Edward turns to her, I gravitate towards the door to give them privacy. “I don’t have anything else to be afraid of.”

“That’s not true.”

“Victoria,” My mind immediately flashes back to the ballet studio, “She’ll come for me one day, Alice will see when she decides and we’ll be ready.”

Why had I not thought of that? Of course she’d come for us, the Cullens killed James because of us.

“I can protect you, if you change me.”

I try to contain my gasp, trying not to be obvious that I overheard her request. Her request to be changed.

“It’s time! It’s time, it's time, it's time!” Alice bounds into the room and I slip down the stairs before she can tug Bella away from Edward.

Jasper with eyebrows furrowed smooths a hand across my jaw to cradle my head as I step into his arms, sensing my clashing emotions. Alice interrupts him before he could ask why by bounding down the stairs and joining us.

I spin around to lean my back against Jasper as Edward leads Bella down to the living room, Carlisle and Esme are the first to greet them.

“Sorry about all this, we tried to reign Alice in.” Carlisle jokingly apologizes.

“Like that’s even possible.” Bringing Bella in for a hug with a sweet smile, “Happy birthday, Bella.”

Jasper’s hands find my hips and squeeze, I can tell he won’t let earlier go so easily, he cares too much for that.

Alice blindsides Bella with a flash of a camera, “Found it in your bag, mind?” She asks after snapping a picture of her and Edward together.

Emmett slides past us with a mischievous glint in his expression, causing Jasper to groan as his brother slides up next to Edward.

Nudging him, “Dating an older woman, hot.” Emmett teases.

Edward elbows him right back sharply to shut him up and I wince at the force.

“What?” He tries to play it off with innocence, but we all know he’s rather full of shit and I crack a smile at his antics.

Rosalie chooses then to rip the bandaid off and give Bella the first present of the evening, a small silver package. “A necklace. Alice picked it out.” Short and to the point, she steps away to rejoin Emmett causing Bella to smile.

Meeting our eyes across the room, she waves a greeting to Jasper that he returns silently.

Alice grabs a medium-sized present with a bow, “This one’s from Emmett.”

Bella shakes the suspiciously empty box and I try to cover my laugh at the look of confusion on her face.

“Already installed it in your truck.” He’s vibrating like an excited puppy, “Finally a decent sound system for that piece of crap-”

“Hey, don’t hate the truck.”

“Open Esme and Carlisle’s!” Alice thrusts the envelope into her hands.

“Just something to brighten your day.” Carlisle tells her as Esme steps forward.

“You’ve been looking kind of pale lately.” Esme hints with a smile.

Struggling to open the envelope, she finally tears through the paper.

But it isn’t the only thing that tears.

The droplet of blood that drips down her finger halts the breath in my lungs and the world feels as though it’s standing still. That is, until a thin arm wraps around my waist and my vision blurs.

Next

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[aquasarsstuff]

Spending the night with Lilia Vanrouge

Tags: Lilia Vanrouge x gn!reader, fluff, long-haired Lilia, yokai!Lilia, historical au, reader gets

A/N: I made this while waiting for the rain to stop. Like please stop now, I'm sooo hungry. Kinda regret not going out earlier. Welp- it's already noon, so I used some of my stacked noodles. Also, I was listening to Renegade over and over again while writing this lol, it help with my writer's block especially the part where I had to describe Lilia lol. Yes, there's some secret meaning in some parts here cuz why not

Your school has been demanding all your attention to be poured in your studies. Hence, you weren't able to visit you lover that was living deep in the mountains. You hunch over your desk after reading a ton of books. It was already midnight, and you were sure that if Lilia was here, he would have already lightly scolded you for staying up late. You stop working on your desk, and neatly arrange your school materials. Grabbing the lamp you have; you place it not too far from your futon. After all that work, you slip inside your futon and fell asleep.

The next day, while you were in school and about to leave, you saw a glimpse of Silver and Sebek who was also studying there. As usual, the two were having a one-sided banter. You walk towards them but was blocked by students who were also about to leave. You sighed defeatedly when you don't see them anywhere after trying to force yourself out of the crowd. You wanted to ask them about Lilia. You made up your mind; You were going to visit him tomorrow. It was weekend anyway, and the school schedule only lasts up until the weekdays. You were also studying for hours this past few weeks, and you were not like Riddle who enjoys doing it all day. You were going to spend the day tomorrow with Lilia, and also take a break from your studies. You were hitting two birds with one stone.

Before you head out mountains, you patted the head of the yokai you were living with. Grim merely rolled away from you but still not waking up. You softly laugh before shaking your adorable friend.

"Grim, wake up. If you do, I'll buy you a can of tuna this morning when I pass by the market." And as you expected, all it takes to bring Grim out of his bed was bribing him a can of tuna. The stock of food in the house was also running out, and you just can't bear the thought of leaving him alone in the house and then having to handle the mess he will make in the kitchen when you come back.

When you went outside, you carried Grim like he was some pet cat. Your left hand was occupied by a bamboo basket. You bought some berries and nuts, along with cans of tuna as you promise Grim earlier. Since you haven't had breakfast yet, you thought why not come by Epel's place. You walk away from the busy marketplace and entered a bakery. Immediately the scent of apples filled your nostrils. Delicious deserts made with apples were decorating the place. Epel was in the counter talking with Ace and Deuce in a seat near him. The sound of chimes hitting each other attached on the door, alerted the three people inside.

"Y/N!" Ace called you loudly. You took the vacant seat in front of them. "Did you come here for breakfast too?" Deuce asks you while taking a bite of his omelet. You nod.

"Good morning, Y/N. What would you like?" You gave Epel your order alongside with Grim. As what happens every day, the Adeuce duo somehow never fail to have a squabble.

"I'm not going!" Deuce protested against Ace.

"It's just some rumors. Don't tell me our juice is scared to come to the woods at night, because of it," Ace plasters his signature smirk at Deuce, while the blue head just glares at him. This piqued my interest.

"Rumors?"

"You don't know?" Deuce looks at you.

"Obviously. Why would they be asking?" Ace pipes in much to Deuce frustrations. Epel sighed at the duo and took over the conversation.

"You see Y/N, recently there's been whispers of a creature lingering in the woods who extinguishes any ignited light. All they see is an unseen silhouette, and then darkness." You turn your head slightly at his explanation.

"Myahh?!" If anything, you were more scared of Grim's sudden outburst...

Ace groans when he heard that. "It's pretty windy up there. It could just be the wind. That shadow, whatever it was, was probably just for dramatic effect."

"But, Y/N you're going to the mountain, right?" You almost laugh at Grim worried expression.

"You should be careful, Y/N." You nod at Deuce.

"Don't worry guys, I won't stay that late. I'll be back before sunset."

______

With a bamboo basket filled with berries and nuts, you trudge through the forest's thick foliage. You strayed the trail after reaching a place filled with vines. After a few minutes, you finally saw the cottage you were looking for, but the man you want to see was not there. As you were just about to call out and walk towards it, you notice thick strands of hair, much longer than yours taking purchase upon your shoulder.

"What do we have here?" You were suddenly aware by a presence as soft as melody. Before you could turn around, a finger reaches out from behind to catch your chin and spun you around. You were met face to face with Lilia. His face was uncomfortably close it made your heart ran erratic. His ruby red eyes that were looking through mine felt like it was holding the cosmos inside them.

When he started to inch his face closer to yours, you felt inclined to close your eyes. Suddenly, his finger disappears at your chin. A laughter that sounds like a bubbling brook then follows. "Someone has a mind that dances with the clouds."

You suddenly had the urged to bury yourself six feet because of this suave Nobusuma. You were just about to compose yourself when he drops himself to the ground and reach for your hand that wasn't occupied by the basket and kissed it. He looks at you teasingly. His eyes held the allure of a siren's call, like it was going to enchant and ensnares you with an irresistible allure.

While you were distracted, Lilia grabs the basket out of your hand and took a piece of its content. He greedily munches on the berry, its residue leaving a light tint of red on his lips. "I accept your offering after abandoning me for a long time, my enchanted rose."

"Stop making me the bad guy here Lilia," you sighed, finally out of your flustered state. "Where's Silver anyway?" he playfully plastered a frown on his lips, making him look like a puppy that was just kicked.

"I can't believe this; I just got betrayed by the closest to me. Poor me."

Safe to say, you spend the rest of the day trying to comfort his crocodile tears.

-----

It was already the golden hour, but you still weren't back in your place. You just couldn't bear to move and wake the sleeping Nobusuma in your lap. You gently touch the silk fabric of his black kimono. You traced the hand-painted crane design with the tips of your fingers, until you too fell asleep. When you woke up, a warmth and an aroma of a Chrysanthemum envelops you. You suddenly scramble up, escaping from Lilia's embrace.

"Oh no! It's already dark! I have to get back to Grim."

"Venturing the mountains at dark is filled with peril. It would be wise to stay here," he stopped me when I was just about to leave.

"But..."

Suddenly, his face morphs into a grin. "Don't worry, I won't do anything with you."

"I wasn't thinking about that!"

"Not yet atleast," his eyes glints with mischief.

-----

Bonus:

Lilia: If that doesn't convince you, I heard from human travelers-

Y/N: I know it was you, Lilia.

Lilia: *smiles innocently*

-----

Not sure about this, but let me add it.

Black kimono made of silk: represents a wealthy or high status

Crane design: Revered for their supposed thousand-year lifespan

Enchanted Rose: I dunno why I pick rose, but since he is a yokai and a fae in cannon I added enchanted. And reader's pretty enchanted with Lilia in this fic (I tried-)

Chrysanthemum: Often use as a symbol for immortality

Mind that dances with the clouds: a person who is a dreamer, or has thoughts that is beyond ordinary

okay- im done. You guys interpret the rest

[jinxed-ninjago]

The thing about the second lava monster encounter in Master of the Mountain that gets me is it feels like a failed perception check. Like the entire season gives the vibes of the writers (and possibly voice actors) deciding to play D&D as Cole, Vania, and Wu then deciding to add Plundar, Fungus, and Korgran to the party later but dear lord, that scene gives the vibes of Kirby responding to Sabrina in character as Cole and whoever is the DM saying "roll for perception" and Kirby rolling a 1.

Like I literally feel like the writers and voice actors were playing a Ninjago themed campaign for the sake of Master of the Mountain having the vibes it does and they get to that point and have this exchange.

Sabrina, in character as Vania: Wait, Cole! The lava monster! What if it's still in the cave waiting for us?! Kirby, in character as Cole: What, just sitting there, staring at a wall? DM: Roll for perception. Kirby: SHIT.

Additionally I love the idea that they just went nuts with this because the shenanigans Wu, Vania, and Cole get into with the Upply feels like a D&D campaign.

Ian, in character as Fungus: Korgran, a little help. DM: Paul, roll for performance. Paul: ...it's a 1. DM: You run into the door, falling on the ground. Your axe falls to the ground with a clatter. Paul, in character as Wu: The door will only open for a those who are one with the Earth -- an Earth elemental. -- Adam Trask, in character as Plundar: I want to steal one of Cole's weapons while he's unconscious. DM: Roll for sleight of hand. Adam: It's a 10. DM: You successfully steal one of Cole's throwing stars while Cole's unconscious, but Fungus notices and tells you to return it when he introduces you to Cole. Adam: Damn. -- Kirby, in character as Cole: Well, we can't stop the Skull Sorcerer and save our friends trapped down here, can we?! DM: Kirby, roll for intimidation. Kirby: ...it's a 1. DM: You fail to at all intimidate Plundar, who gives you a half exasperated, half tired stare while Korgran watches you fight with Plundar with a mildly terrified expression.

Even the beginning of the season feels like failed or hilariously successful rolls.

Michael, in character as Jay: Direbats aren't a real thing! DM: Roll for history. Michael: ...1. DM: Immediately after saying direbats aren't a real thing, one picks you up and takes you off the Destiny's Bounty. -- Kirby: I'd like to persuade the Geckles and Munce to start a truce so we can get out of the mines. DM: Roll for persuasion. Kirby: It's a 4. DM: You manage to persuade the first few Geckles to meet for a peaceful truce meeting, but due to a game of broken telephone, a fight breaks out. Lloyd had the same amount of luck with the Munce. Kirby: Dammit. -- Vincent, in character as Kai: We aren't skeletons! DM: Roll a persuasion check. Vincent: 5? DM: The Geckles aren't convinced, referring to you as "fleshy skeletons" despite your clarifications. They decide to take you to their leader just to be sure. *later* DM: After discovering you are not, in fact, skeletons, the Geckles decide to make Kai their new chancellor to make up for their transgressions. Vincent and Brent, in unison: Wait what -- Kelly, in character as Nya: I fight Murtessa over Jay. *Kelly proceeds to ace all her skill checks* DM: You manage to knock down Murtessa, triggering an old Munce rite of ritual. You are now queen of the Munce. Kelly, Sam, and Michael in unison: WHAT?

[randomwriteronline]

based on this post by @legend-as-old-as-time

He's standing there. Right behind him. He can't hear him, but he can feel him - feel his eyes on the back of his head, his hand as it goes to awkwardly cradle an arm, something like a slight breeze.

Tahu doesn't move.

Something tells him he knows what he's about to say.

"So it was supposed to-"

His hand shoots back, pointing in the other's general direction: "Don't you dare," he threatens. "Don't you even dare say that."

The Toa of Ice remains quiet for a second, maybe stunned.

Then, timidly: "I'm not Kopaka."

"That doesn't change anything. You're my brother, and you better not say that."

"I meant - I'm not-"

"I know that! You think I wouldn't be able to tell your voices apart?"

Immediately he sinks a hand into the vents of his Hau's cheeks and chastises himself with a wordless growl.

"Sorry about that," he mutters: "I shouldn't have gotten angry."

"It's alright," Matoro reassures him softly. He hesitates, breathes deeply, ponders what to say for a few more seconds. "For a moment it felt like he was here again."

They allow a long beat of silence to pass.

Afternoon is bleeding into evening, but the sky isn't growing dark yet - might not for a few hours still. They're entering the drought season in the desert, Tarduk said; good thing they've got underground aqueducts that reach into the mountains, or things could get dire quickly if the autumn rains didn't bring in enough reserves.

It looks warm, of an orange color as sweet as certain ripe fruit. It might be the lack of water. Aqua Magna maintained some amount of blueish hue with its immense ocean no matter what hour of the day it might have been.

Neither have moved. It drives him nuts.

"You don't have to stand there like that," Tahu says without looking, "If you want you can sit down with me."

He still doesn't turn when the quiet steps get closer and closer, nor when the brine-covered joints creak gently or when the Toa of Ice gives a short grunt as he does indeed take a seat at about half a bio of distance from him.

He feels Matoro glance at him every now and then, with the slightest fear, but he never steps out of line, never tries to talk.

Maybe he scared him, by telling him off like that.

Tahu grumbles to clear his throat.

"How was he, by the way?" he says, and he tries to sound casual.

Matoro spends a second or two to compose his thoughts: "Like you," he replies a little lamely. "You were - are - were the same person."

"So he was a self-assured bad-tempered idiot?"

That tears a little laugh out of the other, which Tahu counts as a small victory: "He used to be, a little bit. I had to tell Turaga Nuju I couldn't translate an insult he hurled at him once because I was afraid he would have burnt us to a crisp. But I think he got better with time."

"I'm glad to hear that. If I really have changed at least in one universe, that's good news for everybody."

Another sheepish chuckle trails off: "Well, it's... Truth be told, I didn't know much of him," Matoro admits. "I heard what Turaga Vakama said to the others, about his failings and his successes, but there wasn't... There wasn't a real connection, between me and him."

That tracks.

"Maybe you should talk to Jaller," he whispers. "He was devastated. And the Nuva, of course."

He's seen that. In bits and pieces, vague little hints and unplanned outbursts, but he's caught the same tells he'd seen on the Mahri and in Kopaka - the ones he knows.

But he doesn't want to talk to them. Not yet. None of them are ready for that conversation, least of all himself.

This is easier, despite... Despite the whole of it.

It's a bit simpler.

A bit.

"Did you know him?" the other asks suddenly. "Your... Me, I mean."

"Not much." Tahu replies, and there's a little sigh of relief that leaves Matoro that he really can't reprimand or blame him for: "We were as close as you were with me, so not at all. But he was a good being - reliable, skilled. Compassionate. I'm glad I could call him brother, if only for a little."

Shadows grow longer the more they don't talk.

They both shift uneasily as they notice their slow encroaching approach - old habits die hard, and too vivid memories courtesy of the Makuta make them harder to kill - but their purplish color soothes them along with the dusty ground beneath them.

Matoro is cold. He exudes cold, but not like Kopaka: chill wafts from the Nuva of Ice in a constant and steady stream, creating an aura at least three or five inches thick that from his body blurs into the world around him, so that those who stand too close get the gist and leave him some space; for Matoro it snakes across his limbs and trickles off of him in wisps and plumes, like invisible smoke reaching upwards, and it slips onto others almost by accident - more of a tacit comfort than a thorny shield.

It still gives off a strange feeling when it meets the heat blooming from Tahu.

"Well, since you're here to hear it for yourself," the Toa of Fire announces with an almost casual tone: "You are very loved."

He hears the other startle from the surprise.

"What?"

"You are very loved. I don't know how much you - he - you two knew that, but you are."

He hears his fingers fumble for a moment, scraping each other as he plays with them to figure out what to say: "I... Thank you? Why are you... What does this... I don't understand."

"What is there to understand? You're very loved. People miss you."

"Your Mahri don't seem to enjoy the sight of me."

"They're still grappling with the fact that you're here despite being dead. I'm fairly sure that's what the rest of you go through when you see me." Tahu turns further away from Matoro, searching for familiar shapes into the side of a mountain. "We didn't have time to do much immediately after, for... Him. Not that grand gestures would have mattered much, everything got destroyed pretty quickly. And we're nowhere near as morbid as the Agori are-"

"The Agori?" the other's voice tilts in genuine confusion. "What about the Agori?"

The Toa of Fire gives a breathy cackle: "Do you have any idea how many funerary rites they have? There's at least three for each tribe, and those are only the ones Turaga Nuju held for you."

The air grows slightly warmer.

Matoro briefly forgot how to breathe.

He stares intently at the back of Tahu's head, not shy or sheepish anymore, too completely stunned to do much else.

He speaks again at last, voice so faint it's barely a breath: "Why?"

"I told you. You are very loved."

He keeps staring.

Tahu, very pointedly, does not turn to meet his eyes.

Why can't he turn to meet his eyes?

Why can't he just look at his face?

There's an answer of course. A simple, logical answer, an obvious answer, a clear answer, an answer that sits right on the tip of his metaphorical tongue, in the antechamber of his crystal brain, just waiting to be aknowledged.

If only he could find it.

There's still so much light despite being evening.

The seasons on Aqua Magna didn't bring this extreme a change.

Suddenly, 'days becoming longer' doesn't sound as silly as it had seemed when Berix first told them about it.

"He didn't have to," Matoro whispers. "The Turaga didn't have to. He should have been celebrating that Mata Nui had been saved, not mourning me. Not so many times."

The other waits a moment before replying: "He lost a close friend. Maybe he had too much grief to handle it all in just one funeral."

The Ko-Toa looks away.

His hands scrape against the ground he sits on as he tightens them into anxious fists.

"Would you have done it?" he asks: "If it had been you instead of me here, too, would you have done it too? Chosen Mata Nui over your life and your self?"

"Would you?"

"... Yes."

"Me too," Tahu nods - so certain, plowing through the paralyzing terror of death so that it cannot catch up to him until it's too late. "If I'd been in your place and the only options were either me, any of my siblings, or the universe, I would have sacrificed myself. Jaller and Kopaka are good leaders, they'd know how to make sure the rest of you were safe. And you'd have the Turaga too."

"But we wouldn't have you."

"And we wouldn't have you."

"I'd say a traslator isn't really comparable to the leader of the Nuva."

"He would be to the Mahri. And Nuju."

He should turn around. He should look him in the eye and tell him what he's going to tell him while staring directly at him, so that the words get burned into his brain.

Why in Karzhani's name can't he do that?

"I would have fulfilled my duty as a Mata, and nothing else," he speaks, gazing into a mountain he's stopped really seeing Great Spirit knows how long - a while ago by now: "You took it upon yourself to lose everything for the sake of everybody else. When you compare the two, I see no reason why I'd be any more mourned than you."

"Not even by Turaga Vakama?"

What a strange question.

What a really strange question. Is this another parallel he's trying to draw? He doesn't think he could ever be described as anything to Vakama other than his Toa - one of his Toa, one of six.

What a strange question. The most he's brought the Turaga was grief and annoyance, as far as he can remember, because he was hotheaded and stubborn and stuckup. Vakama knew Matoro better than he knew Tahu, arguably. He wouldn't mourn him as inconsolably as Nuju had.

What a strange question.

"It was as if he'd lost Toa Lhikan all over again."

Tahu does not move.

That has to be an exaggeration.

"He could not conclude his speech to the Metru. He could not even meet the Nuva at first. He had hoped his vision really had been just the result of wires crossed wrong, just this once."

Matoro watches him as the heat around Tahu dissipates slowly, as he stiffens like magma cooling into obsidian.

The purple shadows lean further into the finally darkening skies, coming down, down, down the mountains, down the dunes, down the vegetation that dots the landscape, towards the city that stands in-between the sands, as they continue to sit near each other in perfect silence.

[thewalkingwillowtree]

Safe Haven

Series Part Listing Found Here

Neteyam x Original Na'vi Female Character

Summery: Seeking refuge, Xilä and her father venture to the lands of the Omatikaya clan, in the hopes that the Toruk Makto would be generous in allowing them to stay. This is her story about not only finding her strength, but finding love. 

Warning: This story contains smut, violence & abuse (please don't read if these topics will affect you)

Some characters have been aged up. Neteyam in particular is 23.

Xilä is my own creation.

~

Part 2 - Neteyam

The cold shock of wind that fanned Xilä’s face caused her to stir. With a pained moan she awoke, instantly remembering her fall and the creature that was inches away from attacking her. Eyes still closed she burrowed closer to the warmth that surrounded her body, immediately tensing when it shifted behind her. 

A strangled cry fell from her lips when she finally opened her eyes- the scenery before her causing sudden panic. There was blue everywhere! Blue skies to be exact. The blood drained from her face when she realized she was being flown high in the sky on a mountain banshee. 

Glancing down to the far drop below she jerked, accidentally knocking the person behind her with her already throbbing head. 

The person hissed at the contact and the thick muscled arm wrapped around her midsection, tightened its hold to keep her still. 

“No no no no, let me go. I want to get down. Now please.” Xilä was frantic and scared, her breath turning laboured. 

“Hey stop, calm down or you- Ow!”

She scrambled, clutching and squeezing his arm in panic as the creature beneath them sailed through the air. 

One, she’d never been on a mountain banshee much less anything that could fly and two, heights. Xilä did not do heights. She screwed her eyes shut as she shook with fear. 

“Shit,” muttered the male voice behind her. He shifted them, holding her closer so that her side rested flush against his chest. Xilä’s fingernails dug into his bicep as she hid her face in his shoulder. 

“Sir, are you there? Anyone copy? Dammit. Stupid connection.” 

Neteyam shot a worrying glance to the strange, cowering female in his arms. He had been in the middle of a hunt when he heard her screams, getting there just in time to slay the nantang before it attacked her. 

He saw when she fell, he’d heard the echoing crack of her skull and knew immediately that she needed a healer- he couldn’t very well leave her there. 

Where the hell did she come from though?

He’d never seen her before and he wondered what clan she was from. Definitely not the Anurai clan, not Tipani and certainly not Metkayina. He also highly doubted that she was an Avatar.

She was an odd little thing and it wasn’t until he saw her face that he realized she was Na’vi. 

Her body was completely hidden in strange garb- a mangy hooded cloak swallowed her…even her feet were covered. 

The skin on her face was a pale dusty blue- pale as if she hadn’t seen the sun in years, and when he’d scooped her up, he frowned in concern. She was light- too light. Even with the layers she wore she seemed to weigh nothing.

“You alright there?” He tried asking but she said nothing.

Uncomfortably seated on his ikran, he glided them to his home as she continued to cling to him. The wind knocked her hood away and her wild hair tickled his skin. It smelt sweet, like soap nuts. 

Neteyam breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of the clan's boundary. Caring for wild, terrified, injured females was not his forte. He’d breathe a lot easier once he handed her off to a healer but for now, she was his responsibility. And just like everything else in his life, he did to his best- he was going to try his damn hardest to make sure he got her there in one piece.

She moaned and began to move restlessly. 

“Hey, hey. You’re okay, you’re fine. Tell me what’s wrong?” He urged, squeezing her lightly, using the voice he’d usually use on his baby sister to get her to calm down.

“I want to get down, please…. it’s too high,” she said in a shaky, quiet voice. 

“You don’t like heights?” 

Her head shook against his shoulder in response. 

“Look we're almost there and you need a healer, so…just hang in a little longer…I’m Neteyam. What’s your name?” 

“Xilä.”

“Xilä,” he said, testing out the name. He noticed her accent was a bit different to the Omatikaya’s, so he asked, “Where are you from Xilä? What clan?” 

“Li'ona.”

Neteyam glanced down at her with a deep frown. “The Deadlands?”

She held the back of her head with her free hand and whimpered in pain. “Neteyam,” she said anxiously, and slightly slurred. “I- I don’t feel so good.”

And then she went completely limp in his arms. 

~

When Xilä woke again, the first thing she noticed was that something soft covered her eyes, completely blocking her vision. The second thing was that her skin prickled from the chill in the air- her body was void of her cloak.  

Wiggling her toes she realized her boots were missing as well. A violent shiver rocked her body and then almost instantaneously warmth came as a thick pelt was gently draped over her, gentle hands tucking in the ends. 

Hands. Hands?! 

She tensed and perked up in complete alertness. Fear spiking, heart accelerating- her body began to shake, and not just from the cold this time. 

Where was she? 

“Shhh child. Be calm, you are safe here,” said a raspy voice, tinged with age. Those gentle hands removed the cloth from her face. Xilä blinked as her eyes adjusted, then fell on an elderly and serious faced female Na’vi. 

Surveying the dimly lit area, she noticed it was a large tent of some sort. Plants, succulents, an assortment of bowls filled with pastes and powders and many other strange items littered a well-crafted table situated in the centre of the room. 

There were a few other bed rolls like the soft one she was laying in currently, but they were vacant. 

The space lingered heavily with the scent of medicinal herbs and spices, and the faint cries of mountain banshees and chatter could be heard from the distance. 

“Here, drink.” The elder helped her sit up a little then tilted a small bowl filled with water against Xilä’s parched lips which she drank greedily, despite her uneasiness. 

Sitting all the way up, she kept the pelt close and eyed the eccentrically dressed woman in mild apprehension. Movement caught her eye and her head snapped too quickly towards it, causing her to wince in pain. 

Those eyes. It was the Na’vi male who had saved her. Neteyam. He was standing in the shadows, arms folded while he leaned against one of the high beams that held up the roof of the tent. He was watching her as if she were some kind of dangerous creature, his face impassive. 

Xilä couldn’t help it, she felt her cheeks tinge at his attire. He was dressed in nothing but a high quality loincloth, a warrior’s belt and jewellery. She was not used to seeing so much skin, even the elder who was draped in a vibrant red, beaded shawl, seemed to be wearing very little. Xilä had to remind herself she was no longer in Li'ona. 

“Don’t mind him. He says he’s keeping guard, protecting me from you. Ha! I’d be surprised if you could even lift a weapon, much less use it- judging by how weak you are.”

“Where’s my father?” Xilä asked timidly.

From her question she saw Neteyam raise his arm, he touched his strange choker and whispered to himself inaudibly, his gaze still locked on her. 

“I am Tsahìk,” the elder said, ignoring her question. She then began creating some sort of concoction while she spoke. “You have a concussion. You are dehydrated and extremely underweight. Your blood circulation is poor which explains why you’re shaking like a leaf in this hot weather and I am placing you on mandatory bed rest for the next two weeks- three if necessary.” 

The healer filled the cup once more, with warm water this time, adding the green coloured concoction to it then handed it to Xilä. “Sip slowly.” 

Feeling overwhelmed and unsure on how to handle the present situation she kept quiet and did as told, sipping on the bitter flavoured tea- she was used to following orders…that she could do. 

Xilä heard the healer’s words about her health but she didn’t think that half of what she said even registered at all. 

“How long have I been here?” 

“Only a couple of hours.” 

The healer fussed over her some more, checking the back of her head first, then examining her eyes, ears and mouth. She had raised her eyebrows at the hand made bruises on her wrists and arms but did not comment on it, for which Xilä was grateful. She simply sliced open a succulent and rubbed its slime all over the ugly looking deep purple and blue marks. 

“Mo’at,” said a deep voice. A towering male Na’vi, half dressed similarly like Neteyam, entered the space and his sharp eyes immediately fixed on her, making her shrink into herself. 

“I thought Neytiri was going to do this?” Questioned the Tsahìk as she stood to face the male. 

“Tuk’s got a stomach ache, she’s clingy right now, only wants her mother,” he said with a little smirk.

The healer sniffed in acknowledgement. “Fine, but don’t overwhelm her, she still needs rest and she’s a meek little thing. I’ll pop in to see Tuktirey.” And then she left the tent leaving Xilä alone with the two men. 

The unnamed Na’vi crouched in front of her but she didn’t meet his eyes. Her father’s words rang in her head- she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, she’d already broken the rule by talking to Neteyam and the healer. 

“Hi there. It’s Xilä right? I’m Jake Sully- Olo'eyktan for the Omatikaya clan.” 

Her eyes flicked up to his for a second, before darting away. Here was the Toruk Makto before her- she couldn’t be rude. She quickly bowed her head and made the customary Na’vi sign of respect towards him, ‘I see you.’

He chuckled and returned the gesture. “I assume you’re familiar with my son, Neteyam?”

Eyes snapping to those gold piercing eyes once more, she swallowed nervously as he continued to eye her. Neteyam. There he still stood, looking intimidating as ever. 

“Xilä…my son says that you are from the Deadlands? Li’ona?” She nodded. “Why are you here then? Has something happened?” He spoke softly, almost as if he were speaking to a child. He had kind eyes, she noticed.  

Fiddling with the empty cup in her hands, asked again, “Where is my father?” 

“Right. Neteyam mentioned that too. We have a team out looking for him right now. We’ll find him.” Jake sent a questioning glance at his son who shook his head with a small shrug. “Were you travelling with only your father? Just the two of you?” She nodded, mutely.

He rubbed at the bridge of his brow then asked. “Is he armed?” Her brows furrowed but she dipped her head in response anyway.

“Unit five, do you copy?” He paused, then touched the odd choker on his neck and spoke again. “I need an update on the Li'onan, stat.” 

Frowning at his sanity she looked around to see who he was talking to but there was no one. He wasn’t even addressing her or his son…was he crazy too, like her grandfather Haudhk? When he was alive, he saw and spoke to people who were never there as well. 

“Okay good, keep on those tracks then and just to note be cautious- he’s armed and possibly injured. There was a nantang attack.”

Xilä squinted at the spot Jake was staring at to see if she saw anything but nope. No one was there so she glanced at Neteyam instead. 

He was still looking at her but mild amusement quirked at his lips this time. Her puzzlement at Jake talking to imaginary people must have been funny to him. Feeling stupid, she focused on her hands again. 

“Xilä we’re gonna make sure we find your dad, alight?”

~

His father had been questioning the girl for almost an hour now and they still had nothing. 

She hadn’t said a word aside from asking for her father, choosing to either nod, shake her head or simply shrug her responses. 

Studying her for probably the hundredth time now since he stood there, he concluded that she was no actual threat. She was young- probably his sister Kiri’s age. She breathed innocence and fearfulness, nervously fidgeting with her fingers or flinching at the slightest shuffle from either him or his father. So he tried to stay as still and calm as possible.

There were a few differences between her and an Omatikaya Na’vi. Mainly her dusty blue complexion. Her long, wild and tangled hair had a slight tinge of brown to it and her ears were a bit more pointed. Her eyes though…they were what truly set them apart. They were bright. They almost looked like molten silver or the moon from where he was standing and he wished he had a closer look.

His jaw ticked when he’d first seen it, but he held his tongue from saying anything about the ugly bruises around her wrists and upper arms. They were clearly made by a large hand.  

“Sir, this Tasam, over. We’ve got a problem here and you’re need- Ahh!” Both he and his father heard the message from the comm devices in their ear, simultaneously going on high alert. 

Before Jake could ask what was happening, they were interrupted by a loud commotion coming from outside. An angry roar, shouting and what sounded like a scuffle echoed from the distance. 

He and his father immediately sprinted out the tent, down the stone planted steps and toward the unmistakable growing crowd.  

“Where is she! No no! Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am? I demand to see your leader!” 

Walking towards the congregated area, they saw three males trying to push back an angry looking Na’vi. 

He too was covered head to toe in a threadbare cloak and boots like Xilä when Neteyam first met her. When he broke free from their hold, showing his face, bared fangs and all, Neteyam noticed that his skin and eyes were the same as his daughter but other than that, they looked nothing alike. 

“Xilä! Xilä!” 

“T'shteyo.”

The Li’ona Na’vi stilled and turned in their direction, his demeanor changing instantaneously to one of composure. He sized up Jake who approached him, then seemed to reluctantly bow, showing the Na’vi sign of respect. 

“Toruk Makto, JakeSully…I am honoured that you remember me after all these years.”

His father took in the crowd of clan members before choosing his response. This was an odd situation, he did not want to cause unnecessary reactions from his people. He had to lead by example. 

“Twenty five years ago you answered my call in our clan’s time of need. It is my honour, brother.” He stepped forward and clasped arms with the wild looking Na’vi. 

T'shteyo locked eyes in Neteyam’s direction, his face morphing into an ugly snarl. “Xilä,” he spat. 

Neteyam jerked slightly when he noticed the girl standing near him. He considered himself a highly skilled warrior- nothing ever got past him, his years of training had embedded it into his being. So suffice to say it was not often that people snuck up on him and the fact that she of all people did was more than a surprise. 

At the sound of her name she brushed past him and hurriedly made her way to her father, still clutching the pelt around her body. She was barefooted and walked strangely, frowning at the grass beneath her. 

Neteyam shared a meaningful look with his father when T'shteyo roughly grabbed his daughter and fiercely began whispering to her. He then shoved her behind him as if she were something to be ashamed of. 

“I apologize for my daughter’s intrusion, I hope she has not been a burden.”

Jake's eyes narrowed on the wild Na’vi, disliking him even more every time he opened his mouth. “Why are you here, T’shteyo?” He finally asked, having enough of beating around the bush. 

“I prefer to speak with you privately.”

From the corner of his eye Neteyam saw his mother appear, weaving between the bodies of the crowd to flank her mate. 

“You will speak here,” hissed Neytiri. “You enter our lands with hostility. Attack our guard,” she gestured to a male warrior who’s cheek was split open and another who had a nosebleed. Tasam’s arm looked mangled. “Spare us your excuses! Our people will hear what you have to say for yourself.”

T'shteyo clenched his jaw, struggling to control his anger towards her. He looked toward Jake and glared. “Are you not the mighty Toruk Makto? You let your woman speak for you?”

Jake turned murderous- jaw clenched tight, body gone rigid. Neteyam knew by his stance that his father was seconds away from attacking and if it wasn’t for the hand Neytiri placed on his chest he knew his father would’ve already charged at the Li’ona male. 

Neteyam was ready to pounce the second he saw the ugly bastard- fingers gripped around the handle of his dagger. 

He was seething now, along with many of the other onlookers. How dare he speak of his mother that way.

T'shteyo, as if realizing his mistake, quickly gave a half assed apology. “I…mean no disrespect. I forget our ways are different, is all.” Before Jake could curse him out, he rushed out, “My daughter and I seek Uturu.” 

The crowd erupted into gasps and whispers, though his father and mother showed no signs that his news shocked them- both glares remaining fixed. 

“My position was overthrown. The people…they wish us dead.”

“Why?” Jake hissed.

“The rivers are dry. We have not had rains in almost two decades. The lands bear nothing. No game to catch. My pe-” he shook his head, “The people grew angry, they blame me for their suffering.” 

Mo’at pushed through the crowd now with determined steps and whispered something to Neytiri who nodded in response. 

Prowling slowly as T'shteyo continued to ramble his case, Neytiri circled him with scrutinizing eyes. She moved closer to Xilä who was still hidden from Neteyam’s view and her ears perked up in alarm, eyes softening at whatever it was she saw. 

“Neteyam!” She called immediately.

His reaction was instant and he strode over to his mother. 

“Take her back. She needs rest,” Neytiri said, urging her gently towards him. 

Neteyam frowned at Xilä, she looked even paler than before and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. The pelt and the ugly garment that was hanging off her frame, made her look even more fragile. Just as he reached out for her, she squeaked when she was roughly jerked back. 

“No!” T'shteyo glared at him. “She stays with me. She’s fine, aren’t you girl?” He asked, shaking her. 

“Yes father,” she mumbled automatically, unfocused eyes locked on the ground. 

“See? Leave her be, she don’t need your fussing.” 

His hold looked painfully tight around her arm and Neteyam felt fury bubbling inside of him.

Who the hell was this man?

“She is not fine,” Neteyam hissed in a low growl. “I saw her fall. She hit her head so hard I’m surprised she's even coherent. Your daughter is sick and concussed. Look at her, she’s barely standing! Xilä needs rest and fluids and proper food for Eywa sake! Would it kill you to give a shit?” 

T'shteyo had a thick pulsing vein on his temple that looked as if it was about to burst. “You dare speak to me that way boy? Do you know who I-”

Neyetam marched into his space, his expression menacing. He had a good two inches on the Li’ona Na’vi who had no choice but to look up at him. “You came here. You are the one seeking refuge- our help. So give her. To. Me. Now!” Neteyam hissed through clenched teeth. 

T'shteyo’s cold eyes darkened even more, nose flared before he glanced at Jake Sully to see if he would do anything to stop him but all his father did was raise an eyebrow as if saying “So what’s it going to be?”

“Take her then.” He shoved her forcefully into Neteyam’s arms, as if he were throwing out dross. She slammed into him and a dizzy spell hit her so hard she closed her eyes tightly and had no choice but to press her forehead between his pecs, trying to swallow down a wave of nausea. 

Cold, thin fingers gripped him for balance, tucking into the space between his skin and the tough material of his warrior belt. 

Without a second thought he scooped her up for the second time that day and strode off, not even bothering to spare her father a glance. The crowd parted easily for him and his grandmother trailed behind, muttering angrily to herself. 

Xilä murmured something that didn’t reach his ears. He hoisted her up a bit higher and her check stuck flat against his shoulder blade, eyes screwed shut. “Is it your head?” He asked, concerned. 

“Y-yeah, feels like it’s about to burst.”

Looking down at her, he felt a pang in his chest. He felt unsteady and uncomfortable with the emotions she was suddenly uprooting within him. This girl was a complete stranger and it irritated him how quickly she got under his skin. How quickly he seemed to care.

~

As soon as he placed her feet on the ground, of the healing tent but keeping an arm around her, he heard his name being called. 

“Hey man, what the hell is going o-”

Both Neteyam and Spider startled at the sudden shriek from Xilä, both watching in utter confusion as she scrambled. Hands reaching up to Neteyam’s shoulders, she flung herself into his arms. Her long strange garment rode high up her thighs as her legs wrapped around his waist. 

“-Ooff!” He stumbled slightly but grabbed her waist and thigh automatically to steady them, his body going into full alert, trying to spot the threat. Spider went wide eyed as well, frowning as he watched the tiny cowering female in his friend’s arms.  

Xilä was shaking, her pelt had fallen to the ground, forgotten. Keeping her eyes locked on Spider, she asked in a petrified whisper, “What is it? Why does it look at me that way?”

Neteyam looked around not seeing any danger, eyes sweeping the ground for any crawlers but no- nothing, so he tracked her stare to an equally confused Spider and frowned. “You mean Spider?”

“It is a spy-der?” She asked, rubbing the back of her head with a grimace.

“Hey what’s up…I’m Spider. Nice to meet you.” Spider spoke in the Na'vi language and sent her an ‘I see you’ gesture in hopes it might calm her. 

Her head snapped to Neteyam, face pale with a horrified expression upon it and instant understanding dawned on him. 

“Xilä, this is Spider, that’s his name, he’s a human. You’ve never seen a human before, have you?” 

“No…I thought they were weapons of mass destruction. My father said so…” 

Neteyam tried putting her down but her hold tightened around him. Alright, I guess we’re doing it this way.

He walked closer to the human boy. “He’s friendly, see?” 

Spider grinned through his mask and gave a wave, wigging his five strange fingers. Her ears perked up looking less terrified the more she examined him through squinted eyes. She guessed he looked harmless.  

“Alright,” she whispered, slumping against Neteyam, weakly.

Mo’at walked in at that moment, passing them straight with an armful of blankets she went to collect. She seemed to be still seething in anger judging by the scowl on her face. She knelt in front of her workstation, and began tinkering with her ingredients. 

“You can put my patient down now, Neteyam.”

~

“-and that could have ended far worse, Neteyam! What the hell were you thinking? You don’t know the capabilities of these people, did you get a good look at T'shteyo? He looks like a goddamn psychopath. Unhinged. Feral.” Jake was pacing the length of their family tent, currently laying into his son over his very public altercation with the ex Li’ona leader. 

“Quick frankly I’m downright surprised at you, I would’ve expected this from your brother, not you!”

Neteyam was glad that Lo’ak was not there to hear his father’s snide remark, they were already only just back on speaking terms since their last dispute. He hated fighting with his brother. 

“Sir-”

“Li'onans are ruthless, they aren't like other clans. I haven’t seen T'shteyo in almost twenty five years, and that was on a battlefield against the RDA. I don’t know what is happening there, but they have practically segregated themselves from the rest of Pandora. They’re savages alright.”

“Sir-”

“No, I’m telling you this so you understand what we're up against. He’s put me in a precarious situation here! There are people who want him dead. People who could potentially track them here, and now you’ve gone and put a big fat target on yourself!” 

Neteyam stared at his father. 

“Look… I get it. I saw what you saw too.” He shook his head and gave a heavy sigh. “That poor girl…I’m proud of you alright, for standing up for her. But we need to tread lightly here.”

“I know sir and I apologize but I’m not sorry about it. I’d do it again,” he said earnestly. 

Jake huffed at his son’s honesty, mildly impressed. Hands on his hips, he smirked. “I keep forgetting that you’re all grown up now.” 

“I’m twenty-three, dad. I think I’m way past grown up…I passed my rites since I was fifteen. Remember?” He grinned, before turning serious again. “So what's the plan here then? Are you going to let them stay?”

“For the while? Yes.” Jake scratched the back of his head. “Your grandmother would skin me if I told that girl she had to leave. Your mother too.” He squinted at his son. “And I’m guessing you’re in the same boat?”

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “I may not give a shit about her father but, dad…if Kiri or Tuk looked like that…”

“I know, I know. Alright, T'shteyo is my responsibility. I’ll make sure he stays in line, teach him our ways- find out what I can about his intentions and if what he has said is the truth. He only gets to stay if he passes the rites.”

Jake side eyed Neteyam. “Can I count on you to do the same with Xilä? To show her our ways?”

“Dad, I don’t know if I’m the best person for that…”

“Oh yeah? Well tough shit. You made your scene and told T'shteyo to give her to you. Well you got her now.” Jake chuckled and patted his son on his back jokingly as they walked out of the tent. 

“Come on son, I’m sure it won’t be that bad. You could use a little excitement in your life.”

~

Yay, finally some Neteyam action!

Sorry for any errors.

Let me know what you think :)

Tags: @riatesullironalite