#she has like 1 line and this moment to express ANYTHING about being used and manipulated

[myerssimp21]

Batcave Meeting (YAN!Pt.3)

Romantic!Yandere!Batfam Part 3. Part 1, Part 2 here (context: Tim Drake purposefully got aphrodisiac'd when fighting Ivy and then went over to Darling's apartment to smash. This is a batfamily meeting about that and how to move forward.).

As you obliviously drifted to sleep, the live feed of you doing so was being projected onto a big screen in the BatCave while members joined together at a table, casually watching you as you yawned and readjusted against your pillow. The imposing man situated at the end of the table clasped his hands together, regarding the young men in front of him. Once everyone was seated, the imposing man began speaking to them, noticing how many of them had their eyes glued to the screen.

"We're going to discuss what happened the other day and plan for next week," he announced, and the pouty brunette who had had a frown on his face now crossed his arms.

"Allow me to explain it from my perspective first, Father," he said, sporting a moody expression, "You and Drake were unexpectedly out of commission during your patrol, which, while not typical, is understandable given our line of work."

His eyes flicker over to Tim and Jason, narrowing in contempt and disgust.

"Todd and Drake both know how important our duty to Gotham is," Damian continued while making eye contact with Jason, "But instead of prioritizing that, they let their impulses get the better of them. Drake especially for instigating the situation. Using Ivy's aphrodisiac to... indulge with our darling? It's selfish, reckless, and disrespectful."

"Damian, hold on a second," Jason interjected, "I had no idea about the aphrodisiac. It was my night off so I was sleeping in and missed Bruce's calls when he and Tim got doused in it. I only woke up because the audio feed from her apartment was turned up and I heard them together. I blew up Tim's phone and went over when he left because I was pissed, and I didn't realize that was why she couldn't get enough. I feel really bad about it now that I know."

Damian's expression softened subtly as he absorbed Jason's explanation. Despite his composed demeanor, the tension still lingered in his features.

"I appreciate your honesty, Todd," Damian conceded, his tone slightly softer, "It's still not acceptable that she was acting strangely and this was not analyzed, but I understand that the situation was...unconventional."

As Jason and Damian had a moment of newfound comradery, Tim finally spoke up, "I understand your frustrations, but you need to know that I researched Ivy's aphrodisiac extensively before I ever considered using it. I made sure it wouldn't have any adverse health effects on anybody and appropriately calculated the risks."

Damian's expression darkened further, his negative feelings towards Drake beginning to truly show. "This isn't just about general safety or the safety of some substance!" he exclaimed, "It's about respect and her consent. You had no right to manipulate her like that, whether or not it posed a physical risk."

"Come on, Damian," Tim retorted, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice. "She didn't find out about the aphrodisiac, did she? So what's the big deal? It's not like we hurt her or anything. She's fine, and she doesn't even know what happened. In fact, she likes us even more because I made a move for us. Why are you making a big deal out of nothing?"

Jason scoffed, his distaste in Tim at this point evident. "Seriously, Tim? You're gonna act like a douchebag just because she didn't find out? That's messed up, even for you."

"It's not just about the immediate consequences," Damian shot back, his voice angrier. "It's about the long-term impact on her. I bet you didn't even stop to consider how your actions could affect her, or how they could undermine the trust she has in us. And what about the ripple effect it could have on her relationships with all of us? He's playing with fire, Father, and he needs to be held accountable."

"Let's not overlook the bigger issue here," Tim said, his voice defensive, "What I did was perverted, I admit that. But let's not pretend that bugging and wiring her apartment is any less invasive. That's hardly consensual either."

"Don't you dare deflect the issue!" Damian's voice rose, and he was now yelling, "We implemented those measures for her safety, not for our own entertainment! It's a gross violation of her privacy, but at least we did it to protect her!"

"Oh? And having two separate cameras staring at her bed is going to what, protect her from bad dreams?"

"Dami, Tim, let's try to keep our cool here," Dick interjected gently, easing in to defuse the tension, "We're all on the same team, remember? We need to work together to figure this out."

Damian turned to Dick with a measured gaze, "I want to hear your perspective on this matter, Grayson."

Dick sighed, solemnly addressing Drake. “Tim, what you did wasn't just a mistake. It was a deliberate breach of trust. She relies on us to keep her safe and instead of focusing on that, you exploited her vulnerability.”

"Also," and Dick seemed more pained at this part, "You betrayed our trust. We all care about her and you influenced her desires for your own gain."

Tim sat in silence, his expression filled with shame as he began to realize the gravity of his actions. He knew he had acted irresponsibly, and the weight of their words hung heavy in the air. Jason and Dick exchanged silent glances, their disappointment evident in their expressions.

Damian took a deep centering breath before focusing his attention back on Tim.

"This isn't about whether she found out or not, Drake. If you still don't understand that, then we need to take more drastic measures to address and punish this behavior. Father, I appeal to you to implement anything you deem necessary to prevent such behavior in the future. We cannot allow such indecent actions against her to to be repeated."

Bruce, understanding the severity of the situation and having now heard everyone's perspective, nodded solemnly at Damian.

"Tim, in light of your actions, there are going to be some consequences," Bruce stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You need to schedule therapy with Dr. Thompkins to address the troubling attitude that led to this situation. While we have taken invasive measures to monitor her, as Damian pointed out, your actions went beyond that."

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in before continuing. "Until you've attended and Dr. Thompkins deems it appropriate, you will be restricted from having any contact with _____."

Finally, Bruce's gaze softened slightly as he looked at both Damian and Tim. "And Tim, it's imperative that you and Damian eventually reconcile. We're a team, and we need to remain united in our goals and overall behavior. I expect both of you to work towards rebuilding your relationship for the sake of the team and our darling."

"Damian," Bruce addressed his son, "since Tim will no longer be able to have contact with her, I'm assigning you a new responsibility. You will substitute him as her school friend and be someone she can rely on for assistance with homework and company. I want you to pick a class of hers that sounds interesting to you and make sure you're there to support her. It's important that she has someone she can trust and rely on, especially now. It's an opportunity for you to show her that she can count on us."

As the meeting continued, Damian spoke up, "I'll join her art class. It will allow me to assist her with her assignments and ensure she receives the academic support she needs."

Bruce nodded in approval. "Good choice, Damian. Make sure to approach this responsibility with care and dedication."

Turning to Jason, Bruce's expression grew serious. "Jason, I need you to be especially understanding and supportive towards her. If she feels troubled or has any lingering negative thoughts about what happened, I expect you to be there for her."

"Of course, Bruce," Jason says, eyes fixated on the now-sleeping figure of their darling on the cameras, "I'll do whatever it takes."

Dick now spoke up, "Can we talk about introducing me as Jason's roommate?"

Bruce shook his head, "Not yet; I want to make sure Damian successfully integrates first. You can still frequent around her job but no more interactions than that."

"Except for as a vigilante?" Dick replies hopefully, and Bruce gives him a measured gaze similar to his son's.

"Yes, although I expect you to exercise patience and primarily work in Blüdhaven for now."

Damian cuts in, "And don't be like Drake and fabricate a reason for her to need you."

"Damian," Bruce says in a tired voice, "I've made myself clear."

Damian looks down with an expression like he's biting his tongue and contempt is bright in his eyes, "Sorry, Father."

With that, the meeting concluded, each member of the Batfamily knowing the roles they had to play in ensuring their darling's well-being and trust remained intact.

[srslylini]

If I said the scene with Jinx hallucinating Silco in Stillwater is so beautifully done that it being in season 2 ruins it?

Here is a run down of this scenes dialogue

In itself it is just a dialogue but what I find very noticeable is that Jinx does not in fact actually talk with Silco, she talks to him and then gets talked to. Their conversation doesn't flow because Jinx doesn't engange in basically anything Silco says (run with me here I know it is Jinx hallucinating Silco). She tells him to "go away, you're too late" and when Silco starts talking about imprisonment and how "it says something about Marcus that he thought putting Vi here is a greater mercy than killing her" Jinx doesn't react to that. Her only reaction is "killing isn't mercy" but that's not necessarily what Silco was talking about. If you want you could say they are talking in circles.

Even when Silco talks about killing being a cycle and that there is still rebellion "in that husk", she really doesn't react very much to what he is saying. She closes herself off to any sort of conversation. Mostly she only reacts to the last words presented to her. "I'm done running in circles".

This is her completely ignoring the part of herself that still wants to rebell, by the way.

Now the next part, I feel what they were trying to do is draw a parallel to Heimerdingers line in season 1 of how imprisonment is a curious concept since you imprison the body but not the mind. Here Silco kind of contradicts that though, what he is saying is that the mind is a forged prison one needs to escape out of. That is one of the only parallels I can get behind this season. If it was intentionally done at all.

What I find very uneasy about this next part of the scene is that, while the dialogue we found ourselves in was never really a dialogue, it just turned into a complete monologue. It is Jinx completely detached from herself and in the form of Silco telling herself the only way to free herself is to die. There is no beating around the bush here.

Now lets discuss the visuals of this scene

What I find just as important here is the visuals. Season 2 made the mistake to lean too much onto "micro expressions" for most of its scenes but here I find what they did to be quite stunning.

The scene starts out with the Gemstone rolling through the dark. It is a quite chilling opening since we know what this stone is capable of doing. I feel this very much reminds us of its importance and what has happened with it. And then it hits Jinx.

Jinx who, at this point, has been haunted by the Gemstone for what is basically all her life. And it still continues to haunt her. What I find to be just as well done is that we as an audience are never sure if the Gemstone is actually there. It wouldn't make sense to be there, since she is in prison and I do not think they'd just let her in there with that gemstone, but also? By doing this the audience feels about as haunted by the stone as Jinx does. Who in that moment hurts herself, which manifests in picking skin off of her fingers.

She sits in shadows and Silco also comes from those shadows. That's how the conversation starts. They then continue to only show her eye. The shimmer induced eye. That is in stark contrast to what we then, what almost feels like a jumpscare, get to see with Silco. Suddenly his eye is the Gemstone. The two forces of two cities.

What I also find very interesting is that the audience gets to see Silco's new eye addition when he talks about Jinx still having a spark of rebellion. Well how did the Gemstone first come into play?

Jinx was rebelling against her sisters wishes to "stay behind". And that's when the fateful explosion happened and Jinx lost her entire family. Just as in the finale of season 1. Everytime we see Jinx rebell in season 1 it ends with the death of people she loves. I find it just as interesting that all of this comes after Jinx says "it's too late". She only sees her failures infront of her. All of her acts of rebellion, in her mind, caused the misery that now sits infront of her.

Just as Silco says "Killing is a cycle" we get a close up of his new eye. Now that might be a reach but I like how the Gemstone in itself is basically a "cycle". Also the fact that it is now Silco's eye. The sentence "the eye is the window to a persons soul" is very fitting here, I think. Just that Silco isn't actually Silco. He is the manifestation of Jinx' current state. So he is a manifestation of what she sees as her failures.

And is what happened with the Gemstones not what she sees as her biggest one? She lost all her families over that. And then she lost Isha to it as well. During this part of the scene we see Jinx picking her skin again, as if in an act to ground herself. As Silco says the act of "this cycle of killing will continue long after the two of you" he starts to become less of the focus. The blue of the Gemstone in his eye is suddenly almost all we see.

And then it's in Jinx' hand. I think this shows how Jinx thinks she holds that cycle in her hands now. Which also translates into how she wants to break it, by the way. "I'm done running in circles" as she plays with said figurative circle.

The Gemstone in this part of the scene is what Jinx sees as her prison. All her failures, all her pain. Silco talks over this scene in her monologue (as I talked about in my point before the visuals). All her life Jinx saw herself as nothing more than part of this circle. Then Silco says he thought he could break free by eliminating who he thought his jailors were. I do not like what they did here. At all. But this will come later.

In this scene we only see his new Gemstone eye, as he talks about his jailors. The gemstone comes from Piltover, all his life Silco wanted to break free from Piltover, so there is that. I will come to this later, as I said. Then he says the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away and suddenly we do not see the Gemstone eye anymore.

More on this later. What I see in the next scene is maybe a little hard to get and potentially wrong. We hear Jinx swallow, right? And swallowing is the act of putting what's in your mouth to your stomach. So when she tries to spit out the Gemstone it can't actually land in her hand again. In my head, and please this is literally very much a far reach cause I myself haven't yet figured this part out completely, it's almost like she lost it again, the thread she held in her hand before.

That, for me, is the part where she understood what the Silco in her head was trying to tell her. A convoluted "you have to die". That's why, when Vi comes, we see her even more detached than before.

Why don't I like this scene in the context of season 2 then?

The hauntingly good of this scene is how factually wrong it is.

Or that it should be wrong. And that's why it is bad. The scene portrays this picture of a completely in shambles Jinx who, in a very twisted way, tries telling herself the only way to betterment is death. And in the end that should have been avoided. What the writers did, how ever, was make this scene be correct.

Well the only way out was death and getting away, right? It shouldn't have been. What should have happened is that the scene gets turned on its head and Jinx gets to the understanding that it is wrong, that she is deserving and allowed to stay. In context of a season 1 this scene was very fitting but in the season 2 we got, that excused classism, war crimes and killed its 3 suicidal characters this scene was terrible.

That leads me to my point with Silco telling us he understood the only way was breaking the cycle and not eliminating his jailors. In what they gave us with season 2 this is... definetly something. What they gave us with that is that Jinx apparently now "understands that Piltover isn't the problem but she is". That makes Jinx having to apologize to Caitlyn even worse. What Silco said in this moment is basically this "He now understands that breaking free of the people oppressing them (his jailors) didn't free him but understanding that he is part of the cycle and needs to end it is freeing" and with that in context of Jinx' mind this says

"I now understand Piltover isn't the problem. I am."

This wouldn't even be THAT bad had they portrayed this scene how it should have been shown.

As wrong.

Conclusion

This is basically why in itself this scene is beautifully done and everything that season 1 did great and why I in fact hate that it exists in season 2. It is such a disservice to have such a stunningly made scene in a season that endorsed all that it shouldn't.

I also do not understand them basically showing the two cities conflict with the shimmer induced Jinx and the Gemstone in Silco's eye and then just doing nothing with that. Like you had it right there. All of it. There it was and then you just failed to do anything with it, ignored it and then by doing so hurt your own series themes. Which is why I hate what Silco said with breaking the cycle and freeing yourself even more. Like how wrong can you even be? How can you show how wrong this is and then paint it as correct?

[galaxy-fleur]

Revisited RER recently, and I genuinely love Chris' and Rebecca's relationship so much... Gonna ramble about them for a bit here.

Despite also being totally out of his depths here, Chris is incredibly tactile and comforting with her. He has always cared for those around him, but I can't help but think that he does his best to be calm and reassuring around Becca because she's the youngest and the least experienced of them all. And yet she's stuck in this nightmare, too. The way he puts a hand on her shoulder and encourages her attempts at healing Richard with a simple but meaningful: 'Richard needs you now.'

Those words are merely an acknowledgement of her skills, no iron pressure behind them. I like to think that he expresses his belief in her here, hopefully to help her feel less scared and anxious. It's the least he can do, really. And sometimes all you need is someone to just show that they believe in you so you can keep going with no shaky hands. It also reflects on his trust in reliance on her in future installments, too. I think it's kinda sweet how Chris believed in her and encouraged her from the moment she was this fresh recruit, stuck in an unforseen situation. No wonder they are so close and soft with each other in Vendetta.

Him immediately blaming himself for Richard's death, obviously having no idea how to process it quite yet, and then Rebecca being just as lost on how to answer, because what can you even say in this situation? It really rings home how they are both so out of their element here. They are not seasoned operatives we are used to seeing, they are just two people who are forced to deal with something they've never encountered before and try to process all the loss they are hopeless to stop.

I think it's incredibly telling that Rebecca's initial response is to focus on what she should do next, whereas Chris's is to blame himself. Both are obviously shaken by Richard's death: Chris because he couldn't do anything stop it, and Rebecca because all her efforts on healing him were in vain. But they express it differently in the moment. It's also painful how Chris can't even look at her, until he switches into 'It's my fault' line of thinking. Poor guy has been shouldering this kinds of losses since day 1. I do think it also falls in line with how they respond to loss in future installments, too. Very neat to think about.

And then Rebecca just breaking down in tears after that short attempt at laughing it off, and Chris just putting a hesitant gentle hand on her shoulder as he lets her cry it out with no words being said. While it made super sad, it's also a nice contrast to them not looking at each other in previous instance vs standing face to face this time around.

Funnily enough, I don't think he's being aloof or insensitive here, as I've seen some say—quite the contrary. As I said above, what could you even possibly say in this kind of circumstance that wouldn't be, at most, a flat-out lie? But what he can do is just be there for her. Which is what he does. And that: 'be strong, Rebecca' is simple but genuine nonetheless. They must remain strong, at least until they are safe and out of there. Still, he doesn't try to stop her from crying, he only says this once she quiets down. It's really touching of him, honestly. He lets her express her distress and then encourages her when she's done.

And this lil' pat on her shoulders and 'Just stay with me, kid' is so cute! Not to mention the thumbs up afterwards :3

It's a sort of small but comforting gesture that probably goes a long way to someone in Rebecca's position. I can't help but think if that's Chris' big brother instincts at work, which is ever cuter to think about. He's a great superior to be around.

Also, it's kinda neat how the way he touches her shoulder changes throughout the game. First soft, gentle touches, and then more assured and encouraging pats by the end there. Both are good, but I still love that tiny detail.

As a bonus, the fact that Chris is the only one awake between the three of them during the helicopter ride also strikes me as kind of interesting. Both Jill and Rebecca are resting and allowing themselves to doze off, but he just stays staring off in silence, obviously having a lot on his mind. Whether he stays up to watch over the two or because he can't bring himself to relax, it's sort of a cool detail.

[ladykailitha]

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 7

And now you see why I waited until I had this part written before posting the last one? That was one hell of a cliffhanger. Also everyone gets a dig at Al in this. It's family bonding event. But Steve has the best burn I think.

Just a heads up, Steve talks about being abused...heads up if that's a trigger for you.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

***

Steve placed his hand on Eddie’s back the second he felt his friend stiffen next to him.

“Deep breath, Eds,” he murmured. “There is nothing he can say to you that I will let him get away with, okay? Deep breath. Let me and Wayne handle this.”

Eddie let out a deep breath. “Just careful, Stevie. He’s been known to charm snakes out of their skin.”

Steve’s jaw clenched. So that’s the kind of man he was. He knew that kind of man intimately. His own father was like that. He knew what to watch for now that he had been forewarned.

He plastered a solemn expression on his face, that to everyone who didn’t know him well enough would think sincere, but to Eddie and Wayne, they could see the hard set line of his jaw as he kept one eye on Al and the other on the proceedings.

The funeral wrapped up and everyone lined up to throw dirt on the now lowered coffin. Al tried to get directly behind Eddie, but Steve seamlessly inserted himself between them.

Al bristled but the portly man next to him coughed and he was forced to back down.

Finally the family was all that remained as they all walked back to the church.

The portly man stuck to Al like glue and Steve felt a sudden warmth for the boys in blue at that moment. Because he was pretty sure that even though Al Munson had been granted a furlough, someone was paying to keep that man on a short leash.

The family and a small handful of friends arranged themselves on the pews and waited.

It wasn’t too long until a funny little man with thick bottled glasses came hurrying in.

“I’m sorry Mrs Nelson,” he twittered to Penny. “I had a hard time getting to the church.”

Penny just nodded. “It’s all right Mr Mulbury, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

He walked up the pulpit and put his briefcase on it. He pulled out a piece of paper of it and then walked back around the pulpit, leaving the briefcase where it was.

“Ehhm,” Mr Mulbury coughed. “The last will and testament of Gina Munson goes as follows...”

He read it out, people getting little trinkets and things that were meaningful to them, instructions on what to do with her clothes and other things that wouldn’t be given to friends or family.

And then it came time to divide up her meager savings. “My savings of five thousand dollars will be divided three ways. To Penny, you get a thousand to repair that lovely house of yours. I know you didn’t want anything, but use it for your family, dearest girl. Love you all the best.”

Penny laughed a watery little chuckle. She shook her head fondly.

“To Wayne, you get two thousand dollars to finally get that motor home you always wanted. When the time is right, retire and see the world like you always dreamed of. See the stars, my beautiful boy. You deserve stars.”

Wayne teared up, coming down in rivers down his face. Both Steve and Eddie hugged him tight.

“To Allen, who had squandered every good thing he every had, his loving wife, his devoted son, his talents and his good sense, you get nothing. You deserve nothing. If you are here to hear this, I hope it is because the state of Texas deemed it so, and not because you have been set loose again on the world.”

There was a gasp from those gathered and they descended into harsh whispers as they wondered aloud who got the remaining two thousand dollars.

Mr Mulbury cleared his throat. “Instead the remaining two thousand will be given to your son, Edward. Through your actions that boy has suffered so, and because of your actions he will receive not only the money, but all my love as well. Live your dreams, Eddie. Be that star for your uncle. Shine brighter then even that of Polaris. Butterfly kisses into the sunset, darling boy.”

Now Eddie was crying too. Two thousand wouldn’t get him far, but it could get him started. He raised a shaking hand to his quivering lips. Steve grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it.

Eddie looked over and Steve mouthed, “you deserve it.”

He nodded back.

Finally there were some other little things to be wrapped up in the will and then it was all over.

Everyone stood and Steve looked over at Al for the first time since they entered the church. The man had a smile plastered on his face that sent chills down Steve’s spine. Whenever his father wore that expression it meant trouble for someone, usually Steve.

They mingled for a bit, waiting until Penny’s friend came back to tell her that dinner was ready for them. Penny, Wayne, Steve, and Eddie all clustered together while everyone else gathered in other groups.

People were coming up and telling Eddie how much he deserved the money and how much his grandmother loved him. It made Steve puff out his chest in pride.

Finally Al came over and all four of them stiffened.

“Eddie, my boy!” Al greeted warmly. “You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. You’re spitting image of your old man.” He lifted a handcuffed hand with a jaunty little wave. “I’d hug ya, but I’m on a bit of a leash.”

Penny bristled. “I paid good money for that leash, I’m glad to see it working.”

The men turned to her in shock.

“Did you know,” she said through gritted teeth, “that the state of Texas was going to let him come to the funeral without a guard to make sure he didn’t escape? And that you actually have to pay for that service?”

Al grinned. “Ah...Penny-elle-oh-pee, you shouldn’t have.” His voice dropped low and menacing. “You really shouldn’t have.”

The portly man nudged him with his elbow. Al straightened up, his charming mask firmly in place.

Wayne shook his head. “Al, Al, Al...you never did know when to fold and when to call.”

Al turned to his brother for the first time. “Big brother always watching out for everyone and never getting ahead. How much they pay you at that workhouse? You know the one, the one that took Dad’s life?”

Wayne grinned. “Pretty good considering we union’ed up about five years ago. Which would have known if you actually read any of the letters I sent you. Just like you would have known about what Eddie looks like now...”

Steve hurried to cover his snort, but Al whipped his head his direction.

“And who the hell are you?”

Steve eyed him with a raised eyebrow. “Steve Harrington, my mother is Sophia Kincade, of the Lexington Kincades and a good friend of your son’s.”

Al turned to Penny. “Why he is here with family?”

Wayne bristled. “This is the boy that saved your son during that major earthquake we had earlier this year. Another thing you’d know if you’d read my damn letters. He deserves to be here just as much as you if not more so.”

Just then Penny’s friend came in and told them that dinner was ready for the family.

Al ran his tongue over his teeth and grinned. “Hey, Bernie, how much time have we got?”

The portly man looked at his watch. “We’ve got about an hour before we have to leave to catch our flight.”

Penny furrowed her brow but knew she couldn’t deny him dinner as much as it grated.

The friends that had been at the reading made their goodbyes and soon everyone else was filing into cars.

Penny and her family in her blue Chevy, Steve, Eddie and Wayne in his BMW, and Al and Bernie in an unmarked Crown Vic.

They get to the house and the scents of a home cooked meal waft from the open front door.

They all go sit down at the table, Danny and Wayne pulling out two more chairs for their unwelcomed guests.

Steve was disappointed to see that not only was there enough food to feed Al and Bernie, but that there was enough food to feed a fucking army.

Penny’s friend’s name is Lucy and her daughter Beth is one of Lauren’s friends, too. They’re both blonde with bright blue eyes and curvy bodies.

They are bustling around the table making sure everyone has enough food.

About half way through dinner Al speaks up. “So you still playing that guitar of yours, Ed?”

Eddie stiffened. “I’ve got a red NJ Warlock that I play now.”

“Ooh...fancy,” Al whistled. “You steal it?”

Lauren and Wayne bristled, but Eddie scoffed. “No, but I did steal an RV once while on the run wanted for murder, but they were a bunch of pricks anyway.”

Wayne and Steve stifled a laugh while the rest of the family looked as though they weren’t sure if he was telling the truth or not.

“Cleared of all charges,” Steve added with a sly smile. “Court ruled it extenuating circumstances.”

It was Eddie’s turn to hide his smile in his napkin.

Al’s mood darkened. He didn’t like being out of the inside joke. “You gonna do anything with the talent I gave ya, teaching you how to play on that beat up ‘ole six string?”

This time Eddie rankled. How dare AL imply that he had anything to do with his ability to play guitar? As if the real reason wasn’t sitting right there at the table.

Steve put his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, calming him.

“Was that before or after you taught him how to hotwire a car?” he asked, faux innocence.

Al sputtered.

“See, I always got the impression,” Steve continued, “that instead of teaching Eddie how to play guitar or throw a ball you were too busy trying to make sure your son followed in your footsteps straight into the penitentiary.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide with barely contained glee.

“While Wayne on the other hand,” he said scratching his temple, “was working hard to put on the table, get Eddie through school, and give him the best life he could given the hand you dealt both of them. Now, I’m just some outsider, but I know what it’s like to have a shit dad.”

The room was stock still. Steve didn’t think that they were even breathing at this point, but he pressed on.

“Didn’t fit into the box he built? He hit me. Didn’t get captain my sophomore year, something that had never been done ever? He hit me. Didn’t date the right girl? He hit me. Ditched my asshole friends? He hit me. Now, I don’t know if you’re cut from the same cloth or not. I don’t give a fuck. But you tell another lie like that one to these honest folk, and Officer Bernie here will be taking you back to Texas in a body bag.”

Al jumped to his feet, but before he could even twitch Steve’s direction Bernie whipped out a taser and zapped him with it. Soon he was doing a different kind of twitching.

On the floor.

Bernie began clapping and soon everyone else was too.

Steve blushed. “To think I could have been like that asshole if it wasn’t for getting some sense knocked into me by people who actually gave a damn. I’m sorry he ruined dinner.”

Penny scoffed. “Dinner isn’t ruined. Wayne, Danny please help the kind officer take out the trash.”

Officer Bernie chuckled. “Much appreciated, ma’am.”

Wayne and Danny stood up and helped him take Al back into the Crown Vic.

Wayne went through and made sure that Al didn’t steal anything or had anything that might be a danger to the good officer. He never had trusted Al, even as kids and he sure the hell wasn’t going to start now.

Soon the officer was on his way and the family sat down to eat the dinner that was so wonderfully prepared in peace. Like Gina had always intended.

Wayne smiled at Steve. He was proud of how he had stood up to Al for his boy.

****

Pt 8|Pt 9|Pt 10|Pt 11|Pt 12

Tag list: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @messrs-weasley @goodolefashionedloverboi @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @emly03 @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @vecnuthy @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @gutterflower77 @genderless-spoon @hel-spawn @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @mamafaithful @yikes-a-bee @dragonmama76 @flaming-reauxster

[shu-box-puns]

I never would have given you to them; not for anything

(Tsu’tey x Reader)

Part 1 -> Next Chapter 

If you prefer to read on Ao3, you can find the fic here!

Summary: The RDA unknowingly revives a traitor through Project Phoenix. 

Word Count: 11,251

Reader uses they/them pronouns.

NOTE: The term 'Zaza' is a gender neutral way to address a parental figure.

Connecting to the Tree of Souls was always bittersweet for Tsu'tey.

Eywa was a kind mother. For a few short moments, he could be reunited with everyone he had previously lost. He could ask Eytukan for guidance on being Olo’eyktan, or speak with Sylwanin when his grief threatened to overwhelm him.

And other times, Eywa would gift him a glimpse into a vision that could’ve been his reality, if events had played out differently. 

The phantom of HomeTree was booming with life. Those who lived there were distant and concealed from view by the colossal roots of the great tree or simply occupying the foliage beyond its shade. Tsu’tey found himself sitting upon a log, his knife in hand which he was using to shape an arrow head.

A fire roared at his feet, meat cooking over the flames whilst the joyous yells of children darted to and fro behind his turned back. He couldn’t help but smile softly to himself, reminded of the early years in Spider’s development when the boy had finally grown large enough to comfortably fit into an exo pack. Tsu’tey had been delighted, eager to take his son from the confines of the demon compound and let him loose on the clan.

Spider took to the outside like an ikran to the sky. Staring in wonder as Tsu’tey carried him into the heart of the village. Na’vi of all stations had cooed at him, offering Tsu’tey honest congratulations even if their eyes had held poorly concealed hesitance at the toddler giggling against his chest. 

Within the hour, Spider had become fast friends with Jake’s children - Eywa help him - and was gleefully dirtying his loincloth as they tumbled and played. 

“He has grown significantly.” A voice to his left suddenly commented, ripping Tsu’tey from his private musings. He made to turn to whoever was sat with him, but some untold force kept his gaze glued to the arrowhead he was carving. 

“Children tend to.” Tsu’tey responded easily, the English falling thick and accented off of his tongue. 

His secret companion merely hummed, leaning into his side. Tsu’tey caught sight of blue skin in his peripheral. Five fingered hands falling to demon style clothed knees. His expression tightened. Confusion swirling beneath his skin.

“A mighty warrior in the making.” The stranger praised, undercurrents of pride lacing their tone. “I am glad his aim has greatly improved.”

Tsu’tey lifted his gaze from the arrowhead as the words registered. His questioning response was halted by the sudden absence of the clan chatter and the crackling of the flames at his feet. His eyes flickered, expressing softening as he realised the scenery had changed.

Now, he and his companion sat on a tree branch overlooking the Omaticaya flight range. Targets lined the far perimeter, whilst na’vi of all ages stood in uniformed rows at increasing distances from the targets, their bows drawn. Tsu’tey’s gaze immediately zeroed in on Spider.

Here he was about twelve, Neteyam alongside him as the two practised in companionable silence. Despite being a full year younger, Neteyam easily towered over the older boy, his frame lean and long, whilst Spider had grown strong and thick in the shoulders. His son held his bow with ease, the strain long having lessened with hours of practice.

The presence at his side had shrunk somehow. The warmth no longer reached his shoulder. A soft brush of skin to his lower bicep indicating that the na’vi who had sat with him had shrunk to a more human stature.

Tsu’tey could not place who this was. They did not sound like Grace Augustine who possessed both avatar and human forms on the off chance she visited him in the tree. Nor had he befriended any of the scientists who possessed avatar bodies.

A celebratory whoop drew his attention back to Spider, who was receiving awed high fives from Neteyam. Glancing to the target, Tsu’tey swelled with pride at the three perfect bullseyes. 

He blinked, and he was in the old shack. Although in his present the stolen compound was overrun with wildlife and had fallen into disrepair, here, it looked well preserved. As fresh and disorganised as it had been the night the humans left for good. 

It looked homely. 

Lived in. 

He was sitting on a bunk much too small for his large frame with a baby carrier strapped across his chest. His son was nowhere to be seen in this particular vision, but as always, he felt no sense of panic within Eywa’s care. He simply observed the small room around him, noting that the presence at his side had disappeared with the flight range.

The messy sheets he sat on told of a good night’s rest. The military boots neatly lined up by the door and the camouflage jacket hanging on the back of it, reassuring him that whoever he was visiting was close by. 

Tucked under the window, the desk was a mess of coffee stained reports and various pens. Even from the other side of the room, he could make out the shakily written na’vi phrases repeated over several pages. He’d never seen his language written out before, since his people had no use for it, but somehow he instinctively knew the phrases.

Oel ngati kameie.

I see you.

Three words his mate had been practising behind his back. A secret he was very much aware of, but content to allow them to figure out. 

The sound of the door opening drew his attention from the desk, and he found said mate looming in the doorway, their son cradled to their chest. They looked exhausted but proud of themselves. Spider was sound asleep, nestled into their tanktop, with one chubby fist clenched tightly around the courting necklace Tsu’tey had presented them with several moons ago. 

“I finally got him to drop off.” His mate sighed happily as they stepped further into the room and quietly pulled the door closed behind them.

Tsu’tey could only hum. Greedily drinking in the sight of his mate and son. Gazing at the face that had been snatched from his too early, and the youth and innocence of Spider. He was sixteen now, years past infancy, but still Tsu’tey’s little boy. Whilst his mate was frozen in time. Forever held by Eywa.

“You good big guy?” The use of that ridiculous nickname snapped him back to the present. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

His lips stretched into a tight smile. The irony. 

“I am fine.” He insisted. His english heavily accented and rusty from disuse. Since Spider had become fully fluent in na’vi, he hardly ever had to use the demon tongue. But somehow, Eywa always switched them back to that language, despite having learnt plenty of na’vi through him.

Their proud grin dropped a fraction, their eyebrows drawing together. “Are you lying to me?”

He scoffed. “Olo’eyktan’s do not lie.” He said simply.

“You aren’t Olo’eyktan here.” They argued. Approaching him on quiet feet. 

Feeling called out, Tsu’tey had to work hard to keep his ears from flicking back in guilt. Instead, he chose not to respond as his mate stepped into his space. Their scent wafted over him as they expertly manoeuvred the slumbering infant into the net tied across Tsu’tey’s chest. The motion was practised; familiar in a way his mate hadn’t had time to master.

Spider went easily. Instinctively curling into his father’s warmth and finding something new to latch onto. This time, Tsu’tey was not fast enough to keep his son from grabbing onto one of his braids. Even in sleep, Spider yanked hard on the braided lock of hair, making Tsu’tey wince. His mate chuckled softly, reaching up to carefully untangle Spider’s fist, to which the infant immediately curled his fingers around their index instead. 

The scene was domestic. Something he had mourned when his mate had passed.

“You look tired.” His mate stated, those eyes studying his expression. 

Tsu’tey could only nod. What use was lying to a memory anyway?

“I am.”

“You should rest.” 

They titled their head, and Tsu’tey knew this was a battle he had no hope of winning. “Spider is waiting for you.” They said.

Carefully, they raised their free hand to hold his cheek, their expression worried. He leaned into the touch, savouring the warmth of their tiny hand against his cool skin.

His words were slow to come back to him. But they waited patiently, idly tracing the stars of his freckles as he gathered himself, his breathing uneven. “No. I want to stay here, with you.” 

There was a power behind their words now. A greater knowledge they should not be privy to. Tsu’tey knew this wasn’t his mate speaking to him anymore. Despite looking and sounding like his human, this was Eywa gently nudging him. Reminding him that he had responsibilities to attend to and a son waiting beyond her realm.

He followed his mate’s nod towards the window where he found a sixteen year old Spider standing patiently at the treeline, looking longingly towards the compound. He knew without looking down that the infant was gone from the sling at his chest. His son wore his exopack and was wringing his hands, head darting too and fro in search of someone. Rocking on the balls of his feet as often did when unsettled.

Tearing his gaze from his son, Tsu’tey found and held eye contact with the Great Mother disguised as his lost mate. “Will you allow him to visit today?” He asked.

“He will See soon.” Eywa replied in their voice, untold power building behind every word. 

His mate’s hands were small but strong as they took him by the wrists and helped him rise from his seat on the bed. “He is waiting.” They informed him, gently guiding him away from the desk littered in papers and towards the closed door. Tsu’tey’s heart ached at the familiar gesture. This part was always the hardest.

“He misses them.” He told Eywa and she could only nod in acknowledgement. “He watches their video logs.” He insisted, stomach sinking at the thought of his mate not knowing how badly Spider loved and missed them. That they might believe they had faded from the child’s memory, when in truth they’d always played such a crucial role. “He asks about them, always. Demanding memories, facts. Anything.”

“He will See soon.” Eywa repeated, and Tsu’tey knew she understood. 

They squeezed his hand and he realised he was standing before the door with the boots neatly lined up beside it. He glanced at them one last time, absorbing all their little details and committing them to memory. His mate smiled at him one last time, before they dropped his hands and stepped back. 

“I know.”

“You will See soon.” Eywa assured him, but Tsu’tey was no Tsahik and did not understand how to interpret the phrase. So he simply nodded.

>_<

They said no more as he raised his hand to push the door open, and in kind, Tsu’tey could only nod as his words got lost in his throat. Instead of responding, he turned and stepped out of the bedroom into the hall. 

The sounds of the forest came back to him slowly. He felt the change of the humidity as Eywa gently returned him to his body. He sat crossed legged under the glowing vines of the Tree of Souls, his heartbeat still pounding in time to the gentle pulses of the ancient tree. Animals moved in the bushes behind him, uncaring of his presence and content to go about their evening. 

He felt the familiar dry, flaky sensation of mourning paint running from the top of his brow down the line of his nose to his chin. His bullet scars felt stiff against his skin with every deep breath. Whilst a body leant into his side. Small and warm in a way that na’vi were not. 

Slowly, Tsu’tey peeled his eyelids open and glanced down to find Spider curled into him. His exopack was digging uncomfortably into Tsu’tey’s ribs, but he didn’t care. Now sixteen, his boy leaned into his side and had dragged Tsu’tey’s arm out of his lap to rest across his back. Keeping him safe and secure whilst his father communed with the ancestors. 

His tail swayed happily at the adorable sight. 

Sensing a shift in him, Spider groggily raised his head from Tsu’tey’s rib cage. His eyes were unfocused as he lifted his heavy head, only to find Tsu’tey already looking at him. He blinked slowly, drawing in a deep breath as he stretched and sat up. 

<”Who was it today?”> Spider asked in fluent na’vi, his tone heavy with sleep. 

Tsu’tey felt the corner of his mouth stretch upwards into an adoring smile. His boy was so precious. <”Zaza.”> He replied simply, to which Spider returned his smile. 

<”It is late.”> Spider agreed, to which Tsu’tey playfully ruffled his braids, ears pricked at the boy’s mischievous grin. Carefully, Tsu’tey reached up and disconnected his kuru from the tree, sending a prayer of thanks to Eywa for her gift.

<”And where did you end up going?”>

<”The old shack.”> Tsu’tey replied simply, reaching up to disconnect his tswin from the Tree of Souls. <”They were trying to convince you to go to bed.”>

<”We should return to the village.”> 

<”Only if you carry me.”> Spider stated, lifting his arms expectantly to Tsu’tey who rolled his eyes.

<”You have been hanging around Lo’ak too much. So whiny.”>

<”You are old enough to carry yourself.”>

<”But it’s late!”> Spider retaliated. 

<”Don’t let him hear you say that or he’ll become ten times worse.”> Considering the boy was Jake’s son, Tsu’tey didn’t doubt it. 

>_<

The last thing you remembered was lying down in a link unit. 

The smell of silicone had been poisonously strong in the tight space as one of the scientists closed the lid on you with a firm click. Your heart had been pounding, your plan to escape and meet up with Jake plaguing your mind. Distracting you from the half assed explanation of why Selfridge had ordered all military personnel into the link rooms.

You weren’t sure if you made it out of Hell’s Gate that night, let alone if Trudy had managed to drive you to the secret compound. If you’d been caught, or if your squad had noticed your absence. 

Not that any of it mattered now, considering you were in outer space and the Battle for The Tree of Souls had ended fifteen years prior. 

Now, you stared blankly at the pre-recorded video of yourself in that same laboratory. In the video, you were decked out in your usual, military attire and were horribly explaining what was going on. Floating in zero gravity, your hand - now blue and much, MUCH bigger than you were used to - kept you in place before the monitor with an unnervingly tight grip.

The you of the past wasn’t focused on their task. You could tell from the shift of their eyes as marines moved around them behind the camera. In a similar situation, your nerves were also all over the place. Your eyes were constantly darting around the small bunk room as your tail thrashed. So many enemies in such a small place.

It had been a fucking shock to wake up disoriented on a small hospital bed with a heart monitor beeping away in the background. Only for a massive, blue forehead to dart into your line of sight, dragging with it, a pair of large, unblinking eyes. You screamed, flailing weakly at the enormous bald head of Lyle Wainfleet.

You recalled blinding rage in your most recent memory of this man.

He had grinned at you, yelling loudly, “morning Private!” 

You had punched him, that past anger carrying over as you shoved him away with an additional well placed kick to the stomach and a ferocious hiss. Movement in the corner of your vision kept you from following him down, intending to choke the life out of his stupid, grinning face.

Alexander had been quick to grip your bicep, holding on tightly. He was smiling at you. And it was fucking disorientating to see his face on a na’vi body, his eyes too far apart and his nose flatter than you were used to. It stunned you into stillness.

On the floor, Lyle had chuckled good naturedly and complimented you on your improved strength. 

You hadn’t responded, your eyes widening as you took in your reflection in the one way window. It was you, but it also wasn’t you staring back. 

On the monitor, the human version of you scratched the back of their neck, clearly reading off of a script to the side of the camera, blurting some bullshit about the RDA storing your memories and implanting them in an avatar embryo. Your expression remained neutral as you glanced down to past-you’s throat. 

Mostly hidden beneath the hem of their camouflage shirt, you caught sight of a pretty little choker, the polished beads catching the laboratory lights. It was simple in design, layered three times tall with long, brown beads as the centrepiece, framed either side by carefully selected circular red beads.

Subconsciously, your blue hand reached to your own throat, frowning at the naked skin only for your fingers to catch on the metal chain of your dog tag. It sent a stab of phantom pain through your chest, which you were quick to rub away.

You remembered who had given it to you. What he had been to you. But you didn’t know how it had ended. If the RDA had resurrected you for this stupid little project, then chances were, the human version of you was dead. 

You had no idea who had died during the Battle of The Tree of Souls - clearly a lot of you judging by the number of recoms the RDA had paid for. There was no solid knowledge on how far the RDA had won, or how much of Pandora they had destroyed. For all you knew, everyone could be dead. The Omaticaya clan wiped off the face of the planet. 

The windows of your little bunk room overlooked the vast embryo tanks of the recoms. As you half-listened to the video, you watched a trio of three scientists carefully extracting the body, of who you recognised to be the na’vi version of Mansk, from the closest tank. They took great care in cleaning the embryonic fluid from his airways before flying the body out of sight through an open door. 

/Remember Private,/ the video stated, drawing your attention back once more, /the mission is not over./ There was something unreadable in human you’s eyes, their rage momentarily broadcasted across the screen. /Fight hard. Make me proud./ 

They couldn’t see you, but you found yourself nodding anyway. 

Those words gave you a direction. Past you didn’t believe the fight was over, so you just had to pick up where you left off. And to do that, you needed to get back into the forest.

>_<

The RDA had made special uniforms for all the recoms and required you to be dressed and ready to move into the base upon landing. Their first mistake was willingly handling you a gun. Evidently, they had never recognised you as a traitor. You’d died with them still believing you were loyal. Now, you would exploit that weakness.

For now, you decided to play nice until they willingly unleashed you into the forest. You made jokes with Lyle, established yourself as one of the team. Laughing with the other recoms about escaping death, making wild accusations about what you’d do the next time you saw that traitor; Jake Sully. 

It was easy. As it always had been. 

As if nothing had changed. Like you were back in school and you’d all come back from the summer having had growth spurts and been up to god knows what.

As a squad, you fitted together effortlessly. Falling into a routine of sleeping in the dorms, getting up early for drills and training, only to spend the evenings goofing around. The recom bodies were years younger, practically brand new, so the energy required for such shenanigans was effortless. 

Within a week, it felt like nothing had changed. The squad was blissfully unaware of what you had done in your past life behind their backs. To them, you were still their comrade. 

Initially, you’d attempted to keep your distance.

The forest called to you. It’s pull even stronger now with the additional na’vi instincts, and the small hallways of Bridgehead that were clearly not built with you in mind. You felt out of place in its tiny, box-like layout. 

Your comrades weren’t too sneaky in trying to ease your nerves and welcome you into their chaotic escapades. 

Lyle had always been an overbearing extrovert, chomping at the bit to challenge you into pushing yourself harder and harder during drills. 

Mansk, in his own quiet way, insisted on dragging you to the kitchen every mealtime to assist him with cooking. He stated that he had no idea what to do with the new Pandoran ingredients required for their recom bodies, but you could tell he was bullshitting you to keep you out of your head. It worked; mostly. 

Whilst Z-Dog had taken it upon herself to make sure your shooting skills were up to scratch - they were. And had sparked many competitions out in the shooting range.

Even the colonel seemed to have caught on. And that man was in no form of the imagination a family man. He was a leader. Your boss. The man you had to impress or risk getting killed. But recently, he’s been acting like some weird version of a father figure. Offering silent nods and backhanded compliments in his usual condescending tone whilst observing your training with your comrades. It would always be paired with a playful smack to the shoulder or a rough ruffle of your hair whilst the squad sniggered.

It was easy to remember why you’d stuck with them for so long. Because despite their missions and the people they killed, they had been your family on Pandora since you’d woken up from cryo sleep. A reluctant one. A ragtag bunch of trigger happy idiots, but they’d always watched out for you.

You also knew that they would kill you if they ever found out about your little personal mission. They made you feel safe within Bridgehead, but you knew they would turn on you instantly. 

Lyle wouldn’t hesitate to cuff you and drag you to the colonel. Whilst Quaritch would go real quiet, ordering you to hand over your gun which he would use to shoot you on the spot. Z-Dog would make it look like an accident, whilst Mansk would hide behind his sunglasses and deal with business himself, stealing your dog tags to take back to the colonel.

It was imperative you remained vigilant. If anyone remembered or found out, you were fucked. So you had to get out. Fast. At the first opportunity. You could figure it out from there.

>_<

The moment the samson chopper landed in the undergrowth of the rainforest, you leapt out. Lyle was hot on your tail, peeling away from your side to secure the perimeter as the helicopter finished landing. 

You didn’t bother pretending to be scoping the landscape. 

The hum of the forest had grown steadily stronger throughout the trip, and now it slid through you like a melody. Calling to you more strongly than you’d ever felt. You took in greedy lungfuls of the damp, humid forest air. The scents of dew and vegetation invaded your nose, a world away from the canned air the recoms were forced to breathe in Bridgehead. Your ears swivelled towards every little sound, tail swaying to show content despite the mission ahead. Pandora was as gorgeous as she had ever been. The dappled sunlight peeking through the trees as the exotic fragrance of the plants filled the air. 

As a human, it had never been this pretty. Behind an exo pack, you had never been able to smell the world, whilst the sights had been smudged by the acrylic screen. 

This was freeing on an entirely new level.

Someone smacked you upside the head, abruptly shattering the nostalgia of finally returning to the forest. You choked, spinning in place and immediately stood to attention under the Colonel’s unimpressed glare. “What are you playing at Private?” He barked.

You could see the rest of the squad pretending not to look your way. Z-Dog and Walker had promptly turned their backs, clinging to each other as if it was the funniest thing in existence. 

“Apologies sir, I got excited.” You replied sheepishly. "Needed to stretch my legs."

“Focus!” Quaritch stressed with an eye roll. 

“Yes, sir.”

He nodded once before motioning to the others and leading the way into the undergrowth. 

You fell into line, gun aimed on your surroundings as the squad moved further and further away from base. 

Within the hour, the squad stumbled upon a broken AMP suit collapsed in front of an abandoned compound. The building looked like one of the remote link compounds the scientists used to use during avatar exertions. What it was doing so far away from its assigned location, you had no idea.

Quaritch immediately issued orders for the site to be secured. Whilst Z-Dog investigated the building, the rest of the squad fanned out into the clearing. Half went to search the undergrowth, whilst you remained nearby, eyes more focused on the compound than the forest.

The colonel and Wainfleet remained close to the AMP suit, quietly analysing the corpse impaled within the ribcage of the dismantled robot. 

You swept close on your return pass, ears pricked as Quaritch glared daggers at the skull. Peering over his shoulder, your eyes widened at the pair of na'vi arrows jutting out of moss covered bone and the scar of a viperwolf scratch carved into the skull.

Quaritch's corpse.

And whoever had got him had been merciless in finishing him off.

The sight made you uneasy. Reminding you of the threats Pandora possessed. You were glad when a shout from the forest and the call for backup drew you from the suit.

No one knew how long the kids had been there. Whether they’d gotten curious and followed from the moment the samson touched down, or if they had been lingering around the shack. Either way, the petrified scream of the youngest girl had drawn the rest of your squad to the scene. 

There were three na’vi kids in total, and one human child. All held hostage by a recom, whilst Quaritch interrogated each of them. You watched the scene from the sidelines, assuming Quaritch would decide they weren’t worth it and let them go. 

But when the na’vi boy swore at him and Quaritch grinned with a simple, ”you’re his.”

Jake’s, you realised. 

Your heart began to pound as you rounded the rear of the group, eyes narrowed as you took in the side profile of the boy. His too small eyes, the slope of his jaw, the fifth finger on each hand. At a glance, a full blooded na’vi. But you’d been around avatars long enough to pick out the little imperfections. The broader set to his shoulders, the lower position of his kuru that indicated human blood somewhere in the line. 

Quaritch was precise in his motions. Taking the kid’s kuru in hand to begin interrogating him. The colonel was rough with him. Spitting sharp commands before yanking his knife from his thigh strap. The boy’s eyes widened a fraction. You saw the raw fear swimming within them as he stared blankly up at the snarling colonel. Refusing to back down. Refusing to waver. 

Quaritch’s expression tightened as he raised the knife a fraction. Logically, you knew the first strike would be a fake, to scare the boy into spilling information with minimal effort. You were lurching forward half a step, ears fanning wide in alarm before you could stop yourself. 

The motion of that knife froze mid air, a testament to the Colonel’s reflexes as his burning eyes flickered to you. You made an effort to smooth out your microexpressions, hands limp at your side instead of reaching for a weapon like you so desperately wanted to. Something in the kid’s face had made something tight and protective flare up between your ribs, and the Colonel had noticed. 

Quaritch’s gaze was stern as shook his head in disappointment. “Don’t go getting soft on me, Private.” He reminded, grasp shifting on the kid’s kuru. “I know you had a soft spot for them back in the day, but none of that bullshit now.”

“Sorry sir.” You grit out, but didn’t retreat. He glared at you, you maintained steady eye contact until Wainfleet pulled Quaritch’s attention to the older na’vi girl. He had her fingers splayed for the colonel to see, chuckling at her five fingers. 

Their conversation quickly dissolved into the back of your mind as Quaritch handed the na’vi boy off, putting blessed distance between the kid and his knife. 

Tracking the Colonel’s movements as he approached the older girl, you found your attention drawn by the human boy. You blinked at his intense gaze, at the storm of unexplainable emotions swimming behind his eyes that you felt dizzy just looking at him. Despite his face being locked away behind an exopack, his gaze was no less piercing. He seemed to see you. 

The squint of his eyebrows seemed to suggest he saw you. Not a soldier. Not a recom. Just you. As if he could see beneath the scientifically created body to the memory chip beneath, to what remained of your soul.

But that was probably just you projecting.

To distract yourself from the tightening of your chest, you also studied him as your comrades kept interrogating the children. Their voices grew distant as you inspected the blue stripes painted across tanned skin. The traditional Omaticayan weaving style of his armband as well as the songcord attached to the hem of his loincloth. 

Your eyes caught on the necklace at his throat. A style that matched the one your human body wore in the video. Down to the brown and red beads. The familiar weaving style. Even at this distance, you recognised Tsu’tey’s handiwork. 

And whilst it reassured and relieved you that he was still alive, that somehow, in some way, this child had a piece of him, you were confused. How had he gotten his hands on one of Tsu’tey’s pieces?

Then he steeled himself. Quaritch’s bulk warmed your back, his shadow falling over your left arm. In a shockingly gentle tone, Quaritch asked for the boy’s name, and surprisingly, he gave it.

”Spider Socorro.” He blurted in strained english. 

Your ear flickered back at the colonel’s sharp inhale. “Miles?” 

Spider straightened, chin lifted in defiance. “Nobody calls me that.”

Quaritch’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t bother to respond and stepped away to talk into his neck piece. He didn’t go far and simply turned his back, speaking to Ardmore as the squad shifted uneasily. 

The kids hissed as the recoms began moving them towards the compound where the shuttle would more easily be able to let down the ropes. Your stomach tightened at the thought of dragging them back with you. To know how they felt and be unable to offer sympathy.

Quaritch motioned to the children. ”Keep hold of ‘em. Shuttle will be here in ten.”

Your stomach dropped. Not the shuttle. Not yet. You couldn’t stomach the idea of going back to Bridgehead after this. After such a short taste of freedom. 

”Colonel.” You said loudly, making the man pause midstep. He levelled you with an unreadable look as you struggled to find your voice. “These kids are useless to us.”

As soon as the words left your lips, his expression visibly shut off and you knew you would not be able to get through to him. “I’m not gonna repeat myself, Private.” He snapped, pulling rank to put you in your place. You squared up to him. Chin lifted.

A distant bird call had your ears pricking. It was short. A burst of a sound. It had the kids straightening, all their ears fanning towards the sound. 

The bird called again. That one note echoing through the trees.

Shifting uneasily, your eyes followed the direction it had come from, momentarily breaking eye contact. Quaritch smirked as if he’d won a great battle. “Take the na’vi boy.” He ordered, motioning to the kid who was promptly handed over, and then raised his voice to the squad. “Into defensive positions!”

The group fell into formation as the sun began its nightly cycle behind the moon, bringing with it a rain storm. The boy’s neural whip between your fingers quickly grew saturated, making your weak grip slip with every sharp movement he would make. That bird call did not grow distant or stop. In fact, you could’ve sworn it was getting closer.

There was a moment of stillness. The forest holding its breath as the recoms kept whispering to each other, kept moving noisily through the undergrowth. Blind to the silent warning. 

You held your breath, going unnaturally still as the boy in front of you did the same.

There was a cut off shout. An explosion of movement near the main body of the group.

Keeping your position, your head snapped towards the sound. Mouth going dry at the na’vi arrow protruding from Fike’s skull. It had embedded itself into his eye socket, almost straight through.

Whatever was making that sound had clearly found the squad. And it wasn’t pleased.

As the group erupted into chaos, you saw your chance. Loosening your grip on the kid’s kuru, you slowly stepped back, praying the steady movements would not draw that hunter’s eye to your form. The kid spun to face you, wrists bound, looking wide eyed and terrified. 

You raised your hands in surrender, head dipping. <”Get out of here.”> You hissed, nodding to the trees. 

His ears fanned wide as a satellite. Momentarily frozen in time. Eyes studying your own for the trick.

A gun went off at his back, snapping him out of it. More arrows were fired and more recoms died. 

He turned his back to you, and with a burst of speed began shepherding his little sister towards the treeline. The girl went easily, grabbing at his bound wrists and dragging him away. 

You kept your attention on their backs, hand hanging close to your gun in case someone turned their attention on you. 

The recoms were dying in disorganised clusters. The smart ones like Wainfleet and Z-Dog had already taken cover behind trees as the onslaught of arrows threw everyone else out of formation, causing them to scramble for cover. It gave you a sick sense of satisfaction. 

A shout drew your attention. 

Walker had the older girl by her kuru after she’d tried to make a break for it with Spider. She struggled as she yanked her back, her gun useless in her focus on keeping hold of her. 

Your gaze narrowed. Your rifle was in your hands before you could think to check if anyone was looking. The trigger was smooth under your finger. And with a light squeeze the machine roared to life and shot a hole through the tree to her left. 

Walker shrieked, hand spasming in fear as she instinctively let go of the girl’s neural whip. Spider was quick to grab her arm and run away, whilst an arrow found its mark in the recom’s chest. She collapsed in a heap. Dead on impact.

You grimaced. 

The rain muffled your footsteps as you carefully retreated into the shadows of the trees. Thankfully, the squad was too preoccupied to notice your silent escape. 

You felt like a traitor for withdrawing into the forest quietly. Which was funny considering that’s what you were. Your ears were pricked and your body low. Eywa must have wanted you to succeed because no arrow pierced your back. 

The screaming from the small clearing had begun to die down now, but was quickly replaced by the sound of a machine gun going off. Definitely Mansk’s hand, he had always been quick to react in any situation. You quickened your pace, knowing the distance those things could reach. 

The aim was to get as much distance between you and the squad as possible. Then, you’d tear off any and all equipment that would hinder your survival out in the forest until you stumbled across a clan and could ask for uturu. The word and its meaning came to you from a distant memory. A simpler time when Grace had been ranting about some new discovery she’d observed out in the field whilst you’d simply been trying to microwave your dinner. 

One of the explosions went off a little too close to you. Making your pace falter as your head snapped up to watch the branches above burst into flames. You squinted as a figure got thrown clean off by the blast. They seemed to collide with every branch and bush in existence on the way down, screaming the whole way.

<”SPIDER!”> Yelled the older girl from before, appearing over the lip of the branch but not daring to jump after him.

Instinctively, you leapt forward, gun falling back on its strap as your arms came up to catch the falling kid. He crashed into your embrace with a punched out wheeze. Blood oozed from many cuts, whilst his back was warm to the touch, not burnt, but still caught by the flames. 

Another explosion went off, spurring you back into motion. You tried to set the kid down, but he groaned painfully, clutching at your bullet proof vest as his legs failed to hold his weight. 

“Shit.” You cursed under your breath. Glancing back to the branch, you realised the girl was still there. Still watching your every move. And still way too close to Quaritch and his squad. To the inbound airship. 

Shifting the kid so he was supported by one of your arms against your body, you strained to relieve your feet of the heavy duty avatar boots. The laces were slippery from the rain, slithering out of your grasp and making you growl lowly to yourself. It felt like hours, but it could’ve only been seconds before you were barefoot, your shoes and socks discarded in the undergrowth. 

”Hold on tight!” You instructed the kid, who dutifully wound his shaking legs around your ribcage and hooked his arms around your neck. You supported his back with one arm whilst you scrambled to begin climbing back up the hill he’d just tumbled down.

The soil was loose from the rain. The bushes offering no firm support due to your weight, their roots easily giving way if you dared hold onto them for support. 

You hadn’t climbed anything in this body yet. With the base possessing stairs, and your memories of climbing trees locked away in a past life, there was no real need to. And yet, it came easily to this body. As if it had been born to scale the trees of the Pandoran rainforest despite being grown by aliens in a test tube. 

The girl was quick to grab the back of your bullet proof vest once you were high enough. Heaving you up onto the branch with her whole body thrown back. Curling your toes into the uneven bark, you swayed in place, tail compensating for your shit balance. ”We need to move.” You insisted, once again readjusting your grip on the shivering child in your arms.

She nodded dutifully. ”This way.” You kept a hand on her bicep to steady her as she took off down the branch, leading you away from the gunfire. 

With practised ease, she reached the end of the branch and smoothly dropped to the forest floor before scrambling away. You were slower in following, your body protesting the intense movements before your knees groaned at the sloppy landing. To his credit, Spider didn’t complain as the jerky ride, his eyes half closed behind his mask. 

You pushed through the bushes to find the three na’vi kids waiting by some ikran. Eying the beasts wearily, you slowed your pace, listening to the older girl reassure her siblings with soft words at your approach.

You needed to be quick. The owner of those arrows would be returning for their kids soon. And whether or not it was Jake, they’re bound to kill you on sight without checking your face.

”He’s wounded. You must get him to the Tsahik quickly.” You explained as you approached, dropping into a crouch to set Spider down gently at the kids’ feet. He protested again, putting up a valiant fight to keep a hold of you, but you were stronger than him. Your touch was firm as you removed his limbs from you and sat him down.

Kiri was quick to drop to his level, frowning hard at his bloodied appearance. Feeling sorry for the wounded kid, you dared to take a couple of extra seconds pulling out a knife from your belt to cut him free.

He pouted as he rubbed the circulation back into his wrists. Those piercing eyes darting all over your face.

You turned to leave, but the youngest kid was quick to waddle up to your side, her bound wrists extended. ”Can you cut me loose too?”

”I /really/ need to go.” You reply softly, before cutting her loose anyway.

You shifted back, only for the older pair to immediately extend their arms expectantly. You audibly groaned, before reaching for the boy since he was closest. 

”Zaza?” Spider croaked, making your brows furrowed at the odd word. Around you, the older kids had gone unnaturally still. <”Is that you?”>

”Zaza?” You repeated, finding the word felt odd on your tongue. It sparked a distant memory, of a late night sprawled on a bunk with someone beside you. Someone tall and distracted. The memory brought with it a sense of dread; a distant threat. You discarded that train of thought before it could distract you for too long.

<”It can’t be.”> The na’vi girl commented, and now it was her turn to begin studying you. 

”I don’t know what that means.” You pleaded, hands frozen in time, the knife still poised. A headache was beginning to form between your eyes, and your stress levels were incredibly high, but no one was giving you a straight answer. All you knew for certain was that you didn’t recognise this boy, and yet, he looked at you as if he knew you. 

<”Holy shit.”> Was all Spider replied with, slumping against the forest floor. 

<”No way.”> The na’vi boy agreed with a laugh. He was grinning hard, ears perked. 

His younger sister looked as confused as you felt. Whilst the older girl was inspecting you in a way similar to how Grace used to look at something that deeply fascinated her.

Out of nowhere a large, calloused hand wrapped around your shoulder, yanking you back and away from the kids. The hand moved with the momentum, throwing you off balance to land hard on your back. You gasped loudly, your knife flying away into the bushes. The kids were already yelling as you struggled to gather your bearings.

The barrel of an old model RDA rifle came into focus, inches from your face, making you gulp loudly. Following the line of the weapon, your gaze travelled up a blue arm to a scowling face that you hadn’t seen in decades.

<”JAKE DON’T!”> Spider yelled. Despite the frantic edge in his voice, he remained unmoving. His eyes as large as the moon as he stared unblinkingly up at the na’vi’s turned back. 

<”DAD! NO!”> The oldest girl shrieked, clumsily shoving her bound hands into the na’vi’s stomach, her eyes wide and pleading. 

The boy was quick to jump to your defence. <”They helped us escape Dad- SIR! Don’t!”> 

<”DADDY!”> The youngest shrieked, joining in at her older siblings’ reactions. She promptly latched herself onto his leg, clingy tightly and making his strong stance waver. If you weren’t seconds from dying - again - it would’ve been a comically domestic scene. 

You shifted your gaze back to the man in question. Jake looked different. He was older now. Tired. Blue. Very fucking blue. His expression was aged, his hair in dreadlocks. You barely recognised him. 

Movement over his shoulder brought your gaze to yet another kid. Older than the others, he shared the same hard expression as his father, an arrow notched and reading in his bow. Clearly, there was no chance of escape. If Jake missed you by some miracle, that boy would finish the job for him. 

Jake hadn’t lowered his gun. He was still studying you, blatantly ignoring his kids as his narrowed eyes swept over the planes of your face. The weight of the stare was heavy as his frown deepened. 

Somehow, you managed to unstick your tongue from the roof of your mouth, terrified but fucking estatic that he was alive. ”Long time no see, marine.”

No reaction. The gun didn’t lower. His expression didn’t change. Remaining cold and closed off. 

Your smile faltered as you realise he probably didn’t recognise you. You expected the gun to be shoved back against you, for a bullet to shoot through your body and for you to die again. 

Nothing happened. 

Then something seems to click. ”Impossible.” Is all Jake said, and he lowered his weapon. The kids collectively breathed out and moved out of his way. 

His brow was furrowed now as he dropped into a crouch. Jake loomed over you, his shadow blocking out the moon as his arm shot forward to grab at the front of your bullet proof vest to yank it down. You jerked, instinctively growling at him as his large hand grabbed your dog tag chain and pulled it out of hiding. The chain pulled taught as he dragged you in by the neck, in turn, Jake stooped lower, eyes squinting to read the printed metal in the pathetic light of the forest. 

He sucked in a breath. <”What kind of sick-”> He cut himself off with a swear, dropping the tag like it had burned him. His eyes shone with a dense swirl of emotion when he caught your gaze again, his voice punching out of him in a yell. ”You should be dead!”

Your expression furrowed. ”Sorry to disappoint?”

He cursed again. <”Kids, get to the ikran. Your mother should be waiting for you.”> None of them moved. Jake growled. <”Did you hear?”>

You could make a break for it right now. Roll onto your stomach and dart off into the forest whilst he was preoccupied. The boy with the bow had loosened his arrow when Jake had dropped the gun from your face. But there was no guarantee he wouldn’t put a bullet between your shoulders for your hard work. 

In another life, you had been friends; comrades. But now, he was a stranger. And you were decked out in enemy gear. 

The heat of the jungle was getting to you now. Causing sweat to bead on your brow and moisture to collect under the heavy, bullet proof vest clutching tight to every movement of your torso. The military grade trousers clung uncomfortably to your legs, your boots long gone but your feet weak and vulnerable against the rough terrain of the jungle floor. 

In contrast, Jake was in his element. Adorned in traditional Omaticayan attire and walking around barefoot without an issue. 

<i>Private!</i> Quaritch’s calm voice over the com sent chills down your spine, making you stiffen. <i>Private! Do you read me?</i>

You dared not respond. Jake was still studying you. Those unnatural glowing eyes pinning you in place.

<i>Y/n! Dude, you alive!</i> Lyle’s loud voice had you wincing. Jake’s head snapped down at the sound, ears fanning wide as Lyle kept trying to coax you into responding. Making your insides twist tighter and tighter. 

You’d been hoping for a clean break that would spare your conscience. They weren’t supposed to have noticed your absence yet. 

Fuck, Quaritch was gonna kill you for getting cornered by Jake. That is if Jake didn’t kill you first.

You were so caught up in your musing that you didn’t notice the man in question had moved, until a hand clamped hard around your queue, snapping your head back from the harsh yank. The sound you let out could never have been produced by a human. It echoed through the trees, making your ears flatten.

Jake paid you no mind as he harshly dragged you to your feet. 

”Jake!” Spider yelled at him, eyes hardened. 

The marine waved him off as you struggled to comply, your balance all thrown off and mud clinging to your ass and back. His movements were sharp, making you gasp. In one swift motion, he dug his finger under your earpiece and tossed it away into the undergrowth. 

”Jesus, you’ve gotten cranky in your old age.” You complained, struggling to relieve the pressure on your kuru.

Jake let out a surprised burst of air that could’ve been a laugh. ”Glad to see whatever they’ve done to you hasn’t dimmed your humour, Private.”

”Fuck off with that military shit.”

He kicked at your calf, tripping you into walking faster. Snapping your teeth at him, you followed the sound of the kids retreating into the undergrowth. Jake’s grip was painful on your kuru, but he was no longer using it to guide you along like a misbehaving horse, so you would take it.

”You started it.” He blurted in that typical knee jerk reaction of his. You huffed at the familiarity of it. ”Now start walking.”

”You’re not seriously considering taking me with you? Are you?” He didn’t respond and you let out a bark of laughter. ”You’re being an idiot.”

“I’m sparing your life.” Jake replied sharply. ”Usually, people are grateful.”

You saw the ikran first. They weren’t as big as you remembered, but still scared the shit out of you. 

<”Ma Jake, what are you doing? Kill-”> Neytiri hissed from beside her mount. The youngest girl cradled to her chest. The woman stepped away from her ikran’s side, bow slung over her shoulder and her expression thunderous.

Jake pulled you up short, startling a second shout of pain from you. ”Dude! Ease up. Come on!”

Neytiri suddenly appearing in front of you had you stiffening. Her gaze pierced through you, studying your face with a hunter’s precision. She recognised you much faster than her mate.

“Would you quit whining?”

”You’re being an asshole!” 

You could only watch dumbly as her eyes widened, mouth dropping open whilst her ears fanned wide as the membrane of a frilled lizard. The hand not cradling her daughter flew to her mouth as that expression morphed into one of fiery rage. 

”What did they /DO/ to you?” She shrieked, the sheer grief in her tone making you flinch. Her breath stuttered, glancing at Jake before finding your pained expression again. “Eywa took you home.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that fact. 

The kids shuffled on your peripheral. Unsettled by their mother’s blatant grief. Neytiri drew your attention back.

”How is it that you stand before me now?!”

Her cry echoes through the trees, bouncing back to your bent ears with the same gut wrenching emotion as they had had leaving her mouth. You stared blankly at your friend, feeling all sense of hope and joy at being found drain away.

She was looking at you like you were a ghost or some kind of illusion. Waiting for you to evaporate or cease to exist at any moment. 

Your presence had unknowingly opened an old, festering wound that had barely healed the first time.

This wasn’t the reunion you’d been expecting. This wasn’t the open arms and tears you’d been praying for whilst you planned your escape. This was everything you didn’t want. 

“I’m sorry..”

>_<

Jake’s grip was unforgiving as he hauled you off of his ikran at High Camp. Your arms strained against the vines they’d used to bind your wrists, fingers failing to keep you on your feet as he forcefully yanked you down off of his ikran and onto the uneven cliff edge. One hand still grasped your kuru, whilst the other bit imprints into your bicep. 

They’d stripped you of your gear before wrestling you onto a banshee.

Now, your weapons, bullet proof vest and any form of communication with the RDA lay soaked in rainwater somewhere in the forest. You didn’t mourn the loss of the devices, since the RDA could no longer track you without them. But you did miss the false protection of the knife and the warmth of the vest against the frigid mountain air.

Goosebumps erupted up your forearms as you were dragged further into the heart of the camp. Tents had been erected inside the cave system, made homely by the cooking fires within and the decorative rugs lining the cold, stone floors.

You glimpsed a compound on one of the rocky rises. The shining metal stood out like a sore thumb against the wooden structures of the tents and the warm glow of the fires.

Jake kept you walking, guiding you through the gathering throng of clan members. Some you recognised, many you didn’t. They all stared at you the same. With pinned back ears and judgemental eyes. 

It was a relief when you were shoved between the flaps of the largest tent so far. The atmosphere was tense inside, with a fire burning low in the centre and various belongings stacked up against the walls. Herbs dried where they hung from the ceiling, whilst a hammock hung suspended against the back wall where two figures crouched over a map.

Your heart leapt into your throat. The rest of the clan and Jake’s unforgiving grip on you fell away as your eyes widened. 

The years had been kind to Mo’at. She still wore her red beaded shawl, but had updated her headpiece and decorative necklaces, one of which appeared to have been made by a child. Her intelligent eyes snapped towards you in the small space, the weight of the years portrayed in the heavy crow’s feet and bags pulling at her cheeks. That expression did not change as she studied you. 

Tsu’tey shifted at her elbow, looking as handsome as he always had. White paint ran down the line of his nose, from forehead to chin, standing out brightly against the soft blue of his skin. He carried himself with an undeniable sense of authority, chin lifted as that razor sharp glare cut you down to your very core. He no longer wore the necklace that had matched the choker your human body wore, but the rest of him had not changed. He studied you wordlessly, his lips dragged down into a frown as if he’d already analysed all he needed to know. 

Your eyes caught on the bullet scars that adorned his left shoulder. They were old, faded with time but obvious. Your stomach tensed at the thought of what he had been through in your absence. 

Wordlessly, you watched as Spider - who had slipped in behind you - skirted the fire and walked straight for Tsu’tey. “Dad.” The boy breathed, barely loud enough for you to hear. The hunter immediately opened his arms for the boy to fall into, his tail swaying anxiously as he whispered inaudibly to the young boy. Spider finally lost the tension in his body, whilst your stomach clenched painfully. You hated to imagine what their closeness meant. 

Neytiri burst into the tent behind you, making your ears shoot up and your body jerk. She paid you no mind, kicking at the back of your knee to force you to kneel. You gasped as Jake’s grip left you and Neytiri took his place. Her nails digging crescent moons into your scalp as she grasped the back of your neck with unforgiving tightness.

<”Daughter, what brings you here with such rage in your eye?”> Mo’at asked carefully. Her familiar voice sounded so calm, so familiar. You squeezed your eyes shut at the sudden weight behind them. 

<”The Sky People have found a new low.”> Neytiri declared loudly to the silent tent. Mo’at hummed. 

Somewhere behind the canvas of the tent wall, you heard small feet shift. Glancing to the side, you saw a tiny eye peering up at you from the gap between the material and the floor. Those unnaturally large eyes bore into your soul, making your tail thrash with nerves.

Neytiri’s fingers turned into claws in your hair, snapping your attention back to the situation at hand as she grasped a fistful of hair and yanked. <”They have begun to resurrect the dead.”> Your head snapped up from the motion, causing your neck to crack and warm pain to deep down your spine. Your mouth opened wide with an involuntary, pained gasp.

Mo’at didn’t move. 

Tsu’tey was scowling hard at her side, Spider wincing in sympathy at your treatment. Two sides of one coin. An odd pairing in appearance, but even in the short time you’d seen them together, you knew there was a bond there. Probably years old.  

With the crack in her daughter’s voice, Mo’at rose from her seat. On silent footsteps, she rounded the fire. ”What are you called?” 

You could tell that who you were still hadn’t clicked into place for Tsu’tey from the way that his ears flickered in uncertainty. Still looking confused, he composed himself, sitting back on his hunches to look at Neytiri. <”What is the meaning of this? Why have you brought this puppet to High Camp.”>

<”It protected the children.”> Neytiri returned easily. Making it sound like you were a pissed off thanator that had by some miracle, spared her offspring. <”It recognised us.”>

”Neytiri-”

<”You do NOT speak here.”>

Your name sat frozen on your tongue. The reactions of your previous two friends made you not want to reveal yourself. Neytiri shook you painfully by the kuru, letting out a warning hiss.

You spoke your name, eternally grateful that Mo’at’s towering form blocked Tsu’tey from view. 

More humming from Mo’at as she reached for the tiny blade concealed within the sheath of her head dress. You eyed her wearily, held still by Neytiri’s hand in your hair as she pricked your shoulder. She pulled the bloodied blade back, tasting the drop of blood. 

Her ears pricked at the taste, staring at you with a newfound revelation. ”It is you.” She confirmed, and something seemed to unwind in both Jake and Neytiri. ”But altered. You are not as the Great Mother intended.”

She motioned to her daughter, expression pinched. Neytiri tried to protest, but at her mother’s stern glare, her hands retreated from you. Your posture immediately slumped, relieved tingles echoing across your scalp and down your back.

”Explain.” Mo’at boomed, commanding your attention once more.

That finally got a reaction from the hunter still crouching over the map. 

”The Sky People grew this body as they grew the avatars.” She nodded along to the simple explanation, sharing glances with Tsu’tey over her shoulder. You swallowed. ”They uploaded my memories into it. This body is me.”

Jake sidestepped, putting himself back into your line of sight. ”So you aren’t linked up?” There was something unreadable in his eyes. You almost mistook it for hope.

You shook your head. That body was long gone. ”This is my body now.”

Spider had sat down on the mat beside him by now, and shifted uncertainly as the man wordlessly rose from his couch with the authority of a king rising from his throne. Mo’at stepped aside as he took slow, menacing steps towards you. Swallowing hard, you dared to meet his burning gaze highlighted by the soft white paint. The vibrant grief and rage swirling within those gorgeous depths was startling to behold.  

His hand went to the knife at his waist, wrestling it free with the practised song of the blade against its bone sheath. Your fight or flight threatened to kick in as you recognised the same hunter’s stalk he had performed the morning Neytiri and Jake had officially mated. 

<”Olo’eyktan?”> Mo’at asked, eying him wearily. 

He ignored her, storming past her fast enough to have her braids dancing. That gaze was narrowed; honed in on prey. 

His arm drew back. 

Your eyes widened. 

With a yell, he took a swift swipe at your head which you barely managed to dive out of the way of.

<”DAD NO!”> Spider yelled from across the tent. He was on his feet in minutes, scrambling forward, only for Mo’at to hold him back with her arm.

Neytiri tutted at the poorly aimed blow, her tail thrashing on your peripheral as you cowered in the dirt, your arms still bound and braced against stone. Vulnerable skin tore on uneven rock as you scrambled away, kicking yourself for turning your back, but knowing distance was more important.

At least Jake seemed to have your back.

<”Tsu’tey, what are you doing?”> The marine asked, immediately jumping in to stop him from striking again as you scrambled to get your feet under you. With your hands bound, it was a struggle. Your tail thrashed, attempting to aid your balance as you scrambled away.

Tsu’tey was like a man possessed, shoving Jake off balance and making another stab at you. His ears were flat on either side of his head, eyes wild and manic. You’d never seen him so pissed. And certainly not so quiet whilst being so angry. It was somehow more terrifying than if he were screaming at you. 

Jake scrambled to stay on his feet, his arms wrapping around Tsu’tey’s waist and yanking him back. Causing the knife to fall short of slicing through your side. The Olo’eyktan shrieked, a noise you had never heard a na’vi make before as his nails clawed at the man’s arms, failing to tear him off. Your ears flattened at the heart wrenching sound. Eyes not quite leaving the knife still in the Olo’eyktan’s grasp. A knife which he was quick to recall and hurl at your head. 

“Jesus FUCKING christ!” You swore, ducking again. “Calm down!”

He hissed in retaliation, ears pinned back from the ferocity of the sound. You stilled at the glint of water staining his cheeks, the redness of his eyes. ”I mourned you!” He cursed. Still struggling. Still trying to close the distance and kill you. 

Scratch that last part. Seeing him cry and begin to break down was far worse than anger.

”I buried you.” He screamed, the shout echoing around the tent and no doubt chasing itself out into the main cavern. ”I visited you in Eywa!”

Numbly, you took a step back. Towards the tent flaps. 

This had been a mistake. Coming here was a mistake.

”I have made my peace with your passing! What purpose do you serve? Why have you returned to haunt me?” There was so much anguish in his tone, you would’ve preferred a punch to the jaw. ”WHY!?”

”I couldn’t stay there.” You breathed, straightening your shoulders when you realised you’d curled in on yourself under that venomous glare. ”I couldn’t stay there!” You repeated, louder this time. Needing to be heard. Understood. ”With them.��� Your throat was uncomfortably tight. ”I wanted to come home.”

”THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME, DEMON!” Tsu’tey was quick to snap back. His expression shattered, the rage giving way to a tsunami of grief so strong it made you sick. ”LEAVE!”

But you were frozen in place.

Tsu’tey took it as a challenge. With strength that made your eyes bug out, he stomped on Jake’s foot, shot his arms back, grabbed the marine by the weapons belt and yanked him up and over his shoulder. Jake hit the stone floor hard. With a wheeze, he collapsed in a heap, momentarily stunned. 

You gawked. 

Spider seemed to come back to himself. In your peripheral, you watched the kid expertly duck under Mo’at’s arm and dart around the fire, with the ease of someone who’d been doing it his entire life.

Tsu’tey’s form blocked him from view. His muscles were bunched like a thanator preparing to pounce. 

”GET. OUT!” Tsu’tey screamed again. He made to step over Jake, only for the man to grab his ankle and yank, causing the hunter to crash at your feet. You leapt back as his hands shot for your ankles. 

Spider was at your side in moments. ”This way!” He yelled, grabbing at your bound wrists and dragging you towards the tent flaps. You obeyed, but your eyes remained glued to Tsu’tey. To the hands that would drag you down and gladly wring your neck. To the twisted expression on his face, so alien to you and causing the white paint to bunch and flake. 

Mo’at tutted at his back. <”You do not think clearly.”> She narrated, stalking around the fist fight now commencing on her tent floor. 

”Come on!” Spider urged, tugging sharply on your wrists and tearing your attention from Tsu’tey and the rest of them. ”We have to get you out of here.”

<”Give me a head start?”> Spider joked with a hoarse laugh, the furious screams of Tsu’tey biting at your ankles. 

Neytiri appeared at your side, yanking aside the tent flap and helping Spider shove you outside. <”Take the ikran.”> She urged the boy, her expression icy. <”They cannot remain here.”>

You had FUCKING GATHERED THAT MUCH!

Neytiri nodded sharply before barking out loudly, <”Neteyam!”> 

A flurry of movement by the side of the tent revealed the older son from before. His expression was painfully neutral as his gaze slid from his mother to the teenager holding you hostage by your bound wrists. 

<”Take the demon to the forest.”> Neytiri stated. She didn’t wait to see if he acknowledged her command before promptly ducking back into the tent. The flicker of a memory tickled the back of your mind at her sharp cursing as the ruckus within the tent continued.

The boy, Neteyam, barely spared you a glance before heading back the way you’d been dragged into the camp. Despite being dragged all the way here for the Olo’eyktan to pass his judgement, the Sully family were doing a spontaneous job of doing the opposite of his will. You had no doubt that Tsu’tey would have gutted you regardless of his knee-jerk reaction. 

You were lost in your musings as Neteyam hollered for his ikran, three bursts of sound that had the magnificent beast dropping from a higher level of the cave system to stand before its rider. The boy was quick to form Tsaheylu, before fluidly mounting up.

<”Where are we headed?”>

<”The old village.”> Spider replied simply, guiding you towards the back of the mount with firm pushes. 

Part 1 -> Next Chapter 

[lukolabrainrot]

Welcome to the ship! I will start off by asking you a few questions if you don’t mind?

What type of feelings do you think there are between them?

Is it mutual?

When did those feelings become clear to you?

I don’t personally think anything has been acted upon which is why there is so much tension between them.

Hellooo, thanks for welcoming me aboard! 😂 To answer your first two questions, I am 100% confident that there is legitimate mutual love and attraction between them. My conclusion for this comes from the body language and type of eye contact I observed between them on the PR tour. Most studies have found that ~70-90% of communication is actually nonverbal. The nonverbal cues between them spoke VOLUMES. The heart eyes, the comfort with touching each other, the way they were generally very in tune with each other, their body language in photoshoots, the blushing, the mirroring (I'm going to put a link about mirroring below), the trust they had in each other and presented to the public, the butt pinching/caressing (which I firmly believe was happening; and in a public setting which is WILD to me considering how private N is, but she [on the surface at least] appeared fine with it 🤔), L admiring N's "assets" (and N being pretty aware of it I believe), the way they laughed at each other's jokes (particularly L), their facial expressions, the way they would sometimes get lost in a moment with each other and forget there were other people in the room with them and that they were being interviewed (my two favs being the hair caress, and the interview in Toronto where she made that joke about his dad and they just started LAUGHING), etc. I could go on and on about their nonverbal cues on the tour, because for me this is how I realized there was something a littleee more than just "work besties" between them. These types of nonverbal cues signal real deep intimacy, trust, empathy, safety, connection, etc. Humans can't really "fake" these nonverbal cues, it takes time for them to develop and are often done unconsciously without people even realizing it. Yes, some of the things in relation to their responses to interview questions and behavior during photoshoots/events was definitely played up to sell the story (so PR). However, these nonverbal cues serve as a partial window into what their relationship is like in private, and it is quite palpable and obvious if you really observe them (which is why so many people, including many of the interviewers, couldn't help but pick up on it). I have some more theories/thoughts on why they (specifically N) started to let the masks come off and be more obvious to the public about how they feel about each other, if people are interested... To answer your last question, I don't really think there was a particular moment it became clear to me. I think it was an accumulation of everything I observed during the tour. I think it was just always more apparent with L because 1) He just ADORES her (I mean who doesn't, she's AMAZING!!) 2) N is a lot more gaurded/private about her public narrative (which is why I found it PARTICULARLY interesting that N started to let some of her masks come off as the tour progressed 🤔). I also feel very strongly, based a lot on their intimacy scenes in the show, that there was an attraction/connection that had been brewing for a while with these two. I think they therefore used their characters in season 3 as an excuse to blur lines and engage/act on feelings they had been feeling for each other for a while (shout out to the PR tour quote that they just “stopped repressing it” lol). Now obviously, they weren’t ACTUALLY having sex in those moments during their intimacy scenes, but there was a release of SOMETHING in those moments, which is why a lot of people commented that those moments felt so “real”. They felt really intimate because these two have actual feelings/attraction for each other, so that is what we were seeing. Now, if they have ever actually physically acted on these feelings off camera, I have thoughts on that too if people are interested lol...

[slasher-fucker-and-sucker]

Could you do Cassandra Cain & younger sibling reader head canons? Reader has electricity, is reckless, disobeys a lot but really attached to Cass

Cassandra Cain & Younger Sibling!Reader Headcanons

1. Cass is always in protective mode when it comes to you. She knows how reckless you can be, and even though she trusts your abilities, she worries about the risks you take. She’ll give you “the look” whenever you push yourself too far, which silently says, “Take it easy, or you’re grounded.”

- Cass knows you can’t be controlled, but she tries to channel your energy into productive training sessions. She’ll help you learn to harness your electricity powers, teaching you how to use them efficiently in combat, and sometimes challenging you to show more precision rather than just raw power.

2. After a mission or a moment when you were particularly reckless, Cass doesn’t lecture you with words but with her silence and expressions. She’s perfected the art of making you feel guilty without saying a word. One long look, and you’re immediately rethinking your choices.

- You love pushing the limits, just to see how far Cass will let you go. You might start practicing moves she told you not to, or spar when you shouldn’t, and she’ll often catch you mid-act. Despite her exasperation, she still has endless patience for you, though she doesn’t hesitate to stop you with a quick move.

3. While she might not be super vocal about her love, Cass always makes sure you know how much you mean to her. Whether it’s a small pat on your head, pulling you in for a silent hug after a dangerous mission, or simply watching over you while you train, her affection is there, even if unspoken.

4. You’re one of the few who can get Cass to talk more, or at least try. Sometimes, if she’s being overprotective, you tease her, saying, “Come on, Cass, you’re not my mom!” She’ll just roll her eyes but might give a small smirk in response.

5. Despite your disobedient streak, you’re incredibly attached to her. Cass is often surprised to find you shadowing her whenever she’s around. Sometimes, you’ll just sit near her, recharging after a rough day, enjoying the comfort of her presence without saying anything.

6. You enjoy seeing how Cass reacts to your random outbursts of affection. You’ll suddenly cling to her or even playfully zap her (on the lowest setting!) just to get her attention. She pretends to be annoyed, but you know she’s secretly amused by it.

7. There are times you need Cass to pull you out of danger after you’ve gotten in over your head. Even when you try to convince her, “I had it under control!” she knows better. Cass, in turn, knows she can rely on you too; if she’s in a pinch, you’ll use your electricity to create distractions or clear paths for her without hesitation.

8. Cass respects your need for independence but draws the line when you endanger yourself. She’ll give you freedom, but she’ll also have quiet rules and boundaries you both know not to cross. Sometimes, she’ll give you a strict gesture that says, “You’re grounded,” and somehow you don’t even try to argue.

9. The two of you are an amazing team in battle. You’ve perfected moves together where you create sparks and diversions with your electricity, and she moves in like a shadow, taking down enemies who are thrown off by the flashes of light. Cass trusts you implicitly in the field, knowing that you’ll always have each other’s backs.

10. After disobeying her and giving her a scare, you’ll sometimes quietly bring her a snack or give her a quick, tight hug to show you’re sorry. Cass doesn’t say much, but her expression softens, and she’ll pat your back to let you know she forgives you.

[cyten0]

A Symphony in Crimson

Act 1: A Movement in Black

Chapter 15

You’ve chatted around town. And found a consistent theme.

Many of them wanted to save Vaugarde. In hindsight, that should have been obvious. But that doesn’t help explain what's going on! But another thing caught your attention…. You’d best talk with Loop about this.

✸ “Welcome back, Stardust! Looks like you have some thoughts?”

You sit next to loop

✦ “They wished for the king to be defeated, but we did that, so that still isn’t right. However. Someone mentioned that Euphrasie was asking around about the same thing.”

✸ “You think she knows something?”

✦ “Yes. Moment I heard about that I started asking a bit more. Apparently she even recommended favor trees to people. I think she might have some insights.”

✸ “If she did, it might be worth asking her about it. Hopefully she can stay out of that strange state long enough to tell you something.”

✦ “Right. Might be worth double checking elsewhere first. I’ll drop by her office next time, see if I can find anything.”

✸ “Sounds like a plan! Now then, another meal before you go?”

Right... You... No, you don't need it. You need to stop.

✦ “I… Can we not do that corpse this time?”

Loop looks at you for a bit. Judging you.

✸ “… Very well~ You should be good for now! We did feed you a bunch recently! Though I’m afraid that means I can’t get much for you right now, given the sadnesses I would grab are already infected, and you’ll get those rather soon anyways.”

You nod. You knew that would be the case.

But… You can’t do human anymore. It might be tasty, but that’s the problem. You’re starting to get used to it. You can’t afford to get used to it. For it to feel normal.

Or you’ll be too tempted. Tempted to cross that line, just to buy yourself a few days.

✸ “Good Luck! We’re getting close, Stardust.”

>>>

You're grabbing the key in the kitchen. Making your way through. You don’t want to waste hunger looping ahead right now. Not when you’re FINALLY cutting yourself off of human.

Ah stars, you bumped into the counter again. Wait. Did something… tear?

The others gasp. You look down.

Oh no. You… your disguise is too weak at this point, too fragile. You just haven't had the nutrients to make it work. The fake skin and outfit just. Snagged. And ripped.

◉ “Siffrin! Are you Okay?!? Your Leg looks hurt!”

◆ “Is your condition getting worse? Let me take a-”

✦ “NO!”

You quickly try and put it together before they can see. See your monster body underneath. But it just. Won’t. Go. Back!!!

◆ “Gems, don’t be stubborn, just let me-!!”

Blind it all she saw! Nononononono-

《

...You round the counter more carefully this time.

You… Can’t keep this up much longer. Every part of your guise has become troublesome. Your expressions, your voice, your body, your skin. You looked in the mirror back at the clocktower and could FEEL the monster underneath. It’s all coming apart at the seams.

...It’s fine. You just need to fix this mistake, and then it won’t matter… You just… if only you could stay for even one more day…

It’s fine. Keep moving. Keep them safe. That’s your one purpose now. The ONE thing you can still do. Keep your family safe.

>>>

There. Finally. Euphrasie’s Office. You search their desk. There must be something…

Here we go! A list. Filled with names, and checks with one column being save Vaugarde. Perfect, she was looking into it! There has to be more…

A notebook. You look through quickly. Alright, it says she was looking into wishcraft, after noticing people were wishing at the favor tree. Someone in the house mentioned it offhandedly. She couldn’t read the books on it, but she figured maybe it could still help. So she helped encourage people worried to go to the favor tree.

Hm. So not a lot of knowledge. But. It’s something. It means she had invested time into it. Maybe she knows more then this notebook tells.

You need to talk to her. See if you can get her to talk this time.

>>>>

The king is dead once more. You want to talk to your family first, before anything else.

You talk to Bonnie first. It goes about the same until...

✿ “...So, um…. D-Do you want a snack or something Frin?”

✦ “Sure!”

You're always hungry.

✿ “Okay, I have… well, I’m kinda short on snacks, you ate a lot of them before. So I only have pineapple slices. A croissant. And a half eaten apple.”

Pineapple is never happening. Croissants remind you of that one survivor. So only one option, really.

✦ “I’ll take the apple.”

✿ “Ew…”

You don’t care at this point. Food is food. Even if non-meat like this will barely cover the effort of digesting it. You don’t care. As long as it's not them.

You eat the whole thing in one bite. Bonnie seems a little surprised you managed that. But it’s fine.

✿ “...Frin… Are you okay?”

✦ “Yeah, why?”

✿ “… I dunno. I’m just askin. But if you say you're okay, then it’s true, I guess.”

You thank them, and wave goodbye. They already know about the pineapple slices this time, so you don’t need to remind them. Not that it matters.

You talk to Mirabelle. Assure her. Lie to her. Then.

◉ “Do you feel better now?”

✦ “What about you Mira?”

Your happiness doesn’t matter. It never did.

◉ “M-Me? Well, I’m better now but. I was asking about you!”

✦ “I’m good.”

◉ “Okay… Siffrin... do you remember, a few weeks ago, when I asked you if you liked being on this journey?”

It's been a while, but you've been doing your best. Making sure to hold those memories. The one thing you still can.

✦ “Yeah, why?”

◉ “Back then, you said… You said that being on this journey was the happiest you remember being. Is that… Still true? Are you still happy?”

You wish you could be. You remember every moment of your journey so fondly. You love them all so dearly. If only you could travel with them for even a single extra day. Be human for them for even one more day...

✦ “…Yes. Of course I do. I wouldn’t take back a second of it.”

◉ “… That’s good. I’m glad for that.”

You wave and move on.

You talk to Odile. Dream of going to Ka Bue with her at some point. Feel bad for hoping.

◆ “...Siffrin, are you alright?”

✦ “Yeah, why?”

◆ “It’s just… You’ve been acting off since yesterday. More withdrawn, mostly. Just… Do you want to talk about it?”

✦ “I’m good.”

Stars you hope you’ve not done anything to catch her eye this time.

◆ “...Very well. Just. Let me know when you want to talk. Preferably before we part ways. I’m more then willing to.”

You nod, pretending you’ll take them up on that, just to assure them. You can’t afford to tell them anything. You don’t want them angry at you.

You talk to Isa. Listen to them nearly say it, yet again, but never go through with it. What you wouldn’t give to hear it. What guilt you feel for wanting that.

▲ “...But really, are you Okay?”

✦ “Why do you ask?”

▲ “I don’t know, you’ve had a weird vibe ever since yesterday. So, I’m just hoping you’re all good. Are you?”

✦ “...Yeah.”

▲ “Okay, Good!… I mean, I don’t believe you for a second but we can talk about it tonight. Take your time!”

...Oh Isa. Always caring about you. About everyone. You don’t deserve their love. You're horrible for even letting them.

You nod and leave. Part of you wants to keep this all going. Stay with them longer, even if it has to be in this twisted fantasy. But you know you can’t do that to them. Know that even as you have eternity in your hands, you would not survive it.

It’s time to talk to Euphrasie.

◎ “Traveling one! I’d like to thank you for accompanying Mira-”

✦ “Sorry, bit of a rush. You were looking into wishcraft, right?”

◎ “Oh, yes! I noticed a lot of people were wishing for Vaugarde to be saved, so I thought it worth checking. I suppose maybe it…"

◎ “...!!!”

Oh no! Nononono you were so close you need to find what she knows!

◎ “Oh… Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no…”

✦ “No, stay with me!! Come on I need your help!”

◎ “I-I’m so sorry! There’s no way we can stop it now…!”

BLIND IT ALL!!!

Fine. You don’t have a choice. Time to cross one more line.

You take your claw, and jab it into the back of her neck.

You latch onto her brain-stem, and reach into her mind. There. You can feel it, the force creeping in, scattering her thoughts. You drown it out with your song.

◎ “W-What-!?”

✦ “Can you hear me? Can you talk? Please, before it ends, I need to know! Tell me whatever you can, so I can fix this!!”

Her eyes look at you. For the first time. She’s in clarity. She’s in fear. And… She’s still crying.

◎ “I… It’s too late! I don’t know whats going on! I barely know anything of wishcraft! I just. I know, or knew, that something went wrong… I… I don’t know why! All of Vaugarde wished for a savior. And… It must have done something! Made sure it would happen but...”

… Wait... Oh. Oh no.

◎ “None of us knew how to do it right, none of us knew the ritual! It must have broke something, or maybe someone wished for this!"

Wished for... It clicked. You know. You know what went wrong.

◎ “I don’t know, I don’t know, I… I’m so sorry!! I should have stopped them, should have prevented this, I-!”

✦ “NO."

She looks at you, confused.

✦ "It… It’s my fault.”

You get it now. You get why it’s wrong. Because

✦ “I wished for something impossible. And I knew the ritual. But it got mixed with yours. I… I’m sorry.”

◎ “W-What?”

You look her in the eyes. With your real eyes. Your monster eyes. The eyes of the thing you’ve been trying to escape this whole time. The thing your wish needs you to escape from. That it’s been far, far too late to hide from….

✦ “I wanted to be human for them. For just a little longer. But I can’t."

She gasps in horror. As she should.

✦ “By the time I reached this point… It was to late. And now… I’m sorry… If I had TOLD people the ritual, if I had wished for anything else, if I managed to finish this faster, Blind it all even if I had the decency to DIE on that blinding island like all the rest, then maybe, just MAYBE that wish could have saved you!!!! But...”

You hug her, as her panicked tears run down your cloak. You failed her. You failed them all. Your worst sin, the most horrible thing you ever did, has come back in a brand new form.

You ruin everything you care about. And now, it's too late to die to stop it. You aren't even allowed that luxury.

✦ “I-I ruined another country again. Destroyed another home. I… I’m so sorry. I… I’m so sorry!!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry!!!”

◎ “I- But-”

You feel the sugary scent start to close in, as the world starts to fall apart.

✦ “I just hope. That one day, you all will have the chance to forgive me.”

《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《

[shelbgrey]

HOLY SHIT YOU WRITE FOR OCEANS 11 AND THE OUTSIDERS?!? I MUST BE DREAMING 😭

Ok I have liiike 1 1/2 requests...

1: Could you write a Rusty and Lynus x fem reader (as in a love trying trope, not poly)? Its in oceans 11 and reader could either be like benedicts assistant OR you can write reader in oceans gang.

2: Do you have any oceans 11-13 x the outsiders hcs?

No pressure ofc pookalicious!! Have a good day/night 💖

I can Treat You Better (Rusty Ryan/Linus Caldwell)

Paring: Rusty Ryan x Ocean!Reader x Linus Caldwell(love triangle trope)

Summary: you and Rusty Ryan have always been an off and on again thing, when you two decide to have another go, Linus can't help notice the cracks and it makes him fall deeper in love with you and want to prove and treat you better. Prompt: 0.3) “Slow down, you’re doing fine”

A/n: I hope you don't mind I put a different little spin on this, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

MasterList ML2

You and Rusty have always been an off and on again situation, it was never anything toxic and no one ever cheated, but for some reason there were always ups and downs.

Your brother Danny has secretly been keeping tallies on how many times you've broken up. “your back together? What is this the 10th time or 11th?” he asked after rusty picked him up from prison. “Shut up, this is the last time we break up”

When Linus joined the crew there was an obvious connection. Everyone could see it, including Rusty. At the time you were clueless. You were with Rusty and you weren't a cheater.

Linus was head over heels the moment he met you, he was bright red in the face and could barely say his name without stuttering. You thought it was so cute, but didn't think much of it.

“she's the best part of my day” Linus smiled as he watched you cross the room. “sorry to rain on your paraid, but she's taken” Danny told him.

Just as he said that, Rusty had said somthing to you that made you scoff and walk away from him.

Linus missed what Rusty said to you, but he didn't miss the frustration and exhauston on your face.

He always had this gut feeling you weren't happy, but he also wasn't one to steal another man's woman. So at the time he was just fine becoming your best friend.

But a blind man could see the tension and desires building up between you as the months passed, Rusty didn't like it.

Anyway, Rusty would catch on quickly, he cares about Linus but he cares about you more. So challenge accepted. Then it became this childish drama within the group.

Get ready for every single thing to be a contest. they're both extremely stubborn and even the simplest of things will be turned into a competition of who can do it better.

Suprisenly Linus would become very charming and not so awkward. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves that he can easily express himself around you and just be himself without being judged.

I also think Linus is good at knowing when to pump the brakes if he over steps a line or goes too far. Rusty sometimes doesn't and sometimes he forgets that he doesn't need to use the same tactics he used to use bar girls.

What you hated most about this whole situation is that Linus and Rusty were turning on each other. You knew they were best friends and you couldn't help but think this, no girl is worth losing your best friend over.

They would often go to Danny for advice to. Usually if it's Rusty asking for advice Danny will tell him to leave him out of it, but if it's Linus he'll try to give genuine advice.

Danny is secretly team Linus even though he's best friends Rusty. I think Danny is just tired of the constant on and off shit Rusty and you have going on.

“Slow down, you’re doing fine” Danny sighs after hearing yet another rant of nervousness from Linus. “I think deep down she knows you're the one, she's just too clueless”

Linus just has this sweet, charming side you never knew you needed in a partner until you met him. When rusty and him are fighting each other, Linus' acts are often sweet and fluffy. Like bring you flowers or bring you food from your favorite restaurant.

Rusty is just a flirt and you're used to it. Sometimes you wonder how you dealt with it the first time.

As it went on you got more and more attention, you didn't want that. Then Danny and team started a bet and the secret poll only grew more bets as time went on.

Linus would often get embarrassed if something went wrong and one of the guys gave him shit. It especially pisses him off when they embarrass you or make fun of you.

Then you and Rusty broke up for good this time, the fighting between him and Linus was becoming too much.

That's when Linus had enough, he didn't care if Rusty was there or not he was gonna tell you. “I love you y/n... I love everything about you, even things I don't like... I still love”

He told you to think everything through. As much as he loved you, he didn't want you making any hasty decisions or let what he said cloud your mind.

“I love you too” you quickly said. You didn't need time to think. Linus had always been there for you. He was kind and generous, always putting your well being first. The love he had for you was unconditional.

He pulled you to his chest and immediately pressed his lips to yours, kissing you gently but passionately. Linus pulled away and rested his forehead on yours. “thank God... I love you too”

“Shit! I just lost $200, man” Turk grumbled, you gave the boys a questioning look.

“You put a bet on us?” Danny He shrugged. “hey, at least you got about a thousand for your honeymoon” Danny joked and Yen nodded happily. you took the notebook with all the bets written down and hit Danny in the head. “we rob casinos, I think we should get more than a thousand” you joked.

[housewarningparty]

my favorite Miorine thing is that she's so laser focused on suletta to an almost comical degree. prospera reveals that she wants to ruin delling's life (like, her dad, who is dying at the hospital) and miorine goes "ok but leave suletta out of this!". near the end prospera goes on a tirade about eri and miorine, pissed out of her mind, says "you have another daugher! suletta, remember??". i love her.

LIKE. YEAH.

I think the show does a really good job acknowledging that 1) Suletta and Miorine both have REALLY different methods of parsing their emotions and expressing themselves and 2) holy shit they're fucking IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER FOR REAL

You really cannot meaningfully analyze these characters and the decisions they make and the way they relate to each other without keeping their toxic relationships with their parents in mind. There's SO much projection going on - Miorine project herself onto Suletta and Suletta projects her mother onto Miorine.

When we meet Miorine she's isolated and miserable and her only concern is to spite her father and secure her own future. She feels at once dismissed by Delling and also oppressed and controlled by him. Suletta and, subsequently, Earth House are the only real connections she's made with other people. It doesn't take very long for her priorities to shift from getting herself away from her father to providing for her groom and gund-arm.

By late S1 she's undergone this massive shift - she's in charge of a project she chose, working with people she cares about. She's got two things she never had before: autonomy and support.

When Miorine hurts Suletta's feelings by trying to take greenhouse duties away from her, by endorsing her spending time with Elan, she is trying to give Suletta the most important thing she can think to give: autonomy. Freedom to choose how she spends her time and with who. It's a great conflict because it's such a revealing miscommunication. By projecting her own feelings and trauma onto Suletta, Miorine misses what Suletta actually needs. And it beautifully foreshadows the conflict in s2.

Bc the turn in s2 is that Miorine needs to reconcile the version of Suletta that she has come to know and care so much about with the Suletta she was confronted with at plant Quetta. Correctly, Miorine identifies that Suletta is being manipulated and controlled by Prospera. But she takes it further - she overlays her own parental trauma onto Suletta. Miorine sees herself and her father in Prospera's control over Suletta. Worse even: to her father, Miorine was a chess piece in reserve. But Prospera isn't holding Suletta back from anything to preserve her though: she's putting her on the front lines. She's using her as a weapon. And Suletta lacks the perspective to see it.

Suletta is, it seems, incapable of conflict. She can't stick up for herself. We see this all the time but especially in the whole lunch fiasco when she decides everyone hates her because she's too sad to ask for food. Miorine, on the other hand, actually has an easier time expressing conflict and disapproval than she does vulnerability. Calling out Prospera for the way she dominates Suletta makes perfect sense because Miorine has been calling her own dad out for the same things pretty much her whole life.

So, ultimately, Miorine deciding that she has the moral right and authority to make decisions on Suletta's behalf is a great piece of character work. The thing she spent her whole life resenting her father for becomes exactly what she does to Suletta.

Suletta projecting her mother onto Miorine is definitely another part of the dynamic. Again, it's something we see most in s2. Right before the sabotaged duel, we see this moment of total cognitive dissonance in Suletta's thinking. Miorine and Prospera come to hold fully oppositional places of importance in Suletta's world. She ascribes basically an equal level of authority to them.

She loves her mom > her mom loves her > her mom would never make choices against Suletta's best interests > whatever her mom says must be right > if it hurts or if it feels wrong, it's because Suletta has to be more mature. And at the same time she loves Miorine > Miorine is smart and capable > Miorine wouldn't make a wrong decision > if she hurts Suletta, it's Suletta's own fault.

After she loses to Guel, Suletta copes by blaming me herself. She doesn't know how to be angry at someone she loves, but she does know how to feel shame for not being good enough. She wasn't the victim of a cruel betrayal, because her love for Miorine means she CANNOT be capable of doing something that bad. It becomes instead a failure of Suletta's - if she has been better, Miorine wouldn't have abandoned her. It's her own fault for losing and for wanting more than she should have in the first place.

It's the exact kind of broken, warped thinking she applies to Prospera. And it's why Prospera is exactly right when she tells Miorine that she too could get anything she wants from Suletta.

This is why I love the reunion so much. It's so explicitly about owning your own actions and allowing the person you love the space and freedom to decide how to respond. Suletta extends her hand. Miorine decides to meet her there.

Suletta chooses to risk herself in the Calibarn. Miorine alone respects her choice enough to raise the permet score, even if she breaks down immediately after.

Anyway wow I'm fully brainsick about these two. Sorry for that long ass rambling reply but oh my god I'm in a chokehold atm

[titansontop]

i couldnt reply before but here it is. Long asf.

@raven-harlot

What a convenient way to forget Nightwing's arc with the Titans, written by Taylor a few months ago, the beginning of his Titans. Where raven wasn't at all "just Gar's gf", right? Raven did things on her own, she wasn't there just to be with Gar, she had moments, she had a leading role, she had a role in the arc that was much more than just being Gar's girlfriend, did you forget all that? Raven having action, Raven showing her best qualities with Olivia…She was the best and more interesting character of that arc without doubts. And even though she was with Gar there, it was never like she was stuck to him, was it?… While Raven had a second leader role in this arc, what happened with Gar? Nothing (he wasnt there just as Raven's boyfriend tho).

Do you remember TT Academy? Where Gar was doing exactly what Raven is doing now? Being a moral support for her partner? (oh no! A couple that helps and supports each other!😨😟) I bet at that moment you didn't think that Gar was "just Raven's bf", no, I bet you were saying something like "they made Raven Weak! Raven doesn't need a man!" Blah, blah, blah.

Traumas? What traumas? You know damn well that the only reason we're seeing Gar's trauma is because of what happened in Dark Crisis; otherwise we wouldn't see shit about his trauma, just like we won't see the other Titans' traumas.

Do you know what character progression is? Something Raven went through under Wolfman's writing? Do you remember how she tried to have relationships back then? how she tried to love, right? Raven has been free of Trigon for years, stop the cap, she can express her emotions without problems since the 80s.

Stop the cycle, do you want Raven to be some kind of Redhood going through the same arc over and over again?

Do you want Raven to be exactly like she was 40 years ago in the damn 80s, when she debuted as an 18-year-old woman who didn't even have friends and couldn't express her emotions?? Holy character regression!

If you say that Raven is unrecognizable and a totally different character (if that makes you feel better, keep pretending that, I guess) then just stop reading the comics…easy, that easy.

Did you start reading a Gar comic, where Raven was only going to be a character in a supporting role because the comic focuses on Gar and only Gar, hoping that she wouldn't be a character in a supporting role? The joke tells itself. Did you want her to be the protagonist of Gar's comic? And don't say she's just Gar's girlfriend and nothing more when she literally had her own comic where Gar WASN'T there, no matter how bad it was, it was a comic of her, about her, with a story for her, Gar wasn't there(i bet you got maddd when Raven talked about him tho{1 line in a 30 pages comic, before you even say anything lmao}).

Before this new Titans comic what did Gar have? Nothing at all. Raven instead? She had the storyline of Unkindness, she had some small roles in that same storyline in TTA and Shazam(where she was also given some respect), she had an important role in Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green, and it didn't end there, she also had a big fight with The Spectre. Gar at the event, meanwhile, was only being used as motivation for Dick and nothing else (0 scenes of Gar with Raven or Cyborg even when they are the characters that should have been with him). (And not to mention the Titans United comics, those are not from the main earth, but Raven had a big role in the second one, and in none of them was she "just Gar's gf", i wasnt a big fan tho).

Oh and let's not forget the comic where once again Raven crossed paths with Trigon, and it wasn't the best thing in the world, but Gar wasn't there… she literally got a mini story for herself there in that Lazarus Planet tie-in, while Gar at that time only had the back up from Action Comics with Power Girl, where they once again ignored Raven and Victor and used Dick.

And there was also Knight Terrors: Titans, where once again, Raven wasnt there as "just Gar's gf".

Umm, no, just because a writer doesn't give focus to the character you want it means it is misogyny😂. There are 4 issues that don't focus on Raven, so he hates women? 😂, let's completely forget how he even put Donna in the role of leader in that mission(not much but is more than what she got in the last 3 years). They are setting up Beast World, of course they will focus on Gar. And even then, let's look at who's been focused on so far: Dick(who is Taylor's favorite and is being pushed by editorial as a super leader), Gar(who is being set up for something bigger) and Wally(who is part of a semi-plot from the comic). Vic isn't getting that much focus either, I guess that makes Taylor racist, right?… Don't worry, more moments will come for them, I repeat, ITS 4 ISSUES IN. Even Taylor has said that Kori will have more prominence in the next issues.

Do you remember the little arc with the Brotherhood of Evil and Madame Rogue?…who was the lead and who was in a supporting role?…oh yeah! Gar was the main character while the others were mostly sidelined… And that was by Wolfman and Pérez…

About the part of Taylor not knowing how to write women, Taylor isnt a perfect writer for sure, im not saying he is, and he isn't Gail Simone, he misses too, but yk one of his most acclaimed comics from marvel is a comic about a female character(X-23), right? Lol.

You say Taylor doesn't understand her, yet, he is probably writing the best version of Raven since Wolfman in the 80s. He clearly understand this character, and its funny that you pretend he doesnt. Cant even imagine how you reacted to Teen Titans Rebirth Raven🥴.

We both know that if Raven had these scenes she is having with Gar, with Donna or Kori instead, you wouldn't be saying shit. If Raven was saying "i love you" to Kori, or Donna, you wouldn't be saying shit…that's the funny part about this LMAO. You know your account isn't private, right? How do you expect someone to take your "raven cant express her emotions!!" seriously when we can see what you post? (And we can also read the comics...)

You aren't mad because Taylor doesn't understand Raven, you are mad here because Taylor isn't writing what YOU want.

Raven isnt the same character she was 40 years ago, just like Gar isnt, or just like Batman isnt the same character he was in the 80s or the 60s. Its called character progression(well, Bruce is in a deep whole right now lol). Raven has long passed her days of not being able to express her emotions, but you are saying she should go back to square 1?…

So yeah, I proved Raven in the past years has had more going on that just being Gar's gf. Raven by Tom Taylor has as well been more than "just Gar's supportive gf". And seriously, you were so mad about this that you made 3 posts complaining the same day lmao. You don't like it? STOP. READING. IT instead of reading it just to complain like a damn baby.

All that said, do you think i dont want more solo stuff for Raven?? Its really a shame Howard dropped the ball so hard with that story, a solo story of Raven that will barely mean anything at the end…

And…I dont know, how else would i find out about Raven's new content in this site?…

(seriously tho, you are in the tags, i could just ignore it, just as you could ignore the comics you dont like, but this time i decided i was gonna reply to such a dumb post).

[kalijhomentethi]

Headcanons: Akali Tropes I Hate

Really strong title right off the bat but there’s really no way to sugarcoat it. To be clear: My aim here isn’t to attack anyone. I got inspired by people posting headcanons in my dash and since it’s been a while since I’ve done one, I figured I’d throw my hat in the ring too! The tropes I’ll be tackling here are people’s perceptions of Akali that I’ve gathered over the years, and I just can’t stand it when I encounter them in any shape or form. They’ll mostly be about Popstar Akali because it’s what most people are interested in out of all her skins/verses since the K/DA boom. I'll also be using this post to talk about how I portray and understand Akali!

The most popular tropes I’ve seen are the following:

Stupid Akali

Fuckboy Akali

Nothing but baby Akali (derived from her being the maknae/youngest in the group)

-

STUPID AKALI

The worst trope I've seen for her is when people portray her as an idiotic person with 1 or no braincells at all 24/7. I don't know how this became such a common characterization for her, but I hate it this pops up. It's one thing for her to be silly at times (anyone can be, really) but it's another thing entirely to constantly see her as straight up stupid. I draw the line at seeing Akali as inefficient, irresponsible, and wholly incapable of doing anything.

Akali can be silly enough to put on a shirt backwards and then take it off when she realizes. She can be silly enough to offer up an improbably idea or suggestion while being fully aware of the implications of it. She can be silly enough to distract a reporter on purpose so she can get away from an interview while grinning mischievously to herself all the while.

She’s not stupid to the point that she can’t understand basic instructions/information. She’s not stupid to the point that other people have to speak for her. She’s not stupid to the point that she’s slow to process anything. She’s not stupid to the point that others have to physically steer her from place to place. She’s not stupid to the point that she can’t do the most basic calculations in her head.

I write her doing pranks sometimes on even the most serious characters but not because she can’t realize that pissing them off would mean trouble. I write her making “corny” jokes sometimes but not because she can’t read the room. I write her stumbling over her words or even herself sometimes but not because she can't express herself and not because she's a clumsy mess.

She can be reckless when she decides to spraypaint something while knowing the cops could chase her down any moment. But whenever she wants to go out spraypainting, she's always dressed up to prevent anyone from recognizing her, she has her entry and exit points mapped out, she has it planned. So, if she does all these preparations beforehand, does she really not exercise caution? Akali knows her own limits. She also knows the streets like the back of her hand. With her being incredibly athletic, she can and will outrun and outmaneuver anyone that wanted to track her down. She does it for the thrill and refuses to let anyone restrict her creative spirit. In fact, the risk of being discovered while vandalizing property tends to be low because she's either done before anyone is tipped off or she's using an abandoned location as her canvas.

She can be overconfident when it comes to doing things she loves and knows she's good at. It won't matter if she's seen as an underdog, she's going to prove every single person that expected her to fail wrong. There's flair in everything she does because of her pride in herself. Breakdancing, rapping, art, fighting, you name it. This attitude of hers backfired many times in her life but if her pride takes a beating, she's not going to stay on the ground. If she's going up against a reigning champion, then she's going into the ring swinging. If she's in a rap battle, she won't be afraid to turn up the heat (it's how she got popular in the Music universe after all). She even makes her own diss tracks aimed at people who do her dirty.

She can be chaotic. She can come up with all sorts of crazy ideas because she thinks it'd be fun, she can write songs in not one clear-cut way and as a result have lots of scratch paper on her desk or incomplete beats/documents in her computer, and she can get side-tracked even when she was previously focusing on one task. But she is not messy to the point that her can't even organize her things, to the point that objects are strewn about everywhere. She can take care of herself.

She's not negligent. This woman can keep track of so many things at once. It's canon in the Music universe that she's still capable of wielding her weapons and you can bet she regularly and properly maintains them. Her lyrics are rewritten and polished multiple times before she thinks they're good enough. She has important dates saved in her calendar to make sure she won't forget to treat her loved ones. Whether she regularly interacts with someone or not, she still checks on them to make sure they're doing okay. She can be methodical in her approaches to some things because she puts great care into them. Her loved ones are important to her, and her weapons, lyrics, etc. are extensions of herself and are a window to her soul.

She's not tactless when she refuses to play along with an interviewer. She's just not one to stir up drama for the sake of it. She's not afraid to openly cold-shoulder someone riling her up especially when her reaction is being broadcasted live. She'll tell a reporter to back off when she doesn't like the questions she's being asked. Does she come off as rude? Yes, to those who thrive off juicy gossip. But she also has a reputation of being a no-nonsense person despite that. She shuts down anyone who insults her or anyone she's close to.

In line with this, not only can she walk the walk, but she can also talk the talk when it's worth it. She can be a smooth talker if she wants to be. She's not always the quiet type. In the ALL OUT interview, Akali was very lively while explaining how they came up with the EP and even joked around about True Damage being the reason for her "leaving" K/DA.

Although I don't completely see the ALL OUT interview as canon. Riot had to call on Shannon Arrum Williams, the voice actress of Jett from VALORANT, since she can speak both Korean and English. I don't know if that's the only reason why they didn't choose Krizia Bajos (Base Akali VA), but I want to say that although Akali and Jett are similar personality-wise, Jett comes off as more playful in contrast to Akali being more aggressive/sarcastic. Akali's songs paint her as an untouchable badass with Soyeon sounding close to Krizia, but Jett's VA just does better voicing a generally more upbeat character and I believe that played a part in how Akali was done in that interview.

Akali can be talkative and cute and excited—with the right people. Not just a random interviewer. I'm just saying that Akali's lines in the interview have been delivered a bit differently. In K/DA's interview with PopRox, Akali never willingly offers up information herself until she's prompted. She sounds much cooler and composed. In fact, Akali has the least number of lines in the article. In both the article and the All Out video though, we figure out that she's much more open to talking about her creative process.

-

FUCKBOY AKALI

The second worst trope for me is when people see her as a fuckboy. This commonly appears in settings where she has a complicated relationship with another person or if she has recently broken up with them. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth when this plot in general is used, not even just for Akali specifically.

There's nothing wrong with a character being sexually active. My problem is when people use this trope to portray Akali as someone who treats others with little respect, only going after them for the sake of satisfying herself/her curiosity. The pride of being able to get anyone she wants is conveniently amplified in the Popstar universe because she's rich and popular, therefore making the process easier. And this whole "get anyone she wants" thing is what's supposed to bring her a false sense of comfort or at least distract her from whatever problem she's going through. Honestly, I think a part of why this trope is so popular is because it's supposed to make Akali more attractive or charming* by building her up more as the "bad boy/girl" type.

But a character can be the "bad boy/girl" type without being in everyone's pants.

With that, I don't think Akali would be the type of person to sleep around for the sake of it. A character as standoffish as Akali wouldn't so readily take the closest person to her to the nearest bedroom, even with no strings attached. Her sense of independence is a core part of her character, it would take her forever to genuinely warm up to someone, much less come to terms with her wanting their company. And it's also how she protects herself. K/DA Akali is mellower (mainly because of the setting) compared to her Classic counterpart but even when someone is upfront with what they want with her, Akali will not shy away from shutting them down without mincing her words. I pretend this scene from the Zed comic doesn't actually exist because I write Akali as a lesbian but for this part of my post, it's a good example of being direct. She takes her vibe checks seriously. She may flirt with women she finds interesting or talk to them in a way that makes her sound like she's flirting, but it doesn't necessarily mean that she'll follow through. She can also be tough when she doesn't really want anything to do with someone but needs to talk to them. She'd be up in their face while clearly wanting to be anywhere else but there.

*I get the idea that a person that sleeps with a lot of people is someone that must be charming. Typically. But Akali can be charming without catering to the fuckboy trope. Because here's the thing: my ship partners, since the start of this blog, are all hard-to-get muses. What's hotter than a bad girl type girlfriend that only has eyes for you? A partner whose walls were broken down by one specific person? Akali knows she's a hotshot and handsome as hell, but she only wants her partner. It's a huge deal for her to be in a relationship and she won't entertain others while she's busy showering her partner with love and affection. Not to mention that she won't appreciate other people trying to get her partner's attention. Akali is protective of her loved ones, and her possessiveness can show by keeping her partner close, especially when said partner has shown disinterest in everyone else.

Credit also would have to be given to her partner because it means they showed Akali that it's worthwhile for her to stay and emotionally invest in a proper relationship.

-

NOTHING BUT BABY AKALI

I had some difficulty describing this without making it sound similar to the first trope. The best way I can differentiate the two is that Stupid Akali downplays her intelligence as a whole and Baby Akali downplays her maturity.

As I stated in the start of this post, this trope typically comes from Akali being the maknae of K/DA, but Akali's role in the Classic/Runeterra universe also plays a part in it. Because of her also being the youngest out of all the known Kinkou champions and her leaving Shen's tutelage, she's seen as a brat. People can't stand her indignance at Shen's teachings and they always downplay her actions as her "not knowing any better." She fights for what she believes in and if it ends up with her not quite making as big of an impact as she hoped, then people roll their eyes at her.

Maybe people are expecting her to be an anime MC or something since she's already a ninja complete with an arsenal of weapons and the N.aruto run, but the point of her character is that she's been forced to stick to the shadows and watch as everything is taken from her and everyone around her. She is tired of doing nothing when she can help. She may not always know the best solution to every single problem, but that doesn't change the fact that she wants to do something. Serial killer Jhin is right in front of her after she was held hostage by him? Time to punch him in the face, beat him to the ground, and shoot him with his own gun. Giant tree guardian uproots itself with the aim to kill a Noxian kid? Her principles pull her into attacking the guardian even when she herself was going to teach the Noxian a lesson prior to finding out he was a kid. Undead behemoth 4x her size leading an army to rampage across Ionia? You can bet Akali's going headfirst into the fight and making sure Sion gets a taste of her steel.

Now you may be thinking, why does Akali tend to default to violent solutions? Because she refuses to fall back into the trap of passiveness disguised as something good for the sake of balance. She doesn't go for violent solutions because she's a bloodthirsty brute.

"It's not the killing I'm about — it's the cause." - Akali, long move in game.

Her line of thinking does not always work in her favor because the very land she lives in operates under that same concept of balance she walked away from. If it's not other people that are getting in her way of doing things (e.g. Shen and Zed when she wanted to kill Jhin in the Zed comics), then Ionia will force her into the back foot, evident in the way she handled the Tree Guardian in the LoR cinematic. Now, I'm not saying the people that tend to this balance, such as Shen, have no wisdom. It's just that Akali has been exposed to the horrible effects of having to enforce that balance, as stated in her biography. And it doesn't help that the ones that could've helped her deal with these feelings are either missing/probably dead (her father), busy at times (Shen and Kennen), or clearly don't like her (her mother).

But Akali’s soul was restless, and her eyes were open. Though the Kinkou and the Order of Shadow had come to an uneasy accord in the wake of the Noxian invasion of Ionia, she saw that her homeland continued to suffer. She questioned whether they were truly fulfilling their purpose. Pruning the Tree was meant to eliminate those who threatened the sacred balance... yet Shen would always urge restraint. - Excerpt from Akali's champion biography.

In the LoR cinematic, when Shen tells her how to calm the Tree Guardian down, her first instinct isn't to figure out how balance can be restored. No, her first course of action is to throw herself into danger, insisting that saving a person's life is more important than upholding the rules that govern the land.

"Can't we just bend the rules? He's a kid!" - Akali, in reply to Shen in the LoR cinematic.

She has strong complicated feelings about Ionia's balance. Hearing her in-game voicelines, it's obvious that she's fueled by this sense of justice, hellbent on avenging those she failed to protect, and wanting nothing to do with the Kinkou. She even goes as far as outright mocking the fundamental principles of the Kinkou. Except you can also look at this voiceline beyond something as simple as showing disagreement with the Kinkou. What was the reason for Akali turning rogue again? She saw countless Ionians fall to the Noxians. Why can't the Ionians be the people still living and breathing after the invasion? She is not willing to let go of what she endured during her time with the Kinkou.

"You're dead, I'm alive. See? Balance!" - Akali, killing a champion in game.

Akali being so happy at the end of the cinematic is so bittersweet because in this instance of restoring balance, nobody had to die. One life was saved (the kid's), and another was made better (Shen casting a spell on the shrine protector that turned it into a bigger tree), for the lack of a better term. Of course, one can argue that technically the lives of the trees the kid cut down were still lost. The important thing in this cinematic is that Akali knows she did everything in her power to prevent casualties.

K/DA Akali with the Baby Akali trope is treated with more "affection" but in such a way that's essentially exaggerated babying to the point that some people border on infantilizing her. I say "affection" because I get that people want cute scenarios where other characters spoil Akali but sometimes it's overdone and paints a picture of a useless Akali. And to clarify, I'm not against muses spoiling or being affectionate with Akali. I'm pointing out here that this trope stems from how people overemphasize the babying and then it would seem that Akali relies on being treated like a child. Of course, this trope can pop up even without the active enabling from other characters. She is not a ramyun guzzling gamer with a horrible sleep schedule. She is not a gremlin that hides in her room while her bandmates stock her up with her daily dose of ramyun.

She has her likes and dislikes like any other person, but I hate it when people condense a character into a fragment of what they really are because they choose to only emphasize certain likes and dislikes. I'm sure she does love playing video games and I see it as a way for her to bond with friends, who may or may not be good in the same games as her. She does love spicy ramyun, as stated in the 8 facts part of her profile, but that is not her entire personality.

In a way, this trope loosely connected to the Stupid Akali trope. This trope doesn't appear as often as the first two but it's still annoying when I do see it. It's honestly insane how the same trope can have such contrasting perceptions on the same person, just in different settings.

-

CONCLUSION

I think Akali's main character traits make these tropes nonsensical. She's quick-witted, independent, and strong-willed. Not to mention that the tropes come from people overdoing something until it turns into a tasteless characterization of Akali.

After all this though, I'm not saying that my portrayal of Akali is perfect. There are times when I'm indecisive with how I want certain things to happen or when I'm unsure with how I want Akali to talk back to someone. I suppose aside from taking the opportunity to talk about how Akali can be mischaracterized and how I write her, another point I wanted to make through this post is that I hope people don't come to my Akali talking in a way that's influenced by perceptions such as the ones stated above.

I hold Akali dear to me, having written her for years already. I do not appreciate it when her character is misconstrued, and an interaction is based on an out-of-scope idea (not related to lore, existing headcanons, relevant plot, and the like). Fictional character or not, we're all on this platform roleplaying for a reason.

And that's all for this post! :) Thank you for reading all the way through, I hope everyone has a nice day ❤️

[feathers-second-face]

Does Alastor actually care about the hotel or it's residents?

I think maybe.

So I JUST got done writing a collage essay of a theory on the Lilith/Alastor thing, so what am I going to do?? WRITE ANOTHER ONE!!

Spoilers

Okay, so I'm gonna start of with the fact that I wholeheartedly believe Alastor was only there because Lilith sent him. The hotel doesn't have any of what he seems to prefer as entertainment (murder, cannibalism, it his friends), so to go there and then do pretty much nothing to actually bring in any guests sorta brings that into questions. He was there because he had to be, not because he cared.

HOWEVER!!

Things can change.

In the pilot, Alastor tried to make a deal with Charlie. I believe he did this entirely for leverage to get his soul back, and when it didn't work, decided to either never bother again or try it again when he'd gained a bit of trust. The thing is, he hasn't done that again. By now, he should now he can EASILY trick Charlie into making a deal with him, but he hasn't. Why is that? Well, unless he's just simply not willing to risk it or forgot about that idea, there's the idea that he cares about her, even a little bit.

Episode 5 rambles, yey. I don't think he sent Mimzy away because if the damage to the hotel, I think it was because if her antics got Charlie killed, he'd face punishment for it, but it's definitely possible that he may have been a bit worried for his friends too.

Now onto my big point, Alastor spite-dadding. Most of us know that it was likely to be manipulative or to piss off Lucifer, but I do think there was some genuineness behind it. Alastor's expressions during his song change quite a bit. Every time he says anything along the lines of her being like a daughter to him, he glared at Lucifer. In one line, though, 'You're like the child that I wish that I had', he looked genuine until he said the word 'child', then finished the sentence looking genuine again, then continued to glare at Lucifer.

This leads me to believe that even thought he's likely VERY MUCH exaggerating their relationship to spite Lucifer, he does care for her, even if just a bit.

He interupted Lucifer's song and then proceeded to tell him to butt out (lol). He clearly didn't like him since the moment he walked in the door and was very much trying to piss him off, but in the end, I think he mostly just wants Charlie to be happy.

In the song at the end of the episode, Alastor is shown watching, and doesn't interrupt. He can see she's happy and her dad is actually trying, so he stays out of it, whereas the song at the beginning was entirely Lucifer trying to get rid of Al (until he interrupted).

I wouldn't say he looks necessarily happy, but he sees she's having a moment and puts his ego aside and doesn't butt in this time. He definitely cares enough to let her sing an entire song with her dad, who he hates. He put her feelings above his spite here, and I think that says a lot.

Another note; The pacing really hurts the judgment on this. It's not Viv's fault, as she was halfway through season 1, and was under the impression that there would only be 8 episodes, but it makes everything so much more difficult. There was a 5 MONTH time skip. 5 MONTHS. Literally ANYTHING could have happened. in his song, Al pointed out that he made her laugh with puns, seemed to have a history with being rather useful, and has likely had casual interactions with her, but because of how little time there was, we weren't able to see that. We couldn't see anything aside from plot point after plot point because Viv needed to get the story out, and there was no time for her to show some of the more casual interactions with the characters. Maybe Alastor DOES spend time with Charlie and care for her. Maybe he HASN'T. We'll never know because there wasn't enough time to show it, and that makes it so much harder to judge.

I will say, however, that Charlie is naive, but not to the level of seeing some guy who she spoke to maybe 10 times claim to be her father figure and agree with it. She 100% thought (whether he's lying or not), that Alastor cared for her like a dad would, and it made sense to her. That says something at the very least, I think.

What we really need is Alastor regretting his wording when Charlie calls him dad.

TLDR; Alastor cares, but dad might be a stretch. The pacing definitely made it hard to just.

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: Dramione Teratophilia Fest (Part 1)

Dramione Teratophilia Fest 2.0 2023:

Grace Period by TeTe91 - E, WIP - After all the hardships and challenges Hermione had to face during the war, she is left empty-handed. Instead of a reward, she finds herself in a hopeless situation and struggles with the closed door to her previously bright future. Upset with the hand she has been dealt, she no longer sees any reasons to play by the rules, or even be good. Who better to unleash her anger onto than Draco Malfoy.

Coup de Grâce by ChaosAndCrumpets - E, WIP - The only place Hermione Granger finds some semblance of her former self is - inexplicably - in the arms of Draco Malfoy. But something so unnatural is sure to have wider implications. Then people start to die.

A Captured Moment by peachy_V, Roseheira - E, one-shot - Many wolves die having never experienced the love and devotion that can only come from one's true mate. And for the longest time Draco thought his fate would be condemned to a loveless life. Yet here she was, his mate. Conveniently brought to him, tied up like a present, and ready to be claimed by him.

Shadow Pact by Serpent_Sortia - E, WIP - “From Glittering Love to Gilded Betrayal! Golden Girl Heartbroken by Cheating Scandal” Or, what happens when a certain demon offers to help Hermione get revenge on her cheating ex?

Eternity by emmarauren - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger would wait an eternity for Draco Malfoy to love her back. Even if he is eternally a beast.

Bound by Darkness by BlueZeldana - E, WIP - Draco Malfoy had been living alone for years and no one knew he was alive. He was a murderer now, and the magic of his victims ran through his veins making him more and more powerful with each life he took. The only thing he cared about was power. Until a Muggleborn witch stepped into his manor and ruined everything.

Thick as blood by pinkhairandbooks - E, one-shot - You’re a Vampire Slayer and you find out that your soulmate is the Vampire that you are tasked to kill and almost killed you. What now?

The Claiming by Kayka - E, 5 chapters - The men of the Malfoy line have maintained a carefully guarded family secret for generations. Perpetually exhausted Hermione Granger is simply trying to get through her Thursday.

Starve This Sin by belladeexx - E, WIP - An age-old saying: An Angel on your right and the Devil on your left. In this case, Draco Malfoy is the pesky lust demon on the metaphorical left side of every shoulder Hermione interacts with. He's a constant thorn in her wings, albeit an attractive thorn she can't stop dreaming about, but a thorn nonetheless. After all, he's just a harmless demon on his knees begging for a taste of heaven. Who is Hermione to forbid him of it?

messy eater by riddikulus_puff - E, one-shot - Hermione Granger thought she had learned her lessons when it came to seeking food out during her nightly adventures as a newly turned vampire, but it seemed that she really hadn't learned anything. She had been given the title of "messy eater" when it came to her desperation and hunger and always seemingly made a mess of things. Usually, Hermione found that she could clean things up herself after satiating her hunger but it seemed as though that wasn't happening this time. Draco Malfoy, an older vampire who was more expressed with quelling his hunger, was nearby when Hermione needed help with cleaning herself and the crime scene up. He was used to this, his father being the one who originally turned Hermione and introduced her to him. Draco acted as a shadow for Hermione to follow, supposed to protect and show her the ways of the vampires.

My Love, My Moon by Art_emis, magicalmolly - E, one-shot - Hermione is filling in as the substitute Herbology Professor for Neville and hating it. While gathering materials in the Forbidden Forest one night, during the full moon, she's attacked by a werewolf. When she goes to hunt them down and demand that they leave the school grounds she finds out that the werewolf is none other than Draco Malfoy. But he's no ordinary werewolf and his attack has left them connected to one another in an unbearable way.

I See You by art_emissss - T, one-shot - The familiar thrill of the hunt only began to seep into her blood, and her skin itched with anticipation. Or: the one where Hermione miscalculates and gets something out of it.

there's always a straight way to the point by B_LovedHunter - T, one-shot - Hermione becomes an Animagus just in time for the start of her 8th year. Surprise. She's a cat. While roaming Hogwarts, she comes across a very distressed Draco Malfoy. Against her better judgement, she decides to comfort him. It turns out Draco is a cat person. **** “Granger came to find me in the library today.” She stopped purring. He kept stroking her absently. “She said she forgives me. I don’t know how or why, but she does,” He sighed deeply. “I believe her. Maybe you’ll meet her one day. She has a lot of wild hair and she’s a swotty, annoying sort–” WELL. “But she’s good. She’s good, and brilliant. Pretty too. She’s always been all of that, even when she had rather large teeth.” Well. “Don’t worry, love. Not as pretty as you.”

An Abysmal Riptide by Bana_Bhuidseach - M, WIP - To catch a siren one must set sail on a moonless night at the peak of the storm, to capture a siren one must risk meeting death by the relentless sea and its razor sharp rocks, to capture a siren sometimes it means losing ones mind and life in the process and the captain of the ¨Sea Dragon¨is about to find out what that means when he encounters her, the sweetest thing on this side of hell.

When Stars Align by art_emissss, thatblondebitvh - E, WIP - The one where Draco Malfoy fucks around and finds out.

Waiting For The Bite by rapunzerelli, Sophiesstreet - E, one-shot - Members of notoriously rivaled species, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have only two things in common: a mutual hatred and a soulmate bond they unfortunately share. But when their lives are threatened by lingering followers of Voldemort and their bond forces them to protect each other, they find themselves thanking fate instead of blaming it.

For a Good Time by ymer - E, one-shot - Draco Malfoy finds a mysterious spell that starts as a dream before turning into a nightmare.

By These Fearful Places by ohthedrarry - M, 2 chapters - In his youth, Draco Malfoy had been little more than the disgraced son of an executed Senator. Hunger forced him to teach himself to hunt and risk his mortal life in woods ruled by the gods. Artemis took pity on the young boy and sent a woodland nymph to save him from a mountain lion who stalked him while he slept. Draco returned to that same forest ten years later, a man whose reputation exceeded that of even Odysseus. Fame and fortune gifted to him by his patron goddess no longer satisfied him. He craved the touch of that nymph who’d saved his life – and would risk everything to take it.

Never Let You Go by cauldronofmenace - M, one-shot - Draco is a vampire. Hermione is his prisoner. She has sexy dreams about him and he's happy to make them a reality.

The Sun and Her Shadow by daydreamstory, Ivmaruva - E, WIP - She travels across barren stretches of an eternal night to find him. He waits for her there, on the dark side of the moon.

Blood Moon by NinaBinaBallerina - E, WIP - Under a blood moon, Lycans hunt the forest for their mates. And Draco Malfoy knew just the witch he wanted to sink his teeth into.

You’re Everything a Big, Bad Wolf Could Want by LaLuneMoonstone - E, 2 chapters - A trip into the forbidden forest under the waxing crescent to get herbs for potions plus a new read cloak lands Hermione in a mate situation. Little red riding hood never had to deal with this, or did she?

The Banshee of Biddeford Pond by atomicbombshell - G, one-shot - no summary

La Appel du Vide by CSIsui - E, one-shot - “Flora has always been the most innocent and, at the same time, the most perverse medium for symbolism all throughout history.” Draco once heard in her lecture. “From Georgia O’Keefe to Shakespeare and ancient history, flora has been the favourite when it comes to cheeky sex symbols.” And she was right

[zzencat]

Hi, I'm here for the free reading! I'm N, taurus sun

For the asks:

1. What does my crush M.S (capricorn, she/her) feels for me?

2. What will happen between us in August?

3. What is her next move regarding me?

Thank you so much

what’s good N, thank you for joining the game! i come bearing gifts, sire, and plenti of guuud news :)

what does ms think of you:

note: a lot of cards were coming out so i think she has a lot to say abt you!

ok let’s go!!! THE LOVERS CAME OUT!!! happy happy news fam! but she also thinks you need to chill sometimes 🤣 no, i mean that literally—you need to chill fr. calm down yk? rest yourself.

she might even think you’re cruel sometimes or maybe you struggle with arrogance issues or have in the past, but all of which i’d just mentioned is what’s holding you back from reaching your highest potential. you could be her ideal lover, which is also good news. she might think that you’re struggling to approach that line of love, and that maybe you’re taking your time and being careful with approaching it. you might also be really quick or impulsive with words or thoughts. maybe you have a lot of ideas that you express quickly. maybe you’re witty and come up with things on the spot. either way, you move quick in the ideas department. you might also be the type to pick fights easily for whatever reason or be some sort of instigator for it. you might be blind to the problems you cause or you dip out when it happens. whatever it is, you could use some work on it.

what’s to expect in august + her next moves:

to be honest? A LOT. cards well hella flying out and it was aggressive too. you guys might…get into some reallllly intimate moments with each other. it seems like you might make a lot of the decisions going forward. you might feel lonely or uncertain at some points, some doubt here and there. you’re gonna have some anxiety for sure, but there’s going to be soooo much going on, a lot of activity on your side. the more masculine energy in this relationship will move forward with HEAT. consider your actions and plan out carefully for august, ok fam? if you get that down, you’ll move with ease. you’ll struggle with moments of indecision, but those moments are for you to think carefully in. you’re gonna need it. time alone to reflect will be crucial to help you calm down from whatever events occurred throughout the day and how you plan on moving forward. it feels strong tho. the choices are pretty much up to you. also, expect a lot of attraction and lust.

ok so… on her part, she’s honestly gonna be chilling, likely not doing as much as you are bc she’s more anxious and fearful. scared of rejection. she might be ghosting sometimes or “in hiding” bc she’s just nervous. she might be focused on the foundation of her material worth or worried about the status of yall’s relationship. she’ll be timid and fearful but will take some shots here and there. it’ll be a struggle tho so she might not even. she might be asking for a lot of help and advice from friends or people who have been in similar situations. she’s going to lead with emotion this month. she likely won’t know how to express things to you moving forward. she’ll have a hard time sharing her ideas and communicating, almost going full shell crab mode. she might even act odd as hell at times and you’ll be confused like “tf is happening?” but it’s just a cope mech. going on so keep an eye out for that.

ok so your advice is to make room for her to come into your life. leave anything negative behind and don’t look back. you’re honestly going to have to do most of the pursuing at this point forward. i should also remind you that you are loved too and you deserve as much love as possible. take it in proudly and appreciatively. make sure to not only have fun in the moment, but to appreciate it as it’s happening. accept whatever love and happiness is coming your way! don’t brush it down and underplay it.

other than that, you basically have this in the bag! you might feel like retreating at times just bc she is, but if you really want this relationship, you have to go full force buddy. you got this! good luck to you N, there’s no stopping now!! 🤩🤩

[possiblylando]

Chainsaw Man 128 'Early' Analysis

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HE'S FINALLY BACK THE GREATEST CHARACTER NEVER SHOWN YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I gotta back up Chapter starts with a pretty fucking funny scene. Continuing off the cliff hanger from the previous chapter Asa and Denji are talking about sex.

Going mostly off facial expression it seems like Asa starts to understand Denji's headspace more when it comes to Sex. It also confirms one of my more obvious observations from last chapter. Denji is using sex as a replacement for intimate feelings when talking about his dream. He wants someone to be close to him. Obviously he still wants to have sex. But he doesn't really have a way to put it into works so this is about as good as we're gonna get for now. Then Asa drops the nuclear fucking warhead.

In one page Denji turned from bitchless to a true incel. It's over millions of devils must die. I really hope that Denji gets a moment later along the lines of "You're wrong, Women love a man with a chainsaw for a head". I haven't forgotten about the chainsaw man fangirls from that chainsaw man thoughts interview. Obviously Denji and Asa get sent to hell because Denji in unable to cope with the through of being an incel.

I do not like these kinds of dishes where it's basically one thing and then it's just all garnish. Also there's a lack of eyes and ears. So what where those for? Denji Flees and we get to see how much he's grown since part 1.

We saw this same technique in use when he first fought falling. His body stays active for at least a few seconds when his head is chopped off so he's able to actually reattach his head or use it as a weapon. It's a really neat evolution of his abilities that totally in line with what he can already do. Cause this isn't something part 1 Denji would be able to so casually pull off. I doubt this has any important but his rip cord appears on the outside of his shirt without it ripping. It isn't like he brought a shirt that had a hole for the cord either because in previous panels it's just blank white. Again probably unimportant.

Denji come on man you're better than this. This is clearly just a joke at least because he's revving up to fight Falling again. Also I'm just now noticing this but Hell looks REALLY difference from the last time we saw it. Remember how it was previously the green field. Now it's just darkness. Is this a subspace within Hell? Did the Hell devil's death at the end of Part 1 result in this? Does the Hell devil control how Hell is? It could just be an unimportant detail but I want some information on it now.

HE'S HERE- actually- How many times has falling been fucking pwnd since her introduction? Twice in 125 1. Gunfire

2. Denji

Once in 126 3. Denji Again

Once in 128 4. Chainfraud Man

HE'S BACK AND HE'S REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YARRRRRGGGGGGGGGG FUCKING INSANE CLUTCH THIS HAS TO BE THE SAME GUY RIGHT? Let me back up. You're more than aware of the Chainfraud Man theory by now but I'll summarize quickly. In chapter 111 we see a shadow of someone who looks like Chainsaw Man kill Yuko.

However 2 pages before this we see that Denji is asleep at the time this took place. Meaning this couldn't have been denji.

And that's all we got for actual appearances. Of course theories ran wild of things like: "Yoshida Octopus Shapeshifting?" "Chainsaw Man Devil?" ect

So backing up to chapter 126. I had previously theorized this to be Yoshida. However it appears that this guy was in fact Chainfraud Man the entire time.

It also means Denji knows who this is. Well if he's smart enough to put two and two together. Which I doubt. Now depending on what happens at the beginning of 127 Chainfraud Man could potentially have one of the best feats so far. More than likely Falling will just regenerate and slam this dude. But if she doesn't then-

Cause he sliced her head in half. If this will actually do anything is yet to be seen. God this panel is so fucking COOL

HE'S SO FUCKING COOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH Ahem Chainfraud Man is more than likely a new character who we haven't seen before. It could potentially be Yoshida but the odds of that are diminishing rapidly. So whoever this guy is really is the greatest. I do wonder if "Evade them until sunrise" is literal or metaphorical. Like will falling's attack cease once the sun literally rises? Or is it a metaphorical one piece sun rise where they have to beat falling for the sun to rise? If it's literal it'll probably be because Falling couldn't get the main dish in time for the "meal". Aka she couldn't meet her deadline. Great Chapter. 10/10