#the bows themselves are actual 'physical' weapons though

[baalzebufo]

here come the boys... 2/3 kurnoth hunters done!

so I changed the weapons and bugs since last time! I decided I really didnt like how the blue came out. so instead I opted to go for the same brass on the weapons but then made the bugs and sprites and such bright green. it looks so much nicer imo and its pretty fluorescent irl which looks super cool :)

[torukmaktoskxawng]

'anla - part four

part one, part two, part three

Summary: The Sully Family is trying to work around their grief and Ao'nung learns that family doesn't always have to be by blood. It can be by choice.

Pairing: Ao'nung/Fem!Na'vi!Sully Reader

Warnings: Mature language, time skips, HEAVY angst, depression, older sibling syndrome, mentions of death, canon typical violence, canon compliance, slow burn, etc.

Word Count: 5k+

Tag: #'anla ao'nung fic

Na'vi Words: nivi - hammock, olo'eyktan - clan leader, tulkun - whale like animal, Sänrr Rong - Glow Tunnel, marui - home, ikran - Mountain Banshee, pa'li - direhorse, Iknimaya - Rite of Passage, kuru - queue braid, tsahik - spiritual leader, kalweyaveng - son of a bitch

posted on ao3

Taglist (red indicates "could not tag"): @bangtanxberm @aonungmyaddiction @lv9su @aisselasstuff @yourusername1 @amortencjja @king-julian6201 @gg-trini @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @mikeyswifie @heart-an0n

A/N: 200 followers?! When did that happen? Thank you so much for the support of this series and for all the requests! Here's the next part of the series in celebration! 🍾 ✨️ 🎉

Going through the motions.

That's what Y/n ended up doing since the day her twin brother was murdered by the Sky People. She would wake up and not feel as though she was actually awake. Mostly it still felt like some sort of bad dream and she somehow couldn't open her eyes. She moved around and did everything she was supposed to, but mostly it was like she was on autopilot.

Losing Neteyam took a toll on everyone in her family along with the people around them. At the funeral, they all had a role and took part in letting his body go, even Spider, who had been rescued from the Sky People in the chaos of losing Neteyam. Y/n didn't even realize Spider was living among them again until the next day after she had passed out from screaming and crying to her dead brother. He and Kiri were sitting beside her nivi and the human boy even offered her water for her aching throat.

After that, Y/n couldn't remember much, she just let her body lead her. As mentioned before, she was just going through the motions. Everyone around her could agree that she was just a walking shell, eating when she needed to, sleeping when she had to, and doing her chores, and other daily duties around the village. Her expression had become stone, even during her brother's funeral. It was as though she didn't have any more tears left to shed and her chest felt hollow.

The Sully family mourned for a week and even longer once Jake got reassurances from both Tonowari and Ronal. To everyone's eyes, the Sullys were Metkayina now and they were being allowed to stay forever, as part of the People. The Sully kids wanted to feel proud, but instead, it felt bitter and more like guilt. To Y/n, her acceptance into this new clan didn't mean anything. Not anymore. It didn't make her feel anything other than that empty hole in her chest. Physically, there wasn't a hole, but mentally, up in Y/n's head, she had a hole in her chest that was bleeding out and it was the same size as the bullet hole left in her twin.

It took a while, but eventually, the Sully kids reverted to something resembling normal. Yes, they were still grieving, but now they moved around, helped out in the village, and went back into the water. Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuk have found themselves playing again, and this time, they're showing Spider around and dragging him everywhere, despite the stares and whispers.

Y/n goes with her siblings everywhere, but she doesn't play or explore. Instead, she keeps watch. She had definitely unsettled many of the Metkayina, walking behind her group of siblings, carrying a bow and arrows in both of her arms, scaring people away with just one glance. She brought her weapons everywhere now, never being seen without them. She couldn't afford not to have them again. It was hard for anyone to believe that she was just fifteen years old, with the way she held herself and hovered over her family members, her yellow eyes watching them like a hawk. While they played in the water, the Sully kids could rely on their big sister to watch over them. She was always near, sitting on some rocks, high above her siblings so that she could see everything that comes within a hundred feet of them. Her brother and sisters could always rely on her to be a constant presence, even if she didn't appear to be all in her right mind.

There was also an unexpected constant presence beside Y/n when she was like this, and that presence was Ao'nung. Whenever he could, the reef boy would be beside the former Omatikaya girl. Y/n was so used to being Neteyam's shadow, she never realized that she had one of her own. Ao'nung refused to leave her alone, ever, especially if he knows that she wanted to be left to her thoughts. He wasn't sure what was going on in her head, but something dark and terrifying in his gut told them that whatever demons she had, she shouldn't be left alone with. So, he remained steady and strong, like a cliff against a mighty storm. Unmoveable and calm, Ao'nung became Y/n's silent shadow wherever she went.

It wasn't much of a challenge, especially since Y/n barely goes anywhere. She follows her siblings around during the day and that was it, otherwise, she was with the entire village for communal meals and then with her family to sleep for the night. The meals and slumber were the only things Ao'nung had to part himself from Y/n, but otherwise, he remained stuck to her hip, whether she wanted him to or not. Their routine was simple and nearly everyone in the village knew it. It wouldn't be difficult to locate the two young Na'vi even if they were sought after. Ao'nung would sit beside Y/n every afternoon, on the rock where she kept watch over her siblings as they played in the water. The reef boy never complained about never being able to join in on the fun. Other people did plenty of that for him, however. The boys that had bullied Kiri, the ones Ao'nung had dropped, thought they would be doing him a favor by antagonizing Y/n when they swam by on their ilu one day, ready to go for a hunt. Wanting Ao'nung to come with them, they jokingly asked Y/n if they could borrow her shadow for the afternoon, promising to bring him back in one piece. When that didn't draw the reaction they wanted out of her, the jerks tried other methods such as manipulation, telling her that she didn't need Ao'nung and that he was his own person and doesn't need to be bored all day long for her sake.

Ao'nung snapped, the waves crashing against the rock cliff and breaking it down. He shouted at his former friends and told them some very unsavory things about their mothers and, if he were olo'eyktan, how he would punish them for their dishonorable behavior. For now, that appeared to scare those assholes away, but Ao'nung was certain they would go crying to their mothers, who would then proceed to tell his mother. That night, Ao'nung had prepared himself to go home and receive the brewing storm that was Ronal, who expectedly lectured him about how a chief's son properly acts.

It was worth it in his eyes if the way Neytiri looked at him had anything to say about it. The Sully mother was intimidating, to be sure, but when she looked at Ao'nung, he wasn't entirely frightened. She stared at him as if she was calculating, observing, anything but trying to find ways to kill him in his sleep. Tsireya was unable to sleep one night and told her brother how horrifying it was to watch Neytiri slip into some kind of wild animal the day Neteyam died, and at first, Ao'nung couldn't believe it. But he knew she was a protective mother, who would kill for her kids, just from the way she looked at people. Even Ao'nung's father knows better than to look Neytiri te Suli née te Tskaha Mo'at'ite in the eyes.

So Ao'nung continues to sit with Y/n and to fill in the silence, he would tell her about his day or relay a story he once heard or experienced. He wanted to tell her more stories about his Spirit Brother but decided against it. A part of him knew that if he talked about the tulkun, Y/n would be reminded of Payakan, and then she would remember the tragic day when her family lost her brother. He doesn't ask her if this would upset her, but somehow he knew it would. He doesn't really ask her much of anything. It's not like he's assuming what she'll think, it's more like he somehow knows it already. Somehow, he knows her.

He never outright asks her if she's alright or if she needs someone to talk to. Ao'nung wasn't like that. He wasn't his sister who is open and unashamed. He had his own way of asking those questions.

"Do you wanna go to Sänrr Rong?"

At the end of each of his stories or daily briefs, he always asked her the same question. It was his way of asking her if she wanted to get away so she could freely talk about whatever she wanted. He was offering a way out and somehow, she knew it but didn't ever take him up on his offer. Every time he asked her the same question, she gives him the same answer, "No."

"Okay," was always his reply.

~~~~~~~~~

The only time Y/n wasn't looking after her siblings was when she left her siblings to her parents for the evening. After dinner, the Sullys would return home and settle down for the night, and when they returned home, Y/n would grab her bow and leave for a few hours to find time to herself. It wasn't like Jake and Neytiri asked her to watch Lo'ak and the girls, but Y/n did so willingly, without complaint, and would only leave her siblings alone if one or both parents were around to keep them safe.

Neytiri understood that as a teenager, Y/n needed to have time to herself, but not at such a late hour and away from the village, "Y/n, please stay with us. Stay with Mama."

It felt like a constant battle every time Y/n moved to leave the marui but every time, the girl remained victorious and always escaped into the night. Through their grief, Jake and Neytiri lost the will to fight her and granted their eldest daughter more freedom than before. They knew she was grieving in her own way and they needed to let her do so, but as parents who had just lost a child, sometimes it was hard to let them out of their sight.

Y/n needed to be alone. She needed to have her space. She could only listen to her mother tearfully sing Neteyam's songcord for so long. Technically, it was Y/n's song, too. The twins had shared at least the first three beads on their respective cords, signifying the first three milestones of their lives. The first verse and chorus of their songs were the same, only branching out in their separate, unique melodies after the first communion with Eywa. Listening to Neytiri sing the same song that was meant for both Y/n and Neteyam would drive the young girl up the wall, both in anger and sadness, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her mother that. She didn't want to stop her mother's way of grieving for the sake of being comfortable.

Y/n would look away and speak in the smallest voice, "... I can't."

She would leave for a few hours but always came home when she knew her family had settled down to sleep, doing this on purpose so they wouldn't talk to her. Neytiri always stayed awake, however, and therefore Jake stayed awake. To avoid waking their other children, however, they don't lecture Y/n when she got home. They always flashed her disappointed or pitying looks, but otherwise, let her find her own hammock and go to sleep.

Neytiri had tried to be her daughter's shoulder, lending her ear along with her gentle voice, "I was around your age when I lost my sister."

And Jake had tried to be his daughter's rock, placing a firm, comforting hand on the top of her head for reassurance, "And I lost my brother. We know how you feel, sweetheart. We're here when you're ready to talk."

She would only shake her head, "There's nothing to talk about."

~~~~~~~~~

Lo'ak feels guilt and regret for a lot of things. He regrets dragging his siblings into rescuing Payakan when it should have just been him. He regrets forcing Neteyam to help save Spider when he could've done it alone. He regrets not going back for his sisters when he had the chance to do so. He regrets freezing, in shock, and unable to move while his sisters were scared and tied up on the ship. He regrets letting Neteyam take the gun from him... maybe if he had kept it, they would've shot him instead...

Maybe Y/n wouldn't hate him so much then. His big sister barely spoke to anyone, least of all him. Lo'ak can barely get Y/n to look at him much less say a few words. With Kiri and Tuk, it's a little different. The three sisters all seem to communicate without ever vocalizing to one another, a form of communication that Lo'ak greatly resented. It only made him feel more alone, the only brother left... Well, except for Spider. The human boy is older than Lo'ak but doesn't act like it, the complete opposite of Neteyam in that aspect, along with physicality. Lo'ak appreciated Spider in many ways and does see him as a brother, but not an older brother. Not someone he could look up to.

Which is why he couldn't stand Y/n hating him any longer. One night, after she slipped away to be alone with her bow in hand, Lo'ak pleaded with his parents to let him go after her. He never vocally asked, instead using those big eyes and droopy ears to his advantage. Jake only looked away while Neytiri gave in, softly telling her last remaining son, "Go bring back your sister."

He ran after her, being sure to let her know he was following her with loud footsteps so as not to scare her. After all, he's seen her archery skills before. He knows his sister doesn't miss. Y/n didn't appear bothered by her little brother tagging along, the two running through the forest together until they came across the rookery in which their family's ikran had found their homes. It was a clearing of trees with a waterfall leading up to small cliffs of rock and bits of floating boulders. They weren't mountains and it wasn't as impressive as the rookery back home, but it did its purpose to housing the banshees. Y/n strung her bow over her shoulder and climbed up with Lo'ak close behind. They climbed to the very top of the waterfall where they were greeted by the ikran.

Y/n moved to greet Evi, trailing her hand down the strong neck of her dear friend as Lo'ak climbed over the ledge. For a moment, the siblings remain quiet as Lo'ak greets his ikran, a pissy beast who has been feeling neglected as of late. While Lo'ak provides him with treats to make up for it, the words come tumbling out of his mouth.

"Please don't be mad at me anymore."

Y/n's head tilts, curious, before turning to face her brother. Lo'ak couldn't bring himself to look back at her as she finally spoke to him, "Why would I be mad at you?"

He winced at the sound of her voice. It was different. After she had screamed her lungs out that fateful day, she hadn't spoken very much since. Either it was still the same voice and Lo'ak just hadn't heard it in a while, or it had changed, making the guilt continue to eat him from the inside out. His hands shook whilst he stared down at them, his blurring vision reminding him of the blood he had been forced to scrub off once upon a time, "Because it was my fault. My... fault..."

Y/n's ears drop, her tail lowering in distress. Her heart clenched painfully as she took a step toward her brother, "No. No, Lo'ak--"

"He's dead because of me." He blurted out.

"That's not true--"

"And I never got to... I should've said..."

She finally reached Lo'ak and pulled him by the shoulder, forcing him to turn and stand directly in front of her. Both of Y/n's hands squeeze his shoulders comfortably, gently whispering to him as if they were sharing a secret, "Tell me."

The tears were beginning to fall, and Lo'ak didn't have the strength to stop them, "The last thing I told him before everything went to shit... I said that Payakan was my brother and he needed my help. I told my own brother to his face that someone else mattered more to me than him! That he wasn't my brother--"

Y/n's face was not free of tears this time, her heart breaking all over but not just for Neteyam. Her heart broke for Lo'ak, too, her baby brother who thinks he screws up everything he touches and blames himself for everything that's happened to their family. Y/n reached up for that stray braid Lo'ak keeps free from his hair band, running her thumb over one of the beads Tuk had gifted him as she spoke, "You didn't mean it, Lo'ak. I know it, and 'Teyam did, too."

His entire body shook, and eventually, she coached him into leaning into her for support. It was by no means a hug. Lately, Lo'ak had been acting too grown up for that sort of thing, but Y/n will take whatever she can get. He leans his forehead on her shoulder and cries, shaking like a newborn pa'li while her arms envelop him, despite how he kept his arms to his sides.

They weren't out of the woods yet. Their family still had a long way to go before they feel as though they will survive this pain. But at least it was a start.

~~~~~~~~~

After realizing that her silence was making her siblings believe she hated them, Y/n tries to do better after her talk with Lo'ak. Speaking normally would be difficult for her and for the majority of the time it was uncomfortable, but she was eventually starting to work herself up to feeling somewhat normal again, starting with her sarcasm.

Slowly, day by day, her sarcasm returned, and she even made a sarcastic comment that got Spider to laugh. Ao'nung was there as well, wanting to feel at least relieved that Y/n was slowly coming back, but something stopped him from doing so. It was the way Spider laughed that made his skin prick uncomfortably. He didn't like the sky demon boy, that was clear to see. Even though Tsireya and even his parents warmed up to Spider, Ao'nung was not an easy feat. He had taken a while to accept Na'vi and demon hybrids, so trying to accept an actual Sky Person would be even more difficult, maybe even impossible as Ao'nung watched how Y/n and Spider would interact.

Anger often flared up in his chest whenever he saw the two together. Spider was always beaming a bright smile up at Y/n behind his strange little glass bubble of air, talking adamantly to her even when she wasn't in a talking mood. What bothered Ao'nung, even more, was the fact that Y/n didn't seem to mind Spider's presence. In fact, she gladly welcomed it. What was once red flaring up in Ao'nung's eyes was now green with envy, and the green wasn't a good look on him. His hands began to twitch whenever Spider was in the vicinity, or whenever the human was around Y/n. Ao'nung needed to do something with his hands, and unfortunately, when he finally lashed out, it was a mess.

Y/n came running to the sound of yelps and grunts of pain, someone snarling and hissing along with the familiar sound of fists being thrown. It was like being sent back in time, watching Lo'ak and Ao'nung fight in the sand. The forest girl easily broke the fight up and looked around with annoyance in her eyes while staring down at her brother and her friend.

"What's going on?"

"Ao'nung hit Spider!" Lo'ak spat out.

She took a moment to find Spider's gaze, the teenaged human looking a little frightened but otherwise unharmed. He was clutching his mask tightly around his face, however, so Y/n put the puzzle pieces together to realize what had happened. She examines Spider and his mask first, poking around at the oxygen tank attached to it before turning to the reef boy responsible, "Ao'nung?"

Ao'nung was sporting another bruise on his face along with blood on his lips. His ears darkened a shade, but otherwise stood his ground as he mumbled, "He said he knows what's best for you."

"What?" Lo'ak hissed, scandalized, "Bro, he didn't say that!"

Y/n held a hand out to Lo'ak and he quieted down. When her eyes found Spider, he knew that it was his turn to explain, "I only said I've known you a long time, Y/n, I swear."

She nods and turns back to the Metkayina, "Ao'nung. Did he really say that word for word?"

Ao'nung wished he could remember exactly what had been said before the fight, but it was all a blur. His memory was easily blinded by rage, and he could only remember bits and pieces of his conversation with Lo'ak as they fished on the shore before Spider had shown up. All the same, he realized that what he thought had happened wasn't exactly true, regardless of what he remembered, "... No."

Her expression was blank, a stone wall that has become her natural reaction to everything now, "So you assumed."

"... Yes."

She nods, side-eyeing the reef boy with a look of disappointment. It was cold and impassive, much like how she used to look at him before they became friends, and that honestly terrified him. She tilted her chin back in the direction of the village, "Ao'nung. Go cool off. And for the time being, leave me and my brothers alone."

Brothers. One word and Ao'nung quickly realized how blind he had been, how foolish he looked. As Lo'ak and Spider left, he watched the way Y/n gently held the back of Spider's head when the human teenager walked past her. It was like a splash of cold water ran down Ao'nung's back, the ghost of Neteyam's memory following Y/n's simple movements and love language toward her siblings, alien and Na'vi alike. She spared one last glance at Ao'nung before she, too, walked away. Ao'nung growled to himself, wishing he had something else to hit to release that foolish energy. Of course, Spider was her brother. It was foolish of Ao'nung to assume otherwise after everything the Sully children had been through. Tsireya had been the one to tell her brother about Spider even when he didn't want to know. She told him how Spider grew up alongside the Sully kids, how they used to play together all the time and learned how to hunt together as they got older. Even though Spider wasn't able to ride an ikran or finish his Iknimaya without the means of contacting Eywa with a kuru, his fellow Na'vi friends still treated him like one of their own and included him in everything, against their mother's wishes. Ao'nung heard about the events that happened on the demon ship, how Neteyam saved Tsireya, Tuk, and Lo'ak, but stayed behind with his brother to save Spider. It was clear to everyone how much Spider meant to the Sullys, enough to risk their own lives for him, which is why everyone except Ao'nung got the message to leave him alone.

He went home and it didn't take long before word spread -yet again- and Jake Sully informed Ao'nung's parents about what happened. The olo'eyktan and tsahik were furious with their son, lecturing him about his behavior and why what he did was wrong, "Toruk Makto recognizes the demon boy as his own. The Sully family has adopted him as their son and brother. Despite your differences, you must learn to respect him as you should respect the Sullys."

They make him go apologize, but they didn't have to. Ao'nung wasn't going to fight them to defend his wrongdoings. He accepted his punishment and went to find Spider the next morning after everyone had time to cool off. Spider was happily climbing the atoll walls leading out to the open ocean while Lo'ak, Y/n, and some of the older reef kids went hunting. As Ao'nung's punishment, he wasn't allowed to hunt for a few weeks, so he was able to catch the human boy alone without anyone around, which is how Ao'nung preferred to apologize in his walk of shame.

Ao'nung settled into a crouching position beside Spider after the human teen took a break, sitting on the very top of the sea wall. Ao'nung couldn't afford to look at him as he apologized, "Sorry I hit you."

Spider only shrugged, leaning his weight on both hands bracing him from behind, "All good, man."

Ao'nung whipped his head up in the sky demon's direction, confused as he reiterated, "It's not all good. Y/n is still mad at me."

Which was true. Y/n was openly avoiding Ao'nung at dinner the night before and that morning. Once upon a time, Ao'nung was her shadow, but today, she refused to accept one. Spider shifted uncomfortably, staring down at his swinging feet that dangled off the edge of the wall, "Yeah, well... She's mad at you because she was picturing what could've happened. I mean, technically you could've killed me if you hit my mask just right."

Ao'nung's spine stiffens, "What?"

"My mask? Ya know, the thing that helps me breathe?" Spider stares at Ao'nung curiously while tapping the glass of his exo pack. When Ao'nung only stares back with a conflicted expression, he explains his question, "Sky People can't breathe this air without help. That's what these are for."

It was like a splash of cold water was running down his back as Ao'nung berates himself under his breath, "Kalweyaveng. I didn't know. You and Y/n must think I'm some sort of monster--"

"You didn't know, cuz. As for Y/n, she likely realizes that, too. You just scared her is all. She's scared of losing another big brother."

Ao'nung couldn't help the smirk on his face as he peered back over to the other boy, "Big?"

"Shut up. Not what I meant." The boy rolled his eyes, "I'm still older."

That was news to Ao'nung, and the thought of Neteyam sobered him up, "I didn't know."

"That's fair," it's not like it was obvious, given the size difference and separate species. Spider has been misinterpreted as the youngest of the group for a while. It doesn't help that Little Tuk is catching up to him at just seven years old. He tries not to let it bother him, but he could see why Ao'nung felt like shit messing around with him if all he saw was a demon baby, "It was a mistake and Y/n knows that. She just needs to cool off a bit."

Ao'nung tries not to feel hopeful at Spider's words, so he tries not to talk about it and ask questions. It's what his sister would do, and he was trying to be friendly, "So what happens if your mask breaks?"

"I have friends in the Omatikaya clan who might fly out here soon to give me spares."

"Do you plan on staying then?"

"Yeah..." Spider's sudden nonchalant attitude melted into nerves, cautiously watching the reef boy out of the corner of his eye, "That okay?"

"Yeah." Ao'nung doesn't think before answering, but he doesn't regret it and it feels as though a calm wave is blanketed over him, extinguishing whatever ugly emotions he held toward the human boy before, "I think so."

Spider grinned, "Cool."

~~~~~~~~~

Kiri offered to bring Y/n and Tuk with her when Tsireya and Ronal invited her for tsahik training. Kiri was obviously missing that part of her life and was excited to go, therefore Tuk was excited, too. Y/n... not so much, but not that she would show it. She just smiled and told her sisters to have fun. The girls left around the same Lo'ak went out hunting with Ao'nung and Rotxo. With her parents also out of the hut for their daily routines, that left Y/n with Spider, and the two of them decide to stay indoors and weave a few baskets. Spider also wanted to add a couple of beads to his songcord, so Y/n helped him out with it. They worked in silence and Y/n took note of the beads Spider was adding to the cord. She had a feeling what they signified but didn't have the heart to ask. Likely, they were to represent the loss of Neteyam and Spider's adoption into the family.

The thought made her throat swell and she was forced to cough in her arm. Y/n had yet to add to her songcord since her brother's death. She had plenty of other moments of her life she could add, like joining the Metkayina clan, but she knew, eventually, she'd have to add a bead for Neteyam and a bead for Spider. She already had some options picked out, like a bead she had taken from Neteyam's braid before his funeral. As for Spider, she was juggling between finding a shell or a rock in the area where the battle with the Sky People took place as a way of his returning to the family.

While her storming thoughts were brewing, Spider had a few thoughts of his own that he wanted to openly share, "You don't have to avoid your friend for my sake, ya know."

Her eyebrows scrunch as she bore a pouting frown when she peered up at him from her work on his songcord, "Your sake?"

"I don't think he meant any harm."

"Harm? I don't think you would be saying this if you knew how he treated Kiri when we first got here."

Spider paused, squinting his eyes in confusion, "But... doesn't Kiri like him? I thought she told me he's actually nice."

"Perhaps that was Kiri just being nice," Y/n rolled her eyes.

"He seems nice to Tuk."

"That's different. It's Tuk."

"Aside from when Ao'nung hit me, he and Lo'ak get along."

"Just because he's nice to us doesn't mean he can go around and be cruel to you."

"He was being protective of you, Y/n. In his eyes, I'm just an alien who thinks they know you but not really."

"He hit you."

Spider shrugged, albeit a little bashful, "Yeah, but I'm okay."

Y/n didn't think any of this was 'okay' and it frustrated her to think Spider didn't feel the same. He always brushed things off like they didn't matter-- like he didn't matter. Kiri was always bothered by it and Y/n wished she had stood up for Spider the way her sister did their whole lives. Y/n wanted to blame herself, but a resenting part of her knew the blame was her mother's. Neytiri had always been so cold toward the human boy, even when he was so young and innocent. And yet, he never said a bad thing about her and always respected her wishes. Even if he only did so to make sure he could continue to hang out with the kids, he still respected her far more than she respected him.

Y/n loved, respected, and even admired her mother, but sometimes, the child doesn't wish to be like their parent. Y/n reached over and grasped Spider's shoulder, "What if he broke your mask? What would have happened then? You don't have a spare, Spider. You could've died."

"But I'm okay. See? I'm fine."

"But what if--"

"No more 'what ifs.' It didn't happen, Y/n," he reached out and grabbed her shoulder as well, smiling softly, "So just leave it be. Ao'nung didn't know better, and he clearly feels terrible for what he did. If you're worried that you'll offend me if you forgive him, don't be."

Y/n looked away, still appearing unsure of his words, so Spider continued, "Did he tell you he apologized?"

She peered up, eyes wide as she subtly shook her head. Spider huffed a small laugh, "I guess he wouldn't have been able to, seeing as you've been avoiding him."

Her ears droop in shame, looking back down at her fingers while they fuss with Spider's songcord. Spider settled back down beside her to help, but realistically he's never been good at the crafting part of jewelry, "He feels guilty and even called himself a monster. I said I forgave him, but he still feels ashamed because you're still mad at him. He actually seems like a pretty cool dude and he really respects you. Just give him a chance?"

~~~~~~~~~

It was like earning the trust of a stray cat. Jake personally hasn't seen one in a while, but watching the way Ao'nung tried gaining his daughter's trust again, he was reminded of stray cats back on Earth. Jake faintly remembers an old lady who used to live across the street from his shitty apartment. She would leave out food for the strays and over time, would gain their trust and they would let her pet them or take them into her home.

Watching this was no different. The Sully family was interacting at the communal meal that night, among the villagers. Jake and Neytiri stayed close along with Tuk, the young girl was tired and slowly falling asleep in her mother's arms after playing all day. Jake had kept a tally of where each of his teenagers was currently at, and thankfully he didn't have to look very far for each of them. For the most part, they had stayed close together. Lo'ak, Spider, and Kiri have huddled around with Tsireya and Rotxo, laughing and occasionally tossing food at one another, using their own plates made from tree bark as shields from the onslaught. Y/n was sitting next to the group of teens but was far enough away so she wasn't involved in the food fight. She silently sat alone, picking at her food. Jake didn't miss the way she'd politely wave someone away if they tried sitting next to her. She was purposely keeping that spot open and her father didn't know for who until he had spotted Ao'nung out of the corner of his eye.

The chief's son definitely looked forlorn, keeping to himself with his plate full to the brim of food in hand. Ao'nung was keeping an eye on Y/n the whole time he slowly made his way around crowds to reach her. He would pause every time she looked his way, wait as she analyzed him, then continue slowly approaching her when she looked down at her food. She clearly knew where he was at all times and Ao'nung was intentionally letting her know, like he was afraid of spooking her. Eventually, he was close enough to be standing over her as she ate but Y/n made no sign of acknowledging him, despite the fact she knew he was there when Jake watched her tail gently thump against Ao'nung's leg. The boy clearly took that as a good sign and slowly sat down in the empty spot Y/n had left open for him. He crossed his legs, being sure not to touch and to give her some space. There was a beat of silence between them, both teens looking in opposite directions of each other before Ao'nung subtly slid his plate of food closer to Y/n.

An offering was made, and Y/n clocked the food with her eyes before she slowly glance back to Ao'nung. To Jake's amazement, he watched the way her lips slowly curled into a timid, shy smile, as if testing some boundary. Ao'nung gladly smiled back, and the two teens began to melt and fall into a small conversation as they ate together, sharing food and catching up like old friends.

Jake couldn't help but feel somewhat troubled by this, tapping his wife's elbow to get her attention, "I thought we would have to worry about that boy mistreating the kids."

Neytiri followed his gaze and watched Ao'nung and Y/n for a moment before returning her eyes to Jake, confused, "Yes?"

"Now I think we're gonna have to worry about him being too nice to Y/n."

A/N: So now that I'm writing more chapters than I originally thought (that's a good thing 'cause I have so many ideas for this series) I have made an 'anla series masterlist!

Neytiri's eyes widen at the dawning realization before smiling brightly, a look her mate had not seen in quite some time as she fondly cooed at him, "Oh, Ma Jake."

Thanks again for 200 followers! Part 5 is already in the works and I'll release the date soon 💖

[idyllic-affections]

i love “a winter nights lazzo” that you just posted!!! now all i’m thinking about is childe being kind and caring towards the kid the second they get to liyue. and the kid immediately figures out where his money is going when he gets them nice weapons/meals and gets them quality clothes suitable for liyue (and potentially other regions if they wish to go).

summary. a general expansion on what childe's relationship with pantalone's kid is like.

trigger & content warnings. mentions of childe (accidentially) injuring reader.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. fluff, found family-ish. childe & pantalone's child!reader. 0.3k words. they/them pronouns for reader. prev | next

author's thoughts. REAL!!!! i don't usually write for childe, since i'm still working on getting his personality right, but these are just some of the thoughts i've had about him and pantalone's child.

among the harbingers, it is a well known fact that childe absolutely spoils [name] (as if their own father doesn't do that enough...). he is the closest in age to them and tends to view them as if they were another sibling of his, so it's no wonder that he's so... doting.

i like to think childe is an impulse spender tbh, especially when they arrive in liyue. he pays close attention to the little things they mention. he listens and remembers. if they express interest in something, he'll absolutely get it for them, even though they are capable of paying for themselves.

he def gets them cool weapons idc!!! should he be giving a 16 year old this really dangerous sword? no, probably not, but it's fine!!!!! he spars with them on a regular basis anyways!!! he knows what they can and can't handle!!!!!!! actually, childe was forbidden from sparring with them after he accidentially hurt them one time. he got his pay cut in half that month as a consequence... now arlecchino is the only one allowed to physically train them, but still!! childe does pay attention to their physical state. he swears he knows what they can and can't handle.

(childe also encourages them to take on weapons they aren't good with. i personally think they have a weak upper body, so things like claymores, bows... yeah. they refuse to work with claymores, but admit that knowing how to use a bow might be useful. childe isn't allowed to teach them, but he is thrilled nonetheless.)

he totally does get them really high quality clothes made only from the finest silk flowers. of course, he also gets them clothes that have good functionality. they can't really say they mind this, because... i mean. they are a debt collector. they need clothes with good functionality.

he's also rather fascinated by their ability to use pyro without a vision. he knows someone else like that... he doesn't dare compare them to the traveler, though; childe knows that they'd be pissed if he so much as implied that they're anything like the vile one responsible for their mother figure's death.

overall he's just a pretty kind, doting brother figure that treats [name] like a normal-ish kid, and honestly?

i think they'd appreciate that a lot.

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot!

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Katroome

CR 1

Chaotic Neutral Small Magical Beast

Module: Gallows of Madness, pg. 62

These massive, colorful caterpillars spend their entire lives as such, seemingly never pupating into anything no matter how much (or what) they eat. They don't seem to particularly mind, though, and in fact revel in their adorably pudgy form with alarmingly human eyes, seeing it as a perfect state of being for their life's mission: Being the imperious guards of the forest.

Katroome, for whatever reason, ALL believe themselves to be powerful authorities in the natural world. They are not kings or monarchs (since they never pupate into butterflies, you see), but they have the same opinion of themselves an influential captain of the guard or perhaps a particularly combative mayor would hold: they are a figure worth listening to and obeying, one which protects and defends its small slice of a greater kingdom ruled by powerful nature spirits and Fey. Such beings are the only creatures a Katroome bows to, all others are expected to bow to the pudgy bug instead. The book doesn't really explain how actual, powerful forest guardians see these pompous and confident creatures, but their noted extreme rarity has some unfortunate implications.

Do not view their confidence as fully suicidal, though; Katroome aren't particularly wise (11 Wis), but they ARE smarter than the average human (14 Int) and thus smart enough to know they're squishy-squishy and delicious to a good 90% of life on the planet. Much like a guard captain in a town that hasn't seen real conflict or danger for several years, Katroome investigate any potential malfeasance in their territory with the utmost of caution, and if there IS danger present, they take pains to remain hidden from it and hinder it from afar... all while rallying other guards or getting into contact with higher authorities as needed. They have no DR, no resistances or immunities, and no special defensive abilities, relying entirely on their 20ft climb speed, Small size, and +14 to Stealth to keep out of sight of anything that might be particularly hostile, their 1/day Invisibility acting as an emergency escape option if they're under threat of physical harm.

Katroome being pursued by a hostile force will typically lead that force into areas where it's strung up its web traps and its sticky sheets, slowing attackers down if not neutralizing them entirely and leaving them helpless to other forest guardians. They can also spit their webs from afar up to eight times a day, and though their webbing isn't particularly strong (with a whopping 2 hitpoints), it can at least stick many creatures in place for a round or two. These webs also allow the Katroome to glue weapons or items to the ground or snatch them away, and cocoon troublesome invaders inside their tents or sleeping bags as they rest, both pranks the caterpillars are noted to do.

When webs are too overt, Katroome can use Command 3/day or Suggestion 1/day to sow chaos among a party of invaders, disarming them or causing them to split up... but they're just as likely to use these spells for casual mischief and greed. It is only fitting, of course, that a noble guardian like the Katroome be gifted that expensive-looking hat your Wizard is wearing, you see. Katroome lairs are often decorated with minor magic items they've managed to pilfer from passers-by, either as 'payment' for 'allowing' the creatures passage, or because the Katroome simply stole it with its webbing or its convincing magic.

A caster which particularly impresses or befriends a Katroome may earn the questionable blessing of the creature's trust and a vow of assistance, the big bugs allowing themselves to leave their forested environs to join the quest of a party as Familiars... of course, in this particular relationship, the caterpillars tend to believe it's the casters which are their Familiars, a delusion their new bond is encouraged not to challenge if they wish to keep the bugs on their side. Who knows, perhaps the bond of a Katroome is worth something when going to speak to powerful Fey...?

You can read more about them here.

[ooeygooeyghoul]

Dear lizard person enthusiast, what are your thoughts on the different tail types? For a while now I’ve head canon-ed that the ones with spikes on the end can swing them around like some kind of weapon

Hello, hi yes! Tis me, THE enjoyer of FFXIV's giant lizars!

I do actually have a few thoughts on Au Ri tails! I do so very enjoy their anatomy and thinking about specific behaviors they may have.

Speaking about in-game speculation, I don't think Au Ri have much use for their tails other than perhaps body language and maybe some balance assistance. They just seem too short to use as practical weapons even at the longest setting. That's not to say they can't attack or defend themselves with them at all, though! I don't doubt that, in a pinch, an Au Ra might use their tail as a last resort. Especially since it seems like Xaela in particular engage in a lot of hand to hand combat (from a few npcs I've seen).

The ones with the thinner, spikey tails I think could use them like an iguana does. Not like a mace or a club, but more like a sharp whip. Those ridges can slice you up pretty good!!

The thicker, meatier tails could probably be used the same way, but would be more like how an alligator thwacks you if you try to sneak up on it from behind. Wouldn't cut through the skin, but it'd definitely leave a pretty sizeable bruise.

Behaviorally, I like to believe Au Ri tails are primarily used as mood indicators. Not really like a dog, but more like... well... lizards. Specifically, when an Au Ra is angry, stressed, or spooked, I like to think their tails would be doing the angry gecko wag. Bowing the head forward to point their horns at the enemy, hunched over ready to strike, tail slowly waving behind them- makes for a pretty intimidating threat display!

I HC that Au Ra do a lot of posturing and intimidation (cough cough I.E. Magnai cough) towards each other before doing any kind of fight or physical confrontation. Maybe bigger, spikier tails give the advantage, lol.

Maybe some of the thinner tails have loose scales that rattle? Maybe the thicker tails have plates that "puff" out when angry to look bigger? The possibilities are endless!

Anyway, that's my ramble in lizar tails for now! I'll probably talk about them again at some point, teehee.

[dingodad]

As for Equius's aspirations, are ruffianihalators the troll word for executioners or do we know anything else about their roles? And what about archeradicators? We see The Executioner with a bow so perhaps archeradicators are executioners or at least can be? What positions would cerulean bloods hold?

the name ruffiannihilator and the fact that Equius' intro says he would be good at that and terrible at archeradicating point to it being a role that specialises in physical roughhousing and not delicate weapons. so no, not formal executioners, though they probably execute lots of aliens with their bare hands as part of the army the condesce uses to subjugate alien worlds. these distinguished military roles should be thought of as separate to practical jobs in civil service, like being an executor or a legislacerator.

as per page 20 of act 5, Troll Will Smith is "a green threshecutioner cadet who sasses up the bluebloods in his flaysquad pretty good." so the specialisations in the condesce's army are mixed, and not representative of ranks in a hierarchy. while archeradication is a noble art, there will be boss archeradicators and underling archeradicators just like in any other occupation.

it's possible to imagine that through immense difficulty and effort a troll might be able to earn enough experience and renown to command trolls of higher social standing than themselves, but it should be kept in mind that the Grand Highblood has authority over Dualscar because the land dwellers are in charge of their own affairs and the rivalry between land and sea is actually codified into their social structure.

less clearcut answer to this one but i would say it's a bit of both. despite being evidently mixed most of the military roles have a clear lean toward one caste (clowns for laughsassins, trolls who can commune with animals for cavalreapers and so on) so it would make sense that the pattern continue with the gamblignants, and the bluebloods being a "Thief class" would fit some of Caliborn's worldbuilding sensibilities. on the other hand i see gamblignants as a kind of independent culture divorced from the mainstream Alternian hierarchy, and it doesn't REALLY make sense for the hemospectrum to have one singular rigidly defined "criminal caste" so I expect the gamblignants as a people would have consisted of a broad variety of expatriates from the empire even if they were possibly cobalt-dominated in some way. and pirates any higher than cobalt are definitely gonna be some kind of rarity

[lu3ky777]

Tell us about the Elfonomics and Orconomics of the kingdom, please?

Elves are more sophisticated people, more democratic, and live a long time. They live for up to 500 years and their bodies tend to always look “elegant” with shiny hair and blemishless skin. Elves live as children for about 50 years and most carry the young minds ability to absorb information and change biases. The biggest elf tribes live in forests, in treetop societies. They also are constantly improving and advancing technologies like agriculture, architecture, magic, and weapons. They domesticated animals and their treetop villages were complicated and advanced allowing for great protection and for resources were able to move quickly amount the forest. Magic made this easier and with the advancements in magic and physical weaponry, their forests were like fortresses. Strategic positioning, bows, magic tomes, and camouflage meant they were able to fight invading armies of around 15X their army. Although elves were not very susceptible to sexual impulses, both biologically and socially. Elves aren't as perfect as they want you to believe they are. After all, logical thinking and longer lives don't make people any less greedy or prideful. The hierarchy of elves allow the “wisest” to rule through voting, an oligarchy where most fights were fought in arguments in debates where not the convincing gain power instead of actual intelligence. Elves once held an impregnable fortress but through their own vanity and greed became divided, with many elves choosing to leave their Forrest in order to see life differently. Their Forrest was filled with many tribes that lived with each other peacefully (or at least didn't fight each other basically ever) while all advancing certain aspects to prove that their tribe was the best.

Orcs on the other hand were their opposite, they were driven by emotion and instinct. Orcs' bodies were made to fight, survive, and repopulate. The average Orc was 6’1 by age 10, 6’9 by 20 and just kept getting better and stronger as they aged and fought. Orc babies were comparable to feral animals, violent and strong but they tended to listen to loud voices and orders. Orcs stopped maturing by the age of 10 as their minds and brains grow quickly to help them become stronger and more powerful. Orcs live in harsh areas with huge creatures or monsters, that or they pillage and occupy villages to feed themselves. Despite their massive strength and muscles they do struggle from not focusing on advancing technologies, very few orcs knew how to make axes most just using clubs or heavy objects. They also lacked armor and didn't have many medicines to cure diseases or infections though their bodies were highly resistant to most diseases. Contrary to many popular beliefs but Orc men and women all fight together and are considered equals, strength and power is what mattered to them more. They were all also very endowed, with huge cocks as well as breasts and asses on the female side. Orcs had a lot of libido and often got into orgies as “competitions” and fucked like crazy as Orcs wanted to create as many offspring as possible, this was offset by orcs generally pretty short lifespan. This was mostly because they died in battle or sickness, but orcs that lived longest tended to become “orc chiefs” or the bosses of their tribe. There were a few different types of Orc societies, mostly dependent on their advancements. Orcs that still used clubs and rocks tended to have the oldest act as leaders and bosses who gave order and had complete control, squishing those who challenged their power or being replaced by them. Orcs that had advanced to have weapons or sometimes armor were different, they were usually military controlled where the best battlers commanded respect but also had to manage a complex society with resources like food, weapons, and sex. The thing that held most Orc colonies back was their inability to develop at young ages and learn, but if they were taught skills like craftsmanship or iron melding they would become insanely powerful. An army of orcs with weapons and armor was one of the scariest things to imagine, a threat like that had once existed and multiple countries allied to stop the threat and even outnumbering them 10 to one barely survived. Only winning through clever tactics and long ranged weaponry and magic provided by elves. Currently the “Harlon” tribe is currently thought to be the strongest Orc tribe, they had many stolen weapons and the chief had a huge set of armor. They occupied and stole from local villages while dominating most of the “dead world” the most dangerous place on the map, huge monsters and animals lived there and as such the orcs feasted on them.

These two tribes are opposites in most ways, but combined they would be terrifying and near unstoppable. Orc strength and numbers combined with Elven magic and advancements would make either unstoppable. These two tribes however don't really mix, elves prefer not to fight and instead advance themselves while the Orcs need to keep taking and taking to satisfy themselves. In fact many elves have tried to leave and join Orc camps understanding this fact.. most were either enslaved or used, unable to handle the hard training and fighting that the orcs forced members of the tribe to do, or simply were betrayed or never were able to reason with them. So elven laws forbade Elves from joining orc tribes. So luckily for everyone the two sides would never be able to cooperate with each other and would stay separated preventing it from happening… Right?

[truearchangel]

𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂

Angel  | Photokinesis | Healing | Telekinesis Astral Projection | Force-field Generation | Powers as a Guardian Angel

For all the gold that Michael wears, his magic is actually blue with specks of gold dust woven into it. The color of it is reflected in his wings too which are pure white with a blue shimmer to them. Though his halo is pure gold. As stated previously, Michael is the strongest Archangel in the clouds, second to God himself as his right hand, and the only angel to ever beat Lucifer and Satan both. This makes his power level rather incredible, though it is far from bottomless. Like all angels he has the same weakness to Angelic Steel or direct hits to his soul that pierce and shatter it. Though someone will be hard pressed to do either.

Michael’s greatest ability is of course his swordplay. Though he can use standard sword fighting with a longsword and a shield, he prefers fencing. He has training in other areas such as the bow, close hand combat and magical combat, he’ll always default to the sword first. He has the title the Sword of God for a reason.

Like all angels, Michael’s magic is rooted in his angelic status. His magic is pure and holy which makes it quite deadly for most sinners / demonic souls to interact with. The light he can produce from his soul with barely an effort is blinding and burning, damaging to everyone and everything around him that isn’t also holy in nature. The burning nature of their magic is a reflection of the literal star that was used to create them. A light that is overly powerful and unsafe for even the angel themselves to use in such a raw way. For that reason, Michael won’t use the full force of that power unless it comes down to a matter of life and death on his part.

Like with Lucifer, the main power that Michael was born with was the ability to create. They were meant to help God form the universe, Heaven, the Garden of Eden, and of course the humans. Lucifer was always better at that, at making the things that God actually wanted and forming the way his visions were meant to align. Michael had a horrible habit of overthinking every little thing he created and making it either too much or too little. Together, the two of them were always stronger. Combining their magic allowed them to make grander and more world shifting things. A closed circuit unifying itself. Alone, he never felt like quite enough when using the magic and after Lucifer fell he just never bothered using it again. It hurt far too much.

With that part of his magic locked away, Michael relied more heavily on his other abilities. As a being of pure light, he can manipulate the light around him. Twist it into solid form, make it brighter or even absorb it entirely. The ability to use it as a physical weapon or a shield is perhaps the most impressive aspect of what he can do with it and Michael will take full advantage of this in a fight where he doesn’t have a weapon. Something rare considering he can summon his sword on demand.

As with other angels, Michael can heal people too. The severity of the wound will depend on how much energy it does take to heal it. If someone is quite literally dancing with the Angel of Death, he’ll struggle a lot more to save them. If the wounds are only shallow or a few scratches, healing them takes next to nothing to accomplish. Holy wounds are quite easy for him to cure as well, considering he can just absorb the holy light in them and then patch the wound shut with his own magic. Healing a sinner or demon with holy magic might not be ideal. Considering the base nature of his magic, doing that might cause more damage than actually cure. Basic first aid is a skill he also has, and would be what he relies on first when healing a demonic being.

The ability to teleport is another skill Michael has. Either with a portal or just standard magic, he can move to any places he wishes to. He doesn’t have to have been there before, his magic won’t take him somewhere that is unsafe and a portal can’t open itself in the middle of a wall. If the place he wants to go is unsafe, his magic will move him to the closest location that is safe for him to be in.

As a being that is capable of manipulating its form, Michael can shapeshift though not to the same degrees as his twin. He can’t change his entire physical form, though with practice he might be able to accomplish that. He never enjoyed the feeling of changing his body so it wasn’t a skill he focused on developing much of. He can make minor changes to his appearance, like giving himself ears and a tail or hiding his wings and halo. Little things that help with survival depending on the area he is in. Like taking a strictly human appearance on Earth.

His standing in Heaven is significant. Michael is the person closest to God, who serves directly at his side and does whatever He needs. This comes with a burden to shoulder, heavy titles that earned through his devotion and struggles to continue to uphold to the level he believes the Heavenly Father wants. The power that he has, that he tries not to take advantage of, comes with the understanding that everything he can do has to be used to benefit Heaven. (That's what it’s for, isn’t it?) He doesn’t believe the things he can do, the power he has, strictly belongs to him. Every bit of him he sees as something God created and God granted to him, and therefore should be used in service of the Heavenly Order. Though he will still always reject requests that are for him to use his creation magic. It will never feel the same to use it without Lucifer beside him.

[jennycalendar]

9, 10, 20 - dealer's choice for which OC :D

thank you endlessly :’) i have so many girls im gonna mix it up.

9) How does your OC handle their physical health? Do they take care of themselves?

thea probably has a regular and rigorous workout routine and sometimes the girls will try to follow along and almost accidentally kill themselves because thea is insane. ros and norie go running together on the rooftops sometimes (idk how this started. possibly some sort of misguided bonding attempt when ros first moved to the bakery and was trying to go Hello Fellow Child, You Like High Places? and then somehow it escalated). mari is a soft and squishy wizard who kind of hates exercising but she darts round the bakery like a rabbit and sometimes that’s a workout, ngl.

evie’s whole life is a workout. actually give that girl a break for real.

10) How does your OC handle their mental health? Do they take care of themselves?

almost no girl of mine has a good answer to this so i kind of have to answer for all of them bc i needed to really think about it.

marigold is fine :) she’s fine all the time she’s fine :) she’s never not been fine and if you ask her how she’s doing the answer is always fine because she’s fine. TOTALLY unrelated: has anyone in the room ever thought about how that building across the street should be burned down? For no reason she kind of feels like maybe burning down a building is a great idea. Just saying (handling mari’s mental health usually involves trying to minimize the body count thru outside intervention)

evie has a mind that is swiss cheese and tumbleweeds and it is never really going to function normally, so “mental health” to her is kind of a foreign concept. she needs a certain degree of guidance just to get through her daily life, usually. that said, of all the girls on this list, she’s the one most likely to actually try self care if you explain it to her, but that’s not really saying a lot bc if you ask evie nicely to jump off a cliff there’s a non zero chance she’d do that too. so.

roslin has Older Sister Issues so she never talks about her feelings because she’s trying to take care of everybody else’s, BUT if pressed even gently by her mom she will completely fall apart without hesitation. so usually when she’s having a rough time she will just go awkwardly silently lurk by thea until thea will ask her if she’s okay and she’ll go (tearing up) no mumma i am Not. and then launch into a really long monologue about it.

lenora is literally always in a state of being pissed off about SOMETHING and it takes very little to get her started about whatever it is that’s upsetting her but ONLY if it’s roslin she can complain to!!! with thea there will just be one of those awkward “alone with dad on a fishing trip” silences while they both debate killing themselves rather than actually discussing their emotions (like mother like daughter). so her mental health moment is getting roslin to do her nails while she complains without drawing breath.

when thea is having an off day she goes and she beats up some random criminal and then she shows up in jaheira’s house and stays until jaheira comes home and comes up with some insane reason to pick an extremely unserious fight until a very irritated jaheira (who has experienced this like 20 times) is like BE NORMAL and kicks her out. i would not call this “handling her mental health” by any means but it is for sure what she does.

sofie goes to mommy :’) and then mommy scoops her up and they usually make cookies together or something. baby girl.

20) If they fight, what's their weapon of choice?

norie fights with a morningstar that she named spider’s bite :’) specifically because “spider” is her childhood nickname, courtesy of thea, and norie is at her core a sentimental fool 💖

thea fights with a hammer! blunt brutal terrifying just like her.

evie fights with a bow and arrow. she sort of forgets she has it a lot though sometimes and will occasionally just tackle people or start swinging fists.

[twistedisciple]

Fódlan Skill Analysis

Sword

Lance

Axe ⇊

Bow

Brawling ➝ Budding Talent

Reason ⇈

Faith ⇈

Authority

Heavy Armor ⇊

Riding

Flying

Griss is, first and foremost, minmaxed to be a magic nuke. His magic growth is the highest in the game (tied with Anna), but unlike Citrinne who has a similar role, he can can take a few hits, especially if those hits happen to be magic (in which case they might actually do nothing to him... that 50% res growth is second only to Hortensia and Pandreo). However, all of his other stats are either average or below, and unlike the others in the Four Hounds who swap between magic and physical weapons, Griss solely uses magic. This seems to imply that he's good at one thing and one thing only: spellcasting.

However, I'd like to look at this in the context of Fódlan's system.

BOONS

Reason: Spells are cast from tomes in Elyos without any sort of visible sigils, unlike Fódlan's spells, yet Engage also does make an effort to include sigils for spells while characters are engaged with Emblem Celica and Emblem Micaiah. While I don't intend to go into the inner workings of Elyos magic in this post and would prefer to leave that to an open discussion with other Elyos muses, the tentative idea that I've been holding onto is that Elyos magic relies on incantation. The tomes themselves seem to only have words on their pages, too. For this reason, I think Griss might have some trouble with the transition to the more mathematics-based Fódlan magic and greatly prefer the use of traditional tomes if he can get his hands on them. However, he can still manage to get by with his immense natural affinity with magic, and the elements almost appear to bend to his will with or without a sigil to focus them.

Wind magic is his preference. Drawing some inspiration from an old HC I wrote about Jugdral magic and incantations, this would partially be because the incantations for Wind spells are shorter. Griss has subpar dexterity and speed, which I interpret to represent character traits like a lack of attention to detail and an overall lax demeanor. He doesn't have the patience to memorize large strings of incantations for one spell, so the shorter and snappier the better. Additionally, he has a below average base build and an abysmal build growth, so heavy books aren't for him either. Despite his bulkier stats, we never actually see him use thunder magic in-game, so I can rationalize this as a desire to be able to get out of the way of an enemy attack if he needs to. To try not to get doubled every time, that is. Holding a heavy thunder tome might get him killed, and contrary to his behavior, dying a pointless death isn't on his wishlist.

Fire magic is his secondary choice. It's a well-rounded, safe pick for more devastating magic than what wind is capable of. He has some experience with thunder magic, but no experience with ice and whatever Sagittae is supposed to be. Dark magic is also out of the question, as that's a fell dragon-only talent.

Griss has been honing his magic from a young age. It was likely necessary for members of the fell church to prove their strength as soon as possible, although I headcanon that magic was something of a last resort for him. He wasn't good at anything else he tried, and really wasn't good at magic at first either solely because of the amount of rote memorization and focus it required. Once he got the hang of it though, he intuited his way through the rest. Magic for him is half feeling, which explains his incredibly strong but imprecise spellcasting.

Faith: While this encompasses both offensive and defensive white magic in Fódlan, this is solely the ability to use a staff in Elyos. Fódlan's version also uses sigils to cast, but its grounding in literal faith makes Griss feel much more at home with it than with Reason magic. Healing magic is second nature to him, and I've written previously about followers of the fell dragon learning first aid as a necessity for their violent lifestyle. Griss prefers this to status effects, although I headcanon that he has an impressive ability to deconstruct and figure out what a staff does simply by looking at its engravings. Paired with his fearlessness, this means he'd be the first to pick up a foreign staff and wave it around until something happened. Although most of the time he grasps its effect within the first or second try.

BANES

Axes: They are simply too heavy for him to get any satisfaction out of using. He can probably swing one once and then struggle to lift it again. Not to mention he'd probably never hit his target. Where's the fun in that? He knows his physical limits.

Heavy Armor: Similar to axes but with the addition that he'd rather dodge a fatal blow and wind up with a nice-looking gash than be completely impervious to damage. He wants to get hit, if his opponent has the skill to hit him. Armor would make for a boring fight.

BUDDING TALENT

Brawling: Excluding the DLC Enchanter class, Gauntlets/Arts are the secondary abilities of magic-only classes in Engage. Griss wouldn't have a hard time changing to the High Priest class, which already uses Tomes and Staves like his default Sage class, and I believe that the reason he wasn't designed as a High Priest despite his religious affiliation is because he isn't leading anyone. He's a pariah even among those of the fell church, and most of his character hinges on being a follower rather than a leader.

Nevertheless, the up-close-and-personal style that comes with using gauntlets would suit him. More ways to turn someone into a bloody pulp, and more ways for him to get busted up too. It's a win-win. Gauntlets are also used more in a boxing/brawling style in Fódlan than the martial arts style of fists in Elyos. Not to mention that they're light enough for him to handle, are easy to hit with (making up for his dexterity), and get two hits on initiation (making up for his speed). Surprisingly, Griss has an average strength growth on par with other physical units like Bunet and Goldmary (compare this to the 5% strength growth of Pandreo and Framme, 2 of the cast's 4 natural Arts users), so he'd actually be able to do some damage with his punches.

All Other Classes

Sword: Similar to gauntlets, swords are generally light enough that Griss could probably take advantage of them without much of a penalty. Daggers would be even better. However, using a sword properly usually relies on stances, and daggers require precision, and Griss would get bored of both.

Lance: Requiring form and also being a bit more unwieldy to handle than a sword wouldn't make the polearm a first choice.

Bow: Its inability to attack at close range makes this an unappealing option.

Authority: He can step up and lead a small group if he has to, but doesn't handle the leadership position well outside of what would essentially be middle management. He'll lead a battalion if he's acting on orders from a higher authority, but long-term planning and organization isn't his thing.

Riding/Flying: He could probably handle a horse or a pegasus if taught to ride, but prefers the freedom of moving on foot. Would probably be a bit too erratic and scare everyone around him, especially if he's in the air. Absolutely 0 sense of personal safety.

[thoselethalarts]

𝓚𝓪𝔃𝓾𝓸 𝓖𝓾𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓸 - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

(SSR) Birthday Suit Up (Part 2): “Happy Birthday!”

(Savanaclaw Dorm: Birthday Venue)

“Is there a particular meaning behind your face paint?”

Kazuo: Oh-! Uhh, well… kiiiinda? I mean, there’s multiple reasons I wear it, I guess. Kazuo: It’s called “eye black”. It’s a kind of makeup that a lot of sports players wear. You might see baseball and football players wear it sometimes. Kazuo: Baseball players wear it to reduce glare when they’re playing on the field. It’s like a tiny pair of sunglasses that are right beneath your eyes, rather than actually over your eyes themselves. Kazuo: Some baseball players wear actual sunglasses, but sometimes it lowers your ability to see out of your peripherals, so they don’t usually wear them. Eye black is a substitution for that. Kazuo: As for me, well… I don’t have any prescription sunglasses. All I have are my regular pair that I wear every day. Kazuo: It gets so bright out here in the morning, so I started wearing eye black every day to try and keep the sun out of my eyes. It’s uh, practical! That’s about it, really.

“You seem to really like baseball.”

Kazuo: Haha! I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite thing in the world, but I used to be on the baseball team in high sc- …er, I mean, at my last school. Kazuo: My dad wanted me to be physically active all through my childhood, and pushed me into different sports left and right to see what would click. Kazuo: I tried soccer, karate, and basketball at one point too, but baseball was where it really clicked for me. Kazuo: Well… truthfully, I kinda got into baseball for another reason too.

“What would that be?”

Kazuo: So… this is probably gonna sound dorky, but it’s because of a video game. A couple of them, in fact. Kazuo: There’s this game I really like, called Team Fortress 2, and my favorite character in that game uses a baseball equipment as weapons. Kazuo: I used to cosplay him at one point in time, and kinda got interested in baseball because of him too. Kazuo: And there’s one other game I like, it’s called OFF, the main character in THAT game is also based on a baseball player! Kazuo: I dunno why baseball-themed characters keep manifesting into my life, but I ended up getting into baseball because of them~

“Is that the reason your magical pen is attached to a baseball bat, too?”

Kazuo: Kind of? Well, there’s a story behind that. Kazuo: When I first came to Night Raven, I was really struggling to figure out how to use a magical pen. Kazuo: It’s like a wand, right? So I tried flicking it around and pointing it like a wand, but I couldn’t get any spells to come out the way I wanted them to. Kazuo: Leona took me aside one day and said, “You’re wasting your time swinging it around like that. You need to use your magical pen how it feels most comfortable to you.” Kazuo: I thought it was a riddle at first. I couldn’t figure out what “most comfortable to me” meant. But then I started looking around and realized everyone used their pen a lot differently. Kazuo: Leona and Jack hold their pen while throwing out spells with their body, Rook uses magic like he’s firing it from a bow… so I tried swinging my pen like a baseball bat. Kazuo: It felt so awkward without the extra weight of the bat actually there at the end... so I got the idea of taking off the gem and putting it on a baseball bat instead. Kazuo: I asked the headmaster about it, and he gave me the okay to use one of the old bats they had in storage on campus! I still have the pen though, since I need to use it for class.

/ To Be Continued…

[comicgoblinwrites]

Hi! For the weapons ask game:

Bow - How does one reach their heart?

Mace - What is their most intriguing quirk?

Darts - What goal is always in mind?

Shield - What do they wish to protect the most?

^ whichever character(s) you think give the best answer for each

For Marcel Bow - How does one reach their heart?

Marcel’s a tough nut to crack, to be honest. I don’t know if SHE knows how to let someone reach her heart. But— It’s the little things: listening to her info dump about magic and science and her research; paying attention to what she needs, even if she doesn’t ask (or doesn’t realize herself what she needs); someone asking her before involving themselves with her; making her tea, or snacks. She’s pretty introverted, and spend a lot of time alone, and is usually caught off guard when someone pays enough attention (because she actively avoids attention) to know those sorts of things about her.

Mace - What is their most intriguing quirk?

Hooboy, I haven’t actually thought about this much. I’m still getting to know Marcel. Okay… so one that I know at this point is that Marcie has a very erratic sleeping schedule—as in it doesn’t really exist. She just… sleeps when she physically can’t keep going any longer, and even then has a hard time actually falling asleep. I might circle back to this when I have a more solid answer for Marcel.

For Maeve Darts - What goal is always in mind?

To belong. She (consciously or unconsciously) always has the goal to fit somewhere, to have a purpose. Maeve has a lot of things going on that make it so she DOESN’T fit in (1. she’s a Bastard, in a country where that matters for some reason; 2. she and her mother are originally from the totalitarian empire that’s slowly taking over the known galaxy, though the two of them left when Maeve was wee; 3. she’s an Elemental Mage, and Elemency is basically illegal at this point in the Empire, so she’s been hiding that since she was pretty young). But all that, and people’s responses to it, and her own feelings about her heritage and her magic make it hard to feel like she really has a place anywhere, so she’s always striving to find purpose and not jeopardize the relationships she has, and the places she feels like she fits.

Shield - What do they wish to protect the most?

Marcel. Always Marcel. To her own detriment, honestly. She’s been Marcel’s assigned knight since she was like, eleven, and (re: above) she’s kind of wrapped her whole sense of purpose and belonging into that. She would absolutely die to protect Marcel, no question’s asked.

[chaosarchivesandordervault]

Aether 'Fuli' Celestia

True Form

Younger Form

Name: Aether Celestia Title: Fuli Race: Primordial Being Gender: Male Sexuality: Straight Age: Guess Height: Depends on his form. Weapon of choice: Sword, bow, scythe

The older of the twins of Existence and Non-Existence. Formed from the darkness of space and the light of the stars. Well at least their physical forms were. Unlike Lumine, Aether is aware of how long they've been around. But he thinks its rather pointless without a physical body to actually 'live' things out. So he agrees with his younger sisters suggestion that their true birth was when they gained a physical form.

Aether unlike Lumine is very social, easy to get along with once you get to know him but his family still takes priority so originally he at best didn't want anyone trying to take his twin away from him. He got better about this thanks to events in Teyvat. Gaining more bonds and thus the entire Abyss Order is under his protection, except again his twin, even he has trouble dealing with her.

Aether used to be friends with Dainsleif while in Teyvat but they eventually parted ways as enemies. Except funny thing, he ironically found one particular common ground, run, run if Lumine spots them. Everything he's done, everything Dain hid, Lumine has no more patience for either of them. Thus he ironically calls a truce whenever Lumine is nearby because they 'have' to escape. He'll be fine but Dain certainly won't be.

Though before all that the twins decided to do a little experiment after encountering the Imaginary Tree. One particular branch had 'Aeons' the embodiment and origin of each individual path. So the two wanted to see if they could learn something new by becoming Aeons themselves. He became Fuli and succeeded. Gaining a new power to preserve and manifest memories, even turn others into beings made up of memories, the Memokeepers. Its a useful ability he used to give Caribert a more permanent form rather than only being able to stick around till the loom of fate was complete. His twin on the other hand became IX, the Aeon of Nihility. Which unfortunately reinforced how his younger sister acted because she failed to learn anything new.

Aether is very serious about his goals. Willing to use how his power is beyond the laws of Teyvat to try and handle some matters stealthily before they become a problem or openly because they're currently a problem but his twins presence means he has to escape every time. The one exception is Fontaine. That entire nation is an insult to the Heavenly Principles and Aether loves that fact. So he spares it from being targeted especially because his twin gets really protective of Fontaine and who was playing the role of Archon.

That aside his basic personality is he likes reading, likes animals, dislikes others tempering with memories and is not afraid to use someone as a shield to keep his twin from stabbing him.

His original home is the Chaosverse but he doesn't really drop by there as much as Lumine would. He likes hanging out in a particular branch of the Imaginary Tree, observing how all of existence will play out.

[astaldis]

No. 7 Radio Silence

@whumptober-archive

Fandom: The Witcher TV (Season 3)

Whumpee: Cahir

Words: 29,782 Chapters: 11/11

Chapter 11 of Friends:

Then Cahir is alone. Well, not really alone. There are more than a score elves in the camp now with new arrivals joining every day. Soon, they will form commandos and start attacking convoys again. Although he has become an expert at raiding caravans over the last couple of months, with his bad hand and shoulder he will not be able to help them, at least not yet. Fringilla would be furious if he tried. However, staying idle and living at the Scoia'taels' expense without contributing is not how Cahir wishes to spend the next two or three weeks. He would soon die of sheer boredom. Luckily, there are a few things he is good at besides fighting. Fishing for one. He knows how to knock up a fishing rod from virtually nothing to catch trout and crayfish with it, even the occasional pike. It is perhaps the single one activity he enjoys despite it requiring a considerable amount of patience. While living in the woods after Emhyr had kicked him out of the palace, going fishing was - aside from hunting - what he spent most of his time with whenever there was no convoy to attack. And then, there were the mushrooms. He has become quite good at telling the edible from the poisonous ones, another useful survival skill in a forest. Fringilla cannot be opposed to him venturing out into the woods to collect fungi, can she? Like fishing, it is neither particularly strenuous nor dangerous. He can still take it easy as ordered, and it will keep him busy. And out of the elves' hair. They might prefer having the camp to themselves most of the time and not share it with a hated Dh'oine.

So, Cahir spends most of his time by the river or searching for summer oyster mushrooms, different kinds of early boletes and other fungi when he is not resting or sleeping. The days pass. The weather is unusually warm and dry for the north. Nothing much happens. It is not the worst way of life. Actually, it could be quite enjoyable if he did not miss Fringilla so much. Especially when he is having his usual nightmares, but not only then. The hut feels awfully empty without her. It would be nice to have somebody to talk to once in a while, too. Cahir is not the chatty type and used to being on his own. Still, having a friend to share his thoughts with, even his fears and sorrows, felt good. Now this friend is hundreds of kilometres away on a dangerous quest while the elves - understandably - want as little to do with him as possible. Besides the occasional furtive glance, a curt nod and a grunt when he brings his catch of the day, it is as if he did not exist. A mere ghost tolerated at their table, nothing more. They are not openly hostile, though, and he manages. Slowly, he is getting better, too. Physical activities are a lot less exhausting and, after some days, Cahir can move his injured shoulder without it causing him much pain. The cut on his left palm has left an ugly scar, but it seems his middle finger is gaining back both its sensitivity and motility. The other two fingers not so much. Well, three functional fingers are always better than two, even though it will not be enough to shoot a bow, not if he wants the arrow to hit the mark. If he had a sword, Cahir would start to exercise a bit, however, he does not. His blade is, most probably, rusting away in the grass on the cliffs of Thanedd Island. He cannot ask the Scoia'tael for a sword, either, they hardly have sufficient weapons for themselves. They would not want to waste one on him.

More than two weeks go by like this and Cahir grows increasingly restless. There has not been any news from Nilfgaard. Fringilla promised to come back for him or at least contact him somehow, and Francesca would not leave the Scoia'tael in the dark about what is going on either, would she? Mages always find a way to communicate if they wish to do so. Even if his friend cannot portal all the way across the continent just to ask how he is doing, he should have heard from her by now. Is he perhaps too impatient again? But what if Fringilla's plan was thwarted, if they were found out? What if Emhyr had the two sorceresses arrested? Or, even worse, executed? The thought that something might have happened to Fringilla is too horrible. She cannot, must not be dead. Is it possible that she has forgotten about him again? No, Fringilla would not do that, would she? But why is there no message, no anything? The uncertainty is hard to bear, and with every passing day it is growing harder.

Read the complete story on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49262185

[avisarts]

Thesu Bellatora

Excerpt from the RP I made her in: Thesu Bellatora - “Thesu” is the Hebrew word for “hesitate.” She may be referred to as Thess as a nickname. (•ω•) I don’t know her personality yet, I have an idea (as you can see, based on the name) but I’ll explore her personality as we RP. As for physical features, she is rather small even for her race - 4’11’’. Also she is pretty young but like old enough to sorta function... Think like. 18. Ran away, was previously working at home and learning martial arts and how to handle the spear. She’s not an expert or anything so she isn’t very good.  

I'm so sorry the second drawing is so bad it's just a concept sketch for what this race of birds actually look like. The feathers fade into a bare chest/stomach. There is no reason for this besides that I just don't know how to make this look good. Do note the A- cup titties because they're birds.... why would they need boobies... but I felt like I should have put something there anyway Idk.

Some notes I made on her race of people, also within the rp:

Bellatora Race/Culture: NOTE – it is both race and culture because there are many other Bellatorian cultures which aren’t like what I’m describing but since I don’t know what those cultures are like, I will be talking about the Bellatorians as if all of them are like this. So, as an example, there could be a culture of these Bird-People-Things where they have personalities like parrots and have a lot of colours (and they probably wouldn’t call themselves “Bellatorians” but something else that makes more sense). Bird-Person is the “race,” Bellatora is the “country,” but I’ll talk about them as they’re one and the same entity.  

Bellatora is a word that comes the Latin, “warrior.” Bellatorian’s use spears, bows, or any long-range weapon as their means of fight. They also tend to be reserved and “intense” in their personalities and countenance. They value “country” bonds over family bonds, though the newer generation has had a rebellious attitude towards the older generation for enforcing cold relationships within families. (basically they’re like modern Japan kek ((I can say this as someone with a Japanese mother no worri))). Physical characteristic are they are like anthropomorphic birds, with bird like legs that travel up to a human-like torso, which then “dissolves” into a bird head. They have regular seeming hands but those hands do have talons. They have wings (and I do want to draw the anatomy for this) that are connected to the scapula, with a wingspan of 2ft per 1ft of height. BIG wings. They tend to be extremely short as a result of this (with 6ft being EXTREMELY tall for a Bellatorian) and their bones are not hollow but are less dense than human bones. As for religion and other things, the Bellatorians value physical fighting in martial arts as well as their shrines. They worship multiple gods, usually gods affecting the wind, clouds, weather, sun, etc. In terms of art, Bellatorians of both genders like “anklets” (Ik anklets are an actual thing but I wanna find a different term for them lol) because it is difficult for an anklet to fall off during flight. Painting or dying their feathers is looked down upon, unless for a religious ritual. ((yea Ik I’ve not been a big part of the story but I still like to explain things so here we are. (•ω•`)  

[sluttyskullowner]

Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles OC ! <3

BASIC INFO Name: Alex Ushijima Nickname(s): Ushi, Alex, Hamilton Code Name: Cupid Species: Homosapien Ethnicity: Japanese-American Gender: Female Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Pan-Sexual Occupation: High School Student PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: Height: 5’’4 (162.56 cm) Weight: 117 Lbs Body Type: Hourglass (??) Eye Color: Dark brown Eye Shape: Hooded Lip Color: Light Pink Lip Shape: Heart Lip Shape Hair Style, Color and Texture (Optional): Long and Straight, Blonde and silky smooth. Any scars, Tattoos, Jewelry, Glasses or other accessories: Black framed glasses, Gold stud earrings PERSONALITY INFO: Personality Type: ENFP-T Personality explained: Alex is an very dramatic and powerful person, Alex is very usually rather quiet by herself but bubbly and social around others sort of like a balance, Alex is also very passionate about her talents, interests and things along those lines, though Alex can be childish at times and like childish things, Alex is very mature as a person and is considered smart in some situations and not in others. POWER INFO: Weapon of choice: Bow and Arrow Magical ability(To do with weapon): Much like her code name and weapon of choice suggests, She uses bows in arrows to trick people, mutants or anything she wants to do her every command, almost like a minion or a zombie, of course she is careful with her power but she can get a little wobbly with her magic if she doesn’t actually want what she's asking for. BACKSTORY INFO: Much like April O'Neil, She was a normal high school student until she ran into the Ninja Turtles or Mad Dogz at a Pizza place, She paid for them when Mikey forgot his wallet at the lair, Mikey invited Alex to hang out with The Mad Dogz and especially Mikey and Alex have close friends ever since, along April O’Neil, Of course she still attends high school under a dream to come a well known writer, actress and/ or musician. Childhood wise.. She grew up with a single mother who was forced to move to NYC for a better future but after a year or two of living there (Around the time Alex was 2-4) having no avail of getting the ‘American Dream’ they were promised, Though once Alex’s mother got a better promotion as her job as a Police Officer, They got more money and were able to support themselves.