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clanborn · 5 months

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Origins of the Bay Clans: Stone and the Lynx (Part 2)

The tracks led inland, further than the cats of Stone’s little clan had yet dared to travel. She followed the river upstream, skirting the thrashing current as it threw itself against the banks. The forest grew denser, the hemlocks thicker, the sharp peaks of the mountains taller, casting the valley in deep shadow. All was silent but the river, and the sound of strange, buzzing bird calls that rang eerily through the trees. Though her heart trembled, Stone trekked on, her pawsteps guided by purpose and the tracks that still sat unmistakable in the mud.

Stone had never followed a river to its origin, had never even thought of it as a possibility. Water–rivers, oceans, rains–lived outside the boundaries of a lifespan, within birth and death. Rivers weren’t something that just began, or ended, they simply cycled–at least, that’s what she had believed.

After hours spent unceasingly hiking through the valley, Stone emerged from the edge of the treeline. The pebbled ground spread flat in front of her, before abruptly spiking upward to form the range of mountains. Two peaks pierced the sky, and nestled between them was a landform unlike anything Stone had ever seen. The river rushed forward from the base of a giant white slope, a crystalline mass carved deep with blue crevices.

The wall shone like a piece of the moon itself, bleeding into the valley, its essence spilling into the forest before winding its way to the Bay. As Stone drew closer, she realized with a shock that the structure was made of ice, frozen solid despite the warmth of late spring.

She halted at the river’s edge, looking upon the structure in wonder. Was the moon made of ice? Had a shard of it fallen from the heavens upon the mountains? What else could create a fortress so massive, so imposing yet nurturing, whose icy waters fed the land and the bay?

These questions swam through her mind, but she tossed them to the side with a flick of her ears. For now, the answers were unknowable, and she must remain focused on her task.

She shook out her pelt and continued her path: the ground now had turned to gravel, and she tracked by scent instead of footprints. The slope turned steep, then rocky, a gray mountain face broken only by patches of unmelted snow and determined shrubs. Below her, the mass of ice gleamed, stretching out beyond the peaks like a blinding white sea.

As she continued along the mountainside, she noticed an opening in the cliff face, a dark entrance where the ice field met the mountain. She quickened her pace until she reached the cave entrance, standing on the barrier of darkness. Here, the scent she was tracking hung in the air, strong as ever, leading her into the blackness. She slipped into the cave without a second thought

Inside was a large cave, and she quickly crossed the open stretch of ground to the back, where a darker shadow lay. A tunnel.

Curiosity drove her forward, driving away any fear she might have felt. Down into the tunnel she tread, deeper and deeper into the veins of the mountain. For ages she was guided by scent alone, and the narrow tunnel walls pressing on all sides. An eternity of darkness.

Finally, Stone saw light, a blue glow that softly spilled into the end of the tunnel. Her footsteps quickened, and the cat entered into a cavern. Her breath hitched as she stepped into the light, awed by the sight before her. A medium sized cave rose around her, walls of smooth, layered stone arcing above her. The stone was washed with blue, for one wall was made not of rock, but entirely of ice. It was a deep, rich blue, as sunlight filtered down into the fragment of icy moon.

Within the ice wall’s bubbles and cracks hung an even stranger sight. A giant skeleton, ancient and fragmented, was trapped frozen in the ice, the remains of a creature Stone had never seen before. Though it’s thick bones and long, curved fangs were utterly unfamiliar, something in Stone knew it had once called itself catkin. A forgotten ancestor.

In front of the ice, sitting still and gray as the rocks around it, was a towering feline silhouette, its tufted ears outlined by the cold light. Stone’s fellow, wild catkin cousin. The Lynx.

The Lynx turned its gaze towards her slowly, expectantly, like it had known about her presence even before she did. Stone approached it, wary.

“I admire your tenacity, cat” Its voice was a gravelly purr. “I thought you’d stop at the treeline.”

Stone skirted the wall carefully, keeping several pawsteps of distance between her and the creature. “Why did you assume that?”

The Lynx wrinkled its nose in a wry smirk. “Well, look at you. You’re an imitation of a cat. This wilderness is unfit for your kind.”

Stone flattened her ears, attempting to keep her voice level. “What exactly do you mean?”

“You call yourselves ‘cats’, yet your kind feeds by human hands. You have grown small and thin-furred, distant from your nobler origins. You can only survive in little packs, reliant on the work of others, unable to face nature with your own merit—A true ‘cat’ walks in solitude, you know nothing of the sort.”

Stone looked beyond the Lynx to the ice wall behind it, where the massive bones of their great ancestor lay suspended in time. “You say my kind has fallen, but have yours not? Have you not also grown smaller than this god, your fangs short, your bones thin? It too lived in solitude, yet here it lies, dead, its life unremembered by its catkin. You mock my community, but we have lived this long despite this lands’ harshness, and will continue to do so.”

The Lynx’s smug expression faded, and its gaze grew intense as it stared at Stone. “Even gods die, housecat. The only thing life guarantees is an ending.” It curled its lip. “Your ‘community’ is not exempt from this.”

Stone met its eyes, unwavering. “If we are catkin, what bars me from the same powers you possess? Surely I can learn to survive by your means, surely I can find access to your blessings.”

The Lynx almost laughed, but the scoff caught in its throat. It narrowed its eyes, suddenly thoughtful, the smirk creeping back up its muzzle.

“Maybe I can offer you a taste of godhood, little cat. The lives of my predecessors run through me, from the tip of my tail through all ten of my claws.” The deity sat back on its haunches and held up its massive paws in demonstration. For a brief moment, its claws twinkled with a faint light, like stars plucked straight from the sky.

“One of these is mine, of course. But I have nine to spare.” It tilted its head down at her, its fangs gleaming in the blue cavern light. “Provided I deem you worthy of them.”

Stone raised her head in challenge. “What would make me worthy?”

The Lynx paused to consider, eyeing her up and down.

“To you alone I will grant these lives, thus you alone must face me.” The lynx narrowed its eyes. “Prove to me your will and strength, and defeat me in battle. If I submit, I grant you these lives, and the chance to explore this bay with greater distance between death and yourself.”

“Your loss, of course, will cost you your life.” It dipped its head towards her. “Is it a deal?”

Stone paused, hesitant, her heart fluttering in her chest. How could she face this creature in her state, small in stature, weary from her climb, completely alone? Despite her apprehension, her curiosity was stronger. There was only one chance for an opportunity like this, and even if she declined, what would stop the Lynx from killing her anyway?.

She nodded once. “I accept your terms.”

The lynx nodded back. Its fangs flashed. It stretched its claws.

They leapt into battle.

Stone was swift, but the Lynx was strong and skilled. It battered her with massive paws, slamming her into the cold rocky floor. Stone dodged and weaved through its attacks, but the cavern was small, and every leap Stone made seemed to send her into another faceful of claws.

Her opponent threw a powerful swipe, tossing her against the ice wall with a thud. Back against the blue glow, Stone crouched low, struggling to catch her breath. Her strength was waning, and Stone knew with every moment her chances of victory grew slimmer. Her paws shook slightly. The Lynx had noticed her waver, and began to pad towards with calm, sure steps. It smiled–it was eager to finish her off. How could she win this?

She thought of the cats–the clan–she had left behind, who likely waited anxiously for their wayward leader’s return. Would they falter without her guidance? Would the glimmer of hope she had lit in their hearts snuff out with fear? If only she could lead them to the majestic moon glacier, show them the ethereal ancient glow of the blue cave, renew their spirits with wonder at the wilderness they were trapped in. Stone suddenly stiffened, steeling herself as she lifted her gaze back toward her foe. Though she fought alone in the cavern, her mind conjured the presence of her clan behind her. She would not die here. She would die among the cats she had befriended, who had banded together in their time of need. The cats she needed, who needed her to return alive.

With a burst of vigor, Stone launched herself toward the lynx’s head, her weight and confidence catching it off guard. She clung to its face, slashing its ears, her momentum sending it crashing hard into the floor. It flailed its huge paws, but Stone stood steadfast upon its chest, pressing her own paws down forcefully against its throat. Her claws dug in, blood welled up around her toes. The lynx grew more panicked, struggling wildly, its breath stuttering in strangled gasps. Stone pressed harder.

“St–Sto-”

Stone leaned close into its face. “Do you yield?”

The Lynx thrashed its head, attempting to nod frantically. “Yg-Yes!”

Stone slowly lifted her paws, releasing pressure off the creature’s throat. It gasped for air, then shoved her off its chest, throwing her to the floor. She scrambled to her paws, watching the Lynx heave. After it had caught its breath, the Lynx pressed its paw deep into the stone floor. It did so with strange power, impressing into the rock like it was mud, leaving the crisp outline of its giant pawprint. It beckoned her over. Its breath was hoarse. “Come.”

Stone approached the Lynx. She eyed it warily, nervous that it would decide to ignore the deal and kill her anyway. But it didn’t move as she stood above it, her paws settling on the edge of its pawprint, which seemed to sparkle slightly in the dim, cold light.

The Lynx glared up at her, its cool demeanor vanished, its eyes blazing with controlled fury. “Touch your nose to the floor,” it growled. “You will receive your reward.”

Carefully, Stone dipped her head down, until her nose brushed against the floor’s icy chill. For a brief moment, all was still.

Suddenly, she was blinded by overwhelming light. The force of the glare threw her head back, and her vision was assaulted by an oppressive blur of color and noise. Images flashed in her mind, landscapes, memories, creatures she has never seen before. Each streaked by, too fast for her to fully process the scenes. Waves of emotion crashed in her, sending her reeling, thrown into a raging sea of grief and joy and fear and wonder. She felt all of time as it had crept by, millions of years of the past and future stretched out infinitely, lived all at once in a single instant. She felt everything. She felt nothing. It was the most agonizing pain she had ever experienced, swept in a flood of sheer euphoria. She knew places and beasts and times she had no name for, all lived through and known by the catkin before her. It was the longest moment of her life, but as she crouched, trembling, blinking her eyes back to the sight of the blue cavern, she realized only seconds had passed.

The Lynx had stood, and had begun moving toward the cave’s exit. It turned to look down at her, and Stone returned its gaze, panting heavily, her fur on end and buzzing with strange energy.

It was silent for a moment. “You now have eight more lives to live along with your own. More than any little cat has had before. Your blessing and your curse.” It lulled thoughtfully, its expression had settled back into its neutral stare.

Its voice was cold, though laced with an undertone of contempt–and perhaps, Stone thought, respect. “Do not treat this victory lightly, Stone. Every day you live here will be another test, another gamble with your life. Living here is a game with no winners, and you and your fellows can only stall the march of nature for so long.”

The lynx turned, padding toward the exit. “The gods here will meddle where they like, and though you have bested me, I can not guarantee my kin will be deterred from entertaining themselves with playthings like you.”

The god stopped in the entrance, then glanced back toward her, its face in shadow.

“Good luck, Stone. You will need it.”

It disappeared.

For a moment, Stone stood alone in the blue cavern.

She was not Stone anymore. Something had changed within her, the Lynx’s stars sat heavy in her chest, glittered on her whiskers. Just as an icy piece of the moon had fallen to the earth and become one with it, fragments of the stars had melded with her being. She was Stonestar, and her pelt glowed with the new (old?) lives that settled under her fur.

And she was alive. More than she had ever been before.

And it was time to return to her clan.

#oops wrong blocg #this one is more of a written story #im more of a visual storyteller than an author so hopefully it reads ok #oh also this is the version of the story that’s been passed down through the clans #so it’s been embellished and should not necessarily be taken at face value #since stonestar was the only one there and this was many decades ago #lore #stone #stonestar #my art #the lynx #warrior cats #alaska clans

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neteyamyawne · 5 months

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🫀— Another Love

༄ Pairing : Lo'ak x Fem!Na'vi!Reader

༄ Summary : He slowly falls for another and all you can do is see him be happy with her like he was once with you.

༄ Warning : Jealousy, slight one-sided love, falling out of love, emptiness (emotional), sadness, confrontation.

༄ Prompts : Falling out of love.

༄ Word count : 1.2k, proof read.

༄ Note : This is me first time writing for lo'ak so idk much 🥹 I'm improving for him!

༄ Glossary : [Tiyawn] - Love, [Yawne] - beloved.

◦ Angstmas || Masterlist

You saw it, of course you did, anyone who wasn't lo'ak saw it loud and clear…

Your favorite leather armband? Gone, the river stone choker? Gone and nowhere to be found until you saw Tsireya wearing it. The inkling of downfall starting from the smallest of things.

The swimming lessons were always him and her paired up, at first it was you, the one who left her forever home for him to come here, to an unknown clan and living in between unknown people, just for his love… your love..

His eyes were unfocused as you say near the coast with him, though his hand rested on your thigh, his mind was elsewhere, lost in thought, it was like, he was your lo'ak anymore.

“Ma lo'ak… are you okay? You seem distracted” his eyes snapped back at your face, a sheepish smile forming in his face as he squeezed your thigh softly.

“Yeah, yeah I'm good, Tiyawn” he whispered before his eyes trailed back to the shallow waters, where Tsireya taught the metkayina children how to ride the ilus and for a moment you thought if he suggested to go for a walk on the beach for a certain reason.

She looked splendid, everything a female should look like, the small shell at the crown of her head, the neat braids that cascaded down her back in tight curls would easily make anyone fall in love with her and from the way she sat close to him, her hand on his chest during breathing practice and his breath would stutter at her touch Every. Single. Time.

The dots were connecting but you weren't ready to admit it, it was hard to accept the fact that the one you love the most was falling out of love with you “Lo'ak, what's going on?? I know you're hiding something… I know”

He was startled by your confrontation, a look of guilt spreading over his features, though he looked unsurprised by your question, which only meant one thing, he anticipated it.

“I- I… it's nothing, y/n forget about it, it's stupid” he looked away embarrassed, he didn't want to say it, who would when they knew it would break the heart of the person who left everything behind for them.

“It's Tsireya… isn't it?” Your words grabbed his attention so fast it almost snapped his neck, eyes wide in surprise and resentment… not for you though, for himself.

He shakes his head worried about how he would be able to explain about this complicated feeling but if he saw deep enough, the answer was right there… the ocean eyed, metkayina princess.

“Y/n, No, it's- it's not… i mean yeah but-” he was struggling to form words as his eyes darted between you and her as if he was watching a ping-pong match.

But your heart sank deeper with every second of his hesitation, a void yawning open in the middle of your chest as you clearly saw the love on his face but it wasn't for you, as much as it broke your heart, it wasn't for you.

He was miserably failing to explain his side but you saw the yearning in his eyes for her, a bittersweet smile graced your lips and your hands trembled, so you fisted them as you spoke the next words “Go to her, It's okay… Go to her”

The stunned silence on his face was enough for you to break down right then and there, you loved this man with your entire life and this is how it ends? You let go? But it'll only hurt more if you hold on, though…

“Sweetheart- what are you saying…? Go to her? Are you sure?” That's when the tear slid down your cheek and his frown covered his features, knowing that his truth was your end, but what hurt the most is that he asked ‘are you sure?’ he was ready to go, there was no point in holding back.

It felt like you were ripping your heart out of your chest and shredding it into ribbons with your own two hands as you simply hid your pain behind a smile and teary eyes and nodded “yes, Lo'ak, go to her… as you want, you can go to her… i guess your love wasn't as strong as you said it was”

The hesitation and guilt was written all over his face as he saw the tears in your eyes, the hurt in your voice, nothing but regret filled him as he never thought this day would come “I'm so sorry… So damn sorry” he held your hand tightly but there was no warmth in it, his words were like Ash in your mouth, they meant nothing to you now.

“Just go… leave, go away” your eyes averted back to Tsireya who was unaware of the conversation, anger simmered in your chest but it didn’t cover the hurt that caved your chest, the jealousy that raged in your mind but you hid it well.

Lo'ak frowned, the little braids that framed his face falling away from his eyes, getting up from his spot beside you… biting his lip nervously as he knew he fucked up big times “Yawne, I'm really sorry… I hope you understand… I'm-”

But you got up "stop it please! Just go away! I- I don't want to talk, please!" and left, not wanting to hear the reason why you failed to be the one for him, it was all a mistake, a mistake to leave your home for the person who you thought was your everything, a mistake that he would be your love forever, a mistake to ever think he'd never leave you for someone else.

His heart sank as she watched you walk away after the truth was out, he felt terrible, HORRIBLE, for breaking your heart after everything you did for him but he couldn't keep you leading into a ditch after he knew his feelings were lost for you and held onto another and with a defeated sigh he walked towards Tsireya, with a smile, as if nothing happened and he didn't just leave you, the person who left her whole life behind for him, for the girl he met a few months ago.

Even when you walked away from him, sobs leaving your lips silently, you couldn't help but stop and watch from behind a boulder with tears glistening your cheeks as the smile he once gave you shone brighter when he looked at her instead, the look he gave you once now almost glowed with love for her.

Were you not worth it? Did your sacrifice mean nothing to him? Was it that easy for him to forget you and move on? After you spent years loving him? The questions swirled in your mind but there were no answers to justify them as the person you saw your future with left you with just your thoughts in a clan where you don't know anyone and had to live with his family to top it off.

You were foolish to think that he would keep loving you… but were you? Is this what you deserved? To be left alone and broken in a place you don't know anyone, away from your home and family and betrayed by the person you trusted the most? No, but your heart still broke as you say the on golden shores of metkayina but nothing seemed so colorful as it was to you before this happened…

Ho Ho Ho : @cryinginthemoonpool, @luvv4j4ybe11, @xylianasblog, @plooto, @itchaboi-itchyboy, @pandoraslxna, @taylormarieee, @thewiltedpeony, @neteyamswillow, @danniackerman, @hotdsworld, @zafrinaxyz, @xstarsdiary, @moondaisye, @puddle-nerd, @eywxveng, @minnory, @neteyamssyulang, @tavsianus, @ele-sme.

• Let me know if you want to be tagged in the next two angstmas fics!

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persefolli · 1 year

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𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭

𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐍𝐞𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐢

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭, 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐍𝐞𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @seashelldom,@neteyamforlife, @shadowmoonlight0604,@arminsgfloll,@avatar4life, @jackiehollanderr,@theblukit2,@demonic-black-queen , @dazecrea, @hoziersfairy ,@go-river-flows ,@babyymeme,@ssc7514,@ducks118,@ok-boke,@myh3artttt,@graysonmalik2550,@vermillionzombie-blog,@elegantzippercashshoe,@perseny,@papichulo120627,@jxrdxnh,@reallysparklychaos,@navs-bhat,@zoexme, @laylasbunbunny,@defiance749,@cheyehc,@ramdomhoe, @nilrilie,@misscaller06,@oh-no-tia,@rgbsona,@midnightliacr, @cupidddd-d, @strnger ,@depressedriches,@ellabellabus07,@lemonmoonmochi, @newjeansbonnie, @silententhusiastdreamer,@im-in-a-pansexual-panik,@ipangbitch46-blog,@libdarkheart, @janelongxox,

𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 | 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭

Tonowari made it a mission to keep his promise to you fulfilled.

“Uturu will no longer be accepted by reef clans”

The echo of the stamp on the paper traveled through the now silent room of shocked council members. Uturu was a universal thing on Pandora, and it was rare for clans to decline an Uturu request. The Metkayina people did have questions, but it was clear that Tonowari would not back down.

He slid the next paper across the table and raised his head, looking at the council members again. “Reef clans will no longer trade with the Omaticaya. They will have to find some other ocean resources without coming onto our lands.”

The bang of the stamp made everyone flinch again, including you. He made sure to read the declarations to you around five times before they were presented to the council to ensure it was alright with you. He knew you were hurting, and he knew it would take a while to erase Jake's influence which took the whole Metkayina tribe by storm.

You had guessed that the declarations affected more than just the Omaticaya because letters began coming in. Other clans, begging and asking Tonowari to reconsider. Clans even vowed to become a separate entity from the Omaticaya, which was a little extreme for some ocean resources.

As you read over one of many letters at dinner, you couldn’t help but to feel bad. All those artists and ocean admirers out there who would suffer because of Jake’s wrongdoing.

“Tonowari…you don’t think this is dramatic do you.” You placed the paper on the table and looked at him with solemn eyes.

“No.” He looked up from his bowl. “Do you think it’s dramatic?”

You sighed and began to stir in your food. “I just…don’t want people thinking I'm a pissy bitch who punished everyone else because I got my heart broken.”

“People won’t think that sweetheart. All of the Metkayina know your story, nobody blames you.” He said softly. “If any of the clans have an issue, they can continue sending letters.” He nodded towards the discarded letter on the table.

“I also don’t want you to make decisions you know will impact the clan solely because I'm upset.”

Tonowari dropped his cutlery and clasped his hands together. “As your husband I am obligated to protect you. Y/n, if you wanted me to fly to their Hometree and burn it down, I'd have a squad ready within the hour. Don’t underestimate my loyalty to you.”

You smiled and reached over the table to envelop his hand in yours. The two of you shared a silent embrace.

Meanwhile on the other side of the globe, Jake sat frowning, clenching a pen in his hand.

He’d been sitting at his desk for hours, figuring out what to write. The note was addressed to you, yet he could think of nothing. There was no way he could apologize at this point. He’d already received backlash from his own clan after being cut off by reef clans, and the news of the Uturu ban had taken all clans by storm.

“Jake, what did I tell you about this?” Neytiri appeared behind him, taking the paper and crumpling it. “You need to spend your days focused on the clan, not worrying about her.”

Jake sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I owe it to her, Tiri. I told her I would never leave I-”

“You told me the same thing.” She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Jake spun around in his office chair to look at her, “That's different and you know that. We weren’t in love anymore. I needed the space.”

Neytiri sighed, “But we are mated. For life. You should’ve known I would always be back.”

Jake sat silent, knowing she was right. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. He couldn't shake you off. He dreamt about you, spent all day thinking about you even while training other soldiers. He wanted to come back, apologize, get on his knees and grovel, but his guilt for leaving Neytiri was also present.

“Okay.” He said in defeat, standing from his desk and placing his arm around Neytiri's waist. “Let's get some rest, yeah? We have a lot of stuff to go over.”

A few weeks later, you and Tonowari got a letter from Jake and Neytiri themselves. They requested your presence at Hometree, and it could only be for one thing.

“I’m not going Wari.” You said quietly.

Tonowari huffed and looked at you with crazed eyes, “Y/n I can’t refuse this. This is a council call.”

“What's a council call?”

“All the forest clans will be there,” He explained, “They’re going to deliberate and pick apart my new policies.”

You placed your hand on your forehead and sat down on the nearest surface. Huffing deeply, you felt yourself wanting to cry again. “This is all my fault.”

“No. No It is not.” Tonowari made his way over and kneeled in front of you. “Look at me.”

You moved your hand and looked your husband in his eyes.

“Jake left you. He hurt you. He broke his promises to you, even though he said he changed. He endangered us all, and I let him.” He reassured you. “I told you I am loyal to you and you only, that's not going to change.” Tonowari grabbed your hands and sighed. You knew he was agitated at the call as well, but according to him there was nothing the two of you could do.

“What if…you didn’t go.” You asked silently.

“It may be considered an act of aggression.”

You hissed and shook your head.

Tonowari tilted his head and looked at you with soft eyes. “You don’t have to go.”

“I am Tsahik. I will attend alongside my husband.” You said confidently. As a leader, you couldn’t run from your responsibilities, not even because of silly emotions. “I won’t let you go there alone.”

Little did the two of you know, the council was already in session, the first day starting the day you got the letter.

Clan leaders yelled in anger as Neytiri broke the news, stating that the two of you didn’t show up. “I have sent many letters over the course of two weeks.” She started. “They have ignored us, so I don’t have confidence they will show up.

”They dare to refuse the council!” One of the leaders yelled. “Use our resources yet cut us off?!”

Jake watched in horror as the council began to get rowdy. Old and young leaders spat insults towards both you and the Metkayina clan.

“Wait. Wait!” He held his hands up, “This is not the answer, give them more time!”

“Enough time has passed, my people are suffering!” A clan leader stood against Jake. “You dared to leave your wife!” He spat. “And now your whore of a mistress has gotten one of our strongest allies to turn against us.”

Jake hissed and grabbed the leader by his shoulders. “Stand. Down.”

The council went silent at Toruk Makto’s sudden outburst. Appalled, Neytiri approached and pulled Jake away from the leader, hissing at him herself. “What are you doing?!”

“Preventing an unneeded war. We already have the RDA on our asses! We don’t need this.” Jake said silently. Neytiri looked at her husband in disbelief, but eerily, her facial expression softened. “You are right.” Jake let out a breath in relief but Neytiri looked back to the circle of clan members, who was thinking the exact same thing as she was.

The council meeting was to be in a few days, and you and Tonowari gathered a group of men to lead the Metkayina in your absence. You traveled by water, riding your skimwings for days at a time to make it back to the forest.

“You can turn around at any time you know that right.” Tonowari looked back at you. You flashed a smile and splashed some water up at him.

“Don’t try and get rid of me too easily.”

The two of you made it to the border of the forest in three days. Now all that was left was to find ikrans, and fly to Hometree.

The two of you found a shore to pull up on, Tonowari grabbing you from under your arms and pulling you up. “Are you alright?” He said once you stood on two feet. You groaned and stretched out, body aching from the trip. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“We can rest.” Tonowari reassured, “We have time.”

You smiled softly, but noticed your husband's ears flinching around. You held your breath and listened out too, hearing something faint in the distance.

“We’re not alone.” He said,

Over the cliff above, multiple na’vi hung over the ledge pointing bows and arrows at the two of you, hooting and yapping. More na’vi emerged from the coves, surrounding both you and Tonowari. Quickly he pulled you in, holding you close as his other hand was surrendering to the na’vi.

“Mawey! Mawey!” Tonowari said harshly

A single na’vi male with piercings approached, circling the two of you.

“Tonowari. Y/n.” He greeted. Tonowari began to speak up but he was quickly shushed by the clan leader.

“Congratulations. The two of you are officially in custody of the Omaticaya clan.”

#persefolliwrites #wattpad #avatar the way of water #persefolli #atwow #jake sully #angst #avatar #avatar2 #tonowari #tonowari x reader #jake x neytiri

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mystar-girl57 · 1 year

Text

𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐦

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱

Pairing: widowed!jake x fem!reader

Warnings: reader has Thalassophobia (phobia of oceans/deep and large bodies of water), mentions of drowning

Comments: in the italicized bit Neytiri and Reader are about 8 years old also only skimmed over after writing so only some what proof read

“Hurry up you slowpoke!” Neytiri giggled not too far away as you struggled to keep up. It was late, too late to be away from Home Tree. Eclipse had come and the clan slept. You and Neytiri however were too busy chasing each other along the illuminated forest floor, your feet leaving footprints in your wake.

“I'm coming as fast as I can!” You huffed hopping up onto a branch so you were above her. Running and bouncing over objects in your barked path you managed to make it so you were caught up and standing right above the young girl.

Neteyiri stopped at the top of the hill and turned around looking for you. She grinned when she didn’t see you. “Get lost back there?” She called down the path expecting you to come panting.

“Doing just fine actually!” You called before leaping down on her and tackling her to the glowing floor sending fireflies up as the two of you began to roll around rough housing.

It was a storm of arms flailing and tails getting tangled as the two of you laughed trying to pin the other down. But what neither of you noticed was how close you were coming to the dangerously steep hill.

You pinned Neytiri down with a triumphant laugh right their on the edge. “Ha! Got ya!” You exclaimed, your tail flitting behind you.

“Oh yeah?” Neytiri questioned with a smug look and in one swift motion she grabbed under your armpits and flipped your body. When you felt your body be moved in the air you expected to just be pushed to the grassy earth but instead you felt a sharp corner hit your back before you went tumbling down.

You were not able to stop the fall; there was nothing you could grab onto as rocks scraped your back. You heard Neytiri screaming your name before everything was muffled as you fell into the rushing river below.

Your body was tossed around like a rag doll as it dragged you down stream, you could not even try to move your limbs to get above water to see where you were going let alone catch your breath.

You felt a tightness in your lungs as the little bit of air you had started to slip from you. The current dipped, slapping you down on an especially sharp rock and you opened your mouth to gasp, that small breath you had escaping as water filled your lungs. Everything became fuzzy, your ears were ringing and you started to desperately gulp for air until eventually it became too much and your eyes closed, your body going limp.

You sat up quickly, your eyes wiped and your mouth opening as you panted. Your body was drenched in sweat and you patted yourself down to make sure that you were truly there. You let out a teary sigh and hugged your body tightly. On all the days that Ewya had to show you that memory it had to now in the midst of everything.

It took you a few minutes to get yourself to calm down to stop your body from shaking and to get your breathing back to normal for you to assess your surroundings. It was early, the sun had not yet awoken and everyone around you still slept. Even Tuk who got cold in the night had crawled into bed with you and Jake acting as your barrier was still asleep. You sighed sharply and rubbed your eyes before pushing the blankets off of you and getting up off the pallet.

Walking out of the marui you were not surprised to find that none of the villagers were awake, it was too early for even hunting parties to go off. You could see in the distance the sky slowly turning a deep red and fading to orange. The ocean crashed loudly in your ears at the tide came in and you glared at it.

You followed the woven walkway until it was met with the sandy beach fed into the forest. Not that you could really call it a forest, it was a few shrub trees and prickly bushes. No trees and vegetation that you were used to could grow here; the sand would not allow it. That was another thing that you found you did not like about the coast of Pandora, the sand. You hated the way your feet sank with each step you took making it difficult to walk unlike the firm soil you use to run on.

You let your feet carry you around the island as the sun peeked over the ocean. At this point you knew that the village was starting to wake up and the Sully family would to. So you turned around and followed the footprints you had made back to Awa’altu.

You were about half way there when you noticed a figure up a head standing about hip deep in the water. They stood with their arms raised at the elbow on either side of them, their face turned towards the sun. As you drew near you realized it was Ronal. Your body prickled telling you to go the opposite direction but she had heard you long before you had seen her.

“Stay.” She spoke, not turning to face you. “You do not have to come into the water but stay.” You looked around making sure that she was not addressing someone else but upon seeing no one you knew she was talking to you. You felt a rush of nervousness wash over you as you stepped closer, staring at her back from her spot on the beach.

“The Ilu told me about last night.” Ronal spoke and you tilted your head, ‘the ilu?’ You questioned in your mind as the Tsahìk turned around. “And Ewya. She granted me visions of what happened in your youth.” You felt the blood drain from your face and your body became clammy. That was why you had that vivid dream the night before. “I understand that you are afraid of the water.” Ronal continued turning around fully and coming up out of the water. “And I would say that I can help you but I can only offer so much. This is a battle that you need to face yourself.” She put a hand on your shoulder and squeezed it. It was a surprisingly gentle gesture and her eyes showed nothing but earnesty with the words that she spoke.

Ronal pulled away and took a step back, “I will come by your home after you and your family have had time to eat breakfast.” And with that she turned away fully and started her walk up the beach back to the village

You could not help but stand there feeling stumped. How was she so calm? So trusting of Ewya. After everything that had happened what you had been forced to do you found yourself losing your faith in your deity more and more. You shook your head and sighed. A familiar clicking and splashing sounded making you tare your head back up and to your surprise there was the same smiling ilu as the night before. A smile made its way onto your face and you walked a bit closer to the water where the ocean barely touched your toes.

“I see you went and spilled my secrets last night.” You grinned and the ilu clicked patting its fins on the ocean surface before diving down into the water. You waited for it to come back up and when it did it had a fish in its jaws which it threw up into the air and caught it in its mouth swallowing it whole.

“So much for chewing.” You chuckled. Your attention however was pulled away once more when you heard chattering coming down the beach. The first hunting party had been sent out. “Well, I guess I have to get going.” You sighed looking to the ilu who lowered its head. “Oh do not give me that, I know you will find me again,” the ilu responded with what sounded like a laugh before diving under and swimming away while you began to jog up the beach hoping to get back before everyone woke up.

You did manage to get back and only Jake and Kiri be awake, Neteyam starting to stir. No one questioned your abcense, you and Jake did not even look at each other as you wordlessly got to work making everyone a subtantial breakfast before going out to their lessons.

Like the morning prior the kids ate quickly and Tsireya came to get them. Tuk gave you an extra tight hug and made you pinky promise that you tried to have a good day. Jake and Tonorwari left not long after.

You were in the middle of washing off the shell plates when Ronal arrived. “Are you ready to start the day?” The tsahìk asked. You eyed the water behind her and she followed your gaze before shaking her head, “We will not be getting in until you say you are ready. Today I will show you clan life and ask for your help with Tsahìk duties.”

You felt your body physically relax at her words and you wiped off the final plate and stored it away before getting up and joining Ronal outside the marui pod.

It was a nice day to say the least. The heat of the sun was filtered out by the wind making the weather pleasant and bare able as you followed Ronal through the village. She showed you the main areas of Awa’altu, where the community weapons were kept, then where the food went that the hunting parties brought back. She guided you around little shops where the Metkayinan women had laid out several beads and baskets that they had crafted. One woman in particular had two amber beads carved, one big and one little and Tuk went to your mind.

Ronal noticed you eyeing it and smiled. “The Metkayina use the form of trade and service when giving items to one another.” She explained and you put your hand on your hip as you hummed in thought. What could you trade or give that would equal these two beautiful beads. Ronal put her hands on your shoulders and looked at the woman. “What would you like for the two beads?” She asked the older woman. The graying woman looked up at you and Ronal and shrugged. She did not speak, but made motions with her fingers. You frowned confused and looked at Ronal who put her hand up telling you to wait for the woman to finish. When she put her hands down the tsahìk cleared her throat, “She wants to know what you would do with them.”

You sucked on your bottom lip, “They are for my daughter and I.” You explained. This was your first time calling the kids one of your own out loud to someone and it a wonderful feeling spread through your body and you nodded turning to the woman. “They are for my daughter and I. She likes it when we have matching beads in our hair and I have not been able to put any in her hair for several moons.”

The elder’s face seemed to light up with Joy and she hastily put the two beads into a soft threaded pouch and handed it up to you.

“Oh but I have nothing to give at the moment,” You began to say but the woman shook her head and took your hand. She flipped your palm up and placed the pouch on it before folding your fingers onto it.

You watched as she leaned away and began to sign, Ronal translating.

“I lost my daughter at a very young age,” the woman explained, “She always wanted beads in her hair and so I taught her to make them. She was my only child and I am alone now so I have no more use for these beads. Please, the only payment I ask is that you keep loving your beautiful children. I hope to see you and your daughter with those beads in your hair one day.”

You felt tears come to your eyes at her sweet words. That was the first kind thing anyone had really said to you in regards to your relationship with the Sully kids- No, the first kind thing someone had said about you and your kids. You got down on your knees and hugged the elder tightly, your tears dripping down onto her shoulder. When you pulled away she gently wiped your tears and gave you a sweet smile and signed once more.

“Thank you syulang.” Ronal spoke in translation and you had to keep yourself from crying more as you said your goodbyes and continued down the path. Syulang, flower, that had always been Neytiri’s nickname for you. She was the last one to call you that name right before she died and hearing someone else say it brought you a sense of comfort.

The next few weeks went by quicker and you found yourself starting to enjoy the village a little more. You did not love it by a long shot but you were growing comfortable to say the least. But you still had not gone in the water.

Assisting in Tsahìk duties with Ronal was what consumed your days and you had already learned so much. Their methods were quite different from from Mo’at had taught you. They had learned to adapt to their environment and found different ingredients for the same uses that you had treated. It amazed you. For the first time in a while you dared to say that you felt happy.

On this particularly day you and Ronal were working outside in the sun, the rays warming your skin as you dried the sea weed out on the sand and crushed up some beans into a fine powder.

“May I ask you something?” Ronal asked, glancing at you. You hummed a “sure” in response not looking up from you work as you poured the powder into the bowl between you and grabbed another handful of beans and disposing them into the large mortar and started to grind them up. “What is going on between you and Toruk Makto?”

Her question caused you to stop twisting your hand. You shook your head and kept grinding, a bit more aggressive this time as you tried your best to act normal. “What do you mean?” You questioned.

Ronal eyed your movements and your change in body language. You had gone from being lax and peaceful to now tense and worried. She reached out a gentle hand and put it on yours to make you stop. It was effective as you took your hand off the pestle letting it lean against the mortar’s rim.

“Jake and I are fine.” You sighed, shaking your head. “I promise you we are fine.” Ronal raised a brow. You knew she knew the truth about the two of you, you and Jake had not really tried to act like a couple in the longest of times which gave you a sense of relief.

Ronal tsked softly looking back at her work. “Ewya and I see otherwise. She tells me that the two of you are not even mated.” Her words were calm, she was not accusing or even angry she just said it as if it was a common fact.

You let out a breath of defeat, your shoulders sagging as you finally stopped grinding up the beans and rubbed your face with your hand. “You are right.” You admitted softly, “Jake and I have ever even willingly touched once. I am just with him to look after his kids.”

Ronal frowned, “So when you came-” “Yes, him pulling me to him, acting as if we were a true mated pair was just an act that we have put on often for our clans. He is the husband of my best friend. She was killed in battle. Neither of us are in love, and we never will be.”

Saying those words struck a pain in your heart. It was odd, you had said this countless amounts of times, to yourself and to Jake, that the two of you were not lovers and it would stay that way. So why did it hurt this time?

“But something tells me that you and Toruk would like that to be different.” Ronal looked at you expectantly as you stared at her with a mix of confusion and maybe a little bit of disdain. “What? No! He is mated to Neytiri! I would never do that to her and after how he has treated me I cannot just give myself to him! That would be like giving up. If he wants me then he has to show it.” And just like that your anger for him had returned. You went back to grinding up the beans showing that the conversation was over.

Ronal sighed softly looking out the water hoping that Tonorwari was having a far better time Jake than she was you.

And the answer was, he wasn’t.

Tonorwari stood beside the omatikayan man, the two casting their nets and waiting before pulling their catch in. “So,” the leader cleared his throat, getting Jake’s attention. “You and your mate. How is she? I hardly see her around the village with you.”

Jake glanced at Tonorwari before shaking his head and heaving the now heavy net onto shore, a few fish leaping out. “She’s fine, just adjusting to Awa’altu.” He shrugged, knowing that didn’t answer the question why she wasn’t with him specifically.

“From what Ronal tells me is that she is doing just fine. Still timid around water but that is to be expected from what she has gone through.” Jake’s head snapped to Tonorwari. “Gone through? What do you mean gone through?” The metkyinan man chuckled. “I figured you being her mate JakeSully you would have been aware of what happened when she was about your youngest’s age.” When Jake still looked at him clueless Tonorwari nodded, that was all he needed to know to confirm his suspicions on them not being true mates. “She almost drowned when she was about eight back in the forest that you came from.” The leader explained, “The current was cruel to her and she was almost returned to our great mother. But Ewya deemed it was not her time and saved her. I imagine that is why she does not want to go in, she does not want to experience that again.”

Tonorwari deposited the fish into the basket before bunching up the net while Jake stood there speechless. That’s why you had been scared. Not because you were angry at him (you were) or that you thought you were too good for this place you were genuinely scared. His ears lowered some as Tonorwari watched his movements closely. Unlike Ronal, he did not have to come right out and ask what was wrong or call someone out one something. He could say certain words to get certain responses out of people, which is how he knew his son was lying most of the time.

“Was anyone else with her or was she by herself when this happened?” Jake questioned. Tonowari shrugged slightly, “Ronal mentioned something about a woman, or a girl at the time of accident named Neytiri but nothing further.”

Neytiri. His Netytiri was that close to you? He knew that she knew of you and had only seen you speak a number of times but he didn’t know that you two had known each other since childhood. His eyes widened slightly, you were also there when the RDA attacked Dr. Agusustine’s school. Just how much have you gone through? Jake wondered, but a better question was, how were you dealing with it.

Jake was so lost in his thoughts on you that he didn’t hear Tonowari calling his name. “Jake?” Tonowari waved his hand in front of the man causing him to blink back to reality. “Yes! Yes?” Jake looked at him, “I was just going to say that I am leaving to help Ronal with Lunch and to make preparations for the feast coming up. You may stay if you want but I am going to go.”

Jake nodded, still somewhat disconnected. “Okay, I’ll see you around sir.” And with that Tonowari left with new information to tell Ronal.

It was getting later in the day as you made your way through the village. Tonowari had come not too long ago and left with Ronal leaving you on your own. You did not mind it though you were enjoying exploring. This was your time of freedom, no kids to monitor, no “husband” to put up with, you were free.

You came around a corner and just as you went to step a pair of arms snatched you up and right where you were about to walk fell and axe slicing through the walkway and the weapon fell into the water with a splash. You stood there (well hovered there) your eyes wide and panting slightly as you were thinking how it could have been you to go in the water. It then registered to you the pair of strong arms that were holding you. Their hands were calloused but gentle and soon they set you down turning you to face him.

It was a metkyinan villager. You had seen him around Awa’altu, he was usually heading the early morning fishing parties. He had wet curly hair that went down a little past his shoulders, a part of it was up in a bun on his head. A tattoo was etched into his skin starting from his shoulder coming out onto his chest. He looked very apologetic as he checked you over from cuts. His touches and looks as his eyes raked along your body were not at all sexual or malicious you could tell he was genuinely concerned.

“I am so sorry.” He apologized, his voice smooth like honey, “My friend Aluk’un is known to have slippery fingers.” He nodded over to where the axe use to be and you noticed another man collecting the fallen weapons and he gave you an apologetic smile. “You are not hurt are you?” He asked. You took a moment to look yourself over despite him having already done it and you found no cuts or bruises. “I am unscathed.” You chuckled.

Hearing you laugh his ears perked up some and he let out a sigh of relief. “I am Kaiman.” He introduced and you gave him your name. He said your name to himself and smiled at the sound of it. “That is a very pretty name,” he complimented. A grin found its way to your lips and you did your best to conceal it while the two of you stood there bashfully eyeing each other.

“Well, thank you again for saving me from the axe Kaiman.” You said taking a step back. “I hope to see you around.” The warrior nodded, “I will be sure to watch out for more axes when you are in the area.” He teased. You kept your eyes on him, feeling like a teenager again as you walked backwards which you ended up bumping into someone. Your face went dark with embarrassment as you quickly helped pick up what fell and gave him a final wave before disappearing into the crowd. Kaiman turned to his friend. “She is cute.” He hummed before going back to his tasks

By the time you got back to your marui pod you rubbed your face hoping that would soothe it of the color in your cheeks. You had never felt that way before when speaking to someone. Your heart was racing, you were stumbling over your words, you had never done that. You had always taken pride in being sure footed and knowing exactly what you were going to say and saying it with confidence. But with that interaction it was the complete opposite. You felt giddy. But no, no, it was just one interaction, it was not like you were going to see him again.

Right?

🏷: @fanboyluvr @mashiromochi @newjeansbonnie @cleverzonkwombatsludge @atxara @jakesully-sbabygirl @ducks118 @ssc7514 @squidalapobre @anxietydrogz @myheartfollower @misscaller06 @itzyahgirllkita1 @saltedcoffeescotch @eskamybeloved @agustdeeyaa @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @julijalhowskaja-blog @supercoolusernamesblog @iamparou

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eywa-eveng · 1 year

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ɪɪ. sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏɴᴇ

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ – ᴊᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʟʟʏ, sᴜʟʟʏ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ X ᶠᴱᴹ ᴹᴱᵀᴷᴬᵞᴵᴺᴬ ᴿᴱᴬᴰᴱᴿ

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ – 12.3k

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ – angst, fluff

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs – widower!Jake, slight injury

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪ – ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪɪ – ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪᴠ

ᴛᴀɢ ʟɪsᴛ – @eywas-heir @fanboyluvr @amiets2 @neteyamforlife @itscheybaby @sunrays404 @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @eternallyvenus @bobojojoba69 @behindthearcane @elegantkidfansoul @goldenmoonbeam @ladylovegood-69 @myheartfollower @pinkiemme @arminsgfloll @wtf-why-do-i-gotta-do-this @onlyreadz

A storm rolled in with the darkness of eclipse, shutting the bright eye of the sky as swollen clouds blotted out the pale light of Naranawm and the stars. Wind howled through the night like screaming banshees, and waves hissed as they crashed to shore. Even now the water is still dark and turbulent, choked with seafoam as the waves rise as high as leaping nalutsa past the safety of the seawall. The small outcroppings of sand and stone are drowned in the rising tide as the storm rages on. Now, it is close to midday but the only light bleeding through the thick covering of clouds comes in bright flashes of lightning that rend the sky in splinters of gleaming white. It is as dazzling as it is dangerous.

The waves have grown high enough to splash over the hanging paths that flow like woven rivers throughout the village, wetting your feet as you return from your sister’s marui. Rain means the day is spent inside, away from the fitful waters that could easily trap even the strongest swimmer of the clan. It is a time for menial tasks, weaving, crafting, and mending. Ronal had traded your finished baskets for another filled with freshly dyed sea fronds and shells she had collected, dismissing you for the day. You sift through the materials on your way home, nearly tripping over Tuk as she sits outside your marui.

Her legs hang dangerously over the edge of the path, the strength of the tide pushing and pulling her skinny limbs as it so pleases. Another wave could sweep her away from your marui and you’re quick to pull her away, tutting over her lack of sense until you remember this is the first storm that’s passed over Awa’atlu since her arrival. Storms do not shake the forest as they do the sea. Your arm catches her waist, lifting her to your hip to carry her inside. She is already chattering about how dull the day has been having been confined to her family’s marui all morning.

“It is only rain.” She says as you set her down inside. She stays at your side, pacing in your shadow as you relight the torches that substitute the sun’s light. Soft shadows shiver and jump in the warm glow of the flickering firelight, tracing dark shapes across the woven walls as Tuk explores your home. It is her first time here and you don’t mind her curiosity as she leafs through your belongings. There is nothing secret to be found in the things that fill the space of your home. She stops before your weapons, yellow eyes drawing over the sea crystal blade of your largest spear. It is a weapon meant for battle and hunting. Every member of the clan has one, but you are not a hunter nor a warrior. It is something you’ve seldom touched since its construction following the completion of your rites as one of the People. Instead you keep to smaller spears and arrows when weapons are needed.

“Rain makes the ocean hostile. Even the strongest swimmers can be trapped under a tall wave. It is best to stay out of the water until the storm has passed.”

“But it’s so boring!” She grouses, coming up beside you with your box of beads and combs in hand. “Sa’nok, can I play with your hair?” You nod, having settled yourself to begin making something of the supplies your sister had given you. There are glimmering shells and beautifully made beads, enough to keep your hands busy for hours to come. By the time someone else comes rushing into your marui you’re nearly done knotting together the intricate pattern of a new top. Neteyam looks frantic as he ducks inside the closed flap, wiping rain from his brow.

“Sa’nok, have you seen–Tuk!” He calms as soon as he sees his sister seated happily at your side, fingers still playing in the long waves of your hair. Her braids are thick and clumsy as she threads shells and beads into each loop but she seems content with the work she’s done. She’s gentle in her work, never pulling or tangling as she goes.

“I have been looking for you. Do not go off without saying where you are going. You know Sempul doesn’t like that.” In the corner of your eye you see Tuk’s ears droop and she moves in closer to you, hands holding your arm for comfort as she hides her face in your hair. Neteyam’s expression softens at the sight. His voice may be lighter with youth but when he speaks it carries the weight of Jake’s words. He is the eldest son, a heavy burden to bear. It is expected that he will look after his siblings as well as his father does and the stress of it must prick at his heart the same as it does any parent’s. More so considering the blame that is laid at his feet when he fails to meet his father’s expectations. You’ve seen it when Lo’ak got himself into trouble, the great disappointment shining in Jake’s eyes as he blamed one son for the actions of another. If there are cords twining the Sully family together it pains you to imagine how frayed each of them might be. Neteyam to Lo’ak, Jake to his sons. It makes your heart heavy to think of the pain each of them bears trying to keep each other safe and happy, but it is the nature of a family. Just as the thread between you and Ronal had grown thin upon the Sullys’ arrival these things can be mended with time. It is the way of the All Mother’s great balance. In life there is both darkness and light and both must be felt equally despite the pain of it.

“I’m not mad, Tuk,” Neteyam says finally, kneeling beside you and his sister. “I was worried.” She nods and moves from her place hidden in the thick tresses of your hair. The two of them remain by your side, talking between themselves as you continue your crafting.

The storm wanes as the day comes to a close, thick clouds parting enough that the tied flap of the marui can be raised once more. Neteyam does it for you, eager to help when you mention the quieting winds. What had been incessant howling earlier has soothed to a soft whisper that has warmed in the soft, misting rain. The tide is still high but the water isn’t so choppy without great gusts of wind stirring the water. Tuk is quick to abandon her braiding to bask in the revealed light of eclipse. For a few minutes there’s nothing but brilliant yellow light cast over the island before it winks out like a torch being snuffed. Light is quick to return as the stars begin to shine and the darkened ocean finally finds its light as the stilled waters give way to the faint glow of syuratan hidden beneath the wavering surface. Tuk hangs over the edge, little legs kicking in the air as she sticks her head into the calmed waters. She rises with a giggling splash accompanied by the clicking of an ilu as the larger animals finally emerge from their shelter beneath the floating village.

The rest of Awa’atlu resurfaces as well, breathing a great sigh of relief as if rising after a long dive. Children just as restless as Tuk rush to the water’s edge and she goes to play with them a small ways down the path. Her voice is still clear as you begin to prepare for dinner, lighting a cookfire and gathering ingredients. Usually the meals you prepare at home are for yourself only so it is a welcomed change to have more mouths to feed. Happiness swells like cresting waves in your chest as you watch the two of them eat, enjoying the food you’ve made for them. It is another moment of stolen motherhood. They are not your children but you feel responsible for them. For their health, for their happiness.

It is not only because you were tsakarem. There will always be a piece of you that wants to look after the members of your clan but these children–Jakesully’s children–feel different when you think of them. It makes your heart break and mend all at once as Tuk makes herself comfortable in the cradle of your folded legs when she’s done eating, content to fall asleep against your chest as you talk with Neteyam. Your conversation is aimless as you speak over the dying cookfire, torches slowly dwindling their light until there’s only the blue glow of Pandora around you. He tells you of his exploration around the island and his training with Ao’nung and the others.

“They laugh at me because I cannot throw a spear. I was taught to use a bow. Throwing arrows without it seems strange.” His complaint holds no malice. There is a smile playing on his lips. No longer are the arguments between the children rife with malice. Now there are only well humored jokes between friends, like teasing siblings.

“You will learn,” you hum. “It is hard to master a spear. I could not throw in a straight line for many months when I was first learning. Ao’nung was the same. Watch when you’re training. Sometimes he will still throw a bit to the left. Learning when to release takes patience.”

It’s in the pale light that Neteyam’s face seems to change, drawing into a severe expression as his eyes empty of mirth despite your light tone. When he looks up at you again there’s something heavy and longing in his eyes.

“I don’t know if ma sempul has said it, but thank you. For everything. I know that we are outsiders and that tsahìk Ronal did not want us here to start. But you have made this place feel like home for us. For me.” Your lips part to say something but all that forms on your tongue is his name, filled with a heavy maternal anguish. Here is this child taken from his home and all that he’s known because there are demons looking for his blood. He is fighting. Everyday he has to fight to find happiness here under such dire circumstances. There are times when you see them forget, when Awa’atlu truly seems like home but the soul doesn’t forget where it’s been.

“Oh, Neteyam,” you say again, trying to reach for him. He lets you comfort him for only a moment before standing.

“It is late. My father will be wondering where we are.” And like that the illusion shatters. You are not his mother. It is not your place to soothe and placate. It’s a small miracle that he does not take Tuk from your arms, that he lets you walk beside him back to his marui. Jake is still awake though Kiri and Lo’ak have gone to sleep for the night. He takes Tuk from you to lay her down in her usual place and you take a steadying breath before placing a hesitant hand on Neteyam’s head. His shoulders raise for a moment, tail stiffening behind him before he slowly relaxes and leans into your touch.

He wants to be comforted, you realize, but it seems that he’s gone without for so long that he’s forgotten how to accept it. Not for the first time your thoughts stray to his mother. She’s little more than a wisp of a thought in your mind, vague and undefined. It’s the one thing you can’t bring yourself to ask them about despite the itching in the back of your head to know even as little as her name. But the thought of her must be like a healing wound to the family she’s left behind and you won’t be the one to tear at their scars until they’re bleeding anew.

Neteyam leans against your side, not hugging but allowing you to smooth over his braids for a moment longer until he squares his shoulders and steps away. His eyes are towards his feet, avoiding your knowing gaze as he bids you goodnight. There’s a hesitance in his steps as if he is forcing himself towards his own bedroll in the marui. Whatever comfort he has taken in your gentle touch has soothed and disturbed his soul in equal parts. There’s conflict in his eyes when you finally see them flashing in the darkness of their home. He wants to accept your affection but something is holding him back. Before you can ask Jake takes his son’s place beside you, pulling you away from the sleeping children towards the beach. The water is colder than usual and nearly to your knees as the shore is buried beneath the heightened tide.

“I missed you today.” He says as he pulls you further into the water. There are others around, already enjoying the ocean’s embrace after going a day without it. The air is filled with the hushed sounds of laughter and lapping water.

“I heard you were out hunting.” Ronal had given you simple chores today but Tonowari was nowhere to be seen each time you went to deliver your mending and weaving to your sister. You assumed he’d taken a small party inland to hunt in the flooded rivers as they usually do when the ocean becomes inhospitable. Jake has proved to be a skilled hunter in the time since he’s arrived at Awa’atlu and it’s curried him favor with the olo'eyktan.

“Yeah,” he groans, rolling his shoulders back.

“Are you tired? You should rest.” Your ears perk up in concern.

“Nah, I’d rather spend time with you.” It makes your heart flutter in your chest but the happiness is dampened by the feeling of selfishness. This man is not yours and yet he makes your heart soar with only a few words. It isn’t fair to him or yourself to be so fixated on the feeling but you can hardly help the way you feel. If it were possible to tear the roots of affection from your chest and leave only thoughts of a newly kindled friendship, you would do it without hesitation. But Eywa was seen fit to fill your vitra with dangerous desire. You want to ask the Great Mother what she wants with you, why she’s chosen to test you in this way, but it will do no good. The seed has been planted and you must helplessly watch it blossom despite the inevitability of your feelings wilting in the face of rejection.

In the pale blue light of the watchful eye above, you decide to toss those thoughts to the wind. Jake is smiling at you like he’s never seen anything lovelier than your face in the starlight and it makes you want to be reckless with your heart if only for one night. Before eclipse breaks and the sun returns you’ll pretend that this man is yours no matter the pain that will come later.

“Come. I will race you to the seawall.” It is a game played between more novice swimmers, children trying to prove their prowess amongst their friends but Jake smiles anyway. Nì’eveng you’ve taken to calling him. Childish. The look on his face is nothing but playful as you both dive into the open water. There is no doubt that you’ll beat him. Even as he’s steadily improved in the water he still isn’t built for the ocean the same as you. Your body is strong from your arms to your tail and Jake is woefully behind by the time you climb onto the lowest levels of the terraces. They’re alight with shades of green, blue, and purple that shine brighter with each step you take towards the top. But Jake is faster on land, longer legs easily bounding up the terraces until he catches you by the waist just before you reach the top. It’s the closest the two of you have ever been as he swings you in a circle until your laughter echoes across the darkened sky. His arms don’t move when he sets you down. Instead his face finds the column of your neck, purrs sounding in your ears as his nose traces over the rippling stripes of your skin.

“Got you.” His voice is an entrancing drawl that sends a shiver down your spine. It feels as if the world has tilted and only you feel the shift as Jake’s hands soothe over your waist, keeping you close to his chest as he noses behind your ear. It’s intimate in a way you’ve never experienced. There has never been anyone to court you, to treat you with such affection. No man of the Metkayina would dare even after Tonowari passed over you in favor of your sister. Yet here is this man from a place you’ve never seen, giving you everything that you’ve ever wanted.

“You caught me.” You agree and Jake laughs against the shell of your ear. He mumbles something as he squeezes you closer. You turn in his arms, face drawn in confusion.

“Always,” he says again. “I’ll always catch you.” His forehead presses to yours bright eyes clouding your vision of anything other than him.

“I’m not running.” It’s a lie but you say it to preserve the fantasy. Just for this night you want to pretend that you belong to him in truth.

“You are.” He says and the illusion is shattered. His arms around you begin to feel too tight and his breath too close as it washes over your parted lips. This isn’t how you should be acting with a mated man no matter how you feel towards him. But when you try to pull away his arms tighten.

“There you go again. What are you running from, girl?” You shake your head, voice lost somewhere in your throat as you try to do exactly what you’ve said you aren’t. You want to run away but your heart will stay with you. These feelings of yours won’t be easily abandoned as they beat in your chest like a drum. They will follow you no matter how far you go. You don’t get farther than turning away from him before he has you in his arms again. His hand settles over your thumping heart, fingertips tracing over the shape of your tattoo.

“I feel you,” he says, hand moving from your fluttering heart to your throat, “I hear you.” Your breathing comes in stuttered draws, lungs suddenly constricted with the wave of emotions crashing inside you. “I See you.” He says finally, lips caressing your ear. When your shuddering breaths calm he turns you to face him again. All that beams in his eyes is sincerity. Yearning and something close to desperation. He wants you to accept him.

“You’re not mine.” It’s a warbled cry as tears swell in your eyes.

“I’m yours. I’m all yours, yawne.” It makes your knees go weak and you fall from his arms, landing gracelessly in the water at your feet.

“I can’t do this.” Jake flinches back, his hands falling from where they’d been reaching out to you. “You’ve mated with another. I can’t have you.”

Never have you heard of a mated pair in which one of them had been mated before. When a mate dies, that does not make room for another. Tsaheylu is sacred, shared only between two lovers. What Jake is asking is something your heart cannot understand. The thoughts of the woman you’ve never met, the woman that came before you, keeps you from letting yourself love him fully. He is hers. Whatever part of him wants you now, it is not the whole of him. It is inevitable that when mates are separated by death, a part of the living dies with the one that went to Eywa. He will always be hers before he is yours. Or perhaps Jakesully will be different as he is in all things.

He is Na’vi but he was also tawtute. It was Eywa that decided his fate as Toruk Makto, that allowed him to have the body that he does today. Perhaps you are simply another part of his fate. Another bead in his songcord. Each thought swims through your head quicker than the last, growing more absurd with each passing moment. It would be so easy to ignore it, to reach out and be with Jake in the way that he’s asking you to. But your heart is delicate, your soul conflicted. He isn’t yours. And yet he is. His heart is in his hands as he stares at you, wiping the tears from your eyes.

“Don’t cry, pretty girl. You’ve got me. I’m here. Whenever you want me, I’m here. I promise.” He carries you home once you’ve cried yourself dry, laying you down and pressing a kiss to your forehead before going to join his children. It breaks your heart to watch him leave but it is where he belongs. His children will always need him more than you. A lonely tsakarem will always pale in comparison to the remnants of the life he led before you met. His mate, their children. If you accept him it will be as if you are a mismatched bead looped at the end of a bracelet. Dull and out of place.

For once you do not rise with the sun as it breaks from behind Naranawm’s shadow. There’s a soreness in your eyes as you try to shield them from the burning white light of the morning sun as it burns unfettered after spending a day under heavy clouds. Tears have dried on your cheeks and Tuk’s braids have become tangled and undone after what was surely a fitful sleep. You remove them slowly, collecting all the ornaments she added as they fall into your lap. There are things that need to be done, tasks that need completing, but you ignore those responsibilities to hide your face in the forest. You take your time in bathing and cleaning your hair, spending too long in the memories of the hands that touched you last night. It’s as if he’s still with you. So gentle and earnest as he caressed your skin.

The memories linger like a bruise when you finally drag yourself from the bathing pool, sore and shameful. Once you’ve dressed you abandon the village to visit the one place you’ve been avoiding since the moment you met Jakesully. There was fear in your heart at the thought of bonding with the Ranteng Utralti. Fear of what the Great Mother might show you, what your ancestors might tell you. It still lingers even as you leave your ilu to bask in the pale purple light of the glowing fronds of the spirit tree. Tree spirits swim around you, yellow fish shining bright as stars. The waters around the tree are deserted aside from the animals. No one to judge your hesitancy to commune with Eywa after so long. The fronds of the tree sway in the gentle current, waiting patiently for you to gather the courage to make tsaheylu. It nearly knocks the breath from your lungs when you finally join your tswin to the tree.

There are no thoughts in your mind as you join Eywa. There is no one that you want to see, no ancestor you wish to visit, but the Great Mother embraces you still. It feels like the gentlest hug as the colors flashing behind your eyes fades to something tangible yet distant all the same.

Eywa has brought you to a place you do not know. It is like the deep forest of Awa’atlu yet different. The air doesn’t carry the scent of the sea. It smells rich and loamy as thick grass cushions each of your curious steps. Trees that seem to touch the sky grow around you and sunlight peaks through the leaves in dappled beams, warming your skin for only a moment before you pass beneath another shadow. In the richly colored forest you look out of place. Skin bright as polished river stone, beaming through the deep greens of the foliage. You walk until you see something of interest. The trees thin to a small clearing and you stop in your tracks. The vision wavers as you fight against what the Great Mother has to show you, shimmering like heat rising off sand before solidifying as you force your heartbeat to calm.

A long structure sits before you. Grayish black the same as the buzzing ikran that had carried Norm and Max across the ocean. Metal, Jake had called it. You’ve only ever heard the word. It is part of the Na’vi Way set by the Three Laws of Eywa. Never use metals from the ground. It is something made from digging and stripping the earth. Harmful. It tosses off beams of light as you slink closer, staying close to the ground despite the lack of danger. There’s another metal beast in the clearing. Seemingly broken and covered in moss and vines. Inside is a small headless skeleton with two arrows through its ribs. Tawtute. They have been dead for long enough to turn to bone and yet their strange metal body has not returned to the earth it was stripped from. Even the well-made arrows have gathered rot where Eywa has begun to reclaim them.

It seems so unnatural for the metal to be so unflinching and yet you can’t temper your curiosity. You lean closer only to burn your hands on the shiny beast as if you’ve touched an open flame. Whatever this metal material is, it collects heat like a black stone left in the sun. The tawtute structure is just as smoldering beneath your skin as you vault inside. The floor makes a sound like shifting seashells as you land, a strange material like shards of crystal tinkling underfoot as you slink through the small space, crouching in the unaccommodating space. It feels odd to find yourself in a place like this and yet this is where Eywa wants you to be.

There is a Law against things like this. Laying brick, building that which cannot be renewed or replenished. Metal remains. It is cold inside despite the sun shining just beyond the opening in the wall, and very little of Pandora has dared to reach inside. This is a place of sawtute and the forest recognizes that. Nothing other than pollen and lichen has found its way inside. There is something here for you. Something Eywa needs you to see among the ruins of the sawtute. There’s a childlike curiosity to your exploration as you pick through the remains of the banished demons.

There are strange pieces of color, thin as leaves cut into neat shapes. They’re untouched by rot yet the colors seem wrong, slightly faded like an old mat left in the sun. There are people captured in the strange, dull threads of color. Two of them look familiar in a distant way, like you’d seen them from afar but only once. It isn’t until you bring the tiny thing close to your face that you realize you’ve seen pieces of these women in other people. Their eyes, their noses. Small details that you’ve noticed in others. The uniltìrantokx is even wearing a necklace you’ve seen before though it takes you a beat to place who’d worn it.

“Kiri?” The frozen memory jumps from your fingers like you’ve been struck and crystal shards dig into your knees as you stumble to the ground. The sharp pain rushes through you with startling vividness. Never have you been harmed while cradled in the Great Mother’s arms and the pain disrupts the vision, twisting and changing it as you try to stand. Light contorts and a sharp pain splits through your head, thrusting you back into your body with an aborted gasp.

Bubbles cloud your vision as you try to calm your racing mind. Who were those women with faces so familiar they seemed nearly tangible. Your mind races as your lungs pinch with exertion after all your air left in a warbled cry. Air seems far out of reach as you swim towards the light of the sun kissing the gentle waves. You surface with a strangled shout that echoes across the floating islands of the Cove, only treading water long enough to catch your breath. Your heart thunders in your chest as your ears cloud with the sound of your rushing blood. It takes all your focus to force your body to silence, to calm. Absently, you check your knees for blood, half expecting to find shards still embedded in your skin. When you find nothing other than the pattern of your skin your heart steadies enough for you to dive again. This time there is no hesitation as you connect to the Ranteng Utralti. There is a place for you in what Eywa has shown you. Everyone lives within the Great Mother. She remembers. Someone had been there before you. Someone precious to you. The Great Mother knows your heart, knows what it is you seek. A purpose. An answer.

Show me, you whisper in your mind. Tell me.

The vision is different as the flashing colors fade to night, the seldom patches of sky alight with stars and a gentle breeze lifting the curls of your hair as you stand at the precipice of a spiraling tree root. The sounds floating through the darkness are so different from the steady lapping of water. There is life all around you, just beyond sight as your footsteps stir up bursts of green syuratan. Everything feels new, like you’re a child again as you walk along the path the Great Mother has set you on. Specks of white like tanhì glow through the soft light of blue and purple leaves overhead, drifting on the faint breeze. They descend like a gentle rain and feel just as faint as one lands in your outstretched hand. More follow, tickling across your skin as they turn your body a pure shade of white. Eywa’s presence strengthens with each one that brushes against you and you realize they must be atokirina’. So different from the radiant seeds of your own spirit tree and yet the feeling is the same.

They dance over your body like lapping waves before departing in a glimmering cloud. It would be lovely to watch them float away if an echoing screech didn’t follow their departure. You don’t dare to turn and face what made such a deafening noise. Instead you clumsily sprint towards cover, wide tail doing little to balance your strides as you find an alcove in a tree to hide yourself. The bark is rough against your skin after being so gently touched by the hands of the Great Mother and your vision wavers once more as fear punches through your chest in an acidic burst. Never have you encountered danger when connected to the Ranteng Utralti. Never have you known Eywa to lead those seeking guidance into peril. But you’ve been hurt, you’ve bled. And now another shriek crashes through the quiet of the forest, echoing eerily through the treetops. The distant branches seem to shudder, shedding leaves as something crashes through the foliage. Is this the result of your covetous heart? The Great Mother turning her back on you?

A scream rips from your throat, nearly burning with its intensity as a giant ikran descends through the hole it’s torn through the canopy. The roots shudder beneath its mighty weight as it lands where you’d been standing and your thick limbs tremble clumsily, hands tucking into the groves of the tree bark to keep yourself upright and hidden. This beast is like no ikran you’ve ever seen though you’ve seen so few in the distant atolls of the Metkayina. Yet this one seems intrinsically different. Large and bright in the night as it spreads its fearsome wings, fanged jaw opening to let out another bellow that has your ears folding tight against your head. A pained noise slips from your lips as its voice splits through your head and it’s enough to draw the creature’s attention to you. Its eyes seem to find you even in the shadows and you’re reminded that the two of you are bright beings in a darkened forest. For a moment your heart stops and yet the beast doesn’t charge, doesn’t let out another terrifying scream. Instead it sits as if waiting for you to show yourself.

Every instinct carved into you since birth begs you to stay hidden and yet, with hesitant steps, you emerge from your hiding place. If this is your punishment for daring to think a man like Jake could ever be yours then you’ll have to face it.

The ikran fixes its four eyes on you, wings spreading to block anything but the warm shades of its striped skin. It is the color of the sun in a sea of shades of green and blue, a torch over the ocean. A fire, your mind sings. Wings like flames. The song of Toruk Makto. It is one you remember well, sung more often in the years after the sawtute were banished from Pandora. The ikran before you is no ikran. It is toruk. Last Shadow. A breath leaves you in an awed rush as tears begin to burn in your eyes. Toruk stays as still as an animal can be as you approach him. There is still fear in your heart, something instinctual that is sewn into the very fabric of your soul. And yet it bleeds away as you reach to touch him. Part of you still expects a quick reproach, a snap of his mighty jaw to remove your hand. But he only shifts his weight and watches as you touch the blue crests of his head. Any fear still lingering in your chest dissipates at the feeling of his head in the palm of your small hand.

You came to the Great Mother with a storm wailing inside you, burying you beneath the dark waters of uncertainty, and she has eased it. All at once the dark clouds of your conflicted spirit seem to part and warmth blooms in its place. Toruk shuts his eyes and leans further into your hand as if he too can feel the stillness finally easing inside you.

He is your answer. Eywa has heard you.

The days that follow pass in a haze. Even as your heart has been soothed your mind is still racing. It’s all you can do to pick up with your daily tasks, to pretend the Great Mother hasn’t just laid a magnificent blessing into your hands.

“Sa’nok, watch me!” Naleyä squeals before gulping in a deep breath and diving to the bottom of the pool, drawing you out of your own head. The tide pools are still overflowing after the storm and it’s made the children more confident now that the water has grown a bit deeper. They’re light as seabirds floating on their round tummies as they paddle in circles around you, daring to dive for a few moments before resurfacing with little gasps and eager smiles. It’s still shallow enough that you could reach Naleyä just by bending down but she seems determined to prove how well she’s learned as she picks up a shell resting at the bottom to bring you when she resurfaces. Mu’rak intercepts the gift, curious fingers taking the shell before he passes it to you for approval. It’s a simple shell. Flat and ridged, the color of a pinkish sunrise. You’ve collected many of them in your life but each is just as precious as the last. More so when gifted by one of your students. You press the shell to your lips before tucking it away in your medicine pouch.

“Me!” Peylil says, already filling his lungs with a big gust of air but you deflate him with a pinch of your fingers on his puffed cheeks. He’s young, too young to have even fully grown his tswin braid. He’s eager to follow but he’s only just learned to swim, hands still gripping cautiously at your loincloth to keep from floating too far in the pool. It will take some time before he is ready to dive, even in the shallowest of waters. He pouts up at you and for a moment he almost reminds you of Tuk. The thought is easily plucked away by the sound of a horn. It isn’t the same sound that had announced the arrival of the Sullys and there are no swooping silhouettes emerging from the haze of sunlight. Instead your eyes find the break in the sprawling seawall that lines the horizon. A rush of water rises like a cloud and through the mist comes the familiar crest of a tulkun. In an instant the feelings sitting like stones in your chest turn to dust and fall away. The tulkun have returned.

Once more Awa’atlu stops but there isn’t a storm to dampen this day. Everything has been abandoned to welcome the tulkun home. It is a time for reunions. For stories of what has come to pass since the tulkun last graced the waters of Awa’atlu. Whatever thoughts still lingers in your head are lost in the face of sharing this moment with those you hold dearest. The children are gathered quickly by their parents eager to introduce the younglings to their spirit family. You set off to find the children that have claimed your heart, but Kiri is the only one left inside when you reach the Sully marui looking as downtrodden as she’s been in the weeks since her seizure. It makes you wonder what the Great Mother might have shown her on that day. You’ve yet to mention what you’d seen of her mother, but if Eywa blessed with a meeting with toruk, then Kiri could’ve seen something truly amazing. And yet she hasn’t spoken of what she saw or who she spoke to. It isn’t your place to ask. Connection to the spirit tree is a private commune with the Great Mother and you won’t begrudge her that.

This will not erase her pain but it is your hope that it will ease her spirit even for a moment. Kiri shines so brightly with the light of Eywa and she will surely bloom in the majesty of the tulkun. She barely looks up when you enter the marui, ears lifting only slightly to acknowledge you despite the smile you feel overtaking your face.

“Kiri, come!” When she doesn’t move you guide her to her feet with gentle hands. She returns the soft touch though she is hesitant to heed your urging towards the water.

“What?” She groans but her attitude does little to deter you. She is still young, still hurting. Her words are only as harsh as whatever she is feeling and you’re eager to soothe her pains.

“What is it?” Her voice stops short as you finally guide her outside. She squints in the sun and you wonder when she last left home. For a moment your smile falls and you turn to look at her fully, holding her hands in yours as you look her over with the sharp eyes of a tsakarem. She is the same as you last saw her. Still dulled. Her light has dimmed and it aches your heart to see her faith slip. Eywa has not turned her back on Kiri. It’s clear to see in the way the fish seem to gravitate towards her as you lead her into the water. They mingle around her ankles like they’re caught in a whirling tide but she hardly notices as her eyes take in the spectacle playing out over the horizon. Yellow eyes widen in awe as the two of you watch the village become whole once more. Her hand tightens in yours as she looks to you with the first sparks of excitement shining in her eyes. Suddenly she’s pulling you along, eagerly dragging you along with her.

“Sa’nok!” Tuk shouts gleefully, already bouncing with excitement. She stands behind Kiri on her ilu, hands on her sister’s shoulders as they follow you into the flood of Na’vi and tulkun, tsurak and ilu. The whole of Awa’atlu has poured into the sea and voices rise joyously over the blue waters. It is the blissful sound of the People and tulkun as siblings are reunited after the season apart.

“There! Do you see her? That is my spirit sister.” Your voice is pitched with excitement as Kiri and Tuk ride beside you. The water is warm as you urge your ilu to dive. She chitters happily, feeling the elation coursing through you through tsaheylu. Veyan hums eagerly when her eyes finally see you riding towards her, dismounting as you swim in close. Her voice is a warm timber that sings through the water as you greet her.

«Veyan! Oel ngati kameie.»

«Oel ngati kameie, tsmuke. I am happy to see you.» Her skin feels welcoming beneath your hands as you press your forehead just above her eyes in a gentle embrace. «Who have you brought with you?» She asks when you part. Kiri and Tuk have kept close to you, signing a respectful greeting when Veyan’s eyes land on them. Kiri hugs close to her ilu as Tuk clings to your back, both bashful in the face of your spirit sister. Veyan is a lovely being known for her beautiful voice and playful disposition. She is as curious as they are upon first meeting.

«This is Kiri and this is Tuk.» You gesture to each of them in turn. Names are harder to convey without a voice and you name each with words that are easily signed. Kiri you call txanatan for how brightly she reflects Eywa’s light, and Tuk is weopxtsyìp; little wave. It is a common name tulkun say before a child is properly introduced.

«It seems now is a time for children.» Veyan laughs, pointing her snout across the water. Many Na’vi and tulkun dance in the blue waters but you recognize who she has gestured to.

Ronal is a short distance away and just as you always are you’re struck by your sister’s smile. It’s a rare sight to see the stoic tsahìk so open and unburdened as she speaks with her spirit sister. Roa looks radiant as she cradles a calf beneath her fin. A gorgeous son. You taste the sea on your tongue as a smile breaks across your face. After so long Roa has finally had her child. He looks precious swimming next to his mother, curious eyes taking in the world around him. Just as you’re about to suggest the girls introduce themselves to the young calf they sign that they need air, swimming to the surface.

«They must be a long way from home.» Veyan notes, keen eyes watching their shadows as they float overhead. It is easy to tell their differences. Their eyes, their tails. It’s made clearer as Rotxo finds them, wide limbs clashing with their willowy frames as he gestures for them to follow him. Both you and Veyan surface for a breath as you watch them all swim away. Neteyam is nearby as well, smiling wide as he watches the tulkun breach and twirl, playfully flapping their fins as skimwings fly overhead.

«Is he one of yours too?» Veyan asks when you name each of them properly.

«None of them are mine.» Your tone is dejected as you say the words as you sign. Veyan’s orange eyes roll at your denial.

«I can see it as plainly as the sky, tsmuke. They are your children.» The sound of Roa’s voice raises from beneath you as Ronal and her spirit sister come to join you and yours.

«Children?» The older tulkun asks curiously. She has known you since you were young, seen you through many seasons of your life. Roa is just as much your sister as she is Ronal’s even if the two of you do not share the bond of tsaheylu. You greet her happily, giving her well wishes on the birth of her son. She thanks you with a happy trill, nudging him forward for a shy greeting.

«Three of them.» Veyan says happily, fins fluttering in excitement and nearly shaking you back into the water.

«Four.» Ronal corrects her. «Two sons and two daughters.»

«When did this happen?» Roa asks. You lay back on Veyan’s fin, watching the sky as you try to gather the courage to speak your feelings into the air. You’ve spent months keeping them tucked close to your chest. It is plain to see how deeply you feel for Jake and yet you’ve refused to admit it, like he will disappear if you so much as whisper your affections to anyone. At first it felt wrong to so shamelessly pine for a man that was already spoken for but Eywa has proven you wrong. Now you are unlearning such ideas but it is slow going like pulling the stray threads of a knot. It has taken so much patience and trust in the Great Mother to loosen your grip on the thoughts of desiring a man like Jake being treacherous and wrong. In death, tsaheylu is broken. An ikran may only ride with one hunter in their whole life, but when a spirit sibling is lost another may rise to take their place if a Na’vi so chooses to accept. It is not betrayal, it is balance. As Eywa intends all things to be.

Yet there is still hesitancy in your words as you tell your sisters about Jake. How he came to Awa’atlu seeking uturu, how you challenged Ronal before the clan to allow him and his family to stay, the way your heart has been so easily taken by the Sullys.

«She is in love.» Ronal says, sour attitude clear even as her fingers shape the words. «But stubborn like a child.» Her voice is rife with disappointment. Not at your desire, but your unwillingness to act upon it.

She still taunts you. Making jabs about your empty home knowing that you could so easily join the Sully family if only you let yourself. Ronal may be your elder sister but she is also tsahìk. The will of Eywa is hers to interpret and the Great Mother has made her intentions clear. Yet the longer you go without acknowledging the truth of what you both know the more abrasive she becomes at the mention of it. Now she has grown far past pointed remarks. It has become an argument at even a passing mention. If either tulkun hears the frustration in Ronal’s tone they choose to ignore it. Though even her body has gone tense with dissatisfaction as she floats beside Roa.

«At last?» Veyan rolls over, clearly elated at the news. It knocks you back into the water with her. You take in the shapes of her tattoos on her belly as she spins. The same ones you’ve traced countless times in the years since you’ve bonded. This is news that she has been waiting for since the two of you passed your rites together. Finally you have found a mate. And yet your heart can’t let it be so simple even when what you want is so close at hand.

Jake has kept to the fringes of your life since the night on the terraces. He lingers, just out of reach. Whenever you want me, he said. His heart won’t stray from those words, from you. Even as you pass him in the village he doesn’t dare to speak or touch yet his eyes follow you, gaze wistful as he watches in silence.

«But he is already mated.» You tell them. Ronal narrows her eyes.

«His mate has returned to Eywa.» She quickly corrects you.

«Tsmuke, Eywa sends blessings for a reason. The Great Mother would not give you such a gift if you were not meant to accept it. He has chosen you. All you must do now is choose him.» Roa advises.

«There will be a celebration tonight.» Veyan chimes happily. «You must dress beautifully and go to him. I ask Eywa to bless this union.» Roa seconds her enthusiasm but Ronal keeps any kind words to herself until the two of you have surfaced once more to prepare for the evening. It is nearing eclipse, the sky faded to shades of pink and purple as night closes in. Ronal will have many things to do before the last sparks of sunlight fade from the sky. It is the duty of tsahìk to lead ceremonies and tonight marks one of the clan’s most sacred celebrations.

“Tsmuke,” Ronal says finally, joining you in your marui. Her tone is strong, sharp as a blade. She’s yet to speak and already you know her words will be unsympathetic. Ronal is past sparing you for the sake of sibling harmony. It’s clear in her green eyes that she feels nothing but irritation with you at this moment. It feels much the same as when you were children being scolded for going against her words despite her being the elder. Now she is tsahìk, the leader of your clan, and you must bow to her council no matter your relation.

“I have waited many years for you to choose someone. I do not want to hear any more of this stubbornness. It is done. This man has chosen you and you have chosen him. Not with your words, but with your actions. I see how Jakesully looks at you. I see how his children cling to you. It is as if it was your hands that drew out the aysnatanhì. You See so much and yet you are blind to this. He was mated but she is gone. His heart is free to be given to another. His children will need a mother. I will not allow you to keep yourself from happiness.”

“Syay,” she says pointedly. “It has been decided.”

And so it has. The dreamwalker that looks like Kiri and the woman that shares Neteyam’s face stare at you when you sleep. And when it isn’t their yellow eyes it is toruk’s voice ringing in your mind. He is lonely, in your dreams. Nearly desperate. The same look that takes over Jake’s eyes whenever you pass him by as if he were a stranger. You’re hurting him, you realize, just as much as you are hurting yourself. And it is a pain that can be easily soothed. Eywa has shown you how to heal if only you’ll listen. As if hearing your thoughts as if they were her own, your sister speaks again.

“You were tsakarem just as I was and yet you act as if you do not See. I know that you do. There is freedom in life but some things are decided by the Great Mother’s will. This has been one of those things. Eywa has guided you here, tsmuke, do not ignore her.” Her voice carries a tone of finality. It is the truth and you’ve felt the Great Mother’s guidance. It is as strong and unwavering as mighty toruk, as patient and comforting as Jake’s gentle words. He is meant for you just as you’re meant for him. There is a reason you’ve met him now. He had his mate. She was meant for him just as you are but that was then. Her purpose was served and her spirit returned to be with Eywa. The final hesitant piece of your heart wonders if you’ll leave him just as soon. If your purpose beside him is to be completed just as quickly. It hardly matters. Your heart was his from the moment you first saw him. If death waits close around the bend you’ll gladly face it if he remains by your side until Eywa calls your spirit home.

Ronal seems to soften after she’s said her piece. A heaving breath leaves her as she steadies her anger, expelling the negative energy from her body in a great heaving sigh. After a moment her eyes open and they no longer carry the stinging bite of disappointment. Instead she has softened to a look of quiet anticipation. A small smile sits in the corner of her mouth, barely lifting her cheeks.

“Tonight we celebrate the return of our brothers and sisters. It is a time for happiness. Dress beautifully, wear your adornments. I want to see my sister shine brightly on this sacred night.” It is the same thing you said to her so many years ago on the night that Tonowari chose her. She is relieved, happy. This will be a burden lifted from her shoulders at last. With a resolute nod she leaves you to dress. As a former tsakarem you’re afforded more beautiful garbs than most women of the clan just as Ronal is. Tsahìk is always the most lavishly decorated woman and being your sister’s right hand has provided you with the same dignified attire. The Awa’atlu tradition of training many for the role of tsahìk means that each woman to complete the trials is just as precious to the clan as the chosen tsahìk mated to olo’eyktan. The People often present you with lovely gifts of the most beautiful beads, shimmering shells, and handsomely dyed materials after healing a member of their family or teaching their child to swim. It’s a balanced exchange as you return the favors with carefully made baskets and newly carved knives.

The most precious of these gifts you’ve kept hidden away to be used only as ceremonial pieces. For births and deaths, and the celebration of completed rites. The return of the tulkun marks such a worthy event. It’s as you’re combing through your basket of woven tops and beaded loincloths that Tsireya joins you, arms overflowing with freshly picked flowers.

“Ma sa’tsmuke.” She says happily. There’s a bounce in her step as she sits beside you. “Ma sa’nok has asked us to make aysylangtel for tonight’s ceremony.”

“Did you enjoy your time with your spirit sister?” You ask as the two of you weave together the flower cords. The petals are soft between your fingers as you weave together the stems until you’ve braided a rope as long as your tail. They’re meant to be worn in your hair, along the length of your tswin.

“Yes,” she laughs bashfully, “I had much to tell her.” She doesn’t say more, cheeks flushed a soft shade of purple as her tail sways happily against the woven floor. She speaks instead of making aysylangtel for Kiri and Tuk after you’ve finished with the ones meant for Ronal and herself as well as yours. When they’re finished she gleefully takes them to the Sullys, leaving you with the brightest of the cords. The flowers bloom in shades of sunlight. Red, orange, and yellow petals tipped in black. It feels like another sign from the Great Mother. These are toruk’s colors. It determines your dress as you set aside any choice that isn’t the color of firelight and when the first drum beats begin to echo over the village you emerge from your home draped in flames.

The ceremony is beautiful as it always is. Torchlight dances over the calm waters as the village comes alive with the voices of the People. Ronal’s voice rings over the water as she formally welcomes the tulkun home, Tonowari’s booming voice seconding her words. When the time comes and the drums begin to beat anew Ronal nods to you expectantly. You stride forward in time to the music until the ocean rises up to your knees. The sound of your voice peals through the air like the caw of a bird, sharp and melodic as you begin to sing. The first verse of the song is yours alone as you dance through the water, beads and shells of your clothes tinkling with each movement. Euphoria wells inside you, blooming through your chest like a flower as you sing the story of the tulkun. It is nearly as old as the First Songs, passed down from the ancestors and your body moves with each word. Such dances tell a story, signing in a grander, more fluid way than how you speak in daily life.

Every woman of the village will play a part in this performance and their voices begin to join you. They flow together like the rise and fall of the waves as the song begins in earnest. The history of the tulkun is long and storied. It will take hours before the song is finished. By then the girls will begin to sing, their young voices swelling the music to a close as the tulkun join the chorus. The whole of the celebration moves like the tides as the crowd thins and renews in waves as more people leave and arrive. There is a whole night of celebration ahead and no one will arrive late to enjoy it. The first line of dancers falls away and you with them, returning to find Tuk bouncing excitedly on shore, her eager hopping stirring up soft bursts of sand.

“Sa’nu! Sa’nu!” Her smile is nearly wide enough to split her cheeks, round eyes wide with wonder as she grabs one of your hands in hers. The shortened aysylangtel you made for her beats against her back as she swings your arm eagerly.

“You looked so pretty, Sa’nu!” Kiri settles her hands on Tuk’s shoulders to get her to still.

“You look very lovely, Sa’nok. Your voice is beautiful.”

“Thank you, ’ite.” You dare to say. For a moment, Kiri startles, her brows rising before her face settles into a shy smile. When her gaze flits up to you through her lashes she looks content. It eases your heart to know your sister’s words have been true. Even as you saw Jakesully’s children grow closer to you like flowers bending towards the sun you hadn’t dared to claim them so forwardly, scared of the rejection. They had a mother. You seeing them, no matter how vaguely it has been, truly solidified them in your mind. No longer were they shapeless threads of words said in passing. For you to so blatantly step into that place could’ve been seen as a thing worth sneering at. But there is no offense on Kiri’s face.

“Have you seen your father?” It’s your hope that you don’t sound desperately curious asking after Jake’s whereabouts.

“Last I saw he was with olo’eyktan.”

“I will look for Tonowari then.” You find the olo’eyktan around a fire smoldering in the sand with a few men around him. Many eyes rise to meet your arrival; green, blue, and a bright shade of yellow.

“Our lovely tsakarem.” Tonowari greets you. He’s one of the few in the clan to still call you as such. There’s a fondness in his words that hasn’t wavered since the elders first declared you as a potential mate for him, though the affection between the two of you is like that of siblings. Your heart was never moved by Tonowari the same as your sister’s was. Yet the other men collected around the fire seem more enticed. Their eyes are easy to understand. Drunk from fermented juice and hearts light with the spirit of celebration, they’ve become bolder with their admirations. The only one that is unmoved by your arrival is Jake. His face is tight and guarded, eyes flickering with firelight and nothing else as he watches you watch him. It’s a wonder the way he can so completely close himself off, hiding his soul and masking his feelings. The feeling of wanting to unravel him rises again as you hold out your hand for him to take. It is a request, but there will be great pain inside you if he rejects this humble offering of reconciliation. You are at fault for gouging this rift between the two of you and it’s your hope to bridge it tonight.

For a moment he simply looks at your hand as it sits before him and there’s a cold flash of pain inside you when you realize that you might be too late. He said he would wait. Promised that he would. But perhaps you’ve made him wait for too long. It’s not until his hand joins with yours that your racing mind settles. He looks to where your hand sits in his, thumb tracing over your skin before he meets your gaze once more and it’s like a storm has lifted. The silence between the two of you still speaks so many words as you watch the light of the fire play over his features. Feeling emboldened you pull him away from the men around the fire.

“You must dance.” Jake is already shaking his head before you’re more than two steps from where he’d been sitting.

“You must. It is the way!” A new verse has started and the melody has shifted. In the time of the First Songs the tulkun were unruly. Fighting amongst themselves, killing each other. This new rhythm marks the turn in their histories when they began to see that killing only brings about more killing. It is a livelier tune more fit for dancing than what you had first sung when the celebration began. Already couples are forming on the beach, eager to enjoy the night’s festivities.

“Go,” Tonowari laughs when Jake looks to olo’eyktan for help. “She is one of the best dancers in the clan. You will enjoy yourself.”

“I’ve never been a very good dancer.” Jake laughs as you drag him into the crowd.

“Then show me a dance you know.” The dances of the Metkayina are complex. Men and women face each other and move in a winding line that spins and twirls like waves, weaving between each other and switching partners as you go. It will surely be too much for Jake to learn in a night and he seems to ease at the thought of not joining the already dizzying swirl of dancers. The dance he teaches you is comparatively simple yet more intimate. There’s a closeness about it as you press your hands and chests together before stepping away from each other. Eventually Jake doesn’t want to part and his hands twine with yours, lowering them but not letting go.

“And who taught you this dance Toruk Makto?” The smile on his face slips at your playful words. Sadness flashes in his eyes before it settles into something fond as he releases one of your hands to catch the curve of your cheek in his palm.

“My muntxate.” As soon as he says it his ears fall in shame. Just for a moment it feels as if he isn’t seeing you even as his bright eyes rest on your face.

“Come,” you say to break him from his reverie. “I want to show you something.” He lets you lead him to the water’s edge, following behind when you mount your ilu. Jake says nothing as the two of you ride past the edge of the reef into open waters. There still isn’t much danger so close to the village and you only go as far as a smaller island just outside the safety of the seawall. Jake is silent through all of it, allowing you to lead him wherever you please.

The island’s shores are stony and thick with trees, the world alight with a familiar blue and green glow so far from the light of torches. Jake watches as you dance through the trees, happiness still soaring in your heart despite his soured attitude.

“I’m sorry.” He says, finally breaking his silence.

“What is there to be sorry for?”

“I shouldn’t have said that,” he insists, “not to you.”

“Why shouldn’t you? Unless you are running from me now, Jakesully.”

“Never.” You hear the hesitance in his voice even as he grabs your hand to pull you closer. He looks beautiful in the light of the trees. It’s different from the hues of the village where everything is drawn close to shore over the light of the ocean. Jake looks more at ease here. It is not the forest but it must feel like something close to home for him, or at least that was your hope in bringing him here.

“But it feels wrong. To talk about her. With you.”

“Jake, you said that I may have you. That you will be mine. I do not want just a part of you.”

“You have me, yawne, I swear. I meant what I said that night. I’m yours.” He suddenly seems frantic.

“Jake, I am not ignorant. I know that you have lived before we met. You were tawtute, uniltìrantokx, Toruk Makto. You’ve carried many names, led many lives. I was not a part of it until now. Why would I fault you for decisions made before we met?”

“It doesn’t bother you? That I was mated before now?”

“It did. I felt like I was taking something from someone else. But not anymore. We do not have to be mated before Eywa. I know that tsaheylu is sacred. Knowing that I’m yours is enough.” The words pain your heart but it is a sacrifice that you are willing to make to stay by his side. Bonds aren’t made frivolously. To form tsaheylu is to commit your souls to one another for life, and he has already given that part of himself to another. Life has parted them but, to him, it must feel like a wound that will never heal. It would be wrong of you to ask when he has already given you so much. His eyes search yours and you’re grateful that Eywa has not given your gift to everyone. If she had he would see the falsehood in your words. Still he reassures you.

“I chose you. I want you. All of you.” His hands move from yours, drawing up the length of your arms and the curve of your shoulders until he’s holding your face with the softest touch.

“You look so beautiful.” He whispers so quietly that you’re not sure you were meant to hear, but the sentiment is shared. He is beautiful. Thick locs, yellow eyes, soft stomach. He leans into your touch when your hands find his face in turn, thumbs brushing over the light of his tanhì and the dark shapes of his pil. So different but so familiar.

“Come, I have something to show you.” Jake seems to be in lighter spirits, as playful as he’d been on the night the two of you climbed the terraces. His hand tugs at your tail as you lead him further inland, laughing when you swing your hips to smack him with it. It’s a beautiful sound. One that you prefer to the melancholic tone he’d taken earlier.

“It’s here.” You watch Jake’s face as he ducks into the clearing hidden by low hanging leaves. His head tilts, tail swaying inquisitively behind him.

“What is it?”

“I do not know. I found it once when I was young, avoiding my training as a hunter. Ronal and I call it Wayutral.”

“Tree of Songs?” He’s curious now, ears flickering in interest. The tree is small by comparison to the rest rising to the sky around you. It’s rooted in the basin of a tide pool, trunk twisted like a braid, with only its spindly branches dotted with glowing pink flowers reaching above the glowing water. It’s a strange tree but Pandora is full of such curiosities. Gifts from the Great Mother. The bark of the tree is soft and glows a pale purple at the gentlest touch, lighting veins through the tree when you connect your tswin. In an instant you hear voices raise in a joyous song. It is not always the same but they’re always familiar. Sometimes a lullaby from childhood or one of the First Songs. Today the tree sings a tulkun song meant to welcome a new birth, their voicing ringing deep and haunting in your mind.

“What do you hear?” You ask as Jake ties his tswin to the tree. His brows draw down and his ears tighten against his head. Perhaps it is a sad song the Wayutral has shown him.

“It’s a tawtute song. Like a Taronway. Marines chant it during training.”

“Marines?” Your Na’vi tongue stumbles over the syllables of the word. Another English word for you to learn. Jake breaks tsaheylu and your heart wilts. This was meant to be a happy exchange and it’s been spoiled by memories of his past.

“It’s nothing.” He shakes away the thought.

“I’m sorry. Wayutral only sings memories. I didn’t know what it would show you.” You draw your tswin over your shoulder, fingers picking at the bright flowers of your aysylangtel. The bright petals begin to gray under your anxious fingers until Jake collects your hands in his. His eyes linger on the length of the orange flowers, or perhaps he’s staring at your tswin. Either way his eyes draw away slowly, blinking away the distraction as his eyes meet yours.

“It’s not your fault, sweet girl. I’m not upset, it’s just been so long since I heard anything like that. Brought back memories.”

“Bad memories?”

“Some.” His tone is clipped and he looks lost in thought as his five fingers play over yours. He maps the pattern of your skin with his fingertips until you break his trance with a thought you meant to keep tucked inside.

“I wish I knew.” It’s the truth. There is so much about Jake that you’ve yet to learn but your heart yearns to know every piece of him. But you hadn’t meant to let your longing slip off your tongue. A twinge of shame swims through your chest once more. His life as a tawtute is behind him and yet you want to know what he had been like. So much of his life has happened without you. It’s so uncommon to mate outside of your clan, outside of those that have been beside you since birth. Tonowari grew up beside you and Ronal and yet here is this man that was a stranger some months ago and it’s all you can do to not beg him to sing you the story of his life. You were raised to be in step with Eywa. To listen to her guidance and the spirits of the world around you. A tsahìk does not wait for Eywa’s word, she is always listening. That is what the former tsahìk taught you. Now your ears are eager to listen to every beat of Jake’s spirit. If he were a woven fabric the threads would be many colors, patterns varied as he passed through the different stages of his life.

“You want to know, yawntutsyìp?” His tone is lightened now, eyes bright with mirth as he teases your curiosity. It makes your ears lower bashfully, eyes falling away from him as heat creeps over your cheeks. Jake is quick to draw your gaze back to him with a hand under your chin.

“Don’t be shy now, yuey. If you want to know, I can show you. I can show you everything. Let me give you everything.” His lips find yours, closing the space between you. He kisses you like you are the air in his lungs after going without. Deep and desirous as if he’s trying to draw all that you are into himself, trying to taste your soul on his tongue as it grazes yours. It’s enough to make you sigh against his lips and the sound draws a satisfied smile to his lips. Jake doesn’t let you part more than a hair’s breadth from him, thumbs hooked under the curve of your jaw as he nuzzles against your cheeks.

“I want you with me.” He whispers. “Let me be with you.” A hand leaves your skin, the place he held going cold in an instant, as he draws his tswin over his shoulder.

“This is what I want.” His voice rings with assuredness. “I want this. I want you. All of you.” There isn’t a moment of hesitation as you lift your flowered braid from your shoulder. Your eyes follow the searching tendrils as they twine together until your vision goes white.

The feeling is something beyond words. Every piece of your being is lit like a flame, burning and melting as light bursts behind your eyes. It knocks you to your knees as you feel yourself tear and mend all at once, expanding and joining until there is no part of you–body or soul–that doesn’t feel touched by Jake’s presence. His gasping breath becomes your own. Your hearts beat in tandem. Everything that he is becomes a part of you, the roots of your love winding deeper than they had before. Your voice stutters when you finally find the words to speak.

“I feel you.” They’re hardly words as they fall soft as the wind from your parted lips. Jake laughs and his happiness echoes through tsaheylu. He is content as he basks in your presence. More than just being together under the light of the stars, you’re joined in tirea.

“Ma Jake.” You’re still breathless, still floating on the waves of joy. Every fiber of your being has been tied with his and you can’t tell where you end and he begins as he pulls you into his chest. Gentle hands guide your hazy eyes back to his.

“My girl,” he says through a kiss. “Oel ngati kameie.” He means it. With everything that he is, he means it. Those words, so simple, so common, draw the last dregs of pain and hesitance from your heart. He is yours. You are his.

ɴᴀ’ᴠɪ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs

Naranawm – Polyphemus, the planet Pandora orbits

Nalutsa – a marine animal similar to an akula

Syuratan – bioluminescence

Tsakarem – tsahìk-in-training

Vitra, Tirea – soul, spirit

Yawne, Yawntutsyìp – beloved, darling

Tawtute, Sawtute – sky person, sky people

Ranteng Utralti – Spirit Tree

Tswin – neural braid

Tanhì – star, bioluminescent freckles

Atokirina’ – woodsprite, seed of the Tree of Souls

Aysnatanhì – constellations

Sa’tsmuke – aunt, mother’s sister (speculative)

Aysylangtel – flower cords, daisy chain (speculative)

‘Ite – daughter

Muntxate – wife, female mate

Uniltìrantokx – dreamwalker, avatar

Pil – facial stripes, skin stripes

Wayutral – Tree of Songs (speculative)

Taronway – hunt songs

#jake sully x reader #sully family x reader #avatar x reader #avatar #atwow

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marymary-diva17 · 8 days

Text

The daughter of two worlds (2)

neteyam and daughter reader + sully family and others

Many years had passed and life had gone on for the great mother and her children. As the years had come and gone neteyam had kept true to his promise to his daughter. Along with the passing years that had come the baby girl y/n had grown up, becoming her own person. A girl that had been deemed a child of two worlds as seemed one with the forest, and one with ocean.

y/n " ......." a young girl was walking through her village with a smile on her face.

elder " good morning y/n"

y/n " good morning"

navi women " good morning y/n"

y/n " good morning" you had moved swiftly and graceful as other were walking pass or near the sideline, after a while you had soon reached the healer hut.

mo'at " there is my great granddaughter"

y/n " hello great grand mother"

mo'at " today I thought you will be with your father"

y/n " no dad is off with grandpa and uncles they will not be back until later on, that what grandpa told me"

mo'at " that explains everything"

y/n " I was about to head out and I was wondering if there anything, you need be to gather for healing or will you like me to stay here and help around have some lessons"

mo'at " there no need young lady you had done lessons yesterday with me and help me as well, you should enjoy your time off"

y/n " yes ma'am"

mo'at " good now go have fun I will tell the rest of the family where you went"

y/n " thank you" you had smiled at your great grandmother as you soon left the hut, passing by some of the healers and some people that came seeking help. They gave you smiles when they saw you as you waved to them.

mo'at " Be safe out there"

y/n " I will" you had soon left the village running past the human homes saying hello, to them as well as you soon left the territories of the clan. Since you had always been young you always felt a connection to the forest and the great mother as well, so much that your great grandmother and aunt kiri started teaching you heal and how to understand the great mother even more.

y/n " ......" you had ran on some tree trucks and played with some of the flowers, as you made your way through the forest. After some walking and running you soon reached, a place you always like to hangout. The sound of rushing water had soon draw your attention you soon saw a water fall, a smile had grown on your face as you went to the top of the waterfall.

y/n " this is good enough" you had soon walked away from the edge and soon ran back, jumped off the edge of the waterfall and soon diving into the deepwater below. You had soon open your eyes to see you are underwater a smile grew on your face, the water around you always felt natural to you.

y/n " ......" you had stayed under the water for a while until you had to head back to the surface for air, you had laid on your pack in the water as you floated around.

y/n " huh oh hello there" you had open your eyes when you felt something touching your face, you had soon looked and saw it was wood spirts. You had stoped floating and soon reached out of the spirts as it landed on your hand but soon floated away.

y/n " goodbye" you had stayed near the river a bit more working on your skills and enjoying, the beautiful surrounds near you. Soon the sun started setting and it was time to head home.

???? " y/n" you had heard your name getting called you soon looked up to see your dad but with your uncles. You had waved towards them as you made your way towards them.

neteyam " hello my daughter it seems like you had wonder off today"

y/n " yes I did great grandmother said she didn't need me today, and said I should enjoy my day as I please and wish for so I decide to do this dad"

neteyam " I can see that"

Jake " a wild spirt as every my granddaughter"

y/n " yes grandpa" Jake had laughed as he patted your forehead the whole family, knew you had a wild spirt.

lo'ak " so what have you done today"

y/n " explore the beauty of the forest uncle and seeing what has to offer today"

tsu'tey " she also have wisdom in her as well"

Jake " neytiri has been teaching her well"

spider " sounds like aunt neytiri"

Jake " come on everyone lets get home before night comes upon us" the group had nodded their head and soon made their way home, they soon reach it while the sun is still out.

neytiri " there you all are"

y/n " grandma hello"

neytiri " hello my dear I had a feeling you were out exploring"

Jake " well she is our wild spirted and wise spoken granddaughter"

kiri " welcome back everyone"

tuk " welcome home"

y/n " aunt kiri and aunt tuk"

tuk " hey y/n it good to see you sorry we were not able to hangout with you today"

y/n " it okay I understand you are all busy"

neytiri " well why don't you all join us for dinner tsu'tey and spider will you both like to, come we can invite norm as well"

tsu'tey " we will love that"

neytiri " good" the family had gather for a good dinner and everything was going well in the sully family home. You are sitting with your father eating your meal as everyone talked about anything.

mo'at " you know my son I think your daughter will make a good healer, and maybe future tshaik after her aunts"

kiri " yes brother she every skilled and keeps on getting better"

neteyam " umm that good sweetheart will you love to become a healer or tshaik"

y/n " yes but I will also like to learn to fight and hunt as well"

lo'ak " that sounds like a good deal"

Jake " then we can make that happen"

y/n " yes" the family had laughed at your response as you had looked at neteyam.

y/n " dad is everything okay"

neteyam " oh yes my love everything is fine no need to worry" the family had gotten done eating dinner and soon started hanging out inside the home and outside. You were hangout outside having a good time with some other teens your age as well.

Jake " we all know one day she was travel to sea and see what it had to offer her"

neteyam " I know father but I will take sure to be there for her"

kiri " brother we all know y/n has faced many challenges and she, will be able to face this one but with all of us there with her and you"

neytiri " it still makes me mad that they regret her like that all because she different, it goof she different that what makes her special"

neteyam " that what I love about her and I know my daughter will do well"

lo'ak " yes but when she learns the truth of what happened in the past, how will she deal with the situation as either us or anyone else could keep the whole truth hidden anymore ... it might come from us or them maybe someone else"

neteyam " I have been working on telling her the truth when that time comes I will tell her" the family had looked at you as you dance or talking with the other kids and tuk having a good time.

neteyam " for now lets her have some fun while she can while we all can, with what has been going on"

Jake " you are right my son" neteyam was right as the family agreed with him, as they soon joined in with the night actives. That night father and daughter had gone home, neteyam did love you his daughter with all his heart but he also felt sadness for you. As you had been abandoned by the person he loved many years ago, along with the rest of his family and clan. He knew you are doing well and in no time you will show everyone, what you are made of when that day comes. The sully family and clan will be by your side when they day comes when the past comes, back to everyone and thing might not be the same anymore once it does.

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monster-untamed · 4 months

Text

A long post about my hearthome

Context- I must explain first… If you are an alterhuman that’s not familiar with my blog, I gotta explain I’m a turtle spirit/god

So take that information now because this post will make so much more sense if you know that about me lol

also please excuse spelling errors

————————————————

Intro-I don’t think of myself as a past life aterhuman, but I am for sure a spiritual alterhuman.

In short, my experience is knowing my species identity not as a “I was once this” but rather “I was supposed to be this”

My hearthome is a similar thought. I know I was supposed to be born (or hatched) there but something failed in a cycle of either reincarnation or karma.

I am certain that I belong there but I’ve never actually been to the place. All I get are glimpses of it.

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What it looks like- My hearthome is just one big continent on an otherwise completely oceanic planet, with a few small islands scattered around the sea. It’s very similar to Earth’s Pangea.

I was supposed to be from one of the small islands but we’ll get back to that later…

The continent itself is very jungle-like and possesses bioluminescent rivers and ponds. Most of the architecture was built similarly to early eastern Asian architecture. As for the islands, most remained untouched but others were formed into small villages of huts and treehouses.

————————————————

Who lived there- There are a variety of creatures that inhabit the world but the major ones are humans, animals, and ‘animal gods’ or demigods.

Demigods are usually half animal/half humanoid but some demigods were even created to be a place of elements. (oceans, forests, mountains, stars, etc)

I am a demigod from this world and I mostly resemble a green sea turtle but sometimes I see myself as a red eared slider, I’m not actually sure

All demigods or elemental beings were created by dragons, who were complete gods. Some dragons became teachers for the newly spawned demigods to show them their ways and philosophies but very rarely.

They have to have a very big plan for you if they are going to teach you forbidden knowledge when you were just born.

————————————————

What was the culture like- Now that you know some information about the main continent, I would like to shift the subject to my island home. The name of the island was never told to me but I do know about the practices and beliefs we share.

Opalite is extremely important to us. My clan uses them to create spears, bowls, and jewelry. The way we get these gems is not really possible in the current world I live in, because opalite here needs to be crafted by a human, but in my hearthome, the gems would be formed from the sand and would scatter the ocean floor until someone swam to the bottom to retrieve a piece. Grabbing your first opalite is very much of a ride of passage for my village.

Unlike the people/creatures on the continent who honor dragons, we chose another creature to be our symbol, Orcas. We know the significance of the dragons of course but we put more praise in the creatures we see everyday, rather than dragons that only resided in the main areas of the world.

Makes sense now, knowing that I’m orcahearted

The food we prepare on the island is always amazing. We usually hunt our own fish and grow our own fruits. Most of the fruits that exist on the island sadly don’t exist on this world.

Surfing and sailing is how my village got around to other islands or to the continent, but mainly we did it for fun.

Clothing is usually loose and silky. Mainly lots of beads, gems, and lightweight fabric. Shoes aren’t worn unless you are traveling a long distances, then you would wear geta shoes or something of the sort.

Our music is what I miss/yearn for the most. I wish I could describe it but it’s like it doesn’t want to translate into human words. I don’t think I can verbally illustrate it in a way that gives it justice. It feels like water…? It makes you feel like water is rushing around you, like you are in the center of a river made only of sound.

I think I should stop here, as I am loosing my words…

————————————————

I apologize if this one was an info dump but I appreciate you reading through all this, even if you are one of the sneaky critters that skipped to the end.

I wish I knew more. I wish I could truly be there but that’s not possible. All I have are visions that I hold close to my chest that I now share with you :)

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#otherkin #otherkinity #alterhuman #alterhumanity #nonhuman #alterbeing #hearthome #otherhearted #alterhuman community #therianthropy

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uncsukuna · 2 months

Text

songs made by black artists that i think would suit jjk characters. oh my god this took forever to format n link songs. anyway, happy black history month yall!!!! i hope yall like this bc im sick of seeing taylor swift pop up in the list of artists gojo would listen to <33

gojo – starboy the weeknd, daft punk + ghost town kanye west, partynextdoor

for starboy it just gave im that nigga vibes, and for ghost town it's just the entire ‘i alone am the honored one’ scene. but mayb it could also be applicable to current gojo? idk.

geto – like a tattoo sade

fun fact: this is actually the inspo for my user!! the whole ‘broken by the burden of his youth’ and ‘hungry for life, thirsty for the distant river’ reminds me of his whole reason for defecting. he's hungry for life (wanting sorcerers to not have to risk their life to protect non-sorcerers & actually live a long, fulfilling life) and thirsty for the distant river (remember when they kept with the race/hallway analogy? yeah, and geto's goal was always going to be unattainable for him simply bc he didn't have the strength)

yuuji – adorn miguel + crooked smile j. cole, tlc

UGGHHH he's just so lovely. the most supportive boy ever i love my son sm, and that is my only justification for my song choices.

megumi – alone willow + nineteen pinkpanthress + answer tyler, the creator

tbh… idk bros been goin thru it this entire series, but esp recently. for answer, i rlly liked the first couple of verses (idk what to actually call it, but it's before the first chorus) bc it aligns well w papaguro n megumi. ig the stepdad could be gojo…?

nobara – no scrubs tlc + conceited flo milli + apeshit the carters + on my mama victoria monét

she takes nobody's bs n i love that for her!!! i feel like she'd absolutely love flo milli + megan thee stallion.

nanami – lotus flower bomb wale, miguel + i love you more than you know black party, childish gambino

sorry i rlly like him y'all... there's no angsty reason for these songs! n for i luv u more than yk, it's just nanami if/when he goes to malaysia :3

choso – do you like me? daniel caesar

i actually dk for this one... i just thought it suited him! yk since he wants to live as a human n when he loves he loves hard (shown by how determined he is to be the best older brother to his lil siblings)

toji – she will lil wayne, drake + foe tha love of $ bone thugs-n-harmony, eazy-e + crack rock frank ocean

i am a firm believer toji would like 90s + early 2000s rap. it just makes sense idk, also i once saw a post that said he died just a bit b4 no hands by waka flocka came out and... hey! for crack rock, it's just post-mamaguro him n instead of crack, it's his gambling addiction

sukuna – hater's anthem infinity song + hit ‘em up 2pac, outlawz + king’s dead jay rock, kendrick lamar, future, james blake + unbothered ski mask the slump god

he's a hater just for my son. bum ass nigga... and for hit em up: ‘don't one of u niggas got sickle cell or sumn? u fuck around n have a seizure or a heart attack’

maki & toji – worst behavior drake

self explanatory! them n their rebellion against the zenin clan <3

gojo & geto – oui jeremih

cause if weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! sorry but this is fueled by geto saying ‘we are the strongest’... thats it :p

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk gojo #jjk geto #jjk nanami #jjk yuji #jjk megumi #jjk nobara #jjk maki #jjk choso #jjk toji #jjk sukuna #jjk headcanons #gojo headcanons #geto headcanons #toji headcanons #sukuna headcanons

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dollfishu · 1 year

Photo

How Demons Sleep ~

Right to Left:

Oni Eiko - Murmur Tsumuru - Garp Goemon - Agares Picero - Furfur - Crocell Kerori - Leviathan Leiji - Balam Shichiro - Balse Robin - Ifrit Djinn Eito - Vine Garson

My Rough Translation:

- STANDARD:

Caps to protect horns.

There are some devils who use earmuffs and covers to protect parts of their face. The bed and pillows are generally large, as the wings, tail, and body may get deformed due to different sleeping positions.

- HAMMOCK:

Popular because of its floating feeling. Recommended for uninhibited demons. Many demons lay out their favorite things in it. There are holes through which feathers and tails can pass.

- Garp's Face Cover:

Handmade face cover used so as not to accidentally flip the face hair.

- Agares's Shisho Bed:

A blissful fluffy bed that only the Agares family is allowed to have.

- Tail-wrapping Type:

Wraps his/her tail around the whole body. Excellent sense of security.

(This is Sergeant Furfur)

- Water Tank (Reiji):

For demons that live in the water. High-end products.

Commonly used for sleeping in oceans and rivers, but often used for sleeping on land. Reiji's is a fully-equipped, ultra-luxury water tank.

- Ice Beds:

(Kerori and Chima)

A cool bed in the Crocell family. Handmade by the mother. Made of ice that never melts.

- Burning Cradle (Ifrit):

Sleeps in a fire that burns all night long.

An excellent product that can be used many times by simply re-lighting it.

- Nest Faction (Balam):

Made of tree branches and dead grass. Sleeps by wrapping himself with his own feathers. Basic cross-legged posture.

- Robin:

Sleeps on flowers and grass.

Sleeps in trees.

- Crucible Faction (Vine):

Poison jar. No.1 in attack resistance (meaning it is difficult for anyone to attack Vine when he is in the jar.) Favored by demon clans that are resistant to poisons. Some clans sleep in poison swamps.

#Mairimashita! Iruma kun #M!IK #Iruma-kun #Welcome to the Demon School #Balam Shichirou #This is really interesting!#Especially the burning cradle!#Again this is a rough translation #Apologies if there are any mistakes

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ask-cupbros-parents · 11 months

Note

I noticed Utena is bi. Has she ever dated a girl before?

Asked by @iegendaryhotdog

[A/N: Kai is a mermaid, she’s a casino singer. She uses her siren/mermaid voice to lure people into Devil's Casino and gamble. Utena broke up with Kai long before she met Walter. ]

♣️ Previous ♥️ Next

♠️ First ♦️

*Please do not repost or trace my artwork!

Patreon

@whosectype helped me to design Kai, here are her design sketches:

#cuphead #cuphead and mugman parents #cuphead parents #cuphead oc #walter watterson #utena teacup #ms chalice #the legacy of inkwell isle #at casino #ocean & river clan #Kai mermaid #The mic the waterproof btw

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pandoras-box0 · 11 months

Text

|| : Title : 'comfort me '

|| : Character : Ralak x omatikaya! reader

|| : Content Warnings : just comfort; caring! ralak; reader having a tough time; suggestive parts, no smut; ralak undresses and dresses reader; mentions of ralak and reader's kids, they're with reader's family; reader is a sully

|| : Synopsis : 'when you try so hard and still feel like you aren't enough, ralak is here to make everything better.'

Hot tears prickle your eyes as you sulk to your's and Ralak's shared pod, your tail dragging lowly behind you leaving a trail in the sand. The cool breeze on your skin only makes your face burn hotter as your fuck up from earlier hangs on your conscience heavily.

You had been trying to make yourself useful to the clan. It began when you heard a few women mumble about you during an early communal meal that you attended by yourself. You were retrieving fruit for you, your mate, and your children when you heard Kiko and Mawä, two gatherers that you've had brief interactions with, poke fun at you after an arranged gathering party, foraging ocean flora.

Sure you weren't the greatest at it, but you're built for the forest, not the ocean.

"She's such a rìk eltu [leaf brain]! Made the group late with her antics. She dives like a child!" A young metkayinan woman groans to her friend, talking behind her hand in an attempt to shield their conversation.

"Be nice, Kiko! Ronal said be patient with the forest people, especially Y/N! They're already unfit for the ocean but she is behind, even for her own." Another woman interjects, her words are kinder, yet the pity lacing them is gag-worthy. Only making you feel feeble and inadequate. The truth settling in your stomach in a nauseating churn, making your spirits heavy.

You'd been trying to pull your weight with the gatherers, after Ralak bestowed you with confidence, not wanting you to feel couped up in his marui. You thought it was going well, sure you were taking your time but you always made sure to grab more than enough for the clan as you gathered.

You did have a hard time in your own clan, being smaller than most adult na'vi. There were things you strived at, even though you fell short at most things, but those skills are of less importance to the sea clan. You offered to help Ronal with the wounded, but the woman turned you away. Stating that she didn't need any more healers crowding her tent. Weaving is another strong suit of yours, being that your mother has taught you the traditional methods of Omatikayan weaving, but after your interaction with Ronal, you were far too insecure to approach the weavers.

This afternoon, you and the other gatherers were in the forest behind the village of Awa'atlu. You thought because you were getting a chance to work in something close that resembles home, that it would be easy to excel. Wrong.

There was a plant in the middle of one of the rivers that cut through the island of Awa'atlu, and you offered to retrieve the needed leaves from it's branches, when one of the Metkayinan women asked someone to gather it. The woman snickered at what you assumed was your eagerness to prove yourself, but nodded away to the plant. You went out into the knee deep water, the current strong but not enough to knock you off your stable footing. Your basket of freshly gathered yovo fruit on your hip when you could've, should've left it on the river bank.

The leaves clung to the branches a lot stronger than your anticipation allowed and you lost your stable footing when the leaves didn't give. Your bare foot dug into the sand to stabilize yourself but your foot landed on a sharp root. You and your basket crash into the water as you jump to cradle your now sore foot.

The sting of the water burning through your lungs was no match to the amused laughs and pitiful groans that hit your ears when you break through to the surface. Through hair that clings to your face, you watch as the water carries away your finding, food for the clan, down the river. The purple fruit bobbing in the water. Your ego shatters as you brush away your sopping hair, making eye contact with extremely annoyed gatherers. Tired eyes of people ready to go for the day glaring at your shocked and coy expression, as the inconvenience of your actions renders them busy further into the day than they'd originally planned. Oh, Eywa. Why me?

A purple flush paints your rich blue skin as you recall the incident. Fingers clenching around yovo fruit - obviously not collected by you - bruising the skin of the fruit for your little family as embarrassment courses through you at the memory. The disappointment and annoyance of the men and women before you. How plenty laughed at your woeful preform, entertained by the forest na'vi falling face first into the river.

As you draw closer, you hope your mate and children wouldn't mind the slightly bruised fruit. They wouldn't, they never do. You could do no wrong in Ralak's eyes, and your kids looked at you as if you hung the tahni in the skies yourself. You knew that, but with the way most of the Metkayina looked at you as an inconvenience. You fear that your family looks at you just the same.

The door of your Marui is flapping in the wind that pushes your burning tears off your face. The sight of Ralak's large silhouette moving inside causes you to dry your face. Ralak had enough to worry about as is, Tonowari still having the man perform eyktanay, although he gave that title up when the two of you settled down. It wasn't frequent, just enough to the point that Ralak would be stressed. You couldn't layer your less serious inconveniences to the clan duties your mate struggled with.

You enter the threshold of your home, trying to refrain from getting Ralak's attention as you calm yourself from today's unfortunate events. And for a second your inconveniences slip from your mind, your Marui pod far more empty than it usually was, only the noises of your mate reaching your ear. "Where are the kids," your voice is a lot more harsh than you intended for it to come out as, as it makes Ralak whip around in shock. The fruit falls from your hands and the both of your wince.

His eyes soften at your appearance, soft dark blue face hardened in stress, there are dried tear tracks lining your cheeks. He can clearly see how your wet clothes leave puddles where you stand but he says nothing of it, just offering a kind gummy smile. It would've melted away your worry if you weren't so terribly stressed out. "They're with your family, Jake just came for them, said they wanted to take them for a picnic." Ralak makes his way over to you as he speaks, crossing the Marui in seconds with his long, defined legged, running a hand along your skin comfortingly as he passed to tie the door shut.

You nod at his words, your body deflating as a sigh leaves your lips. You turn from Ralak to peel yourself out of wet clothes, shielding yourself and your shame from the man. The wooden boards of the Marui croak under his under foot, allowing you to now when he's moving closer.

Your hands reach behind your back, fingers struggling to untie the knot of your top that rests in the middle of your back. Your finger keeps missing the loop as you struggle to undo the top. Cool hands brush over your flush skin, and you jolt as Ralak breathes into your hair. His large hand wraps around your wrist delicately to not hurt you, just to stop you.

"I've got it, paskalin. Allow me." Ralak's words are soft yet firm, the man set on helping you release some of the stress. Even if you are a bit hesitant. "It's fine-"

"Nonsense. I insist, my mate." His fingers pluck the knot that keeps your top up, the wet material hitting the floor with a splat. The air on your still damp skin is cold, but you don't feel much of it, hot with embarrassment. Ralak's touches are grounding, alleviating your worrying mind as he rids you of your damp clothes. And the smell he's putting out is calming, your body reacting to the scent instantly, body growing less tense. Ralak leaving smoothening touches along your skin as he does so, before hanging them to dry as he picks them up and walks off. A 'are is placed around your shoulders, keeping your damp body warm until Ralak can find you something suitable to wear.

His actions are all comfort, touches soft and relieving as your mate cares for you, guiding you to the plush pile of sleeping mats. It makes your heart race as you think about how attentive Ralak is. He didn't need to ask what was wrong to know something weighed on you heavy. The whole thing brings tears to your eyes, the stress of today and Ralak's quiet tenderness.

The redolence of Ralak permeates through the air, clinging heavily in the damp atmosphere, and you keen at the earthy, musky scent. Drooping and tearful eyes watch Ralak return with your clothes, things he's made for you. And the dam just breaks. Honestly your eyes hurt from all your tears. You so desperately wanted to fit in with the people and though there are those who love you, important people to you, those that rejected your efforts hurt.

Ralak's heart shatters at your sobs, he'd been the one to encourage you to partake in that gathering party. He wanted you to get out there and find something you enjoyed, and get you out of the house. His plan failed miserably and now you are in your shared bed, soaking the moss cover in tears.

"I- I'm sorry, I really tried! I fell in the river! I got called a leaf brain-" You sobbed dramatically as you try to explain the situation to Ralak, throwing your arms in defeat as you crumbled in on yourself when he gives you a brief look of confusion due to your jumbled words. Your mate's comforting scent is not yet strong enough or fast enough to calm you as you choke out tearful apologies. All Ralak can do is comfort you, and he does it without thinking.

Large hands cup your tearful face, Ralak brings you to look him in the eyes. The pads of his thumbs brush away your tears, and continue to do so as they fall. Only dropping from your face to dress you hastily when your tears stop briefly. A sigh rattles your chest as you feel Ralak moving you over to slide in the bed beside you. Grounding hands tuck you into his chest, smoothing over your damp hair. "I know you tried, Paskalin. I am sorry."

One look at Ralak's face and you can see the regret on his face. You wanted to earn your place with the clan so bad, so you'd been so excited because of his recommendations, your mate encouraging you to do anything, especially the things you loved. Clearly you were the problem, the only one of your siblings to still be so behind. Ralak did amazing training you for your Iknimaya, yet the insecurities latch to your spirit. "Y-you don't have to apologize, Lak. It is not your fault that the women talk or my lack of skills. I passed my Iknimaya yet I am still useless to the clan." You laugh bitterly through your tears, and it makes Ralak kiss his teeth.

"You do not lack the skills, tahni. You are an excellent gatherer when given the patience that my people should have. They lack the understanding of uturu." It takes a lot to make Ralak angry, you could count on one hand, how many times you seen your mate genuinely angry. Not upset, not mad, angry. "They squawk like ilu, nì'eveng. You are not useless."

Ralak gives your head a soft kiss, although his hands shake with anger. He pulls away from your shared embrace, you deflating slightly at his lack of warmth and comfort. You watch his stalk around the Marui, seemingly looking for something. "Lak? What are you..?"

You see him reach into your basket of weaving products, before pulling out a few of your works. You watch as he pulls out a few mats you've made for the house and fishing nets you'd been working on for Ralak and the other fishermen. The works are intricate, a raw display of skill and culture. No one can weave like the Omatikayan people. While you could do the gathering with a bit of trouble, weaving is your happy place. You put your emotions into every little intricate part of the design. And Ralak would never deny that you're amazing at weaving, even if you don't feel on par with the clan and the other skills.

"You can out-weave any Metkayinan I know." Ralak speaks lowly, calmly as he walks to where you sit, in your bed of thick sleeping mats you wove to keep the two of you comfortable. The net is made up of a harder, more durable seagrass, the kind that's harder to find due to how close it grows around the edge of the reef. He gives you a knowing look as Ralak watches your face heat up at his compliment. "These are works of art. This damn thing gets me more compliments than the ones I've created." He can't stop the smile playing on his lips when he watches you grin at his self deprecating words, although he's hardly joking.

"I know you may be a bit hesitant to meet with the weavers, but if you'd like to accompany me and weave more things for me," You love making nets for Ralak, how he'd revere everything you've made, and not just because you were his mate, and gifting him things. But because you are truly talented, gifted in the ways of weaving. Every piece made with love, skill and patience. "I'd treasure every creation, and I know the fishermen would appreciate your efforts as well."

Your face heats up at the compliment as Ralak shows your designs, marveling at the unique design. He looks truly in awe, not just with your work but with you. His blue eyes look past it to relish in the smile that's on your face. "You create beautiful things, Tahni." Ralak says before putting the unfinished net back. He makes his way to you in quick strides and he drops to his knees. He gathers your hands in his own, his blue eyes burning with certainty. "And you have the skills to be Metkayina. You are Metkayina, you have been since you sought out uturu and I am sorry that some of the clans people forgot the true meaning of uturu."

And as his words sink in, you smile and shake from his grasp, wrapping your arms around him gently. A small thank you leaving your lips as you burrow your head in the crook of his neck. And you truly are thankful, thankful for the way your mate comforts you.

|| : Na'vi Key :

Rìk eltu - leaf brain

Tahni - stars

Paskalin - sweet berry

'are - shawl/cape/poncho

Nì'eveng - childish/immature

2023 © Pandoras-Box0 — all rights reserved. do not repost or recommend my works on any other site. plagiarism will not be tolerated! inspiration is appreciated if credited, reblogs and comments are also appreciated. Minors dni with my content.

|| : Author's notes : this is a drabble of @zestys-stuff 's oc Ralak, he is such a lovely character. And @tiredmamaissy wrote an amazing series on him! I highly recommend checking both the creators out! This isn't edited and I had fleeting motivation working on this and I hope it doesn't show, I feel like the ending is horrible, so I may come through and change it😭 I wanted to create a comfort drabble for Ralak but I can make a part 2 to this that's smutty 🤞🏼

#avatar twow #avatar imagine #avatar oc #the way of water #avatar fanfiction #avatar fluff #ralak x reader #ralak

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whispering-clan · 5 months

Note

What are the other clans names if you don't mind me asking?

Roaringclan, Singingclan, Weepingclan, Echoingclan, and Growlingclan!

Roaringclan's territory is half hilly meadows/moors and half oak & birch forests. Their dens are dug out abandoned fox dens.

Singingclan's territory is bordered by a river which has an off shoot that goes through their territory. They r the fishers and swimmers. The rest of their territory is forest.

Weepingclan is also bordered by the river but their territory is more marshy, their camp is surrounded by willow trees.

Echoingclan lives in caves by the ocean, their territory is made up of caves, the beach and oceanic habitats.

Annd Growlingclan lives further down the mountain in a rocky terrain that also reaches the ocean edge, though most of their land that touches the ocean are cliffs.

#there are a LOT of clans lol #cryptid answers #Whisperasks #whisperingclan

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petriquors · 1 year

Text

Maple & Steel

samurai!Iwaizumi x fem!reader angst

Pre-Edo Period royalty AU

The kami blessed you with a perfect day in your family’s garden, but you thank them with a restless heart. Seated under your favorite tree, a stunning maple with leaves as red as blood, your mind is anywhere but here.

You’ve read the same sentence in your book a dozen times, but you still can’t remember what it says. Every syllable drowns under the ominous swirl of your thoughts, so, with a sigh, you decide that reading is just as hopeless as you feel.

“What troubles you, my lady?”

When you look up, you see a man whose broad shoulders eclipse the low afternoon sun. The turquoise-and-white kamishimo he wears moves gently with every step, making him look like water flowing calmly over stones.

On any other day, his presence would soothe you just as much as a walk by the river would. But today, Iwaizumi Hajime, the eldest son of his clan, is the last person you want to see.

The gentle breeze stills. Without it, the summer air hangs heavily around you, and silence buries the garden.

Iwaizumi inclines his chin in your direction, peering down his nose at you. “Speak.”

“You would command me?” You smile through your threatening tone. You are the daimyo’s daughter, while he’s just a samurai’s son. If your father heard him speak to you that way, swift punishment would be in order.

If only your father knew about the romance you’ve been hiding from him.

You stand up, hiding your face in the shadows of the maple tree. Carefully, you eye Iwaizumi; watching, waiting for him to answer. On most days, he would respond to your coyness in kind, but today is not most days.

Today, a rift as wide as the sea lies between you, and you fear what you might find in his face when you cross the depths.

“Please,” he says gently, “tell me what’s on your mind.”

When Iwaizumi calls, you can’t help but answer. From the moment you met him as children, he’s known your heart well enough to see through lies and half-truths with frightening ease. “I heard your name on the war party roster. You’re going to travel at my father’s side.”

Though it was not a question, he still answers. “Yes.”

Your breath catches in your throat and tears sting your eyes. You knew it was true, but your heart still clenches when you hear it from his lips. “Congratulations.”

Riding with the daimyo is an incredible honor, but his eyes are full of dread. He looks away from you, searching for comforting words he cannot seem to find. “We ride west in the morning.”

“How far? How long?”

“Telling you might put you in danger,” he says.

“With whom?”

The stiffness of his upper lip is all the answer you’ll receive. You know that he’s right. He’s doing his best to protect you from the storm of war that gathers far to the west, but something more slices through your heart with a katana’s precision.

You leave the maple tree’s shade and step into the sun, placing yourself within arm's reach of Iwaizumi. You watch his hands twitch at his side, see him internally weigh actions and consequences, duty and honor—and then, he seizes you by the hand.

You grip his arm. It’s sturdy, like a tree branch, so you wind your weak, vulnerable roots around him. In seconds, you’re captured in his embrace, planted firmly where your heart knows you belong.

When he grabs your face, neither the cool silk of his kimono nor the warmth of his fingertips can stop your tears. He holds you as gently as he would hold the head of a rose, with a touch so delicate that you barely feel him. You need more, you realize, as your longing overtakes you completely.

“I will not have you become a ghost,” you sob.

A shaky breath flows from his lips, and you marvel at how well he manages to tame his emotions while yours are a raging ocean.

“I can’t protect you from this pain,” he whispers. You know his heart, too; he takes on your pain as if it’s his own, and counts every ounce of fear you feel as a personal failure.

You can't bear to look at him, so you let your tears soak his sleeve instead. A hum ripples from his chest and reaches your ears, shushing you as gently as a honed warrior possibly can.

With his free hand, he begins to stroke your hair. “Please, don’t cry for me. Sadness doesn’t suit your beauty.”

“But what if—”

“I would kill every cruel thought in your head if I could,” he interrupts. His voice has a sharp edge that makes you believe the threat wholeheartedly. “And then, I’d fill the space with sweet words instead.”

You sniffle. “Iwa—”

“I would write ten thousand songs for you. I would use ink and paper I made myself, so you can feel the patience of my love in every brush stroke. I would string together the words the kami whisper through the trees when I think of you. I would read them to you personally, reciting every word by your bedside until you grow sick of me.”

Finally, a smile tries to return to your face. You bite your lip, nuzzling his chest. “I could never grow sick of you.”

“Good,” he says. “Because I am nothing without your affection. When I ride west, when I raise my sword, I only do so to fight for a better future—one that you deserve.”

The wind picks up, rustling the maple leaves and billowing through his kamishimo. You tilt your head to look at him, and you find red-rimmed eyes and a sad smile that’s full of love. Your heart beats like a butterfly’s wings.

“Wait for me,” he says

“Come home to me,” you reply.

“I will,” he says. “I promise, my love.”

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi angst #haikyuu angst #haikyuu royalty au #iwaizumi royalty au #knight!iwaizumi #knight iwaizumi #princess!reader #princess reader #my stuff #my angst #my Iwaizumi Hajime stuff #my Iwaizumi Hajime angst

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themodernwitchsguide · 8 months

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the norse gods

WYRD: destiny, the past that led up to the present

ORLOG: the relationship between actions and outcomes, the things in the present that affect the future

our primeval chaos this round,

GINNUNGAP: an area of abyss in between Niflheim (ice) and Muspelheim (fire). when these two regions grew in power and clashed, water was created

for once we only have one creation myth,

YMIR/AURGELMIR/BRIMIR/BLAINN: ancestor of the jotnar, he was born from venom that dripped from the rivers in Ginnungagap. fed on the milk of Auðumbla, Ymir bore a male and female out of his armpits and a six-headed being from between his legs. Odin, Vili, and Ve created earth from his flesh, oceans/rivers/lakes from his blood, mountains from his bones and teeth, trees from his hair, clouds from his brain, heavens from his skull, and Midgard from his eyebrow

AUÐUMBLA: primordial cow that was created from the fluid of melting ice in Ginnungap, she fed Ymir and licked the god Buri out of a salt rock over the course of three days

BURI: ancestor of the Aesir gods, fathered Bor

BOR: married the daughter of a frost giant, Bestla, and bore three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. these three grew tired with the unruly jotnar and killed Ymir, causing an avalanche of blood that killed all the giants except for Bergelmir and his wife

BERGELMIR: the ancestor of all "new" giants, resettled his race in Jotunheim

clan Aesir

ODIN: god of poetry, wisdom, war, and magic. Odin crowned himself king of the gods as he was the first one to decide to kill Ymir. he allowed himself to be hung from Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights in order to understand the secrets of the runes and sacrificed one of his eyes in order to see the cosmos more clearly. some stories claim he could shape and understand Wyrd and Orlog. he had wolves named Gerki and Freki, ravens named Huminn and Muninn, and an eight legged horse named Sleipnir

FRIGG: once may have been the same goddess as Freyja, she is queen of the Aesir and goddess of beauty, love, and fertility, she was gifted with the power of foresight

BALDUR: son of Odin and Frigg, he was the pinnacle of beauty and likeability. his only weakness was mistletoe

HODR: son of Odin and Frigg, the blind god, he is tricked by Loki into shooting a mistletoe arrow, which kills Baldur

VALI: in some stories he's the son of Odin and the jotun Rindr, in others he's the son of Loki, but it makes more sense for him to be a son of Loki so let's just go with this. conceived to avenge his brother Baldur, which he did by killing Hodr and binding Loki with the entrails of Narfi

VIDAR: son of Odin and the jotun Gríðr, he is the god of vengeance, and is fortold to avenge his father by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarok

HEIMDALL: son of Odin and "The Nine Mothers" (nine sea giants), god of keen eyesight and hearing, sometimes foresight. guardian of the Bifrost

TYR: son of Odin, god of war, justice, and order, he lost one of his arms to the wolf Fenrir

BRAGI: son of Odin, god of poetry

IDUNN: wife of Bragi, goddess of youth and fertility, her apples rejuvenated the Aesir gods and reversed the effects of aging

JORÐ: personification of the earth, consort of Odin, sometimes considered to be a jotun

THOR: son of Odin and the goddess Jörð, he is the god of lightning, storms, strength, fertility, and the protector of humankind. he wields the hammer Mjolnir

SIF: Thor's wife, goddess of faith, family and fertility

THRUD: daughter of Thor and Sif, goddess of strength

MAGNI: son of Thor and the jotun Járnsaxa, god of wrath

MODI: son of Thor, god of might

MIMIR: god of knowledge and wisdom, in some stories he is the advisor of Odin. he is sent either as a peace maker or hostage to the Vanir, where he is decapitated. Odin preserved his head and keeps it to guard a well on one of the roots of Yggdrasil

LOKI: god of mischief, wealth, and chaos. his children often caused trouble for other gods, Fenrir being the great wolf of Ragnarok, Jormungandr being the arch enemy of Thor, and Hel, who ruled Helheim

HEL: daughter of Loki and the jotun Angrboda, goddess of the underworld, she was tasked with taking care of the souls that ended up in her realm (since some ended up in Odin's Valhalla and some ended up in Freyja's Folkvangr)

NARFI: son of Loki and the goddess Sigyn, killed by Vali

clan Vanir

NJORD: patriarch of clan Vanir, god of wind, water, and fortune, he was the patron of fishermen and sailors

NERTHUS/NJORUN: although possibly just a female aspect of Njord, some theorize this is actually the sister-wife of Njord, mother of Freyja and Freyr. goddess of peace and prosperity

FREYR: son of Njord, god of peace, prosperity, male virility, and fair weather, ruler of Alfheim. after the conclusion of the Aesir-Vanir war, he was brought to Asgard as a hostage where he climbed his way up the ranks with charm and a good personality

FREYJA: daughter of Njord, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and blessings. she is said to have introduced the gods to a form of magic called seidr, which was a form of seeing or changing the future

ODR: husband of Freyja, god of madness, wit and poetry. could also be an aspect of Odin, as they bear good similarities

HNOSS: daughter of Freyja and her husband Odr, her name means "gem"

GERSEMI: daughter of Freyja and Odr, her name means "treasure"

the goddesses of destiny, the Norns,

URD: "fate"

SKULD: "being"

VERANDI: "necessity"

#pagan #paganism #witchblr #witch #witchcraft #norse mythology #norse paganism #norse gods #norse pantheon #nordic #polytheist #polytheism #norse polytheism

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bnhaobservation · 3 months

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Ramblings about the Himura family

So, the past time I was rambling about the Shimura family and the Takami family.

Now generally, when I made those posts about those families, I focused on the dynamics about family members… but for the Himura family there’s hardly something to work with as we barely see any interaction among them.

However… there’s plenty of history (which I kind of discussed in a past ask), and since I thought this could be interesting and worth being preserved, I decided to make a post just for this.

PREMISE

Generally, to make my posts, I use the canon material as basis, but since in this case the story of the Himura family involves history, well, I’m going to report info you don’t find in the manga but which are probably common knowledge in Japan.

For the sake of this observation I’ll assume this:

- ‘What happened in the past in our world history is also true in the BNHA universe’ which might not be true but unless Horikoshi specifically stated there were change, likely is.

With this said let’s start with the Himura family.

We learn more in detail about who the Himura family was in… chap 387 in which Geten will reveal to belong to the Himura family as well as a bit of their backstory.

‘Furuku kara no shōya datta Himura ha nōchi kaikaku go mo bunke wo fuyasu koto de zai to PRIDE wo nantoka tamotte kita.‘ 「古くからの庄屋だった火叢は農��改革後も分家を増やす事で財とプライドをなんとか保ってきた」 “The Himura, who were village heads from long ago, managed to maintain their wealth and pride even after the land reform by increasing the number of branch families.” [Chap 387]

Let’s consider this bit, ‘were village heads (庄屋 'Shōya’) from long ago’ and see what it exactly means.

'Shōya’ (庄屋) can be translated as “village heads” but which is actually a bit more complex than what it might seem to us.

Basically a Shōya was a person who, during the Edo period (1603-1868), was in charge of the village affairs under the direction of the magistrate and worked as the leader of the village. The term was used predominantly in the Kansai regions (other regions used other names), so we can assume the Himura were originally from that region.

Just to give you an idea the Todorokis instead are from the Shizuoka prefecture (along with other characters like Midoriya and Bakugō).

To be more exact, the office of Shōya in Japan was generally established between 1688 and 1704.

To get a better idea of how rich Shōya could be, just think even though they technically were considered peasants, many of them were financially better off than samurai, or even top class Daimyo, lived in large mansions, owned large tracts of farmland , and were also intellectuals representing the village due to their work involved in document creation . The families that served as Shoya during the Edo period were often from prestigious families or previously were powerful vassals of warlords of the Sengoku period (1467-1638).

Of course it wasn’t mandatory for the Shōya to be that rich but… well, it gives you an idea they generally weren’t just a random nobody in charge of a village.

Their duties included tax collection, general village administration, management of public natural resources (such as mountain, field, river and ocean) of a village, as well as negotiating with the territorial lord as the representative of the villagers. The most powerful of them, administered between a dozen to several dozen villages, and ruled an extremely large territory. Some of them were given the privilege to bear a surname and to wear a katana and were treated like members of the samurai class. Their duties also included the communication of laws and the coordination of lawsuits.

Just so you know, Japanese surnames were not really born until 1875. Before, the Japanese mainly carried the name of their clan. Before this date, only people of high rank such as nobles and samurai had a surname. The common people used, in case of need, the name of their place of birth, for example, their village.

Now… Himura is written with the kanji for “ice” (氷 'hi’) and “gathering, collection” (叢 'mura’)… but the interesting part is that 'mura’, written with this kanji 村 means “village”.

So it’s possible originally they were the people from the Hi village, and then they took the word Himura, changed the kanji so as to make it sound less common people and turned it into their surname… either by becoming important enough to gain the right to a surname or much later, in 1875 (I tend to think they gained the right to their surname but that’s just me) or maybe even after this date, when they gained their Quirk.

Going on.

Let’s consider this bit ‘managed to maintain their wealth and pride even after the land reform (農地改革 'Nōchi kaikaku’) by increasing the number of branch families (分家 ‘Bunke’)’ and see what it exactly means:

So here Geten mentions a 'Nōchi kaikaku’ (農地改革) which means “Agricultural revolution” or “Land reform”.

Although Japan had various land reforms, in Japan, when you talk of the 'Nōchi kaikaku’ (農地改革), you are talking of the reform of the agricultural land ownership system carried out by the Japanese government in 1947 under the direction of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

The purpose was to reduce the wide gap between absentee landlords who owned agricultural land but did not farm it themselves, and tenant farmers who rented the land in exchange for giving the landlord a high proportion of the crop. The land reform laws were intended to limit the amount of farm land one household could own to about the amount of land that one family could farm themselves, without outside labor. The government forced absentee landlords to sell all their land to the government. Farmers were allowed to own a small amount of farm land that they could rent out to others, and had to sell any excess to the government. The government then sold this land, usually to the tenant who had been farming it. The result greatly improved the living conditions of farmers.

Why Geten says the Himura maintained their wealth and pride creating branch families?

Likely the Himura owned more than the land they would be allowed to own by the reform… but my guess is that, in order to continue controlling it, they decided to split their family in many branch families and share the land among them so that the control would still remain in their hands even if they would technically comply with the law.

In fact let’s look for a moment at how the whole main family/branch family work in Japan.

The “main household” of a Japanese family, which Geten will mention later in his talk, is called ‘Honke’ (本家 literally “source house”) and it is characterized by a patrilocal residence and patrilineal primogeniture and is part of the system of family branching that establishes a multiplied structure to create familial relationships.

In fact, in Edo period it was decided the eldest son would inherit everything, all of the family’s assets, including movable and immovable property, including the household as well as the responsibility of taking care of his parents as they aged and even the family Butsudan (since in the Todorokis’ Butsuma room, the room in which the Butsudan is, there’s also a photo of Enji’s father on the wall, this implies the Butsudan had also been ‘his home’ and so we can figure out that, if Enji had siblings, he was the eldest son merely by him having the Butsudan which hosts his father). The eldest son is also expected to live with his parents when they grow older. This change was essentially intended to prevent further division of a territory into smaller sections. Due to all this, particular attention was given to the oldest son’s upbringing and education as he would be the next family head.

What’s the family head?

The “family head” (当主 ‘tōshu’) is basically the person who has inherited the headship of the family.

This means they have authority over their wife and the rest of the family members and the duty to protect them as well as the right to disown those who violate his wishes. Basically, disobey him and you can be literally kicked out of the family. They also had authority over the family's customs and rituals and are responsible for the management of the family property and the family business.

What about the other children of the family?

Normally they would get zero inheritance (or a very small one). The daughters would get married off and would come to belong to other families, as for the younger boys, they could remain in the family and continue obeying to the family head or, if the family head were to allow them, form a branch family, the ‘Bunke’ (分家 literally “part house”) “branch households”.

The branch family was supposed to remain subservient to the main family (so the main family still keeps control of things) and remains to live close to it.

Note that a family could also adopt an adult (generally someone who worked for them) and then use him to create a branch family.

The Himura already had some branch families they controlled since the text say they increased (増やす ‘fuyasu’) the number of the branch families.

Long story short, if the Himura decided to not let anymore the male firstborn inherit everything but to split the land between more people so as to create many branch families, the main family would still be in control of everything.

I’m speculating, I don’t know if this is how they handled the whole thing, but it seems the most logical assumption.

‘Demo chōjō ga okiru to tomoni kasokudo-teki ni reiraku shite itta. Chi ga mazaru no wo kirattanda. Kekka bunke… tōen dōshi de no kekkon ga aitsuida. Mizukara wo heisoku kankyō ni oki Himura-ke ha shukushō no itto wo tadori.’ 「でも超常が起きると共に加速度的に零落していった。血が混ざるのを嫌ったんだ。結果分家…遠縁同士での結婚が相次いだ。自らを閉塞環境に置き火叢家は縮小の一途を辿り」 “But as the exceptional happened, things (for them) started falling down at an accelerating rate. They hated mixing their blood. As a result, the branch families... had marriages among distant relatives which occurred one after another. As a result of placing themselves in a closed environment, the Himura family steadily shrank.” [Chap 387]

Now… during feudal Japan, clans traditionally encouraged cousin relationships to perpetuate family dynasties, and the Himura split their family on paper to keep control of their land… so it can be the Himura always married between themselves because back then it was normal to do so.

It’s hard to say.

However the way Geten claims it was the advent of the “exceptional” (超常 ‘chōjō’) or, if you prefer, the appearance of Quirks, which speeded up their downfall as they didn’t want to dilute their blood, seems to imply when they turned out with having an ice Quirk, things started to take a turn for worse, causing them to hate mixing their blood.

Possibly the Himura’s ‘ice Quirk’ became another reason due to which they didn’t want to mix their blood with people who didn’t have it. If before it could have been fine to adopt someone into the family, afterward it wasn’t anymore because that someone wouldn’t have an ‘ice Quirk’, if before whatever family member could be okay for marriage, afterward only whose who inherited the ‘ice Quirk’ were eligible.

Shōto too kind of hinted at this, when he talked of Quirk marriages.

‘Kosei kon. Shitteru yo na. “Chōjō” ga okite kara dai ni ~ daisan sedai-kan de mondai ni natta yatsu… Jishin no “kosei” wo yori kyōka shite tsuga seru tame dake ni haigūsha wo erabi…… kekkon wo shiiru. Rinri-kan no ketsuraku shita zenjidaiteki hassō.’ 「個性婚知ってるよな。“超常”が起きてから第二～第三世代間で問題になったやつ…‘自身の”個性”をより強化して継がせる為だけに配偶者を選び…… 結婚を強いる。倫理観の欠落した前時代的発想」 “Quirk marriage. Do you know about it? After the ‘paranormal’ happened, between the second and third generation they became a problem… In order to pass in inheritance a further strengthened version your ‘Quirk’ choose a spouse… and get her married to you by force. Old-fashioned way of thinking which lacks in ethics.” [Chap 31]

Likely the Himura started marrying into the family before Quirk appeared but, once they did, the marriages weren’t just between family members but between family members with an ice Quirk. I’ve theorized the Himura might have changed their surname in the past… but it can be that the ‘hi’ part of it became “ice” after the appearance of Quirks… or the fact the Himura started having an ice Quirk ended up being seen as a requisite to belong to the “ice gathering” family.

So it’s likely they were also doing Quirk marriages among family members, not so much like Enji did so as to mix his fire Quirk with a suitable Ice Quirk so that they would both compensate each other, but only in order to strengthen or maintain their ice Quirk. Which made Quirkless people, which previously were the majority, ineligible for marriage.

How distant had to be those distant relatives the Himura married each other off?

Currently, by law, in order to marry among them, relatives had to be at least second cousins or more distantly related (4th degree or higher).

If you've no idea of what this means here there's a potentially useful scheme which show you which degree are your family relatives from 1st to 3rd (the ones without degree are 4th or higher).

Now the huge declining birthrate in Japan might have caused the thinning of their numbers… and to make matters worse, if people keep marrying distant relatives, with each passing generation those distant relatives become less distant and therefore no more eligible for marriage, which might have made harder for the Himura to find a potential partner… and if having a ice Quirk was a requisite to get married, the fact some Himura might have been Quirkless thinned their options further…

So, anyway, Geten blames the Himura downfall to the thinning of their numbers… but honestly though, I tend to think it’s more like they were bad investors/administrators and so they lost their own capitals.

I mean, whatever you think about their marriage policies, they shouldn’t affect the money they had and we know if Rei was married off to Enji it wasn’t because there wasn’t an Himura available for her to marry but because her family was poor.

‘Obā-chan-tachi ga binbō shiteta kara okā-san wo uttan daro. Okāsan ha sōsuru shikanakattan daro.’ 「おばあちゃん達が貧乏してたからお母さんを売ったんだろ。お母さんはそうするしかなかったんだろ」 “Grandma and the others were poor, so they sold you, mother, isn’t that right? Mother, you had no choice but to do it, isn’t that right?” [Chap 302]

In the anime Enji himself confirms the reasons why he won the Himuras over were also tied to their lack of money.

'(Katsute ha meika datta Himura-ke mo ima ha aoikitoiki…)’ 「(かつては名家だった氷叢家も今は青息吐息…)」 “(The Himura family, which was once a prestigious family, was now in deep distress…)” [Ep 130]

Okay, so he doesn’t quite talk of them lacking money as Tōya did but he makes clear what won the family head over: his status and the bride’s dowry.

'(No.2 HERO no chii to meiyo, soshite djisankin meate ni Himura-ke no tōshu ha ore no teian wo assari to ukeireta.)’ 「(No.2ヒーローの地位と名誉、そして持参金目当てに氷叢家の当主は俺の提案をあっさりと受け入れた) 」 “(The head of the Himura family easily accepted my proposal, aiming for the status and prestige of the No. 2 hero, as well as the dowry.)” [Ep 130]

The “dowry” (持参金 ‘djisankin‘) generally refers to the amount paid by the bride’s family to the groom, while the groom instead should give the bride “betrothal gifts” (結納金 ‘yuinō-kin‘) .

So what happened here?

When the bride is poor she brings as dowry the betrothal gifts given to her by the husband. So likely Enji, in a roundabout way paid her dowry, by giving her money as a betrothal gift and it’s possible that part of it was held back by the Himura themselves so that not all the money was returned to him. Or not. We don’t know but again, the Himura were interested in money, that’s why they agreed with his proposition.

Let’s go on.

‘Tōtō honke ga miuri wo hajimeta koto de jijitsujō no shūen wo mukaeta. Nokori no wazuka na shizoku mo risan shi sono naka no hitotsu datta boku ha saikōshidō-sha (read: RE-DESTRO) ni hirowa reta.’ 「とうとう本家が身売りを始めたことで事実上の終焉を迎えた。残りの僅かな氏族も離散しその中の一つだった僕は最高指導者(リ・デストロ)に拾われた」 “When finally the main family started selling themselves, it came to a de facto end. Even the few remaining clans are scattered, and I was among them and then picked up by the supreme leader (read: Re-Destro).” [Chap 387]

Geten also says the Himura family came to an end when the main family started selling themselves. This is likely a reference to how Rei was allowed to marry out of the family, the Himura being interested in Enji’s money and reputation.

What does this mean?

The family is carried on by a male heir. Likely Rei’s family had no male children and, since Rei didn’t marry a Himura nor her father adopted a Himura and made him the next heir, the main family couldn’t continue.

Well, to be honest, in theory it could have continued if Enji had agreed to take Rei’s name (yes, the husband can take the wife’s surname in Japan) but, of course, Enji wouldn’t have agreed.

Probably the main family kind of kept the organization of the other families until the family head died. With no new main family head, Geten explains the remaining “clans” (氏族 ‘shizoku’) ended up scattered.

What do we mean with “clan”?

A ‘shizoku’ (氏族), a “clan”, is a group of families that are related to each other.

Remember the whole ‘you needed permission from the family head to form a branch family, if not you would remain in the family under the family head authority even if married’ thing?

Evidently the Himura were still organized like that, with all the children who were born in the branch families continuing to live in the huge Himura residences with their parents (regardless of being married or not) under the authority of their father first and of his heir after, unless they were allowed to become a new branch family and leave.

This until the main family dies out. Once it does they probably started doing what many do, who gets married or is an adult capable to support himself, leaves the birth family and build his own house. Hence they scattered.

Likely this could have been because the old, huge Himura residences were sold because the branch families were poor and couldn’t keep that lifestyle, and the result was no family member could support the others. That’s why Geten ends up being picked up and groomed by Re-Destro from when he was a child, so that he doesn’t even attend to school and starts training his Quirk way sooner than other Heroes.

So Re-Destro to whom Geten is fiercely loyal, becomes his savior from a life of misery and poverty with no support from his other relatives who, apart from Rei, might be deep in misery as well.

The obsession of the Himura for not mixing their blood with others, might have made easier for him to embrace the 'Quirk supremacist’ theories of Re-Destro (those with the strongest Quirk should rule).

But let’s now go back to the main family and to Rei.

We get some information about them which confirm the story Geten told us in chap 301 and episode 130.

In chap 301 we’re shown Enji, Rei and the Himura family head taking part to what looks like a Miai (見合い), as the anime confirms.

‘(Ichiō, miai to iu katachi wo totte ha iruga, kore ha “kosei” kon)’ 「(一応、見合いという形をとってはいるが、これは"個性"婚) 」 “(Just in case, although it is made to look like what we call an arranged marriage meeting, this is a “Quirk” marriage.)” [Ep 130]

An “arranged marriage meeting” (見合い ‘miai’) is a Japanese traditional custom in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. Fundamentally is a meeting opportunity with more serious considerations for the future as a process of courtship.

Prior to it, both the families involved investigate the potential candidates.

So was Rei forced into it by Enji or not? When I say ‘families’ I mean parents who not always feel necessary to inform the future bride about it, in fact Shōto will say Enji persuaded Rei’s relatives, not Rei.

‘Kosei kon. Shitteru yo na. “Chōjō” ga okite kara dai ni ~ daisan sedai-kan de mondai ni natta yatsu… Jishin no “kosei” wo yori kyōka shite tsuga seru tame dake ni haigūsha wo erabi…… kekkon wo shiiru. Rinri-kan no ketsuraku shita zenjidaiteki hassō. Jisseki to kane dake ha aru otoko da… Oyaji ha haha no shinzoku wo marumekomi haha no “kosei” wo teniireta.’ 「個性婚知ってるよな。“超常”が起きてから第二～第三世代間で問題になったやつ…‘自身の”個性”をより強化して継がせる為だけに配偶者を選び…… 結婚を強いる。倫理観の欠落した前時代的発想。実績と金だけはある男だ…親父は母の親族を丸め込み母の”個性”を手に入れた」 “Quirk marriage. Do you know about it? After the ‘paranormal’ happened, between the second and third generation they became a problem… In order to pass in inheritance a further strengthened version your ‘Quirk’ choose a spouse… and get her married to you by force. Old-fashioned way of thinking which lacks in ethics. He’s a man with achievement and money… My father persuaded my mother’s relatives and obtained my mother’s ‘Quirk’.” [Chap 31]

‘Marumekomi’ (丸め込み) literally “rounding included” means “to talk someone into doing what you want”, “to persuade him” but also “to manipulate”, “to swindle”. Shōto is clearly giving a definitive negative connotation to how Enji managed to win Rei from her parents, but in the end it seems all Enji had to do was to show them the money and the fact he was the Number Two Hero and they capitulated easily enough and decided he was a better potential partner than any distant relative she could have.

Tōya also paints a picture that looks rather negative.

'ENDEAVOR ha katsute chikara ni kogarete imashita. Soshite ALL MIGHT wo koe renai zetsubō kara yori tsuyoi “kosei” wo motta ko wo tsukuru tame muriyari tsuma wo metorimashita’ 「エンデヴァーはかつて力に焦がれていました。そしてオールマイトを超えれない絶望からより強い"個性"を持った子を作る為無理やり妻を娶りました」 “Endeavor was once thirsty for power. Therefore, out of despair of not being able to surpass All Might, in order to create a child with a stronger "Quirk” he took a wife by force.” [Chap 290]

Tōya uses 'muriyari’ (無理やり), which means “Forcibily, against one’s will” but again, later on, it seems it’s just because Enji didn’t swoon Rei over but merely persuaded her parents to agree by showing them money.

‘Obā-chan-tachi ga binbō shiteta kara okā-san wo uttan daro. Okāsan ha sōsuru shikanakattan daro’ 「おばあちゃん達が貧乏してたからお母さんを売ったんだろ。お母さんはそうするしかなかったんだろ」 “Grandma and the others were poor, so they sold you, mother, isn’t that right? Mother, you had no choice but to do it, isn’t that right?” [Chap 302]

In truth, apparently, Rei was given options by her parents, limited as they were, as she claims she actually chose this.

‘Sentakushi ha kagira rete itakeredo erande susunda no ha watashi no ashi de. Semete sono-sakide ha waratte iyou to omotte ita… noni’ 「選択肢は限られていたけれど選んで進んだのは私の足でせめてその先では笑っていようと思っていた…のに」 “Although my options were limited, it were my feet which chose to advance. At least I’ll try to smile in the future, that’s what I was thinking… and yet…” [Chap 302]

'(Kotowaru koto mo dekita hazuda. Daga kanojo ha “kosei” kon de aru koto mo shōchi no ue de, ie no tame ni ore no tsuma ni naru to iu.)’ 「(断る事もできたハズだ。だが彼女は"個性"婚である事も承知の上で、家の為に俺の妻になると言う)」 “She could have refused. However, even if she was aware that it was a "Quirk” marriage, she said that she will become my wife for the sake of her family.)” [Ep 130]

‘(“Kosei kon”de aru koto mo shōchi no ue de... Ie no tame ni ore no tsuma ni naru to iu.)’ 「(“個性婚”である事も承知の上で……家の為に俺の妻になると言う) 」 “(Even though she was aware it was a “Quirk marriage”… she said she would become my wife for the sake of her family.)” [Chap 302]

Likely her options were either to marry Enji and, at least, ensure financial stability for herself and her family, or marry a distant relative and ensure the continuation of the Himura family as well as its economical decadence.

Tough choice.

Anyway, during the Miai, the family head let us know it was Enji who approached them for a bride.

'Jiki No.1 no yobigoe takai ENDEAVOR-sama kara o koe kake itadakeru to ha yume ni mo omoi masendeshita! Gyōkō no kiwami ni gozaimasu!!’ 「次期No.1の呼び声高いエンデヴァー様からお声掛けいただけるとは夢にも思いませんでした！僥倖の極みにございます！！」 “I never dreamed that I would receive an invitation from Endeavor-sama, who has been hailed as the next No. 1! We are at the height of luck!!” [Chap 302]

So ‘okoegake’ (お声掛け) or, more simply ‘koegake’ (声掛け) as the ‘o’ is just an honorific, is generally used to imply you’re calling out someone or inviting someone to a meeting… but it is a word also used to imply you requested for a Miai.

Mind you, it’s not so weird in Japan. When organizing a Miai the parents of the future grooms tend to approach the people they know, asking them for potential candidates and even investigate said potential candidates. So either Enji checked on the Quirk registry and found out all the families that had an ice Quirk, investigated them and then approached the Himura with a proposal knowing they were in financial needs, or they were recommended to him by someone else.

It can also be the Himura also informed the people they knew they had a daughter they wanted to marry, just in case they decided PRIOR to Enji offering them money that they were willing to sell Rei to the best offering, but didn’t expect Enji to volunteer himself.

If the Himura were already planning on selling their daughter off, it means Rei too had her pick of rich potential husbands among whom to choose in addition to the distant relatives, which would increase her options and Enji had to persuade her parents he was the best candidate.

Hard to say but, from the way the family head, which I take is Rei’s father (it could be her grandfather as well but since the main family crumbles short after I’ll assume it’s her father) is enthusiast of having been approached by Enji who doesn’t even have to say a word, he didn’t really have to work hard to persuade them.

The guy is absolutely delighted to give Rei to Enji.

‘Himura mo katsute ha meika to yoba reta yuisho aru iegara ni gozaimasu ko - top Hero-sama no hanryo to shimashite ha jūbun ni tsuriai ga toreru mono to’ 「氷叢もかつては名家と呼ばれた由緒ある家柄にございます故―トップヒーロー様の伴侶としましては充分に釣り合いがとれるものと…」 ``The Himuras also come from a distinguished family with a prestigious lineage, so I think she would be a perfect match as the Top Hero-sama’s companion…” [Chap 302]

The family head confirms what Geten will later say.

He calls the Himura a 'Meika’ (名家) which can be translated as “noble/distinguished family” with a ‘yuisho aru iegara’ (由緒ある家柄) which can be translated “with a prestigious/with a long history social standing/lineage”.

In the anime Endeavor also confirms this, he probably picked the Himura also for this as, as I said, it’s considered perfectly fair to investigate the family of a potential bride.

'Katsute ha meika datta Himura-ke mo ima ha aoikitoiki…’ 「かつては名家だった氷叢家も今は青息吐息…」 “The Himura family, which was once a prestigious family, was now in deep distress…” [Ep 130]

Also, since Rei knew it was a Quirk marriage, he came clear with them about his intentions…

I’m honestly curious on what the Himura thought about Enji’s idea. Their Quirk marriages were to preserve and strengthen their ice Quirk as it was, they didn’t want to mix blood and create a different Quirk, so Enji who instead wants to marry outside of his family with someone with a different Quirk to strengthen his own by mixing it with Rei is definitely someone who’s doing something that runs in a parallel line to what they’re doing, meaning something similar but with no contact points.

The Himura don’t praise Enji’s family, just his status as Number Two Hero, which makes me think the Todoroki weren’t a noble/distinguished family with a prestigious/with a long history social standing/lineage but who cares, Enji has prestige as Hero and money so he can stand on an equal level with Rei.

What else do we know or can speculate about the Himura family?

The house in which Enji and Rei have their meeting might have been a place Enji rented for the meeting… but might have also be Rei’s house. Since the Himura were land owners this might explain why the garden is so large, and maintaining such a large property might be expensive hence why the Himura are desperate for money.

We’re told that Enji and Rei are at their first meeting/date.

Normally if the initial Miai introduction was successful, the potential couple went through a series of dates until a decision was reached. Don’t expect a long courting, the decision was usually expressed at the couple's third meeting. If they chose to marry, they went through a formal marriage process known as ‘miai kekkon’ (見合い結婚 “arranged meeting marriage”), in which a “betrothal ceremony” (結納 ‘yuinō’) was arranged by the groom's family.

Now… considering Rei is wearing a scarf which is what we see the character doing in January, the Miai might have taken place in January.

We don’t know when exactly Enji and Rei met and married, it was after Enji became the Number Two Hero and we know he became as such at 20. This means he became Number 2 either in the November Hero Billboard Chart, or that he had to wait until the following one which was in May. If it was in the November Hero billboard chart, the Miai might have taken place at the beginning of the next year, when Enji was still 20, if not it would take place in the following year, when he was 21 (but would turn 22 in August of that year). It can’t be later as, since Tōya is born in January he was probably conceived in April of the year in which Enji would turn 22.

Long story short Enji and Rei had, at best, a year and four months from their first meeting to the moment in which they conceived a child, and four months only at worst.

By the way, the best period for marriage is April so yes, Tōya could have been conceived short after they married.

With the marriage Rei stops being an Himura, her name is written out from the Himura “family registry”, better known as ‘koseki’ (戸籍) and written into the one of the Todoroki family.

If Enji were to kick her out of his family in theory she would need the family head permission to go back into the Himura family. Divorce is a big shameful deal for all the parties involved so it’s not as easy as in the west.

So, what happens to the remaining Himura of the main family?

We know Rei’s mother was alive when Shōto was five.

Tōya calls his grandmother ‘Obā-chan’ (おばあちゃん), which is an affectionate way to call your grandmother (he might have used the more respectful ‘Obā-san’ (おばあさん), and his view on them is sympathetic (they were really poor so they had to sell his mother off) so it can be that he has a good relationship with his grandmother.

Even Rei tried to turn on her mother for help when she believed she couldn’t take it anymore… and calls her ‘Okā-san’ (お母さん), which is the standard way to say mother in normal families (people from upper class families might use, for example, the much more respectful ‘Okā-sama’ (お母様)) so, I guess, by Japanese standards she was present enough as a mother/grandmother.

We can even speculate she’s the old woman we see watching over Tōya, Fuyumi and Natsuo as they’re playing in the garden under Shōto’s longing gaze (though she could also be a helper/servant).

Shōto has not Tōya’s sympathetic opinion on her mother’s family relatives, nor refers to them in an affectionate way, calling them just that, ‘haha no shinzoku’ (母の親族 “mother’s relatives”).

‘Kosei kon. Shitteru yo na. “Chōjō” ga okite kara dai ni ~ daisan sedai-kan de mondai ni natta yatsu… Jishin no “kosei” wo yori kyōka shite tsuga seru tame dake ni haigūsha wo erabi…… kekkon wo shiiru. Rinri-kan no ketsuraku shita zenjidaiteki hassō. Jisseki to kane dake ha aru otoko da… Oyaji ha haha no shinzoku wo marumekomi haha no “kosei” wo teniireta.’ 「個性婚知ってるよな。“超常”が起きてから第二～第三世代間で問題になったやつ…‘自身の”個性”をより強化して継がせる為だけに配偶者を選び…… 結婚を強いる。倫理観の欠落した前時代的発想。実績と金だけはある男だ…親父は母の親族を丸め込み母の”個性”を手に入れた」 “Quirk marriage. Do you know about it? After the ‘paranormal’ happened, between the second and third generation they became a problem… In order to pass in inheritance a further strengthened version your ‘Quirk’ choose a spouse… and get her married to you by force. Old-fashioned way of thinking which lacks in ethics. He’s a man with achievements and money…My father persuaded my mother’s relatives and obtained my mother’s ‘Quirk’.” [Chap 31]

The implication of Shōto’s words is that they just did it for an old-fashioned way of thinking which lacks in ethics and because Enji persuaded them.

So it can be that Rei’s mother either was kept away from Shōto as well or died early enough, hence he has no fond feelings for her.

Since Geten said:

We can assume this also implied the family head didn’t live long after that or, otherwise, since he would have kept on ruling over the other branch families, he might have stopped them from scattering. If Rei’s father died without an heir instead there would be no one to rule and the families inside the clans can scatter. It would also explain why Tōya said it was ‘his grandmother and the others’ to say ‘his grandparents’ instead than ‘his grandfather and the others’. The man might have died when Tōya was young so it’s to his grandmother he thinks, even though the decision was very clearly taken by his grandfather, the family head.

Well, that’s all we know about the Himura.

We can speculate Rei is a forth generation Quirk owner like Midoriya Inko, which would mean since the Himura married among them with ice Quirk users, that their ice Quirk is very strong genetically, which explains why Enji’s kids tend to take more from Rei than from him… at least this was clearly Horikoshi’s intention when he inserted the Himura family history just before revealing Tōya too had an ice Quirk.

Basically of Enji’s kids, all 4 of them inherited Rei’s Quirk and only 2 inherited his Quirk albeit each of them inherited variations of those over mentioned Quirks… but well, as far as I’m involved that’s the less interesting part of the Himura history.

I doubt we’ll get more info about them before the end of the story, even though it could be interesting.

We'll see.

#Boku no Hero Academia #BNHA spoilers #Todoroki Rei #Todoroki Enji #Todoroki Touya #Todoroki Shouto #BNHA Ramblings

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