How would tonowari help with spider? What activities would they do together
@windhashirapiller this also answers you're ask
he's the stoic dad, so I think a lot of his love language is quiet personal time; walks on the shoreline, under the stars, one arm around his kid, telling stories from his past. watching spider sleep, one hand in his hair, nothing but love and bliss on his face. being the dad spider looks to when he's looking for recognition or admiration, and tonowari is always there to give him the proud dad smile.
very defensive of spider, but unlike ronal, instead of being an aggressive force that will make threats anytime anywhere, he is a daring and formidable force that stands behind him, daring anyone to bring harm to his boy.
when they first adopt spider he's the one to have The Talk with him. in my mind they adopt him after the neglect causes him to do harm to himself (he overworks himself, ignores his needs; he doesn't eat, doesn't drink, doesn't sleep. its when his body eventually goes out that tonowari and ronal step in), so spider is already on edge, physically and emotionally on edge, and trauma responding (pushing people away, getting aggressive to shield his weakness, expecting the worst of each and every interaction). so tonowari has to sit there and try to explain to this terrified kid, that he deserves better, that he is loved (despite feeling unlovable), that they want him. he has to console this scared child who has never truly known love. that night has forever scarred the great metakyina chief, just thinking about the look in his child's face, brings tears to his eyes. he's vowed to never, not even over his dead body, let spider feel like that ever again.
I think him being the stoic dad verbally, makes him the much more physical dad. he's always cupping spider's chin, embracing him, pressing their foreheads together (technically mask and forehead).
he speaks through his eyes, and spider has learned to read him like a book. there's always so much love and awe on his face.
he learns spider's favorite things; favorite foods, favorite types of beads for his jewelry making, favorite plants for his paints, etc. and he brings them to spider without him asking.
he was cautious with saying "I see you" or calling him son cause he knew spider had a complicated relationship with all his past father figures. when he adopts spider he does it knowing he may never bee his father in spiders heart (if anyone has seen the dragon prince, think callum and harrow; both want to be father/son so badly it is palpably painful, yet due to simple miscommunications, neither is aware of this, and actually think both parties want the opposite). so when the dam finally breaks (maybe spider gets hurt and tonowari can't contain his worry, or spider is desperate for any sort of paternal affection and he just flips out and clings to tonowari) it's devastating (but sorta in the best way possible). you'd think they're a father and son reuniting after the most trying of separations; big fat tears from both sides, tonowari won;t put spider down, spiders clinging to his father like he's gonna disappear. after that, tonowari never stops telling spider he sees him, that he loves him, that he is his son.
I have to say it, tonowari is a fishing dad, he takes spider hunting on the skimwing, just the two of them.
like ronal, he has many beads on his song chord for spider, but they are much more frequent. out of all of things in his life, nothing compares to his children. they keep him sane amongst all the duties of being chief, and with the circumstances that surround spider, its even more true. he finds any reason to add more and more beads for his children, especially spider, so when he reflects on this time in his life, it doesn't seem so bad.
he will play dumb so spider has the opportunity to teach him, he likes hearing how his son talks about things, how he thinks, and he loves the confidence it gives spider to teach someone else. Sometimes he genuinely learns things, other times he gains a new perspective; but no matter the case, its builds spider up, makes him more likely to speak within the village. (spider has adhd in my mind, and I know tonowari indulges every infodump that kid gives him, no matter how well he knows what he's talking about)
he takes spider under his wing just as he did ao'nung; he teaches him to rule, to think for the village, to be a good diplomat. he teaches the boys to work together to solve conflicts because if he gets his way, if all goes well, ao'nung will become chief with spider as his right-hand man so to speak. his boys futures are of the utmost priority to him.
