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If Jake was truly honest he and Neytiri should have also killed Kiri to prevent the RDA from breathing the air, seeing how she made it possible for a human to do in the first place. The fact that the talks only ever concerned Spider is all I needed to know to understand.
But what if Spider wasnât interested in being acknowledged or claimed as âfamilyâ by the Sullys at all?
Sure, heâs still best friends with the Sully kids. Why wouldnât he be? They grew up together. Made mud pies together, shared scraped knees together, played tag, and stole each other's snacks. Of course, theyâre his people. But every time Kiri argues with her parents that Spider is part of this family, Spider gets this tight look on his face...something close to disgust.
âKiri⌠please donât say that.â
This version of Spider doesnât long for them. He doesnât ache for the Sully name or dream about being welcomed into it. Itâs not like the Sullys are some exclusive, sacred club you earn your way into by being morally pure or constantly traumatized. And yeah, it sucks that Mr. and Mrs. Sully canât seem to look at him without seeing Quaritchâs face staring back, but that doesnât mean Spider is about to twist himself into knots trying to prove heâs nothing like that scum.
Honestly? The idea of earning the affection of two grown-ass adults who go out of their way to make him feel like a stray cat feels a little messed up. He's 15, and not all teenagers care what adults think of them. In Spiderâs head, the Sullys arenât his family. Theyâre the next-door neighbors he occasionally runs into. Mrs. Sully hates him? Okay. And? Beyond knowing she killed his father to protect her people, he barely knows the woman. Mr. Sully is Toruk Makto? Cool. Very impressive. Spider still only talks to him when politeness demands it, exchanging stiff pleasantries and nothing more.
Spider carries this idealized belief of what a family is supposed to be: people who get along, who live quiet, peaceful lives. The Sullys are constantly being hunted, kidnapped, shot at, or dragged into the latest life-or-death crisis, etc. Ever since the RDA came back, it's been one thing after another, and Spider can practically feel Mr. Sully's migraines whenever a hunter brings news of the RDA encroaching even farther upon their territory. Spider feels bad for Mr. Sully. All that work to kick the enemy out, and now, he's back at square one.
Loâak, naturally, asks him about it.
âBro, Mom and Dad adopted Kiri when she was born,â he says, bright-eyed. âMaybe theyâll adopt you too! I could convinceââ
âWhat? Loâak, no,â Spider cuts in. âThatâs weird. And donât you already have, like, a bajillion siblings?â
âNo, cuz. I have three, remember? You could be the fourth if youâd just let meââ
âNo. No, no, no,â Spider shouts. âWhy are you obsessing over this?!â
And when Neytiri finally snaps and tells him he will never be part of this family, Spider gives an awkward shrug. âAnd thank Eywa for that. Iâd hate to be part of a family where weâre running for our lives every moment of the day and getting kidnapped--ow! Neteyam! Stop elbowing me!â
An AU where, in AFAA, Kiri has had enough of the RDA and uses her power to unleash a plague upon the RDA that turns them all into human-like plants.
-) Spider comes back to her different. Wrong. Broken. Hollow. Physically, he looks fine, but his eyes are unfocused, as if he's hidden himself far away inside. When Kiri gently touches him on the shoulder, Spider flinches before he realizes itâs her. The scent of antiseptic clings to him, sharp and wrong in her nostrils, and when he glances at Jake, he trembles, eyes filling with tears, recoiling from him.
-) Kiri does not ask questions to answers that she already knows. She just holds him. Her fingers tremble where they press against his chest, memorizing the faint scars of needles they had jammed into his skin, where they mapped his body like a terrain. She can feel and sense the foreign instruments that touched him, see the echoes of violence when he tried to resist, only to be shocked into submission.
-) Spider whispers, hoarse, broken, âThey kept saying I was a miracle. That I was going to change lives." Kiri does not question. She does not cry. She rocks him gently in her arms, her lips pressed to the top of his head, breathing him in, reminding herself that heâs real, alive, hers. Her tears fall, but they are not tears of sadness...but of rage. The roots beneath their feet stir. Something inside her shifts. Her rage grows. âThey hurt you,â she says, voice calm in a way that terrifies even herself.
-) That night, Kiri prays to Eywa. She prays and prays and prays... and Eywa answers. The RDA will pay for their trespass, their cruelty, their deceit, and their refusal to respect the balance. But most of all, they will pay for what they did to him...to her Spider.
-) Bridgehead was the first to fall. A technician who had been on her lunch break dropped and suddenly convulsed. Her skin bubbled, stretched, and split like wet paper. Fingers elongated into wooden tendrils, branching, tipped with tiny buds. Her veins turned green. Her ribs cracked and twisted, making room for new growths. She screamed, gurgling, high-pitched, the sound echoing down sterile halls, until the flowers burst from her mouth, sealing her voice and her life forever.
-) Security officers tried to help her, but their boots fused to the floor. Their palms split into leaf fronds. Their torsos caved inward as ribs warped, buds and flowers emerging. They screamed, eyes wide, watching their limbs transform. Some staggered upright, only to feel bark harden along their arms and chest. One officer whispered through fragrant petals: âI⌠canât⌠moveâŚâ but even the words were being swallowed by flowers and moss growing from his mouth.
-) Parker Selfridge suffered the worst of it. His legs swelled grotesquely, thighs fusing into bulbous fungi. Arms stretched outward, merging into the wall, flowers and leaves erupting from his shoulders. His skull had been hollowed in the process, yet his consciousness remained intact. He saw his staff mutate into human-shaped trees, eyes flowering mid-scream, yet he could do nothing but watch. Tears streamed down his cheeks and into the fungal masses over his lips, feeding the growths.
-) Out in the jungles, Recom squads fared no better. Soldiers firing their weapons had their arms twist mid-shot. Bones elongated, turning into branches. Flowers sprouted from open wounds. Muscles became leafy tendrils. Skin hardened into bark. One soldier's eyes opened, unblinking, petals pushing outward in a horrifying imitation of life. His squadmates could only watch him root, scream muffled through the blooming flowers, and, not long after, they too succumbed to the same Green Sickness.
-) At every RDA base, the plague spread. Communications went dark. Commanders tried to rally their teams, only to feel their own bodies betray them. Skin peeled into leafy layers. Spines twisted, ribs splitting to give birth to flowers and fungus. Eyes blossomed. Consciousness remained long enough to register horror and disbelief, but eventually, all were consumed. Entire bases became jungles of human-shaped flora, the "bodies" twitching, roots coiling through hallways and laboratories.
-) Some humans were conscious as they transformed. One junior officer, fused to the walls of a corridor, whispered desperately: âHelp... PleaseâŚâ His legs were roots, his arms fronds, his chest opened to allow flowers to grow, but his mind remained aware. He could feel the floor, the walls, his colleagues, and the screams. He could feel everything until he felt no more.
-) Ships were called in for evacuation, but even those who fled carried spores. The plague had already touched them. When they returned to Earth, they were already dead in their cryo pods, petals pushing through their eyes, bodies rooted into the pods, skulls replaced by fungal growths.
-) Every RDA base on Pandora collapsed. Laboratories, barracks, command centers...gone. All that remained were the flowering human-shaped trees, some still twitching, some utterly still.
-) Jake confronts Kiri. âKiri⌠what have you done?â he demanded. âThey took him... They hurt him,â she said quietly, her gaze piercing. âThey hurt him. They cut him. They hurt him... And I stopped them.â âTheyâre all dead!â Jake shouted. âThey are one with the Great Mother,â she corrected, eyes narrowing. âThey will become part of the world they sought to colonize and destroy. I simply gave them what they have always wanted."
-) And then she leans close, voice dropping, calm and lethal. "And I know what you did to him, what you were going to do to him. I know, Dad." Kiri tells him that if he ever raises a blade against Spider again, if he ever hurts him again, she will grow flowers out of his eye sockets so he can finally See. "You will not hurt him again!" she hissed, eyes bright with rage and hate. "You will never see him again!" And storms off, leaving Jake stunned and silent behind.
-) In the end, it's Spider who makes her stop this plague. âStop⌠please⌠theyâve been punished enough. Just let them go home. It's done."
-) Kiri hesitated, then nodded, and the plague ceased under the Great Mother's orders. The surviving humans had fled to their ships, leaving behind bases consumed by green, and the changed "corpses" left behind remained where they were, a testament to Kiri and the Great Mother's rage... A warning to all who would seek to harm what is theirs.
The RDA's influence has led to most of the Omegas' deaths.
(completely rewritten ABO dynamics, no nsfw)
Spider remembers when Norm first taught him about the Navi's second gender types: Omegas (25%), Betas (50%), and Alphas (25%). The three were much more similar than the humans had first believed. All three types can get pregnant or get others pregnant. The difference is in their roles within a clan. Alphas are headstrong with loud scents. Their hormones make them more aggressive. They tend to work best as hunters and warriors. Omegas are calmer with sweet scents. Their hormones have a calming effect on Alphas. They tend to work best as healers. Betas have very little sent. They can do most any job in a clan. In the case of avatars, they were all created as Alphas. Because humans believed Alphas were the ones in control. Later, many scientists found the opposite to be true. A single change in scent from an Omega could bring a village of Alphas to their knees. The humans had also learned from the Navi that Omegas are Eywa's favourite of her children. They are deemed precious, not weak, but something to be cherished. This knowledge was seen as a major discovery. One that the RDA intended to use to their advantage.Â
The RDA provided false information about heats and ruts. Saying ruts made Alphas sex crazed, willing to have sex with anything, even children or animals. They said that heats made Omegas submissive, that Omegas were worthless breeding stock who controlled those around them to satiate their desires. Spider remembers seeing these âNavi-gender learning modulesâ in the RDA database. Neither statement was true. Heats nor ruts caused those reactions, Alphas and Omegas didn't become sex crazed! Heats caused Omegas to feel tired and hot. They usually slept for 12 hours each day. Some Omegas got cramps like human women on their periods, but they didn't bleed like humans. Ruts made Alphas more energetic, often leading them to go out on hunts and sleep less. Alphas always have a certain level of aggressiveness, not usually destructive, but without Omegas, it gets worse. They had used these lies as an excuse to capture and experiment on Omegan Navis. Tried to at least, the Omegas in their facilities would die before they could be harmed. The Navi believed it was Eywa taking her favoured children to spare them the pain.
Spider remembers ranting to Norm, at 8 years old, in anger after reading those. He remembers how Norm had agreed with him. Stating that, unfortunately, humans tend to lie about those they deem less than. Even still, it never made sense to Spider. Spider spent most of his time in the village around the Alphas and Betas of the clan. The fall of Hometree killed all Omegan Omaticaya members. Most of his time spent there was with The Sullys, an all-Alpha family. Even Kiri was an Alpha, being the daughter of Grace, an Alpha avatar. At 10 years old, Spider had asked Kiri what his second gender would be if he were Navi. To which Kiri had said he was a Navi with a disapproving scowl at his suggesting otherwise. After a bit, she decided he would be an Omega. Saying that he already had a sweet scent, so that it would make sense. Spider didn't think he had a scent, but his nose couldn't smell it even if he did.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Spider has been with the Recoms for a couple of months now. They forced him to teach them how to âtameâ Ikran. He had tried to get them killed, but no such luck there. He's bored and annoyed, and the Recoms are like babies in the forest. Theyâre constantly stumbling in their boots. Spider watches Ja slip into a hole and groans so loud it carries through the forest. He hears Quaritch make a noise behind him. âWhat's your problem now, kid?â Spider drags a hand down his mask-covered face and sweeps his hand in the direction of the Recom, struggling to pull Ja out of the waist-deep hole. âThese idiots are Earth's finest? Really?â Quaritch scowls for a moment, then grimaces at his team. âWe ain't used to these bodies, kid.â âYeah, exactly why I'm surprised they sent you out here. They basically sent you on a death mission with a gun and a slap on the back!â Spider isn't sure why exactly he's annoyed by it, maybe because they remind him of kids from time to time?Â
Spider looks up to the sky, watches as the day turns to dusk. âWe need to set up camp,â he says, walking towards a river he knows is nearby. He feels Quaritch grab his shoulder. âWhere do you think you're going?â Spider looks up at him for a moment, watching the other Recoms finally make their way over. âWe need to set up camp. It's getting late, and it's not safe to camp here. A palulukan could show up at any moment, and no matter how much I'd love for you all to get torn apart, I'd rather not die while trying to sleep.â Spider pulls his shoulder from Quaritch's grip and brushes at it with his hand. âThere's a river nearby, we can get fresh water, and I can wash up. I literally haven't bathed in two months!â He's exacerbated as he throws his arms out. âJust hurry up, there's also a cave nearby if you want better protection.â He doesn't look back as he moves towards the water. Not 5 minutes later, they reach the edge of a river, and Spider wastes no time in entering.Â
âKid!â Spider doesn't even listen. He swims out to a rock in the middle, sits down, and gets to work on his hair. He grabs some thick, sturdy reeds. He breaks the stems to make large, needle-like objects. He likes his dreads, but he's had them for too long. They needed to be redone a month ago. He starts at the top, working his way down each dread, undoing them. He hears splashing and movement in the water where he had entered the river, sounds like the Recom are joining him. Sure enough, a glance over reveals the Recom. Looking at the riverbank, Spider sees a pile of shoes, vests, and a few extra bits. âLooks like you guys decided to join me!â He called out to them as they swam against the current to him. Quaritch makes it over first, huffing after his swim. âI told you to stay nearby, kid.â Spider rolls his eyes. âRelax, old man, I needed to get to the reeds over here. I don't have my normal tools to undread my hair, so I had to improvise.â Spider snickers a little as the other Recom clamber onto the rock. It's big enough for them all to sit on.Â
Zdog pipes up after popping her bubble gum. âHow long will this take you?â Spider shrugs, still undoing his hair. âItâll take a while, it's pretty tangled. I would have done it a month ago. I wonder whose fault that is?â Every syllable drips with sarcasm. Lyle shifts toward him. âHand me a reed.â Spider sends him a questioning glare. âI used to help friends back on earth do this.â His hand waits open, it's not demanding but asking. Spider silently places two pieces of broken reed in the man's hand. A couple of the others mention knowing how to help as well, so Spider hands out more reed pieces. The group work away at Spider's hair while Ja holds a flashlight so they can see as it gets darker. Theyâre about halfway done when Lyle speaks up. âWho even did your hair like this?â âWell, I did the most recent time, but if you're asking who taught me? That happened years ago.â Spider smiles fondly at the memory. âHis name was Derek. I never learned his last name. He was African-American. I'm not fully sure what that means, but that's how he explained it. He said I have super curly hair, and since I spend most of my time in the trees, I should put it in a protective style.â Lyle hums to tell Spider he's listening. âHe did my hair twice before-âÂ
Spider stops suddenly, his hands stop moving in his hair as they fall to his lap. The others stop moving as well, and all eyes are on him now. â-The RDA came back. The raid on Hell's Gate. Most of our military defected members died trying to protect us as we ran. When we found his body, it had been torn open by bullets. We buried him. I hope he made it to Eywa.â There's a solemn silence as Spider slowly starts picking at his dreads again. The others start to move as well. Spider knows by all the movement around him that the group is having a silent conversation. His dreads are undone 10 minutes later. He looks toward the cave he had mentioned. Pointing in its direction. âCome on, itâll be warmer inside,â He slips off the rock, swimming back to shore, where the group gathers their things.Â
Spiderâs right, the cave is much warmer. There's enough bioluminescence to see but not enough to obstruct sleep. Spider starts by smoothing down the mossy floor. It's soft enough to sleep on. Spider sits down on it, combing his fingers through his hair. He pulls out tangles and clumps of dead hair. He searches the cave walls for a moment and finds a small purple cup-like plant. He tilts it, watching as a clear liquid falls into his hand. He walks over to a small pool of water in the cave. He breathes deep and pulls his mask off. He quickly pours the liquid into his hair, then dunks it in the water to rinse it off. Then, he pulls back out to slap his mask back on. Hed done it so quickly, but it seems they saw him do it cause he hears Lyle's shocked voice behind him. âWhat the hell, kid?!â Spider turns back to him while wringing out his hair. âWhat? I said I needed to wash it?â He hears the Recom make several noises of disbelief, and he shrugs in response. Sleep comes easily as they settle down.Â
Well, all except Spider, who lies awake on his mossy bed. He listens to the sound of his captors breathing and lyles humming. The man took night watch. It may be peaceful right now, but Spider is not. He feels uncomfortably warm and a bit achy. He feels super tired, but his body won't let him sleep. He keeps getting feelings of danger and worry. Like his body is worried about falling asleep with the recom, which is fair. As the night moves on, the tiredness and achy feeling get worse, and he's so warm. It feels like a super bad fever. He hasn't had one in years. His breathing picks up, and his head hurts. The barely bright bioluminescence is burning his eyes. He can't take it. He heaves himself up. Trying to stand, but can't, so he crawls.Â
He crawls over to the water pool and dunks his whole body in. The cold water is bliss until he feels arms wrap around him, hoisting him up. He can just hear Lyle yelling at him through his water-filled ears. Other voices join in. The water drains from his ears, and it's too loud. He thrashes in the arms holding him, and others join. âKid, calm down!â Spider flinches at the loud Cajun accent in his ear. âNo, no, no, too loud. Please, it hurts, stop!â He's being pulled somewhere and placed down. âHold on, tiger. We got you. Ja.â The voices are quieter now, and he feels a hand on his forehead. âShit, he's burning up.â âA fever?â âMaybe cause he went in the water so late? It was colder tonight.â âHe's been running around the cold forest for over a month now.â âThat's different from being drenched in cold water at night.â While they are quieter, the amount of talking is making Spider's head spin. He whimpered pathetically.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Miles was seriously worried. This kid has been tough as hell the whole time heâs been with them. Could a fever really affect him that much? Miles shushed the group when the kid complained about the noise. What was that smell? It was weirdly sweet with an undercurrent of rottenness. It reminded Miles of the fake fruit-and-honey desserts back at Bridgehead. Speaking of, he's smelled that since they found the kid. At first, Miles thought it was some kind of shampoo the kid wore, but it never went away. He couldn't explain why he felt calmer around the scent or why he became agitated when it changed. Like the rotten stench that happened when they put the kid in the neurosect, and like right now. He placed his hand against Spider's neck, wanting to feel how warm he was. All it did was make Spider flinch and cover his neck. Shit, what the hell was happeninâ? He tried to think back to all the stuff he learned, not just about human ailments but also Navi ones. The kid was born here. Maybe he was affected by that stuff.Â
That's when a thought crossed his mind. Don't Navi Omegas smell sweet like this? But that made no sense in Spiderâs case. He's human, but it was the only explanation he could come up with. Sensitive to light and sound, super warm and achy, with a sweet scent. The kid was in heat. The thought made his blood boil. The Recom were all alphas. What if one of them tried to hurt the kid? An involuntary growl left his throat. The sound startled the whole group, causing them to move away from Spider. Miles grabbed Spider, holding him protectively in his arms. Staring down the Recom with a look that dared them to try something. The group just held their hands up in surrender, trying to appease Quaritch. He heard Spider make a soft, contented noise as he buried his face into Miles' chest.Â
Miles could tell the others wanted answers. Heâd been pressed against the back wall, holding Spider, the boy was wrapped head-to-toe in a blanket. After about 5 hours, with no sign of the Recom trying to jump Spider, Miles finally spoke up. âHeâs an Omega.â His voice is hesitant, waiting for a response. When he got none, he looked up to see the not-so-surprised faces of the group. It seems they all just accepted it as fact. âNone of you got questions?â He watches Lyle scratch the back of his neck. âWe probably should, but it just makes too much sense.â The whole group nods. Ja, spoke up next. âYeah, weâve been smelling that fruit and honey scent whenever weâre around him, and I've felt nothing but calm since we found him.â The others all agree, giving their own examples. Miles looks down at the kid. Everything heâs read has said Omegas and Alphas become sex-crazed during their heats and ruts. That Alphas will jump an Omega in a heartbeat.Â
None of them feels anything, right? âAny of you hoping to jump the kid?â his tone is accusatory and worried. The response is immediate. The group starts aggressively denying, saying that they feel protective of Spider and that's all. Just like Miles. Things calmed down after a bit. The group was quietly milling about the cave or just outside. Miles used an extra shirt to gather cold water, then dabbed it along Spider's warm skin. The usually quiet Mansk broke the silence. âThey lied about Navi's second genders.â Miles hears Zdog scoff. âOf course they did.â Miles really wants to deny it. He's not stupid. He knows the RDA lies constantly about everything. Part of him wanted the rumours to be true, so the countless Omega deaths his former self caused would feel worth it. The group spends the next 6 days in that cave, lying through their teeth whenever Ardmore calls for an update. The kid sleeps most of the time, only waking up to eat or use the washroom. Then, it's back to bed. Spider speaks exclusively Navi the entire time. Miles struggles to keep up, but his tail wags whenever the kid calls him âsempulâ. He doesn't know what it means, but his body seems happy and relaxed, so it can't be bad.Â
Miles had calmed down enough by the third day to let the other recom help him take care of Spider. Ja monitored the kid to make sure he didn't get worse. They didn't really know what they were looking for, but it never hurt to be vigilant. One day before the kidâs heat was done, they came to a decision. They were gonna take the kid and get the hell out of there. Drop all their stuff and run. Spider woke up mid-afternoon on the sixth day, mostly back to normal. They could tell something was wrong when he shot up from the ground, speedwalking out of the cave. The Recoms followed him outside and watched as he called their ikrans. They landed surrounding Spider almost protectively. Spider was petting Cupcake's head and facing away from the Recom.Â
âSo, what happens now?â âTiger, what-â âAre you gonna take me back there, tell Ardmore what I am? Hand me over to the lab coats, let them do whatever they want to me?â Spiderâs shaking, talking too fast to let the others speak. âWhat will they do to me? Cut me up, tear me open to see how I tick. Force me to get pregnant?â Spider flinches as the words leave his mouth. They all do. Spider turns to them, fists clenched, barely concealed fear in his eyes. âAre you gonna be a good dog for your master?! Gonna hand over the precious cargo and leave me there! Let's do this already! The sooner Iâm brought there, the sooner EYWA can claim my soul!â He's crying, he doesn't want to. He wants to stay strong, but he can't. Spider closes his eyes and waits. He waits for rough hands to tie him up and hoist him onto an ikran. The hands appear, but they aren't rough.Â
Theyâre placed on either side of his head, holding him gently. When he gains the courage, he opens his eyes to see Quaritch. The man is looking at him with such a protective gaze. âSweetheart, you're scared, and I don't blame you. But, we ainât taking you to Ardmore.â Spider stared in shock. âWhat?â âWeâre dropping all our RDA bullshit and running, as far away from here as possible.â Spider stood for a moment, then crumbled into the man's chest, sobbing in relief. Pulling off all their RDA-issued stuff was easy. Leaving all of it in the cave, their gear, their Ikrans gear, their guns, only keeping their small handguns. They left most of their comms, keeping Miles comm to get updates on RDA movement. They went towards the ocean, Spider said he'd never been there, and Miles wanted to be a doting father who spoiled his kid. He had never done it before. Might as well start now.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ.
The next two months after his first heat were almost a blur. They had decided to go to the ocean, believing it'd be too far for the RDA to find them. Instead, they found the Sullys and the Metkayina, who had no Omegas and were more than welcoming. Then the Metkayina, Sullys, and the Recom had to fight against Tulkun hunters. The whole ordeal ended with a very tentative alliance between the recom and the Sullys. Spider really should have realized all the stress would throw him into an early heat, but here he was riding on Tonowariâs tsurak with a group of hunters who went diving. Spider had asked to go with them. He had yet to go out to the deeper reefed areas and wanted to experience it. With his mask, he was able to swim longer than the others, and his small body could fit into more spaces than theirs, allowing him to get more items. He put his big haul in the net he made, bringing it up to Tonowariâs mount and tying it to her saddle.Â
The water was cool, and yet he felt warm. Maybe he got used to the temperature? He pulled himself up onto Leweâs back. Hearing her let out a gentle rumble. He giggled slightly, while tsuraks were known to be aggressive and territorial, Spider had never experienced it. They all seemed to like him, but that might be because he's an Omega. None of Eywa's children would ever willingly hurt an Omega. Spider sits on Lewe waiting for the group to return. He's getting warmer and more tired. Why does he feel so achy? It's the last thought he has as he falls asleep.Â
He wakes when he's jostled. He looks around. Someone's holding him. Looking up, he sees his dad. That's good, Papa will protect him. He purrs and nuzzles into his father's chest. âI got you, tiger. Thanks for bringing him back, sir.â Is Papa speaking with someone? âIt is no trouble, brother. I am glad to bring him home safe.â Oh, Mister Tonowari. Spider turns to look at the man. He is smiling at the boy. Spider sends him a dopey smile back. Miles chuckles. âTime for bed, hun.â Bed is good, bed is safe. Spiderâs purring continues, it gets louder as they reach their murai. Spider is met with the scent of his family and a warm meal. He's placed down on his nest and wrapped up in warm hide blankets. He hears his family speaking. Their tone and scent are full of love and adoration, making Spiderâs heat-addled brain happy. He falls asleep to gentle petting through his hair.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ.
Miles was worried when he smelled Spiderâs scent as the hunting party arrived. He knew the kid was deep in heat right now. When he finally reached the kid, he was pleasantly surprised to find he was fine. Definitely in heat, but Tonowari made sure to keep him safe. Miles owed the man for sure. Miles was practically melting as he listened to Spider purr in content. His small pack all wanted to hold Spider the moment they entered the marui. He almost had to fight them off just to get the kid in his nest. The kid was out like a light in three seconds. Seems the scent attracted an audience, cause the sully kids were at his door a minute after Spider fell asleep. not even asking for permission, as they piled into the marui. Carrying clothes or blankets with their family's scent, then joining Spider in his nest. The group snuggled together, a pile of limbs purring. Cutely eldritch.Â
Where the sully kids go, the metkayinas are sure to follow. Miles watches Aonung and Tsireya as they join the pile. Then come the parents. Miles grabs more blankets to cover the kids. With the whole litter of kittens tucked in, Miles sits with the adults. Tonowari and Ronal seem to like Miles' little family, while Jake and Neytiri merely tolerate them but love Spider. The feeling is mutual. Miles passes out drinks and food to the group. âMan, you people are quick. I just put the kid down for bed.â Jake laughs, âDo you really think we could stop our kids from coming here?â Miles chuckles. This is Spider's first heat since coming here. His friends probably wanted to be part of it. As long as Spiderâs happy, he's happy. Speaking of happy, the murai practically vibrates with how loud Spiderâs purring is. Kids got a goofy smile on his squished face.Â
Ronal, ever the diligent healer, looks over Spider from where she sits. Miles watches her as she smiles and sits back, basking in the calming, sweet scent. Ronal had been wary of Miles and his group when they first arrived, but upon learning âspirâ was an Omega, all waryniss disappeared. He remembers the tsahik shouting, âEwya has brought us an Omega!â. âThe boy went to sleep well, Myals? He did not struggle?â The woman always worried over Spider. Miles snorts out a laugh. âHeâs fine, purred up a storm, and went right to sleep.â It took some time for the Metkayina leaders to learn Milesâ way of talking. Ronal sighed in content. Spiderâs presence in the village was a boon, one the Omaticaya lost. Spider had told Ronal about his life. How both the humans and Omaticaya neglected him. How he never had true parents. kid didn't even have a Songcord. Her view of Toruk Makto and his wife had apparently been low, but this knowledge threw away any goodwill they had made. Ronal had quickly rectified that mistake. She had dragged Miles to her murai to weave a songcord for his kid.Â
Miles spent most of his time with Spider. The kid being an Omega meant he âneeded protectionâ. Miles knew the woman was just worried for the kid. Hell, so was he! It didn't bother him any that he and his little family of Recoms were bodyguards for his kid. It just meant they could spend more time together and spoil the kid more. Carry him around and get him whatever food he wanted. Miles took another gulp of water, looking over at Mr. and Mrs. Sully. He thought they'd show up and start bickering with his family. Though with Spider in heat, they're probably too relaxed to argue. It'd make Miles laugh if he weren't about to fall asleep. Heâd been too worried during his kidâs first heat to really feel the effects. He didn't even know an Omega-in-heatâs scent could do this. Everyone in the murai and probably those nearby were already getting tired. The calming effect was intense and new. It made Miles feel like there was nothing to worry about.Â
He hadn't realized heâd fallen asleep till he woke up on the floor of the murai. He didn't even feel achy or nothing, the power of an Omega, he supposed. Speaking of, he looked over and saw that the small pile of kids were sitting together now. Spider was lying down between them, and each kid was touching him. Kiri had Spider's head against her leg. Neteyam and Loâak each held a hand. Tuk was lying on her stomach with her head on Spider's thigh. Aonung was playing with Spiderâs hair while Tsireya weaved beside Spider's other leg, her own leg touching his. Kid purring away while the others chatted over him. The whole murai was alive, and it looked like Miles was the last to wake up. Ronal, Neytiri, and Mansk sat over by the cookfire, already making food. Tonowari, Jake, and Lyle were talking about some big catch the sniper had made. Well, more like Lyle was bragging. Ja was looking through his medical supplies, both the old human ones and the new ones Ronal had taught him to make. She wanted him to be ready to help Spider at any moment. Zdog, Prager, and Lopez chatting in the corner.Â
âSempul?â His eyes shift to Spider. It looks like the kidâs seen him. Spider gently gets up, trotting over to Miles and sitting in his father's lap. Miles rubs his face against his kid's hair. âYer up, baby boy?â He feels Spider nod into his chest. Suddenly, the murais a cacophony of purrs. The kids surround him, gently arguing with Miles to return Spider. They do so quietly so they don't bother the Omega. Miles just sticks out his tongue, annoying them. Miles feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to see Mansk. âFoods ready, boss.â There's fruit and various meats on the table. Looks like they're going all out for the kidâs heat. Miles fixes up two plates, one for him and one for the kid. He switches back and forth between eating his own food and feeding Spider. Day one's done, now for five to six more. Each day the same. Wake up, spider relaxes with the other kids, then sits in Miles' lap. They eat breakfast, then Spider naps with the kids while the adults chat. Wake up for lunch, then nap while Alphas chat. Wake up, have supper, then everybody goes to sleep. Pretty simple. After the third day, Spider was brought to the hot springs. His body temp was low enough that a good soak in hot water helped his achy muscles without hurting him. What came after was the interesting part.Â
A bout of energy that had Spider practically jumping off the walls as soon as his heat ended. So it was hunting time. Half a day later, they leave the ocean with a bounty of fish that Spider makes sure to pass around the village. A large celebration is held that night for Spider's first heat while in the village. There's song and dance, and Spider joins in. His sweet scent brings calm to the festivities. Everyone still celebrates, but theyâre much looser in their movements. Miles sees Navi teens watching Spider as the boy dances. He chews at the inside of his cheek, reminding himself that he can't kill random kids just cause they stare at his son. His worry leaves when Tuk runs over to the boy, stealing the chance for anyone else to dance with Spider. The other sullys and the leader's kids also steal Spiderâs dancing time. Miles is gonna have to remember to get those kids a present.Â
Celebration leads to new days and the Recoms first rut. They'd been made at the same time, so starting their ruts together made sense. It also meant seven Alphas were in rut. The group was antsy, itching for movement. Aggression levels raised. Not violent, but they needed to do something. Spiderâs scent did help. The kid spent his time with the group as they ran through the trees or swam in the water. He was always nearby, ready to step in when the group got aggressive towards each other. Only each other, never Spider or other kids. Their instincts controlled them, but the feeling had to go somewhere. Spider would usually climb into the most aggressive person's arms, curl up, and whimper. The sound triggered something in all their minds. Omega hurt?. Omega sad?. Have to help Omega! They'd calm immediately and tend to Spider. They'd run miles to get yerik meat for him. They'd climb giant trees to get his favourite fruit. They'd curl around him and listen as he purred. Coming out of the rut was horrible. They couldn't stand, let alone run or climb. Achy muscles from all that movement. A whole day of sleep with Spider waking them for meals and helping them walk outside to use the washroom. Miles was really proud of his kid.Â
Even with all they had learned, there was still so much they didn't know. Like scent marking. Scent markingâs pretty simple. You rub your necks together to exchange scents. Apparently, you're supposed to do this as a family every week. Also, apparently, the fact that they hadn't done it yet made some people think the Recoms hadn't officially adopted Spider. Miles had learned all this after almost killing a man for offering to adopt Spider. It wasnât like a tsaheylu bond. Kids normally bond with their parents after their birth. Or after adoption later in life. Scent marking was the only way others could tell Spider was the Recoms kid. It was a bit weird. Not for miles, his kid loves physical touch. Kids constantly hugging him or climbing on him. Rubbing his neck against Spider could have been weird, but squishing the kid around till he laughs is always fun.Â
Zdog and Ja made it simple: hug the kid, gently rub necks, then release. Spider made it easy on Lopez and Prager by hugging them around the necks, then moving his head around to move the scents. Lyles made it awkward by grabbing Spider by the elbows, quickly mashing their necks together, then moving to sit in the corner. Mansk was the most difficult. He wanted to be recognized as Spider's family, but the man was so painfully silent that it made moments like this awkward. Spider simply did the same thing he did before while Mansk figeted. Unlearning human ideals takes time. Having to do it every week made it easier. Passing by him in the murai? Lift him, gently rub necks, then release. Make it fun. Fight using your head and neck to see who's stronger. It usually ends with Spider gently clamped between the Recoms' neck and shoulder. Laughing as he tries to pull himself out.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ.
Spider has been with the Metkayina for around a year now. At some point, Kiri gave him the ability to breathe and connect to Eywa, so that's neat. It meant he could go through his iknimaya. He had wanted an ikran, but living with the reef clan meant following its traditions. The first step is to build a murai. As the villages treasured Omega, Ronal didn't want him to worry about that step, but Spider insisted. He wanted to do this right. So he built a murai, or rather, a connection to his family murai. Heâs too small to build a full murai, so he built a connection, one he would use as his nest space. Second was cliff climbing. He would have to climb a cliff face at the edge of the village, around 200ft tall. He's climbed roots, trees, and rock faces back in the forest, so this was simple. He finished faster than any reef navi before him. He was also faster than the Sully kids. He constantly bragged about it to Loâak. The fourth step required him to tame a tsaruk. Everyone tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. The tsaruk, whom he named Topaz, let him climb onto her back with zero assistance. She only ever connected with Spider, a lifelong connection, rare but not impossible.Â
The last step was to connect with a tulkun. He had learned their language and how to sign to them. All he had to do was connect with one, easy. Apparently, it was easy. The tulkun practically swarmed him when he entered the water. They wanted to meet him. There he met Taâoh, a tulkun with dwarfism. Getting inside the mouth of another creature was a bit weird. However, he was gentle and kind. He also had a beautiful, normal-sized mate. A female named Payâlo, the tulkun Neteyam had bonded with. Speaking of Neteyam, the boy had courted Spider two years after he completed his iknimaya. It created an even more interesting family dynamic.Â
The Sullys moved into the Recom murai, adding to the murai to create a larger space. Neteyam and Spider would sleep in his added-on nest, which was fully enclosed so Spider could spend his heats in a dark and comfy space. Neytiri and his father had an almost brother-sister bickering dynamic. The other adults did their own things. Kiri and Rotxo started courting, and the young man moved in, creating another add-on for privacy. Tsireya, tired of waiting for Loâak, started courting him. He moved into the leader's murai, but the leader's murai was right next to theirs, so it was like he never left. Tuk grew and learned to hunt. She's becoming quite the warrior. Pril, still so young, the world is full of possibilities for her. They still have not fully dealt with the RDA. Their group on the island, those in the Hallelujah Mountains, and the other resistance groups across the world work every day to take down the RDA. Day by day, more RDA camps and facilities fall. Soon they will crumble, and only those who wish for peace on Eywaâeveng shall remain.
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Lots of blood, so much! Very detailed descriptions of period blood. Also swearing.
Summary:
Spider was trapped here in this damn windowed cell. She needed a way to keep herself safe. Luckily, Eywa gave her the perfect weapon.
(You guys aren't ready for this.)
Spider was honestly pissed when her reborn bastard of a father threw her in this cell. She spent the first day screaming and slamming her fists against the windows. They kept the lights on at all hours. She knew they wanted to disorient her. There was no privacy, large windows, and cameras in the corners. The worst part of having no privacy was being stared at by male RDA grunts and lab guys. They leered at her constantly. Where the hell was Quaritch? She hadnt seen him since they got to Bridgehead. Heâd handed her off to some grunts and left. Did he know his grunts were staring her down at all times of the day? Did he tell them to do it, to wear her down further? The thought made her growl and hiss in anger. Spider knew the danger men posed when they knew their actions wouldn't have consequences. Spider knew just by the looks in their eyes exactly what they wanted to do to her. She had to find some way to protect herself. Some way to deter these assholes from touching her. The perfect way to do so presented itself not long after three days had passed.
She was sitting on the metal table in the middle of the room, just staring at the only non-windowed wall in the room. One leg hangs down, gently swaying back and forth. The other is bent, foot on the table, as she leans an elbow on her knee, fist pushed against her jaw. She's bored and annoyed, seconds from punching the windows again, when she feels it. Blood, period blood. She didn't have tampons or pads. Normally, sheâd use a divacup like Mary taught her. Here, though, she had nothing. Jumping off the table, she saw a small smear of blood left where she had sat. Sheâs always had an unusually strong flow. Her cramps weren't horrible, but the second day was always the worst.Â
She thought about asking for help, but stopped. This was perfect, shes on her period, she knew how squeamish human guys were about periods. Nash wouldn't go near her with a ten-foot pole, and the male scientist would embarrassingly skirt around the whole subject. Even Jake struggled when Spider would talk about it openly amongst the Sully kids. The Navi didn't seem to care and would only question why she smelled like she was bleeding once a month. This was the perfect way to get the guys here to lose interest in her. She hatched a plan. She was gonna make everyone here regret putting her in this cell.Â
The plan started small. She waited for a day when there was no one watching her through the windows. When the day came, she merrily walked back and forth through the cell at a slow pace. She didn't stop even as the blood flowed down her legs and onto the ground. As she walked, she would start to walk through her own blood and track it across the floor. No one had shown up yet, obviously not watching the cameras, so she continued. More and more blood covered her legs and the floor. When she felt there was enough mess, she knelt, dragging her hands across the floor, gathering her blood on her hands. She had always loved Navi art, so she started to paint.Â
She painted along the walls, gathering more blood from her legs or the floor as she went. She didn't want them to be able to pinpoint the location of her home from her drawings, so she simply drew at random. Random trees here, a mountain there. An ocean scene of blood. She stayed up all night, dragging blood-covered hands along the walls and over the windows, painting them red. She even collected blood in her hands and threw it at the cameras and lights above her. When she felt she was done, she lay on the floor. She could feel the blood collect in her hair and stick to her back and legs. She didnt care. They wanted her to go crazy in here. Sheâd show them crazy. She ended the night by painting herself in bloody warpaint. Tomorrow it would be a battle.
It seemed they had eventually checked the cameras or walked past the windows as she woke up to voices outside the door of her cage. She got up, feeling her skin pull away from the sticky floor, looking down at the blood that had pooled under her as she slept. She gathered the fresh blood in her hands, feeling it drip as she stood waiting. She was ready. The second anyone came in, she would smother them in her blood and watch with glee as they withered in disgust. She got her chance when the door opened, revealing three male guards who grabbed at their noses as they entered. The room was thick with a metallic smell. These same men who would revel in blood from a bullet wound cowered at the blood of her loins. The same that could give life if she wanted to. Which she doesn't, but the point still stands.
When they got close enough, Spider grabbed at them with her blood-covered hands, smiling manically as they dry heaved in disgust as her hands smeared blood across their faces. She watched in glee as they practically ran out of the room. She cackled as the door shut. Her plan had worked. She watched as those who used to stop and stare at her would hurry past her cell windows. How they kept their heads down, trying to avoid her eyes. It all made her so happy. Control, the thing she lost when she was taken here, was given back to her. She thanked Eywa for her heavy flow. She used to hate it, but now it was welcomed as she continued to paint and splatter blood from the top to the bottom of the room. Four more days had gone by like this. Someone always brought her food and would practically throw it inside before running away. Her period would end in two days. Sheâd already done more than enough damage to the room. There was still no sign of Quaritch or the others. It was a bit surprising. She had wanted to see their reactions to her personal massacre.
Eywa seemed to wish to bless her again today. She was lying on the metal table, one leg hanging off, swaying back and forth as blood dripped off it. She had one arm crossed over her eyes to block out the harsh light as she rested. She wasn't sleeping, only resting her eyes after a day's hard work painting. She heard the latches of her cell door open. She sat up quickly, hand going to the pooled blood under her on instinct, ready to use it as a weapon. There stood Quaritch, his eyes wide and mouth open, an unreadable expression on his face. The rest of the Recom stood behind him. Some covered their mouths, some had eyebrows pinched. Perfect, Spider smiled maniacally at them, sliding off her metal bed. She walked slowly over to them. Like a palulukan stalking her prey, she sized them up. They were bigger than her, but most of them were male. She knew theyâd crumble before her blood.
They all seemed stuck in place, even as Spider made it to Quaritch, placing still dripping blood-covered hands against his stomach. The man broke out of his trance and stared down at her. She must look insane and terrifying. Maybe heâs scared or angry, she thought gleefully, until she actually looked at his face. His brows were knit together, his mouth open and frowning, his eyes looked sad. Sad? Her smile slowly melted into confusion. She watched as he shallowed a gasp before his hands gently grabbed her shoulders, he kneeled in front of her, looking her in the eyes. âWhat the hell did they do to you?â He sounded distraught, upset, but not at her. âWhere are you bleeding? There's so much of it!â He sounds frantic now, worried. She gulps. She now realizes how demeaning it felt to have to do this just to survive. She isnt ashamed of her body or its functions, but this is a part of herself she shouldnât have had to use to feel safe. She shudders a breath, staring at him through blood-soaked hair. âI'm on my period,â she says so quietly.
She closes her eyes and waits for it, the yelling, the same kind Nash did when she got her first period and bled on the couch. The hands on her shoulders leave, and she goes to walk backwards when strong arms wrap around her. She's lifted into the air, and her eyes shoot open. Quaritch is holding her, one hand under her legs, the other around her shoulders. He starts walking, taking her out of the cell and down the hall. She hears a random grunt yelling from near her cell. âSir, what do we do about this?â He's clearly talking about the now blood-stained room. She hears Quaritch growl above her and feels him stop walking to turn to the guy. âWhat the hell do you think? You clean it!â Another grunt tries to speak up. âBut sir-â âBut nothing, I told y'all to take her to the Recom area and watch over her while we were out on missions. I want that cell cleaned in a day, gather supplies and get to it. Consider this your punishment for not following orders.â With that, they kept walking, the other Recom following behind.
She heard sounds of disgust as they walked through the halls. She was still bleeding. She knew there was a trail of it as they walked. She turned her head into Quaritchâs chest to avoid the stares of RDA assholes around them. She felt the man holding her slow his pace as someone came over to him. She could hear them talk above her, so she knew it was one of the other Recoms. A second later, and she felt something wrap around her lower half. Looking down, she saw a jacket of some type. They'd put it on her to stop her blood from leaking on the floor. Some poor bastard's coat was gonna have blood on it, though. They seemed to reach the Recom areaâs door as Quaritch handed her a mask. She put it on and watched as Quaritch checked the seal.
The Recom area was big. It had Navi-sized furniture, a large kitchen, and several doors that most likely led to bedrooms. There was another door, one named âHuman Breathable Sectionâ. They passed through it. It was an airlock door that most human bases had. Passing through, Spider saw a small kitchen and a table set up. There are two doors, one on the side of the kitchen and the other against the wall with the table and chairs. It's larger than the mobile shacks she's been in. It's tall enough for Navi to stand in, and all the stuff in it is Navi-sized too. She expects Quartich to place her down here, but he doesn't. He carries her over to the door on the left by the kitchen, which opens up to a bathroom. He leans down, placing her in the shower. It's huge, with a Navi-sized tub. It's practically a pool for Spider. Quaritch removes her mask for her. He says nothing as he pulls the showerhead down and turns on the water, letting it fall against his hand to check the temperature.
When he deems it warm enough but not too warm, he starts spraying water over Spider. Starting at her head and moving down, she watches her blood disappear down the drain. When the deep red river starts to thin, he places the showerhead in the tub and grabs a bottle of something nearby. She watches him squeeze a glob of strange-smelling stuff onto his hand. He places the bottle down, then moves his free hand in front of the water streaming out of the showerhead. His wet hand and glob-covered hand come together as he moves them. There's a scrunching noise, and Spider watches bubbles form. Maybe it's shampoo or conditioner, Mary had told her about it. The resistance used something similar to the Navi. It helped get the grime off and smelled good, but Mary always complained that it didn't make her hair feel as smooth as shampoo and conditioner did. Spider didn't move when Quaritch placed his bubble-covered hands in her hair and started scrubbing it. She watched the white bubbles turn pink as they mixed with the blood on her. She saw him grab a small, soft tool and cover it with the substance from a different bottle. This one also bubbled up, and he scrubbed at her body, avoiding her breasts and private areas, which she was glad for.
Another spray down with water caused a river of pink bubbles. This time, he looked her in the eyes. âYou're gonna need to clean the rest of ya, use the green bottle on this loafa. Keep going till the waterâs clear. I'm gonna turn around, can you take off yer clothes?â She nods at him, watching him close the plastic curtain. She sees his shadow on the curtain as he turns and sits down facing away. âJust chuck yer clothes on the floor, we'll deal with it.â She does so, taking off her clothes and ringing out the water before placing it on the bathroom floor. She sees the man's shadow shift and stand up. She hears him leave the room. After a moment, she pulls the curtain back slightly to see her clothes gone. She decides not to dwell on it. She grabs the green bottle and the thing Quaritch called a loafa and starts to clean herself off. Sheâs on round two of washing her hair when she hears the door open. âIt's just me, kid, took yer clothes away. Cleaners said they were too bloody to be cleaned, so I grabbed you something else to wear.â She lets out a frustrated growl. âLook, kid, I know you don't like human clothes or whatever, but donât you actually wanna wear blood-stained clothes, do ya?â She doesn't answer him then.Â
He sits on the ground as she cleans herself. They're both quiet for a moment when Quaritch speaks up. âKid, what happened in there?â Spider scoffs gently. âYou know what happened.â âI know what I saw and that yer on your period. But that doesn't explain the mess that room was in.â Spiderâs a bit surprised that there's no change in the man's voice when he mentions her period, but he did carry her across the whole base while she bled on him, so it really shouldn't be surprising. âI got my period on the second day, I didn't have anything to help it, so I just let it be,â she hears him give a humourless laugh. âJust âletting it beâ doesn't cause blood to be painted on the walls. Come on, kid. You coulda asked for a pad or somethinâ. Why didn'tcha?âÂ
Spider scoffed again, louder and angrier. âOh yeah cause that would have been so easy, just let all those greasy fucks stare at me knowing I'm stuck in that cell bleeding!â âkid-â âDon't âkidâ me! Those assholes wouldn't stop staring at me! For three days, they just watched me through the windows!â She started to curl in on herself. âYou didn't see the way they looked at me, like predators stalking prey. Like I was just some piece of meat, at any moment, they could have entered that cell and hurt me, taken whatever they wanted from me and left me there in the aftermath of it!â Sheâs crying now. âI had to protect myself, I had to! So when I started bleeding, I used it to my advantage. I know human men are squeamish as hell when it comes to periods, so I used it as my weapon. Who would willingly go near an insane girl painting the walls in her own menstrual blood?â She sniffles, rubbing the back of her hand against her nose.
She's startled by the protective growl of rage that comes from Quaritch, âIâm gonna kill them, every one of those bastards.â His rage is controlled. It's the rage of a man with a plan. Spider looks at the shadow on the curtain. Some part of her wants Quiritch to hug her like Kiri would, to tell her sheâs safe. The other part still stubbornly holds onto the feeling of anger at being taken away from her friends. She settles on silence as she keeps washing the blood off her body. It takes about four rounds of scrubbing for the water to come out clear. She puts the bottles back on the shelves. They're about head height for her. She doesn't even attempt to put the showerhead back. She does turn the water off, though, by turning the same nob that Quaritch did the opposite way.
She sees Guaritch shift again. âYou done in there, kid?â âI think so, the water was clear,â she sees Quaritch stand up. âGood, I'm gonna pass you a towel. You know how to use one, yeah?â She rolls her eyes, putting as much sarcasm into her voice as she can. âNo, I've never even heard of one of those!â âAlright, kid, I get it. I was just makinâ sure.â Quaritchâs hand enters the side of the curtain, holding a large blue towel. She grabs the Navi-sized towel, dries herself off, and wraps it around her body when she's done. âIâm done.â âCan I pull the curtain back?â With Spider's sound of confirmation, he pulls the curtain to see Spider wrapped in the towel like it's a blanket. He lifts her up and over the three-foot edge of the tub and puts the showerhead back in its place.
He points at a pile on the sink counter, âHere's the clothes I told you about. After you put them on, come out to the living room area.â He leaves, closing the door behind him. She hears the familiar sound of airlock doors opening and closing. She turns to the clothes, pulling them off the counter. There are underwear and bras of different sizes. There's a pair of green cargo shorts, a blue mock-neck tank, and black leggings. As well as several pairs of differently sized socks. She also sees a small pile of pads and tampon boxes. She finds a bra that fits comfortably and a pair of boxer briefs, placing the biggest pad she could find in them. She puts on the leggings, then the shirt and shorts. Finally, she grabs a pair of blue ankle-height socks. She notices her songcord on the counter and ties it on her shorts. She doesn't like human clothes, but she does like being freshly clean and in clean clothes. She grabs her mask and leaves the bathroom.Â
When she passes through the airlock doors and into the living area, she finds everyone already there. Most are on the couch, but the sunglasses-wearing guy is in the kitchen. Spider just kinda sways side to side awkwardly for a moment. She looks for Quaritch but doesn't see him anywhere. Just as Spider considers going back into the airlock doors, the only female Recom turns and notices her. âHey, look at you, all clean and dressed. Come on over, weâre just watching TV.â Spider watches as the rest of the Recom look at her. She shuffles a little, looking back at the airlock. No one talks as she thinks, then she turns back to the group and walks over to the couch. The couch is also three feet off the ground, making it around pelvis height on Spider. Spider is 6â tall. She was one of the tallest humans back at the resistance base. Here she feels tiny.
She does a couple of hops, gaining enough momentum to jump and plant her butt on the couch cushion. She glares at the woman who snickers beside her. The woman holds her hand out to Spider. âYou can call me Zdog, nice to meet ya.â Spider looks at the hand for a moment, then shakes it. âIâm Spider.â âI thought your name was Marie.â Spider physically recoils at that. âI'd rather not be called that, thanks.â Spider didn't know Quaritch had gotten back till he spoke. âYou know yer not named after me yea? Yer named after my mom.â Spider looked at the Recom. âSo not only did you have children with a subordinate that was considerably younger than you, but instead of naming me after my own mom, I had to have your mom's name? Great.â âHey, now I didn't force anything. Topaz was alright with it.â Spider simply looked toward the TV, âor she didn't have a choice in the matter.âÂ
The accusation wasnt subtle. If Spider were honest, some part of her wanted what happened between Paz and Quaritch to be an abuse-of-power situation. The other part never wanted that to happen to her mother, but what other reason would her mom have to be with the man? He was an asshole. Spider knows sheâs made the whole room feel awkward with how silent it is. She sees Quaritch kneeling beside her in her peripheral vision. âLook, kid, you can feel however you wanna about me, but I need you to know I never hurt paz. I fell for her, harder than a boulder in a lake. She loved me too, told me every night.â Spider's fists clenched at her sides. She knows this. Sheâs seen the video logs Paz made while pregnant. Sheâs seen videos of her mom and dad dancing, and she's seen how Quaritch would hold her mom's stomach and talk to it. She knows he loved Paz. She knows Paz loved him. All that was left was Spider, the war orphan nobody wanted. The useful asset that was brought back to Bridgehead to sell out the resistance.Â
Spider doesn't realize she's crying until Quaritch places a hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles through her shirt. âWe loved each other, and we loved you.â Spider lets out a hiccuping sob. âMy sweet baby girl, I was so excited to meet you.â He wraps his arms around her. âI loved you then, and I love you now. You mean everything to me, and I'll fight hell and high water for you. I left you once, it's never happening again.â Spider sobs harder, pressing her mask-covered face into the man's chest, grabbing at his shirt as she shakes. He just holds her, telling her how âproud he isâ, how much âhe loves herâ. She stays in his arms for a while, just listening to his heartbeat, even as she stops sobbing. Her eyes are puffy, and she keeps sniffling. Her dad takes her back to the human safe area to help her clean her face. He sits her down at the table and brings her food. She looks at it for a moment, then looks up at her dad. âCan I eat with you guys?â âOf course, sweetheart. I'll grab you a Nasal Cannula. You bring this out to the main area.â
As she eats, she learns that Mansk, the Recom with the sunglasses, cooked the food. Spider thanks him for the meal. The very slight purpling on his cheeks is the only sign of his bashfulness. Sheâs sitting on a couple of pillows on a chair at the bar counter. The plates and cutlery are huge. She feels like a little kid again. She's so high off the ground her legs sway freely. She never got to be a kid. She learned that crying got you yelled at or ignored. She learned that she wasnt worth spending time with. She learned how to get her own food pretty quickly and how to patch up cuts and scrapes. Here she feels cared for and wanted. It hurts a bit. It feels like a betrayal of her friends. Spider knows one thing for sure: no matter how nice her dad is, no matter how kind the Recom are, sheâll never give up the resistance.
Why do some people just like to take the storylines of characters and make them their own? You know I'm talking about Spider, so I'll just mention it. I know it's a bit controversial, but I have to say it:))
I know you guys just want to fulfill your fantasies, I understand because I also immersed myself in Ao3 in my free time, It would be amazing to live in there.
But really...? If you crave living in Pandora like that, I don't know what to call it because English isn't my mother languageâlike...Someone x Y/N?
Why not create your own storyline instead of stealing a character's life? Ohh so you want a type of fanfic self-inserted oc but u can't think of anything else of your head? If you can't think of anything to write, don't write; just keep that fantasy in your head đ This is both a way to respect the work you've conceived but don't know how to express, and the characters, it will gives you time for wonderful daydreaming, which is great for your mood and mind đ´ Write your own story in your head, about what you would want to be in that role, your love for a particular character, instead of just imitating the original work in such a distorted way.
And you choise u can't think of anything, yet you think, "Wow, why don't I put myself in this character? He has a story exactly like I want!" đĽşđ¤ Insert a non-existent personality into him, and pretend to be him like female version.
Seriously... are you people really that desperate? I absolutely hate it, if you want to write that kind of fanfiction, just do it yourself! đ Even little kids can create a story about a princess in the forest using their imagination and babbling, and you can't? I understand that some people aren't good at writing and expression, but that doesn't explain anything. If you're bad at it, practice. If you keep trying and still can't do it, then you're really not suited for it. Maybe switch to another hobby like drawing, for example.
Not understanding that basic logic, yet arbitrarily stealing the character's storyline like a colonizer, just put your head down and plant a tree; there's probably more soil in there than your brain's neurons.
I might be being a little harsh, but I'm so annoyed đŤ I am both a writer and an artist, so maybe you understand my perspective on this.
It might not be as deep as I think, but I just wanted to express my thoughts, not just for Spider, but for other characters in works of art worldwide. Please respect the authors and characters.
If you can't write, draw, or anything like that, just imagine and enjoy some Y/N fanfiction on internet; I'm sure many of them do that really well âşď¸
Think about it. Don't act without thinking; you don't need to rack your brains to understand it.
Also, the next chapter will probably take a while yall. I'm too lazy because of my injury đĽš, and I have midterm exams coming up soon đĽ˛
Medieval times, fantasy, and war against darkness.
Jake remembers the war, how long it took, and how many people died to defeat Darkness Incarnate. He remembers the time before the war. Remembers his time with Tommy. Remembers living in the slums, begging for food at age 5. Remembers Tommy showing his magical abilities at age 8. Jake remembers being adopted into a noble family that wanted Tommy's magic at age 12. He remembers watching helplessly as said nobles sacrificed his brother in a ritual at age 16. He remembers being âadoptedâ by the knights who saved him and took him in, and trained him in sword combat.Â
Heâd taken to it like a fish to water. Spending days upon days training. He became a great sword wielder. Slashing at foes under Queen Ardmoreâs orders and killing alongside his brothers of the sword for the honour of Rodania. He remembers the neighbouring kingdoms he tore down. The things he no longer remembers fondly, not after meeting Neytiri.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Ardmore had sent her army to the Forest of the âBeastkinâ. A race of people known to have animal-like features, ranging from ears and a tail to full bipedal animal folks. Jake remembers her calling them scum, dirty animals not worth the air they breathe. All Jake could think of was the Fuanakin (their preferred name) children who sat with him and his brotherâhuddling for shelter and warmth under torn fabric tents. How Mrs. Nolan, a full dog-like Faunakin who ran a small fruit stall, would distract grown men who wished to harm the homeless children. How sheâd âaccidentallyâ leave a full fruit basket near where all the orphaned children would rest. He never voiced these thoughts, not as his âbrothers' called for death with glee.
They'd left for the forest, planning to ambush the fuanakin. Jake knew it wouldn't work. He knew the Fuanakin of the forest already knew they were there. The barrage of arrows that killed half the army confirmed his thoughts. The fuanakin were precise, finding the openings in the human's armour. The humans had to retreat after losing another half of what was left to the knife and axe users. At the same time, the Faunakin lost less than a quarter of their own. The humans had left swearing vengeance. All except Jake.
Jake had managed to cross the enemy line. He took no lives as he passed, using his sword to block attacks and arrows till he made it into the forest. There, he stopped for a moment, took in the beautiful forest of Pandora. One of the most mysterious forests on his home continent of Gaia. The sight almost made him pray to Eywa herself. She was a true craftswoman of a goddess. A small yelp tore him out of his daze. Turning quickly to his right, sword raised, he finds a child. A little full cat Faunakin is sitting on the ground, staring at him in fear. She wears a tiger-hide dress that falls to her digigrade knees. Jake lowers his weapon. Looking the girl over, he sees blood near her right foot. Looking closer, he sees a snare trap, sharp metal teeth are digging into her ankle as she shakes. Tears are falling down her cheeks. Jake doesn't think, only acts.Â
He drops his sword, runs to the girl, and drops to his knees so he can get a better look at the trap. The girl flinches back from the movement, causing more blood and pain. Jake tries to calm her, telling her she's safe and that he wants to help. None of it seems to work, so he does the one thing he had been told never to do. He removes his helmet. He makes sure his face is kind and welcoming. He talks to her gently, with hand movements slow as he reaches out to help remove the trap. The girl watches him warily but accepts his help. Jake fiddles with the trap, making sure not to move it. There isn't a release for it, so he has to open it himself. He tells her to pull her leg out when he opens it far enough. The girl sniffles and nods. Jake removes his metal gloves, bracing his muscles to pry the metal jaws open.Â
He pulls, skin tearing open on the sharp metal. He hears the child yell in pain. Once it's open, the girl pulls her leg free. Jake removes his hands quickly, and the trap snaps shut. He breathes a sigh. Looking over to the girl, he watches as fresh tears of pain and relief fall, her lips quiver and pout. He can't leave her like this; he won't leave her like this. So he grabs the small bandages he carries, grabs strong sticks from nearby, and gets to work.
He has the child's ankle bandaged with a splint to help the broken bones heal. He asks about her parents, but she doesn't answer. He thinks for a moment, then asks about her home or a place where she can be healed. She doesn't answer verbally; she points farther into the forest while sniffling. Jake knows he's about to make a stupid decision. He knows he's gonna carry this kid to her home, and then he'll be killed. Regardless, he won't leave her alone like this. Besides, he's already in the forest. If he leaves now, theyâll kill him on sight. So he picks her up and carries her. Forgetting his sword, helmet and gloves.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
He's been walking for about 10 minutes now, periodically checking in with the girl. She only answers with a nod or a shake of her head. Pointing when he asks about directions. He isn't sure if she can speak, but he doesn't blame her if she's too shy to speak with him. From off to his right, he hears a yip, not from an animal but a fuanakin. He's heard that sound in the slums, heard fuanakin call to each other from opposite sides of buildings. He keeps walking. He hears another yip from his left. There are more yips and yaps from all around him. They are worried and angry. They know he's there. Suddenly, the girl yips back, it's calm and gentle. Like the answering yip a Faunakin gives when a questioning, distressed yip is sent their way. A yip that means all is well. The cacophony of angry yips stops immediately. The girl places a hand on his chest and points to their left. Jake watches as the bushes and trees move, creating a path. The fuanakin village. Heâd only ever heard of it, been told the tale of the hidden village that only opens its doors to those Ewya herself deems worthy. He walks along the path, and curious whispers from the trees on either side reach his ears.Â
He reaches a village with homes built into the trees, made of bent wood and woven walls, and doors made of colourful fabrics. He sees still burning communal fires and hung laundry. The Fuanakin don't wear metal. They wear natural items, such as clothing woven from animal hide and plants. Jewelry made from carved wood or stones and braided plant strings. Like the small girl in her tiger-hide dress, Fuanakin tend to wear the hide of animals they share similarities with.
Jake looks around. He hasn't seen anyone since he arrived. âExcuse me?â he calls out, voice loud but calm. âI know most of you would rather not speak to me, but I am worried for this girl. Her leg was caught in a trap. I managed to stop the bleeding and secure her broken leg, but I am no healer.â He waits for a moment, he's about to call out again, to beg that someone help her. When a sound to his left reaches his ears, he turns and watches a cat Faunakin leave the trees and approach him. The woman's similarities to the girl and the girlâs excitement at seeing her lead Jake to believe the woman is definitely a relative. He turns his body to the woman, gently holding the girl as the woman walks cautiously over. The girl isn't making it easy, though her little body wiggles as she purrs and meows towards the woman. A large smile on her face as she kneads Jake's hands with her claws. It hurts like a bitch, but Jake isn't about to ruin the girl's happiness, so he grits his teeth and smiles while bearing it.
When the woman finally reaches him, she looks him over, scrutinizing everything about him with only her eyes. The child's sudden, annoyed meow draws her attention away from the man. She reaches out to grab the girl, and Jake helps shift the child towards her. Once the girl is in her arms, she sighs, kissing the girl all over her face while purringâshe and the child converse in meows. The woman's scrutinizing glare shifts ever so slowly to curiosity. She looks into Jake's eyes, silent for just a moment. Then she thanks him, bowing. Jake simply scratches the back of his neck, his other hand in the air as if to say, âIt's not worth praise,â a lopsided smile on his face.Â
When the woman straightens, the forest comes alive. Multiple Fuanakin exit the forest from all sides, heading towards the village. Children are carried by their parents or older siblings on their way home. Adults go to the still-burning cookfires to check on the food. Jake is at a loss for what to do. He looks back to where he had first entered the village clearing. The way has been closed up. He could try simply walking through the forest, but he'd most likely get lost.
He's so lost in thought he doesn't notice he's being talked to till a hand wacks him on the back of the head. He yelps in pain and turns around to see an elderly female wolfkin staring at him in displeasure. The woman is covered in wolf hide and fur. She wears jewelry from head to toe. The woman is a half-fauanakin. She has black, partly grey, fur-covered, digigrade legs. Her stomach and chest have sparse fur that rises in a triangle from her navel to her shoulders, disappearing behind a wolf-fur cowl. She has fur on her face starting at her nose and going up over her forehead, connecting into her hair. All visible skin is dark brown with red undertones. Her wolf ears and tail twitch in annoyance. Jake realizes this woman is the village's Tsahik, the best non-magical healer of any species. Jake immediately bows before her. Kneeling on hands and knees as a sign of forgiveness. The woman makes a noise of intrigue and curiosity, telling him to stand and follow her.
She leads him to the middle of the village, where a large home sits. It's large enough to house three, maybe four, families. When they enter, she tells him to sit. Looking around, he sees they aren't alone; an elderly man and a young adult woman are there as well. The man's hair has a brown undertone, partly grey. The woman looks like a perfect mix of the two, from her facial features to her body. The glare she wears is exactly like the elder woman's
Jake is given food, sweet fruit and savoury meats. He gobbles it down like a man starved. He hasn't eaten since the army left the castle, which was three days ago. He hears the younger woman scoff while the elders chuckle. When he's done making a fool of himself, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, thanking them for the food with a sincere bow. The elder woman lifts a hand signalling him to stop bowing. âI am glad that you very clearly like our food,â she tilts her head mischievously at his fruit-stained mouth and jaw. This caused him to blush and wipe at it with his sleeve. Her smile fades, replaced with a serious look. âWhile I am glad you enjoyed it, there is much we must discuss.â Jake sits at full attention.Â
âI will start by asking you this: Did you come with the army that meant to harm us?â Jake looks down. âYes,â he hears the young woman growl beside him as the elder woman tells her to remain quiet. âSeveral of my people had told me you did not kill anyone, that you blocked attacks until you entered our forest. Why?â Jake looks up, confused, âWhy what?â âWhy did you not kill us, and why did you enter the forest?â Jake thinks for a moment, âI didn't want to hurt any of you. I grew up in the slums of the Rodania kingdom. I've met several Faunakin, and all of them were kind to my brother and me. We were allowed to join their cuddle piles to stay warm and were given food. I'd be dead if it weren't for them.â His hands move animatedly as he recounts these memories, a smile on his face.Â
Then the smile leaves, and a look of contemplation crosses his face. âAs for why I entered the forest, I don't honestly know. I just felt I had to, like something was telling me to go there.â he places a hand on his chest. The elder woman nods as she takes in the information. âThen you helped the girl.â âOf course! There's no way I'd leave a child like that. She was hurt and scared, and I had to do something. I knew you'd all probably be upset, but I wouldn't abandon a child like that.â He looked into her eyes, unwavering. The woman searches his face for something, then smiles. She stands up and tells him to follow her.Â
She led him to the back of the home, standing before a blue curtain. She pulls the fabric aside, revealing a great sword. The sword is made of metal. Silver? No, it's got a blue undertone to it, maybe mythril? No, not blue enough. The blade has a gold-like metal in the middle, with sharpened, blueish-silver metal around it. The gold on the blade has cavings on it, it looks like a language, but not one he's ever seen. He's illiterate, so he'd not know what it says anyway. The handle, intricately carved from wood, has a leather strap wrapped around where two hands would hold it. The wood is dark, with an almost reddish-brown hue. It's beautiful like nothing he has ever seen.Â
He feels a pull, like something is telling him to grab the sword. One hand lands on the handle of the two-handed weapon. He lifts it into the air over his head. It's light, far too light. The things bigger than him and half his width, but it weighs the same as a dagger. He stares at it for a moment, then lowers it, looking over at the surprised faces of the three behind him. The elder man walks up to him, towering over Jake by a foot. âWhat is your name?â âJake, sir,â the man smiles, âJake, it would seem you are the Hero Eywa spook of.â
What?
They tell him the story of how Eywa forged the blade from metal and wood found only in her domain, and how she gave the Faunakin a vision of great evil that needed to be vanquished by that sword. They told him that the sword had not been moved since it was placed in their care more than 1,000 years ago. That to everyone else, the thing weighed so much you'd shatter your arm rather than lift it. Not only that, but the Fuanakinsâ aversion to metal meant they didn't know how to wield a great sword.
Suddenly, he's on a hero's quest, heading out with a begrudging Neytiri and Tsutey. Neytiri is the party's archer, and Tsutey is the party's assassin with his stone blades and speed. They kill monsters born from failed rituals. Rituals like the one done on Tommy. They make allies. Grace, the powerful mage. Norm and max healers and crafters who make potions, weapons and armour as the party moves along, killing more foes. The further they get, the more desperate their foe seems to become, sending more and more enemies at them until they find this great evil, Queen Ardmore, who has been performing rituals and having others do so, desperately trying to gain more power and monsters for her army. Speaking of her army, the crazy bitch killed all her human armymen using them in rituals. all except Jake himself and Quaritch's crew.Â
Quaritch was a strong, great sword user. One that Ardmore had stationed in the first kingdom they won against. He had not known what was happening in Rodania until he came back. The man saw the destruction of his home and formed a resistance group against Ardmore. Quaritchâs group joined the hero's party in the fight. They climbed the castle, Jake's party lost Tsutey, and Quaritch lost 5 of his 12 members by the time they reached the top and faced Ardmore. With potions from Norm and Max, the two parties fought as Ardmore sent wave after wave of undead against them. Having to rekill some of their own dead allies. Quaritch lost 5 more, leaving him and Lyle.
Too busy fighting, the group doesnât notice Ardmore charging a mass of black energy. A deranged cackle was their only warning as a large, circular beam of black tore through everything in its path toward them. Time seems to slow for Jake as he looks at the beam headed straight for him. Then a light golden circle forms in front of him. Intricate, with symbols and shapes that overlap. In the middle is Grace, her arms stretched out in front of her, palms facing the black beam. They watch as the energy reflects off the circle, punching through the walls and ground. The redhead is shaking with her effort, desperately holding the dark energy back. Ardmore scoffs and shifts the energy, making it smaller, more precise and stronger.Â
Grace's magic shield cracks, and she flings her arms out to the sides, trying to protect her comrades. The shield breaks, and the beam pierces through Grace's chest. Jake watches Grace's body fall as he reaches for her. She's gone, her body disintegrates, leaving a robe with a black singed hole in the middle. Jake catches it and falls to his knees. He stares at it. He hears Neytiri call his name, and he looks up to see Ardmore charging another beam. The maniac has a wide smile and wild eyes. Jake grits his teeth, standing and holding his great sword in front of him like a shield. The beam is sent at him. It connects with his sword and reflects as before. Ardmore changes it again, the same small beam that shattered Grace's magic. It hits the sword and sends him back several feet. He feels hands on his back. The others hold him up so he doesn't fall. Jake watches as Ardmore scowls, black cracks form along her skin, starting at her heart and moving towards her hands and eyes. More energy is sent at them, pushing them all back despite it bouncing off the blade. They can't keep doing this. They need an edge, and they get one.Â
Topaz, the goddess of song and dance, forms behind the group. Topaz, a mage so powerful that she has god-like status. The girlâs power made her dangerous, so Eywa had adopted her as a child. Teaching her to control her abilities. As a result, the woman had some devoted followers. Right now, she stood behind them, looking straight at Ardmore. Without a word, the goddess's body changed, turning into a golden ball of light. It flew down to Jake's sword, entering and causing the sword to shine. The light tore through Ardmoreâs magic, causing it to dissipate. Jake heard a voice in his mind: âI will help you defeat her.âÂ
With new confidence, Jake runs towards the demon queen, blocking the black beams she sends at him. When he's right in front of her, he swings the sword in an arc up and over, right between the left side of her neck and her shoulder. The sword stops after only a few inches. He watches as black sludge drips from the cut. She screams a demonic, fragmented scream that shakes the building. He puts pressure on the blade, trying to drag it through her skin. The blade envelopes in light, and a gentle song reaches his ears. It's almost sad. It sounds like a child's lullaby. One more push, and the blade tears diagonally through the woman. Black sludge pours from her body when it hits the floor.Â
Jake watches as the black sludge collects inside the cracks of his blade, seemingly corrupting it. He can't let go. He tries, but the sludge collects on his hands, gluing them down. His vision blurs, and he hears a dark voice call to him. It all disappears as a hand slams into his stomach, throwing him back several feet. He's on the ground when he looks up. It's Topaz, holding the blade. She stands there in all her glory, a white long-sleeve flowing gown, covered in gold and diamonds. More than twice the size of a person. Her long, wavy brown hair touches the ground. She's staring at the sky, a firm grip on the blade. The sludge doesn't touch her, but the blade is still covered in the stuff. She lifts it as easily as Jake did. It looks like a regular sword in her hand. Tears roll down her cheeks as she speaks. âI know what I must do. The blade has been corrupted. The mortals can't handle its power any longer,â he feels his comrades surround him. They watch as her breath seems to hitch. She whispers to the sky, âI will always love you, never forget that.âÂ
Then she pulls the blade in front of her, two hands on the hilt with the blade towards her chest. She pulls it in, and they all watch as it seems to disappear into her body, never exiting. There's no blood. Everything enters, even the hilt. Her arms fall to her side as black cracks form along her body. Her body was slowly disintegrating as Grace's had. Clear tears turn black as she whispers a final goodbye to the air. She's gone, the blade is gone. It's over. What celebration and joy that may have occurred never comes. They have people to bury and a fallen goddess thank.Â
Later, there is a party where the people sing and dance, and Jake knows Goddess Topaz would have loved it. Jake enters the nearby church, wishing to pay his respects to the fallen goddess. And there, sitting before the stone carving of Topaz, he finds Quaritch. Who seems to stare at the statue with pain and loss. The man has a bottle of alcohol that he takes periodic swigs of. Jake learns the man's first name is Miles. Miles tells him how he and the goddess fell in love, and how she came to see him constantly while he was stationed in the neighbouring kingdom. He hadn't seen the woman for almost 8 months when he went back to check on Rodania. Jake talks about his growing interest in Neytiri. Miles claps a hand on his shoulder and tells him just to ask the lady out already. Jake listens.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Jake and Neytiri live together in the Faunakin village with three kids. Neteyam, age 5, Loâak, age 4, and Kiri, age 4. They adopted Kiri after finding the small redheaded foxkin in the forest of Pandora. Neyteyam is a half wolfkin like his mother, while Loâak is a partial wolfkin, only having a tail and ears. Kiri is a partial foxkin just like Loâak. The girl is a talented mage, Norm and Max both agreed with Jake when he mentioned the girl looked just like Grace. Neteyam took to archery as his mother did, and Loâak took an interest in the sword as his father did.Â
It was around this time that Jake learned about Spider. The newly named god of song and dance, Topazâs son. The boy was 6, and oracles of Eywa across the continent spoke of him. His immense power is even stronger than his mother's. The boy knows every song and every dance, and can repeat them with absolute accuracy. It's good news to many, those hoping to gain something pray to the new god. Those whose lives are comprised of song and dance pray to him for good performances. As he gains more followers, the child's power will only grow. For many, it's a time for celebration. For Jake, it's a time of dread. It's his fault the child has no mother. If Jake had been smarter, faster, and stronger. Topaz wouldn't have had to die.
Jake waits. He waits for the boy to come down someday, to kill him where he stands. He waits as his children grow. He waits as his half-wolfkin daughter, Tuk, is born. He waits as news of leftover monsters from the war reaches his ears, and a new guild is formed to send adventurers after them. Those left from that great fight, along with his own children, head out to help. He waits as Kiri gets stronger. Waits as Neteyam and Loâak take down foe after foe. Waits as Neytiri, Norm, Max, Miles, and Lyle fight side by side with him again and again. He waits as they celebrate another successful monster hunt.
He sits on the ground beside Neytiri, in front of the fire. The heroes' party had managed to defeat a dragon that day. Some of them got hurt, but no one died, so they were celebrating. Loâak had landed the final blow on the creature. Jake's youngest son was currently being paraded around on his eldest son, Neteyam's, shoulders. Kiri was behind them, clapping and cheering. Lyle and Miles toasted to the boy, calling him a great warrior. Norm and Max made more healing potions. Tuk was doing as she almost always did, dancing around and singing. Her movements are both fluid and rough, as most childrenâs are. The lyrics to her song repeat.Â
Loâak, Loâak the mighty warrior.
None so strong as he!
Loâak, Loâak the mighty warrior.
The greatest youâll ever see!
The notes are loud and slightly shrill, common for most children. She runs in small circles, arms stretched out to the sides. Jake knows the girl would be playing her drum if she weren't occupied with dancing.
Then a sound, it's faint at first. Jake believes it to be bugs or small wildlife, but then it gets louder. Humming, gentle. Soft, yet masculine. The humming matches Tukâs singing, meeting her note for note. The party goes silent, confused, looking for the source. The plants seem to sway, yet there's no breeze. The humming gets louder, and the tone rises until it crescendos. Then a figure forms over the fire, and under the moon. As if both forms of light collect together. It starts at the feet, moving up the legs, body and clothes form at the same time. A boy with curly golden hair, head tilted to the sky, still humming Tukâs song. He wears a long-sleeved white dress with slits down the sides. His legs are covered by leggings that reach down to the soles of his feet, with only his toes and heels left bare. The dress is high-collared to the mid-neck, and the sleeves end in a fingerless-glove style.Â
When the boy opens his eyes and looks down at them, Jake sees honey-brown eyes. They remind him of the goddess, Topazâs. This is Spider, her son. As the thought registers in his mind, another follows. Is this it? Am I going to be killed here? With my children and wife watching? Is it another form of revenge? Spider lowers himself to the ground, and now, closer, Jake can see that the boy is covered in intricately made gold jewelry. Crystals of varying shades of blue and diamonds fitted into the metal, it jingles its own song as he moves. He's taller than Jake by a few inches. Jake knows the boy could be over twice his current height if he wished. His eyes are half-lidded and gentle. A small soft smile on his face. He isn't looking at Jake, no, he's looking at Tuk. It would worry the man, but the boy's face shows no malice. There's curiosity and intrigue. Then the boys start singing, his Tone soft.
Loâak, Loâak.
His left arm moves out to the side.
The mighty warrior.
Then his right arm.
None so strong as he.
One foot forward.
Loâak, Loâak.Â
The other foot moves.
The mighty warrior.
His body dips slightly.
The greatest youâll ever see.
He does a spin. His clothes flutter, jewelry jingling to the tune of his words.
Then he stops and bows towards Tuk. âYoung bard, I was walking nearby in this forest when I heard your lovely song and felt your wonderful dance. I felt a celebration occurring in my bones. May I join you for this dance?â he exentiuates the question by extending a hand to her. Jake watches as Tukâs eyes light up, agreeing quickly and taking him by the hand. The two dance and sing. Spider's voice is like cool water on a hot day. It bounces off trees and amplifies. His dancing is fluid and precise, turning Tukâs clumsy, childish movements into something you'd see on a stage. The god of song and dance, the god of celebrations, the god of festivals. All fitting names for the boy, a 16-year-old god, and an orphan. Adopted by Eywa after his mother's death, a part of Jake will always blame himself for her passing.Â
Another lesser-used title for the boy is the god of children. Children are loud and always moving. Their singing is never the same twice, and their dancing is no different. There have been stories of the young god being seen dancing and singing amongst orphans in the slums, or appearing out of nowhere at children's parties. Bringing smiles and laughter to all he meets.Â
He is good with children. Jake sees it in the way the boy keeps Tukâs undivided attention. They dance and dance and dance until Tuk's eyes grow heavy as she tries to keep up with the dancing god. She falls, and before Jake can even move. Spider catches her, lifting her gently. His singing turns to soft humming, a lullaby that settles into the girl's bones, making her eyes close. He rocks her back and forth in his arms, and when she's asleep, he gives her to her mother. Neytiri takes the girl quietly, thanking Spider for his kindness. She bows to the god, then leaves to place Tuk in her bed.Â
As Spider turns back towards the group and away from Neytiri, Jake bows. The others follow his lead. Spider simply lifts a hand. âCome now, raise your heads, I am not here searching for praise. I felt your celebration and just had to come over once I heard the little one's song and felt her dance. I knew I had found something special.â The boy claps his hands together, quietly, so as not to wake Tuk. âA small celebration so deep in the forest, I felt you celebrating victory and continued life. What wonderful things to celebrate,â he smiles gently and happily. Then his eyes look into Jakeâs. A soft knowing smile. âMy mother would be happy to know you all are well.â Acceptance, Jake could cry. The boy whose mother died saving them just told Jake she would be happy. Jake smiles at the boy, watching as the boy closes his eyes and turns to light from the feet up, light specs floating into the sky and seeming to disappear into the moon.Â
Jake turns in time to catch Miles' solemn face just before it disappears. He remembers Miles mentioning his relationship with the late goddess. Spider had looked so different from his mother, keeping only her tanned skin and brown eyes. Yet he still felt familiar. From his golden curly hair to his physique, though not as muscular as Miles, he was undoubtedly the man's son. Part of Jake wonders why the man doesn't speak with his son. The boy was right there. The other part knows the answer. Spider is a god, untouchable by humans unless he allows it. The boy will have to go to Miles first. What a terrible fate for a father, yet still a blessing to know your child will be safe from almost anything.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Time moves on, and they go from town to town defeating monsters of all types. News of an orc horde brings them to a small village, a farming village. Only 100 people seem to live there, but the appearance of monsters has brought adventurers looking to make a name for themselves. The heroes' party was called after the orc horde killed more than half of the cocky bastards. Death should never be taken lightly, but that doesn't stop the deaths from being needless and avoidable, seeing as many of those deaths occurred after the discovery of the horde.Â
Fighting the orcs had taken time for the party, not nearly as difficult as fighting the earth dragon born from a dark ritual performed on a lizard with earth magic. Even these orcs were once farm pigs, filled with dark magic to change them, as all the monsters were. Creatures once normal, some with small amounts of elemental magic, changed against their will, filled with malice, causing them to kill all humans they came across. Taking care of all of them may be a never-ending task. The monster hunters' guild had learned that the monsters could procreate, having separate genders or doing it on their own, like in the case of slimes. Jake was honestly getting sick of it, not the fighting that could be fun at times, but the repetitive nature of killing the same monsters over and over.
They made it back to the village with severed orc heads and time to spare. A party had started shortly after the group returned. The usual singing and dancing could be heard as they spoke to the village leader. Handing over some of the orc materials so the village could make some money off them. Heading back outside, they had planned to go to the village's inn, but heard a familiar melodic laugh. Spider dancing among happy children while villagers played instruments. He was singing a song of triumph against orcs. Mimicking sword movements with beautiful choreography. Making the children laugh as he pretended to be an orc with a singing roar as he playfully chased them. Catching a small boy, throwing him up in the air and catching him again. The god is in his âmortalâ body. It seemed like the boy preferred to be human-sized when around humans.
Spider placed the boy down and turned, the familiar jingle of jewelry as the loose parts of his clothing swayed. When he stopped turning, his eyes landed on the hero's party. A wide smile as he walks towards them with grace; his voice is gentle yet carries a hint of mischievousness. âIf it isn't the heroes of the hour, you have made it back from your heroic journey. If you are not too tired, you should join us. There is plenty to drink.â Once he stands before them, his eyes shift to Tuk, âOh, little bard!â He picks the girl up, one arm under her legs, the other holding her hand. He sways her back and forth like a waltz. âDo you have a song for me or perhaps a dance?â he continues to sway with her, dancing towards the instruments where he places her on the ground. He holds one of her small hands as they dance.
The party lasts late, ending after enough of the adults get drunk, so drunk that a couple start to fight. It had started quietly. Tuk had fallen asleep while Spider held her. The music was long gone now, and Spider hummed to her. Gently swaying her back and forth as her head lay on his shoulder. The scene was quite cute and slightly terrifying for Jake. His daughter was being rocked in her sleep by a god. Heâd think it impossible if he wasn't looking at it. Jake had noticed the two men start arguing drunkenly about something. couldn't hear what it was, but honestly, it didn't matter. Until the arguing grew louder and louder, and then he heard Tuk make a distressed noise. Turning to his daughter and the god, he watched as Spider tried to calm her down to no avail. The boy turned to the men, and for a split second, Jake's skin crawled. He's never seen the god look so angry. The boy brought Tuk to Jake, gently placing her in her father's arms.Â
Turning, he walked straight for the fighting men. In a commanding yet somehow soft voice, he calls out. âEnough.â The men stop immediately, turning to tell off the newcomer, then they fall. As if being forced on their knees, Spider grows, his body extending to its full godly height. He towers over them, golden hair touching the ground, legs and arms extended. He looks ethereal like this. Like something un-touchable. Terrifying yet safe. Jake can't see the boy's face. He's looking at the back of his head. Given the two villagers' fearful expressions, he must look angry. Jake watches as Spider starts to lean down, knees bending slightly as he looms over the drunken idiots, âThis is a celebration. I will not have you ruin it and scare the children. Leave, now.â Despite the clear anger in his voice, Spider still sounds eerily calm and melodic as always. The two drunkards get up, running most likely to their home, as Spider shifts back.Â
Spider turns, walking back over to those still at the party despite the hour. The villagers and heroes party watch as Spider bows before them, a hand on his heart. âI'm sorry, I hope I did not scare any of you.â Jake watched him. This boy was only a year older than his eldest kid. Jake watched the boy as the hand not on his heart grabbed onto the skirt of his dress, clenching the fabric in his fist. He's scared, Jake realizes, he's scared of being feared. Jake is just about to reassure the boy when several of the villagers beat him to it. âDon't worry about it, your lordship!â âYeah, those guys had it coming anyway!â âI didn't know you had a godly form, you looked so elegant!â âI thought he looked cool.â âHe can be both!â An overlapping cacophony that makes Spider raise his head and smile. The party ends not long after. Villagers go home, the heroes go to the inn, and Spider disappears back into the moon.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
The group saw Spider around a week later. More monster killing caused more celebrations. This one was being held at the rebuilt castle of Rodania. With the monarchy demolished, the hunters' guild made the castle its main building. The people elected the leader of the guild to serve as the new leader of Rodania. The party was held in the grand ballroom, with more food than Jake had ever seen and drinks aplenty. A band of bards played joyful music onstage, an opera singer belting out vocals that made wine glasses shake. The party was thrown in celebration of the defeat of a large dragon horde, around 20 in total, defeated by the heroes, adventurers and the guild leader himself. Jake wasn't surprised when Spider arrived, appearing under the colourful stained-glass skylight in the ceiling. Sunlight reflected through the glass, painting him in colours. The party became more lively as Spider sang beside the opera singer.Â
After singing, Jake saw the boy walking among the people, always stopping when children approached him. Lowering himself down so he could look the little ones in the eyes as they spoke. Spider held such high regard and kindness for those younger than him. Heâd hold babies, pick up toddlers and dance with them, listen to kids babble, and have conversations with teenagers. Eyes gentle and smile soft as he encouraged all their dreams or gave them advice. Many adults would try to speak with him, but the boy held them at a godly arm's length. His eyes would narrow ever so slightly, smile strained, and posture stiff. He didn't hate them, but his experience with adult greed made him wary. The boy would be given another reason that night.Â
Night had arrived with festivities still going strong. Spider was speaking to a teenager, a boy who wanted to be a singer when he grew up, who asked the god for advice. Spider was more than willing to nurture a new singer. Jake watched in silence as Spider spoke enthusiastically about warm-up techniques, showing the boy where to breathe from. Then it happened, Jake saw Spider's eyes widen a fraction, body going stiff. Then Spider pushed the boy away as a purple magic circle formed beneath the god. Purple thorny vines shot from the ground and wrapped around his limbs. The markings on the circle were clear to all mages in the building. Kiri stood out of her seat. âItâs a holding spell!â Jake turned to her, face bewildered. Who in their right mind would try to hold a god? A grunt of pain made Jake turn back to the boy. The vines' thorns dug into the boy's clothes. Jake could see red seeping into the fabric where the vines held the boy. Spider looked truly distressed.
Miles was the first to get to the boy, Jake, not far behind, with the rest of the heroes' party. The guild leader came over as well as several mages, hoping to break the spell. Jake could see Miles shaking. The man wanted to help his son, but couldn't do anythingâa terrible fate for a father to feel useless when your child is in pain. Looking over to Spider, Jake saw the boy's face scrunched in concentration. His head was pointed down as if listening for something, and it would seem he was. Spider turned to his left, staring straight at a shadowed corner of the ballroom. Where a man kneeled, hands on the ground. Jake saw purple magic gathered around the man's hands. He walked straight for the man, unsheathing his sword.Â
Once in front of the mage, Jake placed his sword against the man's head. He told the mage to release the child god, or heâd be killed. The man refused, still holding the spell strong. Jake was going to demand again when an arrow passed him, slamming into the man's head. The mage fell, eyes going dark as the purple around his hands disappeared. The arrow was one Jake would always recognize. Jake turned to see Neytiri, bow raised, eyes sharp. All parties turned back to Spider as the magic circle disappeared. Spider wobbled for a moment, then fell to the floor. Sitting down with his hands on the floor, arms shaking. No one could touch him unless he allowed it. The adults felt utterly useless, which left the children and teenagers.Â
Jake's own children moved closer, asking Spider if he was okay. Tuk even placed her little hands on his cheeks. She started to sing a lullaby that Neytiri had sung for all their children. Tukâs voice carried, a gentle, calming tune. Light began to form around her, beautiful and golden. They watched as Spider's wounds closed, blood being removed from his clothes. Healing magic, the rarest form of magic. They had healing potions, but those only did enough to stop you from dying. Healing magic could heal both the body and mind. Removing all traces of injury, even the blood that left your body and fixing torn clothes. For tuk to be able to use it, she had to be a saint and since her healing worked through singing. That means Spider made her his saintâthe saint of song and dance. Jake should have realized. The god had already shown Tuk favour. When fully healed, Spider held Tuk's hands and thanked her. An investigation was done on the mage who trapped Spider. The man was a mad mage who wished to kill Spider and take his power. Mortals doing as mortals always did, demanding what isnt theirs.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Later, when the Church of Melody learned of Tukâs sainthood, they demanded that she be brought to the church. Only for Spider to condemn them for ordering his saint around, Spider had the head of his church removed immediately. He appointed a kind woman, a seal fuanakin named Yrrâwey, as the new leader of the church. He then gave Tuk a gift, a sign of her status as a saint and a warning to anyone who would try to hurt her. He gave her a tiger. It had a white underbelly and legs. Its fur was golden like Spider's hair, with darker gold stripes on top. A sacred godly beast. Spider made it from a lock of his hair. The tiger was connected to both Spider and Tuk and would tell Spider if the girl was in trouble. Spider had also placed a symbol on the girl's forehead, a small treble clef that marked her as under his protection.Â
Jake would endlessly thank the boy for protecting his youngest. The whole Sully family began praying to both Eywa and Spider. Even Lyle and Miles prayed to the young god, asking for protection so they could celebrate more victories. Norm and Max grew up as worshippers of Eywa and thus chose not to pray to Spider. The boy didn't hold it against them.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
The children hadn't seen their grandparents in a couple of years now, so Jake and Neytiri decided it was time to visit them. Which is when Jake learned Moâat was also a saint, the saint of Eywa. Which made sense, but man, did he feel stupid for not realizing sooner. Jake watched Tuk and Moâat bond over their positions as saints. The sullies were welcomed with open arms, and to Jake's surprise, so were their companions. Miles and Lyle sat chatting with fauanakin warriors. Norm and Max spoke with artisans, crafters, and potion makers. Jake was happy to see his friends welcomed as well. With the family returned, a celebration was held. Food, dance and song. When those three things come together, Spider is sure to be there.Â
He arrives as he always does, a brilliant gathering of light. Spider goes to Tuk first, checking her over even though he had seen her not a week ago. When he feels he has sufficiently scruffed the little wolfkin's fur, he turns to Moâat. âIt is wonderful to meet the saint of my grandmother, Eywa speaks highly of you.â The same waryness he shows with other adults is gone. Moat bows a deep sign of respect for her goddessâs adopted grandchild. âYou flatter me far too much, my lord. I am merely a servant of our great mother.â Moâat gestures up to the sky with her final statement. Spider laughs gently, âFlattery is different from the truth, and I am not one to flatter.â The conversation ends there. Spider has praised Moat, and he won't allow her deny said praise. âNow, shall we begin? I wish to learn your dances and songs if you will allow me?â Technically, Spider already knows all the dances they have ever done and will know any new ones they create. All the songs and dances of the world were engraved onto his bones from birth. Every new one seeps its way into his skin, collecting in his muscles, making him more powerful. Even so, Spider's request for permission tells the villagers that he cares about their traditions. The villagers accept. He dances and sings in the perfect traditional Faunakin way.
Night arrives, and children are taken to their beds to rest. Tuk sleeps on top of her tiger companion, covered by a blanket. The heroes, village leaders and young god sit together by a fire. They are silent, just watching the flames. Kiri breaks the silence, turning to Spider, âI don't want this to seem rude, but may I ask why you chose Tuk as your saint?â There's a slight wariness in her voice, like she's afraid she's saying something blasphemous. Spider smiles at her, âTuk is a wondrous bard, I can feel it in my bones. That will be her strength. She will fight with a sharp tongue and wit, not requiring a weapon. She will bring joy to so many.â Did he see her future, or was it just intuition? No mortal could learn the mind of a god. The answer seemed to be one Kiri liked as she smiled widely and turned to look at the moon.Â
âYou know, sometimes I think I hear Eywa. When I'm in the forest, walking through the trees and past rivers. It sounds like a voice calling to me, and sometimes I've seen her in my dreams. At least I think I have. I have seen a tall, skinny black full lioness, Faunakin. Her eyes are white with black pupils. She has four arms. Her body is draped in a white shawl that covers her from head to toe.â She turns to Spider, who is gently holding his chin. âThat is definitely my grandmother. She is unmistakable in every way.â Kiri smiles so wide it looks like it might hurt, âI knew it! I knew it was her! But why would she show herself to me? She just smiles at me in my dreams, and when I hear her voice, she only hums songs to me.â Spider looks to the moon for a moment, his lips twitch slightly as if he's speaking in his head.Â
After a bit, he looks back at Kiri, âIt seems you have not yet prayed to Eywa about this?â The statement and question make her blush, âI didn't think it was my place to question her.â âQuestioning and asking for clarity are two different things. When you are able, go to a chapel and bring an offering of something you hold dear but can still part with. Kneel before her altar and ask her these questions, she will answer you.â he gets up. âWith that, I must go. My grandmother is expecting me.â He leaves as he arrived, lights that float up to the moon. Loâak breaks the silence that follows. âWhy does he always go up into the moon?â Neytiri hits him on the back of the head, âBah, do you not listen when I speak! Eywa resides on the moon, where she made her home after creating the Earth and the moon! Must I tell you the story again?!â Jake's glad Loâak asked, cause he forgot as well.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
It's around two days later that the group makes it to a chapel. Kiri brings the first bracelet she ever weaved as an offering. The group sits in the pews behind Kiri as she kneels, praying in front of Eywaâs altar. The chapel is quiet. They arrived early, before others would normally arrive. Tukâs tiger, whom she named Lullaby, sat on the floor beside Tuk, keeping the girl busy. Kiri had been praying for only 10 minutes when she opened her eyes and stood up. She stared at the altar for a moment, then turned to her family and partymates. Jake and Neytiri got up to meet her and asked how she felt. âShe told me a lot, some of it I can't tell you, but one thing that I can say is that I'm Grace's daughter. Not created in her womb, but by Eywa, using Grace's life as a base of sorts.â Well, that confirmed one mystery they had always suspected: she was related to Grace in some way, but specifically a creation of Eywa, not born of mortals. Jake spoke up, âIs Grace aware that her life was used this way?â âYes, apparently Eywa had asked Grace in the afterlife if she could use part of Grace's body for my creation.â It seemed that was all Kiri planned to tell them or was allowed to tell them. Kiri seemed happy after her talk with Eywa, and Jake deemed it a success.
With that, the never-ending cycle of monster killing continued. Spider had become a common presence in their lives, visiting them as they travelled. Kiri and Spider had gotten closer as friends. Jake would hear her refer to him as her brother. Perhaps because Eywa had created her, technically making her the Great Mother's child? Jake had even seen the boy speaking with Miles. Jake didn't make fun of the man when he saw Miles tearing up. Even though Spider spent time with them, he never directly helped. Acting as silent encouragement, granting boons, and answering their prayers. It made the party's job much easier, allowing them to save more people over the years.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
Neteyam had been travelling with his family and his father's old party mates for close to 10 years now. He had just recently turned 18. His two sisters are powerful magic users, and his brother is a talented swordsman. Neteyam had taken to the bow as his mother had, learning every technique he could from her. The party had met Spider long ago, the god of song and dance, who made his youngest sister a saint. Neteyam believed the god was strange, not in a bad way. He spent lots of time around them dancing with tuk or singing songs. Neteyam had even seen him play instruments. The young god was only a year older than him, so powerful yet so young. Perhaps it was their closeness in age that made Neteyam notice him differently.
Neteyam had felt gross and sweaty after a particularly hard battle with a goblin horde. He knew there was a hot spring nearby, close enough that it fell within Kiriâs protective barrier. So he told his father heâd be heading there to clean off. His father tells him to yell if he needs anything. He makes it to the waters edge, kneeling, and puts a hand in to check the temperature. It's warm enough to soothe sore muscles but not so warm that it hurts. With that, he pulls his wolf hide top off first. He's moments from removing his lioncloth when he hears a sound. A monster? Kiri would have sensed it when she set up the barrier, and nothing can enter it once it's in place. He grabs his bow and notches an arrow ready to shoot.
He looks to the other side of the spring, where he sees a figure sitting in the water, facing him. Neteyam sees long curly blond hair. It's Spider, and he's naked. The wolfkin stares for a moment as Spider watches him with a smirk. Neteyam seems to regain his sense of self, dropping his weapon and falling to his hands and knees. He begs for forgiveness, apologizing for his rudeness. Neteyam half expects Spider to smite him then and there. He honestly wouldnt blame the god. Neteyam is confused when he hears Spider laugh. It's gentle and kind. It makes Neteyam lift his head, and he sees Spider smiling at him.
âCome now, you came here to bathe, yes? Weâre both men, no need to be shy.â Spider's smile is almost coy. Spider looks away, giving him privacy. Neteyam shallows the spit that's collected in his mouth. He removes the rest of his clothes and enters the shallow water, sitting cross-legged so the water reaches just under his chest. Spider looks back, his lower half is under the cloudy water. The young god is staring at him through half-lidded eyes. Neteyam feels a blush from his cheeks to his ears, even to his neck. He knows it's not from the hot water. Neteyam watches as Spider starts crawling towards him on his hands and knees. Like he's stalking prey, no wonder his sacred beast is a tiger.Â
Neteyam gulps, leaning into the wall of rock that holds the hot spring in place. Spider crawls until he's right in front of the wolf kin. âYou know, one benefit of being a god is that you know whenever someone thinks of you,â Spider speaks as he brings a hand up to cup Neteyam's jaw. âI don't hear every thought immediately. I can tell whether it's malicious or a prayer, and then listen more closely to get specifics.â His finger runs along Neteyam's jaw to the man's chin, âwhich means I know you are looking at my body with lust.â As soon as the words leave Spider's mouth, Neteyam stutters out an apology. He's gonna die, Spiderâs gonna kill him and turn his wolf parts into a fur shawl.Â
Spider places a finger against Neteyam's lips. âBe calm, I have no intention of harming you. I must admit I've come to fancy you.â Neteyam's brain stops functioning. âThough if you truly wish to prove your feelings, it will take some time and effort on your end,â he taps Neteyam on the forehead before standing, his clothes form immediately. âProve to me you want me as a partner,â and he's gone, back to the moon where he resides with Eywa. Neteyam smacks himself on the cheeks. Did Spider just admit to liking him? Does Neteyam actually have a shot?Â
He climbs out of the spring, drying off and throwing on his clothes before running back to camp. He doesn't know where to start. How do you court a god? When he gets back, all except Tuk are awake. The girl might be older now, but shes still only 12 and gets tired easily. Neteyam goes over to his bag, rummaging through it to find weaving materials. He isnât sure how to court a god, but he does know how to court the Faunakin way. He sits down by the fire and gets to weaving.Â
By the time he's halfway through an arm band, most of the party had gone to bed, leaving Neteyam weaving by the fire and Miles, who took tonight's watch. âSo, kid looks like something's got you all fired up.â Neteyam turns to look at Miles, the man is smiling down at him. He's got a knowing smirk. Neteyam tries to deflect or deny, but Miles just waves his hand, telling Neteyam to stop. âI know Spiderâs takin' an interest in you.â Neteyam flinches back in surprise. Did Miles see what happened at the hot spring? He sure hoped the man didn't. The party had learned about a year ago that Miles was Spider's father. Neteyam doesn't want to get on the man's bad side. âI have no idea what you're talking about.â âCut the crap, kid, I know cause of the Bass symbol on your head.â Miles pokes at the young man's forehead. Spider must have given it to him at the hot spring. âIve got one just like it.â Miles moves his armour and clothes to show the bass symbol on his chest. âShe gave me this after a month of knowing me, told me I'd have to prove myself as a partner.â Miles sees the look of recognition on Neteyam's face and smiles knowingly.
âI'm guessing Spider said the same thing?â Neteyam just nods. Miles places a hand on Neteyam's shoulder. âIve got no say in who my son chooses as a partner, but I'm glad he's takinâ an interest in a good, hard-working man like you.â He gives Neteyam's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, âtreat my kid right.â Neteyam looks at the older man's face for a moment. Miles has a kind smile. âI will, sir, I promise.â Miles gently claps his shoulder, then lets go, walking to the outskirts of the camp to continue his watch.Â
Neteyam has Milesâ blessings to court his son. He looks up to the moon, to Eywa. He prays to her, asking for her blessing as well. He receives a calm, warm feeling in his chest. He won't let them down. Spider is stronger than him, more capable, but Neteyam will always do his best. Heâll love Spider with every fibre of his being. He sends one final prayer, a prayer for strength and guidance. So that even when he falters, he can make up for his mistakes. The quiet night greets him as he opens his eyes. He's got more weaving to do, but it won't be his best work if he does it while tired. So he gets up and heads over to his tent. He stops at the front of it, looking up to the moon again, thinking of Spider. âGoodnight, my love.â He can't hear a response but feels a gentle finger caress his cheek. He climbs into his tent and sleeps.
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I headcannon that Spider sounds like Jordan Fisher when he sings, look him up. specifically look up:
Jordan Fisher - You're Welcome (From âMoanaâ/Official Video) ft. Lin-Manuel Miranda
After dealing with the Tulkun hunters and staying in Awa'atlu permanently, Miles notices hes getting some attention.
Part Two of:
Blinding lights, Eywa, please guide me through
Miles had been with the Metkayina for around a year now. Things have been pretty good. Mrs. Ronal had her kid, a healthy baby girl named Pril. The Recoms and Spider were officially welcomed into the clan. Miles and Mr. and Mrs.Sully still fight for the position of best parent to Spider. The kid has been loving the attention after everything that happened. Spider ending up blind, the kid dying, and then being resurrected. The kid deserved to be spoiled.
Periodically, theyâd visit Yrrâwey, the Tuâanui tsahik. Sheâd fawn over them like children. There weren't too many new things to get used to. The Tuâanui and Metkayina clans are quite similar, so there wasn't much of a culture shock. Around half a year into living there, Lyle had started dating a Kind Metkayina lady. Zdog still had her following of lesbian Navi fangirls. Ja and Mansk were probably gonna get married soon. Lopez and Prager were still lone wolves at this point, but with how much Miles had seen Prager talking to a rather large male Navi, he assumed the man would be hitched soon.Â
Then came his own love struggles. Having a kid, and a human one at that, made dating harder out here. Spider can't eat certain things, is more fragile, and being blind means Miles needs a specific type of partner, outside of that hes not too picky. Heâd be fine dating someone with a kid like him. It's not like he hasn't had offers, but they weren't a good fit. His son is what matters most, and if Miles believes his kid might get hurt by someone, then that person is disqualified as a partner.Â
One cultural thing they weren't taught was how to court. Lyle had figured it out after his girlfriend started courting him. First is gifts, then food, then mating. But the harder-to-see stage is the feeler stage. Basically, a navi will follow a potential partner around, ask them questions, maybe get a bit touchy to see if it's cool. If their chosen partner reciprocates, they'll move to the gift stage. Seems straightforward until you're in the middle of it and don't realize.
This day started as any did for Miles: check on Spider, then on the crew and their partners, if any. Communal living was new to Miles, but adding space to the Murai didn't take too long. After making sure everyone is alive and well, he heads out on Cakepop, his tsurak. Spider laughed when Miles told the kid her name. They head out to deeper reef water. He catches fish and collects shellfish, bringing them back. Some go back to the house, and others go to the communal basket. Today is his day off, so outside of gathering fish, he doesn't have much else to do. He considers going back to the murai and hanging out with Spider while the kid weaves. Then he remembers it's also most of the teens' day off today, so they'll most likely head out to see Payakan.
The only other thing he can think of is spear practice. He knows how to hunt small fish at the edge of the water, but doesn't know how to use a spear in actual combat. So he grabs his spear, the one he carved while with the Tuâanui and goes towards the forest. Heâd seen Metkayina practicing on makeshift dummies there before. When he makes it there, he sees a small group, about five adults and Tonowari. The group looks to have just finished, if their heavy panting is anything to go by. Miles watches the group start to leave, but notices Tonowari is staying behind.Â
âHello there, sir,â Quaritch calls, hand waving inthe air to catch the larger man's attention. Tonowari nods goodbye to the Metkayina group and turns towards the Recom, a gentle smile on the man's face. âHello, Myâuals, what brings you to the practice grounds, my friend?â After the Recoms helped with the tulkun hunters, theyâd been treated well by the metkayina leaders, even Spider. Miles had seen Tonowari helping Spider with high places or stopping him from falling off bouncy pathways. Ronal had taught Spider simple healing methods in case he got hurt. Miles smiles back, âI'm here to practice, not sure how to use this thing in combat, so I thought I'd learn.â He emphasizes it by gently shaking his spear. Tonowari laughs from deep in his chest. âWell, you have come to the right place, and I am the perfect teacher.â Getting taught by the Oloâeyktan is definitely an opportunity, so Miles says yes.
Things start about as he expects them to. Tonowari asks him to throw the spear at the target to figure out how much help he'll need. Apparently, it's a lot. Miles has the physical power to throw the spear, but not the technique. That's where things get weird. It starts with touch. Tonowari moves his hands along Milesâ body, from his hands to his shoulders, his back and finally his waist. Miles feels the firm pressure there while Tonowari talks close to his ear. Miles can't concentrate. All he can think is âDamn this guy is strong, he could probably bend me over and-â. He shakes his head, trying to make his mind clear so he can practice. The movement doesn't go unnoticed by the man behind him, who presses closer to Miles's body, lips right at his ear. âAre you alright, Myâuals?â the words are whispered in his ear. The suddenness of it causes Miles to drop his spear. He tries to pick it up, bending over, he feels his ass bump against the much larger Naviâs crotch. Miles goes beet red, grabs the spear, turns around to give a quick thanks to Tonowari and leaves.
He's out of breath from running as he's about to enter his murai. Before he can open the fabric door, it slides open. Standing there is Ronal, and Miles almost cringes. He just made a fool of himself in front of her husband. He just then remembers that the woman was coming to see Spider today, to go over healing stuff. Just his luck. He's about to pass by her into his murai when she grabs his arm. She asks for his help, something about hard-to-get herbs. Spider would be upset if he said no, so he goes.Â
She isn't wrong about them being hard to get. Theyâre at the back of a crawl space, and Miles can just fit in. His training in muddy, underwater caves with no air makes this task feel like nothing. He's got close to double the normal amount she gets, that's what she tells him. He helps her carry the basket back to the healing pod and even helps her wrap the herbs. Technically, this doesn't help him get away quicker, but Momma didn't raise a loser who abandons women in need.Â
He finished wrapping things up when he felt a hand on his thigh. He looks down and watches Ronal give his thigh a gentle squeeze while thanking him for his help. The grip isn't tight; if he moved his leg, her hand would gently slide off. He's just about to do that when tonowari comes through the door. For a split second, Miles thinks he's dead, and honestly, he accepts it. He closes his eyes, looking forward, waiting for the spear that never comes. Instead, he feels a hand on his neck, not tight. The palm rests on the back of his neck, thumb and pointer finger pressing lightly into the sides of his neck where his arteries are. He feels the fingers pulse, gently tightening and loosening. He watches the man lean down to kiss his wife; they're practically making out with a hand on Miles' neck and thigh. Part of him doesn't care and wants to keep watching, the other, more sensible part remembers he has a blind kid at home. He says as such to the couple. He feels their hands slide across and down his skin as he gets up. He thanks them for keeping him busy today and hopes to see them later.
Later comes a lot sooner than he thought it would. That evening is a communal cookfire dinner. Most, if not all, of the clan sit together and eat. Miles crew are with their partners or sitting with other members of the clan. Spider left to sit with his friends not long after getting food. Leaving Miles alone, though he didn't stay alone for long. Miles is currently sandwiched between Ronal and Tonowari. He's practically leaned against Tonowari, the man's chest acting as his back support. While Ronal places food in his mouth, gently rubbing her fingers across his tongue as she pulls them out. Miles ain't nearly as stupid as some may think. He knows what's going on, knows these two are in the feeler stage. He also really doesn't wanna stop them, but he has to.
He gently grabs Ronalâs hand when she goes to place another piece of fish in his mouth. He sees the gentle smile leave her lips and feels Tonowari curl around him, trying to look at his face. âLook, Iâm pretty sure I know what's going on here, but I gotta confirm it, are both of you interested in me?â The two look at each other for a moment, then give him twin nods. He breathes out a gentle sigh of relief. âIf that's the case, then I need to talk to my son; weâre a package deal.â He's getting defensive; he knows he is. Regardless, he refuses to abandon his son just to get a partner. As if sensing his thoughts, Ronal lets out a soft chuckle. âWe have liked your son long before we considered you a potential partner, sky man.â Honestly, that makes sense to him. Miles knows he's not the most approachable. Whereas Spider is a kind, soft, caring kid who'd do anything you'd ask as long as it's in his power.Â
With that confirmation, Miles decides to talk to Spider that night. He immediately learns that Spider thought the three were already in the courting process. Miles tells the couple the next day, and so starts the courting. Apparently, courting between those who have children works differently. The courters ei. Ronal and Tonowari must prove to both Miles and Spider that they will be taken care of. Along with that, the courtersâ children must show Spider that he is welcome as a sibling. Both of these are done in three stages.
Stage one gifts. Miles is given courting gifts from Ronal and Tonowari. At the same time, Spider is given acceptance gifts from both the parents and their kids. Excluding Pril, since sheâs too young to make a gift. Miles gets two gifts. Ronal gives him a beautifully made loincloth that ends at his mid-thigh, adorned with wood beads and shells. Tonowari gives him a woven top that barely covers; Miles thinks it's on purpose. Spider gets three gifts. Both Ronal and Tonowari make the first. It's a loincloth, one that goes down just past his knees on both sides. The front and back parts are connected by two side panels that reach his upper thighs. Tsireya gives him a loose-fitting shawl that slips over his shoulders and down his chest and back in a triangular shape. It's blue, his favourite colour. With shells, feathers and beads woven into it. Aonung gives him a specially made knife for clam harvesting, which fits Spiderâs smaller hands perfectly and isn't too sharp.
The father and son wear and use their gift items proudly.
Stage two food. Ronal and Tonowari must prove they can provide for the new members and their own by securing enough food for everyone. They grab the favourite fruits and fish of Miles and Spider, and the two cook the meal. Once done, they all eat together. If all members can leave with full stomachs, then they succeed. When the night ends with Spider sleepily lying on his dad, still in a food coma, that confirms it.
Stage three acceptance. A two-parter in their case: first, the mutual adoption. Ronal and tonowari must adopt Spider. At the same time, Miles must adopt Aonung Tsireya and Pril. This will connect their families as one. Yrrâwey oversaw the entire adoption. She even threatened Ronal and Tonowari to make sure Miles and Spider were treated well before she left. The second part of stage three was the mating. Miles and Spider moved all their things to the leader's murai. Spiderâs things were placed with the other kids, while Milesâ was put with the adults. Miles noticed that the leader's bed had gotten bigger; it seemed that the two had woven an even bigger one to house the three of them. The thought made him blush. He felt like a schoolgirl. Ronalâs mother would watch the kids; the older woman had also taken a liking to Spider. Her watching them allowed the adults to slip away.
Ronal and Tonowari took him to a beautiful cave. The ceiling glowed blue, and the ground was covered in a soft green algae. There was a small river running through it. What little light you may have seen from the entrance was cut off by the zig-zagging rock walls. Glowing purple mushrooms littered the walls. It was distracting, so distracting that Miles didn't realize his companions were naked till he turned towards them. He stopped completely, just staring wide-eyed for a moment. The two decided to put him out of his misery.
Tonowari moved behind him, the larger man's hand slides from his stomach to his waist as he slots himself behind Miles. Ronal moves in front, a hand dragging down his abs and shifting to his waist on the opposite side of tonowari. His two teal-skinned lovers pull the nots of his loincloth open, letting it fall to the ground. Ronal moves her fingers to his happy trail, following it down and stopping just above his slit. Tonowariâs hands move up, up Milesâ chest, fingers catching on his nipples as they pass. This caused him to shiver. The hands move all the way up to the back of his neck, untieing the beaded top and letting it fall ontop of his loincloth.
He feels them pull him over to a soft patch of algae. They place him belly down, maneuvering his legs so he's ass up, face down. Miles watches them switch, Tonowari moving behind him while Ronal walks over to a small mossy ledge. He watches her grab a red plant and squeeze it. A clear substance slides out and onto her hand. She does this a few more times till her hand is full of the stuff. Miles blushes as he realizes this is lube. She walks back over, placing herself at his head. When he looks forward, he can see her slightly open and leaking slit. The sight caused Miles own slit to open just a sliver and gush. He hears Tonowari's deep chuckle behind him. The sound makes his slit open further.
Miles tilts his head to his right, cheek against the soft algae. He sees Ronalâs slightly bent outstretched leg by his head. He feels Tonowari's slit press to his own, and Ronalâs slit press against his head. The movement causes Miles slit to open fully, gushing more slick that flows down his thighs and smears over Tonowari's lower parts. He can feel the tip of his dick poking out of its sheath. Feels it drag against Tonowari as the man sits back.Â
Miles tries to slow his breath, but it hitches as a wet, cold finger teases the outer part of his slit. Gently running along the sides before moving in. A bit of an anatomy lesson here, navi have three gentle openings: the dick sheath, the vagina, and the asshole. Males and females have all three. How they appear is slightly different. Females have a smaller dick and breasts. Males have larger dicks and pecs. Breasts and pecs can both form milk, but some men can struggle with it. With that being said, Miles could tell that Tonowari was very focused on his vagina. Miles gently quivered as the larger man's lubed finger circled his vaginal opening. Miles almost thinks the man is gonna go straight in. Then the fingers leave, and before he can whine, they are back with more lube. Miles feels tonowari press a glob of the stuff against his opening. He feels some slip inside and shivers at the cold arousal. Miles feels a pointer finger press against it and slips in. He moans, pressing his face down into the ground. A thumb pressed against the tip of his dick almost makes him cry.Â
Ronal gently rubs her hands over his head and back all the way to his ass. He feels her take hold of the base of his tail and squeeze. His head shoots backwards, causing him to look straight at the woman's fully unsheathed dick. It's close enough that he can lick it, so he does. Tougne sticking out to catch the end of it. He watches her shiver, watches as she shifts to be closer. Her hand leaves his tail and grabs his head. âWould you like a taste?â Miles moans out a yes as Tonowari adds a second finger. With permission granted, Ronal shifts again, pulling miles up so he is on his hands and knees. Kneeling in front of him, she keeps one hand on his kuru while the other holds her dick in front of his mouth. He opens wide for her, and she slowly moves in. She lets him get used to the taste, the weight of it on her tongue. Once he seems ready, she thrusts. Not aggressive, but slow and soft. Her thrusts match Tonowari's own rhythm as Miles is mouth fucked and fingered.Â
The slow drag of Tonowari's fingers against Miles sweet spot causes the smaller man's hips to thrust back. Tonowari's two fingers leave, and three enter. His thumb presses down into Miles dick, stopping it from unsheathing. Tonowari grabs Miles tail, pressing his thumb against where his tail and ass meet. Miles is crying now, gentle tears fall down his face as both his partners pick up speed. Ronal deepthroats him till he's seeing stars. Tonowari presses into his prostate and dick till he comes, the man doesn't stop pressing further till Miles can't hold himself up anymore. His arms give out, causing Ronalâs dick to slip out of his mouth as he falls face-first onto the algae. It doesn't hurt, but he's too busy shaking violently and drooling to realize it. Tonowari keeps up the pressure till Miles sobs out a pathetic plea. Tonowari pulls away immediately and watches Miles body shake and twitch. He watches the smaller man's legs slip open further as his dick fully unsheathes.Â
Miles' pants start to slow down, his body still twitches, as does his now completely erect dick. Miles feels them shift again feels his arms pulled between his legs and slightly to one side. His hands are placed on top of each other. Even when the hands positioning him pull away, he doesn't move. He hears them both praise him and purrs so loudly he's sure it's causing vibrations in the water. He feels tonowari shift behind him, one knee placed on his hands, stopping him from moving. The other leg moves to support him, Miles realizes the man's about to fuck him and gushes again. He feels Ronal grab his kuru, lifting it. They ask if he wants to connect. He begs them to do so. Just as he begs, he feels Tonowari press his dick at his opening. The man pushes his lubed dick in, and Ronal connects them. All three moan at once. The feeling of being fucked and fucking swirl together. Miles feels like hes gonna pass out. It's too much and not enough. Miles wants to get dicked down so hard he can't think, wants to deep throat Ronal while Tonowari uses him like a fucktoy. âFucktoy? What is that?â
Time seems to stop as he realizes he's not alone in here. Miles isn't sure how to explain it, so he sends mental images. At first, he isn't sure they understand him until he feels acceptance and approval from the others. Ronal moves in front of him, legs on either side of his body. She wastes no time in entering his throat, then she sits down and doesn't move. Her hands were behind her in a relaxed position. Miles is filled with excitement when he realizes Tonowari's thrusts will force him to stay spit-roasted by them. Feeling Miles' obvious excitement, he pulled back so only the tip was inside, then snapped back in, causing Miles' face to press against the sides of Ronal's slit.Â
Tonowari's pace was relentless. He had his hands on Milesâ hip, moving his hips forward, then slamming him back on his dick. Miles brain was a cacophony of pleasure. âHarder, faster, please give me more. fuck me, I'll be so good for you. Please make me cum, don't stop, please!â Ronal and Tonowari sent endless praise. âBeautiful, so pretty. So good for us. Such a good boy. You can cum, darling, come on cum for us.â Some deep thrusts later, and Miles came, squeezing Tonowari's dick while his moans made Ronal shiver. Ronal pulled out of his mouth, still hard. Tonowari was going to pull his own hard dick out, deciding to give Miles a chance to breathe. He and Ronal could enjoy each other. One thought stopped him, quiet yet pleading. âWant it inside.â
He looked down, and Miles's face shifted to see Tonowari out of the corner of his eye. Miles' face pleaded with Tonowari to continue, even as the smaller panted. Tonowari decided to indulge his beautiful water flower. He felt Miles body gently shiver in pleasure at the nickname. Tonowari and Ronal disconnected kurus while Tonowari removed his dick. He gently shushed Miles when the man whined. Tonowari gently put miles on his back, positioning his dick back at the smallerâs hole. Ronal layed down on Miles right side and reconnected all three of their kurus.
Tonowari thrust in, slow and hard. Pressing up against Miles prostate as he passed. In, out, in, out. Rhythmic and steady. Miles was coming undone just as he had beforeâloud panting and moans. Ronal placed two fingers in his mouth to keep him busy. Dragging up and down along his tongue. In the same rhythm as Tonowariâs thrusts. She shifted over Miles, straddling his chest. Tonowari could feel as she bit the man. His neck, his shoulders, his nipples. He could feel her teasing the smaller man's nipples, alternating between licking and biting while her thumb played with the other. Tonowari watch Miles once flaccid dick come back to full height. He places a hand on the dick in front of him when Ronal tells him to stop, she has a plan for it. Miles whine of protest is cut off as Tonowari picks up pace, slamming into him till the man babbles uselessly. Ronal on Milesâ stomach causes every thrust into his prostate to be 10x more intense. Miles almost comes, when Tonowari beats him to it, unloading so much cum that it slips out and falls down his ass.Â
Tonowari slips free and lies down on Miles' left side. Both men watch as Ronal moves, taking the place that Tonowari once had. She takes Miles legs, pushing them up, she takes some of the cum dripping from his ass and uses it to lube her own dick. She places her hands at the bend of his knees and pushes in. Her thrusts are hard and fast off the bat. Drilling into the man, she leans over him, kissing him deeply while fucking him. Miles is too weak even to move. Regardless, he loves this, loves how overwhelming it is. Tonowari can only watch and feel as the man is fucked. A thought crosses Miles mind, and Ronal catches it before it can slip away. Ronal lets go of his legs, she grabs his throat and squeezes. Ronals close; they both are. So Ronal gives him a final, booming command. âCUM!â and he does, so hard it paints both their chests.
Ronal pulls out, lying back down beside the twitching man. She places a leg under Miles's ass, keeping his lower half up, tonowari helps her. Miles realizes with a deafening purr that they're trying to keep their cum inside him. Will he get pregnant? Damn he really hopes so. He feels his dick gently sheath back in, and his vagina closes with his slit, trapping the cum inside. He's sent several feelings of praise and adoration. He purrs gently till he falls asleep.
The next morning, heâs warm. He feels Ronal and Tonowari still wrapped around him. He gently shimmies until he leans on his elbows; he yawns and rubs his eyes. He looks back at his mates, seeing they're awake and looking at him. They have twin dopey smiles. Strangely, they aren't connected anymore, but he still knows what theyâre thinking. It's why he's not surprised when Tonowari lifts him and carries him to the river. A quick wash and the others are out. Miles goes to follow them, but stops. He feels the cum inside him shift as he stands. The feeling made him blush and lightly stroke his pelvic area. He shakes his head, walks back over and grabs his clothes.
The throuple is back in the village by midday. First, going to check on their children, who greet them excitedly. Aonung comments on them smelling bad while Tsireya hits him in the back of his head, making Pril laugh. When Miles goes over to Spider, the boy simply asks when he can expect to get a new sibling. Causing aonung to make a barfing sound while the others laugh. Miles is going to have a long day, especially when the other Recom find out. It seemed they had, cause the group came crashing into the murai. Eywa give him strength.
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Spider is really tired of the tulkun hunters. After falling into the ocean, he gets the ability to stop them.
Ocean Waves, Take Me Home
They were going to kill another tulkun. Another mother with her newborn. Cowards. It's all Spider could think. Not only were they going after a peaceful creature, but also the weakest of them. Dirty, stupid, hateful cowards. He wanted to hit someone or something. He was too lost in thought. Staring down at his feet, one hand loosely on the railing. Then the boat lurches to the side, and he topples over. He hits the water, his mask is torn away from his face, and he blacks out.
He comes to, vision creeping back in. Heâs underwater and breathing, but his mask is gone. He feels the cold water all around him, but he isn't panicking. It's like he's meant to be here. He sees the back end of the sea dragon pass above him. They're after the tulkun! He has to do something! So he swims. His body moves on instinct, cutting through the water.Â
It's when he passes the sea dragon in mere seconds that he realizes his body has changed. He looks back while still swimming. His legs are gone, replaced by one long scaly tail. The scales start at his chest, moving down in a symmetrical pattern towards his hips, where his tail seems to stem from. Red, blue and orange swirl across the scales on his body. He has no time to consider these changes; he has to act fast.Â
He's at the tulkun in less than a minute. He doesn't know how to talk to her, so he simply grabs the tracker. Pushing his strong, muscled tail against her, he pulls the tracker from her back. Thinking fast, he takes the tracker and swims away from her. He circles an island, dropping it on the other side, then swims back to the tulkun and her child. He pushes at her side, trying to send her away from the island in the opposite direction. It seems to work, as she moves the way Spider pushes her.Â
He knows the young tulkun is slower, knows the sea dragon will swing back around the island when they realize the tracker âfell offâ. So he swims underneath the baby. Holding it up so that its breathing parts, which Mr. Garvin had told him about, are above the water. He swims while holding it, only slowing down when he realizes he is outpacing the mother. He goes at her speed, following her as she turns and sways with the water. He listens as the mother and child call to eachother. The calls sound calm.
After a bit, he sees a group of tulkuns. He doesn't stop, even if they are angry and hurt him. He needs to make sure the baby is inside the group. Once the three pass into the middle, Spider lets go. Allowing the baby to swim normally. It's at that moment that Spider realizes that swimming while holding a 1000-ton baby is really tiring. His body stops moving as he falls downward. The last thing he sees is the mother tulkun swimming towards him with her mouth open.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
Tonowari hears the horn call signifying the tulkun's arrival. He had not expected to see them so soon. They had just left Awaâatlu not long ago. He walked the pathways toward the ocean, feeling Ronal walk in step with him after a bitâthe two stop on the path before the ocean, bowing to the matriarch.Â
She tells them everything, how a Skypeople ship had gone after them, attacking Roa. Tonowari feels his mate flinch beside him at the mention of her spirit sister. The fear is quelled when the matriarch tells them that Roa and her child are fine. She tells them of a child, a strange one, with the face and arms of a skyperson but the lower half of a sea creature. The sky child doesn't wear a mask, and the child carried Roaâs baby back to the pod. She tells them that Roa is holding the child in her mouth and that the child became unconscious after returning Roa and her baby to their pod.
Ronal asks to see the child. She wishes to thank them for protecting her sister.
Roa comes forward. Tonowari and Ronal gasp as they see hundreds of fish circling near Roaâs closed mouth. A sign from Eywa, this child must be special. Roa opens her mouth slowly. They watch as the fish swim into her mouth and around the child's body. Tonowari and Ronal dive into the water to see the child better. They watch the slow rise and fall of its chest.Â
Then its eyes open, slow, unfocused blinking. It seems to look around and sees them. It freezes in place; no muscle moves. The couple stays as still as possible. Then slowly, ever so slowly, it puts its hand to its forehead and pulls away. The Navi sign for âI see youâ, Ronal and Tonowari repeat the sign back and watch the child smile.Â
It slowly moves out of Roaâs mouth, and she closes it after all the fish exit. It swims towards them and stops just out of reach. It looks them up and down, a curious, open smile on its face. They try to sign to it, but the child doesn't seem to understand, head tilting to the side in confusion. They point up, asking the child to follow them. They pull themselves onto the pathway, turning around to see the child just below the surface of the water. It seems to be concerned; they watch as it slowly breaks the surface. It takes one quick breath and touches its own neck in surprise and awe. Tonowari kneels, âHello, little one.â The child looks up at him. Waiting for only a moment before saying âHello,â the child's voice is quiet, almost unsure.Â
They ask for the child's name. They learn his name is Spider. Spider te soccoro Topazâitan, a navi name. They explain where he is now, and Ronal thanks him for saving her sister. The boy only says he deserved no thanks and was simply doing what was right. Tonowari tells Spider that pushing a baby tulkun across the water was no easy task. Spider agrees, while stretching his arms. The boy is respectful and kind, answering all questions. They are about to ask where he comes from when they are interrupted. âTonowari, brother, I heard the horn. What brings the tulkun back so soon?âÂ
Tonowari turns to address Toruk Macto, but the boy beats him to it. âJake?â The child's voice is small and hopeful. Tonowari watches Jake stop, the man's eyes widen with confusion and hope. Tonowari knows Jake can't see the boy in the water from where the man stands now, but he seems to recognize the voice. Tonowari turns towards the boy again and watches him place a small hand on the pathway, as if wishing to pull himself up. âJake, is that you?âÂ
This breaks Jake out of his trance. The man is at the path's edge in seconds. They watch Jake pull the boy from the water, grabbing onto Spider's arms, then under his armpits. Desperately pulling the boy up til Jake has him in his arms. âSpider! You, your legs. Is that a tail?! Where's your mask?! How are you breathing?!â âI don't know, and I don't care, please don't let go! Please!â âI wonât kid, I'm not letting go again.â Tonowari and Ronal watch as the boy cries in Jake's arms, repeating his pleas as Jake strokes his hair, trying to calm him down. The other sullys arrive, Kiri cries the hardest out of them all as she holds the boy.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
The boy sat with his tail curved beside and behind him, so it held him in a sitting position. Questions are asked, and answers are given. The two leaders learn that the boy did not always have his tail. He had been a normal sky person. He lived in the forest with the humans who allied with the Navi.Â
He told them how Navi demons captured him. Tells them that he was tortured, Jake and Neytiriâs faces twist in guilt. He promises that he told them nothing, proudly saying he would die before he gave up his friends. Tonowari intends to speak with Jake about that later. Spider tells them about the Samson signal that led the Navi demons to come to the ocean. Kiri looks down in guilt while her mother comforts her. He talks about the burning of clan homes. His face brightens when he is told the Tuâanui clan members are here and safe. Then he talks about the tulkun hunts, how the humans went after mothers slowed down by their children. The boys face twists in anger, fists clenched and shaking. He is angry at the injustice. They all are. Spider tells the Sullys how he saved the second tulkun the demons went after, how he fell into the water, and woke with a tail. Pointing down at said tail, the end of which moved in a wave pattern.Â
Ronal notices the boy scratching at his skin while the group talks more about the tulkun hunt, and how to stop them. She watches as the boy's sharp nails cause him to start bleeding. She walks over to him, pulling his hand away so he can't harm himself further. âChild, youâre hurting yourself.â Her voice is calm yet stern. The boy looks down to see the blood. âOh, oops, didn't realize my nails were that sharp now. I just wanted to get rid of the itchiness.â Ronal's ears twitch. Itchiness? Itchy enough to tear his own skin?Â
Kiri speaks up, already knowing the solution. âSpider, you need to get in the water. You're drying out!â The boy follows her instructions immediately, his body turning towards the ocean, causing his tail to shift out and hit Loâak. The Navi falls backwards at the impact, making an indignant squawk-like sound. They hear Spider say sorry as he slips into the ocean.Â
It seems Spider must spend his time in the ocean or be doused in water to stop him from drying. They continue to talk at a lower pathway, one that almost touches the water, so the boy can cross his arms and lay them on the platform. He seems fine as long as most of his body is in the water. Able to spend more time talking above it, until he needs to dip under again.Â
Tonowari and Ronal ask the tulkun to stay near the village for a bit. The Tulkun agree. Tonowari and Ronal plan to speak with the Tuâanui refugees tomorrow. For tonight, they must sleep.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
Spider finds a spot in the sandy sea floor under the Sully murai. He asks the family for a rope, which he uses to tie himself down to a heavy rock on the sea floor. The family plans to make a permanent place for him to sleep later. The night is filled with uncertainty for what tomorrow might bring.Â
The Sullys mill about the murai the next morning, getting ready and grabbing food. Kiri walks over to look into the small opening over Spider's sleeping spot. She snickers, covering her mouth, and her siblings come over immediately, laughing as well. Jake and Neytiri share a look. They walk over and look down. At first, they don't see him through the three-foot hole in the corner of their murai. They see the rope still tied to a rock, heading toward the deeper ocean as the water recedes. They're worried for just a second, then the water moves back towards the land, and Spider gently passes under them and to the other side until they can't see him again. The two adults burst out laughing. Jake laughs harder as the action reminds him of old videos of seals swaying with the ocean current, surrounded by seaweed. That's how Tonowari and Ronal find them, doubled over in pain from laughing.Â
Spider was woken up and invited to the meeting with the Tuâanui clan members. He is worried about how they will react to him, but decides to go anyway. He is pleasantly surprised when the Tuâanui tsahik greets him warmly. All the Tuâanui want to see him, some entering the water to get a better look at his tail. Spider makes quick circles around curious children, causing them to spin.Â
The meeting starts after Tonowari pulls Spider out of the water. Placing him so he sits on the edge of the pathway, a large basket of water was ready nearby to stop the boy from drying out. Spider recounts his experience on the boat and the tulkun hunts. Falling into the water, helping Roa and her baby. He's had to repeat the events three times now, but there's nothing he can do about it when important things come up.Â
He doesn't realize his skin has started to dry out until Kiri dumps some of the water on him. It's strange how he has to be around water now. He's swum in rivers and lakes in the forest before, and he's even taken off his mask while swimming. For some reason, the seawater was different. It changed him or brought out some dormant part of himself. He decided to ask Norm and Max about it later, once everything had calmed down.
His part of the meeting was technically over, so Spider slipped back into the water. He gently swam under the pathways, head above the water so he could listen. The gentle up and down movement of his tail created small currents as he passed Navisâ feet in the water. It felt like being home. Not with this specific clan, though he is grateful for their kindness. It's the ocean itself. The gentle push and pull of salty water almost lulls him to sleep. He can breathe underwater. Though with the changes to his body, it makes sense. His breathing above the water is even stranger. He turns over on his back, eyes looking up to the midday sky. He takes slow gulps of air, feeling the air push out two sets of gills on the sides of his ribcage. He doesn't fully understand these changes.
He looks over and sees he is about ten feet from the end of the pathway. He hadn't realized the waves were pulling him away. He turns over again, going fully underwater so he can speed back under the pathways and to the meeting area. When he resurfaces, he sees the meeting has ended. The only ones left are the Sullys, the Metkayina leaders and two teens beside them, and the Tuâanui leaders.Â
Kiri sees him first out of the group. âHey, Spider, whereâd you go?â She kneels in front of him, looking down and smiling. He smiles up at her, tail swaying in the water. âJust a calm swim. Looks like everything's finished. Did I miss anything important?â Kiri looks back towards those still there. Spider can see just far enough to know the group has noticed him. They walk over, the rest of the sully kids sit or kneel at the edge, while the others stay standing. Loâak and Neteyam muss his hair a bit, so he splashes them gently.Â
He's told the plan, and that it doesn't involve the kids. Spider thinks that's smart, but he also knows his friends. Somehow, theyâll all end up out there right in the middle of danger. For tonight, Spider gets introduced to Aonung and Tsireya and is told about Rotxo. The three friends, his âsiblingsâ, had made while here. Spider offers to drown Aonung after learning the boy almost got Loâak killed. Fist clenched with a twitching smile.Â
He's also told about Payakan, and Spider listens as Loâak talks happily about the tulkun. Loâakâs happiness is almost strong enough for Spider to ignore the adults behind the group of sitting teens and tuk. Almost. Spider watches as unhappy expressions cross the adults' faces. Are they upset about the tulkun or Loâak almost getting hurt? Spider can't tell exactly, but he knows one thing for sure: âAnyone willing to protect the ones I care for is a friend in my book. Youâll have to introduce me later.â Spider places one gentle hand on his chest. He watches a smile split across Loâakâs face. âI knew youâd understand!â Spider listens to the teens laugh while ignoring the adults' scowls.
Once it's time for bed, Spider ties the rope, still attached to the rock, around his waist. Spider stays awake a little longer, looking up at the water surface as the tide pulls him back and forth. He feels his tail shift around as if stabilizing him on instinct. His top half stays parallel with the water. He turns his head, looking out to the reef, a sense of longing in his bones.Â
He slowly removes the rope and swims. He swims past glowing seaweed and coral. Small schools of fish take notice of him, following him as he swims leisurely through the reef. He doesnât go far when he finds the perfect spot to sleep. A small underwater cave, just big enough for him to fit. He swims inside and sees that the âfloorâ of the cave is covered in soft seaweed, like a natural bed. He curls up on it; there's no current to tumble him around in here. He falls asleep.
His eyes open, and everything is different. He looks down at the ground, and it looks like he's standing on white clouds. His legs are back. He looks up at the sky, black with multicoloured stars. Then the sky shifts he sees four white horizontal slits slowly open vertically. Two side by side on the bottom and two on the upper outer corners of the bottom two. It isn't until he sees pitch-black irises and pupils that he realizes those are eyes. Giant eyes.
It's Eywa. Spider bows down immediately, on hands and knees, forehead touching the cloud-like ground. He hears a snicker. It sounds like multiple voices layered over each other. It's filled with joy, like when heâd hear Neytiri gently laugh at her children's antics.Â
He does, looking up to see the eyes squinted in happiness. He sees lips have joined the eyes. She's smiling.
âI have been waiting to meet you. My pretty little golden fish.â
The voices are more controlled now. There are still multiple, but they speak in sync. Still, Golden fish? Maybe she means goldfish? An earth fish, one Norm has told him about. She chuckles.
âI felt golden fish fit you much better.â
She answered him? How? He thought about that not-Â
The sky shifts againâa finger forms and presses to her lips.
âshhhh, my child, allow me to speak.â
He stays quiet, now sitting on his lower legs.
âMy precious little one, there is much I'd like to say, but I must keep this short. You have been curious about your origins. I shall start there. You come from Miles Quaritch and Topaz Socorro. You know your father. His story is not needed here. Your mother, however, is very important. For your mother was just like you.â
Spider stares in shock, just like him. Did she have a tail, too?
âYour mother did not know her own abilities. Her home planet was far too dead. She could not enter the ocean water safely. Therefore, she never learned of her connection with the sea. Those of her and your kind must be fully covered by ocean water to change. If they are out of the water long enough, they will change back. However, the process is very uncomfortable. Your kin could no longer swim through the ocean after its destruction. So some went ashore, living as humans. But they, and those born after them, always longed for the sea. When you were still in your mother's womb. I changed you, just enough so that when you entered my oceans, your transformation would allow you to breathe above and below the water. Unlike your kin, you can't change back.â
Change back? He doesn't even wanna change back. He can swim for as long as he likes and breathe! It doesn't matter that heâll never have feet again.
âHmmm, I knew you'd feel that way. I have one last gift for you, youâll find it tomorrow.â
With that, she leans down, and he sees black hair cascading like a waterfall. He sees a navi nose and two ears. Four hands emerge, two on either side of his body, as the other two are gently positioned behind him. She kisses him lightly on the forehead, despite how big she is.
âI adore you, never forget this.â
His eyes close as the sound of quiet humming lulls him to sleep.
He wakes in his sleeping spot, more well-rested than he has ever been in his life. He sketches once and leaves, swimming to the Sully Murai. When he pops his head in, he doesn't find them. Swimming back under, he heads towards where the tulkun have been staying. He finds them. He waves, swimming right up to Roa. When she notices him, she makes a call of distress and presses into him. It confuses Spider; they're safe here, right? Did something happen?Â
He's suddenly torn out of the water by two hands that grab under his armpits. All he can feel are the five fingers on each hand, and he panics. Thrashing desperately, trying to get away from the Colonel. Then he hears Jake's voice: âNo, you fucking don't, I'm not letting you go after the stunt you pulled last night!â Spider stops, turning over to look at Jake. The man has an upset, worried look. The same look he gives Loâak and Neteyam when they get hurt from doing something stupid.Â
Heâs hauled off, held tightly by one arm, sitting on the man's tsaruk. He's brought to the leaders both the metkayina and tuâanui, as well as Neytiri. They all look like Jake, with varying degrees of upset. This may take a while.
Actually, all in all, it didn't take that long. He explained the instincts telling him to find a safe place to sleep. He showed them where he had gone, only being five minutes away from the Sully murai. He told them about his dream, and both of the tsahiks sat with him to discuss it. While speaking to them, they found something. A kuru, Spider cried when he learned it was there. This was her last gift to him.Â
He was brought to the tree of souls to commune. He met the Tulkun's ancestors, who taught him their language. He met Reef Navi, who welcomed him as a child of the sea. He was lifted out of the water by Hayek. Who, Spider learned. Was Tonowari's older brother, who died in the war. The navi carries him around, introducing him to the other ancestors. He doesn't feel dry when he's out of the water here. Spider meets the Omaticaya ancestors; Eytukan holds his hand, welcoming him as a child of Eywa. The reef navi claim him as their kin, sparking a mini fight among navi vying to be his guardian. The attention makes him happy.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
Preparations for the sea dragon war were underway. The adults move along the paths, gathering gear and crafting weapons.
Spider listened as his siblings and new friends chatted above him on the paths. He gently floated on the water, arms crossed behind his head, looking up at the night sky. It makes him think of when he met Eywa. Heâs brought out of his thoughts when a hand touches what would normally be his thigh. He looks over to see Aonung. The teen lightly presses against his scales, dragging his hand down the side of his tail. Spider stays still, a light blush on his cheeks. Aonung looks down at him, a slight smile on his face. âTheyâre smoother than I thought,â and Spider's brain short-circuits. He doesn't hear Loâak and Neteyam making fun of Aonung. He's too busy floating upside down in the water, hands pressed against his blushing cheeks. His body is doing happy little wiggles. That night, he dreams of those hands, gently sliding up his stomach and to his chest. Periodically catching on his scales. Aonung calls him pretty, just before he wakes, blushing to his ears.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
Today is the last day to prepare for the war; the war itself begins tonight. Spider and the teens stay out of the way. They're all chatting again, but this time it's not as jovial. It's like theyâre trying to distract themselves. Spider himself was already distracted. He's been staring at Aonung for a bit now. The navi boy has his hair down. Spider likes it. He's still staring when Aonung looks over to him, his blue eyes seem to pierce Spider's brown. It takes Spider so off guard that he goes under the water, closing his eyes, like he's trying to hide and cool off. It's not effective, because when he opens his eyes, Aonung is in front of him. The taller boy looks at his lips. Rotxo unknowingly saves Spider by jumping on top of future Olo'eyktan. The boys squabble as the other teens join them in the water. Spider turns to Kiri and pouts as she smirks at him. It's fun: they splash water on each other as Spider swims in circles around them.
Things changed that night. Spider's earlier thoughts about the teens being unable to stay out of trouble come to mind as they surround Payakan. They learned the Tulkun was in trouble. That he would be targeted since heâs alone. So here they were, helping to pull the tracker from the creature. Spider had done the same thing he did with Roa, carrying the tracker away to give the tulkun time to run. Only this time, the sea dragon was much closer.Â
Spider swam. He was already getting tired after swimming out to Payakan in the first place. He was so tired that he didn't see the net slowly surrounding him. Not until it had trapped him, hoisting him into the air. âWell, what do we have here?â Spider turns to look at Scorsby. Man, he really hates this guy. âSo that's what happened to you. You just lost us a catch. You'll do nicely as a replacement. Bring him over.â Spider can barely let a hiss out before the net moves, carrying him over the top of a tank. The net opens, and he falls in.Â
The tank is big. He swims up, realizing the water is too far from the top to pull himself out. He groans and swims back under, looking for something, anything. Looking to the side, he sees several people staring at him through the glass. He swims side to side in agitation. Before stopping in front of his watchers, his fist hit the glass wall. He scowls, baring his teeth at them. Then everything shifts.Â
He watches everything tilt to the left, the people falling over as the water in the tank sways to one side. Spiders pulled slightly with the current. Moving left, then right, as the boat and water slosh back. When he looks up at the side, he sees the water go past the tank's edge. At the next shift, he's ready, following the water as it moves up over the left side again. He's on the ledge, and there's a small five-foot drop to the floor. He tries to slide down gently, but the rocking of the boat sends a wave of water beneath him, sending him to the ground. Luckily, the wave also cushions his fall.
Without his legs, he has to army crawl across the deck. He can tell the fighting has started, and he comes around a corner to see several of the RDA have been crushed. He also sees Loak tuk and tsireya, and he calls them over. The group looks excited to see him. Loâak and Tsireya work together, carrying Spider over the deck. He directs them to the control room, Loâak taking out any guards along the way and in said control room. Spider tells Tsireya to grab the controls, the small black pieces sticking up, and push them forward.
The boat lurches, speeding forward until it collides with rocks. Causing them to fall at the impact. The group moves, heading out and away. Back on the deck, they see Quaritch holding Kiri hostage. Lyle stands behind him. Neytiri has Neteyam behind her. Jake stands in front, facing down the demon. Spider tells Loâak and Tsireya to put him down, to take tuk, get off the ship, and find Payakan. Loâak doesn't want to, but he listens.
Spider crawls over, body scraping against torn metal as he moves. He doesn't make noise, even as his dry skin tears and he starts to bleed. He only has one shot at this. If it doesn't work, Kiri's dead. One last pull as a pained grunt leaves his chest, and he calls. âQUARITCH!â his distraction is enough. Both the colonel and corporal look over, which gives Neytiri enough time to shoot two arrows, one into each of their heads.
The family moves, and Jake grabs Spider and carries him to the sea. The group jumps in, meeting Loâak and Tuk on Payakan. Spider stays in the water, swimming beside the tulkun as they head back. The group meets up with the Reef Navi, and Jake and Neytiri set off to find the leaders. The teens meet with their friends. They hug and chat.
Aonung places his hand under Spider's chin, pulling his face. The Navis face has a worried expression. âYouâre hurt.â Spider's eyes widen as he looks down over the wounds on the front of his body. He looks back up to Aonung, smiling. âI'll be ok.â his wide smile doesn't seem to help. Aonung lifts him out of the water and carries him to the leader's murai. The rest of the teens and Tuk follow behind them as Spider blushes in embarrassment and something else. They make it there, and Aonung plops Spider down in front of both sets of reef leaders and his âparentsâ. Once the two tsahiks learn Spider is hurt, they immediately start helping him. He's covered in salves and seaweed bandages when they're done. It's nice to be so thoroughly worried about.
The days after are peaceful, and the tulkun leave now that theyâre safe. Spider sees them off, saying goodbye after learning to understand and sign with them. Spider had been officially adopted into the Sully family. The adoption ceremony and making of his songcord were overseen by Ronal. Norm and Max were called, and they made some changes to the Samson so it wouldn't send a signal. The two had been surprised to the point of almost fainting when they saw Spider. The pair wanted to take some small tests, but were scared off by his mother.Â
One new thing was Aonung, or more so, how bold the boy had gotten. He had asked to court Spider. Not just to Spider's parents, but in front of both their families. The embarrassment and excitement made Spider cover his face and flop around on the floor. Aonung's family looked like they already knew. Spider's siblings seemed to know as well. However, his parents definitely didn't. His dad looked confused while his mom looked ready to skin Aonung. Eventually, they agreed. The rest is a bit of a blur, gifts and food. Neither had completed their iknimaya, so they'd have to wait to become true mates. That didn't stop them from becoming closer.
They had taken things slowly, of course. Holding hands in the water, gentle hugs before bed. The first time they kissed was a bit strange. Finding the right way to slot their lips together took time. Eventually, they figured it out, like now. Aonung was in the water, shoulders and head above it. He sat on a ledge, legs hanging down. Spider was in front of him between his legs. Aonung had moved his hands from Spider's chest to his hips, thumbs pressed lightly into the scales. His head tilted slightly to the side lips pressed against Spider's. Movements slow, simply savouring each other's mouths.Â
Then Spider gently swiped his tongue over Aonung's bottom lip, asking to go further. Aonung indulged him, tongues gently swiping across each other. It wasnât a battle for dominance, but Aonung's much larger tongue won. Spider melted into the kiss, letting Aonung pull their bodies flush. Spider's bones turned to jelly, his body lowering into the water. Aonung held his partner's head above the surface, keeping their mouths together. The kiss only stopped when Spider tapped his arm, asking for air. When they pulled apart, Spider was panting, eyes half-lidded. Aonung smirked down at him, causing Spider to splash water at him. Aonung laughed. The only thought in his mind? I can't wait to make you wholly and truly mine.
No warnings as far as I'm aware. Let me know if it needs any!
I am My Mother's Son
Neytiri had heard of the small human child found by Norm, heard them speak of the boy's curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She had yet to meet the boy; having a child and another on the way made her life busy.Â
Then she learned who his father was, and anger boiled in her veins. She had demanded that the boy be sent back to earth. When Norm told her that it wasn't possible, she then, in her anger-clouded state, suggested the boy be put to death. She watched as Norm pulled the toddler into his arms, trying to shield him. Heard the boy cry in confusion and fear as the tension built.Â
The anger snapped away as cold dread filled her. She could feel Jake place a gentle hand on her arm.Â
Why had she said that? This was a child, one too weak to defend themself and she demanded their death? Her ears shifted low, she went to say something, anything to loosen the guarded look on her small human friend's face. She felt a hand on her shoulder, turning back to see her mother. âEnough, you have already said too much, leave.â The anger in her mother's voice would hurt if she didn't deserve it.Â
She flew back home with Jake. He tried to talk to her. He wanted to help her. She could hear him make placating excuses, claiming her anger was justified, but not to show it in front of the scientists. She agreed that her anger wasn't a horrible thing to feel, but she had passed from simple anger to hate. Something no Navi should allow themselves to fall into. Especially towards a child.
She had to make this right.
She waited a week, not wanting to head back too early and cause the humans concern. Norm seemed to know she was coming. She saw him standing in his dreamwalker body, arms crossed, face tight with distrust. She knew she deserved it. She landed with Saata on the sky people's metal ground. She patted her recently bonded Ikran on the head. Taking a breath to slow her heart, she walked towards Norm. She didn't bring her weapons, no knife or bow. She was unarmed, she walked with arms down, palms pointed outward so Norm could see they were empty.
Norm stood before her, like a Navi warrior standing with a spear raised, ready to fight and protect. Though he had no spear, his glare was a weapon to Neytiriâs heart. She stopped a few feet in front of him. His stance shifted, body ready to protect the boy she had scorned. âWhat are you doing here?â his usual kind, nervous voice was replaced with a low protective edge.
She looked at him for a moment, then bowed; she could see him flinch as she lowered. She placed a hand over her heart. âI am here to apologize for my wrongdoing,â she heard Norm gasp. The man seemed to catch himself, shifting back to his protective stance. âIâm not the one you should be apologizing to.â Norm's sharp tone lashed across her heart. She lifted herself to look at him, âI know, if you would allow me, I would like to apologize to the boy.â Norm looked conflicted, she could see he wanted to say no.Â
Several thoughts seemed to pass through his mind as his facial expression changed. He wiped a hand down his face and welcomed her inside.
They walked through the metal building, several humans watching as they passed. She could tell by the expressions on their faces that they had learned of her comments. She would take their ire, a punishment for her words and thoughts.
Norm led her to a room filled with blankets and pillows. Children's toys were scattered about, and in the middle was the boy. Blonde curls sticking out in every direction. She was about to walk over when the boy looked up at them. She expected fear, but all she saw was a wide smile. She thought the boy was looking at Norm; he had to be. She was caught off guard as the boy ran to her, grabbing for her hand. When she gave it to him, he pulled her over to his toys. The boy handed her a small stuffed toy, which looked like a paâli. She looks over at the boy, watching him grab a toy that looks like a Navi. In fact, it looks a lot like her. Neytiri looks over at Norm, who nods, confirming her thoughts. The boy also confirms, âIt you!â he points from the doll to her, smiling and giggling.Â
All these moments had made her forget her purpose in coming. She placed the paâli toy down, holding the child's hands with her own. âI wish to apologize to you. What I said a week ago was harmful. I should never have spoken about you in such a horrible way.â Neytiri poured out her heart to the boy. She knew it wouldn't change how she had treated him.Â
âIt oteyâ this makes her look at the boy, his blue eyes shining with kindness. âI forgor any who.â She hears Norm let out a surprised laugh. All she could do was look in the boy's eyes. He forgot? Forgot those harmful words? She wants to say more, but the boy interrupts her. âPlay now?â The innocence of children is truly strange. She smiles, picks the boy up, and walks over to a pile of blankets. She lies down, listening to the boy talk about his toys. The child falls asleep on her chest.Â
Norm tells her that the boy demanded a Navi toy that looked like her after he was shown a picture of her and Jake.
Over the next few months, Neytiri would come and visit the boy. She brings him Navi-made toys, clothes, and food safe for humans. She introduces him to Neteyam and lets him touch her pregnant belly.Â
Then the question of who will care for the boy arises.Â
She's sitting on the floor, cross-legged, playing with Spider, a nickname the boy was given. She listens as they discuss letting the boy stay with a human family, and something in her breaks.Â
She gathers the child in her arms, she hears Spider ask if she's okay, but she can't answer. It isn't until Jake comes over and places a hand on her back that she realizes she's crying. She looks into his eyes and sees confusion and worry. She breaks completely, âI can't allow it, they will not have him.â âBaby, he needs a fami-â âHe is mine!â She holds the boy tightly, weeping, looking into her mate's wide eyes. She hears murmuring around them. âHe is mine! You cannot ask me to give him away!â She curls around Spider, tears stream down her face. He is hers, her itan. Her beautiful golden child.Â
She feels Jake place his hands on her shoulders. âOurs,â her eyes shoot up to his, searching for a lie she doesn't find. Jake kneels in front of her now, one hand on her cheek, the other on their new eldest sonâs back. âOur son, together,â and he is theirs. Â
Heâs theirs when Neytiri gives birth to Lo'ak, and they adopt Kiri. Heâs theirs when Tuk is born, who attaches herself to her brother. Heâs theirs when Eywa allows him to breathe her air at ten. He's theirs when a kuru grows from his head, allowing him to connect to the spirit tree. Heâs theirs, always theirs, but most importantly.
He's his mother's son.
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ.
Spider sits cross-legged in his grandmother's Kelku. He's mixing pastes under her watchful eyes. He is tsakarem, the next in line for tsahik after his grandmother passes. This would normally go to the woman's daughter, his own mother, Neytiri. His mother was not one for sitting around healing others. She was a warrior, a hunter. She spent her time in the forest, as did he. However, Spider had the patience and desire to help that made him the right person to learn. Things are peaceful in High-camp, much more peaceful without his father and brothers here to be loud.Â
Neteyam was the quieter one out of the group, but still had his moments. Spider had noticed his father, Jake, placing too much pressure on the boy. Spider had put his foot down, immediately calling his father out for treating them all like a military group.Â
Jake rarely fought against Spider when the boy stood up to him. Spider wasn't unreasonable, and he was small. Jake was always worried he might accidentally harm the boy someday. He never has, but that doesn't stop him from worrying. So he almost always concedes to him, watching as the boy huffs and glares at him. He's so much like Neytiri that he knows he'd mistake the boy for her if he were Navi. His little hisses the way his eyebrows furrow, words sure, eyes never wavering.Â
Spider would be terrifying if he weren't his son. However, he could be quite scary. Heâd watched Spiderâs siblings silently sit before the boy, pacing back and forth as he hissed at them. Smacking whoever had done wrong over the head. Not tuk though, never tuk. She got a stern talking to. Jake would watch as his three teenage troublemakers would shake in fear when Spiderâs angry call reached their ears.Â
Much like now, a raid on an RDA base went awry, leaving Neteyam injured. Spider was there, hissing at his brothers before Jake could get a word in. He called them morons, pointing to the healing pod. Jake goes to stop the boys, feeling the need to scold them, but feels Spider grab his arm. âStop, you are angry now. All you will do is yell and cause issues. Leave, I will heal them. Come back when you can control yourself.â Jake wants to argue, but Spider doesn't let him. âYou are being useless! Leave now!â he points towards Bob, telling Jake to fly until he is calm.
Spider walks into the healing pod. After a thorough scolding, he puts healing pastes and bandages on his brothers. They ask about their father, and Spider clicks his tongue. âHe is out, he will not speak with you til he has properly calmed down. I will not allow it.â When Jake comes back, he is calmer, telling the boys he was worried. That he thought they had died. A light scolding and some hugs, and all is well. âYou know you don't have to play goaly, right?â Spider turns towards Kiri. âI know, I also know I'm the only one heâll actually listen to on these matters.â âThatâs cause your like mom, and he's afraid of her.â âI know that too, and I use it to my advantage.â This causes them to snicker. Things are peaceful again, though sometimes loud with his family back.Â
Things stay peaceful till a call comes from Loâak. He, Kiri, and Tuk had gone out to the old Hallielujah mountain baseâthe same one they weren't allowed to see alone. Spider is already heading in that direction as he hears Loak talk about strange Avatars. He gets to them before Jake and Neytiri. He's positioned in a tree above his siblings and the avatars. Bow and arrows ready, laced with a paralytic venom. His small size had always been a concern. He carried a small pouch with him that held a paralyzing liquid that could take down a palulukan in seconds. It was meant only for emergencies; he considered this moment one.Â
He heard his mother give her call, and he gave one back. He notched the arrow on his bow and pulled back, waiting for his mother's signal. It came as he watched a female avatar fall forward, an arrow striking her in the head. He let his loose towards a male who hit the ground, stiffening under the effect of the paralytic. A second to the head killed the man. Spider heard the leader speak to his mother as she killed another. Spider surprised the man by killing a fourth from a different direction. His father killed a fifth. They all managed to get back to High Camp.Â
Spider listened as his parents argued. They would all have to leave for the âsafetyâ of high camp. Spider disagreed with his father, but this was the one moment Spider would not insert himself in the conversation.Â
The trip to Awaâatlu had been uneventful. Spider sat on Topazâa blue Ikran with orange and black stripes. The ikran had been smaller than most. Norm told Spider she had dwarfism. Heâd named her after his birth mother. She was strong and sassy. Spider loved her.Â
Meeting the Metkayina was its own ordeal. Spider had mostly tuned the conversation out. He tuned back in when Ronal called his brother a demon. He had no issue being called a demon himself; his family loved him, and that is all that mattered. No one got to hurt his siblings. He positioned himself protectively in front of Loâak. âI was unaware a tsahik was allowed to belittle children? Where in Eywas teaching does it say you can act this way?â Ronalâs mouth pulls back in a snarl. âHow dare you speak to me in such a way, Demon?!â The woman's anger does not faze him. He hisses with just as much fury. âHow dare you treat children with such disrespect?! In all my time training as tsakarem with grandmother Moat, I have never been told to act as you do now!â his father moves in front of him, showing his five fingers, and Spider holds his siblings protectively. Uturu is granted. Spider's parents don't scold him for protecting his siblings.
The Metkayinaâs distrust of Spider vanishes when he demonstrates his abilities. He can hold his breath for long periods, from his time wearing masks to breathe. He picked up weaving techniques quickly, learned how to fish and ride ilus. Spider had always had a way of learning everything he was taught. His siblings, however, had struggled. This, along with their features, led to bullying.Â
Spider had been walking across the sandy beaches. Today was his day off. He had no goal in mind and just wished to take a calm stroll. That was until he saw his two brothers fighting with some Metkayina boys. One quick yell of their names had the two scrambling over to Kiri, placing themselves behind her. Spider hissed and pointed at them while he paced. He pointed towards their murai. Turning, the reef boys' ring leader spoke up. âYeah, that's right! Go back to your mom!â Spider eyed the boys as they laughed, âThatâs funny coming from a boy who hides behind his position as future leader. I suggest you all head home before I decide to tell everyone how the leader's son harmed those granted uturu. Or I could tell my mother.â At the mention of Neytiri, most of them had the common sense to look scared. One scoffed, quickly shutting up when Spider glared at him.Â
Things became quiet for a moment, then Loâak came back late one night. They had gone past the reef something tonowari had scolded his son for, opinions changed as Loâak admitted to asking to go there. Spider could tell he was lying. He was trying to cover for Aonung. Something easy to see if you paid attention, it would seem his father didn't. Spider watched Jake go to grab Loâak, and Spider moved in front of him. He wouldnât allow their father to scold his brother in anger, even if the boy may deserve it at times. One of Spider's signature glares stopped his father's rage. âHow many times must I remind you not to scold them while angry? You always say things you regret later.â Spider gave his usual line of âleave until you calm down,â then turned to Loâak. He avoided eye contact with Spider.Â
Spider crossed his arms, looking straight into Loâakâs eyes. âYouâre lying.â Loâak turns to him. âI-.â âSit.â Spider points to the ground, Loâak looks like he wants to argue, but one glare and he's sitting. He points to Aonung, then to the spot beside Loâak, and the taller boy joins Spider's brother, sitting in the sand. âI understand you want to lessen the scolding he gets, but taking the blame does not fix the issue. It only changes the target of punishment. Loak, you didn't ask to go out; Aonung brought you out. He brought you out there because he wanted to scare you. I don't believe he wished to cause you harm.â One look at Aonung's guilty expression confirms it.
âEven still, he knew the risk and did it anyway. I will not let you take the blame for the actions of another.â Loâak looks down with a small smile on his face. He knows Spider loves him. Spider turns to Aonung and watches the boy flinch. âYou have done something wrong, something that could have killed my brother. Thank Eywa it did not, or I would kill you myself.â Everyone around knows that's a promise, not a threat. âNow, this does not mean you can't do better. And while the action you did is your own, the thoughts that led you there came from those meant to teach you kindness.âÂ
He turns to Ronal, âYou are at fault for the thoughts that led this boy to harm another. Your actions upon our first arrival here prove that. If you punish him, then you must punish yourself for teaching him that this anger was okay.â Spider leaves, grabbing Loâakâs hand and walking back to the murai. Later, when Jake asked how Spider knew his sibling was lying. Spider simply said that he paid attention to his family. Was it a jab? Yes, one he believed his father deserved.Â
Until he realized he had done the one thing he got angry at Jake for, speaking out of anger. Spider found his father sitting on the pathway outside their door. He sat beside his dad and hugged him, apologizing for being a hypocrite. âI understand why you get angry in those moments. I know you wouldn't hurt us on purpose, but I can't let you fall into hate, as mom did all those years ago.â There it was, the thing Spider fears most: losing his family to hatred. The same hatred that led his mother to demand his death as a toddler. They'd talked about it when he got older, after he revealed he never actually forgot what happened that day. Jake and Neytiri had spent every day since, reminding him he was loved. Jake lightly strokes Spider's hair, telling the boy he would never hate any of them. He tells all his children the same thing that night.
Life continued, with the added presence of Tsireya, Aonung and Rotxo. All of which had been showing up in the Sully Murai. Spider grew used to the murai being full. He gave food to his siblings and their three new friends.Â
Neteyam watched Aonung blush as Spider passed him a bowl. The boy's blush grows more when he realizes Neteyam saw him. The forest boy simply smirks. The whole family was protective of Spider. The human may be the oldest sibling, but he will be the smallest once Tuk grows. Neteyam remembers when Spider had completed his iknimaya. The number of courting gifts and offers was staggering, making Spider's obliviousness even funnier. Spider had always acted like an older sibling to the Omaticaya children, even to those a few years his senior. So he never saw any as potential partners, or rather, he never seemed to think of having a mate at all.Â
It wasn't surprising to Neteyam that Spider thought the necklace Aonung gave him was just a gift. The human boy had the same reaction to the knife, the seashell-covered top, and the anklet he received.Â
Though all of these gifts had led Spider to a conclusion, the wrong one, he thought Aonung wanted to court one of his siblings, and was giving Spider these items to lower his defences! Spider wouldn't let that happen! Not on his watch!Â
A quick talk with his siblings tells him how wrong he is. They laugh at him for quite a while before explaining Aonung's intentions. He's almost more confused. Him? After he had belittled the guy. Spider thought about his dad and mom and realized it might be more common than he thought. Heâd found aonung the next day, asking him if aonung was trying to court him. He confirmed, which caused Spider to sigh and sit down. âDo you not want me to court you?â Spider looked up into Aonung's hopeful but accepting eyes. A small blush appeared on Spider's face. âIâm okay with it,â so it continued. Aonung sat before Jake and Neytiri, asking for permission to properly court Spider. After asking Spider for his opinion, they said the boy could.Â
With the first gifts already accepted, Aonung moved on to the second step, getting Spider's favourite food. Flat Skate Fish and Shelter Fruit from leopard palms in the nearby forest. It takes him a full day just to catch three fish, and ten minutes to get the fruit. He brings them to Spider and watches the boy light up at the food. Just one more step. One that has to wait until he passes Iknimaya. Until then, Spider and Aonung hang out, going on dates, that's what Jake called them. Aonung's mother admired Spiderâs quick wit and his willingness to stand up for what he believed in. Tonowari admired Spider's ability and desire to learn.
Things were going well until Kiri seized at the cove of ancestors. Jake calls Norm and Max, something Spider and Neytiri both internally scoff at. Spider doesnât hate the scientists. In fact, he is deeply grateful for their care when he was a baby. Even so, he knows the scientists won't consider Eywa and her influence in their search to help Kiri. Their immediate conclusion of âepilepsyâ confirms Spider's thoughts. Then Ronal brought his sister back from her coma. He may not have liked the woman at the start, but now he's grateful for her presence. Norm telling Kiri she can't connect to Eywa nearly leads Spider to scratch the man's eyes out. Then the scentists leave, and it's as close to peaceful as it can be.Â
Then the Tuâanui Clan survivors come. They speak of Navi demons attacking and killing the clan members. Their tsahik is dead. Most who arrive are injured. Spider spends all his time in the healing murai. He doesn't sleep for two days and wakes up in his murai after collapsing. Ronal tells him never to do it again. That he must survive long enough to become her son-in-law. Things are no longer peaceful.
Then Ronal's spirit sister is killed, war breaks out, and his siblings set off to help a lone young bull, Payakan, whom Loâak had bonded with. Much like the moment in the forest, Spider is already on his siblings' tails, flying above the water on Topaz. He learns that they and Tsireya have been captured aboard a demon ship. Spider sits on Topaz flying beside his mother, waiting for his father's signal.Â
It comes as Payakan launches himself up out of the water and onto the boat. Spider and his mother shoot at the demons on the ship, both the Navi and human ones. Some of their own die as well. Spider promises to mourn them when the fighting endsâchaos, fighting, and fire.Â
He's on the ship now, arrow trained on the Navi demon leaderâs head. He hides behind metal, watching as the man holds a knife to Kiriâs neck. He has to be precise; if he isn't, the paralyzing venom on his arrows will cause the man's seizing movements to hurt his sister. The moment arrives as his mother comes out from behind a wall, arrow notched, pointed at the man. The man pauses for only a second, knife moving just far enough away from Kiriâs neck. Spider's arrow hits the back of the man's head as his mother hits the front. He is dead.
The Sullies arrive back at the village, triumphant and tired. They sleep for a whole day. The next week is spent mourning all those who died. Then things are peaceful again. Peaceful as children run through the village. Peaceful as Tsireya courts Loâak. Peaceful as Roxto shows interest in Neteyam. Peaceful, as Kiri spends her time amongst the sea life. Peaceful as Spider and Aonung discuss the future. It may not always be peaceful, but it is right now, and that's all that matters.
Spider loses his vision while in the neurosect machine.
Blinding lights, Eywa, please guide me through
Spider was strapped into a large machine for interrogation, at least that's what the butthole general said. He started pretty confident; he'd never give up his friends or High Camp. The fear settled in pretty quickly. The constant green lights and metal whirring sound in his head started to hurt. Suddenly, it felt like a knife had been stabbed through the back of his head. He thrashed as much as he could, the same questions over and over. âWhere is Jake Sully?â âWhere is the resistance located?â Both his verbal and mental answers evaded them all. He wonât give away their location.Â
As the interrogation continues, the voices around him start to fade and his vision blurs. His eyes roll back like he's about to pass out. The last image he projects is of his momâs picture, the one he keeps above his bunk bed at High Camp. His vision blurs further and then goes black. It feels like a part of his mind simply snapped. He feels the machine stop. The pain stops with it, but everything's still dark. Spider hears voices again; his hearing is still muffled. He can tell it's Quaritch; the beborn-demonâs low-accented voice is unmistakable, and the general's voice still grates on his eardrums. They're talking about him, he can tell, feels it in his numbed bones.
The restraints are removed, and he falls, his arms move on instinct to catch himself. He feels two large, strong arms catch and lift him. âWhoa there, tiger, can't have you crackin' your skull so soon, I just got you outta the thing.â Spider hears Qauritch speak, but can't focus on that; it's still so dark. Did the machine knock out the power? Big facilities like this are supposed to have emergency lights. âCome on, kid, let's get movinâ.â He hits Spider on the back, almost causing him to topple over. Large footsteps heading away from him. Of course, the Navi abomination is fine in this darkness, but Spider definitely isn't.Â
He hears people around him go about their business. How can they see where theyâre going? His heart rate skyrockets. âKid, I dont got all day, move your ass now!â Quaritch is getting angrier. He was moving closer now. Spider feels a strong, annoyed grip on his arm. Spider doesn't know what to do, so he speaks. âI⌠I can't seeâ the pressure on his arm softens and the movement around him stops. Spider tilts his head up, looking up at what he believes is the man's face. âI can't see anything.â
âŚâŚâŚ.
All Miles could do was stare down at the boy. Two dull white eyes, that's all he saw. The kid wasn't looking at him but through him. His breathing slowed as the kids picked up. âWhy can't I see? Why can'tâŚWHY? WHY?â Spider was getting frantic, grabbing onto Miles like a lifeline, begging him for an answer. Miles had planned to do this differently. The kid would be taken back to his cell, and his âold manâ would have a heart-to-heart with him. Offer to get him out of there, take him back to the forest as a guide.Â
Plans changed, he grabbed the crying kid and hauled him up, carrying him out of the room. He grabbed a human mask while walking through the halls and placed it on Spider's face. He saw the sign ârecom wingâ up ahead. Some part of him needed the kid to be somewhere he was safe. The door to their personal area slid open, and the group was ready to welcome their leader back. Any greeting died the moment they saw the kid practically strapped to their leader's chest.Â
Miles gently set the kid down, or tried. The kid had a pretty strong death grip around his neck. Begging miles not to leave him, the kid sounded terrified. âKid, listen, I need you to stay here, you'll be safe, I promise. But youâve gotta let me go.â Miles could see Lyle heading towards them and lifted his hand, signalling the other man to stop. He trusted Lyle, but the man would only make things worse at the moment. There's a small back and forth, the kid crying while begging Miles to stay and Miles continually telling the kid he was okay. He calmed the kid down enough to get him to sit on the Navi-sized couch. He pulled his group over and gave them a brief explanation. Basically saying, âKids blind now, I've gotta convince Ardmore to let us take him, keep him safe for meâ.Â
He left the room with one glance back to see the kid wrap his arms around his legs. With the kid blind now, it'd be harder to convince Ardmore he'd be a good guide, so he changed tactics. He entered the general's office, and she immediately gave her comments that âthe bratâ was no longer useful as a guide. Miles simply grinned, stating that the fact that the boy was blind now made him a greater asset. At Ardmoreâs questioning gaze, he continued his spiel. Being blind, the boy wouldn't run away and would be dependent on them. He still knew the language, so he could still translate, and having a âdisability hireâ, especially one that was ex-resistance, was great publicity. The last point stung miles; he was a veteran and knew how disabled veterans got treated. He also knew it was the perfect line to use. The military didn't run like a corporation, HR and all that, but even Ardmore understood the value of good publicity. Just as he predicted, Ardmore agreedâhook, line, and sinker.Â
Miles walked back to his crew with a smile, a smile that faltered slightly as he thought of Spider. The kid wouldn't have lost his eyesight if Miles hadn't caught him. He shook his head. He couldnât go back in time, but he could protect the kid now. He owed the kid that much. The walk back was fast, his long legs carrying him through the halls. He stood before the door that separated him from Spider, worried about what he might see.
The door slid open, and he saw the kid sitting on the couch. He had a large navi-sized blanket wrapped around him, and a half-empty bottle of water in front of him on the coffee table. He looked less scared, shaking slightly less than when Miles had last seen him. Then there was his crew, sitting on the couch and the floor, playing video games. Spider had a controller in his hands, but wasn't playing. Miles could see and hear the controller faintly vibrate as Ja crashed an in-game car. Spider lightly laughed as the group made fun of the private.Â
Lyle noticed him then; walking over, the leader saw the strained smile on his face. âCorporalâ Miles nodded his head towards the rest of the group. Lyleâs smile twitches slightly. âThe kid wasn't doing too well when you left, sir. He was cold and had a massive headache.â Lyle paused for only a second. âWe thought the game might distract him; he can't see it, but he can feel things with the controller. Howâd the talk go?â âKids with us now.â Miles placed a hand on Lyleâs shoulder and pulled him closer. âWe keep him safe and out of trouble, got me?â Lyle nods. That kid is part of the crew now, and no one hurts their crew. The others finally notice their leader, standing up and greeting him, alerting Spider to his presence. The kid practically falls on his face when he tries to get the blanket off him and get off the couch at the same time.Â
Ja catches him, helping Spider stand up. Miles heart almost shatters as he watches Spider desperately search for him. His hands are stretched out, and his head sways back and forth, trying to listen for him. Miles speed walks over to the kid, picking him up as soon as he's in range. Miles feels Spider wrap his arms around his neck again. The boy is shaking again. Miles gently rubs his back. The man knows hed fight hell for this kid. He might have to do it sooner than he thought.Â
The group gets an alert. They're set to go into the forest tomorrow. Miles looks to his crew with a silent question, and they all nod. He knows âhisâ kid will be safe. It doesn't take long for the kid to fall asleep. The machine had already taken all his energy, and the crying didn't help. Miles set the boy on his own bed and sat on the floor, watching over him as he slept.
âŚâŚâŚ.
The ride to the forest is easy. Spider is strapped down, quieter than before he entered that machine. He can feel and hear the wind as they move. He hears the subtle changes as they pass by floating mountains and fly over tall treesâthe sound of far-off ikran screeches and swarms of linghaw. The sounds change as they descend. He thinks theyâre around 100 miles southwest of High Camp, based on wind direction and the sounds of waterfalls nearby. Once they landed, the direction of a river would tell him if he was right. The landing itself wasn't rough, but he heard a few yerik yelp in fear and run away. The sound of their distress made Spider hiss in annoyance. He feels Miles place a hand on his chest; the man probably thought the landing was scaring him. Spider had taken far too many rides in the old flyer the resistance had, to be scared. He knew what a failed landing should sound like.Â
The Recom and Spider are unloaded, and as soon as the samson leaves, Spider is home. Not in visuals, never again in visuals. But in every other sense, he is home. The sound of leaves and curious wildlife nearby. The smell of filtered rainforest air in his mask and the feeling of freshly rain-covered mud under his feet. He sends Eywa a heartfelt thank-you. âAlright, yaâll huddle up!â And now the immersion is gone. He turns his left ear towards Miles's voice behind him and hears the man go on some military spiel. And there's the famous âgo RDA hoorah!â nonsense.Â
Spider would roll his eyes if he could. Apparently, the machine had messed with the muscles connected to his eyes so that he couldn't move them anymore. That had been the snapping sensation he felt. At least, that's what a doctor said.Â
A quick walk over to the nearest river tells him he was basically right about his location estimate. It's a small river, so he takes the time to wash his hands. He contemplates washing his hair, but gets interrupted by Miles. âI know ya know this forest like the back of your hand, but you're blind now, I don't wantcha going too far and getting hurt.â Spider wants to argue, but he knows Miles is right. He just nods and lets Miles pull him towards the group. He feels multiple hands reach out and ruffle his hair as they pass to the front. Heâd laugh if his body weren't on high alert right now. He learns that their objective is to get Ikran, something about âblending inâ and âgetting into the minds of the nativesâ as if Eywa would ever grant them the privilege. They walk slowly, Miles periodically picking him up and passing him to one of the group to get over something. Tedious, just like everything the RDA does.
Suddenly, Spider stops, and he feels Miles stop as well. The man is asking him something, but Spider can't focus. He feels something, not on his skin but in his mind. It's like a touch and a voice, but not? Like something calling and pushing him in a specific direction. A soft melody to his right and a gentle caress on his right cheek. Spider knows he's being talked to; Miles' voice sounds worried, the man moves his arm for a second, and Spider is off. He runs not away from the group but towards the call. He hears Miles yell and footsteps behind him as his feet meet a large root. The touch is on his forehead, and the melody is in front of him now. He follows it straight, left, then right. Eywa sends him a new feeling. The same one he feels when he jumps over roots, and he vaults, hand landing on a root and propelling him forward onto the first. The feelings continue as he runs through Eanfwopx and jumps over and under stray vines.
The feeling seems to press on his chest as he leaves the roots and touches stone, as if telling him to stop, and he does. He's high up now, about 100, maybe 150 miles above the forest floor.Â
He hears ikran, lots of them. It's the rookery! He crouches and moves towards a wall, the sound changing as he gets closer to it until he touches it. He hears huffing and puffing behind him as the rest finally catch up. âWhat took you so long?â Spider's smug, of course, he is, he beat them in a foot race while blind. He may have had help, but still. He hears them grumble about whether he's blind or not as Miles gently grabs him, turning him side to side to check him over. When Miles is done poking at him, the man sighs. âKid, you're gonna kill me. How the hellâd you do that?âÂ
Spider isn't about to tell the man Eywa guided him, so he lies. âDude, I grew up in this forest, I've been running around it since I was, what, 6 years old? That's ten years total. Part of hunter training is to know your location and how to get anywhere, even while blinded. Anything can happen out here; a random animal attack could blind you while hunting, so we learn how to go through the forest no matter what happens to us.â technically its not a complete lie, the navi are taught how to get through the forest while blind but only to get somewhere safe, not to run around at full speed like nothings wrong. Still, Miles didn't need to know the details.Â
The man seemed to calm down. Since there really wasn't any other explanation for it. He let Spider go and started to look around. âWell, would ya look at that, you took us right to the banshees, good job, kid.â Miles ruffled his hair as he and the group walked toward the sound of Ikrans. He didn't plan to take them anywhere; it seems Eywa had her own plans.Â
They'd gotten much closer to the ikran now; Spider could hear them screeching and playing with each other. Another piece of home spider had missed. Then he hears the sound of a gun being loaded and cocked. âAre you going to shoot one of them?!â he whispers, yelling towards the sound of the gun. Miles answers, âI ain't gonna shoot 'em. It's a tranq.â Miles says, as if that were a totally normal thing to do. It makes Spider snicker, which causes Miles to make an incredulous sound at him. âWhat a cowardly way to do it, you know Jake did it the normal way, yeah?â It's bait, one that Miles takes. He hears the man hand the gun away as Lyle makes some comment about safety. Man, he wishes he could watch this. Without his eyes, all he hears is hissing and screeching. There's the sound of skin colliding as an ikran screeches in pain and confusion.Â
Then yelling from miles and the other Recoms. Spider moves first, following the sound of Miles' yell. He feels the same pressure on his chest as he stops just before the edge. Spider hears Lyle say something, but it's far away as he tries to listen for Miles. He feels tears threaten to leave his eyes. Why didn't he warn him to tie the Ikranâs mouth? He wanted this, right? Right?Â
Then a shout of joy reached his ears. Miles came flying back up, whooping in triumph. The whole group was cheering. Spider, in absolute fear and relief, lets the tears fall and calls out, âDAD!â He shakes; the voices around him have stopped. He hears the Ikran land, then feels strong arms wrap around him. He lets himself be held and quietly sobs. As Miles (his father?) assures Spider, he's okay. The others get their Ikran much faster, now that they know how to be safe. No one talks about the kid almost getting Miles killed. They see it as payback for the loss of his eyesight. He's tired, another rough day of running and crying like most of his days in the forest.Â
They set up camp with a small fire, and Spider tells them how to make it properly. He almost burns his hand while trying to make sure they did it right. Eywa and Miles stop him at the same time. Eywa sends him gentle feelings of calm and trust, and Miles reassures him that someone will be keeping watch at all times. It calms Spider enough that he lets Miles pull him over and be sat on something soft. It felt like a blanket, like the one he used at Bridgehead, navi-sized. Spider pulled the blanket over himself.Â
He could smell something being cooked. After a bit, Miles brought him some food and placed it in his hand. Miles told him Mansk had made the food, so Spider asked the man to thank Mansk on his behalf. Spider chewed his food happily, munching on the flavourful dish. Mansk was a really good cook; if he took lessons from a navi, he would be the best. With his stomach full, Spider started to feel tired. His head nodded forward, up, then down and again. One last dip forward had him falling. Miles caught him and laid him down, wrapping him in the blanket. He felt Eywa caress his forehead as he drifted off.
âŚâŚâŚ.
Miles and his crew had spent four or so months in the forest now. Last night, Miles had taken the midnight to morning watch, which allowed him to watch as the sun started to shine through the leaves. Heâd never admit it, but the sight was a pretty one. One Spider would never see again. Thinking about the kid makes him look over to the bundled-up boy. The other Recom have already woken up and are moving around, packing up the campsite. They let Spider sleep in to gather energy, though today they're gonna be flying, so they won't have to worry about their stamina.Â
Time passes; their banshees have their new gear, and all the Recoms items are packed onto them. Miles deems it time to wake the sleeping beauty. He walks over, gently shaking Spider awake. He watches the kid stretch out like a cat. Spider picks up his couple of items, and Miles folds the blanket and puts it in a pouch on Cupcake. He pulls Spider up to sit in front of him.Â
They all take off. Miles enjoys the feeling of soaring through the air. The wind tickles his nose. His connection to cupcake is strange; it's him, but it's also her. He can feel his legs touching her skin, and vice versa. He looks down to see Spider smiling, head shifting left and right to listen for changes in the sound around them. âHavin fun, kid?!â he had to yell over the sound of the wind. Spider smiled wider, hand landing on Milesâs knee as the kid turned towards the recom. He moved his body and head, so his right ear was angled towards Miles. Something about it made Miles' chest feel warm; the kid wanted to hear what the man was saying. âYeah, it's amazing!â like a kid getting a lollipop. The kid had a happy smile. Miles was going to say more, some joke about Spider's wide smile.Â
Then his com went off. âColonel Quaritch, this is Bridgehead. Respond.â The interruption annoyed Miles, but he couldn't let the crew see it. He placed his hand against the button on his neck and said, âGo for Quaritch.â âWe've gotten a transmission from a rogue Samson. It was headed towards the sea. Sending coordinates now.â The mood changed immediately. He watched Spider turn his head forward and hunch his shoulders. âRoger that, deja blue will head there now.â Miles rallies the group, telling them they've got a lead on Sully. He hears cheering around him, then there's Spider, who looks like he's trying to shrink. Miles can't spend time worrying about it hes got a job to do.
Eventually, they make it to the sea and commandeer a sea dragon. The mission is simple: find whatever island Jake had crawled his way onto, drag him out and back to Bridgehead for execution, easy. Until he's staring down at his kid, gun in hand, the same one he'd used to threaten this random clanâs people and children. Spider stood in front of him, defiant, begging him not to kill anyone. Miles knew where the kid was coming from, but he had a job to do. A job that, if he didnât complete it.Â
His mind went back to his conversation with Ardmore when he had stopped the machine. She had said they should just give him to the lab coats, the same ones Miles knew had no issues ripping apart a kid to learn something new or make something new. Missions had to be completed; if they weren't, you lost things: the privilege to eat, your pride, or the right to your own body and soul.Â
Miles remembers watching fellow Marines die, begging for food back on earth. Marines were stripped and tied up by fellow members when they failed a mission for the group. The various punishments for not being a good âdogâ. Spider didn't know; he didn't know the depths of horror and depravity as Miles did. Even with this knowledge, he couldn't say no, couldn't fault the kid for wanting to protect others. Even as a memory of a fellow marine being gunned down along with the family he stood in front of, courses through his mind. So he doesn't kill them, he burns their homes. It's tactical, a message; he convinces himself it's enough. He pulls Spider away by the arm. He hears him say sorry in Navi over and over again as he's pulled away.
Spider doesn't talk to him, not unless he has to. A silent protest as they burn two more villages, no deaths. Ardmore wasn't happy. Miles tries to convince himself that the silence doesn't affect him; it's peaceful. He tries to ignore the pain in his heart. The pudgy man running the sea dragon makes a complaint. He's got a quota to meet. Miles talks with him and a man named Garvin about a tulkun, an intelligent whale creature with a head full of something the RDA wants. Spider seems interested in asking the marinebiologist for more info; it's the first time Spider has smiled since they entered the boat. Miles ignores the jealous feeling in his chest. They go hunting. A mother and calf, Miles pushes down the feeling of disgust, tries to convince himself that even though it's cowardly, it's necessary. It has to be. He is holding Spider on the smaller hunting boat.Â
They enter the creature's body together as the calf outside whines. He tells himself it's fine, who cares about some stupid whales? He remembers just how intelligent they are as his body cringes and his tail swipes in agitation. He looks at Spider, the kid can't see what's happening, but he looks like he's gonna throw up. The rest is a blur, and then they're back on the sea dragon. He sees Spider stumble toward where Miles had shown him the bathrooms and follows him.Â
When he enters, he hears the kid throwing up. He tries to comfort him, placing a hand on him, but Spider swats away with such anger that it genuinely surprises Miles. âWHY would they do that?! Why would they need that stuff anyway?!â Miles understands the kidâs anger, innocent people dying. âYou heard 'em, kid, the RDA sells that stuff to rich shmucks.â A simple answer should be enough. It used to be for him, but now it sounds wrong in his own mouth.Â
Spiders face scrunches in anger, âKilling just to gain something, killing those who havenât hurt you. Based on what Mr.Garvin said, those who literally won't fight back?! How, how dare?!â Miles thinks of peaceful protesters being gunned down in the streets of America. Every word from spider stings, and he's not done.Â
âWhat if it were me? Something about me that the RDA could use, or gain? Would you let them cut me open, rip me apart and drain me to find it?â Spider's voice is quiet, now uncertain. Like he's revealing something. For a second, Miles just looks at him. Staring at the boy, he desperately wants to call his son. Would he? If they told him to, could he? Could he drag Spider into Bridgehead, knowing full well the kid wouldn't survive?Â
No, no, he couldn't, heâd fight tooth and nail for him. He places his arms around Spider, holding him close. He ain't good at talking, so he'll show it. Spider cries into his chest; it's an ugly, loud, terrified cry. It has the boyâs whole body shaking. Miles can tell the kid has needed this. When he's done, Miles helps him clean his face of snot and pukeâgently wiping his eyes, mouth, and nose with a warm, damp cloth.Â
Spiderâs face is still puffy when they get back to the other Recom. Spider sleeps with them on the sea dragon deck. Miles stays awake to watch his mask battery. He counts the sparse freckles he can see across the boy's face; he looks so much like topaz. The only thing the kid got from his dad was the blonde hair. Topaz, a one-night stand he planned to marry after finding out she was pregnant. Paz would kill him herself right now if she found out what Miles had put their kid through; he wouldn't even fight her. His mind drifts as he thinks about the beautiful, kind, and strong mother of their child.Â
He doesn't realize he's fallen asleep till he wakes up; it's still dark out. He turns over fast to check on Spider. The kidâs not there. Did he go inside? Then he hears the banshees; they're towards the end of the deck, huddled around something. His heart beats quickly, and he runs. As he gets closer, he sees pale skin. Panic has already set in by the time he gets past the ikrans and rolls Spider over. No mask, Spider isn't wearing his mask. He screams a raw, feral sound that rips from his throat.Â
His crew are there in seconds. They see Miles cradling the boy's body, a mask with a dead battery nearby. No one talks, but they all think the same thing. Was Spider trying to reach the masks in the banshees' pouches? How long did he walk? Crawl? The thought makes them feel sick. There isn't anything they can do, so Miles finally does something the boy would want.Â
They leave, telling the others theyâre conducting a surveillance check. They find an island, going inland.Â
The Recom start digging while Miles holds Spider in his arms, wrapped in his blanket. Miles can almost convince himself that Spider is still alive, just sleeping. It's harder without the mask on his face. He feels like he's crumbling. Complete the mission, that's what he tried to do for Spider. No, that's what he told himself, but if he had actually worried about the kid, he would have tried to keep him safe. The kid wouldn't be dead in his arms. As he wallows in his pity, he fails to see a wood sprite land on Spider or the countless others surrounding them. It isn't until Lyle calls to him that he sees them, lightly bobbing up and down around them; the Recoms stop to watch. Miles watches as some move to a spot on the ground. Miles isn't sure how, but he knows he has to follow their lead.Â
He takes the blanket off Spider and places him on the ground as the woodsprites move out of the way. The other Recom feel a pull. They gather around Spider. One floats down onto spider lips before gently moving into his mouth and down his throat. Miles can only stare as the glow disappears. Then the world moves, and the grass sways toward Spider from all directions. It's like itâs breathing, a heartbeat, as the bioluminescence moves towards the boy in waves. The recomâs bodies start to sway towards Spider as if on instinct. A low hum rises through the air as small plants grow over Spider's body. They cover his hands, legs, and chest. They move over his face and into his nostrils and mouth. The humming grows louder; their bodies sway faster, arms entwined. They sway in circles, humming the same tune, never letting go. The sound builds as if the planet itself responds to them. Impossibly loud, over and over and over and.Â
It stops so abruptly that the Recom almost fall over from the whiplash. Their hold on each other keeps them up. They settle, their breath slows as they untangle their arms. They watch Spider and see the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He coughs, then lifts his hand and pulls the plant from his mouth and nostrils. Thatâs when the Recoms get loud, screams and cheers of joy as Miles lifts his son. No words are said, they laugh together and dance around. Miles sways Spider in his arms. Grabs the boy's face and kisses his forehead so hard it leaves a mark. âDamn it, kid! The hell happened?!â Miles knew the kid would have an answer.Â
âMy mask battery died. I tried to get one, but I couldn't make it in time.â The Recom realized their fear that Spider had died while trying to get a new mask was right. Before Miles could scold Spider for not waking him, the boy had one more thing to add. âAs my breathing slowed, Eywa told me it'd be fine, that I was just going to sleep and I would wake up soon.â Miles really wished she had told him that first, but honestly, it didn't matter now; his son was alive. Heâd kiss the woman's hands and worship at her damn feet if she asked him. He was alive; now he just had to keep him safe.Â
Lyle voiced the question Miles was dreading. âSir, what do we do now? You know what the RDA will do if they find out about him.â Miles feels Spider curl inwards, seeking protection. He does know; he sees images of Spider strapped down to a table with the skin of his chest pulled open. The boy is kept awake and alive so they can watch how his body works, and he is crying.Â
Miles doesn't know if it's just his paranoid imagination or a vision from this Eywa chick; either way, he has no intention of letting it happen. âIâm takin' the kid, and I'm runnin'. Y'all with me or not?â He pulled his gun out, ready to fight. He'd probably die, but he'd take at least a couple out first. He watches his crew look at each other, a silent conversation. Lyle speaks for the group. âWhere to, Colonel?â Miles grins, puts away his gun and starts giving orders.Â
They remove everything from themselves and their ikrans that carry trackers; they leave navi-sized backpacks and shoes. They take off their Ikrans camo gear, allowing them to move more comfortably. They check their guns using scanners and chuck the ones with trackers into the pile. They bury it in the grave they had made for Spider. They even check themselves for good measure and find nothing. Seems Ardmore trusted them not to go rogue, her first mistake. Then they get on their ikrans and leave. They find an island near the villages they attacked. Far enough away that the RDA is unlikely to find them, they slip into the mangroves.
Their outfits change. Not completely, but enough that a quick look makes them unrecognizable. Spider taught them how to dye their clothes. Long pants are torn into knee-length shorts. Spider showed them how to weave feathers onto their clothes. The kid even wove jewelry for each of them. It's a bit lopsided in places, but the recoms love them. Miles lightly plays with his bracelet. It has four lopsided green beads of different shades, carved by him himself. He looks over his teammates. Lyle got a red beaded upper armband. Mansk got a natural wood beaded anklet. Zdog got a blue beaded bracelet. Prager let the kid weave yellow beads into his headband.
Lopez got a necklace with orange beads, and the man almost felt offended until Spider tells him about the mighty Navi warriors who weave beautiful necklaces to wear while hunting. He wears it with honour after that. Ja gets a purple beaded waist belt, the kind you'd see on belly dancers in movies. That one confuses the group, and Ja gets some jabs for it. Spider simply says. âYou dance, I've heard you dancing on the boat and in the forest. Dancers wear those to accentuate their movements.â Another answer that shuts them up. When Ja dances around the fire that night, he puts more movement in his hips, wanting to show off his gift.Â
Spider teaches them how to make bows and arrows, how to hunt using them. How to hunt fish using spears by rivers, and how to gather. Mansk cooks the meals Spider suggests, mixing fish and fruit to achieve a sweet flavour. The fatty meat of a yerik mixed with eggs to get navi sausage and egg breakfast. They find clam-like creatures and scan them to find that both humans and Navi can eat them. Mansk cooks them the old-fashioned human way. Get the sand out of them, then boil them and add a pinch of rock salt for flavour. Miles watches Spider walk around the camp with confidence; he's much less clumsy than when they were on the boat. It's like when they were in the forest. The excuse of the kid knowing the area like the back of his hand doesn't work out here. So Miles asks.Â
âWhen I touch the ground, the trees, or anything connected to Eywa. I feel her; she's in my heart and mind. She gives me warnings, she touches me gently to point me in the right direction.â The boy pauses with a sombre look in his eyes. âBut when I was on that boat, I couldn't feel her, not until we went on the islands and entered that tulkun mother.â The reminder of the tulkun stings at Miles' chest. After everything that's happened, he can't explain the feeling away. It was wrong; what they did was wrong. âI didn't feel her again until I was about to die. One of the ikran had rubbed against me, and I could feel her again; it's how she told me I'd be fine.âMiles held the boy that night and thanked Eywa for keeping his son safe.Â
Sleep always came easter surrounded by nature. Like they were meant to be out here, maybe they were. They had told themselves, after being woken up, that they wouldnât fall as Sully did. They wouldn't fall for the native propaganda, but here Miles was, wrapped around his son. Covered in feathers and beads, torn military clothes with the badges ripped off so the RDA wouldn't recognize him. He'd do anything for this kid, keep him safe in his arms.Â
When everything is calm, that's when things go wrong.
Miles had been out gathering more fruit for Spider, just in case Eywa didn't give the kid the ability to eat Navi-only food. It's peaceful, the leaves gently swaying with the breeze. Then a shout reaches his ears. Lyle calls for him so frantically that he thinks the RDA found them. Miles runs back, carreening through the forest. Their camp in sight as the other Recoms voices call for him.Â
Then he sees Ja huddled over his son with his medic bag open. Miles' heart rate spikes as he kneels beside his son. The kid is breathing, itâs rough, and it sounds like heâs fighting against phlegm as he coughs. âWhat happened?â Ja answers, âhe ate something he shouldn't have, sir.â It's an answer, but not one Miles likes. They separate the food that Spider can eat into a container with an open lid so he doesn't grab theirs by accident. How did he accidentally get into a closed and latched box? Apparently, he didn't; some flying bird thing did. It had gotten in, took some fruit and caused some to fall into Spider's pouch. The kid can't see, so he didn't know it wasn't for him till it was already in his mouth. He spat it out fast, but that didn't stop the effects. This kid was really trying to put Miles in an early grave.Â
All they could do was wait as Ja tried to help the kid, but he just kept getting worse. His breath became more ragged. Miles hears Ja swear and turns around in time to watch the man throw his hat on the ground and swipe a hand over his face. Ja looks over to him, âI can't help him.â There's a tremble in the man's voice that matches the feeling in Mileâs heart.Â
Miles knows what they need, a tsahik, but where are they gonna find one? Even if they find one, will they help? Miles has everything to lose now; either they help, or the kid dies anyway. Now, where to find a tsahik? Miles doesn't have the first clue where to look. They've gotta start somewhere, so Miles lifts Spider, wrapped in a blanket and walks to the shoreline. The Recom follow; they don't know the plan, but they've followed him so far, they don't plan to stop now.Â
Their Ikrans land, ready to take them wherever they need to go. Miles looks across the water, looking for something, anything, some sign. He sees it as a path of orange glowing fish that leads from them to another island. An island they know has a village. The last of the taâunai clan's villages, the only one they hadn't burned. It's their only option, so they fly. A horn sounds as they approach, not a frantic one, as they haven't been recognized yet. They land, and there are spears, yelling and anger. He doesn't blame them; he deserves all of it. He kneels, places Spider on the ground, and calls for help. âMaâitan! Srung Maâitan!â he knows heâs butchering the words, but he hopes they understand. Miles begs on his knees, bowing. His hands are empty; so are the other Recoms, as they all kneel.
Miles hears the crowd quiet down as someone passes by them and comes close to his son. He lifts his head to see the tsahik, the same one he threatened. He sees recognition cross her face as she looks at the boy. She looks towards Miles, and he begs one last time. âRutxe,â his voice is a whisper. The trembling fear of a parent about to lose their child. She comes over to him, placing a hand on the feathers he weaved into the strap of his tank top. âOe srung,â Miles sobs as he registers the words. He watches the woman pick up and carry his son off. They don't fight when they are bound and dragged to an empty home.Â
âŚâŚâŚ.
The Taâunui clanâs tsahik knew someone would arrive soon. Eywa had warned her to be calm and listen to them; she would. She was tsahik; she would follow Eywa's words. But the Navi demons' faces made that difficult. There was an anger that rose in her, one that Eywa didn't condemn. Even so, her great mother asked her to listen. She watched the leader put a small bundle on the ground, no larger than a child. Watched him kneel and bow, begging them to help his son. A child? Could the demonâs healers not do this for them? A smug feeling rose in her as she considered how feeble the demon healers must be for them to come to her. She stops. A child requires care; now is not the time to gloat.Â
She breaths and walks forward to the bundle, pulling it back, and sees the child. The same one who was forced to translate their words, a blind child who stood between them and weapons. The brave boy who apologized for the demonâs destruction. The child has no mask, yet still breathes raggedly. She looks into the demon leader's eyes as he whispers a soft plea. This is not the demon who burned their home, but a father, one who is terrified of watching his son die.Â
She could deny them, call for their deaths and leave the child to his end. But she can't, she is alive because of the boy. So she agrees to help, carrying the boy to her marui. She calls for the Navi demons to be tied and placed in a pod, not killed, just watched.
She makes it to her marui, her mate behind her, ready to help. He had recognized the boy as well and wanted to aid in his recovery. They get to work pulling out baskets of herbs and salves. She reaches for one, then stops. Her hand is hovering as Eywa warns her not to use the item. She moves her hand over the spices and herbs till Eywa tells her to stop. She does this over and over until she has enough to start. These items should not work; the illness the boy has requires a whole different combination. At least it does for Navi, but not for humans. She now sees why Eywa sent them to a tsahik; she could understand the ailment, and Eywa would guide her to save the boy. She works, asking her mate for items, having him lift the boy and help her put the medicine in his mouth. She prays over the boy, calling out to his mind, hoping to wake the boy.Â
It has been a full night, and by midday the next day, the child wakes. His pale, sunken features have filled, and a light pink dusts his cheeks. As if knowing where he is, he greets her. âI see you, Tsahik,â the boy says, ever respectful and kind, using the perfect sign as well. âI see you,â she returns the gesture, knowing the boy cannot see it. He smiles a bright, happy one. âWhere is my father?â he turns his head, listening for the man. âWe have the man and his followers tied up.â The boy turns frantically. She does not wish him to hurt himself, so she places a hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder. âBe calm, my dear, we have not harmed them. You have accepted them. I wish to know why.âÂ
This calms the boy enough to explain. He tells her everything about how he was captured, tortured, and how his father had taken him out of the machine and back to the forest. His connection to Eywa. The moments of fun before coming to the sea. How things changed, how his connection disappeared while on the boat. The way he could hear his father try to convince himself that burning villages was the right thing to do. The tulkun hunt, she flinched so hard she thought she would fall. The boy cried as he told her about it, the sound of the baby desperately crying out, the way his head throbbed as they entered her body. He told her about throwing up on the boat filled with rage for the dead mother, how his father stopped believing his own excuses. He tells her of dying, being brought back, and his father leaving the small demons behind to protect him.
While these moments explain a slow change in the boy's father, they don't tell her how it happened in the man's mind. She helps the boy up, taking him to his father. The man is overjoyed, and tears fall down his cheeks. He tries to hug the boy, but can only press his chin into the boy's head and wrap his tail around him. She calls for their restraints to be cut. The man's freed arms hold the boy tenderly; he repeats thank yous to the wind. As if thanking not just her but Eywa as well. She would like them to have time, but she is a leader; she must learn if this man means her people harm.Â
They sit before each other, kneeling. The boy, whom she learns is named Spider, sits to the side between them. He translates as she asks to connect to the boy's father. She wonders if he will resist, but he does not; he pulls his kuru over his shoulder, holding it out to her unguarded. She follows him, and they connect.
The first thing she sees is a boy, a human boy, crying as he holds an older woman lying limply in his arms. It's the boy's mother, Eywa reveals this to her. The scene shifts, and the boy is taller, not by much. The boy stands before two dead teens, a girl and a boy, his siblings. The scene changes again, and a man, his father, is beating the boy. The man had killed the rest of his family. Scenes shift over and over. The boy kills his father. He was beaten outside a brightly colored building as a teen. He stands straight with a hand to his forehead, wearing a demon's uniform as an adult. He goes hungry and is beaten for failure. He watches others like him being shot and killed. He is told to shoot a child, but he does not. He is tied to a wall, his clothes are removed as hands touch him. She has to look away; she knows what happens next. As she turns back, she watches him kill thousands with a blank expression. The same words replay in his head, telling him he'll be hurt again if he doesn't do this.Â
It shifts again, this time to a blue man, one she knows. He was born in war, given a task. He finds his son and immediately fails him, letting him be blinded. Connecting to his ikran and how he felt the world was beautiful. The burning of villages. His worry about what will happen to his son if he fails. The tulkun hunt, and the bial that rose in his chest as they entered the creature. The pain in his heart as he heard the child cry for its mother. His child, dead in his arms, tears falling. His joy when Eywa brought his son back. One last shift to a house, a human house. She hears sniffling from the corner and turns to find the boy, the one who held his mother.Â
This is Miles, a terrified boy still desperately running from monsters. She surrounds the child in a hug. âYou are safe now.â The effect is immediate; the boyâs shoulders shake, and he wraps his small arms around her neck. She feels him change and grow; he is taller than her now. Blue with a tail that wraps around her. He holds onto her like a child seeking comfort. She has accepted him. When they disconnect, the man is silently crying, and Spider gently holds his hand, humming. While they have been accepted, that does not mean they have proved themselves. There is much to do.
âŚâŚâŚ.
Spider sits in the tsahiks murai, munching on fruit that she had cut for him. Her name is Yrrâwey, a beautiful name that she now demands he use. He had tried to deny her, saying he wasn't worthy to speak a tsahik's name. She simply told him that he had saved her life, which made him worthy. So he sat quietly eating sliced fruit, while Yrrâwey mixed herbs. Spider was getting what the Recom called âspecial treatmentâ while they were out learning. Yrrâwey had told her people that the recoms crimes would not result in death, but work. They'd been put to work immediately, shown how to gather wood and weave. They were tasked with helping rebuild homes lost to flames.Â
They were not trusted, and the taâunui were definitely having fun watching them trip up now and then, but they always taught them how to do things right after they failed. The recoms had told him all about it. Coming back to their temporary home with sore muscles and splinters, and telling Spider about how the clan members would laugh as they tripped and fell in the ocean. Spider would laugh as they recounted their woes.
Yrrâwey had sent a messenger to the metkayina clan to warn them of the tulkun hunts as well as the new helpers who had been rebuilding murais for them. She doesn't tell them who those helpers are. Not yet. She receives a message back, the Olo'eyktan wishes to meet with them, and they decide to meet at the Taâunai clan's home.Â
Spider is told all of this. It seems she doesn't wish to leave him out. He's glad for it; he can't see his family fumble around and learn, can't watch the coming and going of messengers. He can still feel the bouncy pathways Eywa guides him over. He can still hear the gentle voices of warriors who remember his bravery, asking if he needs help. He can taste beautifully crafted seafood. He can touch the dried seaweed Yrrâwey gave him to weave. He makes her a bracelet, and she hugs him. He can smell the ocean air and the damp sand.Â
His family continues to learn. He hears Mansk talk about learning to cook from a clan member. He hears Zdog make fun of Ja, who apparently had danced by the clan's fire one night and had multiple eyes on him. He hears some fishers talk about Zdog and Prager's ability to catch fish with spears and nets. listens as the oloeyktan praises Lopezâs strength while carrying supplies. He hears Lyle compliment his father on his improved breathing and his learning of Navi. His father punches the man in the shoulder, reminding him that he had ridden an Ilu correctly the first time. It's wonderful to listen to them speak. To hear them learn and grow in Eywa. Then the Metkayina leaders came, bringing Toruk Macto with them.Â
They had been with the taâunui for a little under a month now, and this day had been like most. Spider sat between his father's legs, eating cut fruit Mansk had placed in his hands. A horn blows, signifying an arrival. Spider and his family stayed put around the communal cookfire. Mansk was trying a new recipe, and the group was always excited to eat his cooking. Besides, they technically weren't part of the clan, unless they were called; it was better not to go wandering.Â
Spider had been mid-bite when he heard it. A voice he could never forget, saying the one word he dreaded most. âDEMON!â Neytiri, he'd recognize her voice anywhere. Even without his eyes, he knew she had her bow drawn. He turned his head towards the sound of her voice, just as his father picked him up. He heard the Recoms shift to stand before him.Â
Yelling melts together in his mind; he thinks he hears Jake at some point. Without his eyes, it's hard to pinpoint where the yelling starts and ends. âSTOP THIS AT ONCE! THEY HAVE A CHILD! HOW DARE YOU RAISE A WEAPON TO THOSE I HAVE ALLOWED IN MY HOME!â Yrrâwey, the strong, calm woman who has never raised her voice, yells with such rage it almost shakes the ground. All yelling stops at once. Spider hears Yrrâweyâs mate try to calm her, asking her to lower her spear. Had she pointed a spear at Neytiri?
Once everyone is calmed down, they go to the taâunai leaders murai. Spider is sitting on his father's lap. The man's tail wraps around him possessively. The other Recom are asked to wait outside. The air is thick with tension; he can feel Neytiriâs glare. He is unsure whether it's aimed at him or his father; he shrinks into himself. His father and Yrrâwey place a hand on him to keep him calm. She explains everything to the group.Â
Spider protecting them, the recoms burning their homes and their reasons. How the group had diligently helped to rebuild the clan's homes. Spider couldn't tell how the conversation was going, but Eywa sent him feelings of calm and safety. Then it was time to talk about the tulkun. Since Spider and his father had experienced it firsthand, Yrrâwey asked them to speak. Spider heard Neytiri scoff, but didn't let it faze him.Â
He told them everything he could about it, how it felt, the sounds, the baby's crying. âMy father would be able to explain it better. He actually saw what happened.â he heard a sound of confusion from the other clans tsahik. âDid you not say that you entered her body? How did you not see it?â he doesnât blame her for the question. It's not easy to tell he's blind unless you pay attention. âI apologize for not saying this before, but I am completely blind,â he says, bowing to show respect. then hears Jake. âWhat? Youre blind? How?â his voice is quiet, like he can't say the words properly. Spider hadn't considered that the man would care.Â
He explains that the machine he had been placed in forced memories out of his mind. The metkayina fliched, forced Tsaheylu, one of the most deplorable acts. This same crime was committed on a child. His father speaks then, âEywa herselfâll kill me when I die, and I'll deserve it for lettin him get hurt in that thing.â his pronunciation is horrid, and his formality is worse, but it gets the point across. His father talks about his experience with the tulkun hunt.Â
Spider slowly starts to zone the conversation out as he settles, leaning against his dad's large chest. He wakes up when he feels himself being placed on a warm blanket. âTime for bed, tiger.â Spider feels his dad run his fingers through his undreaded hair that Yrrâwey helped remove. Spider sleeps soundly that night.
Morning comes with the sounds of clan members milling about and the smell of breakfast being made by cookfires. Spider walks across bouncy woven paths. He was heading to the tsahiks murai, again. Salty sea air in his lungs. Greetings from clan members as he passes by. It's peaceful, then he stops moving. A feeling crawls through his senses, something familiar tugs at him. He hears footsteps behind him, running towards him. He turns just in time to feel a body slam into him, and arms wrap around him. It's a child, a Navi child, one he knows well.Â
Tuk tuk, his littlest sister. He wraps her in a hug, holding her as she sobs into his shoulder. His baby sister, how is she here? âMonkey boy!â Kiri! His other sister places her hand on his arm, and he grabs her. She asks him so many questions at once. Spider doesn't register them; he's too busy realizing Loâak has placed a hand on his back, the familiar five fingers splayed out. He smells neteyam as the boy places his head on Spider from behind. They're here; his siblings are here!
He learns that Jake and Neytiri are here as well when Kiri hisses at them. âWhat are you two doing over here? Don't you have something better to do?â Her voice is a quiet anger that would make Spider flinch if it were directed at him. âKiri.â Jake tries to reason with the furious girl. Neytiri's answer is so much like herself that it makes Spider shrink back. âI will not leave my children alone with demons.â Spider can't tell if she means the Recom or him. He feels Kiri's muscles stiffen, then she turns away, out of Spider's grasp and towards her parents. âYou mean the same âDemonsâ who saved the boy you abandoned? The boy who was tortured to blindness while you ran? The only demons in this village are the ones who stand in front of me right now.â Quiet and deadly like a palulukan, Kiri strikes where she knows it will hurt. Neytiri hisses in shocked anger at being called a demon, the one thing she hates most.
Spider doesn't want a fight. He reaches his hand out to grab his sister, landing on her arm. He feels her muscles loosen. She turns around to place her hands on his cheeks. âWe missed you so much, brother.â Spider melts into her hands. Another angry hiss from Neytiri tells Spider his father has arrived. Kiri shifts again, most likely glaring at her parents. His sibling moves as his father places a hand on his head. âWell, would you look at that, if it ain't the mini sullys.â His father's cadence is light, no anger in his tone. Spider hears several âhello sirsâ from his siblings, which his dad says there's no need for. âYou kids hungry? You can hang out at our place while the grownups talk shop. Manskâll feed ya.â Kiri answers before Jake or Netiri can, with a âthanksâ and âwill doâ. She's dragging him away and yelling at her parents to get lost when they try to object. The walk to his murai is silent.Â
When they arrive at the door, the Recoms greetings go silent as they see all the kids there. Mansk breaks the silence. âWant some food?â With the go-ahead, the group of kids pile in.
Kiri threatens to hurt them if they have harmed Spider. Spider warns them not to underestimate her. They promise not to hurt the boy, and all is well. Spider can slowly feel his siblings relax around his new family. To make it a bit easier, Spider introduces the group of Recom as his aunt and uncles. Naming them all, their favourite colours and favourite activities. Tuk bumbards Ja with questions when she learns they both like purple. Neteyam strikes up a conversation with Lopez. Loak tells Zdog and Prager about the fishing techniques he's learned. Kiri talks with Lyle about ilus while she holds Spider in her lap. Spider eats the pre-cut fruit Mansk put in his hand.Â
He feels Kiri place her hands under his chin, tilting his head back towards her. She's looking at his eyes; he can feel it. âYoure really blind.â The conversations around them stop. âI am,â he hears her breath hitch. âIs it Quaritchâs fault?â Spider hears the Recom flinch and hiss out in apology. âA bit, yeah, but he's been good to me. Got me out of there and even left the RDA for me,â his head shifted towards his new family. âThey all did.â The tension leaves with Kiri's final statement. âI'm gonna punch him.â Spider laughs. âHe'd let you.âÂ
She does punch the man and kick his shin when they come back, telling him it's for hurting Spider. Spider hears Tuk cheer at the chaos. His dad tells her she can take a swing at him whenever she feels like it. Spider learns they'll be going to the Metkayina clan's village. With Ronal there to look over him and Toruk Makto to help come up with a plan to save the tulkun, they felt it was the best option. Spider learns that his father had scoffed when they suggested Spider would be safer around Jake.Â
The packing takes less than an hour, and they're ready to go. Yrrâwey comes to see them off. She gives Spider a necklace with lots of tactile pieces he can feel and play with. She kisses his forehead, saying goodbye. He hears her do the same to his dad, who says he's not a baby while she kisses his cheeks like an unruly child. She tells them to visit they promise to do so. She's treating this moment like her children are leaving. Maybe it feels like it for her?
The flight over to the new village is quiet and peaceful. A horn sounds at their arrival. Spider hears the shock, the anger. The Oloeyktan tells his people to calm down, that the newcomers will stay with them. The same song and dance as always for âdemonsâ. This time, however, is different. The group's month-long stay with the Taâunui has taught them many things. They built a new murai by the water on the first day. They collect fish and scavenge shellfish the next. Lyle tames a Tsurak on the third. Ja dances by the fire at night, doing traditional moves he had been taught. Mansk makes beautifully crafted meals that make nearby clan membersâ mouths water. Zdog has several female admirers. When she smiles at them, they giggle and turn away. Spider listens as clan members talk about their abilities in shock, or when his family gloats about achievements. Lyle gets a round of applause for taming a tsurak. The man promises to take Spider out for a ride. His father tames one the next day, after three attempts, so that he can take Spider out first. There is no better motivator for his father than jealousy. The same could be said for all parents.
Spider's relationship with Sullyâs elders had always been strained, but that seemed to change as well. Not by anything he had done, no, that honour fell to Kiri. He hadn't been told the whole story just enough to know there had been a conversation. Well, more like a yelling match. One where Kiri had almost thrown an entire table across their home in rage, if her siblings didn't stop her. The argument was won simply. All Kiri did was point out the Recom ability to change and be kind while her parents stayed angry and rude to Spider. That seemed to do the trick. The two parents didn't suddenly love the recoms, but they stopped taking their anger out on Spider. Their goal had changed, and they now strived to be better parental figures than the boy's own dad.Â
Neytiri scoffs at the woven jewelry Spider's father made for him and sends him home with a beautifully woven bracelet. His dad would growl in annoyance at the new piece of jewelry and style Spider's hair in one long braid. Neytiri would see his hair and demand to add more braids to it. She took two strands on either side of his face. She made two long, thin braids that tied behind his head, held together by leather and adorned with feathers she pulled from her own hair. This silent parental war swings back and forth, and then new challengers appear: Ronal and Tonowari. One day, as Ronal checks the boy over after he was burned by the sun, she learns he has no songcord.Â
His father, Jake, and Neytiri kneel, heads bowed in shame, as Ronal yells at them. Spider tries desperately not to laugh. His mouth is a thin line, and his cheeks puff out as he strains to stay calm. He has a songcord by the end of the night. Lopsided wood beads from his father. Perfectly carved wood ornaments from Neytiri. Carved stones from Jake, and smooth textured shells from Ronal and Tonowari. His siblings and new friends bring him feathers and fish bones to add to it. He runs his fingers along the length of it. A lopsided bead for his birth and two side by side under it for his parents. A different feather for each of his siblings in order of their births. Three dry fish bones for his capture, torture and death. two lopsided beads for his resurrection and adoption by his new family. A clam shell for his time with the taâunui. A smooth conch shell for joining the metkayina. A smooth wooden ornament for Neytiri and a carved stone for Jake and their involvement in his life as aunt and uncle. Spiralled choruses and beaded verses throughout. Spider cries as the adults teach his father how to sing his song. The Recom are taught how to make theirs the next day.Â
They've been on the island for about two weeks now, when his father catches a radio signal. They'd been hearing periodic conversations over the radio since they left. The humans figured out the Recoms had gone rogue, then set out to find them at Ardmore's order. The Recom had made fun of her as they listened in. Now the sea dragon crew have been told to conduct another tulkun hunt. If they were hoping to flush out the Recoms, they've succeeded. The humans talked about tracking a young, lone bull.
The Recom, Sully elders, and Metkayina warriors head out. The adults had been unaware that the teenagers were listening behind a murai. Spider could hear the worry in Loâakâs voice as he spoke about Payakan, his spirit brother. Spider can also hear Neteyam try to calm him down. The back and forth of âI'm going after himâ and âit's too dangerousâ. Spider isn't surprised when he ends up on an Ilu with Kiri, already heading towards where they believe Payakan is. He isn't surprised, either, that helping Payakan puts them right in the RDA's path.Â
Now he sits tied to the boat's railing with his friends; he can't feel Eywa here. Heâs blind. He has been for a while, but here his mind is too quiet, and his body feels cold. He can hear yelling. Then the boat shifts, and he hears Loâak cheer as Payakan slams onto the deck of the ship. More yelling, Spider hears his dad.
He tries to turn his head towards the sound of his dad's voice, and suddenly he's in the air. He doesn't know where heâll land, so he wraps his arms around his head. He lands in the water. He can feel Eywa again. He feels his body being pushed towards the ocean's surface by the water around him. Hands grab onto him, large with five fingers. Its Lyle, the man's voice is still muffled in Spider's ears, but he grabs onto the man. It's over, the sea dragon is destroyed. Spider's father holds him the moment they find eachother. He learns all his friends are safe. With the chaos finally over, the families fall asleep in their respective murais.
Spider sits on Payakans strong back, weaving the metkayina designs Tsireya had taught him. Kiri sits to his left; Neteyam to his right. Spider listens to the sound of Loâak bantering with Aonung, Roxto hums a light tune, and Tsireya giggles at her courting lover's antics. The RDA attack and her capture made the girl realize she couldn't just wait for Loak to start courting her. So she started courting him.
Spider remembers how Loâak had told him about her showing up to the sullyâs murai with a woven chest knife strap, how she had gone up to Jake and Neytiri, bowing before them, asking to court the boy. Loâak accepted the first present, accepting to be courted. Tsireya had spent almost an entire day getting Loâakâs favourite fish for the second courting step. The third would have to wait till they both completed their iknimaya.
Things were peaceful. The teenagers spent time being teenagers. After days of chores and playing, the nights were filled with the warmth of family. Spider, his father, his six uncles and his aunt. Sprawled across their murai in sleeping hammocks. Spider slept calmly, with his family and Eywa with him. He knew nothing would harm him again.
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Meet Oare'atan te Kataru'ite (outfit looks blacker then it is. Its just the shadows)
(Oare'atan meaning moon light)
Born with albinism, the same as her father. Oare wears black and red clothes as a contrast to her pale blue and white features. She leaves TAP with determination and hope for a better future.
Her first Navi outfit (featuring teylan for skin tone comparison)
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