summary. when serena vœux returned to obelia to reclaim her position as head of margarita county, she is more than baffled with the drastic changes brought about by the emperor's revolution. and the worst of it is the massacre at ruby palace and two princesses' neglect.
au. rosalia judith dies in the original timeline, serena vœux unofficially adopts athy and jetty
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summary: three avatars dead, one injured big sister, and two angry parents waiting at home. what could go wrong?
lo’ak x oldersister!reader
a/n: this is a part two of his protector as requested by both @perfectprofessorloverapricot + @lololo392. hopefully i did it justice! it ended up being a longer fic than i originally meant (2.4k), but i’m pretty happy with it. if there are any mistakes, let me know—this is a product of stress and unhappiness inbetween finishing each midterm exam.
reblogs, comments, and requests are always appreciated !!
tags: @pinkhotdogsfr @eywas-heir
warnings: mentions of blood, injury, bullet wound, mentions of death + killing
reckless ( but helpful )
“are you hurt?” lo’ak asked softly, his ear pressed right against her chest. from where she held his head, he could hear her wince every other breath that she took, causing his worry to fluctuate.
it didn’t help his panic when she hesitated. “uh,” she rasped, sniffling thanks to her tears from earlier. “it’s just a little wound. nothing to worry about.”
“[y/n]!” he scolded, immediately pushing his big sister’s arms off of him. his eyes scanned her body, trying to locate where exactly she might be in pain, but as soon as he saw the small pool of blood underneath her thigh, he inhaled sharply. “let me see.”
when she adjusted her weight, freeing her leg from where it formerly sat underneath her body, lo’ak ran a hand over his face. “okay,” he sighed, inspecting the injury carefully. “it could have been worse, but it’s still a bullet wound.”
“well, aren’t you smart,” she teased, reaching up and pushing his head away.
“[y/n]!” he hissed, swiping her hands away. “this is not the time to be joking. we need to get back—sooner rather than later. it’s nearly eclipse.”
she nodded solemnly, dreading the moment in which they saw their parents again. thanks to her injury, it was impossible for the two of them to cover up their dangerous adventure. “go take off that dream-walker’s shirt, brother. i can use it as a bandage.”
lo’ak rolled his eyes at the request. “of course, making your baby brother undress a dead stranger.”
“don’t make it weird, you perv.”
but, of course, lo’ak obliged. he took his knife, sticking it under the dirty t-shirt and angling it upwards. as he ran the knife downwards, the shirt split into two pieces, eventually allowing for lo’ak to grab it off of the avatar’s corpse.
when [y/n] finally had it, she grabbed both the knife and the shirt from her brother’s hand. “let me see this,” she sighed, continuing to cut the shirt down into a long strip of thin fabric.
“here, sister,” lo’ak offered, dropping to his knees beside her. “let me wrap it. it would be easier for me anyway.”
silently, [y/n] nodded, inhaling slowly as she watched her brother grab the bandage. in preparation, [y/n]’s fingers curled inwards towards her palm, looping through pieces of grass. she helped the process by bending her knee ever-so-slightly, allowing for lo’ak to wrap her thigh easier.
“stay still,” lo’ak scolded when she winced as soon as he touched her skin. “it will be done quicker if you keep it together. i promise you.”
as he wrapped her thigh, her ears pressed back against her head, a hiss of pain leaving her throat as lo’ak tightened the pressure. “just keep going,” [y/n] exhaled, eyes closed as she tried to regain her breath.
“almost done,” lo’ak commented, his eyes drifting back and forth between the progress he was making and the pained expression on his big sister’s face. both parties felt immense relief as soon as he tucked in that last tail of the fabric.
[y/n] flexed her knee back and forth, watching as the bandage remained secure, although she immediately regretted her choice when she felt the pain shoot through her leg. at the feeling, her stomach shifted, skin going the slightest shade paler.
“hey, hey,” lo’ak called for her attention softly. “look at me, okay? you’re good, safe for now. our next step is getting home, alright? so, we’re going to call out ikrans, i’m gonna help you get on, and then i’m going to board both of our rides with some souvenirs.” he eyed the barrels full of guns and ammo behind them.
[y/n] dragged a hand down her face, eventually trailing down her neck. “alright,” she sighed. something deep inside of her felt so much immense guilt at their situation. not only did she almost kill both of them, but now she, the big sister, was under the care of her baby brother. oh, how backwards it all seemed.
both siblings put their fingers to their lips, blowing out their own unique whistles to catch the attentions of their ikrans. as soon as the melody rang out, lo’ak’s ears perked up to listen, spinning around to try and locate the direction in which they would come from.
at the familiar sound of flapping winds, lo’ak held his hands up as a signal of where exactly they were, and as a result the two beautiful creatures landed in front of him. their feet were heavy, a shake rumbling beneath them once they stopped flying.
[y/n] immediately tensed nearly every muscle in her body, straining to get up on her own. in exasperation, lo’ak ran over to her, her arms slipping underneath her arm pits to help her balance. “you lack patience, sister,” he commented with a breathy chuckle.
“i’m just independent, baby brother.”
“something like that,” he grunted, eventually pulling her up and adjusting his position so he stood next to her, allowing for the older girl to use him as a crutch of sorts. the two stumbled over to her ikran, the creature kneeling on the ground at the sight of her sister’s injury.
thanks to the lowered height, [y/n] could get on much easier, pulling her leg overtop so she straddled the saddle. tears pricked her eyes, her stomach turning. just stay strong, she told herself.
from where she perched atop her ikran, her eyes gazed upon lo’ak. he moved back and forth across the small campsite, loading the saddle-pockets with guns and ammo. he huffed and puffed, the weight a lot more than he was expecting. she swallowed a laugh as he paused at one point, wiping sweat off of his forehead.
by the time the pockets were completely full, the sky was much darker. although still not quite eclipse, there was absolutely no way that they would return home in time. but, what’s another rule broken at this point? they were already going to be dead.
lo’ak now sat atop his own ikran, breathless and tired. both siblings were more than exhausted, although for different reasons. [y/n] was fighting the urge to close her eyes. she needed to get home first.
“hey,” lo’ak called, catching the fading attention of his sister. “let’s go, yeah?”
“'bout time,” she mumbled, straightening her shoulders and rubbing her eyes. [y/n] looked back over at her brother, and as soon as he gave her the nod, she was in the air.
the flight itself was long, but based on both [y/n]’s inability to understand time and the fact that she kept spacing out, it felt extremely short. the only thing that kept her somewhat awake was the chill of the wind against her skin, her skin that was noticeably burning up.
by the time they neared home, the sky was pitch black and full of twinkling stars. a beacon of bright light shone up into the sky from the nightly campfire in the center of camp. as they got closer and closer, [y/n] could finally make out the image of jake and neytiri standing ready with their ikrans, about to fly off into the night. most likely to find us, she thought, cringing at the scolding they were about to get.
she could tell lo’ak was thinking the same thing when she heard him mumble, “shit.”
the two of them circled downwards, watching as neytiri pointed out their silhouettes to jake. by the time they landed, the pair was looking absolutely furious.
around the parents stood their other children, all three staring with an insurmountable amount of worry. they just knew their parents were about to murder the two of them based on how worried they had been for the past hour or so.
“where have you been?” neytiri hissed, eyes narrowed at her eldest daughter and youngest son. “the first time we entrust you to scout alone, you stay out past eclipse.”
lo’ak was quick to get off his ikran, face cast downwards in shame. but, instead of stopping on the ground like jake and neytiri expected, the boy moved over to his sister, helping her get off her ikran. the parents did not miss how she winced in pain.
immediately, tuk ran over to them, her small hands checking to make sure that lo’ak was safe. behind him neteyam was taking the saddles and whatnot off of their ikrans, eyes widening as he felt the weight to them.
“[y/n]?” jake questioned, his once disappointed eyes now fading into concern. his jaw dropped the slightest when he saw the make-shift bandage wrapped around her leg, the thin material absolutely soaked in blood. at the sight, kiri jumped to run over to her sister.
“look,” their daughter sighed. “i understand, you’re disappointed. whoops, our bad. we can explain later, and you are more than welcome to yell at us then, but until then, i really want to not die, so can i please see grandmother?”
“you two are very stupid,” kiri said, tone flat as she unwrapped the bandage. lo’ak and [y/n] now sat in the tsahik hut, surrounded by about a thousand medical tools and salves. kiri was quick to attend to her sister, knowing that it would take a bit until neteyam could help mo’at wander from the campfire back to the hut.
[y/n] hissed in pain, her thigh tensing involuntarily. “yes, yes, thank you kiri. your words are oh-so helpful.” she barked a curse at her sister when she poked the wound a bit too hard.
beside her sat lo’ak. he was fine, but tuk was forcing to stay until mo’at could clear him. she just didn’t want her big brother wandering around if he was hurt!
kiri inhaled deeply when she finally got a look at the wound. “that’s not very fun, is it?” she muttered, swallowing her anxiety. she didn’t need to freak out her patient—that always led to disaster.
the tension only increased when neteyam, their parents, and their grandmother entered the hut. “[y/n]!” mo’at scolded before even looking at the injury. “always hurt, always making me work.”
“sorry, grandmother,” [y/n] offered with a small smile, a layer of slick sweat surfacing on her forehead. she felt her own stomach growing nauseous at the sight of the bullet wound, the area soaked in her blood.
jake cleared his throat, catching the immediate attention of all five of his kids. “while your grandmother surveys that—” he gestured towards her leg—”why don’t you fill us in on your afternoon?”
lo’ak scratched the back of his neck, his eyes meeting the pained expression of his older sister. “well,” he started slowly, a sheepish smile on his face. “we were scouting. like we were supposed to!’
[y/n] nodded in agreement. “yes, doing just as you told us.”
“and then we found this new sky-people camp. it was completely empty, too! so, we did as you would, sir. we went and took notes, counting the supplies and surveying the area.” lo’ak barely met the eyes of his father.
as to distract herself from the poking and prodding of mo’at, [y/n]’s hand gripped lo’ak’s wrist. “but, it turned out that the only reason it was empty was because they heard our arrival as we were scouting. they shot at us, and, well…”
jake took a deep breath, pushing down the urge to yell at the two of them. “how many are there?”
[y/n]’s eyebrows furrowed, a gift given to her by her father’s dna. “‘are there?’” she questioned. “father, there are none left. i killed all three.”
lo’ak found himself beaming with pride. his older sister was the coolest. “yeah, and she even shot the last one right between the eyes as he was holding me. she didn’t even harm me!”
“what can i say, baby brother. i’m a good shot.” she swallowed a cry as her grandmother’s long tool reached into her wound, trying to locate the bullet. poor lo’ak was suffering her iron-grip on his wrist.
immediately noticing her discomfort, the siblings gathered around her. none of them seemed to notice the look exchanged between their parents. they were impressed. and proud!
“it is okay, sister. it’s almost over,” neteyam told her, holding her head up so, if she did pass out, it wouldn’t slam against the table. eywa forbid she got any dumber than she already was. tuk’s eyes were teary as she rested a small hand on her big sister’s shoulder, kiri holding her other hand.
once mo’at got a firm grip on the small metal capsule, she mumbled words of warning before she tugged. a bedraggled scream left [y/n]’s throat, tears trailing down her cheeks. the faces of lo’ak and kiri were priceless as they felt their hands lose feeling for a split second.
“you did it!” tuk cheered, rubbing up and down [y/n]’s hand as a sense of comfort. “you are done!”
[y/n] sniffled, a smile appearing on her lips. “yes, yes. thank you, tuktuk,” she said with a slight chuckle.
“hold still,” mo’at scolded, immediately causing [y/n] to roll her eyes.
the gesture of annoyance had everyone laughing. “don’t worry guys, she’s still herself!” lo’ak teased.
from where [y/n] laid back, her forearms now resting overtop her eyes, she gasped. everyone looked over, still on edge from moments before. “the.. the—whatever! the things, lo’ak!” she recalled, her brain going too fast to locate the exact words.
“wha—oh!”
everyone watched in utter confusion as the younger boy practically sprinted out of the hut.
“you will see,” [y/n] promised, taking a deep breath of relief as she felt the cool salve against her wound, her grandmother’s fingers soft as she applied it.
it was even more confusing as lo’ak sprinted back in, two guns in hand.
“woah!” neytiri warned, immediately grabbing the weapons from her reckless son. “explain.”
lo’ak grinned. “they were at the camp. we grabbed a bunch before we left—there’s more of those in the saddle.”
neytiri and jake blinked. “you’re telling me you killed three sky-people and stole their weapons?”
“and ammo!” lo'ak exclaimed time as his sister corrected them, “they were avatars.”
a grin sat itself on mo’at’s lips. “ah, so much like your parents. reckless, but helpful.”
“that’s us,” [y/n] agreed, sharing a look with her baby brother. “reckless, but helpful.”
Summary. A story about Leyä and Neteyam, two teenagers equally lost against their situation trying to find their footing in the world. Along the way, they find the warm comfort of love, family and friendship in each other.
Pairings: Sully Family x Reader, Jake Sully x Daughter! Reader
Wordcount: 1.3k words
They say when you have finished your purpose in the living world, Eywa will welcome you back to where you once came. From her loving embrace to that of a mother, awaiting for her child to come back to her once their day was over and the dusk sets.
Your father, the Toruk Makto, the leader of your clan, had always told you that death takes everyone without even a warning. May it be a toddling child or a withering old man. Death doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints, he would always say. And when he repeats that phrase, he had a wistful look in his eyes, lips pressed firmly against each other as he clutched the metal pendant that you were once told belonged to his brother.
You knew death would come for you sooner or later. The looming threat of it would often cross your mind once in a while but you knew it was always in your father’s. A hardened soldier like him had crossed death’s path, and death would greet him. Through the empty eyes of his fallen comrades. It’ll come knocking, and you’d have no choice but to answer. Your father just wanted to shield you from that. From the horrors of war. That was what you kept telling yourself anyway as you had watched him become hardened by war, your younger brothers being the brunt of his fears of losing the one thing he had worked so hard to get. A family. One that was his to protect.
You gazed at your father’s still form, his wrinkled face scrunched up as tears rolled down his cheeks, desperately trying to cover the wound that tainted your blue skin crimson. His hands were shaky, you could feel it against your skin as he pressed his hands on your chest, desperately putting pressure on the wound that just didn't seem to run out of blood.
A cry escaped you and it took all of Jake’s strength to not pull away. This was saving you. He needed to do this. He needed to keep you alive.
“Daddy..?” You mustered up the strength to mumble, praying to Eywa to give you a few more moments surrounded by the warmth of your family. A warmth you knew deep down, you would never feel again.. not in this life anyway.
“I’m right here, baby girl. I’m right here..” Your lips weakly quirked up into a grin at the familiar pet name that you had once complained was childish.
Your ears twitched like they always did when your father called you that, it was almost always followed up with a scowl and a whine. But now that you are at death’s door steps, you can only smile.
You lifted your hand up to gently cup your father’s cheek, trying to remember the way his skin felt against your palm. You often described it as ‘prickly like a cactus’, a plant from earth your father described to you once. “Daddy.. I.. When ‘m gone.. y-you.. you go easy on the boys, okay? ‘S not their fault..” You could feel the iron on your tongue and you coughed, trying to breathe despite your lungs vehemently complaining. “Don’t you blame ‘em, daddy.. ‘m gonna be angry if you do..”
“Hey, hey look at me, look at daddy, babygirl.. you’re gonna be fine, okay? You’ll live, yeah? You’ll live.. we’re gonna go home after this. Back to Mo’at, okay? Back to the forest.” His large hand cupped your face, moving some stray hair strands.
Jake shook his head as he held you close, your life flashing in his eyes. His fondest memory of watching you claim your own ikran, one that closely resembled the one that he used to have and he firmly believed that your ikran was of Toruk’s own clutch. He flew with you that day, side by side as you soared through the heavens with cries of victory.
You had so much ahead of you. You were going to grow right in front of his very eyes, have so many adventures to go through, and when you’re old enough.. he could see being by your side as you’d introduce your other half. And he would play the part of the tough dad that wouldn’t give his daughter away but he knew deep down he’d be happy that you were happy.
And the promises of your future was slipping through his fingers.
As your skin grew cold and clammy, Jake realized that he would never see that. He would never see you live the life that you deserved. One that knew only of peace. And for once, the great Toruk Makto wept as he pulled you closer, cradling you in his arms as if it was the day Eywa blessed him and Neytiri with you all over again.
“Please, please..” He had begged, lifting his head up to look at the stars before his eyes flickered back to you. Eywa, oh eywa, please not his daughter. Not his little girl.
“Daddy.. p-promise me, please.. ‘s not their fault, daddy..” A gargled choke from your own blood made him hold you tighter, shaking his head as he heard your whimpers of pain. You mustered up your strength to say these words, knowing well that when you return to Eywa, your passing would devastate your family. You didn’t want your father to blame your big brothers for something they could not control.
“I promise, I promise.” He says quickly as he craned his head to look at you, blinking his eyes to get rid of the tears that blurred his vision. “You’re going to be okay, baby.” He refused to. He was begging, desperately pleading inwardly that Eywa would take him instead of you. “I’m.. I’m gonna pick you up, okay? Stay with me.” He carefully held you securely in his arms, looking over at Lo’ak and Neteyam, whose sullen expressions and once vibrant eyes became dull as tears rolled down their cheeks. Never did they think they would be in this situation, their hands stained with their baby sister’s blood.
“C’mon, Lo’ak.. N-Neteyam.. Help me out. We’re gonna take your sister back to the village...” He tried not to let his voice shake. He had to be strong. “Neteyam! Lo’ak! Please.. Help me..” He tried again, voice laced in desperation when the two had yet to move, their eyes never leaving your form.
Your gaze never left your father’s face, trying to memorize every inch of the man who had loved and took care of you. Not Toruk Makto. Not Jake Sully of Earth. But your father.
A soft smile graced your lips and suddenly all the pain left you as quick as it had come. Then there was peace.
It was Lo’ak who noticed your sudden silence and he was quick to grasp onto your hand. “[Name]..?” His brows furrowed at the coldness of your palm and he felt his throat go dry and the tears poured down his cheeks as he pressed his cheek against your palm, shaking his head as Neteyam joined him, sobbing as he held his brother close.
“[Y/N]… No, no, no. [Y/N]!” Neytiri shook you in your father’s arms, shaking her head as if in disbelief. A gut wrenching cry escaped your mother’s throat as her shaky hands roamed over your face, those eyes that used to look at her with such fondness and admiration had lost all it’s life.
Jake could feel the warmth of your body retreating, your limbs limp and your body pale. He tilted his head to the sky, asking the Great Mother why. Why you? Why not him? It should’ve been him. Not you.. He dug his sharp fangs on his lip, biting back the cry of anguish that threatened to claw its way out of his throat, though it only increased the pressure in his chest and with one last look at your face, your dull eyes gazing at the sky, he let out a desperate cry. He cradled you to his chest, face pressed against your hair as he sobbed.
When eclipse broke, and the battle for Pandora had ended for now, your family sat on one of the rocky shores of Three Brothers’ Rock, holding one another close in this time of grief.
They mourned for the life you would’ve lived, mourned for what could’ve been, what would’ve been, and what should’ve been. They mourned you.
Author’s Notes: Inspired by @missroro ’s prompt. I hope I did it justice. I haven’t written in a year and my English is not very good, please excuse me for any grammar mistakes. Let me know what you think of this lil one shot! Kiveyame.
• Dahlia has been in camp since forever. So, there is very little she remembers of her life before her tragic yet blessed sixth birthday.
• She ran into the chimera of all things and intrigued by it, she went to touch it. It burnt her bad and because her adoptive mother would not believe a 'dog' could breath fire, she ended up at the hospital with second degree burns from self harm.
• Her satyr guardian was a little too late and her mother won't have any of his long tales about a camp for special kids.
• He got Dahlia's permission (because kids can totally think for themselves) and literally kidnapped the child. They ended up facing a fury (due to something about her being Demeter's blessed hero) and a gorgon sister of Medusa and ran for their lives.
• Annabeth arrived a year later and both were on each other's nerves, constantly. Dahlia was exuberant and the daughter of Athena wanted some serenity in her life.
• This rivalry of sorts continued till the happenings of TLT, by which point Annabeth was already crushing hard on Dahlia. The latter was oblivious but loved teasing and spending her time with Annabeth anyway.
• Needless to say, Annabeth was not amused with the Gods when she was sent on not one, not two but three consecutive quests with said 'golden retriever' of a girl.
• When Grover was captured in Sea of Monsters, Dahlia left alone by defying camp rules and was thus marked a traitor by Tantalus. Annabeth did not let it show but she was crestfallen. First Luke, then Dahlia.
• When the gang learnt why she left when they found Dahlia in Cerce's island, Annabeth made sure to talk some sense into the Demeter spawn.
• Their first kiss was after Percy and co. rescue Annabeth from holding up the sky and it was completely a spur of the moment thing. Nobody dared to bring it up later and neither did the parties involved.
• Dahlia was there when Annabeth kissed Percy in the maze and she couldn't explain why she felt so gloomy in the following days. She chalked it up to Percy's death (who miraculously crashed his own funeral) and moved on from the flowers wilting whenever she touched them anymore.
• They got together for real when Annabeth finally confessed after returning from the cusp of death during the battle of Manhattan, knowing that in their world, death was a harsh gust of wind that could blow out the flickering flame of anyone's life at any given moment.
• Dahlia joined the seven heroes as the medical aid of Argo II, having spent years mastering everything an Apollo kid without vitakinesis could do.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Serena is the heir of Margarita county and as such, she rarely spends time at the frontlines of war anymore but still prefers practical choices and dark colors in her attire.
She doesn't show any skin and even prefers to keep her gloves on until absolutely required to shed them. This is due to her backstory which I will reveal in the fanfic :)
As she was inspired by a very particular image of Duchess Blueport from the manhwa 'the strongest characters in the world are obsessed with me', she wears a white mask with a butterfly pattern that keeps only her mouth uncovered.
Also, I have no idea what time period wmmap is based on so the designs of dresses are all over the place.
As for what she looks like irl, her unofficial faceclaim is Olivia Cooke (the actress who plays Alicent Hightower in HotD)
summary. when serena vœux returned to obelia to reclaim her position as head of margarita county, she is more than baffled with the drastic changes brought about by the emperor's revolution. and the worst of it is the massacre at ruby palace and two princesses' neglect.
au. rosalia judith dies in the original timeline, serena vœux unofficially adopts athy and jetty
previous ▪︎ next
The wheels try to mold into the cracks and bumps along the paved floor leading up to the main palace situated at the heart of the capital. Serena Vœux pursed her lips as they neared a display of paladins and imperial knights which otherwise would be a marvelous sight if she was not there for official duties.
"My lady, may I fix your sleeves? There is a tear on the hem", one of the two handmaids sitting opposite to her quipped.
Serena let a long exhale leave her, extending her hand which was fiddled with. That one small tear? She knew a rose shrub could not do that. Beneath the emerald green of the bishop sleeves was a black fabric covering her arms. If her servants so dearly wished to see her exposed skin, they would have to try harder than a staged 'wardrobe malfunction'.
The carriage's pace steadily slows until it stopps altogether. Trumpets blare the tune of arrival announcement. The door slides open and cold welcomes them. Serena dips her head at the escort who held out his hand, recognizing the tufts of vermillion peeking out from under the bucket helm. "Sir Felix?"
The man dons a strained smile, bowing as he leads her up the steps to the main gates. "Countess Vœux. His Majesty was quite surprised to hear from you out of the blue. Have you been well?"
"Not countess yet, Sir. And I cannot imagine his surprise to measure more than my own", she replies flatly. "Barely seven years I've been gone and Obelia is practically built anew."
"It is unfortunate you visit today", he says. "His Majesty does not take audiences at this hour. Might I suggest a detour to enjoy the festivities?"
"No need."
Felix has the gall to chuckle quietly when they pass the ballroom that is celebrating the emperor's thirty-something day of birth with much enthusiasm and alcohol. "Still not a fan of socializing?"
"More like trying to hold conversation with drunken members of high society who's only concern is either climbing rank or getting laid."
Felix rolls his eyes and they arrive at their destination, gesturing for the guards outside to step away. He turns to glance at the woman, "I'd suggest you to wait till next morrow but this is as far as I go. Good luck, my lady."
Serena nods wordlessly, knocking a pattern on the giant metal doors. A good few seconds pass without a reply before the lock clicks and it opens enough for her to pass through.
Inside, the room is not well lit and the cold from the window cracked open makes her body yearn to return to the warm surroundings of the celebration. But her mind reels at the thought of being pressed against sweat-laden bodies and the stench of booze.
A figure sits in a lone solar pressed against the wall by the fireplace. A bed in the corner is disheveled but empty. Stepping into the room, Serena blinks to adjust her sight on the blonde toying with a goblet. "Your Majesty?"
He grunts. "Are you illiterate or do you wish to be executed? I don't want to be bothered tonight."
"I'm afraid these matters are of utmost urgency", she presses. His lips purse together, head tilting as a dangerous glint overcomes his eyes.
"You have some guts, Serena, demanding an audience after disappearing for so long without preamble. Is it because you want to resume your place in the council? I will send the papers tomorrow. Now, leave."
She, however, remains unmoving. "If my intentions were to wriggle my way into a no-good board whick takes ages to make an agreeable decision, I would not come to meet you. It a rather personal reason."
"Right", he drawls, walking to the table littered with bottles of wine—empty and full, pouring some more. "Is it about your sister? She passed recently, did she not? Pity. I quite liked her snarky remarks. Made the council bearable."
Jaw clenching tightly, she accepts the goblet offered to her, setting it down just as quickly. "A freak accident."
Claude looks up, amusement lacing his gaze. "Some say your bastard brother Sir Dave was behind it all. Yes, palace gossip is not a force to be reckoned with; word travels fast. Pretty sure you will see a mob in front of your estates by morning."
"And rumor has it you've been neglecting your own bastard", she blurts, watching his eyes widen. "Who was the unlucky woman, Claude?"
His hands grip the sides of the table until they are ghostly white. "You—I can have your tongue for that, Vœux." She gives him a look. "Last I checked, whatever I do with my children are none of your concern. I will give you your stupid title, so leave me be."
"Children? You have sired more than one?"
Claude inhales sharply, knowing well that he cannot argue with that inquisitive tone. "Few years back the white dog came to me with a proposal. Claimed he could provide me something priceless if he was given more land and capital to trade weapons up East. A girl named Jeanette, he says. Jewel eyes. . .brown hair."
"Roger Alpheus?" Serena couldn't help a gasp. "And you can confirm this?"
"I've seen her with my own eyes. She carries imperial blood."
The woman blinks, her brows shooting upwards. Though, he doesn't see, her mask made sure of that. "And you are positive she is yours?"
The same murderous intent seeps out of him. "What else are you suggesting?"
Serena clasps her hands together. "You and I both know my sister was caught more than once having an affair with the late Emperor. Brown hair is a Judith staple and jeweled eyes cannot say who's child she is for sure."
He rolls his eyes, "I am not daft, Serena. I did the calculations, no way is she his. It just. . .cannot be."
In less than an hour, not only had she become heir apparent of an entire county but also discovered a blood tie with the rulers of Obelia. A neice, family. "And what of your other daughter?"
Claude grimaces when she is brought up. "Lowborn but boasting the name of a king—Athanasia. Her ambitious wench of a mother died giving birth. It was a short occasion that did not escalate beyond the capital."
Two daughters. One of low born parentage with a name that would strike a chord with the Gods themselves and another with someone who held a clear grudge against.
"Oh, Claude. . .", she says slowly, "You've got yourself into some situation. What do you plan to do next?" Bring Jeanette into palace politics? Where is Athanasia now?
"Do not remind me." He rubs the bridge of his nose, sitting down on the throne. Out of habit, Serena pushes him onto the solar, her gloved fingers deftly gliding through his sunshine locks to relieve the tension.
"Give them a chance", she speaks softly, trying not to awaken the sleeping lion.
"And then what? Ensure the empire divides into two factions fighting for the crown?" He glares up at her. "Pity aside, I've worked too hard on uniting this front to let my life's work be squandered this easily!"
Serena almost barks out a laugh. "My emperor, you've thought too far ahead. As much as there will be disadvantages, there is a flip side to this coin. You have no heir and without a proper empress to birth one, you are stuck with bastards. Not to mention, these girls are powerhouses of mana. In short they are—"
"War deterrents", he finished for her.
"Exactly."
"But how?" He ponders, tone heavy with frustration. "This is no place to raise children and I am no father." His voice shrinks, "I cannot do this. Not to them and not to me."
Under her mask, her eyes soften. He was scared, his own experiences did him no justice. Maybe he did not mean to be distant but in his head, Athanasia was better off with an estranged parent and Jeanette was fine with the Alpheus'.
Yet, in the long run, it would do more harm than good.
"Trust them to me, then", she whispers in his ears, pulling away from the faux embrace to see his lidded eyes fighting sleep. "Give me a decade and your girls will be fine young women who will contribute to better your reign. If not as daughters, think of them as trusted allies in the making."
He snorts, pushing her away just a little to pursue his goblet which Serena tipped and it cluttered to the floor. "As if you, of all people, can raise women without them turning out headstrong and opinionated."
"A fair tutoring payment, I think."
———
The maids of the Ruby Palace did not trust her, that much is clear at first glance—fidgety stances, borderline uncomfortably long stares and not so discreet murmuring.
Serena walks along the carpeted halls that overlook a poorly maintained rose garden. Perhaps it is unwise to make a visit first thing in the morning but her eagerness to learn more of this bastard princess is hardly containable.
"My lady", Lilian York curtsies promptly when she arrives at the dining area.
The younger woman was once a lady herself, one who was a mere teenager when Serena had last seen her at an event. Out of politeness, she reciprocates the gesture. "Queer place to see you. You've grown well, dear."
Lilian's face imitates a perfectly ripe apple. "An honor to hear from yourself, Countess." She hastily fixes her skirt, leaning towards the woman, "The princess is wary of strangers. I request you please be patient with her."
Knowing the several eyes trained on them, Serena resorts to a nod. The doors are pushed open and her eyes immediately zero in on the lonesome girl picking on a platter of steak. One who she could only guess was Athanasia is on her feet in an instant, curious eyes looking at Lilian for answers.
Serena bows properly. After all, the princess is still a higher rank than hers. "Allow me to introduce myself, you highness." The girl flinches at the call. "I am Serena Vœux, leader of the Margarita county."
The table shakes when Athanasia stubs her toe on its leg, dropping into a low bow. Serena catches her by the shoulder, stopping her to stare into her infamous jeweled eyes.
"Child, a person of your status does not bow to pawns like me." She hold her girl by her chin, tutting slightly. "May I know your name?"
The girl is a classic standard of beauty. Lean figure, not too short and a healthy mane of honey blonde. Her cheeks her rosy and plump, her eyes big and doe-like. "Athanasia de Alger Obelia, my lady."
It is silent for a moment before Serena bends to level her eyes with the child, earning scandalized gasps from spectators. She doesn't spare them a look. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Athanasia. Let me ask you this, do you know the true meaning of your name?"
Athanasia looks at Lilian again, who mouths an 'answer, princess' to her. "Immortal. I-It means 'she who is immortal'.
Serena smiles and it is probably the most entrancing thing Athanasia had ever witnessed. Even with half her face covered, the Vixen was still as alluring as ever. "It only measures to something if there is fact behind to support it. Tell me, princess, do you see yourself ruling your father's vast lands one day. Not now, maybe in the far future?"
Athanasia hesitates again but the conversation had picked up momentum already and she doesn't back down. "If that is what father wishes. It is his decision to make."
Serena shakes her head at the practiced words coming from the nearly seven-year-old. "And what is it that you wish?" She stands straight again, her eyes not wavering. "You can have all the riches in these lands, you are entitled to it. You can travel to foreign kingdoms, buy the world's worth of knowledge, you can gloat your pretty frocks and you can puppet all the lords and ladies to do your bidding. What is it that you wish?"
"I. . .", the child is at a loss for words, overwhelmed. Good. She swallows a lump in her throat, looking at every inch of the Countess' face, that which is exposed or otherwise. Her eyes prick and she squeezes them shut. "I want to learn."
Slender arms her circle her the moment tears trickle down her face. Her sniffling is heard by all as she hides her face in the crook of Lady Vœux's neck. "I don't want to be a princess, I'm just Athy. I don't want to rule, I want to study. I want- I want to eat all the chocolates and- and..."
Serena runs her hands over her back, shushing her cries. "Little one, nobody can stop you from being a princess, for it is your birthright. But, that does not mean you have to do something you do not wish to. If you want to learn, that is what you will do. You will become a scholar unmatched in knowledge. . . And if you only eat chocolates, your teeth will be best rotten in the whole empire."
Athanasia clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Serena smiles softly, patting her hair. She could not imagine a child putting a restraint on her innocent fun for the vexing adults surrounding her.
Serena holds both of Athanasia's hands, still on her knees. "If you will let me, I can provide all the resources you need to build a glorious or peaceful life. Your choice. My only condition is that you need to trust yourself as much as you have to believe in me. Can you do that?"
Behind her, one whimpers and sobs, probably a certain brunette. Athanasia beams up at her, vigorously nodding her head.
"Good girl", Serena straightens her gait, picking up the princess—who squeals—with ease and sitting her down on a chair. "Now, time for breakfast. I can practically hear your stomach growling."
At the end of the day, Serena finds herself in the carriage once more. This time her company is her right hand man, Jarvis Lennon.
"How did it go?" He asks, breaking the tranquility of traveling at dusk.
She hummed, more to herself than to reply, gazing outside the window. "Better than I hoped. I need you to do something for me."
He raises a brow. "Anything."
Serena stops picking her nails, but they are already gnarled. "Send a messenger to Alpheus. Tell him the Vixen wishes to chat over some tea."
Notes :
Another mini series, yay! Because I'm obsessed with the found family trope and because Claude was an atrocious father in arguably both timelines. There won't be any love interest for Serena from this manhwa (who is like 31 right now) but I can crossover with another of I find a suitable match. You guys can suggest some too <3
(Also, tell me if you want me to make a taglist for whoever wanna receive update reminders)
I started following this girl and her whole dash ended up these. And her last post. I can’t even say words. Anons took her life. If that okay with you, then carry on with your day. If you agree this is unacceptable and okay, then reblog and spread the word. What you say can actually change a persons life! So help out
I don’t care if this makes your dash look ‘ugly’, no matter what type of blog you have you should reblog it.
why would you ever say this? And not just over a screen. If you don’t have the guts to say it to someone in person, don’t even think about doing it over a screen just because you can do it anonymously. And if you do have the audacity to say something like this over a screen and in person, then I question whether you have a heart.
All these anons are nothing but pathetic losers who don’t have anything else to do except spread negativity because they don’t have anything good in their life. May the girl rest in peace.
The time has finally come, and as i said before, i'm gonna be celebrating the 500 followers by making a giveaway!
Thank you so much for all your support, i still don't get why there's people that like what i do, but I'm so so so glad that is like that ✨
The prizes are going to be:
1st place: full body couple
2nd place: half body couple
3rd place: headshot/icon (also a couple)
Bonus 4th and 5th place: 1 simple chibi character
If you want to participate the only things you need to do is:
— Follow my main blog and my backup blog .
— Reblog this post.
And that's all, but there's a few conditions
Blank blogs cannot participate.
I can't draw anything pregnancy related.
I can't draw furries, i can do small animal characteristics, like ears tails and wings, but not full on fursonas.
I won't do complicated poses, but hugs or other simple poses is okay.
By simple background i mean a flat color one (sorry, i'm lazy).
You are free to use the drawing however you want, as long as you don't claim it as your own art.
I can use the drawing in my portfolio/art examples.
You have untill Friday 20 at 10:00pm to enter, I'll post the winners the next day, i will tag them obviously, if you're a winner, to claim your prize you need to send me a message describing how you want your drawing (the characters you want, the pose, the background color, etc), the more info the better! You have two days to claim your prize, when you contact me i will tell you the approximate time in which i'll deliver the drawing.
Again, thank you so so so so so much for all your love and support, and good luck 🖤
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jake is the one that mumbles “i miss the kids” when neytiri and him are on date night, quietly and a little petulantly if he’s honest, and smooches a kiss onto neytiris temple, “can we go back?”
mo’at will deny it if you call her out on it, but kiri is her favourite grandchild. “I love them all the same,” she’ll say when the children pester her for an answer, but she does. she takes great care in teaching kiri about their traditional medicines, and she hopes that when kiri becomes tsha’ik, eywa will grant her the chance to see her be named in front of the people even if she’s dead, as a favour of course
neteyam was the first person, other than his parents, to hold tuk. in fact, he helped pick her name and was the most excited when his mother started her labours. he would’ve been in the birthing room if his grandmother allowed him to be. he had a hard time sharing his littlest sister when she was born, they didn’t hold her right or made her cry so he had to take her back, even from his dad and especially from lo’ak
neytiri purposely kisses lo’ak infront of the whole clan as much as she can, on the cheek and forehead and grins when he whines out a ‘mum, stop it, you’re embarrassing me’. neteyam doesn’t care, he takes the kisses with pride and a smile and neytiri remembers when they were babies, so small and wriggly, and lo’ak would shriek with giggles when his mother gave him kisses and neteyam would scream if away from her for too long
i love how delusional some articles of clothing are, like you read the tag and its like “hand wash only/tumble dry on low” son you are a cotton tshirt. youre going in the warsh and whatever happens in there is in gods hands
summary. when push comes to shove, Ri'sha supposes a little fraternizing with the outsiders won't hurt anyone.
developer notes. you can imagine y/n but a name makes it easier for me to write...hehe.
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Ri'sha didn't understand what the near-crazy fawning over water was. Don't get her wrong, she loved every sea creature from the smallest fish to the biggest Tulkun but it was this knack of her clansmen to spend almost all day in the water — from dawn to eclipse — that really confused her.
Nonetheless, she wasn't exempt from her friends' adventures to secure secluded coves exclusive to them, just like their parents and grandparents before them, like a rite of passage. And often she got dragged along to far-off coordinates, almost crossing the reef but never bold enough to actually do it.
That meant she too had to wake with those troublesome conch horns. Some of them woke up even before that, eager to start hunting! How, she knew not.
But today was different. It was as she sat on the warm sand, basking under the rays of the sun that they sounded again. The children whom she had allowed to compete for burying her underneath the silver crystals that made up the shore halted.
Catching her breath from impish fingers tickling her skin, Ri'sha sat up, equally lost as the wide-eyed children. Her frown deepened as the adults started filtering out of their marui pods, trickling onto the coast like a cast of crabs.
At a small grasp tugging at her hand, she looked down at Siret. The little boy chewed on his lower lip, bouncing on his two feet. "Ri'sha, eclipse is a long way away, right? What's happening now?"
Upon his pondering, the rest broke out of their daze. Uameä scrunched her nose, spotting her mother amongst the crowd quickly advancing towards their little group. "Is playtime over already?"
"Children!" Nimah called out, dashing towards them as she scooped her daughter up from the sand. "You must return to your parents. They are all looking for you. You too, Ri'sha. Hurry!"
Kir stomped his feet on the ground. "I don't want to return! We've only just begun playing!"
Ri'sha placed a hand on the child's head, keeping him from running into the water. "Ay, lì’fyeng si!" (Hey, be respectful!) She nodded at the crowd forming behind them, "What is with the sudden gathering?"
The panic settling in her gaze was as clear as day. The woman hesitated, turning away and ushering the kids along before muttering in an aghast tone for only her to hear, "Forest dwellers."
Getting the children to their parents was not the hard part, it was finding said adults in the wave of them huddling around Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk. Paired with the bubbling feeling in her stomach — be it anxiety or excitement — her curiosity was bursting at the seams of her patience.
Finally, she broke through to the small parting at the end of the shore. Her eyes were drawn to the giant Ikran, their skin a clash of blues, greens and spontaneous red or yellow embellished saddles.
But glancing at the people in front of these predator birds, she could not restrain a quiet gasp. They were. . .extraordinarily blue!
Lithe bodies that were nothing like the stockier Metkayina, broad shoulders, tall gait and thin tails flickering behind them — these were the forest people.
Ri'sha didn't know exactly what she had expected but they were far beyond any picture she had drawn in her mind when her mother described them to her. They were, simply put, unique.
And dare she say, beautiful!
As if he had somehow heard her, the taller of the two teen boys snapped his head towards her. His golden gaze was vibrant, inquisitive and full of awe. She bit back a laugh. Seemed like her village, tended to render the foreigners speechless.
But her amusement did not last long.
"We have done it once, Ronal. We can do it again. Besides, turning them away is not right. They seek help, they don't want trouble."
Ronal grated her teeth, baring her fangs. "It is unusual beyond adaptation. We cannot just let them into water knowing they are physically incapable of keeping up. How different will it be from turning them away? You know what happened once, will you be keen on repeating your mistake again?"
Ri'sha had barged in during a heated exchange between them. It was moments like these she cursed her inability to read social cues. Fortunately, they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice her.
"Mother, it's Ri'sha!"
She halted in her backtracking only to glare at Ao'nung who smiled slyly. Ronal swiveled on her feet, pinning her with a sharp look. She hissed, "You! Where have you been? I've searched everywhere looking for you!"
Ri'sha lowered her head. It was hard trying to portray some semblance of guilt when she clearly felt none. "Oeyä sap'alute (my apologies). I was with the children. They wanted to play."
She pointedly avoided looking at the newcomers. It was bad enough she was getting scolded in front of the whole village, she couldn't imagine what these people would make of her character. Well, too late to worry about that now.
The Tsahìk frowned, "You need to be more responsible, girl." She turned back to her mate, "Fine. If you will let them stay, they must learn to live with our rules, adhere to our ways. Only then I will accept them as our own."
Tonowari stayed silent for a long while, contemplating her words. At last, he gave a brisk nod. "That is fair." He turned to his people, gesturing towards the new family, "They will stay with us. Treat them as your brothers and sisters, teach them our ways. They will be like babies taking their first breath; be patient with them. So that they do not have to live with the burden of being useless!"
The father let his youngest child down from his embrace, placing his hand on her shoulder, "What do we say?"
She was giddy with newfound relief. "Thank you!" Ri'sha smiled at her, already scheming about how to take the girl as her charge.
Tomowari tilted his head in acknowledgement before pointing at his children who straightened their stance on cue. "My children — Tsireya and Ao'nung and my niece Ri'sha will help your kids with their hunting. Learn well."
Ao'nung went to complain but the Olo'eyktan had spoken. Ri'sha rubbed her eyes, taking the lead to help the forest Na'vi with their belongings. She took a crate from the mother, moving behind Tsireya in search for an empty pod.
"We're giving them that one?" Ri'sha balked as they walked — or more appropriately, bounced on the walkways connecting the marui nestled between large groves.
Tsireya shrugged, almost dropping the sack made from the bark of trees held in her arms, "Woah— yes, mother said it is the only one big enough for them to be comfortable. Besides, I'm sure you can do with some neighbors."
They rounded a corner, their guests following silently with the exception of Tuk, who took the initiative to copy Ri'sha as the older girl bounced ahead. Step one of gathering another student was successfully proceeding.
Just then, some rustling was heard from one of the two pods at the very rear of the village, almost along the waterline. Ri'sha tried to speed up the group but there was not nearly enough time and too many of them.
Her mother emerged from behind the flaps blowing alongs the salty wind that pricked her skin. She raised a brow, crossing her arms. "And where were you all day long?"
Neteyam came to a stop, nearly bumping into Kiri's back when their group halted abruptly. Lo'ak wasn't so lucky and nearly took their sister down with him into the water had it not been for him holding them back by their shoulders.
Kiri glared at Lo'ak, also at him for some reason, and clutched the threaded fabric wrapped around her shoulders closer. He had asked what it was for when they landed and she'd revealed that she felt so exposed without the cover of trees that almost touched the sky and shielded them. He agreed.
"What's the hold up?" She grumbled, Lo'ak tugging on her tail and earning a smack with the appendage. "By Eywa, one more time you-"
"Kids", their father's voice reminded them that they were not at Hometree, surrounded by the comfort of familiarity.
Neteyam peered over his mother's shoulder and got a peek at a Metkayina woman who blocked their way.
The Olo'eyktan's neice — Ri'sha sheepishly turned around, running to the empty marui beside them to drop the crate full of utensils before coming back again. "I was by the water, mother", she replied.
"And what were you doing there? I told you that you were to help me pick out—" Her mother paused, blinking owlishly at his family. Neteyam found it absurd that she'd taken this long to notice their not-so-usual appearance.
"Oel ngati kameie", his mother addressed the woman, turning towards them and hinting for them to do the same.
The children dropped their head, bringing their hand up to their forehead and down.
Instead of answering in kind, her expression turned sour. The woman chose to ignore them, haughty words hissed at her daughter, "What business do they have here?"
Ri'sha twirled a loose curl around her finger. "Tsahìk thought it best to let them be assisted by someone who knows their culture."
Used to our culture?
Before he could ask or even wonder what she meant by that, Ri'sha's mother looked at them disdainfully and she stormed away.
"What was that all about?" Lo'ak broke the terse silence. Nobody had a clue.
At last, Tsireya sighed, patting Ri'sha on her upper arm, whispering something in her ear. She wore a crestfallen expression, a stark difference from her playful nature that he'd seen in the short while he had known of her existence. He decided, it didn't suit her at all.
"That was mother", she replied tentatively. "She doesn't like visitors, much less Omatikaya people."
Whether she meant it like that or not, his mother took some offence in that statement. And so did he, though he tried not to show it. "Why us? We do not even know you all."
"No you don't", the girl agreed, her hand ghosting above the singular crescent tattoo around her left eye. "Grudges can oftentimes be irrational." Then, she smiled but it was clearly strained. "I will not burden you with my problems on the first day", she jested, beckoning them over to what was going to be their new home.
It was spacious enough to let all of them gather in one place to rest. The sensible part of Neteyam said it was enough but the child in him yearned for the large, twining branches with the luminous vines he was so accustomed to. It will have to do until they returned home.
Jake walked in first, assessing the pod. Here and there were little trinkets made of seashells and corals. Ri'sha chuckled as she saw them, pulling out a long vine threaded with dried leaves. "This used to be my playroom. I will clean it up for you."
Neytiri stepped in after them, dropping the mattress on the ground. "No, let them be. They serve as a link to memories. It is special to you, is it not?"
Ri'sha smiled, nodding.
"I'll be heading out, now. Lessons start early tomorrow", Tsireya quipped as she bowed her head at the Sully family and took her leave.
"Thank you for you help", Jake looked at her as Tuk ran around the length of their pod, circling him.
"No, I must thank you for not being cross with me. My mother's actions were unfair."
A hand was placed on her shoulder. Neytiri smiled at the girl, "You should not apologise, you did nothing wrong. You have already helped us a lot. Thank you."
"Hey, it's an Ikran", Tuk spoke up as she came across a painting on the canvas wall. "It looks real!"
"The wings are crooked and the head is not that round", Lo'ak interjected. "But it's decent."
Ri'sha snorted at his pointers, "Thanks for the tips. Ten year old me would've appreciated that."
"You drew that?" Neteyam walked up behind his brother, squinting his eyes at the picture. Tuk was right; though the proportions were a bit crooked, it looked real. "It's really good."
She fought back a flush at the barrage of compliments, "Uh-huh, thanks. Anyway, come to the shore later to get your food. We have a tradition of sharing our catch. And be there in the morning too, we'll start on your breathing! See you tomorrow!"
Neteyam watched as the girl bounced away the same path they had just walked on, several thoughts forming in his head. And quite troubling was the fact that it started with her big blue eyes and ended with her astounding art skills.
"Wait. . .how do you learn to breathe again?"
Notes :
i have no idea where this came from. let's just say, I walked out of the cinema a changed woman.
anyway, here's this mini-series for my precious baby Nete. why'd he have to go and die, huh?! :<(
btw, Ri'sha looks like that middle pic. it's actually a background character but she's so beautiful! i couldn't resist ^_^
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