#human reader avatar

your knees are pulled against your chest, arms wrapped around them while your mask hums softly against your face. the oxygen filter clicks quietly with each breath. it’s a sound you’ve grown used to over the years, but sometimes you still notice the way it separates you from everything else around you.

everyone else breathes freely.

you don’t.

you drag your fingers lazily through the warm sand, drawing little shapes you erase almost immediately. the ocean stretches out endlessly in front of you, glowing under the rising sun.

you hear laughter behind you.

lo’ak’s laugh.

you don’t mean to look.

but you do anyway.

he’s standing in the shallow water with ao’nung and rotxo, arguing about something while they shove each other around like idiots. tsireya floats nearby on her ilu, watching them with that patient smile she always has when the boys are being ridiculous. tuk is running up and down the shoreline chasing tiny glowing crabs while kiri sits cross-legged in the sand talking quietly to something small and glowing in her hands.

it’s a normal morning.

the kind that used to feel impossible after everything that happened.

the war.

neteyam’s death.

spider being taken.

all of it still lingers sometimes, like a shadow over the village. but people keep living anyway.

you’re just… not always sure where you fit in that living part.

spider always found his place easily.

your twin was loud and fearless long before you ever were. he’d run through the forest labs when you were kids like he owned the place, climbing everything he could get his hands on while the scientists chased after him. people always remembered spider. he was impossible not to remember.

you were quieter.

you watched more than you talked.

and somewhere along the way people started remembering you as “spider’s sister” instead of your own person.

the memory makes you sigh softly behind your mask.

“you’re doing the staring thing again.”

kiri drops into the sand beside you like she’s been there the whole time.

you roll your eyes slightly.

“i’m not staring.”

“you’ve been watching lo’ak for at least ten minutes,” she replies calmly.

“that’s not true.”

“eight minutes, then.”

you glance sideways at her. kiri’s braids shift slightly in the breeze, and she’s watching you with that knowing look she always has, like she sees things most people miss.

“i was just thinking,” you mutter.

“about lo’ak.”

“about life.”

“about lo’ak’s life.”

you groan quietly and drop your head into your hands.

“can we not do this today?”

kiri laughs softly. “you act like it’s a secret.”

“it is a secret.”

“not to anyone with eyes.”

before you can respond, splashing footsteps approach from behind.

“there you are.”

lo’ak’s voice.

your heart does that stupid little jump again.

you try not to show it when you turn around.

he’s soaked from the ocean, hair messy and dripping down his shoulders, golden eyes bright in the morning light. he looks like he always does after swimming—happy, a little wild, completely at home in a place you still sometimes feel like a visitor in.

“tsireya said you were hiding again,” he says.

“i’m not hiding,” you reply automatically.

“sitting alone on the beach staring dramatically at the ocean definitely counts as hiding.”

kiri snorts beside you.

you kick sand in her direction without looking.

lo’ak drops down into the sand next to you, close enough that your shoulders nearly touch. you feel the warmth coming off his skin and suddenly become very aware of how human you must look compared to him.

“what were you two talking about?” he asks.

“nothing,” you and kiri say at the same time.

he squints suspiciously.

“that sounds like something.”

“it’s not,” kiri says quickly as she stands up. “but i have something to do.”

you narrow your eyes. “what something?”

“important something.”

“kiri.”

she only smiles that suspicious little smile and walks away toward the village huts.

you watch her go.

“she’s plotting something,” you mutter.

lo’ak chuckles quietly.

“probably.”

for a moment the two of you just sit there watching the waves roll in.

then lo’ak says, “tsireya heard something from the clan leaders earlier.”

you glance at him. “what?”

“apparently some humans are coming to the reef today.”

your stomach tightens instantly.

“humans?”

he nods. “norm and max.”

your breath catches.

norm and max.

the scientists who raised you and spider after your parents died. the closest thing you ever really had to guardians growing up in the forest labs.

“why would they come all the way out here?” you ask quietly.

lo’ak shrugs.

“they said they finished something.”

the words linger in the air.

finished something.

a memory flickers faintly in your mind—glass tanks, glowing lights, the quiet hum of lab machines while norm excitedly explained genetics to anyone who would listen.

avatars.

you quickly push the thought away.

there’s no way.

a few hours later the aircraft appears over the horizon.

the entire village gathers along the shoreline as it descends. metkayina warriors stand alert with spears ready while tonowari and ronal watch the machine carefully from the front of the crowd.

you stand near the back with the sully kids and spider.

your twin looks exactly like he always does—lean, messy hair tied back poorly, expression curious and completely unbothered by the suspicious looks the villagers are giving the aircraft. ever since returning from the chaos with quaritch, spider has settled back into the sully family surprisingly easily. jake treats him like another son now, and even neytiri—though still wary—has softened toward him.

the aircraft lands heavily on the sand.

the door opens.

norm steps out first.

the moment he sees you, his entire face lights up.

“y/n!”

you don’t even think before running.

your feet pound across the sand as you sprint toward him. he barely has time to brace himself before you crash into a tight hug. norm laughs softly, wrapping his arms around you the way he used to when you were younger.

“kid,” he says warmly. “look at you.”

max climbs down behind him smiling just as widely.

“you’ve gotten taller,” he says.

spider jogs up behind you a second later and immediately pulls norm into a quick hug too.

“about time you guys showed up,” he says casually. “y/n’s been stuck here dealing with fish people for months.”

ao’nung scoffs loudly from behind him while tsireya elbows him in the ribs.

max clears his throat.

“well… actually we came because of her.”

everyone looks at you.

your stomach drops.

norm gestures toward the aircraft. two technicians roll out a long sealed container.

something about it feels familiar immediately.

your heart starts beating faster.

norm steps forward and unlocks the container.

the lid opens slowly.

inside, suspended in a glowing tank, is a tall blue na’vi body.

your body.

everything goes quiet.

“we started growing it years ago,” max explains gently. “back when you and spider were still kids.”

norm nods. “you used to watch the avatar program constantly. we figured… someday you might want the option.”

you stare at the body.

it looks peaceful.

it looks like it belongs here.

“we hid it when the rda came back,” norm continues. “moved it to a secure facility deeper in the forest. finished the neural connections recently.”

he looks at you carefully.

“it’s ready now.”

your chest feels tight.

lo’ak squeezes your hand gently beside you.

“you could breathe here,” he whispers.

before you can respond, spider leans over the edge of the container and whistles.

“okay that’s actually insane.”

everyone glances at him.

he studies the avatar with obvious fascination.

“so this is basically giant blue y/n?”

max nods.

spider grins. “kinda cool, honestly.”

you blink at him. “you’re not… upset?”

“why would i be upset?” he replies immediately.

you shrug slightly.

“i don’t know. you went through a lot with the avatar stuff and quaritch and everything.”

spider rolls his eyes.

“yeah and that’s exactly why you should do it,” he says. “if you’ve got a chance to live here properly, take it.”

he nudges your shoulder.

“besides, i’m still human either way. someone’s gotta represent.”

his easy confidence settles something inside your chest.

later that evening, the link equipment is set up inside one of the larger reef huts the scientists prepared earlier.

norm walks you through the process carefully while the rest of the sully family waits nearby. kiri watches the avatar body with open fascination while tuk keeps asking if you’ll still recognize her when you wake up.

neytiri stands quietly beside jake, her expression thoughtful.

when everything is ready, you lie down inside the link chamber.

your heart pounds nervously.

lo’ak kneels beside you.

“i’ll be here when you wake up,” he promises softly.

you nod.

norm closes the capsule and activates the machine.

the world fades.

and then suddenly—

you’re awake.

but everything feels different.

your lungs fill with air naturally for the first time in your life.

you sit up slowly.

the world is brighter.

sharper.

you lift your hands in front of you.

blue skin.

long fingers.

a tail flicks behind you instinctively.

someone gasps.

you turn.

lo’ak is staring at you like he forgot how to breathe.

“wow,” spider says from behind him. “okay yeah that’s definitely weird.”

kiri grins widely.

tuk runs forward immediately and hugs your leg.

you stand carefully, adjusting to the height of your new body.

for the first time since arriving on pandora…

you inhale deeply.

truly feeling the fresh non filtered air.

lo’ak steps closer, eyes still wide.

“you look amazing,” he says quietly.

and for the first time in your life…