#she’s the eldest of four so like. she Understood. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

house-strong · 2 years

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— LOVE, PARENTS, and truths ʾ ⋆

summary ; requested by anon.

“can u do one where the reader is married to jace and they are having their 2nd or 3rd child and Alicent disapproves as he is a bastard?”

pairing ; husband!jacaerys velaryon x pregnant!hightower!reader

notes ; i had the lovely idea of making this a family argument so this is a vent post with happy ending!! also he looks so happy and handsome here?? dunno if the word ‘auntie’ exists in got dialect but it does now!

“i want to go back to court.”

the statement draws the attention from prince jacaerys, his brows furrowing as he lifts his head to look at you. he opens his mouth surely to protest, but he closes it and straightens his back instead. his study’s across the painted table are abandoned, and instead, he crosses the room to be by your side.

your eldest boy, with hair as black as night and soft curls twisting the ends, he looks up at his father and babbles something incoherently. your hand immediately go to your sons’ hair, ruffling it gently.

“i thought you said that you never wanted to go back to court?” he asks.

you look down at the small loom in your hand, already beginning to fiddle with the spools of cloth that hung from it. you avoided his eye contact and focused on your stitching instead. you knew jacaerys had no like for your family; your cousins, ever the charmers, decidedly always sneered at jacaerys and lucerys and your aunt always seemed vexed at the presence of princess rhaenyra’s family. you never understood the rivalry that begun for the targaryen children of the late king viserys. you were lucky enough to be sired from alicent’s brother and thus out of range for their spewing hatred.

somehow, love had blossomed between you and jacaerys with your time at court. you had defended him whenever your cousins came around and oftentimes you embarrassed aegon and aemond as a result. jacaerys found warmth within you, the kind that made him feel safe and wanted; a warmth that burned within a castle and kept it warm despite the outside cold, and he liked it. he wanted to call you home one day, so thus began his attempted courtship.

with your father outside of court and entrusting you to his sister, queen alicent, she was oftentimes the spoke-person for your hand. you were grateful she didn’t marry you off to just anyone, but she gave jacaerys more trouble than she should have. when jacaerys had asked for your hand, she didn’t tell you that she had ushered him away and told him you were promised to another. that was a lie, of course. when he came to your room, begging an audience and the truth, you decidedly ran from court with him.

his mother, rhaenyra, wasn’t happy about how upset the court was going to be, but she allowed you and jacaerys to hide behind her wings.

that was almost four years ago.

“my aunt wants to see our children,” you say after a moment of thought. jacaerys’ eyes widen for a moment and he kneels down to play with his son as the silence settles between you. “she sent a letter not too long ago, pleading for me to return to court with them.”

he inhales deeply, “are you sure you want to do this?”

“no, but she is my family, jacaerys.” your hold tightens on the loom, enough to turn your knuckles white. your father had caught wind of the elopement between you and jacaerys. he came to dragonstone himself, wished you the best, and said no ill will. you were glad your father was more understanding. “i can’t keep my family away from her forever.”

jacaerys wants to remind you of the obscenities that he endured while he resided at the red keep when he was barely a teenager. he wanted to tell you how vile your cousins were and how unwanted he felt in the presence of your aunt’s side of the family. as he returned his gaze upon yours, the look of hope and bargaining was evident in them. he gnaws on the inside of his cheek, absentmindedly fiddling with his sons toy.

“i’ll make the preparations then.”

in two days by sea and carriage, you, jacaerys, your son and daughter, had arrived at the red keep of kings landing. your welcome was more than what you thought it would’ve been, a small procession of lords and lady’s sworn to house hightower had welcomed your arrival. though, their obliviousness to the prince jacaerys was awfully obvious. you had to introduce him yourself, which instilled a deep annoyance for the velaryon prince who, due to his station, was used to being formally greeted.

it was also hard to miss the fixed gaze queen alicent had on your children.

the welcome party had moved to inside the castle and soon, you and your children were in queen alicent’s private room. she was playing with your daughter and wearing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“your children are adorable,” your aunt says, setting your daughter down on the floor where she began to babble to her brother. “they are spitting images of,” she pauses, almost as if to swallow her pride and the bile in her throat, “your husband.”

your jaw becomes set as you relax your back against the cushion of the chair, “beautiful, aren’t they?”

alicent is hesitant to respond, but she nods her head and mutters a spiteful yes. there’s a silence that falls over both of you, one that you almost grow comfortable in. however, alicent mumbles something under her breath.

“hm?” you respond, your gaze moving from the spot where your children played to where the queen sat on the opposite side of the room. she has a grimace on her face, one that only softens once she locks eyes with you.

she shuffles to the edge of her couch, her hands gathered in her lap, “they’re bastards, dear (y/n).”

the sentence alone is enough to make your blood boil. you feel your body begin to flush with warmth and the tips of your ears grow hot. you bite your lip and attempt to stay unbothered. maybe you should’ve listened to jacaerys’ attempts to stay on dragonstone.

“why does my husbands parentage vex you so much?” you ask. alicent hesitates and avoids your gaze as if there was some unspoken and undying hatred that would’ve been revealed in her gaze. she frowns, playing with the skirt of her dress. “i asked you a question, auntie.”

alicent attempts to ease the tension by reaching for your hand across the small, glass coffee table, but you pull your hand away.

“he’s a bastard with no royal claim, you’ve condemned both you and your kids to a life of regret,” she pauses for a moment, but you don’t hear the next words that come out of her mouth. you assume it was some fretful sentence where she claims she’ll help you.

you shake your head and scoff audibly, “his mother is the princess rhaenyra. he came out of her womb and he bears royal blood through her.”

“but, my dear–” she attempts to reach out for you again, but you swat away her hand.

“but nothing, aunt alicent.” you spit towards her. your teeth gnash together and you’re sure you’re going to get a toothache later. you stand up, shaking your head in disbelief. “jacaerys advised me not to come here–he told me that this is what you would say.”

you laugh, tears welling in your eyes and threatening to spill over, “i thought you would have set this petty rivalry aside and be happy for me–happy for anyone else for once, but your selfish disdain for the feelings of everyone else makes me realize what you truly.”

the words that come out of your mouth are hurtful, yet alicent understands. your feet carry yourself to where your children sat and carefully and slowly, you pick up your daughter. you blink through tears that have blurred your vision and your brows furrow.

“goodbye, alicent.” her name spills like venom off your tongue. the once sentimental name now felt foreign and distasteful.

you reach down for your sons hand and usher him to his feet, practically pulling him as gently as you could to the door. the door is opened for you and you exit, making a beeline for your own assigned, personal quarters. the multiple stares you receive as a result of trampling through the corridors with a cloud of despair following did nothing to help the ache in your heart.

when you enter your quarters, jacaerys looks up with a smile on his face, but it quickly disappears when he notices the tears that have slipped down your face. he moves to you, sliding off the bed with ease and taking your daughter from you. he cups your face with his other hand before pulling you into a tight embrace.

“it’s alright, my sweet love. what happened?” his voice is warm and genuine, full of everlasting concern. you can feel his chest vibrate with the baritone and it does it’s best to soothe your discontent.

you steady your breathing before pulling away to look at your husband, “you were right.” his chest cavity once again moves with a tremor as he hums in acknowledgment. he knows what you’re alluding to; the topic of conversation he had warned you about. some part of you felt stupid for believing you could get around that.

you notice that his jaw has becomes set with prominence and his eyes were fueled by a fire you couldn’t name. you gently stroke his clothed bicep as if settling an animal.

“it doesn’t matter what they think,” he begins, though his voice is thinly laced with annoyance. all these years and they still bring up his bastard parentage. “what matters is me to you, and you to me.”

his sentence seems to be for more himself than you, but it works wonders to dull the hurt in your rib cage. you muster a fond smile at him, raising a hand to stroke his cheek and fiddle the small mullet at the back of his head. he leans into your touch, grasping your wrist gently with his own hand before placing the ghost of a kiss on its skin. the toddler in his other arm babbles quietly, reaching out to grab your hair.

you both laugh and you give her cheek a kiss.

“it’s just me and you.”

#jacaerys velaryon fic #jacaerys velaryon imagine #jacaerys velaryon x reader #jacaerys velaryon #hotd imagine #hotd fic #hotd x reader #hotd x you #my writing

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bookworm551 · 1 year

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Of Duty and Desire | Chapter 1 | Neteyam x Metkayina!reader

He glanced away for a moment and clenched his jaw. When he looked back at you, you could see the frustration burning in his face. "I just-" he paused, staring at you intensely. "I've never wanted anything as much as I want you."

—————

Summary: You are the tsakarem of the Metkayina, promised to Aonung, and you have settled into your role nicely. Everything is as it should be until a family of Omatikaya refugees arrives, and the eldest son causes you to reconsider everything

A/N: I have been working on this piece for a while, but I literally had to rewrite this like four times so whoops. I appreciate all the love on my last fic, so hopefully y’all enjoy this too :) also, after this part I’m aging up the characters lol. Part 1 of idk

Neteyam x fem Metkayina!readers

5.8k words

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Epilogue

Freedom is oftentimes the sacrifice demanded by duty.

The privilege of choosing how to live one's life is swept away by the responsibilities one has to their family, their friends, or their people. You thought you understood the weight of duty when you became the tsakarem of the Metkayina, but you soon realized thereafter that the cost was higher than what you were willing to pay.

In the months following their arrival, you had gotten close to the forest children. You loved spending time with Tuk. She was bright and full of wonder, and she never failed to make you laugh with her occasional sassy remark. Lo'ak was determined and a fast learner, and you were constantly amused by his poorly-hidden attraction to your best friend, Tsireya. You became fast friends with Kiri due to her deep connection with Eywa and interest in healing.

But there was something about your relationship with Neteyam that was different from all the others. In the few short months you had known each other, your friendship had grown much faster than you had expected. He was kind and respectful, and he always knew how to make you laugh. He was as close to you as the friends you had known your whole life.

You had first met him one day rather unexpectedly after their arrival. You were under the cover of the healing tent when you heard someone approach from outside. You were surprised to find the oldest Sully waiting expectantly while gripping his wrist tightly. He dropped his grip in order to offer you the customary greeting of his hand to his forehead before immediately returning to hold his wrist again.

You offered the gesture back to him before asking, "Is everything alright?" He gave an embarrassed smile and said, "I touched a plant in the water with my hand, and now it burns. I was told to come here for a remedy." You knew immediately what it was, and you offered him a sympathetic look. Taking his hand, you inspected it to confirm your suspicion.

"We learn at a young age not to touch the sea nettle," you told him with a faint smile. "Think of it as a rite of passage." His lips turned upwards at your words. "Then I suppose I'm one step closer to becoming Metkayina," he joked. You chuckled as you searched for the treatment for nettle.

While he waited for you, he sat down on the floor and said, "I do not believe we have met before. I am Neteyam." You cast a brief glance over your shoulder with a smile. "I know who you are, Neteyam te Suli," you told him. "But you are right, we have not met. I suppose that is my fault, I have been very busy since you arrived." After finding the correct bowl, you sat down across from him and introduced yourself properly.

"You are the tsakarem, yes?" Neteyam clarified as you took his hand to inspect it for any remaining nettles. "I am," you confirmed, trying not to appear proud or arrogant in the title. "I spend much of my time here in the village. I have been able to become acquainted with your mother and sisters, though you and your brother seem rarely to leave the water."

Neteyam nodded with a small smile. "We have been learning so much," he told you. "It is all still so new to us." You hummed in understanding. "You seem to be adjusting well to the reef," you observed.

Before he could respond, you took the small bowl of oil and held it above his hand. "This will sting at first," you warned. He nodded, and you poured a small amount over his palm. As you had predicted, he tensed at the pain, and you could see the muscles in his arms flex reactively. He took a deep breath and relaxed as the pain ebbed away.

Carefully, you took your thumbs and rubbed them down his palm. "Let me know if I am hurting you," you told him quietly. He remained silent as you massaged the oil into his hand. You felt his eyes on your face, so you glanced up at him. He didn't look away, keeping his amber eyes fixed on your face, and he offered you a soft smile. You were only able to hold his gaze for a few seconds before becoming slightly embarrassed, and you quickly looked back down at your hands again.

"It feels much better," he said after a moment. "I'm glad," you replied earnestly. "I haven't touched sea nettle since I was very young, but I remember the sting of it very well." He nodded his head with an ironic grin. "I don't think I will forget this any time soon," he agreed.

You continued working the oil into his skin for a moment, and you still felt his eyes on your face, though you didn't look up at him again until you were finished. Dropping his hand, you said, "Try to avoid nettle in the future. We usually save the remedy for children, but I made an exception for you this time."

He grinned at you. "I am very grateful," he told you, placing his hand over his heart. "And I will take more care in the future." Smiling at him, you replied, "I hope so. I don't want to have to patch you up every day."

He looked at you in amusement. "I'm sure there are worse ways to spend the day," he teased. You shook your head with a small laugh. "Perhaps," you conceded. "But there are certainly more productive things to do as well."

"Thank you," he said as he moved to stand up. "I will see you later tonight?" You blinked in surprise. You saw him every night during the evening meal from afar, but since you had never spoken to him before, you were surprised at his forwardness.

"I suppose," you replied, then added with a smirk, "That is unless you hurt yourself again before then." He gave you a cheeky smile. "No promises," he responded playfully.

You saw the forest boy more often after that. Sometimes he would come in claiming to be searching for his mother and then stay and talk with you. Other times, he would come in with scrapes and cuts not severe enough to warrant Ronal's expertise, but deep enough to justify seeing you for help.

Sometimes, you wondered if he was getting hurt on purpose. You didn't mind though. He was sweet and enjoyable, and he always told you stories of himself and his siblings in the forest. You knew he missed it very much, but he hid his longing behind all the funny tales of his family.

One person who was wary of your friendship with Neteyam and his family was Aonung. He had his mother's distrusting nature as well as her pride, and as his intended mate, you knew he wasn't happy with how close you had become to them. He never said anything directly to you, but he would drop subtle comments about them when you were around. Whenever you were helping teach the forest children, he watched closely for how you interacted with them. You could feel the tension between him and the Sullys, and it all came to a head about two months after they had arrived at the reef.

You were sorting things when you heard a commotion outside. You looked out in confusion before Aonung pushed his way into the tent. You took in a sharp breath as you got a look at his face.

He looked awful. His eye was starting to swell, there was blood dripping from his nose, and dark purple bruises were beginning to form on his cheek. "What happened?!" You asked him sharply as some of his friends followed in behind him sporting similar injuries on their faces. Aonung didn't look at you, but one of his friends behind him chimed in, "It was the forest boys."

You scowled at Aonung. "What did you do?" You demanded to know. He shot you an irritated look. "You are accusing me?" he asked incredulously. Your scowl deepened as you glared up at him suspiciously. "Yes," you said. "I am." He scoffed at you. He wasn't afraid of your ire when he knew he had the privilege of being the son of the two clan leaders to protect him.

"They do not belong here," he told you. "I don't know why you are so fond of those freaks." His friends behind him muttered their approval at his statement. You turned your glare to them, and they immediately fell silent and looked away. Even if Aonung didn't fear you, at least they did.

"They are here under uturu," you said in a harsh whisper. "We must treat them with respect and dignity." Aonung rolled his eyes at your words. "Where is my mother?" he asked, ignoring your statement. You huffed an irritated breath. "Out," you responded crossly, walking over to where Ronal kept her store of medicines and other mending materials.

You pulled out a jar of ointment and handed it to Aonung. "For the cuts," you told him. "Now go." You pointed at the entrance of your tent resolutely, maintaining a level glare at him. He held your gaze for a moment before taking the bowl and walking away, his friends in tow.

You closed your eyes in exasperation. How could they all be so stuck up and stupid? You knew that Aonung took great pride in being the next in line for Olo'eyktan, but you had never seen him act so rude and self-absorbed. Honestly, it was embarrassing for you.

After a moment, you decided to go out to see if you could find one or both of the Omatikayan boys to apologize on behalf of Aonung. Stepping out, you headed over to where their family was residing. From a distance, you could see that Lo'ak was stepping out of the tent, his face downcast and irritated. He was still too far from you to try and call out to him, so you skipped briskly along the suspended walkways between you to try and catch up to him.

Despite your urgent pace, Lo'ak quickly moved in the opposite direction from you, but from their tent, Neteyam walked out into the light of the sun wearing a subtle smile on his face. Approaching his tent, you called out to him. He glanced up at you in mild surprise and offered a polite nod.

You studied his face for injuries, but besides a busted lip, he seemed relatively unharmed. "I know what happened with Aonung," you began. "Well, sort of. I am very sorry about him and his friends." He gave you a soft smile and shook his head casually. "It was not your fault," he said simply. "There is no need for you to apologize."

As he spoke, you noticed the fresh blood on his lip from his cut. "You are cut," you observed. "Come with me." You grabbed his arm to lead him back to the healing canopy, but he resisted, shaking his head again. "This is nothing," he told you gently. "I will be fine."

You didn't let go of his arm. "You have come to our home as guests," you said softly. "Aonung and his friends have treated you dishonorably. Please, let me make it right." You gazed up at his face imploringly, and after a moment, his face softened and he nodded. "Alright," he conceded and followed your pulling hand.

Entering under the cover of your canopy, you had Neteyam sit down while you took out a small cloth and a salve. Dampening the cloth with fresh water, you turned to where he was sitting patiently for you.

Taking his jaw in your hand gently, you turned his face so that you could inspect the cut better. Neteyam's eyes stayed on your face for a moment before glancing away to fixate on the tent walls. In addition to the cut on his lip, you also noticed some more purplish spots starting to form on his neck.

You traced your fingers over the forming bruises on his neck. Neteyam tensed at your touch, and his eyes quickly darted to your face. You pulled back your hand from his neck and said, "Sorry." He gave you a subtle smirk. "It doesn't hurt," he assured you. "Just sensitive."

"Ah," you said in a low voice, looking away from his eyes sheepishly. You started to clean away the blood on his lip. "What did he do to start the fight?" You asked him, changing the subject. He blinked slowly and shook his head. "It does not matter," he replied in a quiet voice, looking away from you.

Your grip on his jaw tightened slightly, and you turned his face back so he would look you in the eyes. "What did he do?" You asked again in a more insistent tone. You could see him contemplating, and you held his face and gaze in expectant silence.

"He was making fun of Kiri and Lo'ak," he relented. "He called them freaks." The grip of your hand holding his face tightened reflexively as anger burned in your chest. You closed your eyes for a second to regain your composure before turning his head back to continue attending to his cut.

"I am very sorry, Neteyam," you murmured earnestly. "He never should have said those things." In your peripheral vision, you could see that his eyes were fixated on your face, but you kept your focus on his lip. "You do not have to apologize," he repeated from earlier, trying to keep his mouth still as he spoke. "You have shown nothing but kindness to my family since we arrived."

You glanced up for a moment to meet his eyes. He was looking back at you with a soft gaze, and you became aware of how close you were to his face. You turned away from him as you felt your cheeks grow warm to pull out the salve you had. Taking a small swatch on your thumb, you brushed it gently over his lip. You could feel his eyes on you as you did, and despite your best efforts, you glanced up at them. A beat of tense silence passed as you looked at each other wordlessly, one of your hands holding his face while the other was tracing his mouth.

Worried that he may be able to hear your heart pounding, you thought desperately of something to say. "He is intimidated by you," you said finally as you dropped your hands from his face and looked down from his eyes. Neteyam cocked his head to the side. "Aonung?" He clarified. You nodded as you wiped the remaining salve off of your fingers.

"He is the son of Olo'eyktan," you explained, shifting to sit on the floor next to him. "There has never been anybody to challenge that status until now, but not only was your father Olo'eyktan as well, but he was Toruk Makto. We were raised hearing stories of him. Some sound too strange to be true."

Neteyam looked at you in curiosity. "Stories?" He repeated. "Like what?"

You smiled, somewhat embarrassed. "There are many," you said slowly. "He was once a human, a warrior from the stars." Neteyam nodded his head slowly. "That is true," he confirmed. You thought back for more rumors. "They say he killed one of the Na'vi to possess his body," you mentioned.

Neteyam let out a small, surprised laugh. "That one is not true," he said, amused at the story. "The Sky People grew his body from the blood of his brother and Na'vi blood, and his spirit now resides in it." Your forehead scrunched in confusion. "The blood of his brother?" You echoed, perplexed.

He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "I don't even fully understand it," he admitted. "But the important thing is that no, he didn't possess anybody else's body to become one of the People." You nodded faintly, still very confused about Neteyam's answer.

"What else have you heard?" He prompted. You thought back to the way you imagined Toruk Makto before he came here. You had thought he would be large and intimidating like Tonowari, but with an authoritarian attitude and little humor. It was almost comical how he really was just like any other Na'vi father aside from some small physical differences and his accent.

"I thought he couldn't speak in the Na'vi tongue," you added. "We all thought he spoke a strange language." Neteyam nodded again. "When he led the revolt against the Sky People," he explained, "he spoke very little Na'vi. His first language is called English."

You tilted your head at the funny word. "English," you repeated. He smiled at your accent and nodded. "He usually only speaks it with my family," he said. "Many of the Omatikaya can speak it a little, too." You smiled back before asking, "What does it sound like?"

Neteyam shrugged. "What do you want me to say?" He said in English. You couldn't help but giggle at the strange language. "What does that mean?" You asked. He smiled at you in amusement. "I simply asked what you wanted me to say," he clarified.

You hummed thoughtfully as you came up with a phrase for him to say. You looked out at the afternoon sun casting brilliant reflections on the water outside of your tent. "The sea is very beautiful," you said finally. He looked out at the water for a moment. "The sea is very beautiful," he replied before looking back at you and adding, "and so are you."

You tilted your head and eyed him suspiciously. The pause between his words sounded like he said something extra. "All of that means 'The sea is very beautiful?'" You questioned skeptically. He glanced away for a moment with a faint smile. "Not all of it," he admitted. He paused for a moment, and then he said, "I said 'The sea is very beautiful, but I miss the forest.'"

"Ah," you said, nodding in understanding. "It must be very hard for you to be away from it." He sighed, looking back out at the sea with a far-away stare. "It is," he agreed after a while. "It is so different there. The sounds, the smells, everything. I don't think I have ever spent so much time in the sun as I have here."

You laughed at his last statement. "What do you mean?" You asked. He pointed out to where a few large, craggy precipices jutted out over the water. "The trees where I am from are higher than those cliffs," he explained. "When you are in the forest, very little sunlight reaches the ground."

Looking out to where he pointed, you shook your head in amazement. "I cannot even imagine trees like that," you said in wonder. He turned to you with a soft smile. "I'll take you to see them someday," he promised.

You smiled up at him, but it quickly faded away. You shook your head and looked away from his face. "No," you sighed regretfully. "I am tsakarem. It would not be right for me to leave the reef." He hummed in understanding. "I imagine your intended would not be happy about it either," he commented, watching you for your reaction.

You shifted uncomfortably. "No," you conceded quietly, "probably not."

When he didn't respond, you glanced up at his face and saw he was gazing at you expectantly. "He is not entirely to blame," you defended gently. "He and I have a great responsibility to the clan. He has carried it his whole life, but I am still getting used to it." He gave a small nod in understanding. "I have carried it my whole life, too," he said, then added in English, "but it didn't make me into an ass."

You smiled at the strange words and shot him a quizzical look. "I said, 'It is a heavy burden to bear,'" he translated for you. You nodded in agreement, and you missed the wry grin on his face.

"It must be nice for you finally to be free of that burden," you reflected. He heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Even though my father is no longer Olo'eyktan, he still holds the title of Toruk Makto," he countered. "It is one that will always follow him, and so it will always follow me."

He stared out at the water in contemplation. There was a pause, and Neteyam gave another sigh. You could see the weight of his family's legacy on his face, and you felt a sense of compassion for him. "A heavy burden," you repeated his words quietly. He didn't say anything, lost in his own internal musings.

Even though you knew that the expectations weren't quite the same, you felt that on some level, you understood the struggle of upholding the standard of greatness in life. Your parents were very proud of your status of tsakarem, and you felt the pressure of it from them as well as Ronal, whose expectations were higher than everyone else.

"I never understood how heavy it was until now," you commented. "But I accepted my role. You were born into yours." Neteyam looked at you carefully and tilted his head in curiosity. "You accepted it," he repeated, "but did you actually want it?"

His question caught you off guard. As you pondered it, you felt a strange mix of emotions stirring in your chest. Nobody had ever considered that you wouldn't want to be tsakarem. It was easy to get swept up in the honor and prestige and forget about the fact that you were surrendering many of the freedoms you had previously enjoyed in order to prepare yourself to help lead the clan.

Your throat tightened unexpectedly as you thought about his question. Neteyam must have noticed your reaction because he shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "I did not mean to upset you." His words snapped you out of your thoughts. You shook your head dismissively and gave a weak smile.

"It's okay," you assured him. "I just..." you trailed off, not sure of what to say. After a beat, he took your hand comfortingly. "You carry the title with great dignity," he told you reassuringly. "And you bring honor to your people."

Your chest warmed at his words, easing the strain of his earlier question. With a shy smile, you asked, "How do you say 'thank you' in English?" He chuckled at your question. "Thank you," he told you in English.

"Thank you," you repeated in his funny language. He gave you a warm smile. "You're welcome," he replied. "You're welcome," you echoed thoughtfully. He nodded in approval. "That was almost perfect," he complimented. You hummed at his praise. "You'll have to teach me to speak it perfectly," you told him. He smiled as he looked at you. "I will," he promised gently.

You felt your cheeks warm at his soft gaze. You had never seen eyes quite like his. They were a shade of yellow you had never seen before, almost greenish in the reflections from the water. In the prolonged silence, you realized that he was still holding your hand, so you blinked and pulled it away gently while you desperately thought of something to say.

"Your cut will heal within the next couple of days," you said finally. He blinked as though pulled from deep thought and nodded gratefully. "You are very kind," he told you. "Thank you."

You smiled. "You're welcome," you told him, trying your best to accurately mimic the way he said the phrase.

He chuckled at your use of his language. "You're a fast learner," he praised and then sighed. "I should go find my brother," he added. You nodded in understanding, and you both stood up. Before he could leave, you said, "Please send my apologies to Lo'ak."

Neteyam shook his head with a reproachful smile. He brought his hand up to your face and tilted your chin upwards with his fingers to look him in the eye. "You need to stop apologizing for things you didn't do," he told you earnestly. Then, he dropped his hand and walked out of the tent before you could reply and before he could see the deep blush forming on your face.

Later that evening, you had taken Tuk out to feed the ilus. Waist deep in the water, you both giggled as the pod of ilus gathered around, swimming in eager circles around you. You and the young girl took turns feeding them one by one.

"I think this one likes me," Tuk giggled as one of the animals nudged her side affectionately. "Yes, well, that one is notorious for loving whoever has the food," you said with a laugh. Taking a fish from the basket, Tuk fed the cuddly ilu. "Then I'll feed him every day," she said with a bright smile.

From behind you, you could hear someone moving through the water. You turned and saw Neteyam wading out to where you and Tuk were standing. Noticing her older brother, Tuk called out, "Look, Neteyam! Come feed the ilus with us."

Neteyam offered his sister a quick smile before it melted into a more urgent look.

"Have either of you seen Lo'ak?" He asked. You glanced at Tuk, who looked back at you with the same confused look. "I haven't seen him since I saw you last," you told him. "Is everything alright?"

Neteyam glanced quickly at his younger sister before looking back at you. "It's probably nothing, I'm just looking for him." He started to walk back out of the water, and you could see the look of agitation on his face. You handed Tuk the basket of fish and said, "Here, you keep feeding them, I'll be right back."

You moved out of the water to follow after Neteyam. He must've heard you behind him because he slowed down and waited for you to catch up to him. Stepping behind him, you asked, "What's wrong?"

He shot you a worried glance. "I've looked everywhere. There is no sign of him, and nobody has seen him." Your forehead scrunched up at his words. "When did you last see him?" You asked. He gave a loose shrug and replied, "Earlier today, same as you."

"At your home?" You clarified questioningly. He nodded. "Yes, after my father told him to go..." he trailed off, and you could see that a thought had entered his mind. His worried face hardened into aggravation, his jaw clenched, and his head tilted as he fought to compose his anger.

"What is it?" You questioned in concern. Neteyam took a moment to close his eyes before muttering, "Aonung." Your stomach dropped a little bit at his name. Surely, he wouldn't have caused any more trouble than he already had.

Neteyam turned from you sharply and walked at a brisk pace towards the village. You struggled to keep pace behind him. "What about Aonung?" You asked, confused. Without breaking his stride, Neteyam said, "My father told Lo'ak to apologize to him earlier, and that was the last time I saw him."

A feeling of unease settled over you, and you prayed that Lo'ak was just off brooding somewhere instead of being in trouble. As you both quickly stepped across the beach, you caught Aonung's familiar form standing in the shallow water.

"You," Neteyam called out to him in a hard tone. Aonung had been staring out at the water towards the Sea Wall, but at the sound of Neteyam's voice, he whipped around. He was immediately defensive as Neteyam stepped up to him in the water.

"Where is my brother?" He demanded. Aonung scoffed. "He's your brother," he replied in a haughty voice. "Aren't you the one supposed to babysit him?" Neteyam shot the other boy a burning glare and took a step forward to get in his face, causing Aonung to take an uneasy step back. "I kicked your ass once already today," Neteyam stated. "I will do it again if I have to."

"Enough," you said firmly, not wanting a repeat of their earlier altercation. The boys didn't say anything, still holding each other's glare. "Aonung, do you know where Lo'ak is?" You asked. After a brief pause, Aonung's eyes glanced away from Neteyam over to you, and you saw the uneasy look he had.

Your stomach sank. "Where is he?" You pressed, feeling frustrated at his silence. You could see his hesitation before he finally relented, "I'm not sure. We...we left him at Three Brothers Rock."

You inhaled sharply. "Aonung," you whispered, horrified. He didn't look at you, the severity of his actions sinking in. Neteyam was a little lost. "Where is that?" He asked you, desperate to know where his brother was. You didn't answer him, still looking at Aonung in disbelief.

"How could you do that?" you asked quietly, and he averted his eyes. You glanced back at Neteyam. "It is way out past the reef," you said. "It is not close, and it is very dangerous for him to be alone."

At your words, Neteyam's face twisted in anger. He stepped towards Aongung again, but you had anticipated his reaction and moved quickly to stand between them and placed a hand on his chest. "No fighting," you told him sternly. "We need to gather a search party for Lo'ak, not waste time giving each other more injuries for me to tend to later on."

Both the boys stared at each other for a moment before Neteyam looked down at you and gave you a barely-perceptible nod. You let your hand drop from his chest and looked over at Aonung. "When did you leave?" You asked him.

He shook his head uncomfortably. "It's been a few hours," he admitted. You closed your eyes with a heavy sigh. Neteyam huffed a sharp breath and grabbed Aonung by the back of his neck. "I'm done with this," he muttered and marched him back to the village.

A search party was quickly organized. Several warriors and divers on skimwings and ilus assembled to search for Lo'ak. With the sun receding behind the planet, you and the rest of your friends were ordered to stay within the Sea Wall.

You saw Neteyam pacing anxiously on the beach, looking out for any sign of his brother's return. You walked up to him carefully. "I'm sure they will find him soon," you assured him, breaking him from his thoughts. He heaved a large sigh and looked out towards the water.

"I should have been with him," he murmured. "This wouldn't have happened if I had been with him." You looked at him with sympathy. "You can't blame yourself," you told him gently. "If anyone is to blame, it is Aonung." He didn't argue with you, and you both knew you were right.

You sat down on the sand with a sigh, and after a moment, Neteyam followed suit and sat down beside you. "I have known him almost my whole life," you said as you sifted some sand between your fingers. "He has always been proud and stubborn, but he has never been malicious." You couldn't deny that Aonung's behavior towards the Sullys before had made you uncomfortable and disappointed, but this was on a whole new level, and you felt as though you didn't even know him at all.

You sighed again and looked over at Neteyam. He was staring out at the water with a blank gaze. You weren't sure what else to say. You couldn't assure him of his brother's safe return because there was a very real chance he was not safe. So, you just sat in silence beside him.

As the evening turned into night, Lo'ak eventually returned unharmed, much to the relief of you and Neteyam. After taking the blame for Aonung, an uneasy but not unfriendly relationship started between him and Lo'ak, and Neteyam put aside his anger for his brother's sake.

The next day, Lo'ak recounted how a lone tulkun had saved him from the akula the day before. After describing the creature who saved his life, Tsireya quickly realized that the tulkun was the outcast Payakan.

"I'm telling you guys, he saved my life," Lo'ak explained insistently. "He is my friend."

Everyone had doubtful looks, but Neteyam stood up with a jaunty smile and grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "My baby bro," he said lightheartedly. "The mighty warrior who faced the killer tulkun and lived to tell about it."

Lo'ak was not amused and pushed his brother's hands off of him. "You guys aren't listening," he huffed and walked away. You all called out to him, but he continued away in irritation. Tsireya followed after him, and the others all disbursed to start the day.

You remained sitting there, perplexed at what you had heard. Everyone in the clan knew about the dangerous, young bull who had killed both Na'vi and other tulkun, and Lo'ak's assertions of Payakan's innocence unsettled you. Deep in thought, you hadn't even realized that Neteyam had stayed behind until he asked, "What are you thinking?"

You blinked, startled out of your thoughts. You gave a short sigh. "Tsireya is right," you told him. "If it was Payakan, then your brother is lucky to be alive. Payakan is very dangerous." Neteyam looked out for a moment to where Lo'ak had stormed off. "He seems to think differently," he commented.

You shifted uncomfortably. "I do believe your brother sees Payakan as a friend, but there is a reason for his exile." You looked out at the water and shook your head faintly. "The good thing is that Lo'ak is safe," you told him.

He smiled at you warmly. "That is true," he conceded. "And I appreciate your concern for my brother. It means a lot." You shrugged and replied, "You are my friend. What concerns you concerns me."

He offered his hand to help pull you up. You took it, and he pulled you up effortlessly. After you steadied yourself, you moved to walk off, but Neteyam didn't let go of your hand. You looked up at his face questioningly, and he was staring back at you with a soft smile.

"I'm serious," he told you earnestly. "Your friendship means a lot to me. Thank you." His face was so sincere and his voice so heartfelt that you didn't respond for a moment. "You're welcome," you replied finally. He held your gaze for a moment, the corner of his lips turned upwards, before dropping your hand and walking away to begin the day.

As you watched him disappear, you couldn't help but wonder why it was exactly that your heart was beating so quickly.

Chapter 2

#avatar the way of water #avatar #neteyam fic #neteyam sully #neteyam x reader #neteyam angst #avatar fanfiction #neteyam x metkayina!reader #kiri sully #loak sully #tuk sully #jake sully #neytiri #aonung #tsireya #slow burn #forbidden lust #forbidden love #forbidden relationship

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sharksupermacy · 8 months

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backstage

backstage - sana x yoo! reader

synopsis: apparently your sister didn't tell everybody about you

genre: fluff, reader being terrible at directions, confusion, reader is a 98' liner, not nayeon being a little bit delusional

it was nice attending an american university. new friends, different culture, even a fun new language to learn. you were attending harvard for your doctorate in archaeology. you had always loved the discovery of things even when you were very young having those little dig kits when you were a kid.

remembering how after a successful "dig" your mom would always yelling at you when you had end up making a mess in the living room. even when one of your sisters had time they would take you to the local park with you having a shovel and bucket in hand trying to find the buried treasure in the sand pits.

you had formed a bond between all four of you were all tight knit, cheering each other and beaming when seeing their dream being achieved. when your eldest sister had made her actress debut in i love lee tae-ri all of your family gathered in the living room watching the episode debut. or when your entire family showing up when jeongyeon had been announced to make her debut in twice, your elder sisters faces all covered in tears when holding up the banners you had all made. you just smiling at your confident older waiting for the other announcements of other members. even your second eldest sister when she had graduated all your sibling had attend even you who had school during that time but nonetheless you were all there supporting one another.

it was the same when you had told your sister you were going abroad to america to go to havard on a partial-scholarship. facetiming your eldest sister and nayeon who was with jeongyeon when you broke the news to both of them. all of them supporting your decision to go abroad to study archaeology making you promise to them that you would return every summer to visit them.

you would always your honour your promise with your family always returning every summer for two months. you had even gotten your work visa in the us, allowing you to get a job at a local skate shop wanting to not just rely on your family money in the us.

so when your sister had annouced that she was going on tour in the usa you knew that you just had to go. so when the concert dates and locations dropped you found out the nearest one which was the just 3 hours away. so like any reasonable person you decided to use some of the money you had earned the year prior before to buy VIP tickets to your sister concert and then tell her you couldn't go.

suprise, suprise, your sister was dissapointed to say the least but she had understood. however the shock on her face after realizing that you were standing in the front row and had tricked her into believing that you were not going was worth it. you weren't really revealed to the public, so it wasn't really a shock that barely any of the twice member knew you as you were never presented the option to meet them that much. but the other member you enjoyed going into shock was nayeon as you and her were close to her often meeting with her and jeongyeon to go shopping when you were in korea.

as the concert was drawing to the close each member had a speech dedicated at the end the ones that had resonated with you the most was sana saying how hard it was being away from home and grateful she was surrounded by people who helped her. then of course, your sister speech about how grateful about how onces and even one of her siblings could join her today as she had face of gratefulness looking out to the audience in your direction. the onces around you had started looking around as you pulled out your camera to take a picture of your sister crying for blackmail later.

soon the concert had ended and the audience slowly filed out you sat there because you had received a text from your sister telling you to wait at your seat so that a manager could get you. you talk and chatted with the security guard when there was very few people left just mainly clean up crew, and 2 or 3 people still waiting to get into a line. you see manager-unnie approaching you telling the security guard you had go and thanked him for being so chill to let you stick around for a bit longer.

manager unnie was another person who knew you as she had seen you multiple times while dropping jeongyeon and nayeon off at cafe to meet you. she told you to take off your pass and handed you a new staff one as you both chatted about random things while heading down to the change room. waiting outside the room for a bit while the manager-unnie went in to check if it was good to come in. coming back out to invite you in, the person you see is jeongyeon with her arms wide open as you hugged her with nayeon seeing the both of you and hugging you.

"uh... mind to explain what is going on here manager unnie," sana whispered wondering why two of her member was hugging and crying into a random staff.

"oh! did jeongyeon never told you? thats y/n her sibling." manager unnie said a bit confused as she had thought jeongyeon had told the entire group about you.

"wait the abroad one?" jihyo stated a bit louder than she intended getting the other member attention who were on their phone only realizing that there was a stranger hugging thier member.

"yep. have you guys never met her before?" manager unnie turned around at the other twice members who she knew was listening. half of them turn away from sheer embarrassment of being caught but still shook her head to respond no. but sana no she looked back at the two oldest seeing jeongyeon crying into something she hadn't seen very often. huh. she's pretty. was the observation sana had made seeing two of her members crying into the taller frame.

the two removed themselves from y/n finally deciding they had enough of hugging the younger. "guys, this is my sibling who studies abroad y/n," she said as she pointed in your direction, making you wave towards the 7 pairs of watching eyes.

"she's my sibling too," nayeon started trying to start a fake argument with jeongyeon as both yoos laughed at the statement as nayeon pouted.

the older members dragged y/n towards their members, both knowing that if they wouldn't do it, their sibling never would.

you were pulled toward the person who drew you in the most.

"hey, i'm sana," were the words she had said.

"i'm y/n," you smiled back towards her. then there you found the missing treasure: who knew your sister was hiding you from her and vice versa.

a/n: just a short one this time. THE WAY THAT FUNNY VALENTINE ACTUALLY HAS A GRIP ON ME. anyways, i might post some angst soon...

#twice x reader #sana x reader #twice imagines #sana minatozaki x reader #sana imagines

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soulcandi · 8 months

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𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 (𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬) | 𝐣𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 - 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞

synopsis: Widowed Jake Sully (sorry) gathers his four children to seek refuge in the isolated territory of the Metkayina clan. He warns them to be on their best behavior, but quickly realizes that it's himself he'll have to watch out for when he meets the eldest daughter of the clan leader.

warnings: jake's pov, alternating povs, mutual pining, written with afab!reader in mind, reader has a na'vi name.

a/n: cross-posted on ao3 and Tumblr <3 noticed some people on tumblr kinda ripping off my work so ig i need to establish dominance on this hellsite too. not sure if i vibe with the pov dividers yet, but they're there regardless.

word count: 2,092

masterlist, next chapter

The foreign white sands seemed to sink under my weight as I dismounted my Ikran. One arm held my youngest daughter against my hip while the other gestured for my three eldest children to stand down and lower their guards. I felt the weariness and apprehension radiating off of them, and understood it, but knew more in the ways of diplomacy than I ever thought to pass on.

The people emerged from their dwellings in droves, peering out into the open sands at the new arrivals from beyond the horizon. Tuk began to stir in my arms as I hoisted her up higher. My legs threatened to buckle underneath my body with every suggested movement. I hadn’t stepped foot on solid land since we first disembarked from the forest floor. I couldn’t afford to.

A low hum rose from the curious silence as the people’s wonder turned to fear. Who were these people? Why have they come to us?

I threw my head in every direction, searching through the many faces for that of Tonowari, who met the sky people in battle alongside me many years ago. He of all people would understand our dire situation. My stomach churned when out of a thousand faces, all melted into a rippling sea of coral blue, none made any move to come forward. Instead, I began to take notice of the pointed spearheads prodding out of the makeshift barricade. They were arming themselves.

A commotion behind me made me whip my head around just in time to catch Neteyam making a grab for the bow strapped to the saddle of his Ikran. “Tiftang,” I hissed. Stop it. If these people saw us as a threat in any capacity, it would be onto the next clan, then the next, and the next, until we came across someplace stupid enough to harbor five fugitives from the forest.

Neteyam met my eye and hesitated before lowering his arm helplessly to his side, a dejected look quickly masking the curiosity that I detected in him immediately after landing. Just as soon as the whispers ceased, they returned tenfold. When I looked back down the beach, it didn’t take long to establish why.

A single figure emerged from the wall of defensive clanspeople, stepping across the platform of pliant sand as if it were a marble runway. It was effortless in a way that should have made me uneasy but instead inspired a rush similar to adrenaline in my cold and wind-beaten body.

The very first thing I noticed was the flowing white cloth draped over your waist — a type of fabric I would have assumed was cotton back on Earth, but on Pandora, I couldn’t be too sure. A long slit ran all the way to your outer thigh and billowed like a sail on the open sea. Strings of beaded pearls twisted around both your legs like thin aquatic vines, and when you grew closer, I would soon notice how similar beads had been woven into the hair framing your face.

I had never seen anything quite like you – on my native planet or this one.

Swallowing, I lowered a wriggling Tuk to the sands where she quickly disappeared behind her sister. I intended to meet you in the middle of the small peninsula, but as soon as I found the strength to move, you had already come within a few feet of where we landed.

There was something so regal in the way you composed yourself, with a sense of majesty that commanded the attention of all those around you, including myself. Anyone could have whispered in my ear just then and told me you were something ethereal — something larger than life — and I would have had no choice but to believe them.

I immediately moved to make myself smaller, afraid of coming off as too imposing. Before I earned the respect of the Omaticaya, I was the oaf, the fool who didn’t consider his own size before running blindly into conflict. I refused to inherit that same legacy here.

Touching two fingers against my temple, I brought them down in a wide arch away from my body. “Oel ngati kameie.” I see you.

Boy, did I ever.

You met my display with a bow of your own, bringing two fingers to the space between your eyes. Your wrist was cluttered with bracelets woven from strong green fibers and I studied you shamelessly, assuming your eyes were closed when in reality, you were studying me back beneath your curtain of long eyelashes.

You heard them well before you ever saw them — the mighty flying beasts whose wings beat up the waters flying low over the edge of the reef. You were raised on stories of the Ikran and of the Toruk who ruled over them in the forest regions. But more often, you were ensnared by tales of Toruk Makto who fought alongside your father in the war against the sky people — those who hunted your tulkun siblings over the horizon.

You were barely able to hold your own in those times of great sorrow, buried in your studies as you learned the ways of the Tsahìk – the role you were blessed to one day inherit from your mother. You long outgrew the audience of the village storyteller, but you had to have been blind not to recognize who now stood in your presence, bowed to offer you his deepest respects.

“Oel ngati kameie,” he spoke, voice low and tinted with a guttural edge. His eyes, a startling yellow that rivaled the burnfibers that grew in the underbrush around the clan border, moved not once from yours.

Your face began to burn from the heat of his gaze – evaporating whatever seawater still lingered on your cheeks from your morning swim. A man who not once in his life reduced himself to beg was now pleading before you, empty hand still outstretched as if for you to take.

In an attempt to hide the effect he was having on you, you quickly moved to fulfill your end of the gesture by touching your own two fingers to your temple. It was only polite by way of your people. Before you could part your lips and repeat his own words back to him, however, you heard furious footfalls upon the sand and staggered backward as your brother Ao’nung appeared out of nowhere and drew you close behind him.

“We have no peace with these forest people,” he seethed, turning back to glower at you before glaring straight forward at your unexpected guests. You were six cycles his elder, but no one would ever guess it by how closely he mirrored your father in both leadership and combat. Despite this, Ao’nung was undeniably a child; a child who did not yet wield the power of clan leader.

Your brother had far to go in his studies, but if he were to become Olo’eyktan one day like he so planned, the village was better for it.

You watched as Toruk Makto — Jake’sully — drew his ears flat against his head like a wounded animal. Only then did he finally drop his hand and a wave of regret washed through you for not showing him his owed respect when you had the chance.

Planted all around him was a small army of children, all cowering at his side. Two boys looked around Ao’nung’s age, or close. Beside them, bearing no signs of fear, only weariness, a girl with choppy black hair who reminded you very little of your sister stood before an even smaller child who was too far hidden behind the others for you to see clearly.

“That is Toruk Makto,” you whispered in warning, placing a hand on your brother’s shoulder. He huffed at your display of seniority but did not back down. “Ao’nung.”

“His title makes no difference to me,” he scoffed. “Outsiders are unwelcome.”

Pursing your lips, you stepped back. “Where is father?”

Any efforts you could have made to remedy the situation proved to be in vain as both your parents surfaced from the flood of villagers standing at the shoreline. Neither of them looked as forgiving as you might have hoped to be.

You could stand up to either of your siblings in a heartbeat, and you’ve done it a thousand times before, but both you and your brother knew better than to test them. Especially now, when human gunfire could be heard over the horizon in the deadly stillness of night.

Stepping aside, you allowed the Olo’eyktan and Tsahìk past so they could cast their own judgment upon the forest refugees.

There was a flurry of mixed reactions when Tonowari announced to his people that my family and I would be allowed into the village. More whispers, which were expected, but no thunderous applause. Definitely no applause.

The Metkayina looked down upon us like one would look upon a child struggling to stand, but with pity where hope should have been found. I could only swallow the last of my shame and give all the thanks I could muster.

“Dad?” Tuk tugged on my tunic, wet with ocean spray and sweat from several days’ travel. I lifted her once again over my hip, using my free hand to unhook the leather satchel that hung from the saddle of my Ikran. Kiri and the boys watched me closely, waiting for the go-ahead to do anything but stand there rigidly.

I nodded toward their Ikran. All three had been locked in a conversation entirely their own, comprised of clicks and caws I couldn’t even begin to understand. Not like Kiri miraculously could. “Get your things,” I commanded. No time to sit around and sunbathe. Not while Ronal could easily whip her head back around and overpower her mate’s decision to allow us refuge, sending us right back out into open seas with nothing but the last of our rations and a week’s worth of exhaustion.

They snapped to it immediately, grabbing the netted sacks that held the last remaining fragments of their previous lives and dismissing their Ikrans to the skies. I followed suit before turning to face the village, our home for the foreseeable future, for a final time.

Everyone else had long since wandered off, returning to their duties just as Tonowari ordered. Those that remained sprinkled across the sands were doing a half-assed job of pretending there weren’t five foreign faces walking amongst them. They watched from the shadows of their straw buildings, or from underneath the surface of their crystal clear waters.

But you?

You were standing right where I left you, hands clutched together in front of your body with a gentle smile pulling at your lips. I tried not to replay your first impression of me in my head for fear of ruining a second. I see you, I repeated to myself in the furthest reaches of my mind. I see you, I see you, I see you.

“May the great mother look upon our meeting with favor,” you beamed like you had been waiting your entire life to roll out the welcome wagon. Considering the clan’s attitude toward outsiders, this was likely the case. “I will show you to our village. May I?”

The last of your words were directed solely to Neteyam, who was struggling to haul both his and Kiri’s luggage over his arm. He froze instantly in the presence of your warm smile and did nothing to deny you as you stepped forward and took his bag into your hands.

You made a point to greet each of the children with a welcoming smile, even going as far as to offer Tuk a private giggle before meeting my gaze with a neutral, diplomatic air. “Right this way, please.”

A true leader in the making.

If I stopped to ponder it long enough, I could force myself to remember you. In my first tour of the neighboring clans, when Toruk Makto was called upon to unite them against the sky people, you had been there. Hidden behind Ronal, I remember your eyes as clear as day. They were your father’s eyes, though brighter and filled with hope rather than wise resignation.

When your back was turned, I watched my eldest son gulp and shift his remaining bag higher over his shoulder. Lo’ak snorted and socked him roughly in the arm before taking off after his sisters, who hounded close behind your retreating figure as if it were a beacon in the dark.

#atwow #jake sully x reader #jake sully #atwow x reader #avatar 2 #avatar x reader #avatar #avatar fanfiction #candywrites #dreaming (of all the possibilities)#dreaming

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niceminipotato · 9 months

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My hopelessly depressed self was listening to music. And you know how it goes? A sad song comes up and you’re singing your heart out and then an image gets conjured up in your head and you have to write it. This song I was listening to was In The Stars by Benson Boone.

Now I will warn you it is sad girl hours and that means angstiness galore. Who knows if the hurt will have comfort by the end of this.

Between the Heavens and the Embers

You had lost them all. One by one they fell. One by one they had been taken. They were gone and you were alone. A single man had done it. All in the span of a mere evening your whole family had crumbled to dust.

******

The day had started as any other. Giggles and cackles echoing through the halls of the castle. The girls, your daughters rather, had been up so early. Winter had been keeping them inside for so long that they were bursting with energy.

You had woken beside her, your lady. The only woman you had ever loved without regard to anyone or anything else. She hardly ever slept but she still enjoyed laying beside you and smiled brightly when your eyes met hers as you woke. The bed you shared was one of the only places where a smile as open as that would make an appearance. She had an image to maintain and you were selfish so you enjoyed that it was only you and your daughters she smiled like that to. While to the outside world she was Countess Dimitrescu a revered Lord of the village to you she was simply Alcina, your love.

The phone had rang that morning and you had whined as she stood to talk to the demanding priestess you so hated. You never understood why your lady revered her as she did but that was a subject you’d learned not to interfere with early on.

You had hoped for a day spent together. You had been talking about it for days. But one look at your lady and you knew plans had gone out the window. She had been up as soon as she hung up hurrying to get ready for the day.

With a sigh you went to help. You weren’t a maid anymore and yet you still loved to help her. A momentary kiss was shared before she gave you an apologetic look. You had shrugged it off, letting her carry on with her duties, but you wished you hadn’t.

******

You wished you had begged her to stay. You wished you hadn’t had to get out of the bed. Wished you could have told your daughters it was a family day. That, as you had planned, you’d spent it together, playing board games, reading, painting, or just talking.

You wished. You wished so much you had done things differently.

You wished you had found him first. Wished you had continued your patrol down in the dungeons. If you had you would’ve prevented your eldest daughter’s death. It would’ve been so simple to lead the man astray. Bela would still be alive had you been there. But no. You had been in the library putting books away. And now all that was left was her sickle laying haphazardly beside a crystallized figure.

You also wished you had insisted on Cassandra teaching you more self defense. Had you done so you and your middle child would have been in opera hall. Training and making an absolute fool of yourself as your other two daughters watched and laughed. But you hadn’t insisted. You had let her go to the armory to sharpen her weapons when everyone knew they had sharpened more than enough. And so another sickle and crystallized figure were all you had left.

And then you wished you had gone to bake cakes with them as Daniela had suggested. But you wanted to do something more strenuous because like them you had so much pent up energy. If you had though, all four of you would’ve been enjoying a cake now all covered in flour while your lady attempted to scold you all for the mess failing miserably and giving into your sheepish grins. But you didn’t do that. Instead you had sunk to your knees and let out a soul rattling sob as you found that your youngest daughter was also gone. Like her sisters leaving only her sickle and a crystallized figure.

Heavens, you wished. You wished you had done so many things differently. How were you going to continue now that they were gone?

You had never felt as broken as you were before. Never felt the air in your lung become painful. Never felt as empty as you did. You wished… but what use was wishing?

******

You didn’t know how long you had been at the library clutching the crystallized figures your daughters left behind. No staff came to you as they had been told to hide. Your lady was no where to be found. That is until the castle shook and a screeching roar rebounded the halls which were usually filled with your daughters’ voices.

You knew who was shaking the castle even if you didn’t know how. You knew it was her the one roaring outside. And in the same line you knew you had to get to her.

Carefully running down the halls with your daughters’ figures you headed for the sound of your lady. You had no idea what to expect at all but what you saw as you made it to one of the large windows wasn’t a dragon.

You knew it was her. Knew the dragon fiercely defending the castle was the woman you loved with your whole being. Any other person might’ve feared her, especially in that state, but not you. No, despite the pain and sorrow you were feeling you couldn’t help but admire her in all her glory. She looked majestic and you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

But then you heard it. You heard the quick succession of gunshots paired up with loud explosions. And your hard sank as the screeches and roars devolved into wails of pain. What you could do to stop it you didn’t know but you ran for her.

Heading for the great tower of the castle you ran as fast as your weak human legs would allow. You ran and ran and ran ignoring the strain in your arms as you carried your daughters’ figures. You ran, your heart clamoring against your ribs, panting like a rabid animal. You ran as more screeching roars mixed in with pained wails. You ran up the steps as fast as you could, the air growing thin. You ran while more shots echoed above you and the tower rattled. You ran while tears streamed down your cheeks. You ran desperate and afraid and then everything stopped.

A loud boom made the ground shudder while the tower shook sending bits of loose rock to the floor. Letting out a shuddering breath you looked out the window and a horrified scream ripped itself free from your throat.

You could see her through the hole over the old chapel’s roof. Could see all of her majestic being laying prone and immobile. A high pitch whistling noise filled your ears and you were off again.

Running desperately you tripped over your feet and landed painfully against the wall with you shoulder to ensure you daughters were ok. You glanced down noting they were and continued on your trek.

It didn’t take long to reach her but it still felt as though hours had gone by. The chill from the outside air bitting at your wet cheeks pulled a shiver from you. You could see Alcina’s huge form crystallizing and ran for her.

Gently placing your daughters down you tried to touch Alcina’s dragon form but it began to crumble away at your touch. You tried hopelessly to put the crumbled bits back but it only made things worse.

You didn’t know what to do. You didn’t know how to fix it. You knew you were screaming and yet you could hear nothing. All you could do was watch as the other form of the woman you loved crumbled to dust. The chilled breeze carrying her remnants until the only thing left was her pearl necklace and a crystallized figure.

Shakily you reached for it, for her, and brought her closer. Hugging the hardened crystal you sobbed unable to understand why. You brought your daughters’ figures closer, hugging as much of them as you could while also holding onto your love and sobbed harder.

You couldn’t breathe. There was no air. It felt as though it had been torn away from you. Just like they had taken the best of your heart and left the rest in pieces.

They had been worried about your mortality and yet here you were alone between bleak heavens and the embers your family had left behind. What were you to do now? You were alone so what now?

“… we have to go.” Someone had been shaking you but you had only shrugged them away. “They’re going to kill us if we stay. We have to go, girl.”

It was Maria, the head maid, the one shaking you to try and get you to stand.

“DON’T. TOUCH. ME.” Your voice sounded foreign, garbled, but you didn’t care.

“I won’t let you die too.” Maria pulled you off of them with a force you hadn’t expected from the old woman. “Let’s go.”

“NO!”

“Let go. They are dead, girl. You have to let them go. We need to go.” She pulled you away while you kicked and screamed.

“Let me go!” You yelled. “I want to stay with them. Let me go now! Please! Don’t take me away. Don’t!” You pleaded in between sobs. “You can’t. Please. Please!”

You tried fruitlessly to make her let go but you were growing weaker and weaker. Sobs wracked your whole body as you drew farther away from the crystallized figures your family left behind. You were breaking further with every step.

All you wanted was to go back to the morning. You wanted to go back to when you were in bed waking to your daughters giggles in the halls and Alcina’s smiling face. You didn’t want some figures you wanted them back.

This couldn’t be. This reality couldn’t be. You wanted your family back.

“Alcina! Please, come back. Please!” You begged. “Come on, Bela. Please Cass! Dani, my pretty little bug. Please wake up. Wake. Up!” You tried but there was nothing. No movement but the billowing snow. “Please! Alcina. Please, you can’t leave me behind. You can’t. Alcina please!”

“Girl, hush now. It’s ok.”

Maria’s muffled voice echoed in between your cries but you ignored it. You kept struggling against her and yelling for your family to come back. They just couldn’t leave you like this.

“Please, Alcina. Please.”

“Hush, girl.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alcina.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Hush draga.”

~~~~~~~

“Alcina, please.” You whimpered.

~~~~

“Please wake up, draga mea. Please.”

That voice. You looked at the crystalized figures still huddled together on the floor. But you could hear a voice. That was her voice. Wasn’t it?

“Alcina.”

“Inimioara mea, please wake up. Wake up!”

You felt as though your feet left the ground, and suddenly your world tilted. The arm around your waist was bigger, stronger. The white light coming in from the hole on the roof became a dancing yellowish one. It was no longer cold but warm. And the crystallized figure that stood taller than the other three was gone replaced by glowing golden eyes under brows scrunched with worry.

You let out a whimper, feeling your raw throat protest. “Alcina?” You called watching her release a breath.

“I’m here, draga.”

“You’re real?”

“I’m real.” She nodded and brushed away some of her tears.

You shuddered at her touch before reaching for her and bringing her closer. Alcina wrapped you in her arms allowing you to soak in her warmth. You let out a soft sob as the images from the nightmare flooded your head.

“Breathe, my little love. I’m here.”

“H-he… he…”

“He is dead. He is gone and we are safe. Remember? It was you who killed him. He is gone.” Alcina rubbed gentle circles on your back as she continued. “Our girls are safe. Miranda and Ethan are dead and we all survived. We are safe.”

“Don-don’t leave me alone. Please. Don’t leave me.”

“I will never leave you. Ever.” Alcina replied assuredly. “You are mine and I am yours.”

“And we’re alright.”

“And we are all right, scumpul meu.”

You let her words wash over you as you clung to her hiccuping your slight whimpers. She continued to whisper comforting words as you calmed, allowing the remnants of the nightmare drift away.

Gradually you calmed the hiccuping sobs and whimpers dissolving into light sniffles. Through it all Alcina held you and whispered her affirming words and sweet little nothings.

“I’m s-sorry.” You whispered.

Alcina pulled away so she could loodk at you. “Never apologize for something like this. You have no control over it and it is not your fault. Do you understand?”

You nodded and your lip quivered but you managed to suppress your sob. She pulled you back to her chest letting you tuck yourself under her chin while you listened to the beat of her steady heart.

“Draga?”

“Hmm?”

“Our girls heard you. May they come in?”

You pulled away from her nodding vigorously. Alcina smiled that lovely smile of hers you loved and hated to share before calling out to the girls.

“Bugs. You may come in.”

In an instant three distinct swarms flitted under the close doors before your daughters stood watching you with worried eyes. You shuddered a breath feeling new tears prickle your eyes and smiled.

Daniela swarmed to you the moment you extended your hand out to her materializing into her human form on the bed beside you. She tucked herself under your chin and held you tightly. Cassandra bit her lip before situating herself on your other side between you and Alcina. Last was Bela who took a spot on Alcina’s other side. All three purred to try and comfort you while also seeking the comfort you and Alcina gave them.

“Momma, are you ok?” Cassandra asked you quietly.

“I’m ok.”

Daniela lifted her head and looked at you with teary eyes while anger swirled in her glowing pools of gold. “I hate that manthing. He makes you cry. He’s hurting you and I can’t cut him. I can’t kill him. I can’t give him what he deserves.”

“He is already gone, sweet bug.” Alcina said reaching out to scratch the shaved side of her head.

“The nightmares will go away, little fly.” You added and kissed her forehead.

“He’s gone. The nightmares will go away. And we’ll be here with Mother and Momma. Everything will be fine Dani.” Bela said from under Alcina’s chin.

“I love all of you. You know that, right?”

The nods and I love yous that followed filled your heart with a warm and soothing feeling. The three settled, the purring making you smile. It didn’t take long for the three girls to fall into a deep slumber while you and Alcina watched them.

“Draga?”

“My lady?”

Alcina smirked at you and shook her head, “are you feeling better?”

“It… it felt so real. But now. This,” you said looking down at your daughters and then back at her, “I know this is the real thing.”

“Good.” Alcina kissed your forehead as best she could with two girls clinging to her. “Oh and before I forget. Scumpul inimioara mea, I love you.”

Leaning as close as you possibly could to her you finally allowed your eyes to flutter close. Daniela and Cassandra laid heavily on you but you didn’t mind. Bela had somehow managed to reach a hand over to you around her mother just because she wanted you to feel her. Alcina herself had rested her cheek above your head too. They were there.

The buzzing forms of your daughters completely relaxed and happily sleeping with you. The woman you loved more than anyone and anything in the world was there. No one was gone. Your family was there. They hadn’t been taken. You needn’t wish because you had saved them back then.

The dormant cadou you’d had, woke the moment you’d heard Bela scream. Your human nature was gone and a new mutated being had been born. You had protected your family. All of them. You were the reason they were still here with you. You didn’t have to hold on to something dead and gone because they weren’t. They weren’t dead they were here with you. You didn’t have to say goodbye because they’d be there forever. It wouldn’t hurt and the best of your heart was still with them but it was fine because so were they.

A.N. Guess no angsty end 🥹 you’re welcome 😇 but then who knows maybe this sucked. Again I apologize for the sad girl hours lol

#alcina x female reader #angst with a happy ending??#maybe???#sad girl hours #idk why i wrote this #but I did so here hehe #alcina dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu #re8 alcina #daniela dimitrescu #cassandra dimitrescu #bela dimitrescu #alcina dimitriscu x reader

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oddduckthatgirl · 8 months

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Title: Seconds Are Welcome

Pairings: Daemon Targaryen x Lannister!female

Warnings: period typical misogyny, arranged marriage, period typical gender roles

Summary: Everyone talks of girls coming of age. No one speaks of when the girl doesn’t desire to be less than who she is.

A/N: this is slightly AU-ish. For this story, Daemon was named heir, not Rhynera (not hate, just a plot). Changed some Lannister names. It’s just a story, let’s not dissect too much. This story will have multiple parts.

Casterly Rock was the ideal hold for any man to feel like a king in his own keep. Jason Lannister attended to his family home with all the devotion any lord would. He has four children. His two sons, James and Jonathon, are both married, each of them having apartments within the walls with their lady wives. Also within the walls are his two unmarried daughters, Jasline and Jaylon.

Jaylon Lannister wasn’t as she appeared. She looked every part a Lannister. Her eyes were such a light shade of blue that they appeared gray in a certain light. A long flowing mane of pale blonde hair. She had a very lean figure, but muscular. She had been tutored all the ways a proper lady should be. She also could read and write seven languages. She and her sister Jasline received the absolute finest instruction befitting their stations. While her sister had to work for every lesson, Jaylon found academics to be simple. As such she had time to learn other lessons.

She spent some afternoons learning about all things equestrian. After all, horses are what helped her family amass their fortune. She wanted to know everything. From an early age, her father Jason indulged her curiosity. He had even found it quite endearing. However, since she was now eight and ten years old and not married he seemed to be irritated by it.

What raised his ire more was her interest in sparring with her brothers. She often would sneak out with them in the evenings so they could instruct her. Until one evening they had been discovered by their father. He hauled her into his study and told her that was not her place as a future lady of a fine house.

“I’m your youngest child Father and your second daughter. I could only hope for a match so great.”

“You will still have a husband to protect you.”

“What happens if he is killed? Who protects me then? Or if he did save my life, now he’s owed a debt. A Lannister always pays their debts.”

Begrudgingly, he relented but insisted on having her train with her brothers. To give her the same teachings. In truth, she was a far more elegant fighter and understood how to use her femininity to her advantage.

Jasline was far more calm. The eldest daughter who had understood her role. She was the picture of a proper lady. Everything a lord could want in a wife. She didn’t argue, she kept her opinions to herself and she could smile all day while appearing to not have a thought in her head. With her temperament, one would wonder her connection to the Lannister name if not for the blonde hair. Most described her as quite pleasant company.

Dull. Jaylon thought of her sister.

She could never live that life.

Jasline had been married to a nice lord from House Blackwood. They had a longer courtship than usual due to some haggling over the dowry. During that time there had been a small uprising that was beginning to become serious. Eventually, it was decided that Jasline and her lord should be married quickly so he could set out with his lord Father to right their lands.

They were wed in a small ceremony. Jaylon was her attendant while he had his cousin. They didn’t even consummate the union before he had to set out.

Young Lord Blackwood never returned. Jasline was a widow before she even had lost her maidenhead.

It made it difficult to find a match for her. So many questions. During the months after, Jasline had occasion to make acquaintance with Thomas Baratheon. They appeared to have a genuine affection for each other, so Jaylon thought, however it would seem their Father didn’t think the young lord, a second son, worthy of his eldest daughter.

Jaylon almost wished her father had those thoughts for her. Once she came of age, her father had her see every eligible second or third son in all of Westeros. She would do her best to be a proper lady but then they would ask her opinion and she would always answer honestly.

“Jaylon, they are not interested in what a lady thinks.”

“Well Father, perhaps they should be.”

She would tell her father about these young lord’s opinions on battle or horses or wine.

“How am I, a Lannister, to sit there and listen to them be so mistaken? They would make a fool of me and by extension, you.”

Jason Lannister was a proud man. He knew his youngest was correct but he would never give her the satisfaction.

“Why must you insist on such obstinate behavior?”

“I believe it is inherent.”

This would most assuredly have her father avoiding her for days on end. Which was fine by Jaylon, more time to devote to sparring and to horses. More time to think of the many ways to make the next suitor for her recoil in disgust. If it wasn’t their misguided crowing about how honored she should be to be their wife and welp their children it was their leering. She even had the moment to strike a young lord who commented on how strong her thighs were from riding.

It was a quick reaction. Truth be told, it was probably the first broken bone the young lord had ever suffered. Judging by his lewdness, it wouldn’t be the last.

Every day is the same. Until it wasn’t.

There was a new tutor. Some Septa sent to them from King's Landing. He told Jasline and Jaylon they were to have lessons in High Valyrian. The girls exchanged a look and knew what that implied.

A Prince was interested in a Lannister wife.

Lucky for Jasline, even more lucky for Father, Jaylon mused. She was just enthusiastic about another language to learn. More than likely she needed to do her best to master it so she could help Jasline. It wouldn’t do her well to not understand it. Jasline focused all her attention on it, while Jaylon made sure to note her struggles.

Jaylon had heard the rumors as had her sister. She could even see the fear in Jasline’s face when people spoke of Prince Daemon. The girls spent hours at night discussing him, his temperament.

“I hear he’s roguishly handsome,” Jasline sighed.

“He’s a Targaryen. Of course he is. And a prince,” Jaylon collects herself, “I suppose if you’re attracted to that sort of person.”

Jasline smirks, “and he’s a wonderful fighter. Quite a quick wit as well.”

Jaylon nods, “much to the annoyance of the small council I hear.”

Jasline shifts to face her sister, “do you think the other whispers have merit?”

“Did you mean the piece about the street of silk or the piece about him murdering his lady wife?”

“Jaylon Lannister! That is treasonous,” Jasline’s face flush.

“Sweet sister. He is a prince. He does as he chooses. He was commanded into marriage, so the story goes. A young prince who didn’t want such a wife. So he did as he pleased. Perhaps he was simply bored.”

“Jaylon. I would bore him so,” she gasped, “you should put yourself in his way.”

Jaylon laughed loudly, “Father wouldn’t dream of that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not you, Jasline. I’m not the first born. I’m just the spare.”

Jasline sighed, “perhaps marriage to the Prince isn’t what I want.”

“Thomas.”

“I love him, sister.”

“I know you do. But we are just women in this world. We are at the whim of every man,” Jaylon reclines and gazes out the window, “and Father knows best for us.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” Jasline settles herself in her bed, “I would suppose it’s easy to be so placid; the eyes of a dragon aren't fixed upon you. But they should be.”

“Oh Jasline, marriage is an arrangement. You smile, you nod, you bear his children. Everything else you will sort out.”

“I have sorted it. He needs to wed you. You are one of the greatest beauties in all of Westeros. You are intelligent, strong, cunning and most importantly you are not easily swayed by the opinions of others.”

Jaylon rolls her eyes, “sleep sister, you’ll need your strength.”

Jasline settles into bed, “yes I will. I need to convince His Highness of all your virtues.”

Jaylon leaves her sister to rest and makes her way to her room for the night. She laughs thinking over her sister’s suggestion that she be put in Prince Daemon’s way. Her father would never allow it. She imagines the look of rage that would take him over. How he would have to obey the command of his Prince, if he did want her instead. That would raise his ire even more.

She couldn’t help the smile at the thought. Fun but a fool’s wish.

She sat and brushed her hair, staring at her reflection. She wonders what it is about her that these lord’s find appealing. She’s just a young girl, who knows about horses and wine. That reads whatever she can so she wouldn’t be left behind in the conversation of men. Her understanding that information is the greatest and most valuable commodity.

This is how she gathered what she could on the Targaryen prince. She wanted her sister to have every advantage. She also didn’t want to displease the man herself and squander all the work that has gone into this endeavor.

Before she drifted to sleep, she imagined what a conversation with him would be like. Would he be intimidating? Would he be kind? She also hoped for the chance to see his dragon. That isn’t a sight she would soon forget.

#house of dragons #hotd daemon #daemon targeryen x reader #daemon au #daemon x oc #oddduckthatgirl #seconds are welcome

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dreamersbcll · 6 months

Text

“I tend to deflect when I’m feeling threatened”

- whumptober, prompt no. 18

(go ahead. hit me harder)

—————————————————————————-

“I don’t know what you’re saying.”

A lie, of course. Sam knows exactly what’s about to go down. But she can’t admit weakness, just her. She had a point to prove.

Buckling down, she smiled widely, her teeth pointy and ready for blood. She wasn’t prepared to admit defeat. Not by a long shot. There was enough alcohol in her bloodstream to keep her locked in for the kill. She was finally eighteen— Christina couldn’t push her around anymore. She had nothing else to lose.

It was t-minus four hours before Sam was scheduled to be at the Greyhound bus stop and three hours before she had to meet her ride at the park. She had just an hour or so left of packing, the rest getting high and using up her stash. Wherever she went, she was sure that she would find more. There was always more.

She had just finished pouring a glass of juice when her mother stumbled in, drunk. It was five o’clock on a Friday, for God’s sake. Way too early to be blacked out on the kitchen tile. At least she kept it classy, drinking at noon for her birthday.

Tara was out of the house anyway, at Amber’s. Sam noticed that her little sister slept more at Amber’s than in her bedroom. Oh well. It was good for Tara to find others. Sam was leaving to protect them all— but probably mostly herself. She was always selfish at the core.

Leaning back against the fridge, unimpressed, Sam took another swig of her concoction. “Classy, Christina.”

Her mother stumbled back up to her feet, scowling. Sam could see her cheeks were red. Tequila. That drink always made her mother quite loose on her feet and more prone to violence.

Maybe she could see how far she could push her mother. You know, for old times sake.

Blurry eyes glowered at Sam. “I’m your mother.”

Feigning surprise, Sam laid a hand on her heart. “Oh, really? I never would have thought so. You never acted like it!”

“I don’t know how, but despite all your efforts to become the worst version of yourself; you’re still better than your sister. She’s such a lackluster person. Nothing at all useful about her” Christina slurred, leaning against the kitchen table.

And there it was. The gloves were off. Which was strange- Sam sure cared immensely for a person she couldn’t be in the same room with anymore. Sam loved her little sister despite her addiction to anything that kept her from being tethered to reality.

Sam wasn’t daft. Her heart beats in Morse code, and it whispers Tara’s name. She couldn’t ever have Tara hear that, especially as Sam was planning her great escape. She couldn’t leave any more ties here. If it was time to grow up and move on- leave the home that raised her in blood and tears.

(Even though Sam’s cold shoulder and ability to fight back, Christina knew her eldest daughter too well. She knew that Sam had a soft spot for Tara, even going as far as being a third parent to the girl. She may never have particularly liked or understood either of her daughters, but her eldest would always have all of her heart. And so she knew the way to hurt Sam was through using Tara as bait).

(That's what her younger daughter was good for, anyway).

She knew better than to engage. She knew it was bait. But she would never back down from protecting Tara, especially from their mother.

“Don’t you dare bring her into this, you bitch,” Sam hissed, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Smack.

Gasping, Sam held her burning cheek. It had been a while since she had felt the unforgiving skin of her mother meets her own. She was sure that she looked shocked, caught off guard. Her cheek burned, and she could taste blood from where her teeth nicked her gums. With her red eyes and red cheek, she knew she was a sight for sore eyes.

But it was no match for what her mother looked like.

There was an emotion Sam hadn’t seen in a while.

Remorse.

What a load of bullshit.

She knew she could back down and let it go. She was leaving tonight anyway. There wouldn’t be a Sam Carpenter of Woodsboro anymore, holding down the town with the weight of her secrets. Tara wouldn't have a fuck-up to be let down by anymore. Everything would be better once she left.

So, what did she have to lose?

“Hit me harder.”

The air in the room went stale; the only noise was the buzzing of the electric fans. Christina’s eyes got wide, her hand hovering in mid-air by Sam’s heated cheek, as if she couldn’t decide whether or not to hit harder or to pat the skin gently.

Weakness. Sam couldn’t believe her eyes. Is her mother showing a weakness? Hell must've frozen over.

But she couldn’t let her mother win like that, especially as she wasn’t sure whether or not Christina cared. She didn’t want to know. It was easier to accept the fuck-ups as they were without thinking about the implications of Christina’s moral character.

Sam needed her departure justified somehow— she would never get it from Tara.

As Sam did best, she sabotaged the things she wanted the most—anything to feed the idea that she was the one who was righteous and composed.

“Oh, come on, Christina. No, if you’re such a good mother, show me. Show me. Hit me harder, mom of the year,” she taunted, smiling cruelly.

She grinned wider, and she watched her mother’s face morph from surprise to cool disdain. Good. She knew she could still get under her mother’s skin, even after all these years of estranged engagement.

“That’s what I thought, you fucking drunk,” she spat, turning around, ready to celebrate in her room.

However, her mother was quick to retort, laughing cruelly. It echoed off the walls, seeping into the already overwhelmed walls. A part of her shrank, her heart aching a bit. It had been a while since she heard that laugh— even longer since she had heard it somewhat sober.

Unfortunately, no matter how old or grown she was, her mother knew how to reach through her broken ribs and tear out her heart from the vessels that kept it alive.

“Don’t act coy. I can smell your breath. You know, your father preferred whiskey too,” her mother sneered, taking another sip from the wine glass in her heap.

Turning around to face her mother, Sam got back into her mother’s face, hissing. “Shut the fuck up! Don’t you dare compare me to him. ”

Instead of pushing Sam away or slapping her across the face, her mother buckled down with her words. Though she was eighteen and legally an adult now, Sam still housed that fragile little girl within her who prayed for her mother’s approval. That little girl still lived in Sam, fed off of her insecurities, and still, despite all odds, cared for her birth father.

And Christina knew that. Sam didn’t know how, but she did, and by god, she knew how to use that to her advantage.

“Oh Samantha, you know it, I know it. There’s something wrong with you, deeply. And you get it from your father,” her mother cooed, grinning wickedly.

Sam bit down on her tongue hard. There it was—the nail in the coffin. Ignoring the white flags she could’ve raised, she ran right into death itself, fully aware. She was beaten.

Looking away, she clenched her jaw, spitting out her words venomously. “Yeah, well, that’s your fault. I’m glad he’s dead.”

Without skipping a beat, Christina threw her poison. “I wish you were.”

“Don’t we all,” Sam whispered, her voice shaking.

As she left the kitchen, she could hear her mother cackling and the fridge opening. With her head down and her fingers twitching, Sam went to her room to finish packing her things.

Christina would see what it was like to lose two members of her shitty family portrait.

Sam was a lot of things, but a coward was not one of them. She never backed down from a fight.

#scream #sam carpenter #tara carpenter #carpenter sisters #scream vi #ao3 author #tortured whump #writing helps me feel less insane sorry all

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uchiwife · 1 year

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𝗪𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗

pairing: Itachi Uchiha x Sakura Haruno

tags: Modern au, established relationship, drama, heavy angst, arguments, hurt/no comfort, emotional hurt, breakup. [that's all i'm going to tag because i don't want to spoil you.❥]

warnings: just a lot of pain, get some Kleenex.

words: 1,187

summary: 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗌𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗌 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝖿 𝗌𝗈, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖲𝖺𝗄𝗎𝗋𝖺 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝗍 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇𝖾.

a/n: English is not my mother tongue, so please excuse me for any mistakes I might commit in it. ꒱࿐ “♡ ˚.*ೃ

𝗣͟𝗮͟𝗿͟𝘁͟ 𝟮͟. , 𝗣͟𝗮͟𝗿͟𝘁͟ 𝟯͟. , 𝗣͟𝗮͟𝗿͟𝘁͟ 𝟰͟., 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟱

[“𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗇 𝖾𝗒𝖾𝗌, '𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗄𝖾. 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝖺𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗇, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗀𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗇 𝖺𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗐𝗈. 𝖥𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨'𝗆 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝗇 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨'𝗆 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗆𝖾.”♡]

“So that's it? It's over? Just like that?”

“I'm sorry...” He looked away, not having the courage to look her in the eye. He knew he’d back out if he did.

“I don't care if you're sorry! I don't want you to apologize, I want you to stay with me!”

“I wish I could.”

“But you can! You promised. You promised to always be there. You promised me. You... Itachi, you promised me.”

Her voice broke on the last words. Sakura tried in vain to fight the tears that threatened to fall. The sight alone was enough to turn Itachi's stomach. He didn't like to see her sad, but this was more than sadness. She was breaking. And he was the cause of it. It was enough to make him disgusted with himself. He wished things were different... but they weren't. This was the reality he lived in.

“I know, I'm sorry. My father...”

“Fuck him! You can decide what you want to do with your life; why don't you–”

“You know as well as I do that it's not as simple as that! I have to preserve my family's honor. You know how they are. It's my duty as the eldest. I've always known that. I grew up with the idea of taking over the family business, it was never about us-”

He stopped, refusing to finish that sentence. He couldn't finish it. It would hurt her too much. But she had understood without him even adding anything, if the expression on her face was anything to go by.

A bitter smile stretched across her lips as she said sarcastically:

“Oh so sorry for ruining your plans.”

“That's not what I meant!” he replied, frustrated. By her, by himself or by the situation, he didn't really know.

She scoffed at him.

“No? I'm the crazy one then? Because I could've sworn that my boyfriend of four years was dumping me like a piece of shit.”

“Don't say that!” He fumed, absolutely not liking where this conversation was going. He hated that it was even happening to begin with. “Don't talk about yourself in those terms. You know how I feel about you. How I've always felt.”

“Go tell that to the whore your clan wants you to marry.”

“Sakura...” Itachi sighed, tired. He wasn't fond of swearing, but it wasn't a wise thing to say. Even less so now. He had always been raised to believe that manners made a person valuable. Of course, there was a side of him that even his family didn't know about, and it was better that way. His mother would probably be scandalized if she knew.

“ Don't Sakura me! Do you realize what you’re doing? What you are doing to us? Have you forgotten all our plans? Your plans?”

“Of course not! How could I? But try to understand. My family has always been strict and inflexible about what they expected from life and the destiny set for the clan. Everything has always been meticulously organized. I knew my father's expectations even before I could write. Not to mention my great-uncle. Madara is probably even worse than father. Love, you know I love you, but if I run away now, Sasuke will-”

Having heard enough of this bullshit, the woman lost her temper (or rather what was left of it). If tears were nothing new, it was her sudden fury that took him by surprise. That and her look. Never, even in their worst moments, had she looked at him with such resentment and disgust. The sight alone was enough to make his heart ache.

“Fine! Go then! LEAVE! Go back to your daddy and play the perfect little boy. Make yourself miserable for the sake of people who don't even think about your happiness! Go and marry a woman you will never love because your family decided she was a better match for you. Go and break your promise to me. After all, I wasn't on the agenda, was I?”

Sakura’s wrath was unleashed upon him, shattering his being a little more with each word. But it was probably what she said next that killed him completely.

“You're a fucking liar! A hypocrite! You're just a little boy desperate for his daddy's approval, a daddy who wouldn't give it to you even if he was on his deathbed. You've always given in to their whims; and I thought that with me, you'd finally see what the world could be. What it could really offer you, not the twisted version of what your clan showed you! I've always been there for you. I've loved you through thick and thin. I've loved you and trusted you. I even loved you when your family treated me like a pest. I turned my back on people for you. People who kept telling me that you'd end up leaving and like a fool I defended you: "Itachi would never do that to me." " he loves me. " "he promised" "he's a man of his word" Man of his word, my ass!”

She angrily wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve.

“I hate you. I.hate.you. I FUCKING HATE YOU..."

her voice broke again, the tension heavy in the air. She felt like throwing up, her heart ached and she wasn't sure she could see anything but a blur with the stream of tears running down her cheeks despite her veiny attempts to wipe them away.

“Get out, get out!!” she cried, pushing him out, her lover witnessing her hysteria, his onyx eyes shining with unshed tears. Probably as devastated as her, even if he was the reason for this in the first place.

“Please, baby… We don't have to part on bad terms. I care for you ; I want us to…”

She laughed then. A laugh that sounded more like a sneer than anything else. How dare he? How could he still use pet names? She was no longer his baby or his love. And yet, she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her heart skip a beat every time she heard him call her that.

“Trust me Itachi, one day you’ll regret it and when that day comes, don't bother to come back, because I won't be here anymore.”

When the door was slammed in his face, he heard through the door the heartbreaking sobs of the woman he loved so much and would probably love forever. After a minute or two Itachi felt moisture on his cheeks and realized without much surprise that he was crying. He ran a hand over his face to try to wipe away his tears and whispered in a broken tone:

“I already do.”

#itasaku #uchiha itachi x haruno sakura #itachi x sakura #sakura haruno #uchiha itachi #naruto modern au #sakura angst #itachi angst #naruto #itachi uchiha #haruno sakura #hurt/no comfort #heavy angst #screaming crying throwing up #naruto fandom #Spotify

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thunderous-wolf · 3 days

Text

L.O.V.E#

Installment 3 of my series of "Thoughtz"

Note: "Thoughtz" is a compilation of drafts of fanfic that I've had in my notes for a while. They're unedited and most are unfinished. Since I do not feel motivated enough to finish them, I'm posting them all for you to read. Enjoy~

Pairing: Rock singer Minho × fem!reader (no relationship as of yet). Strangers to Lovers trope

Plot: Your friend drags you to a concert of some stupid band that you've never heard of - except, it's not so stupid if the lead singer is hot...

Warnings: none

Word count: I don't know, but probably somewhere between 500-1k

a/n: I lost interest in this story pretty quick, so it stops early on. HOWEVER, if this gets enough attention, I may be persuaded to complete it.

And as always, feel free to comment.

Please DO NOT copy, translate, or steal my works.

It was the last few weeks before school started up again, and you wanted to enjoy every last bit of it. You were planning to go out of state and visit some old friends since 1: you haven't seen them in what feels like forever, and 2: you're single, so there's nobody (other than you're friends who were almost all on vacation somewhere) holding you back from going anywhere. You had this all planned out and were already preparing for the trip when Jennie, you're one friend who is not on vacation, texts you.

Jennie: Hey! I need a favor...

You: What did you do?

Jennie: I didn't do anything this time, I swear! I just need you to come with me to the VENOM concert at JYPark next Saturday. Everyone else is on vacation, and I don't want to go alone! You HAVE to come with, I don't know what could happen if I went alone!

You: I was planning on leaving to go out of state next week to visit some friends. I don't think I'll be back by next Saturday. Plus, I don't even listen to VENOM's music, or know who they are

Jennie: It doesn't matter, I just need someone with meee! PLEASE come with! I'll owe you a favor!

You: ...

You: Fine.

Jennie has been your friend since you could remember. You had to admit, she did have a somewhat selfish side, but she'd been with you through the thick and thin, and you've developed a soft spot for her. You hastily texted your friends that you'd have to cut the trip a little short because something popped up. They understood and were happy that they'd atleast get to see you.

~TIME SKIP~

You arrived back home the Thursday before the concert. You spent the next days until the concert unpacking, relaxing, and getting settled back in to your schedule. Jennie was filling you in on some basic info about VENOM over texts, and you could tell she was very passionate about them. From what you've gathered, VENOM is a rock band boy group with four members. Chan, the eldest, was the bass player. He apparently had an accent that was "super sexy". Minho was the main singer and keyboardist with "amazing dancing skills that aways captured your attention like a magnet". Changbin was the drummer and was "absolutely stunning and totally kissable" as Jennie had said. Last but not least was Hyunjin, the youngest, who was their guitarist and a "complete heartthrob".

You didn't know exactly how accurate Jennie's descriptions were, but atleast you knew some names. They started the band a couple years ago - was it 2? 3? You hadn't really cared enough to remember - and they've been playing at bars, parties, and small festivals ever since then. They weren't outstandingly popular, but they did have enough popularity to have all of their concerts packed. Their music had to be pretty good then, right?

When the day of the concert came, Jennie excitedly appeared at your door at 8 am. She was already dressed up in as flamboyant of a outfit that you have ever seen. You could tell she took her time on her look. She must have woke up early, but she certainly didn't show it. She had more energy than you.

"You look like you just slept for two days in the luggage compartment of an airplane! Go grab a cup of coffee to wake you up and quickly get back here! We need to get you ready to go by 11!" She said, almost talking a mile a minute. It was hard for your half asleep brain to keep up with her.

"11 o'clock?! The concert isn't until 2!" You said, alarmed. She shooed you into the kitchen towards the coffee machine.

"We're going to the sound check, dummy." She said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Instead of replying, you directed all of your focus (and energy) to making that cup of coffee.

When you came back to your room with the mug in your hand, you found her ruffling through your closet with one hand while the other held an array of clothing.

"Ah, there you are. Are you feeling more green or purple...?" She said, more to herself than to you as she held the clothes up at you. After looking between you and the clothes for what felt like an hour (it was really only a minute), she nodded her head with a huff and got back to ruffling through your closet.

Seeing as she's distracted, you go find your phone to see if you got any messages from your friends. Almost as if sensing your presence, your phone dings from a notification. You pick it up to see that Felix, who also like Jennie, has been your friend since childhood. You used to hang out with him all of the time before you and Jennie went to a different school/college than the rest of your friends.

Felix: Thank you once again for visiting us! The cookies we baked together are already gone... I've got to keep Jisung from eating them all ;) Is everything going alright with you, Sunflower? I know you had to leave early but, I just never got to ask why.

You: I told you you should've hid them from Jisung! I'm doing all right. I had to with Jennie to some concert - she's just being high maintenance as usual, lol

Felix: That's sounds like her. Whose concert is it?

You: Some band called VENOM apparently. I've never heard of them before.

Felix: VENOM? From what I've heard, they're pretty good. My sister went to one of their concerts once with her friends. She actually enjoyed it and she doesn't even like rock music

You: They must be pretty good then

You found yourself saying that quite a bit lately. You didn't know how much faith you had in Jennie's words, but Felix's comforting texts made you feel a little better. He had an incredible skill for soothing people, and that was what you missed most during your school here, along with his warm smile that seemed to light up the whole room. Jennie's voice broke you from your reverie.

"You took a shower last night, right? Well, just put the clothes on that I laid out on your bed and use that perfume I gave you. Be quick too! It's already 8:15 and I have to have enough time to perfect your makeup!" She shouted from presumably the bathroom, where all of your makeup was kept.

She picked out quite the outfit for you. It had a mix of greens and black with silver accents and it gave off the "single and ready to mingle" vibe. It was surprising how she pulled it together, as it was definitely not your style and your clothes closet reflected that. Reluctantly, you put it on and once you looked in the mirror, you had to admit, you did look pretty hot in it.

Jennie was already waiting for you when you made it to the bathroom. She had the counter set up as her workplace, with an assortment of products placed about. She looked at you with your hairbrush in one hand and curling iron in the other.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare like a goldfish or what? Get over here." She said and immediately got to work.

After quite some time, she finally let you look at your final look on the mirror. You were very shocked. You didn't quite look like you, but you looked good - and you liked it. Your now slightly wavy hair framed your face perfectly, and your eyeshadow perfectly complemented your outfit. It was a job well done by Jennie.

"Watcha think?" She said, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"I can't even... wow, just wow. You're incredible, you know that?" You respond, still in awe.

"Oh, I know. You'll thank me later." She said. "Now we've got to go, it's 11:05."

Before you could respond, she hurriedly walked down the hallway to your door and put her shoes on. You followed her and did the same. You felt a little sick to the stomach and you couldn't tell if it was from nervousness or excitement.

Having finally made it to JYPark, you see why she insisted on leaving an hour early. The traffic to get here was out of this world, and the park was crowded with VENOM fans - known as "Oddinary" or "Odds" for short, according to Jennie. *She's got that right. They all are odd. * You thought to yourself. Gazing out at the crowd that surrounded the stage, there was what felt like hundreds of people, each adorned with some piece of VENOM merch paired with brightly colored hair or makeup. For a rock group, their fans looked more like modern pop stars gone wrong.

The concert was set at a plaza in the middle of the park, with trees and well taken care of flowers circling the plaza as far as you could see. Above you was the large expanse of sky that had to be breathtaking at night. Despite the rowdy crowd and stage lights, it felt peaceful here, putting your mind at ease. That peace was short lived.

A commotion broke you out of your stupor, drawing your attention - like many other's- to the stage once more. By the screaming of the fans closer to the stage, you could infer that the band was going on stage for their sound check, whatever that was. You had no clue why Jennie insisted on coming early for it when she was already going to their two and a half hour long concert, but you were just along for the ride.

One by one, four figures appeared on stage. The first crossed to the back of the stage and went up a ramp that led to a higher platform which held the drum set. You tell from here that he was no stranger to the gym. You could see why Jennie called him "absolutely stunning and totally kissable". By the way her face lit up, you figured she had a thing for this drummer. While he was adjusting the drum set, the next figure crossed to the far right of the stage. He picked up the bass that was sitting on its stand behind him and plugged it into the machine on the floor infront of him that held an array of buttons and pedals that did who knows what. The next person caught your eye the moment he came on stage. It wasn't because he had outrageously dyed hair, or an overly bedazzled outfit, but his stage presence seemed to allure you. He had a confidence that made it seem as if he'd been doing this his whole life - and maybe he has. Jennie didn't give you much background information on them, so you had no clue. He truly looked like a professional up there, with each movement purposeful and graceful. He had this charm about him that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

You were so enraptured with him that you didn't notice the fourth member get on stage. His hair drew your attention from - what was his name, Min.. Minho? The guitarist's hair was blonde, much like Felix's, and you suddenly felt keenly aware of how much you missed your good friend. He used to take you to all sorts of new places around town, and it feels almost wrong not to have him here with you even though it's been several years since you had an outing with him. Just the two of you, in a sea of new faces, facing it together. It made you miss your carefree middle school days (even though they may have been embarrassing) where you would explore the city together, sometimes getting in trouble, but never truly facing many repercussions.

#stray kids #skz #thoughtz #bang chan #bangchan #skz x reader #skz bang chan #skz minho #skz lee know #lee know #stray kids lee know #stray kids lee minho #hyunjin #changbin #rock band au #strangers to lovers

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hurlumerlu · 4 months

Text

I find it quite simple

a little Not Me fic about Gumpa and Black (sort of) bonding over being older siblings :

It was an evening like many others. Yok and Gram had already left, Sean with one of them, or both of them, or off to one of Namo’s haunts, leaving Gumpa to clean the table like a dissatisfied housewife. Except this time, Black was still here.

"These fuckers, I swear," he said, contemplating the wasteland of dirty plates and empty bottles, unlit cigarette already firmly in mouth. "This is how you can tell they’re all only children."

Gumpa almost pointed out that Black generally didn’t stick around to help either, but decided against it : the kid talking about anything else than their next move was a rare enough occurrence. Better not nip it in the bud.

"I don’t know about that," he mused instead. "My younger brother has three siblings and I don’t think he’s picked up after himself even once in his life."

"That’s what elder siblings are for."

"Ha ! Good thing my sisters didn’t see it that way. I would have gone mad, always taking care of a four-people mess all by myself."

"Aren’t you taking care of a five-people mess right now ?"

"You’re helping me, aren’t you ?"

Black snorted. They’d brought the dishes to the courtyard and set out to clean them. "So, you’re the eldest of four ?"

"Two sisters, one brother. You ?"

"Eldest too, by an hour. He took his sweet time."

"A twin ?"

"You think ?"

"Okay, smartass." He flicked water at him. Black rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The heat of the day had lessened, and the night air was companionably warm – the silence too.

It remained that way until they were back inside, cigarette smoked, dishes stored, table wiped, and Gumpa took two beers from the fridge.

"About what we do," asked Black. "Do your siblings know ?"

Gumpa opened his bottle and swallowed a mouthfull. It gave him some time. "No. No one does. A few years ago, my sister – the oldest – was arrested for helping women get illegal abortions." He tensed despite himself, bracing for the usual comments and questions, but Black didn’t talk. He just kept looking at him with the aggressive focus typically reserved for their plans. "As you can guess, this was a pretty hard time for the family. Harder for her, of course, she’s not done building herself back up, but – if I can save my parents some worries over another child… I have to try, at least."

"But you didn’t tel your sister either. The oldest, I mean."

"Nah." He couldn’t help but smile. "She’d try to help."

To his surprise, Black was smiling too, and raised his beer in an I’ll-drink-to-that gesture. It seemed as good a time as any to pry.

"And your brother, does he know ?"

The smile vanished like it’d never been there.

"We were separated," Black said, after a long enough moment that Gumpa had wondered if the conversation was over. "When our parents divorced. Father took one, Mom the other. I tried to write, but I assume they intercepted my letters – don’t ask me why, I won’t answer. And don’t tell me that’s fucked up because I already know."

What was there to reply to that ? Gumpa took another beer and held it out. Black nodded curtly.

"I don’t want him anywhere near all that anyway. He’s not like me, he’s..." He gave a vague handwave, leaving it for Gumpa to figure out. Softer. Fragile. Better, maybe, as in worth more. "It’s ugly here, and it’s only gonna get worse."

There they were.

"Things getting worse, is that why you didn’t leave tonight ?"

"Nothing gets past you."

"Come on, Black."

"My roommate, my – the guy I’m crashing at, I told you about him."

"Todd."

"Hmm. He’s more crooked than I believed, I think. Or exactly as much, but I’m only facing it now."

"Black..."

"I don’t need comfort. I don’t need your input at all. I’ll deal with him if I have to, and that’s the end of it. Understood ?"

"Normally I’d tell you off for bossing me around under my roof, but you get a pass this time. Understood, I won’t meddle."

"Thanks."

"Don’t make me regret it."

"Oh, piss off."

The impulse came, unexpected : to ruffle the younger man’s hair, give him an embarassing hug. He didn’t indulge. They weren’t brothers.

"Gumpa ?"

"Yes ?"

"Can I stay here tonight ? I’ll sleep on the couch, and I’ll be gone first thing in the morning."

You can stay as long as you need, he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure it would be well received.

"Sean might not even come back tonight. You could sleep in his bed."

"I’d rather gouge my eyes out," replied Black quite genially, and they went back to their drink.

"I met your brother the other day."

Black, of course, doesn’t answer.

"Kid just showed up at your uni, all dressed like you and ready to poke his nose into everything. He’s in over his head, and scared shitless, but he holds on for your sake. You should be proud."

Gumpa sighs. He can’t stay long – it was a bad idea, coming here, but he had to.

"I don’t know who told him about you. And I don’t know how to convince him to trust us. But I’ll look after him, you have my word. I’m trying to make him stay at the garage. Let’s hope he’s less of a loner than you."

He rises. There is nothing more to say, nothing more to do. No point in ruminating his failures. He still looks back before he lets the curtain drop.

"If he does take me up on the offer," he says. "I’ll make him room with Sean. With any luck, that’ll piss you off enough fo you to wake up."

#black & gumpa #mayyyybe black/gumpa if you want to read it that way #*pointing at gumpa* this man has siblings you can't change my mind #not me the series #nmrewatch23 #title is like that because the wife objected to me calling the fic 'brother complex' so take it up with her i guess #mine

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briefalpacashark · 1 year

Text

Family Dynamics

=Neytiri=

Neytiri bonds with you on a level Kiri does not. You are exactly like your mother. Fierce and strong. Kiri had never shown much interest in what her mother does. You on the other hand were often stuck to your mother's side.

The villager would often smile as they saw you walk past trailing behind your mother holding firmly onto her tail so as not to fall behind.

She hated to admit it but in your younger years, you were definitely your mother's favorite. You were a calm baby. Easy to handle. And with Lo’ak fussing all the time she was glad for that.

She taught you how to braid your hair.

She also likes braiding your hair while she tells you the story of how she met your father for the millionth time.

She's a firm parent but she is always understanding.

When you were a baby she would simply hold you singing you a lullaby as you played with her braids.

She taught you how to use a bow and ride a direhorse. (since you learned both rather quickly she would mutter under her breath that you didn't get those skills from your father)

She doesn't have a nickname for you, your name is filled with more love and meaning than any other word to her.

=Jake=

Jake has always had a soft spot for his girls. You were no different.

He takes on the real american dad stance with his girls. When it comes to his girls he views all opposite sex as a threat.

Whenever he looked after all four of you, Kiri and you were always in a sling on his chest while the boys were on his back.

He always had to run after you, always had to search for you when you wandered off to go exploring.

Due to this you spent most of your time in his arms.

When you were fussy the only time that would calm you down was being laid on his chest.

When you were older he taught you all his military fighting experience he had. His reasoning when asked why he was doing this by your mother was “so she can beat the shit out of anyone she wants,”

He sees Tom and himself in you and Lo’ak. Lo’ak being his reckless self and you being responsible and smart like Tom.

He calls you nosy nelly teasingly and sweetheart affectionately.

=Mo’at=

She see’s alot of her eldest daughter in you.

She was the proudest of you when you decided to become a storyteller. A great honor among your tribe.

While your spiritual connection with Eywa was nothing like Kiri, she could sense that your understanding was on a deeper and more silent level.

You understood things quickly, meaning she couldn't fish out enough information to keep up with your consumption.

Since you were always getting hurt she would see you in the healer's hut at least once a week.

She would scold you slightly but always with a smile.

She loved how your eyes shone in wonder when she told you a new story.

She loves how you appreciate the small things in life.

She would often say you were an old energy. A soul that had been returned to Eywa many times.

You were also the only grandchild that asked to meet her mate. Something that made her favor you slightly more than your siblings. (she loves you all equally though)

She affectionately calls you “My little wise one,”

=Neteyam=

You were his first little sister. Kiri was only a month younger than him so she wasn't that much younger.

When Lo’ak and Kiri would argue you both would give each other raised eyebrows.

You never fought. The closest thing to a fight you two had was when he accidentally hissed at you after you accidentally stepped on his tail. You cried which in turn made him cry. You both cried most of that day. (granted you were only four and five at the time)

Then Lo’ak teased the both of you because of it. Then you and Neteyam vowed to only ever cry in front of each other. A silly promise made by kids that carried on when you grew up.

Neteyam only ever cried in front of you. You understood him in a way nobody else could.

Mo’at would often joke that you and Neteyam were supposed to be twins.

Neteyam trusts you unconditionally.

You both took up the role of looking after your siblings, Neteyam physically and you emotionally.

You both would often be dragged into Lo’aks stupid decisions.

He only even voiced his worry and burdens to you. Because you knew when to listen and went to speak.

You both showed your weakest selves to each other.

He affectionately called you “Little sister,”

=Kiri=

You two were very close.

You were the first one to find out about her gift. You were the first person she told.

She loved how in awe you were of her gift. You would constantly ask questions and she was more than happy to tell you everything about it. You kept her secret for seven years.

In her moody teenage years she was happy to have you around. Because you knew when to talk and when she simply wanted someone to be there for her if she needed.

When she was mad you would walk up to her and sit down resting your back against hers as you occupied your hands with a task. You would hum a song and it would calm her down immensely.

Whenever you found her staring at her hand’s wondering why she was different you would take her hands and pull her away to distract her.

Kiri loved how you understood her, even without words.

When she was with you she wasn't such a moody teenager.

There was a time where Kiri struggled with the fact that she wasn't a real child of Neytiri and jake. All her worries were washed away by you and a simple sentence. You said “Family isn’t blood. It's the love we have for one another,” You were seven when you said that but it has stuck with her, her whole life.

You would cheer her up by bringing her favorite food.

She teasingly calls you "Nerd", affectionately she calls you “little nin”

=Lo'ak=

As twins you two had an unspoken bond.

You could always tell each other's emotions.

You had twin telepathy to a certain extent. You could understand the direction of the other’s train of thought.

Yet you butted heads with Lo’ak the most out of all your siblings. Yet you could never really stay angry at him longer than an hour or so.

You two were often seen together, Lo’ak would often try and explain and teach stuff to you that you already knew. You didn't tell him though. You let him have his fun.

He would find entertainment in trying to get a reaction out of you. Which meant he would annoy you for hours on end. He only even made you break your composure three times. All which resulted in a visit to the healers tent.

Lo’ak always insisted on sparing you. Each time he would believe he would win and each time he would have his hopes crushed.

He liked competing with you because unlike Neteyam, you actually lost sometimes. (You let him win)

When he was bored he would seek you out and just converse with you about anything and everything.

You would often race your Ikran’s any chance you got.

Lo’ak would secretly ask you to train him if he wanted to learn something new. He wasn't as embarrassed if he failed in front of you compared to the other members of the family.

He teasingly called you “Ninny, or womb buddy”. Affectionately he called you “Little twin”

=Tuk=

She absolutely adores you. You are the best big sister in her eyes and she's not afraid to say it.

Jokingly the family would ask her who her favorite was and seriously she would say you.

She views you as a goddess that can do no wrong.

She wants to be like you when she grows up.

She's constantly trailing behind you or helping you with things.

She spends most of her free time practicing braiding on your hair. (Which you leave a section out for her)

She loves to hear you sing. Sometimes refusing to go to bed without having heard a song from you.

She often piggybacks on your Ikran when you go for flights.

She loves your scars having names for each one.

She affectionately calls you “NinNin,”

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