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Okay so trans pregnancy Spider won my poll - thank you to the one person who told me who should carry lmfao - but it was a close tie. Consider this canon to the little universe but I think I'll try to write the incubator baby headcanons too cause it was really frickin close lmao
TW: Trans pregnancy, mentions of sex, medical stuff
So Ningni was not planned to say the least
Penetrative sex for Spider and Rotxo is...a process to say the least
Rotxo is double Spider's size and lets just say biology is proportionate. Hence, the build up is nothing to rush through and with three kids, it's a luxury they don't get often
Plus, with their differing biology, they never really paid mind to reproduction between them
Sure it was theoretically possible but they didn't linger on it all so much
Rotxo may have thought about a baby of their own biology but it was too much a health risk and he was never sure how Spider would do. He didn't ask, wouldn't, but...maybe he dreamed sometimes
That said...maybe protection wasn't always at the forefront of their minds
Spider finds out he's pregnant after Kiri starts getting an odd sense around him, she eventually visits the ancestors for advice and is informed their brother needs to see a Tsahik immediately
They bring Spider to Tsireya first, not wanting to alert anyone with how precarious the situation might be, and she is the one who affirms Kiri's information
It scares the shit out of him
Tsireya and Kiri keep the information quiet but they won't for long - namely for his own health
Abortion isn't really a thing in Na'vi culture - mating is for life, something that means even unplanned pregnancy or teenage mishaps are between a mated pair. Medical intervention occurs but an unwanted pregnancy is nearly unheard of
Children are a blessing from Ewya - while unplanned or untimely pregnancies may happen, it's not often and it's not like it is on earth. One doesn't have to leave everything behind to be a parent.
Still - come hell or high water, no one will take the choice from Spider
Tsireya takes Anea and the boys that night, Spider pulling Rotxo into the water for a late night ride to tell him
Honestly, Rotxo didn't predict shit, homie got blindsided
Spider cries, a mixture of terrified, hopeful, and sick all coiling in his throat, and tells Rotxo that they might have messed up
He tells him of Kiri's odd feelings, how a woman Kiri didn't know told her that he was blessed, that the next generation is growing, and how Tsireya confirmed he was with child.
Rotxo is thrilled but guiltily so, terrified for what it could mean for Spider and for their family.
It's a long talk about whether or not they have a choice here - Spider hasn't even told Norm or been formally checked out - but they opt that, if it can be done safely, Spider will carry the pregnancy to term
It's not an easy decision - Spider wants the baby, at least, he thinks he does, but carrying the child to term could be a painful experience, dangerous to his body but also his mind. Growing up with intersex being the standard meant that pregnancy wasn't a female thing, but he's human, and he knows the difference
the dysphoria of the coming months will be harsh and he knows it'll bother the limited medical transitions he's been able to make
With Norms help, he's more androgynous than anything by human standards and he's been able to become comfortable in himself - pregnancy will send it reeling back
Then, there's the side of how painful and dangerous a pregnancy might become
He knows how different his body is and he knows that this won't be easy
But...Ewya blessed him
It's what he's wanted his whole life and he won't give it up now
Rotxo will be at his side and so he decides to do it
His pregnancy is the scientific question of the ages that Norm thought he discovered each time one of the Sully kids walked in his lab, but an organic Na'vi and human child is more than a little unexpected
The baby is studied closely, the growth an alarming thing when na'vi size is taken into consideration. Afterall, a newborn Neteyam was about the same size as a one year old Spider
Unfortunately for Spider, this means a good six months of bed rest
Fortunately for him, he has three very excited children
Anea tries to find out everything she can about his pregnancy. Given he has to spend it's duration in the hut, she spends most of her time with him where they can both breathe and she can help
She becomes his little helper - gathering supplies so they can prepare things for the baby, getting him food, books, and entertainment, and helping him get around as the pregnancy continues and movement gets difficult
Wialik patrols the hut, much to Rotxo's amusement, and tries to protect his uncle and sisters. From what, he couldn't say, but Rotxo finds it insanely amusing
Wialik also ends up collecting pieces to make beads, working with surprising patience to start their newest additions songcord with his family. He enlists Astayì, Kiri's oldest, and makes little figures like a child born in the Ash clans would receive. He claims it's to help his knife skills but they all know better
Vipeì writes stories and lullabies for the baby
He's little, only about 6, so Tsireya and Neteyam help him with learning songs and teach him stories to tell
He works with Rotxo too to make clothes, both for Spider and the baby
This being the first baby they had real time to prepare for, Rotxo goes a bit overboard in getting things together
He and Vipeì make Spider clothes to help conceal his chest and make new shawls that knit over his shoulders
They also make a frankly obscene amount of baby clothes and blankets, anything that a human-Na'vi child may need - a bed for the marui and one for the hut, clothes for any sort of temperature intolerance, and toys galore
By 6 months in, Spider is bedbound entirely. He's sick, drained, and craving things he can't even eat. His body is beyond heavy and he relies a lot on his family to help him - it's a lot of time spent with his brothers teasing, Tuk's mischief, Kiri's support, and even Neytiri and Jakes care.
Norm monitors him constantly in the last few months before it's decided that intervention is needed - he'll be in serious danger if they let him continue.
Ningni is born 8 months into Spiders pregnancy, something that was a risky decision on all sides. Quite simply, she was too big for him to carry much longer and her needs were difficult to predict when her species wasn't even something they could guarantee
She's a pale blue, appearing a few shades lighter than Rotxo (something her brothers claim comes from them) with tiny blonde curls. Her hair is starkly human, something Spider fears and Rotxo loves. She combines them in the face in a way they're both proud of, but her eyes are big and brown and neither of their own. Paz had to leave her mark somehow
Ningni is tiny for a Na'vi but frankly appallingly large for human standards
Spider is on bedrest for several months and then on limited action after, but Ningni is thankfully born able to breathe both human and Pandoran air
She's clearly blessed and accepted easier than her family thought she'd be (though most of the clan hopes she's the only of her kind)
Her lungs can breathe both her parents air, her body tolerates food of both cultures, she has the extra fingers of humans, the enhances sense of Na'vi, and the flexibility of humans. Her strength is a bit lesser than a true blooded Na'vi, but she's astonishingly well adapted
As she grows, she's sort of an oddball like her Auntie Kiri was
She's in tune with the world around her but rambunctious and mischievous like both her fathers
She's a bit of a jack of all trades - choosing to do everything and nothing all at once
She's the type of kid that need constant supervision and both Jake and Norm smugly say she is much alike Spider was as a child
Due to Spider being with her near constantly in her younger years, she's very close to him but Rotxo is - very proudly - her hero
okay okay so I have thoughts and want opinions on what ya'll want for the last kiddo
Avatar baby - (A lovely suggestion where the munchkin is made of their DNA and grown like an avatar body)
Bio baby - Someone carries the baby (pls comment your preference, this one would take some finagling but like intersex Rotxo and trans Spider are both canon in my lil universe so i feel the need to add it
Random adoption - baby just fucking ,, showed up, parents aren't overly important but Rocorro raise her
Specific adoption - Similar to the boys, she's adopted from someone specific
pls comment or send asks with y'alls thoughts, I'm v curious about what y'all think
In order to build up their forces, Jake begins reaching out and visiting some of the other clans. As they grow older, the kids end up acting as diplomats
Spider ends up on an extended stay with the Ash clans when he's about 17, a stay that influences him a lot in helping him to understand himself and grow in his comfort within his body
The Ash clans are a people of oddballs, some rejected from their first clans, others raised in the clan of outcasts, and all of them creating a clan focused on bettering oneself ]
He befriends a Na'vi named Rutu.
Rutu is an older, Ash-raised Na'vi with a strong personality
He's stubborn, straight-forward, but a goofball and relentlessly loyal
He basically corners Spider into a friendship, arguing that a good diplomat will stick around and make friends and that, as a warrior of the clan, Rutu is necessary to focus on
Truth be told, he's full of bullshit but loves to see how people tick. Spider, being human and 'damn near feral', he latches onto him until a tight friendship forms
He's mated to a traveler woman, Neipx, who is a nomad Ash woman. Being as she's gone so often, he spends a lot of time helping Spider and ultimately travels with him to some of the other Ash clans.
He is also the one who convinces Spider to mate officially with Rotxo and helps him to come to terms with his weaker body and shorter lifespan - he's missing a hand and has come to have no fear left of death
He convinces Spider that Ewya will take her children when she's ready - there's no point in fearing what cannot be changed, nor in living in fear when peace waits behind death
So when he gets a message that Rutu was killed in a skirmish with a stray human camp at the base of their mountains, he rushes there
Rotxo stays behind with Anea and the clans, wanting to travel with them but unable to safely with a 6 year old human
No one expects him to return with a 3 year old and an infant in his arms
Wiaklik is the older and Vipeì the younger; their mother was killed in the air raids and, with Rutu being lost so unexpectedly, they're alone
Spider didn't expect it but Rutu left a letter detailing his will for them should it come to it and wanted them to grow up to see the world as an adventure to explore as he did
So he sends them to Spider, to Rotxo, and hopes they can offer what he no longer can
He tucks them into their marui and sits on the beach for hours with Rotxo, sobbing and explaining who they were to one another. How, in another life, maybe they would have been one and the same. Finally, he admits that Rutu left the boys to them
Rotxo is scared at the premise but doesn't hesitate. He's worse about taking in strays so to speak and knew they would be theirs from the moment Spider carried them across the sand
They give the boys their family name, a wish Rutu gave so that they wouldn't feel as alone as Spider and himself did growing up
It's an...adjustment to say the least, but they make do
Wialik wants his Daddy, or his Mama, and doesn't understand why his Uncle Spy is here and they aren't
He becomes their trouble child
Even as he grows up, he doesn't always feel quite like he belongs, but he does love his family
He rebels, argues, fights, but he always comes home
He gets into more fights than Lo'ak over his Uncle and sisters humanity
Rotxo is Uncle Ro, Spider is Uncle Spy, and Rutu is Dad
Rocorro are his dads but he struggles with the name, seeing as Na'vi have better memory, and only really calls Rutu his Dad unless he's really upset
Surprisingly, he gets along well with Neteyam
Neteyam calms him easily and soothes his temper, he also helps Wialik to cover his rebellions up if he thinks he actually regrets the behavior
Wialik becomes a warrior to help him get a grip on his temper and his energy, when he can't do that, he hunts
He's one of the best in the clan when it comes to a spear
Rotxo is the one that helps him with controlling his emotions and Spider the one who helps him work through it
Despite his temper, he really does love his family and is fiercely protective
Especially of his baby brother and later sister
He tries to big brother Anea but she shuts that down real quick - smaller or not, she's the oldest
They aren't the closest, but they share their responsibility well
Vipeì is who he is closest to, even when their personalities are so different
Like his Dad hoped, he becomes an avid explorer when given the chance. Though he stays with the Metkayina, he spends a lot of his childhood exploring the woods when he can
It helps him feel more balanced
When he first comes home, he's fussy and when he leaves home, he's still fussy
Spider likes to point that out but he's secretly very proud of his sons backbone
He has a very bantering relationship with Spider
They both bicker constantly but it's their way of being close without having to get mushy (cause Wialik is 100% that teenager who can't say I love you)
Rotxo has a more laid back relationship with him and he's who he goes to for advice
He stayed up with him a lot when he was little and confused about his parents
Rotxo would sneak him away to visit the ancestors and hold him afterwards
Despite having not lost a parent, he has a good relationship with his moms and understands the love a bit better than Spider can
He's pivotal in helping Wialik come to peace with where his life is heading
Raising Wialik is the team effort for the ages
Vipeì is the opposite
He's a newborn when they adopt him and latches on to his Papa and Da
Wialik is his protector his whole life, but he's very close to Anea
He's soft-spoken and shy - more like his birthmother than Rutu
While most expect him to latch onto Rotxo, he's Spiders shadow
He doesn't really remember either of his parents as he was so young when he lost them
Wialik and Spider help keep the memories alive along with regular visits to the spirit tree, but he feels more like he's hearing about an uncle than his dad - the opposite to his big brother
Anea is the only one who knows those feelings
He was a very quiet, very cuddly baby
He wanted to be held near constantly
They have to carry him around in a chest wrap as soon as they're back to working
Spider works more on land and has to carry him more so there are A LOT of pictures of him with a child the size of his entire torso strapped to him
But he loves the water as soon as he's safe to enter it
He spends his childhood in the tide pools and with the ilus, who he grows up to care for a lot of
Similarly, he spends a lot of time making maps of the reefs, coast, and the travel routes Spider and Neteyam take on diplomacy trips (which he jumps onto as fast as he can)
He is very close to Kiri who pushes him to be a bit more proactive in defending himself and speaking up but also encourages how entranced he is in with the world around them and the places he goes
Homie is decent with a knife but looks like a toddler with a gun when you hand him a spear
It looks ridiculous and does even worse with it
His official job is mostly caring for the animals and gardens, but his mapping also takes up some of his adult life
Spider helps him with it a lot in his free time and will help him improve them while Rotxo is the one to help him plan out excursions and how to do them safely
He finds a mated pair he ends up with as a teen and travels with his mates once Spider is convinced he's a decent enough diplomat on his own (aka once he's sure he'll actually do diplomat things and talk to people rather than just explore)
He's a good big brother to their youngest sibling but does end up with a bit of baby brother syndrome
Overall he's a very laid back boy, he's responsible and their easiest child while his brother is their hardest
Neteyem and Ao'nung lead the Metkayina
Ao'nung becomes the Ole'kytan of his clan with Neteyam as his mate
Neteyam always planned to go back to the Omaticaya but he finds his home is with Ao'nung
It hurts him the most of his siblings, the forest always feeling like home, but he brings his culture to the oceans too
He and Spider cultivate and explore the forests along the coast
They aren't the same, but he helps them to expand
They create homes there where a few immigrants will eventually settle, but they also make themselves a little home in the trees
It's much like the one he grew up in and he and his siblings each have a hammock there
It's their safe place as a family
Ao'nung is his clan leader but he's this right hand, it's also the way they officially merge/ally their clans
The two have two kids
They have an oldest boy and a younger daughter, a parallel they both snicker at
Their boy takes after Ao'nung in personality but Neteyam physically. He's headstrong and stubborn, a trouble maker in a way that reminds Neteyam of Lo'ak
Still, they both work really hard so that he doesn't end up with the same pressure they both grew up with
Having an oldest son brought up a lot of painful memories but they work really hard to break the cycle
It takes a lot of healing but they get there
Their daughter, on the other hand, is a very laid back, very relaxed personality
Not much phases her
She's a strong diplomat but truthfully has little motivation to take on leadership, she's a complete opposite to her Dads but a refreshing reminder that war is over
She makes them slow down and enjoy their time again
They joke a lot that Ewya gave them their children to heal them just as much as they were to raise them
Spider mates Rotxo young, they're the second pair to officiate their relationship (Lo'ak and Tsireya are first)
Spider works a lot in dealing with the remaining humans post-war
All soldiers are forced back to Earth under threat of death. It's a scary change to Na'vi culture, but Jake ensures it's a must. The citizens of the colonies are treated similarly, the only exception being those with children
They're allowed the raise their children on Pandora until they can be sent back or they're to leave immediately with their children left behind
This is where is hurts Spider the most as it drudges up bad memories, but still, it's a must
He works in managing those sent back and those remaining. He helps them to adapt to Pandora and understand before they're sent to Earth
Similarly, he helps the fostered children left behind to understand the world they've been left on
It's coincidentally how he and Rotxo get their first daughter
Anea is the second child of the next generation and the second human born on Pandora. She becomes one of three born there. Spider and Rotxo adopt her at about 6 months
Their next children won't be for another 6 or so years when they adopt two Ash na'vi boys.
Spider becomes very close to the Ash clans during the war and they're the sons of a dear friend that dies in a skirmish a few years after the war (the end of the war doesn't necessarily bring immediate peace)
The boys take some time to adapt to their new lives and parents, but soon they have a little family of 5
The older boy is a lot like Neteyam and Ao'nungs oldest and they bond quickly, but the younger is much shyer
He becomes attached to Rotxo and so Rotxo often has to work with the younger boy as his shadow
Their last child is several years later and is a little metkayina girl. She's a lot like Tuk was and finishes off their little family
Spider spends a lot of time helping the younger children of the village and teaches them about Ewya with Kiri since he's unable to do some of the typical jobs
still, he works as a diplomat and helps Neteyam in exploring the coast
Rotxo becomes a warrior and works closely with Ao'nung as another level of support. He's a warrior and a diver, but volunteers at the cook fires regularly
Kiri is the last to mate but the first to settle into her calling
She takes after her birth mother as a teacher
Although she stays with the Metkayina, she spends many years traveling and visiting the other tribes. She helps them to connect with Ewya and explore the other cultures
When she settles, she mates to another Metkayina woman and raises a human son, the last human born on Pandora.
The child is slightly younger than Spider and Rotxo's Anea, but he is the last of his kind
She raises him with her mate but initially adopts him herself with her mate coming in when he's a few years old
Despite being able to fight and her experience in war, she doesn't lift her weapon again once the war finishes
She sets up schools her travels before settling down with her own, though she still goes on occasion to continue it on
She becomes a master storyteller and learns to be patient with the children, deciding to teach so that history won't repeat itself
Eventually, she also teaches about Earth
Her lessons cover anything and everything she can
She makes it her mission that stories will never be lost, not like when hometree fell
Lo'ak and Tsireya are the first couple to mate and the first to get together, much to Tonowari's disbelief
Tsireya becomes Tsahik and Lo'ak a warrior
It's a bit of chaos with them being mated and their older brothers being mated on top of also being Ole'kytan and Tsahik respectively but they make it work
They're probably the simplest couple and they just seem to fall into place
They have three girls, the oldest being an accidental pregnancy about a year into their relationship
All three are little menaces but both are absolutely wrapped around their fingers
The oldest has a few year age gap with the younger two but their youngest are barely a year a part
All three are very close and team up often with Spiders boys to cause trouble throughout the clan
Neteyam still has to clean up after his brothers and it seems the tradition passed onto his son with his cousins
They have a lot of trauma to heal from but they went through a lot of it together
They're one anothers rock
They boast about being the ones everyone goes to for relationship advice since they're been together so long
They were also the most experienced with babies aside from Rotxo because of Tsireya's youngest sibling
There was a brief period where Lo'ak had to lead the forest people for their father and it was probably the hardest part of their relationship
They were apart but also on opposite sides of handling it with Tsireya a healer and Lo'ak a fighter
In the end it did make them stronger though and it's what ended in their mating
Spiders love languages are acts of service and quality time
He spent a large amount of time alone and figuring things out for and by himself so having people put the attention on him is his weakness
He's embarrassed to admit it but he loves attention. Kiri is the only sibling to realize how much he'll preen under it and teases him for it relentlessly
Similarly, he's one to show his love by trying to help them and give them his time, however, the favor is only ever returned by his siblings. Hence, it gets him flustered to be the target of help or focus
Lucky for him, Rotxo is exactly this type
Rotxo's love language is also acts of service but also gift giving. He loves to make things for those he loves and puts his time towards them to show it
Much like Spider, reversing this onto him will fluster him to oblivion
Hence, their courting is the bane of all the kids existences
They're both usually in the background and so neither can handle it when they're brought to attention
Spider will go hunting for coastal animals for Rotxo since it's a rarer event in the Metkayina meals to have land food
He and his brothers take it upon themselves to help change that, but Spider will specifically snag cuts of meat for Rotxo since he loves to cook
He also makes Kiri help him find herbs and such similar to what they had a home which he helps Rotxo explore when he cooks
There's a lot of nights they end up eating scraps cause Spider isn't exactly the best one to show him how to cook. A, he has little talent for it and B, he couldn't eat half of what he grew up around
Rotxo ends up tentatively approaching Neytiri (who actually terrifies him despite him growing up with Ronal) to get help in cooking Omaticaya foods
She's adopted Spider at this point, but their relationship is still not nearly as close as it is with her other children so it's one of the ways she starts to mend that bridge
Rotxo and Neytiri bond over feeding their families and sharing their cultures recipes
Rotxo also puts more effort into finding human-friendly foods. He refuses to accept that his mate can't have the good foods he loves just because of some measly poison
Spider has accidentally been poisoned several times but doesn't have the heart to tell Rotxo to stop trying or to deny trying his creations
If they cook together, Spider is on chopping and cutting since he has the best knife skills and the least cooking skills
Rotxo is a solid chef but has a questionable palette at time and has made some rather interesting meals that only pass by the questionable tastes of teenage boys
By the time they're young adults, Neteyam and Tsireya have to step in and help them make better decisions
While Spider brings gifts from land, Rotxo likes to bring Spider gifts from the water
Even with his mask, Spider isn't able to get but so deep before the pressure bothers his head
He's a strong swimmer and keeps up normally but there's certain limits his human body can't breach
So Rotxo will dive for him and bring him little gifts
Shells and rocks are common for his braids or the jewelry he's now covered in but Rotxo also brings him little bottom-feeders so he can see it all. He'll bring the little creatures to show Spider before he'll thank them and return them
Spider just sits on his ilu or whatever rocks they've found and grins, watching this giant race to and from to show him whatever it is he's found this time
On the note of jewelry, they're both covered in necklaces, beaded clothing pieces, and bracelets that they've made for one another. shells, stones, bone beads, and whatever else they find adorn them both. Rotxo can't always wear so many in the water so he'll wrap his spear and daggers in them and leave the rest to decorate their marui. Spider, on the other hand, has most of his on at all times
It reminds him that he's wanted, that someone loved him enough to make them
Spider grew up working with some of the elders and mothers making garments for the clan and so he gifts Rotxo with belts and shoulder-guards he made with his cultures skills and Rotxo's styles and resources.
Neytiri has to help a lot, women is keeping them both together in a lot of ways
Rotxo sorts through his clothes to try and wear them all, he loves the feeling of being loves and shown off when he wears what Spider has made him
Gift giving between the two is constant
They also are one of the best teams when they work together
While other couples (Lo'ak and Tsireya) work together and struggle to get through tasks, they play off of one another constantly
They meet in the middle very well and are just very in tune with one another
With their jobs, Spider working among the clan or on the coast and Rotxo being a diver and warrior, they don't get to work together as often as they like so when they do, it's a sight
They're the type to finish one another’s task without care or notice. Both grew up as someone's right hand and being in the background so hard work is nothing new
Similarly, they're deadly as a duo
Spider will literally use Rotxo as a spring board and combine strength and agility in a deadly combination
They have each other's back at the end of the day no matter what
Everything comes back to wanting the other to never feel alone or unwanted
They just love to take care of one another man
Anea
Sorry this took so long, coming up on finals and it's been hectic lmao
They are 22 (Rotxo) and 23 (Spider) when they find their first daughter
Kids were a desire they hadn't sorted out yet - biology and the war were too in the way for them to even truly consider options (Rotxo thought about it a lot though, it was one of the ways he got through what was going on, imagining a little blonde na'vi or the kids they could adopt, uncaring of logistics or realism)
They find Anea when she is 6 months old
Bridgehead falls and the war is reaching it's conclusion with this being one of the last major battles. However, the people left behind are hardly peaceful and the repopulation efforts had begun
Most of the people are pregnant or came with older children in the case of repopulating citizens, however, a few had already had their children. As many that can be sent to earth are but, again, there's the question of what to do with the children left behind
Some will, again, stay with the children too young to travel but there's very little humans allowed to stay on Pandora - as such, there's few caretakers
Unfortunately, many of the children don't survive the war. Between attacks, illness, and accidents of a planet not made for them, the surviving group is limited to a small handful
Spider spends as much time as he can helping to foster and situate the children remaining - the copy of his own childhood sends him into a bit of a spiral
The difference this time is that his presence has the Omatikaya and Metkayina more prone to opening their arms to them
Part of him doesn't think he could let any of them go, but slowly they're taken into the families of those around him. Kiri takes one with her mate, some of their friends take others, but Anea somehow stays
He can't keep himself away from her but it scares him. Rotxo is there helping but he keeps them apart - scared of what facing the feelings would mean
He should have known better than to try
Rotxo scoops her up before he has a chance to one day, noting his mates attachment and wanting to confront what was happening
The little girl is tiny. She's 6 months old but barely reaches past his wrist and he feels his heart stop.
She's not scared of him, despite the fact that few Na'vi have interacted with her up to this point. Rather, she whines and nestles down into the warmth of his body. She's asleep before he can even reach Spider
He doesn't ask so much as tell Spider that it's time to bring her home
Rotxo is a very broad man, strong and muscled at this point in his life, but now he's reduced to a gushy mess over a little creature too young to care if she has him wrapped around her tiny finger
Norm is on cloud nine when they finally ask to adopt her
He knew they were going to take her the whole time - he practically raised the dumb fucks and he's tired of the skirting around, get his granddaughter a name and get on with it!
Kiri ultimately names her. They tell her the news and she melts, whispering Anea when she leans down to kiss the infants head
Naming her took some effort given their situation. Figuring out the family name, who would go where, etc was a little bit of a hassle since they wanted to respect Rotxo's family but make sure Spider was included
Ultimately, they use Socorro so she is connected to her humanity but Rotxo is the parents name they claim. She's human, but they give her a na'vi name so she never feels separated like her father did
And so, Anea te Socorro Rotxo'ite is born
Rotxo is 300% whipped for this little girl
He's terrified of hurting her but he's so beyond taken with her that he doesn't know how to function
Spider has to be the responsible parent who reminds him that she needs to be put down and that Rotxo can't stay in the shed 24/7 with them and he needs to go outside
While you might assume the tattooed warrior that will forever tower over this part of his family is the protective one, it's Spider
Spider didn't realize how lucky he was to survive his childhood until the others didn't
He takes protecting Anea to a whole new level and does everything in his power and beyond to protect her
Kiri thinks it's hilarious but is admittedly pretty bad as well with her own son, a slightly younger boy she adopted when they took in Anea
Anea and her cousin are raised in the shed behind Rocorro's marui until they're around 5 and able to wear a mask
When she's able to go outside, she takes after Spider a lot
She's a climber and an explorer, wanting to see and be in everything since she couldn't be before
Rotxo is the worst enabler and teams up with Lo'ak to get her into things she probably should not have access too
Surprisingly though, Tsireya is the one she chases after the most
Anea is a complete water baby and spends as much time as she can floating and playing in the water
Tsireya very proudly believes she is blessed by Ewya to show how she belongs with them, a diver through and through
Personality wise, she's very curious and can be headstrong but is kind of shy with new people since she grew up so sheltered
She's very comfortable with her clan but new people will have her in one of her dads arms or behind them in an instant
She's not a sickly child, but she has a lot of allergies and needs special food a lot
She is also asthmatic which was a very...intense day to figure out
She and Rotxo are close her entire life
As she gets older, she likes to study plants and helps maintain the reef
She takes a lot of interest in the science of pandora and ends up apprenticing under the aging scientists she grew up with
With some help from Ronal, Norm, Tsireya, and Kiri (a terrifying combination that scares the shit out of her Dads and uncles) she ends up working to combine some of Earth's science with the spiritual practices of Pandora
Despite growing up in the tail end of a war, she really isn't much of a fighter
She can defend herself but much prefers to stay concentrated on her studies where she can help it
With help from Spider, she has a much healthier connection between her humanity and her connection to Ewya
Physically, she's latina
Her family was Spanish
They know her mother and father were colonists but her mother is MIA in the documents they found and her Father died of illness shortly after arriving on Pandora
There are records of several siblings that returned to Earth and a brother that didn't survive
Rotxo is the one haunted the most by her family
She doesn't worry much over them, she only wishes she could have seen her siblings or could reach out to them
Spider is, surprisingly, more accepting of the mystery that is her biological family
He knows what it's like to wonder but has learned the hard way that blood only means so much
But Rotxo wonders where they are, if they watch over her, and feels like he lost a chance in never meeting her siblings
It hurts him that they're separated but the conflicts with Earth mean there's nothing that can be done
He never really stops wondering about them
He braids them into her songcord when she's little, smaller beads that dangle from the main cord before her adoption
She braids it into a half crown on her head when she's older
She has long, medium brown hair that reaches her mid back in waves. She braids it a lot but rarely sticks to one hair style for long
She has tan skin, freckles from the sun, and a honeyed complexion
Rotxo likes to joke that she has Spiders eyes
She's a very relaxed older sister and is truthfully very similar to Tsireya
However, she is a bit of a jokester with them like her Uncle Lo'ak or Spider when she gets wound up
She likes to team up with one of her Dads or uncles to play little tricks on her brothers or the clan - using new spices in their food is a favorite
She has ADHD and so Spider has to help her work out her energy a lot
That is, unless Rotxo uses it to make her spar with him
He loves that she's so peaceful but he's seen too much not to make her a strong warrior if it's called for
As per my last post on their kids, I said they want a lot of kids hence the higher numbers. If you have specific ideas please tell me!
spider and rotxo being dads??
Hi!
How did you know that kids are my weakness holy shit my dude
I have so many thoughts okay -
I feel like Rotxo has a giant family. Like he has his moms and then he's one of 8. He has like 3 older siblings, then him, and then there's 4 little ones.
He wants a giant family. Like, he's down to recreate his moms vibe, but having a human for a mate changes things. Spider wants kids but had 0 expectations, he's sort of just down for whatever he gets. Everything in his life is a blessing he didn't expect - he puts it all in Ewya's hands
I imagine they have a little human girl that was orphaned when they invade Bridgehead City. There aren't many kids there but there's enough; repopulation was always the goal of taking over Pandora. Most of those with children either choose to stay under Na'vi regulation or leave them to go back to Earth. The war is not over yet but this is the Na'vis first big win.
Rotxo is 22 to Spiders 23 when they find her. They feel too young but she's there and needs parents. The humans aren't handling the changes but so well anyway and Spider can't put her down. However, the decision is made when Rotxo picks up this infant (I imagine like 6 months old) and she isn't afraid. She's barely to his mid-forearm but she just coos and goes to sleep.
She's their oldest by a wide margin. I imagine after her, they pick up a couple of orphaned Ash Na'vi children, two boys.
The war is making orphans and its Spiders weakness. Rotxo is just down to collect kids at this point, he's just thrilled to have a family with his mate without having to have difficult conversations about finding a way to carry them. (I imagine they could have children with inter-sex na'vi and/or trans Spider but it would be harder and the size difference could be potentially very rough so like, it's safer to adopt and for once there are kids that need it (I feel like orphans are more of a rarity with Na'vi since all kids are a gift, orphans are normally taken by family and aren't as common to just happen))
I want other peoples thoughts on if they should have more? I kind of imagine at least one more metkayina girl but thoughts?? I will 1000% build on this if people are interested, you have no idea how much I have thought about this @tuberculosis-chic
please this was such a fun ask
Neteyam is gay. Like, no doubts about it, man is a homosexual.
That takes him a long time to admit though; his entire identity surrounded being the oldest and a warrior, it wasn't until he reached the Metkayina that he finally had a moment to breath and realize why Ao'nung was so distracting to him
It's like he can finally breathe, not even for the sake of questioning his sexuality and more so cause he finally feels like a piece of the puzzle clicked together
Homie has identity issues galore
It takes Jake back a bit to realize Neteyam is gay though, in part due to internalized earth stuff but also just because he has to admit that Neteyam is a teenager and still feels teenager things in a war
It's him realizing Neteyam only grew up in war, that its already been his childhood
Spider is demiromantic, bisexual, and trans. He has almost zero preference towards gender romantically or physically but feelings take a minute for him to develop. However, when they do, he falls hard
I love trans!Spider but don't use it all the time cause it's a process to work in canon
However, FTM Spider was sort of a clumsy coming out
Na'vi are intersex, it's very fluid, even if some still believe there should be some version of a binary
So no one quite understand why the humans are so strict on their genders or why it's such a big deal for Spider than he is a he and not a she.
He just sort of breaks down with Lo'ak and Kiri who panic and try to fix things. He thinks it's a big thing and no one really gives a shit, he's still the little stray human, but some of the older teens and stuff realize how much he cares and make an effort to make him feel good about it
He worries it'll make him more of a freak but he has a gaggle of siblings, and later friends, who reassure him that they couldn't particularly care less
His coming out is what triggers Kiri's
Kiri is an asexual lesbian who uses she/they pronouns
Unlike the romantic preferences, being asexual is a little bigger of a deal but Neytiri specifically will shut down anyone who gives her baby any shit
Being ace is a bigger thing because there is so much emphasis on intimacy and seeing one another, however, Kiri very passionately proves to anyone that she doesn't need sex to connect with anyone.
Lo'ak has actively gotten into fights to help when people start shit with them
Kiri didn't really have a sexuality crisis though
They just kind of knew, something her brothers are endlessly jealous of
Tsireya is her first crush though
Lo'ak is the one who gets it bad but Kiri admittedly fell hard for her
She was gorgeous and sweet, cared about the environment around them in a way no one their age ever seems to
Plus she stands up for her and Kiri wanted to show her what she sees so bad it made her stomach curl
But she stepped back for Lo'ak, as bittersweet as it was, she felt so good just enjoying the innocent feeling
It just felt good to have normal teenage feelings in the midst of a war
Lo'ak is bisexual, however, he would tell you he is Tsireyasexual
He is one track minded
The most loyal partner ever tho
Like, if you're his person, he is honed in
Being bi was never really a huge thing for him but he was the last one of all the teenagers to come out
He just forgot
He was sitting with Tsireya while everyone hung out and Tsireya pointed out a cute guy to him and they took in the view together while everyone kind of just ??? this is new?
It wasn't, homie really just forgot to tell people
It was a given to him
Funnily enough, he has the same taste as Kiri
Tsireya is not the first girl they both liked
While he is bi, he does lean mostly towards girls
He's a sucker for pretty
It's bad, Tsireya flutters her lashes at him and he'll do damn near anything
A simp (TM)
Tuk is too young rn to really care but when she's older, I think she's pan
People her age are much fewer and she just likes friends
Her first crush is Rotxo's little sister cause she keeps following him to hang out when Tuk is a preteen
She's hella obvious and all of the older ones think it's hilarious to tease her, she's worse than Lo'ak when he first saw Tsireya
She's bringing her shells and little flowers, trying to show off in games and dress pretty
Tsireya and Neteyam take mercy and help her get her act together but nothing comes of it
Once it starts tho she's a hopeless romantic
She has a new crush every other week of her early teen years but never gets to be a better flirt
She's a mini Lo'ak that way
He tries to coach her and says she didn't get it from him but it's obvious
Ao'nung is demi. He leans towards men physically but he is almost as bad as Neteyam in terms of thinking himself responsible for everyone
Tonowari tries desperately to break him of that mindset and Ronal is constantly trying to take pressure off of him but it's just in his nature
So he, like Neteyam, doesn't think about relationships much
He has, however, been a hopeless romantic with a laundry list of brief crushes over the years
He falls hard for Neteyam though when he arrives
Mainly because he finally feels seen, he's a big one on emotional connections
No one at home understands the pressure on him so when Neteyam shows up, shepherding siblings and standing as his fathers right hand, he doesn't know what to do
He tries to cover it up, worried still for the safety of his clan, and scare them off
A little selfish part of him was afraid of the feelings and wanted them gone
Clearly that doesn't work but, once they realize they both like one another, it doesn't take him long to latch on
He and Neteyam become close rapidly and fall into a relationship fast once things are started (a genuine surprise to literally everyone)
A very devoted partner; he learned from his Dad and takes being a good partner seriously
it took him a really long time to feel confident in himself so once he and Neteyam are together, he's devoted to becoming a strong partner to demonstrate a strong relationship to his partner
Metkayina are extremely family based and he will not let them down
Tsireya is pan
She has so much love in her she doesn't know what to do with it
Falls hard and fast, Ao'nung has spent years trying to keep her from falling for everyone who she connects just a little bit with
Actually did have a crush on Kiri too, though she had one on Lo'ak at the same time
Might by poly but she never investigates it
She's very spiritual and spends a lot of time with the ancestors so her partner needs to care too
Like she makes Lo'ak ask the ancestors for their blessing when she accepts his courting
He was scared shitless and got teasingly (?) threatened by her deceased uncle
She cares deeply about helping others to the point of being naive - she has gotten hurt before because of it so she needs some reassurances in relationships
Lo'ak is not her first relationship but he is the first really healthy one
She's prone to trying to fix people honestly, she doesn't get what she puts in a lot
However, when she does, she's a little angel
Gifts, cooking, help; whatever she can do to show her love she'll do
Wants to be Tsahik so she's terrified Neteyam will take the job
He lets her happily, preferring to be a line of defense for his people regardless
Rotxo has no clue what he is
He just knows he likes Spider
He's a giant softie
Like gentle giant himbo vibes but fiercely protective of his family
Very proud of his home and his heritage
He has two moms so sexuality wasn't really a big deal growing up, however, he just didn't really care
He just likes who he likes
He had a bigass crush on Ao'nung for a bit but later realized it was just a deep platonic love
Unlike most of the crew, he doesn't fall easily
Like he has had maybe 2 crushes his entire life
So falling for Spider is a shock
But he's just happy to find his feelings returned
He's a big provider type, likes giving gifts and taking care of his friends
He has a lot of issues about feeling useful and needed; he grew up in Ao'nungs shadow and so feels like he needs to fight to be seen
Hence part of how he and Spider bonded
While very gentle, he's very passionate about being a warrior once he finally feels like he has a reason to be
Does a lot of soul searching after the Sullys come
He still has a lot to learn about himself but feels much more at peace now that he doesn't feel like just Ao'nungs best friend
I've seen this before but he did his hair in the dreads to try and mimic Jake; no one ever really taught him how to maintain or care for his hair. After getting taken, his hair is in such bad condition they shave it to his scalp.
It grows back curly and darker than he expected. It takes a while to thicken but Kiri rubs salves and oils into his hair to help. When its finally back in decent shape she and Tsireya go to town braiding an styling it.
He ends up with longer hair eventually that is in Viking braids to the back of his head, then it's a messy bunch of curls down to his shoulders.
Once he is accepted into the family, Neytiri helps him braid in family beads to remind him that he's theirs now. It's small but she needs him to know she's there.
Tuk likes to collect shells and pretty stones to make jewelry and she ends up using some to braid into his hair - her other siblings don't let her but Spider can seriously not say no to her
He and Tsireya get along a lot better than anyone expected
After getting tortured and having to deal with so much so fast, her calming presence does really well for him. Plus, he has all the blackmail she could want on Lo'ak
They also are both secret gossips and will sneak away for "lessons" where they ride her ilu and talk shit
Rotxo takes a special liking to Spider and it freaks Ao'nung and Lo'ak the fuck out
Netyam (cause he's alive here bitch) is hovering constantly trying to make sure he's not getting bullied but they just genuinely vibe together
Rotxo has a crush on Spider and Kiri. They both know about him liking the other but not themselves.
Spider is demi/bi, Kiri is demi/ace, Lo'ak is bi, Neteyam is gay, Tisreya has no damn clue, Ao'nung is bi but closeted, and Rotxo is pan.
About half the younger na'vi love Spider cause funny little monkey boy and y'know, life is already weird and the other half woul lowkey drown him if left alone
That goes for Lo'ak too but that's just cause he's a little shit
Listen they're buddies
Rotxo has no clue what the hell he's supposed to do with this little demon when he shows up after Three Brothers Rock but he keeps showing up and he's actually kind of cool
He's like Lo'ak but slightly calmer?? He'll dive headfirst off the cliffs but he'll also sunbathe for 3 hours and that's the energy he needs
At first, their relationship is sorta tense; Lo'ak gave them a run for their money the first time they tried the mean girl routine but a few still try to pick on Spider
Seeing his siblings band around him and he himself attempt to bite and claw his way out of it is sort of his introduction to the group
(aka that's when he realizes they're cool, Kiri dragged Spider with them about a half hour after they got settled)
Meanwhile Spider lowkey thinks Rotxo is a little bitch tbh, it takes until Rotxo punches a guy for him to separate him from Ao'nung at all
Once they start actually talking its game over
Rotxo falls first but Spider falls harder
Spider grew up with absolutely 0 belief that anyone would ever be romantically interested in him and so he never really paid that stuff any mind
So when Rotxo tentatively offers him a courting gift, he has literally no clue why everyone is freaking out cause they're just bros???
But Kiri insists on braiding the little beads into the front of his hair and Rotxo damn near goes down when he sees his gift accepted
Listen he acts all big and tough but he's a big damn softie
Homie is a marshmallow
His next gift was a pair of woven gloves that honestly are absolute crap cause Na'vi don't normally need them but Jake may have quietly dropped that it could help Spider with riding
because yes, Jake is in on it and dammit he needs to make up for the lost Dad time
Spider thinks they're the shit and starts trying to make more pairs. At first, Rotxo thinks his weren't good enough until an even shittier pair ends up on his Marui in the morning
Kiri eventually sits Spider down to be like ",,, you know how na'vi courting is...right??"
But he thinks she is trying to get him to notice his feelings for Rotxo (which she is) and court him (she groaned so loud the birds flew away)
So they both start attempting to court the other, not realizing that the other already is
It isn't until Tsireya sits them down 3 months in and sounds it out for them that they realize anything
At that point though they just settle into a courtship filled with competition
Cause now someone needs to win
Gifts, lessons, help, etc fly between them to everyone's amusement and frustration
Eventually, Rotxo gets a little too confident and gets him a blend of herbs from Ronal that is not human safe and that's when they finally have to call it quits (Spider is adamant that almost killing your boyfriend means he won)
Rotxo is the second person that Spider tells what happened to him in his captivity
(Kiri was the first, they spent hours one night lamenting everything that happened with their feet in the water)
Unlike Kiri, Rotxo had no idea what the sky people are capable of
It's he who finally gets Spider to tell the Sullys, Tonowari, and Norm what happened
Rotxo trains him with Neteyam to get Spider's strength back up, trying to help him regain his abilities from before and feel capable again
Spider never really got real lessons on much of anything, it was all that Neteyam and Lo'ak taught him after Jakes lessons or the few times he snuck with them on a hunt
So his fighting style is a weird mix of instinct, forest techniques, and the military skills he picked up in Bridgehead
Rotxo thinks its hot lowkey but Ao'nung and Tonowari decide he needs real training
(Especially if he's gonna be a part of their clan someday)
Thoughts??? I have many
Anyway
Rotxo has identity issues and has a crisis when the Sully kids show up
They're different. They aren't of their people and they're weird - they have extra fingers, tufts of hair over their eyes, their skin is dark, their eyes the wrong size, their tails too thin - he could go on
Yet they're so proud
There's a sense of purpose in them, they aren't quite kids like he, Ao'nung, or Tsireya are.
It scares the hell out of him
He lashes out at Lo'ak and Kiri, goes for their weaknesses when Ao'nung does
He wants them to leave, take their war with them, and let his family stay safe and tucked away on their beaches
They don't, clearly, and yet he comes to care for them
They're freaks but they're his freaks
Tsireya coming home with blood on her hands, teary cheeks, and Lo'ak in her arms terrifies him. However much he grew up that day he thinks she did double
Ao'nung is suddenly fast tracking his apprenticeship as Olo'eyktan
And he's left behind
Spider comes with the worst day of his life thus far
He once would have gutted anyone who said he would accept a sky person in his home but so much has changed and he can't bring himself to do anything without Ao'nung there to lead him
So he throws himself into his training, wanting to stop what happened to him and his friends from ever happening here
If what happened in the forests happened here he thinks it would kill him
Then Jake convinces Tonowari to let them use a gun
Tonowari - the man who is practically a second father to him after growing up between his children, who hated this war more than anyone he knew, who barely let them use offensive moves before their 15th year - is scared for them
He's awful with a gun
Metkayina kids don't get to carry a gun, it's not allowed to be their primary weapon, it's only for emergencies, but he saw what happened to Neteyam and he needs to know how to use it
He's off in the woods along their beaches trying to practice. Training was over hours ago but he doesn't take to it like the older kids (he and Ao'nung are the youngest learning right now - they strong armed their way in and he thinks it broke Tonowari a little bit inside)
Every shot is just a little off, he can't get the target quite right
Metyakina are spear wielders, their weapons bring them close to their enemies and they use their strength to bring them down. Bows are a necessity but archers are few in the specialty: it's just not what they do
The gun is heavy in his hands, hard to balance and kicks back every time he tries to shoot
Why the hell a weapon bites the user he has no fucking clue -
"Brace your back foot. You're leaning too much, it's not a harpoon."
...
Rotxo will swear for the decades to come that he did not jump, fuck you-
Then the little sky-person is there
He met Spider when they brought him home
The boy was pale, thin beyond what he suspected was natural if the slight sway to his stance had anything to say. He was mottled in bruises and striped with scars but there was a feral strength in the kids eyes
He stuck close to the Sully kids, blended right into the little pack they made up
The other kids flanked him at nearly all times. He never saw the blonde alone and they seemed happy that way. The kid was haunted but he guesses they all are now
They didn't talk much. Lo'ak threatened him with raw fear in his eye that if he and Ao'nung even tried an ounce of what they did to him then peace talks and found friendships be damned, he'd make them regret it
Spider would hang out with them, but he didn't talk much. Most of the others still resented him. They feared him or hated him and Rotxo suspects he knew that
That said, he doesn't know what to do when Spider walks up and forces his gun down to his level
He moves his hands, steps back and adjusts his stance, then steps back with an approving nod.
"Alright. Aim a little lower, you aren't in the green. Shoot, it'll be better."
He hits the target in the neck, then the tree behind it. The gut the third time.
"Uh..thanks."
Aged up characters, sweet domestic fluff, mated couple, slice of life - Rotxo is about 25 and Spider 26
Rotxo X Spider Socorro Sully
Word Count - 778
______________________________________________________________
They sun has only begun to rise when Rotxo stirs. The early amber light is beginning to filter into the marui he has called home for nearly 8 years now.
He stifles a yawn and stretches his shoulders back with a satisfying crack. He's careful not to stir the warm body tucked into his side.
Spider isn't supposed to spend the night often, the shack a little ways from their home being for him to sleep in at night in order to keep his mask off for a few hours at least. Rotxo knows it gets uncomfortable at time and has seen the seemingly permanent indents on his lovers skin where it presses in.
Still, Spider is nothing if not stubborn and is hard pressed to make leave when he's decided he's spending the night. For a brief moment, he ponders scooping up the other man and making him return to the building the humans so kindly crammed into the limited space of Metkayina beaches, but the thought filters away as quickly as it came when Spiders eyes begin to crack open.
Gently, always gently - his hand is the size of his mates head, he strokes back the braids and curls that have fallen over his face.
He selfishly tries to lure the blonde back to sleep. He caresses the skin above the mask, stroking gently like he knows he likes after so many years together, and watches Spiders eyelashes flutter lazily.
Distantly, his ears swivel to pick up the sounds of the fisherman and cooks leaving the lazy warmth of their own homes to begin the day. Thankfully, and admittedly a bit smugly, he thanks Ewya for their marui's distance from the others.
Spiders shack needed more stable room than the majority of their structures could offer. As such, his marui was built a little ways back from the water in order to allow the couple the chance to share their home. The shack is only a handful of yards beside the marui with foliage tucking it into the treeline to remind him of his first home.
It is a bittersweet addition to be forced to keep the human they've known so long now separate, but they'll be damned if they don't reap the rewards.
"Ro?"
Internally, Rotxo sighs at the admittance that the day was unfortunately starting. Still, he can spare an hour before patrolling the nets and reef.
"Mornin', Nì’it fko."
Spider opens a judgmental eye and scoffs. Nevertheless, he burrows deeper into the larger mans warmth. A pale thigh wedges itself between his blue and soon he is on his back with the human splayed across his chest.
"The sun is just beginning to rise...we could spare an hour." He directs down a cheeky grin that only spreads at the matching one from his mate. "You read my mind."
He snickers softly and lays a hand on the others back. His fingers stretch from the humans mid back down to the base of his spine in a familiar sight. They have grown up together at this point but the realization still leads him with a bit of awe.
"Mmm...you're warm. Probably cause you stole my blanket."
Spider peers up with narrowed eyes and Rotxo knows the sort of day they'll have. "Na'vi don't even use blankets."
"Maybe we should. And your blanket shouldn't be big enough for me if you don't want me to use it." The blonde scoffs and lightly smacks his chest, right over the still-healing tattoo he earned a few weeks past. The na'vi winces.
"Its that big because my thief of a mate would take it even if it just covered his dick."
"So my dick is big?"
They stay still for a long moment before Rotxo cracks and lets out a loud laugh. Said blanket is pulled up and he wraps it around the man in his arms. "There. Now we both have the blanket."
Spider snorts and Rotxo thinks he'll sling another retort before the smaller man lays his head back down into the crook of his neck. With a quiet hum, he begins to trace the twirls of ink and the stripes of darker blue on his skin. "Tsireya is helping me make another one."
"Of course she is. I'm sure Lo'ak introduced her to them. They're fucking amazing."
Spider just laughs and closes his eyes. The sun is coming in fully now but they can steal a bit longer. He closes his eyes and nuzzles his head down into blonde braids.
"Oel ngati kameie. Nga yawne lu oer."
He can feel the other mans smile against his skin.
"Oel ngati kameie. Nga yawne lu oer."
______________________________________________________________
Translations:
Nì’it fko - Small one
Oel ngati kameie. Nga yawne lu oer. - I see you. I love you.
Spider is tiny next to Rotxo and it terrifies him
He’s short for a na’vi, around 8’8 as opposed to pushing 9’3 to 9’6 but he’s bulky. Metkayina are slim and nimble but his muscle adds a sturdiness to him uncommon for his people
Still, he’s a almost two and a half foot taller than his boyfriend
At first it was nothing. He’s 15 and his hand reaches half way around Spiders thigh when they wrestle, his other hand easily encapsulating his calf. Spider is hard to catch but if Rotxo can, he can easily out strengthen him
It’s fun. It’s as close to carefree as they can be in a war
Sure, Rotxo sees the bruises and scuffs more on Spider than the others but the blonde wears them with pride. His siblings scoff at him and add poultice - rubs he learns the herbs for and will gather himself - but he thinks nothing of it
The sky people haunted his dreams growing up. The other boys dared them to come down and face them, but Rotxo fought tears every night when laid down after those stories. His mothers would wrap him in their arms and whisper they’ll never come. But they did.
Spider is different. He’s not theirs, he’s Ewyas child through and through. But while they’re young, he’s invincible
He wears scars of torture na’vi children wouldn’t face even in nightmares but he laughs and fights and plays just like the other Sully kids
He doesn’t realize for years that they were just grasping at what was left
They’re 18 when he realizes the strength he holds over the other
They’ve been courting a few months, slower than most due to the differences between them, and Rotxo finally manages to pin him down in their training
Spider never lets himself get brought down. But Rotxo knows him too well - he knows what to expect and finally, finally he manages to get the upper hand
He pins Spider down with one hand to his chest. Then, he twists until he straddles his thighs. A teasing grin adorns his features and be dramatically goes to deliver a killing blow
He wraps a hand around Spiders throat with all the playful theatrics that normally make up their relationship - but he stills when he realizes his fingers easily reach one another behind his head
His entire neck fits easily in Rotxos palm, his chest is covered by the other hand and he knows it would take just a little pressure to end him
The sky people aren’t so invincible anymore
Spider seems to realize the vulnerability just before Rotxo, but he doesn’t run
Any other time he would growl, bite and kick and thrash until he gets himself out. But he just lays there
His cheeks are flushed a bright red and his lips slightly parted, but his body doesn’t tense
He trusts him and that’s more pressure than anyone could ever put on Rotxo
Officially mating is…a process to say the least. But it only reaffirms that Rotxo has to be strong enough to protect his family
Spider trusts him. He gave himself to Rotxo and took him in return. He knows Spider would die for him - he has to make sure he won’t
He’s protective, sure, though still not quite as bad as the humans siblings. Still, he spends all his time trying to bulk up and be stronger
Being a warrior was just a job once, now he finally feels the purpose in it
He has a family to protect and he’ll be damned if he fails him
Home
Spider was never meant to find Home
He knows that. No matter what Kiri whispers to him, what Lo’ak insists when the young warriors of the Omatikaya attempt to chase him off, or what Neteyam mumbles when Neytiri whips around with venom on her lips - he knows it, because if it were wrong, it would mean that everything that’s happened was for no reason. He can’t go that route, and so Home is just a concept he’ll never know
His siblings tempt to sway him many times over the years - they feel so much like Home it hurts, but he’s not so selfish to risk it for them when he knows he already took it from their mother
He’s seen his father in the photos the scientists don’t know he has, video logs that show a man that’s only been a horror story his whole life
But what scares him is he sees himself
He sees his eyes, the scowl when he’s angry, the cinch in his brow. He scowls at the image and sees his own face stare back.
So yeah. He doesn’t have a home. He has siblings though, and that’s more than he deserves. So Spider is okay. Really, he is.
But then his Dad shows up
—-
Quaritch is everything he thought he’d be and…not.
He’s angry. The man is full of hate and a need for revenge. He destroys the ground beneath his feet and spits on the life that’s surround them. He doesn’t know Ewya but he hates her none the less.
But he’s protective. Possessive of what’s his (and yet another damn thing he got from his father) and it seems Spider is included in that
He hates it but a part of him feels protected - it’s safe in the that’s holding a poison blade is. He’s one slip up from hell
But hell was bridgehead. It was the feeling of his deepest parts being pried out and displayed like the pages of a storybook
No one cared as they saw some of his best and his darkest days.
No one cared when the whips came out. When he bled so much he worried it was fatal
No one cared when he starved, when the distant sound of wildlife made his stomach twist with need.
Except Quaritch.
Quaritch snuck him food, bandaged his back, and pulled him down.
His hands may have delivered some of the blows or his lips produced the words to trigger nightmares but he cared.
Love is complicated, but he knows his Dad loved him
He thinks he may have too
Quaritch saw him.
He didn’t know. He thought he did but he didn’t but he wanted to he knows he did -
Then Neteyam almost dies. No one came for him. They left him, gave him up, except his brothers didn’t
Neteyam and Lo’ak fought for him.
They risked their lives when they had the chance to get away
Spider pieces his home together after that
Home finds him in the nights after when he rests with Kiri on his shoulder and Lo’ak’s hand loose in his grip. Tuk is curled into her mothers chest and Jake stands a silent guard at the door. Neteyam is flat on the bed of one of Ronal’s medical tents. His brother has been asleep for a few hours now with Norms assistance, but his family is too afraid to leave his side
He’s been awake the whole time. He hurts in ways he didn’t know he could until his capture but the warmth of his closest friends is too precious to loose right now. Still, he can’t sleep. Adrenaline is running under his skin and anxiety is inching up his throat. Jake is outside, safe and strong, but his tracker could lead the rest of the sky people here again, never mind Norms tempering, or his memories could have a clue, they had to be recorded, or -
Jake lays a large hand on his shoulder.
He jumps and a scared gasp escapes his throat before he processes the subtle differences. The thinner fingers, callouses Quaritch hasn’t had time to form yet, the gentleness.
“You need to sleep, Kiddo.”
Spider shudders and bows his head. “I will, just…can’t. I’ll go lay down in a few hours. When they’re okay.”
He can practically hear Jake roll his eyes. “I’m here. You’re safe, they’re safe. You need to sleep, Son.”
They both freeze, blood cold and eyes wide, as the silence envelops them.
Then, of course, Lo’ak snores and the moments gone. Jake laughs softly and suddenly exhaustion is pulling at his eyelids. A cushion slides behind him and a hand gently lowers him down.
“Sleep.”
The pieces come faster after that.
He cries with Kiri for hours. Laments his father, spills everything he felt. She’s the first one he tells the truth too. She knows more than he thinks anyone else ever will
He tells her Quaritch is alive. He tells her its all his fault.
She cries, yells, and then they just lay there. She tells him how scared she was of her mother. How lost she felt without him there.
He looks at her as she cries and another puzzle piece slides into place
Lo’ak and Neteyam came together when they came back for him, but it doesn’t feel settled until later.
They’re on their ilu with Spider behind Lo’ak as they race out to meet Payakan. He’s giant and beautiful and damn terrifying, but Lo’ak describes him as his soul brother. An extension of himself and a badass of a friend. They tell him how Payakan saved them. How he helped get Spider home
He’s scared and excited and now sure what to make of the beast, but then Lo’ak is leaving him on the ilu and falling into the water
He rises on a fin the size of a small marui with a loud whoop that can’t help but make Spider laugh in astonished awe
“Paya, meet my other brother, Spider.” Then a wave of water is splashing over him as Lo’ak laughs in a way he hasn’t heard since the forest
His breath leaves his lungs as he laughs and laughs, happy for more reasons than one. Neteyam meets his gaze from across the surf and smiles then one quick nod. He holds his gaze and feels the warmth spread in his chest.
“Team up?”
“Team up.”
Tuk has been his little sister since he held her in his arms for the first time. Neteyam snuck him over when they were barely into puberty and put a baby the size of his torso into his arms
He remembers her being the most terrifying thing in the world. He was so sure she would be terrified of him, that he would make her cry as soon as she was in his arms and the other kids would realize he’s a monster
But Tuk has always been Tuk and she just grinned and pulled his hair. Her Tswin fluttered with her affections and he knew he would do anything for her
He had never seen her angry, truly angry, until she stumbled into him cleaning the cuts along his hips and back. The cloths on the floor are bloody and his skin is angry and mottled but he had been decent at hiding the level of it until now. Behind her, Neytiri stops in her tracks as she takes in his scars
Tuk’s eyes fill with tears and then he has a bundle of 5’7” child in his arms
Her eyes flash and she looks like her mother when she growls out; “What happened? They hurt you?”
He stutters, not knowing what to say when Neytiri kneels down in front of him. She takes the ointment and the bandages in front of him, moves his arm from his side, and begins to apply. Her hands are shaking and he realizes he’s never seen her frazzled
“You’re a child.”
He looks up, Tuk now angrily crying in his arms while she cleans and gently bandages the wounds. “I..I know…look, I’m sorry Tuk saw, I-I didn’t think anyone was coming back for a while..”
“You’re a child. Children are precious. I-I didn’t realize they…that…” She scowls down at the drying blood and puts the wrap down. She pulls him forward so he rests against her with Tuk snug between them. “I’m sorry, Spider. This will not happen again.”
His face is red and words don’t seem to work but he manages a scared nod. “O-Okay?”
She nods, decisive, and resumes her work. Then, lifts a dirty dread with a disgruntled finger. “These next. My children will not be seen looking uncared for.”
And that’s that. He has a family, a home, and it’s all he ever wanted.
He doesn’t think it could get better.
Part two coming cause holy shit it's 2000 words