Latest Posts by holyraconteur - Page 2
FREE TIDE
3/3 of my Avatar Illustrations exploring the beauty of Pandora!
This time it's a snippet from the reef!
I went for a calm but playful moment while still trying to keep that glittering wonder and awe pandora invokes.
og from: s_cringiest on twitter (elleielle on bluesky)
Is there a Discord for fans of Spider from James Cameron's Avatar?
Teleports behind you and puts this in your hand
Hello spider socorro fans. I uh...I came back w the milk.
On a slightly more serious note, apologies for my absence!! Trying to graduate hs. And I also kinda....lost interest in the Fandom. I'll try to post more but now I'll also be drawing so that's exciting!! Maybe pick up the old aus, maybe do a few revamps if I can stomach looking at my old writing.
Posting with permission from the artist, yodowdydon!
Please check out their Instagram page and go show your love for the original post!
@cyren-myadd to answer your questions about this au.
Quaritch wouldn't know if the kid is his. Back in the day, he nearly beat the shit out of Phillip Shaw for messing around with one of his female soldiers. So when he sees this kid with blonde hair, exactly the same shade as Phillip's pansy ass, he jumps to the wrong conclusion, assuming Phillip is the father of this little twerp. He also mistakenly assumes that Miles Socorro must have died on Pandora, because in his mind, there's no way a human child could survive on this planet.
I don’t see the RDA being too interested in who Julian belongs to, either. They're only focused on getting information about Jake Sully’s location. I can still see Quaritch taking Julian out of there like he did in the movie, but it's a manipulative move, not paternal in any way. And even if he does find out Spider is his son, he’d keep that information to himself. That’s a lot to process. However, he does plan on telling him once the heat dies down and Jake is strung up by his feet. Quaritch needs Julian focused, and he doesn't have time for emotional conversations when he's supposed to be tracking down Jake. He DOES start being a little nicer to Julian, but is still being manipulative to keep Julian reliant on him.
As for Norm, he would fight tooth and nail to find his pseudo-nephew. He’d even go so far as to join the battle in search of Spider, which leads to a confrontation with Quaritch, who’s holding Kiri hostage on the Sea Dragon. Before Quaritch can utter a single word about Spider’s parentage, Norm body-slams him from behind. When I say he’s willing to sacrifice himself and fight to keep that secret hidden, I mean it.
Kiri is freed during the scuffle and scurries away. Then it’s an all-out brawl with Norm clawing at Quaritch like a madman, because he’ll be damned if this piece of shit spills the beans and ruins Julian's life. Norm is injured, but he wounds Quaritch badly, nearly tearing his throat open and even trying to rip out his tongue to silence him.
(Quaritch still manages to escape, but whether or not he succumbed to the injuries Norm gave to him is unknown.)
Norm’s uncharacteristic brutality raises suspicion in Julian, who has never seen his guardian act like this. Maybe even Jake starts questioning Norm’s extreme dedication to finding Julian and fighting Quaritch like a goddamned Thanator. Norm stays tight-lipped, but I have this idea where Mo’at eventually spills the truth. She’s not stupid; she’s known for a while that Norm was hiding something, and she bullied Norm into letting her accompany him to the Metkayina's territory so that she could talk to the boy herself and do some extreme mediating. She's allowed this to go on long enough. No more.
She would have a long, serious talk with Jake and Neytiri, urging them to see Julian beyond his bloodline. I’m not sure how that will play out, but questions are answered, and Norm’s relationship with Spider is put to the test…this isn't going to end smoothly, and tensions are high, especially with Neteyam seriously injured.
But I swear this has a happy ending!
After the truth comes out, there’s tension and frayed trust. Julian pulls away from Norm, confused and upset, not just about the lie, but about having the story of his BIRTH constructed and shabbily patched together like an infected wound, and making him believe for YEARS that he was someone else's son!! This isn't just something that can be washed away with a kiss and a hug.
Julian's life was built on a lie, and even though Norm did this for his protection, it still hurts and makes him feel like an impostor.
Jake and Neytiri are stunned too, especially Neytiri, who struggles with the idea of this child, a friend and brother to her children, being connected to the man who caused her family so much pain. Jake feels betrayed, and he and Norm have a huge argument. Norm feels guilty, but is largely unrepentant and says some hurtful things when their argument gets vicious. "So what if I lied! You lied, too, Jake! You lied, and hundreds died! I wasn't going to let Julian hold your bag AND Quaritch's! Everything I did, I did for Julian!" THAT almost has the two go to blows, and Tonowari is forced to step in.
But it doesn’t stay that way.
Norm doesn’t give up. Even with his injuries, he shows up for Julian, again and again, not asking for forgiveness but simply proving, with quiet consistency, that he loves Julian. Neytiri remains distant for a time, but Mo'at and maybe even Kiri bridge that gap. Once again, Neytiri's trauma is real, and some time away from Julian AND Norm is needed for her mental health. It's going to take a year or two (maybe three) until Julian and Norm and the Sullys can look at each other without flinching. Kiri is the only one not majorly affected because she's attached to Julian and sees him as her full-blooded brother. It's the same for Lo'ak and Neteyam, but this information puts them in a really weird headspace.
Apologies for accidentally deleting your ask, anon! I’ve been mass-deleting a bunch of weird spam from bot accounts, and unfortunately, your message got caught in the crossfire. Whoever you are, here’s my answer:
Are you interested in a Solo Leveling and Avatar crossover? ;)
Short answer: YES!!!!!! I’m very interested in an Avatar/Solo Leveling crossover AU where Spider discovers a mysterious program that lets him level up and kick ass. That said, he wouldn’t be a carbon copy of Sung Jin-Woo (because that man is the GOAT), but Spider would still be a total badass in his own right. With his natural stamina, agility, and strength from years of running with Na'vi, he’d become seriously overpowered with every level-up. Maybe Eywa has her own version of dungeons that let him boost his stats, and over time, the kid bulks up and hits a growth spurt. Eventually, he wouldn’t need his breathing mask because his body would evolve and adapt to Pandora’s environment with each level gained.
-) Training in secret while balancing his everyday life.
-) “Dungeons” manifested by Eywa, such as corrupted forest areas, rogue wildlife, or sites that need purifying.
-) His power increases, and Spider encounters more RDA soldiers and begins sabotaging their operations using what he learns to ruin their plans using stealth, even going so far as to kill them. His first kill leaves him with nightmares and crippling guilt because this isn't what he wanted, but it's too late to turn back time. He has to protect his home.
-) Internal struggle over his identity, which involves Spider sometimes feeling a little detached from his humanity. Spider is still mostly the same (mostly), but he's colder and more serious to the point that his friends start to notice and jokingly compare him to a boring adult. Spider chuckles at that, but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, and his laughter is forced. He feels like he's pretending to be himself, and it's driving him crazy. Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, and even Neteyam are all just kids, while he feels...less and less like his age.
-) A dangerous dungeon triggers a major power boost but also reveals part of Eywa’s plan, hinting that she is preparing Spider for a larger threat and that Kiri is the key to ending it. He'll need to grow even stronger to protect her.
-) I don't see Quaritch surviving for too long in this au. The scene in Way of Water where the kids are being threatened by Quaritch and the Recoms will probably end with Spider allowing them to kidnap him so that he can be taken inside their base and just straight up slaughter everyone before they can interrogate him. Afterwards, Spider sifts through the gore and blood to steal all the information before setting everything on fire and cutting off his father's head to dump it on Jake Sully's doorstep with a note that says, "My debt has been paid in full. Best of luck to you, Mr. Sully. Goodbye." Dark? Yes. Traumatizing? Yes. But Spider has changed from that kind boy who would never harm a fly. Maybe he'll raise his father's spirit and the spirits of the recoms to serve him. Either way, he did his part and he travels Pandora to grow even stronger while occasionally popping up to help the Sullys out of some more craziness before fucking off again to do his own thing.
Okay, this has gotten long and out of hand, but you get my drift! Does this plot make sense? Absolutely not! Still, I've been a mega fan of Solo-Level since it first came out, and the anime SLAPS. Spider would have his reasons for obsessively leveling up, and it starts off with him wanting to protect his home and friends...and then his desires slowly start to shift outside of just acting like an attack dog.
Anyway, hope this answers your question, anon!
ADDING MORE TO THIS
Norm even gives Spider parents who aren't really his parents. He successfully crafts a plausible origin story for Julian by pinning his lineage on a dead man with the right looks and no one to contradict it.
The two even have the same shade of blonde hair!
There had always been whispers and rumors passed around in the mess halls that one of the scientists had gotten a pretty techie pregnant, a fun little tryst gone wrong. The rumor had never been confirmed. No proof, no details, just the kind of idle gossip people clung to when the days stretched for too long and boredom struck.
That scientist was said to be Phillip Shaw. Norm remembered him. Popular, golden-haired, silver-tongued, a total manwhore who slept around a lot, brilliant in the lab, but reckless on the field, and drove Grace crazy with his inability to take the dangers seriously because he thought he was God's gift to Pandora. He’d gotten mauled by a thanator while collecting spore samples. Phillip's body was never recovered, just his shredded pack splattered with blood and a few scraps of torn equipment.
Perfect.
All evidence of Paz Socorro is scrubbed. In her place: a woman who'd been a low-level techie, a casualty of the war. The perfect dead mother for a story about a little orphaned child. Tragic. Sad. Simple.
Julian Shaw. Son of Phillip Shaw and Amelia Perkins. Both dead. Orphaned. Adopted by his “uncle” Norm out of loyalty to an old colleague and acquaintance.
It was neat. Tragic. Believable. And no one would question it.
Norm leaned back, hands trembling slightly. Not from fear — from the weight of what he’d just done.
He was erasing the truth.
No, no, no...he was protecting a child from it.
“You're not the son of a demon. You're not a mistake,” he whispered, glancing toward the sleeping bundle across the room. “You're Julian Shaw now. That’s who you are.”
And that was who he would be… until the moons fell, or Eywa herself decided otherwise.
My thoughts were inspired by @detective-twinkachu's au where Norm and Max hide Spider's lineage.
I love the idea of an AU where Norm finds baby Spider and immediately realizes this child will never know peace if anyone learns who his real father is. So, like Eddard Stark, he makes a painful decision: He erases every trace of Quaritch’s connection to the boy and keeps it secret. He gives the child a new name (seriously, Miles? Way to make it obvious, Paz), forges documents, and creates a solid cover story in case anyone asks questions. He can’t bring himself to tell anyone, not even his closest friends, the truth. Quaritch has made too many enemies and caused too much destruction for anyone to overlook the boy’s lineage. There's already been enough tragedy. And this child, little Julian, is the first human ever born on Pandora.
Norm even steals the only photo of Paz and hides it away where no one will ever find it. He hates lying. Hates secrets. But Hell’s Gate is built on them, and children should never have to suffer for their parents’ mistakes. So he decides: he’ll raise Julian as his nephew. He’ll raise him to be kind, brave, and good. Maybe, just maybe, when Julian turns nineteen, he’ll sit him down and explain everything. Or maybe he won’t. Maybe Julian should never know. Norm will carry this secret to his grave… unless Eywa herself decides to produce a blowhorn and inform the entire planet. No. He'll hold this secret.
On the desk beside Julian's forged documents was a faded photo of Paz Socorro. Pregnant. Glowing. Laughing. Holding her growing belly as she smiled for the camera. Norm’s throat closed up. Guilt and anger were warring in his chest like a storm. What would Trudy say about all this?
“I’m sorry, Socorro,” he whispered. “You were… a good mother. You didn’t deserve to fall in love with a monster, you didn't deserve to die for his craziness, you didn't deserve any of this. But your baby boy? He deserves better. He deserves everything. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
He picked up the photo, stared at it, then opened up his desk drawer and hid it beneath layers of unimportant documents. Hidden in plain sight until he could find a tiny box and bury the picture so deep that maybe Eywa herself will forget about it. This was for the best.
Then, he burned everything else.
My thoughts were inspired by @detective-twinkachu's au where Norm and Max hide Spider's lineage.
I love the idea of an AU where Norm finds baby Spider and immediately realizes this child will never know peace if anyone learns who his real father is. So, like Eddard Stark, he makes a painful decision: He erases every trace of Quaritch’s connection to the boy and keeps it secret. He gives the child a new name (seriously, Miles? Way to make it obvious, Paz), forges documents, and creates a solid cover story in case anyone asks questions. He can’t bring himself to tell anyone, not even his closest friends, the truth. Quaritch has made too many enemies and caused too much destruction for anyone to overlook the boy’s lineage. There's already been enough tragedy. And this child, little Julian, is the first human ever born on Pandora.
Norm even steals the only photo of Paz and hides it away where no one will ever find it. He hates lying. Hates secrets. But Hell’s Gate is built on them, and children should never have to suffer for their parents’ mistakes. So he decides: he’ll raise Julian as his nephew. He’ll raise him to be kind, brave, and good. Maybe, just maybe, when Julian turns nineteen, he’ll sit him down and explain everything. Or maybe he won’t. Maybe Julian should never know. Norm will carry this secret to his grave… unless Eywa herself decides to produce a blowhorn and inform the entire planet. No. He'll hold this secret.
On the desk beside Julian's forged documents was a faded photo of Paz Socorro. Pregnant. Glowing. Laughing. Holding her growing belly as she smiled for the camera. Norm’s throat closed up. Guilt and anger were warring in his chest like a storm. What would Trudy say about all this?
“I’m sorry, Socorro,” he whispered. “You were… a good mother. You didn’t deserve to fall in love with a monster, you didn't deserve to die for his craziness, you didn't deserve any of this. But your baby boy? He deserves better. He deserves everything. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
He picked up the photo, stared at it, then opened up his desk drawer and hid it beneath layers of unimportant documents. Hidden in plain sight until he could find a tiny box and bury the picture so deep that maybe Eywa herself will forget about it. This was for the best.
Then, he burned everything else.
Me, running out of Spider Socorro healing his trauma through found family fanfic after searching through 50 pages on ao3:
Gosh...I really need to write about Spider being chosen by the Phoenix Force as its next host. He just goes apeshit on the RDA while also learning about the cosmic entity inhabiting his body and learning to coexist with it. Maybe Eywa and the Phoenix Force recognize each other as ancient equals, and she nudges it in Spider's direction. Eywa’s presence also helps temper the Phoenix, and Spider can finally feel connected to Eywa through the Phoenix. Even better if Spider can resurrect anyone he wishes with his near infinite powers and brings Neteyam back to life...
I still can’t believe this is real. Visual literature PEAKED at this moment.
It’s the “let’s talk about characters who portray colonialism in avatar” until it’s your fav…riiiiight.
Tsireya would be cautious towards him initially for obvious reasons, but he's connected to Lo'ak at the hip, and she sees firsthand that Spider is one of them. Caution gives way to curiosity, and before you know it, Tsireya is spending time with Spider, asking him questions, counting his five fingers, encouraging him to try a new hairstyle (because those dreads aren't it), teaching him how to properly use a net, etc. Humans are so teeny and it's hilarious playfighting with Spider because she gets to lift him up and watch him squak and flail his limbs. She even teaches him how to properly swim and hold his breath for long periods. Even better if Norm shows them baby pictures of Spider and Tsireya is cooing over one picture of toddler Spider running from bathtime.
"Human babies are even tinier!"
I need Spider to make friends outside of the Sullys. It feels like we only ever see one side of him because he's always around Neytiri's children and can never truly be himself without raising suspicions or anger. Making new friends beyond the Sully inner circle would give him the freedom to be unapologetically himself, and Kiri would start to notice just how bright and mischievous he really is. Spider is still a teenager, and I want him to act more like one: childish, bratty, sullen, and explorative, the way all teenagers are supposed to be.
I need Spider to make friends outside of the Sullys. It feels like we only ever see one side of him because he's always around Neytiri's children and can never truly be himself without raising suspicions or anger. Making new friends beyond the Sully inner circle would give him the freedom to be unapologetically himself, and Kiri would start to notice just how bright and mischievous he really is. Spider is still a teenager, and I want him to act more like one: childish, bratty, sullen, and explorative, the way all teenagers are supposed to be.
my main thought is that the ash clan had a full "civilization," they got pompeii'd by Eywa, then they decided they had enough of all that and are angry and bitter and grieving
Watching Quaritch brutalize the ta'unui idk how anyone can like this man
in other news i can’t be the only one weirded out by the theories and fanart that make Varang and the Mangkwan seem like evil, animalistic beasties, right? it’s weird, right? like the theories that they eat people or are going to torture Neytiri/the kids or cut off people’s huru or limbs, that’s weird right? i’ve even seen theories on discord speculating that they’re somehow biologically “less intelligent” and “more brutal” and i. woah perhaps we should unpack this
I can't believe I sat there for HOURS on that YouTube live stream in hopes of seeing the Avatar Fire and Ash trailer. No, I didn't want to see the Lilo and Stitch trailer. I wanted to see my queen Varang!
So when Jake says "Get that crap off your face" to Lo'ak it actually irks me so bad bc like. 1. He's just a kid and 2. Don't call his war paint "crap" when he's clearly trying to live up to YOUR example
Not so friendly reminder that you CANNOT be an Avatar fan (I’m talking about the movies but it works for atla as well) and be a zionist, or a white supremacist, or a bigot in any way shape or form.
I know most of you people in the fandom are actually white supremacists and absolutely refuse to admit the very clear metaphor of the movies, but whether you like it or not the Na'vi ARE inspired and are supposed to represent real Indigenous peoples of Earth. If you seriously think that “it’s just fiction” and “they’re aliens so concepts of our world don’t apply to them” I beg of you, please turn your brain on and try watching the movies with your eyes actually open.
Even ignoring the obvious white-savior plot of the first movie (another fact you are not ready to discuss nor willing to admit), nothing changes that the Na'vi are real in our world, they simply exist in a different form, and news flash: they’re not white! And if you love the world of Avatar so much, but you refuse to acknowledge the struggles of Indigenous people, the real “Na'vi” of Earth, then you don’t care about or understand the movies in the first place. If you are enraged by the RDA destroying Hometree and slaughtering hundreds of innocent Indigenous Na'vi and their land, but you don’t spare half a thought for the actual existing Indigenous people that are currently facing the same and even far worse issues, and who the Na'vi purposefully parallel, then you have no business being a fan of this franchise.
[Quick note: I know many people believe fandom places should stay “untouched by politics”, and I agree to a certain extent. It is more then right wanting to escape this world, but categorically ignoring real life issues is a privilege. When talking about a franchise like this that has specific themes, it is impossible to never bring up real-world issues, because that’s what the entire message of the movies is rooted in. Art is not separate from real life, and while you should absolutely enjoy your passions with little worry of everything else, maybe sometimes a few thoughts on these topics wouldn’t be bad, even if they only stay in your mind]
If you feel called out, then you should ask yourself why.
The more I reflect on Spider in the comics, the more I like him tbh. He’s a stinky teen who acts as a dumb/dumber duo with Lo’ak most of the time, but the second shit gets real, he drops all of that and behaves more maturely than most.
Like here for example. No running away from accountability, though he knows he’ll become a target of scrutiny. Biting the bullet together with his bro. Full respect towards his elders, with a fist over his heart and everything. Good for him 💅
@cyren-myadd @nilnether Oh, both are delicious ideas! Spider gets closure that, despite having fought on the wrong side of the war, his mother loved him very much, and that, through hell and high water, she will always be with him. Maybe being dead gives Paz a clear understanding of Eywa, and that human souls can be embraced by the Great Mother. Paz latches onto Spider and follows him wherever he goes. She's a voice in his ear, a lullaby in the dark, eyes on the back of his head, always watching his back and warning him of unseen dangers.
Also, Spider meeting the real Quaritch's soul would be a horror movie all on its own because the man died bitter and hateful, unable to move on and still rejecting the will of Eywa even in death. Even better if his father's cruel spirit goes out of its way to attack Spider, scratching and clawing at him until Spider escapes, leaving behind the howling spectre. As for Neteyam, I can definitely see a situation where Spider willingly leaves with the Scientists back to Hell's Gate.
Everyone just assumes that Spider is only going back because he wants to be with his own kind, but Spider is on a mission, and it's to bring his brother's spirit back home where he belongs. He finally puts Neteyam to rest, and after a long and deep heart-to-heart with his brother, Spider feels more at peace than he has in years. He does not return to the reefs, but travels all over Pandora, helping more wayward spirits with his mother's spirit coming along for the ride.
Maybe Neteyam visits him in his dreams, where they catch up on all the years they've lost.
Imagine Spider having the gift to commune with the spirits of the dead, Na'vi, and humans. Spirits are everywhere in the forest (more appeared after the great battle) — watching him practice his archery, guiding him back to Hell's Gate in the dark, and whispering stories to him. Some are peaceful and content, while others are restless, especially those who died violently or don't know they're even dead.
Naturally, Spider keeps this to himself because he's afraid of being further ostracized. Instead, he decides to see this gift as a good thing because at least he has friends to talk to. He doesn't care if Lo'ak thinks he's weird for talking to himself or staring off into space. Spider sees fallen Na’vi warriors from the past, human researchers and soldiers who died on Pandora, and even little children who perished when the Tree of Souls was destroyed. They sometimes speak to him, asking for his company or to listen to their stories.
Maybe it's not healthy to spend hours alone with just the dead for company, maybe it's not normal that he prefers sleeping outside in the company of spirits then with the living back at Hell's Gate, and maybe he made a mistake venturing off alone to live in isolation because he's found more belonging with the dead then with the living.
I’ve been thinking about the idea of Neytiri and Spider having familial soul marks on their wrists, appearing without warning in the aftermath of the Sea Dragon incident. But this wouldn’t be a magical fix or a sweeping reconciliation. The bond doesn’t erase everything that’s happened between them, nor does it mean they’ve fully healed from their respective traumas. (Throw in the two of them mourning Neteyam while struggling to accept their soul-marks and you've got angst galore.)
Instead, I imagine it as a slow-burn acceptance—an undeniable connection that forces them to learn to face each other not as estranged acquaintances or strangers, but as individuals bound by circumstance. It's a long road they walk together, and it hurts, but over time, they begin to understand each other (not easily, and not without conflict), but it's a start.
Spider being adopted by Tsen’tey and Ikeyni of the Tayrangi
A/n- Please forgive this bad format, tumblr has a limit and I am too impatient to make this into multiple parts.
It's craaaazy how opinions on Spider vary so much depending on what site you're on
Adopted Spider Headcanons (Metkayina Edition)
I've been reading fics where Spider's adopted by Ronal and Tonowari the past couple days and now I'm obsessed. The problem is that I mostly write angst and I really wanna read hurt/comfort, lol.
I feel like the typical/common way that I see Spider get taken in is basically him doing his little beach bum shit after everything and slowly getting adopted into their family. And I eat it up. Every. Single. Time.
Spider: *Building a campfire, roasting his own food* Ronal/Tonowari/Tsireya or Anoung: *Why is the Sully's adoptive son alone on the beach?* *Oh well, mine now*
I feel like Ronal would definitely be way at first, she's made it no secret that she strongly dislikes Sky People. But, I'd imagine that eventually, she comes to see him not just as a human, but as a child. And a child who is alone and in need of help.
Aounung would probably be the same. I have this idea of him giving Spider a hard time (after all the carnage/damage/dead people have been handled). Like, trying to mess with him as much as possible, just being an asshole. And then, maybe Spider goes under for a long time while Aounung is on the beach weaving or something. And, even though Spider has a mask and can breath underwater as well as he does above it, Aounung somehow forgot that and freaks, thinking the human has drowned.
Aounung tossed his half-repaired net aside, diving into the water. He whipped around, eyes catching on the mess of dirty blond. Pushing further, he grabbed the boy by the armpits, shooting to the surface and pulling the human onto land. He flipped him over, meeting confused eyes as he placed a hand on his chest. He was breathing fine, not even panting from being under for so—
Spider's mask glinted in the sun. Aounung was an idiot.
"Are you . . . okay?" The smaller boy asked hesitantly, making no move to sit up.
"You were under for a long time." He mumbled, pulling away.
Spider's face split into a grin. "Did you— did you think I was— "
"Quiet." He hissed, standing up. "We will never speak of this again."
Spider's laughter followed him as he stormed away.
I feel like with Tsireya, she would've immediately been all over him. Like, this is Spider, Lo'ak's supposed best friend. The human boy who acted just like he was Na'vi. It probably started mostly as curiosity, but I think that after seeing how the Sully's interacted with Spider, she'd be confused about his place, his family. If Spider didn't sleep in the Sully's marui, didn't eat with them— then where did he do those things?
Tsireya glided along the water, Lo'ak a few feet from her. "Why doesn't Spider stay in your marui?"
Lo'ak raised a brow. "Uh . . . I don't know. He lives with the humans, I guess. Always has."
"But . . . the humans left after helping Kiri. They have not returned."
"They . . . they haven't?" He cleared his throat. "I'm sure Dad has it handled. There's probably a new shack or something for him."
Consider Spider's mask running low and there isn't a spare anywhere. As a kid, he never was gone from the shack long enough for his battery to run low and during his time with the recoms, there were always spares in someone's pack when he needed it. Idk how long the masks last, but for my own sake, I'm going to say Spider got a new one the day of the battle and it lasted him about a week. Or maybe, he managed to pillage one as the ship went down so he's on his second and it's like two weeks or so.
I think that when he saw the little red light flashing, a small beep-beep sounding, that he'd probably be like a kid who forgot there was a test. He'd just panic. But, I imagine he'd also be scared to bother the Sully's by telling them, so he'd spend the next hour searching the village (discreetly) to see if there were any pilfered batteries or masks left behind when the humans visited. Let's say he has two hours from when the mask starts flashing to change it out. And where, oh where, does he wind up when he's got a half-hour left?
Spider was not panicking. Because, when a human panicked, they breathed faster and wasted more air. Norm told him that, so it had to be true. But, he'd checked everywhere he could think of and . . . nothing. There was no shack, no Norm or Max to run to before his timer ran out. No humans. Only him. And in a matter of . . . fuck, twenty minutes, he was going to die just like a human.
He sat slumped on the beach, looking out into the water and trying his best not to openly sob. He didn't want to die crying like a little baby. It was not working out well for him. At least, he'd have a good view when he died.
"Child? What is wrong?"
Spider flinched, looking up with wide eyes at the clan leader. He'd only talked to Tonowari once, when Jake had introduced him. Of course, given his spectacular luck, the man would find him when he was on death's doorstep.
With a sniffle, he held up his beeping pack. "It's almost out. Twenty minutes."
The man frowned down, grasping the device carefully. "And that is why you're so upset? Because, you don't wish to go into the village for a new one? Did something happen? Someone make you feel unwelcome?"
"There is no new mask." There was also no home to go back to. "That was my only one."
With a cut-off gasp, he pulled Spider to his feet. He marched the boy through the village and into what he recognized as the healer's marui. The Tsahik was mixing something, but she stood as soon as they entered.
"Tonowari?" She asked, stepping closer. "What happened? Is he hurt?"
"His mask, where's the spare?"
Wordlessly, the woman pulled a mask from one of the many baskets, easily connecting the tubing and turning it on. Like, she'd done it before. Spider had no time to ask why she had such a thing before she was right in front of him.
"Take a deep breath." She ordered, unlatching the straps of his mask before pulling it off. Just as quickly, the new one was secured. Spider hadn't even moved.
I think that even before deciding to adopt Spider, Tonowari and Ronal would probably make sure he had spare masks and check what food he could/couldn't eat. Like, as soon as they realize the Sully's aren't caring for him, they'd probably subconsciously take responsibility for him. Because, he was just a kid, really. And kids were clumsy and careless and needed help, needed parents. Anoung and Tsireya, despite being independent and skilled, still needed their parents sometimes. Let their mother do their hair and insisted on their father de-gutting their catches. And Spider— Spider is fragile. He's skilled and smart and quick on his feet, but he's a human surrounded by Na'vi. Not to mention, one wrong move and he's left with a cracked mask. And what if he eats the wrong food, mistakes one fruit for another and ends up poisoned?
This ended up way longer that I thought it would be, lol. But, I really love these types of fics and if anyone has any recs or wants to hear more, my comment section is open. XD