I Want To Expand On This Later But The Kids Are The Ones Who Make Spider His Song Cord

do you ever think about how Wylan probably couldn’t make much noise at home without becoming a target and how he took care of his flute anyway, he studied the music and cherished it and probably played only when he was sure no one would hear and he finally got to go to school for it, for the one thing that’s his and brings him joy, and they try to kill him. He never makes it and the first time he just plays and doesn’t care is on the streets of the barrel with a waterlogged instrument and soaked clothes but he had to save it because it was all he had left of himself

I don’t

Thinking about the first time Steve spends the night and it’s just the meme of “me, my boyfriend, and his idiot little brother” across the bed

The fic that i wrote about feral spider is finished!

AHH! I totally missed this! Link please!

send me your ideas you won’t

I love how, during the dance sequence, rhonda was so adamant that she would Not join them, but then she rolled her eyes and jumped in. like those are her Boys, they're best friends your honor. she's like their big sister who complains about their shenanigans but then joins the shenanigans with a smile because she loves them dearly and they're the only people that can make her feel like she's having fun.

Friendships

Kiri and Spider have been best friends since the beginning

They met when Kiri was still an infant and Spider around 2. He still wasn't allowed to leave the labs but he snuck in to one of Kiri's checkups

He was a climber and a builder - hence his name - and so it was hard to keep him out of where he wanted to be

So when the toddler heard another cry in the building it was only a matter of time before he found it

He wanders, stumbling through the offices he's confined to and sneaking until he reaches the Avatars

Jake is there, Kiri in his arms, sitting next to Ms. Grace's tank. He's talking and it sounds like a story which Spider loves so he of course toddles his way over. He climbs into the Na'vi's lap without regard for his size, skin, or the fact that he's only met Jake a handful of times.

Jake, to his credit, catches the tiny human with a free palm under his butt. Paying no heed to the flabbergasted look on the mans face, he peers down to stroke the girls cheek

He flies for a moment while Jake tries to keep them apart but then the girl has his hand in her palm

She blinks up with big eyes and Spider offers a giant toothless grin: there was no going back after that

Neteyam comes with Kiri

He's Spiders age but double his size, 2' taller for the 2 months he's younger

Still, Spider doesn't let the few kids his age on Pandora get away. He's a social butterfly and opts to conquer Neteyam's introverted ways.

And so he toddles after the blue boy everytime he comes with his sister

Kiri is growing fast, especially next to human growth standards, but she still has a ways to go to meet Spider, so her big brother will have to do

It's 3 months of toddling after him, pulling his tail, and playing with the pretty beads adoring his hair while Neytiri tries desperately to keep the little human away from him

But, once again, containing Spider is mission the adults surrounding him have yet to accomplish

And so Neteyam finds himself with a little blonde flea attached to his side

He chases the younger boy through the halls, giggling at the tiny hisses Neteyam lets out when he catches him. He pulls his tail and climbs onto his big boy bed - he can use the grown up bunks now! - while Neteyam tackles his obstacles with ease.

The other boy is shyer but Spider has learned how to rile him up by now

They play for the hour or two that Jake spends with Kiri getting monitored in the labs. If Neytiri is there then it's harder, but Spider can normally get a story for them at least.

It continues on for a while with Kiri joining them as she starts to crawl, then toddle with their hair or her brothers tail in her fist

And it seems that gets Spider a little too comfortable

Namesake on full display, he tries to climb the bunkbed ladders of the bunk room while Neteyam is chasing him

He's gotten far too big for most of Spiders tricks to slow him down so the child thinks this is his chance to get a rare upper hand

Except bunk beds are tall and metal is slick and maybe Spider isn't really that much of a big kid yet

He really does try to catch himself but its too slippery and he hits the ground hard

The scientists around the lab don't like it when he cries and really does try to keep it in, but his arm really hurts and he can't help but let it escape

He waits for Neteyam to mock him or tell him to stop but instead finds himself craddled against the boys chest.

"Shhhh, shh, 's okay Spi, just stop cryin'. I-I'll get my Daddy and Uncl' Norm." Spider only shakes his head and cries more, clinging to the other boys beads.

"No'uh, 'm okay. 'm a big boy."

Neteyam stutters for a minute before he nods. The two boys stay curled on the floor for a few minutes then with Spiders arm cradled between them.

"Don't worry, 'm here Spi. Every'tings okay."

Their relationship is never as close as the others growing up but there's an understanding between them the others never have

They're equals, the two oldest brothers.

They might be opposites but they've got one another's backs...even if that's just taking left while the other takes right to corner Lo'ak at highcamp.

Neteyam never made friends easily

Spider forced himself into the picture and his siblings never really got a choice in the matter

Sure, being the Ole'ekytans son meant some of the other kids would clamor for his attention but he never did good at being more than casual

Responsibilities stack on him like like the berries on Tuks tarts: he doesn't have the time or strength to devote to anything else

His siblings are enough though. There's a war and he can't loose focus or they'll get hurt

He left them once and lost Spider - he won't let it happen again

It gets lonely though

He chases after his kid brother and protects his sisters from as much as he can but...there's no one to look after him

Then he meets Ao'nung

Ao'nung is brave and cool and gets it in a way his siblings just can't

He may not have grown up in a war but he has a little sister and another on the way - he knows the responsibility of an important father and its addicting to have that person in his life

They lean on eachother, quietly, and he finally has something for himself

He tells him things he never told anyone else

He talks about his fathers expectations and pressure, his mothers trauma, his worry over the human they left behind, and his fear for Kiri's future. He talks about Lo'ak running into danger and Tuk losing her innocence and Ao'nung talks about his anger. About the fear he has of whats to come, about Tsireya and how he worries this will break her. He's weak around him and Neteyam savors it.

Time goes by and he gets hurt. His arm might never be the same as it was and his ear still rings with the echoes of gunshots but he has his brother back and his family is safe

Neytiri finally, finally lets Spider come home but it's not over

He doesn't think it ever will be

But Ao'nung slips his hand into his and maybe he'll be okay

Maybe he doesn't have to do this alone

Rotxo was Ao'nungs first friend

They were friends from the first time they sat through lessons together and they've been attached at the hip ever since

Rotxo knows Ao'nung will be a great Ole'ekytan but he'll need a right hand and Rotxo is ready to step up

For a long time he thinks maybe he'll be more than that but the Sullys arrive and they both find that path a different way

Still, they're eachothers person

They back one another up no matter what and there is rarely one without the other

In training they pair up, have joint moves that they make just for themselves and know the others gaps or weaknesses like its their own

Tonowari didn't want to train them for war but they didn't want to risk being unprepared

So when the sky people reach their waters, they spend every hour they can steal with one another

They spar and wrestle and carve more weapons

Their hands shake with fear and adrenaline but they keep their thighs pressed to the others and carry on

Rotxo gains muscle mass and Ao'nung learns to use a bow Neteyam carved. They grow their skills, their strength, but also their fear

Unlike the Sullys, they didn't grow up with war on the horizon

They don't know what's coming and cling to each other while they can.

No matter what, they know they can rely on the other

It isn't until they see Quaritch dead that they'll let go of the breath they're holding but they hold the other up until then

Nothing could pry them apart and nothing that tries will walk away

Size Difference

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

Blessed Spider

Tw: Violence. references to past torture

Spider wasn't like Kiri, he wasn't born with Ewya's blessings in his hands

Despite all he finds of himself later, he was still born human. He had to prove he was hers, something he did early on

She started to show her favor while he was young, when he integrated himself into the Omaticaya with the Sully kids and her child, she would send little signs to those near

Her creatures would approach but never attack, her flora would hold him strong so he wouldn't get hurt racing across their forest, and temperatures rarely teetered where it may hurt him. They were little things but she thought her people would see

For once, they didn't

Her people wouldn't see her little human, but that was alright. She could show them - she is forgiving and she is loving

So, she guided their paths together

Kiri, her sweet child, was the first to see and with her, she brought her Grandmother

but...that was it

They could not (would not) see him

It would take years for her to finally wake her children, but it would come at a price she didn't want to pay

It isn't until after the battle of Three Brothers Rock that it becomes clear that Ewya has held Spider dear to her

It's on the ship, Neytiri's knife at his chest, when something changes

Quaritch panics, throws Kiri, and he is shoved forward. Neytiri is stalking up to Quaritch with a feral gleam in her eye but, in her anger, she pushes too hard

He falls, one hand to his bleeding chest and the other to the ground, but it's in vain

His face cracks against the debris across the floor and glass shatters into his face

There's shards pressing into the soft skin of his cheeks and forehead, his eyes clenched shut against the needles sneaking in, but fear hits him when he takes in a panic breath

Kiri screams his name and lunges forward, no longer bound to her fathers arms

Quaritch yells a loud, guttural scream of his name but Neytiri takes the opportunity to plunge her knife into his throat. He gurgles on his blood before she is at his side, eyes focusing vaguely again on his face

She curses, cups his cheek and mumbles words he doesn't catch

Jake is cursing and trying to cover his face but... he's fine

His face hurts but he takes in shuddering breaths and he's fine

He takes in another

Nothing happens

He looks up at Jake with wide eyes, shaking and unsure, but he's breathing fine

It takes the man a moment to catch up and this his movements still as he falls back onto the ground. Sitting, he stares at the little human

His Dad is dying off to the side, his sister throws herself into his arms and grins with tears in her eyes

"She has you, she Sees you, Spider, she has you!" Kiri is laughing, loud with sobs choking her between and he lets out a half barked laugh as he falls into her hold

Jake brings them both into his arms, panting and mumbling prayers with grateful pants of breath.

Neytiri doesn't move but her shoulders go lax in relief

He gasps, coughing and crying, and he's seen

Things make more sense with Ewya's blessing painted across his now-bare face

The scars of wearing the mask for so long fade as the days go by and the bloody marks from shattered glass heal

Injuries that should be months away from better start to scab and soon he's only lined in pink scars, the soreness there but his body healing like a na'vi

The sand and sun don't burn his shoulders or feet, something Norm swore would happen

The ilu let him on their backs and the fauna are suddenly that much less threatening

It's a clear sign if any that Ewya has put an end to their shit

Spider remains pale and small, still human but not as painfully so

Kiri remains on cloud nine, thriving in the knowledge that her people finally see her brother like she has

It's safer for him, no one able to dispute his place, and slowly he's blended into the family he always wanted

There's a lot of conversation that needs to be held but...he's safe

It feels like a happy ending

Problem: it's not an ending

There's still a war on the horizon and he's still a human man

His skin still tears, his lungs still burn at a na'vi child's pace, and his body still can't handle everything his siblings can

He's still almost killed by his boyfriends courting gift, a fish seasoned with a little more potent spices than what a human can handle

It's something his siblings know but the adults now find themselves confronted rather plainly with

Neytiri is still learning to accept him, still bringing him into her brood, when she has to face that falling out a 30' tree isn't a skinned knee to a human boy

He's no where near the top, something Jake tells her would have been far worse, but 8' up in search of coastal fruit will still break a humans leg

It scares her in a way she was unprepared for

She carries him back home with Kiri at her hip mocking her and her charge relentlessly, Spider flushed red and indigent at his siblings banter

It's when she lays him down and begins to wrap the injury when she see's the next little sign of his blessing

The little sign to tell her that he's hers

The freckles along his thigh, tiny and dark next to her own, resemble the bioluminescence that cover her body

Really though, it's the little pattern that looks so much like her sisters that makes her pause

Na'vi spots and stripes are a matter of pride, something they pass down to their children and a little visual symbol of their family connection

Her children often would paint their families stripes across his skin in something that always enraged her, but this is small, an organic addition she never noticed

She feels ridiculous crying over freckles to her mate later, but for now she just leans her head down to Spider's and brushes her lips across his forehead

"Ohe see ngenga, my tìrol"

bonus points bc the positive rep comes from a show with good non-binary AND Jewish rep too like AYYYY

Protective

The woods of their coast is unfamiliar territory even with his life spent on these beaches. Twigs and prickly grasses nip at this feet and crack beneath him but he knows avoiding them is a lost cause.

Rotxo is made for this island, is and always has been, but he can't help but feel displaced only a mile or two from his marui.

The RDA don't expect them here, though, only in the water. Ao'nung and Neteyam make excellent decoys back at the cove. While they provide a distraction in the water, an easy, unsuspecting target, Lo'ak, he, and Spider bring their numbers through the woods surrounding it. Soon, they will line the cliffs edge and, hopefully, interrupt an expected attack.

Lo'ak found scouts in hiding out in the caves lining the cliffs three days ago. The systems stretch through the cove and provide easy cover, just far enough from home to provide a sense of safety but so close that the intel they gather could prove dangerous. The potential heirs of two clans will be far too titillating to avoid, as such, it should be easy.

Should be.

Rotxo glances to the trees above him, not seeing him but knowing his mate is near.

This is a simple mission. Tonowari and the older warriors are dotted amongst them in case something goes wrong but they're here to prove themselves. To gain experience.

And not get shot.

Rotxo really doesn't want to get shot.

He hears a purring chirp and ducks, alert and stiff in his bones. Unlike the Sully kids, he didn't grow up in war. He wasn't raised with bullets in his ears and fear is gripping him with icy hands.

There's no time to be scared though, Neteyam is warning them.

He ducks into the underbrush, scarcer that the tree people were used to but thick enough they taught him how to hide. The coastal trees are thin and so only the best climbers could take from above. Spider, of course, is with them. He mumbles a prayer to their mother and starts for the cliff face.

Ao'nung lets out a loud, barking laugh and he can hear the strain. his friend has never been the best actor and he's scared. A branch snaps next to him and he jerks up, Tsireya is kneeling half sprawled from a bush. She looks embarrassed and offers him a sheepish smile before Lo'ak is corralling her up and hidden again.

It makes him want to laugh, how clumsy she is, how clumsy she's always been -

A gun shot rings loud and clear through the forest and suddenly movement is all around him. Birds are taking off into the sky and his friends, his family, are rushing through the woods without fear.

Ewya, how are they not afraid?

He chokes but he grips his spear. It's time to be brave, they could hurt his Moms, his sisters, and everyone he cares about. They have to go and he has to do it. He can do it.

Ewya must have her arms around him because his legs are strong as he rushes forward, the branches and undergrowth whip past him but he doesn't feel it. The metkayina boy whoops and then there's a gun aimed at him.

The human is small, terrified, and looks so much frailer than Spider. Perhaps he would have hesitated before, but he saw Neteyam after 3 Brothers Rock. Before the thoughts can settle in his mind, he's throwing his spear and the man goes down with the hit.

His weapon stands taller than the full body of his kill. It's not the first life he has taken, but it is the first he won't pray over or thank. He rips his weapon from the corpse and lets it fall with a dull thud, taking the gun and cracking it against a tree. It's too small for his hands and he won't risk another enemy finding such a prize.

More gunshots ricochet behind him and he rushes forward, finding himself beside Tsireya at the cliffs edge. He scans her body, quick as he can, and finds her okay. She nods and then she's leaping into the water below.

He spares a glance, unsure why she would give up her high ground, and feels the blood drain from his face.

There must be a dozen men on the ground and Tsireya marks the 4th person he can see of his own. Another shot and screaming is sounding from behind him, if there's that many there, who is up here?

The estimation they had only predicted a half a dozen men, maybe a few spares but maybe a few less. He's never trusting Lo'ak to count again.

He turns, planning to jump, but then he's hitting the ground. Above him, the butt of a gun is slamming down. It hits his temple and his vision slurs around him. He swings his arm, heartbeat pounding in his throat, and tries to dislodge the marine across his lap. He lands a hit and feels the weight tip but then the gun is coming down again.

A bruise begins to bloom across his cheek as he fights, blue skin torn and bloody from the branches beneath him and the man currently using his rifle like a bat. He wobbles up, trying to sit up and gain back the favor his height offers.

The man is wide eyed and frantic but the enjoyment in his eyes is what makes Rotxo pause. There is blood on the mans pale skin, bruising and mud across his face, and more dogtags than should be his own across his neck. Still, he smiles, bloody lips and all, and raises his gun.

Raises his gun at him, oh fuck -

A blonde blur snarls and the man goes down with a choked off shout. The gun is lost from his hands and then he hears a shot and Rotxo surges forward. Panic is lacing through him but dies in his throat at the sight of his mate, gun in hand, and standing overtop the body of his attacker.

Blood and mud are caked across his knees and over his torso. Rotxo's own stripes are covered on the blondes skin by the mess but he's there and in one piece. Relief floods his system and he stumbles up, finding himself in the humans arms before he can make it the rest of the way up.

"Fuck, fuck! Spider, a-are you okay? I-Thank you, I.." The words are failing him. He doesn't know what to say in this, thank you for killing a man for me? Thank you for being okay? Are you okay? You're not shot but please don't die of internal injuries when we get home?

"Hey, hey, hey, Ro, I need you to look at me, okay? It's okay, Baby, we're both okay. You can't go now, gotta get home first." His mask is smeared and dirty but he manages to meet Spider's eyes through it. Rotxo barely can speak and the blonde is pulling him between a tree and the large lake rocks that dot the hill. Later, he'll mourn how calm he is. How the blood on his mask and the bruises on his skin are so okay, but for now, he just focuses on finding home behind the glass.

Leaning forward, he presses his forehead to the cool glass and cups his hand to the back of the others head. Spider huffs on a laugh. The sound is small and affectionate but laced with fear but Rotxo decides they'll spare a moment.

Just a moment.

He breathes in the wood, the salt of the sea, and the scent of pinewood that clings stubbornly to Spider's tan skin. He counts the moles on his shoulders and tries to skim over the scars he'll memorize later.

"I-I'm okay. 'm okay. Where are your brothers?" Spider takes a long breath and he gets a glimpse of the boy he's buried, the child he left back with his peoples home tree. "in the water, I-I think. We need to get down there."

He starts to pull away and Rotxo starts to stand. Just as he leaves the cover of their hiding place, he catches sight of dark blue skin. Comprehension takes a moment to set in before he realizes that the blue isn't one of his friends, that they're in the water or safe at home, and that they most certainly don't wear a military uniform.

"Sure you do, Kid. Only place your goin' is back to your Daddy." Spider looks at him and there's fear on his face, real, deep fear. He remembers holding the human in the weeks after his escape, waking him from the nightmares following for the past 3 years, and the scars that mar his back. Spider squawks and reaches back but the recombinant has a firm grip on the blondes hair.

Spider is kicking, fighting, but the man isn't letting go. He's tall, cocky in the way he stands, and appears unphased at the teenaged warrior he's choosing to ignore. Wainfleet is embroidered on a tag across his chest and the name is familiar. The mans hand moves, Spider surging forward for freedom, and then its around the boys neck. It's just to hold him in place but the mans hands are so big they wrap around nearly completely. Spider chokes, ducking his head, and tries to fight but his grip only tightens.

"He's been real patient with you, Kiddo, but you know he's not a patient man. C'mon, time to get you home. If you stop your kickin', maybe I'll even let you stay awake this time." The man looks away from Spider, looks to Rotxo, and reaches for his gun. This one is big, big enough for a na'vi, and fits in his hand like an extension of himself. He aims it straight to Rotxo and his finger goes to the trigger.

Except, Rotxo isn't afraid. He expects the white-hot panic to flood him again, to feel his limbs heavy and lagging behind with the will to run away, but instead all he feels is rage. Red hot, protective, rage.

Spider looks small in the mans hold and looks so, so afraid. Rotxo reaches down and grips his spear. Wainfleet pulls the trigger but Rotxo is faster, aimed low and charging for his hips. While he may not look small now, he was the smallest in their youth. He knows how to take down a bigger opponent.

He surges and tackles the mans waist. This one is trained far better than his previous kill and doesn't go down just yet, but his grip on Spider does loosen. He snarls, low and instinctual, and feels every bit the animal the RDA calls them. It feels strong.

With a knock of his spear, the gun is knocked askew from where it was aimed. He takes the moment where Wainfleet struggles with the surprise to take a sweep for his head. The instinct to block has the gun falling from his hand and then, with a strong kick from Spider, his mate hits the forest floor.

With his lover out the way, Rotxo throws himself at the larger man. He's taller, but Rotxo is stronger. "You don't get him. Not again."

The solider laughs, loud and wild, "Fuck, Miles, you really do take after Sully. Got yourself a feral little toy and all, huh?"

The gun is cast aside now but Wainfleet reaches down, pulling a knife from a holster on his hip, and cuts across Rotxo's shoulder. His aim is strong and lands true, cutting deep across his collarbone. He gasps, pain flaring across his chest, but swings down his arms anyway. He lands a hard punch to the mans face, then another, and reels back again only for his wrist to be caught. He pulls, trying to free himself, and catches a glimpse of Spider, red faced and wheezing. His hands are shaking frantically as he checks his mask and the adrenaline comes rushing back.

Wainfleet lands a good hit to his face again, then aims to stab his shoulder where he cut before, but Rotxo pulls from his grip and pulls him up by the shoulders. He lifts the recombinant and slams him down. He can't get Quaritch for what he's done, but he certainly can give Wainfleet a taste here.

Blood pools in the mans mouth and he chokes, shoving frantically and thrashing against his hold similar to how Spider did moments ago. The mirror makes bitterness flush through him and he lifts him again, slamming harder now and relishing in the dull thud of the mans skull on the rocks below.

A gun cocks off to the side and his gaze flies to his mate, now on his feet and scrambling to the bushes they hid in before. He grabs the spear he's now left discarded at his side and throws it with practiced aim. It's lower than needed to be but the soldier falls with a spear through his gut. It'll be a painful death but Rotxo can't find himself to care.

"You don't get to hurt him." He growls and reaches for the gun before he hesitates. The man is groaning beneath him, incoherent and bloody, and Rotxo decides he chose his grave. He stands, legs shaking and tired, and pulls the man up. A birds cry fills the air and he hunches, an arrow flying past his curls, and he feels strong. His mate is safe, his family is fighting beside him, and he proved himself today. He feels strong when he lifts the man beneath him, pulling his weight onto himself, and walks to the edge. With a long breath, he drops the bloodied man over the edge and into the water below.

He stand, still and tired, but satisfied. The man hits the water below and he notices the movements in the woods have gone. It's calm, undisturbed as if nothing happened here at all.

He breathes in the salty air, tanged with blood, and lets his shoulders drop. A muted sort of pride lays in his chest knowing he defended his home but there's sadness there that knows he just kissed what was left of his peaceful life goodbye. War has met them here and it's clear his time is up.

"Rotxo? We did it...They're gone, only a few are injured. But..." A pause, "Well, we lost two. Menang and Eleora are with the mother but, it-it's time to go home." A soft hand grabs his elbow and he jerks back to reality.

Tsireya is gentle, safe, and he leans down to kiss her forehead. He turns and Spider is there, red faced and looking stricken, no doubt somewhere else. But he's safe, wrapped against his brother's side.

He walks forward, checking his lover for injuries, and nods to Lo'ak who lets him take his brothers weight while his own lover slips back to his arms.

"C'mon, lets go home."