𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎 ☆

22yo

[softycheol]

Masterpost

Ipê - Avatar (James Cameron)

Summary: Jake Sully only wanted the best for his daughter. It's the least he could do after he insisted he wanted that child. Iara Sully is everything to him. She is his daughter, his duo, his life saver, his ipê.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[g1asswaves]

Hiya decided to make myself a presence on tumblr now!! Here’s a chunk of my recent work 🙂‍↕️💃

[heynyxiepixie]

Twenty-one years after the second Great Sorrow, the Sky People descend upon Pandora. And this time, with a family seven strong, Jake Sully has far more to lose.

This story begins very shortly following the end of Avatar 1. Inspired by the work of just-another-idk. Go check out their series, “The Eldest!” 

Polished Fangs Masterlist

What happened next was a blur of rapid movements that Tarsem would never be able to describe when asked later.

The pink ikran did turn her head. She did try to bite at Tarsem’s thigh. She did get frighteningly close.

But Tarsem snatched his kuru braid faster. He maneuvered it to her kuru before her head fully finished turning. The tendrils reached out on their own accord and snapped together before either of them could make another movement.

All of that had been unclear and yet so clear at the same time. He knew exactly what happened but it had gone by so ridiculously fast that he couldn’t really picture any of it. His muscles remembered it. His eyes did not.

And then came the explosion of everything-ness.

The overwhelming feeling took hold of Tarsem first. As though his body was bigger than it was, extended to more bones and muscles and veins and skin than it originally did, he could feel her. He could feel the pink ikran as though he was part of the pink ikran, and he knew in his soul that she could feel him in the very same way. Their pair of heartbeats, two different paces and tempos, slowly began to merge. Her heart sped up to match his as it slowed down until it was one singular beat, the sounds of the two hearts indistinguishable from the other as though they were a singular organ. He felt his own weight upon her spine. She felt the burn of his palms. He tasted his own blood on her fangs. She felt her own scales against his skin.

After their hearts synced, their lungs were next. And with their breaths mixing into one inhalation together, Tarsem realized how vibrant the smell of Pandora was. He smelled his sweat, foul from stress. He smelled his blood against the pink ikran’s breath. He smelled the semi-rotten odor of the ikran eggshells that littered the very corners of the cave, up against the walls—a smell he’d not noticed nor known of before but felt so very familiar thanks to the beast he was bonded with. She knew the smell from birth. And so he knew it just as intimately.

They exhaled together and Pandora’s musical cacophony hit Tarsem like a bucket of ice cold water. The wind howled loudly. The chirps of the ikran near him made no sense and yet they pieced together a meaning he instinctively knew; the elder ikran were watching with nostalgia, the younger ones learning what their own bonding would one day be like. The rainforest down below sang with the melodies of all the life within and though neither Tarsem nor the pink ikran could identify each individual organism from this distance, they knew of the general array of creatures they would find.

But there was something more. Something yet to come. A wall seemed to block off one last sector of shared information and Tarsem was quick to pick up on it.

First flight seals the bond.

That was what everyone told him. No change in the wording. Those five words always. Cryptic and yet seemingly simple and yet now that Tarsem was faced with that blockage he knew exactly what else was there to those words.

The first flight didn’t just seal the bond between Na’vi and ikran. It facilitated the last and most vital part of the bond.

The mental connection. The spiritual connection.

That was why the first flight was so critical.

Which meant they needed to leave the rookery.

The only problem was the fight. The pink ikran was entirely unrelenting. She didn’t want to succumb to the bond; she wasn’t yet convinced of Tarsem’s worth, of his right to take her as his steed for the foreseeable future. The bond between Na’vi and ikran was intended to be everlasting, until death took them both. The pink ikran did not want to settle for anything lesser than she felt she deserved.

And she wasn’t certain yet that Tarsem deserved her.

The only issue was that Tarsem had no idea how to convince her. He wasn’t sure how to push her to the edge of the rookery and take off flying. He simply did not know. His parents had not told him—he doubted their bonding processes had been nearly as tedious and strained as this. The pink ikran simply did not want to comply and Tarsem hadn’t the faintest clue how to force her to.

The moment that thought passed through his mind, though the full force of the mental connection hadn’t come yet, Tarsem felt a surge of rage. It wasn’t that he was angry. It felt more like someone beside him, in his peripheral, had suddenly begun to roar with fury. Obvious hatred and yet just adjacent to him.

He knew it was the pink beast. She’d felt his thoughts in the same way he’d just felt her anger.

Force me? she seemed to be screaming. You think you can force anything upon me? Foolish, worthless, pathetic Na’vi hatchling. I will kill you and I will enjoy it.

She bucked so hard Tarsem was nearly tossed off. 

“Okay!” he yelped, clinging to her scales. “Not force! Not force! I-I just—” He cut himself off with another cry as the pink ikran bucked again. “I don’t know what to do!”

Pathetic, worthless, weak, idiot—

“I’m a kid!” Tarsem shrieked.

The pink ikran didn’t stop fighting him, but the malice stopped drowning his mind. Her rage quieted but remained persistent.

“I’m a kid!” he repeated. “And I’m scared and I’m hurt! And I-I need to grow!” He swallowed thickly. The beast beneath him continued to struggle physically but the fight had reduced considerably. The rookery seemed to almost quiet down. “I need,” he continued breathlessly, “to pass this test. I-I-I need to grow up. I need to make a bond and you chose me. You chose me and I have to prove myself and I’ve done my best.” His hands burned. “You hurt me really badly,” he croaked. “And I still didn’t give up. I’m still trying.” He closed his eyes tightly. It was a major risk and he knew he might come to regret it, but Tarsem was exhausted and in excruciating amounts of pain. The darkness under his eyelids didn’t offer much comfort, though. “I don’t want to force you to bond with me,” he relented. “But I don’t know what else I need to do to prove myself to you. I’ve done everything I know how to do.”

The rookery seemed to have gone entirely silent. Every single creature within, from the hatchlings to the elder ikran, must have been holding their breaths. Not even the wind dared to howl.

And then the pink ikran began to walk.

Her gait was strange. Clearly, she, too, had gotten hurt in the scuffle between her and Tarsem. She favored her left side to an obvious degree as she slowly, steadily traversed through the sea of onlooking ikran.

Tarsem opened his eyes as the air brushed against his face. His jaw went slack and fell open.

They were getting close to the edge of the rookery.

“What—”

The pink ikran snapped at the air by his thigh. It wasn’t an attack. There was clearly no intent to actually nip or cut the skin. Just a simple shut up said in actions rather than words they couldn’t yet fully communicate. Tarsem even doubted if his entire speech, him bearing his heart and pain to the pink beast, had properly translated.

Though perhaps the feeling, the emotions, the intention, had been enough.

At the edge of the rookery, at the cliff which overlooked the rainforests the Omaticaya clan called their territory, the air was sharper, almost. Tarsem hadn’t picked up on it after the climb, he’d been so tediously exhausted. But now, with his senses having clarified from the almost-complete bond, he could smell everything the pink ikran could. He could distinguish just barely between the syaksyuk and nantang and various bird species he knew lived in those trees down below. The wind carried their scents high up, and he knew that if they began to fly he would be able to tell exactly where in the rainforests those smells led to, where the animals lived and played and bred and fed. He would be able to see it all.

He was so close.

And then the pink ikran stopped at the very precipice.

The wind was hellishly loud here. The smells were so strong and potent and Tarsem could, through the link, feel the edge of the rocks against the ikran’s claws. Just an inch—no, not even a full inch, but just a centimeter—more and they would be in the open air. 

And yet the pink ikran didn’t move from this spot. She stayed perfectly still, letting the wind roll over and under her wings and scales, casting a chilly breeze over her and the Na’vi child on her back.

Tarsem’s face fell. 

“No,” he pleaded, voice breaking. “Please, please. We’re so close, please don’t do this.”

The pink ikran did not respond. She just stared out at the treeline down below. Tarsem couldn’t sense the general idea behind her thoughts anymore.

“Please,” he begged again, grasping at the scales of the back of her neck. “Please. This is the last thing I need. First flight seals the bond. Please. I-I don’t—”

The pink ikran twitched slightly. She tilted her head back, finally, and met his gaze.

Tarsem halted. The mind of the beast was still closed off but he could feel the expectation in her gaze. She was waiting for something. Something important. Something critical.

The force of the realization hit him like a freight train. 

What was the sound? The cry? The sharp, piercing shout that his clan used to urge their ikran into flight? To call for them, to signal to the other fliers to pay attention? 

This wasn’t a test. Not this time. This wasn’t the pink ikran trying even still to make him prove his value, his worthiness.

This was just patience. She was waiting for him to do what all Na’vi did before they flew. 

Tarsem swallowed the nervousness back and licked his lips. His mouth pulled into a small, relieved smile.

He knew what to do.

He adjusted his grip on her scales, trying to find a proper placement for his hands. Once he found it, he rolled his shoulders back, allowing the air to fill his lungs comfortably. He knew what sound to make. He knew exactly how to proceed.

So he tilted his head back ever so slightly, opened his mouth, and cried out, “Ayiyiyiyi!”

And they lurched forward, the ground slipping out from beneath them.

Y/N dropped the dead pink fish on the sandy riverbank.

Kitan was the first to pounce, instantly swiping the creature into her mouth and then lifting it up with pride as though she had been the one to catch and kill it. Her tail wagged excitedly against the ground, kicking up dust that inevitably got into Y/N’s eyes.

She spluttered and turned away, dunking her head in the water to wash it out. 

That was when the shadow fell over her.

She didn’t see it at first, obviously. Her head was submerged and her hands were scrubbing at her eyes. But she felt the chill of the light being snuffed out and rose slowly, steadily, the assumption that Ka’ota was the cause of it in her mind, despite the strange sensation running up and down the length in her spine that made her wonder if something was amiss. But as the water dripped from her body and she wiped her hands over her face, pushing the moisture away from her eyes so she could see, she found Ka’ota standing beside her, his haunches raised and fangs glistening, his gaze harsh and directed at the sky above them.

The cubs were nowhere to be seen at first. And then Ka’ota’s tail swiped out and pulled Y/N to his side, hidden in his real shadow, where the cubs had balled into tight little spheres. 

Y/N looked down at them for a moment longer. She’d never seen the cubs curl into themselves like this. The dangerous sensation in her spine seemed to pulse now, throbbing sharper and brighter and more noticeably until she couldn’t bear it anymore.

She stepped ever so slightly out of Ka’ota’s shadow and followed his gaze.

Up, clinging to the top of the trees surrounding the stream, wings spread to blot out the sunlight, talons sharper than Y/N’s own nails could ever be, was a vibrant-scaled pink ikran.

And upon the back of the beast, the very same one which had tossed Y/N from the rookery years ago, the very same creature which she had so desperately believed would be hers to bond with, the very same monster which had tried to kill her and very well would have succeeded had her body not been found… 

… sat Tarsem te Kumon Arun’itan.

word count: 2.2K

taglist: @daemontargaryenwhore @shaheea @18lkpeters @obsidianvalkyriecrest @frvv @poppyw4 @oscarquokka @baby-shark-2023 @fizzywizzyglizzy @ilove-nsfw @puppyminnnie @marija4674 @user153639937 @sillyyouthtragedy @nxstqlgia @7leo7 @kitten-blog12 @superlegend216 @whos-nin1 @ohnogovno @pitypinkabyss @ncstalgicvisions @girlypophor @varangsbabygirl @softycheol @brucesbiggestheadache @sela-gypsy @angeliquecho @sleepingsully @asdfghjkl--20 @felixsterprankster @idontcarewahthappenstome @deobimuffinz @xoxojules86 @xirquen @gabbiegabbie24 @beau-min @eeorrrr @vehementlyscarletvigilante @wildpandorasky @notlikeothernerds @defeatedpopsicle @pink-sunrise-56 @bunnysrabbit @k1ngglenn0x @ynackerman9499 @ur-crusty-uncle @mysticalpotat @intothemultifandom @timebomb1101 @itsfrenchxfrxes @ravnlss @tamteysleftarm @fwberries @whiskles @fastleopard1521 @nightowlnavi14 @takoa-tides @pi3rc3dvamp

[softycheol]

HOLY FUCKING SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

VAI TOMAR NO CU PORRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA EU TO INCRÉDULA MEU DEUS NEM FUDENDO QUE O IKRAN DO TARSEM É O QUE TENTOU MATAR ELA E QUE ELA IA FAZER TSAHEYLU NEM FUDENDOOOOOOOOO

[softycheol]

guys omfg just read this amazing piece of art its AMAZING

[heynyxiepixie]

Twenty-one years after the second Great Sorrow, the Sky People descend upon Pandora. And this time, with a family seven strong, Jake Sully has far more to lose.

This story begins very shortly following the end of Avatar 1. Inspired by the work of just-another-idk. Go check out their series, “The Eldest!” 

Polished Fangs Masterlist

What happened next was a blur of rapid movements that Tarsem would never be able to describe when asked later.

The pink ikran did turn her head. She did try to bite at Tarsem’s thigh. She did get frighteningly close.

But Tarsem snatched his kuru braid faster. He maneuvered it to her kuru before her head fully finished turning. The tendrils reached out on their own accord and snapped together before either of them could make another movement.

All of that had been unclear and yet so clear at the same time. He knew exactly what happened but it had gone by so ridiculously fast that he couldn’t really picture any of it. His muscles remembered it. His eyes did not.

And then came the explosion of everything-ness.

The overwhelming feeling took hold of Tarsem first. As though his body was bigger than it was, extended to more bones and muscles and veins and skin than it originally did, he could feel her. He could feel the pink ikran as though he was part of the pink ikran, and he knew in his soul that she could feel him in the very same way. Their pair of heartbeats, two different paces and tempos, slowly began to merge. Her heart sped up to match his as it slowed down until it was one singular beat, the sounds of the two hearts indistinguishable from the other as though they were a singular organ. He felt his own weight upon her spine. She felt the burn of his palms. He tasted his own blood on her fangs. She felt her own scales against his skin.

After their hearts synced, their lungs were next. And with their breaths mixing into one inhalation together, Tarsem realized how vibrant the smell of Pandora was. He smelled his sweat, foul from stress. He smelled his blood against the pink ikran’s breath. He smelled the semi-rotten odor of the ikran eggshells that littered the very corners of the cave, up against the walls—a smell he’d not noticed nor known of before but felt so very familiar thanks to the beast he was bonded with. She knew the smell from birth. And so he knew it just as intimately.

They exhaled together and Pandora’s musical cacophony hit Tarsem like a bucket of ice cold water. The wind howled loudly. The chirps of the ikran near him made no sense and yet they pieced together a meaning he instinctively knew; the elder ikran were watching with nostalgia, the younger ones learning what their own bonding would one day be like. The rainforest down below sang with the melodies of all the life within and though neither Tarsem nor the pink ikran could identify each individual organism from this distance, they knew of the general array of creatures they would find.

But there was something more. Something yet to come. A wall seemed to block off one last sector of shared information and Tarsem was quick to pick up on it.

First flight seals the bond.

That was what everyone told him. No change in the wording. Those five words always. Cryptic and yet seemingly simple and yet now that Tarsem was faced with that blockage he knew exactly what else was there to those words.

The first flight didn’t just seal the bond between Na’vi and ikran. It facilitated the last and most vital part of the bond.

The mental connection. The spiritual connection.

That was why the first flight was so critical.

Which meant they needed to leave the rookery.

The only problem was the fight. The pink ikran was entirely unrelenting. She didn’t want to succumb to the bond; she wasn’t yet convinced of Tarsem’s worth, of his right to take her as his steed for the foreseeable future. The bond between Na’vi and ikran was intended to be everlasting, until death took them both. The pink ikran did not want to settle for anything lesser than she felt she deserved.

And she wasn’t certain yet that Tarsem deserved her.

The only issue was that Tarsem had no idea how to convince her. He wasn’t sure how to push her to the edge of the rookery and take off flying. He simply did not know. His parents had not told him—he doubted their bonding processes had been nearly as tedious and strained as this. The pink ikran simply did not want to comply and Tarsem hadn’t the faintest clue how to force her to.

The moment that thought passed through his mind, though the full force of the mental connection hadn’t come yet, Tarsem felt a surge of rage. It wasn’t that he was angry. It felt more like someone beside him, in his peripheral, had suddenly begun to roar with fury. Obvious hatred and yet just adjacent to him.

He knew it was the pink beast. She’d felt his thoughts in the same way he’d just felt her anger.

Force me? she seemed to be screaming. You think you can force anything upon me? Foolish, worthless, pathetic Na’vi hatchling. I will kill you and I will enjoy it.

She bucked so hard Tarsem was nearly tossed off. 

“Okay!” he yelped, clinging to her scales. “Not force! Not force! I-I just—” He cut himself off with another cry as the pink ikran bucked again. “I don’t know what to do!”

Pathetic, worthless, weak, idiot—

“I’m a kid!” Tarsem shrieked.

The pink ikran didn’t stop fighting him, but the malice stopped drowning his mind. Her rage quieted but remained persistent.

“I’m a kid!” he repeated. “And I’m scared and I’m hurt! And I-I need to grow!” He swallowed thickly. The beast beneath him continued to struggle physically but the fight had reduced considerably. The rookery seemed to almost quiet down. “I need,” he continued breathlessly, “to pass this test. I-I-I need to grow up. I need to make a bond and you chose me. You chose me and I have to prove myself and I’ve done my best.” His hands burned. “You hurt me really badly,” he croaked. “And I still didn’t give up. I’m still trying.” He closed his eyes tightly. It was a major risk and he knew he might come to regret it, but Tarsem was exhausted and in excruciating amounts of pain. The darkness under his eyelids didn’t offer much comfort, though. “I don’t want to force you to bond with me,” he relented. “But I don’t know what else I need to do to prove myself to you. I’ve done everything I know how to do.”

The rookery seemed to have gone entirely silent. Every single creature within, from the hatchlings to the elder ikran, must have been holding their breaths. Not even the wind dared to howl.

And then the pink ikran began to walk.

Her gait was strange. Clearly, she, too, had gotten hurt in the scuffle between her and Tarsem. She favored her left side to an obvious degree as she slowly, steadily traversed through the sea of onlooking ikran.

Tarsem opened his eyes as the air brushed against his face. His jaw went slack and fell open.

They were getting close to the edge of the rookery.

“What—”

The pink ikran snapped at the air by his thigh. It wasn’t an attack. There was clearly no intent to actually nip or cut the skin. Just a simple shut up said in actions rather than words they couldn’t yet fully communicate. Tarsem even doubted if his entire speech, him bearing his heart and pain to the pink beast, had properly translated.

Though perhaps the feeling, the emotions, the intention, had been enough.

At the edge of the rookery, at the cliff which overlooked the rainforests the Omaticaya clan called their territory, the air was sharper, almost. Tarsem hadn’t picked up on it after the climb, he’d been so tediously exhausted. But now, with his senses having clarified from the almost-complete bond, he could smell everything the pink ikran could. He could distinguish just barely between the syaksyuk and nantang and various bird species he knew lived in those trees down below. The wind carried their scents high up, and he knew that if they began to fly he would be able to tell exactly where in the rainforests those smells led to, where the animals lived and played and bred and fed. He would be able to see it all.

He was so close.

And then the pink ikran stopped at the very precipice.

The wind was hellishly loud here. The smells were so strong and potent and Tarsem could, through the link, feel the edge of the rocks against the ikran’s claws. Just an inch—no, not even a full inch, but just a centimeter—more and they would be in the open air. 

And yet the pink ikran didn’t move from this spot. She stayed perfectly still, letting the wind roll over and under her wings and scales, casting a chilly breeze over her and the Na’vi child on her back.

Tarsem’s face fell. 

“No,” he pleaded, voice breaking. “Please, please. We’re so close, please don’t do this.”

The pink ikran did not respond. She just stared out at the treeline down below. Tarsem couldn’t sense the general idea behind her thoughts anymore.

“Please,” he begged again, grasping at the scales of the back of her neck. “Please. This is the last thing I need. First flight seals the bond. Please. I-I don’t—”

The pink ikran twitched slightly. She tilted her head back, finally, and met his gaze.

Tarsem halted. The mind of the beast was still closed off but he could feel the expectation in her gaze. She was waiting for something. Something important. Something critical.

The force of the realization hit him like a freight train. 

What was the sound? The cry? The sharp, piercing shout that his clan used to urge their ikran into flight? To call for them, to signal to the other fliers to pay attention? 

This wasn’t a test. Not this time. This wasn’t the pink ikran trying even still to make him prove his value, his worthiness.

This was just patience. She was waiting for him to do what all Na’vi did before they flew. 

Tarsem swallowed the nervousness back and licked his lips. His mouth pulled into a small, relieved smile.

He knew what to do.

He adjusted his grip on her scales, trying to find a proper placement for his hands. Once he found it, he rolled his shoulders back, allowing the air to fill his lungs comfortably. He knew what sound to make. He knew exactly how to proceed.

So he tilted his head back ever so slightly, opened his mouth, and cried out, “Ayiyiyiyi!”

And they lurched forward, the ground slipping out from beneath them.

Y/N dropped the dead pink fish on the sandy riverbank.

Kitan was the first to pounce, instantly swiping the creature into her mouth and then lifting it up with pride as though she had been the one to catch and kill it. Her tail wagged excitedly against the ground, kicking up dust that inevitably got into Y/N’s eyes.

She spluttered and turned away, dunking her head in the water to wash it out. 

That was when the shadow fell over her.

She didn’t see it at first, obviously. Her head was submerged and her hands were scrubbing at her eyes. But she felt the chill of the light being snuffed out and rose slowly, steadily, the assumption that Ka’ota was the cause of it in her mind, despite the strange sensation running up and down the length in her spine that made her wonder if something was amiss. But as the water dripped from her body and she wiped her hands over her face, pushing the moisture away from her eyes so she could see, she found Ka’ota standing beside her, his haunches raised and fangs glistening, his gaze harsh and directed at the sky above them.

The cubs were nowhere to be seen at first. And then Ka’ota’s tail swiped out and pulled Y/N to his side, hidden in his real shadow, where the cubs had balled into tight little spheres. 

Y/N looked down at them for a moment longer. She’d never seen the cubs curl into themselves like this. The dangerous sensation in her spine seemed to pulse now, throbbing sharper and brighter and more noticeably until she couldn’t bear it anymore.

She stepped ever so slightly out of Ka’ota’s shadow and followed his gaze.

Up, clinging to the top of the trees surrounding the stream, wings spread to blot out the sunlight, talons sharper than Y/N’s own nails could ever be, was a vibrant-scaled pink ikran.

And upon the back of the beast, the very same one which had tossed Y/N from the rookery years ago, the very same creature which she had so desperately believed would be hers to bond with, the very same monster which had tried to kill her and very well would have succeeded had her body not been found… 

… sat Tarsem te Kumon Arun’itan.

word count: 2.2K

taglist: @daemontargaryenwhore @shaheea @18lkpeters @obsidianvalkyriecrest @frvv @poppyw4 @oscarquokka @baby-shark-2023 @fizzywizzyglizzy @ilove-nsfw @puppyminnnie @marija4674 @user153639937 @sillyyouthtragedy @nxstqlgia @7leo7 @kitten-blog12 @superlegend216 @whos-nin1 @ohnogovno @pitypinkabyss @ncstalgicvisions @girlypophor @varangsbabygirl @softycheol @brucesbiggestheadache @sela-gypsy @angeliquecho @sleepingsully @asdfghjkl--20 @felixsterprankster @idontcarewahthappenstome @deobimuffinz @xoxojules86 @xirquen @gabbiegabbie24 @beau-min @eeorrrr @vehementlyscarletvigilante @wildpandorasky @notlikeothernerds @defeatedpopsicle @pink-sunrise-56 @bunnysrabbit @k1ngglenn0x @ynackerman9499 @ur-crusty-uncle @mysticalpotat @intothemultifandom @timebomb1101 @itsfrenchxfrxes @ravnlss @tamteysleftarm @fwberries @whiskles @fastleopard1521 @nightowlnavi14 @takoa-tides @pi3rc3dvamp

[softycheol]

HOLY FUCKING SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

VAI TOMAR NO CU PORRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA EU TO INCRÉDULA MEU DEUS NEM FUDENDO QUE O IKRAN DO TARSEM É O QUE TENTOU MATAR ELA E QUE ELA IA FAZER TSAHEYLU NEM FUDENDOOOOOOOOO

[robotsincastles]

Thaddeus: “This is normal right?”

Cooper:

[realityisforpplwhocantdream]

THEY JUST HAD A MOMENT™

[nukaposting]

[co-existence]

do u ever feel like every single person you care about cares about someone else more

[softycheol]

Ipê - Chapter 4

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Summary: Jake Sully only wanted the best for his daughter. It's the least he could do after he insisted he wanted that child. Iara Sully is everything to him. She is his daughter, his duo, his life saver, his ipê.

Taglist: @oceanfyre @7leo7 @cmalass @lele032001

Masterpost

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Neytiri looked at me, and I knew she wanted to understand the deepest part of my being, but at the same time she didn’t trust me enough for that.

Spending days with my father was one thing, but meeting his human daughter, who was the size of a Na’vi baby, was another. She couldn’t treat me the same way she treated my father, and she would have to be more careful with me than she would be with Na’vi infants.

I was more fragile than both examples.

Her large golden eyes analyzed me, and when I greeted her and spoke her name, she seemed to focus more on me and nodded slightly, as if greeting a possible adversary rather than a child.

But Neytiri didn’t have anger or hatred in her gaze; she only had caution. She didn’t know what to expect from me.

“Your child speaks Na’vi better than you already. What is her name?”

“You never told her my name?!”

Neytiri seemed speechless at that moment. A five-year-old human child, who spent most of her time with scientists and Na’vi enthusiasts, spoke the language better than the father who spent most of his time with the forest people.

My father gave a sideways smile (his typical one) and looked embarrassed.

“Maybe it slipped my mind.”

“That’s not something someone simply forgets! How could you forget to tell me the name of the most important person in your life?!” I retorted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neytiri looking at us. She seemed amused listening to the father-daughter duo argue, but at the same time she didn’t want that to be obvious.

At that point, I had already decided I would speak only in Na’vi as much as possible, to train the language enough and also to try to impress the daughter of the clan leaders.

“Neytiri, I apologize for my father, he has wind in his head instead of thoughts.” I looked at the woman with sharp features. “My name is Iara!”

For a brief moment, she seemed a little impressed. Maybe I had earned a few extra points with her in our first meeting. I think she expected an exact copy of my father, maybe a silly girl like him.

“How old are you, Iara?” I heard the sound of some kind of bird in the distance.

“I’m five years old!” I showed her my right hand open, while my left hand held onto my father.

At that moment, I had forgotten our physical differences.

I just hoped Neytiri understood that I was five years old and was showing her that I knew I had five fingers on my hand, not four like her.

As I blushed and felt a little embarrassed for showing her my hand, quickly pulling it back to my body, Neytiri didn’t seem impressed by my human skin or my extra finger.

“You look like you’re two.” She spoke seriously. After saying that, she looked up and saw that the morning was already passing. “It’s better if we don’t stay still.”

With that, she walked ahead of us, probably leading the way back to the Omatikaya clan, while my father looked at her with a sideways grin.

“Stop drooling and go after her before it’s too late and we get lost!” I called his attention.

“You’re way too sassy for my taste, you know that?” My father retorted.

“You’re the one who raised me.”

“I think Grace had a hand in this.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Pandora is certainly the most beautiful place I have ever set foot in.

The feeling of seeing everything was surreal; I understood the scientists’ obsession with all this natural beauty before me.

It was impossible not to fall in love with this place.

As we walked back to the clan, I saw different types of plants and animals, each more beautiful and unique than the other. I wanted to touch and talk to everything; for my five-year-old mind, everything was magical.

To our left, I saw a field with a plant I had read about — helicoradian. Several of them rose like living towers, with wide spiral leaves.

“Dad.” I looked at him. “Can I touch it?” I pointed to one of the plants.

“Not today, daughter, we’re in a hurry and we don’t know what the forest—”

“Let her touch it, Jake.” Neytiri interrupted.

My father looked surprised at her, his eyes widening and his ears perking up.

“Are you sure?” he asked, and she nodded with a short movement.

I was certain Neytiri was more attentive to our surroundings than my father at that moment, and of course there’s a big difference between growing up with those instincts and having to learn them overnight.

With that said, my father put me down, and half-bent, he held my hand when my feet touched the ground. My sneakers made small sounds as they hit the earth, as quiet as the Na’vi behind us.

When I reached the helicoradian, I stretched out my right hand and lightly touched the plant, and the entire structure recoiled in a quick, silent motion, revealing a passage and the landscape hidden behind it.

The forest opened the way, and I smiled.

“Pandora is incredible.” I said with bright eyes.

My father, now crouched beside me and looking at me, said:

“It truly is.”

We didn’t know Neytiri was watching us, and we didn’t know we were all being observed.

“Enough now, let’s keep moving and hurry, we’re taking too long.” Neytiri interrupted the moment to push us forward.

My father picked me up again, and I held onto the strap of his quiver to feel safer.

Neytiri began to walk and soon quickened her pace into a light run, and my father followed.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

After a few minutes, I could see the Hometree, and it was enormous.

It was something far greater than any building on Earth. And I don’t mean just in size — I mean in sentimental value too.

Getting closer, it might sound strange, but I could feel it, I understood its existence.

It was surreal, ancestral, ancient.

Every second that passed, I grew more and more nervous. I was about to enter a place where everyone, except my father, considered me the enemy. For many, my age wouldn’t matter.

As we arrived at the clan, people began to spread out, running to tell others that the demon’s offspring had arrived, that he had truly brought his child.

Soon the clan gathered in a circle. Neytiri stopped right in the middle, with my father behind her still holding me in his arms. Some only observed, others murmured among themselves, some pointed, and I even saw a few children watching with curiosity.

I thought I might die of shame. I tightened my grip on the strap of my father’s quiver and prayed for the best to happen.

“This is the size of a human baby? Smaller than I thought,” I heard a woman murmur.

The voices faded into silence, and the path opened for Mo’at, Eytukan, and Tsu’tey.

The three walked toward us in that order.

Between staying in the comfort of my father’s arms or facing courage head-on, I decided that fear and nervousness were stronger, and I remained in his arms.

As Mo’at approached closer to my father and me, Eytukan and Tsu’tey stopped near Neytiri.

“This is Jake Sully’s daughter. Her name is Iara, and she is five years old… although she is small.”

Mo’at stopped in front of us.

“JakeSully… Put your daughter on the ground.”

My father, nervous as ever, didn’t know if he should obey Mo’at’s words, fearing for me, but I quickly realized I truly had to leave his arms. I shifted a little, and he set me down.

Mo’at circled me, ran her hand from one shoulder to the other across my back, then crouched in front of me to look into my eyes.

She passed her hand across my forehead, down between my eyes, nose, chin, until reaching the center of my chest, and closed her eyes.

Neytiri had looked into my soul, but Mo’at read and understood it.

She put her hands around my face, fiddled with my mask a little, trying to understand it, and then took it off and I held my breath.

The clan held its breath while Mo’at listened to what she needed.

She opened her eyes again and looked at me, while I put the mask back, I could feel my father nerve-wracking from where I stood.

“This child will be Na’vi. She will sleep with us, eat with us, learn with us, and grow with us. She will be treated as one of us. It is Eywa’s will, and so it shall be.”

The clan didn’t know how to react to the news, and I thought I might faint from so much nervousness.

“Thank you, tsahik. I want to learn and help in whatever I can.”

“She already speaks the language better than her father. Tell me, child, what does JakeSully call you?”

“Iara.” I answered with a smile.

“Iara… From now on, you will follow only the customs of the Omatikaya. Forget human teachings, you will be one of us.”

Mo’at spoke with a certainty that frightened me.

For her, my future was certain alongside the clan. For me, who still thought of Grace, Zhì Xiáng, Norm, Max, and Trudy, the future was uncertain.

And what scared me most, in truth, was the clan itself. I hoped Mo’at’s protection would be enough, but would it?

Mo’at stood, and now it was Eytukan’s turn to look at me. When his eyes fell on me, I knew exactly whom Neytiri resembled.

“The child is accepted into the clan, but she must prove she can be one of us, just like her father. Though she is five years old, she seems younger. We will care for her as such, but teach her as we teach children her age. We will care for her as we care for our own children.” Eytukan spoke while looking around, and finally turned back to his family, speaking loudly: “Children have no place in war.”

With those words, he guaranteed my safety in his clan.

He made it clear that I walked with a white flag, not with a weapon.

My father bowed his head in respect and gratitude, and I quickly imitated him.

As my father and I drew closer again, Tsu’tey stepped forward and spoke:

“Mo’at says it is Eywa’s will. Eytukan says she must be cared for as a child. But I say: she is JakeSully’s daughter, and JakeSully is not Na’vi. The blood of the demon runs in them.”

The silence was surreal. My blood froze, and I’m sure I turned pale for a moment.

“She is not an enemy.” Neytiri stood in front of Tsu’tey, her back to me and my father. She faced the man with a certainty in her gaze that would intimidate many — but not Tsu’tey. “She is only a child. Children have no place in war.”

“We shall see.”

Tsu’tey turned his back and walked away, passing by the tsahik and the olo’eyktan, while I trembled like a leaf, terrified of my future.

Eytukan watched Tsu’tey leave, then turned to the clan:

“Well… We need the child to dress as one of us. Who will help?”

In the midst of all the tension and silence, Eywa sent a savior. She was 8’3, with deep, uniform blue skin, lighter touches on her cheeks and neck, and large expressive eyes of such an intense blue that reflected only kindness and curiosity. The young woman had long, straight black hair like the night, with a fringe falling where her eyebrows would be, and a few small braids adorned with beads. Her features were fine and delicate, a nose slender like that of a small cat, and soft lips. When she smiled, I could see her elongated, pointed canines, but with such a gentle smile I didn’t feel a single drop of fear or nervousness.

“I can help, olo’eyktan.”

“Sä’li! Thank you, I am sure that with your creative spirit you will be able to make something for the child. We count on you.” Eytukan seemed pleased that someone from his clan volunteered to help the daughter of the enemy-ally. He still feared Jake Sully, but he knew a child was not guilty of anything happening around them.

I was just a drop of water in a flood.

Sä’li approached our small circle and said:

“Come, I have all the materials I need stored!” With a smile on her face, she began walking toward her home, and we followed.

“We” meant me, my father, and Neytiri. Sä’li seemed a little younger than the daughter of the clan leaders. Unlike the Na’vi I had met and spoken with (Eytukan, Mo’at, Tsu’tey, and Neytiri), she was more lively and cheerful, more spirited. I wondered what went through her mind when she saw me. Fear? Doubt? Surprise?

Sä’li didn’t seem to fear me, which made sense, since it would be much easier for her to harm me than the other way around.

But looking at her, analyzing her, Sä’li didn’t seem like the kind of person who would harm even the smallest insect. Everything about her radiated sympathy and kindness.

The elders climbed the tree while I stayed comfortable in my father’s arms. We passed many other Na’vi, and I could only marvel at everything I saw — life, protection, care — all so much greater than what humans had.

As we climbed, I observed everything: baskets with fabrics, colorful powders, weapons, animal skins, food, a little of everything. I even thought I saw some instruments.

About halfway up the Hometree, Sä’li walked toward a kind of house that reminded me more of a den. Instead of a door, there was a flowing white fabric, which she held aside to let us pass, gesturing with her arm.

“Come in, make yourselves comfortable, sit wherever you like. I’ll get the materials.”

Her house was magnificent.

Light filtered through the leaves, creating golden patterns on the walls. The ceiling was formed by large intertwined branches, reinforced with fibers and dried leaves, allowing a soft breeze to pass through, carrying the scent of the forest.

In one corner of her house, other fabrics formed a kind of curtain to separate spaces. I believed that was where Sä’li slept, the only part of the house she preferred to keep hidden from curious eyes.

The walls were decorated with beads and colorful stones, bringing more personality to the young Na’vi’s home. In one corner, baskets of fibers held colorful powders, seeds, fabrics, beads… the soul of Sä’li’s work, it seemed.

Every corner of her house screamed her personality. When my father sat in one corner, with Neytiri beside him and me in his arms, I felt calm and welcome. I was no longer nervous.

Sä’li went to her baskets and took out some fabrics and other items, like beads and small bowls with colored powders, though in small amounts.

“I already have in mind the first outfit we can make for you. Do you like pink?”

“I do.” I answered while watching what she was doing.

“Perfect.”

She turned toward me, came closer, and when she reached me, she stopped and extended her hand. I held it, and she lifted me from my father’s lap, who watched everything silently and curiously.

Sä’li crouched in front of me and began laying some fabrics on the floor, measuring them against me. For the upper part, she chose a light, translucent fabric. After cutting it as needed, she draped it over my shoulders and chest. It was pink with a soft lilac tone underneath.

The fabric was fastened with small beads and braided threads, but before securing it on me, she placed it on the floor and began designing an adornment. She decided to make one with seeds and some colorful stones that looked like crystals, so beautiful. They were arranged in fine lines that fell over my chest and arms. She fastened this piece around my neck and placed the “shawl” she had made over it.

For the lower part, I removed the pants I was wearing and folded them, handing them to my father, who placed them together with my shirt. Sä’li took another pink fabric, this time not transparent, and measured my waist and the ideal length to cover my intimate parts. The pink skirt reached just above my knees. It was like Neytiri’s and my father’s, covering only the front, while in the back it covered part of my bottom. Fastened at the waist, Sä’li added some threads with beads again to decorate me.

I looked like a little princess, and Sä’li seemed to enjoy dressing me up, even making me an anklet and a bracelet for my bicep.

I turned to my father, opened my arms, and smiled.

“Ta-da! I’m pretty, right? Like a princess?!” I said with enthusiasm.

My father smiled, all goofy with the treatment I received and happy to see me happy.

“She’s the most beautiful princess to ever set foot on Pandora!”

He picked me up and tossed me into the air, making me laugh, releasing uncontrollable giggles.

There was nothing better than being my father’s daughter, and that was a fact.

“Sä’li, thank you so much for all the clothes and materials you used to dress Iara. Tell me how I can repay you or pay you in some way.”

“Don’t worry about that, JakeSully. I only did my duty as a member of the clan. You don’t need to repay me.”

“Well, in that case, you leave me no choice… Iara, how about we find a gift for Sä’li later?” My father turned me so we could look at each other.

“Yes! I want to give Sä’li a gift!” I answered happily.

“Perfect, then it’s decided. We’ll find a gift for Sä’li.” My father said, then pressed our faces together, rubbing his nose against mine, and kissed my forehead.

“Thank you again, Sä’li.”

The young woman only nodded. Neytiri touched her shoulder, then her head, and made the gesture of “I see you” with her right hand, smiling at Sä’li.

Neytiri passed by us and left the young Na’vi’s house, heading upward to climb a few more levels.

“You now dress as one of us, but you still have much to learn, child.” Neytiri said. “I already teach your father, I won’t have time to teach you everything too, so let’s find someone to help.”

My father had set me down, and I followed them. The fabrics covering me swayed gently as I walked beside them. In a way, I truly already felt a little more like I belonged to this new world.

Neytiri stopped in front of another house. I smelled herbs and leaves being burned.

“Let’s talk to the tsahik.”

[softycheol]

hi guys! just wanted to let you know, I also will not be updating ipê today

i have been quite busy with a lot of things, but I wont put it on hiatus, I pretend to continue writing the story

[softycheol]

big fucking year of 2026 and I STILL have to read people thinking that kiri and spider are siblings, hinestly you guys need to read more books and watch more tv shows and movies bc this is not fucking possible

with that said, ipê chapter 4 is also not coming out this weekend

[softycheol]

hi guys! ipê chapter 4 is not coming out this week, sorry

[my-dailydreams]

[ayooshgaza009]

Hello my Friend 🤍

I’m vetted by gaza-evacuation-fund

click here

Ayoush’s Crochet Journey

Hi, I'm Raven, and I'm running this campaign on behalf of my friend Ayoush. Any money raised will go to her in full. Please note the campaig

Hello my friends, I will always be grateful for your support, but Tumblr deleted my main account and I honestly do not know why.The truth is that I have no source of income and no stable way to survive. I urgently need your help.

Everything here has become extremely expensive, and the war has never truly stopped. Every moment, every day, and every night, there are more martyrs and more rising prices.

I truly need your support. Even if you cannot donate, please at least share and support my campaign. And if you are able to help, even a small donation like $15 can make a difference for me.

So any donation or contribution you make will help me buy basic living necessities and at least provide simple crochet supplies so I can continue making and selling my work to earn some money.I am only trying to provide food, water, and the most basic crochet tools — just the essential things.

Please try to support me.

And these are some of the crochet pieces I have made recently.

Please donate & share 🤍

[stormiindigo]

Fanart of (Y/N) from @heynyxiepixie fic ‘Polished Fangs’

[softycheol]

Ipê - Chapter 3

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

I took too long, I'm sorry guys, life is crazy right now!

Summary: Jake Sully only wanted the best for his daughter. It's the least he could do after he insisted he wanted that child. Iara Sully is everything to him. She is his daughter, his duo, his life saver, his ipê.

Taglist: @oceanfyre @7leo7 @cmalass

Masterpost

At that time, we could see on Norm’s face that he was pissed about my father being chosen to train under the Omatikaya.

“I have been doing this for years, and suddenly a guy came and took it like it was nothing?” – It’s what he probably thought every single day.

My dad spent most of his time in the link bed, connected to his avatar, so I didn’t see him much. Because his body hadn’t returned, I spent most of my time with Xiáng, learning the Na’vi language (and some chinese too).

Xiáng was the support I needed at the time, she would take me, after breakfast with dad, to the link room, and she would show me different types of plants and what I could do with them and would also show some animals like the tulkun. They are like earth whales, but much more developed, the tulkun have their own culture, language, names, and even family history. They are incredible.

But the one that actually intrigued me the most was the atokirina, the na’vi said the atokirina was the will of Eywa itself because it comes from the tree of life. I thought it must be amazing to be able to talk to your deity and get an answer. Ask a question and a sign comes. The na’vi love their Great Mother.

And I hoped to come to love her too someday.

The little time my dad was back in his human body, he was either spending time with me, seeing how I was doing, talking with Xiáng to see how I was doing (again), talking to Grace to learn about the na’vi and suddenly disappearing.

I wish I never knew what he was doing while disappearing.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

One night, while tucking me into bed, he asked me:

“Baby… How do you feel about the na’vi? Are you scared of them?”

“I don’t have a reason to be scared of them daddy. Aren’t they treating you well?”

“… I think you can say that.” He said after a pause and taking a long breath.

“Why are you asking me that, papai?”

“Nothing you need to worry your little head about, ipê. Daddy loves you, have sweet dreams." And then he gave me a kiss on my head.

And to be honest? I really didn’t need to worry my head about what he was thinking.

He was thinking about some incredible things.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The next day, I was with dad while he got prepared to link with his avatar body. Grace was next to him, holding a tablet showing some photos of the na’vis from the Omatikaya clan. This one was a man, he looked imposing, with a muscular build, probably a warrior.

“Tsu’tey.”

The next was an older woman with sharp features, she had really high cheekbones.

“Mo’at.”

A man was up again, this time an older one.

“Eytukan.”

“He’s the clan leader— " Grace changes the picture back to Mo'at, “but she’s the spiritual leader. Like a shaman.”

“Got it. So who’s this Eywa?”

I could feel Norm's rage and indignation, dad really messed up, but at the same time, if no one ever told him, how could he know? Searching? He didn’t have time for that.

“Who’s Eywa? Oh, only their deity. The Great Mother. The goddess is made up of all living things. You’d know that if you had any training whatsoever.” Norm was a little bitch. At least he’s not like that anymore.

My father went to the link pod with his wheelchair.

“Who’s got a date with the chief’s daughter?”

“What do you mean you got a date? Why did I not know about this?” I asked with a confused face. Grace looked at me and Norm looked away, my dad blushed a little bit.

“Knock it off, all of you. Jesus, it’s like kindergarten around here.”

“But I am supposed to be in kindergarten.”

“Don’t test me, little girl.” I pouted, Grace is mean sometimes.

As my dad settled into the link, Grace was putting commands at the control station, and I was at the feet of the link.

“Neytiri was my best student. She and her sister Silwanin. "Just amazing girls."

“I didn’t meet the sister.”

Grace got quiet.

“No, she’s dead. Died two years ago.” Then she turned to him. “Okay, let’s go—village life starts early.”

“You tell me, I’m super sleepy here. Can I go back to our room to sleep more?”

“Only after lunch, Iara. You're spending your day with me today.” Grace replied.

“Link is ready." Max said.

“Bye, daddy! See you later!" I told him, and he sent me a kiss.

Grace lowered the biosensor array over my dad’s chest.

“Don’t do anything unusually stupid.” Grace tells him.

It's kind of funny, since "Stupid" is dads last name.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“So, what are we doing today, Miss Grace?” I asked her.

“Well, kid, first, I’m going to tell you something, and you need to keep a secret from your dad, okay?”

I nodded my head, excited to know.

“Well, your dad told me the tsahik of the Omatikaya, Mo’at, wants to know you. So, I’m going to teach you so you can surprise her and be better than your dad. How's that?” Grace had a little smile on her face while saying it.

The tsahik wanted to know me? It was a little insane to think about, because well, she is an important person, and she wants to know little me? What is there to know about me? I’m just Jake Sully's daughter, his little ipê.

“Miss Grace, do you know why she wants to know me?” I asked with a confused face.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know how her mind works, but she must have her reasons. Maybe she saw something in your dad and now wants to know if she can see it on you too.”

“But… Then my dad told them about me?”

“Well, you’re important, and your dad is worried about spending less time with you, so yeah, he must have told them about you, explaining that he has a daughter and he needs to spend time with her.”

At this point, we left the link room and went to the lab. Grace was reading some reports while talking to me, and I went and grabbed a chair for me and her and then plopped down on it.

“It… Does make sense, but I still don’t understand why she wants to meet me.”

“Look, kid—" Grace put down the tablet she was reading the reports and faced me. “The tsahik mind works differently; she is the one who listens the most to Eywa. Maybe Eywa told her something about you, or showed her something with you in it, I don’t know… But maybe you’re more important than we know.”

That didn’t calm me down.

I just looked Grace in the eyes and nodded to end the conversation, and she went right back to the reports.

As a 5-year-old kid, I knew I understood more, I knew I asked the right questions. I knew it was strange, but somehow everything made sense for me, like, I wanted to know why, so I questioned it. If I knew I could ask why, wouldn’t I? I was on a different planet; scratch that, I wasn’t even on a planet, I was on a moon, with people I had never seen, people I could feel were bad people or not, so I had to be smart.

My dad wasn’t always there to protect me.

“Miss Grace, if you don’t mind, I have a question.”

“Shoot it.”

“Would a flower die here in the base? One from outside.”

“Yeah, it would live just for some minutes, it needs the proper “oxygen” to live.”

I hummed. It was a shame.

“So, let’s do it, kid. I’m gonna teach you today about the most important people in the clan right now.”

“The ones you showed dad earlier, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right, and while we are on it, I’m going to teach more na’vi too.”

Well, at least I wouldn’t do anything.

And that’s how we spent our day, Grace taught me about Mo’at, Eytukan, Neytiri, and Tsu’tey.

Mo’at was the tsahik, and Neytiri became tsakarem after her sister Sylwanin's death.

Eytukan was the clan leader, olo’eyktan, and Tsu’tey would one day follow his steps, he was already training to become one.

Tsu’tey also had a mother, Artsut, a dad, Ateyo and a younger brother, Arvok. Funny enough, Tsu’tey was the only member of their family to have a name that didn’t start with an a.

After teaching me who was who, while also teaching me more na’vi, we went to eat lunch, and a thought came to my head: How was dads human body going to eat lunch? Was he just going to eat more at dinner? It’s the first time I thought about it.

But anyway, that’s his problem, not mine.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

After lunch, we went back to the lab, and Grace taught me more na’vi. To be honest, the language wasn’t difficult, I just needed to pay attention, and I could feel I was getting better and better each day.

“Miss Grace, can I ask you a favor?”

She was looking into a microscope.

“It depends.”

“Everytime you talk to me, you talk in na’vi, please? So I can practice it more.”

“Well, look at that, okay then.”

And then, it began, from that moment, Grace only talked to me in na’vi.

Grace was a really good person, I loved her.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

By night, I was eating dinner, usually at this hour dad was already with me, but he was taking his sweet time.

But at the same time I was eating dinner, Max saw something that would put us in a difficult situation in the future.

Soon, dad came to the cafeteria. I was sitting with my back facing the buffet, so I didn’t see him coming, but soon someone came and put their hands in front of my eyes, blocking my vision.

“Guess who?”

“PAPAI!” I talked loud and turned back to see him, “Hiiii! How was your day? Did you have fun? Are they treating you well?” I shoot question after question.

“Wow, wow, wow, calm down, little miss!” He grinned. “I should be the one asking these questions!”

“But, papai, I need to know if someone is bullying you! I will have to go beat them!" Dad looked at me and arched an eyebrow. I could hear Xiáng laughing beside us.

“Liánhuā, you would never beat someone up. Let alone a na’vi, you’re too little for that.” Xiáng says while laughing.

“Well… Not actually beat them but give them a mean stare.” I murmured a little shyly.

“Don’t worry, ipê, I know you’re capable of beating some people up for your dad’s sake, but let’s not beat the omatikaya, alright? If someone is beating papai, he’s probably deserving it.”

“That’s not true! How can you say that?! You’re the best papai of the world! No, not the world, the universe!”

Dad had a huge smile on his face.

“Oooooh, so I’m the best papai of the universe?” I nodded my head "yes". “Then you’re the best daughter in the universe too!” He said while grabbing me, sitting me on his lap, and hugging me tight while giving my head kisses. I laughed so much that I ran out of breath.

“Have mercy! Have mercy! Someone heeeeelp.”

I could only hear the people around us laughing.

I wish to remember that moment forever.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

In the next few days, I discovered that we were going to a research station in the middle of the Hallelujah Mountains. I did not know the reason why, just that I, dad, Grace, Norm, and Trudy were going, I found it strange.

I was in the lab room with Xiáng. Since it was our last day together, she wanted

“Aww, liánhuā, I wanted to spend more time with you, we had so little time together.” Xiáng complained to me.

“I’m going to miss you too, Xiáng. Thank you for everything you have been doing for me, but I’m sure we can sometimes call each other!” Xiáng laughed.

“I don’t think you’ll have time for that, but I’m sure we will manage.” She smiled at me.

I’m going to miss her, she’s amazing and so sweet to me.

“I’m sure we will have eternity together, Xiáng!”

She gave me a tight hug.

“I hope Pandora is kind to you, my little flower.” And then, the older woman gave me a kiss on the top of my head.

“Everyone is kind to me, Xiáng, I’m simply too cute!” I gave her a big smile, and she laughed out loud.

“That’s true!”

My dad came to us and smiled.

“Xiáng, I wanted to thank you for taking care of Iara when I couldn’t, it means more than I can put into words.” He looked at her.

“Don’t worry about it, your daughter is the sweetest little girl on this moon. It's hard to resist her when she asks with those pretty green eyes.” Xiáng had her hands on both sides of my face, then gave me a kiss on my temple, and I smiled at her. My dad laughed.

“Ha, that’s true, she’s the sweetest.” He looked at me and smiled. “So, you’re going to spend our last day here with Xiáng? I’m going to link, so I don’t mind.”

“Then yes, I’m going to spend the day with Xiáng.”

“Okay then, just give me a kiss on the cheek and then you’re free to go.”

I sat down on his lap and hugged him tight, giving him the kiss he demanded. I looked up at him.

“Happy now?” Dad also gave me a kiss on my temple and hugged me back.

“Yes, very happy! Now you can go to Xiáng.” He started rolling his chair to the link bed. “Are you going to protect me if someone bullies me at the clan?” He asked.

“You know I’m going to beat them up and then stare at them with a mean face!”

“That’s my girl! See you later, baby.”

“See you later, dad!”

And then my dad was putting himself up at the bed with Max putting commands at the control station this time.

“So, what do you want to do today? "I have cleared my schedule so we can spend the day doing whatever you want."

“Well… Can you teach me some more na’vi and chinese too? Grace has only been talking to me in na’vi for a couple of days now. I think I’m getting better at it, but I need to practice more.”

“So, more na’vi coming right up! "I'm going to get my tablet so I can show you some pictures. I’ll be right back."

And then, that’s how we spent my last day on the base, Xiáng teaching me more na’vi and me getting the hang of it.

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The next day, we were with our packs filled, dad and I already at the helicopter, outside, waiting for the rest of the team to come.

I was sitting on dads lap when an older man came to us. I had never seen him, but feeling dad tense below me, I already knew he wasn’t good news.

“Sully! Look at that, we have two of you! But it’s the first time I’m meeting the little lady. What’s your name, sweetheart?” The older men asked me. He was a white guy, military, with some muscles, blue eyes, and a scar across his head and face.

“Hello, sir! I’m Iara Sully, almost six-year-old!” I gave him a big smile.

“Wow! Almost six?! You’re turning into a big girl! What are your plans for your birthday?”

“I just want to spend the day with dad!” Talking about him, I could feel his arms rounding my waist to hold me.

“What a sweet kid… You’re lucky, marine, you have been teaching her well; better keep it.”

“I’ll make sure of it, don’t worry.”

“I’m sure I won’t have to…” The men looked at me again. “By the way, I’m Miles Quaritch, sweetheart. I hope you have a safe trip.”

“Thank you, sir! I hope you have a good day!” He smiled at me and turned around, walking away.

“He looks like a grandpa; how is he still working? Shouldn’t he retire?” My dad laughed a little.

“He sure does look like one, ipê, but yeah, I think she should retire too.”

About ten minutes later, I saw Grace, Trudy, Norm, and Max coming towards us.

"Are you all ready to go?” Trudy asked.

“Yes, ma’am!” I replied.

“That’s what I want to hear! Let’s go little lady, you’re going to see amazing things today!”

Trudy then got up into the helicopter, Grace's and Norm's avatars were already in the open compartment. My dad was at the omatikaya still.

“Well then, guys, talk to you later to see if you made a safe trip.”

“You worry too much, Max, get off my feet a little, I didn’t come here to be babysat." Grace replied.

“Thank you, Grace, now I know how much you care about me.” Grace answered with a roll of her eyes and a sigh, but she clapped Max on his shoulders and got into the helicopter too. Thinking a little about it, I think Grace was a bit worried about leaving Max behind.

“Bye, Max! "Talk to you later!" I told him.

“Bye, Iara. I would tell you to behave, but you always do, so try to cause a little mischief, but not much.” I laughed out loud and giggled a bit.

“You got it, Max! But I don’t make promises.” Max also laughed a little and waved me goodbye; I waved back.

I got into the helicopter with Norm and Grace’s help, while dad was also getting out of his wheelchair into the helicopter with Max’s help. After helping dad, Max got his wheelchair into the helicopter, and Norm got into it, going to the sealed cockpit besides Trudy.

“Bye, guys, have a safe trip!” Max told us, and I, dad and Grace weaved at him while seated in the jump seats, with the safety on.

“You okay there, babygirl? Is the mask alright?”

“Yes, dad, don’t worry.”

“Okay now, kid, put this headphone on too.” Grace helped me put it on, then she also put hers on. “Can you hear me, kid?”

“Yes, Miss Grace.”

“Good, whenever you want to, Trudy.”

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

Trudy then started the helicopter, and soon we were getting out of the base.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I could see everything from up here.

Everything was green and beautiful.

Many flying animals and clouds and the big and blue sky and the planet Polyphemus, it was gigantic.

“It only takes tiny inputs. Here, put your hand on the cyclic --” We heard Trudy talk to Norm. “Feel how small the moves are? You barely have to think it, and the aircraft reacts.” Thinking back, Trudy was horrible to say this in front of a 5-year-old child.

The helicopter was dwarfed by enormous arches of rock.

“See these magnetic formations. We’re getting close.” Grace said.

“Yeah, we are. "Look at my instruments."

On the dash, many of the displays were fritzing out.

“Yup. We’re in the flux vortex.”

Ahead, a cloud bank parted, revealing the Hallelujah Mountains, right in front of us. Various kinds of mountains just floating around us, some of them even with waterfalls. It was amazing and surreal.

“Oh. My. God.” Norm said.

Maybe it was the work of Eywa, and not God.

My dad leaned forward between the seatbacks to look out at the front canopy.

Enormous islands of rock are hovering a half mile above the ground. They are overgrown with rainforest, and straggly beards of vines hang down beneath them.

Watterfalls streamed down from the sides and dissolved into spray at the bottom, and my dad was looking at all of that with amazement in his eyes. For him, it was awe-inspiring and disturbing.

Trudy turned to him, grinning.

“You should see your face.”

Soon we reached the research station, the helicopter landed, beating the grass, and we hopped out of it.

Entering the station, Norm and Trudy help my dad with his chair as they cycle in through the airlock. Grace is already inside, starting everything. She turns on the lights and equipment.

We see 4 bunks, a clutter of science gear, and, through a short connecting corridor, three link beds in the second module.

“Where am I going to sleep?” I asked.

“Tonight you’re sleeping with me, baby. Tomorrow we will see where you will sleep, okay?” I nodded my head, and I also saw Grace and my dad exchanging looks.

“Jake, take number two, it’s the least glitchy. Norm, I need you to operate Jake’s link.”

Norm glared at my dad as he passed.

“Hey. You got a problem?”

Norm turned to grace, rage boiling over every fiber of his being.

“I trained three years for this mission. I speak the language fluently.” He then points at my dad. “He falls off the frickin’ turnip truck and all of a sudden he’s a cultural ambassador!?”

“It’s not our choice, Norm.”

He glowered at my dad.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t come out here to wash the dishes while you’re on some interspecies booty call.”

He stalked off.

“He can’t go far.” Grace said and then pointed at my father's new link bed. “Let’s get you in.”

My dad wheeled to the bed, and I went after him, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then went to his bunk bed, sitting down on it. Trudy was eating a yogurt she got from the fridge with some pictures in it. Not even five minutes later, Grace came to the module.

“Well, Iara, we have a lot of things to do here. Do you mind studying na’vi today alone?” I shook my head. “Great, at night, when your father comes back, we will have a talk, okay? You don’t have to worry about it, it’s nothing serious.” I nodded my head this time.

Grace gave me a tablet, and I got my legs up into the bed, grabbing the pillow and hugging it to my chest, getting the tablet to work, and searching about the language. Soon I opened a folder with videos and images explaining the language, and I got into work.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Hours later, when dad got out of the link, took a shower, and ate something, he came to me.

“Hey, baby, can we talk?”

I set the tablet down.

Grace was already besides us, hearing my dad question.

“So… I think Grace already told you about the omatikaya wanting to know you, right?” I nodded yes. “Okay, great, so tomorrow, Grace is going to take you out, with her avatar, to a place where you’re going to meet me in my avatar body, okay? Some people are probably going to be with me, some na’vis, but not many of them, so you don’t need to be scared, okay?”

“That’s okay papai, don’t worry about it, I’m a big girl!” I smiled at him, and I could see a faint smile on Grace’s face.

“Good! "We are going to take some oxygen tanks so you don’t run out of it, okay?" I nodded yes again.

“That's my girl! So tomorrow, after we eat breakfast, I’m going to link in the avatar body, you’re going to change clothes, brush your teeth, and then go out with Grace and Trudy okay? Trudy is going with you too, to get you there.”

“Okay! I can’t wait to see both of you on your avatars' bodies! ” I said excitedly. I couldn’t wait to be in the forest.

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The forest was enormous. Everything was giant.

Ot maybe I was too little.

Trudy left us, me and Grace, at one point in the forest, Norm stayed behind to do some work, and we went ahead.

Everything was amazing, the plants, the flowers, and even some insects (and I already hate them in human size, imagine the ones almost the same size as me, I was terrified of finding them).

I was walking beside Grace, holding her tail so I wouldn’t get lost, we just got out of the helicopter and walked straight a bit.

“Hey, little miss!” Trudy called out to me and I turned to her. “Good luck out there!”

“Thank you, Trudy! See you later!" I told her.

Grace was carrying a backpack filled with oxygen tanks for my mask on her back, she looked down at me and asked:

“Are you ready to go? They are probably already getting there.”

“Yes, let’s go, Miss Grace.”

We started walking towards the meeting spot.

“Is it okay to be a little nervous?”

“Yes, kid, don’t worry, I’m a little nervous too.”

Somehow, Grace’s words comforted me.

As we walked through the forest, Grace helped me sometimes, as some tree branches were too tall for me, or I would stray from it.

“Well, we are getting there. You ready, kid?”

“Not really.” I answered her. I was actually really nervous, what if they didn’t like me?”

Soon, we reached a clearing, maybe we walked for ten minutes, or less, just a straight line, nothing more or less. Many trees were around it, flowers and vines too.

By the way, I only reached Grace's knees.

After a few seconds, we heard some noises and got alert, and then I heard:

“Ipê!!! "I missed you!" I saw my dad's avatar coming down from a tree, in little clothing and a bow across his torso.

I let go of Grace's tail and went to him.

“Papai! "I missed you too!"

He got down and opened his arms to hug me, and I threw myself on him. I tried to hug him really tight, but my arms couldn’t even go around him. Grace was coming towards us and passed the backpack to my dad.

“Thank you for bringing her, Grace.”

“You’re welcome, marine. I’m going back now. Bye Iara, see you later, take care of your dad.”

“Bye, Miss Grace! See you later, thank you!”

I smiled at her, and I could see a faint smile on her face too, she turned around and went back to the place we came from.

“Why can’t she go with us, papai?”

“She wasn’t invited yet, baby.”

I hummed. Maybe I could change that.

“But enough talk! Let’s go meet other people!” He grabbed and sat me down on his arm, and I held onto the strap of the backpack.

“Did anyone come with you?”

“Yeah, they are just hiding, they didn’t want to see Grace yet.” Oh, okay then.

After a few paces, I heard some noises of plants being moved around, and then a lady came in front of us.

Neytiri.

She was around 8’7, obviously blue, and had big golden eyes.

She had black hair in braids, with some small tribal ornaments, she also looked like a warrior, like her dad.

Neytiri was tense, she looked at me trying to decipher a code, I was something she couldn’t understand.

She knew I was 5, but I looked much smaller than na’vi children, almost like a baby, she didn’t know how to react, maybe she expected something else, I don’t know.

But I looked at her and said:

“Kaltxì, Neytiri.”

She stared into my soul.

[softycheol]

When's the next chapter (ipê) coming out?🥹🙏

hii! chapter 3 is coming out until next sunday! <3