#which is basically ''little thanator'' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

star-girl69 · 1 year

Text

Keep Me Ablaze

Jake Sully x Neytiri x Fem!Reader

—-

a/n: i hope you all enjoy!!

warnings: swearing, animal death, injury, mentions of blood, fire, tell me if i missed anything!!

Chapter Five- Moment

—-

Palulukan, is what Neytiri called it. Grace called it a thanator. But it your mind, it was only the king of the forest. The one on top of the food chain. Who killed your father and emotionally scarred your mother for the rest of her life.

Yet, it’s you who has to carry the marks.

As the ground feels the scars of their graves, you feel their loss, the space they leave.

Each day, you wake up without parents, only an aunt to fill a hole that she can never patch. You love Aunt Grace, of course, she’s the only thing that’s ever come close to a parent for you. She tells you you’re a wildfire and calls you her perfect girl- but it should be your parents saying that, shouldn’t it?

You watch the movies, hear the stories, the longing and the climactic reunion. And you’ll never have it.

“Don’t be scared,” Neytiri says, leading you deeper into the thick woods.

“I’m not,” you huff, feeling stupid and foolish. You’re still close to the village- no hostile animals come close this way.

“You wanted to see the flowers,” she starts, “so I’ll take you there.” She gestures to the bow on her shoulder. Young as she is, everyone always says she’s a prodigy. “And I’ll protect you.”

“Thank you,” you smile, even though your stomach turns. “And I’m fine, I promise.”

“My hand is going numb from how hard you’re squeezing it, my human.” You groan, and she laughs. “We’ll turn back if you want to-”

“No, no, it’s stupid,” you say, shaking your head.

“Tell me anyways,” she shrugs.

“You know… how my father died?”

“Yes…” she frowns, staring down at your confused. You hadn’t talked much about your parents, and Neytiri never asked. But she knew a little, she knew enough to know that they’re dead. “Oh. A palulukan-”

“It’s stupid,” you say again.

“It’s not,” she replies, squeezing your hand.

You shake your head, tug her forward. “Let’s just go?”

“You don’t have to be scared,” she whispers from behind you, and maybe you know you don’t but your heart still thrums. “I’ll protect you. I promise.”

—-

“You’re insane,” you say, “you’re insane, Jake Sully, you’re insane.”

“I saved you,” he replies, helping you hold onto the branch in front of you. “A thank you would be nice, you know.” And even after jumping off of a cliff he shoots you a cocky smile.

“Thank you for almost killing me,” you spit.

“Oh, you are so welcome, sweetheart.”

—-

As soon as the two of you drag yourselves out of the water, you’re utterly lost. Moving quick, trying to avoid the thanator, and every other dangerous thing in Pandora. While it’s easy to think Pandora is a paradise- you know better than most that it’s truly not.

He looked around anxiously as she sharpened and long stick, before handing his knife to you and ushering you forward.

The weight of it is odd, foreign. You never had a need to learn how to use a knife beyond the basic notion of pointy-end forward. Whenever you left Hell’s Gate, there were always men with guns around you. Or, when you were younger, Neytiri would protect you.

“I don’t know-”

“Use the pointy end,” he advises, and you roll your eyes.

“I know that,” you hiss.

He moves slowly through the forest, head moving back and forth quick, never staying in one place long. Eventually, fear takes over, the newness and the unknown, and you find yourself doing the same.

Night falls quick, and Jake starts muttering about fire, taking her over shirt and dipping it in something he deems will start a fire. You’re no help. Yes, you know which plants are safe to eat, but what good is that if you get attacked?

You find yourself thinking of Neytiri, of her reassuring hands and her bow, her promises and words.

But you haven’t seen Neytiri in years- she isn’t here to save you. Not now, not ever.

Suddenly, growls fill the woods, and you find yourself losing all sense, shaking Jake’s shoulder as he tries to light the match.

“It’s fine,” he mumbles, falling away from your demanding hands. “I’ve got it. I’ve got it, I’ve- got it!” he shouts, the night springing to life, the light of the fire swallowing the darkness right up.

He whips the fire around, eyes moving left to right, hunched in and ready to attack.

Whatever is circling you is still hidden in the woods, deterred by the fire Jake swings around, until they become bolder, come closer. Until you know there is no one to save you, not anymore.

—-

Neytiri was going to do it. She should have. She should have shot the dreamwalkers quick, more respect than they’ve ever shown her people- leave them for dead in the forest, for some animal.

But then- she saw it, just out of the corner of her eye, just as she had pulled her bow back, a seed of the Spirit Tree. A seed of Eywa.

And no matter what the humans have taken from her, her sister, her best friend, her home, she listens. She lets her arrow stay in place, and the seed lands on the arrowhead. One breath, two-

It floats off, another gust of wind taking it somewhere else.

She lets her bow go slack, places the arrow back in her holder. She doesn’t kill.

—-

The arrow is leaving Neytiri’s bow before she can even think- she is acting on blindness, on her heart, not her head. But something about- she has to save them, something tells her, she has to, so she does.

She cringes when she hears the arrow sink in, then continues her path, drawing another arrow, cutting through the air, ignoring everything and everyone else.

She doesn’t focus on them. She focuses on the feeling of action and reaction, the feeling of knowing she holds the power- and no one can take that away from her. Not right now. Not ever again.

She hits them with her bow, sick of killing, before the sounds of their whining start to die, and she hisses- one final warning, one final taunt. The forest is silent, save the sound of the animals retreating.

Now, she breathes in, let’s her heart feel and beat. She cringed at the fire, at the brightness of it- these humans are like babies, she thinks to herself, before muttering a curse and throwing the torch into a nearby pond.

“Hey, wait, don’t!” the man calls, but it is too late.

The forest shrinks back to its regularity, the darkness that comforts her, that she knows.

He scoffs, and her eyes flick to the woman, waiting for danger- she stops. The woman is familiar, in a way.

In a way that makes her heart leap like she has found the greatest treasure, done the greatest thing.

She looks so much like her it hurts.

But it’s not her. It can’t be. It can’t be, because Neytiri has long since given up childish things like that.

She was foolish, when she was young, bringing Y/N gifts and treats and trying to impress her, show her that she was good. That Neytiri would provide for her, take care of her. No one in the clan would bat an eye if two women mated- but with a human?

Besides, her path is marked, carved into her like a scar. She will be mated to Tsu’tey.

She’s reminding of the task by hand by the sound of the poor creature she shot whimpering, and her heart sinks, feet silent on the forest floor as she follows the sound. She finds it, shrouded in darkness and moss, whimpering and breathing heavy.

The woman follows her, staying a few feet’s behind, cautiously watching her and in a way that makes the wildfire inside of her flare. She grunts as she places her knee on the things neck, places her knife over the kill spot, mutters the words she knows by heart.

She stands, goes to the other animal she killed, kneels in front of it. She says more in Na’vi, too tired to really feel it, the rush of adrenaline and power fading.

“Look,” the man starts, stepping closer than she would like, but she is sure she could take him. Both of them, if she had too, but it seems the other woman doesn’t want to fight. She keeps her distance. She watches, rapt and eager. A scientist, probably, Neytiri muses to herself. “I know you probably don’t under this, but uh… thank you.”

Silence, and she lets it fall, her actions sinking in and guilt consuming her. She should have. She should have.

“Thank you,” he says again. He squats close to the ground, the sharpened stick he used for the fire in his hands. “That was pretty impressive,” he continues. Neytiri bids him to shut up, in her mind.

She goes through the movements, knife sinking into flesh again. Finally, she looks up at him. Studies him.

“We would have been screwed if you hadn’t come along. It was…” his voice fades as she stands, chuckling to himself, before it stops completely. She wants him to go. She wants both of them to go. They remind her of too much, make her thank dangerously. “Hey, wait a second. Hey, where are you going?”

Finally, the woman speaks. “Jake. You thanked her- let’s just- let’s just go, please,” she begs, but Neytiri watches as he shakes her hands off, pleas hitting a brick wall.

She picks up the pace.

What ever did happen to her human? Do she go back to the human planet, did she die of some illness? Did she die in these very woods, trying to make the trek to Hometree, to get back to Neytiri?

But the man only runs after her, calling out, and it’s a second before she hears a groan and the woman’s footsteps too.

“Look, wait up, I just wanted to say thanks for killing those things.” His hands try and wrap around her arm- and that is what steps her off. She swings on her heel, bow in hand, whacking him across the face.

He yelps, slamming to the forest floor with a whack.

“Jake!” the woman gasps, resting her hands on him with the touch of a lover.

“Damn!” he shouts, touching his now aching face.

“Don’t thank,” she hisses, the end of her bow inches away from him again. “You don’t thank for this. This is sad. Very sad only.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. Whatever we did, we are sorry,” he says, gesturing between himself and the woman crouches behind him. She stands, takes a few steps back, tries to breathe deep.

“All this is your fault,” she hisses, even though she should just run away and leave them. “They did not need to die.”

“Our fault?” he chuckles, “they attacked us. How are we the bad guys-?”

“You fault!” she shouts, anger boiling over, end of her bow pressing to his chest.

“Hey! Whoa!” he shouts, placing one of his palms out, falling back into the woman who flinches. “Easy, easy,” he coos, like she’s an animal.

“You’re like babies. Making noise, don’t know what to do.”

“Easy. Shh,” he whispers, gently pushing her bow away. He stands, slowly, palms out, and the woman follows. Much slower. Much more cautious. “Fine. Fine. If you love your little forest friends,” he gestures to the carnage behind them, “why not let them just kill our asses? What’s the thinking?”

His accent is different from Y/N’s, his human is harder to understand. Besides, she didn’t need to hear Y/N to know what she was saying. It was different with her. She was different.

“Why save you?” she asks, tilting her head to the side, and he throws his arms out.

“Yeah. Why save us?”

She thinks for a second, lips opening and closing, but she is sure these two will die alone in the forest anyways, so what is this harm?

“You have a strong heart,” she whispers, eyes fixed on the man, Jake, as the other woman called him.

She doesn’t realize how true it is until she speaks it. Not only was her arrow pointed at him when the seed came into her view, but he fought. Loudly, but bravely. If this was years earlier- her clan could try and teach him, perhaps. But this is now.

“And…” her eyes fix on the woman, who stands like a sturmbeest knowing it has been caught, “your fire burns bright.” She chokes on the words.

If this was years ago- she thinks Y/N would have liked this woman. They’re similar. She reminds Neytiri so much of her human, but this is not years ago. This is now, this is the moment.

And the only thing in this moment is the three of them, the forest, and the sound of three identical flames.

—-

taglist:

@kitkat1690 @tiajk @reallysparklychaos @behindthearcane @neteyamforlife @aeslenya @ghoulbli @luvvsnae @personapersonally @bubble-blu @ameriesworld @itsyoboysparkel @ok-boke @arschbohrer @ambria @ssc7514 @w3ird11 @vane28282 @littlexscarletxwitch @erenjaegerwifee @myheartfollower @simp-erformarvelwomen @maevirago @n7cje @aerangi @minkyungseokie @disaster-in-waiting @httpsplanetmarsdotcom

#jake sully x neytiri #jake sully x reader #neytiri x reader

345 notes · View notes

ecoamerica · 20 days

Text

youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

5K notes · View notes

comehomeducklings · 11 months

Text

Insufferable - Chapter One

Pairing: Neteyam x Oc

Synopsis: After years of bitter rivalry and endless clashes, Neteyam and Ainai reluctantly work together on a high-stakes mission. As they navigate treacherous obstacles and unexpected dangers, they begin to discover surprising layers to each other's personalities. Slowly, the walls they've built around themselves start to crumble, giving way to an unexpected connection. Will they be able to put aside their past grievances and embrace their growing feelings, or will their shared history prove to be an insurmountable barrier?

WC: 2.1k

A/N: This chapter will basically be a load of information to start off their journey. This is an enemies-to-lovers trope where they will maintain their snarky combats even when they are all lovey-dovey. The first few chapters will be building up toward their mission which starts off their romance.

Na'vi Compendium: tsahik- spiritual leader, Olo’eyktan- clan leader, paskalin- honey, sa'nok- mother, yawntutsyìp- darling/little loved one

⇨ Series Masterlist ⇦

The whole clan has gathered to celebrate Tiwell and Koxa’s blessing from Eywa, me. I’ve just been born after several scares I put my mother through while she was pregnant. I remember being adorned with the finest cloths and drowned in jewelry specially made for newborns. At one point I started to cry from all the loud noises that surrounded me. So many people whose faces I would yet be introduced to come up to my parents to congratulate them. When I was old enough I eventually asked my parents why my birth was made into a big deal. Other babies who were born later than me would not have such a big party as I did. Of course, there were mini what our leader would call, “baby showers,” that replaced the big parties. I never understood why they would call it a baby shower back on Earth. I eventually came to the conclusion that it was due to showering the baby with love, affection, and gifts rather than actual water. They eventually explain that my birth had a big celebration because the Tsahik had been receiving signs of my birth years before my mother, Koxa, was pregnant. The only other time she had signs like that was for Neteyam, our leader’s child. It also helps that my parents are close friends with the Sullys. That family made sure that this party was big and boastful, as it was for their own child. This paved the way for my long-lasting friendships with their children.

⊲──✿──⊳

My mother pushed me forward, “Ainai, these kids are our Olo’eyktan’s children.” I wave in an anxious manner. I have met Mr. and Mrs. Sully before when I was just old enough to talk, but I have never interacted with their children before.

One girl gently waves back while the boy beside her keeps his gaze trained on the floor. They both look around the same age as me while the other boy next to his father looks about a year older. The older one kept his gaze fixed on me, he had an air of authority around him. This confused me a lot because he was as small as the rest of us. From there on, these people would come to be like extended family all except for one boy.

⊲──✿──⊳

“Isn’t this the prettiest flower you’ve ever seen,” I shove a tiny blue flower into Kiri’s face.

She takes the flower and twirls it between her fingers, “It is very pretty, it is like the color of your skin.”

We continue to fiddle with the new flower I found. Kiri is right, it is very similar to my shade of tone. It was near a river and looked to be the only survivor left along its little flower bed. The rest were trampled from what seemed like Thanator footprints.

“Look at what I found!”

Kiri and I turn towards the voice to find Neteyam holding a basket filled to the brim. Every step he takes seems to tip the contents over the edge, the ground ends up scattered with flowers. When he reaches us he dumps the flowers onto the ground in front of our legs still damp from the morning dew. An array of resplendent floras are all mixed in a messy pile in front of our feet.

“Wow, Nete! These are the best flowers I have ever seen in this forest.” Kiri stands up from the place next to me and starts shifting through the pile in search of the very best for her crafts. I stay rooted to my spot, pouting as Neteyam shows me up in yet another little hobby of mine.

“Nai these are for you too, you are free to pick whichever you like.”

I huff and turn away quickly to start the trek back home through the forest, “No thanks, I don’t want those weeds.”

Neteyam follows me quickly, since he is a year older everything seems to come easily for him. It is starting to get on my nerves.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m finding someone who will appreciate my gift.”

“You have to come back, I promised that I would look after you and the others,” Neteyam attempts to grab onto my arm, “you are being dramatic.”

I gasp and turn around to look at him, “Am not!”

“Are too,” he says in a “matter of fact" tone. This only served to further irritate me, and I found my eyes watering a bit. Before he could notice, I throw my flower on the ground and storm off back to the village.

⊲──✿──⊳

“Keep only three fingers on the bow Ainai, not four,” Mr. Sully explains while fixing my grip. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with my training lately, it just felt so unnatural the way we held our bows. It would feel so much more stable if I could hold it with four fingers instead of three. It doesn’t help that my ring finger could barely hold onto the heavy bow as is.

I could hear a snicker in the background and I immediately lose all confidence in myself. I angrily turn around, “What seems to be so funny?”

Neteyam straightens up and grins, “How do you expect to fight with us if you cannot even hold the weapon correctly.”

“At least when I shoot, my arrow actually hits the target-”

“Enough, both of you,” Mr. Sully removes the bows from both of us and sets them down leaning on a tree, “none of you should be insulting the other when neither has successfully mastered this simple technique.”

Both Neteyam and I held our gazes to the grass below us, neither of us saying a word. I twiddle my fingers lightly. I always hated getting him angry because it came from a place of disappointment. My parents worked hard to get me the opportunity to train with our leader and his son. So when I mess up I take it to heart a little more than others, because I know that I could be replaced with another Na’vi more skillful than me. I will not be able to surpass Neteyam if I am to train with another warrior. Not that any of them are not a master in their field, Mr. Sully is just the best as they come. Since Neteyam is training by him, I have to be trained by him too if I wish to become as good, or better yet, the best.

“I’m sorry Mr. Sully-”

“I’m sorry sir.”

Jake watches his kids for a moment and heaves a sigh, “You both are dismissed, we will be adding an extra day of training to try to fix the mistakes we seem to continuously have.”

“Yes sir,” I say.

I grab my bow and knock Neteyam’s out of his reach so he would have to bend down to retrieve it. While I walk away I hear his grunt of displeasure from my actions and I try my hardest to push back a smile that tries to creep up on my face.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Kiri says while she catches up to my stride. She had a bunch of flowers in her hair so she probably came from the flower field not too far from here. Kiri always had something interesting going on about her. The other day she made a crown out of a bunch of sticks for each and every one of us. This little quirk of hers was probably my favorite thing about her. She loves making crafts and especially loves to gift her family and friends with them.

“He deserves it, he got us in trouble,” I counter.

“You both always go at it, almost as bad as he is with Lo’ak.”

I puff out my chest, “That is because Lo’ak is just as smart as I am and he’s jealous he’s not smart like us!”

Kiri playfully bumps my shoulder with hers, “I’m sure when we get older you both will be as thick as thieves!”

“What does “Thick as thieves mean”?”

“Like, um, well Dad says it's when you are really close with someone like best friends.”

“Then why would we be thick, and why would we steal,” I question. The Sully family is always saying these weird sayings from Earth. Some are common sense while the others perplex even the brightest minds among the clan.

“Oh hush-” Kiri pushes me forward and we erupt in a fit of giggles.

We finally arrive at the village and I leave her side to enter my home. Inside I find my mother cooking and my dad nowhere to be seen.

“Welcome home paskalin, the food will be ready soon.” My mother continues to move around in the kitchen while I take in the aroma. The most noticeable note is the scent of fish clinging to the air. Before entering too deep into the house I set my bow off to the side. My mother hates when my father and I leave any weapons around the house. She says it makes it seem as though we are a messy family and do not respect our surroundings. In our defense, most of the guests we invite over are the Sully’s, and they have weapons everywhere.

The front door opens and my father walks in, “I’m back, I was making some quick conversation with Jake.”

“Quick is not the word I would use for when the two of you speak but I digress,” my mother pecks him on the cheek and continues adding the finishing touches to our dinner. She is extremely skillful when dealing with any kind of meat and fish. I bet that if I gave her one vegetable from our garden that she could make a whole meal out of it.

I move towards the cabinets to take out some plates to start setting up the table. To start off, I set down three plates near each other at the end of the table. My sa’nok comes with a plate of fish and sets one down at each of our spots. A lot of the Omaticaya people, my people, usually eat on the floor. They would have mats to soften the ground and designate where a person could sit. My family has a table and chairs just like the Sully’s, we got the idea from them. My mother would admire the intricate woven patterns that the wood of the table would exhibit in their home. Eventually, she had my dad learn how to build one and we all got to carve its designs together. This happened last year when I turned the appropriate age to use a hunting knife. We were singing while making hearts and all other kinds of symbols into the wooden exterior.

“Momma, do you think I’ll be good as Nok and the others when it comes to combat?”

Nok is a slightly older guy in our clan, he has a couple of years on Neteyam and I. They both often get into arguments even though they barely see one another. Nok already went through the process of getting an ikran. He got his banshee at age 13, which makes him one of the youngest in the clan to complete this ritual. He always rubs this fact in Neteyam’s face, he says that he will probably get his ikran when he is old with gray hair. It is a little mean but it did make me giggle out loud, much to Neteyam’s dismay. That is probably what made him dislike me even more, other than the fact that I am constantly in competition with him for his sempul’s approval. I have four years until I become the same age as Nok. This means I have only three years if I want to break his record as the youngest in our clan to complete the ritual. He used to be a friend of mine who would include me in his friend group’s hang-out sessions.

They never approved of me bringing Kiri and Lo’ak, they said they were too young. This made no sense to me because I was the same age as them. After a bit of an argument, I went home crying and made a vow to never hang out with them again. Kiri and Lo’ak are my best friends and I am not going to let some old people exclude them from things. They talk as though being young is a bad thing like we had a say for when we are born.

My dad finishes his plate of food and moves to get mine and my mother’s, “You won’t be as good as them, you’ll be better yawntutsyip.”

This brings a bright smile to my face, I will prove my worth in this clan.

He’ll see, they all will.

42 notes · View notes

justarainydayy · 1 year

Text

crossposted from wattpad @/justaraindyday__

TW : mentions of maternal death (briefly)

requested by @/wolfblood1732 on wattpad

kiri x halfbreed!y/n

y/n pov

i have been alone my whole life, abandoned in the forest. well, maybe not completely alone; i was raised by the animals, specifically a group of thanators, who were my family, although i was definitely adopted.

i also have a friend, although i think we're more. her name is kiri, and she is the only native blue person to not stare at me in fear instead she stared intrigued.

she had tried to explain to me many times since our first meeting when we were kids that i must be part human, but i didn't know what a human was or why i suddenly was one.

kiri's clan would often send out hunters (i think that's what she called them), and somehow they always managed to stumble upon my family and i.

they'd give me weird looks, confused as to what i was, but they'd leave as soon as the thanators growled and gave them a look that said, "move along, and we won't hurt you." there was mutual peace between us and them.

i knew i was different from them. sure, i wasn't blue, but i still had pointed ears and sharp teeth, and i hissed like them. i was also taller than some of those blue people.

kiri had explained why i wasn't blue and why i had the skin tone of a human. she had started to speculate that my mother was human, and that's why i was alone in the forest. a na'vi woman would have survived the birth of a giant baby.

a lot of kiri's explanations fell on my deaf ears; i had never learned how to talk growing up with a pack of wild animals. they only ever taught me how to growl at my prey before pouncing on them.

kiri had taught me some basics when we were younger. we'd lie in the grass, and kiri would roll around, telling me to listen to the heartbeat of eywa. i didn't know who eywa was or why their heartbeat was underground, but i'd always do as kiri said.

kiri would tell me about her family. her eldest brother, neteyam, who was the "golden child," lo'ak, who was a misfit, and little tuk, who was the sweetest, and spider, whom she'd mentioned wasn't technically family but was a close friend of hers,

she'd also tell me stories of her adoptive parents when they fought in the war against the sky people: how her father, jake sully, was toruk makto and once a human, and her mother, neytiri, was palulukan makto and a mighty warrior, and how her biological mother was a smart and caring woman.

i had asked about her biological father once, and kiri said she didn't know who he was; no one did, which is why her clan often referred to her as the daughter of eywa.

kiri told me a load of other things, but it was hard to understand. she'd point out certain plants and say something, or she'd talk about different animals, and i could only ever guess what she was saying by the tone of her voice or the expression she held on her face.

when we were kids, it was hard to connect with kiri, not knowing a single thing i do now. i had almost killed her when we first met.

i was stalking towards my pray. it was sitting down by a small river, cupping its hand and bringing it up to its face to drink.

i was just behind it, ready to pounce, ready to rip its throat out and bring its body back to my family to celebrate.

i take one more step forward and push off the ground, ready to tackle my prey, when my front foot slips, and instead of finally getting my first kill, i slip and roll down the small bank.

my blue prey jumps up and squeals, turning around and facing me. i am quick to move from my position in the mud to a squat.

baring my fangs, hissing, and bringing one of my clawed hands up at my prey, whose face i am now seeing for the first time,

they looked like me. my face drops, and so does my hand that was raised. they seemed to take that as peaceful.

before i could process what was happening, they were crouched in front of me with their hands rubbing my face and saying something that sounded alien to me.

"you have mud everywhere. you might have to jump in the river to clean it off." their voice was squeaky and high-pitched; it almost hurt my ears. "helloooo, do you hear what i'm saying?" they kept talking while i cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"do you not understand me?" i stood up and moved away from the weird blue thing that kept making noises. they stood up as well, saying, "i'm kiri." they pointed toward themselves before asking, "what's your name?"

i stared them up and down before repeating what they said, "kiri?" i pointed toward them. my voice sounds harsh for such a young child.

"yes! i'm kiri, and you are?" kiri had said something again, pointing towards me, and i still didn't understand what she was saying.

"kiri," she pointed back at herself before pointing back at me. my brows frowned even deeper, confused as to why she was now pointing at me.

kiri lets her head flop back, looking up at the sky, before her head snaps back up and she looks at me again.

"kiri," she points to herself again before squatting down, "rock," she points at a rock. "water," she says, splashing her hand in the river.

she stood back up and finally pointed back at me. i understood what she was asking, but i didn't know how to tell her that i didn't know what or who i was.

from then on, kiri had given me the name y/n. she explained it was a human name and she saw it in a book full of names, but y/n stood out to her the most. she said it matched me perfectly.

kiri would visit me just about every day, and sometimes i'd wait by her home tree for her, but after a few short years of seeing each other, kiri had seemingly disappeared along with her entire clan.

"ugh," i let out an exaggerated sign. i had been waiting by kiri's home tree for the past 10 minutes. this is the time we'd normally meet, and kiri should've been here by now.

i stood around for another 10 minutes before my mind started to think the worst. kiri had told me about her family's situation with the sky people. what if they had come back and done something bad? what if kiri was hurt?

curiosity got the better of me and i was suddenly running the short distance between kiri and i's meeting spot to her home tree. once i had reached it, i was spinning around looking for anyone or any signs of life.

"kiri!" it's like no one has ever even lived here, as if it had been untouched for centuries. "kiri!" i started to believe she and her entire clan had been taken, or worse, killed, by the sky people.

weeks had passed and there was still no sign of kiri. i wasn't sure if i was supposed to grieve the loss of someone i wasn't sure i had lost.

i was down by the river kiri and we first met at i was staring at the water rushing by, my mind elsewhere, when a twig snapped from behind me.

i quickly jump and turn towards the noise, only to be greeted with a smiling kiri. "hello," she says, walking closer. my expression, which was blank, rapidly turned to anger.

kiri has her arms out for a hug, but i push her back and ask, "where have you been? why didn't you come and see me sooner? i thought you were dead!" i sobbed, tears running down my face. it was the first time i had cried in years.

kiri raps her arms around me, comforting me and whispering reassuring things in my ear, before she pulls back and brings both her hands up to wipe my cheek.

"we had to leave; the sky people came back; it wasn't safe for us to stay down here in the forest," kiri explains her disappearance while i only slowly nod my head. "you'll still visit me, right?" i ask the slightly shorter blue girl in front of me. "of course i will, but it won't be as often, and i might not make it all the time. we'll meet by this river instead of by the home tree."

i nodded my head once again, this time with a small smile, knowing i would continue to see kiri.

that day, kiri and i stayed close, never letting each other go. kiri had also offered for me to come and stay with her family up in the mountains, but i had to refuse. i couldn't leave my own family.

it's been years since then, and the sky people have built monstrosities. i would often hear the wizzing of their metal boxes flying through the forest, and sometimes i would get caught in the middle of a raid.

seeing kiri's parents and brothers occasionally, but never getting close enough for them to see me, i would run off before anything got too heated. i didn't want to get hurt when i was so far away from any form of help.

i am currently out hunting, and the last raid was a day ago. hearing the loud booming sounds that shook the earth. it was almost an eclipse, and i was stalking through the forest silently, trying to pick up any noise of an animal i could jump at.

i noticed imprints in the ground. they were big and were just a bunch of lines. kiri had told me how humans would wear things called "shoes," but these prints were too big to be human, and what a na'vi person would wear shoes?

i followed the trail of marks in the mud, making sure to keep low to the ground and hide in between bushes as the prints led towards the sound of talking.

i stay back, knowing what the sky people are capable of. i peek between the leaves of plants to get a better look at the people i am hearing. i spot a group of blue na'vi-like individuals, but they are wearing cloth that covers a majority of their bodies.

the group was standing around an old shack behind them as two of them stood over a metal suit. i circled around the group to get a better look at them all when i heard a familiar voice say, "let go of me." my eyes were instantly darting around trying to locate kiri. i stood up just a bit more to see her on the floor of the forest along with her siblings and a human boy.

i had to help them. i knew i wouldn't be able to do it on my own, so i slowly creeped away from the armed group before sprinting off in the direction of my family.

i ask the thanators for help, but a lot of them refuse, not wanting to mess with the sky people. "please, they have kiri," i beg my family to help; they had met kiri a handful of times and knew how important she was to me; my thanator sister being the only one to change her mind and help me.

i hopped on her back and directed her to where kiri was being held captive. by the time we got there, it was dark and raining. i lay low on my sister's back as she stalked through the bushes around the hostile group, one of them commanding the others.

i signalling my thanator sister to go after the man with kiri and the human boy, knowing i wouldn't be able to take him down and grab both of them. i slowly slid off her back and crept around the group, looking for tuk.

kiri had told me everything about her family, including how tuk didn't have any training on how to defend herself, but i couldn't blame her because she was still so young.

i stop once i am right in front of the man with the tuk; even though they are all looking out around the forest, they don't see me or my thanator sister.

i stare at each one of the abductors, waiting for the perfect time to strike, and that seems to come quite quickly as kiri's brother, lo'ak, pulls the pin on a smoke bomb on one of the abductors' belts.

i let out an animalistic scream, telling my sister to pounce. i jumped on the back of the man who had a tuk in his grasp, biting down hard on the space between his shoulder and neck, and tuk was also biting down on his arm that was rapping around her.

once he released his hold on tuk, i jumped off his back and kicked his knees in. he struggled on the ground, pushing his hands up against the spot i had bitten.

pushing tuk off in the direction lo'ak had ran, i run towards kiri, grabbing her arms and pulling her with me, but before we could both run to safety, a man jumped up and grabbed kiri's queue, yanking her back.

before i can react, there is an arrow lodged in his throat. i grab kiri again and start to pull her along, with the human boy following. we all stumble on a tree acting as a bridge over a large pit as the ground shakes and an explosive goes off.

kiri drops to her knees, leaning over the edge of the fallen tree, screaming, "spider! spider!" i try to pull kiri up by grabbing at her shoulders, "kiri, we have to go," but she doesn't budge, continuing to look over the edge where the human boy had fallen.

"kiri!" a tall, heroic-looking na'vi woman comes jumping down from the trees, joining me by kiri. "come! come on!" she successfully pulls kiri up and drags her the rest of the way across the bridge.

i trail behind the two. "spider, he's down there!" kiri explains before pulling back from the women, i can only assume is her mother, to lean against a tree that overlooks the pit.

looking down into the pit from over kiri's shoulder, i see the group of hostile people walking towards spider. "kiri, we have to go," i tell her, gently laying my hand on her shoulder in a slight effort to comfort her.

"kiri, come! come!" neytiri yells, grabbing onto kiri once again, pulling her further away from spider and deeper into the forest. i head off in a different direction, calling for my thanator sister.

she appears at my side, and we both walk towards the small family gathering. once we had arrived, the family was checking on each other and sharing hugs.

i stand off to the side, feeling a little awkward and not wanting to interrupt the sweet moment, but once jake notices my thanator sister and me standing nearby, he pushes his family behind him, trying to protect them.

kiri pushes her way through jake and jumps into my arms, resting her head on my shoulder. i hold her tight, scared i might almost lose her again. she pulls her head up to look at me, and as i look down at her tears streaming down her face, i bring one of my hands up from resting on her back to her face to wipe her tears.

kiri lets out a small giggle before bringing her own hand up and pointing at the lower half of my face. i move my hand from her face to mine and rub it, realising my face was also wet. i pull my hand away to look at what it had just wiped up. i notice it was blood. "sorry," i say as i unwrap myself from kiri and turn my back on the family to quickly clean myself up.

kiri lets out another giggle at my action. i was embarrassed that i was meeting her parents this way. i turn back around, giving a small smile to the family. "mother, father, this is y/n." kiri introduces me, wrapping one arm around my waist while the other comes up to wipe at a spot i had missed on my face.

i turn my head down to face kiri as she leans up on her toes to give me a peck on the lips. my smile only widens as she pulls away from me and faces her family again.

"is it alright if y/n stays with us tonight?" kiri asks her parents "of course," neytiri accepts the invitation without hesitation, while jake stands there with a dumbfounded face.

jake, neytiri, and neteyam call for their ikran, and we all fly back up to the hallelujah mountains.

the sully family and i walk through the cave, getting odd looks from everyone and occasionally a shocked look from one of the many hunters that had seen me in the forest.

we reach the sully family tent, and neytiri and jake quickly leave us children alone, explaining they need to come up with a "game plan."

"i'm neteyam, and this is lo'ak and tuk," kiri's eldest brother introduces himself before pointing out the other siblings. "ah, the golden boy," i point at him and turn to face kiri in hopes of some reassurance that i had gotten that right. "what?" neteyam asks me a question, and i go to answer him, but before i can, kiri has her hand over my mouth, saying, "no!" she shouts at me to stop even though she has already stopped me.

"it's been a long night. we should head to bed and get some sleep," kiri commands as she now runs around the tent, blowing out the few lanterns that hung from the ceiling.

everyone had fallen asleep beside kiri and me. we both lay on our sides facing each other with barely any space between us. kiri has both her hands tucked under her head while i only have one, the other tracing small shapes on kiri's hip.

"you should be more careful," i comment, moving my eyes to look into kiri's. "more careful about what?" she asks, confused as to what i am saying, "getting kidnapped." i say half-jokingly, "pft." kiri lets out a sound of disagreement and playfully rolls her eyes.

"i've been in the forest for years since the sky people have come back, and i haven't gotten kidnapped." i exaggerate my statement while giving kiri a goofy smile, "i just don't want to lose you." my tone turns serious as i move my hand from her waist to her cheek, "you won't." kiri states

we both lay in silence for a while, slowly drifting off to sleep, when a meek voice broke in, "can i sleep with you guys?" tuk quietly whispers, standing at kiri's and my feet.

kiri, being already deep asleep, doesn't answer "of course." i answer, scouting back slightly so there is room between us.

tuk snuggles in between kiri and me, resting on her back. "thank you for saving us," tuk thanks, turning her head to face me. i smile down at the kindhearted girl. "anytime," i say.

tuk smiles back at me before rolling over and getting comfortable. i reach my arm around the snoring girl to place my hand back on kiri, wanting to make sure she was still there before drifting off to sleep.

word count : 3333

26 notes · View notes

a-dragons-journal · 2 years

Text

OCs and Projection

Crossposted from the Fictionkind Dreamwidth

Nothing like creating a new OC out of a semi-random thought that you thought was cool and then realizing about two-thirds of the way through your ramble about her to a friend that oh, I am definitely using her to project some hearthome feels on. Whoops. So anyway, meet Irwi.

Irwi came out of me thinking, "We've seen severing someone's queue be used as a threat on par with straight-up killing them, and I don't think most of us have to think about it all that hard to imagine how terrible it would be, so... what happens when someone does lose their queue and lives to tell the tale?" So, Irwi, who lost her queue in a near-death experience with a thanator when its jaws closed on her tswin instead of her torso, and who for a while there isn't entirely sure that was the luckier outcome. The Na'vi are lucky, from a human perspective, or at least from mine - tsaheylu is a wonder, being able to tangibly connect to the world around you - to feel how interconnected things are in an undeniably concrete way. To feel the mind of another, and to feel the interweaving of every being that has ever lived in the all-encompassing network that is Eywa, to know undeniably that you are not separate from every other thing, that you are not alone. And then to lose that, and suddenly be utterly isolated, unable to touch that bond ever again - dead to Eywa already, for the "version" of you preserved in Eywa is an imprint of you the last time you connected to the network, and whatever life you have from now on will truly die when you do. The horror of that is... indescribable. To never again bond with your clan, your family - to never again hear the voices of your ancestors and the ancestors of all things. To permanently lose a form of connection and communication so intimate nothing else can replace it adequately. But she lives. And she finds a way to make life worth living. Because I refuse to believe that every Na'vi who has ever lost their queue has immediately given up on life. She is still part of her clan, still beloved of her clan and her family, and the people around her make special effort to reach out to her and stay connected with her because she can't bond with the clan at ceremonies anymore. She is still part of Eywa'eveng and Eywa, even if the thread connecting her to the web is far less tangible now than it once was, and somehow she finds a way to hold onto that and not let go. The world around her is still as beautiful and dangerous and wonderful in all its glories and tragedies, as it has always been. She still has her senses, can still feel the earth under her feet and smell the scent of a world washed clean after a heavy rain and watch the beauty of a dying sunset painting the sky a million colors. And she is still One with it all, it just... takes a little more faith. It is around this point, when first explaining this character concept to the aforementioned friend, that I realized, oh. This is definitely me projecting. See, there's a funny thing about having a hearthome like Pandora, which has tsaheylu and Eywa in a way Earth does not and never will. I wish it did; I wish our world was as tangibly connected as Eywa'eveng - but it's not, and any connection that might be even analogous to Eywa is much more intangible. I long for tsaheylu, for proof of that concept, and, well, apparently I'm making that Irwi's problem. Because yeah, if losing tsaheylu is basically equivalent to losing your life to a Pandoran native, what does that make me, who's never had tsaheylu to begin with? So yes, Irwi was initially a "fuck off, I can do something more interesting than that" to the idea that any Na'vi who loses their queue is likely just going to lose the will to live or whatever, narratively speaking, but maybe she's... also a little bit me projecting my hearthomesickness and self-soothing with some reassurance-of-defiant-hope here. Maybe my conceptual conversations between her and the Kìlsani Tsahik are a little bit me talking to myself through characters, giving one character my fears and aches and the other the ability to say "It's okay. It's okay. You are not alone, and we are still One, and you are still beloved. These things are still true." *deep breath* Yeah, alright, that's enough poetic prose out of me for one morning. Tune in to my Avatar/Na’vi language sideblog @/dragonofpandora for more on Irwi (coming soon to a blog near you) and also my other Avatar OCs (who are already there).

#rani talks #hearthome #journaling #am i brave enough to reblog this to the aforementioned sideblog #spoiler alert: the answer is probably 'no'#for the same reasons that i've been procrastinating about posting the stuff i've drawn with her there at all jfkjdgdsf #that being not being sure how fandom folks will react and being a Wee Bit Spooked about it considering *waves hand at the above*

21 notes · View notes

reve-de-dragon · 4 years

Text

Results of the form

results under the cut

The donjon and dragon is, obviously, not surprising. I’m on the same page here, it counts as a dragon, and is honestly the closest to basic pop culture european dragon i can find.

Donjon and dragon wyvern gets some not a dragon answers. From what i gather from looking through the answers, I assume it has to do with the sapience of the wyvern, as aside from a single person, i haven’t seen the “four legs two wings is a dragon” type of answer.

The tarasque surprised me a bit more! I see them as a dragon, but physical traits of that type (weird chimera) usually doesn’t matters to me if they are quite reptilian, which works here, in most pictures. I think for most dragons however, it is a too weird creature for them to comprehend them as a dragon. There might also be the problem of the dnd tarasque, who is treated as its own thing in the game, which might have influenced some.

Smaug is overall seen as a dragon. The picture was the movie smaug, so the one not a dragon comes from the “four leg 2 wings is a dragon” answer (btw, not trying to say that is wrong, for this form!).

not much to say here.

Had to go back to see what kind of answer said that pernese dragons were not dragon for their own mind, and from what i see of the rest of their answer, I suspect that its the book’s twist on these dragons that influenced the answer. I wondered if i would have more not a dragon because of this specificity, but it seem it overall is seen as a dragon.

Dutch angels are pretty divided! They are not dragons in my eyes, as they are too mammalian to register as a dragon, which i believe is the case for most people here, from talking with people who answered.

Wyrms register as dragons for me. The non dragon part seems to be on the lack of wings (usually also putting the draque as not a dragon) and the lack of limbs. Some may also have thought about sapience, although i can’t check that, and haven’t encountered that one while talking with some who took the form.

Amusingly, the sea serpent almost mirrors the wyrm. I do not really understand that one, as it tends to be registered as the same thing for me (big long beast who can grow to tremendous sizes). If the wyrm is put as not a dragon, I assume it’s the lack of wings/limb, but some do put wyrms and not sea serpent, as seen here! This appear to be caused by wyrms and sea serpents as different kind of beasts, as a sort of cousin specie.

:’( Poor chimken. My human logic tells me dragon, because they are referred as such in some myths. As a dragon however, i’m not sure. Size plays a lot into it for me, but the dangerosity of the beast does too. I think I wouldn’t consider it a dragon as the pop culture cockatrice that is small, but as soon as it is human sized or more, i’d have a doubt and consider it something on the same level as me.

Too mammalian for me, but technically a dragon I guess ahah. It depends on who you ask, in myths. I tend to see it as another kind of creature both as a dragon and human, though.

Same, to a further extent.

That one is very strange! Not because of the amount of not dragon, that i expected, but because I saw quite a few people who did agree that it was a dragon say that a sea serpent wasn’t one, which boggles my mind! I see it as a simple animal myself, and haven’t been able to understand that sea serpent is not but nessie is situation, so if you answered that, would love to know why!

Was simply to check if reptilian body and sapience was enough for some. Two people did answer yes, but for the most part, it’s a no.

Got a friend who is a predacon were, so I was curious if being biological or mechanical would influence some. Amusingly enough, from that predacon, I learnt that they, themselves, didn’t consider all predacons dragons, due to differences in behaviors. The exemple here was predaking, so a pretty normal dragon aside from the mechanical thing. I wanted to add the bipedal cybertronian form too, but was afraid my first question may be lost like that. One person did say they were not dragons to them, so i wonder if it’s due to lore or nonbiological nature.

The worms from dunes have technically very draconic behaviors and lore, and are inspired from european dragons. One person did agree that they were sort of alien dragons, apparently, but for the most part, i assume the physical form says not dragon. On my side, i am unsure! I think not, because they are not creatures i can really interact with, i assume, so I’d mostly see them as bigger than average animals.

Wondered where humanoid body type started to be seen as nondraconic. Depending on the anthro dragon, I myself am on a “maybe”. Behavior and dangerosity would probably matter a lot to me here.

And that’s where I myself draw the line! Flat faces disturb me, and in that case, size and general appearance convey a “not a dragon” feel for me.

The lack of wings is what makes them not a dragon, for the one who answered that, as it seems. Perhaps some sapience too?

This one is an animal for me, whereas drakes are dragons. Amusingly enough, some said drakes were not dragons, but those were! I assume it’s the flight/glide.

Dragon brains says That’s A Horse, whereas human logic says it’s closest to a dragon. Pretty easy to understand here, simply the appearance.

Overall, dragon. Logical. However, two person said not a dragon! The first did say Cortos (little wyvern type creatures) were, from the same game, and the other said zinogre (a wolf/dragon that wield thunder) and dah’ren morhan (a gigantic desert leviathan) did say those were dragons! So it’s not the game. I really don’t get that one, and would love thoughts on it.

Was curious if the mammalian appearance would matter. Zinogre is on the line for me.

They look like wyverns, but are very small and weak. They don’t register as dragons for me, but as animals. Seems they do for most though, although i can’t say if all understood their size due to the picture.

This one is similar to the sand worm for me. Although technically draconic, being similar to a leviathan, he just doesn’t register as one, although there’s the power and size to usually back it up for me.

Was curious to what extent dragon like horrors would be understood as dragons. I see that one as a dragon, but that may be due to myself seeing my draconity as somewhat lovecraftian. I relate a lot to cthulhu on a conceptual level.

I mean. I’m surprised there’s not a dragon human hybrid kind of thing here ngl. What’s the difference? Plus tbh, he does seem more draconic than the pic i used for the human dragon hybrid in my opinion. Probably the pose does it for me. Really like this painting.

Expected it, but hey! Fun fact! The red dragon of the apocalypse above, and Satan/the devil are the same entity! Bamboozled again. I have to admit, although the depiction above makes me think dragon, due to the imagery associated with satan, i mostly see him as a human looking dude or goaty fellow. I’m pretty sure he is called a dragon in christian lore.

Not threatening enough for me, but yeah that’s probably what’s going on here, he’s simply not very threatening. Deal breaker for some, but dragon for most.

Tried to see if more strange looking “dragons” got the same approval as charizard, since they even had the typing. Seems like theropods body type isn’t commonly seen as draconic, as I furthered that question with a smaller group with some other theropod looking draconic creatures! Have to admit, unsure if it’s the human logic that applies here, and makes me go : that’s a real animal, or if it’s a dragon thing.

Same but more theropod.

Technically, he can be called one, but yeah he is very mammalian, which is most of those no votes. I’d say I would probably consider him on the same level as me. Something about the tatzelwurm makes me think of a sapient beast, which may play into it. Everything seems more dangerous and more “at my level” if they are intelligent. They are small, and not very powerful, but for some reason it still doesn’t strike me as wrong here.

Wanted to see both if something very bird like, and very non threatening looking was understood as a dragon. Seems like for the most part, it works. I’d honestly probably just see that one as a weird fire bird. For the most part, most dragonvale dragons don’t register as such for me, in a similar way to pokemons.

Putting those two back to back because it’s very funny. Expected both to be dragons, or both not, and turns out there’s also a fair share to one is, but the other no. I can understand toruk yes, ikran no, as toruk is much more imposing, but the other way around i don’t quite see, although a few people did say so. If you have theories, would love to hear.

Added the thanator last minute as a sort of “pandoran drake”. Seems like most people just see it as an alien. Flight plays a strong part on recognizing something as draconic for most, so if you throw away the obvious reptilian/draconic features, isn’t so easy. Plus, I won’t lie, it acts pretty non draconic, but hey was worth trying. Expected it.

Similar thought, although more reptilian. although the thanator doesn’t register as same as me, xenomorphs do. Probably the dangerosity/intelligence here too.

It’s very, very weird, but dragon shaped. I’d see it as a dragon. A lot don’t. Put it for the same reason as the tarasque, but with wings.

I won’t lie it’s a bird i expected that, but it’s golden? It eats metals? Maybe some feathered dragons could relate. Where does bird dragon stops, and mythical bird begins? Amusing to go back to the peteu or the serre with this thought in mind.

If quetzacoatl gets to be a dragon, why not them. I see them as dragons like wyrms. Seems like a fair share don’t! Amusingly, I assume like the sea serpent, it doesn’t mirror wyrms, although the two are very close.

Yeah fair. Honestly though, it’s strange how so many weird appearance don’t get a pass, but that one does. I assume it’s because they fly, or are very powerful? Since other very reptilian looking chimeras or draconic beasts don’t make the cut. Or pop culture i guess. I see them as beasts like me, but actually not as dragons. I see them as “eastern dragons” which for me is a dinstinctly different creature from european dragons on all level, and probably shouldn’t share the dragon name, which is why i try my best to find another term to use, like long or ryu. I do however make them fall in the category of beasts that are “same as me”, although i usually see them as a bit higher, closer to deity like, in folklores.

Was curious since “he doesn’t act like a dragon anymore” is something I had heard a few times from dragons. From the people who answered, seems there isn’t much here. I personally do feel weird about how toothless act in the third movie, the whole thing is a bit off. Probably because, like another dragonkin said, they are treated as exotic pets or human adjacent.

Gidorah is pretty dragon like, not much here, it was mostly to introduce the following. We did get a few no, though! I assume it’s because it’s an alien, or something of the sort? Theories appreciated once again.

Godzilla is honestly very dragon like. Massive, reptilian, breath weapon. He even protects things sometimes. But seems like for most, he isn’t one. Curious as to why so. I assume the theropod look must have struck again, as well as pop culture making you automatically go : no that’s a kaiju, not a dragon.

Fair. With the zinogre i wanted to see how far i could push it.

To the 2 people who answered yes : Wrong. I am judging you.

EDIT : forgot to say : Feel free to give any thoughts! I’d love to start a discussion

#dragonkin #weird stats for a weird dragon #cthulhu is my dad leave me alone #i had to include him

22 notes · View notes

herotheshiro · 4 years

Text

just found out abt the futekiya free manga may deal so ofc i leapt on that shit but mostly bc i saw an IG post in passing for MOTION EMOTION that mentioned the deal and y’all know (well idk if i ever said it on here but just believe me on this) that i’ve wanted to read this manga ever since i found out the side characters from sneaky red got their own story !! (on that note i should also finish sneaky red since i have this futekiya sub. while i believe i have read the full raws, the illegal translations never finished so lol)

anyway... it was... not what i expected? i like thanat’s art, they have a style i like but ... the dubious consent tag on futekiya is there for a good reason lol ... thanat’s note at the very end is that takeru ended up not being like how he was kind of portrayed in sneaky red (a kind of weak-willed seme who’s pushed around by ayumu) which like ok np that they changed it but ... idk i don’t like stories where someone is kind of manipulated into the relationship and that’s basically what happened to ayumu. i mean the beginning was ok, ayumu just became more aware of takeru and then takeru kind of forced him to get the relationship ball rolling which like ... not what i prefer but it’s aight ... but then that line in the last or so chapter where takeru is like ‘i’ll make you believe that you want this [relationship with me]’ or something along those lines ... just made me so sad.

the concept of the story is fine (i became more aware of my kouhai and their feelings for me, whoop we’re in a relationship now before i realized it, and oh jeez he’s growing up so fast and now i feel like i look bad as his senior aaaa) and i don’t have a pressing issue w senior-junior dynamics where the junior has more “power” in the relationship (i’m not talking in a seme-uke kind of way, just mainstream social dynamics. like the junior being the breadwinner of the 2 that’s what i mean) ... but that line just made me shudder in a way bc it’s a clear line of emotional manipulation, he’ll make sure they stay together even if ayumu has doubts. i mean ... to defend thanat i guess, it could be worse since it’s implied that ayumu feels ok enough to “mooch” off of takeru but ... i get kind of uneasy at that underlying dynamic of manipulation. i was ok w that other manga ‘if we were stranded on a deserted island’ or whatever bc they both were kind of fucked up towards each other but this one is a lil wack bc ayumu isn’t like that towards takeru

i mean this person’s other work is fucking sneaky red which is abt a dude who enjoys being physically abused by his lover which is a whole other thing to discuss so i shouldn’t be surprised the dynamic turned out like this but. idk i was just hoping it would be more fluffy. i mean you sensed the gap bw takeru’s typical presentation and his crosshairs on ayumu in the 1st-2nd chapters so it wasn’t like out of nowhere but idk. i feel like they didn’t really develop much after they got together. like the 1-2 ch after they got together idr (”we’ve been dating for a year now”) weren’t really that necessary imo, even if it was to hash out the thing abt ayumu feeling inadequate as takeru’s senior.

anyway this incoherent stream of consciousness aside ... i guess tl;dr is that motion emotion wasn’t what i expected and i didn’t like it as much as i wanted to. like legit when i saw that i could read motion emotion for free i was so hype but i read it and i was like ‘oh...’. it wasn’t like MAD problematic if to any degree, i’ve def read more sketchy BLs re: consent but ... idk! i think i was just disappointed bc it didn’t match my expectations i’ve had for like i think over a year, idr when was the last time i touched sneaky red.

EDIT: ok i went and reread that line i disliked. i think the sentiment is supposed to be that takeru wants ayumu to have more faith in their relationship (not in a malicious way) but like ... that line is written or localized so weird. maybe my issue is that their relationship progressed too fast for me to feel like ayumu consented adequately to it. i mean i get it, ayumu is supposed to get swept up easily by takeru’s actions but ... i mean as i said before, i think the reason i feel so uneasy is bc the final thing is not what i expected back when all i had was the cover and the raws of the 1st chapter. i genuinely don’t have an issue w gap moe in relationship dynamics re: how the couple presents in public vs them in private (why does it sound like i’m trying to convince myself of this) but ... idk i didn’t really like it here i guess. i think i’m still reeling a little bc i just finished reading it like not more than 15 min ago

#reading

1 note · View note

dipulb3 · 3 years

Text

Yamaha RX-V6A review: The future sound of entertainment

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/yamaha-rx-v6a-review-the-future-sound-of-entertainment/

Yamaha RX-V6A review: The future sound of entertainment

The waters around AV receivers drift rather than rage. Compared to TVs and soundbars, change comes slowly to these big black boxes. The Yamaha RX-V6A ($600 at Amazon) is a refreshing splash in a pool that has stagnated in recent years. With rounded good looks reminiscent of high-end brands like Classe, paired with a laundry list of futuristic features, this is the most forward-looking receiver I have seen in a long time.

Outstanding looks (for a receiver)

Sounds engaging with music and movies

Up-to-date feature set and connections

Don’t Like

LCD display can be hard to read

No built-in Chromecast

Looks aren’t anything without the performance to back it up and the RX-6A served up great sound quality in my listening test. This midpriced receiver RX-V6A offers Dolby Atmos playback and plenty of music replay options too, making it as comfortable with an episode of The Mandalorian as it is with impromptu dance parties.

It’s got some quirks — the speaker outputs are arranged in an unusual order and that LCD display is harder to read than an LED — but overall this Yamaha is simply more fun than its competitors. I’m hopeful that the RX-V6A is the spark that ignites a rethink on AV receivers and helps bring the category back into the mainstream.

CNET TVs, Streaming and Audio

Get CNET’s comprehensive coverage of home entertainment tech delivered to your inbox.

Connect all your stuff

The RX-V6A is a 7.1.2-channel receiver with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback, and 100 watts per channel. But the specification sheet isn’t the first thing that catches the eye.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

The Yamaha RX-V6A’s rounded, glass-like fascia is a real departure from the black shoe boxes of Sony, Denon and Onkyo. The edges are curved in a way I’ve never seen before, but it doesn’t look ostentatious. The front houses a centered volume control and high-res LCD display that looks smart but isn’t all that bright. It’s off-centered so if you’re sitting off to the left it’s even more difficult to read even at maximum brightness. I prefer the LED readouts found on competitors.

This receiver couldn’t be “the future” without a thoroughly up to date spec sheet and the RX-V6A doesn’t skimp. It includes seven HDMI inputs, three of which are 8K-compatible HDMI 2.1 ports ports designed to support the full output capabilities of sources like the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and PC graphics cards such as the Nvidia RTX 3090. Yamaha claims this is more 2.1 ports than any other brand, and they offer such goodies as auto low latency mode and quick media switching. The receivers also support longer HDMI cable runs with a bolstered power supply.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Yamaha also made changes around back. Most receivers, including past Yamahas, place the L/R speaker output at the left of the panel, which is followed by the center and then the rears. For whatever reason the RX-V6A places the front pair in the middle instead of the left, which could be confusing — especially if you’re bent over it in a darkened theater setting. It won’t take long to remember which output is which, and once you get your speakers connected it’s not a big deal.

The RX-V6A may not be as fully loaded when it comes to Wi-Fi streaming support when compared to our current Editors’ Choice winner, the Onkyo TX-NR696, but it still offers something for most people. Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom system is one of the best integrated systems, and it also enables the use of Yamaha smart speakers as rears. The receiver offers AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth too, although it lacks Chromecast built-in. IT can be controlled via Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri-enabled devices, but the commands are mostly basic — mainly volume, input and next/previous track controls.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

The receiver comes with a remote control that offers a variety of functions, including a dedicated Bluetooth button. It’s bright and cheery plus offers a zone 2 control switch for more flexibility.

Though the aesthetics have been soundly improved, the on-screen display is a small step back. The interface features blocky white and blue icons, whereas competitors such as Sony offer more user-friendly interfaces with bigger icons and better hand-holding for newcomers.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

This is the future of sound

I compared the Yamaha RX-V6A against another new receiver, the Denon AVR-S960, and found myself returning to listen to the Yamaha more often. While the Denon is relaxed-sounding, the Yamaha offers more home theater thrills and pep when listening to your favorite tunes. Simply put, the Yamaha sounds more fun.

I started my testing with an underrated classic — the Iron and Wine/Calexico collaboration EP, In The Reins. When streaming via Roon to the Oppo UDP-203 ($3,999 at Amazon) and then letting the receivers decode, the Yamaha had a solid, three dimensional sound. Through it Sam Beam’s voice was more firmly rooted in space, and the backing vocals a little easier to discern than on the Denon.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Receivers that are tuned for movies are rarely good with music — they can sound overly harsh and tiring — but the tambourine-forward sound of Spoon’s You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb sounded fuller on the Yamaha than the Denon. The song’s chugging bass underpinned the percussion in the hands of the V6A and the entire production sounded less thrashy and more composed. The Denon was a shade subtler but didn’t make me sit up in my seat in the same way.

Turning to home theater with Avatar, the Yamaha driving a pair of Bowers and Wilkins 603 S2 speakers sounded bigger and more effortless than any soundbar I’ve heard. The opening dialog of the Thanator chase scene was more intelligible too, and certainly better than the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass ($300 at Amazon) soundbar, for example. It may not have had the same booming effect on the creatures’ footfalls, but this was easily tweaked via the Yamaha menu.

After that tweak the Yamaha had bass effects I could actually feel with my feet and, compared to the Denon, I found it sounded more atmospheric, but the bass still wasn’t as impactful.

Should you buy it?

If you’re trying to decide between the Yamaha and the Denon, both sound quality and features come into play. The Yamaha offers an extra HDMI port than the Denon and more 8K-compliant 2.1 ports too. The RX-V6A also looks better and sounds more entertaining.

The receiver didn’t get everything right — that LCD display is a misstep — and I still prefer the Onkyo by a nose because of its superior streaming options and better display. While there are more receivers coming in mid-2021, if you want something that offers a degree of future proofing and high-quality sound right now, the Yamaha is an excellent choice.

0 notes

dipulb3 · 4 years

Text

Vizio V21 review: Best soundbar under $200

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/vizio-v21-review-best-soundbar-under-200-2/

Vizio V21 review: Best soundbar under $200

Despite its ridiculous name, I was incredibly jazzed about the Vizio SB3621n-E8 ($180 at Best Buy) soundbar when it came out in 2017. It was a great-sounding, affordable soundbar and has remained my favorite value over the last three years. The Vizio V21 reviewed here is its natural successor and enjoys a number of upgrades beyond a simpler name. The new bar adds HDMI, changes the cosmetics and includes an intriguing smart speaker connection.

Excellent home cinema sound on a budget

DTS Virtual:X improves immersion

Versatile connectivity, with HDMI ARC

Don’t Like

Subwoofer is small and not very articulate

Voice assistant connection not super useful

Input color codes are not available in the user manual, only on back of remote

The sound quality is as unhurried and natural as before, but the competition is much tougher these days. Polk and Yamaha have been snapping at Vizio’s heels for several years, and models like the new Polk Signa S3 offer even better sound for a bit more money.

If you want to upgrade your TV’s sound for under $200, the Vizio V21 should be among your top choices, and it will play back music in fine fashion too. It’s not quite as surprising or energizing as the original SB3621, but that’s all right. The V21 stands on its own as a dependable speaker at an excellent value.

Vizio V21 ports, features and remote

The top panel.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Soundbars are black blobs for the most part, heard and not seen, and the V21 follows the industry template to the letter: basic black with a mesh cover and a slightly textured plastic top. The topside also offers a series of controls including input selection, Bluetooth and volume control.

Though the length of the soundbar is no longer in the name, as with the SB3621 (Sound Bar, 36 inches, 2.1 channel… get it?) the Vizio V21 is also 36 inches long. That name still contains a lame Easter egg, however, because this is a 2.1-channel soundbar.

The wireless subwoofer that comes with the system is a roughly 8-inch cube — now black instead of silver — and it features a down-firing driver and rear port.

The LED now changes color according to the input.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

After years of complaints (at least from me), Vizio has updated the soundbar’s LED display. Instead of an inscrutable series of white dots the display can now change color according to the input and signify volume level by ascending vertically. It’s perfectly usable, although a traditional alphanumeric display would be even clearer.

The most notable addition is the HDMI ARC port. This connector enables you to hook up one cable directly to the ARC port on the back of your TV, and it’s best if you just use the streaming features built into the TV itself, or use the TV to switch between inputs. If you have a more complicated system, for example an external streamer, you can use the bar’s optical connection. Other options include Bluetooth, USB, a 3.5mm analog input and another, all-new 3.5mm connection for your “voice assistant speaker” (read: Amazon Echo Dot ($40 at Amazon)).

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

The idea behind the “VA” (voice activated) input is noble enough. You connect your smart speaker to this port and the soundbar switches to the input automatically when it hears a command. But when partnered with an Amazon Echo Flex I found that the Echo’s audio output was either silent (when using optical) or stayed on the VA input (when using Bluetooth). In the latter case I needed to use my remote to switch back to another source manually.

I’m sure Vizio is trying to cater to people who want to use their Dot as a music or podcast source and take advantage of the V21’s superior sound. But every time the Vizio switched to the smart speaker input I needed to turn the volume way up — even with the Echo’s volume at maximum. in the long run, I would rather use a smart speaker divorced from my soundbar.

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

That remote is functional and relatively easy to use, even if you need to remember to use the up and down buttons to control the sub volume instead of the more natural volume keys. Also, don’t lose it, as the speaker’s color-coded inputs are printed on the back and are not mentioned in the documentation.

How does the Vizio V21 sound?

Due to the necessity of testing at home, I don’t have a Vizio SB3621 for direct comparisons, but the V21 is just as even-handed as I remember the previous model being. Instead I compared the new $180 Vizio against a couple of other 2020 models, the $250 Polk Signa S3 and the $300 JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass, but it’s obviously worth keeping in mind the significant price differences.

Compared to those two products, the Vizio’s secret weapon is its DTS Virtual:X compatibility. The feature, first seen in Yamaha speakers, enables humble soundbars like the V21 to emulate a surround system, and it performs very well. Alas the JBL and Polk lack this add-on and so didn’t offer the same level of immersion.

While the bigger sub of the JBL Deep bass offered the best bass articulation of the three, the JBL couldn’t beat the Vizio in Virtual:X mode for immersion, especially when it came to the lobby scene in The Matrix. Bullets whizzed towards me and the ratatatat that precedes the soldier’s “Freeze!” was more pronounced on the Vizio than either the Polk or the JBL.

The larger subs of the Polk and JBL better helped convey the gunfight’s impact, however. The Polk served up an exciting and kinetic performance, due in part to the larger and more articulate sub. The Vizio was overwhelmed by some of the low notes in the synth-bass score by comparison.

The Vizio’s expressive midrange made movie dialog sound clear and balanced. During the thanator chase in Avatar (at 26:53), streaming from Disney Plus, the Vizio sounded sonically fuller than the Polk, which was a little hollow in comparison, with weaker, lower midrange. Adjusting the Polk’s bass control and sound mode didn’t shore up the balance in a meaningful way.

The most-expensive JBL Deep Bass 2.1 was the most fun in this scene. The larger sub was able to catch more of the low frequency effects — from the pad of the thanator’s footfalls to the gentle roar of the waterfall — and the jungle sounded more alive with insects and running water.

With music, the Vizio didn’t sound as dynamic as either the JBL or the Polk, but still conveyed a real sense of stereo sound. The smooth handover to the subwoofer meant that acoustic music and male voices in particular sounded natural, although the Polk was still slightly better. When Ben Harper did his spooky “in your room thing” with his tune Widow of a Living Man, a couple of the lowest guitar notes on the Vizio bonged in a way that sounded out of place. There was a greater distinction between the guitar and the voice on the Vizio, but I couldn’t get the boom out even with the bass control at its lowest (there was a big jump between 0 and 1). The Polk was more enjoyable overall with music, with a better handle on dynamics and more powerful bass performance. It’s the model to choose if you favor music over movies.

Should you buy the Vizio V21?

There is no such thing as a perfect soundbar — due to size and budget constraints, their engineers need to make a number of compromises. None of the three I tested in this comparison can offer everything to everyone. The Vizio and the JBL tend towards home theater sound while the Polk’s main strength is music. In general, the Vizio offered better immersion than the others and the Polk is the best compromise between the three models.

If you have $200 or less, the Vizio is a great choice, with powerful bass and an expressive midrange. It’s a fine follow-up to the SB3621 with the HDMI onboard in particular a welcome feature. I can’t say yet how it will stack up against the best soundbars of the year, but there’s no denying it’s an excellent value already.

0 notes