Worst Pain

Bonds That Bleed AU

I have some thoughts about an au where Neytiri decides to adopt Spider, but with a twist. Neytiri starts off with a cold, calculated plan to mold Spider into her weapon against the demon who destroyed her family, only to genuinely bond with Spider over time and see him as her own.

-) From the moment Neytiri laid eyes on the squirming, pink-skinned demon, she felt the fire of hatred coil around her heart. He has his father’s face. The same features, the same blood in his veins—Quaritch’s legacy, staring back at her with wide, unknowing eyes and a gummy smile. Instinct screamed at her to cast him away, to have him banished to her mate's former planet, to spare her home from the cruelty of yet another sky demon. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.

-) Instead, Neytiri shoved her hatred into the deepest, coldest part of herself and made a choice. She would raise him. Not out of kindness. Not out of pity. Certainly not out of any foolish maternal instinct. No, she would raise him as a weapon. An instrument of vengeance.

-) Quaritch had stolen everything from her—her father, her sister, her brother, her home, countless lives of her people. And now, she would take everything from him. She would mold his son into something unrecognizable, shape him into the very antithesis of the man who sired him. Spider would walk like the Na’vi, speak their tongue, fight with their weapons, and live by their beliefs. He would forsake the demon blood in his veins until nothing of Quaritch remained. And when the time came, she would watch the fear dawn in the demon's eyes as his own flesh and blood struck him down.

-) There are times when Jake watches her with wary eyes when she helps Spider take his first steps, when she shushes his pitiful bleatings, and when she cradles him in her arms and holds his little hand in hers. There is an unease in Jake’s stare, as if he sees the shape of her plan but does not know how to stop it—or perhaps, deep down, does not want to. It does not matter.

-) Neytiri is resolute. She has a path, and she will walk it to the end. She will strip away every trace of Quaritch’s legacy, reshape him, teach him to hate the sky people, to despise the blood in his veins. He will not be human. He will not be Omatikaya. He will be a blade—her blade. He will be hers. And one day, when the time is right, he will drive that blade into his father’s heart.

-) But like all well-laid plans, this one did not go as intended.

-) Neytiri had expected wariness. She had expected grudging respect, perhaps even a smidgen of pride that he was picking up her lessons with eagerness. What she had not expected was love. Spider is eager, desperate to prove himself. As he grows, he stumbles, falls, bleeds—but always gets back up. He grins at her when she corrects his stance, laughs when she gently tugs at his hair in reprimand, glows under her approval.

-) It should not matter. He is a means to an end. And yet, somewhere along the way, the pretending stops. She began to see him. To feel warmth towards him.

-) Not the reluctant duty of a mentor or the cold satisfaction of a hunter circling its prey, but the aching, unbidden love of a mother.

-) Somewhere between teaching him to string a bow and scolding him for climbing too high, between pressing healing paste to his scraped knees and watching him giggle as Lo’ak and Neyteyam drag him into trouble with Kiri chasing after them and Tuk toddling along, something in her heart shifts. She no longer sees Quaritch in his face and instead sees Miles—a boy as unpredictable and beautiful as the forest, as fierce as any warrior, as stubborn as herself. A child who saw her as a mother.

-) And when the day finally came that she looked at him and realized she could not bear to lose him, Neytiri understood the cruelest twist of fate:

In trying to make him her weapon, she had made him her son.

Apologies for accidentally deleting your ask, anon! I’ve been mass-deleting a bunch of weird spam from bot accounts, and unfortunately, your message got caught in the crossfire. Whoever you are, here’s my answer:

Are you interested in a Solo Leveling and Avatar crossover? ;)

Short answer: YES!!!!!! I’m very interested in an Avatar/Solo Leveling crossover AU where Spider discovers a mysterious program that lets him level up and kick ass. That said, he wouldn’t be a carbon copy of Sung Jin-Woo (because that man is the GOAT), but Spider would still be a total badass in his own right. With his natural stamina, agility, and strength from years of running with Na'vi, he’d become seriously overpowered with every level-up. Maybe Eywa has her own version of dungeons that let him boost his stats, and over time, the kid bulks up and hits a growth spurt. Eventually, he wouldn’t need his breathing mask because his body would evolve and adapt to Pandora’s environment with each level gained.

-) Training in secret while balancing his everyday life.

-) “Dungeons” manifested by Eywa, such as corrupted forest areas, rogue wildlife, or sites that need purifying.

-) His power increases, and Spider encounters more RDA soldiers and begins sabotaging their operations using what he learns to ruin their plans using stealth, even going so far as to kill them. His first kill leaves him with nightmares and crippling guilt because this isn't what he wanted, but it's too late to turn back time. He has to protect his home.

-) Internal struggle over his identity, which involves Spider sometimes feeling a little detached from his humanity. Spider is still mostly the same (mostly), but he's colder and more serious to the point that his friends start to notice and jokingly compare him to a boring adult. Spider chuckles at that, but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, and his laughter is forced. He feels like he's pretending to be himself, and it's driving him crazy. Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, and even Neteyam are all just kids, while he feels...less and less like his age.

-) A dangerous dungeon triggers a major power boost but also reveals part of Eywa’s plan, hinting that she is preparing Spider for a larger threat and that Kiri is the key to ending it. He'll need to grow even stronger to protect her.

-) I don't see Quaritch surviving for too long in this au. The scene in Way of Water where the kids are being threatened by Quaritch and the Recoms will probably end with Spider allowing them to kidnap him so that he can be taken inside their base and just straight up slaughter everyone before they can interrogate him. Afterwards, Spider sifts through the gore and blood to steal all the information before setting everything on fire and cutting off his father's head to dump it on Jake Sully's doorstep with a note that says, "My debt has been paid in full. Best of luck to you, Mr. Sully. Goodbye." Dark? Yes. Traumatizing? Yes. But Spider has changed from that kind boy who would never harm a fly. Maybe he'll raise his father's spirit and the spirits of the recoms to serve him. Either way, he did his part and he travels Pandora to grow even stronger while occasionally popping up to help the Sullys out of some more craziness before fucking off again to do his own thing.

Okay, this has gotten long and out of hand, but you get my drift! Does this plot make sense? Absolutely not! Still, I've been a mega fan of Solo-Level since it first came out, and the anime SLAPS. Spider would have his reasons for obsessively leveling up, and it starts off with him wanting to protect his home and friends...and then his desires slowly start to shift outside of just acting like an attack dog.

Anyway, hope this answers your question, anon!

@cyren-myadd @nilnether Oh, both are delicious ideas! Spider gets closure that, despite having fought on the wrong side of the war, his mother loved him very much, and that, through hell and high water, she will always be with him. Maybe being dead gives Paz a clear understanding of Eywa, and that human souls can be embraced by the Great Mother. Paz latches onto Spider and follows him wherever he goes. She's a voice in his ear, a lullaby in the dark, eyes on the back of his head, always watching his back and warning him of unseen dangers.

Also, Spider meeting the real Quaritch's soul would be a horror movie all on its own because the man died bitter and hateful, unable to move on and still rejecting the will of Eywa even in death. Even better if his father's cruel spirit goes out of its way to attack Spider, scratching and clawing at him until Spider escapes, leaving behind the howling spectre. As for Neteyam, I can definitely see a situation where Spider willingly leaves with the Scientists back to Hell's Gate.

Everyone just assumes that Spider is only going back because he wants to be with his own kind, but Spider is on a mission, and it's to bring his brother's spirit back home where he belongs. He finally puts Neteyam to rest, and after a long and deep heart-to-heart with his brother, Spider feels more at peace than he has in years. He does not return to the reefs, but travels all over Pandora, helping more wayward spirits with his mother's spirit coming along for the ride.

Maybe Neteyam visits him in his dreams, where they catch up on all the years they've lost.

Imagine Spider having the gift to commune with the spirits of the dead, Na'vi, and humans. Spirits are everywhere in the forest (more appeared after the great battle) — watching him practice his archery, guiding him back to Hell's Gate in the dark, and whispering stories to him. Some are peaceful and content, while others are restless, especially those who died violently or don't know they're even dead.

Naturally, Spider keeps this to himself because he's afraid of being further ostracized. Instead, he decides to see this gift as a good thing because at least he has friends to talk to. He doesn't care if Lo'ak thinks he's weird for talking to himself or staring off into space. Spider sees fallen Na’vi warriors from the past, human researchers and soldiers who died on Pandora, and even little children who perished when the Tree of Souls was destroyed. They sometimes speak to him, asking for his company or to listen to their stories.

Maybe it's not healthy to spend hours alone with just the dead for company, maybe it's not normal that he prefers sleeping outside in the company of spirits then with the living back at Hell's Gate, and maybe he made a mistake venturing off alone to live in isolation because he's found more belonging with the dead then with the living.

I’ve been watching Venom and got the idea of a symbiote landing on Pandora, instantly bonding with Spider since humans make easy hosts. However, instead of immediately going on a killing spree, the symbiote becomes captivated by the beauty of Pandora and declares Spider its tour guide. Spider, feeling lonely, confused, and terrified, agrees. What begins as a horror story soon transforms into a slow-paced, heartfelt adventure—Spider guiding this parasite through the alien planet. At the same time, the symbiote, thrilled by its new surroundings, keeps Spider safe. The pair occasionally takes out RDA soldiers because Spider refuses to harm any Na'vi, and the symbiote, disapproving of the soldiers hurting Pandora, takes great pleasure in ripping off their heads.

"Those metal-clad parasites who defile everything they touch with their sharp scents. They hate this pretty planet. I will eat them."

Spider’s chest tightened. He could hear it—the hunger beneath the symbiote’s words. A cold, calculating fury. "I won’t let you hurt the Na'vi," he said through gritted teeth, his voice steadier than he felt.

"I do not care for the blue ones. They do not harm this world like the others." The symbiote’s tone softened, almost indulgent. "You, little one, are the bridge between this world and mine."

Spider blinked, confused. "Wait… what?"

"You will be my tour guide," it purred, its voice filling his head with an odd sense of calm. "You are the one who will show me the beauty, wonders, and life of this planet and teach me about this Eywa."

Spider’s mind spun. "Tour guide?" He could barely keep up. "What are you talking about?"

"You were born here on this planet. Now, you are my guide."

Spider + self-soothing

Teleports behind you and puts this in your hand

Hello spider socorro fans. I uh...I came back w the milk.

On a slightly more serious note, apologies for my absence!! Trying to graduate hs. And I also kinda....lost interest in the Fandom. I'll try to post more but now I'll also be drawing so that's exciting!! Maybe pick up the old aus, maybe do a few revamps if I can stomach looking at my old writing.

They showed footage of Avatar Fire and Ash at Cinemacon and I wasn’t there 💔

FREE TIDE

3/3 of my Avatar Illustrations exploring the beauty of Pandora!

This time it's a snippet from the reef!

I went for a calm but playful moment while still trying to keep that glittering wonder and awe pandora invokes.

ADDING MORE TO THIS

Norm even gives Spider parents who aren't really his parents. He successfully crafts a plausible origin story for Julian by pinning his lineage on a dead man with the right looks and no one to contradict it.

The two even have the same shade of blonde hair!

There had always been whispers and rumors passed around in the mess halls that one of the scientists had gotten a pretty techie pregnant, a fun little tryst gone wrong. The rumor had never been confirmed. No proof, no details, just the kind of idle gossip people clung to when the days stretched for too long and boredom struck.

That scientist was said to be Phillip Shaw. Norm remembered him. Popular, golden-haired, silver-tongued, a total manwhore who slept around a lot, brilliant in the lab, but reckless on the field, and drove Grace crazy with his inability to take the dangers seriously because he thought he was God's gift to Pandora. He’d gotten mauled by a thanator while collecting spore samples. Phillip's body was never recovered, just his shredded pack splattered with blood and a few scraps of torn equipment.

Perfect.

All evidence of Paz Socorro is scrubbed. In her place: a woman who'd been a low-level techie, a casualty of the war. The perfect dead mother for a story about a little orphaned child. Tragic. Sad. Simple.

Julian Shaw. Son of Phillip Shaw and Amelia Perkins. Both dead. Orphaned. Adopted by his “uncle” Norm out of loyalty to an old colleague and acquaintance.

It was neat. Tragic. Believable. And no one would question it.

Norm leaned back, hands trembling slightly. Not from fear — from the weight of what he’d just done.

He was erasing the truth.

No, no, no...he was protecting a child from it.

“You're not the son of a demon. You're not a mistake,” he whispered, glancing toward the sleeping bundle across the room. “You're Julian Shaw now. That’s who you are.”

And that was who he would be… until the moons fell, or Eywa herself decided otherwise.

My thoughts were inspired by @detective-twinkachu's au where Norm and Max hide Spider's lineage.

I love the idea of an AU where Norm finds baby Spider and immediately realizes this child will never know peace if anyone learns who his real father is. So, like Eddard Stark, he makes a painful decision: He erases every trace of Quaritch’s connection to the boy and keeps it secret. He gives the child a new name (seriously, Miles? Way to make it obvious, Paz), forges documents, and creates a solid cover story in case anyone asks questions. He can’t bring himself to tell anyone, not even his closest friends, the truth. Quaritch has made too many enemies and caused too much destruction for anyone to overlook the boy’s lineage. There's already been enough tragedy. And this child, little Julian, is the first human ever born on Pandora.

Norm even steals the only photo of Paz and hides it away where no one will ever find it. He hates lying. Hates secrets. But Hell’s Gate is built on them, and children should never have to suffer for their parents’ mistakes. So he decides: he’ll raise Julian as his nephew. He’ll raise him to be kind, brave, and good. Maybe, just maybe, when Julian turns nineteen, he’ll sit him down and explain everything. Or maybe he won’t. Maybe Julian should never know. Norm will carry this secret to his grave… unless Eywa herself decides to produce a blowhorn and inform the entire planet. No. He'll hold this secret.

On the desk beside Julian's forged documents was a faded photo of Paz Socorro. Pregnant. Glowing. Laughing. Holding her growing belly as she smiled for the camera. Norm’s throat closed up. Guilt and anger were warring in his chest like a storm. What would Trudy say about all this?

“I’m sorry, Socorro,” he whispered. “You were… a good mother. You didn’t deserve to fall in love with a monster, you didn't deserve to die for his craziness, you didn't deserve any of this. But your baby boy? He deserves better. He deserves everything. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

He picked up the photo, stared at it, then opened up his desk drawer and hid it beneath layers of unimportant documents. Hidden in plain sight until he could find a tiny box and bury the picture so deep that maybe Eywa herself will forget about it. This was for the best.

Then, he burned everything else.

"Spider meets Payakan", my new illustration😊

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