Thanks For The Shout Out, But

Thanks for the shout out, but

Spider bby nooooo 😭

🕸️🕷️ Weaving the Web 🕷️🕸️

Chapter 22: Shattered

More shout out to @cyren-myadd for more angsty trauma for Spider trying to sort out his trust issues based on water cooler gossip.

TW: Suicide Attempt

“Spider, I want you to eat a little more than that.” Quaritch said with equal parts concern and sternness. His boy was starting to look, dare he say it, weak. He was absolutely thinner than when he was first captured and it wasn’t just from lack of activity. Spider was losing muscle mass and definition as well. The recom had only started to notice after his last mission.

”I don’t want to…” the teen grumbled as he looked away from the stew he’d been swirling round for the better part of an hour now. It was ice cold by now and Quaritch could count on one hand how many bites the boy had taken.

”I know you don’t want to, that’s the problem.” Quaritch said flatly. Keep it in check; don’t get upset. These were just a few mantras the hardened marine had been saying to himself the last few days. Not only had Spider’s eating habits diminished, but he was exceptionally moody. Picking fights over small things and being oppositional for the sake of it.

”I’m not hungry.” Spider said as he dropped the spoon with a loud clatter into the dish and pushed it away before crossing his arms. It was what Quaritch had started calling ‘teenage tantrums’. More than once, he had lost his temper with Spider and it ended horribly. One of the other two always showed up. If it was MJ, Quaritch ended up apologizing a hundred times before the kid would stop crying. If it was Miles, it ended in a scrap.

Only Prager was at the recom table with them. It became something of an unwritten rule lately that the colonel always had backup, except at the apartment. Though Wainfleet and Ja had managed to score one right next to Quaritch’s after one particularly bad fight resulted in a split lip for the recom and dislocated shoulder for the boy. And Spider wasn’t stupid; he felt the eyes of the others on him.

”We really gonna do this again here?” Quaritch said with a tired sigh. He loved his son more than anything, but for fuck’s sake! Every goddamn day with the kid was a trial by fire ever since the first mission Spider was left behind. As much as Quaritch tried to argue it was detrimental to his health, Ardmore would not let up on this joint custody bullshit. That nothing had happened while Spider was in McCosker’s care.

”Sure, why the fuck not?” Spider said as he snapped his head forward with a mean glare.

Quaritch ground his teeth as he trapped a growl in his throat. What the hell was wrong with his boy? But no, he would not make a spectacle of himself or his son. He leaned forward and quietly ordered, “Home. Now.”

Spider shook his head as he slammed his hands on the table and pushed back off the seat. As much as Quaritch wanted to reprimand the boy for not cleaning up his plate he barely ate from, the recom had to jump out of his own seat and quickly dash after the boy as he stormed out of the mess hall. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the sweatshirt he wore all the time now with the sleeves ripped off above the elbows and the hood always up covering his face.

After a brisk walk back to their apartment, Quaritch expected to have to chase the boy into his room but Spider knew it wasn’t worth it. He’d let his father yell at him to just have it over with. He flopped back on the couch in a low slouch and crossed his arms, glaring at the wall.

”Alright, enough is enough. What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” Quaritch said harshly, not even feeling bad about his tone or choice of words. He was angry; the boy was angry. It was clear who Spider got his temper from.

”A whole fuck ton of things last I checked…” Spider spat back just as harshly.

“Nah, don’t pull that shit, Spider. Something is wrong. Something recent. I’ve told ya to come to me with anything. If ANYTHING is wrong, you come to me and I’ll make it right. I’ve kept my word on that. I can’t take back the mistakes that got you here but I’m doing my damnedest to make it right.” Quaritch said, staring at the boy’s profile barely peeking out from under the hood.

Spider bit down hard on the inside of his cheek at the guilt churning in his stomach to the point he tasted blood. He knew in his heart he didn’t want to be such a pain in the ass, even though it was Quaritch’ fault he was in this whole predicament to begin with. His father couldn’t fix him, but he had been bending over backwards to help.

Don’t trust them. I warned you.

Don’t trust who exactly? Who warned who? Were those messages between his other sides?

Spider had started regularly talking to a therapist after his stay with McCosker resulted in him unintentionally scratching his arms while under his former foster father’s care. It was weird at first. Really weird. But eventually it became a nice reprieve to talk to someone who was genuinely neutral and didn’t care what he talked about. The next closest neutral party was Ja but that had changed. He was, dare Spider admit it, starting to feel like an older brother. With a medical degree.

The silent treatment did nothing for Quaritch’s fraying hold on his temper. He crossed the room in a few strides and crouched in front of the boy while pulling him up by the shoulders to sit properly and pulled the hood down so he could see his face. Despite the kid’s eyes immediately darting to the side, Quaritch kept one firm hand on Spider’s shoulder to ground both of them. It almost felt bony underneath the fabric of the oversized sweatshirt.

“You show me some respect, boy, and look at me when I’m talking to you. I’m trying real damn hard not to slap some sense into you.” Quaritch said, still angry but some of it faded when Spider’s big, brown doe eyes finally looked up. Not only did his son inherit his temper but also his resilience to back down from a challenge. But Quaritch wasn’t Spider’s only opponent. He had two very strong alter egos to contend with.

”You’re gettin’ skinny.” Quaritch said with a defeated sigh, “It’s got me worried, ok? I don’t know if it’s the meds or somethin’ up here.”

Quaritch emphasized ‘up here’ with a light tap to Spider’s forehead. As much as Spider wanted to tell him all the things that were wrong, how could he explain it? He didn’t know who was leaving him messages on mirrors. He’d heard rumblings from people who passed him by in the hall that the colonel may not actually have his best interest in mind. Wouldn’t these two things go hand in hand?

”You’ve been skippin’ out on the gym. Not eatin’ right. Or sleeping.” Quaritch said the last part a little firmer and didn’t scold the boy for sheepishly looking down. He’d caught the boy spitting out his sleep medication one evening after dinner, making it almost impossible for Quaritch to trust if he was taking any of them regularly.

”Why don’t we go out tomorrow? Just the two of us. I got a clear schedule and you could use some time out of this metal box.” Quaritch offered. It was a small olive branch considering every outing ended with going back to the city. He continued with a nod to Spider’s arm as he slid his large, blue hand from his shoulder to his forearm, “I can’t even see your stripes these days.”

Spider still didn’t look up, but did nod this time. It was a good enough answer. At least they didn’t fight.

”Good.” Quaritch said approvingly as he ruffled Spider’s hair. But the truce didn’t feel fully reciprocated and it put the recom on edge. He knew something was still wrong and it wasn’t just his condition. He’d learned enough about his boy to sense when something was very, very wrong. Gently moving his knuckles under Spider’s chin, he lifted his face until their eyes met again. His heartstrings twisted into a knot when he saw the extra shine to his eyes as he fought back tears. “Tell me what’s wrong, tiger. Please.”

Spider’s eyes darted back and forth between Quaritch’s. He wanted to say - no, scream - that he was scared to go to sleep at night. That he was afraid of his other sides. That he was terrified that his father was lying to him just to get him well enough to be malleable for the RDA again. That he couldn’t trust anyone…especially himself.

More silence.

Quaritch set his jaw tightly and nodded, sliding his hand to the back of Spider’s head and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. He knew the kid wanted to say something but wasn’t letting it out. So, three things. The holy trinity of Quaritch’s personality had been passed onto his son: temper, resilience, and stubbornness.

After the one-sided conversation, Spider willingly ate a protein bar as a poor stand-in for the stew he didn’t eat. But at least he wasn’t going to bed hungry or risking nausea from the sleeping pill Quaritch watched him consume. Micromanaging Spider was the last thing he wanted to do but he needed his kid to get back on the good track he was on. He stayed up later than Spider to make sure he fell asleep.

Most nights the kid went out like a light within twenty minutes of taking his meds. Tonight was one of those nights and Quaritch was readying himself for bed an hour after Spider had gone to sleep. He did one more check on his boy, pulled the blanket that had been kicked to the floor back over him, and lightly pressed the back of his hand against Spider’s forehead. He was a bit clammy, no wonder the blanket was on the floor, but it didn’t feel like a fever.

Quaritch would make a note to tell Ja in the morning. All was calm and quiet in the apartment when the recom settled into his own bed. He never used to be a night owl before the kid came into his life. He was early to bed and rose with the sun. Strange how much he had changed with Spider in his life. Yes, finding Jake Sully was still the mission. But the initial drive wasn’t there like it had been.

He fell asleep quickly and woke almost as quickly to pressure on his neck. Quaritch woke in a panic but his keen eyes could see clearly in the dark that it was Spider looming over him. How the hell the kid managed to sneak into his room AND get astride his stomach like a predator ready to pounce before waking him up had him speechless. But not as speechless as the sharp object against his throat.

”You came into my room…” Spider said in a strained whisper. His hands were shaking on the sharpened butter knife as he struggled to suppress the panic. “Why did you come in my room while I was sleeping? What were you doing?”

”Just one last bed check before turnin’ in, Spider.” Quaritch answered coolly, ignoring how his Adam’s apple bobbed against the razor sharp, “Where’d you get a knife?”

Spider’s right eye twitched, almost completely closing before blinking a few times.

”Can you put it down so we can finally talk about what’s got you like this?” His father continued, staying calm despite the threat.

”No.” Spider answered quickly, his voice cracking under the hushed tone.

”Ok then…leave the knife there but still tell me what’s wrong.”

“…what if you lie?”

”Kid, the last thing I’m gonna do is lie to you. And it's got nothin’ to do with my life being in your hands.”

Spider’s breath shook as he inhaled. He pressed the knife closer into Quaritch’s flesh to the point of a small cut forming under the pressure. Could he trust his father?

”I…” Spider started, his chest starting to hitch as his panic started becoming too much to handle. His father stared up at him calmly and patiently as Spider tried to put the words together. Tears started to stream down his cheeks and drip off his chin before he could say anything else.

”Son.” Quaritch said quietly, knowing he was one shaking hand motion away from dying for the second time.

”I…I don’t know who to trust…” Spider answered almost silently, “…because of the mirrors…”

”What mirrors?” Quaritch asked, trying to get more clues to this riddle and remembering when he came back from his mission early that the bathroom mirror was covered in a towel.

”Sometimes there’s…things written on them.” Spider said, knowing how incredibly insane he was sounding. “They say not to trust anyone. A-And I hear things…like you…you don’t…you’re just-…”

Quaritch knew where this was going. He’d also heard the rumors going on that all his fathering to the boy was just for show. But it was complete bullshit. He loved that boy more than any damn thing in two lives. It was easy to see why his son might think it’s all fake. Kid was still a prisoner, just with a long leash.

”I love you, son.” Quaritch said. The words felt foreign, but right, coming from his mouth. Spider started trembling under the weight of his fear and the power he had over Quaritch at that moment. The recom continued, “I hear all the lies too. Every time I track the source of one, another pops up. But you know what? I’ll hunt down every single one of them who makes you think you’re not the best damn thing that ever happened to me.”

Spider’s hands were shaking even more. To Quaritch’s reprieve, the teen pulled the knife back when it started and he held the knife to his chest.

”Please give me the knife, Spider.” Quaritch coaxed. He wasn’t angry at the boy. Instead, he was concerned where he got it and how long he’d been secretly armed.

”…no.” Spider said, clutching the knife tighter and closing his eyes. Quaritch was telling the truth. How could he have been so stupid to think this man who had stepped up to be his father in his fucked up situation not genuinely care for him? But then who shouldn’t he trust? Who was TELLING him not to trust anyone? What was going to happen after whoever they warned him and he didn’t do anything about it?

”Spider, the knife. Please just give it to me. You’re safe with me, you don’t need it.” Quaritch said. His heart was pounding harder in his chest seeing Spider have it so close to his person than when it was literally grazing into his skin.

”No, I-…” Spider choked out with a sob, “I can’t do this anymore!”

Quaritch cursed and grunted in pain as his hand moved in a flash to catch the blade Spider drew away from his chest with the intent to thrust it into his own neck. He clenched a tight fist around the blade as it pierced between his index and middle metacarpals. Slamming the captured blade to the side, he sat up so quickly Spider would have fallen off if not for Quaritch’s other arm wrapping tightly around him.

He held his boy to his chest as Spider crumpled and sobbed into Quaritch’s broad chest. His hand hurt like a bitch, but it was nothing compared to the cries of his son.

hard agree on them being besties. I love watching interviews with Jack Champion and Bailey Bass interacting, I hope their chemistry will carry over to the big screen. And I love how you drew Tsireya's top!

“You hear that sound Tsireya?”

“What sound?”

“The sound…of Aonung shutting the hell up. It’s amazing.”

Giggles “Truly~”

.

Not my best work , but I felt the need to push “Spider and Tsireya besties” agenda and post this :) their friendship would just WORK ok

.

(DO NOT repost my artwork on any platform, with or without credit. I DO NOT give my consent to do so.)

It's so sweet that Quaritch carried fruit for Spider all the time! But imagine that he actually kept it for himself because he liked them too and it was his last one. With a heavy heart, he decides to give it to his son to show his love, and suddenly he sees the son of his enemy eating the fruit instead of Spider..

Quaritch:

Yes, I think I'm funny.

You don't just think you're funny, you ARE funny, this made me wheeze 😂 that's the moment Quaritch decides he can't give Spider nice things.

@xxxxyxx is referring to this oneshot I wrote about Spider, Kiri, and Lo'ak getting captured by the Ash Clan:

I love this AU! Spider would be even more protective of her, I bet he'd always offer to help her when she's having trouble climbing and of course she's always get sassy and tell him she can do it herself. And I love the idea of Kiri being human but still having that deep connection to Eywa, it would just be so cool to see an alien have a deep bond with a planet she doesn't belong to.

swap au! kiri human and avatar spider

"the whole reason the way of water flopped so badly"

"flopped"

uhhhh op I don't know how to tell you this, but Avatar: The Way of Water made $2.3 billion. It's the 3rd highest grossing film of all time to date. It helped saved movie theaters from going out of business post-covid.

I get what you're saying about the "hardass military dad" trope being overused, I really do, but it certainly did not cause ATWOW to flop.

Anyways, this post made me want to go on a tangent about Jake's parenting skills, so feel free to ignore the rest of this:

Jake being a shitty dad was the point. He was supposed to realize he was being a shitty dad. When Lo'ak came to save him when he was drowning in the ship, he tried to go into hardass military dad mode and told Lo'ak to leave him behind, but Lo'ak didn't, and helped him out using the Way of Water. Then Jake had that moment where he finally said "I see you" to Lo'ak, which is the moment he realizes he's been treating his son wrong and needs to do better.

Cinema Therapy has a wonderful video where a licensed therapist breaks down Jake's hardass parenting style, and I highly recommend. You can watch it here.

If Jake started out as a good dad, sure, that would've been nice and all, but then there's no room for character development. By starting Jake off as a shitty dad, we'll get to see him realize exactly what he's doing that's shitty and work to change it. Personally, I think showing a dad putting in the work to become good sets a better example for audiences than a dad who just starts off as good and doesn't have to change anything. I enjoy the positive father figures in all the other movies and shows you listed, but a dad who realizes he's fucked up with his kids and needs to make it right is a lot more realistic. And yes, you're right that Jake being a hardass dad is a pretty overdone trope, but that will make it all the more satisfying when he improves, and shows all the hardass dads in the real world that there's another way to parent.

And to respond to what you had in the tags: Same thing with the Spider situation. Spider's my favorite character, and i wish he could've been accepted and loved by Jake and Neytiri from the getgo. It sucks he's in such a shitty situation, but unfortunately, it's necessary for the character development and plot that he starts out in a shitty situation. Spider being the "stray" was what caused no one to attempt to rescue him, which led to the sullies leaving the forest, and led to the seeds of Quaritch's character development. Yes, it sucks that Spider's in such a shitty situation, but it's gonna be that much more satisfying when he finally makes it to a happy situation where he's loved and cared for.

Shitty characters and shitty situations create conflict, and conflict is what drives an interesting plot. A story with perfect characters and perfect situations is going to create a narrative that's anything but perfect.

Okay I swear to God I hope the directors of avatar (the alien movie) sees this post somehow but the whole reason the way of water flopped so badly is cause it was written over 10 years ago. So I like avatar. I thought it was a cool concept and good characters and overall a solid action movie. But the characterisation is just a dacade old man. It's really outdated. It instantly turned me off when Jake was seen to be a 'hardass' to his kids, and having them call him Sir, and have Neytiri taking kind of a secondary role as the 'peacekeeper' parent who goes 'but your dad loves you, he just wants you safe' bullshit trope that's just really not what this generation is looking for rn.

Emotionally mature parents is what's on topic rn. Dad's that step up and know what they're doing and don't have the 2000s 'military hardass emotionally distant' bullcrap. Just look at all the other movies and shows with family themes that did really fucking well. The Last of Us. Ultraman: Rising. Nimona. Even Maleficent, which I think is one of the earliest movies of this trope that's well known. They did well for a reason. You can't make Jake Sully a bad father and think the current audience will dig it. All of his kids, one way or another felt the pressure of living up to their dad's expectations, and im sure, whether he really loves them. And I assure you for all intents and purposes it felt like Neteyam died thinking he wasnt enough. You can't have those 'your dad loves you but he just doesn't know how to show it' bullshit anymore and expect the audience to like or even relate to that character cause a lot of us don't take that shit anymore from our own parents. A lot of millennials are actively trying to be present and good parents to their kids. So yeah. The way Jake Sully, and to a certain extent, Neytiri were characterised is probably one of the biggest reasons this entire movie flopped. It could have been great. But it isn't. And I kind of hate it actually.

My point is: if there's gonna be a third movie, the best bet to make sure it doesn't follow the way of waters footsteps is to overhaul a lot of the characterisation and plot. See what the audience wants rn, and what they audience relates to. It was clear the writing to that movie was old as balls and gen z or gen alpha don't take that shit man. Give us good parents

She was a ✨f a i r y✨

fairy kiri for a collab im doing w my friend :33 also letting yall know im lowkey gonna turn this into a multi account 🙏🙏