It Is International Language Week At My School. This Morning A Girl Who Is Fluent Recited The Pledge

It is international language week at my school. This morning a girl who is fluent recited the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic. Everyone freaked out. Some people loved it, but more hated it. Saying that the pledge should only be spoken in English because “this is America not the Middle East” and now our principal just announced that we are no longer allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in anything besides English at our high school. In the hallway I passed the girl who spoke the pledge. She was sobbing. This is to anyone who says that America is a post-racism world. Reblog the shit out of this. Get this known

I would like to send my thanks to Sarah J Maas for ruining me with every damn chapter of House of Earth and Blood

maybe i was born to read fanfic and obsess over fictional men idk

A Drop in the Sea - Chapter 3: Contemplation

Aonung x F!OC

The Metkayina and the Ta'unui reef clans have long had a close relationship. Ever since Aonung was born, the clans have come together every two years for a fortnight-long celebration. Following the attack on the Ta'unui by Quaritch and his men, tensions have been high between the two clans. In hopes of righting past wrongs, Tonowari invites the Ta'unui back to Awa'altu for the first time in four years. With the celebration comes the reunion of friends old and new.

It has been four years since Aonung has seen Payiva, the second daughter of Ta'unui's Olo'eyktan. They have known each other all of their lives, but things are different now. Aonung is eighteen years old and learning how to be a good leader. How will Payiva react to seeing him after all this time? Will they be able to rekindle their friendship, even as his clan harbors the man responsible for the attack on her own people?

CH1, CH2

Awa’altu was larger than Payiva remembered. As a child, she loved to spend her days running around the village and its surrounding biome. There was always something new for her to discover, a new place to hide from her mother. 

Now, all Payiva could do was compare Awa’altu to her own home, Seya’altu. The Ta’unui village had always been smaller, though never had it been more obvious to Payiva than it did now. 

“We just built a new section of maruis for this year’s celebration,” Tsireya was telling Pxe’ali and their mother. “Everything should be prepared for you already, but do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything.” 

Payiva resisted the urge to assure Tsireya that it did not matter if there was a hole in the ceiling, Ley would not be complaining about a single thing. It was not in Ley’s nature to complain to her hosts, it was much too rude for the Tsahik. Instead, she would air her grievances to her family, who had no choice but sit and listen.

The rest of the clan trailed behind them, waving and calling out to old friends as they passed. Payiva was happy to see them so joyous, the past few years had not been easy for her people. This celebration was a well-deserved reward for the Ta’unui. 

Behave, Payiva’s father had whispered into her ear after they dismounted their ilu. And be nice.

Payiva was not as politely demure as her sister, or entirely concerned about decorum, much to her mother’s dismay. She had a track record of being blunt in the most inappropriate of situations and an issue of not knowing when to hold her tongue. On more than one occasion, Ley had been heard saying that the Great Mother had blessed her with two daughters and thankfully, Pxe’ali was first. 

Payiva was not fit to be Tsahik, and everyone knew it. 

“Aonung was actually the one who made most of the maruis you will be staying in,” Payiva heard Tsireya say. 

Tsungetsa clapped the boy on the back, rattling on about the importance of an Olo’eyktan knowing craftsmanship. The scene almost made Payiva nauseous. Aonung was the son her father wished he had, and Tsungetsa was nothing if not obvious. Ley was no better. Payiva was certain she heard her mother coo something at Aonung as well. 

They treated Sreng, Pxe’ali’s mate, the same way. The young male had been chosen to become the next Olo’eyktan almost ten years ago, and Ley still treated him like he was an Eywa-given gift. It bothered Payiva more than she would like to admit - the amount of adoration her parents gave to Sreng over their own child, but it allowed her more freedom to do as she wished. 

Aonung’s back was to her, so Payiva took the opportunity to observe the boy while he was not staring at her like an ilu watching a fat fish. 

He had grown, both in height and in muscle definition. The last time they had seen each other, Payiva was the same height as Aonung, if not taller. She now only reached his shoulders, and he was likely to grow more. Payiva could not say why, but this annoyed her. 

She did not quite know what to think of him. They had been friends as children, such was the nature of being the children of clan leaders: you tended to gravitate toward one another. Aonung was never friendly by any means. Payiva actually remembered him being ornery and selfish, unused to not getting his way. But he would play games that Pxe’ali had long since grown out of, and that was all that really mattered. 

He was handsome, Payiva supposed, in the way that most Metkayina warriors were: tall, strong, and proud. Aonung had long curly hair like his sister, though his braids led back to a topknot, with half of the strands falling freely. Payiva rarely wore her hair unbraided - something that bothered her mother. While she liked the typical fashion with which Ta'unui women wore their hair, wearing her own hair like that annoyed her more often than not. Payiva could not understand how Aonung or the other Metkayina hunters dealt with their long tresses outside of the reef. 

Aonung glanced back over his shoulder at her, but Payiva quickly turned her gaze toward the village. The last time they had seen one another, Aonung practically overflowed with pride and arrogance. There had been times, between just the two of them, that he had been open - vulnerable even, but Payiva was not sure that she wanted to test those waters again. She most certainly did not want to add to what was likely an already overinflated ego.  

Tsireya led them to their maruis, which Aonung supposedly built by himself. Payiva would have to make sure the structure was sound before she could comfortably fall asleep tonight. 

Their party came to a stop. “We will let you settle in before the feast,” Tsireya said, her cheeks dimpling with a sweet smile. “Welcome back to Awa’altu.”

As the Metkayina siblings departed, Payiva did not gush over them as her parents did. She gave Tsireya a kind smile, but gave no such gesture to Aonung.

Truthfully, Payiva had no reason to ice the young man out. They had parted on good terms, but she did not know how to interact with Aonung anymore, and it was an awkwardness that Payiva did not appreciate. It felt like she was in unfamiliar territory. Being overly friendly with the next Olo’eyktan was not looked upon the same way at eighteen as it was when they were adolescents. 

Payiva had already squashed a number of rumors two years ago, when she became an adult, about her friendships with the young hunters in the clan. While she recognized the fact that she would likely end up mated to one of the young men eventually, Payiva did not intend for that to occur any sooner than necessary. 

Admittedly, the rumors were not helped by the fact that Payiva occasionally liked to experiment with one or two of the boys. 

Either way, Payiva was still deciding if resurrecting her friendship with Aonung was worth the potential hassle. She did not have as much patience for spoiled princes as once before.

Ley would have a field day if she heard that her youngest daughter was sweet on the Olo’eyktan’s son. Having not only one, but two daughters as Tsahik would be a dream come true for Payiva’s mother. Payiva’s ability to be a spiritual leader be damned.

The last thing that she wanted was to be shackled to such a position. Payiva had seen the life of a Tsahik through the eyes of her mother and sister, and it was not for her. Payiva lacked the patience for healing and the discipline for leadership. Even skills like weaving and cooking evaded her. 

Hunting, however? Payiva was born to hunt. She relished in the feeling of an early morning hunt, the cool waves beating against her skin as she cut through the water, and the silent moment right before catching her prey. Payiva did not care if she was using nets or spears, hunting was the one time she felt right.

There was no joy in killing the creatures, as Payiva once explained to Pxe’ali. It was more the thrill of being in the water and providing food for her clan. The knowledge that her people would not go hungry because of her handiwork was something that no one could take from Payiva. 

By no means could a Tsahik not be a warrior - Ronal was a prime example of such. But being Tsahik would always come first, and Payiva could never do that.

“Stop being so grumpy,” Pxe’ali whispered. “We are here. Let us enjoy the celebration.” 

Payiva took a deep breath in, then nodded. Being cordial and standoffish were two different things, and it would do her no good to be the latter. 

She put her things down in the marui before turning to her older sister. “I just hope our sister clan makes food as well as I remember.”

taglist:  @holysaladapricothero 

A Drop in the Sea - Chapter 1: Pride

Aonung x F!OC

The Metkayina and the Ta'unui reef clans have long had a close relationship. Ever since Aonung was born, the clans have come together every two years for a fortnight-long celebration. Following the attack on the Ta'unui by Quaritch and his men, tensions have been high between the two clans. In hopes of righting past wrongs, Tonowari invites the Ta'unui back to Awa'altu for the first time in four years. With the celebration comes the reunion of friends old and new.

It has been four years since Aonung has seen Payiva, the second daughter of Ta'unui's Olo'eyktan. They have known each other all of their lives, but things are different now. Aonung is eighteen years old and learning how to be a good leader. How will Payiva react to seeing him after all this time? Will they be able to rekindle their friendship, even as his clan harbors the man responsible for the attack on her own people?

Being the Olo’eyktan’s son undoubtedly had its perks. Being the next Olo’eyktan meant that certain things could be … overlooked. Aonung was not too proud to admit that he used said privileges from time to time. 

Well, maybe Aonung was a little proud. He was definitely smug as he lounged on top of his ilu in the midday sun. It was almost too easy to convince the Omatikaya brothers that Ronal had personally requested their assistance in assembling new maruis on the edge of the village. 

The task, while not entirely difficult, was tedious, but Neteyam and Lo’ak feared no one more than they feared Ronal. With valid reason, Aonung thought to himself. His mother was intimidating on a good day, and she was still not entirely fond of the Sully family, even three years after their arrival in Awa’altu. 

The forest boys and their sisters have grown on Aonung, though he would never say that to their faces. Their friendship certainly did not stop him from taking the opportunity to pass off his chores and spend the day sunbathing on the water.

Aonung was not the most sociable of Na’vi and escaped to solitude whenever he could, which was not often. On rare occasions like today, Aonung usually took his ilu, Voxpor, to the far side of the island for a lazy swim. It was one of the only spots where he could almost guarantee that no one would find him. 

Aonung sighed, rolling back his shoulders to assuage the tightness of his muscles. Tonowari had woken his son before sunrise to take him on an early-morning fishing trip outside of the reef. Aonung had gone without complaint, happy to be of use to his father and eager to learn anything the Olo’eyktan had to offer. Not that Aonung would say anything otherwise - his father demanded too much obedience for that. 

Still, his body was sore from the bashing of the morning waves. While Aonung had gotten taller and filled out a bit over the past few years, Tonowari was still larger and better equipped to handle to rough water. Not to mention that Aonung had still not been permitted to ride a tsurak, much to his annoyance. Voxpor had to swim twice as hard to keep up with the Olo’eyktan. 

Checking the sun’s position in the sky, Aonung resigned himself to the fact that he would have to head back to the village soon. He could not stay out too long, or someone would catch on to his plan. As much as his mother might dislike Neteyam and Lo’ak at times, Ronal would have Aonung’s tail if she found out he had shirked his chores for sunbathing. 

Upon his return the village, Aonung was greeted by his sister. Tsireya stood on the dock, hands on her hips and lips pursed. Aonung groaned internally as he prepared himself for chastisement. Generally, Tsireya was the most tender-hearted of the family, much more soft-spoken than the rest of them. She had, however, inherited what Aonung termed the “mom voice” from Ronal. It meant Aonung rarely did anything without getting shit for it from his mother or sister. 

Tuk adored her older brothers. Tsireya liked to think that she was the oldest sibling. Aonung could only hope that Kawnu was young enough to always look up at him with the same awe that Tuk did Neteyam. The youngest child of Tonowar and Ronal was only three, but he had so far shown signs of sharing Tsieya’s calm disposition. The infant hardly ever cried, which Aonung had found concerning at first. 

Surely, babies should cry every so often. Right? 

It worried Aonung anytime he was entrusted to watch Kawnu. If the baby did not cry, how would Aonung know if he needed anything? His mother told him that all Kawnu needed was his older brother’s attention, and the rest would come naturally for Aonung. He did not believe her. Nothing about babies seemed natural to Aonung. 

Admittedly, after Ronal gave birth, Kawnu became Aonung’s favorite person in Awa’altu. Because the child never cried, and certainly never talked back, Aonung found it rather easy to spend time with him. 

Once upon a time, Rotxo had been Aonung’s closest friend. He still was, but when Aonung came into one of his “moods,”  Rotxo made it clear that he now had new, Omatikaya friends to spend time with. Plus, whenever they did hang out, Rotxo always found a way to bring up Kiri, whom he had a not-so-subtle crush on. 

Really, Aonung was surrounded by people he enjoyed, but only in measured increments. 

“Sister,” he said by way of greeting as he jumped onto the dock. Aonung proceeded to tie up Voxpor’s saddle, not needing to see Tsireya to know that she was glaring at him. 

“Aonung, did you tell Lo’ak and Neteyam that Mother asked them to build the new maruis?” Tsireya asked in that motherly way of hers. 

Aonung shrugged, walking backward toward the food storage. “I might have said something along those lines.” 

“Aonung,” Tsireya growled, storming after him. “They are your friends. You can not use them as your own personal workers.” 

Aonung rolled his eyes at his sister, though a tiny pinch of guilt strummed in his chest. Truthfully, Aonung did not know how exactly to have friends. Before the Sullys arrived, he had never really had friends aside from Rotxo or Tsireya - and Tsireya did not count. Neither did the group of wannabes that followed him around from time to time. They had been fun when Aonung was younger, like a built-in group of yesmen. After they did jack-shit while Aonung got his ass handed to him by Lo’ak and Neteyam, and then conveniently disappeared during Lo’ak tirst at Three Brother’s, they had lost their appeal in Aonung’s eyes. 

“Aonung.” 

Great Mother. 

“Fine,” he groaned. “I will say sorry to the forest boys in the morning. Happy?” 

Tsireya raised a brow. “Now, Aonung.” 

Realizing this was not something he could easily get out off, Aonung dragged his body in the opposite direction of the food he so desperately wanted, toward the Sully marui. 

Thankfully, it was just the brothers inside the marui. Just as Lo’ak and Neteyam feared Ronal, Aonung had no desire to be on Neytiri’s bad side, any more than he already was, anyway. 

“Look who decided to show his fish-kissing face,” Lo’ak drawled, looking up from his food. 

“Lo’ak,” Neteyam warned his younger brother, though there was not much heat behind it. 

Aonung waved Neteyam off, scratching the back of his neck. “No, I deserved that. I should not have told you to build those maruis.” 

Lo’ak narrowed his yellow eyes. “Is this you apologizing right now?” 

Aonung stiffened, feeling uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess.” 

“Usually people say ‘I am sorry’ when they apologize,” Neteyam commented. 

Aonung was becoming annoyed. “Usually people do not believe obvious lies,” he snapped. 

“Aonung,” Tsireya said sternly from behind him. 

Looking to the sky, Aonung cursed under his breath. “I am sorry.” 

The brothers exchanged a glance, then promptly burst into laughter. Aonung scowled at them as they sat, bent over and holding their stomachs.

“Fuck off,” he muttered, pushing past Tsireya so he could finally get some fucking food.

“See you later, Fish Lips!” Lo’ak yelled.

This is why Aonung did not like spending time with other people.

With every SJM book I read, the more confused I get when trying to keep track of characters.

The Hammer, Harpy, Hawke, Hind and all the rest of them got me needing a chart