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akoyaxs · 1 year ago

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Dangerous Games - III ✮ Pairing: Aonung x Tayrangi/Omotikaya fem reader (possible Neteyam x reader as well) ✮ Tags: Reader POV, friends with benefits, p in v, aftercare, fluffy fluff fluff, Aonung x Reader, slight Neteyam x reader, reader has intimacy issues (childhood traumaᵕ̈), jealous Aonung, jealous Neteyam <3 ✮ Word Count: 5.4 k PART 1 HERE | PART 2 HERE Note: this (backstory and character dynamic) is heavily based of my wattpad fanfiction "Dangerous Game", it's just a little more mature than I would post on my WP so I'm doing a Aonung x reader part now instead of the Aonung x OC in the fanfiction ˙ᵕ˙

You didn't exactly make a mistake, you know that, yet it's not the best position to be in. On one hand, there's a massive, obnoxiously hot skxawng that is obsessed with you, happy to do anything you like, but on the other, the principal for not giving in to his endless and amused attempts at seduction has dismally failed.

Yet every few days different encounter isn't exactly making you regret your acceptance of his "friends with benefits" offer.

You might get hot from training, or Aonung might be frustrated with his unsuccessful attempts at ikran taming, and suddenly you're finding his head buried hungrily between your legs, or bent over as he's balls deep and roughly thrusting, all the while smoothing your hair and whispering his moaned praise.

You're always careful to not get attached, to never pay too much attention to the sincerity of his words and his surprising gentleness with you when you aren't in the middle of one of your "benefits", but you can never miss it.

It's starting to worry you, the way you're now starting to like the tender touches, the way he brushes your hair out of your face and tells you how well you're doing.

No one has ever been this careful with you, bothered to try at look after you like this. You know it's your fault that you push everyone away, but Aonung is the first to refuse to be pushed away.

He cares, for some inexplicable reason that makes no sense to you. He's infuriatingly stubborn, just like you are.

So weeks after the arrangement began, you begin to notice the other things, things that only mean one thing.

"He really likes you, you know."

"What?" you say, snapping out of your daze and looking up at Kiri, who smiles, her eyes darting to where yours had just been watching Aonung with Rotxo in the river.

You, the three metkayina and the Sullys had taken the day to go to the river so Rotxo, Tsireya and Aonung could swim.

Neteyam looks up from besides you as you frown at Kiri.

"What are you talking about?" you clarify.

"Aonung is obviously down fucking bad for you," Kiri grins. "I mean, he can't ever pull his eyes away from you, and when you aren't around him, he's always looking around to see where you are."

"No he's not," you scoff. "He-"

"Loves you," Neteyam finishes, his face blank and bored, as though he's pointing out the fucking obvious.

"No," you shake your head. "He just had a little thing for me at the start that-"

"Has grown into an unbearable love?" Kiri suggests. "The only question is if that love is unrequited or reciprocated."

"No!" you exclaim, covering your face. "We're just... friends. ish. Friendish."

"Right..." Neteyam says, raising his brows at you. "So you don't fuck."

"That's - that's- no- well, yeah but- I mean NO-"

"Oh Eywa," Kiri says, her incredulous laugh interrupting your awkward, desperate stammers. "You totally do!"

"That's not a big deal," you snap. "He's attractive and it doesn't mean anything, we're just... helping each other out, I guess."

Kiri mouths the words helping each other out, before turning and shooting her brother a disbelieving look. Neteyam's gaze is still and expressionless, flicking between your flushed face and Aonung in the river.

You follow his gaze to see Aonung staring at you, and you quickly turn away, grabbing Neteyam to do the same.

"It's just sex, nothing else," you say strictly.

"Yes," Kiri sighs. "But you're old enough to have more. You could find a mate. Besides, you deserve to be happy-"

"You don't have a mate," you say defensively.

"She has Rotxo," Neteyam points out. "Lo'ak and Tsireya have each other. You're the only one who-"

"You don't have a mate either," you protest.

"Well that's different," Neteyam sighs. "I'm the next Olo'eyktan, remember? I can't just pick anyone for my mate, and besides, who I want-"

"WHO?" you say excitedly. "Is there someone else?!"

Neteyam doesn't answer, and you tackle him to the floor excitedly, shaking his shoulders and demanding he tells you who. Neteyam reluctantly opens his mouth to speak, but then he looks over your shoulder and quickly closes it.

Aonung is standing there, so massive that you have to crane your neck to look up at him. You have to admit that it's hard to not stare too hard- his paler smooth teal skin is glittering with little gleaming droplets of river water, and when you're this low besides him, you're kneeling for a very different task.

You don't need him to speak to understand what he's thinking about, but it's a question of why. However you just slide off of Neteyam who was still pinned underneath you and stand up.

Neteyam's face hardens as he watches you face Aonung, brows raised and waiting for him to speak.

"Can I speak to you?" Aonung asks dully.

Kiri is gaping, Rotxo and Lo'ak are laughing to themselves whilst Tsireya is adorably oblivious, and Neteyam is watching silently and emotionlessly as you nod and follow Aonung through the trees. You can feel his cold golden gaze burning into your back until you slip between the trees, and even when you know he couldn't see you any longer, you can feel the ghost of his inexplicable gaze between your shoulder-blades.

"Yes?" you ask, once you pause a little while away.

"Is there something between you and Neteyam?" Aonung asks, frowning down at you.

You blink confusedly back. You weren't expecting him to speak- expecting more of the usual quick fuck so you could both release some tension then head back to the others.

"What do you mean, something between me and Tey?"

"You call him Tey, for one thing," Aonung points out. "And you're with him a lot-"

"Funny," you say, folding your arms. "Because he says the exact same thing about you."

"But we're actually fucking," Aonung says, without any pretence of a smile in his blunt, deep voice.

"What are you trying to say," you ask with narrowed eyes.

"Do you- uh -have any other friends," he asks, arms folded and blue eyes fixed challengingly in your golden-amber ones.

"What does that matter?"

"Because I want to know what I have to share," Aonung growls.

There's a strange, almost possessive glint in those ocean eyes now. Share. He thinks that he needs to share you.

"Why would it matter," you whisper. "We're not anything, this is just an arrangement. You're free to do whatever you like too."

You think for a moment that you broke Aonung. He is completely still, glaring so irately down at you with those blazing, large blue eyes as you try to guess what he's going to do next. But he still manages to surprise you when he leans forward and crashes his lips onto yours.

Everything has always been tentative, frightened to cross the barrier that would be too much for the other, but Aonung just doesn't seem to give a damn right now.

His mouth is warm and hungry, fangs lightly nipping your soft lips, hands roaming and grabbing and caressing with careless oblivion in a way that makes your skin ache afterwards in a welcome sting and bruise.

Then suddenly you're lifted up and you're on your knees right there on the forest floor. You can feel Aonung's breath hot and heavy as he nips at your neck, folded over your much smaller, arched body and sliding your tewngs away with quick hands.

"Is this-"

"Yes it's fine," you say, gasping a little as you feel yourself being stretched open, small stings of pain shooting through you as you drop your forehead to the ground and grunt. This is different to before, bent completely over with your face pillowed against the ground.

When he starts to move, it completely knocks your breath out, so you're left gasping for air you never manage to catch as he thrusts again. His grip on your waist is bordering on strangling, yet you find yourself unconsciously following him, pulling yourself back to meet each one of your thrusts with a choked moan.

His sudden roughness and hunger and desire is startling yet undoubtedly welcome. So this is what it's like when he's unrestrained, hot and animalistic, rutting fast and hard, pushing you into a further arch while his sharp teeth nip at the back of your neck and shoulders.

It's starting to get too much, the coil in your stomach growing too close too soon, and your moans are starting to border on lewd whines and whimpers as you sink your teeth into the flesh of your arms.

You're clutching the ground for dear damn life, arms attempting to pillow your face as your whole body rocks forward with each rough, almost ruthless thrust.

"I'm going to-" You gasp, your thighs trembling as you sob against the floor. "Oh, god, oh fuck, oh shit, I'm going to-"

You can feel him twitch inside of you, and you moan at a particularly hard thrust. Each rock of his hips knocks every breath, every thought out of you until your heart is pounding in rhythm with each increasingly rough, deep, animalistic thrust of his cock rutting between your legs.

"Wa- wait," you gasp, as another thought occurs to you. "Aonung, the others."

"What about them," he grunts, not slowing down for a second, hand absent-mindedly moving to your shoulder-blades to push you into an even deeper arch.

Between choked whines, you manage to say, "They're right over there. They're going to hear!"

"Guess you're just going to have to be more quiet," he says carelessly, no doubt knowing that there wasn't a fucking chance of that happening.

You just bury your face deeper into your arms, hoping that they'll be enough to hide the moans knocked out of you with each of his deep thrusts.

He has you pinned firmly beneath him, yet it feels snug and comforting despite the pain of his grip. It feels like he's fucking everything into you, even his scent, so each thrust is enveloping you in his warm, tropical scent.

Then finally with a loud cry that you tried so hard to stifle and kill, your entire body pulses as your orgasm blazes through you like fire as Aonung continues to fuck you through the quivers of your release.

You yelp as he speeds up now, brutal and animalistic as the last tenterhooks of his strained restraint snaps and he buries himself deep inside you.

You just give out, going slightly limp so he's holding you up as he comes, hair spilling over you as you just rest against the floor, breathing heavily in an attempt to steady yourself as you choke at the sensation of impossible fullness.

Then when he finally stops, he seems to return to himself, realising that you're just lax on the floor, only held up by his rough grip on your slightly bruised hips, flushed and slightly tear-streaked face hidden shamefully in your arms and curtained away by your long dark hair.

"Shit, are you okay?" Aonung asks, pulling out and lightly tilts your chin so he can see your face.

You just groan weakly and attempt to swat his hand away, a mortified little smile on your face as he sighs in relief and flops to the ground beside you.

"Feeling better?" you croak, wrinkling your nose at him.

Aonung exhales shakily with a small laugh. He turns to look at you, and there's a note of something in his eyes that you just don't understand- like he's trying to see if he would be able to get away with something.

Then he tentatively reaches out and tucks your hair away. When you don't protest or pull away, he lightly pulls you closer, so your head is resting between his shoulder and his neck, your arm draped tiredly across his chest and your body nestled cozily against his larger one.

You're tense. You've never done this, never cuddled, never allowed someone to be this fucking close. But then again, you've never fucked the same guy twice, and you've been in this arrangement with Aonung for weeks.

But this time was different, aggressive and desperate and hot and messy and overwhelming, and you're completely fucked out.

"Are you alright?" you ask Aonung quietly.

That's weird too, that you're asking Aonung about how he is. That you care how he is.

"What do you mean?" he asks gently, nuzzling closer into your neck. You try to ignore how comfortable it is having his lips resting warmly against your collarbone.

"Well," you say, with a bitter, shaky laugh, "it looked like you were a little... pent up."

Aonung groans and buries his face deeper into your hair.

"Aonung," you say gently, turning so you can see him.

You are inches apart, nearly nose to nose as you rake your eyes over his face. He looks torn between mortified and as though he's trying to hide from you. You wonder if it's this frustrating for him when you hide like this.

"I just forgot about the arrangement," Aonung mumbles, not meeting your eyes. "I just- I..." Surprising yourself, you tentatively reach up to brush your fingertips against the soft teal skin of his flushed face. His eyes instantly flick to yours, and his lips part just enough for you to lightly touch them too. "I just... I didn't like seeing you with Neteyam."

"Oh," you says softly. You have no idea what to say to that- especially when its something that you always kind of knew, but never expected to be told. Especially when it never processes in your mind that you could be loved. "Neteyam's just a friend," you laugh lightly.

There's a slight crackle behind you like twigs snapping, but when you look up, there's nothing and no one there. You frown, but Aonung lightly guides your face back to his before you can think more about it.

You sit like that in silence for a little bit, but it surprises you how it's not awkward at all. It's comfortable and warm and quiet, pillowed against his muscular body with his head tucked gently beside yours, hands absentmindedly playing with your hair.

Usually you would never allow this, but you're frankly fucked out, and you doubt you'd be able to push him away even if you wanted to. So you just close your eyes and rest for a moment, until he speaks.

"So when do I get an ikran?" Aonung asks, shifting slightly so you're facing each other now, yet you're still close enough for him to hold you.

"Soon," you shrug. "You can ask Neteyam to-"

"What if I don't want Neteyam to take me," Aonung asks.

"Lo'ak or Kiri might be free," you shrug. "If you manage to pull them away from Tsireya or Rotxo."

"What if I don't want the Sullys?" he asks, eyes glittering with amusement and slight incredulous annoyance as though you were being stupid.

"Then who-" you start to say, a confused look on your face before Aonung cuts you off, rolling his eyes with a fond little grin, his hand gently snaking to tilt your face as he kisses you.

You have half a mind to snap at him, to remind him that kissing was a little too personal, too intimate for the agreement when you weren't actually fucking, to shout at him for cutting you off, before you realise you don't actually mind the intimacy of the kiss when you're nestled in his arms, his hands gently caressing your cheeks and holding you close, his heart beating warmly and comfortably against you.

In fact, the thought of him pulling away seems worse than the actual closeness, tenderness and suggestiveness of the kiss, then suddenly he is, and you're frowning at the sudden, tiny, yet extremely unwelcome distance between his lips and yours.

"Can I kiss you," he asks, just a little late.

"Yes fine," you grumble impatiently, yet by his little, delighted smile, you know he took it for what it secretly meant, yeah you'd better kiss me skxawng.

"So you'll allow this?" he grins, inching closer. "It doesn't break the agreement?"

You have a strong temptation to smack that smug, delighted expression off his face, but you are just fucking exhausted, and his kisses are like coffee. But before he can lean back in and satiate you, there's stupidly familiar voices though the trees and you're panickingly staggering up to not get caught.

"Bro," Lo'ak says, looking you up and down before raising his weird hairy human eyebrows at Aonung. "Are you trying to mark her now?"

You flush deeply, only now noticing the little purple bruises his grip had roughly left, as well as the little nips and hickeys that now adorned your body. You feel even more aware of Aonung's marks when you look back up and meet Neteyam's gaze, his rich-golden eyes blazing bright as they trail over the bruises, hickeys and love bites before turning coldy on Aonung.

Aonung returns Neteyam's golden gaze with his own icy blue one, and an unspoken challenge seems to be passed between the two boys. You expected Neteyam to react like the others, amused like Lo'ak or scandalised like Tsireya, but he remains cold and expressionless, not looking at you or returning your nervous smile. Instead of laughing off or denying Lo'ak's question, Aonung just smirks slightly and looks away, and Neteyam swallows hotly.

The walk back to the village is a strange one. There's some weird confusing tension between Neteyam and Aonung that you probably couldn't decipher in the best of times, let alone when you're so completely fucked dumb that you're putting all your best efforts into walking normally enough so the others don't know that you're whole body is turned to jelly.

Tsireya is laughing with Lo'ak at the front of the group, but Kiri and Rotxo seemed to have noticed your clumsy tiredness because Kiri links her arm with yours and gently leads you along and Rotxo distracts you with quiet, sweet conversation.

But you're hardly listening, because you can feel two gazes blazing straight into you from behind. Although no words are spoken between them, the weirdness between Aonung and Neteyam seems to radiate straight into you.

Whatever, you'll figure it all out when you're back to normal, when you aren't so weak that you're susceptible to Aonung's tenderness and intimacy, when you aren't so fucked so dumb and stupid and reckless that you aren't wanting to kiss him again.

But there's no mistaking the intensity of the gazes on your back as you reenter the village. One blazing gold, the other icy blue.

In the next few days after that trip to the river, you're terrified. Terrified of what happened between you and Aonung.

Not of the sex, no that was doubtlessly the best you've ever had, but of what happened after. Of the cuddling and the kiss and the tenderness with which he cared for you and the fact that you let him be so tender and intimate.

So okay, maybe seeing your whole clan get murdered and destroyed by sky people at a young age could be traumatising, maybe even give you a few silly little intimacy issues, but your total aversion for intimate affection had always been uncomplicated.

No one could betray or hurt you if you never let anyone get close enough for you to care about them. No one could ever get hurt by you if they never cared for you in the first place. But Aonung has. Yes he's pussy-whipped, but he's liked you from the start and you knew that. No matter how hard you tried to discourage him or push him away, he's just as stubborn in liking you as you are in not liking him.

And now you don't know what you like. You think you know what it means that you trusted him to take care of you, that you let him get close in a way that wasn't just meaningless activity and was genuine care and intimacy. So you have to stay away from him.

Which is why for the past few days, you've only been in your kelku. You refuse to go out, knowing full well that no matter where you go, to the forest or around the village, Aonung will track you down and ask why you've been avoiding him, be all concerned and sweet and ARGH.

You groan and flop back down onto your woven bed. You're running out of things to do- stuck in your kelku. You've woven an obscene, unnecessary amount of jewellery, carved two new knives, beaded several new tops that you can only wear if you one day summon the courage to go outside and face the prospect to running into Aonung.

You're snarling with annoyance of being self-isolated in your kelku, hissing to yourself under your breath as you string together the beads of a new top when someone ducks into your kelku. Your body stiffens, but you quickly relax when you realise who it is.

"Hey Tey," you grin, as he smiles slightly back at you. "What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you in days," Neteyam says, frowning slightly at you. "I was getting worried- you seemed... off, that day by the river."

"I was tired," you say, brows furrowing at your friend. Usually Neteyam would be sitting with you talking about a guy, torn between slight protectiveness over you and slight amusement at your scornful attitude to intimacy. But now he's frowning, worried about you. "Aonung tired me out."

You expect him to grin, to joke, to maybe even make fun of you, but Neteyam isn't Lo'ak. Your close friendship with each of the Sullys is different, but you always considered yourself closest to the eldest, training with Neteyam, bonding over the struggles you both went to to prove yourselves.

Since you sought refuge with the Omotikaya at a young age, you and Neteyam had been the closest of friends. As you got older, he was busier with his various duties as not only a warrior, but the future Olo'eyktan of the clan. The two of you never really discussed it, but in the last few years, when you both started having 'experiences' with others, you grew apart slightly.

It's not like your relationship had ever been romantic, but there were certain elements of intimacy and jealousy you had always just assumed to be the closeness of your friendship. But now Aonung pointed it out, was even jealous of Neteyam himself, you have to wonder if there ever was more between you and the prince of the Omotikaya.

Then the Sully's had left for a bit to the reef, and when Neteyam came back, you had both grown. Even without any spoken elements of romance between the two of you, the obvious fact that both of you had had several if not many sexual and romantic experiences with others just seemed strange for a friendship forged in childhood.

You lower your beading and look up at him to find those golden eyes are fixed straight in your own, bright in the afternoon light filtering into your kelku from the gap in the weaving he left slightly ajar, his lips slightly parted as he tries to decide what to say. Fuck. No. Okay so maybe Aonung is getting in your head. Maybe Aonung is opening your eyes, because now Neteyam just looks... different.

Since the reef, Neteyam has gotten more muscular, more than the typical Omotikaya yet without the broad physique of Aonung. It's probably all the swimming or the diet of tropical fruits and fish or something, you suppose, but why did you never notice how he's just so... attractive, with his blazing golden eyes and smooth handsome features.

Sure, all you'd heard from other girls for years was how Neteyam was so handsome and hot and strong and a good lover, but that had all just been silliness because Neteyam was your friend nothing more, to��either of you.

"Can I help you with something?" you ask, swallowing heavily, horribly aware that you had just spaced out and stared blankly at him for way too long.

"Are you okay?" he asks, frowning and moving closer to you, setting down a pile of stuff so he can get a better look at you. "You're acting weird."

"Am I?" you ask nervously, swallowing hard and blinking way too much.

"Yes," Neteyam says slowly, crouching beside you and frowning deeper. "You've been in your kelku for days, you haven't seen anyone, talked to anyone, and everyone was starting to get worried. I was getting worried about you Rey."

His nickname for you, shortened from Reypaytun and meaning blood red, was one of the first things you ever shared with him as your first friend among the Omotikaya. It was a fond name he chose given the blood red war paint favoured by the Tayrangi that you never got the chance to wear, and ever since he called you Rey, the little warrior, the last Tayrangi.

He seems to notice the way you pause at the nickname Rey as a flood of memories from your childhood washes over you, and he places a comforting hand on your leg, saying, "It's me. You can tell me if something's going on. Is it Aonung?"

The sound of Aonung's name snaps you back. The one you've been having all these strange feelings for, the one that mentioned Neteyam having feelings for you. You swallow hotly again, and Neteyam frowns. Again.

"Yes," you say quietly. Instantly, he coldens, scowling and hissing protectively.

"Did he hurt you? You looked a little bruised but I didn't say anything because I thought maybe you-"

"No there's nothing wrong like that," you say quickly. "Aonung didn't hurt me, not at all. He's been... well I've been... um..."

Neteyam sighs, his ears drooping slightly as understanding dawns on his face, his hand sliding off your leg and dropping towards the ground. The absense of his touch feels like a sign, like your friend is slipping away just as his hand had. That the two of you are growing even further apart than ever.

"I know Rey," he says gently. "I mean, it was pretty fucking obvious from the start that he liked you. I tried to tell him that it wouldn't end well, that you never let anyone get close, but you proved me wrong like usual."

"What do you mean?" you ask quietly, your tail sweeping behind you. You miss your friend.

"For years I thought we were the only ones you'd let love you," he says, now looking slightly wistful. "I never thought it would be Aonung of all people that managed to get your heart, not when literally every guy ever is head over heels for you."

"You aren't," you point out, though even to yourself, your voice sounds unsure. "Right?"

Neteyam doesn't reply, just smiling wistfully and sighing, his strong jaw clenching. You try to think of something to say, when the rest of his words clink into place in your brain, and you sit up quickly.

"What do you mean get my heart?" you ask sharply. "He hasn't- not-"

"Rey please," Neteyam says, not looking at you. "You literally let him cuddle you, take care of you, play with your hair. It goes beyond banter and pointless sex and you know it. You know it means more to him, and you know that it means more to you too."

You make to shake your head, but then you realise your body isn't moving, as though it refuses to say that Aonung means nothing. Fuck.

"Fuck."

Neteyam laughs humourlessly as you sit up, face twisted in distress as the stupid damn truth of your friend's words sink in and you frown at him. Neteyam isn't looking at you, hiding his face from you, and your harboured suspicion that he's secretly laughing at you is immediately stomped out when you notice.

His ears are drooped all the way down, and his hands are lightly fiddling with his necklace. It's a small habit he only fell into when he was agitated or upset- you often found him fiddling with the beading of the traditional warrior necklace when he found expectations too much, when he got in trouble with his father, when he felt he wasn't enough.

"What's wrong Tey," you ask, lightly reaching out to touch your friend's head in a friendly pat. But it feels different now that you're both all grown up and grown apart- he feels too big, not like when you were inseparable children.

Neteyam looks up, his face suddenly so large in your hand- no longer the adorably delighted childish face it once had been, now all chiselled and handsome and suddenly twisted with almost concealed, melancholy bitterness as he sighs and pulls away from you. It means something, that he pulled away.

"It's just weird," Neteyam says, with a poor attempt at a smile. "I always felt proud knowing that you let me close to you. That I could help you and protect you, that we would be so close forever. Then shit happened and I had to leave and we just grew apart slightly I guess. I just never thought that when we came back, Aonung would be the one to get you."

He swallows and looks away, obviously having said more than he meant to. You are about to reach out to your friend before remembering him pull away, his hand slipping away, his gaze somehow refusing to reach your own. But you're closer to understanding now more than ever, and being the ridiculously stubborn person you are, you can't just let it go now.

"What are you trying to say Tey?" you ask, frowning at him. "Aonung said... he said..."

"What?" Neteyam asks, now completely abandoning the pretence that he isn't annoyed and letting the confusing, uncalled for bitterness seep into his words. "What did your Aonung say about me?"

"That you..." you start to say, throat feeling dry under his suddenly blazing golden gaze. "He thought there was something going on between us."

With that, the last remaining light in Neteyam's face just snuffs itself out, and you feel your heart sink desperately. His tail stops flicking agitatedly behind him, thudding listless and dead on the floor behind him, his gaze dropping away somewhat as the fire in those blazing eyes dies, as though you put it out.

"I mean," you hastily say, trying to get him back to normal. It makes your heart ache in a terrible, painful sort of way to see Neteyam look so doleful and betrayed, makes your whole body shiver at the thought that you made the prince of the clan look so broken. "He thought you maybe liked me. But I told him- you only see me as a friend and I-"

"It's fine Rey," he says quietly, not meeting your gaze. "I get it."

"No!" you practically cry. "I don't even know what I'm trying to say- please stop! You don't need to get anything, Aonung was just being stupid and I don't even know what's going on."

"He wasn't stupid," Neteyam says quietly.

"What?"

"He wasn't stupid," Neteyam snaps, standing to leave. "He was right."

"About what?" you breathe, heart hammering uncomfortably in your chest. You know exactly what Neteyam is going to say next- but it just can't be true.

"That I liked you. Like you," he says angrily, taking a deep breath before rushing his next words. "But I know that you see me as a friend, and that you have your whole fucked up thing with Aonung going on."

You exhale shakily, squeezing your eyes shut for a moment and trying to think of what to say. When you open them again, Neteyam's blazing eyes are filled with fiery possessiveness again. It's everything you've always marked as friendship that is so clear in his gaze now, and you swallow heavily when he steps closer.

"But I know you Rey," he whispers, suddenly towering over you as he steps closer. "And I could be better than Aonung."

At that, you freeze. This is Neteyam, your friend Neteyam, the most desired man in the clan, the prince of the Omotikaya standing over you, blinking down at you with his large golden eyes and telling you he's better than the other boy you fuck, who's also his friend. What. The. Fuck.

"What are you saying?" you whisper, hating how squeaky your voice sounds.

"Let me prove myself," Neteyam shrugs, now just a foot away.

You mouth wordlessly. On one hand, all you've heard for years is Neteyam's incredible talent with women, his amazing looks and bravery and size working wonders for every girl in the clan, but then again, Aonung was also completely and utterly satisfying and hot and muscular in himself. You aren't tied down though. Just because you had been having a good time with Aonung didn't mean you couldn't with anyone else.

But your friendship might not last with Neteyam if you took this step. Yet then again, it's already changed, even more so now he's told you he likes you, absolutely now he's offering what he's offering.

It seems a little as though he's stepping on Aonung's toes- along the same lines of impressing you, proving himself yadayadayada, but as you meet Neteyam's gaze, you can't seem to find a problem with anything.

He's staring down at you, inches away from your lips yet still a foot taller, blazing golden eyes staring straight into your own.

fuck.

#aonung x reader #aonung x female reader #aonung fic #avatar smut #aonung fanfiction #avatar fanfiction #avatar #avatar fandom #avatar the way of water #aonung #neteyam #neteyam smut #neteyam sully #neteyam x reader #avatar neteyam #neteyam x y/n #neteyam x reader x aonung #threesome?

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devieuls · 2 years ago

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The way of love pt.I

Neteyam Sully x Tayrangi Fem Reader (Na'vi)

Warning of the Serie: MDNI. Dom Neteyam x Fem Reader; SMUT; ANGST; FLUFF; Dirty Talk; Fangs; Bites; Blood; Spit; Power Play; Jealousy and Possessiveness; Foreplay; violence; Swearing; Teasing; Unprotected Sex; Enemies (because of you, Neteyam treats you well). Aged characters: Neteyam 19 y.o / You 18 y.o SERIE

Synopsis: After a great loss happened in your family, you are forced to take a role that before did not belong to you, following a path that you will feel like your only in time. Just when you thought you were finally overcoming the loss, your clan shows up with those you blame for the great offense received. You are the daughter of the first Olo'eykte of all clans and are about to take your mother’s place to lead the Tayrangi clan, but first you must follow Neteyam (the eldest son of the man you detest with all your heart) To train him, despite your contempt for the Sullys and everything about them, you inevitably bond with the boy, unknowingly falling in love with him.

CHAPTER WARNING: Just free hate for Neteyam from you.

Lenght : 2.1k

Notes: This series will be one of my biggest BOP or FLOP, it’s a long time I wanted to write about Neteyam because... GOSH, BUT YOU HAVE SEEN HIM?! BTW. All characters will keep the age difference but will be aged eg: Neteyam 19 y.o; Lo'ak 18 y.o etc…

" y/n te Skxumew Ikeyni'ite" is your surname, means Y/n surname daughter of Ikeyni

NA'VI WORDS: PARULTSYIP: Children. KARYU: Teacher. VRRTEP: Demon. IRAYO: Thank you. OARE: Moon. 'ITE: Daughter

PART: 1 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7 ; 8 ; 9 ; 10

· · ─────── · 𖥸 · ─────── · ��

The first time the Sullys visited the Tayrangi clan, you were suspicious. You weren’t a big fan of Toruk Makto, there were rumors about him, rumors that you didn’t like him and that you were looking down on the Omatikaya family. Unlike your mother, the Olo'eykte Ikeyni, one of the few women to be clan leaders and Tsahik at the same time, you did not believe that you should be on the side of a man from another world. It also bothered you that the Sullys left their eldest son to be trained by your father, who, ironically, loved to teach young people the art of hunting.

You rolled your eyes as the girls of your clan looked at the son of Toruk Makto as if he were a living legend, a god among Na'vi, to you he was simply a na'vi with demon blood. You still remembered how your clan had offered shelter to the fleeing or homeless na'vi because of the war brought above all by the father of that Omatikayan. You growled slightly as the boy walked over to you, then turned around and walked away from him, taking a seat next to your parents, checking out the Sullys.

"My daughter. The future Olo'eykte of the Tayrangi Clan and healer of the village. She will be the guide of your son Neteyam, showing him the arts of this clan and our way." Your mother’s words stabbed you in the back, and you looked at her like it might change her mind, which it didn’t. You looked at your father, Tsentey, who, though he looked back, made you think he agreed with your mother.

You took a deep breath and walked away, trying to stay calm. You hated the idea of being the leader of that half-demon, but you couldn’t help but disobeying would put you in a position where the clan would look down on you and in Eywa’s eyes you would be undeserving to be Olo'eykte.

When evening came, your parents returned to your house and looked at you slightly disappointed.

"Ma 'ite… I know it's not something that brings joy to your heart, but it is your duty as next Olo'eykte" said your father, placing a hand on your shoulder, smiling gently, while your mother looked hard at you.

"There is no time for whims. This is the will of Eywa. An Olo'eykte is already weaker than an Olo'eyktan man. If you do not help the future Olo'eyktan of Omatikaya, someone else will and you will be just a Na'vi with a lower title" Your mother said, approaching you. " Ma 'ite. You are strong. You can do it and when the day comes, you will lead this clan, show them who you are" continued and then lifted your face from your chin. "You're a warrior. Remember who you are y/n te Skxumew Ikeyni'ite. You'll be the second Olo'eykte of all Pandora and everyone will know your name. More than Toruk Makto. But you have to make sacrifices, put pride aside. You have a goal Ma Oare" Your mother put her forehead on yours and you both closed your eyes, then nodded.

"I will." You said with conviction to see your mother smile, she was right. This was just one of the trials to reach your place in the clan.

The night passed quickly and the next day you were ready to face that demon blood, you just had to train him and then after a few months send him back to his house, to the Omatikaya. Your mother encouraged you when she saw you awake as you walked past the tree house, then headed to where Neteyam was staying, finding him already outside.

"Follow me." You hissed, then walked through the village to get out and into the woods. " What weapon can you use?" You continued without turning around to see where Neteyam was.

"Knives and Bows." He replied by keeping the pace "However I am-"

You stopped him, you stopped yourself, and then you turned around and looked him in the eye.

"I know who you are. Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan" You said to then observe it. " Bows and knives? Your arms are weak" You said approaching him, touching his arm. " Your chest tight, but you have a good posture." The boy watched you turn around and talk about him. "Do you have an Ikran?" You look him in the eye when you talk to him.

"Yes, I have one." His voice was still, as if the words you used didn’t hurt him at all.

"Can you swim?"

"Pretty good" Neteyam looked at you enchanted, smiling slightly

"Tsk. You’re like a parultsyìp. I have to teach you everything." You said sighing and then continued walking until you got to the cliff that provided a wonderful view of the sea.

"The Tayrangi clan is famous for being skilled riders of Ikran, the best. We interpret the wind, understand the sea and respect the great predators and the Ikran. You have to learn to fight with more weapons, to swim, to understand the wind and the animals that surround us" You said and then sit on the cliff, breathing in the fresh air.

"I’m here for this… what’s your name?" Neteyam’s voice was sweet as he sat next to you.

"You’re not here to make friends or get to know me. Call me Karyu." Your detached and disinterested voice made Neteyam smile, who already found you interesting.

"Karyu? So you won’t tell me your name?" he said, slightly laughing.

"Not relevant for training. Now silence. Listen to the wind"

That day you taught Neteyam the basics of understanding the wind, explaining in detail how to use this to fly better, to understand when it will start to rain or other natural events. The boy, different from what you thought, listened to you interested, asking questions and coming to understand what you were explaining. You couldn’t deny it.

"For today we are finished, tomorrow we will start with the proper guidance of the Ikran, the Omatikaya use strange methods to approach the banshees" You said, Going from the cliff and stretching you.

"Did I do well?" he asked curiously, as he stood up.

"Discreetly, you are not completely Skxawng." You shrugged, indifferent. " These are things that our children learn after a week. Half a day is something"

"Something? Does that mean I can now know your name?"

"No. Why do you care so much?" your voice was sore.

"Just curiosity" Neteyam smiled and approached you

"Hmm… if you can get back to the village before the eclipse, I’ll tell you my name. Good luck" You said, and then you went into the forest, going home alone, about an hour before the eclipse, it was impossible for her to return in time, not knowing the way back. You prayed that a Palulukan would tear him to pieces, not to have him back but you could not wish this on a son of Eywa, after all even a Palulukan deserved a better meal.

Some of your companions gathered to wait for Neteyam after hearing about that little challenge, you smiled satisfied when the eclipse came and Neteyam was not back yet. " What if he’s dead?" " Maybe he found a Palulukan." "Or he got lost" Voices like this filled the air, you shrugged and turned to leave. At that moment you heard the girls cheering and shouting the name of Neteyam happy, seeing him unharmed.

You turned and looked him in the eye, after all he still lost the challenge, so the victory belonged to you. Neteyam came up with a flower.

"There’s already been an eclipse. You lost, so I don't-" You stopped when Neteyam put the flower behind your ear, smiling at seeing you with it in your hair.

"I would have won, but I saw this Sun Lily and it reminded me of your eyes, so I looked for the most beautiful, wasting time" He said smiling, shrugging. " I’ll discover your name one day, ma Karyu"

You observed him without saying anything, you did not expect such a thing. He had preferred to lose the challenge to pick a flower to give you and did not seem upset by this, indeed, he smiled carelessly. You did not understand at that moment why your heart accelerated the beat, or why you did not immediately remove the flower, or why now you looked at it without disgust or repugnance. You recovered from your thoughts when you heard some girls being jealous of you for that little gesture made by Prince Omatikaya. You clenched your jaw and looked at him.

"You still lost." you said with the little coolness you had left.

"I did, but does it matter?" He replied promptly, and then continued, "It was worth it, the flower suits you very well."

You bit the inside of your cheek and then you turned around and left "See you tomorrow." You said dryly before saying goodbye and going home.

"She’s beautiful, isn’t she?" Neteyam said to some of the clan’s boys.

"Bro, shs's the type of na'vi who eats you alive." one of the guys laughed.

"I know, and I like it." Neteyam concluded

You reported to your mother and she immediately noticed the flower in your hair.

"It’s very nice, where did you get it?" she asked, placing the flower in your hair.

"Just a stupid gift." You confessed before you took it off and left it in your mother’s hand, going to a more secluded place on one of the tree branches.

"skxawng. just a vrrtep skxawng." You said to yourself while leaning your body against the tree. " Ma Eywa, please, Great mother, make sure he learns quickly and walks away." You asked as you watched the starry sky. " Give me a sign to bear him, because he’s a vrrtep," you said before you heard a woodsprite landing on the same ear where Neteyam’s flower used to be and then seeing it not far under the tree where you were sitting. You felt mocked, Eywa today was having fun putting everything against you, otherwise you won’t explain these coincidences.

The coup de grâce came when the branch broke, dropping you into Neteyam’s arms. If you could confirm that, Eywa was trying to make you do all these things. You sighed annoyed, crossing your arms when Neteyam looked at you to see if you were okay.

"Are you hurt? Is everything okay?" he asked concerned, checking you and clutching you accidentally.

"You can let me go. I’m fine." You answered a little sour.

"A thank you is welcome, Princess Tayrangi," Neteyam laughed, and then left you standing on the ground, watching you.

"Irayo…" you whispered quietly, turning your head to the side

"I don’t understand, can you repeat?" he said smiling

"what a skxawng…" you whispered softly. " I said Irayo." This time you said fast

"I still don’t understand, I really think you’ll have to repeat it," Neteyam laughed a little.

"Are you- Irayo." You said it out loud so he’d get it in his head, and then he’d snort right after.

"You are even more beautiful when you get angry, you know?" he said spontaneously, leaning against the tree, admiring your beauty.

You swirled your eyes, restraining yourself from splitting his nasal septum or something, but for the umpteenth time Eywa sent a signal, a woodsprite on Neteyam’s shoulder. You looked up and laughed frustrated.

"Listen carefully, I don’t know why my path is intertwined with yours. I don’t want to put up with you any more than I have to. This means that if you see me falling from a tree, let me fall, if you find flowers that remind you of me, leave them where they are, if you see me for the village avoid me" You said pointing your finger at Neteyam’s chest. "The only thing keeping me from completely avoiding you is my title and my parents. You’d be meal for Palulukan if it were up to me."

Neteyam opened his mouth to speak but you stopped him. "Don’t answer, it’s already decided. Learn quickly, I want you out of this village and away from me or my people. I don’t know why my parents sympathize with your family, but I don’t agree with them. Now, if you understand that you have to stay as far away from me as possible, nod."

The boy nodded, smiling amused, watching you get nervous.

"Good. See you tomorrow Neteyam." You said saying goodbye a second time to go home.

At that moment, all you wanted was for Neteyam to disappear, him and his manners, and take away that beautiful smile and those golden eyes. Fuck, no. You don’t have to think about it. You hate him, you hate his family, you must hate him… Do you hate him?

#neteyam #neteyam smut #neteyam sully #neteyam x reader #neteyam suli x reader #neteyam x na'vi!reader #neteyam x y/n #neteyam x you #avatar #avatar smut #neteyam sully x y/n #neteyam fanfiction #ThewayofloveNeteyam #Mel's Neteyam Garden #Mel's Avatar Garden

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imeanwhynotbruv · 2 years ago

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Don’t touch my child.

Summary: Little Spider keeps getting picked on, Paz isn’t happy about it but kids are cruel. However, adults are old enough to know better and Paz is willing to put them all in their place if they don’t……………even if they’re visiting tribal leaders.

(Both of the clan leaders are real characters so you can google them to see what they look like 😁)

•••

Both the Olangi and Tayrangi clans had been staying with the Omatikaya for the past week. Things had been going reasonably well despite the initial tension of the clans interacting with sky people again after the war.

After the first incident of a few Olangi warriors getting riled up over the scientists, it had been unanimously decided that everyone would be better off if the humans stayed away….. decided by everyone but Spider and the Sully kids that is.

Other than that, as far as Jake could tell everything was going great. The people were happy to have something the celebrate and they were strengthening there bonds with their allies, not to mention catching up with old friends.

So yeah, everything was going great, the evening meeting was getting on almost perfectly….……until an angry Paz Socorro walked into the tent with her son sleeping on her hip.

“Paz, nows not a great time. I’ll speak with you once the meetings over” Jake spoke dismissively before apologising to the others chieftains for the interruption.

Paz scowled at him whilst she gently repositioned Spider so as not to disturb his sleep.

“No Jake. Now” a stunned silence filled the room. Mo’at only raised an intrigued eyebrow in response.

“You do not speak to the Olo’eyktan in that way demon” Akwey, the Olo’eyktan of the Olangi, raised his voice in outrage.

Paz’s cold eye scanned the man up and down before giving a disapproving humph and turning to Jake once again.

“Jake I’m going to need you to translate for me real quick, I want to make sure my words are understood” Paz’s voice was as cold as ice as she spoke.

“Paz, now is really not-“ Jake began to protest before Paz interrupted him whilst rolling her eyes.

“Mo’at, would you be a dear?” Paz asked sweetly as she gave the woman a genuine smile. She’d always been rather fond of the Tsahík since she’s met her.

“Certainly” Mo’at nodded. The feeling was very mutual. Paz smiled and nodded her head again in thanks.

“This is ridiculous!” Akwey yelled in outrage. Ikeyni, the young leader of the Tayrangi, nodded her head in silent agreement.

“Tsk” Paz only clicked her tongue in disappointment, seemingly spurring the man on.

“This demon has no voice here! It is a meeting of our clans!” The man continued yelling.

“You done?” Paz asked, her voice filled with motherly disappointment.

“How dare you-!?” His words were quickly cut off.

“Okay nose pick you had your turn. Now listen up” Paz’s voice was sharp and quiet as she gently bounced Spider, keeping him asleep despite the noise. Jake’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes briefly flickered to the stick piercing the bridge of the man’s nose.

“First of all, lower your voice. My son is sleeping and we’re all adults with fully functioning ears here” Paz said as she raised a disapproving eyebrow.

“This cannot be allowed!?” Akwey exclaimed.

“Akwey, be quiet so this can be done” Ikeyni groaned, earning a shocked look from the man and an approving nod from Paz.

“Thank you sweetheart” Paz briefly smiled to the young Olo’eyktan as if Ikeyni was a small child. Only to get shocked eyes in return from the woman.

Akwey huffed in annoyance.

“I’ll be brief. As I’ve said, this is my sweet little boy. His name is Miles but he prefers to be called Spider, if you talk to him you will address him as such. But” Paz turned towards Akwey as she paused.

“I would rather you don’t go near my son again as it’s you I have a problem with” Paz’s voice was heavily laced with venom she directed towards the man, whilst simultaneously rocking Spider gently from side to side.

“What’s this about?”Jake finally asked in confusion.

“Jake hunny, don’t interrupt me I’m still talking” Paz didn’t even turn towards him, only raising a single finger in his direction as her eyes focused on Akwey.

Jake sat stunned as Ikeyni attempted to stifle a snort.

“Earlier today, you insulted my son before grabbing him by the arm. I’m told you lifted him up before dropping him again after he bit you” Paz’s frown deepened whilst her voice remained quiet and reprimanding. Jake’s eyes widened in shock before his face darkened in displeasure.

“Whilst I don’t condone him biting you as that’s not how I raised him. I also can’t condemn him as you are an adult who should know better, especially after seeing the bruise you left on my little boy” Paz gently pulled Spider’s wrist into view, displaying a large darkening bruise across his forearm.

“Imagine my shock, as a mother, when my son comes crying to me saying this was the work of an adult” Paz gave the man a joyless smile. Jake could feel the malice radiating off of Paz’s small form, slowly but surly building the tension within room.

“So, seeing as no one has taught you this lesson it is my job to do so” Jake watched as the confidence slowly drained out of Akwey’s features. Even Jake himself was feeling uncomfortable and he wasn’t even the focus of the woman’s ire.

“You are a Na’vi adult, meaning you are very big and very strong” Paz paused, as if wanting to make sure the man was still following along.

“My son, is a six year old human, meaning he is little and breakable” Paz placed a gentle loving kiss onto Spider’s soft curls.

“Therefore, you should not put your hands on him, you should not manhandle him as if he was a Viperwolf or some other beast. Do you understand so far?”Akwey hesitantly nodded for the woman to continue.

“Good. So here is what we are going to do, and here is my warning. I will say it once so listen well” Paz’s voice was soft and firm as she repositioned a wriggling Spider, situating him comfortably on her other side.

“Tomorrow morning, you are going to apologise to my son and explain to him that what you did is in no way acceptable, and you feel sincerely sorry” Paz waited a moment, her eyes briefly flickering to each Olo’eyktan.

“This applies to all of you so listen up” Jake found himself subconsciously sitting up straighter. He was relived to see Ikeyni doing the same.

“If my son miss behaves you will bring him to me and I will punish him accordingly. You will be respectful and polite to everyone, including my child, just as you would any member or your clan.” Ikeyni silently nodded along to Paz’s words, although they felt more like orders none would dare to disobey.

“Most importantly, you will never put your hands on my child again, or I will tare you into tiny pieces and feed you to a Thanator. Am I understood?” There was no inflection in the woman’s voice, no empty threat in her words or an ounce of hesitation in her eyes. All three of them nodded instantly.

Jake wouldn’t soon forget the chill that ran up his spine as the woman smiled and nodded, he doubted any of the other chiefs would either.

“Good. Now I need to tuck my little Spider into bed, and you all have a meeting to get on with. Mo’at, thank you for being such a darling and translating for me” Paz grind sweetly at the woman, receiving and approving nod in return.

“Mmhmm mama” Spider mumbled as he began to stir.

“Shh baby go back to sleep, mama’s got you don’t worry” Paz gently rocked him back to sleep as he curled tighter around her.

“Good night” Paz whispered as she walked out of the tent.

“Good night” They all whispered back.

A thick silence fell within the tent, only to be broken when Mo’at let out an amused huff before leaving to…..well jake wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to do.

“I feel as if my mother has just told me off” Akwey spoke hesitantly.

“For one so small………she is fierce, like a mother 'angtsìk……I like her…but she is still very scary” Ikeyni said softly in amusement.

“Your telling me” Jake huffed as he ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

“Ma Jake, are you done?” Neytiri said as she popped her head inside the tent.

Jake took a moment to look at the too faces sat across from him.

“Yeah..yeah I think we’re done for now” despite having talked about nothing they had originally planned, both Akwey and Ikeyni instantly nodded in agreement.

The next morning Spider received a sincere apology, from a very sorry Olo’eyktan, much to the shock of everyone….well almost everyone.

Ikeyni spent the rest of her trip with Paz when she wasn’t needed elsewhere, asking the woman for advise on how to get stubborn warriors to listen to her without hesitation…..and complimenting and indulging Spiders every whim.

If Jake found himself referring to Paz as ma’am more often……well that was nobody’s business.

•••

I had so much fun writing this! ⭐️⭐️

It also turned out way longer than planned 😅

I totally see Paz as this short lady who will put anyone in there place😂 even big scary Olo’eyktans.

Let me know if you have questions or ideas🫶 or if you just liked the fic❤️

I hope you enjoyed reading this my lovelies❤️❤️

#avatar 2 #spider socorro #jake sully #olo’eyktan #mo’at #miles spider socorro #paz will fight you #paz socorro #mama Paz Socorro is scary #avatar twow #avatar the way of water #little spider is so cute and loves his mama #Paz will do anything for her precious little baby #avatar wow #if Paz Socorro lived #MamaPazSocorroLives

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ikeyniofthetayrangi · 9 months ago

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My two favorite boys together!

Brothers.

#the bestest brothers 🥺#avatar way of water #neteyam's girl #avatar fanart #lo’ak sully #neteyam sully #avatar the way of water #avatar #atwow #neteyam #lo'ak #Tayrangi Talk

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navibluebees · 2 years ago

Note

I love your writing and was wondering your take on which of the recoms would be most and least likely to fall for a native na’vi and what would it take or involve. ❣️

Please read before interacting.

AHHH Thank youuuu & I love this one! Something about me is that I can talk about Avatar all damn day, so getting these asks is the best things ever. Here we go~

*Grading these on a scale of 1-10, Least-Most. Also idk how other recom creators choose personalities, but I just stare at their faces and reactions in gifs. It's entirely based off ~vibes~. I love that for us lol

Brown - 6

Not the first guy to jump at the chance. He's lighthearted, but holds very tightly to his roots. Probably wouldn't if the others weren't approving. I think he'd have to find a Na'vi who was more sympathetic to some humans, which I don't think would be super likely to happen. Potentially somebody from the Omaticaya if they had interacted a lot with the scientists like Max and Norm and hd a good experience being around them.

Fike - 4

He seems really uncertain. I think he's nervous in Pandora. When he told Kiri to shut up while she was praying in the hostage scene, it felt like there was a tremor in his voice and I don't think he's grown out of that initial fear of Pandora that he got as a human. It would probably take fully separating from RDA and being alone to mentally separate his two lives before he could learn to live in that world with another person.

Ja - 7

This baby. I think as a med service marine, he is very used to taking care of people. With spending his whole initial life up until his first death taking care of humans and being so woven into their lives, it would be hard for him, but I have this picture in my mind of working alongside other Na'vi and gaining their trust, working with their Tsahìk and finding a mate that way.

Lopez - 8

I think he'd be really drawn in by the beauty of Pandora. He might be similar to Jake in that he sees an assertive Na'vi and is like ooh I want them. Definitely has to prove himself, but he seems really adaptable. Would also enjoy teaching them Spanish and having cutie trilingual babies.

Mansk - 10

Send this man straight to the Tawkami clan. Surround him with many beautiful flowers and give him a life of peace, he deserves it. Sticking with my head canon that he saw some rough shit in the military and he just wants somewhere that he can be calm. His mate will weave him flower crowns and he can just live carefree and be happy always.

Prager - 7

He seems like a younger guy when he initially joined so I think it would be a difficult transition out of military life, but I think he would enjoy being a hunter in the Tayrangi clan. Just to fly often and feel so free. I think his mate would be a kind person. Very curious. He's exhausted from his previous life but would be open to answering any questions they have for him.

Quaritch - 6

At this very moment, boy needs to work on himself before bring another person into the mix, but I think once stuff is worked out with Spider, he'd be open to having a Na'vi mate. They would have to be strong. If not physically, then mentally. I think he needs someone to help share his burdens and someone that can keep up with him. Someone more okay with humans, obviously because of Spider.

Wainfleet - 10

I think he needs a partner. He seems like someone who would thrive in a romantic partnership with someone who could take care of him emotionally. He gives big softie vibes and I love him so much lol. But I think he would wait to see what Quaritch did. He might feel badly if he found a mate first and maybe let that guilt prevent him from being with someone.

Walker - 3

I don't really think so. She strikes me as someone who went to Pandora to provide for her family and fought like hell to get back to them. I think she'd feel guilty if she had another family on Pandora even if she won't ever be able to go back to her original family. Most likely would live with other recoms if they chose not to have mates either.

Warren - 3

I'm getting same vibes from him as Walker, with having a family he came to provide for. He gives off the vibe that he's been in the military a long time and was just finishing up his contract, and this was his last thing to do to bring home some money before he retired. Just vibing with the other recoms for companionship.

Zdinarsk - 9

Would do best mated to a gentler Na'vi. Similar to Quaritch, she needs someone who can match her wit and challenge her mentally, but not someone so similar that she butts heads. Similar to Wainfleet, I think she would wait to see what Quaritch did. I think she'd be likely to find a mate, but not necessarily feel like she had to have one.

Zhang - 2

He gives me more lone wolf vibes. Might join a clan to survive, but I think he would feel so set apart from the Na'vi that he isn't very likely to initiate a relationship with another person. He might carry a lot of guilt from his initial life. Otherwise, I see him, Warren, and Walker just vibing in the forest, living out their days.

***

Damn, this one was hard lol Thank you so much for requesting it, though. I love thinking about things like this, adding to the world lore and building the recoms into full characters.

Taglist:

@drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed

#recom avatar #recom brown #recom fike #recom ja #recom lopez #recom mansk #recom prager #recom quaritch #recom wainfleet #recom walker #recom warren #recom zdinarsk #recom zhang #avatar the way of water

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dejabluebabygirl · 2 years ago

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I See You - Chapter 2

Miles Quaritch x Fem! Na'vi OC

Summary: Vira Te Wou Auhew’ite, an albino Na'vi and future Tsahìk of the Tayrangi Clan, The Ikran Riders of the Eastern Sea, keeps needing to save the demon Miles Quaritch at Ewyas command. When she's given a sign to try to teach him The People's way, both she and Miles struggle with their growing feelings for each other.

Authors note: This one just ran away with me, I had it almost written and then felt I need to add some more scenes and went back. I hope it all flows okay, I've read it over quite a few times but feedback is appreciated!

Sorry for the delay on this, I went out with my Grandma for her 82nd birthday and we just had too many Salted Caramel Martini's LOL. I've been feelin’ rough since.

Rating: T

Warnings: Canon typical violence, strong language/swearing, mild mentions of mating/sex, mentions of nudity, hunting/animal death, use of drugs/alien alcohol??? (I'm so bad at tagging, let me know if I need to add something please), and unrealized attraction/pining

Words: 6955-ish

Chapter 2

Vira declared bright and early the next day that she and Miles needed to move camp, if he wanted to learn to be Na’vi they needed to sleep like Na’vi which meant finding a temporary Hometree for them. She’d briefly considered him back to the Tayrangi clan but her mind flashed back to when he burned the village of Ta'unui and chasing her down in the jungle last night hadn’t helped. She couldn’t bring herself to bring him home until she knew for certain he could be trusted. Ewya willed she teach him so she would, the great mother didn’t say she needed to talk him home. They wasted no time mounting their Ikrans in search of one.

In the back of Viras mind it lingered that she needed to be home in 2 short cycles to mate with Huärì. Would she trust Miles enough by then to take him home? The Tayrangi were known for being a progressive clan but could they ever accept a demon? She could only do so much with her sister, she’d have to rely on her mother to interpret Ewya’s will as she had.

The pink Na’vi mulled over her thoughts as she and Miles soared over the dense jungle on their Ikrans. Her orange eyes distractedly scanned over the tree tops for a suitable tree to stay in for the foreseeable future. The sooner they found one, the soon they could get themselves settled in and get comfortable.

“What kind of tree are we looking for, Princess?” Miles called from the left.

“Tall and strong with large branches to live in, long vines to climb, near water and game trails would be best.”

“Like that one?” His large blue hand pointed to a tree that was poking a few meters higher out of the canopy than those clustered around it.

She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn’t seen it.

“We’ll see.” A brazen smile crossed her lips as Vira dove towards tree tops.

–

Miles had been right about the tree. They found it had a suitable large upper branch that could have fit six na’vi of Miles size side by side comfortably, if the ground looked good this would definitely be the branch they would sleep and dwell on when not out in the jungle.

The two of them climbed the vines down the jungle floor to find several fruit trees and game trails they could follow, Vira was impressed with the strength and speed Miles displayed going down them. Even with his large size, everything he did was graceful and agile, every movement had a powerful purpose behind it. If he was in pain from his injuries, he didn't show it at all. Her stomach flipped as she watched him scale down, Miles had abandoned his awful sky person vest at the last camp giving her full view of his back and arm muscles under his tight shirt.

He trailed behind her as they walked the forest floor together, she showed him how to step lightly on his feet, and make less noise as he moved through the jungle. His pants still rustled and made noise but when she suggested making him a tweng he looked uncomfortable at the thought.

“Not quite ready to run around the jungle in my skivvies just yet, Tiny.”

Vira laughed, she’d have to ease him into their ways, he was sharp and rough, quick to anger, and he needed gentle hands to guide him. She knew she planned to start with him giving up his sky people weapons for a spear and a bone knife. As she walked the game trails with him, she’d stop and kneel to identify the tracks in the soil, he’d slowly come down to join her, resting his hands on his knees and as she showed him Yerik, Nantang, 'angtsìk, and Talioang and how to identify each along the natural paths the animals created.

The game trails lead to a beautiful water site, it had a small waterfall cascading into it and flowed into a large pool at its base before continuing to snake through the jungle as a river, a perfect place to fetch fresh water, bathe, swim, and maybe even fish.

Ewya had provided sanctuary and Vira felt a little weight lift off her chest that she was right in interpreting the great mother's will that Miles learned to be Na’vi. She was not Tsahìk yet, she knew better than to presume she knew anything of her will but she couldn't help but feel this was right. This is what she was meant to do. Vira renewed her promise in silent prayer to do all she could to teach him as they walked back towards their Hometree.

On the way back she made Miles gather stones so they could make a fire pit on their living branch, with a proper firepit made it would not burn through the branch through the duration on their stay. She felt blessed when she found a bountiful amount of tautral, she knew she could weave into a mat for them to sleep on until she was able to make them each a Nivi. Her people slept in huts in caves but she’d observed the technique and helped the elders of tree-dwelling villages on her travels and felt confident in her ability to make them, it would just take time. That mat would at least keep them comfortable and off the bark of the tree. She walked back with her arms overflowing with bean stalks with right Miles behind her.

—

Quaritch propped himself up against the tree trunk while Vira busied herself around the large branch that would serve as camp. He could hear their Banshees playfully snapping at each other in the upper branches. Viras first priority had been to check his rib once they started to settle in for the day. He was actually surprised by how good it felt after it had stung like hell last night after chasing Vira through the god-forsaken jungle. She said a little prayer to the tree god as she wrapped him up again in leaves and muck.

When Miles tried to get up to help her build the fire pit she shooed him away and said he needed to rest. The little pink native impressed upon him how important it was for them to get a kill tomorrow so she needed him well rested. He watched her build up their camp quickly and efficiently and he couldn’t help but be the slightest bit impressed by how fast she was able to get their little operation up and running. It was just past midday and she had the fire pit built and all the fruits they'd gathered were organized. He watched with interest as her little pink hands worked to break apart a large stone that looked akin to obsidian back on earth. It seemed she liked the two big pieces she broke from it since she brought them over.

“Shape for spears,” handing him one and sitting beside him, unsheathing her bone knife from her thigh holster and using it to shape the black stone. He watched her small pink fingers gently shape the stone to a point, he took out his own company knife and tried his best to mimic her movements.

“Don’t force the shape, let the stone guide you.” She said, stopping work on her own spearhead and placing her hands on his hands over to work hand over hand with her small pink ones over his large blue paws. “Gentle.”

“Never been very good at being gentle.” He was a hard-ass gyrene, made of stronger stuff than most. When was the last time he’d been gentle with anyone or anything? Spider, probably. Not even Paz, his mother, not really. Paz had been something fleeting, burned fast and hot, something that was bound to happen when you put hundreds of marines together on an alien moon with no bar in sight to get your rocks off at. Quaritch would never have described their relationship as gentle, amicable maybe. They had respect for each other but they both knew what they were each after.

When he’d taken Spider from the jungle, he’d tried to be softer with him, have a gentler touch. He really had and in turn, the kid, his kid, wormed his way him in and had softened up. Just a touch. Spider had stopped him from killing the natives on more than one occasion, and took the time to teach him basic Na’vi and their customs but in the end Quaritch was a marine, a soldier, it was all he’d known for so long. His mission in life was always to complete the mission he was given at any cost.

Now, his focus on the mission had shifted, sitting in the tree far from the familiar, human comforts of the RDA. Sitting here while a little pink savage held his massive blue mits that still felt alien to him, was all for his mission, learning the strange Na’vi’s ways, were all, in service to the mission. He’d Kill Jake Sully, and secure a new home for humanity.

Vira released his hands and he kept working the stone, feeling her orange eyes staring at him.

“What?” his knife shaping the stone as gently as he could.

“See? You’re being gentle now. You have a strong heart, don’t doubt.” She placed her own rock beside him.

“Could you shape mine? Please? Need to work on mat.”

He grunted out an affirmative sound as she gathered the bean stalks and sat beside him again and began quickly and skillfully weaving them together. They worked in silence mostly, they hadn’t talked much small talk since they’d had their spat yesterday. When she talked to him it was mostly something she was teaching, impersonal.

Quaritch stole glances at her quick nimble little fingers weaving the bean stalks together. He watched as her orange eyes glanced at his hands as well, all the natives seemed to have some interest in them, normally the attention was negative but she was almost fascinated by them. Their eyes locked after a while of exchanging glances in the evening quiet.

“Sorry,” Vira blurted, he could see her face was practically purple she was so flushed. “For yesterday, should not have been rude.”

The Recom Na’vi shifted uncomfortably, he wasn’t really blameless in the interaction, and he’d let his temper get the better of him.

“Yeah well, guess I should have just let you go. Just didn’t want anything to happen to ya.” Half a truth, he didn’t really care about her per se, she was just a pink monkey but she was an asset to him. It was why he hadn’t turned around when she bathed at the river, the Recom Na’vi got no gratification out of watching the female alien. Quaritch just didn’t want something bigger and meaner snatching her up for lunch before he’d even gotten the chance to ask her to teach him the ways of the Na’vi. That conversation hadn’t gone to his plan in any capacity but she was here agreeing to teach him so he had to be the smallest bit thankful to the weird little seeds that made her stop her hasty retreat through the jungle.

“Let’s just put all that behind us and forget about it, alright Princess?”

Vira nodded and shyly looked up at him through her white lashes, “would you finish telling me of the metal spiders?”

—

Quaritch woke up with the sun and sounds of the jungle no longer at rest. The two of them had fallen asleep talking again the tree trunk, the little pink Na’vi frantically had weaved the mat until sleep overcame her and it was so large draped over the two of them like a blanket. He watched a few moments later as Viras sleepy orange eyes blinked a few times and she stretched her long limbs and yawned. She didn’t offer a morning greeting but got up and went right to work, he was actually pretty sure she was muttering curses in Na'vi, something about her back hurting too. She took the mat off them and gathered vines and large sticks they’d collected yesterday to make their spears. Maybe the aliens didn’t say good morning or maybe she just wasn’t a morning person.

The Recombinant Na’vi watched as she showed how to tie the spearhead on. He’d tied a complicated knot or two in his time and did it quickly. Earning a 'quick study' as praise from Vira. Not that he needed her praise but I did puff up his ego that maybe this whole learning to be Na’vi thing would be easier for him than it had been for Sully, he’d seemed to have a hard time when he started out from what he remembered of the tapes he’d reviewed.

They climbed down the tree, and Vira went through some practice thrusts and throws. It felt surprisingly good in his hands. Natural.

“Spear is extension of you, all tools are extension of you and your energy.”

Miles nodded even though really didn’t understand but figured playing along was easier than asking questions.

They walked the game trails, Vira explained they were looking for yerik tracks, Hexapede, from Quaritchs understanding they were kind of like deer. She explained how one of them would need to hide in a tree and the other would drive one to that spot.

“I am not skilled with spear, better with bow” she admitted, “you are big and strong, you will have to make the kill.”

“That’s a tall order, Tiny.”

“I will show you how, if you miss, we have fruit to eat. Bow will wait, no harm.” She offered a small smile of reassurance.

Once they found tracks along a path, she lead him to a low hanging tree branch over the natural game trail. Vira explained to him how she would drive one down and he would have to take aim and throw his spear at the beast.

“Lay flat, be one with tree” she demonstrated by practically melding her small pink body against the branch, her head cocked to one side white hair splayed everywhere.

“When you hear me coming up the path,” she made a whooping sound, he could have mistaken it for the prolemuris if he didn’t know the pitch of her voice. “Slowly stand, get ready. You will feel the movement in the tree.”

Yellow eyes watched her slowly roll her pink body up off the tree in a fluid motion, taking her spear in hand. He could see the lean, strong muscle in her arms.

“Breath slow, slow heart. Hold breath and release with your throw”

Miles watched Viras release her breath with her spear as it spear pierces the ground below.

The pink native had him run through the motions a few times before she felt comfortable leaving him glued to the branch to go try and heard a Hexapede his way. He felt crazy laying on the branch, what was he even doing out here? He could just shoot the thing when it ran by, he was sure Vira would be pissed but he was a helluva shot, he had no doubt if he used his pistol he’d make the kill. But it did defeat the whole point of him trying to learn the Na’vi way. So he waited, and waiting, his blue ears flicking and straining to hear Viras call.

He felt like he’d been waiting damn near an hour when his ear perked he heard the far-off “whoop” of Viras soft voice.

They came in closer and closer succession after that, so close he could also hear the rustling of something else approaching through the woods and feel the gentle thumping of the earth through the tree. The Recom na’vi stood slowly, his bare feet finding their foot on the branch. He readied his weapon and thought of Vira and slowed his heart with a deep breath. This all felt almost instinctual, was it the Na’vi DNA mixed with his own helping him? Was this something primal they all felt?

He felt the ground shift as the beast ran under the branch, his toes gripping the bark, yellow eyes sharp as he took aim and released the spear from his hands.

—

Vira and Miles celebrated his first kill into the night. His spear had struck true. Vira had called him down from the tree as she slid her knife across the creature's neck to end its suffering and thank Ewya for the energy they would receive. She couldn’t be anything but impressed with Miles, even if he was a demon, such a kill on a first hunt was impressive. His strike has been as true as any true born Na’vi.

They spent the rest of the day breaking down and preserving pieces of the animal, she taught him how as they went but they worked quickly and she wasn’t sure how much of her teachings he absorbed. She reminded herself that after they consumed this kill she would make him say the prayer next time. That was a thought for the future, for now, they sat by the fire cooking their Yerik and reliving the hunt.

“You were so strong and fast!” Vira praised as she mimicked the movement of throwing a spear across the fire from him, cooking meat on twigs. Her next project for the fire would be to make a spit and a smoker soon, better cooking and preserving but this would do for now. It would fill their bellies.

“I heard you and felt it coming down the path just like you said, felt the tree and all. That was just incredible.”

She smiled at him “See? The energy flows through all things.”

He gave her a skeptical look like he still didn’t believe in Ewya's presence. Her orange eyes searched his yellow ones. How could he not? The atokirina' chose him, he felt the rumble through the tree. All things were connected. All energy borrowed from the great mother, energy they would all have to return one day.

She moved the meat from the open flames and handed him a piece to eat still on the stick. They each devoured their food in silence and Vira pondered how to make him see. Would he ever? It was part of the Na’vi way, surely she needed to show him.

As she looked down upon the glowing jungle from their Hometree, an idea struck her.

“Come,” Vira stood grabbing onto his hand, attempting to pull him up. The pink na’vi knew she could not lift him but he relented and got up and scrambled down the tree's massive vines behind her.

When they reached the floor of the jungle, it was lit up with all its nighttime glory. Most of the vegetation held a faint flow, the grasses beneath their feet shined bright with contact.

“Come, come,” she beckoned him further into the jungle along the trails, dragging him by the hand. She flushed a little at the touch, thankful for the darkness, still not understanding why he made her feel that way.

Light was created everywhere in the wake of their movements, with every step and touch of plant life. Vira let her fingers trail along a row of shrubs, lighting the way. They came to a grouping of trees where glowing moss flowed from tree tree-like rivers. This is what she has been looking for, what she thought would show him.

“Do you see?” she gently touched the moss, the light brightened and dissipated but clearly spread out from the spot she touched until it disappeared. “All is the Great Mother's energy, we borrow it from her. Some day it must return .”

“Yeah, yeah, circle of life, Kum ba yah bullshit, I get it.” He mumbled but his eyes didn’t match the disinterested tone.

Vira watched his yellow eyes dart around the forest with interest and wonder. Had he truly never really looked at the beauty of their home at night? She watched him experimentally touch the moss and other plants with his five fingers as they continued walking. She smiled a little, he didn’t believe her but it would take time. At least he saw the beauty in the jungle.

There were tall orange rounded flowers along the path they had been following, their petals glowed beautifully, so different than most of the pink, purple, and green hues. Vira knew them as txon ’ong. Their nectars were drunk at celebrations if one drank too much they might have trouble walking, or sleep most of the next day, sometimes it was said challenges of Combat were made when the nectars were consumed but that was few and far between. For most it made them jovial, some even said na’vi were said to feel closer to Ewya when they drank it.

They were celebrating his great victory, what could it hurt? She would be sure not to loose her wits.

—

Miles watched the albino Na’vi go to the glowing orange flower, bend its stem and drink from its rounded top.

“Txon ’ong, night blossom, celebrate.”

Quaritch shrugged and came beside her and did the same, bending the stem of the orange bioluminescent flower and taking a few large gulps. It was sweet at first but the aftertaste reminded him of some strong spirit he couldn’t quite place, maybe gin.

He let out a low whistle. “Well, now it’s a party, Tiny.”

Quaritch felt more relaxed from the blossom, whatever it was exactly made him lower his guard just a bit in the jungle, just like he had the first night he was injured. The first night he’d met Vira.

The forest was truly otherworldly at night, so different from anything on Earth. The pink na’vi teacher kept walking the trail and he followed behind, he felt more acutely aware of the lights they created. How the slightest bump or rustle made small chain reactions. No, Quaritch didn’t believe in some little tree god. This little display meant nothing in the end really to him, just a pretty little light show. Maybe it slightly proved to him what Grace Augustine had been blathering about, the connections between the trees and the plants. Miles had never gone out after dark onto the forest when he’d been human, especially not after dancing with the viperwolf his first day on Pandora. He could maybe, just maybe, be behind the science. Not the tree hugging hippie all mother crap.

They walked for what felt like a long time, enjoying the natural glow of the forest. Sometimes she’d have to come back and grab his hand to tug him along if she felt he was lagging.

They wandered to the clearing with the watering hole they’d found earlier. Quaritch rubbed his yellow eyes, unsure if the drink was playing tricks on him. The river, waterfall, and the little lake itself all lit up in a purple glow.

Vira laid down in the soft grass next to the water’s edges. It glowed around her pink form as she found and comfortable position on her back. Her orange eyes looked glossy from the nectar.

“Come, see the stars.” She patted the ground beside her, sending small shocks of green glow through the grass from her pink fingers.

Miles walked forward, only to be started by a group of fan lizards he nearly squished beneath his large blue feet. A dozen of them shot up around him, casting different colored hues onto him. The little guys were actually kinda cute.

Vira laughed at his startled expression. “Like a baby.”

He felt his face turn purple, this was all new to him. Normally he gave orders, normally he knew exactly what he was doing, not learning. Being called a baby by her again lit a little fire in his gut, he’d be the best goddamn Na’vi. He’d show her. He’s already made the kill today with the spear, something she didn’t think she would have been able to do herself. Instead of getting angry though, a roll of relaxation flowed through him, must have been the nectar because he laid down beside her and they stared up into the starry sky.

Vira pointed out the visible constellations and told him stories and names that different clans had for them. Quaritch was surprised by how much he enjoyed the little stories, they reminded him of Greek and Roman epics he’d heard on Earth. They also had horoscopes, different signs with different meanings that each Na'vi was born under.

In the middle of one story, his stomach let out a loud rumble, Vira turned on her side to face him and laughed, a deep one in her belly. The kind of laugh where sometimes no sound came out. He turned to face her too and laughed just as hard.

“Sign to go back,” she said between laughs, her large orange eyes crinkled at the sides from how wide she smiled.

—

A week passed in a flash, and Quaritch felt was managing to get a small handle on how the Pandora natives lived. He’d started keeping track of the days my making tallies on the trunk of the tree, where he often reclined against at their base camp. When Vira saw him marking the tree she’d decided to add to it as well, above his first 5 marks she’d taken her bone knife and crudely drawn him on a branch, victorious, as his spear pierced the Hexapede below. It was truly a primitive etching, it reminded him of cave paintings or even stick figures back on earth but they each knew what it was. He couldn’t deny it made him puff with a touch of pride inside when he looked at it.

The Hexapede had indeed been a boon for them, food to keep them fed, turned out he actually liked the taste of it too, especially when Vira put some hot spices on it, it reminded him a bit of Cajun cooking back on earth, from his human memories.

Vira was continually impressive to him, she was a hard worker and wasn’t scared of getting her hands dirty. She used every bit of the beast for something too. Guts and sinew for bow string, thread, and bindings, she uses its hide for laces and made clothing for herself. She didn’t wear her big collar anymore unless they went out hunting, just wearing leaves or flowers tied up intricately over her breasts or even just a string of beads and feathers that precariously covered her nipples but she seemed to have no shame in her lack of covering. She’d also made him a water bottle from the hide which proved useful. The Pink Na’vi didn’t want anything to go to waste. It reminded him of how it had bothered on some level him with the poachers killed the Tulkun, not that it was dead but because they'd wasted such a large animal for a few measly drops of liquid. Seemed wasteful and inefficient. He didn't care for innefeicies.

While Vira worked she also made sure she was teaching him something, either going over the techniques she used or quizzing him on his Na’vi language skills. He’d been working hard to memorize her little prayer the people said over the animal's bodies for when he next killed a critter, he wanted to be the one to finish his kill from beginning to end next time. Miles didn’t buy into any of the hippie tree-hugging crap she was peddling but he’d do the song and dance to keep Vira teaching him.

He’d remembered from his review of Sullys videos that he’d referred to learning from his woman as ‘learn fast or die’ but it wasn’t like that at all with Vira. She didn’t have contempt for him, she wanted him to succeed and was a patient teacher. He’d learned this past week she was kind and smart as a whip, and her English was improving much quicker than his Na’vi. Quaritch found an internal struggle over his Na’vi teacher, he was struggling to see her as just a helpful savage, that she's only a step above a monkey.

Having this time with just her and to just breathe, not chasing Turk Makto to the ends of Pandora, forced Quaritch to accept a few things. One of those being that his body was 20 year old Na’vi body now, but his mind was still that 51 year old hard ass marine. He’d known it since the minute we’d woken up with the rest of the Deja Blue but being out in the forest with no one but a local, forced him to take stock of things. Miles thought about his actions over the past 4 months chasing down leads with Spider, he really didn’t feel such intense hatred as he did back when he was human for the Blues or even when he’d first been decanted in space and decked Lyle in the face, thinking he was surrounded by enemies. He tried to work out if it was because of Spiders' influence on him or because he knew he was looking at a Blue when he looked in a mirror. Maybe he’d just gone soft, he was an old man in a young man’s body at the end of the day.

They settled into an easy rhythm together, each taking care of things around camp, she’d give him Na’vi lessons on language, customs, and histories, and he helped her improve her English. Sometimes they’d race their Banshees around the treetops together and go off and explore. She was a hell of a flier, he learned the Banshee was nearly sacred to her people, the Tayrangi of the Eastern Sea. When Vira found out he hadn’t named his Banshee she scolded him, loudly, from the back of her golden one who he’d learned was named Stiwi. Mischief.

Miles had quickly pretended he misunderstood her question and said the royal blue beast named was Wasp, after his SN-9 WASP pistol. That felt fitting as anything the military dog in him could think of on such short notice. He supposed he could have just called it Banshee.

With there only two of them, they didn’t need to hunt or even gather every day, sometimes they’d just go for long jungle walks and she'd point out the flora and fauna and quiz him on what things were. She told him once he was more sure of his footing in the trees she’d teach him to swing from the vines. Images of Tarzan flashed in his mind. Things were simple but they were good. They’d gone back out another night and drank the nectar of the night blossoms again, she’s said it was really meant for parties and ceremonies but she said having some fun couldn't hurt. He wondered if that meant she was a bit of a troublemaker in her village, sneaking out to drink with the other village deviants when she’d been younger, like a teenage who snuck out through their window. The thought made me chuckle since now she seemed like a rule follower now.

Quaritch focused now on shaping the small segments of black stone, the same used to make the spearhead. Vira had been put in charge of making arrowheads today. The thought of shooting with a bow made him uneasy, he’d seen enough of Mrs. Sullys arrows to know how deadly they could be but it seemed an odd twist of fate that he’d have to learn to use the same type of weapon that ended his human life and got him into this na’vi body in the first place.

“Bows are ready,” Vira called as she walked along the branch holding a large bow she’d made for him. He took it from her and saw all the work she’s put into it. She'd carved intricate patterns into, way nicer than her crude little etching on the tree. It was dozens of stars forming the various constellations she’d pointed out to him during their time together drinking the night blossom. Vira had strung small tassels with beads made of teeth that she’d dyed different hues at the top where the strong met bow. The front had some kind of holder made of blue leaves that replaced a quiver. Miles tried to think if he’d ever gotten a gift that had so much work out into it. He’d seen her over the past several nights sitting across the fire from him instead of next to him as she normally did after dinner, working on something. He ran his fingers over the carved grooves.

“Thank you,”

“No need to thank, fine hunter deserves fine bow.”

He watched her pink skin flush a shade darker.

Quaritch had originally thought she flushed so often at him back at their first camp because she found him an attractive Na’vi, she was a young female after all, didn’t they have little infatuations and mess around like humans did? Just some natural instinct. He was a young male and she was a young female, that was all. Miles was sure there were plenty of forest boys back at her home who’d thought she was a looker with those orange doe eyes, they were warm and inviting like the first rays of sunshine. Miles' mind thought back on Vira being a young troublemaker and sneaking out with derelict jungle boys and getting drunk off the nectar in the woods. The thought of her causing mischief didn’t seem as amusing as much anymore.

The colonel shifted gears in his mind and filed away that he would have to ask one day about societal customs of recreational customs like courting and sex, it was so embedded in human society he assumed it had to be a part of the Na'vis. They were a humanoid society after all, no matter how primitive they may be. He’d heard mention from the science pukes of a mating season but he’d never really paid attention. Now that he was trying to get into the belly of the beast, truly know his enemy. He knew no information on the enemy was unimportant. It was all part of his mission to learn all he could.

That’s what he told himself anyways, it was practically a mantra in his mind at this point. Every question, every kindness he showed Vira, every moment spent together, was all in service to his mission. He was not enjoying himself out in the jungle with some native woman.

“One more,” the pink na’vi quickly made her way from him across the tree. He caught a whiff of her scent as the breeze blew, she smelled like a sweet lavender from the herbs they washed with and an underlying scent of something almost spicy, warm, and cloyingly sweet, that was just her scent. Her musk. It was all over the camp. He was sure he could track her scent at 100 clicks he knew it so well from his sensitive na’vi nose.

“Jeez Princess you’re spoiling me,”, he drawled to her, making her shade blush so deep it touched her ears.

Quaritch pondered then that she just flushed often because she got easily embarrassed and flustered. It was just harder for her to hide her flush than a Blue na’vi. He had just been reading too much into things.

She scrounged around in a pile of yerik bones and came back holding a bone knife, it seemed like she’d tried to make it comparable to his RDA combat knife in size and shape, he saw where she’d tried to even shape a serrated edge opposite the razor-sharp bone edge.

“Now that’s a fine blade, Tiny. Thank you.”

She handed him a sheathed to go across his chest, not unlike the ones he’d seen over Navi wear. He didnt know when she’d made the sheath either, had he just thought she was working on clothes or things for herself and had really been making him all these gifts?

He stood and slipped the sheath on over his tank top and put the knife in the holder.

“How do I look?”

Her orange eyes danced up and down his form, “more Na’vi every day.”

—

Vira and Miles scaled down to the base of their hometree, she was eager for him to try out the bow she had made for him. She had concerns that he might not have been ready to use it with his chest injury but he seemed stronger and stronger every day thank Ewya, he healed faster than she had ever anticipated. Maybe it was the great mother's plan to heal him quick so he could learn quickly. She had no other explanation, she hadn’t expected him to heal for a cycle, and they were not even halfway through.

The pink Na'vi brought paint down she’d made and marked three large yellow circles on the trunk for Miles to take aim at. Vira demonstrated how to shoot with her own bow, placing the arrow, nocking it, and letting go with her breath just like she taught him with the spear. She hit her mark first try in the center of the circle she was aiming at. The pink Na’vi smiled to herself, a bit smug, definitely more skilled with a bow than a spear.

Miles tried next, he seemed far less comfortable with the bow she noticed that he had with the spear. He handled it almost as though it may bite him. He knocked his arrow and took aim, his arrow falling below the circle he aimed from.

“Try another,” Vira ordered, she did a half circle around him, pink tail swishing in thought and he pulled another arrow back and it fell low again.

“I don’t think I’m meant to use a bow, Princess”

She made a thoughtful sound. “We need to fix your stance, that’s all. Pull back, do not release.”

He did as he was told and Vira got up close to him, chest to chest, she could feel his breath on her forehead, hear his soft inhales, and feel the rise and fall of his broad chest. She used her feet to push his legs into the proper position.

Vira took her small hands and lifted his drawing arm so his elbow was higher, she adjusted his bow arm by touching his forearm. To her those few moments she spent fixing his stance felt like an eternity. She turn her face up toward him, face flushed, surprised to see his yellow eyes were looking down at her and not at the target. His lips would have brushed her forehead if the bow did not prevent them from getting closer.

“Take a strong, deep breath,” she moved her hands to gently touch his abdomen. Vira heard the deep inhale and felt him take a deep breath. Kentens danced in her stomach and heat pooled to her face and between her thighs.

“Now try again.” She broke away from the close contact.

Vira watched his strong arms release the arrow with his breath. It whirled through the air, hitting its mark.

—

For dinner they ate the smoked spicy yerik she’d cooked, the smoke preserved the meat so it was good for several days but they would need to hunt soon. Vira was excited to hunt with her new bow, she was not the strongest or greatest hunter but she was skilled with a bow. If they had more numbers she’d consider they go hunting talioang on their Ikrans but with only two it would be hard and too much meat to try and eat. When she brought him back, he could try with the clan.

Still hungry after eating the meat she grabbed a Yovo fruit to peel and eat while they sat propped against the trunk of the tree on the sleeping mat. Miles sat beside her with his arms resting on his knees, legs spread apart, and relaxed as his large body took up extra space. He plucked the fruit out of her hands before she could even draw her knife from her thigh. Vira whined indignantly at the theft.

“Oh come on now, didn’t your mama teach you to share?” He looked down at her wickedly, “I can try out your gift,” he pulled the bone knife from the holster on his chest, its sharpened edge shining low in the firelight.

Vira rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything to Miles as he began to peel the fruit. Vira had come to enjoy watching his hands work with the extra finger, she no longer found it alien or even him really alien over the past several days, he just needed a teacher. The watched as he expertly used the knife she’d crafted for him, it made her happy to see it put to good use.

“See somethin’ you like there Princess?” He quipped as he kept peeling, Vira hasn’t even tried to hide that she was watching his hands.

She smiled and ignored the heat rushing to her face. “Your hands, too many fingers. Should be clumsy.”

“Here I thought I should be flattered with you staring and you just want to pick on my hands.” He laughed and laid his hand flat on his leg closest to her, palm up and open. He wiggled his fingers.

Vira tilted her head, orange eyes sparkling up at him with fascination. “Can I touch?”

He nodded and surprised at her own boldness, Vira took his hand in her own two. She was curious in nature, always wanting to learn and see and touch all she could. Greedy for knowledge.

She traced the lines of his blue hands, moved the smallest finger up and down and bent it. She bent Miles's whole hand in a fist, it shouldn’t have worked with 5 fingers but it did. She had him hold up his hand and lined it up her own with it, thumb to thumb, finger to finger all minus the small one. Not so different. He surprised her when he wrapped his small finger around the back of her hand and curled the tops of his larger fingers over her small ones.

Viras smile reached her eyes and glanced at him, she couldn’t read what the gesture meant behind his yellow eyes. It was a gesture that Na’vi did, it had no real meaning to them but something they did with babes and younglings. It was something her father had done many full sky cycles ago.

Miles pulled his large hand away and resumed peeling the Yovo fruit, he halved it and handed it to her not bothering to cut it more. His yellow eyes looked far away while he ate.

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creativityleftthechat · 2 years ago

Text

Best of both worlds (4)

Neteyam x Tayrangi!Metkayina!reader

Summary: The Sullys still have much to learn and notice, that not every new experience is a pleasend one. About teaching, new people and good food.

Words: 5124

Warnings: I think none

Note: finally. I have an idea what the issue was but jesus it took me a minute to figure this out. I feel like I write way to much about food but dinner time seems like the most social time of the day within the clan.

Masterlist

Previous part

You were walking on the beach, rather bored. Your mom insisted that you should not do much for the next two days. Every activity that went beyond walking was not approved. The ointment made you very tired— so much so that you slept until long after breakfast was done. Your family had already left. Your dad and your brother were training while your mother gathered supplies for another ointment she wanted to make for your wound. Tsireya was most likely spending time with the Sullys or helping your mother. You took the wrapped breakfast your mother left for you and went towards the sandy beach, greeting fellow Metkayina along the way. The thought of visiting your ikran came across your mind, but was quickly dismissed when you considered the distance between the village and the clearing, knowing your mother wouldn't approve of it.

You sat down in the shadow of a small tree, listening to the waves as you ate your breakfast. You picked up footsteps coming closer and looked up. Rotxo was heading your way, waving slightly. You waved back at him. "Hey, my father told me what happened. How are you doing?" He settled down next to you. "Hi, I'm alright, but my mom insists that I take it slow. So I don't have much to do now. Thanks for asking. What about you? How are you doing?" Rotxo was was always a little closer to your brother, but you got along well too. "I'm alright, thanks. So how was it? Riding a tsurak?" He looked at you with great interest. "Different. They are so much faster than the ilus! And above the water they are like...a lot like ikrans, actually. In the air, it's much easier than in the water. In the water, you get pushed off if your grip isn't tight enough or if you don't lean into the tsurak close enough. But it's the transition between water and air that I have trouble with." Rotxo looked at you amazed. "Wow. Yea, my brother mentioned that swimming with them is pretty tough because of their speed. But I don't think you have to worry about it. You know, my dad said you did very well, all things considered. My brother said his biggest struggle was learning to fly with them. But I guess that comes from your experience with your ikran. Anyway, you can be proud. I mean, usually nobody our age learns to ride a tsurak. It will be another year before any of us get to join you." You smiled at him, thankful for his encouragement.

Tsireya was with the Sullys, looking for a calm space to do some more breathing exercises, as she spotted you and Rotxo talking in the distance. She decided that you would probably like some company and remembered that Tuk still wanted to give you something. So she leads the group in your direction. "Look guys, there is Y/n!" Tuk pointed out to the group. They had all already spotted you when Tsireya suddenly changed the course. Neteyam's brows furrowed seeing you and the boy next to you smiling at each other during your conversation. The image didn't sit right with him.

"Y/n!" Tuk shouted, running in your direction. This interrupted your conversation as both of you looked up towards Tuk and the approaching group. You used your not-injured arm to wave at them. "Y/n, how are you? Do you feel better? I have something for you that will make you feel better!" Tuk finally came to a halt next to you, plopping down on the sand, panting slightly. "Hello Tuk, I am alright. Yes, I do feel much better, thank you." The rest of the group arrived at your spot, sitting down as well. Tuk opened the small bag that she kept at her hip, taking something out, before handing it to you. "I made this for you! I wanted to make you a gift since you gave me your pretty bracelet. It has some shells from here, but I also put some wooden pearls in it from our home." Looking at it, you saw a handcrafted trinket with various shells worked into it along with a few wooden beads. "Thank you Tuk, that is very sweet of you. It is very pretty." Tuk smiled brightly as she watched you fasten the accessory on your loincloth. "Are you angry with your tsurak? Dad said it is difficult, but you didn't want to give up, no matter how often you got thrown off." You chuckled at her never-ending curiosity. "No Tuk, I'm not angry. I just have to practice more. Hopefully, I won't fall off that often then." Tsireya looked at you skeptically. "You mean after our mother clears you for training again in a few weeks when you have fully recovered?" Rolling your eyes at your sister, you say in an annoyed tone, "Yes Tsireya, don't worry". Your conversation kept going and at some point, Rotxo said his goodbyes, as he wanted to meet up with his brother. "So what are you going to do now?" Neteyam sat next to you, drawing in the sand and glancing at you occasionally. "Nothing much for the next two days. Everything more than walking is apparently too much and for the rest of the week, I guess I will go with my mom and help her with her work here and there. What about you guys?" Neteyam smiled as he looked at the beach. "Our mom said she would take me out hunting tomorrow evening. With the ikrans, you know. To practice my bow hunting. And uhm, your sister wants us to learn the sign language better. So yeah, I think that's about it." Tuk intervened: "No, Neteyam. The celebrations, you forgot about the celebrations!" At that Neteyam piped up: "Oh yes! What's happening anyway? Our dad just said that something is happening this evening." You were surprised that your sister didn't tell them yet. "A few of our warriors will do their last trials today. Tonight we will celebrate them becoming men."

By now Tsireya, Lo'ak, and Kiri walked slightly away from the three of you. Kiri checked if you and their siblings were out of earshot before nodding at her brother. "Hey Tsireya, why does your sister learn to tame a tsurak?" Lo'ak tried to approach the topic carefully. "Well, it is needed to become a warrior in our clan." Tsireya didn't understand the question or rather why Lo'ak asked that. Kiri piped in "Yes but isn't taming an ikran just as good?" Tsireya had an idea in what direction this was leading. "Our father said, that since she is here it would be more appropriate to learn to ride one of them as they are more helpful in the ocean than the ikrans." Lo'ak didn't want to wait any longer. "Ok, honestly we were wondering if she is supposed to learn to ride a tsurak so she could become Olo'eyktan. Our mom said it's rare that the clan leaders are siblings but not unheard of. So is she?" A look of panic crossed Tsireya's face, quickly looking at you she saw that you were still talking to Tuk and Neteyam. Relieved but also defeated Tsireya sighs. "Please don't talk so loud that's a very sensitive topic. The truth is that I don't know. Our father did not name the next Olo'eyktan yet. Ao'nung and Y/n fight a lot and their rivalry is often the reason behind that. I don't know why our father is waiting but I'm certain he has his reasons for it. The most experienced warriors in our clan are also divided on the topic, I think. Nobody would say anything, especially not to our father but I have heard some rumors. Some still think it is not appropriate to name her Olo'eyktan as she is a woman. Her not being fully Metkayina is also a problem for some people. They fear, that she might not want to fully commit to this clan if another is part of her heart. Others think her early travels are what make her the better warrior. And they say she is more skillful than Ao'nung. You see she rode an ilu before she turned three. Usually, we start training with them shortly after our fourth birthday. Our father loves telling the story. They took her and Ao'nung to the beach for some swimming lessons when the ilus got to them and Y/n, who was a little behind the other children, suddently passed them on an ilu. They don't know how she managed it but so far it is one of my father's favorite stories to tell." While their question didn't get answered in the way they were expecting, it certainly gave them more insight into what was going on in the clan. They slowly got back to the others to finally start their breathing exercises.

Neteyam playfully hit you with his tail while everybody had their eyes closed. You snapped your eyes open, looking at him. He grinned at you with one eye open, repeating the action. You scrunched your nose to get him to stop but your smile betrayed you. He hit you again. After looking around to make sure that the others weren't noticing it, you squinted your eyes and hit him back. You aimed higher, hitting him on the back of his head. His braids jiggled as his head fell forward slightly. He looked at you in shock with a smile on his lips. This had you giggling and you felt a slight blush covering your cheeks. At the noise, the others opened their eyes, looking at you confused. This made your blush more intense, this time in embarrassment. Neteyam was now chuckling. The others, excluding Tuk, understood now that you and Neteyam were just messing with each other. "Right...enough breathing exercises for now. How about we do some more sign language?" Tsireya suggested.

Tsireya said a word and made the associated movement at the same time. The Sullys copied her. It was all going well and you decided that they should try it alone. Now you only said the word and they did the movement. You and Tsireya corrected their movements when they did something wrong. "Forward," you said. As the Sullys made the sign, you saw that Neteyam had a small mistake and went to correct him. "You have to put your fingers together. Like this, it means 'way'" Not sure what you meant, Neteyam started curling his fingers into a fist. "No, I mean like so." You uncurl his fingers and press his thumb against his index finger. Now Neteyam kept messing up and you kept correcting him. After the fifth time, you looked at Neteyam with concern. His teasing grin gave him away immediately. You hit his arm. "Skxawng!" At that, Neteyam chuckled before forcing himself to put on a serious face. Kiri rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. When you noticed that Tuk was getting restless, you decided to end the lesson for the day, leaving all of you some time to get ready for the festivities in the evening.

You and Tsireya helped each other braid your hair. She had a headpiece with pearls tied into her hair. They looked like waterdrops shining brightly. You had multiple braids that were decorated with seashells. Both of you were wearing chest pieces covered in pearls. Arriving at the celebrations, you were quickly called over to a small group of younger warriors as Tsireya sat down with a few friends of hers.

The Sullys arrived at the community area shortly after. Kiri spotted Tsireya, who beckoned them over to come sit with her group. "Hey guys, these are Lorell and Nupxi. And these are Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuk." Tsireya introduced everybody. They smiled and started a conversation, but Neteyam kept looking for you. "She is with the warriors over there." Tsireya addressed Neteyam, pointing discreetly to their left. He blushed at being caught but followed her finger regardless. The other girls were giggling at Neteyam's flustered state. He saw you talking to some men who were two or three years older than you. One of them was telling a story while the rest of you listened intently. He stood out as he had a large tattoo on his right arm, and a fresh-looking one at that. He must have been among the warriors who succeeded in their last trials today. The story seemed to reach its peak as you all laughed before getting back to smaller conversations. You looked over to your sister only to see Neteyam looking at you. You smiled at him and nodded your head in greeting. Neteyam averted his eyes and a small blush covered his cheeks.

"Hm, it seems like the forest boy has a little crush," Lorell said teasingly. Before Neteyam could deny it, Nupxi spoke up. "That wouldn't be too wise now, would it?" Before either of the Sullys could question it, Tsireya interrupted "Oh stop it, both of you! It is only gossip. Nothing but rumors!". The siblings looked confused between the girls. "What rumor?" Lo'ak wanted to be in on their secret. Lorell smiled at him. "You see, over there with the warriors next to Y/n is Fayem, the one with a healed tattoo on his left shoulder." They all looked over and saw you talking to him. "Fayem successfully passed the last trials two years ago. But he is yet to choose a mate or even court a woman." Lorell kept the tension up, but Nupxi decided to speed up the process. "Yes, and the rumor is that he didn't choose yet because he is waiting for a certain someone to pass hers." Neteyam did not like where this was going. He did not like it at all. "So that's why you, Neteyam of the forest people, should maybe not get your hopes up," Nupxi concluded. But Lorell intervened, "Don't listen to her! I am sure you have some good qualities. I mean, look at him! He is not Neteyam of the forest people. He is Neteyam, son of Toruk Makto, and...you are a good warrior, right? " Neteyam didn't know how to answer but Tuk did that for him. "The best! He was the youngest hunter ever to make a clean kill on a sturmbeest!" Lorell smiled proudly at that, looking at her friend with a satisfied smile. "You see, he is Neteyam, son of Toruk Makto, the best young warrior of the forest people!" Nupxi huffed while rolling her eyes. "Also, Y/n never even said that she was interested in Fayem. Or else Tonowari would have most likely already promised them to one another." Neteyam wanted to feel better knowing that you seemed to not care for this Fayem guy, but the thought of you being promised to anyone soured his mood. Tsireya rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to them. It is nothing more than a stupid rumor. Choosing a mate is a big decision and if it takes him longer to pursue someone, it only means that he wants to be very sure. As he SHOULD." Nupxi grinned at Tsireya. "Not all of it is a rumor. Rotxo told me, that he heard how Fayem told his brother about helping Y/n to ride her Tsurak once she recovers!" Lorell gasped at that. "You didn't tell me that!". Tsireya rolled her eyes again before looking at Neteyam. "It's only gossip. Don't let it get to your head. Neither of you!". She made a point to look at each Sully sibling individually to get her point across. Tuk grinned. "It doesn't matter anyway. Neteyam is teaching her how to ride her ikran. Fayem and no other warrior could do that better than him...well, except dad." That had the girls intrigued. "Really? Is there anything else?" Tuk took a deep breath and said, "Well-". Before Tuk could feed these gossip-hungry viperwolves, Neteyam intervened. "Tuk, don't!" Frowning, she looked at her oldest brother. "Why?" "Because gossiping is not in good taste and it will lead to rumors." Not fully understanding Tsireya's explanation, she questioned further, "But why are rumors bad?" Smiling at her innocence, Tsireya leaned toward Tuk. "Hm, it's as if I were saying that you don't like a certain food just because you once did not want to eat it because you were already full." Tuk gasped. "But that's a lie!"

"What's a lie?" All eyes turned to you as you approached the group. "Hey guys, so what's a lie?" You asked again, sitting down between Tuk and Neteyam. "A rumor is!" Tuk gladly shared her new wisdom. You glanced quickly at Tsireya briefly, who only shook her head before you turned back to Tuk. "It surely is." The group was suddenly surrounded by awkward silence. "So how is Fayem?" Lorell asked, taking a sip from her cup to make it seem like a casual question. You looked at her confused. "He is fine...?" Nupxi commented: "Oh good. We were just wondering since you seemed to be so...friendly." Now catching on, you rolled your eyes. "We were talking. You know that's what people do at celebrations. Just like we are talking now too." Lorell grinned at you, "Right, now that we are talking...did you know that Neteyam was the youngest hunter in his clan to ever make a clean kill on a sturmbeest?" She was a little unsure about the animal's name, but Tuk nodded, confirming that she got the name right. Lorell and Nupxi were waiting for your reaction. You kept your face perfectly still as you evaluated killing both of them. Concluding that it wasn't worth Eywa's or your parents' wrath, you answered as neutrally as possible. "No. But I am certain his clan was very happy and his family was very proud." The girls shared a look before leaning back. The awkward silence was back and they were all looking for something to say. Tsireya got up. "Well, I am rather hungry. I am going to get some food. Anybody else?" Tuk and Neteyam got up as well to go with Tsireya, although Neteyam mainly wanted to get away from the situation.

"We heard you trained with Toruk Makto. How was it?" Nupxi asks. You sigh. "You know, you are both very nice people when you are not trying to gather information to gossip. Yes, I did train. Yes, Toruk Makto was there as well. No, I did not focus on him as I was too busy getting thrown off of my tsurak. And yes, I am sure he is a great warrior. For any further questions about Toruk Makto, you might want to ask his children as they are sitting right next to you." Surprised by your harsh response, both girls got very quiet and started spotting a pout. "We were just asking."

At the buffet, Tsireya led Neteyam and Tuk to the foods she liked best and as she plated a little bit of everything for them Fayem approached. "Hey, guys, are you enjoying the festivities so far?" He questioned, mainly looking at Tsireya. She responded for the group. "Yes, all good. I heard that everybody was successful today." Fayem nodded at that. "Oh yeah, they all passed the trials without complications. Hunting also went well, your dad was part of the hunting party today, we brought back quite the kill." The last part was aimed at Neteyam and Tuk. Neteyam made a mental note to talk to his dad later. Rotxo called over to them, getting the small group's attention. He waved at Fayem to get back. Standing next to him were Lorell and Nupxi, as well as Ao'nung and some more of his friends. The girls were saying something that had Ao'nung roll his eyes as some of the others laughed. Great, just great. Neteyam was sure that they were making fun of him and his feelings for you. Fayem said his goodbyes before he went back to Ao'nung's group. Neteyam averted his eyes, focusing on Tsireya as she explained to him and Tuk what they were having on their plates.

When they were returning to your small group, now only consisting of Lo'ak, Kiri, and you, he first noticed Lo'ak's grim look, as you were still blocked from his view by a few people. As they got closer, he saw the reason for that. Fayem crouched next to you, clearly engaging you in a conversation you weren't keen on having— your body language told that much. As the tall male loomed over you, standing a little too close for Neteyam's liking, you sat there with your arms protectively wrapped around yourself, not even fully facing the man. Your ears were also slightly lowered and your tail curled around you. "So what do you say, hm? I could tutor you,once you get better, of course." Oh, so much for just gossip. "Uhm, that is very kind of you to offer but like I said, my dad is already teaching me...and also..." You quickly had to find a better excuse, just as you were desperately looking for something to say, Neteyam came into your view: "... also, I have already asked Neteyam to help me with my ikran, so there wouldn't be much time for any additional lessons anyway." You smiled at Neteyam, desperately urging him to back you up. Fayem's eyes fell on him as his eager expression turned into a frown, ears slicking back against his head. "You see, my brother is the best ikran rider, so she must take aaaallll the lessons. There will be no time. No time at all. Very sorry." Little Tuk once again took charge, but her sympathetic expression was not as convincing with the smile that graced her lips. Fayem turned back to you with a smile that was probably meant to be charming as he crossed his arms, making his biceps bulk. "Well, if you change your mind or if flying turns out to be easier than you think, you know where to find me. I am always happy to help." And with that, he walked off.

"What was that?" Tsireya wondered, seeing how uncomfortable you were with the situation. "Pushy is what that was." Lo'ak was annoyed at that guy's confidence. "Before you got here, she already told him no twice," Kiri explained. At that, Neteyam's jaw clenched. When he settled down, he sat close to you with his tail loosely curled around your back, subconsciously blocking you from the other group. The others followed his example and began eating.

Tsireya had good taste, that much was evident. The Sullys enjoyed every bit of food on their plates until they both reached for a type of shellfish that they had yet to open. It was a lot harder than it looked, and soon Tuk turned to Tsireya for help. Neteyam was not willing to give up that quickly, but you saw his struggle, aware that only a certain technique could open them without splintering the shell and ruining the meat in the process. "Wait, let me help!" You lay your hand over Neteyam's to stop his attempts before they could ruin the delicious meat. He looks at you with big eyes, turning his hand around to let you grab the seafood. As you took it, you shuffled closer to him so he could see your exact hand movements. "You have to hold it like so. Pressing your thumb into these dents. Then you press two fingers on the edge here..." Taking his still hovering hand, you lead his index finger over the still-sealed opening. "...then you press down hard and...there you go!" You moved your hands along your words and the shell smoothly opened up. With a proud smile, you turn to Neteyam, now realizing your close proximity. He felt your breath on his lips as you exhaled, your noses barely a finger's width apart. You both blush severely as you pull back to put some distance between you. Distracting yourself, you finished opening the shell and cleaned it. Carefully, Neteyam took the shell with the meat in it and watched you sprinkle small bits of the seasoning from his plate on the meat before you guided his hand toward his mouth. He slurps the meat into his mouth and lets the different flavors melt on his tongue. He hums, satisfied and nods happily at you.

"That's good!" Tuk exclaimed gleefully. You all chuckle at that. The casual conversation picked up again, but Neteyam kept sneaking glances at you. Sitting so close to you, he saw every little detail. From the seashells carefully beaded into your braids to the glowing dots on your face, which stood in stark contrast to your thick, long black lashes. Even the blue of your eyes seemed more vibrant up close. But nothing could surpass your smell. Like everybody in the village, you always slightly smelled of saltwater, but your own very personal smell was like a mix between sweet flowers and the fresh smell you could only perceive after heavy rain in the forest.

"So..." Lo'ak interrupted while playing with the wooden bracelet on his wrist. "...are we all going to learn how to ride tsuraks as well?" He directed his question at Tsireya, who looked to you for answers. But you weren't sure either and just shrugged. "Well, our future warriors learn that, but I mean, you all already went through the Omatikaya's trial with your ikran. I guess it is similar. I'm sure that could count too, at least until later. You have to perfect ilu riding before you can even consider riding a tsurak. And even if you consider it, a teacher would be needed, but not everybody is fit for teaching. Those who are choose their students when they are deemed worthy." Kiri's brows furrowed upon hearing that. "But our dad is training and he never rode an ilu in his life." You smirked. "Yes, and our father strongly urged him to learn with the ilus, but 'it will be hard to learn' isn't the best argument when talking to Toruk Makto."

"So how long would it take us to get good enough for tsurak training?" Neteyam wondered. He is a great warrior, he passed his ikran trial with flying colors, and (not that he would ever say anything out loud) it couldn't be that hard if Fayem learned it. "Well, that depends on your talent and your training. It won't take you years to practice, most children of the village are ready for training long before they reach their teenage years. The physical part is what takes so long since you need a good amount of muscle, stamina, and durability. That's why we have to wait that long. The biggest obstacle is finding a teacher. No trained warrior wants a student who still takes many risks. You are expected to be dutiful, they are the ones responsible for your safety after all. Sometimes younger warriors offer to teach eager young boys, thinking that they will manage, but it never ends well. More often than not, the boys stopped their training altogether and were only willing to pick it up years later, when actual warriors offered to train them. Since the last time that happened, there is an unspoken rule of asking Tonowari for permission before you approach a student to be." Kiri nudged Lo'ak with her elbow. "Level-headed AND an experienced teacher? Damn, you won't become a man before you are in your twenties!" It was clear that she was merely joking, but Tsireya didn't want any of the Sullys to feel insecure. "Oh, you don't have to worry! Like I said, I think there might be an exception for you guys. But I don't doubt that your dad would be willing to teach you later. You will reach adulthood long before that." Tsireya now looks at Neteyam, trying to reassure him, and she says: "When you have settled in, our parents will most likely talk about the best way for you to transfer the trials you already did!"

She misses the confused look Kiri and Lo'ak share: "Tsireya, that won't be necessary." Now both you and Tsireya look at Kiri confused. Why wouldn't it be necessary? Neteyam is the oldest of the siblings, so he is going to become an official adult first. "I already did all my trials. I am a full hunter back home." Neteyam's voice was calm, sure of himself. Not cocky, but confident. "Oh" you and Tsireya were surprised, neither of them ever said anything. Neteyam's siblings couldn't help but notice the twinkle of admiration in your eyes, it seemed like Fayem wouldn't be the male in your life that would be the source of good gossip.

The conversation kept going, and the atmosphere was calm. You all had a great time. At some point, Tuk got sleepy and leaned onto her older brother, dozing off. Shortly after, Jake and Neytiri approached their kids to get home.

Lo'ak as well as Kiri were walking a little ahead and Tuk seemed to be sleeping in their mother's arms, so Neteyam turned to his father. "Uhm, there was this guy we just met, Fayem, I think. He said he was part of the hunting party today...do you know him ?" Neteyam cringed at his question. Surprised, Jake looked at Neteyam. "Yes. Tall guy. Tonowari mentioned that he is one of the best warriors they currently have, bright for his age. He was very helpful today. Why do you ask?" Dispirited by his father's praising words, Neteyam dismissed the conversation. "Just wondering. Like I said, he was at the party." Jake raised an eyebrow at his son but didn't question him further. "I don't like him." Both men looked at Tuk, who was gazing sleepily gazing in their direction. "Why would you say that, Tuk?" Jake wondered as his daughter was usually friendly to everybody she met, always assuming the best. Tuk yawned, "Because he is arrogant. And he fancies Y/n but she is waaaayyy too pretty for him. And too smart. And just much better. Probably the better warrior too." Tuk rested her case as she turned her face, settling in the crock of her mother's neck. Now that made more sense to Jake. "So he is just some guy you met at the party, hm? Not a man who fancies the girl you like?" Jake teased his son, a smirk stretching across his face. Neteyam didn't look at his dad as he shrugged his shoulders. "He mentioned the hunt today, that's all. I was just curious." It didn't slip that Netayam didn't deny his father's insinuation, but Jake didn't want to pry any further.

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