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cryunderthewillowtree · 2 years

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Coral Streaks – Chapter 12

Synopsis – In which she loves him, but he's utterly, painfully clueless. Awra always believed love should be easy – a beautiful gift from Eywa herself. But when she falls for the oldest Sully, it's a love filled with trial. A tale of coming apart and finding your way back.

Related Warnings: Eventual Smut (Aged Up Characters), Language, Descriptions of assault, Harassment

Characters – Neteyam x Fem Metkayina!reader

Related Tags: Major Angst, Slow-Burn, Friends-To-Lovers, Heartache, Tension, Hurt/Comfort

Notes: Posting this from my Ao3 account, please feel free to head over there to read this story as well! I realised only after being 14 chapters in that I spelt Omatikaya wrong this entire time – my apologies in advance. But please enjoy this story nonetheless!

[Do not interact with this story if you are underage.]

Awra had woken up that morning with the intention to make things right with the Sully family. Talking to Neteyam proved to be difficult, because the older Sully boy was so elusive; always disappearing right when she tried to search for him. Lo’ak seemed to be in a sour mood, no doubt from yesterday’s events, so she left him in Tsireya’s care. Her younger sister had been fawning over the younger Sully, eyes wide as she’d recounted so sweetly to Awra of her conversation with Lo’ak after eclipse.

“He’d been so sweet, sister. I cannot explain it to you.” Tsireya had gushed, hands clasped together.

“Oh?” Comes Awra’s hushed reply, eyes glinting in the dimness of the marui. Tsireya had, of course, returned home only hours after eclipse had settled, sneaking quietly into their marui long after their parents had retired for the night. “And what exactly did you two talk about for so long?”

Tsireya blushes. In the low lights, Awra can just about make out the shallow dips of her sister’s dimples. They were hereditary, of course, and both her and Awra had their father to thank for them.

“We talked about the tulkun, and I told him–,” Tsireya pauses mid-sentence, and a shy smile tugs at her full lips. Her sister ducks her head, fiddling with her fingers.

“Told him what sister?” Awra presses, eyes curious. Tsireya stifles a cheeky giggle, hand coming up to press against her mouth as she meets Awra’s eyes. Awra notices the glint in her sister’s large eyes, adoration mixed with admiration swirling in the crystalline depths.

“I told him that he’s one of us now. And that I see him.” At the shy admission, Tsireya’s blush deepens, and Awra can’t help the giggle that tickles at her chest too. The sound is bashful, and she leans closer to her sister, placing a hand on Tsireya’s thigh.

“And what of his reaction to your kind words?” Awra feels her own mood soar at Tsireya’s words, remembering the time when she would hide from their parents when it came time for chores; opting to whisper childish secrets by the seapools before they would run home guiltily. They’d grown up so much since those times – no longer children but young adults working to earn their place amongst their people. It made Awra’s heart twinge with nostalgia.

Tsireya bites her lip, looking down at her lap shyly. “He didn’t say anything sister. But his eyes.” As Tsireya recounts the expression on Lo’ak’s face, Awra can’t help but let her mind wander to the older Sully brother – she wondered if his large, amber eyes would widen in shock if she had uttered those same words. “His eyes sister. They were indescribable.”

After their hushed conversation, Awra sent her sister off to bed in a fit of cheeky giggles before tucking herself in with a full heart. She’d let herself ride on the coattails of her sister’s budding romance with Lo’ak, praying to Eywa for courage in facing the Sully siblings later that day. But alas, as she carefully approached the Sully marui, she could feel the dredges of courage escape her. She’d spent all morning working up the courage to visit the Sully marui to ask for Kiri and Tuk. She’d figured she would devise a more strategic plan in approaching Neteyam, so it could wait. For now, she wanted to tackle her consequences one at a time – starting with the Sully sisters.

Jake Sully sits with Neytiri on the edge of their marui, tending to some cooking. She can smell a fire going, and if she cranes her neck, she can see Neytiri gently folding meat into large leaves for preserving. Awra clears her throat, treading lightly up to the lip of the marui.

“Hello Mr Sully, Mrs Sully.” She greets politely, dipping her head in respect. Jake looks up first, head tilting in confusion at the sight of the Olo ‘eyktan’s daughter outside their marui. Neytiri looks on cautiously, turning subconsciously towards her mate, eyes never leaving Awra’s face. The expression on Neytiri’s face makes Awra shift uncomfortably. While Jake seemed more perplexed than threatened at Awra’s presence, the Sully mother looked extremely displeased. They both regarded her apprehensively, and she really didn’t blame them. The last time she was here, she was being carried in, bloody and bleeding in the arms of their oldest son. Thinking back, she’d never offered an explanation to that ordeal. Not even a thank you, she winces to herself,

“Hello Awra, what can we do for you?” Comes Jake’s voice. He puts on a courteous smile, setting aside the wooden board he’d been using to prepare food on. “Is everything okay?” Despite the facade he puts on, Awra can tell the way apprehension bleeds into the lines on his face, pulling at the edges of his gracious front.

She nods uneasily, eyes flitting between Jake and Neytiri. Neytiri has since stopped folding the meat into the leaves, turning to face Awra fully. Her lips were set into a firm line, the corners dropping to show her displeasure with Awra. Awra couldn’t help but fidget uncomfortably under Neytiri’s stare, tail swaying slowly behind her as she stood.

“Neteyam is not here.” The Sully mother remarks suddenly, voice sharp. Jake turns to his mate, eyes wide. “So you should go.”

Awra cringes, swallowing hard at the sound of Neytiri’s voice. She sounded upset, tone sharp as she glared down at the younger Na’vi girl. Awra could see the way Neytiri’s shoulders squared almost imperceptibly, a show of dominance as the older Na’vi woman straightened her posture. Neytiri’s message was clear: leave now, while you can.

Jake chuckles awkwardly, trying to alleviate the tension. “Hey! Hey, let’s not scare her away.” He starts, a hand coming to rest reassuringly on Neytiri’s thigh. Neytiri doesn’t budge, gaze still fixed firmly on Awra. “I apologise for my mate, she’s not in the best moods after what happened yesterday. You must forgive her.”

That earns him a stern glare from Neytiri. “Do not apologise for me,” she hisses at Jake. The Sully father wrings his hands out in a placating manner. Awra watches silently, humiliation burning in her gut. She sees the look in Jake’s eyes, large and round as if pleading for his mate to stand down. Awra bites her lips, fiddling with her fingers as she watches this exchange. Did they hate her this much already?

The guilt builds to a crescendo in her gut, punctuated by feelings of self-loathing and deprecation. It finally spills forth in an ugly flurry. “I’m sorry, I should go.” She blurts out, grimacing. “I’m so sorry Mrs Sully.”

“Hey wait, Awra–” Jake reaches for her, stepping out of the marui. Awra flinches away on instinct, and Jake’s browbone creases in concern. He tilts his head, but Awra avoids his gaze.

“Awra, why did you come here? Was there something you needed?” He asks, gentler this time. He sounds like a father, voice placating as he crouches to get to her eye-level. She turns to face him, taking in his features – feathery eyebrows pinched in concern, long dreadlocks spilling over his shoulders. He’s intimidating despite his gentleness, and she has to take a deep breath to find the bravery to speak.

“Yes Mr Sully, I was wondering if Kiri and Tuk were here?” Her words come out shaky, and she can’t help the wary glance she spares at Neytiri. The Sully mother was still sitting on the lip of the marui, glancing down at Awra with barely concealed irritation. Her tail flicked and twitched behind her, indicating annoyance. Awra’s heart sinks to her feet, but she forces herself to tear her eyes away to focus on Jake instead.

Jake spares a look up at his mate as well, who shakes her head at him. It’s a quick shake, barely perceptible, but it tells Awra all she needs to know. She notices the look on Jake’s face as he turns back to face her – he looks torn between decisions. His eyebrows are furrowed and he bites his lip, looking away for a moment before sighing heavily. Awra’s heart sinks at his reaction, fully prepared to make the shameful walk back to her marui alone. But Jake fixes her with a soft expression, placing a large five-fingered hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but they’re not here.” He finally admits, voice soothing. “But I think I heard Kiri say she’d be by the seapools today. You can try looking for them there?” Awra lights up at his admission, tail swishing in excitement; but she hears Neytiri click her tongue.

“Jake–” His name sounds like a warning on Neytiri’s tongue, and Awra’s insides twist. She dared not look in the Sully mother’s direction, swallowing nervously as Jake gives her a small push away from the marui.

“Go on then!” Jake interrupts, an encouraging smile on his face. Awra shoots Jake a grateful smile before signing a ‘thank you’. He nods, waving her off. She almost trips herself when running on the netted pathway to the seapools, sprinting away from the Sully’s marui where Neytiri was no doubt, swearing her back to her ancestors.

It pained her to know how much Neytiri had detested her, but she figured it was in a mother’s instinct to want to protect her children. Awra had afterall, deeply upset all of her aforementioned children; so it was no wonder the Sully mother was so protective. It still hurt nevertheless, and made shame burn in her cheeks. She coudn’t help but wonder what Neteyam had said to Neytiri, or what Lo’ak, Kiri or Tuk had shared to make Neytiri so upset with her. Her stomach coiled with anxiety, and she could feel her palms become clammy at the thought of talking to Kiri and Tuk.

She let her muscle memory guide her to the seapools, and by the time she’d arrived, there was already a thin sheen of perspiration forming on her forehead. The seapools sparkled with the sun’s warm rays this early in the morning, and framed by the great expanse of ocean behind it, the view was breathtaking. The water is a vibrant cerulean, clear enough so that you could see the bottoms of each shallow pool. As a child, the seapools were her favourite place to find special rocks and shells for her hair ornaments – the gentle lull of water here preserving the unique shape and markings of the delicate materials while cleaning them of dirt and grit. It was always great fun to scour the shallow pools for new shells to add to her collection as well, and she used to spend hours wading around in the knee-deep water with Tsireya to evade their chores.

It wasn’t hard to spot Kiri and Tuk, their dark cobalt skin a stark contrast against the other Metkayina villagers. They were crouching together in a seapool, and she could see Tuk talking animatedly to Kiri as the latter nodded and smiled softly. As she walked over, she could feel the trepidation manifesting in the form of a rapid pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath in, letting the air fill her lungs and instill a false sense of bravery. As she neared the girls, Kiri abruptly stood up, and Awra caught her eye. The smile on Kiri’s face faded to something like a frown, and Awra could only force a stiff smile in return. Placing a hand over her heart to will it to calm, she hurriedly leapt into the seapool with the Kiri and Tuk, wading in with her hands.

Tuk pauses, a fistful of shiny searocks in her hand. Her shoulder sling looked taut, the material damp as the wetness of the freshly collected stones seeped through. Tuk’s smile drops from her cherub face, lips turning down as she quickly stuffs the handful of stones into her already filled sling. She turns away from Awra, sniffling.

“Kiri–” Tuk starts, voice barely above a murmur. Awra’s heart breaks at the sound of Tuk’s pitiful whine, wanting nothing more than to reach out and pull the youngest Sully into a hug. When the Sullys first touched down on their shores, she recalled being extremely fond of the youngest girl – what with her eyes large with wonder and curiosity; she reminded Awra so much of Tsireya when they were younger. It triggered her protectiveness, and she spent many hours with Tuk during their first eclipses here talking about the way of water; and she’d never forget the way Tuk would giggle as she asked question after question about Awra’s strangely-shaped tail and arms. To have that familiarity stripped away pained Awra more than she could express.

Kiri rolls her eyes, ignoring Awra’s pleading stare. “Kiri, can we talk–”

“Let’s go, Tuk.” Kiri grabs Tuk’s arm gently, trying to drag her sister away and out of the seapools. Awra’s ears flatten against her head, stepping in front of the sisters to block their way. “Wait, please. Kiri, I can explain.”

Kiri scoffs incredulously. “There’s nothing to explain.” She drawls, refusing to meet Awra’s eyes. Tuk stands beside Kiri, arm still held in Kiri’s hand. The younger Sully is looking up at Awra with sad woeful eyes, lips formed into a pout.

“You’re mean Awra!” Comes Tuk’s cry. “You’re a big meanie because you ignored us! And you made us all sad.” Tuk tugs her hand out of Kiri’s grasp, folding them in front of her chest. She shot Awra a disapproving glare, and Awra felt herself deflate at the youngest Sully’s comments.

“She doesn’t care Tuk. I already told you. She has better things to worry about.” Kiri bites, still refusing to look at the Metkayina. Awra worries at her lip, hands strung together as she frantically tried to think of some way to defuse the situation. When Awra doesn’t respond, Kiri looks up at Awra, finally finally meeting her gaze. Kiri’s eyes are full of disappointment, but she can see the underlying hurt in the way the Ometicayan girl’s eyebrows crease and dip. Kiri huffs, shaking her head.

“Let’s just go Tuk–”

“I’m sorry.” Awra utters, head hanging in shame. “I’m sorry Kiri, and I’m sorry Tuk. I’m a horrible friend, and you guys deserve to be mad at me. But please, please just hear me out.” Awra looks at Kiri, and then at Tuk, blinking to keep her tears at bay. This was no time for crocodile tears.

Tuk turns to Kiri, and both girls seem to converse with their eyes for a beat; before Kiri nods. She still looks distrustful, lips turned down at the corners. Awra can’t help the small sigh of relief.

“Thank you, thank you.” She heaves, and Kiri just nods, face still stoic. Awra swallows, taking a deep breath before exhaling. Tuk watches her closely, arms still folded in front of her as she blinks up at Awra.

“I like Neteyam.” She starts cautiously, eyeing the Sully sisters to gauge their reaction.

“That much is obvious.” Comes Kiri’s snarky reply. Awra nods stiffly at her curt response, before continuing.

“We met, a few days ago in a cove near the end of the island. We…we spent some time together there, and we left separately that night to head back to the village.” Awra had chosen to omit the part where she’d seen their brother naked and writhing – she figured it was for the best. Kiri’s eyebrow quirks in response, but she says nothing.

“When I left, I ran into Te’lau.” She sees Tuk’s lips part, and Awra is quick to explain. “Te’lau is to be my mate. My parents have promised me to him. He is to be Olo’ eyktan and I am to be his Tsahik.” At that, Tuk’s frowns, opening her mouth again but Kiri shushes her gently. Tuk pouts, but stays quiet.

“He could…could–” Awra stumbles on her words, shame in her gut. Taking another deep inhale, she steeled her gut and tried again. “He could smell Neteyam on me, saw the marks he left behind. He cornered me and–” Awra stops, voice shaky as she forces herself to recount what happened that night after she’d left Neteyam at the cove.

She squeezes her eyes shut. “He–he pushed me down. He held me down, on the ground and called me names.” Her voice comes out warbled, and she fiddles restlessly with her hands. She bites down on her lip, humiliation stinging her cheeks. She’s afraid to look up at Kiri, afraid of the disgust and rejection she’d see on their faces. She thought about telling them about the bite, feeling it throb under her skin. Her hands itch to cover it up, but she pushes the urge down. She didn’t want to talk about the bite in front of Tuk.

“I tried to get away, I did, but he was too strong. I tried, but I fainted and I woke up in his marui. So I–” She pauses to breathe, her frantic pace leaving no space for a breath. “I–I got away, but he found me. Neteyam was there, but he promised to hurt me, threatened to expose me for being with Neteyam and I just couldn’t–”

At the admission, Awra sucks in a shuddery breath, suddenly aware of the tears at her lashline. She hastily wipes them away on the back of her hand, exhaling. “I couldn’t deal with the thought of Te’lau exposing us to my parents. I’ve already caused them enough disappointment. I didn’t want any of this to reach Neteyam or any of you either. I didn’t think, so I just…ran.” Awra admits, voice a murmur. She can hear her own voice reverberating in the quiet around them, and she couldn’t recognise herself. She sounded so weak and defeated. How could she have let it get this bad?

“I just ran away. I left him there. I left Neteyam in the village and I ran home. I just thought if I stayed away from him, I’d be able to keep Te’lau quiet. If my parents find out about me and Neteyam, I–I don’t know what they’ll do, and I couldn’t forgive myself if your uturu was jeopardized because of me. I don’t want to make things worse. Looks like I did anyway.” The last part is a whisper, and Awra feels incredibly small. She can feel the Sully sisters’ stares burning into her face, and she forces herself to meet their gaze. What would she see? Anger? Betrayal? Resentment? Disgust?

Instead, she sees sorrow. Pity. She barely registers the emotion flitting through Kiri’s face before glancing down at Tuk. Tuk is looking at her, warm yellow eyes sad as she reaches for Awra. She’s still pouting, but Awra lets Tuk crush her in a hug.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Tuk whines into her belly, voice muffled. “We could protect you.”

Awra can’t help the watery laugh that escapes her. “I didn’t want you to have to, Tuktuk.”

Tuk pulls away, pouting up indignantly. “Daddy says Sullys stick together. No one can hurt us when we’re together.” She exclaims defiantly, bearing her small canines. Awra chuckles, eyes still wet.

“Okay Tuk, you’re right. I’m a big meanie, and I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?” She asks, voice still weary and shaky. Tuk nods once, a small smile on her face.

“As long as you promise never to ignore me again.” She mutters, poking Awra’s stomach. Awra smiles, and nods affirmatively.

“Promise Tuktuk.” Awra says, clasping Tuk’s small hand in hers. “Thank you for forgiving me.” Tuk just nods, before turning to peer up at her older sister. Kiri looks confounded, brows pinched.

“Kiri, you have to forgive her!” Comes Tuk’s whine, voice high as she tugs on Kiri’s hand. “C’mon!” Tuk drags out the word, yanking on Kiri’s arm. Kiri huffs, rolling her eyes again. Tuk lets go of her hand, wrinkling her nose at her sister.

Awra gazes uneasily at the older Sully sister, staring hopefully as Kiri finally opens her mouth.

“You’re stupid, you know that?” She huffs, crossing her arms. Awra blinks, but nods sheepishly.

“Yeah, I got that.”

“You’re stupid for trying to keep all that a secret.” Kiri snaps, eyes boring into Awra’s. Awra’s lips part to explain herself, but Kiri cuts her off. “Let me finish.”

Awra’s jaw snaps shut. “You’re stupid for thinking you have to do this alone. You’re stupid for thinking you could do this alone. And you’re especially stupid for pushing us away.” Kiri voice is taut with frustration, and by the end of her sentence, Awra could see her chest heaving with exertion. “You’re stupid for not letting us in, stupid.”

Awra smiles, but it’s more like a grimace. “Got it, I’m stupid.” She affirms, fidgeting. Kiri glares at her, eyes shutting in exasperation before she sighs, a hand coming up to rest over her eyes. Awra’s eyes follow the movement of her hand, taking in Kiri’s posture that was fraught with vexation.

And then, Kiri sighs long and slow. “Why didn’t you tell us? Tell me?” Kiri asks, voice pointed. Her hand drops from her eyes, revealing a deep sorrow for Awra’s plight. “You know I’m here for you. Why didn’t you come to me?”

“I’m here too!” Tuk chimes in, much to Awra’s amusement. Kiri shushes Tuk, and Tuk pouts at her sister.

“Thank you Tuktuk.” Awra replies gratefully. Tuk beams at her, pearly whites on display.

Kiri smiles too, hand tucking a braid behind Tuk’s ear. She turns back to Awra, and her expression turns serious. “You–

A horn blares in the distance. Awra’s head snaps in the direction of the horn, ears swivelling. “Something is happening at the village. We should–” Awra falters, hating that her conversation with Kiri was interrupted. Kiri just nods, eyes softening.

“We should go. I’ll meet you after dinner, near the pier. And we’ll finish talking about this. And don’t you think about slinking away this time.” Awra nods gratefully, and slips Tuk’s hand in hers before leading the Sully girls out of the seapools and back to the village.

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Back at the village, there’s a crowd gathering near the tak’hu, and sounds of cheer can be heard. Men chorus in triumph, bellowing sounds of congratulations as a group of young warriors appear by the pier on their skimwings. The young men are weary, fatigue written into their expressions as they climb onto the pier slowly. The commotion only grows with every young warrior that emerges onto the pier, soaking wet as they stand proudly on the netted paths.

“Let us welcome back our brave warriors!” Awra hears her father’s booming voice at the lip of the tak’hu, and she can just about spot him standing on the lip of the clan marui with her mother. They’re wearing large smiles, nodding proudly as they usher in the young Metkayina warriors. “Today is a day of celebration! Our people grows strong with our new warriors!”

“What’s happening?” Kiri murmurs, sidling up beside Awra as they take in the commotion.

Awra’s eyes dart through the young warriors standing in a row, chewing on her lip nervously as she waits to spot Te’lau. She wasn’t sure if he had joined this first group of young warriors in this moon’s Iknimaya. “It’s the end of this moon’s Iknimaya. These are the young warriors who have returned successfully.” She answers absentmindedly, grip on Tuk’s hand tightening. She knows her parents are urging the crowd to dance and celebrate, and as the bodies around them surge, Awra tries to shuffle the Ometicayan sisters towards the edge of the mass of bodies.

Kiri just hums, blinking as the crowd seems to disperse slightly, forming a large circle around the young warriors. Awra counts seven of them, eyes hardened as they signal their skimwings to leave the pier. Her eyes dart from face to face frantically, trying to see if Te’lau were here. For a moment, she doesn’t spot him, and she feels relief flood her chest.

Around them, the celebrations continue to build to a frenzied high. Villagers growl and snarl at one another, their cries ululating through the circle. Tuk shrinks into Awra’s side, overwhelmed by the intensity of the ritualistic behaviour. Awra squeezes her hand reassuringly, offering the youngest Ometicayan a gentle smile. “Don’t be afraid. They are happy. This is just how my people celebrate the young warriors who have completed their Ikinimaya.”

Tuk meets Awra’s gaze apprehensively, nodding her head. “I’m sorry,” Tuk says, rubbing her eye. “We celebrate differently back home. In the forest.”

Awra smiles, the uproar fading into the background. She crouches down next to Tuk, smoothing down the girl’s braids. “Oh yeah? How did you guys celebrate Iknimaya?”

Tuk’s eyes light up at the mention of her home, tail flicking in interest. Awra smiles, listening to Tuk talk excitedly about Ometicayan traditions and rituals, chuckling and nodding at the younger Na’vi’s enthusiasm. Kiri watches on, an amused smile on her face as Tuk rambles. Just then, someone whoops loudly and Awra turns slightly, adjusting herself on her crouch. As she does, her gaze sweeps back over the commotion just in time to see another Metkayina warrior clamber onto the pier. Her heart stops.

Please don’t be him. Please don’t be him. Please don’t be him.

It’s Te’lau. As he hauls himself onto the net, his shoulders square and he wears a smirk on his face. He rolls his right shoulder once, twice, before wringing water out of his braids. Awra watches, icy fear gripping her chest, as he stalks over to join the other young warriors in the middle of the merrymaking. She can’t hear Tuk anymore, words fading into a buzz as she stares at the way he laughs, unpleasant guffaws travelling through the noise and sending chills up her spine.

He’s completed his Iknimaya successfully. That means–that means he’s free to mate. He’s free to claim me as his. He’s free to–

She’s shaken from her reverie by Tuk shaking her shoulder. “Are you listening Awra? Stop spacing out!” She complains, browbone creased in a frown.

“Sorry–sorry Tuk.” She rasps out, shaking her head. She forces herself to tear her eyes away from where Te’lau is standing, ears twitching at the sound of his laughter. “What were you saying?”

“I was asking you a question! While you were spacing out.” Tuk chides, crossing her arms. Kiri jabs Tuk for that, frowning. Tuk simply sticks her tongue out in retaliation as Awra lets out a forced chuckle. “What happens when you finish your Iknimaya here?”

What timing. She can’t help the fearful glance she makes over at Te’lau – he’s still facing another young warrior, his side to her. She’s sure he can’t spot her through the throngs of villagers, but his presence alone makes her skin crawl. Awra clears her throat.

“Well, you uh–can, you are recognised as an adult in the people.” She starts, willing herself to sound at ease. “You can decide if you wish to be a healer, forager or–or a hunter. Then, you can choose a mate.”

“Cool!” Tuk exclaims, eyes shining up at her sister. Kiri just nods, looking into the crowd disinterestedly. “Kiri are you listening!”

Kiri groans. “Yes, Tuk.” Awra forces a tight smile, watching as Tuk pulls her older sister down into a crouch next to Awra. She shuffles over, making space for the Ometicayans. They’re hiding near a marui, away from the ruckus of the celebrations. As she watches villagers dance in groups and roar with laughter, Awra finds herself glad that she’s more or less hidden from sight.

“When is your Iknimaya, Awra?” Tuk asks. Awra bites her cheek, blinking down at the youngest Sully.

“Soon, Tuk. In a couple of moons, it’ll be my turn up on that pier.” Awra jokes reluctantly, laughing listlessly. The crowd thrums with energy, the netted pathways shaking with the movement of the crowds. At the corner of her eye, she sees movement and turns to see what it is.

She whips her head around, braids falling around her face. And there he is. Te’lau stands, one hand on his hip and another waving at her. He’s smirking, his expression dark as he catches her eye. Awra gasps, falling back as he stares at her, the tip of his long canines poking out from where his upper lip is curled menacingly. Her eyes widen, breathing speeding up as he just stares. Nobody around him seems to notice this exchange, as the crowd moves around him – tugging and pushing.

She feels as if she’s stuck in some sort of trance – her body feels like the roots of a great tree; rooted firmly into the ground beneath her. She can’t move, stricken with panic as Te’lau simply waves. Kiri notices her odd behaviour – eyes enlarged with fright as one hand grips the netting below her. Alarmed, Kiri reaches out to touch Awra’s shoulder. “Hey Awra, are you okay–”

She’s taken aback when Awra whimpers and flinches, turning to face Kiri with glassy eyes. “Awra?” Awra doesn’t register her name, scrambling onto her feet as Kiri looks on in confusion. “Awra? Awra!”

Tuk grabs Awra’s hand, and Awra chokes out a “no”. She yanks her hand out of Tuk’s grasp, barely registering the crestfallen look on Tuk’s face. Awra eyes snap down to Kiri, and Tuk’s, before she looks back in Te’lau’s direction. Kiri turns her head too, eyes searching through the crowd for what Awra is staring at, but finds nothing outstanding in the horde of bodies.

“Awra! Awra hey! You’re scaring Tuk. What’s going on with you?” Kiri demands, hands planted on Awra’s shoulders. Awra shakes in Kiri’s grasp, eyes unfocused as she continues staring at one point into the crowd. Kiri’s frown deepens, forcing Awra back onto the net as she peers into the crowd to get a better look. Kiri doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary for a moment, nothing but masses of happy Metkayina villagers. But then she sees a young warrior – he’s built, tall frame hovering within the mass of villagers but somehow remaining imperceptible. He’s got a smirk on his face as he stares at Awra, with an expression Kiri can only describe as condescending.

She turns to her Awra, grabbing her arm firmly and pulling the Metkayina to her feet. Awra blinks, letting herself be manhandled by Kiri. He doesn’t seem to be doing anything other than waving, but something about his demenour screams predator, and the expression on his face leaves a deeply unsettling feeling in Kiri’s gut.

“Tuk! Grab her other arm. We’re getting her home. Now.” Tuk nods, slipping her arm under Awra’s armpit and helping Kiri lift her to her feet. Together, the Ometicayan siblings half carry Awra back to her marui, but not before Kiri shoots Te’lau one last glance. She memorises his face, the way his braids look, the way his browbone creases before pulling Awra out of sight.

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By the time they arrived at Awra’s marui, Awra feels more lucid. Her heart wasn’t pounding anymore, and she could wiggle her toes. She coughs, planting her feet into the ground a few paces away from her marui.

“Sorry about that.” Awra apologises, voice small. She pulls herself out Kiri’s grasp, before gently untangling Tuk from her. “I don’t know what happened.”

Kiri stops mid-step, one hand on Awra’s back to steady the Metkayina girl. She can’t help but notice the way Awra seems to shrink in on herself, one of her large hands resting on a spot on her neck. “Are you okay? What happened back there?”

Awra just clears her throat, looking at Tuk’s worried expression. She forces out a believable chuckle, ruffling Tuk’s braids playfully. Tuk frowns, shaking Awra’s hand off. “You scared us Awra. We thought something bad was happening.” Comes Tuk’s chiding tone, large eyes rounded in concern.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Sorry for scaring you guys.” Awra says, straightening her posture as her tail hangs low near her ankle.

Kiri suppresses the urge to roll her eyes again. “You’re so obviously not fine.”

Awra winces, remembering Kiri’s words earlier that day. Stop pushing us away. She clears her throat, eyes darting to Tuk as she tries to send Kiri a message with her eyes. Kiri blinks in confusion at first, but as she look between her sister and the Metkayina, realisation dawns. Let’s talk later. Not in front of Tuk.

At that, Kiri just sighs long and deep. “Alright. Alright then. Come along Tuk, we’re going home.”

Tuk protests at that, a whine on the tip of her tongue as Kiri tugs her away from Awra’s marui. “But–”

“Mom and Dad are probably wondering where we are. C’mon! Don’t wanna get in trouble like Lo’ak right?” Kiri jests, shooting Tuk a look filled with mirth. Tuk nods begrudgingly, lips creased into a pout as she lets her sister pull her towards the Sully marui. Tuk waves at Awra, who returns the wave with a small smile.

As Kiri leaves, she turns back, fixing Awra with a look. Awra nods in response. See you later. Don’t even think about slinking out of this one.

#neteyam x reader #neteyam avatar #neteyam imagine #neteyam sully #neteyam angst #atwow #avatar the movie #avatar the way of water #avatar way of water #avatar

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