𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐘𝐀𝐌 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓

012

Salty Lips. By fruitbalm on tumblr

ʚ ✦ ♥︎ ∞ ☾ ɞ

The sun was setting up for its rest. The glistening rocks were engulfed by the salty water, leaving residues of foam like the sea had left its mark on the land. Orange reflected off the waves— a beautiful sight to see. Though the ocean was a serene sanctuary for the Matkayina people, you had also come accustomed to its down sides. The tangy smell of ocean life clung stubbornly into the locks of your hair as you rose from the depths of an aquatic galore. In an effort to clean yourself, you ringed out the salty water that was nestled in your hair— causing a gush of water to fall beside you.

"Shit," you cursed to yourself, shaking off the droplets that shedded from your greenish skin.

Not long before, the others had caught up with you, witnessing the disgusted features that permeated into your usual neutral face. Ao'nung couldn't help but crack a smile, leaning over to whisper a joke to Rotxo— who suppressed a laugh. Your blue eyes suddenly shifted towards your troublesome siblings, rendering them completely silent and stiff. Now it was Tsireya's turn to laugh, graciously walking over to your struggling form and running her delicate fingers through your salty locks.

"Big sister, you seem as if you hate the sea," Tsireya teased as she latched more firmly onto your hair, more water spilling out. "Though you are our village's best swimmer."

Glancing towards your other side, you see the newcomers studying your frustrated movements and seemingly, anticipating your response. They noticed your blue eyes staring at them. The younger one, Lo'ak, shuffled a bit in the water and averted his eyes onto the boring sand beneath his feet to the orange clouds that casted above him. His older brother Neteyam, didn't seize away from your gaze. Instead, he sneakily elbowed his brother from his poor attempt to act uninterested— earning an annoyed groan from Lo'ak. His eyes still on you throughout the whole scene. You couldn't help but snicker a bit, deciding it's best to give out some information about yourself to feed the curiosity of your new friends, especially for Neteyam.

"I do not hate the sea Tsireya," You noted the perk of Neteyam's pointed ears when you said that. "The water weighs down on your hair throughout the day and... the smell never goes away."

Your words seemed to have sparked something within them, prompting the others to smell their own hair. From today's adventure through the mounds of aquatic life, this would inevitably leave a strong scent of fish must— meaning smelly skin and hair. The forest people were expressive with their distaste. Lo'ak was the first to gag loudly, not used to the familiarity of the ocean. Neteyam, out of respect for the ocean, didn't utter a word but the slight grimace that formed on his face said it all. Your siblings, very much used to the ocean, simply nodded in agreement, leaving everybody to ring out their own hair as more salty water was being released back into the ocean.

Neteyam silently dried out his dark braids away from the others. His movements were mediocre and it seemed as if his struggling efforts did nothing to solve his problem. Neteyam noticed your stare when his intense yellow eyes locked onto yours. It felt like the world stopped for a moment as if the both of you were silently communicating with one another. Then the sound of splashing waves became more distracting, forcing the both of you to return to your senses. Neteyam suddenly danced his long fingers through the air, signing to you. It seems that the sign language lessons you taught were actually helping the forest people.

Can you help me please? His lips moved along with his silent words, trying to memorize the language.

You shyly grinned towards him, signing back in response as you dragged your strong legs across the shallow waves. The soft sand beneath your feet tickled as you became closer to Neteyam's presence. It strangely felt warm and welcoming. Finally, you stood beside the taller male, having to look up slightly in order to directly meet his eyes again. Intently, Neteyam looked down at you with a foreign softness— something you never saw from him before. It left you feeling a bit flustered.