You will fall (Neteyam x Oc)

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2
A MOMENT ALONE

The first night the Sully family was with the Metkayina, Sao'Nae let them be after dropping them off at their Murai---the sun already getting low upon the families unpacking, and decided it be best for the children to rest before thrusting them head first into the water. Sao'Nae knew it was cruel to learn the skills the other Metkayina learned in childhood as Teens. Sure, Tuk, shouldn't take too long to adjust---she was still young---but the others? It could take many weeks, even months to get them to the level they should be at by their ages...

Tonowari, Ronal, Ao'nung, Tsireya, and Sao'Nae all sat around a small fire in the main room off the Murai, eating assortments of fish and fruit quietly. Besides the gentle hum of the waves and the crackle of an open fire, everything was perfectly fine just like every other day.

"Sao'Nae." Tonowari started, glancing at his eldest child, "How are the children adjusting?" He asked, slowly putting some grape-like fruits, the color similar to pink, in his mouth.

The girl glanced up at the mention of her name, staring at her curious father, "Fine enough, I guess. I gave them the day to unpack, but tomorrow I will assess their skills and decide where to go from there." She explained, hoping she had made the right decision in letting the new folk rest.

Ronal smiled and raised her small skull cup, "A wise decision. Spoken like a true leader---" She nodded her head to both Sao'Nae and Tonowari, "Tono, tell her, tell her how much of a good Tsahìk she'll be." The woman said.

Tonowari snickered and shook his head, "Your mother is right, you're advancing in your studies very quickly." His fingers picked at his food softly, "Not even the elders have anything negative to say about your iknimaya. You've bonded with your spirit brother, Nasilive. You can ride tsurak, and you've undergone the secret teachings of being Tsahìk. Nothing is keeping you from receiving your first tattoo. We were thinking for your eighteenth birthday." He said, smiling at the look of awe on his children's faces.

Even Sao'Nae wasn't sure how to respond. Iknimaya was a very important day in a young teenagers life, at least to the Metkayina. So it was only natural that the girl had her mouth open agape and let her ears happily twitch in the silence. She nearly choked on her spit, "My iknimaya?!" She repeated.

Ronal covered her mouth to hide her joy as she stared at her husband, " We didn't know how to tell you, my child." She laughed, "Before the blue-folk came the council was in a meeting deciding if you were ready or not."

"I can't believe this." The words were stale on her tongue as she gasped like a fish, "My first tattoo..." Sao'Nae whispered, her big blue eyes lighting up at the idea.

Ao'nung scrunched up his nose and nibbled on some berries, "I'm close to getting mine..." He assured, causing Tsireya to giggle.

"You're as close to bonding with tsurak as Sao'Nae is to dealing with her feelings." The youngest child said, not that Ronal was happy about the kids words. Though they were true...

Ronal knew her daughter to be an overthinking little thing. Sao'Nae never knew how to feel and usually just went with the flow and did whatever she believed right in the moment. Sometimes that just meant no emotion, or at least fake versions of the ones she really felt. Even Tonowari was aware of his daughters actions, knowing that there was no way to make her open up to them.

Ao'nung scoffed and shoved his sister gently, looking back to Sao'Nae, "You're lucky, Nae-Nae. Despite me being the younger twin, I am far superior to you."

Ronal giggled, "I remember the days of sibling rivalry. My brother Asui and I were the same way." She assured them while peeling skin off her fish filet, "But never let rivalry get in the way of protection. You are siblings, and you must act like it. Brother protects sister, sister protects brother."

Tsireya smiled and brushed some hair from her face, "They might act like they hate one another, but I think they'd be the most likely to kill for each other." She joked, "The water of the womb is thicker than the blood of the clan, and all that."

Sao'Nae smirked and continued to eat, "I will never forgive Ao'nung for kicking me in the face when we were in the womb, I've had enough of his company." She said, causing Ao'nung to scoff and roll his eyes at her half-say tease.

"I never kicked you in the face!" He argued, " You made that up!"

"Me? The Future Tsahìk? Make up such a falsehood? Oh Ao'nung, how could you say such a thing?" She put her hand against her chest and feigned as if she'd been shot, "I believe I may die!"

Tonowari raised his hand and shook his head, still smiling kindly at his children, "I do remember Sao'Nae's neck looking a little bruised when she came out..." He replied jokingly, "Thought it was a birthmark at first."

Ronal watched her family bicker in amusement. Nights like these were the best. The nights when nothing but their little family mattered. Tsireya tilted her head back as she laughed, "Sao'Nae, how could you let him kick you in the face?!" She asked, joining in on the teasing.

"You think I wanted it? I remember it clear as day, I was floating about in the womb-water and then BOOM! Foot to the jawbone!"

Ao'nung groaned and shoved some fish in his mouth, "You're such a liar!" He said with his mouth full, "If anything you probably tried to strangle me with my own umbilical cord!"

"I wish I did you little worm----"

For the rest of dinner everyone laughed and joked as they ate, talking about everything that came to mind and so much more. One of the main conversations that accrued was Sao'Nae's tattoo for her Iknimaya, speculation on where to put it and what it should be seemed to be a fun topic for the family. And then, when everyone finished eating and everything was cleaned up, everyone returned to their respective 'rooms' of the tent.

Sao'Nae walked to her room and sighed, crawling into her cot and laying face up to the ceiling, staring at the intricate patterns woven into the roof, a large skin pelt covering said designs and protecting her from any possible rainfall. The girl laid motionless for a few hours...just listening to the water. It felt like the water was speaking to her, the soft howls of wind over sea..

It was nice.

About halfway into the night, just about when Sao'Nae was going to fall asleep, she could hear her parents on the other end of the house. Giggling like teenagers.

No.

Oh Eywa no....

A look of disgust crossed her features as she shook her head, quickly climbing back out of her bed and quickly exiting the Marui without making much noise, climbing slowly into the water. She made a clicking sound at the back of her throat and watched as Sahati---Sao'nae's Ilu---came swimming towards her in the water. Sao'Nae grinned and began petting the creature beneath it's chin, titling her head and feeling her breath under her palm.

" Wanna go for a ride, Hati?" She whispered, bonding with the creature and climbing onto her back. The Ilu whinnied almost silently and blew sea-spray from it's nose, from the looks of it nodding to her rider.

Sao'Nae smirked and tapped Sahati's shoulder twice, then pointing forward---way further away, all the way to a large collection of rocks a few miles out.

And just like that, she was gone beneath the waves.