Fate's Game | Lo'ak Sully

Part 18 - Nothing

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They weren't supposed to be training, but both Fay'tari and Neteyam were bored without doing at least something. They'd been talking at breakfast, coming up with things to do on their day off.

Kiri looked at them funny the whole time, as anything either of them would suggest would be something to do with training, which was the exact thing they'd been advised not to do.

Nevertheless, they decided they'd continue to learn how to breathe properly on their own. They thought it would be even more effective if they tried to use the techniques under the water too, as then they'd have an upper hand when they resumed their actual training. Fay'tari liked the sound of that.

So, they swam out a short distance towards a smaller rock, deeming it flat enough to sit on.

The two got straight to it, doing a few practices in fresh air before attempting it in the water for the first time. They were surprised to behold that breathing in the way they'd been taught to do so actually did help them breathe for longer, which only lead to one thing, naturally.

"Ok. Who can hold their breath for the longest. Ready?" Was the first thing Fay'tari said after they'd reached the surface again. Immediately involved in the game, Neteyam nodded.

"Go!" She called, making them both dip their heads back into the ocean to challenge eachother.

Neteyam won. Fay'tari refused to believe it nonetheless, claiming that because he was older he therefore had more "lung-room", whatever that meant.

After doing this another dozen times, each time Neteyam reigning victorious, they both decided it was time to rest for a while. So, they climbed back onto the rock they'd found and layed flat on it, closing their eyes to hide from the sun.

Filling the silence, Neteyam decided to put something to test while he had Fay'tari by herself.

"Hey, anything interesting happening with you?" He slyly asked, not making his intentions obvious.

"Like what?" She sighed, breathing in the cool air.

"You know... Like, the usual. Fights, arguments... Bets?" Neteyam threw out a shot in the dark with that last suggestion, trying to crack her.

She chuckled, "You think that's all I do?"

"Pretty much." He remarked dryly.

"Cold." Fay'tari mumbled. "Well, anyway. No. Nothing interesting's happening with me lately."

Neteyam was then stuck. If she wasn't going to break with simple conversation that perhaps he'd have to be more obvious.

"You sure? Not gonna mention what happened with Aonung yesterday?" He tried a new angle, hoping that this would at least make her angry so that then he could use her anger against her.

"What?!" She snapped upwards, hoisting herself so that she was looking down beside her at him. Her face wasn't faked, it was clearly showing her literal disgust.

"Come on. There's so much tensio-" He lied, causing Fay'tari to slap his arm and forcing him to shut his mouth.

"Neteyam!" She gasped in shock. "You're crazy!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." He slightly laughs, raising up to be able to sit just as she was.

He waited a moment before digging deeper. "So there's absolutely nothing you want to tell me." He stared at her in a knowing kind of way, narrowing his eyes only slightly.