"𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘮,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦."
Life in Awa'atlu was as predictable as the way water flowed across the sea, with everything set in motion with routine and order - that is, until the Sully's arrived...
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By the time I arrived at the main port many of the clan had already gathered to inspect these newcomers, Ao'nung had separated from me on our way here— presumably to go get his parents. The creators of the shadow that loomed over us are now revealed to belong to the beautiful ikrans, who stood posted by the shore as the mysterious na'vi demounted them. They were a deeper blue than we were, longer-limbed and slender with thin tufted tails—this, combined with the fact that these ikrans were not a species of the reef, was enough to classify them as people from the forest. But what brought them here?
I crane my neck slightly as I attempt to get a better look over the crowd without getting too close. I couldn't see clearly through the arms and legs of the other clan members but I was able to count six figures— their garments suggesting three males and three females. Through my slight struggle, I'm only able to catch the face of the child who clung tightly to the legs of who I can only assume is her mother. I felt a slight twang in my heart as I observed her expression; she was afraid — I couldn't blame her; I don't know why she was here, but being carried to a strange place and besieged during arrival had to be terrifying, especially for a child.
The water near me ripples, and I turn to see a familiar face emerging from the waves, on the back of her ilu, which she parted with a smile underwater. When I notice her, I swim closer to meet her but quickly realise that her concentration is elsewhere—as I proceed to stand beside her, I follow her eyeline to see one of the forest people. This teenage boy was staring at Tsireya with admiration in his eyes as she brushed her wet hair out of her face and looked back at him, almost mirroring his expression.
I can't help but shake my head and laugh to myself a bit from that small interaction alone. Welcome to the Tsireya fanclub hon
She whips her head around upon hearing my laugher and sheepishly questions me, I only shake my head and dismiss her. It was fun to tease her like this as she was always so reactive, if there's one thing that she couldn't do was hide her expression — her emotions can be told instantly through one glance alone.
On the other hand, it's quite the reverse with me. I've learned the skill of pretending to be fine due to guilt - when I was a baby, I had difficulties sleeping at night owing to my displacement, and with Rotxo being so close in age, I know that was a tough time for my parents to go through. Then the nightmares began. Rotxo used to lie next to me every night when we were around the age of eleven, stating that he would protect me. While it was comforting to sleep knowing someone was looking out for me, it didn't help with the nightmares at all — though how could I tell him that? Rotxo, despite his good intentions, was a deep sleeper, so when I thrashed in the night, he had no idea, so I told him they had stopped – which they did for a while before returning, albeit in an unpredictable manner. Everyone seems happier when I don't have nightmares, so why would I take that happiness away?
Tsireya whined as she nudged my shoulder, begging with me to tell her what was so amusing. I hold my ground, despite the fact that I can't stop giggling at her, earning a splash of water in the face from her before she hooks her arm to mine and leads us both out of water to join the action. As we walk, we spot Ao'nung and Rotxo pushing their way through the crowd to the centre — we take advantage of the opportunity and follow directly behind them.
