Wise Fish | aonete

3 𓆝 Wingman

"Ao'nung, really, I do not see why you want me to do this," Neteyam called, warily. He had been falling farther and farther behind Ao'nung and Rotxo as they led him to the shore, stuck in a constant loop of second guessing. "Really, what is the point?"

Ao'nung's epic plan to be—as his dad would have called it—a "wingman" for Neteyam, was to bring him along with the group of young Metkayina that were responsible for checking on the clan's fishing traps on the outskirts of the reef, and scavenging for other useful items outside of their sea walls. Ao'nung also informed him that often, after they had brought back all the fish, they used their time together to mess around on their ilu and explore.

Ao'nung paused and waited for Neteyam to catch up. "I have told you already, it's the perfect opportunity to take a look at what your options are." He wiggled his eyebrows and smirked, hands on his hips.

Neteyam gave him a skeptical look. He had been wondering if Ao'nung was using him as an excuse to go back to his old routine of screwing around with his friends. That just about proved it.

After seeing Neteyam's expression, Ao'nung rolled his eyes dramatically and smacked his palms down against his sides in exasperation.

"Or you could always just say you were trying to better fit in and learn about what we do for fun. My sister and I have taught you nearly all of what we can," Ao'nung turned and made the clicking noise deep in the back of his throat to summon two ilu for them whilst Rotxo was already mounted and waiting. Neteyam resigned himself and walked over to stand by Ao'nung.

"Besides," Ao'nung said, nudging Neteyam's shoulder with his fist, "what's wrong with having a little break every now and then, huh?" He smirked at him again as he waded into the water. "Is fun not something you Omatikaya people participate in?"

Neteyam scoffed and shook his head, smiling despite himself as he followed after Ao'nung, who looked amused as Neteyam clumsily got on his ilu and initiated tsaheylu with it.

"Very funny," Neteyam remarked sarcastically, but his grin gave his humor away in a second. Changing the topic, he asked, "Do you know what this ilu's name is?"

"Peemu," Ao'nung said simply.

"Peemu?" Neteyam asked, disbelieving.

"Peemu," sighed Rotxo.

Ao'nung looked over his shoulder at Neteyam with an anguished look on his face. "Yes. Tsireya named him when she was little. He's very well-mannered and should give you no trouble."

Neteyam looked down at Peemu, who clicked some sort of greeting at him. He was kind of cute. All ilu were, in a way. Neteyam gave him a gentle stroke on the head before asking him to go forward and catch up to the other two.

"So, where are the oth—" but before he could finish, another ilu suddenly broke the surface of the water right in front of them, followed by two others. Neteyam tensed at the suddenness of their appearance, but Ao'nung and Rotxo called to them and directed their ilu over to where they had stopped. It was safe to assume these were the people they were meeting.

What an entrance, Neteyam thought.

"I am sure you have already seen him around," Ao'nung introduced as Neteyam's ilu swam up to him once again, "but this is Toruk Makto's oldest son, Neteyam."

"Oel ngati kameie," everyone in the group recited, touching their fingers to their brow and sweeping them downwards. Neteyam mirrored them, also taking the moment to glance around at the three new faces in front of him; one male and two females.

One girl had her hair down, her beautiful curls on display (something that was still foreign to Neteyam and his straight haired, Omatikaya family), while the other had hers loosely tied back. He recognized the boy as one of Ao'nung's lackeys that had been in the big fight with Lo'ak, which he'd also participated in. His brother had given that one a nasty looking split lip, which was now fully healed after a week or two.