"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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We relocated back to the stone I performed on earlier. The bonfire had now been extinguished and cleared away to perfection as if it had never been there—that was a big thing we Na'vi lived by, always returning things to their natural state. It was now just the stars and the luminescent glow of the sea's algae that lit up our night; all else was the sound of the wind blowing and the waves crashing against the rock we were sitting on, tickling our toes as we hung our legs over the edge. As he had requested, we sat there for a while in silence just to get some fresh air, but I could feel his eyes on me as he silently observed.
"So..." I attempt to break the silence. "How do you like Awa'atlu? Does it beat your forest"
I don't face him as I ask, so he leans forward a little so his eyes can meet mine. I only give him a fleeting glance before returning my gaze to the ocean, but from my peripheral vision, I notice his slight smile.
"I mean, it's definitely different, that's for sure," he says with a sad chuckle.
This causes me to look at him; for a fraction of a second, I notice a slight pained expression on his face before he switches it when he realises I'm looking. I felt bad; that question was probably a little insensitive; they weren't here for a vacation but for uturu, so it's not surprising that thinking about the forest, his home, hurt.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked like that."
"No, it's okay. I enjoyed the celebration at the bonfire," he says, motioning to where it was previously. "Your dancing was mesmerising."
Although the mention made me feel a little more confident about my performance, I shrugged it off and smiled awkwardly.
"Nalani is the best dancer; she got hurt just before, so I was only filling in." I explained to him.
"Right, but I didn't see Nalani? I saw you, so the comment still stands." He affirms with a small smirk.
What I was saying was true; Nalani was the best dancer in our age group. She frequently led the performances and sometimes even assisted with the choreography; there is no way I could compete with her. Though, when I go to reiterate this to him, the words cannot be found as we lock eyes. He notices but doesn't break his gaze, his eyes fixed on mine as he waits for my response. I simply averted my gaze, eliciting a low chuckle from him as I mumbled a small "thank you" in acceptance.
"Can I ask you something now?"
"You just did, but sure."
"What's got you so scared? Did you have a nightmare or something?"
I whipped my head around to look at him once more, and my eyes widened. How did he know? How much did he see? Yes, I was still a bit shaken from the nightmare earlier, but how could he tell? I thought I was doing a good job at hiding it, so how could he see through my facade?
"W-what?" I stutter in disbelief.
"Your eyes, when you opened them after I tapped you, wavered in fear." He starts. "Even now, when we came to sit here, you sat in silence, fidgeting with your fingers."
