"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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The Sully's have been here for somewhere around two weeks and are assimilating well to life on the reef; Kiri appears to have been born to be a freediver; her breath holds trying to reach those of the Metkayina while her siblings still struggle, it was incredible. She's talking a lot more than she used to, which I believe Rotxo seems to get out of her, which isn't surprising given his friendly character. Tuk is also coming out of her shell; I have yet to give her the dance session I promised her, but she sometimes comes along with me when I have to go gathering—she's like the little sister I never had. Lo'ak has been having one-on-one sessions with Tsireya, and it's obvious that he's improving; he's even joined Rotxo in his chores involving free diving — it's clear that he and Tsireya are completely infatuated with one another, even without Neteyam's verification, but there hasn't been any progress, much to her dismay. That leaves Neteyam, who has improved tremendously, which I'd like to take some credit for, even going so far as to join the hunters so quickly. Ao'nung is obviously irritated, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by his speed.
Since that day, I'd been meeting with Neteyam on a regular basis; it didn't happen on purpose, but it became a habit that after dark, when everyone was asleep, we'd meet by the bank, and I'd train him so that by the morning, the teachings he'd received would seem like child's play to him. Though our first encounter was not addressed, it appeared that we had moved on and reached an unspoken agreement that we would not discuss it, instead concentrating on improving his skills. It was a great tactic for him to hone his skills while maintaining his reputation, and for me, it was a distraction and a reason not to toss and turn in my sleep. It's a win-win situation.
Neteyam was the mighty warrior that everyone hyped him up to be, the golden child and perfect older brother who cared so profoundly for his siblings, but what I noticed, and what perplexed me, was that he wasn't himself. Maybe I was rushing to judgement, but around people he changed; he had no complaints and just did as he was told, but in the few moments we've found ourselves alone, I've discovered flaws—not fatal flaws, but normal flaws—like how he made mistakes, how he was a perfectionist, how he was sometimes forgetful, and most of all, how he made the most corny jokes. Neteyam intrigued me; I found myself wanting to learn more about him, to understand why those golden eyes stared at me so intently, as if they knew what I was thinking.
This was not in my plans. Obtaining information on whether Lo'ak was crushing on Tsireya was part of the plan, but secret late-night meetings with Neteyam that began coincidentally but quickly became routine were not. This weird feeling I'm having was not part of my plan.
"Yo sis, you down to play or not?" I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I hear my brother's voice speak.
We were all by the beach swimming in the sea; we came after putting away the ilus in their pens. I had no idea what was going on; I had completely blanked out, so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't hear a word of what the group was saying. I hesitantly nodded, not wanting them to repeat themselves, unsure of what I was getting myself into.
