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"Okay, Sully's fall in."
Atula sat at the entrance of the marui pod, admiring as the sunset reflected an orange glow across the ocean.
She breathed it in, knowing she hadn't seen the sunset in a while due to being bound within High Camp. Taking in the beauty of Pandora was something she didn't get to do much.
"Atula?" Jake's husky voice was heard, snapping her from her daze before she turned to find all of them squatting before Jake. "Yep, sorry," She apologised before kneeling besides Tuk, feeling her small palm rest against her knee to steady herself.
"I need you kids on your best behaviour. I mean it. Learn fast, pull your weight," Jake began to talk before narrowing his eyes towards Lo'ak, "Don't cause trouble, got it?"
Atula offered Lo'ak a soft smile, one in which he returned: "Yes, sir."
Neteyam grabbed at his neck causing Lo'ak to hiss at him before he pulled away.
The silence filled the air before Tuk's sniffling could be heard, she turned to Jake with tear-filled eyes. "I want to go home..." Tuk cried, Jake's ears dropped before holding onto her hand for slight comfort.
Tuk crawled closer into Atula's body, seating herself on her lap whilst her cheek rested on Atula's chest. Atula could feel her heart break when Tuk's tears dripped onto her flesh. "It's okay, Tuk. It'll be okay," Atula reassured as she stroked her hair.
"Tuk, this is our home now. We're gonna get through this, we're gonna get through this if we have each others back, right?" Jake questioned before looking into Atula's eyes, not breaking the contact until Atula spoke, "What does your father always tell you, hm?"
"Sully's stick together."
Atula smiled at that, Jake did also.
He pushed his chest out, looking towards children, "That's right. Sully's stick together. This time... with some feeling." They repeated their previous words, more louder than before.
Atula stood, Tuk resting on Jake's legs before her feet could even land against the ground. "Where you going?" Jake asked her, watching as Atula grabbed her stomach and cleared her throat — meaning one thing.
"I'm going to find Ronal. I, um, feel nauseous," Atula replied, Neteyam smiling at Lo'ak as he understood what was happening with the woman.
It was sooner or later the kids were going to find out she was pregnant. "Don't take too long. It's almost eclipse," Jake reminded her, slightly tapping her back before she began walking again, rolling her eyes at his orders.
The walk towards Ronal's hut hadn't taken long, the breeze flew against Atula's flesh which calmed her nausea slightly.
However, the stench of seasalt was too much before she knocked on the shell to the pod.
"I was expecting you. I could tell you weren't well once I had seen you," Ronal explained before ushering Atula into the pod, pouring a pinch of yellow crushed formula into clean water.
"Sorry, I don't want to be a bother," Atula began to realise Ronal was busy, beginning to walk out of the pod before Ronal called her back in, "This is for you."
Atula couldn't help but turn on her heel, placing herself down onto the floor in front of Ronal as her hands rested on her thighs.
Ronal looked at Atula, again.
However, this time she wasn't studying her appearance, she was listening to what Eywa wanted to tell her — trying to listen.
She couldn't understand what their deity was trying to say. What was so harmful about Atula that needed to be warned about?
"Drink," Ronal said after handing Atula the bowl. She scowled at the ginger smell before sipping on the yellow water, feeling it calm her nausea almost instantly. "This is something I drink when I, too, feel nauseous. It is safe for the baby, do not worry," Ronal explained before pressing her ear against Atula's stomach.
She haltered slightly, "Hm. Healthy."
Atula smiled, glad her baby was growing accordingly.
"You hold in plenty of sadness. Tell me, Atula, what is it?" Ronal questioned before Atula had finished drinking the mixture.
Atula frowned, was she really going to tell a stranger everything? "I miss my mother," Atula replied, short but sweet. She wasn't going to tell Ronal everything she felt, just an attribute towards the list.
Ronal expected Atula to explain further, but once realising she let in a short breath. "I am sorry you were took away from your home because of those... demons," Ronal replied before slightly touching Atula's shoulder, offering some sort of support.
Atula looked outside, noticing the sky began to twinkle stars. "Thank you, Ronal," Atula said before standing, announcing she had to return back to her pod.
"I wanna sleep with Mama!" Tuk exclaimed, arms folded before raising her hand to rub her tiredness away.
Atula inched into the pod, watching Jake stare in frustration at Tuk.
"She wants to sleep with you," Jake told Atula, moving on the mat to allow Atula to sneak next to him.
This was one of the weird things they had to do — share a mat. If they didn't, the children would become confused on their relationship, their mating. If they found out their parents had been lying to them, Atula and Jake would never forgive themselves.
Atula settled next to Jake, feeling his hand swipe against her hip before resting onto her bump.
Tuk squeezed in, Jake smiling slightly after she kicked Atula's legs.
