invisible string ↝ ao'nung

XIII ; West Coast (I)

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
Down on the West Coast they got a sayin'
"If you're not drinkin' then you're not playin'"
But you've got the music, you've got the music
In you, don't you?
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

After her conversation with her father, Sylwana was left both enlightened and confused. Enlightened by her father's understanding of her pain, confused that he would be okay with her messing around with a boy. Not that she and Ao'nung were messing around, on the contrary he had been a complete gentleman. Taking it at her pace, never pushing her, letting her take the lead. She was endlessly thankful for his patience; it wasn't something she was used to.

Ronal's ceremony had been a great success. The entire village showed up, including Lo'ak, who had been dragged kicking and screaming out of the marui by his entire family. He spent most of the night sulking in a corner, until he vanished. Sylwana guessed he had either gone off with Tsireya or went to see Payakan.
Sylwana had spent the night with Ao'nung, who was an integral part of the ceremony alongside his father and sister. The clan celebrated the birth of the child, a healthy little girl, who represented a new era of hope. Exactly the way Sylwana and Neteyam's birth had been received in the Omatikaya village. The child had been named Veewa, a sweet name that meant 'alive'. Sylwana tried not to hate the child, but the bitter sting in her heart when she heard the name remained stuck in her throat for the entire evening.

Sylwana was looking for Lo'ak with Kiri and Spider towards the end of the evening, as their parents wanted to retire early. The idiot had lost his throat comms and so they had to physically look for him. They decided to split up, with Kiri and Spider searching the east side of the village and Sylwana searching the west. She had scoured every inch and was at the furthest point west of the island when she heard voices. When Lo'ak's voice registered she ran towards the sound, halting herself when she heard Ao'nung speak.
"You can't waste away, bro. It's not just affecting you; it's affecting Sylwana as well."
"And you only care about her because you want to sleep with her, right? Besides, she seems fine. Always running around with you, all smiles when she gets home past eclipse. It's like nothing even happened."
"I care about her. Whether you like it or not, I do. And she's not fine. Far from it. I can see her slipping away, crumbling under the pressure. Come on, bro. If not for yourself then for her."
Sylwana hadn't realised the front she was putting up had been unsuccessful. Ao'nung had seen right through her. She felt guilty; she really did enjoy her time with him, but she was just so tired. Tired of life, tired of the constant pain. Ao'nung alleviated the pain, if only a little, and she didn't want him to get fed up with her dull presence and boring responses.

"Fine. What do I have to do?"
"You've already completed the first step; bonding with Tulkun. Now all you need to do is pass a few tests with Payakan and claim a tsurak." Ao'nung wasn't suggesting that Lo'ak complete his rite of passage and become a Metkayina warrior? It was dangerous, but that was something Lo'ak thrived off of.

"Alright. Tomorrow." She hid behind a leafy plant as Lo'ak walked out, back to the village. Oh well, Kiri would find him. Ao'nung came out after him, but he paused. He looked around, and Sylwana froze where she was crouched.

"Sylwana?" She huffed. "How did you see me? I'm an expert at camouflage."
"You left footprints in the sand." He pointed to where she had walked, her footprints being much smaller than Lo'ak and Ao'nung's. "Oh."
"What did you hear?" Ao'nung wrapped his arms around her waist, dipping his chin to rest on her shoulder. She sighed, fiddling with his fingers.
"That Lo'ak should try and tame a tsurak. Why do you want him to become a warrior?"
"Because he needs to get out and do something. I hate seeing him like that." Sylwana dropped his hand and turned her face towards him, her nose bumping into his. "Really?" she asked, incredulous. "No," he joked, nudging her nose with his own, making her smile.
"But I hate seeing how he's affecting you. I can see through it," he added at her guilty expression. "I can see through your smiles and giggles. You're worried about him. And it's weighing on you, with everything else that's weighing you down. Lo'ak has a challenge now, something to do. And you can process your grief without worrying about him." Sylwana felt the tears building in her eyes and Ao'nung pulled her closer into him. "Thank you. I don't deserve you."
"No, I don't deserve you." He held her tightly for a moment, before she pulled away slightly. His eyes were sparkling and honest, dancing with the affection she always saw in them when he looked at her.