Flawless [Neteyam x Ao'nung ]

Chapter 18: Open Your Heart

It's a warm day today, warmer than most days here in Awa'altu. 

There's not a cloud in the sky, or a prediction of rain anytime soon. People seem happier, in a brighter mood than usually - which motivated a lot of the clan members to go out and have a day of enjoying the water and a moment of unity through partying; music, food, stories - a festival so to say.

Which to be fair it's something a lot of people need here after their hard work - a celebration and a day to enjoy themselves.

And today Ao'nung decided that it would be a good idea to talk to Kiri, before the party tonight.

Walking alongside the beach, feet grazing the water of the shore and embracing the sun tickling their skin, Ao'nung and Kiri walk side by side in silence - more so embracing this view calmly. The two never really have a moment alone or spend time to get to know each other as they did before. Well, maybe that has a lot to do because they already know each other enough, and well.... Their attention has been divided away from their suppose marriage.

They just really don't want to make things awkward because they're doing so well right now as it is.

However, this topic was bound to come up, so better now than later.

That's how they ended up under a tree near the shore, still feeling the water grazing their feet as they sit on the sand, looking far into the world with this calm energy transmitting between them; and at times like this, Ao'nung really did wish things were less complicated.

To just follow his parents desire to marry the Omaticaya princess, unite the clans peacefully, have a family and it'll be a tranquil unity. The two have great chemistry as it is, and they both share something in common and that's the love for nature and their surroundings. They can stay in silence in each other's presence, and this feeling won't fade away of being comfortable and peaceful. 

Ideally, you could say they're the perfect fit for each other.

But no matter how perfect on paper they could look, they're simply not meant to be.

Ao'nung is so heavily and deeply into Neteyam.

It's a type of feeling that simply cannot be turned off or changed.

He doesn't want to let it go either.

So, with this anxiety pounding in his chest, Ao'nung tries to focus on the water to keep himself calm, letting his voice speak up between them without disturbing the peace, "I was going to prefer diving into a light conversation to ease the mood, but if feel like if I don't say what I gotta say immediately, then it will-"

"Dude, chill," Kiri snickers over to him, casting a stare to him with a reassuring smile, "I know what you want to talk about."

"You.... Do?"

"Yeah," And she rests her arms on her knees, waving her hand, "You don't feel shit for me and I - respectfully - don't feel shit for you too. So now we have no idea what to do about the marriage."

This is why Ao'nung believes his connection with Kiri isn't just nothing, they mentally connect so well, which makes it easy to talk about anything with each other.

What a relief.

Now relaxing completely, Ao'nung leans back on the sand to rest on his elbows, shrugging, "I don't know Kiri. We can't call it off either unless we want to cause a chaos within the process too."

Kiri ponders over to this too, nodding to herself as though she accepted that reality a long time ago, "Yeah."

The two are now in silence, the sad reality settling in between them. They know they won't escape this, even if they really wanted to.