Obsessed [NeteyamxAonung]

Burgundy - The Artist

Aonung gently takes Neteyam's hand in his, and pulls him towards his Ilu to pet it. With a smile, he watches the boy interact with the creature.

Though he said he wouldn't disobey his father again, he wanted the boy to meet his Ilu. Plus, after sharing his attention with the other hunters, he really wanted to have him to himself.

Neteyam- Is he yours?

Aonung- Yeah. His name is Obsidian GoldenLord.

Neteyam- What? He sounds like a tyrant.

Aonung- No, he sounds like a prized warrior. He ventures out to new lands and conquers them for his people.

Neteyam smiles in amusement at him, which is an image he'd like to recreate with flower petals, but the boy's smile soon turns into a frown, instantly worrying him.

Immediately, he asks what's wrong, and as the boy begins to speak of his father, he saddens more, clearly missing the man.

He compliments him, being on the path to be like his father, hoping it cheers him up, but it fails. Tears fall from his golden eyes, and he leaves the water, rushing back onto shore.

The boy stops on the beach, and he approaches cautiously, wishing he hadn't led him to the topic.

Aonung- Neteyam.

Neteyam- I'm sorry.

Aonung- It's okay. Do you wanna go back home?

He shakes his head, and Aonung sighs softly as the boy takes a moment to cry almost silently to himself.

Wanting to comfort him in some way, any way at all, he reaches out to him, but pulls his hand back, thinking maybe it isn't his place. Though the boy has hugged him before, it was in a burst of excitement, and he isn't sure if he's allowed to offer that contact while he's so vulnerable.

Once the sniffles that filled him with sorrow come to an end, and Neteyam is calm, he's able to lighten the boy's mood a bit as they head back home. But that mood is short-lived when they walk into the cabin, seeing his father standing there.

Tonowari- Where have you two been?

Lo'ak- I'd sure like to know.

Neteyam looks over to his siblings, while he notices his mother sniffing in their direction.

Ronal- Aonung.

Aonung- Mother, I was just-

Tonowari- Disobeying my direct orders.

Aonung- All I did was take a dip.

Tonowari- I told you to stay out of the water.

Tsireya- Father, don't punish him.

She stands from her seat.

Tsireya- It was probably all Neteyam's idea.

Lo'ak- What? Don't blame my brother for this. Clearly it was all Aonung's idea.

Tsireya- No it wasn't.

Their siblings begin to argue over blame, and hearing his sister so against Neteyam irritates him, but the argument is put to an end by his mother.

Tonowari- Aonung, a word. Outside.

His ears pin back as his father approaches them, and he mentally prepares to be scolded, but his preparations are cut short by Neteyam suddenly standing in front of him and keeping his father at a distance.

He instantly fears for the boy's wellbeing.

Aonung- Neteyam . . .

He receives no response.

Tonowari- What exactly do you think you're doing?

Neteyam- . . . I-

Tonowari- Step aside, boy.

Neteyam- Or what?

His heart drops, but he also feels something similar to that of admiration for the boy shielding him from his father like the man isn't out of his league. He wasn't lying when he said Neteyam showed qualities of being the warrior he said his father was.

But even though he's shining like a hero in Aonung's eyes, the boy still gets instantly defeated by one blow that makes him drop to his knees.

Tonowari- You have no voice here, and hardly have a place. Cross me again, and you'll be put right back on that little island.

Aonung wants so badly to fight his father for him, but he's frozen. Half because he still can't believe the boy would shield him like that, and half because he knows things would only escalate, and he'd rather not make the situation worse.

He'd rather just accept what's coming to him, but to his surprise, his father leaves him be, dismissing himself from the situation.

Later, after a dinner without Neteyam, Aonung quickly returns to his hidden cave, creating yet another portrait of the blue boy. Lately, he's been the only thing his mind will allow him to produce.

In a burst of an uncontrollable need to create, he recreates the image of Neteyam's saddened state, on the stone wall of the cave. Once he's finished, he looks to the other expressions he's drawn as well.

He's not only grown to like the boy's happier expressions, but also his focused one. His stern one. He's even captured his disappointment. And though he hates when he has to see it, he still finds the boy's saddened expression striking.

For a short while he's wondered what other sort of expressions he'll see on Neteyam's face. Or what other sort of expressions he could possibly influence on him.

He feels a hint of craving within himself for a second, suddenly wanting to touch the boy's skin. His images are nice to look at, but they're not the real thing.