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♯┆blue world .ᐟ ━━━━━━━━━━
"Lo'ak..." It broke the silence surrounding him. His mind went into a spiral. Consequently, being berated from his father led his to question multiple things. How could everything he did be wrong? He never did anything correct. Everything he did seemed wrong. Nothing Lo'ak can do would please his father. Even with the extent training at learning the ocean.
Maleia reached her hand forwards and placed it into his shoulder. A soothing touch. One that startled him from the trance, turning around and seeing her. The one person who believed in him. The one person that made him feel like everything he did seemed right. But, it was forbidden.
Maleia knew her mother would be furious if the two are caught together. Deeming him too distracting. Plus, Lo'ak wasn't full Na'vi. That is what worried her the most.
In this moment, Maleia didn't care. Lo'ak didn't mention another word before wrapping his arms around Maleia's waist and pulling her close to his chest.
Maleia sighed in relief before encasing her arms around him also. Even her touch seemed right. Their moment was quiet, the sound of the ocean waves brushing against each other could be heard. Until she felt cold water drip onto her back.
Maleia pulled back from his touch, noticing Lo'ak hide his face from her— hiding the fact he was beginning to cry. She didn't care. Maleia reached her hand to his face, placing it onto his jaw to reveal his feelings. "You don't have to hide around me..." Maleia whispered, breaking the silence once again.
Lo'ak knew that. Maleia would be thankful for him being himself. His lips pressed against the palm of her hand before she smiled up at him, "How did it go with your father?" Stupid question. She knew.
Lo'ak sighed before shuffling her next to him, letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "The same as it always does..." Lo'ak shrugged, "Getting the disapproval talk."
Maleia frowned at the sentence. It seemed too normal for Lo'ak to receive this conversation. "It is not fair..." She responded. Maleia knew how hard Lo'ak tried. How much dedication he had put into protecting his siblings, making his father proud. Attempting to make him proud.
How could his father not see that? "Lo'ak..." Maleia whispered to him. Her head lifted from his shoulder. Her hand reached for his, admiring the extra finger.
Lo'ak watched as she wrapped her hand around the entire finger, bringing it close to her heart. "I see you..." Maleia didn't care what Ronal would think about this.
Or what anybody would think.
Lo'ak's ears moved against his face and his whole gaze softened as he looked down at her innocent face.
He moved his eyes around her face before allowing himself to smile.
"I see you," He responded.
That morning they woke up with the waves crashing against their face and droplets falling from the sky.
The usual sunny weather turned into one of a storm.
Lo'ak had has arm wrapped around her waist but the shouting of her Metkayina's could be heard. Maleia spun her head around to see them all circling around in one area.
"Wake up, come on, come with," Maleia shoved Lo'ak to wake up.
His hand held onto hers as they made their way through the crowd.
"My Spirit Sister, and her baby, have been murdered by the Sky people!" Ronal explained to them all.
Villagers surrounded them exclaimed with anger to her declaration.
Maleia gasped at the sound of it.
"This war has come to us! We knew about this hunting of our Tulkun people. But it was over the horizon, far away. Now, it is here!" Tonowari exclaimed before everyone copied.
Jake shook his head to their reaction.
"You gotta understand how the Sky people think. They don't care about the Great Balance," He explained.
Maleia looked up at Lo'ak and he nodded his head, pulling her closer towards his side.
She couldn't even imagine the pain her mother was going through.
She'd be a mess if she ever lost Taio.
"The Sky people are not gonna stop. This is only the beginning. You gotta tell your Tulkun to leave. You gotta tell them to go far away!" Jake said.
Ronal jumped forwards after hearing his words, "Leave? You live among us, and you learn nothing."
"We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters!"
The whole clan stuck by the words.
Maleia looked up Lo'ak, him seeing how terrified she was just by the expression in her eyes.
"If you attack, if you fight, they will destroy you! They will destroy everything that you love..." Jake explained, wanting to get his words out to the people surrounding them.
Something beeped in the crowd.
Jake stood and held something human in his hands, showing them all.
"You tell the Tulkun that if they're hit by one of these... They're marked for death. And, call for me, I'll silence it. Saving their lives, that's all that matters. Right? Saving your family," Jake said to them all.
The clan was quiet listening to him.
Maleia didn't take another second when finding Taio and telling her about the contraption from the humans. Taio understood, and left.
That was when she heard arguing.
Maleia saw Lo'ak fixing up and ilu when Neteyam decided to join him.
"He's going to Payakan!" Neteyam announced with a slap against Ao'nung's chest.
