✩. AVATAR — the story of us | lo’ak, pt. 7
✩. lo’ak x f!omatikaya!reader
✩. one thing everyone should know: the truth always comes out, whether you’re ready or not.
✩. goes back and forth between happy and sad, arguing, parental issues, so much sully family fluff, dancing, lots of negative emotions such as: fear, anger, guilt, heartbreak, hints of an out of body experience/panic attack (i don’t really know what it would be called), its finally getting to the main plot of the story
the sound of horns echoed throughout the village. the heads of everyone shot up, most with smiles at the familiar horn, others with confusion.
“the tulkun have returned!” tsireya shouted as she rode her ilu through the bay. the sullys watch as she ride past, the widest of grins on her face.
“everyone, our brothers and sisters have returned!” (y/n) shouted from the docks, feet away from the sully hut. they were all racked with amazement at the sight of everyone coming together in search of their spirit siblings. lo’ak looked to her with a wide smile, especially when seeing her hand outreached for him.
lo’ak slapped his brother on the shoulder, sending neteyam forward before he ran for the girl. their hands connected easily before they dove into the water. lo’ak watched as his ilu rushed up, sending a short reminder of what happened to (y/n)s before they mounted it.
they swam throughout the bay, watching as people caught up with their tulkun siblings. ilus and navi were swimming all around them, tulkun sounds vibrating around them.
(y/n)s arms wrapped around lo’aks thin waist, head leaning on his back as she watched everyone with a smile. she felt his hand reach back to rest on her thigh once the ilu started to go faster, holding her secure on the ilu.
(y/n) waved as they passed by his siblings, lo’ak and neteyam swimming in a circle chasing after the other before lo’ak broke off. they continued to swim around for a bit, seeing tsireya with her sister and even ronal with hers, before lo’ak brought them to the surface.
(y/n) laughed lightly, the joy bursting from her body, seeing as lo’ak was looking at her with a smile. before she could say anything, his expression showed confusion.
“where’s your spirit sister?” he asked. (y/n) looked around at the others above the water before turning back to him with a shrug.
“i don’t have one. guess it comes with the outsider territory.” lo’aks smile dropped almost instantly, his shoulder nudging hers. she laughed out despite this, head tilting back.
“it’s true, kinda! i just never really bonded with any.” (y/n) leaned back onto lo’aks back, one of his hands coming up to rest on her arm, “but, my mothers spirit sister does have a calf. maybe i can bond with her.”
lo’ak chuckled at her words, shaking his head lightly. he hoped she couldn’t feel the way his heart was pounding in his chest — a common accurate she brought he noticed.
seeing everyone with their spirit siblings was starting to bring lo’ak down, but she was keeping him up. lo’ak missed payakan, the outcast being one of the only ones who understood lo’ak. it was only payakan and (y/n).
“let’s go,” (y/n) said close to loaks ear, regaining his attention. he looked at her with confusion, which she only smiled at, “let’s go see him.”
she had read his mind. she must have, he thought. truly, she had just seen it on his face; the longing as he looked at the tulkuns and metkayinas.
with the confident smile on her face, lo’ak didn’t attempt to protest. he didn’t want her to be in trouble, sure, but right now was the perfect moment for them to slip away undetected, so they did.
well, they thought they did.
neteyam, tsireya, ao’nung, and rotxo were sneaky though. they had noticed the two swimming away and decided to follow them all the way into the sea.
(y/n) sat by lo’aks head as he rested on payakans fin, looking into the tulkuns eye, “i know how you feel. i feel all alone too.” her hand caressed his shoulder. she was the exception to that statement, but that didn’t change that with everyone else they simply didn’t understand. everywhere he turned was some upset or disappointed because of him.
in this open sea with (y/n) and payakan, that was where he was completely free and accepted, “tell me. why are you outcast?”
payakan didn’t make a sound in response, simply leading the teens into the water. they swam down with him, sticking close to each other's side as payakan came to a stop directly in front of them.
(y/n) felt her eyes begin to water when she saw payakan just staring at them, grabbing lo’aks arm when he threw them up in question. the wide open mouth of the tulkun was only confirmation of what she thought was happening, lo’ak looking at her with question.
she looked at him, a smile growing as she signed for him to enter. with slight hesitance, the boy did as he was told and began to swim into payakans mouth; neither of the teens noticed neteyam shoot forward, only to be stopped by tsireya.
(y/n) floated patiently as she waited for lo’aks return. she went closer to payakan as she waited, her hand giving his head soft caresses. she knew that it wasn’t a happy story on any side of it, especially for payakan.
she held back a gasp when his mouth suddenly reopened, lo’ak swimming out. the sad expression on his face only confirmed it as he swam up to meet her side. his hands found payakans head as well, eyes shining with apoligies.
lo’ak turned to (y/n), her free hand connecting with his cheek. she frowned at his sad eyes, ready to sign to him before his eyes went behind her. she turned to follow his gaze, seeing as her siblings and two friends exited the seaweed forest.
(y/n) kept her head down as she walked beside lo’ak, the whole group of teens being led to her family’s hut by her parents. it wasn’t too hard to describe how she was feeling right now: angry, nervous, and sad. she was sad because of what payakan had been through. the other emotions weren’t too hard to figure out.
(y/n) held back a hiss when she felt her mothers hand connect with her back and push her forward, deeming her walk too slow. lo’ak glanced at her but didn’t speak. he wouldn’t make things worse for the girl.
“you allowed this,” ronal shouted as they all came to a stop inside the hut, looking at her three children, “you allowed him to bond with the outcast.”
“tsireya, (y/n),” tsireya gasped at her fathers direct focus on them. (y/n) held her sister's hand tightly, keeping her head straight, “you disappoint me, daughters.”
all the times seeing the disappointment in his eyes were nothing to hearing it out loud. not once in their lives had they ever heard those words leave tonowaris mouth, and it was heartbreaking. (y/n) always felt that when all else failed, that she still had her father. when ronal was so angry at her that at least tonowari was on her side, even if it was deep down inside him.
the quietest of whimpers escaped her throat. it was only heard by tsireya next to her, but the sadness on both their faces had the three teen boys looking at them with pity. neither girl deserved it and they all wished to say something.
“and you, son of a great warrior, who has been taught better,” he motioned to lo’ak as jake and neytiri walked up.
“payakan saved my life, sir, as well as your daughters. you don’t know him.” lo’ak spoke up. (y/n) sucked in a breath, her eyes flickering between him and her parents. never had someone spoke up to her father like that —well, besides her mother.
“lo’ak,” tsireya scolded him, his eyes turning to her and (y/n). she held his gaze with welled up eyes but didn’t say anything, her teeth biting her bottom lip.
tonowaris head nodded just barely, pointing his hand out to lo’ak, “sit.” he repeated it once more. the both of them crouch to the ground, a calmness taking over the air before tonowari looked at the others still standing.
“sit down!” he pointed down to the ground as he yelled, causing both girls to flinch and drop down. never had (y/n) expected fear to be added on to her list of emotions once inside the hut, let alone it be caused by her father. her and tsireyas hands gripped each other tightly, but neither wanted to release.
tonowari brought his hands to his mouth and pushed them away with a breath, an attempt to calm himself, (y/n) assumed. her eyes looked above him to her pacing mother who was already looking at her. (y/n) saw the slight concern ronal held as she looked at her daughter, but the tsahiks face hardened so quickly that (y/n) wondered if it was just her imagination.
“hear my words, boy,” tonowari started, “in the days of the first songs, tulkun fought amongst themselves…for territory and for revenge. but they came to believe that killing, no matter how justified, only brings more killing. so, killing was forbidden. this is the tulkun way. payakan is a killer so he is outcast.”
“i’m sorry, sir, but you are wrong—,”
“lo’ak,” his mother hissed, “you are speaking to the olo’eyktan.”
“that’s enough!” jake shouted. he was leaning on his knees with his head down, shutting lo’ak up, but only for a moment.
“i know what i know,” he shrugged. ronal hissed in displeasure while jake moved over to his son, looking him down as he repeated his earlier words. lo’ak looked at the ground to avoid his fathers eyes.
“i’ll deal with this one.” jake said, latching his hand around lo’aks arm.
“lo’ak is right, he saved our lives.” (y/n) suddenly spoke up, stopping jake in his movements. everyone’s eyes turned to her, but she was focused on her parents, “he was just protecting his family. how is that any different to you?”
“what is different is they are tulkun! you know this!” ronal growled at the girl but her daughter's stern expression stayed. everyone watched as they looked at each other without blinking, a staring contest neither would be backing down from. the tension that was set in the air only rose and eventually everyone shared wary glances to each other.
jake and tonowari looked at each other and with a nod from the olo’eyktan, jake took his sons and set off. lo’ak fought back slightly, not wanting to leave (y/n) in that atmosphere; neteyam brought to his attention that them staying would probably only make things worse, and that she had her siblings to help her.
for the first time, lo’ak felt grateful that ao’nung was around.
“never, do you ever, speak back to us.” tonowari snarled at his daughter. (y/n) could see tsireya and ao’nung looking at her as if she had two heads, which she wouldn’t be surprised if she did. she must have had two heads and been insane to be acting the way she was.
“this is exactly why i did not want you around that family! they are a bad influence on you.” ronal spoke angrily, (y/n)s face scrunching up in irritation.
“really? you spend every waking moment with that family, that boy, never with your own family. you go beyond the reef, get into fights with your brother, and speak back to your parents.” ronals words reminding (y/n) of her brothers, though ronal spoke nothing about her feelings.
“they teach me about the forest.” (y/n) argued and she could see her mothers anger spike up. no longer was her father a part of the conversation. he had become a spectator; just like her siblings, just like always.
“you keep using that excuse, child, but i see the truth. i see the way you care for them, wishing they were your true family.” the similarities between mother and son were uncanny, but the differences were also obvious. with ao’nung, making up was easy and simple. it took a bit of time, granted, but that was mostly because (y/n) was oblivious to what was upsetting him.
with ronal, it would be much more difficult for the simple fact that (y/n) had been trying to get ronal to understand her feelings her entire life. it was always the same thing with her mother. ronal was trying to protect her, so that made (y/n)s feelings unimportant. (y/n) had enough.
“yes mom! i spend more time with the sullys, because they don’t see me as weak! they see me as one of them. and that…that’s all i wanted.” years of keeping it in had finally reached its end. the feelings that bubbled inside of her finally overflowed. the feelings ronal caused in her were finally spoken.
everyone’s jaws were dropped, hearts breaking as it felt the waves that were trying to push (y/n) away from them had finally succeeded.
ronal was speechless, tears welling in her eyes that she did not allow to fall as she watched her daughter process not just what she had said but the entire conversation.
“i…i have to prepare for the celebration.” the tulkun celebration: a tradition the metkayina tribe would do the night the tulkuns returned. it had been forgotten in the activities of the day, but now it had returned to her mind. it was conveniently the perfect excuse to get away.
(y/n) didn’t wait for a response from her family. she gave her sisters hand a quick squeeze before standing and giving ao’nung a pat as she passed him.
the girl ran her hands over her head as she walked away from the hut. she wished to rid her mind of that entire conversation, and wished to forget the looks and words that were shared. it pulled at her heart.
the only thing she could think of to ease her sadness was the other pull at her heart.
she smiled softly as she saw lo’ak and jake sitting on the dock, talking. she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she definitely knew that it wasn’t enjoyable. either way, seeing lo’ak comforted her. he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his shoulders visibly relaxing.
her presence eased him, the thought of her being there waiting for him once he was done made him feel he could handle his fathers scolding.
with his eyes returning to the front of him, (y/n) held onto the huts doorway. it was warm inside, bringing solace to her. she watched with the same smile as neteyam and kiri sat on the floor, talking about things she didn’t know; probably about lo’aks bonding with payakan, from kiris' concerned look. her eyes dragged from them to tuk, who was sat in front of her mother as she redid her daughters braids.
(y/n)s mouth went ajar at the sight. neytiri and tuk both had big grins as they sat, tuk telling her mother about the cove of the ancestors and just how beautiful it was. they talked about the tulkuns return and how amazing the creatures were.
(y/n) brought her hand up to her hair, feeling the softness of it beneath her fingertips. she loved the braids that adorned the sully family’s head. she was told by lo’ak that while the metkayina people wore their hair mostly down, it was a lot more common for the omatikaya to have it braided, especially with the war going on. he said he only ever really saw kiri wear it down, and only saw his mother wear it down before the sky people returned.
with slow hands, she grabbed a small clump of her hair and started to braid it at the root. she tried to mock neytiris hand movement, doing what she saw the woman do. at least, she thought that’s what she was doing, but at the angle she was at it proved difficult.
“(y/n)?” kiri outed (y/n) from where she stood unnoticed, the others inside turning to look at her. neteyam and neytiris expressions held a sort of worry for the girl from what they had seen earlier, but it didn’t last too long at the frizzy and clumpy braid in her hand.
“oh, babe,” neytiri chuckled. (y/n)s ears instantly dropped in embarrassment, fingers quickly undoing the braid to try to get rid of the embarrassment, “come here, child.”
(y/n) looked from neytiris hand that was beckoning her to neteyam and kiri. they nodded at her. with their assurance, (y/n) walked inside the warm hut. tuk smiled up at her and stood up, grabbing her arm and guiding her to sit where she once was.
(y/n) looked to neytiri as her hand rubbed over her head. after the argument (y/n) had just come from, the warm and soothing touch of a mother almost made her want to break down and cry.
“have you ever had your hair braided?” neytiri questioned. (y/n) looked throughout her memories for a time where her hair had been braided, but she came up blank.
“no, never.” she shook her head as she spoke. neytiri hummed, now brushing her fingers throughout the girls locks.
“can i?” (y/n) felt her heart jump at the question, excitment pumping throughout her. she nodded frantically as she turned around fully to give neytiri full access.
neteyam and kiri joined tuk in sitting in front of (y/n), all watching with joy as their mother began to braid her hair.
“(y/n), you’re gonna look so beautiful! like, impossibly beautiful, cause you’re already so pretty.” tuk gushed, rocking in her spot. everyone chuckled at her words.
(y/n)s scalp felt tingly as neytiris nimble fingers moved around her hair and began to braid. she tried to imagine herself with braids, the thought sending so much happiness into her. something about it made her feel even more connected to her culture. she wondered if her parents wore braids or if they left it down. she wondered if her mothers hair was straight or curly.
“your hair reminds me of my own when it is down.” neytiri commented. (y/n)s eyes widened, her ears shooting up. neteyam nudged kiri and secretly pointed to her upright ears, both of them snickering quickly at them.
“mhm,” neytiri hummed. her hands were making quick work of (y/n)s hair. after years and years of doing braids for not just herself but other tribe members and her own children, it wasn’t very surprising.
“hey, (y/n)?” tuk asked, scooting across the floor to sit closer to (y/n). (y/n) smiled softly as tuks hand grabbed her larger one, “what do you think your parents were like?”
neytiri and two of her oldest children tensed at tuks question, but (y/n) stayed calm. she took in a small breath before sighing, thinking to herself.
“my mother said that when my…mother,” she giggled and so did the others, “came here, she had war paint on her, and that she wore the necklace of a warrior. i plan to wear it tonight, and i’ll show you all.”
they smiled at the joy that overtook her as she spoke about her mother, oblivious to the pain she felt in her heart, “ i think both my parents were strong and great fighters, but i also think they were kind. i think my father was the type to lay with you until you fall asleep, and that my mother would tell stories every night.”
“that’s so cute,” tuk pouted her lips, tears welling in her eyes. (y/n) laughed, bringing her hands to the girl's face as she cooed.
“aw, tuk, don’t cry,” neteyam said, placing his hand on her shoulder. (y/n) felt neytiris hand rub her own shoulder for a moment before returning to her hair.
“i think your parents would have been very proud of you,” neytiri spoke softly from behind the girl. her hands fell from tuks face and instinctively, she turned around to face neytiri.
“really?” she asked excitedly. hands grabbed at her shoulders and forced her back around, eyes meeting kiris.
“you’ll mess her up! don’t move!” she scolded the older girl. (y/n) rolled her eyes but didn’t try to move again; in fact, she sat completely still in fear of messing neytiri up.
“why do you think they’d be proud?” the kids relaxed before her, neteyam holding onto both of his sisters. they calmed themselves to allow their friend and mother this moment together, sensing how it was needed.
“to start,” neytiris voice was warm, “you are kind, you take good care of the others and are strong, like a tree that is rooted deep in the ground and does not sway at even the fiercest winds. you are also very beautiful.”
(y/n) laughed at the feeling of neytiris finger poking her sides, her body moving to escape her touch. neytiri laughed behind her and continued to braid her soft hair.
“you are a special girl, (y/n). everyone knows it.” neteyam nodded as he spoke, as if confirming his own words. (y/n) felt the skin of her body warming up, and it wasn’t just from the heat inside the hut. their praise was starting to get to her. she wasn’t used to it, but it made her heart swell.
“stop, i’m just glad i can know you all.” she confessed to them. she hadn’t really expressed her feelings to any of the sullys, never telling them just how important their arrival meant to her, “you gave me more of my home than i ever thought i’d have.”
(y/n) couldn’t see it, but neytiris smile faded, contradicting the bright smiles of the four children in front of her. she finished the braid she was on and moved on to the next, allowing a sigh to escape her.
“(y/n), something you must know is that awa’altu is your home. the forest is the home of your people, and it stays inside of you even thousands of miles away.” (y/n) blinked but didn’t respond. she knew the truth of her words: the forest had always been within her. it was why she felt such a great longing to it, why even after learning and growing up the same as the other children that she was still different in her movements and actions.
but the first part of neytiris words is what had her stuck. awa’altu is her home. she wouldn’t deny it, but something about it felt off.
“done,” neytiri whispered, effectively breaking (y/n) from her thoughts. (y/n) quickly reached up to touch her hair, for some reason surprised to feel the numerous braids against her fingertips. she examined the reactions of the siblings before her, taking their smiles and bright eyes as a good sign.
“wow, (y/n), you look incredible.” kiri spoke as she took in the sight of the girl before her. her hand came to cover her mouth, hiding the huge grin on her lips. tuk jumped up and clapped her hands excitedly.
“(y/n), you were made for braids! i told you you’d look good!” she exclaimed. the group of them laughed at her cheerfulness. suddenly, a thought came across the girls face and she gasped, sending flinches throughout the navis, “i gotta get lo’ak!”
(y/n) watched the small girl run out of the hut with a small groan. just how many people knew about the crush she had on the boy? she had been ignoring it —well, internally— so well! honestly, the unending touches between them definitely gave it away.
the smile quickly returned to (y/n)s face as she pulled kiri pulled her up by her hands. neytiri whooped while neteyam clapped, watching as kiri twirled the older girl. they laughed cheerfully as her braids flew throughout the air, much more speratic than her normal hair.
“what’s going on?” jake's voice entered the hut. he was leaning down significantly as he was pulled by his youngest child, son beside him suffering the same as him. they were welcomed by the sight of absolute joy. it was a stark contrast to the tension they had outside while jake scolded his son. big, toothy smiles as they looked at the girl that wasn’t an official member of his family.
the same smile, the same happiness she usually brought to them.
“momma braided (y/n)s hair!” finally, the girls spinning came to a stop at tuks exclamation, giggling and holding onto kiri for balance.
lo’ak was completely awestruck. there was simply no other word for it, besides speechless. this was his confirmation: (y/n) was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. no doubt about it.
later that night, he would see (y/n) again during the celebration for the return of the tulkun. she would be dressed in celebrational paints and jewelry, and looking her absolute best, but it would still be nothing compared to her now.
her now: surrounded by the warm lights of the huts lanterns, biggest of smiles he’s yet to see from her, with his family who he loves more than anything. what he was seeing was her. it was magnificent.
“well?” kiri raised an eyebrow at her brother, looking at him expectantly. he cleared his throat and straightened his body upon realizing everyone had been looking at him and his dropped jaw.
“you look amazing,” he said truthfully, only remembering his parents were present until after. he made it a point to avoid their gazes and to look at the ground. neytiri chuckled from her spot while jake smiled.
“mom even added pretty beads,” tuk commented. she was back in front of (y/n), reaching up as if trying to feel the girls hair. (y/n)s hands went back to her hair, feeling up and down multiple braids; she did, in fact, feel many beads and shells throughout her hair.
lo’ak watched as she felt her hair, eyes wide as if she was imagining what she looked like. it was criminal that she could not see.
“wait,” lo’ak said. everyone turned to him as he walked to his bag of stuff, quickly rummaging through it. neteyam smirked to himself as he realized what it was his brother was looking for, “here.”
lo’ak stood and handed the object in his hand to (y/n). she looked down at it before taking it, seeing the ceiling of the hut in its reflection, and then her own. she looked in wonder as she grabbed it and examined it, turning it and seeing sides of her face and area behind her within it.
“it’s a mirror,” he informed her, fully aware of his parents eyes on him.
“where did you get that?” jake firm and back to his dad like tone. lo’ak tensed, hand reached up to rub the back of his neck.
“y’know, the lab,” he cleared his throat nervously, “norm let me have it.”
“uh-uh,” jake said, clearly not believing lo’ak as he shared a look with his wife. she only rolled her eyes with a smile.
(y/n) was speechless as she looked at herself. she hadn’t ever seen herself besides in the reflection of the water, and that was very limited. she could see the flecks of different colors within her eyes, freckles similar to the ones that she admired on lo’ak so dearly, and the way her now braided hair fell past her ears and framed her face.
“wow,” was all she could mutter. pride rushed throughout neytiri at the fact the girl loved her hair so much. braids were never a big deal, but it was obvious just how much it meant to (y/n).
the sound of a horn rang throughout the village, confusing the sully family and reminding (y/n) of the reason she came by in the first place.
“that’s right! tonight we are having a celebration for the return of the tulkuns!” she said excitedly. she handed the mirror back to lo’ak but he shook his head; although, he couldn’t argue as she shoved it into his hand.
“it starts at eclipse. will you come?”
neytiri and jake looked at each other as if questioning for confirmation, but their children were already jumping up and accepting her invitation.
“we’ll be there.” jake confirmed with a chuckle, the girls of the hut cheering. neteyam huffed as tuk jumped into his arms in excitement, almost knocking him down in the process.
(y/n) spoke to each member of the family, but her eyes focused on lo’ak, “i’ll see you there.”
the earlier words might have been incorrect, seeing how lo’ak stood frozen as he watched (y/n) dance with the village people in the middle of the celebration are. while she was at her most beautiful in her natural state, the absolute joy that had taken over her features was hard to compete with. the tradition attire she wore also helped.
she had swirls painted on the upper part of her body: two on her forehead and two on her cheek, two purple and two yellow. on her shoulders were swirls of green and white there, and then one singular purple swirl on (y/n)s neck.
her bottoms were made of a white string that tied around her hips, a white cloth covering both her front and back.
her top was a large necklace that looked similar to some of the warrior necklaces from the forest. it had silver, wiry like tendrawls sprawling all across her chest and covered her breasts decently. the string latched around her neck hung low, resting on her collarbones. it didn’t cover the swirls on her body but accentuated them.
on top of her head was white shells and flowers on a string that went around her head and sat on her hairline. at the center was a jewel that dropped down and rested on the middle of her forehead.
“oh, eywa.” he heard his brother whisper under his breath as they watched (y/n) wave at them before her attention was pulled back to the dance. lo’ak, forcefully, tore his eyes away from the girl to send his brother a glare. neteyam quickly noticed his brother's head shoot towards him and barked out a laugh.
“don’t worry, brother,” neteyams hand patted lo’aks head, “she’s all yours.”
lo’ak rolled his eyes and pushed his brother away from him, neteyam still chuckling as kiri walked up to them. she followed their gaze to the dancing girl, tsireya and ao’nung also in the mix of people with her.
“you should join her, brother.” kiri commented. the incredulous look lo’ak gave her was humorous. she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her while he looked at her as if she were crazy.
“does it look like i know how to do that?” his hand jerked to the group of dancing people. as neteyam and kiri looked back at the mass of people, they could understand his hesitance.
it was five to a group: (y/n), tsireya, ao’nung, rotxo, and another boy they didn’t know made a they were connected by their arms and together they would pick up one foot and lean forward then jump and switch feet and lean backwards, then they would straighten and the girls feet would lift from the ground.
all of these groups were mixed closely together and only made the dance more intimidating. it only got worse when the groups disconnected, moving to face each and clapping their hands in the air.
they ducked down and passed by the sides of each other, straightening and reaching their hands out, then grabbing it and pulling each other in and dancing around together.
“maybe you have a point.” neteyam muttered with an exhale. it seemed impossible to even join in, let alone actually understand the dance. unfortunately, their lax figures were spotted by the sharp gaze of the dancing girl.
the grin that overtook her face sent a chill throughout all of them, and as she grabbed the attention of her siblings, they felt a strong urge to run.
they didn’t get the chance as they were quickly grabbed by the three siblings.
“this counts as a lesson.” (y/n) said evilly, lo’ak looking at her expression with fear. she laughed and rolled her eyes as she pulled him to the dancing, the others following behind. they kept a good distance from the professional dancers as to not cause any injuries.
the sullys watched warily.
“it’s pretty simple when you break it down. it only goes fast.” tsireya said to them, standing next to her brother.
(y/n) nodded, tapping her foot to the beat of the music to find a good opening, “and if you think about it, it’s just a bunch of jumping and turning.”
the best dropped and in sync, ao’nung and (y/n) ducked down and hopped on their feet, shaking their arms out in front of them. another large beat on the drum had them straightening. they clapped their hands out into the air, their opposite shoulders coming together.
“it’s like you never do the same move twice,” lo’ak grumbled, observing how this was a different dance to what he had just seen them do. the kids laughed, nodding.
“honestly, bro, you just gotta pay attention to others and do whatever your body tells you to.” ao’nung shrugged. it was the best advice he could’ve given to them. without the experience, it was definitely hard to keep up with them.
lo’aks frown softened as he felt (y/n)s hand latch around his, lightly tugging him closer to the dancing na’vi.
“let’s just try it out, yeah?”
he couldn’t deny her smile no matter how much he wished to. in the end, he could never say no to (y/n). he was completely wrapped around her finger.
for a moment he simply watched as she moved around, observing her moments and copying them lightly. once he felt he got a small grasp on them, with her encouragement, he began to follow along with her.
she cheered out, smiling brightly. a couple whoops came from within the mix of people, and whether it was for him or not, lo’ak didn’t know or care.
he kept his focus completely on the girl, paying no mind to his siblings or anyone else who brushed past him. how could he when he had this beautiful letting go of herself completely in his arms.
both her hands entwined with his and she lifted their arms up, spinning inward. he was forced to copy her action, the both of them laughing as the tops of their heads grazed each other. he felt the ends of her braids tickle his back, sending a shiver throughout him.
lo’ak felt a sliver of disappointment as the girl released him and spun backwards, pairing up with kiri while tsireya took her sister's place.
they smiled at each other, laughing as tsireya attempted to show him another dance move. he was a bit lost in the movements but otherwise caught on well. lo’ak was thoroughly impressing the metkayinas.
it wasn’t long before the girls rotated again, (y/n) coming back to lo’ak. he couldn’t help the way his smile brightened at her return.
a few feet away stood a smiling mother as she watched her children dance among the crowd. a part of her never expected to see them so happy, or even enjoying a clan celebration. her heart felt that the pain of the forest would travel with them, and while it did, it didn’t stop them from evolving. she was glad they could still find enjoyment in the days.
as she felt the hand of her husband rub against her back, pulling her body into his, her eyes caught sight of a familiar silver piece. the feeling of her heart dropping was something she hadn’t felt since they had to leave the forest. it had felt so long since so many emotions suddenly forced themselves to the surface.
the her hand raised and the back of it touched jakes chest, bringing his smiling face to look down at her. his smile quickly faded at her expression, as if she had just seen a ghost.
“my jake,” she muttered, “look.”
he followed her gaze right back to the dancing children. at first he was confused, finding the sight heartwarming, but then he saw it too.
the same silver war piece they had seen been made, laying on the chest of the girl that dripped with memories.
suddenly, it all made sense. the familiarity. the feeling like they had met before. the way her features looked so familiar. the way it was just on the tips of their tongues, but they could not figure it out.
now it was laid out plainly in front of them.
“i must speak with the tsahik.”
“lo’ak, come.” (y/n) whispered to lo’ak once they had danced a small ways from the crowd. lo’ak looked back to the dancing people then back to her, slight confusion on his face. she giggled sweetly as she started to lead him away from the celebration.
“where are we going?” he asked, nodding towards an adult who smiled kindly at them. (y/n) waved at them before continuing on her past. lo’ak was still waiting for a response as they walked, not receiving even a glance.
it wasn’t until they were completely separated from the celebration area that (y/n) looked over her shoulder, giving the boy a smirk, and then taking off. lo’ak gasped softly at the sudden jerk of her body but quickly began to sprint with her.
the wind was suddenly forcefull on their bodies, causing their braids to fly behind them. the laughter that escaped the girl was music to his ears, leading laughter of his own.
neither of them really knew what they were laughing at. maybe it was their sneaky escape, or the freedom they felt. whatever it was, it was the result of pure happiness that was leaking from them in the best way possible.
the pairs fast pace slowed as (y/n) turned into a familiar part of the palm tree forest. he looked at her with a knowing look, now understanding where she was taking him.
“i don’t really want to get hit by a leaf tonight.” he teased, the girl rolling her eyes and pushing him playfully. he snickered at her reaction, grasping her hands to keep his balance.
“trust me, it’s better during eclipse.” this ceased his teasing, now curious. lo’ak quickly decided that he needed to see the pond during eclipse, and followed closely behind the girl as she lead him through the trees and bushes.
it was so weird to lo’ak how well hidden the pond was in such a thin forest. the trees weren’t nearly as thick or tall as the ones in the real forest, and it was even close to being as large, but it was still easy to get lost within it.
maybe it’s because of its outside appearance that causes people to underestimate it, and next thing they know is they can’t find a way out. either way, lo’ak didn’t want to figure it out.
the feeling of (y/n)s hand intertwining with his caused him to look down at them before looking at her. (y/n) gave him a glance but mostly focused ahead of them as she walked to the pond.
“what did your dad say?” she asked softly. for a moment, lo’ak was confused as to what she was talking about, but then quickly remembered his bonding with payakan. his ears instinctively folded downwards, pricking hurt inside the girls chest.
“he was really mad i talked back. i tried to explain it to him too, but he wouldn’t even let me talk.” for just a moment, his grip on (y/n)s hand tightened in his brief anger, but he quickly relaxed it. he felt her thumb gently rubbing the back of his hand.
“i’m sorry, lo’ak.” (y/n) muttered with a frown. lo’ak shook his head despite her not seeing.
“don’t be, seriously. i should be sorry, i got you in trouble again.” instead of using lo’aks way of reassurance, a scoff left her lips while her hip gave a gentle nudge to him. lo’ak felt the tip of her tail graze his.
“lo’ak, you aren’t the only problem child on this island.” he couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. she smiled as she watched him laugh, but soon her face turned serious again, “i’m sorry they don’t believe you, lo’ak. neither you nor payakan deserve that, but at least we know the truth, right?”
lo’aks eyes washed over her for a moment, a glint of moonlight shining in his eyes before he smiled softly and nodded. her smile grew at this before looking back to the front and pushing down a familiar leaf.
lo’ak didn’t have any time to prepare himself for the sight before him. it was completely lit up but not in a bright way that forced him to look away. it was more of an entrancing way that didn’t let him advert his gaze.
the deep blue water was suddenly lighter than the ocean as it glowed, many more fish present than before. the sound of animals in the trees caused his ears to twitch, but as he looked around, his eyes couldn’t find them. the area around them felt darker and fuller, the grass beneath their feet warm and glowing.
“it looks like home.” (y/n) quickly caught on that he meant the forest, mouth opening as she looked at him.
“really?” she asked in disbelief. she imagined the forest many times, just had she been by this pond, but she never knew the similarities between them. it made her feel like she had missed out, or that she had been way off in her imagination.
“yeah.” he said with a slightly breathless tone.
(y/n) nodded quietly, turning to look back at the area around them. she knew it was beautiful, but for some reason with the information lo’ak just gave her, it felt like she was seeing it for the first time all over again.
her mind didn’t stop for her, already used to the process and instantly started imagining what life would be like.
she could hear the distant sound of children’s laughter, the draw of a boy, and the cry of an ikran. it faded away when her ears focused on the far off music they had just came from, causing her to exhale.
she turned back to lo’ak, finding him already looking at her.
“what’s your favorite tradition from the forest?” she found herself asking, hands clasped behind her back.
lo’ak hummed as he thought for a moment, then smiled at her. (y/n) should’ve known from his smile that she would regret asking, but she didn’t move to run away.
“it’s not really a omatikaya tradition. it’s something my dad was taught on earth— on the star he comes from,” (y/n) tilted her head, “he taught it to my mom and then me and my siblings.”
she watched as his hands came to her arms and slowly went down, going to her hands and pulling them in front of her. (y/n) had a confused smile on her face.
he guided one of her hands to his shoulder, holding her other in the air, and resting his other hand on her waist.
“it’s called slow dancing.” lo’ak informed her. she looked between them at their position, taking it in and then nodding.
“it’s simple, a lot easier than yours,” she rolled her eyes, “just take two steps to the left, one step to the right.”
(y/n)s head instantly turned down when lo’ak started to move them, watching as her feet stumbled to move with him.
“look at me,” his voice was soft as he talked, drawing her head up to look at him. her movements stopped, jerking the boy to a stop with her, “why'd you stop?”
“if i look at you then i will step on your feet.”
lo’ak shook his head and pulled her back into him, “no, you won’t. you’re doing fine.”
(y/n) didn’t believe him, not at all, but she knew what it was like to teach someone something, especially a dance. at some point, you just need to trust yourself and your teacher.
they started again, this time the girl forcing her head to stay up. they were going a little slower than they had started for her comfort, but it didn’t matter much; it was slow dancing.
(y/n)s focus slowly went from the movements of her feet to the pace of her breathing as she realized how the eye contact they held had been unyielding. lo’ak barely blinked as he looked into her bright eyes. being so close like they were now, he could see streaks of purple inbedded in her amber eyes. the purple paint on her face also helped in making them more noticeable.
his hand drifted from her side to her back, pushing her closer to him, “slow down.” he muttered.
embarrassment warmed her cheeks, her eyes glancing at the ground as she slowed her pace. she had gotten so distracted by his stare it had started to show in her dancing, and it was probably obvious to him. his snickering only proved her point.
“you’re good.” he commented. (y/n) smiled at his compliment, suddenly gasping when he raised her hand above them and spun her body, pulling her back in.
she laughed at the action, loving the feeling of the twirl. lo’ak smiled down at her, glad that she enjoyed it so much. suddenly, she raised his hand and repeated the action to him.
lo’aks eyes were wide at the sudden twirl of his body. never, had he ever, been twirled. (y/n) laughed loudly and bounced lightly on her feet in joy. as strange as it felt to lo’ak to be twirled, he couldn’t help but laugh too, her happiness completely contagious.
a silence washed over them as they started to dance again, the smiles never disappearing from their faces. (y/n) barely even realized she was smiling like she was, it being completely natural. the silence basked over them comfortably.
it felt like the world around them faded with ever step they took, every negative thing leaving their minds with every turn. it was just them, the cool water, and the starry sky. even the distant sounds of the celebration music had been forgotten in their minds.
and as they looked at each other, it was obvious to them when their smiles showed more. their eyes didn’t just look at each other with friendliness or platonic admiration. it was simply more, and they both knew it. such small, knowing smiles could not be faked.
in a way, it was relaxing how they didn’t need to speak it out loud. the silence between them but the words shared by their eyes only furthered just how right it felt. how good.
but, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end.
“(y/n)!” tsireyas shout instantly snapped the pair from their daze. they looked to where her voice came from, frowning at her panicked face.
(y/n) pulled from lo’aks grasp and rushed to her sister, hands on tsireyas elbows to hold her up, “sister, what’s wrong?”
tsireyas eyes looked between (y/n) and lo’ak, tears welled up in her eyes.
“our parents, they’re arguing.” it was obvious that tsireya was shielded from things like arguing; honestly, each of them had been. it was very rare for tonowari and ronal to argue, and conflict had been nonexistent on the islands.
(y/n) looked over her shoulder to lo’ak, his face firm as he gave her a nod. that usual voice in her head told her not to go, to just run. that fear that always prickled at her skin and shouted in her mind.
just like always, (y/n) ignored it, and together the three ran to the olo’eyktans hut. (y/n) could feel her heart pounding in her chest, worried about what they might find when they arrive
neteyam and kiri were walking down the beach with tuk when the three rushed by them, lo’ak only motioning to follow them. neteyam and kiri sent each other a wary look, already knowing never to just do what lo’ak says, but with their hurry they deamed it serious. they also had no choice, seeing as tuk quickly went after the small group.
ao’nung was waiting for them a little ways from the hut, perking up when he saw them rushing forward. he was a little apprehensive at the big group, but he quickly ignored them as his eyes settled on (y/n).
he wasn’t close enough to hear exactly what their parents were talking about, but the shouts were loud enough to know it was worrying.
“what’s going on?” (y/n) asked him breathlessly, panting in attempt to catch her breath. ao’nung only shrugged, just as clueless as her.
(y/n) looked back to the others behind her. they all looked at her with the same confused and worried looks, eyes shining under the starry sky. she remembered quickly that as much as it’s forgotten, she is the oldest. whether instinctive or not, they were all looking to her.
swallowing the hesitation in her throat, (y/n) rolled her shoulders back and turned towards the hut. her ears flinched down at the loud shout that came from it at that same moment, but she didn’t falter.
(y/n) shot ao’nung a small, reassuring smile before she began to walk along the wood to her family’s hut. she knew that the others were all following behind her, interest peaked within them.
the closer they got, the clearer the words being shared were. every sentence only confused the girl more and gave a pull to her heart.
“this is not your business! you are not her mother!”
“no, but her real mother wouldn’t want you keeping this from her.”
(y/n) was now slowly coming up to the doorway, her mind beginning to process just what they were talking about: her.
the girl moved from where she was leaning on the hut, making her way to the doorway.
“i am her real mother. yayíu is dead.”
suddenly, everything went quiet. (y/n) could see kiris shocked face in the corner of her eye. she could hear whispering of her friends around her, but her brain couldn’t process what they said. everything sounded blurry, everything looked blurry. (y/n) felt as if she had been submerged under the ocean. slowly, she was sinking to the bottom, unable to swim.
“what?” she didn’t even realize she had said it, the word falling from her mouth just as helpless as she felt.
a cold chill shot throughout the air. ronal stood completely rigid, looking at her oldest daughter with surprise, but the increasing fear she felt showed on her face. neytiri and jake also looked surprised, but the determination didn’t leave them in the slightest. tonowari was behind his wife, bracing her while he bit at his lip. his face wasn’t fearful like ronal, but full of shame and guilt.
none of this did anything to aid the raging storm of emotions that crashed around inside of (y/n).
“yayiu, that’s my mothers name, isn’t it?” (y/n) felt like she had no control of her body, like it wasn’t even hers. she felt like her mind was going numb and her body was just taking charge.
“yes, it was,” neytiri cut ronal off, ignoring the other woman’s glare, “we knew your mother, (y/n). she was one of my dearest friends.”
“oh, my eywa.” tsireya whispered from her spot in between ao’nung and lo’ak, her hand gripping her brothers tightly. he glanced down at her before focusing on (y/n).
“you knew?” her voice was weak as she spoke, only causing more pain to those around.
“yes.” tonowari said for his wife. the solemn look on his face was something she had never seen before, not once. never had she even imagined ever seeing the painful expressions her parents wore.
“you lied to me?” her voice cracked with her heart, before her face hardened, “what else have you been lying about?”
the eyes of the group beside her widened, impossibly so, as she took a step inside the hut and effectively disappeared from view. they all shared a look, the hesitation obvious. the only one who didn’t share that same look was lo’ak. his eyebrows were furrowed as he looked at them before he quickly jumped from out of the middle, rushing to join the girls' side.
she didn’t pay him any mind, or any of the other kids as they peaked out from behind the hut. her brain barely even acknowledged them, unlike the adults whose eyes all flickered to them.
“do not lie to her.” neytiri hissed at ronal, ignoring jakes hand on her shoulder. ronal was so caught up in all the possible outcomes of this situation that she brushed neytiri off with ease.
unfortunately, (y/n) could not do the same. tears stung her eyes as she looked at her parents, “why? why would you lie?”
in a way, it sounded as if she were begging, and honestly, she was. she was begging to know why. she was begging to know the truth.
“we-we were just protecting you.” ronal was begging too. it wasn’t outright, or in her words, but she was begging. she was begging for this to be a dream. she was begging that she could fix this.
“protecting me?” (y/n) couldn’t believe it, “do you know the pain you’ve put me through?”
“you don’t! you’ve never lost anyone before! never! the pain that has followed me is all your fault! your protection has been killing me!” (y/n) was losing it: that lid she held on herself and her emotions. it had been slipping off bit by bit since the arrival of the sullys, but in one moment it had completely flown off. everyone could feel the explosion that was warming up inside her, and no one could blame her.
“you lied to me! you watched me suffer and lied to me! you kept it— you kept my mother from me!”
“no, (y/n), i am your mot—,”
ronal tried; she tried to reach out for her daughter. her hand reached out and so did her heart, hoping to catch the girl who was slipping from her grasp, but it was too late.
“no,” (y/n)s voice was low and broken, “no.”
nobody even had the chance to stop her from rushing out of the hut.
a/n: my poor baby :( this hurt to write and the next few chapters are will too. also, don’t y’all love me for giving such quick updates🤭(i’m obsessed with writing this story and do nothing else)
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