Flowing Melody || NETEYAM

Teach Me To Breathe As You Do

It had been a long day of racing beneath and over waves, and laying on the water letting blue skin be heated. Fae'voila watched as kiri spent the day amazed by the sea and its creatures, her wonder warming Fae.

Finally, they called it a day, Lo'ak had been non-stop putting the moves on Tsireya to her utter delight, teaching him to control his breathing had been Faes personal favourite. Lo'ak was yet to see Tsireyas intelligence and once he did, Fae pittied him.

Neteyam gave Tuk a piggyback to shore, bouncing and splashing through the waves to make the little na'vi laugh.
Ao'nung seemed to be sulking, dragging his feet through the water as he muttered to Roxto, shooting dirty looks at the tree folk.

"Wring out your hair, or it will dry out tough and smell bad." Tsireya instructed as she began to squeeze her waves, Fae and the other following her instructions.

Neteyam set Tuk down as he knelt in the shallow water, squeezing her short braids and humming to his sister softly.

"Fae!" Tuk ran over after Neteyam was finished, slipping easily out her brothers grip.

"Yes tuk?" She asked kindly, crouching down so they were eye level

"Can i do your hair?" Smiling Fae'voila nodded, turning so tuk had access, as she determinedly wrung out her hair.

"We need to get home," Ao'nung called out impatiently, glancing back at Fae, "want us to walk you?"

"I will be okay, thank you Nung." She smiled, kissing the boy on his cheek, ducking away with a lilting cackle before he could swipe her or tackle her into the waves.

As she walked off alone after waving goodbye, lo'ak jabbed Neteyam hard between the ribs causing him to hiss, baring his teeth at his brother.

"Bro, if you dont walk her home, im telling dad you have horrible game with the ladies."

Neteyam snorted, "as if dads was any better."

He hesitated, glancing towards where she was disappearing into the sunset too quickly for him to consider any other option fully.

"Shit, fine fine, lo'ak get kiri and tuk home safe. Im trusting you."

"Yeah i got it bro."

Neteyam placed a hand on his head fondly, whispering a "skxawng" before jogging after Fae.

"Can i call you Fae?" He asked, for lack of a better conversation starter, after he had caught up with her.

"Call me what you want to call me, jungle boy."

She turned to look at him as she continued to walk slower now then before, her hair falling into her face slightly, Neteyam surprised by the sudden desire to brush it out of her mossy green eyes.

"You live alone?" Neteyam wondered out loud, forcing himself to look away from her.

"I do. I like being alone." She voiced rather pointedly, but the harsh words were softened slightly by her warm voice.

Neteyam found he liked her voice, it was just as beautiful whether it was singing or just speaking her carefully selected words, it seemed she did not like to waste her breath.

"I want something from you, Neteyam.."
Fae sounded nervous now, voice even quieter then before, but he found he did not mind it, it felt private when she spoke, as if she was only ever speaking for his ears to hear.

"I want you to teach me your ways, since i am teaching you mine."

The request was strange for a reef girl, she had no use of learning his ways as they served no use to her, but her face was pleading as she stopped walking, almost desperate as if she was letting bare her darkest secret and praying he would not laugh in her face.

"You want to learn to fly?" Neteyam recalling her interest in the ikran.

"I want to learn it all." She smiled, looking up at him, "to fight like you do. The Omatikaya are warriors, hunters. I could only dream of the jungles of pandora, but now..."

"You would love my home." Neteyam breathed, growing wistful at the memory. "The jungles are beautiful, they have a steadiness that is different to the flow of water. The ground is firm beneath your feet."

"It sounds beautiful."

"It is."

"Will you teach me to dance?"

"With your clumsy butt? You should be so lucky."

"Dancing is just fighting but with less knives."

"You'd be surprised."