grandgreengrapes

Grand Green Grapes

Might just fool around and post something

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A Drop In The Sea - Chapter 1: Pride

A Drop in the Sea - Chapter 1: Pride

Aonung x F!OC

The Metkayina and the Ta'unui reef clans have long had a close relationship. Ever since Aonung was born, the clans have come together every two years for a fortnight-long celebration. Following the attack on the Ta'unui by Quaritch and his men, tensions have been high between the two clans. In hopes of righting past wrongs, Tonowari invites the Ta'unui back to Awa'altu for the first time in four years. With the celebration comes the reunion of friends old and new.

It has been four years since Aonung has seen Payiva, the second daughter of Ta'unui's Olo'eyktan. They have known each other all of their lives, but things are different now. Aonung is eighteen years old and learning how to be a good leader. How will Payiva react to seeing him after all this time? Will they be able to rekindle their friendship, even as his clan harbors the man responsible for the attack on her own people?

Being the Olo’eyktan’s son undoubtedly had its perks. Being the next Olo’eyktan meant that certain things could be … overlooked. Aonung was not too proud to admit that he used said privileges from time to time.

Well, maybe Aonung was a little proud. He was definitely smug as he lounged on top of his ilu in the midday sun. It was almost too easy to convince the Omatikaya brothers that Ronal had personally requested their assistance in assembling new maruis on the edge of the village.

The task, while not entirely difficult, was tedious, but Neteyam and Lo’ak feared no one more than they feared Ronal. With valid reason, Aonung thought to himself. His mother was intimidating on a good day, and she was still not entirely fond of the Sully family, even three years after their arrival in Awa’altu.

The forest boys and their sisters have grown on Aonung, though he would never say that to their faces. Their friendship certainly did not stop him from taking the opportunity to pass off his chores and spend the day sunbathing on the water.

Aonung was not the most sociable of Na’vi and escaped to solitude whenever he could, which was not often. On rare occasions like today, Aonung usually took his ilu, Voxpor, to the far side of the island for a lazy swim. It was one of the only spots where he could almost guarantee that no one would find him.

Aonung sighed, rolling back his shoulders to assuage the tightness of his muscles. Tonowari had woken his son before sunrise to take him on an early-morning fishing trip outside of the reef. Aonung had gone without complaint, happy to be of use to his father and eager to learn anything the Olo’eyktan had to offer. Not that Aonung would say anything otherwise - his father demanded too much obedience for that.

Still, his body was sore from the bashing of the morning waves. While Aonung had gotten taller and filled out a bit over the past few years, Tonowari was still larger and better equipped to handle to rough water. Not to mention that Aonung had still not been permitted to ride a tsurak, much to his annoyance. Voxpor had to swim twice as hard to keep up with the Olo’eyktan.

Checking the sun’s position in the sky, Aonung resigned himself to the fact that he would have to head back to the village soon. He could not stay out too long, or someone would catch on to his plan. As much as his mother might dislike Neteyam and Lo’ak at times, Ronal would have Aonung’s tail if she found out he had shirked his chores for sunbathing.

Upon his return the village, Aonung was greeted by his sister. Tsireya stood on the dock, hands on her hips and lips pursed. Aonung groaned internally as he prepared himself for chastisement. Generally, Tsireya was the most tender-hearted of the family, much more soft-spoken than the rest of them. She had, however, inherited what Aonung termed the “mom voice” from Ronal. It meant Aonung rarely did anything without getting shit for it from his mother or sister.

Tuk adored her older brothers. Tsireya liked to think that she was the oldest sibling. Aonung could only hope that Kawnu was young enough to always look up at him with the same awe that Tuk did Neteyam. The youngest child of Tonowar and Ronal was only three, but he had so far shown signs of sharing Tsieya’s calm disposition. The infant hardly ever cried, which Aonung had found concerning at first.

Surely, babies should cry every so often. Right?

It worried Aonung anytime he was entrusted to watch Kawnu. If the baby did not cry, how would Aonung know if he needed anything? His mother told him that all Kawnu needed was his older brother’s attention, and the rest would come naturally for Aonung. He did not believe her. Nothing about babies seemed natural to Aonung.

Admittedly, after Ronal gave birth, Kawnu became Aonung’s favorite person in Awa’altu. Because the child never cried, and certainly never talked back, Aonung found it rather easy to spend time with him.

Once upon a time, Rotxo had been Aonung’s closest friend. He still was, but when Aonung came into one of his “moods,” Rotxo made it clear that he now had new, Omatikaya friends to spend time with. Plus, whenever they did hang out, Rotxo always found a way to bring up Kiri, whom he had a not-so-subtle crush on.

Really, Aonung was surrounded by people he enjoyed, but only in measured increments.

“Sister,” he said by way of greeting as he jumped onto the dock. Aonung proceeded to tie up Voxpor’s saddle, not needing to see Tsireya to know that she was glaring at him.

“Aonung, did you tell Lo’ak and Neteyam that Mother asked them to build the new maruis?” Tsireya asked in that motherly way of hers.

Aonung shrugged, walking backward toward the food storage. “I might have said something along those lines.”

“Aonung,” Tsireya growled, storming after him. “They are your friends. You can not use them as your own personal workers.”

Aonung rolled his eyes at his sister, though a tiny pinch of guilt strummed in his chest. Truthfully, Aonung did not know how exactly to have friends. Before the Sullys arrived, he had never really had friends aside from Rotxo or Tsireya - and Tsireya did not count. Neither did the group of wannabes that followed him around from time to time. They had been fun when Aonung was younger, like a built-in group of yesmen. After they did jack-shit while Aonung got his ass handed to him by Lo’ak and Neteyam, and then conveniently disappeared during Lo’ak tirst at Three Brother’s, they had lost their appeal in Aonung’s eyes.

“Aonung.”

Great Mother.

“Fine,” he groaned. “I will say sorry to the forest boys in the morning. Happy?”

Tsireya raised a brow. “Now, Aonung.”

Realizing this was not something he could easily get out off, Aonung dragged his body in the opposite direction of the food he so desperately wanted, toward the Sully marui.

Thankfully, it was just the brothers inside the marui. Just as Lo’ak and Neteyam feared Ronal, Aonung had no desire to be on Neytiri’s bad side, any more than he already was, anyway.

“Look who decided to show his fish-kissing face,” Lo’ak drawled, looking up from his food.

“Lo’ak,” Neteyam warned his younger brother, though there was not much heat behind it.

Aonung waved Neteyam off, scratching the back of his neck. “No, I deserved that. I should not have told you to build those maruis.”

Lo’ak narrowed his yellow eyes. “Is this you apologizing right now?”

Aonung stiffened, feeling uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Usually people say ‘I am sorry’ when they apologize,” Neteyam commented.

Aonung was becoming annoyed. “Usually people do not believe obvious lies,” he snapped.

“Aonung,” Tsireya said sternly from behind him.

Looking to the sky, Aonung cursed under his breath. “I am sorry.”

The brothers exchanged a glance, then promptly burst into laughter. Aonung scowled at them as they sat, bent over and holding their stomachs.

“Fuck off,” he muttered, pushing past Tsireya so he could finally get some fucking food.

“See you later, Fish Lips!” Lo’ak yelled.

This is why Aonung did not like spending time with other people.

A Drop In The Sea - Chapter 1: Pride

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