EXPECTATIONS | Neteyam

CONFRONTATION

It was early morning on the shore of the beach. Tefiti had walked as far away from the village with Kiri is she could - just enough distance away to not be found by the villagers on their morning fishing rounds.

She had slept on on the sands, terrified of her parent's reaction to her disobeying the Tsahik. It was that time in the morning for some sort of lesson, but Kiri told her before she left that the lessons were becoming a mess without her and Tsireya was slowly giving up.
She walked the forest route into the village in the cool shadows. She still couldn't figure what to do.
The sound of male chatter broke out through the clearing of the winding tree roots of the thick forest. Te'fiti frowned. This was the quiet section of the route. Who would possibly be hanging around this area besides herself?
She sucked in her breath, picking up her pace as she got closer.

"..i mean your not a real Na'vi." Aonung's voice could be heard miles off by Tefiti. She raised a brow, steadying herself behind a tree.
Why was she hiding? Who was she even hiding from? She frowned at her childish behaviour. It was just Aonung.
But she stopped herself from pushing past the ferns into the clearing, and her feet stood flat in the earthy floor and she listened.
"Back off fish lips." Lo'ak emerged from the village, walking up to Aonung.

"Aww, another 5-fingered freak!" Aonung cooed at him mockingly, the other village boys pushing Lo'ak around, messing with him.
She hated when Aonung was like this. Pushy, without cause, standoffish without reason.
As Tefiti was about to speak, Neteyam appeared into her line of sight inbetween the trees of the thicket. He pushed Lo'ak behind him with the heel of his palm.

"Back off," He pointed at Aonung, who shrunk back from him slightly. "Now."
Aonung's eyes flicked around the group. Te'fiti could almost visualise what his thought process was, she knew him so well.
He raised his arms in the air slowly, deadpanning Lo'ak from behind Neteyam.

"Smart choice. And from now on, i need you to respect my sister." Neteyam glanced at the gang behind Aonung. They stared at him with such hatred, such disgust. Kiri stuck her tongue out at Aonung, and the three turned on their heels on the trail back to the village.

"Hey you!" Aonung yelled out. "You Neteyam boy."
Te'fiti edged her way dangerously into view, her interest piqued. Neteyam turned around slowly, looking him up and down. "What?"
Aonung straightened up, walking standoffishly towards Neteyam, his finger pointed, chin raised to the air.
"You stay away from my Te'fiti, you hear? I know what your game is, demon."

The eldest Sully's eyebrows flickered, and he shook his head, beginning to turn on his heels.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at my brother." Lo'ak strided towards Aonung, who towered over him menacingly.
"Lo'ak!"
"Oh yeah? and what are you gonna do about it forest boy?" Aonung leaned into him, not breaking eye contact with the boy.

In a split second the youngest boy of the Omatikayans, Lo'ak's fist had gone from at his side to colliding against Aonung's square jaw, who stumbled upon impact. Aonung easily could overpower the boy, and he threw him into the sand with his forearm in one swinging movement. Lo'ak groaned, gasping to catch his breath.

Te'fiti sauntered out of the trail. The others nudged eachother, clearing their throats, and Aonung's head snapped in the direction of the slender girl's figure. He stumbled backwards away from Lo'ak, as if premteding to have not even touched the boy. In fact, the whole crowd of say seven boys besides Lo'ak had backed away from eachother and eyes Te'fiti apprahensively.

"Te'fiti." Aonung said, gravitation towards her side. "How much did you hear? Where have you been?"
She held him at armslength with one finger, which glided to Lo'ak's direction.
"Why is he on the floor Aonung?"
The boy scoffed, loosening up, and glanced over his shoulder towards his friends who egged him on disingenuously. "Must have fell." He shrugged.

"Then you should have no trouble picking him up and taking him to his pod, should you not." She smiled sweetly. So sweet that Aonung grimaced, and slowly bent to the boy's height, who was sitting up.
Aonung pulled the boy to his feet, his face sharp with frustration and his brow furrowed.
"Where were you last night? You were meant to stay in my pod." He waved for Lo'ak to follow him, and lingered at the girl's side.
She bit her lip. Should she ask him?

"Aonung."
He loomed over her, his face plastered with that look he only gave her and closest family.
"Did you.." he raised a brow.
She shook her head, and turned to the waves, sauntering into the shadows.
"Nothing."