AVATAR TWOW: Torn between the 2

Chapter ii| Small Lies

N E T E Y A M
Small Lies
PT1

"YOU STILL GOT that ointment?" I ask my mother upon returning home. She nods and cocks her head.

"Why? Do you need it?" She asks with her soft voice, already scampering through our tent-shaped Marui to get it. I hum in response, and she hands it to me shortly after, in a matter of seconds.

She hovers over me and peers at me keenly, her doe yellow eyes searching, "Are you injured?"

I shake my head. "Some animals got injured. Thought this would help," I lie. She cups her mouth with adore.

"Oh, my Eywa! She's blessed me with such a caring eldest son!" She croons, her warm arms wrapping around me and her long braids caressing my face. I grin, engulfing her.

"Make sure to be back by dinner or else your father will be looking for you."

"Yes mother," I nod as I pull away. I was about to leave but I halt my steps, as I realize two things:

"Where's Lo'ak?" I ask her.

"Out and about, hunting with some friends. Your sisters are helping prepare food, the usual,"  She replies with her toothy and wide grin, exuding sweetness.

My mouth aches dry as I push the words out of my lips with hesitation: "...can I take some food now, mom? I'm hungry..." I fib once again.

The feeling is alien to me—almost dawning with shame. I am usually frank, never playing my parents' trust (unlike Lo'ak, but I'm not him).

She hums, "Just make sure to be grateful and give thanks," She says. I nod and leave.

Upon feeling the ground, the mild brown dirt caresses between my toes. I make my way to my aunties and ask for some food, which they gratefully give me, though not without saying first:

"Dinner is about to start soon, don't you wanna wait?" Auntie 'Kewiay says.

Auntie Sylwanin nods beside her. "She's right. You'll be full by the time we eat in the family—plus, you usually don't come to us asking for food..."

It's as if their familial eyes are jabbing through mine, able to detect my lies.

"I'm starving, and you guys cook so good! I'm gonna need seconds," I say, shuffling timidly from one foot to the other. I soon grin as my Auntie Sylwanin's small eyes soften.

She pats my head lovingly and urges me to leave with the motion of her playful chin. "Alright, get lost, kid. Your plate will be served and waiting—don't be late, yeah?"

"Yes, Auntie," I firmly nod. I bid them both goodbye and turn on my heels. Amidst it, I spot Kiri and Tuktirey heartily chatting with some uncles and friends. I smile at the doting sight.

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"Here," I say, tossing the crisscrossed boy a leaf-wrapped meal of Teylu. I sit across from him and settle the leaf bowl of fruit on my right side. I meet his query gaze.

"What's that?" He asks, referring to the small white bottle in my grasp.

"It's an ointment—" I quickly halt my words, seeing as his face scrunches with bafflement.

"Oin—what?" He asks, failing to pronounce the long English word. I shake my head amused and cackle slightly.

"It's a sky people word," I simply say with a shrug, shunning his prying stare. I warm up the ointment in my palms, and scoot closer, ready to lay my hands on his cheek, but he scoots away.

He eyes me skeptically. "I don't trust you enough."

I roll my eyes, laughing. "There's no trust involved. Do as you will after you're cured. I'm here to help, yeah?"

His ears cower on his head and he glares at the ground like it's at fault for his dismay. He sighs and scoots closer, and closer until his face is a few inches away. He stays quiet and closes his eyes with wait. He almost looks tranquil like this.

He winces when my hand presses his cheek, massaging the area. My eyes are focused, but I can't help to notice his wide twitching nose.

"Eat your meal," I tell him in the meantime, my fingers tracing along the large wound on his torso gently as possible. He nibbles on his meal, slightly grimacing at either the foreign taste or perhaps the shooting pain. I can't tell.

"You forest people are weird...or maybe it's just you specifically," He remarks with a sneer, his eyes tarrying on me.

"How so?" I ask, now massaging his thigh. My ears subtly twitch. His thighs are sturdy like rocks, and slimy to the touch—not in a gross way, but in a way that makes me think he's baby smooth. They are gelid under my hand, and perhaps it's the ointment's working effects.

I widen my eyes at the caress of his fingers stroking the tuff of hair in my tail. His strokes are gentle. I look at him with a pointed glare as I swat my tail away, curling it in my lap.

"Don't do that," I warn him.

"But it's weird and...hairy and...sorry," He apologizes. His tone drops grimly.

"It's forgotten," I say, exhaling loud out of my nose. I close the bottle and peer at him through my lashes with mild interest. I notice his scattered tanhì and how he has less than I, yet they seem to glimmer brighter than mine. His are like the raging stars with a glow of white upon the daylight sky of cerulean blue.

"Here's your fruit," I hand him the leaf bowl of goods and he feebly thanks me. I hum and watch him eat with rapture, my chin resting on my right palm. My mind wanders, and realization suddenly pummels me: I can't leave him out here.

"How about my tail?" He asks through his chewing.

"...Tails are sensitive, I don't think you can take the freezing and tingling of it," I say, abruptly aware of my tingling frosty palms and the minty odor that is pungent to the eyes and nose. "I'm taking you someplace else after you're done eating. It's nearby and has more to offer. You just can't stay here."

"Why? I can manage my own."

I roll my eyes, "I would hope so, but the conditions are better and—just trust me, okay?"

He stills, his blue eyes blankly staring at me. After a few seconds, he heaves a sigh and shrugs, mumbling a small Ok as agreement.

He goes back to eating, and I go back to staring, having nothing else better to do.

"You got a staring problem," He says, cheeks full, and lustrous lips puckering as he chews, "It's creepy."

I roll my eyes once more and slyly divert my gaze to the green bushes where I had found the Na'vi behind of. Metkayina Na'vi are weird looking, I can only think.

I side-eye the Na'vi that's too busy gobbling his food. I find it difficult to yank my eyes away because my tail wags with curiosity and wonder like I have found a new Na'vi specie—like he's an alien find.

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