"Payakan!" Lo'ak calls out. I follow him outside the reef and into the open water. I've said I trust him, but I'm not sure if I really do. All my life, I've been told that Paykan is no good. He is dangerous and has killed, and for all I know, I could be walking into the last moments of my life. It's also not just Payakan I'm worried about. The Sullys have been with the Metkayina tribe for weeks now, but I still find it hard to just turn everything I've ever learned about so-called Demons with five fingers because they've been good to us for the past weeks. I know, it's not right of me to judge, but I'm still unsure. (I got my judgemental attitude from my mother.)
"Payakan! Payakan!" Lo'ak shouts a few more times before a splash sounds from the other side of Lo'ak. It's the Tulkun, none other than Payakan. I urge my Ilu to stop moving and my eyes go wide. Lo'ak gets off his Ilu before swimming over to the mighty tulkun. "It's good to see you!" Lo'ak greets Payakan before hopping onto his right fin. I'm still frozen in place when Lo'ak looks back at me. "It's okay. Remember, trust me, please." Lo'ak reminds me softly before looking back at his friend. "This is Tsaeyla. She is my friend." He tells the Tulkun, signing his words before pointing at me.
Slowly, I get off my Ilu and swim over towards Lo'ak. "H-Hello, Payakan." I say quietly, not at all able to hide the fear in my voice.
The Tulkun replies, "Hello, Tsaeyla." Of course Paykan replies in his own native tongue, but all Metkayina are taught to understand it from the moment they are born. "I can tell you are afraid. Please, don't be." Payakan looks at me with genuine eyes. I want to believe him, but for now I only nod.
"You can understand him?" Lo'ak asks me.
"Yes. All the Metkayina are taught to understand Tulkun. That's one of the reasons we have such a close bond with them." I answer Lo'ak, still looking at the Mighty Payakan in front of me.
"Come here." Lo'ak notices I'm still treading in the water and pats the empty spot on Payakan's right fin.
"Uh," I inch closer. "Is that alright, Payakan?" I ask permission while signing the words at the same time. The Tulkun replies 'yes' before I pull myself onto his fin beside Lo'ak.
"Payakan," Lo'ak begins, looking over at his friend again. "Why are you outcast? What happened?" He signs.
The Tulkun replies but Lo'ak looks at me, unable to understand.
"He says 'it's too painful'." I repeat Payakan's words for Lo'ak.
"I trust you. You can trust me." Lo'ak signs to Payakan, and says out loud for me.
word count: 480
a.n: not my best chapter, sorry, double update tho!
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Safe Space ~ Lo'ak Sully
RomanceA fan fiction that briefly follows the events of Avatar: The Way of Water ! I DO NOT OWN ANY OF JAMES CAMERON'S AVATAR CHARACTERS! Tsaeyla, eldest daughter of Tonowari and Ronal, is the Tsakarem of the Metkayina clan. When the Sully family arrives a...
