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Holding hands was something special for me, the soft touch of the skin being connected to another. The meaning that it has, the close relationship that someone can see just by the link of the fingers.
The ocean doesn't have hands, but putting mines under the sand used to feel like the hands of Eywa. Tsireya always told me that it was true, that every little piece of the sea was part of Eywa and that all of us were always holding hands with her.
I love Tsireya's hands, they are big and soft. She used them to braid my hair when I'm too lazy to do it myself. Reya lets me play with her fingers when I feel nervous, we are like sisters since her parents chose me as Aonung mate.
Aonung. What a difficult na'vi. You will never know what he wants until he tells you, probably in a bad way. He is really easy to upset, but he is good at making me laugh. We've been together for almost 4 years now. He was there when I got my tattoo, which he designed.
Rotxo and him were always annoying Reya and me. We have these nights, female nights? We tell each other our doubts and she asks how I feel about her brother. Aonung and I... we never talk about the future, when we are together we just have fun, like the na'vis of our age. There is no need to worry about our future and when we will command as the thasìk and the Olo'eyktan.
Something that we really enjoy is swimming races or just swimming on the darkest part of the ocean, where our skin glows and the fishes are small and prettier than ever. Aonung likes to hold my hand when we are not competing, he says is warm and comfortable. I like it too, I like swimming around him, which makes him smile. I like dancing in the water with the creatures that share the ecosystem with us. I like going to the tree of souls with him and just resting til late when we think his parents will worry about us.
Reya always insists on me dancing for everyone at the little parties the young ones made, but I always rejected the offer. I was a shy dancer, I would stay on the sand, looking at her dancing with everyone. She was such a princess, she always looked precious. She is precious.
"Why are you here all alone?''
"I'm just resting''
"From what? You didn't dance, not even a little bit'' I looked at him, letting him know the answer he was looking for. "Alright. What if I dance with you?''
"Aonung...'' His hand held mine quickly, making me follow him to where everyone was dancing. He started dancing in a funny way, making me laugh. He goes around me, his face mimicking and telling me to dance with me. "No, I'm not doing it''
"C'mon Lìra'y. Don't be boring, you always dance with me''
"That's different. We were alone''
"Then imagine we are alone'' He comes near me, his hand touching my face softly. He was acting as if no one was around. "Dance with me"
I let a smile out while I started to follow his movements, we were having fun. Tsireya joined us a little bit later, dancing with me. We moved around each other, holding our hands and laughing at Aonungs dance skills.
"I'm going to get some fruit." Reya nodd at my sentence. The table with the food was not too far from where we were dancing so it didn't take me long to start eating some snacks.
It was late, there were only a few of us to go. Actually, that's what I did. I was tired so I went to sleep.
Having no one to sleep with is actually very relaxing, I like it. I have no smelly breaths in front of me, or a loud sleeper. I hate those.
I like hugging myself at nights so I feel warm and calm. The sound of the waves that come from Eywa make me comfortable, looking at the blue sea close to me.
Reya and I always go for a quick swim in the mornings, before the usual breakfast with the rest of the clan. I would see Aonung there, with his sleepy face side by side with Rotxo and his other friends.
"It seems like dancing took all your morning energies"
"Shut up Lìra'y" Annoying him was funny. I was gonna say something when the call of someone arriving to the island started sounding. "What? Father didn't say anything about people coming"
Reya and I got down the ilu but she submerged into the water while I just walked out of the sea. I looked at the new ones, they were... different.
"Look at those tails" I heard Aonung laughing so I kicked him. "Auch, Lir! Don't hit me, Reya told you to stop doing it"
"Don't laugh at them. It's rude" He gives me a bad look. My attention is on the family that just arrived. They were 6. The oldest son seems to be a little bit older than me, probably like Aonung. Then there is one that looks like Reyas and I age. Two other girls were there, the youngest one was behind her mother. She was really cute!
Ronal walked around them, telling the clan everything that she found wrong with them. I looked at the oldest daughter, she was wearing something that covered the upper body, she was defensive.
Tonowari decided that they would stay, ignoring his mate and how she felt about it. The chief ordered Reya to show them where they were gonna live the time they stayed with us. Aonung was angry, he does not want them here.
"Don't be a child Aonung"
I walk fast to get to Reya and the Sully family. I started talking with Kiri, the oldest daughter. She wasn't very friendly at the beginning. Tuk, the youngest, asked me what kind of animals the ilus were, I explained to her. That's when Kiri started to be assertive and stopped looking bad at everyone.
After showing everything and introducing ourselves I went back to Aonung.
"Are you still angry, baby boy?" His face turned weird at the nickname I gave him.
"Don't call me that" I laughed at his tone of voice. "I wasn't angry."
"You can lie to yourself, but not to me" I sat on the sand and palm the space next to me. "Sit"
"I sit because I want to." I smiled to myself. Aonung started to draw on the sand, it wasn't anything in particular, just stripes and circles. "How are the freaks?"
"Do not call them that. They are very kind, the kids are ready to learn everything. And I am very happy to teach them"
"Which one did you like?" I look at him, his brows are furrowed. He continues to draw but doesn't look at me. "I mean, if you are so enthusiastic it has to be because you like one of them. My sister liked the young boy."
"Aonung" I touched his arm, making him look at me. "I can't like any of them. You and I are promised and I'm happy with that"
"So you don't like any of the boys?"
"I mean, Neteyam was kind of cute" The stick he was holding broke. "I'm joking!"
"It's not funny" His hand hits me softly. I can't stop laughing. "Stop laughing. Lìra'y!"
I let myself fall over the sand. I stay laid there, Aonung looks at me from where he is sitting. "Lay with me Aonung"
"Hell no. I'll get full of sand and it's too cold to go to the water."
"Boring, I may ask Neteyam tho."
His hand tickles me. "No! Stop, stop!"
He laughs with me, or at me.
I like this.
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