IVY HAD TOSSED AND TURNED all night listening the chatter of small animals and the waves, she barely got a blink of sleep, it seemed to be becoming a problem now.
All she could think about was revenge.
Ivy had been laying in bed for a long time, daydreaming about the forests, remembering how she would swing from tree to tree, how she would climb through vines and up trunks.
It reminded her, she still needed to explore the forest of the island, something she'd been wanting to do for a while.
She made a vow that she'd get around to it today, but for now she was hungry.
The morning breeze ruffled her hair and she shook her head, dried sand falling off her body as she stood up and let her eyes adjust to the brightness, they'd slightly watered and she blinked the aching away.
She snatched up a handful of seeds to snack on.
The girl made a beeline for Kiri, who was sitting alone against a trunk, braiding a basket like Tsireya had taught them yesterday, the Sully girl had incorporated all sorts of flowers and trinkets, Ivy thought it was pretty, of course Kiri would be good at this, back in the forest she always created jewelerry and clothes.
"Kiri" Ivy greeted sliding down the trunk next to her friend.
"Hello Ivy" Kiri spoke softly, her hands moved quickly and precisely tying the leaves together, she was quite talented at it, Ivy had noticed Kiri seemed to of taken a liking to the oceon, despite her grumpiness when they first came.
Icy poured some seeds into Kiri's outstretched hand and let her eyes flutter shut while Kiri told her about the morning swim she had, that was how it usually was, Kiri was usually a listener, but since Ivy was more than a listener than her, the blue girl became the talker.
Ivy liked listening to Kiri's storys, she always told them in such great detail, she had a way with words that was just mesmerising, Ivy felt like she was truly there.
She digged her feet in the sand and let her eyes flutter shut feeling the wind lap her face soothingly.
She watched as Kiri, though she only learnt yesterday skilfully finished off her basket, and handed it to Ivy "here, keep it"
Ivys ears perked up and her eyes widened "really?"
Kiri smiled "yeah of course, I've already made three"
Ivy gratefully took the basket, grinning, it was simple, but the first thing she had officially owned since moving here "thanks Kiri"
"No problem, let's go" Kiri stood up, Ivy mimicked her and straightened out "hey, how's your ear?"
Ivy had almost forgotten all about the temporary deafness in her ear, since her other one was so good she had barely noticed it, her hand grazed her ear and she shrugged "I can hear a little bit, no more ringing, it doesn't really effect me though"
"Oh well that's good" Kiri started walking with her friend "Tsireya is giving us more sign launguage lessons, do you want to go?"
"Yeah of course, how else am I gonna learn more insulting phrases to use" Ivy grinned while Kiri rolled her eyes.
"Oh have you found a gift for Lauriet yet?" Kiri asked as she hopped over a rock and Ivys chest tightened, this was absolutely infuriating.
"No" Ivy said simply, she didn't have the energy to talk about this.
Ivy crawled up the nets and straightened herself up, her heart almost plummeting down to her feet at the sight of Laurite, Laurite, standing with Lo'ak, Lo'ak.
Kiri, unbothered strided towards them, Ivy had noticed she'd stopped in her tracks, her posture had visibly slumped and her ears were flattened back, she quickly caught up with Kiri.
Laurite turned to Ivy and smiled, sort of chewing on her lips "hey Ivy!"
Ivy didn't say anything back, her eyes flickered away insecurely, god damnit this girl knew how to get under her skin.
"Ok well, I'm gonna catch up with Oeyani" Laurite clapped her hands, her medium length silky black hair bouncing "bye Lo!"
Lo? Is she for real? That's so stupid, Ivy huffed and looked up to Lo'ak who had awkwardly goodbye, Kiri had wandered off leaving the two alone "what's wrong?" He asked her.
"Nothing" Ivy huffed, crossing her arms gazing at the spot Laurite has just been standing.
"Your ears are farther back than I've ever seen" Lo'ak rolled his eyes "and I see you angry a lot"
Ivy turned on her heel and listened as Lo'ak jogged up next to her as she made a beeline for a patch of shady trees by the nets "so?" He asked.
"Fine" Ivy snapped, she wanted ever so badly to get this off her chest "it's Laurite" she kicked a rock, immediately regretting it and wincing.
"What did she do?" Lo'ak asked watching her pathetic display of anger.
"That little shell she found?" Ivy looked up to him, now leaning against a palm tree "she didn't find it, I did, she threatened me to give it to her"
"Seriously"
"Yes seriously" Ivy deadpanned.
"Well you've got to tell someone" Lo'ak insisted, she rolled dramatically off the palm tree to sit on a rock a little further into the trees.
"Are you kidding?" Ivy scoffed resting her face in her hands "they'd never believe me"
She pushed herself up on the rock, her brows still furrowed and her fists clenched, Lo'ak tilted his head, he grabbed her arm she pulled him off and turned to look up at him shit she thought.
She had accidently stepped too close, their lips, were very quite literally a millimetre or so from eachothers, she jumped back, her heart racing and her body tense "I—"
"Ivy!" Her head snapped away from Lo'ak and towards Tsireya who had just turned around the tree to find her.
"Hi Tsireya" Ivy said quickly, snapping her body to straighten out and hoping her cheeks weren't a raging magenta.
Tsireya pulled her lips into an o, her eyes flickering back and forth Ivy quickly spoke "I'm not busy"
"Oh..." Tsireya nodded "well, I was wondering if you wanted some more lessons?" Ivy knew she meant the baskets, she would FO anything right now to get out of this situation, and away from the silent boy who's eyes she could feel on the back of her head.
"Yes" Ivy answered immediately brushing a beaded dress out of her face "yeah I'd like that"
"Ok" Tsireya smiled brightly and beckoned her forward "would you like to come Lo'ak"
Ivy turned, but didn't make eye contact, silently praying he would say no "I promised Tuk I'd hang out with her sorry"
"It's alright" Tsireya smiled "let's go Ivy"
Ivy had never been so happy to leave a situation, her heart was violently beating out of her chest while she followed Tsireya back to the nets.
"Are you alright?" Tsireya questioned cautiously.
"Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine" Ivy answered, silently grateful that the heat was now draining from her cheeks.
"Ooook" Tsireya said slowly.
What did she think was happening? Nothing was happening.
As Ivy sat down in the net besides the pile of green leaves she remembered what Laurite had said the day before "Tsireya what's an ungsee?"
Tsireyas reaction was not waht Ivy expected, the girl dropped the bowl of flowers she held, the colours decorating the net below her, and her eyes widened in horror.
Ivy faltered, did she say something wrong?
The Metkayina girl swalllowed and crouched down to pick up toe fallen flowers "Ivy where did you hear that?" She asked in a solemn tone.
Ivy quickly shook her head, she was scared, Tsireyas reaction has spooked her "uh nowhere, never mind doesn't matter"
"Ivy please tell me—"
"No Tsireya, I don't even remember"
Tsireyas sorrowful eyes were filled with pity as she nodded quickly looking at the pals girl, Ivy could see she didn't want to talk about it, and neither did she.
Ivy abruptly stood up "I—I think I'm just gonna get some rest"
Tsireya tilted her head pursing her lips, dammit this was making Ivy uncomfortable, pity, Tsireyas large eyes were drowning in it.
Without a second look she darted out of the tent, exhaling a sigh of relief at the open air around her and letting her anxiety (or at least some of it from being around others) be washed away by the sounds of the waves beneath her.
She needed to get away, her social battery was completely drained, absolutely depleted, dusty, from these last couple of days.
Back in the forest she'd never see people this often, every few or so days of being social she'd disappear into the forest for a week, sleep under the stars with Eywa, collect stones and swim in lakes she found, those were the best days, she was so at peace out there, in a way she couldn't describe.
She was always in a desperate search for peace, she hadn't been at true peace since the cky people came, even in the forest, she was always looking over her back, hissing and grabbing her knife at every footstep, in fear the sky people were near.
Could she do that here? She didn't know this place like she knew the forest, perhaps she could go out for half days, build up her knowledge and learn a couple of places, then start going for longer.
She had never been so exhausted.
She was winding through the roots on the sand in the cool shade.
She stepped on something sharp and hissed quietly in pain jumping back looking at the ground and holding her foot hopping on her left leg.
Wedged into the sand was a colourful swirly shell that Ivy unfortunately recognised, she shook the pain from her foot and crouched down to take a look, the the Kakita shell.
She tilted her head, and plucked it from the sand, the medium sized shell rested in her palm, she had now relaises this wasn't the Kakita shell Laurite had 'found' this one had some more bioluminescence on it and had a bit more of a yellow tinge.
It was pretty, but Ivy didn't care for it, it was just a shell.
She could take it, she could take it and show everyone, get a bunch of gifts, and rub it in Laurites face, but that attention, that attention would be a nightmare, Ivy did not want that.
And apparently it was a shell found every forty years? Maybe Tsireya was exaggerating, or it was a coincidence, yes, yes it was a coincidence, this is a beach, obviously there was going to be some shells,
this shell was only special because the Metkayinas said it was, it didn't mean anything to her.
She chucked it forward between some rocks and stood up, going back to her thinking.
Ivy spotted Kiri, in the shallows, doing nothing, by doing nothing she meant Kiri was floating face down in the water, nearly motionless, if it wasn't for he me slightly swaying hands she would of looked like a dead body.
She was about to walk up to her, when she realised someone else was approaching her, a group, a group specifically of Metkayina boys, she only recognised Aonung.
They were all giggling and sharing looks, Ivy furrowed her brows, and immediately started marching forward.
The boys treaded through the water "she's just looking at the sand" Aonung laughed, Kiri, who had heard the commotion confused pushed herself out of the water.
"Huh?" She asked quietly, standing up "what you say?"
"Are you some kind of..." Aonung started listening to the snarky laughs from behind him "...freak?"
"He asked if you are a freak" a shorter boy asked from beside him in a high pitched annoying and whiny voice.
"Hey!" Ivy yelled taking a side besides Kiri, who's posture had immediately slumped once she realised what they were doing "fuck off" Ivy placed her hand on a tired looking Kiri's back and pushed her forward, deathstaring each of the boys.
"Are you sure?" Aonung unbothered walked around them and Ivy squeezed her eyes shut in annoyance at the relentless teen "I mean your not even real Na'vi"
Ivys chest violently tightened, she'd heard that before many times, it didn't get easier to hear, each time her heart skipped a beat as she was constantly reminded that no matter how connected she was to this planet and it's beauties, she would always be apart of the people trying to destroy it.
Aonung grabbed an insecure Kiris hand, she snapped it back quickly, she looked so upset, it broke Ivys heart, all around her the boys were laughing, Uvy felt so small and helpless, Aonung snatched up Kiri's hand with a tighter grip this time "I mean look at these hands"
The boys started to close around her, she felt claustrophobic as she hissed aggressively and shoved Aonung back, who continued his spiteful grin.
"Hey!" A voice called from further up the sand, her head snapped up to see Lo'ak storming forward, an angry look in his face "let go fish lips" he insulted making a beeline to Aonung, who backed up.
"Oh another four fingered freak" Aonung smiled still walking back, Ivys ears were flattened as she watched the scene unfold.
The boys started pulling their tails, when she felt her tail yanked she immediately pulled back and hissed threatingly at the giggling boys, but they were coming from all directions and she was finding it hard to keep up.
"Leave us alone!" Kiri yelled as Ivy nearly collided with Lo'ak after shoving yet another boy.
Suddenly the sounds of the insults stopped, Ivy turned to see Neteyam, who had pushed Aonung, the older boy seemed to radiate power because it shut them up.
"You heard what she said" Neteyam told him assertively, Ivy admired how he kept his calm "leave them alone"
"Ah big brother coming—"
Aonung stopped the short long haired boy with a hand, Neteyam didn't take his eyes of Aonung "back off" he ordered "now"
Aonung sharing a look with his friends had a slight smug look on his face as he raised his hands "smart choice" Neteyam complimented and looked around "and from now on, I need you to respect my sister"
The boy from besides Aonung hissed, only to be shut up by the taller Metkayina kid, Ivy rolled her eyes, she was shoulder to shoulder with Lo'ak.
"Let's go" Neteyam commanded, pulling Lo'ak back who took Ivys hand to drag her back as well, she didn't protest, as much as she wanted to, she let him take her forward, sending the boys one last nasty stare.
"Bye bye!" She heard them call condescendingly, focusing on Lo'aks hand to stop herself from pulling out her dagger and launching back.
It was humiliating, she never wanted to experience that again.
Lo'ak had slowed down, and Ivy fully registered their entangled hands and snapped hers back, the boy sighed and slowly spun around to face them once more, Ivy tilted her head in confusing at him, sharing a look with Kiri.
"Lo'ak!" Neteyam called, fearful his brother would do something stupid, because the chances were high.
"I got this bro" Lo'ak answered, gently pushing Ivy back, silently saying, don't follow me.
He moved forward to the nasty boys some with perplexed looks and some still smugly grinning he made his way to Aonung as Ivy moved to Kiri.
"I know this hand is funny" he pulled out his extra fingered hands, sticking out his pinky and shaking it "look, I'm a freak, alien"
The boys snickered side eyeing eachother while Lo'ak countinued "but it can do soemthing really cool" Ivy was beyond puzzled, he looked as if he was about to perform a magic trick, what was he doing?
"Watch" he instructed "first I ball it up real tight" he did so curling his fingers together creating a fist, Ivy couldn't help but notice that Aonung actually looked extremly invested "then..."
Ivys mouth dropped and her ears perked up in shock as Lo'ak struck Aonung in the face, hard, the Metkayina boy was stupified after the blow, but Lo'ak didn't stop there he hit again, and again, each time Ivys eyes widened even more until Aonung fell to the ground between his flabbergasted friends.
"It's called a punch bitch" Lo'ak told him as Aonungs friends scrambled to help him up, at that moment Ivys face cracked into a huge grin "you ever touch her again..."
The boys hissed at Lo'ak, Aonung charged at him, grabbing his torso and throwing him down, Ivy was momentarily frozen, watching as Lo'ak immediately threw him off and delivered another blow to his jaw.
Instinctively Ivys shot forward, not giving it a second thought, launching and yelling ontop of the boy who was dragging Lo'ak by the tail, the boy let out a high pitched squeal as Ivy tackled him to the ground.
Another boy tackled Ivy, rolled her of the other and punching her in the mouth, she felt her teeth dig into her tounge and tasted a thick metallic liquid.
Quickly she rolled him over, hitting him twice as another teen tried to whack her in the face with his tail, she stood off the other boy and latched onto the guy who tried to whack hers tail and flung him into the sand, she didnt really pay attention to the others.
She could hear Kiri begging them to stop and another voice "guys stop! This isn't you!"
Immediately her anger was replenished as she recognised it to be Oeyanis voice, she knocked a boys tooth out, blood squirting and a painful grunt, she turned to elbow another boy who was trying to attack her in the face, a sickening crunching sound rang out but she didn't stop there.
The three—or four boys (she wasn't counting) she'd taken out were moaning in pain from the side, one with three deep gashes from her nails along his face, Neteyam was struggling to fight a guy to the left of her and Lo'ak was pulling a wailing Aonungs ear as his tail was pulled by two other teens.
She pounced at them, listening to the...
"Let go!"
"Ow my ear! My ear! He's pulling my ear!"
"My tail"
Ivy could now hear Kiri's giggling and internal smiled as she elbowed another boy.
"WHATS GOING ON!" A voice bellowed, loud and powerful, Ivy, who had been pulling a boy down by his hair head snapped up with comically wide eyes and the fighting ceased.
Ivy could see Tonowari, Jake and another man she didn't recognise standing up by the trees.
"He started it"
"They started it!"
At least four could be heard from each side while a boy yelled out in pain" my nose! She broke my godman nose!" Ivy couldn't help but smile at that licking the blood away on her lips.
"GET HERE NOW!" Jake roared, Aonung scrambled away from Lo'ak, who stood up puffing, while Ivy who was still pulling hardly on the whimpering boys hair shoved him down, panting as well.
"NOW!" Jake repeated, Ivy sighed and began to trudge forward, as did the two brother.
It was eerily quiet, and the dads looks said everything "guys violence is never the answer!" Laurite spoke up, she had made her voice more high pitched than normal and Ivy cringed.
Nope, right now violence was the answer.
Ivy flew forward, hands outstretched ready and wild eyes ready to attack Laurite who screeched in fear, luckily for her Jake grabbed her before she could lay a hand on Laurite and dragged her back "alright alright!" Ivy scoffed shoving him off.
Jake looked at the boys and Ivy "come with me...now"
The tone was deadly serious, Neteyam looked down ashamed while Ivy grinned at the boy who had started scrambling for his missing tooth "my tooth! She knocked out my tooth" he moaned pained.
Jake looked down at Ivy, to the boy with the broken nose, to the boy with the missing tooth, and the boy with the deep bloody gashes (who Jake knew only Ivys nails were long enough to do)
She quickly looked down to her feet, wiping more blood away from her mouth.
Jake shared a looked with Tonowari and beckoned the three forward, leading them back to his family's net, the walk was deathly silent, the tension was strong and everybody around them watched the bruised teens strided through.
Ivy walked besides Lo'ak ignoring the stinging in her mouth and stilling, Jake wheeled around to him "what was the one thing I asked?" The father asked furiously "the one thing!"
"Stay out of trouble" a bloody nosed Lo'ak answered quietly.
"Stay out of trouble!" Jake confirmed.
"It was my fault" Neteyam tried to take the blame for his brother, knowing damn well it wasn't, if the situation wasn't so tense Ivy would of softly smiled, Neteyam was such a good older brother, Ivy wished she had a sibling.
"Oh no I don't think so" Jake interrupted with gritted teeth "you gotta stop taking the heat for this knucklehead" Jake switched to his younger son, eyes glancing to Ivy indicating to her he blamed her as well, but didn't feel like it was his place to say it.
"But dad Aonung was picking on Kiri" Lo'ak tried to defend himself, before adding a little quieter "and her" he nodded his head to the side at Ivy "called her a freak"
Jake momentarily softened and pursed his lips in hesitation, making a mental note to check on his oldest daughter later, deciding what to do, he settled with a sigh "go apologize to Aonung"
Ivys eyes flickered up and her eyes perked "what!?" She whisper-shouted.
"Ivy you imploded that boys nose"
This so wasn't fair, ok fine, maybe she bruatally injured a couple boys, possibly for life—ok maybe it was a little fair.
But Aonung shouldn't be let off the hook, he deserved to be punished for being an utter absolute dickhead.
"He's the chiefs son!" Jake reminded them and Ivy licked her lips in annoyance, he sighed "just go!"
Ivy hissed and made her way out as did Lo'ak the sunlight hitting her slightly bruised face, she squinted her eyes as she looked almost directly at the sun and latched onto Lo'aks arm squeezing her stinging eyes shut and rubbing them "you alright?" He asked.
"Yes" she blinked her eyes open and they countinued "Aonung doesn't deserve an apology"
"I know" Lo'ak sighed ruffling his hair, dried sand falling from it "you really fucked up those guys" he told her referring to the injured boys.
Ivy snorted "good...what were you doing, ear pulling, you're mildly pathetic"
"Oh shut it, it seemed like a good option at the time alright?" He scoffed raising his hand, and yanking on her ear.
She hissed and slapped the laughing boys hand away "dickhead" she muttered "want a demonstration on how I knocked that boys teeth out?"
"Try it on yourself" Lo'ak sent her a sickly sweet smile.
"No...no I think I'll test it on you" Ivy informed him acting like she was in deep though as she ducked under a rope.
"Truce" the boy raised his hands in surrender, Ivy responded by rolling her eyes.
He pulled her up a net with a hand before halting "wait where are we going?"
"To that rock over there" she told him him quietly pulling her hand away and pointing at a tall line rock in the distance "I went exploring and saw him and his friends there, dunno, could be their hangout spot or something"
"Ok" he nodded turning and looking her up and down "let's start there"
She didn't take her eyes off the rock "yeah ok" she spun around the water, and called her Ilu, who was already close by and she dived off the net, connecting her queue, she heard Lo'ak behind her and willed the Ilu up to the surface for a quick breath.
She was once again in the magical world of the underwater biome, she twirled around, gliding through the cool water, blueness wrapping around her.
They reached the rock, the two teens broke the surface, they could very clearly hear the chatter of boys behind the rock, they shared a look, and he nodded, gesturing her to go forward, she groaned and hung her head, before he could tell her that he could just do it and she didn't have to they turned the corner.
Ivy could see four boys, the least injured out of them all, talking between them selves, they immediately ceased when the two forest kids emerged, sharing looks that made Ivy uncomfortable.
Lo'ak spoke first "sorry I hit you...so many times" Ivy snickered slightly at that ignroing the growl from front of the boys she'd struck and left with a nasty bruise.
Aonung looked like he was thinking, he had a large purple bruise under his eye standing out against his satiny teal skin "ah, we should be friends" he held his hand out to Ivy first, who willed her Ilu back with furrowed brows annoyed, so he shifted to Lo'ak who took it "come hunting with us" he looked between them "outside the reef...it's where the warriors hunt"
"No way I'm not allowed" Lo'ak shook his head, Aonung sighed in dissapointment and turned to his friends.
"I must be asking the wrong brother" he said fakely earning smiles from the others.
"Let's do it" Lo'ak almost immediately said after that sentenced.
Ivys head snapped to him with wide eyes, she had been fully expecting him to laugh in his face, what an idiot, what a fucking idiot, was he seriously falling for this? It was so obvious, so godamn obvious.
Lo'ak was blinded by jealousy, anger, and the need to fit in, but Ivy was not as easily manipulated, as she gazed at the Omaticaya boy she tilted her head in dissapointment, hoping he'd catch on, but he didn't see her and was too focused on the fishing tool Aonung was handing him.
Ivy desperately tried to tell him not to with his eyes, but when he heard the cheers of the other boys he dived underwater "cmon Ivy" he said so before he did.
"Lo'ak!" She hissed, but the boy was already long gone "ughhh!" She dived down after hun, not wanting to let him be alone with these boy who were obviously planning something.