After Lo'ak finishes, he gathers his supplies into his bag and stands off to the side with Kiri. Jake is the only one willing to place himself close to Neteyam without feeling uncomfortable.
He sits in front of his son, whose tears have dried up.
Jake- You know what I'm about to ask.
Neteyam- Why I hurt Aonung . . . I wasn't going to, but, when he restrained me, I was back in chains . . .
Jake's brows furrow, thinking it must've been flashbacks he had.
Jake- Why did he restrain you?
Neteyam- I was fighting with Lo'ak.
Lo'ak- He was gonna kill me.
Neteyam- I wasn't gonna kill you.
Lo'ak- Yes you were.
Jake- Lo'ak.
He huffs and holds his tongue. He knows what he felt, the heavy smell of Neteyam's bloodlust.
Neteyam- Maybe he's right.
Jake- Maybe?
Neteyam- My thoughts at that time were a blur. They're forgotten to me now. I'm sorry.
Jake- It's alright. What matters now is how we move forward. Aonung seems to have already moved on-
Neteyam- I would never hurt him again.
His voice raises just the slightest, with confidence.
Neteyam- He's my friend. I trust him.
Lo'ak- Since when?
Jake- Lo'ak.
Lo'ak rolls his eyes, seeing his input isn't really wanted.
Jake- Okay, I have to ask. How are you so close with him, and not your siblings?
Neteyam- He gave me his trust first, and proved himself.
Jake is a bit shocked, wondering what kind of delusional kindness made Aonung trust Neteyam. He knows his son isn't bad at heart, but also knows he's currently unstable and can be difficult and even dangerous.
Neteyam- And his actions align with his words, so I could tell he was honest
Jake- Do you think your siblings are dishonest?
Neteyam- . . . They don't trust me, so I don't trust them.
Sounds simple, but Jake knows he means more than he's saying.
Jake- Okay, well, we're gonna change that.
Neteyam nods in response, doubting his statement but going along with it anyway.
Jake- Do you trust me?
He asks almost reluctantly, afraid of what the answer will be. But Neteyam is shocked he felt he had to ask.
Neteyam- Of course.
He smiles a bit, and his relief is obvious. It's amusing to Neteyam, and he gives a small smile back at him. Then Jake notices the dark skies, and realizes they haven't eaten yet.
Jake- Kiri, you cook tonight. It's kinda late to be asking Kalín.
Neteyam cocks his head to the side at the name.
Neteyam- Who?
Jake- A friend of mine, she cooks for us sometimes. Well, most of the time.
Neteyam- Oh, okay.
Jake smiles again at the simple reaction, wishing Kiri would've been just as chill as Neteyam about it. When Jake stands he pats Neteyam's head, much to the boy's delight. He missed the touches of affection.
On a hidden part of the beach, Rotxo swims in the calm waters alone. Enjoying the silence and aloneness of his hiding place. Unfortunately, he's interrupted when he sees a figure on the shore. As he makes his way closer, he sees it's Aonung.
Normally he'd be glad to see his friend, but he knows Aonung is upset with him for what he helped his father do to Neteyam. Though he doesn't really understand why.
He reaches the shore and walks up onto the beach, shaking the water from his curls.
Rotxo- The hell are you bothering me for?
Aonung- I just came to see how you were doing.
Rotxo- Why? Shouldn't you be checking on your new friend?
Aonung- Neteyam will be fine, his father will make sure of that.
Rotxo- Good for him. Every killer deserves kindness.
Aonung rolls his eyes at Rotxo's sarcasm.
Aonung- What's your problem?
Rotxo- He tried to kill you.
Aonung- But I forgave him.
Rotxo- You forgive everyone!
Aonung- No I don't.
Rotxo- Yes you do! Especially the fuckin' Sullys! You've been forgiving them for shit since day one!
He begins to pace around in frustration, sick of the constant commotion the Omatikaya family has brought.
Rotxo- I can't stand it! They just waltz up in here and do any and every and whatever the hell they want! And everything they do affects us so fuckin' drastically!
Aonung sighs, listening to his troubled friend vent.
Rotxo- Especially that Neteyam! The way you act because of him is just too fuckin' different . . . I should've taught him a lesson myself.
Too far.
Aonung grabs Rotxo's bond and yanks him backward with a snarl. The action shocks Rotxo speechless, his eyes widening at the snarl he just received. This angel of his has never snarled, hissed, or bared his fangs at anyone before.
Aonung- Don't touch him.
He quickly blinks his shock away and nods, then he's released and Aonung begins to walk away from him. But there's no way he's going with him. This marine boy here, he's a stranger. This boy that is so drastically changed because of Neteyam, as Rotxo said, isn't the one he calls his angel.
He watches quietly as who's supposed to be his best friend walks off.
Rotxo- This is too damn crazy.
He speaks lowly to himself.
Rotxo- What the hell is going on?
The Sullys have indeed affected their lives, but from Rotxo's perspective, nothing is quite as scary as watching how much Neteyam seems to be affecting Aonung.