Ezaap is the eldest son of the olo'eyktan of the Metkayina clan. His destiny is to become the next olo'eyktan and fulfill his obligations toward his people.
He needs to protect them and be a symbol of hope and fearlessness. Ezaap also needs to find...
The Sully brothers were astonished by the dazzling colours that lined the sea. Both of them never had seen anything like it before, structures of corals as far as the eye could see.
They swirled around a tall structure of coral and rocks with their ilu as they followed Tsireya and Ezaap who were talking in Navi sign language. Neither Neteyam or Lo'ak knew what the Metkayina siblings were saying, they didn't even knew at all the Navi sign language but Tsireya had promised them some lessons to teach them.
Ezaap's ilu swam to a spot full of beautiful corals, seaweed and shells. He planned on making classical Metkayina necklace to Tuk since she seems to have difficulties accepting the fact that she's not coming back to her native home anytime soon.
Ezaap picked some dark green and pastel blue seaweed as he got off of Tsu'o, his ilu. He then made his way toward the corals and he cut off with his hunting knife a part of a cute purple coral which he thought Tuk would love.
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Then, he picked up some thin shells which were of a warming colour like the sand of the beach. He was persuaded that his materials would make a splendid necklace worthy of the Sully's youngest daughter.
Suddenly, Ezaap heard a tornado of loud bubble behind him which made him turn around abruptly. He found himself face to face with a certain Omaticaya teenager. Ezaap stared at Neteyam and furrowed his brows, trying to understand what the Na'vi was saying which was muffled by the bubble he was making while trying to talk.
What a dumbass...
Ezaap pointed at the surface after failing to understand whatever Neteyam was saying, even after he tried expressing himself in messy sign language and the two swam to the surface. While Neteyam was regaining his breath, Ezaap said annoyed "What are you saying?"
Neteyam glanced at Ezaap and exclaimed "I don't get your sign language, why is it so hard to understand. My brother used to understand me well enough when we played in lakes." Neteyam murmured the last part but Ezaap was able to hear it.
"Used to?," asked the Metkayina, confused by Neteyam's verb tense. "Yeah," he responded. "Since I am the oldest, my father wanted to prepare me to an olo'eyktan life so I couldn't spend so much time playing around with my siblings but I guess it didn't matter since we've left our home."
"Yeah, I can relate to that," Ezaap said while softening his gaze. Neteyam quickly looked up but understood what he meant since Ezaap was the son of Tonowari.
Neteyam cracked a small smile and said "What are you doing with those shells and corals?"
"I am making traditional Metkayina necklaces," the boy responded while looking down at his materials he was holding in his hands. "Can I make one too?," Neteyam sheepishly asked and rapidly added "Like to adapt to your culture, you know..."
"Sure, go search for some shells, seaweeds and you must cut off a coral, I'll show you if you want," the Metkayina gently said. "Thanks!"
Neteyam hesitantly got on his ilu and swam off to search for the materials needed.
~Time skip~
Both boys were sitting on rocks, above water and their feet were soaking in it. Ezaap was showing Neteyam how to plaited the seaweed in the way that will made the chain of the necklace.
"Then, you put the right side under and you do the same thing with the left but you have to twist it. You do the same while you go down. Stop when there is no seaweed left," informed Ezaap, doing it with his own seaweed to show Neteyam how it was done.
The Metkayina was so concentrated on his work that he didn't notice the Omaticaya's eyes slowly watching him instead of his demonstration. Neteyam wondered how one of the greatest warrior of the Metkayina clan could be so gentle with such fragile things.
He quickly averted his gaze to Ezaap's forming necklace when he saw the Metkayina turning to him and gesturing for him to do the same for his necklace.
"Are you sure you can do this?," Ezaap said, cracking a smile at Neteyam's perplexed expression. "Y-yeah! Just watch me, I'll make it in no time," he said, focusing on twisting his seaweed.
Ezaap sighed to hid a laugh and he returned to the making of his necklace which was almost done.
An hour later, Neteyam had finally finished his necklace which he was proud of until he compared his to Ezaap's. Neteyam's necklace looked truly miserable compared to Ezaap's one but it was normal since it wasn't Ezaap's first time at making a Metkayina necklace.
The dark blue na'vi looked down in shame at the sight of his poor jewelry and the turquoise blue na'vi noticed that. Wanting to make Neteyam feel better, Ezaap took the necklace from Neteyam's hands and tied it to his neck, the beautiful purple coral hanging between his pectorals.
"How do I look?," he asked extending his arms to the side. "Very good," Neteyam said politely but meaning it. A small and shy smile grew on his face as Ezaap chuckled lightly. The teenager was about to take the necklace off and return it to his creator but Neteyam stopped him and said "No no, keep it! It's for you."
Ezaap's eyes widened and he was speechless. It was the first time someone ever offered a necklace to him. In the Metkayina's culture, it was seen as a gesture of affection and mutual respect but Ezaap wasn't going to tell Neteyam that because it could make it awkward between the two and refusing his necklace would be offensive. So he kept it.
Ezaap smiled in thanks as the two boys looked at each other. Suddenly, Ezaap saw a figure walk toward the two of them so he regained his serious face which made Neteyam turned around only to discover his brother Lo'ak.
"Father says it's time for diner," Lo'ak said briefly, a warning glance settled on his face when he saw who was with his older brother. Lo'ak didn't trust Ezaap since he looked a lot physically like his brother Ao'noung and so he believed that Ezaap had the same hidden personality as his younger brother.
"Alright then, it looks like I have to leave. It was really fun today, thank you."
Ezaap nodded at the teenager and then he gave him the necklace he had gently made for Tuk. "Here, gave it to your sister, I hope she'll like it." Ezaap wanted that necklace to belong to Tuk because he had grown found of her. She reminded him of his own sister when she was younger and as curious as Tuk was.
Neteyam smiled and took off with Lo'ak and Ezaap decided to go to his own family after contemplating the sunset and grasping his new necklace.
