lomtu → neteyam sully [2]

vosìng

→ 012; 014; outsiders

neteyam's fingers twitched, edging through the space between them and taking her own gently, just as a gasp rippled through the assemblage.

the mad crush of the crowd upon them; this neteyam would never forget. they moved like a quick tide, in and out of the centre where jake and ngarì stood. there was a scramble for something, whether concrete or not, and neteyam had pulled kyati by her hand away from the two clans.

so the two of them had missed that essential conversation. but the adults had given away enough for the two young na'vi to piece it together: jake had agreed, although reluctantly. ngarì had announced to the crowd before the omatiakaya's leader could change his mind on a whim, just as he'd done with the initial decision.

and now, after the fact, kyati and neteyam found themselves huddled in a space crowded with adults: neytiri and jake, pe'ire, mo'at, ngarì. the conversation had the nature of a melee, and keteyam had to concentrate with much effort to make any sense of it.

"this is nonsense," pe'ire began. "you cannot alter the will of eywa—"

mo'at retorted, "and yet, eywa does not object. you are only proving yourself in the wrong—"

"let's put eywa aside for now—how would this make sense?" asked jake.

"tsyeyk, may i remind you that you agreed to—" ngarì started, only to be cut off by jake's "yes, yes. i did."

and so the conversation continued, bouncing off of points and arguments which were returned to countless times. the room was overflowing with the arguments, and neteyam only held fast to kyati's hand as they watched, together. outsiders and insiders both.

then, "ma'jake. consider this: we were as they are, years ago. will you condemn your mirror? will you be this selfish?" as if by miracle, jake's head snapped to neytiri as she spoke, clear and uninterrupted, and his eyes softened; the hard line of his mouth relaxed, and an expression of devastation passed over his face. he turned his head back to his eldest son. jake barely had to tilt his chin to look him in the eye anymore.

neteyam was overcome with the sense that his father had never, once, looked at him like this before. it was like something had drastically changed, even when it hadn't. he saw his father's yellow eyes shine. neteyam was no longer a phantom; his father had finally seen him, and couldn't unsee.

"'teyam," jake murmured, as if in a trance. "maitan."

"dad."

neteyam's father reached out a broad hand, hesitantly, and placed it gently onto his eldest son's shoulder. his palm was warm, like parents' hands were supposed to be, and the wobbly smile on his face came complementary to the wet glisten of his eyes.

"maitan, i'm proud of you," he whispered lowly, a secret for the both of them, but not really a secret after all. "i hope you know that." the corners of neteyam's lips twitched upwards into an awkward smile as he looked at jake.

"thanks, dad." then neteyam watched his father place both of his broad hands on kyati's shoulders and smile down at her. kyati smiled back; that radiant, sun-like smile that always turned his insides hewne.

"welcome, maite."

translations

tsyeyk = jake

ma' = my

maitan = my son

hewne = soft (of an object)

maite = my daughter

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author's note

a little rushed oops