"Ilu"
"come on, get up, Ao'nung." Y/n kicked her brother in his side.
Ao'nung grumbled and swatted her foot away "go away." he rolled over so he was laying on his stomach.
"Ao'nung, we have to teach the forest people." Tsireya said softly.
all of a sudden, Rotxo shot up from a corner covered in seaweed. "what's happening?" he mumbled and picked off the seaweed.
Y/n narrowed her eyes at Rotxo and then back at her brother. she looked around his room and gasped. "you were drinking!" she exclaimed.
"ah, not so loud." Ao'nung started standing up. he looked down at his sister and then walked to Rotxo. "we didn't drink much, just little." he said while helped his friend up on his feet.
"so, i can scream without seeing you wince? or hold your head?" Y/n crossed her arms. Tsireya sighed and looked at her two older siblings.
"okay, do not do that." Rotxo spoke. "i have a headache." he stumbled and held his head.
Y/n sighed and closed her eyes. "you are going to give me a headache." she whispered to herself. she opened her eyes again and uncrossed her arms. "you're still going to help us teach them."
"fine." Ao'nung started walking to his sisters. "Rotxo, hurry up."
"who said i was coming?" he asked.
Tsireya shook her head. "you are always with Ao'nung, no matter where he is."
"yeah, i'm coming." he grumbled.
the four started walking to the Sullys family home. a couple of people came and greeted them and they greeted them back.
"you wanna start with some free diving?" Y/n asked the group.
"yes, that would be fun." Tsireya smiled.
"yeah, that's good." Ao'nung shrugged with Rotxo.
the arrived and looked inside. everyone was sleeping peacefully, ignoring everyone's voices outside.
"they are still sleeping?" Ao'nung scoffed.
"if you don't recall, you were asleep mere minutes ago." Y/n told him.
"yeah, but it took time to walk here." Ao'nung rolled his eyes.
Y/n pushed Ao'nung. she might have pushed a little too hard because he want stumbling back, taking Rotxo with him, and fell into the water.
Y/n and Tsireya laughed at them as the submerged up from the water. they climbed out and stood in front of the two laughing girls.
"my headache's gone." Rotxo said. "yeah, mine too." Ao'nung agreed.
"alright." Y/n rolled her eyes. "let's wake them up." she told Tsireya. "i'll wake up the boys and you wake up the girls."
Tsireya nodded and walked to the left side while Y/n walked to the left. she crouched down beside Lo'ak and shook him. "wake up." she said.
Lo'ak rubbed his eyes and looked up. "Tsireya?" he grumbled.
"close. it's Y/n." she chuckled. as he sat up Y/n went over to Neteyam and did the same. "hey, wake up."
Neteyam shot up and grabbed his knife. Y/n backed away and stood up quickly. when Neteyam saw that it was her he immediately put down the knife. "sorry."
"it's... fine." she half smiled. "you gotta get up. we're going free diving and you're coming with us." she motioned to the others behind her.
he went to pick up his holster but Y/n stopped him. "there's no need for that. we're not going to run into something dangerous."
"okay." he nodded his head, but snuck it on himself anyway.
"let's go!" Tsireya beamed and dragged Lo'ak by the wrist. everyone else was quick to catch up with them.
they all walked to the end and Tsireya let go of Lo'aks wrist. she smiled at Y/n who was the first to dive into the ocean.
Tsireya, Ao'nung and Rotxo were the next to jump.
Y/n smiled and patted a Pincer fish that was swimming near by. she swam closer to the sand at the bottom and then turned around to look at how the others were holding up.
Tsireya did the same and they both smiled at the two boys who were looking at the animals.
Neteyam saw how far from them he was so he pointed Lo'ak to swim to them. he nodded his head in response and they swam as fast as they could to them.
Y/n and Tsireya waited a bit before starting to swim again. Ao'nung and Rotxo checked behind them too to see if they were following.
the forest people were swimming above them rather than with them. Y/n checked behind her again and didn't see them.
she frowned and looked up to see their feet in the water but their heads were on the surface. Y/n tapped Tsireya who looked up and frowned too.
the four stopped swimming and looked up, waiting for them to join again.
when they looked down into the water Tsireya signed to them to swim with them. they shook their heads, not understanding what she said. she shrugged her shoulders and just motioned them to come back down.
they nodded their heads and started swimming down to them again.
Neteyam looked at Y/n as a creature saw circles around her. Y/n smiled brightly and patted it before it swam away.
she felt someone staring at her, so she looked Neteyams way and saw him looking down at her. she smiled at him and motioned him to swim deeper towards her.
he smiled and nodded his head and tried to swim.
Y/n, Tsireya, Ao'nung and Rotxo watched them struggle to swim deeper and eventually they pointed up saying they were going to get air.
"what's wrong with them?" Ao'nung signed to them.
"those guys are bad at diving." Rotxo insulted.
Y/n and Tsireya frowned. "stop. they are learning." she signed.
Ao'nung rolled his eyes and looked at Y/n. "i'm going up to check on them." she signed and they all nodded, following her.
Lo'ak checked underwater to see if they were still there just to see them swimming up to them.
they got to the surface and Y/n looked at the three. "are you alright?" she asked.
"you're to fast. wait for us." Tuk complained.
"just breathe. breathe." Tsireya told them.
"you are not good divers." Ao'nung insulted. "maybe good at swimming through tress but-"
before he could finish, Y/n slapped him in the head and shook hers. "stop it."
"come on, bro." Lo'ak smiled.
"we don't speak this finger talk, guys" Neteyam moved his fingers. "we don't know what you're saying."
"Y/n and i will teach you." Tsireya reassured them.
"wait, when?" Y/n looked at her sister.
"i don't know. tomorrow?" she asked.
"i can't, i have a class." Y/n explained.
Ao'nung laughed. "maybe they can join your class." Rotxo laughed with him.
Y/n scoffed and shoved her brothers head underwater.
the three forest people shared a confused glance at each other. "what class?" Neteyam asked Y/n.
"i teach six year olds how to ride an Ilu." she smiled at him.
Neteyam nodded in confusion, not really knowing what an 'Ilu' is.
"where's Kiri?" Rotxo asked.
"Kiri?" Tuk looked around.
"who?" Ao'nung looked confused.
"Kiri. where is Kiri?" Rotxo repeated again.
the seven kids looked around in the water to see if she was nearby. "wasn't she with us a few minutes ago?" Y/n asked them.
Tuk nodded. "i thought she was swimming right next to me." she started fanatically to twist and turn in the water.
"hey, Tuk. we'll find her, don't worry." Y/n stopped her. "go look." she ordered her siblings.
Tsireya immediately went under water while Ao'nung was reluctant but did it anyways with Rotxo following him.
Y/n looked up at the worried newcomers and smiled at them. "we will find her. she must be here somewhere." she nodded and dove straight into the water.
the three followed her and looked around to see if they could spot Kiri. along the way, Ao'nung and Rotxo had found them and decided to swim with them.
they all looked together but couldn't find the blue girl. Tsireya swam to them with a soft smile. she signed them to swim up to the surface and they did as they were told.
"Kiri is happily connecting with the ocean, there is nothing to be worried about." she said with a sweet smile.
Y/n heard the three forest kids sigh in relief. Tsireya swam up to Y/n and lowered her voice. "do you maybe want to teach them how to ride Ilus?"
Y/n immediately nodded her head and turned to them. "we're going to teach you how to ride Ilus."
Tsireya and Y/n started swimming to shallow water with everyone behind them. they swam until they were waist deep in the water.
they were now seven instead of eight because they decided to let Kiri connect with the ocean. a couple of Ao'nungs friends decided to join them.
"can you call them, Ao'nung? you make the best noises out of us." Y/n asked.
"of course, baby sister." he smirked and started clicking his tongue, calling for the Ilus.
the Ilus finally came swimming to them. "these are Ilu. if you want to live here you have to ride."
Y/n put her hands on one of the Ilu and held its handle. "Neteyam." she called.
Neteyam turned to face Y/n and raised an eyebrow. Y/n nodded her head to the Ilu, telling him to come to her.
Neteyam smiled a little and put his sister down into the water. he walked to her and waited for her to tell him what to do.
"mount the Ilu." she told him. Neteyam grabbed the Ilus neck to help him mount it. when he got on, he shifted himself a little so he would be comfortable.
Y/n stood by the Ilus head, gently patting its nose. Neteyam stared at her. everything that she seemed to do looks so effortless, even when she wasn't doing anything.
Neteyam made eye contact with the girl and he started to admire her eyes. they looked so blue with a little hint of green in them, they looked like the ocean.
he realised what he was doing and looked down, blushing furiously. Y/n smiled and blushed a little herself.
she grabbed a part of the Ilu and stood their to Neteyam. "make the bond." she said.
he grabbed his hair and started to connect with the Ilu. when he made the bond, the Ilu started making noises and almost threw Neteyam off its back.
Y/n shushed the Ilu and calmed it down by gently stroking its neck. "can you feel his heartbeat? can you feel his strength?"
Neteyam closed his eyes and deeply inhaled. "yes." he whispered. "i can feel him."
"this Ilu is now yours, he is a part of you." Y/n looked up at him. "hold here." she grabbed his hands and put it on the handle. she tightened his grip but when she let go it got loose again. "no, tight." she tightened his grip again and this time it stayed that way.
they heard water splashing and saw Lo'ak had started to ride his. Y/n dipped her head into the water to see how he was doing. he did well in the beginning but as it went faster and lost control, his position crumpled and he had to let go.
Ao'nung started laughing with his friends. Lo'ak swam to the surface with the Ilu. the Ilu screeched in his face making Y/n giggle.
she hid it behind her hand but eventually couldn't hide it anymore. she laughed loudly and Neteyam looked at her.
that might just be his new favourite sound.
Y/n stopped laughing and looked up at Neteyam. "think you can do better?" she smiled.
"i know i can do better." he said cockily. Y/n smiled and walked to his other side.
"ready?" she asked. Neteyam nodded and breathed in before commanding his Ilu to go forward.
the Ilu dipped into the water and Y/n dipped her own head. she saw that Neteyam started well but he got even more cockier and started to make the Ilu spin making him loose grip on it.
he spun around in the water and then submerged. like the other Ilu did to Lo'ak, he screeched in his face and swam to the others.
the people laughed at him and Y/n covered her smile. Neteyam sighed and laughed at himself before swimming to them.
"you really are like babies." she laughed. "let's try again." Y/n smiled.
◦ ◦ ◦
they practiced for a couple of hours before Tonowari came and stopped their lesson.
"Y/n." he called.
Y/n looked away from Neteyam and to her dad who stood on a dock nearby. "yes?"
"i need you." he ordered her and motioned her to follow him. he jumped into the water and started swimming further away from them.
"Ao'nung. take over for me." Y/n called for her brother and swam away.
Y/n stopped next to her father who stood with Jake by a Skimwing.
"Jake, my daughter, Y/n will tell you how to ride." Tonowari told him. Jake nodded to her and she nodded back.
"walk to the other side of him." Y/n ordered him and he obliged. Y/n stroked the Skimwings back to calm him down a bit as Jake went to make the bond.
the Skimwing thrashed a bit, trying to get away, but there were two other people who held him tight.
"this is not easy to master." Y/n told Jake as he mounted him. "do you maybe want to start with an Ilu?"
"no, this one." he said determined. as Jake started to wrap some leather around his hand Y/n explained to him what he should do.
when Y/n saw that he wasn't listening to her, she pulled his tail. he yelped and looked at her. "listen, this is very important. when you dive back into the water, have a good grip and a good position."
"i got this." Jake said cockily.
Y/n smiled slightly. "your son is very much like you."
Jake inhaled deeply and got in position. "hiya!" Jake surged forward.
Y/n watched with her father as Jake struggled with his Skimwing. "oh my Eywa." Y/n mumbled as one of the people with them laughed at Jake.
Jake finally got his Skimwing to be steady and he dove into the ocean. Y/n saw that he was too forward on the animal making it harder for him to hold on to the saddle.
Tonowari hissed as they watched Jake let go and most likely get a burn mark from the leather he wrapped around his hand.
"have you told Ao'nung." Y/n whispered to her dad as she didn't want the others to hear her.
"no." he answered simply. "i have not found the time to do so."
Y/n sighed. "well, after this you will tell him. he has the right to know that his future will be different now." she crossed her arms.
◦ ◦ ◦
after Y/n taught Jake the basics in riding a Skimwing, and demonstrating on hers, she demanded her father to find Ao'nung. she then swam back to find the others.
they weren't at the spot she left them in, but instead they were sitting on some big rocks doing breathing exercises further away.
"hey, i'm back." she climbed up the rock. she sat herself in between Lo'ak and Neteyam, who smiled at her as she sat down.
Y/n looked around the circle and saw that Ao'nung wasn't with them. "where's Ao'nung?" she asked Rotxo.
"i don't know." he shrugged. "his father came by and took him away."
Y/n nodded and turned to Tsireya telling her to start again. Tsireya smiled softly and started breathing in and out.
"breath in." she told them. everyone started breathing in. "and breath out." they exhaled. "imagine a flickering flame. you must slow down your heartbeat."
Y/n and Rotxo did a couple of breathing exercises to show them. Tsireya then put her hands on Lo'aks chest and stomach. "breath in." she told him. he nodded and inhaled deeply.
"breathe from down here." she motioned to his stomach. "breath out slowly." Lo'ak looked down at her with admiration as he breathed out.
"Lo'ak, your heartbeat is fast." she told him. he immediately apologised for it. "try to focus." she said softly.
Y/n, Neteyam and Rotxo all shared a look and tried not to laugh at the two. Kiri rolled her eyes at the foolishness and did the breathing exercises.
"i think that's enough exercises today, Tsireya." Y/n spoke up and stood up from her spot. "the sun is about to set." she pointed to the sun.
Tsireya looked behind her and stood up. "we will see each other tomorrow and ride the Ilus once more, to see if you have gotten the hang of it."
Y/n started walking away while the others were standing up.
it was the second day with the forest people and honestly it wasn't so bad. they didn't get in people's ways, they haven't caused any trouble and they seemed nice.
Y/n started walking to her pod when she was stopped by Neteyam. she looked up at his yellow eyes and raised her brows.
"i was um... i was wondering if you were going to teach us the finger talk thingy." he demonstrated with his fingers.
"i can not, remember? i have a class to teach." she told him.
Neteyam nodded his head and thought again. "and at what time is that class?"
"i don't know." she shrugged. "you will probably hear the laughter of the children from the other side of the village." she laughed. "i teach the class at the same spot i taught you today."
Neteyam nodded again and went to talk but his brother called for him a dm told him to hurry up. "you better go." Y/n smiled. "i'll see you tomorrow." she walked away.
Y/n walked a distance before looking at him over her shoulder. he stood in the same spot she left him in just staring at her while she walked away. when he noticed that she looked back, he quickly turned around and ran up to his brother.
Y/n laughed and shook her head. it was certainly a fun day.
『••✎••』
please do not forget to vote, it really motivates me to write more <3
school is about to start an i am not ready.
i already forgot everything that i have learn and i am going completely blank to school.
AHHHHHH