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Hearing the unheard

Sully family x deaf!omaticaya!reader part 2

Part 1: silent world loud mind

After Quatrich kidnapped his kids Jake decides that it’s no longer safe for his family to stay with the Omaticaya clan, of course they couldn’t leave you behind

Right now you and the sullies had arrived at the Metkayina tribe and thankfully they had granted your group uturu, the Tsahik, Ronal, and her son, Ao’nung were weary of you guys but her mate, Tonowari, and her daughter, Tsireya, were kinder.

Tsireya was showing you around the village she was talking and explaining where everything was. The only problem with that was that was that you couldn’t see her face do you couldn’t understand a thing she was saying. You tapped Neteyams shoulder quietly asking him to explain what Tsireya was saying.

“I’ll tell you later” Neteyam mouthed not wanting to be rude and talk while Tsireya was talking, you nod as you all walk into the marui

“This is good. This is great” Jake said looking at the family as Tsireya leaves

“I need you to behave in an exemplary manner. I mean it” Jake says in a harsher tone looking specifically at Lo’ak

“Learn quickly, take your turn, and don’t cause trouble. Got it?” He continues

“I wanna go home” says Tuk about to cry. You pick her up noticing her distress “oh Tuk…” you whisper holding her close in an attempt to comfort her

“This is our home now Tuk” Jake says

“Besides what does your father always say” Neytiri says attempting to cheer her kids up

“Sully’s stick together…” the four siblings mumble

“Now with more enthusiasm, you too Y/N”

“Sully’s stick together” you all say Kiri rolling her eyes a little

Jake and Neytiri go to unpack everything as the kids hear Tsireya calling out to you guys

“Come swim with us” she says smiling

Lo’ak and Neteyam jump into the water happily Tuk following her older brothers as Kiri grabs your arm “come on let’s go in the water” the two of you jump into the water. The underwater reef is beautiful, underwater trees covering a lot of it as fish swim around you. The scenery makes you smiles as you swim around seeing all the different colored marine life and plants. You could see Neteyam and Lo’ak ahead of you smiling you swim around the two surprising them. You can see Tsireya signing something underwater but your out of air and can’t understand her anyways so you move up and out of the water

“What is wrong with them?” Roxto says

“Yeah their terrible divers” Ao’nung laughs

“Stop they just have to learn” says Tsireya in harsh tone

“You swim too fast” complains Tuk to the older kids

“Yeah your probably better at swimming through trees” Ao’nung mocks you all making Tsireya reprimand him again

“Your little finger thing, we don’t understand it” Neteyam says as rolls his eyes at Ao’nungs comment

“I will teach you” Tsireya says calmly

“Where is Kiri?” Roxto says looking around for the girl “Y/N where is Kiri” you where floating on your back not being able to hear a thing they were saying. The Metkayina boy called your name again before realizing that you couldn’t hear and that you weren’t ignoring him. Neteyam tapped your shoulder to grab your attention “I’m sorry what were you saying?” Roxto looked straight at you and asked where Kiri was again.

“Oh she’s still underwater, I think she’s looking at some fish” you respond politely

After a few more minutes you all split up, you and the sully kids going to back to the marui for the night and the others doing their own things

The next day~

It was just after breakfast when Tsireya entered the sully’s Marui saying that it was time for lessons. The kids follow her out saying bye to Jake and Neytiri.

Once you all got to the beach you could see Ao’nung in the water with some sort of creatures

“These are ilu. If you want to live here you have to ride” Ao’nung says with a cocky smile. Tsireya brings one of the ilu’s up to Lo’aks side

“Make the bond. Feel his breath, his strength” Tsireya says slowing backing away “remember to hold on tight” and with that the ilu dives into the water quickly Lo’ak barely holding on. Neteyam soon follows he was able to stay on better than Lo’ak, father way you could see Kiri on her own ilu staying on its back with ease. After the incident you weren’t allowed to ride your Ikran due to the fact that if there was an emergency it would be almost impossible to get your attention

“I’m sorry guys but I can’t ride” your voice was sad, Tuk hugs your side in an attempt of comfort

“Awe she’s scared, what do you think your gonna fall off” Ao’nung says laughing with Roxto. You let out a small hiss under your breath

“No it’s because if we were ever in a dangerous situation she wouldn’t be able to hear someone getting trying to get her attention,idiot” Lo’ak said in your defense. Ao’nung hisses a little at the name calling

“Its ok Lo’ak, I’m gonna go swim over there and try to find Kiri” you say swimming away into the reef

Inside the reef you swim seeing the fish and Kiri is down near the sand playing with the fish, an ilu swims up playfully. Kiri smiles and pets it before making the bond with it and was about to swim off when she spotted you, making the ilu swim to you she grabs you and pulls you on the ilu with her. You hold on to her tightly not wanting to fall off as the two of you zip through the water quickly

You two resurface near the others laughing. God how you missed riding and you though, if I can’t ride alone anymore it’s nice that I can still ride with someone. The Metkayina kids released you and the sully kids from lesson to get lunch saying that they would continue later near sunset.

Soon sunset came around and the 7 out of the 8 of you gather around on a rock to practice your breathing. Tuk unfortunately couldn’t be there due to the fact that it was almost dark.

“Imagine a flickering flame” says Tsireya in a calming voice

“You must slow down your heartbeat” she says and then touches Lo’aks stomach and chest

“Breath in” Tsireya speaks as Lo’ak takes a deep breath and goes to exhale

“Breath from down here. Breath slowly” she says as she touches his abdomen

Tsireya says that Lo’aks heartbeat is fast, apologizing Lo’ak takes another breath as she tells him to focus. You, Neteyam and Roxto exchange knowing looks chuckling slightly as Kiri rolls her eyes annoyed by the childish behavior

After a few minutes you and Kiri can complete the breathing exercise almost perfectly as your able to slow down your heartbeat. Neteyam is good for the most part, it’s Lo’ak who truly struggles with slowing down his heartbeat and breathing so he stays behind with Tsireya to work on that as the rest of you go home. Once you, Kiri and Neteyam are back at the marui they go to get dinner

“I’m gonna go for a swim” you say heading the opposite way from the two

“That’s not a good idea Y/N what if we need to get your attention” Neteyam says being protective as usual

“It’ll be fine Nete, I’ll stay close to the marui” you say pleading with him. Neteyam shakes his head and rolls his eyes before finally giving you the ok, you smile and jump into the water close to the marui. If anything weee to happen either Neteyam or Kiri could just jump down and find you.

You had been absolutely loving the time you we’re spending underwater it was calming and beautiful. A school of glowing fish passed in front of you swimming closely as they circled around you, smiling you stick your hand out as they scatter when an ilu swims up happily chittering before swimming away. You sat underwater staring at the plants around you when you heard something, like a pulse, strong and steady. You looked around curiously before feeling the pulse again like it was under you. And just as quickly as it was there it was gone back to the silence you had grown accustomed to within the past few months

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Tag list: @fanboyluvr @futazy @inutheangel @mashiromochi @thesecretsoftheuniverse

Time flies

Sully family x child reader part 2

Part one- Eywas mystery

The years following when the sully’s took you in up until the time when you had to leave to go to the Metkayina clan

~ age- 8 ~

Neytiri was teaching you how weave along with Kiri. It had been two years since Jake and Neytiri had found you. You had started calling the two your mom and dad with ease

“Mama can you help me please” you called out to Neytiri, your hands were stuck in the rope you were trying to weave into a net. Neytiri took one look at you and chuckled slightly

“come here little one” you kinda waddled her way trying not to trip on the longer pieces that were hitting your legs. Neytiri carefully unwrapped your hands and showed you the weave process again. This time she helped you more so you didn’t get your hands stuck again. Soon you had a simple, but effective net which you proudly showed Kiri

“Look I finished mine” your voice said happily showing your sister the next

“I finished mine too, I made a basket” Kiri said as she smiled

“We should use it to collect flowers Kiri!” She nodded so the two of you kissed your mom on the cheek and ran off into the flower field near by

~ age-12~

Neteyam , Lo’ak, Kiri and you were standing at the edge of the Hallelujah mountain

“It’s time to for you four to tame an Ikran” Jake said smiling

“Dad what if we fall” you say looking down and gulping. Jake pats your back softly “then I’ll swoop down and catch you, now go on you four”

Kiri is the first one to bond with an Ikran. She didn’t do it in the normal way though, she kind of befriended it?

Next was Neteyam, he tamed one quickly and efficiently. Within a few minutes he was flying around on his Ikran with ease

Lo’ak got thrown around a lot by the Ikran, he almost fell off when the Ikran flew down the mountain but he was able to connect his queue at the last minute

Finally it was your turn, the Ikran you had decided to try to tame was blue with streaks of purple. When you tried to get close she snapped at you ready to bite if you got too close, you had to admit that you were intimidated by the flying creature.

“Well here goes nothing” you said jumping on the ikrans back as she turned around.

The Ikran screeched and tried to throw you off as it flew into the air. Your hands struggled trying to grab your queue while still holding on to the creature. From the ground Jake was on his Ikran ready to grab you incase anyone happened and you fell off.

Finally you grabbed your queue and connected it with the ikrans. After a few minutes the blue and purple Ikran stopped thrashing and began to fly normally. You fly down to where your dad and your siblings were.

“You did great Y/N, but don’t scare me like that again” Neteyam said concerned about the fact that you could’ve plummeted to your death

“Don’t worry brother dad would never have let that happen plus Y/N way too good for that” Lo’ak said high fiving you

“Yeah she did much better then you two idiots” Kiri said as she wrapped her arm around your shoulder

Jake congratulated the four of you for doing so well. The five of you flew back to Neytiri and Tuk to share the accomplishments

~age-14~

The RDA was back on pandora and Quatrich, your dads old enemy, was back as an avatar. Right now because of your brother Lo’aks stupid need to see an old battle field him, Kiri, Tuk, Spider, and you were all being held hostage by Quatrich and his goons.

“Show me your hands girl” Quatrich said in very broken Na’vi, his goons had a gun to almost everyone’s head except Tuk who had a knife to her throat

You flipped Quatrich off as a way to show your five finger which made him roll his eyes. He had taken Lo’ak communication device a hours ago and had given your father instructions for giving himself up in exchange for you and your sibling. Suddenly you could hear your mothers signal, to anybody else it would just be interpreted as another sound of the pandorean jungle but to the sully kids it meant that their mother was near and ready to rescue them. Finally an opportunity to strike arises and Neytiri shots the guy holding Kiri with an arrow. Neytiri, Jake and Neteyam all spring into action. You, Tuk and Lo’ak bite the hands of your captors managing to distract them enough so that you could get away. Shots rang in the air and one of the avatars had Kiri but not for long as neytiri fired another arrow that landed straight into his chest. Neteyam almost gets shot while trying to rescue you guys but in the end all of the sully’s come out with minor injuries

“Where’s Spider?” Kiri’s voice trembled. At that moment everyone realizes that the human boy had been taken

“I’m so sorry kids, but I don’t think we can rescue him” Jake says, it hurt to see his children’s reaction more than losing Spider

That night you could hear your parents argue about what happened and how your dad just wanted to keep your family safe and the safety of the clan… which meant having to move, the RDA only cared about him and his family so if your family disappeared then both the family and the clan would be safe. You ran out of the hut, much to your parent’s surprise because they thought you and your siblings were asleep.

You sat outside of your home upset by your fathers words. You could feel someone sit down next to you

“I’m so sorry baby girl” Jake said wrapping his arm around you, you sob leaning in to your fathers embrace

“I don’t wanna leave dad, this is our home it’s not fair” your voice trembles

“I know baby, buts it’s for safety” Jake says looking black to see the rest of your family outside.

“You know what your father says, right kids” your mom says with a solemn expression

“Sully’s stick together” the sully kids say unenthusiastically

“Come on with attitude, I know you guys don’t want to leave but it needs to happen” Jake says hugging Tuk who was about to cry

The next day your father gave up his title of Olo’eyktan to Tarsem who sadly accepted. The entire clan was sad to see your family leave but they understood why you all had to leave

Everyone got on their Ikran, Tuk going with your mom, it took a few days to get to the Metkayina clan. When the sully’s landed they were surrounded by Metkayina, your father telling all of you to behave as some of the younger boys giving the family wary glares

“Look what is that? Is it supposed to be a tail” one of the metkayina boys says talking about Neteyam making some other metkayina laugh

You see Lo’ak entranced by a a girl walking out of the water and you just roll your eyes

“It’s too small how are they supposed to swim” the same boys say referring to your tail

“Do not Ao’nung Rotxo” the girl says, Lo’ak says hi to her and she smiles and looks away shyly

soon their Olo’eyktan (tonowari) came out of the water walking through the crowd to your family

“I see you Tonowari” your father says bowing slightly the rest of the family following his example

“Jake sully” Toniwari says as he acknowledges your family

Soon the tsahik came through the crowd her expression cold

“I see you, Ronal Tsahik of the metkayina” your father voice rang

“I see you Ronal” says Neytiri

“Why do you come to us Jake Sully” says Tonowari curious as to why forest people would come to their home near the ocean

“We seek uturu…” Jake says making the Metkayina gasp

“Uturu?” Ronal says surprised by your father statement

“…a sanctuary for my family” your father continues. Ronal walks forward after exchanging looks with her mate

“We are reef people. You are forest people. Your skills mean nothing here” the Olo’eyktan said as Ronal continues to circle your family

“So we will learn your ways, right” Jake said the last part directed towards his family

Ronal grabs your mothers tail and then Tuks arms

“Their arms are thin…” Ronal says walking and grabbing Kiris tail “…their tails are weak. You will be slow in the water”. Then she grabs hands hands raising them in the air

“These children are not even true Na’vi” she states as the Metkayina gasp

“Yes we are” you say upset. But she doesn’t care and just goes to grab Lo’aks hand and raises it to show his five fingers

“They have demon blood!” The tsahik claim immediately making the rest of the Metkayina more hostile towards your family. God how your blood was boiling at this point. You hadn’t done anything to this woman and she already didn’t like you and your family

“Look! Look” your father shows his hands “I was born to the sky people and now I’m Na’vi. You can adapt” he says turning back to Tonowari

“We can adapt” Jake says almost desperately

“My husband was Toruk Makto. He lead the clans to victory against the sky people” says Neytiri in an harsh tone as she looks at Tonowari.

“This you call victory? Hiding among strangers…” your mother looks down “…it seems Eywa has turned her back on you chosen” your mom hisses and Ronal retribution with a hiss of her own, you could see that the two were ready to fight at any second.

Jake cuts in between the two women apologizing for your mothers behavior claiming that the journey has made her tired and easily irritable and Tonowari changes the subject

“Toruk Makto is a a Great War leader. All Na’vi people know his story. But we Metkayina are not at war…” he turns to your father “… we cannot let you bring your war here” Toniwari says

“Look I’m done with war, okay? I just wanna keep my family safe” your father says holding Tuk

“Uturu has been asked” your mother says harshly

The Olo’eyktan and the Tsahik exchange looks before Ronal nods slightly

“Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters. But they do not know the sea. So, they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not know the shame of being useless” you could see your fathers relief as Tonowari said these words. The family thanked him and he explained that his children Ao’nung and Tsireya will you and your sibling their ways. The boy Ao’nung had obvious protest but was shut down by his father and the Tsireya just smiled and showed your family around. The next few weeks we’re going to be hard.

———————————————————————

There WILL be a part three focusing on your time with the metkayina clan so pls don’t comment saying it’s a cliffhanger. Anyways hoped you enjoyed :)

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Part 3: Learning their ways

Silent world loud mind

Sully family x Deaf! Omatikaya! reader

When you lose your hearing after a battle and the sully’s help you navigate your new life

Neteyam, Lo’ak, and you were supposed to have been spotters during the train line attack but Lo’ak being the skxqwng he is went down to the battle saying that they could take this as a chance to get more supplies.

“LO’AK COME BACK HERE YOU SKXWNG!” Neteyam said calling out to his younger brother before flying after him on his Ikran

“NETEYAM WAIT!” you yelled at your best friend but he couldn’t hear you and continued to fly down “dear Eywa why did you make these boys so stupid” you said as you followed the two

Down on the ground you found Neteyam and Lo’ak grabbing guns and ammo, you grab the boys trying to bring them back to the Ikrans before their father found you three

“Come on we have to get back be-“

BOOM

Something explodes right behind you knocking the you and Neteyam to the ground as you were closer and knocking Lo’ak into his butt. The explosion had left the brothers disoriented and you knocked out as Jake finally finds the three of you after having noticed your ikrans on the ground.

“Lo’ak get out of here go on!” He yelled at the younger boy trying to find you and the older boy.

“NETEYAM”

“NETEYAM WHERE ARE YOU”

Finally Jake found him. He picked his son up checking his back for any possible exit hole from a bullet. None were found to his relief

“What the hell were you thinking! Your supposed to spot not be on the ground!” Jake hissed at the boy. Jake picked him up and put his son on his shoulder

Neteyam groaned “I’m sorry sir” before realizing you weren’t there nobody had found you “sir Y/N, she was with us! Neteyam said with urgency you we’re probably hurt worse thank he was

“HOW COULD YOU BRING HER DOWN HERE” Jake yelled before taking a breath and continued looking for you weighed down by Neteyam being on his shoulder. Finally he spotted you a few feet away from where he found Neteyam. He checked for bullet wounds before throwing you on his shoulder, you were still passed out and bleeding from different scratches on your body.

Now at the healers hut Neteyam sits beside you blaming himself for you having gave been down there. You groan softy as you sit up, Neteyam was talking to you trying to ask how you felt. You knew he was taking you could see his mouth moving but you couldn’t hear it.

Everything was silent.

“I can’t hear you Nete” your voice trembles only for him to hear. Tears fall from your eyes you’ll never be able to hear your loved ones voices, never be able to listen to nature, or listen to the clan chanting and singing. Neteyam calls for his grandma as he hugs you

Mo’at examined you, sadly she couldn’t do anything so Jake brought Norm in

“It looks like her eardrums were ruptured due to the blast. Unfortunately hearing aids wouldn’t be affective due to the way a Na’vi ear is constructed. I’m sorry to say it guys but Y/N is permanently deaf” you could see Neteyams eyes widen and Mo’at praying with a sad look on her face. You knew you were probably never gonna get better

Over the next few months Kiri had helped you with lip reading as she was the only one with enough patience to say words over and over again.

“…The ikran flew up in the air, Neteyam almost fell off his first time flying” Kiri said speaking at a moderate pace so you could read her lips without any chance of confusion.

“You said that Neteyam almost fell off his Ikran his first time riding, right?” you said to see if you were right. Kiri nodded and hugged you out of excitement

Lo’ak blames himself for your situation so he try to help you in anyway he can wether it’s helping you with lip reading practice or If he finds anyone teasing you Lo’ak will beat them up.

Neteyam was helping you practice lip reading with Kiri while Lo’ak was outside feeding his Ikran.

“Yeah she’s a freak without hearing” a boy said to his friend gaining Lo’aks attention

“What did you say” Lo’aks voice was dark as he walked over to boy. The boy gets up in his face “ I said that Y/N is a freak” Lo’ak punches him “She is much better person than you are so I would suggest you shut your mouth before you get punched again asshole” the boy and his friends flee. Jake watched the entire situation but kept quiet, he was proud of his son for defending you.

Neteyam was your best friend out of the entire group so he comforted you during these times

Neteyam was the first person to try and talk to you after what happened. You hadn’t left the hut in days. Neteyam couldn’t bear seeing you like this so he sat down next you he had something Norm called a chalkboard. He wrote down what he wanted to say but quickly understood you didn’t want to talk, so Neteyam wrapped his arms around you as you started to cry. He patted your back and hummed, while you couldn’t hear his voice you could feel the vibrations coming from his chest it felt comforting to you like something a mother would do with their child

Tuk was too young understand how you felt but she still tried to cheer you up and make you smile

Tuk grabbed your arm and lead you outside to show you the flowers she had collected while out in the forest

“Y/N do you like the purple or pink flowers better” Tuk said with excitement she looked into your eyes happily “I like the purple flowers Tuk” she smiled and quickly ran all over grabbing every purple flower in sight before making it into a crowd. “Lean your head down Y/N” you smiled and complied as Tuk set the crown on your head before running off to get more flowers

Neytiri helped with keeping you in the loop and with integrating you into social situations. She wasn’t going to let you isolate yourself due to your disability.

Neytiri and Mo’at were working were working on baskets with some of the other women in the tribe they all gossiped and used this time as a way to update their friends on their lives. Neytiri had noticed you being quiet. Neytiri tapped your shoulder grabbing your attention “If you want to leave the basket so can talk it’s ok” she knew you couldn’t concentrate on the basket and read lips at the same time. You smiled and thanked her quietly. You laughed at some of the comments made by the other women.

Jake helped you with the frustration and anger that came with your new hearing impairment. he knew how it felt when something essential to everyday life is gone. He also knew that those first few days were the worst.

Jake sat down next to you, it had been been three days since the attack. You had kept to yourself for most of the time except for when Mo’at changed your bandages. He handed you a piece of paper with writing in Na’vi “you’re angry aren’t you” he wrote, you nod “I blame myself, I knew I should’ve never been down there in the first place” your voice was a quiet whisper. Jake wrapped his arm around you and kissed your head, you were basically another daughter to him.

With time the voices in your head quieted as you learned how to fit in again. You were so grateful for having the sullies in your life right now

Part 2: hearing the unheard

@inutheangel finally finished hope you like it and let me know what you think. I was thinking of making a part two were the reader goes with the sullies to the metkayina clan.

Neteyam is gay. Like, no doubts about it, man is a homosexual.

That takes him a long time to admit though; his entire identity surrounded being the oldest and a warrior, it wasn't until he reached the Metkayina that he finally had a moment to breath and realize why Ao'nung was so distracting to him

It's like he can finally breathe, not even for the sake of questioning his sexuality and more so cause he finally feels like a piece of the puzzle clicked together

Homie has identity issues galore

It takes Jake back a bit to realize Neteyam is gay though, in part due to internalized earth stuff but also just because he has to admit that Neteyam is a teenager and still feels teenager things in a war

It's him realizing Neteyam only grew up in war, that its already been his childhood

Spider is demiromantic, bisexual, and trans. He has almost zero preference towards gender romantically or physically but feelings take a minute for him to develop. However, when they do, he falls hard

I love trans!Spider but don't use it all the time cause it's a process to work in canon

However, FTM Spider was sort of a clumsy coming out

Na'vi are intersex, it's very fluid, even if some still believe there should be some version of a binary

So no one quite understand why the humans are so strict on their genders or why it's such a big deal for Spider than he is a he and not a she.

He just sort of breaks down with Lo'ak and Kiri who panic and try to fix things. He thinks it's a big thing and no one really gives a shit, he's still the little stray human, but some of the older teens and stuff realize how much he cares and make an effort to make him feel good about it

He worries it'll make him more of a freak but he has a gaggle of siblings, and later friends, who reassure him that they couldn't particularly care less

His coming out is what triggers Kiri's

Kiri is an asexual lesbian who uses she/they pronouns

Unlike the romantic preferences, being asexual is a little bigger of a deal but Neytiri specifically will shut down anyone who gives her baby any shit

Being ace is a bigger thing because there is so much emphasis on intimacy and seeing one another, however, Kiri very passionately proves to anyone that she doesn't need sex to connect with anyone.

Lo'ak has actively gotten into fights to help when people start shit with them

Kiri didn't really have a sexuality crisis though

They just kind of knew, something her brothers are endlessly jealous of

Tsireya is her first crush though

Lo'ak is the one who gets it bad but Kiri admittedly fell hard for her

She was gorgeous and sweet, cared about the environment around them in a way no one their age ever seems to

Plus she stands up for her and Kiri wanted to show her what she sees so bad it made her stomach curl

But she stepped back for Lo'ak, as bittersweet as it was, she felt so good just enjoying the innocent feeling

It just felt good to have normal teenage feelings in the midst of a war

Lo'ak is bisexual, however, he would tell you he is Tsireyasexual

He is one track minded

The most loyal partner ever tho

Like, if you're his person, he is honed in

Being bi was never really a huge thing for him but he was the last one of all the teenagers to come out

He just forgot

He was sitting with Tsireya while everyone hung out and Tsireya pointed out a cute guy to him and they took in the view together while everyone kind of just ??? this is new?

It wasn't, homie really just forgot to tell people

It was a given to him

Funnily enough, he has the same taste as Kiri

Tsireya is not the first girl they both liked

While he is bi, he does lean mostly towards girls

He's a sucker for pretty

It's bad, Tsireya flutters her lashes at him and he'll do damn near anything

A simp (TM)

Tuk is too young rn to really care but when she's older, I think she's pan

People her age are much fewer and she just likes friends

Her first crush is Rotxo's little sister cause she keeps following him to hang out when Tuk is a preteen

She's hella obvious and all of the older ones think it's hilarious to tease her, she's worse than Lo'ak when he first saw Tsireya

She's bringing her shells and little flowers, trying to show off in games and dress pretty

Tsireya and Neteyam take mercy and help her get her act together but nothing comes of it

Once it starts tho she's a hopeless romantic

She has a new crush every other week of her early teen years but never gets to be a better flirt

She's a mini Lo'ak that way

He tries to coach her and says she didn't get it from him but it's obvious

Ao'nung is demi. He leans towards men physically but he is almost as bad as Neteyam in terms of thinking himself responsible for everyone

Tonowari tries desperately to break him of that mindset and Ronal is constantly trying to take pressure off of him but it's just in his nature

So he, like Neteyam, doesn't think about relationships much

He has, however, been a hopeless romantic with a laundry list of brief crushes over the years

He falls hard for Neteyam though when he arrives

Mainly because he finally feels seen, he's a big one on emotional connections

No one at home understands the pressure on him so when Neteyam shows up, shepherding siblings and standing as his fathers right hand, he doesn't know what to do

He tries to cover it up, worried still for the safety of his clan, and scare them off

A little selfish part of him was afraid of the feelings and wanted them gone

Clearly that doesn't work but, once they realize they both like one another, it doesn't take him long to latch on

He and Neteyam become close rapidly and fall into a relationship fast once things are started (a genuine surprise to literally everyone)

A very devoted partner; he learned from his Dad and takes being a good partner seriously

it took him a really long time to feel confident in himself so once he and Neteyam are together, he's devoted to becoming a strong partner to demonstrate a strong relationship to his partner

Metkayina are extremely family based and he will not let them down

Tsireya is pan

She has so much love in her she doesn't know what to do with it

Falls hard and fast, Ao'nung has spent years trying to keep her from falling for everyone who she connects just a little bit with

Actually did have a crush on Kiri too, though she had one on Lo'ak at the same time

Might by poly but she never investigates it

She's very spiritual and spends a lot of time with the ancestors so her partner needs to care too

Like she makes Lo'ak ask the ancestors for their blessing when she accepts his courting

He was scared shitless and got teasingly (?) threatened by her deceased uncle

She cares deeply about helping others to the point of being naive - she has gotten hurt before because of it so she needs some reassurances in relationships

Lo'ak is not her first relationship but he is the first really healthy one

She's prone to trying to fix people honestly, she doesn't get what she puts in a lot

However, when she does, she's a little angel

Gifts, cooking, help; whatever she can do to show her love she'll do

Wants to be Tsahik so she's terrified Neteyam will take the job

He lets her happily, preferring to be a line of defense for his people regardless

Rotxo has no clue what he is

He just knows he likes Spider

He's a giant softie

Like gentle giant himbo vibes but fiercely protective of his family

Very proud of his home and his heritage

He has two moms so sexuality wasn't really a big deal growing up, however, he just didn't really care

He just likes who he likes

He had a bigass crush on Ao'nung for a bit but later realized it was just a deep platonic love

Unlike most of the crew, he doesn't fall easily

Like he has had maybe 2 crushes his entire life

So falling for Spider is a shock

But he's just happy to find his feelings returned

He's a big provider type, likes giving gifts and taking care of his friends

He has a lot of issues about feeling useful and needed; he grew up in Ao'nungs shadow and so feels like he needs to fight to be seen

Hence part of how he and Spider bonded

While very gentle, he's very passionate about being a warrior once he finally feels like he has a reason to be

Does a lot of soul searching after the Sullys come

He still has a lot to learn about himself but feels much more at peace now that he doesn't feel like just Ao'nungs best friend

𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 - 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 | 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

with näytle's birthday arriving soon, neteyam rushes to get her a gift, consulting his youngest sister for some help.

– pairings: neteyam x oc

– warning: fluff, canon divergent, cross-posted on wattpad, not edited!

– author's note: as requested by @xoxobabe , this oneshot is part 2 to this oneshot! i recommend reading it first before this one!

“Neteyam! Neteyam!”

The said older brother turned around with a confused glance before his eyes landed on the youngest of his sisters. Tuktirey ran towards her brother with the widest of grins, a small, unknown beaded item in her hands.

“Tuk? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Neteyam rushed to the thirteen-year-old’s side, kneeling down to her height as he lifted her arms to check for wounds.

Despite the six years the Sully family had returned to the rest of the Omaticaya clan, Tuk’s spirit remained young, almost as though she was still seven. And she explored the Pandoran forests with just as much vigour and wonder.

“No, I’m okay, Nete!” Tuk grinned. “But look what Näytle made me! I saw her by the river picking up some pebbles, and I told her how pretty they were, and she gathered some string and made an anklet for me! Isn’t it beautiful?”

Neteyam gently dropped Tuk’s arm, glancing at the anklet that Tuk raised up at him in excitement. Little blue pebbles glimmered in the light, surrounded by brown streaks of leather. The young man wondered if she had been planning to weave something in the first place, and it was just luck that his youngest sibling had stumbled upon his match.

He hummed in thought. Her birthday would be approaching soon, and he couldn’t find a gift that could match her radiant personality, her enchanting grin, and her wonder-struck eyes. He needed to think of a gift fast… and maybe this was his chance.

Gently taking the woven accessory, Neteyam rubbed his thumb against the shiny stones before looking at Tuk inquisitively.

“Tuk-Tuk, do you know… could– could you teach me how to weave?” Neteyam looked over at Tuk hesitantly, almost as though embarrassed that he didn’t know much about how to weave. 

Now, Neteyam was a master of many things; tracking, making the perfect, clean kill, and being the bravest warrior in his home clan. He even adopted the culture of the Metkayina clan and was the diplomat between his siblings and the Metkayina Olo’eyktan’s children. 

But one thing Neteyam could not grasp the concept of… was weaving. 

When Kiri and Lo’ak had decided to make Tuk a reef loincloth as a welcoming gift to warm her up to their temporary new home by the sea, he had only gathered the dried seeds. He was embarrassed to say that he had messed up the braiding of the leather strands so badly, that Kiri had taken over weaving the cloth pieces together.

Ever since then, Neteyam had never touched the topic of weaving, living in fear of being ridiculed for his lack of knowledge or skill in it. 

Tuk raised her browline at her brother’s sudden interest to learn, remembering how reluctant he was to relearn her hobby. A smile grew on her grin as she came to a realisation, scooching closer towards her eldest brother.

“If I help teach you how to weave a pretty bracelet for Näytle, what’s in it for me?” She smirked slyly.

“I never said that I wanted to weave her anything!” Neteyam protested, but the warmth in his cheeks was what gave him away as Tuk nodded her head with her sneakiest grin.

“No, but you sure implied it when you asked me to teach you what you hate to do.”

Neteyam stuttered, wondering where his sister had learned to be so cunning. 

He finally let out a huff of annoyance, realising that if he didn’t ask her, he would never learn how to weave, as Kiri would be too hands-on, taking over if he made the slightest mistake. And Lo’ak would be quite useless, laughing at his every error until he would feel like giving up. Tuk was the nicest and most forgiving person to teach him if anything.

“Fine,” Neteyam scowled, sitting down beside his sister. “I’ll let you join us on our weekly tracking sessions.”

“Then it’s a deal!” Tuk grinned from ear to ear. “Now all you gotta do is be patient, and watch carefully…”

“Tuktirey are you sure you are teaching me the right method? Because this looks terrible!”

“Nete, you’re being too impatient,” Tuk groaned, untangling the mess her brother had made of the leather strands.

Two days had passed, and the bracelet was almost done. But unfortunately, Neteyam’s impatience had begun to drag him down.

The youngest Sully gently pulled the beads and pebbles that her brother had carefully selected for his beloved, placing them on the ground as she used her demonstrating leather strings to show him the right way to weave the band once again.

“Watch carefully. And take it in slowly,” Tuk eyed her brother. “You still have time to give the gift to her. It is not like her birthday is tomorrow.”

Neteyam frowned, his browline furrowed before he let out a sigh. He remained silent, letting his thoughts consume him as he slowly followed Tuk’s actions, the brown strings overlapping one another as he added one bead to the ribbon.

What if it looked messy? What if she didn’t like it? What if he disappointed her so terribly?

“Neteyam.”

What if after knowing him better she thought that he was just an average member of the clan? Would she leave him for someone better?

“Neteyam!”

Tuk’s voice cut the thoughts short, the eldest son turning his head around to look at her as the beads in his hair softly knocked against one another. Tuk knew that he was lost in his thoughts, and as much as she loved her brother, his only downfall was how scared he was of failure.

Tuk let out a soft sigh, placing her hand on Neteyam’s shoulder, the future Olo’eyktan watching her movement in confusion.

“Don’t worry so much about how it looks,” Tuk smiled gently. “You’re making a great effort and I know that she’s going to love it, whether it’s messy or not.”

Neteyam’s expression softened, a small smile growing as Tuk continued to weave, her brother watching as he copied, adding more glittering beads and small stones. He smiled to himself, glad to have his sister help him try. He was glad that his growing affection for Näytle gave him a reason to try.

“Tuk-Tuk?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you. For your patience,” Neteyam smiled softly.

“I’m always happy to help you, Nete,” Tuk smiled, completing the demonstrative bracelet. “But I’m glad you put in the effort.”

Neteyam looked down, discovering that he had finished the bracelet sooner than he expected. He lifted the string, passing the accessory to Tuk, who secured it all together tightly so that the beads wouldn’t fall out.

“Now don’t forget the promise you made me,” Tuk grinned cheekily, Neteyam chuckling as he ruffled her braided hair.

“Never, Tuktirey. Even if I did, you’d never let me forget it!”

Tuk giggled along with her brother, the two smiling as the youngest sibling handed the now-completed bracelet back to her brother.

“Good! Now go and think about how you’re gonna give her the gift,” Tuk pat her brother’s back proudly. “We can’t have two days of effort go to waste if you’re going to be a bumbling mess.”

“Really Tuk-Tuk?” Neteyam deadpanned, huffing playfully with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The young man’s sly grin grew, lunging towards his sister as his fingers ran all over his younger sister’s torso. Her howls of laughter filled the air as she struggled to push her brother off.

“I was joking! I swear!”

Näytle’s birthday had finally rolled around and Neteyam watched from afar the woman he had grown fond of, sitting by the same river Tuk had found her by previously. His breath was slightly shaky as he fiddled with her gift nervously.

As weeks passed from the day they had met, he had grown to see her as a trusted friend, and his affection for her surely grew with every passing day. He began to see the world around her through her eyes, just like his father had done with his mother, and he loved every bit of it.

He took in a deep breath, internally praying to the Great Mother that he wouldn’t look like a fool as he heard her voice humming a little melody. Slowly, Neteyam approached his partner, a soft smile gracing his face as he saw the way she turned to face him.

“Teyam!”

His heart fluttered at the way her smile grew. The way she was so eager to see him, to be with him. He watched the way she stood up as she walked towards him, the young man taking a few steps towards her as well.

“Oel ngati kameie,” Neteyam grinned as she hugged him tight.

He buried himself in her presence, hugging her just as tightly back. When they pulled away, he missed her warmth, but calmly brought his hand up to her cheek, resting his larger palm on it.

“I missed you,” Näytle placed her hand atop of his, leaning into his touch. “When you didn’t show up I was concerned.”

“I apologise, my love,” He pecked her forehead as she flushed. “But I heard from a little bird that it was your birthday, and I simply had to get you a gift.”

“Teyam,” Her eyes widened and a small smile appeared. “You didn’t have to get me a gift. Your presence is simply enough.”

“Well, I couldn’t help myself. So I…” Neteyam took in a sharp inhale. “I made you this.”

Neteyam’s grip on the bracelet loosened as he held the item out before her. He heard her gasp, watching as awe and adoration growing clear on her visage while she gently held the item. 

He saw the way she smiled, a smile of his own creeping onto his face. He tilted his head, finding her expressions adorable as her tail gave away her excitement.

“Do you like it?” He hummed, watching the way she nodded.

“Yes, yes! I love it, Teyam! It’s beautiful,” She placed her hand on his cheek before pecking him briefly on his lips.

Neteyam’s eyes widened and his pupils dilated as he felt his heart pump harder. His smile grew wider as he gently took the bracelet in his hands again. It was that moment when he let all his doubts fade away.

It was the moment that he saw how genuinely happy he made her. How her glowing smile and love-filled eyes were caused by him.

“Would you like me to put it on for you?”

“Of course,” She hummed as he held her wrist gently, almost as though she were made of glass.

Neteyam gently tied the string around her wrist, admiring the way her smile shone so brightly. He tugged at the string softly, just as how she had tugged at his heartstrings. Finally, it was around her wrist, and he had never felt more pride swell in his chest than he did at that moment.

He was definitely going to thank Tuk for her help with a lot more tracking sessions later.

“I love it, so so much,” Näytle whispered in awe, looking up at him as she held the bracelet. “I’m never going to take it off.”

With the way she had said it so seriously, Neteyam let out a boisterous laugh, genuinely happy that she had adored his gift so much so that she would never let it go. He hoped that she’d do the same with his heart.

“Ma Näytle,” He cooed, pushing some stray strands of hair behind her pointed blue ear. “I see you. And I’m glad that we were matched.”

She smiled up at him, tip-toeing as she placed a soft kiss on his forehead before she cupped both his cheeks. She hummed, placing another kiss on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to hold her closer than he possibly could.

The two lovers then pulled away, Näytle’s hands still gently cupping Neteyam’s cheeks as she rested her forehead on his, trying her best to steady her rapid heartbeat.

“Ma Teyam,” He still adored the way his name rolled off her tongue.

“I couldn’t have agreed more.”

theme inspired by @aokoaoi !

gif by @peace--n--love

taglist: @mooncleaver @moonie-writings @peacelovepandora @neteyams-tsahik

— dm me if you want to be apart of my taglist!

𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 - 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲

age-old traditions were to be continued for generations, but when it finally comes down to the toruk makto's son, he's not so willing to comply...

– pairings: neteyam x oc

– warning: fluff, canon divergent, cross-posted on wattpad

– author's note: this oneshot takes place after the events of avatar 2 because i refuse to believe that neteyam is gone.

translations:

– ma tìrol [my son] – zamunge fko [strong one]

Being given an arranged mate was something like a toss of a coin. It was sheer luck if you ended up loving the one you were destined to be with.

Despite the arrangements of suitors being highly disliked, Neytiri turned back to the tradition of her forefathers, a part of her following the custom in memory of the late Olo’eyktan, Eytukan. As much as he didn’t like it, Jake followed his wife’s wishes, knowing how much her culture and her father meant to her.

And so, with the consultation of the current tsahik, Neytiri and Mo’at had decided who her firstborn would be promised to, both looking at the candidates for the next tsahik. It was decided that the matched pair would be introduced when Neytiri’s son, Neteyam, the next in line for Olo’eyktan, was of age to be part of the People.

Unfortunately, the young man hated it. Neteyam hated the notion of not being able to experience falling in love, and he had hoped that he would be able to understand the look his parents shared when they looked at one another, and share it with someone who would be his equal.

Sure, he would try his best to get along with whoever was planned to be by his side as his mate. But for all he could know, they would’ve already been in love with someone else, and it was just another unlucky draw.

He dreaded the way his parents spoke of his arranged mate. His mother passed him a slightly pitiful look, and his father only gave his wife a guilty one, knowing what happened previously between her and her chosen mate.

So far, he had turned down nine of the women his mother and grandmother had introduced to him, and he had turned them all down. They just didn't click to him, especially after most of them had passed him thoughtless grins with wandering eyes. 

His mother was at the end of her rope, praying to the Great Mother that this time, her son would consider her current option to be the next tsahik. Besides, all she wanted was for her son to be happy and loved, just as she was. And she was starting to lose hope.

“Nete,” Neytiri frowned, trying to convince her son. “If you’re lucky, she would love you, and you could grow to love her.”

“But mother, I want to be a mate to someone I’m already in love with!” The firstborn protested, his frown deepening at his mother’s suggestion.

“And are you already in love with someone?”

Neteyam looked away, knowing that he indeed hadn’t found that special someone. Yet. He grumbled with crossed arms, Neytiri sighing as she hugged her son’s head close to her.

“Ay… Ma tìrol…” Neytiri muttered as Neteyam hugged his mother slightly tighter. “Give her a chance. She could be the one, only Eywa knows.”

Neteyam closed his eyes slowly, knowing that he couldn’t argue with his mother anymore. He let out a slow breath as he pulled away, nodding slowly. Seeing this, Neytiri’s smile returned, and the mother placed her palm lovingly on her son’s cheek, the boy leaning into her touch.

“But if I feel like things won’t turn out right for us, I want to choose who I am mated with,” Neteyam spoke up again, looking his mother in the eye, determination set in his features.

Neytiri pursed her lips, her turn to nod slowly as the two came to an agreement. If he agreed to follow her terms, she would agree to follow his.

The day of the meeting had eventually crawled by, Neteyam inwardly groaning before keeping his mind open to the one he was supposed to meet.

He did his best to realise that whoever he was meant to meet was promised to him as he was to her, so they were both stuck in the same boat.

Neteyam watched the way his mother smiled, and from it he knew that she was confident that things would work out. He was partially ready to prove her wrong.

"Nete, remember to keep an open mind," Neytiri smiled, pushing her closer to the little healing hut where Mo'at usually worked.

"Mother, why are we at grandmother's healing hut?" Neteyam raised his browline in confusion.

"She works under the tsahik to learn to heal. Her name is Näytle te Ìviu Oa'ite. Find out more about her, maybe you could both share common interests," Neytiri grinned, nudging her son closer. 

But just as Neteyam was within the radius of the hut, Neytiri grabbed her firstborn son's shoulder, whispering in his ear as the young man listened to her every word.

"Her mother has decided that the two of you shall meet each other first. She does not know that you will be arriving to meet her," Neytiri nodded. "I will not be following you in, but I can only trust you to make a good impression."

"Mother!" Neteyam frowned back as he glanced at Neytiri in annoyance at her meddling.

"Ma tìrol, she's keeping an open mind you must do the same," Neytiri gently kissed her son's cheek before pushing him towards the hut.

"Now go!"

Neteyam muttered curses under his breath, walking towards the hut with his browline furrowed.

Neytiri watched from afar as her son stormed off, placing her hand gently on her chest as she glanced up at the sky.

"May Eywa guide them towards a path of happiness."

“Hello?” Neteyam called out to the fairly empty hut. 

He walked around, trying to find the woman he was meant to meet. He peered around the pillars of the hut as he decided to try calling her out by her name, walking deeper into the wooden-built structure.

“Näytle?” 

He called the woman's name out as he passed by other Omaticayan healers who simply pointed him in the direction of where the mentioned healer would be.

From within a far corner of the shelter, Mo’at’s ears perked up at her student’s name, recognising her grandson’s voice. A small grin grew on her face as the tsahik gently tapped her protégés back.

“Näytle,” She turned to the young woman who was tending to a small Omaticayan boy’s minor wounds.

“Yes, tsahik?” The doe-eyed Na'vi woman turned to face her with a small smile.

Her eyes were filled with eagerness to learn from her mentor, her soft smile showing glimpses of kindness and hospitality that was very much needed in the medicinal part of the Omaticaya.

"My child," Mo'at placed her hand on the young woman's shoulder tenderly. "I am going to go gather with Olo'eyktan Sully and his wife. I need you and the other healers to make sure that whoever needs healing gets it as soon as possible." 

"Of course," Näytle nodded eagerly. "I'm glad you have entrusted me with this, tsahik."

The younger female turned her attention back to the child before her, wiping her hands free of the healing salve before wrapping his wounds up with some long leaves.

"Of course, my child," Mo'at smiled before stepping towards the back exit. "Oh, and I think you should be expecting a visit from someone."

"Who should I be expecting?" Näytle asked the older woman, but as she turned around, the tsahik was gone.

Näytle frowned in confusion as she gently turned to the young boy in front of her, patting his head as she softly spoke to him. She saw the way the boy grew a frown at the sight of his tended wound.

"Don't worry, zamunge fko," Näytle ruffled the boy's hair. "The pain will pass with time, as all things do."

She turned around, kneeling while holding a small piece of traditional candy, or something similar to it, the boy's frown disappearing.

"For your bravery."

The boy took the sweet, running off as the healer smiled warmly at child's burst of energy, unaware of the figure that watched her actions from afar.

"Näytle?"

The girl turned around, now face to face with a taller Na'vi. He appeared to be her height. She was surprised, especially when she couldn't hear the person's footsteps. Perhaps he was a hunter in aid of wounds he gained from the hunting group earlier. 

"Yes, that would be me," The healer responded, standing up from her kneeled position. 

Näytle watched the young man in front of her, taking in his appearance as she glanced him up and down for any wounds that needed tending.

He was attractive, she wouldn't deny that. The energy and wonder in his eyes about the world around him wasn't easy to miss. They hid in specks of ocre and gold that flickered brightly in the light of the hut.

His stature was built, one of a proud warrior. His beaded hair moved with the slightest movement of his head, little clinking noises of the beads knocking against one another caught her attention as she thought the braids framed his face perfectly.

If she could say, she would tell him that he looked as though Eywa herself handcrafted him to fit her image of perfection.

"Oel ngati kameie."

I see you.

Näytle nodded respectfully, repeating his action, without realising how his heart jumped in his throat when he said the phrase.

He couldn't tell if it was the way she interacted with the child, the way that she was filled with so much love and kindness for the life around her, but there was something special about her. Something just beautiful. Something that the other women lacked when he met them.

Her physical beauty in his eyes just emphasised that something special. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about her eyes that just made him want to discover more about her.

"Do I know you?" The woman before him, Näytle, spoke. 

Her gentle voice bounced around in his head, and he treasured the way it sounded for a few minutes longer.

"Neteyam," He placed his hand on his chest. "My name's Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan."

He watched the way her eyes widened in realisation, embarrassment flooding through her cheeks as they flushed.

He adored the way she looked so cute and flustered.

"My apologies!" She nervously tucked a strand of braided hair behind her ear. "I hadn't realised that you were coming to visit!"

The guilt of not recognising the Toruk Makto's son had lingered in her stomach, but it vanished when she heard him chuckle.

"No, it's alright! You have never seen me before?" Neteyam tilted his head slightly, amusement filling him.

"Ah, unfortunately not. From where I stand in the crowd, it's always too far to get a good look."

The young woman picked up the bowl of salve, walking towards a nearby table to keep the balm away. Her tail flicked mischievously as she formed her next words jokingly

"I have heard stories that he is undeniably handsome, though."

"Have you now?" Neteyam perked up, a small grin unknowingly growing on his face.

"Yes," The woman smiled, taking some leaves from nearby and taking them towards another table where a Na'vi equivalent of motar and pestle lay.

"What else might you have heard?"

Neteyam prodded on, leaning on the counter next to the female Na'vi. 

"I heard that he was a skilled hunter, a hunter that was much sought after by other women."

"Well, that's a pity," Neteyam shrugged. "They would have to do without me."

"And why would they have to?" Näytle gave him a questioning glance, tilting her head towards him slightly, as the circular motion of her hands slowed.

Neteyam's eyes glanced down at the wooden counter beneath his hands, feeling suddenly nervous.

Because perhaps, he was falling in love.

"Because I have been matched. And I wouldn't mind getting to know the woman I have been matched with."

Näytle smiled softly, her smile growing. She placed the pestle on the table.

The young woman held her hand out to the young hunter before her.

"Let's get to know each other then. It was nice to meet you, Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan."

"Please," The Olo'eyktan's son took her softer, smaller hand into his, holding it gently.

"Neteyam is just fine."

He bent down, gently kissing the back of her hand, something he had seen his father do as a sign of affection towards his mother.

He saw the way her cheeks flushed, his smile growing wider at her suddenly shy state.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you too, Näytle."

His mother had proved him wrong, and for once, he didn't mind. Maybe this time, being arranged together didn't sound too bad.

theme inspired by @aokoaoi !

gif by @world-of-pandora

taglist: @mooncleaver @moonie-writings @peacelovepandora @neteyams-tsahik

— dm me if you want to be apart of my taglist!

𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐰𝐚'𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 - 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲

neteyam sully had always been the responsible older brother, and part of that was looking after his rogue younger brother. And maybe becoming a regular patient at the local healers...

– pairings: neteyam x oc

– warning: fluff, canon divergent, cross-posted on wattpad

– author's note: this oneshot takes place about a year or so before the main events of avatar 2 (the evacuation of the sullys, etc.)

Neteyam Sully, respectfully, was the golden child. The one who could do no wrong.

Lo’ak Sully, on the other hand, was on the opposite end of that table. He was chaotic, rogue, and off-leash. Everything about him was to uproot his brother, to make his father notice him, albeit for the wrong reasons. And this often led to Neteyam taking the blame for his younger brother’s actions.

It became a habit. Lo’ak finds trouble, Neteyam is dragged along and the two of them end up with injuries. Well, that was the reason for the current situation that they were in.

Neteyam stood beside his brother, Lo’ak looking shamefully down at the ground as Jake had his arms crossed. The Toruk Makto let out a frustrated sigh at both his sons’ antics, gazing over their wounds.

Thankfully, it was nothing too serious, mainly scratches that bled a little along with bruises that could easily be healed with some salves.

Jake let out another huff as he pointed a finger at his younger son, Lo’ak’s gaze snapping up to meet his dad’s while Neteyam watched in silence.

“You are both grounded, no more flying off on your ikran without my permission for a week,” Jake huffed. “Neteyam, take Lo’ak to Mo’at so that she can heal the both of you. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Neteyam responded clearly enough for his father to understand.

Lo’ak muttered under his breath and Neteyam elbowed his brother in a way that told him to keep his mouth shut. Jake’s eyes widened at his son’s defiance.

“I said, have I made myself clear?” Jake gave Lo'ak a stern look and Neteyam bit the inside of his cheek nervously.

"Yes, sir," Lo'ak strained out.

"Good. Now get yourselves patched up."

With that, Lo'ak stormed out with Neteyam trailing behind him. But before the eldest son could leave, Jake placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Keep an eye out so that your brother doesn't cause more trouble," Jake sighed. "And I think you might want to get familiar with the other healers. Just in case, for future purposes."

"Yes sir."

“Grandmother!” 

Neteyam called out to Mo’at as he entered the hut, a grumbling Lo’ak following behind. 

“Grandmother, we might need some help with our injuries!” The eldest child frowned at the absence of his grandmother’s visage.

“Grandmother?” Neteyam called out again before hearing a thud behind him.

The boy whipped around to find that another figure had hopped down from a nearby branch, their face covered by curly locks.

“The tsahik has left to collect more herbs.” Her soft voice spoke as she approached the two brothers.

The girl put on a soft smile as she greeted the Olo’ekytan’s sons with their traditional greeting. From there, the boys took in her appearance, noting that she couldn’t be much younger than Neteyam.

Feathers dangled from her necklace, the upper layer a mint green, the lower a crimson red while another choker-like necklace was settled higher up on her neck, semi-precious stones attached to it. 

“Oel ngati kameie,” She smiled, and for a minute, Neteyam thought he felt his heartbeat stutter.

Lo’ak returned the gesture, nodding at the girl before glancing over at his brother. The younger son stared at the elder one in confusion as he elbowed his brother from his frozen state.

Neteyam blinked, pushing Lo’ak’s elbow away before hurriedly repeating the hand gesture of their greeting, his eyes never leaving hers. 

“Oel ngati kameie,” He muttered, snapping out of his daze. “Are you… Are you a healer?”

“In training,” the girl replied with a kind smile. ”The tsahik entrusted me to take care of her healing place and to help in case anything were to happen. She predicted correctly, as per usual.”

Neteyam chuckled with a bright smile, something that didn’t pass Lo’ak’s suspicious stare.

“Well, grandmother is always right about most things,” he grinned. “So if you’re in charge, could you help tend to our wounds then?”

“Of course,” she beamed with a joking twinkle in her eye. “It is a healer’s job to heal, isn’t it?”

Lo’ak noticed how his brother didn’t reply at all, only smiling as though he were in a trance as the girl sat him down on a nearby cot. The younger brother followed, a small mischievous smile growing on his face as he realized his brother’s giddy grin.

Neyetam himself hadn't realized it, but he was enamored by her grace and poise as she walked around the hut, gathering the salves. He smiled gently at the way her hair framed her face perfectly. 

He felt as though whenever her kind eyes met his, he was being pulled into something dangerous but calming at the same time. And unknowingly, his heart beat a little bit harder when she placed her hand gently against the wound on his arm, the healing balms cooling on her finger tips.

Her hands were immaculately soft, and he felt his cheeks warm at the sensation. Neteyam quickly glanced away from the healer as soon as he saw how dangerously close her face was to his. He spotted her ochre eyes focused on treating his injury through her lashes, but he didn’t feel the sting of the salve meeting his skin.

“So, uh,” Lo’ak began, clearing his throat as the girl looked up at his brother’s direction.

“What’s your name?”

Neteyam’s face heated up in embarrassment at the thought of staring at her for so long without even knowing the girl’s name. He was internally thankful that Lo’ak spoke up.

“Näytle,” The girl smiled at the boys. “Näytle Te Ìviu Oa’ite.”

Neteyam repeated her name in her head, committing it to memory as he loved the way her voice so smoothly rang in his mind. 

Suddenly, she called his name and he felt like he was stuck in a daze again. His name rolling off of her tongue sounded so… right.

“Yes?” He blinked in response.

“I said your name correctly, yes?” 

The way her head tilted ever so slightly had his heart melting in his chest.

“Yes, yeah,” he nodded quickly. “Y-You said it perfectly.”

“Oh, thank Eywa I did.” She chuckled lightly as she released his arm. “I would’ve been so embarrassed if I had gotten either of your names wrong.”

“Well it’s hard to get it wrong,” Lo’ak shrugged. “Our names are really popular around the village–”

Lo’ak was interrupted with a silent hiss as he felt his brother lightly slap the back of his head. Näytle giggled at the brothers’ antics, watching the way a dumb grin returned to Neteyam’s face while Lo’ak grumbled, frowning at the gesture.

“No, no,” Näytle shook her head. “Your brother does have a point. You two have both built a reputation as the Olo’eyktan’s sons.”

“Is it anything good?” Neteyam queried with eager eyes, wondering if her thoughts on him were positive. He prayed to Eywa that they were only good things.

“Oh, it is perfectly fine,” the healer hummed with a grin. “I don’t think I would let what I hear from gossipers determine what I should think of you.”

“Well, I think you should expect our visits more often.” Neteyam glanced up at the girl shyly.

“Why? Are both of you troublemakers?” Näytle gave him a questioning look and the older boy shook his head vehemently.

“Only Lo’ak. I’m just keeping an eye out for him.”

“Hey!”

“But that doesn’t mean I’m not getting any injuries.”

Lo’ak huffed at his older brother for throwing him under the bus in such a fashion, especially for a girl.

“Well try not to be injured too much,” Näytle lifted her fingers from Lo’ak’s scraped knee, the salve applying smoothly on his rigid skin as she pulled away to return the lotions used.

“We can’t have the future Olo’eyktan be in bad condition before his rule.”

The girl finished off, tossing him a wink and Neteyam laughed stupidly at the joke. 

Lo’ak stood up from the cot, rolling his eyes in mock disgust as he grabbed his brother’s uninjured arm, dragging Neteyam away from his love-stricken stupor. 

“Yeah, okay! No promises though!” Neteyam called out from the hut’s doorway to where Näytle stood.

“Come on, skxawng,” Lo’ak grumbled, dragging his older brother away. “Your ogling eyes make me sick.”

“Maybe if you didn’t get us in trouble so much you wouldn’t be suffering now.” Neteyam ruffled his younger brother’s hair. 

“Besides, I don’t get what’s making you so sick. She’s a great healer.”

“Oh brother,” Lo’ak smiled at his brother in disbelief, his confident stride halting. “You’re seriously not this dense, are you?”

Neteyam’s confused smile was all the proof that Lo’ak needed to know that his brother was utterly clueless about his feelings towards the beautiful healer who homed the hut not too far from where they stood. 

“Maybe it was by Eywa’s will that you met her.” Lo’ak scoffed. “This is the worst punishment for my actions ever.”

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