Kayra hadn't made it to dinner. As Tsireya and her had been making it back towards their Marui after spending the day with the Sullies, they'd met their father who had needed Kayra's help with something. Shooting a wistful glance towards Tsireya as she had scampered off to get ready for dinner, their dad had let Kayra down to the beach, explaining that it was a quick task and that she'd be joining her friends for dinner in no time.
An hour later, she was still carefully trying to untangle a fishing net that had gotten stuck between two large corals. Her dad had stayed with her, but he wasn't of much help since Kayra's task was to dive down into the narrow space between the corals, and the Olo'eyktan's shoulders were way too wide to enter.
She resurfaced for what felt like the millionth time, drawing in a long breath before diving back down. In the beginning, her dad had smiled at her encouragingly every time she'd resurface and say some encouraging words. Now, the smiles had turned apologetic for having dragged her down here and causing her to miss dinner. He'd also a long time ago stopped the encouraging words because he'd learned that Kayra got more annoyed than actually encouraged.
He was sitting in a small boat, patiently waiting for Kayra to get the net untangled, sharpening a knife that had gone dull. He had earlier explained that Kayra wasn't allowed to cut the net in order to free it since it was the last thing that his grandmother had made for him before she had passed, so Kayra was stuck with the job of having to try and untangle the stupid mess.
She had thought that it would have been a quick job - having only to resurface two times at the most - so she hadn't gotten a gill mantle to help her breathe. Now, she was too frustrated - and perhaps a little too proud - to get one even though her father had offered to find one for her.
As the golden hues of the setting sun painted the tranquil ocean with shimmering reflections, Kayra's determination intensified. With a firm grip on the tangled net, she exerted all her strength, feeling the resistance give way bit by bit until, with a final tug, the net surrendered.
Breaking through the water's surface, she triumphantly thrust the net into the air, "Kayra: 1, stupid net: 0!" She grinned at her dad who laughed at her as he began to haul the net into the canoe.
Kayra gripped the edge of the boat to stabilize herself as she began to help her dad to get the net up quicker but he shooed her away, "Go on," he urged with a playful glint in his eyes, "maybe you can still catch the last of dinner." He said, and Kayra didn't need to be told twice.
Her father's encouragement was all she needed. Hoisting herself up quickly so that the canoe was at a slight angle, she planted a swift, affectionate kiss on his tattooed cheek, a spontaneous display of gratitude that inadvertently sent a spray of water droplets his way. His laughter followed her as she propelled herself back into the inviting embrace of the water, her lithe form slicing through the ocean's surface with practiced grace.
She hoped that Teol hadn't left yet; she felt bad for not even giving him an explanation as to why she hadn't been at dinner. Otherwise, she'd just seek him out so that he could show her whatever it was he had planned.
She made it to the bonfires just as water was splashed upon the already dying embers, the smoke rising in the air, curling like dark clouds. Grumpily sighing at how typical the situation was, she was forced to stop abruptly in her haste, nearly crashing into Neteyam.
"Kayra, there you are." He grinned, looking down at her, "Is it bad that I'm a little disappointed you didn't crash into me this time?"
Kayra's stomach curled but she refused to show it, "It is, yeah." She glanced around, seeing a few of her friends at the other side of the bonfire, chatting idly. She let out a breath of relief as she spotted Teol sitting in the middle, ever the entertainer. Focusing back on Neteyam, she noticed that he was alone, "Where are the others? Your siblings?" She asked.
"They left," he shrugged, "Earlier on. I saved you some fruit," he offered her a spartan fruit he'd been holding. It didn't escape her notice either, that it was her favorite fruit. How had he known? Was it just a random coincidence or had he asked someone? The idea of him asking someone what her favorite fruit was so that he could save it for her sparked something in her.
"You... did?" Kayra asked, looking from the fruit to Neteyam's face.
"Well, yeah. It looked like you weren't going to make it and I didn't want you to go to bed hungry," He rubbed the back of his neck with the other hand, suddenly seeming slightly bashful. Kayra's heart skipped a beat in excitement. If he had saved her a piece of fruit, would that mean that he'd have come looking for her if she hadn't shown up?
She reached for the fruit, slightly brushing his fingers as she grasped it, sending small sparks up her arm at the contact, pleasantly surprising her. She might have imagined it, but she thought she heard his breath hitch slightly at the contact as well, causing her heart to speed up.
She smiled up at him, "Thank you."
He grinned, just about to say something when a dainty hand was placed on his arm, cutting him off, "I had a lovely time tonight, Neteyam," Tili - Tsireya's best friend - smiled sweetly up at Neteyam, "You are wonderful company." Then she turned her head to look at Kayra, her hand still resting on Neteyam's upper arm, "Oh, hi Kayra, I didn't see you there." Her sweet smile turned innocent as she looked at Kayra, her eyes wide with fake apology.
"Hey Tili," Kayra returned the girl's fake smile, but Tili's attention was back to Neteyam before Kayra had even said her name.
"I'm going to bed now, but how about I show you around tomorrow?" Her voice was like honey, making Kayra want to retch.
In their younger years, Kayra and Tili had shared a camaraderie that, while not as deep as Tili's bond with Tsireya, was strong and genuine. Yet, the dynamics had shifted when Tili's affection pivoted toward Kayra's closest friend, Teol, a couple of years ago. The harmony between them fractured, and Kayra found herself thrust into an unexpected role: Tili's newfound adversary. The warmth of their friendship chilled, replaced by Tili's sudden inclination to exclude Kayra from their hangouts.
Tili's dislike for Kayra had briefly been put on pause when Kayra had - unbeknownst to Tili - begged Teol to date her, just for a little while, a year back. Teol, being the good friend that he is (his words not Kayra's) had begrudgingly accepted. But their brief moment of refound friendship had ended abruptly when Teol broke up with her a couple of months later and Tili was back to hating her.
Kayra was left utterly puzzled about why the blame was pinned on her. Simultaneously, she'd also felt betrayed by Tsireya. Even though Tili had been pretty clear about not being a fan of Kayra, Tsireya still stuck around with Tili, which rubbed Kayra the wrong way. When Kayra finally confronted Tsireya about this, it was like pulling a pin from a grenade – Tsireya had burst into tears. Kayra had instantly felt bad for harboring ill feelings for Tsireya the second she realized how much the whole thing also affected her sister. Through sobs and sniffles, Tsireya had told her that the reason Tili disliked her was because she thought Teol was in love with her.
Honestly, Kayra found the whole thing completely ridiculous. Her and Teol? More than friends? Nah, never happened. They had always had a super strong bond, but it was more like sibling vibes than anything romantic. So, armed with determination and more than a little irritation, Kayra had gone straight to Tili to set the record straight. Somehow, from that somewhat tense showdown, a shaky truce was born, mostly to keep Tsireya in one piece.
Kayra had made peace a long time ago with the idea that Tili might never warm up to her, and honestly, she was more than fine with that. She didn't want to waste her energy on someone who clearly wasn't her biggest fan. And besides, Kayra didn't really like Tili either ever since she'd shown her true colors. So, in the grand scheme of things, the whole situation didn't get under Kayra's skin that much. She was good with how things ended up.
Neteyam coughed, bringing Kayra back to reality. He smiled politely down at Tili but subtly moved so that her hand fell from his arm, "Uhm, yeah that sounds good." He nodded amiably.
Something in Kayra's chest tightened at the thought of Tili and Neteyam spending time together tomorrow, at the thought of them having already chatted for Eywa knew how long tonight. Then she immediately chided herself; she had no right to feel this way, Neteyam was allowed to talk to whomever he wanted to talk to.
Tili's smile sweetened as she concluded with a slightly satisfied – and was that a hint of smugness as well? - tone, "Perfect, see you tomorrow then," she turned her head, acknowledging Kayra with a nod and left, walking gracefully towards her Marui.
"So," Kayra said, dragging out the 'o', desperately trying to sound indifferent, wincing at her attempt at making small talk, because honestly, she'd rather talk about anything else, "You and Tili, huh?"
Neteyam's hand absently rubbed the spot where Tili had touched him, his shoulders lifting in a nonchalant shrug, "Tsireya introduced us and we kinda fell into conversation. She's nice."
Images of Tili and Neteyam chatting and laughing flashed unwillingly across Kayra's mind. She strained herself from clenching her hands together and accidentally crushing the fruit in her grip at the thought of her sister and Neteyam's siblings leaving dinner early so that the two of them could be alone together.
"Yeah, well... Thanks for the fruit," Kayra managed, a strained smile gracing her lips. Self-disdain swirled within her for letting her emotions affect her so profoundly. "Anyway, I've got plans, so..."
A flicker of uncertainty seemed to cross Neteyam's expression, or perhaps it was just a figment of Kayra's imagination, as his lips swiftly arranged into a polite smile. "Right. With Teol?"
A noncommittal hum was her response, although it was probably unnecessary since Teol's arrival at that very moment validated Neteyam's speculation. Teol approached, casually slinging an arm around Kayra's shoulders, "There you are, Kay! I was starting to think you were ditching me."
Despite her earlier unease, Kayra mustered an eye-roll, "Reya didn't give you a heads-up?"
"'Course she did, but a guy can still worry," Teol quipped, grinning down at her, earning a jab in the ribs from Kayra so that she could maneuver herself out of his hold. Letting out an exaggerated sound of mock pain, Teol rubbed his side and then shifted his attention to Neteyam, his eyes wide, "Did you see that? You know she bites as well so don't get too close-"
"Okay, I think that's enough out of you," Kayra interjected firmly, delivering a warning glare in Teol's direction. Yet, Teol seemed to remain impervious, his innocent smile directed at her almost mockingly, as if he were completely oblivious to what he had been doing.
"You two are pretty close, huh?" Neteyam asked, his gaze flickering from Kayra to Teol.
Teol didn't hesitate to respond, his voice carrying a tone of affirmation and slyness. "Best friends since birth," he asserted, almost simultaneously as Kayra grumbled, "I'm starting to reconsider it."
This caused a chuckle from Neteyam and Kayra could almost ignore the self-satisfied smile playing on Teol's lips at the fact that he was annoying her so much.
Neteyam's smile remained as he glanced down at Kayra, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the back of his neck. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it then. I should get back anyway." He offered a polite nod in Teol's direction before he began to move past Kayra, seemingly set on his course.
However, a sudden impulse overtook Kayra, compelling her to reach out and seize his arm, effectively halting his progress. With a slight pivot, she turned him to face her directly. Her voice carried a mix of anticipation and assurance as she spoke, "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? For your first private lesson?"
In response, a grin spread across Neteyam's face. He nodded, "Yeah, definitely." Unexpected giddiness caused Kayra to reciprocate his smile, and she had to force herself to allow her hand to release its hold on his arm, enabling him to resume his path toward the pod. He walked backwards, maintaining eye contact with her as they smiled at each other, "See you tomorrow, Kayra." He said gently, then he turned, making his way back to his family's pod.
As he faded from earshot, Teol shot her a curious glance.
"What?" Kayra asked, somewhat defensively.
Teol shook his head innocently. "Nothing." But his lips soon curved into a grin. "You ready, Kay?" He extended his arm for her to take.
"As ready as I'll ever be when you're involved," Kayra sighed, succumbing to a faint smile as she accepted his arm and allowed him to steer her towards the forest behind the village, the other direction of where Neteyam was going. Not that she cared.
—
"Okay, as far as your surprises go, I have to admit that this was a pretty good one," she grinned at Teol, momentarily taking her eyes off the newly hatched kenten. They had arrived just in time to see the small eggs hatch and the creatures spinning out of their once-homes and up into the air in a flurry of colors. Teol had explained that he had walked past the eggs earlier that day and noticed that they were close to hatching.
The miniature creatures had now found their place among the grass, tentatively exploring their new surroundings with cautious movements. Kayra and Teol were seated cross-legged not far from the freshly hatched kenten, their presence partially concealed by the tall grass to avoid startling the fragile newcomers.
Teol chuckled, "You have so little faith in me sometimes, Kay, it's almost hurtful."
Rolling her eyes playfully, Kayra nudged him softly in the side with her elbow, "Need I remind you that the last time you wanted to show me something we ended up waist-deep in a swamp?"
"Hey, I apologized for that!" Teol exclaimed, nudging her back with his shoulder. Kayra responded with another eye roll, though she didn't push the matter further. He had apologized for it with the promise of sharing the next banana fruit he got his hands on. Of course Kayra had declined but just the fact that he'd be willing to share it with her made her forgive him instantly.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Teol spoke up again. "What's going on with you and that Neteyam guy anyway?" Teol asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing in playful curiosity.
Kayra almost choked on air, caught off guard by the directness of his question. "What?" she sputtered, trying to regain her composure.
He arched an eyebrow at her, a knowing glint in his eyes, "Come on Kay. The flirting? The looks? You're so transparent."
Indignation sparked within her, and she scoffed defensively while crossing her arms. "I am not transparent."
Teol chuckled, shaking his head, "You totally are," he teased, then added, "Not to mention annoyingly stubborn. But if it's any consolation, so is he." Kayra sent him a part offended part confused look. Teol laughed, "The transparent part, not the stubborn part." He explained, then he furrowed his eyes, "Well, I suppose the stubborn part could be true as well. I don't really know him."
Kayra decided to ignore both the quip at her being stubborn and the last throwaway line and focused on the part that interested her in his remark, "Transparent how?"
She hadn't really been able to get a read on Neteyam other than the fact that he seemed to want to spend time with her, which was nice. And sure, they had flirted a little but that didn't mean anything. He had obviously also flirted with Tili, so he probably just had a flirty personality.
Teol sighed dramatically as if he couldn't believe he had to spell it out for her, "Well, for starters, the second he spotted you arriving at the bonfire, he abandoned Tili mid-conversation to go talk to you."
"Are you serious?" Kayra couldn't quite believe her ears. Neteyam had seen her and... left Tili? Huh.
Teol nodded, confirming her incredulity. "Absolutely serious," he continued, almost talking to himself, "Poor Tili," he chuckled, "I've never seen her look so annoyed."
The notion of Tili being momentarily cast aside by Neteyam's swift attention brought a twinge of satisfaction to Kayra, a fleeting sense of vindication. However, guilt quickly took root within her; no matter how much she disliked Tili, it wasn't fair to bask in someone else's disappointment.
And then a selfish thought also caught in her mind. If Kayra started to get close to Neteyam, would Tili accuse her of stealing Neteyam from her just as she had with Teol? Would that destroy their already rocky truce? Perhaps it would be best if she just backed down and let Tili and Neteyam spend time together and remove herself from the situation. It was certainly the most logical thing to do. Kayra barely knew Neteyam and she already felt drawn to him in a way she hadn't experienced before. She was sure that if she kept exploring this feeling, she wouldn't be able to step away from the situation later on which had the potential to become messy, especially with Tili involved.
She shook her head. This was a ridiculous thing to worry about. She couldn't not spend time with Neteyam, not after her parents had asked her to help him and his siblings adjust to the sea life. Tili would just have to accept Kayra and Neteyam's potential friendship.
—
"So?" Tsireya whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"'So' what?" Kayra furrowed her eyebrows, slightly puzzled, as she adjusted herself on her bedroll.
The whole village was asleep, the only sound coming from the gentle lapping of waves at the shore and the soft creaking of their pod in the light breeze. She'd snuck in, carefully climbing the net to get to their pod, hoping that she wouldn't wake anyone. It wasn't unusual for her to sneak in late, and she had pretty much perfected where to place her feet and hands to make the least amount of creaking noises so that she wouldn't wake her siblings or her parents, but tonight, it seemed as if Tsireya had been waiting for her.
"Don't be stupid," Tsireya chided playfully, a grin forming on her face as she adjusted herself so that she could look directly at Kayra, "What happened?"
Kayra's mind was shrouded in confusion as she tried to recall the past few hours when the twins had been separated to figure out what Tsireya was so curious about. She could think of nothing, "What do you mean?"
They were speaking in hushed tones so that they wouldn't accidentally wake Ao'nung who slept like a rock, small snores coming from the other side of the small Marui.
"Well, with Neteyam!" Tsireya laughed as if Kayra was intentionally being vague.
Even more confused, Kayra replied, "Reya, I literally have no idea what you're talking about right now."
It was Tsireya's turn to look puzzled, her excitement dimming slightly. "Didn't you meet him at the bonfire?"
Kayra struggled to see why that would matter as she watched the bioluminescent freckles on her sister's face twinkle, "Yeah? So?"
Tsireya hesitated slightly, "Well, haven't you been with him up until now?"
Kayra's brow shot up in uncertainty before she answered, "No? Teol wanted to show me something. I've been with him."
"Huh," Tsireya said, rolling on her back and looking up at the ceiling of the pod.
Kayra waited in silence for a second, but it didn't seem as if Tsireya was going to elaborate. This wasn't uncommon for her sister; Tsireya had the habit of baiting Kayra with small bits of information and then letting her hang until Kayra, at last, had to almost beg her to explain. Normally, Kayra enjoyed the small banter that came along with it. She was not enjoying it now. A mix of annoyance and curiosity battled in Kayra's mind as she toyed with the idea of rolling over and going to sleep to see how her sister would react. But as she rolled to her side, propping herself up on her arm so that she could look at Tsireya, she knew that curiosity had won, "Reya, come on, I'm way too tired for this. Tell me!"
Tsireya's face lit up with a smile, and she eagerly rolled back, mirroring Kayra's position with excitement, ever the gossiper, "Well, he asked for you when you didn't show up for dinner," she began, her voice filled with giddiness, "and then when we got up to leave, he said that he wanted to stay for a bit."
Giggling, Tsireya looked at Kayra with wide eyes, as if expecting her to catch onto the significance of the situation. But the confusion remained evident on Kayra's face, prompting Tsireya to sigh and gently push her sister's shoulder. "We all figured it was because he wanted to talk to you, skxawng,"
Kayra's eyes widened in surprise, her mind trying to process the newfound information. "Wait, what?" she uttered, her voice tinged with disbelief, "I thought you left him at the bonfire because he was talking to Tili."
Tsireya shook her head, "No he was definitely alone when we left him. Maybe Tili came up to talk to him after we had left. But he didn't stay for her, he stayed for you."
Kayra let the words sink in slowly, tasting them in her mouth. She laid back to look up at the ceiling - partly because she was tired and partly so that Tsireya wouldn't see the extreme happiness that she knew undoubtedly could be seen shining through her eyes. He'd been waiting for her. She squeezed her eyes shut for good measure. Then she remembered something he had said by the bonfire that dampened her spirits a little.
Kayra opened her eyes, glancing over at her sister, meeting Tsireya's twinkling eyes. Kayra furrowed her eyebrows, "But Neteyam said that you had introduced them."
"Well, that's because I did." Tsireya said, sounding confused as to why that should matter, "I introduced Tili to them when she arrived at dinner and then she went over to sit with Ao'nung and them." She absentmindedly waved a hand towards their sleeping brother, then brushed her hair over her shoulder before she too, placed herself back down on the bedroll to look at the ceiling.
Kayra found her lips curving into a smile she couldn't suppress. "So he was waiting for me?" she couldn't help but ask, wanting to hear her sister say it again.
Tsireya's response came amidst a drawn-out yawn, her voice tinged with drowsiness. "I think so. Why else would he stay there alone with a piece of your favorite fruit?"
"Wait, hold on," Kayra interjected, a note of curiosity in her tone as she looked over at her sister pointedly, "How did he even what my favorite was?"
A hint of mischief sparked in Tsireya's tone as she offered a nonchalant shrug. "He might have asked and I might have told him," The innocence in her voice belied the excitement that danced within her eyes. "But, you know, that's not really the important part."
Kayra's eyes went back to the ceiling, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the raised bumps of scars on her thigh as a soft smile spread across her lips, "No, I suppose it isn't."
