[bewitchedleague]

"Baldur's Gate 3" - Gortash

pairing: lord enver gortash x reader

a/n: wrote this in an hour, not proof-read. english isn't my first language, might have mistakes. spoilers?

word count: 900.

Had anyone foreseen this as your life's fate, you'd have laughed in disbelief.

The Netherstone within your grasp stood as testament to your role, your newfound cruelty evident. The object capable of unsettling realms, sowing seeds of war and chaos, now answered to you, although partially. The other three Netherstones had their rightful masters, each guarded by potent deities, except for you. Your own deity had forsaken you, swiftly punishing your audacity with excruciating agony, only saved from death by the intervention of the other deities shielding you with their might. But such was the toll of greatness, the sacrifice of frailty and weakness.

Devoid of your Crying God's influence, there was no force guiding you toward the path of kindness, no impetus to nurture and care for others. Your past was cruel, marked by childhood slavery. The deity had gifted you with just enough strength to secure your freedom, only requesting one modest repayment in return: benevolence.

But this… this was far from it. 

The power you wielded did not derive from kindness or respect, but from pain, schemes, and cruelty above them all. Once a gentle breeze, now a tempest's cruel embrace.

You had no choice; the offer was too alluring to resist, presented so effortlessly, and Gortash ensured you stood by his side, sharing in his glory. As Bane's favored, he held slightly dominion over the rest, unwilling to compromise, determined to include you, even though your God had forsaken you. The others acquiesced begrudgingly, knowing you posed no threat, their power enough to extinguish you if necessary. They doubted you'd act foolishly, for this was, undeniably, the best you could ever get in your pathetic life.

Neither of the other two took you seriously; Orin would prowl around you, whispering sinister threats with a smirk as she passed, while Ketheric nearly ignored your existence, his gaze occasionally tinged with hints of pity and distaste. Gortash, on the other hand, seemed to glimpse himself in you – powerless, misunderstood, and abused since his youth. He vividly recalled the days when he'd wished death upon his parents for selling him to that merciless warlock. The memory of meeting you among the other child slaves remained etched in his mind, your paths intertwined for days, months, and eventually, years.

The way you bestowed kindness upon him, even amidst the dire circumstances you both endured, was remarkable. Comforting each other with your best abilities as young children – surviving. 

Gortash would never admit it, but breaking free from his 'master's' grip and leaving you behind never sat well with him. An unrelenting guilt clawed at his conscience, gradually giving birth to an obsession when he ascended to power.  A yearning to find you, hoping and praying that you were alive.

And when he did, he didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. 

He made sure to show you he cared, even after all these years spent apart. Even when the both of you changed so much. He was still the Gortash you knew, the young boy who tried his best to appear strong and cunning – the one who used his abilities to learn how to survive in a cruel world. By being cruel to it back.

He held you, comforted you, laid you in his bed and ravished you just the way you deserved it. 

You absolutely deserved this treatment, considering all the agony, tears, and paralyzing fear you've endured. The prospect of never having to suffer again, of securing your place by accepting his proposal and proving your loyalty as his ally – it's irresistible. Remember, who could empathize with your past more intimately than the one who shared it with you? He'd never betray you, never leave you hanging. You were the very first friend he'd ever had, the one person he truly felt on par with.

You had everything you'd ever yearned for, didn't you? The assurance that suffering would never return. The Steel Watch shielded you, and Gortash vowed to safeguard you no matter what—he made sure you were fully aware of it. He remained steadfast by your side, ensuring your well-being, offering guidance, and aiding you in those tough decisions you struggled to make. After all, who better to help you than a future Archduke? 

You needn't fret about a thing, my dear, not as long as he’s around.

Gortash, in a gesture of trust, would bestow upon you a fraction of his powers, an extension of Bane's might. With this, you were assured of protection should any danger arise. He harbored no trust for the others, acutely aware of Orin's burgeoning resentment and her unsettling fixation on you. But with you beneath his watchful protection, you wouldn’t be harmed. No one could ever, ever take you away from him.

Not even yourself. 

But you wouldn’t want such a thing, would you?

A part of you seems to have forgotten. 

Did you think this was a love story? A sweet, sweet tale where a prince falls in love, rescues their beloved, bestows freedom and affection?

No, granting you freedom would risk those unwelcome tendrils of weakness creeping into your mind. But love? You are loved. The sole obsession plaguing his thoughts, apart from the accursed crown and his grand designs, is you—no one else. How he yearns to imprison you in his chamber indefinitely, with the vigilant Steel Watch guarding the door. His possession—forever.

Such notions fill him with giddiness, a flutter of butterflies. For isn't this love? To desire nothing more and nothing less than to be with that person, irrespective of the cost. To guide their choices, safeguard them beneath your vigilant gaze, nurture them into what you know they should become, not what they desire to be. You know this.

The power you clutch to protect yourself is his. The Netherstone that secures your role in his schemes is his. The place where you reside is his. You are his. Aren’t you, pet?

[bewitchedleague]

How are you doing?

I've been doing well, hoping to get into writing again soon. My laptop is getting fixed, hopefully today, and I maybe can write a few things.

I might re-try and go back at "Not at Home" after having the break from it. The plot is mostly planned out, I need to actually write it now. And the upcoming chapter is perhaps 1k words in, if I remember correctly.

If I do start writing "Not at Home" again, I might make the chapters shorter and not have a standard for 5k+ words per chapter.

[bewitchedleague]

THE RECENT NOT AT HOME CHAPTER WAS SO AUHSDH, THAG WAS SO GOOD!! TYSM FOR IT HONESTLY, ITS SO GOOD U BLESSED US WITH UR CREATIVITY

Thank you so much for enthusiasm!! "Not at Home" has lots of things to happen still, and I can't wait to share them all with you!

In other words, there are days I'm not exactly writing the fic, but mostly working on its plot. Although English isn't my first language, and this is the first length work I've ever written, I'm really thankful to you all for giving "Not at Home" so much love and care!

[bewitchedleague]

“Not at Home” Ch. 5

pairing: tsu’tey x reader

words: 8k (ops..)

summary: After being raised in the Metkayina, you're suddenly placed in the middle of peace talks. Where your responsibility is to understand the Omaticaya way, to embrace the culture, and to make friends. It surprises you to find yourself suddenly involved in things like love, war, and suffering. Will you succeed and adjust? Or will your tale end differently than you had anticipated?

Chapter 6.

slow burn romance.

     You eased yourself into sleep promptly, and morning arrived quickly and effectively. It wasn't hard because you were worn out and mentally exhausted after a long day, and the night flew by in an instant. You laid in your bed, content and glad to finally be able to enjoy some peace, and yet you couldn't even recall when you did fall asleep. 

When you finally awoke, you felt incredibly rested. You thought you could complete the entire training session from yesterday three more times. The hometree had taken on an almost comforting aspect; it was a place you knew would offer you safety and warmth at the end of the day. Even if yesterday at the hometree Sylwanin shared with you one of her worst sorrows, a sorrow that was deeply entrenched like the tree they called home. It made you feel a little better since it proved that she trusted you enough to express her sentiments to you. You've now heard all sides of the tumultuous love story.

Two na’vi: one who advocated for it vehemently and one who fought against it.

Both sides were easy to grasp, yet you couldn't help but feel more in tune with Tsu'tey. It was hard to imagine yourself living his life after hearing his narrative first and knowing the expectations he had when he was a small child, so you were more empathetic with him. A part of you questioned whether you needed to establish any guidelines for acting like a chief's daughter, some sort of credo you had to adhere to at all costs.

All you could see when you turned around was the na'vis getting out of bed and enthusiastically descending the spiral root. None of Neytiri, Sylwanin, or Tsu'tey could be seen. It was unusual to not see a familiar face right where you woke up, because now, you had no idea where you were meant to go or what you were meant to do. You stepped out of the cocoon bed and stretched your limbs to give your body a break from sleeping all night. You had grown to adore it since the plant, in addition to being cozy, it was also a lot of fun to interact with. That's what you thought it was, at least – a plant.

“Good morning.” A feminine voice came from your side, startling you slightly. 

They left before you had a chance to respond. Realizing it was the first time an Omatikaya na'vi had spoken to you of their own volition immediately caused a smile to spread across your features. Even if it happened too quickly and you couldn't even see their faces, it made you feel good anyway. They would most likely be here tomorrow as well if they were here to greet you this morning. And if you listened closely enough, you might be able to hear their voice again.

Nevertheless, the simple words made you feel warm inside; the sense of being accepted by someone else somehow gave you self-assurance. You walked down to the hometree's main area with your newly gained confidence. Eyes scanning the others around you to see what they were up to, each of them seemingly busy in finding what they were meant to do. You still weren't sure exactly what your part in all of this was; some were assigned chores to patrol, some were given tasks to hunt. None of the na'vi who were meant to look after you had been seen by you. Even if you had the confidence, you couldn't help but feel disoriented. 

“What worries you, my child?” Mo’at asked, approaching you slowly.

You simply smiled at her, an attempt to comfort her worries. “I haven’t seen Neytiri or Sylwanin yet.” 

She seemed to think for a second, before she was speaking once again. “I am sorry for my daughters, it seems I have failed in teaching them basic courtesy.” 

Her statements had a faint edge to them, suggesting that she harbored some bitterness. And it was only confirmed to be true by the way her ears dipped a little when she spoke. You suddenly felt small, afraid of getting her daughters in trouble because you simply couldn’t be by yourself. What if you had just utterly failed their training, which consisted of being left alone? You gave it some thought. You twisted your head to the side, feeling a twinge of embarrassment, as if you had just fled from people your own age to beg for your mother's protection.

“I’m sure they are by the training grounds.” In an effort to calm Mo'at down, you raised your head and smiled softly at her.

“I hope so, for their own good.” Mo’at said, then turned to you and offered a gentle smile – contrary to her scary words. “Off you go.” 

The touch of her hand pushing you on the back made you move forward instinctively, your tail hitting her gently on the way. You nodded at her words, and took off to the path you remembered in your head now. Where the pa’lis resided, and where the young warriors were trained – surely you would find Tsu’tey there at least. And it wasn’t like anyone besides him was actually training you, so not finding them didn’t worry you that much. What worried you was the possibility of Tsu’tey also being gone. But again, you thought the situation was unlikely since he held a lot of expectations on his back.

After moving towards the clearing, you briefly peered over there before spotting Tsu'tey. Seeing him in his normal place brought a grin to your face. Your arm was suddenly grasped, jerking your entire body in the direction of the unknown force. Your eyes first encountered a haze of blue. The na'vi clutching your arm, however, propelled you into a sprint before you could even adjust from the blowback of being pulled with such power. Your body was screaming "danger" and your heart was pounding with panic, but you were more concerned with staying upright than trying to get away from the stranger. 

Once you stopped, you were slightly out of breath and the forest around you was thick and unrecognizable. Your eyes finally landed on the perpetrator of all this, the familiar face of Neytiri coming into view made your shoulder slightly relax a little.

“By Ewya…” You breathed out. “I didn’t know it was you.”

“Did he see you?” 

“What? Who?” – confusion struck you.

“Tsu’tey.” 

“No.” – You answered firmly, yet still completely confused by her behavior.

Neytiri twitched her ear, listening carefully all around her for any alarming sounds. You became a little uneasy about what she was doing when you suddenly realized that her actions were reminiscent of when she originally tried to sneak away to the sky people.

“I’m taking you to see the sky people.” 

She spoke the dreaded words, sending a shock of apprehension through you. Your mouth was unable to utter anything as you made every effort to come up with an argument against her suggestion. To meet them, you weren't prepared. You were aware of the obvious fact. If something went wrong, you had no idea what perils the woodland may hold, what the night might bring in terms of threats, or even worse, what might happen if those dangers discovered you. There was a wide range of potential problems.

Neytiri swiftly grabbed your arm again, to lead you in the direction she knew the sky people were. 

“No!” – You broke free from her grasp, falling back into the grass with a thud.

At the unexpected outburst, her eyes penetrated yours with intrigue. Neytiri had never before heard your voice lose control. She scowled at you while attempting to comprehend your worries. She knew exactly why you were scared, but the knowledge that she had repeatedly gone there and returned safely must have given you some sense of security, right? Neytiri was a formidable opponent who would protect you if the unlikely event of something occurring did occur. Did you have any faith in her ability or words?

“You are Tawukoi’s only daughter. Are you really afraid of the sky people?” – In an effort to inspire some sort of boldness in you, Neytiri made the decision to challenge you.

You wanted to say, "I'm not Tawukoi's daughter," but a small scoff came out of your mouth instead.

“Who isn’t?” 

“Me.” Neytiri spoke confidently, her shoulders held high and her chest puffing out, obviously proud of that fact.

“I’m not you.” You said simply, almost hissing at her. 

“That’s why you’re here. To learn to be like us, to be like me.” Neytiri approached you, offering you her hand to help you up to your feet. “Are you not?”

It was true. That’s what you were here for. There was no challenging her words. But even so, the fear you felt was still there – unchanging. But a part of you still knew that she wouldn’t let anything happen to you, not when the whole Omatikaya people thought you were Tawukoi’s daughter – his only daughter. They wouldn’t simply let you get hurt, not when it could lead to both clans relationship’s to worsen extremely so. And you were sure Neytiri knew of the consequences if you were hurt. 

“Fine.” – It was a simple agreement, laced with an underlying anger to it.

By extending your hand to her, you allowed her to help you stand up again. You were troubled by the question: Did she already mention the sky people about you? That you came from somewhere else from Pandora? Neytiri was tugging you along with her once more, so you didn't have time to dwell in your thoughts. This time, you were better prepared and easily kept up with her pace while bumping into leaves and other objects along the route. You took some time to take in your surroundings, hear the sounds of the creatures, and watch them flee as you and Neytiri drew near. The more you hurried following Neytiri, hopping over boulders and branches, the thicker the forest became. A silent signal of the unknown land around you.

Fear was gradually being replaced with nervousness and a want to see what was in store for you. You had never even heard of the appearance of the sky people, so you had no idea what they may have looked like. They rode enormous weaponry, so perhaps—were they taller than your own species—was all you had to conceive. Your dread is being slowly consumed by your curiosity. To seek information for you was contagious; it was like a fatal disease that infected your thoughts. You became fearless and reckless as a result, frightening those around you as well as, occasionally, even yourself.

An unknown sound suddenly filled your ears, it sounded like the beginning of a thunder strike, followed by the feeling of the earth shaking. Neytiri stopped running, quickly going into a prowl position and pulling you to the ground to do the same. Her eyes stared ahead of you, through the bushes – and you eagerly did the same. 

The sight that welcomed you was alarming. Giant machines, gray colored – running down the beautiful trees of the forest. Leaving nothing but the ashes of a beautiful memory. You turned your eyes to Neytiri, who was still watching the scene with a look of pain in her face. There were numerous things you could feel from only seeing her face, the pain, the anger and the suffering. You didn’t blame her, she was seeing her home – a place sacred for her people, sacred to Ewya – be destroyed so easily, without any type of remorse. It made you sympathize with her, because you could imagine this happening to your Metkayina, to your little haven. 

“Neytiri.” – You reached your hand to place it on her shoulder, trying to break her away from the scene.

But it didn’t work. Neytiri’s eyes were locked on the scene before her, all the pain they were giving to Ewya. She could only sympathize with the creatures before her eyes, trying to flee for their lives away deeper into the forest – some making it, while others unfortunately getting caught by the cruel machine. A hiss was building up in her throat, wanting to fight for them – fight for her home and her people. But she knew she couldn’t, she had to be smart about this. The only way to win whatever war was this, was to befriend the enemy, to lower their guards, to strike them where it most hurt. Or, the more unlikely outcome, they could change their ways and leave Pandora alone.

But the chances of that happening were slim, even to Neytiri’s eyes. 

“Neytiri!” 

The loud noise made her snap out of her daze, quickly looking over to catch your eyes looking at her with worry. She mentally cursed herself, ears flattening in self anger as she stood from her prowl position – taking quick steps to the direction she knew the scientist’s meet up spot stayed at. While doing so, her focus was in ignoring the commotion happening on her side, the sounds of breaking wood and the machines noises. Neytiri wanted to cry, to scream. But she knew she had a reputation to withhold, even more with you around her. 

Neytiri only had one duty to accomplish, and she was determined to succeed. For the benefit of her own people as well as herself. This included instructing you and allowing you to learn everything you could about the Omatikaya and the sky people. So you could play your own role, to be a bearer of the news to the other tribes in the ocean. If anything went wrong – the Metkayina knew what to expect. But Neytiri wasn’t going to let that ‘if’ become a reality, not when she was around to prevent that.

“Stay by my side, do as I say.” – Neytiri spoke with certainty, no space for any type of compromise.

She didn’t even turn around to look at you, barely looking over her shoulder while saying the words.

“Yes, of course.” You said meekly, feeling slightly intimidated by her presence.

Since you initially met, you hadn't seen Neytiri in this light. Now standing in front of you is a demeaning and powerful individual who comes out as brutal and unafraid. It wasn’t like the usual Neytiri, the one who kindly took care of you in the flight to the hometree, the one who helped you get courage to your first steps on top of a tree. No. Neytiri, the chief's daughter, was here. One of the two na'vi who stood in for the entire Pandora to the sky people; this one couldn't afford to slip up and ruin their productive relationship. You were aware of the significance of these interactions even in the absence of Neytiri's words or any other explanation.

Once you stepped out of the bushes, you saw them. Short, dull-colored, wearing strange clothing and holding what you remembered as, death raining machines, in their hands. Neytiri spoke to them in a language unknown to you, and while she did that, you took in their appearances – focusing on the details. They were a simple, almost shorter version of your body, but seemed less slim. They didn’t have any pointed ears, nor a tail. And their hands had an extra finger on them, you pondered if they needed an extra finger to control the machines everyone feared. 

The moment your gaze connected with the sky person chatting to Neytiri, she immediately ceased speaking. After frowning, she moved toward you, passing Neytiri, her expression showing the undeniable look of curiosity.

“This is scientist Grace.” Neytiri spoke in the language you knew by heart.

Grace, the sky being, circled you while paying attention to every detail that set you apart from Neytiri. You didn't even turn to look at her, but hissed once as she touched your tail as a warning. She didn't touch you again after the silent warning, so it appeared to be effective. The last thing you needed was them swarming all over you because this was already nerve-wracking enough. You pleaded in silence as you met Neytiri's eyes; you didn't want Grace to be close by or paying close attention to you in particular.

Neytiri's eyes averted as Grace spoke, her tone beginning serious and then shifting to one of humor. For a brief while, they flickered similarly to her ears, as if Grace had just said something unexpected or that she didn't want her to say. A silent hiss directed towards the individual standing next to you only served to increase your anxieties as she refused to make eye contact with you following the words. Whatever was spoken was undoubtedly about you, which frightened Neytiri to the point where she felt remorseful looking into your eyes. 

“What did she say?” You spoke out, trying to ease your fears with a simple answer.

A few seconds passed in silence.

“You’re a different type of blue, are you important, or somethin’?”

The unknown voice met your ears, and your eyes swiftly shifted to Grace. A smile on her face that soon turned into a smirk as she stared at your shocked expression. Her way of speaking was rusty, like she had just learned the language, but you could still understand her quite well. 

“But I suppose the hostility does answer my question.” Grace looked at Neytiri’s agitated body language.

“Leave her.” – Neytiri spoke harshly, moving to your side to pull you away from the smaller individual.

How could she be so dumb, she thought to herself. It wasn't surprising that they would be interested in your distinctions. However, Neytiri was only able to sense a protective feeling for you. She knew Grace would be interested in you, but she wasn't quite ready to allow the scientist to get too close to you. Suddenly, she felt bad about her choice to bring you along with her. Neytiri had permitted scientist Grace to examine her, touch her skin, take her hair, and sample her saliva, but she wasn't about to permit her to subject you to the same treatment.

Sincerely to say, Neytiri was well aware of the urgent need for those details among the sky people. Grace had given her a thorough account of everything, being nice enough to inform Neytiri that they were trying to reproduce their species in an effort to connect with Ewya. Neytiri and everyone else who was aware of this found it difficult to believe that was their sole motivation. Whatever their strategy, it probably involved disguising themselves as inhabitants of Pandora in order to deceive her people into thinking that stranded Na'vi existed in the forest. However, she made the decision to act foolish and do her part to make herself look like a dumb dog to them, as if she were unaware of the dangers and opportunities presented by their possessing a na'vi body.

But something she was unwilling to give, was putting you and your people at risk. They knew nothing of the sky people, nor did the sky people know about your people – and Neytiri wished to keep it that way.

“Touchy subject.” As she nervously laughed, Grace turned away from you.

The scientist's eyes pierced the troops who were standing behind Neytiri, and she observed as their grips on their weapons tightened in response to Neytiri's abrupt voice shift. Their rifles were lowered into a more relaxed position as they each stared at each other. Grace was aware of the influence she possessed within the corps, and she meant to make the most of it. While she tried to win their favor, no Na'vi were to be hurt. She knew she had a mission, one she heard about daily – being repeated towards her by Coronel Miles over and over, like a broken record. Just at the thought of his protracted conversations and his not entirely empty threats against not only her but also the entire scientific team did she utter a tired sigh. She could really go for a cigarette now.

Did that man know nothing besides violence and impatience? 

Impatience. 

Right, she was here for a reason.

“Neytiri, I only need one thing from you today, quite simple.” Grace said, while approaching the na’vi.

Neytiri, in response, lowered herself into one of her knees. 

“I need to get a video of your queue.” – Grace spoke, reaching for her recording device at her hip.

While Neytiri rapidly carried out the order, you could only truly focus on the gadget Grace was holding in her hands as you merely gawked at the situation with a hint of fascination. No matter how hard you tried to figure out how it was doing it—mirroring whatever was in front of it—you could not in any way comprehend it. However, what caught your attention the most was the reflection of your image on the device's screen when she raised the device just above her shoulder. It vanished like lightning as soon as you noticed it. How could you have seen yourself on the device if it was pointing forward? You frowned in disbelief at whatever had just occurred. The confusion hits you like furious waves in a storm.

They started speaking in their alien tongue once more, leaving you alone with your perplexed thoughts. Grace bid Neytiri farewell in a courteous manner, and Neytiri simply nodded her head in her direction while gazing down with an emotion you couldn't possibly fathom. It was a mixture of wrath and worry. Maybe some resentment of some kind? You heard a huge noise coming from the clouds, and as you turned to look, you noticed another machine, gray in color, just like the other sky people's equipment, falling down from the sky slowly – as if floating in the air. You used your arm to keep the brisk breeze from stinging your eyes as it blew violently in your direction.

Once the noise was gone, you finally moved your arm, looking up at the sky to see the gray colors slowly fading away. Where were they headed? What where those machines named?

“Bringing her was a stupid idea!” – A sudden hiss made you jump slightly, staring at Sylwanin angrily jump out of a branch she was hiding at.

A scoff escaped Neytiri, staring at her sister in what you assumed to be disbelief at her words.

“This idea was yours to begin with.”

“It was. But I didn’t actually bring her!” Sylwanin retorted, approaching both of you.

She was agitated, you could see that. Fearful and anxious about the encounter that just unfolded. 

Sylwanin briefly looked into your eyes before she resumed ignoring you. It was only a matter of time before the sky people's interest only intensified once they had seen you, and soon they were demanding to see you in exchange for peace. The whole school discussion was more of a demand, one that she was ready to comply with out of fear of the consequences of defying them on her own. She had a part of her that was scared for you as well. She was sickened by the thought that the sky people may regard you as a unique na'vi to the Omatikaya and that, with you, they would have control over the entire clan. It wasn't entirely untrue; you were significant to the Omatikaya as of right now, but not for the reasons that they would believe.

“It is already done.” Neytiri hissed towards her sister, ears flattening in annoyance.

“Did you even tell Grace about the school?” – Sylwaning breathed out annoyed, both of their emotions surfacing.

The deadly glare Sylwanin received from Neytiri gave her the answer, she had not told them. 

“I saw myself on the device she was holding, what does it mean?” – You decided to speak your words clearly, making sure they understood what you were talking about.

“What?!” – It was Neytiri who hissed out, approaching and grabbing your arm rather harshly at your words.

You let out a short cry of pain, and she immediately released her hold on you. She muttered a brief apology before looking around her, apparently distracted by her own thoughts. Whatever you said had both sisters respond negatively, as they appeared to be terrified of your words - almost as if they were trying to ignore your comment but simply couldn't.

It was Sylwanin that approached you this time, a soft touch on your skin that almost made shivers run down your skin.

“Are you sure?” – She whispered out, part of her hoping for you to be mistaken.

“Yes.”

Your remarks caused Sylwanin to exhale heavily in defeat, as if she had just received devastating news. Her arms hung aimlessly next to her torso, removing all of her touch from you. She appeared bewildered and terrified, which just heightened your uneasiness. You questioned yourself if this meant that the sky people had identified you as a danger, a barrier to their intended objective that needed to be removed. Fear sent shivers down your spine, and you felt a pang of homesickness as you missed your friend's reassuring touches – a reassuring embrace, encouraging words, and sympathetic looks.

Things that, in the Omatikaya, you knew no one would offer to you. Simply put, you weren't that close to any of them, and right now, you needed those delicate interactions the most.

To be comforted, to be understood.

What a shame.

You were nothing but an outsider, a nuisance – even, to some.

“Let’s go back, I’ll think about this.” As she spoke to Neytiri, Sylwanin gave her sister a consoling pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic look.

The exchange in front of you only made you feel more alone. It was almost a punch to your face when they started walking, brushing past you – only Neytiri giving you a glance to make sure you were following behind them. Tears threatened to fall out of your eyes as you made your way back to the hometree, the stress finally catching up to you. You missed home, missed not being under non-stop stress. 

Neytiri missed it as well. She was constantly second-guessing her choices due to the stress the sky people had caused her. Her home almost seemed like it wasn't hers because of the constant tension. And just now, the only thing on her thoughts was regret for including you in this. Neytiri wasn’t stupid, she could see it. She only needed to look into your eyes to understand the pain she had accidentally caused you. To be fair to her, she believed that going through this would make you stronger and a more respected member of the Metkayina. She didn't anticipate that she would feel fear for you. However, Neytiri couldn't afford to be sentimental in front of the daughters of other clans.

If she said that she had no sense of rivalry for you, she would be lying. It made perfect sense. You were graceful, patient, and proud of your land when she first saw you in the sea. Neytiri could only hope that you would feel the same way about her—that she was confident and courageous. Born to be a people's warrior. 

Sylwanin, on the other hand, felt stress not only for herself – but for her younger sister as well. They didn’t have much of an age gap, but she still saw Neytiri as a baby. She had to be scared for her, to look out for her in case any mishaps happened. When she first saw you there with Neytiri, talking to the sky people, she could only feel dread washing over her. She hadn't even attempted to show herself, ready to aim at the troops with her arrows if Grace tried anything out of the ordinary. 

No one could trust the sky people, not even Sylwanin herself. She only had to portray the part of seeming to trust them, to give the people of the Omatikaya some type of empty comfort. But that’s all that it was, empty words. Sylwanin was constantly trying to find a middle ground with the sky people, a way to keep both parties happy without any form of conflict. It was a hard task, something she didn’t know if she was doing right or wrong since there was no real answer to her question. 

There was a lot of stillness on the journey back to the hometree, and the atmosphere was tense since you were deep in concentration. The siblings were as well. You were all unaware of the sun lowering and gradually vanishing into the night. You ate dinner at this time, but you were still quite a distance from the hometree. The route home seemed to take longer than the one to the meeting place. However, it's also possible that it's all the worry about arriving late at home since you know they'll find out they took you to the sky people. A part of you anticipates that the entire family will be at odds with one another, with the chiefs accusing their daughters of being careless and irresponsible.

A sigh escapes you as the hometree comes into view, ready for whatever was coming. 

When you had first woken up today, you had felt confident, fearless, even. But now that almost seemed like ages ago, a distant memory that proved you to always be on your toes around the Omatikaya.

It didn’t take long for the first glimpse of hostility to make its way to Eytukan’s face. As soon as he saw you enter with his two daughters, he was well aware of where you three had disappeared to. Mo’at could only curse her daughters for their stupidity in her mind, they had won their father’s blessing to try and arrange some sort of peace with the sky people – and they had brought you along. It wasn’t just irresponsible, it was beyond understanding. 

Only Mo’at knew what would happen once Eytukan started speaking his thoughts.

“You two, with me.” Eytukan spoke towards his daughters, casting a small glance your way.

And you were left alone once again, in the circle where everyone was peacefully eating – blissfully unaware of the events that bittered your day. A deep sigh escaped past your lips, leaving your chest feeling a sense of emptiness at the end of it. You had no appetite, the smells and look of the food displayed in front of you did nothing to change that. 

From afar, Tsu’tey stared at you with a frown on his face. Even he could see how exhausted you were from all of this by simply your back. With a small huff of air, he started moving towards you – brushing past his fellow warriors, ignoring their calls of curiosity. Once he was close to you, he gently rested his hand on your shoulder, your eyes turning to look at him with surprise. 

“Let us sit.” – He spoke gently. 

The two of you did as he spoke, his hand still not leaving your shoulder. And to be quite frank, you were grateful for the touch. Even if it was a small one, it was exactly what you needed right now. Tsu’tey himself could tell that, by the way he could psychically feel your body relax under his touch, see with his own eyes as your back relaxed into a more comfortable sitting position. His eyes scanned your body quickly, in search of any injuries or scrapes he should be aware of. But thankfully, nothing.

“Are you okay?” 

And something inside you seemed to snap at those words, as silent tears started to fall from your eyes. Tsu’tey could only look in surprise, moving closer to your body so your bodies were touching while you sat next to him. One of his arms wrapped around you, bringing you closer to him – his chin resting on top of your head. The sudden hug made you only let out your sobs, quietly not to disturb anyone else around you – but loud enough for Tsu’tey himself to hear. It was an intimate moment, something you swore no one would give to you – and that realization only made more tears fall from your eyes.

You wanted to say sorry, embrace him back, and shoo him away all at the same time. You wanted to present a tough front so that people would see you as the admirable daughter of the clan chief you were assigned to portray. Neytiri didn't cry when she witnessed her own land being destroyed and taken by people she was helpless to stop, yet here you were crying out of stress and loneliness while surrounded by the Na'vi you were supposed to call home. In the arms of a friend you had just barely made.

“It’s okay.” – Tsu’tey tried comforting you awkwardly.

He wasn’t good with words, but he tried his best to give you some type of comfort. He knew crying was a big deal, that you were probably self-conscious of doing it. But Tsu’tey didn’t want you to end up like him, restraining all your emotions. He tried his best to ignore the wandering judging eyes towards the both of you, but they did make him feel self-conscious – afraid of appearing soft in front of the clan.

With one hand remaining on your shoulder, he then started to back away. You quickly wiped the tears from your eyes and put on a brave front once more after the sudden loss of contact. It didn't help that you could actually feel the eyes on you and hear distinct whispering among the clan at the recently concluded display.

Mo'at did nothing but stare at the situation in front of her, both feeling appreciative of Tsu'tey and proud of him. Despite the fact that she thought Tsu'tey's display of affection was a little strange, she was well aware of its meaning. He recognized himself in you and felt a sense of solidarity with you. Mo’at always knew Tsu’tey carried the world on his shoulder, but she never knew how to approach the subject nor how to voice out her worries to Eytukan or her own daughter, Sylwanin.

She could definitely sense Tsu'tey's resentment for them. It wasn’t visible, nor did he act upon it, but she could tell from the way his shoulders tensed whenever they were around. She could tell that whenever Sylwanin was there, he tried to keep a space between them by purposefully ignoring her. Mo'at regretted granting her daughter's wishes for her to mate with Tsu'tey and letting her do as she pleased. It wasn't that she didn't like him; rather, it was only that it made him feel more stressed. She assumed Tsu'tey must have had a similar feeling when Sylwanin initially enquired about the topic, which is why she was so determined to give Sylwanin her blessings.

But the more the days went by and she saw the dynamic, the more she blamed herself for allowing it to occur. What was left to be done? The only thing left to do was introduce themselves to Ewya as a couple as their relationship had already been made known to the clan.

With the manner Tsu'tey sealed his heart, something was undoubtedly unlikely to occur.

“I’m sorry, thank you.” – You said quickly, a small smile grazing your features at his compassion.

Tsu’tey only gave a nod your way, his mind elsewhere now that you seemed to have calmed down slightly from the stress. His insides burned with anger, a bitterness that has been growing for quite a while – ever since Sylwanin announced their commitment to each other. He blamed Sylwanin for this. She opened up to him, always, in hopes he would do the same, but he never had ever told her what went through his head. The only thing he made sure she knew about him was his complete unhappiness by being by her side. 

So he decided to take action. Standing up and moving away from your side, he followed where Eytukan and his daughters had disappeared to – the quiet place they often held their more serious meetings, away from prying eyes. Tsu’tey didn’t pay mind to the warning glance he received from Mo’at as he brushed past her, a scowl persistent on his face already at the mere thought of Sylwanin. He didn’t care he could hear Eytukan’s voice already scolding both of them, he, as the future Olo’eyktan, had to also give his piece of mind on the matter. He had always done so for past meetings and mishaps, this wasn’t about to be different.

“Tsu’tey.” Eytukan voiced out, acknowledging his presence in the room with a quick glance his way.

Sylwanin visibly tensed at the mere mention of his name, knowing what was already in store for her. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone how much Tsu’tey distrusted the sky people, Sylwanin even wondered if he deliberately hated the sky people because he disliked her – hating not only her but whatever cause she stood for.

“You took Tawukoi’s only daughter to the sky people?” – Tsu’tey hissed out, eyes shifting between Sylwanin and Neytiri. “Have you lost your mind?!”

Neytiri’s and Sylwanin ears flattened, as they casted a shameful glance towards the ground at his words. 

“We – “ Sylwanin tried to speak, but was quickly cut out by Tsu’tey.

“We what? Didn’t think about what could go wrong? Didn’t think the sky people could harm her because she was different?” – Tsu’tey went on.

Eytukan was standing by his side as he observed the situation; he was now immediately in front of them. Since he recognized that his daughters had disgraced the clan with their decision today, the current chief leader had no intention of stepping in to stop Tsu'tey from reprimanding them. Not only did they put too much trust in the enemy, but they also showed them an important person to the Omatikaya. They needed to hear this, they needed to feel the consequences of their actions – to really understand how much of a mistake it was.

“Didn’t think about our sister's feelings?” – Finally, Tsu'tey growled, his hand pointing in the general direction of your location.

Eytukan caught a glimpse of Tsu'tey out of the corner of his eye, noting the younger na'vi's restless posture. A feeling of content washed inside of him, a sense of pride giving him confidence that he had picked the right one to lead the Omatikaya one day. Tsu'tey was concerned not only for your physical wellbeing but also for your feelings. And Eytukan could think of nothing else he wanted from him.

Even if he didn't love his daughter, Tsu'tey was a wonderful na’vi in Eytukan's eyes.

“Feelings?” – Sylwanin scoffed, eyes still straining to the ground.

Then, in a quick shift of emotions, her feelings of shame were soon transformed into a blinding rage. She fearlessly looked into Tsu'tey's gaze, tears stinging at the corners of her eyelids. Even though it was the first time he had ever seen Sylwanin this upset, he hadn't even flinched at the sight of her tears; there was simply no sign of sympathy on his features.

“Because you care so much about other people’s feelings, right?” She breathed out, a mocking smile making its way to her face.

Sylwanin felt her sister's hands softly contact hers in an effort to soothe her down in a peaceful and meek manner, but she instantly slapped the touch away without even giving Neytiri a second thought. In a last-ditch effort to get Tsu'tey's attention, the resentment she had been harboring for his ongoing disregard for her emerged.

Tsu’tey felt nothing at her words, even though he knew they were meant to hurt him.

He was desired, but never loved. 

If she genuinely loved him as much as she claimed to, she would never have taken away the one freedom he had ever known.

“And you?” Tsu’tey asked her back, with the same venomous tone she had used. “Cared a lot about my feelings when you forced me into a loveless relationship, didn’t you?”

As soon as he finished his words, a hiss escaped her throat. Sylwanin felt attacked, but mostly, betrayed due to his actions. 

“I’ve only ever thought about what was best for you!” – She said.

“And how do you know what’s best for me?” 

The lovers stared at each other with what could only be described as hatred. The other two in the room awkwardly shifted in their places, tense to move but feeling ashamed of walking away from the fight now. Sylwanin scoffed at him, taking in all the words he had just said to her. 

“Also ‘sister’? It’s astonishing how you seem to care more about an outsider than your own mate!” – Sylwanin hissed out.

Tsu'tey regarded her from above, a scoff of amusement escaping his lips as a look of bewilderment crept across his features. Sylwanin seemed to be purposefully oblivious to what he had just said to her. She either had no way of understanding him or had shamelessly chosen to ignore the harsh truth of his disregard for her.

“Sylwanin. Watch your words about Tawukoi’s daughter.” – It was Eytukan who hissed out, finally stepping in to try and ease the situation. 

“Yes, our sister.” – Tsu’tey emphasized the word, his gaze never wavering from Sylwanin’s. “Has done nothing but treat me kindly, opposite from you.” 

Another hiss came from Sylwanin, but this time it was weaker – with no apparent strength behind it to fight against Tsu’tey anymore. 

It was bitter. 

All the love and effort she had invested in attempting to win Tsu'tey over to her seemed to have been in vain and had been a dismal endeavor. Sylwanin blamed him, how could her clear attempts be despised? When she first saw Tsu'tey and fell in love with him, she knew he needed a break. A refuge, someone who would support him whenever he needed it without passing judgment on him—while still honoring him as the legendary warrior of the Omatikaya. All she had ever done was for him, and she wanted to be that for him.

The peace attempts with the sky people were for him. 

Sylwanin knew that what brought him the most work was training the people for war. But if she somehow learned and led the people to peace, she could earn the rights to be by his side – to be seen as his woman. 

Unknown to her, Tsu’tey resented her views. 

He didn't need a break, nor did he require her to facilitate his work. He was prideful, and took great pleasure from accomplishing his own achievements – winning battles due to his leadership and bravery.

Tsu’tey never once said he wanted someone next to him, someone he could lean on. Even though he did want it – not in a single moon had he thought it would be a forced love. He was a simple man, he wished love would come naturally – wished to chase and win over his loved one’s heart with shows of leadership and admiration. But with Sylwanin, she hadn’t ever even asked him how he felt. The few emotional exchanges they had involved her being angry that he couldn't love her the way she did.

Maybe in another lifetime, in different settings, Tsu’tey would be in love with Sylwanin. 

Perhaps another story.

But not this one, Tsu’tey told himself bitterly.

“That’s enough.” Eytukan spoke out softly, feeling sorry for both parties. “Both of you.”

Neytiri awkwardly embraced her sister’s side, trying her best to comfort her in any way she could. She sent a glance towards Tsu’tey, silently telling him to leave. 

And he was more than happy to oblige. 

Eytukan's palm on the top of his chest quickly stopped him as his body twisted to go. As soon as they locked eyes, the touch was gone. A simple interaction that Tsu’tey knew the meaning behind – compassion. Tsu'tey gave Eytukan a slight nod before heading back to the hometree's main area. Now nearly empty, its occupants were making their way to their beds to peacefully wrap up the day. Blissfully oblivious to the ongoing conflicts in the chief's own family.

When you finally spotted him, his eyes were the first to catch your drowsy ones and yours appeared to sparkle with wakefulness. You quickly got up from where you were sitting and moved in his direction, meeting him halfway.

“Are you okay?” – You asked softly, voice low for only him to hear – even with no one around you.

Tsu’tey hesitantly nodded, choosing to not stress your mind further than it already was. You had endured so much already by simply living amongst the Omatikaya, away from your family and friends, only now to be shoved in the middle of the sky people. 

“You should go rest.” He rested his hand on your shoulder, his voice now gentle – coping the same tone as yours.

You were aware of the conflicts that had just taken place. Even if you hadn’t heard, or seen anything, it was evident by the tired look Tsu’teys eyes carried, the way his shoulders were tense when training had ended about hours ago. It was all a clear sign of the stress he had gone through, potentially another fight between him and Sylwanin. 

Your hands rested on top of his hand that was on your shoulder still, as you hesitated in saying your next words.

“I see you, brother.” – A simple breath.

You could tell Tsu'tey was surprised when you spoke those words by the way his gaze swept over your face in surprise. Even if you were genuinely nervous to utter them, he needed to know that he wasn't the only one going through this. That he would always have a friend or supporter by his side, and that you were one of them or at least willing to be. If he so wished for it. It was a little phrase with a profound significance. It's almost as if you're inviting him to be himself and to confide in you freely. 

A small tender smile made its way to Tsu’teys face, as once again, words failed him. 

Without wanting to make him uncomfortable, you were quick to pull your hands away – and Tsu’tey did the same, moving away the hand that was on your shoulder. He felt… thankful. It astonished him, never had he expected the first person to mumble those words to him to be from another clan. But he could only thank Ewya inside his head for giving him yet another peaceful moment with you. 

“Thank you.” – He breathed out gently, his head bowing slightly to you in respect before he could stop himself.

You were quick to do the same, trying your best to adjust to whatever custom the Omatikaya had. 

“You should get some sleep.” Tsu’tey said once again.

But this time, you were happier to do as he suggested. You knew that your effort to help him in relaxing had been successful when you noticed some tension releasing from his shoulders and fatigue catching up to him. Being able to help the Omatikaya in any way fills your heart with pride; after all, it was your mission to do so. And Tsu’tey was one of the most important people to the Omatikaya’s future.

With a quick smile and farewell, you were off – climbing the main root that now felt familiar to you. It nearly felt like a soothing analogy to finally going asleep—resting your tired body after a long day of stress.

Unbeknownst to you, a pair of envious eyes blazed in the hometree's gloom.

How could you do this?

tag: @dumb-fawkin-bitch @bothersome-anon-pt2 @vane28282 @sweet-lilacwine @worksforthedevil @missroro @troubledfilm @grievedeeply @collaps3r @seashelldom @gracefulbumblebee @fandomsfanman @da1syvr @aeri4life @summe-rliu @fanboyluvr @landlockedmermaid77 @missroro  @tainted-artist4161 @hatakekakaaashi @wokvc @avatarzim​  @arschbohrer   @archenillo @ ssc7514 

[bewitchedleague]

“Not at Home” will be updated in the next hours, as I am only finishing editing it!

[bewitchedleague]

Do you know when you will update Note At Home? I'm really excited :(

At least, one more week in the works. I've only really written about 2 pages, and there is a lot to happen in the upcoming chapter - so it will be longer than the last one.

[bewitchedleague]

hey, I come to comment that really "Not At Home" is damn charming. I'm excited for the next chapter!! your writing is wonderful and divine, u are so talented! keep going, beautifull <3

Thank you so much darling! All the support keeps me going ♡

[bewitchedleague]

just wanted to say i love not at home! looked at ur other stuff too i really like ur writing style - keep it up! <3

Thank you so much! Although I'm quite slow with writing, I try to make sure I always write it when I'm excited for it - so all of you can get the best of it.

Please do look forward for "Not At Home", the plot is already made. All that is left is to write it and tinker it to perfection!

[bewitchedleague]

Each chapter of "Not at Home" has been updated with a link that sends you to the next chapter, to make things easier.

Also, if anyone has any questions about the story, etc. Please do send them in and I'll try my best to answer them!

[bewitchedleague]

“Not At Home” Ch. 4

pairing: tsu’tey x reader

words: 4.2k

summary: After being raised in the Metkayina, you're suddenly placed in the middle of peace talks. Where your responsibility is to understand the Omaticaya way, to embrace the culture, and to make friends. It surprises you to find yourself suddenly involved in things like love, war, and suffering. Will you succeed and adjust? Or will your tale end differently than you had anticipated?

Chapter 5.

slow burn romance.

    Once you had made your way back inside the hometree, you instantly went to get your body checked for any injuries by the actual physical chief of the Omaticaya. She was kind, and never once acted as if you were an outcast. You learned her name was Feymana, and she had been in charge of taking care of injuries ever since she had turned of age – taught since she was a child to treat wounds and illness. It was relaxing to be in the presence of an Omaticaya who clearly opened their hearts to you other than the chief's close family. It almost felt… foreign. And that truth left you slightly saddened. 

Feymana heard your complaints and insecurities, she preached that one’s mind must be healthy for the body to keep up. And she was right. You felt that after each session you had with her, you could see the world a little brighter – understand it a little more. It was honestly, what you would call, therapeutic.

So after you got your body checked and she just gave you orders to watch what kind of exercise you do – you were running off to the middle of the hometree. Eager to finally eat after an exhausting day of training, even if what you had done wasn’t the hardest training. The constant bullying and emotional stress left you wanting nothing more than to rest calmly in your bed at the end of the day. 

Undoubtedly, the looks were still there. But as time went on, you could feel them clinging to your body less and less. Almost as if they were just making sure you were still present. It was simple for them to notice you even from a distance due to the lighter hue of blue on your skin.

You moved to sit in the same location as yesterday once you were precisely in the middle. At the very front of the circle, close to the chiefs and their family. It gave you a feeling of security that no one would be able to harass you while you were in front of them, and that perception turned out to be accurate. When you were near to them, you had never noticed mocking looks or voices directed at you. You began to wonder if the leaders were unaware of the frequent humiliation you had to put up with simply by existing. Or if Tsu'tey—the person seated next to them—had told them about such things. Or were those matters too unimportant for him to bring up with the chiefs? There were many questions inside of you, questions that you couldn’t ask them yourself. 

One of the Na'vi standing by your side brought you what appeared to be well-cooked meat, on top of a big leaf being used as a plate, and simply the aroma piqued your appetite. So they did eat meat in Omaticaya. The flavor filled your entire body with pleasure as you slid the delicate flesh to your mouth. Even if it didn't taste anything like it did in Metkayina, it was nonetheless delicious to the tongue. The cuisine is given even more taste by the tiny charred corners. This kind of meal is something you could easily become used to. 

Unnoticed by you, Mo'at was observing the scene while smiling softly. The attention from strangers made you feel uneasy, and she frequently saw that you were extremely nervous about your surroundings. When she was around, she felt it was her job to offer a piercing glare to anyone who even glanced at you unfairly for a split second. Mo'at could only fathom the struggles you may have been going through. She decided that talking to you about your feelings would be too intrusive in your personal space, so she chose to stand in the background and watch quietly over you. Like you were one of her daughters.

Something else was on Mo'ats mind ever since you arrived. It seemed Neytiri and Sylwanin were always away, leaving you in the care of Tsu'tey daily without even glancing back. Mo'at felt what she could only describe as a mother's disappointment. Her children were leaving their duties to Tsu'tey, who was extremely busy daily training young warriors. Mo'at could remember precisely her words.

Train her yourselves.

How incompetent had her children become? You weren't a mere warrior of the people, you were the child of an Olo'Eyktan.

She wasn't displeased by Tsu'teys performance on training you. If she had to, she would agree that he was the best choice. But this wasn't just an experience for you, this was supposed to be a learning experience for her daughters. For them to learn of the different ways of the people, to help and embrace the differences while offering a gentle hand of friendship. But all they were treating this was a simple training  course. The thought alone made her mood instantly sour, the smile fading from her face as she focused on restraining her tail from moving – the last thing she wanted was to show her current bad mood. 

But there was something else threatening her peace. Neytiri and Sylwanin were still not sitting in the circle. And she had an underlying suspicion about their whereabouts. Mo’at wasn’t stupid, she had her ways of knowing stuff she wanted to know – to seek out answers for her questions. They both were with the sky people, at first, Mo’at was gonna call them out for their reckless behavior. But the more she watched them interact with them, the more she opened her heart to let them make wrong choices by themselves – to see how wrong they were about the sky people. They didn’t want to learn, they wanted to conquer and steal from Ewya. Mo’at only hoped that this bitter decision would not end with one of her kids injured. But it was Ewya’s wish to let them discover. 

You finished your meal happily, the meal itself almost making you forget the distress you had endured earlier. All the tension on your shoulders were slowly, but surely, easing up as the time for bed eased closer and closer. You turned your eyes towards the chiefs and noticed the daughters were gone, you hadn’t seen Neytiri since earlier and Sylwanin since yesterday. A spike of curiosity and fear dawned upon you at the realization of where they went. Were they late because the sky people had harmed them in any way? At the mere thought of it you could feel the tension returning to you. 

Fortunately, just as you were about to let your thoughts overtake your mind – Neytiri and her sister, Sylwanin, walked past you. None of them seemed to give you a glance as they approached the chiefs. Your ears focused intensely to try and hear their words. 

“The sky people have a proposal.” – Neytiri’s quiet, hushed voice reached your ears first.

Your eyes saw the frown in Tsu’teys face, then in Eytukans. Mo’ats face remained stoic and void of any emotion as she stared at her daughters. All of them remained quiet at her words, and your eyes awkwardly met with Eytukans for a split second before you were averting your gaze away. You could feel the shame inside you quickly build up, and you hoped he wouldn’t shun you for listening in on their conversation. 

“Come, you are of age and Tawukoi’s daughter. It is only fair for you to have a say in this.” Mo’ats voice almost made you jump, as she calmly put one of her hands on your shoulder.

You quickly lifted your eyes to her, her face expression was stoic but still held a slightly calming aura to it you couldn’t understand why. Your words seemed to be caught up in your throat because all you could give as an answer was a curt nod of your head as you raised to your feet. While following them, you noticed the air was tense and that Tsu’tey was also joining in the clan meeting. You weren’t exactly surprised by his appearance there, but it was still another thing that Tsu’tey and Tonowari shared between each other, you thought. They had to attend every single meeting in the clan to understand exactly what their future would hold.

Once you reach a certain area, away from the peering eyes. 

“The sky people want to learn. They want peace, and a school to teach the people our culture.” Sylwanin spoke out as soon as she felt the eyes on her.

A scoff escaped Eytukan’s mouth at the mere words. His expression only confirmed what he was insinuating with a scoff, what an absurd idea. Not only were the sky people destroying the beautiful forest, but they had an underlying plan about this – Eytukan was sure of it. The demons were smart, and they couldn’t be trusted. Even without ever talking to them, Eytukan understood that. The way they treated Ewya and her children showed him enough. 

“Are you insane?” – Tsu’tey hissed out what everyone was thinking besides Neytiri. His eyes fixated in Sylwanin with a feeling of bitterness in his eyes. 

Sylwanin only cast him a frowning look. And all of a sudden, you were reminded of their previous encounter and what Tsu'tey had revealed to you. The anger he currently held in his gaze suddenly had an underlying meaning to you, he wasn’t just angered about her proposal – he was angered at her mere existence beside him.

“Tsu’tey.” Tsu'tey swiftly shifted his sight away from Sylwanin after hearing Eytukan speak sharply. As though gazing at her would make him angrier.

“The sky people, they could be changed. If we show them the way of Ewya, and her beauty, they could change.” Neytiri tried to convince her parents of her position as she urgently sought their approval.

You had never seen a sky person. So to judge them, you only had rumors about their cruel ways of destroying the innocent life of the forest. You could only wonder what kind of relationship Neytiri and Sylwanin had with them to even propose this idea to the chiefs. An idea that seemed almost like a suicide attempt. Not only would they know more about the culture, they would know about the sacred places of Pandora – and even worse, where your actual home resided. 

“You are out of your mind, Neytiri.” Eytukan hissed out, ears flattening as his scowl deepened. “They cannot be changed.”

“How do we know if we don’t try, father?” Sylwanin spoke quickly after him, protecting her younger sister from his judgemental eyes. “It is my idea and scientist Grace.”

“Now you’re on a first name basis with them?” Tsu’tey sounded baffled by her words, his gaze completely ignoring Sylwanin – who longingly stared at her mate.

The whole scene happening in front of you was strange. You almost felt as if, even if you were invited to be here, you weren’t supposed to. None of them were looking at you, all eyes were focused on Neytiri and Sylwanin alone. Not even when Tsu’tey spoke out, their eyes wavered to him, they were only preoccupied with both their daughters. 

“Who is this ‘scientist’ Grace?” Mo'at asked with a scornful tone in her voice.

“She’s the one who we’ve been meeting with. She has taught us their language, and she is kind.” – Neytiri spoke calmly.

“Kind?” Eytukan hissed out. “What she’s doing to our forest is kind?” 

You were convinced that people in the area of the entire tree could hear him because of how loud his voice was. Everyone in the circle appeared stiff and quiet in response to Eytukan's abrupt outburst as though to avoid enraging him further than he already was. Only Mo'at, who was standing next to him, appeared at ease. She appeared to be deliberating which card to play to give her daughters leverage while assessing her available options.

Mo’at didn’t want war. She also had no desire to interact with the sky people. Who better to defend them in the difficult circumstance the Omaticaya have found them in, nevertheless, than their own enemy? She was aware of the danger that this alliance would pose, but if they turned it down, only Ewya could fully predict their destiny. The terrible reality was that the sky people possessed a power that they were powerless to withstand. Death-firing machines that were impossible to evade. She had witnessed the level of havoc they caused, and everyone else had as well. But a tiny glimmer of hope inside Mo'at told her plainly that if there was any chance to put things right, this was it.

“Maybe they have a point.” Mo’at breathed out calmly, trying her best to word things carefully. “This might be a chance to let them see our way. So they can stop their killings.” 

This time, all the eyes were on Mo’at. Some hopeful, some shocked. You stared at her with shock, you never thought that Mo’at would give in to her daughter's wishes. They sounded, with all due respect, crazy to even propose such an alliance. But this was becoming more and more unbelievable as time passed. 

“Don’t you agree?” Mo’at asked towards you, her eyes staring in yours. 

With everyone’s sudden eyes on you, you felt instantly pressured to agree. “I agree!”

Tsu'tey initially had a questioning expression in his eyes, but it soon changed into a glance whose meaning you weren't quite sure of. However, Neytiri and Sylwanin appeared to be nearly delighted to have you concur with their thoughts, as seen by the broad smiles that briefly appeared on their faces. They were aware that, if this were a vote-related issue, there were currently more votes in their favor than against. Eytukan scowled at you, obviously observing your anxiety but dismissing it by insinuating that you were only reluctant to voice your view because they were the chiefs.

Tsu'tey was asking himself a lot of questions as he saw the situation in front of him, silently pleading with Eytukan to disprove this idea. No matter how easily the sky people could be reformed, the harm they had already done to Ewya and their forest could not be undone. With their machines, they destroyed peace and took lives. The only thing that remained were the ashes of a lovely reminiscence, which broke Tsu'tey's heart. The resentment inside him grew without any boundaries, and there was no stopping it – not when he relentlessly closed his heart at the idea of forgiveness.

“It is decided then. But take slow steps.” Eytukan said, voice holding a certain edge on it – the bitterness still slightly evident. 

After saying his words, he simply turned around to head back to the circle, leaving you alone with the others. Mo’at gave her daughters a careful look, almost as if scanning their bodies for any injuries of some sort. 

“Careful. We open our home, but never our hearts.” – She spoke, her words slow to make sure they understood exactly what she was saying without any mistakes.

Both of them nodded towards their mother, respectfully acknowledging her words. Then all of a sudden, you were left with them and Tsu'tey by yourself. A part of you was relieved that they didn't inquire as to why you believed it would be a good idea to befriend the sky people, since you weren't sure you could come up with a compelling justification if they had. The sky people couldn't really teach your people anything. The na'vi were unwilling to learn the skills required to destroy and exploit the lives of the vulnerable and innocent in pursuit of goals or pure enjoyment. From a very young age, you were taught that life required balance and complete respect for each and every creature that roamed Pandora.

Ewya was all around you. And she was a kind mother, who asked nothing more than respect between her children. 

You caught a glimpse of Sylwanin reaching out to touch Tsu'tey, but the na'vi just cast her a contemptuous look and turned away. Neytiri regarded the situation with compassion in her eyes and a hidden resentment for Tsu'tey that you could perceive. Sylwanin simply sighed and shifted her hand to lazily hang next to her. You almost felt pity. After hearing what Tsu'tey had said, you could see Tsu'tey's point of view, but you also felt bad for Sylwanin. None of them were making any attempts to live the life they desired. One of them wanted attention and love, while the other only wanted to be free. It was a romance that was both bitter and sweet, and ultimately would only bring about suffering.

Tsu’tey gave you one last glance before he was heading behind Mo’at and Eytukan.

“Thank you.” – Soft words were spoken beside you. 

Sylwanin hid her anguish at being dismissed by Tsu'tey in front of her own family by maintaining a feigned smile.

“Come with me, I’ll explain about the sky people to you.” She said, heading towards the circular roots in the middle of the tree.

You simply followed her without giving it much consideration. You didn't realize Neytiri was keeping an eye on you as you made your way to the top of the tree. She wasn't foolish; she noticed the fleeting looks between Tsu'tey and you. It wasn't a typical glance; it had a hidden significance that she was unaware of. It was a glance, though, that she hoped Tsu'tey could have given to her sister instead; even a casual smile would do. When his future mate, who voluntarily loved him with all of her being, was there, she couldn't stand to see the contempt on his features. What more could he possibly need than that?

This was a daily worry for Sylwanin and Neytiri. Only toward the one who loved him the most did Tsu'tey seem to have a cold and distant heart.

Once you had reached the top, where most of the banshees resided in – sleeping comfortably without a fear in the world, Sylwanin sat down on one of the sturdy branches. Quickly folding your legs to sit in front of her, you did the same.

“The sky people think it would be a good idea that we understand each other.” – She started gently, her tail flickering slightly from feeling slightly nervous at explaining. “So maybe, we can make them understand how important our forest is to us.”

You immediately questioned whether you were talking about the same kind of people when she said her first few words. In Metkayina's opinion, the demons were not someone who could be changed or made a friend with because they were seen to be merciless and unchanging. The simple concept she was attempting to convey to you thus appeared to be a strange fantasy, one that the sky people had ingrained in them and which served a hidden agenda. You could feel it.

“But it seems they’re unchanging.” You told Sylwanin simply, eager to have her change your mind.

Her eyes bore into yours and she let out a small sigh, averting her gaze somewhere else while she was lost in thought. 

“Grace told me that this is a start to try and change them.” Sylwanin breathed out. “And I know it may seem crazy, but it is our last chance to peacefully reason with them.” 

She was right about her statement, if their plan didn’t work with this ‘school’, the only thing left to do was to go to war. You suddenly had a sense of anxiety as you realized you were caught up in the midst of everything and had no viable means to escape. If conflict broke out, you doubted you would be of much assistance to the Omatikaya because you were unable to fly a banshee and had no idea how to obtain one. You felt almost ashamed of yourself when you realized how useless you were to the people. You could easily fight alongside your people if this were Metkayina.

“They really wanted this school.” – Sylwanin stared off into the thick forest in front of you.

You did the same, your fear of the height fading since you were forced to climb down the tree on your very first day.

“Maybe I can also prove myself to others if this succeeds.” 

You were able to identify the subject of her conversation without even glancing at her. Tsu’tey. It was clear that she didn't need to impress her parents because both Neytiri and her parents already respected and cared for her. The person she desired for the most was the only person in her life who didn't think highly of her. You started to wonder if she was the one who persevered in trying to bond with Tsu'tey. Sylwanin seems to be almost... fixated on the idea of his love. It was unfortunate that she was pulling him away from her more and more as she urged him to love her.

“To Tsu’tey?” – You asked. 

Her eyes bore into your side, and with a quiet whisper, she spoke. “Yes.”

She sounded like she was trying hard not to cry in front of you by straining her voice. In order to avoid upsetting her by discussing her private matters, you dared not to enquire any further than what you had already mentioned. The fact that she was having trouble speaking clearly at the moment just served to emphasize how unprepared she was to face her worst dread. You questioned whether she could imagine a time when Tsu'tey wasn't her companion.

“I just wish… he could love me like I love him.” She whispered again, to no one in particular. 

“I’m sorry.” – You simply offered, unsure of what to say to comfort her.

“Don’t be. Tsu’tey is the best warrior, I’m sure if I prove my worth to him – he’ll love me.” 

You wanted to confront her and say, "You're wrong." Tsu'tey had fully cut off his heart to her, based on what you had observed of him; he just harbored a deep resentment towards her. He didn't want to be imprisoned, and Sylwanin was robbing him of the one thing he most desired: his own freedom. He had grown up learning to battle fiercely in the hopes that, as Olo'Eyktan, he would have the freedom to make the choices he felt were best for his own life. There was no place for Sylwanin in his life, and you so desperately wished you could tell her that – but it was too harsh, too cruel for you to do so. Especially since you were a stranger in their home, someone they called sister just because of orders and honor.

“Do you love someone?” Sylwanin spoke, a slight smile on her face.

The question caught you off guard, and you shockingly stared at her. “No, I don’t.”

True, you weren't precisely certain if you had ever loved someone in your life the way she did love Tsu'tey. The friends from Metkayina were just close friends, not romantically involved. Never before had you felt so deeply for another person that you could refer to it as love, accept all of their imperfections, and be their sole supporter. But once more, your parents never put any pressure on you to find someone like that. They gave you the entire freedom to live your life anyway you pleased.

“What does it feel like?” 

“Like magic.” – Sylwanin smiled at you.

You grinned a little at her statement because you wouldn't describe Sylwanin's current circumstance as magical. It seemed to be the complete opposite, if anything. Yet again, she wasn't discussing her overall circumstances; rather, she was referring to the sensation of loving and being loved. If her partner didn't love her, would she still feel that way? You almost wanted to ask. But you simply couldn't; you wouldn't. One of your primary failings has always been curiosity. Since you were a small child, you were taught when and how it was appropriate to inquire about the sentiments of others.

“You’ll feel it one day, I’m sure.” She broke you off of your thoughts. 

You only gave her a smile as an answer, a small nod towards her in agreement. You merely desired the na'vi you loved could love you back; you never doubted that you would fall in love one day. That nothing would prevent your love from being expressed.

It was a simplistic desire, and you hoped Ewya could grant it. A sweet and calm love, the likes of which you had never previously known from another, filled with nothing but kindness. The na'vi you were going to love was going to be a strong individual you could rely on and protect your future family. They were going to always put you before everyone else. The "magical" feeling Sylwanin had just described gave you butterflies at the mere thought of it.

Little did you know, Ewya had other plans for you.

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[bewitchedleague]

im in love with “Not at Home” 🫶🏻🫶🏻

have a good rest of your day/night!

Thank you so much! Chapter 4 is currently at 50% done. I think I'll aim for two chapters each month.

[bewitchedleague]

All the comments you guys leave make me really happy, thank you for taking time of your day to type a message on my fic. I’m really happy when it happens.

[bewitchedleague]

“Not At Home” Ch. 3

pairing: tsu’tey x reader

words: 5.8k

Summary: After being raised in the Metkayina, you're suddenly placed in the middle of peace talks. Where your responsibility is to understand the Omaticaya way, to embrace the culture, and to make friends. It surprises you to find yourself suddenly involved in things like love, war, and suffering. Will you succeed and adjust? Or will your tale end differently than you had anticipated?

Chapter 4.

    That night, nothing occurred. Other than you eating your food in a huge circle with every single Na'vi from the Omaticaya clan. They continued to be surprised to see you every time, but what hurt you the most was witnessing some mothers shooing away their small children. They gave you an angry stare while urging their children to avoid you. You won't deny that it hurt. You made an effort to be as sympathetic as you could be, but deep down you knew that what they were experiencing was fear, the same emotion that you had experienced yourself.

The sky people had brought fear with them. Previously, you were conscious that the only thing you need to be afraid of is a pack of carnivorous predators at the depths of the ocean. But as of right now, fear seems to be pervasive. The sky people were the sole cause of the Metkayina's initial hostility toward the Omaticaya. They were now afraid that you might draw unwelcome attention to them. You looked unusual and were unique. If one of the sky people saw you, only Ewya fully knew what would happen.

While you were lying in the odd cocoon bed that the Omaticaya had been using. You let images and thoughts of returning to the sea, riding Awvi, and having fun with the tribe's younger members float through your head.

You missed Tonowari.

Even though he was unquestionably the one who, by telling an apparently innocent deception, got you into this problem. That quickly developed into something bigger. If the Omaticaya people found out about the lies, what would they think? That they were taking care of a fraud? You briefly feel overcome by fear, which causes your usually sleepy mind to become attentive.

They wouldn’t find out about it. You reasoned with yourself. There was no one else besides you in this forest that knew the truth you held within yourself.

You made the decision to relax your thoughts and take deep breaths, and it didn't take you long to fall asleep. Letting fear rule your life would not be beneficial; instead, it would lead to unnecessary paranoias.

The following morning rapidly arrived, and you discovered that you were waking up at the same time as most Na'vis. The large group of beds surrounding you were partially illuminated by the sun, which was shining slightly downward. When you caressed the hammock with the tips of your fingers to rub your eyes, it opened so that you could finally stand up. You weren't surprised to see Neytiri waiting for you at the door to the room, her tail lashing eagerly behind her but her face unfazed.

Your sigh was let out. You were aware that today would be very busy. After your first day of settling in and becoming accustomed to everything, it was when your training was actually going to begin. On the other hand, you wish you had more time to handle everything. Once the Omaticaya becomes accustomed to your presence inside the hometree, at least. The hammock next to yours was unoccupied the entire night, you noticed.

“Tsu’tey wants to train you.” Neytiri said as you approached her. “He is waiting, come.”

She started to descend around the spinning roots in the middle of the tree before you could respond. This time you felt more comfortable following her, and it was even mildly enjoyable. You no longer feared slipping or worse since the roots beneath your feet were strong enough.

The morning appeared to be busy around the hometree. You discovered the Na'vi like eating beetles that had been toasted over a fire after several of them brought in fresh food, which was quite tasty. You questioned whether they consumed real flesh like your people did. Your people relied primarily on fishing for their nourishment, and you always took care to ensure that the fish died quickly and painlessly. You wondered if the abundance of fruits and insects the forest offered for them would have contributed to the Na'vi's purported lack of meat consumption. Even if you hadn't actually seen any of those, you probably imagined that fruits would be the most prevalent source of nourishment in such a vast, dense forest. However, you could be mistaken in your judgment.

Following Neytiri you noticed you were in the spot you were with Tsu’tey just yesterday. But he appeared to be in a better frame of mind this time. He looked stern, judging the way young kids climbed on top of the pa’lis.

“Go on. I have things to talk about with Sylwanin.” Neytiri spoke from behind you, once again letting you alone.

You pondered subtly whether the chiefs believed she was teaching you while, in reality, she was sneaking off to meet with the sky people. In any case, it didn't matter to you. You weren’t about to get Neytiri in trouble for… whatever she was doing.

Once more, you focused on the environment in front of you. Tsu'tey stood atop his mount; he didn't need to say anything; the younger warriors only needed to see his displeased glare for them to strive harder. In this manner, he nearly seemed threatening. You weren't surprised by his menacing demeanor because he was the best fighter in the Omaticaya clan. But seeing him so exposed made it seem almost strange to see him so assured. It dawned upon you that what you were seeing now, was what everyone else saw. A member of the clan who would never disobey the orders of his clan, a tough warrior who lacked any weakness. Someone who would sacrifice their life to ensure the safety of others.

It almost felt… bitter to realize this. You were aware that the line of succession was difficult. However, you were unaware that it extended to this degree in other areas of Pandora. Tonowari struggled and frequently appeared to be forced to make decisions for the tribe. Other than that, the only skill he truly needed to develop to become a true warrior was the ability to ride a Swimwing with ease. As a rite of passage, you still needed to learn how to ride one of these. You questioned whether learning to ride a pa'li was similar to learning to ride an ilu, which was simple and the first skill a warrior would master.

For a short while more, you simply continued to observe what the younger fighters accomplished, eager to learn it from afar so that you wouldn't be any dead weight. You soon discovered that most of them were riding the pa'lis successfully and without incident, as though they had done this before. You felt almost comforted by it. You could do this if young warriors half your age could.

"Hey, freak." You hastily turned to face the threat when you heard a whisper from behind you.

One of the Omaticaya warriors caught your attention; he was looking down at you with an irritating sneer on his face. He was taller than you; in fact, now that you stopped to think about it, they were all just a little bit taller than you.

"Don't call me that." You spoke quietly to him as you attempted to veer away and approach Tsu'tey, who had his back to the entire situation.

After being dragged backward a few steps by a hand on your tail, you spun around and hissed at the unidentified na'vi you had just encountered. Your exclamation didn't seem to worry him; instead, he appeared to be preoccupied with the hand that had just touched you. His tone of mockery was almost audible when his eyes did finally connect yours. Your posture and hiss were an attempt to try to make yourself feel stronger, almost as if he were trying to tell you that you're weak. When he realized he was stronger. It was strange, you had never had someone treat you like this in your home.

"You really are a freak huh?" He once again mocked you, staring straight into your eyes.

You hissed at him, annoyed at his behavior towards you. You weren't taught to allow people to take advantage of your vulnerability or, worse still, to let them bully you. The na'vi in front of you let out a chuckle as he took his knife from where it had been sheathed on his hip. You rapidly began to feel panicky, which was made worse by the fact that you weren't yet carrying any weapons. You believed that you still needed to earn the Omaticaya's trust before you could carry a weapon anywhere you wanted.

“What are you doing?” Tsu’teys voice hissed out from behind you.

You experienced a wave of relief. While you were so preoccupied with the conflict, you had completely missed the approach of Tsu’tey – still on top of his pa’li, peering down with a cold stare towards the other na’vi. He tensed up right away but attempted to play it off as he returned the knife to its rightful location on his waist.

"We were joking around." The male Na'vi said, eyes locking into Tsu’tey.

A surge of rage swept through you. He was a coward for trying to fight you when you were helpless, and he was a coward in general. He was terrified of the consequences he would incur if he told his future chief what he was doing. You frowned as you hesitantly turned away from him and passed Tsu'tey, wanting to escape whatever predicament you had found yourself in without asking. Before Tsu'tey arrived at your side, there was a commotion of speaking sounds behind you. He appeared to be deciding what to say to you as he cast a thoughtful gaze down at your body.

"We are training today." Tsu’tey said simply, stepping down from his horse.

You had some resentment about his response. He didn't even inquire as to your wellbeing or whether you had sustained any injuries. However, you soon set that resentment aside when you realized you were speaking to the warrior Tsu'tey. The quantity of eyes on you two simply served to confirm your reasoning. He could not afford to appear weak or soft. And you weren't about to embarrass him in front of his brothers by treating him coldly.

"The pa'li is easy. They have strong legs and strong lungs. Feel for those when you bond with them." Tsu'tey explained, pulling the reins to his pa'li so he was directly in front of you.

You gave the creature some thought before deciding to only place your hands on its side. Feeling the body move as it breathed. Using the sounds around you to reduce anxiety. All of this would be very helpful in forming a bond with a creature you have never seen before. With a deep exhale, you climbed on top of the pa’li. Tsu'tey continued to grip onto the reins below you as he made his own efforts to support you. He observed how serene you appeared on top of the beast, taking your time to unwind your thoughts and emotions in order to forge a sincere link. Even though he didn't understand why, it gave him a sense of pride. His heart swelled with satisfaction in you as he observed you carry out every task correctly without needing to be reminded twice.

While your hands busied themselves into connecting the bond, Tsu’teys eyes were busy taking in your body language.

You concentrated on sensing the horse's body and soul, oblivious to the looks and conversations around you. The strong legs Tsu'tey had mentioned could easily support your entire body weight on its back. The lungs inhaled deeply and then exhaled equally as deeply, and you did the same. Be as one with the pa'li as you can. Awvi needed a soft, gentle bond when you first linked with her. All you had to do was comprehend her; there was no need to be stern or irate. As if you were the actual animal, comprehend the environment. Enjoy the simple pleasures they had and how they preferred to be unrestrained but well-cared for.Even though you were a different species, they yearned to feel a sense of intimacy. The relationship was the key to opening yourself up to allowing them to become your brothers and sisters.

You soon began to saunter along with the horse. Tsu'tey released the reins and walked out of your way while pausing to inspect the horse's legs. Everything seemed normal, as if you had already accomplished this. You had, in a manner. Nevertheless, not with the same animal. However, the bond's tenderness was simple. You took hold of the reins as soon as you began to go a little quicker in order to brace yourself for the impending speed. The hardest aspect was learning how to control the little hop you had every time the horse walked.

“You’re good.” Tsu’tey praised you, from your side.

This time, he was riding a different horse and was obviously determined to keep an eye on you in case of anything.

“Thank you.” You said back simply, focusing your attention more on the new creature bonded with you.

The horse began to run as you took a deep breath to prepare yourself. The two of you could easily go far and rapidly on its sturdy legs. Although you weren't sure where you were going, it was almost wonderful to feel the powerful wind against your face as the speed increased. It was truly one of the best things so far in the Omaticaya clan. You could see the landscape changing to a denser forest all around you. Your pa’li simply ventured over it, hopping fallen logs - he was doing anything he could to make you remain enjoying the moment. He shared your feelings and was enjoying them just as much as you were.

Tsu’tey kept track of you from behind, letting you have the moment to fully get to know the pa’li underneath you. He didn’t speak, he only dared to keep watch and make sure you didn’t get yourself hurt. Usually, he would be annoyed at anyone else for running off like you were doing. But he could sympathize with you. He knew this was the first time you were doing this, you were enjoying the moments to its fullest and he just couldn’t bring himself to shoot you down from your happiness.

The wind got slightly knocked out of you as your pa'li came into an abrupt stop. You could feel the apprehension inside the animal, as it trashed slightly underneath you – wanting to turn around desperately. Even if you could feel its fear, part of you was more curious at what was causing it. There was nothing around you, or if there was, you couldn't see it no matter how hard you looked.

Tsu'tey finally catches up with you, as he stands beside you on top of his pa'li. You frowned at him. His horse seemed calm, quietly staying still underneath him – the complete opposite of what yours currently was. The Na'vi doesn't say anything, but instead just watches you patiently while you try to figure out what exactly was happening. You took time to close your eyes and try to feel your pa'li once again, searching for something inside that you hadn't seen when you first made the bond. Unfortunately, this gave you nothing but confirmation to what the horse was currently feeling. It was stressed, afraid and almost unsure of its own emotions.

"Do you know why its scared?" Tsu'tey finally spoke, looking at you.

You merely shook your head as an answer, mind still trying to come up with an answer.

"It knows you won't be able to defend it if you're both in danger." He speaks again, hand reaching out to touch the side of your pa'lis neck.

At the mere touch, the creature relaxes underneath you slowly. Almost as if knowing Tsu’tey provided some kind of safety for it. You’re a little disheartened by the comment, and with the animal by feeling this way about you. But you can’t let it get to you. You weren’t too confident in your fighting skills, especially now where you didn’t know the environment. There wasn’t even a weapon by your side in case you needed to defend yourself, the encounter earlier with the strange na’vi only made you feel weaker. Those feelings deep within yourself were probably being felt by your horse, the bond between you both giving the animal every single insecurity and fear you had. But the difference was, the creature below you, didn’t know how to deal with those hard emotions – it only really knew how to feel them, and how to react accordingly to it.

So you understood its apprehension and need to run away from the unknown, when within yourself, that’s exactly what you wanted to do. But it was a truth you kept hidden inside, amidst the chaos of learning a new way of life.

“You’re strong. You’re Tawukoi’s daughter.” Tsu’teys voice broke you out from your thoughts. “You were chosen to be here for a reason.”

How mistaken was he.

“I don’t even have a weapon.” You breathed out, defeated.

The creature below you once again seemed stressed by your mood constantly changing, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Tsu’teys observant eyes. He moved his hand in a petting manner in the horse's neck, trying his best to give it a calming sensation.

His eyes landed on your figure, lost in your own thoughts, and by the way your hand was gripping the reins they were all anxious, undesirable thoughts. Tsu’tey knew how it felt, he had experienced the uncertainty you currently were, in his life more than once. He couldn’t afford to dwell into his own thoughts, since he needed to provide you with a leading figure in your turmoil. So before his own pa’li could feel his feelings of doubt, he quickly casted them away in the back of his head. He was the next Olo’Ekytan, he was the strongest warrior in Omaticaya, he couldn’t afford to show weakness in a state where you needed him there. Whether you asked for his help or not.

Reaching for the side of his hip, Tsu’tey detached the knife hold on his garments and spun it so the hilt was facing you. A silent conversation happened between your eyes before you were reaching for it. He was giving you his weapon at the time, leaving him without any way to defend himself. A part of you quickly wanted to return it, but you knew that in your customs it was rude to reject a present you had received – even more if it was something meaningful like a weapon that the giver was carrying. You wondered if this meant anything to Tsu’tey, because the sudden wave of shyness that washed over you while you held the knife was making you feel ashamed. But you put on your best poker face, knife still laying on both your hands.

Realizing that you had been frozen in place for a while now, you quickly snapped out of it – eagerly attaching the knife to your own garments. He didn't seem bothered by the display, so you simply brushed it aside by him simply giving you a weapon when you had just complained about not having one.

“You must be able to protect yourself." Tsu’tey spoke out, moving his hand away from your pa'li.

The horse beneath you seemed to be standing still this time, peacefully. Now that you thought about it further, the knife near you gave you a feeling of security. One of the first things you learned as a young warrior was how to fight, so you already knew how to do it. Even if you were more comfortable using spears and battling in the water, a knife was a fundamental weapon that you were familiar with using. The assurance that you can hold your own in a fight makes you less concerned about your surroundings. Even while you did consider the upsetting events that had occurred just a few minutes earlier, the serene pa'li beneath you was a clear indication that this was the case. You were safe.

Your fear wasn’t completely gone, but it was enough to give a sense of security to the pa’li.

“I know how to.” You said towards Tsu’tey.

“I know you are. But you must trust yourself, trust your own skill.” He said towards you, voice holding authority in it – almost as if he was giving you an order.

You simply nodded at his words, a soft sigh escaping your mouth. “I know, it’s just… hard.”

“You are learning. Soon, it won’t be hard anymore – I can assure you.” His final remarks were softer, as if he were attempting to console you.

Tsu'tey made an effort despite his inability to comprehend how it must be. He wanted to offer you the same compassion you had once given him and Neytiri when you had been their guide in Metkayina. Since he personally felt the unavoidable tension of his daily existence weigh heavily upon him, he realized there was nothing he could do to help you feel less burdened. It was practically a ritual. To constantly be concerned with the stress the entire clan was putting on him and never take any action to lessen it.

“It is still stressful.” You breathed out with a small laugh, trying to ease the knowingly growing tension in the air. “But… It is a great clan.”

Your remark caused a little, amused scoff to come out of Tsu'tey's mouth. He eyed you with a playful suspicion. Obviously considering that one of his troops tried to fight you the moment they had the chance. He was unable to comprehend it. He understood just why they were treating you that way, though. However, he was unable to identify with their antipathy. Perhaps it was because he had witnessed a side of you that the others had not. The fulfillment and assurance that comes from being at home, by the sea, and giving your all to those you consider members of your family. However, they were unable to see past your differences, which somewhat irritated Tsu'tey. That fact, however, he would never ever admit.

“I’m glad.” His tone was playful, a smirk making its way to his face.

“Yeah, so welcoming.” You continued, enjoying the ease of the moment you two were sharing.

It was a rare occurrence as of late to be so free to say and play around as you liked. Now you had a chief's daughter title to uphold. To carry yourself in a certain way. But before you could enjoy any more peace, Tsu’tey was turning back – sending a last smirk on his face before he was running back to where everyone was.

He was challenging you to get there faster, and he had gotten himself a head start.

Your pa’li quickly reacted, moving behind him before you even gave it the command to run. In tune with your emotions and wants, it knew what you wanted – to get there faster than Tsu’tey. And that was one of the small things the animal could provide for you, something it wanted to achieve to prove itself to you – you could feel it. If you concentrated enough on the animal, you could feel its legs burning by how fast it was going. It didn't take long before you were side by side with Tsu'tey, giving him a smile before running in front of him.

The clearing you once were came back into view. Your pa'li dug its hind legs in the ground, dragging itself on the dirt harshly to stop the speed. The brute whiplash had you hugging the animal's neck to stabilize yourself, succeeding in not falling once it had stopped completely. With a glance towards your back, you could see the damage its hind legs had done to the dirt. It was a clear sign of your speed – it marked the ground harshly for everyone to see. A small sense of pride washed over you at it.

Tsu'tey appeared once again, he wasn't fast anymore – probably had slowed down his speed once you had passed him. His pa'li was collected, unlike yours that was still trying to catch its breath from the exercise it had just endured. It didn't feel regret though. The animal shared with you the small sense of pride for winning a small race, something that could be meaningless, but it provided you with a sense of purpose in some way. Like you proved your worth.

“Don’t kill it.” One of the warriors said to you, referring to the horse – a glint of mischievous malice in his eyes.

You took in his appearance, and while doing so, you noticed he was right next to the warrior who earlier tried to harm you. Both their eyes were judging you in a certain way. But this time you didn’t let their snarky remarks get to you, instead you maintained eye contact with them. You didn’t need to say anything to get your point across, your eyes stared daggers into them as a threat. But just like before, neither seemed to care about your show of shared hostility towards them. A plain mocking smile being your only answer back.

“With a tail like hers I’m surprised the pa’li hasn’t run away scared yet.” They continued their pesky words – clearly intending to get a reaction out of you.

“By the looks of it, it tried to run away.” A laugh was shared between both of them.

You hopped off the pa'li while making an effort to ignore them. Before you walked to the location where Tsu'tey once was, you gave it one final pet on its side. To your amazement, though, you could only see his horse standing there without a rider and no sign of him. You cast a bewildered look in all directions, attempting to make out Tsu'tey's familiar face in the sea of unfamiliar faces. But it was in vain. What happened to him? You swore by Ewya's name that he had only been there a short while ago.

Before a voice could speak, a hand nudged your shoulder, forcing you to momentarily lose your footing. “Looking for Tsu’tey to protect you?”

The na'vi, whose name you didn't know and didn't care to find out, grinned down at you. Your leg was abruptly struck by his tail, and the fast whip caused a little sting to appear on your skin, prompting you to recoil. Before you could even stop to think, a hiss came out of your mouth. You then adopted a position that was almost prowl-like, ready to defend yourself if necessary. He snorted, almost as if you had somehow offended him by assuming a defensive posture.

Actually, you had no idea why they were so determined to make your life miserable. However, you weren't about to let them control you while you waited for them to explain. You questioned whether they would even talk to you without gratuitous insults. It was vexing. The fact that you knew you couldn't fight them, however, was what really infuriated you. The chiefs of the Omaticaya looked at you because you were Tawukoi's daughter and hoped you would grow up to be someone their people would respect rather than someone who would communicate violently. Although there were no words said to you about it, you were aware of this painful reality.

“Got nothing to say?” He taunted you once more, lowering his body to look demeaningly at you in the face.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you.” You spoke simply, the anger slightly slipping out of your mouth at the last word.

However, you were stopped once more as you attempted to leave. He was in your way this time, and when you tried to change it to go around him, he moved once again. To irritate you, sort of like a game. You heave a heavy sigh and decide to ignore his eyes because you already know what kind of emotion they are trying to convey and don't need a constant reminder of it—it would only make matters worse.

“Leave me alone.” You tried a different approach, your voice more gentle this time.

“What’s wrong? We only want to have fun with the water people.” – A fake smile answered you.

Before you could add another word. You were yanked to the ground from behind, your tail having little chance to get out of the path of your body as you landed on it. You hissed and grabbed the side of your hip as anguish suddenly overcame you. The pain initially stabbed you like needles before fading into a soreness you hadn't experienced in a while. Laughter erupted all around you as you examined your tail for any wounds; however, all you saw were minor scrapes that wouldn't make swimming any more difficult than before. A small sense of relief washed over you.

“Does your weird tail hurt? Poor baby.”

Shame, a brand-new emotion, was beginning to creep in. Your eyes began to water as you felt embarrassed by how you were being treated. You never thought that your experience in Omaticaya would cause you to feel such embarrassment. A part of you even believed that others would respect and admire you because you were believed to be the daughter of the chief. What a mistake your intuition was. What awaited you was nothing more and nothing less than humiliation – and no one seemed to care about it. All of the eyes around you appeared to be entirely oblivious to the situation.

“What are you doing?!” Tsu’teys angry voice beamed loudly beside you, as he pushed the other na’vi harshly away from you.

Standing tall, he appeared agitated by what he had just seen, which pervaded every part of his body. Tsu'tey continued to move discreetly in front of the warriors, menacing them. The young warriors were hesitant to stare into Tsu'tey's eyes because they were so sharp.

You could now clearly see Tsu'tey exact position on the Omaticaya warrior chain. Where no one else would dare challenge him: at the top.

“I asked you a question.” He angrily grabbed one of the warrior's chins, forcefully making him look at him. “What were you doing?”

Before the na'vi could say anything, however, he was violently shoved to the ground, his words dying there. He gave you a glaring, accusatory look as though you were to blame for what was taking place and that his own actions weren't to blame. You hurriedly moved to stand back up on your feet while ignoring the discomfort in your lower body from the hard fall when you suddenly realized where you were. Now you were the one seeing him from above.

Tsu’tey squatted down, so he was at eye level with the other na’vi. “Is it fun? Do you feel like a great warrior?”

He received a simple head shake as a response. The na'vi appeared to be growing more and more agitated as Tsu'tey drew closer to them, his obvious display of dominance making the other feel inferior. If he had ever had the confidence to argue or fight with Tsu'tey, it had all but vanished from his body. Suddenly bending down, the other na'vi did likewise because he realized he had done the wrong thing as well. and a desire to avoid harm to himself.

Before getting up and facing you, Tsu'tey gave them one more frown. The two na'vis scrambled to get on their feet and quickly started fleeing. After being called out by Tsu'tey, Neither dared to gaze your way as they were leaving.

“Are you hurt?” Tsu'tey questioned as he observed your slightly awkward standing position.

“It hurts a little, but I'll be fine.” You exhaled, a tiny grin of gratitude spreading across your face.

Tsu'tey's eyes averted from you awkwardly in a way you hadn't noticed before, as if he wasn't sure what to say next. He wasn't even awkward when he was talking about Sylwanin; he was just uncertain at the time.

“Like really, don’t worry about it!” You tried again, taking a step closer to him in hopes of breaking the tension.

His eyes briefly met yours before he placed his hand on your shoulder in the same silent support and consolation gesture that you had used yesterday. He was only determining if he would pressure you or make you uncomfortable for making the move, which suddenly made the awkwardness clear. The contact happened quickly, and then it vanished. He twisted his entire body away from you to look in the direction the other soldiers had moved. A discreet exit from his uneasiness.

“Don’t be afraid to come to me in case anything happens.” He finally spoke, giving a glance over his shoulder. “You’re Tawukoi’s daughter, no one should hurt you like that.”

“I know, I just didn’t want to answer… with violence.”

“Sometimes, only violence is really heard.” – Contrary to what his words implied, Tsu'tey spoke softly.

You questioned whether he was speaking from a terrible truth that he was concealing. Uncertainty about whether his feelings would ever be heard if he did not demonstrate his authority by standing above everyone else. Otherwise, nobody would give his wishes and wants any attention. Would they have listened if Tsu'tey had quietly warned them not to harass you? It was a sad idea, and his body almost seemed to be shining with a certain level of bitterness. Although you understood that it was a tragic realization, the fact that you could see it despite only knowing him for a short while made it even more painful. However, the others around him didn't appear to be aware of his sentiments of being invisible.

“Our training is over for today. Take care of your injuries.” Tsu’tey spoke, calling his pa’li.

All of a sudden, reality hit you. “Thank you, Tsu’tey. I own you.”

After climbing up into his pa'li, he briefly looked down at you before opening his mouth to speak.

“You’ve heard me when I needed it.” He said simply, softly, as if his words were whispering a secret ‘thank you’ only for you to hear.

After saying those remarks, he immediately took off sprinting in the direction the soldiers had previously gone. All that remained was the sound of horses around you. Your chest tightened for no apparent reason as an unidentified feeling enveloped you. The sun, which had once been high in the sky, was now bidding you farewell by kissing the horizon, leaving you with nothing to do but return to the hometree.

Even though the day had ended in a sequence of highs and lows, you were confident that things would soon turn around. The routinely peaceful and quiet dinnertime was all that was left of the day at this point.

tag: @dumb-fawkin-bitch @bothersome-anon-pt2 @vane28282 @sweet-lilacwine @worksforthedevil @missroro @troubledfilm @grievedeeply @collaps3r @seashelldom @gracefulbumblebee @fandomsfanman @da1syvr @aeri4life @summe-rliu @fanboyluvr @landlockedmermaid77​ @missroro​

[bewitchedleague]

I’ve been so busy that I only have 1.2k words written for the Chapter 3. It will most likely be done after New Years.

[bewitchedleague]

If anyone would like to offer insight and critic of my "Not at Home" work it would be greatly appreciated!

My main question would be, does it feel rushed? Like the scenarios are happening too fast or if I'm not explaining the settings well enough, so on.

[bewitchedleague]

“Not At Home” Ch. 2

pairing: tsu’tey x reader

words: 5.7k

Summary: After being raised in the Metkayina, you're suddenly placed in the middle of peace talks. Where your responsibility is to understand the Omaticaya way, to embrace the culture, and to make friends. It surprises you to find yourself suddenly involved in things like love, war, and suffering. Will you succeed and adjust? Or will your tale end differently than you had anticipated? 

Chapter 3.

 It would be accurate to state that the journey back to Omaticaya was challenging. There were numerous storms of the kind that made flying difficult for Seze due to the winds and thunder. You discovered the exact reason for the banshees' enormous talons during the storms' deadliest moments. They would cling to any mountain, their talons effortlessly digging into the rocks. When they did it for the first time, you were startled, but what frightened you the most was being at a 180-degree angle when those events occurred. You were pulled down by gravity and forced to hold on to Neytiri for what felt like an eternity until they decided to take off again. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.

At least, in those moments, Neytiri took it upon her to help you stabilize yourself, to calm your breathing and help you relax in the chaotic situation. 

Neytiri was accustomed to being carried on Seze's back and flying even upside down, so this was usual for her. She could only imagine how frightening it would be to ride a banshee for the first time when surrounded by a powerful storm, deafening thunder, and slippery footing. However, you weren't having any trouble keeping hold of her; in fact, it felt as though your hands were designed specifically for these circumstances. Neytiri noticed that your hands felt strangely different on her body than any other set of hands she had ever felt in the Omaticaya. She imagined you used it to move around underwater and hold on to coral and rocks so you could swim.

She wasn't mistaken. Your tail was also that way, in addition to your hands. It was quite helpful for maneuvering underwater and keeping on top of the sea creatures you rode on every day. Your hands' palms have been that way from birth, but they resembled those of any other Na'vi. Because of this, the difficulty was less with holding on and more with the nausea you had while flying, which was brought on by the turns and spins. It surprised you. The movements Seze was taking were ones you were accustomed to taking while submerged. You found the change in pressure to be uncomfortable while you were in the clouds; you only wished it was something you could get used to.

The days passed slowly. 

Therefore, it was clear that you were thrilled when you finally found yourself gazing at land that was gradually coming into view. You were eager to get your legs moving again so you could swim, walk, and run. Your subconscious questioned whether swimming would be a common occurrence. It was undeniable that your people needed to be near water in order to feel the closest to Ewya; whether you swam in an ocean, pond, or river, it didn't matter.

“We’re here.” Neytiri said, a smile on her face you couldn’t see.

From below you, the sight was beautiful. a forest that seems to go on forever, with thick trees. Everything was unusual, from the hues to the aroma. But everything seemed so inviting. The forest on your island was small and mainly made up of one kind of tree, whose name you had never inquired about. You spent most of your time inside the sea and on the beaches to care. But this, it all seemed to be different. There were a variety of tree sizes, from little to enormous, and in some places the only thing you could see was the leaves as the tense jungle took over.

You were so caught up in staring down that you almost missed the view in front of you. The largest tree you've ever seen, it was enormous. Because of its immense size, the clouds from the sky appeared to devour the very top of it. Their home… Was this?

“This is the hometree. Our home.” Neytiri explained, looking at you over her shoulder.

You couldn't help but smile in awe at the magnificent sight. You could actually see how enormous the tree was as you got closer and closer to it while flying.

The banshees screeched before accelerating slightly in the direction of the trunk and suddenly aiming steeply above. Soaring to the tree's topmost point while above the clouds. Because they did this frequently, they dove lower through the foliage without slamming against any branches – flying inside the tree. Seze was the last to come to a halt atop a sturdy branch, her talons sinking deep into the wood as she dropped her head to allow Neytiri to jump off of her saddle and onto the branch.

She did it so quickly, so effortlessly that you almost missed it.

Neytiri looked you in the eyes and then tilted her head subtly to instruct you to follow her example. Looking down from where you were, you frowned. In fact, from where you were, you couldn't even see the ground.

“Wait a second, I’ve never climbed a tree and you want me to try at this altitude?” You asked scared.

“It is not climbing. It’s only going down.” Neytiri worded it calmly. 

As you quickly realized there was no other option but to comply with her wishes, you tightened your hold on the saddle.

“Fine. But please, don't leave me.” You begged.

You slowly positioned both of your feet on top of the seat, but you refrained from standing up like Neytiri had done. You began to shift into a prowl position while exercising tremendous caution. Seze was performing her duty of remaining motionless – while occasionally making curious noises, clearly intrigued by the situation. You hurriedly stepped into the branch after reaching the end of Seze's body while grasping her to help steady yourself.

“This is so not a thing for me, Neytiri.” – You cried out, frustrated and scared.

Neytiri just extended her hand in an effort to encourage you to approach her. You took a deep breath and began moving slowly in her direction while your tail did its best to keep you upright but to little, no use. Your tail was designed for swimming and propulsion, not for supporting your balance. And Neytiri's tail, which swung flawlessly behind her, only served to demonstrate to you that having a tail like theirs was vital in this land and that you obviously lacked in that department. This would take time and sweat to master.

“You can do it.” She whispered towards you, trying to build confidence in yourself.

Your branch began to tremble all of a sudden, throwing off your equilibrium and causing you to collapse to your hands and knees as you desperately struggled to stay in it. Neytiri moved quickly toward you and placed one hand on top of your shoulder to help you stabilize yourself. After the shaking subsided, all you could hear was a banshee shriek. The banshee of someone else had landed nearby, and the weight of it likely caused the entire group of branches that were joined together to tremble to make room for the new weight.

You couldn't do this. It was decided, you hated climbing. 

No, even better; you loathed it completely.

"Calm, sister. You're strong, Ewya sent you here for a reason." Neytiri whispered from above you.

You could feel the branch's jagged roughness from your hands. Trying to concentrate on that sensation, trying to stop your heart from racing – you forced yourself to take two deep breaths, and as a result, felt your body start to gradually relax. This is something you could do.

Neytiri is kept closely by your side, in a silent attempt to comfort you. 

Once more, you got to your feet with Neytiri's assistance. Her eyes examined you intently, taking in your stance.

"Don't keep your legs too straight, it will help with balance." She whispered.

You took a step forward after she gave you the instruction. Ignoring the growing sense of anxiety you were experiencing due to the height you were at. You had to do this, for your people – and for the Omaticaya people.

After a couple careful steps, aiming towards the trunk of the tree – that was a little far, you managed to understand what you had to do to keep in balance. Feeling brave, the grip on Neytiri was let go as there was an attempt at doing this on your own.  

Unsurprisingly, you were able to maintain your equilibrium on your own when fear and the possibility of failure weren't controlling your thoughts. Simply move as though you were in the water, climbing atop a Tulkun, and playing with your soul sister while she attempted to cause you to lose your balance while above her. If you thought of it that way, you could simply stroll on top of a still branch. With the pleasant recollection supporting your confidence, you soon began confidently moving toward the center of the tree, making a small jump to get there more quickly.

You smiled back at Neytiri after your hands had made contact with the tree trunk, and she grinned back at you. She quickly made her way towards you, mentioning for you to follow her as the both of you spun around the trunk – coming face to face with a giant hole on it, a bunch of vines that shined beautifully to help you go down inside the tree.

Neytiri didn't wait for you to take in the scene; she began to drop, utilizing the vines to support her as she did so. On occasion, she would relinquish the vines and let gravity pull her body downward more quickly for a brief while before regaining control of them. The process was simple. For her, at least.

You began to descend as well, slower and with more caution than Neytiri had. Since you had already completed the most difficult part of the journey, dropping down in some vines was not the worst thing you could have done. After gathering your bravery once more, you released your hands and feet from the vine before regaining them after falling a set distance. As your adrenaline surged from your accomplishment, you laughed. Perhaps it was part of Ewya's plans for you to experience this and learn new perspectives on life. No matter where you went, the Great Mother always kept you warm in her embrace, and just thinking about that made you feel joyful and warm within.

Once your feet made contact with the ground, it was still wood. You came upon a group of branches that twisted downward until they reached the ground, where you could see grass, moss, and numerous Na'vi from the Omaticaya clan.

“Let’s go. They’re waiting for you.” Neytiri spoke, quickly going down in one of the branches – using the other one for support as she descended.

Unexpectedly, you completed the same thing fast and with relative ease. Neytiri didn't move too quickly, so you could keep up with her. As you descended, you peered around in astonishment at the tree's levels, which appeared to have different functions based on the tree's height. You vaguely recall passing a group of beds that resembled cocoons at some point, where some Na'vi were sleeping and others were tending to their young within the same area. Although it was unique, everything was still beautiful.

You abruptly become aware that you are in the center of the hometree when the grass touches your feet, shaking you out of your state of amazement. You are undoubtedly the center of attention as curious, sometimes hostile, eyes fixate on you. You immediately felt little and painfully aware that these individuals could hurt you and that your family and friends were far away and powerless to protect you.

“My people.” A loud voice beams from behind you, and you quickly realize it’s Eytukan.

A silence sweeps across the place, eyes unsure whether to look at you or the chief. 

“This is Metkayina’s Olo’eyktan’s daughter.” He spoke with the same loudness. “She is here to learn, as a sign of peace between our people and the sea.” 

He ended his words mentioning your name. Then you heard some happy cheers, but what really frightened you was the continued hostility directed at you by some Na'vi. They were the ones who were uncertain of your presence and of your genuine intentions toward the calm tribe.

“Treat her as your brothers and sisters.” Eytukan finished his speech.

“Neytiri and Tsu’tey, both of you are tasked with teaching her the way of our people.” Mo’at walked towards you, placing one of her hands on your shoulder.

Then she focused on Neytiri standing at your side before scanning the crowd for Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey scoffed as he walked up to the three of you and gave Mo'at a respectful nod. His expression of annoyance could be seen in his frown and the impatient tail wagging behind him. He wasn't some babysitter; he was a warrior. Despite spending little time with you, he was aware that you weren't a spoiled or arrogant person. He just didn't like the thought of being obligated to something that would later be useless. He could have spent his time training himself — training the future greatest warriors of the Omaticaya. That was his responsibility, not preparing  you for a fight you wouldn't take part in so you could run and return to the sea within the next few days.

“Now, go. It is only midday and there is much to show our guest.” – Mo’at said.

“Both of you, follow me.” Neytiri said, looking at both of you before she was walking away.

Tsu'tey followed her without even looking at you; he didn't even question Neytiri's motives for taking you both where she was going. You hastily followed them, doing your best to block out the nearly suffocating looks coming from behind you. You silently followed the two hunters while your peeping eyes surveyed the surrounding area.

Your feet were in contact with the damp grass, and a massive root of the tree was visible above you, stabbing the ground before it vanished. You looked up at the tree you were gently edging away from while facing away from the Omaticaya Na'vis. From up close, it was even more stunning, and you couldn't get enough of the view. It seemed as if it was calling your name, singing in the midst of the chaos that was currently consuming your life. Starting with the Omaticaya people thinking you were Tawukoi's daughter, to being abruptly dropped into a jungle where your species wasn't supposed to thrive – everything was different.

It all should feel overwhelming, but you strangely found yourself yearning for the next adventure.

Turning to look ahead, you realize Tsu'tey impatiently waiting for you to stare around. Had he been looking and waiting for you to take in the sight without saying anything? 

“Sorry.” You whispered out, hurriedly making your way to him.

He remained motionless once you were standing close to him, his eyes still scanning you. He fixed you with his gaze, making you stiff before he huffed and resumed walking. While Neytiri had long since left your field of vision, you thought Tsu'tey knew where he was headed because he kept moving forward with confidence while you followed him.

You persisted in focusing entirely on the warrior in front of you, doing your best to ignore the unidentified flora around you. You weren't going to make his work more difficult for him and instill resentment in him at such early days ; it was obvious that he didn't want to do this.

When your eyes settled on a spiral plant, curiosity won over. Your hands naturally rushed out to touch the exquisite plant because its hue mirrored the corals seen underwater on Metkayina. Once your fingertips touched it, it immediately retreated and vanished totally into the ground. You startled at the unexpected movement, yelped, and backed away from the plant in surprise.

Tsu'tey turned reflexively in response to your startled noise, grasping for the blade strapped to his back and quickly unsheathing it before holding it in a defensive position in front of him. His eyes frowned as he looked at the scene. You weren’t scared. On the contrary, as you touched the Helicoradians and observed their defensive retreat into the ground, you were grinning and laughing. As Tsu'tey took in the sight, the tension that had been on his shoulders only moments earlier entirely vanished. He wanted to be irritated, but a part of him sympathized with you and understood. He had a sense of how difficult it was to change environments while he was at Metkayina. In order for you to feel comfortable exploring the forest at your own pace, he wanted to extend to you the same welcome spirit that you did to him there.

He was still a little annoyed by it. A part of him didn't want to participate in this as the next Olo'ekytan. As he saw you fall in love with his future clan, he also relished the simplicity of rediscovering his first love: the forest.

It reminded him of when he was a child, free from duty and expectations.

“What are these called?” – Your voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Helicoradians.” He answered quickly, without even thinking about it. “They’re scared of touch, so it is to defend themselves that they disappear into the ground.”

His explanation was calm, and so was his expression. There was no hint of impatience or annoyance.

“They almost remind me of the corals in my home.” You smiled bittersweetly, gazing upon one that you still hadn’t touched.

Tsu'tey felt your sadness and stiffened a little. He wasn't the best at using words to console. He had only ever been taught to fight and hunt since he was a young child. He walked up to you, reaching out to touch the Helicoradian you were staring at. But as he did, the plant withdrew into the ground like the others.

“Do the corals in Metkayina also do that?” He asked, giving a look your way for a second.

“No! That would be a very weird coral.” You laughed at his words, shaking your head.

Tsu’tey felt a sense of pride inside of him. Your laugh was a clear sign that his effort to take your mind off the sad thoughts worked. From behind him, a rustle of leaves caught his attention. He turned quickly towards the noise to come face to face with an annoyed Neytiri.

“What are you two doing?” Neytiri almost hissed out, her words filled with venom. “We don’t have time. I told you to follow me.”

She circled you both, her tail flickering impatient and angrily. Neytiri simply didn't want what she was about to say to the two of you to be heard by anyone. Her ears flickered as she examined the area around you to make sure she couldn't hear anyone but the two of you. You felt a little tense since it was obvious that whatever she was going to say or do would not be enjoyable. Tsu'tey appeared to be a little perplexed as well, which gave you more comfort.

“Me and Sylwanin are meeting with the sky people today.” She breathed out in a whisper, loud enough for only you both to hear.

Shock washed over you. 

“I thought you were at war with them!” You said without thinking twice.

According to what you had heard back at your house, the Omaticaya and the sky people were at war. And you believed that the peace negotiations served as a sort of backup plan for when things didn't go as planned, allowing the Omaticaya to retreat to the sea in an effort to end the war.

“Sylwanin?! Why are you dragging her into this?”Tsu'tey hissed from your side, displaying anger as he moved toward Neytiri.

She didn’t seem intimidated by his approach, only looked him straight in the eye before speaking.

“She wanted to go. She’s a good talker, the sky people like her.” Neytiri breathed out.

You still couldn’t believe they were in contact with the sky people – the demons. The word of the conflict had swiftly spread across Metkayina. Your blood started to boil with rage at the idea of being around individuals who intended to kill Ewya's magnificence. You were unable to comprehend their justification for doing this. Did the chiefs even realize that Sylwanin and Neytiri were connected to the sky people? Your blood froze with fear at the notion of being suddenly entangled in all of this.

A call of your name grabbed your attention, eyes staring at Neytiri.

“We’re trying to change the sky people’s opinion on our land. They teach us, and we teach them.” She explained calmly.

So was the rumor of an actual war just an actual rumor? 

“And, I need you to stay with Tsu’tey while I’m gone.” Neytiri went on, comfortingly placing her hand on the side of your arm.

You could see Tsu'tey agitatedly glaring at her from your side perspective. He was essentially controlling himself to avoid saying something he would later regret. Neytiri glanced at Tsu'tey one last time and then vanished. Leaving the both of you alone in the middle of the forest. You hurriedly turned to look at Tsu'tey when you heard a frustrated noise coming from your right; his ears were flat and his tail wouldn't stop swinging.

Another thing that separated you people was this. Your tail never did what their tails seemed to do—react to their moods. It wasn't there for any other purpose than to help you swim. If anything, that piqued your interest in their tails even more, as you remembered how you've longed to touch them ever since you first saw them in Metkayina.

“I can’t believe she left us.” Tsu’tey voiced out, annoyed. “Follow me.” 

You followed his instructions so as not to add to his already bad temper. He was moving more quickly than previously, and it appeared if he was rushing to reach a specific location. You made an effort to stay up, avoiding the leaves in your path as best you could while being cautious not to allow them slam back into your face due to Tsu'tey speed. Where were you both even going that he was in such a hurry? As your mind struggled to keep track of him amid the dense foliage, it was unable to even begin to attempt to comprehend. It didn't seem like a smart idea to ask him where you two were headed either, so you decided to just follow him in silence.

You came to a place where the surrounding area was no longer covered in dense leaves; it was a clearing. You could make out the hometree's roots, which showed that you weren't too far from it. Some Na'vis were on top of creatures with six legs, a lengthy neck, and an almost eerily tiny head. On top of their heads, the animal possessed two antennae that it used to communicate with the riders. You couldn't help but wonder what they were and whether their link was eternal like the Tulkuns bond.

“You!” Tsu’tey loud voice beamed, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

He was approaching a female Na’vi. Before realizing whose voice it was, she first appeared startled; after that, she appeared nearly guilty. Tsu’tey gave a harsh glance towards the other Na’vi on the scene, and it was all that he needed to do before they were quickly moving away. The horses' legs could be seen moving into a run, and soon the sound of their hooves on the ground could be heard echoing through the woodland at a distance.

“Tsu’tey.” The unknown woman begged, her hands reaching out for Tsu’teys body only for him to dodge her touch.

“You are in contact with the sky people, Sylwanin.” His voice hissed towards her, he stood tall and kept distance between them.

You silently wondered if you should be watching this. 

“You weren’t even in today’s clan meeting!” He continued on, pointing towards the hometree in disbelief.

“Listen I-I am talking to them. I’m protecting our home, I'm protecting us, Tsu’tey.” Sylwanin pleaded with him once again, but each time she tried to take his hand, Tsu'tey hissed a warning in her direction.

“Do not touch me. We may be promised to each other, but that doesn’t give you the right to touch me as you please.” – Tsu’teys voice never wavered, filled with venom.

You kept still, the tense situation making yourself feel bad – even if the fight didn’t involve you. A part of you questioned Tsu'tey's decision to force you to follow him when he had intended to fight his companion directly in front of you, but remember that he had no other choice. Since Neytiri had long since left, he couldn't abandon you in the unfamiliar jungle. The idea of being abandoned somewhere you didn't know anything about made you feel afraid and you silently thanked Tsu’tey for not abandoning you.

“Do not bring disgrace to our people, Sylwanin.” 

Tsu'tey received no response from Sylwanin. Before running away, she gazed at him with a mix of rage and grief. Even from a distance, you could see the tears in her eyes. Tsu'teys was the only survivor of the turbulent scene, facing you with his back, braid trailing behind him as he took a long breath to try to calm himself. You didn't even notice you had been holding your breath up until this point, but once the conflict was over, you discovered you could breathe a little easier. And was it nice to finally relax again.

Only the tranquil woodland noises of unknown critters chirping and leaves moving in the wind could be heard around the two of you. Uncertain of what would be proper in this kind of circumstance, you considered your choices. Not quite his friend, you were. And if you had to guess, Tsu'tey wasn't the kind to vent to total strangers he had just met a few days before. But that was just your impression. 

He began to move near the tree's roots before climbing up onto the lowest branch and sitting on it. Tsu'tey silently regarded you as he waited for you to follow his example. The tree rot was practically reaching the ground where he had just gone, so it wasn't difficult. You quickly moved toward the area where he had climbed while bracing yourself by taking a deep breath. With a strong push, you began to rise, using all of your arm strength to hold your body as your feet pressed against the wood to support you. Tsu'tey's eyes bore through your form as he moved to the side to create room for you to climb to where he had recently been.

“Good job.” Tsu’tey said simply, eyes moving from you to the sky.

Your gaze followed his, and all you could see was the very top of the hometree. Multiple banshees going and leaving as they pleased at the very top.

“I’ll train you tomorrow. Let’s pretend I did something for you today.” He breathed out, almost sounding defeated.

His eyes didn’t falter from looking up, but yours did; instead looking at the side of his face. Trying your best to choose the words carefully.

“I agree with you. About the sky people, I mean.” You muttered lowly, a little unsure if he wanted to talk.

“Neytiri and Sylwanin don’t understand the risk. They put themselves in danger everytime they go there.” He breathed out annoyed.

“Is… Sylwanin, your wife?” – You asked the question slowly, making sure to give him time to shut you up with a single stare.

There was a quiet silence around you for a second, as his eyes moved from the sky to look into the nothingness of the forest. 

Tsu’tey seemed to process what he wanted to say towards that question, part of him wanting to say ‘no’, part of him wanting to say ‘yes’. It was annoying. He had never spoken to anyone about his struggles, so it was difficult for him to put his feelings into words at the moment. Even for a simple question that could be answered with a single no or yes.

“Yes.” He breathed out, defeated. “Unfortunately.” 

Noticing his internal conflict, you refrained from intruding with his last statement. It was simple to see. Tsu'tey's body was hunched over, but he wasn't aware of it because his mind was racing with so many thoughts. You took advantage of the peace and quiet to fully inhale the forest's pure air, which was different from the sea but just as pleasant.

“I don’t love her.” Tsu’tey said, opening up to you, after a minute or so of quietness.

His voice was almost a whisper, as if he shouldn’t be saying what he had just said. 

“I thought… you chose your mate in Omaticaya.” You whispered back to him.

Tsu’tey only shook his head in reply for a second, before opening his mouth to speak again.

“I was chosen to be the next Olo’Eyktan. But… Sylwanin was chosen to be my mate by default. She is Eytukan’s oldest daughter, Neytiri’s sister.” He calmly explained, voice stabilizing.

His unexpected confession made you feel sorry for him. He had to undergo difficult training and enormous expectations in addition to having someone at his side that he didn't choose. It brought you back to Tonowari. Even though he would eventually become an Olo'Eyktan, his father had granted him entire liberty in selecting a partner. You believed that the ruling in Tsu'teys' case was in favor of continuing the chief's bloodline even after Eytukan stepped down as chief. To have his story live on through his children.

His gaze was fixed ahead; he dared not turn to see you. You cautiously moved your hand's palm to touch his arm as a modest sign of comfort. His eyes briefly glanced in the direction of your hand before they returned to taking in the view once more.

“I’m sorry… brother.” You hesitated on the last part.

Once you had finished speaking, Tsu'tey looked into your eyes with a slight smile on his face. You smiled back while removing your hand from his arm. It wasn't filled with joy; rather, it was some sort of melancholy emotion.

After your statements, there was quietness since neither of you dared to speak to disturb the calmness in the air. With someone by his side, Tsu'tey finally felt at ease after what seemed like an eternity. It felt... good. To now be able to express his desires to someone else and have them get his perspective. He realized that you were the ideal person to talk to once he gave it some thought. You weren’t an Omaticaya na’vi, paired with that you would probably be gone in some days, and to top it all off – he was certain you wouldn’t tell anyone about this. His rationale served as a shield against the nervousness, making him feel less tense about revealing his emotions at this point.

He silently thanked the Great Mother inside his head. For giving him a shiver of relaxation amidst the numerous rules and customs he had to follow.

“Thank you for listening.” Tsu’tey whispered out, not looking at you.

You only nodded, knowing he wasn’t looking to see. 

Currently, Tsu'tey experienced a unique feeling. Like he didn't need to present himself in a specific way to feel heard and noticed, like he wasn't the next Olo'Eyktan. He could never completely breathe because of the weight of everyone's expectations on him and the numerous people who were constantly looking at him for guidance. Certainly not when he was instructing the younger ones. He needed to be flawless, and everything else needed to be perfect. However, at this exact second, he felt like a typical Na'vi. One of Ewya's humble children, enjoying life's small pleasures.

This is how life should be, he thought. 

He questioned in his head what sort of issues you faced as the chief's daughter. In fact, you were essentially pushed into a new environment without even being asked if you wanted it. He could see that you had to deal with the same difficult situations as he faced. Tsu’tey empathized with you, silently.

“What are the 6 legged creatures called?” You asked randomly, trying to ease the conversation into a topic not-so-serious.

Tsu'tey chuckled slightly at what you said and regarded you as having just said something incredibly stupid.

“6 legged creature?” Before you could respond, he answered the question that he had posed. “Those are called pa’li.”

“Pa’li, what a nice sounding name.” – You grinned to yourself, loving the feel of the name in your mouth.

The reply you received was only a hum. 

In order to determine the time, Tsu'tey gazed up at the sky. After a little moment, he stood up and gave you a look instructing you to follow suit.

“The sun will set shortly, let us go back to hometree for dinner. Then tomorrow, we’ll train.” He explained everything shortly.

The journey home was comforting and enjoyable. The knowledge that you were getting closer to the Na'vi in front of you allowed you to relax. Even if you weren't quite friends, you knew that the next time he saw you, he would think well of you. After all, you were assigned to do this. To acquire knowledge of Omaticaya customs and successfully unite the tribes.

Up until this point, everything appeared to be going exactly how you intended it to, with the exception of a few unfavorable looks. However, you couldn't really blame them. You weren't exactly the Omaticata's most productive member at the time, and everything about you was different. However, you were confident that it would change in the upcoming weeks. What did they eat, a part of you wondered? What did they hunt? Your mind was filled with a million questions, but the largest one was, "How do the skypeople act?"

You were aware that your curiosity was inappropriate. But since Neytiri and Sylwini appeared to communicate with them frequently, you couldn't help but be curious.

That remained a mystery for another day, though. As you had a meal with your newfound family to attend.

tag: @dumb-fawkin-bitch​ @bothersome-anon-pt2​ @vane28282​ @sweet-lilacwine​ @worksforthedevil​ @missroro​ @troubledfilm

[bewitchedleague]

I will be adding a tag list to my avatar Tsu'tey story! Please send me an ask if you'd like to be tagged in the future.

There is not a set time where the next chapter will be uploaded, as I haven't started working on it.