pairings: N & L Sully x Fem!Tawkami!OC
summary: in which Spider's capture drove the Sullys to seek uturu in Tawkami clan in lieu of metkayina.
tags: no decided endgame yet, tawkami OC, fluff, romance, (nsfw? tentative), love at first sight, love triangle, made up traditions and rituals, etc.
“OKAY KIDS, GATHER INSIDE, FAMILY MEETING.”
Lo’ak wrenched his gaze away from the outside of their assigned kelku, silently following Neteyam in as their father called them in. His back was aching from being rolled and pinned on the ground by a girl his age, and even until now he’s ashamed that he wasn't even able to react until her blade was right up to his neck.
He looked down at the bracelet now on his wrist. He had never been attacked by girls his age back in Omatikaya. No one would dare to do that to the second born son of the Chief. The only one who would fight him was his siblings, but they never put a sharp blade in his neck while doing so. His first encounter with a knife up his neck was with Quaritch and his group, and the second one was Ru’pxi.
He didn't know what to feel about the girl who almost killed him, as her face kept haunting his mind at this moment. Her amber eyes, warm like honey. Her powerful arms pinning him back so he couldn't move, her confident strides that is the testament of her skill.
She even rides a palulukan! How crazy is that?
“W-What?” Loak stuttered, pulled back from his deep trance. When he looked at his family, he saw them looking at him with varying expressions. Kiri was rolling her eyes in exasperation, Tuk was trying to stifle her laughter, Neteyam with an unreadable expression, Neytiri with understanding gaze, and Jake with a scrutinizing stare.
“Did you hear what I just said?”
Lo’ak seemed to shrink back in his position, lying as he said. “Y-yes.”
This made Jake sigh in annoyance. He knew full well just by his second son’s face that the latter heard nothing of what he said. Facepalming, he took a deep breath in, and repeated. “I said, be in your best behavior. Pull your weight, and do not mess around. Do not make trouble, try to adapt quickly. Should be easy enough for you, since you’ve been practically living in the forest despite my orders to stay home.”
Neytiri frowned at his choice of words but didn't comment on it, tucking Tuk’s hair behind her ears. Kiri pursed her lips at Jake’s words, looking down on her feet, thinking of a certain someone.
“Do all of you understand?”
Neytiri looked at her children with a smile, saying. “What does your father always say?”
“Sully sticks together…” Everyone parroted, clearly not in the mood to shout their family’s official motto. Kiri even secretly rolled her eyes when Neytiri wasn't looking.
“Again, with more feelings this time.”
Releasing a sigh, Jake stood up. Everyone followed and began arranging their stuff silently. When it came to sleeping arrangement, Loak immediately took the furthest spot, away from the entrance of the kelku. Kiri quickly set her math next to his, and Tuk followed her. In the end, Neteyam was next to the entrance, next to him was Neytiri and Jake.
He really didn't want to sleep next to his parents but he had no other choice. It's either this, or outside. He wouldn't want to sleep out in the cold, so he could only accept this arrangement.
When he finished arranging his own stuff, Neteyam helped Tuk arrange hers, including her small satchel of wooden toys. Seeing him looking through it, Tuk snatched it from his hands and scanned through her toys, then her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Oh no! Not this toy! I love this one!” She cried, stomping on her foot as her eyes reddened. It was the toy Mo’at gave her, a toy owned by Sylwanin, Neytiri’s deceased sister.
When Neteyam scooted closer to see which one it was, he saw it was the carved wooden yerik toy, only a little bit larger than his hand. The pattern is intricate, it was clear that a lot of thought and care were put into making it.
Neytiri also walked towards Tuk, steps pausing when she saw the broken toy in her youngest daughter's hand. Her chest constricted, feeling like her heart was stabbed again and again. Fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall from her red-rimmed eyes, she said. “Father made it Sylwanin. She wouldn't even let me play it,”
This made Tuk sit on the floor and cry, “I wanna go home,” She sobbed, making everyone pause in silence.
Loak looked away, trying not to be emotional, but he knew full well that he felt the same as Tuk. He desperately wanted to be home, in Mo’at’s warm hug, the familiar presence of the forest.
“I’ll fix it, Tuk. Do not cry,” Neteyam blinked a few times, clearing his throat as he squatted in front of his sister. “I can fix it. You’ll wake up one morning and you’ll see it beside you, whole again. Do not cry, Tuk.”
“You will?” Tuk wiped her tears, looking at Neteyam with hope in her eyes. Everyone was also looking at him, with different thoughts in mind.
Smiling, Neteyam took the broken toy from her hands. “Yes. So don’t cry, okay?”
Tuk smiled and hugged Neteyam, no longer sad about her broken toy. When Neteyam stood up, he saw Neytiri smiling at him gratefully. He smiled back, before looking down at the broken toy in his hand.
Careful not to damage it any further, he slid it on his satchel and focused on other tasks. As he was about to help Kiri with her stuff, they heard footsteps coming. They all collectively looked for the visitor, only to see the Chief’s daughter, Ru’pxi.
“Do you mind if I come in?” She asked politely, a basket in her hands as she balanced it on her hip. As she looked at everyone, she noticed their downcast mood and felt that she came at the wrong time. Still, she's already here. She cannot just leave right after making her presence known.
“Please,” Jake agreed, motioning for her to enter. Ru’pxi smiled at him and entered the kelku with quick steps. She then put the basket down and everyone was able to see its contents.
“I figured you’d rather rest after such an arduous journey, so I brought this as a formal apology for my mistake earlier—” She paused and turned towards Lo’ak with an apologetic look before she continued. “—you can have your dinner here in your own kelku for tonight. However, you are free to join us tonight for dinner if you want, at the clearing right after the eclipse.”
Neytiri looked at the girl before looking at the basket of fruits, “Thank you for your kindness, this is too much for dinner. ”
Frankly speaking, Neytiri didn't like the girl after what she did to Lo’ak, but seeing her sincerity, she couldn’t hold the grudge forever. She's an adult, what's the use of holding a grudge against a young girl who’s probably just protecting her home and her people against treacherous invaders?
So she smiled at Ru’pxi, grateful for the young girl's sincerity.
Ru’pxi smiled back before turning towards the outside, whistling. Neytiri and the others exchanged glances, confused. It was when several warriors carrying a basket of other things came into their vision that they understood.
“I also brought other things that can help you. You are free to choose which ones you like, and discard the others you don’t.” Ru’pxi turned towards the couple, motioning for the warriors to gently set the baskets on the floor. Fabrics, meats, wooden tools, you name it.
“W-Wha— this is too much!” Jake protested.
“Please, take it. These are the stuff I made and collected in my free time. I have no use for them, so I hope they could be of use to you.”
Neteyam silently watched Ru’pxi, feeling complicated. He was once privileged enough to be like this, but now he's supposed to depend on others to live. He wanted to refuse everything, his pride as the son of Toruk Makto couldn’t accept it but he knew his family needed everything they could use to live better in this unfamiliar place.
It's his pride, his crumbling pride that was slowly being ripped away from him the moment he and his family sought asylum into another na’vi’s home.
Neteyam turned away, not knowing that Ru’pxi caught his expression. It made the smile freeze in the young woman’s lips. She forcefully looked away and swallowed, now realizing that she might have come off arrogant or something.
She just really wants to compensate for her mistake.
“Thank you, we appreciate your generosity.” Jake said, his smile also a bit skewed. This is the sign Ru’pxi was looking for. It's time for her to leave. Assured that she had provided every possible immediate need of the family, she waved her hand with a smile.
“You’re welcome. Please find me when you need something. I’ll be glad to help.”
Ru’pxi smiled at Tuk and waved her hand at the little girl, making Tuk return the gesture with her sincere smile. This made Ru’pxi feel better as she walked away with brisk steps.
When she was out within earshot, Jake and Neytiri began looking through the basket. They found several accessories for both males and females in various sizes, something obviously thought through as the size seemed to fit every member of their family.
In one of the baskets, Tuk found a fluffy toy, a fabric stuffed with something soft and bouncy. The toy has the shape of a palulukan, with its features carefully painted with various colors. This made Tuk squeal in happiness, her sadness from before now completely gone. “So pretty! I want this! I want this! So soft! So squishy! Did she make this? I love her already!”
This made everyone curious, scooting closer to Tuk as they examined the toy. Seeing it, Jake laughed and gently took the toy from Tuk’s hands.
“Incredible! This looks like the toys back on earth. You know, the stuffed toys I told you kids about? I wonder how they made this?”
“It’s mine, dad! You cannot take it!” Tuk demanded, scared that Jake would take the toy and say it was his.
Kiri smiled a bit before looking through the basket, searching for something interesting. After a few moments of searching, she got a wooden flask. It's half-full. Curious, she opened the wooden bottle and sniffed its contents.
Coughing, Kiri gave the flask to Jake. The latter looked at the flask suspiciously before taking a sniff.
“Cough! It's alcohol!” Jake laughed after coughing, sniffing before taking a big gulp. It was clear that he missed drinking one, as he took a few more gulps.
“Jake!” Neytiri reprimanded, not wanting the children to see Jake drink in fear that they would copy him. Unbeknownst to her, they have been drinking alcohol since long ago.
With a carefree laugh, Jake closed the lid of the flask and returned it to the basket. “No one takes it, it’s mine.”
Neytiri rolled her eyes, already planning to hide the flask somewhere. Seeing everybody busy themselves on the baskets, Lo’ak turned towards Neteyam and said, “C’mon bro, let's check it out.”
Rolling his eyes, Neteyam uncrossed the arms in his chest and followed after Lo’ak to search the baskets with a smile.
Maybe he could get used to it, after all.
RU'PXI RETURNED to her own kelku with a satisfied smile. As she was feeling great, she suddenly craved the taste of alcohol. She patted her satchel, expecting her special flask to be inside, but when she didn't feel its shape inside her satchel, her smile dropped.
“Fuck! Did I accidentally drop it inside one of the baskets?”
It was Anir. Who knows where he came from, but he’s now standing behind Ru’pxi. Smiling awkwardly, Ru’pxi turned towards her Papa.
“One of my hair charms, Papa. N-Nothing important.”
Anir merely hummed, hand messing up Ru’pxi’s curly hair. After a while, he started walking back. Ru’pxi followed him silently, waiting for his verdict.
“I heard you gave them a lot of stuff,” He started. It wasn't a question, rather it was a statement. He just needs her to confirm it herself.
“Yes, pa. I gave them a lot of stuff.” Ru’pxi felt proud when she said it. Since all those stuff were from hers, either from the animals she hunted, fabric she weaved, or tools that she made. She thought giving those things represents her sincerity.
This made Anir chuckle. “Just give them enough for a few days, or else they will think you see them as incompetent.”
Ru’pxi pursed her lips, her earlier worries resurfacing. Biting her lower lip, she held her Papa’s forearm. “What makes you say that, Papa?”
“They are a family of warriors. Excellent warriors. That older son, he’s young, but marks of being a good warrior are etched on his skin. Teach them our ways, so they may fill their plate on their own. Give them a plate full of food. They might take it as a slight.”
Ru’pxi frowned, doubtful whether the newcomers would be that extreme. Isn't this the way of the clan? She’s a hunter herself, and most of her catch was given to her clan mates to enjoy and consume. She felt that her Papa was exaggerating it, but she still took her words into heart.
She gave those things because she wanted them to assimilate quicker into the clan, so they wouldn't feel left out. But it doesn't mean she would coddle them forever. They would still have to do their best if they want to live here.
“I will see to it that they learn fast, Pa. Do not worry.”
“I know, sweetling. I know you will.” Anir smiled and opened his arms wide, asking for a hug. Ru’pxi didn't hesitate and hugged the man, thanking him for his reminder.
THE WAY OF THE JUNGLE is both similar and dissimilar to the way of the forest. This is due to the difference between the two environments. In the jungle, the flora and fauna are a lot more diverse, and as the clan emphasizes the importance of knowledge keeping, the Sully must begin their learning by identifying the creatures and plants in the jungle accessible to the tawkami clan.
It's not a hard thing to do, it's just mentally draining to learn stuff in the span of a few days, things that take years for kids to learn in Tawkami. Ru’pxi could only pray that the kids have good memory retention.
The next day, Ru’pxi came right after breakfast, ready to start the Sully kids’ lesson. When she arrived, they had just finished eating.
“Hello!” Tuk was the first one to react, jumping from her position and greeting Ru’pxi.
This made the latter smile. She squatted in front of her and spoke, “You’re Tuktirey, right? Are you ready to start your lesson with me and my friends?”
“Yes! Will it be hard? I don't want to do hard things.”
“Tuk,” Someone warned. Ru’pxi looked up and saw it was the oldest sully son. Unconsciously, Ru’pxi stood up and smiled at the young man.
The young man stared at Ru’pxi, his eyes of molten gold staring straight at her with arms crossed over chest as he leaned against the doorway. He then looked away and calmly said, “Neteyam.”
This time, the other two also exited the kelku, a bit surprised to see Ru’pxi early in the morning. Seeing Ru’pxi looking at them, Neteyam continued. “This is Kiri—” He pointed at the older girl, then pointed at the boy. The boy that Ru’pxi attacked the day before.
“Lo’ak,” She murmured, cutting off Neteyam. It made everyone look at her, and her face warmed at the realization that she slipped. “Ah, I heard you shouting his name when I… I jumped on him. That's the name right? I didn't get it wrong?”
Lo’ak nodded in agreement, but it only made Ru’pxi tilt her head in confusion. This made Tuk laugh, and Lo’ak smiled a bit. “Yes. That's my name. Lo’ak.”
“Lo’ak,” Ru’pxi repeated. Seeing them looking at her, expecting her to introduce herself, Ru’pxi straightened her back. “My name is Ru’pxi (pronounced as Ru’bi), daughter of the Olo-eyktan and Tsahìk of Tawkami.”
Tuk’s eyes narrowed, and Neteyam suddenly had a foreboding feeling that she's about to do some shit. He uncrossed his arms and was about to pull Tuk back when the latter opened her mouth and addressed the biggest 'angtsìk in the room.
“Can a male na’vi get pregnant?”
“Tuk, you—!!” Everyone collectively groaned, Kiri covered Tuk’s mouth before giving Ru’pxi an apologetic glance. “S-She meant no malice. She’s just very curious—”
“It’s fine,” Ru’pxi laughed. “It’s funny, actually. And to answer your question, as far as I know, a male na’vi cannot get pregnant. In this clan, at least. I don't know about other clans, so I cannot say if their males get pregnant.”
Wiping the tears in her eyes due to laughing too much, she squatted in front of Tuk and added. “I’m adopted. The Olo-eyktan and Tsahìk adopted me to honor my parents’ contributions to the clan.”
Lo’ak and Neteyam exchanged glances, confirming their suspicions. Tuk pulled Kiri’s hand away from her mouth and approached Ru’pxi. The latter watched her, waiting to see what the young girl would do.
Then, Tuk hugged her. “Do not be sad. My sister Kiri is adopted too! You two can be friends!”
This stunned both Ru’pxi and Kiri, before the two exchanged amused glances. When Tuk let her go, Ru’pxi tucked a wild hair at the back of her ear and said. “I do hope we can be friends, me and you guys.”
Ru’pxi then turned towards the kelku, seeing Neytiri and Jake walking out. It seems that they also are going to start their lessons with the Olo-eyktan and Tsahìk.
“With your permission, I’ll be taking your children to start their day.” Ru’pxi respectfully said, holding hands with Tuk.
Neytiri expressed her thanks and Jake didn't forget to warn his children to behave. When the two left, Ru’pxi turned towards everyone. “Let’s go?”
“Let’s go!” Tuk pumped her fist into the air, making Ru’pxi chuckle.
She likes this crowd. Extremely so. Perhaps teaching them wouldn't be so bad.
note: here's chapter two! hope you like the pacing, i think this will be long lmfao
