where the mangroves tie together ✧
part two.
ao'nung tsika'u x fem!ta’unui!reader
warnings/notes - 3.2k words, injury, blood, lowercase intended, characters speaking na'vi unless stated otherwise, gif is mine, border creds to shifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) - marui - a woven canopy made for living in prrsmung - baby carrier speargun - crossbow used for fishing glider fin fish - pandoran fish flat skate fish - pandoran fish tsahìk - spiritual leader paywll - pandoran water plant koaktutra - pandoran plant ilu - pandoran sea creature ta'unui - na'vi clan
< part one part three >
series masterlist main masterlist
sleep began to feel more like a burden.
the night before had been long. or, at least it felt like it. you laid in your hammock for hours trying to force yourself to sleep, but it never came. you could feel it happening. it had only been around a week since you came to the metkayina. the first few nights were fine. but now, your relationship with sleep was deteriorating, and you knew the exact reason why. your insomnia was returning. it was returning because of the loss of your grandfather.
you tried to fight it, but last night, you lost. every time your mind began to drift, the image of your grandfather's body laying lifeless on the sand flashed through your mind, causing you to jerk awake.
the rest of the night consisted of you staring at the ceiling of the marui as you listened to the soft sound of nature and the faint movements of others sleeping nearby.
when morning finally arrived and everyone around you began to stir awake, you pretended to do the same.
you rolled up your hammock and placed it to the side neatly just as nari called your name to offer you breakfast. the young woman sat cross-legged on the floor, mashing fruit in a mortar bowl. most likely for the child strapped protectively to her chest. since koa hadn't grown any teeth yet, his food had to be softened so he could eat.
nari paused her movements to glance at you. you didn't eat breakfast with them and she had noticed your absence at the communal dinner. she was concerned if you were even eating at all.
this was a difficult transition for you, she and omatu understood that. losing both your grandfather and your home in a single day. but they wanted you to know you weren't alone, even if you acted like you were.
nari's green eyes watched you paused for half a second before turning to her. and just like anyone expected, you declined her offer. you turned away before your fingers pulled your hair into your usual tight bun before heading out.
"do you think she hates us?" omatu asks from behind nari.
nari sighs, adjusting her prrsmung, "she doesn't hate us. she's.. adjusting."
he shakes his head, "she barely looks at us."
"just give her some time."
by the time you arrived at the beach, your entire group was already there. ao'nung caught sight of you first. you could basically feel his judgemental stare as you approached.
"you're late, again." he spoke. the irritation in his voice evident.
"i'm aware." you answered. you looked around, seeing your peers checking their nets and spearguns.
ao'nung walked closer to you, arms crossed, "lucky for you, we're fishing individually today. but it's not like you would've listened to me anyway."
you smirked, "you know me so well already."
ao'nung squinted his eyes as you walked away. once you collected your net and speargun, the group walked deeper in the water. the fatigue in your body seemed to fade as the temperature of the ocean woke you up.
you swam a little further out than the others. a small smile on your face as you swam through and along all the ocean life around you. you took a moment to appreciate it before you began fishing.
fishing was one of the skills you spent years trying to master. and you were exceptionally good at it too. you managed to catch many glider fish before something caught your eye.
the flat skate fish were considered a delicacy to the na'vi who lived among the reef. they were incredibly hard to catch because of their rather fast speed. but you knew a flat skate fish when you saw one because of the bright purple streak that ran down along the top of its body.
your fingers tightened around your speargun as you slowly swam towards the fish, wanting to catch it off guard.
the closer you got, the more your heartbeat began to quicken. you had never actually caught one of them before. you'd seen your grandfather do it once when you were younger. his movements were fast, precise, and most importantly, patient.
you tried to mimic that same patience now, slowing down as the fish swam closer to the ocean floor. and as if it knew you were on its tail, it darted away without warning.
you moved instantly. with a powerful kick of your legs, you swam forward as you fired the speargun. it missed, grazing the sand just beneath the fish. turning to another plan, you tried blocking the path using your net. unfortunately for you, the fish moved faster than you anticipated.
as you lunged forward, your arm scraped sharply against a jagged piece of coral. the pain was instant. a hot sting that burned up your forearm. but that didn't stop you. you could see and feel the blood staining the water but you continued to swim forward.
you only accepted defeat when the flat skate fish was officially out of your sight and you were left with nothing but the throbbing pain in your arm and your own frustration.
you let out a groan of agitation before swimming to shore. when you surfaced, the pain in the cut only began to worsen. you glanced down to see a deep gash along the side of your forearm. it wasn't life threatening but bad enough that it needed to be cleaned and wrapped.
when you reached the shoreline, only ao'nung and rotxo stood there, talking. most likely waiting for everyone to return.
rotxo noticed you first, his eyes widening when his eyes caught sight of the deep crimson liquid leaking from the cut on your arm that ran from your wrist to your elbow.
"y/n- are you okay?!" rotxo exclaimed as he rushed over to you.
ao'nung looked over, seeing the wound for himself. he immediately followed in his friends footsteps towards you.
you slowed your pace as the two boys closed in. rotxo's face was painted in pure concern while ao'nung's expression was different. you didn't have time to dwell on it though as the ache caused you to contort your own face in agony.
"y/n what happened? you're bleeding." roxto asked, reaching for your arm. you took a small step back, holding the wounded limb against your chest.
"coral." you stated flatly.
ao'nung's eyes stared at your arm as the blood dripped down, hitting the sand.
"you need to go to my mother." he stated firmly, "she'll clean it before it gets worse."
you shook your head, "it's fine."
you quickly maneuvered around the two as you began to walk away. but ao'nung wasn't letting you go that easily.
"what? it's not fine. it could get infected." he spoke, his voice stern and face twisted in confusion.
you stopped, turning to face him, "i said it's fine. i can handle it."
rotxo shifted awkwardly as he felt the tension so he tried to diffuse the situation.
"maybe just let her-"
"no." ao'nung cut him off, "you can not handle it. that cut is deep and you need to go to the tsahìk. now."
for a moment, it went silent and nobody said anything. you just glared at ao'nung as he did the same to you. rotxo's eyes darted between the two of you uncomfortably.
finally, ao'nung sighed, "fine. do whatever you want, i don't care. you're done for today."
while no words left your mouth, the roll of your eyes did all the talking for you. you immediately turned on your heels as you walked away and headed back to the village.
by the time you made it back to your marui, your forearm was covered in blood. the pain hadn't dulled and it was throbbing.
when you entered the marui, the space was empty. you sighed in relief, not wanting to deal with any questions from nari or omatu. after looking around for a bit, your eyes landed on a spare strip of woven cloth. you pressed the fabric to your arm, wincing as it made contact with the open wound. after wrapping it around your arm, you tied it, not securely but just enough to stop the bleeding for now. and it would do the job until you had something better.
you then grabbed a small sanded basket near the entrance before you were on your way. stepping away from the village, you made your way towards the forest. the air became cooler as the trees blocked out the warmth of the sun.
the materials you needed weren't foreign to you. you knew exactly what you were looking for. leaves from a paywll plant and pieces of fungi that grew on the trunks of koaktutra trees.
your footsteps were rather light as you maneuvered through the forest with precision.
you spotted the paywll easily. you approached before drawing your knife. you crouched down and sliced a few broad leaves cleanly from the base. once you felt like you had enough, you placed the leaves in the basket and slid your knife back in the sheath that you wore on your hip.
moving on, you continued searching for the nearest koaktutra tree. they weren't hard to find either, as they were actually very common in the forest. when you finally came across one, you didn't waste any time taking as many as you would need.
after you gathered the last of you what you needed, the ache in your arm began to intensify. the makeshift bandage had already darkened with blood. you pressed your hand to it, exhaling slowly. you needed to head back and tend to your arm as soon as possible.
so you turned, retracing your steps through the trees. the walk back felt longer but that could just be because you were in a rush.
by the time you returned to the marui, the sun had started to go down. this meant that eclipse was near.
as for your arm, the bleeding had stopped for the most part but you were still in pain. you took a seat on the woven floor before sorting through what you gathered. spotting nari's mortar bowl that she used this morning, you reached for it and got to work.
using your knife, you sliced open the paywll leaves, squeezing the sticky translucent insides into the bowl.
as you worked, omatu entered the marui. his expression was calm but weary, suggesting that he had been busy all day. when his gaze landed on you, he smiled softly.
"ah, you're back. perfect timing." he said, not noticing the bloodied bandage on your arm, "i have to meet nari by the seawall terrace, do you mind watching koa for a little while? you can use nari's prrsmung in case you get tired of holding him."
you eyed koa for a moment in silence. after a beat you hesitated before nodding, "sure."
omatu thanked you, carefully handing koa over before leaving the marui. you glanced down at the small child in your arms. koa blinked up at you, his green eyes staring at you curiously. the shade of green resembled his mother's. while he shared features with his father, he was definitely nari's twin.
knowing that you had to finish what you were working on, you decided to use nari's prrsmung. you grabbed the fabric before tying it around your shoulders and torso, securing koa snugly against your chest. once he was settled, you returned to your task.
you could feel his gaze on your face as you placed the fungi in the bowl. grabbing the pestle, you began mixing the two ingredients until it turned into a smooth lavender paste.
you learned this remedy from your mother and grandmother. they were both healers in your community, known for their great knowledge.
when you were younger, you'd sit beside them as they worked. watching the way they crushed herbs and mixed many different ingredients before applying it to the wounds of the person they were healing. they taught you everything you know.
you carefully unwrapped your arm, cringing at the sight of the gash. dipping your fingers into the paste, you gently spread it across the wound. the sting faded almost instantly and was replaced by a soothing coolness that made your shoulders drop in relief.
then, without even realizing it, you began to hum. a soft tune your family used to sing while they worked. the melody filled the quiet space around you as you tended to your wound.
koa, still strapped to your chest, tilted his small head as he listened to your voice. when you paused, he let out a soft coo. it was like a tiny plea for you to keep going.
you couldn't help but chuckle under your breath before you continued humming the melody. koa's head slowly nestled against your chest as his eyes fluttered shut, your voice soothing him.
once the salve was fully applied, you carefully wrapped a clean cloth around your arm and tied it securely. the hard part was now over and by the morning, the wound should begin to close. through, you knew it would leave a scar.
by the time you finished, eclipse had come and the sky set darkness over the village while the bioluminescence of the ocean and flora began to glow.
soon after, nari and omatu entered the marui together. their eyes softened at the sight of you sitting quietly with koa half-sleep against your chest.
"thank you for watching him, y/n. we appreciate it." nari said warmly.
you shook your head lightly, " you're welcome."
nari smiles, "we're about to go to dinner, are you coming?
you immediately shook your head at the question, "uh, no. i'm just going to eat a few fruits here."
nari's smile faltered, though she quickly nodded. she didn't want to push you. you were moving at your own pace and she wanted to respect that. so instead, she stepped closer to take koa from you so she and omatu could head to the communal dinner.
but the moment you began to untie the prrsmung, koa started crying. his small arms stretching back toward you.
"uh oh." omatu laughs, "i think he likes you."
koa's cries only grew louder as his mother pulled him away from you. his round eyes glossy as tears spilled down his cheeks, gums on full display as he wailed in distress.
"shh.. it's okay." nari cooed, trying to soothe her child. but it didn't seem to work.
you looked between the two young parents as they tried to calm koa to their best ability. when nothing seemed to work, their gazes fell on you.
"uh.. you know," otamu trailed off, "maybe it would be best if you came with us. just so he stays calm."
you opened your mouth to refuse when koa let out another sharp wail. the sound made your ears twitch. you closed your eyes, strongly exhaling through your nose.
"fine.."
nari and omatu exchanged a small, triumphant glance before handing koa back to you. once he was placed back in the carrier, his cries came to a halt.
the three of you were then on your way. as you reached the communal area, most of the clan had already gathered. chatter and the scent of roasted fish filled the air. you felt so out of place as nari and omatu led you to an empty spot. you hesitated before lowering yourself to sit.
without asking, nari began filling a leaf plate with food. once she was finished, she placed the leaf plate in front of you.
"oh, you don't have to do that." you said quietly, glancing down at the plate. pieces of roasted glider fin fish along with sliced fruit.
nari only smiled, "i know. but i want to. please, i want you to eat."
you didn't argue again. for a moment, you simply stared at it. before you finally thanked her and began to eat. koa started to fall asleep against your chest as you ate the food from the leaf plate in front of you.
you didn't speak, and you didn't need to. the noise around you filled the silence for you.
on the other side of the fire, ao'nung sat with his family. normally, he would've been eating with his friends. but tonight his parents wanted to hear how things were going with the new arrivals.
tsireya's report came first. her group consisted of mostly younger children, many of them just reaching the age to tame an ilu. she spoke with an excited tone about the progress she was making.
for tsireya, this was a joy. while she is the tsakarem, she is a teacher at heart.
ao'nung on the other hand, hated this.
to him, this was a chore. he didn't want to teach or guide anyone through the basics of fishing. but the responsibility had been given to him and he had to honor it. he knew he had to follow through on what was expected of him. even if he resented it.
as his sister spoke, ao'nung's focus drifted. he was barely even listening anymore. he had finished the food he grabbed for himself and now he was just looking around, trying to find something interesting to put his attention on.
his eyes wandered across the gathering when he saw her.
the ta'unui girl, y/n.
she saw across the fire, a few people slightly blocking her from aonung's view but he saw her perfectly. she sat with a young couple and a small child sleeping against her chest. it was sweet but an unusual sight since she was very hostile and proud whenever the two of them interacted.
but what really caught his attention was the bandage wrapped around her forearm.
even from this distance, he could tell it wasn't something his mother had done. it was wrapped unevenly. it was functional, of course. but hardly the work of a tsahìk.
"mom, did a ta'unui girl come to see you earlier?"
"from my group?" tsireya asked, "one of the girls in my group scraped her knee but she was fine."
ao'nung shook his head, "no. from my group. she cut her arm on some coral this morning."
ronal looked at him before answering, "only the young girl from tsireya's group came to see me today."
ao'nung's frown deepened. of course she didn't go.
his gaze returned to y/n as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. it didn't make sense to him. no one ever refused help from his mother. if you were hurt, you went to the tsahìk and that is how things always worked.
but you had chosen to ignore that.
ronal was one of the most respected tsahìks among the reef clans. her skill and guidance were trusted by everyone. even the sully family went to her when they needed help. and yet, this stubborn ta'unui girl decided that she knew better?
he didn't understand it. and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
a part of him wanted to be angry. and another part was curious. because what kind of person risked an infection or worse? was it because of pride? and for some reason, he wanted to find out.
this is the fastest i've ever updated something lmaoo. but thank you for the support on the first part, i really appreciate it.