Rotxo - Blog Posts

Ok I’m trying to find this fic I read on here. It was a Rotxo x metkayina!reader fic and the reader was also part ometikayan. I also distinctly remember her getting shot instead of neteyam and surviving, then going to the forest with them to learn about it. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Her grandfather was from the ometikaya and arrived at the metkayina clan during a war.

Metkayina daughter

okay okay so I have thoughts and want opinions on what ya'll want for the last kiddo

Avatar baby - (A lovely suggestion where the munchkin is made of their DNA and grown like an avatar body)

Bio baby - Someone carries the baby (pls comment your preference, this one would take some finagling but like intersex Rotxo and trans Spider are both canon in my lil universe so i feel the need to add it

Random adoption - baby just fucking ,, showed up, parents aren't overly important but Rocorro raise her

Specific adoption - Similar to the boys, she's adopted from someone specific

pls comment or send asks with y'alls thoughts, I'm v curious about what y'all think

Love languages

Spiders love languages are acts of service and quality time

He spent a large amount of time alone and figuring things out for and by himself so having people put the attention on him is his weakness

He's embarrassed to admit it but he loves attention. Kiri is the only sibling to realize how much he'll preen under it and teases him for it relentlessly

Similarly, he's one to show his love by trying to help them and give them his time, however, the favor is only ever returned by his siblings. Hence, it gets him flustered to be the target of help or focus

Lucky for him, Rotxo is exactly this type

Rotxo's love language is also acts of service but also gift giving. He loves to make things for those he loves and puts his time towards them to show it

Much like Spider, reversing this onto him will fluster him to oblivion

Hence, their courting is the bane of all the kids existences

They're both usually in the background and so neither can handle it when they're brought to attention

Spider will go hunting for coastal animals for Rotxo since it's a rarer event in the Metkayina meals to have land food

He and his brothers take it upon themselves to help change that, but Spider will specifically snag cuts of meat for Rotxo since he loves to cook

He also makes Kiri help him find herbs and such similar to what they had a home which he helps Rotxo explore when he cooks

There's a lot of nights they end up eating scraps cause Spider isn't exactly the best one to show him how to cook. A, he has little talent for it and B, he couldn't eat half of what he grew up around

Rotxo ends up tentatively approaching Neytiri (who actually terrifies him despite him growing up with Ronal) to get help in cooking Omaticaya foods

She's adopted Spider at this point, but their relationship is still not nearly as close as it is with her other children so it's one of the ways she starts to mend that bridge

Rotxo and Neytiri bond over feeding their families and sharing their cultures recipes

Rotxo also puts more effort into finding human-friendly foods. He refuses to accept that his mate can't have the good foods he loves just because of some measly poison

Spider has accidentally been poisoned several times but doesn't have the heart to tell Rotxo to stop trying or to deny trying his creations

If they cook together, Spider is on chopping and cutting since he has the best knife skills and the least cooking skills

Rotxo is a solid chef but has a questionable palette at time and has made some rather interesting meals that only pass by the questionable tastes of teenage boys

By the time they're young adults, Neteyam and Tsireya have to step in and help them make better decisions

While Spider brings gifts from land, Rotxo likes to bring Spider gifts from the water

Even with his mask, Spider isn't able to get but so deep before the pressure bothers his head

He's a strong swimmer and keeps up normally but there's certain limits his human body can't breach

So Rotxo will dive for him and bring him little gifts

Shells and rocks are common for his braids or the jewelry he's now covered in but Rotxo also brings him little bottom-feeders so he can see it all. He'll bring the little creatures to show Spider before he'll thank them and return them

Spider just sits on his ilu or whatever rocks they've found and grins, watching this giant race to and from to show him whatever it is he's found this time

On the note of jewelry, they're both covered in necklaces, beaded clothing pieces, and bracelets that they've made for one another. shells, stones, bone beads, and whatever else they find adorn them both. Rotxo can't always wear so many in the water so he'll wrap his spear and daggers in them and leave the rest to decorate their marui. Spider, on the other hand, has most of his on at all times

It reminds him that he's wanted, that someone loved him enough to make them

Spider grew up working with some of the elders and mothers making garments for the clan and so he gifts Rotxo with belts and shoulder-guards he made with his cultures skills and Rotxo's styles and resources.

Neytiri has to help a lot, women is keeping them both together in a lot of ways

Rotxo sorts through his clothes to try and wear them all, he loves the feeling of being loves and shown off when he wears what Spider has made him

Gift giving between the two is constant

They also are one of the best teams when they work together

While other couples (Lo'ak and Tsireya) work together and struggle to get through tasks, they play off of one another constantly

They meet in the middle very well and are just very in tune with one another

With their jobs, Spider working among the clan or on the coast and Rotxo being a diver and warrior, they don't get to work together as often as they like so when they do, it's a sight

They're the type to finish one another’s task without care or notice. Both grew up as someone's right hand and being in the background so hard work is nothing new

Similarly, they're deadly as a duo

Spider will literally use Rotxo as a spring board and combine strength and agility in a deadly combination

They have each other's back at the end of the day no matter what

Everything comes back to wanting the other to never feel alone or unwanted

They just love to take care of one another man

Anea

Sorry this took so long, coming up on finals and it's been hectic lmao

They are 22 (Rotxo) and 23 (Spider) when they find their first daughter

Kids were a desire they hadn't sorted out yet - biology and the war were too in the way for them to even truly consider options (Rotxo thought about it a lot though, it was one of the ways he got through what was going on, imagining a little blonde na'vi or the kids they could adopt, uncaring of logistics or realism)

They find Anea when she is 6 months old

Bridgehead falls and the war is reaching it's conclusion with this being one of the last major battles. However, the people left behind are hardly peaceful and the repopulation efforts had begun

Most of the people are pregnant or came with older children in the case of repopulating citizens, however, a few had already had their children. As many that can be sent to earth are but, again, there's the question of what to do with the children left behind

Some will, again, stay with the children too young to travel but there's very little humans allowed to stay on Pandora - as such, there's few caretakers

Unfortunately, many of the children don't survive the war. Between attacks, illness, and accidents of a planet not made for them, the surviving group is limited to a small handful

Spider spends as much time as he can helping to foster and situate the children remaining - the copy of his own childhood sends him into a bit of a spiral

The difference this time is that his presence has the Omatikaya and Metkayina more prone to opening their arms to them

Part of him doesn't think he could let any of them go, but slowly they're taken into the families of those around him. Kiri takes one with her mate, some of their friends take others, but Anea somehow stays

He can't keep himself away from her but it scares him. Rotxo is there helping but he keeps them apart - scared of what facing the feelings would mean

He should have known better than to try

Rotxo scoops her up before he has a chance to one day, noting his mates attachment and wanting to confront what was happening

The little girl is tiny. She's 6 months old but barely reaches past his wrist and he feels his heart stop.

She's not scared of him, despite the fact that few Na'vi have interacted with her up to this point. Rather, she whines and nestles down into the warmth of his body. She's asleep before he can even reach Spider

He doesn't ask so much as tell Spider that it's time to bring her home

Rotxo is a very broad man, strong and muscled at this point in his life, but now he's reduced to a gushy mess over a little creature too young to care if she has him wrapped around her tiny finger

Norm is on cloud nine when they finally ask to adopt her

He knew they were going to take her the whole time - he practically raised the dumb fucks and he's tired of the skirting around, get his granddaughter a name and get on with it!

Kiri ultimately names her. They tell her the news and she melts, whispering Anea when she leans down to kiss the infants head

Naming her took some effort given their situation. Figuring out the family name, who would go where, etc was a little bit of a hassle since they wanted to respect Rotxo's family but make sure Spider was included

Ultimately, they use Socorro so she is connected to her humanity but Rotxo is the parents name they claim. She's human, but they give her a na'vi name so she never feels separated like her father did

And so, Anea te Socorro Rotxo'ite is born

Rotxo is 300% whipped for this little girl

He's terrified of hurting her but he's so beyond taken with her that he doesn't know how to function

Spider has to be the responsible parent who reminds him that she needs to be put down and that Rotxo can't stay in the shed 24/7 with them and he needs to go outside

While you might assume the tattooed warrior that will forever tower over this part of his family is the protective one, it's Spider

Spider didn't realize how lucky he was to survive his childhood until the others didn't

He takes protecting Anea to a whole new level and does everything in his power and beyond to protect her

Kiri thinks it's hilarious but is admittedly pretty bad as well with her own son, a slightly younger boy she adopted when they took in Anea

Anea and her cousin are raised in the shed behind Rocorro's marui until they're around 5 and able to wear a mask

When she's able to go outside, she takes after Spider a lot

She's a climber and an explorer, wanting to see and be in everything since she couldn't be before

Rotxo is the worst enabler and teams up with Lo'ak to get her into things she probably should not have access too

Surprisingly though, Tsireya is the one she chases after the most

Anea is a complete water baby and spends as much time as she can floating and playing in the water

Tsireya very proudly believes she is blessed by Ewya to show how she belongs with them, a diver through and through

Personality wise, she's very curious and can be headstrong but is kind of shy with new people since she grew up so sheltered

She's very comfortable with her clan but new people will have her in one of her dads arms or behind them in an instant

She's not a sickly child, but she has a lot of allergies and needs special food a lot

She is also asthmatic which was a very...intense day to figure out

She and Rotxo are close her entire life

As she gets older, she likes to study plants and helps maintain the reef

She takes a lot of interest in the science of pandora and ends up apprenticing under the aging scientists she grew up with

With some help from Ronal, Norm, Tsireya, and Kiri (a terrifying combination that scares the shit out of her Dads and uncles) she ends up working to combine some of Earth's science with the spiritual practices of Pandora

Despite growing up in the tail end of a war, she really isn't much of a fighter

She can defend herself but much prefers to stay concentrated on her studies where she can help it

With help from Spider, she has a much healthier connection between her humanity and her connection to Ewya

Physically, she's latina

Her family was Spanish

They know her mother and father were colonists but her mother is MIA in the documents they found and her Father died of illness shortly after arriving on Pandora

There are records of several siblings that returned to Earth and a brother that didn't survive

Rotxo is the one haunted the most by her family

She doesn't worry much over them, she only wishes she could have seen her siblings or could reach out to them

Spider is, surprisingly, more accepting of the mystery that is her biological family

He knows what it's like to wonder but has learned the hard way that blood only means so much

But Rotxo wonders where they are, if they watch over her, and feels like he lost a chance in never meeting her siblings

It hurts him that they're separated but the conflicts with Earth mean there's nothing that can be done

He never really stops wondering about them

He braids them into her songcord when she's little, smaller beads that dangle from the main cord before her adoption

She braids it into a half crown on her head when she's older

She has long, medium brown hair that reaches her mid back in waves. She braids it a lot but rarely sticks to one hair style for long

She has tan skin, freckles from the sun, and a honeyed complexion

Rotxo likes to joke that she has Spiders eyes

She's a very relaxed older sister and is truthfully very similar to Tsireya

However, she is a bit of a jokester with them like her Uncle Lo'ak or Spider when she gets wound up

She likes to team up with one of her Dads or uncles to play little tricks on her brothers or the clan - using new spices in their food is a favorite

She has ADHD and so Spider has to help her work out her energy a lot

That is, unless Rotxo uses it to make her spar with him

He loves that she's so peaceful but he's seen too much not to make her a strong warrior if it's called for

Rotxo love

This is how I view Rotxo in my writing, he needs some focus

So first things first, physically, Rotxo is short for a na'vi

Poor boy is the na'vi equivalent of a human 5'8" - he's not really that short but also, he will be bullied relentlessly

However, he is b u i l t

He's bulky and puts on muscle easily. (Though he has a little bit of a dad bod cause as he should - like as close as fat muscular as a na'vi body can be lmao)

He keeps the sides of his head shaved and the top in a half braided, half curly look that reaches about his mid-shoulder blades

Google says na'vi are 10' so he's like ,,, 9'6"? short king

Partially why he relishes having a human mate cause like ,, he can't talk shit

He wears an obscene amount of beads and jewelry - he is the oldest brother of his 8 siblings (poor boy has three older sisters and three younger, he is one of two boys in the whole house) and they don't mess around in decorating their big brother

Onto personality, he's a big softie

But he's aggressively protective of his family - something he got from growing up with Ronal as his third mom

He grew up prepared to be Ao'nungs right hand, but he didn't always have the drive to be a warrior

He liked the idea but never felt connected to it. It was just a part of the future he was meant to reach

it wasn't until he was pulling desperately at a bomb on Payakans fin and watching Lo'ak sob over his bleeding brother that he realized why he was going to be a warrior

He always mentally attributes his finding reason in his training to Lo'ak and his strength

So he starts training and learning to fight with a newfound passion

Having always been Ao'nungs right hand, its his plan to follow at his side once he's chief and protect their people

Family is the most important thing in their culture and Tonowari has been such a prominent figure in his life that it's his goal to live and die for them

...he needs some help with the self-love and valuing his worth too man

It's part of how he and Spider bond

He's made a majority of his life around Ao'nung and being there for the clan that he forgot to care about himself or really learn about himself as his own person

He finds out he likes cooking while trying to figure out how to not poison Spider after an unfortunate courting accident

He and Lo'ak bond by combining fighting styles and their culture

It's the culture that also helps him bond with Kiri, a surprise to everyone except Spider who knew they'd get on from the start

However, his favorite hobby is fishing - which he gets teased for relentlessly

For all his mischief and jokes, he's an old man at heart

He 100% can and will disappear become he was just vibing out on the water for hours and lost track of time

During which he also attempts to bring home little gifts constantly

He gets it from his little siblings but he's the type to bring you a rock he found and say it was pretty and reminded him of you

So all of his friends have jars of shells, rocks, flowers, etc that he finds for them

However, he also has a habit of collecting strays

He just takes shit home

An octopus was the worst until he showed up two orphaned ash boys that never left

Spider is passionate that its why he fell for him and very smugly holds up that he has a solid argument

But honestly Rotxo just cannot stand someone being alone

He grew up surrounded by so much love and so many people he cared for that the thought of someone being alone when he could fix it makes him feel sick

He is fucking terrified of crabs tho

Tsireya hung one from his loincloth when they were children and ah...things got pinched

Ao'nung used it to torture him growing up and now the one thing he struggle to accept as Ewya's are crabs

Honestly crustaceans in general

He hates them

Learning Spider could eat them was a blessing and a curse

Cause one, easy food to find and two, he gets to see them die (sorry Ewya) but that also means he has to help catch crabs for his family

As teens, it wasn't horrible. But by the time they are grown with 4 kids, it's actually his nightmare

He is a practical joker

He brings it out in Ao'nung too and they can rival Lo'ak and Spider for the amount of mischief they get into

Though theirs is normally innocent and not death or war inducing

The worst thing they ever did was sink a fishing ship - Lo'ak and Spider got kidnapped, they're doing fine

Constantly torn between big brother instinct and little brother instinct

He's the big brother but also,,, 3 big sisters feels like he should have a pass

He isn't as close to them as he'd like

The oldest two are mated to other water clans and the oldest still home is distant, they don't get on super well, but he was close with all three when he was a child

Well, they played a lot.

His mothers are both very doting parents and very loving, but for some reason there was always a disconnect with his directly older sister

The other two are still friendly and loving when they visit, just not as common in his life anymore while she is just ... separate. She hasn't been herself in years

It makes him the acting oldest and he takes that very seriously

He has three little sisters and then the youngest of the family is another boy, all of which are a decent amount younger than him

It wasn't planned that way but he likes having the gap between them, it gives him enough distance to care for them but enough closeness to enjoy them still

They're as much the bane of his existence as they are the joy of it

He will boast about them relentlessly while also trying to drown one because 8 kids was simply 7 too many

Tuk loves the littles though and so he spends a lot of time babysitting with Spider or Neteyam - the two that really get the big brother thing in the two ways he normally expresses it

All in all, he is a big family-loving, lowkey gym buff, softie that needs to learn to love himself

But, until he does, he has a small army prepared to do it for him

I need to keep expanding on this but I needed these thoughts out. Rotxo really hasn't gotten the development he deserves and I can't wait to see how he gets fleshed out

spider and rotxo being dads??

Hi!

How did you know that kids are my weakness holy shit my dude

I have so many thoughts okay -

I feel like Rotxo has a giant family. Like he has his moms and then he's one of 8. He has like 3 older siblings, then him, and then there's 4 little ones.

He wants a giant family. Like, he's down to recreate his moms vibe, but having a human for a mate changes things. Spider wants kids but had 0 expectations, he's sort of just down for whatever he gets. Everything in his life is a blessing he didn't expect - he puts it all in Ewya's hands

I imagine they have a little human girl that was orphaned when they invade Bridgehead City. There aren't many kids there but there's enough; repopulation was always the goal of taking over Pandora. Most of those with children either choose to stay under Na'vi regulation or leave them to go back to Earth. The war is not over yet but this is the Na'vis first big win.

Rotxo is 22 to Spiders 23 when they find her. They feel too young but she's there and needs parents. The humans aren't handling the changes but so well anyway and Spider can't put her down. However, the decision is made when Rotxo picks up this infant (I imagine like 6 months old) and she isn't afraid. She's barely to his mid-forearm but she just coos and goes to sleep.

She's their oldest by a wide margin. I imagine after her, they pick up a couple of orphaned Ash Na'vi children, two boys.

The war is making orphans and its Spiders weakness. Rotxo is just down to collect kids at this point, he's just thrilled to have a family with his mate without having to have difficult conversations about finding a way to carry them. (I imagine they could have children with inter-sex na'vi and/or trans Spider but it would be harder and the size difference could be potentially very rough so like, it's safer to adopt and for once there are kids that need it (I feel like orphans are more of a rarity with Na'vi since all kids are a gift, orphans are normally taken by family and aren't as common to just happen))

I want other peoples thoughts on if they should have more? I kind of imagine at least one more metkayina girl but thoughts?? I will 1000% build on this if people are interested, you have no idea how much I have thought about this @tuberculosis-chic

please this was such a fun ask

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

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

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

Homie has identity issues galore

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

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

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

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

However, FTM Spider was sort of a clumsy coming out

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

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

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

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

His coming out is what triggers Kiri's

Kiri is an asexual lesbian who uses she/they pronouns

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

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

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

Kiri didn't really have a sexuality crisis though

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

Tsireya is her first crush though

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is one track minded

The most loyal partner ever tho

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

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

He just forgot

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

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

It was a given to him

Funnily enough, he has the same taste as Kiri

Tsireya is not the first girl they both liked

While he is bi, he does lean mostly towards girls

He's a sucker for pretty

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

A simp (TM)

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

People her age are much fewer and she just likes friends

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

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

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

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

Once it starts tho she's a hopeless romantic

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

She's a mini Lo'ak that way

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

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

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

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

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

He falls hard for Neteyam though when he arrives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tsireya is pan

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

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

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

Might by poly but she never investigates it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rotxo has no clue what he is

He just knows he likes Spider

He's a giant softie

Like gentle giant himbo vibes but fiercely protective of his family

Very proud of his home and his heritage

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

He just likes who he likes

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

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

Like he has had maybe 2 crushes his entire life

So falling for Spider is a shock

But he's just happy to find his feelings returned

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

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

Hence part of how he and Spider bonded

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

Does a lot of soul searching after the Sullys come

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

Friendships

Kiri and Spider have been best friends since the beginning

They met when Kiri was still an infant and Spider around 2. He still wasn't allowed to leave the labs but he snuck in to one of Kiri's checkups

He was a climber and a builder - hence his name - and so it was hard to keep him out of where he wanted to be

So when the toddler heard another cry in the building it was only a matter of time before he found it

He wanders, stumbling through the offices he's confined to and sneaking until he reaches the Avatars

Jake is there, Kiri in his arms, sitting next to Ms. Grace's tank. He's talking and it sounds like a story which Spider loves so he of course toddles his way over. He climbs into the Na'vi's lap without regard for his size, skin, or the fact that he's only met Jake a handful of times.

Jake, to his credit, catches the tiny human with a free palm under his butt. Paying no heed to the flabbergasted look on the mans face, he peers down to stroke the girls cheek

He flies for a moment while Jake tries to keep them apart but then the girl has his hand in her palm

She blinks up with big eyes and Spider offers a giant toothless grin: there was no going back after that

Neteyam comes with Kiri

He's Spiders age but double his size, 2' taller for the 2 months he's younger

Still, Spider doesn't let the few kids his age on Pandora get away. He's a social butterfly and opts to conquer Neteyam's introverted ways.

And so he toddles after the blue boy everytime he comes with his sister

Kiri is growing fast, especially next to human growth standards, but she still has a ways to go to meet Spider, so her big brother will have to do

It's 3 months of toddling after him, pulling his tail, and playing with the pretty beads adoring his hair while Neytiri tries desperately to keep the little human away from him

But, once again, containing Spider is mission the adults surrounding him have yet to accomplish

And so Neteyam finds himself with a little blonde flea attached to his side

He chases the younger boy through the halls, giggling at the tiny hisses Neteyam lets out when he catches him. He pulls his tail and climbs onto his big boy bed - he can use the grown up bunks now! - while Neteyam tackles his obstacles with ease.

The other boy is shyer but Spider has learned how to rile him up by now

They play for the hour or two that Jake spends with Kiri getting monitored in the labs. If Neytiri is there then it's harder, but Spider can normally get a story for them at least.

It continues on for a while with Kiri joining them as she starts to crawl, then toddle with their hair or her brothers tail in her fist

And it seems that gets Spider a little too comfortable

Namesake on full display, he tries to climb the bunkbed ladders of the bunk room while Neteyam is chasing him

He's gotten far too big for most of Spiders tricks to slow him down so the child thinks this is his chance to get a rare upper hand

Except bunk beds are tall and metal is slick and maybe Spider isn't really that much of a big kid yet

He really does try to catch himself but its too slippery and he hits the ground hard

The scientists around the lab don't like it when he cries and really does try to keep it in, but his arm really hurts and he can't help but let it escape

He waits for Neteyam to mock him or tell him to stop but instead finds himself craddled against the boys chest.

"Shhhh, shh, 's okay Spi, just stop cryin'. I-I'll get my Daddy and Uncl' Norm." Spider only shakes his head and cries more, clinging to the other boys beads.

"No'uh, 'm okay. 'm a big boy."

Neteyam stutters for a minute before he nods. The two boys stay curled on the floor for a few minutes then with Spiders arm cradled between them.

"Don't worry, 'm here Spi. Every'tings okay."

Their relationship is never as close as the others growing up but there's an understanding between them the others never have

They're equals, the two oldest brothers.

They might be opposites but they've got one another's backs...even if that's just taking left while the other takes right to corner Lo'ak at highcamp.

Neteyam never made friends easily

Spider forced himself into the picture and his siblings never really got a choice in the matter

Sure, being the Ole'ekytans son meant some of the other kids would clamor for his attention but he never did good at being more than casual

Responsibilities stack on him like like the berries on Tuks tarts: he doesn't have the time or strength to devote to anything else

His siblings are enough though. There's a war and he can't loose focus or they'll get hurt

He left them once and lost Spider - he won't let it happen again

It gets lonely though

He chases after his kid brother and protects his sisters from as much as he can but...there's no one to look after him

Then he meets Ao'nung

Ao'nung is brave and cool and gets it in a way his siblings just can't

He may not have grown up in a war but he has a little sister and another on the way - he knows the responsibility of an important father and its addicting to have that person in his life

They lean on eachother, quietly, and he finally has something for himself

He tells him things he never told anyone else

He talks about his fathers expectations and pressure, his mothers trauma, his worry over the human they left behind, and his fear for Kiri's future. He talks about Lo'ak running into danger and Tuk losing her innocence and Ao'nung talks about his anger. About the fear he has of whats to come, about Tsireya and how he worries this will break her. He's weak around him and Neteyam savors it.

Time goes by and he gets hurt. His arm might never be the same as it was and his ear still rings with the echoes of gunshots but he has his brother back and his family is safe

Neytiri finally, finally lets Spider come home but it's not over

He doesn't think it ever will be

But Ao'nung slips his hand into his and maybe he'll be okay

Maybe he doesn't have to do this alone

Rotxo was Ao'nungs first friend

They were friends from the first time they sat through lessons together and they've been attached at the hip ever since

Rotxo knows Ao'nung will be a great Ole'ekytan but he'll need a right hand and Rotxo is ready to step up

For a long time he thinks maybe he'll be more than that but the Sullys arrive and they both find that path a different way

Still, they're eachothers person

They back one another up no matter what and there is rarely one without the other

In training they pair up, have joint moves that they make just for themselves and know the others gaps or weaknesses like its their own

Tonowari didn't want to train them for war but they didn't want to risk being unprepared

So when the sky people reach their waters, they spend every hour they can steal with one another

They spar and wrestle and carve more weapons

Their hands shake with fear and adrenaline but they keep their thighs pressed to the others and carry on

Rotxo gains muscle mass and Ao'nung learns to use a bow Neteyam carved. They grow their skills, their strength, but also their fear

Unlike the Sullys, they didn't grow up with war on the horizon

They don't know what's coming and cling to each other while they can.

No matter what, they know they can rely on the other

It isn't until they see Quaritch dead that they'll let go of the breath they're holding but they hold the other up until then

Nothing could pry them apart and nothing that tries will walk away

Spreading the Rotxo x Spider agenda

Listen they're buddies

Rotxo has no clue what the hell he's supposed to do with this little demon when he shows up after Three Brothers Rock but he keeps showing up and he's actually kind of cool

He's like Lo'ak but slightly calmer?? He'll dive headfirst off the cliffs but he'll also sunbathe for 3 hours and that's the energy he needs

At first, their relationship is sorta tense; Lo'ak gave them a run for their money the first time they tried the mean girl routine but a few still try to pick on Spider

Seeing his siblings band around him and he himself attempt to bite and claw his way out of it is sort of his introduction to the group

(aka that's when he realizes they're cool, Kiri dragged Spider with them about a half hour after they got settled)

Meanwhile Spider lowkey thinks Rotxo is a little bitch tbh, it takes until Rotxo punches a guy for him to separate him from Ao'nung at all

Once they start actually talking its game over

Rotxo falls first but Spider falls harder

Spider grew up with absolutely 0 belief that anyone would ever be romantically interested in him and so he never really paid that stuff any mind

So when Rotxo tentatively offers him a courting gift, he has literally no clue why everyone is freaking out cause they're just bros???

But Kiri insists on braiding the little beads into the front of his hair and Rotxo damn near goes down when he sees his gift accepted

Listen he acts all big and tough but he's a big damn softie

Homie is a marshmallow

His next gift was a pair of woven gloves that honestly are absolute crap cause Na'vi don't normally need them but Jake may have quietly dropped that it could help Spider with riding

because yes, Jake is in on it and dammit he needs to make up for the lost Dad time

Spider thinks they're the shit and starts trying to make more pairs. At first, Rotxo thinks his weren't good enough until an even shittier pair ends up on his Marui in the morning

Kiri eventually sits Spider down to be like ",,, you know how na'vi courting is...right??"

But he thinks she is trying to get him to notice his feelings for Rotxo (which she is) and court him (she groaned so loud the birds flew away)

So they both start attempting to court the other, not realizing that the other already is

It isn't until Tsireya sits them down 3 months in and sounds it out for them that they realize anything

At that point though they just settle into a courtship filled with competition

Cause now someone needs to win

Gifts, lessons, help, etc fly between them to everyone's amusement and frustration

Eventually, Rotxo gets a little too confident and gets him a blend of herbs from Ronal that is not human safe and that's when they finally have to call it quits (Spider is adamant that almost killing your boyfriend means he won)

Rotxo is the second person that Spider tells what happened to him in his captivity

(Kiri was the first, they spent hours one night lamenting everything that happened with their feet in the water)

Unlike Kiri, Rotxo had no idea what the sky people are capable of

It's he who finally gets Spider to tell the Sullys, Tonowari, and Norm what happened

Rotxo trains him with Neteyam to get Spider's strength back up, trying to help him regain his abilities from before and feel capable again

Spider never really got real lessons on much of anything, it was all that Neteyam and Lo'ak taught him after Jakes lessons or the few times he snuck with them on a hunt

So his fighting style is a weird mix of instinct, forest techniques, and the military skills he picked up in Bridgehead

Rotxo thinks its hot lowkey but Ao'nung and Tonowari decide he needs real training

(Especially if he's gonna be a part of their clan someday)

Thoughts??? I have many

Spixo?? Roter?? Tf are they called??

Anyway

Rotxo has identity issues and has a crisis when the Sully kids show up

They're different. They aren't of their people and they're weird - they have extra fingers, tufts of hair over their eyes, their skin is dark, their eyes the wrong size, their tails too thin - he could go on

Yet they're so proud

There's a sense of purpose in them, they aren't quite kids like he, Ao'nung, or Tsireya are.

It scares the hell out of him

He lashes out at Lo'ak and Kiri, goes for their weaknesses when Ao'nung does

He wants them to leave, take their war with them, and let his family stay safe and tucked away on their beaches

They don't, clearly, and yet he comes to care for them

They're freaks but they're his freaks

Tsireya coming home with blood on her hands, teary cheeks, and Lo'ak in her arms terrifies him. However much he grew up that day he thinks she did double

Ao'nung is suddenly fast tracking his apprenticeship as Olo'eyktan

And he's left behind

Spider comes with the worst day of his life thus far

He once would have gutted anyone who said he would accept a sky person in his home but so much has changed and he can't bring himself to do anything without Ao'nung there to lead him

So he throws himself into his training, wanting to stop what happened to him and his friends from ever happening here

If what happened in the forests happened here he thinks it would kill him

Then Jake convinces Tonowari to let them use a gun

Tonowari - the man who is practically a second father to him after growing up between his children, who hated this war more than anyone he knew, who barely let them use offensive moves before their 15th year - is scared for them

He's awful with a gun

Metkayina kids don't get to carry a gun, it's not allowed to be their primary weapon, it's only for emergencies, but he saw what happened to Neteyam and he needs to know how to use it

He's off in the woods along their beaches trying to practice. Training was over hours ago but he doesn't take to it like the older kids (he and Ao'nung are the youngest learning right now - they strong armed their way in and he thinks it broke Tonowari a little bit inside)

Every shot is just a little off, he can't get the target quite right

Metyakina are spear wielders, their weapons bring them close to their enemies and they use their strength to bring them down. Bows are a necessity but archers are few in the specialty: it's just not what they do

The gun is heavy in his hands, hard to balance and kicks back every time he tries to shoot

Why the hell a weapon bites the user he has no fucking clue -

"Brace your back foot. You're leaning too much, it's not a harpoon."

...

Rotxo will swear for the decades to come that he did not jump, fuck you-

Then the little sky-person is there

He met Spider when they brought him home

The boy was pale, thin beyond what he suspected was natural if the slight sway to his stance had anything to say. He was mottled in bruises and striped with scars but there was a feral strength in the kids eyes

He stuck close to the Sully kids, blended right into the little pack they made up

The other kids flanked him at nearly all times. He never saw the blonde alone and they seemed happy that way. The kid was haunted but he guesses they all are now

They didn't talk much. Lo'ak threatened him with raw fear in his eye that if he and Ao'nung even tried an ounce of what they did to him then peace talks and found friendships be damned, he'd make them regret it

Spider would hang out with them, but he didn't talk much. Most of the others still resented him. They feared him or hated him and Rotxo suspects he knew that

That said, he doesn't know what to do when Spider walks up and forces his gun down to his level

He moves his hands, steps back and adjusts his stance, then steps back with an approving nod.

"Alright. Aim a little lower, you aren't in the green. Shoot, it'll be better."

He hits the target in the neck, then the tree behind it. The gut the third time.

"Uh..thanks."

Size Difference

Spider is tiny next to Rotxo and it terrifies him 

He’s short for a na’vi, around 8’8 as opposed to pushing 9’3 to 9’6 but he’s bulky. Metkayina are slim and nimble but his muscle adds a sturdiness to him uncommon for his people 

Still, he’s a almost two and a half foot taller than his boyfriend 

At first it was nothing. He’s 15 and his hand reaches half way around Spiders thigh when they wrestle, his other hand easily encapsulating his calf. Spider is hard to catch but if Rotxo can, he can easily out strengthen him 

It’s fun. It’s as close to carefree as they can be in a war

Sure, Rotxo sees the bruises and scuffs more on Spider than the others but the blonde wears them with pride. His siblings scoff at him and add poultice - rubs he learns the herbs for and will gather himself - but he thinks nothing of it 

The sky people haunted his dreams growing up. The other boys dared them to come down and face them, but Rotxo fought tears every night when laid down after those stories. His mothers would wrap him in their arms and whisper they’ll never come. But they did.

Spider is different. He’s not theirs, he’s Ewyas child through and through. But while they’re young, he’s invincible 

He wears scars of torture na’vi children wouldn’t face even in nightmares but he laughs and fights and plays just like the other Sully kids 

He doesn’t realize for years that they were just grasping at what was left 

They’re 18 when he realizes the strength he holds over the other

They’ve been courting a few months, slower than most due to the differences between them, and Rotxo finally manages to pin him down in their training 

Spider never lets himself get brought down. But Rotxo knows him too well - he knows what to expect and finally, finally he manages to get the upper hand 

He pins Spider down with one hand to his chest. Then, he twists until he straddles his thighs. A teasing grin adorns his features and be dramatically goes to deliver a killing blow

He wraps a hand around Spiders throat with all the playful theatrics that normally make up their relationship - but he stills when he realizes his fingers easily reach one another behind his head

His entire neck fits easily in Rotxos palm, his chest is covered by the other hand and he knows it would take just a little pressure to end him 

The sky people aren’t so invincible anymore

Spider seems to realize the vulnerability just before Rotxo, but he doesn’t run

Any other time he would growl, bite and kick and thrash until he gets himself out. But he just lays there

His cheeks are flushed a bright red and his lips slightly parted, but his body doesn’t tense

He trusts him and that’s more pressure than anyone could ever put on Rotxo 

Officially mating is…a process to say the least. But it only reaffirms that Rotxo has to be strong enough to protect his family 

Spider trusts him. He gave himself to Rotxo and took him in return. He knows Spider would die for him - he has to make sure he won’t 

He’s protective, sure, though still not quite as bad as the humans siblings. Still, he spends all his time trying to bulk up and be stronger 

Being a warrior was just a job once, now he finally feels the purpose in it 

He has a family to protect and he’ll be damned if he fails him

Home

Home

Spider was never meant to find Home 

He knows that. No matter what Kiri whispers to him, what Lo’ak insists when the young warriors of the Omatikaya attempt to chase him off, or what Neteyam mumbles when Neytiri whips around with venom on her lips - he knows it, because if it were wrong, it would mean that everything that’s happened was for no reason. He can’t go that route, and so Home is just a concept he’ll never know 

His siblings tempt to sway him many times over the years - they feel so much like Home it hurts, but he’s not so selfish to risk it for them when he knows he already took it from their mother 

He’s seen his father in the photos the scientists don’t know he has, video logs that show a man that’s only been a horror story his whole life 

But what scares him is he sees himself 

He sees his eyes, the scowl when he’s angry, the cinch in his brow. He scowls at the image and sees his own face stare back. 

So yeah. He doesn’t have a home. He has siblings though, and that’s more than he deserves. So Spider is okay. Really, he is.

But then his Dad shows up 

—- 

Quaritch is everything he thought he’d be and…not. 

He’s angry. The man is full of hate and a need for revenge. He destroys the ground beneath his feet and spits on the life that’s surround them. He doesn’t know Ewya but he hates her none the less. 

But he’s protective. Possessive of what’s his (and yet another damn thing he got from his father) and it seems Spider is included in that

He hates it but a part of him feels protected - it’s safe in the that’s holding a poison blade is. He’s one slip up from hell 

But hell was bridgehead. It was the feeling of his deepest parts being pried out and displayed like the pages of a storybook 

No one cared as they saw some of his best and his darkest days. 

No one cared when the whips came out. When he bled so much he worried it was fatal 

No one cared when he starved, when the distant sound of wildlife made his stomach twist with need. 

Except Quaritch. 

Quaritch snuck him food, bandaged his back, and pulled him down. 

His hands may have delivered some of the blows or his lips produced the words to trigger nightmares but he cared. 

Love is complicated, but he knows his Dad loved him

He thinks he may have too 

Quaritch saw him. 

He didn’t know. He thought he did but he didn’t but he wanted to he knows he did - 

Then Neteyam almost dies. No one came for him. They left him, gave him up, except his brothers didn’t 

Neteyam and Lo’ak fought for him. 

They risked their lives when they had the chance to get away

Spider pieces his home together after that

Home finds him in the nights after when he rests with Kiri on his shoulder and Lo’ak’s hand loose in his grip. Tuk is curled into her mothers chest and Jake stands a silent guard at the door. Neteyam is flat on the bed of one of Ronal’s medical tents. His brother has been asleep for a few hours now with Norms assistance, but his family is too afraid to leave his side

He’s been awake the whole time. He hurts in ways he didn’t know he could until his capture but the warmth of his closest friends is too precious to loose right now. Still, he can’t sleep. Adrenaline is running under his skin and anxiety is inching up his throat. Jake is outside, safe and strong, but his tracker could lead the rest of the sky people here again, never mind Norms tempering, or his memories could have a clue, they had to be recorded, or - 

Jake lays a large hand on his shoulder. 

He jumps and a scared gasp escapes his throat before he processes the subtle differences. The thinner fingers, callouses Quaritch hasn’t had time to form yet, the gentleness. 

“You need to sleep, Kiddo.”

Spider shudders and bows his head. “I will, just…can’t. I’ll go lay down in a few hours. When they’re okay.”

He can practically hear Jake roll his eyes. “I’m here. You’re safe, they’re safe. You need to sleep, Son.” 

They both freeze, blood cold and eyes wide, as the silence envelops them.

Then, of course, Lo’ak snores and the moments gone. Jake laughs softly and suddenly exhaustion is pulling at his eyelids. A cushion slides behind him and a hand gently lowers him down. 

“Sleep.” 

The pieces come faster after that.

He cries with Kiri for hours. Laments his father, spills everything he felt. She’s the first one he tells the truth too. She knows more than he thinks anyone else ever will 

He tells her Quaritch is alive. He tells her its all his fault.

She cries, yells, and then they just lay there. She tells him how scared she was of her mother. How lost she felt without him there. 

He looks at her as she cries and another puzzle piece slides into place

Lo’ak and Neteyam came together when they came back for him, but it doesn’t feel settled until later. 

They’re on their ilu with Spider behind Lo’ak as they race out to meet Payakan. He’s giant and beautiful and damn terrifying, but Lo’ak describes him as his soul brother. An extension of himself and a badass of a friend. They tell him how Payakan saved them. How he helped get Spider home

He’s scared and excited and now sure what to make of the beast, but then Lo’ak is leaving him on the ilu and falling into the water 

He rises on a fin the size of a small marui with a loud whoop that can’t help but make Spider laugh in astonished awe 

“Paya, meet my other brother, Spider.” Then a wave of water is splashing over him as Lo’ak laughs in a way he hasn’t heard since the forest 

His breath leaves his lungs as he laughs and laughs, happy for more reasons than one. Neteyam meets his gaze from across the surf and smiles then one quick nod. He holds his gaze and feels the warmth spread in his chest. 

“Team up?”

“Team up.”

Tuk has been his little sister since he held her in his arms for the first time. Neteyam snuck him over when they were barely into puberty and put a baby the size of his torso into his arms 

He remembers her being the most terrifying thing in the world. He was so sure she would be terrified of him, that he would make her cry as soon as she was in his arms and the other kids would realize he’s a monster 

But Tuk has always been Tuk and she just grinned and pulled his hair. Her Tswin fluttered with her affections and he knew he would do anything for her 

He had never seen her angry, truly angry, until she stumbled into him cleaning the cuts along his hips and back. The cloths on the floor are bloody and his skin is angry and mottled but he had been decent at hiding the level of it until now. Behind her, Neytiri stops in her tracks as she takes in his scars 

Tuk’s eyes fill with tears and then he has a bundle of 5’7” child in his arms 

Her eyes flash and she looks like her mother when she growls out; “What happened? They hurt you?” 

He stutters, not knowing what to say when Neytiri kneels down in front of him. She takes the ointment and the bandages in front of him, moves his arm from his side, and begins to apply. Her hands are shaking and he realizes he’s never seen her frazzled 

“You’re a child.” 

He looks up, Tuk now angrily crying in his arms while she cleans and gently bandages the wounds. “I..I know…look, I’m sorry Tuk saw, I-I didn’t think anyone was coming back for a while..” 

“You’re a child. Children are precious. I-I didn’t realize they…that…” She scowls down at the drying blood and puts the wrap down. She pulls him forward so he rests against her with Tuk snug between them. “I’m sorry, Spider. This will not happen again.” 

His face is red and words don’t seem to work but he manages a scared nod. “O-Okay?” 

She nods, decisive, and resumes her work. Then, lifts a dirty dread with a disgruntled finger. “These next. My children will not be seen looking uncared for.” 

And that’s that. He has a family, a home, and it’s all he ever wanted. 

He doesn’t think it could get better. 

Part two coming cause holy shit it's 2000 words

Rotxo x metikayan reader?

Y/n isnt a healer or a fighter, they enjoy singing and dancing for the clan

Other then that I've got nothing so go crazy!!

Rotxo x Metkayina ! Reader

Pronouns used : They / Them

Note(s) : The readers ilu is named Kailani, no reason other than it'd be clunky to constantly write 'the ilu'

"When you bond with a ilu they do not bond for life, they are not owned by anybody, you will be able to make the bond soon but first you must-" The gentle yet firm hold I had on my ilu, Kailani, was loosened in confusion as my words trailed off, the lesson put a hold as the children watching my demonstration jumped. The distracting event that caused this being an unusual flap of strong wings and an earsplitting animal cry.

This did not sound like the creatures I had ever been familiar with.

My eyes snapped up and landed on the ikran's in the sky, tilting my head as Kailani done the same, chirping in confusion and fear at the five flying creatures. They were from the forest, forest people do not come to our islands unless they were warning or in trade with my people. The latter has not happened for years. The children began muttering, looking completely mesmerised by the ikran's, I sternly began speaking to them.

"Although it is unlikely this is a warning of danger, we must be respectful to them, understand?" My ears downcast in worry as my heavy tail stiffly stuck to my leg as a hope for closeness. The multiple lessons on culture or gathering materials were stopped, all children were now on the back of the adult's or teenager's ilus to ride over and witness what was happening.

One hopped behind me on Kailani and held on tight. I gently stroked the head of Kailani and muttered 'forward', repeating comforting words in my head to calm both me and the the unsure ilu down, sucking in a hurried breath and slowing down my now steady heartbeat as my head peeked underwater. I expertly navigated the corals and stones leading to the beach where they'd land, worried for the safety of my people made you almost completely unaware of my own surroundings, yet still pushing forward until I saw the sand form a slope to the beach.

As my head slowly rose from the water I breathed in the air, waiting until Kailani didn't have much more room to swim so I could gently take the child off her back, pushing them to join their mother who hurriedly motioned for them to come closer.

I had come just in time to witness them be in conversation with our tribes Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, Tonowari and Ronal respectively. The forest people had strange features, while I was of course fully aware forest people had darker skin, thinner arms, different eyes and fluffy tipped tails, however these ones had more fingers than they were suppose to, and strange hair above their eyes.

This was very crudely pointed out by the Tsahik who was only convinced to give them shelter by their close family bond, the Olo'eyktan motioned to the group of teenagers consisting of his two children, Ao'nung and Tsireya, along with Rotxo, telling them how they'd be of assistance to learn the ocean people's ways.

He then turned to me, informing the family of outsiders how I am one of the best at teaching young ones to prepare for ilu's and even a warriors ride. Therefore it would stand to reason I would be excellent at teaching them our people's ways, as if they were young children learning for the first time.

My heart sped up slightly at the thought of working with Rotxo, I had been nervous around him for years and so rarely joined in on hunts where he was involved. It helped greatly how I'm not a healer or one of the warriors in training for my tribe, therefore I would not be in close proximity to healing him as he was fairly reckless, nor would I be training with him regularly. However, now I wouldn't be able to back out, it made me nervous, but also made me excited.

On the next sunrise me and the others would begin teaching the outsiders, and while I had never prided myself on appearances, preferring your cultures dances or songs, I took extra time doing my hair and perfecting how our clothing was worn. I'd told myself it was in order to show a good first impression for the tribes guests, however, I was fully aware of the true reason.

With an extra pep in my step, bouncing lightly on the cloth which connected my own marui and another's, then jumping from them into the water. I happily twirled around the rich wildlife around me and drifted towards the main part of the beach. Popping my head out of the water, I noticed Tsireya and two of the forest people, but nobody else. Slowly standing up and exiting the water, I looked around completely confused on where Rotxo and the others were.

"Where is everybody?" I questioned Tsireya, she smiled knowingly at the very obvious 'hidden' meaning to my question.

"Rotxo." She paused with heavy emphasis on his name "Is with Ao'nung, Neteyam, the eldest brother, and Kiri, the eldest daughter. We will be teaching Tuk-" She gestured to the youngest. "-and Lo'ak." Tsireya gave a softer smile to him and almost whispered his name, I honestly wanted to laugh at how she teased me for my crush yet was head over heels for a complete stranger, but I held my tongue.

"Alright, should we begin with breathing exercises?" I sucked in a sharp breath and tried to not seem too down, they need teaching and I was chosen for this reason, not to drool needlessly over a boy.

When the first lesson was over, Tuk and Lo'ak had done well in learning how to hold their breath effectively, and while they couldn't hold it anywhere near me or Tsireya, the forest siblings were better than when they had started. The group were all going to disperse when I heard loud splashing.

"First lesson over for you as well? Thought you'd take less time" The eldest brother rolled his eyes at Lo'ak's passive aggressive comment, smiling and sassily smacking the back of his head. He was going to reply when a bundle of hair bounced to Tsireya and loudly spoke.

"Because we're done with lessons can I learn songs!" Tuk dragged out songs and tugged on Tsireya's arm, who looked down at her shining yellow eyes and laughed a little.

"Well, I am the wrong person, look over there if you want to learn dance and song." She teasingly whispered, shaking her shoulders and smiling bright at how my face practically lit up in seconds.

"Oh! Yes, well what type do you want to know? We have plenty of wonderful songs and dance for you to learn! Of course it cannot compare to your own culture which has more music than us, however it is still needed for certain ceremonies and-" I continued rambling as Tuk's excited look got happier every second, bouncing on her feet and begging for you to teach her.

"Tonight I will teach you! Do you all wish to join as well?" I looked at the other siblings in anticipation, who nodded and agreed with eager smiles. I turned to the other Metkyina's present. "Tsireya, Ao'nung-" I shyly looked down, my face beginning to burn a little "Rotxo... Do you want to join in teaching?"

"Why not? Some of our practices do require many of us." Tsireya grinned, turning to her brother who rolled his eyes. Muttering some choice words to which she slapped his arm and looked with eyes wide at me and Rotxo. Ao'nung's mouth gaped for a second before chuckling.

"Sure, fine." He agreed, Rotxo only joining due to this, I gratefully smiled at the chiefs son and motioned for them all to join me.

"We shall go prepare," I turned to the forest siblings "You will all meet us here after we eat, okay?" They all nodded, a small grumble from Lo'ak on if he has to but agreeing with a grin for a certain friend of mine nonetheless.

We shall rushed to our marui and gained permission to ask for some instruments that players would be willing to lend us, along with playing for when he would dance. When the time had come, I noticed Tsireya and Ao'nung whispering to each other, worried on if something was wrong I decided to approach them.

"Are we missing anything?" Tsireya shyly looked down.

"I forgot to ask one of the instrument players, is there any way you could go to Apikalia and ask if they will join?" She asked, I nodded given we still had a few minutes until we were expected to start.

"Of course!" I began my way across the beach, skipping and happily humming a tune to myself while in waiting, jumping up to the cloth bridges. However, as I looked into Apikalia's marui not to find them, but to find Rotxo.

I jumped in surprise and he proceeded to do the same, holding a hand over his beating heart. My face burned hot, I looked down and began stuttering, I realised I was set up by Tsireya and her brother.

"Oh, you're already looking for them? I will go-" My sentence was momentarily cut off as Rotxo rushed forward and grabbed my hand. Only a few feet away from me.

"Why are you avoiding me?" His voice was high and offended, but also worried. I opened my mouth in shock, closing it soon after when his eyes almost welled with tears, shiny and deep whenever I looked in them, demanding an answer.

"I didn't want to, I just..." Gulping, I thought. Better now then never. "Can't face you." I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, slowly preparing myself to answer.

"Because...?" He trailed off, Rotxo's eyes had fear in them. For what I was unsure, but if I hid my feelings things would never progress.

"Because I love you. Rotxo. I see you." My hands subconsciously done the motion, looking up into his shocked eyes. They softened as he stepped closer to me.

"And I see you." His grip left my hand, instead going to my shoulders and leaning in close. I done the same, both of us closing our eyes, both our lips meeting in a sweet and shy kiss. Neither aware on how to do this, but both confident in our abilities as long as it was us. Together.

When we separated, I looked down.

"We were set up..." I awkwardly twiddled with my hands. "Tsireya and her dumb brother." I mumbled and crossed my arms, moving back two steps.

"Oh, I thought we were genuinely both searching for Apikalia." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head shyly when I laughed, moving his other hand down to hold my own. Both of our heads turned to the opening when someone awwd and another gagged.

"You two are so adorable." Tsireya held a hand over her chest in adoration, laughing loudly when I stuck my tongue out like a child.

"You're so gross." Ao'nung cringed at us. We both, embarrassed, realised we were still holding hands. Yanking my hand off and glaring daggers at the other boy.

"At least we have each other, what do you have?" I sassily crossed my arms over my chest, Rotxo held a hand over this mouth trying desperately not to laugh at him.

"They're not wrong-" Tsireya began teasing her brother but he playfully hissed at me and began leaving.

"Come on, they're expecting us and we're late, losers." Ao'nung chuckled when he heard me stomping over, jumping into the water and avoiding my playful slap to his head.

"He's right, let's go." Tsireya joined her brother swimming to the beach, I smiled and looked back to Rotxo who was shyly walking closer to me.

"So you want to hunt with me tommorow? I know you don't like hunting but, it's either you or Ao'nung." He shyly held his hand out, to which I took and grinned.

"Of course I'll join you, idiot. Don't think I'll be any good though."