Archive of Our Own

Being a thirdwheeler or what his father would call (as an attempt to make it seem more inclusive), a chaperone, for his younger brother and his girlfriend had become an ordinary task for Neteyam. Neteyam has become a personal driver and sometimes even a benefactor, for the couple and their little dates. Tsireya’s definition of dates would be cafe hopping to different eateries with peculiar or cute themes while Lo’ak preferred amusement parks or movie theatres. Either way, Neteyam would always tag along just to watch over them as ordered by his father who was afraid that Lo’ak would do something “ungentlemanly”. Little did he know that his son had a passionate and genuine relationship with Tsireya.

Despite their adolescence, Lo’ak and Tsireya built their relationship based on mutual stability and trust. The whole school knew of the couple even if they have only been together for six months. Some even bet that the two would end up being prom king and queen one day.

The day the Sullys moved to Awa’atlu, Lo’ak never expected himself to be in a relationship. He was a hopeless romantic, that was for sure but for him to attract Tsireya, the golden girl of the institution. Beyond her notable prowess as the school’s female swim captain, she was admired by many for her warm and welcoming character. Other than that, she was also part of the welcoming committee for the new students which brought her and Lo’ak together in the first place. Their relationship began with a few lunches and classes together, developing rather fast. Regardless, it was deemed as natural for them.

The shopping mall just opened in front of school and the couple had Neteyam drive them there multiple times already. It was an ordinary Wednesday as Neteyam sat in the car, slumping against the driver’s seat as he scrolled through his phone. As usual, his younger brother needed a driver and “chaperone” for his date at the mall or at least he assumed that was their destination for the day. His ears perked up at the sound of the car door opening behind him. He turned slightly to the two lovebirds as they made their way in the car with their backpacks slung over their shoulders and cheerful grins on their faces. It was almost comical, really. Neteyam felt like a father waiting for his children to finish school.

“Now, where are you two heading to?” Neteyam asks them, darting his eyes to the rear view mirror.

He saw that Tsireya took out a bottle of perfume and with the press of the nozzle, the fruity scent of her fragrance wafted in the car. She made sure to spray her boyfriend as well, who was sweating heavily after a basketball match, his jersey drenched in dampness. Neteyam could complain but over the days, various scents have made their way in his car from these two that he could care less about.

“Well.. there’s a new arcade a few blocks away! It even has a really cute photobooth!” Tsireya squealed out and rummaged through her bag to find her phone. In an instant, she leaned forward and pushed her phone to Neteyam’s face, showing him a vibrant photo of her desired destination for the day.

Lo’ak seemed less impressed by the idea but as always, he could never say no to Tsireya. The lack of interest was noticed by Neteyam, bringing a small and amused smile on his lips. “Yeah, an arcade. Good lighting for the gram and all that crap.” Lo’ak laughed, trying to pique some enthusiasm.

“Sounds good.” Neteyam commented with a grin, rolling his sleeves up as he gripped on the steering wheel.

When he was sure of the seatbelt clicks behind him, he started to pull out of the parking lot and the car glided through the streets accompanied by the soft hums of the engine. Neteyam drove at a leisurely pace, tapping his slender fingers against the wheel to the tunes playing on the radio. The couple sitting at the backseat engaged in an animated conversation about some topic they had in their shared classes which Neteyam merely listened to as his eyes were fixed on the road.

Tsireya shifted in her seat, her school bag rested on her lap. “You know what I’m most excited about? Those claw machines with the cute plushies!” She mused, shaking her head in excitement as her dangling pearl earrings swayed slightly. A small scoff escaped Lo’ak’s lips at his girlfriend’s eagerness.

“Babe, you do know that those things are rigged?” He remarked, crossing his arms.

“Hey, I’ve seen a lot of people win!” She argued, jabbing a finger to his chest with a small huff.

“Well, I’m not one to agree with Lo’ak that often but he’s right, Reya. You only win when you spend a certain amount of money.” Neteyam added, his eyes momentarily flickering to the rear mirror to see Tsireya’s reaction. As he expected, she shook her head again in dismissal to these claims.

“And the amount is not so student-friendly.” Lo’ak grumbled and rolled his eyes.

“Oh please. You two are being pessimistic right now,” She groaned, “I least expected that from you, Teyam.”

“I’m only being honest.” Neteyam implied with a small shrug.

The two brothers were right to be doubtful of those claw machines once they arrived at the arcade. It was a separate building and the exterior was illuminated by neon signs, displaying the dynamism of the arcade. With a twist of the car key, Neteyam stepped out of the vehicle along with the two younger teens following behind him. Tsireya seemed astonished by the building itself, fishing her phone out of her purse to snap pictures while Lo’ak just stood there, unimpressed as his girlfriend clung around his arm as she did her thing.

As they approached closer, Tsireya stopped in her tracks after hearing familiar laughter from the vicinity. Naturally, Neteyam’s eyes drifted over to where she was glancing at and he felt a rush of warmth flood over his cheeks. He could hear his heart pounding against his chest, louder than the muffled cacophony of sounds inside the arcade building. The exasperation in Tsireya’s features became a mere blur as his gaze fell on her brother whom she was scolding for whatever reason. Aonung leaned against the wide windows of the building, arms folded over as he slightly turned his head away from Tsireya just to spare himself from her babbling. As usual, he was with his 3 silly goons or leeches as Tsireya would like to call them.

“Why are you everywhere?!” She groaned out, leaning forward to smack him lightly on the head, “I swear you’re following me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I was here first so you’re the one who’s following me here.” He hisses, rubbing his head, “And what’s the point of gatekeeping the arcade? It’s all over online anyway.”

The others watched as they quarrel over the petulant subject. Lo’ak watched, amused but he gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Aonung’s friends as a greeting to which they returned. He was on the same basketball team as them and Aonung was his basketball captain.Despite their rocky start, they forced their way into a friendship since they were bound to bump into each other more often anyway. To their surprise, Lo’ak and Aonung vibed with each other but they bickered a lot in their own friendly manners which others would confuse as downright insults. Aonung even managed to pull a few strings to have Lo’ak play on the senior team.

Neteyam, on the other hand, stood there as he fumbled with his car keys. Aonung barely paid any attention to him so he took the opportunity to steal a quick glance at the Metkayina boy. Neteyam had a secret or at least, he liked to call it a secret but the others had their suspicions. While he has never shared any personal moments with Aonung, Neteyam found the basketball captain attractive. Secret admirers were ubiquitous when it came to Aonung so in his head, Neteyam justified his attractions. Yet, he would rather die than label it as a crush for his own ego. The few interactions that they had throughout their shared classes and Aonung’s teasing nature just made it even worse for him.

He tried to avert his gaze away from Aonung, realising that he has been staring for a while now. Stupid Aonung with his stupid, charming smile. His amber eyes unconsciously lingered a little longer than he anticipated, taking in his features once more. Aonung stood there, a flicker of mischief in his pacific blue eyes and the exposure of his fangs as he let out a deep chuckle at his sister’s scolding. He had his basketball jacket tied around his waist, the same one Lo’ak sported merely with a different colour to flaunt his leadership in the team. The sunlight made his silver lip ring glimmered in the afternoon sunlight, exuding the charming rebellion Neteyam was strangely drawn to. Aonung had his lip pierced at some random, sketchy parlour which required no age identification. He was lucky enough that it did not get infected. Nevertheless, he had no regrets either way.

“You’re not even inside the building! And.. you’re blocking the arcade sign!” Tsireya pointed out, lifting a finger in his face.

“Relax! We’re just figuring out where to eat.” Aonung grumbled, rolling his eyes. His attention shifted to Neteyam who was still staring at him. A little smirk played on his lips as he cocked his head to his side.

“Not even a ‘hi’, bunny boy?” He chuckled, propping his arm on his shorter friend’s shoulder as an attempt to look all cool. The nickname rolled off his tongue in a playful manner and yet, it made Neteyam’s cheeks warm up.

Aonung liked poking fun at Neteyam’s little bunny teeth, a cute flair that stood out from his “mighty, big brother” exterior. Aonung liked provoking Neteyam and his perfectionist attitude. Similarly to Tsireya, even if he was fairly new to school, he has already achieved the “golden boy” title. Neteyam was already deemed the paragon of perfection in the school’s eyes with his ability to balance his academic pursuits and athleticism. He first gained this unwanted popularity by joining the archery club competition where he displayed his abilities as a precise marksman. Unwanted because he only participated for the certificate not to get swooned by screeching freshmen.

“Oh! Hey, Aonung..” Neteyam greeted him, snapping out his thoughts as he gave him a small wave. Lo’ak’s ears flickered at the visible nervousness in Neteyam’s tone as he rolled his eyes. He knew that his brother had a thing for Aonung and it was rather annoying that Neteyam was trying to hide it when it was blatantly obvious.

“Why don’t we just go in the arcade?” Lo’ak suggested and placed his hands on Tsireya’s shoulders, “Better than standing around here with fish lips and his shrimps.”

“Good call.” Tsireya huffed, sticking her tongue out at Aonung before she turned her heel away from him to march off with Lo’ak into the arcade.

“It’s not that fun in there, trust me!” Aonung yelled out to them as they disappeared into the building.

While the two entered, Neteyam jumped at their sudden absence and sheepishly smiled at Aonung and his group before he turned to follow them as well. However, Aonung walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head in confusion, his face reddening at the sudden proximity when the taller boy stepped closer to him.

“E-eh? Ao-” Neteyam stopped when Aonung crouched down, grasping one of Neteyam’s ankles gently. His amber eyes darted down to the kneeling boy, realising that he was working his nimble fingers to fasten his blue sneaker. Appreciation mixed with embarrassment pervaded his senses as he watched Aonung’s hands, the intricacies on his turquoise skin and the subtle webbing that connected his fingers. Some ink stained his skin, possibly from his art class where he liked to aggressively sketch on paper.

Aonung noticed his fixed gaze and looked up with a small smirk playing on his lips. “Can’t have the mighty archer trip on his own shoelaces.” Aonung teased as he tightened the knot, securing a snug fit around his foot. “The floor in there is slippery enough.” He added.

“I could’ve done it myself, y’know.” Neteyam mumbled, redness creeping up on his cheeks as his tail flickered nervously. Once Aonung finished up, he patted Neteyam’s ankle and stood back up.

“Hm? Don’t like anyone else touching your perfect shoes?” Aonung taunted with his arms crossed as he looked down at Neteyam, “Not gonna thank me, bun?”

“Right- thanks, Aonung.” Neteyam murmured under his breath, giving him a grateful nod. He cleared his throat and twirled the car keys in his hand, “.. Uh! I better check up on those two. Thank you so much again.”

With that, Neteyam approached the entrance of the arcade building with shaky strides. His cheeks were flushed by that moment and he felt his heart thump against his chest wildly. That Aonung just got the best of him. Aonung watched nonchalantly, perceiving it as a mere good deed that he did out of nowhere but that changed when he spun around to face his friends, cheeks puffed as they snickered at the sight.

“What are your dumbasses laughing about now?” Aonung inquired, narrowing his eyes at his group.

“You have a thing for forest boys now?” Koro mocked, triggering the whole group to break out into laughter.

Aonung felt a twinge of shame jab at his chest as his friends started jeering at his kind gesture but his ego dominated him as always. “What? Is it wrong to see me act nice for once?” Aonung grumbled and rolled his eyes, his cheeks flushed. He added with a slight shrug, “Besides, Sully has been a lot of help in Math so I figured I’d return the favour to him.”

“By tying his shoelaces?” Nashvi pointed out with a small smirk and they all chortled again, making Aonung want to bury himself in the ground and never come out.

An exasperated groan escaped Aonung’s lips as his mind wandered on strategies to change the subject. He then snapped his fingers and interrupted their teasing. “Enough of all that crap. Why don’t we go eat at that hot dog stand?” He suggested and pointed at some random stand by the street.

Fortunately, his diversion method worked as they all started heading off to the pointed area. Aonung’s mind lingered on his forest bunny for a little while before he shook his head momentarily.

Meanwhile, Neteyam went inside of the arcade building as his ears twitched at the clattering of tokens and the electronic symphonies that pounded against his hearing. He walked through the rows of arcade machines, his sneakers tapped against the slippery tiled floors that Aonung warned him about earlier. After inspecting each engrossed teenager in the bustling space, he found Lo’ak and Tsireya in front of a coruscating claw machine. He approached them and joined in to watch Lo’ak attempt on winning one of the stuffed bears.

His golden eyes fixed on the yellow bear Tsireya pointed at as he let his hand clasp onto the control stick. After calculating his precision, he released the claw from its perch and as he dreadfully anticipated, the bear slipped out of grasp. Lo’ak grunted in annoyance as he watched the bear tumble back to the sea of stuffed toys.

“Aw, it’s okay. You tried your best, sweetie.” Tsireya cooed and cupped Lo’ak’s chin, stroking his cheek affectionately.

“Even if he did try his best, the machine is rigged.” Neteyam pointed out, making them both flinch in surprise at his sudden presence behind them.

“See, babe? It’s rigged.” Lo’ak agreed as he leaned against the machine, watching the eager children play on the adjacent ones as they fervently played for their desired toys. It was ridiculous to him how these kids were blind to the fact that these contraptions were merely capitalistic devices.

“They’re not! You just have to be skilled.” Tsireya argued again, adamant to their claims. She turned to Neteyam and gingerly patted him on the shoulder. “And if it’s skills, I bet Neteyam can do it!” She exclaimed with a wide grin.

“So, I’m not skilled?” Lo’ak huffed with a small pout.

“You are, pookie bear! But Teyam’s especially sharp eye is just.. Useful here!” She reassured her boyfriend and leaned upwards to pinch him on the cheek.

Neteyam felt his body shudder at their fond gestures and nicknames but he hid it well by composing himself immediately. He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Reya.. I’m not into these things.” He mumbled hesitantly.

“Come on, Teyam! Just try! Maybe a different machine?” She pleaded and handed him the small cup of arcade tokens. He sighed and gave her a defeated shrug, taking the tokens from her as they strolled through the lines of claw machines.

Just as Neteyam was about to call it off, he stopped in his tracks at a pastel blue claw machine located in the corner. The decorative embellishments with illustrations of sea animals on the exterior with coral reefs and little bubbles just captivated him even more. The couple followed Neteyam from behind and Tsireya cooed at the little stuffed toys of seahorses, turtles and fishes but Neteyam’s pupils expanded as he fixed on one toy in particular. The teal coloured seal perched amidst the others. There was a familiar jolt that seemed to tug at his heartstrings as he laid eyes on the stuffed little seal.

Its face was slightly squished, making it look like it was putting on a playful smirk. That just fueled his desire to have it even more. The little button nose on his snout.. The plump and cuddly roundness. The plushie was almost a caricature of the boy he had in mind.

“Awwww– Oh… Uh… Eh..” Tsireya’s expression shifted each sound she made once she realized that Neteyam was staring eagerly at a deformed-looking seal plushie.

“Why the fuck does it look like that?” Lo’ak whispered bluntly under his breath, earning a slap on the shoulder from Tsireya. “Geez.. okay.. I didn’t know you water people worshipped seals.”

“No, I agree that it’s ugly but don’t ruin it for him!” Tsireya hissed quietly to him, “And maybe he’s just looking at something else.”

“It’s definitely that one, babe.” Lo’ak muttered, watching as Neteyam traced his finger on the glass walls of the machine, his pupils dilating in awe. He gagged, cringing slightly at his brother’s fascination. “....That’s pretty concerning.”

“Well, the other seals in there look pretty cute. Look, that one has a flower on it!” Tsireya enthused and shook Lo’ak’s arm, pointing at another turquoise stuffed seal in the corner of the machine, sporting an orange hibiscus.

“I think if you were a sea animal, you’d be a mermaid.” Lo’ak implied with a smirk, attempting to flatter her but she merely pursed her lips together with her ears folded down, fighting the urge to flick his forehead.

“Mermaids aren’t animals, they are mythical creatures.” Tsireya asserted, rolling her eyes.

“Same thing.” Lo’ak responded with a nonchalant shrug, the stupid smile stuck on his face. Tsireya was about to object but Neteyam turned to them with a wide grin.

“I want it.” Neteyam claimed to them abruptly as he pointed at the seal plushie he was admiring earlier.

The two glanced at each other briefly before their attention was fixed on Neteyam who crouched down to feed the tokens into the coin slot of the machine. With a melodious chime, the yellow LED lights that hung above started blinking, playing a sweet medley.

Neteyam stretched his fingers briefly before letting his hand grip on the control stick. He bit his lip as he focused on getting the right position, experimenting by moving the claw around and tilting his head to see the estimated fall. With his amber eyes fixed on the elusive prize, he pressed the button with a shaky hand.

He watched as the claw dived into his coveted stuffed seal, grasping it firmly. He had to suppress an excited squeal as a hopeful smile spread across his face. However, it faded when the little seal slipped out of the claw and was dropped into the pile again.

“I almost got it!” Neteyam sighed, dejected by the failure.

“Well, you can’t be good at everything, mighty warrior.” Lo’ak scoffed and patted his back, “Like we said, it is rigged anyway.”

“It’s okay, Teyam, maybe it really is more about luck than skill.” Tsireya reassured him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Is it alright if I try again?” Neteyam asked them sheepishly, holding out the small cup of tokens, “If you two aren’t in a rush to go anywhere, of course.”

Lo’ak looked at him quizzically and was about to ask, “What happened to ‘it’s rigg–’” He was stopped short when Tsireya nudged him by the side, taking this opportunity to drag Lo’ak away without a thirdwheel. As much as she enjoyed Neteyam’s company on their dates, she found it difficult to get some alone time with Lo’ak so she had to take up a few moments of that.

“Of course! We’ll be at that photo booth there!” Tsireya beamed as she pointed at a space beside the snack bar, adorned by velvet red curtains. She waved at Neteyam before pulling Lo’ak to the photobooth.

While the couple indulged in their photo taking session, Neteyam persevered with his task. At some point, he found his strenuous efforts for a mere doll to be silly but that he needed it as a memento. After half an hour, his tokens ran out and he pondered on it before heading off to the counter to impulsively purchase more of the dumb arcade currency.

He tried again and again.

...... and again.

The day ended with him empty-handed unlike the two lovebirds who had themselves a photo strip from their little date. However, Neteyam was not going to give up that easily. That little seal was ingrained in his mind and he was determined to have it all to himself.

-

During the next few days, Neteyam found himself to be immersed in winning that stuffed seal that reminded him of the boy he so did not want to admit to be his crush. After school hours, he would drive off to the arcade building to get his hands on that arcade machine. Lo’ak did not complain about the absence of his “chauffeur” and had Spider drive him and Tsireya around instead while Neteyam carried on with his plushie pursuit . Plus, it was quite refreshing and amusing to see his brother hyperfixated on something outside of his regular routine everyday.

Aonung and his group often loitered outside of the arcade building which eventually turned things around for Neteyam. The basketball captain would steal glimpses of the boy who often nibbled on his bottom lip as he let his hands manoeuvre the claw of the same machine he ran to each day. Aonung took in every detail from the way his tail would swing uncontrollably whenever he was close to winning to how he would pucker out his bottom lip in dismay whenever the claw released the little plush out of its weak clutch.

While it seemed rather cute to Aonung, it aroused his curiosity as to why the mighty archer was suddenly keen on winning something from this specific claw machine. In an attempt to strike a conversation with him prior to his next arcade stop, he sat in front of the computer in the middle of the night to seek for videos or articles that could help in dominating that damn claw machine. He did not want to admit it but he desired to see Neteyam’s reaction when he wins that thing for him. His determination to master the art of the claw machine was ridiculously much stronger than the one to pass his Geography test the next day.

He had second thoughts about it but ultimately, impressing Neteyam became somewhat a priority to him.

When the fateful day came, he was loitering with his friends outside of the arcade as usual. The minute they mentioned lunch, Aonung immediately dismissed them and walked inside of the arcade building with a confident stride. He sneakily came up behind Neteyam, who had his gaze fixed on the coveted stuffed seal.

Just as Neteyam was adjusting the claw, he felt Aonung’s shoulder brush against his and he let out a yelp, abruptly pressing the button and letting the claw fall to an undesired position. An irritated groan escaped his lips as he spun around, only to have his breath hitch at the sight of Aonung who smiled playfully with his hands raised.

“Oops, didn’t mean to make the bunny angry,” Aonung teased and chuckled at Neteyam’s hard glare which eventually softened at the realisation of who it was behind him. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure it was you. Your hair is different today.”

Neteyam altered his hairstyle that day, ditching his signature braids that were conspicuous for swinging around freely everytime he walked. Instead, he had his dark locks up and secured by a golden hair claw he borrowed from his sister with dangling butterfly charms cascading down his bun. It instilled a certain poise to the golden boy and although Aonung preferred his braids, he could not help but adore the way his new hairdo allowed him to gaze at an unobstructed view of Neteyam’s face. It was a rare sight so he made sure to let his eyes wallow as much as they could.

“Yeah, I just didn’t feel like doing my hair today.” Neteyam sheepishly admitted, stepping back to form a further gap between them.

“Looks nice though.” Aonung commented with a cheeky grin, “I would’ve thought you were trying to impress someone.”

Neteyam’s cheeks reddened at the assumption and he scoffed, “Right. Like I would do that.”

“I mean, you definitely impressed someone.” Aonung muttered under his breath, his face warming up slightly as he gazed at Neteyam’s features. He cleared his throat and asked, “So.. you’ve been hanging around here a lot, tree hugger.”

“You noticed, huh?” Neteyam asked.

“Obviously,” Aonung remarked and folded his arms over his chest, “Shouldn’t you be in a library? That’s the only place I could think of for you if you’re not thirdwheeling.”

He fell silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. What was he supposed to tell him? Oh, I am just desperately trying to win this stupid plush that looks a lot like you. His eyes darted back and forth between the plushie and Aonung, his lips curling up into a small smile as he thought of the adorable resemblance. He almost giggled at the thought actually.

“I don’t know? I guess I found a new hobby.” Neteyam excused himself with a light shrug.

“I see.” Aonung replied with a nod as he stared at the claw machine in front of them.

“I mean, I was just about to stop for the day anyway– I don’t think I can spend on anymore tokens.” Neteyam chuckled, shaking his head at how much money he threw this week on the damn claw machine. He tried going to toy stores with Tuk to find the exact same stuffed toy but he had no luck. He was that desperate.

“That’s where I come in.” Aonung playfully announced as he took a token out of his pocket, flipping it to look cool. He expected Neteyam to gasp in awe and call him a saviour but the Omaticaya boy just smiled sweetly, stepping away to leave and get back home. “Wait– No! I meant, I’m playing for you!” Aonung rephrased, facepalming.

Neteyam’s ears twitched in amusement and tilted his head, stopping in his tracks. “Really? I mean– I was just about to–”

“Relax, bunny boy. I got this.” He offered with a confident smirk and moved over to the claw machine, standing beside Neteyam. Aonung took notice of the abundance of stuffed sea animals, letting out an entertained hum. “You into marine animals?”

Neteyam chuckled and gave him a small nod, “Something like that…”

“Really? Then you should take up marine biology so we can cross paths again.” Aonung teased and averted his gaze to the claw machine, observing the vibrant colours of stuffed toys through the glass. “So.. which one were you aiming for?”

Neteyam widened his eyes and felt his heart race at the question. He shifted slightly as he reached his arm out to point at the seal plush, briefly brushing his arm against Aonung’s. The Metkayina boy hummed and glanced over at the turquoise seal, chuckling at the squished face. “How cute.” Aonung noted, half referring to Neteyam but he played it off by looking at the seal.

Neteyam let out a sigh in relief. Of course Aonung would not realise that the damn doll was identical to him. In everyone’s eyes, it was just another plushie in a pile of other plushies. Neteyam himself felt childish for finding endearing similarities between the two but the seal just had an uncanny resemblance to his favourite basketball player.

“Really? Lo’ak and Reya called him ugly.” Neteyam laughed as he watched Aonung slide the tokens in the slot of the machine with ease.

“Are seals your favourite marine animals?” Aonung asked him curiously, waiting for the machine to light up and cue his complete control on the claw.

Neteyam merely nodded and his eyes flickered over to the desired prize then to Aonung. He tried his best to suppress a giggle at the funny resemblance in his head and answered, “Yeah.. you could say that.”

“Nice. I like sharks.” Aonung told him as his hand glided over the joystick. He gained full control over the claw, the machine’s LED lights blinking to mark his move. With a careful push of his hand, he guided the claw to the coveted target.

“How was the Geo test?” Neteyam asked him, sparking a short conversation while his eyes never left Aonung who had his eyes full of unwavering focus towards the machine.

“Oh, that. I think I flunked.” Aonung laughed.

“Really? You should’ve asked me if you needed anything.” Neteyam reminded with a slight frown. The two of them shared a lot of classes together and Neteyam was always looking forward to helping Aonung with notes or anything of the sort.

“Don’t worry. I printed out those pretty notes you sent last week.” Aonung reassured him, his hands adjusting to the grip of the stick. “I just had better things to do.” He added with a small smirk. Yeah, like doing a deep dive on these dumb claw machines for you.

“We’re almost at the end of our school term. You shouldn’t be flunking.” Neteyam advised him softly.

“Yeah yeah. I’ll do better next test.” Aonung told him with a shrug.

In his arcade research, he discovered that timing was especially important with these machines. Precise timing where the claw should drop and grab the prize successfully. There was a built-in duration before the claw drops by itself from what he has read and he needed to press the button as soon as that time ticked down.

Neteyam watched, tilting his head in confusion when Aonung just stood there with the claw positioned directly above the plush. “Why aren’t you grabbing it?” Neteyam questioned, puzzled. Aonung could feel Neteyam’s tail swaying around in anticipation beside him, even hitting his leg.

“Wait, forest boy.” Aonung whispered to him with a raised finger, his eyes twinkling with amusement at his muddled expression. As soon as the timer chimed, he pressed on the button that lowered the claw and Neteyam gasped in awe when the talons grasped the seal. His heart swelled even more when Aonung even caught a smaller version of the exact plush, attached with a keychain ring.

“Aonung… Oh Eywa! Aonung!” Neteyam squealed out in excitement and grabbed on Aonung’s basketball jacket impulsively as the glee overwhelmed his senses at the sight of the plushie and the bonus prize with it. “Aonungggg!” He hollered again and started jumping at the sight.

The Metkayina boy’s eyes roamed to the side as a small smile crept up to his lips at the sight of Neteyam tugging on his sleeve, his amber eyes sparkling under the lenses of his silver-framed glasses. “This was definitely worth flunking the test over.” He thought in his head, admiring him.

Aonung kneeled down when the two prizes dispensed out of the opening below the machine and stood back up, handing them both to Neteyam. “There you go, bun.” Aonung offered with a triumphant smirk.

“How did you– I tried– I spent so much–” Neteyam was at a loss of words as he took the two seals from Aonung, running his fingers through the softness of the stuffed toys. He held the bigger one and raised it slightly to Aonung’s face, fighting the urge to just laugh uncontrollably at how cute the resemblance was.

“Magic hands.” Aonung merely responded and brought his hands up, wiggling his fingers playfully.

“Thank you so much, Nung. You don’t know how much this means to me.” Neteyam told him with gratitude, a radiant smile glued to his face as he clutched the prizes to his chest. The thought of having them as mementos just made it even better since Aonung was the one who retrieved them for him. Plus, it was quite ironic that it had to be Aonung.

Neteyam’s expression just tugged on Aonung’s heartstrings and the feeling intensified when he glanced over at the boy holding the stuffed seals like they were his life. It was insanely adorable that he had to fight the urge to just squeeze the hell out of him.

“No problem.” Aonung nodded, “So.. you were saying you spent so much trying to win that silly seal?”

“I really liked it.” Neteyam chuckled sheepishly and released his backpack from his shoulder, clipping the plush seal on the zipper. “I limited myself to only a certain amount of tokens per day though.” He noted, slinging his backpack on again.

“Sounds like you.” Aonung mumbled under his breath, finding it cute that Neteyam still had it in him to control his spendings even if he was hyperfixated on getting that seal. “Well, I don’t know how much you spent trying to win this thing but I can make up for it.”

“Make up for it?” Neteyam asked him.

“You know, we can have lunch in the snack bar here and conquer the whole arcade?” Aonung suggested, leaning against the claw machine. “My treat.”

“I mean you should probably get–”

“Come on. We’ve never properly hung out outside school, y’know?” Aonung persuaded him, wanting to spend a little more time with Neteyam. “And you kinda owe me, right?” He added with a mischievous grin, nodding towards the seal Neteyam was holding.

“Fine..” Neteyam gave in with a reluctant smile. He took his phone out of his pocket and reminded himself, “Let me just text my dad first.”

Aonung’s heart leaped at Neteyam’s agreement. He looked forward to this… date? Was it a date? Actually, it did not matter. What mattered was that he was gonna be with Neteyam.

-

The two boys went on a frenzy of gaming in the vibrant, neon-lit space. Aonung had the opportunity to impress Neteyam by trying out the electronic basketball game. They explored rows and rows of the gaming machines, basked in the jazzy glow of the arcade. Stolen glances at each other every time they turned on their focused mode, taking it as a chance to admire. In only an hour, Aonung’s phone was full of candids of Neteyam playing different games and cute pictures of him eating a ridiculously decorated rainbow milkshake. Aonung sent some of these to Rotxo, silently gushing about Neteyam through texts.

“Have you tried the photobooth yet?” Aonung asked Neteyam, leaning back against the chair as he watched Neteyam sip on the milkshake. A subtle smile formed at the smidgen of whipped cream on Neteyam’s cheek. The hand holding his phone was just aching to snap another picture of him.

“Oh no but Lo’ak and Reya have.” Neteyam answered and dabbed a tissue on his face after finishing his drink. His eyes wandered over to the nearby photobooth then he turned back to Aonung, “I saw the pictures they took. They’re really cute and seemed like they had props too.”

“You wanna try?” Aonung suggested, “It can be our last stop before we head home.”

“Don’t you think you took enough pictures?” Neteyam asked him playfully, nodding to Aonung’s phone. He noticed the amount of times Aonung pulled his phone up everytime Neteyam was occupied playing games or eating. Also, it did not help that Aonung had his flash on.

“They’re for my story.” Aonung played it off and laughed, “And my mom asked where I was so I just took pictures for her.”

“Suuuure.” Neteyam muttered, knowing well that Aonung was lying but he did not mind anyway. He snapped a few candids of Aonung too.

“Well, are you up for it?” Aonung asked again, trying not to sound too desperate but it came off slightly like that. “I mean– We’ve never really taken proper pictures with each other.”

“Alright, alright.” Neteyam responded with a grin.

After eating, they lined up at the photobooth and when their turn came up, they stepped through the red curtains to be met by a little touch screen and a wider one above it which revealed their reflections. A fascinated gasp escaped Neteyam’s lips as he let his finger scroll through the various filters and stickers they could put on their photos.

“Put this on.” Aonung snickered and grabbed a rabbit headband which hung beside the screen. He gingerly placed it on Neteyam’s head, brushing a few loose strands of his hair away from his face. The sudden action made Neteyam yelp a little, his heart pounding at how close they suddenly were. The tight space of the photobooth contributed even more to that.

Neteyam found a hello kitty headband in the corner and held it up, leaning forward to put it on Aonung to return the gesture. “H-hey! You could’ve picked a better one!” Aonung hissed, blushing furiously when he saw himself on the screen with the silly ears and red bow.

“Shut up, kitty.” Neteyam teased and tapped on his shoulder, “We should take those pictures now, hm?”

As the timer cued their first pose, they took their first picture. There was an awkward gap between them so Aonung immediately stepped closer for the second one, placing an arm around Neteyam’s shoulders. The sudden contact made Neteyam’s cheeks heat up.

Aonung noticed his flustered expression on the screen and smirked. “You were standing too far.” He pointed out and rolled his eyes, pulling him closer a little more.

The camera rolled for a few more shots and at some point, Neteyam’s cheeks got sore from all of the smiling. He tried forcing one but ultimately, he ended up scowling without realising. The cute glare was noticed by Aonung through the screen and he giggled, glancing down at Neteyam. “Why the long face, bun?” Aonung teased and reached out to squish Neteyam’s cheeks with his hand. “You look so much like your mom right now, scary.”

“Aonung!” Neteyam squeaked out when he felt his hand on his cheeks. With his other arm, Aonung poked Neteyam’s side just to tickle him a little and an involuntary laugh escaped the boy’s lips, bringing him back to smile at the camera.

With a flash, this moment was snapped by the screen. When the last picture had to be taken, an imaginary lightbulb appeared on Aonung’s head as he playfully nudged Neteyam with his elbow. “What about we bring in your little seal for this one?”

Neteyam widened his eyes and his eyes darted down to the stuffed seal that rested on his backpack on the floor. He bent down to pick up the plush and went back to take the photo. “Do I just hold it up?” Neteyam questioned as he lifted the seal.

“We both hold it up.” Aonung told him and held up the seal with one hand along with Neteyam, lifting it up so it was between their heads. “Then… do this.”

Aonung pressed his cheek against the plushie and Neteyam nodded, following his lead as he felt the soft surface. They both looked at the camera and Aonung wanted to explode at the sight of Neteyam’s sparkling golden eyes. He looked so pretty on the screen. Without even thinking, he turned his head and planted a soft kiss on his side of the stuffed toy.

Neteyam saw this unfold on the screen and his face turned rosy at the sudden action. The only obstruction between Aonung’s lips and his cheek was that damn plushie which just sent his heart racing. He wondered if Aonung was merely trying to be playful or if that was actually what he had in mind. The camera flashed, capturing the essence of the unexpected yet cute pose.

After a few moments of picking out filters and cute stickers, they walked out of the photobooth. “I’ll get the photos, you can wait by the door.” Aonung reassured him and tapped on Neteyam’s shoulder. The agitated expression was still present in Neteyam’s features as he nodded, sauntering over to the exit with the stuffed seal clutched to his chest.

Aonung smiled as he watched Neteyam and then, he turned to the counter. He waited for the photo strips excitedly, bouncing a little. The person behind the counter handed him the two awaited photo strips and he eagerly held them in his hand, viewing the cute pictures with admiration. They looked adorable in each frame with the little props and silly expressions. Aonung just wanted to burst out in glee looking at each capture. He especially loved the photo where they both held up the stuffed seal.

“Hey.. uh,” Aonung began as he faced the worker. His eyes roamed around to see if Neteyam was near and when he was sure enough, he continued and pointed at the favoured picture, “Do you think you could print like a bigger one for this?”

“Yeah, sure.” He nonchalantly replied and went back to the printer. Within minutes, Aonung got a better sized version of his favourite picture with Neteyam. He held back a cheesy sigh and his tail happily swung around behind him. He asked again, “Uh, is it possible to frame it?”

“We’re an arcade, kid. Not a photo studio.” The guy responded.

“Aw.” Aonung grumbled and pouted as his ears pinned back. However, he just shrugged and stuffed the bigger picture in his backpack just to hide it from Neteyam. Once he zipped it up, he walked back to where Neteyam was and held up the photo strips. “Look what I got!”

Aonung gave Neteyam one of the photo strips and he gasped in delight, his amber eyes scanning the adorable pictures. “They turned out so well!” Neteyam enthused and held it up even more. The whole day at the arcade was a success. Finally, after so many days of pure failure, he finished off with his seal plushie and bonus prizes along with it.

“Yeah.” Aonung agreed, smiling at Neteyam’s sweet reaction as he opened his wallet up to put the strip inside.

“It was so fun, Nung! Thank you so much again, seriously..” Neteyam told him, gratitude clear in his tone. The appreciative smile just complemented his words, making Aonung’s heart skip a beat.

“Sure. It was nice to hang out with you for once.” Aonung commented and let out a fake yawn, “Being around my friends has been boring so far.”

Neteyam chuckled at his words then turned to the window that exposed the outdoors. The pitter-patter of raindrops were muffled by the bustling noises in the arcade as the grey skies loomed outside, heavy downpour descending. Aonung widened his eyes at the sight outside.

“Looks heavy. We can wait inside until it stops if you prefer?” Aonung suggested and looked over to Neteyam who looked concerned, “Did you drive here? Can you drive in the rain?”

“I can but I parked my car a little far..” Neteyam said in response, shaking his head. He took off his backpack and put the photostrip in. He then started to search his bag for an umbrella but it was to no avail. “How did I forget my umbrella.. How convenient.” He groaned.

Aonung noticed the worry written in Neteyam’s face and sighed a little. He knew Neteyam got stressed easily whenever he made some kind of mistake, even if it was something like forgetting to pack an umbrella. Swiftly, he slipped off the jacket he was wearing and extended it, raising it up. Neteyam noticed what Aonung was doing and tilted his head, puzzled.

“What are you–”

“Get under here. I’ll keep you out the rain.” Aonung offered but his determined face was enough to tell him that he was not taking no for an answer.

Neteyam stared at him in disbelief and was about to decline but he was pulled by the wrist. Immediately, he ducked under the improvised umbrella and blushed furiously. “But you’ll get wet.” Neteyam reminded him softly.

“That’s why we need to make a run for it.” Aonung laughed and adjusted the stretched out jacket to cover Neteyam’s frame completely from above. “You ready?”

After a mumbled countdown, both of them sprinted towards the door. The rain relentlessly flowed down, drenching Aonung from head to toe. He would have complained if he was doing this for anyone who was not Neteyam. Nevertheless, he still remained valiant to shield Neteyam from the rain. He only let out a groan when his expensive sneakers stepped on some mud puddle.

Neteyam stole a peek at Aonung from the coverage of his jacket, a sense of warmth and appreciation for this boy never fading. He took in the drops of rain dripping off the curly strands that stuck out from his braided bun and slight guilt seeped in him. Aonung was unusually selfless when it came to Neteyam and he was sure that was one of the reasons why the boy dug his way into his heart.

When they reached Neteyam’s car, he waited for Neteyam to be seated in the car. With the door still open, Aonung slung the jacket over his shoulder and waved. He sighed out in relief when he looked at Neteyam who was dry after the protection of his jacket, only a few soaked stains on his shirt.

“Drive safe alright?” Aonung sternly reminded him and crouched down, a hand over his forehead to avoid the raindrops from falling onto his face.

“Did you walk here?” Neteyam asked him softly. He could not stand watching Aonung in the dreadful weather. “I can send you home. You live by this street anyway.”

“I’ll get your car all wet.” Aonung refused and shook his head, the rainwater splashing off his hair violently.

“Just get in.” Neteyam grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the drenched boy. Aonung shrugged, taking the offer anyway. He would hate to get his shoes dirty again and plus, a few more minutes with Neteyam gave room for more bliss.

Aonung made his way to the passenger’s seat and sat there. Neteyam turned around to find some spare towels that Lo’ak kept around and found one, tossing it to Aonung. “You’ll get a cold.” Neteyam sighed softly and grabbed another towel in his own hand, dabbing the dripping water from Aonung’s face carefully.

“I haven’t gotten sick in a while now.” Aonung scoffed and started to pat his rain-soaked hair with the given spare towel. “At least you’re okay.”

Neteyam felt his cheeks heat up at that reassurance and huffed, his bottom lip puckering out naturally. “That was reckless of you, Aonung.” Neteyam pointed out, putting the towel away once he dried up Aonung’s face for him.

“Relax. I play in the rain a lot anyways.” Aonung chuckled, his hair gradually getting damp by the pressure of the towel. “If I do get sick, it was worth it.”

Neteyam averted his eyes away, blushing furiously. Aonung just seemed to have a way with words that it was not good for his bodily functions. He started the car engine with a twist of the key and did not turn on the air conditioner as he did not want Aonung to freeze. He took one glance at Aonung, watching as the boy adjusted the car seat to his height. He noticed Aonung was wearing a golden lip ring for today instead of his usual silver one, matching with his own hair claw. The whole car ride was full of random conversations and mirth with the stuffed seal on Neteyam’s lap with the silly squished smile as if it was listening to the blossoming relationship in their words.

–

The night before school, Neteyam made his way into Kiri’s room for a request. It was unlike him to ask for favours from his younger siblings because it was always the other way around. He knocked before she let Neteyam in. He turned the doorknob to be met with his sister and unsurprisingly, Lo’ak was there as well, sprawled out on the bed as he played with his phone.

Kiri had an enchanting charm to her room, evoking a sense of serenity with its natural elements. The earthy tones of the walls and the woven tapestry by her bed just highlighted her psyche. On the wooden shelves near the window, there were her crocheted crafts and potted plants. Lo’ak would never admit it but sometimes, he used Kiri’s room to relax himself especially since his room was a mess compared to her mini forest.

“What’s up, Teyam? Is it dinner already?” Kiri asked him, weaving a necklace as she sat by her desk.

“No..” Neteyam answered and scratched the back of his neck. He was holding both of the stuffed seals Aonung won for him in the arcade. Lo’ak took notice of this and clapped his hands.

“Hey, you finally won that ugly thing!” Lo’ak laughed.

“It is not ugly.” Neteyam defended and let out a breath, shifting his attention back to Kiri. He clutched the seals to his chest and asked, “Are you busy right now? Y’know.. with your crafts.”

Kiri had a small business that revolved around selling her crafts which varied from crocheted items to intricate jewellery. It was a remarkable hobby of hers that showed off her creative vision. She shook her head and responded, “Not really. I just have to finish this one that Rotxo asked for.”

“He’s literally your first customer whenever you open orders.” Lo’ak teased, his eyes glued to his phone as he laid on the fuzzy blankets of his sister’s bed.

“This time is different.” Kiri interjected, her fingers weaving the accessory in her hands with dexterity. “He asked for something specific and usually, he’d just let me make whatever.”

“What’d he ask for?” Lo’ak questioned.

“Perfect timing for you to come in.” Kiri giggled and glanced at Neteyam briefly before answering, “He wanted a choker inspired by Neteyam’s but smaller since it was for his cousin or something.”

“You mean this?” Neteyam asked and pointed at the woven choker that he was wearing at the moment.

“Yeah.” Kiri said and held one of her hands out, “Mind if I borrow it? I need it for reference.”

“Oh, sure.” Neteyam murmured and unclasped the choker from his neck, handing it to Kiri.

She placed it on her table and momentarily stopped working on the accessory. Her eyebrow raised in anticipation as she glanced over to Neteyam. “Well.. what’s up?” She inquired curiously, wondering what Neteyam had to say to her.

“I was wondering if you could.. crochet hair for my plushies?” Neteyam asked sheepishly, feeling his cheeks darken with embarrassment at his own question. He wanted his little seals to resemble Aonung even more. “Like.. black hair.”

“Uh.. like a wig?” Kiri questioned him.

“Mm, something like that but.. but I want it stitched on.” Neteyam nodded and placed the stuffed toys on her table. “I want them in a bun and.. like a long braid at the back too.”

Kiri’s expression took a drastic change from puzzled to dumbfounded. Then, she found herself cringing when the realisation dawned upon her. She knew perfectly well what Neteyam wanted to envision with his requests on these seals. Her eyes glanced over to the larger plush seal before she felt her body shuddering again at the uncanny resemblance.

Coincidentally, Lo’ak had his ears perked up at Neteyam’s details and he had the same reaction. His eyes roamed over to the plushies before he puffed his cheeks out, trying to suppress himself from laughing. Neteyam, in contrast, just stood there and was completely oblivious to how their faces were contorting with different emotions.

“I understand if it’s too much.” Neteyam murmured nervously, “I just–”

“No, no! I can do it for you.” Kiri accepted, her lips wobbling as she struggled to force her smile on. She had the urge to laugh and she had to resist from looking at Lo’ak who was snickering behind his hand, pretending to laugh at something on his phone.

Neteyam thought he was being slick with his requests but little did he know, his siblings knew what he was trying to do. It was cringeworthy yet adorable to them. They knew about Neteyam’s ‘secret’ infatuation with Aonung because it was too hard to miss.

“Really? Thank you so much!” Neteyam gleefully replied with a toothy grin.

“Sure, you don’t owe me anything.” She reassured him, her voice slightly breaking from the difficulty to keep on a serious smile. “I’ll just have you drive me around next week or whatever.”

“I can do that!” Neteyam agreed with a sweet smile, “You’re the best, Kiri. Thank you so much!”

With that, he left her to do her magic on his plushies and skipped out of her room, letting out a few chuckles to himself as he imagined his new seals. When the door closed, Lo’ak started laughing hysterically on the bed and clutched his stomach as he rolled around.

“He.. he– He takes us for fools or something— It was so– obvious!” Lo’ak chortled and with watery eyes, he took one more look at the stuffed toys Neteyam left before succumbing into fits of laughter again.

“Stop–” Kiri coughed as she fell into the pit of her brother’s contagious laughter. She pressed her palm on her lips and took a deep breath. An amused smile was still etched on her face as she scolded Lo’ak, “You can’t be talking. You and Tsireya are worse. This is at least cute, especially for Teyam.”

“I’m just laughing because–” Lo’ak tried to explain but he accidentally glanced over at the seal and began to give in to more giggles. “It really does look like him!”

Kiri rolled her eyes as Lo’ak’s breathless laughter filled the air in her room. She continued to bead Rotxo’s requested choker. She looked over to her materials and then the stuffed seals. If Neteyam really wanted to see a resemblance then Kiri had the gift for that.

–

When the school day commenced, Neteyam walked through the hallways with a giddy smile which he thought to be subtle but everyone could tell that he was in a cheery mood. The source of his joy radiated from his backpack as the plush keychain clung onto the zipper with new embellishments. Kiri had made the little seal a crocheted, dark bun which resembled his adored boy and she added in a tiny necklace around the seal, the tooth pendant made with clay.

Neteyam was clueless to the striking similarity, being sure that he was the only one who could see it. Plus, a lot of Metkayina boys wore similar accessories and hairstyles anyway. At least that was what he thought. If Neteyam walked around with that seal, their minds would wander to only one boy in mind.

Lo’ak strolled behind his brother, still trying to suppress his laughter at the sight of Neteyam’s new keychain that just swung around on his bag just like his free braids. He badly wanted to point out the fact that he knew who Neteyam had in mind but he had to shut up since it was entertaining to see him all clueless.

Speaking of the devil, Neteyam’s golden eyes lit up when he caught a glimpse of Aonung, leaning against the lockers while talking to Rotxo. He approached him eagerly, wanting to thank him once more for the fun-filled day they had. He pushed through the streaming crowds of students and finally reached him.

Aonung’s throat closed up when Neteyam’s eyes widened at what Aonung had. On Aonung’s white backpack, clung a little blue bunny plush with yellow buttons sewn in as eyes. The plush wore a beaded choker, one that Kiri had made for Rotxo the previous day. However, Aonung shifted to an expression of shock as well when he caught sight of the seal plushie that he had won for Neteyam, refined with accessories and adjustments that resembled himself.

“Uh..”

“I–”

They both stammered out, their faces heating up at the dreadful coincidence. Meanwhile, the whole scene just triggered Lo’ak to start his hysterical fit of laughter but he was pulled away by Rotxo who wanted the two to just talk alone.

“You–”

“Is that supposed to be..?” Aonung coughed as his blue eyes landed on the little seal, “I mean– I don’t know? It didn’t have hair yester–”

“Yeah– I mean no! Actually– Yes.” Neteyam stumbled on his words. This was painfully embarrassing for him and he completely forgot that Aonung was in a similar position as him.

Aonung cleared his throat and fiddled with his fingers, looking at Neteyam’s seal plush before letting out a small laugh to relieve the awkward tension. He clutched on the straps of his backpack and turned around slightly to show him the rabbit on his bag, “And I’m sure you know who’s this supposed to be?” He asked playfully.

Neteyam blushed furiously, glancing over at the doll. It was blatantly obvious. The woven choker that was identical to his, the yellow buttons and hell, Aonung poked fun at him for his bunny teeth everytime he had the chance so that just gave it away. “Yeah, I do.” Neteyam responded with a shaky voice.

Aonung let out another laugh but this time, it was filled with amusement at Neteyam’s nervous demeanour. He did not want to make it any more awkward than it was by teasing him about it but he had to ask out of curiosity and to snatch the chance to be with Neteyam once again. “Did you do the same thing with the bigger one?”

“Yeah.. yeah, I did.” Neteyam mumbled under his breath, his hands shaking as his tail wagged slightly.

“Really? Do you have proof?” Aonung inquired, mischief sparkling in his ocean blue eyes as he looked at Neteyam with a grin.

“Well, it’s at home but I can bring it tomo–”

“Too long. How about I come over and see it myself, hm?” Aonung suggested, tilting his head to the side with a smirk. Once again, he struck another opportunity to hang out with Neteyam. “I don’t know. We can watch a movie or do homework together?”

Neteyam felt his heart race at the suggestion. “Yeah. That would be nice.” He accepted with a smile tugged on his lips and he felt himself relax a little. Aonung’s nonchalant reaction made it easier for him to breathe and he half-expected Neteyam to think that he was strange or something.

From a distance, Lo’ak watched the two interact, groaning silently. Now that his “chaffeur” had a potential boyfriend, all his dates were possibly going to be double dates and he had to endure a cringe fest from his brother and fish lips.

However, Neteyam was in a state of bliss as he walked beside Aonung to class. Their little keychains bumped behind them at every step they took. The two plushies signifying a catalyst for their budding relationship that stemmed from stolen glances and mutual respect. Neteyam was struck with epiphany as he took in all of these events. The bonus prize was never the keychain or the silly adornments he did on the seal. Aonung himself was the bonus prize that came with the silly seal he was pining after for days.