Noctilio
Part 3: The Torment
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
Hahli’s head jerked up when she heard the sudden request. She was sitting on her knees in her side-garden as her head turned to see Gavla leaning heavy against the bamboo gate. The small Boggarak took advantage of this distraction to tug the rest of her rope toy out of the Toa’s grip, retreating with it to a more darkly clustered group of plants.
It had been just over a week since Gavla had started coming over to Ga-Koro nearly everyday. By now, the Toa felt mostly comfortable enough to leave her to her own devices here and occasionally checked in on her. This however, was the first time the Av-Matoran approached the water Toa on her own accord, which Hahli was quick to mentally note. Already she was feeling excited over Gavla’s progress so far, but she attempted to keep her voice from sounding too eager.
“Of course. You can ask me anything,” Hahli replied.
Idly, Gavla glanced at a plant growing by the base of the gate.
“Well, everyone here mentioned that you’re close friends with some fire Toa.” She threw out in a rather straightforward manner.
Caught off guard with that remark, Hahli hoped her mask was blocking any hints of color on her face. While she was realistic enough to know that as a Toa her village would be talking about such private things, she still very much wished that they wouldn’t.
“Um… yes…” Hahli coughed and tried not to look away. “They’re probably referring to my friend Jaller, my team leader. He and I have been good friends since we were Matoran.” She explained, trying to be appropriately open and honest.
Gavla listened, she then reached down and started to slowly tear off small pieces of leaf from the nearby plant. “So then… how do you know if it’s real?”
The Toa paused.
“...What?” Hahli asked, unsure of where this was going.
The Av-Matoran began tearing off bigger pieces. “I mean, how do you know that he’s really your friend? How do you know he’s not pretending and faking it?”
This puzzled the water user; but she did her best to give a genuine answer. “I guess the best I can describe it… you see it’s sorta something you both know and feel in a way… Like I’ve said, I’ve known Jaller for a long while and we’ve been through a lot together, just like I have with my other friends-”
“But how do you know for sure? That they aren’t just doing it to get back at you later?” Gavla insisted as she shredded the last parts of the plant’s stem.
Hahli looked on at the Matoran perplexed. “...Gavla,” she said finally as she shifted and stood up. “Is there a reason you’re asking me all this?”
Absently, Gavla continued to snap apart the now pulled up roots. For a few moments she was quiet before she uttered a strong “No.” Pushing herself from off the gate, she then quickly trotted down the walkway back towards the center of Ga-Koro.
The Toa watched carefully till the Matoran was out of sight. She then began to ponder if Gavla had been asking anyone else those same questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“You guys can quit it!”
Hahli turned around as she heard Gavla’s accosting voice. It had been hours since she last saw the Av-Matoran and she was just in the middle of returning home with a bag full of fish.
“Gavla, what are you talking about?” The Toa asked.
“This stupid game of your’s and everyone elses here! It may be funny to you, but I already had it drilled into me before, I don’t need it again.” The Matoran growled.
Hahli just felt more confused. “Really Gavla, I don’t know what you mean-”
“Don’t play dumb!” Gavla nearly shouted. “I know you and everyone here is just pretending to be nice for now… I already know that I can’t have friends, I don’t need you to set me and rub it in again!”
“That’s not true,” Hahli immediately responded back, feeling troubled by the accusations. “Believe me, no one is trying to trick you.”
“No, stop it!” The Av-Matoran’s bat-wings started to twitch and fidget heavily.
Increasingly concerned, Hahli quickly dropped her bag and slowly began to approach the girl. “Gavla,” she said, her voice level. “Calm down, there’s nothing going on…”
“I said stop it! Stop pretending!” Gavla yelled as she backed away from the Toa.
“Gavla…”
“I’m not going to let you hurt me!”
“Gavla-”
“I’m not letting you do that again!”
“Gavla, stop.” Hahli interrupted with a loud stern voice as she grabbed the Matoran’s shoulders, keeping her still. Once Gavla’s sudden silence assured her attention, the water Toa bent down so she could be at eye level.
“No one here is going to hurt you,” Hahli relayed in a softer tone. “I promise you that you’re safe.”
Stunned, Gavla stared back at the Toa, her breathing starting to come down. “But everyone being nice…”
“Is because they want to be nice and because they probably want to genuinely get to know you.” Hahli finished with reassurance as she relaxed her hold.
Gavla hesitated as her wings finally stopped their sporadic movements. “...Are you sure…”
“You have my word as a Toa,” the water user responded affirmingly.
The sounds of the village now seemed to amplify around them as the Av-Matoran became quiet, her eyes were still locked on the Toa.
“Look, I know it’s hard, but I’ve known these Ga-Matoran my whole life.” Hahli continued on with sympathy. “If there’s one thing you can ever trust me on it’s this, no one in this community would ever do something so horrible and cruel like that… They- we just want to help you.”
Gavla remained quiet, her breathing returning to inaudible levels again. “...Okay,” she let out in barely a whisper.
Taking her hands off the Matoran’s shoulders, Hahli gave the girl a warm smile. “Okay then.” As Gavla continued to stand still, the Toa added “I’m glad you’re here by the way, I just want you to know that.”
The Av- Matoran gave half a nod as she turned to look back at the center of the village, Hahli didn’t move from her side, but left her to think over whatever she needed to for several minutes.
Then gently as she could, Hahli brought it up. “Gavla, if there’s anything you need to talk about… if there’s anything that you’ve gone through or want to go over-”
Instantly Gavla tensed and she shot a glare back at the Toa.
“-I don’t mean now, whenever you’re ready to,” Hahli interjected quickly. “I’m just letting you know that I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
Galva settled back down a little, her gaze turned toward the ground. She mumbled, “... I probably should be heading back home now.”
“If that’s what you want,” Hahli replied. “But you’re also more than welcome to stay a little longer if you’d like.”
Slowly, Gavla looked back up towards the center of the village, where giggling and laughing Ga-Matoran were getting on with their chores and talking about the day's events. She then eyed the entrance that led up down the beach. After some indecisiveness, her wings flapped and she headed in the direction of the gathered Ga-Matoran.
Hahli watched as Kai waved over to Gavla eagerly, bringing her into the group.
Satisfied, the Toa got back up and returned to the front of her hut to address the current issue of Iara pulling the still live fish all out of her bag on the ground.
She hummed a light tune as she started the task at hand, even as a spark of fire burned within her.
Mata Nui, whoever hurt that girl better pray that I never come across them!
