Spoilers for "Before the Storm"

CW: Brief allusion to child abuse and exploitation

The first 10 years of Itotia's life was tough but full of love. Born to Neolani and Ryuk Kwan, the small family of 3 didn't have a lot. Neolani and Ryuk had fallen in love against their families' wishes. When Neolani discovered she was pregnant and refused to give up the baby, her family turned their backs on her. Ryuk stood beside the mother of his child against his own family, causing them to turn their backs on them as well. In truth, neither of them much cared. They had each other and they had a little one on the way. They would make it work.

Itotia was born a few months later in Port Scarrow. Neolani split her time between different jobs and caring for the young boy while Ryuk worked as a sailor for hire on different ships and crews. For 10 years, this was their life. Working hard, scrapping by but the family made sure they all knew they loved each other. But this love wouldn't be enough to withstand tragedy.

When Itotia was 10, Ryuk never returned from a job on a crew. According to the ship's captain, they had gotten into a skirmish with another ship and Ryuk was killed during the combat. Neolani was provided the portion Ryuk would have received but it would only go so far. She and Itotia were on their own now, with a new hole in their hearts and weight on their shoulders.

Neolani did everything in her power to provide for Itotia. Working to the point of exhaustion, taking job after job to keep a roof over Itotia's head, food in his belly, and clothes on his back but there was only so much she could do. So, Itotia started to do what he could. Finding whatever job would take him in, a difficult task when between the ages of 10 and 13 and a scrawny young boy at that. Some would take pity on him, giving him coin to wash clothes or do dishes. It was barely enough to provide for the mother and son.

Shortly after Itotia turned 13, a man approached him when Itotia was looking for work and offered the boy a job. Accepting the man's offer was the worst day of Itotia's life. For the next few months, Itotia would meet the man shortly after his mother had fallen asleep and sold the "only thing of value" (according to the man) that Itotia had. His body. Each night, a bit more of Itotia's soul would be taken from him when the man dumped his portion of the coin into the young boy's hands. Neolani noticed the growing dullness in her son's eyes but no matter how much she coaxed, begged, and pleaded, she could never get the full truth from him. Itotia was determined to spare his mother at least the pain of knowing how the bread got onto the table at night.

One day, shortly after Itotia turned 14 and a slow week causing the mother and son to struggle more, Itotia took the chance to scavenge through the local baker's trash. He found a burnt loaf of bread, a treasure and a blessing to him. But the baker had seen Itotia and raced out of his store to confront the "theft". All Itotia could do was clutch the bread close to him and cower, any fight in him taken long ago. He could take a yelling or even a beating if it meant keeping the bread.

But the yelling was cut short when, like a vengeful spirit sent to punish evil, a girl likely not much older than himself had stormed down the alleyway. Itotia could only watch in awe, shock, and a bit of fear as this girl yelled and cursed the baker out. It felt...odd seeing this man who was just yelling at Itotia a moment ago be forced backwards until he hit a wall by this fiery spirit of a child.

Itotia barely remembered seeing the girl shove something into the baker's hands before pushing him away, cussing and cursing about the baker being paid and to leave them alone. Once it was just the two of them, she had looked over at him and Itotia firmly believed she was some deity or spirit. But he wasn't foolish. She had paid for the bread and he needed to repay her the only way he could.

Yet, when he offered to pleasure her as repayment, she looked...horrified before gently telling him no. Itotia doesn't remember the words she spoke to him but he'll always remember the tone. Kind, gentle, reassuring. Eventually, they traded names. Kaiaka. "But you can just call me Kai. That's what all of my friends and family call me."

The more they talked, the more Itotia trusted her. So when Kai told him to get his and his mother's belongings and meet at the edge of the dock with his mother that night, he agreed. Somewhere deep in his heart he knew she was safe.

Rushing home, he was overjoyed to see his mother home early (though normally he'd be saddened as it meant she hadn't found work). He gushed to her about Kaiaka, telling Neolani about how Kai told them to meet at the edge of the dock that evening with their items. His mother tried to slow him down, to tell him to think but the look on his face, seeing warmth and life back in his green eyes made her relent. They didn't have much, able to pack everything they had in the few bags they owned. With a note to their landlord on the table, Neolani and Itotia left the small shack of a house. By the next morning, they were sailing through the Stormtide Reach upon the Lightning Dancers' ship, welcomed aboard with warm smiles and open arms.

The moment Itotia and Kai were reunited at the edge of the dock, they became nearly inseparable. On the trip back to Teluvia, Kai was always next to or nearby Itotia. She was almost always standing just behind Itotia as they looked out at the ocean, a barrier between him and anyone even thinking about sneaking up on them. Or she was coaxing another snack into Itotia's hands. The Lightning Dancers and even Kai's own parents saw how protective she was of the younger boy, though no one ever commented on it. It was a surprise when, after Itotia and Neolani settled into the cottage next to the Natua's home, Kai decided to stay on Teluvia.

Over the months, Itotia was spending even more time with Kai at his and his mother's new cottage. To his secret relief, she even began sleeping over. He doesn't remember (and neither does Kai) how it started but eventually, Kai had taken to sleeping on the floor in Itotia's room. He'd offer her the bed but she'd just wave him off, saying she'd only stay until Itotia was asleep and head to the couch (which she never did). Whenever Kai was nearby, the nightmares seemed to grow more scarce, as though even the memories that haunted his sleep were fearful of her wrath. He never had to tell her that though. She just smiled that knowing smile each morning.

It was thanks to Kai that Itotia began to learn, unlearn, and relearn so many things. He relearned how to trust people. He learned how to wield a sword and dagger to protect himself. He gradually unlearned the fear and worry of not having enough food or unsafe shelter. He relearned what it meant to have fun and be a kid. He learned all of the "stupid" games Kai taught him. He unlearned jumping at any unexpected noise.

He relearned how good a hug could feel without wanting to crawl out of his own skin. He learned how freeing it was to tell someone else everything he had to survive through. He unlearned the shame he felt, learning to find pride in his strength to survive what no child should have to. All with Kai.

Months passed and Kai and Itotia only grew closer. Itotia knew deep down his feelings for Kai went beyond those of simply good friends. He loved her, not as a friend but as something more. But the one thing he couldn't unlearn was the worry he felt whenever he even thought about bringing his feelings to her. Itotia was terrified that if he did, he'd lose Kai. He'd lose his fiery spirit, the person who brought life and joy back to him. He was terrified he'd lose his best friend. So, he kept it buried. If he just went his whole life as Kai's best friend and nothing more, he'd be happy.

Mercifully, Kai was always going to be Kai. Confident and utterly shameless. One evening when Kai was having dinner with Neolani and Itotia, Neolani playfully asked when Itotia and Kai were going to date. Itotia had frozen, staring at his mother with horror and fear. He had felt himself starting to spiral, all of his fears and doubts bubbling to the surface. Kai is going to laugh. She's going to reject me. She's going to leave. She's going to hate me. She's going to-

But Kai...Kai just finished her bite of food before bluntly stating she was waiting for enough time to pass that she knew if she asked Itotia he'd be saying yes because he wanted to date and not because of any misplaced feeling of needing to repay her. Then, Kai had looked over at Itotia and given him that smile that always made him feel like everything was good and right in the world and all his doubts and fears fled his mind.

They went on their first date the next day, a small picnic on the shore. Then, with Itotia 17 and Kai 18, they finally shared their first kiss that same evening.

From then on, Itotia knew Kai would always be his partner, his support, his pillar to lean on. Giving up his fears and doubts, Itotia realized that him and Kai fit even better than before. While his own sex drive was low (mostly due to his childhood), he didn't find himself minding Kai's more...active sex life. In truth, there was something heady and almost powerful in knowing no matter who she lays with, she'd always go back to him.

Of course, this was after a long conversation of Kai making sure Itotia knows anything she had with anyone other than Itotia was just physical. It was just her scratching an itch Itotia isn't able to reach, by no fault of his own. They laid their rules out and Kai made Itotia promise to tell her if he ever felt uncomfortable. Kai proved herself to Itotia the few times he raised a concern, always listening and respecting Itotia's boundaries and limits.

When Kai finally formed her own crew a year later (when Kai was 19 and Itotia was 18) and bought her own ship, The Tempest, Itotia already knew what role she'd offer him. Just as he leaned on Kai, he knew Kai leaned on him. It went unspoken his role as her First Mate. It was such a certainty that it slipped both of their minds to tell the crew "officially" that Itotia was their First Mate until Cillian O'Brien brought it up. Itotia still laughs whenever he remembers the look of confusion turning to realization as Kai realized that yes, in fact, she had never "officially" declared him as her First Mate.