Happiness

“Slow down!”

Boyish laughter bounced from tree to tree. Everything and everyone heard him laugh clear as day. Laughing at your struggle to keep up, that was. You diligently chased after him, leaping across treetops, and carefully snaked your body around the thick trunks. He kept just out of reach, close enough to have your eye, but never far enough to dash your hopes. He liked the chase, after all.

His tail flicked to and fro. At one point, he looked over his shoulder and shot you his brightest grin. You already imagined his mind working, scheming another way to keep you on your toes.

He never slowed, either. When he decided to climb up a perch you knew you could not climb without the prowess of a Na’vi, you stood on a thick branch. It stumped you. On the first attempt to follow, you slid back down the tree trunk onto your branch. You leaned against it and thought hard.

Eventually, you raised a fist and knocked it against the wood. Then, you hurried to grab your ankle and cried out. Already, you heard your name fall from his lips in worry. 

“Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” you lied.

Neteyam diligently worked his way back down the tree trunk to your side. Once he dropped onto the branch, extending his hands to check on you, your eyes flitted across the landscape. You plotted your escape all while his dilated eyes raked over your form, landing on your ankle. His tail stilled, hooking on the end as he gave you his full attention.

“Do you need-”

Once he stood close enough, you let go of your ankle, snatching your hand out to tap him on the chest. “Tag!”

He blinked, stunned as you set your foot down and snaked around the tree trunk, dashing off. His ears flicked down for a brief moment. Of course, he should have expected tricks. Nevertheless, his face beamed once more as he laughed at your cleverness. His tail flicked and he darted after you, or whoever he came across. This time, he would not fall for another trick.

When it came to tag, as a human against Na’vi, you used whatever card you had up your sleeve to get the upper hand. It wasn’t your fault Neteyam had a soft spot.

Sadness

This conversation should not have been heard by you. Lo’ak had gotten into trouble,  again,  and Neteyam tried to lighten the mood despite having to save the day. When Lo’ak left without a word, his brother followed to talk it out. You really should not have been there, but you did not want to make yourself known if you tried to leave. Sticking to your hiding spot, you watched it unfold.

“Do you not see I am trying to look out for you?” Neteyam attempted a smile. He set a hand on Lo’ak’s shoulder only for it to be smacked away. With a sigh, he pursed his lips. “Look, baby brother-”

“I don’t need you to look out for me.” Lo’ak narrowed his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

“Lo’ak,” Neteyam muttered.

“Don’t.” Lo’ak held his hand up, stopping his brother from saying anything more. “I’m tired of you getting in my way. Leave me alone.”

Neteyam’s ears lowered to the side. He opened his mouth to try to rectify the argument. His brother gave him no room to talk. The younger of the two let out a groan of frustration, spinning on his heel. He threw his hands up, done with the conversation. As he stormed off, you turned your attention back to Neteyam. 

The older brother watched him solemnly with pursed lips. His tail froze and his ears flattened. He sighed and breathed out, shoulders sagging in defeat. 

You knew he hated fighting his brother. He only ever meant to look out for him. It pained him just as much as Lo’ak for everyone else to paint them differently. The rift between them only worsened with age as Neteyam sought approval and greatness like his father. Lo’ak never saw himself as an equal from then on and any interaction with his brother that didn’t immediately start with an agreement was taken as a challenge.

You stepped out of your hiding spot, shame in the pit of your stomach for eavesdropping. Neteyam’s ear flicked in your direction, catching the soft steps announcing your presence. It returned to its flat position and he hung his head, turning to hide his face from you. Biting your cheek, you stood a few feet from him.

“Neteyam,” you murmured.

He swallowed thickly and forced his gaze to meet yours. His eyes brimmed with guilt and humiliation at being caught in a vulnerable state. He could not hold your stare for long before he looked elsewhere, turning his back on you.

“Sorry,” he breathed in deeply. It took everything in his power to hold it together. “I just want to be alone right now.”

Your expression turned grim. Neteyam took one glance before he looked away again. He muttered another apology and turned away, walking away to where he could find privacy. You grabbed your arm, unsure of what to do. You simply watched him go, wishing the brothers could get along better.

Fear

Of all the things for Neteyam to show you, the resting ground of his father’s enemy had not even been on the list of possibilities. You followed him up to the shack, mindful of the large, metal suit covered in vegetation. The unfamiliar suit belonged to the RDA, you knew that much. Not its name or purpose, though you could guess with the familiar arrow sticking out of it that it fit war. Through the shattered glass, a deteriorated skull with scars along the side stared back. You scurried past it and into the shack.

Neteyam laughed at your expense. “Afraid?”

You shivered, thinking about the decomposed body just laying there. Neteyam crouched to fit through the door, standing on the balls of his feet. He smiled at you, brushing away some overhanging vegetation. You shook your head, already drawing your attention to the abandoned tech and gadgets. Your finger dragged across the surface of a desk, leaving a smeared trail of dust and grime.

“Does anyone else know about this place?”

He scoffed, leaning back on his haunches. Laying his elbow on an old link bed, he tilted his head. “What do you think? My dad would kill me if he knew I was here.”

“And your siblings?”

“They don’t know.” He laughed to himself. “They better not know.”

“Right.” You reached for different things. “Do you recognize any of this?”

“No.”

You picked up a flashlight. “Not this?”

“No.” His face pinched curiously. “Do you? I figured you would want to see this place, seeing as you like human artifacts.”

You thought about how he laughed at you for darting from the body outside. If he didn’t recognize this, and if you played your cards right, you could have a little payback. Shaking your head, you turned the flashlight over with feigned ignorance. 

“No clue.” Turning the flashlight to your free hand, you debated if this was a good idea. Then again, it was no harm. Your thumb lingered over the button before you turned it on. The light bathed your hand and you let out a scream.

Neteyam jumped in alarm. His ears tucked back against his head and his eyes widened. “What? What’s wrong?”

“It burns!” You cried out, shaking your hand for emphasis. “It’s burning my hand.”

“Turn it off!” He lunged for you to help you but you suspected that much.

Turning the flashlight onto him, he shouted in surprise. His eyes dilated from the brightness and his arms flung up to protect his face. Fangs bared in a hiss, you watched as his tail tucked between his legs. Neteyam stumbled back, falling onto his butt. It took only a second for his senses to kick in and he lowered his hands with a suspicious squint.

You dropped the act quickly, turning off the flashlight. His shocked face made itself permanent in your mind as you cackled. No, a flashlight didn’t burn skin. In hindsight, he realized it was similar to the outdoor lights used on the buildings of the human camp. In the moment, though, he was too worried about yours and his safety to think straight.

Neteyam pouted, holding a hand over his chest to calm his heart. “That was not a good joke.”

You stifled your laughs with a small cough, shrugging easily. “I thought it was funny.”

“Whatever.” He pulled himself upright. Once at your side, he snatched the flashlight and set it down. “No more jokes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Disgust

Tracks.

Lo’ak crouched low to inspect them. He grew uncharacteristically quiet, his hunter training kicking in. Spider loomed over his shoulder, cocking his head as if that’d give him an answer. Neteyam stood close by, gauging it from his casual stance.

Spider nudged Lo’ak. “What is it, bro?”

“Talioang,” Neteyam answered. Lo’ak spared an annoyed look over his shoulder. He would’ve come to the same conclusion if he gave him another second. Neteyam disregarded the look, though, eyes darting over the tracks. “Fresh. And you know it’s not alone.”

Your eyes raked over to Tuk, who hugged Kiri’s arm at the stern tone Neteyam took. You looked back to Neteyam, locking eyes. You could already guess what was on his mind.

“We should head back.”

“What, no way.” Lo’ak stood at his full height. “Bro, we can’t just turn around because of some talioang.”

Neteyam gestured his head in Tuk’s direction. “You want to explain to dad why we were out here if Tuk gets hurt. If anyone gets hurt. They could return anytime.”

Lo’ak held his gaze for just a moment before rolling his eyes. “Fine.”

There was no point in arguing when you all knew Neteyam was right. Begrudgingly, Lo’ak knew that too.

As you all turned and walked back the way you came, you just so happened to trip. A strangled sound of surprise fell from your mouth before you landed on something with a splat. A chorus of laughs and grossed gagging sounds followed. You raised your head with your mouth fallen open in horror, just to clamp it shut in disgust. Luck bestowed you the need for an exopack, protected from indulging a mouthful of talioang  dung.

“Gross!” Tuk giggled.

You froze, justifiably abhorred by the incident. Why couldn’t you fall anywhere else? Literally anywhere else? You could have fallen and cracked your mask but  this.  Nightmares would haunt you for weeks. Not even mentioning the smell that would follow you for the days following.

Neteyam, ever the gentleman, came to your aid. He reached out for your arm, acting gallantly for the pure look of disgust on his face. His face scrunched with lips pursed and his cheeks puffed out as if holding his breath. His ears flicked and faced forward, attentive to any sounds from the wild.

“Come on, we need to get going.”

Despite the gravity of potentially being caught by talioang, your bottom lip quivered. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Your whole body shook from shock and disgust, vibrating with hatred toward the pile of poop. Lo’ak and Spider had the time of their lives, folded over and holding their stomachs. They let out full belly laughs. Tuk’s nose scrunched as she held a hand up to cover the lower half of her face.

Kiri had the sense to cover her smile, though it did nothing to hide the jaunt of her shoulders or the flittery laughs. “Don’t laugh,” she giggled, directing her order at the boys. “You’ll alert the talioang.”

“Kiri’s right.” Neteyam’s concern for you overrode the nauseating need to distance himself from the smell. He wiped the side of his hand down your mask, clearing away the shit as best as he could. While it helped, part of it smeared against the side, instead. He flicked his hand away from yours and his body. “We’ll clean you up when we get back.”

“You need at least ten baths,” Tuk added.

Your eyes watered but you stormed past them. “Fine.”

It didn’t stop you from wiping a bit on Spider and Lo’ak’s arms. The boys blanched with shouts. Kiri and Tuk followed next. Eventually, they all speed-walked ahead of you, leaving your smell away from their noses. Neteyam kept himself between the group ahead and your lagging form. He flicked his hand discreetly, not that you couldn’t see it, attempting to rid the remnants. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled apologetically at you.

At least, he helped you out.

Anger

“ You  were in my way.”

“Last I recall, you didn’t own the forest.”

You stood with your arms crossed. The Na’vi opposite you crossed his arms, face pinched in fury. Of course, he blamed you for his fish swimming away. What’s funny is that you weren’t the only one at that natural pool. He had plenty of other Na’vi to blame, but he went after the one human. You would not give him the satisfaction, even if he stood a good twice your height.

He bristled. “You don’t belong here.”

“Tough.” You pointed a finger. “I wasn’t even bothering you.  You  came at me, remember?”

His eyes narrowed as he unfurled his arms. “You trying to start something?”

“Ha.” You barked out a laugh, spinning on your heel. “You’re not worth the time.”

You made it not two steps away before something tugged at your mask. The strap loosened enough that the mask began to peel from your face. Your eyes widened as you smacked your hands to your mask. You whirled around, ready to yell all sorts of obscenities at him. And he had the gall to snicker as if he didn’t just endanger you.

Out of the corner of your eye, a blue blur stormed up to you two. The Na’vi’s ears tucked back momentarily before he put up his tough guy act again. Appearing between you two, Neteyam stood with tense shoulders. Hands balled at his side, he jabbed a finger into the guy’s chest.

“Don’t do that again.”

He stood in front of you, towering at the same height as your bully. Neteyam’s tail whipped slowly, the furry tip flicking a dangerous warning. You stepped to the side and looked up. His eyes narrowed, ears slowly flattening against his head.

The Na’vi batted his hand away, returning the sneer. His eyes flickered with worry, though, betraying his fear. “Or, what?”

“Or, I’ll make you regret it.”

“Protecting your pet?” The Na’vi laughed. “I don’t see why you bother with  it . Unless you use it as a toy. Is that it? You keep it around for entertainment.”

Neteyam’s fingers curled into a fist. He pulled his arm back slowly, undetected, fighting back the urge to knock his teeth out. His eyes narrowed to near slits. Mouth open, he bared his fangs with a hiss.

“Take that back.”

Surprise

“What? Think I’m afraid of you?” The Na’vi laughed, failing to mask the waver in his voice. “Just because you are the son of olo’eyktan does not mean anything.”

You stepped around Neteyam, glaring at the Na’vi. “What, like you’re any better? You failed to catch a  fish . You’re not a hunter and you’re sure as hell, not a fighter.”

He turned his wavering stare on you. “Shut up.”

“You don’t even have a comeback. You know I’m right.” You gestured to yourself. “Come on, hit me. I’ll show you how a human fights. And I won’t be holding back.”

He looked between you and Neteyam. His face screwed tight in annoyance. In one step, he backed away and put distance between you. His hands raised in apathy, waving you off dismissively. You knew it was surrender.

“Whatever. You’re not worth my time.”

You crossed your arms, rigid as you watched him stomp off like a child. The nerve of that guy. Not worth his time? He sure did not feel that way when he argued with you over a fish.

You blew a raspberry, slumping your shoulders when he was far enough away. “Serves you right.”

You turned around, forgetting how close you were to Neteyam. Bumping into him, you quickly backed away and looked up at him. His tail flicked wildly in a way you didn’t recognize. He stood with wide eyes, staring at you while his ears swiveled. At his sides, his hands flexed and unflexed.

It worried you a bit. “What?” 

He blinked out of his stupor and shrugged. “Nothing.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I-” He looked you over. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” You fixed the straps of your mask, happy that loosening them was all he did. If it broke, you’d have gone rabid and attacked him before the carbon dioxide knocked you unconscious. For his sake, he better be glad he didn’t do anything worse. You smiled at Neteyam. “Thanks for having my back.”

He smiled and cocked his head to the side, swaying it. “Figured you had it handled, but it never hurts to have backup.”

“Oh, really? Backup?” It was only moments ago, yet you clearly remembered that he jumped in front of you. Definitely was not backup material.

He rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you back to camp.”

“What, why?”

“If he finds any friends willing to fight a human, you probably won’t stand a chance.” He backtracked playfully. “Probably, but my bets are on you.”

You snorted and followed him on the path back to the human camp. “Thanks.”