Moonchild | Neteyam

8

CHAPTER 8

"No - Neteyam, you are not putting your mattress next to mine!" Erìhe hit Neteyam's hands away as he moved closer to place his mattress down.

Neteyam looked at her with wide, angry eyes, "Well, where do you suggest I put it?" He dropped the mattress and held his arms out, looking around the pod.

Erìhe looked around too. Most of the space had been taken up by everyone else's beds - they had all been claiming their sleeping places before they would go to eat. "How about the fireplace?" She asked innocently with a smile.

"So funny," Neteyam said monotonously as he bent over to pick his mattress up again. "You've just been allowed to stay with us, and you're already bossing me around."

Jake noticed his son spreading his mattress next to Erìhe's, and he quickly walked over, "What do you think you're doing? There's no way you two are sleeping next to each other."

Erìhe and Neteyam looked up at him in confusion. When it sunk in what he was scared of, their eyes widened and they both looked at each other incredulously, "Ew!" They said simultaneously as they took steps back from each other.

"Dad - what? No! Why would I-" Neteyam stumbled over his words.

"That is disgusting," Erìhe held her hands in front of herself as she looked away from Neteyam - as if the thought of him made her sick.

"You're disgusting," Neteyam shot back.

"I'm not the one who-"

"Enough," Jake said sternly. He looked over at Neteyam, "Switch places with Tuk. She'll sleep here."

Neteyam scoffed as he spared one last look at Erìhe, "Yes, sir," he said, "Gladly," he added before rolling his mattress up once more.

Erìhe shook her head as she made her way over to Tuk who sat atop her mattress and watched this interaction, "You just saved me from your brother," Erìhe told her with a smile. Tuk laughed and stood up from her mattress, allowing Erìhe to roll it up and carry it over to her spot.

Neytiri looked around the home, "Now that we've established our sleeping places - roll your mattresses up and put them against that wall," she pointed to the wall opposite of the entrance.

Erìhe smiled at Tuk and handed her the mattress she was holding before walking over to fetch her own. When all the mattresses were neatly placed by the wall, Jake ushered them all out, "Let's go eat then."

The Sully family and Erìhe had arrived slightly late at the gathering. In the Metkayina clan, the pods formed small neighborhoods and those neighborhoods liked to eat together. They were fortunate enough to live close enough to the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan that they ate together.

Upon their arrival, everyone had looked up to watch as they approached.

"You kids go eat there-" Jake placed a hand on Lo'ak's shoulder and bent down slightly so that they would hear him better, "Eat with the other kids - make friends," he told them "Me and your mother will eat with the adults."

"But dad-" Neteyam started to complain, "I'm an adult."

Erìhe snorted and crossed her hands, "Oh really?"

Neteyam pushed her and rolled his eyes. This caused Jake to give him a stern look. "Sorry, sir," Neteyam apologized. Jake pointed at Erìhe. The boy grimaced before looking at her, "Sorry, Erìhe." He would not apologize, so he childishly crossed his fingers behind his back.

Erìhe smiled smugly. Jake straightened up, "You two behave. Watch out for Tuk - and have fun," he said this before walking over to his wife and leading their way to where the adults sat gathered around a fire place.