~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

The unlikely adventures of

"You sure Dad's not gonna kill you?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure. I was up all day yesterday." 

Neteyam's shoulders slumped as he stared in a deadpan way at his little brother, who hesitated for the hundredth millionth time in the past twenty minutes of trying to convince him it was okay for Neteyam to get out of the hammock. It was late in the afternoon, and while his parents were out doing adult stuff, he was going to step outside and try and do some gentle activities that wouldn't cause him a great deal of pain. 

Lo'ak just crossed his arms and gave Neteyam a skeptical look. Standing patiently a couple feet away was Fey'atsi, the sun casting through the woven wall of the marui only to travel across her royal blue skin, illuminating her big golden eyes and the accessories in her hair.  She leaned to the side a bit in order to balance little Tuk on her hip, who had her arms hooked around the older girl's neck as they both watched on, waiting.

"Yeah, I know you were up yesterday, because you were limping around inside like a wounded animal." Lo'ak stated sourly. 

"I literally just need you to hold this hammock still so I can use my legs and get out. Can you do that for me, bro, please?" 

Lo'ak clicked his tongue in a distasteful manner before he grabbed the rim of the hammock and pulled it down slightly. Neteyam slowly but surely worked his way out of the net by carefully swinging his legs onto the floor and pushing himself onto his feet—in a very unstable, wobbly way. But nevertheless, he managed to stand upright minus the fact that his body pulsed with pain every time he moved. Yesterday, after three days of simply sleeping for hours straight, Norm flew down from High Camp and gave Neteyam a series of steroid injections, which made him feel like his heart was constantly trying to pump itself out of his chest. So, it was safe to say he wasn't keen on sleeping any longer. 

Once he was up, Neteyam begrudgingly ripped the bandage off his left shoulder and tossed it aside, revealing a semi-healed bullet hole wound that would likely leave a similar scar to the one  over his heart. 

"Dude," Lo'ak interjected, before he was quickly shut down by Neteyam who gave him a stern look. He already had a bunch of adults buzzing over him, and the last thing he needed was for his little brother to become a paranoid parent and instruct him on what he shouldn't be doing. 

Fey'atsi gently set Tuk down and came forward to help out. She and Lo'ak shared a look, but not a mean one, just a little knowing glance that Neteyam picked up on but decided not to wonder about. Feya then turned to face him and made her face look all strict and demanding. She poked his collarbone, just above his ragged scar. "You better not go out there and act all rough, you hear me? Or I'll tell Jake." 

Neteyam gazed down at her and smiled. Something about the way her lips made that pouting shape just made him crumble inside with warmth and affection, although he knew she wasn't being completely serious. She was just giving him a little warning without being too stoic and uptight. His tail waved behind him, "Yes, ma'am." 

She immediately blushed and took a step back, a mischievous smile growing across her heart-shaped face. "Okay, buddy. Let's go outside." She attached herself at his side and linked her arm around his, before grace full striding out of the marui with him. As she guided him into the bursting light of the day with Lo'ak and Tuk following close behind, Neteyam felt rather proud that people would be seeing them walking together. Specifically that they would see her holding his arm the way she was. 

After a few scandalous glances at each other, filled with quiet little bouts of laughter, Neteyam and Feya stopped at the edge of the woven mangrove pathways and stood over where the ocean lapped beneath their feet. Swimming around in the blue haze of the water was the rest of the teenagers, including Viper, who wasn't wearing a shirt but was wading about in long trousers.