~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

The unlikely adventures of

"She is off-limits." Neteyam growled, but his voice was strangely calm, which made him all the more intimidating up front. Fey'atsi's heart picked up speed when she heard his words—again, that feeling of security washed over her, mixed with a slight twinge of pride. 

Without wasting a second, Neteyam stomped forward and bent down, his upper body craning downward in order to reach Viper, before he grabbed the seventeen-year-old's bicep violently and jerked it up, forcing his enemy to meet his eyes. "You don't ever lay your hands on her again, you hear me?" He tightened his grip on Viper's arm, squeezing it painfully where the pressure point was. "You hear me?" 

Viper eventually let out a small groaning sound until he nodded vigorously, but that didn't seem to be enough for Neteyam. The younger boy clutched his arm and wrenched it backwards and backwards, bending it so where it could pop out of its socket. "I said do you hear me? That girl deserves respect and nothing else.Got that?" 

Viper cried out in pain just the moment before Neteyam released his arm. The newcomer scrambled to his feet and immediately began jogging out of the water, occasionally casting dumbfounded glances towards his peers as he retreated back to whatever hole he slunk out of. The sight of him sulking away made Fey'atsi's chest bloom with satisfaction, a feeling she was ashamed of, but she couldn't help it in the moment. 

When she looked at Neteyam, they both immediately burst out in laughter and turned away, avoiding contact with one another until they could get their hysteria under control. She wasn't sure why it was so funny to her, and seemingly Neteyam, too, who was teething with hostility just moments ago, but she supposed it was just the adrenaline and the fact that whenever they were together, they could make humor out of anything. Not to mention the looks on their faces when they saw each other.

"My mighty warrior." Feya swooned, wiping away her tears of laughter. She waded closer to him and snickered a bit more, before she took her friend's tail and swirled it around her wrist. "What would I do without you?" 

"I'm sorry about that. He is such a skxawng." Neteyam emphasized the word, his body language ridgid again with lingering agitation. His amber eyes flickered to where she messed with his tail, but he let her continue fiddling with it. "Are you alright?" 

Fey'atsi took a couple steps to the side to where she faced Neteyam, lifting her head in order to look at him properly. He was at least a foot and three inches taller than her, making their dynamic seem very masculine and feminine in comparison to each other. She was slender and thin, with dainty, small shoulders and refined hands, built for forest life and crafting. Whereas he was tall, with a lean, muscular build and long, lanky legs, his arms toned and overall frame a showcase of youthful strength. Both of them were trained to be warriors, but she liked that they were different in size and shape. Something about it seemed so special. 

"I'm perfectly fine," Feya reassured, reaching for his hands and clasping them in her own. "I would have loved to put his head in the sand, but..."she smirked, "I do not mind being rescued."

Neteyam let out a breathy laugh and began walking Feya back to the beach, muttering about how annoying Viper was despite the fact that he had helped save his life. While he was rambling, she was still thinking about how Neteyam told him that girl deserves respect and nothing else. Her heart filled with joy, and she felt incredibly honored that he talked of her so highly. That, maybe, he thought of her that way, too, although she couldn't peek inside his mind. But, oh, how she wished she could.

They stopped when they reached the front of the Sully's marui, and Neteyam turned around with curious eyes as Fey'atsi grabbed Neteyam's arm and gave him a sincere look. The sun was glinting in her vision but she managed to see through the brightness, considering her view of Neteyam was better than the sun anyway.