~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

The unlikely adventures of

Neteyam met his sister's tender gaze. "I'm so sorry, Kiri." 

She let out an exasperated breath and pulled him into a large hug, sliding her arms up to wrap them around his neck. He embraced her and enclosed his own arms around her back, holding her close. She rested her chin on his neck and released a small cry. "I love you so, so much, Neteyam. Don't ever forget it, no matter what happens." 

He squeezed his eyes shut and relished the moment. He couldn't bring himself to speak—to say he loved her back, his tongue numb with guilt. He felt s if he'd lost so much of his reputation. His ability to hold himself together and deal with his own problems in solitude, without worrying anyone else. Ever since he'd been shot in the chest, everything seemed like was going wrong. 

                                                                                         ~~~

Fey'atsi was a clean, clean type of girl. She always loved a perilous adventure that got mud across her skin and leaves in her hair, but she always made sure she washed her skin, her face, and her hair afterwards in the nearest river or pool. It was part of her routine—to get filthy and then have a nice, long bath session later. She never liked feeling gross.

She had found a huge tide pool a couple of hours ago that was located behind the village of marui pods, surrounded by the mangrove trees that doubled as a small forest. She hadn't seen anybody using the pool in hr duration of being at the reef, so tonight, while everyone was asleep, she was bathing in the glowing bioluminescence of the water. 

Feya gracefully untied her braid until her hair fell down her shoulders and down her back in choppy, wavy locks. A few shorter stresses swept across her forehead, the ends of them curly. She lowered herself into the calm, blue waters and dipped the back of her head under the surface, soaking it. Then, she straightened herself up and splashed her arms, washing away the sand and dirt that had accumulated on her body after playing fight club. Her torso, legs, and arms were littered with bruises and small cuts that were being cleansed, too. 

She allowed the cooling waters to envelope her naked body and wash her spotless, cupping some liquid into her hands before she splashed it across her face. When she opened her eyes, droplets trickled off the tip of her nose and her eyelashes. 

"Fey'atsi?" 

The girl whipped around in a blur of shock and immediately sunk deeper into the water at the sight of a lanky blue figure. Her mouth parted open, "Neteyam?" 

The boy halted at the edge of the pool where the mixture of moss and sand was, his stature loose and carefree. A wave of surprise overtook his handsome features as he laid eyes on his friend bathing unclothed in the water, not that he could see anything, but he quickly recovered and cracked a shy grin. "Sorry—Tuk told me you'd come this way. I just wanted to check on you."

Fey'atsi carefully analyzed the looks of her Omaticayan counterpart. His young, teenage strength and his loose lanky legs. His hair, twisted up into that fishtail braid from the crown of his head to down between his toned shoulders, with the beads intertwined and the little feather poking out behind his ear. She had to admit, he looked good and she was blushing a bit too hard because of it.

She eyed her loincloth and beaded top lying on the ground a couple feet away. She could reach them easily if she wanted to, so her worry ebbed away for the most part. She smiled back, "I'm okay, I promise. You're such a worrier." 

His ears swiveled at the new nickname as if his ears were getting used to the sound, before another bashful smile grew across his face and he looked down. Feya cocked her head at the reaction of the boy, and she found herself chuckling irrepressibly. "Are you alright?"