~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

Firstborn son.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and licked my lips. "You know, I called your dad a terrible father." 

"What?" 

"Yeah, after you were taken. I haven't apologized yet." 

He was silent for a moment. I'd thought I'd offended him by bringing up the delicate subject, but he just seemed thoughtful. "You know what he said after I yelled at him? He said I was right." 

"Really? You must have put up a good fight, then."

When nobody said anything further, I finally felt that feeling. Never had I ever, ever felt it before. The swimming feeling in my stomach, like hundreds of fireflies were fluttering inside me, tickling my gut with their wings. Uncomfortably, I placed my hands in my lap and attempted to stifle the feeling. 

But, as always, Neteyam noticed everything. "Are you okay?" he asked, smirking a little. I nodded quickly, before noticing he had kept the fishtail braid in his hair and those little fireflies lurched when I saw my necklace hung snugly around his neck. 

Now, I couldn't fight the grin that spread across my face. I didn't think he'd put it on. "You wore it?" I exclaimed, "You wore the necklace?" 

Quite perplexed at my sudden enthusiasm, his ears twitched in amusement. "Yeah, I wore it." He never got excited about anything. His voice was always the same tone--flat, and blunt, like a straight line. He was a reserved, no-nonsense guy and right now, I liked it more than ever. "Why?" 

My tail twirled around in the sand, wisping up some of the leaves. "Oh, no reason. I just didn't think you would." 

For once, his flat-lined voice spiked when he spoke. "Well, why wouldn't I? It was a gift, and gifts deserve to be worn." 

"Are you going to give me the definition next?" 

He looked down sheepishly. "Ma taught me that, actually." 

If there's one thing, I've learned about the Sully children, it's that they'll do anything to please their parents. All of them. Well, maybe not Lo'ak, but he has the desire to. I couldn't imagine living under my mother's shadow like that. Always trying to be like her, to earn her respect. I don't think you should have to earn any respect from your parents. My mother told me to just be myself, and not in the way that if I wanted to be an ikran, I could, but in the sense that I shouldn't change for anyone, or anything. I'd never heard Jake tell his kids that. 

"Do you ever think, that maybe, you don't want to be Olo'eyktan?" 

Neteyam immediately shook his head. "No, never. I would never wish to be something else other than a warrior. A protecter, defender. That's my place." 

"But...isn't that something your father's shaped you into?" 

"Of course not." He paused, "Well, a little. But I want more than anything to embrace it." 

I still couldn't understand how accepting and happy he was to be molded into another copy of his father. Although, I didn't voice my thoughts. If it was what he wanted to do, I would support him. 

I felt more of the jittery sensation in my stomach. Honestly, him being so persistent made me like him more. He was going to do what he wanted. 

"Okay, my turn to ask questions." Neteyam declared eventually. I eyed him carefully as he touched the river stone on his necklace. "Why did you give this to me?" 

"For good luck." 

"I don't believe in luck." he says. "Why did you actually do it? What was the motivation?" 

I felt my hands begin to sweat and my face go hot. How was I going to answer this? "Well, I uh--I wanted you to have it." 

"Why, though?" He was digging deeper. 

"Because you're a good friend." 

"Why am I a good friend?" 

"Uhm...you're kinda cool, I guess." I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. Neteyam was impeccably good at making people speak, but I was not impressed by my dry responses. "Will you shut up? It doesn't matter." I reached over and cuffed him on the head. "Can I not give my friend a gift?"

He snickered and dodged my incoming thump. "Fine, fine. I'll stop." 

For a moment, I thought this whole thing would lead to something bigger. A doorway to a new era. But it seemed to end here, and I was okay with it. 

                                                                                       ~~~

AN: And scene! 🎥 This story is kind of thrown together since I only made up the plot well into writing it. I may go back and change some things, only a little bit, nothing that would mess anything up, just to sweep away the lingering dust and have a clean dialogue. I have more stories in the works, I'm tempted to do another AU but I'm not sure. 

I guess I kind of did make Neteyam another Toruk Makto. I want to add more of Spider, Lo'ak, and Kiri, and Tuk, or course, but I'm not sure how. 

Jake and Lo'ak will have a redemption scene soon, too. We like good parenting in this house. 

Thank you!

Psalm 46:5-God is within her; she will not fail.