I was getting ready in my hut while my mom was petting her Ilu outside. I put on my shell top and decorate my braids with hair jewelry as usual. I then take my bow and see my mom entering the hut. She smiles at me and speaks up.
"Did you sleep well?
- Yes, and you? I ask.
- Perfectly." She says.
I take some arrows with me, just in case I want to hunt on the roots during the day. I suddenly hear my mom's voice echoing in the hut again.
"By the way, I saw you walking back from your campfire with Tsireya and some newcomers.
- Yes, their name is Kirri, Neteyam and Lo'ak." I answer.
I hear her chuckling so I turn to her and meet her gaze, she speaks up.
"I thought you weren't going to hang out with them?" She says.
And it was true. I wasn't planning on being friends with them four days ago when they came here. But apparently, a lot of things can happen in four days.
"Yes, well I changed my mind." I say as I chuckle.
She giggles before walking over me and laying her hand on my cheek, tenderly caressing it.
"I am happy you are making some friends. Your father would be so proud of you." She says.
I hate when she brings everything about my father. I wouldn't even call him my father since he didn't raise me. He left before I was born and never came back. But if it makes my mom happy to think that, then I am happy too.
"Thank you mom." I shyly smile at her.
She smiles back and finally lets me go. I leave the hut and go join Tsireya on the beach where everyone usually take breakfast. I see her sitting alone with a coconut filled with milk in her hands, she was probably waiting for me. I walk over her and she notices me.
"Hiii." She says with a smile.
I wave at her and sit next to her, she hands me her coconut to offer me some milk.
"Thank you." I say as I take the coconut.
I drink a few sips before giving it back to her. She takes it and drink the milk before wiping her mouth. She stays silent but I know damn well she just wants to talk about what she saw yesterday night. And it really isn't such a big deal, I just talked to a guy. Literally I don't get why she is so excited about it.
"I saw you talking to Neteyam around the campfire and when we walked you back to your house..." She whispers as she takes another sip of her coconut.
I chuckle before turning my head to her, she stays silent and keep looking forward in an innocent way. I keep telling myself that maybe she should know I talked to Neteyam way before the Ilu lesson and everything else.
I take a deep breath and sigh before finally deciding to tell her everything.
"I have already been talking to Neteyam way before all of this." I say unexpectedly.
She widens her eyes and turns to me in a shocked way. Her mouth was wide open, her jaw just dropped on the floor. I could tell she felt betrayed since I didn't tell her anything.
"What? Where?! When?!" She asks yelling.
I giggle before telling her to lower her voice, she apologizes before putting her coconut on the sand in order to draw her whole attention on me.
"The night after they arrived, on the roots, and the night after." I answer.
She frowns in a betrayed way and I can't hold back my laugh. She hits me on the shoulder making me tilt back a little bit.
"Why didn't you tell me?
- Because hiding it from you when the only thing you wanted me to do was to talk to him was funny." I say with a smile as I take the coconut.
I take a sip as I hear her sigh in an annoyed way. She rolls her eyes and swears under her breath before speaking up.
"You are such an idiot Rhea." She says.
I can't help but chuckle. I suddenly see two familiar figures eating together in front of us, further away. It was Rotxo and Aonung. I meet my best friend's gaze. I think about what happened yesterday, when we argued about Neteyam. And I keep thinking of how Neteyam reassured me yesterday night about this. Little does he know we argued because of him.
But I am not holding him accountable. Of course not. It is not his fault if Aonung likes to act like a child. I hesitate a few moments before finally deciding to do something. I gently smile at him. He simply glares at me and stands up before walking away leaving Rotxo alone.
I roll my eyes and grumble. God I hate him so much. Rotxo turns to us and finally sees us, he stands up and joins us since his friend left him. He sits with us and handshakes me before waving at Tsireya.
"Aonung is still mad?" I ask to Rotxo.
He raises his eyebrows before taking a bite of his fruit. He looks up at us and answer.
"Yes. Very mad." He says.
I simply sigh finding this situation completely immature. I won't apologize to him first, if he wants to fix things, he will have to make the first step.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
We were all in the water with our Ilus, Tuk really wanted to come with us so I took her with me on my Ilu which was an opportunity for her to meet Emey since she really wanted to meet her, and I feel like Emey really likes Tuk.
Kirri, Neteyam and Lo'ak were very comfortable with their Ilus now, they could swim with them but still had some progress to do. Aonung decided he won't come because he has to help the village to harvest the fruits. So there is only me, Tsireya and all of the Sully kids.
We were near the reef but still close to the shoreline, Tsireya and I decided we would stay in this zone to swim all together.
"Does that mean we can name them now? Kirri asks as she pets her Ilu.
- Of course, they're yours and you guys are theirs." Tsireya says as she swims closer to Kirri.
Kirri looks down at her Ilu. It was a female and I was curious about how she will be calling her. Her Ilu was turquoise and white with blue eyes. She bends over her and speaks up.
"I'll call her Blue Widow." She says.
I frown, I guess she wanted to call her like the spider named the black widow but replaced black with her Ilu's eyes color.
"Like the spider? Why?" I ask as she looks up at me.
She simply shrugs and starts to smile as she looks back at the Ilu and answer my question.
"Because she reminds me of a friend." She simply says.
Neteyam and Lo'ak look at each other and I know they know something about that one friend Kirri is talking about. I mean it is normal, she obviously had to leave her friends behind her before coming here and it must have been very heartbreaking.
"Anyway!" Lo'ak suddenly says.
He draws our attention on him as he looks down at his Ilu. This one was a male and he was blue and white with grey eyes. He thinks for a few moments before finally choosing a name.
"I'll call him Nix." He says as he looks up at us.
And I guess it is a great name, I don't know if it has a meaning but I like it. Tsireya smiles before speaking up, addressing herself to Lo'ak.
"It's a beautiful name." She says.
Lo'ak turns to her and meets her gaze, and they stay like this for a few moments. He smiles at her, and here they are openly flirting with each other again. I hear Tuk sighing behind me before speaking up.
"Since you guys are too busy flirting, I will ask Neteyam how he is going to name his Ilu." She says.
She turns her head to her brother and meets his gaze. He gently smiles before looking up at me, he inks his eyes in mine for a few seconds. He thinks. For a long time. His Ilu was a female and I don't know how he is going to call her, he never shared ideas with me. He looks back at his little sister and answer her.
"I haven't decided yet."
Tuk shrugs, guessing she will have to wait until her brother makes his decision. We all decide to simply have a little swim so they can practice slowly.
author's note
a little boring chapter (sorry)
i am trying to keep my usual schedule
which is two chapters a day! sorry if
i am late, i just went back to school
and i am already so tired 💀
what do you think about this chapter?
what name would you like Neteyam to give to his Ilu?
don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter:)<3
xo