Intertwined [Neteyam x OC]

Chapter 3

Set the tone, when it's just me
And you alone, never lonely
In the room, breathin' slowly
Oh, you know me, yeah
Meditate, you can take me
To a place where we can be
All alone, I let you hold me
'Cause you know me, me, yeah
- 'Comfortable ' by H.E.R.

Aliyah was awakened by sunlight breaking through the thick leaves of the forest and shining in her eyes. She stretched out her long limbs while letting out a content groan and went out to find breakfast. She saw Neytiri spreading out different kinds of colorful fruit, and Aliyah's mouth watered at the thought of them. Neytiri noticed the girl, grabbed a piece, and threw it at her. Aliyah's reflexes kicked in and caught the round berry. She sunk her teeth in as Neytiri smiled, "Good morning, Aliyah, did you sleep well?" Aliyah wiped the juice from her lips and shot Neytiri a wide-toothed grin, "Like a baby pa'li! Is Kiri up yet?" Neytiri nodded and nudged her head toward the edge of the camp.

"Hey Kiri, do you have something to do right now?" Aliyah asked as she sat down next to Kiri, finishing the last of her fruit. Kiri raised an eyebrow, "Not really, why? I'm not joining any dangerous mission of yours, go and ask Neteyam." Aliyah pretended to be offended and held her hand on her heart, "I can't believe you trust me so little... My best friend!" She fake-sniffed before continuing, "Oh well, guess I'll have to ask Neteyam to go for an ikran-ride." Aliyah stood up to walk away as Kiri pulled her arm back. She turned to look the girl in the face and saw a wide-eyed Kiri smiling brightly, "No! Ignore what I said, I am much better company than Neteyam!" Aliyah's mouth curved into a one-sided smile, "Let's go!"

---

"Wooohooo!!" Alyiah ululated as Sevin soared through the sky elegantly. Kiri sat up on her ikran, spreading her arms out horizontally and taking in the morning sun. They flew next to each other for the next two hours as they passed mountains, and waterfalls and made different loops in the sky. "So what do you say now? Will you ever doubt me again?" Aliyah shouted to be heard over the wind.
"I will! But right now, I absolutely adore you!" Kiri responded, ending her sentence in a shout-laugh as her ikran dove down. Aliyah followed the girl and Sevin clapped in her wings to gain speed as the ground came closer. As she approached Kiri, she pulled Sevin back and flew straight again. Aliyah looked at the sun moving higher in the sky. "We should head back! We have a party to get ready for, remember?" Kiri nodded in agreement and they slowly made their way back.

Every now and then, the teens of the Omatikaya clan organized a 'no adults allowed' party. Aliyah was always very excited as she loved dancing and spending time with her friends. But also because she and Kiri had a tradition to get ready for these parties together. She loved these girls-only days because she spent most of her time with Neteyam, which after all, is still a boy. And girl-talk with a boy could be quite difficult, as she had already experienced. Although Neteyam is not afraid of gossip, it's so much more fun to do it with Kiri.
Kiri and Aliyah were now bathing in a pool of water, enjoying the soothing waves around their bodies. This was always a very relaxing moment for them, and it left them feeling refreshed. No words were spoken between them, as they both knew this was a time to appreciate the comfortable silence that lingered.
As Aliyah wrung the water out of her hair, Kiri spoke, "Are you excited for tonight? I heard they were going to do something special this time." Aliyah shrugged, "I'm always excited to party, you know that! But I doubt there will be something different, the boys just say that so more girls will come. They are soooo desperate." She rolled her eyes at the last sentence to accentuate her point. The girls giggled as they made their way back to the hut. On the way back, Kiri talked passionately about every flower and animal they passed, touching the edges of the delicate petals as she walked by. Aliyah had heard everything before, but she always listened intensely because she knew Kiri enjoyed their nature, unlike any other Na'vi.