EXPECTATIONS | Neteyam

THE FEAST

She looked hideous. a coverup with long strands on beads and knit lay over her chest like a cage. her hair was re braided all the way down to her waist. she itched her scalp uncomfortably.

Not only did her natural hair feel heavy on her head now with shells and whatever valuable hidden in the braids, she had to wear a seashell crown, to show she was the one to be betrothed to.

Obviously they wouldn't mate; they were too young, but Aonung would have a sort of claim on her, until they were. Prisoned by someone she thought she was her best friend.

"Tefiti. You look beautiful." Her mother gasped. She was painted white with patterns like the tattoo adorned on the older metkayina on her face and around her eyes.

Her mother kissed her teeth.
"i'd doing this for you. for us. You love him."

"not in the way that you think." she grumbled.

"come now, it is beginning." her mother ignored her sly remark, pulling her by the arm. She could see the party; it was being held in the largest pod, where meetings were held. Fire, flowers, and fancily-dressed na'vi were everywhere as Tefiti walked towards the door.

"Be graceful." Her mother hissed in her ear as she smiled graciously at the people who bowed to her daughter.

As Tefiti marched in as 'gracefully' as she could, she laid her eyes on him.

Aonung was painted aswell; all over his chest and shoulders. he wore a feathered cover-up looking thing on his back, and his face looked exactly like his father's; covered in tattoos, painted on him in bold. 

The girl tried to hide her disgust as he looked over to her. She had to admit, he looked beautiful. But she was too upset and stubborn to admit that. He stood on his feet, as they walked closer together

Neteyam watched from the side, and asked Tsireya;
"What.. are they doing?"
"It is first dance." Tsireya explained to the Sullys. "They must dance to impress their partner before they choose each other."

Tefiti loved to dance. She loved to dress up in beautiful clothes. She loved feasts and parties. But she could not pretend to love this boy.

She blankly began to walk towards Aonung, who leaned over her. He looked at her emptily and swallowed.
"You look beautiful."

Tefiti looked away immediately. He sighed, clearing his throat.

"Would you give me the honour, to dance with you tonight?" He asked her loudly. For the first time in his life, the clapping and cheering around the pod didn't fill his ego like it always did before.

Tefiti took his hands, making Aonung freeze. The fight from yesterday left her wrists in a ring of yellow bruising. She winced as he pulled her hands gently. He looked away in embarrassment. He did that to his future mate?

The dance was completely soulless. they dance straight faced, or at least Tefiti did. Aonung attempted to smile and look like he was enjoying himself, but as he looked to his mother and father, they shook their head and looked at each other with disappointed faces.

In the middle of the dance, the girl made eye contact with Neteyam. He was watching in awe as she danced gracefully in Aonung's arms. Though she looked like she hated every second of it, she still looked beautiful.

He was mesmerised, and so was she. Every time it came to the angle where she could see him, she craned her neck to keep eye contact just a second longer. Maybe she was asking for help, maybe she was asking for him to dance with her instead.

Thankfully, the dance ended and Aonung and Tefiti were separated in the crowd by the villagers talking and congratulating them.

"Excuse me. I need to do my business." she said loudly to one of the women. Her mother scoffed at her use of words as she rushed through the crowd to find Neteyam.

"Hey." Aonung had grabbed her by the arm, standing in her way.

"Don't touch me, Skxawng." She laughed harshly in his face as she pushed past him.

He watched her walk up to him. Neteyam.
"Always in the way." He hissed to himself as they left together through the crowd.

"Tefiti." Neteyam called out to the girl.
"I feel so gross. Come, let's got to my pod." her nose wrinkled as she looked down at her outfit.

They walked in silence across the empty village. no one seemed to notice they were gone as Tefiti slipped into her everyday outfit, meeting Neteyam outside the pod.

"That's better. I was getting so overwhelmed in that horrendous thing." She walked to the docks.
"Where are we going?" Neteyam brushed his arm next to hers as he struggled to keep up with her newly found excited pace.

"let's go for a swim." She said, smirking. she dove into the water, neteyam behind her as they found themselves at the bottom of the reef.
The moonlight hit the water perfectly, shining on Tefiti and Neteyam's faces. She swam around him, signing;

"The water understands me better than anyone else."
Neteyam watched her swim at the bottom in the sand, throwing sand at him which filledthe water infront of him with a beige cloud. They didnt talk for a while, too scare to interrupt the silence. Neteyam bit his lip.

"i see you, Tefiti" he signed dodgily. The girl laughed throwing her head back under the water. He watched her intensely, smiling at her expression.

"i see you Neteyam. i see you."