The Stars in Your Skin

INTERLUDE THREE

A.N. TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains accidental nonconsensual touching.

The eight of them (Neteyam, Loa’ak,  Kiri, Tuk, Spider, Naawri, and Noney) decide to go to the clearing where the plunge pool leaks down into a sedately flowing brook.  It’s a warm day with a cloudless sky. Tuk stands in the shallow water searching for smooth shells for the bracelet she wanted to make her mom.

“No, Neteyam. Watch me,” she says patiently. She reaches over to correct his fingers.

“I am.” He glares down at the jumbled mess that was supposed to be the beginning of a swirling pattern.  This was the 12th time and it still ended up wrong.  Construction of his mother’s mat had mostly stalled because he couldn't quite get the technique down on the curves and swirls. Why couldn’ he get this?

Naawri undoes hers and slowly demonstrates it again. He follows her lead precisely but it still somehow ends up in a knot.  “How–?” She catches the slight downward shift in his shoulders and mouth.  “You know it’s okay to not be good at something as soon as you start right?”

Lo’ak makes a strange noise. “Big bro is not used to not being good at something. Because he’s good at everything,” he says casually, though his undertones carry a bite to them.

She sees Neteyam’s ears flatten at the words.  Her gaze shifts to Kiri, who sits on the edge of the bank crushing herbs. The girl just rolls her eyes.  She frowns. She liked Lo’ak but sometimes… She places a hand on his to comfort him.  Her gaze shifts to the side when she hears Tuk give a squeal.  “How about we take a break.”

His brows furrow and she senses he’s turning what he perceives as failure inward.

She leans over, catching his gaze with hers, “And when I say break I mean I need to go help Tuk.”  Indeed the feisty young girl is in a losing splash battle with Lo’ak and Spider.  She rises and cuts her eyes to Noney who’s sharpening her carving knife. "Tsmuke?”

Her sister stands, stretching her sinewy frame.  “With joy.” Her sister throws her a wild grin.

The duo make their way to Tuk, wading into the steadily flowing water. Both of them stand on either side of her. Tuk sticks her tongue out at her two meddlers.

“How about you two pick on someone your own size?” Noney says brashly.

“Show me where they are,” Lo'ak shoots back.

“Ooooh,” Spider taunts.  “Because I don’t see them.”  They share a fistbump.

Naawri shares a sharp side glance with her twin, smirking.  Yeah they were going to eat those words. 

“You know, it looks a little lopsided to me.” Ha’ew jumps into the water and wades over to the boys, a grin on his face.

“Come on Kiri,” Lo’ak wades to her splashing her with water repeatedly.

She pauses and turns expression dark.  “And here I was just existing.” She rises.  “Guess I’ll join in the decimation.”  She hops into the water managing to strut to them while wading.

Tuk places her hands on her hips before sticking her tongue out at them.

Neteyam was the only one left on the bank.  Sure enough, they start beckoning him. He refuses. He has to focus on making the mat for his mother. But they give him no peace, goading him. Finally, he rises after a bit of convincing from Tuk.

Naawri frowns when Noney curses.  “Great,” she says.

“Give the word Tuk.”

The girl gives a feral smile.  “Destroy them!”  She yells.