Tuk didn't like this. She didn't like having to carry the tank and mask, didn't like being on the ship, and certainly didn't like this coal-ition.
But they could help Mom and Dad get rid of the RDA and they were healing Neteyam so she was trying not to whine. Well not too much.
It made her feel a little better that Loak and Kiri didn't like this place either. Spider was still deciding.
Right now they on a tour of the ship, their guide looked like a fluffy Prolemuris, or as Dad called them, a monkey. It was boring.
Only the others found it cool and that's cause Spider can breathe and all the new creatures they saw and the science thingy's.
So when Tuk heard the sound of kids laughing around the corner she followed it.
Down a large hallway she saw a giant door with a huge sign that said something care something. She wasn't really paying attention when Dad and uncle Norm tried teaching her how to read.
Looking back and seeing that the others were too busy to stop her she walked in.
Inside was a giant room filled with kids, tables, stuff, more stuff and toys.
"Hi, are you new here?" she looked down and saw another creature that looked like their guide, a tiny fluffy monkey thing.
"Uhh yeah. What is this place?"
"This is the youngling centre. It's where we stay until our parents can take us home. I'm Marl."
"Tuk."
"...what are you?"
"Huh?"
"What are you? I've never seen anyone so tall, or blue."
"Uh a Na'vi. ..what are you?"
"I'm a Ursa." for a moment they stared at each other. As most children do when seeing something/someone new.
"Put your foot in for freeze tag!"
"Ooo freeze tag! Come on lets go play!"
"What's freeze tag?"
"It's a new game we just learned. Its easy." The little Ursa grabbed Tuk's tail using it as a leash to pull her along.
.
Freeze tag was Tuk's new favorite game. She loved running and there was lots of running and even if she got caught she could get out if someone unfreezed her.
The books were also fun. Marl read to her and let her hold the book. She liked the one's by Robert Munch, she also liked his funny name.
There were lots of other things to do too. There was a climbing area with fake tree tops and lots of ropes to swing on. In the back there was a shallow pool to swim in, it was fun but she didn't like having to dry off with the scratchy towels.
There were was blocks that stuck together which made building easier. Tons of markers, crayons, and paint that was hard to get back at home. They even got lunch.
"Okay kids you know the rules, grab a plate a drink and find a spot to sit."
"Teacher Max we need a chair for Tuk!"
"One chair coming right up...wait who?"
"Tuk. She's new."
It was at this moment Tuk realized she hadn't noticed the two adults in charge here. And it was at this moment that said adults realized they had one more child than usual.
"Oh hey, nice to meet you. Tuk was it," she nodded. "I'm Max and that's Kim. We're the teachers here."
Of all the new creatures and beings Tuk's seen so far it was only now that she was nervous. Humans had that effect on her. Not all humans, Spider definitely never made her nervous, but new ones did.
She knew her Dad used to be one, loved and liked uncle Norm and all the human scientists her family knew. But ever since what happened to Neteyam and their home, both the old one and new one, she was a little nervous.
"Do you like it here so far?" Luckily for her Max had noticed her nerves and knelt down to give her the advantage of height and to look her in the eyes.
She nodded.
"Well that's good. What do you like so far?"
"...the games...and drawing stuff and the food, it's good." he laughed.
"Well thank you, it's a family recipe. And I'm sure Kim will be happy to hear that you like the games she's taught the kids."
With that he gave her a chair and left her to finish her meal with Marl.
..
"Hi Tuk, I'm Kim."
"...hi."
"I noticed that your really tall. How old are you? 20?"
"No? I'm only 7." she smiled.
"What?? No way. You're almost as tall as me!"
"Actually Teacher, I think she's taller than you."
"No!"
"Tuk Tuk, stand up! Let's see!"
She got up and true enough she was taller than the adult by 2 inches.
"Holy...I didn't actually think you'd be taller than me." Kim had seen tall kids before but never had she met a kid taller than her this young.
The children laughed cheering that finally someone was taller than their shortest teacher. Tuk couldn't help but join in, standing on her tippy toes to make her even taller.
"Okay, okay that's enough. Calm down. Now, Tuk, since your so tall do you think you could help me with something?" Tuk hesitated but nodded.
Kim lead her to a tall bookshelf that had a doll stuck ontop of it.
"This has been stuck there for the whole day and we can't get it since the bookshelf can't be climbed and the ladder is broken. So what I'm thinking is you get on my shoulders and grab it. Sound good?"
"I get on your shoulders?"
"You don't have to if your scared of heights, I can ask one of the other kids or just wait."
"I'm not scared of heights," she pouted. "I just don't think you can carry me. I'm big and your small."
"Oh really?" and before Tuk could say anything she was tossed over Kim's shoulder.
"Still think I'm too small!" the blue child shrieked with laughter until she was put down and together the two got the doll down.
...
"What do you think the emergency is about?"
"Maybe Smelv burnt dinner again."
"Nah I don't think so. Captain look a little too tense for a simple fire alarm."
"So I called all of you here because we have a missing child. She was last seen on a tour of the ship with her siblings. Her name is Tuk and she is a Na'vi; tall, tail, blue, bi-pedal." he brings up a hologram of her from the security footage.
"...JAMES CAMERON WAS RIGHT?!"
"...shit I knew we weren't expecting another kid."
....
"Dad! Dad! Can I go to school here?"
"Your grounded. As are all of you." he added looking at his older kids. Plus Spider.
"Aww, Kim, Max, can I go to school here?"
"...uh Tuk, I think that's a question for another day..." preferably when your mom isn't about to bite my head off thought Kim.
"Yeah definitely. Definitely not the best time right now." Max was sweating bullets trying not make eye-contact with the Captain who was very not subtlety growling at him.
'We fucked up.' they both thought.
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