#sayitan | 04

[tahnisreu]

we can’t stick around here ,  let’s go .

𝑫𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑺𝑰𝑻𝑼𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺 -

ㅤㅤThe AMP hanger had long since been abandoned, as evident by the forest beginning to reclaim parts of the forgotten RDA compound. Weeds had broken through the cracks in the cement and vines claimed most of the fence line - through which she had found an opening to squeeze through. One could naturally expect the local fauna to start moving back in, though in her mind, stingbats were probably going to be the only nuisance.

ㅤㅤ" It's fine, don't be a wuss, " she teased, without looking at him as her full attention was on the fallen AMP suit in front of her. She had been leaning into the driver console, poking around for some form of port. It was her first time trying to access this particular model and - of course - they had to move the components around. She wouldn't be deterred, unfortunately. Even more unfortunate that she had a witness to her breaking and entering..

ㅤㅤ" This place was probably abandoned since before we were born. Stuff makes noise out here all the time. What's the point in getting freaked out at every single clang or creak around here? " Her sentence was fittingly accompanied by the sound of a panel popping off, revealing what she sought. She pulled a cable from her datapad and slotted in. " Got it! Just let me get the data out of here and then we can head back, Mr. Scaredy-cat. "

[tahnisreu]

The crude little blob she called a flower would remain unclaimed in the corner of the metal canvas after seeing Neteyam's work. Addi worked to subtly pick off the identifying paint on her fingers. As always, and annoyingly so, he had a point. Even more annoying was the given opportunity to learn, something she greatly enjoyed and neglected the last few days. The pros far outweighed the cons, but she wasn't about to jump for joy at the chance.

❝ You're really offering to put up with me even more than you already have? ❞ Her sarcasm was a cover-up, she was eager to say yes. However, she had an image of being the 'cool' older kid. She couldn't be excited. ❝ I'm pretty sure a rock sees more, but.. knowledge is a benefit - even if it means.. ❞ Bugs. The pause that followed filled with the sounds of low music notes and kid chatter.

❝ Okay, well, since you offered. I will accept.. for now. But you can't get mad at me if I'm bad at it. ❞

the na'vi rolled his eyes, her complaints nothing he hadn't heard before but he didn't need to tell her that if she wanted to continue exploring outside of the village she would need to find a way to get over her fears. ❝ not the bow, ❞ neteyam said, because he did remember the last time addi had held one and shot an arrow, and almost took his fathers head off. ❝ but tracking, learning to s— ❞

neteyam swallowed the rest of his sentence upon the small child's approach. he was used to the children keeping themselves apart from him, while they were rarely afraid of na'vi the height tended to cause some discomfort. evidently, not for little riley.

neteyam smiled, accepting the paintbrush from her tiny fingers, ❝ thank you riley, ❞ under riley's studious gaze, neteyam painted a blue ikran in flight. it was no masterpiece, mostly shapes combined to make something recognizable. and while he painted, he talked to addi, ❝ as a hunter we learn to see and listen for the signs of predators, of dangers in the jungle. i can teach you this so you know what to avoid, ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤAddi's head ducked slightly, hands raising in defense as she didn't want her hair messed up ( it was a pain getting it to stay tidy with the stupid head strap ). Her reflex was slightly too slow and given it was the end of the day, a little fly away strand wasn't going to be a tremendous bother.

ㅤHer thoughts went through several stages of.. something. Consideration, distaste, bargaining, frustration, all mixed in to a look that was nowhere near thrilled at his suggestion. Settling on raised brows and a sarcastic shrug she finally replied, ❛ I can see the forest just fine. It's right there, ❜ she pointed beyond the near fence line. ❛ See? Trees and bushes and.. pointy things and bugs. Loads of bugs. ❜

ㅤSarcasm trailed away, she turned to fiddling with the strap of her hand-me-down cargos. Hunting was something she felt was far out of her scope of abilities. Her mind immediately went to bows, arrows, and purposefully looking for other things as a target. Hexapedes were freaky to look at but the last thing she wanted to do was aim at one. ❛ You've never seen me use a bow, have you? I could aim at the ground and miss. Uncle Jake tried teaching me once. Almost took out his eye. I think it would be better if - ❜

ㅤOne of the younger girls had walked over, paintbrush in hand. Unlike the others, she showed no hesitation - rather the opposite The kids never feared their Na'vi neighbors, but there was an inherent intimidation that came from only reaching the height of their knees. They never ran, but also rarely approached on their own. This child looked pointedly at Neteyam and held up the brush.

❛ This is Riley, ❜ Addi introduced. ❛ she wants to make sure you feel included. You have to paint something now. ❜

he appreciated her restraint, even as he had spoken neteyam expected her to have something smart and scathing to say. no one liked to be lectured, and he didn't doubt that she had already been on the receiving end of her fair share since their encounter with the txumre. still, he felt that he had something to say, something to teach if it meant she would survive pandora.

neteyam remained silent at her side, watching as she contemplated a future where she might explore the moon's surface prepared. ❝ it's a start, ❞ neteyam said, a smile of encouragement tugging at the young warrior's lips. neteyam raised his hand, patting the explorer's head affectionately, if she'd had a kuru he would have squeezed it.

❝ if you still want to explore, you need to learn how to hunt, ❞ neteyam said matter-of-factly, spider's archery was second only to lo'ak and while he doubted addi would like the idea, being able to track and read the terrain for signs of predators would at least keep her from wandering into a stingbat nest. ❝ i can teach you how to read the earth, see the forest. ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤWhat she could have said, she forced back down, but it didn't stop her face from translating her thoughts; raised brows and eye roll masked by a long blink. That would make lecture number five that she received. But she would listen, as she did with the others, force those words to digest even though she wanted to spit them back out. She almost dared to feel the small flicker of confidence but that was immediately squashed by three arrows called Reckless, Unprepared, and Limits.

ㅤEasier said than done, her mouth moved so subtly the shield caught the whisper.

ㅤ❛ What did I do wrong? ❜ She asked in a tone that suggested obliviousness, but it dropped when she next said, ❛ Everything. Duh. ❜ Her knees tucked in and left her arms to hang over where one hand pulled at the index of the other. The second question was harder to answer. As far she felt, there was no 'better'. A suitable lesson for hunters, as there would most likely be a next time for them to apply the concept. Addi wanted no more next times. Her words started out slowly, not wanting to prolong this ( awkward? cringy? ) life lesson talk.

ㅤ❛ I.. know of every building within ten klicks of Hell's Gate, so.. ❜ her hands patted together, ❛ I know where to not go. Apparently, I have to start being a 'good example' for these guys. Can't have me running off into condemned buildings.. poking dead skeletons - or whatever it is you said. Which I don't, by the way. That's gross..❜

understanding dawned as addi continued to speak, explaining why she felt compelled to volunteer herself for other jobs, chores, and babysitting ( not that babysitting couldn't be entertaining, and even rewarding, sometimes ). it wasn't a strange thing, to hold onto a moment like facing the txumre, and neteyam realized that he hadn't been as sensitive to addi's feelings in the moment that had followed. for him, it was easy to recover from the danger they had faced because he faced it often and he'd believed addi had a similar response. now however, it seemed he was wrong.

❝ you're not weird, ❞ neteyam began, leaning back against his hands and watching the rebellious kids chased after what seemed to be the best paintbrush they had. ❝ not everyone faces a txumre and survives. to hunt one usually takes a whole party but we caught that one by surprise and with little light, ❞ they had been extremely lucky and he didn't say so with the purpose of scaring addi further but so she could face the event head on.

❝ i'm okay because i was trained and taught to let things like that go, ❞ neteyam added, ❝ as a hunter, we face danger every day we leave the village. one of the first lessons we learn is how to accept that we could lose our lives and all we can do is the best we can. be smart, prepare, know our limits. ❞

neteyam sighed, ❝ you were reckless, unprepared, and you don't know your limits. that is why you're still holding onto what happened. you need to let that shit go. look forward. what did you do wrong? what will you do better? ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤ ❛ How much I screwed up? I don't want to think about it. ❜ A short moment passed before she realized how dismissive that sounded and tried to course correct. ❛ Not as in not talk about it, as in -- I don't want to think about it. If I think about it for too long I start.. feeling like I'm there again. ❜ The shuffle of the cards in her hand became almost therapeutic, it kept her mind centered. ❛ Doing these things keeps me distracted, it keeps my brain from playing it on repeat. From thinking about stupid things like.. almost dyi- don't run! ❜ Her attention was split between conversation and kiddy-watch, one of whom had taken off in an attempt to take a brush. Of course, he didn't listen, far too absorbed in his own fun. ❛ Fine, trip and fall. See if I care, ❜ she huffed, hardly pressed.

ㅤShe didn't know how to answer his question. There was an answer somewhere but words were hard still. ❛ The worst thing I had to deal with before -- that, was eating expired mac 'n cheese. I thought I was gonna die then but compared to almost actually dying? I don't know how to go back to normal.. and I wonder if that's just how it's gonna be now. Every day a different almost-death. Like, how is everyone else okay? How are you okay? I'm clearly not okay. Am I the weird one? Is there some secret to just moving on? 'You almost died, it is what it is. What's for dinner?' ❜ Her card shuffle failed, causing several to scatter over the crate. ❛ I mean - har har sarcastic comment, whatever I used to say before. ❜

neteyam's brow furrowed slightly upon addi's explanation, from his experience no one volunteered to take on extra duties, even neteyam didn't try to take lo'ak's unless he felt like he really had to. confused, neteyam wandered closer to the crates, taking a seat on the one closest to the ground so that he and addi were closer to eye height.

he didn't know what h-e double hockey sticks meant, but he could see that she for some reason had opted to give herself punishments for . . . well, he didn't really know what for. ❝ i don't understand, ❞ neteyam said, something that was becoming rather regular for the na'vi when faced with addi's strange antics. ❝ what are you trying to make up for? ❞

neteyam tipped his chin to look at her properly and the way she shuffled her deck of cards. nervous perhaps? guilty? ❝ is this about the txumre? ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤThe card fiddled lamely in her fingers, flicking back and forth in some placeholder for her response. Feeling awkward was never an emotion she sat well with, she wanted desperately to push it away. He seemed so nonchalant, making her feel silly in comparison. ❛ I didn't agree, ❜ she shrugged, ❛ I told them I'd do it. On top of the cleaning duties and whatever chores Spider was in charge of. For at least.. two months. ❜ The card was finally played and she sat back, using both hands to prop her up.

ㅤThe kids behaved, for the most part, though two of them were startling to verbally scuffle over if one part of their work should be in blue or purple.

ㅤ❛ I consider it my own personal punishment. H-E double hockey sticks. Dad didn't even get a say in it, I hogged up the entire argument by myself. He just wanted to take my datapad for a bit and I told him to lock it in a safe and or I'd throw it in the river. ❜ Well, now she was certainly yapping. Her hands found their way back to the card deck and shuffled them idly, ❛ You're still in one piece so, I guess it wasn't that bad? I mean I'll do your chores too if that makes up for it. ❜

neteyam tipped his head to one side curiously, the casual beaming smile that had been gracing addi's face effectively wiped clean. neteyam glanced around, first at the small pack of shrieking and squealing children as he raised his hands in surrender, then around the crates and tree roots, wondering if there was a bug in addi's vacinity making her look that pale. there wasn't, and neteyam had to accept that he was the reason she abruptly stopped smiling.

it wasn't unusual. his siblings sometimes stopped smiling when he was around too. neteyam's expression was carefully neutral as awkwardness seemed to flood between them. ❝ and you agreed? just like that? no kicking up a storm or anything? ❞ neteyam asked as casually as possible.

[tahnisreu]

ㅤ ❛ Stop, stop! It goes on that, not your face! ❜ she insisted - a sign that it wasn't the first warning issued, but the youngster's mask already sported a large orange streak, so what was the point? Addi was amused all the same, that smile had become a rarity as of late. A delighted, though startled, shriek from one of the girls announced the arrival of someone. They couldn't be blamed, being so close to the ground, anything taller than standard human adult was surprising. They pretended to hide but quickly returned to their supposed mural of squiggles.

ㅤOne look at that familiar face and Addi's smile fell, ( and somehow her stomach ). Suddenly the three of clubs card in her hand became extremely interesting. ❛ Uh, yeah, ❜ The voice in her head chanted to stay cool, there was no reason to lose composure; not around the kids. ❛ I'm on babysitting duty, ❜ she agreed uselessly. A sarcastic remark? A snide reply? Nothing. Her head emptied like a leaky bucket. Silly to think there was no way they'd cross paths the one time she went outside for a bit. ❛ The masks finally fit and now they want to be outside. Not like the adults can do it all the time, they're busy doing science stuff.. ❜

neteyam had left her in the safe hands of her father and the other scientists and returned to the village to relay the death of the txumre to his grandmother. after a reprimand for disturbing the den of a creature, neteyam escorted his grandmother and a small handful of hunters back to where the txumre had died and together they gathered all that they could from the mighty beast.

in the days that came, neteyam slipped easily back into his routine. hunting, gathering bloomed fruits, herbs and other vital ingredients needed for his grandmother or the cooks. familiarizing himself with the dense forests along the outer perimeters and reporting herd movements back to tarsem and his father. there was always errands to run, tasks to complete. if there was nothing that he or his family needed, then he was reaching out to others.

it was only if neteyam strayed too close to hell's gate that his thoughts slipped to addi and her strange obsessions with rda equipment, and then drifted to their last conversation. neteyam had asked spider about addi's scarcity and the other had been all to ready to inform him that she was sulking. neteyam had considered this for only a moment before dismissing spider's claims as being the usual teasing between the pair and resumed his errands.

it was on the forth night that her absence from the village seemed to have warranted an intervention. neteyam spotted her by the crates, a handful of human children entertaining themselves with several canisters of dyes and a large slab of salvaged metal plating. ❝ i see you're on babysitting, ❞ neteyam said as way of greeting as he walked towards her. there was an easy smile on his face when he stepped around the small troop of kids.

[tahnisreu]

ㅤThat last little flame of defensive anger snuffed out at his words, dampening whatever retort Addi might have thrown back. These kinds of back-and-forths were not uncommon, but they were usually out of a place of jest, light-hearted and not meant to sting. Any other time she would have laughed, suggested the perfect place or thanked him with full sarcasm, but the words faded before she even thought of them. In her mind, her sour attitude was justified, though she was becoming unsure.

ㅤHad she gone alone, ( and survived ) , this whole mess would have been kept behind sealed lips, any injury waved away with her usual excuses of 'gravitationally challenged'. Of course she would bring it up weeks, even months, from then when all sense of punishment would be useless, equating the encounter like she ran across an ornery lizard. But she wasn't alone, and that guilt took up the space left behind from her anger. It would have been a pretty big screw up to get the son of the clan chief hurt, or in the worst case scenario - she didn't want to think about it. Was she really expected to casually accept praise after that?

ㅤShe opted to remain quiet for the rest of the journey back, only offering a word of thanks upon their return. The hiss of the airlock doors closing behind her finally put something between them besides awkward silence. Funny how they had bickered over her preference of RDA buildings when she herself had to return to one, whether she wanted to or not.

ㅤIt just made sense.

ㅤWhat didn't make sense, to others at least, was the change in her attitude over the next few days. She seemed all together allergic to anything that was a typical good time, if it made her smile, she wanted nothing to do with it.

ㅤNeedless to say, those inside their human community found out what had happened. The questions came, the stern talking happened, and suddenly it was old news. Others even tried offering their own near - death experiences ( such as nearly falling into a pitcher plant ), but that wasn't what bogged her down. She hadn't filled them in on what had followed.

ㅤIt was like the repeat button of her brain was stuck down. The whole scenario would play from start to finish, skip around, repeat conversations, and interject new sentences that could have changed the outcome. A recent series came in the form of Alternative Endings, which only brought even more gloom and guilt and, strangest of all, lingering embarrassment.

ㅤHow difficult would it be to avoid one specific person for the rest of her life? Not impossible, right?

ㅤAddi had been doing good so far and she was only on day four. Though, she was risking it as she had been unceremoniously dragged out of Hell's Gate ( for the first time in those four days ) to join the others at the longhouse outside. Lanterns cast a warm glow as did the small cooking fires outside, and violin music filled the space between conversations courtesy of her own father. She had taken up a small space beside some low crates, using the surface of one to hold her game of Solitaire as she was deemed supervisor to some of the kids playing around.

neteyam nodded, still stiff and still tense, but no less sincere with his reasoning. addi didn't seem to approve and that familiar tug of irritation bit at him. did she think he was lying? trying to placate her? or did she truly think so little of herself and her actions that she failed to see them for what they were? did she need him to spell it out for her? ❝ it did do something, ❞ neteyam said, ❝ it distracted the txumre and gave me the opening i needed to make a killing shot, ❞

neteyam watched her take her few short steps only to stop and face him, that strange look on her face again. one he couldn't read clearly and her words did little to help explain it. it seemed the more they spoke, the more time they spent together, the less he understood about her. strong heart, yes, but also a rock hard head that refused to accept even the slightest word of encouragement or pride.

❝ why are you saying these things? ❞ neteyam asked sharply, ❝ i ask you to explain yourself, you refuse. i tell you you did well, you throw it back at me. ❞ there was no common ground, no equal footing, she seemed content to disregard and dismiss his every effort. it was her right, she was not obligated to accept his praise, nor was she obligated to sooth his irritation, yet it still hurt.

❝ we'll find a nice rda outpost for you to be laid to rest in, since you like them so much, ❞ neteyam said to her back tartly. he followed behind her but left a fair distance between them.

[tahnisreu]

ㅤA shrug and a raise of her brows, that's all she had offered in that dim hallway. A defiant move, mostly used on her parents during minor back and forths. She was at that wonderful age, as her father put it, where she thought she was right about everything - all the time ( even when she wasn't ). Their conversation, however, was not one of those cases of right or wrong. What she said, she had meant, and she had nothing else to say. What was the use in a counter-argument when anything else would just dig the figurative hole deeper for herself?

ㅤThe sensation of soft moss and leaf matter beneath her shoes was more than welcomed. Each step carried them away from the hard concrete and metal of the RDA facility. The sight of which, at first, had baited her with untold treasures of data packets and other items, but now it seemed to only serve as a warning. Addi had glanced back only once before the high walls were obscured by the curling leaves and branches.

ㅤThe words Neteyam spoke buzzed around her thoughts like hellfire wasps; if they stung, it was because they were true. Was it silly for her to feel sad? Not at the loss of long forgotten information, but that the whole experience had been marred by a near fang-filled death? Had things gone differently, their conversations would have been filled with sharing what was learned. He would have had an earful of explanations and teachings, first hand. He could have understood, at least in a small part, what was going on in her head.

ㅤNow she hated the feeling of the datapad on her belt.

ㅤShe stopped abruptly, not fully aware why Neteyam had stopped and just followed from reflex. She was fully expecting a round two of lecturing but instead she heard the kind words of gratitude and even.. a compliment? She felt undeserving of either. The words soothed the turmoil but she wasn't ready to stop being angry.

ㅤ❛ 'Strong heart?' ❜ She repeated, only now her tone and expression was familiar ; sarcasm. ❛ I threw a wrench at that thing and thought it was going to to something. That's not 'strong heart', that's 'strong stupid'. ❜ She took two steps forward before she stopped again, realizing dousing cold water over any kind of gratitude wasn't right. She turned on her heel to look pointedly at him.

ㅤ❛ What do you want me to say? You're welcome? Anytime? Maybe next time we'll go find a Palulukan and see what happens if I throw a broom at it! ❜ She took the lead in walking ahead, finding a direct path over a winding root system towards the direction of home. ❛ It was an honor fighting with you, too, buddy - but now, I have to decide where I'm gonna be buried. ❜

❝ that is not good enough, ❞ neteyam practically hissed, his tail thrashing behind him. he felt like his father, and his mother, and mo'at. and he felt like lo'ak, and kiri, some awkward combination of child and adult, dressing himself in skins too big for himself, forced to carry himself in a way that was outside of himself because no one else would do it. it wasn't enough that they were of two separate minds and two separate worlds, human and na'vi, hunter and researcher, understanding would only come from illumination and it wasn't possible if addi wasn't willing to talk.

❝ you do not decide what i can or cannot understand, ❞ neteyam couldn't force her to explain, but if she refused to try it would be because she chose not to. neteyam thumbed his cummerbund unconsciously as he watched the conflict that warred across addi's face and within her eyes and for the first time, neteyam felt an odd touch of pity. pity that addi seemed content to lose herself in the carcass of the rda, that she felt more at home and comfortable alone in ruins than she could ever feel in his home and the more she spoke, the less neteyam understood. to choose to remain misunderstood, to choose to close oneself off from others who wished to know or to learn, it was unfathomable. alien.

❝ if people think of you as a weirdo, it is because you let them, ❞ neteyam scolded, ❝ you refuse to talk, to explain, to teach. you want to be alone with the ruins because you think they make sense? they don't. all that is here are ghosts of a people who would have destroyed my home and yours if it wasn't for your father and mine, ❞

neteyam turned back to the doors, stiff and tense. he shouldered his bow and dug his fingers between the doors, prying them open inch by creaking inch until at last they sprung apart and bathed the darkness in sunlight. the smell of fresh air, the familiar scent of the moons local flora, and the distant approach of rain greeted him with a soft caress. neteyam lead the way back out into the wilds of pandora and breathed a deep sigh. he liked addi. she was curious and funny and braver than he had expected. he didn't want to be angry at her.

when neteyam turned back towards her his expression had shifted to something calmer. ❝ thank you, ❞ neteyam said, ❝ you fought with me against the txumre, you have a strong heart. i don't need to understand you to know this, ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤThe questioning start of a lecture was an excellent way to make her just want to shrivel up and die. It was a fair question which, had it been asked only an hour ago, would have been met with a most eloquent ( and slightly sarcastic ) retort along the lines of ' I do it for funsies, duh. ' But it was so dismissive, not untrue but also not the entire answer, and now it was so -- full of ignorance. Again, a hundred things she could have said and again a hundred nothings came to mind.

ㅤA long silence followed his question. Addi seemed to look everywhere but him. Finally, with her arms crossed, she shrugged. It was always a shrug, an 'I dunno,' or '.. because,' but never a definitive answer.

ㅤ❛ So don't, ❜ she finally replied, and the weight of those words sunk into the pit of her stomach. She shrugged again this time with a raise of her brows as if the answer was so obvious. ❛ Don't try to understand. Maybe I don't want to be understood. Maybe- maybe I-- when -- ❜ The words got tangled with the other six sentences trying to get out. Trying to run too many mental processes was hurting her head.

ㅤ❛ You wouldn't get it. ❜ She wasn't one to decide what others did or didn't understand but this was one she had some confidence in. The 'human' world, this place made of metal and plastic was alien to the Na'vi. But it was the only place she could call 'home.' ❛ 'Out there' makes sense to you. 'In here' makes sense to me. ❜ There, there's the answer, and even that didn't make it any clearer.

ㅤ❛ We almost died 'cause I was being stupid, okay? And you wouldn't be here if I wasn't here. So it's on me. And maybe there's an alternate universe where I did.. But right now, in this universe.. I'm tired. I don't want to think anymore. So save yourself from a headache and just... think of me as a weirdo, like everyone else does. ❜ She gestured towards the door. ❛ Can we just go? The door's the same as the one at home. It doesn't need power to open, worst case the gears might be rusted. ❜

there were times that neteyam found humans difficult to read, with her mask on he couldn't see her expression nearly as well as he would have liked and without the tell-tale signs of an agitated tail or flicking ears, he couldn't read whether her silance was born from anger, fear, or dread. but addi gave him little time to scrutinize her, instead she led the way through the carcus of the rda's dead settlement to the exit. neteyam followed her quietly, his gaze sweeping their surroundings with practiced and trained ease. he doubted that there were any other creatures lurking in the dark, the txumre were not known to share their dens as their invasion but he couldn't help himself.

addi walked with a purpose, no longer searching the spaces of the rda's remains for her trinkets or baubles and neteyam wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. the sooner she abandon her hunger to explore rda's leftovers the better, and yet, whatever drove her to explore the abandoned camps, laboratories, and outposts had always filled her with life and curiosity. her eyes had never lit up for anything else.

addi pulled to a halt near a door that neteyam was certain was their exit and he paused behind her, brows furrowing as she started to speak. ❝ i'm here because i chose to be here, you're not taking responsibility for me. ❞ neteyam argued dismissively. he stepped around her, going for the door, hands touching the kiosk experimentally.

❝ i'm not mad, ❞ neteyam said, though it was a lie. he knew she would be scolded, grounded, punished when they returned to camp. he knew that he too would need to face his own parents, but they had both made choices that day and they would both face the consequences as they should. still . . . there were things he didn't know, things he wanted to ask.

❝ i don't understand you, ❞ neteyam said finally, turning to face her, ❝ you come to these places, you dig up their bones and disturb the land for what? i came here to look out for you, you'd be dead if i didn't. the txumre would have killed you, what is so important here that you think it's worth your life? ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤA static like feeling had started to settle in, making her mind bounce and forth between thinking and nothing. The boy had joined back up with her and she sighed, wanting to feel relief, but it was weighed down. In the absence of adrenaline and racing thoughts, the space filled in with murky emotions she couldn't fully describe.

ㅤAddi shrugged off his check, not wanting to feel like a fussed over child. I'm fine, she wanted to say, even if I wasn't, just stop. Her palms were a bit roughed up from her tumble earlier and an area around her ribcage was a little sore but other than that… well she was still standing. She wanted to ask how he was in return, but the thoughts of ' oh, how's he doing in a situation you put us in? ' kept the words sticking to her throat. Her mouth worked, trying to say something but gave up. A thousand things wanted to come out all at once but at the same time there was no way to fully get it into words.

ㅤShe took a step back at his prompt, her mask hissing as she pulled in a deep breath to pull her mind together. ❛ Through-- uh, there. I saw a sign, I think. I dunno, it's dark, ❜ ' she muttered, a hand flicking to the far doorway she had entered in from. Her eyes burned, looking irritated and misty. She took charge and lead the way, not wanting to leave any opportunity for further questioning. All the terminals ripe for data harvesting and she marched past them all. Her previous goal long forgotten.

ㅤShe just wanted to go find some rock to crawl under. Couldn't just leave it, could they? It made sense, a death not wasted- she knew that, but couldn't this just be an exemption? No, others would hear of it. How it was her stupid idea. How she wasn't even supposed to be h-

ㅤShe paused at the base of the stairs - the signage for the exit air lock was just down the hall to the right - but her feet wouldn't move. Somehow a panic greater than that now dead thing had her feeling chilled.

ㅤ❛ I'm so dead. Dad's going to dissect me and turn it into a biology lesson. ❜ Now the reality of the situation was starting to set in. ❛ And-- you? For me this is normal. They expect me to go into these places but you? You're here cause I'm here. Why did you even-- I can deal with being grounded until I'm sixty but-- and now you're gonna get in trouble and it's all.. my fault. If it was just me then it sucks to be me, y'know, circle of life, but- ❜ her hand pressed to the corner of her forehead. All the thoughts were trying to get out at the same time, but the anger immediately drained out of her. ❛ You're mad.. Can you just yell at me, or something? Everyone else is going to. You get first dibs. ❜

the silence was suddenly deafening, only the rush of his own blood through his ears comfort that he had survived the encounter at all. neteyam moved as if compelled by another, still cautious even as the great txumre lay unmoving just out of his reach and that silence grew heavy with the knowing that death had found its mark. he could feel a swirl of emotion within his chest, wild and untamable. triumph and astonished pride, relief and stunned disbelief, until finally sorrow and regret that the cost of his and addi's survival was the life of the great beast at his feet. neteyam hummed pitifully as he circled the massive creature, inspecting it's still warm corpse with morbid curiosity and respect as he murmured his gratitude to eywa and bid the beasts spirit to return to her embrace, loved, mourned, and assured quietly that nothing would go to waste.

as neteyam murmured his careful respects, the flood of blood through his ears calmed, his heartbeat eased, and his own body cooled as the adrenaline faded. by the time his prayer for the txumre slipped into the dark as a whisper, the rush of emotions has past and neteyam turned his attention to his second responsibility. with his lips pinched tight, neteyam turned his gaze upwards to where addi had once stood along the catwalk. neteyam retraced his steps through the chaotic remnants of his chase with the txumre, recalling every second of their encounter while he picked his way up to the observation deck.

now that their lives weren't in imminent danger, neteyam could see his path clearly, climbing the machines and thick cables the same way he would the jungle trees of pandora. he still didn't like the feel of them against his skin but the motions were familiar and easy, he simply followed the barely audible thunk, thunk, thunk of addi hitting herself in the head. neteyam took her hand to stop her, making his presence known at the same time.

❝ are you hurt? ❞ neteyam asked, his voice quiet but stiff. without the adrenaline, without the danger and the chaos, neteyam's calm from his prayers was quickly fading into anger. he released her hand, carefully looking her over for any injuries, scrapes or cuts and checked her mask to ensure that her breathing apparatus hadn't been damaged during the encounter.

❝ addi . . . i need to return to the clan. the tsahík will want to come with the hunters for the txumre. can you find us a way out of here? ❞

[tahnisreu]

Addi was always adamant about not going on hunting trips. She was welcome, as Spider often was, but getting any form of bow into her hands - let alone asking her to use it - always resulted in a litany of complaints. She kept her reasons guarded, ranging from 'I can't hit the bright side of a barn if I was standing next to it' to 'I don't want to go out there. There are bugs… and dirt.' But in that moment of watching that thing writhing in pain, experiencing its last moments of life knowing only suffering, she understood why she avoided hunting and never held a bow with intent to aim at another creature. The unfortunate struggle of needing to live, but the result being to end another's life always weighed heavily on her. The prayers of send-off were a small salve, if that.

The hangar had returned to its previous silence, where only moments ago the sounds of tearing metal, snarling, and her own heartbeat filled her head. The quiet now carried with it a heavy weight. Her ears started ringing, and she found herself transfixed on the creature, the scene unbearable, yet she couldn't look away. Her knuckles were white on the railing, and she hadn't realized she had sunk down as all feeling in her body seemed to have disappeared. The sting in her eyes reminded her that she needed to blink.

And then she started moving, almost instinctively, as if on autopilot. She returned to the observation deck. There were no words in her mind, yet all she could think of was putting distance between herself and… that. She needed to do something, anything, to jumpstart the thinking side of her brain, but it was like moving through tar. They needed a way to get out, preferably not through a crumpled vent or the teeth of anything else that might have been lurking.

The consoles offered nothing but powered-down buttons and switches. The labels were clear, but her mind saw only gibberish. They needed a way out, they—shit. Consciousness was starting to kick back in, and she had just walked away from Neteyam. Was he okay? Did he get injured at all? He was the one who was point-blank with the slinth, the one who was actually in— She made it two steps back towards the door when she stopped.

Addi was the one who brought them here, the one who didn't read the stupid warning signs, and brushed them off when pointed out, the one who was convinced everything would be fine just because she hadn't run into any problems before. They were both put in harm's way, one wrong move away from personally meeting Eywa, and now something was actually dead. She berated herself as an idiot. Stupid! If she could sink into the floor - into the ground, right through the moon, she would. Instead, all she could do was stand there, the heel of her palm hitting the side of her head. Her vision blurred, her eyes misty, but was it from the mounting guilt or the fading adrenaline? Either way, he'd find his way up. He was fine. He had to be. Until then she forced her mind to focus on finding some sort bearing to find a working exit.

in the dark, neteyam allowed himself precious few seconds to ease his emotions, acknowledging his fear and his panic and allowing it to grow still as a rivers surface. with a slow, purposeful breath, neteyam calmed his pounding heart and focused his mind on his task. allowing himself to slip into the familiarity of the hunt, neteyam crept across the hanger floor in a low crouch, his tail high as golden gaze bored into the pacing sleek shape of the txumre. the beast was dangerous, even to the most skilled of hunters, their tough exterior protecting them from danger while their wicked talons and vicious bite left many crippled or dead. would that he was with the hunting party, together they could capture the beast and release it after extracting its venom but he had no hunting party and he and addi had invaded the beasts territory. only blood would satisfy the jungles of pandora now.

the txumre had his scent and neteyam watched with a strange sense of calm as the beast stalked through the hanger. it's large feet silent against cold steel and it's movements swift as the wind. neteyam slipped out of sight, the game of tag a matter of living or dying as he wove around the jigsaw of human technology and machinery while he tried to find the best vantage to land a killing strike.

neteyam's ears twitched when he heard the strain of metal above him, the familiar prickle of adrenaline causing beads of sweat to line his brow while he resisted the urge to look up. his time was running out, he could feel it in the way the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, as if his skin could feel the scrape of the txumre's claws already. neteyam steeled his nerves and leaped from his hiding spot just as something heavy was thrown from somewhere above him. the wrench hit the beast with a muffled thunk and the txumre twisted sharply. it's frills springing out from around it's face in a terrifying shriek that seemed to cut right through him.

neteyam was airborne, pulling back his bow and released his arrow with a fwip. the arrow flew straight with enough force that it's bow tip split through the txumre's exposed face, burrowing past soft tissue and bone. where the txumre's plated skull would have protected it with ease had it's frills been closed, now the arrow plunged with such vicious precision that the txumre screeched with shock and pain and collapsed to the ground. writhing the txumre clawed at it's face in a futile attempt to save itself. neteyam's feet found solid ground once more and with another fwip he released a second arrow that found it's mark in the great creature's chest and the txumre fell impossibly still.

[tahnisreu]

ㅤNeteyam's agitated pacing was like a ripple on the surface of still water, breaking her concentration which each step or tail flick. Try as she might to ignore it -( he's over reacting..) - she was, admittedly, beginning to absorb the same sentiment. She wasn't a stranger to some sort of danger hindrance; viperwolves, bugs, or just machinery reduced to rust and bolts making any data within unsalvageable. But sometimes the reward was worth the risk.

ㅤAnd it was often a known fact that her curiosity wouldn't be satiated until she saw a bit more. Otherwise, she'd only end up coming back at some point - with or without a guardian. After all, she rarely came across a two story facility complete with a stocked hangar. It was the theoretical 'jackpot'. Anything before had just been a link shack or two, maybe a wooden shed with old crates, and a few degraded vehicles. If the interior wasn't ruined by water damage, she might even be able to get into a server room or at least one computer terminal. This was an excitement she couldn't share with her reluctant ( anti- technological ) companion and instead it filtered out as annoyance.

ㅤShe offered an appropriate look of ' will you calm down? ' at his hissing and insistence on leaving. Yet she couldn't ignore the grip he had on his bow, the readied stance, the clear anxiousness over something she couldn't sense. Na'vi instincts were much sharper than a human's, she knew better than to brush it off as nothing. Her attention lingered a second before she looked back at the datapad. The circle loader had been stuck at eighty-three percent, leaving her to sit up on the glass of the open driver pit and look around.

ㅤThe hangers high ceilings allowed for the strangest echoes from both within and out. The patch of sunlight gave just enough lighting to see, but anything past the third standing AMP suit was nothing more than a silhouette. That suddenly begged the notation of why this suit was on the ground. Once they were in their holding docks, they were fairly sturdy and would take a great deal to - the bolts holding down the base of the suit dock had been ripped up with the frame. Something.. knocked this one over. He was right..

ㅤSoon as the number hit one hundred, she pulled on the cord and popped it out of the port before sliding off the glass." Okay, " she said, trying to hide the edge in her tone that would betray a slight rising anxiousness. " we can go. Maybe not that way. " she gestured to the 'backdoor' they used. " That sucked. We'll find an actual door. " With a slight air of sulking, she started walking towards where she suspected the hanger doors would be, picking through the dim lighting so as not to knock into anything.

ㅤ" You get mad if I stay inside too long and then get mad when I do go outside. " She said, wanting to lighten the sudden serious mood descending on them. " At this point you gotta pick one thing to be mad about 'cause it's not gonna be good for your hea- " One step further and her words were accompanied by the hollow sound of something scattering at her feet. Peering down, the realization slowly dawned on her that she had just walked into the dried bones of a ribcage. She shuffled backwards with a shudder and small curses. Unbeknownst them, the creature that had caused the demise of many of these scattered bones had been clinging into the top of one of the shrouded AMP suits, staring down at them through its red glassy eyes, unappreciative of the intruders.

❝  addi!  ❞  neteyam  hissed  as  the  girl  disappeared  within  a  narrow  opening.  he  crouched  low,  forced  to  maneuver  his  body  at  an  awkward  and  uncomfortable  angle  in  order  to  crawl  after  her.  it  was  a  tight  fit,  the  edges  of  where  the  sheets  of  steel  had  fallen  and  the  overgrown  vegetation  around  it  scraping  harshly  at  his  skin.

          neteyam  shook  off  his  discomfort  once  he  was  inside,  standing  to  his  full  height  and  watching  her  with  a  stiffened  upper  lip.  both  she  and  lo'ak  seemed  eager  to  discount  his  caution  for  cowardice  leaving  him  with  little  option  but  to  follow  them  into  their  foolish  treasure  hunts.  he  inspected  the  AMP  suit  she  had  found  for  only  a  moment  before  he  turned  his  attention  back  to  the  contents  of  the  hanger.

          much  of  it  appeared  to  be  abandoned  as  opposed  to  damaged,  neglected  and  left  to  errode  from  time.  the  darkness  however  concealed  much,  only  a  thin  strip  of  natural  light  falling  from  a  large  open  hole  in  the  ceiling.  he  paced  around  addi's  suit  as  she  scavenged  for  whatever  it  was  she  was  searching  for,  ignoring  her  criticism  and  watching  their  surroundings.           there  were  the  familiar  sounds  of  nature,  the  wind  current  as  it  whistled  through  open  crevices,  the  trickle  of  water  from  a  loosened  pipe  or  a  natural  stream,  but  the  shuffle  against  hardened  steel  was  not  natural.  neteyam  hissed  sharply  as  she  called  out  louder  than  necessary.

          ❝  just  hurry  up  so  we  can  get  out  of  here,  ❞  neteyam  whispered  furiously,  he  tipped  his  chin  back,  sniffing  the  air.  there  was  the  unmistakable  sting  of  steel  and  metal,  the  cold  scent  that  accompanied  human  technology  but  there  was  something  else  as  well  .  .  .  blood.  neteyam  snatched  his  bow  from  over  his  shoulder  and  had  an  arrow  notched  within  a  single  fluid  motion,  ❝  there's  something  in  here,  ❞    //    @tahnisreu  continued  from  here

[tahnisreu]

It had all been so loud before; the crashing of metal, the screeching of that creature, her own heartbeat in her ears. Now it was all gone, replaced by the stale quiet of a dark hallway long abandoned, and suddenly interrupted. The sounds on the other side of the doors was distant and fading and she could only hope that… she couldn't think of it. She wouldn't think of it, because he was fine. The whole clan knew him to be a precise hunter, it was practically instinct that he would know how to handle any creature, be it a nantang or a palulukan or a… whatever that was. Stop shaking… come on! Her breath rattled against the clear plasti-glass of her mask. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, though it didn't help much. She could barely see her own hands in front of her, but from the sounds of her own movements, the walls were very close. This must have been a corridor of some-sort. One leading right to exit door as if to rub it in that they were right there. The back of her hand struck the hard metal of a rail and upon feeling its incline, her tentative step upwards gave her the answer to her question; stairs. With a glance back at the door to the outside, she instead took the path upwards. The room above was brighter, as light was leaking in through the large windows that spanned the entire wall. There were rows of counters, all covered in various dials, buttons, and hologram frames. The control room. Many of the chairs were pushed away, their owners long since evacuated and leaving everything as though they had just been there that morning. Coffee mugs were all that gave this place a touch of human contact. The other side of the window revealed a second floor view of the AMP hangar below. There were the fallen suits and the bulldozer crashed haphazardly into the ground, a trail of destruction. The beast had been pacing outside the doors, having lost its Addi-sized snack but it would soon turn its attention to Neteyam. Na'vi were much more adept at not becoming something's dinner, but it was better than nothing. Through the darkness, she could see its silhouette creep through the shadows and judging by its pace, it already knew where its prey had gone. A door led to a catwalk just outside the control room and against all her better judgement she was slowly creeping along it. The metal hinges and bolts creaked slightly with each footstep, and every time she was internally yelling at herself for an answer to what she was doing. Simply put; anything. From her view point, she could see the creature much more easily than Neyetam, as it used objects to hide behind as it stalked closer. She could yell, but what if that distracted him from the perfect escape? Her foot bumped into something hard and she quieted a yelp, looking down to see an old toolbox. The lid was open, revealing the tools within and she took hold of a heavy steel wrench. No, no, put the wrench down, a voice cautioned in the back of her mind. It was the same voice that always piped up when she was about to do something stupid.. like enter an abandoned facility or an old mineshaft. She always ignored it. The wrench shot across the hanger and found its mark. It struck with a lame thunk against the flank of the creature, causing it to start and spin around with an annoyed hiss and a flare of its face. "Oops." She shrugged, almost taunting and immediately realized she needed to run.

❝ you have to! ❞ neteyam shouted, desperation thickening the words in his mouth. he couldn't fight the txumre and protect her at the same time, he could scarcely defend himself against the txumre. he had to get addison out of its line of sight, out of immediate danger and then he could worry about how he was supposed to fight one of the most dangerous creatures on pandora. his fingers trembled and ached from the effort to keep the doors open and neteyam gritted his teeth as he tried to brace them with his weight but within a second he found himself shoved into the floor.

there was no time to second-guess the feeling of addison's hands on his chest or the impact of her small body pushing him out of the way of the doors. all neteyam could do was scramble across the steel floor and put as much distance between him and the txumre as he could in the time that he had. he listened to the sound of it tear apart the flooring and the door, brandishing its teeth and shrieking at its lost meal. he couldn't hear addison and he took it as a sign that the creature hadn't managed to catch her.

neteyam launched himself to his feet and bolted into the darkness, unslinging his bow from around his shoulders the na'vi used the beasts frustration to conceal his movements. sliding across the floor, climbing over fallen structures and old machines until he could get a better vantage point. the doors he had held open moments before had slammed shut and the txumre paced furiously outside them.

now with distance and the darkness on his side, neteyam examined the hanger more closely. several feet above the doors was what neteyam could only guess was an air vent, smaller than he would have liked, but large enough for him to squeeze himself into. if he could get inside he may be able to reunite with addison before she uncovered any more creatures waiting in the dark but first . . . he would need to get passed the txumre.

[tahnisreu]

ㅤIt had become evident years before that when confronted with an imminent threat, at the time a viperwolf, Addi was about as reactive as a bag potatoes. Not to say she lacked survival instinct - more rather her brain ceased to function when presented with the immediate and urgent demand to either run or hold ground. It often took a yell or shove from an outside source to jumpstart her into one or the other. Getting hauled up by the back of her shirt was not an uncommon mode of transport - she dealt with it a lot as a child, but it didn't make the sensation of losing agency of her own standing any less jarring.

ㅤThe scream was involuntary. It had already been working its way up when the heavy machinery collapsed, but the final push came from abrupt disconnect with the ground. The bag strap dug into her chest and flared a pain from the constriction. What felt like an agonizing length of time was in reality only a few seconds as they had reached the door the had been aiming for.

ㅤHardly a minute was given for her to recover from all of that when a stomach-sinking realization dawned on her. The stupid doors had gone into a lockdown feature, most likely when an air seal broke long ago to trigger the system but before the power supply gave out. ❛ No, no! ❜ She pleaded, trying to help Neteyam with getting the door to open further. The gears were holding firm but the gap was just wide enough that only she could slip through. ❛ C'mon! I'm not leaving-! ❜

ㅤThe scattering movement punctuated that that thing had gotten over the bulldozer ploy and was back on target. Her frantic gaze moved from Neteyam's to behind them, where through the darkness there was movement, a glint of shining eyes and barred teeth barreling straight for them. The action was halfway through before she realized what she had done - she had pulled his hands from the door and ( with all the adrenaline fueled strength she could ) pushed Neteyam to the side. A heartbeat later, the slinth's momentum sent it crashing into the doorway, forcing Addi to fall through to the other side.

ㅤThe beast's arm flailed through the gap, several clawed swipes left gouges in the steel flooring and inside the door before the creature realized she had fallen out of reach. After the arm withdrew, the doors seemed to shutter and clank like a gear was setting itself back in place and to her horror, the doors clamped closed. Try as she might, her fingertips were barely able to even get leverage in the door's seam. ❛ Neteyam? ❜ Her voice shook, but carrying more air than sound. She couldn't hear anything from the other side of the metal, and she realized she was alone in a dark hallway leading to who knew where.

it  was  too  dark  to  see  further  than  a  handful  of  feet  around  them  and  neteyam  was  thankful  for  the  slow  and  steady  pace  addison  was  making  towards  what  he  hoped  would  be  an  exit.  most  of  the  predators  of  pandora  wouldn't  be  able  to  resist  fleeing  prey  and  neteyam  doubted  that  addison's  short  legs  would  be  able  to  keep  up  with  him.  taking  another  step  backwards  after  her  neteyam  briefly  considered  carrying  her,  she  was  light  enough  but  he  also  knew  that  he  wouldn't  be  able  to  run  and  shoot  at  the  same  time  if  he  was  also  juggling  addison  in  one  or  both  arms.

          hearing  addison's  sigh  of  relief,  neteyam  had  hope  that  they  were  nearing  something  resembling  a  way  out  of  the  death  trap  they  found  themselves  to  be  in  but  didn't  dare  take  his  eyes  off  of  the  looming  darkness  to  see  it  for  himself.  no  sooner  had  addison  sighed  did  movement  draw  neteyam's  gaze  to  a  spot  of  blackness  that  was  just  slightly  darker  than  the  rest.

          neteyam  felt  his  heart  leap  into  his  throat  as  the  darkness  descended  upon  them.

          he  raised  his  bow,  arrow  notched  and  pulled  taunt  as  the  txumre's  plates  unfolded  from  it's  face,  maw  splitting  open  with  a  shriek.  the  arrow  left  his  bow  with  a  fwip  but  rather  than  aim  for  the  monster  directly,  neteyam  hit  one  of  the  supporting  chainlinks  above  it.  the  mining  dozer  came  down  following  the  shink  of  rusted  metal  and  the  txumre  was  forced  to  twist  it's  sleek  body  in  an  impossible  turn  to  avoid  the  dozer's  razor  sharp  teeth.  neteyam  didn't  wait  for  the  creature  to  recover,  he  spun  on  his  heel,  snatched  a  hold  of  addison's  bag,  shoulder  strap,  and  shirt  as  he  sprinted  towards  the  small  red  sign.

          running  while  holding  addison  was  awkward  but  the  fallen  dozer  had  given  them  time.  he  could  hear  the  txumre  hissing  and  snarling  at  the  enormous  machine,  for  the  moment  convinced  that  it  was  another  intruder  but  that  wouldn't  last  long.  only  when  they  were  closer  to  the  red  sign  did  neteyam  set  addison  on  the  ground  again,  slinging  his  bow  over  his  shoulder  he  rushed  towards  what  he  could  now  see  was  a  pair  of  doors.  he  hit  the  wall  when  the  doors  didn't  immediately  open,  kneeling  to  shove  his  fingers  between  the  two  steel  plates  and  straining  to  pry  the  doors  open.

          the  doors  trembled  and  stuttered  stubbornly  against  his  strength  but  they  were  old  and  worn,  nothing  like  what  they  had  once  been  and  with  several  gutteral  grunts  and  a  string  of  colourful  phrases,  neteyam  had  pried  the  doors  open  wide  enough  for  addison  to  slip  between.  ❝  go  .  .  .  get  inside,  now,  quickly!  ❞  neteyam  hissed,  straining  to  keep  the  doors  open.  his  ears  twitched  when  he  heard  the  scrape  of  claws  against  the  hard  concrete  floor,  glancing  wildly  to  meet  addison's  gaze.  ❝  hurry!  ❞

[tahnisreu]

ㅤOh, gross. The bones weren't the only thing still left behind from whatever owned the ribcage and now it was stuck on the bottom of her boot. Aside from the irritation from deciding she would rather burn the boots than bother cleaning them, she was also thankful that her mask filtered so well that she wasn't offended by the accompanying smell. Though the smell might have given her an indicator long ago that something wasn't right.. too late for that.

ㅤ" You don't have to understand - " Addi started, but immediately stopped as she was spoken over. Any other time, she would have been beyond annoyed, but irritated though she may be, she learned from a young to shut up and listen when someone spoke in a certain tone of voice. And right now she was listening. A cold shiver traveled from her head down her back at whatever noise she just heard. Long enough to register, but too short to pinpoint where it came from.

ㅤ" Right, " she breathed, almost having to squeeze the word out of her as the instinct to remain quiet kicked in, " uh, this way. "

ㅤGranted, she wasn't any more knowledgeable of the hangar layout than him. But she had the familiarity of other such places to know they followed an outline. AMP suits were cumbersome and needed a lot of room to maneuver, leaving the aisles between the rows comfortably large and free of obstacles. Well, save for two more AMPs that were lying on the ground, the jagged, rusted metal of their base frames exposed. The ones still standing loomed over them in the dimming light. If she was right, the aisle would lead to an easy access door.

ㅤEvery few steps forward she glanced back to assure the noises she was hearing behind her were still Neteyam's and that he hadn't been suddenly switched with whatever it was they were avoiding. ( She knew she watched too many horror movies. Don't think about machete wielding maniacs, don't think about ghosts with freaky looking arms, don't think about the killer clowns- Though an eight foot tall being right behind her was off-putting in its own right )

ㅤPeering through the darkness ahead of them, she let out a small sigh of relief. Never in her life did she think a red square reading ' EXIT ' would be something she was so thankful to see. She quietly turned and made to gesture for him to follow her quickly but the motion stopped. Her hand remained in the air and she was frozen in place, her eyes locked onto something above in the fear that if she looked away.. it would move.

ㅤThe silence was broken by the sound of metal creaking and the rocking motion of the AMP as the creature leapt off, landing heavily in the space between them and the exit. Addi had instinctively gone to cover her head, though she still kept her eyes on the creature. Even in the dim lighting, the shape was easy to make out. And then.. its face opened in a terrifying display of yellow and fangs.

pandora  was  as  dangerous  as  it  was  beautiful,  this  was  something  known  to  all,  learned  and  taught  since  childhood  to  be  able  to  identify  the  warning  signs  and  walk  the  wilds  without  slipping  or  falling.  neteyam  was  no  stranger  to  seeking  adventure.  he  enjoyed  exploring  the  jungle  with  the  other  hunters,  challenging  himself  in  new  and  rougher  terrains  against  greater  and  greater  threats.  he  enjoyed  scavenging  and  harvesting  from  the  native  flora,  taking  the  sap  or  the  venom  of  plant  and  creature  that  could  render  him  paralysed  or  dead  if  it  were  to  touch  his  skin.  but  when  he  took  risks,  he  done  so  with  a  clear  mind.

          when  addi  spotted  something  worth  taking  she  seemed  blinded  to  the  dangers  all  around  her  until  she  had  what  she  had  been  searching  for.  it  was  foolish,  and  it  set  neteyam's  teeth  on  edge.

          neteyam's  ears  flicked  back  towards  her  as  she  spoke,  the  affirmative  he  had  been  waiting  for  voiced  and  letting  him  slip  back  beside  her.  ❝  will  they  open?  don't  they  need  power?  ❞  neteyam  asked  absently.  he  followed  her  regardless,  the  hanger  was  unknown  territory  and  addi  would  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  inner  workings  of  how  the  hanger  operated  than  neteyam  would.

          ❝  i'm  not  mad,  ❞  neteyam  corrected,  expression  twisted  into  something  that  might  have  been  offense,  ❝  there  are  so  many  beautiful  things  to  find  out  here  .  .  .  and  you  choose  to  explore  dead  places  full  of  dead  things.  i  don't  understand,  ❞

          his  tail  flicked,  ears  twitching  and  alert  as  she  cut  herself  off,  he  followed  her  line  of  sight  to  the  ground  floor  and  found  the  scattered  remains  of  somethings  food.  they  had  stumbled  into  something's  den.  the  tension  their  short  conversation  may  have  lightened  returned  tenfold.  instantly,  neteyam  stood  facing  the  dark  with  addi  at  his  back,  bow  held  at  the  ready  as  he  swept  what  he  could  see  —  ❝  keep  moving  .  .  .  we  need  to  get  out  of  this  room,  ❞  neteyam  whispered.  something  in  the  dark  moved,  the  scrape  of  long  talons  on  hardened  steel  and  the  unmistakable  hiss  of  a  threat  that  seemed  to  echo  from  all  directions.