Not the End

19 - First Night

"I will leave you to set up your new home, but please come find me or Aonung if you have any questions." Tsireya tells us, Jake thanks her, she waves and gives us another smile before making her way down the bouncy path, Lo'ak gawks at her stupidly. I nudge him to stop his staring, he gives me a dirty look. 

"Jake." Neytiri calls, tilting her head toward the far end of the pod. I watch his face turn to one of fear as he follows her. 

"You guys, just start unpacking." Jake orders us quietly.

"Yes, sir." Neteyam replies, looking at Lo'ak.

"Yes, sir." Lo'ak huffs, clearly annoyed with his brother already. Jake and Neytiri disappear, their hushed voices barely audible. 

"Tuk, let's heat up some food." Kiri whispers, handing Tuk some of the food we had packed. Tuk quietly carries the food over to the middle of the room where the cookware is. Neteyam, Lo'ak and I start organizing the weapons and gear by the entrance. 

"It is not so bad here." I break the silence in the tense room. Neteyam just exhales in response, Lo'ak doesn't even acknowledge I said anything. "At least Tsireya seems happy we are here." I emphasize her name a little bit, catching Lo'ak's attention. Neteyam smiles and shakes his head.

"I can't wait to eat a warm meal." Kiri mumbles as she stirs some teylu and vegetables in a pan over a small fire. We haven't had a real meal since we left the forest. At least it will taste like home.

"Amen, sister." Lo'ak perks up, walking over and plucking a piece of teylu from the pan. 

"Bro, can't you wait until we are done unpacking?" Neteyam scolded.

"No!" Lo'ak whines with a mouthful of teylu. Neteyam curses under his breath. 

>><<

After a while, we had got almost everything unpacked and relatively organized, Jake and Neytiri came back in. 

"Oh good, you started food. Uh, you can be done for the day." Jake waves at us to stop working. "Thanks for being good today guys." He praised us? Jake Sully?!

Neytiri portions out food, and Tuk delivers us each our meals. I take a seat next to Kiri, leaning my back against the curved wall. I can't help but eat quickly, teylu is so much better warm. After I finish eating, Tuk is blabbing about some story as usual, but I tune out and instead stare at Neteyam. He sits across from me, slowly eating his food. His gaze is directed toward Tuk, but he isn't actually looking at her. I wonder where his mind is. 

"Do you?" My head turns to Kiri, she's looking at me expectantly.

"Hm?"

"Do you want more food?" She asks me again, I shake my head. 

"No, thanks." I reply, giving her a little smile. She returns a smile and takes my dish as well as hers before getting up. I lean back on the wall, closing my eyes for a moment. It smells like home in here, but it sounds so different, waves crashing gently against the mangrove trees, ilus making noise, people talking with a different accent, there's no constant sound of leaves rustling, or large animals in the distance. 

My eyes open and I look out the entrance at the sea, the sun bouncing off the water hurts my eyes, I have to look away.

"Maybe you guys could explore for a while, try and make some friends?" Jake stands, looking between Neteyam, Lo'ak and I. Lo'ak scoffs, Neteyam shoots him a look that shuts him up. "I mean it, try to have some fun, just please stay out of trouble."

"I'll supervise the rebels." I suggest sarcastically as I stand. "Maybe we'll find some pretty girls on the beach!" I whisper to Lo'ak, pulling his arm to make him stand with me. Neteyam huffs and stands too, looking outside, like he's making sure it's safe before we leave.