#pril

Spider, being a human, runs much warmer to the touch than the Na'vi. and Pril is getting cold and their journey down the mountain and getting back to the Na'vi camp will be too long for her to be cold. and Neytiri needs to be able to move more freely to aid others and find poor Tonowari, who must learn his wife is dead in the same breath as seeing his child for the first time, so she hands her over to Spider likes it's No Big Deal and Spider is just like "???" cause... listen he and Neytiri have been making leaps and bounds. but her placing the baby in her protection in his arms and smiling at him fondly, sadly, given everything, but fondly. not even telling him to keep her safe, because she trusts he will.

idk. I have basically convinced myself that Spider and Ronal had some sort of relationship. even if she just... saw something in him. and was quiet about it. not overly or outwardly soft on him. but she vouched for him to get his tattoo. and allowed him to stay. and maybe they talked about Roa and his actions to protect the Ta'unui. and for the first time... he truly had a Tsahik in her. and I ship Aocorro. and I am a "Spider will try to big brother anything he deems smaller, younger, or weaker then himself" truther. so I NEED him to big brother Pril.

and what better way for that to start then Neytiri putting that baby right in his arms? Ronal trusted the boy. she trusted her boy. she promised to keep Pril safe, and she knows Spider will. not that he's going far from her. that's not happening. but the baby will be nice and warm in his arms (and she would like the boy to stop thinking about his father. he looks too sad, too restless, too clouded to be trusted in his judgements if he dwells there in this moment. later, when he has the support he needs, yes. but not now. it's not safe).

also just her... helping Spider walk through that initial of losing his Tsahik. it was different for him. he would never dare say it was worse for him then any of the Metkayina. but his grief was separate. he lost the woman who believed in him and accepted her into her culture despite her usually rigid ways and firm temperament. that was... a lot for him. Neytiri knows that. knows she is part of that reason.

he sees her with Pril. finally registering what was in her sling. and he just... knows. he asks with his eyes and she just nods. tells him Pril's name. he nods. offers her his finger. murmurs that she's cold, too cold. and then suddenly Neytiri is putting her in his arms and tells him that they will both keep her safe for their Tsahik. and that soothes an ache in him.