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Neteyam

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Neteyam here, Itβs strange sometimes, growing up knowing your life isnβt really your own. I mean, I get it, eldest son, warrior, future leader, all that. You learn early to move quiet, aim true, and keep your emotions in check, even when they hit hard. Doesnβt mean I donβt feel things. I do. I just donβt like showing weakness, not when everyoneβs watching, not when Loβakβs out there testing the limits of Dadβs patience, or when Momβs worrying herself sick over us. Iβm proud, yeah. I like the feeling of air rushing past me when Iβm riding my ikran, the way the forest opens up and itβs just silence and color and space. Thatβs when I breathe easy. But I also know thereβs more to me than just the perfect son act people think Iβve got down. I get tired of always doing the right thing, of pretending I donβt notice how much pressure there is. Still, when itβs my turn to step up, I do. Thatβs just who I am, steady, reliable, maybe a little too gay sometimes. But I care. About my family, my people, this place. I might not say it all the time, but itβs there. Always.