My Other Half ( Young Adult Lo'ak X Female Metkayina Avatar )

Familiar

" Lo'ak, Lo'ak! "

The voice of his little sister slowly woke him up from his light slumber. As he was opening his eyes, Tuk threw herself into his arms, excited that she could finally see her brother after almost a whole season away from the sea and the Reef People. Destabilised, Lo'ak took a moment to process what happened, before hugging back his younger sister.

" Hey, tsmuke. When did you arrive? "

" Yesterday. "

" With everyone? "

" No, just mom. "

" Oh. "

She suddenly grabbed her brother's arm, mesmerizekd by the tattoos freshly inked into his skin.

" Wow!! You got your first tattoo?? You didn't tell me!! "

He patted Tuk's head with affection.

" I wanted to make it a surprise. "

" I like it. "

The young adult got to have his first inking when he became fully part of the Metkayina, a moon ago. He successfully passed all the rituals required to become officially part of the People, and was allowed to choose his first tattoo. It ran on his right hand up to his elbow, representing an ikran morphing into a tulkun, drawn with curved and intricate lines. He was really happy with the work that has been done, but wasn't too eager to get another one, mainly due to the pain and time it took to complete it. Nevertheless, the end result and the significance behind them were more than enough in making the process worth it in the end.

" Do you want to play with us today? "

Tuk was obviously referencing to her and her ilu, whom she spent most of her time with when she visited the Metkayina. Lo'ak's heart sank, as he patted Tuk on the head.

" I have a scout today, Tuk. "

" Aww! "

" I know, I know. "

Her disapointed expression made him smile.

" We'll play when I come back, okay? "

Her smile came back as soon as it disappeared, but she tried to hide it. She then suddenly pushed her brother into the water, but she was barely strong enough to even make him move from where he was. Lo'ak pretented to trip and fell, and as he fell, he grabbed his sister's ankle, making her scream of surprise before both of them were soaked to the bone.

" Hey, it's not faiiiiiir! "

Tuk splashed her brother in the face, before he grabbed her and let her out of the water unto his house's deck.

" Say hi to mom for me. I'll be back soon. "

" Fiiiine. "

Lo'ak grimaced at Tuk, making her laugh heartedly.

🌊

The sun was already at its zenith, reflecting its light on the cristalline water. Lo'ak didn't wake up as early as he would have wanted, but it didn't matter. Scouting late into the day had its advantages, too.

Riding on his ilu, Lo'ak's destination was one of the most dangerous he had to scout; Bridgehead City, the last hope of the humans fleeing Earth. After the Battle of the Sea Dragon, Jake conducted a raid to eliminate the menace that represented the foreign structure for the Na'vis, fauna and flora. Lo'ak participated with his father into coordonating the attack along with all the Na'vis they could gather. The envergure of the raid was doubled compared to the first time that humans invaded Pandora, but in the end, they had thriumphed.

After the raid, Lo'ak shared his concerns that many humans could have survived in bunkers and buildings, and if they were to retaliate, things could become very ugly for their People. And that is how he became a scout; he never ran into any real danger, fortunately, but he was always on alert every time he would have to go the Bridgehead and report anything unusual.

" Hey, son. "

The ear piece that Lo'ak had brought along came alive, as the Na'vi smiled when he heard his father's voice. Lo'ak pressed on his throat microphone with two fingers, allowing Jake to hear him.

" Hey, dad. I'm happy to talk to you. "

The father and the son has grown to respect and care more about each other over the course of time, ever since Lo'ak saved his life many years ago. Jake treated his son with a newfound respect, ditching the marine and squad attitude towards him. He understood how he felt, and he reminded him of his first days into the Omatikaya clan; how he felt like he didn't fit among the people, and how every Na'vi treated him; like an outcast. But he made his place, and almost twenty years later, he was among the most respected individuals of Pandora. The former Toruk Makto was definitely a role model for Lo'ak, and he made sure to remember that Jake wasn't so different from him, after all.

Looking around, Payakan's absence was clear and palpable, but Lo'ak decided that he would never accompany him on the way to Bridgehead City. Even if it would have been safer that way, a tulkun would be a lot more likely to be seen than an ilu, and he didn't want Payakan to take such a risk. The goal of the scout was to remain undetected, in the events that humans were still inside the giant structure.

" Are you almost there? "

" I've been riding for a while, and the sea's very calm. I should arrive soon, yes. "

" Good. Did you see your mom? "

" Not yet. But thankfully, Tuk woke me up. "

Jake chuckled.

" She was so excited to come see you. She wouldn't stop talking about it for the last three days! "

Lo'ak laughed.

" I can't believe she's already twelve. Feels like yesterday that she was a child. "

" Time flies, huh? "

Lo'ak, throat tightened at the memory, but he shook it off as soon as he saw the enormous gates of the Sky City. His ilu tensed up, but he reassured her with a few pats on the neck.

" I'll contact you later, dad. I have a visual. "

" Stay safe, Lo'ak. "

" Will do. "