Fate's Game | Lo'ak Sully

Part 12 - Greetings

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(POV: Narrator)

Jake had announced to everyone following behind him that they were nearing their destination and that they should "prepare" themselves.

Lo'ak had woken up by then, or at least that's what Fay'tari thought, making him stiffly let go of her at the sound of his Dad's voice. She let herself breathe properly after that, Lo'ak noticing it. He pretended to yawn, trying to make it seem like he was unaware of what he'd been doing the whole way over there. In reality, the boy was acting, and doing a surprisingly good job at it.

Jake then dove downwards, making it clear they'd arrived. The group landed on a small patch of sand connecting to a Na'vi community's village. As they did, they were met with a whole clan of lighter blue Na'vi. The Metkayina clan.

Fay'tari wasn't so much concerned with the scenery as she was with getting as far away from Lo'ak as she could the second she landed Ka'ani. She shoved his hand that was moved up to her shoulder away as they landed, not looking nor acknowledging his rather loud "Hey!"

She walked away with her arms crossed, following Jake close behind as he stepped forward to greet the supposed clan leaders. They all greeted them respectfully, raising their hands up to their foreheads and bringing them down slowly. Soon after, the adults got to talking about whatever adults talk about, as the children were left to greet each other too.

Fay'tari, Neteyam and Lo'ak watched as a male approached them, trying to look intimidating which he was somehow managing to pull off, despite the fact his smaller friend was completely destroying his entrance.

He didn't greet them, either. Instead, he watched as Neteyam and Lo'ak greeted him before giving the two boys a snobby look. When he looked towards Fay'tari, he tilted his head to the side before smirking a little, making Neteyam look over to his friend, who was not impressed. He then turned to Lo'ak, who was also not impressed. Fay'tari stared at the boy up through her eyelids, glaring, as he was a good deal taller than her, watching as he tried to talk to her but ignoring him.

Neteyam decided to step in, answering the question the boy had asked Fay'tari for him. "Uh- She's Fay'tari, I'm Neteyam and that's Lo'ak. Over there, we have-"

"Yeah, cool. I'm Aonung, clan leader's son." He interrupted, sticking out his chest as he tried to seem assertive.

"Nice to meet you, Aonung...?" Neteyam said, deciding already that he was rather rude.

Next up, was the boy's sister, who seemed a lot nicer already. She came out from the shallow waters, pushing her curly hair out of her face and giving her brother a nasty look to put him in line. She then smiled at the three of them, greeting them and going to listen to what the adults were talking about. It wasn't really a discussion, it was more like a cat fight between the two Mothers.

"Oh, I'm Tsireya by the way!" She remembered, rushing back having forgotten to introduce herself.

Fay'tari felt warmed by her, which was the opposite of what she'd felt when meeting her brother. She put on a small smile before speaking. "Hey! I'm Fay'tari, this is Neteyam, over there's Kiri and Tuk." She informs the girl, making Aonung slightly offended.

"Uh, what about-" Tsireya points towards the only boy Fay'tari hadn't mentioned in her introduction, intentionally.

"That's Lo'ak." She says dryly, causing Lo'ak to roll his eyes at her.

Following her late words, the adults seemed to have concluded their conversation, as Tsireya was asked by her Father, Tonowari, to show the family around the village, to which she gladly agreed. When her and the rest of the family, including Fay'tari, got to where they'd be sleeping, she explained that there were three separate huts for them to split up into, suggesting that they might let Jake and Neytiri take one and then split it boys and girls.

Before Tuk could explode with comments about how she was so excited to stay with Kiri and Fay'tari, Jake announced, "Actually, we have our own idea."

And, as far as ideas go; It was not a good one by a long shot.

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"You can't! Dad, no!"

This seemed awfully familiar to everyone except Tsireya.

Jake had just told them that he and Neytiri thought it would be a good idea to let Lo'ak and Fay'tari share a hut so that they could try to get along better. This obviously didn't sit well with either of them.

Just like that day when they announced they'd be forced to become mates, Fay'tari silently raged while Lo'ak did it openly.

"Don't try to argue with me, just do as we tell you to, got it?" Jake tries to reason with his son.

"She'll slaughter me in my sleep! You're killing your son!" He pointed aggressively over at Fay'tari who was glaring at him, giving him slight deja-vu.

"Lo'ak." Jake grows impatient, ordering his son to comply. He then walks away with Neytiri along with Tuk, going to find their own hut, leaving Neteyam and Kiri to take the last one.

Fay'tari, Lo'ak and Tsireya were left stranded outside of the first hut, Tsireya wildly confused at what had just happened.

"Sorry... But- Why do they want you two to get along?" She innocently asks, looking towards either of them for an answer, clasping her hands together.

After a pause, Lo'ak shoved passed Fay'tari, nudging her shoulder as he did with slight force, making her look at the back of his head with rising anger. Spotting the girl next to her, who was still waiting on a reply, Fay'tari calmed herself down and went to explain the situation, to her utmost dissatisfaction.

"It's complicated, we-"

Something hitched in Fay'tari's speech. Something sparked in her eyes, as well as her brain.

Wait, that could work. She convinced herself.

Frantically, she told Tsireya that she'd "explain later", sending her on her way and running into the hut where Lo'ak was sulking in the corner.

"Lo'ak! I've got it!" She exclaims, getting as close to him as she could without making him want to lunge at her.

"Got what, rabies?" He mumbled, unfunnily.

She ignored him, proceeding to tell what she's "got".

"I know how we're gonna stop this from happening." She declares confidently, a hint of excitement and pride in her tone as well as her face.

"Stop what from happening?"

Fay'tari had obviously forgotten that Lo'ak wasn't bright.

She grunted, "The pairing, the engagement, the mating!" She went on, making Lo'ak understand. He was quite weirded out by the look on her face, not sure what idea could be so revolutionary that she would be so worked up about it.

"We're going to play a little game." She smirked, making Lo'ak only become ten times more confused.

Fay'tari had come up with a plan. A good one, in her mind. She'd figured out a flawless way to make Jake and Neytiri agree to split the two up, as well as make sure her own Mother wasn't going to be annoyed at the decision, not that she cared so much about what her Mother thought, it was more the idea of her coming out to take her away again that scared her.

Fay'tari was going to play a little game.
A little game involving her own fate.

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