IKIGAI / Jake Sully

19.5

"And I wanted to say if I don't see some of you tomorrow. It was truly and honor to fight along side you."

Jake sighed crossing his arms and looking over the night horizon for when the sun rises war will begin. A hand on his shoulder. Jake glances over to him to see an old man with iridescent colored eyes.

"What's wrong Rolif? Not enjoying your last meal?" He jokes and the man just chuckles.

"No reminds me too much of my wife's cooking" Rolif says as the two laugh. He wore a necklace the stone was so distinct that it caught Jake's eye. "Ah careful my friend. Only one of its kind on pandora"

"Is it an Olo'eyktan thing?" Jake asks

"Worse. It's a father thing."Rolif says "My little girl made it for me"

"Again with this child of yours." Jake mumbles under his breath. "You know I fear for the man who has to deal with you when your daughter grows up"

Rolif belly laughs "You will understand when you become a father."

"That bad huh?"

"You know being an Olo'eyktan, I was hoping for a son. A strong man. A fighter like you." Rolif says glancing over at Jake and he sighs "But I ended up with a child who likes painting, flowers and cries when she doesn't get what she want."

Jake just chuckles

"She cried so much when she heard I would be following you and made me this necklace."Rolif rubs his thumb over it for moment as the two stare out at the world. "She told me she'd only let me borrow it. How annoying is that?"

"Audacity of her" Jake responds sarcastically

"Made me promise to bring it back to her. No excuses"

Jake doesn't speak he just continues to smile and entertain Rotif antics. "Well you better bring it back to her then"

—————————

"It's genuine rainbow labradorite" Max tells Jake as he scans it in the lab. "These stones aren't even found here they're only on earth"

"Really?" Jake says annoyance dripping in his stance. He runs a hand through his face "so how much of a pain is it to get another moon stone, cut and set?"

This little romantic touch was turning out to be a-lot harder than Jake had previously expected

"A Diamond would be easier to find than this...you know that means we have to reach out to the shipments over at Hell's gate, have them mine it and shipped here and then we still don't know if the color will match. Moon stones are tricky like that and they won't cut it or set it"

If his mind had a speaker it would be screaming at the top of their lungs right now.

"Why couldn't she have fucking made a necklace out of a wood or some shit. God..." Jake gripes and letting it sink in. "Just go ahead and do it. I'll figure it out from there"

"You sure?"

"Yeah..." Jake groans.

She better like it. She has no choice. If she hates, Jake is going to go take it back to Rolif and bury it with him.

————————

"Rolif you bitch why did you do that?!" Jake shouts as he jumps in front of the line for Jake.

"Turok Makto" he coughs up blood. "Because you are Turok Makto. Please...tell my child I'm sorry i will break..."

"Stop! I didn't sit there every single day for hours listening to that shit for you to just...Rolif!"

"Please tell..he" he starts ripping off his necklace. Rolif attempts to hand it to Jake but only to slowly lose consciousness.

Jake didn't even have time to process as an explosion is heard. The necklace fumbling out of his hands as the sky rained more bullets.

———————

"I dropped it somewhere here." Jake tells Tsu'tey throwing him a shovel.

"Here? Like all of here?" Tsu'tey asks waving his hand largely patch area

"Yeah...."

"So basically the entire site."

"Funny right"

"Funny how I am going to beat the shit out of you" Tsu'tey shouts

"Beat me after you find it." Jake shrugs "start digging"

"Fucking 3 years almost 4 years, you want me to dig up all this dirt."

"If you don't stop bitching I'm gonna turn it into a law to make you do this every night" Jake sends back

"Can't make a law if you're dead"

"Then just bury me here next to the rest of the people who didn't make it out"

"Stop....god" Tsu'tey sighs "why do you say that?"

"Oh you feel guilty now. Start digging"

——————

"I actually hate kids" Rolif says one day walking up to Jake. "Until my daughter came"

"Again with this..." Jake sighs "Is she like some saint or something"

"No actually more like you."Rolif says "I always thought that if she'd wed it would be someone who is is kind of like you."