Lo'ak and Tsireya face a relationship problem; Anat's ceremony arrives and she meets her new mate.

~

"So, this Quaritch guy," Anat mused as she painted on her ceremonial face paint. "He's bad?" Tsireya was sleeping off her bruised rib so Anat made conversation with the hybrid. "Was. My dad killed him, thank Eywa," Anat paused in applying her makeup to her under eyes. "Describe him to me? The name sounds familiar." Lo'ak shook his head, switching positions to ease the burning in his side. "Probably, but can't be. He pretty much ran the sky-people operations, so yeah, you might've heard of his name." He then described the asshole as accurately as he could. Anat pressed a red berry harshly on her wooden press. She dabbed her finger in it and ran it across her lips. "Huh. I'm almost positive I've seen him before,"

Lo'ak frowned slightly. "Recently? As in, within the last year?" Anat narrowed her eyes at him in the burned sand the sky people called mirrors. "Maybe. Why?" She raised an eyebrow as he frowned. "Can't be the same guy then. My dad killed him. If by some miracle he survived being head locked, he'd've drowned," Anat chose to keep her mouth quiet.

This Quaritch fellow was very much alive. He'd flown in, broken and bleeding just over a year ago. Said his son saved him but then abandoned him. She chose to dig deeper. "Why'd your dad kill him? What'd he do?" Lo'ak was silent for a few moments, prompting Anat to turn in confusion. "He killed my brother," He said quietly. Anat reeled back. "He did what? Oh, I'm so sorry," Lo'ak gave her a tight-lipped smile. "I hate him. My brother died saving my skxawng ass... I held him as he died in my arms,"

Anat saw the tears brewing in his eyes. "I'd go feral if somebody hurt my little sisters," She turned back to the mirror and finished applying her red berry dye to her forehead. "The only person who can get violent with them is myself. And Eywa damnit, do they test me sometimes," Glancing back briefly, she was happy to see a smile back on the forest Na'vi's face. She allowed the conversation to fall into silence as she began to undo her hair for the ceremony. It was their tradition to have the hair either semi-loose or completely loose. Your mate would then braid it after you mated before Eywa. Or: if you hadn't a mate yet, your mother or female family member could rebraid your hair for you.

Anybody could help you undo the braids.

This tradition didn't extend beyond the southern tribes, as when she asked Lo'ak for help in undoing her hair, he flushed brightly. Anat had frowned. "Why the face? I'm asking you to help undo my braids, not undress me and mate with me," Lo'ak stuttered awkwardly. "It-in my culture, only the mate can undo the hair," Anat growled softly as she struggled with a braid. "Yeah, well, it's the opposite here. Only the braid can be done by the mate. Or, a female family member. So can you help now? The ceremony's gonna start soon, and so is your chance to leave,"

He shuffled over slowly. She kicked the stool in his direction. "I'd sit. These haven't been undone in over a month. They're stuck," The words slowed as they left her mouth, his deft fingers moving quickly. "I do Tsireya's hair all the time. And I helped do my sisters," Anat watched as they moved swiftly but gently. She quietly watched him work his magic on her stubborn hair, barely pulling on her scalp. She pulled her tswin over her shoulder. She also chose to believe the goosebumps were from that movement, and not the na'vi working on her hair.

~

Later, Anat found her eyes wandering toward the human island, around twenty minutes swim away. That Quaritch would be there: no doubt getting ready to attend her ceremony. She'd always found him... off. He was always way too ready to fight: either ceremonially or otherwise. On more than one occasion, he'd tried to embroil Ilat into a fight. She was the most volatile of the siblings if that wasn't obvious. If he wasn't fighting, he was smarming up to Anat's mom, Bennu: the current Olo'eyktan and her dad, Akl: the Tsahik. He was trying to secure his position in the clan.

Not when Anat took control. She'd have his ass back on the island, unable to leave. Not after what he'd done. He killed a kid. That's unforgivable in her books. She was a prized hunter within her clan: almost so much that they'd wanted her to stay leading the hunt and pass the Olo'eyktan role to her youngest sister Ife. But she had one rule: no kids and no pregnant women. If she caught wind or sight of either being hurt, she'd kill the attacker personally.

So Quaritch was in for an interesting run when she took over. If Lo'ak and Tsireya wanted, she'd introduce them as guests to the clan and prohibit anybody from harming them. That way, in private, they could deal with Quaritch as they so pleased.

She was also a bit vindictive as well, did she mention?

~

She paced anxiously in her hut, thankful the forest na'vi was asleep. Maybe their clans had a different sky from her own? She had yet to even see her tsahik, let alone meet him. Sure, usually, she was supposed to meet him at the ceremony, but there was at least talk beforehand. He was chosen before the ceremony. What if she didn't have a mate? What if her family line ends with her? No. Whichever of her sisters has a daughter first, Ilat or Ife, would become Olo'eyktan until their daughter was old enough, then it would pass down her line. She paced some more, muttering to herself. The air was particularly humid today. Maybe it was a sign? Maybe Eywa cursed this day. What had she done to upset her? She'd prayed, offered food, sacrificed things... stayed pure until today.

"Bro,"

She paused. She glanced back. "Where's your friend? The lighter one?" She asked, panic suddenly slipping into her voice. Lo'ak shrugged. "She's fine. She's on her way home," Anat paused. "I'm sorry?" He pushed a note towards her. Anat bent over to pick it up. She blinked at it for a second before sheepishly. handing it back. "I can't read this. It's not a language I understand," Lo'ak, with an eye roll, read the note aloud.

Lo'ak. My love.
I am sorry to do this to you, to us. But I must leave. I cannot keep being put in danger like this. I must continue my parent's line, and I cannot do that if I am dead. I am safe, the ocean is my friend. I will send a tulkun with word I am home safely if it will ease your mind. I am sorry to take the chance, but the only times I am safe are when I am alone. All that seems to happen with us is death and destruction. Perhaps it is Eywa saying we should not be together. That I should mate with a member of my clan, as my destiny was until you turned up.
I still love you, more than words can say. But I'm not going to keep putting myself in danger to preserve this relationship that our parents may refuse.
Take this as my word: I will tell our warriors where you are and they will rescue you.
I will see you soon.
Tsireya.

Anat stared at the wall, taking in the letter. Lo'ak crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. "A year of verbal abuse from her mom and trying to prove I'm worthy to her dad, all for nothing." Anat sighed softly and opened her mouth to speak but the ceremonial horn rang. She instead pushed her lips into a tight smile. "Don't worry. I'll get you home. Give me until tomorrow evening. Stay in this hut, draw the wooden protection shades and barricade the door." She warned. "Sometimes the humans like to examine the homes as they walk by. Keep everything shut and closed so they don't find you,"

A thumbs up from her bed was all the acknowledgement she received.