X: Nìtxan ado about ke'u (Part I)

Jake awoke to a very gentle swishing upon his face, a kind of tickle which danced around his nose and forehead. He half dreamed it was Neytiri's fingertips tracing down his cheeks, but a soft intake of air filled his nose with a certain scent. Without even having to open his eyes he knew who to expect, but not what. Having opened them he did not expect to see the gigantic Na'vi hanging upside down above him, with a contemplative look upon his face. The soft silver curtain of hair once again draping around him like a waterfall and brushing across Jake's face as Yawne swayed back and fourth like a blue fruit in the breeze. Which was particularly striking as far as imagery goes because there are no blue foods on earth. Blue berries are purple. All this Jake thought as he gazed up in the gaze which gazed upon him gazingly. Yet Yawne didn't speak when Jake looked at him, instead his calm expression remained as he swayed, watching Jake purposefully. Usually his face would light up with a grin, like a Cheshire cat. The oddness of such a serious look made Jake pause and simply stare up at he who stared down, upside down, at him.

Then of course, Yawne began to sing, "Beautiful dreamer, wake unto meee~"

Jake quickly righted himself and made a show of pushing and spitting out the silver hair. "Why can't you ever braid that?" he scowled faux angrily.

"No Jake, what you should say is 'How do you keep it so fresh, soft and bouncy especially with all this humidity? What is the secret of your volume, its life, and shine!'" Yawne replied in his 'Jake voice' which would be disturbingly exactly like Jake's voice except he purposely made it a few octaves higher… and slightly girly.

"Yeah yeah, maybe you're born with it, maybe it's Eywa." Jake added, stretching.

"Oh I don't know really, I can't do a thing with it." Now he had that bioluminescent grin. Jake grinned back, taking a relaxed pose.

"So what brings you this, early-late with such a long face?" Jake asked.

"Said the bartender to the Pa'li." Yawne added without missing a beat.

"You must have something deep on your mind." Jake pushed.

"Not I, said the cat." Yawne replied again. Now Jake was getting slightly puzzled, Yawne didn't hide things. From anyone. He was as open a book on Pandora as you could get; in fact, Mo'at use to think he was hiding a terrible secret because he was so open. What better way to hide something than out in the open? Which, by the way, Yawne was a master of… hiding in the open. In plain sight. So it was kind of unsettling to see the usually aloof and carefree Na'vi dodging a question; especially from Jake.

"C'mon, what's going on?" Jake chuckled, but his smile did not hide his stronger tone. Yawne considered for a moment, swaying still high in the tree like some kind of heavily muscled swing set.

"Jake, will you marry me?" he said suddenly.

Jake double take'd, nearly fell from his hammock, and gaped for good measure.

"To Peyral." Yawned added, seriously. Though for him to miss adding a joke meant the matter was very serious to him indeed. Jake breathed a sigh of relief none the less.

"What, you mean, a wedding?" Jake prompted. Yawne began to swing more, looking everywhere but Jake.

"Well I know Na'vi are 'mated before Eywa'…" he said, trailing off and swinging more.

"But you want a tuxedo and a cake?" Jake asked perplexed yet grinning. Yawne's swinging continued. Only now his lips were sucked in. Jake narrowed his eyes; "Wait, you are mated before Eywa, aren't you?" Jake sat up on his hands. Yawne slowed in his swinging, and fixed Jake with a 'lips sucked in a tiny 'x'' kind of expression with a blankness to his features. Jake blinked and shook his head. "Wait, what are you saying? You and Peyral have bonded lots of times, I've seen you bound in public before!" Still Yawne did not answer, but he continued to look on and his swinging came to a full stop. Jake nearly shouted; "You mean you haven't-!"

"HHHESSSSHUUUSSHH!" Yawne hissed so violently, shaking his head back and forth Jake reflexively shoved his hand over his mouth and looked around, ears swiveling. He spoke again, this time quieter.

"You mean you haven't bonded?" he offered.

Yawne gave him the same look, only now his eye brows were in an upside down arch.

"What are you saving yourself for marriage or someth- oh." Jake was about to joke, but then he remembered who he was talking too. Yes. Of course Yawne would be the type to save himself for marriage, for the purity of true love and all that. His name was love after all. "Oh man…" Jake shook his head, unable to hide his silent but full chuckling belly. "I mean, just look at Peyral! How do you even!" He began to say, but the laughter pushed it away. Now Yawne was scowling. Jake felt horrible but he couldn't stop. "Next you're gunna tell me you never, when you were still human either…" Jake chuckled. The inscrutable Yawne blushed. Jake's laughter died, his eyes bulged, and his jaw dropped. "What are you, a saint?" Jake gasped.

"Oh come on!" Yawne whined, "When I was young I had all this mental health crap to deal with, I never got out much as a teen, big surprise, and then I wanted to save myself for marriage and then I got into my work, and I was meeting new people and on the cutting edge and I just…" he shrugged, upside down. "I just never got around to it." Jake just stared. "Then after a few bad times I stopped believing in that sort of thing… you know? But then, Eywa and now I'm all…" he began his nervous swinging again. Jake dropped his bemusement and looked at his friend seriously.

"Peyral must not have been too happy…" Yawne screwed up his face in worry.

"but she's so special Jake, she understands and I.. I…"

Jake looked at him with a strange blooming suspicion, "You're not… you're not, actually, afraid… are you?" Yawne transformed before Jake's eyes into the most shy and frightened kid Jake had ever seen. His massive bulk, liquid muscles, scars upon scars, all of it blotted out by the sheer vulnerability in his eyes.

"Yes." Yawne lavished and he suddenly fell upon Jake taking his shoulders. "What if I'm not good enough? What if it doesn't work? What if she laughs? What if I say the wrong thing? or hurt her?" Yawne babbled, throwing Jake completely off guard, much like Yawne's hands on his arms and weight threatened to throw him off hometree.

"Wh-What?" Jake was saying.
"What did you say? What is it like? Tell me how did you and Neytiri do it? What do you do, what's your technique? Do you use your mouth? How do you use your mouth?" Yawne was starring into Jake with the eyes of a starving Thanator, but the word 'what' seemed to be the only thing in Jake's vocabulary… The barrage continued until Yawne and Jake were rocking dangerously from side to side… and Jake was telling him to stop, though only by saying 'what' more urgently, and Yawne was gripping and shaking him in desperation, and the hammock was shifting, aaaannd they both pitched right over the side.

…

Jake and Yawne sat side by side after the near death experience, having scraped through somehow without any injury what so ever. Though they frightened a great deal of Na'vi who wanted explanations. Especially the healers. But Jake and Yawne had silently sworn to secrecy and could only stare at one another in helpless muted remorse. They sat together on a large expanse of mossy wood, several Na'vi fussing around them about not finding any wounds, and chiding them for their clumsiness. Some even laughed because they thought it was just more of 'their antics'. But the sour and dour mood hovering over Yawne as well as the deep and intense contemplation on Jake's face only puzzled them. Jake. Jake really had no idea how to handle Yawne's problems. It was simply beyond reason for someone who had been through so much to have these kind of fears and weaknesses. For Pandora's sakes all Yawne had to do was let Peyral take over, Jake was certain she knew exactly what to do, Yawne was a fast learner too.

Yet here Jake was, obligated to impart something to Yawne that would actually make him approach Peyral on his own, for Jake was certain now, especially after the death grip, Yawne would not leave his sight until Jake gave him something. Honestly, just telling Yawne to talk to Peyral would be the best course of action, but there was a part of him who felt he had to answer to Yawne's trust. What if Yawne froze up or foolishly avoided Peyral for fear of this confrontation? Jake felt his head swimming from the sheer stupidity of it. But, it was important to Yawne so it had to be important to Jake. He had to come up with some kind of failproof answer to set Yawne's nerves at ease. He couldn't use a foolproof one, because Yawne was a loving fool. And a dancing fool. Jake smirked at the thought; all of Yawne's endless energy, courage, and outright good insanity and he was brought down by boy meets girl? Jake felt like a father suddenly, which was, just weird. Oh Eywa, would he have to give Yawne the talk? Jake began to fidget.

"Yawne, listen…" Jake began.

"YeahJake?" Yawne snapped his head toward Jake with wide eyes.

"…" Jake starred at Yawne, starring at him, starring at Yawne and stood abruptly. "Come on, we're going deep into the jungle." Jake said, starting off and forcing the larger Na'vi to follow. The other Na'vi watched them go and looked to each other with the Na'vi expression for rolling eyes and shaking heads and turned back to their business. Meanwhile Jake marched forward stoically with Yawne trailing behind quietly. They went a great distance in this silence, until finally Jake stopped suddenly and wheeled on Yawne. "Alright Yawne, I want to help you, I'm going to help you but I have to ask Mo'at. I'm not completely certain about the Na'vi rituals or if they even have a marriage ceremony. If you want me to do this, then I have to do it right. Alright?" Yawne looked at his feet, then at the tree, his fingers winding around themselves. "Alright?" Jake repeated.

"All right." Yawne consented meekly.

Jake nodded firmly and pointed at him, "Wait here." Yawne nodded, so again Jake set off into the jungles leaving Yawne standing alone and still looking down. Once he was weeeeelllll out of earshot, especially for Yawne's ears, he started mumbling to himself and pacing in the direction he was going. "…wouldn't believe this, I'll bet she could tell… then it'd all be… but of course…. Toruk Makto calls to them…" he mumbled tracing his way subconsciously along the root systems, tree trunks and other foliage along his path back to hometree. Not surprisingly, he came upon Neytiri trying to work a basket loop loose. His nose had flared at her scent and though he hadn't meant it, his body simply followed suit.

"I see you my Jake." Neytiri smiled as the stubborn weave wiggled.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." Jake responded, smiling equally as brightly. "Listen I need your help with something…" Neytiri stopped working and calmly listened as Jake then explained the entire situation. After all, Neytiri had Mo'at's training she would know too wouldn't she? Neytiri sat listening for a long while and then Jake got around to saying; "and I figured since you're best friends with Peyral, you could maybe slip it to her. I'm sure she'd be happy to handle it." Jake finished.

"No, my Jake." Neytiri said immediately and simply. Jake blinked. "Because it would betray the trust that Yawne has in you, as you have just done." Jake blinked again, his eyebrows knitting.

"But I-"

"Meant well, my Jake, I know. But Yawne came to you and it is you who should have told him to speak to Peyral, not me. And you have said you will go to Mo'at, but you have instead come to me. So I can not intervene, even for you Jake, because that would be allowing you to break Yawne's trust further." Neytiri said slightly angered as her hands began to work on the loop. "If you had said you were coming to me, then I could have helped you my Jake, but you said Mo'at, so you must go to her." Neytiri pushed on the loop harder and harder, pulling at the whole weave to remove the snare. Jake just stared at her as apparently their conversation was done. All the same he felt a small blossom of shame in his chest; he had betrayed Yawne's trust. Yawne could have gone to Mo'at himself but he trusted and wanted to trust Jake. Who, instead of just telling Yawne what Jake really thought, had to come up with some elaborate plan involving Mo'at and marriage.

But now, he couldn't just go back and tell Yawne to talk to Peyral because then Yawne would ask what Mo'at said and Jake would have to tell him he told Neytiri instead and Yawne would run in little circles screaming or something. So. Once more Jake found himself in a corner and turned abruptly from Neytiri to walk back toward hometree. Neytiri sighed inwardly as she watched him go, shaking her head and gently tugging once on the loop to loosen it easily. Jake marched with purpose and set jaw directly to Mo'at's abode, though she was Tshaik and Jake offered her the full respect of her station, he was still… grumpy… when addressing her and thus barraged right in. Mo'at too sat calmly, listening to these troubles as someone who listened to a great deal of troubles often does. Neither prompting, or adding to the tale, nor interrupting until the speaker was completely finished. Once Jake came to his current location, he stopped and crouched down with his tail lashing.

Mo'at sat in silence a while, looking at the floor. Then she closed her eyes and shook her head lightly. "The heart is a strange thing Jakesully, you should know this, for your love for my daughter and your own… behaviors." She looked to Jake, but wasn't angry, mocking, or anything really. Just relating. "Now you have tangled this red string of love around your finger and pulled it through the trees as a child would a ball of yarn, dashing every which way until the whole forest is red and hard to see through. But you have always known the answer." Jake frowned but Mo'at didn't seem to be done. "For your mar-edge, we have a ceremony, from long ago. If two Na'vi loved one equally, there would have been a quarrel. So the elders, in their wisdom, devised a way for the one to choose between them without strife. Each suitor would create a song, for the person, and this song would be the truest song of their hearts. All involved would do so, the one making two songs and the two each making one. Then they would exchange these songs and see what true feeling was within them."

Jake was fascinated despite himself, "And it actually worked?" he asked. Mo'at deadpanned.

"It is an old tradition the Na'vi do not have need to use readily anymore." Jake nodded in understanding; so, all he had to do was get Yawne and Peyral to exchange songs? That would be simple enough, then Yawne would have his ceremony which would 'seal the deal' for him, Jake supposed, and give Peyral the chance she needed to… set Yawne straight. Jake felt better and better about the idea as he thought about it, much to Mo'at silent starring at him, waiting for further answer. Finally she spoke. "Is this all." she said calmly.

"Oh right, yes, thank you wise Tshaik." Jake bowed formally. Mo'at just shook her head, smiling in a small way as Jake stood and literally ran out. …as soon as he had done so, Mo'at turned her smiling face to the side.

"You may come out now." She said. And. Of course Peyral slunk from the shadows to sit before Mo'at.

"Why does he do this?" she said softly after a great while. Mo'at looked at her sympathetically, and reached an aged hand to her shoulder. Peyral pouted, her brows meeting in the middle of her forehead. "I grew worried when he would, shy away, and when we talked about it he would apologize over and over, and I had feared he did not want me anymore. Not in the way a man loves a woman. But now I hear he is afraid, of me?" Peyral hunched her shoulders, heart shaped face pointing to the floor as her hair hung over her eyes. Mo'at comforted her.

"Many men with great hearts, who care much, can not help caring too much." She answered. "He wishes to give you what you give him, in all its sacred and special way. But he also has the sky people's love in him; you have earned all the love and affection of two peoples, you must be patient for those loves to agree."

"I'd make him agreeable." Peyral said stoutly, with a pinched chin. Mo'at laughed, Peyral set her hands on her hips, huffing. Mo'at felt sorry for Yawne, but she couldn't wait to see how he handled so much of that…

Elsewhere Jake and Yawne sat cross legged, exactly where Jake told Yawne to wait and not one inch to the left, right, or otherwise. Jake began explaining to Yawne what he needed to do …heh, needed… and Yawne listened with ears thrust so far forward Jake wondered if they would some how stretch to encompass Jake's head. But, when he was done, it became a matter of not being crushed by the massive Na'vi in all his strength and enthusiasm. Jake never heard the rush of words Yawne said in thanks, he was too busy trying to get air back in his lungs as Yawne vibrated at a pitch that would allow him to walk through walls and did some kind of twirling for joy thing that tore through the jungle like a tornado. Once he was suddenly gone and Jake found himself on the ground, still trying to breathe, he did indeed feel like a hurricane had passed through. Jake couldn't help but feel sorry for Peyral, but he couldn't wait to see how she handled all that…