Jake led the way, with Neytiri following as he went on his first official hunting trip. Neytiri had given him the all clear to start using his bow, now that he had better control. They didn't want to inflict more pain than necessary to their kill. Jake crept underneath the leaves, eyes narrowing through the rain as he spotted a large, blue, deer-like creature. It perked up at the new scent in the area, raising its head frill and turning towards the hunters. It bleated in warning as Jake readied his bow. In one breath he let the arrow fly, Neytiri watching proudly as it hit the animal's shoulder with a clean 'thunk'. The two quickly rushed over to the moaning animal, Jake kneeling over it and pulling out his knife. It all had to be finished as quickly as possible.
"I see you Brother, and thank you." Jake quickly recited in Na'vi before plunging his knife directly into the heart. The animal went silent instantly. Neytiri watched him quietly.
"Your spirit belongs to Eywa, and your body stays behind to become part of The People." He finished, pulling the weapon out and sheathing it into the pouch on his chest. Nodding as he thought over all the protocols he reached over to pull out the arrow from the corpse.
"A clean kill. You are ready." Neytiri commented quietly. Jake smiled slightly, proud that he had accomplished his training. Etta had completed her kill the day before, and Jake was determined to make his so he could join her on the last bit of training they needed to become full fledged hunters. Riding the ikrans. They were due to leave the next morning and now he would be officially joining. All their hard work was finally paying off.
...
Everything is backwards now. Like out there is the true world, and in here is the dream.
...
That night in the shack. Jake is wheeled up to the table by Norm, who pats him on the back and leaves while Grace sets Etta down across from him sharply. Jake looks over at his companion and frowns as he notices her form withering away like his was. He knew this was an intervention on their behalf.
"You two are still losing weight. Here..." Grace scolds, setting down a couple of nutrition packed burritos. Etta frowns at the smell as she lifts it to her lips. Jake bites into his own, rolling it around in his mouth before swallowing. This food seemed so foreign now.
"I made a kill today. We ate it. I know where that meal came from." He commented bitterly.
"Other body. You need to take care of this body. Same goes for you, Etta." The duo mutter out a couple 'yeahs', knowing that Grace was right.
"I'm serious, you two look like crap. You're burning too hard." Grace insisted. Etta scrunched up her nose as Grace lit a cigarette and she turned to face the older woman.
"If you are going to harp on us taking care of our bodies, then maybe you should cut it with the cancer sticks." She quipped. Grace pursed her lips but it snubbed it out.
"I'm telling you guys this as your boss and someone who you might consider as a friend. Take some down time." The older woman insisted.
"When would you suggest? It's not like we have any off days in the village. We'll miss something." Etta pointed out. Jake nodded in agreement as he swallowed another mouthful of food.
"She's right. We can't take the time off, especially now. Tomorrow we leave for Iknimaya." He added with a proud grin. Grace sighed.
"Yeah, you're going to ride a banshee or die trying." she muttered.
"That's right. This is what we've been working for." Jake continued earnestly.
"And this is your check up from the neck up, Marine. You're getting in way too deep." Grace countered sternly. The duo sat quietly at the table, thinking on Grace's words as the woman walked off. Etta frowned thoughtfully.
"Do we really look that bad?" she inquired. Jake glanced over her form, wincing at how withered she was looking.
"I guess we do look a bit rough. But I don't think I can stop now." He admitted quietly. Etta nodded in agreement. This escape from 'reality' had become their life. They had gotten used to having whole, working bodies. How were they just supposed to stop it?
"Jake…..what do you look like?" a soft voice brought him out of his musings. Jake blinked in surprise.
"You mean…..like now?" he asked, thrown off by her question. Etta shuffled in her seat.
"Yea. I mean I have an idea from seeing your avatar but it's not the same. And obviously I can't actually see you so I was just curious…you don't have to answer or anything, it was just a thought." Etta rambled uncomfortably, not knowing what was running through his head. What she wouldn't give to see his facial expressions to know what he was thinking right now. She kept her head down and sheepishly ran her fingers along the rim of her water cup.
"Uh….no that's fine. Um, I don't really know how to describe myself well. I don't think you would get anything quality out of it." Jake told her, frowning in disappointment. He wished he was better at that stuff so he could help her imaging what she couldn't see. Norm could do it better than he would. All he could do was rattle off some general stuff. He watched Ette nibble on her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowed.
"Then can I ask a favor?" Jake nodded eagerly before remembering that she couldn't see it. He quickly voiced his agreement. Etta shifted in her seat, contemplating whether or not she should follow through with it. He waited patiently.
"Can I feel your face? Like run my hands over it?" she inquired, steeling herself and facing him head on. Jake blinked curiously.
"Um, yea. Does that help?" Etta nodded.
"More than you would think. You can supply some colors for me but I can get a better sense of your bone structure and stuff to go with it." She explained. Shortly after she heard the sound of his wheelchair getting closer.
"Alright, just tell me what to do." Jake told her, now sitting right alongside of her. Etta turned and lifted up her hands with a smirk.
"Just put my hands in the right place. I don't want to poke out your eye." She told him with a chuckle. Jake grinned and reached for her hands, smiling as he looked at how large his were in comparison. Etta jerked them back, frowning at him.
"But no funny business. Keep them up where they should be." She warned teasingly. Jake barked out a laugh and grabbed her hands more firmly in his own.
"I promise." He acquiesced. With that Etta allowed Jake to pull her hands closer. Jake held onto her palms just a moment longer than necessary. Her hands were small but they were more calloused than other women he had been with. It wasn't totally unexpected from her. She was a hard worker; a quality he respected. Jake watched as she leaned forward a bit to get a good hold on his face, her fingers splaying out across his cheeks and jawline. Running with a sudden idea, he reached out and grabbed her waist gently. Etta yelped in surprise as she was lifted off her seat and set down on Jake's lap, moving them even closer. He cleared his throat, his eyes shifting away shyly from her widened blue ones.
"Um….I thought this would be easier. So you don't have to reach." He explained, forcing himself to remain calm. A knowing grin crept across her face.
"Sure." she hummed, letting her hands roam slowly. Jake closed his eyes, swallowing as her fingers ran over his skin gently. It felt damn good. Meanwhile, Etta quietly processed the information that her sense of touch was feeding her. She filed away the wide, strong jaw that was covered with week old stubble. Jake had apparently forgone some of his grooming habits as they became more invested in the avatar life. She could feel how tight his skin was over his cheekbones, realizing that he probably wasn't that better off than she was. Grace was right, but that didn't mean they would give this life up so easily.
"What color are your eyes?" she queried, feeling his thick eyebrows before going in between them to feel his nose. Jake kept his eyes closed, letting her continue her explorations.
"Light green." his voice rumbled quietly.
"I always liked that color." She murmured thoughtfully. Jake chuckled.
"Thanks." Her hands made their way up into his hair, running her fingers through the shaggy logs. Jake bit back a groan at the feeling. He glanced down at his lap, making sure there wasn't anything creeping up without his knowledge again. With Etta on his lap it would be even worse.
"And what color is this mess?" she teased, smoothing down the mess she undoubtedly had made.
"Brown. Sorry nothing too crazy in that department." Etta shrugged.
"Eh that's alright. Although I think I miss the dreadlocks you've been growing out on your avatar."
"Yea this feels too short now. Weird huh?" he mused.
"Not really. Our alternative reality is a lot more appealing than what we have now. It makes sense to prefer those aspects over the broken down bodies we have here." She pointed out a bit morbidly. Jake frowned but couldn't really disagree with her. It was something he was unwilling to voice out loud. Seemingly satisfied and well informed with how…..attractive Jake was in his human body, not that she would admit it to him now, Etta set her hands on his shoulders.
"I have a tattoo on my right shoulder. Some black stripe patterns down my arm." Jake informed her, not looking away from her face. She was so close. He couldn't remember them ever being so intimate while they were both conscious. Him staring at her while she slept didn't count. Etta rose a brow curiously.
"Really? Now that I would like to see. Too bad I can't feel skin ink well." She mock pouted, running her hand over his bicep. Jake pursed his lips and glanced down at the ink. He reached over and gently grabbed her hand.
"Maybe this will help with that." He suggested. Etta let him guide her fingertips in various patterns over his skin. She smiled, trying to piece together the shapes in her mind as he painted over his arm to give her an idea on what was there. It wasn't perfect but she loved that he was willing to give it a go. He was surprisingly attentive like that. Something she never would have guessed when she first met him. The man was full of surprises, and none of them were displeasing so far. The duo sat in silence, both keenly aware of how close their faces were. Their breath mingling as a seemingly magnetic force pushed their faces together. Noses brushed against one another. Jake glanced between her lips and her eyes, trying to look for a sign to close the last few inches between them. Etta swallowed, as she brushed her nose up the ridge of his. As a decision seemed to be silently made the duo began to move closer….only to be interrupted by a loud clattering around the corner of the shack, followed by the sound of Norm cursing in annoyance. The two jerked backwards, the implications of what had almost happened washing over them like ice water. Etta cleared her throat and slipped off Jake's lap, an apologetic grimace on her face.
"Ah…..thanks. I'm glad I got to see the face that accompanies all the stupid shit you spout off." She grinned slowly. Jake rolled his eyes, a grin blossoming across his own face.
"You're welcome for allowing you the pleasure." He jested back, glad that things hadn't gotten awkward like he feared. The friendly teasing wasn't exactly what he had been hoping for but it was better than having her be skittish around him. Then again that wasn't her usual style. Etta nodded silently, her smile thoughtful as it got quiet once more.
"You finish your food. I could feel how thin you were. Meanwhile I need to do my log before Grace has my head." She told him, pointedly gesturing to the half eaten meal he left on the table. Jake glanced at it and shrugged. More important things had been happening so eating wasn't on his mind a few minutes ago.
"Go ahead. Don't take to long, I'm beat and I want to be well rested for tomorrow." He waved her on, turning to wheel back towards his abandoned meal as she walked away. Jake watched her go until she rounded the corner. Was anything going to change between them? He knew at least on his end they already had.
...
...
Early the next morning Tsu'tey led the small group of hunters along the edge of a cliff on their direhorses. The beasts glided over the narrow walkway, unbothered by the sheer drop just to their right. Jake focused intently on his controlling his mount, knowing he was not quite as skilled on this animal as the others were. A sheer drop now because of his stupidity was not how he was going to end the day. Etta flinched slightly as a pieces of rock broke off from under one of her direhorse's hooves. However she quickly maintained her composure, allowing her mount to continue on as if nothing happened. Jake glanced back at her over his shoulder as much as he could. She nodded at him in assurance and they kept on. At the edge of the mountain Tsu'tey brought the small group to a halt. A large collection of heavy vines and tree roots attached themselves to the cliffside, leading up to a floating mountain it had anchored in place. The group dismounted and stared up at the crude natural bridge of vines and rocks that lead up to the mountain miles above them. Tsu'tey barked out an order, causing the other hunters in the group to scramble to attention. Jake had drifted apart and was still staring up at the structure thoughtfully. Tsu'tey spotted an empty space by Etta and scowled, shooting her a glare. The woman took his silent command and walked over to Jake, yanking him roughly by the arm to rejoin the group.
...
Learning to ride an ikran, we call them banshees, is a test that every young hunter has to pass. But to do that you gotta go where the banshees are. Ooh-Ra.
...
Tsu'tey briefly explains what was going to happen before turning and heading towards the beginning of the vines. The rocks they had grown into creaked as the structure bobbed up and down.
"Fantastic." Etta muttered with a grin as they follow the group. She leaned forward to examine the base of the roots before following it up, trying to get a good look at the rest of it. Jake grinned in amusement as he childlike wonder over some floating rocks. Never mind the fact that if they fell that would be the end of them.
"We doin this?" Jake laughed, adrenaline already beginning to pump through his veins. Before anything else could be said the rest of the group bolted up the vines, already making their way up after their leader. Etta and Jake sprinted to catch up with them, letting their muscle memory take over as they began to climb. One misstep and it was a sheer drop to the forest below with no return. Something most normal people wouldn't even attempt, but for the two ex-military it was pure fun. Nothing like a good adrenaline rush.
...
...
The group continues to travel up the miles of vines while passing over the boulders as they went, leaping up the vine entwined rocks like monkeys. Jake chances a glance down and his eyes widen in surprise at how small the ground was below them. There was definitely no going back now. Etta passes him and prompts him to keep climbing as they catch up with the group. The spray of the waterfalls hit them as they pass the water falling over the mountainside, dissolving into the air as it fell. The hunters continued to rise higher and higher into the floating mountains. Etta and Jake quickly made it to the front just behind Tsu'tey. The man barked for them to wait as they reached the small platform that floated just short of the underside of their destination. Jake and Etta watched curiously, waiting for the next move.
"Now what?" Jake questioned. Tsu'tey didn't spare him a glance. Instead he waited until a single vine appeared just within reach of their spot. With a yell the man leapt forward and latched onto the plant, his body swinging wildly in the air. Etta flinched slightly, leaning forward worriedly as the man hung there. However, her teacher was unphased as he wrapped his legs within the vine and began to climb up the vine. Jake chuckled, willing to give it a go.
"It's like extreme gym class." Etta muttered beside him, watching Tsu'tey scale up quickly, barking orders to follow. The other hunters took turns leaping to their own vines as they passed, following their leader. Jake and Etta shared a glance as they fell behind.
"Now or never I guess." Jake commented, shaking his arms in preparation. Etta nodded silently and prepared herself for the next vine. In one go the two leapt for separate vines, focusing on grabbing it and staying on. Once they had latched on, both held tight and looked over to make sure the other was still alive. Locking eyes Jake and Etta sighed in relief and giggled as they scrambled to catch up with the rest of the group. Once they had cleared the edge of the large mountain Tsu'tey waisted no time in running through the mini forest to the other side where a colossal horizontal vine bridge stretched across to the neighboring mountain. The small group ran across it, not pausing or letting their nerves get the best of them. If they were going to be flying on the back of ikrans, they had to quickly get over a fear of heights. A couple of the younger members let out whoops of delight as they sprinted over the plants. Etta grinned at the sound and joined in, laughing as the wind whipped her hair. Tsu'tey and Jake, who had caught back up, glanced back and smiled at her fondly before pressing on.
...
...
Tsu'tey led them off the bridge and into a small cavern that worked as a staircase. Their footsteps echoes as they leapt up the path. Soon they reached a small clearing next to a waterfall where the sunlight began streaming through. Etta and Jake beamed with excitement as they could hear the screeches of the ikrans with each step they took. At the mouth of the cave they could see thousands of ikrans flying amongst the small cluster of rocks that made up their nesting site. The hunters gathered around the edge, watching them fly around. Tsu'tey signals for them to back up as he spots a familiar figure heading their way. They watched as Neytiri perched her ikran on the edge of the opening, allowing for her to hop off to join them. Her ikran butts it's head against her master's chest fondly. Tsu'tey shares a nod with her and they both murmur a private greeting when he steps closer. Etta watched her teacher intently, picking up the minute facial expressions of fondness he gave his intended. Despite his stern exterior he did care. The man turned to the new hunters while Neytiri stroked her ikran comfortingly. Tsu'tey walked in front of the group of recruits, scanning them thoughtfully. A devious grin slipped across his face as he stopped in front of Jake.
"Jakesully will go first." Etta rolled her eyes at the macho test between the two. He had clearly chosed Jake, thinking he would fail. Jake nodded silently, taking up Tsu'tey's challenge. He glances over at Etta who patted him on the shoulder.
"Good luck. Don't die on me." She whispered with a small grin, masking her worry. This was something well past anything they had trained for. She didn't know what to expect but was willing to put her faith in Jake's stubbornness. Jake smirked, squeezing her hand before he haughtily handed Tsu'tey his bow. Tsu'tey jerked it from his grip and watched the man shake his arms out in preparation. Neytiri followed her student as he walked around the underside of the waterfall, shooting her intended a dirty look at his choice. She wasn't stupid.
Jake kept his eyes on his feet as they wrapped around the wet ledge under the waterfall. The sound of screeching reached his ears, prompting him to look ahead. He peered around the edge, taking in all the creatures that were scattered around the small rocky plain. Neytiri gripped his shoulder to get his attention as she also looked at the gathering.
"Now you choose your ikran. This you must feel….inside." Neytiri explained, tapping him on the chest. Jake nodded along silently, his eyes never leaving the creatures in front of them as she gave instructions.
"If he also chooses you, move quick like I showed. You will have one chance." She finished.
"How will I know if he chooses me?" Jake questioned.
"He will try to kill you." Neytiri deadpanned.
"Outstanding."