High Camp was the Omatikaya stronghold located deep within the floating mountain, Txurseng, also dubbed "Sully's Grotto" by the humans who lived there. When the invaders returned five years ago, the Hallelujah Mountains were the safest place for Jake to hide his people, as the same magnetic flux which levitated the mountains was also known to disrupt their navigational instruments, making detection impossible. The former tree dwellers had to adapt to the unpleasant, cold stone, but they were grateful to Eywa for the sanctuary. However, the labyrinth wasn't entirely naturally occurring, as Jake and his friends cleared out a better portion using explosives. He knew the Omatikaya would denounce this Skyperson technique, so it was all done in secret.
The cavern's threshold was roughly forty-five metres high and fifty metres across and housed the bulk of the Omatikaya's living needs; this ranged from tents to field cabins to, most importantly, their ikrans. The cave entrance was a five-hundred-metre drop into the dense jungle below and acted like a moon pool for ikran riders to fly in and out of High Camp.
Parked precariously to the side of this deadly drop, amongst the supply crates and weapons, sat the great Toruk Makto. His braided hair was frayed, and his feather mantle slumped over a box of ammunition. Haggard from the awful night, he had set out to douse his wrought nerves through drink.
Squatting next to Jake was his best friend, currently operating his avatar in order to survive the Na'vi liquor. He was Norman Spellman of the Omatikaya—the only outsider aside from Jake to enter the tribe officially. He, too, had gone through several gruelling rites of passage, including his Dream Hunt, to become another respected member of the clan.
Norm, as he was more commonly called, came to the world as a greenhorn anthropologist. He had spent years training to become an avatar driver along with his dorm mate, Tom Sully. The two would while away many nights talking about Pandora and the Omatikaya tribe they would one day get to meet. Together, they'd revolutionize the field of xenoanthropology—then Tom died. And the shock of his friend's death nearly killed his resolve to go, that is, until he learned the timely news that Tom's twin would take his place. Norm prepared himself for his eventual encounter with Jake, but it still took him back.
There, rolling in on two wheels, was Tom, staring right at him as if he'd never died.
He made it his goal, then and there, to befriend Jake despite him being nothing like his educated brother. Jake was a deadbeat, tossed out of bars, wheelchair and all: an idiot who knew nothing about science; this was why Augustine overlooked him in favour of Norman. She filled his head with starry-eyed dreams that he could be the one—the one who could bridge the shattered relations between humans and the Omatikaya.
Norm wasn't the one.
A bunch of stupid woodsprites decided to land on the Marine, and you'd think it was the second coming of Christ with the amount of attention he got. The jarhead was accepted into the Omatikaya village and taught by their sexy princess, while Norman had to spend several hours alone, monitoring Jake's vitals as he waited for him to finish up his dates with Neytiri. To say he was salty would be putting it mildly.
That is until Norm discovered Trudy Chacón, their cute little helicopter pilot who didn't think he was bad-looking either. Aside from Jake and Dr. Augustine, who was mostly out studying plants, Trudy was the only other person staying at their remote link shack. After the two made eyes at one another, Norm quickly became exceedingly grateful for how long Jake would take during link sessions.
Trudy sadly perished during the Assault on the Tree of Souls. Her name lived on through Omatikaya songs and the sole heart tattoo inked on her lover's arm. Though he received several propositions over time, Norman never took another lover.
With the loss of his woman and a critical gunshot wound to his avatar, Norm came back from the war a surly recluse and one Jake found, oddly enough, easier to talk to. Back on Earth, a load of shrapnel to the spine cost Jake the use of his legs, so he found common ground with the sullen veteran.
In a world so different from Earth, among people different still, the two learned to cherish that slice of home they found in each other. Jake may have lost Tom, but he found a new brother in Norman; likewise, Norm could say the same.
Jake crudely wiped his mouth clean before refilling his bowl. "I mean, I don't want to mollycoddle, Kiri—she's Omatikaya, we go by the Omati—" He belched. "—kaya way. Scuse me. But what kind of father lets his teenage daughter take a bunch of hallucinogens to undergo a drug-induced trance?"
"She didn't die," Norman pointed out, stealing Jake's bowl for a drink.
"She could have!" Jake stressed, snatching back his bowl. "I feel like the world's sh****est dad."
Norm gurgled, "Oh, that goes to Umiat. His daughter did die."
Jake wobbled as he gaped at Norman. Rather than follow up on that, he downed another shot. "If this were Earth, child protection services would be on my flippin' ass before you could say, 'Bob's your uncle.'"
"Don't forget that sturmbeest incident." Norm burped.
"Kiwi is so delicate. Why did I agree to it?"
"Kiwi" was Jake's special nickname he gave his daughter, for his son, Neteyam, was born the week prior, and when nursed side by side on Neytiri's breast, Jake remarked it was like setting a kiwi next to a coconut.
"I noticed you didn't bawl for me when I went through my vision quest, Jack." Norman hiccuped. "Jake."
He eyed him. "'Jack'? How much did you down?" He waited for Norman to set down the bowl before refilling it. "Look, I know you woulda been fine. You're an avatar. Our avatar brains can handle the alley-voids of worms," the genius schooled while tapping his brow.
"Psychoactive alkaloids of the Arachnolumera nitidae," Norman corrected.
"But Kiri's… I don't know what she is. She could be a Na'vi hybrid or—" Jake nervously side-eyed Norm upon realizing his slip-up.
"Or what?" Norm snapped unexpectedly. "A Na'vi hybrid or what? You're implying she's full chimaera again, aren't you! Because she has five fingers, brows, and not the slightest hint of Na'vi features, her dad had to have been an avatar too! Is that it? Is that what you're saying?" he spluttered, coming to his feet.
Jake got up in supplication. "Norm, I don't mean it like that."
"I know exactly what you mean, Jake. For the last time, I didn't father Kiri!"
Taking offence at being yelled at, Jake prodded his shoulder. "Well, you know, Norm, as the only other avatar that was alone with Grace for three months, what am I supposed to think?"
"But I wasn't the only one."
His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know, Jake," Norm sassed. "Maybe after Grace warmed up to you, you warmed up to her!"
Jake was a father and a devoted husband with a good sense of family values, so when Norman slighted his character with the suggestion of infidelity, he responded in the only way a man could when loaded—he belted Norm across the jaw.
Norm staggered back before retaliating with an immediate right hook to the nostril. Jake took it like a true Aussie—he cried out, cursing. The Marine twisted his leg around Norm's and kicked his ankle. The two were now locked in a drunken fight that inched them closer to the cliff. Norman's feet were right up against the ledge when Jake managed to strike him in the chest. He flailed his arms as he fumbled over the side, and Jake realized his friend was about to fall to his death.
"Norm!" With quick reflexes, he grabbed him by his shirt, and the two swung back around, falling into a bear hug. Jake straddled atop him. "Norm, Norm, are you okay?" he cried, repeatedly slapping Norm's semi-conscious face.
"What the f*** was that, Jake!"
"Norm, I'm so sorry!" Jake tried to make amends by readjusting his shirt.
He wasn't too happy with nearly getting murdered but took Jake's hand anyway when he offered it. They both shuffled onto their knees, their bodies only an inch apart. They panted heavily from the excitement as they stared long into each other's eyes.
"I'm glad you're okay," Jake wheezed.
"I'm okay," Norm assured after calming down, pressing his hand over the one cupped to his cheek.
"If you fell off that cliff, I'd walk right off without blinking," Jake declared while pointing to it.
"I know you would."
"I love you, man."
"I love you too."
The two drunks hugged. Whether it was the drink, the terrible night, or a mix of both, it was safe to say the Marine wasn't at his mental peak when he clutched Norm to himself.
Jake turned his head and discovered a very disappointed Neytiri holding up his discarded mantle. She had arrived just in time to hear the two confess their undying love. Her unimpressed eyes followed Jake as he lifted himself and Norman onto their feet.
"Hi, Honey." He gulped.
"Olo'eyktan."
Norman gave the noblewoman a cheesy half-smile, and while drawing his pinched fingers down from his brow—a courteous Na'vi salute—he giggled, "Why, olo' to you, too."
Jake's eyes widened at Norm. He instantly sobered up to grab his friend out of there before Neytiri could hurl them both over the edge.
The olo'eyktan had to awkwardly return for his mantle seconds later.