Late Night P2 | Rough Draft | Fin

Parenting and Practice

"Hey, Lo'ak."

He seems startled by the way his father calls his name - finding him just along the entrance of the marui and off to the side.

"Yeah, dad?"

"You busy?" He steps forward, and looks down at him.
"- I'd like a moment with you."

He stares longingly toward where he and Tsireya usually meet up at this time of morning - pondering things before he responds to his father.
"No." He shortly responds, trying to be polite as it's still rare his father directly speaks with him. "-what's up?"

"Come with me, just for a bit." His father suggests, and he doesn't even explain why as he gestures for his son to follow him.

They walk over into the back forest-like area, and Jake calls for him to join as he climbs on top of Bob.

He has a pack full of things strapped to the side of Bob - and of what Lo'ak wonders.

"Where are we going?" He asks with a sense of confusion.

Jake reaches over in front of his son, and pulls on the reins for Bob to shift right.
"You'll see."

————————

"You were out all night again." Norm calls out to his daughter, rather concerned. "I came home and you weren't here, why?"

"I'm sorry." She expresses as she walks through the entrance of their shared tent, and places her bow on the ground to remove the rest of her effects.
"Things ran late with training the kids. I fell asleep and before I knew it, it was morning. I meant to come home last night."
She's definitely worked herself too much lately, taking over the position you had alongside Neytiri at first.

"Don't over work yourself, Lia. You mean a lot to Neytiri and her classes - but it's no use if you're going to drain every bit of mental capacity you have."

"I try, father." She insists. "I'm getting enough sleep.. I don't skip meals."

Maybe Norm was taking a bit too much out of Jake's page.
Concerned... and worried for a world where one day she may very well be without him.
It would happen with old age; but there's no telling if something may cut him from her early.

"I've been up all night ... thinking." He admits, and he adjusts himself so he's leaning against the side of their tent.

She's slow at first to walk over to him, but eventually settles in next to him and leans into his shoulder.
"What did Mo'at say? You did ask her, right?"

He sighs, deeply.
As if hesitating to answer.
Maybe whatever went on went last night is exactly why he is so anxious now.

"I was granted permission to go through with it." He says, and she's rather surprised considering how somber he was acting.

"Isn't that.. a good thing?" She worriedly asks.

"It is.
But it is still a lot to go through, as are these files."

"Dad... what's holding you back so much?"

He reaches out for her hand, and takes hers in his.
"It's.. a very big decision leaving my old body behind.
I'm worried about the health of my avatar, considering the past surgeries it's had."

"Are you afraid you're not strong enough to make it through the transfer?"

He nods, slowly.
"If I do try it, there is a chance I could lose my ability to link with the avatar.. or I could get stuck with Eywa.
We had to consider a lot before your Uncle Jake went through it, and he felt it was all worth it."