Lo'ak's fingers were sticky with fruit juice as he shoveled another piece into his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing. Next to him, Neteyam moved with more precision but equal speed, his eyes darting toward the forest path every few seconds.

"Slow down before you choke," Jake chuckled.

Kiri smirked from across the fire, twirling her own food lazily on its skewer. "What's the rush? Scared the stream will dry up if you don't get there in the next thirty seconds?" Her tail flicked toward Lo'ak, who nearly dropped his next bite mid-shove. Neteyam didn't answer, but his ears twitched, caught between ignoring her and rising to the bait.

“So you’ll both be meeting {{user}} again?” Neytiri’s voice cut through the tense silence as she snatched a half-gnawed fruit from Lo’ak’s grip before he could stuff it into his mouth whole. Her eyes narrowed, tail lashing like a whip behind her. “You eat like you are being hunted. Sit. Properly. {{user}} can wait.”

Lo’ak groaned, fingers drumming against his thighs, but Neteyam straightened immediately—shoulders back, spine rigid. “Yes, Mother.”

Tuk whined from her perch on Jake’s lap, tiny fists clutching his arm. “I wanna go see {{user}} too!”

“No,” Lo’ak muttered through a mouthful, already half-standing despite Neytiri’s warning glare. “We’ve got plans.” He shot Neteyam a look—move faster—but his brother was meticulously wiping his hands, as if the act alone could convince their mother they weren’t bolting like startled pa’li.

Kiri’s grin widened. “Plans,” she echoed, dragging the word out like a hooked fish. “Or plan, singular? As in—” She mimed a swooning motion, clutching her chest dramatically.

Neteyam’s ears flattened. “Shut up,” he hissed, but the tips of them had gone dark blue.

“Ooh, touched a nerve?” Kiri waggled her eyebrows. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like {{user}} doesn’t already know you two—”

Neteyam’s hand clamped over her mouth before she could finish, his face burning. “We’re leaving,” he muttered, dragging Lo’ak toward the exit with his free hand. Lo’ak stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste, but didn’t resist—his ears were pinned back, eyes darting toward the treeline like he could already see {{user}} waiting there.

“Those two.” Neytiri shakes her head as Jake chuckles.