Dipping in the Moonlight [Tag: Txe'lan]

[Kachina]

Taking a dip in the moonlight was where one would find Kachina if they so desired to find her. Not that many would be looking for her, most if not all were either trading stories by the campfire or sleeping in their swinging hammocks. This was why she felt so safe bathing in the river that runs through the forest, near the Home Tree, the very same place that the Na'vi gather water and occasionally would go to cool down from the tropical heat.

It was serene. China basked in this feeling. Even in the river she felt so very connected with Eywa, so much so that she wasn't aware of anything else that went on around her. The sounds of her people laughing and dancing merrily faded into the distance of her mind. She smiled with such feelings of tranquility. At times like these the femme was more than glad that she's alive. It invigorated her and swayed her into falling in love with everything.

Tiny trickles of water rolled from her blue skin as she sponged her body. Delicately her arms reached out toward the night, her grace very impressive right down the the extensions of her fingers. Indeed she looked all the part of a dancer, a passion of hers as all of her clan knew. Their knowledge came from the many performances each time she came up with a new routine, whether it would be just for fun or at a special occasion.

Kachina dipped into the water, breaking the surface with a beautiful smile, her silhouetted dancing in the moonlight as the water cascaded down her frame. Her very hair was free from braids now, it settled down past the small of her back. She took them out so that she could be sure that every strand would be washed and rinsed properly. After all a princess had to keep up appearances.

Softly she began to hum to the music that she could hear being played by a talented female Na'vi at the fire. She was at a spot in the river where it was deeper then at the edge. From years of running free it licked a hole in the bed which was convenient for the tallness of her species. This was where she would begin to work on new moves for a new dance routine, looking must like a ballerina in the water as her arms rose above her braidless hair and her head dipped to the side elegantly.

[Txe'lan]

In all of Pandora, Txe'lan found some of the most interesting plant species to grow along the water. Some of his best herbal remedies came from such aquatic plants, and unfortunately his supply was running low. Thus, he needed to gather some more. The added benefit of going to gather those plants meant that he would be near a source of fresh water, something he was going to take advantage of whilst he was there. This day had been long, and it usually took forever for Txe'lan to get to sleep, sort of like an insomniac, so he felt that the water would be good for him. Little did he know he was in for an added surprise.

As Txe'lan was coming down from Home Tree, his satchel in-hand as well as his dagger across his chest, he re-adjusted his cloth eyepatch to make sure it was covering his blind eye all the way whilst making sure his vambraces, open vest, and large loin cloth were all in their proper place. Despite the many injuries he'd treated before and after, his eye was the one thing he couldn't fully restore. It was troubling to say the least, but he was not useless without it; he was merely handicapped. He had his first experience with flying an Ikran to thank for that, though it was the result of reckless error and a lack of experience. Although he was used to having only one good eye, Txe'lan would never get over the fact that he would never have two eyes as long as he was still alive. By the will of Eywa, Txe'lan would not let her down, even if his good eye was all he had available to put to use.

Once he got close enough to the water edge, Txe'lan picked up sound coming from where he was supposed to be gathering his remedy plants. Were the luminous fish acting up again? Or was someone else from the Omaticaya people down here as well? Whatever the case, Txe'lan would have to find out since he was going to be here for a while.

And sure enough, he saw a female Na'vi enjoying the water under the moonlight. She looked familiar somehow, but due to the distortion of the water he couldn't quite make out her markings to pinpoint exactly who she was. Txe'lan's own markings were quite visible, all the little dots and dark lines forming sporadic heart-shapes all over his torso & upper limbs as well as his left hand, the "Heart of Forgiveness" as he was known to embody. Now he just needed to figure out who was inhabiting the water where he would be harvesting from.

"Enjoying the water?" said Txe'lan, aiming to get her attention. Whoever she was, she was beautiful, possibly because she was performing some kind of maneuvers in the water that resembled dance. Txe'lan himself didn't dance, but rather he made music with the flowers of the Cat Ear plants, something he was quite good at showing off when he wanted when he wasn't busy.

[Kachina]

Kachina was oblivious to things around her but there was the one thing that her pointed ears would pick up. It was the sound of a male's voice that was so very near to her, its tones coming through as loud as the sun was bright by day. China turned quickly, her dancing and humming coming to a grinding halt. Her arms covered her chest, though little did she know but he couldn't see anything 'that' clear due to the shadows that kissed her entire lovely frame.

In the darkness was where she would stay until she could figure out who he was. A little mystery could never hurt anyone and it was a fun little game to play. And so she put her arms down and waved her hands through the water. There was a small smile playing upon her lips while her golden orbs kept steady upon his figure. By his stature and his voice she knew that he was a male, for certain.

China took a light dip in the water and still the moonlight seemed to pierce each bead that ran wild over her, not the mention the fact that this added shimmer graced the glowing specs that decorated her body. They Ved all over her frame, joining to a point as if they were an exclamation mark, revealing that they were indeed there and very beautiful.

After she came up again she immediately spoke to the male, still keeping her identity a secret. "I am thank you. What brings you to Eywa's refreshing water?" Indeed her voice held a hint of playfulness but there were many reasons he wanted to be here at this very moment, in the same instant that she was also enjoying this heaven sent river of water.

[Txe'lan]

Well now, this was certainly interesting. Not only did Txe'lan have some company to swim with, but it was a female no less. This would prove to be fun, but Txe'lan was here on business. He would have to keep the flirting to a minimum whilst he would gather his plants, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun in the process. Sometimes Txe'lan wished he could just kick back and relax, and maybe, just maybe, he would get his opportunity.

As he slipped his vest off as well as his satchel and vambraces, leaving nothing but his eyepatch and his loin cloth on his person as well as the hair beads in his braids, Txe'lan stood at the bank of the water's edge as if he were on the precipice of the world. Then, with one mighty leap out onto the water, Txe'lan dove hands first into the river, making only the smallest of splashes as an expert swimmer would. He didn't resurface just yet, instead opting to swim underneath the water to grab a few of the bioluminescent water plants he was looking for.

Once he had one or two, Txe'lan took the hint of mischief in the female's voice and saw an opportunity to retort and swam underneath the water a little longer, coming up right next to her and resurfacing right in front of her as a mammal would splash right out of water. Txe'lan had to admit, the feel of water running along his skin felt pretty good, but he didn't like getting things wet. Too much water often ruined the salves and elixirs he was known for procuring, and thus he liked to stay dry most of the time.

As he was above the water now, Txe'lan had an answer to her question.

"I needed more water flowers, but you are so much more of a remedy than they can hope to be."

With that Txe'lan treaded the water, using a couple of breast strokes to simply let the water wash over his skin. It never occurred to him how dirty someone could be when they didn't visit the water regularly, and now he was starting to feel clean. Perhaps he should do this more often...

[Kachina]

Kachina watched him intently. Her large golden orbs moved in every single direction that he did. She was positive that he still did not know who she was. China liked it that way. Many times she would be treated differently because she 'was' the princess. She worked hard to fit in and she wasn't about to ruin it now. Perhaps they could talk a little while longer until she'd be forced to reveal herself to him. It tickled her to think that he didn't know. It was rather teasing and exciting.

He dove in the water, failing to answer her question. Whether he did that on purpose or not it made China giggle happily. Finally a male with a personality, or so she thought. To many times she met the opposite of her gender and they were as boring as the day and night was long. Eventually she would excuse herself, making up something that she needed to attend to. So far she's never met a male that could capture her attention from the start.

Moments passed and he ended up surfacing pretty close to her. She played it cool because she wasn't sure if he knew who she was yet or not. The shadows proved to be more helpful then she at first thought they would be. It was then that he answered her and in truth his statement made her blush. Of course she'd come back with a question, ignoring his compliment but still the expression on her face just could not be denied. "What do you use the water flowers for?" Was it his work? Was it his hobby? China was curious.

In the meantime though he began to swim and splash about a little. The femme smiled and began to practice her moves once more. She was clearly still naked but she felt really safe in the tender fingers of the darkness. The night however did not do one thing. It did not keep her luminous specs from creating a heavenly light show as she moved. She was simply the epitome of grace and beauty, though she would deny this completely. China was a very modest female.

[Txe'lan]

As Txe'lan continued to slowly swim about in the water, using only his feet to subtly paddle him along underneath the water, he grabbed ahold of a reed from the Cat Ear plant, cleaning it out a bit and then used it to whistle a few high-octave notes through, causing some of the plants around him to react in a luminescent fashion. When he played a different set of notes, other plants reacted. It made a very interesting light show, but the Na'vi female Txe'lan was swimming around in a counter-clockwise motion was safe as far as the lights went.

Txe'lan could tell that modesty was out the window here. She was naked, and he knew it; the fact was just veiled by the water's natural ability to reduce the light. Whoever she was, she was certainly gutsy. She seemed awfully familiar, yet Txe'lan couldn't place it, but he was getting pretty close to admitting that he didn't want to place her, to think that she was just fine being who she was: nameless, clothless, and dancing in the water. It seemed so natural, and to Txe'lan it was just fine.

Then he finally answered her question about the water flowers. He was going to use them to brew some insect repellent tea so that he would be able to concentrate on procuring the anti-venon to the toxins on Na'vi arrows. It would be very helpful if he could find the source plant the Na'vi drew that poison from, but right now he just hadn't had the time and right now the bugs were becoming the hard part to cope with.

"Their tea repels biting insects, just like the water."

Just after he finished speaking, Txe'lan spied something in the water, finding it to be another glowing water flower. Within two seconds, Txe'lan had ditched the Cat Ear reed and had submerged in the water again, taking a deep breath in the process. This water flower he was after was going to be deep down, possibly in the deepest spot of the river. Then Txe'lan felt something touch his leg, indicating that he needed to move. Creatures of the deep water weren't to be messed with, and countless Na'vi have learned that by some not returning with their lives. Thus, Txe'lan grabbed the flower and shot back up to the surface, feeling short of breath.

Since this was a big one, Txe'lan put it up near his satchel and grabbed a smaller one, returning to the water behind the female Na'vi and slipping it into her hair from behind her head, placing it just atop her ear. Txe'lan figured she'd like that; she looked so graceful, the flower would probably add to her already inherent beauty.

[Kachina]

She shot him a glance of understanding. He seemed to be quite handy and probably a real asset to the tribe. This brought her respect up a few notches for him, though she still did not know who he was. The darkness, the shadows and the water protected their identity from each other.... for now.

China watched as he dove into the water, taking a breath before doing so. He was down there a while. This began to worry her, so much so that she waded forward a foot or so. Once he shot through the surface she let out a held breath, seemingly happy that he hadn't drowned.

Her eyes followed him as she drifted back to her shadow haven. He then came up behind her and tucked a flower into her pointed ear. She smiled and felt it with her slender fingers. No male had ever given her flowers before. Perhaps no male was brave enough considering she's the Princess. If he knew who she was would he still have given her the flower?

It was time to put this game to rest. Either he would be male enough to stay and swim with her or he would tuck his tail between his legs and leave. China wanted, nay needed, to find this out. Kachina turned and faced him. Immediately she noted that he was much taller then she. She liked that.

China took a deep breath and waded toward him, unveiling herself from the shadows. Oh sure she the fact that she was naked crossed her mind but there was something about this meeting that was so natural. His presence put her at ease. China had a feeling that he wasn't like the typical male.

Slowly her features became clearer. She smiled up at him and spoke softly in their native tongue. "I see you." In every sense of the word she indeed did see him and he saw her as well. The phrase that she spoke held deeper meaning to her just now.

[Txe'lan]

Metaphorically speaking, if Txe'lan had been fishing, then he'd have made the biggest catch of his life thus far, and that wasn't for food purposes. Not only was this Na'vi girl of superior natural beauty and grace with the shadows to conceal her true identity, but as she came forward out of the shadows she could easily reveal who she truly was. It was the princess of the Omaticaya clan, Kachina; the daughter of the Tsahik and the Clan Leader. What. A. Big. Surprise.

Upon seeing her true identity, Txe'lan wasn't quite sure how to react. Sure, he was a much more mature male than most she probably encountered, but were his actions appropriate for when he was swimming in such close proximity to Na'vi royalty? Or did he have an excuse for not knowing who she was before the fact became relevant? Txe'lan simply went for the most mellow solution to the dilemma: be respectful and courteous, and don't do anything that would make himself look shameful.

She saw him and rightly saying so, and now he would see her for what she truly was; a princess, disrobed, in his immediate proximity, with his water flower in her hair.

"And I see you, princess."

If approached with the opportunity to mate with a female so esteemed among the Omaticaya Na'vi as Kachina was, Txe'lan, if he followed his instincts, would probably accept it for what it was, but it was custom for the Na'vi royalty to choose who they wanted to mate with, forming the next Tsahik and Clan Leader. Txe'lan was merely a healer among his people; he was no leader, thus the mating would probably not end gracefully. This left Txe'lan in a funny predicament... He was quite certain this scenario wouldn't happen, but given the mitigating circumstances, there was always a chance.

However, there was one big stipulation to choosing Txe'lan among any other male. He had a disability, that being blind in his left eye, evident by the eyepatch band over his left eye socket. Disabilities weren't looked highly upon by other Na'vi as they often had to use all of their abilities to survive in daily life on Pandora, and although Txe'lan coped with having only one eye, there were just some things that he would have to downplay because he lacked a full field of vision. Even while he was swimming, he still donned his eyepatch, knowing that as long as he didn't have two eyes to use he would never reveal the eye that couldn't see. It was like being branded a cripple otherwise.

Besides, his thoughts had been occupied lately by someone who wasn't a Na'vi...

[Kachina]

Kachina smiled when he acknowledged her back. She felt honored that he really saw her but at times the Na'vi just said it and didn't really mean it. To her it was becoming a very common saying to the people but it meant so much more to her. This led her to thinking about how he really meant it. The way that he was looking at her seemed like it was coming from the heart. Perhaps she'd never know. He just might be scared off by the fact that she was 'royalty', something at times she despised with every fiber of her being. Her station in life hardly ever allowed her to get close to someone, especially ones of the opposite genders.

The femme didn't falter in her standing position. She allowed her three-fingered hand to reach up and run a tip of a tip over the string of his eye-patch. Would she be so bold as to ask him how he lost his eye. Surely he didn't wear the patch simply for decoration. For now she'd leave it well enough alone. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

Kachina smiled up at him. So far he didn't seem too bothered by the fact that she was naked and now only kissed with the small rays of the night's illuminations. "I am Kachina as you now know. What is your name?" It was very hard for her to get association with her people on a normal level. Usually the only way that she got it was via hunting expeditions and the like. China sorely hoped that she was a Princess scare him away.

She took a deep breath as she stepped back into the shadows, just in case there was anyone watching her. China took him by the hand and pulled him along with her. Now all that another Na'vi would see would be two shadows silhouetted by the sparse evening light. They would probably come to the conclusion that it was just a couple in love.

[Txe'lan]

Txe'lan tried his best to keep a level head, but now that he knew that he was in the presence of the Omaticaya Princess herself, Kachina, finding a way to keep this mutual yet non-extramarital was quickly becoming difficult. Sure, he could treat her just like any other Na'vi female, but to do so would be disrespectful to her birthright. That birthright meant she was a direct descendant of the last Toruk Makto, a hero of which Txe'lan held in very high regard. Man, this was something else...

When Kachina asked Txe'lan of his name, while at the same time running her hand across his eyepatch, he simply stood where he was in the water, feeling a rush of emotions inside him. He wanted so much just to be outright honest with her, but his respect for her place in life was almost too great, meaning he just couldn't be ever so natural with her. It just wasn't right. If she wanted to know his name, Txe'lan would be more than obliged to comply, but anything else would be a challenge in itself.

"Txe'lan, healer of the Omaticaya."

Out of all the Na'vi among the Omaticaya, Txe'lan quickly found that conversation with royalty was difficult in itself. Worst of all, she seemed to be interested in him because of his maturity among the males, something he quickly came to grips with after he lost his left eye. A strong sense of being seemed to make up for having a disability, and Txe'lan was surely capable of displaying that.

Even though the meeting with Kachina at the water's edge was accidental, Txe'lan couldn't help but think Eywa was testing him. An opportunity like this came only once in quite a long time, and as far as Txe'lan knew the Omaticaya had yet to find a prince that would be destined to mate with Kachina. The Clan Leader and Tsahik had no son that he knew of, but did he really want that for himself? Txe'lan never figured himself to be a leader, and as far back as he could see into the Na'vi memories there was never a Clan Leader that bore a disability. These were just things that Txe'lan had to weigh against each other, but then again Kachina, being the rebel she was known to be, probably had her own agenda.

Being pulled by Kachina back into the shadowy water, Txe'lan was really curious about why she chose to act the way she did. Never before had he seen a Na'vi so rebellious, and Txe'lan certainly wasn't like that; no, he had respect for the Omaticaya's traditions save for the never-ending lust for curiosity. By tradition it was the males who were to choose the females, but Txe'lan never found a woman who he shared mutual feelings with; it was always the eyepatch that struck fear into them, fear of being mated with a Na'vi who had a disability.

"Are you not unsettled by my lost eye?" Txe'lan asked, wondering what she thought of it. He personally thought it was a curse as well as a badge of honor; it showed that he knew how to save his own life, but there was no way someone could hide a disability such as a missing eye.

[Kachina]

There was so much put upon the slender shoulders of the femme. How could one so young carry such things all by her lonesome? Did her parents realize just how much she thought about a mate being thrust upon her? Her thinking only afforded her more turmoil within. Sometimes she thought that she should just give in and do as their traditions dictate but then again that would mean that she would marry a male that she didn’t love. How could they know the real her if they were chosen for her? How could her parents know for a certainty that he would love their daughter as she so deserves? There was so much to ponder over. At times Kachina thought that her head would explode.

After the shadows swallowed both of them up China made the male wait even longer for her response, both to his name and to his question. Once her finger stopped tracing the line of his eye patch she allowed her arms to fall down gracefully. Shapes were then traced in the waters by her swirling hands as she finally answered him. "It is nice to meet you Txe'lan, healer of the Omaticaya." Kachina smiled up at him softly. Part of her could sense that he was reserved because of the fact that she’s the Princess. She didn’t show it but it always upset her when the people didn’t see her for who she really was on the inside. It seemed so easy for the masculine gender of her clan. In comparison to the feminine gender there was so little was pushed upon them.

Kachina was sorely longing to know what he was really thinking. She wondered if she’d ever meet a male that saw ‘her’ instead of her station in life. Would she sense their ability to look passed the fact of her Princess status or would it come upon them gradually? ”No. Your lost eye does not unsettle me. Should it?” She purposefully failed to tell him why it didn’t bother her but instead she asked him a question in return.

[Txe'lan]

Txe'lan certainly had to admit that Kachina certainly lived up to her reputation as a rebel. Not only was she ambitious enough to go skinny dipping in a water's edge that many Na'vi were known to frequent when the weather was like how it was now, but she was certainly aggressive when it came to selecting a mate. It was just a royal shame that Txe'lan had put himself in this predicament. If he let it spill that he was consulting with one of the Sky People, she would probably never look in his direction again. Such disgrace from Na'vi royalty was probably enough to put him in pseudo-exile, and that was just unacceptable. The eyepatch was already a black mark against his status, and he didn't need anything else that another Na'vi could use against him.

He was surprised to find out that his eyepatch didn't unsettle Kachina. As one rebel to another, although Txe'lan very well respected the traditions of the Omaticaya while trying to carve his own niche, it seemed like mutual respect. Txe'lan appreciated this, and he could foresee a good friendship coming out of this, but Txe'lan by nature was reserved from the whole mating thing; there were just very few females among the Omaticaya that could accept Txe'lan for what he was. He was a healer, not a hunter or a rider which most females wanted in a male. What good would come from that?

"Most females do not respect a male with a disability such as mine. They say it is bad luck and a curse from Eywa. Might I ask why you do not say the same as any other?"

Txe'lan was only saying what he knew to be true; he wouldn't lie to the princess, but he would not tell her everything. Having the princess as a friend would be quite nice, but only time would tell if they were good for mating, and that was something to be decided by Eywa. It would mean a life-changing experience and a new level of status, but it was ultimately up to Kachina to decide. Txe'lan was not in a position of status to choose Kachina as a mate, but rather she must choose him, if she wanted to...

[Kachina]

Kachina was almost saddened when she thought of her life. Oh sure she liked the position that she held, mostly because later she would get the chance to benefit her people in the ways that she knew she could. But this whole mate thing had her coming and going. The whole thing was just to unsettling for her. It made her brain want to explode. To many nights have been eaten up by thoughts of such things. Time was running out though. She wasn't getting any younger. Chin wondered if she would ever find true love like Neytiri did. Part of her doubted that such good fortune from Eywa would ever come her way, but then again Eywa didn't take sides. Chin doubted that who she would mate with would upset the balance that Eywa had with the planet.

He wished to talk more about his eye. It must really bother him or rather he was worried that it would bother others. Kachina raised her head and laughed lightly, her eyes coming back to life from her previous thoughts. "Oh. Well. I guess I don't see it as a curse from Eywa because I doubt that she could do that kind of thing to a Na'vi. I don't see it as something that I should not respect you for. A wound like that could only make a male stronger, a stronger provider, a stronger mate... amongst other things. If anyone judges you based on your eye they are foolish." She smiled.

She was beginning to feel a bit foolish herself for standing here naked in front of a male that probably doesn't have a single interest in her as a mate. At times her thinking is a little presumptuous and at times she later felt like she really hadn't thought about her actions at all. Kachina was the type of femme that flew by the seat of her pants. She wondered if this would be a good or bad thing for her people.

China place her hand on his chest and spoke some more. She wished to leave this conversation on a good note. "The expression of the Na'vi 'I See You' cannot truly be said if the other can really not see what's inside of a person. I would be no better then one that repeats this saying simply to say it. So no. Your limitation does not bother me nor would I assume that it would hinder your abilities to perform anything that you wanted to." Chin gave him a smile. Most males would have taken advantage of such an opportunity to further their relationship with the Princess but obviously this male wasn't interested in such things.

Kachina turned to climb from the depths of the water. She felt sort of unveiled now. It probably was improper for her to allow him to see her naked body but she doubted that he'd be sharing that bit of news with anyone anytime soon. If he revealed such a thing it probably would be off with his head. The Princess was pretty darn sure that he liked his head where it was.

She turned once on the embankment. "I thank you for being a true honorable male. Most would have taken the rope that I had given you but you did not. I can only assume that you are not interested in me. There must be another one in your life that brings you such joy. I wish you good fortune. It was weird but she sort of felt so sad it was like a close relative had just died. Kachina would go to pray to Ewya now. She would pray for the wisdom to do what was right but what was also true to her heart. The right thing to her was to not have to spend the rest of her life with someone that she didn't love. Such things disturbed her greatly.

Her behavior was rather embarrassing. She'd never felt that before. Upon reaching her favorite praying spot she slipped her queue to a few hanging vines that glowed bright pink. Kachina got to her knees and began to sob ever so softly. "Oh please Eywa. Please show me the way. Please help me to find a mate that I can fall in love with before marrying him. It is my greatest desire to do this. It is my future and so I should have the right to choose." She believed this with her whole heart and so that's what she prayed with... her whole heart as the emotions flowed from her to Eywa."

[Txe'lan]

Staying in the water made Txe'lan feel strange. He found out that Kachina wasn't bothered by the eyepatch at all; this was truly a new development in Txe'lan's relationship with Kachina, but now his antics towards prejudice had ruined it for him. The feeling was similar to the water chilling a few degrees, as if he was standing in a pool of cold guilt. This night would not be the same, nor would any other night Txe'lan would have to encounter Kachina, but this wasn't completely a bad thing. First impressions were powerful things, and apparently Txe'lan had a lot of thinking to do before he could pursue anything relating to the mating and marriage.

"I respect you greatly Kachina; you should know that always, also that you make a very good friend."

Was Txe'lan blind to love? Did his left eye carry the capacity to see opportunities for love and is now defunct? Guilt was consuming him from the inside out; Txe'lan couldn't just choose someone to mate with; they also had to choose him. He tried it before and Eywa only denied him the privilege to mate, even with someone he thought he was compatible with. That pre-notion had stuck with him ever since, but it never stopped him from making friends; Kachina would be a very good friend, but she was wrong to assume things about Txe'lan. She did interest him, but his life had been upturned by an encounter with the Sky People; mating was not the first thing on his mind.

Before Kachina walked away, Txe'lan turned himself so that only his blind eye was visible to her as she got out of the water. Even so, her body's reflection on the water was still visible, allowing Txe'lan's good eye to see her reflection and see her for what she truly was. Kachina was quite attractive, a young female looking for love in someone that probably wasn't destined to be the next Clan Leader. He could sympathize, but Txe'lan never envisioned himself being a leader; perhaps that was his shortcoming: pessimistic thinking on the grounds for disability.

"Friends bring me joy, whether it be Na'vi or Sky People; it's rare for me to have friends because of my eye."

Txe'lan stayed in the water, no longer interested in the water flowers, silently wishing the water would swallow him up and spit him out with a clean slate for a conscience. It was cold now, still and without Kachina. She truly was something else; out of Txe'lan's league, even if she did recognize him as one of the Omaticaya despite his missing eye. Perhaps she'd come around, but that would have to be left to Eywa to decide. Eywa might not have been a matchmaker, but her guidance was often an indicator for what was best to do; ultimately she decided if two Na'vi could mate or not.

"I see you Kachina; I see you for what you truly are." Txe'lan said this in English, barely audible, hoping to Eywa that she would cast aside the assumptions and accept Txe'lan as a close friend, not a mate to ascend the status ladder. The Sky Person Katelyn did not have such a hold on Txe'lan's emotions just yet; she was merely his English teacher, a friend that brought him the joy of learning something new. Love came with time as did feelings, and many hurdles had to be crossed first...

[Kachina]

Kachina did hear what he had to say. The word 'friend' felt like it literally being burned into her flesh. She hated that word. She was even beginning to hate the words 'mate' and 'love', something that she doubted she'd ever find on her own. The male said that he basically understood but his actions were still so very far removed from what he was saying.

She continued on her way to pray....

The femme was now fully dressed, wet braids swaying in the winds of Eywa. What he said last really played over and over again in her mind. Nobody saw her for what she really was. If they did they would treat her like just another Na'vi, especially if they wanted to be her mate. She never felt like it was just her responsibility to declare that kind of thing to another. It was always seen as a mutual thing to her.

"I see you Kachina; I see you for what you truly are." Chin bowed low to the ground, covering her ears as if Txe'lan's voice was right behind her saying that same statement over and over again. She was on her knees. Her voice began to speak out loud to Eywa. "I don't think that the people really see who I am. If they did I wouldn't feel so very alone."

The female looked up at the sky as her hands caressed the flora and fauna around her. It was almost as if she were caressing Eywa herself while her body, mind and soul were begging for release from this fate that she defined as terrible. Tears were still streaming down her face. She could never reveal her feelings to anyone except for Eywa. "Eywa. Please help me. It's not fair that I have to be forced into being with a mate that I don't choose for myself." Her eyes squeezed shut as she continued to speak words to Eywa in her mind as her body swayed gracefully like the wind.

There was much more to Txe'lan then he was saying. He had made friends with the Sky People. This bothered Kachina. She didn't hate the humans but she wasn't exactly liking them either. And then he had the nerve to speak to her in English. That was like a dagger to the heart. What was he doing with the Sky People? Was he saving himself for one of them? China knew of the Na'vi's interactions with the humans and mating with a human that was in Na'vi form was possible.

Kachina growled softly in frustration until she seemed to become more agitated. The Sky People were heavily affecting their way of living and now they seemed to be taking something away from Kachina herself. She wished that they would leave their home and never come back! Before long the Na'vi won't be the Na'vi anymore. China begins to pray for protection from the humans.