Treza @jane--thors - Tumblr Blog

prompt-heaven

a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town

academy

adventurer's guild

alchemist

apiary

apothecary

aquarium

armory

art gallery

bakery

bank

barber

barracks

bathhouse

blacksmith

boathouse

book store

bookbinder

botanical garden

brothel

butcher

carpenter

cartographer

casino

castle

cobbler

coffee shop

council chamber

court house

crypt for the noble family

baduuizm

fagflint

[id: a tweet by @TPAIN that reads: “I encourage everybody to at least (in private if need be) take a shot at doing something you actually think you’d like but your friend circle has deemed it “corny” or “lame”. Liberate yourself from the constant need of approval from everybody besides yourself and go have fun”. /end id]

softgaycontent

u know, i think he means it

closet-keys

[ID: tweet by T-Pain @TPAIN reading, “Why is Steven Universe making me cry right now?!”]

dejabluebabygirl

I See You - Chapter 2

Miles Quaritch x Fem! Na'vi OC

Summary: Vira Te Wou Auhew’ite, an albino Na'vi and future Tsahìk of the Tayrangi Clan, The Ikran Riders of the Eastern Sea, keeps needing to save the demon Miles Quaritch at Ewyas command. When she's given a sign to try to teach him The People's way, both she and Miles struggle with their growing feelings for each other.

Authors note: This one just ran away with me, I had it almost written and then felt I need to add some more scenes and went back. I hope it all flows okay, I've read it over quite a few times but feedback is appreciated!

Sorry for the delay on this, I went out with my Grandma for her 82nd birthday and we just had too many Salted Caramel Martini's LOL. I've been feelin’ rough since.

Rating: T

Warnings: Canon typical violence, strong language/swearing, mild mentions of mating/sex, mentions of nudity, hunting/animal death, use of drugs/alien alcohol??? (I'm so bad at tagging, let me know if I need to add something please), and unrealized attraction/pining

Words: 6955-ish

Chapter 2

Vira declared bright and early the next day that she and Miles needed to move camp, if he wanted to learn to be Na’vi they needed to sleep like Na’vi which meant finding a temporary Hometree for them. She’d briefly considered him back to the Tayrangi clan but her mind flashed back to when he burned the village of Ta'unui and chasing her down in the jungle last night hadn’t helped. She couldn’t bring herself to bring him home until she knew for certain he could be trusted. Ewya willed she teach him so she would, the great mother didn’t say she needed to talk him home. They wasted no time mounting their Ikrans in search of one.

In the back of Viras mind it lingered that she needed to be home in 2 short cycles to mate with Huärì. Would she trust Miles enough by then to take him home? The Tayrangi were known for being a progressive clan but could they ever accept a demon? She could only do so much with her sister, she’d have to rely on her mother to interpret Ewya’s will as she had.

The pink Na’vi mulled over her thoughts as she and Miles soared over the dense jungle on their Ikrans. Her orange eyes distractedly scanned over the tree tops for a suitable tree to stay in for the foreseeable future. The sooner they found one, the soon they could get themselves settled in and get comfortable.

“What kind of tree are we looking for, Princess?” Miles called from the left.

“Tall and strong with large branches to live in, long vines to climb, near water and game trails would be best.”

“Like that one?” His large blue hand pointed to a tree that was poking a few meters higher out of the canopy than those clustered around it.

She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn’t seen it.

“We’ll see.” A brazen smile crossed her lips as Vira dove towards tree tops.

–

Miles had been right about the tree. They found it had a suitable large upper branch that could have fit six na’vi of Miles size side by side comfortably, if the ground looked good this would definitely be the branch they would sleep and dwell on when not out in the jungle.

The two of them climbed the vines down the jungle floor to find several fruit trees and game trails they could follow, Vira was impressed with the strength and speed Miles displayed going down them. Even with his large size, everything he did was graceful and agile, every movement had a powerful purpose behind it. If he was in pain from his injuries, he didn't show it at all. Her stomach flipped as she watched him scale down, Miles had abandoned his awful sky person vest at the last camp giving her full view of his back and arm muscles under his tight shirt.

He trailed behind her as they walked the forest floor together, she showed him how to step lightly on his feet, and make less noise as he moved through the jungle. His pants still rustled and made noise but when she suggested making him a tweng he looked uncomfortable at the thought.

“Not quite ready to run around the jungle in my skivvies just yet, Tiny.”

Vira laughed, she’d have to ease him into their ways, he was sharp and rough, quick to anger, and he needed gentle hands to guide him. She knew she planned to start with him giving up his sky people weapons for a spear and a bone knife. As she walked the game trails with him, she’d stop and kneel to identify the tracks in the soil, he’d slowly come down to join her, resting his hands on his knees and as she showed him Yerik, Nantang, 'angtsìk, and Talioang and how to identify each along the natural paths the animals created.

The game trails lead to a beautiful water site, it had a small waterfall cascading into it and flowed into a large pool at its base before continuing to snake through the jungle as a river, a perfect place to fetch fresh water, bathe, swim, and maybe even fish.

Ewya had provided sanctuary and Vira felt a little weight lift off her chest that she was right in interpreting the great mother's will that Miles learned to be Na’vi. She was not Tsahìk yet, she knew better than to presume she knew anything of her will but she couldn't help but feel this was right. This is what she was meant to do. Vira renewed her promise in silent prayer to do all she could to teach him as they walked back towards their Hometree.

On the way back she made Miles gather stones so they could make a fire pit on their living branch, with a proper firepit made it would not burn through the branch through the duration on their stay. She felt blessed when she found a bountiful amount of tautral, she knew she could weave into a mat for them to sleep on until she was able to make them each a Nivi. Her people slept in huts in caves but she’d observed the technique and helped the elders of tree-dwelling villages on her travels and felt confident in her ability to make them, it would just take time. That mat would at least keep them comfortable and off the bark of the tree. She walked back with her arms overflowing with bean stalks with right Miles behind her.

—

Quaritch propped himself up against the tree trunk while Vira busied herself around the large branch that would serve as camp. He could hear their Banshees playfully snapping at each other in the upper branches. Viras first priority had been to check his rib once they started to settle in for the day. He was actually surprised by how good it felt after it had stung like hell last night after chasing Vira through the god-forsaken jungle. She said a little prayer to the tree god as she wrapped him up again in leaves and muck.

When Miles tried to get up to help her build the fire pit she shooed him away and said he needed to rest. The little pink native impressed upon him how important it was for them to get a kill tomorrow so she needed him well rested. He watched her build up their camp quickly and efficiently and he couldn’t help but be the slightest bit impressed by how fast she was able to get their little operation up and running. It was just past midday and she had the fire pit built and all the fruits they'd gathered were organized. He watched with interest as her little pink hands worked to break apart a large stone that looked akin to obsidian back on earth. It seemed she liked the two big pieces she broke from it since she brought them over.

“Shape for spears,” handing him one and sitting beside him, unsheathing her bone knife from her thigh holster and using it to shape the black stone. He watched her small pink fingers gently shape the stone to a point, he took out his own company knife and tried his best to mimic her movements.

“Don’t force the shape, let the stone guide you.” She said, stopping work on her own spearhead and placing her hands on his hands over to work hand over hand with her small pink ones over his large blue paws. “Gentle.”

“Never been very good at being gentle.” He was a hard-ass gyrene, made of stronger stuff than most. When was the last time he’d been gentle with anyone or anything? Spider, probably. Not even Paz, his mother, not really. Paz had been something fleeting, burned fast and hot, something that was bound to happen when you put hundreds of marines together on an alien moon with no bar in sight to get your rocks off at. Quaritch would never have described their relationship as gentle, amicable maybe. They had respect for each other but they both knew what they were each after.

When he’d taken Spider from the jungle, he’d tried to be softer with him, have a gentler touch. He really had and in turn, the kid, his kid, wormed his way him in and had softened up. Just a touch. Spider had stopped him from killing the natives on more than one occasion, and took the time to teach him basic Na’vi and their customs but in the end Quaritch was a marine, a soldier, it was all he’d known for so long. His mission in life was always to complete the mission he was given at any cost.

Now, his focus on the mission had shifted, sitting in the tree far from the familiar, human comforts of the RDA. Sitting here while a little pink savage held his massive blue mits that still felt alien to him, was all for his mission, learning the strange Na’vi’s ways, were all, in service to the mission. He’d Kill Jake Sully, and secure a new home for humanity.

Vira released his hands and he kept working the stone, feeling her orange eyes staring at him.

“What?” his knife shaping the stone as gently as he could.

“See? You’re being gentle now. You have a strong heart, don’t doubt.” She placed her own rock beside him.

“Could you shape mine? Please? Need to work on mat.”

He grunted out an affirmative sound as she gathered the bean stalks and sat beside him again and began quickly and skillfully weaving them together. They worked in silence mostly, they hadn’t talked much small talk since they’d had their spat yesterday. When she talked to him it was mostly something she was teaching, impersonal.

Quaritch stole glances at her quick nimble little fingers weaving the bean stalks together. He watched as her orange eyes glanced at his hands as well, all the natives seemed to have some interest in them, normally the attention was negative but she was almost fascinated by them. Their eyes locked after a while of exchanging glances in the evening quiet.

“Sorry,” Vira blurted, he could see her face was practically purple she was so flushed. “For yesterday, should not have been rude.”

The Recom Na’vi shifted uncomfortably, he wasn’t really blameless in the interaction, and he’d let his temper get the better of him.

“Yeah well, guess I should have just let you go. Just didn’t want anything to happen to ya.” Half a truth, he didn’t really care about her per se, she was just a pink monkey but she was an asset to him. It was why he hadn’t turned around when she bathed at the river, the Recom Na’vi got no gratification out of watching the female alien. Quaritch just didn’t want something bigger and meaner snatching her up for lunch before he’d even gotten the chance to ask her to teach him the ways of the Na’vi. That conversation hadn’t gone to his plan in any capacity but she was here agreeing to teach him so he had to be the smallest bit thankful to the weird little seeds that made her stop her hasty retreat through the jungle.

“Let’s just put all that behind us and forget about it, alright Princess?”

Vira nodded and shyly looked up at him through her white lashes, “would you finish telling me of the metal spiders?”

—

Quaritch woke up with the sun and sounds of the jungle no longer at rest. The two of them had fallen asleep talking again the tree trunk, the little pink Na’vi frantically had weaved the mat until sleep overcame her and it was so large draped over the two of them like a blanket. He watched a few moments later as Viras sleepy orange eyes blinked a few times and she stretched her long limbs and yawned. She didn’t offer a morning greeting but got up and went right to work, he was actually pretty sure she was muttering curses in Na'vi, something about her back hurting too. She took the mat off them and gathered vines and large sticks they’d collected yesterday to make their spears. Maybe the aliens didn’t say good morning or maybe she just wasn’t a morning person.

The Recombinant Na’vi watched as she showed how to tie the spearhead on. He’d tied a complicated knot or two in his time and did it quickly. Earning a 'quick study' as praise from Vira. Not that he needed her praise but I did puff up his ego that maybe this whole learning to be Na’vi thing would be easier for him than it had been for Sully, he’d seemed to have a hard time when he started out from what he remembered of the tapes he’d reviewed.

They climbed down the tree, and Vira went through some practice thrusts and throws. It felt surprisingly good in his hands. Natural.

“Spear is extension of you, all tools are extension of you and your energy.”

Miles nodded even though really didn’t understand but figured playing along was easier than asking questions.

They walked the game trails, Vira explained they were looking for yerik tracks, Hexapede, from Quaritchs understanding they were kind of like deer. She explained how one of them would need to hide in a tree and the other would drive one to that spot.

“I am not skilled with spear, better with bow” she admitted, “you are big and strong, you will have to make the kill.”

“That’s a tall order, Tiny.”

“I will show you how, if you miss, we have fruit to eat. Bow will wait, no harm.” She offered a small smile of reassurance.

Once they found tracks along a path, she lead him to a low hanging tree branch over the natural game trail. Vira explained to him how she would drive one down and he would have to take aim and throw his spear at the beast.

“Lay flat, be one with tree” she demonstrated by practically melding her small pink body against the branch, her head cocked to one side white hair splayed everywhere.

“When you hear me coming up the path,” she made a whooping sound, he could have mistaken it for the prolemuris if he didn’t know the pitch of her voice. “Slowly stand, get ready. You will feel the movement in the tree.”

Yellow eyes watched her slowly roll her pink body up off the tree in a fluid motion, taking her spear in hand. He could see the lean, strong muscle in her arms.

“Breath slow, slow heart. Hold breath and release with your throw”

Miles watched Viras release her breath with her spear as it spear pierces the ground below.

The pink native had him run through the motions a few times before she felt comfortable leaving him glued to the branch to go try and heard a Hexapede his way. He felt crazy laying on the branch, what was he even doing out here? He could just shoot the thing when it ran by, he was sure Vira would be pissed but he was a helluva shot, he had no doubt if he used his pistol he’d make the kill. But it did defeat the whole point of him trying to learn the Na’vi way. So he waited, and waiting, his blue ears flicking and straining to hear Viras call.

He felt like he’d been waiting damn near an hour when his ear perked he heard the far-off “whoop” of Viras soft voice.

They came in closer and closer succession after that, so close he could also hear the rustling of something else approaching through the woods and feel the gentle thumping of the earth through the tree. The Recom na’vi stood slowly, his bare feet finding their foot on the branch. He readied his weapon and thought of Vira and slowed his heart with a deep breath. This all felt almost instinctual, was it the Na’vi DNA mixed with his own helping him? Was this something primal they all felt?

He felt the ground shift as the beast ran under the branch, his toes gripping the bark, yellow eyes sharp as he took aim and released the spear from his hands.

—

Vira and Miles celebrated his first kill into the night. His spear had struck true. Vira had called him down from the tree as she slid her knife across the creature's neck to end its suffering and thank Ewya for the energy they would receive. She couldn’t be anything but impressed with Miles, even if he was a demon, such a kill on a first hunt was impressive. His strike has been as true as any true born Na’vi.

They spent the rest of the day breaking down and preserving pieces of the animal, she taught him how as they went but they worked quickly and she wasn’t sure how much of her teachings he absorbed. She reminded herself that after they consumed this kill she would make him say the prayer next time. That was a thought for the future, for now, they sat by the fire cooking their Yerik and reliving the hunt.

“You were so strong and fast!” Vira praised as she mimicked the movement of throwing a spear across the fire from him, cooking meat on twigs. Her next project for the fire would be to make a spit and a smoker soon, better cooking and preserving but this would do for now. It would fill their bellies.

“I heard you and felt it coming down the path just like you said, felt the tree and all. That was just incredible.”

She smiled at him “See? The energy flows through all things.”

He gave her a skeptical look like he still didn’t believe in Ewya's presence. Her orange eyes searched his yellow ones. How could he not? The atokirina' chose him, he felt the rumble through the tree. All things were connected. All energy borrowed from the great mother, energy they would all have to return one day.

She moved the meat from the open flames and handed him a piece to eat still on the stick. They each devoured their food in silence and Vira pondered how to make him see. Would he ever? It was part of the Na’vi way, surely she needed to show him.

As she looked down upon the glowing jungle from their Hometree, an idea struck her.

“Come,” Vira stood grabbing onto his hand, attempting to pull him up. The pink na’vi knew she could not lift him but he relented and got up and scrambled down the tree's massive vines behind her.

When they reached the floor of the jungle, it was lit up with all its nighttime glory. Most of the vegetation held a faint flow, the grasses beneath their feet shined bright with contact.

“Come, come,” she beckoned him further into the jungle along the trails, dragging him by the hand. She flushed a little at the touch, thankful for the darkness, still not understanding why he made her feel that way.

Light was created everywhere in the wake of their movements, with every step and touch of plant life. Vira let her fingers trail along a row of shrubs, lighting the way. They came to a grouping of trees where glowing moss flowed from tree tree-like rivers. This is what she has been looking for, what she thought would show him.

“Do you see?” she gently touched the moss, the light brightened and dissipated but clearly spread out from the spot she touched until it disappeared. “All is the Great Mother's energy, we borrow it from her. Some day it must return .”

“Yeah, yeah, circle of life, Kum ba yah bullshit, I get it.” He mumbled but his eyes didn’t match the disinterested tone.

Vira watched his yellow eyes dart around the forest with interest and wonder. Had he truly never really looked at the beauty of their home at night? She watched him experimentally touch the moss and other plants with his five fingers as they continued walking. She smiled a little, he didn’t believe her but it would take time. At least he saw the beauty in the jungle.

There were tall orange rounded flowers along the path they had been following, their petals glowed beautifully, so different than most of the pink, purple, and green hues. Vira knew them as txon ’ong. Their nectars were drunk at celebrations if one drank too much they might have trouble walking, or sleep most of the next day, sometimes it was said challenges of Combat were made when the nectars were consumed but that was few and far between. For most it made them jovial, some even said na’vi were said to feel closer to Ewya when they drank it.

They were celebrating his great victory, what could it hurt? She would be sure not to loose her wits.

—

Miles watched the albino Na’vi go to the glowing orange flower, bend its stem and drink from its rounded top.

“Txon ’ong, night blossom, celebrate.”

Quaritch shrugged and came beside her and did the same, bending the stem of the orange bioluminescent flower and taking a few large gulps. It was sweet at first but the aftertaste reminded him of some strong spirit he couldn’t quite place, maybe gin.

He let out a low whistle. “Well, now it’s a party, Tiny.”

Quaritch felt more relaxed from the blossom, whatever it was exactly made him lower his guard just a bit in the jungle, just like he had the first night he was injured. The first night he’d met Vira.

The forest was truly otherworldly at night, so different from anything on Earth. The pink na’vi teacher kept walking the trail and he followed behind, he felt more acutely aware of the lights they created. How the slightest bump or rustle made small chain reactions. No, Quaritch didn’t believe in some little tree god. This little display meant nothing in the end really to him, just a pretty little light show. Maybe it slightly proved to him what Grace Augustine had been blathering about, the connections between the trees and the plants. Miles had never gone out after dark onto the forest when he’d been human, especially not after dancing with the viperwolf his first day on Pandora. He could maybe, just maybe, be behind the science. Not the tree hugging hippie all mother crap.

They walked for what felt like a long time, enjoying the natural glow of the forest. Sometimes she’d have to come back and grab his hand to tug him along if she felt he was lagging.

They wandered to the clearing with the watering hole they’d found earlier. Quaritch rubbed his yellow eyes, unsure if the drink was playing tricks on him. The river, waterfall, and the little lake itself all lit up in a purple glow.

Vira laid down in the soft grass next to the water’s edges. It glowed around her pink form as she found and comfortable position on her back. Her orange eyes looked glossy from the nectar.

“Come, see the stars.” She patted the ground beside her, sending small shocks of green glow through the grass from her pink fingers.

Miles walked forward, only to be started by a group of fan lizards he nearly squished beneath his large blue feet. A dozen of them shot up around him, casting different colored hues onto him. The little guys were actually kinda cute.

Vira laughed at his startled expression. “Like a baby.”

He felt his face turn purple, this was all new to him. Normally he gave orders, normally he knew exactly what he was doing, not learning. Being called a baby by her again lit a little fire in his gut, he’d be the best goddamn Na’vi. He’d show her. He’s already made the kill today with the spear, something she didn’t think she would have been able to do herself. Instead of getting angry though, a roll of relaxation flowed through him, must have been the nectar because he laid down beside her and they stared up into the starry sky.

Vira pointed out the visible constellations and told him stories and names that different clans had for them. Quaritch was surprised by how much he enjoyed the little stories, they reminded him of Greek and Roman epics he’d heard on Earth. They also had horoscopes, different signs with different meanings that each Na'vi was born under.

In the middle of one story, his stomach let out a loud rumble, Vira turned on her side to face him and laughed, a deep one in her belly. The kind of laugh where sometimes no sound came out. He turned to face her too and laughed just as hard.

“Sign to go back,” she said between laughs, her large orange eyes crinkled at the sides from how wide she smiled.

—

A week passed in a flash, and Quaritch felt was managing to get a small handle on how the Pandora natives lived. He’d started keeping track of the days my making tallies on the trunk of the tree, where he often reclined against at their base camp. When Vira saw him marking the tree she’d decided to add to it as well, above his first 5 marks she’d taken her bone knife and crudely drawn him on a branch, victorious, as his spear pierced the Hexapede below. It was truly a primitive etching, it reminded him of cave paintings or even stick figures back on earth but they each knew what it was. He couldn’t deny it made him puff with a touch of pride inside when he looked at it.

The Hexapede had indeed been a boon for them, food to keep them fed, turned out he actually liked the taste of it too, especially when Vira put some hot spices on it, it reminded him a bit of Cajun cooking back on earth, from his human memories.

Vira was continually impressive to him, she was a hard worker and wasn’t scared of getting her hands dirty. She used every bit of the beast for something too. Guts and sinew for bow string, thread, and bindings, she uses its hide for laces and made clothing for herself. She didn’t wear her big collar anymore unless they went out hunting, just wearing leaves or flowers tied up intricately over her breasts or even just a string of beads and feathers that precariously covered her nipples but she seemed to have no shame in her lack of covering. She’d also made him a water bottle from the hide which proved useful. The Pink Na’vi didn’t want anything to go to waste. It reminded him of how it had bothered on some level him with the poachers killed the Tulkun, not that it was dead but because they'd wasted such a large animal for a few measly drops of liquid. Seemed wasteful and inefficient. He didn't care for innefeicies.

While Vira worked she also made sure she was teaching him something, either going over the techniques she used or quizzing him on his Na’vi language skills. He’d been working hard to memorize her little prayer the people said over the animal's bodies for when he next killed a critter, he wanted to be the one to finish his kill from beginning to end next time. Miles didn’t buy into any of the hippie tree-hugging crap she was peddling but he’d do the song and dance to keep Vira teaching him.

He’d remembered from his review of Sullys videos that he’d referred to learning from his woman as ‘learn fast or die’ but it wasn’t like that at all with Vira. She didn’t have contempt for him, she wanted him to succeed and was a patient teacher. He’d learned this past week she was kind and smart as a whip, and her English was improving much quicker than his Na’vi. Quaritch found an internal struggle over his Na’vi teacher, he was struggling to see her as just a helpful savage, that she's only a step above a monkey.

Having this time with just her and to just breathe, not chasing Turk Makto to the ends of Pandora, forced Quaritch to accept a few things. One of those being that his body was 20 year old Na’vi body now, but his mind was still that 51 year old hard ass marine. He’d known it since the minute we’d woken up with the rest of the Deja Blue but being out in the forest with no one but a local, forced him to take stock of things. Miles thought about his actions over the past 4 months chasing down leads with Spider, he really didn’t feel such intense hatred as he did back when he was human for the Blues or even when he’d first been decanted in space and decked Lyle in the face, thinking he was surrounded by enemies. He tried to work out if it was because of Spiders' influence on him or because he knew he was looking at a Blue when he looked in a mirror. Maybe he’d just gone soft, he was an old man in a young man’s body at the end of the day.

They settled into an easy rhythm together, each taking care of things around camp, she’d give him Na’vi lessons on language, customs, and histories, and he helped her improve her English. Sometimes they’d race their Banshees around the treetops together and go off and explore. She was a hell of a flier, he learned the Banshee was nearly sacred to her people, the Tayrangi of the Eastern Sea. When Vira found out he hadn’t named his Banshee she scolded him, loudly, from the back of her golden one who he’d learned was named Stiwi. Mischief.

Miles had quickly pretended he misunderstood her question and said the royal blue beast named was Wasp, after his SN-9 WASP pistol. That felt fitting as anything the military dog in him could think of on such short notice. He supposed he could have just called it Banshee.

With there only two of them, they didn’t need to hunt or even gather every day, sometimes they’d just go for long jungle walks and she'd point out the flora and fauna and quiz him on what things were. She told him once he was more sure of his footing in the trees she’d teach him to swing from the vines. Images of Tarzan flashed in his mind. Things were simple but they were good. They’d gone back out another night and drank the nectar of the night blossoms again, she’s said it was really meant for parties and ceremonies but she said having some fun couldn't hurt. He wondered if that meant she was a bit of a troublemaker in her village, sneaking out to drink with the other village deviants when she’d been younger, like a teenage who snuck out through their window. The thought made me chuckle since now she seemed like a rule follower now.

Quaritch focused now on shaping the small segments of black stone, the same used to make the spearhead. Vira had been put in charge of making arrowheads today. The thought of shooting with a bow made him uneasy, he’d seen enough of Mrs. Sullys arrows to know how deadly they could be but it seemed an odd twist of fate that he’d have to learn to use the same type of weapon that ended his human life and got him into this na’vi body in the first place.

“Bows are ready,” Vira called as she walked along the branch holding a large bow she’d made for him. He took it from her and saw all the work she’s put into it. She'd carved intricate patterns into, way nicer than her crude little etching on the tree. It was dozens of stars forming the various constellations she’d pointed out to him during their time together drinking the night blossom. Vira had strung small tassels with beads made of teeth that she’d dyed different hues at the top where the strong met bow. The front had some kind of holder made of blue leaves that replaced a quiver. Miles tried to think if he’d ever gotten a gift that had so much work out into it. He’d seen her over the past several nights sitting across the fire from him instead of next to him as she normally did after dinner, working on something. He ran his fingers over the carved grooves.

“Thank you,”

“No need to thank, fine hunter deserves fine bow.”

He watched her pink skin flush a shade darker.

Quaritch had originally thought she flushed so often at him back at their first camp because she found him an attractive Na’vi, she was a young female after all, didn’t they have little infatuations and mess around like humans did? Just some natural instinct. He was a young male and she was a young female, that was all. Miles was sure there were plenty of forest boys back at her home who’d thought she was a looker with those orange doe eyes, they were warm and inviting like the first rays of sunshine. Miles' mind thought back on Vira being a young troublemaker and sneaking out with derelict jungle boys and getting drunk off the nectar in the woods. The thought of her causing mischief didn’t seem as amusing as much anymore.

The colonel shifted gears in his mind and filed away that he would have to ask one day about societal customs of recreational customs like courting and sex, it was so embedded in human society he assumed it had to be a part of the Na'vis. They were a humanoid society after all, no matter how primitive they may be. He’d heard mention from the science pukes of a mating season but he’d never really paid attention. Now that he was trying to get into the belly of the beast, truly know his enemy. He knew no information on the enemy was unimportant. It was all part of his mission to learn all he could.

That’s what he told himself anyways, it was practically a mantra in his mind at this point. Every question, every kindness he showed Vira, every moment spent together, was all in service to his mission. He was not enjoying himself out in the jungle with some native woman.

“One more,” the pink na’vi quickly made her way from him across the tree. He caught a whiff of her scent as the breeze blew, she smelled like a sweet lavender from the herbs they washed with and an underlying scent of something almost spicy, warm, and cloyingly sweet, that was just her scent. Her musk. It was all over the camp. He was sure he could track her scent at 100 clicks he knew it so well from his sensitive na’vi nose.

“Jeez Princess you’re spoiling me,”, he drawled to her, making her shade blush so deep it touched her ears.

Quaritch pondered then that she just flushed often because she got easily embarrassed and flustered. It was just harder for her to hide her flush than a Blue na’vi. He had just been reading too much into things.

She scrounged around in a pile of yerik bones and came back holding a bone knife, it seemed like she’d tried to make it comparable to his RDA combat knife in size and shape, he saw where she’d tried to even shape a serrated edge opposite the razor-sharp bone edge.

“Now that’s a fine blade, Tiny. Thank you.”

She handed him a sheathed to go across his chest, not unlike the ones he’d seen over Navi wear. He didnt know when she’d made the sheath either, had he just thought she was working on clothes or things for herself and had really been making him all these gifts?

He stood and slipped the sheath on over his tank top and put the knife in the holder.

“How do I look?”

Her orange eyes danced up and down his form, “more Na’vi every day.”

—

Vira and Miles scaled down to the base of their hometree, she was eager for him to try out the bow she had made for him. She had concerns that he might not have been ready to use it with his chest injury but he seemed stronger and stronger every day thank Ewya, he healed faster than she had ever anticipated. Maybe it was the great mother's plan to heal him quick so he could learn quickly. She had no other explanation, she hadn’t expected him to heal for a cycle, and they were not even halfway through.

The pink Na'vi brought paint down she’d made and marked three large yellow circles on the trunk for Miles to take aim at. Vira demonstrated how to shoot with her own bow, placing the arrow, nocking it, and letting go with her breath just like she taught him with the spear. She hit her mark first try in the center of the circle she was aiming at. The pink Na’vi smiled to herself, a bit smug, definitely more skilled with a bow than a spear.

Miles tried next, he seemed far less comfortable with the bow she noticed that he had with the spear. He handled it almost as though it may bite him. He knocked his arrow and took aim, his arrow falling below the circle he aimed from.

“Try another,” Vira ordered, she did a half circle around him, pink tail swishing in thought and he pulled another arrow back and it fell low again.

“I don’t think I’m meant to use a bow, Princess”

She made a thoughtful sound. “We need to fix your stance, that’s all. Pull back, do not release.”

He did as he was told and Vira got up close to him, chest to chest, she could feel his breath on her forehead, hear his soft inhales, and feel the rise and fall of his broad chest. She used her feet to push his legs into the proper position.

Vira took her small hands and lifted his drawing arm so his elbow was higher, she adjusted his bow arm by touching his forearm. To her those few moments she spent fixing his stance felt like an eternity. She turn her face up toward him, face flushed, surprised to see his yellow eyes were looking down at her and not at the target. His lips would have brushed her forehead if the bow did not prevent them from getting closer.

“Take a strong, deep breath,” she moved her hands to gently touch his abdomen. Vira heard the deep inhale and felt him take a deep breath. Kentens danced in her stomach and heat pooled to her face and between her thighs.

“Now try again.” She broke away from the close contact.

Vira watched his strong arms release the arrow with his breath. It whirled through the air, hitting its mark.

—

For dinner they ate the smoked spicy yerik she’d cooked, the smoke preserved the meat so it was good for several days but they would need to hunt soon. Vira was excited to hunt with her new bow, she was not the strongest or greatest hunter but she was skilled with a bow. If they had more numbers she’d consider they go hunting talioang on their Ikrans but with only two it would be hard and too much meat to try and eat. When she brought him back, he could try with the clan.

Still hungry after eating the meat she grabbed a Yovo fruit to peel and eat while they sat propped against the trunk of the tree on the sleeping mat. Miles sat beside her with his arms resting on his knees, legs spread apart, and relaxed as his large body took up extra space. He plucked the fruit out of her hands before she could even draw her knife from her thigh. Vira whined indignantly at the theft.

“Oh come on now, didn’t your mama teach you to share?” He looked down at her wickedly, “I can try out your gift,” he pulled the bone knife from the holster on his chest, its sharpened edge shining low in the firelight.

Vira rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything to Miles as he began to peel the fruit. Vira had come to enjoy watching his hands work with the extra finger, she no longer found it alien or even him really alien over the past several days, he just needed a teacher. The watched as he expertly used the knife she’d crafted for him, it made her happy to see it put to good use.

“See somethin’ you like there Princess?” He quipped as he kept peeling, Vira hasn’t even tried to hide that she was watching his hands.

She smiled and ignored the heat rushing to her face. “Your hands, too many fingers. Should be clumsy.”

“Here I thought I should be flattered with you staring and you just want to pick on my hands.” He laughed and laid his hand flat on his leg closest to her, palm up and open. He wiggled his fingers.

Vira tilted her head, orange eyes sparkling up at him with fascination. “Can I touch?”

He nodded and surprised at her own boldness, Vira took his hand in her own two. She was curious in nature, always wanting to learn and see and touch all she could. Greedy for knowledge.

She traced the lines of his blue hands, moved the smallest finger up and down and bent it. She bent Miles's whole hand in a fist, it shouldn’t have worked with 5 fingers but it did. She had him hold up his hand and lined it up her own with it, thumb to thumb, finger to finger all minus the small one. Not so different. He surprised her when he wrapped his small finger around the back of her hand and curled the tops of his larger fingers over her small ones.

Viras smile reached her eyes and glanced at him, she couldn’t read what the gesture meant behind his yellow eyes. It was a gesture that Na’vi did, it had no real meaning to them but something they did with babes and younglings. It was something her father had done many full sky cycles ago.

Miles pulled his large hand away and resumed peeling the Yovo fruit, he halved it and handed it to her not bothering to cut it more. His yellow eyes looked far away while he ate.

Last Chapter - Next Chapter

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destroyabez

A son for a son right?

Chapter three, Rutxe rä'ä tung fìfya 'eyt 'i'a

(The title for this chapter is 'Please do not allow this to be the end' or in other words 'Please don't let this be the end' also I forgor to mention Spider is gifted in this au so he can breath Pandoran air!)

The waves came crashing down on the rock that held a family

A family....

And a boy

Eywa will make them pay

《☆》

It hurts so bad, it burns. It feels like fire is licking at my chest. I thought what the machine did to me hurt but Eywa-

My thoughts were interrupted by a cry, I looked up with panic and immediately hissed in pain

I thought I would see Kiri but I only found a reef clan girl "Tsireya!" Lo'aks voice rang in my ears

Tsireya. What a pretty name, I wonder what's she's like "I-Is thi- Cough- y-your girlfriend?" I hated how I sounded, I had meant to have a joking tone but with the blood in my mouth it sounded so bad

"Y-yeah! She is! And your gonna get to know her bro" I hate it when Lo'aks voice goes like that, I hate when he is sad in general but his voice

"L-Lo'ak-" I reach and grab onto his forearm with all my strength, I had to be there for him

I attempted to say something else but strong calloused fingers took me from Lo'aks, Neteyams, and Tsireyas hands

I looked up and found the panicked face of Jake "S- Cough- sir!" I didn't like that look on his face, it meant something bad happened. I refuse to believe that it's about me

"Spider! Don't talk, save your energy" Jake's voice was soft but firm as he took me further onto the rock and checked my back

"Goddamn it there's a exit wound..." My heart skipped a beat, that was bad. Norm told me about it... it would be fine I'm going to be fine

"Ma Jake! What has happened?" Neytiri's voice was the only reason I noticed her, I attempted to get up but it hurt so much that my vision went white and I let out a strangled cry

Jake swore and more blood gushed out of my mouth, all I smelled was it and plastic

The mask I wore was pressing down on my face too much, I needed it off. I didn't care that they would find out I just had to get it off

My hands shakily went up to the straps and began taking them off, I tried to take off the mask but the large hand of Jake pressed down on it

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Neytiri yelled in question at m- wait Neytiri? That couldn't be right... it didn't matter now I needed the mask off

I hit her hand and managed a meek "I-its o- cough- okay! P-please-" I tried again to take her hand off the mask and was finally able to when she faltered

I tore off the mask and grimaced at the screams that surrounded me but it was off and air had never felt so good

I breathed in and my chest started to relax "What the fuck?!" I tried to laugh at Jake's reaction but I immediately started coughing up blood again, the pain went searing again and I couldn't deal with it

I felt Lo'aks hand on my forearm and I grabbed it as I let out heavy breaths with blood red coughs

It hurt so much I want to scream but also never talk again, not even whisper

"Spider it's okay Kid! Its gonna be ok!" I felt Jake grab onto my shoulder

"I-I want to g-go- Cough Cough- Home!" I managed to get out those few words in between the worse of the coughs but it still hurt so bad

"We're gonna go home Spider, we're gonna get you back to Hells gate don't worry kid-" he sounded hurt but I couldn't help the "NO!" That came out "I w-wanna go- Cough- back t-to the f-forest! Home!" It felt horrible to admit to him but I can't care right now

I looked around and found Neytiri with tears streaming down her face as her hand went to her mouth, Neteyam was leaning into her as he sobbed. I saw Lo'ak with Tsireya, his hand still on my forearm as Tsireya leaned onto his shoulder. I realized Kiri wasn't there, neither was Tuk

"K-Kiri!-" It hurts, so much pain make it go away Please please

"Kiri will be here soon kid you just gotta stay alive until then ok?" Jake's voice sounded so wounded, I attempted to say something but the words caught in my throat and came out as a pitiful cry.

It was the end, I could feel it. It hurt but it was going numb now, black spots filled the sides of my eyes and I panicked

I had to live, I had to see Kiri again but the spots got bigger. Voices blurred together and I knew I had to say something

"J-Jake- D-dad I-"