Sagacity / AVATAR

Watching from a Distance

(sign language underlined = example)

The Metkayina sisters had decided to go free diving.

Tsireya had spent the night before begging Ka'halan to go with her, urging her to spend time together. Initially, the plan was to swim for a few hours and then join the morning hunters to collect fish for the day.

However as the sun appeared on the horizon and stayed, the girls ended up lost in their activities. Already half the day had passed and they had just begun collecting shells.

Ka'halan suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned herself around and came face to face with her younger sister.

"What have you found?" she signed.

The younger girl grinned, reaching into a medium-sized pouch on the side of her waist, and pulling out a single blue stone to show.

Handing it to her older sister, she kept eye contact while she explained.

"Ask Ao'nung to weave a new ear-hanging for you, since you lost your last one while training..." Tsireya signed, watching as her older sister admired the stone she picked out.

Ka'halan smiled, "it is beautiful, thank you Tsireya,"

Before they could continue, the clan's emergency horn was sounded.

Immediately recognizing the sound, they called for their Ilu and moved towards land.

When they made it closer, they noticed most of the clan standing around a section of the beach.

Finally reaching a shallow section of the water, they detached themselves from their Ilu, diving into the sea and resurfacing moments later.

Receiving a few greetings as she walked Ka'halan greeted everyone back with a smile, hovering behind her sister.

Turning to say something, she paused noticing the heavy eye contact her sister held with a boy she had only just noticed.

She surveyed the group.

A woman and a man. Probably just older than her parents, the familiar dark blue skin of the jungle Na'vi. A younger girl, likely about 8 or 9, holding the woman's hand.

Two teenage boys, slightly younger than herself, and a teenage girl.

Returning to her surroundings, she approached her brother and his friend. People made room for the two to walk by, muttering "I see you" to the girls.

"It is too small, how are they supposed to swim," she heard Rotxo mock, earning a not-so-subtle laugh from Ao'nung.

"Do not, Roxto, Ao'nung" She watched as Tsireya intervened.

She merely walked up behind the two and pushed their heads down slightly, as if to apologize. Rotxo wasn't her brother- not blood at least. But he and his grandmother were close with her family.

Tsireya turned to the jungle boys, Ka'halan following suit.

'Hey," one spoke casually, nodding in their direction- towards her little sister.

Ignoring their moment, Ka'halan moved to walk around the group. Their bodies were for the forest. Not the sea.

She moved to stand in front of the family, observing them closely.

Jake, only just noticing her, offered her a polite wave while his hands were still raised. While he didn't get much reaction, he did notice her eyes trailing the movement of his five-fingered hand and the slight tilt of her head.