"I feel so uncomfortable wearing these clothes. No, I wouldn't even call it clothes, I feel uncomfortable wearing these little pieces of cloths." Awa complained to Atxa when she walked out of one of the changing 'rooms' their home had. It was the first time she wore Na'vi clothes and she felt for a lack of a better word: naked.
"Your other clothes were destroyed" Atxa pointed out with a stern look on his face. " First step to becoming one of the people is wearing the garbs we do, young one."
"There you go again, sounding so wise" Awa laughed, though she appreciated his advices and weird moments of wisdom and formal speech. "Are you always this serious and formal or is it only with me?"
"How bold of you to assume that I change the way I talk for you, I've known you for at least a month." He responded with an almost offended look on his face and a bit of an irritated glimpt in his eye teased her. "I'm your mentor and I'm a professional, hence the formal language and serious attitude. What you're attempting to do is serious, sure sometimes I have acted in a manner similar to yours but that was to make it easier for you."
Awa hummed and shifted the small thong she had been so graciously gifted by a couple of reluctant Na'vi women who had thrown the material at her with a warning hiss. It had to be the most uncomfortable thing she had ever worn, and it covered next to nothing of her body, sure the small cloth hanging in the front shielded some but not a lot. Her top, or more like branches that covered only the absolute most private parts of her breasts sat surprisingly tight and comfortable a top her and by the firm grip it had she wasn't worried that it would fall off any time soon. She had gotten a chance to braid her hair again and she had managed to steal some pearls and colorful strings from a small basket that was left unsupervised and she had quickly placed those in her hair with a gleeful grin.
"Whatever you say, oh powerful coach" She sing-songed with a teasing grin and the same teasing look in her eyes that she so often held when she was around people she liked. "It's okay to not be serious sometimes"
"I'm older than you, of course I know it's okay. However those moments shouldn't happen during our training together, as you've noticed those 'not serious' moments only happen outside of training and that is how it needs to be. Training isn't something to joke away, it's learn or die." He lectured her with a hand firmly grasping her shoulder.
"You pushed me off a tree"
"Learn or die" He retorted and dropped his hand to his side.
"You threw me off a cliff" Awa said and crossed her arms defiantly.
"Learn or die" He shot back and begun walking away from her, making her sputter and sprint slightly to catch up with him.
"How are those examples not showing that you weren't being serious?" She asked with a curious look on her face that was slightly tainted by the bit of darkness present there as well.
"I've told you three times already, with Pandora it's either learn or die. Those falls did wonder for your ability to trust yourself in moments of panic and you got some well needed exercise" He retorted with a pointed look that made Awa gasp.
"Are you saying I'm fat?!" She shrieked, a sentence so familiar it felt like she was back in school on earth. "Atxa?!"
"I never said that, nor did I imply such a thing. Your cardio isn't as good as it needs to be, nor is any of your other functions." He defended himself without looking back at the offended dreamwalker who was still staring at him stunned.
"Oh, okay" She muttered, the words hit hard no matter how nice he tried to put them. She would have expected to have stopped getting hurt by every bad thing everyone said to her but she didn't, if anything with time it got worse. She knew Atxa wasn't saying it in a bad way, she knew that she couldn't possibly be at the same speed, cardio or anything like that, as a native but it still hurt.
"What did we say about confidence? It might sting to hear it but would you rather I 'sugarcoat it' and not let you know what needs to be improved?" Atxa asked with a confused look on his face, normally his students didn't respond to criticism or comments like this like she did. Humans were more sensitive in that compared to them. If anything his students would be upset if he wasn't honest with them about his abilities.
"No, no, that's not- absolutely not!" She stammered with wide eyes and a small blush working its way up her throat. "I need to know what I need to improve and I'd rather you be straight forward about it then lie to me" Awa declared in a strong voice, though her insecurities yelled at her.
He nodded once with approval shining in his golden eyes. "I thought so too. Your efforts and improvement is very impressive, I must confess, and I have no doubt that you'll be improving as rapidly as before, if not faster."
She shrugged at that, her self-consciousness and self doubt came back to tell her all about how she would never make it and she would be better off just leaving. "I try to do my best"
"Try?" He echoed and stopped in his track. "Awa, do you remember what you promised me when you agreed to my training?"
"To always do my best" She confidently stated and then realisation sunk in and her mouth formed a small 'o'. "I'm doing my best" Awa corrected and Atxa nodded at her.
"Much better. Always do your best, and always strive to be your best self." Atxa replied and started walking again.
"Now this is starting to feel more like a lecture than anything else" Awa noted and suddenly stumbled over a rock but luckily she didn't fall. That would be so embarrassing, she thought to herself mortified.
"I lecture when a lecture is needed" He told her with a small grin tugging at one side of his lips. "Now come, I've got a surprise for you"
"What is it?" She asked excited at the prospect of a gift. "No, don't tell me! Is it a dress? No, is it a new fruit?-"
She would have continued guessing if Atxa didn't sigh and slightly hissed a warning at her. He had patience with her, more than with his normal students because of her being human, but it had been a long day and he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. Plus, she needed to get more tuned in on Na'vi body language if she wanted to really survive the clan.
"Sorry" She apologized with her ears turned forward in shame but then they perked back to their normal position as her eyes lit up. "Can you tell me what it is?"
Atxa sighed again with his features twisting into a deep frown, his shoulder tensed and his tail tensed as well into a small arch that would tell a native Na'vi that he was getting irritated. "No. Now be quiet!"
"Did I say something wrong?" The dream walker asked with a wounded look on her face. He hadn't ever been this rude to her, and she couldn't understand why he suddenly was hissing at her and telling her to be quiet.
"Tell me, Awa... How tuned in to Na'vi body language would you say you are?" He turned around to ask the question with one hand raised in the air and the other positioned behind his back.
"Not much" She replied honestly. "They don't teach us that in the program."
"I need you to forget everything you learnt in that program. They don't know how it is in real life, how our societies work or our language. They don't know anything that will help you now, I've taken you in and I along with my clan will teach you everything anew. We will teach you to see." He rambled slightly, something so out of his character it surprised Awa. Atxa always seemed to be in total control of everything in his life but maybe she disturbed that control. "But no, you have not said anything wrong. I'm just tired after the long day, and I thought now would be a good time for you to start learning basic body language. Your Na'vi body gives you some of the instincts but they are weak and in need of training."
"I see" She answered after a few uncomfortable seconds. This conversation seemed to be spiraling and she wasn't sure if she wanted to probe any further, she had a feeling she wouldn't like the answer. "Hey Atxa..."
He paused in his walking again and turned around with yet another sigh and a slight roll of his eyes. This wasn't a good day for him and he had hoped to just get her clothed, give her her surprise and then go spend time with his family but her never ending curiosity would take away all the energy still in him. "Yes, Awa"
"You told me that Ngeha hated me at first..." She started carefully with her hands placed shyly in front of her.
His eyes widened when he realised what she would ask next, a question he didn't want to answer. Especially not in this mood, she would misunderstand him and he would be left with a broken relationship with his student that he would have to spend precious time mending. "Do you really want to ask that question?" He warned her.
"I- I don't think so. I don't think I can take the answer right now." Verbally that is, she added in her thoughts because she already knew the answer. He, like his clan members, were still suspicious of her and didn't trust her. There was a part of him that hated her, she could sense it in his bad moods and sometimes his eyes would betray him before he hid. Awa didn't think he really hated her, not anymore, but he hadn't really gotten over that she's human yet. But like so many people have told her in the last few days, these things takes time. He is no exception to that.
"I really think it's been a long day for the both of us and that you're overthinking everything. I don't hate you, don't ever think I do. If I hated you I would have never offered to train you, no, I don't hate you at all. " He grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her into a strong hug that she melted in. "I apologize if you think I do, believe me when I say that I don't. It's hard to let go of all those emotions that comes because of our history but I'd never express those on you or do anything towards you because of them."
"Thank you" She whispered to him, her voice so low he almost didn't hear her if it wasn't for the soft vibration her voice made against his chest. "I have a problem with overthinking, and I don't want to put the blame on you but you've been in a bad mood the last days and it's just made my head spin."
"Which is why I'm giving you this surprise. I thought it would be my apology for everything that's happened these last days." Atxa grinned down at the woman in his arm, a grin that reached his eyes and made them shine with happiness. "I think he'll make a good companion"
"He?" She asked with a shriek.
"I've said too much already, let's go" Atxa replied with a genuine smile on his face. "They're waiting for us"
The two walking in silence to wherever Atxa was leading her, but this time it was a comfortable silence. Awa felt much lighter after they talked about her fears and he reassured her that he didn't hate her like the rest of the Na'vi seemed to do. It was something she didn't want to think, but with the stress she had been through lately and the rejection from the clan those thoughts just sneaked up on her until they overwhelmed her. Atxa almost seemed a bit offended that she thought that of him, which made her feel extremely guilty, but she couldn't help it. Everything seemed to be going against her and it made her suspicious that Atxa, one of the only good things in her life was turning on her. She felt a bit ungrateful when she thought back on all he's done for her and that she was behaving this way when he was trying to give her a gift.
It wasn't long until the pair reached an enclosure with a high wooden fence framing the grassy area. Awa's eyes widened when she realised what was inside of the fence. Pa'lis! The horses of Pandora, with six strong legs, small heads with a long neck and two antennas. They were all in in different shades of light blue with a beige color on their belly and throat. Some of the Pa'li had little foals with them that was adorable and small, so small that they just made Awa's heart melt into a puddle.
Her eyes were drawn to the foal in front of her that begged for her attention, it was a lot older than the rest of them and didn't seem to belong there at all. She wasn't sure if the word foal was the right word for what it was, the horse like creature seemed almost fully grown, if anything. If anything it seemed to have escaped from somewhere and chose to stay there, she would like to claim the glory of that deduction but the big hole in the fence spoke for itself. The pa'li stuck out from the rest of the group, and not only because of its size, but also because of its personality and unique shade of green that he had on its back instead of the usual blue. The Pa'li seemed to really enjoy her observing of it if the puff of its chest or slight skip in its step as it turned around was anything to go by.
"He's not supposed to be here" Atxa muttered to himself as he unlocked the gate leading into the enclosure. "I'm sorry Awa, I'll just bring him back and then I'll give you your gift."
"Is my gift one of the baby pa'li?" She asked with wide eyes that sparkled with joy.
He sighed for the millionth time that day. "Yes, you can pick whichever you want and it'll be all yours. Your own pa'li."
"I want that one" She pointed at the runaway without hesitation and the animal perked right up as if it could understand her.
"What?" Atxa asked surprised and slightly startled. "You want him?"
Awa nodded as her answer and walked through the gate and into the enclosure. "He's the one I want"
"Very well" The male Na'vi relented as he dragged a hand down his face. "What will you name him?"
"I'll name him Khan!"
AN: And that's the short story of how Awa met Khan, hope you enjoyed it!