Pandora's Hope

[MidnaPhobia]

Nearae turned to look at Ethan as he asked if her people had changed their minds about him. She closed her eyes for a moment and looked down before shaking her head slowly. “No.” The girl answered softly, looking back up at the boy with regretful eyes. “Our leader said... that the sky people and the dream walkers have brought Pnadora nothing but hardship. You are...” She tried to think of a way to put it simply so he would understand. “Unwelcome. We’re not supposed to interact with you, go near you, help you. Nothing like that.” However on that last part she smiled slightly.

“Then again I have never really been one for the rules.” Turning her attention back to the ship Nearae continued walking around it before she eventually climbed on top of it and began looking around, more examining the ship than her surroundings. As amazing and beautiful as Pandora may seem to Ethan this thing was just as amazing and mysterious to Nearae. She, like every other Na’vi had heard the story of the sky people and Jake Sully and it had always interested her greatly. She had been told, on many occasions by others, that she was too curious for her own good. In many ways she agreed, but it didn't stop her.

[Draco_James]

Ethan's expression fell once more when she replied, and he turned, leaning his back against the ship's hull. He looked to the ground at his feet for a moment, letting out a quiet sigh before glancing over at her again when she said she didn't follow rules. That was something, he supposed - better than being completely rejected by every single Na'vi. Whether it would really do him any good in the long run was something yet to be seen. He was silent, in thought for a little while longer, but couldn't resist watching her as she examined the ship further, going so far as to climb atop it.

He followed her up, and sat cross legged near the edge, facing her. "We call this a 'ship'," he offered, patting the metal surface, and then suddenly looked off into the forest as he heard something. It was nothing more than one of the innumerable creatures that lived amongst the trees going about its life, but he wasn't yet used to the sounds of nature, so it startled him.

"Not all sky people are the same..." he said quietly when he turned his attention back to Nearae, "There were those who wanted only to learn your ways - those who fought with the Na'vi against those who wished your people harm." At last, some of things he had decided to say when he'd thought about meeting the Na'vi for the first time were coming back to him - things he'd rehearsed in his mind time and again.

[MidnaPhobia]

Nearae turned as Ethan climbed up next to her, though not with the ease and dexterity that the Na’vi had displayed. “A... ship.” She repeated uncertainly, testing out the unfamiliar word out aloud. She smiled slightly as he began clearly trying to plead his case. She had expected as much, it was part of the reason she had been hesitant about returning but her curiosity had been too great. He presented a good point but that was not the reason they were reluctant to give him aid, as they did not know of the ban on trips to Pandora.

“And say we do help you?” Nearae offered. “Because that is what you want is it not? And say, just say we did give you the help you want. What happens if others of your kind find out? They will come here, just like you did, seeking our help. We will become overrun by these dream walkers, they will upset the natural balance of life. You will try to change our world to become like your own. You may have good intentions, granted selfish motives, but you desire help first, nothing more. You are probably willing to do and say almost anything to get it.” She sighed slightly and sat down, crossing her legs. “Tell me then, why have you come here?” Nearae asked curiously. “Prove me wrong.”

[Draco_James]

Ethan listened carefully to her reply, concentrating so that he could understand every word. He looked down at his hands folded in his lap as he gave a small nod to acknowledge that she was right about some things, and that he could understand the concerns of her people. "You are right about my motives. Perhaps they are selfish," he admitted, even though he realized those words wouldn't exactly sound reassuring, "But you are wrong that I would do or say anything to get the help I have come to ask for. I will not try to deceive you, not to you or your people, and I will not harm anyone else for my benefit."

"I was born with a... sickness... that cannot be cured, even by my world's best healers," he began to explain, still struggling with some words, and the pronunciation of the language, "Since I was a... small, it has taken my strength, made me ill, and within two years time, it will take my life." He paused for a moment to take a slow breath - this was a fact that he had accepted, but that didn't make it particularly easy to talk about.

"My mother and father heard a story of how I might... move from my body into this one. They sent me here, against the laws of my people. No sky people will follow me, and whether you help me or not, no one on my world will know of it. I have no way to tell them, no way to ever return home," he continued, and looked back up at her as he finished, answering her question, "I have come to ask that I be given a chance. To prove myself. To prove that I can be trusted, a chance to learn your people's ways, and... hopefully gain your acceptance, that I might have a chance to live."

[MidnaPhobia]

In a way Nearae kind of appreciated Ethan’s honesty, it was a nice change because, from what she remembered of their history even the likes of Jake Sully had been dishonest to them in the beginning. His story was saddening but Nearae knew she could not let it affect her judgement and she was certainly not able to make the decision of letting him visit the Tree of Souls on her own. She would be outcast, a betrayer to her people. She would be in no better position than he was. But what he was asking... it was a lot.

Only once ever had a dream walker been accepted into their culture but... look how well that had turned out and many of them were aware that Jake Sully had no control over the other sky people. He, along with some other, had fought alongside them. “I... I don’t know how I can make that happen.” The Na’vi said softly, looking to the boy almost sadly. “I’m not supposed to be here talking to you right now. If they found out I did...” She did not finish her sentence. “I will try to argue to give you a chance.” Nearae promised. “But that is all I can do for now. I will try to think of some other way.” She did not want this boy to die, but then again if he did... then it was nothing but Aywa’s will and she could not go against that.

[Draco_James]

Ethan nodded to the Na'vi woman when she explained she wasn't supposed to be here. He understood that she couldn't let anyone find out about this, and looked down at the hull next to him. He didn't expect her to continue on to say she would try to change her people's minds, and he looked back up in surprise when she did. She didn't sound particularly enthusiastic about the chances of it working to him, but it was something.

He smiled faintly at the promise, and gave her a slow nod that was rather reminiscent of a bow. "Thank you," he said appreciatively, glancing upward a little to glimpse the sky above them, "I know you owe me nothing, and I truly mean it. Thank you. And... be careful... I don't want you to get in trouble for trying to help me." After that, he was silent for a little while, and he looked around at the nature that surrounded him.

"Your world is beautiful. Even more beautiful than I ever imagined," he told her, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply through his nose, then slowly exhaled. Being able to breathe unfiltered and yet still truly fresh air was still so new to him.

[MidnaPhobia]

Nearae smiled slightly as the boy thanked her. It was true that she owed him nothing, and really had no reason to do this. But she wanted to. She felt like if everyone walked around not helping each other simply because there was no reason to then the world would become a truly horrible place. Just because he was not one of them did not mean he did not share their values. When Ethan spoke again Nearae turned to look at him, watching him as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths of the air.

The world he had come from was so strange to her, she could not even fathom what it must be like. “It is beautiful.” Nearae agreed softly, taking the time to look at the world around her. It was strange how she never really noticed how beautiful the world was until it was pointed out by someone else. “But it is also very dangerous. You have been wise to stay by your... ship.” She said slowly forming the word again. “I’d advise doing so until you know a little more about the creatures here. However I am unsure what you intend to do about food and water.” She added with a bit of concern.

[Draco_James]

Ethan let his eyes slowly open again, his gaze fixing on her as she spoke. He knew this place was dangerous, and luckily not yet from first hand experience. Viperwolves - or nantang, he reminded himself, realizing he should get used to thinking of things in terms of their Na'vi names - were among the smaller threatening creatures he was aware of. Even they would no doubt tear him apart if given the chance, and he would probably be able to offer little resistance if they tried.

"I know about some creatures. Enough to realize I would not survive alone in the forest with shelter, at least" he told her, patting the hull slightly again, "Water will not be a problem for some time." He briefly considered explaining why that was, but realized he barely knew how to explain how the ship got water from the air in English, let alone how to say it in terms available in the Na'vi tongue.

"I had hoped there would be plants nearby I could use as food, at least for now," he added a little hesitantly, wondering if he was being naive to think he could survive off what was in the area.

[MidnaPhobia]

Nearae nodded slowly as the boy replied to her question and smiled slightly. “There are.” She agreed finally. “But there are almost many extremely poisonous ones, ones that would kill you in a matter of minutes and ones that have no cure. Taking the risk of choosing the wrong one is not one I would personally take. You would need a very thorough knowledge of the vegetation you are considering eating before you attempt to do so.” But a small smile crossed her face and she looked up and around for a while before pointing out a tree which had many large plump purple fruits hanging from it.

“Those are safe to eat.” The Na’vi informed him. “If you are going to learn our ways we may as well start now right? So those are safe to eat.” She then pointed out another three plants relatively close to that and informed Ethan that although they would not kill him they would cause him to be incredibly sick for a day or so. Nearae then proceeded to point out another half dozen plants that were dangerous and only three more within sight that were safe to eat. “That should be enough to keep you going for now.” The girl informed him, standing and jumping off the ship and walking over to Illarion. “I have to leave now or people may begin to wonder where I’ve gone.”

[Draco_James]

Ethan frowned a bit when she spoke of the many poisonous and deadly plants around. He didn't even realize at this point that his ears and tail, too, were reacting to display his emotions. For a moment it seemed like she was going to leave it at that, but the smile caught his attention, and he cocked his head to the side just slightly as she looked around. When she spoke again, he followed the line of her arm to the tree she was indicating.

He stared at it in an attempt to burn the image into his mind, while repeating the word 'good' in his head a few times. Under normal circumstances this might have seemed a little ridiculous, but the information she was offering him wasn't the sort of thing he could afford to forget. He repeated this as she showed him more plants, mostly ones to avoid. Between the four different ones she'd pointed out as being edible, though, it seemed he wouldn't be going hungry. He was still looking at the last one to memorize what it looked like when she stood and got down from the ship.

He stood, too, but didn't move to get back down yet. "Of course," he replied, raising his voice slightly as she got further away, "Thank you again. For everything. I... I hope I'll get to see you again before too long." She'd already done quite a bit for him - if it wasn't for the advice she'd just given him, he might have been dead inside the hour. With some luck, maybe he'd get another chance with the Na'vi after all, thanks to her.