Spitfire [Open | PM]

[Riley]

Of course something like this would happen to her, her entire family's luck was cursed by this planet, this stupid little moon. Three years she was asleep while her Avatar was supposed to be maturing, growing into something she could use, if only they had caught the malfunction earlier. As it was, however, Riley allowed herself to be stuck in her dwarfed human body to attempt to do her job. Her impatience pushed her to request that the body be activated prematurely, it might not have been full grown but at least it could move around in the jungle without having to wear a stupid mask.

Her bulky Exopack was the first thing to go as Riley arrived on the planet. As a biological engineer it hadn't taken her long to develop something more to her style and taste. The full face mask was replaced by a solid form fitting piece of blue plastic that covered only her mouth and nose while the heavy pack with backup tank was removed. The filter she carried with her now was small and compact, its filter only lasting days rather than the Exopack's weeks but it was attached directly to the side of her mask. It was better to have no hoses to get caught. Her eyes, still needing protection from the Hydrogen sulfide sported a pair of aerodynamic filtered goggles, but the separation seemed to prove a fix for the masks tenancy to feel bulky.

Stuffing an Emergency Oxygen Supply in her bag just incase, why did she even bother? She was a human, fit for Earth and why anyone would have wanted to come here, to a place they were dominant and didn't belong was beyond her. Perhaps Earth had lost so much of it's nature, its wilderness that she came here to regain it. Certainly the lower gravity was a nice addition, her body here only weighed 96 pounds on this moon. Her legs, used to her mass being closer to 120 found it easier to vault her body forward, but the loss of traction was also an issue to be considered. Her shoes hovered a moment above her open pack, if she added anything that wasn't necessary, it would weigh her down.

Besides, she was already out here, in the middle of the Pandora jungle and with any luck she have lost the rest of her team at least a mile back. Yes, it was breaking rule number one of never going off alone, but the aliens of this planet didn't scare her. Perhaps she had a death wish, or even was too ignorant to care, but she felt fluid in her body and held every ounce of confidence in it possible. As for her stuff.. if all else failed she could come back to get her equipment. As it was now, she felt the need to get a better look of her surroundings. If the jungles here were anything like the jungles of the once existent rain forest, most of it's life forms would live above the floor.

Storing the large duffle bag that had come with her at the base of a large tree, she slung the smaller backpack over her shoulders and clipped it twice around her torso. Looking up she smiled at the challenge that would be reaching her destination, wherever it was. With a few steps back to get a running start, she dug her toes into the mossy ground to keep traction.

Running at the trunk of the tree, she jumped up, placing a foot solid against the bark. Pushing up again and out, she reached out for a limb that hung no more than ten feet off the ground. Hanging on for a moment as she used her core to stop the swinging, she then pulled herself up, the branch's mossy covering lighting bright green in protest of her touch. Did it do that to all creatures here, or just the alien ones? She didn't have much time to ponder, she was only ten feet off the ground and had every intention of getting higher. If only that Avatar had been ready for her, the height it should have possessed could have touched this branch with no effort, yet here she was climbing the was she once had climbed the city skyline back on Earth.

[Darkness]

All seemed peaceful, even the breeze that flowed through Pandora did not seem harsh compared to the tawtute tempers. Tsyal sat cross legged. Her tail swiftly moved, and her ears flicked to the sound of something moving about. Her eyes where closed, and she breathed in deeply. Below her was the ground. She was about 10 feet up from the ground, sitting upon a limb, listing to the sounds of the animals around her. However she could tell that the sound she hears was not an animal she knew. She opened her eyes, looked around, scanning the area without moving her head. She slowly grabbed her bow and arrow that lay beside her. The sound was close, and what ever it was, was running fast. They where running directly towards her.

Tsyal knew what it was, a tawtute. She stayed low as the human began to climb about. As if they where born to do such things. They did not belong here, and this one just happened to be to close to home. Tsyal felt threatened by this, she did not like the dreamwalkers, or the skypeople who control them. Tsyal knew only one thing. That history will repeat itself. When the humans first came, they promised to not hurt any one or anything. Five years down the track they sent mis-iles or fire arrows as Tsyal called them. All the tawtute brought was pain and suffer, and Tsyal wasn’t going to let any tawtute get close to home tree, nor attack another Na’vi.

Tsyal was very fond of the bow, but she would not kill. She watched the tawtute for sometime. They seemed elite, but not compared to the Na’vi. Tsyal wasn’t going to cause a fight, just simply sent the skyperson packing back to their so called…Camp. Tsyal’s tail flicked side to side, a sign of irration or anger. Although she held it back and drew in a smooth and cool breath. Why did the skypeople act like this? Did they not learn from before? Tsyal stood up and grabbed her bow tightly, but did not aim it at the skyperson. Who are you and what do you think you are doing? she said in a stern but calm voice. Tsyal did not move to the lower ground, but stayed on the limb she had been siting upon.

Tsyal was a humble Na’vi, never doing anything wrong, a warrior of her clan, but not the greatest. She then awaited the skyperson’s attention, and she was ready in case they were to turn and shoot. That’s why she didn’t move to the lower ground. She stayed up in case the skyperson was to shoot her. All she had to do was move behind the safety of the tree’s limbs. If the tawtute did shoot, Tsyal had rights to shoot back, for protection of her clan, but even doing so made her feel sick.

She wasn’t your angry killer Na’vi, she was a Na’vi only the feral Na’vi’s where dangerous. Tsyal would lead the skyperson far away from this place if something was to go wrong. However, Tsyal knew the skyperson language and she also knew Na’vi of course. Though Tsyal was always prepared, she was a warrior and always made sure she was alert of what could happen.

Character: Tsyal Tsamsiyu
Music:
Ooc: hope you don’t mind her coming in ;D

[Riley]

Keeping her momentum Riley ran along the branch, vaulting over what seemed to be a mossy mound along the middle. With all its similarities to what Earth once was, some things on this moon still made no sense. It felt oddly natural though, a simulation of a biological high. This environment made her feel feral, powerful and surprisingly… in her element. She could out run any human here, especially the ones that had become soft over the years. The scientists, the descendants of lazy trailer park trash or even the military personnel that relied too heavily on their machines.

Riley wouldn’t let that happen to her, as she ran along the thick lower hanging branches, her height above the forest floor fluctuating between 10 and 20 feet, she couldn’t find the opportunity she needed to get higher. In this place size was so proportionally different than Earth. If she wanted to explore the canopy she would have to get hundreds of feet up, not a dozen, The vines she had once seen the six legged lemurs use didn’t seem to be bountiful in this neck of the woods either, so she kept pace, running along these lower branches until she found the opportunity she needed.

Who are you and what do you think you are doing?

Stopping her momentum as she heard the voice, Riley crouched down and slid along the mossy brach. She stayed down in this position until her eyes caught the sight of the Na’vi that had spoken to her. Alone? It seemed that way, but Riley’s ears listened out for others. The branch the blue alien stood on was only a foot or so higher than her own, but Riley could see the advantage it would give; if the Na’vi were to take it. This one hadn’t even aimed an arrow at her. Not to say the Na’vi weren’t something to fear, the arrows were practically as long as she was tall, tipped with poison and sharp enough to pass straight through her.

Standing to an upright position, Riley took a small step toward the trunk of the tree. She could jump behind the thick trunk if the alien decided to shoot. With that security a smirk crossed her covered lips, her body language relaxing in a mocking tone. “I’m a scientist; I don’t believe anything else is your business.” Turning her nose up with a bit of superiority, even if she did explain what she was doing to this thing it wouldn’t understand. At least it knew English though, Riley hadn’t exactly been an ‘A’ student with the Na’vi language. Nouns were fine and easy, but she never cared enough to learn the full language.

[Darkness]

The calling of most of Pandora beasts seemed to go silent. Nothing but the cool breeze could be felt and heard. The plantation softly touches each other, Tsyal’s ears flick to the sounds. Her tail flicked side to side, not in anger, but some what annoyed. She kept her cool, she didn’t wish to be rude, let alone cause a riot. Perhaps the tawtute was lucky to have run into her, instead of another Na’vi. Lately the skypeople had come closer and closer to the home tree and some Na’vi are afraid, and when one becomes afraid they use their weapons. Either way all Na’vi knew that skypeople did not belong on Pandora.

Tsyal understood well, but she hated the fact that skypeople did not care, nor respect. They took these samples they called, and they walked in dreamwalkers. It seemed like the same thing would happen again. A storm would grow and there would be damage, to the hearts of many Na’vi. However Tsyal grasped her bow, watching the human avoid being aimed at after standing up. Standing close to the trunk of the tree like Tsyal had done. However Tsyal did not pull the string and line the arrow up. She placed the arrow on her back, so the string faced forward and the bow made from the wood of home tree faced behind her. If she needed to make a quick grab for it, she could, and if she needed to move and could not, she would use her knife attached to her side on her hip.
Her hair was all braided, and the hair had been pushed to the left side, so that the right side of her head where the hair should be seemed like it had been shaved off. It was Tsyal’s tradition; it was how her father has his hair, so Tsyal did the same thing, in honor for her father.

Tsyal sighed softly as the tawtute spoke. Tsyal only cared for the earth she walked on, and how everything would affect the rest of the Na’vi. It was her job to look out for any outsiders, and she happened to stumble upon them, though Tsyal would not kill, only get the tawtute to move out of the area. Then she softly parted her hued lips. "To you it may seem like no Na’vi to question you. However this is our home land, and I ask you kindly, why do you adventure so far out here? " She softly said in a calm and relaxed tone. Tsyal was tempted to lower herself down, but she did not trust this one, not at all. However to find out more of why the skypeople had came back was something that plagued on Tsyal’s mind, though in time she knew her question would be answered. Tsyal swished her tail side to side, watching the skyperson with her golden eyes. However she had seen the tawtute in their dreamwalkers, but this one was without theirs, and why was that?

The skyperson should feel lucky that they ran into Tsyal, some Na’vi would have killed them on the spot. Tsyal could not hurt anything living, not even a tawtute, unless it was of course necessary. Standing tall upon the limb she stood upon, watching the tawtute, Tsyal had to ask herself, was there more then one? She could not hear anyothers coming, and she hoped not. She knew what the tawtute could do, and she didn’t want to end up as some sort of kidnapped Na’vi, locked up.
Tsyal heard stories once before of a Na’vi that had escaped from been locked up. The humans said they were going to study them, but took most of their freedom away, and until the war was over, there was much loss, much blood that did not need to be bled.

Tsyal would smile, but she didn’t, she did not trust this skyperson, all she wanted to do was direct them to the right place so they didn’t end up with their head on a stick. Normally Tsyal would avoid contact with skypeople, however seems like things have changed, just a bit for the moment.

Character: Tsyal Tsamsiyu
Theme: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd8GEWV3F8c&feature=related
Ooc: xx

[/blockquote]

[Riley]

With a glance up to the canopy Riley could hear the difference, the sudden silence that seemed to surround them. The tension between the two species wouldn't help to her research if the environment could sense it and bail out. She wanted to see the scene as if it didn't see her in return. Everything, except perhaps the Na'vi and other various lizard type creatures on this planet seemed to have six functioning limbs. Why did the Na'vi only have four? How did the other creatures function so well with six? These were things she wanted to know and the only way to find out was to learn.

Not the way some of the scientists from Earth wanted to learn, the ones that drove their Avatars and asked the Na'vi. No in her eyes this was much like Columbus stepping off his ship and asking the Native Americans how a coyote's respiratory system worked. She was a new age John Smith and it was her right to explore the new world.

"To you it may seem like no Na’vi to question you. However this is our home land, and I ask you kindly, why do you adventure so far out here?

Riley's eyes scanned the area around her. Was she really considered far out there? She had only gone as far as she had to leave the others behind. Solo ops were restricted and Riley disliked most humans as much as she disliked the Na'vi. She also had no intentions of going back. So what if she was close to their "Home Land"? There was one Na'vi and one Human, what kind of claim was that? Then again, she didn't want to have to involve anyone else.

Reaching up she removed the goggles from her eyes, resting them against her forehead before looking back at the tall blue alien. It was uncomfortable, like opening your eyes underwater in a chlorinated pool. but it wouldn't do sever damage. Besides wouldn't this make it easier to seem non threatening? Despite how much Riley would prefer to bear her teeth and snarl, this was a better option.

"There's a reason the camp is given a wide berth." She said, gesturing with a small wave of her arms away from her body. Glancing around at the forrest before back at the Na'vi she raised an eyebrow. Would the alien understand? "This is nature" pointing her finger down, signaling the area. "This, is what I came to see."

Holding her arms out from her body again she obviously wasn't packing heat so this little scout could go back to her troop with no worries. In fact the worst Riley even carried with her was a sandwich and a geiger counter.

[Darkness]

If Tsyal returned back with a tatwute, she would be dead. They are the same, no change, that’s how all Na’vi see it. Some take things to a harsher way of dealing with them, but here, in the forest, these dreamwalkers, or even these tawtue come here, seeking more and more about the biological ways of life in Pandora. Seeking an answer to why the Na’vi where so tawtute like, how they developed through evolution, and why the appeared so different compared to the other beasts of Pandora. Tsyal was kind, respectful, and respected. It was here job to keep many intruders out, but she was not meant to be doing her job.

No, Tsyal came here to meditate, to prepare her for the day and all it may hold, and not to bump into a tawtute and rain hell down upon them. One single arrow could doom the low life creature that walked upon a word they could not even breathe. Tsyal saw much disrespect in them, but she was Tsyal, and she had to respect the fact that the tawtute where also living organisms themselves. Much like the Na’vi, but smaller and holding a pale color. However Tsyal knew the rules, no intruders were to come to home tree, and many Na’vi would have had this tawtutes head on the tip of their spear by now. When the Tawtute made their gestures and seemed to be less threatening Tsyal could tell that they were not too familiar with Na’vi ways. Tsyal could have laughed, but she didn’t. She listened to the tawtute, calmed herself down and took in notes of how the tawtute spoke. Tsyal knew English, and most of the ways the tawtute have come to be what they are. The Tawtute seemed less threatening, so Tsyal took the next step, lowering herself down to the ground in a careful manner.

Her feet touched the ground smoothly. She enjoyed the feeling of the muse under her feet. IT was a calming feeling. Tsyal wasn’t armed; in fact she would have been considered a good target. She was coming to understand the humans bit by bit. ”You are lucky” Tsyal said in a low and calm voice, but loud enough for the tawtute to hear. Her head then looked up into the higher canopies of the forest, wondering if she was being watched by a fellow Na’vi. Tsyal swished her tail side to side and then looked back to the tawtute. ”You come so far without another. Strange. However your glade to be still alive.” Saying calmly, still looking between every limb of the forest. ”My name is Tsyal. If it wasn’t for me, you would have been dead. Many Na’vi lookouts parole this area, and if they see you, they shoot you with an arrow, dooming your life. But I’m not like that.”

Tsyal said, placing her left hand upon her chest in a respectful way. ”Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot?” Tsyal said using tawtute language or idioms as they are called. ”I Mean not disrespect, but there is much tension between our two races as you can imagine. However I must ask.” Tsyal started looking at the small tawtute who stood a fair distance. ”Why do you walk with out your dreamwalker?” Tsyal said in the best way she could. She meant “Why was the tawtute not in their dreamwalker” however Tsyal was still secretly learning more words of the Tawtute. Tsyal could still hear silence, but there was less tension, or so she believed, but she didn’t wish to be the first dead Na’vi killed by a tawtute. Her ears seemed to flick to the sounds around her, but her golden eyes were focused on the tawtute before her, waiting for their answer.

OOC: Soz for the long wait

[Nihet'tai]

Moving almost without a sound through the trees, her agile body allowing her to swing from branch to branch, she lands on a mid level branch of a tree, she hears something... Faint, but it is definitely audible even at the distance she is from the skyperson and the Na'vi speaking to her. She crouches down and places both hands on the branch for stability reasons. Black and gold eyes lock onto the two, ears perking up and forward to listen to the two of them. She has no reason to harm the skyperson... Yet, for she believes as long as they cause no harm, no need to inflict harm, but she is appropriately cautious - as their kind has caused grave harm to the forest and the Na'vi as a whole.

To her, it is amusing in a way, that one could be so naive about all that is around them and all this skypeople seem to care about is sticking metal probes in the roots of trees, foolish to her. Bow kept securely around her back, she has no use for violence... yet. Nihet'tai's tail flicks from side to side, aiding her in keeping her balance in the trees. Falling would not look good at all for the skilled warrior and huntress. Keen ears picking most of the words exchanged between the two, despite the fact she is about fifty to seventy five feet away from the conversing pair.

She moves slowly, jumping from one tree branch to the next, to get closer to the two. She is simply interested in observing their interactions, she always likes to see how individuals interact with each other, it is just in her nature. She remains quiet other than the soft noises her hands and feet make when connecting with the next branch and getting her body situated so she can stay on the branch as well as watch the skyperson and the Na'vi she speaks with.

She remains silent, for now, she is just interested in the goings on between the two. She finds the language of the skypeople amusing it's own right, it's different and "clumsy" if you will to her, but alas, she is also easily entertained. Her ears perked up to listen to them now, since she can hear them much better now, being only about twenty five feet from the pair, but well up into the tree where one would actually have to look for the eavesdropping female Na'vi.

[OOC: I hope you don't mind me joining, I'm new]

[Riley]

Lucky? Riley tried her best not to scoff. The Na'vi had good ambush skills, and of course Riley would admit their physical attributes were an advantage with a fight, but their skills on this world were once held by the native people of Earth. Before the cities and technology human beings were more agile and able to move about their environment. Riley had trained herself in the art of parkour for over a decade in the harsher gravity of Earth, becoming as agile as her ancestors once were. There was smog there, and her feet had met with hard concrete. They thought they were so physically superior in their soft murky forrest? Shooting Riley with an arrow hidden away held as much talent as a sniper sitting behind the safety of friendly lines. It was cheap.

But did this Na'vi expect her to come down from her branch as well? The thought of standing on the same ground was uncomfortable. They would not stand eye to eye and as primal as it was, Riley hated the feeling of having to look up. Rather, she paced along the length of the branch, feeling it was safe enough to leave the safety of the trunk. She was comfortable on the branch, reguardless of the fact that she lacked a tail. She didn't need the help with her balance and hadn't for 23 years. Besides, the Na'vi weren't known for being sadistic. If it wanted a fight it would have initiated one, not try to lure her in.

"Tsyal" she repeated, acknowledging that it was a she, and she had a name. She could have laughed when asked why she didn't have an Avatar. Was it because the other less competent scientists scientists screwed up somewhere in the years it took to get to this moon? Yes, but at the same time, she had the option to take it out prematurely. To live in a youthful body, but it would take time to learn and relearn to move the way she did there. Adolescents were usually very awkward to be and Riley enjoyed feeling fluid too much to give it up. She would have the Avatar, maybe in a year, maybe less, but she would wait for it.

"It isn't ready," she answered simply. Looking back the way she had come, she knew an Avatar didn't make you more fit for this world. Sure you could breathe, but with the party she had left behind they fumbled around this world in those towering blue bodies just as much as they would have in a human one.

Stopping her movements she stayed perfectly still for a moment. Listening to the rest of the forrest. Did they really think so lowly of her? Human hearing wasn't exactly inferior if people took the time to listen. How many things could you notice if you just tried? Just sitting in an office you could hear into other rooms, other floors, even to outside to cars or if it was raining.

Crouching down on her branch she dug her fingers into its side. Hanging down she dropped the extra five feet to the forrest floor. Taking in the lessened shock she bent her legs and was once again in a crouched position. She could get back up to the trees later and it was easier to gain momentum on the ground. "I guess there really are a lot of patrols around here," she said, gesturing up with her eyes but not with her face.