It was an age since Nima had seen the girl, busy as they both kept themselves. Nima, flying overhead, folded her glider and dropped into a landing, her delighted expression giving way to one of more sober interest as she got a better look at Kaya.
"You look so different." She held Kaya's bluer-than-before gaze with her own dark grey eyes and didn't let it go. Her expression was somewhere between bewildered and entranced. "You are different."
She let go of her staff, reaching out to take Kaya's hands.
Kaya felt a thrill of happiness in her. She had never gotten to hang out and have one with Nima as she wished, having had her duties in the med bay, but she hadn't give up hope they would see each other again. As it turned out, she met her now, after reaching a point where she found herself in a happier stronger place.
"Yes," she said, smiling, "you could say that. I'm finally starting to let some things go. Where have you been, Nima? I hardly get to see you!"
She took her hands willingly, transferring (unbeknownst to her)some of that feeling of lowered inhibition to her airbender friend.
"I know. It seems like there's so much to do, I never have enough time to see everyone I want."
As a woman very in touch with her emotions and very conscious of her own lack of inhibitions, Nima immediately identifies that the rush of elation that overcomes her is not hers. For a moment she looks dazed - then she decides to go with it anyway. She leans in to kiss Kaya gently on the lips, giving the girl ample time to turn her cheek instead.
For some reason I had this particular icon which I've never been able to use until nowkaya_waterwaveNovember 6 2011, 23:57:51 UTC
"Me neither, Kaya admitted, but not with the usual melancholy. "But I know what I need to do to make sure I do have the time. I'll wait a day, and then I'll start to get my affairs in order. I feel like I've neglected some things for too long."
So she was able to feel it, all on her own? Kaya was envious of the airbenders, or at least Nima's sect. she had so rarely gotten to see Nima in action, to find her able to do this was a great surprise, and made her wish the two had more time to talk with each other.
The kiss that came, however, was slow enough that Kaya could have moved away, or gone to the cheek, but Kaya did not. This was, after all, likely some way airbenders might communicate their feelings. It wasn't too dissimilar from Starfire, after all.
The kiss is surprisingly chaste, for such an intimate gesture. Nima presses her lips against Kaya's gently, squeezing the younger girl's hands. The gesture is affectionate, but exceedingly simple. Nima pulls back, smiling.
"The last time I saw you, you were like a young girl in a village with several roads leading onward. Now you are like a woman who is walking one of those roads. You're so different from before."
Kaya had expected it to be: this was, after all, probably something like a greeting, a thing she would not have even been surprised the BG wouldn't have done. Besides, she could sense from Nima that it was a gesture of affection more than anything.
"I have had a lot happen in such a small amount of time," Kaya admitted. "And what I was doing, after all of this, was coming to terms with what I was trying to forget. Life changes, no matter what we want to stay static in ourselves. And I'll change a little more too."
"I hope I will get to see you make many more positive changes as our journey continues. I wish I knew you well enough to ask what they were now, but I will fix that so that I can ask in the future."
The juvenile glowsloths have required such attention that she hasn't had as much time for socialization. Perhaps now that they're a little more settled, she can see her friends more outside the Drunken Dragon.
"And I am very well, thank you for asking. My herd is doing well. They'll be laying soon, and we'll have fresh eggs and milk again."
And egg custard! Such a delicious fleeting earthly pleasure.
"They've made a lot of wool for the clothiers as well. I am so happy to be able to care for them. They're not the bison I'm used to, but -"
Nima shrugs, smiling, though her smile is touched with a tinge of melancholy. Sometimes, she DOES deeply miss the bison she knows so well.
"They're beautiful animals. It's a privilege to be able to care for them. They bring me such happiness."
Kaya nodded. "If you want to know how I'm progressing Nima, all you need to do is ask. To be honest, you and I have a similarity in that we are both from the same world but all of the others here don't know us. I'm glad that they're doing better, but they don't talk to me much, after all. I'm sort of a stranger, and a fake Katara for a little while."
Not something she really liked thinking about. So back to Nima!
"I'm glad to see you've been able to cultivate the animals, especially when they're not from our world! I have a space dog, but I can't really call her a pet, or even say I own her. It's more accurate to say we understand each other, and she's loyal to me."
She smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that. I'd love to hear more about what you've done on the ship! It's really been awhile."
It WAS a long story, and not one that Kaya particularly liked reliving, not when you counted all that time thinking one thing and then finding out something else. On the other hand, there was still the experiences that she lived through in Katara's eyes. She had always wondered what things her teacher had weathered in her life, and now she had a good idea
( ... )
"Oh no, I bought them on XaXing. I thought they'd make a good addition to the ship, and since they produced both milk and eggs, they'd be especially helpful if any other people woke up who don't eat meat." Nima looked mildly uncomfortable. "I still don't know if the slop Stacy makes is vegetarian or not."
But a sister's gotta eat something, and she can't go hogging all of the crop harvests.
"I've been shearing their wool and giving it to the clothmakers. I'm sure they're doing something nice with it, but all ask Rarity and Rein to make something special for you, when I can give them some milk and eggs in exchange. Of course, I'm not sure Rarity would enjoy either of those at all -"
Kaya shuddered. "You know, I don't think I've ever asked, and I probably never will. But I do think its a good idea though: I don't eat a while lot of meat myself, just fish and soups when I can. It reminds me of home. I just always save a little bit of money every time we go to another planet."
Granted, she did have seal blubber back then, but that hadn't been too often, and she had only really started eating meat after she left the Northern Poles.
Kaya looked grateful, and thought of the two people she had mentioned. "I've only talked with Rarity a little whole, but she's a pony, isn't she? Wouldn't she prefer hay or something like that? "
Oh well. Question for another day.
"And you sister, can I do anything to repay you?" She asked. "You can talk with me about anything too, if you want."
At that Nima sighed. "Oh my dear friend. Thank you for asking. An air nomad can expect to travel a long way from home, and for a long time, but until now, I always knew where to find home if I needed it. If I had questions, wherever I was, a brother or sister was never far away."
She lowered her head, her mood very suddenly solemn. "I am young and unwise, and I have so many questions that I can't ask my sisters. I pray to the universe for guidance, but sometimes I don't always understand the answers when I see them."
She squeezed Kaya's hands, moving in to hug her. "Thank you for asking, though. It helps to admit it to someone."
"I know it can't have been easy to deal with all the information abut the airbender, and I've been trying to find you to talk about that. It's not any easier in that way for me either. I'm happy I have friends here."
She was also happy to have met a female airbender, jut because she was curious about how thing were for them at the time when there were still plenty of them around.
"I'm not one to say I know the universe, but I have had times where I have at least glimpsed into thing that made me a better person. If there's anything you learn when the universe gives you answers is that you have many more questions."
With her worries off her chest, Nima smiled again. "One thing I don't have questions about is whether or not I'm glad to be here."
She held onto Kaya, comforted by the contact with her friend. "I was sad, when I heard what happened to my people in your time . . . but if I'm here, Brother Aang and I can't be the only airbenders who were saved. It's easier to just let my other questions be, when I think about the tragedy we've avoided. And when I think about how happy I am to have met my friends here, friends like you."
Kaya looked surprised. "I think you're the only person I've heard actually say that of our group. Granted, Katara said it, but I expect her to be optimistic anyway. The boys have all had a rough time of it, and Mai, well, she just shuts most things out. It's been difficult, for all of us, but I try to keep myself going."
Aang, she knew, had the worst time of it, but she was sure that he would talk to Nima about that on his own terms.
She smiled. "I hope you do find the answers to the questions you're looking for. Being here, with all these people and learning about them gives me hope that this war will be over in time. I've seen a lot of people find their own happiness here, one way or another. Who knows?Maybe after this is over, we can start anew in our world, or in another one."
It was an age since Nima had seen the girl, busy as they both kept themselves. Nima, flying overhead, folded her glider and dropped into a landing, her delighted expression giving way to one of more sober interest as she got a better look at Kaya.
"You look so different." She held Kaya's bluer-than-before gaze with her own dark grey eyes and didn't let it go. Her expression was somewhere between bewildered and entranced. "You are different."
She let go of her staff, reaching out to take Kaya's hands.
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"Yes," she said, smiling, "you could say that. I'm finally starting to let some things go. Where have you been, Nima? I hardly get to see you!"
She took her hands willingly, transferring (unbeknownst to her)some of that feeling of lowered inhibition to her airbender friend.
Reply
As a woman very in touch with her emotions and very conscious of her own lack of inhibitions, Nima immediately identifies that the rush of elation that overcomes her is not hers. For a moment she looks dazed - then she decides to go with it anyway. She leans in to kiss Kaya gently on the lips, giving the girl ample time to turn her cheek instead.
Reply
So she was able to feel it, all on her own? Kaya was envious of the airbenders, or at least Nima's sect. she had so rarely gotten to see Nima in action, to find her able to do this was a great surprise, and made her wish the two had more time to talk with each other.
The kiss that came, however, was slow enough that Kaya could have moved away, or gone to the cheek, but Kaya did not. This was, after all, likely some way airbenders might communicate their feelings. It wasn't too dissimilar from Starfire, after all.
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"The last time I saw you, you were like a young girl in a village with several roads leading onward. Now you are like a woman who is walking one of those roads. You're so different from before."
Reply
"I have had a lot happen in such a small amount of time," Kaya admitted. "And what I was doing, after all of this, was coming to terms with what I was trying to forget. Life changes, no matter what we want to stay static in ourselves. And I'll change a little more too."
She smiled. "Has that ship treated you well?"
Reply
The juvenile glowsloths have required such attention that she hasn't had as much time for socialization. Perhaps now that they're a little more settled, she can see her friends more outside the Drunken Dragon.
"And I am very well, thank you for asking. My herd is doing well. They'll be laying soon, and we'll have fresh eggs and milk again."
And egg custard! Such a delicious fleeting earthly pleasure.
"They've made a lot of wool for the clothiers as well. I am so happy to be able to care for them. They're not the bison I'm used to, but -"
Nima shrugs, smiling, though her smile is touched with a tinge of melancholy. Sometimes, she DOES deeply miss the bison she knows so well.
"They're beautiful animals. It's a privilege to be able to care for them. They bring me such happiness."
Reply
Not something she really liked thinking about. So back to Nima!
"I'm glad to see you've been able to cultivate the animals, especially when they're not from our world! I have a space dog, but I can't really call her a pet, or even say I own her. It's more accurate to say we understand each other, and she's loyal to me."
She smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that. I'd love to hear more about what you've done on the ship! It's really been awhile."
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But a sister's gotta eat something, and she can't go hogging all of the crop harvests.
"I've been shearing their wool and giving it to the clothmakers. I'm sure they're doing something nice with it, but all ask Rarity and Rein to make something special for you, when I can give them some milk and eggs in exchange. Of course, I'm not sure Rarity would enjoy either of those at all -"
Reply
Granted, she did have seal blubber back then, but that hadn't been too often, and she had only really started eating meat after she left the Northern Poles.
Kaya looked grateful, and thought of the two people she had mentioned. "I've only talked with Rarity a little whole, but she's a pony, isn't she? Wouldn't she prefer hay or something like that? "
Oh well. Question for another day.
"And you sister, can I do anything to repay you?" She asked. "You can talk with me about anything too, if you want."
Reply
She lowered her head, her mood very suddenly solemn. "I am young and unwise, and I have so many questions that I can't ask my sisters. I pray to the universe for guidance, but sometimes I don't always understand the answers when I see them."
She squeezed Kaya's hands, moving in to hug her. "Thank you for asking, though. It helps to admit it to someone."
Reply
She was also happy to have met a female airbender, jut because she was curious about how thing were for them at the time when there were still plenty of them around.
"I'm not one to say I know the universe, but I have had times where I have at least glimpsed into thing that made me a better person. If there's anything you learn when the universe gives you answers is that you have many more questions."
Reply
She held onto Kaya, comforted by the contact with her friend. "I was sad, when I heard what happened to my people in your time . . . but if I'm here, Brother Aang and I can't be the only airbenders who were saved. It's easier to just let my other questions be, when I think about the tragedy we've avoided. And when I think about how happy I am to have met my friends here, friends like you."
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Aang, she knew, had the worst time of it, but she was sure that he would talk to Nima about that on his own terms.
She smiled. "I hope you do find the answers to the questions you're looking for. Being here, with all these people and learning about them gives me hope that this war will be over in time. I've seen a lot of people find their own happiness here, one way or another. Who knows?Maybe after this is over, we can start anew in our world, or in another one."
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