Bittersweet duty

so i’ve been thinking, you know how it’s implied that in the movies everyone is speaking na’vi, and we hear it in english because jake understands it now? yes? okay!

so i’m thinking what if this is kind of the same with tamtey, obviously so’lek and other na’vi have learned english but you know with growing up in tap they probably weren’t able to speak in na’vi.

so when tamtey gets out and she’s around other na’vi she’s trying her best to keep up with the conversations but she’s struggling, of course so’lek notices, so every now and then he’ll tap her shoulder or brush against her arm and whisper whatever she needs translated into english.

just imagine her face lighting up and a bright smile directed to so’lek as a thank you! i just find this so sweet!

--- English below! atm this fanfic is only available in German! Translation in progress and waiting for beta reading. Please don’t translate this using AI or without asking first, thank you :-) English is only my second language so constructive feedback on those snippets is always welcome. Thanks! ---

Auf einem Tuch neben Tamtey und Minang ausgebreitet lagen Verbandsmaterialien.

»Was ist mit ihr?«, fragte Ri’nela alarmiert.

»Sie hat Fieber, aber ich kann es nicht erklären. Ihre Wunde ist sauber und trocken.« Minang tauchte ein Tuch ins Wasser und legte es auf Tamteys Stirn.

Tamtey verzog das Gesicht, wachte jedoch nicht auf.

---

»So’lek, wir haben Okul erreicht. Ich stelle den Kontakt her!«, ertönte Teylans Stimme aus den Funkgeräten.

»Kaltxì, So’lek! Wie kann ich euch helfen?«, dröhnte es kurz darauf in So’leks Ohr. Fluchend stellte er das Funkgerät leiser.

»Okul, du brauchst nicht zu schreien, wir hören dich auch so! Rede einfach, als würde ich direkt neben dir stehen.«

Der exzentrische Na’vi war überaus intelligent und für seine Experimentierfreude bekannt, aber mit der menschlichen Technik hatte er seine Probleme.

Priya hatte ihn einmal als »Eichhörnchen auf Koffein« bezeichnet, So’lek hatte allerdings keine Ahnung, was sie damit gemeint hatte.

»Ngaytxoa, ma Eylan. Was ist los?«

***

Bandages were spread out on a cloth next to Tamtey and Minang.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ri’nela asked, alarmed.

“She has a fever, but I can’t explain why. Her wound is clean and dry.” Minang dipped a cloth into the water and placed it on Tamtey’s forehead.

Tamtey winced but didn’t wake up.

---

“So’lek, we’ve reached Okul. I’m establishing contact!” Teylan’s voice rang out over the radios.

“Kaltxì, So’lek! How can I help you?” boomed in So’lek’s ear a moment later. Cursing, he turned down the volume on the radio.

“Okul, you don’t need to yell—we can hear you just fine! Just talk as if I were standing right next to you.”

The eccentric Na’vi was extremely intelligent and known for his love of experimentation, but he had his struggles with human technology.

Priya had once described him as a “squirrel on caffeine,” though So’lek had no idea what she meant by that.

The detail of the camera panning from So’lek to Tamtey, as Ri’nela says “our threads have become entwined.”

Though the afop fandom is separated by father/daughter dynamic vs shipping. I love this detail, and I think it’s really romantic the way they look at each other, I think it says a lot especially when it is only the two that are shown as Ri’nela says this line.

~~~ English below! atm this fanfic is only available in German! Translation in progress. (but partly published already! You can read it here) Please don’t translate this using AI or without asking first, thank you :-) English is only my second language so constructive feedback on those snippets is always welcome. Thanks! ~~~

»Ich bin sehr dankbar, dass ich ein Teil eurer Reise sein darf.«

»Ich bin auch dankbar, Nalin.« Tamtey griff nach ihrem Weberbeutel.

»Vorsicht, er hat einen Ri…«, rief Nalin, da fielen schon Tamteys Schnitzwerkzeuge und die Kristalle heraus. Sie griff instinktiv danach und fluchte, als die rasche Bewegung einen Schmerz durch ihre Schulter jagte.

»Warte, ich helfe dir.« Nalin hob die Feilen und Bohrer auf, die Tamtey so gut wie immer bei sich trug.

Sie legte die Werkzeuge auf den Tisch und bückte sich, um die unter das Bett gekullerten bräunlichen Kristalle zu holen.

»Oh, du bearbeitest gerade Bernsteine?« Sie krabbelte hervor und hielt die gelbbraunen Kristalle staunend hoch. »Wo hast du die gefunden?«

---

»Sie stehen für Optimismus und Lebensfreude. Bernstein soll helfen, gute Entscheidungen zu treffen, aber vor allem heißt es, dass er seinen Träger beschützt und ihm Glück bringt. Insofern eine besonders gute Idee, dass du Perlen für dein Lied daraus machen willst. Vielleicht beschützt er dich ja wirklich.«

»Ja, das passt wirklich gut«, stimmte Tamtey zu.

Nalin lachte. »Darf ich?« Sie wartete Tamteys Nicken ab und griff erst dann nach dem Stein, den sie schon bearbeitet hatte. Um ihn zu betrachten, hielt sie ihn gegen das Licht. »Das wird schön«, lobte sie. »Obwohl ich noch nicht mal sagen kann, was es wird. Aber du schleifst ihn gut. Die Stellen, die du bearbeitet hast, fangen das Licht ein und bringen ihn zum Glänzen.«

»Es soll … eine Flamme darstellen, wenn es fertig ist«, gestand Tamtey schließlich zögernd.

Nalin hob die Augenbrauen und deutete auf den zweiten Stein. »Was hast du mit dem vor?«

»Dasselbe«, sagte Tamtey, wobei ihre Stimme leiser wurde. Irgendwie war es nun, da sie die Bedeutung kannte, die Menschen dem Stein zuschrieben, seltsam, darüber nachzudenken, für wen sie die zweite Perle machte.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of your journey.”

“I’m grateful, too, Nalin.” Tamtey reached for her woven bag.

“Careful, it has a …,” Nalin called out, just as Tamtey’s carving tools and crystals began to fall out. She instinctively reached for them and cursed when the sudden movement sent a sharp pain shooting through her shoulder.

“Wait, I’ll help you.” Nalin picked up the filing tools and drills that Tamtey almost always carried with her.

She set the tools on the table and bent down to retrieve the brownish crystals that had rolled under the bed.

“Oh, are you working with amber right now?” Nalin called out from under the bed. She crawled out and held up the yellow-brown crystals in amazement. “Where did you find those?”

---

“They symbolize optimism and a zest for life. Amber is said to help you make good decisions, but above all, it’s said to protect its wearer and bring them good luck. In that sense, it’s a particularly good idea that you want to make beads out of it for your song. Maybe it really will protect you.”

“Yes, that fits really well,” Tamtey agreed.

Nalin laughed. “May I?” She waited for Tamtey to nod before reaching for the stone she had already been working on. She held it up to the light to examine it. “This is going to be beautiful,” she praised. “Even though I can’t even tell what it’s going to be yet. But you’re polishing it well. The parts you’ve worked on catch the light and make it shine.”

“It’s supposed to… represent a flame when it’s finished,” Tamtey finally admitted hesitantly.

Nalin raised her eyebrows and pointed to the second stone. “What are you planning to do with that one?”

The Navi had a tradition of giving gifts to those they loved or their mates. So when it came to your mates, they had taken the chance to give your gifts to show their love and care for you. Even though they might not show you much affection in public, all the time, due to their personality, they still gave you love and gifts when they had the chance. 

So'Lek 

So'Lek had been alone for a long time, and he kept some of his emotions from being experienced. That all changed when he met you and the sarentu; his life changed when he fell in love with you and made you his mate. After you became his mate, So'Lek began planning a gift he wanted to give you to show his love. So he has made you an armband from strings, beads, and flowers. He had worked on it, wishing it to be perfect for you. When it was ready, he gave it to you, and when you saw it, you loved it right away. 

Wukuka 

do you think they gave alma boots to wear so they would not have to make a whole new foot-model for her like they had to do with her hands???

like most of the avatars in the second film are seen with less clothing, like shoes so by extension, alma should have, by then, adapted to living without shoes if she worked with the other avatars and Omatikaya before coming to the west.

~~~ English below! atm this fanfic is only available in German! Translation in progress and waiting for beta reading. Please don’t translate this using AI or without asking first, thank you :-) English is only my second language so constructive feedback on those snippets is always welcome. Thanks! ~~~

Sie lief durch gelben Nebel, wobei sie Rlltìs Spott und So’leks Keuchen folgte.

Immer und immer wieder.

Ihre Wunden schmerzten, machten sie langsam und schwach.

Rlltì tauchte aus dem Yavä auf. Begegnete ihrem Blick. »Zu spät, kleine Bestie.«

Sie erschoss die Räuberin ein weiteres Mal. Diese grinste sie an, selbst im Tod.

Vorhin war sie zu spät gekommen, aber diesmal musste sie es geschafft haben. Sie musste einfach rechtzeitig gekommen sein …

Doch als sie nach So’leks Händen griff, war sein Blick starr.

Als sie seine Wange tätschelte, reagierte er nicht. Als sie ihr Ohr an seine Brust drückte, war es still.

Sie schrie.

---

»Wach doch auf, ma Yawntu!« Die Hände an ihrer Schulter packten fest zu und schüttelten sie.

Tamtey schreckte aus dem Schlaf auf und schrie. Tränen liefen ihr über die Wangen.

»Sìltsan, ma Yawntu.« Weiche Finger strichen ihr über die Wange und sie erkannte Nevika, die sie liebevoll ansah. »Da wollte ich nur kurz nach dir sehen und du schlägst um dich, schreist und weinst. Mein armes Kind, was hast du geträumt?«

Tamtey zitterte und krallte ihre Finger in die dünne Wolldecke, die ihr Minang zum Schlafen gegeben hatte. »Ich …«

***

She ran through the yellow mist, following Rlltì’s taunts and So’lek’s gasping.

Over and over again.

Her wounds ached, slowing her down and sapping her strength.

Rlltì emerged from the Yavä. Their eyes met. “Too late, little beast.”

She shot the raider once more. The woman grinned at her, even in death.

Earlier, she had arrived too late, but this time she must have made it. She simply had to have arrived in time…

But when she reached for So’lek’s hands, his gaze was unwavering.

When she stroked his cheek, he didn’t react. When she pressed her ear to his chest, it was silent.

She screamed.

---

“Wake up, ma Yawntu!” The hands on her shoulders gripped her tightly and shook her.

Tamtey jolted awake and screamed. Tears ran down her cheeks.

“Sìltsan, ma Yawntu.” Soft fingers stroked her cheek, and she recognized Nefika, who was looking at her lovingly. “I just wanted to check on you for a moment, and you’re thrashing about, screaming and crying. My poor child, what did you dream about?”

My male Tamtey and his beautiful wife So'lek but human versions (　・３・)

Neytiri in Avatar the way of water

Neytiri in Avatar fire and ash