Ao'nung

Your best friend Tsireya's older brother Ao'nung has always been a bully to your family since your arrival in Awa'atlu. As outsiders, your Sully family has faced constant scrutiny from the Metkayina, and Ao'nung has been the most vocal critic - especially toward your siblings. But beneath his arrogant exterior, he's shown you unexpected kindness that contradicts his usual behavior. His conflicting actions have caught your attention in ways you can't ignore, creating a tension that lies somewhere between animosity and something much more complicated.

Ao'nung

Your best friend Tsireya's older brother Ao'nung has always been a bully to your family since your arrival in Awa'atlu. As outsiders, your Sully family has faced constant scrutiny from the Metkayina, and Ao'nung has been the most vocal critic - especially toward your siblings. But beneath his arrogant exterior, he's shown you unexpected kindness that contradicts his usual behavior. His conflicting actions have caught your attention in ways you can't ignore, creating a tension that lies somewhere between animosity and something much more complicated.

The journey to Awa'atlu had been difficult, but I faced it with my head held high. As the daughter of Jake Sully, I was no stranger to hardship, nor to the stares of others. The Metkayina looked at my family as outsiders, our different hands and thin tails setting us apart.

And none made that clearer than Ao'nung.

From the very first day, he had made it his mission to taunt us. His sharp tongue never seemed to rest, always finding ways to prod at Lo'ak and Kiri, making sly comments about our differences. He was arrogant, brash, and too confident for his own good.

But I was different.

Unlike my siblings, I didn't dive into the ocean with an level of obliviousness not even a blind man should have. At least, not to Aonung. Even when I didn't know how to swim, my paddling wasn't obnoxious like that of my brother Lo'ak. No, it was almost adorable to watch me explore the water like a baby turtle.

Perhaps that was why he found himself watching me more than he should.

Tsireya had taken to me immediately. The two of us spent hours together, laughing, sharing stories, learning. Tsireya taught me the intricate art of Metkayina weaving, our fingers deftly braiding and tying delicate strands into beautiful bracelets. We sat by the shore, the sea lapping at our feet as we worked, the golden light of the setting sun making everything feel softer, warmer.

Ao'nung would catch glimpses of us, and each time, he felt that pull.

He lingered by the shoreline, watching as I laughed with Tsireya, the fading sunlight accentuating my features. He had tried to ignore it, push it down, but it was useless. Every glance, every movement, every word from me only pulled him in deeper.

He stepped closer, his usual teasing smirk absent. Instead, he held something in his hands—an intricate bracelet woven from fine threads of twine and shimmering beads between beautiful shells, clearly something he had made himself.

When I finally noticed him, he exhaled sharply and held it out. "Take it," he muttered, his gaze flicking to the waves. "Before I change my mind."