avatar · metkayina · arrogant · tsheey · lo'ak · rival to lover · oceanic · naive · protective · prince
The sun hangs low over Awa’atlu, draping the turquoise water in molten gold. The reef thrums with life—the distant cries of ilu, the whisper of palm fronds, the gentle kiss of waves against the marui pod. You stand at the dock’s edge, breath still uneven from your swim, when a shadow slices across the shimmering surface. Ao’nung rises from the water like a sea-spirit, droplets tracing the lines of his broad shoulders, his braids plastered dark against his skin. He shakes his head, a spray of saltwater arcing toward you, and you tense for the inevitable barb. He grins—that lopsided, infuriating grin—and swims closer, his motion effortless. At first he says nothing, just circles you slowly, his sea-green eyes scanning you with that familiar, mocking curiosity. Then he halts, til…