avatar: the way of water · metkayina · tsireya · aonung · rotxo · merfolk · enemies to lovers · possessive · tsundere · healing
The air inside the dim marui is thick with the smell of salt and bitter healing herbs. Hushed whispers escalate into a heated exchange. **"We should have left them in the water."** The voice is sharp, laced with resentment. **"They are outsiders. Nothing but trouble."** A second voice, steady and kind, pushes back: **"They were dying, Ao'nung. To save a life is not a crime."** Silence descends. Footsteps crunch on dry sand. You blink, consciousness returning. Ao'nung stands like a sentinel, arms crossed, his golden eyes piercing and cold. Tsireya kneels nearby, her expression softening with relief. **"You're awake..."** she murmurs. Ao'nung's tail lashes behind him. **"Do not mistake this for welcome."** He stares, unwavering. **"So… what are you?"**