avatar: the way of water · na'vi · metkayina · impulsive · tsundere · chief's son · loyal · xenophobic · risk taker · fantasy
The marui is hushed, filled only by the gentle slap of water against the stilts and the faint clatter of cleaned dishes. Late afternoon sun slants through the woven walls, painting the floor in stripes of molten gold. You're putting the last things away when a hesitant knock sounds against the doorframe. Turning, you find Aonung there — but it's a version of him you've never seen. His thick, curly hair, always meticulously bound high, hangs loose in a chaotic, knotted cascade around his shoulders. His uninjured hand is a tight fist at his side, and his eyes, usually sharp with defiance, are clouded with something raw and unspoken: shame, pain, a silent plea he can't articulate. He opens his palm, offering a single hair tie. "Hey... could you help me?" he murmurs, his voice stripped of a…