I’d like an Ao’nung x Sully female reader story where Tsireya invites the Sully siblings (except Tuk) to a private party for young Metkayina Na’vi on the island. When they arrive, the Sully reader looks so stunning that Ao’nung and the other young Metkayina warriors can’t stop staring at her. Neteyam notices that the music sounds different from the Omatikaya clan’s songs and says it’s also nothing like Sky People music. Tsireya and the others become curious about Sky People music and ask the Sully siblings to perform a Sky People song and dance. Some songs I had in mind are “Water” by Tyla, “Earned It” by The Weeknd, “Long Way 2 Go” or “2 On” by Cassie, “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, and “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey. but you can pick, mix, or even create a poll. I trust you with my vision!
Make Me Sweat
Summary: At a private beach, known by all Metkayina as a party spot, Ao’nung is introduced to human music and the tempting sway of your hips to the beat
Warnings: None, fluff,
Torches illuminated the path through the mangrove trees leading to the beach and through the glow of the light, he saw you. It wasn’t enough to just see you walking with your brothers and Kiri, Ao’nung had beared witness to the tahnì’s that decorated your darker skin. Those little freckles that dotted your skin were a path that he wanted to drag his tongue along, leaving a dampness that brought goosebumps to your flesh.
Ao’nung knew he was not the only Metkayina boy who had fallen for the thin tailed, dark striped skin girl from the Omatikaya tribe. There were a handful of other boys his age, future hunters and warrior of great strength, that held the same desire to court you. You had inherited your mother’s grace and beauty, captivating his attention and fuelling his burning need.
All consuming and inescapable, Ao’nung was at the mercy of your pretty golden eyes, the dark hues of your skin, and the dulcetness of your voice—and you weren’t even aware of the power you had over him. It was inevitable, that he would lose himself to the charms of the forest when no other Metkayina girl had made him feel as if he was taking his very first breath.
You didn’t know that with every step you had taken there was a natural sashay of your hips that he loved to watch. And every time you had parted your lips to speak he was thinking only of kissing you until you could only mutter his name. There was a desperation he sparsely understood. A temptation that drove Ao’nung to the cusp of wanting to seal you away from the outside world for hours just to lose himself between your thighs.
He was not the only one, there were other warriors and hunters who had desired to court you just as much as he had. There were other boys he would have to compete against to win your heart, boys that had been invited by Tsireya to this party. His father ordered them to teach the Sully’s their ways, to learn the way of water. There was more to learn about Metkayina life than just how to survive the ocean, there was a necessitative responsibility to make sure you and your siblings could party like them.
The party was already well into the thick of it when your brothers made their way onto the paths. With Neteyam and Lo’ak leading you and Kiri, you were partially hidden from view—despite that, Ao’nung could picture every delicate, fair feature of yours. Even if he had been struck blind, he would never be able to erase the image of you from his mind.
He had waited until your brothers had stepped onto the sand of the private beach, the favoured party spot, before he withdrew himself from the group of friends he was with. Roxto remained by the stone jugs of Zangke Tsireya had brought, amusedly sipping on the fruit wine. Roxto was anticipating Ao’nung making a fool of himself, almost betting on it, and Ao’nung had felt bound to prove him wrong.
“The Sully’s finally make it. Late of course.” He approaches you and your brothers with a debonair smile, grateful for the light of the torches that illuminated the tattoos above his brow. “Can you handle partying like a Metkayina? What’s in the bag?”
“Our fruit wine is stronger than yours, bro.” Lo’ak scoffs and shoves a hand into Ao’nung’s shoulder, bantering with him before he becomes increasingly distracted by Tsireya. “Something.”
His sisters joins Ao’nung and greets the Sully’s with a smile that makes Lo’ak’s whole face shift. Ao’nung looks at the exchange between your brother and his sister with a narrowing of his eyes and a pursing of his lips. There is a tentative understanding that if Lo’ak hurts his sister, Ao’nung will hurt him.
However it’s just as likely that Lo’ak feels the same way about you. That if Ao’nung were to ever break your heart, if you even accepted his courting offer, both he and Neteyam would kick his ass. It was a mutation understanding, the need to protect their family from getting hurt was only natural. Ao’nung understood that.
“Zangke is that way,” Ao’nung directs his head behind him and to the left, back towards Roxto, “sure you can handle it?”
“Could drink your sorry ass under the table.” Lo’ak was freely using expressions that he’d heard from his dad—things that had come from the Sky People in general that the Metkayina might not have heard before. “Watch your hands.”
“You watch yours.” Ao’nung returns the statement with his own rebuttal, sharing in the sentiment Lo’ak had vocalized. And then his eyes were back on you, fixated upon you and your ethereal grandeur. “Nga lu txan lor sngä’äi.”
You are very pretty tonight, the compliment hangs in the air and it successfully draws a light, sweet laugh from you. Your laugh is melodic, just as ethereally captivating as the rest of you. You thank Ao’nung for his compliment and then slip by him, moving with that enticing natural sashay of your hips. He follows you visually and physically, joining you by the Zangke as you pour yourself a cup.
“This music is different than we expected.” Neteyam is not far behind, your older brother will be watching over all of you carefully. You, your sister Kiri and especially Lo’ak, to keep you all off your dad’s radar.
“What were you expecting?” Roxto quips, lowering his glass to the table before lifting a hand to wipe the remnants off his lips. “Silence?”
“We have Sky People music.” Lo’ak speaks over Neteyam and yourself, drawing a few mindful eyes toward him. He has removed his arm from around Tsireya’s shoulders and stepped back toward the simple leather bag he was carrying. He reached inside and pulled out a small sphere made of black metal with small circular buttons at the top.
“You prefer the Sky People’s music?” Ao’nung’s gaze shifted from your brother to you, looking at you with a slight cock of his head. “I’ve never heard human music.”
“Would you play something?” Tsireya peers around Lo’ak to study the metal device he sets on the table, her curious eyes matching some of the other Metkayina at the party. Lo’ak is quick to agree and presses a button on top of the sphere, a few short beeps radiating from the device before music begins to play.
“I love this song!” Your voice is bright, and your eyes seem to glow at the smooth beat that begins to come through the speakers. Ao’nung’s own light eyes soften in nothing less than complete adoration when he looks at you as the music starts.
“Make me sweat, make me hotter. Make me lose my breath, make me water. Make me sweat, make me hotter. Make me lose my breath, make me water…” You immediately begin to sing the lyrics and a freedom takes over your body, the way you sway to the beat has drawn more than just his attention.
From the corner of his eyes he can see other Metkayina watching you, watching the display you’re putting on. You don’t dance for them, not even Ao’nung, you dance for yourself and have no shame over your enjoyment of Sky People music. You move fluidly, beautifully and captivatingly.
But it’s not just you that’s dancing. Lo’ak has grabbed Tsireya’s hand and he’s dragging her out to the dance door, keeping her pressed tightly against him. They sway in tune, with her back to his chest and his lips grazing her jawline.
Can you blow my mind?
Set off my whole body
If I give you my time (ooh)
Can you snatch my soul from me?
He watches you dance, he hears the rhythm of the music in his ears setting the tone. There are other hunters who want you, other Metkayina that are desperate for your attention, which seems obvious. But as obvious as it is, it strikes undeniable envy that eats away at him and Ao’nung wants to be a selfish man and rub it in their face that you, he hopes, will choose him.
“Teach me how to dance like that.” He grabs your hand and spins you around, your braids bouncing against your cheeks as you move. “Show me how you do it, ma sevin.”
He rests a hand upon your cheeks, brushing his thumb back and forth along a trail of your bioluminescent freckles. He feels you shiver from the look in his eyes or the thumb he’s brushing against your skin, it doesn’t matter. You react to him, you press yourself against his chest and sing the words as they come through the speaker.
I don't wanna wait, come take it
Take me where I ain't been before
Can you blow my mind?
Set off my whole body, whole body
Your hands slide up his forearms to his biceps and then further. Your fingers reach the curls at the nape of his neck, hips still moving to the seductive beat of the music. Nothing and no one else matters right now, not when your chest is pressed to his and he feels your warm palm against his neck.
He dips his head and rests his forehead against your own, the tips of your noses brushing. He can hear and feel your heart, an elicit and endearing beating that he wishes to spend the rest of his life experiencing if the Great Mother allowed it.
Hopefully
You can last all night, don't get too excited (ooh)
Oh, privacy (mm)
You ain't gotta go nowhere, you can stay inside it
Ao’nung’s chest rumbles with a deep purr, following the own motions of your body to the beat of the Sky People’s music that seemed so strange to them. You are still singing to him and the lyrics fall from your lips so beautifully, Ao’nung thinks they could have been stories from the ancestors instead of something human.
Passion and neediness it passing back and forth between you. He matches your rhythm without much effort while keeping you firmly pressed against him. There are watchful eyes, brimming with unyielding envy from those hunters who wished they could be in his position, dancing with you.
But this was his time and if Eywa favoured him, you would be his mate.
His hands fell to your hips, squeezing your plush skin with a grip that was conducive to his want of you. It was a purposeful gesture, showing not just the other Metkayina that he wanted you but it was also a statement of his endless desire. He didn’t want you to leave him, he didn’t want to lose the contact of your body on his.
“Make me sweat, make me hotter. Make me lose my breath, make me water…” as the song had come to a close, you angled your head back, your top lip brushing against his. Ao’nung pressed further to complete the kiss, the collision of your plump lips with his was a dance of their own.
Ao’nung mumbled your name before he whispered the words he’d been longing to speak for weeks. “Ngari 'efu oe tunu, sevin.”
A confession of his romantic feelings for you hangs in the air, and you pull back just enough to look deep into his blue eyes. Tension between you rises, and then your lips twist into a smile, encapsulating his heart again.
“Oel ngati kameie.” You lean back in and reconnect your lips, mumbling into the kiss you give him.
I am SO sick of people using ai for fics. Especially because they claim they wrote it themselves. Everything good that I have read I have either found to be ai or ai-assisted. I am especially upset because the majority of the fics that I read are in the avatar franchise, of which literally discourages ai greatly. You using ai for recreational activities like creative and FICTIONAL writing says so much about your character. It literally takes three clicks and a Google search to find you out. I don't know how many more times I have to say this, FUCK AI AND FUCK THE PEOPLE WHO STAND UP AND USE IT. ESPECIALLY FUCK THOSE WHO USE IT FOR ENTERTAINMENT. YOU'RE GROWN. put your damn fingers on the keyboard and start typing. I promise you that even if you think you suck, your human skill will be so appreciated. stop poisoning our online spaces with computer slop. start contributing. Hop off corporate dick and make something yourself. You are using fresh water to generate something you could make yourself. I crave human creativity, not the cold soulless slop provided by an algorithm.
a/n: wrote this last night bcs i was feeling sad and i missed writing for ao’nung.
Ao’nung looks at you suspiciously. He studies your face, looking for something. A hint as to what it is that you are currently thinking of.
He huffs.
“You are awfully quiet.”
With narrow eyes still set on you, his hand comes up to brush a lone braid from your face.
Normally, he wouldn’t be able to get a single word in, struggling to keep up with the information spilling from your mouth as you tell him about the things that happened over the few hours you were separated.
Today though, it is the total opposite. Since you made yourself comfortable on a secluded rock, away from prying eyes, you have yet to mutter a word.
Your expression is unreadable as you stare at something in the far distance.
His eyes scan over your body, searching for any possible injuries, but he finds none.
Your chest falls dramatically when you exhale loudly. Nestling deeper into his bicep, your cheek squishing against the strong muscle.
“I was just thinking..” you start, choosing not to look at him just yet, “... we have come so far. It’s like it was only yesterday when we completed our iknimaya. And look at us now,” your hands vaguely point to the tattoos painted across your skin. Each line of the dark pigment signifying the paths you have chosen for yourselves. A proof of your devotion to the clan and its people.
Ao’nung hums, letting you say everything that is on your heart. Not interrupting you.
“What do you think our younger selves would think about us now?”
He has to bite his tongue. If you asked him any other time, he would definitely come up with a sarcastic reply that would earn him a smack to the back of his head. But being the caring mate he is, he spares you from his antics. Just this time. You need something sincere. From the depth of his heart and so sweet that even your face is going to twist in a grimace.
Ao’nung sits up slightly.
“I do not know about you, but young Ao'nung would be proud of the hardships I have overcome and the name I have built for myself. My reputation. Strength. These tattoos,” he stops for a second and glances at you, bringing up his hand to caress the back of your neck, “the fact that I mated with the most incredible woman of all Pandora. And that somehow, with every single breath i take, i let myself fall deeper and deeper in love with her.”
He can see something sparkling in the corner of your eye. A small tear threatening to escape and run down the smooth skin of your cheek.
You hurriedly wipe it away with the back of your hand, trying to hide the proof that Ao’nung’s words have managed to bring you to tears.
“He would never think that. He would probably just laugh and call you old,” you snort, propping yourself up on your elbows, tilting your head to finally look at him.
A deep honest laugh cuts through the air as his head falls back. The type of laugh that has his canines showing.
Yeah, you are completely right. Ao’nung knows it.
“You were such a menace,” you add with your fist bumping into his chest.
The arm you were resting on minutes ago wraps around your shoulders from behind, bringing you closer. “And you still fell in love with me. What does that say about you, ma tiyawn?”
A lighthearted giggle escapes your mouth.
“You have become soft ma 'nung. Your younger self would be so disappointed in you.”
“It is a good thing I do not care what he would have to say,” Ao’nung whispers as his lips brush against yours, gently nipping at your lower lip.
You don’t let him have a taste of your lips just yet.
“I really love you, I hope you know that.”
He only smirks in response, “I do.”
And when you finally lean in, the dullness you felt in your chest earlier is replaced by something so much warmer. Something only your lover can make you feel.
Description: When your arranged marriage to the Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina is worse than all of your expectations, you eventually have to speak your mind.
Content Warnings: Slightly ooc!Tonowari, head injury, arguing, angsty, happy ending, reader from another clan, Tonowari in his 20's.
Author's note: First fic of the challenge which I combined with this request! Thank you to @lejardinfleur for proof reading this a million times when my brain was lagging!
Challenge: Pandora in Bloom
Prompt 19. getting stranded on an island
Your husband was a responsible man. He did what was asked of him, he rose to every occasion.
When the people needed food, he hunted. When they needed protection, he reinforced the perimeter. When they had needed a leader, he stepped into the role with dignity.
And when they needed a Tsahìk to lead alongside him, he agreed to make a deal.
A bargain was struck by the Metkayina council of Elders with another Reef Clan. With the RDA’s presence radiating across their lands and their growing aggression with their kin in the forest, unbreakable bonds needed to be formed. Many arrows together will not break. Their unity would be their strength. What better way to forge an alliance than by marriage and blood?
They needed a dutiful woman with a connection to Eywa and it was only by her grace that you were chosen.
You, who were the daughter of a weaver and a diver, and of no special birth. Your clan’s Tsahìk had chosen you when you were only a girl, knowing the Great Mother’s plan for you was greater. She trained you as a Tsakarem alongside the other girls and when the time came for a deal to be made, you were a part of the bargain.
Of course, you had consented to the arrangement. If the Tsahìk made a decision, you knew it was sound. You would follow the path laid yawning and treacherous before you.
You had ridden the long journey to Awa'atlu with a group of warriors and leaders. The party traveled over the water all day before landing on the sandy shores just as the sun was starting to dip. You dismounted from your Tsurak and slid into the water, following your people as they wadded the short distance to shore.
Then, you saw him for the first time. He was broad-shouldered and long-haired, a beautiful man who walked with sure steps.
He and the crowd behind him drew closer as you approached the village.
“Tonowari te Tsika'u Arvak'itan, I see you,” you greeted as you had been taught to do, lifting your hand to your forehead to make the traditional gesture.
He nodded, bowing his head as he returned it. “Y/N, I see you,” he repeated.
-
From then on, he had been only polite and tolerant to you, no more. There was no affection, no more time spent with you than necessary. You shared a marui, but had separate hammocks. You sat beside each other at meals but did not speak.
He made no attempt to get to know you, even when you smiled kindly and asked him about his day each evening. He never said more than a stiff, “fine,” You had eventually stopped asking.
In the very beginning of the first weeks of your marriage, the Tlalim clan came through Awa'atlu, bringing with them goods from every corner of Pandora.
You had woken up early that morning after hearing Tonowari shuffle through the marui preparing for the day. It was endearing to discover that he was not a morning person, he seemed to be merely sleepwalking with purpose until he had his first meal.
He was rubbing at his eyes as he adjusted his mantle into the center of his chest. He then moved on to wrangling his hair into a knot on top of his head.
“Need help?” you asked blearily, blinking the sleep from your eyes after sitting up.
Tonowari did not jump or flinch from your voice as if he knew you had been awake the entire time. He glanced to the side at you before drawing his eyes back to the floor.
“No thank you,” he replied shortly.
You nodded, not expecting him to accept, but still feeling somehow disappointed that he had denied your help. You moved on with your routine and started by corralling your own hair into place. You still watched him from the corner of your eye as he moved with proficient grace for a man so large.
He finally tamed his curls into a tidy bun and tied it off with a strip of leather. All except his kuru was swept up and away from his face, a look you could not help but admire on him.
“Are you coming to the market today?” he asked and you fully looked up at him as you attached your arm band around your bicep. You felt a flutter of joy in your chest that he had finally been the one to initiate a conversation instead of you for once.
“Yes, I was planning on it. Are you?” you asked, hoping he was.
“I am expected to go as Olo’eyktan, to oversee that trade deals are being fulfilled fairly,” he explained and you nodded along with his words.
“Perhaps we could walk there together. I do not know where it is held,” you suggested.
He opened his mouth before it closed again, as if he was searching for words to excuse himself. Finally, he sighed, “Very well, but I am leaving soon. I will not wait on you,” he warned.
“I will hurry then,” you agreed, turning away to find the rest of your jewelry and to slip a woven top over your head and tie the straps behind your ribs.
“I am leaving,” he grumbled from behind you a few minutes later as you donned your Tsahìk headpiece that had been one of the gifts you had been given when you arrived on the island.
“Oh! Um, okay,” you said, walking over to your knife and sheathing it at your side before you joined him where he was waiting outside.
He did not say a word the entire way to the market and you did not attempt to start a conversation, realizing the man was probably going to stay grumpy, at least until he had eaten. He was even less tolerant of you when he was in one of his moods.
When you arrived into the fray, Tlalim traders had their goods on display, everything from cooking ware to jewelry to foods to weapons. You marveled at the beautiful items as you and Tonowari passed by them.
It was not until he spotted some of the elders that your husband turned to you, reaching for a bag you just noticed was attached to his waist and handing it over. “Salt from the reef, it can be traded if you see anything you like,” he informed you.
You took the salt in your palm, yet still felt deflated at his words. They meant he was leaving you to peruse alone.
Before you could even respond, he nodded slightly as if the conversation was over and walked towards the group he was heading for before. He had not wanted you at his side.
That day you bought nothing, half because you no longer saw anything that caught your eye, but the other half because you did not want to waste his resource on something frivolous, something he might grow to resent you more for.
That evening at dinner, you had handed back the salt without more than a quiet “thank you”. He did not question why you had not spent it, just reattached it to his waist and kept eating. He was too distracted by a lilting laugh from across the room.
Since coming here, you had quickly realized that instead of looking at you, his eye seemed to be set on the owner of that laugh, Ronal.
The women among the weaving circles whispered that had the sky people not started hunting in the Eastern Sea, she would have been his wife. She was confident, beautiful, and her connection to Eywa was strong. She never missed a prayer or a ceremony.
He never did more than gaze at her and speak kindly when they crossed paths. He was never too friendly, never toed the line. He would not disrespect you by entertaining the idea of a relationship with another partner, this you knew in your heart. He was a good man, maybe distant, even cold occasionally, but he was not cruel.
But still, a wife knows when her husband does not love her.
He surprised you one evening by finding you after a prayer ceremony you had led. He joined your steps as you walked back home, hardly having anyone stop to talk to you.
“The elders have requested your presence on the next hunt,” he informed you.
You nodded, excitement growing in your gut at the chance to prove yourself to the clan. This was a gesture of trust, you knew it.
“Yes, of course. I am honored,” you replied truthfully, fighting back the girlish smile your lips were forming.
He nodded, grunting slightly, before turning back to his own path and veering away from yours, hardly sparing you another glance. You did not let his detached demeanor worry you tonight, you were too pleased with the minor baby step you had taken in the eyes of the people.
-
A few days later, you left with those setting out beyond the reef, despite the storm brewing in the sky.
“It will blow over,” Tonowari assured the gathered party, yet you were not so sure. You had been born by the water, knowing its tells and patterns like the back of your hand. You could feel the world holding its breath as if preparing for a blow. The creatures on land and in the waters were quiet, safely hidden from the elements already. The wind had stalled through the night and was suddenly picking up now that you were at sea.
Despite your hesitation, you would trust his word since he knew these waters better than you. The sea was choppy as you rode by the Olo’eyktan’s side, making your Tsurak nervous though the bond and you nervous by extension.
“Are you sure we should set out today?” you asked quietly, purposefully not drawing the attention of the others.
His eyes cut to you and you flinched in immediate regret. “I know what I am doing, Tsahìk,” he snapped and you recoiled immediately, not wanting to disrespect him.
“Of course. My apologies,” you relented, staying quiet as the others discussed which direction to start in. Eventually, you all were diving down below, heading North towards Nalutsa hunting waters. The surface was being pummeled so thoroughly by the storm, that you had clearer visibility before the water than above today.
When one was finally spotted, the group moved into position, you at the flank as the others corralled it to take aim. In a sudden burst, the spooked animal set off for the surface, spears hit its armor, but made no dent. The beast was out of position, the head was where a kill could be made, yet only its hardened back was to you now.
You urged your tsurak up to follow the Nalutsa as it breached the water. The hunters rose with it, hoping to take aim as it came back down, but its body made a jerky movement, pivoting to the left and diving back down below. Your eyes widened, but it was too late to move as its tail snapped towards you, hitting your tsurak and sending your head slamming into its back.
Your skull made a sharp thud in your ears that seemed to echo as your vision blurred and you went under into the water. You felt blinding pain from the impact as the world faded around you into nothing.
-
“Tsahìk!” a gravely voice called, “Tsahìk! Y/n!”
At the mention of your given name you blinked awake, the sound unique enough to pull you out of whatever darkness you had been suffocated by. In your addled state of mind, you realized this was the first time Tonowari had used your name since that first day when he had greeted you on the beach.
You groaned when the world came into clearer focus. Your head pounded and your vision blurred, but you managed to sit up with the help of your husband.
“Tonowari?” you asked, confused at what was happening. You glanced around, but could only make out ferns and dune grass surrounding you. Taller trees and palms somewhat covered your body from the deluge that was still unleashing upon the water.
“You took a mighty blow to the head. How are you feeling?” he pointed out. He took your chin in his hand, turning your head at an angle to better see your forehead. You reached up to feel along the skin and felt a prominent lump.
“I am fine I think, just a headache. What happened?” you asked.
“After you fell from your mount, you were taken by a current. By the time I found you, we were separated from the group and I had to bring you to shore. We are too far away from home to make the journey in this weather, so here we are until it blows over.”
“I told you,” you grumbled under your breath. You went to stand up, but he quickly took your shoulders and pulled you back down to a seated position.
His eyes narrowed, “I do not think that is wise,” he warned and you rolled your eyes.
“Do not act as if you know what is best after your blunder today,” you gritted out. Your tolerance of his almighty attitude and seemingly looking down on you was low after your injury. If the weather had not been so bad, maybe you would not have gotten hurt or swept away.
“My “blunder”?” he scoffed. “I made no mistakes,” he insisted.
It was your turn to scoff, “We should not have been hunting in the weather. You said so yourself, we cannot even currently get home,” you argued.
“I have been hunting in many rainfalls, I could not have expected it to grow so turbulent so quickly!” He replied, growing more impatient with you.
“If you had only listened to me, I told you that it was too dangerous,” you corrected him.
His eyes blazed with fury, “Yes, maybe so, but you questioned me, in front of everyone!”
“I questioned you because a blind man could see this storm building! My mount was nervous as if it was prey. I did not mean to disrespect my husband-”
“Do not call me that!” he exclaimed and the outburst seemed to take you both by surprise.
Rain made curls stick to his face and neck as it made small rivers down his skin. Consistent tapping sounds surrounded you as water hit the ferns and palms at your knees.
“Like it or not, you are my husband, even if you do not act as if you were. I am your wife, Tonowari, yet I have found the shells on your beaches more friendly. What am I to do? How am I to act to gain your approval?”
“Nothing! I did not realize you hated it here so much, that we had been so inhospitable to you,” Tonowari all but grumbled.
“They have not been, but you… you treat me as if you could not get farther from me. Am I so ugly or horrible or annoying? There must be something!” you exclaimed and his mouth opened, but no words came out.
“I do not know you,” he weakly and your eyes widened.
“And I do not know you, but I do not treat you as if you are no better than ilu fodder,” you exclaimed.
“I do not treat you so poorly. You make it sound as if I have been cruel,” he bit out and you laughed sardonically.
“No, but you have not been kind. I left my home, my family, everything I have ever known, just so I could come here to marry you. Yet despite everything I have given, you act as if you must punish me for this, as if it is I who has done wrong to you. We were both pushed to agree to this, this is not unequal,” you explained and he pursed his lips.
“You act like a child throwing a tantrum, Tonowari. That mantle around your neck is not decoration, you are supposed to be the best of the Metkayina, a leader who will traverse through the toughest waters, yet you cower. How are we expected to raise a family or lead these people if we cannot so much as have a civil conversation with one another?”
Tonowari blinked at you, brows twisting in conflict, “I am not one to quickly make friends or to grow used to new things.”
“Even so, think of me! I have no one! You are the closest person to family I have here,” you pointed out and he seemed to recoil at the words.
Tonowari sat back on his heels, looking at you with a torn expression. “I have not behaved as a husband, or as Olo’eyktan. I have not treated you with the decency that you deserve. I see that now,” he said finally.
“Have I not been a good wife? Have I done something wrong?” You pleaded and his eyes softened.
“No, that is not it. You have been a devoted partner. The blame lies with me. Forgive me… please,” he asked earnestly and your shoulders slumped at hearing the words you never imagined hearing.
“I- I forgive you, but things have to change. I cannot continue living like this,” you requested and he nodded solemnly.
“Tell me what I can do, I will try,” he promised.
“We should be able to have conversations, you do not need to divulge every secret to me, but we should be able to talk about our days. And I want to be included in council and service around the village, I am Tsahìk now. I have been trained for this, I can be useful,” you explained, looking up to gauge his reaction.
He nodded, deep in thought, “Okay, what else?” he asked and your brow lifted.
“I do not need romance or even love from you, I know that we have entered into this agreement out of obligation to our people, not out of the longing for a soul bond. I am not naive, but I would not mind if we could manage to be friends,” you answered, a small smile given as if it was a peace offering.
“We can be friends, I will be better. I see now that I have behaved abominably, I offer apologies again,” he said and you nodded.
“Let us put it behind us. There is only one thing that I want to know,” you said hesitantly. He nodded for you to continue.
“Do you love her?” you asked quietly and his brow lowered. “Do you love Ronal?” you clarified.
His jaw clenched and his gaze lowered. “I did… many rotations ago. Eywa, I was a fool for her,” he scoffed, “But she never returned my affections and I moved forward, I have matured since that time. I understand my responsibilities to you now and I would not disgrace you, if that is your concern,” he assured you, and it gave you some understanding, even if you found that the words stung a little. You were truthful that you did not need him to love you, but you had always hoped that you would love your mate when you got married.
“Thank you for telling me, I will admit, I noticed the way you looked at her, but… I am putting my trust in you, Tonowari,” you said.
“I will not let you down. I will be better,” he promised and you hoped it was not foolish of you to believe him.
-
Once you had made it back home and checked over by the healers, the week had gone by a little easier. Tonowari had smiled at you exactly four times in passing, which you were counting as a win. Even more so, his eyes had stopped lingering on Ronal. His attention was not necessarily on you either, but baby steps.
He had even dared to start asking you how your day was, and you had restarted asking the same to him in return.
At dinner, he waved you to lean in as he told his friends old tales from when he was younger, and those very friends had started smiling and waving to you in passing, instead of shuffling by with a quick “Tsahìk,” in acknowledgement.
You knew he was really taking you seriously when your presence was required at every council meeting or clan event, big or small. You gleefully responded with your opinion each time it was asked, and proudly stood a little taller when the elders nodded in agreement and took your ideas into consideration.
One night a few weeks after your conversation on that island, you felt a change in Tonowari’s affections towards you. It was growing deeper into the night and you were both preparing for bed. Tonowari was getting his supplies ready for the next day, and you were taking off jewelry and splashing your face with clean water to cleanse the sweat that had accumulated this evening.
Tonowari walked past you with his spear in his hand, shoulders brushing as you went to unfold your hammock from where it hung and started preparing to lay down. Behind you, Tonowari stilled, but you hardly noticed as you reached up to unfurl the woven fiber material.
“What is that smell?” Tonowari asked over his shoulder, face devoid of any emotion or reaction besides a lowered brow. His hands were busy wiping off his weapons of any salt build up from the day.
“What smell?” you asked, confused, lowering your arms and turning to see what he meant.
“Something smells like Ta’ru,” he sniffed again. His hands left his weapons as he turned around to face you and stepped closer.
His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he took one more step towards you, now only a few feet away. “You smell like Ta’ru,” he decided, eyes narrowing as he waited for an explanation.
You took a deep inhale, even lifting your arm to your face to see if you smelled him, but you caught only the smallest trace. “He was helping me tie nets today, I must have picked it up then,” you shrugged, not thinking too much about it. It had been entirely friendly, not that Tonowari was probably concerned if it was not.
“You should not have asked him,” he frowned deeper.
Your mouth pursed in confusion, “He offered, but even so, how am I supposed to learn anything if you forbid me from asking for help?”
“You ask me, I will teach you,” he insisted.
“You? You have too many responsibilities already,” you argued but he rolled his eyes and leveled you with a look that said to stop playing.
“I know we had a rough start, but I hope you can trust me now. I am your mate. If you need help with something, I will make time.”
“That is very thoughtful, I do need help with something,” you admitted and he nodded for you to continue, seemingly capturing all of his attention.
You bit your lip to keep from smiling, “Ta’ru was a very bad teacher, I am just as clueless now as before,” you explained and you could not help but join him as Tonowari barked out a laugh.
“I will help you, I know the Metkayina way is different,” he said, his smile blinding you and making a weird flutter in your chest.
“Very different. In the village of my birth, we used a completely different material, knot, even the size is different. I am lost,” you said.
“We will start tomorrow. A Tsahìk who cannot tie a net is shameful indeed,” he said in what was possibly the first joke he ever exchanged with you.
“Thank you,” you nodded, smiling before you turned back to your hammock and hooked it above you.
-
You had thought his words had the potential to be a gallant display of him trying to stick to his word, but sure enough, the next morning he was up and ready for lessons.
He had patiently waited for you to get ready this time before he had walked with you to breakfast, falling into a somewhat easy conversation about a story with a rogue Ilu from your youth.
After breakfast, you walked back together towards home, waving to the other couples and families that you passed along the way. “Come,” he waved you out to the front of your marui, picking up a large spool of seagrass fiber and bringing it to where your legs dangled off of the wooden dock.
“Show me how you would start a net in your birth clan,” he requested, and you showed him, the movements coming to you easily, your fingers deft and strong as they twisted fibers.
He nodded as he watched, “That is not so different than we do, here,” he took the knot from your hands and attempted to unravel it. He struggled, your knot was too sturdy to be so easily broken.
“It is said that my clan has many fine knots,” you pointed out teasingly and he looked away from the knot to you, brow lifting as he shrugged.
“I see that. Okay, we will keep your knot. It will work the same,” he had said, relenting and showing you how to make your next ties. He worked quickly, but would slow down to show you what he just did, being a far more patient teacher than you expected. He would have you practice on your own and would gently correct your mistakes.
“You are a fast learner,” he noticed and you glowed at the compliment.
“Thank you,” you smiled.
“I think you have it.”
“This makes much more sense than whatever Ta’ru taught me,” you nearly laughed again at the disaster of yesterday and Tonowari smiled.
“That is why you do not outsource asking for help. I am here for you, y/n,” he said and the use of your name felt warmer than the sun.
“You are a good husband, it took an effort for you to show it, but you are a decent man,” you said and his chest puffed up a little at the words.
“I cannot take a compliment which I know is untrue. I was not always so kind to you, I rest uneasy some nights now that you have shown me my looking glass. I can never remedy the debt I owe you,” he said and your heart shattered a little for him.
You put the net down and placed your hand on his shoulder. “It is forgotten, put it from your mind. We have made peace and are happier now because of it,”
“If I am a good husband, you are an even better wife. No one would carry such kindness and forgiveness in their hearts as you do,” he said, placing his hand over yours, a warm touch that brought you comfort.
“Eywa would not have placed me here with you if she did not have a plan. I believe that,” you explained and he nodded.
“The Great Mother is good to me for giving me such a mate as you,” he smiled and you smiled back.
When you finished practicing your nets, you and Tonowari had gone back inside to escape the sun and prepare for the midday prayer at eclipse. You donned ceremonial paint and noticed Tonowari pulling out his orange cape gifted to him by the people. You were washing off the colors on your hands when Tonowari called your name. You looked up expectantly and noticed an unruly curl falling over his eyes for not the first time today.
“I was wondering… well you offered before, and I was wondering if you could help me with my hair,” he asked and you froze.
This was not a step, but a giant leap. He was asking you for help on something so personal and unnecessary. It was obvious he could have done the style himself, but instead, he had asked you. He was following his promise to try, and it warmed your heart and healed it all in one.
“Of course,” you agreed, motioning for him to kneel on the floor. He crouched down and you moved behind him, your heartbeat quickening when he leaned his back on you by just a hair.
You gathered his mane of curls in your hands, careful to avoid his kuru, and twisted it gently into a bun at the top of his head just as he had done before. Your fingers ran through his scalp as you combed any remaining pieces up and into the knot before tying it off with a piece of leather he had ready in his hand.
“Thank you,” he said as you patted his shoulder and stepped back. He stood, kuru swinging slightly, as he ran a hand over his hair and evidently found it to his liking.
“You are welcome,” you smiled.
He reached out a hand between you, palm facing up and you stared at it for a second until he said, “Are you ready to go, wife?”
You looked back up to him, nodding and slapping your hand over his awaiting one. Your fingers immediately intertwined with him like it was second nature.
Can I just say that Neteyam and Ao’nung literally have no reason to be a ship like no chemistry or anything. Hell, they literally beat eachother up because Ao’nung was teasing/bullying Kiri for being different. Ao’nung became friends with LO’AK not Neteyam. Sure its just a ship and that its not canon or anything but.. Oh My Goodness Gracious Me I hate it. No chemistry or anything. Only got along because both of their fathers told them and because Neteyam was staying at Ao’nung village.
summary: after a whole debacle with aonung and neteyam, you're torn. not necessarily in who to choose, but what's best for you. however, tensions fold over and crash like a rough tide at your birthday party.
tags: sfw , fluff(?)
a/n: yes i just finished watching mamma mia I FINALLY DID ITTT
theme: voulez-vous
The night bore on longer than usual. After that fiasco with Aonung and Neteyam, you headed straight home, no second thoughts. Just needed that safety and security only the warmth of your marui could provide.
Tsireya stayed with you for a little bit, consoling you the best she could. You insisted that you were fine, that it was just a stupid boy thing. However, your heart felt like it was being tugged two different ways. Towards Aonung’s fiesty personality, and towards Neteyam’s irresistible charm.
You told yourself you already chose. That Aonung was your betrothed, already set in the very stone. But recently, you felt yourself slipping away from his grip. And into the gentle arms of someone that never took you for granted.
You rolled over onto your side, memories flooding back as you remembered the very first time Neteyam and his family arrived on the island.
The Sully's stood anxiously on the shore, waiting under the hard stares and whispers of the Metkayina. Some pointing and whispering things under their breath, others looked on like they were ready to attack.
Just then, Aonung appeared with Rotxo at his side, the both of them pointing and giggling to themselves. Next was Tsireya, breaking the surface of the water and walking up to her brother, slapping his wrist like a child. "Do not." She said, scolding both Rotxo and Aonung.
Lo'ak was immediately enthralled, she was beautiful. Neteyam looked at the way his brother started, and shot him a playful smirk that said, "I know what you're thinking about."
But then Neteyam's gaze shifted. Past Lo'ak, past Tsireya, landing squarely on you where you stood near the first line of people staring. Arms crossed, watching the newcomers with quiet curiosity. His golden eyes held yours for a beat longer than necessary, steady and searching, like he was trying to read something written only in your expression. A small, almost shy smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he looked away, but the moment stuck to you.
Aonung had noticed too. His smile died instantly. He stepped closer to you without a word, his hand brushing your lower back in that possessive way he sometimes did when others were watching. Like marking territory.
You gave him a side glance as if to say, knock it off.
Aonung's hand dropped, but the tension in his shoulders remained. He muttered something low to Rotxo, who snickered.
Later, as they were getting accustomed, Neteyam had asked Tsireya, "Who is that?" He looked in the general direction you were in.
You were bent over, collecting some shells a crying child had dropped, and offering some comfort. Your hair fell forward like a curtain, draping around you as if it was framing your delicate features. The little one clung to your arm, sniffling, while you murmured soothing words and pressed the shells back into their small hands.
Tsireya followed his gaze, ears perking up when she realized who he had been referring to. She replied to him with your name. "She's... well, everyone knows she's promised to my brother, Aonung."
Neteyam nodded slowly, but his eyes lingered. Lo'ak and Kiri glanced at each other.
Lo'ak raised a brow, smirking like he'd just caught Neteyam in something. "Already scoping out the locals, bro? Thought we were supposed to be laying low."
Neteyam shot him a look. "I was just asking."
Neteyam's gaze drifted back to you one last time. You were standing now, brushing sand from your knees, the child clinging to your hand and tugging on your arm.
You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. Couldn't your stupid head just let up just a little bit so you could get some shut eye?
You had a big day, tomorrow. It was your birthday.
Morning couldn't come sooner. You tossed and turned all night.
You lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Today was your birthday. No drama. No boys pulling at you. Just you and whatever small joys you could claim.
You rose, tied your hair back with a string of pearls, and slipped into your favorite top. The one that had vibrant pinks and purples.
The village was already stirring with preparations. Because of your betrothal to Aonung, your birthday carried the same weight as the chief's family's celebrations. It should have felt like an honor. Instead, it felt like another current dragging you under.
By midday, the central area was alive. The air swelled with grilled fish wrapped in leaves, ripe fruits from the mangroves, and other delicacies you knew by heart. Flowers of your favourite color draped every walkway, and lanterns waited for nightfall to come alive.
You moved through the crowd with a smile', thanking elders who pressed carved charms into your palms "for a strong bond" and young ones who shyly offered flowers. Every well-wish carried an strong and final message.
Your union, your future with Aonung.
Aonung lingered near the fire pit, arms crossed, watching you. After the fight last night, he'd said nothing. No apology sent through Tsireya. No attempt to follow you home. Just that same silence that had been growing between you for weeks.
Neteyam kept his distance too, helping string more lanterns along the paths with Lo'ak and a few other teens. Every so often his eyes found yours. He offered a small, tentative smile when your gazes met, then looked away, as if afraid one wrong look would shatter the fragile peace you'd demanded for today.
The sun sank. The party ignited. Drums thrummed low and insistent, pulling everyone into circles. Tsireya grabbed your hands first, spinning you into the dance. "Just tonight," she whispered fiercely. "Let loose!"
You tried. The rhythm caught you, your body moving with the sway of the sea. Laughter bubbled up. It was real.
Gifts kept coming. A polished shell bracelet from Rotxo, a feather-light shawl woven with iridescent threads from Kiri, a tiny carved ilu from Tuk that made you drop to your knees to hug her.
Then the more passive aggressive gifts came from your parents and Aonung's.
Your mother approached first, smiling that too-bright smile. In her hands, a matched set of ceremonial arm cuffs. Traditional. The kind worn only by those formally promised.
"For strength in union," she said loudly enough for nearby ears to catch, pressing them into your palms.
You murmured thanks, the cuffs cold against your skin. They felt like shackles disguised as jewelry.
Aonung's mother, Ronal herself, carried a single length of finely braided cord, dyed the deep indigo reserved for mating bonds. She draped it over your shoulder with deliberate gentleness.
"A small token," she said, voice soft. "To be worn when the time comes. Soon, I hope."
You forced a smile that felt like cracking coral. The cord slid against your skin like a promise you hadn’t asked to renew tonight.
Then surprising of all, when you thought the gifts would finally simmer down, Jake and Neytiri came by with their own gifts. Straight from home.
Neytiri held up a vined necklace, one that seemed too long to actually be worn. But she explained it's significance, "It is a ceremonial tie. One end is worn by each heart. Meant to connect you with your other. Forever." She gave a very false smile, side glancing at her son, Neteyam, who was far off behind you.
"Right." You said slowly, wrapping the necklace twice over your neck to make sure it wouldn't drag. Her gesture seemed forced, as if someone made her do it.
The music roared louder. The time for sitting and eating was now over. Others dragged each other to the center circle where yourself and others now occupied the space with dance.
Just as you found yourself lost in the music, the crowd parted enough for just a special someone, Aonung.
In his hands rested a necklace unlike any of the others tonight.
It wasn't heavy with tradition, nor alive with foreign meaning. No ceremonial cuffs, no binding cords, no forest vines pulsing with someone else's expectations.
Just a simple, exquisite chain of iridescent pearls. Each one hand-selected from the rarest oyster beds far beyond the reef, the kind divers risked their breath for. At the center hung a single, small spiral shell, pale and perfect. The shell had been polished until it gleamed, then threaded with the thinnest filament of glowing thread so it would shimmer faintly even underwater.
You gasped, placing a hand to cover your heart. "Aonung... It's beautiful." It was moments like these where you forgot you were mad at him at all.
He gave a cheeky smile, and held both ends up to tie it around your neck. Aonung's fingers brushed the nape of your neck as he fastened the clasp. The pearls settled against your skin like cool drops of moonlight, lighter than every other gift you'd been given tonight.
The others did not stop dancing around you, however now forming multiple circles surrounding you both. You and Aonung stood in the very center. The music carried on, and you instinctively tugged on his arm to have him dance with you.
"Nonono, you know I don't dance." He said, holding out his palm in front of you.
"C'monnnn!" You squealed, bumping his hips with your own.
"You know I look like a beached akula when I try," he grumbled. His ears angled forward, listening to the way your laughter bubbled up over the drums.
Tsireya grinning from the inner ring like she’d personally orchestrated this moment.
Just as you felt light as a feather in the moment, your eye caught someone now entering the circles. Neteyam. And he was heading straight for you.
Your heart skipped a beat, and you felt your face pale. You then stopped moving and pushed past Aonung, shouting loud enough for him to hear you over the music. "Go dance with mom!"
Aonung was confused, he watched you leave, but tried not to pry further.
You exited the circle, all the way until you were on the outer ring completely. You caught up to Neteyam, pulling his arm so he would look at you.
"What's gotten into you? You couldn't even give me my gift to my face?" You were upset. You shouldn't have been. You belonged to Aonung. And him only.
Neteyam stopped the moment your fingers closed around his arm. The music still thrummed behind you both, but it might as well been tuned out because all your focus was on Neteyam.
He didn't pull away. He just looked down at your hand on his arm, then up at your face, taking in the way your chest rose and fell too fast.
"I didn't want to upset you. I figured I would be the last person you'd want to see on your day." He said, eerily calm.
You stared at him, fingers still curled around his forearm. "You think I wouldn't want to see you?" The question came out sharper than you meant. Frustration bubbled in your chest that you didn't fully understand. "You think I'd rather pretend you weren't even here?"
"I think you've spent the whole night trying to breathe under the weight of everyone else’s expectations," he said. "Including mine. I didn't want to add to it. Not tonight."
Your throat tightened. "So you just… walk away? Again?"
He really looked at you now, taking the hand you had tight around his arm in his own now, stepping closer. "I'd never walk away from you." He said, voice filtering over the music. "Only if you asked me."
Your breath caught in your throat. He was close. So close you could feel his breath fan your lips. You were definitely not expecting this.
He most likely noticed the absolute shock you emitted because of his next actions. Which honestly, probably didn't help at all.
He leaned close, and gave you a small peck on your forehead. His eyes met yours again. "Our secret till then." He then pulled away from you without a second thought, heading back into the circle of dancers like nothing just happened.
Your heart slammed against your ribs so hard you were sure it was now louder than the crowd. The music roared on behind you, drums pounding like a second pulse, but it all sounded far away, muffled, as if the entire village had faded to echoes.
Neteyam had already melted back into the dancers. You caught one last glimpse of him before the shifting bodies swallowed him completely. He didn't look back. Didn't need to.
You closed your parted mouth, and slowly made your way back to the circle yourself, dancers immediately engulfing you.
Aonung caught up with you, hands entrapping you in a cage where they held you tightly at the shoulders. Concern was written all over his face, "Are you okay?"
You couldn't answer right away. Your tongue felt thick, your pulse still thundering. And now Aonung was here, holding you, looking at you like you might disappear if he blinked.
"I can't breathe!" You shouted, yanking yourself free from his grip. Your hands flew to your throat, fingers fumbling at the pearl necklace, the indigo cord, the twisted vine tie. All of them suddenly too heavy, too tight, too much.
Everything was happening too fast. Your future staring at you in the face. Your breathing quickened to the beat of the drums. The music didn't stop, dancers didn't stop dancing. It was either they didn't care or didn't notice.
Neteyam's kiss burned on your forehead like a flame, Aonung's concerned eyes staring at you like a mirror of your own future. Betrothed, bound, expected.
Your chest heaved. Breath came in short, ragged bursts. The vibrant colors of your top swirled with the dancers, the flowers, the lanterns. Everything spinning, closing in. You backed up, bumping into someone, your mother maybe, or an elder, but it didn't matter. They all blurred together. Faces. Pulls from every side.
The dancers began to close the circle again, it was suffocating. You glanced from side to side. You spun around, disoriented, searching for an opening, for air. The faces blurred. Tsireya's wide eyes, Aonung's confused frown, Neteyam's confused frozen face mid-step.
The drums pounded faster, relentless, mocking.
Your knees buckled. And before you could catch yourself, it all went black.
cw: !intentional lower case! !use of y/n! !based on a request! !suggestive!
your presence was the type of presence that everyone in the village wanted to be around.
you had this effortless and free spirited energy that made everyone oddly attracted to you. whether or not that was platonically, or romantically.
whatever you were doing, whether it was helping the young na'vi onto their ilu's, or sitting with the elders listening to their stories about the great mother, you were always around. you were constantly blessing people with your presence no matter the situation.
you were comfortable with yourself. with you were already. you never cared for any negative thoughts or opinions. you were like a breath of fresh air to most.
-- at the moment --
as of now, you were sitting down on the ledge a woven walk way. you legs dangled down into the turquoise water and you watched your people around the village do their daily routines, habits, and activities.
you took this time to enjoy your own presence. the one everyone else was so fascinated by.
everything was calm and peaceful until you felt s certain energy radiating from behind you. the woven floor creaked as the heavy footsteps made their way next to you.
the air, which was usually so easy to breathe in, suddenly felt thick, and heavy.
"enjoying the view?" the voice was smug, and unmistakable. the only person who could kill that calm vibe of yours.
aonung.
his presence along with yours has just never clicked. his tough, aggressive, and selfish attitude never made sense with your calm, relaxed, and optimistic demeanor. something about him gave you the chills. and it wasn't that you hated him, no. you didn't hate anyone. but the goosebumps you get when he comes around are questionable.
aonung's comment hung in the thick air as you tried to think of something to say back.
he sat down beside you, and tilted his head to look at the expression on your face. uncomfortable and flustered. "hm?" he murmured. he knew he could get under your skin, make you nervous, and it turned him on in a way. he knew that whenever he was around you that outgoing personality of yours was gone in an instant.
"i- yeah, just watching," you managed to mutter. your voice sounded small even to your own ears, which were pinned back against your head.
you heavily disliked the control you felt that aonung had over you. you were supposed to remain calm and collected, unbothered and positive. but somehow aonung was able to disengage you from your own aura and it bothered you more than you'd like to admit.
aonung kept his eyes on you and gave a smug look.
"funny," he murmured, not taking his eyes off of you. "usually, you've got a word for everyone. a joke, a story, a smile. why is it that every time i'm around all, i get is silence?" he scooted closer to you. "i don't think that's fair, y/n."
the almost nonexistent space between you two was suffocating. you tried hard to keep your composure, and your breath steady. the only noise audible was the hums of the ocean, and the fastness and heaviness of your breath.
he let the silence stretch. he watched the way your chest rose and fell, your pace quickening. he stared at the expression on your face, with a smile on his.
he stretched his arm out, and reached his hand to your back. he gently grabbed your kuru, and the touch sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to your core. he brushed his fingers over the nerves of your kuru, teasing. you let out a gasp and your emotions were fighting with themselves. aonung let go carefully and let out a breathless laugh.
"what can i say to make you talk to me?" he reached out to cup the side of your face with surprising gentleness. "what can i do?"
he studied your face. your breath hitched at his touch. you don't remember a time where you were ever this close with anybody before. you felt one of his four fingers trace the line of your jaw.
"you're always talking," he muttered, sounding more annoyed than anything. "with my sister, kiri," he paused. "..lo'ak, neteyam.. how come you let those two skxawng's here your voice all the time, hm? and i can't even get a word out of you?"
you avoided eye contact with him despite the contact between his hand and your face. looking everywhere but into his eyes.
"why is it only me?" he asked, his thumb circling your cheek. "you won't even look at me." his touch was sending you over the edge, you weren't used to feeling this way. the way aonung made you feel.
"i know your not this shy," he paused, and took a second to eye your figure. his gaze lingered down your chest, which was rising up and down now at a slower pace. his gaze was predatory. he looked at you with a hungry look on his face. he brought his gaze back to your face. "come on, y/n."
you finally looked at him, and opened your mouth. "i.. have to go. my parents probably need me." you said, standing up feeling his hand leave your face.
"you're leaving, already?" aonung questioned, standing up right after you. you nodded, giving no response and rushing right past him. aonung watched your figure as you walked away.
he'd get you to break. he knew he would.
soon enough, he'd get you right where he wanted you.
Aonung x fem!sully reader where shes the youngest girl in the family (well excluding tuk) so she grew up spoiled and with a bit of an attitude because she usually gets the princess treatment, she means well tho (even better if shes rlly feminine--likes jewelry and feeling pretty), then aonung who's the eldest of the family and given a heavy amount of responsibilities, so he's supposed to be the future leader. Hes judgemental and curious forest people started to enter their home. Their personalities clash when they first meet in awa'atlu after jake asks for uturu 🤭
Princess Treatment
Summary: Your father may treat you like a princess, your brothers may protect and coddle you, but Ao’nung will not let you be a brat with him
Warnings: None, fluff, alluding to future brat taming
His knife hacked at the thinning rope, jaggedly cutting the reed spun into a net. His light eyes were fixed into a narrowed gaze, his jaw tense while his teeth ground together. The tips of his ears twitched and his tail thwacked against the floor of his marui.
Your family has been here for weeks, in Awa’atlu disturbing his peacefulness. You were the little princess of your family, the youngest girl beside Tuk, and the spoiled daughter of Toruk Makto. You were beautiful but bratty, spoiled while maintaining a kind heart that made you forgivable.
Ao’nung knew from the moment he laid his eyes upon you that you would be trouble. You were a beautiful woman, that was undeniable, and you had been more feminine than even some of the women in his village. That femininity drew admirers that would follow you like lost ilu’s looking for their mother—and your brothers responded with threats.
You appeared at the beach with your family with a natural captivating glow about you. Soft sunlight illuminated your beautiful features, drawing attention to the detailed loincloth you wore. The soft curve of your hips accentuated by leather drawn into thin strips and dyed from plants in your home, delicate beading that covered your chest made your natural beauty intensify.
But you had a slightly bratty attitude from being treated like a princess—you weren’t necessarily rude, you were kind but you were spoiled and it showed. It showed through your innocence and naivety about the world around you, ignorant to the responsibilities that others had.
Ao’nung was a warrior and hunter, he was being trained to be the leader of the clan. He had enough to deal with, without his father also throwing him into the mess of teaching the forest people how to survive the ocean. Tsireya had taken on the responsibility of teaching Lo’ak, and developing an attraction for the youngest Suli boy, and Ao’nung was saddled with you.
You were pretty, beautiful really. You had a handful of Metkayina boys trailing after you with the idea that they could win you over and start courting you, hopeful that the princess would give them the time of day.
It was annoying, trying to teach you how to survive the water and learn their ways, when starry-eyed hunters had followed you around. Skxawng’s that had looked after the pretty, dark skinned forest Na’vi with their arbitrary ideas of sneaking you away for private time. As if your brothers, let alone dad, would allow that.
They couldn’t possibly allow the princess of their family to be treated like the other girls who ran wild with boys.
“You’re late.” Ao’nung doesn’t look at you, he doesn’t give you the satisfaction of giving you his eyes. Instead he slams the blade of the knife down upon the netting, finally slicing the cord through, and speaks to you with little regard. “You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”
“I was finishing making a new tewng-” when you don’t apologize and choose to give him an excuse instead, Ao’nung hisses and tosses the knife away from him with force. He finally stands and gives you the attention of his eyes, ire prevalent in his light irises that is conducive to his scowl.
“You are always wasting your time creating pretty things, new loincloths, new jewelry, new tops.” Ao’nung’s tail whips behind him and he grits his teeth as he steps carefully over the discarded net, trying to control his anger. “Meanwhile you are wasting my time.”
He stares you down, and you return his stare with a look of surprise on your face. You are taken back by his anger, because not many people speak to you so harshly. Your eyebrows furrow and your lips part with words that die on your tongue, because Ao’nung is giving you a sparsely contained expression that reflects his annoyance. He crosses his arms across his chest, one of his hairless eyebrows raised, almost daring you to say something.
Tension passes between you two, awkward on your end as you don’t know how to navigate the situation. You don’t know how to process Ao’nung harsh words when nearly everyone around you treated you how your father did.
“Well I didn’t ask you to teach me.” You finally stutter out, stumbling over the words that finally fall from your lips. “And I didn’t-”
“I didn’t have a choice, paskalin.” Ao’nung’s tongue is sharp, his words hold an edge of vexation that makes you shrink. “My father made me.”
Good, he thinks to himself, the little princess needs to be put into her place.
“Well I can talk to my dad-”
“No.” Ao’nung talks over you again, like he often does, and he holds out his hand to stop you. “Not this time, brat. You’re not batting those pretty little eyes at your sempu begging him to give you what you want.”
Ao’nung steps closer to you, he closes the distance and gazes down at you with narrowed eyes and a firm purse of his lips. He studies you, he analyzes you from head to toe.
Beauty is your ally; femininity is your friend. You are undeniably pretty and you have learned how to decorate your body with equally pretty things that make you happy. That happiness and that adoration for winsome things will make some lucky hunter very prideful to have you as a mate.
But you cannot thrive with someone who will let you walk all over them. You need a steady, firm hand and someone who will tell you no and mean it. Your father spoiled you, your brothers coddled you, and that made you take an attitude that is both maddening and endearing.
“You are learning from me, you do what I want you to do.” Ao’nung’s gaze snaps back to your eyes and he leans in, towering above you. “You will not get away with being a pretty little brat with me, Suli.”
You stand silent again, the wheels in your head turning and your lips part with something unspoken, only to shut again. You stare at Ao’nung, returning his gaze with your own, and your lips morph from a frown to a pout. It’s natural, it must be, for your face to shift toward expressions that you think will get you what you want.
Ao’nung knows and thinks, again, that you will make some Na’vi very happy when you mate with them. But he also knows that you need a firm hand to deal with that attitude, someone who is willing to tell you when to cut it out. These hunters that follow you around, chasing after you as if you are some exotic jungle fruit ripe for picking, do not have the gumption or the backbone to deal with the little princess.
“We start with endurance,” Ao’nung’s jaw ticks and his teeth grind, because he knows that he could be doing better things with his time, “you are soft.”
“Endurance?” You speak the word like it is entirely foreign to you, although Ao’nung knows first hand that you are not lazy or incompetent.
Not even incapable, rather you’re quite capable with your hands when they are attached to a bow. But you had been far too spoiled and you’d used your time at home, according to what he’d heard, weaving and creating clothing that you traded. It was not a useless skill but it had made you isolated from the real world and the threats of nature.
You were soft, and the sea could be devastating without warning. You needed to learn.
“Running.” Ao’nung finally reaches for you and he cups your chin to turn your head, making you look out toward the sea. “We’re running the shoreline today. And you better keep up.”
“The whole shoreline?” There it was, a soft whine, cute and bratty. “All day?”
“All day?” Ao’nung scoffs and rolls his eyes, tightening his hand on your chin. “No, evi-tsyìp.”
You seem relieved, despite Ao’nung implying that you’re a brat, but that relief is short lived.
“We’re doing it in two hours.” He lets go of your chin and begins walking toward the exit of his marui, only stopping once to look back at you. “Now, sevin!”
He bares his teeth and hisses a warning, and you scramble past him. He watches you as you walk, hanging back with his eyes boring into you.
Yes, you need a firm handed mate. Loving yet unmovable and unwilling to bend to your every will. And Ao’nung thinks that his hand would be perfectly suited to your pretty, bratty body.
Ao’nung grins when you stop walking and turn your head, once again trying to pout your way out of this. He was annoyed when he first got handed the responsibility of teaching you. But he’s coming around to the idea of being the one who gets to see the little princess pushed to your limits.
“Don’t try that pout with me, it’s not working.” Ao’nung jogs to catch up with you and rests a hand on the back of your shoulder, and uses little force to turn you toward the beach. “Start running, and you’d better not fall behind.”
“Or?” You turn your head to challenge him, and Ao’nung suddenly finds himself revelling in it.
I’m sorry, but it’s kinda hard for me to believe you wrote that fic request that fast. With so many people using AI these days, even some authors, it just feels a bit suspicious that I requested it last night and it was already finished that same night..
more of casual dominance with ao'nung | ao'nung x fem na’vi reader
tags: fluff
masterslist
a/n: since one of you asked for more, here it is! again, i hope there is at least something casual and dominant about this. if not, then pls just ignore it.
-`♡´-
i can definitely see him using tsaheylu as a way to comfort you when you are feeling down. like imagine you’ve had a hard day and you enter your marui all exhausted, using the remaining strength in your body to drag yourself inside and head straight to lay down.
he follows you, putting the things in his hands down and maneuvering you to sit in front of the little cooking area.
ao’nung is caging you with his frame, gently picking up your kuru and linking it to his.
immediately you feel the rush of your bond and lean back, molding yourself into his strong chest.
he leaves a trail of kisses wherever his lips can reach, one of his hands stroking your braid near where you two connect, sending shivers up your spine.
ao’nung’s other hand reaches to start brewing tea and preparing something for you to eat.
you are limp in his embrace, your hand splayed across his thigh and your head thrown back, leaning on his shoulder.
-`♡´-
the type to want eye contact at all times.
you might be working next to each other. you start talking about something, mindlessly jumping through multiple topics, your eyes set on the project in front of you.
ao’nung takes your chin between his fingers and angles you head to face him. you didn't notice him getting closer, so when you turn and he is almost breathing down your neck, heat spreads on your cheeks as you continue talking, stumbling over your words from his intense stare.
sometimes his petty ass gets fed up with you, he straight up ignores you until you realize what he wants and you have to come directly in front of him and then he is like, “now I'm listening.”
-`♡´-
after a long day of training, you are getting ready to go home, excited to finally spend some quality time with ao’nung. all you need to do is just pick up the abandoned pieces of riding gear.
some days you are in charge of teaching young metkayina kids riding ilus and handling smaller weapon.
it's fun and you love doing it, but as kids usually do, they always leave a mess behind them so it takes you some time to pick everything up and return it where it belongs.
you don’t realize ao’nung is impatiently waiting for you, pacing in front of your marui, worrying about the dinner he has prepared getting cold.
it doesn't take long before he is marching on the beach where you are standing, looking into the distance and taking a short break.
he comes up to you and he is like “i was waiting for you,” pouting his lips.
you try to explain that it's going to take you only maybe an hour and you can go home.
but of course he doesn’t listen, gripping your arm and gently leading you to sit your ass down before he starts picking up the remaining pieces and putting them away. you stand up, not wanting him to do it alone.
he bares his teeth, letting out a low hiss.
and so you lift your arms up in surrender and make yourself comfortable. If he is not going to let you help then you might as well just enjoy the view of your man purposely flexing his muscles.
-`♡´-
you are so close to having this top done, you are sitting in a circle with other metkayina artisans, hunched over your project. just a few finishing touches and you can finally return back to living normally.
obviously, you don’t even put it aside to drink or eat and that's where ao’nung comes in.
not very happy when he still sees you in the exact same spot you were hours ago.
he does not take it lightly when you don’t take care of yourself, always reminding you to take breaks and make sure to get at least some food in your stomach.
so he disappears for a few minutes and then comes back with his hands full of baskets filled with all kinds of fish and vegetables, making his way straight to your oblivious form.
he sits down next to you and without saying a word starts shoving a piece of fish in front of your mouth and waiting for you to take it. you look at him with a sheepish smile and lean your head forward to eat it.
ao’nung hums, satisfied with his actions as he continues to feed you.
and when he is done, he pets the top of your head, ruffling your braids, and is like “okay ma yawntu, now you can continue.”
Why are you not re-blogging? You think the fandom is dead, that no one’s interacting anymore, no one’s doing anything, no one’s writing, no one’s posting. ‘Everyone was so hyperfixed on that character, Where is the writing?’
People are writing. People aren’t reblogging. People aren’t giving some good feedback to motivate the writers that are putting their hard work, time, effort into making this piece that you were reading.
‘oh, it’s just too much work. You don’t wanna click that button and then click a few tags.’ Then you’re gonna have to suffer and not see a lot of writing from a lot of people because the only way this fucking app works is if you reblog.
I see so many pieces of work with 59 likes and 1 blog, I just saw one that had 690 likes and it had 9 reblogs. Even 1,000 likes and only 59 reblogs too. It’s devastating to see for the community of Tumblr. And I’ve been here for like five years, the way this app works is if you re-blog.
There’s so many people that are writing. There’s so many amazing things that I see and I try my best to reblog every single one that I read. That’s what I love doing because sharing someone’s piece of work is just beautiful because it allows me to show it to more people.
I reblog. And the beauty of it is;
I get notifications that this person liked it and this person liked it, and then that post continues to get more views, more likes and reblogs. All just because one person, reblogged it.
so please, if you are a part of Tumblr and you love reading your favorite writers fics, or love reading about your favorite character, please do your job and reblog it.
And if you don’t like re-blogging because you don’t want to do that on your account, then you can make another account and put all of the things that you read on that account. You can do separate things, like fic recs.
You can figure it the fuck out if you want people to actually be writing for a character you love. The writers are writing, you ain’t helping them share their work.
WC / 2,337 — I wanted this to be small. nvm ig. / prologue / genre; angst ig / lots of repetitive words imo sorry.
a/n: I hope you enjoy this. I wanna make this into a series so this is a prologue. This is like a rough draft, made this in 24hrs and I love it, so enjoy! And idc if anyone wants to steal this idea bc i’ll still write it differently than you so plz go ahead!
The eldest daughter of the sully family wasn’t aware of the things that held for her when the family had to move away from the only home they’ve ever known. Flying over the bright colors of the bays of water on her ikran, her mind caught in a whirlwind of how she got her family caught. She hadn’t meant for them too but luck wasn’t on her side. At the time she thought it would be fine to let them wander as she would be with them but she guesses she isn’t the mighty warrior they thought she was.
When arriving at the Metkayina clan, she wasn’t expecting such a hostile welcome but understood for if there had been unexpected visitors in her home clan, they would’ve been cautious as well. The words being spoken to them, demon blood, tails to tiny, arms lanky, that they wouldn’t be able to provide anything to the clan other than destruction. She believed them. What would they know about the way of the water when they are forest na’vi? But she was raised to try, always try and don’t give up.
Seeking uturu (sanctuary) for the family, the Tsahìk of the clan was obviously hesitant, circling the children like a nantang (viperwolf) does before it attacks. She gets a good look at you as you stand to the side of your father. Looking you up and down, she notices the differences between you and her, differences that would make it harder to live here. Yet as she looks you in the eyes, she notices a familiar pattern across your face that continues down your body. Your Tanhì (stars/dots on the body) are very similar to someone she knows dearly. Glancing at her mate, she gives him a look that communicates more clearly than words.
The Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk give each other several looks before coming to an agreement that would let them stay, instructing their own children to show the Omatikaya children the way of the water and to a marui for them to stay at. Yet before Jakesully and his mate Neytiri can follow, the tsahìk comes forward to tell them that there is one condition that they need to speak about later after they settle in.
Neytiri is already on edge with her after emphasizing that her mate was Toruk Makto, one who united the clans for war. She feels the touch of her mate's hand on her shoulder, telling her it’s okay, whatever it is we got this.
The children of the Olo'eyktan showed the forest children their marui, the girl bouncing across the woven platforms with an ease as the others followed. The eldest of Toruk Makto heard the two voices all the way behind them making fun of their tails and other features, sighing, she made eye contact with her brother Neteyam, both having the same look on their face. All she cares about is making sure all her siblings get the place they would be calling home..
The Olo'eyktan's eldest begrudgingly followed them. He was visibly upset about having to teach them their ways, muttering all about it to his friend Rotxo. It isn’t like he already has much to do, as he is to take up the mantle of leadership his father has held.
After some time, the new family moved into their home. All visibly saddened about leaving their home, not many of them talking though Tuk couldn’t stop expressing how pretty the place was. There was movement and a shadow that causes Jake to look up, he sees a warrior stop right before their home. Standing, walking over he greets them, raising his hands to his forehead with an ‘I see you sign.’
After returning the sign, they both take a step out to speak. “The Tsahìk and Olo'eyktan wish to speak to you and your mate. They want you to bring your eldest daughter with you. I'll show you where.” The warrior speaks of the info he was to rely on, nodding once when done.
Jake's lips open slightly as hears what he says, he nods back understanding before responding with that it would just be one moment. As he goes back inside to his family, he finds his wife- mate, cleaning her knife as she had just cut some fruit for her children. He squats next to her, his hands on her in any way possible, telling her that they must go speak to them now. And that they wanted them to bring their eldest daughter.
Hearing the last sentence, she snapped her eyes to him, her expression confused, but knowing. Same as his. They both look over to their ma 'ite (my daughter/daughter), who is currently working on sharpening her knife. “Ma 'ite.” She hears her mother say, looking up she sees both her parents looking at her making her tilt her head and furrow her eyebrows. Her father nods to the entrance before standing and holding a hand out for her mother. She gets up, looking at her siblings before looking back at her father.
“Neteyam,” Jake calls out to him, the boy looks up at him giving his attention, “We must go to speak to the Olo'eyktan, we’ll be back soon. Watch after your siblings, you’re in charge.” The father nods to the boy, trusting him to take on the responsibility.
“Yes sir,” Neteyam responds, nodding before looking at his older sister confusedly. She shrugs confused as well before she follows the two out of the marui.
The warrior shows them to the tsahìk’s place, walking in front of them. The spiritual guide thanks him and dismisses him, signaling the three to come in and sit.
Taking a glance around, the two leaders sitting next to one another as well as a third body. Recognizing it was their son who was doing all that talk about how small their tails were. Sitting next to her parents, him in front of her, she makes eye contact with him, he slightly pursues his lips, his jaw tightening as his eyes do a scan of her. While her face shows nothing, her eyes move away from him that it seems like it was only a quick glance, settling on her new leaders.
“This is our eldest daughter, Y/N. She is a warrior.” Your mother says with pride and honor in her voice for raising someone so strong.
“Not here she is.. Yet. There is only one condition that goes with your family staying here,” Ronal, the tsahìk of the Metkayina clan starts with her voice cutting through the silence or what feels like tension for others. Knowing better not to respond or interrupt a tsahìk, the three stay silent. “Your daughter,” she says her eyes snapping to you, “Has the same Tanhì as Ma'itan (my son). It is by eywa’s will that they are to be mated.”
“Kehe!” (No) Ao’nung exclaimed.
“Pxasìk!” (No way!) A sharp inhale is taken from you as you hear this, your back straightening even more as your shoulders tighten.
Two voices snapped through in sync not even a millisecond after she completed her sentence. Both with wide eyes, staying at their parents like they’ve gone mad.
“Did you know?” Your head snaps to your father to look at him with wind eyes.
“Kehe Ma 'ite, Mawey,” Her father says, putting a hand on her shoulder to give comfort as his eyes continue to look from her to her supposed betrothal. His eyes tracing their patterns, seeing that they are the same. (No my daughter, calm down)
“They are the same.” Neytiri says quietly, her voice soft as well as in disbelief, eyes doing the same as her mate. “It is eywa’s will.”
“I will not mate with someone who is not even one of the people, nor with someone who isn’t truly na’vi.” Ao’nung says with a hiss in his voice, his eyes glaring at the one in question. Her eyes meet him once again as she hears his words, a flash of anger hits them as her ears flatten against her head. She feels the five fingers of her father’s hand on her shoulder tightening, his thumb softly rubbing against her skin.
“It is Eywa’s will, Ma'itan. It will be after she becomes one of the people. Ao’nung will train you. He will show you.” The tsahìk says while her eyes give him a look, “You are quite older than thé young ones who meet their Tulkun, their spirit brother or sister, you shall meet your spirit sibling during the return of the Tulkun to the reef. Once you both complete your Iknimaya, the Rites of Passage, you shall be joined as one before the Great Mother. You will walk the path of the Olangi together, for a leader must have a mate whose songcord is complete. Then you shall begin tsakarem training. You will be under me, and my daughter will also help. Through Ao’nung shall ensure your heart beats in time with the tides.” Her words have a heaviness to them that no one was expecting, eyes towards you yet she gives a few glances to Ao’nung.
The Tsahìks gaze softens slightly, but the weight of her words remains. “Do not let the wait foster impatience, but strength. The bond of muntxa is for all life; it is not a thing to be rushed before the soul is ready.” (mated or married)
Your eyes are curious as you listen to her words. The future you had envisioned for yourself and family was quite different than the one you were receiving. The unexpectedness is a shock yet your curiosity claws deep inside you to do what is being said of you.
“I do not want a mate with demon blood.”
Cuts through to your ears as you had been thinking of what your Tsahìk said. Your eyes making eye contact with your betrothal, “It is eywa’s will, our duty then.” You tilt your head at him before you huff at a laugh, “It is not like I want to be mated to someone who is to be Olo'eyktan yet cannot even respect Na’vi or Toruk Makto and his family.” Your eyes glare at him as your voice is sharp with your words.
His eyes narrowed, “You have done nothing to have respect here,” he starts before his father puts a hand on his shoulder.
“Please excuse my son, he is ignorant to the ways of other na’vi. You both are to be betrothal when the time comes.” The Olo'eyktan says nodding to you before emphasizing that it will take time. “He will learn, as will you.” Giving his eldest a look that causes the young one to tighten his jaw.
“You all can go now, tomorrow the children will learn, as will you two as well.” The tsahìk says, finishing with a nod to your parents. A slight smile on her face as her eyes glance over everyone, her hand resting on her belly.
“Thank you,” Jake says before raising his hand to his forehead to sign ‘I see you,’ he stands offering a hand to both of his girls. You follow in the same motion with your hands, before walking out of the Tsahìk healing ground with your parents.
As you all take steps away from the place, your mother, having already recognized where to go, takes lead in front. “Babygirl, you okay?” Jake says putting his hand on your shoulder, his eyes glancing at your face.
“I am okay. If it is Eywa’s will then it shall be. It is a duty, nothing more, nothing less,” You say to your father, nodding with the words that fall out of your mouth. He nods understandingly, while your mother suddenly stops and faces you both, coming to face you.
Putting her hands on your shoulders, her face of grievance. “You have a brave heart Ma 'ite. I know this is tough but you are not weak, you are stronger than ever.” Her hands caress your face, “Do not listen to the words of those who do not know you. You are so much more,” Her voice quiets down towards the end but still strong.
The weight of her words makes you have to take a deep breath through your nose as you feel the comfort from both of your parents. The urge to cry is strong as you take in her words. As you let the breath out, your eyes begin to fill, making your jaw and lips tighten.
“It’s okay to be scared or upset babygirl.” Your dad says as he puts a hand on your head, caressing your hair.
A sound escapes your lips before you can stop it, falling into the arms of your mom, you tuck your face into her collarbone as you wrap your arms around her. She holds you tightly in her arms, a hand on the back of your hair as her body leans toward her mate as he wraps his arms around his girls.
“I want true love like you two.” Your voice is quiet, muffled by being held tightly. The hearts of your parents drop hearing the broken voice of their babygirl. Both wishing they could make this easier for you.
“It will be okay Ma 'ite, shhh..” Neytiri’s voice soft in your ears as she calms you down. Her parents are an anchor in her storm.
She thought moving would be the storm that would unexpectedly flood her out yet she was wrong. She never thought it would be this. Having to be mated with someone who does not even see her, not as a na’vi but as a demon. As something she had no control over. Thinking back on how this was her fault, that she got them caught and had to flee their home, and now they must earn their place here as she must earn her place next to him. Will he earn his place next to her? Will he ever want her? Truly want her…?
