Not So Perfect [Avatar The Way Of Water]

26

Teungyi's pov:
⚠️TW: mention of rape, this one's very explicit, do not continue reading if these topics are triggering to you! ⚠️

"Teung, you're starting to freak me out," Tsireya said, "even Yrritsyo left because you keep talking to yourself."
"It doesn't matter, I am this close to figuring it out," I said as I paced around, Tsireya and Lo'ak both staring at me like I was crazy.
"Figuring what out?" Lo'ak asked me confused as Tsireya grabbed onto his hand.
"The truth," I simply answered as my head was beginning to hurt from all the thinking I was doing.
"The truth?" Tsireya questioned and looked at Lo'ak before looking back at me, "so that's why you made Voyena take you to Niokä? So you could figure out the truth? What truth by the way?"
"There's one small detail that I miss and as soon as I figure that out I'll be able to tell you all," I explained and grunted. I now knew that the dagger that made the cut on Yrritsyo's face was made with Oimliän's dagger, so Oimliän was most likely the one to have made the cut, meaning that Niokä was the one to hold Yrritsyo down since Yrritsyo said that Aonung never pinned him down but only made a small cut with his dagger before he passed out. Kìeytxar was the one on the look out, but I wasn't quite sure yet if he knew or had even seen it and I didn't know yet how I could ask him without making it obvious. I simply pretended to be intrested in a dagger switch to get a look at Oimliän and Niokä's daggers otherwise I never would've seen it and I never would've figured out that Oimliän was the one to cut him. But even so I still needed to be able to prove it, I needed witnesses. I looked to my side and saw Aonung, looking as grim as he was since he and Miyara broke up with him, walk over to the village but Kìeytxar was talking to him. Neteyam also came, but he looked rather satisfied with himself until Aonung for some strange reason spoke to him in an angry manner.. he probably figured out about Miyara's feelings for Neteyam. But then Aonung ran away, followed by Neteyam as Kìeytxar just stood there.. dumbfounded and afraid. I shrugged as I decided I would simply talk to him.
"Where are you going?" Tsireya asked me, clearly being annoyed with me and my strange behaviour now.
"Home, my head hurts," I lied as my eyes remained on Kìeytxar, "enjoy your evening."
"When the fuck does she ever say 'enjoy your evening'? The girl swears more than the Sky People and now she has manners?" I heard Lo'ak remark but neither of them followed after me.

***

Miyara's pov:

Oimliän had punched me in my face when I had shot that arrow, I could feel the place where he had hit me, bruising the entire left side of my face hurting as he pinned me down to the ground right away, setting his knees and full weight on my shoulders to stop me from getting up as he used his hands to pin my wrists down.
"Stop fighting back!" Oimliän sneered as he placed his dagger against my throat, pushing me down into the dirt with his knees on my shoulders as Niokä tried to get on top of me, grinning at the frightened look in my eyes as I continued to kick my legs around in order to keep him off me.
Never not once in my life had I felt this amount of fear as the two boys tried to force themselves upon me. I was too far away from the village to be heard but still I shouted for help in desperation.. hoping someone might hear, hoping Neteyam would be close enough, but that hope faded quickly.. he left a while ago, he was probably in bed by now falling asleep to the memory of us kissing in the moonlight like we had done earlier tonight.
My mind lingered to Aonung, but I couldn't explain why he was the one I thought of in this moment. He promised me when we were nine years old that he would always protect me, that was the first time I saw a soft side of him, a side that genuinely cared for others. Now I prayed to Eywa that he would keep that promise and somehow help me. But nobody was here to help me. I was all alone and I didn't know how long I could keep fighting them off, I was already failing.
Niokä got frustrated and managed to pin my legs down as he reached out and tore my top apart, the top Tsireya had given me for my birthday, laughing as the coverage was now minimum and revealed most of my breasts to them. A satisfied grin upon their faces as Niokä placed his knees over my legs to stop me from kicking him as he grabbed onto my breasts so harshly he bruised me, his hands marking me all over my body as I continued to cry out, pleading for them to stop.
"Please," I shouted, tears falling down my face, "don't do this."
"Why not?" Oimliän laughed as he leaned down, his face inches away from mine as he stared down at me with a dark look in his eyes, "you picked the perfect spot for this Miyara, nobody here will be able to hear you."
Oimliän grinned as he forced his lips upon mine, but I wasn't going to let him as I bit harshly into his lips, drawing blood and with that also angering the boy.
"You bitch," Oimliän grunted as he got his dagger and made a nasty cut with it on my upper arm, I groaned in pain as the cut was deep and messy, pain flinching throughout my arm.
"I'll go first," Niokä told his friend, "you can finish her off."
"No, stop," I cried out as I saw Niokä sit up and pull his loincloth down as he remained to force my legs down with his knees, "help! Help me!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I tried to squirm myself loose.
"Listen to her pathetic cries," Niokä laughed as he began to wank himself off to make himself hard, "nobody will save you, stupid girl, just shut up and enjoy it."
My heart dropped as a new amount of fear ran over me, it was like my mind stopped working and all it could think of was trying to escape, trying to find a safe place in my mind without any luck as I began to scream my lungs out as Niokä got hard and laughed alongside Oimliän over my cries for help. I tried to squirm my way out of it but without any luck, they used all of their strength to make sure I couldn't escape.
Think of a safe place, I thought to myself.
"Hurry up, her screaming makes my ears hurt," Oimliän hissed at Niokä, "pull her loincloth down, let's see that wet pussy of hers."
Think of a safe place.
"NO! GET OFF ME! HELP!" I continued screaming as Niokä began to pull my loincloth down, I subconsciously began to shout for the only one that came to mind when I needed help, "AONUNG!"
He.. he used to be my safe place, I thought as my heart fell into an abyss as I realised that I wasn't getting out of this, but even if I knew that it was inevitable I tried to keep fighting.
"Told you she'd start screaming for her boyfriend," Niokä laughed as I continued to cry out for Aonung, I had known Aonung almost my entire life and despite him being an ass there was never a moment I didn't feel safe with him. I always felt safe with him, still it was like my mind had a mind of it's own as I continued to shout his name.. desperately waiting for him to answer my calls as Niokä managed to pull down my loincloth, leaving me bare.
"Get off me!" I desperately cried out as I couldn't even find the strength to shut my eyes as I watched Niokä observing what I looked like down there, "AONUNG, PLEASE!"
"He won't hea-" Oimliän chuckled but his eyes widened as he looked at something ahead of him, his own face suddenly taking over with fear. Niokä was ripped off me before he could force himself inside of me and when I looked down I saw that it was Aonung that had a full hand of Niokä's hair in his hand as he ripped the boy off me, Oimliän quickly jumped off me as he went to help Niokä in fighting Aonung. I quickly crawled further away, near the riverside.
Had Aonung not been her to save me I would've been frightened of him, the way his eyes were widened with rage as he swung his dagger around managing to cut Niokä several times, Oimliän quickly realised that fighting Aonung in the state of mind he was in would result in them losing and so he ran off, trying to escape but was met with a forceful fist from Neteyam, who quickly pinned him down and began to beat the shit out of him as Aonung had gone from beating Niokä to mutilating him, continueing to make cuts all over his body as he had also pulled out many locks of Niokä's hair, leaving bloodied bald spots on his head.
I was still shivering with fear as I tried to get myself dressed, but my hands were too shaky to even get anything done, tears still running down my face and blood still dripping from the cut Oimliän had made on my arm, covering my arm in my own red, hot liquid.
Niokä and Oimliän managed to sneak their way out of the fight, being quick and dodging Neteyam's and Aonung's punches and ran off. Aonung was panting heavily as he tried to calm himself down and that's when his eyes met mine, the anger faded when he saw the terrified look in my eyes. Aonung looked down and saw how I was almost entirely undressed by the two boys, he saw the big bruise upon my face and the marks their hands had left not only on my breasts but also on my stomach, my legs my throat.
"Miya," he said softly as he ran to my side, followed by Neteyam who stared at me with fear in his eyes.
"You're safe now," Neteyam said as he sat down to my other side as they both kept their distance from me, making sure to not suddenly touch me.
I remained quiet as I tried to cover myself up, but now nothing felt like enough clothing anymore, still crying as Aonung and Neteyam looked at me with worry in their eyes, my breath hitching in my throat.
"Did they.." Aonung began, but couldn't get the words out, "did they rape you?"
"Almost," I answered, my voice cracking with each letter that rolled off my tongue, "you were just in time."
Aonung and Neteyam sighed relieved as Aonung looked down at the sand, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.
"I was so worried," Aonung said as his voice cracked, signaling to me that he was crying, "I was so afraid when I heard you call my name."
I stayed silent, my heart still pounding in my chest as I watched him wipe away tears before looking back up to me giving me a clear view of the worry on his face. I don't even know why his name was the first one I called out for, perhaps because I had known Aonung since I was six years old and I had only known Neteyam for about four or five months. That was the only logical explination I had, but it didn't matter now because they managed to get here in time.
But the memory of them on top of me, laughing as they hurted me was still burned in my mind, hearing their voices clearly ringing in my ears. I pulled my legs up to my chest as I tightly hugged my legs and began to shiver.
"Neteyam, go get her a blanket," Aonung said as Neteyam was staring at me with worry, before shooting a glare at Aonung.
"I'm not leaving her alone with you," Neteyam spat out, "how did you even know your buddies were here to hurt her?"
"W-what?" I stammered as I looked from Neteyam to Aonung in disbelief, "you knew?"
"Kìeytxar told me that Niokä and Oimliän had gone to find you, yes," Aonung explained, "he warned me so I could help you."
"You know what I think? I think you're an evil soul," Neteyam sneered at Aonung, "I think you set this up with your friends so it would look like you saved her from harm and so she could go back to fall in love with you.. you've made yourself very clear before that she'd always be yours and yours only, you don't have a good bone in your body."
"I had nothing to do with this," Aonung stuttered, "I love her."
"You love her enough to mutilate her friend, to make her out to be your slut infront of her friends and you love her enough to set this entire thing up just so she'll think you're her saviour, her protector," Neteyam said stern, his yellow eyes filled with rage towards Aonung, "why else would your friends know she was here? You told me that you saw us here before you came sprinting to save Miyara."
"Is this true?" I asked in disbelief, watching Aonung's eyes widen as he looked from me to Neteyam, "did you do this?"
"N-No!" He said raising his voice, "never."
"How did they know I was here? How did they know I was alone?" I stammered, my heart slowly breaking into a million pieces, "you saw me and Neteyam here and then you saw Neteyam alone... meaning I'd be here.. you did this to me?"
"Miya, no," Aonung stammered, turning paler as he had a frightened look on his face, "I didn't do this."
"It's the only logical explination," Neteyam spat out, "I think it's best you leave. Before I break every bone in your body."
"Miya, please," Aonung said as he touched my leg, the fear shooting throughout my entire body as I pulled away, frightened from the touch immediatly making me picture Niokä and Oimliän.
"Don't touch me," I said, my eyes widening in fear, "don't.."
I saw Aonung's heart breaking in the look in his eyes as he desperately stared at me, he looked at me like he had lost everything when he was the reason I was even hurt like this in the first place. Neteyam was right, only Aonung knew where we were, only Aonung saw Neteyam return home without me.. how else would Niokä and Oimliän have known where I was, all alone so far from the village?
I thought when I found out about Aonung hurting Yrritsyo that I had already felt the worst kind of betrayal from him but now that he might've actively helped his friends to do this to me I felt disgusted by even looking at him. Feeling like I was looking at a stranger, wondering if I had ever known him at all. Had I truely always been this blinded for the evil he was?
"Miya," he stammered, his voice breaking as I looked away from him. My heart aching in my chest as I still shivered with fear, but now with a newfound fear of the boy I once loved. A fear of the boy I used to feel safe with.
"You can't call me that anymore," I whispered still not looking at him, "it's Miyara to you."
I catched a quick glimpse of Aonung's face, his ears lowering as he stared at me with wide open eyes without actually looking at me, his breathing getting heavier as he realised that he was no longer allowed to call me by the nickname all people dear to me called me. Realising that he had indeed now lost me forever.
"Leave, Aonung," Neteyam said staring at the tall boy who couldn't get his eyes off me.
"I.. I have to make sure she gets home safely," Aonung whispered in a pleading manner.
"Leave," I said looking away, "Neteyam can keep me safe.. unlike you."
That seemed to have hit him hard as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hide his tears as he got up and actually began to run away. I sobbed into my knees as Neteyam sat by my side as long as he needed.
"We should get you patched up, Miya," Neteyam said in a soft and gentle voice after a while.
I looked him in his warm, yellow eyes as he looked at me worried, pointing his finger at the wound on my arm.
"I.." I stammered, I didn't want anyone to know this had happened to me. I felt so ashamed as I began to blame myself for everything that happened, I trusted Aonung, I should've run away instead of trying to shoot them, I should've fought harder, I shouldn't have been here alone at night.
"This is all my fault," I whispered, Neteyam's eyes widened when the words left my mouth.
"This is not your fault," he said still not touching me, "what they did to you is their fault and their fault only, you can keep thinking that if you had done things differently you might've escaped but they would've catched you.. Miya, this is not your fault.. it could never be your fault.. do you hear me?"
"Why does it feel like it is?" I cried as Neteyam's eyes began to fill with tears from the sight of me.
"Let me take you home," he said, "but someone has to clean that wound, and if you won't let me do it, let at least Kiri do it."
"I don't want to go home," I said, "they'll know... Zua can't see me like this.. and I can't go to my parents.. they'll be ashamed of me if they saw me like this."
"You can stay in my bed, I'll crash with Lo'ak, does that sound better?" Neteyam asked me and I nodded as he got up, "I won't touch you until you are ready for me to touch you."
"Thank you, Teyam," I said as I got up slowly, watching him frown confused.
"For what?" He asked me.
"For being there for me, for looking out for me," I whispered as I walked besides him, "for understanding."
"Don't ever thank me for any of that," he said softly looking at me with a soft look in his eyes, "I just wished I stayed when you did, I could've prevented this."
"You couldn't," I said, "neither of us could've stopped it. Aonung had it planned with his friends."

I personally always have a certain amount of fear when I write chapters such as this one, going into detail about sexual assault because it's a very serious topic that still happens everyday on our planet, I'm always nervous that I might trigger a reader's trauma by writing things like this but I also find topics like these something that should be discussed, something for which awareness should be spread more.
Sexual assault is not the fault of the person who has been assaulted, it's the fault of those who commited the assault and only theirs. Never forget that.
My words might not mean much to you, or perhaps they do, I don't know what my words mean to you.
All I can say is that with serious topics such as these which I present throughout all my stories this is my way of spreading awareness, I hope it reaches people and makes them think about it. I hope people can find comfort in knowing that I'll not skip over such trauma's in my stories because in every story is a form of the truth hidden in it and the truth is that sexual assault still happens, everyday, millions of people, no matter what gender, experience such a traumatic event and are being told to shut up about it, are being blamed for it happening to them. I hope by writing these things it gives people the strength to speak up about it, I hope it helps them realise that none of that is their fault and that they should stop blaming themselves for something an evil being (or maybe even beings) did to them. It is better to speak up than stay silent.