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[aididitmyway]

please astral project here

it'll look pretty later

Comments

[aiwillneversmile]

No, it was something else for her.

But I already knew you would make it. Just a question of when not if.

[aididitmyway]

I know, I know...

Knowing who you really are helped a lot, though. I'm not sure I would've lasted if I kept going like I did.

[aiwillneversmile]

You say that, but I was also the one who pushed you into a corner, handling things the way I did.

[aididitmyway]

I didn't appreciate it at first, but...

You know you're totally forgiven for that, right? And does it even matter if I'm better off now?

[aiwillneversmile]

It does matter, because it was cruel, but I appreciate being forgiven. Thank you.

. . . You haven't believed anything I've said, have you?

[aididitmyway]

No.

I knew you were lying the moment you said you were in the wings, dummy.

[aiwillneversmile]

I said I could have been in the wings since I didn't remember anything.

It'll be okay. We can fix it here.

[aididitmyway]

Oh. Sorry...

[she sighs, leaning against him heavily]

I just want you to be there, but I definitely couldn't see you. I looked everywhere. I wanted to see you happy.

[aiwillneversmile]

I was with our dad.

[aididitmyway]

You were... what?

[aiwillneversmile]

I'm sorry. I had to.

[aididitmyway]

Had to what?? Why are you apologizing—

[And then she sharply pulls back, staring him down.]

You didn't.

[aiwillneversmile]

He's dead. It's over.

1/2

[aididitmyway]

Cygnus, you—

[she has to stand up and take a few steps away for a moment because she has to process her emotions. it's not like she was a fan of their dad.]

[aididitmyway]

Why!? Don't you know what it means?? What if they find the body, what if you get thrown in jail, what if I can't see you—what happened to you!?

[aiwillneversmile]

He tried to kill you, Lyra. He wouldn't have stopped trying. And we can fix it here.

[aididitmyway]

But what are we fixing? The fact that you killed him??

[aiwillneversmile]

. . . That I died killing him.

[aididitmyway]

[she spins around, staring at him in disbelief as she tries to process the fact that he did something she specifically told him to never, ever do.]

[aiwillneversmile]

[will finally look up which is also what breaks him, instantly starting to tear up]

I'm sorry. I couldn't leave it alone, and I got scared—

[aididitmyway]

[Her eyes start welling up with tears, because she can't... help... but stare at him, still disbelieving even though he wouldn't say it if it weren't true. She knows better than that. He wouldn't say it to be cruel, especially when there's no point in that.]

So you killed him and you died!? You already know how I felt about that, I thought—I can't—

[aiwillneversmile]

[swiping his eyes while standing up]

Lyra, I had to.

[aididitmyway]

I—you idiot! Didn't I tell you to not!? I can't—

[She actually goes to rush out of the room, but stops herself at the door, scrubbing at her eyes.]

Even if we can fix it here, it doesn't change that you did it.

[aiwillneversmile]

It doesn't. I staged my own death, including stabbing myself, in order to kill him to protect you and your reputation. That's . . . That's just what I had to do.

[aididitmyway]

[after a moment, she turns back around and marches straight back at him... and slaps him.]

You said we would figure it out together! You said you'd try to not leave me! We're lucky we can fix it, but what if we couldn't!? Do you seriously think it's better that I try to live without you??