[ She lifts her head, but doesn’t tuck the small veil of hair between her and him behind her ear just yet. Her eyes settle dead ahead on the younger South, still sitting there with wet eyes of her own, full of hurt and rage at a world that would wear her down relentlessly over the next two decades in ways she didn’t really understand, that day. Back then, the idea of ever hurting her brother would have been ridiculous; if that kid could hear this, hear everything she went on to be...
The little girl wipes her eyes. South bites her tongue. ]
I knew the Meta would be coming for us one day. Command kept me updated on its whereabouts, who it attacked and when. I knew that it’d catch up to us eventually and I knew when it did, it wouldn’t stop until it got what it wanted. Everyone else it attacked for an AI died, but they were alone, and...
[ Breathe. ]
I thought that maybe, if I let it take Theta, then caught it by surprise, we’d be able to hold our ground enough to escape. It wouldn’t chase us if it already had Theta and— and I’d finally have you back. I wouldn’t be playing fuckin’ second fiddle to an AI anymore. We could leave together.
So when it came... I waited. I— I didn’t expect it so soon, but that doesn’t really matter, does it? I’d have done the same thing even if I’d had longer to plan.
I just... I stood there, around the corner, just waiting. I heard every goddamn time you yelled for me and I said nothing, did nothing.
[ For a brief second, there’s a flash of North’s voice in the air, him calling for South, saying he needs help, asking if she’s okay, but South grits her teeth and cuts it off. Forces the memory to stay where it is.
She’s not watching it again, especially not with him. Nope. ]
no subject
[ God. Fuck. Okay. ]
Okay. Okay.
[ She lifts her head, but doesn’t tuck the small veil of hair between her and him behind her ear just yet. Her eyes settle dead ahead on the younger South, still sitting there with wet eyes of her own, full of hurt and rage at a world that would wear her down relentlessly over the next two decades in ways she didn’t really understand, that day. Back then, the idea of ever hurting her brother would have been ridiculous; if that kid could hear this, hear everything she went on to be...
The little girl wipes her eyes. South bites her tongue. ]
I knew the Meta would be coming for us one day. Command kept me updated on its whereabouts, who it attacked and when. I knew that it’d catch up to us eventually and I knew when it did, it wouldn’t stop until it got what it wanted. Everyone else it attacked for an AI died, but they were alone, and...
[ Breathe. ]
I thought that maybe, if I let it take Theta, then caught it by surprise, we’d be able to hold our ground enough to escape. It wouldn’t chase us if it already had Theta and— and I’d finally have you back. I wouldn’t be playing fuckin’ second fiddle to an AI anymore. We could leave together.
So when it came... I waited. I— I didn’t expect it so soon, but that doesn’t really matter, does it? I’d have done the same thing even if I’d had longer to plan.
I just... I stood there, around the corner, just waiting. I heard every goddamn time you yelled for me and I said nothing, did nothing.
[ For a brief second, there’s a flash of North’s voice in the air, him calling for South, saying he needs help, asking if she’s okay, but South grits her teeth and cuts it off. Forces the memory to stay where it is.
She’s not watching it again, especially not with him. Nope. ]