entranceway | [Handwritten Letter left for Elizabeth, slid under her door]

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[Handwritten Letter left for Elizabeth, slid under her door]

Elizabeth,

I don't blame you if you don't want to hear it, but I would still like to offer you my most profuse apologies for my mirror's behaviour. What happened was inexcusable, and I'm sorry that I found myself unable to stop it. I would also like to offer my deepest apologies for anything I may have said or done to lend creedence to his actions.

I have greatly valued your friendship in my time here, but I will understand if you no longer wish to extend it. I don't know how to begin to make amends for what happened. I'm not sure amends can be made for such a violation of trust and person.

Please take care of yourself.

Yours sincerely,

Aramis

[She can write back or call him or change to action or ignore it.]

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[He was sharp with her. Unnecessarily. Hesitantly, he reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder.]

Elizabeth, the line between friendship and more is a blurry one. I am extremely fond of you. The lie was not an obvious one. It was not even entirely a lie. But it was wielded as a weapon for him to get what he wanted. For sport. And I regret that.

Not entirely a lie?

[What did he mean by that? He couldn't mean he has feelings for her. That would be impossible.

Elizabeth looked at his hand on her shoulder. Gently, she brushed at his hand with her fingertips. When she starts feeling sentimental, she moves her hand away and takes a few steps to put some distance between them.]

You don't have to try and protect my honor.

Aramis, when I.. went forward with it, I wasn't being forced. I made that choice. His words might have been used to trick me, but I still had command of myself.

But you... he said you were fighting against him the entire time. I should be the one with regrets for hurting you.

I fought him because he was lying to you. You did not hurt me.

[She glances over at him.]

Really?

[Because she feels like she's wronged him.]

I'm sorry. I didn't want to harm our friendship. That's the last thing I ever wanted.

You didn't.

[He can't even conceive of how she would feel that way.]

It's just...I wouldn't wish for your first time to be a lie. As he said, he took something that cannot be returned.

[A few tears sting her eyes, but she blinks them away. Elizabeth decides to take a seat on the couch and sighs.]

Up until it was a lie, it couldn't have been more perfect.

[She supposes she got wrapped up in the moment, but it wasn't a story book after all. Hastily she wipes at her eyes and takes a deep breath.]

It's not important. I don't think I'm destined to live a normal life, anyway. If we do go back home one day, I don't know what will become of me. I might wake up in my tower or be captured and locked away somewhere else. Maybe I'll never see another living person again. I can't live my life here with regrets, should that ever happen.

Please don't cry. [Whispered.]

[He sits next to her and takes her hand.] It is important. You deserve happiness.

[Elizabeth fights back more tears. She told herself she wasn't going to get emotional in front of him. So much for that. Now she's not sure what to say.]

I don't blame you for what he did. You shouldn't either.

I don't want you to see him every time you look at me.

[She hesitates a moment, then looks at him.]

You're my friend, Aramis. You mean a great deal to me.

I'm just so embarrassed I couldn't tell the difference then.

[No matter how masterful a liar his mirror-self is.]

He was in my body, not his own. There was little to go on. He fooled people who've known me longer and more intimately than you.

[That does get a hint of a smile out of her.]

I guess you two do look very similar.

[She can also say she knows him pretty intimately now, too. At least as far as his body goes. Ahem! But she won't say that out loud.]

And it wasn't that act, with you, that I objected to. It was the whole...doing it under false pretenses.

Oh. [That's all she can say for the moment because she's suddenly burning with a blush. Is he saying he wouldn't object to doing that with her? Well, he is known to be quite amorous.]

Well, he did say many things. All that about my being clever and beautiful and those feelings he expressed... I understand those words were never yours.

[Because Aramis would not have said such things. He probably thinks her a child that needs protecting.]

Edited 2013-11-10 04:30 (UTC)

Oh, Elizabeth. Of course you're clever and beautiful. The feelings, on the other hand, are rather more complicated and difficult to explain.

[She looks at him, uncertain of what to say. She doesn't want to pressure him into trying to explain, though. There's also a fear of damaging their friendship further.]

Maybe we should have a code. You know, in case he comes back?

[A smile that's almost a breath of relief.] You see? I said you were clever.

[A pause.]

What do you suggest?

Nothing complicated. Just a word you'll give me if I need to know that it's you.

Something.. he wouldn't say normally. We can use a word from my world.

[She thinks a moment. It doesn't take her long to pick one.]

How about Songbird? Should be easy enough to remember.

What's the significance of that word in your world?

"Songbird, Songbird, see him fly, drop the children from the sky.
When the young ones misbehave, escorts children to their grave.
Never back-talk, never lie, or he'll drop you from the sky..."

[She blinks, as though in a daze.]

It's just an old nursery rhyme.

[He blinks back at her with no small amount of disbelief.]

About dropping children out of the sky?

[That gets a wry smile.]

He flies around Columbia. It startles the children.

Songbird is a machine but.. not a machine. I think there's something human in it. Or there was. Once.

He's my jailer.

...Your jailer? In the tower?

Yes, since I was a child. Songbird is the only living thing I ever interacted with until Mr. DeWitt somehow got into my tower and rescued me. And then I woke up here in Wonderland.

When I was young, I thought Songbird was my friend. He brought me food. Books. Toys. Anything I required. When I got older, I realized his purpose was to ensure I never left.

I've been thinking about him lately.

[A frown of concern.] Why is that?

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