*insert 'this is fine' meme*

Art waited for Avantika to finish speaking before he replied. How dare he? How dare he be so freaking considerate while she was trying to be angry? She felt angrier then, not sure if it was at him or herself or the whole damn world. Her gut felt like it was being stabbed with a thousand tiny thorns. She didn't want to be angry at Art. She really didn't want him to hate her. But it was going to happen eventually, right? Avantika had always known she didn't deserve the good the Hallows had done for her, and it was bound to happen eventually that they realized that. She had been trying so hard to claw her way out of the pit of debt she'd was in, but then she messed up and fell apart and someone -- usually Art, because why should her issues be piled on less laden-down shoulders -- helped her and then the pit just got deeper. She hated this; she hated all of this. She was never going to be enough, was she?

Why -- Why would Audra be loyal to her? No. No. She wasn't. She wouldn't have left if she really cared. She wouldn't have left if she loved Avantika. Had she not understood how hard this stuff had been for her? She had been trying. She'd messed up, but that didn't mean she hadn't cared about Audra, about their relationship. She hadn't fallen out of love with Audra. She'd loved her all along. She hadn't spent much time with her, sure, but that wasn't -- that didn't mean she didn't love her. Sometimes it felt like all Avantika ever did was love, devotion sitting steady for so long it fermented into poison in her chest. But this was always the choice she would have made. She lived for the Hallows; someday she knew she'd die for them. Not soon, hopefully -- she didn't actually want to die, despite everything -- but she'd die happy if it was for her family. How could Art expect her to be anything different?

He didn't see his sister anymore -- she didn't want to think about what that could mean.

She was honestly surprised when Art said that he wouldn't banish her. She started back a little, eyes widening. But once that processed a little, she couldn't help but notice how tired her brother looked as he said that he'd already failed the rest of their sisters and wasn't going to let it happen again. She knew things had been rough. She wondered if Art had ever not wanted to be the Aegis. He was such a natural leader that it was easy to turn to him with problems, but the responsibility clearly weighed on him to some extent. Guilt rose at the idea that Avantika had added to his load. Regardless of whether she really wanted or thought she needed help, Art was going to try his damn best to give her it. It would only hurt him more to not take it. She could still work and prove herself worthy of the Hallows, but for Art's sake, she did have to try to take better care of herself.

He told her again to let someone help her, even if it wasn't him. She hesitated a little but finally nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll try to be better." He didn't need to know anything more. He knew why she was acting like this; she'd whined to him plenty of times before. But this was her duty now. To get better. Okay. She could do that. One step at a time. But she remained standing there for a moment, before stepping forward and silently, nervously offering a hug. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' she wanted to whisper, again and again until the words no longer had any meaning. But she wouldn't say a word.

"Speech"