The second time it happens, a day later, the pink Lillly arrives gasping for breath. Now that they're in different bodies, Dahlia - real creative, by the way, Lillly, naming your clone after another kind of flower - can see how vulnerable she looks when drowning. But more than that, she looks stupid. Like a complete idiot who's throwing everything away because she's scared to admit she can't maintain a friendship. Again.
"Oh. You again." Sure, Pilot's being rude, but she's been trapped inside regular, two-toned VikingPilot's body since the last time they died - and it's been ages, because VikingPilot's very good at not dying - arguing with the yellow half. You'll have to forgive her for being blunt.
"Nice to see you again?" Viking says, and he hopes he's not being too obvious that although he's always happy to see people, these ones aren't like the usual people he sees, and he doesn't know why he saw them the first time, let alone tonight. Frankly, it's worrying that it's happened again.
They look different tonight. It's hard to put a pin in it, but he decides eventually that they look more different. Different from each other. It's strange.
"She drowned again," Dahlia says, pointing at the other girl, still bent double and recovering from her death. It ought to teach her not to do it again, but knowing Lillly, this won't deter her. She's already killed herself twice, so why not another time?
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," Viking says, but when he steps forward for a hug, it's not the pink Lillly he goes for. Sure, it's a little ridiculous that he's not hugging the repeatedly suicidal one, but he's not sure his hug would be welcome.
Dahlia leans into this person who's not quite a stranger anymore, and stays there until Lillly pulls her away from him.
"You can't be serious. We don't even know this person," she says.
"He saved your life," Dahlia replies.
"He saved both of your lives, even though you're complete strangers." Pilot says. So what if she's being a bit judgemental? That bleeding-heart Viking needs to understand that they won't ever be able to get what they want if they're focused on giving everything to everyone else all the time. "You're both Lillly, aren't you?"
"She's not Lillly," Lillly points at Dahlia. "I'm calling her Dahlia, for now."
"Welcome to the world, then, Dahlia," Viking says, ignoring the mental tug that means Pilot's trying to resurrect them. He's not going to give in so soon. She'll just have to stay here for a bit. "I'm Viking. She's Pilot."
"Some welcome," Dahlia replies. "Lillly spent the whole day reenacting yesterday. I wasn't allowed to be seen. It was awful."
"Wouldn't people notice?" he asks. "Don't you have friends, or family, or even just acquaintances who would notice? Enemies, even?"
"She's got friends," Dahlia nods. "But they didn't notice. I don't know why. They went about the day they would have had, but she pulled them into a repeat of last night. And they didn't even seem to remember."
"Yeah, yeah," Pilot interrupts. "You died and came back wrong. I don't care. So did we. But we need to do something about it." She glares at Viking again, adjusting herself into more of a fighting stance. She wouldn't punch him, or at least she doesn't think she would, but he doesn't know that.
"Just a little bit longer," Viking says, and he knows he shouldn't be trying to negotiate with her, but he can't shout at her. He just can't. "Good luck tomorrow," he says. Dahlia wraps him in another hug, and he realizes he's hoping it happens again next time VikingPilot dies.
"You've had your moment. We need to get back. Our house isn't even done," Pilot says, and closes her eyes and focuses even harder on their bed. She'll drag him kicking and screaming back to Dominion if she has to. It would be easier, of course, to leave him here, weeping over some girl they don't know who's just going to kill herself again, because then she'd have no competition for VikingPilot's guidance. She'd be able to steer him into completing the ritual, regaining their memories, and figuring out why everything is the way it is. Maybe she should try to leave him here. But she can't. Viking is part of VikingPilot, part of her, even if he's the weak part.
"Let him leave," Lillly says. "I want to go, too. Come on."
Lillly starts to pull Dahlia from his grip, but rather than let go, he holds on tighter and closes his eyes. Fine. He'll give into Pilot's mental demands. But he's going to fight even harder for VikingPilot's actions. They deserve to have fun with their friends, just like Lillly. Even if she killed herself at the end. He'll make sure they have a better ending to their story.
Dahlia's arms clamp closed around nothingness. Viking's gone. She turns to Lillly.
"You spent all day isolating me from your friends, and now you make the only person I can really relate to leave?" Dahlia's probably being a bit harsh. Lillly is the one who's killed herself twice. But it's true. "How many people like us do you think there are in the world? It's not exactly normal for a person to become two people. You certainly don't have my back, so why are you so determined to make sure he doesn't?"
Lillly looks directly into Dahlia's eyes. "Remember. You're not the real me. I have friends back home. I want to see them again. So, we're going to leave."
"Why, so you can replay the only time you've ever felt like you have friends who love you? You know, even more than I hope I get to see Viking again, I hope I never end up in this place again. Why? Because I care about you, even if you don't. You've killed yourself twice. Stop it already. It's not going to give you what you want."
"Don't try to tell me what I want. You're not me. I'm leaving." And Lillly closes her eyes, and thinks of bed, and then she's not in that dark place anymore.
Dahlia vanishes too, eyes still wide open and pleading.