{RL WITH ARADIA}

[bentflame]

A little while after finishing her text conversation with Aradia, Azula hopped on over to the Land of Quartz and Melody to pick up Aradia for another movie night. She wasn't in any particular hurry, so she just started to walk around a bit, figuring she'd run into the robot girl sooner or later.

Comments

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I haven't talked much with her. I've talked to you the most, actually. Then Tavros and Vriska."

[deathfangirl]

Aradia nodded. "We all used to play together," she said, a little wistfully. "Tavros, Vriska, Terezi and I. We were really close friends."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"That FLARP thing, you mean?" Azula asked. She knew a little bit about it, but not much. "And then Vriska hurt Tavros and blinded Terezi and that stopped it all, right?"

[deathfangirl]

"And killed me, and Terezi blew off Vriska's arm and eye, yes," Aradia said wryly. "We couldn't exactly play after that."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"It's understandable," she said carefully, looking at Aradia out of the corner of her eye.

[deathfangirl]

Aradia nodded, and glanced sidelong at Azula with a smile. Truth be told, she missed it fiercely. But it was the past.

And they were totally missing the movie, but that was okay, too.

"What are you thinking, Azula?" she prompted gently.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Just that you probably don't like that I talk to her, that's all," she replied. "Because I'm your moirail friend."

[deathfangirl]

Aradia blinked. "Oh no, that's fine!" she said, giving a soft, slightly relieved laugh. "I don't think it's particularly smart, and it's my job to make sure that she doesn't hurt you - to protect you. But I'm not Equius. I don't mind if you talk to whoever you like, Azula."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Tavros thought she was going to try to hurt me, too." She didn't sound particularly offended, just a bit bemused. "Then when he found out she didn't he said I should be her mentor or something."

[deathfangirl]

"Just because she hasn't yet, doesn't mean she wouldn't," Aradia said with a faint shrug. "But she has no reason to, for now, so you're safe." She chuckled wryly. "I guess that's what you're doing, isn't it? Mentoring her?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I don't really think so. We just talk sometimes. But I'm not scared of her." Not that Azula was really scared of most people, even the ones she should be scared of. The only person she truly feared was Cain.

[deathfangirl]

Aradia shrugged. "I'm not scared of her, and she killed me," she said. "It's not about fear. Anyway, you can talk to her all you like. But if I think she decides to use you in one of her schemes, I won't hesitate to protect you."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I doubt I'd need to be protected. I'm good at taking care of myself. I'm also good at not being manipulated."

[deathfangirl]

"I know you can take care of yourself, Azula," Aradia said cheerfully. "But it's still my job to protect you, and you to protect me. So I will."

[emberandash.livejournal.com]

Azula leaned her head back, her eyes on the screen (even though they were still talking. "I really do get how she operates. And I don't think she'll try anything."

[deathfangirl]

Aradia turned back to watch the movie again, though she was also paying attention to the conversation. "I get how she operates, too. Which is why I'm not worried right now."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"All right, then." She almost felt like asking Aradia when she would be worried, but (for once in her life) she was more interested in watching the film than in being pushy.

[deathfangirl]

Aradia would be worried if Vriska ever discovered something about Azula that made killing or hurting her make sense. But for now, she wasn't anticipating that happening, so she focused on the movie and relaxed.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula watched for a little while, then spoke up again. "What's wrong with Equius, anyway? I asked if you were annoyed by me talking to Vriska, and you said you weren't because you're not Equius."

[deathfangirl]

"Equius is a jerk," Aradia said, frowning. He still made her so mad, even if he was being sweet all the time. She was sure it was just because he still wanted to manipulate her into being his little smoochbot.

"He is very overbearing of his moirail, Nepeta. I know she can take care of herself, but he will try to decide who she gets to talk to, and what she can do. He wouldn't let her FLARP with us, for example, because he thought it was stupid." Though in retrospect, that was, perhaps, a smart decision.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula listened, considering. "Hm. Interesting. When I spoke to him he just seemed a little uptight."

[deathfangirl]

Aradia grunted. "He's very uptight and controlling. And he thinks he's better than everyone because of his stupid blood."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"... You sound angrier about her than about Vriska."

[deathfangirl]

If robots could blush, Aradia would be blushing now. "I hate him," she admitted. "Um, possibly in a romantic way."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"So that black romance thing?" Azula asked.