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Maybe it was the view, maybe it was the talk with that weird alien kid, maybe it was her bloodied hands, whatever it was, something made Vriska feel strangely at peace on that tower.
Sitting on the tallest building on their astroid, the cold floor under her palms, she closed her eyes. She knew what was coming for her. She didn't even have to hear the footsteps a fair distance away, the sounds of someone walking up spiral stairs. She knew. It was Lady Karma, as always, out to meddle with her. She was unsure exactly what she would say but she felt that perhaps this would be her last opportunity to meet with her in a long time. If she was honest, she was looking forward to it. How stupid is that? Throughout their entire relationship, ever since she first met the teal-blooded troll, she wondered what made her put up with all of her shit. It was exhausting, honestly, trying to get a rise of her. Even when she managed to, it felt...wrong.
Of course she scoffed this thought off many times before, but the nature of this moment made her, if just for a second, reevaluate things. If there was one thing Vriska knew how to do, it was to seem to cause problems, and she was fine with that, she reveled in it, almost. She desperately clawed her way to her confidence, placing herself first above all else, after all, that's something someone of her caste would do, it's what Marquise would do, surely. She was just looking out for her friends, yet they always seemed to get frustrated with her. It made no sense!
Obviously she was in the right, and knowing this, her thought never strayed away to any other possibilities. That is, except when she was with Terezi. The girl never managed to strangle any guilt from her, but she did nothing if lead her down this very thought process right now. There was a pit lingering in her stomach. There was a brewery of emotions rumbling within her. Vriska thought again, "I wonder if i should feel bad."
Disgusting. The thought almost made her want to vomit. No, the thought of Terezi made her want to vomit.
Her thoughts crackled carelessly within her head, attune to firecrackers. She wish it could all just be simpler, she wish it could be as easy as the humans had it. Her momentary reflective peace was shattered. She never really bothered to get close to any of her friends. It was a waste of time, and surely a waste of their time as well. She was better than them anyways. Sure, she was closer to some of them more than others, to put a name on some, Kanaya, and that bothersome sea-dweller. But despite her desperately trying to always push her away, Terezi always stayed close by. That was until recently. Now, with the fire of their FLARPing days all but extinguished, she couldn't help but feel the need for the girl to acknowledge her like she once did.
Vriska didn't know why or how, but there was something different about Rezi. She loved pushing her screws like all the others but, only because the dagger stabbed her. Metaphorically speaking, at least. She never LITERALLY backstabbed Terezi because that would be stupid and nonsensical even for her, (especially after she already filled that schtick with Equius). She could never put a finger on their relationship, yet Terezi always seemed to have it all figured out. The aspiring legislacerator always seemed to be absolute in her judgment, big surprise. They were turbulent, she supposed. And even if she hated to admit it, Vriska couldn't help but realize she wanted her in a quadrant. Ridiculous as it was to anytroll sensible, she couldn't help it. Sometimes they flipped red, but almost exclusively was she pitch for her. Until recently. The nostalgic air filled her lungs and she breathed a deep sigh. She admired her, didn't she? "God damn it."
Steps approached closer, snd she knew an ultimatum was closing in on her. Despite her conscience, she had to go against Jack. She knew the risks, she knew how stupid it was, she knew, somewhere in her indigo thump tortoise. Still, despite it all, she also realized it was something she had to do. She had to prove to herself her strength, before maybe letting it go on Earth, with John. Although, perhaps there was another reason. Perhaps it was another form of punishment. Of self-destruction. No matter what though, nothing could deter her will. Terezi knew that best of all. And so Vriska knew the question wasn't whether she would attempt it, but whether Terezi would have the guts to spray her blue blood on the cold industrial floor.
This decision however, was nothing if predictable. She knew Rezi. She knew she didn't have the guts, the strength, the nerve, or the heart. Because she knew something Terezi did not. Just a Terezi knew parts of her she was blind to. Terezi still liked Vriska. Terezi still loved Vriska.
Closer, still. Louder and louder. Step by step. Vriska's mind in this moment wandered, to a memory she had thought she had forgotten. Back during their FLARPing days, back when they were far closer. When they were the Scourge Sisters. When they became Marquise Mindfang and Neophyte Redglare.
This time, they were as close as they ere currently, separated no longer by their trollian accounts. After a very successful FLARP campaign they had, Terezi had travelled far to Vriska's own hive. It wasn't the first time they had met in person, but it would be the last, before SGRUB, at least. And there they layed, backed against the edge of Vriska's recuperacoon.
Vriska hardly cleaned up before Rezi had arrived, she found no need, especially because she knew whatever situation Terezi's hive was in was far worse, she had of course likely beaten her in architectural design, like most things in her sad, pathetic life. Vriska kept her sense of superiority close to her chest. Lest it fall. Yet fall it certainly did.
"H3Y, YOUR PL4C3 SUR3 IS M3SSY, 1 F1GUR3D YOU 0F 4LL P30PLE WOULD'VE K3PT 1T N1C3 4ND D3COR4T3D." Vriska promptly scoffed in response. "Does it really matter? I figure your place isn't fairing much 8etter." Her head turned to the shorter troll, where Terezi wore a pout. "W3LL 1 DUNNO, 1 TH1NK 1T'S JUST 1NTR3ST1NG. 1 F33L L1KE 1M S331NG 4 N3W S1D3 OF YOU 1 GUESS." Oh here she starts with this shit. Vriska could never tell whether her weird solicitations were ever genuine or not, but god either way, was her lackadaisical way of flirting annoying. Before she could complain more in her head, Rezi's face found itself leaning on her shoulder. Her face nudged itself the side of her arm more than her shoulder, though. It was kind of difficult when Vriska was such a tall woman.
Annoying as she was, damn did it work all the same on Vriska. Her body urged her to separate the two of them. And her logic pushed her the same way, yet she remained. They had spent all the day hanging around, and with them both winding down from the intensity the two of them usually brought to anywhere, FLARP or not, the moment was strangely vulnerable.
"YOU KNOW, Im1 TH1NK YOU'R3 4 R34L P13C3 OF WORK, VR1SKS." Stuck facing forward at her poster plastered wall, the girl listened. "SOM3T1M3S 1 C4N'T T3LL WH4T P4RTS OF YOU 4R3 VR1SK4." Still facing foward, she answered coldly, "What are you talking a8out?" Her eyes paced around, and her palms started to get sweaty. "1 CAN S33 R1GHT THROUGH YOU, Y'KNOW." Terezi smiled smugly. "SOM3T1M3S 1'M SC4R3D OF YOU, BUT 1 KNOW 1N MOM3NTS L1KE TH3S3 WHO VR1SK4 IS, 1 TH1NK. W1THOUT 4LL TH3 MURD3RY P1R4T3 SP1D4R 4STH3TH1CS 4ND TH3 T3D1OUS M3DDL1NG YOU 4LW4YS DO." She giggled her gritty laugh. "Hey," Vriska thought, "that's my line." Vriska found herself in a uncomfortable situation. One rare for someone like her. Frankly, the mere thought of being in this compromising position made her angry. It made her sick. Is she looking down on her? Vriska is a badass selfish spidergirl who doesn't give a shit about what anyone else thinks or wants, she'll take what she wants and will make the most progress and be the most confident and be the best at all of it. She voiced as much. "8ullshit. You know 8etter than to underestimate me like that. What? Do I kill people, all for an act???????? Just to make people what, like me???????? I don't need to try that hard, 8ecause frankly, i'm already just that great. You said it yourself, you've been scared of me, and you should 8e. 8ecause? 8ecause..."
She trailed off as she realized terezi shifts in her movement, she had plenty more to say, what gives her the big idea? Well, apparently what gave her the idea was her sitting on vriska's lap. Wearing her usual smirk, she lifted her head off of vriska's arm, sat up and positioned herself above vriska, sitting on her knees, her legs over Vriska's thighs. "S33 TH1S 1S WH4T'S SO 1NFUR14T1NG 4BOUT YOU! 1 HAT3 1T." Was that? Oh shit. "YOU TRY TOO H4RD! 4ND Y3T YOU JUST WON'T 4DMIT 1T! DO YOU KNOW HOW T3RR1BL3 1T 1S W4TCH1NG YOU! 1F YOU 3V3N TR13D 4 L1TTLE B1T TO CONN3CT W1TH P3OPL3 R4TH3R TH4N PUSH1NG TH3M 4W4Y M4YB3 YOU'D NOT1C3 JUST HOW FUCK3D YOU AR3! 1'M TRY1NG TO H4V3 4 MOM3NT W1TH YOU H3R3 VR1SKS! YOU JUST C4NT STOP D1GG1NG YOURS3LF 1NTO 4 HOL3. 1T'S 3XH4UST1NG" Vriska's mouth draped open with disbelief. this cannot be happening.
The words hit her like a truck despite none of them being true of course. Rezi just wouldn't get it! It was maddening. As she spouted her nonsense and drivel her face leaned closer to Vrsika's. And as Vriska thought how stupid Terezi's thought process was, she leaned in as well. Both of them were breathing heavily. Terezi couldn't be clearer. "Ugh. Fuck i-" before Vriska could finish Terezi closed her eyes and locked lips with the spider girl, and the brief face of astonishment Vriska wore with the first impact melted away as she leaned into the kiss.
A step as a loud as a rock hit the floor. Awakening Vriska from her memory-daydream. Ugh. How humiliating. Despite what they both say, she never stopped thinking about that moment. Now, with all the experience of SGRUB, Vriska admitted to no one but herself that maybe Terezi was right. Maybe, if she had realized sooner she wouldn't have killed Tavros. Maybe if she didn't kick Terezi out the moment the kiss had ended it would've been different now. Because despite Vriska's best predictions, and all of her luck, and everything she had hoped to prove...
STAB. Vriska's face widened, she should be leaving the veil by now, she should have left Terezi behind. So, what happened? She looked down upon her outfit, blue slowly staining her godhood. On the floor was her blue blood, splattered. She couldn't turn around, she couldn't ask questions, for the first time in her life since she was a grub, she felt powerless. And when she closed her eyes, she knew her fate was sealed. This is the part where the peacekeeper kills the backstabbing betrayer. In other words. The universe itself had decided her fate the moment the blade struck her chest, and the nature of paradox space meant the seeds were planted for this most likely centuries in advanced. It was ironic. "I guess I know how it feels now." she thought to herself. as her conscience wavered, she managed to hear a brief sniffle from behind her. And for the first time in Vriska Serket's life, she felt the guilt plummeting her.
Her life had started to make a little sense, and although she didn't have all that many regrets, Terezi was the largest. She had felt the lingering senses of feelings that she shared for her, even as they entered fights time and time again. It was unfortunate she had to be the one to protect the others from her own stupidity. All of this, was just, so, so, stupid. So useless. So meaningless. Vriska supposed it made sense that if anyone was to get the last laugh it was Rezi. She smiled. Her body crashed to the floor. She was dead.