A Pale Affair   von Oogie-Boogie
             (Humans have only one Quadrant but trolls have many)
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                   Kapitel 6: Car-dealings, Spider-dealings
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Rose waited together with her mother by the car dealership. It was a sunny and
clear Friday and Mom Lalonde was in good spirits. Being dead for some time
brought interesting changes. One of them was, that she hardly ever drank
anymore.
Rose was also much nicer to her mom these days, which unquestionably helped her
mood.
“Kanaya is a little late. Strange, she is never late.”
Her mother shrugged with her shoulders and seemed to be content about waiting
for her. Rose was also okay with that. Exceptions prove the rule after all.
A minute later they saw Kanaya, running in their direction. 
“Hi, Kanaya.”
“I have to excuse myself for my dilatory behaviour Rose and Miss Lalonde. I
was delayed.”
“No harm done. Let us go.”

The three women entered the car-dealership. “I will inspect the car I selected
via Internet”, Rose said. “Kanaya?”
Kanaya didn't react immediately. She appeared distant for some reason.
“Yes, I want to look at some of the others.”
“Do you want to drive someday too?”
“Maybe. It seems that humans are loving this.”
“Didn’t you use cars on Alternia? Or hover cars or something like that?”
“No, we hadn’t much of a infrastructure or a big networks for roads and
rails. Feferi is working on one, but she insists on eco-sensitive vehicles.
Meenah said she wants to use monster trucks.”
“How is the discussion about this going to proceed?”
“Mostly through insults and excitement about eco-friendliness.”
“Do they the debate on television?”
“Sometimes. But both still have problems with the urge to kill all other
fuchsia-bloods.
“Exact time?”
“15:00, Channel Summoner.”
Rose made a mental note. This thing sounded especially hilarious to her. 

Kanaya looked at some of the cars while Rose and her mother talked with one of
the saleswomen about the price. 
Cars were like fashionable clothing in her eyes to some degree. People searched
for one for themselves that they liked, found good to drive, and found suitable
for their needs, and even modified them if they wished it.
Some even built their own cars, probably a little bit more expensive than making
your own clothes but they did.
//Fashion is universal. It doesn’t limit itself to clothing. Many things are
alike to some degree.//
But she was unsure about learning to drive cars at this moment. 

Kanaya looked over to Rose who followed the saleswoman into her office. She
waved at her and Kanaya waved back. She would wait until the two would come
back.
“Finally, they are gone now.”
Kanaya whirled around and suppressed a her surprise. It was Vriska standing
before her. She grinned her favourite grin, a grin that emitted smug charm and
the wish to punch the grinning person into her face.
She fell in love with that grin in the past, but not anymore. Now she only
wanted to care for that girl that still has a lot of issues and a lot of guilt
in her. She didn’t know that she really could have that kind of feelings for
somebody, and of all people it had to be her.
But at the moment she wasn’t very happy to see her.
“Are you out of your mind Vriska? This is a really bad moment to encounter
me.”
“Pff!”, was Vriska’s annoyed reaction. “I want to go out with you,
fussyfangs. The time in the apartment is nice, but it is the same every time. I
want to do more with you.”
“Can we talk about that in a time in which Rose is not being being
approximately close to us please?”
“No, Kanaya I understand your paranoia but we have to face this. Too much
secretiveness can only bring misfortune.” 
“I don’t want to lose Rose.... Do you remember that I told you how Dave
reacted when he found out that Terezi was in a caliginous relationship with
Gamzee?”
“She was red for Dave, she was black for Gamzee, and he threw an Eridan
because of it. Being jealous of her other quadrants, he was such an idiot. That
concept of monogamy is so stupid.”
“Humans don’t think the same way we do,” Kanaya reminded the spider-troll.
“Only one quadrant with them and nothing more.”
Vriska sighed in annoyance. “Okay, Dave may be a idiot but Rose is different,
isn’t she?”
“Well, I never saw her wearing sunglasses or trying to come off as cool all
the time.”
“You see? Maybe she isn’t as uptight as Dave.”
“Still, I...” 

Vriska ran away, into one of the trunks of the cars and hid in it. Kanaya
wondered what this was about until she was tapped on the shoulder.
“Kanaya?”
Kanaya turned around and saw into Rose’s face.
“Finished already?”
“Yes. I was really sure about my car and what I wanted with it. Also we were
able negotiate a better price than either mom or I anticipated.”
“Sounds like you had a lot of luck.”
“Yes. We have to fill out some paperwork and then we can drive away with my
new car. It is already in the parking lot. You can wait there for us.”
“With pleasure Rose.”

Rose vanished again and Vriska reemerged from the trunk. “My luck that I
sensed her.”
“With your spider sense?”
“Yes, I also have to get Aunt May to the hospital”
“Then go soon.”
“I will.”
Silence.
“But seriously,” Vriska said. “I saw the door of the office opening. I
thought I wouldn’t make it or did you think Rose saw me.”
“I don’t think she saw you but I thought you wanted to confront her.”
“Not as long you are not on board with it Kanaya.”
Kanaya smiled. “Thank you.”
“Please don’t mention that to everyone else.”
“Still being afraid of seen as a more soft, tempered and less thuggish
person?” “A little. Being mean is too much a part of my character. If I give
that up too fast I will only be a shell of my former self.”
“Overdramatic again?”
Vriska smiled.
“Also part of myself. Talk with Rose, okay?”
“I will Vriska, I will. I promise you.



Nachwort: I thank you Shaula. All your beta-reading is a big help.

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