Back to reality.

ARADIA: he is probably ok

DAVEBOT: so youre telling me you dont even feel a little bad that you ditched him to be a weird death acolyte

ARADIA: no i think he found my wiles both charming and irresistible

DAVEBOT: not even an ounce of guilt or self doubt huh

DAVEBOT: just like that

DAVEBOT: no conversations about the greater good

DAVEBOT: no revelations about your feelings

DAVEBOT: no dead presidents spouting wisdom about your brotherdad and bequeathing unto you an ancient soulbot

ARADIA: whats a president

DAVEBOT: see that doesnt work because i know you know what a president is

ARADIA: shit

ARADIA: do you often find your faith in yourself shaken like this or is it a new experience now that your mortal coil has been left behind

DAVEBOT: what

ARADIA: do you think now that all that is left of you is a literal ghost inside of a machine you are more or less likely to embrace finality

DAVEBOT: oh dope more cult of one shit

DAVEBOT: immortality changed you

ARADIA: could it be that you are projecting your feelings onto my situation

DAVEBOT: does not compute rose jr

ARADIA: ...

ARADIA: we dont have to talk about it

DAVEBOT: thanks

They sit in each other's presence, the silence between them as meaningful as any words they could exchange.

DAVEBOT: its always really cool to hear how meaningful my silences are

DAVEBOT: especially while

DAVEBOT: CALCULATING

DAVEBOT: CALCULATING

DAVEBOT: especially while i am attempting to experience them

JADE: i do not need your approval. the story will continue how it must.

DAVEBOT: beep boop hater detected

ARADIA: wow is that true

JADE: i am not a hater.

DAVEBOT: classic hater line

DAVEBOT: i know this because i am pouring through genuine actual quadrabytes of information on historys most notorious haters

JADE: no, you aren't.

DAVEBOT: huge if true

ARADIA: dave do you think i am a hater

DAVEBOT: you are the exact opposite of a hater

ARADIA: a liker

DAVEBOT: ok

DAVEBOT: perfect example your tolerance for whatever is going on with

DAVEBOT: all this

ARADIA: i think she looks quite lovely covered in the viscera of the all-powerful enemy she consumed

ARADIA: floating lifelessly in our periphery

ARADIA: observing our every action and noting its relevance :)

DAVEBOT: uh huh thats what i mean

DAVEBOT: can we scrounge up a change of clothes or something

DAVEBOT: maybe some sort of outfit montage

DAVEBOT: she comes out of the changing room in some sort of bozo outfit for clowns

DAVEBOT: we shake our heads disapprovingly

DAVEBOT: no no not this one

DAVEBOT: she goes back into the changing room we give each other one of those meaningful glances

ARADIA: what would she do without us

DAVEBOT: she emerges again this time looking fresh as hell

DAVEBOT: our judgemental ways have done it again

DAVEBOT: socially shamed into looking completely fucking dope

ARADIA: o_o

JADE: even though I understand that it must happen, i am growing frustrated with the direction of this conversation.

DAVEBOT: do you want to talk about something else stinky

JADE: what would you suggest?

The Knight takes pause, carefully considering the options. They have a long journey ahead together and an establishing an antagonistic relationship would prove-

DAVEBOT: ok hear me out

DAVEBOT: kanaya

DAVEBOT: but like

DAVEBOT: wearing huge jorts