iknowucan | Friends in Need; RL with Azula

"I'm stronger than all of you," she said. "None of the rest of you could do what I do."

Ryan smiled at Azula and really meant it when he said, "I think you're right. Really. I don't know anyone else on the community who could run a country and deal with all the weird viruses and handle this and handle it all at once."

Not that he really tried to think of anyone. He was starting to think he might understand Azula a bit - she liked being in charge and in control, and this was seriously not something she could handle alone, but she wanted to do it that way. Being a yes-man was pretty easy and it helped Sharpay a lot, so it'd probably help Azula a little too, to hear someone agree with her. Especially since so many people on the community tried to shut her down.

"Anyone who thinks I'm a bad ruler is a fool. They don't know." Not that this was really about all the people who thought she couldn't handle leadership, but if she was ranting about one thing, why not rant about everything?

That was a little left field, but whatever. He could handle it. "They don't. People like to criticize leaders, is all. It's like... natural."

"My citizens are more well-behaved." She turned to face the wall, so that he couldn't see her face.

Well-behaved to her face, at least. But whatever, he didn't know her nation at all and he wasn't going to pretend to. He made a noise of agreement, since saying anything would be easily rendered as false, then fell quiet for a short period.

Finally, he grinned. "You know that it's been more than five minutes, right?"

"Whatever," she muttered. Eventually, he'd start to feel bored, or uncomfortable, or awkward-- and then he'd leave, and he wouldn't come back.

Strangely enough, no matter how annoying she found Ryan, she wasn't sure whether she would be relieved or disappointed when that happened.

He kept grinning, shifting to lie flat on his back with his arms crossed under his head. After a period of silence, though, he frowned in thought. "Azula, why do you think you're a monster?"

She gave him a quick glance. "Because it's who I am."

"Okay..." He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at her. "Okay, but - I mean, there's got to be something that makes you think that about yourself, but I don't see it."

"I'm ambitious, and I'm not afraid to use or step on people if it's necessary," she explained.

Man, more and more connections. He wished Sharpay hadn't left the community - she and Azula would probably have gotten along.

...Actually, that would probably be terrifying. Never mind. "That's not really the quality of a monster, though. That's just ambition and... like, politics."

"I also hate people," she continued. "And I don't care if most of them get hurt."

He sat up quick at that and pointed at her. "Most."

She kept her face turned away. "Yes, most."

He smugly laid back down. "Then you can't be a monster."

"Yes I can," she snapped.

"No. A monster is... you can't like anyone. You just hurt people for whatever reason and you don't care about anyone. I already knew you weren't a monster the second I saw how much this has hurt you, but you just said it yourself."

"It's a shame my brother's mother isn't here anymore," Azula retorted. "She could tell you; she was an expert."

"Sorry, Azula, but I seriously just can't think you're a monster." No mater what proof anyone would have to say otherwise.

"What do you know? You're lying on the floor of somebody else's empty house." Then again, so was she, but...

"I know that you're a good person - well, okay. Maybe not a good person, but." He sat up. "You do care about people - even if it's just like, one or two people - and you care about your nation's well-being, and... I don't know." He could just feel it. Then again, guys like him probably couldn't feel anything other than fluffy bunny emotions anyway. "You just aren't evil or anything."

"Of course I care about my nation. And I never said I was evil. I don't do bad things without a good reason." A good reason in her mind, anyway. "I'm a national hero."

"You can't be a monster and not be evil."

"Yes I can. I am."

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