#Lots of recognition of the self through the other (neutral on Evie's end. 400% derogatory on Audrey's)

[emberwritesinsight]

Fully convinced Mal wouldn't have disliked Audrey nearly as much as she did if Audrey hadn't immediately announced that she was Aurora's daughter. On the limo ride over, she responds positively to the driver's rudeness- Mal likes (or at least respects) people who are mean to her.

Currently imagining an AU where Mal doesn't know Audrey is Sleeping Beauty's kid (maybe Audrey is keeping it a secret from her for whatever reason, maybe cicumstances conspire to make sure she doesn't find out), so she just thinks of Audrey as "random princess with a petty streak" and she loves it tbh. Thank you, random princess, for being mean, it reminds her of home. Makes her feel alive in this pastel hell. Audrey is confused and frustrated by the fact that Mal seems to enjoy her hostility so much.

Ben, however, takes it as a good sign. So, when Audrey complains to him about Mal helping girls speedrun hair styling, he suggests that she take it up with Mal directly because hey, Mal seems to like her. Audrey does not like this idea At All, but she also wants to humor her boyfriend and she's pretty sure Mal's not going to kill her on campus, so she does it. She marches up to Mal's room and demands politely requests that Mal stop giving magic makeovers because goshdarnit, where does that leave those of us who are pretty through genes and work, huh?

Mal is delighted to learn that Audrey is 1) insecure about her position as The Prettiest and 2) is this willing to defend it. That's villainous motivation material, baby! This princess isn't just entertaining, she's potentially useful! And she has ties to the future king. At this point, Evie also takes an interest, because. You know. These kinds of hangups are more or less the entire reason Evie's mom is Like That.

Audrey has a very, very bad feeling about this.