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[The Synchrony helps, if not a little to ease the pain. The same images flash on the back of her lids, blinding for only a moment before Rey is able to look up to see Beatrice again.]

Worse. Keep seeing shit. [Her words are shaky when she speaks, her hands occasionally moving in a way like she has next to no control of them.

[In a way, she doesn't. But at least it's not the familiar feeling of someone else commanding her movements against her will. It's the only thing keeping her from doing anything more drastic.]

[ For the time being, Beatrice doesn't move. She kneels at Rey's side, letting the Manna flow, her fingers drawing gentle circles on her arm. ]

Mm. I'm staying here a while.

[ Catlike, she nudges her head against Rey's, a wordless gesture of comfort. She can't leave her alone in this state. She wouldn't want to be alone if she was like this. ]

[It takes a minute for the pain to subside. For Rey to stop twitching involuntarily, and the visions of metal to fade to the shade of blood vessels on the back of her eyelids. Her breathing had since quickened, but now starts to calm as the episode does as well.

[Drawing in a sharp breath, she leans forward. Separating her head from Beatrice's sweet scent to bring hers between her knees, Rey just tries to focus on breathing for another moment more. She then presses her side to the other woman's, seeking comfort in the contact as she fights to get her bearings again.]

Fuck, s-sorry you had to see that...

[Even if "that" was the reason why Beatrice is here in the first place.]

[ Beatrice can feel some of that pain, of course, but she won't let the link break. Not now. She grimaces, sharing a portion of that agony. She suffered alone for years, six, one thousand, and the thought of that befalling somebody else is unacceptable.

To her great disappointment, she has to weaken the link before Rey's episode stops. But she stays silently by Rey's side, soothingly running her fingers through her friend's hair, listening to her breathing start to slow. It's at least a minute before she suddenly rises. ]

Right. You're eating something.

[ She says this with complete determination. This is an inevitability. She strides over to the kitchen to see what she has to work with. ]

[In her current state, Rey hadn't even been able to think about her empathic connection, that undoubtedly extended to Beatrice now. She just... didn't want to think about anything.

[Not even when part of Rey wishes to protest when Beatrice gets up again. In an ordinary circumstance, she would feel embarrassed that she needed someone to care for her (again) at all. But her whole many lives were far from ordinary.

[Taking a few extra moments to focus on her breathing, Rey just lifts a hand to gesture vaguely at the kitchen area.]

Should be... somethings. To make a sandwich with. In the fridge.

[It wasn't anything fancy, but Rey did have a refrigerator installed after she had the power grid set up. Inside the retro-style box would be some bread, cheese, lunch meat, some vegetables from Konoha's garden... Things you need for a good hearty sub.]

[ Beatrice would probably feel the same way. She doesn't want to be pitied. But she'd also wished, with a desperation that turned to rage, that somebody, anybody, had helped her while she was hurting.

So she can't ignore her friend while she's like this. ]

And this witch will take some as payment for her kindly deeds.

[ She's quite impressed by Rey's selection. She thought that it would probably be much more spartan than that. Subs aren't really a thing where she's from, but she kows how to make a sandwich, and she makes one for each of them, quickly and efficiently.

She brings it over on a plate. ]

Here. If you can eat now, you should.

[When it comes to food, Rey is anything but spartan. It comes with wanting to try so many things, after not being allowed the proper senses to actually enjoy food before.

[So when Beatrice offers her the assembled sandwich, she doesn't hesitate to accept it -- or bite in almost immediately after. Her eyes are still somewhat foggy from the occasional flashes of visions and pain, but she's getting used to them now.]

Thanks. Is really good. [Rey manages to get out after a while, mouth still full like the rude barbarian that she is.

[Table manners are something she's pretty short on, as after that first bite, her stomach roars a reminder that she hasn't eaten at all that day. She doesn't even stop to clean off the crumbs and sauce from her cheeks.]

[ Beatrice understands that well enough. In her lonely life as a servant, she was limited in so many ways. Accordingly, she spent a fair amount now on food, elegant clothing, trips to different corners of the world.

She cackles at Rey's gustatory enthusiasm. The witch likes to try different foods, but she usually has better manners than that. ]

What a spirited woman! You dare to devour a witch's homemade sandwich in so uncouth a manner?

[ She's glad that Rey is managing to eat, at least. She strikes Beato as the type that doesn't take good enough care of herself, toned physique aside. ]

[That trademark physique would probably seem less impressive given the fact that Rey never had to work for it, or so Rey believes. Her bodies had been perfectly sculpted to bear the strength she was always meant to represent. Low-maintenance and ever-unchanging, she could be in stasis for several years and be ready to take on a tank when activated. It also means that she can get by on the bare minimum when it comes to sleep and food.

[Such things are neither here nor there at the moment, however. Rey just grunts a response to Beatrice's comment at first, not even bothering to talk yet with her mouth full.

[Between bites, she manages to get out a few words:]

Not sure how long it's been since the last meal.

[There you have it. Not even an apology, but a half-assed excuse before she goes back into consuming the remains of that sandwich in less than a minute.]

[ Beatrice hasn't done much to test the limits of her magical body, herself. She's never been placed in that sort of position, and in any case, she's afraid that if the world finds a crack in her mask, the whole thing might unravel. After all, like all of her magic, her existence as "Beatrice" is a story that she tells to the world.

But for Rey and everybody else, that story is real, able to be seen and touched. Even if Beatrice, or Sayo, is afraid of pulling the thread too hard. Without that, she's just a hideous, miserable thing that committed unspeakable crimes out of emotional weakness. Better to be a witch. ]

Honestly, shall I need to hire a nanny for you? Stoltezza! [ Why yes, she has practiced her Italian. ] Why, if you keep me coming over here I might have to do something drastic!

[ Not that she has much room to criticize. She often went without food for extended periods during the times she felt the least human. She can feel herself teetering on that edge, lately.

Beatrice's smile is a bit strained, as her heart is ripping itself to pieces over Jessica right now, and that has turned her thoughts towards dark places, but she's happy to see Rey enjoying her sandwich. ]

...Really. Kainé doesn't want that, and neither do I.

[There's a part of Beatrice's comment that gets a snort and a dismissive wave from Rey.]

Oh, non mi rompere le scatole. [Did she really learn Italian because of her love for opera?

[Yes. Yes, she did.

[Still, she stands by her retort, even if Beatrice has a point. Which is why Rey casts a more sobering glance to her friend.]

But really, it's fine. Trying not to make a habit out of it these days; Kainé and Konoha help make sure of that. [Implying that it was indeed a habit of hers at one point, though not always by any fault of her own.]

[ That earns a hearty cackle from Beatrice. Rey probably has a better understanding of the language than Beatrice, who just picked up bits and pieces of different European languages from the Ushiromiya library. English is probably the strongest of those. ]

And here I was prepared to unveil my magical cauldron that makes delicious soup every night, and my boar that roasts itself on a spit each morning!

[ She's glad for both of them. Even if it gets bad, they have people to look out for them. And perhaps that means each other, too. ]

[Even if she can't be understood, Rey flexes her language abilities sometimes, now that she knows these otherworldly translators aren't perfect. (It's particularly a common habit in bed, but that's another matter entirely.)

[Beatrice might be jesting just then, but Rey pauses in the middle of her next bite. Chewing slowly, she blinks at the witch.]

Are... those actually thing?

[Look, you never know with magic, okay?]

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