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Freddie cast her gaze low as she listened to Reese's story. Her words were harsh, and her tone visceral… she remembered those images, as clear as if they were just yesterday.
To be a child, and to see such carnage with her own eyes. Freddie tried to wrap her head around such trauma… but the only thing she felt was the ache in her head and throat. And that deep, sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach...
Barbed words were traded between Artemisia and Justice. Three different personalities that just could not stand each other, until Reese had enough and departed.
"Reese…," Freddie murmured, gazing upon the door out of the basement.
She sighed, then stroked the empty air above her lap. "I don't… think it's about… comparing pains." She stopped and brought the finger in front of her face. "If I touch a needle… I'll bleed… and pull away." She glanced towards Artemisia, her blue eyes a dull, dark shade that reflected the barest glint of light. "It's only human… to retreat from pain."
Freddie turned to Justice. "By the way… Reese had met the Counselor before…" She shook her head, curled her fingers and gave a thumbs down. "No bueno… only thing he was good for... was his Mango tea."
She stared at her fellow silver-haired Princess for a spell. She was… mean. Some could say she was… a bit of a dick, even. There was no denying or arguing about it. But the sheer passion she radiated with every word… It reminded her a little of Reese. Justice truly didn't care what the others thought. If it came from a man, she'd call such arrogance… attractive. And even if it didn't…
Freddie blinked, casting aside that train of thought. She returned Sibylla's glance with silence acknowledgement, then looked between the group, the door upstairs, and back again.
"It's a good idea… to let her cool off… but…" Freddie glanced at Artemisia. She was right about one thing. "We… are… a team… for a while."
Freddie bowed her head and sighed. "I can't be… the only one… that Reese gets along with." She said, pointedly directing her gaze towards the rest of the Princesses.