The Abbess looms over him, face grave.
Abbess: Redtiders are DEVILS. Next to Cheth himself, there are no creatures more evil in this world. Please don’t downplay their ruthlessness. This poor girl is lucky to have survived.
The Abbess looms over them both, face grave, and the girl looks up to her, startled. Pavel frowns.
Pavel: If they wanted to hurt her, why were they just SMILING at her? Why didn’t they just go ahead and attack?
The abbess leans close and whispers, unimpressed.
Abbess: Perhaps they were a bit FULL after eating the rest of her FAMILY. Be mindful of your words.
Pavel leans away from her and the Abbess straightens, taking the girl by the shoulder and guiding her away from the table.
Abbess: Come along Camille! <3 We’ve got a mineral bath all warmed up for you. It’ll have you feeling better soon.
Camille looks back to Pavel, hair swaying aside to show the tears gathering in her eyes all over again and the obvious wish that she could stay here with Pavel and the other children instead.
Abbess: Ah, but we should get a scarf for that face. What a terrible place for a seabite scar… Don’t you fret. We’ll make you pretty again in no time, dear.
Pavel stares after them, sad to see her go, and Eddy watches on with his eternally unimpressed expression. He raises his orange juice glass again.
Pavel: But… She’s already--
Eddy: And I thought YOU looked bad. Oof.
Later, Pavel thinks about the two women walking away from the table as he holds a see-through sphere with a jellyfish suspended in it. He sits in a pool of water, contemplating.
Pavel: I hate this place, Bert. And I think it hates me too. I never felt this bad about all this stuff before I got here. I just looked a little different than my friends. And I could see Redtiders when they couldn’t. My mom never let anyone treat me like I was cursed or bad or broken. Was she wrong?
