Bea- 2

Bea braced herself. It was hard to come to terms with just how incomplete the memories she had were, and mealtime was the worst.

"Bea, it's not healthy to skip meals to keep your figure." Constance, one of the new hires, said with worry as she sat down with a bowl of stew with the other houseboys and maids.

"I ate earlier," Bea answered, working on her inflection to try to not sound so flat and monotone.

Not only was the stew unappealing, unnatural instincts told her it would do nothing but cause problems for her body. She had no memories of ever eating before coming to Lady White's house. When her mind had been collapsing, such useless things were the first to be discarded to maintain stability. Most everyone was slowly getting used to her avoidance of communal meals.

"That's just how she is. I managed to get a word in with Sir Bates, and he explained she's a bit shy in groups." Mirabelle lectured.

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Talk slipped into gossip about the Ascendant Games projections being held at the colosseum, though most of it was old news filtered through the various newsheets. That was the real reason why Bea stayed. To hear about her savior, Lady White. They'd won the first competition but not without some loss, as one of her tribe mates might die. Bea knew that even if he did, they were in good hands. The conversation drifted to more useless issues, like who was dating whom. "May I be excused? I'd like to get a handle on the gnome issue."

Mirabelle was in charge of this cohort. "I told you, you don't need to ask. Just go."

Excused, Bea stood up and dashed out to the still mostly untamed manor grounds. Gnomes were great at detecting living threats. The rodents were invasive, made to look like little men or babies, they burrowed everywhere with their big red horns that many depicted as hats in drawings. Getting rid of them was both useful and practical.

Before she got here, there was no need to eat. Then the savior changed her. Lady White made her body stronger, senses sharper, and skills more accessible; maintaining that required nourishment. The stew wouldn't do. Only the living could provide what she needed. Beneath her, she could feel the gnomes borrowing. Punching two feet into the hard earth, Bea grasped a gnome with enough force to stun but not kill the creature, before pulling it out. In Bea's hand, the gnome squirmed and screamed as it awakened. Opening wide, the undead woman's jaw unhinged to accommodate the meal she actually needed.

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