[We will commence the synchronized jump in 120 seconds. As a precaution, all viewing platforms will be closed to avoid blindness and nausea. Please do not be alarmed and continue as normal, there won’t be any effects on passengers and it will be over in a short while.]

“... Now let’s go. My husband will get tired of waiting.”

She knew was being abusive. Even the fact that she wouldn’t have stopped, if not for the PA announcement. For a moment, she wondered if she might do something she could never take back.

Bah.

As if she could take anything back now.

This was going to be how their relationship started. They will live under the same roof, share the same room, the same man - and keep up appearances in front of him and those around them.

But they were never going to be friends, much less sisters. Her relationship with her husband was also going to be similarly strained.

‘I only wish I was stupider. If I was, I wouldn’t be thinking of the future - I would just be doing everything in the heat of the moment, without any worry.’

It was with thoughts like those, that the sliding doors opened for them.

“Hello! What seems to be the problem…” A nurse’s voice trailed off as he greeted them. His eyes then darted between her and then the toy behind her.

“May I…?” He asked, while gesturing to the doll with his left palm up.

“Go ahead.” She answered coldly, before turning towards it too. “Follow him and behave. Don’t make a fool of yourself.”

“...yes, mistress…” The nurse took it to the back where she could just barely peek through the curtains and see him leading it to a chair, before retrieving a medicine kit. Everything from first aid, to applying a cold compress and then finally, a bit of makeup to cover it all up.

‘That reminds me. It didn’t have make-up. But I did.’ Sighing, she made her way to the bathroom.

‘I can hear them talking outside. I don’t care. It must be something like telling people about what she was experiencing. Trite words for those who actually can’t do anything about their situation, nothing more.’

Then she looked at my face in the mirror - and saw her ugly self reflected in its entirety.

She turned the water on, took off her rings, and began washing it all off. But the makeup was stubborn, resulting only in even more black and cherry red streaks covering her face.

‘Why can't anything just go as I want it to!?.

Flushed with anger, she grabbed the nearby soap and washed her face again, taking her dress into account by bending over the marble sink, so as to not wet it.

She scratched furiously away at her cheeks, the lids of her eyes, the plump of her lips, all to erase the resisting makeup that caked her face.

But as the mascara, blush and lipstick slowly disappeared into the drain - the emptiness she felt only grew. When it was all gone and she could barely breathe - she stared at the mirror, once more.

‘It still isn’t me. But it almost looks like me. The me that I can barely remember now.’

Within that silence, it seemed like she could hear each single water drop drip from her face and land into the sink. But then came a knock on the door which snapped her out of her stupor.

“... m-mistress…” A voice came through the door. Soft and unsure of itself, but still trying. “... I have a towel… for you.”

She pursed her lips.

‘Should I say thank you? Did the nurse tell her to do it or did she decide to do it on her own?’

No.

‘No. I shouldn’t even think about something like that. I don’t want her, and needless to say, she doesn’t want to be with me, either. But that doesn’t mean that… I can’t at least act decent.’

“Thank you, Ariel.”

She was unsure how long it took for her to answer, but as soon as she did, the door opened and the toy entered. It was still staring at the floor, but it passed her the towel with both hands.

The thing’s right cheek was still swollen slightly, but it wasn’t discolored anymore. The wound on its lip was also covered up by lipstick. It was certainly a small miracle.

Even so, it was starting to feel cramped.

“You should go back outside. Your tail might get wet or dirty.”

“Yes… I will wait outside.”

Guila was already drying her face when the door clicked shut behind her, then she heard the nurse’s voice again.

It didn’t take long before she put her rings back on, folded the towel and brought it outside with her. Awaiting her was the toy, as well as the nurse standing side by side.

“Come, now.”

“Yes, mistress…”

She thanked the nurse and passed him the somewhat stained towel, before walking out with the doll wordlessly following two steps behind her, once again.

‘This is… better, I guess. At least with our positions clear, there wouldn’t be anything to worry about.’

The small three-meter wide hall soon opened up to a gigantic atrium with a glass dome containing a small rainforest. It was one part of Serenity’s Multi-Biome Nature Reserve park. Flanked in every direction by all kinds of restaurants, malls and residential areas. She could even see the viewing deck where she was earlier, from here.

At least a thousand people were in her cone of vision at all times. However, she didn’t have to worry about getting lost. The Apiary that we were supposed to meet in, was a chain luxury restaurant in the middle of the park. At least, that’s what the maps in her periphery and on the wall, said it was.

She then turned towards the toy, once more, only to see it still staring at the floor. Just the sight of it like that, made her want to slap it again. But the last thing she wanted was to make a show of herself, here.

“Raise your head. I don’t want you bumping into someone and causing a scene.”

“Yes, mistress...”