Re:Zero FF Beatrice Heart Crossing

Chapter 16: In Hope of a Purr-fect Sleepover

Sunlight sparkled through the windows glistening against the metal utensils as Adella finished setting the table for lunch. Small finger sandwiches were carefully laid across plates with attention to both presentation and flavor. Niki sat at the table with astoundment radiating from her eyes as she waited for her chance to partake in the fare. Her chance came soon enough when Adella took her seat and joined in offering thanks for the food. The scene unfolded much like every other meal that had been shared in the castle dining room with one exception. Beatrice sat in her unusual spot but did not eat, instead she fidgeted in her seat while worriedly staring at her hands. After observing her odd behavior for several minutes, Adella finally spoke.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, are you alright?"

Startled by hearing her own name, the nervous girl looked up from her hands and quickly remarked.

Beatrice: "Y-yes… I'm fine, I suppose."

Adella: "Right… Please do enjoy your meal then."

Not quite convinced, Adella returned to her meal while keeping an eye on Beatrice who had started to gingerly pick at her sandwiches. It hadn't been long since Subaru had taken his leave, but the effect was clearly displayed on the small spirit. Niki watched this exchange as she stuffed her face with shameless gluttony. Upon cleaning her plate, the cat girl weighed in with her assessment of the situation.

Niki: "Ya miss yer boyfriend? Ya need someone to make goo goo eyes at I bet. Don't be gettin' any ideas!"

Beatrice recoiled at the teasing as Niki had unknowingly pinpointed her weakness. Her cheeks began to warm as a twinge of anger flashed in front of her eyes as she retorted.

Beatrice: "Crass as always, I suppose. At least Betty has someone to make 'goo goo' eyes at, in fact! I bet-"

Adella: "That is quite enough, I'm sure Niki didn't mean it like that."

Attempting to mediate the terse situation, Adella interjected before Beatrice could say anything she might regret. Niki's ears twitched as she tried to make sense of what happened. It was common for Beatrice to be annoyed, but genuine anger was rarely aimed at Niki. The cat girl tried to assert her neutrality with an apology.

Niki: "Yeah, Bea… I didn't mean to make ya angry…"

Beatrice: "..."

Adella: "Why don't we adjourn to the master bedroom? I'm sure that trying on costumes will make us all calm down."

With that decision, the group finished their meals in awkward silence. Afterwards, Adella began to clean and exited to the kitchen as Niki turned to Beatrice to speak with her. However, before she could utter a word, the small spirit had stood from her seat and briskly made her way out of the area. Feeling defeated, Niki frowned and spoke her thoughts to the empty room.

Niki: "Bea… somethin' is botherin' ya…"

Once everyone had migrated to the bedroom, Beatrice sat on her bed nervously kicking her feet with a worried frown on her face. Even after having lunch, the warmth still lingered from her hug with Subaru. Yet, her resolve was more than weakened upon returning to the bedroom where she had spent so much time with him. Feelings of loneliness filled her mind as she tried to push thoughts of a certain boy from her head. However, she couldn't help but be reminded of her extended isolation as anxiety set in. Try as she might, the negative inclinations acted as old friends that started to bully the diminutive girl into a corner, leaving only room for panic and worry. As Beatrice sat dwelling in the multitude of emotions rising within her, Adella and Niki were busily working to try out costumes for the play. In the center of the room, Adella had placed a small pedestal and was currently fastening a long dark cape to Niki. The cat girl was adorned in a dark red frilly dress with black trim and stockings. Upon her shoulders sat glossy black pauldrons to which Adella affixed the cape. To finish off the evil ensemble, the cat girl placed a pair of red horns between her ears and ran a hand through her short hair before turning to Beatrice with a beaming smile.

Niki: "Whaddya think, best friend!? I see why ya like wearin' these dresses all the time."

Beatrice: "Yes, I suppose..."

Niki: "Do ya think I'm cute?"

Beatrice: "Yes, I suppose…"

Niki: "Huh? Well maybe mister might leave ya for little ol me?"

Beatrice: "Yes, I suppose…ahhh..."

Niki: "Grr… Are ya even listenin' to me?"

Niki stomped her feet and her burgundy shoes clacked against the pedestal as she growled out to Beatrice. The small spirit was staring blankly into her hands while she sat not paying the slightest attention towards the rapidly angering cat girl. Seeing the impending fight, Adella stepped between the two to intervene.

Adella: "Now, now, Lady Beatrice obviously has other things on her mind. I'm sure that if-"

Speaking as she walked over to Beatrice, Adella gently placed her hand on her shoulder. While her intention was to comfort Beatrice, it appeared to have the opposite effect. Beatrice jumped from the unexpected touch while visibly startled, but her face quickly became red as she yelled in frustration.

Beatrice: "STOP! I don't wish to be touched, I suppose! I don't care about the stupid dress either, in fact!"

The room went quiet as Adella slowly backed away from Beatrice. The first sound to cut through the silence was of Niki jumping down from the pedestal and dashing out of the room. Beatrice slowed her breathing and looked around the room before realizing the repercussions of her outburst. She made cautious eye contact with Adella, who stared back not with anger in her eyes, but with concern.

Adella: "That was quite the proclamation…"

Beatrice: "I-I don't understand why she has to be so obnoxious, I suppose."

Adella: "I think you both are guilty of that."

Beatrice: "Betty has done nothing wrong, in fact!"

Adella: "Are you sure? I thought that Miss Niki was your best friend?"

Beatrice: "Well… She needs to... act more ladylike, I suppose. It gets on my nerves, in fact!"

With that, Beatrice folded her arms and aimed her gaze towards the floor and to the side. Adella was visibly bristling as she exhaled deeply and sternly spoke to the childlike spirit.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, if I may be candid, I believe that you are displacing certain feelings onto Miss Niki. I feel that you may regret it if you disregard her."

Beatrice: "H-huh!? I am not displacing anything, in fact… You are speaking out of turn, I suppose! Yes, out of turn!"

Adella narrowed her eyes and maintained heavy eye contact as she continued to speak.

Adella: "That may be so. However, I do remember a certain girl who spoke out of turn with the boy she likes. Yet a cat girl still supported her in her amorous efforts, even when she was being… difficult…"

Beatrice: "Is that supposed to be me, in fact?"

Adella: "My Lady is as astute as ever. At the risk of speaking 'out of turn' I will be even more candid. Your separation anxiety aside, I think you're scared of losing your best friend. You should just go talk to Niki, I think you'll find that she is much harder to get rid of."

Beatrice: "S-separation anxiety! I-I'll have you k-know that Betty doesn't care about-"

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, please take a breath and touch your face. I think you'll find a bit of honesty there."

Before Beatrice could respond, she felt a wetness running down her cheeks. When had she started crying? Adella slowly approached and took a seat next to the girl before gingerly placing her hand on Beatrice's head. The remorseful spirit looked up at Adella while the head maid softly stroked her hair and calmly spoke.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice… I apologize for touching you before and again right now…"

Beatrice: "No… *sniff* I'm sorry, in fact."

Adella: "Perhaps allowing Master Subaru to leave for the night was ill advice on my part. I'm assuming that initial outburst is related to his absence?"

Beatrice: "It's not your fault, I suppose. Betty is at fault for overreacting. I did not expect to feel so… *sniff* flustered… It is quite vexing, in fact. I miss him...dearly."

Beatrice wiped her face on her sleeve as Adella pulled out a large handkerchief and offered it to her.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice…"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Beatrice pushed herself off from the bed and started to walk towards the doorway while speaking.

Beatrice: "I'm afraid I may have spread my foul attitude, in fact. Please wait here while I talk with Niki, I suppose. Betty needs to make things right..."

Adella watched as Beatrice briskly proceeded out of the bedroom. As she heard the sound of footsteps retreating down the hall, Adella spoke her thoughts aloud.

Adella: "Whew… these two keep me quite busy. I'm in for an interesting night."

Making her way through the hallway and down the stairs, Beatrice glanced around corners keeping a sharp eye out for Niki. Her hunt did not last long, as Niki had perched herself upon the couch in the tea room. The dejected cat girl sat with her face buried in her knees as she draped her arms over her head as if to hide. Seeing the sad shape that Niki was in, Beatrice approached and stood in front of the couch so that she was eye level with the cat girl.

Beatrice: "Niki…"

Niki: "..."

Beatrice: "I am very sorry, I suppose. Betty has been selfish… again. It wasn't my place to yell at you like that, in fact."

Niki's slender arms shifted slightly, allowing her to peer out from her withdrawn stance. It was obvious that she had been crying recently, which only served to exacerbate Beatrice's guilt. Finding her resolve, the spirit continued her apology.

Beatrice: "I've been flustered since… Subaru left, I suppose. I am not sure what I am supposed to do... as his girlfriend, in fact. My loneliness may have gotten the better of me."

Tears welled up in Beatrice's eyes as she allowed her true feelings to pour out. Saying her fears out loud seemed to make the weight on her chest reduce, if only slightly.

Beatrice: "This is new for me, as I haven't had many friends, I suppose… I don't want my best friend to hate me, in fact!"

The last words were forced out alongside a stream of tears as the guilt became too much for the small girl to handle. Upon hearing the honest words, Niki unfolded her arms and stood up pulling Beatrice into an embrace while loudly proclaiming.

Niki: "Bea! Ya big idiot! I could tell from the start that ya were a good person. Yer high maintenance, but I don't hate ya!"

Beatrice: "T-thank you, I suppose!"

The two small girls embraced each other with tightly shut eyes as they sobbed. A certain observer from the stairwell thought that the two almost appeared to be sisters. The melancholy moment lasted for a few minutes before Niki whispered her burning question to Beatrice.

Niki: "So… *sniff* do ya think I look cute in the dress?"

Beatrice: "Indeed… *sniff* the cutest, in fact."

Niki: "That's all I wanted! AHH!"

Beatrice: "Huh...AHH!"

The exchange was interrupted as their field of vision went dark and it felt as if something heavy had been draped across the girls. They scurried along the floor until they emerged out from under what appeared to be a large white blanket. With their heads protruding, the best friends looked up to find a smiling head maid looking down at them.

Adella: "My apologies, but I was afraid you were going to spoil your dinner with how sweet that display was. Why don't you both wash up and come eat? Then we can continue trying on costumes."

The group shared an affirmative smile that served to quell the heavy emotions lingering in the room. With peace restored, they adjourned to the dining room to share a meal just as Adella had suggested. After dinner, the three girls reconvened in the bedroom to try on more costumes. Adella took notes on how to improve Niki's dress before snatching Beatrice by her collar and unabashedly beginning to unclasp her dress.

Beatrice: "Irk!? Put me down, in fact! This is assault of a maiden, I suppose!"

Niki: "Della doesn't waste any time when she gets inspired!"

Disregarding Beatrice's protests, Adella removed the self conscious spirit's dress and began adorning her with a flamboyantly frilly gothic style dress. The dress was pink with white accompaniment and matching embroidered wings sewn into the back. A curious Niki gazed on in anticipation as Adella tightened the dress from behind, the cat girl couldn't help but think that the wings reminded her of butterflies from the forest. The audience combined with the ornate poofy sleeves caused Beatrice to shrug and sway her arms awkwardly. Adella scrutinized the ensemble with a tailor's eye before smiling devilishly and handing a small heart shaped wand to Beatrice.

Adella: "It requires some adjustment, but I believe this will do. I thought I had the chest sized right, but alas, it seems I'll have to reduce it after all."

Beatrice: "It's no problem, I suppose. The fit is quite close-"

Beatrice stopped mid sentence as the underlying meaning of Adella's words dawned upon her. She gingerly hovered her shaking hands across the bosom of the dress as her face became flushed. After a few moments, Beatrice closed her eyes and lowered her head. However, before she could formulate a response, Niki intervened on her behalf.

Niki: "R-U-D-E! This is the campin' trip all over again! Ya come in here swingin' those things around while spewin' rude comments like that!"

Niki gestured towards Adella's torso as she spat the last comment. The head maid, who was only guilty of thinking out loud while absorbed in her work, looked to where the cat girl was pointing before realizing what she had previously said to Beatrice. A rosy hue emerged on Adella's cheeks as she brought her hand over her mouth. Seeing this and acknowledging her own victory, Niki smugly smiled as she gloated.

Niki: "Hah! Look Bea! I protected yer honor! Us flat girls gotta stick together!"

Beatrice: "Indeed! Wait... No! That isn't something for us to bond over, in fact!"

Not able to contain her amusement, Adella burst into a hearty laugh.

Adella: "My apologies...pfft! You two are indeed ridiculous when you team up."

Beatrice: "I'm still not okay with the reason for teaming up, I suppose!"

Niki: "All that matters is that the dream team is together! So whaddya gonna wear anyway, Della? Ya got time to be makin' jokes, so let's see yer costume!"

Adella: "Indeed, I placed it over...here!"

Adella began to ruffle through a pile of ornate clothes before emerging with a costume that could only be described as risque. It was not quite lingerie but did not have enough coverage to be considered outdoor wear. Niki's typical toothy grin suddenly converted into an exasperated frown upon seeing the ensemble that Adella had eagerly brought forward.

Niki: "Ya can't be serious! The village ain't the place to be wearin' that!"

Adella: "Huh? You don't think it's attractive?"

Niki: "That's not the point! A play isn't about showin' off yer goods!"

Adella: "What a shame, I thought this would be a big hit."

Niki: "NO! This is a play fer kids! Back me up here, Bea!"

Adamantly stomping her foot, Niki turned to enlist help from her best friend only to find that in the midst of the argument, Beatrice had wandered over to the bed. The quiet girl was slumped over in her dress while softly breathing with her eyes shut. The sight caused Adella to tenderly smile while Niki put her hands on her hips and started to march over. Adella gently placed a hand on Niki's shoulder to stop her before speaking in a soft-spoken voice.

Adella: "I will reevaluate my costume before the play. I promise, on my honor as head maid. Lady Beatrice has had quite a day though, maybe you two should go have a bath and call it a night?"

Niki: "I'm glad ya came to yer senses… but I wanna have final say on yer costume. Ahhhn...I guess I'm pretty tired too. C'mon Bea, it's bath time!"

The cat girl jostled her best friend awake while Adella assisted in removing their costumes before warming a bath for the tired girls. Once they had finished washing Beatrice and Niki donned matching nightgowns from the wardrobe and settled down into bed. As Beatrice stared at the ceiling she became increasingly aware of Subaru's absence. She tightly closed her eyes and pulled up the blanket but a soft wet feeling brushed across her cheek interrupting her thoughts. Confused, Beatrice turned to face the direction of the strange wetness and saw Niki looking back with a worried face and her tongue out.

Beatrice: "Ehh!? D-did you lick me, I suppose!?"

Niki: "Sorry, yer sad face was scarin' me. You had that look earlier today too. What's goin' on? You miss him pretty bad, huh?"

A slight blush showed on her face as Beatrice looked down at the cover and exhaled deeply before answering.

Beatrice: "I guess so, I suppose. I'm afraid he might not come back, in fact. My fears made me ruin our evening together. I'm so-"

Niki interrupted Beatrice by pulling the small spirit into a hug. A comforting feeling settled across Beatrice as Niki's soft rhythmic purring rang in her ears. After a few minutes, Niki separated from her and spoke.

Niki: "Sorry fer makin' fun of ya earlier… I see how bad yer feelin'. I promise I didn't send him away on purpose, I'm just forgetful and maybe I am a dummy… Ya didn't ruin nothin' cuz I feel like I got to learn a little more about Bea. Yer a really sweet girl under all those frills. Mister must have seen that too. So I'm pretty sure he's comin' back, but if he doesn't… We'll just go get mister together. Ya won't be alone anymore, ya got that?"

Her words were her best attempt at comforting her friend, yet they resonated within Beatrice and made her heart warm up. Her deepest source of anxiety was that she might be left behind again and Niki, through her simplistic honesty, had reassured Beatrice that she had nothing to fear. She paused for a moment and quietly smiled to herself before responding.

Beatrice: "You are very obnoxious and possibly the worst troublemaker I've met, I suppose."

Niki: "Sorry…"

Beatrice: "However, I know you try your best and even if you might be a dummy, I like you just the way you are, in fact. I know I can be… difficult… sometimes, so please continue to be my friend, I suppose"

Niki: "Aww… thankya! I was never plannin' to stop! But I think yet forgettin' a word in front of friend?"

Beatrice: "Thank you, Niki. I'm actually glad you decided to stay the night, I suppose. You really are my best friend, in fact."

Niki: "Ya got that right, in fact!"

A soft red glow spread across Beatrice's face while Niki met her gaze with a rare look of sincerity. The two girls giggled while facing each other while slowly succumbing to their tiredness. Finally able to relax and stubbornly fighting sleep, Beatrice continued to talk.

Beatrice: "Ahhhn… So did you enjoy wearing a dress for the day, I suppose?"

Niki: "It was fun, but I dunno how ya do it everyday…ahhhn… It gets uncomfortable…"

Beatrice: "You get used to it, I suppose…"

Niki: "I'll have to try it again sometime...zzz…"

Beatrice: "Indeed...zzz… I hope you spend the night again soon, in fact...zzz…"

Her fears temporarily assuaged, Beatrice drifted off with joyful thoughts inspired by support from her close friend. Something had changed since coming to this new world as Beatrice now had three individuals who she could trust. This realization brought with it a wave of tranquility that helped further ease her mind. As she started to lose consciousness, her final thoughts were of Subaru and how she couldn't wait to tell him all about today. And so, the best friends fell asleep mid-conversation with placid smiles illuminated by the rays of moonlight that danced across the room.

Chapter 16 End