ERIKA IS REALLY INTENSELY CURIOUS ABOUT BEATO AT THIS POINT. Which as you know is... not really a thing you want Erika to be about you. But Beatrice keeps acting in ways that are weird and unpredictable to her, and saying things to her like she's judging her, and none of it has been really terrible for Erika but she doesn't... understand it. Obviously.

But she's basically the only person in Aather who has offered Erika a direct challenge! And as much as Erika likes just crushing people's dreams and being the best smartest person ever it is actually not particularly satisfying when it is no challenge. So while I still wouldn't say she... likes Beatrice exactly, I think Beatrice is the only one she's engaging with more or less as a person rather than as something to use or work around. :|a WHICH MAKES SOME AMOUNT OF SENSE I GUESS?

Reverse...