Michelle says nothing, still gazing stoically ahead.
"Michelle," you say, coming to a halt. It takes her a moment, but eventually she stops as well. Her back, however, remains turned on you.
"What is it?" you say. "What's bothering you?"
You're not really expecting an answer. Your experiences so far have taught you that answers at Cavalcade Academy come slowly and with considerable effort.
Eventually, however, the zombie sighs.
"Matron and I…the two of us are…connected." The words are gradual, each one of them clearly heavily considered.
"Like family?"
"No." You take a step back as Michelle finally turns to look at you. You've never heard her put that much expression in her voice before. You'd not realized, until this moment, that she had so much expression to give. "Not family."
You don't say anything. At this moment, it seems like it's in your best interests to keep quiet.
It takes some time, but Michelle finally speaks again.
"Matron's the one who brought me back."
You stare at her, stunned. She looks back at you, a hint of familiar cynical amusement creeping back into her expression. "Well, you don't just grow metal skin," she says. "What did you think happened?"
You shrug.
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