her system likely formed from the abuse she suffered within the cult, especially the punishments that were inflicted by her parents.

collectively, they are known as amane, but the three main alters all have names: momose, march, and aka.

the  beast  straightens  up,  tilting  his  head  with  a  thoughtful  hum.  skittish  one,  isn't  she?  oh,  that's  no  good.  she  won't  be  any  use  to  him  if  she  does  nothing  but  scream  and  panic.

❝  aww,  don't  worry  little  understudy.  ❞   shadow  milk  chirps.  ❝  if  my  intentions  were  ill,  you  would  know  by  now!  ❞  actually,  no.  she  wouldn't.  deceit  is  so  delightfully  insidious  like  that  —  but  a  magician  never  reveals  his  tricks  and  neither  does  a  beast!  ❝  i  am  actually  here...  out  of  the  grrreatest  and  most  rrrespectful  sense  of  academic  curiosity!  ❞

"you're joking... you must be..." she's barely listening to his ramblings. she's too overcome by the fact that the witches are capable of creating evil to even care about what shadow milk has to say in this moment.

when the latter half of what he's saying manages to process, however, soy milk cookie falls back into her disciplined, practiced, dough. if her mother were to catch wind of her faltering, she would be punished.

something shifts. her entire demeanor seems to change right then.

"academic curiosity? what can we, the order, assist you with?" she has to stay strong now. stronger than the former high forkbearer.

then,  with  a  sudden  pop,  everything  returns  to  normal.  the  sky  is  clear.  the  thing  taking  the  form  of  a  cookie  is  gone  —  until  a  certain  voice  calls  out  from  beside  soy  milk.   ❝  who,  little  old  me?  ❞

shadow  milk  grins  widely,  clearly  pleased  by  the  spectacle.  (  what  can  he  say?  he  loves  a  good  dramatic  entrance.  )  he  looks  much  more  normal  now;  no  longer  a  terrifying  silhouette  of  eyes  and  tentacles  —  now  but  a  humble  jester...  who  just  so  happens  to  have  a  few  too  many  eyes  and  tentacles.  they're  part  of  his  brand!  ❝  you  don't  know  who  i  am?  oh,  i'm  quite  offended!  what  ARE  they  teaching  you?  ❞  the  beast  clicks  his  tongue,  shaking  his  head  in  mock-disappointment.  ❝  for  your  informaaation,  you  happen  to  be  in  the  presence  of  a  divine  emissary!  that's  right  —  in!  the!  dough!  ❞   he  summons  his  staff  with  a  flick  of  the  wrist,  twirling  it  with  an  appropriate  amount  of  theatrical  flair.

❝  ...  and  before  you  ask,  i  don't  do  autographs.  ❞

"a-a divine emissary?! b-blasphemy..." this goes against the order's teachings. she doesn't know what to do. she simply backs away from the chaotic cookie, frightened. "our god sh-shall punish you!"

"you're a blight upon our sacred order! you must leave this place."