*Gulp*

Who knew that such an ordinary sound could be so horrifying? The alchemist didn't even break eye contact with her disciple as she swallowed once more to make sure her morsel was all gone.

"Lesson's over. I will be keeping the wand until tomorrow, so be sure to see me then for more pointers."

Cagliostro tried to return to work on her body project but was stopped by Clarisse, and was violently turned around by her. The disciple had to put up with her master's whims on a regular basis but never before had she seen such disregard for life as she had now.

"You just ate a person!"

"No Clarisse, I swallowed one. He's still all alive and well in there until he has learned his lesson. Now let go off me."

Clarisse didn't let go. If anything, Cagliostro's calm response only tightened the taller girl's grip against her master's shoulders.

"Are you even hearing yourself right now? Have you really become that senile that someone has to remind you that people aren't just--"

"Ouroboros."

Clarisse's outburst was cut short by the snake familiar that shot forth from Cagliostro's body, restraining the one assaulting its master by wrapping its entire length around her body, making her fall to the ground and letting the shorter master properly look down upon her disciple.

"Watch it, missy! I am a thousand years young, perfectly sound in both mind and body. And no one takes that tone with me. Not even my disciple."

Clarisse could do nothing but grow increasingly agitated as Cagliostro slowly made her way over to her head. She sat down on her knees and brought her hands upon her disciple's struggling head. She sighed.

"Not even my descendant. Now hold still and listen."

Despite of her best efforts at trying to be soothing in this situation, what eventually did calm Clarisse down had nothing to do with Cagliostro's own actions. This insane situation had caused an old survival mantra to resurface within Clarisse's mind, all the way back from when her to-be-master's mindset was a daily surprise to her. It allowed her to calm down as her master cradled her head and brought it down to rest on her lap.

"As detached as she may be, she doesn't harm family."

Deep breaths in and out, as much as the coiled Ouroboros' tail allowed her to. And Clarisse did listen. And feel. The top of her head was in contact with her master's belly. She could hear the struggles from within, the banging against the walls and a voice that, while agitated, wasn't crying out in fear of immediate death. The distress of it was still enough to deepen the pit in her own stomach.

"There's not a single person in the world who knows their body as well as I do, nor is there a single person in the world who can undo bodily harm like I can. Not only will he live, he should be thanking me for being allowed inside the most adorable woman in all the world."

Cagliostro kept stroking Clarisse's copper hair gently as she talked, in the same tone as someone would admonish a child. Upon its master's command, the snake familiar slowly eased up its tail and let it fall out of Clarisse's mouth.

"Now... have you calmed down? And are you ready to apologize to your master?"