Sigh. It's not very safe out there if you can't defend yourself.

That...makes sense, but...

But Ma'am left her behind with barely any way to defend herself.

She shakes her head violently. She doesn't want to think about this.

You're safe here; I'm not going to let anybody hurt you.

Which doesn't make sense, because she's not worth that.

But she does actually trust that Pradnakt means that. For now, at the very least. And it feels odd to trust that, to almost not be waiting for the price.

I want you to be okay. I want most everybody to be okay, really, and I don't see any reason at all for you to be an exception to that.

...You're really nice. There's a suggestion there of 'too nice'. Thank you.

Yeah; paid my dues for that one. You're welcome.

Rhoda doesn't like that something bad happened to Pradnakt. But she can't change that, and she's content here. She rests her head on her knees, but it seems less defensive right now, and more just a comfortable position to be curled in.

Pradnakt sends a moment of wordless comfortable pleasedness, and then Daisy interrupts them for dinner.

Rhoda considers, and then, feeling brave, gets up from the corner and perches herself on one of the benches by the table.

Pradnakt smiles at her and is careful not to make any sudden movements.

Rhoda gives her a shy smile in return. And she's actually looking forward to eating, knows (with almost certainty) that the food isn't being used to taunt her. She's a little unsure about being this close, but not overly tense about it.

Food?

Food! Pradnakt gets a lentil cheeseburger with fries; Rhoda gets fries with a little bit of cheese melted over them and two hard boiled eggs, halved.

Rhoda eats a bit quicker than she has been in her corner, one arm curled around the plate, but she isn't watching Pradnakt or Daisy's every move. She does make a tiny, involuntary sound of delight when she first tries a cheese-covered fry.

That's fine.

Pradnakt takes her time; Rhoda will be done well before she is.

She does finish first, having eaten most of what was on her plate. And then isn't entirely sure what to do with herself, so she stays sat, trying not to fidget.

Pradnakt pauses to float over something from one of the bins, and a screwdriver and tiny prybar. "You can try to figure out what that does, if you want," Daisy translates for her.

That is a challenge. After another quick look at Pradnakt, she sets to work, and it doesn't take long before she's completely engrossed in investigating the small machine.

She's still aware of her surroundings, but she's also very focused on what she's doing.

When Pradnakt's done she gently scoots her plate away, slowly at first in an attempt to avoid startling her.

Rhoda's gaze flicks to the moving plate, and there's a slight twitch, but she doesn't full-out flinch, turning her attention back to what she's doing.

"It's...set up to grind something," she says, eventually. She has no clue what, but that's what it looks like. She looks up, slightly nervous, "Is that right?"

Pradnakt nods. "It grinds wheat, a plant, into flour," Daisy expands, while Dusk floats over the little bowl of it that she's prepared, "and flour is used to make bread, which is a kind of food. You can try some tomorrow, if you want, the taste should be okay for you."

Rhoda looks at the little bowl curiously, a pokes slightly at the contents, before nodding. "I'd-" she yawns slightly, shakes it off, and tries again. "I...am liking trying new things?" she admits.

"Mmhmm. Tomorrow, sure." Sign sign - "I still have chores to do, but Pradnakt can leave if that will help you rest."

She isn't sure how to answer that, because she doesn't want to chase Pradnakt out if Pradnakt has other things to do out here, but she does rest better if there's less people around. She curls in on herself slightly, because she is tired, but she doesn't know how to solve this particular problem.

Pradnakt smiles reassuringly and heads to the back room; Daisy begins washing the dishes, quietly.