A surpising admission of guilt and an intriguing proposition out of left field.

Chris announces “I made my decision” almost before you finish turning around. And your jaw almost hits the floor when he declares : “Guilty as charged.” as soon as he has your full attention

The guy gives you a condescending look “You were probably hoping we’d agonize about that decision for hours.” he scoffs “But everyone knows that is the correct answer to the prisoners dilemma. It’s economics 101. ” he scoffs again “ I’m not the stupid jock you think I am. ”

You can’t fault the guy for a lack of backbone, that’s for sure. Even if being too clever by half, will just bite him in the ass in this case. “Well now that you have given your answer, would you rather go take a nap in the storeroom until I wake you or tell me your greatest fear?” You don’t really want him hanging around interrupting things while you wait on the others.

Predictably Chris decides “I’ll take a nap.” before getting up to walk to your former cell.

After waiting a few moments to see if anyone other prisoner is about to make an announcement, you retreat to the kitchen – trusting the hounds to keep the remaining three in check.

“So, as I was saying: You guys want in on this?” you address your phone again.

“You are the one that got kidnapped.” Kate remarks “They are all yours.” Terras makes a small noise in the affirmative.

“And you were the ones who had to bail me out because I made an impulsive decision.” you counter. “Today could have been much worse if I didn’t give you minions.” Well you didn’t so much give them minions as underestimate Kates desire to get the most out of that magical contract. Because in hindsight of course she would.

“Err about that….” a voice from the kitchen doorway interrupts your musings. One of the hounds is standing there, giving you a look that is equal parts nervous and hopeful. “Do you have a moment?”

“Sure?”

Your answer shifts her expression most of the way towards hopeful, and sets her tail wagging slightly from side to side “You promised me a reward for being such a good girl. Sooo….. ”

“Of course” you answer without thinking. How could you do anything else when faced with such adorable puppy eyes! Because of course a dog-girl would be great at making those!

“Great!” she bounds over to you, throwing her arms around you in a hug and looks up at you with those adorable eyes “Could you make it so I can renegotiate the contract about becoming A-Ko?”

You are so preoccupied with getting a hug from a cute girl, that you nod before your brainc an really process what she just said.

“What?” Kate sounds decidedly less impressed.

And once your brain catches up to the present you echo her statement, pushing A-Ko slightly away from you “What?”

“I am not trying to weasel out of it or anything.” she protests “ I did some bad stuff to Mistress when I wasn’t A-Ko. “ her ears droop ” And she could have done things that were a lot worse. Being A-Ko isn’t that bad. “ her ears slowly perk up again as she admits ”In fact it feels really nice. But I also know how I will feel when I am no longer A-Ko. And I was kinda hoping ” the puppy-dog eyes return with a vengeance “ you could talk her into making me a real girl when I stop being A-Ko. As a reward for taking such good care of you.”

“Err…when you asked for a reward I … well….” God! It is hard to concentrate when your instincts are clamoring not to disappoint the sweet girl in front of you. The faint snickering from your phone doesn’t help either.

“You were thinking I’d ask for a kiss?” A-Ko asks sweetly.

“Errr…something like that.” you admit.

“Well I was going too. But then I thought ‘A-Ko’ I thought <You just saved his life. Maybe dream a little bigger.> Ask to have Kate hear you out, even if she has every right to be angry. Maybe she will do it if her brother asks her. And…”

“Hey, another one is ready to talk.” The voice of one of the other Hounds interrupts her conversation. And you take the opportunity to postpone any decision you’ll have to make regarding that reward. “Coming!”

When you arrive back in the living room Miles takes a deep breath before announcing “You heard the others, it was entrapment. I never wanted to be art of a kidnapping. but It was three against one and I was scared. ….” he keeps talking for another indignant minute or two about being a victim here. But once it is clear what his decision is, your thoughts drift back to that reward.

You hadn’t expected that at all. But you did promise….

The least you could do was hear A-Ko out, couldn’t you. She didn’t follow you when you left the kitchen. maybe sensing that you wanted a minute to think.

But you shouldn’t leave her hanging too long. So you wait for Miles to draw breath, and send him sleeping in the storeroom with another Choice, and return to the kitchen and A-Ko.

“So, could you talk to Mistress?” she asks when you return.

“He won’t need to.” Kates voice declares from the phone “After the last few hours I can at least hear you out. But I was sure the contract was you turning into my hounds not a sly vixen. ”

“Did I do something wrong?” A-Ko looks genuinely alarmed. “I wasn’t trying to trick you or anything! Honest!”

“It’s ok. “ Kate says with a chuckle ” You just surprised me. I suppose that’s my bad for equating bubbly with dumb.”

“Did you want me to be dumb?” A-Ko asks tentatively. ‘Because I’ll play dumb if you want’ is left unsaid.

Kate doesn’t have an immediate answer, and before a decision can be made a cheerful voice from the living room announces “We have another confession!”

“Hey bro, this might take a while and it’s not nice to leave my hound hanging like that. So why don’t you take care of the prisoner game and give the phone to A-Ko. Just take your time unleashing diabolical revenge on the first victim of the evening, and we’ll talk about the others after.”

“Sounds good.” You agree.

Of course you could just let Greg and Darren wait. It’s not like you have any obligation to be polite to them after what you did. But you do want to get to that diabolical revenge.

But you are also curious what’s up with A-Ko.

Decisions decisions.