Arabella can have the room tonight. I'm going to Delilah.

“You know what, Arabella? Forget it. You’re right. I’ll let you be for now. I’ll find my girlfriend and spend the night with her.”

Arabella exhales and places her hands on her hips, smiling before she looks up at you. When your eyes meet, her smile straightens, and she nods. “Thank you, Warren. I’ve...got a lot on my mind right now, and I really wanted to be on my own for the night.”

“When I come back in the morning, and you’re gone, I’ll find and skin you alive, though.”

She blinks.

“I’m kidding,” you follow with. “Have a good night. And seriously– stay inside until I come back. I don’t think the locals like your kind around these parts all that much.”

Arabella scoffs and crosses her arms. “I’ve noticed. Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself just fine. Personally, I’d check on the twins before me. They’re kind of...retarded without help.”

You crack a smile, and so does Arabella. She shakes her head and then tilts it to one side. “It’s already late. You should find your girlfriend before she falls asleep for the night.”

Taking her advance, you head out into the night, finding it even colder than the night before. You stick your hand out and find it snowing again. You shudder and curse, picking up speed towards the cottages where Delilah resigns.

You only have to knock a few times before Delilah stirs inside. You see the leading light behind the door before it opens. Then, behind a chain, she peeks out. “Warren!” She exclaims before briefly shutting the door to open it without the chain lock. “What brings you here?”

You debated whether or not to tell her the actual reason why you were there. She’s undoubtedly happy you’re there, but once she finds out you forfeited your bed to a mutant, she might not appreciate the visit that much. So, you figured it’d be best to lie.

“I just wanted to spend the night here with you.”

Delilah eyes you suspiciously. “You want to do something dirty tonight, don’t you?”

“Oh,” the thought hadn’t crossed your mind, but now it certainly was. “No, not really, but if you–”

“I have to get up really early in the morning for work, so if you keep to yourself and let me sleep, I’ll be glad to let you stay the night!” Delilah cheerfully replies. Truth be told, after sleeping on the cold camping grounds the night before, a good night’s rest sounds perfect for you too.

…

You drifted in and out of sleep once Delilah woke up to get ready for work. Before she left, she came over and told you to stay as long as you wanted to and to lock up when you left. You weren’t fully conscious for that last part, but when you finally dragged yourself off her couch, you did what she asked. Outside, it looked like another 2 inches of snow had fallen. If this keeps up, this’ll prevent any new local contracts from being posted.

When you got to the tavern, you went upstairs to check on your...new companions? As per Arabella’s request, you checked on Mikko and Gwendolion first. Unfortunately, they were still asleep and didn’t wake up when you poked around. Next was Arabella herself, and she was awake.

You had a brief exchange, which she seemed eager to have. You told her the twins' status and then told her that you would check on the payment situation with the rooms. She nods and tells you she’ll be with the twins until they’re needed.

You find it mostly empty in the lobby, allowing you to spot Delilah relatively quickly. She spots you, too, and winks her sharp teal eyes at you with a toothy grin.

“Hey, baby girl.” You say, making her grin turn a little tighter.

“Baby girl?” She fights a smile as her brows furrow. “Is this the first time you’ve called me that?”

You think for a moment. It feels like it’s been forever since you’ve seen Delilah. You’re happy to see her character again, bright and cheery, too! “It might be. What else would you like to be called?”

She smiles again, but it’s followed by a small laugh this time. “You’re kind of putting me on the spot, don’t you think? Pet names don’t just fall out of the sky. Or not good ones, at least. So what do you want me to call you?”

You think for a moment and smile at her slyly. “How about daddy?”

She scoffs. “That a kink of yours I don’t know about?”

“You’re the one who wanted to get dominated before I left,” you retort, wrapping your hands around her waist.

Delilah blushes, looking around the room to make sure no one is around to hear your comment. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want anyone to know that.”

“Why not?”

Her complexion goes back to its original rosy tan color before she exhales. “That’s our private life. It’s special.”

You kiss her, and she kisses back. “I just want to make the entire town jealous.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m an outsider. No one is going to be jealous.”

You don’t say anything. You felt there was more to this area than you realized but didn’t know how to dig into the subject. Would it even be worth the trouble? “Are there any more outsiders besides yourself?”

“Miranda,” she replies and then frowns. “And I think that’s all.”

You found yourself curious about the situation of Tiny’s Tavern’s location but didn’t dare add any more to your plate. “Where did you come from exactly?”

Delilah breaks the hug and steps back, looking at you. The teal of her eyes drifting all around you. She looks like she’s thinking hard about something. Your eyes lock briefly, and then she looks down.

You ask her. “What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head, giving a sad smile. “It’s nothing, I guess.”

You’re quiet for a moment, expecting her to say something else. “Delilah?”

Again, she shakes her head. “Warren. I said it’s nothing.” Delilah snaps at you before she takes a few steps back. “Listen, I gotta go back to work.”

“Wait,” you step forward. “About rent...when should I pay you?”

She swallows. “Just worry about it tonight. The owner of the tavern should be here. You might want to tell him about the creatures you brought back, I think he charges more, but it’s better if he hears it from you before finding out himself, mkay?”

When she walks away, you grab her wrist. “What’s wrong with you? Are you OK?”

Delilah yanks her hand away and rubs where you grabbed her. “I don’t want to discuss it with you right now.” Her voice is shaky and is threatening to break.

“You can tell me,” you tell her. “I love you.”

She closes her eyes. “Warren. Please. I don’t want to talk about it. Later, OK? I promise.”

When you look at Delilah, you can tell she’s close to crying. You aren’t sure what you said or what you did, but you don’t want her to start breaking down in the lobby of the tavern, so you just nod, promising you’ll find her once she’s off work.

Once you go your separate ways, you grab your watery coffee and return to your room. You’re alone since Arabella is with the twins. You sigh and rub the back of your neck.