Arabella is best fox.

Arabella blinks and looks over at you while the twins start to complain. Gwendolion looks the most disappointed, while Mikko goes back to the table with a frown that you can’t read from where you are.

As the twins have a conversation in the corner, Arabella crawls up to you and nudges your shoulder. “What have I done to deserve the special treatment from you?”

You look at her and shrug and whisper. “I couldn’t just pick one of the twins. If I chose one or the other, one of them would have gotten jealous.”

Arabella swallows, her mind going into thought to take in what you said. Did SHE look disappointed now? You swing your legs off the bed and stand up. “Well, get dressed up. I’m going to take you out.”

Your invitation brings her back to reality. She shakes her head and rubs the back of her neck while her ears twitch to the sound of your voice. “I don’t think I want to leave the room all that badly.”

You look at her lazily and then look at the twins. As soon as your mouth opens to talk to one of them, she stirs out of bed and grabs her coat. “Actually, yes. Sure, you can take me out for my reward.”

The twin eyeball Arabella as she slips into some boots. When their eyes go to you, however, their ears twitch too. You regard them and get within 6 feet of them. “You know the rules, you two. Don’t leave the room and don’t answer the door. If anyone tries anything, you do whatever you deem necessary to defend yourselves.”

Mikko nods, and so does her twin. Arabella looks at the twins and makes a peace symbol with her right hand. “But, also remember that it would be better to not get into any trouble.”

With that confirmation out of the way, you and Arabella leave the room without any kind of worry. Or at least you both hide it well enough that you can both talk about other things that revolve around your odd living situation.

The lobby is empty. You wonder out loud why the lobby is open, so Arabella follows you with an answer. “New Year, Master. Today is the 31st of December.”

“Fuck,” you mumble. “It’s already 2484?”

Arabella smiles. “Yes, it is, Master.”

She seemed much more submissive when she was alone with you. She also seemed happier and more open about her position of being yours. You tap your foot and stuff your hands in your pockets before you pick up with another subject.

“What do you want to do?”

Arabella narrows her gaze and tilts her head to one side. “I thought you already had something in mind?”

“I do.”

“Then take me somewhere.”

“Where do you want me to take you?”

“Where ever you want.”

You narrow your gaze back at her. “Arabella…”

“I- I don’t know…Maybe the hot springs? There is one nearby, isn’t there?”

The last time you were at the local hot springs was with Delilah's. The memories would come back, no doubt, but perhaps it was time to replace them with others. “Yeah, if that’s what you want.”

When you step outside, you find the temperature's much lower than you thought. Despite Tiny’s Tavern being old, it kept itself incredibly well insulated. Arabella cringes with her eyes closed as steam slips out of her nostrils. “Oh, my…”

Your thick coat blocks most of the cold, but the open skin of your face is bitten, pitched, and slashed by the cold. You know immediately that it must be well below 0 degrees. “Let’s get there as soon as we can.”

The breeze is slight, but it’s cruel. Arabella makes a painful expression and rubs against you, clearly uncomfortable with the situation outside. However, when you get to the hot springs, you find it not as empty as it was the first time. There’s are two clerks at the desk who are talking to each other, two girls that look very different from each other. One of them smiles at you, but it falters when she sees Arabella kicking off the snow off her boots.

“Sorry,” the girl begins. “The only pool that is open right now is the private one. All the other ones are full of guests. Uhm, HUMAN guests…”

Arabella scoffs behind you, earning two pairs of evil eyes on her. “Am I allowed to go into the hot spring with my friend?”

One of the girls knits her brows, putting a face of disgust before she begins to clean her nails. The girl that opened conversation with you nods. “It would be preferred if you two were away from the others, actually. Thank you, sir.”

When you walk down through the familiar hallway that leads to the private pool, you stop by the dressing room and step inside.

This wasn’t the first time you had undressed in front of Arabella. Arabella had also undressed in front of you while being in the same room, but she seems much more timid in her actions this time. You glanced behind you. Arabella is in a pair of white panties and a bra. Her red hair and bushy tail contrast her pale skin.

When she turns to face you, your eyes meet, and her face flushes. “What is it?”

“You’re…much more mature than the twins.”

Arabella smiles. “Of course I am. I’m older than them, Master. What should we do now that we’re undressed?”

“Well,” you fidget. “We could just go to the pool, but what do you want?”