I'll go now with the fox girls.

Natalie claps her hands together and gently pokes Jennifer’s side. “I’m taking these four around. Is that OK?”

Jennifer peeks around and sees past you. Her eyes landed on Scarlet as she continued to chat with whomever that man was. Her eyes look down at Natalie before she slowly nods. “Yeah, that’s fine. Feel free to give them the whole tour.”

Natalie spins around, waving to you and the rest to follow her. “Come along then, kids. You’re about to learn about all the magnificent ins and outs of the circus of the afterlife!” Everything is said dramatically, and you know she’s said this dozens of times to say it with such organic passion and enthusiasm.

“What’s the official name of your circus?” Mikko says after a few moments. “The sign said Enter the Afterlife, but that’s more of a slogan than a title.”

Natalie answers without looking back. “The Afterlife Circus. And it’s all because everything that’s performed here is supposed to be unworldly.” Finally, she turns around, walking backward with a big smile and gleaming eyes.

“Since you’re all technical employees, regardless of your positions,” she mumbles the last part under her breath. “You get complimentary seating every time we perform! Of course, not all of you will be able to enjoy the shows, buuuut we make sure to take at least one day off for your pleasure. It isn’t every day we hire a batch of contractors, you know?” Natalie’s eyes find yours and winks.

Natalie opens a flap and pushes the throw. She disappears but enticingly sticks her hand through and curls her index finger in a beckoning gesture. You take a long step forward, opening the flap and joining Natalie.

You join the girl in a massive opening. Levels of seats circle the center. Above you, a metal network of spotlights and walkways make a complex grid of ingenious paths. Large speakers flank every corner, their wires hidden by folding canvas flaps and cutouts. An open booth with a flashing board overlooks everything where switches, levers, and buttons blink. It isn’t unoccupied, however. In the center, a dozen girls are rehearsing their cartographic work. Unlike Natalie and the other girls you’ve seen, they are in shorts, sports bras, and tank tops. Their physiques are petite, slim, and shapely. There’s a man here, too. He’s tall, muscular, and shirtless. He is a foot taller than you and more than double your overall size.

Natalie greets the fox girl as they pass through the same way as you do. “The main attraction… this is where all the fun happens,” she points to the levels of chairs, the booth, the lights, and eventually the others. “Since we’re here, I ought to introduce you to your new coworkers.”

The circle of performers knits as you close in. The man chuckles, clapping his hands together, knocking powder off them. “Natalie,” he says, a thick Russian accent rolling off his tongue. His voice is deep and cheerful. “Who have you brought in this time?”

One of the girls pulls up a chair and flops down. Dripping with sweat, she wipes her forehead. Glaring upward as she breathes, she spits, “A contractor and new freak shows.”

Arabella scoffs. “Looks like you have ample.”

The girl narrows her dark brown eyes and grabs a water bottle. “Where’s your lease, fox?”

Natalie cuts in as you start to move forward. “These foxgirls are our guests for the time being, Mandy. Refrain from biased opinions and pointless bigotry. They'll be your new coworkers soon."

“Mandy,” she rolls her eyes and stands up. She waves to the others and tells Natalie to introduce them before walking off. Natalie turns back and apologizes. Arabella mumbles something under her breath while the twins say something akin to “being used to it.”

Natalie clears her throat before gesturing to the gentleman. “This is Rough House,” she says, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “His name is Polish, and no one can pronounce it.”

“I am Przemysław!” The man roars, bounding his chest. You become aware of his strong accent. You repeat after him, and he smiles widely. “You butcher my name with your horrific accent, but at least you try harder than the others!”

It only takes him two steps for him to close the distance between you two. He reaches out with his hand for a shake. His hand practically crunches yours, but there’s no malice in his hands, just his smile. Przemysław shakes the fox girls' hands, but he’s much gentler with them.

Arabella’s eyes twinkle like the twins, liking the Hulk performer. Natalie’s eyes haven’t left you since the circle closed into what it is now, and you pretend not to notice. You meet the other girls, too, and you’re pleased to find them not nearly as hostile towards Arabella or the twins as Mandy was. You hope it’s not an act; you’d rather have a blunt-faced aggressor like Mandy than a bunch of people talking behind your back.

Everyone is friendly enough, and most surprising to you is that you discover most of them are married, and some even have children in the near future. A lot of the “veteran” staff are pregnant and at their respective homes. The concept is vague and strange to you; even the fox girl's expression becomes wrinkled as they try to comprehend everyday lives with fixed incomes and even ordinary families. Nonetheless, the others did some genuine work and crowded around the fox girls once the tension broke.

Natalie slid beside you and pulled on your shirt’s sleeve. “There’s more than this,” she whispered. “We can leave your girlfriends here, and I can show you around.”

Subjects of interest and gossip start spreading around the circle, and there is no sign of it ceasing anytime soon, especially as Mikko starts to ask questions and follow-up questions.

“What about the others?”

Natalie looks at you, somewhat surprised. “They’re not the security detail. They don’t need to know the layout nearly as well.”

“Right,” you glance at the others.