I think I should do whatever Scarlet wants.

“Alright. I guess I can’t be blamed if I die trusting a…what’d you call yourself? A pretty girl?”

She cocks her head to one side. “You’re catching up. Go on, then.”

You’re just a 10-minute walk outside the interior of the town in which you’ve been staying. Scarlet lingers behind you; there’s no small talk or useless banter, but you don’t want to risk offending her if she disarmed you. “Alright, this is far enough. Turn around.”

You turn around to find her intelligent blue eyes shooting daggers into yours. She licks her top lip softly and nods. “Now, let’s get one thing clear. I am asking the questions, and if you don’t answer honestly, I will kill you.”

You nod, stepping back slowly to give her some space. “Good,” she looks at you. “Arabella, Gwendolion, Mikko. Where are they?”

“They’re here,” you tell Scarlet.

“And how are they?”

“Healthy.”

Scarlet holds her pistol with both hands, keeping a low-ready stance, but mentioning the foxes' names makes the air tense. “What are you doing to them?”

“Nothing. They’re helping me with my contracts and equipment. I have done no type of ****, I promise you.”

Scarlet’s gaze somehow softens. She believes you. “Turn around and take off your jacket,” you do as she commands, and she takes your wallet and a key ring. “The fuck you got all these keys for?”

“Souvenirs from contracts,” you smile slightly, but she throws it aside.

“Waste of space.”

“It’s a habit I’ve been meaning to curve.”

“Alright,” Scarlet’s voice is still harsh, but you remember her eyes dulling with an unexpected kindness. She jabs you hard with the muzzle of her pistol on your lower back. “You’re going to take me back to them.”

“Before we do that,” you say. “I will need to go ahead of you and explain to them what’s happening.”

“You don’t know what’s happening, so what are you going to tell them?”

“Well,” you choose your words carefully. “I have one question.”

“Spit.”

“What’s your contract with Amara?”

Scarlet scoffs. “This is different. This isn’t an ARS contract, don’t worry your little heart.”

You’re now rather unsure what to think. Why is Scarlet all the way out here on her own accord? And how does this involve both Arabella and the twins? And how many others are working with her if she’s not contracted with the ARS? Scarlet can see the questions building your head, but doesn’t ask if you need to release any of that pressure in your skull. Instead, she gestures with the gun to direct you to lead the way again.

Much like your walk outside of town, walking back is also done in silence, though you figure her firearm is stowed back in the concealment of her denims.

Outside the inn that you’re staying at, you pause and turn around. “I should go in ahead of you now.”

“No,” Scarlet. “I never agreed to that. We got in at the same time.”

“It’s very unlikely they’ll take kindly to you.”

“The fucks the matter with her then? They have Stockholm syndrome or something?”

“Listen,” you say a little louder than you intend and you see Scarlet’s posture change. “I don’t know what you think I’ve been doing to them, but these girls are nothing more than just helping hands. There’s no **** of any kind here.”

“OK, then. I’m just a friend of yours and you’re taking me in to discuss a contract then.”

“Arabella knows you, and there’s no telling how she’ll react.”

Scarlets guffaws. “Oh, she knows me huh? How well do you know her? Don’t tell me you’ve painted her as some kind of a fuckin’ princess, because she ain’t. She’s helped me with me ARS assigned KO contacts than you’ve had her clean the bathroom. If Arabella splits off and tries something to get me hurt I’ll put 2 in her head.”

“I thought you were out here on some kind peace quest? Tell me, what are you actually doing coming after me and the foxes?”

“I said I’d be asking the questions,” Scarlet is close to yelling at you. “Quit being a bitch and lead the way before I lose my patience, friendo.”

You knock twice, and go inside to find the room empty. You grumble, unsure if this is a good or bad thing that Arabella and the rest of the kind have decided to go off and do something. Scarlet closes the door behind you. Her pistol is displayed in her hand and already pointed at you. Her eyes flick to all corners of the room. “Ok…where are they?”

“You won’t believe me, but I actually don’t keep them chained up. They probably left to get something, or to entertain themselves.”

“Yeah, or you have them somewhere else,” Scarlet trails off, seeing the clothes and books laying around. “Alright, or maybe there’s more to you than I thought.”

You shrug. “Since we have time to kill, do you want to drill me some more? Or are you too trigger happy to consider it?”

Scarlet looks mildly amused with you, but nods. “I have some more questions.”

…

…

Scarlet had a lot of questions. She asked why you were at Tiny’s Tavern, if you knew any other contractors in the area, what your contracts were, your relationship status with the people— she asked about Delilah, which surprised you, and what you did in Highlight.

She made sure to ask about everyone else you spoke with at Highlight, too. Scarlet also inquired about your dealings with the staff at the Sage Lodge. Eventually, the subjects turned to Arabella herself. These questions unraveled your straightforward intimacy with her. Then a pause happens.

“You mean to tell me you’ve been using her for other purposes, too?”

You shrug, feeling a little embarrassed. This is no better than if Arabella was a regular human being. “I guess there’s no beating around the bush. But, it’s been consensual.”

Scarlet’s face wrinkles with disgust, but she suppresses it before it can imprint in your memory. “That’s disgusting.”

“I don’t know. They’re not really bad looking-”

“You can’t even get them pregnant, so what’s the point? You realize that only freaks and perverts are into those kinds of things. What does that make you, then?”

“What does it matter to you what or who I do if it’s consensual?”

Scarlet tilts her head down with her eyes fixed in a deep glare. “Don’t tell me you really need me to answer that question.”

“I realize that might be translated badly, but we’re not dealing with minors here, OK?”

Scarlet grumbles, her eyes leaving yours. “You’re absolutely twisted," she rubs her temples.

“What’s it matter if they can or can’t get a baby in’em?” You ask.

Scarlet makes another face but doesn’t make any comment about it. “How long do you think they’ll be gone?”

“Hard to say. They have complete free will over what they do with their free time.”

“That’s kind,” Scarlet retorts. Then she leans in on the table with her chin on her palm. She studies you closely. “Have you ever missed a human girl's touch, or have you fully converted into your ways?”

You can’t help but laugh slightly. “Is this question detrimental to my well-being?”

Scarlet frowned and waved her head back and forth slightly, her black hair lagging behind with the motions. “Answer like it does.”

Delilah is the first girl that comes to mind, the only human girl you have before even considering touching anyone else. “I think about it.”

Scarlet’s right eye twitched, gauging whether or not to explore this subject any more than she’s already humored. So, proceed with it. “Is it the tail or the ears that those you off your game? For me, it’s the not even human aspect.”

“Hey,” you snap at her. “They’re human, you know? They’ve just got some mutation to them. Plus, out of all the mutations to get stuck with, that’s the least of the worst.”

Scarlet shrugs. “I guess.”

“You have an issue with NSH’s?”

“No,” Scarlet’s tone makes it clear it means it. “We shouldn’t treat them any less than we do each other, which is why I’m concerned you’ve been forcing them to whore themselves as a way of living. Which is what I’m going to check for when I see them for myself.”

“You are doing this out of the goodness of your heart then?” Your question was genuine.

“More or less,” she tells you reluctantly. “When I first heard that someone took Arabella, Gwendolion, and Mikko– I, of course, assumed it was some kind of freak,” she looks at you with some concern. “So, I went out of my way to make sure you weren’t smuggling some kind of sex traffic. Contractors ought to have standards. "

"I have standards," you tell Scarlet.

"I'm sure," she remarks.