I'll follow Scarlet

You push off the counter after finishing your drink and leave the bar in search of Scarlet. You’re not really surprised to find her out front smoking, but you’re amazed to see her already looking in your direction. Those hard blue eyes training on you in an instant.

“Warren,” she blows out. “Have you ever thought of finding a partner for your contracts? Or are you fine with your foxgirl and servants?”

“I think you’re toying with me,” you snicker, finding a spot directly across from me. “I typically work alone. I don’t trust very many contractors who work with me independently. Especially contractors that seemingly follow me around.”

“You offend me,” she gasps, hicking slightly before. “But, I get your weariness. Granted, I’m the one usually doing the hiring part. I enjoy being alone, but it’s nice knowing someone is nearby watching my back, you know? Do you think Arabella, Gwedolion, or Mikko would save you? Or do you think they’d mess up and make matters worse?”

“I have no doubt Arabella would do something, but when I consider the other 2… I don’t know. They’d probably get themselves hurt, honestly.”

“Deadweight,” Scarlet says absentmindedly. “You should find them a better place to dump them off if you really care about those 2. One day, you’ll come across someone who will take advantage of your naïve little foxes, you know?”

“It won’t,” you’ve become disinterested in conversing with Scarlet now. “We’re careful.”

Scarlet starts laughing until she’s in a slight fit. “You’re such an idiot. Maybe it’s you that naïve. Don’t you know you’re traveling with stolen property? That bounty I mentioned is because of that. Those girls are going to get you killed, and since you’re still hauling them around, what do you think is going to happen when one of those contractors or bounty hunters finds you?” She shifts her legs and looks at you with her eyebrows knitted. “How many contractors have you run across traveling three foxes, mm? You’re the first I’ve run across.”

“It won’t happen,” you regard her with a loose smile. “Not with you running local enforcement.”

She nods. “And if I die?”

“You don’t seem like the type that’d die without sending a message of some kind.”

She snickers. “You’re such a flatterer. But, if I die here, I’ll be alone. I’m running solo for the time being.”

“I’ve seen you with some others, you know? There’s no point in lying to me. Especially if you’re trying to sweeten the possibility of working with you.”

“If I really wanted you to work with me, you’d know. You carry too much weight and far too much trouble for me to consider you as anything more than a dumbbell,” you ask about what she means, but Scarlet only smirks.

“Your circles are pretty tiresome,” you remark. Scarlet’s smile now becomes playful, if not wholly innocent, suddenly.

“Alright,” she clears her throat, becoming somewhat more sober. “I need help checking a spot out tomorrow, around noon, if you can make it. I know you have no one else to because all private contracts and local bounties are cleared. You and I have done quite a number on clearing the town’s pallet. Agreed?”

“So, you weren’t just following me for giggles? What’s the pay?”

Scarlet purposefully giggles. She waves you closer with one hand as she covers her mouth with the other. “500 now, and anything 1,000 when it’s over. Hard currency. Unless you want the Japanese standard.”

“I’ll take the hard currency. More useful around these parts—“

“—because it’s more universally accepted,” she finishes for you,” she rubs her eyes. “I wasn’t sure if you were interested in going to Shantyo or not.”

“Deeper east,” you say. “Probably Neo Yorkshire, or something to the degree. Maybe Maine.”

Scarlet’s expression softens, but she doesn’t do anything other than clear her throat again. “Meet me here again tomorrow morning, let’s say 9 in the morning, and we’ll talk more in depth about working with each other,” Scarlet reaches for something in her mouth with her tongue and picks at it until it’s loose. She spits and rubs her neck. “Have a good night, pal.”

She turns to leave.