Removes her cuffs

Alyssa wandered over to the keybearer. The blonde woman next to the stand smiled back artificially at Alyssa, and asked what restraint she wanted removed.

"Uh, the ankle cuffs please. Will that cost me anything?" She still wasn't exactly sure how that rule worked.

The keybearer shook her head. "I see that you want to replace it with a tail. That means that you are switching a restraint, no?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"So then it is free of charge."

"And what about the paddles?" Alyssa held up one of her hands and indicated it with the other. "This was just a passing through step."

"Are you planning on removing them immediately once you have the tail on?"

It was Alyssa's turn to shake her head.

"Then unfortunately it goes beyond an intermediary restraint. Removing them will cost you."

"How much exactly?"

The keybearer glanced at Alyssa's arms. "20 dollars. US."

Alyssa did the conversion rate in her head. "Oh. I guess that isn't too expensive. I just can't make a habit of it, I guess."

The keybearer nodded, and then bent over to reach Alyssa's feet. She couldn't squat, as she was chained to the floor."

"Say, what happens if there is an emergency?" Alyssa asked the woman, while she was unlocking her cuffs. "And you have to evacuate?"

"All the keybearers can be unlocked simultaneously with a control override," the woman replied. "But doing so sets the evacuation alarm."

Just like a fire alarm, Alyssa thought.

The keybearer removed Alyssa's cuffs, and straightened back up.

"Do you wish me to hold onto these?" she asked. "Or do you wish to keep them and use them as intermediaries in future?"

Alyssa shrugged. "I may as well hold onto them."

The keybearer nodded, and tucked the cuffs into Alyssa's swimsuit, poking out from the front cutout. Alyssa thanked her and walked back to Vanessa, able to finally take full strides again. For the moment at least.