Talk to Arabella

You walk over towards Arabella just as the other girls start tending the fire. It builds steadily, the heat being provided by the fire quickly fills the collapsed building. The awkward silence that builds in the warmth of the fire is as thick of mud. You clear your throat and approach Arabella just as she starts going through the hidden supplies in the safehouse. You go over and open conversation with her. You can see her shoulders tense and her tail straighten as your voice leaves your throat.

She turns to your direction and forces a smile. "What do you want?"

You **** a smile too. "Just checking if you're all right. You've had a rough couple of days..."

The **** smile she put on quickly fades. "Yeah. You're part of the problem..."

Now you frown. You know she’s right, but still kinda hurt nonetheless. “Hopefully I can make up for it.”

She shakes her head in response. “It isn’t likely.”

You are usually pretty confident, but Arabella doesn’t allow you an inch of your charm into the conversation. “How about the others? Gwendolen and-”

“Lion,” Arabella quickly corrects. “Like dandelion.”

“Sorry. Gwendolion and Mikko - how can I help them?”

Her face twists and she crosses her arms. “You’ll have to be their father pretty much. They’ll be hopeless without any kind of help. They don’t know what freedom is.”

“How old are they?”

“They are both 20 years of age, but quite honestly...Neither one of them act like it when they don’t have someone to follow to listen to. It isn’t good.” Arabella says and massages her wrists. “I guess they’ve been under ‘adoption’ since before they were 10.”

“Twins then?”

“Never separated. Our previous master kept them apart one time as punishment, but the income was terrible. It was more of a punishment for the others.”

“Fragile little things then...I’ll remember not to separate’em.” You look at them as they chat. “What’s your story?”

Arabella scoffs. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

You’re better off talking to the wall now that you’ve tried to bring her as the main subject. “I won’t over step my boundaries with you. I apologize.”

“Just...please go away now. I have a lot to think about. OK?”

Stepping away, you accept her plea for space this time.