Tell her I'll work with her, but I do it just keep her away from Delilah [Christmas special 2022]

As far as you can tell, Scarlet is simply keeping you away from Tiny’s Tavern, which concerns you at first. Still, suppose you keep Scarlet busy and away from her people. In that case, you might be staling your eventual conflict with her and the Automatic Rifle Syndicate.

Whatever the case may be, you find yourself doing some questionable things to people in the outskirts of the area. You **** one man and then drop off a package to a group of smugglers in near-blizzard conditions. Scarlet seems pleased with your ability to keep up and pays you on the spot. This time it’s almost a thousand dollars.

She offers you a drink at Blair’s Bar, but you decline. Scarlet does her smile again, but this time you predict it, so it doesn’t seem so friendly. She runs her tongue over her lower lips and tilts her head slightly. “Be seeing you, Warren...”

Your skin crawls, and you make your way back to Tiny’s Tavern, feeling watched from every window and stranger on the road as you do so… It’s snowing again. Still, it isn’t as heavy as when you first went out, which is comforting. As long as Scarlet is busy with work, you might be able to keep her away from the others.

....

....

When you return, you find Delilah talking to someone new at the counter. This makes you feel somewhat distressed at first, but when you make eye contact with Delilah, you realize there’s nothing to be worried about. The person she is talking to looks normal enough, even if you just see their back. “Warren! Can you help?”

You kick the snow off your boots and walk over. Delilah’s new companion looks to be slightly younger than her but could have easily been mistaken for her sister.

Aside from her brown eyes, she has the same color of skin (perhaps slightly lighter) and hair color. She smiles at you and steps back a few inches. “What’s the matter?”

Delilah leans in. “You play the guitar, don’t you?”

“I do,” you say awkwardly. “Not the world's best, but I know to work the strings.”

The new girl sighs in relief. “Delilah told me you’re a contractor and do more than just physical labor, right?”

You eyeball Delilah somewhat and nod. You wish she wouldn’t just throw your name and your business out in the open, but when you look at the new girl again, you suppose there probably isn’t harm in it. Besides, the subject was instruments.

“Yeah,” you tell her. “I do a lot of different things.”

She gives you an awkward smile and knits her brows together. “Even play the guitar?”

“I haven’t done that for anyone before,” you laugh somewhat and glance at Delilah.

“But you totally could, right?” Delilah asks you, seeming more interested in this than you.

“I could,” you say, looking back at the other girl. “Who are you?”

The girl blinks, her face going slightly pink as she realizes she hasn’t introduced herself yet. “I’m Thalia.”

You stare at Thalia, expecting her to say more. But, when you both lock your eyes, she falters. “Just Thalia.”

“Okay,” you trail. “Just Thalia. What do you need me to do for you exactly? And why?”

You were growing more suspicious of “Just Thalia,” even if she didn’t look like a threat. You didn’t feel like you could afford to be sloppy and blindly accept any offers, especially ones that seemed so innocent.

Thalia realizes she needs to be more forward with hiring you and clears her throat. She produces a slip of paper from her coat pocket and hands it to you. You unfold it and look at the paper.

“Christmas music. State-wide talent and show! Visit Betrunkener Wolf and see Gullen Young about applying! Sign up and show off what you can do! Be festive and cheerful! Spread some Christmas cheer and spread the holiday spirit by singing, dancing, and/or playing!"

There are several snowmen and Christmas trees plastered to the paper. You mumbled “Betrunkener Wolf” under your breath and read the rest of the form. There are a few names with no meaning and times, though.

“Yes,” Thalia chimes. “You familiar with the location too?”

You nod. “Yes, but I’m not looking to sign up and lose for a talent show so you can win.”

Your comment makes Thalia giggle. “No, no. I need to get in, sure, but I just need you to play the guitar. I can’t play– I need you to. I need you to work with me so I can win.”

“Oh,” you want to slap yourself but maintain a professional attitude. “Yeah, do…what’s the– what are we doing exactly?”

Thalia’s face lights up, and she looks at Delilah. “Thank you, Delilah. I– I have a guitar and the sheet music.”

“What happened to your last guy?” You ask Thalia.

“Dead,” Thalia grimaces. For a moment, you worry it was that PI you smoked with Scarlet a few days before, but when she continues, you realize it had nothing to do with you. “You didn’t know him, and to be honest, he was kind of a dick, but I worked with him before, and he was convenient.”

You unclip the guitar case, and you see a beat-up six-string with stickers of brands you weren’t familiar with, and cartoon figures are drawn on it with markers. “What happened to him?”

She laughs nervously. “**** overdose. I’m not– well, I mean– he wasn’t the best person for the job, but I knew him. OK?”

Thalia’s hands are shaking as she digs into a messenger bag to give you the sheet music. “I get it,” you take the music and sigh as you read the title of the song she plans to sing. “This isn’t exactly a Christmas song, Thalia.”

Delilah strolls behind you and peers over your shoulder, reading the title too. Thalia nods, gesturing to the guitar for you to play. “It’s a Christian song,” she mumbles.

“Religious?” You ask.

“No,” she mumbles. “Not exactly. Does this change anything?”

“Of course not,” you take the guitar and ask where she wants to go. Thalia looks around and points at the empty chairs that occupy the dining part of the lobby. “Lead the way then.”

Delilah follows with interest. Thalia picks a table in the middle of the room and sits down, leaving ample space for you to join her. “It should be tuned,” she promises.

You pluck at the strings and test the sound. Despite its appearance being less-than-optimal, you find the sound sharp and proud. Delilah holds out the sheet music and clears her throat. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,”

“Have you played it before? On the piano, I mean?” Delilah puckers her lips when you ask this.

“No,” she says. “I heard it once played by my teacher, but I’ve never played it myself. So, where have you heard it played before?”

“Open nights are bars,” you laugh slightly. “Hicks and drunk contractors. I’ve heard it on the violin and banjos but never in a decent setting.”

You lean in and play the first few nights, but Thalia chimes in, correcting your speed, wishing for you to go a little slower than what’s on the paper. Then, in the silence of the lobby, you realize the aftertone of every note is somber and unsettling. You look at Thalia and ask if this is alright.

“Yes,” she says. “Play it all the way to the end so I can hear it.”

It takes you a few moments to get used to it, but after a few failed attempts, you can get through the whole song without any more flats or misplaced fingers. You play it flawlessly twice when Thalia fidgets. She seems nervous but hopeful about it.

It’s quiet, but when you strum, the notes come out noisily and intrusive, pushing out the silence surrounding you. Nothing is warm, but when Thalia starts singing, the air changes and your chest seems less tight. You look up and watch her; Thalia has her eyes fixed on your fingers; you ride the neck.

Her voice is full of life and youthful energy, but it’s being used to express a form of melancholy in the song you were not familiar with in this often-heard song. Every cord that joins her voice sounds easy-going, if not somewhat lazy. Still, as it mingles with the tune, it shapeshifts into a memorable piece with a powerful yet personal touch that penetrates your skull– odd considering the lack of history shared with this woman.

Delilah leans in, watching more intently as the song gets to its middle– neither meaning nor energy is lost. Instead, the interest remains the same as the levels of innocent intimacy reach a new peak. Admittedly, you never listened to what lyrics all that much before. Still, now that it’s sung with a bittersweet lead, you realize that this song was never meant to be used in a relaxed fashion.

Thalia’s voice expresses experience. This is not the first time she’s had to sing this song. The environment for her is familiar. It isn’t new, but the memories are fresh. You can tell by the look in her eyes that she remembers aspects of the song. There’s clear regret and lingering feelings of longing.

Her appearance speaks for her– it says she’s lost something close. A piece in her life she wasn’t ready to have lost—a daughter missing a parent, perhaps a sibling. You know better than to ask.

You squint as she closes her eyes. You glance at the sheet Delilah is holding for you and realize it’s almost over. You run your tongue over your bottom lip and adjust slightly, careful not to bump your knees or miss a string. Anything like that would disfigure the music, so you keep yourself in a tight bubble, following every note until Thalia’s voice is gone from the room and the final ring has faded.

When it’s over, the trio at the table share a generous round of praise. This is the first time you’ve seen Thalia smile, so you guess you did a decent job too. Delilah reaches over and rubs your shoulder, telling you you did well.

Thalia sucks in her lips and looks at you and Delilah. “You both should come with me.”

Delilah scoffs. “Nah, it’s OK. I wouldn’t want to take up any space.”

“Delilah,” you say. “I thought you wanted to go to one of these rehearsals.”

She blinks. “I do, but this is different.”

“Maybe you could sign up to perform, too,” Thalia adds. “I mean, like– listen, it’s your choice, but it sounds like you wanted to put your foot in the door for making music, and this might be a good chance to do just that.”

Delilah looks a little nervous. “Yeah, but–”