Femme Fatale Pt. 9

>Silence hangs for a few moments between the two women. Ariannis’s furious expression quietly burns as Eileen looks back with her usual bulletproof poker face.
>”Good, you’re going to take this seriously.” Eileen is the first to speak in this stare off. “The facade you’ve been wearing the past few years doesn’t suit you. This way.” As if she isn’t bothered by Ariannis’s soured mood, the towering wolf turns away to open up a door to a side room. “This isn’t a conversation for a hallway, anyways.”
>Ariannis enters the door, and you’re hesitant to follow until Eileen gives you an instructing stare. You step in behind Ari and enter some sort of study or personal office. Books and binders of what look like records of some sort line the multiple bookshelves along the wall, with a singular desk and chair.
>It’s mostly standing room only when Eileen joins the two of you. Immediately, you step past Ariannis, putting the scarred feline in between you and the stone faced canine.
>”Lets make this brief; we have time but not enough to properly lecture you about this.” Eileen speaks coolly. This calmness doesn’t extend to Ari, whose tail is snapping back and forth in agitation.
>”Lecture me? Eileen, do remember who you’re talking to. I am not one of your subordinates.” Ari hisses, both in irritation and an attempt to keep her voice down. You find yourself taking a step away from the feline and closer to the wall at the sound.
>”But you are acting like a child.” Eileen answers without hesitation. “It is obvious to anyone that Anon is new to the Family. There are countless human members that you could have chosen for the party. Those who are already initiated into our ways.”
>Because of where you’re standing, you can’t properly see Ariannis’s reaction. What you can see is her fur starting to stand up as the conversation continues.

--

>”Instead, you’ve chosen a civilian as your play date. And he isn’t stupid, or at the very least is smart knows how to escape giving a straight answer. I don’t doubt that he has a hunch that we’re not exactly a group of legitimate business partners.” Eileen slings a knife hand your way, pointing at you with every finger before she returns her attention to Ari. “If you were anyone else, someone less important in the Family, this wouldn’t matter, but you’re not someone else. You’re the third chair.”
>”I am aware of my position, Eileen. I’m also aware of a distinct lack of rules regarding who I can be a relationship with. ” This time Ariannis hardly hushed herself as she hissed again.
>”This isn’t about the rules. This is about the risk that he represents!” Both of them are becoming heated as Eileen raises her voice to match. “He would be the very definition of a weak link. If there was anyone who could and would leak information to the FBI, it’s him, and that’s assuming he isn’t a plant in the first place!”
>Well, you knew this was going to be a serious conversation from the get-go, but if you’re a plant by the FBI you would think they would at least help you out with paying for groceries.
>”And if he’s nothing of the sort, Eileen? What then? Lets say we have him vetted and checked, something I’m already doing by the way, and he’s just a normal guy, like most guys out there.” Ariannis’s head tilts as she fires back. “Would you still have an issue with that?”
>That challenge is enough to make Eileen pause, and she purses her lips. Her eyes dash up to you before looking back to the feline. The rising intensity that was taking over this conversation has been culled, at least temporarily,
>Eileen opens her mouth to answer, but a sharp series of knocks raps at the door and the three of you look towards it the door knob turns.
--
>Peeking through is a human. A man, to be more specific. The first thing that you notice is his high and tight hair cut, followed by a blank stare that would give Eileen’s a run for her money.
>He reminds you of the handful of people you graduated with, with blatantly military bound goals and dreams. Whether or not he actually has military experience or didn’t make the cut and is trying to live vicariously through his hair cut is unclear.
>”Aunt Eileen, Aunt Ariannis. Grandfather Ivers has requested the family council to gather for a meeting before the meal.” There is a twinge of accent in his speak, but you can’t place it. Something rural for sure though.
>Despite the argument that moments before was threatening to boil over into far more than measured statements, both of the women stand up straight and give curt nods.
>Eileen turns back to Ariannis, and the two stare at each other for a moment before they both, in tandem silence, turn to move towards the door.
>The messenger has long left, closing the door behind him. It buys you a couple seconds time to reach out and take a hold of Ari’s hand. She clearly isn’t expecting it, and she both jumps and flexes her grip. Claws dig into your hand as she turns around.
>Eileen pauses at the door for a moment, looking at the both of you, before she takes her leave wordlessly. You get the feeling that the argument was only postponed rather than ended.
>Regardless, you’ve been left alone with Ariannis.
>”Anon, this is important. I can’t-” Ari starts but you’re at your wits end with all that is happening.
>”We need to talk. Just real quick. I need answers before you leave.” The metaphorical creek up ahead is starting to look more than a little brown, and if you don’t grab yourself a paddle now you’ll just be stuck in this crazy ass ride your life has turned into. “Real answers.” You add quickly.
>Your blonde lover-cum-captor visibly grits her teeth before reluctantly nodding. “Alright Anon, but make it quick.”
--
>You breath a sigh of relief at her mercy, and immediately start laying out your concerns.
>”Is the Family, your family, however I’m supposed to refer to it, involved in something criminal. Yes or no?” You look right into Ari’s eyes as you wait for an answer. “I can have the panic attack later, you don’t have to tell me what, but lets just get it out of the way.”
>Her singular eye looks over you, trying to read you before she huffs out of her nose. “Yes.”
>You can get into the implications of Ariannis admitting to being part of a criminal organization some other time. Right now, she’s got her business face on and if you weren’t desperate to stay out of the dark here you would let her go already.
>”Alright, next question,” You start up again, since you’re short on time, “The boyfriend thing. Eileen saw right through it, but is everyone in the Family supposed to know this is just a favor you have me doing, or what?”
>”The easiest thing you can say is that you’re my new boy toy. That will get most people off of your back.” Ariannis gives a quick answer before she looks to the side, going over a mental rolodex of the people that will be showing up. “Almost everyone is going to recognize that you’re new, so they’ll probably introduce themselves, including rank. If they’re an Aunt, Uncle, or say they’re a Older Cousin, and they push the issue of why we’re together, say you owe me a favor and this is how you’re repaying it.”
>That’s straight forward enough. It seems a level of honesty still works even among those of ill repute.
>”Okay, last thing. Where do I go when you leave?” This is pretty important, because the moment you lose sight of Ari you’re going to be a child lost in a store. Seriously, this place gives you some Spencer Estate vibes, and you’re wondering if there is a bio-weapon lab hidden in the basement.
--
>Ari gives a soft smile, “The staff will help you. They’ll have name tags on; just say you’re my guest and tonight is your first time having dinner here, and they’ll point you in the right direction.”
>You nod, but the moment her hand starts to leave yours you give it a squeeze and she stops to reciprocate with a squeeze of your own. “You’ll be fine, darling. We might be malefactors, but we’re not savages.”
>After a laugh, you shrug, “I don’t know, Eileen is the scariest wolf I’ve ever seen.”
>Ari tilts her head and raises an eyebrow. “Wolf? Darling, Eileen is a fox.”
>”What.” You blink, dumbfounded. Eileen is looks like she is seventy percent muscle mass and forty percent stilts.
>She giggles at your visible confusion, “An artic fox, at that. Alright, I have to go. This isn’t something I can be too late for.” Her hand finally slips free from yours, and she wiggles her fingers as a farewell before you are left alone in the small office room.