Rufi looked up at me pitifully. I looked at her with a wicked smile. "Come on, don't you think it's time we had a little chat?"

Rufi looked down, thoughts racing through her head. A little chat? She wants me to...? But I've been...? A torn expression crossed Rufi's small lion-like face. For years now in Noe's service she had only communicated in Beast's tongue. Ever since I had become her master, she still hadn't given that up. Setting aside her dignity as one of the foremost warriors of the Shadow Chimera clan, she had behaved far more like a pet than a competent compatriot, if she gave that up now, wouldn't that just be too embarrassing?

In Rufi's head her pet side, and her warrior side were mutually incompatible with eachother, for them to coexist barriers had to be maintained.

"Aroo, aroo." Rufi whined, looking up at me with a pitiful expression. She's bluffing about getting me to chat, if I just stay strong, she'll cave!

"Rufi, I…" looking in those big puppy eyes, I faltered a little. "No!" I crossed my arms, looking away. "I won't be fooled by your cuteness! Why is there blood on your claws? I need an explanation!" I tried to be strong, though in truth I truly wondered if I was pushing it too far. I don't know if she actually did anything wrong after all…

"Silvie," Rivi gently butted in. "Why don't we ask around the village, see if anyone's hurt? Maybe Rufi just went out for a bit of hunting? She is a beast after all, we shouldn't be too hard on her."

"O-ok," I totally crumbled, guilt gnawing at me as I continued looking at Rufi's pitiful expression. "L-let's go find out then."

I took Rivi's arm and we left Rufi behind to go investigate.

Yes! Rufi immediately dropped her pitiful expression once I was out of sight, and rolled happily on the ground a couple times at her victory. I'm still a pet! Wait…is that something I should really be celebrating? She shifted her eyes as she pushed back the warrioress part of her to the back of her mind. Pets, treats, and no responsibility! That's my life motto!

[Bell: I see you think you're so smooth]

"Roo!" Rufi jumped as a glowing blue box appeared out of nowhere. She frowned as she read the text on the screen.

[Rufi: Who are you! What is this! How did you find me! I'll tear you apart!!!]

[Bell: hehe who am I? I'm a mysterious genie in the sky who knows everything about you]

Rufi's eyes narrowed.

[Rufi: Yeah right, you're just using the screens that mistress has access to, and you smell kinda like her too. Is this a trick just to get me to talk? I'm not confessing! I'm just a pet!]

[Bell: Darn, why are you so clever? (·•᷄∩•᷅ ) ok, I'm not a genie, but I'm not Silvie either]

[Bell: or well…I'm kind of Silvie, but not really? I don't know it's confusing, but needless to say just because you're talking to me doesn't mean you're talking to Silvie, and I'm not going to rat you out unless…]

[Rufi: Unless?]

[Bell: ( ｰ̀εｰ́ ) wouldn't you like to know?]

[Rufi: Stupid! I'm mistress' pet, try and tell her, think she'll believe you? Rufi's done nothing wrong! Then I'll tear your throat out anyways!]

[Bell: Alright, alright! Sorry, really I just wanted to tease you, I didn't mean anything bad by it, I won't really rat you out. I just…think we might have some common interests…]

[Rufi: Are you trying to scheme against mistress? Rufi has no business with traitors!]

[Bell: No! No! Geez can you stop getting the wrong ideas!! I'm trying to be all mysterious and you're making me look bad ૮ ⸝⸝o̴̶̷᷄ ·̭ o̴̶̷̥᷅⸝⸝ ა]

[Bell: Well…it's just that…you see…um…I'm kinda lonely in here…]

[Bell: So I thought that…]

[Bell: Maybe…]

[Bell: We could be friends…?]

[Bell: If you want, if not it's no big deal!!!!!]

Rufi blinked. The floating blue box…wanted to be friends with her? She tilted her head in confusion.

[Rufi: 'In…here'? Where exactly are you? Are you trapped in this blue box?]

[Bell: No! Or well…kinda. No, I'm in Silvie's soulscape, I'm a parallel soul born from a fragment of divinity she inherited.]

[Rufi: ohhhh, that's what you meant when you said you were kind of Silvie, I was so confused. Ok, we can be friends!]

[Bell:...just like that???]

[Rufi: Why not? You're not going to tell Silvie, and sometimes Rufi wishes she could talk more too, even though she likes being a pet.]

[Bell: Th-thank you…I look forwards to being your friend!!!!]

[Rufi: Me too ;)]

[Bell: Hey you learned how to use an emoji!]

[Rufi: Is that what those little faces are called? How do you even do those big faces, there aren't keys for those characters??]

[Bell: Hehe, this, my friend, is a secret ᗜ⩊ᗜ]

[Rufi: I changed my mind, actually I don't want to be your friend!]

[Bell: Whaaaat!? No! I'll tell you, I'll tell you, don't be mad!]

[Rufi: he, too easy]

[Bell:... ૮₍ ˶>⤙<˶ ₎ა]

"Look, we asked around, none of the villagers got hurt, so why are you still trying to hold this over her?" Rivi's voice came from the entrance to the room and Rufi quickly swatted at the box to make it go away before pretending to be asleep.

"But they also mentioned something about a villager on the outskirts going missing, I still feel like Rufi should talk to us, I don't know why she insists on being silent when she's obviously capable of intelligent communication."

"Who's to say, but that's her decision to make, isn't it? I guess it boils down to do you trust her or not? Communicating wouldn't really change that fact would it?"

Rivi and I reached the door to the room, and I looked down at Rufi's seemingly sleeping form, and sighed. "I guess you're right Rivi, I don't know why I got so worked up over this, it's just…I don't know, maybe I don't like the idea of Rufi getting hurt." I crossed my arms sitting down on a chair near where Rufi was laying down. "It was something else's blood this time, but who's to say it won't be hers next time? If we could communicate at least she could let me know how or why she put herself in danger, but like this I just don't know anything."

Rivi went behind the chair and hugged her arms around my neck. "Before being assigned to you Rufi was a divine companion, in the beast world they're the best of the best, you don't have to worry about her getting hurt."

I sighed and put a hand on Rivi's arm. "You're probably right, maybe my head just isn't in the right place for all this." I reached down and scooped Rufi up onto my lap, softly stroking her mane. "I'm sorry Rufi, if you don't want to to talk, you don't have to."

Hearing this Rufi nuzzled happily into to the palm of my hand, her snake tail swishing contentedly behind her.

I grinned. "Oh Rufi..."

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