“Hey lovely, everything going okay in here?”

 

Oxyi let out a long, frustrated sigh and sank back into the sofa as the elder feline padded softly into the living room. Geralt still had that same worn and tired expression that he'd had ever since they left Barru X, but now, a small smile also graced his face. He looked tidier too; it seemed that the chat they'd all had the other night had done Geralt some good. His old, tattered gown still looked tattered, but now it was a freshly washed, soft shade of blue. 

 

Oxyi rubbed her eyes and stretched her neck; she'd been sitting, hunched over her phone and furiously swiping and typing for… well, she wasn't actually sure. But it had been light outside when she started, and now the living room was illuminated only by the faint glow coming off their second-hand TV.

 

“Hey, Geralt. Yeah, yeah, things are going okay… Close the door behind you, would you?” She quickly glanced through the crack in the doorway, checking the coast was clear. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but if there was one person here she could trust, she knew she could trust Geralt. 

 

He eyed her softly but curiously, and did as she asked. As he did, the unmistakable chime of cutlery clinking against bowls rang out around the room, and Oxyi spied the large tub of strawberry ice cream tucked underneath the feline's arm. 

 

“I hope you brought two spoons!” 

 

Geralt chuckled and sat down beside the lioness. “Your spoon, my dear.” He said, holding it out for her.

 

With a grin, Oxyi quickly took it and plunged it straight into the middle of the open tub. 

 

“Guess we won't be needing these then!” Geralt smiled, and placed the bowls to the side.

 

“Oh, sorry!” Oxyi laughed around a mouthful of the pink ice-cream.

 

“So… why don't you tell me what's got you looking so worried?” Geralt asked gently, taking his spoon and scraping a little ice cream from the corner of the tub.

 

“Ugh, I don't know. Maybe it's something, maybe it's nothing.” Oxyi lowered her voice a little with a glance towards the door. “I've been keeping an eye on our money situation. And we're doing fine, we've got plenty to cover rent and the bills, and thanks to Seeth's new contracts, our savings are looking great. It shouldn't be long before we can actually start looking into hiring some scouts, maybe even some mercenaries, and getting Diego back.”

 

“That sounds great!” Geralt said, licking the end of his spoon. “But I'm sensing there's a but?”

 

“Well… But there should be more in there. Look.” Oxyi rested her spoon against the arm of the chair and leaned in slightly, showing Geralt her phone. “This is our savings account -” Geralt raised an impressed eyebrow as Oxyi scrolled down. “-And here's our deposit history. I'm in there, every single week. Trent's in there, Seeth's in there loads. But look at Venner. She hardly deposits at all any more, and when she does, it's fuck all. She's putting in less than Trent, and I know she earns more than he does. She earns more than me some weeks.”

 

Geralt didn't say anything. He stared at the figures in front of him and rubbed his chin, thinking. 

 

“And I know we said that Venner didn't have to pay in.” Oxyi continued. “She's done so much for us, what with getting us this flat, and letting Seeth use her ship for jobs. But she said she wanted to help us with the ‘Save Diego Fund.’ And then, I noticed this.” Oxyi scrolled right to the top of the page, and showed one solitary transaction, in red, sticking out like a sore thumb. A withdrawal.

 

“She took money out of the savings account?” Geralt exclaimed.

 

“Yep.” Oxyi slumped back and pressed a hand to her forehead. She could feel the anger rising in her chest again. “Now it's one thing to change your mind about contributing to save someone who's capture you may as well have fucking orchestrated - sorry, sorry, I didn't mean that. She was put in a lose-lose situation, Diego for her husband, I know.” Oxyi sighed deeply through her nose as Geralt gave her a stern look. “I just, I don't get it. I mean, I like Venner. She's lovely when we're out working together, don't have a bad thing to say about her. So why is she taking our money out? We're not struggling for cash. Is she hiding it for herself? She planning on taking as much money as possible and running? Maybe she's just testing the waters right now, to see if we’re smart enough to notice a withdrawal.” Oxyi scoffed, and tossed her phone down on the coffee table before shovelling a heaped spoonful of ice cream onto her mouth. “Maybe I had her wrong this whole time.”

 

“It could have been an accident, you know.” Geralt murmured. 

 

“I know, I did think about that. But the timing's off, we haven't been paid from our last contract yet. And the amount too, seems too small to me to be a deposit. I'm gonna have to confront her about it, and I'm really not looking forward to that.” Just the thought of having that conversation was enough to stress Oxyi out; she dug her fingers into the sides of the sofa cushions and tried to calm down a little. “If she was short on money, why wouldn't she just tell us?”

 

Geralt sat quietly for a few seconds, deep in thought. He stared down at his distorted reflection in his spoon, tilting it gently from side to side. Finally he spoke.

 

“What do you think of Robin, Oxyi?”

 

“Uh… Robin?” Oxyi asked, taken aback by the question. “I don't… He seems alright? Between our jobs, I don't really see that much of him,… Wait, you weren't asking if I found him… attractive, were you?” Oxyi suddenly blushed heavily and awkwardly. “Because I do not - This is not some ploy for me to try and take Venner's husband!”

 

“No, Oxyi! I wasn't implying that at all.” Geralt chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Honestly, Oxyi, you've got to get better at talking about men.” His smile flickered away, and he dropped his hand. “What is Robin's job? Do you actually know?”

 

“N-No, I don't…  Some sort of fancy office job in The Plaza, isn't it? But like I said, I don't see much of him. I see plenty of those fancy techni-coloured suits he wears every day though, the washer dryer is always full of ‘em! Looks like a big wet bag of skittles. What’re you getting at anyway, Geralt?”

 

“What I'm getting at… and don't breathe a word of this to anyone -” Geralt quickly glanced at the door and dropped his voice. “- But I think he's mistreating her.”

 

Oxyi froze. For a long moment she just sat and stared at Geralt, trying to take in his words.

 

“Wh-What makes you say that?!” She finally exclaimed.

 

“I have no proof of this, just a gut feeling and twenty-five years of a marriage that was doomed to fail.” 

 

“Right… Okay… Geralt if you know something, you have to tell me. This is serious.” Oxyi placed the lid back on the ice cream tub, and onto the coffee table. “Do you think Venner needs help? Do we need to tell Seeth?”

 

“I…” Geralt had started to pick at the loose threads of his dressing gown, as though he was feeling uncomfortable, but then, suddenly he sighed, and looked Oxyi in the eye. “I think he's financially controlling her. I think he's a liar, and a manipulator. I think Robin's got Venner right where he wants her, and isn't about to let her go.”

 

“Financially - wait, do you think it was him taking the money out of our account? He doesn't even pay anything in!” Oxyi’s tone was still serious, but she was looking confused now too. “Robin doesn't even know Diego. Why would he try to sabotage us?”

 

“It's not about sabotaging you, Oxyi, it's about controlling her.” 

 

“I… I don't understand. Have you heard something? Has Venner said something to you?”

 

“No no, she hasn't said anything to me, I just…” Geralt dropped his gaze. “I've had, not really anything to do for the last six months. And this is a small flat. I can't always hear what they say, but I've heard them arguing in their bedroom. It never sounds like Venner wins them, either. When they're together, they seem… awkward, too. When Robin's home, he hardly ever eats with us, he takes his food into the bedroom and eats alone. Once I walked in on them talking about one of Venner's contracts, they were sat at the kitchen table, and she was so excited, talking about how much she had earned from it, and he just kind of gave her this… disappointed smile. ‘Oh well, there's always next time’ he said, or something along those lines, and you should have seen her face drop.” 

 

“I mean… He sounds like an asshole, definitely.” Oxyi replied. “Why do you think he's controlling her, though?”

 

“Because… Because that's the exact sort of thing my wife used to say to me.” Geralt said, softly but with determination. “And before I knew it, she had taken my farm, my cottage, my car, everything in the divorce settlement, using a lawyer I gave her the freaking money to pay for, trying to keep her happy.”

 

Oxyi sat quietly for a few moments. “So… Do you think Venner is giving Robin money… because she's worried he'll leave her?”

 

“Almost certainly. You've seen his ever-growing collection of three-piece suits!”

 

“You don't think he buys them himself?”

 

“Pfft! No chance.” Geralt swiped his hand dismissively at the very thought. “There is no way that man has a job. Not once have I ever heard him tell anyone what he does, or where he does it. Just that it's ever so important.”

 

“Maybe he's started smuggling again?” Oxyi suggested. “That would explain his… aesthetic. And why he's being so secretive about his work.”  

 

“Seeth hunts Vora Barons for a living. Why would he be worried about telling us he's smuggling? And besides, he's home every night, he's not gone long enough to be a smuggler.” Geralt sniffed. “I'm telling you, he's not working, and Venner is funding everything. Robin wakes up and struts out of this place most mornings in a brand new expensive suit, on his way to his ‘job.’ All the while, Venner's been wearing the same uniform every day for the last six months, her shoes are falling apart!” He gestured over to her work boots, which were currently drying on the radiator, and were, indeed, falling apart. “They must be so uncomfortable to wear! No loving husband would let his wife go out to work and get her feet torn apart by old tatty shoes while he struts about in several-hundred-die suits!”

 

Oxyi followed his gesture and stared across at Venner's boots. Oh my god, maybe he's actually right… how had I not noticed that before? 

 

“And as for this ‘job…’” Geralt started to raise his voice - he was getting angry now. “I was working on my farm before I could walk. I know how it feels to go to work, to come home after an honest day's labour. You know what that's like. It's exhausting! That man comes home, sometimes earlier, sometimes later than you, he comes swaggering in with his face all flush and his breath stinking of alcohol, he grabs some food and goes straight to his bedroom. That man doesn't come home tired after an honest day's work.” Geralt clenched his fists tightly. “That man sits and waits for his wife to come home, to let her know how good a job she does every day but how she should be doing just a little bit better, because the money she's giving him isn't cutting the expense of his travel and his professional guise - how am I supposed to get a good job sweetie if I don't look the part - and all the while he's sat at a bar drinking in girls and necking back shots.”

 

The two fell into silence then, for a while. Oxyi blankly at the TV screen. The flat seemed uncomfortably quiet, as though it was just waiting with bated breath to expose their secret conversation.

 

“Do you think he could be cheating on her?” Oxyi asked finally.

 

“I wouldn't be surprised. That flushed look he comes home with, I wouldn't say that’s all alcohol.” Geralt stood up, slowly, his joints creaking a little in protest. Oxyi watched him with a regretful look in her eyes as he bent down, and picked up the ice cream tub. “Listen, I… Don't pay too much heed to an old man's ramblings. I'm probably wrong. I usually am.” He chuckled lightly, suddenly embarrassed. “I do think you should confront Venner on that withdrawal though; I'm sure it was just an accident.”

 

“Yeah, I will…” Unless it wasn't an accident. Unless you're right, and maybe she was actually hoping someone would notice.

 

“I'm gonna go put this back in the freezer, then lie down for a while.” Geralt turned away and shuffled back towards the door. Before he pulled it open though, he looked back at the lioness. “Don't repeat anything I've said to you, Oxyi. Please.”

 

Oxyi smiled at her friend. “Of course. I won't say a word.”

 

Geralt nodded, then made his way down the corridor, closing the door behind him.

 

Oxyi didn't move straight away. She sat in silence, and contemplated the feline's words. She picked up her phone and unlocked it, and stared at that one, singular withdrawal from their savings account. 

 

“I’m gonna have to do something though. If Venner really is in trouble, I have to do something.”

 

*

 

The next morning, Oxyi was downstairs bright and early, munching her way through a large bowl of cereal. She wasn't wearing her usual work attire today though; Oxyi had today off, and today, Oxyi was on a mission. 

 

“You’re up early!” Venner walked into the kitchen with a warm smile. Robin was a few steps behind her, wearing another one of his fancy colourful suits. How had I not noticed it before? Oxyi thought to herself as she returned Venner’s smile. Her uniform is so dull, faded, worn… I can see from here where she’s had to sew and repair it herself… And the two of them, standing next to each other… Husband and wife, they couldn’t have looked more different than night and day. Robin looked smart, tidy, well-groomed and - she hated to admit it - attractive, as he sidled around Venner and grabbed a breakfast bar. Oxyi couldn’t help but notice the distaste in his face as he eyed it, then stuffed it in his blazer pocket.

 

Our ‘saver-value’ brand groceries not good enough for you, Robin? 

 

“...Earth to Oxyi, hellooooo?” Venner laughed - tiredly - and waved a hand in front of Oxyi’s face, which made the lioness jump.

 

“Fu-um-sorry! Sorry, I don’t think I’ve woken up properly yet!” Oxyi replied, quickly. “What were you saying?”

“I asked if you had any plans today! Figured you’d be sleeping in, long deserved rest after that hell-hole of a contract we just put ourselves through.” 

“Oh! Yeah, well, I’ve got a couple days off now, figured I might as well do something with them! I realised the other day that I hadn’t actually seen much of the space station, outside of work, so thought I might go for a little explore.”

 

“That sounds nice.” Venner smiled, pulling open the fridge and grabbing her pre-made lunch for the day, courtesy of Chef Tivy. “Hopefully I’ll be home early today myself, I could use a much needed break!” Venner yawned and walked out of the kitchen and into the entryway, shoving her flask and packed lunch into a worn-looking backpack.

 

God, Venner, have you always looked that tired?

 

“Well, while you ladies are off pampering yourselves and putting your feet up, I’m expecting to put in a bit of overtime tonight!” Robin suddenly announced with a big, shit-eatting grin on his face. “S’pose at least one of us here has to be making some real money!” He continued to boast as he followed Venner towards the door. Oxyi glared after him, then stood up and dumped her bowl in the sink. As she washed up, she watched them out of the corner of her eye; Robin was saying something quietly to Venner, and Venner looked uncomfortable as she replied back; then, he placed a hand on her shoulder, and steered her towards the door. He glanced back at Oxyi as they left.

 

“We better get a move on, can’t be late! Tell Tilly or whatever her name is that I won’t be needing dinner tonight!”

 

“Bye, Oxyi!” Venner waved and smiled as she was pushed out the door.

 

“Bye, Venner.” Oxyi mumbled back. She dried her hands in the tea-towel and moved towards the window. A few seconds later she was watching Venner and Robin leave the building, and make their way quickly down the street towards the train station.

 

“Tivy! Don’t wait up for me! Gonna be out late!” She shouted as she quickly laced her shoes, grabbed her backpack and ran towards the door.   

 

I’ve got a cunt to keep an eye on.

 

The space station that the gang had called their home for the last six months wasn’t like a typical nomad space station you might come across. It had started its life on a large asteroid, and as its inhabitants grew in number, so did, so did the number of asteroids. Currently, there were fifteen asteroids making up this station, each joined together in a chaotic jumble, each of varying shapes, sizes, colours and enrichment, in its own unique manner. The asteroids were interconnected by a long intergalactic trainline, all centred around The Plaza. The Plaza made up the largest and innermost asteroids of the nomad ‘super structure’ in the system, composed of several huge asteroids that had been literally locked together via ridged bridges, originally built out of boredom rather than purpose. Years on, The Plaza had grown significantly and was now more than fifteen different asteroids 

Venner’s flat was on one of the smaller asteroids on the outskirts of the space station, and as such, the main town where the asteroid's train station was, wasn’t too far away. It also meant that their rent wasn’t too expensive, which is exactly what they needed right now. 

 

Oxyi loitered about awkwardly at the back of the train platform. The platform, to describe it in one word, was musky. The concrete slabs were a dirty, faded yellow, the walls a lifeless grey. However despite its appearance, the platform was bustling with commuters, trying to get to their jobs on the more innermost asteroids. Oxyi at least didn’t have to worry too much about Robin and Venner spotting her; she was having a hard enough time keeping an eye on them. 

 

The space train pulled up, a sleek and shiny tin in contrast to its dilapidated station, and as Oxyi was pushed on board and sardined into one of the carriages, she couldn’t help but feel a bit silly. What was she actually doing? She felt like some silly little spy, or make-believe detective as she glanced down the carriage, and brought her faded-red scarf up over her nose, as if it were some sort of disguise.  

 

“I must warn you, Oxyi! I am quite the mysterious stranger! I’ll steal your heart, your flat and your food!”

Oxyi’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she was back in the forest, with Diego, posing with her scarf around his neck, and laughing. God, that felt like such a long time ago now… As she breathed in his scent on her scarf, which was wrapped tightly around her nose, tears pricked in the corner of her eyes. How could so much have changed, in six months?

And how does my scarf still smell like him? I’ve washed it loads since then!

People were suddenly moving all around her, bustling and pushing past to get to the doors. Oxyi sighed and watched through still blurry eyes as Venner too stood up from her seat. They were at her stop. The train hummed gently as it began to slow down, and Oxyi watched intently as Venner attempted to say goodbye to her husband. She reached down and swung her backpack over her shoulder, and leaned in gingerly for a kiss. She watched Robin glance up at her, and offer her his cheek, instead of his lips. 

A few moments, and several dozen people later, and Venner had disappeared into the crowd.  

No. It doesn’t matter how silly it may feel right now. Diego helped me when no-one else would. This is the right thing to do, even if it leads to nothing. He would do the same… probably.

 

Robin would be getting off at The Plaza, which in its essence was a large mall complex with a decent variety of commercial and housing areas, high-rise office buildings, and even a few artificial green spaces. The Plaza was a pleasant place for the most part, having been recently refurbished with thick grey floor tiles and an artificial environmental dome, able to emulate planet-side seasons despite being built on a massive asteroid. It was easily the wealthiest of all the asteroids that made up this space station, which was why Robin regularly made a point of bragging about his currently unspecified but extremely important job there.

 

After about another forty-five minutes of travel on the gently humming train, they arrived at The Plaza. Nearly all of the remaining passengers were getting off here (which was a lot) and Oxyi had to duck and dodge quickly around the disembarking passengers, as she tried desperately but inconspicuously to keep up with Robin. 

 

Apparently, her years of working in security were actually paying off here.. She kept a decent but steady distance behind him, not getting too close to look like she was tailing him. She knew when to change direction, when Robin seemed to start looking around. Even though not much of her work took her to The Plaza, she knew the layout well enough to lose sight of him for a few moments, walk down the parallel and side streets and meet back up with him, without drawing any attention to herself. She was wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved black top, and of course her scarf to help obscure her face. All in all, she didn’t think she really stood out, she thought, as she spied a glance of her reflection in a shop window.

 

Maybe I should become a PI…

 

So far, to her disappointment but ultimately not to her surprise, Oxyi’s pursuit had taken her away from the office complexes. He seemed to be approaching the library, which did fill Oxyi with some hope for a moment - maybe he’s lost his job. Maybe he’s looking - But her hopes were quickly dashed; instead Robin went into the building a few doors down and across the street - ‘Eastern Point Hotel and Breakfast.’ 

 

A hotel? Maybe he’s meeting a client? She thought, ever keen to see the good in people.

 

But alas, that wasn’t to be the case. Instead, this would turn out to be just the first of one of many extremely pricey stops today. She watched from across the street as Robin quickly brushed himself down, adjusted his suit in the window, then walked inside. A few minutes later she followed him inside, and ducked down into the lobby. She could see him off to the right, in a large dining hall. He was sitting alone, at a table close to the bar, laughing with one of the waitresses. She siddled over to one of the tables in the corner, and immediately lifted a menu up to her face. With her free hand, she fumbled about in her rucksack, and pulled out a small camera.

 

He seems to know that waitress VERY we- holy shit look at these prices!

 

Oxyi quickly scanned down the breakfast menu - it wasn't even an all-you-can-eat overpriced breakfast, every item on the menu was individually priced, and none of it was cheap. Who would spend five die on a fried breakfast?!

 

Robin would, apparently. Oxyi couldn’t help but gawk at the amount of food that was brought over to his table, over the course of the next hour or so. Sausages, eggs, toast, bacon, croissants, cold cheeses and meats, and large glasses of iced coffee. Oxyi’s stomach growled as she watched him devour the meal in front of him; never in her life had she seen so much, and so pristine food.

 

“I’ll just have a coffee, please.” Oxyi mumbled to a waiter, and her stomach growled in protest; that bowl of cereal had barely touched the sides. “No milk, please! Lots of sugar!”

 

As Oxyi sat and sipped at her overpriced coffee, she watched as the same five or six waitresses stopped at Robin’s table, sometimes with more food and drinks, sometimes not. They would chat and laugh, she could see from his demeanour that Robin was laying it on thick, but all in all… He hadn’t really done anything wrong. A slow-filling rage was starting to build in Oxyi’s chest though, as she watched Robin mingle with these middle class, pretty girls with such ease, drinking down their figures and scoffing their food with glee.

 

I could have only dreamed of this sorta life back home. 

 

She snapped a few photos, not that they contained anything particularly incriminating. Although, she couldn't quite figure out if she was relieved, or annoyed by that. Eventually Robin stood up from his table, and left a fat wad of cash behind as he did so. The waitresses all crooned and gushed as he left, giggling as one scooped down and started flicking through the pile of notes.

Heavy tipper. Nice. Oxyi thought dryly, as she made to follow him. She contemplated what she’d seen as she followed Robin back down the street.

 

It was all innocent enough. No harm in flirting with a few waitresses… Although even as she thought it, Oxyi blushed and cringed slightly. Maybe he just wanted something to eat before work… No! I need to stop giving this guy the benefit of the doubt. That breakfast must have cost him a small fortune.

 

As the morning drew on into the afternoon, what Oxyi saw only may not have concretely confirmed her suspicions, but it did make her more and more angry. She became more and more confident that Robin’s entire persona was just that. He paraded around The Plaza, flashing his cash and spending it as he liked. He went into a high-end custom suit shop, and seemed to be in there for ages as Oxyi sat and watched him from a nearby bus stop. He was getting yet another custom-sized, made to order three-piece suit, in the most outrageous shade of magenta she’d ever seen.  

 

Why do I get the feeling it’s not employers you’re trying to impress? Oxyi thought as she snapped another photo.

 

Eventually, Robin paused his little spending spree and stopped for lunch at a classy little botanical cocktail bar. It was a pretty little place, with a metal set of stairs taking you up to the bar itself, which was on the first floor of the terrace building. Lush green vines and plants hung over the metal canopy outside. Inside, the bar was dimly lit, and had a cute but slightly smokey vibe to it. Robin went inside and sat at the bar. He was quick to order - or better to say - the pretty barmaids were quick to take his order - and before long he was devouring a huge slab of steak, and drinking a cocktail almost the same shade as the suit he'd just bought. Oxyi sat at the far end of the bar, sipping slowly on her mocktail and pretending to look like she was working on her phone, as she watched Robin order drink after drink. As he got more drunk, he got more bold, he sat on his stool, and started showing off his psyonics to the bar staff and the ladies around him, out for bottomless brunch. They all ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ and laughed at the sparks and snowflakes that Robin made fall down upon their heads, and land delicately in their hair. He gestured for one of the ladies to hand him her drink, and with a few dramatic flicks of his hand, an ice cube materialised between his fingers, and he dropped it into the glass. The lady laughed as he rubbed the tip of his finger around the rim of her glass, leaving behind an icy-blue ring. Oxyi, however, was far from impressed. 

 

Pfft. They think that’s psyonics? That’s nothing compared to what Diego can do.

 

He stayed there for a few hours, chatting, drinking, buying people’s drinks, and flirting with seemingly anyone who would entertain him. Oxyi, by now, was starting to grow tired, and bored. She’d seen enough - unless Robin's incredibly important job was trying to pick up other women, this man was clearly a liar. And if he'd lied about leaving for work today, then Geralt was probably right - Robin didn't have a job. He was taking Venner for everything she had. If only Oxyi had proof. A few photos of Robin splashing the cash unfortunately didn't really prove… anything, except that he was a massive asshole. Oxyi sighed, and quickly left the bar. She stood outside the building for a few moments, scrolling back through the photos she'd taken, breathing in the alcohol-free air.

 

I need to talk to Venner. He’s playing us. He’s playing all of us. Seeth is gonna lose her shit. I just hope that Venner doesn’t know what’s going on; there’s no way she’d pay for all this knowingly, is there? 

As she thought, she suddenly caught sight of Robin’s dirty-blonde hair whipping past her. She glanced up, and saw that Robin was quickly - if not a little unsteadily - making his way down the street, away from the central Plaza.

 

Seems like our little escapade isn’t over yet. Where’re you off to now?

 

Robin lead Oxyi down some long winding streets. They became less and less populated the deeper and further away from the centre they went. The street lights became few and far between, and the majority of them flickered or didn't work at all, plunging the streets into the shadows of the high-rise buildings around them. Oxyi's hand hovered over the pistol, which she always carried, strapped to her belt as she passed by a shady-looking man, grinning down at her from an alleyway. 

 

Where the fuck is he taking me… Maybe I was right, maybe he is smuggling, after all…

 

Oxyi rounded the corner, and stopped in her tracks. 

 

OH MY GOD, NO!

 

Oxyi’s draw dropped as she watched Robin walk up to a brightly bedazzled building, with the words ‘The Open d’Hore’ curved above the entryway in large neon letters. A sleazy-looking lady in an extremely revealing slip walked up to him with a knowing and eager smile, and quickly guided him inside. 

 

He’s cheating on her. Oxyi stood in the middle of the street, wide eyed, seething with rage. The camera in her hands shook. The fucking cunt is CHEATING ON HER. HE’S TAKING ALL OF HIS WIFE’S MONEY, OUR ‘SAVE DIEGO’ MONEY, AND SPENDING IT ON FUCKING HOOKERS!

 

She was furious. How could he DO THAT? How could he do that to Robin?! And how had she not noticed it before? How had she not noticed Venner’s tatted uniform, the worn shoes? That tired smile, and desperate plea in her eyes when Robin was blatantly dismissing her affections? It was all so obvious now. And Oxyi had no doubt in her mind now - Venner didn’t know about any of this. There was no way that she was paying her husband to cheat her, not knowingly. She decided there and then that she'd confront Venner about everything she’d seen today. 

 

It was too late to snap a picture now - Robin had long gone inside, and just when she finally would have had something on him, too! Oxyi was kicking herself. She had to try though, evidence or not. She wasn’t going to let her friend be used like this any longer.

 

*

 

The pleasant aroma of fresh coffee and still-warm cakes gently wafted through the air, prompting a hungry rumble from the girls; lunch time was long overdue. Oxyi and Venner were sitting high up on an overhanging wall, munching away at their sandwiches and kicking their feet gently. Oxyi stared intently down onto her thermos of orange spicy soup, fidgeting slightly as she tried to figure out how to broach the subject of her husband’s… infidelity with her. It had been nearly a week since Oxyi’s little recon mission, and she still hadn’t plucked up the courage to say anything to her friend. Venner didn’t seem to notice Oxyi’s fidgeting though, and was contentedly surveying the town square. It had been an easy morning for both of them so far; word of ‘Lockblade’ had spread thick and fast around the sector, and local crime had nose-dived to the point of practically being non-existent. Security work was still in demand though, and contracts for the two girls showed no signs of drying up just yet.  

 

“What did Tivy make for you today?” Venner asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich and keenly observing the shops below. 

 

“Oh, umm…” Oxyi fumbled briefly, twisting her flask around. The steel cylinder had the words ‘Lion’s soup’ lovingly scribbled on the side, with a little smiley face in black ink. Very original, Tiv, Oxyi thought with a grin as she sniffed at the soup. “It smells spicy, maybe five spice again? She does a meeeeean five spice. Keeps you going, too.” Oxyi laughed. “Remember patrolling that damned cargo freighter a couple months ago? Tivy’s soup was the only thing keeping me warm on that bloody thing.”

 

“We are never taking a contract from Syntax again. Even the contract handler was creepy.” Venner grimaced as she took a large bite out of her sandwich. 

 

“Did you see the way he was eyeing you up? Fucking wierdo. Couldn’t take his beady little eyes off your hips.” Oxyi shivered uncomfortably as she recalled.

 

“Yeah, only because he was too short to see anything higher up than that though.” Venner laughed, and Oxyi choked back a giggle.  

 

“Did you see that massive bald spot on the top of his head?”

 

“Oxyi, how could I not? His head was so shiny I could practically see myself in it!” 

 

“Did you know he’s starting putting ‘female only’ in his contracts now? Talk about a red flag.”

 

“Gross. What did he say when we accepted the contract? Acceptable…” They both mimed in a low, grumbly voice, drumming their fingers together in a comically evil manner. 

 

“Oh, god, Oxyi!” Venner laughed and wiped a tear away from her eye. “He definitely had the hots for you. I still swear, at the end of the contract, when you were leaning over him, shouting in his face ‘cos he was trying to palm us off with less pay, that he was playing with himself under his desk.”

 

“Venner!” Oxyi went bright red, trying to fight off both embarrassment, and the sandwich currently gurgling around in her stomach that was threatening to make a re-appearance. “Th-That is NOT something I want to think about!”

 

Venner chuckled evilly and took another bite of her lunch, satisfied with her ruffling of the lioness’s metaphorical feathers.

 

“You’re too easy sometimes, Oxyi. We need to find you a boyfriend, ASAP.”

 

“Thanks, Venner.” Oxyi replied, a little dryly. “But I’ll have you know I’m doing just fine right now.” The mention of boyfriends only made Oxyi's stomach drop further, as she thought again on how she was going to talk to Venner about Robin. Suddenly, all that good natured humour was replaced by a thick feeling of anxiety in her stomach. And Venner noticed.

“Oh, umm, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” Venner glanced down at her feet.

 

“Oh, no! I’m okay!” Oxyi replied quickly. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I just… Venner, I need to talk to you about something.”

 

“Umm, okay?” Venner replied, unsure as to where this was going. “Was it the ‘boyfriend’ bit? ‘Cos if it’s a ‘girlfriend’ you’re after instead -”

 

“VENNER! NO! BOYFRIEND IS FINE!” Oxyi quickly interrupted, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again. “This isn’t about me, I need to talk about you.”

 

“O-Oh, r-right.” Venner looked uncomfortable now, and a little… hurt. “H-Have I done something wrong?”

 

“I…” Oxyi almost lost her confidence, almost changed the subject, looking at the genuine confusion and hurt in Venner’s face, but she inhaled deeply and pushed those feelings down. We have to do this. “I noticed the withdrawal you made out of our savings account the other day.”

 

Venner froze. Her eyes widened, the word ‘guilty’ all but plastered across her forehead. “A-A-A w-withdrawal?” Venner spluttered. “I’m so sorry, Oxyi, that must have been a mistake! I must have meant to d-deposit, but took the money out instead! I’m so silly, these contracts, they’re just such long hours sometimes, I’m so tired by the time I get home!” Venner laughed nervously, and fumbled about with her phone. “How much was it? I’ll deposit it back in right n-now.”

“Venner, please don’t lie to me.” Oxyi said, as reassuringly as she could. “I've also noticed that the amount you’ve been sending into our account has been less and less recently. I wanted to ask, are you struggling for money?” Oxyi was trying to keep the conversation open, trying to get Venner to admit herself that something was going on. But Venner, instead of confiding in her friend, suddenly grew very defensive.

 

“Oxyi I don’t really think it’s any of your business what I do with my money.” Venner snapped. “I offered to pay into that account. And if I decide to stop, that’s completely my business.”

 

“Venner -” Oxyi tried to interrupt, but the rat wasn’t having any of it.

 

“- Now, I’ll pay you back what I accidentally withdrew, and then you can stop prying your big pink nose into places it doesn’t belong.”  

 

“Venner, I need you to be honest with me.” Oxyi raised her voice slightly. “I can’t help you, if you don’t tell me.”

 

“Help me?!” Venner forced a laugh. “What the fuck to you mean? I’m a security consultant, you think I don’t know how to look after my own money?!”

 

“Look at you, Venner! You clearly don’t know how to look after it!” Oxyi snapped, gesturing to her clothes. “Look at your uniform! It’s frayed, it’s losing its colour from how many times you’ve worn and washed it, I can see the rips and tears you’ve had to stitch up from here! Do you even own another uniform?! Your shoes are falling apart -” Venner curled her feet away subconsciously at Oxyi’s remark - “and I’ve never seen you EVER buy anything for yourself! I even bought you that sandwich!”

 

“Take it fucking back then.” Venner muttered, and slammed her sandwich down next to Oxyi.

 

“No, Venner, I don’t - will you please help me here?!” Oxyi pleaded. “I know what Robin’s doing -”

 

“Robin? What does any of this have to do with him?” Venner glared, but her confidence waned at the motion of his name.

 

“Last week, when I had that time off, I followed him -”

 

“YOU FOLLOWED HIM?!” Venner blurted out in disbelief. “YOU STALKED MY HUSBAND?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

 

“He doesn’t have a job, Venner!” Oxyi cried out. “It’s all a facade, and a lie! When he left the flat, he announced to everyone in the fucking block he was off to work. Made a big fucking deal about bragging about it to us as he left. But I followed him, all day, and do you know what he did, Venner? He went out and ate a big fancy breakfast, and bought a new fancy suit, then went to this fancy little cocktail bar and drank himself silly! And that was before he -” Oxyi suddenly stopped, choking on her words.

 

“Before he what?” Venner snapped, glaring down at the floor.

 

“Before h-he went off to this other pub, and tried his luck. But he got kicked out, barkeep wouldn't serve him. He was too drunk.” Oxyi lied. She just couldn’t bring herself to tell Venner that her husband had cheated on her. “He was throwing all this money around, paying for people’s food and drinks, and he was tipping the waitresses very generously… But I’m guessing you already know about that, don’t you?”

 

Venner didn’t say anything. Her hands were shaking in her lap, and a tear escaped down her cheek.

 

“Has he had a job since we even got here?” Oxyi pressed gently.

 

Venner shook her head, then suddenly started to cry. She shoved her face in her hands and sobbed. Oxyi sighed sadly, shuffled over and placed her arm around her friend.

 

“H-He k-kept saying that he was t-trying…” Venner sobbed. “That he had interviews, but that the j-job market was really bad right now… He said he needed the suits to keep up h-his image, to be impressive in his interviews. I-I knew he was going out d-drinking, but it’s so disheartening for him being rejected by all these companies, and he said the prices of everything were going up, his train fare was getting more and more expensive, and h-he just needed a little more…” Venner sniffed, wiping her nose in her sleeve.

 

“Venner… Trust me. The man I watched go around the complex and nearly drink himself into a coma looked anything but disheartened. He’s just using you.”

“N-No, you don't understand! If I don't give him the money, he-he'll have to go back to smuggling, and I can't let him do that!” Venner all but wailed. “And I owe him!”

 

“Venner, you owe him nothing.” Oxyi stated firmly, but the rat shook her head.

 

“It's my fault, Oxyi! Remember, on Barru X, the DA had him… that was because of me! I knew there were some shady deals going on in my sector, and they were getting close to the DA borders. I reported it! They investigated. R-Robin had never worked so close to Barru X before, I had absolutely no idea he would be involved, but they caught him! Oxyi, my husband went to prison BECAUSE OF ME!”

 

A fresh wave of tears rolled down Venner's face. Oxyi wrapped her over arm around the rat, and cuddled her gently. 

 

“It’s not your fault, Venner.” Oxyi said softly. “You didn’t ask him to become a smuggler, did you?”

 

Venner shook her head. “I… I know.” A fresh wave of tears rolled down Venner’s face. “I know, I know… He was just asking for so much, and I didn’t want to disappoint him!” She was blubbering now, and looked up at Oxyi with a sad desperation. “He comes home in such a good mood! He’s kind and funny and… he’s so nice to me. If he doesn’t go out, he’s…”

 

“He’s what?” Oxyi asked, concern washing over her face.

 

“He’s just so… dismissive.”

 

“...Okay.” Oxyi sighed. Her gut was telling her that there was more going on than that, but Venner was starting to twist away; Oxyi could feel her closing off, and didn’t think she’d get much more out of her than that. There was more to it though, she was certain. “Well, no-one deserves to be treated like that, much less by their own husband, Venner. I don’t want you to let him manipulate you like that anymore. If he wants more money, he can bloody well earn it himself.” 

 

Venner nodded. Oxyi pulled a tissue out of her rucksack (she’d had the feeling they’d be needed) and gave it to Venner, who accepted it graciously and immediately blew her nose. 

 

“But I don’t want you to stress about sending any money into the savings fund right now, either. The first thing you’re going to do, Venner, is buy yourself a new pair of shoes!”

 

“Y-Yeah?” Venner smiled weakly.

 

“Yep! In fact, let’s go, right now!”

 

“N-Now? Haven’t we gotta get back to work soon?”

 

“Oh yeah… well, as soon as we finish our shift, I am taking you shoe shopping, and I’m not taking no for an answer!”

 

“O-Okay.” Venner replied, as the colour returned to her face a little. “L-Let’s do that.”

 

“Good! And you’ll stop giving so much money to Robin, right? You promise?”

Venner looked uncertain, almost a little… afraid… but nodded.

 

“Hey, if he gives you any trouble, just come and find me, or Seeth, or any of us for that matter. We’ve got your back. I promise.” Oxyi smiled, and patted her friend on the shoulder. 

 

“Thanks, Oxyi.” Venner smiled back. “I… I will.”

 

If only it were that simple.