Day after day, Holo returned to Scarlet's room, his resolve slowly chipping away with each interaction. He tried to approach her with a calm and open mind, but Scarlet made it her mission to unnerve him, picking apart every little detail about him until he felt exposed and vulnerable.
"Back again?" she said one morning, lounging in her chair as he entered the room. "You're like a little stray dog that keeps coming back, even when it's been kicked. I almost admire the persistence."
Holo forced a smile, though her words stung. "I'm here because I care."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Care about what? Me? Don't kid yourself, Holo. You're here because you were told to be. If this wasn't part of your job, you wouldn't even look at me."
"That's not true," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I want to help you."
"Help me?" she said, laughing. "Oh, please. You can't even help yourself."
Her words cut deeper than he wanted to admit, but he refused to let her see how much they hurt. Instead, he tried to redirect the conversation. "Why do you always do this, Scarlet? Why do you push me away?"
She shrugged, her expression indifferent. "Because it's easy. You make it easy."
"Easy?" he repeated, frowning.
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she looked him over. "Look at you. You're so desperate for approval, it's pathetic. You'll take whatever scraps of validation you can get, even if it means putting up with someone like me. Isn't that right?"
"That's not true," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
"Isn't it?" she pressed, her gaze piercing. "You're here because you think if you can 'save' me, it'll prove you're not as worthless as you think you are. But deep down, you know the truth, don't you? You're just as broken as the rest of us."
Holo clenched his fists, his chest tightening. "I'm not broken."
Scarlet tilted her head, her smirk returning. "If you say so. But let's be honest—you wouldn't be here if you weren't."
Every meeting felt like a battle he was losing. Scarlet had a way of getting under his skin, of twisting his words and making him doubt himself. She mocked his height, his clothes, his voice—anything she could find to chip away at his confidence.
"You're so small," she said one day, her tone dripping with amusement. "I'm surprised they even let you in here. Aren't there height requirements for this kind of thing?"
"Why does that matter?" Holo asked, his voice tight.
"It doesn't," she said with a shrug. "I just think it's funny. You're like a little kid playing dress-up, trying to act like you belong here."
He tried to ignore her, to focus on the questions he had prepared, but Scarlet always found a way to derail the conversation. She would sidestep his inquiries with ease, turning them back on him or steering the discussion into territory that left him flustered and unsure.
"Why do you care so much about me?" she asked one day, her tone laced with mock curiosity. "Do you think I'm some kind of project? A puzzle you need to solve?"
"I care because you're a person," Holo said firmly. "You deserve to be understood."
Scarlet laughed, the sound sharp and biting. "You're so naive. People like me don't get understood, Holo. We get locked up, studied, and thrown away when we're no longer useful."
"That's not true," he said, though his voice wavered.
"Isn't it?" she asked, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Face it—you're wasting your time. You're not going to 'fix' me, no matter how hard you try."
The worst part wasn't just the words she said—it was how convincing she made them sound. Every insult, every snide comment felt like a truth he couldn't deny, and he found himself growing more and more insecure with each passing day.
By the end of the week, Holo felt like he was at his breaking point. He had made no progress with Scarlet, and her constant degradation was starting to weigh heavily on him. But despite everything, he couldn't bring himself to give up. Somewhere beneath her sharp tongue and cruel remarks, he believed there was more to her—a side she refused to show him.
Holo sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands as he replayed the events of the past week in his mind. Scarlet's words echoed endlessly, her mocking tone still cutting him like a knife. No matter how much he tried to push it aside, the weight of her constant degradation pressed down on him, making him feel smaller and more insignificant with every passing day.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts, and before he could even respond, the door swung open. Trixie bounded inside, her usual energy lighting up the room. "Holo!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and tackling him onto the bed.
"T-Trixie!" he stammered, caught off guard as she pinned him beneath her.
"I missed you," she said, her voice filled with pure joy as she pressed her lips to his cheek in a flurry of rapid kisses. "You didn't come see me today, and I was worried. Did those stupid scientists keep you busy?"
Holo chuckled weakly, trying to hide the turmoil swirling inside him. "Something like that."
Trixie leaned back slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. "You look tired," she said, her tone softening. "What's wrong?"
He hesitated, unsure if he should tell her. But the concern in her eyes made him feel safe, and he found himself opening up without even realizing it. "It's Scarlet," he admitted. "She's… she's been really hard to deal with. No matter what I do, she just keeps tearing me down. I feel like I'm getting nowhere with her."
Trixie's expression darkened instantly, her joyful energy replaced by something far more dangerous. "She's treating you badly?" she asked, her voice low and sharp.
Holo nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. She mocks me all the time, picks apart everything about me, and never lets me get close to understanding her. It's… exhausting."
Trixie's grip on his shoulders tightened, and her pupils seemed to dilate as her lips curled into a sinister smile. "Do you want me to kill her?"
"What?!" Holo's eyes widened in alarm as he sat up, pushing her back slightly. "No, Trixie! Absolutely not!"
"But she's hurting you," Trixie said, her voice trembling with anger. "She has no right to treat you like that. No one does. If she thinks she can get away with it, she's dead wrong. Just say the word, and I'll make sure she never says another cruel thing to you again."
"Trixie, you can't just kill someone because they're being mean to me," Holo said firmly. "That's not how this works."
Her expression faltered, a hint of vulnerability slipping through her anger. "But… you're my Holo. You're the only person who's ever cared about me, and I won't let anyone hurt you. I don't care what happens to me—I'll do whatever it takes to protect you."
Holo's chest tightened at her words, and he reached out to gently take her hands in his. "Trixie, I appreciate how much you care about me. Really, I do. But killing Scarlet isn't the answer. If you did that, you'd get in trouble, and I can't let that happen. I don't want to lose you."
She stared at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You're not going to lose me, Holo. I promise. But I can't just sit here and do nothing while she hurts you."
"I'll handle it," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I can deal with Scarlet on my own. I just needed to talk to someone about it, and you're the only person I trust."
Her cheeks flushed slightly at his words, and she gave a small, reluctant nod. "Okay. But if she pushes you too far, I'm stepping in. I don't care what you say."
"Fair enough," Holo said with a faint smile. "Thanks for listening, Trixie. It means a lot."
Trixie's smile returned, and she leaned in to rest her forehead against his. "You don't have to thank me," she said softly. "Just promise me you'll let me know if it gets too much. I'll always be here for you."
"I promise," Holo said, feeling a sense of relief for the first time in days.
As Trixie pulled him into another tight hug, Holo couldn't help but feel grateful for her unwavering loyalty. Even in the midst of his struggles with Scarlet, he knew he had someone in his corner who would do anything to protect him—someone who truly cared.