I'm a small or medium-sized animal with a long tail. Put me before HER and I'll show a little preference. Add the suffix -ING to me and I will keep score to see how I compare to others. Add me to an ION and I become food for a soldier on a long mission.

Let's see if you can figure out this word that's nine characters long. Use the hint below if you're stuck. Use the AI hints at your own risk. You're seeing this here because people, myself included, don't read the title of the post. --- Francium and Erbium were hanging out one night when eight dropped right in between them. What am I?

I have a long arm, but no fingers to hold, I sit on the fire, both fearless and bold. I sizzle and spit when I cook up a meal, And I'm found in your kitchen in iron or steel.

I can be a person whose motives you cannot fathom. I am a question that keeps scientists awake at night. I am an intricate mechanism designed to lock you out. I am the tangled knot in a detective's mind. I exist whenever logic stumbles, yet I am conquered by strict geometry or reason. If you understand me, I cease to exist.

A delicious treat Or someone's rear The sight of me Causes grins, ear to ear