After spending some time hearing more stories of the Bogdanov's childhoods, and enjoying Lollyp's company, Xenia makes her exit so she can have another conversation she's been putting off for a while. While her dungeon senses can tell her exactly where Valkyrie Opal Brightsky is and what she's up to, the dungeon master still appears outside the woman's apartment and politely knocks on her door if only to maintain the illusion of privacy. "Brightsky, mind if I come in?"

Xenia's answer is the door opening to reveal the green-skinned elf who lives within, wearing one of her rarely-seen casual outfits. As a divine warrior and a priestess, her 'casual look' is still rather more put-together than many of the other guardians would wear on their off-hours, but her pale tunic and light pants are at least much less constraining than her armor. Opal looks her boss up and down as if searching for something, before nodding and stepping aside. "Certainly, Xenia. Can I offer you anything?"

The reincarnator shakes her head. "I ain't solid at the moment, so it'd just be wasted on me. Maybe we could take a seat, though? I was hoping we could have a chat."

Opal purses her lips but nods as she gestures towards the living area, marked by a couch and a few chairs. The apartment is decorated with a number of features indicating reminders of her past lives - decorative shields hang on several walls, and a few crowded bookshelves take up a whole corner of the space. It's not exactly a library, but over recent months Opal had begun something of a side-business in trading literature at the shrine, using it as a way of learning more about the world. It seems like a sign that the woman's interest in the realm is growing rather than fading away, but that's one of the reasons Xenia feels the need to have this conversation.

Regardless of whether or not she has her suspicions as to what this is about, Opal allows for Xenia to make the first move. "Of course, dungeon master. What did you wish to talk about?"

Xenia takes a deep breath. "It's been three and a half months since we beat Thaddeus and his followers. Everyone who made it this far either got sent back in a metaphorical body bag, or they're not likely to return home to your realm at all."

The elf raises an eyebrow. "I had noticed that, yes. An odd date for an anniversary, if you're looking to celebrate your victory."

"Mmm, as reasons to party go, I'm sure I could do a lot better." Xenia leans forward and clasps her hands together. "Definitely don't take this the wrong way...but I notice you're still here."

Opal shifts in her own seat before answering. "I trust I do not need to remind you, Reincarnator Extraordinaire, but my lord assigned you two tasks. Safeguarding my realm from the return of the prince's followers was perhaps the more immediate, yes. But my lord still requires the souls of champions to help restore the balance to my homeland."

Xenia nods in agreement. "Sure, of course. And I get that you want quality rather than quantity. Since then we've sent your boss another two Masters and five Experts, which along with the others we sent before comes up to almost two dozen champions and...repentant souls. That's twelve years worth of Heroes, if you were summoning them at the normal rate."

"And?" Opal shrugs. "Lord Theolif did not command a specific number. Their mission is not yet done, and so your task remains. Or are you trying to weasel out of the arrangement early?"

Her stare is piercing, but Xenia doesn't waver in the least. "Actually, it's entirely the opposite. I was hoping to make sure that you wouldn't be leaving anytime soon."

That answer manages to make the Valkyrie blink. "...Is that so? You would be that hard-pressed to replace my services on Floor Seven, I assume?"

"That is true, probably, but that's not what I mean." Xenia shakes her head. "This isn't about the arrangement with Theolif, and it's not about filling the guardian slot. I'm asking because...honestly, even after Theolif calls it quits, I was sort of hoping maybe you'd want to stick around." She raises a hand before Brightsky can respond. "I'm not saying forever. Gods know that could be literal in a place like this. Not even saying you couldn't take...vacations, or sabbaticals to do other work for your main boss or whatever. But day-to-day, I'd like it if you became part of the team for good."

Opal's mouth drops open for a moment before she eventually answers. "...Why?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Well..." Xenia leans back in her seat again, now looking a little more uncomfortable. "I gotta admit, I'm looking forward to settling this debt with Theolif and the other gods of your realm. Balancing that karma...it'd be a huge weight off my soul, or my mind, or both." Her gaze meets Opal's. "But being right with Theolif ain't at all the same as being right with you."

The elf swallows. "That's...I don't intend to add to your tasks. If Lord Theolif considers you redeemed, your sins repaid, then rest assured I will not carry a grudge against you on my own. My lord's wishes are my own."

"That's not what I mean. Sure, it's nice knowing I'm not gonna get a flock of vengeful Valkyries riding my ass one of these days. But I mean you as a person. We may not have ever actually met back when I was Prince Darkstar. And heavens know there's no way I could ever make up for everyone I hurt, even if their souls hadn't long since gone on to the Well or wherever else. But you're here in front of me in the flesh. And you've wanted your professional distance, and I've respected that, but I don't want things between us to just end as they are. Not if there's..."

"...You want us to be friends, Xenia? Or, hrmph, are you looking to expand your little polycule of dungeon monsters?"

Xenia raises her hands, but there's a flash of anger in her eyes. "That's unfair. Honestly, I'm just hoping that even friends wouldn't be too much, but I'm not so horny that I need to turn everyone around me into a fuckbuddy. Besides, I know you've got your fling going with the Church of Bounty ladies and I don't need to step into that. I just...even getting back to neutral would be a win, as far as I'm concerned."

Opal flushes slightly at the reminder that Xenia knows exactly what she's been getting up to on her rare nights off, but takes a deep breath to calm herself. "...I apologize. You've been nothing but respectful towards me, as you said, and I suppose I have not always returned the same respect in kind. It's just...you know there's a saying I've heard, about the difference between the living and the dead?"

"Oh? What saying is that?"

Opal smiles slightly. "They say that the difference is that the dead don't change. It's not...strictly true, at least not for dead like myself. I am not a half-spirit, driven solely by vengeance and emotion. But it's not entirely wrong either. The...the anger and rage, and the pain, that made me a Valkyrie will perhaps always be a part of me. And the one most directly responsible for that anger is long dead and beyond justice or forgiveness. Perhaps, unfairly or not, I've transferred some of that blame onto you instead. And if I let go of that, I'm not sure who that would make me."

The dungeon master sighs. "Brightsky...I completely accept whatever blame you want to put onto my shoulders. I never told Pete to do what he did, but I never told him not to either, never enforced any rules, never worked to...to maintain even the most basic standards of decency among my 'Champion' recruits. My reasons and excuses for that are shit ones. Hell, if you want to blame me for all of it exclusively I'd consider it entirely fair."

The elf looks at Xenia's eyes, but can't maintain the gaze for long before blinking. "...You're not him."

"Well, sure, but - "

Opal interrupts her. "I don't just mean in the obvious sense. If...I'm sure you must have known 'Peter the Sword Champion' as your opponent, and your prisoner, and as a lieutenant, and fought alongside him on the battlefield. But I doubt you ever knew him as I did. Saw the way he acted to those within his power, rather than to those who had power over him. And when I think of him, and I look at you..." Opal clenches her eyes tight, and signs of moisture begin to escape from them. "You're nothing like him. You could never have been him."

Xenia swallows, unsure how to respond. "My hands aren't exactly clean. I - "

"Your crimes are ones of apathy, or of poor leadership, or...or many others, I'm sure. And they are crimes, yes. But there's a difference. Lord Theolif protect me, there's a difference. Before we met, the image I'd constructed in my mind of 'Prince Xenon Darkstar' was of...basically Peter taken to an extreme, I suppose. Stronger, crueler, causing suffering on a larger scale. I was wrong. You could never have been Peter, and Peter could never have been you. Whatever made Peter who he was, he did not learn it at your feet."

"...Even so, I'm still sorry."

"I know. And..." Opal's eyes again meet Xenia's, and while they're redder now than they were a minute ago, this time her gaze holds firm. "I forgive you. As a Valkyrie - Xenia Worthy, Reincarnator Extraordinaire, I judge you for your sins...and I forgive you."

This time it's Xenia's turn to blink away the sudden dust that seems to have gathered in her eyes. "Brightsky, I - "

"Opal. If we're going to be - to be friends, we should at least call each other by our names. And you've allowed me the right for some time now. So please...call me Opal."

"Opal..." Unsure what to say, Xenia instead climbs off of the couch and to her feet. Opal stands up just as well, just in time to be caught up in a hug by the rather-smaller woman. Despite the Valkyrie's advantage in height and muscle mass, she finds herself entirely unable to remove the dungeon master's arms from around her.

Or perhaps just unwilling to.

Time passes, and eventually Xenia relinquishes her floor guardian. "That's...thank you, Opal. I honestly didn't know how much that would mean to me until you said it."

The elf chuckles. "I wasn't expecting the evening to go this way either. But...I'm glad it has. I think...I think I do feel better now."

"Me too. God, me too. So...where do we go from here?"

Opal smiles. "Well...perhaps I should begin with planning to ask Lord Theolif for an extension of my stay here..."

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