NOVEL NEXT Chapter 220: A Family Establishment
DAY 275
Opal was sitting in one of the long bench seats in the Fiver's Lounge one evening, watching one of the performers dance, which was a rather unusual act for the woman. She didn't often spend time in the dungeon's public areas, partially because she had always been rather heavily introverted, and partially because the Valkyrie really didn't want to get to know the Challengers she would be attempting to slay sooner or later. However, specifically because it was so unusual for her, it didn't surprise her much when someone else slipped into the seat next to her. Obviously someone would be coming by to make fun of her for making an appearance, probably the slime. Or the banshee. Or the...well, to be honest Opal could imagine nearly any of the dungeon's guardians coming by to poke fun at her, save perhaps for the dungeon master herself who was wise enough to give her space.
It's a rather shocking surprise then when Opal finally turns her head and realizes that the man sitting next to her is Bill, the blue-haired man himself. "Bill! You've come to the dungeon tonight? Did something go wrong I wasn't aware of?"
The massive champion gives her a grin as he orders a drink from a passing barbunny, and shakes his head. "Naw, naw, nothin' to get bent out of shape about or none of that. Just wanted to check in, enjoy the sights, you know? Been like a couple months now and I ain't been tagged in yet, to be honest I was kinda expectin' this place to be gettin' into the shit like every other weekend, haha! And nothing in the deal says I can't swing by just to have a good time."
"I see. I...suppose many people who had passed on, but had the opportunity to revisit the mortal world for a time would certainly leap at the opportunity."
The man half-nods and half-shrugs. "Yeah, though honestly the thought never really occurred to me much until this deal came along. How about you? You and I, we're in like, the same line of work and all that, ain't that right?"
Opal frowns at the thought of the boisterous human as being her colleague in that respect. "Well...in the sense that we are both the agents of our divine patrons, I suppose that much is true."
"Yeah, so how about you, then? You ever wanted to pop back into the land of the living for a night? Just to have a good time, blow off some steam, all of that good shit?"
The elf's yellow eyes narrow. "I have often fantasized about returning once in a while to take revenge on particular individuals, yes. Especially once I was properly trained in the use of a blade."
After hearing that response, Bill has to suck in a breath and squirm slightly in his seat. "Whoa, hardcore, not exactly what I had in mind though, you know? Take a chill pill, homegirl, look around you. There's free booze, literal fuckin' Playboy bunnies, good entertainment, and everyone in the club's fuckin' ripped as shit. Life is good! Even for the dead, in a place like this." After he says that the waitress comes by with his order, and the Bunny Magician gives a slight blush as the man tips her with a wink. Somehow the sight of his flirty behavior only annoys Opal more, though.
"You and I may both be divine agents, Blue Hair, but clearly we are not the same. I serve my lord with every moment of my afterlife. For you, service is only a minor interruption to your eternal partying."
Bill frowns at her take on things. "Harsh, chica. More or less true, but still, harsh. But you wanna know something, totally true? Back when I was alive, I was like you are now. Hero as a gig, y'know? Always somethin' to go do, someone to go save, some bogus, totally lame monster of the week to go stab. But even then I still knew how to cut loose and kick back. Like I always told my old man, you can't be just your job. There is an Opal Brightsky somewhere under the Valkyrie there, right? I mean, check you out, you're even wearing armor to the damn club."
Opal looks down at her outfit. It's obviously not her full armament as Guardian of Floor Seven, and certainly she wasn't using her metal wings, but she was still wearing the lighter outfit of leather and padded cloth she usually wore around the dungeon when not in combat. "I am a Valkyrie, all of the time. For as long as I am on a mission from my lord, it would not do for me to be entirely unarmed."
"That's bogus, and I can prove it." The man points at the performer on the stage directly in front of them, a woman made of metal and electricity who's putting on a show like nothing the man's seen before. "Now, this place has got like...at least half a dozen dancers doin' their thing at this time of night, from the looks of it. Half dudes, half girls, seems like? All of em choice. You picked this lady here - and I don't blame you, she sure as hell caught my attention as soon as I walked in here. But that was a choice, yeah? So tell me no lies, what made you come over here and sit your leafy-green butt down in front of this girl in particular?"
Opal raises an eyebrow as she glances back towards the the spinning Zappy, considering her own actions. "Well, perhaps a few reasons, but beyond anything else...she's real."
"They all seem pretty real to me, homegirl. Goose yourself a buttcheek if you don't believe it."
The Valkyrie shakes her head. "They're physically real, yes, and they do have more independence than, say, an illusion spell or the like would. But they're soulless, entirely. Puppets animated by Xenia's will. The elemental, though? She's real, and more than that, brighter than almost anyone else I've seen in here. And before you say it, no, I am not speaking of the flashing lights she generates. Her soul is...gloriously pure. She's no warrior for certain, but seeing her joy as she dances...it's beautiful."
Bill nods slightly as he thinks that over. "Huh. So...it's not cause of the shiny metal titties, then?"
Opal sighs. "No. It is not because of the shiny metal titties."
Before the man can respond to that, the pair are interrupted by a woman who walks up to them with stars in her eyes. She's wearing a rather casual outfit by dungeon standards rather than her usual armor, and so her red skin and green hair are rather apparent even in the lounge's dim light. "Ah, excuse me for interrupting, but are you - are you Bill of the Blue Hair? I was in the public inn and someone said you were here."
The champion grins, quickly shifting into his meet-the-fans mode which comes easily to him even after all these years. "Got it in one, babe! How can I help you out? Keep in mind if you got a quest for something or other, I'm out of that biz these days. Super-retired, you could say."
"Oh, no, it's not that! It's just, you see - my name is Sable. Sable Bluehair. I'm, uh...your granddaughter."
Bill's smile shifts as he gives her a second look, partially at the surprise of meeting family, and partially in gladness that he didn't open up with a flirt. "No shit? You must be...one of Helios' kids, yeah? His hair did have a turn towards that shade of green in it, if I remember right. Well hell, take a seat, I wouldn't mind catching up if you don't."
"I'd love to!" The Paladin slides into the bench seat next to Bill, followed shortly after by Priestess Lilly, who's finally caught up to her companion. Sable introduces her, before glancing up at the stage and noticing the performance. "Oh, haha, it's not weird hanging out with your granddaughter at an erotic lounge, is it? We could go somewhere else to talk if you like."
The man waves that concern off. "Ah, what's to worry about? My grandpa took me out to the strip clubs all the time, weren't nothin' weird about that." He pauses before his eyes narrow slightly. "Other'n that one time we went to the one where it turned out my cousin Stacey was on shift that night. Maybe a lil weird that one time, just a lil."
Sable laughs awkwardly. "Ah, hahaa, I can uh...imagine. So you really are a defender of the dungeon, then? I've been told, but I didn't expect to actually run into you here!"
"Might try and swing by every few months, we'll see. So tell me, Sable, how's your old man? And uh...your grandma, she doing good?"
The woman nods. "Dad's fine, as far as I know. He's an explorer mostly, he left the continent the last time like...almost twenty years ago now? He sends letters and little mementos sometimes, last I heard was one a year or so ago. And grandma's good! She and great-aunt Rosealyne pretty much keep the family running these days, financially and all of that."
"That's good, that's good. Well, next time you see the girls, tell em hi for me, would ya? And tell em the others, your other aunts said hi too. We think about them a lot, y'know, though obviously I won't mind none if they take their time in joining us, haha!"
"I will!" Sable nods quickly, slightly shocked at the idea that she's been tasked with passing on a message from her dead ancestors. "So you really are here just to, um...enjoy the performances?"
"And maybe a little bit more than that." Bill smirks as he sips from his drink, before nodding his head in Opal's direction. "Mostly though I've been trying to talk this one into cutting loose though, y'know? Even in a place like this, she's still acting like she's on the job. Hey girls, help me out here, tell Opal she's being a total lame-o."
Sable and Lilly lean forward to take a look at the Valkyrie, who winces at the thought of being drawn back into the conversation. "I'm doing just fine, thank you. I don't need your concern."
To her credit, Lilly tries her best. "It...is good for one's mental health to take a break once in a while, you know. It's not healthy to keep all of your stress chained within all of the time. I understand, though - as a priestess who tends to farmers, I often hear confessions from people who tell me they feel shame when they ignore their labors, even when their health requires them to."
Opal eyes the woman back. "Thank you, but I've been a priestess myself since long before you were born. I don't need to confess or receive permission for my actions."
The blue-haired man in the middle of the group chuckles at her response. "See, total square. Yo, Sabes, you still got that succubus in you pretty strong, yeah? You sure look it."
Sable nods, not sure where he's going with this. "Yeah - mom was a human, I'm only a quarter-demon, but everyone tells me I take after my dad a lot more. And uh, you, actually."
"Sweet." He points his thumb in Opal's direction. "How about you work your succubus wiles on her? Ain't many geeks that can stand up to that, and I would know."
The man gets a strange look from his granddaughter. "You're...seriously telling me to make a move on your coworker? Also, I'm here tonight with Lilly, in case that wasn't obvious."
"Sable, Sable, Sable." Bill tilts his head, looking her directly in the eyes. "You're the grandkid of me, and your grandma 'Double-Fist' Dalore?" He shifts his attention towards Lilly. "Tell me if I'm trippin' here, but how many times have the two of you shared the love around a little?"
Lilly's face turns red as she tries to stammer out an answer. "...Uh...well..."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." With that said, Bill slaps his knee before climbing to his feet, drink in hand. "Well, I'm gonna bounce, I don't wanna harsh your vibe, and I'm sure you don't wanna see your old grand-dad makin' the moves on some sweet bunny tail. If I don't see you later though, we'll catch up more the next time I swing by, yeah?"
"Uh...sure! Looking forward to it!" Sable watches as the giant man makes his way over to the bar, before turning her attention back towards the Valkyrie he left behind. There's a bit of an odd look in Opal's eyes, a bit of nervousness that seems foreign to the stern woman's expression. The quarter-succubus does have a bit of an instinct for reading people, and at a guess she'd say that Opal is half-worried that Sable might actually stay...and half-worried that Sable might leave. Chuckling to herself, she puts a smile on her face.
"So...you come around here often?"
