INTERVIEWER: There is something that is bothering me.
SAOIRSE: Oh really? I didn't do it.
INTERVIEWER: Perhaps not, but it is related to you.
SAOIRSE: I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of any weapons of mass destruction here or on any Tower property. Any further questions can be submitted to the Vanguard to be answered between now and never.
INTERVIEWER: What?
SAOIRSE: Plausible deniability. I know nothing.
INTERVIEWER: That's not what was bothering me.
SAOIRSE: Oh.
INTERVIEWER: What is bothering me, is why are you here?
SAOIRSE: In this tiny room? Because you put us here.
INTERVIEWER: No. If everything was as bad as you say, why take the chance and travel here with the Spartans?
SAOIRSE: Well the simple reason is, I wasn't done kicking Steve's ass.
INTERVIEWER: ...
SAOIRSE: I take it that's not the reason you're looking for?
INTERVIEWER: Just from talking to you, it seems that Selene is the de-facto leader of your little band.
SAOIRSE: I suppose you could say that.
INTERVIEWER: But from what we've seen and heard from Selene, she doesn't seem like the person who would inspire such loyalty. If anything, we don't understand why you would follow her in the first place. She displays none of the classic leadership traits.
SAOIRSE: Well that's your problem.
INTERVIEWER: What is?
SAOIRRSE: You think that leadership is only defined by certain traits that psychologists and retired military leaders have written about. I suppose you think that we're all brain-washed or delusional in some sense. And you're right. Who in their right mind would willingly follow a Hunter?
INTERVIEWER: Exactly my point. From what we've learned, a Hunter would be most likely to pull a stunt like this. Aren't you Titans defenders of your City and walls? Aren't the Warlocks instrumental in discovering and understanding the power your Traveler possesses? Why abandon all of that?
SAOIRSE: Because I trust Selene and she has never knowingly steered us wrong before. We've gotten into some pretty crazy situations, but never did I think we wouldn't make it.
INTERVIEWER: But why? Why do you have such faith in her?
SAOIRSE: Because she has experience. There are certain people who don't seem like much, but they have this presence about them that makes you want to follow them, that inspires confidence. Selene is the only person, let alone Hunter, that I would ever say that about.
INTERVIEWER: (shakes head) That doesn't seem like a very good reason.
SAOIRSE: Then I don't know what else to tell you. Plus she made it sound like we were doing the City a service by coming here.
INTERVIEWER: In what way?
SAOIRSE: It makes sense when you think about it. If we are able to routinely travel from here to there, perhaps we could reach an agreement or alliance of sorts. Help us with your problems, we'll help you with yours.
INTERVIEWER: It seems that your City would benefit the most from that arrangement. We have better technology and the overall better situation. How would you expect us to send resources to support a losing cause?
SAOIRSE: (fists slam on table) I will tolerate many things, but looking down on us is not one of them.
INTERVIEWER: I didn't mean to upset you. Let's change the subject a little.
SAOIRSE: Don't think this means I forgive you for your comments.
INTERVIEWER: (clears throat) Selene's test with the portal proved successful. What was the delay after that?
SAOIRSE: Well, I wasn't there, but from what I heard they activated the portal, but weren't able to send anything through. You know, to make sure we hadn't accidently opened a portal to Hell and allowed the souls of the dammed to escape.
INTERVIEWER: So where were you while this was going on?
SAOIRSE: Back in the Tower. I was still in trouble and serving out my punishment.
"This sucks so bad!" Saoirse complained. She sat in a chair and hit the back of her head against the wall. Part of her punishment for losing control of her Solar abilities in the Tower was working with Vladimir in the prison. It was as terrible as Saoirse thought it would be.
"Then perhaps you should not be getting into trouble so much," Vladimir replied. His accent made him hard to understand sometimes. Saoirse huffed loudly. "How much longer do I have to be here?"
"Until Vanguard say so," Vladimir replied. He looked at the clock and rose to his feet. "Come with."
Reluctantly, Saoirse stood up and followed Vladimir through the bowels of the Tower. "Where are we going?" Saoirse asked.
"I will show you the real reason for prison," Vladimir said. The area referred to as the Tower Prison wasn't well lit to begin with, but as Vladimir led Saoirse deeper inside, the lights appeared less and less, forcing the Ghosts to act as flashlights.
"Normally, the Tower banishes people who are seen as dangerous, like the Warlock Osiris. Or people just disappear, like Dredgen Yor," Vladimir said.
"Then why go through all this then?" Saoirse asked. There was little air flow and the walls were coated with condensation, further adding to the creepy atmosphere.
"This was all done for one person," Vladimir said. Saoirse stopped. "One person? Why? What did they do?" she asked.
"Not my place to say," Vladimir said with a shrug. "The person in question agreed to this punishment."
"So why haven't they escaped? Clearly this person is dangerous. Better yet, why would they even agree to this?" Saoirse asked. "This story doesn't make sense."
"Doesn't have to make sense," Vladimir said, turning back to face her. "This is how it is."
"Sounds like an ass-pull of an excuse if you ask me," Saoirse grumbled. Vladimir shrugged and said, "Not my place to question."
Numerous thoughts played out across Saoirse's face, but she said nothing. Vladimir waved her forward and Saoirse reluctantly followed. Before long, they came to a large metal door. It looked like an old bank vault door, complete with a hand wheel in the center. Large metal studs kept the door locked in place in addition to the internal locking mechanism. Due to the dampness, the door appeared to be covered in rust. To the side was a keypad and small screen. On the other side was a small sliding door. Vladimir opened the door and a plastic tube retracted. "I do this once a day," he said and dropped two suppression grenades inside. He closed the door and the tube dropped down. There was a sucking sound and the grenades disappeared up the tube.
"I get it now. It's like those old bank teller vacuum thingies," Saoirse said. A few moments later there was faint THUMP as the grenades exploded. "What was that? How does this thing work anyway?"
"Inside cell is special Void energy projector. Suppresses Light and abilities. I use grenades to keep it charged," Vladimir said.
Saoirse didn't know what to think. "This is pretty elaborate just to keep one person locked up." She leaned in close and asked, "Who is it?"
Vladimir shook his head. "I don't know, but I am told Selene does."
"Really?" Saoirse asked. Vladimir nodded his head. "But you didn't hear that from me."
"Is it that big of a secret?" Saoirse asked. "Why you? How did you get tasked with this thankless job?"
Vladimir stared up at the door. "I was asked to." And that's all he would say about it. Vladimir and Saoirse walked back to the main area. "Why is it just you? Do you ever get any help?" she asked.
"You know the story. Only a small number of people know the true purpose of the prison. Everyone else sees it as boring Titan duty," Vladimir said.
"So why tell me about it?" Saoirse said. Vladimir shrugged. "Because you are down here so much. Because you are friends with Selene. Because someone will have to take over for me someday."
"And you think it should be me?" Saoirse asked. Vladimir shrugged in reply. "You can go now. Your shift is over." Saoirse gave him a sideways look and left. After what had happened, there was a lot to process. Saoirse wasn't quite sure what to think. Should she ask Selene? Probably not. Getting answers from Selene was like squeezing water from a rock.
"Are you seriously considering his offer?" Musashi asked. Saoirse thought a moment longer. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But the idea of being stuck in the Tower doesn't appeal to me," she said. "I'd go stir crazy if I couldn't get out and do stuff, like kill people in Crucible, or punch Vandals in the face, or shoot Minotaurs. That's a lot to give up."
"Perhaps, but it would be for the greater good," Musashi said.
"The greater good? When did the greater good actually serve more than a handful of people?" Saoirse said. "Anyone who says that is incredibly arrogant to think they know what's best for multitudes of people."
"Like Executor Hideo and New Monarchy?" Mushashi asked. "They aren't exactly subtle with their ideas. Their goal is right in the name."
Saoirse stopped and put her hands on her hips. "I don't exactly agree with everything New Monarchy believes, but they do have some good points."
"Is that why you chose to represent them?" Musashi asked.
"Partially. As Titans, we're trained from a young age that protecting the City is our highest priority, and New Monarchy does mostly align with that ideal," Saoirse said. "And the fact their colors are red and white and my favorite color is red certainly helps."
Musashi sighed. "I wonder about you sometimes."
Saoirse looked around. "Let's go see if Val is home since she lives close to here," she said and altered course.
As she drew closer to Valentina's house, Saoirse could hear music being played and felt rumbling in her chest. She put her hand on the door and felt the vibrations. Saoirse frowned. Valentina didn't normally play her music this loud. She tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. Rolling her eyes, Saoirse opened the door and was met with a virtual wall of sound. Completely unexpected, the power chords assaulted her eardrums and caused her physical pain. Saoirse quickly covered hear ears, but that didn't help very much. She stumbled inside and looked around in a daze. Valentina's apartment was normally cluttered, but it had gotten worse since the last time Saoirse had visited. The vibrations had knocked over the shelves and equipment littered the floor. Saoirse found Valentina facing a wall of speakers and strumming furiously on her guitar. Saoirse wasn't sure if everything was shaking or just her eyeballs. Probably a bit of both. She looked around deliriously for the plug or power switch or something, and eventually settled on pulling the cord out of Valentina's guitar. The speakers made a loud POP and the noise mercifully died.
Valentina quickly turned on Saoirse. "What did you do?"
"WHAT?" Saoirse shouted. Her ears were ringing loudly and she could barely hear anything.
"Why did you do that?" Valentina shouted.
"WHAT?" Saoirse shouted.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Valentina screamed angrily in Saoirse's face. Saoirse was shocked. "WHY ARE YOU MAD?" she shouted back.
"You're interrupting me!" Valentina said. Her eyes flared and she stomped her foot angrily.
"YOU'RE GONNA SHAKE THE TOWER DOWN WITH YOUR CRAZY NOISE!" Saoirse said. Her hearing was starting to come back, but the pounding in her skull only got worse.
Valentina glared at Saoirse as she grabbed the audio cable and plugged it back into her guitar. The speakers popped and started to hum loudly. She raised her hand high in the air and before she could start strumming again, Saoirse quickly pulled the cord. Valentina quickly turned on Saoirse, face twisted in anger. "What do you want?"
Saoirse frowned. "What's going on with you? Why are you so…angry?"
Valentina snatched the cable from Saoirse. "What are you, my mother?"
"I don't know. Should I be?" Saoirse asked. Her curiosity was quickly turning to annoyance. "What's gotten into you?"
Valentina continued to glare at Saoirse. "I don't know why you keep treating me like a small child. I'm a big girl and can make my own decisions."
"You're right. You are a big girl, but right now you're acting like a small child having a tantrum," Saoirse growled.
Staring angrily at Saoirse, Valentina deliberately plugged the cord back into her guitar. Before she could do anything, Saoirse picked up the cable and ripped it in half. The speakers squealed in protest and fell sllent.
Valentina's eyes went wide. "You owe me for that."
"I don't owe you shit. You've been acting weird ever since we got back from Io," Saoirse said.
Valentina trembled with rage. "Why are you even here right now?" she said through clenched teeth.
"I just got off duty and decided to drop by and say hello. I didn't expect you to be acting like a spoiled bitch," Saoirse said.
"And why not? This is my house and I can do what I want," Valentina replied.
"Not at the expense of others," Saoirse replied. She drew up to her full height and stood over Valentina. "What is this? You've gained a new power and let it go to your head?"
Valentina stared defiantly up at Saoirse. "You can't threaten me. I'm my own person and I don't need you lording over me all the time."
Saoirse was confused. "When have I ever done that?"
"All the time!" Valentina replied, waving her arms about. "Selene is the only one who treats me like an adult. You and everyone else act like I'm a small child to be protected at all costs. How does that help me in the Real World?"
"Is that what this is about? You think we're all smothering you?" Saoirse asked.
Valentina put her hands on her hips and sneered at Saoirse. "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true."
"So says you," Saoirse retorted.
Valentina rolled her eyes and dismissed Saoirse with a wave. "Whatever. Are you done? If so, leave me alone." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a new cable.
"I'd think very carefully about your next course of action if I were you," Saoirse said. Her voice was even with a dangerous edge.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Valentina asked.
"Try me and find out," Saoirse replied. She was clearly confused. Why was Valentina acting like this? This was completely out of character for her. Saoirse wasn't sure she liked this new attitude.
Valentina calmly unwound the cable, plugged on end into her guitar, pulled the remains of the old cable out of her pedalboard, and inserted the new cable. Without missing a beat, Saoirse turned and punched the speaker stack as hard as she could, completely shattering one and heavily damaging the others. Valentina's eyes went wide with shock. "Wha-what have you done?" she gasped.
"I don't know. Ruined your stuff," Saoirse replied with a shrug. Fire raged in Valentina's eyes as she ripped off her guitar and knocked Saoirse back with a blast of Void energy. Saoirse flew across the room and made a large hole in the wall. Valentina quickly jumped after her and clamped down on her throat. Saoirse was caught completely unawares. She tried to loosen Valentina's grip, but her hand was like a vice. Her precarious situation also made it difficult to throw Valentina off.
With her face full of malice, Valentina raised her other hand and brought it close to Saoirse's face. Void energy surrounded Valentina's hand and Saoirse could feel her strength leaving her body. With her vision fading fast, Saoirse gathered what Light she could and punched Valentina in the stomach, releasing a very weak Fist of Havoc. Valentina flew across the room and landed in the remains of the speaker stack with a crash.
Breathing heavily, Saoirse struggled to a sitting position. How had this happened? What were they even fighting about? Valentina rose to her feet and they locked eyes. The fog of rage cleared from Valentina's face and she looked around in horror. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "What have I done?"
Saoirse sighed heavily and groaned. "I think we screwed up."
Choking back a sob, Valentina ran out of the house. All of the energy seemed to seep out of Saoirse's body and she fell back. "That's fine. I'm just gonna lie here for a minute," she mumbled and closed her eyes.
Mercifully, when Saoirse opened her eyes again it was dark out. She lay there and took stock of her situation. She wasn't dead because everything hurt. Saoirse twitched her fingers and they moved. Good. She wiggled her toes and they moved. Good. Saoirse let out a painful groan and rolled over to her side. Bits of wood and drywall rained down on her as she moved and disturbed her debris pile. Letting out a long breath, Saoirse pushed herself up to a sitting position. Valentina's house was pretty ruined. It looked like a Fallen cache of Golden Age tech. She had half a mind to just suicide herself and let Musashi resurrect her. Maybe she would feel better afterword.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Musashi said as he appeared.
"Why not? It seems like a pretty good idea right now," Saoirse groaned. "What happened anyway?"
"Well it looked to me that you and Valentina got into a bit of an altercation and she beat you pretty good," Musashi said.
"Yeah. I gathered that much," Saoirse said. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to placate the Ogres rampaging in her skull.
"It was very strange. Valentina was using her Energy Drain ability, but not in any way that I've seen before," Musashi said.
"It felt like she was trying to suck my soul out," Saoirse said. She patted herself down to make sure the rest of her was intact.
"What should we do?" Musashi asked. Saoirse gathered her strength and shakily rose to her feet. She put her hand out to support herself while the world stopped spinning, but she grasped only air and fell down again. "I think you should take it easy for a while," he added.
"What do you think I've been doing?" Saoirse grumbled. She tried again and managed to stay on her feet this time.
"You really need to lie down," Musashi insisted. "I don't know what Valentina's Energy Drain did to you, but it's going to take you some time to recover."
"I don't have time for that nonsense," Saoirse muttered and stumbled her way through Valentina's apartment. She shut the door behind her and made sure it was locked this time.
"Where are you going?" Musashi asked.
"Where else? To find Valentina," Saoirse replied.
Musashi buzzed about nervously. "I insist you need to rest and recover."
"And you need to give it a rest!" Saoirse replied. "Man. Is today 'Annoy the Piss out of Saoirse Day' and I didn't get the memo?"
"I only have your best interests at heart," Musashi replied dejectedly.
Saoirse sighed. "I know little buddy. I know." Musashi followed close behind as Saoirse wandered through the tower. The first place she went was the Library, but Shiera said Valentina hadn't been in for some time. Saoirse thanked her and left.
"Well that was a bust. Can we go home now?" Musahsi asked.
"Not yet," Saoirse said.
"Why not?" Musashi whined, causing Saoirse to wince. "C'mon, ease up will ya? I just got the Ogres to stop beating my brains to jello."
Saoirse then went to the Tower, thinking Valentina might have taken her ship and left, but Amanda said she hadn't seen her either. Before leaving the Hangar, Saoirse went up the stairs to visit Future War Cult, but Lakshmi-2 said Valentina hadn't stopped by in several days. Saoirse then went down below to the lounge, but found it surprisingly empty. Saoirse left the Hangar and went back out to the main plaza and leaned against the railing to look out over the City. The sun had long set and the Traveler was aglow from the lights of the buildings below it. Far above in the sky, the moon was half full and just starting to rise.
"If I were a sad, angry Warlock, where would I hide?" Saoirse muttered to herself.
"Far away from you," Selene said. Saoirse turned her head and watched the Exo Hunter approach. "I see. Come to rub it in then?"
Selene shook her head. "Not this time. I just got back and was about to leave again. Did something happen?"
"Well," Saoirse rubbed her head sheepishly and told Selene her tale. Selene said nothing and stared out over the City. "I was afraid something like this might happen," she said.
"Because of the whole Void thing?" Saoirse said. Selene nodded and turned to face Saoirse. "Speaking of which, have YOU learned your Defender abilities?"
"Nah, not really," Saoirse replied with a shrug. "I mean, a bubble shield is useful after all, but it isn't really my style. I'd rather get in and mix things up a bit."
"Sure, but how many times have we gotten into trouble and someone said, 'Gee, I wish we had a Defender Titan right about now,'" Selene asked. Saoirse rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But it's Void." She propped herself against the railing and turned to face Selene. "How do you do it?"
"I'll give you the cliff notes of the speech I gave to Valentina about the Void. The key is to show no fear. And the second thing is, you just have to experience it to understand it," Selene said.
Saoirse nodded her head and mulled Selene's words over in her mind. "Surprisingly, that makes a lot of sense," she said. "Wanna help me look for Valentina?"
Selene shook her head. "This is your mess. You clean it up, but it sounds like both of you were in the wrong."
Another thought struck Saoirse. "Hey, when was the last time you used your Gunslinger?" she asked.
"Just recently. Why?" Selene asked.
Saoirse blew out a breath and rubbed her head. "How do you keep your Solar abilities under control?"
"Ah. I see what this is about," Selene said. "Well, think about it like this. Solar is like fire right?"
"Right," Saoirse agreed.
"And fire is probably the most important discovery in human history," Selene said. "When used properly and in a controlled manner, it can be the giver of life. But fire has a terrible secret. It's a wild beast that doesn't like to be contained. If you are careless, it will flare up and destroy you. Now Solar is the spark that resides in your soul, a burning flame. You must foster that flame and let it grow, but if you lose control it will burn you."
Saoirse thought about this. "That kinda makes sense. But how do you keep it from getting out of control?"
Selene placed her hand on Saoirse's shoulder. "Honestly? I think this will be quite difficult for you since you are a very passionate person and Solar will feed off your emotions. When you become enraged and lose control of yourself, your flame will become equally destructive. You have to find that thin line between not enough and too much."
"I figured that," Saoirse muttered.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Selene said. "It just takes time and practice."
"Clearly you've never met me, but I'm not a very patient person," Saoirse replied.
"Then think of it as proof of your growth as a person," Selene said. "I'm not saying you need to change who you are, but consider who you want to be in the future and work toward that."
"Yeah, I suppose," Saoirse said and turned back to look over the City. "I don't know about you Hunters, but sometimes, I feel like I'm not living up to what a Titan should be."
"You mean like the Titans of legend like Saint-14, Wei Ning, Lady Jolder, and all them?" Selene asked. "I wouldn't worry too much about them."
"Why not?" Saoirse asked.
"Well if they were as great as their legends say, they wouldn't be dead," Selene said, rather bluntly.
Saoirse's temper flared and her eyes narrowed, but she forced herself to consider Selene's words. "I suppose there's a point to be made there," she said grudgingly.
"I'm not insulting Titans. I've seen Titans do incredible things, but don't let the past weigh down your future," Selene said. "Look to the past and learn from those who came before. There's a reason you're here and they're not."
"Only because I wasn't resurrected as a Guardian back then," Saoirse grumbled.
"I knew Wei Ning. She was certainly as impressive as the stories say. But she was very proud and very stubborn. It's not exactly clear how Wei Ning died, but I imagine she was doing what she thought was right," Selene said. "Like I said, learn from the past and be your own person."
"But change is hard," Saoirse mumbled.
"That's why it's the mother of Chaos," Selene said. "No one said change was easy. If it was, everyone would do it. It's on you if you want to change or not." She gave Saoirse a pat on the shoulder and walked off. "Oh a little birdy told me Valentina was up on the Traveler's Walk," she called over her shoulder and pointed. "But you didn't hear that from me."
Saoirse watched her leave. For a Hunter, Selene made a lot of sense sometimes. She turned around a looked across the plaza. In the back was the entryway that led to the area known as Traveler's Walk. Before Felwinter Peak was retaken, Lord Saladin would come to the Traveler once a month to hold the Iron Banner tournament. His usual spot was up in Traveler's Walk. Saoirse rubbed her head vigorously and growled to herself. "This sucks!"
She was at a loss about what to do. Well, not exactly. Saoirse knew what she was supposed to do, but she wasn't sure how to go about doing it. A few more moments agonizing over her thoughts, she decided Screw it and just went for it.
Saoirse walked up the stairs and through the entryway. The Traveler's Walk was empty except for one person sitting on the far railing. Saoirse threw her shoulders back and proceeded forward with as much confidence as she could muster.
The Traveler's Walk was technically right above the Hall of Guardians where the Vanguard had their table. The view from this part of the Tower looked out to the mountains and one of the passes the Fallen used during Six Fronts and Twilight Gap. Heavy artillery cannons pointed out, hoping they will never be used again. Saoirse leaned against the railing, leaving space between herself and Valentina. After a while, Valentina asked in a quiet voice, "How did you find me?"
Saoirse shrugged. "Wasn't hard really."
"Selene told you, didn't she," Valentina guessed.
"Was it that obvious?" Saoirse asked. Valentina said nothing. Saoirse sighed and looked at her boots. "Look. I'm sorry for overreacting and breaking your stuff," she said.
Valentina turned and gave Saoirse an icy glare. "Typical Titan, whose only option to a problem is to punch it in the face."
Saoirse shrugged. "If violence isn't solving your problems, you aren't using enough of it."
"And now did that work out for you in this situation?" Valentina asked, raising her voice.
Saoirse stepped back. "What's gotten into you? Did you hit puberty all of a sudden? Is it that time of the month? Do you even have a that time of the month?"
"What do you think?" Valentina shouted.
"I don't know! That's why I'm asking!" Saoirse shouted back. Valentina jumped to her feet, balancing precariously on the railing. "What about you, knucklebrains? Do you have a that time of the month?"
"Of course I do! I might be a resurrected Guardian, but I'm still a woman!" Saoirse argued.
"Then there's your answer. And no, it's not my time of the month," Valentina said.
Saoirse scowled at Valentina. "You know what? Selene doesn't know how good she has it. She's an Exo, and I'm pretty sure they don't have a time of the month."
Valentina made a slightly disgusted face. "Ugh. Could you even imagine if they did?"
"I mean, have you ever seen an Exo bleed? What's it like? Is it like, radiator fluid or something?" Saoirse asked.
Valentina shrugged. "I don't know. We could always ask her,"
"Oh yeah, I can imagine THAT conversation," Saoirse said. "Excuse me Selene. I was wondering, do Exos have a period? If so, what's it like?"
That got a chuckle from Valentina. "I think you should ask her anyway, just to see what she says."
Saoirse smiled, then her face fell. "So what are we going to do about earlier?" she asked.
Valentina sighed and sat back down on the railing, letting her feet dangle over the edge. "I think we were both wrong."
"Perhaps," Saoirse agreed.
Valentina stared at her hands. "I don't really remember what happened. Everything is hazy. I do remember having very dark feelings, so I tried to express them."
"Yeah, no kidding," Saoirse said, rubbing her ears. "I think my hearing is finally coming back."
"It wasn't until after we started fighting that I realized what was going on," Valentina said. "I didn't exactly hear voices, but I had strong feelings and urges. And when you broke my speakers, that pushed me over the edge." Valentina shuddered. "I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was watching myself do these terrible things, but I couldn't stop it." She turned to Saoirse with a fearful look in her eyes. "Draining your power the way I did was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Does that make me a horrible person?"
Saoirse thought for a moment. "I dunno. Maybe?"
Valentina drew back in shock. "How can you say something like that?"
"What? You wanted an answer, so I gave you one!" Saoirse said defensively. "What do you want me to do, lie?"
"Maybe?" Valentina said uncertainly.
"And what good would that do?" Saoirse asked. "Truth is ugly and painful. Why do you think people prefer lies? Lies are easy."
Valentina folded her arms and turned her back to Saoirse. "Either way, I'm still right."
"About what?" Saoirse asked.
"Selene is the only one who doesn't treat me like a small child," Valentina said. "I don't need you or anyone else to look out for me all the time."
Saoirse was stunned. "Is that really what you think?" she asked.
"I do," Valentina replied with certainty. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but constantly hovering won't help me be a better Guardian."
Saoirse leaned over the railing and looked to the valley floor far below. "I guess you're right. Maybe it's just my natural instinct to protect and look after cute little Warlocks."
Valentina was glad Saoirse couldn't see her blush or she'd never hear the end of it. "You think I'm cute?" she asked shyly.
"Sure. Who doesn't? I'm surprised you don't get asked on dates and stuff," Saoirse said.
"Who says I don't," Valentina mumbled. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "It's getting late. I should go home and attempt to clean up."
Saoirse spit over the edge and watched it disappear into the distance. "Yeah. And I should go home so Musashi will stop nagging me."
Valentina jumped down and brushed herself off. "I'll see you later I guess," she said and walked off.
"Yeah. See ya," Saoirse replied and watched Valentina depart. Was it just her, or was Valentina holding herself a little taller now? Perhaps it was just her imagination. Saoirse enjoyed the evening a little longer before heading home.