After sorting out the rest of the less important loot, Liz and Ana headed back to their respective dorms. Likewise, Sofia retired to her room, and Natalie headed to her own, with Jordan remaining in the living room, giving Natalie and Malice a moment to speak privately. There were a number of topics Natalie needed to hash out with Malice that were too important to put off until tomorrow. Since she was carrying around an actual person inside her pocket.

Pulling out the [Capture Core] and activating it, the busty wolf-girl materialized in an outline of pink motes of light, before solidifying into her complete form. Malice spun around, looking for threats, since she obviously had no idea Natalie had simply called her for a chat. Seeing nothing, the Hellhound relaxed, then faced Natalie.

"Back to safety, I see," Malice said. "On the surface, as well. I wasn't sure whether that would be possible."

"We weren't either." Natalie had mixed feelings that it had. But ultimately, she was happy. She didn't want Malice to be trapped, even if it eliminated certain complex complications of this arrangement.

"Hmph. Why have you summoned me, then?"

Natalie paused. "Well, there's a lot we need to talk about."

"There is?"

"Don't you want to straighten out how … all of this is going to work?" She waved around, indicating their general circumstances.

"You summon me when you're in need of a warrior," Malice said slowly, as if stating something extremely obvious. Then, the wolfgirl hesitated and glanced away. "Or, when you have other uses for me, as your earned conquest."

Natalie opened her mouth, then closed it. Even in her exhausted state, the idea of taking advantage of that aspect of her victory over Malice admittedly made her heart jump.

But that obviously wasn't why she'd released the wolfgirl, tonight.

"Malice," Natalie said firmly. "I don't care what the dungeon told you about how the capture core works. We're figuring something out that you're happy with. You don't belong to me."

Malice turned confused orange eyes toward her. The concept clearly baffled her. That Natalie would try to work out something, well, ethical, for her 'conditions of servitude'.

Natalie sighed. "What's it like in there, anyway?"

"The core?"

"Yeah."

Malice paused. "Not dissimilar to waiting between assignments," she said. "I'm vaguely aware of time having passed, but only after the fact."

"Like sleeping?"

"Close," Malice said, but she didn't specify how it varied. "How long has it been?"

"A bit more than an hour."

Malice grunted. "That feels about right. But it also seemed like seconds."

That was one point of relief for Natalie, then. If Malice was left alone inside the [Capture Core] for extended periods of time, she wasn't sitting around being bored to death. To her perception, she jumped from summon to summon.

Natalie plopped down onto her and Jordan's bed. "We need to talk about how this'll work," she repeated, looking at Malice, who remained standing. "Do you care if I leave you inside?"

Malice bristled. "A weapon expects to be used. Did I not demonstrate my capabilities to your satisfaction?" Her voice grew heated. "Surely I wasn't found wanting."

She definitely hadn't. Malice's contributions to the mad frenzy of the dungeon's wrath had been crucial to their survival. She was easily as skilled—and as powerful—as the rest of the team. And not only did she not leech experience from them, but she funneled it toward her summoner. It would be moronic to not call on Malice whenever they possibly could.

But that wasn't what Natalie was getting at.

"No, you were great. You probably saved our lives. I meant, day-to-day," Natalie said. "Between dungeon expeditions. While we're at class, or doing whatever. Are you fine being left alone, inside the core?"

Malice looked at her blankly.

"There's some pretty serious complications involved with bringing you out in public," Natalie continued, sighing. "Sapient, talking dungeon monsters would have a lot of scrutiny on them, from just about everyone. Scrutiny I don't want, by association, on me, considering my class."

Which she maybe wasn't doing the best of hiding, seeing how Elida had sussed her out. But maybe that had happened thanks to extenuating circumstances. The possibility of her own involvement with a deity.

Gods, she still had to deal with Elida. There just wasn't enough time in the day. In the week. In the year. And the eel was avoiding her on purpose, letting Natalie stew on her ultimatum.

"We could make up a story about you being a charmed familiar or something," Natalie said, "but those don't talk. And usually can't be brought out of the dungeon, I think. So it'd still be a huge deal. But if you played the part, it's a possibility."

It wouldn't be that hard of a sell, either. Malice was clearly a monster in some regards. All the howling, cackling, and blood-thirst down in the dungeon, when she'd been fighting for them, had proved that. She was too wildly intense to be perceived as anything but half-monster. That'd probably been why Leah and her party hadn't found it all that odd.

"Maybe we could even—" Natalie continued.

"Human," Malice said, interrupting her. "I don't wish to dawdle on the surface. Mingle with human society." She sneered at the idea. "Summon me when there's something that needs to be killed. That's all I ask." The Hellhound hesitated, then glanced away. "Or … when you have other uses for me." Her cheeks colored. "As were the terms of our battle."

A blush rose on Natalie's own face.

Malice was being awfully insistent on reminding her of those 'terms'.

As for the more important part of what she'd said, though, that she didn't care to be summoned except for battle—and 'other things'—Natalie supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

Malice was a dungeon monster; her brain didn't work the same as Natalie's. As a human's. She didn't care for socializing and exploring society, in having a 'normal life'.

Though maybe Natalie should try to provide her a more fulfilling experience, regardless of what Malice claimed she preferred?

It was all a mess. Natalie would figure it out later. For now, she would take the wolfgirl at her word. It wasn't her decision to make, anyway; Malice was her own person.

"Still," Natalie said. "I want you to know I'll release you whenever you want. Both from the core, and servitude in general, if you choose. I'm going to say it again: you don't belong to me, Malice."

Malice's brow furrowed.

"You don't," Natalie insisted. "You're an ally. Not my property."

Malice stared a bit longer, then shook her head, incredulous. "Humans. So timid and sentimental." She eyed Natalie. "I liked you better when you were in fighting spirit. More … assertive."

Natalie just looked at the wolfgirl, exasperated. She didn't think she would be making progress on that front tonight—or for some time. If ever. Again, this woman didn't think like a human. As far as she was concerned, Malice genuinely believed she belonged to Natalie. Property.

And that was how she would have acted in return if Natalie had lost. That idea made her skin crawl.

At least the capture core specified captured individuals could rebel, if they decided: there was nothing supernatural forcing Malice into this.

Plus, Natalie didn't know if she could blame Malice. What was her history like? Her upbringing? What memories did she have? What did life as a dungeon monster fundamentally entail?

She intended to ask all of that—but, again, later. Natalie was too exhausted. And she wasn't sure whether Malice would even answer.

"So," Malice said suddenly, and loudly, announcing that they were moving on from that subject. She scanned Natalie's room. "This is where you sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Do you plan to make use of me in that way, tonight, then?"

Natalie nearly laughed. It was the third time Malice had brought it up.

An hour ago, Natalie had fucked her into a literal catatonic state. Had that not been enough for her? She really wanted to go again, not more than two hours later?

"I'm about five minutes from passing out, whether I want to or not," Natalie said wryly. "I can't believe you're fine." Malice had been through just as much of a wringer as the rest of them.

Malice seemed briefly smug at that, then she coughed and looked away. "There seems to be a regeneration effect inside the core," she admitted. "It healed me quite a bit. And returned my stamina."

"Oh." That was interesting. And relieving. If Malice ever got hurt, then Natalie just had to capture her as quickly as possible, and let the passive effects take care of her. She wondered whether health potions would work in tandem.

Natalie stretched widely, muscles aching.

"Okay, but really," Natalie said, releasing a huge yawn. "I've gotta get some sleep, Malice."

Malice huffed, annoyed at Natalie's implicit rejection.

"But I will take good care of my pup, like I promised," Natalie said amusedly. "If fighting and fucking is all she likes to do, I'll make sure she gets plenty of both. Just, not tonight."

"Fine," Malice sniffed. "Send me back, then. There's nothing interesting going on."

Natalie laughed, then did as Malice had requested.