"Time to head back, then? I can get started on dinner and then there's a while where it has to simmer on low heat, so more training." She sounds just as excited about the training as about the dinner.

"Alright. Take care of yourself, Anna."

"I will."

And they can all pile into the car and drive home.

She can start cooking!

Then spar some more and hopefully get another strand.

Then more cooking. The recipe involves homemade cream cheese which will have a lot of umami in it, simmered into a slightly thick sauce. It's certainly an interesting taste with the mild cod and the creamy-savory sauce all flaking together, backed up by the cheese and faint worcestershire and lemon.

Silver Starlight likes it!

Cocoa... not so much.

Well, that's alright. It makes her nostalgic and not everyone likes the same thing.

The rest of Senior Starlight's visit can proceed in the same manner. She spars. She practices the Inner Breath. She swims or walks around when she needs a break. She gets more and more strands over the next six days.

And on the last day when Starlight is planning to leave she says, "Thank you very much for all your help, senior. I want to let you know that I'll accept the job of introducing Senior Red to the modern world, if nobody else has offered yet."

"Nix has, actually. You'll have to discuss it with her."

"-Oh. Well, fair enough, if I don't jump on things. I'll do that, I suppose."

"I have other business now, so you'll need to negotiate that on your own. Good luck!"

"To you as well, whatever you're doing next! Goodbye!"

And off she goes.

"I'll still be hanging around a little while, I've got nothing better to do."

"Not even training or ingredient hunting or whatever?"

(She opens up Discord on her phone and starts composing a DM to Black Cross, meanwhile.)

"Yeah, no. Like I said, vacation."

"Ahuh, makes sense. Maybe we can actually go sailing, it'll be like a Saturday, I haven't even been taking weekends."

A few minutes later she DMs Black Cross.

Hello again. How are things? (Legit question there and I actually am curious what you're up to - I'm mostly up to training - but also I don't want to beat around the bush and make you think I ONLY had an ulterior motive to talk - and now maybe I'm being weird by actually spelling it all out-)

Anyway I heard you volunteered to reintroduce Senior Red to the world, and given both the risks and rewards I wonder if you'd want to share the job in some way.

I'm doing this like fifty percent to shield you from Red's inevitable wrath tbh. So I'm not super into sharing. Been doing more ingredient hunting, setting my affairs in order just in case. Senior Red hasn't killed anyone yet, but...

You think you'll be better at not causing offense? I got the impression she'll probably come 'test' me either way. And that other sects and random monsters are just as likely to go after me for this or that.

I have three years of practice at calling my seniors seniors. And giving you time to learn is worth it. Trust me, I'll probably be okay.

Yeah don't die please. ...I honestly think I can be properly respectful. I am a very serious person when I have to be and I've gotten most of the 'omg' out of my system now. But fair enough, you did volunteer before me.

You'll have your chance I'm sure. 

Train hard!

o7

She trains hard. Her progress slows down a bit now that Silver Starlight isn't pushing her so hard every day.

Still, five threads a day is nothing to sneeze at. 

After another week, Butterfly Dancer DMs her.