D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Kat shrugged as her tail waved through the water. After thinking for a moment, she said. ”I think it depends what exactly the pictures are for. The ones she’s made so far are important pieces either for herself or for family and she wants it to always be that way.

”Maybe if she wants to sell some others, she can do that too, but the ones that she makes for family are supposed to be important one of a kind pictures that are for their intended person and them alone. It’s actually a really sweet gesture doing it that way.”

Kamiko nodded happily as she wrapped her tail around herself. Nira just sighed. ”I know that, or well I SHOULD know that but… I guess a lot of the time my instinct as a mother and a well known figure is to wish she was just as well known for her passion.”

”Well, here is something to think on. What’s more important to you. Your work or your daughters?” asked Kat

Nira gave a cold glare to Kat, that seemed to suggest choosing her next words carefully. ”My daughters no question.”

Kat nodded. ”And yet, you’re more well known for your medical prowess right?”

”Yeeess…?” said Nira

”Well, isn’t it better that way? You love your family but it isn’t the rest of the world that needs to know that, it’s your daughters and your husband that matter in that instance. If everyone else thought you were a horrible parent but your daughters still thought you were great would that be preferable to the other way around?”

Nira swallowed hard. ”Yes. Yes it really would be. I suppose I never thought of it that way. How… how did you come to that conclusion, when… and I do mean no disrespect, but as someone who lived in an orphanage how?”

”Ah that’s easy” said Kat. ”I used to get made fun of a good amount for not having a family, but all the kids I helped that came through the orphanage loved me. And really, what did I care about what a few ignorant classmates thought about me when all the people I lived with actually enjoyed my company and liked seeing me around?”

”Sorry you had to go through that Kat” said Kamiko.

”Bah” said Nira ”I don’t think it’s anything to apologise for. Kat clearly believes she’s had a good life and I doubt she’d trade it for anything else”

Kat nodded. ”Yeah, as I mentioned to your daughter, if I didn’t have to move out because I was getting too old, I’d have stayed in the orphanage for a long time. Maybe even forever. I might have just found a job and kept helping out, or made working at the orphanage my job.”

”Do you enjoy the Contracts Kat?” asked Kamiko

”You don’t have to answer that” said Nira shooting a glare at her daughter who looked away slightly embarrassed. ”That’s considered a rather rude question for a demon.”

”No it’s fine” said Kat. ”I do quite enjoy them. It’s not really what I thought I’d do with my life but it’s certainly entertaining. I get to see such strange and varied places and the fact that magic is real is quite cool. If I gave up real magic my best friend might just murder me in my sleep.”

”I’m surprised you can actually say that” said Nira.

*Huh… I guess it is a little surprising that I can considering it must be the truth but… it’s true enough I suppose. I’m sure Lily would try, maybe give me a good stab in protest. No, I can’t see that actually. Why could I say that?*

Kat, in an attempt to test a theory, tried to say the words again, but found them caught in her throat. ”Interesting. I can’t seem to say it again.” Said Kat.

”Oh that one’s easy” said Kamiko. ”It’s something you sort of fringely believed as an errant thought, but I bet you considered it afterwards didn’t you?” Kat nodded ”Well, once you’d done that, you confirmed to yourself your friend would never do that even if they were angry and your words became less true.

”Many people can do things in anger, so you can sometimes make those kinds of statements when you don’t give things proper thought. It’s a loophole that you can’t really exploit, because, for obvious reasons, you can’t think about it and plan for it.”

*I guess it’s a bit like how way back when this all started and I was asked by Vivian if Sylvie was my sister. I answered that she wasn’t, and then shortly after that she was. Wait… no I could do both… though… maybe I couldn’t do that anymore. 

If somebody asked me if she was my sister, I don’t think I could say she isn’t unless I specified that she wasn’t my biological one. Might have to test that… but I’m not sure how. Maybe I’ll just make a note for Callisto to follow up on it.* 

”Does that sort of thing happen often?” Kat asked the two other Succubi.

Kamiko looked to Nira to answer the question, who smiled and looked to Kat and said. ”That depends on what you mean by often. I can say with certainty that it happens more when you are younger. I’m not sure if that’s because your demonic energy is less set in its ways and more willing to… be flexible I suppose, or if it’s because younger demons are less sure of the truth of the world or something?

”For most people… I’d say the biggest deal is noticing it. You just don’t really catch that sort of thing easily. You are saying what you mean, even if you don’t fully believe it to be the truth. Especially considering you are a nondem. I’m actually not sure if that makes it less strict on you or not…”

”Oh actually…” said Kat ”I know a bit about that. I can tell you that it was only partway through my transformation that I lost the ability to lie. It was a bit of a shock to me when it happened, even though I’d been prepared for it. I’d lied… well not really for a long time, but… little things you know?”

Nira raised an eyebrow as if to say ’really? Asking demons if they know what lying is like’. Kat grimaced and said. ”Right sorry. Um… well I found out when I was caught out by someone who would later adopt me. She asked me a question I couldn’t lie to her about and things sort of went from there…”

”Could you tell us?” asked Kamiko.

”Well alright. It’s not a long story really. It all started because I needed to break into my best friend Lily’s backyard…”

”… and that’s pretty much how the afternoon went” said Kat.

”You were quite lucky Kat” said Nira. ”I don’t know how many humans would be willing to accept something like that. I know many demons that I’d doubt would behave as nobly as she did in the same situation.”

”Yeah, this Vivian person sounds great” said Kamiko.

Kat nodded. ”Yeah, Vivian is pretty special. I’m really not sure whe-” Kat chocked on the words. ”Ok fine lie detector. I do know that I’d still be in the orphanage, but if I looked towards my future then I don’t know where I’d end up. Hearing that I was getting kicked out at eighteen was a surprise honestly.”

”Is that normal?” asked Kamiko

Kat shrugged. ”I think it might be a government thing? Like… once you’re a full adult the orphanage can’t be responsible for you anymore. They have to accept the younger children that wouldn’t be able to take care of themselves.

”I know they do have places for people over eighteen but I don’t know the details, or if there was a place for me in the town I grew up in. Probably would have had to move to the nearby city.” Said Kat.

”What’s the difference between a town and a city?” asked Kamiko.

*Huh… does… does she not know? Surely that would have come up… Kat considered that the Hub was in some ways, one big interconnected city. Ok fine, maybe not here but… what about in the Summonings? Hmm… maybe not… it depends on how the translations worked…*

”It’s about size really” said Kat. ”I’m not sure where the exact line is but a village is smaller than a town, which is smaller than a city, which is again smaller than a metropolis, but I know a lot of people just use city for a metropolis as well, even though they are different things.”

”Is it a bit like the difference between a house and a cottage?” asked Kamiko.

*I… I have no idea. I’ve never really thought about it like that.* Kat sent a questioning glance to Nira who nodded.. ”Yes Kamiko that’s right.”