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

— Kamiko —

The room was now split in two, or three if you counted the cryo-pod section. Neither half had really interacted for the last forty-five minutes or so and one could say it was a tense stand-off between the two groups. They’d be lying, but they could say that.

What actually happened was that Corela, Pip, Bower and Hunter had set up a bunch of whiteboards, pulled out some computers from the walls and were going over what might happen should they open things back up to the wider world. Hunter was mostly just there to answer the occasional question and had remained on her beanbag.

On the other side, Kamiko was cooking up some food for everyone and Meg was cooking up food for herself. Kamiko didn’t want to be mean for that part. In fairness to Meg whatever she was making included a lot of rocks. Like actual rocks and metal, and she was using what was essentially a big crucible to cook it all in.

It was theoretically possible someone else could eat it… but not a possibility anyone was all that interested in exploring.

Pip did occasionally pop over to take a look at the rather novel cooking implements, and Kamiko was a touched surprised that Meg was willing to do this without hovering right next to Hunter. Even with the heat from the crucible mostly contained by the enchantments on it Kamiko found herself sweating a bit. Well, not really she was a succubus with ice affinity, but it sure felt like she should be.

Kamiko herself was doing up a couple of dishes, determined to do things better and was taking it slowly. She was doing two big pots of soup, one more meaty and one more… like soup. The soup, soup was pumpkin soup and the meaty soup was essentially a roast cooked in sauce and mostly for Hunter.

She was also watching a cobloaf that had definitely been put into the oven too early and the salad was just getting started. Kamiko felt she really should’ve switched the ordering around on those last two but she felt the need to do a lot more salad.

“So… um… like… do you NEED to eat that?” asked Kamiko. “You… you were a bit unclear before and sort of said yes but like no? And that you didn’t like the taste? Or texture? Or something?”

Meg glanced over from the large ‘pot’ she was stirring. Kamiko had seen her dump in a good amount of stone, some iron, a dash of mithril and a few precious gems. “That Kamiko is a question for the ages. It’s very easy to say ‘I do need to eat this’ and leave it at that… and way too many other greed demons do indeed do just that. Say, and believe this is stuff we just… have to eat.

“But for me, it’s always been a touch more complicated because of my more mixed heritage so I tried to find out. And the research is… SUPER unclear. It’s much more important back before we get to Rank 1. Once you start contracts it’s a whole different ballgame. Mentally speaking? Yeah I do need to eat this stuff because I get a bit weird if I don’t even if I never have the best time…

“But practically speaking? I don’t need to eat it anywhere near as much as my brain wants me to think I do. The counter argument to that though? I’m not a good enough doctor, and I have yet to find one, that can accurately tell me how often I DO need to eat this sort of thing.

So I was strongly recommended, and sadly have to agree, that I’m best eating it whenever a craving strikes me and just accepting it as a fact of life.

“Sure I can have too much, but more in the same way that it’s possible to have too many sweets. A problem for people with no real amount of demonic power, and requiring an unrealistic amount for me already. I’d probably neat to eat somewhere around a continent’s worth for it to be an issue.

“So I can safely go along with this without having any dietary issues. Still annoying, because I can try to dress things up and make the taste more palatable… but it’s hard. Not all of us can have nice fleshy insides that tend to be more common across the multiverse but it’s the price we pay for other advantages,”

“Um… wait… I mean… I guess I knew that but like… no fleshy bits at all?” asked Kamiko.

“Did this not get covered in those medical programs?” asked Meg.

“Um… sort of yes but mostly no? I mean… yes we were told that every demon is different and they provided some examples but they were like… quick examples and the class was mostly for succubi so that we could patch ourselves up. There were more advanced classes on offer if I wanted to know more but I haven’t gone to them… um… maybe I should?” offered Kamiko.

Meg let out a long sigh. “I feel as though the fact you can normally hear greed demons walking around should be a massive clue we’re not built the same way. Heck, Lil Sis can transform into a snake!”

“I mean… I know that but I guess I sorta thought it was more like… your heart and lungs and stuff would be in different places? I didn’t think about it too much. It… didn’t seem important because I wasn’t going into medicine.

Or I mean, I DID think that a while back but now I’m meeting more people… but most of my friends… or I mean, my two friends and maybe Hunter are both Succubi and Hunter of course. Oh and Lily… I mean I wouldn’t want her to think we’re not friends… but like she’s more Kat’s girlfriend? I mean…

“No that’s… that’s mean and not quite right either um… I don’t think… oh how do I explain this… I um…” Kamiko’s nervousness started to bubble up as she tried and failed to find the words to explain.

Surprisingly Meg was willing to. “You’ve only ever spent time with Lily in her capacity as ‘Kat’s Girlfriend’ instead of spending time with just you and Lily together so that you can be better friends. She’s Kat’s girlfriend, and part of the friend group, and even if you didn’t have so few friends she’d still be very important, but she feels more like an extension of Kat a lot of the time?”

“Um… yes exactly that. Sorry,” apologised Kamiko.

Megg shrugged, “Eh it’s a common thing. Give it time and I’m sure Lily will settle more firmly into your mind as her own unique individual… though that bond is something else. You know much about it?”

“Oh… um not really? I mean… more than a lot of people but maybe not that much? I did want mum to tell me because it seemed really interesting but even though they’re my friends doctor-patient confidentiality still applies you know? So like… most of the stuff I know comes from Kat and Lily.

“Um… what do I know? So they basically live in each other’s head all the time. They can close the link and they can like… SEND specific thoughts like an email or letter I guess when they make things more clear to each other… but from my understanding they can just explore each other’s heads whenever they want. Oh and they can’t get too far from each other.

Or… no they can now but maybe not remain in separate dimensions? I don’t remember the specifics but I think part of it was getting the bond to stabilise. Oh and Lily is now a Memphis which was why she needed the bond at all,” added Kamiko as an afterthought.

“Yeah I can see why that would make Lily seem much more like ‘Kat’s girlfriend’ instead of ‘a friend’ to you. Especially when Lily doesn’t bother transforming all the time and simply let’s Kat ask and answer questions on her behalf,” said Meg.

Kamiko nodded absentmindedly as she scraped the salad off into one of the bowls she’d prepared beforehand, “Yup it… I dunno if it became a habit from back when Lily actually couldn’t transform and it was a necessity, or if it’s more because Lily feels more comfortable as a Memphis most of the time… or um if she’s just shy like me.

I mean, I’m not sure I could resist the chance to just… not talk to people I don’t know if I was in the same position. What about you?”

“I’m not all that sure,” answered Meg. “I have opinions, a lot of them and I have no desire for people to think I am hiding behind anyone else. I get they’re unpopular, especially where I live but that doesn’t mean I feel them any less strongly. Of course, on the other hand it might be nice for the chance to rest and just let someone take over for a bit.

Conversations and stuff can eventually get stressful for me as well and having someone to really rely on like that would be great. Though I imagine I’d still be the one doing most of the talking,”