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

Chapter 1343 Chapter 1343 What Makes a Relationship Strong?

?--- Kat ---

Kat couldnʼt help but smile and Kressʼ antics. He was now getting a lap pillow from a slightly worried looking Stan, and Kat felt quite happy for the guy. *Heʼs come a long way. Even just the last time we were in this dimension I doubt I would ever have been able to picture Kress getting a lap pillow.*

[Yeah, itʼs pretty cute. Iʼm not interested in guys at all, but I can still appreciate the closeness those two have.]

*Is the fact that you donʼt like men relevant to that observation?*

[Yes! Yes it is. Plenty of things are just better when a woman is involved. I canʼt find anything those pair do sexy, and watching them kiss would be slightly uncomfortable because itʼs really not what Iʼm into but quiet moments like this? Normally theyʼre fine. Or well, more than fine I guess.]

*I donʼt really get it… but Iʼll take your word for it supposed. I like that Kress is willing to show some vulnerability. Before he was… a bit tightly wound but heʼs relaxed so much. That powder he had might have helped smooth things out a bit at the start… but I have a feeling this is all Kress now. He really needed a chance to relax.*

[Well… considering what we know about his past Iʼm wondering if he ever had a chance before. He was essentially adopted in Garethʼs guards after tragedy struck his village. He probably felt like he needed to constantly work himself to the bone to be worthy of the help he received… and despite the work he put in Gareth seems roughly equal if not his better.]

[So all that work and he still wasnʼt ʼgood enoughʼ in his eyes, and then Greena and Nixilei come into the picture, and they go on adventures. Gareth is their frontline, so the worry from not knowing if heʼs still in charge of Garethʼs safety while theyʼre off fighting monsters of if Gareth is in charge of everyone elseʼs safety…]

[Then he enters this tournament, which is a massive deal for the whole continent… and suddenly thatʼs more stress. I wouldnʼt be surprised if he cracked a bit and he took those drugs as a way to force himself to relax before he became a danger to everyone else. Sure we didnʼt see any indication of something like that, and Nixilei didnʼt mention it… but perhaps she didnʼt want to bring it up, or she didnʼt notice.]

*I feel like youʼre making a lot of assumptions there. I donʼt necessarily think any of them are wrong… but I do feel like youʼre filling in a few too many blanks with guesses. Regardless of the truth though… it looks like this round has done Kress a lot of favours, and with the win secured, he could team up with Stan. Though I wonder if that didnʼt just put more pressure on him now that Iʼm thinking about it.*

[Perhaps it did pile on some pressure but he looks very happy at the moment so Iʼd say it was the good kind of pressure. Not the ʼOh shit I have an assignment due tomorrow and itʼs already midnightʼ but the ʼThis looks tricky but if I just work at it… I think I can do it!ʼ sort of pressure.]

*Not quite sure I follow the metaphor but I can still get what you mean. I think. With that in mind though… do you think the aimless freedom that weʼre soon to be granted will help their relationship.*

[Honestly? Not sure. Ideally for them, at least in my opinion, would be if Thyme had a few games set up that you could choose to participate in. It would give them activities to choose if they desired but no pressure to actually attend if they didnʼt want to. Iʼm not sure how well theyʼll manage without a guiding touch. Though perhaps Green and Gareth can help with that?]

*Why do you think they need guidance?*

[Well without a foundation of friendship, neither of them really knows what the other likes. They might just default to building sandcastles all day every day for multiple days in a row because they know that the other person enjoys it at least a bit. I imagine that would get a bit boring on the second day… but perhaps not. I suppose if they still find it fun by the end of vacation theyʼve got a shared activity they know they can always call upon.]

*Is that something WE need?*

[Eh not really. We were friends first so we know each otherʼs habits pretty well. Youʼre not going to be shocked if you find me staying up late reading something that interests me, jut as an example.]

*I dunno about that. Considering how much you sleep these days I think I would find it pretty surprising.*

[Ok perhaps that was a bad example… but you get what I mean.]

*I do understand youʼre point… but I donʼt know if I agree with it. Then again, I donʼt really understand why you think Kress and Stan need a touch of guidance because they seem to be doing fine on their own. I wonder if this is just a thing I donʼt understand because Iʼm asexual…*

[Pretty sure thatʼs just trying to shift the blame their Kat. This is perfectly understandable in theory. Iʼd be more likely to blame it on the fact youʼve never really got into any romance novels. Or… or perhaps because you donʼt have all that many friends.]

Lily could practically feel Katʼs raised eyebrow.[Look I know thatʼs rich coming from me, but I did… well I did a lot of studying and asking questions about how friendships are meant to work when I started having issues with Stella. Itʼs part of the reason I have such an appreciation for you. One of the main points for any friendship, or romantic relationship is a shared hobby. The fact that we became friends without really having one just means weʼre quite compatible socially. Though I suppose an argument could be made Contracts are now a shared activity…]

Before Kat and Lily could dive further into the topic Thyme spoke up. Midnight and Cyan had arrived and it was time to make some announcements. ”Well, everyone is here. First off, congratulations to Stan and Nell for taking first and second place respectively. Iʼll approach your teams later to discuss the prizes. Midnight, Cyan… you have made it clear that despite the controls being simple and based off self-driving carriages they were still to complicated. What was the problem?”

”Never driven one before,” said Midnight and Cyan together.

Thyme gave a curious look towards Midnight specifically who shrugged. ”Midnight… not to be insensitive about this but donʼt you travel with royalty regularly? Surely youʼve used those carriages before. I admit I need to clean up things, but even for you?”

”Hey Iʼve never driven one of them. Thatʼs always been Vanyaʼs job, with Burnice chipping in from time to time. I think Iʼm the only one who didnʼt care for making an attempt at driving… but I could be wrong about that,” explained Midnight.

”Right… Iʼll keep it in mind for any events that use them. Apparently the plane was intuitive enough for Asteodia and Nixilei but the jet-skis, despite being simpler, were an issue. I suppose I did explain everything so… whatever. The final event will take place at 1:00pm, so take this as a chance to go out, take a break, eat lunch, whatever you want. As was previously announced, it will be a treasure hunt round and the winner will be able to select one treasure of their choice to keep. This final event will be at the opposite end of the island, so make sure you head that way for it. Wouldnʼt do for you to be late because you went to the wrong staging ground. Oh, and a small tip from me. Bring your weapons if you want, they might come handy,”

With their piece said, Thyme gestured for everyone to get back onto the boat so that they could drive everyone back. Kress grumbled a bit but with some nudging from Stan they both started to make their way onto the boat, clearly planning to stick together this time. Nell was lifted by the Thyme that had been attending her though she quickly waved off the help and made her way onto the boat under her own power. Midnight and Cyan shared one more shrug before they stepped on.

Kat let out a long breath as the boat kicked into gear. With everyone shrunk down like this you didnʼt really get the feel of the wind in your hair… but you also avoided the splashes of water and dried salt on your skin. *Something I donʼt have to worry about.*

[Yeah but itʼs something I DO have to worry about. Honestly, even with this I feel like I still need a bath. My instincts are practically screaming at me to start licking but it doesnʼt sound tempting at all compared to a number of my other instincts.]

*I could give you a bath when we get back?*

[Hmm… I like the sound of that. If we have time after lunch then Iʼll definitely take you up onthat offer. Iʼm a little surprised my instincts arenʼt telling me off for that. Then again, Iʼm used to showers, and the idea of getting clean might trump the need to do it myself. Hmm…]