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

--- Kat ---

"I am not against answering your question Kat, but if you would like the longer story, as I suspect you and Lily desire, then this will take some time. Theoretically, our walk is a good chance to go over the details. Alas, Kamiko cannot hear this conversation while we are separated and I feel she also deserves to know," stated Hunter.

[I volunteer to repeat it all!]  "Lily is willing to ensure Kamiko hears the full story," explained Kat.

"I suppose that is acceptable," stated Hunter.

Though Kat cut in right after, "Though before we get into things. Why ARE we walking back?"

"We are walking back for two reasons. The first is that I do not wish to risk the complex collapsing due to our speed. I am sure you can be quite careful, but my own method of running full speed is less inherently safe for the environment. Usually it is no issue, but in this case might cause issues. The second reason is that I wish to listen for signs of more corpse worms in the walls.

I suspect I have all of them other than the trees outside, but I still wish to be sure," stated Hunter.

"Ah, that's fine," said Kat. "I mean… I assume? Lily would tell me if either of them had an issue I'm sure?"

[Yeah it's fine on our end, though Kamiko pointed out that we might want to stay the night at the town nearby if you're going to be a while. Kamiko is suggesting it as a way to avoid cooking, sleep inside and because we should probably tell the town we've cleared out the worms.]

*But the tents we have are HUGE and I'm pretty sure the beds inside of them are better then the one we have at home.*

[I said the same to Kamiko, but apparently it's just not the same. I don't know, maybe it's something we don't get because we're used to more… basic camping equipment or just nothing at all.]

*Fair enough.* Kat relayed Kamiko's thoughts on the matter and was met with a shrug from Hunter. "I have no issue with staying the night in town, though I will perhaps remain outside or simple sleep inside my tent in whatever room we get. I find that most worlds without lamia do not have appropriate bedding for me," stated Hunter.

"That sounds fair to me," said Kat, and based on the lack of response from Lily, seemed to have been accepted by the other two as well.

Hunter nodded and the two started walking back, well it was more of a light jog but neither was straining themselves with the speed, once they'd matched their paces well Hunter began to speak. "The quick answer regarding my parents is that 'I did not know them'. A slight misdirection and one I may have given earlier in our travels, mostly to see how you would react to the suggestion.

"An explanation closer to fact, is that my parents were never a couple, simply two clan members who engaged in semi-regularly sexual activity without taking any precautions to prevent pregnancy. In some fairness, while the clan does cover sexual activity and the consequences therein, they do not usually speak on how to avoid pregnancies for reasons I'll cover later.

"Which is no real excuse. Both of my parents were well past their five hundredth year of life when they had me… and I am not even their first child together despite their lack of true romantic interest in each other. I do not begrudge them their disinterest. The clan has excellent options for child raising.

"Many members volunteer to take care of any children, usually instructors or those who were never lucky enough to be blessed with children themselves, and the fertility rate of demons is not high at all. In fact, I have since learned that the clan has more volunteers for child rearing then they do spare children.

I won't get too deep into the specifics, they're something we can cover later if you're interested.

"Back to my parents. They were both lamias… and regularly meet up because 'The sex is better with another lamia' or so they claim. I have never been interested in such things myself and as such haven't investigated the claim either through research or practical testing. Anyway, they have both earned their names. My biological father is named Legend, and my biological mother is named Dextris.

"They are both powerful hunters in their own right and regularly participate in expeditions that Wrath tends to lead. They spend essentially no time in the compound, and are more likely to meet up with each other on contracts or expeditions then while they are off relaxing. I have met both of them a few times. Once for a proper conversation, that was more of a confrontation on my half.

"I had a number of notes regarding my theory of my parentage… because figuring out our parents is used as a teaching moment for clan members like myself. I am not sure what I expected when I had my notes prepared… but Dextris simply admitted she was as soon as I approached her about it… and then walked off straight after,"

Kat chewed on her lip as the sound of footfalls filled the air. "I… I don't know what to say to that," said Kat.

"I do not really know what to say about it either. I have heard from others that I should be angry. That I should be happy. That I should be a great deal of varied emotions… but I found I did not care. I had my answer, and so I went to the librarian who had assigned me the task and informed them of my success.

"I felt more satisfaction when the librarian confirmed I was right and praised my ability to find and decipher information that had been intentionally obscured. Of course not to the point of impossibility, but to ensure that I would experience some difficulty figuring it out.

Many others heard of this and thought me strange… and I find it hard to empathise with that thought, even if intellectually I can understand why that might be the case," stated Hunter.

Kat's eyes shone, "No I totally get it. I'm an orphan myself and I've seen the whole range of reactions. Some people are super angry that their parents gave them up, while others are sad they're not around anymore. I've never really cared. I was raised by the older kids at the orphanage and Gramps. Mostly Gramps.

I could not care less about my parents… and quite a few people I know thought that was really weird,"

Hunter smiled and sped up a bit so that she could show that off to Kat before returning to her mostly deadpan facial expression. "It appeals to me to find another person who understands my perspective on such things. It is hard to care about parents that were never truly in the picture.

I did not grow up in their shadow, and my caretaker, the one I would call my mother should she wish it, is truly the one I look up to.

"Her name was Matilda, and she was quite the hunter when she was younger. I grew up listening to her stories of her various hunts and when I expressed interest in starting my education a bit early she allowed it. Matilda is still around, and I visit it her regularly. I moved out when I reached thirty to allow for her to take in other orphans such as myself, despite her insistence it wasn't necessary.

"Still, for my thirty years felt like a solid amount of time, and I still check for houses going up for sale in the area she likes to live just in case. Sadly, I never did connect with the young girl she took in after I moved out. She is… exceptionally lazy. Skilled, but lazy. Worse, her abilities allow her to be such.

"At Rank 1 she got her tracking skill, and then at Rank 2, she got a skill that allows her to fly. The first thing she did was work out how to use them together to shoot off after a target. Annoyingly, she only needs a picture and a name for the target and she can locate them if the picture is clear and less then a week old.

"Instead of improving her skills, she simply relies on the same trick over and over. I would have more respect for her choices if she instead used that ability to take more hunts then anyone else and abused her speed and excellent skills for swiftly locating a target. She is especially effective hunting other sentients… and yet she does the bare minimum.

I try to avoid visiting Matilda while she is around because it regularly devolves into a fight,"

"I… ok… so to not make assumptions, how do those fights usually start?" asked Kat.

Hunter sighed, "That… well that also takes some explaining. What would you like to hear first? More about the clan adoption system or more about Matilda's current charge?"