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

--- Kamiko --- (About 4 hours after leaving Kat and Lily)

Kamiko bit back a scream when a hand landed on her shoulder but that didn't stop her flinching. Looking over she saw Hunter's face near her, and the hand on her shoulder kept moving… oh Hunter was giving her a pat. "Oh… um… are you trying to comfort me?" asked Kamiko. She… genuinely wasn't sure. Since setting off things had been tense, at least in her mind and Hunter… wasn't helping.

Even if she might have been trying?

"Yes though I can see from your face that it has not worked. Do not worry, I will ensure your safety on this trip in Kat's stead. Knowing you can heal me it is not a large sacrifice to make," stated Hunter.

Kamiko gulped and gave a small nod. "Um… right… I… I trust you that much but well… honestly Meg is a bigger concern. I'm… I'm surprised you got away from her. I mean, I can see her hair in front of us and I… I'm sure she can hear me… but well… you… haven't exactly been the best at standing up to her.

Continue your journey on empire

I um… I didn't want to ask, but… but nobody else did and… well now I think I might be more scared of not knowing… so um…"

Hunter grit her teeth. "It is… not a thing that I enjoy admitting out loud. I suppose I have been intentionally trying to sidestep the issue and I am sure that the fights we engaged in simply muddied the waters further. To… answer your question?"

"You… you um… don't have to if you don't want to?" offered Kamiko after a few moments of silence.

"No, you likely deserve an answer. Kat and Lily do as well… but it is easier to admit to this knowing that you feel so scared. Kat and Lily… or at least Kat, seemed more equipped to deal with 23HX502 then I feel I can. I… I have a lot of problems with 23HX502 as has been obvious…

"But there are very few people in our age group that can keep up with us. Even knowing that we are a few years apart in age… 23HX502 has always been a cut above everyone else. In a straight fight I am not her match, but in terms of hunting and assassination I manage a leg up.

"The issues… the issues come from my own lack of social circle. I do not… I cannot say that I like 23HX502. She represents many of the parts of my clan I find least pleasing. I… see her as part of the problem. So many people are simply ungrateful for the benefits they have received, disrespect the traditions of my clan… and then further have the gal to not even properly make use of them.

To wallow in mediocrity.

"23HX502… has not done this. She has spat in the clan's face while still making proper use of our facilities and presenting her problems in a forthright manner. I cannot deny I have a much higher level of respect for her then I do many others that act similarly… but at the same time… she is the one I see most often. She regularly seeks me out and causes problems. She is…

"Despite being so different from many of the other more problematic members of the clan that I am aware of, because I interact with her so frequently she has become the FACE of those problems in my mind, even if it remarkably unfair and she shares little with those individuals… her presence gives me a person to lump blame upon.

"It is uncharitable of me… but that is the main reason we do not get along. The… conflicting problem is that I do not have anyone else on my level. While there are those amongst our age group that respect the clan for what it is and does… they simply lack the skill and dedication to stand on equal footing with me.

They cannot challenge me, I do not see them as peers… and I am… admittedly quite intimidating.

"Most of the clan members I find acceptable have their own friend groups that I have been set apart from. I was put on a pedestal for a long time and I did not properly rectify that while we were growing up. Now I find myself lacking in friends… and while I do not find that a terribly disturbing thing… someone I am not friends with comes around to bother me.

To compete with me and act as a rival and I find… I find… hmm…" Hunter found herself trailing off not quite able to find, or say, the words.

"You… you have a rival… and… and maybe you don't like her but you definitely do not wish to be rid of her?" asked Kamiko.

Hunter nodded, "Yes. I do not… I do not know how to change our relationship or if I even want to. She… she is my peer in the way those older then us cannot be, and those our age simply are not. I… I do not know if I can find it in myself to like or approve of 23HX502. She… everything that she is… I do not like it.

We have fundamental disagreements and I cannot spend too long with her without getting angry and attacking…

"But that too is part of our rivalry. I mentioned it, I do not want to remove her… and our fights are not so lethal as they seem. Ultimately… I find myself not knowing what to do. The fact she signed up for this mission, not to ensure the safety of a world but to help me out… I do not know how to feel.

It is a mixture of joy and anger that if anything just make the anger stronger… yet it does not entirely stamp out the joy. It is a problem I just…" Hunter sighed.

"The point I am hoping has come across here is that my fights with her a in many ways performatory but if she was to cause you real harm, either mental or physical, I would not be inclined to hold back in my retribution the way I do now. Just… know that I am on your side in this,"

"Oh… um… yes that… that does help. Though… um… hmm… I feel like… like it might be better if you were friends? But… but maybe that's just because having friends was my dream for so long. I… hmm… I feel like sharing something important with you in return… but… oh wait no! I know.

Um… so…" Kamiko took in a deep breath and glanced at Meg who wasn't looking back… but did seem to have a slight skip in her step that was not there before. Kamiko made a note of that.

"So… I had… have? Had. I had issues with my sister. Aslena she caused me a lot of trouble when I was younger and… even somewhat recently. It wasn't until I met Kat and she sort of… confronted Aslena for me that we started to get along. I mean, it isn't perfect and I… she still causes me problems from time to time but… it's… it's much less hostile now.

I feel…

"Hmm… I don't want to make it seem like I am just attempting to speak ill of her… but she feels more like my sister now. Before she felt like a problem or an enemy. I… I would not call her a rival. It was not about pushing me to be my best… but pushing me down instead.

I… I know some of that was my unwillingness to speak up about it and let things happen but… I put a lot… or maybe all of the blame on her. Which wasn't fair but it is what it is. Um… what I'm saying is… you can change your relationship with people whenever you want, sometimes… sometimes you just need a push,"

"I thank you for what I assume is well meaning advice but I assure you I have considered changing things many times. I have yet to find a compelling enough reason though. I struggle to overcome my inherent dislike of 23HX502 and her choices. I respect her, and that means we can get along somewhat, but I do not have a favourable opinion of her.

I can see many easy ways to ensure we had a more standard friendship but I do not believe it would make me happy in the long run… and truthfully I am unsure if 23HX502 would feel the same," explained Hunter.

Kamiko didn't say anything… but she thought it worth noting that Meg had allowed a rather serious conversation in which Hunter referred to her as 23HX502 without interrupting and complaining about not being called Meg. Sure the mist muted sound a bit but not by that much. Kamiko didn't know what that MEANT exactly, but it was certainly something to keep a note of… and maybe inform Kat?

Kamiko would think about that once they'd set up camp and nobody else would notice the message.