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

--- Kat ---

Kamiko didn't exactly have anything all that nice to say about Ben's group. Kat wondered if it would've been better to just skip over them as she saw Kamiko let out another long sigh. "I don't know what I'm meant to think about them Kat. How much leeway do I give them? I mean… it seems like Chasen tries to keep him from being an idiot… but not too hard. The arguments seem like half the point.

I also can't decide if she's interested in him or not…"

"Romantically?" asked Kat. Partially in hopes of embarrassing Kamiko around the topic.

"Yes," answered Kamiko seriously and without any embarrassment. Kat was actually a little surprised at how… unconcerned Kamiko was with her answers. "Like… I feel as though there's more chemistry there then there is with Sloane… but I'm not sure I've ever seen her like… LOOK at him? If that makes sense? He looks around, and clearly has eyes mostly for Sloane but nyeh?"

*On the one hand. She's not moping anymore talking about her problems with Ben and friends… on the other this is not what I really want to be talking about.*

[I think it's helping Kamiko feel like a 'normal girl' or something. This is what normally gets talked about isn't it?]

*Shouldn't you know that better then me!*

[Look, I could never properly get into the conversations for obvious reasons! What do I know about the gaze a woman gives someone she's into other than the obvious one! I was trying to hide my interest in basically the entire time we've known each other and nobody called me out on it! Sure I was sometimes roped into 'who do you like' type deal but it was more of a hotness ranking things.

Serious 'who do you like' stuff was only for close friends and well…]

*We obviously weren't participating in that.*

[Exactly. So I don't really know what's the more normal friend side of things for this. I know what you talk about with school mates you don't really like but I wasn't really on the lookout for who liked who and whatnot. Which… now that I think of it may have been a risk?

Maybe I should've been on the lookout for people interested in you… I know there were some boys at least… but I think the fact you were strong and looked after the orphanage kids put them in a weird headspace.]

*Meh. I'm yours now so it worked out. No need to worry.*

[Of course. No need to worry… we just have to deal with this conversation with Kamiko now.]

*Can we go back to worrying? It's less painful.* "Yeah… it's not exactly something that I look for either. I mean… when it's super obvious I get it because I'm not blind but I couldn't tell you. I only talked to them for a bit and they were mostly annoying me so… I might not have paid proper attention when I wasn't trying to be intimidating," said Kat.

"Ooh, no that's perfect," said Kamiko. *It was?* "Did Chasen try to cosy up to anyone while you were scaring her?"

Kat checked her memories and the answer was… Neoms? Maybe? "Not really? Maybe Neoms but they weren't like… horror movie scared? Just shifted a bit so they were closer together. They weren't even holding hands,"

"Hmm… the plot thickens. Perhaps Neoms is interested and Chasen is just along for the ride?" mumbled Kamiko.

*So like… are we really entertaining this line of thought?*

[I think it's sweet. Sure it's basically nothing but we covered a bunch of heavy stuff, and then Kamiko was still sort of worrying about everyone but here? None of us can really work up that same level of… care. So we can think up silly ideas for Ben's 'faction' if we want without feeling too bad. I say we DO go along with it.]

*Why don't you try talking then? I have no idea what I'm doing!*

[Eh… I don't either and it's much more amusing to watch you try! So I'm going to respectfully remain as Kamiko's stuffed toy for the moment.]

Lily knew she wasn't going to be forced into the conversation by Kat. Especially not when Lily turned her big kitty eyes up at Kat. Her lovely girlfriend was much too soft for that. So instead Kat steeled herself and answered. "Ah but would Neoms really be interested in Ben? Couldn't she be interested in Sloane instead?

Well that or Grelk?"

"Hmm… hmm… Neoms and Grelk are the two that take the most breaks 'from the group' so to speak… I dunno that it's usually at the same time but I suppose I can see it. Grelk just has… so little presence though? Maybe? I dunno I think the Sloane idea is funnier. I can imagine. There's so much potential there.

Like, one could argue that Neoms is interested in Sloane and thinking of sharing her with Ben or something? Not likely true but it's amusing to think about," said Kamiko.

"Hmmm… I guess if we're already considering it why end it there? Why not say they're in one big relationship that they can't quite define the boundaries of?" asked Kat.

Kamiko scratched at her chin, "No that's boring. If you just throw the entire group together and call it a polycule all you've done is stapled some sex onto an interesting friendship group dynamic. Unless you're going for the smut angle there's really no point.

Sure it happens sometimes if Sue is to be believed but most people just aren't built for that sort of thing and it takes a lot of work… plus there's a lot less drama to think about. Which… I think is the point of thought exercises like this?"

Kat decided to just admit her own ignorance with a shrug. "I wouldn't really know. I didn't have all that much time for friends other than Lily and Lily wasn't all that interested in talking about her crushes with me for reasons that are now obvious so we sort of skipped over this part of high school friendship. I think if you really want an answer?

Draft a letter for Sue to read, or just go over it next time you meet up with her,"

"Hmm… that's probably for the best… but it has given me another idea that might be just as interesting. What do you think SUE would say? Like would she go full polycule or would she break them up into sperate relationship bubbles? Would sure include someone else so everyone had a pairing? Would there be one set of three?" asked Kamiko with a thoughtful look on her face.

Kat rolled the thought over in her mind for a while. "Hmm… I think I see where you're coming from. I'm not actually sure. Sue is all for sexy stuff but she does seem to trend towards one partner I think… but that's probably because one orgy is much like the next I guess?"

"This… this has become a weird topic…" mumbled Kamiko.

"Hey you brought it up!" retorted Kat.

"Yeah but you made it weird," returned Kamiko.

"If anything Sue made it weird… because I'm pretty sure that's what she'd say. That you can only do weirder sex stuff when you limit the number of participants…" explained Kat with a slight touch of embarrassment on her face.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"No, no… I think you're right it's just… it's in my brain now and I sort of wish it wasn't you know? I agree that it's totally what she'd say… which… yeah I'm not sure how she'd split them up but I'm not sure I want to know. Apparently she can corrupt us from a distance without even being involved in the conversation… so maybe it's best not to think on it too hard?" mumbled Kamiko.

Kamiko nodded, "Yeah you're right let's just… move on from this topic completely,"

"Ok so… what about our plan for getting Corela to sleep then? That's different and probably something we should do still," suggested Kat.

Kamiko gave Kat a big grin and nodded along, "Yes, that's a much safer topic. Um… so I'm thinking we find like… a sign or a whiteboard or something, maybe in our rings, and we just spell out what we're going to do across it. We then walk into the mess hall and show it to everyone except Corela… and then you hit her with a relax beam,"

"Ok… why?" asked Kat confused.

"Well even with Corela being overworked and somewhat exhausted I imagine she could fight off your aura putting her to sleep for a while. It's a calming aura not a sleeping one after all. However, if she sees everyone else just… not reacting? Then that might allow her to properly relax and assume it's fine. If she turns around and sees the sign? Well… I'm not sure if that part will be better or worse?

If she knows she might go along or fight back just as hard. So we might need to store it away…" explained Kamiko