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

--- Kat ---

"Um… maybe you could not?" asked Kamiko softly. "I… I mean you were arguing with Hunter… and that wasn't exactly polite… but um… it… it seemed like family drama so I wasn't going to interrupt… but um… maybe we should calm down?"

"She is not related to me," said Hunter at the same time…

As Meg said, "OOooh, that's a lot of anxiety in a little package. Family troubles of your own? I suppose it's to be expected when you never had any friends,"

Kamiko flinched backwards as if she'd been struck and Kat decided that was enough. She moved forward in front of Kamiko and glared up at Meg, uncaring for the height difference. Kat might have been used to being taller then people, especially other girl's but she had no problem with taller people. Meg seemed to angling to change that. "That was rather uncalled for.

As her friend AND someone who watched her resolve those families issues I can say she really doesn't deserve that sort of attack,"

"Meh," said Meg with a shrug. "It's not like you really had friends before her either. All of them either left, or pushed you to take care of them. Hell, your little girlfriend over there doesn't count as a friend. After all, she bound herself to you forever didn't she? That's gotta be a drag,"

Lily shivered in the background shrinking in on herself as Kat's eyes lit up. Looking past Meg, trying to ignore the older girl's presence Kat asked. "I take it Meg has a power for this? I can't see her knowing so many details otherwise…"

Hunter nodded, "Yes, she has an ability for seeing the weak points of things and it is massively broad and works-"

Meg jumped back to Hunter and placed a hand over her mouth. Hunter, deciding she'd had enough tried to bite down on Meg's hand. Meg just had to shift a bit to avoid the bite. "Oh? That's interesting. Even going so far as to try and bite me… might be breaking from your chains just a bit then hmmm?

Still it's awfully rude to go spreading my secrets. Didn't the clan teach you better then to give away the abilities of your fellow clan members huh?"

Hunter let out a long-suffering hiss filled with spite but didn't say anything else, just glaring. Kat's eyes widened. *That was enough? I mean… it's pretty clear that Hunter was trying to say it even works for conversations or maybe emotional weak points… but really? That was enough to stop you Hunter? I know you don't look happy but…*

"See, this is how she is," said Meg with a sigh. "My Lil Sis is much too married to the clan. She won't even help out her new friends by bending the rules a bit. I'm sure she could come up with a valid loophole if she really wanted to. Especially as she treats the clan rulebook like her personal bible… but she won't because that would be against the spirit of the clan. Isn't that right?"

Hunter just hissed more. "See?" asked Meg. "That's just how she is. It's honestly very sad…"

Kat decided to bite back a bit, "Are you sure you're not the sad one? Immediately going on the offensive socially and deliberately antagonising everyone in the group your set to work with?"

"Well, I heard there was meant to be a pathetic old man with you… so surely it can't be the entire group? Did you get bored of him perhaps? Feed him to one of the monsters along the way? It's ok if you did, I won't tell," said Meg with a grin.

A twang came from the forest and a large steel bolt landed at Meg's feet. A moment later Bower stepped out of the woods. "That old man can speak for himself thank you very much,"

"Oh, ho, ho. Intruding on a secret meeting? Or no? Just good timing perhaps? What a fascinating man to have a death with. I'm surprised my Lil Sis here had the compassion to keep someone so suicidal alive.

You must be devastated," assured Meg.

"Perhaps, but an old man like me has learnt to live with the disappointment," returned Bower. "Can't you go easy on the young ones? Too much hate in your liver to keep it in anymore?"

"Oh no not at all. It's great fun to bully my Lil Sis. She's just so serious you see?" returned Meg.

"I just see a sadist without a proper outlet. For shame, can't get your enjoyment from a job well done anymore?" asked Bower.

"Oooh, you've got some bite old man. Perhaps if you're given an extra hundred years to practice you might say something that will really hurt," smiled Meg.

"Don't tempt me lass," grumbled Bower.

"Come on… I'll tempt you. I'm a big girl. I can take it. All of it… I assure you. Some say I've got Succubus blood a couple generations back, so I'm pretty sure I can take it. All of it," said Meg smugly.

Bower stepped forward slowly, walking all the way up to Meg and ensuring that he was in melee range. He stared up at her and said, with a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry your parents never loved you,"

"Hah! You think telling me the truth will hurt me. Seems your old age is catching up to you!" sung Meg.

But Bower wasn't done yet. "It's ok. I understand that the only way you could receive any attention from the people you care about was to cause them pain and force them to react. It's a shame that you lash out at people for having no friends when you seem awfully lonely yourself,"

"Oooh yeah!" moaned Meg. "Really feeling that burn now old man. Deep in my black heart!" After a blink, she was then looming over Bower. "So come on. Give it to me! Rough me up!

What's the endgame for you huh? How are you going to get me?! I'm waiting!"

Bower looked her dead in the eyes and said, "You have a nice smile,"

Meg bluescreened. She just… froze in place. "What?"

"You have a nice smile. I thought I was clear. Do you want me to talk about your interesting skin that seems soft to the touch yet holds great power behind it? How about the fact that you were able to annoy everyone without causing permeant trauma with your words? That shows a lot of care you know…" said Bower with a smile, as he walked forward, matching Meg step for step as she back up.

Kat's jaw dropped as she watched Meg freaking out. Apparently… she was weak to compliments? Genuine ones perhaps? Hunter had seen this and decided she wanted to get one over on Meg as well, so she slithered behind Meg, waiting until the larger girl backed into her and turned around. Hunter looked up at Meg and said, "I… I don't hate you,"

Then as if nothing had happened Meg's mood seemed to swap completely, scooping Hunter up into a big hug. "Naw, my Lil Sis does love me! How sweet?!"

"Gah! Why are you not scared of me!" hissed Hunter.

"Well you're just so adorable!" returned Meg.

Kat slid up to Bower while Meg was spinning Hutner around and hugging her. "So… what's up with… her I guess? You seemed to notice something we didn't… and I'm confused as to how to treat her. I'm still pretty annoyed, she took some… heavy shots at us before you turned up,"

Bower shrugged and said, "I don't completely know Kat. That Meg there… she's got a lot of masks on. I cracked a few with my little switch-up before but I'm quite sure none of us have seen her real face. Perhaps she's worn the mask too long, perhaps one of the masks is just a copy of her original face. Can't say for sure. She is however… quite broken,"

"Yeah… she did mention something about her parents not really caring about her before you turned up…" offered Kat.

"I'm not surprised. That tends to be what messes up most people up in the end. Whatever shit our parents did to us. I'm lucky in that it was the war that fucked me up instead, so I can't hate my parents for what they did and didn't do," grumbled Bower.

"Really not sure I'd call that good Bower…" said Kat with a sigh.

"Bah, I'll be fine. Go hug your girlfriend, she still seems pretty withdrawn," said Bower as he made a shooing motion.

Kat blinked and saw he was correct. Kamiko and Lily had apparently decided to hide behind her and attempt to blend into the background. Kat kicked herself mentally for not noticing. She was too busy trying to come up with ways to bite back at Meg. *I still don't really know what to do about her. She's… antagonistic certainly.

Clearly has a very different view on Hunter's clan… but I don't know if she'd ever tell us what she actually thinks. Sigh. What a bother.*

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