D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad-Chapter 1480 - Hunting for Options Part 1
--- Kat ---
"I apologise for touching such a sensitive subject by accident," stated Hunter after the two had recovered.
"Um… no, no it's fine. Um… I guess we haven't really given it proper thought? I mean, I'm asexual and Lily's quite shy… and we haven't even got to the um… more… reproductive… parts of a relationship," mumbled Kat, mostly recovered but still embarrassed. Lily was still… distracted. "Um… not that anything would happen… I think?
I mean, we're both girls and we lack the um… parts for that sort of thing to happen naturally… right?"
"Yes. Or at least, without investigating your genitalia myself I would assume that no children would come from your union without investing in some outside assistance from the Hub doctors. I assume you are aware of standard reproductive practices?" asked Hunter.
"Um… yes," said Kat. Stay connected with m-v l|e'-novelbuddy.net
Hunter nodded and said, "Indeed. Then you should be fine. Though might I ask why you have not give any thought to children? Considering the strength of your relationship I would have assumed the topic would come up. Even if the answer was that you did not wish to have children at any point it would still be discussed,"
"Um…" Kat looked down at Lily who was still trying to disappear into Kat's thighs, having transformed back into a Memphis and made herself as small as possible. Clearly getting no assistance from her girlfriend Kat sighed and continued. "Well… it was… lightly touched on then very promptly put in the 'deal with it later' box I suppose?
We're young and basically immortal and definitely not rushing things…
"So yeah we put it aside. We know we'd have to give some serious effort for kids to be on the table, either with medicine or adoption, so it's easy to push the decision off. Not like we can have any accidents of that kind. Then I guess… once that was established we just didn't think about it? And then with your casual suggestion…
"I think the fact that it was such a casual musing, as if to you it had already been a forgone conclusion that we'd have them at some point that caused such… issues," Kat chewed on her lip a bit but ultimately decided the explanation was fairly complete.
"I see. I suppose I had such assumptions because of my own birth after all. You have a much stronger relationship then my own parents… so perhaps it was more a hope that you had spoken of the issue. I see that was a silly assumption on my part, you are not at the… same risks as my parents so it is an easier conversation to be left to a later date.
No sense in hunting for a fawn until it's a buck after all," stated Hunter.
"Is… that a saying? No sense hunting a fawn until it's a buck?" asked Kat.
Hunter nodded, "Hearing you repeat it back to me I can tell that the saying does not perfectly match with the one that I actually said but it is close enough. It is both a warning not to hunt younger animals that have not yet matured, as well as an expression meaning that you should not rush into things that are clearly not yet relevant.
It is intended to show that while the hunt you are looking at might not be available others will be," freeweɓnøvel.com
"Right…" said Kat slowly. "So it's a good saying?"
Hunter thought about it for a bit. "Somewhat. Not to be too morbid but there are a number of cultures that prefer the flesh of younger animals. As a demon, and a lamia specifically, that is a complete non-issue for me. I suppose Gluttony demons might have some complaints about that train of thought, but for me at least I see no reason to interrupt the cycle of life so early.
It is not a proper hunt after all,"
*Ah right… Hunter's a bit… 'like that'.* Kat was going to follow up on that thought when Kamiko came walking out of her room looking quite fresh, only to freeze upon seeing the group in the room. "Oh… um… er… I forgot about the meeting… sorry," mumbled Kamiko, really trailing off towards the end.
"It is no issue," stated Hunter. "I gave no specific time and had I a problem with your hours of sleep I would have interfered and woken you up before now,"
Kat gently shook Lily to try get her out of her spiral of thoughts. Her mind was a bit overloaded, but it seemed like Hunter was going to get into things straight away. Kat summoned the food she'd prepared onto the nearby table to slow things down a bit. It was mostly prepared things. Kabana, cheese, crackers jelly. Kat had just arranged it nicely and sliced some of it.
"Feel free to nibble,"
Hunter grabbed a few slices of salami from one of the plates and stuck it to her cheek without swallowing. Kat also added a few drinks to the table and Kamiko quickly poured herself a glass of water. This all gave Lily enough chance to shove away her recent fantasies and pay attention to the real world once again.
Hunter swallowed her food then eyed the room slowly. "First, let me say that my initial statement is not meant to inflammatory. There is a larger explanation to come. My first statement is this. Are we going to leave part of the group here while the drake is hunted?" Kamiko shrunk down on herself. "No Kamiko, I am not directed this at you.
Perhaps I would have anyway, but things have… potentially gotten complicated as I alluded to,"
Hunter took another sip of her drink to give everyone a bit of time to pay more attention and sort out what she'd already said. "You see, based on the information I was able to pull from Stphn the situation is not standard.
I do not know what the truth of the issue is, Forest Village is too far from the drake and I can only make guesses based on limited information, but if any exist we will have complications.
"Just based on the number of different monsters we've seen and their original habitats, as outlined by Stphn, the drake is not acting within standard parameters. Now for a corrupted beast such as it is, I would expect it to gorge itself and grow large, powerful, and slow. It would defeat its enemies by tanking damage and simply flattening things with its bulk and might.
"Based on the information I received, the beast is likely not doing that… but because we have not yet seen it I cannot be sure," Hunter paused again. "Now, let me stress that these alternatives are just best guesses, am I not yet sure which is the most likely alternative but the ones I'm about to outline all potentially fit the information.
They are not the only options, but they are the only options I would give worry to. Expect the unexpected of course, but for major decisions such as this paranoia needs to be kept within reason.
"The simplest change, is that the beast has been working on its speed. Instead of slowly rolling over the land and eating everything in its way, it is indeed zipping around its hunting grounds, choosing a different hunt every session, either every few hours or every few days, and causing the disruption that way.
These speed is potentially deadly, and I would not like to deal with an enemy equal to my speed. It would make attacking you, Kamiko, and you, Lily, much too likely unless we were very careful.
"The next is that the beast may have learnt to change size. This is similar to the speed path, allowing it to move faster with a smaller body, but if this is the case it is likely using the smaller size for travel and escape, and the larger size for combat.
Not a true worry, it is not smart enough to know how to abuse this ability to its full extent, but it is a similar enough worry to be explained alongside the first.
"Next, it is possible that the beast has learnt to fly. Perhaps the other monsters took note of its appearance from a great distance and have fled in an unusual pattern based on their eyesight, and response to other keen eyed predators and prey in the area.
This is not considered standard because most demonically charged monsters do not know how to appreciate flight so their bodies do not properly develop to account for it… but this was initially a drake, and one that was born as it is. Perhaps its power is sufficient for flight.
"If that is the case, based on information I was able to deduce this flight cannot be fast. Even still, it limits our combat capabilities significantly. It leaves me as potentially the only combatant, especially it remains at long range… and if I fail to take it down it may head for settlements.
Potentially necessitating that we leave someone behind to warn the towns and villages of our failed assault, or to keep an eye out for it heading towards settlements should we miss it. I am a skilled tracker, but tracking ariel prey is difficult for me. I can do so, but it takes a very different skillset, one I have much less practice and skill with… and it's not even the worst option we have,"
