"So what''s it like having a demon on your team?" asked Nell.


    Reflexively, Nixilei jumped in with, "She does have a name you know. We introduced everyone" While working on Ellenell''s leg.


    "Yeees…" said Nell hesitantly, "But I''m not asking Kat what it''s like to be on a the team, I want to know what it''s like having a demon on the team… actually, first I''d like to know WHY you summoned a demon for your team? Surely the training time you''d miss out on would be quite significant and valuable. Unless you can afford to keep her around I suppose… but that seems wasteful in other ways."


    Nixilei looked suitably abashed but didn''t say anything more, not quite willing to apologise for the action while healing someone else. Gareth sighed and stepped up to answer. "We''ve had exceptionally bad luck keeping our fifth team members. Both expected and unexpected departures from arge number of people caused us to really think about how to find a permanent fifth member. The demon summoning industry was also just getting epted byw and it seemed like a good idea at the time… so we went through with it. Because well… someone bound magically to be here will show up properly."


    "I can understand that," said Nell as she shifted to face Gareth. "Not sure I''d do the same… but I can understand it. Has it been worth it? And I will apologise for sort of talking like you aren''t here Kat but…" Nell shrugged giving a ''what can you do'' look which seemed to be universal.


    "It''s fine," said Kat well used to students talking about her nearby… or moremonly orphanage kids talking about her while she was in the room.


    "I think so," said Gareth smoothly, "Kat has gone above and beyond her contract truth be told. Perhaps we could have opted for something stricter the first time, but we wanted to keep costs down if possible, and more importantly, we didn''t want any resentment. The payment is one thing, but what we really wanted to avoid was a demon willing to sabotage our attempts for some reason. If we had one straining against the tightly wound Contract we might have offered instead… it would be a disaster. Co-operation over strength is what we strove for."


    Nell nodded in understanding, twisting her arms so that her chin was resting on therge gauntlets she wore, before ncing down and realising she still had them on. Taking a quick moment to remove them, Nell returned to her position, this time letting her palms be the resting point. "That does sound like a good idea. And it''s panned out? No issues?"


    Gareth made a deliberate nce at Kress, not overly long, and certainly short enough that Kress, who wasn''t really watching the conversation missed it but clear enough for Nell to see. Green sitting down after grabbing some more water around the same time helped further obfuscate the action. "Kat has been quite amodating and I think her strength makes up for theck of practice together…


    "But in saying that, do remember our issues keeping thatst member around. Unlike you guys, or well I''m just assuming here, but I do assume you''ve worked together for more than just this tournament so trying to add in a demon would be an issue. For us, we worked mostly as a close knit group of four with a fifth person that came and went for years before Kat joined up. Not to disparage her at all, but we''re sort of working as a group of four plus demon rather than a group of five.


    "I do want to be clear, this isn''t because Kat doesn''t work with us… but it''s hard without the years of practice. We don''t know how she fights as well as we do each other, and I assume the same in the reverse. It''s hard to get into the flow state worrying about what she might do. We''re working on it of course… but it''s a thing I''m not really sure we can ovee, or should devote the time to oveing anyway. It''s not like Kat will be a permanent addition to the team once this is all over, so…" Gareth ended what he was saying with a shrug.


    Nell returned with a wince, and said, "Yes… I suppose it is a bit different if your fifth member is so regrly changing. Did you intend to keep Kat as your fifth member the whole time or just whatever demon you could summon?"


    Gareth shrugged in return. "Don''t rightfully know if I''m honest. It was more of a test run than anything else. We didn''t really have to think about it in the end. We had a way to summon Kat again, she was a great help in the first round and that was really all there was to it."


    "I suppose some things can have a way of working themselves out," said Nell with a wry smile as she nced at the now healed Elf. "I suppose now I will address you Kat. Is this normal for a demon like yourself?"


    Kat nced over somewhat shocked at being addressed. "Um… I suppose it depends on what you mean by normal? I don''t get summoned for tournaments on the regr, but it also doesn''t feel all that strange."


    "I guess I don''t know… what IS normal for a demon summoning?" asked Nell.


    Kat grinned and said, "Nothing really. There is normal for given demons, but because of how everything is set up on our ends, rarely will we be summoned for a job we aren''t interested in doing. It happens of course, and sometimes we''ll agree if the payment is enough, but if done right you''ll normally get someone willing to do the job. I''m… not exactly sure what I''d call normal for me, but I''m a subus with no interest at all in seduction missions, just as an example of things I suppose."


    "Why is that?" asked Nell, "I''d assume… and I mean… correct me if this is over the line… but wouldn''t a subus be practically designed for something like that? Or… evolved to be I guess? I know bear beastkin such as myself tend to gain dense muscle much easier than other beastkin and making myself flexible is much harder despite how thin I might look." Nell gestured to herself as she finished.


    Kat made a ''so-so'' gesture. "Some Subi are like that. I''m also pretty sure most seduction missions are taken by Subi, or at least I''d suspect that. I personally know someone who really enjoys those kinds of missions and a few others who don''t. Still, there is some truth to what you''re saying. Subi tend to get abilities that push them in that direction… but being asexual myself a lot of them won''t develop or will develop strangely. Pheromones for example, only work on people the Subus finds sexually attractive and for that''s… nobody."


    "Never thought you''d say that," said Nell as she breathed out a long puff of air, "then again I didn''t exactly think I''d be just chatting with a demon either. Anything else interesting you could mention? I''m genuinely curious now."


    Kat nced down at the sleeping Memphis in her arms. Well… the strangest thing would certainly be my currently cat-like girlfriend… which isn''t really about being a demon… but I feel the odd urge to share anyway. "Well my girlfriend is a stuck as a Memphis, a type of cat for the foreseeable future. So… that''s a thing," said Kat indicating to Lily.


    Nell''s eyes bugged out slightly. "Girlfriend? Is she a beastkin? What happened to get her stuck like that? I didn''t think a curse would be able to cause such a thing… but perhaps something older…" Nell actually looked slightly worried as she rattled off possibilities.


    Kat jumped back in before Nell could spiral too far. "No no, it''s not quite like that. She is a beastkin, but not a normal one. Currently she''s like this for her soul to stabilise… though I am getting concerned about how long she''s slept. Would you know anything about that?"


    "Oh…" said Nell suddenly calming down. It was still weird, but seemingly much less terrifying than a curse that could lock her as a bear would be. "Um… hmm… how long has she been asleep?"


    Kat thought back, "Um… since a bit after breakfast?"


    Nell just nodded as if that made perfect sense. "Yup that seems fine. I don''t know exactly what a Memphis is… but just based on size alone she has to be a small cat. Those tend to sleep quite a lot, especially when younger. The more time she spends in that form, the more her instincts will start to press in on her. Sleeping helps relieve that tension just like giving into them would… better in fact for a feline beastkin because sleeping regrly is ALSO one of their instincts.


    "I mean… I don''t like to think about it… but if I was in bear form for like a month leading up to winter and it was cold enough I would have to either turn back to human form for a bit or hibernate. I wouldn''t be worried for her… annoyed at sleeping too long perhaps, but not worried."


    "Thanks, that''s a weight off my mind," said Kat cheerily.