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

--- Long Crackfist. Doggo Owner ---

Long quickly picked the bed over in the far right corner and dumped his gear at the foot of the bed before whistling softly. Bonesworth, or more casually, Boney, his new familiar plodded over and slumped down beside him, ready to act like the beast he truly was. A glorified pillow. Long lent back ready to relax when…

"Alright, we're properly alone now. What's our secret evil plan," asked Trevor only for Cleavor to respond be smacking him in the back of the head.

"Firstly, if we were to have any evil plan we wouldn't announce it WHILE IN THYME'S BASE" hissed Greaves, the other Brightaxe sister. "And secondly, don't even tempt fate like that. We paid a lot of money for our gear. We paid a lot of money for YOU. And a lot of people are already annoyed at that. If people think we're up to even shadier shit we'll never hear the end of it,"

Trevor winced as he rubbed the back of his head. Cleavor hadn't bothered removing her greaves for that hit. "Alright, alright I get it. No evil plan boss. That still doesn't tell me what exactly we're going to do here. Skilled at healing as I am, you lot didn't higher me for my combat prowess,"

"What so you're just gonna lay down and die then?" asked Strigor.

Trevor glared at Strigor. "Look, at this point I want to win as well. I didn't think we'd make it this far but we did. You've never stiffed me on gear, even after I didn't put forth my full effort in that second round… but I don't know what you want me to do here. I'm trained to rain away, and heal. The fancy items you got me just make me better at the running away part. I mean, there are two demons on the other teams!"

"Yes that was a miscalculation," agreed Cleavor. "We'd have been better off hiring one of them instead of you," Trevor responded by throwing up an obscene gesture.

Greaves sighed. "Look Trevor, we're not asking for miracles here. We get this isn't a round that emphasises your strengths… but there are options. We could find a rule change token that helps us, or, we could always just say 'fuck it' and have one of us team up with you and start hunting people down. Sure we burn through time faster but if we take out the other teams regularly we can keep on top of it even if the orbs are rare,"

Trevor shrugged, "Look, you didn't hire me for my tactical genius. I'm cool with whatever, you guys just need to tell me what to do and I'll go along with it,"

Greaves sighed, "We'll get back to it,"

"Yeah we've got to figure out what the heck we want to do in regards to the familiars," queried Cleavor. "We went out of our way to get them… but I'm not even sure they're better than the alternative. Buncha money down the drain,"

Long and Boney raised their heads together and glared at Cleavor. "Yeah and fuck you too you lucky prick," grumbled Cleavor. "Literally stumbling over your fucking familiar like you're the main character in a play or something,"

"I'm taking Boney with me," stated Trevor.

"We know you annoying shithead," sighed Cleavor. "Just… I don't know relax in the corner and leave us to figure this shit out on our own,"

"But I feel like contributing," said Long with a smug grin, Bonesworth nodding along with him.

"You two share the same single braincell," grumbled Cleavor. "We do not need your help,"

"Well maybe if you bonded better with your familiars you'd be better off," said Long with a shrug. "I did warn you guys,"

Cleavor started to walk forward while raising her fist only for Greaves to grab her arm and say "Don't bother. His head is thicker than the metal in those gauntlets, plus, even if he DID get lucky that doesn't mean he's wrong. We kept putting off the familiar training because we all had to get used to the new gear. Arrogant and lucky bastard he may be, he put in the time to do both. Barely sleeping some days to make sure he had time for it all.

"Granted I don't know HOW he managed to not exhaust himself with that crazy schedule, and yes, he IS still a lucky bastard but he DID warn us. The fact he's saying 'I told you so' really shouldn't be a surprise sis. Let him have this one,"

Cleavor sighed. "You're right… cause if we don't he'll just cause more problems later. So, what I was thinking…"

---Pansy, probably. The Twins don't really know either --- (At the same time)

"We must discuss the most important issue of the evening… do we take Wiggles with us?" asked Pansy.

"Well that's really up to you two isn't it?" said Souris.

"Hey, we're a team, that means we need to make the hard decisions together," stated Crocus.

"Counterpoint," stated Hedera, "It's your rabbit. Actually… whose familiar is Wiggles anyway?"

Crocus and Pansy looked at each other and shrugged. "We don't know,"

"How can you not know?!" hissed Hedera

"No, no they went over this before," said Max. "They did the ritual together and the answer is… both, or whoever is pretending to be Pansy depending on the day,"

"That's ridiculous," grumbled Hedera.

"Look I don't rightly understand it myself," said Max with a shrug. "But that doesn't mean it ain't true. I can't tell them apart and just go along with whatever they're saying at the time. Who's to say that magic doesn't also get confused a time or two?"

Souris sighed, "I mean… why not just ask Wiggles?" Souris suddenly found she was the centre of attention. "What? Is that so crazy? Sure Wiggles isn't the strongest familiar out there, but she's a pretty smart little guy. I say she can make the decision on her own,"

The twins looked down at Wiggles who nodded resolutely. "Wait… is that a yes you'll decide or a yes you want to go?" asked Pansy. Wiggles leant to the right. "A yes you want to go?" Wiggles nodded. "Well… alright then. I guess it's the best way for you to get experience. Thyme would be watching closely and keep you alive… if… if anything happens. Though um… who will you be going with?"

All of a sudden Wiggles adopted a glassy eyed stare and looked up at the twins with a blank gaze, as if they were just a normal rabbit with nothing going on in their head. Crocus sighed, "I don't know why I expected any other response really,"

"Hey, it's a smart call," said Max. "Never get between two ladies, especially not if they're twins,"

"You'd know all about that wouldn't you Max?" chuckled Souris.

"HEY, it was ONE time and I was very drunk. It's not my fault they didn't specify they were twins earlier in the night and they both enjoyed themselves. Even if the second one was surprised when I grabbed them. I still have a standing invitation if we ever make it back to that town…" responded Max.

Souris gave her brother a sharp look for a few seconds but he stood firm. "Really? I thought we got kicked out of the town because of that,"

"Well the ladies had no complaints but their father was another matter," admitted Max with a shaky smile. "He was old friends with the constable and well… it was best we moved on rather then get tied up in all that," Hedera snickered at the answer. "What are you laughing at then?"

"Oh, well I was just remembering my own conquests and how it seems only YOU end up in trouble for it," answered Hedera.

"Ah shut it ya virgin," grumbled Max.

Hedera leant back as if she was struck then put her nose up in the air so that she could only barely see Max in the corner of her eye "I will have you know I have had… the sex. Quite a few times in fact,"

Max broke out into his own set of chuckles while Souris just sighed. "Don't encourage him you evil little elf. Half of the time he only gets those girls because YOU'RE talking him up! And you've never slept with him!"

"Hey, just because I've never sampled the goods doesn't mean I don't have a good few references to hand out from satisfied customers. Besides it works out for us most of the time," said Hedera with a shrug.

"I'll never understand how I'm the sister instead of you… or what you two get out of it," sighed Souris.

In the background the twins continued to stare at each other as they debated which of them was going to have Wiggles for the round. They were using 'twinspeak' so they didn't have to actually say anything. Well… until they did, "Hey… did Thyme specify it had to be YOUR familiar?" asked Pansy.

"No I don't believe they did…" agreed Crocus.

"What are you two on about now?" asked Souris.

"We were thinking… why not have Wiggles go with YOU or… well Max possibly, but probably you Souris," said the twins. "That way she can be safer and help out more! Plus we don't have to decide which of us has her,"

"I guess we can ask Thyme?" said Souris unsure. "I'm not against it I guess?"