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

"Sure I can…" mumbled Lily. "Wait… how did you know? I'm pretty sure you can't read minds… did you pick up a treasure that lets you read surface thoughts?"

Marigold laughed, letting her breasts drop in a mesmerising display that for once wasn't intentional as Marigold doubled over. "Hehehehe, oh, oh y-you really… hahaha… you think… you think that I need an item to h-help? Hahahaha, Hooo…" Marigold continued laughing for a while longer before she was able to pull herself together. "Lily, your face is like an open book. The only reason you're able to keep things somewhat secret on occasion is because most of the time you're a cat and reading expressions is much harder on something non-humanoid.

"In this case, you were sitting there. Silently contemplating something quite deeply… for at least five minutes. Just… off with the wind. Then, you reached a tipping point where you were berating yourself for not knowing what to do… and it was child's play to answer you. Seriously, your face is a dead giveaway.

"Now I'll grant you that I've had more instruction then most when it comes to reading expressions and trying to puzzle out what people are really thinking… but I'm pretty sure just about anyone could've worked out the broad strokes from how your face kept shifting. It was not subtle at all… did you think you just had infinite time to think or something?"

Lily blushed and looked away thoroughly embarrassed. "I… I guess I didn't really think about it? I mean… I had a few thoughts and they just sort of spiralled from there. I got a bit caught up in my head and before I knew it… I suppose a lot of time passed. Has it really been five minutes?"

"More or less," confirmed Marigold.

Lily burred her face in her hands and mumbled. "I didn't realise it was that bad. God, did I even have a chance?"

"Eh… depends on what you mean. If you're talking about keeping your thoughts from me? I guess you could've transformed. I'd still know it was a secret but perhaps not the full details. Perhaps. Your eyes are still pretty expressive and I've gotten used to you as a Memphis so I wouldn't bet on it," Marigold let that hang in the air for a few moments. "So… you want to go ahead and ask? I promise I won't get mad and you. Not even if you were thinking naughty thoughts," Marigold punctuated this last line with a slap to her ass, making sure it jiggled for a bit before turning to face Lily properly to show she was serious. Or at least, as serious as Marigold could manage.

Lily let out a long sigh. "Urgh. You're still doing it. I worked out that you've been stalling me for some reason… and I then came up with that reason. I don't know if I'm right or not… but you're waiting for March to attack Blue or something right?"

"YuP" said Marigold making sure to really pop the 'p'. "Your little teamup idea is a good one, and it probably gives us the best chance at winning… as long as March and Blue don't team up. Now, I'm not certain they would, but it's more likely then not, so it's not worth the risk in my mind. I can easily see March teaming up with Blue, not because she wants to team with Blue, but because fighting the two of us with Blue is more interesting then just sitting around.

"There's also the additional note that… if they take us both out they could have their final showdown with just the two of them. Sure Blue and March could, theoretically, take the between the two of them… but I doubt March would go for that. Much more challenging to try and come out on top.

"There's also the matter of… the treasures just not being all that good? I mean, some of them are really nifty and undoubtedly worth more than my team makes in a year but for the most part they aren't "must haves" for any reason,"

"Well what about this?" asked Lily as she pulled out the burning gem, keeping it between her fingernails for a few seconds to show Marigold.

March raised an eyebrow in appreciation but still shrugged. "Ok that's pretty rare. You can turn that into some of the best weapons I know of. Infuse that properly into a bow and all of the arrows you shoot will be set on fire at a mana cost so low it might as well not exist. Sadly, the real problem with getting your hands on that sort of bow isn't finding the materials for it but finding someone good enough to make it instead. Still really valuable, and well worth it if you're an archer… but not the main issue with price.

"Honestly you might be better of looking for one of the more expensive treasures, selling that, and then using the money to request the services of a master artisan. Or well, maybe they want one of the portraits or vases or something? I don't really know,"

"Fair enough," mumbled Lily a bit disheartened.

Marigold chucked at Lily's state. "Come now my dear Lily. Did you really think I'd play this sort of game if something truly valuable was up for grabs? Something that you wouldn't want to live without? Don't get me wrong, getting five of these things IS a massive boon, but… well my team is perhaps the team that needs this sort of thing the least. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Then again, I'm not sure I'd change my plan. I'd probably have just been a tad more upfront about wasting time," Marigold let her arms swish through the water as she looked around, double checking for movement. Nothing seemed out of place though. Just a few more fish around.

"So… that's it then? We just kill time?" asked Lily.

"Yup," said Marigold.

"Right… how are we going to do that?" asked Lily

"Oh… I can think of a few ideas," said Marigold as she leaned forward to give Lily a big show of her tits… which didn't really work underwater. Instead, her hair floated forward and blocked Marigold's mounds from few, causing Lily to chuckle at the sight and give her enough peace of mind to bonk Marigold on the head with her hand.

"No horny," laughed Lily.

"Only horny!" retorted Marigold as she whipped her head up and her hair out of the way.

"No horny," said Lily in the deepest voice she could manage. Surprisingly deep for such a small girl… but not all that deep at the end of the day. About what March sounded like normally.

"Ohnly Hornea" slurred Marigold as if she was drunk.

"No. Horny" said Lily in a serious voice while pretending to smack a ruler on her hand.

"Only hornay!" said Marigold in the snobbish accent she could manage.

"No horny," said Lily trying to sound as old as possible.

"Only horny," said Marigold with the highest voice she could manage, sounding a bit like a chipmunk.

This was too much for Lily who burst out into laughter. "Hehehe, well that was a good waste of time I suppose. Very silly, but fun. Even if it didn't occupy us for too long,"

"Eh, you gotta appreciate the little things in life," said Marigold.

"Can you really say that PRINCESS Marigold?" asked Lily. Marigold glared back for a moment until the sincerity in Lily's eyes shone through. Marigold let out a long sigh.

"Urgh, I hate that you're asking that from a place of curiosity. I… look if you want the truth I honestly don't know. I think I'm pretty down to earth. I spend most of my time as 'Marigold the Adventurer' not 'Marigold Princess of the Elven Kingdom' but I'm not blind to the fact that there is a lot of overlap or that people who recognise me when I'm adventuring treat me differently.

"Still… I know I'm better then more than a few of my brothers and sisters, as well quite a few nobles from across the kingdoms… but at the end of the day? Even if I think I'm quite down to earth… I'm still a princess at the end of the day. So how much does my background effect things? I can't say I know. There? Are you happy we're covering such a serious topic?"

"I was actually just ribbing you at first… but yeah that was pretty interesting Marigold. Thanks," answered Lily.

"Bah, no problem. Can't we talk about something less existential though? Like… I dunno my sex life or something? Hey we can talk about YOUR sex life if you want," offered Marigold.

"Marigold, my sex life doesn't exist and yours is not a world I want to learn any more about. I probably know too much as it is," grumbled Lily.

"That's quitter talk that it is!" cheered Marigold.