--- Kat ---
"I am not against answering your question Kat, but if you would like the longer story, as I suspect you and Lily desire, then this will take some time. Theoretically, our walk is a good chance to go over the details. Alas, Kamiko cannot hear this conversation while we are separated and I feel she also deserves to know," stated Hunter.
[I volunteer to repeat it all!] "Lily is willing to ensure Kamiko hears the full story," explained Kat.
"I suppose that is acceptable," stated Hunter.
Though Kat cut in right after, "Though before we get into things. Why ARE we walking back?"
"We are walking back for two reasons. The first is that I do not wish to risk the complex collapsing due to our speed. I am sure you can be quite careful, but my own method of running full speed is less inherently safe for the environment. Usually it is no issue, but in this case might cause issues. The second reason is that I wish to listen for signs of more corpse worms in the walls.
I suspect I have all of them other than the trees outside, but I still wish to be sure," stated Hunter.
"Ah, that's fine," said Kat. "I mean... I assume? Lily would tell me if either of them had an issue I'm sure?"
[Yeah it's fine on our end, though Kamiko pointed out that we might want to stay the night at the town nearby if you're going to be a while. Kamiko is suggesting it as a way to avoid cooking, sleep inside and because we should probably tell the town we've cleared out the worms.]
*But the tents we have are HUGE and I'm pretty sure the beds inside of them are better then the one we have at home.*
[I said the same to Kamiko, but apparently it's just not the same. I don't know, maybe it's something we don't get because we're used to more... basic camping equipment or just nothing at all.]
*Fair enough.* Kat relayed Kamiko's thoughts on the matter and was met with a shrug from Hunter. "I have no issue with staying the night in town, though I will perhaps remain outside or simple sleep inside my tent in whatever room we get. I find that most worlds without lamia do not have appropriate bedding for me," stated Hunter.
Kat's eyes shone, "No I totally get it. I'm an orphan myself and I've seen the whole range of reactions. Some people are super angry that their parents gave them up, while others are sad they're not around anymore. I've never really cared. I was raised by the older kids at the orphanage and Gramps. Mostly Gramps.
I could not care less about my parents... and quite a few people I know thought that was really weird,"
Hunter smiled and sped up a bit so that she could show that off to Kat before returning to her mostly deadpan facial expression. "It appeals to me to find another person who understands my perspective on such things. It is hard to care about parents that were never truly in the picture.
I did not grow up in their shadow, and my caretaker, the one I would call my mother should she wish it, is truly the one I look up to.
"Her name was Matilda, and she was quite the hunter when she was younger. I grew up listening to her stories of her various hunts and when I expressed interest in starting my education a bit early she allowed it. Matilda is still around, and I visit it her regularly. I moved out when I reached thirty to allow for her to take in other orphans such as myself, despite her insistence it wasn't necessary.
"Still, for my thirty years felt like a solid amount of time, and I still check for houses going up for sale in the area she likes to live just in case. Sadly, I never did connect with the young girl she took in after I moved out. She is... exceptionally lazy. Skilled, but lazy. Worse, her abilities allow her to be such.
"At Rank 1 she got her tracking skill, and then at Rank 2, she got a skill that allows her to fly. The first thing she did was work out how to use them together to shoot off after a target. Annoyingly, she only needs a picture and a name for the target and she can locate them if the picture is clear and less then a week old.
"Instead of improving her skills, she simply relies on the same trick over and over. I would have more respect for her choices if she instead used that ability to take more hunts then anyone else and abused her speed and excellent skills for swiftly locating a target. She is especially effective hunting other sentients... and yet she does the bare minimum.
I try to avoid visiting Matilda while she is around because it regularly devolves into a fight,"
"I... ok... so to not make assumptions, how do those fights usually start?" asked Kat.
Hunter sighed, "That... well that also takes some explaining. What would you like to hear first? More about the clan adoption system or more about Matilda's current charge?"