D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 5: Panic and…

A dull ache throbbed at the back of Lily's head as she shifted onto her side with a groan. Her memories were hazy. Opening her eyes to find Kat staring back, she managed, "Wait, what are you doing here, Kat? Hold on… don't tell me something important happened to Gramps… no, um, tail… Wait, you have a tail!" Lily finally blurted out, her gaze fixed on the swishing appendage behind her best friend.

"Ha, ah, okay, you're messing with me. I went on about demons at length yesterday, and this is my punishment. Honestly, the tail suits you, but surely something that moves so gracefully would have cost… Oh no." Realization struck Lily; even if Kat had access to vast sums of money, she would never spend it on a petty joke.

"Yes, Lily, we have a situation. The tail behind me is real, and I have no idea what on earth I'm supposed to do about it. Can I still say 'hell'? Hey, Lily, what are the ethics of a demon swearing about hell?" Kat inquired.

"Wait, are you certain that's a demon tail? I mean, many creatures have tails. Oh no. The tip is a spade. Kat, please tell me you aren't a succubus," Lily pleaded.

"How should I know, Lily? Just because I woke up like this doesn't mean I have any more insight than you do. I don't feel any different, aside from the tail, if that offers any comfort. Actually, it seems to have completely disrupted my balance; my brain is now rewired to compensate. Wrapping it around myself to conceal it caused some minor balance issues while I was rushing over here. For now, let's set aside the more questionable aspects of this situation. I'd like your help figuring out what to do with the tail, and then we can panic about the future, okay? Is there anything urgent I need to know about it immediately?"

"Okay," Lily conceded, struggling to maintain composure. "May I have a quick look while I gather my thoughts for a moment? It hasn't fully sunk in yet." Kat nodded, and Lily walked behind her. Upon closely examining the area where Kat's tail joined her body, Lily found no discernible marks, as if it had always been a natural part of her friend.

"Alright, well, first things first, my guess is that demonic tails don't have significant weaknesses. The main challenge you'll likely face is simply getting used to it. Perhaps some people might target it, as a tail is difficult to defend, but that's about all I can offer on that front."

Taking a deep breath, Lily continued, "The real issue is the spade at the end, not because of the spade itself, but because of what it signifies. You must be some kind of succubus; no other demon type typically develops something similar. While some have more varied tails than others, the spade shape definitively marks you as a succubus, of that I'm almost certain. The question is, what does this mean for us?"

"What do you mean? Are succubi problematic? Succubi?" Lily nodded at the second term. "Aren't they like beautiful women or something? I've never been overly concerned with my appearance, but I certainly don't look hideous," Kat remarked.

"Well… succubi tend to be, how shall I phrase this, rather obsessed with intimacy. Now, don't get me wrong; some minor variations grant them different roles, but your circumstances aren't exactly favorable. Wait, actually, are you going to continue changing? Do you just get the cool tail, and that's it, or is there more to this?"

"Well, I might have omitted a few details, like the tunnel of magical fire and the demon summoning ritual. And the random floating text, but I don't recall it all too well," Kat admitted.

"Kaaaaat, what did you do? Please don't leave out crucial details like that! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lily exclaimed.

"Well, I mean, at the time, I mostly just thought it was a dream. I was curled up in bed, and I might have even dozed off for a bit when suddenly I was engulfed in all sorts of strange fire," Kat recounted.

"Do you mean you were… in hell?" Lily inquired.

"No, no, it was just fire, and none of it burned, but it felt like some of it *could*? And there were numerous colors swirling around as I passed through at high speed; it was a complete rainbow and then some," Kat explained.

"Okay, okay, keep going, Kat, please," Lily urged.

"Right, okay, so, um, I think there were some words that flashed around me as well, and I think some of the text said something about a bloodline. I don't really remember exactly what else it said. I also seem to recall the text wishing me well at the end, I think. Oh, and something about an awakening of some sorts. But that it didn't happen or something? Look, I was waking up somewhat, and I wasn't really trying to focus at all. I thought I was dreaming, and I was very distracted by the colours. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before until I met the wizard," said Kat.

Lily just sighed. "Kat, please don't say that like it's completely normal. I'm struggling to keep all this straight in my head already, and it's only so easy to believe you because you're my friend… and the tail is very distracting, so I can't forget that either."

"Sorry, sorry," Kat sat down next to her friend and continued speaking, all the while slowly moving her tail behind Lily.

"So, after the flames all died away, I was standing in a room with two guys. Now, to be honest, I didn't notice at first because the room was stacked with books, and I mean stacks floor to ceiling bookshelves, and the place was at least ten metres tall. You'd have loved it. Anyway, after the old dude started yelling, I started paying more attention to what was going on. So, there was a funny circle around me and the younger one, let's call him Apprentice, telling him to cancel the summoning, and how clearly everything had gone wrong," said Kat.

"Well, to cut the story a bit short, it turns out the spell was supposed to summon a weak demon with a calm temperament. And I'm not sure how they measure the strength of a demon, but I doubt I'm that strong if wizards can pull people across dimensions. Anyway, like I was saying, they thought the spell had fucked up because I didn't have any demonic features at all, and that is supposed to take a very, very high level of power, which obviously I don't have. Anyway, the Apprentice got all pale at that and did some long chant to send me back," Kat finished just as she got her tail to circle around Lily.

"Eeep, dammit Kat, don't do that," Lily looked at her friend with a pout. "Aw, come here, it wasn't that bad," Kat said, giving her friend a hug. "So, what can you tell me?"

Leaning into Kat's hug, Lily replied, "Right, so the important thing might actually be the text you were talking about. It seems like for whatever reason, over the next however long, you are going to turn into a demon. I don't know what that means, really. Maybe nothing, maybe you will become a different person. I just don't know. What I do know is that magic is real, and you likely have to deal with it. Demons are supposed to be summoned routinely, so my best guess is that sometime soon you will be summoned again. If nothing else weird happens before next Saturday, we can re-evaluate that, but I have no reason to think this will be the only time. Honestly, Kat, I'm somewhat at a loss. I don't know how I can help you here."

Kat leaned in and hugged her friend close. "Honestly, this has helped a lot already. I don't normally get this flustered about things like this, but you also don't normally wake up with a tail, so who knows. I guess the only question now is what to do when I'm changing for gym class…"

"Kat, we don't have gym till next week," Lily replied.

"Oh, welp, then it's not my problem. Do you want to do a bit more research together before I have to sneak out to avoid your parents?" Kat said.

Lily looked like she wanted to contradict Kat, that her parents weren't that bad, but Lily's parents did like to go out of their way to make her uncomfortable. And so, they spent the next few hours doing research, uncovering little of note before it was time for Kat to leave.

"Oh, one more thing. I'm probably going to tell Sylvie about this. She somehow managed to figure out something was wrong already, and I can't resist those eyes of hers. Maybe she's the one with bewitching powers," said Kat.

"Look, it's not my business who you tell, and I don't think it will be an issue to tell Sylvie from what I know of her, but be careful," Lily said. "The school isn't that religious considering its name, but you have a real, honest to god tail, Kat. Who knows what they'll do."

"I know, Lily. I know."

A swift journey back and a hurried meal later, Kat commenced her weekend cleaning duties. Every Saturday, the orphanage required all residents to tidy their personal spaces and the dining area. Officially, the three designated stooges were meant to oversee this, but this system was clearly non-operational. Instead, Kat continued to spearhead the cleaning efforts, tidying her own room first. She then gathered everyone, instructed them to tidy up, distributed cleaning supplies, and dedicated her time to assisting the younger children while also cleaning the dining hall herself.

Technically, the eldest resident was task-assigned with orphanage cleaning oversight; this had been the established norm. For the past six months, Gramps had been nudging the trio—Sarah, John, and David—towards taking charge. They consistently argued that Kat, as the actual oldest, should still be leading, but Gramps intervened, stating she had fulfilled these duties for an unparalleled seven years and that it was no longer her sole responsibility. At least, that was Gramps's perspective. The reality painted a different picture. Kat remained the one diligently wiping down the tables in the mess hall. *If this demon summoning business becomes too time-consuming, I'll have to compel those three to actually fulfill their dammed responsibilities. For the present, an uneasy truce exists among those three, Gramps, and myself. I still handle the bulk of the work, but any errors will be on their heads, not mine. They need to fully assume control soon. Hopefully, they can get their act together quickly.*

Following the cleaning, Kat had her evening meal with Sylvie. She reassured the young girl that by tomorrow, she would explain everything, simply needing to be asked. While this seemed to placate Sylvie, it didn't entirely quell the girl's curiosity. Sylvie occasionally cast furtive glances at Kat, as if hoping Kat's troubles would suddenly become overtly apparent to her. Ascending the stairs to shower, Kat resolved to retire early. *I genuinely require the rest. Apparently, I was summoned away last night to some unknown location, and after all this cleaning, frankly, I could use the extra sleep.* A quick shower and change of clothes later, Kat found herself succumbing to sleep, harboring the hope that the following day would prove less exhausting.