Chapter 413: Elmony's Skills and Philosophy
Kat winced as she thought of the first few days with her tail and all the problems it caused. *Yeah, having a different strength, or just having your body feel completely different to normal causes a lot of issues you'd never think of. *
"I understand the feeling. Before I got used to my tail I nearly fell over a few times. What made it worse was that I had to hide it. So I was fighting my old instincts where my balance was different because I lacked a tail, AND my new instincts because my tail was tied around my waist. It was not a fun time." Said Kat
"Oof, I didn't even consider something like that" said Kamiko "I thought you'd just be used to it all."
Kat shrugged and said. "I sort of was, and sort of wasn't. I had a lot of the instincts to go with the changes in my body but it didn't completely remove my old ones." Kat swished her tail around noticeably. "Forgive the pun but everything has really grown on me. Especially the tail." Kat paused for a moment. "If you don't mind Elmony what are some of the other skills you have?"
Elmony ran her hands along her horns, tracing the outline around an into the centre as she considered the question. Evidently deciding it was fine to speak, Elmony answered with. "Well, the first thing that comes to mind is my false blood. I can generate a good amount of it for only a little bit of energy. It's red unlike my own black blood, but it works well enough for the main use of my eyes.
"Which, as I already mentioned is controlling it. I can move it around, form it into weapons, harden it, and just generally make sure people have a bad time. Did you know throwing blood into peoples' eyes is shockingly effective? I picked that one up really early and it's served me while for a century.
"It doesn't work for other skills though. Coating myself is false blood doesn't make me any stronger. That's why I called it 'false' blood. I can also teleport through blood pools if they are large enough. It's not as cool as it sounds but I have practically no distance limit if I know where both of them are.
"I can make an entrance with my false blood but never an exit. So that also puts a dampener on things. What makes it even worse, is that if any false blood mixes in with normal blood then the whole pool is contaminated and considered 'false' blood by a most of my powers. My strength enhancement is a little nicer. If I get false blood on me it just doesn't count for that part."
"That's actually quite cool." said Kat, "Do your abilities synergise well? I just seem to have a bunch of random ones that don't really connect. Like… how does dream walking, true sight and Succubus regeneration all come together?"
Elmony shrugged and said. "Well, they are all quite rare? That's probably the biggest stand out. Dream walking isn't too rare, but it's uncommon to get so early and as a Succubus. Normally shadows or dream eaters get that sort of thing. It also isn't always dream walking. Dream sight is much more common.
"Um, hmm, let me think… depending on how you dream walk they all seem to be physical things. Like, Kamiko can shoot lasers from her eyes and I can conjure up blood but those aren't really physical abilities so much as they are metaphysical. Your body seems to be getting an upgrade all around really. Maybe you'll get poison nails next? If we are just going off guesses and trends that would be mine."
"That makes a disturbing amount of sense…" mumbled Kamiko. "I can't believe I didn't consider that. Though… Kat doesn't seem like a knucklehead like you. Why would she get so many physical abilities?"
"Hey, I don't only have physical skills. Why am I a knucklehead?" complained Elmony without any real heat.
"Because you joined as a Lust faction bodyguard? Like nobody does that? They just go to Wrath like normal people." Retorted Kamiko.
"Hey, I actually like the people in our faction and want to protect them. Is that so wrong?" stated Elmony with a false put-upon voice.
"Mum's in medical." Said Kamiko as if that won her the argument by itself.
Except it clearly didn't because "Yes and I get assigned to her fairly regularly" was Elmony's response. Kamiko just pouted and they both looked away from each other awkwardly.
*What the heck was that? They don't seem too made about it but… I also feel like they've had this argument before. But it wasn't funny. I don't think they did it just to impart that little piece of information to me. Honestly why they did that song and dance is lost to me. Is it just a sibling thing? Do I need to come up with convoluted scenarios to get along with Sylvie? Nah she can be bought off with hugs, it's fine.*
"So… um, do you have any other non blood related abilities? They are pretty cool but it seems a bit specific." Said Kat
Elmony raised an eyebrow and said. "You don't think True Sight is specific? It may be the best anti-illusion ability you can get but it's not like that comes up all that often. Most of the time it's illusion plus something else, or people just use good old fashioned walls."
Elmony shook her head and continued. "No sorry that was a bit over the line. I'm still a bit hyped from my recent battle so I'm still got a bit of trash talk left in me. Sorry about that. Um... what else do I have. Well, I do have a weird ability which is that I always smell nice.
"It's a bit like how you get to keep your perfect skin that repels dirt. I never got that one, instead I just smell pleasant all the time to whoever is smelling me. I am SO glad it works on my own sense of smell so I don't have to smell the dried blood that ends up on me most of the time.
"Granted I still smell the blood on the floor around me, but false blood is actually better in that regard because it doesn't smell like anything. Or taste like anything, but that part doesn't really come up often.
"Ugh, what else isn't quite standard. Oh, I've got my wings." Elmony pointed to her back. "You can't see them at the moment because mine came in as an ability rather than a physical effect. I can get them to spring out of my back and allow me to fly. The main issue with them is it burns energy constantly to use them."
"I can actually relate a little bit" said Kat, "when I'm in my home dimension I have to constantly use my regen for them to work. I think it's because my energy does something with them to keep my afloat even though they are always there. Anyway, because my home dimension suppresses that I'm not strong enough to use them properly without injuring myself so it takes a bit of energy."
"Kamiko. I changed my mind, your friend probably is a masochist." Said Elmony with a deadpan expression.
Kamiko nodded with mock sadness in her eyes and a grin hidden behind her hand as she tried not to shake too much from the laughter. After a couple of seconds Kamiko took in a deep breath to steady herself before saying. "Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed at that, it's just. Flying around despite breaking your wings over and over again is such a you thing to do Kat. I've realised that somewhat now."
"Glad you've realised that. Still, Elmony" Kat paused her speech to turn and look at the older sibling. "I considered if I was a masochist rather carefully once you mentioned it. I rapidly reached the conclusion that I simply am not. I did wonder what I AM but I couldn't think of anything that came to mind, so I moved on."
"I'll admit, I'm, a little surprised you can deny it" said Elmony "I think we've all been clear enough that you couldn't lie to yourself about it or just not realise. I'm also surprised your so calm about this having not grown up a Succubus."
Kat shrugged. "I mean, there doesn't seem to be anything I'd need to be ashamed of. I'm rather comfortable as myself. I do still think about a particularly frustrating moral conundrum from a recent Contract I was on though."
"Oh. Do tell" said Elmony, her red eyes seeming to light up with intrigue.
"I was on world.... one with Qi-" Kat said but…
"Say no more. They were a bunch of martial arts maniacs weren't they?" interrupted Elmony
"Well, yes but… that's not quite the problem. I found out that crippling them was worse then death. Or that's what people were telling me. I… I'm not sure I agree. I mean can't you come back from crippling? Death is the end so it just seems… like bad practice." Explained Kat.
Elmony tapped her horns. "Well, sort of. It's possible to recover yes, but not realistically and not in a favourable timeline. Those guys like to go out fighting. Even the ones that reach old age. A lot of them have a crazy last minute stand to try and go out like that. I'd kill them personally. A lot of them want nothing more than a good fight and I'm happy to give it to them"
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