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

--- Kat ---

Kat and Lily ended up enjoying the crystals all the way up until the morning. Kat had collected a few secondary ideas for date spots in case this one wasn't as good as she'd heard or they were just interested in moving on. Kat didn't really consider it a great loss, though Lily was curious because she could sort of see the box in Kat's mind they were hidden in. It was a weird feeling…

Like Kat wasn't actively keeping her from learning the information. Lily could tell that if she poked the box hard enough she'd get that information but it wasn't completely automatic like it was with other bits of information Lily could go looking for. So on their way back to the accommodations Lily asked, "So what's with the box of half hidden ideas? I don't really mind… but didn't you want to share more things with each other?"

"I did… but I also think this might be abetter way to share more. See, in this case I was inspired by the… other box," Lily shuddered knowing what box Kat was talking about, she had the same one after all. Damn Vivian. "Yeah… that one. See… we both know it's there but neither of us really interact with it. So I was wondering if I could make a box that was closed only for you…

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"But I didn't want to lock it completely because the point isn't to lock you out, it's just to make it so that you don't simply know what I'm thinking about in that specific case. I'm sort of hoping I can figure out how to make a similar box for pain so that it doesn't flood the link whenever I've done something stupid,"

Lily let out a long sigh. "Well as long as you don't use it as an excuse to do more dumb shit I suppose I can live with it. Are you trying to make it automatic or just… a toggle I guess?"

"Not sure," said Kat with a shrug. "I wasn't even sure the hidden date locations box would work. It seems to have, I mean, can you pick up the other places I found out about?"

Lily shook her head as she leaned into Kat's side. "No. I can… sort of get a sense of… how many there are? Or maybe like… how much stuff is in the box? It's a really odd feeling. I'm also quite sure that I can open it if I think at it too hard which… I'm not sure if that's ideal? Like… I think I could accidentally open it if I just… wanted to know the answer enough,"

"No, no it's not. Or at least, I see it as different. What I mean is… there doesn't need to be any intention there? Like regardless of my decision to open the box or not… simply WANTING to open the box too much would open it I think? I mean it's not really a box… but it is? How did you make it anyway?" asked Lily.

"Eh… well I'm basically just constantly imagining that I have those ideas stuck in a box. Like it's taking a bit of mental effort to constant keep it up unlike the one with the… other memories. It seems to have accepted the fact that it's not to be disturbed. This one though… I can tell if I stopped concentrating on it that it would unravel? I guess might be the right word?"

"Wait then how did you keep it hidden during out date? Did you keep that up the whole time we were looking at the crystals?" asked Lily.

Kat shook her head, "No I definitely slipped up more than once and let those ideas out into my… I guess 'greater mindscape' or whatever. It just didn't matter because you weren't looking for that information at all. I didn't notice the times I slipped either, just eventually noticed the 'box' wasn't there anymore,"

"Hmm… I see… so what exactly are you looking for?" asked Lily.

"Well… first step I think will be finding a way to… reinforce a box in my mind so that it sticks around without active energy. I'm really not sure how the other one has managed to stick around without issue when this new one doesn't," explained Kat.

"If I had to guess? The issue is that you have no interest in… let's call it the Infohazard box. Or the Hazard box maybe? Right so the Hazard box is something you don't want anything to do with at all. You don't need to reinforce it because most if not all of your mind instinctively flinches away from the contents…

"However the new box… well I'm guessing that you DO want to share it on some level at least. Like, I get that it being a secret is part of the point… but even in that case you want to reveal it to me eventually. So it's harder to keep it 'real' or maybe just 'closed' because you don't want to keep it existing and shut forever or something?" suggested Lily.

Kat thought the information over for a bit and nodded slowly. "I can see that being correct. I'm not sure how we'd test it but I can see it being correct. I'm wondering if I can maybe find some way to manage it with that meditation thing I have with like the water pools. Maybe I can build something there? Not sure how I would exactly but I'm thinking of trying…"

"Wait… so you didn't use that at all for this?" asked Lily.

"Nope. I mean, I didn't use it for the Hazard box either so I didn't think it was necessary… nor something I was thinking about too much. I mean I mostly use it to stay awake while keeping watch not to organise my mind much if at all. Might be another thing to take a class about at some point actually. Maybe ask Kamiko?" said Kat.

"I can see her knowing the general stuff… but what are the chances she uses that same sort of mental technique?" returned Lily.

"No idea," admitted Kat with a shrug as they slipped back inside of the little inn they were staying at. Well it was more that there was a restaurant and bar that severed as the 'front' for the rooms that were sort of connected out the back in a separate building. Inside Kat saw that Kamiko and Hunter were set up at one of the tables so they went over.

"Good morning Kat… we um… well I was wondering where you were…" mumbled Kamiko.

"Just out on a late night date. There's a ley line geode around here with really nice looking crystals so we just hung around and starred at them for a while. Though it would be a good memory you know?"

"Oh that sounds lovely," said Kamiko. "I wonder if I'll have time to stop and have a look… Meg left to go ask some questions… so we're sort of waiting for her to get back. I wouldn't want to risk not being here when she's ready to leave,"

Hunter nodded, "While that is something to be avoided such a sight is quite rare indeed. Not often do so many ley lines cross over each other, and usually they do so in the air which is significantly less impactful. It might be worth attempting to persuade Meg to make the short detour. It is a short detour yes?"

*Huh… I guess I was expecting that ley lines were like… an underground thing exclusively but apparently not?* "Um… we were very much meandering over towards those caves while on a date and I think it took like… I want to say maybe forty-five minutes each way?" said Kat as she glanced at Lily for confirmation.

"Hey don't look at me I was pretty distracted at the time. If I had a watch I might be able to tell you but honestly I have no idea," admitted Lily.

"If that's a waling pace," Hunter paused, "or perhaps slower… then I can assume it would be a quicker detour if we moved with purpose. Yes, I do think it will be worth taking the walk… and if I ask 23HX502 she will likely agree. Perhaps ask for compensation… but I think the crystals themselves will be sufficient for her,"

[Not sure I agree that she'll be going for the crystals but I agree that Meg will probably agree to go to a place like that with Hunter if it's her who asks. Might be why she just let us go without issue… though I don't see how she could've found out about it.]

*Well… maybe she knew I found A nice place? Or a couple of them.*

[Oh yeah… what other places were there? Now that we seem to be booked out?]

*Well the next 'best' place I heard about was the underground waterfall… which while nice is something we can see on Earth if we really wanted to. There was also…*

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