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

--- Kat ---

"So… dreams," said Kat. Various noises of agreement went around the area. "Burgandy has shared her own, and March has mentioned hers to me, but… I guess I'm interested in seeing what you guys think? The specifics I mean," 

"Well is your dream?" asked Burgandy. 

"I'm not sure I have one," said Kat with a sigh. "It's a bit depressing in abstract, but I'm happy with my life. My Contracts give me a nice bit of novelty, and I enjoy what I've built for myself now. Growing up… I didn't really have the chance to wish for me. Or no, that's wrong. I felt like I was where I needed to be. 

"I was helping a number of children at the orphanage I grew up in. I was making a difference in their lives. For a long time that's what I planned to do for… perhaps the rest of my life. I didn't have plans beyond that. I knew that Gramps wouldn't be around forever, and that the place I grew up deserved someone to take care of it… 

"And then I was told that once I turned eighteen I'd be kicked out. Though, now that I think about it Gramps probably could've hired me on a secondary caretaker after I passed a few tests to allow me working so closely with children. Perhaps it was his way of getting me to consider doing more with myself… 

"Then I got thrown into Contracts and found that I really enjoy them. I'm pretty sure it won't keep me entertained forever but it's enough for me, for now at least," Kat finished her speech with a shrug. It was a bit asking for everyone's dreams when she didn't have one herself, but Kat was curious. 

"That's more normal thank you'd imagine… I think," said March awkwardly while trying to be supportive. "I know many children from my village who simply wanted to take up their parents craft. You seem much the same… just with a better chance at greatness then most. I am unsure if you can reach the top with an attitude like that, but I suppose it isn't really your goal," 

"Well I think it's boring," said Marigold. "Sure I've got relatives that don't do anything, or just found a way to lose themselves in either drinking, partying, sex and there's that one cousin who vanished into the wilderness for some reason, but like… it's just boring isn't it? I can't imagine not having a dream," 

"Well, why don't you share then?" asked Kat with a firm glare. 

"Heh, it's not anything grand but it is precious to me. I want my parents to be proud of me," said Marigold as she let Vanya go. It took a bit of work to get out from under the table but once she did she flipped over the couch and continued her speech. "I don't mean the sort of pride that you give to small children, or the type of pride you have for teens that find their way in the world. 

"I want to do something exceptional. I want them to be the sort of proud that makes them cry. I want it to be the sort of thing that goes into the history books. That people tell stories about… I want it to be the sort of thing that will be used as an excuse at every family dinner for the next century!" 

Vanya let out a snort, "Yeah that sounds like you," 

"Hey, I'll have you know. Showing off at family dinners is exceptionally important when you're royalty. I've got to make sure that everyone knows I did that one thing all those years ago and then nothing important since. How else can I show off my status as a princess?" said Marigold with an innocent grin. 

"Rather bold of you Marigold," said March. "A dream such as that will be quite a journey, and I imagine Rank 5 will be the least of your goals," 

Marigold shrugged and said, "Yeah well… I'm assuming that Rank 5 won't be impossible for me. With Ulf as an example I expect my lifespan to be quite significant. With that added to my natural lifespan as an elf, then I should have the time to get there while not worrying quite so much about the loneliness that the human king experienced. Not sure he'll teach me the technique, but I'll have centuries to bug him about it, so it's no true worry," 

*Huh. I wasn't really thinking about it from that angle but March is right. To really just… go out and do something completely spectacular is one thing. To do the same when one of your parents is so powerful is another matter. Marigold has a big dream doesn't she?*

[Yeah she does. Bigger than it seems at first. I guess a lot of dreams are like that.]

"Like you can talk March," snarked Burgandy. 

March chuckled, "Ha, it's not like I've ever hidden my dreams or had any delusions about what I'm signing up for. My mother gave up on her dreams, and perhaps I will too one day. Until then, I'd rather die then give up. So I shall keep working on improving my strength. It's a good, never-ending dream," 

"What about you Vanya?" asked Burnice. 

"What about yourself Burnice?" retorted Vanya. 

Burnice shrugged, "I myself am a bit lost. I think… I think I want pride in myself. Not that I have none… but for so many people the most important feature of me is my scar. Something I got practically as a babe. Apparently nothing I've achieved since has measured up and I think it's rather disappointing. 

"Perhaps I'll acquire grander goals in time… but for now I suppose my dreams are similar to Marigold's in that I wish for people to see me as me, and not a talking scar. Sure my friends aren't like that, but most other people are. I don't want to run from that truth, I want to confront it and I want to BREAK IT," 

"Bit intense there at the end Burnice," said Vanya. 

"Yeah well seems we're all a bit intense sometimes. Now what's YOUR dream?" retorted Burnice. 

Vanya blushed a bit and looked away. "It's a bit silly, and probably never going to happen. I'm not sure I even want it to…" 

"Well?" said Marigold as she hopped back onto the couch. "You can't just leave it at that," 

Vanya glared at Marigold for a moment before grinning. "I want to serve a queen, but I don't want it to be anyone, I want it to be YOU. I want to stand behind you as you take Auctifer's place on the throne," 

Marigold choked a bit, "Wait what?" 

"You heard me," insisted Vanya. 

"Wait but I'm not the heir and I've never tried to be," said Marigold. 

"I know, that's why I'm not really pushing it," said Vanya with a shrug. "It's just something I used to dream of when I was a child. I haven't entirely given up on it… but I'm not sure it's really what I want either. I can't imagine you happy as a queen, and I much prefer you when you're happy to when you're just going along with what I want," 

"Bah, I'm a bit of a masochist, I can deal with the pain," retorted Marigold. 

"Of course you can, but it's the apathy that I'd worry about," said Vanya. 

Marigold winced and nodded towards Vanya, conceding the point before turning to everyone, "Well there you go, she's shared now, what about the rest of you?" 

Lily looked over at Burgandy who glared back, "Hey I was already pretty clear about what I wanted before don't look at me," 

"Fine, I guess that just leaves me. I mean… for a long time my dream was just to live quietly with a girl called Stella, then after some… recovery time I had that wish again but with Kat instead, and now… I don't really know. I want to go into research and learn a whole bunch of things… but the world feels so big to me now, I'm not really sure where I'd draw the limit… 

"And I don't think just saying 'I want to learn everything' would be accurate. I never could get myself interested in everything after all despite my love of research. So I guess… I don't really know what I want all that much either. I want to travel with Kat, I want to learn more magic, I want to gain power… but I don't really know what I want to do with any of it, or where I want to stop, just that the answer is somewhere before infinity I suppose," 

Kat snickered, "Ah yes, just a minor target, something shy of infinity," 

Lily puffed out her cheeks and glared at Kat. It was adorable and Kat couldn't help but give them a poke. Lily just kept glaring… until she broke into her own laughter.