The Chimera Summoner – Ch 21 – Jennie’s new move

Ch 21- part 2!

“A catalyst!” Jennie gasped.

She snatched up the fist sized sphere and inspected it closely.

I peered over her shoulder, heart hammering.

“I don't recognize it. You?” I inquired.

Jennie shook her head, passing me the swirling grey ball to hold.

It was heavy for its size. Dense. I could feel the magic it was humming with. My own magic swelling up to meet it, eagerly–ravenously.

“I know an identification ritual.” Lorna announced.

Jennie and I turned to her in disbelief.

“You can do ritual magic?!” Jennie demanded.

“Any sentient being of magic may become versed in the rudiments of the craft.” Lorna said dismissively.

“But you're a Familiar!” Jennie spluttered.

“Yes.” Lorna agreed.

“You can't do rituals! That would be way overpowered?!” Jennie waved her hands like she was trying to get Lorna to stop waving around a sword.

“I am a utility centric familiar.” Lorna’s tone implied a shrug. “May I perform the identification ritual?”

“You’re SO Cool!” I said, awed.

Lorna favored me with a warm smile. “Why thank you, Eir. I hope to continue to serve you well.”

She raised her hands and began drawing icy lines of magic in the air. Gradually, she formed an intricate web, filled it with her mana, and in a moment, she was holding a magical lens. She focused it on the Catalyst in my hands and peered through, curiously.

“A Catalyst of Shadows.” Lorna announced.

The more specific or esoteric the catalyst, the rarer it would be. An elemental catalyst was generally of the lowest rarity, along with common weapon related Catalysts like Cutting and Piercing, and so on. However…!

“That sounds perfect for you!” I turned enthusiastically to Jennie.

The rogue had a reluctant expression on her face.

I frowned. “You don't think so?! I’d have thought with your Class…?”

Jennie shook her head. “No, I mean. It’s perfect. And I have plenty of slots open. I haven't used any, yet. Just.”

“Just what?” I asked impatiently. “You can't tell me shadows wasn't on your short list for your level eighty plan. And don't try to convince me you don't have a list.”

Why wasn't the dang girl excited about this?? I was jealous! But there was no question of me taking it, when it was so obviously perfect for her. For a rogue archetype, a shadow Catalyst would probably be a sweet upgrade to any of her Skills. If she used it on her stealth skill with it, she might be able to re-appear in her target's shadow, or cloak herself in shadows to reduce her weight, or become a giant vortex of shadows that consumed all light suffocating our enemies in the void.

Probably not that last one. At least, not until we Leveled up a LOT.

But in principle!

For my own Class, I had no idea.  On my Familiar Bond, maybe everyone would get some kind of stealth ability? Or on Chimeric Assimilation, maybe all of the borrowed Skills would take on a shadow-y subtheme? It was hard to predict. My Class was so weird, and all of my Skills were so damned complicated...  Best case would probably be some kind of buff that I could apply to an ally, but that was a long shot, with a common Catalyst. I couldn't even conceptualize what might happen if I put a shadow Catalyst on my healing Skill.

But for Jennie, all the possibilities seemed right in line with what she did. And that was what selecting Catalysts was all about.

Jennie seemed inexplicably upset.

“What!?” I asked, feeling exasperated. “If you don't want it, just say, and we can just sell it. Gods know that would be great for me! Ha! It's not like I get a cut if you use it.”

I planted my fists on my hips and snorted, baffled by Jennie’s increasing discomfort.

“If I may?” Lorna’s careful, diplomatic tone froze me.

“What did I do?!” I asked, slightly petulantly.

I felt like Jennie was the lucky one here. Yet I sensed a reprimand coming.

“Please correct me, Miss Jennie,” Lorna spoke calmly and deliberately. “But I believe that her discomfort and hesitation stem from the very unfairness that you, Eir, have just pointed out. It would be better for you, if you both chose to sell this loot. But it would be tremendously advantageous for her to take and use it.”

Jennie shrugged, adjusting her glasses repeatedly.

“Obviously.” She muttered to the floor.

I chewed on that.

“But I said she could have it?” I shook my head in confusion. “I said you should take it, immediately. Right?”

Jennie nodded, but looked no happier.

“Then what's the problem?” I asked, feeling helpless. “This should be a huge win?”

Lucy squeezed my hand. I looked, but she didn't have anything to say. She was just expressing her support and solidarity. I squeezed her back. I hadn't realized I needed to feel like someone was on my side, just then. But she had.

We waited. And in time Jennie got it out. “The problem is, I am not a long-term relationship for you. For any of you.”

I blinked. Lorna gave me a tiny brush with her fingers and I felt a calming presence flow down our bond. I breathed.

“Help me understand how that relates to you taking this catalyst.” I said.

Jennie squirmed and blurted, “Because in a normal party, you'd reap the benefits of making me stronger. Over time, the investment would pay off. A bazillion fold, probably. But I'm just filling in for your future familiars. So when I'm gone, you'll just have missed out on all this value. So we have to sell it. It just sucks. But it's fine. I'll get one eventually.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You aren't going to just find another. There are how many zillion kinds of catalyst? And they're how rare a drop? This is probably the only one you'll ever loot, while we are in school.”

Jennie shrugged. “I'll buy one. It's a common variant.”

My eyes bugged. Buying one from the school store would be MANY times more expensive, in exchange for their having a wide selection. And even then, there was no guarantee.

I shook my head feeling helpless. Lucy nudged me. She had an expectant, encouraging look. But I couldn't feel what she wanted. She and Lorna both looked like they were waiting for me to get an answer that was right before my eyes.

Silently, I tried my best to signal that I did not understand.

Lucy, was radiating her love to me down the bond, and oddly, also her love for Jennie. I didn't understand what that had to do with … ah.

I'm an idiot.

I sent them a burst of gratitude.

An idiot. But I can be led to water. By my big dumb nose.

I walked up and wrapped my arms around Jennie. She startled, but let me squeeze her. I tipped her chin up toward me so I could look in her eyes.

“You and us are in a long-term relationship.” I said firmly. “I understand why you thought you weren't, and I should have made myself more clear. So let me be clear now. I am planning to solo the dungeon with my familiars in the future. When I'm ready, and you have found a team that you are happy to join, we may stop Wayfinding together all of the time. That may be weeks or months from now. It may be longer.”

Jennie nodded, dully. Hurt and anger crossed her face. She made to look away but I didn't let her.

“When that happens, we will still be in a relationship.” I said, firmly. “Only our professional relationship will change. Our personal relationship, whatever that ends up being, will continue as long as I'm able to keep you around. Whether that's romantically…”

I let that hang, seeing the mix of hope, confusion, and something else rattle around her face.

“Or as friends.” I finished. “I am hoping for both. For a long, long time. I like you Jennie. And I know that Lucy, for one, is falling for you too.”

Lucy hummed her enthusiastic agreement, getting a deep, happy blush from Jennie.

“I am more than happy to give you this catalyst.” I said. “Your future safety and success are more than enough compensation for me. But if you absoluuuuuuutely feel you have to pay me back for it…?”

Jennie looked up with fierce hope in her eyes. I was giving her an out. I could tell she didn't like feeling like she'd be indebted. And I completely related to that, now that I knew where she was coming from.

“Then you can take me and Lucy out on a date.” I finished smugly.

Lucy clapped her hands to her mouth and looked excitedly back and forth between us all.

Jennie looked suspicious. “A date??” She asked.

“A nice one.” I nodded, laying it on thick. “And I have to warn you, I am far from a cheap date. I'm ordering the most expensive shit on the menu.”

Jennie frowned, a last thread of reluctance holding her back. “I can't pay for a date like that.”

I grinned. “Then you'd better make good use of that catalyst until you can. We’ll wait.”

I booped Jennie on the nose, slapped the catalyst into her hand, spun her around, and gave her a powerful slap on the ass that sent her leaping forward right to Lorna’s feet.

“Lorna, shove that catalyst into her before she can change her mind.” I ordered.

Lorna crossed her arms behind her back in what I was beginning to identify as her favored resting position. “She has not yet agreed.”

Jennie glared, rubbing her (presumably stinging) ass cheek.

“Fine. One date. Fancy.” She extended a hand. I shook it. Lucy followed, adding a sloppy, open-lip, tongue lashing smooch on top.

Within a matter of minutes, Lorna had performed a second ritual, and the Catalyst unraveled like a ball of yarn and wove itself into Jennie’s very soul.

Jennie panted with exhilaration. She grinned wide and flexed her hands. I saw her gaze go distant as she checked her Animus.

I held my breath.

Lucy was hopping excitedly from foot to foot, pumping her fists. I could tell she wanted to interrogate Jennie, but was holding herself back with self control that I made sure to send her lots of approval for. She REALLY wanted to ask.

Catalysts improved skills by adding their respective aspects to them. They could add additional passives, or even add whole features. They were the primary means of customizing one’s Class, but they were also profoundly unpredictable. Worst case, the effect could be relinquished, and the Skill returned to its previous state. But then the Catalyst would simply be lost.

I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. We weren’t the kind of rich that could afford to cycle through Catalysts until the preferred result was found. At least, not yet.

But what Jennie may have acquired, or even what skill she'd catalyzed were known only to her. Lorna, who'd conducted the ritual, had not even gleaned more than a glimpse, and she was not sharing.

Jennie’s eyes popped open and she drew her daggers. With a flick of her wrists, dark miasma formed over the long knives, settling into a razor thin distortion around the blades that was both sinister and oddly made the blades sort of difficult to look at.

“Let's go kill some monsters.” She gasped.