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

— Kat —

Things didn’t get crazy immediately. It was agreed by everyone to that waiting for Corela to wake up was best… but once she did? Things got crazy quickly. See, Corela might’ve needed some sleep, but not all that much. She was up by dinner time and was ready to get back to work when that bomb was dropped on her. “Did you know?” asked Corela.

Kat, Kamiko and Lily all shook their heads, “No we didn’t,”

“Did Meg help you plan your little prank?” asked Corela.

“Nope!” yelled Meg from across the room. “Great timing though!”

Corela growled. Everyone else was awake and even though nobody had said anything the room was practically bubbling with energy. “Fine,” spat Corela before she obviously got to work. Quickly handing Brella some instructions and sending the other woman off. Kat wasn’t paying too much attention to her though, instead she was taking in the rest of the hall.

Brook and Church were had slapped down a bunch of lists, the ‘must haves’ the ‘wants’ and the ‘would be nice’ and were quickly trying to work out what from the second two lists they could pawn off onto others. The workout crew was just sort of nearby… watching. They had everything more or less planned out, an agreement with Church and Brook, and planned to keep everyone honest.

Sephy made the first big declaration. “I’m going,”

Sephy was staring down at her two friends from the place she’d stood up. “I’m going to start working out what I need to leave. What seeds I can take, and then go from there. I’ll be happy to have any of you with me but I AM leaving. If you guys aren’t? I’ll just hang out with Pip until I find my own footing,”

Sephy left at that point and Fonze let out a long sigh. Strek gave him a few pats on the back but Fonze just glared at him in response. Ben’s group was of course arguing but nothing useful was coming out of that. Oh, and Hunter was standing around in the corner.

Kat nearly missed her, and a few moments after Kat had consciously registered her presence, she disappeared again… but she was there for at least a bit.

“It’ll be ok mate,” said Strek.

“I’m not sure it will be,” said Fonze.

Strek shrugged, “Eh, Sephy’s put her foot down and we’re all going to leave now. You might stay annoyed at her for a while, you might stay annoyed at her for the rest of your life… but you will leave with her which means I’m coming along too of course,”

“What makes you so certain?” growled Fonze. “I’ve been pretty against leaving so far,”

“Yeah, but that’s just because you’re scared. Don’t like the change, don’t want to leave… but you were always trying to convince Sephy,” said Strek.

“Yeah, because you’d have gone along with me! You know I’m right and you weren’t going to fight it. So I didn’t need to convince you!” grumbled Fonze.

Strek shrugged, “I wouldn’t say you were right. Not saying you’re wrong either… but I was going to go with whoever one the argument,”

“Yeah? And that’s Sephy apparently? She just gets to declare what she wants and now all of a sudden she’s in the right?” asked Fonze.

Strek shrugged. He was doing that a lot Kat noticed, and wondered if she should intervene… but quickly decided against it. Of course, with nothing else to do really Kat decided to just pick an empty table and sit down. Act like the workout crew and help keep an eye out for any violence.

“Look Fonze. We’ve followed Sephy around for years at this point. Sure you’ve convinced her of stuff before, but we’ve always been followers. Sometimes you’re more of a right-hand man sure… but followers all the same. If we had more time maybe things would be different but it’s too late now. Or are you telling me you’re still planning to stay here?” asked Strek.

Fonze tapped his hand on the table, scowl firmly fixed across his face. “You’re not wrong but I don’t have to like it! Why are you even saying this now!”

“Because you were going to be pissy about this for the next few days and then change your mind at the last second and forget something. You brood Fonze. It’s happened before and I’m sure it’ll happen again… but I need you to frontload that so you don’t make any mistakes,” said Strek.

“I thought you were meant to be neutral dammit,” growled Fonze.

“I AM neutral. But Sephy made it clear she’s not changing her mind now… so…” Strek left off with a shrug.

Kat let out a small hum as the argument trailed off. She wondered how true the things Strek was saying were. Or how true he believed them to be. Perhaps Strek wasn’t lying… but that didn’t mean he was being completely honest either. If Kat was forced to guess? This was Strek’s way of keeping the group together.

Sephy’s mind probably couldn’t be changed… but perhaps Fonze would’ve stayed and split the group.

*Now… do I want to mention my thoughts to someone?*

[Probably best not to. Meg would use it to cause more problems and I thought the idea was not to push people into staying or going?]

*Yeah it just… feels weird to see a friend manipulate another friend like that. Sure Meg does stuff like that on the regular but we don’t think of her as a friend so it’s different? I guess?*

[I think that sort of thing is more normal then not right? Like… you know your friends well enough to say the right thing and get them to do what you want without just saying it.]

*But isn’t it better to just ask?*

[That doesn’t always work though.]

*Right… but I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.*

[Really? We did something similar with Kamiko, letting her bring her own issues up without asking about them. Just ensuring that it could happen.]

Kat could tell Lily wasn’t mad or anything, it was more of an idle thought on her part. Not even something she was entirely sure about herself. Still… it did make Kat think. *Hmm… I feel like it’s different. I can see the argument both ways.

‘We did it for her own good’ and ‘well so did he’… but I think the difference is Kamiko probably knew we were trying, and even if she didn’t I’d have no trouble admitting what we’d done to her face. Not sure Strek would do the same…*

[Eh… I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I can see them relaxing with a beer in like twenty years and having Fonze saying that following them out of the place was the best decision he ever got conned into making.]

*Ok, not saying you’re wrong… but I just feel like there’s a fundamental difference that I can’t properly put into words. Still… you think Strek was actually trying to force the issue without seemingly like he was? Or just getting it out of the way?*

[We don’t know them so it’s honestly hard to say. I mean… I could see it going either way. At the very least he isn’t trying to break up his friend group so I can give him some props for that. If it was Meg I could see her baiting someone into staying behind so she would end up having ‘Sephy’ all to herself.]

*Yeah that’s a point in his favour I guess. You think something like that will happen to the Ben group?* Kat glanced over at the still arguing group. It was… honestly hard to work out what was going on there. They were all talking over each other and Kat wasn’t sure if they were even bothering to listen to what the other members of the group was saying. Sloane was the only one staying out of it.

[I don’t think even the Ben group knows what’s going to happen to the Ben group. The only thing I’m certain of is that Ben and Sloane will stick together during the crisis… and even as I say that I feel less and less confident. Still, seems the most likely thing. Not sure if they’re staying or going… but it’s the most likely thing. In other news, what do you think Brella is up to?]

*Not sure… we’ve missed the chance to follow her and while I am curious about what it might be we can always ask when she gets back. She didn’t… seem upset? If anything she seemed somewhat determined but not like… super determined? Happy to have a task I guess? I wonder if it was important?*

[We can ask her when she gets back?]

*Sounds good. Though… do we really want to stick around all the arguing?*

[Yes. We need to make sure it stays at the arguing level.]

*Praise be to calm aura I suppose.*