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

Chapter 1626 Those Old Wheels Start to Turn

--- Kat ---

Things didnʼt 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 mightʼve 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 didnʼt,”

”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 wasnʼt 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 ʼmust havesʼ the ʼwantsʼ and the ʼwould be niceʼ 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. ”Iʼm going,”

Sephy was staring down at her two friends from the place sheʼd stood up. ”Iʼm going to start working out what I need to leave. What seeds I can take, and then go from there. Iʼll be happy to have any of you with me but I AM leaving. If you guys arenʼt? Iʼll 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. Benʼs 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.

”Itʼll be ok mate,” said Strek.

”Iʼm not sure it will be,” said Fonze.

Strek shrugged, ”Eh, Sephyʼs put her foot down and weʼre 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 Iʼm coming along too of course,”

”What makes you so certain?” growled Fonze. ”Iʼve been pretty against leaving so far,”

”Yeah, but thatʼs just because youʼre scared. Donʼt like the change, donʼt want to leave… but you were always trying to convince Sephy,” said Strek.

”Yeah, because youʼd have gone along with me! You know Iʼm right and you werenʼt going to fight it. So I didnʼt need to convince you!” grumbled Fonze.

Strek shrugged, ”I wouldnʼt say you were right. Not saying youʼre wrong either… but I was going to go with whoever one the argument,”

”Yeah? And thatʼs Sephy apparently? She just gets to declare what she wants and now all of a sudden sheʼs 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. Weʼve followed Sephy around for years at this point. Sure youʼve convinced her of stuff before, but weʼve always been followers. Sometimes youʼre more of a right-hand man sure… but followers all the same. If we had more time maybe things would be different but itʼs too late now. Or are you telling me youʼre still planning to stay here?” asked Strek.

Fonze tapped his hand on the table, scowl firmly fixed across his face. ”Youʼre not wrong but I donʼt 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. Itʼs happened before and Iʼm sure itʼll happen again… but I need you to frontload that so you donʼt make any mistakes,” said Strek.

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

”I AM neutral. But Sephy made it clear sheʼs 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 wasnʼt lying… but that didnʼt mean he was being completely honest either. If Kat was forced to guess? This was Strekʼs way of keeping the group together.

Sephyʼs mind probably couldnʼt be changed… but perhaps Fonze wouldʼve 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 donʼt think of her as a friend so itʼs 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 isnʼt it better to just ask?*

[That doesnʼt always work though.]

*Right… but I donʼt think itʼs 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 wasnʼt 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 itʼs different. I can see the argument both ways.

ʼWe did it for her own goodʼ and ʼwell so did heʼ… but I think the difference is Kamiko probably knew we were trying, and even if she didnʼt Iʼd have no trouble admitting what weʼd done to her face. Not sure Strek would do the same…*

[Eh… I wouldnʼt 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 youʼre wrong… but I just feel like thereʼs a fundamental difference that I canʼt 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 donʼt know them so itʼs honestly hard to say. I mean… I could see it going either way. At the very least he isnʼt 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 ʼSephyʼ all to herself.]

*Yeah thatʼs 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 wasnʼt 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 donʼt think even the Ben group knows whatʼs going to happen to the Ben group. The only thing Iʼm 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 theyʼre staying or going… but itʼs the most likely thing. In other news, what do you think Brella is up to?]

*Not sure… weʼve 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 didnʼt… 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.*