Chapter 775

“It ah... didn’t seem like a good idea at the time?” offered Apep awkwardly with a shrug.

“Apep... how long have you had a crush on Zuhra?” asked Kat.

“Um... maybe a year?” said Apep uncertainly.

[Know that feeling]

*Don’t you start that. He isn’t thinking this through.*

[Oh I doubt that. I think he’s overthinking everything like I did. If anything, we should be encouraging him. We have proof it works out eventually when you overthink things.]

*No we don’t. Your impending body transfer cracked what resistance you had causing you to blurt out your confession to me before breaking down sort of. It was super stressful for you and I doubt it was a good idea to supress your feelings for so long.*

.....

[Ah but I managed to snag you FOREVER. If I could go back in time and tell my younger self how well things turned out she wouldn’t believe me. Or if I told her she’ll get the girl if she can manage to suppress her feelings for two-ish years she’d probably laugh at ‘how short’ the timeframe was. Honestly... I’m not sure what I would have done if I actually went away to university. Would I have grown more fond of you, only able to talk occasionally, or would I finally have been able to get over my crush by giving it up for good? Part of me wants to say, no I wouldn’t... but human nature seems to imply I would. What were we talking about?]

*We were discussing Apep’s inability to confide in Jara.*

[Oh right. Guess we just ask if we can chat with her?]

“Apep... would you mind talking about why exactly you haven’t spoken to Jara bout this?” asked Kat first, trying to gauge his response.

“Well... I mean... Zuhra is normally around as well and I don’t want to be overheard... and even if she isn’t there right at that moment, it wouldn’t be weird for her to walk in soon after...” said Apep. Kat raised an eyebrow and stared, hoping to get him to crack and give out more information. It worked. “Ok fine... I just... I don’t really want to tell her. I mean. She’s Zuhra’s friend as well... and I feel like it’d make things awkward...”

Kat sighed, “Well seeing as it was serious enough for you to summon a demon to help sort things out I think we’re past the point of it being ‘a little awkward’. In light of that, is it ok if WE talk to Jara about this?”

Apep glanced around the room as if the myriad wine bottles would hold at least one answer. They didn’t clearly, so he changed to the stone. Alas, the cracks between stone bricks are not known for being talkative either, so he turned to the barrels. Dead wood tells no tales of course so he looked back at Kat and Lily, but they asked the question in the first place. “Do you have to?” said Apep, asking his own question.

“Technically speaking we don’t have to do anything in life, but it is certainly the best course of action I can see at this point,” explained Kat. “We don’t know anything at all about Zuhra’s ex-whatever. We don’t know who she was friends with before that, who her parents were or really ANYTHING of note about Zuhra from what you’ve mentioned,”

“Oh... well I mean, I know her favourite kind of flowers are Jasmines, and that she likes to, for some weird reason, dip certain vegetables in milk when she eats them. Not even sweeten stuff just normal milk. Her favourite food is-” Apep started to ramble before Kat cut him off.

“Apep,” said Kat forcefully, “Not that Zuhra’s likes and dislikes aren’t important in a relationship, but they do not help us find information about her past. We haven’t even seen what she looks like,” Apep’s eyes started to get an odd glow, “so we’ll need to visit for that as well.”

“Oh oh, I can describe her perfectly!” shouted Apep gleefully.

Sadly for him, Kat was prepared to cut that down, “No, it’ll be better to just see her in person,” *and because if you are anything like Lily we’ll have to spend a long time listening to a description that probably won’t help us much.*

[I wish I could say you’re wrong Kat...]

*Hey, I love hearing you talk about my appearance. But that’s just because I like hearing you talk about your passions. It just so happens one of your most prominent passions is ME. I’m fine with that, and even if it’s a little embarrassing to hear sometimes, seeing your whole face light up as you talk makes it more than worth it. The problem however, is that his descriptions probably won’t be that useful for asking after her to other people. I mean, imagine you asking for my whereabouts using only your most... passionate thoughts about me.*

Kat felt deep embarrassment permeating from Lily’s side of the link, [Oh. Oh dear... I... I can imagine in and I wish I couldn’t. Oh I am so glad I was trying to hide the fact I have a crush on you. I can see myself doing something foolish otherwise. Asking if they’d seen ‘the redheaded girl with legs for days’ or something. Probably something a lot more flattering and a lot worse for my sanity honestly.]

*Indeed, and Apep is clearly nervous so he’d start to babble and we’d probably get a bunch of information about details most people would never notice about her. Or at least, that’s the feeling I get about it.*

Lily sent a mental nod of affirmation done the link as Apep tried not to sound whiny asking, “Are you really sure? Isn’t there some other way? Some magical demon powers or something?”

Kat gave an unrepentant shrug, or her attempt at one anyway, “I’m not entirely sure what ability would be required to get that sort of information. If it exists,” *which truth be told it probably does. Maybe something Envy demons have?* “I don’t know of it, and I most certainly do not have the ability to track down such things without asking around. I’m not entirely sure why you haven’t spoken to Jara about this, but maybe it was too risky.

“Well, we’re going to FIND a way to ask Jara about it. I’ll at least agree that going to Zuhra with those kinds of questions or intentions would probably be bad, but I just can’t see anyway to avoid bringing Jara in on this at least a little bit unless we can get that information from her parents, which seems even less likely,”

Apep sighed “I guess it sounds like we don’t really have a choice when you put it that way...”

Kat nodded, “Indeed. Now, the question is how exactly are we going to get to Jara’s?”

Apep noticeably paled at the question. “Um...”

*Oh dear...* “What seems to be the problem?” asked Kat.

“Well... um... I already said I probably can’t go but um... I’m not even sure how we’re going to get you out of here...” said Apep trailing of slowly at the end. Kat made a ‘please continue gesture and he did. Slowly, “Right... um... well... we’re in the wine cellar right now... which is in the basement of the kitchen storeroom. You get here through a hidden button but that’s not really the point... um...

“I’m not entirely sure how to... get you out of the compound itself let alone getting IN to Jara’s... see... a lot of the guards focus on making sure nobody gets IN but there are a few that make sure to watch the inside and make sure a sneaky person isn’t trying to get OUT as well... and while a lot of them are... willing to overlook the fact I snuck into the kitchen... and probably... probably... won’t tell my parents...

“They certainly WOULD tell people about the weird horned girl following me that appeared from nowhere... I mean... the guards are all nice enough... they just... well it IS there jobs after all.... And I mean... you are a Succubus so... some... ideas... might be thrown around. Untrue ones of course... but... um... chances of getting attacked... especially if you get spotted are... um... a little high?”

*Well this isn’t ideal. We need a way to sneak out of here without the guards noticing, and we also need it to be repeatable because we want to break IN to Jara’s place. Have you got any ideas?*

[Not really... I mean, my first idea is to send me ahead to scout? With our link I can act as your eyes and you follow behind me... but... wait what time is it?]

“What time is it Apep?” asked Kat.

“Um... a bit before breakfast?” said Apep.

*Oh come on. We’re going to be stuck here aren’t we...*

[Why?]

*Not you too Lily. If breakfast is soon and this is underneath a storeroom connected to the KITCHEN*

[OH. There will be a bunch of chefs that we don’t want to spot us as well. Yeah... that’s... less than ideal...]