D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2250 A Quiet Walk

--- Kat ---

"Now I have a few things to go over, especially with Appoline, but if you wish you’re free to head off Kat," Steel said inclining his head towards Kat as he said this.

Kat shrugged but noticed through Lily’s eyes that Appoline was glaring slightly at Steel for the suggestion... so Kat assumed she was meant to stick around. Shrugging Kat said aloud, "I’ll just hang around I think. I’m not in a rush and I trust Hedera to hold down the fort a little longer."

Steel shrugged, "Alright, in that case, Appoline I’d like to ask some questions about the plants you found and what potential they have for potions..."

Appoline sighed, "Alright but what to I get from it?"

Steel shrugged again, "What do you want?"

Appoline rubbed at her chin for a few moments, pretending she had a long beard. Something Kat wasn’t even sure elves could grow... "I want permission to build a new lab, and I want it fortified."

"That’s a bit much for a single report," Steel countered. "While I do respect your expertise, and there’s a reason I asked you instead of waiting for someone else to check it out... you’re asking for a lot there."

"Fine, how about the land and zoning rights, because I’m certainly not getting caught in that trap again. Then we can make a separate deal for the defences later," offered Appoline.

Steel nodded, "That... there might need to be a few more concessions for that but I’m fine accepting it as a starting point."

"Fine, there are enough witnesses for it I guess. So this is what I found..." Kat started top zone out as Appoline explained the various plants she found and what they could be used for. Kat had assumed this wouldn’t be something that took all that long, but apparently Appoline wanted to be thorough. She requested a whole fresh notebook and started to write down the plants and what they could be used for...

Which was a lot, something Appoline was happy to be a bit passive aggressive about. Nearly every plant could be used for a healing potion, and she even explained what other ingredients you’d need to make the best healing potion with it. Then there were the more individualistic and specific potions that they could each make, but Kat found herself not really paying attention after the first few.

There was a LOT of plants in that room and Kat was quite sure she’d never see most of them again. Heck, some of the plants listed were just slight variations on it each other that had unique enough properties from how they were grown. Appoline didn’t write one entry with addendums, she gave each and every single instance of that sort of thing an entire extra page.

The warders started to look annoyed at the fact they were still here for this... but eventually they all just went back to eating as Appoline continued on.

When she finally finished and handed the notebook over, Steel just sighed and thanked her for the information before informing her she was free to go. Appoline wasted no time in getting up, though she did grab one of the plates along the way. Kat shrugged and followed along, waving to Steel as she left. The headed back up the stairs and opened the door with the much more obvious button in the wall.

Once they were outside, Kat gave it a few blocks before asking, "So... what was that about?"

Appoline sighed, "I don’t know if it’s just my past coming back to gnaw at me but I felt rather uncomfortable around Steel for all of today. I don’t know why. The fact that you didn’t react poorly means there’s no illusion over him, and my own dagger should’ve ensured that if it was someone else wearing Steel’s skin he would’ve been revealed, or they I suppose.

"Yet nothing... and I still feel on edge even now. It’s better sure... but I don’t know. I feel like I’ve missed something major, or maybe just that I don’t like how comfortable I’ve gotten working with the head of the guard? Then again, nothing about that was particularly comfortable..." Appoline sighed again while shaking her head. "I just don’t know what it means, not really."

Kat rubbed at her shoulder a bit. "I mean... I wasn’t too uncomfortable until you started to feel worried, and then I was worried because I thought I was missing something... and now... I don’t know? I don’t know. I guess the Brook thing has made me more paranoid but I don’t know how paranoid I should be. I mean, Steel is meant to be quite strong... could they even take him out without making any noise?"

"Part of the past coming back to haunt me thing that I mentioned... is that I’m rather sure that some of the potions I’ve created would be capable of such a thing. Stealthily applying such to Steel while he’s sleeping and that would be the end, or a weaker one could be used to keep him in a coma, perhaps," admitted Appoline.

"Is... that likely?" asked Kat.

Appoline shook her head. "Not really. I didn’t exactly label my potion stores. Do remember it was hidden in a base of thieves. There was no reason to label everything and risk someone coming in and stealing something specific. So robbing me would always be a gamble, and drinking the potion or trying to give it to someone else even more so...

"But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to figure them out, and I’m not sure what the chances are that they’ve identified at least some of them. Plus, it’s not like my love of poisons is a secret. While it’s true it would be a gamble... it’s a safe guess to assume that most of what I made are poisons is it not?"

Kat ran her fingers through Lily’s fur trying to think of what to say in response. On the one hand, Appoline had said that it wasn’t, that it was likely nothing was wrong... and then gave a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why it MIGHT have happened anyway. So maybe Kat could dig into that. "So... why exactly do you think it’s unlikely if the chance they grabbed a poison is high?"

"Well do remember, the potion works best if Steel is kept alive. The number of poisons I have that can incapacitate someone like Steel is honestly rather small compared to the size of my collection, the number of potions that can do so swiftly and quietly is even smaller, and the number that can do so, while not killing him... I can only think of maybe three, and I had THOUSANDS of potion bottles. The idea they could get the correct one, test it without wasting it, use it the same day because they’d have to open the bottle to test it... and still not cause a scene? It just doesn’t seem likely.

"Especially because I showed it wasn’t a disguise. I just... I still feel uneasy. I don’t know. Maybe you were right about the potion stockpile thing, or maybe it was being underground like that. The research base felt... a bit more like home I guess. Do remember I lived underground for a like time... but getting escorted by the guards down into a small basement like that? Perhaps that’s what set me off?"

Kat shrugged, "Well... do you want me to use my calming aura NOW and see how you feel about it after a few minutes under that?"

Appoline nodded, "You do have that, right. Go ahead. At the very least I want to see what it feels like. Might be helpful for making potions intended to calm people without putting them to sleep. To the best of my knowledge they don’t really exist. Just potions that fail at putting people to sleep instead of something truly calming..."

Kat had aura started to surround Appoline with her aura. She was initially careful to exclude Lily, but her girlfriend quickly gave mental permission to cover her as well... and berate Kat for being silly.

Without needing to exclude Lily from the effect it was far simpler to allow it to extend in a clean dome around them. Kat didn’t focus it on any of the passer’s by... but she didn’t restrict it either. Her aura wasn’t so potent to immediately change how they were feeling so the brief few seconds of overlap was fine. At least, Kat wasn’t currently using her aura like that. They continued on towards Steel’s house like this with Appoline looking mostly curious the whole time.

When they were about a street away, Kat asked, "So... how are you feeling now?"

Appoline yawned before answering. "A bit better perhaps... but I still have some worry, even if it’s not eating at me. I’m also getting sleepy. I’d love to stay up... but I think I might NEED a nap so once we get back I’ll head off to do that once we get back."

"Alright, want me to keep my aura up while you do that?" asked Kat. Appoline thought about it... and continued not to answer as they walked.