Certification

[ask_nicely]

It turns out that Adana's space station is not in Bartalamos' jurisdiction. She wouldn't be inclined to care much, except that means that in her new jurisdiction, she does not have a license. Since she is very much a summoner, and would not like to be an illegal summoner - she will take their test. She's fortunate in the fact that this particular government plays fair with foreigners that have summoner's licenses. She does not have to go through the grueling paperwork process, or wait ages in line, or take a test she knows all of the answers to, anyway.

What she does need to do, though, is demonstrate a capability to summon and bind a daeva, securely. Their definition of secure is different from hers. Theirs involves binding a daeva to two phrases and a task. This isn't the kind of thing Adana likes to do to her summons. It's mean, and it feels like she's reducing them to being less than people. There is one that she knows of that's used to it, at least. She doesn't know if that makes it worse, or better. So she will ask, first.

This circle is quite a bit neater than the last one, and is missing the 'no talking' clause. Calling friendly neighborhood demon, want to get summoned?

Comments

[from_scratch]

"You should definitely consider this an emergency," chirps the other ship.

The comm makes a displeased noise. It's having some trouble making routine pings to other destinations.

Cam's tail is lashing nervously.

[ask_nicely]

What, is this some kind of comm dead zone or -

... Oh. Oh.

Shit.

"Is it the sort of emergency where I start telling you that I have absolutely nothing of value? Because I don't!"

[from_scratch]

"You're a summoner, aren't you?" sings the other ship. "Stick a killswitch in your head where a fairy can't budge it without you bleeding out and an angel can't change it without brain damage and you're suddenly very valuable to whoever knows the deadman code."

The ship is approaching in a leisurely sort of fashion, but they're outfitted in a manner that indicates she won't have much luck trying to outmaneuver them.

[ask_nicely]

Adana goes very still. Her shuttle's tiny, it's got two things for offensive capabilities: jack and shit. If she can't outmaneuver them then she certainly can't - can't fight. Summoners don't get the flashy powers that daevas get, they summon things and do tiny little parlor tricks. Alone she is basically defenseless.

"I have no idea what you're - what you're talking about," she says, voice shaking a little. Damn her inability to lie, that wasn't even remotely convincing.

[from_scratch]

"Adana, sweetie," says the other ship. "You told us your name."

The ship sidles closer.

"Might wanna hang onto something, docking can be tricksy. And don't make a run for it, you wouldn't want me to miss with the clamp and decompress you."

Cam's tail is swishing very insistently.

[ask_nicely]

"Shit," she hisses. Then, she looks at Cam.

There is no way to - relax a binding. It's not possible. It is either on or it is off, there is no in-between once it's been set without dismissing and resummoning. Which she does not have time for. If she removes the binding entirely, then - then Cam can just do - whatever he wants. She's not even sure that he won't kill her if he gets the freedom to do so, let alone not kill other people. He will probably not actually kill her, considering how she has been nice to him, but there is nothing protecting the pilot of the other ship. Adana doesn't want people to die, even when they're - threatening a killswitch in her head.

"M-My brother is - you have absolutely no idea just how badly he will hurt you if you stick a killswitch in me," she says, because she does not want to give away that she has a demon in her shuttle with her that she can unleash at anytime.

'Are you going to kill anyone,' she mouths, desperately to Cam.

[from_scratch]

"I'm going to guess, 'not at all, because, killswitch'," says the other ship. "I mean, assuming he likes you. Does your brother like you? Prepare for dockiiiiing..."

There's a noise as the other ship suctions itself to the little shuttle's door.

Cam can't even nod or shake his head.

[ask_nicely]

"You haven't seen him when he is on a mission, he is - he's scary," she whimpers. It's a terrible argument, she realizes. "He would find a way to make sure you can't activate it."

Adana weighs risk levels, in her head. Definite risk of killswitch, and then whatever she will be forced to do on threat of killswitch, versus letting a demon loose. She doesn't know enough variables, she can't tell if it's worth it or not - how much damage could Cam do to the solar system? Would he be undismissable, would someone have to kill her in order to send him back to Hell? (No. The answer is no. Because she would kill herself before they got to her.)

She's shivering. She doesn't know what to do. "Please don't do this," she begs the other ship.

[from_scratch]

"I said deadman switch, darling, the idea is I don't have to activate it. Prepaaaare for boarding."

There is the noise of forcible door opening.

Cam's tail is going insane and his wings are clenched very tightly to his back.

[ask_nicely]

"Then - then he doesn't have to kill you, but he can - can make you wish you were dead," she hisses, backing away from the door and shoving a bookcase in the way of it and her.

Demon, or killswitch? Demon, or what she will have to do with a killswitch in her? Obviously the ship's captain doesn't have any sort of morals to weigh him down. She doesn't know what she'd be asked to do. She has a few ideas, but she doesn't like any of them. Adana doesn't like letting a demon loose either, not while she's still not completely sure that he won't go on a spree of - terribleness.

[from_scratch]

"I wouldn't recommend anyone who likes you make me particularly unhappy. There's more summoners out there," trills the attacker.

The door falls off its hinges.

"Hi, darling. Aww, you have a demon today too. I knew you'd be useful, not like those uptight summoners who won't touch anything besides fairies and angels even on pain of death."

Cam draws breath fast enough to sound almost like a hiss.

[ask_nicely]

Adana makes a little whimpery sound.

"What - why do you need a demon...?" she whispers, backing away as far as she can go, but it isn't far enough. "What are you going to make me do?"

[from_scratch]

"I have so many ideas," says the visitor lightly. "Let's not spoil the surprise. But whatever you had in mind for this one, it's not finishing its job and you're not getting a chance to hand over whatever you bargained for, so you might as well get rid of it till I give you instructions." She aims her stun gun. "Hands on your head, turn 'round."

Cam's fingernails make a scratching noise on the arm of the chair he is still sitting in.

[ask_nicely]

"He," insists Adana, inanely. "He is a he, I have no fucking idea why people keep calling him an it."

Between the devil (ha) that she does know, and the devil she doesn't, she will take the one she knows the most about. If he starts going rogue she is right there, if she has good reflexes she can maybe put him back in Hell before he does any harm to anyone but her attacker. She does not put her hands on her head, nor does she turn around. What she does do, is look at Cam pleadingly, murmurs quietly, "Please don't kill anyone," and then snaps the binding.

[from_scratch]

"Thank fuck," says Cam, as the surprised attacker is encased in a thick sphere of various layered materials with very small airholes. "I thought you were going to let her - I'm going to go check to see if she was alone -" He stalks into the other ship, tail lashing, wings trailing behind him.

[ask_nicely]

"... Oh thank god," breathes Adana, when the surprised attacker is encased rather than killed. "I was scared you'd - go rogue or - or kill people. You're not going rogue? Right? Please?"

[from_scratch]

"None of that, no," he assures her. The other ship is small enough that his check doesn't take long; the lady was a soloist. "Nobody else in there," he says, stepping back into the little shuttle. "It's okay, you're okay," he murmurs.

[ask_nicely]

She decides to cease standing and sinks to the floor in relief. "... That was fucking terrifying. Fuck is the gag and - super bind a stupid, stupid idea. I should - I should not announce my name to strangers now that I am famous on account of space station," she whimpers in a rush.

[from_scratch]

Cam drops to his knees next to her and hugs her.

"It's okay, you're fine, I got you."

[ask_nicely]

Adana hugs him back, clinging just a bit. "Thank you. For saving me. And for not - using the broken binding as an excuse to go on a rampage."

[from_scratch]

"I don't even like rampages." He strokes her hair. "If you're still spooked you can shoo me and resummon me and I can make you a shuttle that doesn't have its door taken off and go nice and quiet with you to Harmony."

[ask_nicely]

"I'm - I'm less spooked now, because you could have made some chloroform, used it on me before I could react, then drop me in a dungeon ten miles underground with everything I needed to live and you'd have been basically free to do whatever you liked here. The fact that you're not is - nice and non-spooky."

[from_scratch]

"I do try. But if you have unsubstantiated fears to soothe."

[ask_nicely]

"A few, but I am getting over them, the hug helps a lot. Also saving my life, or at least my free will, that helps."

[from_scratch]

"Cool. You do still need me quieted up for your test, though, so at some point you're going to have to dismiss and resummon."