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

[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."

[ask_nicely]

"Yes, but it can wait a little bit." Hugs, damn it, they are important right now. "I felt like such a jerk gagging you and - doing that, if you noticed."

[from_scratch]

"I noticed. It's okay. You are not a jerk." Hugs. Wingful hugs.

[ask_nicely]

"Thank you," she says, pillowing her head on his shoulder. "... What should we do with - with unpleasant killswitch person in a box over there?"

[from_scratch]

"I don't know, you didn't want me to kill her. Do you have some kind of authority you'd like to turn her over to?"

[ask_nicely]

"I guess I could throw her to Harmony's police force along with the comm logs and get her arrested for extortion and possibly murder, it sounded like she's done this before."

[from_scratch]

"Sure," says Cam agreeably. "Are you going to be arrested if you show up with a loose demon?"

[ask_nicely]

"... Yeah, probably. And then people will try to shoot you and it will be unpleasant for everyone involved."

[from_scratch]

"I understand that people will shoot at loose demons but I have never understood it in a tactical sense."

[ask_nicely]

"I think the theory is slowing you down long enough to throw the summoner responsible at you so they - or uh, we - can send you back. Or, if the summoner isn't cooperative, kill them and send you back that way." Wince.