it's a piece of chalk, actually

[unblinkered]

Parking on the street at Brenda's is full. It's what he gets for showing up for the 7:30 rush, instead of his usual 6AM. He takes the Volvo around to the back parking lot- the one that's not connected to the road, where you have to drive over the curb. It's... probably a parking lot. It's paved, after all. It's on the coffee shop's property. There's no "employee only" signs, anyway. There is, within reason, room to park a car. Maxwell Wax is sure the management will understand, if they even leave their room long enough to notice.

Hm? Who's this? Some kid in a hoodie, smoking a cigarette behind the building. He's standing right in the way of... what looks more or less like a parking spot, off to the side of some graffiti on the ground. He honks at the kid, who panics and drops his cigarette. Wasn't even lit. Did him a favor, in Max's opinion. He knows firsthand how bad those things can mess you up. He watches the kid round a corner, and pulls into the probably-parking-space. 

He hears a snapping sound as he pulls in. Must've run over the cigarette... do cigarettes go "snap"?

In his rearview mirror, he sees nobody standing on top of the graffiti, and then abruptly sees somebody standing on top of the graffiti. There is no transition between these two states.

Comments

[from_scratch]

"Not everybody turns into a daeva when they die, I know that much, most people wind up in Limbo, but I don't know how the sorting works. Demon is what I would have picked, but I don't remember making a decision. I don't think I was bad by any conventional definition. And I would be a bit worried about getting killed if I were you."

[unblinkered]

"...Limbo. That's... I mean, I'm worried about getting killed, sure, but not the same kind of worried I'd be if I hadn't just had the existence of an afterlife confirmed."

He frowns.

"Is Limbo... unpleasant?"

[from_scratch]

"Limbo sounds - disappointing. It's a flat place with air in it, like Fairyland, but there isn't any of the stuff - I am informed that Limboites get stuff when they die and appear there, and they'll take presents from demons when we get concordances, but otherwise it's just dirt and sky going on forever. It's not like it's a disaster if they don't have water or food or whatever - they're just as indestructible as daeva, we can get thirsty but not really as far as parched, same with hunger etcetera - it's just. Boring."

[unblinkered]

"It's got people in it, doesn't it? Hard for anywhere to be boring when there's people. Why else would I keep coming h-"

Wait.

"Wait. Wait. Indestructible?"

[from_scratch]

"Yeah. I can get hurt, just not very much. If you shot me I'd bleed but not break a rib. Kindly don't try it."

[unblinkered]

"And- indestructible generally, or indestructible as in can't die? Is there..."

Today may be a very good day to cancel his health insurance.

[from_scratch]

"Oh, I'm thoroughly immortal, it's pretty great."

[unblinkered]

A grin spreads across his face.

"So... you said you were trying to spread the word on this, right? Before you got shot?"

Max holds out his cell phone. He is very much in favor of secrets being revealed, especially when they are highly convenient secrets that will make his life easier. And if the secrets are not revealed, it seems likely that the current pattern will hold wherein nobody knows what the hell is going on with all this afterlife business.

[from_scratch]

"Yeah. That was the plan. Not my first order of business with the phone, though."

Cam takes the phone and dials and waits.

[unblinkered]

Max opens his car door and retrieves a notepad and pencil from a bag on the floor while Cam makes his call. He peers at the chalk circle and starts copying it down- two halves on separate pages, in case drawing it would actually summon another demon.

[from_scratch]

"Dude, that is not a good circle, it is not safe, I will teach you to do a safe circle later if you want," says Cam, conjuring water to rinse away the chalk. "It's - Dad! Dad don't hang up it's really not a prank I swear to - oh god this is a long story."

[unblinkered]

"HEY! I was-" he sputters, but is swiftly distracted by noticing the water-conjuring. The wings and the sudden appearance had been enough to suspend his disbelief, but the reminder that the demon was telling the truth jars Max somewhat.

Also, he's calling his dad?

[from_scratch]

He appears to be totally calling his dad.

"No, it wasn't - not exactly, but I'm here now - Dad, okay, listen, in case something happens, draw on the garage floor in anything handy, chalk's fine - draw a circle with a gap in the line, big enough to stand in, and around it write legibly these exact words, do you have a pen - okay - I summon the demon, insert my full name, to appear in this circle. And if I don't show up to visit, or if I visit and then I vanish suddenly, draw the gap closed. It's a long long fucking story, I will be there to help with the incredulity thing soon, okay, but do you have those words down? Okay. I need to call Mom, is her phone number the -? Okay. I love you too. I'm so sorry."

[unblinkered]

"First thing you do is call your parents, huh? Number one order of business when you come back to life?"

Max actually thinks that's kind of sweet, he supposes.

[from_scratch]

The demon hangs up. "I died five years ago. I was twenty-two. I've been taking summons since then hoping for a chance to get ahold of them." He dials a different number.

[unblinkered]

While the demon calls- his mom, he assumes- Max checks around the corner where the summoner fled, in case they're still around. There are people in the street, but none in the same outfit- if the summoner is here, they've changed clothes.

[from_scratch]

The demon actually addresses the person who picks up as "Phil". "Hi, Phil, can I talk to Renée? Do I? Huh. Anyway, is she home? It's urgent." And then he says, "Hi Mom."

Renée actually talks loud enough that Max can hear her if he tries. "I - excuse me?"

"This isn't a prank, swear to God, I just called Charlie, too, check with him if you want. Listen, this is such a long, long story but in case something happens - do you have a pen and paper?"

"...I do."

The demon gives her the same instructions about summoning him that he gave to Charlie. "I'm going to find out where I am, I have actually no idea, and see if it's faster to fly to your place or Charlie's, okay? And if I don't show up and I'm not at Charlie's you finish that circle. I'm so sorry about everything, I'm sorry I didn't explain -"

"It's okay, sweetheart - but I don't understand -"

"It's - complicated, but long story short I died and went to Hell but it's okay it's nice there I'm fine I swear and now you know how to get ahold of me if I get sent back before I intend to."

"I - I should call Charlie."

"Yeah, do. And apologize to Phil for me? Thanks."

And thus ends the call to the demon's mom.

[unblinkered]

"So, now what? You said you were working on getting the word out- did you have a plan to do it without getting killed, that... failed, or did that part come as a surprise?"

[from_scratch]

"I had, like - some of a plan. It didn't go well, and I'd still rather not be shot even if it's not such a showstopper, so I want to rethink it some, especially since as a daeva myself I can no longer summon anybody myself and would have to enlist a human to do it. Where are we?"

[unblinkered]

"We're behind Brend- I mean, we're in... New Jersey, edge of Newark. West ward, I think, might be North but they keep redrawing the borders every election season. Gerrymandering, y'know. Any of that relevant?"

[from_scratch]

"New Jersey was all I needed to know, means I'm closer to her house than his and should start out southward."

[unblinkered]

"Now hold up! You said you'd teach me how to make one of those summoning circles- you can't just trash my only reference and leave! Or-"

Wait, no.

"Or- sorry, you probably didn't mean immediately. How long are you planning to stick around?"

[from_scratch]

"It'll take me at least, ugh, half a day, probably more, to fly to Mom's, so a couple hours won't make a difference if you continue to be entertaining. You want a safe demon circle?"

[unblinkered]

"General principles would be more useful than a schematic, unless it's all just specific diagrams you have to memorize. I... suspect it's not as precise as all that if this one was completed by running over a piece of chalk, though."

[from_scratch]

"It's not that precise. You need a circle that is more circular than it is anything else, and I recommend completing that part last. And around the circle you write what you want to get and how they're bound, in whatever language, English works fine. The one I described to my parents will work to summon me, specifically, but if you aren't acquainted with a specific daeva -" Cam gestures at Max's notebook. "There, generic standard-binding circles for whichever daeva types. And safety instructions, do not unbind random daeva you do not know, do not make stupid deals with them."