trade my soul for a wish

[from_scratch]

This is a successor to "call me maybe", which is getting crowded.

Cam is dipping a grilled cheese sandwich into a bowl of tomato soup when he feels the summons. He goes ahead and grabs it. Doesn't even drop the sandwich.


with Mark (kappa)

with Adanya (Aestrix)

with Sable (kappa)

with Ari (andaisq)

with Metella (kappa)

with Miles (kappa)

with Isabella (Eva)

with Steel (Rockeye)

with Daphne (Maggie)

with Edie (Maggie)

Comments

[sturdycoldsteel]

"In most buildings, at least, yes. The problem is the tanks that supply hot water don't keep themselves hot, they must be kept hot by someone physically visiting and magicking at them, which is moderately annoying."

[from_scratch]

"Right, I can fix that, and insulate the pipes, and if that doesn't do it there can be smaller electrical tanks at more points throughout the building so that the water doesn't have to travel so far. Getting electricity from place to place involves wires. I don't have to gut a building to put wires in the walls because I'm a demon, although it will help if I can get enough access to see what I'm doing."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Well, there's ventilation ducts. Some buildings also have a central column that the main pipes run up and down."

She yawns. "Hm. It's getting late. I wanna show you the farm downstairs and then get some sleep."

[from_scratch]

"Sure. What do you grow here?"

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Mostly a cereal crop rotation. A cycle of corn, wheat, soy can be grown and harvested in ten months if we magically create the perfect growing conditions. Two floors are orchards. One floor grows smaller plots of fresh greens and other small plants on much more complicated cycles, some as short as a month."

She leads him down a stairwell. "This is the temperate orchard. We also have a tropical orchard, a few floors down." It's as bright as midday sun, and as warm and moist as a Mediterranean spring. There are lots of trees- Apple trees, pear trees, cherries, various nuts.

In between the large trees are a few smaller trees, plenty of bushes, and what looks like the occasional carrot, lettuce head, or potato. They make very efficient use of the farmspace. A few people are on hovery patrol routes through the farm, inspecting various plants. One person is picking blueberries with magic.

[from_scratch]

"You know, I might be able to get you better higher-yield seeds and kinds of food you don't have, but I likely can't improve on the setup otherwise without spending a lot of time hanging out on farms personally. I'm very impressed."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"It's good to hear that we're getting things right. There was a food crisis a couple of centuries ago. Growing food with magic has become an art form, since then."

She takes him on a quick tour through a few other floors. The tropical orchard is uncomfortably hot, and the cereal crop floors are boring in comparison.

"Good night, I suppose. You can find me in my office a couple hours after sunrise tomorrow."

[from_scratch]

"Sleep well. I'll go familiarize myself with the city and read things."

[sturdycoldsteel]

The city is substantially quieter and less busy at night. Someone somewhere is making enough light to make main parks and roads bright enough to navigate, but most buildings are completely dark.

In addition to the strongly interconnected paths above ground, there is a network of tunnels connecting cavern-like basements. These only go down a few floors at most. Police patrol the streets, but there is a more run-down 'bad part of town' that gets fewer and more cursory patrols.

A few restaurants and stores are still open. Most of the bars and nightclubs are, too. There are only a dozen in total, it's not really a huge city after all. It'll take only a little searching to find a quiet and relatively isolated nook to read, indoors or out, if he wants to do that.

[from_scratch]

He peeps at a restaurant to see if they have a style of disposable cup he can copy so as not to stand out while drinking lots of coffee. He can always go with the more direct caffeination route if necessary, but he does like coffee.

[sturdycoldsteel]

The only disposable cups anyone uses are made of a breadlike substance that doesn't seem to absorb liquids.

[from_scratch]

What a peculiar substance. But it'll probably hold coffee, right? He makes a breadcup and fills it up and sips as he hunts down a nook.

Yay, a nook.

His computer can go inside a book cover. The glow is pretty faint around the edges and can just look like he's shaping a reading light or something.

[sturdycoldsteel]

A few people passing by give his wings interested or curious looks, but nobody bothers him. After a couple of hours it starts raining.

[from_scratch]

His computer is waterproof but this will make reading a "book" suspicious. He emerges from his nook to see if anyone here has an umbrella so he can just have an umbrella.

[sturdycoldsteel]

Nobody visible from here has umbrellas. Mostly they are keeping to spots that happen to be semi-enclosed so that no rain blows on them.

[from_scratch]

Dang. And he hasn't spotted any plastic either, which means no transparent poncho to tuck his "book" under. He makes a bag, with a strap that goes down between his wings comfortably and looks like innocent canvas on the outside. Stashes computer, its discreet case, and fake book cover. Finishes current cup of coffee, nibbles rim of breadcup. Goes back to wandering the streets, not much minding being rained on.

[sturdycoldsteel]

The rim of the breadcup tastes like salty crackers.

Even more shops and restaurants are dark by now, and the lighting on some of the side streets is shutting off. Slightly chanty-sounding songs spill out of the bars. It turns out that one of the nightclubs does triple business as a brothel and a casino (they give him a job offer).

A few police patrols seem to pay extra attention to him. It's probably just the wings. Someone offers him a 'silver circle' to repair their magic stove. "If ya know how, of course. I just don't want to wait for the utility company to get to me."

[from_scratch]

Cam declines both offers of employment. While he is a very pretty demon he does not think the line of work is for him in any quantity. For the stove: "I don't really specialize in kitchen equipment, sorry."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"It was worth asking. Thanks anyway."



At some point, it stops raining. It's past midnight by then.

[from_scratch]

Cam finds a place to sit, sits on it, and resumes surreptitious reading. When nobody's looking he dries out his hair and clothes with puffs of hot dry air.

[sturdycoldsteel]

He can keep surreptitiously reading until morning.

[from_scratch]

Cool.

When the sun's up he goes to Steel's office.

[sturdycoldsteel]

There is a different receptionist this morning. "Hello sir, what business do you have with the Civil Service today?"

[from_scratch]

"I have some business with Steel."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I'm sorry, sir, but she hasn't come in yet this morning. You can wait in the lobby if you like, or I can take a message for her."