call me maybe

[from_scratch]

Cam is out flying. There's a decent cloud of atmosphere around the gold plane, now, millenia of demons making air around themselves for comfort and not sealing it up because why would you bother. There's a small forest, here - the effect is kind of ruined by the lamps it has to grow under, but it's still pretty.

He feels an open summons and lets it grab him -

with the Joker (kappa)

with Ripper (kappa)

with Darren (Aestrix)

with Minus (kappa)

with Emma (Marri)

with Facility 3141592 (armokGoB)

with the admin (kappa)

with Jarvis (kappa, Aestrix)

with Miles (kappa)

with Hank (Nemo)

Comments

[from_scratch]

"...I can make those things. I can also make medical technology from the year 2159."

[marrinikari]

Professor Reed returns from the corner of the classroom and puts her cell phone away. "Dean Fisher apparently needs to consult with Dean Hopkins before giving you anything official, but more of a 'setting price' sort of way then 'granting approval'. I suspect you will have an offer of a subsidized university apartment and a grocery list in a few hours. If you're interested."

She has clearly caught no part of their previous conversation, or the aforementioned grocery list might start looking very different.

[marrinikari]

Emma had started to say something in excitement, but pauses at the reminder of how Cam will be trading for his apartment. "I- I mean, it would be so, so wonderful, if you could come to the hospital with me, I have work tomorrow, and anything you could make, but they just... I don't know how much they can pay you?"

[from_scratch]

"I'd actually rather make myself a house, if there's someplace to put it," Cam mentions. "I don't think student housing is known for being luxurious. Somebody else can have the house when I'm done with it. As for coming with you to the hospital, yes, sure. If you have any amputees I can be extra useful for them." He stretches a wing illustratively. "Tech alone can't even do that in 2159 but demons can."

[marrinikari]

"Leaving aside the question of the state of the dorms," Professor Reed says with a slight smile, "the university apartments are actually separate. They're intended more for people such as visiting faculty, and are reasonably nice." She shrugs. "You are of course more than welcome to make a house instead if that's your preference, but if you're planning projects with Emma nearby anyway the apartment might be a useful backup. And you may want the university's help with finicky bureaucratic details either way."

As the end of lecture approaches, a few of the more nervous looking students have started to drift out of the room. Noticing their departure, Professor Reed checks her watch and groans. "Class is well over by now. Everyone, I assume you have somewhere to be?"

"Dude, there is an actual real live demon here," someone in the group objects. "There is so nowhere else to be right now. This is awesome!"

"I am glad you find this 'awesome', Ms. Dunn," Professor Reed says tiredly. "However. This is not a circus, Cam is not an exhibit, and I'm sure you have admittedly less entertaining classes which do need to be attended." This disperses most of the remaining students, albeit with grumbles, with the exception of Emma and Jenny.

"Cam, do you have an immediate plan? Dean Fisher expressed interest in meeting you, if you have any desire to discuss your options with someone actually empowered to do anything on behalf of the university." She smiles. "On the other hand, if you plan to go in search of amputees, I would appreciate a chance to watch. I will admit to some scientific curiosity about your abilities."

[marrinikari]

"That is so cool," Jenny says excitedly, looking at his wings. "There's a VA hospital nearby, isn't there Ems? I bet they'd have people!"

[marrinikari]

"Name's still Emma," Emma says automatically. She looks over Cam's wings consideringly. "I think- it might be a better place to start than the hospital?" she suggests hesitantly. "Unless you have ideas how to get the hospital to take your stuff? I mean, drug safety laws exist, they don't cease to apply just because you can break the laws of physics."

[from_scratch]

"Oh, medical regulations that don't have exceptions written in for demons, I haven't missed those and have no idea how to deal with them because my summoners have in the past always been managing that for me when they applied at all. Grand. I'll start with the apartment, anyway, I don't expect to get less able to make houses over time. I am fine with meeting Dean Fisher, but the 'on behalf of the university' part has me wondering if the university is going to get awkwardly proprietary over me. I am not a circus exhibit and am also not lab equipment. The thing with amputees is - I can only add, not subtract, because I'm a demon, not an angel. So to replace a healed-over stump, enough of it has to be removed that I have something to attach a new limb to. So anybody who wanted a new leg or whatever would have to trust me to follow through with a leg. I can do really good anaesthetics for the removing part though."

[marrinikari]

Tamara looks at him in surprise. "I was not attempting to be proprietary," she says. "I would say I feel somewhat responsible, as it was my class that summoned you, however accidentally. The suggestion was intended as helpful, not- possessive."

She smiles. "As a university professor I may be biased, but I find they are generally helpful organizations to work with, once you navigate the bureaucrats. They could, for example, set up clinical trials through the medical school. They're not instantaneous, but they're certainly faster than FDA approval."

"And," she adds with a sigh, "I will admit to having no patience for bureaucrats myself, so I personally would be very little help. The benefit to meeting Dean Fisher is that if you do wish help of any kind from the university, he can for the most part actually make it happen himself without having to call someone else first."

[marrinikari]

"You think you feel responsible," Emma mutters under her breath. The shock of actually obtaining a demon in her summoning circle has slowly been turning to mild panic. Emma has spent her whole life being responsible, it is what she does; but she does not know how to be responsible for this. Apparently she should be handling medical regulations for him? If that's what she's supposed to do she can do that.

(She can try to do that. She's just a freshman. But there's plenty of people she can ask.)

At a more reasonable volume she tells Cam, "I can deal with university people for you. Or hospital people. Or- I don't know. Whatever summoners do. If you want me to. If you don't want to stay at Selevy that's fine. If you don't want to stay in the world that's fine. I wouldn't make you stay."

She is trying to be helpful. She does not know how to be a 'good summoner'. She does not know how to be a summoner at all. But she can offer to deal with bureaucrats, at least. She is a college student, she has so much practice with those.

[marrinikari]

"Dude," Jenny says indignantly, "you make chocolate and heal amputees. You are like the perfect man. If anyone calls you lab equipment I will deck them." Pause. "Badly, because I don't know how, but I will do it anyway!"

[from_scratch]

"Clinical trials. I suppose no one will take my word for it if I conjure up marked vials and tell you the substance is indicated for whatever list of conditions, huh. I can produce the research papers, too... I'll talk to the dean, why not, can't hurt."

To Emma, though: "Relax. This is literally the first time I have been summoned and allowed to talk, is why usually summoners are interfacing with things like that for me. Usually I land and cannot speak except to agree to or refuse deals."

"And," to Jenny, "no violence on my behalf, please."

[marrinikari]

"The CYA approach to medicine is financially compelling," Professor Reed says, not sounding pleased. "And while you have been nothing but friendly and helpful and I will happily vouch for you, previously unknown substances conjured in flagrant disregard of physics by someone calling himself a demon is not the sort of thing that makes hospital officials calm. For the promise of 2159 medical technology though..." she smiles cynically, "I'm sure they'll find some way to verify you. But be warned: there may be lawyers."

[marrinikari]

"They don't let you talk?" Emma says, horrified. She is picturing him with a gag of some kind; she has not connected Cam's summoning or discussion of 'parlor tricks' to the idea of magical bindings.

[marrinikari]

"No problem," Jenny agrees brightly. She had chocolate ice cream. Cam is currently her favorite person and will be hard pressed to dislodge himself from said role.

[from_scratch]

"Lawyers. Save me," sighs Cam. "Yeah, usually I show up and I can't say anything except to agree to or refuse a proposed deal."

[marrinikari]

"Well, Dean Fisher first, then," Professor Reed says with a smile, "and I promise he is not a lawyer!"

It's not terribly far from the Magical Engineering building and the administrative office building. The campus is pretty in an understated way, with nice lawns and some basic gardens but plain buildings, all built in a rough semi circle. Their destination is only a couple buildings down the ring.

One of the rooms they pass by has a sign reading 'Counseling' in big block letters. A woman wearing a nametag that marks her as an 'Empathic Counselor' sticks her head out and waves at Professor Reed. "Tamara! You're awfully excited, I could feel you from my office, where are you off to?"

"Dean's office, Annabel," Professor Reed says. "This is Cam, he... showed up unexpectedly in my class today. Everyone, this is Annabel Williams, one of the school's counselors."

[from_scratch]

Cam has a strongly negative emotional reaction to the apparent ability of this person!

[marrinikari]

Annabel's eyebrows furrow in concern. She can tell he is upset but nothing so helpful as why. "Lovely to meet you all. If... any of you are interested in stopping by... our office is open until 6."

She's a counselor, he's upset. She will at least offer.

"Tamara, I'll see you at dinner, I won't hold you up," she adds, and retreats back into her office. Negative emotional reactions are unpleasant to encounter!

[marrinikari]

"Awww," Jenny says, draping herself over Emma for a hug. "Don't stress! You met a friendly ice-cream-summoning demon who has offered you fancy medical toys!"

Emma has been known to worry overmuch. It is, to Jenny's mind, not unreasonable that an empath would suggest to Emma that she come visit.

[marrinikari]

"I'm fine, Jenny, really," Emma says reassuringly, gracefully detaching herself. "A little shell shocked, but I'm okay."

By process of elimination, she looks over at Cam. But she doesn't hardly know him well enough to ask, so- distraction it is. "Well," she says apologetically. "I think that ice cream is going to be your one of your defining personality traits as far as Jenny's concerned. For roughly forever."

[from_scratch]

"Is this world infested with telepaths of some kind?" asks Cam tightly. "Who wander around reading people without - consent forms, red tape, informative pamphlets, warning signs? I can't make you futuristic drugs without the FDA breathing down my neck but that is apparently unregulated?"

[marrinikari]

Professor Reed looks back at him. "...how much of an explanation of magipaths would you like? Speaking as an Introduction to Magical Engineering teacher who is probably overqualified to give one."

She does not bother pointing out the Counseling sign, or the woman's name tag. She suspects that is not what he meant by 'warning sign'.

[from_scratch]

"I want to know their range and what exactly they can do and how many of them there are."

[marrinikari]

Full on Teacher Mode it is!

"Everyone has a little bit of magic. What types they use best, how much they have, variable by person. Telekinesis exists, that's where all my talents are, and they're far and away the most common. At least an order of magnitude. Magipaths are far less common, and even then there's a few different kinds."

"We do have telepaths, though I think different than what you seem to be picturing. Telepathy is like... ears, but not for soundwaves. They can produce and receive the magical equivalent of soundwaves. It's an alternative form of talking, not mind reading. It's reasonably common, but not all that strong; most people have a range about a third the size of normal speaking/hearing range, and only use it in places where talking isn't efficient. Loud concerts, that sort of thing. People with speech problems, hearing issues, or similar handicaps often develop their telepathy to help compensate."

"Linguopaths are language based. They can access the language center of your brain. It takes an extremely talented one to do it without your permission, and an equally talented one to retain any of what they access, but they make good translators. Minor linguopathy usually just manifests as a talent with languages. Ms. Miller is a minor linguopath, if I remember right." (She does.)

"Empaths can get a general sense of emotions. They don't get any sort of detail, it's not mind reading, they don't know why you feel a particular way, but they can tell broad categories like 'happy' or 'sad' or 'excited'. The range is extremely small- many people operate only via touch- but there are varying levels of talent, training helps some, and personal familiarity increases range."

"Faunopaths exist- it's a catchall term for empaths specializing in animals. Human empathy is by far the most common, with some bleedover for monkeys; domestic animals second by a large margin. Not much else crops up. There is, for example, only one person on record with detectable empathy for sharks."

"Annabel in particular happens to have an amplifier. They're extremely uncommon- ours was donated to the school, but they're expensive, and you have to be a very strong empath and go through a lot of training. All that red tape you mentioned. She's only allowed to wear it at work, but..." she gestures at the Counseling room. "There's work. I'd guess she's expecting a patient soon."