D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

Sue eventually did come back outside the lead them back to the teleportation network. A moment later they were outside a building that made both Kat and Lily feel like they wanted to vomit. It was hard to tell how big the thing was because it was a knotted mess that looked to Kat like an MC-escher style painting with various windows and doors all crushed and stretched at various odd angles. Lily couldn’t see the details but she could feel them through her spatial sense.

Sue glanced at Kat and Lily who were not looking great. "What’s wrong with you two?"

"Space here is so weird! It’s just overwhelming!" admitted Lily. "It’s not… bad like I felt before but it’s just so much,"

"Same but I can SEE it," answered Kat.

Sue glanced at Kamiko who seemed to have an idea. "I think that we’re not experiencing any problems because we can’t see through whatever illusions they’re using to make the place look normal… but why bother making it look normal? Or messing with space?"

Sue shrugged, "Maybe it’s because they’re only allowed to fuck with space in specific areas? Though personally I would’ve thought that majorly screwing up space would make it harder to build good storage rings… or is that now how that works?"

"No idea," shrugged Kamiko. Kat and Lily were gently pushed off to the side so as to not be taking up too much space around the teleportation area. They were mostly recovered when five minutes later a bundle of hair got teleported into the area.

The hair ball glanced at the girls and then shrugged heading inside but not long after that a towering pit fiend with a little tiny monocle that didn’t even cover half of their eyes stepped out and glanced at the girls. "Are you alright?"

"Just a bit overwhelming…" said Kat as she gestured at the twisted space.

"Oh? Good senses?" asked the pit fiend. The tallest Kat had ever seen… and one of the bigger ones Kamiko had seen. Unlike the rest of the girls, Sue wasn’t looking up at his face but something much closer to head level. She was also impressed with the fiend’s size.

"I’ve got true-sight and my girlfriend has spatial senses," admitted Kat.

The pit fiend nodded, even as he shifted slightly under the weight of Sue’s gaze ensuring that she had less of a direct line of sight. "Hmm, yes I can see how that would make dealing with the place a problem. What are you looking for exactly? Mine name is Crzethnal but you can call me Nal if you want. I’m an apprentice here trying to learn the craft,"

Kat and Lily glanced at each other before Kat made a shooing gesture at Lily who pouted. "We’re looking for a decently sized storage ring that will work on a planet that has no higher energy on it. Oh, and um… I’m Lily, that’s my girlfriend Kat, our friends Kamiko and Sue. Kamiko is the shy one and Sue… isn’t,"

"Yeah I got that," sighed Nal. "As for your request… I’m not really sure if that’s possible. My own teacher warned my not to take any of them to places with too low in higher energy so the fact you’ve got one with none at all? That’s… well I’m sure there IS a way but I’m afraid I don’t know it. I’m not even sure if my master would know… but even if he doesn’t I think he could point you the way,"

"So, do you need any favours for acting as our guide?" asked Sue as she leaned against Nel’s leg and slowly ran her fingers along his muscles. "I’m sure I can offer some… pleasing recompense,"

Kat slapped her face. Weren’t we meant to be spending the day together?

[Yes… but… well… no you know what? I just don’t want to think about it.]

Luckily for them Nel wasn’t interested, or at least, was too nervous to admit he was. "No, no. It’s all fine. I’m quite happy to lead you guys in. The space here isn’t exactly open to the public in the same way some of the other craft areas are but it’s not against the rules. Normally the illusions will funnel you to the people that are after walk-in customers but my master isn’t on the main street. Anyway, follow me!"

The group shrugged and followed in behind Nel as he made his way inside. For Kat and Lily it was not a great experience. Nel was so tall that he regularly clipped into distorted areas of space with only parts of his body. He was either used to it, or was relying on the illusions to keep himself stable, but for the pair they would see or feel the disturbance constantly. Kat could regularly see Nel twisted around himself with his head facing backwards and yet still be fine.

For the others, they saw the group walking through more than one wall, down flights of stairs that seemed to go up and even ended up on a slide at one point but eventually they got to a small area that Nel had to literally crawl into. It looked like a cat-flap but even crouched down Nel would never make it inside. Yet he did.

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The girl’s shrugged and followed along, only having to duck down slightly for a few moments before they were in a large square room. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky but the dull grey walls holding it up killed any possibility that it was real. There was a garden that looked vibrant but poorly maintained and a path up to the house seemed to have likely been created from Nell trekking back and forth for some time instead of any more proper way.

Luckily for Nel, the house itself had clearly been stretched to accommodate him. The walls and windows were warped in odd ways that only Lily could truly feel but it meant Nel could knock on the door and not look out of place. Not so much for everyone else.

Eventually, the door swung open to reveal one of the Shadows. This one in particularly had what looked like hair curlers in. Bright pink two dimensional curlers. How that worked Kat wasn’t sure, but they all waved as Nel spoke up. "Hello Master, I met some people on my way in and they were looking to commission a storage ring,"

"Well why the fuck did you bring them to me you oaf?" hissed the shadow. Their voice naturally echoed and held a sort of gravely feel to it. "There are dozens of people looking for that sort of commission on main street. I hie away here for a reason!"

"Well they were looking for something a bit more interesting then the standard rings so I thought you might want to know," explained Nel.

A walking stick emerged from the wall to smack at Nel’s shins. "I don’t need you assuming anything! I took you on as an apprentice because your parents asked and I’ve kept you on because you’re diligent and have a surprisingly good feel for space. Not because you’ve got much of a brain in that head!" The shadow smacked Nel’s shin’s a second time. "I don’t know if you should think more or think less!"

Nel didn’t seem to care at all about the smacks, either used to it or they didn’t hurt in truth. He just responded normally with a calm voice. "They’re looking for something that works in universes without any sort of higher energy,"

"Huh? Why would you want that shit?" asked the shadow person who still hadn’t really interested themselves.

"We live there," said Kat.

"That decreases my opinion of your intelligence if anything. So once again, why would you want that shit?" asked Nel’s Master.

"Because we’ve always lived there. It’s where I grew up. I’m a non-dem," said Kat.

Nel’s master… might have been rubbing their chin? Hard to tell because they weren’t bothering to come up of the wall and give themselves a bit more dimension. "Hmm… hmm… right I suppose I can accept that answer as not-shit. How much you willing to spend on something like that?"

Kat glanced at Lily who was now hiding behind her. Kat rolled her eyes. Do we admit we’re willing to spend a favour token? Honestly with this sort of attitude I’m not sure I’m willing to give them one even if they DO have a proper ring for us, or could make one.

[Yeah… I sort of agree with you there but what else are we meant to say? It’s not like we’ve got any idea of what things are worth!]

Luckily Sue stepped forward in their place to say, "That’s pretty variable at the moment. It depends on how much space you can add to it, how long it’s likely to last, and how soon you can get it done because from the sound of things you don’t have that sort of thing in stock," @@novelbin@@

"Bah playing word games with me…" grumbled Nel’s master. "Hmm… still… not like I have any answers for you either. It’s an interesting project but one that could take me some time. Not sure what I’d have to charge you… and I do know of a few people who MIGHT already know how. Not sure about stock though,"