![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Inspired by this prompt post in Daily Prompt.
“Can I get you something?” Duane asked the demon, who looked as surprised by the question as Kate felt.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Being polite,” he said.
The demon tapped its long yellow fingernails on the wooden floor and stared straight ahead, out the window behind them. “If you wish to be polite, perhaps you can free me from this circle,” the demon said.
Its voice was quite human and it spoke English, which wasn’t a shock—many demons did, as many spent time in this realm—but it sounded sort of bored, which was odd. Usually demons summoned into circles like this were furious or excited, and frankly Kate thought the excited ones were much more frightening. That meant they had some sort of agenda. Bored was new.
“I meant, would you like some tea or coffee or something?”
“How are you going to pass tea into the circle without breaking it?” Kate asked.
Duane shrugged. He’d never been present for a demon summoning but she’d thought he’d stand back and watch, not to try to play waiter.
“In that case, I will take some tea,” the demon said, smirking. It had red skin, the shade of a horrible lipstick that Kate’s ex-boyfriend had bought her three tubes of despite her telling him she loathed it. It was called “Fire Engine Kiss.”
“What’s your name?” Kate demanded.
The demon gave her a look. “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked.
“Hey, hey, there’s no need for rudeness,” Duane said.
“If I tell her my name, she’ll have power over me while I remain in this realm,” the demon said, getting to its taloned feet. “It’s rude for her to even ask.”
“That’s no excuse not to use polite language.”
“Duane,” Kate hissed. “Just, go stand against the wall.”
Duane looked offended but really, if he was going to be the polite police, they’d be there all night.
He retreated to the corner of the room and leaned against the bookshelf.
“Your name, or I might have to see how well water spells work in a summoning circle,” Kate said.
“Is that a threat? That’s not very polite.” The demon’s eyes flicked to Duane and so did Kate’s. Duane looked as though he were trying very hard not to say something.
“Oh forget it,” Kate said. She waved her hand, dispelling the circle and sending the demon back to the realm she’d summoned it from.
“You didn’t even ask about the sword,” Duane said, nodding his head toward the ancient weapon. That was the reason she’d summoned a creature in the first place, to gather information on the ugly, twisted blade.
“Okay, out,” she said, opening the door to the spare room. “I’ll try again, but I need to be alone.”
“I thought you said summoning magic was dangerous to attempt by yourself.”
“I’ll take the risk,” she said. She shut the door the second Duane was over the threshold and shook her head. “ ‘Would you like some tea,’” she muttered. “Unbelievable.”
Then she rolled up her sleeves, drew the chalk circle again, and went to work on a second summoning spell.
“Can I get you something?” Duane asked the demon, who looked as surprised by the question as Kate felt.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Being polite,” he said.
The demon tapped its long yellow fingernails on the wooden floor and stared straight ahead, out the window behind them. “If you wish to be polite, perhaps you can free me from this circle,” the demon said.
Its voice was quite human and it spoke English, which wasn’t a shock—many demons did, as many spent time in this realm—but it sounded sort of bored, which was odd. Usually demons summoned into circles like this were furious or excited, and frankly Kate thought the excited ones were much more frightening. That meant they had some sort of agenda. Bored was new.
“I meant, would you like some tea or coffee or something?”
“How are you going to pass tea into the circle without breaking it?” Kate asked.
Duane shrugged. He’d never been present for a demon summoning but she’d thought he’d stand back and watch, not to try to play waiter.
“In that case, I will take some tea,” the demon said, smirking. It had red skin, the shade of a horrible lipstick that Kate’s ex-boyfriend had bought her three tubes of despite her telling him she loathed it. It was called “Fire Engine Kiss.”
“What’s your name?” Kate demanded.
The demon gave her a look. “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked.
“Hey, hey, there’s no need for rudeness,” Duane said.
“If I tell her my name, she’ll have power over me while I remain in this realm,” the demon said, getting to its taloned feet. “It’s rude for her to even ask.”
“That’s no excuse not to use polite language.”
“Duane,” Kate hissed. “Just, go stand against the wall.”
Duane looked offended but really, if he was going to be the polite police, they’d be there all night.
He retreated to the corner of the room and leaned against the bookshelf.
“Your name, or I might have to see how well water spells work in a summoning circle,” Kate said.
“Is that a threat? That’s not very polite.” The demon’s eyes flicked to Duane and so did Kate’s. Duane looked as though he were trying very hard not to say something.
“Oh forget it,” Kate said. She waved her hand, dispelling the circle and sending the demon back to the realm she’d summoned it from.
“You didn’t even ask about the sword,” Duane said, nodding his head toward the ancient weapon. That was the reason she’d summoned a creature in the first place, to gather information on the ugly, twisted blade.
“Okay, out,” she said, opening the door to the spare room. “I’ll try again, but I need to be alone.”
“I thought you said summoning magic was dangerous to attempt by yourself.”
“I’ll take the risk,” she said. She shut the door the second Duane was over the threshold and shook her head. “ ‘Would you like some tea,’” she muttered. “Unbelievable.”
Then she rolled up her sleeves, drew the chalk circle again, and went to work on a second summoning spell.
