C on the dotted line (w/ hyenadog)

[oncelurker]

the problem, of course, is that no one could tell you why they wanted a powerful familiar.  and -- unfortunately -- going through any checkout line in any grocery store could teach you how to get one.  cozmo's covers always had a new trick each month: the new moon in january, a purifying rosewater bath in february, tantric ecstasy in march and hazel wands in april.  (may's issue had been all about the equinox, obviously.)  the tabloids speculated on what celebrity would show up to the red carpet with a fallen seraph on their arm, how the secret had to do with their repnati ties.

there were straight to television specials about it, you know the ones.  the girl with frizzy hair and braces gets covered in pig blood at prom, shows up the next day with a fire djinn.  a man with a pig nose falls in love with a blind ice golem.  a talking pig goes to the big city with a fairy perched on its curly tail.

pigs were in, this year.

at any rate, a familiar with ancient and terrible magic -- everyone fasted before their summons, but not many thought hard about what might happen if

is this -- pink salt?  the demon asked archly.  it licked its claw tip again before glowering at him: you have precisely one of your minutes to make your offer. 

pink salt, it added in a velvet grumble.

to begin with, it was a demon.  that alone -- but not any demon, no!  the creature that floated cross-legged bore the mark of cain, a red smouldering half-moon, on its forehead.  cain's children had been the first entities to contract with humans, and they had spent the consequent millennia refining their particular sorcery.

at the moment, the demon parodied a human shape.  more or less.  instead of feet, it had talons.  its whole form, in fact, was covered in neither-fur-nor-feathers in midnight's blacks and blues.  these tapered off just under its chin, where its alabaster face matched its fangs.  it only took a few seconds to realize the best set of eyes to make contact with while talking was the second from the bottom.

they were all a very vivid red.  the eyes, that was.

come along then, it snapped, tongue lashing sideways, i haven't all day.

[Hyenadog]

Some people summoned familiars for all the wrong reasons. Thinking they would be like magical pets, or worse, slaves to do their bidding. While that could be true for someone with a great amount of experience in controlling such beings, that wasn't the case here.

Foolishly, Tobias had been lead to believe that a familiar would be like a pet and a friend rolled into one. He was a lonely person, outcast from the town because....well....He just wasn't very good at anything. At least nothing useful. So he dabbled in magic to survive.

He was a tall and lanky fellow, quite awkward in his teen years. All arms and legs. But now an adult, he was just tall. He kept his coal-black hair long and pulled back, occasionally braiding it. His eyes were his most striking feature, intense ice blue fading to a darker blue at the outer edge of his iris. It gave him quite a startling gaze.

He had come across an old book, supposedly written by an old witch...There wasn't much explanation to the spells and potions described in the book beyond their names. And of course the first one he wanted to try was summoning a familiar. He had no idea the spell was for one specific kind of demon. Stupidly thinking it was for a somewhat generic one...maybe a raven, considering the very specific need for raven's feathers.

Needless to say he was very surprised by the result of the spell, rendering him momentarily speechless...He was snapped out of it when the demon spoke, shaking his head and getting up. "I, umm..." he stammered, not sure how to address the being...

"I...was expecting something else." He muttered, giving away his lack of skill. "I found the spell in this old book...wanted to try and summon a raven....or something." He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He held the book, not knowing the demon was likely familiar with its author...

[oncelurker]

the facial feature most resembling a brow curved sharply up on the right side; that entire column of eyes shifted toward the wild spray of plumage on top of its head and shocking out from its neck and shoulders.  there was suddenly, very faintly, the acid smell of gasoline in the air.

you have before you, the entity hissed, enoch.  i am the eldest child of cain, first mortal to know sin and the black arts.  my mother, awan, was a sleeping giantess, the offspring of seraphim and clay.  my grandfather is the very first of your kind, h'adam.  the wild magics breathed life into dirt.  the stars are my kin.  i have mastered unholy and holy secrets alike.

it was getting rather hot, wasn't it?

but by all means, enoch's eyes glowed like a fever, if you prefer a raven.

[Hyenadog]

Tobias stood there as the demon spoke, clearly at a loss for words. Realizing the power he had just summoned on a whim. He couldn't wrap his head around it. His mind was going so fast that he couldn't even make sense of his own thoughts.

He had brought something very ancient into this plain. He stammered and backed away, afraid to say something stupid. What he failed to realize was the purpose of the summoning spell. It was meant to be cast by two people. First it was cast by the witch, then a second person finished it. The familiar would be bound to the second caster and would breed with them until the spell was removed.

"I...I don't mean I'd rather have a raven....I mean...I wasn't expecting a full demon." Stammered Tobias, hoping he hadn't insulted the demon. "If....if you don't want to be here, I could...umm...find the reversal." He added, flipping through the book.

[oncelurker]

enoch lifted the other side of its face.  it was likely an incredulous expression, but with so many eyes and the sideways mouth -- it was difficult to tell.  the demon's plumage had begun to prickle upwards.

are you even competent enough to cast the reversal?  i cannot understand why magister dictu would have taken you as her apprentice, nor why you think a raven would be the summons in this spell.  make a decision quickly, or we will see how willful your little binding circle actually is.

[Hyenadog]

Tobias paused, nibbling his lip as he looked at the old book. He wasn't sure how to respond and he was clearly nervous. "I....I'm not an apprentice. I just found the book." He mumbled. The book had been stolen long ago. Tobias had no idea who it belonged to.

To finish the spell, Enoch only needed to touch Tobias. He would be bound to the demon for breeding. And the only thing holding the demon back was his binding circle.

He flipped frantically through the book, looking for the reversal.