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It's an average day. Nick the fairy is poking at one of his little electronics projects, paying attention to the incoming summons with half a brain, trying to grab one. But while a lot of fairies get summoned, equally many are looking out for summons. It takes a while unless you're really focusing on it.
He starts an automated test and gives the stream of summons his full attention, and gets one a moment later.
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"Trying for a limboite excludes the possibility of getting any daeva, so no. I'd have some reasonably tight bindings on the circle just in case though."
impetuous_force
Nod. "And it'd be good summons-negotiation practice with summons who can't go rogue too horribly, for if we want more daeva later."
"Okay. I! Am going to write up some prospective limboite circles. Can you go arrange for the warded room?"
He designs circles. He writes them on paper. There are two sets of six mostly-identical hopefuls when Bella returns.
"Right."
He opens a word processor on the tablet and shows it to her. "Two examples of each kind of daeva of successful negotiation, no agreement, and daeva finding a loophole and causing trouble."
He opens a word processor on the tablet and shows it to her. "Two examples of each kind of daeva of successful negotiation, no agreement, and daeva finding a loophole and causing trouble."
The successful negotiations also contain notes on where things could have gone wrong. The loopholes are sometimes problems with the wording of the task or payment. The most common tactic, apparently, is for the daeva to ask unrelated questions and take a "yeah" in answer as agreement. Another one has a changer convince the summoner that they're harmless and helpful and kind, partly through appearance and partly with kind words, then taking advantage.
"All but two of those are loosely based on summons I took or witnessed personally, by the way."
"All but two of those are loosely based on summons I took or witnessed personally, by the way."
impetuous_force
"Is there any reason I can't just write up a proposal, leave it in the circle, and say I propose that?"
"They'll probably see it as a bit rude, and you do have to verbally agree once they say they agree to the proposal, otherwise no."
"It's a negotiation between two people, there's a bit of etiquette, yes. You can just dispense with it if you think that's dangerous, obviously."
impetuous_force
"I'm not planning to insult their nonexistent mothers but if gagging them is customary I don't see how having a boilerplate is any worse."
"The gag is rude too. The boilerplate would be insult-to-injury to some, amusing to others, some wouldn't care. Shouldn't have mentioned it really."
impetuous_force
"Well, if I find a daeva who doesn't seem to have nefarious intentions maybe I can dispense with it on further summonings."
Nod. "Do the summoning scripts seem helpful? I think I've covered the most common ways for things to go horribly wrong."
impetuous_force
"Yeah, they're helpful. I guess I'll go get clearance to try to summon a Limbo person."
"I'll finish my shopping lists. One for fairyland, one for a changer, one for a maker. See you later."
impetuous_force
"See ya."
She's back in a few hours with a meal and: "Unless it's normal for it to take hours for summons to get answered, can't summon a Limbo person with any of the circles you made."
She's back in a few hours with a meal and: "Unless it's normal for it to take hours for summons to get answered, can't summon a Limbo person with any of the circles you made."
"Hours isn't normal... I could try a few more variations, but it's really quite unlikely, I think limboites just can't be summoned."
impetuous_force
Nod. "I'm supposed to try a changer tomorrow, but I can send you to Fairyland and back now if you like."
"As long as it's with enough of something commodity-like, yes. You'll want to resummon me tomorrow, to give me enough time to get everything."