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

Once Kara finished explaining the various exercises to Kat, she had Kat repeat them back to her to make absolutely certain she wasn’t going to accidentally injure herself. Once Kara was satisfied, she asked if Kat wanted to move onto the second topic, her debt.

”It’sss gotten rather complicated. D.E.M.O.N.S can explain, but I’ll likely be a bit clearer and more complete. Of courssse either way, doctor-patient confidentiality meansss I won’t be ssspreading that information” said Kara

Kat… had a few questions about that, but she was hesitant to voice them. *Well, I guess I might as well just go through it with Kara. She has a nice voice and it isn’t as though I’m leaving bed any time soon even with the exercises she taught me. The real question is… why could I practically hear the difference when she said demons? I mean it’s just demons right? But why can I tell she was talking about the system?*

Kat wondered if it was rude to ask, but Kara’s calm demeanour convinced Kat to just ask. ”Um, I’d love you to tell me Kara, your voice is quite nice and it seems to calm me down further and help with the pain… but first I’d like to know… when you talked about the system just before, how come I could hear the difference? I mean… it’s just demons right? And you didn’t even have your lisp… which, I mean I don’t want to be rude or anything but it’s just strange”

Kara just smiled kindly ”That’sss easssy. It is a quirk of the transsslation ability all demonsss ssshare. It worksss asss a ssstrange mix of language proficssiencssy, ssspeach quirksss and intent. You’ll noticsse that I have my lisssp becaussse of my forked tongue. If I really focus I can sound more normal, but… I don’t like doing this much, it feels disingenuous.”

Kat’s jaw dropped when she heard Kara speak without the lisp. It just… it sounded wrong to her, as if there was something fundamentally off about it. *I can see why she chooses to keep it. Her natural voice is so calming… but wait does that mean…*

”So I can say D.E.M.O.N.S as well? Oh yeah I can… that’s weird…” said Kat ”I think I’ll still refer to it as ’the system’ most of the time… but that’s good to know?”

Kara nodded ”You may find other dimensssionsss that have their own sssyssstem where they will refer to as ’the sssysstem’ so it can get confusssing without that little quirk. It will mean however, that sssomone will never insssult you without intending to do ssso. If they’ve been tricked by sssomeone elssse, you will likely hear both overlapped.”

”Thanks for mentioning that. It seems good to know, and I... well I can ask the system most times but I have to actually know to ask you know? I didn’t think too much on the more specific applications of the translation ability just that I had it and it worked. Now can you tell me a bit about my debt?” asked Kat

Kara nodded, keeping the pleasant smile on her face. One of her snakes even nudged the side of her cheek and she scratched it a few times in response as she spoke. ”Well, where to sstart. I guesss from the beginning? Ssso, on pure technicality you failed becaussse you were banissshed, however, it will now go under review. Of courssse becaussse of your unique circumsstancesss… it has causssed sssome problemsss.

”Ssso, normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but your debt wasss already extended becaussse of that emergencssy beacon requesst. Thusss asss sssoon ass you failed your missssion your punissshment was queued up. There isss nothing that can be done about that, ssso you will just need to deal with I’m afraid.”

*Dammit. I mean… I see how this happened but is there really nothing I can do? Surely… something? Wait Kara about to continue, lets see how much more messed up this really is.* 

Kara noticed Kat’s focus return to her, and continued speaking ”Ssso, the isssue isss that you finissshed your misssion failed, and now need to deal with your debt. But, once your misssion getsss examined at the appeal office you might have a chancsse to change that. For now though, let’ssss ssskip that and come back in a moment.

”The reassson thisss isss even an isssue isss that while being punissshed you loossse the right to appeal any other isssuesss besssidesss your punissshment. Thisss isss to limit demonsss total infraction count and make thingsss run a bit more sssmoothly.

”However, in your cassse it hasss the ssside effect that you can’t appeal your contract completion without firssst dealing with the punissshment from your debt or trying to appeal that. However any appeal againsst your debt will likely fail becaussse you didn’t pay it off and in fact can’t unlesss you could appeal your misssion resssult… and I’m sssure you see the problem” said Kara switching to another snake that was asking for attention.

”Yeah I think so. Basically, because I’m in trouble, I can’t appeal the other issues I have, which prevents me from paying off my debt and getting out of trouble” said Kat

Kara nodded ”Yesss really, thisss is very rare. If you hadn’t already gotten an exsstensssion you would have gotten one automatically until your misssion appeal occurred but… well, here we are. Would you like to hear about misssion appealsss while I’m here though? I can’t tell you what your punishment will be becaussse that isn’t my decision. It probably won’t be too bad though.”

Kat nodded and said ”Please, I’d be happy for you to explain it to me”

Kara smiled wide, but politely showing the tips of two elongated fangs which might have also contributed to her speaking issue. They didn’t appear when she spoke though, so they might only come down occasionally, Kat mused.

”Well, before I get too deep into it, jussst know you can asssk D.E.M.O.N.S for a russh verdict and it will make one for you. It won’t help you thisss time, becaussse you still can’t appeal it, but you might find it ussseful later. The reassson mosst people don’t bother with it, iss that unlike sstandard review which isss normally more favourable, and likely to end in full payment if it getsss that far,

”D.E.M.O.N.S will take a cut for ssspeeding thingsss up or wasssting it’sss resssourcesss, whichever you prefer. Additionally, it isss more likely to give out percentagesss. Sssay you were tasssked with delivering ten applesss. If you delivered nine of them before banissshment, the review committee will give you the full reward becaussse the payment isss made at time of ssssumoning and the demon in quesstion finissshed mossst of the work.

”D.E.M.O.N.S would give maybe… fifty or sssixty percssent? For completing mossst of the tasssk but not sssticking around to finissh and bother it. With the committee it would go no lower than eighty percssent. That’sss why mosst will chossse it”

”Now, the review committee hasss two main sstepsss. The firssst is deciding if the cassse needsss to be reviewed. Now, mosst of the time, if they were that easssy to determine, D.E.M.O.N.S would just make the verdict itssself without taking a cut and have it completed insstantly.

”If it isss decided that more people are needed, a panel of judgesss gather, and requesst the demon’sss presssencsse in thisss cassse you, Kat. They will then sstate the reasonsss for believing you don’t dessserve full payment, and you will argue why you do, or at leassst dessserve more than nothing.

”Don’t worry too much, mosst of them will make you argue for everything even if they think you should be paid in full. They’ll sssay it’sss to encourage demonsss to sstand up for themssselvesss more, or to encourage them to understand contractsss better…

”But I also know that the judgesss panel hiresss a lot of Greed faction demonsss for the work, ssso they may alssso just be trying to get asss much money asss possible. Anyway, a cute girl like you doessn’t have to worry much. I’m ssure they won’t be too harsh on you. There are rulesss about thingsss like that. Killing intent and what not. They won’t abuse that too much unlesss you do, and nothing you can’t fight back against.”

Kat let out a long side and felt her chest ache slightly with the extra movement. Wincing slightly Kat digested what Kara was saying about the judge’s panel and simply decided to deal with it later. If they weren’t too harsh on her it should be fine. *I mean, I have perfect recall so I’m going to abuse the hell out of that. I should be able to answer any question even if it takes me a bit. Now… that one part though.*

”What do you mean Greed faction demons?” asked Kat

Kara smile faltered and she got a slightly confused look. ”Were you never taught that by your… oh right, my apologiesss, I forgot you were once human”

Kat looked surprised ”It’sss in your medical recordsss of courssse” said Kara in response.