hypnagothic | [The City] IC Contact

You misunderstand. Is the demon actively harming the host? Or others?

What?

[ She blinks at him, surprised. ]

It's not baking cookies for its neighbors. The host thinks he's been cursed.

How so? What actions have been taken or made?

What are you, its lawyer?

[ She sounds more surprised than angry. This is not really how she expected this conversation to go. ]

You seek to meddle. I merely wish to know why you deem it warranted.

Because a person has a right to their own fucking body. He didn't ask for this. This demon and -- some magicians or cult or something, its human agents, they tried to expel him from his own body.

And you will prevail upon yourself to resolve the issue for them.

[ She stares at him, genuinely flummoxed. If Crowley had been leery of her meddling with another demon, sure, she might get that. This? Not so much. ]

I'm trying to help a kid who's losing his mind because he has a demon in his soul.

Is that a problem for you, or something?

[ he makes a subtle movement with his arms and shoulders, reminiscent of a shrug without actually being such. ]

I hold no stake in it. But others might, should you take action.

Meaning what?

If the demon has been contained, there is only one who holds issue. Direct issue. What do you believe would happen if you attempt action and fail?

The same thing that happens every time I fail, Morpheus. Someone would die. Do you think I'd be asking for help from anyone, let alone you, if I hadn't considered how badly I might fuck this up if I attempt action and fail? If I hadn't considered if he'd be better off without me?

And what of the demon after?

[ A short shrug. ]

I'm working on it.

[ That's reassuring!! ]

I see.

[ flatly. ]

Christ, if I had an answer for you, I'd give it.

[ She sits back in her chair, annoyed -- at herself, the situation, him, the City, all of it -- and rubs the bridge of her nose. ]

I'm fully fucking aware of how it sounds. [ Despite the swearing, she's keeping her tone as even as a hangman's tread. ] And I'm fully aware of how little I can do in this fucking place. Trust me.

Maybe I can bind it. Maybe I can't. Maybe I can pull it out of him and put it in a ring. Maybe I can talk to it and find out what it wants and they can set up a happy little co-op in his brain. Maybe I do nothing and it scratches 'round the inside of his head until he rips his scalp off with his own nails trying to get it out. And maybe I do something, and I destroy a kid who-- [ Here her voice shakes briefly before she steels it. ] --came to me for help, and I live with the consequences of that.

It's all infinite possibilities as long as I don't have its name.

[ he refocuses on her, a subtle turning of his head. ]

The host requested your help?

Yeah, like I said.

[ She did not say that! She said "the host thinks he's cursed." ]

For what he thinks is wrong. He knows there's something wrong, he knows these people tried to do something to him. He doesn't know what.

You have not told him that he is possessed by a demon. Why?

[ See, that question, she expected. ]

Would you want to know, if there wasn't anything to be done?

Every person has a different answer to that question. You can only ask him to know.

I know.

[ he lets that answer linger in the air between them for several moments before speaking again. ]

So you only wish to know the demon's name at this time.

[ Hopefully he doesn't think shame is going to be much of a motivator for Constantine. Like, it is, but there's no guarantee it won't motivate her to do something even stupider than you wanted. ]

That's where I'm starting.

Were I to acquire it, I would require something of you.

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