<h4>Chapter 63: 20 Questions</h4>


    "Right…" said Kat drawing out the word as long as possible to allow her brain to catch up to what was going on. Originally Vivian seemed like quite the personality but despite Callisto''s reclusive nature she seemed to trump Vivian in a number of ways.


    "Can I ask what''s with the room?" asked Kat after giving up on trying to just make sense of everything herself


    "Yes, you can. We should even do a bit of back and forth then so that I can learn a bit more about my best friend''s new daughter. I''ll take that as your first question" said Callisto.


    Kat was intending to wait for more information but when Callisto said nothing else Kat nodded in response. However at the moment of confirmation chains of purple fire surrounded the two linking them together. Layers uponyers of chains zed into existence and rapidly cocooned the pair before dispersing.


    "Shit" said Kat looking unimpressed towards Callisto


    "My my, now that is certainly entertaining. I''d seen the note you left on the table and I wasn''t quite sure what to make of it. But this? This is fascinating, I could see those chains appear before me. I''ve never entered into a contract with a demon before, how novel" said Callisto as she wafted her hand around the area the chains had connected them moments before. "Well then, for my first question, I suppose I''ll ask what you are, in full please"


    "Weren''t you going to answer my question first?" asked Kat


    "Why I did, I said that you could ask me about my room did I not?" replied Callisto with a grin "I had intended it as a slight joke, but now it seems to have escted. I''ll give you that answer for free though, no worries"


    *Why did Callisto trick me like that? Especially with a contract on the line? Wait it can''t have been, she didn''t know I was a real demon or even if she suspected I doubt she would know how the contracts work.*


    "I''m a Subus, apparently a rare subtype but I wasn''t told exactly what that is" said Kat returning Callisto''s re. Callisto just made an open-handed gesture implying for Kat to ask her own question.


    "Can you exin how your room is set up and why the lights are dimmed and the bed is missing" said Kat


    "My, getting ahead of ourselves aren''t we. I''d say that''s more than one question no? You should just pick one" said Callisto


    "Fine, I''ll go with the missing bed and cupboard. Why are they missing from your room?" asked Kat


    "Well, as to the closet. Vivian has a ratherrge house here and when I first moved in, and even still now the amount of spare space in the cupboards astounds me. I simply make use of them and keep my outfits throughout the house. It can be quite fun to go on a hunt for a specific set of clothing" said Callisto


    "Though of course, the matter of the bed is a bit different. I have something known as triple S, or Short Sleeper Syndrome. I simply don''t need a full nights rest so I spend my time working instead. Those few hours of sleep I do get I simply tten out that chair" Callisto motioned for the chair in front of her writing station "And grab a nket from somewhere under that pile of paper"


    After Callisto finished her answer she stared straight into Kat''s eyes, for ten seconds as if waiting for some invisible cue. Whatever Callisto was waiting for she found because she followed it up with this question.


    "Can I touch your wings?"


    "Um?" Kat looked strangely at Callisto unsure if she had heard correctly even slower her perception of time slightly to get longer to consider the question. After confirming multiple times the question that had been asked she replied "Sure?" still very confused.


    In the moment Kat blinked she found Callisto had disappeared. Wondering where she had gone Kat was about to start looking for her when she felt a tug on her left wing. Turning to face the side she found Callisto stretching out her wing with a tape measure in her mouth mumbling to herself.


    "Doesn''t seemrge enough for prolonged flight, gliding perhaps? That doesn''t make sense though, I''m not sure it''s long enough for that either? Are her bones hollow? No that can''t make sense, these weigh too much in my arms for even the wing bones to be hollow" stretching the measuring tape this way and that measuring various angles and areas of Kat''s wing she bit the bullet and asked Callisto a question. "What are you doing exactly"


    Callisto''s head immediately snapped towards Kat. "Well, your wings are fascinating, they simply shouldn''t function at all, but I doubt they are purely for looks. Then again you''re a subus so maybe looks are extremely important to your species. It brings up other questions about your tail and horns but I don''t really see how either of those would benefit you either" pausing for just a moment to breathe in Callisto continued "It''s actually quite curious, tell me, can you actually fly with these wings?"


    Kat opened her mouth to respond. Closed it. Then opened it again "Honestly Callisto I wish I knew. I know for a fact I can glide with them, but the only time I''ve had the chance to actually try flying with them I had to carry a girl with me and they are certainly not strong enough to lift us both. I could feel my muscles having trouble though, I think that was only when I was stopping a bank turn"


    "Hmm" mumbled Callisto turning back to examine Kat''s wings "Well, in my professional opinion your wings shouldn''t even allow you to glide yourself let alone while carrying someone. I suspect that for whatever reason you can actually fly if it''s just you, but I could be wrong"


    "Actually wait back up a moment, how is it your professional opinion about if I can fly or not? What do you do for a job?" asked Kat


    "Now, that''s two questions right there. Take your pick" said Callisto


    *Of course, why couldn''t she answer without being like this. At least the system is clear enough in it''s answers. Hey wait, can I fly system?*


    --


    User Kat will need to test that. Many demon types with wings are unable to fly but around 65% of Subi with wings have flight capacity, with a further 10% who have lost their ability to fly that they once had.


    --


    *Well, nice to know the odds are in my favour.* "Tell me what your job is then" said Kat


    "Well, if I wanted to make this difficult for you, I could say that I don''t have a job. Though I would suppose this is only true in so far as I have no permanent employment arrangements. Initially my pride prevented me from working at something I considered unworthy of my time but living in Vivian''s house for free humbled me quite a lot. I''d decided to find a job to pay her back but she kept eating my resume''s I tried to mail out" said Callisto.


    "Wait what? You didn''t really answer the question and you can''t just say Vivian ate your resume''s without borating on that" said Kat shocked


    "Of course I can, I answered the question, though I suppose it might not have been in full. To disclose properly then I make my money off of various side projects I work on in my spare time. A lot of that is helping Vivian''s clients with smaller things, while I also build, art pieces. I suppose most would call them. I''d love to say I detest making the damned things but if given time and funding the challenge of building something is thrilling indeed" said Callisto with a glint in her eye that was actually a little off-putting considering she was still staring at Kat''s wing in her hand as if it was responsible for all that is wrong with the world


    "Hmm, yes, so much to explore. Oooh can I investigate your horns next?" asked Callisto standing up with a rubber mallet in hand.


    "Um Callisto where did you get that mallet?" asked Kat


    "Do you want that to be your question?"


    "No…"


    "So can I investigate your horns sometimes with this rubber mallet?"


    "Fine.."


    And so Kat resigned herself to the poking and prodding of Callisto. Thankfully she was actually quite careful in her investigations much like she was with her wings. Tapping lightly here and there, humming slightly to herself in a questioning tone she searched for something.


    "Your horns are fascinating, whatever they are it isn''t bone. Or maybe it is? It isn''t human bone that''s for sure" said Callisto after some time tapping away


    "What do you mean?"


    "It just doesn''t sound right to me, listen" said Callisto giving her horns a significant wack. Kat strained her ears for any sort of sound but heard barely anything noteworthy, hardly even a thump.


    "I don''t really hear much of anything Callisto" said Kat


    "That''s exactly my point. Bone doesn''t sound like nothing when you strike it. Oh the possibilities are endless" said Callisto as she cackled