and I was catching my breath

[cheerleader]

This would be easier if you would just give me an idea of what your name is.

[Chrissy smiles over at the fluffy black cat that followed her home the week prior, amused at how he seems to have the most ridiculous personality she's ever seen. He's loud and chaotic, the exact opposite energy her quiet little cabin in the woods usually has. Hawkins is full of other witches and wizards, but she's the only one that really dabbles in what's called pure magic. Jason Carver and his father lead the Hawkins coven in plenty of dark magic. Chrissy's still a part of the coven, but she prefers to live on the outskirts of town hidden by the trees so she can practice her white magic in peace and quiet.

She's been here for a couple of months now, and things have been pretty lonely. It's hard being a sixteen year old witch away from her family, but she's of age in the world she belongs to, and she has to admit that it's wonderful not being under her family's thumb any longer. Besides, she's not lonely anymore. Not with her new little companion here with her. She thinks he might be more than just a cat. Every other witch has a familiar. Chrissy's hoping that maybe this wild black cat is hers, with his eyes that seem to know too much and the way his mouth seems to always curl upward in a smirk.

They've been together for about a week now, and have settled into a nice little routine. They spend their days practicing spells and gathering things around the woods for her potions, and spend their nights curled up together in a chair reading her magical texts. She's beginning to lose hope that the cat is a demon in disguise, a familiar trying to form a bond with a witch that he feels drawn in toward. Maybe he really is just a perfectly normal cat in need of a good home.

But she pauses over the potion she's been working on, one that reveals a being's true form. Her smile is entirely meant to make the cat feel at ease, as she dips a tin bowl into the cauldron to scoop out a serving of the potion for him to drink. It's placed on the rickety wooden table she's sitting at, the same one he's currently perched on top of like ]

Or maybe you could just show me your true form. Otherwise, you'll have to drink the potion.

Comments

[gygaxed]

[ This should be embarrassing. Actually, it most certainly was embarrassing, because he is supposed to be a quote-unquote powerful wizard. He's not supposed to let someone get the upper hand on him, certainly not supposed let them be able to put a shape changing curse on him. And yet here he is, small and fluffy and disgustingly adorable, and all because he might have led another witch on just the slightest bit.

The one thing he can say for certain is that he truly never intended to hurt anyone's feelings. He just had a way about him that skewed towards aloofness, his mind always tilting towards the future instead of settling in the now. It's almost a shock that it had taken so long for that attitude to bite him in the ass.

At least, of all things to be turned into, a cat really isn't so bad. Women are inherently drawn to him (huge plus), he gets to sleep most of the day (another benefit), and no one expects anything of him. That all had been nice for a day or two, but when the curse continued to linger, Eddie felt his hackles raise (figuratively, literally) witch each passing day.

It was about then that he had first encountered Chrissy, a young witch who had taken a liking to his forced feline form. There was something about her that he had liked more, felt practically drawn towards. Part of him had wondered at some point of maybe it wouldn't be so bad, just being her familiar. But she had managed to see through his current form, or at least catch the scent that something wasn't quite right.

Eddie watches her work on the potion, his tail flicking back and forth behind him like a metronome. She may be young, but she's undoubtedly talented, and he has a feeling that she's gotten the draught just right. Eddie meows at her, pink tongue and bright white teeth, before dipping his head to drink from the saucer.

The effect is almost immediate, he feels the shackles of the curse break away from him. His form stretches out in a hazy glow, as though waking from a long slumber. The glow lingers as he assumes his new stature, tall and willowy, his arms stretched above his head. Eddie pauses for a moment, looks confused. He's naked, but that's not what has given him pause.

Because this-- boy thing, this human shape-- this is not his true form. But he feels a ceiling press down against him, keeps him exactly where he is. It's certainly better than being a cat, but it is far from being wholly himself. Eddie blinks in the dim light, doesn't make any move to cover himself. ]

Is this what you were hoping for? [ He grins at her, pushes a hand through the dark curls on his head. This isn't his true form, but it's a decent representation. ] Black cat turned dark haired boy, that isn't too much of a cliche for you, is it?

[cheerleader]

[Nudity isn't really a thing that's ever bothered her before. And it's not that his nudity bothers her now, but she's definitely wide eyed and blushing as she stares over at him. She hadn't expected him to take this sort of form, and she has to say that the dark haired boy that he is? Is definitely attractive to her. Which only makes her cheeks turn a darker shade of red, and she knows she has to say something or else he'll realize that she's attracted to him.

Which is weird, she thinks, since he was just a cat.]

No, it's not that. [She gently reassures him, smiling as she shakes her head.] But I wasn't expecting you to look so...human.

[So much like her, she thinks she means to say. Her eyes narrow a little as her head tips, and she regards him with great thoughtfulness as she really studies him.]

I don't think this is your true form either though. Is it?

[Not that she minds. Especially not when her eyes look down below his waist. Though she's quick to look back up, seeming mortified by the fact that she can't stay focused on the conversation without eyeing him like her hormones have decided that this is a wonderful time to make themselves known.]

[gygaxed]

[ There's still sort of a lot to take in at the moment. He's not a cat anymore, which is great, but he's still also not entirely himself. Either her potion was not as strong as she thought, or the curse that had been put on him might have been more than something as simple as shape changing. Neither option is particularly appealing, but at least he has opposable thumbs again. Small victories.

He's also got quite the sight in front of him, a pretty witch whose face is nearly identical to a tomato. Nice to know that even in this stunted form he can still manage to have that effect. Eddie rolls his shoulders, his neck, lets his bones pop and crack as he settles into this form. This won't be so bad, for now. ]

Right you are, little witch.

[ Eddie grins at her, bright and gleaming, as though he might take a bite out of her at any moment. Not that he would-- at least not in a way that most people would mind. But he keeps his teeth to himself, letting his gaze roam over her in a way similar to how she watches him. ]

Though this form isn't so bad, for now. Like what you see?

[cheerleader]

[In that moment, Chrissy realizes with a sudden clarity just what kind of being he is. He seems to take delight in making her blush and squirm, and loves her eyes on his naked body. Oh, he's handsome. Dangerously so. And he knows is. But still, there's a sense that this isn't really who he is. She thinks that before he makes his little comment about his current form, and her mouth draws into a tight line of concern.]

You're a demon, aren't you?

[It doesn't come out accusatory, despite the fact her coven has raised everyone to think demons are taboo. Just because dark magic is occasionally dabbled in by everyone doesn't mean they want to be bound to a demon for a familiar. Most of them choose some kind of fae that takes on the form of an animal. This...this is dangerous.

She could be outcast for bonding with him, and she can only imagine the way her mother would freak out like she's bringing shame to the entire family. But still, she doesn't shy away. There's something about him that draws her in and captivates her.

It's probably just the way demons are, she thinks. He has to be one. No one else could exude such sexual energy after spending so much time as a cat.

Her arms cross over her chest as she tries to make herself seem taller and invincible somehow.]

Just because I might like what I see doesn't mean you being here is a good idea.

[Her mouth says the words, but she sounds like she doesn't mean them. Trying to gain an upper hand here, she lets out an exasperated sigh and hurries over to her bed in the corner of the small cabin and grabs a blanket to throw at him so he can cover up.]

[gygaxed]

Got it in one.

[ Eddie says with a bit of dramatic flourish, giving Chrissy a wink as he leans forward in a mock bow. He doesn't have any motives here except for getting back to his true form, which means he wants her to trust him, to like him. And even if there weren't after something, he can't help but feel just the slightest bit drawn to her. Perhaps it's something about their individual magics that just seem to be in tune, he can't be sure yet. ]

Let me be the first to say, most of what you've heard about demons is incorrect.

[ He catches the blanket when she tosses it in his direction, does her the favor of wrapping it around himself. Eddie catches a wiff of something sweet and floral in the fabric, and finds himself pulling it just a little bit closer around him. ]

What, you're just going to send me away? Or would you be happier if I was back to a fluffy little cat?

[cheerleader]

No, I don't want you to go.

[She's quick to answer. Maybe a little too quick, she realizes. All she can imagine is how smug that response might make him. So of course, her cheeks turn pink as she glances away.]

And I don't want you to be a cat again, either.

[Her hands knit together nervously, and she takes a cautious step back as she looks him over. She knows that her coven has it wrong about demons. She's been with him long enough to know he's nothing like what they think a demon is supposed to be. And she can't deny that she feels a pull that makes her want to stay close to him.

Whether this match is ill fated or not, she isn't sure. That all remains to be seen. But she knows that out of all the creatures out there, all the beings that could be tethered to her as her familiar? She wants him. The bond between a witch and a demon creates powerful magic. Besides that, she's gotten used to his presence as a cat and can only imagine that the bond will become even better with him like this.]

I want you to stay here with me. But I don't really know a lot about how this is supposed to work between us.