A Witch's Familiar part1

NEZU

Darkness. What was she doing before this? Her mind was fuzzy, and her body felt airy and light. Was there something she was worried about? Did it matter anymore? So many questions began to buzz about in her head, as only blackness greeted her back. She had a sense of being aware, but anything past that felt like she was knocking on a brick wall. Floating along in this endless space was a bit peaceful, as she felt herself melt into it all.

"Ah, so maybe we should try again."

A voice broke her fall into slumber. As suddenly she tried to wiggle to break free of her suspension, yet when she tried to speak only air came out. The void around her lacked any other beings, yet that voice had sounded like it was right next to her. She could still feel it's echoes reverberating off her chest. This voice had stirred in her hope, that maybe she wasn't alone in this desolate place.

"Let's make your next life a bit more interesting then. Take care."

Gasping once more her head whipped around, trying to spy this unknown figure who spoke to her. Next life? Interesting? Did that mean she had died? Was dead? What? None of it made any sense, she wanted to know now. Yet her hands grasped at nothing as a blinding light from above forced her to close her eyes and suddenly it felt like the weightlessness had gave way. Light and airy turned to sickening reality as her form plummeted. In her mind she figured the voice was merely mocking her, as a cat would a mouse, and this plunge was just signaling her finale. If she wasn't dead, she sure would be.

It took a few moments for her senses to come back. Eyes shut tight still she could hear the bustling sounds of city life slowly trickle into her eardrums. A chirp of a bird, the honk of a car, the foot falls of a kid skipping on the cement kicking up asphalt a car spat up. Voices floated around, bubbling in and out and not sounding like that one voice she had heard moments before. These sounded distant, and more human-like than the robotic one that seemed a bit mocking. The warmth of the sun's rays graced her face, as her eyes slowly opened. Vision was a bit blurry at first but slowly objects and the world came into crystal clear focus.

Looking around she noted her surroundings had changed significantly from her earlier predicament. No longer was she floating in an endless void of shadows, but a darkened alleyway looking out onto a busy street. Rusty red bricks adorn the buildings adjacent to her sides, and a sidewalk with a main road further out. People walked past without a second thought of noticing the strange young girl standing in this gloomy area. Looking skyward she had to shield her face as another ray of sunshine poked out from a cloud nearly blinding her as she did so. Her attention shifted to her hand as she turned over her palm, then inspected her other hand. Something about this made no sense as she squeezed each hand into a fist several times. /My hands.. they seem.. smaller../

A quick glance around yielded no mirror to inspect herself in, but it was starting to become apparent her view of the world was never quite this low to the ground before. Thinking about this a rattle on a nearby trash can alerted her as she let out a squeak, bracing herself as a tiny rat nibbling on it's breakfast shot her a glare then bounded off. Eyeing each trash can and the various black tied up bags it finally clicked, as the smell finally hit her. Plugging her nose and gagging she fled the alley bursting out onto the sidewalk as she released her nose and took in gulps of air.

A few passersby gave a raised brow but none seemed interested to bother with her. Wanting to put some distance between herself and the alley she followed the sidewalk further along. Everything seemed normal enough, with glistening huge windows showcasing the various shops wares. People had cellphones in their hands, and cars seemed modern enough whizzing past on the street. In her head this all felt familiar and normal, and as she thought this she paused in front of one of the windows. The face staring back at her did not look at all familiar.

Her fingers danced along the glass, as her mirror self did the same. A round soft face, long silvery locks that seemed to shine a purplish hue in the morning sun, not to mention her age. One thing she knew this wasn't her, and yet she couldn't deny it as her hand moved and eyes blinked the reflection did the same. "That's.. me?" Surprise flashed across her face as her own voice sounded bubbly and light. Hands reached up to cover her lips. The voice had said something about a new life, but she wasn't exactly reborn, she looked around what 10, 12? She had felt she was a lot older in her previous life. /How did I die then?/ Pondering this the door opened to the store catching her off guard as a customer scurried out with a strange creature on their arm. The thing looked foreign, with wings and horns, and upon noticing her staring it stared back, blinking as it then let out a cry startling her as her tiny legs turned and she booked it.

Through her running it's when the non-familiar started to settle in. The floating lights riding the wind currents, the ghostly apparitions, and strange human like but not quite beings walking alongside the masses. /What's going on.. this isn't normal../ As her head whipped from side to side she came to a halt as she collided into something, stumbling back she fell onto her rump. Groaning she glanced up to find not a thing but a person she had run into. "Wah! I'm soo sorry!" Springing back onto her feet cupped her hands together in a prayer like fashion as she bowed her head slightly. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going! Soo sorry!"

With her vision downward she spied her own attire slightly dirtied from her run in. Quickly she patted at her overcoat trying to get the dust off. She was grateful this unknown deity had been kind enough to at least dress her for this new life. Running around in the nude would not have been her ideal first impression of a second chance.

SULLIVAN

“What? You again? I already told you, kid. If you don’t have any money, then scram! I’m not running a charity here.” A gruff voice yelled out. The older gentleman was rough with age, his dark locks salted with silver and the subtle wrinkles in his face grew defined as his look hardened upon the young male standing before him. “Mister Grier, surely ya have some leftovers from one of yer previous customers doncha?” He was met with a loud sound as a pan hit the counter in response, causing the platinum-haired male to flinch back. “If you want it so bad, you can dig it out of the trash like the birds and the rats.”

Sullivan was no stranger to the older male’s surliness, but his rude disposition was hardly called for. “C’mon...surely ya won’t throw out a poor kid will ya?” The male mustered up as much cuteness as he could afford, though on the inside he could feel his pride drifting away on the breeze. Mister Grier couldn’t say no to a face like that, could he? Well, Sullivan was in for a rude awakening.

The owner of the establishment reached his hand out to the younger male, only to snatch him by the collar and drag him kicking and screeching unintelligibly back as he was dragged out of the building and thrown rather roughly onto the sidewalk. “Come back when you got some money kid!” The man spat, slamming the glass door to his restaurant loudly behind him, leaving Sullivan on the sidewalk as passersby snickered and guffawed at his pitiful state.

His face glowing red with embarrassment, the platinum-haired boy quickly scrambled to his feet as he yelled back, “I didn’t want yer shitty food anyway!” He cast his blue eyes downward and kicked a rock as he started to trudge down the sidewalk, his head hung in shame. This would be the second day he would be going without food. His stomach rumbled loudly in protest, causing the young male to clutch it painfully. “I gotta get something to eat soon.” He mumbled to himself.

He was technically old enough to find work, but trying to find work when he didn’t exactly have a home was easier said than done. He supposed he could always return to foster home he lived in, however, circumstances there weren’t exactly great either. Had his parents been around, maybe he would have lived a better life, but instead, he was begging for scraps to eat or fighting over a cardboard box with the alley cats. It absolutely sucked. Somehow, he ended up drawing the short stick in this game called life. ‘O gods or whoever is out there. Please give me a sign. I don’t want to die at fourteen.’ He rubbed his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut as he prayed. As if some deities actually cared about his suffering.

He felt something crash into him, catching him completely off-guard and nearly knocking the male off his feet though he managed to catch himself as he stumbled forward a couple of feet. It didn’t really hurt too much, so he wasn’t crashed into by a vehicle or anything. “What’s the big idea here? Do ya not have eyes?” He hissed, slowly turning around. Blue eyes fell onto the small form of a young female sitting on the pavement looking rather shocked that she ran into a person. Was this girl daft? The platinum-haired male crossed his arms as the girl hurried to her feet with an equally rushed out apology, causing Sullivan to quirk a brow at her.

“Do ya even know where yer at miss?” He asked, taking a step forward as he leaned down a little so he was closer to her level. “Watch where yer goin’. If ya don’t pay attention around here, it might hurt ya.” The young male poked at her head before straightening up. Looking over the girl a little closer, Sullivan noticed that she didn’t look like most of the other people that typically walked up and down the streets here. There were several poor and a few homeless, similar to himself. Those that walked past it all didn’t dress so neatly, and she looked well-cared for. He turned away then taking a few steps forward down the sidewalk when he felt the knotted pains of hunger stir up within him again. It was then that an idea then came to mind.

This graceless girl looked like she probably had some cash on her - surely enough that he could score a hot meal somewhere! Sullivan could feel his mouth watering at the sheer thought of sinking his teeth into a halfway decent meal. Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he removed a foldable blade and tucked it into his hand. Keeping his hand low and tilted away so to conceal the folded knife in hand, Sullivan strode up to the silver-haired girl once more. He cast a quick look around to make sure no one was around them as he flicked the blade out and poised it up, bringing it near the girl’s neck. Looks like she would be in a bad situation after all, but it was better her than him.

“Look, I’ll forget all about this if ya just give me everything ya got.” He spoke in a low voice, hoping to use fear and this girl’s foolish ‘luck’ to his advantage — the things having an empty stomach did to a person. Sullivan held the blade in such a way that kept it mostly hidden in case someone were to walk by, it would probably just look like he was reaching a hand up to her if they were just glancing in their direction. He was confident he had enough energy to pursue her if she even tried to run. If he had to dig through trash, then he was by no means above robbing a person, especially someone who looked like such a pushover. Maybe the gods were listening to his prayer after all. This was just the kind of luck he needed right now.

Or so he thought. Never could he imagine the kind of outcome that was waiting for him for challenging a random and seemingly unwitting stranger wandering the town’s red-light district.

NEZU “What’s the big idea here? Do ya not have eyes?”

The harsh tone that erupted from the figure standing before caught her yet again by surprise. Then again, she had just run into the fellow, no one liked that. She had apologized, what more could she do? Perhaps he was just having a bad day, or was always a sourpuss. Didn't manner what world she wound up in, you just had those sorts of people.

“Do ya even know where yer at miss?” His tone seethed into her being, as she stared up at his large eyes. He certainly could be menacing, as she felt frozen in place. Hands had drifted to her sides, motionless, unmoving. “Watch where yer goin’. If ya don’t pay attention around here, it might hurt ya.” The pain of his finger jabbing into her forehead instinctively made her close her eyes. When his looming shadow had left she slowly opened them, as a hand went up to rub the now sore spot. His form leaving was a welcomed sight. The negativity surrounding him was suffocating, not to mention the height difference. He towered over her, which just made the encounter so much worse. Was she always this timid and scared? It would have been nice to access some more memories of her previous life. Maybe this was just that dumb god's idea of 'interesting'.

With a sigh her hand lowered as she prepared herself to walk in the opposite direction, perhaps to find someone else to aide her, when his sudden halt in his step made her take pause. He had seemed in a hurry to go elsewhere, and yet him freezing like that made her feel uneasy. She could almost see the gears in his head turning, and her mind went blank as she seemed glued to the spot, frozen like a deer in headlights as he came barreling back at her. It didn't take him but a few quick steps to reach her, as he once again cast his long shadow over her. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, as something icy cold kissed at her neck.

She had gone speechless at this point, as slowly her vision turned to the object that was pressed up against her flesh. It's glisten in the morning sun was no mistake, as she felt her heart sink. His warm breath tickled at her ears, making her tremble slightly. “Look, I’ll forget all about this if ya just give me everything ya got.” It had to be a dream; this was no way not a dream. Perhaps she was in a coma and this was just a lucid dream, that she hadn't wound up dead, in a mysterious void, and somehow in the body of a pre-teen who was about to lose her second chance at life. Yet the cool touch of the blade felt real enough, as did the threat this boy presented to her.

Taking a moment her attention went to him. His clothes looked tattered and worn, several holes and patches dotted the linens. His hands seemed rough, calloused and use to hard work, as dirt was encrusted under his nails. Hair looked greasy and unkempt, like he hadn't showered in a while. Being this up close his smell was also a bit overpowering, though the clothes blocked some of it. Maybe the clothes stunk as well? All signs were pointing to him being of the lower end of the totem pole of society. He was desperate, and she had fallen into his lap like a golden goose. Even she couldn't deny the god had given her nicer looking clothes than him, but said clothes had empty lined pockets. She had no money, wallet, purse, she couldn't give him anything if she wanted to. Stalling she felt the blade press up closer, his grip tightening turning his knuckles white. It's when it hit her, she didn't have to give up. This was her second chance, and she wasn't about to lose it to some punk.

Feeling a bit of confidence swell inside she pulled back her head then collided her head on to his own. The cracking sound and pain made her ears ring out as she stumbled back out of his grasp. A trickle of blood dribbled down her neck, as the blade had graced her during the move, but if a simple cut was her only repercussion it was fine. With him caught off guard she then pulled back her leg and gave a fierce kick to his shin. With her own equilibrium still a bit off she nearly fell on her side but collected herself. She could feel this overwhelming warmth fill her person, as unbeknownst to herself a soft glow emitted beneath her feet. "You're such a rotten person!" With the shout a similar glow appeared beneath the boy, then dissipated.

With a smirk she turned and stormed off, not giving him the chance to try for a second round. All she could hear was her own ringing in her ears and feel her heart leaping into her throat as the adrenaline rush propelled her. How far she had gone she couldn't tell, she just kept running until she couldn't anymore. Left right, left, down a side road, anything to keep him off her tail if he even bothered to chase her down. With her legs feeling like two wet noodles and her lungs screaming for air she finally took a break. Leaning up against a building she gulped in the air around her as she wiped some sweat off her brows. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her, but she didn't care. So long as that creep was long gone, she was content. A glance behind her, as she huffed and puffed, yielded no one following, as she breathed a sigh of relief between pants. Catching her breath, she slowly glanced around. More store fronts, more shops, more people, and more unknowns. "Guess I got.. to start somewhere.."

Morning had given way to afternoon, and she only found herself even more confused and lost, and now with a grumbling stomach, hungry. Luckily, or rather unluckily, she couldn't find any police or local authorities. She had thought maybe she could use them to 'find her family' to which she realized she had none. A god had thrust her into a new life with no home, family, or money. If he wanted interesting he certainly got it. Thoughts of becoming like the boy earlier made her shake her head in annoyance. /Unlike him I won't let myself fall that far./ So she used what she had. Puppy dog eyes and her sweet bubbly voice got her a small meal from one, a near teary eyed sobbing mess gave her a few coins from another. Begging felt beneath her, but it was all she had. Somehow, she could turn on and off the water works, along with making her 'targets' seem to drop their guard. She could see their shoulders slouch and their faces drop as they would go from irritated to sincere. It didn't help she failed to notice the glow beneath herself each time she'd try to coax someone.

She had found herself sitting in a small cafe in their outdoor seating area, sipping on her mountain of a dessert a kind patron had given to her. It was a pile of ice cream, smothered in chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and dotted with several fruit toppings. Gingerly nibbling on the straw she let her mind wander as she stared off into the distance. “I guesft.. thisf isn't so badth.." She said aloud, muffled by the plastic in her teeth.

SULLIVAN

It appeared he was right - the girl was probably a pushover. She didn’t even respond right away, and for a moment Sullivan wondered if he would just have to search her pockets himself and take off before someone called the local authorities on him. The longer he held her up, the more likely someone was to catch them. When it seemed like she wouldn’t move, he squeezed the handle tighter as he pressed the blade even closer to her neck in an effort to pressure her. “Look, I’ll give ya to the count of five.” He hissed, not wanting to drag this out any longer than they already had. “1.” He began, “2. 3—”

BANG.

He felt something collide into his cranium, causing the male to cry out in pain and retract his hand away quickly to reach for his head. Did she just...headbutt him?! His vision was a little blurred from the sudden impact and his head throbbed with pain. “What the hell do ya think yer-” Sullivan began to say, turning his gaze toward the girl as she pulled back her leg and slammed it with enough force right into his. Howling with pain, the older male dropped the knife he was holding altogether to grab his leg, hopping on one foot as he did. Who the hell was this girl? She didn’t seem like she had that kind of fire in her moments before.

“You’re such a rotten person!” Her words echoed, but the male was hardly paying attention to them. He didn’t even notice a glowing mark appear beneath him as he was turning his blue eyes fiercely onto her again. “Ya little brat! Didn’t yer parents teach ya to respect yer elders!” He growled, but at this point, the girl was taking off running. “Ah, no ya don’t..hold it!” He put his full weight on his injured leg and tried to sprint after her, only to fall flat on his stomach onto the sidewalk.

Groaning loudly, the male rolled over onto his back, seething for a moment. This was just great.

He lost out on little miss moneybags, which meant no hot meal. On top of it, he made such a display on the side of the streets that people who weren’t even paying attention were now staring in his direction. Fantastic. He quickly bolted down one of the alleys, deciding not to stick around in case someone actually called the authorities if they even witnessed any part of that display beforehand. He didn’t want to go to jail. He just wanted food.

“Looks like I’m eating with the rats today.” He sighed to himself as he looked down at his dirtied appearance. He knew he already looked pretty rough. He got used to living on the streets for the past few months, but it was hard to get used to the long days when he was treated like nothing but trash and vermin. He then paused a moment as he noticed a bit of discoloration on his arms. That was...strange. The girl didn’t touch him there at all, so why would there be a bruise? Perhaps it happened when he fell? Shrugging his shoulders, the male turned toward an open dumpster and grimaced.

Hoisting himself up, he dropped in and began digging through looking for something that could be edible enough to call breakfast. He found some half-eaten fruit, but when he took a bite it tasted rotten in his mouth. Spitting it out, the male groaned. Climbing back out, he plunked down on the ground next to the dumpster. Maybe if he was lucky, someone would throw away a whole meal or something. ‘As if.’

Closing his eyes a moment, Sullivan allowed himself to rest his eyes and leaned his head back against the concrete wall. He couldn’t have been resting for more than a few minutes when suddenly he felt something nipping at his fingers. When he opened his eyes, he saw a particularly big rat nipping at him, and the young male leaped up to his feet with a startled shout. “What do ya want!?” He snapped, but the rat just looked up at him with its beady eyes. And...were those flies buzzing around him?? Sure, he knew he smelled, but was it really bad enough to warrant flies?

From nearby, something that smelled like the faint aroma of rot began to assault his nose. “Gods, what in the hell is that smell?” He brought his arm to his face to cover his nose, only for the smell to grow stronger. It was almost enough to make him gag. Staring down at his arm, the discoloration was even darker than before...disturbingly so. It almost looked like it was infected or something...but how?! He gently tried to rub at the spot, compelled to make sure he still had feeling, and his stomach flipped at what happened next. The skin smeared away where Sullivan touched, almost like a partially melted piece of plastic. The smell grew even more intense. It was enough to make him vomit.

“Wh-What’s happenin’?” He moaned, staring down at his arm like it was some foreign object to him. He had to cover it for now… Tearing off a piece of fabric from the hem of his shirt, he clumsily tied it over his arm to hide the disgusting sight. He needed some help, and he needed it fast. The first person that came to mind was one of the local witches in the area. Perhaps she would be able to help him.

Thankfully, her little hole-in-the-wall shop was not far away. Auntie Crystal was someone, though stern, was still kind to an extent even to poor street rats like himself. If someone could help him, it would be her.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid there isn’t anything I can do.” She frowned when she inspected the wound site. “It appears you have been cursed with rot by another witch. The only one who can lift the curse is the one who bestowed it you.” She informed him, her eyes softening slightly in momentary sympathy for the male before growing serious again. “You best find her right away, or you may rot away by nightfall at this rate.” Sullivan felt his skin crawl, though he wasn’t sure if that was just his skin actually moving again from this rot curse or whatever he had. “But who…” He started to say, wracking his brains. He hadn’t run into any witches that he was aware of.

His thoughts drifted to the white-haired girl he tried to mug that very morning and his complexion paled. There did seem to be a bit of a glow at one point, but he hadn’t thought much of it. But that girl...she was a witch!?

Taking a moment to calm down, his blue eyes focused on the witch’s bright red eyes. “Where can I find the girl who did this? This city is HUGE. It could take hours or even days.” If what Auntie Crystalline said was correct, he didn’t have time to waste. He sucked in a deep breath trying to keep himself calm, but it did little to remedy him. “Calm down, my child. I know a spell that can lead you to her. Do you happen to have anything of hers on you?” Crystalline asked, holding her hand out to the silver-haired male, but he shook his head. His attempted robbery ended in utter failure, which was what probably led him to this mess. “Nope. She left nothing behind.” He sighed in defeat. At this rate, he really would be dead at fourteen.

“Hmm...Well, she did leave you with something.” The ravenette women said, gingerly taking his arm in her hand so not to rub off any more skin in the process, and she waved her fingers over the most obvious wound site. “She left traces of her magic on you. It’s not as potent as a physical object, but it will do for a locator spell.”

A small, red orb of light appeared in her hand as she whispered words in an unknown language, her red eyes seeming to glow as she literally worked her magic. Finally, she blew on the orb and it flew like a firefly out of her hand and seemed to disappear. “Take Penny with you. She’s my familiar. She’ll be able to follow the magical trail and lead you to your witch’s location, but you will have to persuade her yourself to lift the curse.” The crow that was comfortably nestled on her shoulder then took flight, swallowing the little orb of light and let out a shrill caw. “Good luck, young one.”

With that, Sullivan took off with the Crow as it flew through the sky taking lead. He spent the greater part of the morning trying to figure out what was wrong with him that he hadn’t realized it was already giving way to afternoon, and though his hunger had temporarily subsided due to the circumstances, it was soon revived when the crow cawed and landed on a post outside of a fancy little cafe. Did that mean his witch was here?

Sullivan groaned, his belly rumbling violently. “Why here?” He clutched his stomach, only to release it out of fear that it might actually fall off of him. Right. He had to find that girl.

His blue eyes found the familiar head of white sitting at one of the tables in the outdoor seating area. ‘It really is her.’ He thought bemusedly to himself. Sullivan felt his hunger and worry give way to anger as he stormed through toward the cafe’s outdoor seating area. “HEY WHITEY.” He yelled out, charging toward the female’s direction. He ignored the incredulous looks of the outside patrons as he strode by, several of them making disgusted faces as the scent of unwashed clothes and rot wafted behind him. “Oi, I’m talkin’ to ya!” He slammed his hand on the table without thinking, only to immediately retract it and hiss with pain as the skin seemed to give way to the force.

Blinking the tears from his eyes, he lifted his hand up and shoved it at the girl’s face. “Look what ya did to me!” He snarled, pushing whatever was left of her food away with the other hand in his rage. “I want ya to fix this. Now.” There was no ounce of respect or civility in his voice, and his blue eyes were hardened with contempt. By now the other patrons were either fleeing the area or looking back with piqued curiosity at the commotion the younger male was causing.

“Look, if ya don’t fix this, it’ll be my death that’ll be on yer hands.” There was a hint of desperation in his voice, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and arrogance. He just wanted this awful blight removed so he could go back to his crap hole of a home where the only thing he had to worry about was begging for money and finding food.

NEZU

The lazy clouds that slowly meandered overhead, the bouncing rays of sunlight that peaked out like a game of hide and seek, dotting the streets with their spotlights. The voices of the patrons around her merged together as she only caught pieces of conversations here and there. Silverware clanked, shoes pattered along on the sidewalk as cars whizzed past. With her sundae starting to slowly shift to the side, as it's mountain was looking more washed out as a few sprinkles came cascading down like a landslide she took a small sip, just letting herself soak in this moment. She really hadn't had a chance to just sit and think.

Peaceful time ended when the voices nearby turned from bubbly to sharp, as shouts and audible gasps broke the calm. It was almost palpable the atmosphere shift from a carefree afternoon to one of turmoil. Curious she moved her gaze away from the bustling streets beyond the cafe's iron fencing to where the ruckus was originating from. One lone bird, black as midnight, sat perfectly on the fencing. It caught her eye given she hadn't seen many birds in the area, not even a dove or pigeon, as the food areas at least in this part of town seemed a bit better off. It was odd it was just sitting there, it almost felt like it was staring straight at her. Thinking it was just the bird that had caused a commotion she readied herself to go back to her daydreaming when the sound of tables and silverware crashing and chairs being slammed piqued her interest. That and a strange aroma that wafted her direction that made her eyes water as the sweet smells of the baked goods and food got drowned out by something that smelled like death rolled over. Instinctively a hand rose to cup over her mouth.

“HEY WHITEY.”

That voice. Her heart sank as fear washed over her. She hadn't thought he would follow her, but as he approached the smell only grew in intensity making her grip her face tighter. “Oi, I’m talkin’ to ya!” The reverberation of his slam rang out in her ears, as she let out a small "Eep!", which released her grip and only let the god-awful smell permeate into her senses making her feel sick to her stomach. As the slam seemed to have done him more harm, given the pained look on his face, she almost lost it seeing the slimy remnants of his palm splattered on the table. She had to hold back the urge to vomit, as both hands shot up to block her mouth and nose. She was beyond words to describe this, mortified even, as a look of pure dread washed over her pale complexion, making her seem even paler.

Slowly her eyes went from the gooey bits that glistened in the sun to his angry expression. “Look what ya did to me!” When he shot out his injured hand into her face, spraying flecks of flesh her way she lost it. Hands released the flood gates as she turned to her side and lost the day's meal all over the beautiful tiled flooring. Her own bile masked part of the smell, but as soon as she gasped for breath the overpowering stench this boy had rolling off of him hit her for another round as she felt her stomach lurch once more. “I want ya to fix this. Now.” Her head was still under the table, as she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, as she heard her sundae being wiped violently off the table. Its sugary contents crashed onto the floor as his fly entourage hovered over this new meal.

Slowly she rose her head back up, napkin firmly on her face, as she felt a few more pulses of her stomach trying to upchuck a third time with only air coming up. /Fix that? How?/ As she gulped down she tried parting the napkin away to speak but the moment she took in the air she had to quickly cover back up to resist the urge the puke mid-sentence.

All around them the cafe was in chaos. People nearby fled, covering their faces with hands, napkins, scarfs, anything to keep the smell out. A few like herself had left puddles in their wake, as several had phones out dialing for assistance.

With a flap the raven flew over to the two, landing gracefully on the table, wary to steer clear of the hand print. "You're causing a scene, best to do this back at my master's place." The crow's beak parted as a voice came out, leaving her a bit stunned. It wasn't a trick, she had heard it, as the creature looked from her to the boy. "Teleport, home." A magic circle appeared beneath all three of them, as it glowed brightly it enveloped them and in a flash they had vanished.

It didn't really feel like anything, except the moment the ride ended she found herself hovering a foot or so off the ground given her seated position prior, as gravity took hold and she went falling onto her rump with a thud. Penny then flapped over to a counter as a new voice echoed out at her, "My my.. so this is the problematic witch that cursed you? She barely looks older than a child.." Blinking she turned her attention towards the voice, a tall slender woman dressed all in black, with long flowing locks stood before them. It took her a moment to register she had been forcefully pulled, like that annoying voice from earlier, from her peaceful time at the cafe to now.. where? In the dim lightning it was hard to make out distinct objects, but the book shelves were littered with dozens upon dozens of volumes. Jars and glass vials were lined up along the back wall, as garlands of various plants and unknown objects adorn the walls and ceiling. The place had an earthy tone to it, it gave off a quaint hometown shop vibe.

"Wait- witch?! Me?!" Pointing to herself she was taken aback by this. Sure, she had seen some odd things running around town, such as the floating lights, maybe a shadowy figure, and some horned individuals, but witches? Magic? She almost laughed but then the smell hit her as she cupped her mouth. He had been taken there as well, as her eyes began to water again.

The woman only sighed, seeming un-phased by his retched stench. "Yes yes.. you. I had my familiar track the source of this boy's curse to you. Now, I know it's not ideal but, you mind removing it? Death curses are a bit harsh.. maybe try an acne one or a swollen toe.. but go on then.." Slowly she panned from the woman and the bird to the boy who seemed ready to fall over any moment, then back to the woman. Uncurling her fingers to speak her voice squeaked out, "I-I don't know.. how?" To prepare herself for the fallout she scrambled to her feet and took a few steps away from the lumbering giant. Being a bit further away made the air a bit easier to digest. "You.. don't know how? It's magic. You invoked a curse, right?"

Invoked? Her mind went back to their brief encounter. She hadn't recalled doing some special dance, waving a wand, or saying a certain chant or string of words. "I just called him a rotten person. He did try to mug me with a knife.." Auntie shot a glare at him. "You didn't mention the mugging bit, nor a knife. She's just a girl." With another sigh she waved her hand, dismissing the manner as she rubbed her forehead. "It doesn't matter at this moment.. How about a compromise then." "Compromise?" Auntie Crystal nodded, "Yes. Since he did do something bad, he needs a punishment to fit the crime. Just that this punishment doesn't fit. Just do a simple contract with him. It's easy, just state what you want him to do. Like carry your bags, do your chores, something, anything. That should cover up this curse then and make you even. Sound fair?"

She had a feeling she didn't have a choice in the manner. But, thinking about it she could use someone for this new place. She didn't know anyone, and this kid, despite his demeanor and first impression, was her one shot at having some sort of foot hold in this world. She had only meagerly gotten by with her cute face, even though he was homeless looking she also felt bad given what she had done. Two heads were better than one.

"Alright." Shakily she approached him, as Auntie motioned for her to get in close. The smell was so bad but she endured. "Now state something, anything, to form the contract shake on it." Grimacing she gulped as she took in a shallow breath, her stomach gave a lurch but she pushed past the urge to vomit. "I want you to be my guide in this world." Shutting her eyes, she stuck out her hand towards him. Being this close, it was so unbearable, she just wanted it over and done with.

"Huh.. wait that wording-" As Auntie tried to intervene the cold slimy sticky grasp of a hand sliding into her own initiated the contract as two circles appeared under each of them. They seemed more intricate than the prior ones, though she wouldn't have known given she had her eyes shut tight. Even though her lids she could tell it was blinding. As the light faded a subtle warmth filled her being, as the smell dissipated. Retracting her hand, a shiver ran down her spine at the still grimy feeling it held. "Bathroom?" A nod Auntie pointed to a hallway, "Second door on left.. use the green bar to disinfect.." Without even taking a second to glance back at her compatriot she hustled to the restroom. As the sound of running water gushed Auntie took a moment as she placed a hand on her cheek.

"Well.. I didn't expect this. Those ears are rather cute though." Penny let out a caw, which sounded like a laugh. "Miss does that mean?" The woman gave a nod as the water shut off. "Yes, it seems that little girl somehow.. made a human into her familiar.." As a door creaked open and her tender footsteps echoed back, she came back into the room, staring at her hand and sniffing it slightly. As her eyes rolled over the scene, she took pause at the boy. She had to blink a few times, to register what she was seeing.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE EARS AND A TAIL NOW?!" A blush crept up on her face, as she hadn't meant to blurt out like an idiot, as she coughed and tried to regain some composure. "You really don't know what you're doing huh?" The blush got a bit redder. "No. I don't. Mind explaining why he went from rotting into a pile of mush to now.. super fluffy werewolf boy?" She couldn't help staring at his ears and swishing tail, and did his finger nails seem a bit longer? Details aside she really had no idea what was going on. Her head was spinning at all this new information.

"Well maybe introductions are in order then. I'm Auntie Crystal, the kids here call me Auntie for short. This is Penny, my familiar. The pent up angry one there is.. Sullivan I think? And what about you young lady?"

As she opened her mouth ready to say her name, she hesitated. Something that should be so second nature felt lost to her at that moment. She knew she had a name; everyone has one, even this kid before her did. Biting down on her lower lip she tried to think of something, anything. The growing silence was deafening, and she could feel the impatience lingering in the air. "Nezu!" She blurted it out, feeling stupid yet again as she stared down at her feet. That didn't even sound like a name, why did she say it? Auntie merely shrugged as she twirled her wrist in the air making a few chairs magically appear. "Have a seat, both of you. Seems we need to discuss your current predicament."