Wizard World - Meridae the writer ninja snuck this into one of my posts. It is wondrous.

[charisstoma]

Title: The Wild One OR In which an agreement is reached.
Comment to Meridae here please
This might just be in a new story arc in this 'verse. *am proud* She piggy-backed off my Chance Fortunate. *grins*



"Care--!"

The warning came too late, and although Evan snatched his hand back as quickly as possibly, he still came away with a set of four painful, bleeding and quite deep gouge marks on the back of his hand just beyond his knuckles. He swore quietly - so as not to upset on incite the culprit further - and looked up at the 'foster mother' doubtfully as he nursed the insult to his hand.

"Are you *sure* this is a familiar? He seems quite . . . wild."

Magister Warne sighed. "Yes, he's definitely a familiar. Just a traumatised one. He was raised by a non-familiar feline mother, and his first contact with humans was . . . ummm . . . abusive, to say the least."

"Oh." Evan commented in a small voice, eyeing the spitting, hissing, snarling tangle of fur huddled at the back of the enclosed wicker work basket with a little more sympathy.

"You're under no obligation, Evan. Not everyone has the time or emotional strength to take on a stray." The Magister's voice was gentle and warm, letting Evan know that it was truly okay to go back to his safe little university world and wait for the perfect familiar to come along. Yes, familiars were rare and highly sort after, but he was powerful, and financially comfortable, and not bad looking if he did say so himself . . . . he had a good chance of attracting a powerful, well educated and well adjusted familiar of his own. He didn't need to accept a stray.

"His name is Phinx. It's all he will tell us."

"Phinx . . . " Evan murmured, his gaze still fastened on the frightened feline. Cautiously, he let his hand creep back into the basket, resting it just out of paw swiping range.

They stayed there for long moment, nascent wizard and feral familiar, frozen, at an impasse of mutual fear.

Then . . . a slight movement . . . a brief rub of a cheek against the knuckle nearest to the furred, triangular face, and a brief swipe of a rough tongue over a bloodied mark, before the frightened familiar retreated to the rear of the basket again.

A warm feeling of joy began bubbling up in Evan's heart.

He looked up at the Magister, his eyes wide in wonder. "When can I take him home?"

Comments

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Phinx spent the first week of their acquaintance hiding in the back of wardrobe, his presence only indicated by occassional growls when Evan got too close to the piece of furniture in question, and the nightly subtractions from the food bowl and subsequent additions to the litter box.

Evan spent the week doing his best to cater to his new companion's comfort - the best fillet steaks and fresh salmon and organic, free range chicken breasts were dutifully acquired, carefully chopped (in case Phinx had unresolved dental issues) and gently placed into the dark cave of Phinx's sanctuary. Evan was careful to accompany each feline meal with its human equivalent, in the hopes this would tempt Phinx to change form should he be able to do so. A comfortable cushioned and enclosed basket had been further padded with a new sheep skin before Phinx was introduced to his new home, and Evan even went so far as to phone his father to request an advance on his stipend, although he was loathe to ask his darling pater for anything.

And still, nothing. Just the ocassional growl, and faint, barely heard litter box excavations as Evan drifted in and out of sleep at night.

Evan took to sitting next to the wardrobe while he studied, reading whatever text he was working on aloud, and discussing the problems he was struggling with on each assignment. When he finished his studies each night, he stayed on the floor, ignoring the ache in his hips, the stiffness in his knees and the chill it caused on his skin. He began talking about the life he and Phinx might have together, and the concern he had for the familiar's well being, especially the nasty matts in Phinx's beautiful silky fur, which surely must be causing great discomfort.

The silence took on a listening quality.

He invited Amur - his best friend and brother-in-law to Magister Warne, and the reason he'd known about Phinx's existence in the first place - to spend evenings with him, reasoning the presence of another familiar would put Phinx at ease. Amur joined him readily, lounging in feline form on whatever book he was studying (having learned the spell for turning pages at boarding school, although Evan still laughed at the affectation of the pair of tiny spectacles perched on Amur's nose) and would then turn human so they could continue their discussions on the meaning of life over a game of Wizards and Warlocks. They'd talk long into the night, leaving pregnant pauses during each topic to allow Phinx the opportunity to contribute if he wished - he never did - before continuing.

The air of listening continued, and the growling ceased, even when Evan was invading the wardrobe to clean the litter box in the morning. But nothing further.

Evan despaired. It wasn't that he minded a familiar who hid constantly and never came out, and certainly his magic was showing the improvements that even their very weak bond afforded - his spells held more confidence, their outcome more certain, their power improved measurably. He couldn't believe the ease with which he'd passed the practical portion of his Advanced Dark Hexes and Immutable Charms paper.

But none of that made up for the fact he was worried - was Phinx okay in the wardrobe? Was he frightened? Did the matts in his fur pain him? Was he getting enough to eat (although the evidence in the litter box would suggest so)? Was his water fresh enough? Did he realised Evan only wanted the very best for him?

Surely, hiding in a wardrobe couldn't be at all a satisfying and fulfilling way to live!

He expounded on this at length one evening, his verbosity assisted by a strong mug of rum-and-cider, eventually falling asleep on the rug and cushions he'd placed in front of the wardrobe to soften the cold wooden floor.

He awoke the next morning, headachy and sore, but not at all that cold. A naked body, all gaunt bones and underfed skin was pressed next to him, tucked back to belly along the curve of his body. Orange tipped white blond hair tickled his nose, and when he craned his neck over, blue eyes, slightly apprehensive, blinked at him.

::BLINK:: Good Morning.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

You wrote more *GRIN* ....don't stop now ;)

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*pets you*
*nuzzles you and purrs*
Am half asleep and my back aches but this had to be read and it is a better remedy than Advil.

[frogs_of_war]

Evan put a lot of effort into their relationship. It looks like it's paying off. Did he offer Phinx any clothes? Or was he waiting to see what size Phinx was in human form>

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Phinx looks like this:

http://ragdollcat.org/Cream/Sunsweet.jpg

Only a bit longer, rangier and angular (more masculine) and a heck of a lot more arrogant. He is a familiar after all. He's a flamepoint/red point ragdoll type thing, but in my head has a body type more like the maine coons (which don't seem to come in the flame point, being more tabby pattern based)

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

He's gorgeous.
A little untouchable in his perfection.

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Yup, that pretty much describes Phinx.

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Oooh, this body type but with flamepoint fur:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d24cdTCHiAE/TSPY6CJIBAI/AAAAAAAAAEo/PgMjxtNxDkk/s320/tica1.jpg

And totally this expression:

http://www.catsofaustralia.com/images/Maine%20Coon%20CGW.JPG

Teehee, and this is what he looks like in a future episode when Amur and Evan deal to his fur with the clippers.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lyvbNK5EJpc/TbnH-xpT4DI/AAAAAAAAAzY/gFUPdHERJh4/s1600/grooming%252B005.JPG

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Love the tufted ears and the expressions.

WHY would he let them do that to his fur???!!! WHY would AMUR? He is not a poodle!!

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Easiest and quickest way to get the matts out of his poor fur. The other option was long sessions with a comb which, no matter how gently wielded, would have hurt! And it was hurting enough all ready. The consensus among all the familiars he meets (mostly Amur's family as it happens) is that the lion cut makes him look sleek and regal and brave.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

When his fur grows out again, then they will see the sacrilege but okay, poodle it is... for now.

Does/will familiar fur grow out if he's in human form?

[seeking-galileo.livejournal.com]

I don't see why not. After all their hair would grow...

It's one of those magical creature things I just don't question.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I read it both ways; an individual grows equally even if the individual is in another form, and (in this case after an emotional trauma) the individual was more physically developed in the form they were using than the human form that they hadn't been in for a long time.

And wouldn't that last one be fun to play with.