SPELLBOUND!

+  a child -- formerly the daughter of a tailor, now an apprentice witch!

+  all you need is faith, trust, and the ability to draw a perfect circle i mean, and some magic ink!

+  she thinks magic is so cool, almost anything magic-based would amaze her beyond words.

+  misses her mom (who she accidentally turned to stone...  it’s a sore subject.)

+  she is trying her best.  she is literally trying so hard.

+  spare positive role model?  spare master??  spare adoption papers???

+  brimmed-hat witches begone!  away with you!  pointed-hat witches for life!!

this’ll be hilarious.

[maybe if i sing you a happy song, you can stay awake.]

“E–eh..?!”

The sudden appearance of a strange looking creature, immediately rushing towards him in interest certainly wasn’t something that Watanuki was unfamiliar with; he had spent most of his life being pursued by spirits, among other things that wished to eat him. This.. ‘brushbuddy’ as it was called didn’t seem to be quite as dangerous, yet the effects of his mask made Watanuki’s reaction a bit more animated; blinking as he watched the winged girl attempt to reign the fuzzy being in.

“Ah.. that’s..” the man took a moment to collect himself, feeling ease slowly spread through his shoulders as he managed a bit of a smile, mostly at the way she spoke to her friend. “.. it’s okay, really. I might have an idea why he wanted to come this way so badly..”

As if on cue, a tiny head poked its way out of Watanuki’s tuxedo jacket; Mugetsu nudging up against his master’s chin as he passed a glance towards the pair before them. Was it safe to get closer? Were they potential friends of Watanuki’s?

“Er.. you said his name was.. ‘Brushbuddy’, right? Maybe he wanted to meet Mugetsu because they look so similar, but.. he isn’t a fox, is he?”

   “ mhm, ”   she nods matter-of-factly, placing the creature on her shoulder for the time being.   “ although it’s not a name, really...  that’s what they are.  a brushbuddy.  we...  haven’t really gotten around to naming you, have we...? ”   her fingers reach to scratch at the fine white hairs of its tail as she tilts her head to look at them.  coco mulls over what she could call them, but there’s a lot of names that come to mind--  not to mention the fact that she shouldn’t be the only one to contribute to such a thing.

ah, but she’s gone and distracted herself, right in the middle of a conversation.  when she refocuses, there’s...  something else.  something that wasn’t there before.  it’s small, fuzzy, and bears an awful lot of resemblance to the one on her shoulder.  

✿“well… in that case…”  martel lowered herself, taking a knee in front of the girl with an unsteadied shifting of her weight. some talks were better to have face-to-face. coco’s love earned no question nor doubt, but such worries were only signs of consideration. however, fretting would do the girl no good. instead, martel presented the options:

“… i see two options: you leave the snugstone here where you found it, or you hold onto it in the meanwhile. if you let it stay here, you risk someone unfamiliar with the item taking it and claiming it as their own… although perhaps it’s owner will find it here later. however, we don’t know if that’ll happen. if you hold onto it for now, you could always keep it safe in your possession as you search for its owner later.”

there is a chance the contraption would be found if left here, but… somehow martel didn’t put much faith in that option. it felt better for coco to hold onto it. but coco is young, she’s at an age where she needs to take authority and decide her own courses of action and navigate their pros and cons. 

the elder wrapped her hands around the girls’ as small digits cling to the stone protectively.

“i can’t say whether or not this snugstone is yours, but i can say that you’ll make a wise decision. give it some consideration.”

and she let go.

it’s a bit disheartening, that martel cannot provide a proper answer for her.  but then again, coco ought to know better than to expect her to.  she can’t quite muster the strength to look her in the eyes, instead casting her gaze to the ground in thought.  

   “ then...  then i want to keep it, ”   not as her own, but as martel suggested,   “ for now--  j-just in case, i...  i’ll look after it in the meantime. ”   she echoes the words said to her to help assure her further.  saying them herself makes her feel a little better.  the warmth of the stone in her hands feels a little more earned in some regard.  it isn’t hers--  it couldn’t be hers, no matter how selfishly she wishes it was.  coco knows what happened to hers.  she couldn’t bear to think it could be the same, not after what they did with it.

she holds the stone close, her hands squeezing around it.  no matter how tight her grip, it doesn’t burn, just as she was told.  it’s amazing.  to think such a thing could be so carefully crafted.  to think that someone would be so meticulous when designing it.  coco doesn’t feel like she’s quite there yet.  she’s yet to think of consequences so thoroughly.  if she did, just how many things could have been avoided...?  but that thought is shoved aside, quite quickly too.

“Heehee ⭐. Isn’t it great? Anyone could feel royal at a dance like this.” She was so excited that she had to explore, leaving her master in the dust reaching after her. Ah, well. The girl’s energy stuck out like a sore thumb, so it was not as if he would lose her in the crowd for very long. He would take a more leisurely walk to admire the decorations. He caught himself in a mirror as he passed by a collection of polished silver trinkets in a cabinet. Though slightly dressed up with celestial motifs, he still wore flowing robes and an outfit that denoted his status as a common mage.

A witch feels out of place in a castle this grand. I wonder how Olruggio manages with all of the aristocratic clients of his…

Eventually he catches up to his student with Foonfoon lazing around her neck like a feather boa.

“How wonderful then, you are able to enjoy a new experience! I’m more partial to the outdoor festivals myself with fresh air and more space. But there is something to be said about taking such care in crafting your perfect outfit, and all of the effort one puts into a party. And it seems like Foonfoon is having fun as well.” Qifrey attempts to reach a finger towards the brushbug and scratch the top of his head. “Say, I heard among the attendees that the top floor has some kind of contraption that allows you to fly above the castle. You must miss being able to use your boots for so long. Might you grant me a dance up there to see what all the buzz is about?”

   “ foonfoon...? ”   she tilts her head, though it seems as if it was a mistake to repeat the name.   “ ack---  cut it out! ”   try as she might to turn her face away, she’s left no choice but to brace herself against a flurry of annoyed tail flicks as it chirps back at her master.  a brushbuddy’s tail is quite long, after all.  she ought to be grateful it’s as soft as it is too.  reluctantly, coco strokes at their back in an effort to quiet them down.

   “ a contraption that lets you fly...?  so they’re like sylph shoes then? ”   she grabs at the cloth of her dress to peek at her own shoes.  they’re no different than the ones she usually wears, truthfully, she’s grown much too fond of them to want to wear anything else--  whether they work or not.  but sylph shoes seemed a little hard to manage to let just anyone wear them.  she thinks on it for a moment longer, recalling another contraption she’s seen before.   “ or maybe...  something like those jackets they had in ezrest...? ”   in that case, it could be something similar to what she and tartah made for custas too, but she’s less inclined to mention that one aloud.  they were all so happy to get a chance to fly.  she was happy for them too, or rather...  she’d like to be, anyway. 

“There sure are a lot of them, aren’t there?” Truth be told, he hadn’t really noticed until she brought it up, but now he can’t help but see them scattered around the room. He’d been to a few parties back in Amestris, but none quite like this… he might have believed the frogs were just part of the festivities if this girl wasn’t just as confused by them.

“I don’t know what fairies like… honestly I didn’t even believe they were real until this party.” He’s not complaining, though– the mask he’d put on had made him taller, and that might be what it takes to finally get him to believe in magic.

“Hope none of them get trampled underfoot, people really aren’t watching their step out there.”

   “ t-trampled?! ”   goodness, what an awful mental image!   “ that’d be terrible!! ”   coco wouldn’t--  couldn’t--  let that happen!  there are too many frogs about to doubt if they really belong here, surely they must.  she looks around, and though she hates to admit it, he’s right.  everyone is far too focused to spare even a glance down at the frogs.  they really are at quite a risk if they insist on staying in the castle.

   “ it’d be safer for them in the gardens, right?  i’m sure there’s a pond or a fountain or...  something for them there, but... ”   but getting them over there one by one would take too long...  there’s got to be a better way.   she wracks her brain for a solution, but it isn’t until a small pweee from brushbuddy that she really comes up with one.  it points to her bag, so she reaches within and procures her cap.  perfect!

   “ wooooooooow~!!  master, it’s just like a fairy tale!!  a castle, fairies, and this big fancy ballroom!  it...  it’s-- ”   wonderful, fantastic, amazing, spectacular--  coco couldn’t possibly choose which word to say, let alone put it into words at all.  she’s in awe, but that’s plain to see with how her eyes sparkle.   “ it’s so fancy, don’t you think? ”   she twirls around, bounding off ahead of him.

   “ e-excuse me, i’m so sorry-- ”   in the interest of speed, coco presses her feet together to quickly push herself forward alongside a flap of her wings, for if she didn’t, the reason for her apology would get away from her.  she stretches out her arms and forcefully snatches the creature from the air and away from the poor man it wouldn’t leave alone.

It was an overwhelming feeling to know that he meant so much to his apprentices. They were like family to him–the one thing he had always sought. Belonging.  This meeting had been heavy enough a conversation without him telling her that this hug and her words meant more than she could ever know.  As a child there were times that he wished he had that kind of comfort. Qifrey returns the hug firmly to reassure her that all will be well. 

“Dear one, nobody knows everything!” Qifrey laughs light-heartedly. He does not mean to undermine what she is saying, but only to teach a valuable life lesson. “There are always answers for us to seek, puzzles for us to solve, ways for us to grow, or else I would never have developed a love for learning and for teaching others. In not knowing everything we realize the possibilities of what we can achieve are endless. Doesn’t that make you happy to think about?”

Much of the worry melted from Qifrey’s shoulders. Surely there was a way out of this place and they would find it together. He would always continue to protect her. One step at a time, no matter what dangers may lurk in the shadows. But that was enough weight on their souls for one day. The witch looked at their glyphs one last time and took a deep breath. They had a plan of action so they could move forward.

“I may not be glad to be in this plane, but I am glad that I can be here for you.” Qifrey slowly rose to his feet, holding both of his apprentice’s hands in his. “Now, we have had enough running around and troubled consciences for one day. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves to change perspective is to take a little time to relax. We should go to the kitchen and we can make some snacks. How does that sound?”

   “ d-don’t laugh!  i’m-- ”   serious, or so she would like to say, but now she can’t help but laugh too.   “ i...  i know that.  but surely you must be close, right? ”   though with how she asks amidst all of her laughter, it’s more a joke of its own rather than anything sincere.  she understands.  as nice of a thing it is to believe, she couldn’t expect him to know everything--  not even most things.  all she can do is hope that he knows enough.  enough to teach her all the things she has to know in order to see through what she has to get done.  because if he doesn’t, then...

coco snaps back into focus, the quiet allure of something she’s been told before vanishing before she can think too deeply on it.

   “ you’re right, ”   she agrees, perking up a little,   “ it does.  i...  i like learning too.  it helps that you’re such a good teacher. ”   she has already learned so much during her time spent studying under him.  whenever she learns something new, it’s always so exciting.  even the things that frighten her are a thrill all their own.  not only does she need to learn more--  she wants to.  but coco doesn’t have to know everything to be satisfied.  she just finds herself wanting, more and more as of late, to know how much she has left to go.  however, those are thoughts for another time.  it’s as he says, there’s been enough of that for one day.

coco isn’t one to leave her curiosity unsated, and she’s no stranger to magic masks either, so if the pixies are giving her one, she’s going to wear it.  

her ideal self?  well, the difference is subtle.  almost everything is exactly the same, save for one key difference...  coco’s a genuine witch!  or, at the very least, her mask has imbued her with the idea that she is.

“but she’s already a witch!”  not quite!  coco was an outsider-turned-witch, now she’s just a witch!  always has been!  for real this time!  wink wink, nudge nudge--

in other words, her mask is basically a free confidence boost, at the cost of jumbling her memory a bit.  she carries herself more assuredly (for an apprentice anyway.)  she also feels like she knows a lot more, however, if pressed, it’s really just bravado.  her drawing is a lot more confident too, though she can only cast two spells at the moment, so do with that knowledge what you will.

if you try to remind her of the truth, or anything particularly unpleasant for that matter, she’s just going to deflect...  or assume you’re talking about someone else.

as for other stuff...  she’ll be dressed as she appears in this art, and will frequent both the castle itself and the skies!  while she can already fly, having wings is still something super cool, so naturally, she wants to try it out.  her wings take the appearance of zozah’s quadryphon.  meanwhile, her pet brushbuddy also has wings (just so it isn’t left out) which are more like a bumblebee’s in appearance.