Claws & Magic

"They broke the wrong parts of me. They broke my wings and forgot I had claws."

Semi-Selective Indie Cat OC As Adopted by Writer Follows from @amidst-the-storm​

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     {➹} – THE MORE HE WATCHED THE FELINE, the more the hedgehog was drawing similarities to her and his brother back home. Isolated in their own area, a place they seemed quite at home in, a seeming distrust of others and even an annoyance towards outsiders. Sonic didn’t know whether to count himself lucky he had been shown some semblance of hospitality or not, or if he was just the latest bother in the feline’s day to day life. Something was telling him it was more of the latter but he kept that thought to himself, far more distracted by the tree as they grew closer and closer to it.

     If there was ever a time for a tree house joke, it was now.

     Holding his tongue, the hedgehog did let out an amused sound at her warning but it was coupled with wonder as well. What kind of creatures were out there? Having faced many a beast in his life, the hero doubted it was anything that he would deem too frightening but he also wasn’t the sort to go looking for them either. Still, the nation was more interesting than he had originally given it credit for. Fascinating.

     Almost as fascinating as the tree. Something he had actually stopped to admire as they came up to the door. Craning his head back to take in the massive truck and impressive foliage, the hero let out a whistle, his tail wagging enthusiastically. “You live here? I never thought I could be jealous of a tree but I guess you learn something new every day, huh?”

     What could he say? He adored nature and it was the little wonders like the one before him that made him love it even more. He lingered just a moment more before zipping to follow the feline inside, though not quick enough to potentially break anything. Even he had more sense than that. While Sonic had every intention of looking around, but his insatiable curiosity came first, as always.

     "Who’s Par? Do they live here too?“ The offer for a drink was, momentarily, filed away for later. And not in the least because he still wasn’t convinced that Spritz wouldn’t try to hand something over concocted to change his fur color. He may have followed the feline home but there was still trust to be built up between them yet. With more questions than answers, the hedgehog wasn’t going to let his guard down all the way. Not quite yet. 

Spritz’s nose twitched at his seeming dismissal of her warning. If he wanted to get killed at random in the woods, that was his problem- not her’s. She pushed the door open, causing a jingle to ring out- it was a bit rusted, crinkling with the standard ‘bing!’ that came from a bell. The door was, of course, designed so that a feline of moderate height could walk through, standing a bit taller than Spritz to reach a good 4′ mark.- Just in case, for taller critters.

The whistle he offered the tree was met with the faintest smile. Another impressed being... Par would be happy.

“Well, this is the main home and shop, yes.” Spritz stepped inside, her tail flicking. A clicking sound was heard, followed by the smallest ‘fwoosh!’ of a teeny flame.. And flickering light illuminated the tree. Several orbs attached to the walls by metal hooks had come to life at once, flames popping into existence at their centers. If one looked close enough, they could probably see the faint energy that ran between each- through open air. It glimmered and twitched.

There was a very faint giggle from Spritz. Oh, they had never known of anyone jealous of them. They flicked their tail yet again, letting it stand just a little taller in pride.

“I take it your people do not regularly use nature to their advantage, then?” The interior, while one could claim it was ‘carved’, seemed to actually have grown with the tree. There were no harsh lines of cut wood, just roots that somehow flattened, bark for walls, all a creamy color. The floor had a carpet of dark brown, and a few dream catchers hung from the walls. There were no corners- just a semi-rounded space, with... What seemed to be a very scratched-up wall in the corner, which was pushed out from the rest of the space. It seemed to lead to a floor above. There was also a small string near that, but its use was unknown at present.

There were a few bottles here and there, each colored and hanging with their respective types. The stereotypical cauldron, however, seemed to be missing.

“Yes... Par specializes in woodwork, and nature magic.” She gestured to the room before them. “Par was the one who made this tree, and all of the others we use as homes and work stations.” There was a small note of pride to Spritz’s voice. Spritz, personally, reached for what seemed to be a bottle with a skull on it, and a cork in the top. Without missing a beat, she popped it open, and started lapping it up.

The bottles of potions were all shaped a bit like bowls- probably due to how Spritz was presently drinking. She finished and re-corked the bottle, placing it back in the corner.

“I suppose, if you want to get out of here without getting turned around for days, an anti-confusion charm would be a good idea...” Spritz muttered to herself as she started wandering about, clicking on hidden sections of wood. Runes would glow, revealing hidden compartments that seemed to move thanks to pushing roots- only to hit another rune, and the compartment to slide away, vanishing from sight in the tree’s inter-working structure. She glanced back to the hedgehog.

     {➹} – “NOT EXACTLY.” His answer was simple, easy, though the hedgehog did give the feline a look that suggested he wasn’t entirely sure why she was so hung up on the color of his quills and fur in the first place. Despite the odd way they had come about the hedgehog was actually quite happy with his coloring, even if it did tend to raise more questions than he was willing to answer, much like at that very moment.

     Had Sonic thought that Spritz would believe him, he might have told her the story. However, since he doubted the feline would believe that the shock of the hedgehog breaking the sound barrier for the first time had altered his genetic make up and thus turned him blue, he merely gave a small noncommittal sound.

     Walking alongside her, a very odd sight indeed he was sure, the hero was careful to follow her path as best as he could, all while still glancing about curiously. He couldn’t be wholly sure but something seemed odd with this place, though he chalked that up mostly to his acquaintance’s mention of potions and hexes. Seemed he had ended up in one of those worlds yet again. Interesting…

     “There’s quite the odd bunch around here then, it seems.” It sounded like something out of a storybook. Potions, and the like, usually meant there was some semblance of magic in his experience. Something the hedgehog didn’t strictly believe in. Although he would say the location, while also fitting of the telltale fantasy setting, was fascinating. “Why settle in a forest like this? If I didn’t know any better I’d say you lot had something t’ hide.”

     It was, mostly, a joke. He, by no means, expected to learn each and every little secret the place held but he was curious, always was when it came to new places such as that. He was, however, just as content taking in what they passed even as he chuckled at the feline’s oh so keen statement.

     “You’re not the first person t’ point that out, probably not even the last but I can handle myself, believe me. ‘M pretty good at getting myself out of trouble when need be. Fortunately I don’t think I need t’ put that skill t’ use just yet.” Amusement was evident in his voice, absent of caution or fear regarding his current situation. “Where are we going, by the way?”

The look she received for her question was enough of an indication that it was a topic to drop- but not one she’d be letting go of any time soon. And the ‘not exactly’ was quite the hint... So something had happened-- but whatever it was, the hedgehog seemed unwilling to answer, so she’d let it be.

She trailed along, eyes ahead, ears swiveling from time to time to follow a stray sound before returning forward. She had her mind off somewhere far away, questioning things she hadn’t considered in a few years- but was brought back every other pawstep by the sounds of the woods around her. There was the faintest hint of a growl as the hedgehog mentioned ‘odd bunch’. He certainly wasn’t wrong... What settlements were nearby were chock-full of idiots who wanted to explore the woods on the most random days.

His statement about having something to hide was met with Spritz’s nose twitching. She glanced back, shrugging lightly. It was comments like those that made her feel the weight of gold on her tail and leg a little more than she’d like.

“Most cats are draining.” A simple answer, at best. She continued on, the scents growing more familiar as a certain tree began to make itself known in the distance- with a window or two carved into its bark, a door in the front, and a sign up top that was written in some unknown tongue. Of course, to Spritz, it was just the store sign- advertising cures, hexes, potions, woodwork... Everything she and Par did. “I’ll take your word for it. But do be careful. There are some horrific creatures you can find- or that can find you- if you aren’t too careful in this nation.”

She gestured with a point of her head towards the odd tree. Unlike its neighbors, it was big enough to be considered a house, the trunk a massive beast of a thing with branches that stretched far into the canopy above, dimming the world around it into duller hues. What little sunlight did get through was like miniature lasers, drilling into their selective spots of dirt. The ground, which was so grassy in most of the woods, was rendered into a large dirt patch with a wooden path leading away from the front door, and into the woods.

“Home.” While she knew at this point he wanted no cure for his quill coloring (odd as it was), she was at least grateful he hadn’t laughed, screamed, or anything of the sort upon sight of her. And, last she checked, she had offered him a drink- or had it been an elixer- perusing wares? Whatever the case... She had guided him to the home/shop in which she lived. “Par will be out for who-knows how long, and I’m thirsty. If you want to look around, feel free. If you want a drink, just ask.”

She flicked her tail.

   {➹} – THERE WAS THE SMALLEST HUFF from the hero at that, not exactly insulted but close enough to it. He was well aware that his coloring was unusual for his species but it was rare that people were quite so blunt about it. Frankly he was used to most people just staring, silently, and more or less going about their own business. He suspected things may have been a little different in that world but the feline’s reaction had significantly lowered the hedgehog’s hopes that he might fit in a little bit. Even if that hadn’t, her mention of ‘Felination’ gave the hero a pretty good idea of what the area’s make up most likely was.

     Her question and confusion was met with a small frown, namely because even in Sonic’s world there were those with a natural blue coloring. It was mostly the avian variety and some reptiles, but still not uncommon. How strange. “No, not exactly…as far as I know I’m the only one back home, at least when it comes t’ hedgehogs. My quills changed color after a, er…small event when I was a kid. I used t’ be brown, believe it or not.”

     While there were plenty of hedgehogs with other colors, ranging from blacks to greys and even pink, Sonic was convinced his had only come about thanks to his breaking the sound barrier. If he remembered right, Kintobor had once said something about the physical force being enough to alter his genetic make up (or something like that) and it did make sense. Either way he had little interest in changing his appearance in that respect and his expression said as much, though that was all it offered. There was nothing akin to judgement in the hero’s eyes, only curiosity as she mentioned her wares.

     Maybe it was optimistic but he wanted to see what she had, if only on the off chance she might have had something like tea given she seemed to be gathering herbs of some sort. He was always willing to try something new, after all, and hesitated only for a moment before following after her.

     "Explorers? Why do I feel like that’s not as simple as it sounds?“ Something seemed odd in the way she had said it, though perhaps not as odd as what the hedgehog himself was about to say. Or how casual he said it. "I think I may have taken a wrong turn somewhere. I have a habit of that, oddly enough, but it keeps things interesting at least. If I’m being honest, ’s become a bit of a pastime for me.”

Spritz noticed the huff, the only indication being the smallest flick of her ear as she continued walking. Odd coat color, and from another nation... Those were a few things that didn’t quite fit in with what she knew. Last she checked, there was no nation with such a creature in such an odd coloration... Sure, the birds had blue feathers at times (as did the lizards)- and there were some nations that had dyes... Maybe that was it? Dyed quills?

“.... Accidentally got mixed up in a hex?” She glanced back towards the hedgehog. That would make sense... But then, why wouldn’t he want the coloration changed back?... Maybe he was just happy with its current state? She could not relate... But to each being their own preferences, she supposed. “Having brown quills is definitely believable.” Spritz’s tail twitched.

In their experience, everyone wanted either mediocrity or some extreme- never quite an oddity that could just get them noticed. To be noticed, but not to an extreme, was often a detriment... Because others were not wary enough to avoid the owner of the oddity entirely.

But, yet again- to each their own. Even if Spritz could not understand for the life of her why... There was a faint- very faint- upturn of her lip as she walked. She had heard the other beginning to walk- the sounds nearby, never fading. So he was semi-taking her up on the offer... And had yet to out her with some joke or horrid prank. She’d consider this a good day.

“... Most ‘explorers’ in these woods are one of three things: desperate, kids on dares, and prankers.” Spritz shook her head. “These woods aren’t really mapped out, however, since they tend to cause confusion to most passersby. Those who are desperate come to either me or Par for help- with potions, hexes, spells and the like. Kids only enter when they’re dared by their friends, and they always turn tail on sight... And prankers... Well, you can guess.” Spritz’s ears moved back, turning roughly one hundred degrees from their usual position. She was moving through the undergrowth with precise movements, dodging a few stray leaves and looking about for personalized markers every here and there.

    {➹} – WHILE THE HEDGEHOG had opened his mouth to reply to her question, he found it to be more rhetorical than anything, or at the very most self-explanatory, and merely shrugged instead. No, he didn’t blame her. Especially when he was getting the feeling he was going to be the odd one out in this world, whatever it was. It wouldn’t be the first time but he would never get used to the way people seemed to scrutinize him all the same, the feline included.

     “Uh…Distant nation, I s’ppose, an’ a little lost if I’m going t’ be honest.” There was no point in lying, not when he stuck out like a sore thumb, but the hedgehog wasn’t quite willing to explain himself in full just yet. He was never sure how people would react to knowing he was from a different planet, or a different dimension for that matter. It was something best kept to himself for the time being, he thought, if only for his own sake. 

     Blinking, puzzled, at the words that followed Sonic’s attention was soon brought to the scattered articles on the ground. He didn’t recognize any of it but he did have a nasty feeling he was the reason they were in the dirt to begin with and, had it not been for a nagging reminder of the claws he had just seen, he would have offered to help. As it was, he gave a friendly nod to her introduction, storing the name away for later. 

    “Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog,” he easily greeted in turn, but frowned slightly in confusion and, perhaps, just a bit concerned as he asked, “what exactly did you mean by ‘fix me up’?”

“Hm... Then I guess you aren’t here to get the weird color out of your quills, then.” Spritz nodded to the stranger, before returning to picking up her ingredients. Despite being on all fours, she was easily picking up each one with either her teeth (gently) or one of her front paws, and then placing them in the small leather sack under her neck. “Distant nation... Well, welcome to Felination.”

Spritz finished with picking up her items, checking them all over once more and wiping away any dirt that had gotten onto them. She needed them to be in tip-top condition for when she handed them over to Par.

“... Are... Is blue a natural quill color in your nation?” One of Spritz’s ears turned slightly down, a confused expression coloring their face. “... I’ve never heard of blue as a color for any animal, from Felination to The Horn Federation...” They exhaled. “... Well... If you don’t want to be fixed, then I don’t know what to offer you.” At least he wasn’t one of the dare-takers from the nearby towns and villages. Spritz kneaded the ground subconsiously with her paws, digging into the dirt and grass a little to ease her nerves.

Was this newcomer going to think of her as weird? Was this just going to be home all over again? Then again she thought of him as weird, so.. It would be more than justified.

[:DDDDDD]

Her tail immediately poofed up, panic lacing every single nerve as she cautiously raised her head- and came eye-to-eye with the strange creature she’d been trying to watch. A startled yelp escaped her as she jumped back, going several feet up in the process. Her yowl of surprise ended as she landed, followed immediately by her gritting her fangs at the stranger. Her claws came out, defense immediately active in her mind.

Several bushes had rustled as she’d jumped, which really only gave away her position even more. The ingredients she’d been gathering prior to spotting this stranger in the forest tumbled out as she went- from Jolesk Roots to Ghyma Flowers, and everything in-between. Spritz internally cursed.

However, the other had not outright attacked her. This fact was quick to blare across her thoughts as she cautiously retracted her claws. The fur on her back and tail was still refusing to lie flat, but she could deal with that as she went.

Spritz had just finished putting up the last of the herbs for the night, opening her mouth to release a quiet yawn. It had been a rather unproductive day for her and Par-Dox, the other cat of whom had already retired to her sleeping quarters for the night. Spritz had offered to stay behind and do a little more work before turning in herself, and so here she was as thunder began to roll in the distance, and the pattering crowd of rain began to fall in. The home was darkened thanks to the night, but every now and again, there would be a brief flash. Spritz quickened her pace, hoping to have everything put away and be in bed before the thunder would be directly overhead.

She glanced up only briefly as the front door creaked open. The hinges had never been oiled solely so that she could hear when visitors arrived, spotting the stranger hunched down as they entered the tree. The room itself was rather circular, cut into the core and using the wood itself (and interior roots) as walls. She cautiously flicked her tail, one ear twisting faintly in concern.

She could smell iron on the air... Her eyes flicked to the various potions that lined odd holes in the walls, before she settled on reaching for a small string. There was a click, a spark, and a small lantern made of pure glass came to life, the flame inside flickering. Spritz had to ignore the natural urge to shrink back from the light. The fire eagerly flicked towards the wooden home, but thanks to the glass, was rather stuck.