#ch:kitty

Kitty had woken up in a lot of real weird positions, but this one took the cake. Dangling upside down in the pale morning light, naked as the day she was born. She couldn’t remember the night before, which meant either she’d drank too much or she’d gone all Incredible Wolf. Either case led to a blackout. The nakedness probably meant that she’d shifted, though, Kitty wasn’t one to assume. It might’ve just been a really fun night. Whatever the case, though, she was hanging upside down in front of a building that smelled strongly of plants. Glass building, warm, humid smells, plants. A greenhouse. Kitty was hanging from… something in front of a greenhouse.

Hearing something walk towards her, Kitty turned her head, the motion causing her body to start spinning slowly. As she moved, she saw a large cat, an ovinnik, walking towards her. “Well, hi there, cutie. I don’t s’pose you’d mind helping a gal out, huh? I’d really like to not be hangin’ up here.”

As always, Nell woke with a start when the familiar ping of the perimeter spell buzzed against her skin, signaling that someone new had stepped onto the property. Somewhere between her Aram induced sleep and her waking, she’d gripped the knife that lay under her pillow in a white-knuckled hold, perhaps a little too ready for any attack that might be coming her way. With a frown she noted Taki’s absence from the foot of her bed, and followed their magical link in hopes that he’d already apprehended whoever had thought it was a good idea to cross into witch’s territory unwelcomed. 

The spectacle of an unclothed woman hanging from one of Nell’s many booby traps was annoying enough, but the way Taki had begun to bat at the net and dangling trespasser stoked a smidgen of Nell’s amusement. He raised himself onto his hind legs, paw extended as he spun the net and swished his tail happily. When his witch approached, he gave her a prideful look, as if he’d done well finding a new toy for himself. Nell wanted to smile, but it was best to greet strangers with a careful aloofness until she knew their intentions. “So it looks like my booby traps really are good at catching boobies.” Okay- maybe not too aloof when the girl was hanging there uselessly. Still, she crossed her arms over her chest in a guarded motion, knife still in hand.

“Hey, bud, watch it. I’m not a goddamn cat toy. Ovinnik toy. Sorry.” Kitty was in the process of continuing talking to the ovinnik when she saw someone walking up. And that made sense, didn’t it? Ovinnik’s were real popular familiars, and where there was a familiar, there was likely a witch. Kitty laughed at the other woman’s words, even if she could make out a stoic expression when her net was turned in that direction. “You caught me real good, yeah. Definitely a boobies trap, y’know, since you caught two of ‘em.” Kitty was a casual flirt, the words lighthearted and easy even as she took in the knife in the other woman’s hand. It was easier to catch flies with honey, she’d always been taught, and, well, no sense in pissing off the person with the knife. She couldn’t smell any silver, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt like a bitch, especially if she was getting poked like a fish in a barrel. “You wouldn’t mind letting me down, would you?”

Nell watched curiously as Taki continued to play with the woman in the net, rather delighted with his newest find despite the other girl’s words. “Two’s definitely always better than one.” She bit back her next words for a brief second, trying to figure out whether or not this was the time for flirtation. Though...moments being inappropriate for teasing had never stopped the witch before. “Even better than two is four,” she said with the very beginnings of a smirk, but then decided that flirting would feel more comfortable once the other woman was clothed. It felt skeevy doing it while she dangled there like a hog-tied deer. “Sure- I’ll let you down. Once you tell me why you’re trying to get into my greenhouse. And why you’re here in the first place.”

“You’re not wrong,” Kitty said, laughing. She stuck her hand out of the net, letting the ovinnik swat at her fingers. “Now, that’s an assumption. You have no idea whether or not I was trying to get into your greenhouse. I also have no idea whether or not I was trying to get into your greenhouse. I’m gonna be honest with you: I think I might’ve blacked out last night, had a real good or a real bad time, and somehow ended up here.” She waved her hand. One of her curls was getting in her mouth, and she brushed it out of the way. “This wasn’t intentional. I mean, I’m pretty confident, but I’m not a nudist. I try not to wander around without clothes on. Might make things a little awkward.” 

For someone caught in a net, the woman seemed rather chipper. Nell didn’t know if that was an after-effect of the possibly ‘good time’ the stranger had the night before, an attempt to appear less threatening while trespassing, or if she was...simply an overly nice person. She supposed there were still nice people in the world. It just felt like it’d been months since she’d run into someone new that was so...casual. White Crest had a way of ruining everything that stepped onto its cursed soil, and this woman was either good at bouncing back or she hadn’t yet been touched by it. Nell hummed over the words of Taki’s prisoner. If she was trying to hide more nefarious intentions, she’d chosen a pretty shitty excuse. “Just a little awkward.” She cut off another flirt, still deciding to wait until they were on more even footing. “So what’s your name, then? And how does one accidentally end up naked in the woods?” She’d come across her fair share of confused and unclothed shifters out there before, but it’d be foolish to jump to conclusions. 

“Name’s Kitty,” she said. “I’d offer my hand, but I’m a little caught up. Hope you understand.” She started looking up at the trap, observing it. Kitty might’ve been an animal in wolf form, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d never been caught in a trap before. And, sometimes, when she went out into the woods in human form, she could smell metal traps hidden under leaves, meant to take out animals. She’d done well with herself not to get caught in things before. She couldn’t smell the trap, was the thing. It didn’t smell like anything at all. Honestly, if it wasn’t holding her, it’d be like there was nothing there. Kitty’d lived with magic users her whole life. She knew what magic looked like if she looked for it. Between that and the ovinnik, she could make a solid assumption, but she wasn’t gonna do that. Not yet. “I mean, most fun things start with getting naked, y’know? But… not really sure. I definitely blacked out last night.” One way or another. She hadn’t expected to shift again so soon after the full moon. That was likely how she’d ended up in such a situation. “You’re guess as to how I ended up in such a situation is really as good as mine.” She looked down at the ovinnik. “He’s a hoot and a half, by the way. Thinks he treed me all on his own, huh?”

“You know- I’m out here trying to be a gentleman by not flirting while you’re hanging there naked, but if you start talking about having fun with clothes off-” Nell’s smirk grew wider while Taki continued to use Kitty as his giant cat toy. “-it’s gonna make it a lot harder.” Gentlemen probably didn’t trap girls in the first place, and ask them questions with a knife in hand, but those were easier to brush away. “Kitty?” Nell echoed, wondering how the woman had come into such a cringeworthy name. “Well- Taki seems to like you. And he generally plays harder to get.” Was she basing her opinion of someone off her familiar’s reaction? Absolutely. “Oh, I’m definitely letting him take the credit for this hunt. I mean he’s the one deciding your fate too, isn’t he?” She thought a moment longer, a large part of her still telling the witch to knock the woman out, and leave her somewhere safe until she woke up— far away from the Vurals’ home. But she was trying to be better, wasn’t she? Wasn’t she? To not let the traumas of her past rule her so thoroughly? With a sigh, Nell reached up to the top of the net, sawing it through it with her knife. There was an easy release word that would have freed Kitty, but she wasn’t about to use her magic that openly in front of a person she’d just met. 

“Well, damn. My mama tried raisin’ a lady, but, as you can see, it didn’t work too well.” Flirting came a little too easily to Kitty. One of her older sisters called her a serial flirt, said that was why the whole town thought she was dating Parker. Parker. God, she missed Parker. Would she have gotten into this kind of situation if he’d been here? Probably. He’d be hanging upside down right along with her. “That’s my name, cutie. I mean, it’s Katherine, if you wanna get all official, but Kitty’s just fine.” She looked at the ovinnik. Taki. “Taki here’s a real gentleman, you know. Mighty handsome, too. I’m grateful to have my fate in his capable paws.” Then she was watching the woman cut her loose, and maybe she was showing her hand, but it was nothing for Kitty to catch herself with her hands as she fell to the ground, holding it for a moment before she moved herself to stand. “Cat’s and landings, am I right?” she quipped, brushing herself off. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. I… don’t s’pose you’d have some clothes I could wear?” Kitty looked at the woman, finally realizing how short she was. Well. Anything would be better than the quite literally nothing that Kitty was currently working with.

Taking in the other girl’s height, Nell did her best to ignore the flash of resentment that reared its head. Why was nearly everyone in this shitty town taller than her? The added height meant that Kitty wouldn’t fit into Nell’s clothes without looking as if she were Buddy in the movie, Elf. Bea would probably have some pieces that were long enough, though. “Sure, you can have some of my sister’s. Just don’t tell her I gave them to you.” The girl was flirting again, and it was only in Nell’s nature to flirt back. “Put some clothes on, and then we can talk about me taking them off you.” She flashed the woman a smirk, in no way opposed to having some fun once Kitty had the choice of whether she was clothed or not.

“I’m Nell— Penelope if you wanna get official.” The witch mirrored Kitty’s words in a tone laced with tease.” Her head quicked as she thought of how easily Kitty had caught herself in her fall. Good reflexes. Good reflexes, and naked on the forest’s edge. Nell tried not to look too closely at the facts for the moment, savoring the feeling of actually having a semi-normal interaction for once. “Just follow me into the house, and I’ll get you something.” She led the way over the threshold, knowing that her sisters weren't home, but also knowing that they probably wouldn’t ask all too many questions anyway while leading a naked woman in. “And don’t talk too highly of Taki- he can barely stand up straight with how big his head’s getting.” The aforementioned Ovinikk gave a yowl of disapproval, as if he knew Nell was making fun of him.

“Secret’s safe with me. I know better than to go tattling,” Kitty said, laughing at the other girl’s words. “You want me to get dressed so we can talk about gettin’ undressed. Alright. I’m game.” It was nice, actually, to have that considered. Kitty wasn’t particularly self-conscious, even less so since she’d been bitten, but it was nice to be thought of, for someone to make sure the playing field was even. It made things a little more fun, too. “Nice to meet you, Nell. Sorry for hanging out in front of your greenhouse. I swear I don’t do this kinda thing often. Not at first, at least.” She followed after Nell, looking around as she went, eyes taking in everything that she could see as her nose picked out various smells. Different people, creatures, herbs and spices and an abundance of scents that she couldn’t even begin cataloguing even if she wanted to. She held out her hand to the Ovinikk, “Hush. He deserves all the praise he can get.” Then, with a light tone, she added, “My mama’s got an axehandle hound named Eugene that’s not nearly as sweet and loyal. Though, he’s been around awhile. Kinda an old fella.”

“Finally, someone who knows snitches get stitches,” Nell sighed with overplayed exasperation, the hint of a grin still on her lips. To be honest, she hadn’t entirely been sure whether Kitty would dish back the potential offer of sex, but she could respect a woman who knew what she wanted, and didn’t hesitate when it was offered. “It’s only fair, right? Otherwise I might just get bored if there’s nothing for me to do when you’re taking my clothes off.” Again Nell reminded herself that she should be careful with Kitty. Just because she was hot didn’t mean she was trustworthy. Though...if this was some sort of trick, maybe Kitty was worth it. Honestly it wouldn’t be surprising for Nell to fall prey to her libido. And at least she’d die happy. “Are you saying- if I’m lucky that you’ll hang in a net outside of my greenhouse in a couple months or so?” 

The smile on her lips stiffened in place while the axehandle hound’s name fell from Kitty’s lips. And to think Nell had been enjoying a relatively normal conversation. The sirens in Nell’s head began to blare for a quick moment. Her reactionary emotion had been set to ‘fight’ for too long, and somewhere along the way it seemed to have gotten stuck. With her nails biting into the palm of her fisted hand, Nell forced herself to replay the words in her head- to recognize that they might not point towards Kitty being a threat. The joke was gone from her voice, and the witch struggled to keep it level. “I thought there was something supernatural about you, but I wasn’t sure what.” A pet axehandle hound. It didn’t mean anything bad...right? “So you know what Taki is then, obviously. What do you think I am?” She’d paused on her journey towards Bea’s room, suddenly unsure about bringing the stranger into her sister’s room. For now she tossed a blanket from the couch in Kitty’s direction. 

“That’s a cardinal rule, darlin’. Anyone that doesn’t know that’s in for a heap of trouble if they aren’t careful,” Kitty said, smiling bright and happy at the way the interaction was going. “I’d hate for you to get bored. Be a real mood killer.” She became preoccupied with looking around the house again, thinking about how nice and comfortable it was. When was the last time Kitty was in a house? She’d been hanging out around motel rooms for too long. It was hard to stay somewhere when she kept right on moving, though. “Sooner, even, if you’re real lucky.” 

Kitty blinked, though, seeing that something had changed. She just didn’t know what, or how, or why. Her head cocked to the side as she looked back at Nell, confused by the tone in her voice. “I…” her voice trailed off, and she laughed, the sound of it a little breathless and anxious. Something about Nell, despite her small stature, made Kitty think that she was the one in danger here despite the fact that she turned into a hulking monster on the full moon. Maybe it was the fact that she’d been caught in a net. “I do know an Ovinikk when I see one, yes, but I’m familiar with familiars.” Joking was good, right? That helped? “I mean, I don’t wanna assume anything, but the greenhouse and the familiar and the way you kinda knew I was here, I mean, I just figured you were a spellcaster.” She grabbed the blanket and clutched it tightly, covering herself. “My family’s all spellcasters,” she blurted out. “Not me. I didn’t get any magic, just the good looks, so I guess I’m the real winner, huh? But I know spellcasters, and I know about magic, so that’s it. That’s what I thought.” 

Nell did her best to keep the lighter part of their conversation intact, tried to quell the feeling of her skin standing on edge, to hold the impending dread of knowing something bad was about to happen at bay. Something was about to grab her, hurt her, hurt Taki. 

Her nails broke skin against her hand, and the wetness of her blood drew her back for a moment, the surge of magical power that her ‘element’ granted grounding her mind for a split second. Breathe. No one was being attacked. She and Taki were safe. The figurative and literal hellscapes of her past weren’t here. Forcing her jaw to unclench, she did her best to put levity back into her voice. “You break a lot of hearts with those jokes and little accent, don’t you?” Nell teased, trying to ignore the ringing in her ears. And even though the words were a little forced and meant in jest, Nell also thought there was a grain of truth in them. Kitty seemed easy to like. Plus Nell had broken a few hearts herself, and should recognize the signs. Not broken them in the same way, probably. Not in the endearing and shining way Kitty seemed to have. But still. 

Then it was Nell’s turn to cock her head in interest, and the tidal wave of words helped to pull her back into reality. Spellcasters? It wasn’t surprising that anyone who had spellcaster blood instantly gained a few points in her book. After all, witches were meant to stick together. Except for when you were kicked out of your coven. An ugly voice in Nell’s head sounded the old reminder. Would Kitty’s family know of that? The news had spread wide, and the Vurals were well-known in the witch community, but maybe there was a chance… 

Just as quickly as it had come, the tenseness in the witch seemed to melt away. “If it’s any consolation I didn’t get my family’s traditional magic. Though it’s probably shitty of me to act like that’s comparable to not having it at all.” Better rip off the exile band-aid sooner rather than later, though. “What’s your family’s name? Mine’s the Vurals. Would I know your’s?” As if she were extending the beginnings of a peace offering, Nell sat Taki on Kitty’s feet. “If you like him so much- I guess you’ll just have to pet him more.”

The smell of blood was immediate in drawing Kitty’s attention. The first time she smelled it after waking up changed was with it all over her. The scent of Parker’s blood had made her both hungry and sick feeling, and, even now, the smell brought up the same feelings. A little less hunger, though, thankfully. She must’ve eaten something the night before. She could briefly remember flashes of something. Not a person kind of something. Just something. But the blood seemed to be grounding for Nell, and Kitty wondered if maybe the smaller girl wouldn’t attack. “I’ve been told the accent’s mighty charmin’ a time or too, yeah. More and more the further north I get.” And if Kitty broke hearts, it wasn’t intentional. She just wanted to have fun. It was fun that got her into all sorts of trouble. It was fun that landed her here. Maybe it’d be fun that got her out of it. Nell’s vocal quality hadn’t quite gone back to they way it was when they were walking into the house, but the tightness seemed to be at least trying to leave it, and she’d take that as a win.

Mentioning that her family were spellcasters seemed to have been the right thing to do. Kitty decided to avoid the topic that she was a little less than human, at least for the time being. “Sheridan,” she said. “We’re Sheridans, though we’re less of a coven at this point and more of just the family. Too small to be in the know of much of anything, though Mama’s folks are still in New Orleans, and they tell us things every now and then.” She shrugged. “Us. Them. I haven’t been home in awhile.” Though she talked to her mother almost everyday, sent memes to her younger brother, asked for recipes from her older siblings, she wasn’t really an us anymore. There was her family, and then there was Kitty, gallivanting around the country, doing her thing, having a good time. She was having a real good time.

“I’m afraid I don’t know any Vurals. It’s a little outta touch, where we are.” She leaned down, the blanket wrapped around her and held in one hand as she used the other to pet Taki, enjoying the feeling of warm fur between her fingers. She loved animals. Some of them, prey animals especially, had adverse reactions to her, with what she was, but supernatural creatures didn’t seem to mind too much. “I like him alot. He’s a handsome fella.” She scratched under his chin. “Yes, sir. Very handsome.

Nell’s shoulders settled back into place as Kitty failed to recognize her family name, and it truly spoke to just how isolated the southern spellcasters were if they didn’t recognize it. But in this case it was a blessing. “Families are coven enough sometimes.” She knew that well after she’d been kicked out her own, left only with her sisters and Bex. “Better than a witch alone, anyway.” A lone witch is a dead witch. The lesson had practically been ingrained into her since birth. The fact that Kitty hadn’t been home ‘in a while’ spoke for itself, though Nell managed to curb her initial curiosity. She’d pry later. Still…a lone witch was a dead witch. “You should come over for Imbolc.” It was said in a way that was more insistentence than invitation. “We can make Brigid Crosses with my sisters and student.” 

Taki thrived under Kitty’s attention and compliments, more than ready to take his fill of compliments and scritches. “Well- like I said, if Taki likes you, then I guess you’re as good as in. Like you said, he’s my familiar.” Now that talk of magic was out in the open, Nell didn’t bother with actually going to Bea’s closet. In the blink of an eye she’d summoned a pair of sweats and t-shirt into her hand before offering it to Kitty. “You can go change in the hall bathroom.” She pointed in the appropriate direction. “And then we can see where we go from there,” the witch finished with another flirtatious smirk, apparently more than ready to leave the moment of tension behind. 

“We made do,” Kitty said, easy and light, watching as Nell seemed to relax. And Kitty had been pretty relaxed herself, but this was certainly more reassuring than a tensed witch. She had no idea what Nell specialized in, but all magic could be a pretty terrible time for the other party when a tensed up witch was involved. “I didn’t get to celebrate Imbolc last year,” Kitty mused, thinking about how she’d left town around September and hadn’t really been able to look back. She raised an eyebrow. “You sure your family would be alright with an interloper? I’m not really… magically inclined.” And it wasn’t anything that her family had ever given her shit about, and she’d always been allowed to participate in everything and lend a hand for rituals and celebrations, but her own magic… it had just never been there for Kitty. Which was why she’d been so eager to have any kind of connection to the supernatural world. Which was why she was what she was. Which was why she was running. Everything was real cause and effect.

“Maybe I bribed him,” Kitty teased, laughing at the familiar’s actions. “Like I said, the accent’s mighty charmin’.” And if she tended to lay it on a little thick in new places, then that was her own business, no one else’s. She grabbed the clothes when they appeared, and it was nice, to be in the presence of magic again, the way it made the air feel and smell and taste just a little bit different, indiscernible to someone that hadn’t grown up with it in their life or wasn’t attuned to it. “Much appreciated,” she said, and then she let a smirk of its own work onto her face. “And I’m looking forward to it.” She headed to the bathroom to change, not looking back, and if her hips swayed just a little bit more than normal, well, that was her own business, too.

Nell watched as Kitty walked away, not bothering to curb the cringe-worthy words she tossed after the other woman. “I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave! Also I’m allowed to catcall you since your name is Kitty.” If the non-magical witch hadn’t heard it before, Nell would eat the words herself. But knowing how unoriginal and annoying most people were when trying to get into someone else’s pants…she had no doubt Kitty had heard at least a hundred iterations of the same line. 

When Kitty emerged from the bathroom, Nell had finally settled herself back into her role of overconfident joke-sasser. In the silence she’d held Taki for a quick moment, taking deep breaths of his fur until the smell of blood and her paranoia had subsided into something far more manageable. And if Kitty was still willing— Nell would have an even better distraction soon enough. But first… “It’s just my two sisters and me, and we’re basically the only witches my student’s had contact with so…no one’s going to be a dick about whether or not you can channel magic. Besides- being a witch is more than just magic.” Nell had learned as much when Morgan lost her powers to becoming a zombie. “And if anyone is being a dick about it just tell me and I’ll sort them out.” The threat wasn’t veiled in the least. 

 “So this is the part where I offer to very innocently show you my room, and then we have a sexy pillow fight or something and then you’re naked again, but I’m also naked this time around. And having more fun.” Nell waited at the first step towards the stairs, waiting for Kitty to decide if she still wanted to act on the words she’d previously said. 

Kitty grinned the entire way to the bathroom, and she was still grinning when she came out. And, yeah, all of it was cheesy and cringy and stuff that she’d heard a million and one times before, but it was fun, too. She changed quickly, eager to get back outside, the clothes clearly not Nell’s from the way they actually fit her body reasonably well. “I appreciate that, the catcalls and the invitation to Imbolc,” she said. She’d like to go, if only to experience something familiar again. “Sure, sure. I’m a witch, just non-practising. Lackin’ that essential casting part of spellcasting,” she mused, light and so very easy. It had taken years, but Kitty had trained the bitterness out of her mouth, made her words so that they didn’t twist into harsh, angry things. It wasn’t anyone’s fault she couldn’t channel magic. Just her physiology being unable to do the thing. She laughed. “You’re sweet, sugar, but I don’t think anyone needs anything sorted on that front.”

The invitation made Kitty’s grin turn wicked, and she sauntered up to the steps beside Nell. The first step helped, but Kitty was still taller. “Innocent? Is that so?” she drawled. “You know, all of that sounds real fun. You’re kinda speakin’ my language.” And maybe she’d just put clothes on to take them right back off, but it was all in the name of fun, right? Besides, this was about to even the playing field. “But maybe,” she said, “we should go up to your room and not talk at all.”

Nell shrugged as Kitty brushed off her implication of defense when it came to idiotic people who had nothing better to do than run their mouths and tried her best not to be any more charmed by the accent and pet names than she already was. Tried and failed. She wouldn’t verbally admit that Kitty’s intended effects of her ‘charming accent’ were working, even after she’d called the woman out on it. At least she could pretend it took more than a pretty face to catch her interest…even if it wasn’t true. “We’ll see about that.” Even if Kitty was effortlessly alluring, she wasn’t going to let the woman win over that particular point.