Your fur is red, so beautiful, like an angel in disguise Who: Desi and her familiar! When: June 18 2009, at around 7:30am Where: Desi’s apartment
Some mornings Desi actually wondered how she was capable of climbing down the stairs from the mezzanine onto the ground floor without taking a most ungraceful dive that resulted in multiple fractures. Today was one of those mornings, seeing as she had actually slid down the side of the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping only because her foot had gotten stuck between the steps. She hopped on one foot until balance was restored, and then beelined to the tiny bathroom, fully intent on getting ready on time for a change. Fate, however, had other plans for the witch.
Well into her vigorous toothbrushing Desi felt a gentle rapping on her barely-there bathroom window, which really only existed to let the steam out from the shower. Desi stopped, looking to her right at the window, and noticed a shape forming a shadow against the hammered glass. Then, some more rapping. “Oh for god’s sake.” She mumbled, pulling the toothbrush out of her mouth and spitting out the remains of the paste. “If this is a raven I am moving out.” She rushed to open the window and see that instead of a raven there was a fox - an honest-to-god red fox - barely holding onto the outer sill. Apparently that answered the ages-old question “can foxes climb?” because Desi didn’t live on the ground floor. “Ummmmm…”
"Oh don’t just stand there, let me in!" Desi was a very open person, obviously, had to be really, but she never ever imagined she would have an animal talking to her telepathically.
“That’s it, who spiked my tap water?” She protested, and the fox stepped inside a little bit with a huff.
"Oh, right. I am your familiar, I communicate telepathically with you and others, I know your thoughts as though they were my own and I am here to aid you as you become more powerful with magic and to prepare you for harsh times to come." The fox looked up. "You’re welcome."
“Really? I always thought witches’ familiars were cats.” Alright, she had accepted this. There was very little else to suggest she might have a psychotic break, so she had no choice but to take this as fact.
"Shows how much you know." The fox hopped onto the closed toilet. " Being a familiar isn’t restricted to one type of animal. Neither is having a familiar restricted to witches."
Now that was curious. Desi really wanted to continue this conversation but then she realized she was in her underwear, the tap water was still running and she was late for work. “What am I supposed to do with you now?”
"Feed me, give me shelter and make sure I don’t die. If I do, you won’t be too far behind."
That was sobering. Desi stood there staring at the fox unblinking for a while, thinking what a logistic nightmare this was going to be.
"I possess intelligence, I can take care of myself for the most part and I’m not going to poop all over your…" The fox hopped down from the toilet and walked out the door. "...room." Desi could have sworn it had a disdainful tone when it said that.
“Trust me I’m about as charmed by my humble abode as you are.” That said, Desi finally closed the tap and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind herself. “Um, so you’re here to aid me in magic stuff?”
"And anything else you need. I am, quite literally, your spirit animal."
“I don't think you're clear on the definition but okay, let’s leave that for a second.” Desi sunk onto her couch. “Why are you here? Like, were you born that way? With intelligence and consciousness?”
"I don't know, and I don't think so since I wasn't born three days ago, obviously, but I don't remember much other than being an animal before then." The fox actually seemed patient and eager to clarify every doubt on Desi’s head now. It hopped onto the couch, sitting next to her charge. "I just knew what I was meant to do and with whom, and here I am. There is something brewing, Desdemona, and I am sent to help you when it arrives." This was fascinating. Only one thing…
“Nobody calls me Desdemona, Desi’s fine.” The fox seemed to nod. “And, um, do you have a name, or do I pick one for y-”
"Hatee."
“Hatee.” Desi repeated.
"Hatee." said the fox again. It stared Desi down like it was daring her to say something else. After a moment of perplexed silence Desi nodded. But then she had to ask:
“Oh. Do you wear a lot of hats or-”
"Let’s not lower ourselves to joking about each other’s names, shall we? You're named after a woman whose husband murdered her under false pretenses." And that was when Desi realized her brand new familiar had an ego. And a bite.
“Right, I'm sorry but I have to go to work and i’m probably already late as hell so we can continue this when I come home, yes?” While she spoke Desi ran all over the tiny apartment gathering clothes, shoes, bag and food.
" Yes, but I am going out there with you. Not following you, just not staying in here. I need to hunt."
“Huh. What do you eat?”
"Crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, crayfish, some berries, other fruits…"
“Omnivore! Awesome!” While she struggled with getting dressed, pulling and pulling to no avail, Desi gave a genuine grin to her new familiar, who looked up at her face slowly.
" You have your pants on backwards, that’s why it’s being so hard to pull them up."
Desi looked down herself, realizing Hatee was right. “You're going to really come in handy.”
"I know. When you come home we need to talk about your magic practices. I want to know where you’re at, if there’s anything you could be doing better, the works."
“Hai, Sensei.” Said Desi playfully while she put her pants on right way forward.
"Don’t. Cultural appropriation isn't cute, and pretending to speak and understand Japanese is beneath you as you are no longer a prepubescent schoolgirl fascinated by the wide world out there."
At this royal smackdown Desi’s eyes widened, but she wasn't even mad. It was so weird how deadpan and matter-of-factly Hatee “spoke” that she was left quite speechless, and had a feeling this would be so for a long time. With a shrug, Desi focused on downing her mild coffee and biting down on a muffin enough to hold it down the elevator ride. “Kay gotta go come on” she said, words muffled by the muffin. Hatee hopped off the sofa and followed Desi out the door.
As the both of them walked into the elevator she realized this was going to be the weirdest elevator ride ever. "And no one will believe you, either." said Hatee in her mind. Desi grinned.