grooming his feathers as a bird, perched on her balcony.

leans against the railing next to him. "So, someone's been getting lucky a lot lately, huh?"

hums, pausing to look up at her before going back to his grooming. "Certainly more than you have," he hums.

makes a face at that. "Yea, well...I've been busy." She's not as lucky with that sort of thing as she used to be.

grins, or at least as much as a bird can grin, fluttering his wings a little to finish off. "Busy being jealous, it seems~"

sticks her tongue out at him. "Busy with things! Witchy things."

laughs. "Witchy things like trapping strangers in your home and stealing their freedom?" he hums.

rolls her eyes. "Like wards, and trying to make sure hunters don't come snooping."

hums. "Bah, human stuff," he dismisses.

him a look. "Bah human stuff, huh? We'll see when hunters come looking for you."

rolls his eyes. "I never had to worry about it much before you came along."

rolls her eyes. "Well that was luck. Luck, and probably you burning everyone to a crisp."

laughs, fluttering down from the railing and transforming back to human. "Nothing wrong with that," he hums, leaning up against the railing beside her. "Being able to blend, and not

making my home look like something straight out of a horror movie helped."

huffs. "It does not. I need all that stuff, and the place was cheap. It's not exactly like I have a steady job."

hums at her, arching a brow. "It most certainly does. Have you ever watched tv?" he laughs, shaking his head.

going to shove him over the railing. "It doesn't! When I have company over, I neaten up enough that they don't even know! They think I'm a...hipster, or whatever."

would fly away. "Yikes, that's not much better," he teases.

lightly shoulders him. "Jerk. Hipster is better than having hunters on my ass."

hums, nudging her back. "I'm not convinced, some of those hunters can be pretty hot."

rolls her eyes. "Yea, until they have a gun to your head."

shrugs. "I'll live, just with a headache when I reform," he hums.

him a look. "You might, I won't."

sighs, leaning on the railing. "What happens when you die, anyways?"

shrugs. "To me, or to you?"

laughs. "To me of course, I can figure enough that you die."

figured that. She rolls her eyes. "Excruciating pain, and a lot of suffering. But it won't last, and you'll live."

wasn't exactly being philosophical. "Damn, why did I even save you then," he hums, referring to the gunshot.

looks at him. "You are the worst familiar on the face of the earth. If I remember properly, I was the one that saved you, ungrateful jerk."

scoffs. "I pushed you away from a gunshot, thanks."

rolls her eyes. "For your benefit only!"

laughs at that, and shrugs. "Still saved your life."

huffs. "And I saved yours. We're even."

hums, shrugging. "You're making me regret it, eesh."

swats at him.

swats back at her.

him a look. "I'm pretty sure familiars are supposed to be a little more obedient. Or at least nice."

rolls his eyes. "That only works if you don't try to force someone into slavery like you did."

guesses she did. "You wouldn't have agreed if I'd asked."

makes a sound of frustration at that. "That's the whole point," he frowns.

quirks an eyebrow at that. "Exactly."

frowns at her still. "I won't be your nice little obedient pet. Ever."

huffs. "I don't want a pet, Francis." She kinda just wanted company....powerful company.

hums doubtfully at her. "Then there was no reason to chain me down."

shrugs. "Well, your powers certainly came in handy. Now I can torch people."

rolls his eyes. "The only benefit was to you, how surprising."

stares at him like he's crazy. "You realise you get benefit out of this too. You just don't appreciate what I have to offer."

arches a brow. "And pray tell, what possible sort of benefit could you offer a near immortal creature like myself."

looks at him like he's stupid. "Pull with spirits, an affinity for voodoo practice, and...I'm sure if you tried hard enough you could see auras too."

siiiiighs, practically sagging against the railing. "I'm not interested in that ghost crap, or in sticking little pins in dolls. If I want to smite someone I cook them from the inside out."

rolls her eyes. "That's boring. Haven't you ever heard of psychological torture?"

groans. "I have. It sounds boring as hell." He wasn't into the torture so much, seeing as most of the deathes he caused were in fits of rage anyways.

quirks an eyebrow at that. "Torture isn't boring. You think it's boring?"

sighs. "It takes too much time, too much space, too much everything. Bruning a man from the inside is nice and fast, but you still get to watch him die."

watched him with interest. "What if I showed you how fun it could be?"

her a doubtful look. "I doubt you could," is his simple reply.

grins at that. "I'm sure I could. That, and how nice it would be to actually be a good familiar."

rolls his eyes. "I think you'd have to drug me for that. And don't you fuckin dare."

shifts closer to him, smiling sweetly. "What if I didn't have to drug you?"

frowns, eyeing her suspiciously. "Are you planing something again," he asks.

tilts her head, going for innocence. "Why ever would you think that?"

narrows his eyes. "You're always up to something. It's a nasty human trait."

hums, shifting a little closer. "Does that mean you don't like surprises?"

frowns at her. "I don't like your surprises."

feigns a pout "That's mean. You might like this one."

hums. "I'm doubtful."

shrugs. "We'll see."

sighs, turning to look back out over the city. "It would take you a whole lot of miracles to make me enjoy being your stupid pet, so just give it up," he frowns.

grins. "Well witches are miracle makers, aren't they?" She curls her fingers, pushing Francis flat against the floor with her power. "And you are my pet now, whether you like it or not. So you might as well_

_just lay back and enjoy it."

startles as he finds himself suddenly pushed to the floor by an uknown power, a little winded as his back hits the ground. "W-what the hell..?" he protests, trying to get back up.

figures that's something else she needs to fix. She moves to straddle his waist, taking his jaw in her hand. "You know. Familiars should show more respect, regardless of how you become so."

glares at her, trying to pull away still. "I will hardly respect someone who bonds me against my damn will, you witch," he frowns.

shrugs. "I am a witch, and so you shouldn't be surprised when I say you're going to respect me anyways." She slides her finger down his chest, a line of fabric burning away. Hm...pretty built. "I thank you _

_again, for my shiny new powers. Still getting used to them."

gasps and squirms at the line of heat burning his clothes open, strugging again. "Stop destroying my stuff! There's a reason I don't want people to have my powers," he hisses.

smooths her hands over the expanse of his skin. Francis was actually very...pretty. "That's exactly why you're in the position you're in right now."

shivers gently, trying to press himself further against the ground. "Correction, I'm in this position because you are a monster."

smiles at that. "Flattery will get you everywhere." She's way past playing nice, and her nails dig none to lightly into his skin. "How about I show you what a monster I am. I bet you'll be a nice obedient pet_

_then."

gasps and cries out as her nails dig in, arching his back off the floor a bit. "F-fuck you," he pants out, frowning at her and trying again to get up.

hums. "Other way around, I think." She gets up off of him, and stands. "Come along, then." She crooks her finger and turns, Francis' body following her into the bedroom.

originally thinks maybe he's managed to break the bond, but as he starts floating after her his heart sinks again. He does flush at the implication though, catching on to where she's going with all

this. "What happened to not sleeping with your pets," he frowns.

shrugs. "I think we've established I don't care much for rules. This is a tiny speck, compared to the black marks I have against me." She'd gone a little...overboard in her quest for power. Dabbled in things _

_she really shouldn't have.

frowns at her. "I don't doubt that," he answers, though unable to do much else right now.

shrugs, she waves her hand to move Francis over onto the bed, easily moving to straddle his waist. "Why would you?"

flushes as she straddles him, trying to buck her off and get out of this spell still. "Foolish hope would be the only reason."

frowns slightly, placing a hand on his hips and securing it as well. He wouldn't be getting her off of him. "You know, You look like you'd be into weird things. Like...a good licks." She leans over to dig_

_around in her drawer. She doesn't have a crop or anything fancy like that...hm..

gasps as she pins his hips too, giving up the fight and scowling at her. He stays silent though, not about to prove her right either by agreeing, or by disagreeing with an untruthful voice.

grins, at that. She pulls a small bundle of branches from her drawer -normally used for smoking in rituals, but it'll do- and taps it against his chest lightly. "Is that a yes?"

eyes widen a bit at that, definitely not having encounter such a tool before and expecting it to hurt quite a bit. "A bundle of sticks? Are you crazy??"

rolls her eyes. "It'll be good. They aren't branches, they're for smoking. It's like...those wicka' brooms." She gives the other a look. "Besides, you don't exactly deserve anyone going easy on you."

her an increduous look. "I'm still not the one who forced someone into slavery and has them magic-chained to the goddamned bed!" he protests, trying to squirm free.

shrugs. "Shit happens." She's past feeling guilty about this, and brings down the switch against Francis' chest. "So you might as well behave."

cries out in surprise and arches his back at the sudden smack, gasping as he tried to pull awat still. "I-I refuse to behave for someone like you, good lord!"

shrugs. "That means I get to hit you again." She raises the switch, but doesn't bring it down just yet. "Are you going to comply at all?"

clenches his jaw and glares at her. He had no intentions of bowing down.

brings the switch down across his chest. "You know. The thing about people with pale skin, is that the mark up so nicely."

*they]

cringes, but is better prepared this time. He narrows his eyes at her in challenge at that, healing the red strikes on his chest. "Gonna be hard to mark me like that," he answers, a little triumphant.

shrugs. "Not the only way." She slides her hand across the skin that was red moments ago.

furrows his brow slightly at that remark, trying to pull away from her fingers and unsure what she was planning.