"Hilary & Alex By MagicianXV" By robblu (https://pastebin.com/u/robblu) URL: https://pastebin.com/EVw9Snn2 Created on: Friday 11th of October 2019 12:11:15 AM CDT Retrieved on: Saturday 31 of October 2020 03:05:40 AM UTC You're going to wear a raincoat, aren't you?'' As soon as her mother spoke, Alex knew she was in for a first-class session of nagging. She could hear the over-protectiveness seeping in around the edges of the older woman's voice, preparing to drive away logic and rational thought in favor of endless streams of advice and `helpful' suggestions. Alex had suspected it would be that kind of day as soon as she had gotten up; her mother had been bustling around the small house all morning, rearranging things that were fine the way they were, going off to fiddle with something else, then coming back to rearrange the same things again twenty minutes later. It was driving her up the walls, and nowjust as she was about to make her escapea nagging session was on the way. ``I watched the six o'clock news this morning,'' her mother said, voice panicked. ``They think it's going to rain all afternoon and evening. There might even be tornado warnings! Don't you want to take a raincoat, or maybe some boots?'' Alex took a deep breath. ``No, Mom,'' she said patiently. ``I don't want to take a raincoat or boots. I'm going to walk over to Diana's house, and then I'm going inside. I won't be out in the scary, scary rain for more than fifteen minutes.'' ``Tornado warnings, though!'' her mother went on, wringing her hands fearfully. ``You know what that means, don't you?'' ``Yes,'' Alex replied. She imagined herself as a very old, very bored statuelike the giant stone heads on Easter Islandand pretended that her mother's voice was nothing more than a gnat flying around her ear. ``It means that there's a tiny chance that a tornado might form, an even tinier chance that it would come anywhere near us, and a microscopic chance that it would be dangerous to me. But,'' she added, figuring that negotiation was worth a shot, ``I'll bring an umbrella.'' ``I just worry so much!'' her mother almost wailed. Alex thought about the heavy stone which statues were made of, and how little a wailing, middle-aged women would affect it. ``All the monsters and goblins in this town, and now we have to deal with tornados, too! I just don't know what to do!'' ``I don't think I'll be meeting any monsters during the long, quarter mile trip to Diana's house, mother,'' Alex said through gritted teeth. ``And if I do, I'll be sure that I don't agree to join them for dinner.'' She pulled an umbrella from the closet and stuffed it untidily into her battered knapsack. It was one that hadn't worked for years, and only remained in the closet because her mother was incapable of throwing things away. ``Now can I please go?'' ``I don't know if you should, I really don't. I heard that just last week there was a monster filling in for a math teacher at the elementary school.'' She stared at her daughter with terrified intensity. ``Do you know what it did? It ate two entire classes! Forty-one kids eaten in less than three hours!'' Alex nodded, reflecting how a statue was impervious to earsplitting tirades. ``I know, I heard about it. That's what monsters do, Mom. They eat people. I'm going to go over to Diana's house now, okay? I'll be home later tonight, and I have my cell phone if you need to call me.'' She neglected to mention that the battery was completely drained, and that she had no intention of recharging it in the visible future. ``But the tornados!'' her mother cried frantically, as Alex pulled the door open and stepped outside. ``And the monsters!'' ``I'll tell them you said `hi', okay?'' Alex called, and dashed around the corner, leaving her mother to throttle a dish towel in her distress. []~~~[] The sky was overcast for as far as Alex could see, and she had to admit that it did look like rain was a possibility. She doubted, however, that her mother's fears of tornados would come to pass; in a town with as many tall trees as Michigan Falls, it would be hard for any serious wind to pick up. Encountering monsters might be another story, but those were old hatAlex had been dodging the beasts as far back as she could remember, and felt pretty confident about her survival instincts. She walked down the sidewalk toward Diana's house, pulling the defunct umbrella from her bag as she went. The handle was hooked, and she swung it from her wrist as she went. This lasted until the umbrella had taken as much punishment as it could and finally surrendered, the main shaft snapping clean away from the handle and flying into some nearby hedges. ``No loss there,'' she murmured. There were no garbage cans around, so she hung the handle on a mailbox shaped like a seashell and walked quickly away. When she was literally twenty feet from the last house on the block (a comfortably run-down brick affair where Diana lived), she was forced to curse her mother's foresight. The clouds finally split open and a torrent of fat, heavy raindrops began pounding the street and drenching Alex faster than she knew was possible. She cut loose and made a mad dash for the front door, wondering in the back of her mind if statues were bothered by rain. Gasping, Alex reached the front porch, stumbled to a halt, and rang the doorbell. She heard light footsteps approaching, and a moment later the door swung open to reveal a beckoning figure. ``Come on, come inside!'' Diana urged; she burst out laughing when Alex had slipped in and the door was closed safely to the storm. ``Oh my gosh,'' she managed to say, covering her mouth. ``You are SO soaked.'' Alex rolled her eyes and, suppressing a grin, flopped her wet bangs out of her eyes. ``Yeah,'' she said flatly, doing her best to give her friend a deflating glare. ``I noticed.'' She sat down on the doormat and yanked off her sopping shoes and socks; they landed on the tile floor with a wet plop, which made Diana laugh even harder. ``How long were you out there?'' she asked, sitting down beside Alex. ``And why didn't you bring a raincoat or something?'' ``It was only for a minute,'' Alex told her. ``And besides, I did have an umbrella. It just...died on the way.'' ``You killed your umbrella?'' ``No, I didn't kill it. It died.'' ``Oh,'' Diana said, nodding seriously. ``Right, the umbrella epidemic. I heard that was going around.'' She waited for a reaction, grinning in a maddeningly adorable way that she had. Alex had always been just a little jealous of Diana; even though they had been best friends for years, Diana's delicate features and dark skin always looked just a little too perfect, and she was just a little bit too charming. That was the problem, reallyno matter what, Diana was invariably `a little bit too' much of something that Alex felt she herself never had enough of. ``Hey, you wanna meet my cousin?'' Diana said suddenly, interrupting her friend's thoughts. Embarrassed by the envy she had been feeling, Alex nodded immediately. ``Yeah, sure,'' she said, forcing herself to be enthusiastic. ``I didn't know you had anyone visiting today.'' ``She got here last night before my parents left,'' said Diana. Both girls stood and headed for the living room. Alex tried very hard to ignore the fact that Diana's shirt was just the right shade of yellow against her skin, and how pretty and smooth her legs were. ``I think she flew in from, like, Los Angeles or something. I'm not really sure where she was. She travels a lot, you know?'' ``Yeah,'' said Alex, although she couldn't remember the last time she had gone anywhere. ``Where did your mom and dad go this time?'' ``They went to Japan again. Tokyo, this time. I made Dad promise to try and find that Death Note thing you wanted.'' ``Ooh,'' Alex said, smiling at the thought. There was a bare spot on her wall that could definitely use some attention, and a wallscroll of Ryuuk would serve her purposes nicely. ``Where's your cousin from?'' ``I don't know if we're actually related,'' Diana added thoughtfully. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced out the window; the rain was still cascading down with no sign of slowing. ``I've always just called her my cousin. She doesn't look anything like anyone else in my family. I think she might be Dutch.'' ``Really?'' Alex asked, wondering if you could tell if someone was Dutch by looking at them. ``What's she like?'' ``Umm...weird?'' Alex raised a questioning eyebrow, and Diana giggled. ``She's really nice, don't worry. And besides, she always likes cute people.'' Her stomach twisted a little when Alex heard the word `cute'; she was never sure if people were being serious or not when they described her that way. Maybe it was because of the mass mediamagazines and television only showed models who were tall and blond, which left girls who were small and brunette grasping at straws. However, after many attempts at finding a style that suited her tastes, Alex had settled into a non-drastic punk look; she kept her hair short, save for her long bangs, and usually wore shirts with band logos over loose, oversized shorts. While the fashion was one that Alex was comfortable with, it was difficult for her to tell if she was being made fun of or complimented. ``How weird is she?'' asked Alex, as the two of them reached the living room. ``Is she really, really weird? Or just kind of weird?'' Diana thought it over and grinned in her adorable manner again. ``Really weird, but not in a bad way. Just trust me, okay? She's fun!'' They walked the through the living roomit was large and open, with a high ceiling that Alex lovedand went into the kitchen. When Alex saw the girl sitting at the table, she was surprised by Diana's choice of adjectives. Living in Michigan Falls, a hotbed for supernatural activity, one grew accustomed to creatures of all kinds. One result of this was that seeing a witch drinking a glass of Pepsi didn't strike her as very unusual. ``This is Hilary,'' Diana introduced, gesturing. ``Hilary, this is Alex. I was talking about her last night, remember?'' Hilary, who had a mouthful of soda, swallowed hurriedly and pushed back from the table. She was talla good four or five inches more than Alexand had sharp, elegant features. There was something about her that made Alex want to move closer. ``Yes, I remember,'' Hilary said quickly, and took Alex's hand in a firm, warm grip. ``It's great to meet you! Diana told me all kinds of cool stuff that you guys have done.'' ``She did?'' Alex asked, slightly surprised. Going to school, the movies, and the mall didn't exactly rank as `cool' in her opinion. Hilary nodded, and the smooth, black hair that was characteristic of witches swished gently around her neck. ``Yes, she was telling me about your classes and everything. I'm so jealous!'' Alex opened her mouth to reply, but Hilary went on before she could speak. ``I never got to go to school with humans. Most places aren't like your town, witches have to go to school with other witches. It's much better like this, don't you think? Everyone gets used to one another, and it keeps the situation much more lively. I think it would be very exciting to have monsters everywhere! You could never be positive when one would jump out at you!'' Hilary paused to take a breath, then seemed to notice her soda on the table again. ``I love these, too!'' she enthused. ``My parents don't like me to have a lot of human foods, so this is a real treat.'' 0 ``You don't have the same kind of food?'' said Alex, beginning to get curious. ``What do you eat?'' Behind her, Diana giggled quietly, as if she already knew the answer. ``Shadows,'' said Hilary, and downed the rest of her glass in one huge gulp. ``Oh. Wait...what?'' ``Shadows,'' she repeated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ``That's what witches stick to most of the time. It's why our hair is so black,'' she explained, holding up a handful of it for Alex to see. ``We need the darkness to stay healthy.'' ``Didn't I tell you she was cool?'' Diana squealed, practically jumping up and down. ``She knows the most amazing stuff, too! Tell her about the moon rituals, Hilary!'' So, Hilary sat down at the table again, and Alex was educated on the ways that witches used moonlight to stay young and keep their abilities potent. At Diana's request, she went on to talk about werewolf colonies, dragon raising, and even the ways that a human could gain a bit of supernatural power themselves (although it sounded like too much trouble for Alex's tastes). After almost an hour of listening in rapt attention, she was beginning to think that, in addition to being short, she had gotten stiffed on the evolutionary chain as well. ``I wish I could be a witch,'' she muttered gloomily. ``Being a human is so lame. All we get is good soda.'' ``Now, that isn't true at all,'' Hilary said sharply. Both of the other girls looked at her, caught off guard by the change in her tone. ``Humans are very important. They're the balancing point for the species. Without humans, none of the supernatural creatures could even exist!'' ``Why?'' Diana asked, tilting her head to one side. ``I don't understand.'' Hilary started to speak, then closed her mouth and frowned. ``I'm not sure how to explain it,'' she said apologetically. ``Just believe me, all right? Your species might not have powers like witches, and they may not be big and physically impressive like monsters, but they're much more important than either one.'' There was a pause while the humans at the table digested this rather startling piece of information. ``Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not we have a purpose in life,'' Alex said, and everyone laughed. []~~~[] It was around four-thirty when things got interesting. The girls were engaged in the long-honored tradition of wasting time, via a DVD of The Simpsons. Diana was stretched out on the sofa, while Hilary and Alex had both opted to sit on the floor. There was a content feeling of laziness hovering around them, and Alex was thinking about asking Diana if she could spend the night and learn more about the fascinating habits of witches, when she suddenly jumped. Diana looked down at her from the couch. ``What's wrong?'' she asked, sounding a little sleepy. (The DVD was hers, and she had watched it many times before.) ``Hilary was tickling me,'' Alex said, her heart thudding from the unexpected physical contact. Looking extremely guilty, Hilary pulled her hand away from Alex's knee, where she had been gently stroking the other girl's skin. ``I'm sorry,'' she said earnestly. ``I just couldn't resist. I noticed it when you came in, but I didn't want to mention it...'' ``Mention what?'' Diana urged; she sat up, all the sleepiness fading from her voice and eyes. Alex said nothingshe was confused, and wondering if she was being hit on. ``What did you notice?'' Hilary was blushing furiously, which looked quite strange against her jet-black hair. ``It's just...'' she said haltingly, ``...witches are more like humans than anything else, but we have a few things that we...well...share, with the other supernatural races.'' ``What the heck does that mean?'' Diana muttered, scowling. ``Which other supernatural races?'' Hilary turned even redder and looked with interest at some raindrops dripping down the windowpane. ``It means...'' she covered her face in obvious discomfort. ``Do I have to tell you?'' ``Yes!'' insisted her cousin. Alex wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she was definitely curious. ``All right...it means that I think Alex would be very delicious.'' She kept her face buried in her hands. ``I'm so sorry, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I shouldn't have touched you without asking first. I know humans have different habits than witches. It was terribly rude of me, and I promise I won't do it again.'' Diana's immediate response was to collapse with an unstoppable fit of giggles. This only served to make Hilary even more distraught, and she eventually stuffed her head under a pillow. Alex was quiet for a few seconds, then put her hand on Hilary's back. ``It's okay,'' she said calmly, and surprised the other two by smiling. ``I'm used to it. This is Michigan Falls, remember? I've lived in the monster capital of the world for my whole life. I get told eight times a week how tasty I look. It happened the other day at a frigging bus stop.'' Hilary pulled her head out from under the pillow; her expression had cleared somewhat. ``You aren't angry, then?'' Alex shook her head. ``Oh, thank goodness!'' The witch's face was immediately flooded with relief. ``I'm so glad! You're such a nice person, and I would hate to upset you!'' Alex waved a careless hand and tossed the pillow at Diana. ``Nah, it's not a big deal. But,'' she added, ``if you don't mind me asking, what made you think I looked so good? To eat, I mean.'' ``Well,'' Hilary started slowly, ``I suppose it was your hair, for one thing. It's very endearing. And I've always enjoyed girls who were smaller, like you are, as well as...'' she paused, then shook her head in apparent defeat. ``Everything, really. From my perspective, you're just very appetizing.'' Diana had almost gotten her giggles under control, but after this last, they started up again so hard that she rolled off the sofa. There was a thump as she hit the floor. Hilary and Alex observed this with a measure of amusement. ``What about her?'' Alex questioned, gesturing casually toward her friend. ``Would she be good?'' Hilary nodded solemnly. ``Yes, I'm sure that she would. But you were brand new, and I got carried away.'' Diana squirmed into a sitting position and, through some last bits of laughter, managed to ask, ``I look yummy too? As much as Alex?'' ``You're different,'' Hilary said honestly. ``Humans are very diverse, and they all have their own flavors. I can tell the two of you would taste very different from each other just by looking. Not,'' she amended quickly, as Diana began to look disappointed, ``that you wouldn't be good, of course.'' ``I'm just learning all kinds of new things today,'' murmured Alex. She twitched a little at the feeling of Hilary's hand on her knee again, but it wasn't such a surprise this time. ``Is there any chance,'' the witch inquired softly, ``that you might be willing to...?'' ``Oooh!'' Diana exclaimed, leaning forward. ``Say yes, Alex! It would be so much fun!'' Alex looked at her in astonishment. ``You want me to get eaten?'' she said flatly. ``Are you serious?'' ``Well, no,'' Diana hastened, ``I don't necessarily want you to get eaten. But it would be something new, right? And besides, you're the one who's always saying how we never do anything interesting.'' ``You seem awfully eager for me to eat her,'' Hilary observed. ``I don't suppose you'd make the same offer?'' Diana's face lit up. ``You mean you'd eat me too?'' She grabbed her cousin's wrist in delight. ``Of course! I'd love to try it!'' ``That's it,'' Alex muttered. ``She's officially lost her marbles. Of course, this means she's still ahead of me...now she's a little bit crazier than I am.'' []~~~[] There was some definite confusion for the first few minutes after Diana volunteered herself as a late-afternoon snack. Neither she nor Alex had the faintest clue of how a witch would go about eating someone; if it had been a monster, they would have been quite the experts, but Hilary was a whole different story. Diana made some colorful suggestions, which her cousin smoothly deflected. ``There isn't any of the equipment I would need to cook you,'' she explained, after Diana asked if she could be roasted. ``The oven you have is meant for things a human would want to cook, not for cooking a human.'' ``Stupid oven,'' Diana muttered unhappily. Alex stayed out of the conversation, having decided to just watch and be amused. The thought that Diana wouldn't be around any more was making her chest feel funny in a peculiar way she couldn't exactly name, but there was no denying that being a witch's meal was of great interest. ``Can't you think of any way to do it?'' Diana was asking. ``I really want to try!'' ``I'm a little stumped, actually,'' Hilary admitted. ``I've never been the one who prepared humans before. That's something my mother always does.'' ``How many have you eaten?'' Alex wondered. She thought back to her mother's tale about a monster eating two classes of elementary school kids, and somehow doubted that any other creatures were quite as voracious. ``Only three or four,'' said the witch. ``It's something we save for special occasions. Monsters and goblins eat enough humans by themselves without my race contributing as well.'' She thought for a moment. ``Why don't we go back in the other room,'' she suggested finally, ``and I can just eat you like you are? You'll be fine even if you aren't cooked.'' Diana agreed willingly enough, so the three of them returned to the living room. This time, it was Alex on the couch with Hilary sitting on the floor beside her cousin. Diana situated herself comfortably and stretched out the long, admirable legs that Alex was still slightly envious of, and released some breathy laughter as Hilary helped her out of her shirt. ``They're still bigger than mine,'' Alex thought fleetingly, her eyes tracing the smooth lines of Diana's bra. Hilary wasn't concerned, however, and brought her head to level with Diana's stomach. After rubbing her hand soothingly over it for a moment (and instigating some pleasured sighs), she lowered her face and ran her tongue over the other girl's waist. Diana exhaled quietly; she was still laughing a little. ``Hmm,'' Hilary murmured, after some very long licks. ``I was right...you are good. This is going to be fun.'' She slid away from the couch a bit and settled one of Diana's tanned feet into her lap. The other she held in both hands, and began to nip each of her toes in turn. Alex shifted on the couch and gave a cursory glance at her own bare feet. It hadn't occurred to her before, but she thought what Hilary was doing might feel nice. ``That tickles!'' Diana squirmed, squeezing her eyes tightly shut against the sensation. Hilary paid no attention; she was wrapped up in her nibbling, oblivious to what the girl was saying. Alex stared in rapt fascination, totally absorbed by what Hilary was doing. She had seen people eaten beforethe most memorable having been in a movie theater, when a goblin had simply plucked a boy from his seat and chewed him up like popcornbut watching Hilary was entirely different. She and Diana were the same height and build, and to see something that looked perfectly human devouring another was terrifying and entrancing at the same time. Both girls were clearly enjoying themselves, too; Hilary was smiling even as she finished off Diana's toes, and Diana didn't seem able to stop giggling. ``Alex, look!'' she panted, grinning and craning her neck backwards. ``I'm lunch! I bet you're jealous, aren't you? You aren't anybody's lunch!'' ``Oh, yes,'' Alex said, flipping onto her stomach. ``I'm drastically jealous. In fact, I think I'll go into the kitchen and make myself into a sandwich.'' ``I like that idea!'' Hilary said. She scooted forward, lifted Diana's leg, and bit firmly into her calf. ``Ooh!'' Diana exclaimed, her eyes widening. She stared as Hilary chewed, apparently entranced by the sight. ``Do that again, Hilary! Slower, thoughlet me watch!'' ``Mmm,'' Hilary confirmed, and took another, slower bite. Diana stared with wide eyes as the other girl's teeth sank into her; she blew a long breath out through her lips. She looked like she was trying to whistle, although no sound came out. ``Wow,'' she murmured at last. ``That feels crazy.'' ``Crazy how?'' Alex asked. She was certainly glad that being eaten wasn't painful for Diana, but she was surprised as well. Hilary wasn't just nibbling any more, she was taking actual bitesbig bites, tooout of Diana's body. How could it be anything but agony? ``''It's hard to explain,'' Diana said. ``It's like'' she paused for a few seconds, unable to hold back another set of giggles as Hilary tasted her shoulder ``being pinched, kind of. But it feels really good too. You should try it!'' ``Yeah,'' Alex said noncommittally. She glanced at the television, and noticed that the DVD was still playing. She had completely forgotten to turn it off when Hilary had begun to suggest alternate forms of entertainment. Marge was yelling at Lisa for some transgression, and it brought to mind an image of Alex's mother waiting to get back to nagging as soon as her daughter walked in the door. ``Hey, Hilary?'' ``Mmm?'' the witch said. She was still busy with Diana's shoulder. ``Are you going toumfinish Diana today?'' Hilary chewed for a moment, and then swallowed hurriedly. ``I think so,'' she said, looking up at Alex. ``Why?'' ``I was thinking about asking if I could spend the night,'' Alex said, watching Itchy and Scratchy battle with chainsaws. ``My mom has been super annoying today, and if you don't mind humoring me, I'd really like to know more about magic and everything.'' ``Oh, you should stay over, Alex!'' Diana said, bobbing her head approvingly. Her long hair fell to the side and Hilary, looking remarkably like a cat, darted forward and began nibbling on her ear. ``Hilary could teach you some magic to get that guy you like at school!'' Hilary hesitated, giving Diana's ear a momentary reprieve. It was only for a second, but Alex thought she looked somewhat disappointed. ``That sounds cool,'' Alex agreed. Is it okay with you, Hilary? I don't want to bother you.'' ``It's no bother for me,'' Hilary said earnestly. ``It isn't even my house, after all. I don't know if I'm really suited for teaching magic, though. I'm not even all that good at it myself.'' ``I don't care,'' Alex said truthfully. ``I really just don't want to go home and have to deal with my mom pestering me all night.'' ``I'd love it if you stayed,'' Hilary said, and Alex nodded. ``Okay. I'll be right back then.'' She left the room, trying to shake off the slightly unnerving sounds of Diana's laughter as Hilary continued to eat. Somehow it was still slightly difficult to wrap her comprehension around the fact that Diana was being devoured less than fifty feet away from where she was now standing. Alex picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number, hoping timidly that there would be no answer. As usual, however, the line connected quickly. ``Alex?'' ``Hi, Mom,'' said Alex, fighting to keep her tone level and unsuspicious. ``What's wrong, sweetie?'' ``Nothing,'' Alex said quickly. ``I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to stay over at Diana's house. Her cousin is over, and we're having a good time.'' ``Really? You didn't tell me there would be anyone else there.'' ``I didn't know,'' said Alex truthfully. ``And it's another girl, mom. We're not doing anything weird.'' ``Oh. Well, I guess that's okay, then. Should I bring over your toothbrush, or some pajamas or anything?'' ``That's okay. I'll just sleep naked.'' ``What?'' ``I'm kidding,'' Alex said, smirking. ``I'll borrow something from Diana, she won't mind.'' ``Alex, I don't know about this. I really think you should come home '' Alex sighed with as much exasperation and impatience as she could muster. ``Mom, I've slept over at Diana's house about three thousand times. I've known her my entire life. You know her parents. Everything will be fine. We're going to sit around and watch movies. It will not, I promise, be a raucous party full of sex and drugs.'' ``Well '' ``Thank you, Mom. I love you, good night, see you later.'' Alex hung up quickly, breathing out heavily. She did love her mother, but that didn't make her any less frustrating. She returned to the living room where Diana was rapidly diminishing. Alex gulped at the lump in her throat, and sat beside Diana on the carpet. ``How are you?'' she asked lamely. Diana smiled weakly. ``I'm good,'' she said, as Hilary bit into her side. ``It still feels amazing, Alex you should let her do it if she still wants to.'' Alex fought back tears and hugged her best friend. ``I'm gonna miss you.'' ``Aw, no you won't. And I'll be fine.'' They traded a short glance. ``Well no,'' Diana admitted, grinning, ``probably not. But at least it wasn't some old monster, right? At least I got to do it with someone who made it fun for me.'' ``Yeah,'' Alex agreed, and she did think Diana was right about that part. Being eaten by a monster probably would not be any sort of fun, while Diana was clearly having an excellent time with Hilary. ``I'm going to finish up now,'' Hilary said, sliding back a little. ``Alex I don't know if you want to watch me do this part.'' ``Is it bad?'' Alex asked, gazing at the witch apprehensively. ``Not for her,'' Hilary assured, nodding to Diana; Diana smiled in a sleepy sort of way, looking entirely unworried over her impending demise. ``She'll love it. I just don't know if you'll want to '' ``Okay,'' Alex murmured. She hugged Diana again, then went back into the kitchen. She sat at the table with her chin on her arms, listening to the occasional slip of laughter or tiny cry of surprise. After a while, all the noises subsided. She waited some more, then went back to the living room. Hilary was curled with her back against the couch, eyes closed, looking greatly content. She was holding Diana's discarded shirt in her lap, stroking it gently between her fingers. When Alex entered, she opened her eyes and smiled. ``I made sure it was really nice for her,'' she said. ``I loved her, so I would never let it hurt.'' ``Thanks,'' Alex said, again biting at the sob in her chest. ``She's always been kind of I dunno interested in being eaten. I'm glad it was you.'' ``Me too,'' Hilary said. Alex sat next to her, and they watched the muted television for a few minutes. ``So what are you going to do now?'' Alex asked, when she could no longer stand the silence. ``Are you going home?'' ``Home?'' Hilary jolted a little. ``No, I can't.'' ``Oh.'' Alex was surprised at the relief she felt; she suddenly realized that she wanted to stay close to Hilary, and very much disliked the thought of her leaving. ``Why can't you go?'' ``I haveit's'' Hilary scowled, looking flustered. ``Work, I guess you could call it.'' ``What kind of work? I thought you were here to see Diana?'' ``Iactually, I didn't come here just to visit Diana,'' Hilary said. She sounded oddly nervous, and shifted her gaze away from Alex. ``My mother sent me here.'' ``Sent you?'' Alex repeated blankly. ``What for?'' ``It sort of has to do with my magic,'' said Hilary. ``I'm not...well, I'm very bad at it. Really bad, actually. And a female witch my age is supposed to have at least mastered the basics.'' ``Have you?'' asked Alex, though she was fairly confident that she knew the answer. Hilary shook her head; two spots under her eyes were turning bright pink. ``No. I can barely do anything. It's really embarrassing. My mom gave me a spell to use while I was traveling, but that's all.'' ``She gave you a spell? How does that work?'' Hilary scowled at her folded hands. ``Um it's sort of a loan. She gave me just a little bit of her own magic.'' She sighed, suddenly downcast. ``She's really good, so it's easy for her to do things like that. I couldn't do it to save my life.'' ``What's it for?'' Hilary looked up. ``What?'' ``The magic she gave you,'' Alex probed. She had a suspicion that Hilary wanted to be asked this question; the witch's manner very much resembled her own when she was attempting to coax her mother into offering her some spending money. ``What's it for?'' Hilary hesitated for a very long moment. ``I could show you,'' she said finally. ``It might work out okay for both of us, if you want to.'' ``Want to what?'' Alex found herself lowering her voice, and realized that her heart was starting to race. Hilary's eyes began to sparkle brightly. ``I need a familiar,'' she said. ``It's a very special thing. It's sort of like a partnership between a witch and a human.'' Alex tried to swallow, but her throat seemed to have turned upside down. ``A partnership?'' ``Yes. You would be my partner,'' said Hilary. She leaned forward, falling onto her hands and knees, and inched across the carpet toward Alex. ``You would help me with magic, and I would take care of you and keep you safe.'' ``Safe?'' Alex whispered. ``From what?'' Hilary's face shone. ``Everything,'' she breathed. ``Nothing could hurt you. No one could make you do anything you didn't want to do. You'd be all mine.'' ``Yours?'' Alex leaned backwards as Hilary drew nearer, until the two girls were inches apart. ``Do do you want that?'' ``Oh, I do,'' Hilary murmured. ``I want that a lot. I want you.'' A burst of heat raced up Alex's spine, so intense that she thought she must be glowing. ``Really?'' ``Really.'' Hilary leaned even closer, until the tip of her nose was touching Alex's. ``Say yes. Give yourself to me.'' Alex's mouth opened slightly, but she was unable to speak. She felt as if an enormous weight was hovering just above her, on a rope about to snap. Hilary leaned even closer, until Alex's lips were a centimeter away from hers. ``I can make you happy.'' For a fleeting second, Alex could hear the voice of her mother poking, urging her to think carefully. It nagged and wheedled, and told her to be smart, come home and live a dull, predictable life that could be watched and controlled. Alex saw herself living that life; saw herself going to school, getting a job somewhere, maybe dating boys who would be friendly and uninteresting. She went to college and got a job doing something menial, married one of the friendly, uninteresting boys, and finally dieda petite, shriveled old woman who had never taken a chance or had an adventure. The life reversed. She saw Hilary in front of her; strange, alluring Hilary who smelled of exotic, foreign spices, and whose brilliantly green eyes glistened like ice in moonlight. Hilary who ate shadows and humans, and knew about werewolves and nymphs and how to stay young forever. She thought again of her mother. She thought of that safe, dull life. She grabbed that life, tore it in half, and threw it away. ``I want to,'' Alex said in a single, breathless moment. ``I'll do it. I'll be all yours.'' Hilary smiled, and wrapped her arms tightly around Alex's shoulders. ``You won't regret it,'' she said, sounding elated. ``There's just one thing we have to do.'' ``What is it?'' Hilary loosened her grip and slid her fingers under the bottom of Alex's shirt; Alex, too surprised and caught up in the moment to resist, allowed her to take it off. Hilary hugged her again, kissed her neck gently, then kissed her bare shoulder. Where the witch's lips touched her skin, Alex's felt a second rush of heat, followed by a short, intense stab of pain. She cried out momentarily, and looked down to see a pattern of brown and red blossoming on her skin like a tattoo. It swirled in and around itself, finally settling into an intricate, intertwining sigil that glowed brightly, then faded into a range of tans and crimsons. ``What is it?'' Alex managed to ask; she felt shaky all over, and doubted that she would be able to stand if she tried. ``It's our contract,'' said Hilary softly, stroking the mark with her fingertips. ``It makes you mine.'' ``For how long?'' Hilary's eyes met hers, and gleamed. ``Forever.'' Alex tried to think of something to say, but she felt like the weight above her had fallen; the rope had snapped, she was stuck under a square of metal tagged with `2000 LBS'. Oddly, it was not a bad feeling. ``But,'' Hilary said slowly, frowning, ``now that I think of it, there is one other thing that we should do.'' ``There is?'' Alex, despite the two thousand pounds, looked up. Something in Hilary's voice was making her nervous, in the way she always felt nervous before a roller coaster went over a hill. ``Yes,'' said Hilary, smiling widely. ``My mom does it whenever she contracts with a new familiar. I think all witches do, actually.'' ``Um. Whatwhat is it?'' Alex was suddenly aware of how very close Hilary was to her, and that the witch's hand had never actually left her shoulder. It eased slowly down along her stomach, and began to slip past her belt. ``I'll show you,'' said Hilary, and pounced. Alex, a rabbit in the clutches of a tiger, never had a chance. []~~~[] When things calmed down some two hours later, Alex began to wonder how she would ever be able to look at her mother with a straight face again. ``I don't think it's possible,'' she giggled, although whether the giggles were attributable to the situation, or to Hilary's newfound fascination with a very ticklish spot on her lower back, was still under debate. ``When she asks me how my night was, what am I supposed to say? `Oh, you know, Mom. Same old, same old.' Doesn't really work.'' ``You don't have to worry about her any more,'' Hilary said confidently, hugging Alex from behind, which was extremely comfortable. ``Like I said, you're all mine. I'm keeping you.'' ``So I'm not going home?'' ``Not if you don't want to. Your mom can't make you stay. She can't make you do anything.'' ``Really?'' The thought was `empowering' was the word, Alex decided. ``In that case I guess I'd like to go get some stuff. I don't even have any clothes here.'' ``That's okay with me,'' said Hilary amiably. ``Well, I'll need some, won't I?'' ``You're not wearing any now.'' ``Eventually, I mean.'' ``Not necessarily.'' The conversation broke down again after that, as Hilary returned to the ticklish spot and set up camp there. ``Seriously,'' Alex said, when they had both flopped onto the couch and pulled up a soft, fuzzy blanket, ``I do need to get some things. And where are we going, anyway?'' ``I haven't decided yet,'' said Hilary broadly. ``My mom said that Cheshire is nice. Have you been there?'' ``Eryeah, I have,'' said Alex, thinking of the brick buildings, genuine gas streetlamps, and high-priced shopping district. ``It's kind of an expensive area, though.'' ``Oh, I don't care about that,'' said Hilary easily. ``My family has plenty of money. They gave me an allowance to travel with while I study with my new familiar.'' She smiled and pecked Alex's cheek. ``And I want to study a lot, so we'll need an apartment. Or maybe a house. I haven't decided yet.'' ``Y-you're going to buy a house?'' Alex asked, gaping. When Hilary had said `allowance', she had pictured a plane ticket and a few folded bills in an envelope. ``Why not?'' said the witch calmly. ``But an apartment might be less work. Let's do that instead. Then if we get tired of it, we can just get a new one instead of worrying about selling a house.'' Alex worried vaguely what sort of lifestyle she had just sealed herself into, and then wondered why she was worrying about it. This, she decided, sounded like fun. ``We could travel too, if you want,'' Hilary went on, as Alex snuggled closer, wrapping herself in the warmth of the blanket and her new companion. ``There are lots of great places all around the world that witches go to study. I'd love to see the Sphinx in Egypt.'' ``That's magical?'' Alex asked, interested. ``Of course,'' said Hilary. ``You don't think they actually built it with levers and pulleys, do you?'' ``Huh. Guess not.'' ``Definitely not. What about you? Is there anywhere you've always wanted to go?'' Alex thought it over carefully. ``What do you think about Easter Island?'' Follies from the Falls: Chapter 2 A Winsome, Wily Witch on the Winding Way to Wisdom OR Hilary Does Her Homework by MagicianX *** Hilary Boralis tried to frown. It might have been successful on some other face, but Hilary's was far too used to smiling. She gave up the attempt and grinned. "Alex," she said, stroking her familiar's bob of light brown hair, "I'm trying to work." "I love old AFI," Alex murmured happily. She was sprawled full-length across the couch, legs draped over Hilary's knees, her bare feet hanging off the edge. "Their new stuff's okay, but this is just such classic punk. Awesome." Strains of speedy, enthusiastic guitars and shouted lyrics reached Hilary's ears. Alex -- a petite, fair-skinned pixie of a girl -- was cute enough at any given moment, but she positively lit up when music was involved. "I promised Mother I'd be more diligent," Hilary told her, raising her voice a few notches. "Can you pause it?" "Hang on, I like this part..." Hilary waited; Alex raised both arms and pumped her fists at the ceiling, belting out the final line with the singer: "Continue to fight / I hope that I don't end up dying / NO!" With effort, Hilary managed to keep from kissing her. "Done?" she asked, feigning impatience. Alex would know it was an act, but they both enjoyed the pretense. Alex set aside her headphones. "Yep. Thanks." She sat up, crossed her legs, and regarded Hilary with undivided attention. "So, what're we doing today, Mistress of the Night?" "Trying not to explode another pumpkin," said Hilary. She opened a leather-bound book and skimmed its yellow pages, stopping when she reached a dog-earned corner. "Mercy for pumpkins," Alex agreed, nodding. "Scraping seeds off the ceiling was interesting, but I don't want to spend another afternoon on it." "Nor I," said Hilary. "Ah! Found it!" She flattened the book and tapped a line of hand-inked text. "It's an easy spell. Mother said it should make for good practice. You'll help me?"" "Of course." Alex leaned across Hilary's lap again. This was unnecessary -- she could easily see the book from her end of the couch -- but she wasn't one to miss an opportunity. "It won't hurt, will it?" "Never." Now Hilary did kiss her; just a peck on Alex's soft, lightly-freckled cheek, but it nevertheless provoked a gentle blush. "I think it should be fun, actually." She rummaged in a drawstring bag and withdrew a small black stone. It was polished to a glossy sheen, engraved on one side with a complex symbol in silver-white. "Pretty," said Alex. She took it from the witch and turned it over in her hand. "What's it do?" "It's for channeling small amounts of magic," Hilary told her, shifting her attention back to the book. "I'm going to link it to your sigil." Alex glanced at her shoulder, where a red and tan mark shone like an elaborate tattoo. "Link it? How do you mean?" "I'll show you. May I have that?" Alex returned the stone, and Hilary cleared her throat. She closed her fist around it and whispered the book's suggested phrase. Both girls held their breath. Slowly, impressively, with perfect elegance, not a single thing happened. "Well," Alex said, "it was easier to clean up than the pumpkin." "That doesn't make sense! The book says it should work!" Hilary scanned the page for a third time. "'Hold the stone of midnight in a palm firmly-clenched; speak softly the joining incantation'...I'm sure I did it right!" Alex leaned closer, concerned. "How would you be able to tell?" "I'm not sure. Light, or some mist?" Hilary held the stone up to a table lamp, but it gave no reaction. "Something." "Well, keep trying. You'll figure it out." Alex hugged Hilary's neck, then flopped backwards and reached for her headphones. Disappointed, Hilary reexamined the stone. If it were cracked or chipped, she thought, the spell might have gone awry. She cupped it in her palm, then ran the tip of her index finger over the surface, feeling for any imperfections. "Ah! Hil, what -- oh, stop that!" Hilary looked up in surprise. Alex had dropped her phone and pulled her knees up to her chest. "What did you do?" she said, a faint quaver in her voice. "Was that a different spell?" Hilary experienced a delicious ripple of excitement. "You felt that?" "Yeah, but--" "It did work!" She straightened up. "Tell me if you feel it this time, okay?" "Wait a se--" Again, Hilary ran a finger over the stone. She caressed it with a light touch, slow and level. Alex trembled momentarily, then gave in to a fit of overwhelming giggles. "H-hil, stop! It t-t-tickles! C-cut it out!" "You can feel it that much?" Hilary added another finger to the caress, and Alex's giggles doubled. "This is perfect!" "P-please! Hil, I c-can't breathe!" Reluctantly, Hilary lowered her hand. She watched with satisfaction as Alex struggled to sit up, panting. "You're all right?" "Yeah...but warn me next time!" Alex insisted. "Please?" "I shall. Alex?" "Yeah?" "It's next time." Hilary attacked the stone again, this time using three fingers. Alex's limbs gave way like an unattended puppet, and she collapsed into uncontrollable laughter. Hilary basked in her helplessness, beginning to laugh as well. Alex was clever, passionate, and could be quite willful; reducing her to such a state was impossibly delicious, and she kept up the assault far longer than was necessary. "Hil! Please!" Alex managed to grip Hilary's leg with one quivering hand. Her knees were pulled to her chest, eyes streaming. "Please what?" Hilary inquired. She made a point of speaking softly, as though she had taken no notice of Alex's torment. "Please stop! I c-can't b-breathe!" Hilary drank in Alex's pink face and helpless tears. Her eyes drifted to her little familiar's bare feet; her nails were painted light blue, and she was curling and stretching her toes in a useless reflex. Hilary continued the rub the stone with one hand, the other moving to stroke Alex's warm soles. "Ask me nicely." "Please!" "Not like that. Use a complete sentence. And no stammering," she added, savoring the taste of malicious glee. It took Alex a full ten seconds to gather herself. At last she looked up at Hilary, hair tousled, her composure in tatters. "Hilary...please stop...tickling me?" "My good girl," Hilary purred, and set the stone aside. Alex fell into her lap, exhausted. She clutched at Hilary, shaking, still struggling to find her breath. "You're so mean." The words were muffled by Hilary's skirt, scarcely audible. "What did I do wrong?" The answer to this was, of course, "Nothing at all." Instead of saying so, Hilary took her time to think, her gaze playing around the room. It settled on Alex's headphones, and she smiled. "Your music," she said. "It was too loud." "Too...loud?" Alex lifted her face. She looked utterly bewildered. "We play music loud all the time." "But you did it when I wanted to work," Hilary explained. Her mind was dancing with unexpected inspiration. She had always teased Alex, the two of them locked in a never-ending game of push-and-pull, but this was a new dimension. She had to fight to keep the excitement from her tone as she said, "I had to punish you, didn't I?" "Punish?" Alex repeated the word slowly. Her cheeks, only just regaining their usual fairness, went red. Hilary nodded, as though confirming an important lesson. "You need to start behaving yourself," she said. "And if you don't...I shall punish you again." She reached for the stone. Alex clapped both hands over Hilary's. "I'm sorry!" It was a gasp, though not fearful. "I'm sorry," she said again, her voice becoming soft, imploring. "I didn't mean to...misbehave?" The last word turned up at the end, seeking Hilary's confirmation. She nodded, delighted at Alex's quick comprehension of these new rules. "Good," she said, trying to sound like a satisfied teacher. "I think you understand. I should like a kiss now." Alex obeyed immediately. When they broke apart, she remained with her face pressed to Hilary's breast, allowing herself to be held, caressed and reassured. "I might not always let you," she said, after a while. "Punish me, I mean." This set Hilary's mind to dancing again. She admired Alex's strong will, and the idea of battling it enthralled her. "Do you suppose you can stop me?" Alex's shoulders tightened, and Hilary felt a tremor run through her body. "I don't know," she murmured. "Maybe not. But I can try." She paused, then asked, "You...wouldn't use magic to hurt me, would you?" Hilary's dancing mind stumbled. "No! I never would!" "Promise?" "I promise!" "Okay." She snuggled against Hilary's chest. "What else does the stone do? Is it just for tickling me?" "I think it can do more," said Hilary, considering the spell. "It should be able to transfer any small sensations. Touch, or heat or cold, I think." Looking much more like her usual self, Alex gave her a sharp, sidelong glance. "Do not stick it in the oven." "Aw." Hilary smiled at this thought. The idea of tucking Alex in the oven was one she relished far more than her familiar knew. "You never let me have any fun." "Not that kind of fun." "As you like," Hilary agreed. Images of Alex, lovely and golden-brown after hours over a wood-stoked fire, continued to float in her imagination. On a whim, she raised the stone to her mouth and kissed it. Again, the result was immediate. Alex went limp. "Wow," she breathed, eyes bright. "Okay...that you could do again. If you wanted to." "Did you like that?" Hilary pulled Alex closer, settling the smaller girl's head into her lap. "Say 'please'." Alex didn't hesitate. "Please!" Hilary kissed the stone a second time, then turned it over and kissed the other side. "God...oh, Hil..." Each kiss brought Alex closer. She gripped Hilary's waist and held on tight. "How...how long does that spell last?" "Until I break it." Hilary stroked her familiar's hair, easing it back into place. "Should I keep it cast?" "Yeah. For about...forever." "I can do that." She kissed the stone several more times, each touch eliciting sighs of pleasure. "You're going to wear me out," Alex said, kissing Hilary's neck several times. "Can I take a break?" She smirked. "Please?" "You may," said Hilary, tingling all over. Something about that 'please'...she would need to see about making Alex say it again very soon. "Coffee?" "Yeah. A wicked witch has been playing rough with me." Alex snatched one more kiss before vanishing into the kitchen. "I label that a success," Hilary told the empty living room. She reopened the book and paged through it, searching for any other interesting spells. The mechanics quickly grew complex; most magic required more than a pebble and a whispered phrase. It was something to work toward. Setting the book aside, she held the black stone at eye-level. The carved symbol glinted when she tilted it to the light, and she wondered if the transfer of sensations went both ways. "How about it, shiny stone?" she said softly, beginning to smile. "Do you taste like my Alex?" The stone gave no reply. Only one way to find out. Hilary placed the stone on her tongue and drew it into her mouth. It was small enough to hold easily, and she turned it over a few times, savoring it like a piece of candy. The sound of breaking glass rang out from the kitchen. Hilary rose and crossed onto the tile, the stone still in her mouth. She peered around the archway that led into the kitchen. Alex was on the floor, back to the counter; she had dropped a mug and it lay shattered beside her. From her new position she stared up at Hilary, face red as a cherry. She was trembling again. With deliberate ease, Hilary slipped the stone out from between her lips. She held it between her thumb and forefinger, lingering between a desire to laugh, or to whisk Alex off to bed. They had been together long enough for her to recognize an afterglow when she saw it. After a few more breaths, Alex lifted a shaky hand. She pointed up at the counter. "Coffee's ready.