Don't you smell familiar?

Ingredients & spells

Chan eventually recovered from his migraine but the emptiness seemed to linger. He had started to drink more tea, honey-sweetened of course, since that seemed to be the only thing keeping the chills at bay. The others wouldn’t be able to understand how he was still feeling cold, so Chan didn’t mention it to his dongsaengs. He only brought the topic up with YoungK at some point. Despite not being in the same coven anymore, the two were still very close and YoungK still remained a great mentor to Chan. He was the one to propose a certain spell that might be able to cure his friend’s chills. They’d need some ingredients though.

That was how Chan found himself bundled up in a hoodie and coat, trudging through the still moist undergrowth of the forest on the outskirts of town. The storm had been relentless, lasting for days, so he could only hope the herbs he was looking for weren’t all drowned. It was soothing to get away from the bustling city for a while and just listen to the sounds of the forest. Since his coven could be loud and chaotic, Chan was glad that he had come alone. He really needed to clear his head after everything that had gone down. Maybe he’d be able to make peace with the situation at some point.

Even if the spell would end up in vain, at least, collecting the ingredients forced him to go outside. The fresh air helped him breathe a little easier, almost as if an invisible weight had been lifted off his chest. Surrounded by the sounds of the forest, Chan listened to the crunch of leaves under his feet and studied the bushes beside him. Had he not been so at ease, he might have startled when a striped cat emerged from the underbrush and curiously glanced up at him. “Oh, hi there, little one”, Chan cooed and crouched down, extending his hand to let the small creature sniff him. When he tried to pet it, it backed away and he got the hint. No touching.

For some reason, the cat didn’t seem deterred though and followed Chan as he picked different herbs. “It’s cause I’m a witch, you know”, he told the feline, smiling softly, “Channie caught a bad chill, so I need a spell to make it better. A spell that needs some ingredients. Are you going to keep me company? That’s sweet of you, thanks. You’re easy to talk to, you know? My friends want me to talk to them but it’s hard, cause they’re kinda overbearing. I know they mean well and are worried about me but they couldn’t understand even if I talked to them. They’re not lonely like I am.” He shuddered violently, almost dropping the bundle of herbs before he could slip them into his satchel. “Are you lonely, little one?”, Chan hummed, secretly hoping the cat would come a little closer, so he could pet it.

His wish shouldn’t be granted though, the cat always lingering just out of reach despite seemingly very invested in what the witch was doing. Chan didn’t know why he told the cat about everything that was going on. It helped in a way. Saying it out loud lifted the weight off his chest, so he knew why his friends were so desperate for him to talk but it wasn’t ease to open up about something so vulnerable if it was to someone, who might judge and who didn’t have a chance to relate in the slightest. Chan would’ve loved to stay out in the forest longer, mainly so he could enjoy the comforting presence of his little companion longer, but he was truly chilled to the bone, fingers so still he struggled with gathering his ingredients. Crouching down to try and pet the cat one last time and ultimately failing once again, Chan whispered: “It was nice talking to you. Sorry for trauma-dumping like that. I’d promise that I’d stop by tomorrow and bring you a snack but I doubt I’d ever find you again, so thanks again for listening.”

Chan made his way home once he had everything he needed, the cat following him to the tree line before disappearing into the underbrush. Seeing how hard he was trembling, Changbin ushered the older straight to the bathroom and started a hot bath for him. “I know the spell is supposed to warm you up but that won’t be of any use if you can’t even speak the words because your teeth are chattering so badly”, Changbin scolded when Chan tried to argue. Not that he really minded taking a hot bath, hell, it sounded heavenly to be completely honest, but Chan had never done well with being fussed over, so the younger’s concern overwhelmed him.

The bath had been nice and although it wasn’t nearly enough to stop his chills, he was at least functional enough to perform the spell. His dongsaengs left him alone to work in the kitchen, not wanting to get in the way. They were glad that he was working on improving his situation instead of moping around, so they wouldn’t discourage him. Felix popped in from time to time, flying his practice rounds between the living room and kitchen. Chan didn’t mind him, rather did he enjoy the little visits and made sure to secretly sneak him sunflower seeds. They were Felix’ favorite snacks and his happy chirps never failed to make Chan smile. Jisung surely was lucky to have him even if they had been through a lot together.
Eventually, Felix’ trips to the kitchen stopped. He had tired himself out and the warm wafts of steam coming from the made him sleepy. Chan enjoyed them though, warming his hands over the pot.

The bubbling sound had something soothing too and Chan softly hummed the incantations, only slightly surprised when the liquid changed its color. If only summoning a familiar could be so comfortable and relaxing. It truly seemed the only thing on his mind lately, even haunting him in his sleep. Mostly, it had been nightmares lately, Chan feeling the magic and warmth being sucked out of him, only to be replaced by this cold and painful void. Almost like it had felt during the last failed ritual. At least, after downing this potion, the dream became more neutral. He had felt so drowsy, he had barely managed to clean up the kitchen before curling up on the couch, a comfortable warmth spreading from his tummy to his chest. No sooner than he had closed his eyes, Chan saw himself sitting on the floor surrounded by his friends. He knew the chants by heart now and they repeated over and over in his mind as his eyes darted behind closed lids.

Suddenly feeling his hands grow warm, Seungmin looked at them before being hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion. Jeongin nudged him, seemingly sensing something too and growing uneasy. With how out of sorts Chan had been lately, Seungmin didn’t want to burden the leader with his concern and went to seek out Changbin instead. He didn’t have to go far though, his hyung already heading down the hallway with his own hands stretched out in front of him. Changbin’s palms emitted a soft white glow but the look on his face was one of confusion and fear. “You’re okay, Lixxie”, Jisung’s voice came muffled through his bedroom door before he joined them, his panicked familiar in his palm. Making eye contact with Changbin, Jisung muttered: “Something’s absolutely not right here. It feels like something’s draining my power. Can you feel it too?” The older only showed him his hands, the power visibly draining from his palms. “I-I can feel it”, Seungmin stammered anxiously, Jeongin pressing himself against his leg.

Now properly terrified, Changbin rushed to the living room to check on Chan. The eldest seemed to be in deep sleep, his lips moving slightly but fast. Almost as if he was reciting an incantation. Looking down at Chan, Jisung frowned: “Is he having another nightmare?” – “I don’t know but we got to wake him”, Changbin gasped, staring at his hyung’s lips, “Whatever he’s doing, he’s draining us.”