Of all the things that could have caused Ida’s mouth to drop agape today, ultimately, it was this man’s performance review on pig-a-backs from his little sister. Her look of shock came along with a short laugh of disbelief - like most things related to this walking contradiction of a criminal, she really had to see it to believe it. For her part, she couldn’t think of the last time she’d ridden on someone’s back. Had she ever? She’d given a fair share to her little brother, once he got tired from walking through these very same woods when they were out picking berries.

Nonetheless, they committed to the plan. But this – this was awkward. Ida was glad the man was faced away from her now because she was quite truly mortified at the prospect of latching on to him, and she could feel her cheeks flush red as the, erm, mechanics of the circumstances became clear. Surreptitiously sucking in a deep breath to steel herself, the young woman inched cautiously forward on the log and grabbed onto his shoulders first, then more cautiously still, brought up her legs. Her choice in sportswear thankfully spared them the grief of dealing ten thousand layers of petticoat, but now she wished she had the cushion. Even though it was just his forearms resting against the backs of her knees, the sensation felt ticklish and foreign, and she could smell his hair, and see the back of his neck under his collar, and the shape of his ears, and oh good god this. Was. Weird.

It took Ida honestly a full minute to recover from what was happening, trying her damndest to relax her grip so he didn’t think she was actually going to choke him.

“That sounds like a fake name,” she pointed out dispassionately. Maybe it was because she was a little distracted, but she didn’t register what made the name humorous to literally anyone else, so she didn’t laugh about it. Either way, she didn’t press him on whatever his real name was, and decided the faults of this criminal’s disguises weren’t her problems to fix. “Ida Chang,” she answered, similarly waiting for some kind of stupid commentary, usually about being non-British. It was one of the reasons she stopped using her real name, Ai-Mei, in exchange for her moniker.

A few minutes passed, with Ida directing them to the closest end of the property - out by the storehouses, where there was less chance to be seen by anyone at the house. They were some ten minutes out, at this pace. The brunette slowly began to relax as they covered more distance and nothing else happened for a moment, the two of them keeping their begrudging agreement.

For Ida - that agreement was for the sake of science, and a severe allergy to ever letting a hypothesis of hers go untested. She’d been thinking about it as they’ve gone along, her certainty that her plan could work mounting with each step. “I bet you can get out by this afternoon,” she commented absently, not at all thinking to brief Cliff on her current train of thought. “In fact it’d probably be your best option, and least suspicious. No idea how long it’d take you to reach Hogsmeade though. A few hours walk, probably.”

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Clifford Hillicker

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

She was laughing and it wasn’t some beautiful, angelic sound people often associated with women. She was laughing at him, and while he was used to it - people often told him that the Hillicker clan was one of the most uneducated families that had ever graced the wizarding world - he still hated the sound. Her laugh was like nails scraping against a chalkboard and he tried his best not to grimace, although he didn’t try too hard as they weren’t facing each other. One hand rubbed at his ear as a frown spread across his lips. This went to the top of one of his least favorite sounds of all time.

Cliff’s hand dropped from his ear to hook under her legs. Thank goodness she wasn’t wearing some large dress that would bog them both down, although it would be less awkward than having his arms touching her legs, even if they were clothed. At least Algernon had conned him into a real shower with soap and everything the night before (they’d shared a bed because he wasn’t about to sleep in his roommate’s bed, and Astorwood had had a fit when Cliff had mentioned he’d sleep on the floor before they cuddled), claiming he was too dirty to sleep in his bed. Not that he was particularly dirty all the time, he just worked outdoors and he couldn’t stop the dirt from clinging to him.

His body was tense as he kept walking, wondering what she was going to pull. If she chose to murder him, would be drop dead right here? It would be extremely rude to kill him while his back was turned and he’d haunt her for the rest of her days - and then some if she became a ghost too - for pulling a stunt like that! Then he snorted at her claim. “Yeah, well, my brother’s name is Heathcliff so my mum clearly has a theme going on.” Clifford wished his name was fake. His first name wasn’t bad, but his last name… He’d heard all the jokes and then some, especially with the ‘licker’ part attached to it.

Cliff hummed at her name, but made no comment on it. Would she prefer Ms. Chang? Probably. But Ida sounded a lot simpler to say and it would probably grate on her nerves if he were to shift past all the formalities. It was a dumb tradition, plus he loathed being called Mr. Hillicker.

He readjusted her on his back as she directed him, and then broke the silence with a train of thought that forced a smile against his lips. “This afternoon would be great,” he murmured in agreement. “And once I’m out, I can apparate. As long as the damn barrier is gone, I can get myself home. I don't live in Hogsmeade.” Not that he had a license to do so, but that wasn’t something Ida needed to know. He tried to take a glance at her, Cliff just shuffled his feet forward instead. “You think in the village?” Of course that was going to be difficult, and while he didn’t want to trust her, she was going to force his hand.

“Or, do you have something else planned? Some weird portkey in your house you’re going to make me try?” While Cliff wouldn’t be opposed to that either, he didn’t want to wind up in some weird place that was impossible to get home from.

Finally the house was coming into view; it was much larger than he expected, given that his own home on a farm was smaller and he was almost positive they owned more land. Of course he hadn’t had the time to properly assess their property, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to step foot on their land again. Ida Chang probably would kill him because she’d have plenty of time to think of several ways to take him out. His fingers thrummed against her legs, almost nervously.

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Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

It surprised Ida a great deal that it turned out he maybe was being honest with her, at least as to his real identity. She was glad again to be sitting behind him, both unable to read his expression and him being unable to see hers. They were really less likely to kill each other when they didn’t have to look at each other, she decided.

Cliff carried them on, shockingly without a whole lot of bitching that she anticipated came very naturally to the man. Their conversation had taken a turn for the bizarre and casual, considering the pair of them still had a good number of twigs stuck in their hair from their morning scuffle. Frowning, the young witch moved to rearrange herself slightly around his shoulders as she felt herself slip down a bit. It… wasn’t a bad pig-a-back. And at the very least, it relieved her faculties to consider the plan ahead of them.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to apparate once you’re out,” she started trepidatiously. “Though I’d recommend you go to Hosgmeade first, since its closest. Then apparate from there. Um…” she wasn’t sure how honest to be about the whole plan, but deceitfulness felt strange on her shoulders. Still, she didn’t want to lose this winning opportunity to conduct an experiment she’d been dying to try, and the circumstances couldn’t be more perfect. The former Ravenclaw decided to proceed with caution.

“Well, we can tackle our options in phases. Start the easiest way first, see if this works against the barrier even out here. But you’ll be on your own if the beast is close.” She paused, wishing desperately that she already had her quill, paper, and a few freakish extra arms to catalog her fomenting hypothesis. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll go to the village, try to find a weaker spot.”

There, reasonable enough. She wished to convey that she was the expert here, and though he couldn’t trust her to not throttle him if he tried something stupid, he could have confidence in her innate ability to figure out complex problems. “You might need someone on the outside, someone good with magic who can help you,” she put mildly. She knew that him having someone like this might be a grand assumption. And without that, this plan would pose far too much risk, even for Ida. “I can fetch you a quill and paper once we’re there, if you’d like. You might want to write to them and see if they can meet you.” Still avoiding a direct response to his question, the gentle thrum of fingers against her legs threw her thoughts off track entirely.

“Let me down,” she announced finally, a deep flush of embarrassment carrying its way across her cheeks. They were close enough anyway now, and getting seen like this carried far worse implications than if they were simply seen standing side by side. She slipped down off him without much fuss, glad to have kept the walking stick to carry her these last few feet.

“Stay low,” she whispered, crouching slightly as they rounded the back area of the storehouses. A precaution in case any of the workers had decided to show up and get a jump on their tasks anyway - but thankfully, not one that it appeared she needed to worry about. Surreptitiously they made their way to the entrance of her horse’s stable next to the storehouse. Predictably, Chestnut was already there - noshing on some hay, looking at them blithely as the two scurried into the stable’s shadows.

God. One hurdle, finished at least. The young woman turned to address Cliff. “I need to get a few things inside. And set my ankle so I’m less of a gimp.” She eyed him warily now, feeling as though their little journey so far had imperceptibly, bizarrely, brought them a bit closer. But not close enough that she didn’t think he’d try something utterly dumb. “Don't bother stealing my horse, he hates men, especially strangers. So mind staying here out of sight for a few minutes?”

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

Cliff’s face contorted with confusion as she spoke with an uncertainty he hadn’t heard from her. Overall, he wasn’t sure how he felt about Ida, although he saying he trusted her was a flat lie - he could barely stand her and was only still standing her because of the desperation that had seeped into his life. He wasn’t sure what he was picturing: his brother was fifteen and fully capable of caring for himself and his sister for a few days, but he still liked to feel useful. He was the eldest and the responsibility of making sure they survived fell on him.

He wasn’t following her train of thought, at all, but he could handle the options in phases. One step at a time. “I’m fine with taking on beastie, as long as you give me my wand back before I’m on my merry way.” Clifford grunted at her, pleased that she couldn’t see her face. Ida probably looked smug, pleased with whatever plan was concocting on her head, while his face held nothing but unease, especially as she started talking about someone who was good with magic on the outside. Who did he know who was good at magic?

He wasn’t sure he’d classify Daffy as good at magic, although he’d never really seen her use any, and he didn’t know her friend well enough to write to him. Poppy Dashwood, now that would be hysterical because that would mean owning up to his love letters… Thomas Aldridge, maybe, but he was certain he was stuck in Irvingly too. As was Algernon. Clifford’s list of friends was limited, and those who he would reach out to for help consisted of… Algae. Just fucking great. He grit his teeth together before he heaved a sigh. “Yeah. I can think of someone.” Lissington, maybe? He was a professor and had to be semi-good at magic to work at Hogwarts, even if he acted like a complete idiot at times. He’d think about who he hadn’t completely screwed over and would be willing to help him.

Bending down, Cliff allowed Ida to slip off his back, although he didn’t turn to face her. The whole ordeal was ridiculous and he wasn’t sure how they moved from fighting over a gun to walking toward her house. He hated it. She was a commanding woman and he snorted behind her, following her toward the stables; he wasn’t going to remind her that this wasn’t the first time he’d snuck in somewhere, uninvited, and left unscathed. Finally she turned toward him and Clifford raised an eyebrow at her. “Fine. Just hurry up so we can both be done with this.” He hissed as he moved to brush his fingers against some hay. His fingers idly played with a few stands, and he flicked his eyes up to watch her figure slowly disappear.

Then, stretching his arms into the air, he couldn’t help but think of her plan. Why in the world would he need someone he trusted on the outside, good with magic? Was she going to somehow suck his soul from his body and release it? Was he going to have to possess someone and their “good at magic bit” was going to be eventually expelling him? No… that sounded complicated and she didn’t look like a witch who entertained dark magic. The horse beside him snorted, drawing Cliff’s attention. He frowned at it and turned away. He was as unsure of the horse as it was of him.

The thoughts of what his siblings were getting up to began to seep in his mind, and before he could even think better of himself, he was pacing back and forth in the stables. Was she coming back? Or had he been duped and Ida was going to get the constables to arrest him. He frowned. This was why he wasn’t a trusting individual toward anyone. Cliff heaved a sigh and laid down in the middle of the room, tossing an arm over his eyes. Would they keep him overnight? Forever? They’d tack on assault to his attempted kidnapping charge, even if the constable had kidnapped him first! This whole day was going from bad to awful, and he had a sinking feeling he was never getting home.

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Ida Chang

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   Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

Ida hadn’t bothered to correct his assumption that he could do anything with his wand in his future condition (from which he could definitely return… eventually). Though, her mind started to work around the idea that whatever he wound up as, he ought to be able to outrun a wide variety of potential beasts. It worked well that he had “someone” to get in contact with (though who that someone was, Ida didn’t ask - in her mind it was some criminal overlord, and she wanted nothing to do with that). He was a grown man, after all, one capable of taking on his own risks.

Ida felt two-thirds of the way bought into his agreement that he wouldn’t try anything stupid, which she decided were high enough odds to be worth the gamble. Narrowing her eyes with a telling frown, the young woman appraised this intruder one last time before turning her back on him and marching (limping) towards the house. She trusted him enough to think he wouldn’t tackle her again here, at least.

Inside, Ida moved with ruthless efficiency, taking care to reload her father’s gun (she didn’t need him seeing its been used lately) before replacing it, brushing out her hair from leaves, and moving stealthily to her room. Her fortress, which honestly looked more like a library study than a room, her bed presently littered with countless books and parchment papers. She set to work finding her healing book to attempt a bit of first aid, though found that there weren’t too many options that didn’t involve potions provided at the Infirmary. No time for that. Instead she leveraged a charm she found to at least fix her foot back into place, and made quick work at conjuring a hackneyed foot brace using the wooden figurines she used for Transfiguration practice along with some bandages. She even “elevated” the stick Cliff had got her, transforming it into a makeshift crutch (she kept the burls from the broken-off twigs at the bottom, though. She kind of liked the touch).

With astonishing progress (it’s been twenty minutes), the brunette pulled up to her desk with her foot propped up and icing. She turned her attention to finding the right Transfiguration periodical she had in mind, and fully writing out a requisite transformative formula, noting where her assumptions lay and where she ought to confirm physical measurements. Of course, this was all hypothesis. And that’s even if this plan worked. But, if it didn’t work to get him out of the town, at least he’d be… semi-permanently dealt with, in a different way.

Still, guilt gnawed at her. Enough so that she distractedly began to rifle through the letters she received by post, including the letter she saw from a certain Professor Foxwood. She wrote him back immediately to share the working formula. Honestly, this really went above and beyond for Cliff’s livelihood. Ida didn’t think he necessarily deserved this much attention, but as she sent off her owl it helped wear down the guilt building up in her stomach over even attempting such a thing without further professional guidance.

Next Ida made quick work of collecting materials, things like a measuring tape and her precious notebook and quill and Transfiguration reference, throwing them into a knapsack. She did not want to risk further delay, lest Cliff lose his nerve and run off. The thought hadn’t escaped her, and if it turns out he did, the idea disappointed her more than she’d like to admit. It’s been about 40 minutes by now, and this would test anyone’s patience.

The hard work of developing complex formulas always made her hungry, and she assumed that this criminal probably felt similar. She retrieved some pork bao buns - a soft, chewy sandwich-meat-pie kind of thing, she described vaguely to others - and steamed them briefly with her wand while retrieving a canister to hold some tea. This’ll do. Satisfied that she’d done more than the bare minimum, Ida moved to go outside – only for her blood to run cold in horror to see the door ajar.

Fortunately for everyone involved, little ten-year-old Mister Chang had only ventured outside a few minutes ago. It was obvious Ida was busy, and she didn’t like being interrupted in these situations. It seemed like everyone was doing something important but him, so the little boy stood bored in the yard, kicking rocks. He looked up when he saw his brother’s two dogs, yapping incessantly over at one of the stables. Curiously, he made his way over.

“Whatcha doing?” he called out to the dogs, who kept yapping at the stable that sat curiously open. He saw Ida’s horse there, and wrinkled his face in a mirror-image frown of Ida’s. He stomped over to Chestnut, who regarded him as still a little boy rather than a man, and therefore not a threat. “You hurt Ai Mei, didn’t you,” the boy snapped at the horse, with all the pomp of a tiny general. “You’re a stupid horse. No one even likes to ride you. No one but Ida. And now because of you she probably won’t ever be able to walk again, you…” he ran out of words, not really sure what adults said in this situation, so he finished in a huff, “You stupid ugly poop-face!” It seemed that the dogs agreed with him, because they kept barking. He was just about to turn to peer at what they were going on about, when he heard the shrill scream of his name from his big sister. Looking a bit startled for a split second, the boy quickly rounded back and moved a few yards back towards his house.

“Xiǎo dìdì!” Ida had rushed over as fast as she could with her makeshift crutch, calling the boy by his little brother petname. For her part Ida sounded genuinely afraid, as if someone was angling a gun at his little head. “What are you doing out here, don’t you know it’s not safe?” She pulled him in, wondering exactly what the boy saw. He didn’t seem particularly bothered, which afforded a small reassurance.

“Well you were out here,” he pointed out.

“Listen xiōngdì, it’s not okay for you to be out here. This monster likes little children exactly your height. I’m only out here for a bit to check on… things.” The boy started whining, clearly displeased by her verdict. “No fairrrr,” he spoke over her, “And why do you have two bao buns?” Ida blanched, but kept up an effective commanding look.

“I got very hungry. I missed breakfast.”

“That’ll make you fat,” he put succinctly, which elicited an actual laugh from Ida. He was quite possibly the only person who could accomplish this, besides her girlfriends. God, she wished she could put on a few pounds to fill out her dresses. She suffered to no avail.

“First off, that is very rude,” she informed him, tucking the boy under her arm with a grin as she ushered him back towards the door. It was clear they were very close. “Second off, Mrs. Kim left us four more bao buns. Didn’t you eat already? You should eat…” They parried back and forth in their negotiation all the way to the door, and Ida did not return until she completely ensured that he was inside, occupied, and not coming out again. When Ida finally did return, her eyes burned with ire as she stomped right over to where Cliff was (as well as one can stomp on crutches, anyway). The sweet and maternal Ida of just a few seconds ago was nowhere to be found.

“What the hell was that about?” she demanded, damn near shouting but she didn’t care, because she needed to know what happened a few minutes ago this. instant.

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

She was an insistent woman, wasn’t she? And a bit moody, although Clifford wasn’t daft enough to voice that aloud to her, albeit he couldn’t help but see himself in her, too. He was careful to ingratiate himself with siblings, lest they wind up as indignant and jaded at everything as he was. It was infeasible to protect them from a world that would eat them alive when they were old enough for simply being born with shitty cards; he hated the upper class because they sneered at people like him who were just trying to survive, but much like Ida had done, shuffling the child away from danger - from him - Cliff did his best to shield his own siblings from the harsh realities around them. From the people who looked down on them because Nori hadn’t been able to dig her claws into an upperclassman to spur the Hillickers to be a better life. He tilted his head, unsure as to why her sudden rage was directed at him when he’d done exactly as she’d told him to do, before his eyebrows pinched together. “Well if you would shut up for one bloody second I’d tell you!” He raised his voice over hers and crossed his arms tightly across his chest before he began to recount the events.

He’d been laying on the ground with his arms covering his eyes, his consciousness ebbing away as the events from the past twenty four hours began to catch up to him. Desperation had been his driving force to forget the exhaustion that had settled deep into his bones, but now that going was at his fingertips - and he loathed giving Ida Chang that much credit - a short nap to recharge was appropriate. She seemed smart, but compared to him almost everyone seemed like a borderline genius, and well… if she had some weird plan that didn’t involve his potential death he was all ears. But those thoughts were fleeting as he closed his eyes to give into the exhaustion… only to have the damn horse stomp its hoof and snort again. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it didn’t feel like enough for Ida to have returned.

Opening one eye, Cliff turned his head to stare at the horse. “Hey, she told me to stay here, so I’m not here for you.” He deadpanned at the horse; the brunette wasn't sure if the animal could glare, but he certainly looked like he would stomp him to death if given the opportunity. Ida would probably praise him and feed him as many apples as he wanted for the rest of his days, which caused Clifford to heave a strident sigh and pull himself to his feet. The horse hit its hooves against the ground again, yet before he could comment on the fact that the horse was free to go whenever he pleased because the door was still wide open, the dog that he hadn’t been petting early appeared at the front of the stables.

They locked eyes and Clifford raised his hands. “No, wait. I’m supposed  to be here - “ but of course a dog was going to protect its home and began to bark as loud as it could; it was only natural when the second one appeared moments later, saddling up to next to its brethren, that he began to yap soon. He wasn’t even sure if the second dog had seen him yet but was certain, as he pulled in a deep breath and poked his head out to stare at the house, that there was no way someone inside hadn’t heard. Hopefully it would just be Ida who reappeared. A few minutes his ass. She was taking her sweet time gathering whatever supplies she needed.

A curse slipped past his lips because he certainly couldn’t be caught standing in the middle of the stable, especially as a new voice called out the dogs, wondering what they were screeching about. Narrowing his eyes at them, he hissed “would you just shut up for one second! We’re friends, remember?” Of course, he only addressed the one he had briefly carried, but his pleas were fell in deaf eats. It was the first one that definitely held a vendetta against him. Footsteps pressed against the grass as they drew closer and Cliff, after a brief look around for some form of protection and found the stable severely lacking any conveniently placed barrels, and decided that death by a horse kicking in the head sounded a lot better than death by a child (he was convinced at this point the Chang family was a coven of magical serial killers), so, without thinking, he dove behind the creature that hated him.

Cliff darted behind into a dark corner furthest from the horse and not in full view of the stable's opening without much thought, and as he tripped over something he hadn’t seen in his path and fell face first into the floor, he prayed that this wasn’t the end for him. The horse angrily stomped and grunted at him being so close, causing him to slap his hands against his mouth to keep from groaning  - the floor wasn’t covered in as much hay as he would have liked - but he wasn't bleeding at least. His face would probably be red, but he'd dealt with worse. His attention finally turned toward the child, who seemed to be yelling at… the horse? Cliff dragged himself into the corner to keep himself out of the view of the kid, curling into a ball as much as his gangly limbs allowed - being a tiny giant had its advantages, but in times like this it was a curse. His hands tightened against his lips as a laugh nearly bubbled out of his throat, threatening to expose him to a child.  The frown he wore was identical to Ida's, and he assumed they had to be related. Siblings, perhaps? She didn't look old enough to be a mother. He looked around his sister’s age, maybe a smidge older, and Cliff wouldn’t put it past him to have a wand on him.

Then, a thought sprung into his mind: surely he couldn’t take on Ida but he could manhandle a wand from a child; it was just for reassurance because he wasn’t entirely sure that Ida was going to give his back before sending him to his death upon setting her plan on motion. Dark eyes narrowed as he sized the kid up, although he paused in his steps as a few words caught his attention: Ai Mei? Who in the hell was that? And why was this child accusing him of hurting them? Was this horse (as his eyes widened with horror at the thought as he crouched near it) the great overlord that oversaw the Chang family's dealings of death? The coven leader.

A devil horse. That was it. This was a devil horse and holy hell… this thing was probably beastie! And Ms. Chang was just going into her house to get some sacrificial supplies in her house, and Cliff had agreed to sit inside the stable like a sitting duck. Man, he really was an idiot! 

Luckily for him a shrill voice screamed the kid’s name and he was receptive to it, disappearing just as quickly as he’d come. Cliff hastily darted out from behind the door, his fingers raking through his hair, picking out some hay that had stuck to his dark locks. His fingers crunched a leaf still stuck too, causing a frown to twitch at the corner of his lips as he dropped his hands to his side. The horse was causing a fuss and the dogs were still howling… and then the ice princess appeared to demand to know what had happened.

Gritting his teeth together, Clifford spun on his heels and advanced on her, his finger stabbing toward her chest, although he was careful as to not actually touch her. “You don’t get to act like everything that keeps happening is my fault, like I’m some damn cursed omen!” He tossed his hands in the air as he narrowed his eyes into slits. “Because shocker! I’m not your scapegoat. You said a few minutes. And that was a lot more than just a few, Ida." Anger seeped into every word as they slipped out of his mouth. He didn’t even care that he was getting louder.

“I didn’t just walk out of the stables after saying I’d stay out of sight, which I did, by the way, wave my arms to get the attention of not only your coven-leader demon horse, who we will discuss in one second, but your two dogs, and I’m assuming brother, too. I just want to go home. Okay? That’s it. That’s my entire reasoning for being here. But you…” Cliff raised his eyes toward her. “I’m not quite sure what you actually want. Maybe to sacrifice me? Because your damn horse is crazy enough that I think it just might be beastie and you’re just covering for its murderous habits!” It sounded ridiculous now that he was actually speaking out aloud, but it was too late to stop now.

He still couldn't stop himself, now that he'd uncorked the anger boiling beneath his skin. “I’ve been honest with you, and trust me, that’s not easy for me to admit -” He’d rather the demon-horse bite his head off his body right now. “And you’ve been spitting out nothing but lies. So right here, right now. Why are you actually trying to help? And don’t tell me that it’s because you’re a good person. That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Those words, he growled out quietly.

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Ida Chang

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   Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

It wasn’t like Ida at all, to bellow in someone’s face like that. In fact this was probably the first time that she’d ever even done anything like this to anyone outside her own family. And she took great pride in her ability to keep herself in check with any situation. But Cliff seemed to have a knack for bringing out the worst in her. Catching herself now, Ida decided that she wouldn’t give this snarky twit the satisfaction of a rise. So the young woman crossed her arms, leveling him a harrowing look that pointedly said, Fine then. Explain.

Though as the details of his psychosis explanation unfurled, the former Ravenclaw’s expression grew from impassive, to quizzical, to an all-out frown. What’s all this about covens? Demons? Murder? Is this man… a bit simple? Well, shit. The smallest twinge of guilt stitched her eyebrows together. Was she taking advantage of him?

However at his rather condescending use of her first name, she quickly dispatched that feeling. God. As if. Brown eyes narrowed a bit; Ida was allergic to feeling manipulated.

“...Okay.” she finally responded, sounding utterly unimpressed by his inane diatribe and subsequent demands. “But what happened to your face?” If a smirk crossed her lips she hadn’t meant it to, but it tickled her that he appeared to have had a close encounter with a red brick wall. While the dogs finally stopped yapping, they continued to whine and circle around the two of them on high alert, so Ida clicked her tongue for them to sit on command. At least his monologue explained to her that he didn’t seem all that invested in scoping out the place – and that the dogs still made for an effective “burglar alarm.” Although, she noticed with a bit of a pensieve frown that they didn’t go for the attack on his arms and legs the way they normally would. “Hm. Dogs like you,” she noted absently.

“I don’t know if you’re actually demented, or just concussed,” Ida finally offered, albeit rather impatiently. “But in either case, I recommend that you get your head checked by a medical professional once you’re home.” The horse snorted.

Satisfied with his explanation, however idiotic it was, Ida paid no mind to his demands or ire as she turned away from him and withdrew her wand. Since not everyone likes to roll around in the mud, she made quick work of summoning two crates from the far reaches of the stable so that they might sit more comfortably. In that same devil-may-care fashion, she wordlessly shoved the wrapped-up pork bao bun in his hands before propping up her stick-now-crutch on the wall beside her seat.

God. Her stomach was caving in. Continuing to ignore the idiot, she took a dainty sip from her tea thermos and proceeded to take a nibble of her sandwich before finally regarding him again.

“Nothing I’ve told you is a lie,” she pointed out, taking almost more offense to that than his impropriety in using her first name. The latter could be expected, as with any business agreement where a man wants to shake a woman into submission. But to question her dignity like that? She thinks the fuck not. “Though you’re right that I have not told you very much. I needed to do a bit of research first, to know if I can put my theory to practice. And now I do. And having a chance to test my theory is the only reason I wish to help you. So.” Ida finally settled down into her seat, and proceeded to explain.

“It turns out that owls are able to come and go from Irvingly without a problem. That’s what first got me thinking about this hypothesis to get you out.” She decided, when looking at his face reminded her, that she might need to dumb this down a bit. “Of course my theory is completely untested. Frankly it is not something most people would want to subject their bodies to,” Looking just a tiny smidge mischievous, “Not unless they are truly quite desperate.” Which you are. Moving on, “Since the owls can still come and go, I suspect that non-magical animals are able to penetrate the barrier. This is a big assumption. Although, if you don’t look like yourself, you will also probably not be heckled quite so much as you seek a part of the barrier that's weak. The curfew only applies to humans, after all.”

Sighing then, Ida took another bite of her bao bun and started to go into her knapsack to retrieve a few of her things. Among them, a piece of parchment and a quill - she gestured a bit testily for him to take it from her. “You should write that person you know. Hogsmeade will be the closest place you can run to in your condition. Perhaps you should ask them to meet you somewhere, as early as this evening.” Regarding Cliff with a bit of playful curiosity now, she jibed, “Oh. Do you follow what I’m saying? Shall I draw you a picture?”

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

She smirked at him. It was smug, like she knew something he didn’t, and Cliff found himself rubbing his face with his hands as if that would rid him of the mark across his face. “Nothing,” He grumbled as he dropped his hand back to his side; he wasn’t about to admit to her that he’d tripped, although soon enough the conversation was turning toward the dogs, and he took a few paces toward one of them. He squatted down and very carefully reached out to scratch one between the ears, just as he’d done earlier, a tiny smile spreading across his face as the dog allowed him to. The other one was a bit more apprehensive of him and growled at him. The brunette stuck his tongue out at it before humming. He made no further note, instead choosing to whirl around and stand up.

The stupid horse snorted and Cliff found his eyes drawn toward it before they narrowed. She had made no comment on it being her coven-leader and without actual denial of it, he was going to continue to believe it. If Clifford had learned anything in his life it was to trust his gut, and it was telling him it was a damn demon-horse. He snorted too. “Yeah. Like I can afford a trip to St. Mungo’s, so that’s a hard no from me.” This was why he loathed the upper class - they had money to throw around on frivolous things like a trip to the doctor, and Clifford wasn’t even sure he’d have enough money to pay for life necessities. If he was concussed - which he wasn’t - they wouldn’t never know.

Ida flicked her wand and things in the stable shifted far quicker than he’d been prepared for, and he stepped back as a crate whizzed by him in the form of a seat - he would have been just as happy on the ground as anywhere. She pressed something into his hands before he could protest, and Cliff knitted his eyebrows together as he frowned at her; he wasn’t sure what kind of gift this was. Did she expect something in turn because she’d gifted him something? Probably. Was she going to poison him and he was going to wake up on some altar until his life ended? Most definitely. Did she view him as a charity case…? That one Cliff wasn’t sure about.

She was eating the same thing she’d shoved at him, and he heaved a sigh as he sat down on the crate, his fingers cupping around the food as he half-listened to her. A theory to put to practice. Cliff frowned at that, not sure what in the world she was rambling on about. A hypothesis? Scientific studies? He wasn’t entirely following her and he couldn’t even bring himself to nod along like he was. Confusion was cleanly written across his face until she started talking in human words and not like some mad scientist. Cliff didn’t even protest at the desperation, because he was. If Ida knew his siblings - and he truly wished she was never going to be subjected to the demons that were Heath and Meena - she would understand where that desperation stemmed from. One of them was bound to get hurt or die if left alone.

He blinked. And then blinked again. “But I’m not a muggle… So wouldn’t that make me a magical animal?” Not being harassed by the constable would be a wonderful thing, and even if he didn’t quite follow her plan, he was willing to try just to be able to brag that he’d been able to trick them.

His stomach rumbled as she kept on talking and Cliff finally unwrapped the pork bao bun to take a miniscule bite from the edge. It was delicious and had guilt not eaten away at his stomach that he didn’t deserve something like this he probably would have eaten the entire bao bun whole. Instead he wrapped the bun up again. Meena and Heath would be thrilled to split something like that. Pork was a luxury. (It didn’t occur to him at that moment that an animal wouldn’t be able to hold it anywhere on their person, but by this point it was a common occurrence to realize Clifford Hillicker was not the brightest crayon the box. Nor the sharpest tool in the shed.)

Clearing his throat, Cliff glanced down at the parchment and quill before he reached out to nervously take it, ignoring her last playful jab. Honestly a picture would probably be a million times easier to follow but he wasn’t about to embarrass himself further by agreeing to it. “I’m not sure… I know anyone. Most of my friends -” My only friend, really. “Live in Irvingly.” Lissington might help him because he was a nice guy, but he didn’t feel comfortable writing to him. “I mean… I might have a last resort, but I’m not sure he’s in Hogsmeade. He lives in Irvingly too… but wasn’t home when this happened.” Cliff mumbled the words because it offered more insight to Ida about his life that he wanted to share

“I’m ruining your… er, hypothesis.” He cleared his throat and flicked his gaze up to meet hers. “But I’ll try it. Whatever you need to do, we’ll do it.” Clifford just wanted to get home after all, didn’t he?

---

Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

Ida managed to retrieve her measuring tape, notepad, and fountain pen when something Cliff said clicked in her head and gave room for pause. Well, maybe not something he said, but the way he said it. The sincerity with which he laughed at the idea of going to the actual hospital. Really? Even if he was broken and bleeding he wouldn’t see a doctor?

A wrinkle formed between her eyebrows as she took another bite of her lunch and assessed him. Something about the way he nervously clutched his bao bun and looked sincerely confused made him look like a little child. He was definitely older than her, maybe about her older brother’s age, but he looked about as comfortable as her kid brother asked to go get a bucket of water from the well after dark.

“What, don’t you like it?” she asked, gesturing at the bun in his hand. No way would she feel even a little bit sorry for this intruder, but she was dismayed about his uneaten breakfast. “It’s not poisonous, I’m eating it too. It tastes like an extra chewy meat pie. Take a few more bites, and I dare you to say you still don’t like it.”

At his question about still being magical, Ida looked genuinely shocked that he had a legitimate point. It was a deep nerve in the philosophical pedagogy of teaching magic, actually, but… him having read the same periodical seemed unlikely. “I mean… that’s a good question…” she tilted her head slightly, ruminating on it. “We won’t know for sure until we try. But let’s say the aurors build up this barrier like a fishing net. There’s a big magic fish they need to get, like a wizard or a monster.” She drew an illustrative grill net on the dirt in front of them with her good foot, then a nearly-as-big circle above it. “Some people, like me, think a much smaller fish - let’s say a fish that can’t even cast a spell properly - might be able to slip…by… undetected.” She punctuated her theory by drawing a smaller circle, one about the diameter of the opening in the net below. 

Ida wasn’t expecting some great triumph with Cliff or anything, but the fact that he looked even more concerned and dejected brought out an immediate frown. Well what the hell? He wasn’t making it easy for her to not feel sorry for him. At a time like this, he couldn’t think of anyone?

“Don’t worry about the hypothesis,” she sighed. And tried not to grimace. Here she was, realizing finally that she couldn't possibly put him into this blind. Ida hated to admit it. Her conscience could not survive if she did not get consent from the research subject. The young woman took a big, even breath.

“Listen to me. This is a serious experiment, but I’m going to do my best. I am going to transform you into an animal. Probably a dog, because it’s easier to have a live reference, and for you to like the animal too,” Ida’s brown eyes flicked over to the dogs, one currently snoozed on Cliff’s feet. “And it’s going to not just be a temporary thing. It’s going to be a stuck-this-way thing, until you can get to someone who can fix you up. I’ll give you your wand,” she honestly almost forgot about it, and slipped it out of her sleeve now to hold it in front of him. “But you won’t be able to use it. Or do much except dog… stuff.” She tried to appraise his reaction now, unsure of how this was all finally landing on him. “I’ll give you a bag for your things. Tie a note to it with some instructions for the person who receives you. If for some reason you can’t get out, I’ll… be here,” she trailed off with a shrug. “Knowing all that. Do you still want to do this?”

She hadn’t forgotten about the fact that he doesn’t know anyone out there, but figured she had some time before his brain caught up. The problem was, she needed a good pause to think about it too.

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

Cliff hadn’t been expecting Ida to watch him, but he wasn’t shocked to find she’d have a sharp eye for the finer details, which included the bao bun he’d wrapped back up; it was difficult to explain to someone who had never struggled the luxuries they often took for granted, and he wasn’t about to try to have that sort of conversation with her. He shook his head. “It’s not that…” There was something tiring about telling this woman about his life story; he kept the details under lock and key and only Algae, who had broken the damn lock and refused to the leave, knew of mostly everything that happened under the Hillicker roof - if he didn’t tell the blonde something right away, he tended to find out anyway. Meena was a tattle tale.’Well we eat a lot of vegetables because it’s all I can afford’ sounded terribly personal and he’d had enough of those words for a lifetime when it came to speaking with Ida Chang.

Barking a laugh, Cliff shook his head again. He could already imagine the way her eyebrows would pinch together and the way pity would stain her facial expression without her realizing it. Ida Chang seemed like the type of person who’d take him on as a charity case without realizing she’d done it at all. She wasn’t a supreme bitch much to his shock, and while Clifford didn’t trust her weird family, the devil horse and what happened in the house, he now trusted she wasn’t a murderer. “I’m not hungry, but I thought maybe my kids would like it…” He blinked, before quickly adding - “It’s not bad though.” Lifting his gaze to meet hers, he silently begged her to drop it altogether. If he wanted to starve, she wasn’t going to change his mind.

He scooted closer to her as she addressed his question, although Cliff found his gaze lingering on the picture she began to draw in the dirt with her foot. This was more his speed; words could be confusing, but pictures he could follow fairly easily. Plus, Clifford liked to fish, so talking about catching big fish like wizards made sense to him - he threw back the tiny fish that wouldn’t feed any of them. It clicked in his head that the net would want to keep in beastie, but not things that weren’t ripping small children apart. In fact, it would be best to allow small snacks to leave and starve it. Humming quietly as she continued to draw, Cliff finally raised his eyes back to her. “Okay. That makes sense.” Pausing, Cliff followed her eyes to the dog asleep on his feet; it twitched as he gently nudged it with his toe. “I can do this. My friend, his ani-thing is a golden retriever.” Not that Algernon’s animagus being a dog helped Cliff in any way, outside of watching him be a hyperactive puppy.

Happy to finally have his wand back, Cliff took it from her fingers and tucked it back up his sleeve. “I want to go home, Ida. I want to go home and make sure everyone I care about is safe. If beastie is here, who’s to say there aren’t more? I live near a forest. I mean, I work with magical trees for a living. If they die because I’m stuck here…” He sighed before he nodded. “I want to do this. I need do this. And if all else fails, I mean, after the barrier breaks and I’m still stuck as a dog, I could come back to you? You’re good with magic and I trust you wouldn’t make me live out the rest of my days as a guard dog.” It sucked putting blind trust into a woman he barely met; she was going to turn him into a dog, send him on his way and trust that someone would be able to undo her spell.

He still wasn’t sure who he could write to who was good at this level of magic; most of the people he knew would keep him as a dog because he was a bastard anyway. It was well-deserved karma on his part. He pulled in a shaky breath as he extracted one of his feet from under the dog and stood, his fingers still curled around the bun. “I’m ready. Now or never, right?”

---

Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

Ida regarded this man carefully now, not out of a sense of animosity or assuming he’s the enemy this time, which enabled her to really see him a bit more. The anxiety with which he fumbled with his meal, and how obviously he didn’t want to tell her more than he had to. It reminded her of her little brother, when he wanted to deal with something on his own rather than ask for help. Don’t go soft, she immediately scolded herself.

“Hm, well. You should probably still eat it since you don’t know when your next meal will be. Dogs can get sick from eating things humans do, like some berries out in the forest. So you should fill up now,” she sniffed and stated it very matter-of-factly, averting her gaze from him and back to her bag lest he get the wrong idea. This was a matter of practicality, not because she felt sorry for him. Definitely not. “I need to make you a pack anyway, to carry your wand and the note. I can put extra buns in there.” She shrugged as though to signal how little she cared about it, but mentally already she made the plan.

The young woman retrieved a measuring tape, the rest of her notes, with the formula, and a quill. She also tried, really hard, to not let a smile crawl across her lips at the mention of his friend. “You mean an animagus?” she asked innocently, but this was an interesting mention. That meant Cliff at least had a friend who wasn’t a complete idiot.

The young woman stood with resolve then, having finished her sandwich and secured his consent, they could continue. She withdrew her wand and gave it a quick flick, raising the measuring tape from her lap. “Okay. We still need to figure out who can pick you up on the other side in case you do make it through. But in the meantime, I need measurements to make sure I do this right. Stand up,” she explained, sending the measuring tape over his way. Seemingly with a mind of its own it started off by taking Cliff’s height. Ida took her time making her way over – her blasted stupid foot still hurt – and watched where the measuring tape cut off at the top of his head, taking note before she flicked it again to take his shoulder measurements. Essentially, it would feel a lot like the measurements taken when making a custom suit, though Ida doubted he knew what that was like.

“I’m not going to let you live the rest of your life as a guard dog, you’d probably do a shit job at it anyway,” she added, not particularly caring if the statement failed to reassure him. He said it himself, he didn’t have much of a choice. This was also the way Ida liked to joke – why she felt the impetus to start joking with a criminal was beyond her, but here they were. Ida kept taking note of the measurements. She’d do the same with the dog, and double-check her formula, sort the issue about his pickup, and then… well. Then she would just have to do it, wouldn’t she? Now that the moment neared, she found herself a bit nervous. She stomped those feelings right out before they could take hold.

“So your animagus friend. Does he happen to know anyone outside of Irvingly who could help?” she asked, and now she was looking at him, surreptitiously from the careful notes she took as the measuring tape went on. “I can link you with one person. But…” It’s Beryl. And if he thought she was a supreme queen bitch, then he was in for a rude awakening once he met the goddess. “She’s my friend, and she would only do it as a favor to me. You would be completely on your own. Don’t do anything to annoy her. Or make her mad. Or say anything, probably. You should pretend to be mute.” If Ida’s smile looked a bit devilish, she didn’t mean it to.

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

Ida was annoying. He was twenty three years old and didn’t need anyone to tell him when he should or should not eat; Clifford did that to his siblings, especially when Meena was being a brat and refusing to eat what he’d put in front of her - she wanted cookies and chocolate for dinner, not vegetables and fish. He blamed Algae for constantly bringing treats over for her. "I just happened to spot them in my cupboard this morning..." as if he didn't stuff a bag with Honeyduke's label in his pocket before walking through the front door. She didn’t care about growing up to be big and strong. (Probably because Cliff ate whatever he wanted, and well… turned out to be just that.)

He looked at the girl from the corner of his eye before heaving an exaggerated sigh, unwrapped the bun and shoved the entire thing in his mouth in one go; it wasn’t often people worried about him, and he certainly wasn’t about to let Ida Chang, supreme bitch and lacky of a demon horse, worry over him. Then, having to commit to chewing the entire thing, which was absolute heaven in his mouth (and he may have hummed quite happily), Cliff managed to keep his mouth closed without spilling any down the front of him in the process before he’d swallowed it. It was a shining moment. Still, her shrug made him frown as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. She offered to pack more, which surprised him enough to make his eyes widen. Then, dropping his gaze to give himself some recovery time, he mumbled a nearly inaudible “thank you,” which might have killed him in any other setting.

He flicked his gaze up to her as she withdrew some of the items from her bag, and he frowned at her. “Isn’t that what I said?” Because of course they were both aware it's not what he actually said, but he’d ignore any jabs about it. Ida should be proud that he even knew what was an animagus was, because that term was well above his intelligence level if anyone were to ask him. Algernon had to explain several times what it was, but it took turning into his dog form several times in front of him for Cliff to even register that it was real.

“When I do make it through.” He replied with a frown. He stood as she instructed, standing tall and very still as the measuring tape whizzed around his body. He even held his breath and eyed it nervously, waiting for it to wrap around his throat to choke him. Cliff’s eyes fleeted to her and he managed to snort; how he went from tackling her to making jokes with her was well beyond him, but he wasn’t going to complain. At least he wasn’t dead. “Hey. I got your dogs to like me and I’m working on the demon horse over there. I’d be king of the animals. I’m good at protecting what’s mine.” He shot back. Not that he was implying Ida was his - Cliff didn’t want any inkling of Ida thinking that he was viewing her in that way at all. He never wanted to think of anyone more than a friend. (Hell, at this point he didn't even want to consider anyone else out of Algae his friend either.)

At the mention of his friend he shook his head. “Nope.” Cliff popped the ‘p’ as he spoke. “Astorwood is a straight hermit.” If she followed Quidditch, she should hopefully know the story behind him; if not, he didn't care. It wasn't his story to tell. Even if Aglar had more friends than Clifford did, he spent a majority of his time in his flat or on the farm. He cocked his eyebrow at her. “So, she’s just like you but worse, got it. Ida Chang, what’s the worst that can happen? There’s not a single thing in this world I’m afraid of, and I sure as hell won’t be mute.” Especially some girl. He’d feel silly being afraid of a debutante.

Cliff took a step forward toward her as he furrowed his eyebrows together. “And what do you want in return?” He hadn’t thought to ask and panic nearly clawed at his throat. There wasn’t anything of value to his name out of his farm, his livelihood and his home. He’d rather die before he handed that over.

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Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

Ida worked fervently to make sure that only the smallest hint of amused satisfaction crossed her face over his enjoyment of that bun or even his careless dismissal of what he’d actually said (ani-thingy, she resisted the urge to remind him). The former Ravenclaw enjoyed it when she was right, and even more when others validated her interpretation. But now that they stopped screaming at and assaulting one another, she wasn’t all that interested in pushing her luck simply for a laugh.

Instead she averted her eyes to her work, tactfully ignoring the measuring tape as it wound around his bum and thighs. Vaguely she remembered that statue June made dance a few days ago and this was very much the worst time to be reminded of such things. Seriously? Get a grip Ida, she chided herself, mortified to the point that she very nearly missed what he said. It was a good thing, too. She had an ear for precise detail, and the suggestion of protecting what’s his might’ve landed them in another scuffle on the floor. Instead what she thought was, again with the demon horse?

“What. You mean Chestnut?” Brown eyes leveled up to him with a scandalized look, then flicked over to the horse which presently noshed on some hay, happy as can be. “Tch,” she let out a short burst of air between the tip of her tongue and front teeth, promptly dismissing Cliff’s fantasy of being king of the farm animals. “Don’t take it so personally. Chestnut doesn’t just hate you, he hates all men indiscriminately,” she turned a chipper smile to Cliff. Measurements secured of him now, the tape turned to the dog though this would take much less time. The issue of who to pick up dog-Cliff was all that was left to resolve.

That smile did not fade even as he went on to ambitiously assert his bravery in the face of anything. If she had to guess, this one was an idiotic, brawny brand of Gryffindor during his Hogwarts days. Not a single thing in this world I’m afraid of sounded like famous last words. Ida shrugged, smile a touch guileful as she plugged measurements into her formula and worked a bit of basic math to finalize her points. It was a good thing she checked — he was taller than she thought, and this dog would need to be a bit more… er, wolf-like, probably, to accommodate.

“Suit yourself,” she replied. Astorwood — that name was familiar. It’s not often Irvingly was home to a formerly famous quidditch star, though he was known to keep to himself. If they were friends, then maybe her hunch that Cliff was terribly concussed wasn’t too far off. But then, he still didn’t seem like the brightest crayon on the box to begin with. “Like I said, you’ll be on your own out there. Just don’t do anything stupid to offend her, or you might meet your end as a cockroach crushed by a fancy slipper.” Merlin help him. She’d owe Beryl several favors if he made it out of this alive.

All that said however, there was nothing left to do but get on with it all. The prospect excitedly kicked up her heart rate and coursed adrenaline through her veins. “What do you mean what do I want in return? I already told you why I’m doing this. It’s for my research,” she said, sounding affronted enough by the suggestion that this had to do with anything else, that it implied she was being honest with him. “Maybe you’ll find a way to repay me someday,” she offered half-heartedly, because honestly, she couldn’t begin to fathom what he could possibly offer her. Rather than let the conversation get weirder, she snapped to the task at hand. “But before you make any promises, you should see how this all works out first. Are you ready to be turned into Clifford the dog? I’ll tell you what to expect. Go ahead and take off your shoes and wand first, put them over there.” She had moved to stand a few paces back from the man, and gestured vaguely at the crate beside him as she issued her orders.

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

What in the hell did Clifford have to do to convince Ida her horse was at least part demon? He cocked an eyebrow at her as she laughed at him before he frowned. He hated being laughed at. His eyes were drawn toward the horse then, and without much thought (not that he had too many of those), he stuck his tongue out at it; not that Chestnut even seemed to realize he did it, happily munching away on his hay. He face scrunched up at being ignored.

Maybe after this was all said and done, when he was back on two feet, he’d convince Algernon that he’d met a demon horse and force him to come along to collect evidence of such. The daft blonde had a better head on his shoulders and if he saw Chestnut for what it was, then he could take all the proof to Ida to convince her. She was a woman of science after all, so she wouldn’t be able to refute pure facts. Hell, maybe he could work with the two pups to turn them against their coven leader. Maybe staying as a dog for a few days wouldn’t be a bad idea…

His eyes were drawn back toward her and he flashed her a shit-eating grin. “I know you worry about me and all-” Which nearly made him wince because no one worried about him, which suited Clifford just fine. He didn’t deserve it, and well, he wasn’t going to even try to earn it. “But I’ll be fine.” What’s the worst that could happen? She looked young and Cliff was assuming her friend was about the same. Ida was making her friend sound like she was a downright bitch, but if she was that bad there was no way the girl would have friends. He knew from experience - people didn’t like mean people. Maybe he’d get along better with her.

Pursing his lips together, the brunette didn’t say anything further. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her words… Everyone wanted something in life, but Ida probably just hadn’t realized what it was yet; she’d realize sooner or later that she wouldn’t be satisfied with “just research” and Cliff would feel obligated to give into her demands. Plus, people didn’t help Clifford Hillicker out of the goodness of their hearts. If she didn’t ask, he wouldn’t bother, even if he’d feel indebted to her until she did find something she wanted. He wasn’t going to push the envelope with her today, so he remained silent on the matter entirely.

Instead he turned his attention on the topic of actually being an animal. “I’m ready.” Cliff laughed as he nodded. Plopping back down on the barrel, he pulled his shoes off one by one and set them on the crate before nestling his wand in between them. Then his fingers worked at the buttons of the shirt, thankful that he’d forewent a vest and jacket this morning; he peeled it off his body and folded it before setting it on top of his shoes. His fingers pressed against the button of his pants, and he flicked his gaze toward her before he tilted his head. “Everything?” Not that he was shy; he’d stand in front of her fully nude and not have a care in the world.

He didn’t wait for an answer as he began to shimmy out of his pants; of course it would be everything! Dogs didn’t wear clothing, now did they? Cliff pushed them to his ankles and stepped out of them.

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Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]

Ida let out a short, exasperated laugh at the idea of him thinking she worried about him. Fine then. With a statement like that, she wouldn’t worry, because it’s not as though he earned any of this extra effort to ensure his safety. The former Ravenclaw swallowed the urge to make him sign some sort of affidavit like her brother talks about, absolving her from any of the consequences of this strange research venture. But that would take too much time, they both were getting antsy, and she wondered if he’d have the wherewithal to consider a lawsuit unless someone put the idea in front of him.

Satisfied with his verbal agreement then, Ida turned around on him for a moment to retrieve her notes and get started on a quick note to Beryl. She’d have to get it to her posthaste, and hope Beryl might be around her mirror later. If Cliff only knew the lengths she was going through to make this a comfortable and easy transition to and from –

Out of the corner of her eye she caught the man moving, wrestling much more with his shoes than she would expect was normal (but obviously, nothing about him was normal). When she turned to look at him, the sight drew out a high-pitched shriek of shock.

“What in blazes are you doing!” her hands immediately flew to cover her eyes, wand flying out and rolling on the ground towards Cliff’s bare feet in the process. Seeing him standing a literal small square sheet away from being utterly naked had not been in Ida’s cards for the day, and she’d never seen a man so naked in real life anyway. Unless seeing her little brother shirtless dressing him for bedtime counted, but that was a completely different thing. For one, Cliff was a grown man, and much tanner, and… with many muscles and things. Ida squeezed her eyes harder together and tried to swallow with her dry throat, thinking about how it looked different than the statue.

As if it would help head off these thoughts, she abruptly turned her back to him again and grit her teeth. “You…” Idiot? Pervert? Maniac? Frankly, the shock gave Ida a complete lapse of thought or ability to cope for a solid minute. If he had wanted to get the upper hand earlier in the forest, clearly, all he had needed to do was start stripping. “I can transform you with some clothes on, why do you think I have this entire bloody formula! I said just take off your shoes because laces and things get complicated… God, it would be bad enough if we were found here already, imagine like this...?” Flustered seemed like an inadequate word to describe the particular shade of scarlet her face turned as she crossed her arms resolutely, back still to him. No way would she move on until he was dressed. She had lost her wand, at any rate, and refused to turn to see him in that state again.

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

Cliff stuck his finger in his ear and frowned at her as she shrieked. If he wasn’t hard of hearing already he was going to be by the time this was all said and done; she was so loud and it was a bloody miracle someone from the house didn’t come out and see what in the world was going on with her. Brown hues glanced down at himself, shirtless and pant less, before he flicked his gaze back to her. He shrugged. “What does it look like I’m doing? You have eyes.” Cliff motioned at himself; Ida said to take his shoes off plus she’d said that he wouldn’t be able to do the same thing as a dog as he would as a human, right? Last time he checked, dogs didn’t wear clothes.

He wasn’t a complete idiot.

She turned around and Clifford frowned. Ida was certainly a woman who couldn’t seem to make up her mind as to what she wanted; it wasn’t as if he’d stripped to proposition her for anything. He was just trying not to dirty clothes and help this process along; hell, he worked without a shirt half the time when he was on the farm and not once did Algernon shriek at him or refuse to look at him. He wasn't ugly (or he hoped not), and her eyes wouldn't burn from her eyes by just looking at him. “Well Ms. Scientist, I do have some clothes on because last time I checked underwear counted! I have some dignity and I wasn’t going to take them off even if you asked nicely.” Cliff scoffed at her.

Bending down, Cliff scooped up her wand by his feet and stepped forward toward her. “Like this? C’mon. It doesn’t look like anything. You’re clothed and I’m sure as hell not asking.” It would never cross his mind that Ida was a debutante; he didn’t deal with many of them. He was sure he’d catch Meena in bed with someone years down the line or she’d show up pregnant. The fact that he was standing in his underwear in front of her, alone, wasn’t a bother - he wasn’t interested in having relations with anyone, let alone a woman who’d threatened him. And one he’d just met.

He shuffled his feet forward, stepping out of the pants that pooled around his ankles along the way, and gently pressed the tip of her wand into her lower back. If Ida wasn’t going to turn around, he was going to force it; she was tall for a woman but he still had a few inches on her, and Cliff shuffled closer to her. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings -” Because that was exactly what he did, right? “But please take your wand back. I don’t wanna dirty clothes that aren’t mine, or ruin ‘em, but I swear I won’t get naked.” Cliff took a deep breath and poked her again. She smelled good. “I promise.”

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Ida Chang

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[Please feel free to hit Cliff at your leisure; he probably deserves it.]