"I'll... I'll..." You're so overwhelmed that your mind jumps almost immediately to the option Marisa first suggested. More and more of the evidence seems to suggest that what you are experiencing is actually real, and not induced by drugs. Some last vestige of your common sense tells you that the way you are most likely to survive this is if you have someone to help you who is more on your level than Marisa. You don't particularly relish the idea of asking Marisa to live with /her/. She was the one who did this to you! But her employee, whoever he is, he can't be that bad, right? "I'll... I wouldn't mind living with whoever it is that works for you. But... what about... everything? Clothes and stuff? I..." You glance down at your hand, where you're holding your shorts and boxers from slipping off again. "I don't even know how to shop for women‘s clothes."
Marisa grins at that, almost from ear to ear. "If you let me pick your clothes, I'll pay for 'em myself. We get to go shopping!" She giggles, though she quickly regains her composure. "As for right now - some of my old things should fit you okay. I'll bring you over to Gauge's apartment, and we can park real quick at my house. It shouldn't take long for me to find those old boxes..."
That whole process is so quick that you almost don't realize it is happening around you. One minute you're standing there in the shop holding a talking bird, and the next... you're waiting in the passenger seat of Marisa's car, having a lengthy conversation with Justin. "So what does a familiar /do/ exactly?" You ask him rather bluntly, watching the little bird perched atop the dashboard.
Justin answered quickly, as he always did. Quick was essential to the very nature of this animal; there was nothing he did that wasn't almost blurry fast. Yet somehow, it did not give you difficulty to watch him. You felt his movements like they were your own, so you always knew where to look and for how long. "Lotsa stuff!" He answered cheerfully, fluttering closer to you. Subconsciously you put your hand out, extending your index finger for him to use as a perch, which he does. "I'm... kinda new at all this magic stuff, but I'll try to remember what the other familiars taught me." He paused a moment, thinking intently. Whatever other advantages he might have, deep thought obviously did not come easy to him. You knew this because it was becoming harder for you - it took more effort to consider anything for more than a fraction of a second. You wanted to just settle on the answer and be done with it. He does struggle through it this time though, and eventually answers. "We help with magic mostly. I'll help you focus and stuff. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, I‘m a bird now." He says this proudly, somehow smiling at you, and spreading his wings for emphasis. You can't help but smile back at this, thinking of the child this used to be. "I can fly! I can be in places you're not. I can look for things for you, or... or..." He lowers his wings. "I know there's other stuff, but I can't remember!"
You smile, reaching out and stroking the little bird's head gently. "Relax Justin. I'm new at this too. We can learn together." The bird smiles back, chirping musically and entirely without meaning. You want to learn more about this Justin, but before you have the chance to ask, Marisa returns with a huge plastic tub of neatly folded clothes, which she crams into the trunk before getting back into the driver's seat and speeding off. It's getting late, and the stress of all that has happened is exhausting. You manage to pay attention long enough to hear her say "I already called ahead; Gauge isn't home now, but he's fine with you moving in with him. He told me to let you in and he would-" That's it; you don't hear anything more before dropping completely unconscious.
You are roused quickly though, or so it seems. The car's parked now, outside what seems like an ordinary apartment complex. You can't say you recognize "Arcadia Estates", but it looks far nicer than where you had been living. Your eyes search immediately for Justin, though as you stand you feel him nestled gently between your legs, and you lift him gently into one hand as you get up, not wanting to wake him. He stirs a little in your hands, but doesn't wake up; you can still /feel/ how asleep he is, and it's making it difficult for you to stay awake. "Almost there." You hear Marisa prompt you, pushing you gently up the stairs into the building. The first thing you notice is an absurd little construction on either side of a main hallway, four levels of little doors and little stairs and ramps connecting them all, each door maybe eight inches tall, some even smaller. "He's in apartment J". You hear Marisa explain, gesturing to a door on the third floor. "Hand me your familiar. We'll put him in through here." You obey, too groggy to really even attempt to understand what is going on around you. Marisa opens the door, and sets the bird down on something soft in the tiny room beneath, though you don't get a good look at it, closing the door behind her.
You feel Marisa take your hand then, leading you along the hallway to an elevator. The doors open, and you step inside. Interestingly enough, you notice that there are buttons for each apartment, which seems a little strange to you. She presses the J and the elevator doors close. Gauge will be here in the morning, you can catch a ride with him to work. I expect he will just pay for you to use the bus. Either way." The doors open directly into the apartment, and Marisa shoves you off, gesturing to the box of clothes sitting near the door. "We'll go shopping after work tomorrow - we always close early on saturday. See you tomorrow!" The doors close behind her, leaving you alone.
You don't get ten steps before making it to the couch, where you close your eyes and curl up into a weak ball. You subconsciously wish Justin was here, feeling a little lonely without him, but you're too weak to worry about that now. Unconsciousness comes, and, with it, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, the first thing to spring to your notice is a voice, distinctly male, and a hand gently prodding you awake. You slowly open your eyes, and jerk away in shock, because the person waking you is...
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