When Your Familiar Knows Potion Brewing

by GhostHexLuna, RikuKingdomHearts3

Summary:

Prompto is a lonely, young witch who had always struggled with potion brewing. But even with the fact that he wasn't the greatest witch, he didn't like living in a quiet house. So the obvious answer was to get himself a familiar.

Did he mention that he's new to being a witch and still has a lot to learn about living with a familiar?

Notes:

Riku: Welcome to a new short story, it started as a RP but evolved into this! This one is inspired by the art/ideas of Shanoot and Shirry found here.
Please check out the artwork that was inspired us to write this!

Chapter 1

Some time after getting settled in his new home outside of town, along with having his potion lab and greenhouse setup, Prompto decided he wanted a familiar. Part of him had considered a roommate, but he didn't know a lot of people and he had moved to a new area. Familiars were supposed to be fun and cuddly companions which was ideal for him.

Somehow, the one he was able to find was not only a solid shade of midnight black, but also had deep blue eyes.

Rare and double luck for witches! According to the old legends that is.

Extra purchases were made so he could spoil his new kitten, all things that he found totally adorable. One of which included a bright blue ribbon that he placed around his little Starlight's neck in place of a collar.

Prompto couldn't help giving a small squeal as he took a picture of the cutely dignified kitten.

With everything in tow, he brought Starlight home.

For the next few days, Prompto spoiled his cat and played with him.

Today, he was lightly teasing Starlight's cat paws.

"Aw… Look at your itty bitty toe beans."

"Meeerow."

"Cute and tiny, little star from the sky~."

Slowly moving a finger, Prompto gave Starlight a boop on the nose.

The kitten is deactivated and Starlight rolled over. About 35% done with the nonsense.

"Please stop," a male voice said softly. 

Prompto’s jaw dropped. “You can speak??”

"Are you a new witch? Of course I can talk!"

"I well- yeah... But I didn't think you could talk!" Prompto's face flushed. "Aw man, you're not going to tell anyone about me squealing?"

"I'm your familiar, I wouldn't go behind your back like that."

"Ah good, thanks then. But.... how come you didn't say anything before? I would've asked what name you wanted to be called!"

"I was curious what you were going to go with."

Still slowly soaking in the information, Prompto tried to figure out what to ask next. "Huh. Alright. What is your name anyway?"

"Mother named me Noctis."

"Starlight, and you're named Noctis, guess I wasn't too far off. Had the nighttime theme right at least. "

"You were pretty close, but call me whatever pleases you."

"I'll stick to your real name. Or uh, how about I call you Noct?"

"That's fine to me, Master."

Prompto scrunched up his nose. “Ahh, call me Prompto. ‘Master’ sounds kinda off to me.”

"Sorry," Noctis said as he bowed his head. "I'll remember you want to be called that."

“It’s fine. Um... can I still pet you and stuff? It’s that... you’re really soft and you usually act like you enjoy it.”

"It is part of what humans do, correct?"

“Hm-mm. But I don’t wanna do anything that bothers you. Like, I don’t know, I’ve heard that some cats don’t like belly rubs.”

"I'm alright with the belly rubs. You do them well," Noctis replied. 

“Aw, thanks buddy.”

After that, Prompto began to rubbed Noctis’s head, giving light scratches behind the ears.

Noctis started to purr loudly. "You're very good at this."

“So long it makes you happy. I was planning on getting one of those cat shelves too. Hmm, maybe two, so one of them can give you a good spot to watch if you want to see me brew.”

"I'd like that. Then I could tell you what ingredients you aren't using correctly."

“Wha- Really? How can you tell?”

"I can smell it. You really don't know your craft do you? Or maybe you need a sense of smell like mine."

“I-I um...” Prompto stuttered out and sighed. “I'm self-taught, I know learning by mistakes is dangerous for potions, but personal experience is the best tool I have. Stuff they give in the alchemy books are like cookbooks, not that helpful for the best results.”

"Then this is why you need me! I can smell if the potion is correct!" Noctis stated proudly. 

“I’ll take whatever help I can get. Do you have prior experience or is your nose somehow that good?”

"A cat, especially a cat destined to be a witch's familiar, always has stronger senses."

"Cool. Then if you're giving advice, I better be taking notes."

"Get the paper, human. And we can begin."

Prompto grinned happily as he ran over to his desk, pulling out one of his blank notepads. If he was going to take notes, he would make sure he had them in a book for safe keeping. 

"Alright. So what's my problem with the basic health potions? I know they're not as effective as the book says they should be."

"You're not using enough of the healing berry juice. That's the key."

"Hm. That explains a lot." Prompto mumbled as he wrote down the tip. "There's some levitation recipe I was planning on trying out tomorrow, once we get your cat shelves set up, we can do that. My last levitation potion... didn't turn out so well."

"Then I shall help you succeed."

---

One day later...

"Okay, hopefully this time the potion won't be acidic. Honestly, my last broom didn't live long..."

"Your... broom… died from a levitation spell?"

"Something went wrong in the brewing, have no idea what. Haven't tried potions on any homemade brooms since. Hopefully with your help this next one should work out better."

Noctis swayed his tail back and forth. "Well start doing the recipe, and I'll tell you."

Prompto hummed as he set up the cauldron. "To start, five cloud leaves the book says."

"Yup," Noctis said as he brought his nose to the book. "That looks right."

Smiling, he rubbed Noctis's head with his free hand.

"Two snake skins, and three chicken feathers."

Noctis purred again loudly. "Make sure the snake skins are clean."

"I always keep them as clean as they'll get. Already had the latest shipment of them cleaned days ago."

Getting out the ingredient jars, he lined them up on the shelf and carefully added what he needed.

"Ironically enough, the recipe also asks for some ginger powder. Kinda silly to think about since the wanted result is a flying broom, not one that's grounded. Heh."

Noctis's ears twitched. "It's silly how?"

"Ginger root is grown in the ground, and people who drink ginger ale to deal with their airsickness do it to stay grounded.”

Noctis let out a small, amused mew. "I can see how it's funny."

"Hehe. I actually grow ginger in the backyard. Saves me some expense to cultivate certain plants myself. But I don't have the patience to grow many so I stick with a simple list."

Noctis scampered over to sniff the ginger. "It smells healthy enough. You must be good at gardening."

Prompto beamed, scooping up his familiar kitty to give him more ear scratches. "That means a lot, thank you."

Purring, Noctis nuzzled his face against Prompto's chest. "Of course, Prompto. You're going to be a master witch in no time."

Prompto felt a strong feeling in his chest. It was warm and comforting. He couldn't help but smile as he let it fill every inch of him.

I'm glad I found him, is this what a friend is like?

"That's the dream. If my next broom works out, I could take you flying sometime."

"That sounds fun," Noctis hummed. "As long as you don't crash into a tree."

Prompto laughed sheepishly, "I don't think I'm that bad of a pilot. Flying comes easily if I have a good broom."

"So you make the broom do all the hard work," Noctis snorted. 

"Why not? When I moved house for the first time, I used my broom to transport my suitcases. A store-bought one, not my disaster of a home-made one."

Prompto glanced at the cauldron, stirring gently.

"Now here's the part I think I messed up. It asks for ten rose petals but the water turned sickly looking afterward. Didn't think anything was wrong until I used it on my broom."

Sniffling the air, Noctis then turned his attention to the rose petals. "Did you crush the petals into a powder or tossed them in?"

"Snipped them up, why?"

"There's your problem. Snipping them up will give a different effect than grinding them to a powder."

"Alright Noct, I'll make a note of that."

"Good. You gotta keep track of these things."

"How do you know all of this? You're a kitten."

Noctis hissed. "I'm not a kitten! I'm just small... but familiar cats are trained young to be aware of how witches work and what goes into things like potion making." 

"Sorry, but I thought you were given the size. Was kinda worried about you outgrowing your ribbon."

Noctis grumbled as he lowered his head. "I'll grow... Familiar cats grow and age differently so we can live as long as you witches."

“Oh.” Prompto smiled faintly. “Glad to see I’ll have my buddy for a long while. But let me know if that ribbon ever feels too tight.”

Noctis bobbed his head. "Yes. Now focus, you have a potion to make!"

“Of course.”

Working at the potion and taking Noctis’s advice instead of the book’s, the ingredients were all sorted in and the cauldron bubbled gently as the potion brewing came to an end.

“Alright, the color looks better than my last attempt. Now I just need to get my newest broom so we can test it.”

"Go right ahead. I'll sit behind the table just in case."

“That’s probably wise. Okay! Moment of truth.”

Once he got his broom, he set it on his testing table. Prompto breathed in deeply as he poured the vial of the potion over it, being careful to soak the entire thing evenly. 

Everything had to be very precise if he wanted the strongest and best results.  

“Hope this works.”

From behind the table, Noctis peaked his head out slightly, watching the broom carefully with his wide eyes. 

It took a few seconds, but soon there was a shimmer of blue, slowly encasing the entire broom. Seconds later, the broom slowly began to rise, hovering over the table by a few inches.

Prompto let out a triumphant laugh, feeling so many levels of relief wash over him. “Ah ha! Yes, finally a good result! No exploding or melting brooms this time!"

"Great job, Prompto!" Noctis cheered, smiling widely to reveal his fangs. "Let's celebrate with fish!" 

Chuckling, Prompto pushed the broom down, waiting a few seconds until it didn't rise again. "Ha ha, sounds good buddy. Got any special requests for the fish? Salt, onion powder, chives... anything on it?”

Noctis made a strange face. "Chives? Why would you put chives on fish?"

“Because they’re a healthy topping. They don’t actually have much taste to them. I take it you don’t want chives?”

Noctis stuck his tongue out in disgust, though since he was a cat, Prompto thought it was awfully cute looking. He wished he had his camera on him, wanting to snap the moment. Maybe he'd have to try for another time, capturing the cute little cat tongue. 

"No thanks. Fish is best as itself," Noctis stated.

“Okay, one plain fish dinner for the best kitty.”

---

A few minutes later, Prompto had worked hard cooking Noctis’s fish up as well as his own. He placed them onto separate plates and turned around to see Noctis looking up at him with anxious and hungry eyes.

“Want to join me on the table or would you prefer the floor?”

Noctis hopped up to the table with ease, stretching his back shortly after. "Up here is good."

“Here’s your fish.” Prompto set it in front of Noctis. “Oh, and can’t forget the water.”

Noctis started to nibble at his fish, making cute little sounds as he did so. It was enough to make Prompto smile, doing his hardest to restrain himself from awing at how adorable it was. 

One happy kitty purring away is usually a good sign. Still, didn't expect a friend out of my familiar like this. A cat would have been a friend anyways, but I didn't think it would be like this. But hey, I'm not going to complain. I’ll have to ask him about anything else he might need or want, Noctis is my partner after all, gotta treat my buddy well especially since he’s a great help.

As he sat down, Prompto cleared his throat. “I was wondering, would you like cat toys or would that be insulting to you?”

"I am a cat first before anything else, I would gladly accept some toys."

“So a scratching post is ideal too? I mean, I got all the cat stuff I could reasonably set up. I haven’t gotten all of the stuff out of the boxes. Didn’t think you’d like a nail trimmer.”

"Unless you want me to scratch up your broom... yes."

“I’ll get it out after lunch. Have mercy on my broom please.”

Noctis laughed. "Sure thing, Prom. Well... as long as the broom doesn't come attacking me."

“Oh no, if my broom is suddenly an anti-cat evil stick, then you have permission to show no mercy. Brooms can be replaced, you can’t.”

"I will gladly take the opportunity if the chance arises," Noctis replied, adding an amused meow.

“Hope it doesn’t though. You might not like me pointing this out, but there is a size difference between you and a broom. Anyway, wanna attack the scratching post?”

Noctis scrunched his face up. "I am mighty even if small! I could take down that broom easily! The scratching post too is no match!" 

“Just don’t want you getting hurt if my broom did turn homicidal.” Prompto started to eye the box for the scratching post that sat near the closet. “I’d say kill it with fire but then you’d have a bigger problem, house fire.”

"And fire doesn't scare me. Mother trained me to be fierce!" 

“I believe you, Noct.”

When the two had finished eating, Prompto made his way over to the box, deciding that now was the best time to open it. 

Sliding the post out of the box, Prompto glanced at the living room. “Hmm, where’s the best spot...?”

Noctis jumped off the table and ran over to an empty corner of the room. "Here is good."

"Hm. Yeah, Scoot over and I'll set it down."

Putting the post in the corner, he wiggled it about a step away from the wall so Noctis had room to use the entire thing.

Immediately, Noctis jumped onto it, sticking himself right in the center of it. "Purrrfect," he purred. 

Prompt grinned. "Glad that it satisfies his meowjesty."

"I will claim my dominance at the top, as I did for your kitchen shelves!" 

"Heh, you enjoy the high views?"

"I can see all of the house that way. I know where prey will lie for me."

"Oh, are you a mouser?"

Noctis held his head up proudly. "No mice shall enter our territory. It will be safe and clean with me here."

"Awesome! What a good boy, you are!" 

Prompto patted Noctis's head as a reward, and it made Noctis start to purr loudly.

"I will make you happy and proud of me!"

"You already do, my little Starlight."

Noctis sat up, making his stature even more dignified and majestic. "Thank you, Prompto."

"So hey, wanna play with a cat toy? I have already bought a few things. One of them being those stringed sticks with the little thingy at the end."

Noctis's pupils widened. "Yes."

"Alright, funny enough it is fish themed."

Prompto quickly got it and started dangling the string over the floor. The faux fish teasing Noctis's eye.

Noctis went into full adorable cat mode, jumping from the post, and down onto the fish. He was only mere seconds away from grabbing it before Prompto yanked it back a few inches. 

Noctis moved again, pouncing and trying to capture the fish between his paws. 

Prompto kept swinging it to the side, continuing the motion of brushing on the floor until Noctis's little paws finally pinned it down. He gave him a few moments of victory before it was taken away to dangle again.

"Let me have my prize!" Noctis meowed. "It shall be mine!"

Another leap and his claws hooked onto the fish, and this time Prompto let the fish flop to the floor, which let Noctis "murder" the fish by nomming on it and mewling in victory.

"Aww, you are too cute. And I don't care if I've said it 600th times, I'll do it again!" 

As he went to scratch his kitty's ears like usual, something very un usual happened. There was poof of surprise magic that had Prompto flinching, pulling his hand back.

Blinking the magic dust from his eyes, he looked at Noctis.

Correction. 

He looked at the dark-haired person, dressed in loose dark clothing, who was suddenly in his house, right where his cat had been laying.

The person tilted his head, cat ears on his head twitching slightly. "Prompto? Something the matter?"

Blinking. His shocked brain took moments to process.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Noct? You're a... Neko?"

"I believe the full term is nekomata but yes."

"Ah, um, wow I'm surprised." 

Prompto was rather shocked, first a talking familiar cat and discovering it could talk, to apparently a nekomata roommate. What other mysteries did Noctis hold? Prompto wondered, feeling there were probably others, but only time would tell.

 "Uh... should I get the guest room set up? Or is the cat bed enough?"

Sitting up, Noctis stretched his back. "Not sure... I was never good at changing into this form before. Could never hold it for long... don't know why I suddenly changed though."

"If you don't know buddy, I certainly wouldn't. You okay?"

Noctis nodded. "Yeah I'm fine. Just adjusting to the height."

He hummed, looking carefully at Noctis. His features were soft, giving a very friendly and gentle look to him. 

"You look around my age."

"I told you I wasn't a kitten!" Noctis pouted. 

"Heh, sorry. You looked small as the little fluff ball."

"But not a kitten!"

Laughing, Prompto pulled him into a hug.

"Whoa! Prom?" Noctis asked as he was wrapped within Prompto's arms. 

"Glad to have a friend is all," he said quietly.

"A friend? You think of me... as a friend?" Noctis asked softly. 

"Hm-mm. But ah, only if you want to be."

"I'd... I'd like to be a friend."

Prompto beamed at him, overjoyed to hear that answer. "Thank you, Noct."

"You're welcome, buddy," Noctis said as his tail swayed back and forth.

"But give me better warning next time. What if you transformed in the middle of the night and I didn't know it was you? That might've not been the greatest situation. You have any other surprises I should be aware of?"

"How can I give warning when I don't even know when I could transform? I haven't mastered it. And other surprises... uh... none that I can think of?"

"Just saying, like what if you turned into a giant tiger and I had no idea it was you? Don't want to accidentally call animal control on my familiar, that wouldn't be right."

"I wish I could turn into a giant tiger, but you would have to use a spell for that."

"Probably. But hey, let's make sure you can walk around like this, I'll help you up."

Noctis reached for Prompto's hands as he pulled him to his feet. Noctis wobbled a little, trying to keep himself stable, but he nearly fell back. 

"Whoa!" Prompto shouted as he caught him. "Okay, maybe that was a little too quick. Ah... how about using the wall for practice? Let's focus on standing first."

"I can do it," Noctis replied. "Give me a moment."

"Alright. Don't want to push you too hard."

"Right, but I can do this. Mother would be proud of me."

"You sound fond of her, can I ask what her name was?"

"My Mother?" Noctis said, his eyes growing soft. "Her name was Aulea, but my siblings and I always called her Mother, as that is what she was to us. It's a cat thing I guess."

“Sounds like the name of a queen. You get your colors from her? Neko or not, blue’s pretty rare for cats, as far as I’ve seen personally.”

Prompto slowly took a step back from Noctis to let him stand on his own, ready to support him again if needed.

"We are a rare breed of familiar, but we are strong."

“And fluffy.”

"Are you going to pet my ears like this?"

“Only if you want me to.”

Noctis's ears perked up. "I'd like to see how it feels in this form."

Reaching up, Prompto gave the cat ears gentle rubs.

Noctis started to purr loudly, much louder than he had been in his cat form. He grinned as he closed his eyes, learning into the rub.

Moving lower, he scratched the base of them, where the ears connected to the skull like Prompto normally did with Noct as a cat.

“Relaxed?”

"Totally," he purred softly.

Still scratching an ear, Prompto hugged Noctis again. Not only to hug him, but to also hear the purring in his chest better. Happiest purring motor he’s ever heard.

"You're making me really happy today, Prompto."

“I can tell, your purring is much louder like this. It’s good to listen to.”

"Don't they say that purring is healthy for humans to feel or listen to?"

“I have no idea, never heard of that, Noct.”

Switching hands, he went after the other ear.

“But I have heard that cats can also purr if they’re hurt, a self-soothing sort of thing. Something about easing their pains and encouraging healing.”

"Well if I am ever in pain I will alert you to help heal me."

“Yeah. I’ve also got a basic first-aid kit if I’m out of health potions, always just in case. I know how to do stitches.” Prompto said confidently. “It’s better to have something and not need it. Rather than needing something and not having it.”

"Hmm you are pretty prepared then. Have you always been a witch?"

“Not... really... Being a witch was something I decided to do. I’ve been a witch for roughly over a year. Some of the nuances can go over my head at times.”

"You were never a witch to start?" Noctis asked as his ears started to twitch. 

“No, that’s why I’m a self-taught.”

"Huh... I see..." Noctis hummed. 

“But I’m good at figuring things out, and I have you to help too. It’s all good," Prompto said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Hmm but I don't know what it means for a regular human to become a witch."

“I don’t either. Not making any bets about pulling off spell-casting. Alchemy is magical chemistry anyway, with a dash of more unpredictable explosions if handled wrong.” Prompto shrugged. “Guess I’ll just be a potion specialist with enough experience.”

Noctis huffed. "But a regular human mortal's life span is shorter than a witch's."

“...I guess... I mean I do my best to be healthy.” Prompto winced, remembering his grade school years. “But yeah... only goes so far.”

Noctis placed his head under Prompto's chin and started to purr. "I'll stay with you... always."

“Thank you, Noct.” He squeezed his friend as firmly as he dared.

"You're welcome."

Notes:

Hex: This is a fun oneshot that got a little long so we split it. Enjoy the Halloween fluff!

Chapter 2

Days later, Prompto decided it was time to finally go for a test flight. He knew that his broom was bound to be better quality thanks to Noctis’s advice, and he wanted to see how much better.

Noctis watched Prompto carefully as he headed to the front door, his tail swaying back and forth happily. "Hurry, we should go out while there's still light out."

Prompto nodded. “I will. A quick zip around the front yard to check that it works and I’ll be back in.”

"Then open the door already!" Noctis meowed loudly, starting to scratch it. 

“Alright, alright, please don't tear up my door,” Prompto laughed as he petted Noctis’s head to calm him.

Heading out, he took several steps away from the house and got himself into position with his broom. Potions made brooms responsive to sentient wills, allowing even regular people like humans to use them. But how the potion was brewed affected how responsive and sometimes how cooperative an object like a broom could be. Or its lifespan, may his first home-brew brooms before Noctis rest in peace (or pieces, considering what was left).

So of course Prompto was cautious in directing his broom into a hover. Slowly, he had it take his weight before he started flying in a circle around the lawn, about as fast as walking.

"You're doing it, Prom! You're flying a broom!"

"It's going a lot smoother than my last one. Let's pick up the speed to a light run."

Leaning slightly forward, Prompto pushed his broom to fly a little faster, doing another circle around the lawn.

Feeling accomplished Prompto slowed his broom to a stop. He smiled over the work that he and Noctis had done. "Really good and smooth, it turns better too. Next time I run errands I'll be using this."

"Can I ride with you?" Noctis asked curiously. 

"Of course, buddy!" 

Prompto lowered the broom down, so his feet were touching the grass. "Hop on."

Noctis jumped with magnificent height and landed perfectly on the broom handle. He walked himself back so he was carefully covered by Prompto above him, cuddling up against his body.

After giving him a quick head rub, Prompto lifted the broom into mid-air again, taking his familiar for a flying stroll.

"I've heard a rumor of people using vacuums in place of flying brooms, I think they're not true. What do you think?" Prompto asked, wanting to make conversation. 

"If anything can be enchanted to fly, why not that?"

"They're hunks of plastic with wires and are heavy. Much harder to store too, I don't think that's practical. Could you imagine flying on one?"

"It would give more room for me to sit rather than this broom."

"Hm. That is a good point." 

Prompto started mulling over solutions now that the idea had been planted into his brain. "I could get a thicker broom or maybe a special cat shelf? Really don't want to dangle an attachment, too many ways for that to go wrong..."

"I could sit on the back of it, but I could fly off... which isn't preferable for me."

Prompto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm not putting you back there, bud. Maybe I'll look into making a cat shelf for the broom."

"A cat shelf? On a broom?"

"A mini version, more like a cat chair-perch type of thing."

"Hmm it may be odd, but we can try it."

"Since the test drive checks out, I'm going in for a landing now."

Landing so the broom was parallel to the ground, he picked Noctis off the broom and headed inside.

"I'll start drawing out some ideas for the first version. Going to need some measurements too so I can see how big of a perch you need."

"Then measure away," Noctis said as he lifted his head up high.

---

Prompto's alchemy lab was the one place that had work benches and tables, so he took Noctis there. With a measuring tape, sketches and notes, he had a general idea how big the perch should be. If he cut a hole all the way through the broom, he could have the perch bolted on. The perch could also need some padding or maybe something for Noctis to cling to if bad weather suddenly hits.

There were so many possibilities to ponder, but Prompto would see at least one of them through. The idea of making a cute little perch was one he wanted to complete, for his own safiction and for Noctis too. 

"When I can get something workable for you, we can think about customizing afterward. Maybe I'll put Nyactis on the side. What do you think?"

"Yes. I think you should. That would be a good name!" Noctis declared with amusement. 

"Heh. But tell me something, let's say a storm hit and we have no other choice of transport other than the broom. Heavy rain and strong winds, what would be something to help you hold on? Since your paws don't have thumbs. I'm wondering what would be the best thing for that."

"In that case I would transform."

"...Ah, true. Almost forgot about that option. I'll get this worked on and show you the result later. If it's a good model, then we can add fun stuff."

"And as you do that I will nap."

Noctis yawned as he walked over to the couch to cuddle up on it. Once he was asleep, Prompto made sure to snap a few pictures before he got back to work. 

He worked for a few hours into the night, thinking and redesigning the idea over and over again. Eventually, it got to the point he knew he'd have to call it a night, even if he kept feeling like he was so close to getting it right. Sleep was important after all, and he didn't want to make any tired mistakes.

---

After sleeping the night away, he was back at it in the morning. Drilling the hole into his broom and then bolting the perch on, He tapped on the perch a few times to check that he was secure. Now he needed Noctis to see for himself. 

It had to be cat approved after all, that was the rule! 

Currently, Noctis was asleep in his cat tower, cuddled up into a little black ball of fluff. 

“Aww.”

Prompto cooed, cat or not, that was adorable. He petted Noctis to gently wake him up.

“Morning Noct, I got something for you to test.”

Noctis groaned. "But I'm comfy."

“I know, but I need to see if the perch works for you, gotta get it cat tested and approved.” Prompto scratched Noctis’s ears, hoping it could coax him to get up.

"Mrrrr must I do it now?"

“It’ll be quick, I’ll let you continue napping later.”

"Mrrrrrow," Noctis groaned, rolling onto his back.

“Would you do it for a kitty treat?”

"Hmmmm," Noctis hummed thoughtfully.

“They’re chicken flavored~”

Noctis lifted his head. "And this is true? You have them now?"

“I have to keep them refrigerated, yeah.”

"Then bring them to me," Noctis demanded. 

“Only if you say please,” Prompto teased. “And test out the perch I fashioned for you.”

Noctis let out a soft hiss. "Fiiiine."

“Great! I’ll get the treats, oh and-" Prompto set the broom down, perch upside up. “Let me know how that feels, if there's a problem I can slip it off and work on it more.”

Noctis groaned again as he finally got up and walked over to where Prompto set the broom.

It was a simple thin wood plank affixed to the broom’s handle. It had enough room for sitting and laying. No decorations yet since Prompto wanted Noctis’s opinion. In the middle of the plank, the wood was somewhat hollowed out to make lounging on it more comfortable, much like a chair.

Noctis titled his head as he analyzed it, looking at it from every angle that he could. Rubbing a paw over it showed that the wood was sanded to prevent splinters. 

As Noctis stared and examined it, Prompto walked back in with a bag of Kitty Treats. “Fair warning, they’re a little cold.”

Noctis sniffed them. "The smell is enticing."

“Hope they are. Here.” Prompto held a piece out.

Noctis nibbled at it lightly. "Tasty."

“Good brand then. What do you think of the perch?”

Prompto yawned as he rubbed his eyes. To Noctis his eyes probably looked tired. He knew that hadn’t slept properly, and he was sure Noctis knew it well based on the stare he was getting.

"I think it is satisfactory. And you should sleep before we test it."

“Ah? What makes you say that?” Prompto asked as if it wasn't obvious. 

"You're tired. You need rest."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Prompto gave a small chuckle. "Nothing gets past you huh?"

"I have very watchful eyes. I can see it all."

"Alright buddy, I'll take a nap. But when I get up I'll want a test flight with you."

"Only if you truly are well rested."

"Want to take one with me?"

Noctis nodded. "Yes. More naps are good."

Prompto grinned and picked him up, taking him to his bedroom. When his little familiar friend was placed on the bed, he stretched out until he suddenly switched forms before Prompto's eyes.

Batting away the magic dust out of his face, Prompto asked, "Was that intentional this time?"

"Yes," Noctis asked, still stretching his human limbs out.

"Whatever makes you comfortable." Prompto crawled into bed next to him.

"I've heard humans napping together is just as warm as if I were still in my natural form," Noctis whispered.

"Hug?" he offered.

"Hug," Noctis nodded.

Gently tugging him, he brings his friend into an embrace. Unable to help smiling at the pleased purring. This was always so much better than a quiet house. Prompto couldn't believe that he had ever lived without it. It was soothing and comforting, melting away any stress or anxiety that tried to weed its way into Prompto's mind.

The purring continued, with Noctis rubbing his head against Prompto's chest. The happy sounds from his friend made him smile as he slowly dozed off.

While Prompto slept, he didn't have nightmares, another benefit to having Noctis so close by to him.

---

A few hours later, Prompto stirred after his peaceful nap, Noctis was quiet next to him, still fast asleep. His hair was an unkempt mess, covering most of his face. 

Prompto smiled warmly. It looked like he wasn't the only one to have a peaceful sleep. 

Mildly curious how his friend would react while sleeping in this form, he rubbed the back of Noctis's head. Noctis's entire body shifted, squirming slightly. He let out a soft muffled sound, but quickly tried to regain his calm and sleepy state. 

Time for ear scratches!

He went after the base of the ears with his fingers. Now Noctis was purring loudly, grinning widely as he curled closer to Prompto. 

"Did you have a good nap?" Prompto asked in a soft voice. 

"Nap was good. Cozy too."

"If you ever get tired of sleeping on the cat tower, I won't mind sharing with you."

"Perhaps I will take up that offer," Noctis yawned. 

He sat up and stretched, letting out a long yawn, revealing his sharp little teeth that he had even in his human form.  

Prompto giggled. "It's like you have little vampire fangs."

"I'm not a vampire," Noctis said as he stuck his tongue out.

"I know, but you do have your cat fangs."

"Then I am a cat! Not vampire!"

"I don't mean anything by it buddy. I know you're a proud Neko."

Noctis smiled happily. "You got that right!"

"Now let's go for a flight!"

"Right!" Noctis said as he jumped to his feet. 

The boys headed out to the yard with Prompto's broom to test the cat perch. When Prompto held it at the ready, Noctis transformed mid-air of a jump and neatly landed as a cat on the perch.

Raising them off the ground, Prompto asked, "How's the perch feeling for ya?"

"It's far more comfortable than I expected."

"I should hope so. Any suggestions for improvements or is it all good?"

"Hmmm unsure until we test it by flying."

Prompto took them up, pushing the broom into a circle at walking speed.

"Haha this is great!"

“Going to press it a little faster.”

The broom sped up to running speed.

Noctis let out an excited meow as he watched the land before them.

“Wanna take a flight over town?”

"Why not. Let's give it a try."

Going higher up, witch and Noctis flew into the skies above town. Sunlight streamed down on them, with the sun over their heads as it was around noontime. Prompto enjoyed the warmth of the day as he eyed the greener areas where the parks and gardens were. He started to think about photography opportunities now that they had made their way out there. But that would have to be a planned trip for another time, for now they would enjoy a short flight.

"Wow! This is pretty high up!" Noctis exclaimed. 

“Perks of flight. This is what I saw when I moved houses. My belongings and I, hovering below the clouds, winds blowing with less restraint… I almost wanted a flying house because of it.”

"And you aren't afraid?"

“...I’m more uncomfortable with dead silence than heights. If I am on a well-made broomstick, why should I be scared?”

"I had heard some humans were afraid of heights."

“It is a common fear, the idea of being up high and then suddenly plummeting to the ground without warning. I find spiders scarier than heights.”

Noctis made a small grumble. "Bleh, those things are yucky."

“Very. So what I do is spider repellent via potions. I’ve heard that most bug pests can’t stand peppermint and make them go running, what I do is apply peppermint potion around the house.”

"As long as you keep the bugs away that's all good by me."

“Wanna see how I brew it? Maybe you‘ll have suggestions.”

Noctis bobbed his head. "Show me, and then I can help you again."

"Sounds good to me!" 

A few minutes later had them back in the alchemy lab.

“Peppermint is my main ingredient. Once, back at my old house, I tried replacing the water with nothing but peppermint oil in one of my smaller cauldrons as an experiment. But it was so potent that the entire house smelled like candy. Drove me a little nuts.”

"That does sound hard on the senses, even for a human. Show me the list of what you need. When we make it, I'll make sure it smells right."

“The potion is intended to ward off other pests too. But here’s what it asks for: peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree and citrus oils. Followed by some wartroot and spider legs. Turns out even spiders have arachnophobia," Prompto explained as he showed a list to Noctis.

Noctis scrunched up his nose. "That's a lot of strong smells."

“That’s where the water comes into play, diluting it enough to be less intense. Sure learned that the hard way.”

"Did you smell like that stuff for days? Or just the house?"

“Both. And it lasted for months! Out on errands some people asked if I was under a smell curse. Imagine their expressions when I told them it was because of the experimental potion I spilled all over my house.”

Noctis let out a small giggle. "Oh ha, that must have been terrible."

“Oh em gee, it was! Never cut out the water for this potion, it does you no favors.”

"I'll keep it in mind."

The oils were the least magical aspect of the potion, Prompto measured them out and tossed them into the softly bubbling water.

Then he started to add one wartroot like the book said. Noctis stood on his hind legs to peer into the cauldron, watching Prompto carefully.

When Prompto added the wartroot, the potion glowed green. He figured everything was going according to plan, until Noctis poofed into his human form and wrapped himself around Prompto from behind. 

"Needs more wartroot."

“Heh, hey there. The potion smells off to you?”

"Yes. Needs more wartroot as I said," Noctis replied as he nuzzled Prompto's neck.

He gave Noctis's ear a few scratches, "Then I'll add some more."

"Good. You do that," Noctis said as he continued to hold onto Prompto.

With the extra wartroot added, the smell toned down even for Prompto to notice. 

"See? What did I say? Always trust my nose," Noctis replied smugly.

"It does know where to go." Prompto agreed. "Last thing is the spider legs and this should be done."

"Sounds good to me."

After that, the spider repellant potion was finished.

"Okay that's another potion note. Never fully trusting the books ever again. Unless they have any written by cats, but I doubt it."

"You only need to trust me," Noctis smiled.

"Hey! Maybe we could release a potion book together. We can be the first ones to have a book written by a cat! It could even be called '100 ways to improve your alchemy! As told by a cat!'"

Noctis's eyes gleamed. "And I'll get 80% of the pay."

"What? C'mon, I have my own personal experiences to add. 50/50."

"But without me you'd be completely lost!" Noctis countered. 

"That's because I'm a self-taught witch, remember? We're both working together here."

"Okay fine... we can debate the profits later," Noctis snickered. 

"Better be fair, you mischievous kitty."

"I make no promises."

"So, now that we got that accomplished? What do you want to do now?"

"Hmmm, nap," Noctis declared. "And you nap with me."

Prompto laughed, knowing that he should've expected that answer. "Okay, I think we can squeeze in another nap. But maybe we could eat lunch first?"

Noctis nodded. "Lunch then nap! The sunlight streaming in will be perfect by then!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Together, the two of them headed off into the kitchen, ready to prepare a lunch to enjoy together. Even if their day would end up being mostly naps, Prompto was going to enjoy it. He had Noctis by his side, and that was all that mattered to him. A young witch and his very special familiar, who was also his best friend.