I squirmed slightly as the satin blouse shifted into a skin-tight black tee with a deep V neck, showing off my cleavage again. Then I blushed when I noticed the words 'PET MOUSE' stencilled across the front, directly over my boobs in big white block letters.
"Is it because you conjured the clothes in the first place?" I asked. "Like they're made of magic, so that's how you can change them so easily?"
My cheeks got warmer as I added, "Or could you do this to real clothes too? I mean, mundane ones I guess?"
The look on Nia's face left me worried I'd just given her some new ideas. She smirked, "Only one way to find out. Too bad that'll have to wait until tomorrow, when we actually get you some mundane clothes. Until then..."
Her voice trailed off as she focused, and I felt her dip into that bundle of magic deep inside me once again. That was followed by the sensations of my entire outfit shifting once more. Then I let out another little squeak when I realized what I was wearing.
The only thing that hadn't changed this time were the stiletto shoes. Instead of pants I now wore a pair of sexy mesh stockings, that were clipped to a lacy garter belt. My panties had vanished though, leaving my sex completely visible. And instead of a t-shirt and bra I was wearing something like a corset, but it wasn't tight or uncomfortable. On the other hand instead of proper cups it just left my boobs fully exposed.
I leaned forward a bit to get a better look at myself, and that's when I noticed the last addition to my outfit. The sound of a tiny bell was actually my first clue, that there was something around my neck. I reached up to check, then blushed even brighter.
"A collar and bell?" I asked.
It felt soft and comfortable, like it was made of some kind of fabric. It definitely wasn't leather or metal or anything like that. I figured it was one of those nylon pet collars, like you'd see on cats or small dogs. There was a little metal ring at the front where the bell attached, but what I couldn't find was any sort of clasp or opening.
Nia was smiling as she watched me for another few seconds, before confirming my suspicions. "It doesn't undo, silly mouse. There's no buckle or opening. What good would that be, if my pet could slip it off by herself?"
Her words sent a little shudder of excitement through me. As did the thought of maybe having to go to college with her collar still secured around my neck.
Nia grinned, "You like that idea, don't you pet? Maybe I should add a little tag to the front, so everyone knows who you belong to."
I let out a little squeak when I felt the next tiny surge of magic, then reached up to check. Sure enough there was now a metal tag hanging from the ring, alongside the bell. It felt heart-shaped, and I could tell there was some writing inscribed on the front.
"Oh yeah," my mistress said to herself with a naughty little giggle, "This is going to be so much fun."
"Don't you agree my pet?" she added with a wide smile.
I knew I was probably supposed to be a little anxious, or maybe she just expected me to pretend to be worried. I couldn't help it though. I smiled back at her and nodded, "Yes mistress."
We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon like that, with Nia practicing her magic by repeatedly undressing me then dressing me up in a variety of outfits. Some were simple and casual, others were complicated or sexy. She didn't give me a chance to get used to anything either, except for the collar and the high-heeled shoes.
She left me in the stilettos so she could try and teach me how to walk in them, but that was a real challenge when my clothes kept changing around on me. Even so, I actually made some progress there, thanks in part to my tail. I didn't even have to focus on that, it seemed to move on its own. Or maybe it was instinct or something, but it was great for helping me keep my balance.
As for the collar, I was pretty sure Nia enjoyed the implications and wanted me to keep it. Which suited me fine, I liked it just as much as she did.
Eventually Mrs. Brennan called up from downstairs, to let us know it was just about time for dinner. Nia focused once more on her magic, and my clothes shifted back to one of the comfy outfits I'd had on earlier. I found myself in stretchy dark blue jeans and a tight pink scoop-neck tee. And instead of the super-high heels my footwear became something more reasonable, a pair of low-heeled mary janes. I still had the collar though, along with its bell and tag.
"C'mon cutie," she said as she unlocked her door.
I held back and asked, "Maybe I should put on my hoodie first? Just in case."
"What if the clothes disappear?" I added when she gave me a questioning look. "You said the conjured stuff would vanish when we stopped thinking about it. Like the running shoes last night?"
My mistress replied, "If that happens I'll conjure up something else for you right away."
"But... What about your parents?" I gulped. "They'll see me..."
Nia gave me a hopeful look, "Please Kiki? I want my mom to see that I could conjure up a whole outfit for you. And I want her to know you and I are both confident enough in my abilities that your clothes will stay put, and not vanish halfway through dinner."
"If you're really worried about it though, then of course you can wear your hoodie," she added. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable cutie, but I don't think it'll be a problem. That collar stayed put the whole time, it hasn't gone anywhere. And remember, even though I'm the one who conjured your outfit into existence, it's actually powered by your own magic. I provided the form and style, you provided the substance."
I nodded slowly, "I trust you. But I'm still a little anxious about it? Like what if we both get distracted enough that the clothes vanish after all?"
She grimaced slightly, "Dad will blush and look away, even if he does see something he'll pretend he didn't. Mom will probably leer a bit, but if she has anything to say it'll be directed at me. Most likely some comment about how I need to work harder or practice more, something like that."
"Alright Nia," I finally agreed.
I could tell it meant a lot to her, she wanted to prove herself to her mother. And having my trust and faith probably helped strengthen her confidence in herself too. On the other hand I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a tiny little thrill at the idea of finding myself unexpectedly naked at some point. Even if it was in front of Mr. and Mrs. Brennan.
So I followed my mistress downstairs, clad only in magic and realistic illusions. Our timing turned out to be almost perfect, as the dining table was all set and the food just about ready to be served.
Nia and I both offered to help, but her parents wouldn't let us. Which was probably for the best, at least in my case. I wouldn't have known what to do, and probably couldn't reach anything regardless. So we sat down together on one side of the table, and a few minutes later Mr. and Mrs. Brennan served up the meal then settled into the two chairs across from us.
The only awkward part was when I realized I was too short to really see anything past my own plate if I was seated properly on the chair. So instead I shifted to a kneeling position, which meant I was up high enough to see the rest of the table, as well as Nia's parents. And luckily the seats were cushioned, so I wouldn't be uncomfortable spending the meal like that.
Dinner looked and smelled great, there was some kind of juicy roast on the table, surrounded by crisp-roasted vegetables. There was also something that looked like mashed potatoes, a pot of gravy, and a loaf of fresh-baked bread. And we all had wine-glasses filled with a clear beverage the colour of pale straw under a bright summer sun.
Mr. Brennan did the honours of carving the roast, then distributed slices onto everyone's plates. Nia first, then myself, then his wife, and finally his plate was last. Meanwhile my best friend grabbed the mashed veg and offered me some of that before adding some to her own plate. In short order everything was passed around the table, although mostly I was relying on Nia to handle my servings since either I couldn't reach or the dishes were too heavy.
It crossed my mind that some people might find that frustrating, like I was basically being treated as a little kid who needed to rely on the grown-ups for everything. I kind of liked it though. Even though I was supposed to be the servant I had Nia basically serving me instead.
Although that thought led me to another, which in turn left me with a question. I looked across the table at Mr. and Mrs. Brennan and asked, "If this is supposed to be a family meal then shouldn't Sara be here too?"
"Or um," I frowned slightly, "If Sara doesn't count then I probably shouldn't be counted here either, right?"
Mrs. Brennan replied, "Whether a witch's familiar is thought of as family, a servant, or her pet will vary from witch to witch. And indeed can vary from one occasion to the next, even for the same witch. In this case dear you are very much family, having been a close personal friend of Nia's for many years."
"As for Sara," the older woman continued as she picked up her drink, "If she were here then she would certainly have a place at our table this evening. Unfortunately she's not with us tonight, I had to send her off on some business."
Then before I could ask anything else she raised her glass as a toast to her daughter, "Congratulations Nia, on finally securing your first familiar. It was a long time coming, but you've done very well my child. Kiki was well worth the wait."
My friend blushed as she mumbled a quiet thanks, and for that matter my cheeks warmed up a bit too at the compliment. I picked up my glass though, as did Nia and her dad. And all four of us drank to Mrs. Brennan's words.
It turned out the beverage was some kind of white wine, but it was better than anything I'd ever had back in the mundane world. It was light and crisp and sweet and fruity, and even though I was positive it was proper wine from grapes I was sure I could taste pears and green apples and honey in there as well.
After that we all got started on the food, which was just as amazing. The meat was moist and succulent and almost melted in my mouth, while the roasted carrots and yams were crispy on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside. The mashed veg turned out to be some kind of squash, and it was creamy with a little zesty tang to it, and maybe a hint of onion too.
As we ate I came up with more questions, mostly about familiars and magic and stuff like that. I found out that Sara and Mrs. Brennan had been together for six years now, which was part of the reason the catgirl had enough command over her own magic that she could change form or conjure her own clothes as she pleased. I also learned that catkin were usually a terrible choice for first-time witches, since their fierce independence and strong wills made them very hard to control.
According to Mr. Brennan dogkin weren't great first-time choices either, nor were the other canids. He explained that dogkin tended to be a little too subby and needy, which could lead a new witch to spending more time looking after their new pet rather than focusing on their magic. He also said wolfkin only respected strong masters or mistresses, and could turn on their witch if they decided they were serving a weak or cowardly master. And foxkin were often too cunning and mischievous for young witches to manage.
Then Nia reminded me that all that stuff was more generalizations, and she repeated what she'd said earlier about how every individual was different. Then she went on to list those qualities that made mousekins a good first familiar.
Apparently we had strong magic reserves despite our small stature. And we tended to be brave, as well as loyal. Our size meant we were usually good at sneaking, spying, and getting into or out of tight spaces. We were also supposedly good at climbing and were quick on our feet. I blushed when she said mousekin also tended to be subby enough to make us easy to tame and train, without being too needy or clingy.
In between the food and conversation Mr. Brennan topped up everyone's wine glasses at least once or twice, and the others all had second helpings of everything. I could barely get through the food I had on my plate in the first place, but that was fine. It was delicious, and I didn't want to get an upset tummy eating too much of it.
After another gulp of the wine I asked the next question to pop into my head, "So there's been lots of talk about 'first time familiars', but that kind of implies there'll be second or third familiars later on. Does that mean witches can end up with lots of familiars? Or um, so far I've only seen Sara here. Is she your only one?"
Mrs. Brennan enjoyed another forkful of roast before explaining, "It's possible for a witch to have more than one familiar at the same time, but I find the distraction outweighs any benefit. I prefer not to take on a new familiar until after the previous one has moved on."
That left me feeling uneasy, like Nia and I had only just formed that bond so I really didn't want to think about it coming to an end. My curiosity got the better of me though, and despite being afraid of the answer I ended up asking anyways. "What happens to familiars when the pact ends, if it's not renewed?"
It was actually Mr. Brennan who answered, "I think we need to take a step back Kiki. I'm not sure how much of this Nia's already covered with you, but incase you get the wrong impression you should know that not every beastkin becomes someone's familiar. Just like not every fae becomes a witch. Whether fae or beastkin, the majority of the population do other things. Whether they become tradespeople, crafters, artisans, farmers, fishers, or whatever else they wish to do, there's a multitude of other callings which have little to do with magic."
"Remember familiars and witches both get something out of the pact," Nia added. "Both parties improve their magic. When a familiar and witch decide not to renew their arrangement, it's usually because they've both learned as much as they can from each other."
Her mother nodded, "My first familiar and I were together for seven years. After that she decided she'd learned all she wanted to know about magic, and went on to do something else with her life. When my second familiar and I parted ways he left to find himself another witch, so he could learn other styles that I wasn't able to teach him."
"This is why the pact isn't forever," Mrs. Brennan added, after another sip of her wine. "So both parties can agree to move on, when the time comes."
That was a lot more for me to take in, so I just nodded quietly as I drained the last of my wine. Then I felt Nia's hand on my knee, and she gave me a gentle supportive squeeze.
"There's also nothing to say a witch and her familiar won't stay together indefinitely," she commented softly. "Especially when they were already best friends forever, long before the whole magic thing came up."
Hearing that immediately made me feel better. I smiled up at her and nodded, "Yeah."
Nia smiled back at me, then gently encouraged me to spread my knees apart so she could trace her fingers up my bare thigh towards my exposed womanhood. That's when my eyes widened as I suddenly realized I was naked from the waist down. My jeans, panties, socks, and shoes had all vanished at some point and I hadn't even noticed. I was still wearing the t-shirt though, and the frilly bra underneath. And I could feel that collar around my neck too.
The fact that only half my clothes had vanished left me thinking it wasn't an accident. Especially considering it was the half that Mr. and Mrs. Brennan couldn't see. With the table hiding most of my body from their view I'd still look fully dressed to them, so only Nia and I knew anything was off. Or at least I was naive enough to believe that, for almost a whole ten seconds.
"Now did you girls leave enough room for dessert?" Mrs. Brennan asked. Then she smirked as she added, "Or are you planning on rushing back up to Nia's bed for a sweet little snack in private?"
My best friend's eyes widened as she realized she'd been caught, while my cheeks went bright red and I let out a little embarrassed squeak.