Messy bed hair greeted him in the mirror when Junhyung stepped into the bathroom to wash his face.  He pulled his eye open to get a better look at slightly dry orbs and blinked hard, rubbing the grit out of the corners.  That was what he got for staying up late staring at scrolls and transcribing.  He would be so glad when he finally got to write his own and was out of the boring Apprentice phase.  Technically, he was already a Journeyman and should be able to write on his own, but the newest batch of trainees had terrible penmanship and so he was snagged into doing half their work for them.  At least until they managed to get over their inadequacies.

                “Ugh,” he groaned, patting the black strands down vainly before dousing his pale face with water cold enough to take his breath away.  “I’m awake!” he yelped, standing straight and reaching for the towel immediately.  “Very awake,” came the mumbled, less than reassuring comment from behind the soft cloth.

                Junhyung was just cinching his fluffy robe again when he jumped at the sound of a message being teleported onto his desk in the bedroom.  With one brow raised, he leaned back just enough to see the off-white envelope lying pristinely on his redwood surface and sighed.  Another message from the Order.  Fingertips rubbed at his temples to ward off the incoming headache preemptively and he dry lips.

                “It’s too early for this,” he ranted at the ceiling, both hands raised on either side of his head.  With only a few seconds delay, Junhyung scratched at his hair one more time and retreated to his closet for a change of clothes.  Time to get ready for the day.

                After trying various locations in which to accomplish his work, Junhyung had accepted that the library was the most conducive to accomplishing anything and he stumbled into the overly large structure with his arms full of scrolls, a bag filled with inkwells and fountain pens, and several books acquired from his office.  Professional glasses teetered on the bridge of his nose and he had to shuffle everything carefully to work a finger free so he could shove the frames back into place, earning a giggle from the receptionist as he walked by.

                “Morning Junhyung,” Sunny waved serenely, offering a too bright but at least sincere smile his direction.

                “Morning,” he cleared his throat, giving her a quick nod of acknowledgment before he hurried past, heavy robe fluttering around his legs as he settled into the heat of the place comfortably.  It was just getting into the next term and things were still quite cold outside.  A glimpse out the window showed several inches of white powder clinging to just about everything.  Even as he paused long enough to look around, he noticed one of the environmental mages pause on the sidewalk to zap it clear of snow, making the path safe again.  “Go figure,” he huffed, lamenting how he’d almost slipped on his trek here.

                No matter.  It was done and they’d have to take care of it several more times today if the still falling precipitation was any indication.  Ink wells clattered gently in the pack as Junhyung tried to deposit everything without making a mess.  A couple scrolls fell to roll across the surface but they didn’t get very far before he scrambled to stop them, leaning awkwardly over the tabletop and teetering in place as he tried not to fall the rest of the way.  His mouth quirked to the side in annoyance and he moved to sit down before a muffled giggle caught his attention.

                Dark eyes flickered up to peer over to the next table beside his where the young man he’d been seeing the past several days was seated; admittedly he was early this morning but his appearance was becoming regular.  Puppy dog eyes looked down to his book as soon as noticed Junhyung’s attention but the smile on his plush lips was evidence enough he was still amused.  Junhyung had never actually spoken to the young man but he’d overheard his name a time or two.  Kikwang was very devoted to his studies but Junhyung wasn’t so sure how much it really helped him since he seemed to be staring at the same book…

                He cleared his throat and swallowed as he took a second to adjust his navy blue tie, smoothing it down in a flustered gesture while he scoped out the work for the day.  Three scrolls to be delivered before noon and another for the training session this evening.  Stifling a sigh at the workload ahead, Junhyung scratched his hair again and settled into place, glasses shoved back onto his nose and supple fingers flexing to warm them up.  Determinedly, he hunched over the desk and set to work.

                Not even halfway into the first transcription, Junhyung had to pause when a small group of boys arrived to cluster around Kikwang.  His pen paused just above the scroll, unwilling to let the ink drain into the paper, and perturbed eyes glanced up to watch stoically.  Them again…

                For all that it was a semi regular occurrence, Kikwang seemed remarkably unphased by their approach and kept his nose in the book, finger tracing each line as he spoke under his breath, lips moving along with the words.  He didn’t even flinch when one of them placed a hand on his back to look closer, face screwed up while he investigated what the boy was working on.  Junhyung recalled him as Hyunseung, one of the second years who had yet to attract the attention of a familiar.

                “Weren’t you on chapter two last week?” he murmured, hovering over Kikwang with a perplexed frown, one hand resting on the table beside the book.  Junhyung frowned when he realized it was a different book than the one he’d been studying the first time he’d checked.  Kikwang looked up to peer at the young man, eyeing the magically blond hair once before he shrugged.

                “You know, if you need help with your studies, first semester wasn’t hard for me at all.”  That from the tall, baby of the group.  Junhyung scrunched his nose up and tried to ignore Dongwoon’s voice as he focused on the scroll, pretty sure how this was going to play out.

                “I’m good, but thank you,” Kikwang responded politely, as he ever did.  It was amazing the kid never got upset, so far as Junhyung could tell.

                “Just a heads up but it can be hard to find your partner,” the eldest, Doojoon, spoke up, earning Junhyung’s attention enough to watch the male sling his arm over Dongwoon’s shoulder as he clapped Kikwang on the shoulder.  Honestly, as a third year with his familiar, he should know better…

                That was enough to pull Kikwang’s attention from the book which was when Hyunseung took the chance to tap on the page where a slew of colors blossomed over the text, obscuring the words with a rainbow of vibrancy.  “Oops,” he murmured in feigned horror.

                “That wasn’t very nice,” Doojoon hummed under his breath, reaching down to try and ‘fix’ the page, though all he succeeded in doing was wiping the text clean off, along with the color.  “Oh damn,” he made a face while Kikwang huffed, appearing slightly put out but not nearly as much as Junhyung would have thought.  Then he noticed Kikwang’s feet shifting under the table and he frowned in confusion.

                “I guess that means we should probably get you a new one,” Dongwoon shrugged, moving as if to head out.  As he did so, he bumped into Doojoon who stumbled past Kikwang, grabbing at his chair for support enough to drag them both over.  While the standing male caught himself with Hyunseung’s support, Kikwang hit the floor and gave a little muted cry when he looked up at them nervously.

                For a wonder, the trio appeared slightly unsure and Doojoon reached down almost immediately to help him up.  “Sorry about that,” he murmured in a voice that sounded anything but genuinely apologetic, straightening Kikwang’s clothes and brushing them out while the shorter male sighed again.

                “Come on newbie,” Dongwoon smiled, ruffling Kikwang’s hair in a pseudo friendly manner.  “As a familiar in training, you’ve gotta be ready for anything.  Right?” he asked for clarification, waiting just a moment before he stepped over to join the other two.

                “Sure,” Kikwang nodded and righted his chair, not looking at them while he brushed himself off and resolutely returned to his studies.

                Junhyung eyed the departing trio with displeasure, gaze narrowed as they went by.  They must have felt him too since all three of them looked his way and blinked in surprise, their steps faltering just a hair at his expression.  Hyunseung murmured something, tapping Doojoon’s chest hurriedly, and the taller male nodded with a wave at Dongwoon.  Troublesome brats.  Would they never grow up?  He shook his head and focused on his work but stole a quick glance at Kikwang which showed the younger boy to be smiling his direction.

                Kikwang nodded and waved once in quiet acknowledgment.  Junhyung blinked and raised a finger off his pen in a mutual gesture before taking a quick breath.  It wasn’t like he’d done anything himself.  Then he paused before the pen could touch the scroll again and glanced up once more, focusing on the book in front of Kikwang.  His brows dropped in confusion and he hummed to himself.  That was not the same book those troublemakers messed up.  And Kikwang was still smiling.  Why was he still smiling?!

                Never mind.  Junhyung shook his head and tried to push it from his mind.  He had plenty of work to do and it wasn’t like they didn’t try something every couple days anyway.  He was free from their interference the following day, which was probably because Kikwang wasn’t in attendance, but at least it gave Junhyung plenty of peace and quiet for once.  The following day, however, found him frustrated by his constraints and clinging to coffee to get through the morning.

                When the troublemakers showed up again, he quirked his jaw to the side and set the pen down, threading his fingers together just in front of the writing so he wouldn’t smear it.  He was absolutely positive Kikwang had switched his book out and was now reading from the one the boys had pranked the other day, multicolored page still obvious from the distance but he was focusing on a different chapter.  They started off much like usual with Hyunseung leading the harassment.  It was never anything cruel exactly but they were bothersome little things.

                Junhyung did not envy the first years their hazing.  Scribes were overworked in the early days and their fingers and hands were generally too cramped to endure much pranking in general.  The elder scribes knew better and were punished just as harshly as the apprentices for stepping out of line so the system fixed itself.  Mages and familiars were not so lucky.  But it was bothersome.  Particularly because they were bothering him with their antics and this was his place to work!

                He listened in for a couple more seconds while they continued their irritation, clearing his throat several times, which they blatantly ignored, before he got up and approached the trio.  Kikwang was the first to react with a startled look in his eye as his observation drew the attention of the others.  He didn’t say a word as he stopped in front of the trio, arms crossed over his chest, while he raked them with his eyes.

                “What?” Doojoon asked, the first to recover from his glare.

                Junhyung maintained his nonplussed expression and turned his attention to Kikwang who was already gathering his things up.  Well that was odd considering what he intended.  “Come on,” he waved at the shorter male, interposing himself between the familiar in training and the trio as he gestured towards his work space.

                “Hey,” Hyunseung clamored with a step back, looking between the two in befuddlement.

                “But you’re just a scribe,” Dongwoon pointed out as he motioned between the pair.  “What do you want with him?” he couldn’t help but ask with a perplexed look, jabbing his thumb at Kikwang.

                The insult did not go unnoticed, however unintentional it might have been, and Junhyung turned the full weight of his displeasure on Dongwoon.  It wasn’t like he could actually do anything to the familiar but he knew intimidation worked wonders some days.  “Have you seen his penmanship?” he drawled with a nod towards Kikwang.  “It’s atrocious and I cannot allow this crime against my sensibilities to continue,” he told the story with as much authority as he could.

                “Seriously?” Doojoon laughed outright, not sure whether he was being serious or joking.  Junhyung raised one brow and gave Kikwang a gentle push to get him moving, still staring the trio down.  Bunch of bothersome troublemakers.

                “Okay,” Hyunseung laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender while he grinned, shaking his head in bemusement at the retreating Kikwang.

                “That’s a first,” Dongwoon snorted while he moved to give his partner a shove.

                “What just happened?” Doojoon inquired as he looked between his companions in confusion, obviously searching for an answer he couldn’t see.

                “Nothing we need to worry about today,” Hyunseung promised as he led the way to another part of the library.

                Junhyung watched them go, maintaining his vigil with a frown.  What the hell was he doing?  He had no idea but at least they were gone and maybe he could get some work done without being interrupted again.  Nodding once, he returned to his seat, adjusted his coat and glasses, and leaned back over the scroll with the fountain pen in hand.

                “Thank you,” a soft voice stopped him before he could begin.

                He didn’t need to look up to confirm it was from Kikwang.  “You know they’re probably off to bother some other unfortunate first year.”

                “I know,” the younger male nodded, the sound of pages flipping accompanying his words.

                Junhyung looked up to see the boy hunkering down with the first book from the morning, the one he’d been studying before the boys had shown up.  “Do they know you keep switching your books out?” he asked, tapping the feather against the tabletop.

                Kikwang shrugged but beamed at Junhyung, clearly pleased about something.  “You do though.”

                “So?”  The significance of that was lost on him.

                “It’s just nice… that you noticed,” he admitted, flipping to the next page.

                Junhyung studied the top of Kikwang’s head for a few seconds, admiring the way his long lashes curled up when he was looking down at the page.  “Why do you keep coming back to the same place at the same time when you know they’re going to bother you here?” he sighed, setting the pen into the inkwell and sitting back in his chair.

                “Why do you?” Kikwang asked in return, looking up with honest, open eyes as he waited for a response as well.

                That was not what he had been expecting in the least and it made Junhyung pause.  He scratched the side of his face, briefly upsetting his glasses which he removed to rub at the bridge of his nose.  Putting the frames back in place, he reached for his pen and jerked in surprise when Kikwang reached over to steady the inkwell just as he was about to knock it over.  “How did you-” he stopped, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

                Kikwang shrugged and sat back, the picture of innocence.  “Quick reflexes,” he nodded matter-of-factly.

                “You knew I was going to do that, didn’t you?” Junhyung questioned coyly.

                “What?” the other boy gasped in surprise.  “That’s impossible.  I just…” he gestured at the table.

                “You’re a bad liar,” Junhyung chuckled as he carefully set the pen back into place and folded his fingers together to inspect the familiar in training.

                “I’m not lying,” Kikwang defended himself with an offended air.

                It only made Junhyung smile harder.  He was playing that innocent card a little too hard.  “Yes you are.  Which explains why you prepared to fall when they knocked you over the other day and how you know to switch the books out before they arrive.”

                “Not the books,” Kikwang shook his head before he immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

                “Hah!” Junhyung pointed in victory.  “I was right,” he affirmed, setting his hands back down and jostling what was left of his coffee in the process, the result of which had Kikwang jumping to preempt it.  Again.

                “You did that on purpose,” Kikwang pouted, shaking his hand free of the tepid liquid.

                “Actually that was an accident,” Junhyung shrugged, a smile playing on his lips anyway.  “But you saw it happen before it did.”

                Kikwang merely exhaled in quiet defeat and nodded, flipping the page of his book back and forth.  “It’s not like it’s useful for anything.  I can only see things about-” he counted on his fingers with a thoughtful expression, “-ten seconds ahead.”

                “Ah.  So what about the book then?” Junhyung pointed at the text in front of him.

                “I just know when they’re likely to show up,” Kikwang nodded.

                “They are pretty predictable,” he agreed in tandem.  “But why do you let them do that to you if you can see it ahead of time?”

                Again, he played with the page he was on, nose wrinkling as he thought it over.  “At least in here, I can be ready for whatever they decide to do.  If they knew…” he trailed off, laughing nervously.

                “Hmm.”

                “Besides.  It’s not so bad,” Kikwang grinned, flattening the page out so he could peer at his companion.  “I’m Kikwang, by the way,” he greeted, sticking his hand out in introduction.

                Junhyung examined the hand, noticing a soft palm and no ink stains present, unlike his nails and calluses, which didn’t go away no matter how hard he tried some days.  “I know,” he commented after a moment, keeping his arms folded.

                “Okay, so what’s your name then?” he asked in response, unphased by the lack of forthcoming information, a lopsided smile gracing his open face, framed by dirty blonde hair that fluffed in different directions.

                “Why do you want to know?” Junhyung asked after a moment, brow furrowed in confusion.

                “Because you helped me,” was his easy, immediate answer.  “And I like to know who my friends are at least.”  White teeth showed brightly through full lips and Junhyung had to fight the immediate urge to smile back.

                “We’re friends now?” he murmured dryly, mouth quirked into the beginnings of a smile anyway.

                “I think so,” the familiar nodded, hand still floating in the air between them.

                The unabashed reply prompted Junhyung to laugh for once and he unfolded enough to place his hands on the table.  With pursed, amused lips, he raised a brow and finally reached out to take Kikwang’s hand in greeting.  “Junhyung.  Journeyman Scribe.”  He looked down at their hands and then past to some of the work Kikwang was slaving over, blinking in surprise.  “Your handwriting really is atrocious,” he commented.

                “You didn’t know?” Kikwang laughed and pushed the written text into better view.

                “We’re going to have to work on this,” Junhyung explained flatly, to which Kikwang merely hummed in response.  “No.  For real.”

                “Okay.”

                No one liked working on penmanship.  No one, which was why Junhyung had to look twice to make sure he was actually serious.  “Okay,” he finally exhaled in slight disbelief.  “Finish your studies and we’ll work on that next.”  The excited response he got from Kikwang was more than enough to question the boy’s sanity but it also made Junhyung himself smile.  Maybe he did just like to learn…

                Over the course of the next few days and weeks, he had ample opportunity to find out.  While Junhyung’s workload didn’t get any lighter, which meant he was always at the library first, he almost forgot about inviting Kikwang to join him again later.  When the familiar in training snuck in that first day, he looked up in confusion, frowning at the boy.  It very nearly sent Kikwang retreating to his original table before Junhyung sent a wadded piece of paper – which he ducked – flying at him.

                At least he was a good studier, quiet for the most part and involved in his own lessons, but he did have a tendency to ask Junhyung all manner of questions throughout the day before he had to go to his own classes.

                ‘Why do you want to be a Scribe?’

                ‘When do you get to be a Master?’

                ‘What do you do in your free time?’

                ‘Do you have any hobbies?’

                And around all of them, Kikwang divulged information about himself in turn, most of which was new to Junhyung since he didn’t have relations with the magic world as it were.  Apparently, familiars were interplanar creatures who were only allowed into this realm when they reached a certain level of maturity.  And only if they wanted to.  Some stayed away indefinitely or remained independent in this realm but the majority of those that crossed over became partnered to someone, like Dongwoon and Doojoon.  When the latter earned his stripes, they’d both be able to head out, but until then, the former was shackled here.

                Junhyung asked about Kikwang’s familiar shape a time or two but the younger male simply smiled and laughed with a twinkle in his eye.  He learned the truth when Sunny came up one day, a coffee in one hand, a backpack over her shoulder, and what looked like a golden retriever puppy in her arms.

                “Morning Junhyung,” she smiled, handing off the coffee to the mystified scribe.

                “Morning,” he coughed, taking a sip of coffee to hide his confusion.  “That’s Kikwang’s bag.  Where is he?” he asked, peering over her shoulder to see if he could find the boy.  “And why is there a dog here?”

                “Oh, he’s around,” Sunny smiled while she set the bag down and started to pet the puppy.  “He brought you the coffee too.  Said you might need it since you pulled an almost all nighter.”

                Junhyung rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.  “Almost.”

                “Here.  I’ve got work to do so why don’t you hold this little fella,” she grinned, handing off the pup with confidence enough to make him accept the fluffy thing without complaint.

                “But,” he tried to say when she walked away, the puppy wagging its tail happily in his arms.  “What am I supposed to do with you?” he asked to no one in particular, looking into strangely familiar, brown eyes.

                “Pet me,” came the immediate, childlike response from a mouth that did not move like it should have considering the puppy was speaking.

                Junhyung snorted and jerked in surprise.  “Kikwang?”

                “Yep.”  A shower of wet puppy kisses attacked his face while paws pressed on his chest and the tail continued to wag, brushing against the scroll on the tabletop with stray tendrils of hair.

                “Ack!” Junhyung grunted, craning his head back to escape while trying to hold Kikwang at arm’s length until the puppy finally fell still, limp in his hands and peering back mournfully with those damn, sad eyes.

                “Sorry,” he whimpered, tail swaying in apology.  “I got excited.”

                Arms stiff, Junhyung twisted in his chair to deposit Kikwang on the floor, peering at him with a furrowed brow.  “I noticed.”

                In the blink of an eye, Kikwang popped out of puppy form and into his human guise, looking very uncertain.  “I wanted to surprise you.”

                “Well… you did,” Junhyung conceded with a nod.  “But why a puppy?  How useful is that going to be as a familiar?”

                “I’m only a puppy now,” Kikwang hurried to explain, rushing over to his side of the table so he could pull a new text book out and show Junhyung.  “See?” he pointed out animatedly at the chapter on familiar development.  “I’ll be a puppy until I find my partner and then I’ll become a full grown version of me!”  He wriggled in his seat as if he was still in canine form and Junhyung couldn’t help but try to stifle an irrepressible laugh.

                “What are your classes here for then?” Junhyung commented, picking up the fountain pen to continue his job.

                “Learning to be a more successful familiar,” he responded by rote, nodding emphatically.

                “In that case, shouldn’t Dongwoon be in them with you?” he asked without looking up, the scandalized gasp enough to know the other male had heard.

                “He has a partner though.”  Amusement was evident in his tone.

                “And?”

                “And they learn together after that.”

                “Ah.”  Junhyung felt eyes on him then and he ignored it as long as he could, scratching away while looking from the book to the scroll moment after moment, but when he finally looked up, he saw Kikwang crouched on his side of the table, chin resting on his hands while big eyes stared at him hopefully.  “What?”

                “I could be your familiar.”  Another excited wriggle made Junhyung shake his head.

                “I don’t need a familiar,” he explained while working, foot tapping under the table when the prospect intrigued him all the same.

                “But you could still be my partner,” he went on determinedly.  “Besides.  You’ve said I’ll need more help than is available to get better with my penmanship.”

                “That’s true,” Junhyung nodded in agreement, scratching along.

                “What better way to fix it than by having me as a partner?”

                “And why would I want all that extra work?” he quirked a brow in amused response.

                “Because I can get you anywhere you want to go in record time,” he bragged confidently, a bright smile lighting up his face.

                “Right,” Junhyung chuckled, pausing long enough to give Kikwang his full attention.

                “Try me!” Kikwang urged, rushing around the table to kneel at the edge of the table, chin propped on top of his hands cutely.

                Junhyung paused and carefully set the fountain pen back into the inkwell, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pant legs.  “Anywhere?”  Kikwang nodded and he thought about it.  “Okay.  How about my apartment then?”

                For a moment, Kikwang blinked in surprise at the small time request, but then he shrugged and hopped up.  “Okay!”  He jumped into the air and poof!  Kikwang became his puppy self which Junhyung had to scramble to catch before he could fall on the ground.  “Hold on!” he yipped, curling his paws around the nearest shoulder tightly.

                “Yah!” Junhyung yelped while the world twisted around them.  Before he even knew what was happening, he was on his feet and walking forward as if he’d been commanded.

                “Just keep moving.  I’ll take care of the rest,” Kikwang nodded determinedly, tail wagging in an enthusiastic but subdued manner.

                “Sure…”

                “And don’t let go of me!”

                Junhyung had no idea why that was important but he dug his fingers into golden fur and kept moving, eyes getting bigger and bigger while floors turned into stairs and doors opened in surfaces that didn’t have them.  They walked upside down which was right side up and then sometimes horizontally but it all felt fine.  Even the spiral staircase that went down, turned into a moving escalator, and then corkscrewed was normal, if somewhat nausea inducing.

                “Oh bugger,” Kikwang exclaimed when they went through one door and ended up in what appeared to be a strange plane with fuzzy edges at the horizons.  The room was innocuous enough but it felt a bit off and Junhyung’s eyes complained against the issues with focusing.

                “Kikwangie?” a soft voice questioned before a tan bunny hopped out of hiding, using its front paws before scooting forward with its hind feet.

                “Yoseobie?” Kikwang responded with a glance down, tail wagging automatically.

                “You’re back!” the bunny squealed, bounding from the ground to land on top of the golden retriever.  “And you brought a partner!”

                “Who is this?”

                “He’s not my partner yet,” Kikwang explained with a whine.

                “Why not?”

                “Why is there a bunny here?”

                “He’s my brother,” Kikwang explained with a look at Junhyung before whipping his head around to peer at Yoseob.  “I’m trying to convince him.”

                “Oh!  I’ll help!” Yoseob bounced in place, paws and ears twitching in his excitement.

                “You can’t!”

                “It’s no problem,” the bunny exclaimed animatedly, rushing them along.  “Come on!  Where are we going?”

                “My apartment,” Junhyung frowned, more confused than ever.

                “Where is that?”

                “You can’t come too…”

                “Let’s go!  Onward partner!” he directed and Junhyung felt compelled to move, if only to get out of this strange place.

                “Wait!” Kikwang wailed, but they were already in motion and it was up to him to open doors and guide them appropriately.

                “Whee!”

                “I’m so confused…”

                “And… we’re here!” Kikwang exclaimed when a final doorway spit them out into another solid room that needed light.  Unwilling to be put down until they confirmed their destination, Kikwang held onto Junhyung while the other male searched for a light switch.

                “What do you know?  Home sweet home,” he chuckled as illumination banished the shadows and revealed the den of his apartment.

                “Oh!  You live here?” Yoseob asked, hopping down to immediately begin investigating in his current form.

                “Hey!  Stop that!  He’s not your partner!  You’re invading his space!” Kikwang whined, scrambling to get down so he could chase his sibling.

                “Yah!” Yoseob yelped, hopping off.

                “Wait!” Junhyung called, taking a half step after them before they were already moving past him.  “Stop!”  Another attempted lunge did nothing until finally, he was able to reach down and snag both of them by the scruffs of the neck, holding a chagrined bunny in one hand and keeping the repentant puppy in place with the other.  “Hold still,” he exhaled in exasperation.

                “Sorry,” they both murmured at the same time.

                Carefully, Junhyung set them both free and remained kneeling in front of the pair.  “What have I gotten myself into?”  When Yoseob seemed about to reply, he held up his finger to forestall the answer.  “That wasn’t an actual question.”  He leveled his gaze on the bunny and sighed, “Something tells me you aren’t supposed to be here.”  Long ears flattened pitifully against his head and Junhyung sighed before he focused on Kikwang.  “And as for you.  I’ll consider it,” he smiled, running his palm over the soft, golden head which made Kikwang whine happily and nose into his hand, tail wagging against the floor.

                “But what if I wanna be a familiar too?” Yoseob asked, looking up with big sad eyes.  So it ran in the family…

                Kikwang saved him from having to respond by answering, “You’ve gotta talk with the elders first.  You know that.”

                “But they’re so old and grumpy,” he complained with a pout.  Kikwang merely shrugged at his words and turned his head up to nose at Junhyung’s chin.

                “I still don’t know why you want me for a partner,” he admitted, pulling his head back while still petting the puppy.

                “Because I do,” he responded matter of factly.

                “I guess so,” Junhyung admitted with a nod.

~~~~~~

                Junhyung checked and rechecked his bag to make sure everything he needed was in it: extra fountain pens, plenty of tightly sealed inkwells, lots of spare scrolls (all blank and with no need for transcriptions!), several days worth of food, water, sleeping gear, clothes, etc…  He ran his fingers through his messy black hair, careful not to upset his glasses, and nodded once.  “Alright!  I think I’m ready,” he smiled to himself, patting the closed bag with a glance around the bedroom.  “How you doing, Kikwang?” he called, peering back through the doorway and into the living room where he’d last seen the familiar.  Silence answered him and he frowned at the lack of response.  “Kikwang?” he tried again, moving a bit closer.

                Approaching footsteps warned him just a fraction before it was too late.  “I’m ready!” Kikwang shouted, rounding the kitchen doorway before he leapt into the air with a frantic poof!

                “Ugh!” Junhyung coughed upon catching the moving weight of a full grown golden retriever in his arms.  He wasn’t up to the task and both fell to the ground with the dog on top and Junhyung caught between laughing or being perturbed.

                “Oops,” Kikwang mumbled, tail wagging while he rested his chin on Junhyung’s chest and blinked at him with sorry eyes.  “I forgot.”

                “You’ve gotta stop doing that,” he finally chuckled, roughing Kikwang’s fur with both hands while his tongue lolled out of his mouth in delight.  “You are too heavy.”

                “But I liked it when you carried me through planes,” Kikwang whined, crawling forward just enough to nose at Junhyung’s chin, giving it a little kiss with his tongue.

                “You’re getting so big, you might be able to carry me soon,” Junhyung admitted as he wrapped an arm around the fluffy head and hugged him tight.

                Kikwang wriggled free playfully and popped back into his human form so he could give Junhyung a hand up.  “I can give you a piggyback now,” he grinned, grabbing hold of Junhyung’s bag before he presented his back with an expectant glance over his shoulder.

                “Oh really?” Junhyung chuckled, secretly pleased by the idea.  At Kikwang’s reassuring nod, he took a breath and dared himself to give it a try.

                Kikwang stumbled forward a step or two and then steadied himself, giving a lopsided grin while he peered at Junhyung out of the corner of his eye.  “So!  Where to, oh master Scribe?”

                “Hmm.  You tell me,” he murmured, hugging Kikwang tight from behind while he rested his chin on the muscled shoulder.

                “And that’s why I didn’t want a mage for a partner,” he laughed, butting Junhyung’s head affectionately.

                “You’re a bad liar,” Junhyung smiled as he nudged back and settled himself more comfortably.

                “No I’m not,” Kikwang teased in return, winking as he took a step forward, the world twisting around them as they went wherever the wind would take them.

(a/n: Tigress: I don't know what this was either.  lol  But I was entertained while picturing it in my head.  The planar travel was actually inspired from a dream I had but everything else is original and I hope you liked it!  I'm sorry it's late but I'm glad I completed it in general!  Woot!

To everyone else, thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed it too.  ^_^)