thou mangy feline

[nctahousecat]

Name: Thackery Binx Age: 26  Height: 5′11 Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual  Occupation: Bartender at the Rainbow Room Zodiac: Taurus sun, Leo moon, Capricorn rising Faceclaim: Deaken Bluman

Description

Thackery Binx’s story begins many many years ago, when the Sanderson sisters first began to wreak havoc. Thackery was almost always in charge of taking care of his younger sister, Emily, at the time, but one night she had been kidnapped by the witches while under his care. When he tried to follow them to save her, the witches casted a terrible curse on him that turned him into a talking black cat! His sister was killed that terrible night thanks to the Sandersons, and the black cat spent years and years near the old Sanderson house, protecting the black flame candle to make sure the evil women didn’t come back. It wasn’t until many years later that the candle was lit by a teen who snuck in with 2 others, and initially, Binx’s protective instincts came out, as he wanted nothing but to make sure the Sandersons were to never return. He was too late to stop Max Dennison from lighting the candle, but he was able to be there to help make sure nothing bad happened to Max, Allison, or little Dani. In the end, they were able to barely scrape by and survive, and afterwards, Binx’s curse seemed to be somewhat lifted. His human form was returned, and at first he was ecstatic! He thought he was finally free, but a few weeks later, the night before the full moon, he returned to his cat form, and soon became a human again once the full moon had passed. Since then, Binx has adjusted to the new ways of the curse, being able to somewhat live a normal life and schedule things around the full moon. He still feels protective over Allison, Max and especially Dani, and has been keeping a careful eye out for anymore witches getting in their way.

Headcanons

- Since he was cursed, Binx realized that he no longer ages, which grows more and more depressing as time goes on. It makes it hard for him to even think about settling down and dating, especially with his cat form getting in the way once a month.

- He absolutely hates magic and everything about it. He doesn’t trust anyone who possesses it and tries to stay clear of it, but it always seems to follow him somehow.

- It’s unfortunate, because he wants the curse to be fully broken, because becoming a cat like he does is very, very inconvenient. However, he realized that after the curse changed, he’s been able to see Emily’s spirit whenever he’s a cat! It gives him more time with her, even if she’s no longer alive. He isn’t sure he’d be ready to fully say goodbye to her if the curse were to be fully lifted — if he was no longer a cat, he’d no longer be able to see her again.

- The reason he’s so protective of Dani is because she reminds him of his sister. He doesn’t think Max keeps a close enough eye on her, so he takes on the extra responsibility of making sure Dani is safe.

- He often goes by Binx now. It’s typically only Emily who still calls him Thackery

- He’s very hyper aware of the moon phases for his own sanity, since he has to plan everything around the full moon

- Binx’s experience as a cat is sometimes hard to recall once he’s back in his human form. It all feels like a weird, foggy dream, only able to recall bits and pieces of what happened at times

- Binx isn’t sure if cats just recognize him, or if they sense the magic that cursed him to be a cat, but even when he isn’t in cat form, cats will seem to follow him. He refuses to have a pet cat, especially since he’s hardly home enough to take care of one, but he does pet any strays that come by or will give them some food and water. 

- Hardly anyone knows about his curse besides Dani, Max and Allison. He’s embarrassed about it, and it is a constant reminder that he failed Emily. Even if he’s grateful to be able to see her spirit while he’s a cat, it doesn’t make the overall circumstances any better

- Either has dreams about magic and curses, Emily, or about himself in cat form. He swears the witches drove him to complete madness from the curse

- Basically a protective, cautious, sneaky cat detective that hates magic. But underneath that, when able to let his guard down and be normal for once, he can be funny, sarcastic and fun to be around. After all these years, though, Binx still doesn’t really know who he is or where he belongs.

- INFJ 

[salemsaber]

Salem was enjoying his time on one of his favorite catnap spots—the sun-warmed stone of a garden wall along a sidewalk that offered enough foot traffic for him to get an appropriate amount of attention from passersby—when a black cat identical in appearance to himself happened to walk by. Like the true Narcissus he was, he couldn’t refrain from making a comment, “Hey, Handsome,” mostly to entertain himself and with no expectation of understanding or reply. Most cats didn’t talk back. At least not in English. When this one did, he blinked in surprise and then slowly stretched and jumped off the wall to approach the stranger. Ah, yes, there it was: the scent of magic. “Are you sure it wasn’t your imagination?” he replied, finding it impossible not to tease the other. He was curious enough to drop the bit immediately though, inquiring, “What are you in cat form for—punishment or pleasure?” the way one might ask another person what brings them to town.

[nctahousecat]

Thackery didn’t even bother to ask the cat to repeat himself; he was too surprised by the interaction, especially as he saw how casually the other black cat spoke to him. It was moments like these that Binx questioned his sanity during the full moon. The other cat jumped down to approach him, and the two were face-to-face. There was something very human-like about this cat — he wondered if they shared a similar fate.

Binx wasn’t amused by the others teasing, his expression making that quite obvious. “Pleasure?” He repeated in disgust. “What kind of sick person finds pleasure in this lifestyle?” He wasn't proud of it, but the word witch popped into his head as soon as he asked the question aloud. He'd made so much progress on becoming more accepting of magic and witches thanks to Sophie, but he couldn't help but still have his guard up at times. After all, the Sanderson sisters took great pleasure in turning Thackery into a cat. He visibly took a step back from the stranger. “... Who are you?”

[liildenniison]

As soon as he said he didn’t want to add more to her plate, all the redhead did was roll her eyes at Binx. While he wasn’t wrong about there being a lot going on for her lately, with Glade being a reoccurring figure as of late thanks to his constant need to showing up at the thrift shop whenever she was working, and then the fact that she’s been hooking up with him most of the time, yet whenever they weren’t hooking up, they were still hanging out with each other which only made things even more confusing to Dani— that didn’t mean that she couldn’t carve out some time for one of her favorite people. She even made sure to make time for Max and Allison, even if it was to mainly babysit Poppy for them so that the two can have alone time, the girl wasn’t so busy. Not busy enough when she knows she could do more to help Binx if he needed it. All he had to do was ask. “You better keep that promise because I’m never too busy if you need me.” Dani claimed as she shot him a reassured smile. At least she can find comfort in knowing that if he didn’t come to her for help, that he still had a girlfriend he could go to instead—one who, hell, could be of better use than Dani herself. Which is why as soon as Binx mentioned asking Sophie to move in with him soon, the girls eyes lit up as her smile widen. “Move in as in her moving into your apartment so you both can live together oooorrr you giving her a key to your place so she can come around whenever she wants?” She asked, thrilled about this sudden news. “Either way, that’s such a huge step for you, Binx! I’m proud!"

[nctahousecat]

It was impossible to ignore Dani rolling her eyes, Binx looking over at her with a knowing smile. She knew he wouldn’t have agreed that easily, but she persisted anyway. Binx hoped the news about his girlfriend would finally get Dani to trust that Binx could carry his own. It had been quite some time now since the cursed male went from full-time cat to part-time cat — he was much more independent now than he was in the beginning. 

Keeping promises was a touchy subject for Thackery, after failing to keep his promise of protecting Emily so long ago. But he always felt like Dani was his second chance to be a better brother, to make up for what he’d done. So he took this promise very seriously with her. “You have my word.”

He knew his news about Sophie would excite Dani, his smile turning to a grin for a moment. Though it fell a bit at her question. What the hell did that mean? Although he felt that he was well adjusted to human life, some of his understandings of things were outdated. “There’s a difference?” He wondered aloud. He assumed it meant Sophie moving in completely, taking their relationship to the next level now that things were getting more serious. But maybe the second option Dani mentioned was safer — maybe Sophie wasn’t fully ready to move in with him yet, so that was an option to ease into it… But it didn’t quite feel the same.

As Dani celebrated excitedly, Binx chuckled in confusion. “Well… I don’t really know? I guess whatever she’s comfortable with,” he decided aloud, nodding. “I know it’s not the traditional way,” he continued, still a somewhat traditional person because of when he was raised, “but it feels right.”

[nctahousecat]

@salemsaber

One of the many downsides to Binx’s curse is how lonely it could sometimes be. As far as he knew, there was only one talking cat around, and it was himself. There were only a few people he trusted to speak to in his cursed form, unless, of course, he was having an off day and wasn’t quite himself thanks to the curse. Today was different, though, when he swore he heard another cat speak. He was so surprised that he didn't even make out the words clearly. Binx stopped in his tracks, the sun shining on the garden wall on which the other cat sat. He had to just be hearing things, right? Another part of the curse? But Binx couldn’t help himself as he asked hesitantly, “... Did you just …. Say something?”

[itsscphiie]

Kissing Binx always made Sophie breathless. Maybe it was the way on how she didn’t want to pull away from his lips, and wanted to keep kissing him until they couldn’t any longer, but even the shortest of their kisses had a way of making the witch lose her breath. And this time was no different, for as soon as they pulled away, the brunette was just as breathless as she always had been. But then he uttered the three letter words she wasn’t expecting to hear on this very night— “I love you, Sophie.” 

With every ounce of breath escaping her, Sophie’s eyes widen at his confession. “...You love me?” She repeated, just as Binx elaborated on how much he loved her. In over 300 years, she was the first person to make him fall this way. And for a split second, hearing those words was almost hard for the witch to believe, he couldn’t really have gone so long without loving someone…..did he? And yet, his words had sounded so heartfelt and as she stared deeply into his eyes, the brunette could see he was saying the honest truth. Closing her eyes, she leaned her cheek against the back of his hand before raising her own and placing it over his. “I love you too, Binx.” Sophie confessed in return, entwining her hand within his.

She then moved their entwined hand until she had her lips hovering the back of his hand. Pressing a kiss, the witch then tightened her hold before pressing their hands against her chest, right where her heartbeat was. “I wished you hadn’t needed to wait this long to finally find love,” the young witch began, imagining how hard it was for him to see people meet and fall in love all around him, how heartbreaking it must’ve been for him to realize that he couldn’t love anyone in that way, but then how terrifying it was when he realized that he was falling for her in that way. But then fact that Binx was able to utter those words to her still was so brave. “But I feel so lucky to be the one you had fallen for.” Releasing her hold, she rested both hands against his cheek, staring deeply into his eyes as Sophie smiled. “It’s okay that you’re scared, but I promise I’ll love you for as long as you want me. And even then, I’ll continue to love you because that’s just it. I love you, and being with you feels like home."

[nctahousecat]

Binx smiled as Sophie repeated his words, nodding his head to confirm what she heard to be true. He loves her — and he didn’t feel scared to express it now. But loving her was still terrifying even after admitting it. There were so many other things to be scared about: loving Sophie but watching her age while he remained the same… the fear that something could go terribly wrong between them before they could even love each other for a lifetime… or Binx’s soul being freed if his curse was ever completely lifted, leaving her behind… Then there was the other part of him, scared of the realization that maybe he was okay with being cursed if it meant not leaving her behind, even if she wasn’t immortal like he was. With Sophie in his life, his curse didn’t carry such heavy weight anymore, at least for now. Before, he had feared her magic and being a witch, but now he feared that something would come between them, that this love would only be temporary.

I love you too. Binx suddenly felt blessed to hear those words come from her. He couldn’t help but rub his cheek against her hand in an almost cat-like manner. He truly never thought he’d experience this feeling for himself — after being cursed as a cat for so long, he’d just about given up on the idea of love. He watched others fall in love right before his eyes, including Max and Allison, but even in his human state it didn’t feel like love was possible for him… until he met Sophie Piper.

“You were worth the wait,” Binx reassured her, gently squeezing her palm as she held their hands against her chest. Despite how long it took for him to finally find love, he didn’t dwell on that. He was just lucky to ever find it at all. Binx listened to her promise, aware that she meant every word as she stared into his eyes. Home. They both felt at home with each other, no matter where they were… this was what love truly felt like. Binx grinned, and instead of saying more he broke the space between them and reconnected their lips.

[liildenniison]

“That would be horrific!” The redhead claimed, eyes comically wide as she tried to imagine being both cursed while dealing with your time of the month. Having a period was bad enough— with all the blood, the cramps, and the bloating? It could really suck being a woman, but to add being cursed alongside of that? Yeah, it was a good thing that Binx didn’t need to deal with both. Even though what he has to deal with was way worst than having a period alone, because at least not every time was so bad and it’s only for a couple of days, but for Binx? Sure, he wasn’t eternally stuck as a cat now, but Dani knew how bad his memory can be whenever he was in his cat state, and she can only imagine how difficult it must be needing to adjust in knowing that he wasn’t entirely human anymore either— even if it has been centuries since he last was considered a regular human. She would take having a period any day over being cursed. But that’s also why she was trying to make light of this situation, feeling triumph as he laughed at her comment. “My offer to stay with me still stands!” Dani stated, with a half smile. “I’ll gladly watch over you whenever it’s a full moon. You know? I can get you a special bowl with your name custom made on it, feed you all your favorite foods, and of course play with you all day!” She beamed. “Or better yet because I know you don’t actually want me treating you like a house cat— and you are more than that to me, I could just follow you around wherever you go as a cat if it helps make you feel any better.” 

[nctahousecat]

Binx nodded in agreement. Though he couldn’t possibly imagine the burdening feeling of a monthly menstrual cycle, it sure seemed terrible. That on top of a curse would just be unbearable. The cursed male smiled as she once again offered for him to stay with her while he was in his cat form, but Binx had yet to take on the offer despite her many attempts. He didn’t want to be an inconvenience, and he’d already figured out his own little ways of getting in and out of his apartment during his moments as a cat. Besides that, he had yet to reveal to Dani just how bad his memory was under the full moon; he had a feeling she had caught onto it on her own by now, but she may not have realized just how bad it truly could be at times, or at least how unreliable his memory truly was. He’d only recently confessed this struggle with his girlfriend, after all. Binx shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think there’s any need for me to stay with you,” he began honestly, “and I know you’re busy with your own stuff. I'd hate to add more to your plate... but I promise if I need your help, I’ll be sure to find you.” He had yet to fill in Dani on the recent updates with his girlfriend, so he decided now may be a good chance to bring it up; it may ease any worries she's had about him and his curse lately. “Besides… I’m actually considering asking Sophie to move in with me soon.”

[itsscphiie]

The brunette nearly rebuttal that she couldn’t, not wanting to come off as an overly attached girlfriend who couldn’t go a single day without being around him when she knew that this was a time where he normally wanted his space. Besides, even if she wanted to look for him sooner, she wouldn’t have known if she’ll end up finding him. “And you could’ve came looking for me sooner too.” Sophie decided to say, teasing him right back as she crunched her nose at the love bite he gave her. Binx had no business being this cute and cuddly as a at, yet the brunette nuzzled her cheek against his midnight fur, savoring this moment as she held him within her arms. Hopefully, now that she’s seen him like this, he would no longer keep hiding away from her. 

Unlocking the door to his home felt a bit strange to her. She almost felt as if she was about to trespass into his home, even though she wasn’t as Binx himself had encouraged Sophie to come in, but knowing how he doesn’t remember much on what he does as a cat, would it really be okay for her to be in here? It wasn’t like this was the first time the brunettes been inside his room, but it would be the first with him as a cat, yet as her boyfriend kept himself close to her as she opened the door, going as far as to even brush against her leg while walking inside, the witch found herself relaxing gain. “Because.” Is all she said, not having an explanation on why he didn’t need to get her a gift. Just having this chance to be with him while it was still Christmas was enough of a gift for Sophie, she thought while closing the door behind her. His apartment wasn’t as decorated for the holidays, she noted, seeing only a small Christmas tree sitting against the coffee table within the living room. But as the two walked in even farther, the brunette noticed the small red box with a green bow on it sitting under the tree. With a curious gaze, she sat down on the couch and watched as he jumped right next to her. He then nodded towards the box, encouraging her to reach for it and so she did. Slipping the green bow off, she opened the box and gasp— there she found a silver bracelet with two charms on it. “Binx,” Sophie began, loss for words on what to say. The gift was beautiful, but what had her the most tongue tied were the two charms he had picked. A witch hat and a cat— representing the two of them. With her eyes beginning to swell, she placed the box back against the coffee table before pulling him into her lap. “It’s beautiful, thank you!” 

[nctahousecat]

Though Binx knew that Sophie was only teasing with her next comment, some guilt formed in the pit of his stomach anyway. She didn’t understand why he didn’t come look for her sooner, and honestly, he wasn’t sure when he ever could have. His behaviors and patterns under the curse were so unpredictable; if things were different, he would’ve never stayed away from her this long in his cat form. Now that she was here though, nuzzling her cheek against his fur, he wished he had revealed his cursed form sooner. He should have never waited this long — he loved her. But loving her meant he needed to be honest, and as they stepped inside his apartment, he mentally decided that tonight would be the night he opened up to her completely.

Sitting beside her comfortably on the couch, he watched as she opened his gift to her as he continued to purr. He knew she would love it, and seeing her reaction only confirmed that. He happily went into her lap as she pulled him in. “I’m glad you love it,” Binx answered happily, nuzzling against her. “Merry Christmas, my love.” It was so heartwarming to enjoy Christmas with someone he loved. Sure, he’d spent Christmas with the Dennisons before this, but spending it with Sophie was a different kind of love that couldn’t be replaced.

The two enjoyed each other’s company for a few minutes, a comfortable silence filling the apartment as Sophie petted his midnight fur. He knew it was time to tell her the entire truth about his curse, but he didn’t realize yet that he wouldn’t remember the conversation at all once he returned to himself again. “Sophie … can I tell you something?”

[slightlyconceited]

“Really? Huh…” Slightly could understand not asking an ordinary cat if it was alright to pet them, but Binx was a person in cat form; he could actually answer when asked. It only seemed natural to get his permission before caressing him, just as Sly wouldn’t just start touching his hair without permission if he was a human. At least until they were close enough for that…Maybe that was the thing, maybe Binx usually only spent time around people he was already super tight with while he was a cat (or on the flipside, people who didn’t even know he was a person at all.) There was yet another question to add to the list. “No way, I’ve got a bunch more,” he assured as he reached down to pet the cat Binx. “First, is it like a werewolf thing? Do you transform during the full moon or just whenever? And do you eat mice and stuff when you’re a cat or do you still like human food? Can you see in the dark?” He stopped himself from going on, figuring that was more than enough to start with.

[nctahousecat]

It was actually entertaining to answer some of Slightly’s questions; he’d never really been interrogated before in his cat form like this. He wondered if it would be more common if he was more open about his curse. Dani was probably the only other person who had so many questions for him regarding being a cat so far. He allowed Slightly to pet him, the feeling comforting.

It should have been obvious to compare it to werewolves, but Binx never thought of it that way — likely because the curse wasn’t always this way. “It wasn’t at first, but now it is,” he confessed. “When I was first cursed, I was like this all the time… it was supposed to be meant for all eternity, actually.” Three hundred years of being a cat was long enough, really. “Now it just lasts a couple days around the full moon.” The pattern was strange, but he’d adjusted. He continued, “I much prefer human food. I’ve had my fair share of mice in the past when I didn’t really have a choice… still would’ve preferred my normal diet over that.” As a human now, he almost despised anything fishy like seafood and salmon. It was too much of a reminder of his cat years. “I can see better in the dark, I think. Only as a cat, of course. It’s strange how my eyesight is completely different under the full moon.”

[embinx]

It was strange. Emily had seemingly been drifting in the in-between for hundreds of years with only spare moments of breaking through to the living world, so when her brother asked if she would come back again, her instinct was to answer that she didn’t know how soon she would be able to visit again. Yet now that she was here, conversing with him (as best as she was able without the power of speech) she felt more…tethered. She knew she had found what she was looking for, and she was suddenly sure she could hold onto that connection to find her way back. She nodded in answer. Her energy now was waning, the apparition of her flickering as she tried to maintain her focus, but she was confident in her ability to return after resting. Perhaps she would attempt to communicate audibly next.

Thackery’s apology for not speaking to her sooner was easily forgiven; neither had known any better. His curse had prevented her from recognizing him as her brother at the same time it made him think he was being haunted by a vision sent from the witches. How could either of them have guessed? “And I thought you a cat,” Em answered, laughing. Her ghostly form steadied as she did, and then resumed flickering as her giggles subsided. “I have to go now.” Her smile turned sad again, and then the veil parted before her eyes, the pull of where she belonged separating her from Thackery again. Before returning to the other realm, she stopped trying to be seen and focused all her essence into being heard so she could leave with a promise he’d hear, her voice lingering in the air after she disappeared. “I’ll come back.”

The waiting between visits wasn’t so easy after that. Now that she had found her way to him once, Emily couldn’t wait to return, but she had yet to master how to do it exactly when she wanted. She still had no way of knowing how much time passed while she was lost in the mist, but she hoped it hadn’t been too long since the last time when she found Thackery again. This time, she focused on projecting her voice, not her image. “Good day!” she greeted, delighted to see him react to it, disembodied as the sound was.

[nctahousecat]

As Emily nodded, Thackery noticed the image of his sister begin to flicker away, his heart sinking into his chest as he realized it was time for her to go. He didn’t know when he’d see her again despite the confidence she seemed to have in returning. Finishing their somewhat one-sided conversation, he was only able to hear the last bit of her words as she was out of sight. I’ll come back.

Thackery was a little shaken by the interaction, but he was still eager for her return. He went about his day-to-day life in the meantime, even seeing her in a dream once or twice in between. He assumed he’d be seeing her again, though instead he was randomly startled one day by the sound of her voice as he was at home doing the dishes. The cursed sibling jumped despite the delightful tone in her familiar voice, the dish in his hand clattering against the sink as he dropped it. He quickly turned his head around to see if she was behind him, but no one was present. “Emily?” He asked, his heart rate still returning to normal from the jump scare. His eyes were searching for any sort of indication of her in the room. “Are you there?”

[itsscphiie]

Home. The way the word escaped her lips so effortlessly as if Binx’s home was their home. And that was the thing— she may have been dating him for a short time now, but the reality was that Binx’s home felt like it was Sophie’s home as well. She’s been over many times since they officially got together, had stayed the night, and even had her very own toothbrush he kept inside his bathroom. But that wasn’t the only reason why she felt so comfortable referring to his place as their home. Binx was the reason Sophie felt so at home with him. There had always been a pull towards him since the first time they met. An attraction in which she could not explain yet one the brunette was willing to explore. And when he reciprocated that attraction, it made sense that the next natural course of action was for the young witch to have fallen for him. 

As he unlocked the door, he took her hand, only to pull her inside with a kiss. Sophie smiled through their connected lips, kissing Binx in return as he closed and locked the door behind them, finally allowing the couple to be completely alone with each other. They then momentarily broke apart, the witch staring up into her boyfriends eyes as he muttered a soft “Thank you” to her. At that, she smiled once more at him, thinking of how he didn’t need to be thanking her just because she prompted them into leaving the Halloween Ball sooner. For as much as it made her happy that he agreed to go to it with her, she cared about his comfort, and by now she understood Binx really well— Sophie knew he would’ve stayed late into the night at the ball if she asked him to, but she didn’t because their relationship was a two-way-street, which meant she knew she could have her fun at the ball with him but still make peace in knowing he wouldn’t want to stay for too long. Besides, being alone with him within the comfort of his home brought more peace to the brunette than being surrounded by a crowd of strangers in fancy Halloween inspired garments 

She didn’t get the chance to respond back to him, the distance between their lips disappearing as her boyfriend pulled her close and kissed her once again. The witch wrapped her arms around his neck, happy and content as she kissed him back. If this is how they plan to spend the rest of their night, there were no complaints on Sophie’s end— she would gladly keep making out with Binx if that’s what he wanted to do. But perhaps they should move away from his front door. This time, she pulled away, the brunette nuzzling her nose against his before she took a step back. “Let’s move to somewhere more comfortable.” She said, hand still connected with his as she led them towards his couch. Once he sat down, she didn’t take a seat next to him, instead Sophie sat on his lap— arms rewrapping themselves over his shoulders with a smitten smile on her face as the witch leaned over and reconnected their lips. 

[nctahousecat]

As soon as the door was locked and Sophie’s lips were against his, he felt the safest he ever had on a Halloween evening. Had he returned home alone tonight, he’d likely still be on edge, still haunted by the Sandersons and assuming the worst of the holiday overall because of PTSD. But she was here, radiating warmth and comfort and Binx was intoxicated by her presence. It was the reason he thanked her, for sticking by his side in even the difficult moments. He couldn’t have asked for anyone better to fall in love with.

Binx’s eyes met hers as she pulled away, grinning as she nuzzled her nose against his. She was so cute. Sophie took his hand again and led the two of them to his couch, taking a seat and watching as she climbed into his lap. He loved how comfortable they were with each other, wrapping his arms around her again as soon as their lips reconnected. Suddenly she was all he could think about, no longer concerned that it was his least favorite day of the year or how normally he would be on edge and waiting for the worst to come… instead, he was home with the best.

As their kisses deepened, he was overwhelmed with his love for her. Binx couldn’t hold it back any longer as he pulled away for air for a moment, meeting her gaze again as he admitted for the first time, “I love you, Sophie.” But it was more than that. He brought a hand up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. “I love you so much it scares me…” but he didn’t mean that in a negative way, of course. He continued before she was able to take it out of context, the back of his hand brushing against her flushed cheeks. “I’ve been alive for over 300 years, and you’re the first person to make me fall in love like this.” The witch had changed him, and for the better.

[witchmarnie]

The question of Luke having moved just to be closer to her made Marnie’s heart jump in surprise. Wasn’t that an idea? She had never felt the need to ask why Luke wanted to live here; it seemed pretty obvious since they were younger that he’d rather be around humans than in Halloweentown. It was merely a matter of time before he made the jump. Binx just didn’t know any of that, so he was assuming things. She shrugged it off. “Oh, no. He’s always loved the area.” Mortal world, she thought. “Plus, I don’t think he really had much family to tie him to his hometown…Not like us—our grandma still lives there, but we were raised here. Best of both worlds.”

When he inquired about their brother, she smiled wryly. “Yeah, Dylan—but he’s honestly not much of a warlock either. He basically only uses magic to read faster.” Marnie rolled her eyes. Her brother was the biggest nerd she knew, and she would never miss the opportunity to tease him, to his face or behind his back, no matter how old they got. It came with the territory of their sibling relationship, even if he was one of her best friends at the same time. “He’s probably at home getting ready for a sensible bedtime.”

[nctahousecat]

As Marnie shrugged it off, Binx’s eyebrows quirked in interest. He momentarily wondered what about the area he’s always loved, but he figured that was something he could ask him if he was ever properly introduced to Luke. Either way, it was nice that he could talk to Sophie’s sister and get to know her better without feeling judged for his past mistakes. Her previous threat was quick and simple, and now it was as if they were already getting along. He nodded in understanding as she explained.

It was funny to hear her describe their brother, unable to help but laugh a bit as she rolled her eyes. “He sounds … responsible,” he replied jokingly, though he wanted to get more of a feel of what to expect upon meeting him eventually. Dylan hardly using his magic was one thing, but did he have predisposed feelings about Binx too based on his mistakes? “Should I be worried about him being protective of Sophie, too?” He asked, his tone light. “Or is that mainly your job?”

[embinx]

Emily supposed she had spent all this time waiting for her brother, but she couldn’t imagine how many years he was referring to. Time did not pass for her the way it did for the living. After the witches had drained her body of life, she had wandered in the wood between worlds for a while, looking for Thackery. Now and then she’d make a breakthrough to the world of the living, but it could have been hours between those points of connection for all she was aware. It was only when Thackery explained everything to her—his being cursed to take on the form of a black cat, the fact that it had been at least three hundred years since then, and even his falling in love with a witch who he hoped could help with his magical affliction—that Emily understood how different their experiences had been since her death. Her brother had not followed her there; she had not been seeking for him in those misty woods so they could move on together. Instead, he had been burdened to live on endlessly, so that they should never meet again. This was a worse punishment than those witches sucking her life out. At least her eternal soul remained free. Her brother was trapped, fated to be separated from her forever, and that broke her heart.

Her eyes had widened with each new piece of information Thackery provided until they could grow no wider, but Emily managed to suppress her shock enough to find in herself a glimmer of happiness for his happiness. She had never seen her brother in love before. It was unexpected perhaps, but it looked well on him. And if he promised his Sophie was a good witch, she would trust his judgment, no matter how wrong her own had been about the Sanderson sisters. It sounded like this Sophie might also be their only option to lift Thackery’s curse and help his soul rest. Emily smiled at him again as a show of her support. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t now. Not until she figured out how to be heard…or he got better at reading the words on her lips. 

She wanted to tell him that it hadn’t felt like three hundred years to her, that she was sorry she led him to being cursed by those witches, and that she hadn’t known the black cat she had seen before was him, or she would have tried to say hello sooner. She wanted to ask for more detail about that virgin lighting a candle he mentioned, and what Sophie was like, because whoever had managed to win his heart must be someone special indeed, and she also wanted to tease him about it because he couldn’t expect to mention such a thing without being teased. “I shall try,” she promised, bringing her hand up to motion to her throat where no voice emanated. Hopefully he understood that message. “I shall learn to speak again.”

[nctahousecat]

Though their conversation was sort of one-sided, Emily was still able to follow along as he explained. He watched her expressions as he dived into details, unsurprised by her initial shock at the news. It was heartbreaking, but perhaps it was a good thing that she had been unaware of all he’d gone through; it meant that she hadn’t followed him around this entire time, waiting. She must have had an entirely different experience in the afterlife — he wished he could ask her questions. 

On the other hand, she seemed happy for him as he described Sophie. He left out the part about how much of an idiot he’d been at first, how he judged Sophie after he found out she was magical and ghosted her (though he wouldn’t have used that phrasing anyway… Emily would likely be confused). In reality, how he’d initially handled Sophie’s magic didn’t really matter, because now he loved her. After 300 years, he found a way to love someone else and love her magic. It made his curse somehow worth it, despite the hardships and heartache that had come along with it. 

Thackery watched as Emily motioned to her throat, understanding what she was trying to communicate as he read her lips. He smiled reassuringly, surprisingly feeling at peace with this. His sister was okay. Even if he couldn’t touch her, couldn’t hear her or hug her or ask her questions, she was okay. He nodded, communicating he understood. “You’ll come back again?” He asked, hoping it would be soon and not a long wait. He wasn’t sure how long they had together right now, if she could only appear for short amounts of time. Did ghosts have their own set of rules to follow? Now that he was communicating with Emily, he wished he had tried to do so sooner. “I’m sorry I didn’t speak to you sooner... I thought you were simply a part of my curse.”

[itsscphiie]

With a wave of her free hand, the brunette shot a reassurance smile towards his direction. “Don’t worry about Marnie.” Sophie said, once again squeezing Binx’s hand as the couple continued to make their way out of the hotel. “I had already told her beforehand at the possibility of the two of us leaving early tonight. She knows that you aren’t a huge fan of Halloween and so she was impressed that you still ended up coming here with me. And I had let her know that I was okay with leaving so soon myself if you end up wanting to go.” She explained, thinking of how if anything, she would shoot both her older siblings a text on how she was spending the night at Binx’s. Besides, it wasn’t her older sister he needed to worry about, it was Dylan who may have some words about her sudden departure. Either way, Sophie didn’t dwell too much on it, knowing that he was only trying to be a protective older brother towards her even though there was nothing about Binx for Dylan to worry about. 

Taking a pause, the brunette turned back towards her boyfriend and used her free hand to place against his cheek. “Binx, let’s go home.” She uttered, her tone assertive yet light to show that she really did wanted to go. She could always celebrate Halloween another time. Halloweentown was a never-ending day of Halloween if Sophie was ever so desperate to celebrate the day after all. Plus, she already had her fun at the ball tonight— Binx accompanying her making the night all that more worth it, But now all the brunette wanted was to be alone with the man who captured her heart within the comfort of his home. With another reassuring smile, she once again began moving forward towards the exit and before they knew it, they were out of the hotel and finally on their way back to his place. “See, isn’t this so much better?” The brunette commented, as soon as they arrived at his doorstep. 

[nctahousecat]

Worrying was something that Thackery Binx struggled with since the death of his sister, since he was first cursed by the Sandersons. Though it was much easier to be carefree in his cat form, especially in recent years while his behavior and mood under the full moon have been more unpredictable, he still held that protective instinct deep down — with his sister, the Dennisons, and even with Sophie. His girlfriend reminded him to relax though, unable to hide the smile that formed as she admitted her sister to be impressed. “Are you just saying she was impressed, or did she really tell you that?” He teased with a chuckle, leaning in for a quick kiss on her cheek. Even with Sophie’s reassurance, he still wanted to make sure this was what she’d wanted — it wasn’t until they were completely out of the crowd of people that Sophie stopped again, her hand resting against his cheek. 

Let’s go home. Binx’s heart fluttered in admiration for her. In a way, Sophie was his home — he always felt safe with her, wherever they were. She obviously felt the same too, even referring to his place as home and not his home. His apartment was far less lonely with Sophie there with him, and though they hadn’t even been official for very long yet, he did feel warmth at the idea of his apartment becoming theirs. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself; he still needed to tell her he loved her first. 

He was glad that Sophie had offered to drive them tonight, the car ride quick and smooth. As they arrived at his front door, Binx sighed contently. “Yes,” he agreed, though he would be even more comfortable once he changed out of his fancy ball attire. Unlocking the door, he retook Sophie’s hand and led her inside, pressing his lips against hers after closing and locking the door behind them. Now that they were completely alone, he was eager to have her all to himself. Binx only pulled his lips away momentarily to mutter a soft, "Thank you," wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close and kiss her again.

[liildenniison]

“sorry, i gotta go check the moon cycle.” -Binx ( @nctahousecat )

“What?” With a laugh, the redhead looked at Binx with mixed confusion and amusement at his words. “Checking the moon cycle? As in, you track whenever a full moon is getting closer or not?” Dani asked. How this was the first time she was hearing about this in all the years she’s known Binx, it was hard to say. But it made sense now that she thought about it. Ever since the Sanderson Sister’s were bested, Binx now had the ability to go back and forth from being a human to being a cat. Granted, it wasn’t exactly by choice as he was still very much cursed (hence why he also is able to live for this long), but it was now only whenever a full moon was out is whenever he would transform back into a cat. But the way he had worded it had the girl chuckling a little. “Sounds like you’re going to check when your next period will be.” The redhead commented, having no shame in what she said. Periods were a natural part of a woman’s body, and it’s not like she hasn’t ever brought up the topic before. “Which, also thinking about it, after a full moon— periods are the worst!” 

[nctahousecat]

Binx’s eyebrows narrowed in confusion momentarily, assuming that the way he tracked the full moon was common knowledge to those familiar with his curse. He initially didn’t understand why Dani seemed entertained at the idea until she compared it to a period cycle. He rolled his eyes playfully, a smile forming as he connected the dots. “I guess my curse is the closest thing I’d have to one,” he chuckled, having never thought of it that way until now. Sometimes it was nice to laugh about his curse rather than always being troubled by it. Dani's words had him think of an even worse scenario, shuttering at the thought. "Imagine dealing with both." He was glad he wasn't a woman, and Dani was likely glad she wasn't cursed. "Anyway, yes I have to track and plan things around the full moon. I'm pretty useless when I'm a cat, so I stay on top of it."

[itsscphiie]

Her gaze was so soft and fond, an automatic reaction whenever she was around Binx, Sophie felt so much love for him, hoping he knew how she would do just about anything for him, how she wanted to take care of him and always be there for him whenever and however she can. In fact, if he had told her he never wanted to go to this ball because it was happening during Halloween, the brunette was ready to be more than okay with his decision. Not one to make him feel uncomfortable or have him think that his wants and desires weren’t as important was her own. They would have made the best of the holiday in their own way. But Sophe couldn’t deny the appreciation she also felt over her boyfriend actually coming here with her. Even through all the tension he felt, Binx still made this night a memorable one for her, and the witch wanted nothing more than to be able to spend many other moments like this with him in the future.

“Really.” She nodded, looking breathless after the kiss he left on the back of his hand. It was such a simple act of affection, yet one that wasn’t as commonly done, and one that just so Binx. It made her heart flutter whenever he did such a thing. Then again, being with him always had her heart swooning with butterflies. As he questioned again if she was sure about leaving so soon, Sophie nodded once again. If his choice was for them to leave, then they’ll leave. As long as she was still with him throughout the rest of the night, the brunette didn’t mind what they do. “If you want to leave, we can.” She repeated herself, leaning over so she can press a kiss against his lips. 

“You already made this night a memorable one for me just by agreeing to attend.” The witch spoke, pulling away. “Now it’s time for me to make it memorable for you as well, and I know that starts by us leaving.” And at the thought of the two of them heading back to his home, stripping away the fancy outfits, and cozying up within each other’s arms in his bed, the brunette’s cheek heated. Yes, that sounds like a perfect way to end the night, regardless of whatever they end up doing once they get there. With her mind all set and not waiting for him to ask her yet again if she was sure about them leaving, Sophie tugged their connected hands towards the direction that lead to the exiting of this ballroom. “Shall we go?” 

[nctahousecat]

There was a softness present in both their gazes as they found each other again at the ball, Sophie being the one person he truly wanted to spend time with this Halloween. There were very few people in his life that Binx was willing to go to such an event on his least favorite evening of the year, after all. He had been used to being on his own for so long, hundreds of years, so despite his love for Sophie and wanting to be with her, he still had the habit of going off on his own — he was working on it, and planned to make up any lost time with her once they got back to his apartment. Sophie seemed to be ready to go as soon as he was, and he greatly appreciated her. 

Smiling against her lips, Binx nodded in agreement. Once they were safe in his apartment, he could relax and really enjoy the night with her; Sophie really knew him so well. Before he could say more, she was tugging his hand toward the exit, and the brunette chuckled as he followed his girlfriend. “Let’s — but what about your sister?” He asked, not forgetting that he was still trying to make a good impression on her family. Would it look bad if they left without saying anything? Perhaps it was just his older sibling instincts kicking in. “Will she worry if we don’t say goodbye first?” Of course, Sophie could always text her sister if she didn’t want to go off and find her in the sea of people, but Thackery was still old-fashioned in some ways — either way, he wanted to make sure they weren’t rushing their exit. Even if he was eager to get home, he could wait longer if needed.

[itsscphiie]

“Hey,” At the sight of her boyfriend walking back towards her, the witch perked up a little. She then reached out for him, her hand grasping and entwining with Binx’s once he was of closer proximity, only for the brunette to pull him in closer to her. “How are you feeling?” Despite the pair being at a ball, it has been quite a night for the two. Or more rather, it’s been a night for Binx— her boyfriend being on the edge since the moment they arrived at the hotel. That’s because it was Halloween, the one night of the year where it may be exciting for Sophie as this was the time where many Halloweentown folks decides to travel through and explore the mortal world bridging the the two realities even closer together, this was also the one night where her boyfriend seemed to relieve the horror of what happened to him and his sister through the hands of the Sanderson Sisters. It didn’t help that it was also during a Halloween night where said Sanderson Sisters came back to life, hunting both him and his newfound family down and nearly killing another loved on. So it made sense that throughout the entire night, he’s been acting weird and on the edge. Which is also why she pulled him back close to her again, keeping a hold on his hand to reassure him that he was safe and okay with her here. Sophie wasn’t going to let anything happen to Binx.

“If you want to head back home now, we can.” She offered, feeling a little guilty at the fact that she brought him to this ball with her in the first place. All the brunette wanted to do was spend the night with her boyfriend, and while there had been a enjoyable moments here and there, she realized it hadn’t been enough to calm him down as much as she would’ve liked. So maybe being back home would do the trick for him. “Or, if you don’t want to leave this place, we can always book a hotel instead?” Whatever Binx wanted to do, Sophie would go along with him, wanting him to know that she was here for him no matter what.  Squeezing his hand, she gently smiled. “Whatever you want to do, just tell me and we’ll do it.” ( @nctahousecat )

[nctahousecat]

“Hey,” Binx smiled as he returned to Sophie, having just taken a minute to step outside and get some air. Everything this Halloween evening was going just fine — not perfect in any sense, but much better than past Halloween experiences he had — but Binx was still on edge regardless. It came with the trauma of his past, an unsettling feeling deep in his stomach that was hard to shake. Sophie being there made all the difference though, and Binx was aware of the irony that a witch was what made him feel safe this evening. His past self would have never believed that in a million years. It was so easy to feel safe with Sophie though, and even her family; it was clear her siblings cared for her deeply and wanted to protect her, and despite the cursed male’s past mistakes with their sister, they still were giving him a chance to redeem himself (at least it seemed so for her sister — he had yet to meet her brother and get a read on him). The Pipers were good people. Binx felt lucky to meet them, to be alive at the same time as Sophie and have the opportunity to fall in love with her. 

Love hadn’t been a word shared between the couple yet, but it was there. After hardly opening his heart up to anyone for 300 years, it was actually really easy for Binx to identify how strongly he cared for Sophie now that they were together. Tonight really solidified it for him, especially as he was finding comfort in Sophie’s presence on even the one night of year he hated the most, he was certain that he loved her — now he just needed to tell Sophie this. Her concern for him was sweet, though he did feel bad. He hoped he wasn’t coming off flaky again when taking off for fresh air, not wanting to hurt the brunette the way he had when he’d stopped talking to her a few months prior. He also didn't want to ruin her night, wanting his girlfriend to enjoy the holiday and the ball despite his own anxiety. “I’m alright,” he reassured her with a nod as she took his hand in hers, her touch warm and comforting. He couldn’t help but take in the sight of her in that moment, looking absolutely stunning in her dress. He brought her hand up to his lips to place a gentle kiss on the back of it.

“Really?” He asked in surprise. He didn’t want to cut the night short, especially if Sophie was having fun and wanted to stay longer, but the offer was tempting. He’d already planned to let Sophie stay the night this evening — out of any night of the year, Halloween was certainly where he’d struggle to sleep the most — and he selfishly was eager to bring her home and have some one on one time with her. He smiled again, the witch’s understanding for him and his past very validating and appreciated. He quietly pondered the two options she offered, quickly concluding that he’d probably feel much safer at the comfort of his apartment than a hotel room. “We can stay at my place tonight,” he offered, squeezing her hand in return. “You’re sure about leaving so soon?”

[itsscphiie]

This was the first time Sophie has ever seen her boyfriend in his cat-like state. His fur was as black as midnight, eyes so bright it practically glowed within the moonlight and all the young witch wanted to do was coo and gush at how adorable Binx looked in this state. So when he came closer to her, purring, the brunette bit her lip and squealed. Even his purring was so adorable! Once he was very close, she gently petted his fur, still waiting for an answer on whether or not she was allowed to carry him. Just because Binx was her boyfriend didn’t mean that she was allowed to touch him when he was in this state— wanting nothing more than to give him his space and freedom to decide and not feel pressured to doing something he may not wish to do in the first place. However, instead of answering her question, he commented on the shorter length of her hair before jumping into her arms. “Had cut it earlier yesterday morning— do you like it?” Sophie questioned, as a soft chuckle escaped her lips when he rubbed his face against her hands. He was so soft.

Her cheeks tinted a tad, delighted to hear that he loved the new change in hairdo, only for the witch to peak at him with slight confusion on what he meant by “when were you planning on telling me?”. It might be due to the fact that he was a cat at the moment so it had been a little hard for her to tell, but once it had clicked to her that he said so in a teasingly way as he rubbed his face against her cheek and hair—the tint on her cheeks turning brighter—Sophie smiled once again. “I came here as soon as I could to see you, didn’t I? Obviously, I wanted you to see the new hair as soon as possible.” She claimed, lifting a hand up to give him a good scratch behind the ear once he settled into her arms. The youngest Piper stared down at her boyfriend with so much tenderness and awe within her eyes. it’s a wonder that it had taken this long for her to finally see this side of him. She certainly could get use to holding him in her arms like this if Binx let her.

But as soon as he had gotten comfortable, he jumped right out of her arms, causing Sophie to slightly pout. “Aww…” She wanted to keep holding him even longer. But any disappointment soon whisked away as Binx produced a key out from the welcome mat, gesturing for her to pick it up. Picking up the key, the brunette’s eyes widened at the mention of a gift, only for her to then frown a little. “Binx— you know you didn’t have to get me anything.” Sophie told him, yet she stood back up and began unlocking the front door. Despite her own words, she too had a gift ready to give her boyfriend. It was left back at her home, not because she was waiting to see if he had bought her anything, but when he avoided her the past couple of full moons, she would’ve hated to drag his gift around and accidentally damage it when she could wait until the next time she finally saw him. But now Sophie was wishing she had brought it with her. “…..I didn’t get to bring my present for you.”

[nctahousecat]

Sophie’s excited squeal pushed Binx further to jump in her arms and love up on her, even giving a playful lovebite on her earlobe as he brushed his cheek against hers. “You could have come sooner,” he teased again, meeting her gaze with his bright glowing eyes. He couldn’t help but be so affectionate now that she was here, captivated by her warmth and scent as he nuzzled into her arms. It was hard to ignore the irony that, before meeting Sophie and falling in love with her, the black cat wouldn’t have been caught dead showing affection to a witch — the Piper family really gave him a new perspective on magic and witches.

Hearing Sophie’s disappointment didn’t affect Binx as he jumped from her arms, for he knew once they were inside they’d be able to cuddle some more after he gave her the Christmas gift. His eyes met hers curiously as she seemed to hesitate. “Why not?” He asked, stepping closer to her again as she went to unlock his door. Once he understood why she was hesitating though, he was quick to reassure her. “That’s alright, you can give it to me when I have thumbs again to open it,” he chuckled, in a very good mood now that his girlfriend was here. His fur brushed against her leg as she opened the door, leading her inside with his tail perked up. Thackery's apartment was hardly decorated for the holidays, with only a small Christmas tree resting on top of the coffee table in the living room. Underneath the tree was a small, red gift box with a green bow on top, which contained a beautiful, silver charm bracelet for Sophie. There were only 2 charms to the bracelet so far, a witch hat and a cat, but Binx planned to gift her more charms to add in the future. He led Sophie to the couch, jumping up to sit beside her as she opened her gift. He nodded toward the box as he began to purr again.