The Mark
Cat sometimes wondered just how faulty she was.
She was walking to school with Skara. It was Monday. So. Many cheers.
It was her last year at Hexside. Which meant soon enough, she’d have to choose a coven track.
Which also happened to be what the topic of conversation was with Skara.
“Y’know, sometimes I have to wonder why we have to be in just one track,” Skara said - with that special kind of shy, stumbling bravado that was so unique to her.
“Like,” she went on - clearly having to justify herself somewhat, “I get that we have to contain our magic, because practicing wild magic is what savages do - and we’re meant to be civilized, and all that. But I don’t get why we can’t, like. Do two or three tracks. Maybe.”
Cat bit her lip.
She knew the real reason they couldn’t do more than one track. It was because, if witches could do all kinds of magic, they’d be more able to threaten the Emperor. Only his loyalest few could be allowed the power to use all magic.
But saying that would be treason. And - even if she and Skara were friends - Cat wasn’t completely sure that it was safe to say anything treasonous.
So, instead, she just didn’t respond.
“Why are you in the healing track, anyway?” Skara said, suddenly, looking over at her. “You don’t seem very… nurturing.”
“Mm. Good word,” Cat said.
“Seriously, Cat,” Skara said - and tried for a smile. “Work with me here, hm?”
Cat looked over at her. “Y’know, you’ve never really seemed to care before now.”
Something shifted in Skara’s face. A little light glimmered in her eyes, that was almost… embarrassed.
“Well - you make it very easy to just talk about myself,” Skara said, quietly - and gave a tiny, fake-sounding laugh. “You make a good… what’s the word?”
“Sounding board?” Cat offered.
“Yeah, that,” Skara said, looking at her. “But… I’d like to know a bit more about you.”
“Well - what would you like to know?” Cat asked - and almost instantly regretted it.
She didn’t like talking about herself.
“Well - why don’t you tell me why you’re in the healing track?” Skara offered, with an easy smile.
Because I want to make people whole again, Cat thought but didn’t say. Because I like seeing people be better. Because I like helping others - and I want to stop their pain.
Cat, outwardly, shrugged. “I like healing people.”
Skara groaned. “C’moooon, Cat! I need more than that!”
“Really,” Cat said, shrugging again. “That’s all there is to it.”
“...Okay, well,” Skara said thoughtfully - “do you want to do mind healing or body healing?”
“Mind,” Cat said. “Though I wouldn’t mind doing body, either. ...That came out wrong.”
Skara giggled. Cat stomped down on the smile stirring in her chest.
Sometimes, Cat wondered just what she would be like. Without the flaws. Without the horrible, stirring awfulness in her chest - that seemed to seep into everything and everyone. That made it so hard just to get out of bed in the morning. That sometimes made her want to be anyone but herself.
“...So,” Skara said. “Grom.”
“Yes,” Cat said, as blankly as possible. “Grom.”
“You think we should get dressed up?” she asked - and then, suddenly, gasped. “Ooh - we should go clothes shopping! Get you something decent to wear. What you usually wear is…”
“Is what?” Cat bit, glaring at her.
Her normal clothing choice was as male as possible. Pants and all. Skirts weren’t for her. On top of that, her clothes were usually torn up in some way, and had that slight bleached quality of something that had been hit with a cleaning spell one too many times.
“Fine!” Skara said, instantly - Cat couldn’t help but find it a little funny that she actually seemed a little intimidated. “But, y’know - it would be nice to see you in something else. For once. Y’know?”
“...Yeah,” Cat said, looking straight ahead again. “I know.”
“So does that mean you will go shopping with me?” Skara said, grinning at her.
Cat sighed softly.
“...Yeah. I’ll go shopping with you.”
Skara squealed softly. “Awesome! Tomorrow, alright? We’ll go after school.”
“Okay,” Cat said, quietly.
“...Hey, uh.”
Cat glanced over at her. “Yes?”
“Isn’t there a way to cover that?” Skara asked - once again, with false bravado.
Cat went deadly stiff.
Skara, instantly, had a shift from stumbling bravado to pure panic - and then, guilt and shame.
“I - I’m sorry, we don’t talk about it, I didn’t know it was a touchy subject-”
“No,” Cat said, turning away from her. “There isn’t a way to cover it.”
Skara didn’t respond.
“Magical birthmarks can’t be undone or hidden by magic - it could cause extra damage to the face,” Cat elaborated, voice blank of all tone.
“I… I’m so sorry, Cat,” she said, quietly.
“Don’t be,” Cat said, simply. “Plenty of witches have it a lot worse off than me. And it’s not your fault.”
“...Still. I’m sorry.”
Cat, for a moment, was silent.
“...Don’t be,” she repeated. Quieter this time.
The rest of the walk was silent.