THE WITCH AND HIS FAMILIAR [TINCAN AU]

CHAPTER 2

One moment, Plan was standing in the flickering candlelight of his living room, performing an ancient ritual.

The next, he was standing in an intensely bright, huge room, filled with at least a hundred people.

It took Plan a moment to orient himself to his new surroundings. His ears rang loudly, deafening the indignant screams and gasps of the people behind him.

A crowd of mostly girls shouted as music played in the background, a hard rap track with a familiar beat. Sitting behind a table directly in front of him, Plan recognized the famous rapper Mean Phiravich, flanked on either side by the other two members of boy group Di: VERSE, Krist Perawat, and Perth Tanapon.

Mean Phiravich looked as handsome as ever, clad in a black graphic t-shirt and a leather jacket, black hair messily styled and a hint of eyeliner around his eyes. And he was wearing a pair of pointed black cat ears.

They locked eyes and Plan's chest constricted. The rapper startled back in surprise, gripping the table in front of him with his hackles at full attention.

"Who are you?" he asked, voice low and gravelly but full of authority. He eyed Plan suspiciously. "Where did you come from?"

Plan opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a loud shout from across the room.

"Hey, you!"

A security guard came bolting from a door near the front of the room, leading off-stage, followed by two more.

"Hey! Stay right there! Don't move!"

The guards rushed up and Plan stiffened, frozen to the spot. He was confused and didn't understand where he was or why he was here.

Where was he familiar?

Did he mess up again?

"Excuse me, sir, it's against the rules to use magic to enter into a fan meeting," said the man Plan assumed was the head security guard. "We will have to call the police and press charges for trespassing."

"Wait, no!" Plan cried, holding his hands out in front of him. "I didn't mean to come here, I swear! I made a mistake! I was just trying to perform a-"

"Save the excuses," the guard interrupted, grabbing Plan's hands behind his back and tugging them roughly.

The man Plan knew was Di: VERSE's lead rapper, Perth Tanapon, got to his feet and ran around to the other side of the table as the fans currently at the front scrambled away.

"Wait, hold on just a moment," the tall rapper said, holding his hand out to the guards in a show of caution. "He just said he didn't intend to come here."

"With all due respect, sir, we have a protocol to follow," the guard politely addressed the rapper, still holding Plan's wrists together in a death grip. Plan cried out in pain and Mean Phiravich jumped to his feet.

"Be careful with him!" Mean spat, unsure where that statement had come from. He watched Plan carefully, his expression guarded. "Just... just take him back to the dressing room and take away his wand or any magical jewelry. We'll talk to him when the fan meeting is over."

Saint nodded in agreement and the guards had no choice but to follow the orders of the famous rappers.

"Follow me," the head security guard growled at Plan and tugged him backstage. They walked down a narrow white hallway, eventually coming to a room with long mirrors and counters and many couches and racks of clothes.

The guard pushed Plan toward one of the couches, finally releasing his grip. "Sit. Stay. Don't move a fucking muscle."

"I'm not a dog," Plan protested weakly, sitting down with his hands in his lap and his head bowed. He didn't want to cause any more trouble.