"You're a witch?" Liam asked.
There was a long pause between the two before he began to chuckle. His chuckles then turned into bellowing laugh.
"Ok everyone! Great prank! I completely fell for it for a second. Where are the cameras? This totally going to go viral isn't it?" He wheezed.
"I can assure you I'm quite serious." Solstice told him.
After a few moments, Liam calmed himself. "...I truly respect how dedicated you are to not breaking character. Not many people can do that." Liam slowly got to his feet before brushing black feathers from his shirt. "But I honestly have to get going. I'm on the clock, and I really can't afford to be fired right now."
"Unfortunately that is not possible." The woman brought her hood back over her head as she looked towards the door. "Unfortunately, even a witch as powerful as I cannot open a portal between worlds without permission from the magistrate. Some however, do not care what punishment they receive for breaking that rule..." she trailed off.
"I just REALLY need to get back to the dinner ma'am. My rent is due in the morning and I'm already short even after raiding the tip jar-" Laim stopped abruptly before frantically waving his hands in front of her. "Please don't tell my manager! This was the only time I ever did it, I swear!"
"You are quite the excitable one." Solstice chuckled. Her laugh being an odd mix of warm and authoritative. "But honestly, I can't send you home without permission from the magistrate. Since you have seen us, I cannot help get back just now."
"Well, that settles it. I'm fired." Liam put his hands to the back of his head and sighed. "I guess I figured it wouldn't last long... do you at least have change for a pay phone I could use? I have to see if my manager might be able to give me a ride home. I doubt she cares much, but it's worth a shot..."
"Pay... foe-n?" She tilted her head to the side.
"Oh man... this is awful... how am I going to get out of here? I'm going to loose my apartment... what if I get there and my stuff is already gone? How am I going to eat?" Liam began to pace back and forth with his hands in his brown hair.
"If a place to stay is what you need, I can accommodate you." She offered.
"Thank you, but it's fine. I need to figure out where I even am and how to get back home..." he sighed.
"What is your name?" Solstice asked suddenly.
"Ah- it's Liam, ma'am." He almost took a step back at the abruptness of her question.
"Well Liam, I'm afraid you won't be heading back anytime soon. Someone from the other world knowing of our existence cannot be sent back so easily. So you will have to stay with me at my manor if you wish to have a place to sleep tonight." Solstice then produced a broom from the inside of her cloak. "I'll help you sort out this issue in the morning."
Liam tried to smile. "Again. I respect that you won't break character, but this is a serious situation. I can't role play when I have so much at risk."
Solstice rolled her eyes at the teen before taping the top of his head with the end of her broom. In a cloud of red smoke Liam had disappeared and a very frightened looking brown cat sat in his place. Solstice then taped the cats head in the same fashion as another cloud of smoke surrounded them. Once dissipated, a very shaken Liam sat on the floor breathing heavily.
The witch knelt down before him as she smiled. "Do you believe me now?" She asked.
Liam stared down at his hands. His normal now human hands.
They were shaking.
"Yes... I believe you."
He wasn't sure if he had said it out of honesty or fear, but the only thing he did know was that he was stuck here. And if he ever wanted to go back, it would be best to stay on this witches good side.
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