hmm I'm still thinking on that part but I love the idea of ys maybe saving jh's life. he stumbles across him in the woods, caught in a bear trap and stuck in his animal form in excruciating pain bc the trap is made from silver and enchanted specifically to hurt otherworldly beings. ys doesn't even need to think about it, even when jh snarls and snaps at him, and frees him. jh quickly realises that ys is fae touched and lets him take care of his wounds but the witch leaves before he can find out anything else, and he's left confused and weirdly flustered. but there are two rules when it comes to the fair folk: never reveal your true name, and always return your favours.

later, he tracks him down to a cottage in the woods, determined to repay him. he learns that ys is training under another powerful witch but struggles with his magic. after a few visits disguised as a human pretending to need his help (ft. ys turning his hair pink by mistake) to get a better feel for him, ys figures out who he is. by this point, jh is pretty attached to this strange, beautiful mage- not that he'd ever admit it- and offers completely on a whim to be his familiar until he learns to control his magic.

needless to say, jh's always got an excuse as to why ys isn't ready for him to leave just yet 😉