Get your capacity tested so you know your Rank. If you're rank three or above Hawthorne will accept you; otherwise Arcadia is happy to have you. You'll probably have some form of magic that comes to you naturally as a talent; what kind of witch are you?

I'm told I'm an Empusa Academic.

Empusa, Empusa... that's rare. I should have guessed, with the needing blood. I think one of your affinities is probably Blood - let me check the chart for Blood affinity, it's rare too...

Chart says you should have affinity for, well... Necromancy and Consortation... Oh, and Hexes! Hexes are good. I would try Hexes first.

You probably also have Academic instincts. That covers Alchemy, Runes, Witchery, Aethernautics, and I think Portals.

I know I have Alchemy at least. Are there any guides to the rest?

I wouldn't spend a lot of mana before getting my hands on some Blood Apples, in your case... But you could test for Wild Gifts. A particularly common one for Academics is Prestidigitation - it's a suite of minor magics that lets you create 2d illusions, clean or soil things, heat or chill food, and make little false-matter objects. Wild Gifts don't generally cost mana, they're ingrained in your soul like a Warlock's relics. Here's a link to a gesture-diagram for Prestidigitation and here is a list of common Wild Gifts and how to test for them. 

I'll try Prestidigitation now. Thanks for your help.

It's nothing. Always happy to help a new witch. 

I do have to go to bed soon, though. I need mana for tomorrow, you know how it is.

I think I have enough to keep me busy. Maybe I'll see you around later.

Maybe, yeah. Welcome to Witchdom, anyway.

Thanks again.

And she starts trying the hand gesture for Prestidigitation. 

It definitely seems to be doing... something. She can feel her soul reacting to it. 

This could take a little while. 

She closes her eyes, and focusses. 

This time, it works. A stone appears in her hand, smooth and featureless - and when she opens her eyes to see it, it's gone again. 

She tries again. This time she's able to conjure the pebble while she watches. It crumbles to dust the moment she takes her focus from it. 

Okay, that's cool.

What else can she do?

She goes back to the list of Wild Gifts, intent now, focusing hard on each test exercise as she progresses. 

Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing - 

- wait, that one worked. Which one was that again?

Maid Hand

Create psychological constructs, manifest as unseen telekinetic masses. Each construct is capable of autonomously handling basic acts of service, comparable to a minimally competent maid or butler. Responsive to commands and orders, but will continue to work until explicitly dismissed or re-tasked. It's possible but advanced to set conditions for dismissal. The user is always aware of where their own constructs are; if you want them to be visible you can give them clothes to fill out as though they had human shape. Most users can only manifest up to 3 at once; ranks in Hexes and Psychotics contribute more constructs at a 1-per-rank ratio.

... She's never going to have to do the dishes again. 

It's strange, the things that have the most impact on you.

- What's more, this is a Wild Gift. Not everyone can do this, and it's obviously useful. Witches probably have other ways of replacing manual labor already, but nonetheless, she can probably sell use of this somehow. 

Things are starting to look up a little.

... Now that she thinks about it, what time is it right now?

She checks on her computer. It's one AM. 

She's not tired. 

Can she sleep?

She had better check.

She lies down in bed next to Marianne, and closes her eyes.

Time passes.

No, she cannot sleep. She doesn't feel the slightest bit tired.

She gets up and searches for "Empusa" on Witchipedia. 

Empusa

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This article is a stub. You can help Witchipedia by expanding it.

Empusa are the descendants of a pruned vampiric lineage that was born from intense negative emotion and torment. Few exist in the present day.

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Physical Characteristics:

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At the point of awakening, Empusa become fixed indefinitely in appearance.^[1] They do not age; while they can manually replicate muscle movement and nerve function it is unnecessary to their survival. Empusa can be distinguished from mortals by their pallid appearance, glowing eyes, and hollow fangs.

Empusa are capable of speed in excess of mortals, increasing with the amount and quality of blood they have stored in their soul.^[2]  They can also use stored blood to regenerate physical damage to their bodies. Rarely an Empusa may manifest Wild Gifts of vampiric nature: most commonly extreme speed and strength, the ability to see without light, or the ability to self-transmute to mist.^[3]

Spiritual Characteristics:

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Most Empusa are aligned with the Blood and Necrotic affinities;^[4] in rare cases they may also align with Wind.^{[citation needed]}

Empusa have a definitively larger capacity for mana than Neutrals and charge very quickly when feeding. Empusa draw mana from blood; their feeding is most effective when it consumes the soul of a sentient being. Lunabellan Blood Apples can serve as a substitute for everyday needs.^[5] Unlike most witches, Empusa rely on mana to persist, and will cease to maintain animus if not fed a steady amount of blood. They may also be reanimated from a whole or partial body by being soaked in blood.^[6]

Glowing eyes?

She goes and looks in the bathroom mirror.

Predictably, she has no reflection!

Well isn't that inconvenient. 

She'll have to check with Marianne and maybe find her sunglasses.

....sheeeeeee did not at any point turn any of the lights on after she got back up again. 

She looks at her hand. It's as clear and crisp as daylight. 

- That's a vampiric Wild Gift. 

If she has that, what else has she got?

What does she have around the house that's really heavy... She can try to lift the couch.

It's not not heavy, but she can pick up one end much more easily than she would have expected.

She sets it down again carefully.