Eheh, well you're not the first person to not be a fan of the idea.

[He offers a smile, showing no hard feelings about it. At least Crow is looking into other methods, unlike some of the other people he's encountered...]

Right. Well, my vote is for familiar. Dampeners would hurt your magic, which could be bad if something comes up.

Also, I'd love having a cat around the house!

[And that's CLEARLY what matters]