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Chapter 120: Compulsions

Nathanial cleaned up the breakfast dishes while his brothers sat at the island in the kitchen to keep him company. Nick sat there looking bored, while Micah sketched variations of their sigil on some paper. Nick hadn't minded their choice at all; he even gave it glowing praise by saying, "Yeah, sure. Whatever. It's not like anyone is going to be seeing it." His tail betrayed his real thoughts.

Micah put his pencil down and pushed the paper toward Nick. "Here. See, I like this 'cause my acorn kinda looks like a heart, which makes sense 'cause I use Charms. I made your flamey-thing heart-like, too, for the same reason."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Gods, Mikey, what is it with you and those hearts?_I said _no hearts!"

The black-furred Akita pushed the paper against Nick's elbow where it rested on the counter. "But look! They aren't hearty-hearts, but heart-ish. I even broke your heart so it'd be less hearty! See?" He jabbed his finger at the paper. "It's like a two-pronged candle flame where the tips curl back in, in a vague heart-shape, but they don't touch. It's like how the Succubus Charms you use aren't love, but kinda the opposite. You get power from pain during sex."

Nick's expression was very tumultuous. Nathanial knew Nick secretly liked the picture, but would never consent to having hearts on something someone might see, and having Micah 'break his heart' actually did in some way.

Nick looked down at the paper, and Nathanial walked over to show he was looking, too. The triangle was equilateral, of course, with the individual symbols all the same size -- about a quarter the size of the triangle, or maybe a touch less. This was Micah's version, so the acorn was up top. Nathanial didn't see any heart shape in it at all, until he looked for it. The bottom of the acorn was pointed and curved up like a heart, not in the much blunter fashion most acorns did. The cap was also rounded in two bumps up top, like a heart, but it extended past the sides of the nut and had a stem in the crevice to break up the shape. There were no details added to the nut or cap, just the basic lines. The bottom-right corner held Nathanial's yin-yang...er, _taijitu,_but Micah just copied the symbol over and didn't modify it at all. The left corner was Nick's symbol, and the bottom-half looked like a normal candle-flame. From there, the flame split in two, with the left tongue being a little shorter than the right. The split had a sharp divide, like a heart, and it did have the vague curves, but like the acorn, Nathanial wasn't sure if he'd see it if he wasn't looking for it. Dad's teardrop was the same size as the outer symbols, and looked rather generic, just like Dad wanted. Micah really was getting pretty good at drawing.

The middle Marks pushed the paper back at the youngest. "It's fine. I'll take that." His ears twitched around like he was trying to hear if anyone else was nearby before he leaned over and nuzzled Micah's ear. "Good job. It'll be easy for me to tidy it up." Micah squealed and clutched the paper to his chest.

Nathanial leaned over and rubbed Micah's other ear. "You did great, Micah. I like it a lot, too. Why don't you show Dad and then start studying the spell? Once Nick makes his version, I'll cast my new sigil on your phones."

Micah spun around on his stool and hopped off. "Okay!" He took off for the stairs to Garret's bedroom, followed much more stolidly by Nick. Nathanial smiled fondly after them and resumed washing the counters.

---

Faelen sat on the loveseat downstairs next to his boss. Geoff wore a pair of Nathanial's largest boxers, even though they were a little tight on him. The pup had lost a lot of weight this school year. Luckily, the smaller Dog had kept most of his old apparel; otherwise, his clothes wouldn't have a chance of fitting. Faelen, with his broader frame, couldn't fit in any of the pup's clothes, so he wore a bathrobe from one of the upstairs guest rooms. Liam had no problem fitting into Nick's clothes; they were actually a little big on him, and he wore a pair of the Akita's gym shorts. Conor and Da were on the couch, while Walter was in Nathanial's chair, and Liam sat on the floor by Faelen's hindpaws. The Markses stood in the middle of the large room; Garret was still in his suit and had a trolley case and briefcase beside him. His sons wore t-shirts and shorts. Garret was heading out to Taipei, so they were saying goodbye. The non-Markses had already said goodbye and waited patiently.

Faelen had complete confidence in Nathanial's ability to pull this off, but Geoff was oddly worried. The Dark Elemental had been acting strange all morning; it wasn't the first time, but the previous examples were quite a while ago. Faelen had just chalked those up to puberty -- not that this bout of moodiness couldn't be the same thing. First, there had been that odd scene in the Akita's bed this morning. Nathanial had called for help, and Faelen had seen Geoff curled up into Nathanial, asleep and unwilling to let go, rather than the other way around. Every time Nathanial had tried to move, Geoff whimpered and clamped on even more tightly. Faelen had had to hold Geoff close in order for the white Wolf to let Nathanial go. Second, Geoff had been oddly quiet and...timid all morning. He'd been talking softly with his voice pitched a little higher. Third, he hadn't put nearly as much effort into exercising. His endurance seemed to be shot, and he'd lifted about twenty percent less than normal. And fourth -- most notably fourth -- Geoff hadn't smelt aroused _once._Not after exercising while showering with them, even when he washed Nathanial's back and ass. Yet Geoff didn't seem sick, or smell like he was spiralling into one of his fits; he just seemed very down, and for no conceivable reason. If Geoff was really upset about Nathanial's troubles, then he would be clinging to his boyfriend, as if smothering the pup would solve the problem. In Nathanial's case, smothering him with affection _did_seem to help, but that wasn't the point. Geoff's issue was obviously something else, and Faelen was stymied.

While Faelen had been pondering, the farewells had continued. Nathanial hugged his father and asked, "You have everything you need? Your phone and its SIM cards, cash and a credit card, passport, clothes--?"

Garret laughed and squeezed the nervous teen. "Yes, Dad. Stop worrying; I've been travelling internationally since before you were born. I know what I need, and I triple-check everything as I pack. I also have lockers in several airports with spares of just about everything, in case of an emergency." He let Nathanial go, and the pup stepped back, his muzzle and the tips of his ears blushing through his fur.

Micah launched himself at his father and hugged him tightly. "Bye, Dad! Have fun! You're back on Friday, yeah?"

Garret returned the hug and ruffled Micah's fur. "I won't have much spare time around all of the meetings and flying, so fun isn't likely, but I'll try. Yes, I'm back on Friday; I'll send an e-mail to your brother when I'm done. Study hard, and don't cause Nathanial any trouble, all right?"

Micah beamed up at his da. "All right! I'll keep an eye on him for you, too, and make sure he has lots of fun and doesn't overdo it."

"That's my boy." Micah wriggled happily and moved over to Nathanial, letting Nick in.

Nick stepped up to his father and raised a fist. "Bye." He looked bored and uncaring. Faelen found the front Nick worked so hard at maintaining amusing, if oftentimes exasperating. He was a very caring guy, but he was so worried about how other people saw him. Faelen preferred Nick when he wasn't so wrapped up in image.

Garret tipped his head back and bumped fists with his son. "Yeah." He snorted and hauled Nick over into a hug. "See you in a week. Love ya." He nipped Nick's ear and let the teen go.

Nick stepped back, trying to look aloof, and muttered, "Love you too, Dad." Little cracks in the pup's front like this were so cute, but Faelen didn't want him as a sex-partner, no matter what Nick wanted.

Garret raised his paw toward everyone else. "See you guys later. Take care of my boys, please."

Conor nodded gravely. "I will, Garret. Don't worry." Da, Liam, Walter, and Faelen all nodded in agreement and said their farewells.

Geoff nodded too, but Garret added, "Be there for him as much as you can, please, Geoff. He needs you."

The Dark Elemental smiled, but Faelen could see his heart wasn't in it. His voice was softer than normal and lacked confidence, something Geoff rarely exhibited outside of his internal crises. "I will, sir; we all will." He smelt nervous and uncertain, almost scared.

Faelen leant back against the loveseat and put his arm over the back cushions, just accidentally_letting it rest lightly against Geoff's shoulders. He didn't want to draw any attention to his master's trouble; it was his duty to cover for Geoff when he needed it, and he didn't want to spark any more romantic interest on Geoff's part. It was a relief when Faelen failed to smell any arousal, but there _was an easing of Geoff's nerves. What was troubling him so much? Storms hadn't bothered Geoff in years, but... Did he have nightmares last night about the lightening? Liam did almost get his ass blown off by Zeus, so nightmares wouldn't be a surprise on anyone's part. Nathanial didn't mention nightmares, though.

Garret dialled his phone, waited for a few seconds, and then began talking in Chinese. After a minute, he gestured to Nathanial. The pup nodded to his father, smiling timorously, and raised his paws. He closed his eyes in concentration, and the air by the wall shimmered like a disturbed pool. It rippled more violently for a split-second before it swirled open into a portal. The distortions around the edge were plainly visible, and it looked like faint shapes were moving within them. Through the portal was an office; it looked similar to every other office Faelen had ever seen -- not that he'd seen many -- except for the language on the signs. It was a large, open area with cubicles set in the middle of the room, and closed doors were set along the walls.

Two Asian Mages -- a Tigress and a Formosan Ferret-Badger -- stood near the portal with shocked expressions on their faces. One of them spoke, and Faelen caught the names, 'Marks Garret' and 'Marks Nathanial' in the short speech. Nathanial interrupted them, though, with a very urgent, "Go, Dad!" Garret jumped through immediately and the portal collapsed behind him. Faelen had noted several times during football practice that Garret had exceptional reflexes and response times; this was just another example. He hadn't hesitated or frozen at all. Everyone looked at Nathanial in concern.

Liam spoke first. "Am I to assume that the shapes in the distortion were approaching too closely? These things you fear so?"

Nathanial shivered and nodded frantically.

Nick pulled his brother close. "Hey, Nats, everyone is fine. They didn't come through, and Dad got to Taipei safely." He rubbed Nathanial's back. "You did it. Dad is on the other side of the world, and you did it in seconds."

He seemed to say the perfect thing. Nathanial grinned broadly. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. Across the Pacific Ocean, and it took less time than it would to get to the front door!" He laughed, pounded Nick's back, and then spun him around. "I_did it!"_

The momentary glee and love on Nick's face was priceless; he was obviously extremely proud that he'd lifted Nathanial's mood. "Okay, already. Yeah, you did it. Yay. Whoopee. Now, put me down."

Nathanial let him go and licked his brother's nose playfully. "Goof." Nick ducked his head and fluffed his fur up in pleased embarrassment. Nathanial's face wavered for a moment and fell into a concerned frown. "You'll be all right today? You don't have school, and neither does Micah, but you two will be fine?"

Nick scowled and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Nats. I'm the one that needs to be asking that question. You were the one flipping out, not me." He grabbed Nathanial's arms and held them firmly as his gold eyes bored into Nathanial's blue ones. "You take care and stay with Geoff as much as you can. If you start feeling upset, call. I'll keep my phone by me all day. I promise I'll activate the sigil on it if there's any trouble, but you do the same. Swear you'll let me know if you need me." Both Nicholas and Micah had studied the Mage Sigil spell too, and they cast them on each other's phones, as well as their father's. Micah had studied the spell for a while from the Succubus Grimoire but was having troubles with it, so he tried using the Mastiff Grimoire and found it much easier. Nick got it right away with the Succubus one. Garret seemed almost jealous of them.

Speaking of, Nathanial's phone rang. "It's Dad." He tapped the icon and answered it. "Hi. Yeah, everything is fine now. There were things in the distortion around the portal. The same type of things that ate Lara's magic." He paused while Garret said something. "I don't know. It should be fine as long as I don't keep a portal open any length of time, particularly on trans-oceanic trips. I couldn't make the amplitude of the folds in space as large as I'd like, so I punched through a lot of them. The more folds I punch through, the more distortions, and the more distortions there are, the easier it makes it for those things to show up. Maybe they're always there, but the distortions just...bring them into phase or something." Nathanial waited for his da to speak and then said, "All right. Take care, Dad." He hung up the phone.

Micah bounced toward the TV. "Anyone wanna play a game? It's a snowless snow day!" He pouted when most everyone shook their heads.

Nick wandered over toward the couch and sat between Conor and Da. "I don't know. Maybe later. He looked over at Da hopefully. "Are you guys sticking around for a while? You haven't exercised yet. Mr. Smith hasn't, either."

Conor stood up and stretched. His tail stuck out behind him and fluffed up while he stretched toward the ceiling. "No, Nick. I'm expecting Mr. Chan to stop by at some point, and you don't need a babysitter." He looked over at the older teens. "We have an hour before you have to be at school. I find it hard to believe that they're the only school in the entire province that's still open, but it may be for the benefit of the students who live in residence. We don't have seats for all four of you in our SUV, but we can still get all of you down there if one of you sits in the back. I'm not sure which roads will be open, though. The newscast says there are a lot of downed trees and flooded areas around the city."

Faelen shifted his weight on the couch. "I'm worried about the dryads. I want to check on them before school." They didn't have the same protection they used to before the developers cut down all the surrounding trees, and it left them very vulnerable. He also hoped the brownie would forgive them for not leaving milk and bread out for him. They left rather suddenly and hadn't the time to feed him. Also, at home he could get Geoff alone and ask what was going on.

Nathanial nodded. "You guys have to get your clothes anyway, and your school supplies. Why don't I open a portal to your place right now and let you get ready?"

Geoff stood up. "Sounds like a good idea. We'll have to figure out how we're going to get to school safely, so the sooner we start, the better."

Liam and Walter rose, too. Liam pulled off the pair of shorts he'd been wearing, leaving the Rottie naked. "I require a trip home as well, for obvious reasons." He stroked the feather on his choker. "I wish to arrive at school early, as I have much work to do, not least of which is checking on Principal Davis." The bubbling anger beneath the calm façade also warned Faelen to ensure he wasn't left alone with Betty. The two teen Wolves stripped off their borrowed clothes. Nathanial levitated all the discarded clothing to the laundry room, but the way Nick eyed the floating pile indicated some of it wouldn't be staying there. Probably the bathrobe Faelen had been wearing and the shorts Liam had borrowed.

Nathanial smelt very anxious when he looked at his brothers. Micah had turned on his Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess game and was busy hacking at enemies; Nick was paying it little mind and was watching the people around him, mostly the three naked teens. Nathanial nodded. "All right, I'll send you back as soon as you get your bones, Dirk. I'll get dressed and pack lunches before joining you." Dirk ran upstairs, while those with stuff here gathered it up in preparation to leave.

Once home, Faelen led Geoff downstairs and asked, "What's wrong? You seem out of sorts today."

Geoff hung his head and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I feel...off, but I can't figure out what it is. I don't feel sick, but more...run down. I have no energy." He raised his head and looked pleadingly into Faelen's eyes. "Is there something bad going to happen? It feels like I'm in this blasted, bright wasteland with Hunters stalking me, and I can't figure out why I feel this way. I can't shake it, and I can't make myself fight it, either."

Faelen clapped his paw on Geoff's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm here to fight for you, Geoff. Just stay close, and let's see what tomorrow brings. It might just be a reaction to all of the stress last night."

Geoff closed the short distance and hugged his bodyguard, or more accurately clung to him. "Thanks. Just don't tell Liam, all right? He'll make fun of me."

Faelen was certain Liam wouldn't. The Rottweiler might tease and poke at his friend over inconsequentialities, but never about something that'd genuinely hurt the Dark Elemental. Yet, his master did request it. "Yes, sir. I won't say anything until you give the word or tell him yourself." If Geoff became worse, he'd tell Conor and let him tell Liam, not that it wasn't obvious that something was wrong with him. Faelen patted Geoff's back. "We have to get ready for school, sir. Why don't you gather your things while I pop out and check the yard?" Geoff nodded and let Faelen go.

Twenty-five minutes later, the four teenagers walked into the school, dripping wet despite the short distance between the SUV and the front door of the building. Liam had sat in the back of the vehicle for the short drive; Conor had made it much safer by manifesting and clearing the water out of the way. Nathanial glanced around the abandoned-looking entry and cast the Drying spell on them. Faelen noticed a small puff of cloud floating over the security camera lens; Nathanial must've put it there to hide what he was doing.

Liam shook his head. "I know you checked your e-mail, as did Dad, but are you certain there is school today?"

Faelen opened the door for his friends and followed them inside. He could smell and hear that there were several teachers in their lounge, and it appeared they were just as flabbergasted that school hadn't been cancelled. Interestingly, it sounded like several of them had tried to get hold of the chairman of the board of trustees and_the headmaster with no luck. Mrs. Davis going AWOL was a bit more worrying, but it was really odd that no one could find _either of them.

Geoff glanced around and muttered, "This looks damned creepy. I hate how empty the place is."

Nathanial rubbed Geoff's arm. "Let's pop in to say hi to Mr. Drake and see what's going on..." He paused halfway to the darkened office door. "He's not here, either. Wow." The Akita walked into the office anyway, flipping on the lights. "We need to check on Mrs. Davis; I'm worried. This really isn't like her." The phone was ringing and Faelen could see Nathanial twitch toward it, and then all the muscles in his back tensing as he tried to hold himself back from answering it. "Does she live nearby?"

Liam nodded. The phone stopped ringing, and Nathanial relaxed momentarily, but it started going again after a second. Liam ignored the phone and said, "Yes. She lives by the soccer pitch; if you recall where you opened the portal when the paparazzi were stalking you, she lives in the house to the left of that. She drives a silver convertible."

Nathanial didn't seem to listen. He finally succumbed to his compulsion and darted over to the phone. "Dalhousie Collegiate, Nathanial speaking. How may I help you?"

It was a lady on the other end of the line. "Finally. Your mailbox is full. This is Darla Falkner; my son John won't be in school today. I can't believe you guys are actually trying to get students to attend with this storm raging. What are you thinking?"

"I'm sorry for the trouble, but no one can find Principal Davis or Chairman Dobson. No one here has the authority to close the school. Also, the administrative assistant hasn't arrived, either; that's why no one was answering the phone." Nathanial jotted a note on a scratchpad. "Would you be able to send an e-mail to John's homeroom teacher to ensure the message gets through? I'll leave a note here, but things are a bit crazy."

Liam nodded; it looked like he was talking telepathically to Nathanial.

Mrs. Falkner scoffed. "That's fucking shoddy. I've done my part -- no thanks to you -- so you make sure the message gets through. I'll be lodging a complaint about the poor service you've provided. You'll be out on your ass by tomorrow." If she was willing to go through that much effort, she could _easily_send a quick e-mail like Nathanial asked. Nathanial was shivering in fear after the bitch slammed the phone; Faelen could tell where her son got his pleasant disposition from. He hadn't forgotten the time John tried to force them to join the American football team and Faelen had to beat the crap out of the Bull so Geoff wouldn't.

The phone began ringing again, and Nathanial answered it. The pup could get in trouble for this. Which is precisely what Geoff said. "Nathanial, just let it ring. You shouldn't be answering the school's phone without permission."

Liam just waved them off. "We have things to do. Nathanial will be sending me over to Principal Davis's home, and he would like you to speak to the faculty. Ask the teachers to send an e-mail to the parents and students informing them to send e-mails in if there will be an absence. Also, find out where Mr. Drake lives, even if it is as vague as which neighbourhood. Nathanial would like to see if he can find him. I would ask you to inform Mrs. Neuranski, if she is here, that I am seeing to Mrs. Davis and will need to speak to her when I return. I will call you if I need assistance from Nathanial."

Faelen saw small black globes appear over the lenses of the cameras moments before a portal opened into a house's hallway. Liam jumped through, and the portal closed. Mrs. Davis mustn't be doing well at all if Liam was going into her home uninvited like that. Geoff stood looking at Faelen for direction. Faelen hid a sigh; Geoff would normally be leading the way out, rather than waiting for him to take the lead. "After you, sir."

Geoff looked down silently before nodding and walking out of the office. He stopped by the faculty lounge. "Um, I-I don't really know what to say." What was _wrong_with Geoff today? He smelt very nervous and, well, like Nathanial did when put into unusual situations. Were their personalities swapped or something? He felt a surge of alarm from Liam; Mrs. Davis must be in serious trouble.

Faelen knocked on the door, and Mr. Gottfried answered it. The large Rottweiler looked less than pleased to see them and yelled over his shoulder, "Marge, Geoff and Faelen are here to talk to you!" He turned back to the Wolves. "Surprised to see anyone who doesn't live in residence here today, but I guess you Brits are used to rain."

Faelen's hackles rose. "We're Irish, not British. I need to talk to Nurse Neuranski too, if she's here."

He heard her call from inside the room, "Yes, dear, I am. I was just getting some coffee before heading back to my office."

Ms. Paul walked up behind Mr. Gottfried. "Thank you, Karl." The Rottweiler grumbled and stalked back into the lounge. The young Lynx walked out, followed by the matronly Sheep. Nurse Neuranski closed the door behind her. Their homeroom teacher looked almost as annoyed as the gym teacher did. "Yes, Faelen? Is something wrong?" She looked over at the office. "Is Jordan he-- What's Nathanial doing?"

Faelen shook his head, amused. "He heard the phone ringing and couldn't not answer it. He wanted us to ask if you and the other teachers could send out e-mails asking the parents to send e-mails in to their kids' homeroom teachers if they were going to be absent. The voicemail is full. We don't know, and I doubt you do either, if Mr. Drake will be making it in to process any absence reports. Um, speaking of Mr. Drake, where does he live? Not nearby, I guess."

The Sheep shook her head. "No, he lives out in Beaverbank -- near Sackville. A bit less than half of the staff has shown up; those who couldn't make it sent in e-mails, but we haven't heard from Jon. Most of us who are here live in residence, like I do." She looked into the office, shaking her head. "He really shouldn't be doing that, but he looks calmer than I've seen him in a while."

She should've have seen him last night.Faelen smiled wanly. "He likes organizing things." Except his bedroom, though compared to Nick's or Geoff's, it was spotless. "Ma'am, Liam Smith asked me to let you know that he's over at Mrs. Davis's. He'll need to talk to you when he gets back." Ms. Paul looked absolutely shocked.

Mrs. Neuranski nodded. She was very worried, even if she didn't show it. "If she called him, why hasn't she phoned one of us to tell us if school is cancelled or when she'd be in?"

Geoff looked around nervously and offhandedly offered, "She didn't call. I... It sounds like she isn't doing well. Liam didn't say anything -- you know, with doctor-patient confidentiality, but..."

Ms. Paul held up a paw. "Doctor-_patient confidentiality? _Smith? What do you mean? And why would he go to her house if she didn't call? He's a student at her school; do you know how that'd look?"

The brown-grey Sheep put her hand on the Lynx's shoulder. "He's an accredited traditional healer. I checked his credentials before he started school. Smith is working paw-in-paw with her GP and specialist. He checks on her frequently at school." She giggled quietly. "The optics, once that information is taken into account, are of a very dedicated healthcare professional. Don't worry, dearie." Ms Paul shook her head in disbelief.

Geoff sighed quietly. "He went over when he heard that she was absent and hadn't told anyone. Liam got worried. Like Nathanial, there are some things he just can't ignore, and people in need seem to be the big one."

Ms. Paul exhaled sharply. It was almost a snort, and she seemed torn between frustration and amusement. "There are far worse 'flaws' someone could have, I suppose, and he does seem to be exceptionally mature and responsible." She looked back into the office. "I hate to stop Nathanial -- he almost looks like he's having fun -- but I can't let him do that." She walked over to the office and opened the door. "Nathanial, you aren't allowed to answer the phones. I know you're trying to help, but I have to ask you to stop."

The Akita nodded glumly in response and finished his call. "Thank you, Mrs. Anthony; I hope there isn't much damage to the basement. Please remember to send in that e-mail." He hung up the phone and stood. The phone rang again, and Nathanial's paw reached for the handset, but he stopped himself and walked away from the desk. "Yes, ma'am." His eyes darted back to the phone, and his muscles tensed as it continued to cry for his attention. "S-Sorry."

Ms. Paul walked into the office and ushered Nathanial out. "Let it go, Nathanial. It isn't your responsibility. Now shoo; you have over a half-hour until homeroom, so go find something to do. I'll send out the e-mail like you asked."

Nathanial walked off toward the library, and Ms. Paul returned to the faculty lounge with Nurse Neuranski. He glanced around as soon as the door closed and turned to his friends. "I found Mr. Drake; his car broke down on the side of the road. It's all wooded and stuff, with no traffic. He can't get a signal on his phone either; that, or it's broken. It looks almost as old as his car. I could help him, but, um, he's a Fur. I don't think he knows about magic."

Geoff shook his head. "He's a Spirit. I get the impression that he's clanless; he's probably an exile -- either self-imposed or as punishment -- or born outside of a clan. If he wasn't, he'd know who I am and would've said something by now. You saw how fast the Spirits at the restaurant came up to me."

Faelen nodded. It was pretty obvious that Mr. Drake was a Spirit, and Geoff was actually right for once about the reasoning behind his judgement. "If you want to help him, go ahead. We'll have to go with you in case Liam calls." Nathanial smelt anxious for a moment, and his paw twitched toward his phone. Faelen shook his head. "Nick is fine, Nathanial. Let him be."

Geoff led them off to a bathroom. "How did you find Mr. Drake?"

Nathanial smiled timidly and looked at Geoff sidelong, which, surprisingly, didn't prompt any_arousal from the Elemental. "I heard Nurse Amy say he lived out in Beaverbank, so I found the neighbourhood on a map and dropped the Agents' scrying spell on the main road out. The thing moves _fast, so it only took a minute to find him. With the spell still active, it'll be a cinch to open a portal."

Nathanial suited word to action as soon as the heavy lavatory door closed behind them. A portal blinked open, and a gust of rain-laden wind swirled through, soaking their clothes. The Akita's smile didn't falter, and he trotted out into the storm. Faelen followed with Geoff on his tail.

The paved road looked like it would normally_be fairly well-used, with water-filled ruts showing the path the traffic wove down the two lane street. It was wooded on either side, with the typical grassy stretch just on the other side of the ditch; he figured it was there to give drivers a _little warning of wildlife that wanted to cross the road. Just ahead of them was the boot of a stalled car -- or the remains of a car. It smelt more like rust than clean metal or plastic, and it might have been even older than Da. The bonnet was raised in the international symbol for trouble, and the driver's side door was just groaning shut as Mr. Drake climbed back in.

Nathanial called out, "Hi, Mr. Drake! We're here to help you!" Nathanial walked around the car, tail wagging happily.

The Hyena froze with his door half-shut. His eyes widened when he saw them, and he smelt of shock and a touch of fear. "What are you guys doing here? How did you get here? How did you know...?" He shook his head in complete bafflement.

Nathanial grinned widely. "Well, magic of course! I am a Mage. I didn't know you were a Spirit or--" The Hyena recoiled and touch of fear blossomed into terror. "Are you okay?" Nathanial reached out in concern, stopping just short of touching him. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I want to help. We got worried when you weren't at school, and with Mrs. Davis being really sick and not showing up, I was afraid something happened to you, too."

"Get the fuck away! What is it with you four and this 'spirit' crap!? I'm not a-a monster!" He went to slam the door in Nathanial's face, but it was stuck open. The Akita looked like he was slapped by a trusted friend. "And what the hell do you mean by a Mage? Some sort of witch doctor? A warlock? I don't traffic with demons or people who_do!"_

Faelen wasn't sure if the water streaming down Nathanial's face was rain or tears. "I don't deal with Demons, Mr. Drake. I fight them. I-I just wanted t-to help."_He sniffled. "Spirits aren't monsters, either. They're people. _You're_a person. Y-You shouldn't hate yourself for how you were born, whether it's short or tall, gay or straight...or a Fur or Spirit. People are people. _I'm a person." He reached through the half-open door and put his paw on the Hyena's shoulder. "And so are you."

Faelen had an inkling of the problem, now. The guy was from Sudan, likely born outside of a clan, and had never heard the terminology of the Hidden World. He probably didn't know anything about what was really out there. Faelen knew from geography class and the news that South Sudan had a very large animist population -- people that believed, quite correctly, that there was more to the world than the visible. Spirits, the incorporeal and not-always-friendly type, were a key part of that belief. If the Hyena was raised to believe that these..._ghosts,_for lack of a less confusing term, were what people meant by the name _Spirit,_then that might account for some of his fear. Especially if he knew he was different and his neighbours did, too. If he was a half-breed, like Faelen, and had been raised without being taught about his true nature, then that difference would be frightening. If he was aging a lot slower than his peers, that oddity would spawn a lot of rumours, and in a tumultuous country like Sudan, those rumours could quickly spawn violence. 'Spirit' may very well be the epithet used to insult, like 'fag.'

Faelen walked up and moved Nathanial aside. He intentionally avoided mentioning Geoff when he spoke to the Hyena -- 'dark' was used far too often as a synonym for 'evil.' "Sir, I'm like you. I could smell we were the same, but since you never said anything, I figured you wanted to keep it quiet. Neither of us is a monster, we aren't incorporeal beings haunting the wilderness, and we don't attack people for no reason. Nathanial is right; we, that is you and I, are people. I told him that you were like me because he wanted to help but couldn't if you didn't know magic existed." Mr. Drake was staring at him in terror, so he crouched down a bit so he wasn't looming so much. He quickly waved at Nathanial to start whatever he was going to do; the pup began looking over the car, starting with the engine. "Every one of our kind is associated with some natural phenomenon. I'm what is called a Mist Spirit. My power, my magic, is drawn from fog and mist. What are you?" Mr. Drake smelt terrified, and nothing Faelen said seemed to be helping.

Nathanial walked back to the door. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need you two out of the car so I can work. This is going to take quite a bit of magic. I hope the spell can handle it; there just isn't much left to this beater."

Faelen stepped aside and walked over to Geoff. He was certain he knew at least some of why Mr. Drake was so...confused, but he just didn't know how to get through to him. Conor was the one who had more experience with this, with convincing people about ideas. Geoff was still standing by the boot of the car, looking slightly sad and confused.

The white Wolf watched the brown Spotted Hyena, who was just climbing out of the vehicle. "Why didn't your parents tell you about all this? Even if they're clanless, they should have known enough to at least give you some idea of what's what in the magic world."

Mr. Drake shook his head. "Magic world? Spirits, Mages, Demons, whatever the fuck that Smith pup is. Not a god, according to him, anyway. This is all twisted shit, but I don't care what you say; I'm not a spirit."

Nathanial waved his paws at the confused and frightened adult. "Shoo. Go over with them; I'm working." Mr. Drake shot a terrified look at the pup, like the Mage just cast a hex on him, and ran over toward Faelen and Geoff. He gave them a wide berth and stopped a bit down the road. Nathanial's shoulders slumped, but he waved his paws and did his thing. The rusted metal began to flow and change colour to look like clean steel and sealed the smaller holes up. Where the rust-holes were too large for the metal to cleanly and safely spread over to fill, the steel just rounded its edges and moulded itself into a bit more of a pleasing shape. Faelen shook his head in amusement at that; who cared what the holes looked like? That was Nathanial for you. It showed that the pup couldn't create the metal from nothing, though. The body work was quickly done, but it was in desperate need of paint... and more material to fill in those holes. The car actually didn't look that bad anymore. Nathanial shrugged as he looked it over critically before turning his attention to the engine.

Surprisingly, Mr. Drake walked closer. He was talking quietly, almost to himself, but he was audible even to a normal Fur's hearing. "I bought this, knowing it was in sad shape, because it'd be the closest I'd ever get to a proper antique muscle car. My Firebird. 1971 wasn't my favourite year in that line, but hell, I knew it might be the only chance to get one, even if it looked like trash. Now look at it. It's almost fixed up. A Pontiac Firebird, and it's mine."

Geoff roused himself from wherever he'd drifted off to. "If you get some steel and paint, he could fix it up proper. Forget what you think you know, Mr. Drake, and learn what's true; what's in front of you. You work in a school; you should know that everything should be examined critically. You heard bad things about Spirits, but have you tried to find out the truth? Take your hypothesis and test it. You'll find out how wrong it is." Mr. Drake looked like he was actually hearing what was being said. Perhaps they could get through to him without Conor.

Nathanial closed the bonnet with a thump. "All done. Give it a try."

The Hyena glanced at Geoff and Faelen. "I might do that." He trotted over to his car and opened the door; it moved freely, with no screeches. He moved it a few times in surprise and climbed in. It closed with a solid thunk, like a well-built car should. Mr. Drake paused with his paw on the key, took a deep breath, and turned it. The car roared to life, and the Hyena threw his head back in cackling laughter. He revved the engine with almost orgasmic bliss on his face.

Nathanial rapped on the window, and Mr. Drake rolled it down a touch. "See you at school, eh?"

The Hyena nodded. The wariness was still in his eyes, but his gratitude was genuine. "Yeah, thanks, Nathanial. I couldn't afford to miss work, or worse, have to fix my car. You saved my hide."

Nathanial's tail wagged fiercely. "No problem. But you're soaked, and it's going to wreck the interior." Faelen guessed he cast Drying on Mr. Drake. "There you go."

Faelen could smell the fear even through the rain. "R-Right. Yeah, um, see you at school." Nathanial stepped back as Mr. Drake took off.

Geoff walked toward his boyfriend. "Let's go. I'm cold, wet, and tired."

Nathanial watched the Firebird vanish into the pouring rain. "Okay. I thought he was starting to like me, too." He sighed, and his paw twitched toward his phone, but he stopped it and opened a portal. They filed through into the school washroom, Nathanial dried them off, and they went to their lockers while they waited for Liam to call.