FSE

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Chapter 60: Difficult Company

Nathanial had washed his Kung Fu pants during the morning, before the soccer game, to get all of the precum out of them and was wearing them as he answered the door. It was a bit less than a half hour since Faelen had decided to remain as Geoff's bodyguard. That was a really touching scene, but it bothered Nathanial since it reminded him of how much he missed of what had happened last night. Missed and had removed from his memories. He couldn't blame Micah and Liam for taking some of those memories, just having two of his dreams come back had nearly put him in the psych ward and it sounded like there were several more. It also sounded like some of the stuff that wasn't a dream was pretty rough, too, like Dad raping him. Well, kind of. His muzzle, not his ass like in the dream. Still, Dad was pretty freaked over it. The doorbell rang, startling Nathanial out of his reverie. Nathanial opened it up to a wall of silk and fur. He looked up, his eyes instinctively widening as they kept climbing upwards to find Si Fu Jim's face. The large Polar Bear stood there blocking all sight of the yard, blushing as he looked down into Nathanial's face. "U-um, hi, Si Fu. Come in, please." Nathanial stepped aside to let the creamy-white furred beast squeeze through the door. Si Fu was wearing his own garb, deep blue with silver stitching, and carried a duffel bag with his street clothes. No one would dream of teasing him for his choice of clothing, especially with his black sash. While few would automatically think of his clothes as martial arts clothing, a black belt or sash worn on Asian clothes seemed to make most people come to that conclusion. In this case it'd be a very wise conclusion.

Jim wiped his paws clean on the mat and bowed, "Thank you for letting me in, Nathanial." He glanced around taking in the view, Lily had made sure the entryway was very impressive, but true to form it was tasteful and subtle. "I-I never realized how ri... um, this is..." He shook his head, embarrassed; it looked like his was afraid he offended Nathanial, "Ah, wow. Your house looks really nice."

Nathanial smiled, shyly, "It's different than your dorm room?"

Jim laughed at that, "Hells, yeah! It could fit in your foyer twice over!" He was probably exaggerating, there was no way someone could live in that small a space. Nathanial wouldn't even be able to fit his bedroom furniture in here, the queen sized bed alone would make it feel cramped, along with the other necessities like the entertainment unit and kitchen.

Nathanial blushed, "Heh, this way, please. I'm glad you could make it. Liam is still here, but Geoff went home to spend time with his sister, she's visiting from Ireland. Faelen is busy, too." Faelen actually went to Ireland to talk to his family about Liam. He had looked really nervous about it, so did Liam. "Did you have any trouble finding our house?" They were walking down the hall past the dining room, now. Jim kept slowing down at every door they passed, poking his head in to look around.

His eyes were huge and he clutched his duffel bag to his chest. He sounded very uncertain as he answered, "Um, no, sir. Y-your father's directions were very clear." They stepped into the kitchen, Jim looked through it into the sitting room, shaking his head. "Where is the... where are we going?"

Nathanial smiled, "Not much farther." He turned and walked down the stairs. The tighter quarters and the normalcy of the staircase seemed to put the bear at ease. Even the common area of the basement didn't faze him like the opulence of the upstairs, Lily would've loved his reaction. "This is where my brothers and I live."

Jim smiled as he looked at the entertainment 'room', "Sweet setup, Nathanial." Nathanial turned and walked into the gym, Jim following closely. Well, not so close that he couldn't look down at Nathanial's butt, Nathanial noticed him glancing at it more often now that he wasn't distracted by the house. The curly tail was forgotten again as Jim looked around the room, "Wow! Now this is sweet! None of the kwoons have a setup like this." He saw Liam standing on the thin mats of the Kung Fu practice area and slowed down. Micah, Nick, and Garret were all there, too. Nick's clothes were a deep red with gold stitching, Micah's were green and gold, Garret's a rich brown and cream. The cream colour on the cuffs and collar made the white of his fur seem brighter and the orange seem more vibrant. Nathanial wasn't sure about the brown, it seemed a lot more subdued than typical for this type of clothing. It looked good, just a bit plain. Even Nathanial's teal with golden brown cuffs and stitching looked more vibrant, and his was the most subdued out of his friends. Jim took the lead and walked over to the edge of the practice area, bowing to the mats before stepping on them and then bowing to Liam, "Si Jo, I'm honoured by your presence."

Liam returned the bow, "Si Fu, I am grateful that you have agreed to train the Marks. I count it as a personal favour, I am in your debt."

Jim stepped back, stumbling slightly, "No! S-si Jo, no! I-I couldn't, it's not right! It's my duty, my privilege to help you! You can't believe the jealousy..., uh, how much flak there... I mean everyone wanted to train them for you!" He was obviously very flustered.

Liam kept smiling, softly, but his eyes glittered dangerously, "Indeed? I have not heard that there has been issues amongst the Masters over my choice of instructors. I am disappointed. I think I will address this on Monday."

Jim's jaw dropped, "Si Jo, no, please. Leave it be. I can't blame them, I'd..." His voice dropped to a low rumble, "Probably be worse than they are. I was mean to your friends, well, rude and said some stuff to you, too. It'll pass. When we heard you were looking for a Master to train some people and that they'd need a weekend instructor, well everyone was dreaming about it. It's just a bit of jealousy and disappointment. I didn't mean to say anything." Nathanial noticed Garret was stunned by Si Fu Jim's reaction to Liam's presence. He knew Liam was a Master but he didn't know his rank or how respected he was. He probably thought Si Fu Jim was equal in rank with Liam.

Nathanial slid over to his dad and asked as Jim and Liam talked a bit more, "Do you know what a Si Jo is?"

Garret nodded slowly, "Holy shit!"

Nathanial chuckled, "Close, it's a Great-Great Grandmaster. The highest rank in Kung Fu."

Garret didn't notice the sarcasm, "Bloody fucking..."

He was cut off by Liam, " Student Marks!" Liam's voice cracked like a whip, his eyes pierced through Garret. Garret stepped forward, confused. "You will watch your language! When any person is practicing Kung Fu this room becomes a kwoon. When any Master is here for the purpose of teaching Kung Fu this room becomes a kwoon. When any Master is on the mats you," His eyes flicked across the Marks family, "All of you should be lined up, at the ready." The other three students quickly stepped into place and assumed a ready stance; Nicholas' tail was wagging furiously, he seemed to really enjoy being ordered around by Liam. "You should have been taught the etiquette of a kwoon by Si Gung Adamski, I know she insists on proper behaviour in the Jade Lotus Kwoon at all times. You will follow those instructions here as well! Is that understood!?"

Garret bowed and held the position, "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

Liam frowned, "Sir is tolerable, my rank is Si Jo, that is how I will be addressed. To avoid confusion, I will address you by first name during training."

"Yes, Si Jo."

Liam bowed in return and Garret stepped back. "Si Fu DeKou, if you will begin. I will observe."

Jim looked petrified at the thought of trying to teach a class while Liam watched, "Y-yes, Honoured Teacher. I thought you'd be teaching when you were here."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "I was very clear on that matter. They are not my students. They are Si Gung Adamski's. I will not teach them, otherwise I would not require you to be here, nor would I require Si Gung Adamski to do so, either. Now, begin." Liam stepped to the side of the mats and stood there looking at Jim.

"Y-yes, Si Jo, sorry. Uh, class... um... line up?" His eyes were wide as he looked over the four Akitas who were already lined up, "Eh... bow to the Anc... um, Si Jo." Liam had tensed up at Jim's near slip, eyes narrowed. Jim started shaking more when he saw Liam's expression, he almost fell over as he shifted his weight back onto his right hindpaw and slid his left forward. "Now, line up. I mean bow." He bowed to the four of them, they bowed in return.

Liam shook his head and slipped off the mats to head to the cardio machines. Once he was out of sight Jim sighed heavily and began to teach properly. He never noticed that Liam hid his presence and snuck back in to sit in the corner to watch.

Nathanial smiled as the class ended. It was pretty good practice, there wasn't anything new for him, but it was still useful. Si Fu Jim didn't push nearly as hard as Liam did so it was almost relaxing. Nicholas seemed to find it too lax, he kept trying to go faster and harder than Jim told them to and Jim kept having to reign him in. Micah was the opposite, he kept getting distracted while doing anything repetitious and Jim had to bring him back in line. Jim seemed to have a lot of practice dealing with children and was really good at refocusing him without making an issue of it. Liam stepped out of the corner he'd been sitting in, "Well done, Si Fu."

Jim nearly jumped out of his fur, "Si Jo! When...?"

Nathanial clapped him on the arm, "About ten seconds after he walked around the corner. He's been here the whole time."

Liam grinned, "Indeed. You are a good instructor when I do not distract you. It is almost as if I intimidate you."

Jim's eyes were wide, he shook slightly as he bowed, "O-of course not, Si Jo."

Nicholas was almost laughing as he stood by the corner leading to the showers, Garret had already walked in with Micah. Liam sighed, "Go shower, Si Fu. Nathanial has to get ready for his grandparents' visit. Mind yourself around the two rapscallions, they will likely seek to embarrass you and/or flirt with you. You have their father and Nathanial to keep them in line today, be thankful for that."

Jim nodded doubtfully, "Yes, Si Jo, Nathanial's warned me."

Liam nodded, "I will take my leave, then. I have things to do at home, good day to you all."

The three murmured their farewells and turned to enter the change room. Jim shook his head in disbelief as he walked in. Nathanial pointed to one of the racks, "You can put your stuff there, we have towels over here, and shampoo and conditioner is at each shower." They began to undress, with Jim trying valiantly not to eye Nathanial, then Nicholas as he glimpsed the younger Akita when he was half undressed. He blushed furiously and kept facing the racks, eyes closed whenever possible. Nathanial noticed the bear was chubbing up, and so did Nick when the Polar Bear bent over to pull off his jockstrap. Nicholas's jaw dropped as he saw the long black tube dangling between the thick legs. Nathanial glanced at Nick, *You better damned well behave, Nicholas Marks. The poor guy is having enough trouble coming to grips with the fact he's gay, he doesn't need the guilt of coming on to an under aged pup added to the mix. Or having said pup coming on to him.*

Nicholas jumped, letting Nathanial know he heard him, but he wasn't sure it registered, *He's fucking huge!*

Nathanial sighed in his head so Nick could hear, *Yes, that's why I'm telling you to behave. You're already in trouble, don't add to it.* That got Nick's attention, he nodded dolefully. They were all undressed, Nathanial motioned Jim ahead of him, "Si Fu." Jim nodded, keeping his eyes away from the two dogs. They walked into the shower. Garret and Micah were against the left wall, with Garret close to the back wall, "If you'd take the shower by Dad." Jim nodded and moved by Garret, trying to not be obvious as he checked him out, Nathanial steered Nick to the shower farthest from Jim on the right wall and he took the one next to it. Garret's eyes widened when he noticed how endowed Jim was, but Micah's jaw dropped and he audibly gasped as he stared. Micah's penis started to slide out of his sheath rapidly. Jim blushed and turned to the wall, his own penis getting thicker and lifting up. *Micah Joel Marks!* Micah yelped and jumped, turning to stare at Nathanial. *Face the wall, you're getting erect. Stop staring at Si Fu Jim.*

*He's huge! I really want to get that in me! Please, please, please! I can feel he's turned on, too, it wouldn't be hard at all to get him to do me.*

Nathanial gasped in shock, then growled angrily, *NOW! Turn to face the wall, now, and don't even consider hitting on him! You so much as hint at it and you'll go shower in the other room, alone, after every practice. Is that understood?*

Micah sniffed sadly and turned around, nodding. Garret raised an eyebrow and so did Jim, as he half turned, paws over his groin. They had both heard Nathanial gasp and growl. Garret looked at Micah and shook his head, "You were right. Both at Micah's reaction and Jim's, ah, blessing."

Jim blushed furiously, a large drop of precum slid down his shaft behind his paws, "I'm sorry if I'm causing trouble. I can shower at home from now on." He turned toward the corner, half facing Garret as he spoke to him.

Garret chuckled, "Not necessary. If they don't behave you can shower in the bathroom, or they can. There's a lot of places to get clean in this house, I just thought it'd be more convenient to have a set of showers here for when we have a bunch of people working out at once." He glanced at the glistening head of the massive black spike, surprised and impressed, "I appreciate your attempts at discretion. I remember being that young, too, and how difficult things can be to control. A lesson my two younger boys can learn."

Nicholas sounded indignant, "Hey! I'm only showing a little pink! I'm doing pretty good considering all the temptation here! Even Nathanial is a little chubbed."

Nathanial sighed, "Sorry, it is hard." Jim's blush, which had just started to recede, returned in full force, "Sorry, bad choice of words. Difficult is what I should have said. Dad, make sure Micah is thoroughly clean. I want to make a good impression for your parents. Nick, let me get your back. Si Fu, Dad or I can scrub your back in a second."

Jim swallowed heavily, "Uh, Mr. Marks? I'd prefer it if you did, or I can get it myself later."

Nathanial chuckled, echoed by his dad. He was surprised at how similar they sounded, but Nathanial just said, "Liam mentioned you had trouble reaching your back even with a scrub brush. You should probably take advantage of willing paws when you can. Besides, another person can do your backside more vigorously than you can on your own." Jim blushed , glancing over at Nathanial, or at least at Nathanial's crotch, before turning back to the wall. Nathanial hadn't even noticed the double-entendre until then. He shook his head and focused on washing.

After the troublesome shower, Nathanial went to work upstairs. It was kept very clean, so there was little to do, but he touched things up as necessary while he started cooking. He didn't know what his grandparents liked and he figured that old people wouldn't be fond of 'foreign' food, not having grown up on it. He refused to cook a 'meat and potatoes' dish; Nick liked them but Nathanial found them boring to cook and not nearly as tasty as 'ethnic cuisine'. Whatever that meant. It was what Lily called anything not American or British. Nathanial loved cooking complicated or finicky dishes; it was a fun distraction before this school year, now it was a lot simpler since he could do so much at once. He decided on French for today. Stuffed mushroom heads and several different tartines opened as the appetizer. Fiddlehead and saffron soup and tizza soup would follow as the first course, opening the way for the main meal. This would be braised quail with wild mushrooms, lettuce wrapped halibut with a dill cream sauce, and mushroom stuffed roasted potatoes. The salad course was warm potato salad, fennel and mushroom salad, and an apricot salad with orange flower waster and pistachios. The last was a little sweet for a salad, as opposed to a dessert, but it would cut into the richer and savoury meal so far. The cheese and wine course would be a little sparse and kept short, since half the people couldn't drink wine and cheese didn't agree with Micah, though he loved all cheeses. Desert was chocolate mousse and pink grapefruit sorbet. Nathanial was feeling a little nervous about this, he didn't think it was enough for his grandparents' first visit. The last time he'd prepared for an important first meal he'd done a bit more work on it and Lily was furious with his selection and 'lackadaisical attitude' to the food. There had just been so much going on that he didn't think he could do a whole lot more.

Now, it was nearly time for them to show. He checked in on his brothers, they were in their separate rooms, grounded. Nick was wearing suitable clothing, ash-brown dress pants, a cream dress shirt, and an olive green vest. He wore the collar of his shirt open, making it slightly casual, but he looked very sharp. Nathanial smiled, Nicholas seemed to have an instinctive flair for clothing. Micah was at least wearing underwear, the goombas on them were bouncing as Micah seemed to be pretending he was a frog springing around the room on all fours. *Micah! Why aren't you dressed?*

He caught his brother by surprise, Micah sprang off in an unintended direction and smacked into the wall. "Oww." He rubbed his shoulder. It didn't sound too painful, but it still made Nathanial wince. *Hey, Nats! Wanna play Super Mario with me? I have the frog suit on, you can wear a tanuki suit or something. Nick would have the fire flower, of course.*

Nathanial was incredulous, *Sprite, our grandparents are going to be here in a few minutes! You're supposed to be dressed! I'm sending Nick in to make sure you're dressed properly. Hurry up.* We flipped back to Nicholas, who was just adding a little leave-in conditioner to his fur to make it a touch more shiny. *Nicholas, please help Micah get dressed. He was springing around the room pretending he was wearing the frog suit from Super Mario. They're going to be here any moment!*

Nick laughed, making Nathanial start to steam, *Relax, Nathanial. I'll go help him, it'll just take a few minutes. We'll be up shortly.*

Micah came scampering up the stairs, "All ready!" Nathanial turned away from dishing up the food to gape at his brother. He was all ready, sort of, he was wearing bright red pants, yellow shirt, and a pine green vest. Nathanial cringed. "See! It takes just a second with Granddad's pin. I had lots of time."

Nathanial grimaced, "That... is the worst outfit I've ever seen you wear. It fits very well, I'm very impressed you got the sizes right, but the colours... um, wow. No, you have to change them. Keep everything else the way it is, but please, pretty please, change those colours."

Nicholas trotted up the stairs and stopped short, "Micah!" He had to catch himself when he stubbed his toes on the stairs, "OW! Bloody... Where in the hells did you get those pants? Nathanial would never let you get something so gaudy! And that shirt, you look like a walking McDonalds restaurant. Great fit though. The pants are just about perfect, they really show off that ass of yours. Ugh, I really need to plough you right now."

Micah's face lit up, he spun around and his clothes vanished, except for a braided grass rope around his neck. "Okay!" Nathanial hit his head on the counter. "Nats! You got to stop doing that!"

"Dressed. Get dressed! No sex! Just, please, get dressed! They're..." He sensed a car, the Ferrari four fifty-eight Spider he noticed yesterday, pulling up to the gate. His grandparents were inside. He opened the gate, "Here. Gods, they're here. I'm not ready. Micah. Nick get Micah dressed, something presentable. You're good at this." He put a paw to his chest, it was feeling tight and his heart was racing, even his jaw and left arm ached slightly. His other paw was on the counter helping to hold him upright. "Gods." He never noticed the fear crossing Nicholas' face as he looked at Nathanial's paw.

Nicholas quickly stepped over to hug him, "Shh, calm down. The food looks great, Micah will be dressed momentarily, and Dad can greet them at the door. Just relax, please." Micah spun around, the rope spreading out to wrap itself around him and it shimmered for a second. The shimmer faded to reveal the same clothes but in different colours. A burgundy shirt, coal grey vest, and navy pants; a surprising choice but it actually seemed to work, maybe he was just comparing it to the previous selection.

Micah ran to the intercom, "Daddy, the peoples are here! Um, your dad and mom." Micah didn't wait for an answer but ran out to the front door. Nick smiled and shrugged, following Micah at a slower pace.

'Food, finished plating, good. Wines, ready, glasses set up to go.' He continued through his checklist, making sure everything was set, and walked out to greet his grandparents. They were just walking up to the front doors as he joined his family. Garret was scowling, but dressed similarly to his kids. "Dad, even if you don't smile lose the scowl. They're guests. Even if I was tricked into inviting them, the invitation was made." He shouldn't have said that last bit, Garret started growling until Nathanial elbowed him in the ribs, "Stop it, now."

Garret chuckled, "Yes, Dad."

Nathanial nodded to Nicholas who opened the door. Wallace and Rosemary Marks stepped onto the landing and walked toward the doors. Wallace carried several parcels, wrapped in bright paper, Rosemary had her arms opened to hug her grandchildren, "Kids! There's my darling Micah!" She pulled Micah into a big hug, kissing him on the top of his muzzle a few times. Micah squealed and laughed before she let him go. Nathanial took the parcels from Wallace and placed them on the table just inside the door. "Nicholas, look at you! Such a dashing young man! You look so much sharper than those foppish models in the magazines, you must have all the girls swooning!" Rosemary hugged him, licking each cheek. Wallace gave Nathanial a quick hug, following up with Micah, then Nick, once he was released. Rosemary turned to Nathanial. "Nathanial, good to see you." Nathanial's stomach clenched at the dismissive greeting, his ears drooped and tail sank. Rosemary laughed, "Sorry. I was joking, but you seemed a little distant at the funeral, I didn't know if you liked hugs." She pulled him in to a tight embrace, licking each cheek like she did with Nick.

Garret was hanging back, out of reach, "Now that the greetings are done, let's move to the dining room. It looked like Nathanial was going crazy in the kitchen trying to get ready for your visit."

Rosemary frowned, "What, no greetings for your parents?"

Garret's eyes were full of hate, "Hello. Now, please, Nathanial has been worried and frantically preparing for this."

Wallace shook his head, smiling ruefully, "Hello to you, too, son. Nice to know some things haven't changed."

Garret's eyes flashed angrily, "Don't lie to or try to trick my boy again! I never invited you over at Lily's funeral, I didn't even hint at it! You're right, some things haven't changed!"

Nathanial sighed, "Dad, Poppy, please don't. Let's just go eat before all my work is ruined. Please?"

Nick looked over at Nathanial, it seemed he was really concerned about something but just snorted, "Poppy? Where'd that come from?"

Nathanial smiled, "He looks like 'poppy' suits him and Micah's grandfather is granddad. I don't want Micah getting confused between grandfathers."

Rosemary frowned, "Micah's grandfather? Do you know who his father is? Isn't David McKay grandfather to all of you? I thought he wasn't our grandchild by blood, though we're certainly happy to call him our grandson, too. He's sweet enough." Micah's tail wagged happily. Nathanial gathered up some of the packages and Nick grabbed the rest.

Nathanial glanced back at his grandparents as he led them to the dining room, "Actually, no. Dad is his biological father, Lily wasn't his mother."

That confused them. Rosemary sounded really baffled, her first word was drawn out as her brain tried to process the information, "I... don't get what you mean. We know Lily was pregnant, we visited a few times while she was. We were at the hospital when she gave birth. How can she not be Micah's mother?"

Nicholas laughed, "Yeah, it was Dad's spunk but not Mom's egg. Dad fu- um, had sex with some Fey in disguise and she put Micah in Mom. Mom was just the surrogate. You're his grandmom."

The elder Marks followed them down the hall slowly and quietly. Nathanial broke the silence, "I was planning on calling you Nanny and Poppy, do you mind? Or is there something else you'd rather?"

Wallace shook his head, "We're just happy to get to talk to you, whatever you call us is fine." He looked at them a little closer, seeming slightly disappointed until he looked at Nick. Nathanial looked them over in return. Wallace had an ivory pocket watch; it was shielded with a complicated spell, Demon magic with a veneer of Mage magic to conceal the demonic aspect. Beneath it was a concentrated, and barely contained, store of energy. It felt like if the containment spells were disrupted it would explode with catastrophic results. Nick's choker was nothing compared to this. Nathanial staggered, his stomach knotting up with revulsion. Wallace briefly gave him a toothy grin, but switched to a concerned expression as people looked over at Nathanial, "Are you okay, Nathanial?"

Nathanial nodded, "Yes, Poppy. I was just momentarily distracted." He put the parcels on a receiving table in the corner of the dining room, Nicholas put his next to them. "Dad, if you would." He gestured to the head of the table, "Poppy, Nanny." They sat to Garret's right, Nicholas was to Garret's left, followed by Micah. Nathanial sat at the foot of the table in the hostess' spot.

Garret nodded, "Please, be seated."

Nathanial used his magic to bring out the stuffed mushroom heads and the tartines. He had a large cup of Liam's tisane and gave Nicholas and Micah some cranberry juice. He passed a bottle of wine to Garret, "I recommend this wine for the appetizers, Dad." He gave a brief description of the food and waited for the wine to be poured, "Please, enjoy." They politely began eating the small servings.

Rosemary's eyes lit up, "Oh, this is wonderful. You made this, Nathanial? I would've thought it was catered, Garret was hopeless in the kitchen."

Garret's eyes flashed, so Nathanial cut him off, "Yes, Nanny. I prepared everything, food-wise, for tonight's meal. I had some training from the chef we had on retainer when I was younger, but it's mostly self taught. I've had plenty of practice. French cuisine isn't my strong suit, but I thought it'd be a safe choice."

Wallace's eyes twinkled merrily, "Indeed. We've visited France many times and have always loved the food, but what do you mean 'safe'?"

Nathanial phrased his answer differently than he'd thought it, "Mutli-ethnic food wasn't present, or at least in this quantity, for the previous generations. I wasn't sure if you would've been exposed to it or appreciate it, so French, which was considered the height of foreign food, seemed most likely to be a style you'd recognise and enjoy." He looked his grandmother over for a demonic focus.

Rosemary laughed, delighted at his answer, "So diplomatically phrased, much better than 'old folks are picky and hate anything strange'. We love most food, even spicy food: Ethiopian, Indian, Mexican, Northern Chinese, and so on. We've had it and liked it." She wore an ivory pendant, it had the same spell on it that Wallace's pocket watch did, but the Demon magic in it seemed very different.

Nathanial was stunned, both of them were Demon Mages. How did Rosemary keep from succumbing to the Taint? Or Wallace, depending on which bloodline offered resistance to it? He smiled, "Conor, the father of my friend Geoff, would laugh at the idea of me being 'diplomatic'. I've been a little blunt about some things when talking to him."

Wallace smiled in turn, "Ah, Geoff. That was the handsome young Wolf with you at Lily's funeral? The Dark Spirit you're dating."

Nicholas and Micah jumped, confirming Wallace's guess. Garret growled menacingly. Nathanial just raised his paw, "Yes, Poppy. Geoff is my boyfriend, you should get to know him. I think you'll like him, too, though you better not like him as much as I do." Nathanial smiled at his own joke.

Rosemary growled as she smiled, "No, he better not. Geoff seemed like a very nice young man. All of your friends did. The Rottweiler is dating the other Wolf? I noticed they kissed when the Rottweiler came in and they thought no one was looking. The Rottweiler looked a lot younger than the Wolf."

Nathanial took away the first plates. "Yes, they're dating, too. Liam is fourteen, but he's in our class. Faelen is sixteen, so there is a bit of an age difference, but Liam is very mature for his age. I don't think I need to say this, but please be discreet. Spirits are even more picky about homosexuality than Mages and since Geoff is a Dark Spirit it makes things very difficult."

Wallace chuckled, "What's it worth to you?" Garret slammed the table with his fist and stood up, snarling.

Nathanial just raised his paw, "Dad." He looked at his grandfather, "My silence. I'm not the Demon Mage here, Poppy. Your pocket watch would pique the interest of several of my other friends, as would Nanny's pendant. Furthermore, should you attempt to blackmail me, my family, or my friends, I'll give you an extended version of the tour of the Plane of Darkness I gave Pastor Yuke. I trust that is enough to ensure your discretion?"

Wallace burst out laughing, "Yes. Yes, that'll do. I like you, pup. You weren't fazed for a second. You're much better at this than your father." Garret sat down, scowling. "I was hoping you would've become a Demon Mage. You're stronger than any in our family in centuries, much stronger. It looks like Nicholas is starting to do pretty well, though. What type of Demon Mage are you, Nicholas?"

Nathanial's eyes narrowed. Nick paled, "U-um, I d-don't know what you're talking about, sir."

Nathanial brought out the soups. Wallace picked up his spoon and waved it at Nicholas; Nathanial felt a little tingle of magic. He yanked his grandfather's tie tight around his neck, "No magic. You cast a spell on my brother and I snap your neck right now. Understood?" Nathanial remained leaning back in his chair, fingertips pressed together in front of his muzzle. Wallace's face was turning a little purple under his fur as he nodded. Nathanial let him go, "I can sense magic, including Demon magic, so don't even think of it." Micah was halfway out of his chair, about to run from the room. Nick looked petrified.

Wallace scooped up a little soup, smothering a cough, and tasted it, "Very good soup. What is it?"

Nathanial tasted it, it was good. "This one is fiddlehead and saffron soup, the fiddleheads were hard to get but I managed. I found a small greenhouse that grows them out of season. The other is tizza soup. It was a Succubus, she's been a headache ever since." The rest of the table started to relax, Garret's expression remained murderous.

Rosemary laughed, "An excuse she'd never use, I wager. Nor would Nicholas, now. I imagine it can be a troublesome power to gather with three young teens and a single father in the house."

Nathanial didn't bat an eye, "It can. He keeps walking in on Geoff and me, trying to get some. It's a little annoying." He didn't say the 'get some' was a dick up the ass, it really wasn't their business. "Now, let's change the subject, please. This isn't proper conversation for supper. Poppy, I noticed you drive a Ferrari Spider, how does it handle?"

The meal proceeded peacefully from then on, Garret started to relax as the wine kept flowing. Even the small amounts poured at each course over the next hour and a half started to add up. When the mousse and sorbet were served Wallace spoke, "So, you noticed the gifts we brought. You carried them in, so there was no way you couldn't have. I'm really surprised no one mentioned them."

Micah's ears perked and swivelled toward the packages, but his eyes remained on his food. Nathanial shrugged, "They don't exist until you bring them up. You could be going somewhere after this and you just didn't want to leave them outside for all we know."

Rosemary seemed a little hurt, "Nathanial, that'd be very rude. It's your birthday, it's only fair for you to assume that brightly wrapped packages brought in to your house by your grandparents are gifts. Gifts for you."

Garret growled, "Heh. As long as your 'gift' isn't a Demon to Taint him, fine."

Rosemary glared at her son, "Garret Wallace Marks. What has gotten into you? You're even more surly than usual."

"It wasn't fair for you two to trick Nathanial into this, having him stress out trying to get ready after the hells he's been through in the last twenty four hours."

Wallace frowned, "What hells? We haven't heard anything about this."

Garret stood, paws on the table. His voice was low and menacing, "No? I thought your 'real son' would've told you all about it. That damned cat was here and nearly killed us all before running off with the Succubus who Tainted Nick!"