You Don't Know Jak (Part 2) by E. E. Nalley

Those lyrics, I hope Jak isn't pushing Alex into something he will regret.

October 8th, 2007
Room 502, Dickinson Cottage, Whateley Academy

I wouldn't have suspected that one of Tansy's favorite songs would be Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. Now she is in her dreamspace, which is a nightclub right now. Mustang already has a beer, and she continues to sing the song. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem on stage with her, priceless. Aw, the banter between Tansy and Mustang, already like old friends. *facepalms* Lanie paid attention to Alex's spirit, Jak, but Tansy thinks it is a spirit of a fox, oh boy.

“Which brings up another point, the way the two of you are using your power, the way you remember things that happened to her, it's confusing.”

“Again, I say, 'So what'?” Tansy replied with a dismissive gesture. “I had a shitty childhood, and Lanie had some trauma, but she never, ever doubted that her parents loved her. I help her through her fears of abandonment and she shares the feeling of having parents who loved her, we both win. Anyway, what business is it of yours?”

Tansy, becoming too intertwined like that, you can lose sight of who you really are or start confusing her memories for yours. Tansy, when a friend shows concern, you don't tell them to drop the subject; you at least listen.

Oh boy, tries to warn her about Reynard the Fox, and she doesn't take the warning too well. In the story of Chauntecleer and Reynard the Fox, why would Reynard want the truth to come out? So much easier to lure in prey if they think someone else has outwitted you in the past.

Tansy finished her wine, then held up the glass for a refill. “Mustang, what does this have to do with anything?” Mustang's long face went to one side as he listened to something Tansy couldn't hear.

“He's here,” he declared, then ominously added, “You'll find out.”

Tansy, you are smart, take the hint that the 'fox spirit' Alex has is Reynard the Fox! Alex has shown up and has a favor to ask of Tansy. Reputation, Tansy, don't let Alex know about your old reputation. Paranormal is the polite term, it is the first I've seen that mentioned in a story.

Alex was obviously confused. “He's the one that told my 'rents about this place. He set everything up for them. He asked me to keep an eye on you...”

Tansy's ice blue eyes narrowed. “He tried to get you to spy on me,” she declared flatly.

“What? No!” Alex exclaimed. “What would make you say such a thing?”

Oh no, Alex is naive or out of the loop on what Tansy's father did.

Yikes, so angry she reads Alex's mind that fast to see if he is acting, I knew he wasn't. The truth of what he did to Tansy comes out, I'm glad Alex's father is nothing like Tansy's father.

“But, some of us, some of us realize just how bad we've let ourselves become and try to do something about it.”

You had people who cared to help drag you out of that dark path, Tansy. Telling Alex, trying to be who Alex thought she was, is how Tansy heals. Those are some thoughts Alex is having, alright.

Alex doesn't know how to deal with one of the powers Jak gave him. Protected for one year, then Wyatt and Tansy are gone the next. Alex is right, he is going to be in worse shape unless he learns how to defend himself in the meantime.

“I was bullied too,” Tansy reminded him. “I'll make sure you meet people you can count on and trust! Believe me, I'll take care of you. But, look, having a bestial form, it's a very common power with avatars, you should see Lanie when she channels Grizzly and...!”

Oh, good, leave him with friends to help out and a support system.

Oh, the ability to shapeshift, especially into a female form, that would be an issue for a teenage boy. That is his default female form, don't enhance it or you will have boys and girls asking you out!

“I dunno. I'm just scared of being this way and I have no idea how to act like a girl if I needed to...”

Oh boy, Tansy is going to introduce you to people who can help you, Alex. Dang, that is some fast shapeshifting.

Why am I worried all of a sudden? Jak asked in the back of his mind.

Because you are about to be thrown into the deep end of being a girl at Whateley.

October 9th, 2007
Room 112, Twain Cottage, Whateley Academy

Alex, at least it isn't a cheap hospital bed. Or summer camp cabin bed. Hhm, why is Greasy so cheerful today? Dang, Alex broke the record for fastest to see Mrs. Carson for making trouble on the first day. Trying to figure out a codename can be hard without help. Alex, at Whateley, there are some things you can never be sure about, being the best or biggest. Ah, Stephen, aka Stronghold. Oh boy, don't tell me having Jak and a female form has made Alex bi or pansexual.

Nice take on the school uniform, Adam. Spoiling the Combat Finals for the freshman, more of the older students need to do this each year. Prudence Tavori, wait, what Greasy said earlier, did they...

“Well, any relation of Tansy's is a friend of mine!” Pru assured him.

Ah, good. Oh no, run, Alex. Don't get roped into Venus Inc., you don't want Jak to try digging his claws into those girls.

“Do I get a say?” Alex quipped jocularly and got a 'No' from both girls in chorus. “Well, off to the gallows then!”

Hehe, I like Alex's sense of humor about being taken away by Tansy. Jak! So help me, I hope someone reigns in Reynard the Fox soon. Crud, right into a room with the Bad Boyz staring down Stephen and someone standing behind him.

In the quiet, he heard the red-headed boy ask, “What's your name, friend?” in that tone of voice that usually served as the hiss of escaping pressure as a can of ass kicking was opened.

Behind him, a blonde girl whose blouse was soaked shouted, “David Archer, you god damned asshole!” Alex felt Tansy's hand on his chest and heard her mutter,

Crud, Eruption has stepped in it this time.

Who is this red-headed boy, and do Ito and Tolman know about him? Those skills at fighting, is he a more advanced student in BMA, or did he have training before coming to Whateley? Tansy is right, don't get into a fight unless lives are on the line. Otherwise, you will just get in trouble and be dragged in by security, too. Ack! Tansy is introducing Alex to Ms. Hartford. More descriptions of Ms. Hartford; seesh, I can see why some students get in trouble upon meeting her, she sounds like she appears to be a 20-something supermodel.

They go into Mrs. Carson's office since she is out ot lunch, so Alex can show her he is a shapeshifter and his female form.

“That is the fastest shape shift I've ever seen!” she declared, then turned to Tansy. “What are his limits?”

The blond shrugged her ignorance. “Alex doesn't know yet. He came to me to ask how to act if he has to use this form, and then I knew you'd want to meet him.”

That is faster than Jimmy T's shapeshifting!

Alex had seen that expression before, on his father's face whenever he had managed to gain some form of leverage in his business dealings. “I most certainly do!” she declared. “After breakfast, take him to Dr Aranis and have him get a full work up for powers testing.”

Oh no, Alex is going to be going to powers testing a lot, I just know it. Aww, has to wait to move to Poe until next year. Help with Alex's future, oh boy, I don't like seeing the robotic hamster in Hartford's head go from easy running to turbo speed like this.

October 9th, 2007
The Crystal Hall, Whateley Academy

There were very angry teachers outside, dressing down the three bullies and the redhead, but to his surprise, there was an amazon of a girl who despite her considerable muscles, managed to be hot. Next to her was another boy who was naked to the waist his olive skin was rippled and cut showing off each muscle group. “Oh, Sayyid,” Tansy muttered beside him. “What have you done?”

Is the amazon of a girl Hippolyta? Sayyid, just how bad did the fight get after they left to involve those two? And from Alex's reaction to both the amazon of a girl and Sayyid, I think that confirms he is at least bi.

Ah, the Crystal Hall, one of the many wonders at Whateley, even if you get to go to see it every day. Adam and Pru are eating breakfast, don't speak with your mouth full, Adam. Yeah, if there is a leak from Whateley, we don't want it to be from the power testers about real names. Rossel, Jak, you sneaky cus.

Adam chuckled. “That's awesome, Alex!” Turning to his girl, he explained, “Rossel was a fake name Reynard the Fox used in The Nun's Priest's Tale. We read Canterbury Tales, last year in English Lit. It also means 'Red' so it's kind of a double entendre as Alex has a fox spirit.”

Dang, Adam takes his lessons seriously, to remember that from last year. Huh, I don't get the Red, a man who knows how to get things done, and Morgan Freeman reference. Probably a movie I've never seen.

October 9th, 2007
Powers Testing Lab E (Exemplar)

Powers testing can get intense, they should give you a warning before you come down there. Hewley and Aranis, such a dynamic pair.

Rossel (M Freshman)

Ht: 5' 9.5”
Wght: 149lbs
Deadlift: 538Lbs
Bench Press: 502lbs
Kettlebell throw: 450lbs 58yrds
100m Sprint: 8.004 seconds
Standing Long Jump 14' 6”
Stanford Binet: 197 (Standard Measurement of IQ)
EMentPak: Yes, Traits: Eidetic 89% DiSen 97% (Exemplar Mental Package)

Ratings:
Exemplar: 3 (Measurably better than Human maximum)
Avatar: 3 (Hallow Size 38.7 Codys bound spirit Fox)
Shifter: Pending (Power seems to be a gift from spirit, not an independent ability.)

Please say the Hallow size unit Codys came about because of Wyatt Cody. 197 IQ, not the highest at Whateley, that would be Diamondback with a 240, but still impressive.

“I'm Ben, Ben Hardew. Most call me Benny or Flux, out there.” He put out a hand to be shook and Alex took it.

At this rate, Alex is going to need a very cold shower and soon. Benny sure does know how to read the data the powers testing gives out.

Aww, trying not to be a jerk because of a warning by Mrs. Horton to him and Risk about their behaviour last year. Gah! Benny, did you have to say that to a freshman who is still confused about his feelings?

Ben only smiled. “Hey, if I'm not your cup of tea, no sweat. If you're still trying to figure yourself out, I can suggest some of the more... ahem... discrete councilors who can help. Nothing says you can't bat for both teams, am I right?”

Benny, I know you are trying to help, but ease up a little.

Jak! It is not that easy to get over bullying, and the kind of mindset it gives you about matters connected to it. Alex needs some help, someone get Wyatt and Kodiak or Lanie and Grizzly to have a chat with Jak.

Tiger, learning the feminine wiles might mean you learn what it's like to enjoy the company of an eager gentleman like Benny Blue Eyes out there. And there's nothing wrong with doing it.

Jak, while this may be true, Alex is still a teenager and confused about his feelings. Give him time to get used to all this, don't throw him into the deep end. Taking the form of Alex's feminine self isn't helping either.

No, she told him flatly. I've never understood the tendency of you lot to come up with reasons to kill each other. What by the Foreigner's Beard does it matter who you let touch your genitals, or whose genitals you touch?

Jak, humans will come up with any reason to hate another, to harm those who aren't part of their 'tribe'. Heh, told to talk to Tansy about being attracted to both men and women. Mustang, you have a big mouth to chat with Reynard after warning Tansy to stay away from him. Seesh, having Jak in his head is going to be a trial for Alex.

Don't tell me, Benny heard some of what was said in the showers. And yes, talk to Mrs. Horton, she is the best person on campus to go to about these matters.

October 9th, 2007
Kane Hall Foyer, Whateley Academy

Back to Kane Hall with Tansy, and Alex gets the courage to ask Tansy what Jak let him in on. Finally, Tansy already knew thanks to Mustang, but I'm glad Alex told her about his spirit being Reynard the Fox. Reynard, not taking control from Alex like that.

Tansy smirked. “First, I'm his cousin, so don't get any ideas. Second, I'm in a relationship, so put that sass to work on someone else... for him.”

“Oh, I endeavor to do so, dear lady! It's just your help with that which bothers my hesitant host.”

Reynard, you need to let Alex speak for himself.

Yikes! I've heard of a mental hurricane before, but that is a doozy. Oh, that is one way to talk about the matter. Good lord, Alex is that terrified of what it means for him. The boys at his old school have left him a wreck about this. This was huge for Tansy to open up and tell Alex all that. Familial love, she has only gotten that from her grandparents and her mom, once she got her back. Alex, I wish there were an easy answer for why anyone feels the way they do.

Eep, Tansy has to tell Alex about more of her past, using sex with boys at Whateley to get them to do what she wanted, to get what she wanted. Ouch, it is hard to hear Tansy talk about herself that way after how far she has already come. Ah, Alex learns that Marissa works on campus, and how Tansy saved her.

“Was committed,” Tansy declared with an iron will. “By the bastard I have to call father. But I freed her! I got her out and we will make him pay.” She caught him out of the corner of her eye and grinned. “You can say it, I'm a Bad Ass, Bad Girl.”

“I'm not worthy!” Alex said with a tone of voice approaching humor for the first time.

Hehe, I love these two together, Tansy needed more family in her life, and Alex needs his cousin to help him, and the support she can give.

Aww, Alex, I hope that things work out with Flux. A warning about Benny, but another who says a talk with Mrs. Horton is a good idea. Gulp, the whole truth, Alex has a hard chat ahead of him.

“She knows me,” Tansy told him. “She's one of the very few people who know about me and Lanie; who I absolutely trust with that knowledge. You can too. And she's never given me bad advice. She can help, Alex.”

Out of everyone on campus, you can always trust Mrs. Horton to give good advice and to keep your secret as long as it won't endanger you or anyone else. Tansy is going to come out to her mom, this is big.

“God, Alex, I wish I was who you think I am,” she whispered. Then, finally sighed and turned her steps towards Schuster hall. “Time to go work on becoming her.”

You are already closer to that goal than you think, Tansy.

October 9th, 2007
House Parents Apartment, Poe Cottage, Whateley Academy

Perfect image of Mrs. Horton. She is such a motherly figure, I wouldn't be surprised if kids from other dorms came to see her for advice regularly. A spell to make him feel safe and get him to open up, Mrs. Horton sure knows her magic well. Jak, you be quiet. Just because someone can do magic doesn't make them a threat to you.

Alex, against the panic of his spirit, stepped across her threshold and suddenly Jak was standing next to Alex, his paws full of the boys jacket. “Well, well, well,” Mrs.Horton chuckled as she swung her door shut. “What do we have here? Reynard the Fox! You've bound yourself to this poor boy?”

Jak bared his fangs. "I am bound with Alex under the accord of the Contract of Solomon! You cannot separate me, Sorceress!"

Of course, Mrs. Horton knows who Reynard the Fox is.

“I am Bella Horton, Maga Concordiae, invested in the realm of Oak and Ash, and those under my roof are under my protection. So long as you honor The Contract, you have nothing to fear from me. But beware, trickster, you are old, but so am I! For more than eighteen hundred moons have I practiced my art. Harm any here and I will not rest until you are rooted out and laid low.”

Did Mrs. Horton just basically admit she has been practicing magic for over 133 years? I knew she was older than expected, but not by that much.

All that, and she goes to make hot chocolate. Real hot chocolate made with real milk and the old version of Hershey's mix, just when I thought her hot chocolate couldn't get better. Hehe, just don't get caught, they know they can't stop the kids, but they still have to give the warning. Reynard, change out of that form and stop trying to mess with Mrs. Horton. Hey! Her relationship with Mrs. Savage is their business and none of yours.

Alex knows how to keep secrets. Aww, already on a first-name basis with each other. True hot chocolate, I'm jealous of Alex getting to taste it. Alex has had wet dreams, but suppresses them, the poor kid, his previous school did a real number on him. Aww, so Mrs Horton loved Jake and no other man has ever been good enough after him.

“Is it wrong to lust?” she countered. “That depends on your morals and your beliefs.” She took another sip and held her cup off the table as she considered her words and used the cup to punctuate her thoughts. “Some of my beliefs are very old, but they're not so different than the more popular flavors of Christianity. Even so, lust isn't healthy if it lingers. It's perfectly natural to see someone who truly catches your eye. But if that's all you feel about that person, no matter how much time you spend with them, that's never healthy. That's just using someone. No one likes to admit it, but lust is where love starts. And if you truly love someone, there will always be just a little sprinkle of it in your feelings, but it should never be all that you feel.”

Finally! Someone with a healthy perspective on lust and love.

“And now you know, if you didn't already, adults make mistakes too. We don't especially have this life figured out, but we have the advantage of having more experience to base our judgements on. Sometimes we're right, sometimes we're too prideful to admit we're wrong.”

An adult who tells a kid the truth about adults making mistakes. I didn't think I could respect Mrs. Horton any more. A staggering lack of being able to mind their own business; now, someone tell that to the politicians.

She lived through the Depression; what else has she lived through in her lifetime? Oh, good, another perspective on Benny and being careful about starting a relationship with him. Fastest shifter ever seen; Alex will be poked, prodded, and more by the powers testing wonks until they figure out the full extent of how his power works.

"If he's going to be a woman, who would ever want to be an ugly one?" Jak demanded. "Besides, the boy is going to be an eyeful, no matter what gender he wears. And I didn't make him look like me, I chose to look like he will. In addition, I've already gotten him arranged to take decorum lessons from his cousin..."

“God help us,” Bella retorted with a smile. “With Tansy coaching the girl, she'll be the hottest thing in shoe leather on this campus by the time she graduates!”

Good lord, there is a very low chance that Alex doesn't get dragged into joining Venus Inc. The tunnel system to get to the Crystal Hall, and a bad storm is incoming. Ushered out by Mrs. Horton and told her door is always open for Alex, they run right into Rosalyn Dekkard.

Rosalyn's face twisted into a smirk. “Oh, you are a saucy little boy, aren't you?” She took his hand to shake it, but he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. She used that contact, when he released her hand, to ruffled his hair. “Come see me in a year or so, Casanova.”

“It's a date,” Alex assured her.

Alex, you are doomed. Rosalyn might come for you sooner if she finds out you can take on a female form. Alex is to give Rosalyn a hand rounding everyone in Poe up to get to the Crystal Hall. I wonder what the significance of the storm is, if any?