Thanksgiving with the Family

I jar myself awake to the sound of birds chirping outside the half window in the room. The sun isn't directly shining in but there is enough light. I roll over to my phone to find I have a missed message from Madam Odette… sent four hours ago… It's 11!

I stayed up too late playing around and slept in. What does it say? "I fell asleep… I'll make it up to you another night."

Well, she's polite about it. I'm not worried. I can't be worried about it. She is a very busy woman. The only order I got from her was from when I left. That was to enjoy my time with my family. I will have to make sure I follow that one to the T. My parents' lives are changing once again with the announcement of a new baby.

The days went by, one by one. I kept up with my reading since practicing was much harder to do. Living in a normal neighborhood, I can't perform magic as I could at Madam Odette's manor. I was surprised that my Dad had so many books in his collection. When he found out that he was magically inclined, Madam Odette's family gave him a few books for his keeping. Duplicates they had collected or just beginner's basics. Since the two families were so close they knew the secret could be trusted. And with the eventual appearance of the new incarnation of the nine-tailed fox, it was beneficial to share this knowledge ahead of time before it just showed up as a shock.

Mom didn't have any magical ability. She married into it and was shocked to find out about it. She adapted well according to Dad. The small bits of magic he could perform were enough to help around the house. It came up on occasion of what I could do. I showed them a few small tricks from some of the lessons that Madam Delula had me do to the telescope spell I had designed to pass the final test. I kept my sonar ability to ping to myself as that might be an invasion of privacy. Madam Odette has the power to block it, they do not.

My dad even joined in on a few of the spells I was able to do. He read some of the same books so we would do them together. He had to remember some of the basics but he didn't use them daily as I did. I made the mistake of showing him the squirt gun one. Once that was in his repertoire he began to abuse it. He got Mom with it a few times before she put a kibosh on that. He still got me with it now and again but I could always get him back with a more accurate shot.

Thanksgiving rolled around with force. I had stopped looking at the days so it snuck up on me. We all piled into the car and headed out to Aunt DeeDee this year. She had a larger dining room which made it perfect for food. Christmas was planned to be at Uncle Samwise's place on his farm.

It was at Thanksgiving that I began to realize what in my life was going to change. The car ride was easy. Dad drove, mom rode beside him and I sat in the back and took a nap like I always seem to do. Aunt DeeDee's place wasn't that far. She lived on the edge of town in a house that they had built a decade ago. We pulled into the driveway with another car following behind us. It was family that I only saw once or twice a year. I recognize the faces but that's it. Dad did the schmoozing. Mom and I went inside to get away from the cold. I sent a quick text to Madam Odette to wish me luck. She gave me a thumbs up and good luck in response.

I think she knew what was about to happen.

Thanksgiving was a more formal affair for my family. They did it to show their best and progress through the year. Christmas was always more casual and a time for relaxation. My coat was taken and hung up. My nice clothes were kept pristine while they hung in the closet. I still took them out and pressed them as Armani taught me how. I slicked my hair with some product that Avicci sold me to give me that professional look. I looked pretty good when I cleaned up. Dad wore his suit he wears every year. Mom had to find a new dress as her old one didn't quite fit around her belly. It wasn't enough to be noticeable just yet but she was getting there.

The living room was packed! The kitchen was off-limits while those that were cooking did their thing. The younger kids were upstairs playing in one of the rooms. I managed to find a spot close to the living room with the adults but far enough away that I was out of the way of traffic and conversation. Or so I tried.

One sentence caught my ear that brought my attention, "Hey Josh! How is your boy doing?"

"Ask him yourself. He's somewhere around here. Red!"

My ears perked up at someone addressing my father but as he called to me I stepped from the shadows into the living room. "What's going on?"

"C'mon, you turn for stories. Everyone wants to know how you've been doing."

How do I answer this without giving too much away… I can keep it generic and broad. That will allow me to keep it boring and lose interest. "I want to know what he's been doing at Odette's place. I hear she's nuts!" There's a laugh from the corner where the comment came from. I'll indulge for now I guess. If I don't, I'll just keep getting asked questions.

"It started with physical training to get me ready to handle magic. I built muscle and endurance by doing a daily regimen." Let's ignore that it was chopping down monstrous trees on the edge of her manor property. "After that, it was theory and practice. Simple things like control and whatnot. There was a final test that I was able to pass, but not with ease. It was rather difficult. I was taught some basic defense after that." It's not wrong. I'm just leaving out a lot of details. They don't need to know a lot of things.

"What else? After that, I was just released on my own to study and practice. I helped with work around the manor to get some spending money. I guess I just lived day to day." Everyone seemed to be let down but the peanut gallery wasn't letting up. I finally figured out that it was a cousin of mine that was doing the heckling, "That's boring! C'mon show us something you've learned!" There was a reply from the kitchen. No doubt his wife, "You'd better not! You have him hurt my house and you'll be building from lumber yourself."

They want a show. I produce a few lights and have them dance. I avoid using fire because that's a bad idea. Water turns into a fine mist and spritzes the air wetting someone's hair. Just small things that would be considered parlor tricks. "No! No! We all know you're the new nine-tailed fox. Show us some power! I know you've got your second tail. You can't hide that!"

Power huh? What could I do that would show power without destroying everything? I had been using fire to show it but I think that would be a bad idea. Let's try the opposite. But first I need to warn someone. I lean over the couch where my dad is sitting, "Dad, mom is in the kitchen right?"

"Yea, she is. What are you going to do?"

"Make things uncomfortable."

The basic principle of alchemy that Madam Odette taught me was to use elements that already existed and turn them into something else for another use. I know that I can bring in elements. What I'm thinking is simple. I close my eyes to take a moment to focus. "Oh, here we go!"

Remember, the suit amplifies my abilities. I take a deep breath focusing on the air around me, everything within the room. One more deep breath in and I can feel it. The heat in the air is draining. All the elements of Ignis are pulled in. As I exhale the heat from my breath is visible. It hangs in the air with nowhere to go. I look around the room and it seems this was enough. Everyone's eyes are wide as they huddle together looking at me. With another exhale I let it return slowly. The room warms back up to where it was as everyone realizes what they asked for. Even my dad is looking at me with concern.

"Holy shit, kid! That was amazing!" The drunk cousin broke the awkward silence. Everyone started to join in. What I did could have been dangerous. I know I dropped the temperature of the room to well below freezing at a very rapid rate. With the release of the heat, the windows were fogging and sweating from the condensation. I had to be careful they didn't warm up too fast and crack, making the climb back to normal temperature a little off-putting. No one wants to be uncomfortably cold for that long.

They murmured about themselves at the show, "I was expecting something like safe fireworks."

"Wow! That's the power of the nine-tailed fox."

"I don't even think your brother could have done that."

The whole family knows about magic already. Being the line that the nine-tailed fox had been running through for quite a few generations now, it's not uncommon to have a mage in the family. But typically when someone was found to be the new nine-tailed fox they disappeared. They went to train their powers and then off into the world. Typically they would only know how they were doing when they died. After that, it was waiting to see who the power would awaken in next. This was something new for all of them to see that power firsthand.

I had my moment. Everyone went back to their own things. It felt… weird. I can't say it felt good. I don't like being the center of attention. Being at Madam Odette's was weird enough. Everyone knew who I was and why I was there but they were courteous enough to be interested for a while then it just became the norm. And I miss that. But the moment has passed. The curiosity has been scratched.

Dinner came out about an hour later and the spread looked amazing. A lot of the wives and older daughters started bringing stuff out. The guys stood up and started taking things as they were brought out to the large table. Everyone took their seats. Aunt DeeDee got everyone's attention and started giving her yearly speech. She went over how she was happy everyone could make it, how good the food looked, and some key points from the family's history including mine. For a brief moment, all eyes were back on me. I played it off with a smile and nod before they all went back to Aunt Deedee.

What she said next though didn't sit well. "Let us hope those that were unable to make it are enjoying themselves and remember those who are no longer with us but be thankful; they were in our lives." She started listing off the short list of names of those who passed away this last year. Uncle Thomas's name hit harder. Not because I missed him but because I know. Food was passed out shortly after lifting the mood.

Everything was passed around, everyone asking for something. I got a good plate full of stuff and started picking at it while I waited for the next thing to come around. With it piled up enough, I started digging in. Dad was talking with Mom most of the time making sure she was OK. He was the overcautious person I've known him to be. He was making sure mom was eating right, and didn't have anything she wasn't supposed to. He made sure the wine skipped her. He did everything he could.

Dinner was very filling but somehow everyone always found room for dessert. There was almost the same range of selection when it came to that as well. Everyone could find something they liked. The kids hoarded most of the cookies. I found myself a straggler that was left behind.

It turned into a social hour after that. Everyone could be in the living room since all the work was done. A dozen conversations were going on at once. Everyone's attention was elsewhere giving me a quick chance to slip away. I grabbed my coat to step out for some fresh air.

Being this far out, everything seemed crisp. The air chilled enough that I could see my breath. It felt nice to get that into my lungs. The sun hadn't set just yet giving the sky a warm red tint to it. I could see it quickly fading to a dark blue. I grab my phone quickly to see if I have anything. Nope, no notifications. Let's change that a bit. I send a quick text out. I don't even try to put it back in my pocket. I know I'll get a reply as I let go of it.

The phone buzzes in my hand. She replied back just like predicted. I crack a smile dropping my phone into my pocket. "She knows me too well." Back inside I go.

It's only a few more hours before my parents decide to head back home. Mom is starting to get tired from running around everywhere. We say our goodbyes while piling ourselves into the car. The ride back isn't necessarily quiet. Mom fills in dad on what's been going on with her side of things and dad does the same. I sit in the back listening while drifting off. I'm full of good food. My body just keeps saying it's time for a nap. I'll sleep when I get home.

"Hey, Red." My dad's voice pulls me from my daze. "That was a good show. You sure showed a lot of those naysayers and shut them up quickly."

"Naysayers?"

"While you were gone, there were a few family members who didn't believe that you were the real deal. Everyone thought it was going to be Thomas's boy Reed for the longest time."

Ah, right. That was the case for the longest time. I guess some still hung on to that kind of like how Uncle Thomas did. Mom piped up, "What did you make him do?" She went into mom mode making sure that dad didn't abuse my abilities. She kept asking if I was ok, did I feel forced to do it, and to know that no one can make me do what I don't want to. She may have been telling me this but it felt more aimed at dad for provoking it.

Home felt amazing. I haven't been going out much but to be back, it felt like a weight was lifted. Getting back into some casual clothes was even better. I do have to give credit where credit is due. Armani made a suit that was comfortable to wear for a long time. Dad was rolling his shoulders at how stiff he felt from his trying not to bend and crease anything. The vest was a good idea. Not having the stiff shoulders of a suit jacket allowed him to move comfortably.

It wasn't more than an hour home before the place went dark. It wasn't even 9 pm and everyone was asleep. I hid away in the basement laying down on the bed. I grabbed my phone texting Madam Odette. "OK, I made it home." Bam! Almost instant reply, "Glad to hear it. And good job on focusing on your family instead of talking to me. They are important and you should spend time with them."

I look up at the text before mine that read, "No, phone away. Go back to your family. Text me when you're done." She knew damn well what I was up to.

I could only keep my eyes open for half an hour. I let her know how everything went. She let me know that the staff that stayed behind were fed well. She told me about the food choices they had available. My stomach groaned at being full but the food sounded so good. I managed to tell her goodnight before I did finally nod off for a night of food-induced sleep.