Belief In The Occult

Nine

As Faust thumped up the stairs towards Kodiak's room, he pondered how Varick had warned the Chaperones that he might be "paranoid" or "touchy" but discorporating because one of the others tried to talk to him no doubt had another underlying problem.

He reached Kodiak's room, knocking before stooping slightly to peek into the doorway, "Kodiak boyo, are you alright?" He asked. The room appeared to be empty, but the bathroom door was open and the light was off, so he wasn't in there again.

The air was whispering, and his attention was drawn to the Mirror. Faust entered the room fully and shut the door behind himself. "Come now lad, you can't hide inside your Mirror, what would your mentor say if he knew you was a runnin' from your problems?" he said gently, moving to sit on the bed. "I'm sure bein' incorporeal makes ye feel safer, but nobody's gonna hurt ye here and it's just me and you in the room lad."

Some wispy black smoke pooled at the bottom of the mirror before pouring out from the gap between the pristine glass and the old frame. Faust watched with interest as the smoke moved with surprising coordination across the floor and underneath the closet door where Kodiak no doubt re-formed out of view. It was honestly impressive, most full-grown demons didn't have that much control and speed when it came to purposefully discorporating or moving around in an incorporeal state. Maybe it was a poltergeist thing.

The closet door creaked open slightly, and Faust was treated to the sight of those poor ole doe-eyes and a face like a sad puppy. Faust smiled comfortingly and patted the bed next to him, telling Kodiak to come sit. Kodiak didn't move from where he was standing in the closet like a still from a horror movie.

Faust chuckled, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't a mean gesture, but it alleviated some of the tension in the air. "Paranoid" and "Touchy" huh? Varick understood his charge no doubt, but Varick wasn't much to do with feelings. Poor thing was shy as lightning.

"Come on out lad, I ain't gonna bite ye!" he said, smiling still. "Why don't ye come sit down and tell the ol' dragon Faust what happened, and we can make sure it doesn't happen again, eh?"

Kodiak looked unsure for a split second and Faust saw those blank black eyes flick back towards the Mirror for a moment, but the young entity probably figured hiding again wouldn't do him much good and crossed the room.

The moment he was in range, one of Faust's trunklike arms wrapped around his middle and Kodiak yelped as he was pulled into a comforting hug. He held Kodiak tightly but not harshly, and from where he was with his ear pressed against his chest, Faust's heartbeat was a comforting steady boom. His scaled arms felt heavy around Kodiak, like two thick blankets. And he was warm. Kodiak thought he'd never been this warm before in his life, even sleeping leaned up against Auntie in the Parlor with the fireplace going.

At first Kodiak was completely stiff, every muscle tensed. For a split second he had half the mind to wriggle out of the hold, not used to so much contact all at once, but Faust's voice rumbled out of his chest, "Stars above lad, you're cold as a tomb."

And Kodiak didn't know why, but he started laughing. And crying. He was confused. Faust didn't say anything else, just calmly rubbed his back with his giant warm hand as Kodiak caught his breath again. When he was somewhat calmer, Faust asked, "Now my boy, can ye tell me what spooked ye so bad?"

Kodiak had stopped laughing a while ago, and was just sniffing as he wiped his face on his sleeves, "It's s-sso stupid." he gasped one more time as a sob wracked him, and Faust let him slide out of his hold and onto the bed beside him. "I don't..." he had to pause as he hiccuped, lying curled up and crying on the bed, but also shivering with silent giggles because it was so ridiculous, to say out loud especially, "I was nervous... to eat. I've never eaten mortal food... Before." His lungs took advantage of the normal pauses in his speech to gasp for air and spasm.

After a moment, now that he was no longer speaking, he managed to calm down completely, just shaking slightly and hugging himself, fingernails digging into his biceps. Faust patted his leg consolingly, "Ye got overwhelmed lad, it's alright. Nobody's to blame ye."

"I... discorporated... at the dinner table." Kodiak pointed out.

Faust shrugged and spread his clawed hands in a comically giant gesture, "Better'n a coupla the wards out there, I daresay one of em lost their 'ead in the supermarket the first week." His hand landed on Kodiak's calf again. "Ye can take your meals in private for a while if ye like, son." Kodiak didn't answer him, and his face was mostly hidden in the duvet. Faust's eyebrows drew together as he possibly realized something, "Did ye want to eat?"

"... No."

Faust slapped his leg and Kodiak jumped an inch, "Problem solved lad! Ye don't have to if ye don't want to." Faust held back another chuckle at the way half of Kodiak's face peeked up from the blankets with cautious hope.

"Are you... sure?"

"As the night is dark!" Faust bellowed, "Ye needn't come back to the table tonight neither, I understand ye'll want te rest. Ye've had a long day." Kodiak nodded and Faust followed suit, rubbing his scaly chin with one hand. "A 'Course, a 'course..." he gave Kodiak's leg one final pat, putting his hand on his knees to stand, "I'll be takin' my leave then, and if the alarm clock doesn't wake ye someone'll be around to get ye to sit at the table in the mornin' but ye needn't eat if you still don't fancy it." He gave Kodiak a farewell, and left him in his room.

After the door was shut and Faust left, Kodiak didn't move for a long time. He could hear footsteps and voices on the floor below him at one point, but nobody else came around, and he was happy with that.

The bed was soft. Kodiak wasn't used to lying on something you sank into slightly. After what must have been a few hours, he got up and headed towards the lightswitch. On his way there, he paused by the desk. There was an analog alarm clock, and Kodiak picked it up curiously. It made noise. Just a tiny, consistent, tick-tick-tick-tick. After holding it to his ear for a moment, he set it back down, and turned off the lights.

At the foot of the bed, he stepped out of his shoes, then burrowed up into the blankets and pillows until the only thing that could be seen was the crown of that fluffy mop of brown hair.