My best friend is a car.

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I dropped Jeffrey off at his parent's home and stayed to watch him go inside.

Driving back, I explained the situation with my family.

"So... Your humam pseudo-biological father, who is old as dirt but still looks like a young adult, married your mother...

They have seven brats between them and you, making eight total.

Your dad gave you my house, that he'd found thirty years ago, and you were doing typical ferret stuff when you happened to notice the gap under the hidden entrance to my shop..." Brent said.

"Yeah, that's the gist." I said

"Okay. You morphs can also use magic and, because of that, your father can too since his best friend and mother's widower used his own blood to make tattoo ink when he tattooed a pawprint on his and six other human's necks.

"Yes." I said.

"Man. I really want to see this crazy world of your's.

I mean, even your voice is cute." He said.

I felt a little flustered.

"What was that? You sound a little static." I said.

"I said your voice is cute... wait.

I didn't hear any static and I'm speaking directly from the radio. Static is impossible." Brent said.

"I just wanted to hear you say it again." I said.

"Hah! You turd." He laughed.

"What did you call me?" I demanded.

"A turd. You know, like calling a kid scamp or brat.

People don't say turd now, huh?" He asked.

"No. For a moment, I thought that you were insulting me." I sighed.

"No way. I'd have to be seriously pissed off for that.

Wait... do people still say "pissed off?" He asked.

"Yep. That one's common."

"Oh, good. At least I won't be too lost if I get a new body.

You know, I don't even believe in reincarnation?" He asked.

"Well, you're not being born into a new body, so it's not reincarnation at all." I commented.

"I know. Just wanted to test your ideals a bit, I guess.

I wasn't able to stump you with that, so, you're cute and smart." He said.

"Ooh, tell me more..." I grinned.

"Hah hah..." He quipped.

"Hang on a minute, I'm arriving at the inner city guard's station." I said.

They signaled for me to stop and then the gate was opened.

I drove through.

"Okay, now the outer city guard's station."

Same thing.

"The city is heavily fortified by two walls. The outer wall isn't as thick as the inner wall and it's shorter."

"Geez, sounds like fort Knox." He said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"People used to refer to the bullion depository as fort Knox.

The US Army base adjacent to the depository was the official Fort Knox.

When people would say "locked up tighter than fort Knox," they were referring to the depository, instead of the base.

Especially since new recruits would run security for the depository, too.

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