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Chapter 137: The Big Gay Reunion
Faelen led Uncle Ciaran, Aunt Eirne, Aunt Aoife, and Ainbertach to their rooms on the second floor. Nick escorted the second group to their rooms in another part of the floor, while Nathanial led Granny Lorena, Poppy Aedan, and Granny Sorcha to rooms on the third floor. Da would be bunking with Conor, and Walter would be going home.
They were just passing Lily's former office when Ciaran stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the closed door. Only the slight twitch of his nose and ears visibly betrayed his horror, but his smell screamed how much his stomach churned by whatever it was he smelt. Faelen sniffed the air and detected the faint coppery tang of dried blood; the particulates must smell a lot stronger to the Dust Spirit.
Ciaran glanced over at Faelen, who flicked his left ear in a 'negative' signal to tell the assassin to leave it alone. He saw the tightness in the older Wolf's face saying he wasn't happy. Aoife noticed part of the byplay and looked at the both of them. "What's wrong, Ciaran?" Ainbertach frowned at the door, so Faelen subtly moved to stand in front of it; this was Nathanial's secret to tell, even if Faelen was extremely curious to see what made Conor and Da so furious.
The assassin shrugged indifferently. "There's a lot of dust behind here, while the rest of the house is virtually spotless. It struck me as very odd."
That Faelen could answer. "It's the Marks pups' late mother's office. The Markses haven't cleaned out her effects, yet. The emotions are still pretty raw." Maybe with all these people here he could get help one evening and clean it out for them. Da could rent a truck or van and take all the crap over to the Halifax Clan to use or sell.
Ainbertach smelt sorrowful, and he sounded very sympathetic. "They lost their mother, too? How recently was it?"
Ciaran steered the Frost Spirit down the hall and patted his nephew's far shoulder a few times before letting his paw rest there. "Beginning of September. You may have seen it in the news, the story about the pups whose mother tried to kill them and use one as a hostage to take all of her husband's money. Avery did the exclusive interview on it." Aoife rubbed her lower abdomen and shook her head in disbelief. Eirne looked at her sister-in-law in worry and tried to smile reassuringly.
Ainbertach frowned as he looked back at the closed door. "That's her?" He sighed. "At least she had a change of--"
Faelen cut his cousin off. "No, she didn't." He'd be damned if he let anyone believe that lie when he didn't have to. After all the pain Lily caused these pups, she didn't deserve to have anyone thinking kind thoughts about her. "She tried to sell Nathanial out to the Hunters, and he killed her for it, along with the thugs she had with her. The Society put the story out that she changed her mind and saved him."
The potential mother-to-be put her other paw on her belly, too. "How? How could she do that to her own pups?"
Eirne hugged Aoife tightly. "Don't think about it, Aoife. She was a 'crat; they don't understand the value pups have. Just keep focusing on the positive so your child grows surrounded by your love. It helps ensure a safe birth and a healthy baby." Faelen began leading his aunts after his uncle and cousin; he'd almost forgotten how prevalent such casual discrimination was in the clan.
Ainbertach sounded a bit thoughtful. "Does Rolph know about this? I heard the two of them came to blows several times when Nathanial and Liam came over to Ireland with you, Faelen. Rolph almost seemed impressed by the Mage, though he was furious you brought him into clan lands. If he knew Nathanial had problems with Hunters, too, and killed a bunch, he might be more accepting of his presence if he visits again."
Nathanial would certainly be visiting more, and so would Liam. Faelen wasn't sure what to make of the inference that Ainbertach was friendly with Rolph, and Ciaran's scent indicated he wasn't pleased by it, either. The Dust Spirit let his paw fall away from his nephew's shoulder. "Mama declared Rolph blacklisted, Ainbertach. I hope you aren't spending much time around him."
The black-furred Wolf shook his head. "No, not outside work." Ainbertach was a mechanic and specialized in refrigeration; the clan had at least one Spirit trained in every specialization necessary to keep everything in the tunnels in top condition. They could actually build almost anything from scratch on-site that didn't require microprocessors. "Some of his friends are on my team, and he often stops by to talk." He smiled wryly at his uncle. "I was there when Granny Lorena made her case to the family matriarch, Ciaran. I know full well why he'll get no help from the O'Conalls. However, I think that he shouldn't be written off; he has his issues, yeah, just like Mama did, but he could get over them. He's still very young."
Ciaran smelt guilty when Ainbertach mentioned Muireann, but fortunately they were at their rooms, despite the very slow pace. Faelen gestured at the open doorways. "Take your pick, they're all the same. Each room has a queen-sized bed, an internet connection, TV, phone, and intercom." He showed them how to use the intercom once Ainbertach and Aoife got back from dropping off their bags and Ciaran hung up his coat. "The bathroom is here--" He pointed at a door that was left ajar in the hallway. "--and there are more on this level, plus a few washrooms downstairs. In the basement there is a fairly large fitness area--" He shrugged apologetically at Aoife and Eirne. "--but there's only a single change room, so you two will have to change and shower up here. Nathanial will probably give you a more complete tour after our meeting." He turned and began walking before Ainbertach could ask the question on the tip of his tongue: what was the meeting about. "There are some refreshments in the ballroom. We'll start as soon as everyone is ready."
Eirne shook her head. "I'll be happy when this mystery is cleared up." She shot a dirty look at her husband. "It's more than just Aoife, or Muireann, or Geoff and those Hunters. Not to mention the teleporter and--"
Ciaran followed Faelen. "Enough. I told you I couldn't talk about it, Eirne. We have permission to discuss it at the meeting, and that's where we will discuss it."
Aoife smiled apologetically at the other two still by the bedrooms. "Sorry, it's not an easy subject to discuss and has a lot--"
The assassin didn't even look back. "Aoife. Enough."
Eirne flattened her ears and narrowed her eyes as she glared after her husband, but she followed along quietly. After a second of pondering, Ainbertach did, too, and Aoife shook her head as she brought up the rear.
Everyone gathered downstairs in the ballroom, with Nathanial's crew being the last to arrive. Nathanial had arranged a series of smaller tables in a loose arc so everyone could face in to see whoever was talking in the middle. Each table also had a tea service; furthermore, a banquet table with an array of small sandwiches and sweets had been placed nearby. Once Granny Lorena, Poppy Aedan, and Granny Sorcha had all sat down with their snacks, the Markses, McDougals, and Walter left the room. It actually looked like Nathanial slunk out; the pup certainly smelt nervous and stressed, he was probably worried the meeting might devolve into a bad argument. Faelen could tell that those left in the dark were noting that Liam was still there. The room fell silent; those who knew what was to come did so with consternation, and the rest in nervous curiosity. Each table held three people, and they had all grouped themselves by familial relationships, for the most part. Liam sat with Granny Lorena and Aoife, while Da and Faelen shared a table with Ainbertach.
Granny Lorena took a sip of her tea and a bite of one of Nathanial's chocolate biscuits -- what he called a cookie. "Hmm, this is very good. I prefer dunking mine, though."
Liam reached over and squeezed her paw. "Yours do taste wonderful in a black tea, Lorie dear, but I think we should start."
She sighed and stood. "You're right." A quick glance around the room showed the byplay had raised a number of eyebrows. "O'Conalls. We've gathered here in Halifax to discuss a few matters, all of which could spell disaster for the McDougals, our family, and our entire clan. Before I start, I want each of you who don't know why we're here to stand and swear an oath before the gods--"
Liam cut her off. "Some of the gods. The god of thunder has recently tried to kill me, and a few others have expressed disturbing interest in our affairs."
The twelve Spirits who hadn't heard this all expressed shock, but it was Aoife that put her hindpaw in her mouth. "Da? Are you serious!?"
Ainbertach slammed his paws on the table and stood up sending his chair clattering to the floor. "What!? What do you mean 'da'? Are you saying that that is Poppy Lowell?" He jabbed a finger at Liam.
Lorena placed her paws on her hips. Her baleful glare made Aoife flatten her large ears and shrink in her seat, and then the room fell silent as her glare swept over everyone else. Even Ainbertach picked his chair up and sat down, though he still smelt angry and confused. The family elder turned to her former husband. "Then what oath do you propose?"
"Swear before Gaea that you will not discuss anything you hear in this room with anyone not present, except the alpha, without permission or where you might be overheard. Should this oath be broken, may she strip you of your powers and cast you out."
Faelen frowned. 'Before Gaea, not Hades? Isn't she a titan, or the mother of the titans, and -- for all intents and purposes -- the planet? Does he mean to say that we receive our power somehow from "Mother Earth," or am I just reading too much into it?'
Aedan twisted in his chair so he could see his father more clearly. "Not Hades, Da?" He shot his sister a dark look on the last word. "You always held him in high respect, and the clan still keeps a small shrine to him on the lowest level of the caves." The way Dirk explained it to Geoff and Faelen made a lot of sense: the clan lived primarily underground, so keeping the god of the deep earth happy was very logical.
Granny Sorcha leant away from her husband and pinned him with the fiercest glare Faelen had seen from her. "I'm not swearing anything until you explain what's going on. How is that little Rottweiler Lowell?"
Aedan opened his mouth to answer her, but Liam spoke first. Lowell's accent came out thickly and Liam's voice dropped a few octaves. "Sora, lass, you've got it backwards. You swear and you get your answers. I gave you the lecture on an O'Conall's duty before you married my little Danny, so I know you understand how this works."
Faelen's great-grandmother fluffed up in fright and she reflexively reached for her teacup. It rattled in the saucer before she could force her fingers to grip the handle tightly enough to lift it. She didn't drink, but merely stared down at the vibrating dish.
Lowell's voice dropped another octave in warning. "Sora?"
She whispered, "I swear. I swear before Gaea and on my honour as an O'Conall that I won't discuss what I hear with anyone who doesn't already know about it on pain of being forsaken by Gaea and the loss of my Spirit powers. I understand I will become a powerless Fur should I break my vow."
Aedan didn't look terribly pleased with this situation, but he turned to his daughter. "Roisin, it's your turn." Faelen wondered about all this; no one had to swear anything when Da told Lorena and the others about this the first time, at least not until Aunt Muireann wanted to blab to everyone about it. The young Spirit looked at her parents and then over at her older brother. Faeden nodded solemnly. Roisin sighed and repeated her mother's words verbatim.
Ciaran met his wife's eyes, but she merely returned his gaze impassively. "I don't like this, Ciaran. He's a Fur. A child. I saw Lowell around the clan my entire childhood. I saw him duel other Spirits. He may be able to mimic Lowell's voice, but there's just no way he can be a-a reincarnated Spirit or whatever happened."
The assassin reached for his wife's paw, but she pulled it away. Ciaran shook his head sadly. "You can swear a lesser oath that you won't repeat this part, that Liam is Lowell, and leave, Eirne, if that's what you want."
Her features tightened and her voice rose. "If Lowell was an impostor, that's something the clan should know, Ciaran! If he wasn't, then why the secrecy? Was he spying on us for the Society or something all these years? Did Ruarc, and now Luke, sell us out? I'm swearing nothing!"
Ciaran brought his paw back and folded them on the table. The calm certainty in his voice sent shivers down Faelen's spine. "Swear, or I'll ensure your silence one way or the other." Aoife shook her head with tears in her eyes; Faelen could almost hear her thinking, 'Not again.'
Ainbertach's eyes widened as far as they could go and he stiffened in his chair. "Mama? Did you...? Did Mama...?" Da reached for his distraught cousin, but Ainbertach knocked his paw away.
The women who didn't know Liam's story yet were all obviously getting pretty distraught, too, and sought to find reassurance from their husbands or fathers. None was to be found. Kiera rubbed her mother's shoulder and spoke soothingly, but loud enough that the others could hear. "Swear, Mama. I promise, this is very important, and it will eventually come out, but not until the clan is ready to hear it. The clan would tear itself apart over this." Tuathla shook her head in disbelief.
Ainbertach suddenly leapt toward his uncle, knocking the table over on Da. The dishes shattered across the floor, with the tea spraying a half-dozen metres farther. Before the mechanic could get more than four steps, Liam caught him. The Ancient One flipped the larger Canid over his hip, sending Ainbertach's legs up in an arc before he crashed to the tile, and then rolled him over so Liam ended up sitting on his back holding his right arm up between his shoulder blades. Liam's chair didn't so much as wobble despite how quickly he moved.
Ainbertach writhed as he struggled to reach his uncle. "What did you do to Mama!?"
Liam held him firmly. "Now, lad, let's get you back to your seat. You'll hear all you need to know once you swear--"
The prostrate Spirit roared loud enough to silence Liam. "The only thing I'll swear is--" The Monk took him by surprise again and flipped him over. Liam poked Ainbertach in the diaphragm and Faelen could hear all the air suddenly rush out of his cousin's lungs. Sorcha winced in sympathy as she rubbed her own belly.
Liam held his finger there even though it looked like his captive struggled to breathe. "Ah, ah. Don't go saying something you're liable to regret, hmm? I'll let you go if you be a good lad and take your seat again." The black-furred Wolf struggled weakly to free himself, but refused to nod.
Da rose, put Ainbertach's seat back in place, and walked over to the duo. "I got him, Poppy." The Bone Spirit manifested and a stream of bone flowed down his arms to shackle and muzzle the Frost Spirit. Liam got up and let Da carry the gasping Ainbertach back to his chair. Faelen slipped out his chair and began cleaning the mess up. After a second Kiera came over to help, so Faelen quietly directed her to the supply closet to get a mop.
Sorcha grimaced. "You're Lowell, alright. You haven't lost your touch." Da used his bones to strap the defiant Spirit to his chair, and then suppressed his power.
Roisin looked at her mouth in shock. "He's done that to you? That looked excruciatingly painful!"
Sorcha shook her head. "It's more frightening than painful. Your whole body goes limp even as you struggle to breathe. It's...worse than diving too deep in the water and trying to get back to the surface; there, you at least have a measure of control. He just--" She gesticulated wildly. "--stands there with his finger against your belly and stares in your eyes, and there's nothing you can do. Once was all it took for me to smarten up, but Muireann -- gods, Muireann -- she never seemed to learn her lesson. When Lowell was serious, you listened. Even Alpha Ruarc did."
Liam laughed. "Ah, lass, you make me sound like some ogre. I could be far more lenient than your parents, but there are some lines you just don't cross."
Eirne snorted. "I'm surprised you learnt your lesson the first time, Sorcha. The trouble you and Muireann got into... Gods, my parents would've killed me before Lowell would've had a chance to shut me up. Still, you two weren't as bad as Uallach and Aoife. Stubborn as a mule, she was." Aunt Aoife's large ears turned pink before she could flatten them against her head.
Aedan rolled his eyes. "She's not much better as an adult, and Alpha Luke is just as bad. It's a pity he had to inherit that trait from his mother." Faelen had heard a few stories about the alpha's mother when she was young; her temper was more mercurial than Avery's, and she was more obstinate than her son turned out to be. Her temper, at least, was rumoured to have mellowed out after her first century.
Draighean glanced sidelong at her shackled cousin, not that she was the only one sneaking looks at him, and crossed her arms. She ignored the warning glance from Ciaran, and snorted. "So, poppy, I heard you were the one that found Aunt Muireann, not Da, and it was after Faelen's visit, prior to your arrival, that she was locked up by Granny Lorena. No one has answered Ainbertach, either. Did Muireann commit suicide, like we've been told, or did you silence her permanently to keep your return secret?"
Faelen could smell the fury and guilt rolling off Ciaran, as well as his siblings, but the assassin gave very little indication of it. Ciaran tipped his head toward Liam. "I'm sorry, D--"
Draighean snapped, "I don't need you apologising for me, Da! I'm an adult, in case you haven't noticed! I make my own choices, and say what I want to say!"
Her father smelt betrayed for a moment before his scent crystallized in determination. "And live with the consequences of those actions."
His wife stood up to glare down at her husband. "Are you really threatening us? What's gotten into you? Stop this nonsense at once and take us home!"
Ciaran met her eyes impassively. "Gotten into me? My duty. You've never gotten in the way of me fulfilling my duty before, so there was no reason for me to show you this side of me. I will do whatever it takes to honour my oaths to this clan." A small smile crossed his muzzle. "And take you home? Why do you think we're having this meeting in Nova Scotia? How easy was it for Nathanial to bring us here? Surely you realized you can be kept silent without being killed, safely locked away in Halifax with your senses crippled so you can't find any Spirits to get help from. Just be careful; the Hunters are as active here as they were in Cork a few years ago. Maybe you'll own up to your duty as an O'Conall before they find you."
Eirne stepped away in terror. "You wouldn't."
Kiera shivered. "Nathanial could. Easily."
Sorcha stared at her granddaughter. "Nathanial? He... He's so...sweet. Sure, he might have a lot of magic, but I can't see him hurting a fly!"
Kiera's hollow laugh sent shivers down most people's spines. It didn't to Faelen, but the refrain of 'Twinkle, twinkle' running through his head did, instead. The Tar Spirit did agree with her grandmother to a degree. "He wouldn't -- unless that fly threatened someone he holds dear, and then you'll see a whole other personality come out."
Lorena's voice cut through the nervous murmurs that followed. "Enough! Stop fanning the flames; stop this bickering -- just stop! Ladies, Ainbertach, I swear as an O'Conall that there's no treason going on. We're acting in the best interests of the clan, and with full consent and approval of the alpha. Everything that happened in Lowell's life happened under the orders of Alpha Ruarc, and we thought it'd stay there. Now that we know Lowell has reincarnated and has ties to the Cork Clan again, we ensured Alpha Luke was fully briefed. You are all O'Conalls, and you already swore oaths to fulfil your duties as O'Conalls, to protect the clan, and to obey the alpha. That should be sufficient, but Muireann broke those oaths. Now, we need something stronger. Swear, and we'll tell you everything."
Ainbertach began struggling against his bonds so fiercely that the chair began bouncing. Da stepped behind him and pushed down on his shoulders to hold him still. "Cut it out, Ainbertach. We aren't doing this because we want to."
Liam walked over. His grandson's eyes widened in fear but he still tried to glare defiantly at the small Dog. Liam placed his tan paw on Ainbertach's head. "Vyar." He seemed to be using the middle syllable as a nickname. The shackled Wolf jerked his head away. Liam put his paw back gently and stroked the dark fur. "Shh, Vyar, lad. She was my daughter. I had no desire to see her dead." Ainbertach began struggling again, but Da kept him from moving too much. "It's true, lad. I had a plan to bring her to Halifax, to set her free from the clan, from the O'Conall name, so she could find some peace." The room fell silent; even Ainbertach went still. "She was suffering. You likely know that better than I. When I..." Liam took a deep breath; Faelen could hear it catch at the deepest point and felt the anguish that caused it. "When Dirk and Faelen told my children I had returned, she... She couldn't accept it. It was like all that kept her going was the promise we'd reunite someday in the Elysian Fields, and then she found out that'll never happen. When I tried to meet her, she refused. Even knowing the alpha required her silence for the sake of the clan, she still refused to swear an oath. I spoke to her with the alpha's permission, and I thought I was making progress, but she was in terrible pain. She just couldn't accept the truth. I left her room to let her think about it, and when I returned she was..." Liam trailed off, too overcome to continue. Tears soaked the fur on his cheeks. "She was my daughter, Vyar! I loved her!"
Faelen quickly grabbed the shards of porcelain he'd gathered from the tea set and dashed to the food staging area on the far side of the room to get away from the stench of guilt rolling off Ciaran.
Granny Tuathla turned to Faeden. "I swear. I swear before Gaea and on my honour as an O'Conall that I won't discuss what I hear with anyone who doesn't already know about it."
Ainbertach nodded, so Da manifested again and drew the bones back under his shirt. The Frost Spirit stood, grabbed his small grandfather in a tight hug, and began crying, too. "I'm sorry, Poppy."
"So am I, Vyar, so am I."
Draighean folded her arms and glowered at her father. "So, how serious are you, Da? Would you really kill us or abandon us here if we don't swear?"
Aedan answered for his brother. "Very serious, Draighean. How serious are you? Would you really betray your family and clan? Would you so easily forsake your duty, just because you're scared or confused?" All of Aedan's family, except Sorcha and Tuathla, nodded in agreement with what he just said.
Sorcha sounded very tired when she braced her head up with her left arm. "Just swear already, Eirne. Lowell gave you the same lecture as he gave me before you married into the O'Conalls, and Lorena did, too, on the eve of your wedding. Don't get all snippy just because it's coming true. You knew what came with the ring from the get-go."
Eirne sniffed. "I don't like how this is going, Sorcha. It stinks to Mount Olympus! Something isn't right."
Ainbertach let Liam go. "I swear. I swear before Gaea and on my honour as an O'Conall that I won't discuss what I hear with anyone who doesn't already know about it." He turned to his recalcitrant aunt and cousin. "You're quick to accept the benefits of being an O'Conall. It's time to pay up."
Da's voice rumbled out. "Gods, Eirne. It's not like we're asking you to do anything, we just want to know you won't say anything. There's no treason to cover up, just a hells of a lot of very sensitive information. You don't even need to know that if you don't want; just swear that you want talk about anything you've already seen or heard."
Draighean growled. "Fine. The alpha and matriarch are going to hear about this. I swear." She repeated the oath, and Eirne copied her.
Kiera brought the wet mop and the rest of the broken tea set to the food station. "That was...rough." Faelen took the broken dishes and set them with the rest; Nathanial could cast Mending on them later. "Was the first meeting this bad?"
Faelen nodded. "It was intense, but then Aunt Muireann flipped. Poppy Aedan kept provoking her until she tried to leave, and then Uncle Ciaran tried to get her to swear an oath. She lost it, and Poppy Aedan knocked her out." He sighed and shook his head. "This was almost as bad, and we haven't even gotten to the actual information yet." Gods, his great uncles seemed set on pushing everyone's buttons. What was Ciaran thinking?
Liam stood in the centre of the tables. "So, let's begin with the news we've already leaked prematurely. I'm an Ancient One, not a Spirit. I'm -- for all intents and purposes -- a Fur, but after every death I get reincarnated into a new body. This is my tenth life; the first I know anything about was over two thousand years ago, where I was a priest of Hades." Blue flames flickered across his body. "I've kept many of the gifts he gave me, as well as the skills I've learnt across the millennia.
"As Lowell, I came to the clan and asked Alpha Ruarc's permission to join in exchange for various services, notably access to the London business community and the resources I could get him. With the help of the clan, I grew the financial empire that Conor runs today. I also married Lorena O'Conall, under the direction of the alpha, and had four children. That's where the rest of you come in; you either married my descendants or are one. Yes, that's a violation of Society law and Spirit law."
The wives all looked at their husbands, which generally just shrugged and nodded in return. Ciaran still smelt annoyed and merely nodded. Tuathla sounded uncertain as she asked, "I thought you said there wasn't any treason."
Lorena shook her head. "There isn't. A broken law isn't treason. My marriage was arranged by the alpha, with -- I believe -- full knowledge of the council. The clan has done extremely well by that arrangement, both in terms of members born from it, from resources acquired, and from information gained about the Knights' activities of the time that kept us safe. It was an act of loyalty, if a bit Machiavellian."
Eirne still seemed gobsmacked. "You knowingly had sex with a Fur?"
Lorena smiled wanly. "No, I thought he was a Spirit, though I did begin to suspect otherwise over time. Just because Alpha Ruarc knew didn't mean he told me." Faelen and Kiera made their way back to their chairs. "And Liam isn't a Fur; he's an Ancient One. He's an immortal."
Liam took over again. "On that subject, I was a renowned healer in one of those lives, and I know why that law came into place. Spirits radiate a type of energy that can be absorbed by some other beings, like Mages and Furs, which throws off their inner balance. Spending too long around a Spirit can be lethal for them. I'm capable of regulating my internal energies, so I was safe. As a note, male Spirits infuse their semen with large quantities of their energy, and unborn Spirits generate this energy as well. It's extremely dangerous for male Spirits to mate with female Furs."
Da hung his head and stood up. "On that note, I'll take over, Sensei."
Eirne's mouth opened and closed a few times silently as she gaped at Dirk and Faelen. It was Sorcha that managed to exclaim, "Mary Ann? She was a Fur? You killed her?" Da seemed unable to respond to that, and he reeked of guilt. His grandmother's eyes filled with tears. "I thought it was odd you hadn't brought her home to introduce her, but I thought you were just ashamed she was clanless and got her pregnant very early in your relationship. But...a Fur? Why couldn't you have fallen in love with a Spirit?"
"I did." Da's quiet and simple pronouncement caused everyone to strain to hear what he'd say. "I had a few times before Faelen came along, but they'd never be able to give me a child. They were all men. I... I'm gay."
Ainbertach snickered. "Right. You, gay. Come on, only the alpha has a reputation of being more manly than you, and you got that without flaunting your strength. You're in the top non-elemental rankings and easily the most powerful Spirit in the room. You could take any one of us on without trying, if not all of us." Uncle Ciaran suddenly smelt very amused, though he didn't show it. Kiera smelt quite the opposite.
Eirne earnestly suggested, "Well, I'm sure you must feel that way, Dirk, to say something so ridiculous, but have you ever tried... I guess you did if you got Mary Ann pregnant, but have you tried a proper Spirit lady? I'm sure if you did you'd realize you're wrong about being gay." Draighean shot an incredulous look at her mother.
Kiera's paws clenched into fists. "Don't spout that bullshit! Either of you! Dirk is extremely powerful, but that has nothing to do with who he is attracted to and can fall in love with! Or are you saying women can't be strong? I like guys, and I could take you on any day of the week, Ainbertach, powers or no! I'll tie you in a knot in ten seconds!" She sneered at her aunt next. "Have you tried a proper Spirit lady? I'm sure if you did you'd realize you're wrong about being straight! What utter fucking crap! He's attracted to guys. He doesn't want boobs and a snatch; he wants cocks and balls! How is he going get a big dick shoved up his ass if he's stuck in bed with a girl?" Everyone in the room choked on that, even Da and Faelen. Dirk didn't seem sure if he wanted his sister defending him anymore, though he initially smelt very happy she had. It certainly showed she still loved him.
Roisin winced. "Okay, Keira, I think they get it. I understand being gay isn't something he can control, but I still don't want to hear about my nephew getting fucked. I don't want to hear about your escapades, either, or anyone else's." The twenty-eight year old Spirit turned to her century-older aunt. "Aunt Eirne, everyone, things have changed a lot since you were last able to live openly in the world. A lot of old prejudices have been proven wrong, and acceptance of different ideas and people have become the norm. We've learnt that homosexuality isn't a disorder, a sin, or wrong; it's just a slightly different wiring in the brain. Instead of being attracted to women, he's attracted to men. End of story. It doesn't mean he's weak, it doesn't mean he'll start mincing around singing Madonna or develop a flair for interior decorating. It certainly doesn't mean he'll open a florist shop. Dirk is Dirk, and that's that. The only thing that has changed is we can stop wondering when he'll find a girl. Now, we have to wonder if his boyfriend will be cute."
Ainbertach shook his head and inched away from Da. "And what will happen when Rolph finds out. Or Tanai."
Liam stepped back into the conversation. "That's very true, Vyar, and that's where Aoife comes in." The large-eared mother-to-be shook her head. She obviously didn't want to get drawn into the drama.
Faelen stood up. "Then let me tell my part, Aoife." He really didn't want to get involved either, but it was better to get it over and done with. "I'm gay. Liam's gay. He's my boyfriend. Our souls have been linked somehow, so when he dies, so will I, and when he's reborn I will be, too. We think."
Tuathla raised her paws. "Wait, wait, wait! What?"
Faelen took a deep breath. "I'm--"
"No!" Faelen's grandmother waved her paws. "The, I got that, the other..." She shook her head. "Just...give me a second. You. Dirk. Liam, Lowell, whoever. Gay. And you and Liam, your great-great-grandfather..." She poked her index finger through a circle formed by the thumb and index finger on her other paw. "And your souls got tied?"
Liam chuckled. "Among other things, yes." Poppy Aedan looked a little ill, as did a couple other Spirits. "I assure you, tying our souls was completely unintentional; the other parts were very intentional."
Faeden looked at his father and then winked at Dirk. The tone of his voice gave warning that some dreadful puns were in the offing. "Poppy, I did knot need to hear that. Are you tying to make people ill? I might be a bit anal about proper etiquette, which you probably think sucks, but don't be a dick about this."
Aedan roared. "Gods fucking damn, Faeden! Those were horrible even for you!" Liam and Poppy Faeden started laughing. Da chortled a bit, too, and looked at his father gratefully. They were the only three who seemed to find it the least bit amusing, though Kiera shook her head in mock-disdain.
Tuathla glared at her pun-loving husband balefully for a moment before turning back to Faelen. "Anyway, if your souls are..." She paused to glance at Liam. "...connected, and he's immortal..." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, if Liam is immortal, then how...?"
Liam grimaced and Lowell's echo faded into the back of the Ancient One's mind. "As stated, I am immortal, but that does not mean the shell I inhabit is. Each body has the lifespan of a normal Fur, and after it dies I am eventually reborn into another body. In about a century, I will die, and so will Faelen. At some unknown point in the future, I will return, and so will Faelen. This is all hypothesis, as it has never happened before, but I find myself oddly certain it is true."
Faelen nodded. "And because we fell in love, Liam found himself brought back into the Cork Clan. Which brings us to today's meeting. Furthermore, we aren't the only gay people in the clan; Geoff is, too." Ainbertach and Eirne both abruptly stood up and walked toward the double sliding doors leading outside.
Lorena called out, "Half-hour break! Make sure you're back on time." Draighean hopped up and trotted after her mother.
Tuathla stood and went to her mother-in-law. "Sorcha, I could use some fresh air. Do you want to join me?" The two ladies were relatively close in age, by Spirit standards, and got along famously. They were the ones that had set up the kayaking trip before Muireann had died.
Sorcha glanced at her husband and seemed to make a point of ignoring him after that. "Sure. This has been a lot to digest, and it sounds like there's more to come. The Dark Elemental?" They, too, walked out into the chilly evening.
***This chapter was edited by Lycanthromancer*** PLEASE NOTE: This will be the last chapter uploaded onto Inkbunny! For future chapters please go to plainwalk.
School normally seemed to take forever, but Faelen found today to be one of the worst he could recall. Nathanial hadn't joined them, and Faelen could tell the pup's absence bothered Geoff. Then there was also the matter of Lowell's branch of the O'Conall family coming over this afternoon; that was the part that made the school day exhausting. Faelen just couldn't stop worrying about it. How would they react to the news that not only were Dirk and Faelen gay, but also Geoff? How would they react to the news that Lowell hadn't been a Spirit, but an Ancient One, and that he was dating Faelen? That Faelen would die two hundred years early because of it? Sure, several of them already knew -- Lorena and her children, plus Faeden and Kiera -- but none of the spouses did, nor did any of Lowell's other descendants. And could Liam handle the inevitable, frequent awakenings of Lowell? Liam hadn't fully recovered from that fight with the Balor yet, and the O'Conalls were going to be here till Saturday.
Omg poor family they have enough shit thrown at them for a lifetime ( spirits lifetime ), love the puns. Why won't you be able to upload here anymore ?
Omg poor family they have enough shit thrown at them for a lifetime ( spirits lifetime ), love the p
It's certainly throwing their long held beliefs about their family on their heads.
I'm capable of uploading here -- there aren't any bans or anything -- but chapter 134 has only had 30 views in over a month. The amount of time and effort it takes to get chapters ready to post here is just too much for so few readers, and not just my time but Lycanthromancer's as well. I like the layout here, I like how it looks, but the effort it takes to post stories is ridiculous. I can take the finished product -- once I get it back from Lycanthromancer -- and in two to three minutes have it online at SoFurry, but even using macros to try to convert all the formatting into HTML code, it takes far longer to post it here and to ensure it looks like I intended.
It's certainly throwing their long held beliefs about their family on their heads. I'm capable of u
plainwalk.
