Brooklyn growled to himself. He really really did not want to be here and go to sleep with all these psychotic witches and whatever the hell else is running around. Cordeila got up and was looking around until she found a computer and busied herself opening it and running a call to Patrick he presumed. More crashing noises and laughter echoed from the front of the house. Cordelia rubbed her face with her hands before looking like she would like to toss the computer across the room. She looked tired and done. Brooklyn felt an invisible tug to her and could guess that she her human timed healing was not keeping up.
"Is the rest of your clan just going to keep on acting like a bunch of hatchlings while you are injured and doing work" Brooklyn asked in contempt.
"Its my job to talk to Patrick for one. And two they have zero idea I am injured in any way" Cordelia told him tapping away at the computer. Not looking at him and now making confused faces at it.
"I can tell from across the room and not one of them even noticed?" He replied cooly.
"Everyone out there is either a cousin or mate of one of my cousins. The Merrows might have noticed, but not really perceived it as anything different than my status quo. But a family member would not be affected in any way" She replied.
Getting up from the chair she started walking around holding the computer out in her arms. It was struggling to connect and for her to make a call.
"I need to try and go up stairs and see if the signal is any better. The cloaking spell usually messes with it" Cordelia said.
Walking out of the kitchen and back into the main one. Then heading up a flight and then two of steps. She didn't ask for Brooklyn to follow. He did out of nothing better to do. Every step was causing her pain at this point that he could sense via his hormones going nuts. The red headed female, Ciara, stopped him on the way. Standing in front of him, he was too big to get around her on the steps.
"Excuse me" He asked gruffly.
"Are you going to the clan gathering with your clan or with Cora?" she asked. Not bothering to move out of his way.
"Neither" came his one word reply.
The gold winged female came up behind him blocking his exit.
"Are you sure?" Gisle asked, quite chipper.
"Yes and if you will excuse me I want to get a hold of my own clan while Cordeila talks to Patrick" Brooklyn gritted out.
From down below a very soft voice called out. "I told you so." Brooklyn wasn't sure who it was. Then another, it sounded like Colin called Gisle to come work on a potion again. Smirking she flounced off to where ever the hell the voice came from. It was hard to tell with so much commotion.
Squeezing himself sideways he got past the redhead and followed Cordelia. Those two were something else. He could feel a slight... something of magic from them. But nothing like what Cordelia put off. He couldn't see her in house, but heard her swearing. A rooftop with a porch ahead. It must be made so the gargoyle ish witches and whatever else had wings could come and go with ease.
"Finally" She snapped as the signal picked up. Instead of Patrick it was Owen and Fox.
Brooklyn came up behind her. A little too close apparently. And Cordeila hissed at him. Fox raised an eyebrow but Owen broke into a smirk. Looking like he wanted to laugh at how much Cordelia disliked him.
"We are at home, where is Patrick?" Cordelia asked.
"He is coming along with Goliath. There was another minor attack. Easily defended. But the Gargoyles and David are still out paroling the grounds and uneasy" Fox told her.
Brooklyn growled behind her. Cordeila ignoring it and looking at Fox more closely.
"How are you doing? You look... stressed" Cordelia asked referencing Fox's pregnancy.
"We have all been better, I am very ready for this to be done and over" She replied.
Owen and Cordelia glanced at each other. What that indicated Brooklyn didn't know. Goliath and Patrick came into view on the screen. Looking uninjured.
"I need to come home and defend the rest of my clan, where I belong" Brooklyn snarled abruptly.
"Yes for the love of god please take him back" Cordelia added. Trying to elbow him back out of her space on the screen.
"That may not be the best idea for Brooklyn to head back here. As I am sure Owen and Cordelia concur that the Manhattan clan needs to move to another location at least temporarily." Patrick told them through the screen.
"We are not turning tail and running from our home" Goliath ground out. Obviously it was a discussion that had already been had at the castle.
"Its move or die at this point. The hunters barely attacking, not doing any real damage. But trying different times of the night and day are not feebleness and stupidity on their part. They are accessing your vulnerabilities and when the best time for a major attack is. Likely when you are most weak during the day. With the male Gargoyles smashed dead and most of the Xanatoses magical and mechanical defenses weakened then either the hunters will have reinforcements or more likely the Orfeo will attack at night." Cordeila explained.
"How are you sure of this?" Xanatos asked. Coming in behind Fox with a slightly damaged battle suit on.
"Its worked twice for them before. It is an extremely efficient battle strategy." Patrick said in a low voice.
Cordeila looked pissed. Whether it was her clans deaths or something else Brooklyn didn't know. But she glared at the screen.
"If they are that strong how is the run and hide strategy going to work?" Xanatos asked. "I would prefer to come home at some point." He said curtly.
"Run, hide and hunt has been working pretty fucking well for the Harkers" Cordelia hissed. "You should have had Puck put a cloaking spell on the castle years ago. Made it look like any other skyscraper. And use underground exits that open up to different buildings. Instead of flying off into public view on wing or in a helicopter where any idiot with a camera can snap your picture."
"Cora!" Patrick snapped at her for being rude.
"What? Is it not obvious to anyone else?" Coradelia hissed back. "Ohhhh and speaking of Harkers, twenty more wild younglings is just peachy in this tiny house. I know you said their cousins and friends could come over. But this is ridiculous."
Brooklyn growled in apparent understanding. Breaking back into the conversation Owen cut off the argument there.
"A cloaking spell would work long term, however currently that will not solve the issue of them easily seeing us come and go. Both the gargoyles at night and the rest of us during the day. The hunters know that we are here and haven't left. I have been working with clan Macnamara to help elevate some of the daytime movement problems. But I am uncertain how far it has progressed" Owen said in his stony voice.
"Judging from the recent explosion and the cloud of greasy black smoke? Badly" Cordelia replied to him.
"You need to have that completed before sun up. I will be along to fetch it." Owen told her.
"I do not want to leave my home, But it seems like the most reasonable emergency course of action." Xanatos said to the group.
"Very well. We must discus the when and how of where we will be temporarily moving to" Goliath agreed grudgingly.
Before turning off the signal Owen pushed into view again.
"We need to have that potion before sunup. I need time to be able to bring it back here. You have all the necessary ingredients and test subject. Try it out and then call me right back" Owen said before the screen cut to blank.
Cordelia shut the computer with a snap and growled.
"What the fuck potion is Owen talking about" Brooklyn ground out.
"I am not positive, but I have a guess. I think it was something that my mother and Patrick and Colin's mother were working on before their deaths" Cordelia said before standing up quickly and sitting right back down with grunt. Brooklyn could feel another wave of hormones that he recognized as a response to Cordelias.
"You need to either go ask the rest of your clans for help, or go heal yourself with one of them. How ever you do that freaky crap and not going and doing complicated spells" Brooklyn told her loosing his patience.
"None of the younger ones know what they are doing to help with such a complex potion. And that would be freaking disgusting. I held every youngling in this house as an infant or egg and many are my biological cousins. That is ten shades of oh hell no to that one" Cordelia shuddered.
"Your ageing is fucking weird. You are a tiny little female and your own younglings are bigger, stronger and look older than you." Brooklyn retorted.
"Its nothing but survival, we don't all have time for a long happy carefree childhood" Cordelia snapped at him.
"You have no idea what my childhood was like" Brooklyn responded darkly.
Without responding she tried and seceded this time in getting up and heading downstairs. Past the still goofing off younglings. Now most engrossed in playing or watching a video game be played. Brooklyn recognized it as one him and his brothers still played on occasion when they were not too engrossed in their own mates. He also noticed that most of clan Harker had some strange brown and green hair and eye colorings. And virtually everyone had freckles. Heading down to the basement level here... it looked less beach house and more well old and magical. Work benches covered in scorch marks lined the walls. And in the center was a cauldren that bubbled.
Colin and Gisle stood over it, parchment in hand and fuming before handing it off to Cordelia to read though. She made quick work of it.
"Your friend was correct. The Gargoyle hair had to be freshly pulled. The lock of hair you were using was too old." Cordelia said softly.
"Who the hell else did you rip the hair out of?" Brooklyn demanded. Wondering what other Gargoyle that they could have jumped on and pulled their hair.
Colin snapping his head up and eyes glowing in anger at the assumption.
"I used a lock of my mothers hair" Colin snapped. Before saying "I'm sorry Cora, I need to go up for some air." Gisle went with him leaving Brooklyn and Cordelia alone in the dark, creepy and magical basement.
"That was..." Cordelia started to say. Before cutting herself off. She looked upset.
"This better be worth it to your clan" She muttered to Brooklyn.
Dropping a lock of silver hair, his hair, into the bubbling cauldren. Plus a few drop of what looked suspiciously like blood. And holding a hand out whispered some words in a language he didn't understand. She turned quickly and shielded her eyes. Brooklyn sensed it might explode and he jumped close to her. Shielding her body from it and wrapping his wings around her protectively. Instead of the loud explosion both were expecting a pop with a flurry of sparkling blue dust came out. Coating Brooklyn and her self in sparkles.
"Get the hell off me!" Cordelia hissed at him. Shoving him and pulling herself back until Brooklyn relaxed his wings and let her pull out of his arms.
"It worked" She said as she admired the dust.
"What the hell is it for?" Brooklyn asked, still trying to clear his head from once again holding her in his arms.
"A potion that will protect the gargoyles from turning to stone during the day" she said as she gently touched the sparkling dust.
"How does it work?" Brooklyn asked suspiciously.
"I honestly don't know yet. This is my mother and Pucks magical skill level. Vastly more than Colin or his friend are capable of at their age. Even then I am just following the recipe" She replied still in awe of the glittering substance.
She picked her phone up and started texting. Then frowning when she had no signal in the basement. Huffing she headed back up the basement steps. Stopping in the kitchen and grabbing food and a drink out of the fridge on her way. Back up the two flights of stairs and back up to the rooftop. Brooklyn again following her for lack of something better to do. She slammed the door shut in his face as she headed up to the roof. Unfortunately for her not locking it. He pushed the door back open and walked out to find her sitting on the roof, mostly concealed by the pitch and texting away.
"Why the hell do you insist on following me everywhere?" She hissed at him. Not looking at him but still texting. Probably Owen and Patrick.
"What else am I going to do here? I don't suppose I am allowed to go patrolling past the boundary. Go talk to your clan? Like they don't hate me for getting into a altercation with you." Brooklyn growled at her. Crawling up to the peak of the roof and perching there.
Cordelia gave him an odd look. Then put her phone away and started eating the food she had drug up with her. Brooklyn watched some of her clan in the yard below. Rough housing was turning into sparing. With weapons. Not particularly advanced. Though several had guns as well. But obviously unused. Most looked like simple iron or steel blades. He wondered when the last time him and his brothers had done this. Instead of them playing around like hatchlings.
"Are you going to ignore me the whole time I am here" Brooklyn asked in annoyance.
"Its a thought. But I am currently eating my feelings and attempting to help my leg heal" she answered between bites. "Colin, Gio and Antoni have no idea your the one that I got into a pissing match with. And they definitely don't know you bit me. Otherwise you would be unlikely to be perched there still alive." she added.
"Why not tell them?" Brooklyn asked. He wondered if perhaps if he could get her to talk to him like a normal being she would let him get closer to her. Then shaking his head at the thought. That was his hormones doing the thinking for him again.
"Because Patrick forbade me. Though I don't know if he would feel differently if he knew what actually happened." She replied. Still eating what looked like cake and drinking the rest of her water or whatever else it was.
"I don't understand why you didn't tell him" he said.
"I tried. Patrick doesn't listen. And he seems so enamored in finding out that other real gargoyles still exist that what I have to say don't seem to matter much anymore" Cordelia told him. Setting her utensils down and leaning back into the pitch of the roof. Both listening to the sounds of the rest of her clans below sparring, roughhousing, playing video games together.
After a particularly loud crash she opened her eyes in annoyance. Turing over and crawling up the steep roof line to the peak in order to see what was going on. Beside Brooklyn she laid on her stomach looking out over the top. Down below Colin and Gio were sparing. And Antoni and the one Harker with the forest green hair were as well.
"I sort of know what Colin is, Gio and Antoni are... like you?" Brooklyn asked.
With a pause and a deep sigh Cordelia answered him "Yes, but male. Obvious differences when you see us in our non human forms. Any one of us can make ourselves look human enough to walk around in public in broad day light and not raise a fuss."
She had a half smile when the green haired one knocked Antoni back into Gio. Then watching Antoni launch back at him laughing with claws and black wings out.
"That's Jonathan... a family name. Probably Harkers next leader in about 100 years or so. His grandmother and mother are still alive. So he gets to actually learn to be an adult and grow up somewhat normal.' Cordeila explained before turning to Brooklyn to ask "Whats a gargoyle clan like? I noticed Goliath introduced Angela as his daughter but not you."
"Umm Angela and Goliath are a special case. Children belong to the whole clan, not any specific parents" Brooklyn answered. Surprised she had any questions to ask that didn't end with her hissing at him.
"So no one has any of their own children... How do you all not end up really inbred with your clan as small as it is?" Cordeila asked in confusion.
"I AM NOT! ... We are not inbred. We know who we are biologically related to. I don't have any biological relatives left. So that's not that kind of concern. We just raise hatch-lings communally." Brooklyn started off yelling and brought it back down to a whisper.
"That is stupid. You try and tell a witch her infant or egg belongs to everyone and watch just how fast she takes your fucking head off" Cordelia said with a snort.
Another terrific crash sent yells through the group below. Colin had pinned Gio only for them to roll and smash through what was left of the deck railing. Cordelia huffed, rolling over onto her back.
"Aren't you going to do anything about that?" Brooklyn asked dryly.
"That looks like a Patrick problem to me. I am too tired and sore to give a crap right now" Cordeila replied.
Down below Brooklyn could hear the clan laughing and Gio frantically trying to get the railing to stand back up. Asking for help before Cora gets down here.
"Why do they all call you Cora and you introduced yourself to my clan as Cordelia?" Brooklyn asked suddenly.
"Cora is a nick name, Cordeila is my formal given name" She replied.
Sitting up Cordeila winced as she moved her leg in the slightest bit. Brooklyn could feel waves of emotions and lust pour through him as she did so. For whatever reason she could heal herself and choose not to. It was stupid. And aside from the lust it was grating on his nerves. Gargoyles protect and care for those that can't take care of themselves. And she was willingly ignoring being injured and not taking care of herself. And she just expected him to be cool with it. When his instincts were screaming at him to take care of her. He felt less likely to try and actually mate with her right here on the roof with twenty six other beings from her clan just a floor below. Perhaps asking forgiveness was better than permission.
With that Brooklyn pounced and carefully rolled Cordelia underneath him. Wrapping his wings around them both giving them somewhat the illusion of privacy. He snatched both her hands in his claws before crashing his mouth down to hers. His hormones and rational thought dangling out the window.
"What are you doing?" Cordelia managed to grit out. Her breathing coming in pants. He could feel her whole body move with the effort.
Raising his head to look down at her he decided that this was a really stupid move. But that last a problem for later Brooklyn.