"NOT AGAIN?! When the hell else have you been.. That?" Cordelia yelled shrilly. Waving her hand in explanation of Brooklyn's now very human appearance.
"Puck and more of his magical bullshit" Brooklyn said. The anger rising in his voice.
"I need to go call Owen and figure out what the hell he is planning on doing today" Cordeila snapped.
"I'm sure it's just so they can move around during the day Cora" Colin started off.
"You are so fucking sure? What if him and his clan don't turn back come nightfall. Just because you and Patrick can doesn't mean they will for fucks sake. You have generations of magical heritage that makes it possible. What if they all get stuck human? That alone will cut their lifespans by half. If not more" Cordeila screamed at him.
Cordeila and Colin stood flipping out at each other. Ignoring the rest of the group. Brooklyn couldn't figure out what the hell to do with himself. His balance was off and his legs felt like jello and they bent at odd angles. Walking around on the jagged pieces of deck on his now human feet. Stumbling onto the sand felt strange as hell. The dawn was just creeping in and hazy bits of sunlight shown through the clouds. Looking up he couldn't figure out what he was looking at.
"Why is it pink?" Brooklyn asked in confusion. He thought the sky was blue during the day. Less angry now and trying to process what he was looking at. He noticed most everyone was watching either him or the two arguing. Thinking if he was going though this what was the rest of his clan doing right now? Were they ok?
"Cordeila." Brooklyn said. She didn't hear him over her and Colin still arguing with each other. Damit. He needed his own phone back. He couldn't keep relying on her for hers.
"CORA!"Brooklyn growled at her. Seeing her head snap around to pay attention to him.
"What did you just call me?" She asked indignantly.
"I need to borrow your phone" Brooklyn gritted out. Starting to blink trying to get his eyes to adjust to the haze of color and light developing.
"Don't call me that" She snarled at him. He shrugged at her and she raised her hands in frustration. Waving Colin off and turning away.
"I have to call Owen and Patrick anyways. Come in the house" She hissed.
Walking up and going to grab his arm and haul him inside. When she touched him... slowly turning her head to look down at him. She closed her eyes and leaned in and sniffed him. Opening them back up with a snap. Except they weren't a normal hazel but a inky black. The color smudging around her eyes and spreading slightly like tiny capillary's of blood. Brooklyn instantly felt like he was in trouble. Some sort of instinct told him to either fight back or run. Shoving her hand off he pushed her back quickly. Cordeila letting him and flying backwards until she hit the door that went inside the kitchen. Shattering the glass as she let herself fall. For several seconds no one moved or said anything. Before Cordeila spoke up.
"Colin. I believe that you need to escort your friends home correct?" She asked from just inside the house.
"Yes...? But Cora what the hell was that?" Colin asked.
Ignoring his question she then asked the Harkers if they were staying over the day or if their elders had wanted them home. Keeping her voice as even toned and calm as Owen could pull off.
"Most of us were going home. I was planning on staying over and Gio and I were gonna work on his car" Johnathan told her. Everyone still looking a little leary at her. Except for the Merrows. The smirked a little at each other.
"Fine. The rest of the Harkers can go home only if they go together. Colin and Antoni you take your friends home and then come back. Together and come right back. I do not want to have to go chasing you around again. Gio and Johnathan, stay here and watch the Gargoyole. I need to go talk to Patrick and Owen" She ordered. Getting up smoothly Cordeila brushed the glass off herself and calmly and even gracefully turned and walked further into the house.
"It was wonderful to meet your friends. They may come over anytime. I would love to get to know them." Cordelia called.
"But Cora? What the hell?" Colin asked again.
"I said now Colin" Cordeila gritted out, her voice going lower and gravely at the end of the sentence.
Brooklyn had heard her use that tone before. The first night they met on the roof and got into a physical confrontation. Daylight looked like it did nothing to damper her abilities. The Harkers started to gather their things and head home, they would really rather stay and watch the show. But pissing Cora off some more was not on their to do list. Colin and the Merrows getting ready as well and saying good bye to each other.
"That's not really surprising" Gio broke the quiet saying. The remaining youngling's looking at him like he had grown a second head except for Antoni who nodded in agreement.
"How might I ask" Brooklyn ground out. His eyes following where Cordeila had gone. Gio and Antoni looked back and forth at each other, like their was something they knew and didn't want to say.
"Fine. I need to go home. I need to get back to the rest of my own dam clan" Brooklyn spat out pushing himself up and going to follow Cordeila into the house. Gio very quickly stepping into his way. Gio and Antoni's human forms were a little shorter but still the same featured. Dark hair and eyes, olive colored skin but no wings or claws.
"Give her a second" Antoni asked.
Brooklyn huffed. Paused and then went inside anyways. He could hear Cordeila yelling into her phone now. She sounded irate.
"NO Patrick I can not do that... I am serious... Yes I know they plan on moving house today... Of course I will... What the hell good is a human going to be to me for that... No damit, you can come get him later... You have got to be kidding me... Why ours?... Well Goliath is sure as hell not MY leader... We are suppose to be partners remember?... I am putting our clan first... Excuse me?... I already told you I CAN NOT DO THAT!... Because your very stupid potion made him human... Well apparently there is a first time for everything... Fine... Yes ten oclock... Yes I can...No Gio and Johnathan are still here to watch him, Colin and Antoni will be back shortly... I gave them permission... Right just like you listen to anything I say... Fine... Ill talk to you later" Cordeila said into the phone.
Rubbing her eyes as she set the phone on the counter she had her back to Brooklyn. Behind him he could hear and then see Gio and Johnathan come in. Gingerly stepping over the shattered glass.
"The Manahatten clan is going to stay at one of our homes temporarily because it is already warded. It will give Owen time to set something up on your castle and not have to worry about being attacked constantly. I am going to provide a distraction while they leave. Patrick wants you to take Brooklyn with you after Colin and Antoni get back and head to the Pines house." Cordeila told them.
"Why are you and Patrick arguing?" Johnathan asked lightly. Usually his cousins got along well.
"Its a lot of things John. We are suppose to be partners, not just a leader and second." She told him softly. "Our younglings know that its been a long time coming. At any rate Brooklyn will be back with his clan soon, It shouldn't take Colin and Antoni long and then you can head straight there."
"What the hell do you mean by distraction?" Brooklyn asked. He did not like this staying home thing one bit and got the sense he was being handled.
"Your clan, the shifted gargolyols, the Xanatoses and Owen. They plan on leaving temporarily. And we would all rather the hunters not know the direction they will be headed. Of course they have some hunters watching your castle. I am going to draw the hunters off and distract them so no one follows them" Cordeila explained. Looking more focused now that she had a plan and direction.
"So you plan on leading a shitload of deadly hunters off in broad day light with no help?" Brooklyn asked disgusted. "Why would Patrick put the only female in his clan in that much danger?"
"What does male or female have to do with anything?" Cordeila asked giving him a sneer and squinting at him before looking down in confusion. "And why are you standing barefoot on broken glass?"
"Its just glass" Brooklyn muttered. Cordeila raising an eyebrow. Gio and Johnathan caught on. Apparently the spell didn't turn him fully human, or at least as vulnerable as one if he could stand on glass and not have it cut his skin.
"I know what I am capable of and I am not dragging a human around the city and Patrick very well knows I can outrun the rest of our clan in their human forms. So its easier and safer for me to go alone" She explained. "I am going to get changed and go. Gio... Go find him human clothing so he doesn't look like a weirdo while you're out driving."
"I do not look like a weirdo" Brooklyn snapped.
"You are wearing that... thing... a kilt would be less conspicuous" She said with a snort of laughter.
"Fine, whatever gets me back to my clan" Brooklyn growled at her.
She looked amused and walked the long way around the kitchen before heading up the stairs. Once she was out of sight Gio visibly relaxed. Johnathan immediately turning and asking questions.
"I thought your clan wasn't going to have leadership issues for a while" He asked Gio.
"It was going to happen sooner or later. And with the three of us having mates someday soon is just pushing the issue of Patrick and Cora not having their own." Gio answered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Brooklyn asked. These freaking witches were a confusing mess of cultures and tradition that he just did not understand.
"We are technically two separate clans put together. And I think its getting harder on both of them as we get older. Or maybe just Cora when Patrick does not listen to her like he should. Cora hates being told what to do with a passion. And there are some things that are ... longstanding disagreements." Gio replied. Gio and Jonathan breaking out in laughter at that.
There was more to that backstory than Brooklyn wanted to hear. He could feel his ears go hot. Gargoyles didn't blush but the feeling as a human was... He didn't know how to describe it. From somewhere else he heard a car start up. Back out and take off. He hadn't seen one but they must have a garage around someplace.
"Come on dude, Lets get you changed and wait for the others. I wanna head out anyways." Gio laughed again.
The wait was not long. But the car ride was something Brooklyn could have gone another two hundred years without. Flying was so much faster. And they didn't have to sit in traffic. The sun was blindingly bright. And was starting to feel scorching hot on his skin. The humans drove like complete assholes. Elisa never drove this badly. He was unbelievably glad to get to the cooler roads over hung with tree's. This place was as far as the Gargoyle flies very close to his home. Him and his brothers had even flown this far before in their explorations. Before they had mates of course. The roads started to wind and turn. Making him feel a strange gurgling sensation in his stomach. He was extraordinarily glad when they drove through a blank spot. He could sense it was the edge of the ward on their home and he started looking around.
"Where the hell is this place?" Brooklyn asked.
"Oh on up ahead a little. Cora made the ward on this place much bigger so when we were little we had more room to fly around and play" Colin yelled over the engine and wind noises. Brooklyn stifled a laugh. Clan Macnamaras younglings had caught up to and outgrown Cordeila in less time than it took for a gargoyle hatchling to learn to fly.
Eventually pulling up to a house. It wasn't quite the castle, but a charming mixture of stone and huge old logs. It was more than big enough to house a very large clan. It had plenty of porches and doorways to fly in. A few cars were outside and to his great relief the larger Xanatos helicopter. Colin had barely gotten the car to a stop when Brooklyn got out. The rumbling feeling in his gut remained however. He decided he did not enjoy long car rides at all. The fascination with motorcycles and cars was going to be well and truly dead after this trip he worried.
Patrick, Owen and Xanatos stood outside waiting for them. The younger Macnamaras and Harker saying hi and looking like they wanted to rush inside and meet the others. Xanatos stopping Brooklyn briefly.
"So... how are you feeling Brooklyn?" He asked with a smirk.
"Like hell. But what the fuck does that matter?" Brooklyn gritted out with more hostility than necessary.
"Unsurprising as you have a pretty impressive sunburn" Xanatos laughed.
The three younger Macnamaras and their Harker cousin froze in place and turned back to look at him.
"Did you four idiots really take him out like that for a long car ride in a convertible with no sunblock. For christs sake he has literally never seen the sun before. And his human skin tone is as pale as Cora's. What were you thinking? Or not thinking?" Patrick snapped.
"We... just didn't think of it Patrick... Sorry Brooklyn" Colin said sheepishly.
"What does human skin tone matter?" Brooklyn hissed out through his teeth.
"Very pale humans limit extreme sun exposure or they are gonna end up burnt. These four morons should have known better. Cora will turn into a lobster without sunblock and a hat if they are out all day." Patrick said rubbing his eyes then his hand through his hair.
Brooklyn looked back at everyone staring at him. Great. Just great.
"I don't care. I just want to talk to Goliath and the rest of the clan" Brooklyn said.
"Goliath and Elisa are not here. However the rest are inside. But Fox is resting and we would like to keep it that way." Xanatos told him.
"Where did they go?" Brooklyn asked as they went inside. It was old and full of dark logs and old furniture. It reminded him a little of the house Cordeila had taken him to near forest park.
"After the mornings... transformations... Elisa asked if they had any extra potion to take to Dereks clan." Patrick explained.
Brooklyn thought that made sense. Some of Dereks clan was born human. And getting the chance to go back would be very welcome for all of them. It would also protect them from hunters if they could move around during the day. He wondered how they were doing. He hadn't seen them in a while, he was just too busy taking care of clan things to go visiting like his brothers and sisters did. He could hear the rest of the clan up ahead in a larger room. Pausing to look at them in shock. His brothers he had seen human once. The girls it was...uncomfortably strange. They were distinguishable but Katsumi was probably the most jarring transformation. Her skin no longer pink but very pale, Almost as pale as his own. Clearing his throat the others looked up and were relieved.
"Brooklyn!" Broadway shouted. Jumping up and grabbing Brooklyn to hug him. Only for Brooklyn to gasp and snarl for Broadway to let go.
"What's wrong lad?" Hudson asked. He had been comfortably napping by the fireplace and Brooklyn had woken him up.
"Sunburn" Brooklyn gritted out. The Clan taking notice of his scalding red colored human skin.
"I need to apologies for my younglings lack of foresight. Cora probably would have thought about it and given him some sunblock. Or not taken the convertible" Patrick explained. Frowning at his clan.
"Hey umm sorry again, Im Colin, This is Gio and Antoni. And our cousin Jonathan." He said introducing themselves.
Angela was the first one to walk up closer to them. Followed closely by Broadway.
"Are you really like...us?" She asked.
"Patrick and I sort of. Gio and Antoni take after Cora's side of the family. And Jonathan is a Harker... Something else entirely." He answered with a gesture to Jonathan. "I think Patrick filled you in on most of us while he was with your clan?" The gargoyles nodded. Katsumi looking to Lexington and tilting her head like it was something they specifically discussed.
"Speaking of Cora where is she? Or has she had enough of everyone in her house so much she won't come downstairs?" Antoni asked. Getting a laugh out of his brothers.
"She isn't back yet" Patrick told him.
"We appreciate her making sure that we could leave without being followed. But as bad as the hunters and the other clan is don't you worry about sending her out alone. Shouldn't she be back by now?" Xanatos asked.
"Powers, Magic and ability wise she can handle herself. An adult witch like her is pretty hard to kill" Patrick told him confidently. Owen made a face at that but continued to work at the computer he was on.
Brooklyn still thought it was stupid to send their clans tiny female out alone. Granted she kicked his ass a few times. But he already proved she could be seriously injured.
"When are Goliath and Elisa going to be back?" Brooklyn asked. He wanted to talk to Goliath and see when the hell they could go back home.
"They might not be back till after dark. And then one of our clan is going to have to go get them to bring them through the ward. You all might want to get some rest. Human style rest, night is coming soon enough" Patrick offered.
A few hours passed. The clan was up and about as humans before the sun went down. Sunsets were more interesting than sunrises. Each one of them was waiting impatiently, wanting to see themselves get back to normal as soon as possible. Their concentration broken by a slamming door and someone stomping through the kitchen and heading up the steps.
"Well what took you so long Cora?" Patrick asked impatiently. "You look like a drowned rat."
She held her hands up in disgust and kept walking. Trailing water and sand on the floor. She looked like she had a rough day. And still had seaweed stuck in her hair.
"I am taking a shower" she grunted.
It wasn't really an answer. She paused to look over her own clan and the humanized Gargoyles. Stopping when she caught sight of Brooklyn's sunburnt skin. Breaking out into laughter.
"I have had a trash day. And that makes it just a little bit better" She told Patrick and continued up the steps. Still laughing. Brooklyn did not appreciate that at all.
"You need to hurry up and get back down here." He growled at her.
She less than eloquently made a rude gesture and continued up the steps. Getting to her own rooms she headed into the bathroom. Dumping her soggy and sandy clothing on the floor and stepping into the shower. Scrubbing the salt and sand out. Slapping conditioner in her hair and then scrubbing the rest of herself with soap. Rinsing off and getting out she sensed the sun go down. And in the downstairs of the house heard the strangest noise. Like a Patrick or Colin going to stone and then immediately waking back up. Roars and snarls filled the house. Cora suspected that the potion had worked correctly and the Manhatten clan had gone back to normal. The roars also sounded like they woke Fox's son Alex. So quickly drying her hair Cora threw warm clothing on again. Boots, jeans, a shirt, a heavy sweater and walked the hallways to where she heard the crying. Fox was bringing Alex downstairs with her.
"Would you like a hand?" Cora asked.
"That would be nice" Fox said nicely, but wearily. "He was up and wild for hours and I had just finally gotten him to sleep when the clan woke him up."
"I remember our younglings doing that. Antoni was a particularly light sleeper" Cora replied.
Offering her arms to Alex. Typical toddler fashion he launched himself at her with a laugh. Getting down the steps Alex saw his father and screamed in glee. Causing the rest of the group to look up from their stretching and talking. The Clans particularly interested in how different yet similar Gio and Antoni looked to themselves. Coral et Alex down to run to his father.
"Cora, I need you to go to the edge of the ward and let Goliath and Elisa in. They are already on their way to the general vicinity." Patrick said.
"I just freaking got home and I've been out all day. Seriously?!" She hissed quietly at him. Aware that the new clan was watching her. "Send Colin." she asked annoyed.
"Cora just go get them. Take one of the boys with you then" Patrick ordered. "Or take Brooklyn with you" he suggested as the Macnamara and Harker were deep in conversation with Angela and Katsumi, Broadway and Lex. Colin in particular looked very excited to be meeting them. Cora watched him for a moment before turning back to Patrick.
"I have legs, they aren't broken. I can go all by myself" She hissed at him.
"Lass you were out all day, Why not let Brooklyn take ye?" Hudson asked kindly.
Patrick looked amused and agreed with him. Cora stepping close to him and low and viciously whispered something to him before turning and walking out the door. Letting it slam behind her.
"I don't think she needs the company Hudson" Brooklyn told him. Stretching again. Thrilled to have his own form back and thankfully the sunburn healed.
"Twould be the kind thing to do if she spent the day giving some hunters a merry chase" Hudson replied.
Brooklyn shrugged and rolled his shoulders and headed out the door she had used. Pausing to look for her before catching sight of her heading down the driveway at a brisk walk. She looked pissed. Great. Just what he wanted to do again tonight.