Closed to Davin

[brigid_moran]

(post date to sometime between Christmas and New Years)

Time was counting down and Brigid was starting to lose sleep again, but not, this time, because she was unknowingly building a shrine in her forest. This bout of sleeplessness was due to the reason behind that shrine, and the decision facing her in too few days.

How could she be expected to make this kind of a decision in less than a fortnight? Or ever, really.

Brigid thought as she walked, turning the mess around in her head without really paying attention to where she was until she looked up and realized where her feet had taken her.

Davin.

Taking it as a sign, she went to the door and knocked. If anyone could understand this dilemma, it was someone else with ties to Ireland nearly as strong as hers were. She just hoped that, after he heard, he wouldn't look at her any differently than he did now.

After a steadying breath, she knocked.

Comments

[davin]

Davin is heavily engrossed in a historical fiction book about gladiators in ancient Rome when there's a knock on his door, and it takes him a moment to tear his attention away from it and unfold his long limbs from the pretzel of himself he's made on the sofa. "Comin'!"

Brigid is on the other side of the door and Davin grins at the unexpected surprise, but it's soon evident that she's troubled by something. "Brigid? Come taobh istigh. An bhfuil gach rud ceart go leor?"

[brigid_moran]

"Níl mé cinnte , ach sílim go bhfuil mé ceart go leor. An bhfuil tú am a chur ar siúl le liom?" Brigid said, returning the smile. "I've had a bit of news right before Christmas, and even after spendin th'holiday there, I've a bit more thinkin t'do. I could use yer ear, if ye've a moment or two."

[davin]

"Sure, o' course. Just lemme grab m'jacket." He ducks back into the apartment, leaving the door open for her, and pulls on his boots, lacing them up and then grabbing his pea coat from the hook on the back of his door. He tugs it on quickly and grabs his phone and his keys before closing his door and locking it behind him. "Alright, where d'ya wanna go?"

They head down the stairs and Davin offers Brigid his arm, looking at her in concern. "Whatever ya need."

[brigid_moran]

"Into m'forest, the woods around m'house," Brigid answered. "It'll be more'n a bit of a walk, if that's all right with ye? And I've a story t'tell while we walk, about what happened t'me just before Christmas."

She clung to his arm, holding it tight to her almost as if it was the only thing tethering her to the Earth. It wasn't, but something about Davin grounded her in a way very little else did.

"Ye know a bit about our gods and goddesses, yeah?"

[davin]

"That's fine. I'm up for it." She's clinging to him tightly and Davin furrows his brow in concern, putting his free hand on her arm as they walk. "I know a bit, yeah. Not anywhere near as much as you, I'm sure, but I can probably keep up."

They're heading into the woods and Davin steps carefully, picking his way around fallen branches and stones. "Go ahead. I'm listenin'."

[brigid_moran]

So Brigid told him as they walked, unconsciously warming the air around them from the heat deep within the earth below their feet, her bare feet the perfect conduit. She told him about waking in the forest again to find the goddess waiting for her in front of a stone shrine - one that Brigid had, unknowingly, created as she'd slept, forming and placing rocks, until it was a replica of the shrine in Faughart in Ireland. Then she told him the more difficult part, about who she really was. It wasn't easy, thinking of yourself as a channel to a goddess, especially one you'd prayed to your whole life. Harder still to think about having the ability to channel that goddess' power if needed, if she chose to accept the role. A role that would render her basically immortal.

"Rinne mé dócha go bhfuil praiseach de mhíniú, ach go bhfuil an méid a dúirt Bríd liom, cad a thairiscint sí liom. Beidh mé beo go dtí go roghnaíonn mé a fhágáil an eitleán, ní bheidh mé a fháil tinn, nó aois, nó bás. Agus beidh mé a chumhacht ar domhan go dtí go cinneadh a dhéanamh liom a fhágáil agus a bheith páirteach di i Tír na nÓg."

[davin]

Davin smiles s the air warms around them, tipping his head back and relishing in the way that it feels like sunshine on his face. When she starts speaking he turns his head to watch her, listening carefully to the story. It sounds like something out of the lore he grandmother spouts sometimes, but every word she says rings true. It's a lot to take in and Davin swallows and shifts so he can hold her hand as they walk. She gets the feeling that she's leading him somewhere specific, and it's not hard to guess where.

"Is é sin go leor ar an scéal. Ní féidir liom a shamhlú fiú cad ní mór duit a bheith ag dul tríd. Tá tú gur tugadh go leor chun machnamh." Davin squeezes her hand and feels the power coursing through her, and he feels his own responding in kind. Their magic mingles beautifully and Davin feels powerful in her presence, but in a good way. He feels strong. "An bhfuil tú ag cur dom ansin? Is féidir liom a bhraitheann an draíocht san aer."

[brigid_moran]

"Sea, tá mé. Tá tú nasc go hÉirinn mar is féidir liom. Ba mhaith liom a fheiceáil má iarrann an scrín tú mar a dhéanann sé dom. Mura féidir leat a bhraitheann an draíocht san aer, tá mé ag guessing go bhfuil an freagra dearfach."

They stepped through the overhand of branches to the rocks she'd called and placed at Brigid's direction while she slept. She stayed back and let Davin go ahead of her, whispering in old Irish that he was welcome.

"Téigh. Féach. Dteagmháil. Tá tú fáilte roimh anseo." Which made her wonder what would happen if someone came to this place who wasn't?

[davin]

Davin listens to her speak and swallows hard, heart fluttering in anticipation as he follows her into the clearing. "Sea, is féidir liom a bhraitheann sé. Tá sé an-láidir agus tá mo draíochta... a bhaint amach dó, I mo thuairimse. Cosúil Beannacht cara d'aois."

His eyes widen when he's faced with the shrine and he lingers a few feet away until Brigid assures him that he's welcome. It feels like it he is, anyway. It's calling to him, in a way, and he slowly steps forward and reaches out to place his hand against the cool stone. A sudden surge of power makes him gasp and small sparks twine themselves around Davin's fingers, dancing excitedly. He laughs and looks over his shoulder at her with an awed expression. "Tá sé seo iontach. Riamh mé bhraith mo draíocht freagra ar bhealach roimh."

[brigid_moran]

"Is maith sé leat, is féidir liom a bhraitheann sé," Brigid told him, feeling the acceptance through her feet, her hands, every part of her connected to this stand of rock and mortar and magic.

"Bríd dúradh liom go bhfuil an scrín ceangailte le daoine eile maith liom é. Gur gá mé díreach tar éis a insint dó a agus beidh sé a thabhairt dom ansin. Tá sé conas a chuaigh mé abhaile don Nollaig. Ar mhaith leat triail a bhaint ? Féach má tá an draíocht a ghlacadh tú?"

[davin]

"Cad atá i gceist agat, sa bhaile? Tharla sé seo tú abhaile? Go hÉirinn?" Davin looks awed, turning to Brigid with wide eyes, dragging his fingers reverently along the shrine. The thought of going to Ireland, via magic no less, makes his heart beat faster. And he trusts Brigid when she says it could happen. "Ba mhaith liom grá a dul. Conas is féidir leat teacht ar ais? Ní féidir liom fanacht ar feadh ró-fhada."

No matter how badly he may want to.

[brigid_moran]

"Níl mé cinnte conas a oibríonn sé, draíocht is dócha," Brigid added with a wry little smile, "ach nascann sé le scrín den chineál céanna i Faughaut, cosúil le doras. Shiúil mé tríd anseo, tháinig amach ann. Ní hamháin bhfuil a fhios agam má tá sé ach amháin le haghaidh dom, cé. Tá an scrín fáilte tú. Tá an scrín fáilte agat. B'fhéidir go mbeidh sé deis a thabhairt duit sliocht chomh maith."

Brigid held out her hand to him. "What do ye say? Want t'give it a go?"

[davin]

Davin listens to her speak with wide eyes and swallows hard, licking his lips. He look at her outstretched hand, back to the shrine, and back again. This is probably dangerous. It's probably a horrible idea.

He reaches out to take her hand. "What the hell, right? Let's do it."

[brigid_moran]

Brigid grinned, even giggled like a girl, and took his hand in hers. "What's th'sayin then? Ye only live once?"

Without another word, she walked to the shrine and stepped over the edge to touch the back stone wall with her hand. Immediately, she felt the warmth of it, the pull, just as she had when she'd traveled home. Muttering a few words in old Irish, she closed her eyes. When they opened, she could tell she had once again been transported to her home country. The air had the crisp, slightly damp, and very green feel that only Ireland could generate.

She grinned when she realized she still held Davin's hand in hers.

"Fáilte," she told him.

[davin]

Davin feels a flutter of nerves as she speaks in old Irish and his own magic seems to crackle in response. He closes his eyes and feels a little breathless for a moment, and then everything is still. He opens his eyes and gasps, clutching at her hand as he looks around. It's unmistakably Ireland, all rich and lush and green, and Davin feels tears spring to his eyes. He's been longing to go back and now he's here.

"Go raibh maith agat, Brigid." He flings himself at her and hugs her tightly, letting out an incredulous laugh. "Cá bhfuil muid?"

He thinks instantly of his grandmother, but they kind of look like they're in the middle of nowhere, and he doesn't know what he would tell her even if he could get to her. He lets go of her and just kind of looks around in awe, one hand covering his mouth.

[brigid_moran]

"In Éirinn. Díreach taobh amuigh Faughart ag scrín Naomh Bríd." Brigid slipped her hand into Davin's as they walked towards a cluster of buildings that served as the visitor's center for the Shrine. "North of Dublin, just this side of the border t'Northern Ireland."

She stopped, looked over at him. "Where does yer gran live?"

[davin]

(ooc: i am so, so sorry i took so long to reply to this! bad mental health week wasn't productive for tagging. ;_;)

"Ah, she's pretty far south then. She lives out on Howth. She likes the country but she needs t'be near Dublin 'cause that's where most the coven is." He smiles and sends a longing look to the south before turning back to Brigid. He grins breathlessly and reaches out to take her hand, looking around in awe. "Ní féidir liom a chreidiúint é."

[brigid_moran]

"Creid é, grá," Brigid laughed as she twined their fingers together. "Not quite enough time t'go down t'visit, not without both of us leavin Siren Cove without s'much as a note t'those that might miss us, but next time then, yeah? We can plan t'spend a bit more time, have a drive down? I'd love t'meet her, yer gran."

One thing Brigid was realizing now that she was back on Irish soil that worried her - no matter how at home she felt in Siren Cove, she didn't feel truly at peace when she was anywhere else but her homeland.

[davin]

"We can do that? There's not like, a time limit?" Davin grins at the prospect, heart aching to see his grandmother again. It's painful to be so close and yet so far all at once. "She'd love t'meet ya, I know she would. I told her 'bout ya."

He turns to look at Brigid with wide eyes. "I hope that was okay. It was all jus' so amazin', what ya told me. I wanted t'share it with her."

[brigid_moran]

"T'was fine that ye told her. I'm not sworn t'secrecy about Brigid's mantle, I just don't plan on shoutin it about for fear I'll be looked at like I'm utterly mental fer thinkin it's true." Brigid was laughing as she said it, because even though she knew some would think her touched in the head, she didn't care what anyone thought it, or her. She never had, probably never would. What mattered was what she, herself, felt about the reflection in the mirror.

[davin]

"Well, we don't think ya crazy, an' now I'd just be goin' t'the crazy house with ya." He winks and then spreads his arms out and lets his head fall back, eyes closed as he just breathes in deep. A few sparks dance playfully around his fingers and he looks up with a relaxed smile. "My magic always feels stronger here."

[brigid_moran]

"Aye, as does mine. I think I'm knowin now why th'shrine works as it does. T'remind me t'stay connected t'Ireland no matter where I might travel in m'time on th'earth. I'll call many places home, I'm sure, but Ireland will always be th'root of it."

She gave Davin's hand a squeeze. "Let's make that a plan, then, shall we? T'stay far a-field of th'crazy house?"

[davin]

"Is it strange t'say I feel the same even though I've never actually lived here?" Davin laughs a little and lets his gaze travel along the landscape, taking in a deep breath of the cool air. Her comment makes him bark out a laugh and he turns to grin at her. "Sounds like a mighty fine plan t'me."

He lets go of her hand and turns in a slow circle, looking down and shooting sparks from one hand to the other. "So, what d'ya do when ya come here?"

[brigid_moran]

"I've only been through a few times yet. When I came fer the holidays, m'family was here waitin and whisked me home amid th'usual shrieks and tears of a family reunitin. The others I've just found m'self a patch of grass and watched th'clouds go by. What would ye like t'do while we've got th'time here?"

She laughed a little and took a seat. "And I'm thinkin it's not s'strange if yer people have a connection here."

[davin]

"It must be nice," Davin says wistfully, "t'have a big lovin' family such as that."

He's happy that she has that, and maybe a tiny bit jealous. But mostly happy for her. He sighs and sits down on a springy patch of grass and then flops onto his back, stretching out and looking up at the sky. It seems bluer here, somehow. "I think relaxin' sounds just fine. Haven't had much a chance t'do that as o' late."