ten_fwd | Boldly going where one should not (OTA)

Grainne had been hard put to think of who or what she should ask about it. She wasn't experienced with the formal sounding, personality-less artificial intelligence the ship boasted. It made her miss Jeffers, surly as he was at times in that particularly sardonic British way; he never gave her nonsense about parameters or needing to define them.

Engineering seemed like the place to go, and it didn't occur to her to ask the computer to send a request. Even Jeffers hadn't been relied on to that degree. Besides, who knew the ship better than those who tended the engines? But she had also been told it was restricted, so she hovered about just outside, fidgeting with her tablet and trying to make up her mind.

As a result, she seemed to waver back and forth in front of the entrance, gathering courage and making a bit of progress, then thinking better of it and going back.

They probably wouldn't let her, anyway, but what harm would it be to ask?

Finally, gathering courage again, she settled on a compromise. "Hello?" Perhaps she could catch someone when they weren't busy. Besides, she was insatiably curious to see the engine.

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"I'm sorry." Grainne offered that apology sincerely, her face falling a little. "It seems misery is the payment for every honest action. I don't... I don't understand why it is always Eire that suffers this way. What I know of other countries, and their counterparts in other realms, they never seem to have the problems we do with just trying to do the right thing."

"Probably to prevent us from taking over the entire world." Though he says this completely straight faced, there's definite mischief in his eyes.

Grainne paused significantly, one eyebrow raising halfway to her hairline.

"You may have something there. I think that is precisely why fate contrived such things in my world." The mischief in her own eyes matched his, and grew brighter. "We already own half the world as is through our descendants. I am not sure the planet could handle a complete takeover. Things would actually make sense."

Kale is as full of bullshit sometimes as his hair is red.

"Exactly!" he said. "So, it's really, for the good of everything that we're stuck on one little island."

"Do you think they would let us have an uninhabited planet around here? I am rather curious what would happened..." Grainne's smirk made the question rather playful though. "But on a serious note, I was wondering if there were still druids in your world, or... any literature I could borrow?"

"I doubt it. That would make it harder for them to keep an eye on us," Kale said. For her second question, he looks mildly surprised. "Well... yes. My aunt is a priestess for the Morrigan - my mum almost was one but she got married. As for books - literature? No. I didn't bring anything except on my phone and ... I don't want to hand that out. Though I could maybe download you something..."

"Understandable. My tablet is dear to me as well. I would love to have what you can spare. There's so much lost to us." Grainne looked delighted at the idea of getting some uncorrupted literature, even if it was downloaded. She could probably ask the computer to fashion some form of real book if she wanted. But something makes her pause. "Why would marriage keep her from being a druid?"

"Because she couldn't be queen and the Morrigan's priestess and do both jobs properly. Eire needs a queen. The Morrigan chose Aunt Grace instead," Kale said with a shrug.

How his mother felt about that, he didn't know. She never talked about it. Everyone just assumed she would be. But it never happened. And then she met his dad and...

That made sense. Running a household as large as Almhuin had taken up much of her time, and she still remembered how few hours she ever got with Cormac or Eithne.

"Ah... that would take a lot of time. One does not question the will of Her on any case."

"That and running the military. Mum apparently questioned Her a lot before she married Da. Mostly to see if it was a good thing to do. Balance is important, you know?"

Grainne just stared a moment. "She questioned Her? ...But perhaps it is different with your family. My family would not have dared but we are affiliated with Manannan. It is hard to go think against something so ingrained. But, yes, balance is important, in all things."

"Well, marrying da' was the hardest thing she ever did. She was giving up a lot and she wanted to know what she was giving up and what benefits she would be getting. She had to take his name. The king can't be a McCallum."

Well, put that way... "She sounds like one I would much like to meet." Grainne smiled. A shrewd lady, if she's any judge. "It is no small sacrifice to marry, and no small gain."

Boldly going where one should not (OTA)

sorry for the delay

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