Keep Watching Over Durin's Sons [Closed]

[youngestone]

Who: Killian and Thorir
What: Killian's finally going through his mom's things and finds several documents with a familiar last name
When: Sometime after Thorir's gotten his numbers, probably February 6th
Where: The smithy
Warnings: Swearing from Killian is likely

Killian enters the smithy a bit late, though not late enough to be in trouble for it, and almost immediately goes to find Thorir with a photograph in hand. He knows it's probably nothing and he should just get to work, but his mom had letters addressed to a Thorsson and mentioned someone she called "Yeti" in her diaries that she kept every day until she died (though Killian had just flipped through them to see if she had left anything in the pages, only reading those pages that had something bookmarking them. Still, that had been enough to get him curious).

When he finds Thorir, he hands him the picture. It's of Catherine and a much taller man, smiling and holding hands. "Do you know that guy? I, uh, finally went through Mom's things and that was labelled with her name and another I can't pronounce, but his last name was, uh, Thorsson. I think."

Comments

[disdainfully]

"Have you met Inger?" The question might seem out of the blue, but trust him, it will make sense in a moment. "...messing with him in what way?" He noticed a few things, but that sounds like more than what he noticed.

[youngestone]

Killian shrugs. "Past-him apparently was the sort who'd hate who he is now," he explains. "And, uh, no. I haven't. I've only met you, Fil, the twins, and Mardis." Possibly others but really, he hasn't been too focused on meeting people while he was getting settled at the smithy. He guesses he's paying for that now.

[disdainfully]

"She's the mother of the twins - they often have dinner with us, so it's likely that you will meet her when you come over for it.

Her and Shou dated for a while when he lived here before." And don't worry, Killian, you will meet everyone eventually. Try keeping a notebook to keep track of the masses (especially when the extended and "adopted" family starts to trickle in).

[youngestone]

Killian groans, smacking his forehead with his hand. "Of course," he grumbles. He's not really angry, but he is a little exasperated. Why couldn't his life be normal for once? "When it rains, it pours though, uh, I'm not sure who I feel sorry for more--her or Shou." Probably both, really. From what he knew of he Thorssons, even Shou'd probably be a bit overwhelmed but there was no denying that Shou was...well. Shou.

[disdainfully]

Thorir actually laughs at that and leans back, letting go of Killian to pick up his cup and drink some of his coffee before it gets cold. The air seems to have cleared a bit, after all. "It was quite a romantic and dramatic relationship, I'll have you know. One that went surprisingly well, too, considering how different they are - maybe because they never got past the first stage before Shou had to leave. But Shou was quite the considerate and charming lad."

[youngestone]

His chocolate's now too cold to drink, but Killian doesn't mind. He snorts at Thorir's description of Shou and Inger's relationship. "Why does that not surprise me? That any relationship with Shou was dramatic, I mean," he explains. Again: there was a fountain in Shou's house. The guy wanted to get Killian actual gemstones to work with. Dramatic should be Shou's middle name. "But yeah, he's a good guy. Probably not the kind of guy you'd want a son-in-law though, if only because he'd spoil any kids he had. If he had them."

He has to shudder slightly at that thought. Killian does not know anyone who he could think of having kids and not shudder. Skyler, Shou, Julien...maybe Chloe, but if Blaine's the girl she likes maybe not.

[disdainfully]

"Probably not." He agrees easily - no really, he likes Shou but he is glad that nothing ever came out of the relationship.

The shudder doesn't quite escape Thorir, and while he's not sure what exactly it pertains to, he assumes that it is something along the lines of either Shou or parenthood or a mix of them. Probably the mix. "He's still young." He'll change. Though into what is another question with the network throwing completely different things into the mix...

[youngestone]

"Yeah, but if his pulses are anything to go by, he's still not going to be dad material." Vampire mafia boss? Yeah, no thanks.

Killian laughs a bit, shaking his head. "Today and the next few days basically being shot to hell isn't going to count against me, like, productivity and usefulness-wise, right?" he asks. It's probably stupid to even think about that but he really doesn't want to lose this job and it has nothing to do with Thorir being his uncle.

[disdainfully]

"What is he becoming?" It's good to see Killian smile again, even if they will have to come back to the topics from before eventually - small steps, small bits. One at a time.

He frowns at the next part though, not exactly sure what the question is but not quite liking what it might be. "Are you planning on getting drunk?" Because that, he would disapprove of. Not because drinking, but because drinking as a coping mechanism.

[youngestone]

"I'm not saying, and no of course not! I'm only eighteen and Mom would haunt me if I broke my promise to her." He absently reaches for the stone he keeps in his pocket from the funeral, the one with "come back to me" carved on it. He thinks that the stone was a promise too, going by the words, but he's not sure. "But...well, this is all a bit much, you know? And now I really have to finish going through Mom's things." He needs to know why she lied. If she really lied.

[disdainfully]

"Good." He's quite glad to hear that, no matter if Killian is doing it out of duty to his mother or her memory or if he wouldn't do it either way. Both options find Thorir's approval.

"If it isn't that, I won't hold it against you if you are "basically shot", as you say. I'll talk to Mardís as well." He nods towards the wall, where a beautifully built fireplace is located. The mantle of it and the boards to both sides are decked out with photographs of family members, ancestors and children and cousins and everyone but also a few friends of the family, an armada of faces, single and in groups. "Would it be all right to get a copy of your picture and add it to the collection?" His expression is suddenly very serious - putting it there, along with the others, would open up old scars in the family history on a different level than introducing Killian to his parents - yet at the same time he would rather fight this out with his father, and to a lesser degree mother as well, without involving Killian. He wants the young man to not have to fight his father's wars, so to speak. And to not have to be subject to more of them than necessary. He's in no position to demand the picture of Killian - he might be able to, but he'd really rather not - so the question stands.

[youngestone]

Killian glances over to the mantle, studying it. Thorir has a right to the photograph just as much as Killian does--this is his brother, after all, one he hasn't seen in eighteen years. He's not asking for the original, anyway.

At the same time, though, Killian knows that if the situation had him in Thorir's position, he'd be worried about what his grandparents (or in Thorir's case, parents) would say about suddenly having a photograph of a person they hated up there with the family. The last thing he wants is to cause problems for Thorir.

If he was, though, he doubts Thorir would have asked.

"Yeah, I'll find a place to get a copy made or scan it or whatever," he replies after a moment. "If I find anymore, d'you want to see them?"

[disdainfully]

He nods at the question. It's... been a while since he has seen anything of Hjalti, and the picture that Killian showed him was more recent than anything that he has. Even though the pictures are almost two decades old.

"I'll need one with you in it as well, eventually. Maybe when Thorkell comes to visit next month, we could get a new one of the "American boys"." Which would require for Þráinn to have accepted Killian as a member of the family by then, as that group includes not only Þórir's kids and grandson but also Fil, Þórir himself and his father - all the male family members on the continent.

But he plans on getting his father to at least tolerate Killian as a family member before then, anyway; and he assumes that it will be less awkward for the young man to just be a part of a bigger picture over there. "Or just of you and Fil."

Yup, if you are Hjalti's kid you get to be sucked into this family. No chance to run anymore, too late, sorry Kils.

[youngestone]

This is all a bit fast, at least compared to what Killian had expected, but it's honestly the least dangerous thing that's happened since he got his damn numbers it seems like and he can't say he's not thankful for that.

"No offense but if everyone in your family is anything close to your height I'd be lost in a group pic," he jokes, smiling weakly. "Me and Fil'd probably look better, or just me. Y'know, so there's nothing to point out how short I am."

[disdainfully]

"Símon isn't." Yet. But he easily goes with the offer. "Maybe you and Fil then - he seemed quite fond of you." And, looking at Killian... they do quite resemble each other for cousins. Not at first glance, maybe, but the family resemblance is definitely there. He wonders now if the same could be said for himself and the surprise nephew. ...He'll have to ask someone, eventually. Maybe Eliot. ...He really wants to talk to him now. Or John. Or Gabriel. Or... really someone not family but acquainted enough with it to understand the madness of all of this. Or Eydís. She'd be good too.

[youngestone]

Killian's smile grows a bit. (He also suspects that Símon is a kid and Thorir is making a short joke.) "He's a cool guy though I feel bad for him with that name of his." And for being the one to get him his numbers though that's slightly mitigated by the whole "shared past" thing he thinks they have going on. It's selfish, but he's allowed to be a little selfish he thinks. "I'm assuming that whichever side he's not related to you on can be blamed for that."

[disdainfully]

Símon is one year old and yes, Thorir might have made a half-joke here. "His mother is my sister. And I do believe that his father was the one to name him, so you would be right there, but you'll have to ask Fil for details." Not that Thorir wasn't privy to his sister's opinions on her husband's naming choices while drunk, but. It's Fil choice what he wants to say about that.

[youngestone]

He plans on it. Filbert--really? Not even Phillip? Killian says nothing else, though, just snickers a bit before falling quiet for a moment.

"Thanks, by the way. For not freaking out or getting mad or anything," he says. "I just expected you to say the guy might be related, not..." Killian gestures vaguely.

[disdainfully]

Thorir shakes his head at that and gets up. He's always felt better standing up when there was a lot on his mind, one way or the other. Not walking in circles, but just... standing. Maybe taking a few steps.

He'll wander over, looking at the picture frames on the mantle of the fireplace, his steps slow and measured, hands clasped behind his back, caught up in memories for the moment. It takes a bit over a minute until he speaks again. "Us four siblings - we have always been close. In different ways, just because we are all different. Your father always was the counterpoise among us when we were children. But... you know how in a group, everyone has their place in a way? It's rare for all of us to be in the same place, these days, but it always feels like there should be four and not three."

[youngestone]

Killian lets Thorir speak, glancing over at the mantle as well. He's not really sure he can truly understand what Thorir's feeling, being an only child (his cousins, as much as he loves them, aren't that close to him all things considered), but he can certainly sympathize on feeling like something's missing. It's still weird not having the rest of the Ryans nearby, to say nothing of his mother's absence.

"Maybe now that, uh, that you know what went on back then things'll change? I mean, what's to say he won't get back in touch with everyone? I've got a completely new half of a family I didn't have two days ago, there's crazy shit going down all over Locke so...who knows?" It's probably a lame attempt at reassurance or whatever but Killian feels like he has to say something. He's the one who dragged all this up, after all.

[disdainfully]

"If he was to return, I hope that it won't be right now." Not only things that already happened - he found a post by a girl while scrolling the network who seemed to have clairvoyant abilities, and that spelled even more trouble. He's still contemplating if he can do anything with that information, but point is. With all the trouble in the city for everyone and the danger of anyone in the city becoming numbered and the consequences of that... No, he'd rather not have Hjalti show up right now.

"I'd like to hear from him though, now that I know that I was wrong about his situation all those years." He'd really like to ask him how stubborn pride (hey, he knows his family), could reach such heights, where he wouldn't even return when he lost everything over there... Couldn't even inform his brother about it.

[youngestone]

Right. Now would be a bad time but...well, it seems Thorir got what Killian was trying to say anyway.

"I don't know why Mom didn't try to get in contact when we moved to Locke," he says. "I mean, even if it turned out that you weren't the right Thorssons...then again, I guess it makes a little sense."

[disdainfully]

"Your mother would have fit right into our family way too well to do that." By which he means, he doubt that her pride would have let her. He's not sure if he would have acted any differently in her place.

[youngestone]

Killian starts to protest before he realizes what Thorir is saying and...yeah, okay, Mom was pretty proud. She hated going to the shelter when they first got settled, though she tried to hide it.

"Point," he mumbles, slightly embarrassed. "A-anyway, did I already apologize for this massive...complications bomb yet? Because I am seriously sorry about that."

[disdainfully]

It really made things complicated. Things had settled in the family, Hjalti's disappearance had become an old scar that only itched sometimes anymore - or, for a picture that could lead further, an incorrectly set bone that had healed anyway and only sometimes troubled the person anymore. And now the bone had been broken again, to hopefully be set correctly this time.

And he's determined to make sure that it will be set correctly. He turns around and comes back, sitting down next to Killian again. "Are you expecting me to mind being able to meet Hjalti's son?" He wanted to say 'take care of', but he'll rather let actions speak for that.