This is a work of gay-themed romantic fantasy. If you do not wish to read material which may contain graphic descriptions of sexual activity (and you can probably guess what kind) be it moral or legal objections, kindly do us both a favor and click away now! Otherwise enjoy--unless of course you are "hate reading" in which case have a field day!
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Shout out to my FB buddy "Marko the Magnificent (of suburban Pittsburgh not Portland--different "Marko the Magnificent" entirely--and for different reasons). He provided the inspiration for "Father Mark" and was my source of information for all things "Roman Catholic" found herein as well as proof-reading this Chapter--hence "Marko the Magnificent". If you noticed fewer mistakes in this Chapter you can thank him! I hope you enjoy your "porn self" in this story.
Do you want to be immortalized in deathless prose? Drop me a line at HonableRonable@gmail.com or RonVenable@hotmail.com with your suggestion. Questions, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. Likewise if you wish to be notified when new "Doververse" (or other) content is released you can use one of the above addies to contact me and I'll see you are among the first to know (assuming you aren't a late-night reader who sees the story before I wake up). Hope y'all are safe and doing well.
CHAPTER 25 Father Mark CHARACTERS Ben Dover, age 49 -- our Hero Father Mark Ryan, age 51 -- former Roman Catholic Priest and Director of the St. Mychal Judge Center for LGBTQ Youth.
The St. Mychal Judge Center for LGBT Youth was located in the last part of old downtown Kings Harbor where the redevelopers had yet to reach. In this part of town rents were low, crime was high and the Police seldom came. As a result this was where the "dregs" of society ended up and where the center like this was desperately needed. Yes, LGBTQ was prominently featured in the name but Ben, having studied the place, knew it also served the poor, homeless and drug-addicted. The big man briefly wondered about the wisdom of leaving his Toyota Tundra Hybrid pickup parked on the street but half a twenty-dollar bill offered to a large homeless man was reasonable insurance that he would come back to find the truck in one piece.
Ben noticed people were already lining up for dinner served from the old building's Kitchen and the basketball court and gymnasium were both in use. "May I help you Sir?" asked a modestly-dressed older woman with a plain blue veil; Ben wondered if she might be a Nun or possibly slightly insane; both seemed equally likely.
"I'm lookin' f'r Father Mark..." the big man replied politely.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Ah--no..." Ben said. "Do I need one? I have news about some o' his `lost lambs'. I was told he was rather upset when they disappeared..."
The woman looked suspiciously at Ben but finally gave him a curt nod. "He's the short, stocky one with the salty beard!" she said. Then: "Father Mark! Get your gay ass over here! You've got a visitor and I don't think he's a bill collector!"
"Be right there!" A shortish, man with receding, graying-blonde hair and a beard with threads of silver came rushing over. There was some padding over the sturdy body but the Texan knew there was real strength under the gently-rounded exterior. Ben noticed his hands and feet were large, his sturdy legs hairy. Curious brown eyes shown out of his broad face and a friendly smile welcomed Ben. The man wore plain black shorts, sneakers and a gray sweatshirt; About the only thing to really identify him as a priest was the simple wooden cross he wore on a leather cord around his neck. "Hello, I'm Mark Ryan," he said in a pleasant tenor voice," but most folks around here just call me `Father' Mark!"
"Pleased t' meetcha," the big man said, returning the Priest's handshake. "Benjamin J. Dover--but m' friends call me Ben!" Both men felt some sort of shock as their hands touched and Father Mark kept hold somewhat longer than expected.
"Hello Ben, welcome to St. Mychal Judge," he said. "I'm guessing you're not in need of our services..." Mark finally let go of the hand. "Maybe we should talk in my office?"
The room was small and cluttered with mostly battered old furnishings which looked like they'd been scavenged. Only the office computer was new and high quality but Ben noticed this room had excellent locks. The Priest offered Ben a seat. "Coffee?" he asked. "A Kureig and a case of pods fell off a truck so I can properly host a high-class guest!"
"I'd hardly call m'self `high class'..." but Ben accepted a cup. "So, the Lord provides?" he cracked.
"God is good!" Mark replied a bit cryptically. "We operate on a shoestring here so when a blessing comes down from Heaven I don't question it..." The coffee was ready soon and Ben refused sugar or cream, drinking it black. (It was a good blend and well prepared.) "Why did you come here, Mr. Dover?" the Priest asked bluntly, "and what are you exactly?"
"I like a man who gets t' th' point!" Ben said. "In answer t' y'r first question--I came bearin' news regardin' some o' y'r charges. Th' second part--I'm God-touched."
"God-touched?" Mark said, eyes widening in wonder. "That's--interesting... So you're one of the few today with an active Spiritual Gift?"
"Ya mean like what Paul describes in the Book of Romans?" he replied. "Different theology entirely." Ben wondered if he was about to land in dangerous territory. "My brother th' Druid says Odin gave me wisdom' in exchange f'r m' right eye! I don't know if it's magic r latent psychic ability that was activated but I also had an encounter with Coyote that changed me physically."
Mark smacked himself. "Ah--Dover!" he exclaimed. "Your brother Cliff is the Archdruid with the Stonehenge replica on his property North of town! We met at one of the local Ecumenical Gatherings, So, you're a Pagan then?"
"Life-long Methodist," Ben replied. "I admit I ain't darkened th' door of a church in a while but I still call m'self a Christian an' rely on th' savin' power o' the blood o' Jesus!"
"How do you feel about being chosen by someone other than the Lord God??" The Priest wasn't angry, just curious.
"So far I haven't found any strings attached," Ben replied mildly. "M' brother tells me th' Elder Spirits' don't require' worship--unlike Jehovah! Odin chose me as a Paladin t' stave off Armageddon f'r as long as I can. I did it once an' I may have done it again..."
"Always good to save the world!" the Priest allowed. "Personally, I'm not looking forward to the `End of Days' myself!"
"Ben nodded, "I guess ya could say I was ` apostate'--is that th' word f'r it Father? Then there was last Halloween..."
"What happened?" The Priest was very interested now.
"The leadership of th' Sons of Purity tried summonin' several o' the Higher Devils t' Earth," Ben told him. "I gave m'self up t' Odin and used `his' powers to call down Divine aid from all th' other Pantheons. We stopped them by sacrifcin' the three Oberdorfs t' send the Archdevils back t' Hell!"
"So, you're the one responsible!" Father Mark said without rancor. "I wondered who roused the Elder Spirits..."
"Th' only way t' stop th' Forces o' Hell raised against us was t' call on `Divine' aid," the Texan admitted. "How didja know, may I ask Father?"
"I was God-touched too..." Father Mark confessed. "I'm afraid it led to my own `crisis' of faith..."
"Ah," Ben said. "Would ya like t' talk about it?"
"Dionysus inhabited me," the Priest admitted. "I was already struggling with my vocation and being paired with the God of Wine left too much of a residual print for me to keep hiding my personal Truth. Being joined to a God of Revelry made it impossible for me to pretend any longer..."
"What happened exactly?"
"I was the Principal of Notre Dame," Father Mark told him. "That's the local Catholic High School in case you didn't know..."
"I've heard of it..." Ben allowed. "They have an excellent football team!"
"Their sports' program is second-to-none!" the Priest agreed. "It was a good' post for me; I majored in English and Secondary Education before I felt called to the Priesthood so I was able to serve my vocation and do something I loved."
The Priest stopped to compose himself for a moment. "There was something missing' in my life though..." he went on. "I had--feelings! Feelings I didn't want to put a name to but they were there... I suppressed them and tried to embrace the gift of celibacy' as the Church calls it, but it was hard! Then Dionysus called me last Halloween and I went--I didn't think twice I just jumped in my truck and went!"
"What happened?" Ben asked.
"I, or maybe it was my Spiritual Co-Pilot found about twenty Sons thrashing around through the scrub somewhere east of Seacliff Manor," Father Mark replied. "They were sweaty, angry and getting nowhere..."
"Must a' been th' `confusion' spells the Druids laid," the Texan offered.
"Maybe," the other man replied. "They turned on me and I thought I was done for! Then Dionysus conjured up some Thrash Metal' and I told them I had beer. I don't know where it came from but pretty soon we were drinking like Frat Boys on Spring Break! The next thing I know one of the Sons' leads me off into the Cottonwoods and we start kissing! Eventually I fucked him--I didn't even know his name or ask his permission! I just shoved my cock in and he begged for more!"
"Prob'ly Dionysus givin' both o' ya permission t' do what ya wanted to all along," Ben suggested.
"Maybe..." Father Mark said. "That young man was only the first one! I went through half a dozen Sons--sucking and fucking without a second thought. When the sun came up and Dionysus left me I freaked out and went back to the Rectory. I wanted to go to Confession but I couldn't force myself to tell anyone about what happened..."
"Afraid they'd have thought you slipped a cog?" Ben asked.
"I don't know," the other man replied. "I half-convinced myself it hadn't happened until the first guy I fucked ran into me at Burger Betty's and put the moves on me; half an hour later, I was naked in his apartment! I fucked him again and this time I didn't have the excuse of booze and Divine Possession to blame..."
Ben reached out to impulsively give the Priest's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry m' actions ruined y'r life..." he said quietly and sincerely even as he felt the same electric tingle when he'd first touched the Priest.
"I'm not," the other man replied. "I did a good job at Notre Dame but I didn't really think I was `serving God', if you take my meaning..."
"What happened?" Ben asked.
"I started finding excuses to spend time in the Gym," Father Mark told him. "I never put the moves on any of the boys but I used the Sauna and showered with the coaches after I'd worked up a good sweat--and, believe me, I `lusted after them in my heart' as the Evangelicals might say. A few weeks after Halloween I ended up with Manuel de la Rocha; we were alone in the Sauna... He's a Spaniard--hired to teach European History and Spanish but he also coaches our Soccer team! He was every inch the Aristocrat, tall, sandy hair, green eyes--a model's body..." The man smiled reminiscently. "The two of us were alone in the sauna after practice; we were just chatting and then his towel slipped! I started kissing him and things almost got out of hand..."
"Again without th' excuse o' booze..." Ben said. "I c'n only imagine how awful that had t' have been f'r ya!"
"That's when I finally accepted I had no desire to stop being with men!" he said. "I went to the Archbishop, confessed almost everything and that started the process of me being `fast-tracked' out of the Priesthood."
"How didja end up here?" Ben asked.
"This Archdiocese is among the most forward-looking of the Catholic Church," Father Mark told him. "They had been trying to find new ways to serve the community. Archbishop Jerome realized there was a critical need to serve the people of this area--the St. Mychal Judge Center came from that and I was hired to run it. I'm able to fulfill my Christian Vocation and still be true to myself!"
"Ah." Ben said. "But are ya happy?"
"I'm certainly more fulfilled!" the man replied, his face splitting into a broad grin. "Yes, I lost an important part of my life but I got a true vocation--and, other things..."
"Like th' turtleneck?" Ben said, looking down. "Every male got those. I think th' ladies ended up with an extra `cup' size!"
"Yes, the foreskin is fun!" Father Mark agreed. "But now I can also do THIS!" The Priest reached for Ben's now-empty coffee cup and handed it back filled with steaming golden liquid. "What do you think?" he asked, giving the Texan what Ben could only describe as an "impish twinkle."
The Texan took a sip and a surprised and pleased expression crossed his face. "Father Mark, that's th' best damn Irish Coffee I think I've ever had!"
"Since my `communion' with Dionysus I can conjure up whatever food or drink I choose!" the Priest told him.
"How didja find this out?" the Texan wondered.
"You can probably guess a place like this operates on a shoestring," the former Priest replied. "A few days after we opened, I discovered we didn't have enough food to serve the folks lining up outside! I was standing there looking at this gigantic empty pot and the next thing I know I was flat on the floor but I caught the most appetizing smell... I pulled myself up and found the pot was brimming with the best damn Irish Stew you ever had!"
"True Creativity," Ben said. "From what little I know that's a `rare' Psychic Gift!"
"That's what I came to realize," Father Mark said. "I'd played with my Telekinetic abilities from puberty and was something of an Empath as well. Since joining with Dionysus my psychic abilities have really ramped up!"
"But usin' psychic abilities consumes a lot o' energy," Ben said, "'r so John-Thomas tells me!"
"It does..." the former Priest agreed. "I eat like a pig now so I won't pass out if and when I have to use any of my abilities. Luckily sex charges me up even better than food!"
Ben's awen tickled him. "Gimme y'r hand Father..." Again, there was that same sense of electricity and the Priest didn't seem to want to free himself from the big man's grip. "You're still connected t' Dionysus!" Ben announced.
"Oh my!" Father Mark said, looking confused and a bit disturbed. "Are you sure?"
"Odin gave me `wisdom'," Ben told the Priest. "Sometimes I know things not o' th' body--but I know! And I'm certain you are still connected t' Dionysus! How an' why, that I don't know..."
"What does that mean?"
"I guess we'll hafta figger that out..." Ben said, finally (and somewhat reluctantly letting go of the Priest's hand. "Whatever it is though Father, I'll be here t' help--that I promise!"
"I guess that explains the--other thing..." Father Mark said tentatively.
"What `other thing' would that be?" the Texan asked.
"Do you know the `Cellar Gallery?" the other man asked.
"It's that new underground Gay Bar, right?" Ben replied. "Heard it mentioned, never been there--why?"
"I've been going to various businesses in the neighborhood," the Priest told him. "Honestly, sometimes I've been reduced to begging to keep the doors open here. The Archdiocese does what it can but this place isn't a high `Ministry' priority! As a result sometimes I have to hit people and businesses up just to make sure I can pay the rent and keep the lights on!"
"So ya went t' th' Cellar Gallery..." Ben prompted. "What happened?"
"The Manager gave me a few bucks the first time I came in," Father Mark replied. "Then he offered me one of his off nights to do with as I pleased. I threw together `Club Divinity' with whatever I could scrape up--Drag Queen Sexy Nuns, Hot Go-Go Altar Boys, some drink specials... It made a bunch of money! I've been refining it with each succeeding Tuesday and the crowds--and the take--have been growing each week! I guess that's Dionysus influence..."
Ben gave the Priest's hand another friendly pat. "Sorry ol' Son," he said. "That's all you! Face it Father Mark--you've had an inner `Party Animal' livin' inside ya all along! Club Divinity is just an expression o' that!"
"So when I'm strutting around being `Marko the Magnificent' that's not due to any outside manipulation?"
"Magic Eight-ball, i.e. my awen says NO'!" Ben told him. "Sorry Father, that's just you lettin' y'r freak-flag' fly..."
"Oh Lord..." Father Mark sighed then decided a change of subject was in order. "We've spent an awful lot of time talking about me," he finally said. "That's not why you came here though..."
"No," the Texan replied. "I know you've been concerned about some of your `clients' disappearin'..."
"I have," the Priest said. "I know people have been disappearing and the Cops don't seem to care because the missing are either gay or Exotic. People are wondering if the `Sons of Purity' are active again!"
"I think th' Sons' r' down f'r the count--f'r th' foreseeable future at least," Ben told him. "No, these disappearances were because they were bein' used as `experimental subjects' f'r Barnsdall Pharmaceuticals; I put a stop t' that! But the Fairies that used t' come here have gone back Underhill."
"You mean `Fairy' like Tinkerbell," Father Mark said, "not in the pejorative sense?"
"Father--you've been possessed by a Greek God," Ben said. "I told you about fightin' Hell's Hierarchy an' ya didn't bat an eye! You know you've had psychic abilities since puberty; why are ya balkin' at th' idea o' `Fairies'?"
The former Priest rubbed his eyes. "Sorry Ben..." he finally said. "I've experienced Magic and Psychic Abilities but I guess I hoped the President was just bloviating about `boogeymen'!"
"Exotics r' real an' walkin' among us," Ben said. "Elves, Fairies, Gnomes, Brownies--God knows what else! Th' kids' who went missin' from here `r Fairies" they've gone back t' Underhill where they'll be safe!" The Texan might have said more but he was cut off by several loud BOOMS! And the shriek of fire alarms. He had just about enough time to leap the desk and tackle the Priest before the ceiling caved in on the two men...
END CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR