From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
05-18-2020, 06:03 PM (This post was last modified: 05-18-2020, 06:27 PM by Delphine.)
Delphine
Delphine had been quiet, lingering to watch people speak to Zariah, and of the terrible thing, she had done. But... there was a beauty to the fact Zariah had given her son up, her only biological child, as far as Delphine was aware, to protect the people in this place. It was something she would never have expected of Zariah. And Noah's words...
Those words had stuck with her, even as she'd hurried to the Kraai to offer her help. She'd helped for as long as she could, before disappearing, hurrying out into the town once more, on the path that would lead her to her current home.
Bundled against the cold, she stood to stare at the house, taking in the damage for only a moment, before chancing going inside. No fire burned in the hearth, the inside was just as cold as the outside. But she'd known that before she'd left, she'd last seen Noah at the Kraai, after all.
She couldn't stay there, though. Hers had been accidental, but Delphine knew that if one life, even that of a young child, meant protecting other people... she'd have done the exact same thing. She was just lucky, because it had never come to that. Or had it? Had her children's lives been taken away so that she had a second chance at saving herself? And in essence, was that not just as bad as what Zariah had done?
The woman began to pick up dishes that had not broken, and collect other items that could be saved, in silence.
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
After working for hours on end trying to collect and identify bodies of the fallen guard, move people to the Kraai, and organize hunters and any other willing soul to stand in under Morgan's guidance, Noah was exhausted. He had stopped at the Kraai to see if he could be of any more help, but eventually was sent home to get some rest. Noah, in all honesty, was not sure if he had a home to go back to. He was not sure what the damage would be to the Olson house or to their belongings. He almost did not want to know, but a few of the old healer women would not take no for an answer and one even threatened to march him home herself. He would not let her, of course, and finally left the bar.
He had not seen Delphine leave the Kraai before him, so that was another thing he was unsure of. He had told her to help as much as she could. He knew she would be obedient, in hi gut, because so far since she had been with him she had not argued against anything he told her to do. While he was not going around his house giving her orders up and down, there were some things that he commanded--like she was not allowed to hurt herself, to starve herself, to get high, etc. All of what he told her to do was for her own good. She may have also been commanded to head back to the house and rest like he had been, and he knew that if she had she would follow it. Well, at least, he hoped.
He hoped they had a home to return to. As he rounded the corner on which he lived, Noah let his eyes move up and down his house. It was still standing, but the door frame and a window were greatly damaged. Damnit, he thought, grinding his teeth. He knew there would be no fire inside. "Delphine?" He called as he stepped through the dark doorway, his eyes adjusting to the inside. "Are you here?'
Delphine was quiet, even as he called her name. And... after a moment, she sat a cup on the table, harder than necessary. "Noah." Her voice was quiet.
Standing further in the house, as dark as it was, she didn't need to see the man to know he was there. And she wasn't sure she wanted to see him. After a moment, she spoke again, "You were so upset over Zariah's sacrifice... do you think of me the same way?" She chewed her lip softly, "I couldn't stay and listen to people discuss her fate, when she was backed into a corner by something that was not her doing."
The blonde settled on the edge of the table, fingers wandering over a knife she'd scooped up, debating on forcing herself to feel something other than fear. Though her hands stay in her lap. She was tired, she was furious, but most of all... she wanted to go and see her old friend. Ex-friend, might be the better word for it. Once, Delphine had defended her shadow man to the world, and gotten nowhere, because everyone saw him for what he was.
But Zariah?
Zariah had shown Delphine great kindness once. And in this instance, Delphine did understand.
One life for many, was a sacrifice that only a selfless few would make. It was a glimmer of the Zariah she had been best friends with; the Zariah she missed.
But sometimes, people had trouble seeing past their opinion of the person.
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
The house was dark, and that alone made a spark of panic ignite in Noah's chest. He needed to get a fire stared. Without waiting for his call to be answered, Noah made his way through the house by memory as his eyes adjusted. He did not look to their side, but kept his focus on getting to the fireplace. He lowered his body and readied it. By some miracle, his stack of firewood was not scattered around the main room. While it was no longer in a neat pile, it was all still within arms reach of the attuned. He set to work coating bottom logs in some ursur fat before he started to build the fire base up.
It was then that Delphine posed her question. Noah listened without looking up from his work. It was too important--no matter how many words would be spoken between the two of them it would only be a matter of time before they froze to death without the roaring hearth. When the fire was lit, he tended to it like a little baby, and thought about each of his words before he said them.
"I don't know, Delphine." He was speaking the truth, plain and simple. "When you came to my house and told me what had happened to your children, I did not feel like you took them to the shrine on purpose to kill them." He sat back on his heels and watched the fire grow. "When Zariah admitted to what she had done, it sounded like every step she took was entirely intentional. If your actions were the same, I need to know." If Delphine had indeed murdered her children, Noah needed to know.
She moved towards the fire, fingers curling into Noah's hair, as she was standing still. "No, my children were an accident. But... if it was me and them versus a whole city, and I could stop it by giving them up... I would." Toying with his hair, as she watched the fire grow, she murmured, "You say it sounded intentional as if she knew what was happening. But have you spoken to her? Is it so hard to conceive that, maybe, Zariah cares about the people of Halo more than she cares about herself?"
Delphine sniffed quietly, running her fingers through the blonde man's hair. "People turned on her immediately, but do any of them know what it's like to lose a child? The punishment of losing that child is far worse than any punishment that you and your people could bring upon her."
Eventually, she settled next to Noah, drawing her knees to her chest, staring at the fire. "What she said... Neron made a deal, then broke that deal. The Eirachi was here to collect, and I think she would have collected souls of Halovians or that child. The... path with less death, is to give the child that was promised."
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
He did not look away from the fire when she approached him, but he could not help himself from pressing slightly into her touch. His eyes closed for a moment as her fingers tangled and played with his hair. He let out a sigh, listening to every word that she spoke. What would he have done if he were in that position? He would like to say that he would have sacrificed himself before he sacrificed anyone else, no matter how many lives would be saved. He gritted his teeth a moment, his jaw clicking tight. He still hadn't spoken until she settled in next to him, finished with her own reflection of the situation.
"I am not sure it has to be so utilitarian." He started, his shoulders dropping a little as he spoke. He did not know a lot about the Old Gods, just enough to skate by in life, but his parents had always worked to teach him and Ezekiel to stay as safe as they could possibly manage. "The Eirachi...we're always taught to be careful at Deepfrost. She is the spirit of Deepfrost. These outlanders, they didn't know her power. I believe she would have come for this city either way. But, because of the ignorance, so many lives were lost." Soldiers lost in the defense of their Citadel was predictable--they signed up for that possibility. "Children are a hope for a future. In Halo, we protect children. Even the hardest old man who might yell at kids for messing around and breaking something would lay down his life in this tundra for theirs." Noah was confident in this statement, and he finally turned away from the fire to look at Delphine, icy eyes just barely filling with tears at the bottom.
"Would you really have killed your children on purpose to make a deal with a spirit?"
"I would have offered my life first. But in this case... a child was promised by someone else, Zariah's child, and most likely the spirit would not accept less than she was promised." She was quiet, and after a moment she stated confidently, "Zariah would have given her own life if she was able. I know her, Noah. She... was once my best friend." Before a man drove them apart.
Zariah had never liked seeing Bellamy control Delphine. "She wouldn't have given him up unless it was the only way." She said this with confidence, despite not having spoken to Zariah in years, not as a friend, anyway. But she doubted the woman's base values had changed too much in those years.
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Noah's jaw clenched as Delphine spoke. He took her for her word, though. She knew Zariah, most likely from their life before Caido, and so he listened. Noah did not have any personal relationship with the mage that ran the Academy. All he knew of her was that she had led a child willfully to their death. It made him feel so uneasy. He had felt the same anger towards Delphine when she had come to his doorstep and told him of what had happened with Ludo. It just made his stomach churn. For some reason, Noah could not place the two women to bear the same weight. There was something about Zariah's title and authority that just made him feel worse about her action's than Delphine's. And Noah truly did believe that Zariah had done it on purpose.
"I feel so much anger at all of it. At Neron, at Zariah, at everything." He put his elbows on his knees and cradled his forehead. He could feel cold wind seeping into the house from the damage of Eirachi's rage. He knew it would need to be fixed sooner rather than later, but he couldn't get himself to get up from the position he held before the fire.
Delphine bit her lip, nodding slowly. As he bowed his head, she reached to run her fingers through his hair, across his cheeks. "There's a lot of anger in it. But... I think that there's more to it than we understand." She tugged his hair gently.
"It's okay to be mad. A little child died, I'm mad too. But not at Zariah, or even at Neron. We come from a world where gods do not exist, we were the gods. We created the world, we maintained the world, we were so powerful that non-magic users worshipped us, more or less." Especially in her husband's case.
"Whoever made the deal first, Neron in this case, probably did not understand." Maybe he had. She moved to sit next to him, leaning to rest her head against his shoulder, sighing. "The house needs repairs."
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
She was right. The anger here was justified. While she might not feel the anger directly at Neron and Zariah, Noah couldn't let that part go. Not yet. He would need time, and maybe even to talk to the two of them in person to get rid of it. He hated the way that his chest burned with rage toward them. He would, given his way, dispel all of his anger right here and right now. But it didn't work like that.
Sighing, Noah pressed into her hand some as it stroked against his cheek. "You're right. We need to get some of the most urgent things done tonight." Noah nodded to himself and leaned forward, stoking up the fire and adding a few more logs. "We have to get the windows and the door in good enough repair that we don't freeze to death. Check your room." He nearly bit his tongue when he called Ezekiel's room her room. It was true, though. His brother was off gallivanting the world while the rest of the Halovians were here dealing with this tragedy.
Standing up, Noah moved over to inspect the front door and the damage done to it.
Delphine nodded, pulling her hand away as he stoked the fire. As he inspected the door, she slipped towards her room—he’d called it her room too, and that had made her heart flutter in her chest. Just briefly, because she knew it was only her room for the season…
Only her home for the season.
But how amazing it would be, to have a home again. A home, a family… she surveyed a rather large crack in the far wall of the room, most of her things jostled from their positions, as well as his brother’s things.
She moved to shake out the bedspread, humming quietly. “There’s a crack in the wall, Noah.” And ceiling debris. She exited her room, and moved to survey the door with him. “I think it can be patched tonight, though.”
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
The door, thankfully, looked intact. What needed to be fixed, however, were the hinges. Unfortunately, Noah would need to buy some. He wasn't sure what the world would look like in the coming days and weeks, so he hissed an expletive under his breath. Would he even be able to find hinges? He knew where he would have bought them before, but only time would tell if that shop was still standing, or if the owner would even be willing to do business at this point. He bit his lip and heaved the door up to block the hole, at least.
When Delphine came to relay her damage to him, Noah nodded. "Okay. In the back of my room there should be some thick canvas. We can use that to help insulate for now until I can get lumber." He turned away from her to go into the room she was occupying, to inspect the damage for himself. He looked around at the disarray, hoping his own room was not in the same state. At this point, the two of them would probably have to just close off the rooms and stay in the main part of the house for the night. It would be the warmest there.
Delphine nodded, as she followed him to her room, leaning against the doorway. “Should I try to put everything where it was?” She’d remembered, he’d told her not to mess with anything, because the room was his brother’s and the things in the room belonged to him as well. She’d been respectful, but the debris had not.
She didn’t exactly remember where everything had been, and some of it looked broken… That wasn’t very good, but at least it was through no fault of her own. Delphine was already thinking about repairs, she’d noted a few other things in the main room, and of course there was always room for improvement.
Lucky for Noah, Delphine loved decorating, repairing and fixing homes. Though he’d find that out soon enough.
I don't mind where you come from as long as you come to me.
I don't like illusions, I can't see them clearly.
I don't care, no, I wouldn't dare to fix the twist in you.
You've shown me eventually, what you'll do.
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
He inspected the damage. Thankfully, it was just as she said: it could be repaired tonight. Turning to gather tools, he shrugged a little at her. "As best you can. My brother will understand that things are a little out of order after what happened." At least, he was sure he would be able to talk his brother down from panicking about his stuff being out of place. For as spontaneous and adventurous as the younger Olson was, he needed his constant spaces to be in order.
Moving out of the room Noah gathered the supplies he would need to repair the crack. With Halo being so unpredictable, Noah tried to keep a small arsenal of home-repair supplies at his disposal. He went back to the room and set to work. He hoped it would stay and do well for her, but if it was too cold for the spackle to set, she would be forced to sleep on the couch. "Can you check my room for damages?" He asked her over his shoulder as he worked. "And grab that canvas, too."
