The Oracle of Seasons-- blessed by the Goddess Din. Respected by the Church and loyal to the King. This is an ACO roleplay blog! Tracked tag is 'theoracleofseasons'
He shook his head, limp strands of dark hair falling into his face as he did so.Ā āYou canāt blame yourself for the things youāve done ā youāll waste your life doing that.Ā Take it from someone who knows,ā he added sheepishly, chuckling in spite of himself.
I thought Iād be all alone with this again.Ā The words sent a chill through Azraelās spine.Ā āFunny, that,ā he remarked.Ā āIād expected the same myself.Ā Itāsā¦ nice, not to be alone.Ā Though I wish it hadnāt happened at all, Iām glad to be going through it with someone who can empathize, grĆ dh.ā
He laughed shortly at being called cool.Ā āI am not ācoolā, Din,ā Azrael replied, shaking his head.Ā āNot really. I am filled with rum and bitterness and impure thoughts.Ā We used to laugh quite a bit together.Ā Somehow my shaky grasp at Hylian was amusing to you, and we compared languages.Ā You spoke something other than Hylian yourself once.Ā Sounded about as pretty as my mother tongue does, which is to say it didnāt.ā
Eyeing her face, Azrael held his gaze for a moment before glancing down at his hands.Ā How much can I tell you?Ā She was Din, but it was hard to remind himself that this was a new Din, and it was best not to overload her.
Din wore a pained expression when Azrael stated that he knew what that felt like. "Well, you have a long history with us. Don't think you'll have to be alone with it, you're basically a part of the family, or something like that. It's not like the Oracles are ever biologically related."
She smiled at him as he stated he wasn't cool and that he was filled with rum and bitterness and impure thoughts. "Well if that's what makes you cool I better get some rum, quick." She joked, twisting the veil some more.
She tried to imagine speaking another language, an ugly langua ge apparently. She thought for a few moments before straightening up, turning towards him. "What's...my temple like? Did you know my past life before this one? I haven't awakened her yet, although I'm not entirely sure I want too." She laughed a bit, shifting awkwardly.
āMm,ā Gustaf made a noise in agreement as he regarded his desk.Ā Could it be called a desk when the desk part of the furniture was entirely concealed with mountains of paperwork?Ā āEasier than clambering into bed.ā
He wheeled himself over towards the sofa as she took a seat in it, regarding her weary and wan countenance.Ā āWell, donāt be so secretiveā¦ You look like hell, at least tell me why.Ā Whatās wrong?Ā Did something happen?āĀ A foolish question, he thought to himself.Ā Of course something had happened ā something always happened.
Gustaf sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily.Ā āCall it wishful thinking ā I keep managing to convince myself that one day we wonāt have a conversation that ends negatively,ā he commented dryly.
She couldn't help but laugh a bit, partially at the comment about her looking like hell and partially b/c the wishful thinking that someday they'd have a conversation that won't end negatively.
"I went to the west, met my biological parents. I went to go help my brother--he's a doctor, and foolish enough to run towards danger. Wasn't much help in the end. I looked worse before I went to Holly's and got a shower--er, the Matron in the Hall of Orphans. This is the 'cleaned up and exhausted' version of myself." She held out her hands, as if she was presenting herself, but didn't bother even straightening up from her reclined position.
"The explosion took out a chunk of the west, closest to the bridges." She said flatly, calmly. "I imagine it'd be same in the southern portion. I imagine the damage would be just as severe in the county. I'm not sure how the Times is going to paint this, but there's no going back now."
She paused for a moment before awkwardly chuckling. "Sorry, sorry. We're supposed to be speaking positively. In my defense, we're facing negative times." She closed her eyes, laying her head on the arm of the chair.
"My parents looked so dreadfully normal and pitiful. I can't imagine coming from such plain looking people."
Tucking his cloak beneath him, Azrael took a seat beside Din on the ground.Ā āHush, grĆ dh,ā Azrael said quietly.Ā āIt wasnāt your fault.Ā Donāt blame yourself for the events that came to pass, I doubt anyone could have seen this coming.āĀ I should know, I ought to be better at predicting these sorts of things now.
He made a noise at Dinās words, unsure of how best to respond.Ā āIā¦ I wouldnāt dare insult the pain youāre in by saying I understand, Din,ā Azrael admitted.Ā āThe loss of an Oracle sister is one that I have seen is painful beyond belief, but it is not one I have experienced firsthand.Ā I can only offer my condolences.Ā Myā¦ My losses are longer lived, not as fresh.ā
It was the truth; his counterpart had been gone so long that the closest feeling Azrael had to what Din was experiencing was several hundred years old by now.
He was surprised when Din mentioned the dams ā not that she remembered, but that sheād apologized.Ā āYou neednāt apologize, lass,ā he murmured.Ā āIā¦ Well, I wouldnāt have liked me either, to be quite honest with you.Ā Iām sorry weāve never managed to meet under pleasant circumstances; I swear we were quite close friends once.ā
"It's pretty hard not too--I was planning on visiting her, but I kept putting it off in favor of my own social engagements. I kept getting distracted and..the night she died, I was at that stupid masquerade." She bit back a pitiful sob, clenching her teeth like she was angry.
And she was a bit, mostly at herself for crying so damned much. "It's so stupid, I've already cried about it. I feel like a child." She listened to him before looking at him and wiping her face. "Thanks for being here, really I mean that. I thought I'd be all alone with this again."
She went back to leaning against the cool stone. "Tell me about it, maybe? When we were friends. And don't say that, you're pretty cool right now."
She raked a hand through her hair, trying to shake her hair loose out of the spray Victoria had put in it to make it look more acceptable and less wild. "I'm not sure Oracles really get pleasant circumstances." She said bitterly, unable to keep herself from feeling self-pity at the situation.
Ā She hadnāt received the answer she wanted, but trusted that Jasdae might be able to change Azraelsā mind. They seemed close, after all. You canāt make hysterical jokes about the others injured condition and be strangers. A part of her knew that Azrael would come around eventually. This was too important for him not too.
The move from the hospital room to the kingās quarters had been a slow transition, but finally Gustaf found himself back in his study. Ā Of course, there was the added bulk of a wheeled chair to his form now. Ā It felt strange, and would certainly take some getting used to. Ā He tended to stay by his desk most of the time, not really anticipating the strain on his shoulders whenever he had to move the damned thing about the room.
Navigating was another thing; where Gustaf had spent the last fifty-odd years using his feet to get him around, he now relied on twisting and pushing this blasted chair. Ā Needless to say, he was far from capable with it at the moment. Ā Heād knocked into every corner in his quarters and succeeded in shattering several vases that had been balanced perilously on the edges of shelves and tables. Ā His assistants had had to clean up more broken glass recently than ever before, Gustaf was certain.
The man came out again and opened the door for her, and she wasted no time walking in and the door was shut behind her. She let out a sigh, remembering exactly what their last conversation was about, but he hadn't turned her away. She was right about the thought of him not denying any of her silly whims.
"I'm sorry for waking you up, Gustaf." She said, raking a hand through her hair. She looked around the room, finally looking at him in his chair. "Were you...sleeping at your desk?" She asked, walking over to a sofa and sitting down at it.
"Truthfully, I was hoping to hide with you for a bit, I haven't slept yet, and too much has been happening. Can't really wind down at all." She kicked off her shoes and put her feet up, clearly making herself at home.
She looked at him seriously, before looking almost apologetic. "You must be a glutton for punishment, letting me come around even though we continue to heavily disagree. I don't understand it." She pulled one of her curls straight, looking away from him as she pretended to be interested in her hair.
It felt surreal, standing amongst the shadows and watching in silence as the townspeople wept for the woman theyād hardly known.Ā Azrael leaned against the stone parapets, concealed in the darkness cast by the cathedral in the afternoon light.Ā His face was dry today, miraculously; heād howled through the pain the day Nayru had actually perished, not the day it had been announced.
Alternatively, perhaps heād merely grown weary of loss over his many years.Ā Perhaps he was beginning to calcify in his old age, forgetting to be cautious and forgetting to feel.Ā It would certainly explain why heād thought it wise to show up with his own face to a well-attended service.
He stayed long after the others had left, until he was almost alone in the cemetery ā almost.Ā A familiar young woman sat at Nayruās fresh grave, her scarlet curls not entirely concealed by the veil she wore.Ā āā¦ still fighting to keep my life like it wasā¦ you would have loved to learn about the pastā¦ā
āYes, she would have,ā Azrael agreed, blinking after a moment as he realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud.Ā āForgive me, I hadnāt intended to be eavesdroppingā¦ I came to pay my respects.ā
In his hands was a small, folded piece of paper.Ā Within it was perhaps the fifth eulogy Azrael had ever written for Nayru, and he knew all too well it was unlikely to be the last.Ā The curling Dubharan script was concealed in the folds, and he set it down gently beside the headstone on the damp earth.
āItās cruel,ā was all he could add before Azraelās throat grew strangely tight, and he had to swallow in an attempt to regain his composure.
She had startled a bit when she heard the familiar voice, but looked up to see Azrael. She couldn't help but glance at his leg for a moment before closing her eyes again. "It is cruel. It's my fault. I had the opportunity to help her and I didn't. I had so many chances and I kept putting it off. I thought I had all the time in the world. I thought, since I was the loud one, I'd be the first one to go."
She patted the ground, offering him a seat if he wanted it and politely glanced at the paper he had, but didn't stare at it too much. Whatever was in it, it was none of her business.
"I don't understand why we're connected like this, I feel so empty. I'm getting used to it and I don't feel like I should have to." She tried to smile, but her face refused to do anything but grimace. "But it's the same for you, isn't it? It's unfair that it hurts. I want to drink but I know I can't do that either." She wrung the veil in her lap as she thought.
"I remember the dams." She spoke after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry for that." She remembered what Zelda had said about them being separate and shoved it to the back of her mind. It was still her at it's root, and if she had met Azrael as an adult, with him following Nayru around, wouldn't she have thought the same?
She had done so well to repress the feelings of sadness that when Victoria showed up--as if they hadn't fought, as if the woman didn't kill the Oracle Nayru-- it was as if the blonde woman struck her.
"Oh, move." She had hissed when Din didn't move out of her doorway quickly enough. Most of Dins' things had already been boxed and moved, her mark on the room faded away. Victoria set a dress on the bed and Din couldn't help but feel like she was thirteen again, with VIctoria doting on her.
Din hesitated before closing the door and turning to Victoria. "What in the world are you doing here, Victoria?" Her voice was cold, but didn't impact the woman's neutral expression.
"Well, it is your sisters' funeral. I'm not so uncaring that I'd leave you alone on such a day." Her voice took that sickeningly sweet tone that Din thought she was finally rid of when they had first fought.
"Hah." Din said, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "How about you go--"
"Now now," Victoria started, unfolding a veil and setting it on the bed, "for someone who's attempting to maneuver circles around me, you're incredibly hotheaded." The sweet tone was gone, replaced with condescension. "The public will be watching our every move--the crown has failed the people, do you want them to see dissent in the church and know that they cannot count on it either? You will be taking over someday, after all. Try to keep up, dear."
Din bit back a rude reply because she was right. To hear Victoria admit the crown had failed meant something, but she was still too irritated to see it yet.
"Fine, we'll pretend to like each other for today." Din mutter, moving away from the door.
"I brought a dress--to keep you from wearing one of those black ones that make the noblemen stare. After all, we're going to a funeral, not trying to get you a summer home." Her tone was snide, and Din couldn't help but smile.
"I can send you to the tailor, if you'd like to snag yourself a mansion. I can't actually let you borrow one of mine, you wouldn't be able to fill it out." Din shot back, grin wide.
Victoria responded to this by laughing and pulling a brush through the young womans' curls. "We've never really known what to do with this hair of yours, neither of your biological parents had them this severe."
It almost felt like a dig, mentioning the parents. There was no way she could have known she had seen them, right? Dins' heart felt like it had entered her throat as she forced her voice calm. "Really? Then again, Haeyin doesn't have curly hair either, so perhaps it was further back."
"Perhaps, it's not a trait of Din either--the last Oracle of Seasons had pin straight hair. Very thick, however. Is your brother back in town?" Victoria spoke, her tone curious but polite.
Was this part of the act, or was she needling? Din was too suspicious and paranoid to tell the difference and keeping her voice level was becoming taxing. "Yes, I think he'll be in town for some time, really."
"You know, I just don't understand why you don't leave for the surface with him." VIctoria spoke, more brushing, although it was gentler now. "You have a temple out there, dedicated to you. Isn't it wasting time to stay here now? Doesn't it hurt to stay here?"
"Well Victoria," Din began sweetly, turning around so she could look Victoria in the eyes, "when you're dead, I'll take that offer up, but until then, my entire goal is to ruin you."
Victoria looked at Din for a moment before laughing-- a genuine laugh. "Get your dress on, you fool. I've been playing this game before you were even thought of, and you're not even that good at it." Victoria looked thoroughly amused at the redhead as she unzipped the back of the dress and handed it over.
"You wouldn't know where to start in this game. Do you think winning Gustaf over means you've won--if you could even call it 'winning over', at the end of the day he's completely useless to you."
Din clenched her jaw, unable to shoot back a response that wasn't 'fuck yourself' which seemed to make Victoria look even more pleased.
"Perhaps you should 'keep me around' so I can teach you how this game is really played. Step into your dress now, Helena."
Din did as she was told, eyes narrowed and face flushed out of embarrassment. She hated being treated like a child--being scolded or lectured.
"Here's a tip, a lesson. If you want to play this game, be prepared to sacrifice everything and everyone for power. Eventually, whether you like it or not, you'll be alone with it." Victoria spoke as she finished zipping, tossing the veil on the womans' head before heading to the doorway and leaving without saying farewell.
Din sat down on her bed, looking through the veil and taking a few deep breathes. She couldn't help but think of Farore, of Haeyin and Shad, of Azrael and Jasdae and Ganondorf. Of all the people she had met. She couldn't imagine sacrificing any of them.
Did that mean she didn't want it badly enough?
She shook her head before standing up and leaving the room.
The funeral had hurt--seeing Nayru prettied up before they put her in the ground had been too much, and she couldn't stop from crying under the black veil. Victoria had stayed by her side, clutching her shoulder as if she were comforting her for most of the service. Eventually it was finished and the church members and the bulk of the picture takers had left Din alone with the grave.
As soon as the important members had left Din sunk down to the ground, leaning against the headstone with her eyes closed and her veil rumpled into a ball on her lap.
"I should have went to you earlier." Din began to the grave, as if Nayru was sitting across from her. "We had a grand plan to topple things--childish at the time-- but I was still fighting to keep my life like it was. I thought I'd have time to go to you. I feel like you would have scolded me for being so reckless. I feel like you would have gone along with it in the end. You would have loved to learn about the past--you would have loved this awakening business. I think. Would you have rested until you remembered everything?" She had to stop talking as her voice trembled and she let out a cross between a sob and a hiccup, letting out trembling gasps as she cried.
The young Oracle Nayru was found deceased in her chambers last night. Ā Every attempt to save her was made, but unfortunately the Church reported that by the time she had been found there was nothing else they could do. Ā The Oracleās death is currently being investigated, and while allegations have been made against her personal staff the Church feels that the likely cause of death was Nayruās own hand.
"She always seemed so strong, but I can only imagine the sort of terrible burden it was for her," Sister Carlotta offered upon being interviewed by the Times. Ā "She was well liked in the Church, very respected and loved by all her peers. Ā Sheāll be missed, aye."
Nayruās sisters, Oracle Din and Oracle Farore, were unavailable to comment, though Din was seen donning mourning garb earlier today in preparation for the funeral to be held.
Funeral services will be held this evening at five oāclock until half past eight; be sure to return to your homes prior to curfew should you be attending.
Evyr blinked as she moved his hand away, and very swiftly folded both behind his back, sitting back to give the Oracle an ample amount of space. That had been foolish of him.
Turning his attention back to her, he smiled wryly at the ābaggageā comment. āYou neednāt tell me, Miss Din,ā he replied, his smile softening sadly as he continued. āI am truly sorry you have to contend with this all at once. Itās ā¦ a lot, I know.ā
He sat patiently as she described the events, brow creasing as she went on.
"The Voice ā¦ Iām not certain that surprises me." That smile changed by only the slightest degree, but that degree turned it into something that might easily have been confused with a sneer if one looked very, very close. That woman had a rather singular talent for seizing what she wanted by the jugular, without much concern for the mess she made in the process. The technique was as brutish and sloppy as it was effective ā¦ most of the time, if would seem. "Well, now she has shown us her hand, as predictable as it might be. It could be we learn something from it after allā ā¦"
Something seemed to catch up with him, and he trailed off, tugging his gaze away from wherever it had been staring in space to focus on the Oracle. āā¦ You ā¦ managed to get my father ā¦ā
He blinked, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. It took a long moment and a deep breath before he spoke.
"Oracle ā¦" He paused again, then sighedĀ and looked at her almost pleadingly. Speaking up in front of those who held more power than he did was not something made a habit of doing, and was clearly not something he was accustomed to; the words more or less came tumbling out. "I have the utmost faith in your judgement, please, please know this, but I must ask you to place at least some of your faith in my experience. To convince the King of anything is no easy feat,ā he halted again, seeming to organize his words, before speaking up once more, ābut if you hope to change the Kingdom by changing him, whatever the means, I ask that you keep caution very close at hand. The designs you hope to change are not his, not remotely. I have had enough dealings with monarchies, in this life and in others, to know that the power and agenda of a ruling power do not ever originate from, or hinge upon, a single man. I have seen the way these gears spin before.ā He shook his head, a vaguely far-off look in his red eyes, not unlike the look of someone trying to call to mind the events of a dream. āIf one component starts spinning in the wrong direction, the rest of the machine will react.ā
His voice trailed off, and was quieter when he spoke again. āIt is true that I know less than I should, but I know more than others think. Trust that I know this.ā The smile he seemed conditioned into wearing returned, but it was faint, meek, an apology for overstepping his bounds. It had never been his place to give any form of direction or advice, but he had so few allies ā¦ āJust ā¦ please be very, very careful.ā
With that he sat back, crossing his legs and quietly brushing his hair out of his eyes (seemingly unbothered when it simply tumbled right back), and cleared his throat.
"As to your second question ā¦ it is not determined quite so simply. Our memories carry through the generations, as do our roles, but our personalities, our individual selves, those do not. My ancestors are no less strangers to me than other, living people I have met are." He closed his eyes. "I have many memories of him, more than I have of most of the others I remember, and there is not a fond thought among them, but right now that does not matter. What matters is who he proves himself to be in this life, and this life alone."
"ā¦ And you are right." He paused to reach into the bag strapped to his hip, pulling out a journal and displaying the ribbon-marked page and the drawings and symbols that lay upon itāthe primary one that of the sacred triangle, framed by three figures with monstrous image of the boar chief among them. "We do need him."
She let out a huff at the comment about she having to contend with it all at once, shaking her head slightly. āYou have no idea how much seems to be crashing at once, thisā¦thisāll be dealt with like everything else.ā
When he seemed to be shocked about what Din did, and then started on a seemingly gentle warning, Dinsā entire demeanor turned stony. She stared blankly at Evyr as he continued to talk, allowing him to get out whatever he desired to say. It was a struggle not to allow the fire burning in her belly to rise to her tongue, but she managed.
āYou misunderstand; I have no intention of changing the kingdom through your father. As pleasant as it would beāa seemingly easy way out, I know fully that a revolution wouldnāt allow him to live, even if he backstepped because of me. What weāre doing now is nothing short of a revolution, isnāt it?ā She let out a shaky sigh, starting to feel the floaty feeling that always signified that she was being overloaded.
She gave him a cold look. āWhile I respect and understand what youāre telling me, I hope that you see how insulting it is for you to assume that I donāt fully know how the political world while stating that you know more than people think in the same breath. For what youāve just told me, isnāt that my line?ā It was more scathing than she had meant, but it would get her opinion across. āI know what Iām doing, and I know what it costs if I fail, in any part of it. You think Gustaf is my target? Heās just a way to get to what I really want.ā
She swallowed the anger brewing in her stomach while listening to what he had to say about Ganondorf. She closed her eyes, blocking out the image of him as a beast, although before she knew it Evyr was showing a drawing and saying they needed him. She nodded, chewing her lip a bit. She was too frustrated to think of his words right nowāafter a nights sleep maybe sheād think again about his commentĀ about past lives being separate, although of course they were. She doubted that Din had ever interacted with Ganondorf, and here she was, repeatedly drawn to the man.
āIs there anything else, Evyr?ā She asked, standing up and looking down at him.
Ā She hadnāt received the answer she wanted, but trusted that Jasdae might be able to change Azraelsā mind. They seemed close, after all. You canāt make hysterical jokes about the others injured condition and be strangers. A part of her knew that Azrael would come around eventually. This was too important for him not too.
She entered the church through the back wayāthrough the orphanageāshe was far too dirty and haggard to go past the normal guards. The priests that guarded the back way took one surprised look at her before one let out a low whistle in surprise.
āLena, you look awful.ā The older of the two said, and she recognized him, he had been in class with her. Not to say he was around her age, just that he had difficulty learning arithmetic.
She waved him off a bit, too exhausted to register her nickname as anything but a pang of annoyance. āAny chance I can use a shower āround here? I donāt really want to walk through the church like this.ā
āWhy not go to the Matron? Pretty sure sheād love to hear what youāve seen.ā The other said, fiddling with the gun at his waist.
Din frowned a bit before nodding, heading towards the Matronsā chambers. Sheād never noticed how the Orphanage was run beforeāimmaturity had made her blind to everything but her own suffering from bullies, but she couldnāt help but feel like it was a separate entity from the rest of the church. She also couldnāt shake the words the young man had said about the Matron wanting to know what sheād seen, although it made sense. There was just an attack, and Din came to the church bloody and disgusting.
She gave a light knock at the door and waited. It must have been at least three or four in the morning, but even a light knock brought the woman to the door in a robe.
The Matron, despite having such an old title had to have been as old as the Voiceāor perhaps a little older. Ā Her hair was brown, flecked with silver from age and her face had laugh lines and the creases of frustration along her forehead. āGoodā¦morning, Helena. Are you alright?ā The Matron was also one of the people who publicly used her birthnameāshe showed no real fear of the Voice.
āCan I use your bathroom? I was out helping by the county bridges.ā Din said, finally feeling the weariness from it.
The woman didnāt even think twice before opening her door and shutting it again behind her. āYes, Iāve heard there was an attack, but the information around it has been muddled due to panic. May I assume that you may know more about it?ā She said, pulling out a dress from her closet and towels for the young woman.
āIndeed.ā Din said, at a momentary loss for words. āIt was a crown ordered attack. Iā¦tried to persuade the King that it was unwise but Iām afraid there was nothing I could do.ā
The Matron looked at Din seriously, and kept Dinsā gaze for a few moments. āI admit, the part of me that has seen you grow up didnāt want to believe the rumors about your involvement with the King, but as a figure in this churchā¦ā
Dinsā cheeks burned red, the color showing through the grime. She figured there were rumors, but she didnāt know theyād have trickled back to the Hall. She stammered something, despite having no real excuse for it, but the woman raised her hand.
āAs a figure in this church who knows what affect youāre having, Iām proud that youāre able to take care of yourself. It isnātā¦ideal, but it is a path to dealing with the nobles, and I know what itās done to Victoria. I donāt think I have to warn you what sheās capable of, after the death of the Oracle Nayru.ā Her voice was calm, and removed any ember that might have caused Din to become irritated. āWeāll speak more after you clean yourself up, now shoo.ā She said, waving an arm holding two towels towards the bathroom.
Din scrubbed herself nearly raw trying to get the blood off of her, and had to drain the tub twice before she felt herself adequately cleaned off. Washing the grime away made her feel better, despite the fact she still felt the hysteria that held her earlier slinking around the edges of her mind. When she finally washed and dried her underwear before putting it on again and slipping on the dress that the Matron had given her she felt like herself again, albeit one that had been up for almost a full day straight.
She excited the bathroom to find the Matron sitting at the table. āThank you, Matron.ā Din said, bowing a little bit.
āHolly.ā She said, gesturing to the chair. āYouāre an adult now, Helena, youāre fully entitled to address us as our names. While I know you use Victoriaās name out of spite, feel free to use mine.ā
Din blinked a bit, registering the name before plopping down in the chair adjacent to Holly. āAlright then, Holly. What do you want to know?ā
āI donāt suppose you know the specifics of the attack?ā She asked, folding her hands together. She didnāt seem to look very disappointed when Din shook her head. āThatās alright, I didnāt fully expect you too. I do want to hear the details of your relationship with the King.ā When Din flushed again she smiled. āā¦not the intimate details, my child.ā
āSorry, sorry.ā Din said, flustered. āIt was originally to displace Victoria, and itās worked, of course.ā
āOf course.ā Holly echoed, not adding anything else as Din continued.
āShe ruined her position during theā¦monster attack by sealing us into the room to die, Gustaf became more open to my opinion of her after she did that to us.ā She thought for a few moments before adding. āIām being made Victoriaās successorāit isnāt public yet. Iāve been watching my back because of it. I canāt imagine Victoria is pleased with that.ā
Holly looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling warmlyāthe smile made Dinsā heart swell a bit. How many times had she experienced that smile growing up when sheād done something properly? āThat explains why Victoria is in such a mood as of lateāalthough she isnāt as angry as I imagined sheād be, and for that I think you should be careful.ā
Din nodded slightly. āIāll be moving out of the church soon. Iāveā¦ah, been given my own house in the North. I asked the King for it.ā
Holly raised an eyebrow but didnāt say or ask anything, instead moving to nod back. āThat will at least keep you out of her hands, although it does not remove the danger. You must still be wary.ā
āI know.ā Din said, and she felt a slight irritation for the continued warnings. āIāll be alright, I promise.ā
Holly nodded, standing up. āNow, as much as I thoroughly enjoy speaking with you, Helena, it is four in the morning.ā
Din laughed a little, pushing herself off the chair. āThank you so much for letting me use your bathroom, I didnāt want to face Desmond looking like I did. Heād have a heart attack.ā
āAh yes, Sir Desmond.ā She said wistfully, and Din was confused for a moment. āItās best not to make that man worry too much, heās strong, but still human.ā
Din frowned a bit and nodded again as she left the room. Din knew she was human, but the concept that he was fallible seemed impossible. Even when terrible things happened, he seemed to continue on. She raked her hand through her hair before turning to head out the back way of the church. There was someplace she wanted to goāor rather someplace she wanted to hide. The thought of being forced to go through breakfast and morning mass after not sleeping at all didnāt appeal to her at all.
The King would no doubt let her stay there. After all, hadnāt he granted all her silly, inane requests? Anything greater, like acting like a good human being seemed to be beyond what she could ask but everything else had been granted.
āAnd Helena?ā Holly called, stopping Din in her tracks. Din turned around to see Holly leaning out of her doorway. āDonāt forget that Victoria isnāt the only one you should be wary of. There are many others who think like she does, and despite how positive your experience with the King has been, he is one of them.ā
Din felt like her thoughts were ajar as Holly shut the door, leaving Din in the hallway. Sheād justāsheād just been thinking about the man. He was a threat, wasnāt he? Although for now, he was the quickest way to destroy Victoria. She took a deep breath and hurried out of the Hall of Orphans through the back before she could be given anymore words that would shake up her thoughts.
She gave a frown at the castle before entering it, all but slinking through until she had hit the door to the Kingsā chambers. Despite it being four in the morning, the knights were bright eyed and suspicious.
āGood morning gentlemen.ā Din said, flashing a smile.
āGood morning, your Grace.ā One replied, before adding onto it, āhas the King called for you?ā
Din shook her head. āNo, no, but Iād appreciate if you could see if heāll have me.ā The smile was there again, pasted on from years of practice.
The two looked at each other, and Hollyās comment about rumors almost unsettled her smile. They had to have known, were the knights guarding the King the ones that had spread what sheās done?
āOne moment, your Grace.ā The one who had originally answered her good morning knocked before entering the room and closing the door behind himself to announce her.
The other knight stared rather openly at Din, and his thoughts were transparent. Din fought the urge to sigh loudly. She wanted to say something witty, to shoot a comment at the man, but knew that it could easily be taken as truth or spread around as something else entirely.
She forced herself to withstand the staring, waiting for the knight to re-emerge from the Kingsā room.
He watched her for a moment in silence before exhaling softly and taking a knee at her side, looking up at her with a weary smile.
āItās alright,ā he replied softly. āHonestly, Iām surprised that youāve lasted the gore this long.. Not many would have been able to. I donāt think it makes you any less of an adult.ā
The news of the massacre isnāt surprising to him, as heād already heard as much fromā¦ Anax, but word on the King losing his leg certainly was. His red eyes widened fractionally at that, but even more so as Din continued speaking, his face going completely blank as he stared at her. Ā She did what she had to do? She was there? She was in the room when the knights were killed, when Ives was injured, when theĀ king wasā¦
He felt a flash of anger build in his chest and quickly stifled it, willing his words to come out even as he opened his mouth to speak again, āI didnāt know you were there. Iām sorryā¦ That must have been a horrible thing to experience.ā
He glanced over his shoulder at the blood still pooling from around Azrael and grimaced. āItās no wonder this has you so worked up.. I mean aside from the obvious.ā
"You have no idea." She said, and hysterical laughter started bubbling in her chest. "I had to remove the kings' leg and cauterize the stump. Leg things just aren't my cup of tea anymore."
She heard the noise--and could only imagine what had happened, given Haeyin had shielded her sight from Azrael. The cracking sound was enough to almost make the corners of her vision go black, and she felt the whole world shift as Haeyin told her to leave.
And then the joke was made. The hysterical laughter burst from her chest uncontrolled as she repeated the word 'afoot' and then 'kick' but Haeyin was shooing her out and her stomach was rolling and she laughed all the way out to the alley before doubling over and heaving again before laughing so hard her entire body shook.
Eventually when she felt a bit better, she stood on the steps in front of the door, waiting for things to be cleaned up enough for her to return to the scene.
When Azrael flinched away from him, pressing closer to the wall, Haeyin felt his mouth twist into a scowl as he stared at him pointedly. Stubborn as everā¦apparently being wounded hadnāt changed that.
"Iāve done enough for Miss Isleen for the time being. Now itās your turn," he said through clenched teeth. The Salesman shot a fleeting glance over his shoulder to his sister, who was still looking shocked and ghastly pale, and he felt a twinge of guilt at her state, but for now Azrael needed to be his priorityā¦ What with all the blood and everything. Exhaling sharply, he focused once more one the Shadow. āThatās exactly the point; itās been hours, Az. Just let me help you for once.ā
He took another step towards him and his friend denied him again, refusing to let him get near his injured leg. Haeyin felt a surge of irritation and his voice rose as a result, āAzraelāā
Jasdaƫ snapped at the man before he could even get the words out and his head whipped around to look at her. Grateful that she, too, had noticed his annoying stubbornness on the matter of his injuries, Haeyin lifted his hand to drag it through his hair, nodding in agreement. His eyes narrowed and he bit the inside of his lip, directing his gaze to the puddle of inky blood that was still pooling out from around Azrael.
"ā¦the blood flow needs to be halted," he muttered, frowning deeply at his friend now while the young Gerudo knelt before him. "But if you wonāt let me do anything, at least let her do that much for now.ā
He looked to JasdaĆ« as she addressed him again and allowed a breath to slip between his teeth. āAlrightā¦ And thatās probably for the best. Iāve no doubt in my mind that youāve got a concussion. Sleeping now will only cause you further harm, so itās best you stay awake for the time being.ā
Shaking his head at Azrael with a roll of his eyes, Haeyin moved to stand next to Din again, looking down at her with a muted expression of concern. A slightly trembling hand reached out and touched her shoulder.
"Heyā¦" he murmured, gently enough not to startle her but loud enough for her to hear. "Are you alright?"
āGoddesses, Iām so sorry Haeyin.ā Din said, shaking her head as she swallowed down any of her ill feelings. āI canāt handle blood anymore, I donāt think.ā She lowered her voice now, so that only her brother could hear. āThis probably isnāt helping me look like an adult, is it?ā She raked both of her shaking hands through her hair.
āThere was a massacre at the castleāIāll go into details in a bit.ā When Azrael is cleaned up. She thought, but left it unsaid. āBut ten knights were torn apart and the treaty room, and the King lost his leg. I had to do what I could to treat it so he didnāt bleed out with the rest of them. It happened a week ago and Iām still not over it, pretty lame, huh?ā She gave a shakey, forced laugh as she moved her hands to cover her face, forcing herself to breath slowly.
āIām sorry, Iām pretty useless here. I should haveā¦ā She trailed off, not knowing what to say. Stayed home? Not done anything? It definitely was a roller coaster from start to finish, this attack on Hyruleās own people. First her parents, and then Azrael and Jasdae. Perhaps next sheād find an injured Farore to top the day off.
She tried to force herself to think of it differentlyānot as blood but maybe as ink. Yes, ink was spilling out of Azrael, he obviously dropped an inkwell all over himself. She almost started laughing before she realized that this was probably a sign she was going insane, and made sure that her hands covered her mouth as well.
āI think maybe I need some air, I can go check to see if the way is clear to begin moving when we need too?ā She suggested, making clear she didnāt want to run off, but was absolutely useless here.
After struggling with the young Gerudo for several minutes over the wound to her head, Haeyinās expression was now blank save for the corner of his mouth, which was tugged into a mild scowl as he continued to swat JasdaĆ«ās hands away every time she lifted them in protest against the pain. Even when she was agonizing over a stab wound to the abdomen she didnāt resist his treatment this much.
"Iām aware that it hurts," he said shortly, trying to focus the magic to the tips of the fingers on his right hand. "It would hurt a lot less if you would sit still.ā
A midst JasdaĆ«ās whining, he vaguely made out the small talk between Din and Azrael and suppressed a smile at his sister saying the other man looked cool. Once the golden glow had finally formed, he moved to hover his fingers over the cut and for a moment it seemed his patient was going to cooperate. No sooner had the thought left him did JasdaĆ« swat at his hands away and demanded he fix her ear first instead.Ā His eyes flew to the ceiling as his shoulders sank in another exasperated sigh.
"Fine, fine," he muttered, lifting her chin a bit and turning it so he could see her ear better. "Just stop moving and let me, alright?ā
Haeyinās brow creased, mouth tipping into a deeper frown as he brought his hand to her ear. The damage was more extensive than he thought, but nothing he wouldnāt be able to mend if given sufficient timeā¦ and perhaps a bit more potion.Ā The drain of excessive magic use was catching up with him again and he shook his head, blinking a few times in the dim light to regain his focus. He heard Din ask if he was going to be okay and grimaced, reaching with his free hand into his satchel for the half-empty vial of potion heād taken earlier.
"No, noā¦" he said, uncorking the vial with his teeth and downing it quickly. "IāllāughāIāll be fine, just stay theā"
āAz is bleeding everywhere.ā
The Salesman blinked and tore his eyes from JasdaĆ«, settling on the pool of inky blood at Azraelās feet. He felt a pang of alarm in his chest but remained at the young womanās side, lifting his red eyes to his friendās face as he continued to heal the damaged ear.
"Azraelā Goddesses be damned, why didnāt you say anything?" he scolded, trying to keep his tone even. "Din, come here and get the bandages Iāve got in my bag. Try and stop the bleeding until Iām done with Miss Isleen. Hurry!"
She felt the urge to apologize to Azrael, but remembered what Haeyin had told her. It wasn't her fault, and there was nothing she could have done about this attack. She chuckled a little at the mans' suggestion to see him on a good day. "Well, as long as you're not angrily coming at me, I'm fine with seeing you whenever. Seems like it's just 'bad days' now though." She tried to joke about it, but her own comment made her think of Nayru and the emptiness inside her sought to remind her of its presence. She'd almost been too busy to notice, or perhaps she had been getting used to it.
She smiled a bit at the way Jasdae was acting, knowing full well she'd probably give Haeyin a hard time if she was in the position too, but for different reasons. It wasn't until she had pointed out Azrael was bleeding that she had looked down. It took her a second to process that the black inky liquid was blood but when she did she took half a step away.
And then Haeyin was ordering her to get bandages to stop the bleeding and it felt for a second like the entire room wobbled and she had to hold onto Azraels' chair to stay upright. She hissed through the episode, blanking out her mind before heading to his bag for the bandaids and returning to Azrael.
She looked helplessly at his leg, stomach turning as she tried to figure out to do next. Her hands shook violently, and she couldn't look at the leg for more than a few seconds at a time. It was dark--just like, just like.
She forced her eyes shut, trying to block out what was happening around her, which just seemed to make the memories come back faster. "I don't think I can do this." She squeaked, feeling sweat run down her back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Haeyin wrapped an arm across his friendās back to support him as his blackened hand reached out and gripped his shoulder. His brow twitched at the wry comment on the explosions.
"Of course IĀ noticed.ā Why else would I be here covered in dirt and the blood of others? "I meant what are you doing here in the alleywā"
He paused, noticing the entry to the sewer system just behind them. Ohā¦ āThe pipesā¦ You were both in the UC?ā
The Salesmanās gaze shifted to JasdaĆ« as Azrael continued to speak, regarding her carefully as she retorted that Azrael was also more hurt than he was letting on. He sighed in audible exasperation at the both of them. When Din spoke up again and his friend snapped at her, he shot him a glare in return.
"Easy," he warned, holding up a hand to press against the center of his chest. Haeyin blinked upon hearing the swift kicks to the door and turned his attention back to his sister and the injured Gerudo. Time to move. Without caring to ask if Azrael would actually let him help him this time, the Salesman moved as quick a pace as he was able with the other man in tow. Once inside the abandoned house, he helped him over to a chair and promptly sat him there, making sure he was steady before leaving to tend to Jasdaƫ.
She looked awful and Haeyinās mouth pressed into a firm line as she asked if she could sleep. He knew that if she did now, it was possible even more damage could be done, and he couldnāt have that.
"No, Iām afraid not," he replied, knowing she wasnāt really talking to him, per say. He brushed her hand away from the injury to her head and examined it carefully before his shoulders sank and he peered down at her again.
"We really need to stop meeting under these circumstances, Miss Isleen," he said as a fleeting smile curled his lips.
"It's fine." Din assured Jasdae. "I'm getting used to being covered in blood, actually." She gave a half smile, making it clear that it wasn't sarcasm. She gave Azrael a flat look at his retort before shrugging it off and concentrating on moving Jasdae into the house.
She chalked up the nastiness to them being in pain and ignored it, making sure not to turn and stare at Azrael anymore. When they got inside and Din led Jasdae to the bed she let out an exclamation of "Fuck!" when Jasdae flopped down, knowing it had to have smarted and feeling bad she hadn't held on tighter.
When Haeyin moved to Jasdae, Din stepped away, closer to Azrael. It felt stupid to end up hovering over the three, who her brother seemed to know each other more than she knew either. She wasn't in any condition to try to pretend she was a friend as well, and instead raked a hand through her hair.
"How bad is it on the other side? Awful, right?" She said quietly, knowing the second it was out of her mouth it sounded foolish. Of course it was awful! She clenched her jaw and tried to think of something else to say.
She looked down at Azrael again, hand in her hair. "You know, uh, aside from being hurt, because that's awful, you look really cool like that. Sort of like the sky."
She let out a sigh, not exceptionally happy at how that came out either. For a moment she wondered if she was really needed there, and remembered the fact that she was supposed to tell them all things, although it seemed far from the appropriate time, with them so injured.
"Are you going to be alright, Haeyin?" She asked, looking over to him sternly. He had to have been at his limit before, what was this going to do? "Do you need me to do anything?"
"That's..about all we can do for you, your Grace." The healer said to the young teenager who stood shirtless in front of the hospital mirror. "The scars won't fade any more than that." The older woman had been shocked that the girl had come to her in the hospital, but hadn't turned her away. She hadn't even looked alarmed when Din took off her shirt to reveal the scars, light colored against her tanned skin.
The fourteen year old looked at herself in the mirror, turning to see what she could of the scars on her back. She couldn't keep her eyes from the slivers of light colored tissue and she felt herself tear up. She was ruined, when she thought she couldn't possibly look worse. People would be repulsed if they knew how many scars she had. And now that she was the Oracle, it was even worse. She was supposed to be high society now. 'Ladies' didn't look like..this.
A little voice in the back of her mind reminded that high society ladies didn't look like her to begin with, but she was roused from those thoughts by the healer clearing her throat.
"Helena, are you alright?" She whispered, knowing that the girls' name was all but forbidden to speak.
Din let out a hiccup before a sob and brought her hands up to her face. "It's awful! I'm so ugly." She wailed, shaking like a leaf.
The healer tutted slightly, getting the girls shirt off the floor. She wrapped the young teen in it before speaking softly. "Now now, that's not true at all. You're a beautiful little girl." She comforted her, although it seemed the words were lost on the girl.
"They look even worse, nobody is...nobody'll." Din lost the words to say what she felt and just let out another wail.
"There there." The healer spoke. "Everyone has scars." When Din looked up at her in wet disbelief she nodded. "It's true. I have a burn scar on my leg from when I was a child and got too close to the stove."
Din wanted to tell her it wasn't the same-- explain why but the second she thought of the dungeon and her vision blacked for a moment. It was only an instance, but when she recovered she was leaning entirely on the healer, who finally looked at least a little alarmed.
"Your Grace, do you want to lay down for a bit?" She offered, bringing Din to the bed before she could say something.
"No just get my--" She clamped her mouth shut as quickly as she had blurted the first part out. No. There was no one she could have the healer get for her anymore.
The healer looked at her expectantly before Din shook her head. "I'll lay down for a bit. Could you contact Sister Emma and tell her I won't be able to make it to class?"
"Of course dear." The healer said, skittering out of the room, leaving the Oracle by herself.
Now alone, Din covered her face with her pillow and let out pitiful, trembling sobs at the fact that she had become even more damaged and it'd never go away. She didn't want to be reminded why they existed, why couldn't they just go away?
Like she needed anything else to ruin how she looked, it was bad enough-- no no, she couldn't think this anymore. Didn't her appearance come from the Goddess Din? Thanks a lot she thought, letting out another sob into the pillow. She couldn't have been like the other two, fair skinned and normal colored eyes. Their odd hair had made them special, hers just made her look like some cross between a Gerudo and a Sheikah.
She cried more, feeling sorry for herself and jealous at the other two. Why did she have to be the freak of the bunch?
She continued to cry, having negative self pitying thoughts until she finally grew too tired to continue. She pushed herself out of bed to turn on all the lights before settling in again, passing out in the hospital bed.
Haeyinās expression remained vaguely neutral as he finished wrapping the bandage around his fatherās head and securing it in order to keep the half-healed stitched up gash along his forehead from getting dirty. Thankfully, aside from the occasional sniffle or wince, Samuel and Charlotte hadnāt said much else since Helena departed. It made this much easierā¦ It was strange enough them actually being there, and Haeyin couldnāt bear the thought of actually conversing with them lest it compromise his ability to keep himself detached from the situation at hand.
Red eyes scanned the broken, darker haired man before him to make sure he had no other injuries before finally turning his attention to the poor woman who sat almost uncomfortably close to him. Dirty and tangled blonde hair fell in face and hung around her shoulder, wet, yellow-brown orbs watching her husband in weary distress. It made her look so old, far older than she really was. Feeling the corner of his mouth twitch and tug downwards, Haeyin shifted to he could face her more, holding out a hand to her.
"Let me see your wrist," he said, his tone now marginally warmer as she sniffled again, nodding numbly. Charlotte carefully lifted her arm and held it towards him, blinking up at her estranged son as he cupped his hands gently around her injured wrist. The healing glow enveloped it and Haeyin let out a long, quiet sigh, eyelids lowering as he focused on the fracture. It was over quickly, but his hands remained settled there even after the magic and dissipated.
"Thereā¦" he murmured, brow creasing slightly as he felt a weight settle heavily in his gut. "That should do iā"
Din shook her head for a moment to clear her thoughts before she bolted forward to help Jasdae, hovering in case the woman looked as if she was falling. "How are you not in prison?" Din asked in disbelief. "No-- it doesn't matter, this is great. We have to talk. Not now, not now." Din stammered out, glancing at Azrael several times so she could get used to how he looked.
"Goddesses, I knew I wanted to find you Azrael, but the two of you look awful." She spoke, holding out an arm to Jasdae. "Were you caught in it?"
When Haeyin asked what they were doing here, she let out a low hiss. "Lets go into a house, alright? We can't stay here." She suggested, although going out of the alleyway seemed like a terrible idea considering how damaged they were, and Azraels' current appearance.
"Hold on a second." Din said to Jasdae, making sure she was solidly against the wall before going to the door-- a back door, to be sure. She tried the doorknob, only to find that the frame must have been shifted. It took two solid kicks before it cracked open.
"Found a place." Din chimed in, starting to feel slightly better. She could push out the other things until later, then lock them away. All that mattered right now is that the two people she'd wanted to run into--well one, but Jasdae was a very happy surprise-- were in front of her.
"Will you let me help you, Jasdae?" Din said, hovering around the woman again.
Ivesā jaw was set tight midst the frown he wore and he stared at her warily, feeling as if his teeth might shatter from the tension. There was no denying the recollection of past lives, the tomes on Oracles had mentioned it enough times for him to believe it. Ganondorf, however, was another matter entirely.Ā
"That monster is going to pay for his crime. Iām not letting all of those families go unjustified.ā Ives said in a serious tone, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke. āWhatever āpartā someone like him could play canāt be a good one.Ā Whatever big scene the goddesses have planned certainly doesnāt needĀ him.ā
He nodded then, voice still gruff despite himself, āYes, exactly,ā the prince muttered darkly. āHow does that saying go? Destroy the flower before it blooms?ā He grunted, looking away finally with a heavy lidded gaze as he continued to murmur, his voice trailing off awkwardly. Ā āWell, Ganondorf is hardly a flower, but..ā
She kept his gaze, not looking away. "If there was a price to be paid, hasn't it?" She gestured to the window. The rumbling had died down, but it was clear what she was gesturing too. "War is coming--no, I imagine it's here. Ganondorf acted alone, and foolishly, but what we've done is a calculated attack on our own people to keep this from 'happening again'. If justice was involved, we would not have attacked our own people. If justice were involved, wouldn't we have mobilized for something else?"
She shook her head, dropping her hand to her side. "It's not about payback anymore, it's about an agenda that was started before we were born."
She raked a hand through her hair. "You can't do that, you can't say 'destroy a flower before it blooms'!" She found her voice raising and she pushed herself off the bed. "That's what that is!" She jabbed a finger at the window. "That was done with the belief of 'destroying the flower before it blooms'-- Gustaf justified the attack as a way to keep any future attacks from happening! They weren't even related! One was...one was.." She instantly reeled herself in thinking. "Funded by a Hylian. The other was a deadly accident."
She turned back to him. "You know this attack was wrong. You know what the church has done is wrong. Can't you see that these aren't random occurrences rooted in the present, but veins of wrongness that have been seeding Hyrule for decades?"
She was breathing heavy, and knew she'd no doubt overstepped, but the explosions still burned behind her eyelids, the conversation with Gustaf was in the back of her mind.
Din bent over, not being able to prevent herself from getting sick in what looked like an empty box. She'd feel bad about it later, but all she could do was remember mangled legs and the smell of blood and it brought her back to a week ago.
She straightened up, frowning at the weakness she was showing when something moved in the corner of her eye and she turned towards it. The alley had been empty--she was sure of it. She wouldn't have been sick in front of someone.
She had to squint, and her stomach turned when she saw two figures emerge. When she recognized--mostly--the woman she jerked upright as if she was sprayed with cold water.
"Oh my Goddesses!" She nearly yelled before taking a few steps out of the alleyway to where she could still see her brothers head.Ā
"Haeyin, can you come over here? Quickly?!"Ā She yelled, waving her arm before ducking back into the alley to stare at the two of them, dumbfounded.Ā
What..what in the world was Jasdae doing here, and who--or what was with her?
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