D E L P H I @anastasiavidalis - Tumblr Blog

mirividalis:

.

Miri stepped back, looking up to study her mother’s features. She looked the same, though she wasn’t sure what she had expected. Sleep had been peaceful on Anastasia Vidalises’ features, but now she had to face the problems that had plagued the coven, and the issues that her oldest daughter had not been able to mend. She chewed at the inside of her cheek, letting out a breath. “It’s back, but not wholly mended. I heard that there are demons that escaped from Tartarus and ancient creatures that are awake now.” Her brows tugged in, “I’m trying to learn more about it.”

-

“Demons?” That was a Christian term, surely Anastasia had raised her children better than that. Then again maybe not. The oldest coven in the world was also the most inept, Persephone wanted to laugh but she stifled it to continue the performance of her considerable lifetime. “What happened while I was asleep, Miri?” Anastasia questioned, memory served that the mother had high hopes for this one though as far as Persephone could see she lacked the grit to hold any true power in her hands. “Tell me everything.”

#miri

avxvidalis:

“I definitely will!” Later when Isabel was free again to talk on the phone with Ava. “Picnic it is! What should we pack? What would you like to eat?” Because this was more for Anastasia than anything else, Ava walked over to the refrigerator to start pulling out foods to have. Small items like some fruits and items to make sandwiches, just in case. “The gossip– I don’t know anything juicy. Except–” A beat, Hyacinth’s words coming back to her at full force. “What do you know about manticores?”

-

“Do you think that little restaurant we like is open? Maybe we can order some moussaka for takeout and have it delivered, it’s not as good as mine but I don’t feel like cooking.” Maybe this weekend Persephone thought, it would be good to have all these brats under one roof for a night. She grinned, but not at anything that she’d said. Manticores, a jailbreak beneath her realm had obviously not gone unnoticed, but the goddess was unbothered. “The Erinyes locked them away long ago,” she momentarily gifted herself the ability of memory projection as displayed for Ava the fearsome monsters from history. “this was passed down to me from the previous leader. And a few others.” She winked. The memory was not Anastasia’s but Ava did not need to know that. Persephone searched the young witch’s face, “Scary, right?”

#ava

adelaidevidalis:

*

The women before her had her mother’s face but neither her words, heart, or mind and it made something in Ade freeze, go cold, but she had waited months for her mother to awake so she brushes it off quickly, buries it under the rug, forgives so she can have her mom back. The dig at Miri doesn’t resonate right though and it makes her hues narrow but in an uncertain way. “Miri has been doing great, she’s always been a powerful witch.” She shouldn’t be having to defend her sister to their mother. The moment of ice remains through her system though because she hadn’t realized she was expected to do something, it’s back. Are they suppose to wage war on rifts who wish to tear it down? If it was sewn up magic couldn’t get through, and Ade loved magic. She was still in the dark about Manticores awakening too. “What do you want us to do Mom?”

-

“Your sister has always been a hesitant witch.” Her power was laughable. Though Anastasia’s words were said warmly, an easy jest against her eldest daughter. Her memories told her that it was no secret that the expectations placed upon Miri were high, pressure either made diamonds or useless coal. Anastasia knew what most of these kids were: they didn’t know the first thing about power, but they would learn. After their deaths of course. “Sweetheart the veil is still weak,” she said calmly as she brushed a stray hair from Adelaide’s face, “if it remains this way it’s only a matter of time until someone tears it down again. All these months and nobody tried to repair it? I nearly died trying to hold it up for you - for all of you.”

#adelaide

diodorosxvidalis:

“Months.” Diodoros offered as his mother returned the embrace, “Miri and I found you the night the veil fell, I tried everything I could think of to bring you back.” He could list off the phoenixes, the reapers, the siphon but none of it mattered now. Besides, they had greater concerns. Anastasia dried his eyes and after the initial shock of seeing her again had faded, he needed to ask. “Why is he here?” After everything that the cult was responsible for, after what he’d done to Ava - Diodoros couldn’t help but wonder if maybe his mother was being controlled by the man that she was suddenly allowing under their roof.

-

Diodoros always liked to ask the difficult questions, it seemed. Persephone remained unblinking, however, looking at Anastasia’s son. “And none of it worked? I haven’t figured out what magic it was, but it has to be because of the veil.” She waved her hand, and the question about Hektor was definitely expected. “Because he’s going to help. It’s in his best interest that the veil remains, and when it’s done, I’ll find a way to hurt him like he hurt me with Katerina.”

#diodoros

mirividalis:

for: @anastasiavidalis location: vidalis estate

You were gone for so long. I feared the worst— I didn’t know what to do, I’m sorry I couldn’t have been as strong as you wanted— all the words that she conjured up died on her lips, forming ash on her tongue when she finally rounded the corner to see her mother, awake and alive. She was already upset with herself, that she had allowed herself to believe in the possibility that Anastasia Vidalis could fail, that she could fall, and that she would have to rise up in her place. She was a weak stand in for the woman before her, whose power vibrated around her in a way that was tangible, and a delighted smile tugged upon her features as she rushed forward, ignoring the vampire that hovered nearby, and the strangeness with his presence. “Mom?” Her arms wrapped around her, and she fell into the warmth of a familiar embrace.

-

The problem child – the one that would remain after Anastasia’s death. The heir apparent, perhaps. Persephone debated on taking Miri’s body instead, but the young witch was still no match for Anastasia’s abilities. Besides, the girl didn’t seem like she was that interested. Anastasia had lived in blissful ignorance, sure that her daughter would be ready by the time Anastasia could no longer hold the mantle of leadership. “Miri,” she returned her tenth hug of the day, definitely realizing she wasn’t cut out to be a mother. “Tell me – how does the veil fare?”

#miri

diodorosxvidalis:

@anastasiavidalis

“It’s true-” Diodoros smiled, he found it hard to believe that she was truly awake, alive and well it seemed. Everything about her appeared as if nothing had changed, as if the months that Anastasia Vidalis had spent in her bed had never occurred. Thoughtlessly, Diodoros rushed forward and embraced his mother, a surge of emotion bubbled within him as he did. “I’d given up, I-” he was so stupid, truly he should have had more faith in her. She was the matriarch of their family, the head of the ancient Vidalis coven. Of course it would take more than a spell to take her from this world. When he pulled back his eyes were brimming with tears, “I’m sorry I should have known you’d come back to us.”

-

How many fucking kids were there? Too many. They just kept showing up. This one was emotional; Diodoros. All of Anastasia’s memories of this one showed that her love was ridiculously strong for all of them, and Diodoros was a confidant. She put her hand against his back as he hugged her, and Pesrephone let out a sigh, “You know it would take more than this to keep me down. How long have I been out?” She frowned at his tears, though it wasn’t because of Anastasia’s motherly concern. Wiping them away, she shook her head, “Tell me what happened.”

#diodoros

avxvidalis:

“– Okay, I’ll see you when you get back. Bye!” She ended the phone call, placing the device on the counter as she looked up at Anastasia. “That was my Maman, she said that she’ll be away for another week or two so she wants me to stay here.” Not like Isabel had to tell her twice, Ava was already going to do that in the first place. Especially knowing that the other was finally awake. “She also said that she’s happy you’re awake and walking.” A smile as she bounced on her heels, fingers lightly tapping on the kitchen countertop. “I’m also happy to see you awake! We should do something to celebrate! Like… go see a movie or go on a picnic. How does that sound?” @anastasiavidalis

Ava wasn’t Anastasia’s child, which is why it still baffled Persephone that she even bothered to care for the witch when her own mother was always around. Seemed less than ideal, to give the spoiled brat both last names. Nevertheless, she put on a smile, “Tell her I appreciate it. Her company is missed, as well. Now, what did I miss? We can do a picnic. How about in the garden? I want to hear about everything. The gossip.”

#ava

adelaidevidalis:

It’s a moment of comfort that she feels when her mother is alive again, there’s a maternal hand on her again and she feels like she can breathe. It isn’t too long until the mom intervention happened but she also doesn’t want to tell her in this moment, when her mother woke up from being months in a coma, to mention that she got into a fistfight with a wolf on the front lawn. When her mother loved the wolves so, everyone was so pissed at her. She doesn’t want her mother to pull away when she just came back alive. “Uh - Miri has been a wonderful leader in your stead, Ava has been keeping her grades up, Levi dances, Dio has been trying really hard to make you wake.”

-

Anastasia tilted her head a little, “Miri actually did something with herself?” She met the other’s gaze, curious now. According to Anastasia’s memories, her daughter was doing everything in her own time. Sounded like laziness to Persephone. “So none of you have been looking to repair the veil?”

#adelaide

adelaidevidalis:

@anastasiavidalis

She heard it in the wind, it was words that travelled through the air into Ade’s eardrums that alerted her to the fact that her mother had awakened. Steel toe boots thunder through the Delphi’s hallways, her heartbeat almost as loud in her ears as she arrives at her mother’s doorway. “Mom – Mom, you’re awake?! Everyone told me you were dying.. I– I, we tried so hard to bring you back but you’re here.” Every part her element, she moves swiftly into her mother’s arms.

Oh, she would deserve a Golden Globe for this performance. Persephone could see it now. A home of dead Vidalis witches; just a mother who went crazy and took all her beloved kiddos with her. Persephone had children – just a couple, but they did what they wanted, and she was not the maternal type. She left that to her own mother, who still got overdramatic during “winter.” She wrapped her arms around Ade, her hand coming up to run through her hair, “Adelaide. I’m okay. Are you okay?” She put her hand on the other’s cheek, studying her gaze. “Tell me what I’ve missed.”

#adelaide

diodorosxvidalis:

She had a gift for storytelling, from childhood hour she had woven for him some of the most beautiful tales, relayed the mythology that punctuated their heritage in such a way that any child would understood. Diodoros’s smile faltered as she finished, he did not share the same sentiment, he couldn’t. He saw the weight of what goodness still lived in the heart’s of others everyday, and if the Gods had truly abandoned this city, if it was the Olympians’s plan to smite the good people that lived in Corinth, then that was all the more reason why they needed to remain stalwart. “There are still good people here, many of them just want to live their lives: to love, to make memories, to form opinions of their own. Whether they worship at the alter of the Gods or no, they are worth protecting.”

“Even good people turn their backs on the gods. They forget who gave them these abilities. Agape, eros...all of it begins with the gods. But the gods never forget. People take, and they hardly give.” She’d divinated for plenty of people – shifters, vampires, wolves – for decades. They gave her their thanks, but now? She heard them. They whispered about how she had lost her mind, and how she made enemies from the most dangerous of all within the city. Dropping the projection of memories from them both, she placed a kiss against Dio’s cheek, “I’ve kept you too long. Don’t let me take up more of your time.”

#diodoros

mirividalis:

Her eyes sought out answers in her mothers, but in the way that hers were light, reflective of all of her thoughts, Anastasia’s dark gaze was closed off to interpretation. Miri’s fingers closed around the box, cupping it in her grip. “That won’t be for a long time,” she insisted, the words forming too quickly. Something about their conversation was beginning to scare her, and the words were warm, as were her mother’s hands, but she felt as though she was crumpling. Pressure made diamonds, but it also turned boulders into sand, she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to endure such metamorphosis. “Promise me that it won’t be for a long time.”

“Promises are only as strong as the person who gives them,” she said quietly, finally pulling her hands away from her daughter’s features. Perhaps Anastasia had done enough rambling for one day, and she moved to sit in her chair by the window, where she sat for hours and hours at a time. “There is a time for everything, Miriam. You are...a drop from the sea. Beloved. You can leave if you’d like. I will...sit here for a while.”

#miriam

diodorosxvidalis:

There was nothing to do but laugh at her remark, small and warm, whatever others said about her: they were wrong. She was his mother, and would always be as such. Anastasia’s magic touched her own, her power flowed into him and all at once he saw the scene as she projected it for him. This sensation was a familiar one, but this scene was not one that she had shared with him before. “I do.” Diodoros observed, his face cracked into something of wonder and bewilderment, rare were mortals gifted the chance to gaze upon the Gods, and he saw both sides for what they were. When he pulled his gaze at last from the three figures, he let it settle on his mother once more. “Everything changed for us after this, didn’t it?”

“We may not have existed there, but...we always have. Once Theodosius destroyed Apollo’s temple and outlawed the Pythia’s power, we found our way into hiding in Greece. Plenty still worshipped the old gods, but now? Do you think the people of Corinth Bay do more than just accept their existence? Do they offer them fealty like we do Hecate? No...no, they do not. Perhaps witches are some of the few who appreciate what gifts our goddess has given us. But truthfully...I think this city is lost, and it will deserve whatever fate the gods see fit.”

#diodoros

mirividalis:

She gripped tightly onto her mother’s hand, in the same way that she had when she was a child- terrified of being alone in such a large house, in constant need of having someone to stay with her. Miri recognized the route to the study and stepped carefully into the room, looking at the box, then, what lay within it. There was magic, she could feel how it clung to the object, matched only by its age. She looked at her mother, shaking her head. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.” The water witch looked back at the ring, then at Anastasia, her steady gaze, her warmth. She didn’t deserve it, it was a gift for Dio, or Levi, even Ava. “Are you sure?”

Anastasia placed both her hands on Miri’s face, stroking her cheek with her thumb, “Haven’t I always told you to never refuse a gift?” She teased, shaking her head again. “Take it. You deserve all good things in this life, Miri. My love, I cannot say what Hecate will gift you when you become the leader of this coven. but you are strong. You will do great things.”

#miri

diodorosxvidalis:

“But without my thoughts how could I appreciate my memories for what they are? I don’t think there’s a good answer either way.” Perhaps that was the point of her question in the first place, though it was difficult to tell what was going through the woman’s mind these days. She sipped her tea, then rose and gestured for him to follow her into the garden - even now it was in bloom, despite that winter was still heavy in the ground. Following after his mother was easy, second nature, and he did so now as he fell into an easy step next to her. “Which would you choose?”

Anastasia gave a small smile, the roundabout question having the effect she had wanted. Sharp minds would survive, not the most powerful in strength. She looped her hand through Dio’s arm, “I would choose...memories, perhaps. And lose my mind along with it,” she gave a small smile, humming. Anastasia placed her free hand on Dio’s arm, “Listen...can you hear them? The gods. The women of old live in this garden, Dio. Can you see them?” She gifted her son the ability of memory projection, as well as herself, creating a scene in front of them that had been shared for centuries and generations. The pythia of old, Apollo, wrestling a snake – “Can you hear them?”

#diodoros

mirividalis:

She looked at the table, at the spread of nearly fifteen offerings, and she wondered briefly which one was her favourite. Instead, Miri pulled a piece of the bread apart, popping it into her mouth to chew. It was crusty, and good, likely from the bakeries in town. But, it seemed that lunch would have to wait and her gaze darted back to her mother, who was already on her feet. “Now?” She echoed, before standing up, trailing behind. Her phone and belongings stayed at the table, and she felt bare as she followed behind her mother obediently. “What are we doing?”

Anastasia took Miri’s hand, leading her into her study. The many different grimoires and art that had been collected over the centuries of the Delphi coven were collected within it. She stopped at the back of the room, pulling out a small box. Opening it, she took out a ring, ancient as the Pythia that used to roam the temple of Apollo at Delphi. “No matter what happens, you and I shall never be apart. This is something my mother gave me, and I wish for you to have it. In case something happens to me, you will be able to communicate with any of your siblings. Or myself, as I still live and breathe.”

#miri

diodorosxvidalis:

“Don’t lose hope, you are not alone in this, you have me, you will always have me.” Diodoros echoed, she was the strongest of them, the one that they all looked to - the one that he looked to most of all. To hear his mother speak with such despair twisted a knot in his chest, he did not know what he could say to convince her otherwise, what he could do to give her hope once more. Perhaps it would be best if he returned home, at least for a time, his plans with Rion could be put on pause, at least for now. Diodoros was silent a moment as he considered her words, “My thoughts, I have seen what becomes of men who lose their minds, and I would rather create new memories than new thoughts.”

Anastasia listened for his answer, “But would you truly think like that when your memories are gone? Your memories shape you, help you become who you are. Without them, how will you know what is right and wrong? New thoughts can take a lifetime to form memories and understanding.” She stood up now, taking a sip of the tea before setting it down. “That’s good,” she smiled, motioning for Dio to follow her through the garden.

#diodoros

mirividalis:

She offered her mother a small smile, despite the fact that her heart beat raced in her ears. Miri was afraid, and it struck her- should anything happen to Anastasia, that it would be her to have to carry the weight that the other woman had bore for so long, with so much grace. I don’t want it, she wanted to say, to raise her voice above the whisper she allowed to press upon her pillow when she went to sleep in the luxury of the estate. Instead, she took a breath, and the glasses went still. “We were going to have lunch,” Miri said, looking at her worriedly, lips pressed together in a seam. “I’ve heard nothing,” she lied, knowing that there had been whispers of her mother’s slipping grip upon sanity swirling through the city, “The truth will set things in motion, whether that’s good, or bad.”

-

Anastasia had taught all her children to be open minded and headstrong. That was her, when she was Miri’s age. But again, she had placed the well known expectation on her eldest daughter’s shoulders. It had been no secret, and no question from the beginning. She’d always told Miri that if this weight was not one she wanted to carry, she could let her know. “Right...lunch. I picked out your favorite.” Perhaps Miri’s favorite as a child, but Anastasia wasn’t sure, now. Even as her daughter rested safely within their estate, she worried. “We will survive. But there is something we must do. Follow me.”

#miri

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