Noah De Luca

Nineteen Class of '15 Shifter First shift: Prairie Dog

[jennythegoodwitch]

"... Oh! I am so sorry, I was totally zoned out. What did you say?" @havensdalestarters

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah sighed, "Nothing. Forget it."

[itsquinnvalentine]

if it wasn't for noah convincing her to stick with him for safety, quinn would've already been out the door and likely right into the nearest form of trouble that could find her. he was right, they were safer together, even if she would've preferred him staying indoors for his own safety. she could feel her cheeks heat up at how close he was standing to her, leaning past her to the door. gearing up for their search, quinn nodded.

following closely behind, she opted for a green jay and followed his lead. she wasn't as skilled in the air but skilled enough to keep up and get her from point a to point b in one piece. she kept an eye out for her sister through each of the flybys but there was no luck and that didn't settle the worry. maybe she was at joey's and they could all laugh about this in a less danger filled time. quinn shifted as she landed, looking over to check to see if he was okay. "deal. if she's not at joey's or jesse's then we head back. we shouldn't be out here long" determined to find isabel, quinn walked on until she found herself at joey's half opened door. she gave a knock out of courtesy, peeking her head in to see if anyone was around. "joey? izzy? anyone around?" she called out, venturing into the home and walking around to see if anyone was present. something about it didn't feel right, she didn't like the feeling it was giving her. it was too quiet. not just empty house quiet, eerily quiet. the feeling screamed bad. it screamed get out. her eyes reached the top of the stairs and she slowly reached her hand out to him, her voice hushed "noah...no sudden movements..."

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah didn't like that Quinn had gone on ahead of him, but he supposed that any danger would be coming from behind and not from inside Joey Salvatore's home. It was against all of his natural instincts to be the one in the path of danger, but somehow it still made him feel better to know that any attack would likely reach him before it got to her–and he would be damned if he was going to let anything touch her. Still half watching the street, Noah followed her into the Salvatore home, not loving how quiet it was. Where were his parents? And Keith? Didn't they also have a toddler? He felt her hand reach for his before her words registered. Turning his attention to the top of the stairs, his heart dropped.

His grip tightened on the hand that had reached back for him and he slowly pulled Quinn back. "Behind me." He whispered, sounding a lot more confident than he felt as his eyes remained locked on the huge dark brown wolf at the top of the staircase. The movement was enough to catch their attention, but it wasn't until Noah took a step back that it lunged down the stairs towards them. He didn't even think before pulling Quinn from behind him to push her further into the house as the wolf collided with him, and sent him flying backwards into the garden. Noah screamed in pain as the wolf's claws tore into him as it landed on top of him, and he was sure he would've lost his head in that moment if another growl hadn't sounded from over the fence.

Noah's head dropped to the side to see Thomas Willows–was he yelling something about Joey?–and the wolf pushed off of him, disappearing from his line of view. He thought Thomas might have said more–not to him, but maybe to Quinn?–Quinn. His attention left the other wolf that he had barely even said 'hello' to in the past and tried to focus on the figure in the doorway. "Quinn! Quinn, are you–... Did you–... Okay?" He needed to know she was safe, but he had never experienced pain like this. His shifter abilities would already be kicking in to heal him, but they weren't like the other supernaturals; it would take time. "Quinn?"

[itsquinnvalentine]

once again noah made an intelligent point. what would isabel think of her running out and risking her safety to find her? "quinn knew she'd likely "i'm sure i'll get a lecture over it but knowing she's safe is worth it" she knew she was being stubborn and being the bane of noah's existence right now and for that she'll apologise to him later, but she wasn't going to change her mind. quinn was ready to argue with him about how she needed him to stay safe, but the words died on her lips. "we go together" she gave a nod of her head, steeling herself to head back outside "i'm no pro but it's good enough to get me from place to place. okay, thank you noah. it means a the world. if we can't find her then we can head back but i need to at least try"

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah was sure he would never understand this insane need people had to put themselves in danger for the sake of other people, but he wasn't going to question her on it–nor would he be thinking too long on why, despite his mindset, he was willing to do the same to make sure Quinn was safe. "Okay. As long as it keeps you off the ground, that's fine by me." It would be a simple mission with minimal risk, so long as they stuck with the plan. "Thank me when I get you back home." He almost reached out to touch her arm, but instead leaned past her to open the door. "Stay close."

And with that, he shifted into a blue jay and flew into the sky. Despite wanting to take the most direct route to Joey's house, Noah made sure to loop past the more congested areas of Havensdale just in case Isabel really was out here somewhere. He even navigated through two of the three forests, but there was no sign of her. Finally reaching Joey's street, Noah swooped down and landed in his human form, noting that things seemed a little too quiet as he waited for Quinn to land beside him. "I say we check with Joey first, then go next door to Jesse's in case she's with Faye, and then we get out of here. Okay?"

[its-justcooper]

"Check it out... You'll never see me in a shirt so nice again, alright? Felicity Montgomery's turnin' this town upside down and I don't know what ice sculpture I'm supposed to give my thanks to. But hey, a party's a party I always say. How you doin', anyways?" @havensdalestarters

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah's attention snapped back to Chuck somewhere around him mentioning the ice sculptures and it was fairly obvious that he hadn't been paying attention to his friend. After running into Veronica, his head had been all over the place and he was constantly trying to find her again in this oversized ballroom. "What? Yeah, I'm fine. You? What's with the shirt?"

[erxcacruz]

"That... is a lot of people." @havensdalestarters

[n-oahdeluca]

In all honesty, Noah wasn't all that interested in big town-wide gatherings, but he never missed a single one. He might now have a wife and a son to focus his attention on, but he would drop everything for just one glimpse of her–anything to know that she was safe... that she was happy. Veronica never did seem to leave the house anymore though, so all events would lead to him hanging with his school friends and returning to his reality. He loved Bex, he really did, but thoughts of his dearest friend and how quickly everything changed had him in knots.

He was quickly giving up hope that this would be the event that she would finally make an appearance, when her quiet voice reached his ears. "Roni?"

[n-oahdeluca]

It’s Noah De Luca - 1999 edition!

Name: Noah De Luca Age: 27 years old Species: Shifter Occupation: Photographer Hometown: Havensdale Valley, CT FC: Milo Ventimiglia

Noah De Luca has never tried to be cool, he just is. He just has that effortless charisma, that quiet intrigue, that… incredible leather jacket, like, OMG! So cool. Anyway, Noah doesn’t do labels or anything like that, he just does what he wants and says what he thinks. Whatever.

Growing up in Havensdale was a lot. The whole ‘small town’ happy-go-lucky community of it was annoying (still is), but it’s home. It’s where he always thought he’d raise a family, one day. Noah’s life might not have gone exactly to plan, but he’s making it work.

If there’s one thing he regrets, one secret he keeps, it’s letting Veronica Cruz push him away. It’s letting her go. It’s… never saying what he might have said to her, back when things could have been different. Just… Nevermind, okay?

Anyway, he’s here tonight and ready to have a chill time!

Notable Connections:

Noah De Luca (Jr.): his son, aged 2.

Bex De Luca: his lovely wife.

Chuck Cooper: his #1 best friend! @its-justcooper

Ethan McArthur, Larry Manning & Robert Wilson: the other cool boysTM, they’ve gotta stick together. @broho-jesse, @ty-manning, @robbie-wilson-hih

Veronica Cruz-Olivera: Veronica was his dearest friend… or something… their whole lives. They were just–anyway. She got married, he got married. She got isolated and different, and he just misses her. @erxcacruz

[itsquinnvalentine]

it was a logical thought process compared to quinn's panicked one. "maybe. i don't know..." she trailed off, trying to weigh up her options. it wasn't like she was exactly enthusiastic about braving the outside again after what they had gone through to get here. what noah was suggesting was the smart thing to do. they could wait it out and search in the morning, but that was a long time to wait in limbo. "what if she's out there? she's the only family i have. i know she's smart and she's probably inside somewhere but it's that what if feeling" quinn listened to the howling outside as if warning her to stay indoors "noah, you've done more than enough for me. i won't let you to risk your safety over me again...you should stay"

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah's brow furrowed at her statement of Isabel being the only family she had–maybe he should be more concerned about the fact that the only family he had could be out there somewhere too. "And how do you think she would feel if something happened to you while you were out there looking for her?" His voice had raised a few octaves, but it was clearly from frustration, not anger. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I won't let you risk your safety for anyone. We go together or not at all." There was no chance he was letting her out of his sight tonight. "How's your flying? We stay off the ground, head to Joey's, and check out other locations from above on the way. Okay?"

[itsquinnvalentine]

she didn't have time to think about his reaction to her answer, the panic had well and truly taken over at the lack of isabel being present and accounted for. okay, so noah didn't have his phone, hers wasn't working and isabel was god only knows where. okay, cool. yeah, time to panic. not giving much more thought to her lack of options, quinn headed towards the front door. "i have to go, what if she's hurt?" she couldn't leave isabel but she couldn't let noah risk his safety either. fair enough if she went out and there were consequences to that, but she couldn't drag him into it. "you need to stay here while i go. i'd never forgive myself if something bad happened to her or you."

[n-oahdeluca]

"What if she's just with her boyfriend?" Noah retorted, convinced that she wouldn't have just been wandering outside. "She's a shifter like us, so it's not like she's completely helpless. I'm sure she got inside as soon as that weird quake happened. Just like we did–just like we should stay." His brow furrowed. Noah didn't want her going out there, but she was completely insane if she thought he would be staying behind if she did. He didn't know if Isabel was in trouble–in all honesty, he didn't entirely care if she was–but If Quinn went out by herself then she would be and that... well, that he did care about. "You really think I'm going to let you go on a wild goose chase alone?"

[itsquinnvalentine]

quinn couldn't help but smile when she saw noah's "well...yeah. why wouldn't i worry about you?" she asked not understanding what possible reason he could have that he would think she wouldn't worry about him. in her good conscience, she couldn't let noah brave that journey home after curfew with whatever was going on outside.

"we do. though even if we didn't, this place is big enough for us to avoid one another and never cross paths if we chose to." thank god they weren't like that. it was lonely enough in town at times that she didn't dare dream having to do any of it without her twin. that thought had began to add to the rising stress levels she was feeling. where was isabel? "right, try phone" she nodded, patting down her pockets. pulling out her phone, she sighed, of course there was no signal. "nothing. do you have anything? i have to go find her"

[n-oahdeluca]

Why wouldn't she worry about him? The question was making him feel all fuzzy, but was now really the time for that? He could see the panic rising in her over her sister and part of him was silently cursing Isabel for not keeping Quinn updated on where she was. Weren't people supposed to leave notes on fridges for situations like this? "I, um... I don't have my phone on me." No one was ever in a rush to contact him, so Noah had got into the habit of leaving it at home most days. He wasn't sure where his train of thought had planned to go after that, but hearing those words had his heart pounding. "What? No, you can't go back out there." It was his turn to panic now.

[itsquinnvalentine]

noah may have only intended to walk her home but there was no way she had any intention of letting him try to go home when they had barely made it to her place in one piece. one close call was enough in her book. "sorry, i know i should ask but i don't want you to get hurt" she said, looking down at her feet "i think it would be safer"

the place was quiet, too quiet. she expected isobel to be home by now. quinn looked around, confused why her sister wouldn't be home yet. for the first time, it became apparent to her just how big the open space of the home was when there was no people or music filling the area. her attention returned to noah when he asked a question "hm? oh, yeah, they're outside. it's just isobel and i." it was bothering her now that there was no sign of her twin. "it shouldn't be, izzy should be here."

her brow furrowed and quinn moved to check the downstairs rooms to see if maybe isobel just missed hearing her arrive home, but nothing. it looked like she wasn't home, and suddenly she became very hyperaware that she was alone with noah. "she should be home"

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah couldn't stop himself from smiling when she said that, "You're worried about me?" When was the last time anyone had given a shit about him? "You're probably right." He added, moving past his own question and what it might mean if she said she was. Frankly, he was glad she had pulled him inside because he wasn't sure he would've been too happy to find out that he had left her here alone.

"Good thing the two of you like each other." Noah couldn't even begin to imagine what his life would look like if he had a sibling, but he expected it would be tedious and not worth the irritation. His brow furrowed, seeing the panic slowly rising in her as she searched the downstairs rooms for Isabel. Shifter hearing wasn't exactly as amplified as a vampire or werewolf, but he wasn't hearing anyone else in this building. "Do you have a signal? Can you try calling her? Maybe she's with her boyfriend?"

[itsquinnvalentine]

catching his gaze, quinn nodded her head and returned the squeeze on his hand "i've got you too" the reassurance from him was more than enough to ease her nerves about the curfew and the dark of night looming closer. her senses were on red alert, she couldn't let anything happen to him. it wasn't an option.

people were moving at a faster pace than before, the daunting reality of a night outdoors snapping them into action, each frantically trying to find a place for safety. "we've not got far to go" they were so close to the house now, she could see it in the distance. feeling his hand squeeze hers kept her calm and was keeping her grounded during the chaos of it all. as much as she would love to stay and help people, it wasn't the top of her priority list - noah was.

arriving at her door had her feeling like the stress was leaving her shoulders. "could you imagine if i didn't?" she chuckled, not daring to even think about it. begrudgingly letting go of his hand, quinn reached up to unclasp her necklace, home key dangling on the chain. putting the key into the door, she shoved it open and wasted no time in grabbing his hand again and pulling noah inside, slamming the door shut and letting out a sigh of relief. howls beginning outside, she looked over at him "i think you're stuck here for the time being."

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah let out a nervous laugh, shaking his head at the prospect that she might not have had her key. When her hand left his, he found himself flexing his fingers at his side, entirely unsure of what to do with it now that it wasn't holding on to her. He was preparing himself to leave, satisfied that he had managed to get her home safely, "Okay, well I'll–..." When her hand was back in his and he was unceremoniously being pulled into her house.

One corner of his lips pulled into a half smile as he watched her push the door shut, giving him no option for escape–not that he would ever be looking for one. "Yeah, I guess I am." His eyes glanced around the entrance hall, very aware of how empty the place seemed to be. The only times he had ever stepped foot into the Valentine home was during their town-wide balls and extravagant birthday parties; he'd never been here when no one else was.

"Your parents are stuck outside the dome, right?" Noah assumed that was the case for his own mother too, but he couldn't be sure that she had managed to find her way out. Sometimes he wished his dad had just left with her. "Is it just us here?"

[itsquinnvalentine]

she was going to say something but the sentence died on her lips when she realised how close to his face she was. she hadn't been this close to him since prom but this felt different.

the thudding in her chest was faster than she was able to control. sure, the town crashing down around them had given her a fright but she wasn't looking at that right now, she was looking at him. rhythmic sounds of pulses, drumming faster than normal but close enough to be in time with one another. it was right there for her ears to pick up. then the thought dawned on her...if she could hear it, then so could he.

the idea seemed far less dangerous coming from noah. they keep moving and they'll be there. simple, right? and yet apprehension caused her to pause. she wondered if he had sensed her uncertainty when he had outstretched his hand to her. "just keep moving" quinn nodded, trusting his judgement and took his hand...for safety.

walking through the town had shocked her at just how much damage had been done in such a brief moment of time. they passed other residents while on route to the valentine home, some worse for wear than others and with the night creeping in everyone seemed to be in the same mindset of get inside before curfew. "we don't have much time"

[n-oahdeluca]

As her fingers entwined with his, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, sensing her worry. "Hey... I've got you." He kept his eyes on her for a moment longer before turning his attention back to their surroundings, keeping an eye out for anything from werewolves to structurally unsound buildings. Noah wasn't the heroic type; he had no desire to throw himself into danger or risk his life for anyone–but he'd do it for her.

The people they passed by had very little effect on him. Selfish as it may be, he couldn't care less about checking that they were okay. He needed to get Quinn home–where she would be safe–and if these people were just going to sit in the street complaining about a few cuts and bruises, it wasn't on him to protect them from wolves.

"We're almost there. If we need to, we can shift." He squeezed her hand again and increased their speed a fraction. They just needed to get to the Valentine home, he could drop her off, and then he would figure out the fastest way to get out of there. They turned on to her street without any trouble, but he was still on edge as he got her to the front door. "See? We're good." Noah smiled at her before glancing at his watch. It was past curfew now, but the wreckage of the town seemed to be taking precedence. "Please tell me you have your key." A small laugh escaped him as he became all too aware that he was still holding her hand.

[itsquinnvalentine]

noah offering to walk her home brought on that familiar giddy feeling that was reserved only for him. while she wasn't sold on the possibility that he would get himself into trouble because he was walking her home, she relented, opting to enjoy his company over the thought of curfews.

quinn felt like the ground was threatening to collapse under her feet when she felt the earth shake. struggling to keep her balance, she reached for noah. his thinking quicker than hers in the moment, she clung onto his shirt when he had had got them against the nearest wall for some safety and stability. the town hadn't stood a chance against whatever force mother nature had thrown at them. buildings crumbling along with the chorus of people calling out for their loved ones. "i-i'm okay" she confirmed, visibly shaken "are you okay?"

if there was one thing she was sure of it was that she didn't want to wait around to see if there was going to be any aftershocks. "we need to get out of the open" they were sitting ducks while debris was still landing around them "mine isn't far from here, do you think we could make it if we make a break for it?"

[n-oahdeluca]

Being this close to Quinn, it was hard enough for Noah to try to form a coherent thought, but on top of that, her hands were clutching his shirt and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Okay, so they had danced together at prom years ago, but that had been a formal, respectful distance at a chaperoned event. This was... different. Air released from his lungs in shaky breaths as he looked down at her, one hand supporting them against the wall and the other... when did it end up on her waist?

Noah licked his suddenly parched lips before responding, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine." He stood for a moment longer, too aware of her hands on his shirt and the lack of space between them. His shifter senses could hear her heart racing, undoubtedly at the fright of the ground shaking, but his was pounding for an entirely different reason and he wondered if she would be able to hear the difference.

With great difficulty, Noah finally pushed off the wall and away from Quinn, suddenly capable of intaking oxygen. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we can make it there." He nodded, looking ahead of them. "Just keep moving and we'll be there in no time." Starting to walk, he held out his hand to her. It probably wasn't necessary, but it would make him feel better to know they wouldn't easily be split up.

[itsquinnvalentine]

she had lost track of time and was trying speed walk her way home before curfew. it was getting a little too close for comfort and she knew that she'd never hear the end of it if she was late home.

"noah, hi" quinn smiled brightly at the arrival of noah, slowing her pace to walk alongside him "i'd love some company, but don't you have to get home?"

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah's ability to speak was momentarily hindered when she smiled at him. He had caused that smile; how was that even possible? His reflected smile was just as bright as he waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll be fine." He absolutely would not be fine, especially if Piper was anywhere around, but he supposed he could fly home. Shocking even himself, he knew he would rather make sure Quinn was okay. "What ha-..."

Before he could finish his question, the ground beneath them shook and he stumbled into her. Quick to react, Noah pulled Quinn against him and backed them against the nearest wall. "What the hell was that?" He looked around, already spotting signs of the carnage and hearing the yelling of confused Havensdalers. Turning back to her, alarmingly aware of how close their faces were, he asked, "Are you okay?"

[n-oahdeluca]

Noah had been on his way home, when he spotted Quinn on the other side of the street, alone. He glanced down at his watch, though he had already known it was getting pretty close to curfew. Here's the thing: Noah lives in a completely different section of Havensdale to Quinn, but the thought that she might not make it home on time set him on edge. Self-preservation was built into his DNA, but if anything happened to her...

Without hesitation, Noah crossed the street, appearing at her side. "Hey, you." His smile was bright, doing what he could to hide his nerves- at being out so late and also from being near her. "Need some company?"

@itsquinnvalentine

[its-justcooper]

Cooper seamlessly took the beer from Noah, opened it and lazily cheers'd it against his. He took a long, unsatisfactory drink and turned Noah's words over in his head. He was right. This place was totally fucked. "I hate it here. The least these assholes could do is burn the place down while they're causing all this shit."

[n-oahdeluca]

"Well, the school's a start, I suppose." Noah took a swig of his beer before dropping his head back on to the sofa. "My mom had the right idea." He still wasn't sure how she had managed to get out of this town, but did she even consider for a second that he might have wanted to go with her? "Pretty sure a vampire was making eyes at me the other day. That's about as exciting as it gets."

[piperbites]

Piper relaxed her face, soften her smile, as his heart rate sped up. What a silly little lamb... "Well, that can be arranged. You might want to think about raising that bar, though." She turned his question over in her head. What did she want? To see if he might ask 'how high' if she asked him to jump? "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."

[n-oahdeluca]

Again, his brow furrowed. What the hell was she getting at? "You're asking me what I want?" She was toying with him, she had to be. In all his life, he couldn't recall a time when someone had actually asked him what he wanted. Why would Piper care? No one else did. Noah was about to say something along those lines, but there was something in the way she was looking at him that made him hesitate. "I don't know." A lie. He knew exactly what he wanted; power. He wanted to stop grasping for threads of approval from people that didn't matter. He wanted to not be afraid anymore. But how lame it would be to confess that to her.