Ever since she'd met Meredith, Delphine found that she thought less and less on the sentiments of aloneness and solitude because rarely was she alone. Though it was not the kind of bond where they spent every waking hour with one another, they always came back. With mornings and afternoons brimmed with adventure and exploration; nights curled in the kernel of warmth and security knowing that the colt would be there. Even the nightmares faded away. Though she'd never shared with her mirror these thoughts, Delphine was eternally grateful that he'd been born because it was in him that she'd found an internal quietude to placate the unrest of a too delicate psyche.

They'd parted ways, never too far that they would not be able to find another but not so close that they could still hear their hooves upon the earth. It was not unlike them to fasten on to different interests and when they did, it was an unspoken agreement that they would return when their appetites were sated.

The filly was drawn to the tower situated by the entrance of one of the tunnels that led to Orion. Though she'd already seen the throne and centerfold, it was the more reclusive places that she'd yet feast her eyes upon. Not unlike the ceiling of the celestial room, the tower was built of a similar construct. Its glimmering countenance was an instant appeal to Delphine who slowly but surely ascended the stairs, fighting first to make sure her each and every step did not miss and not soon after, climbing more confidently once she was certain she'd gotten the hang of the smaller design. If there was one thing she was already certain of it was that this structure was not made for creatures like herself, it certainly seemed so in the way that her steps awkwardly alighted the slightly upraised stone and how her body craned to fit its angles. It made reaching the top an awarding experience and when she did, the filly was quick to revel in the sight of Orion sprawled before her very eyes.

( @Niru )

i had retreated to the tower, the place i declared my home. though, i was not so foolish to think i could claim this area solely what with all the quickly multiplying gembounds around. but ti was the place i felt safe, the place i could rest and return to. the hoof beats coaxed an ear twitch as i'd been laying on my side, the side unscathed. slowly, a tawny lid slid over jaded lenses to observe a rather large creature standing and observing orion from the tower's highest platform. i wanted to smirk, but these fresh cuts sure did stop me from doing so. begrudgingly, juvenile limbs collected beneath adolescent stature, erecting to a broken, defeated stand. i ached everywhere, unable to actually stand upright. my neck held my head low, although rounded ears were swiveled toward the creature.
"hello there."
i croaked with a raspy, tired voice. still sore from the screaming, still sensitive from the protest.
"is there something i can help you with?"
politely, tones inquired toward the taller creature. i would exchange names soon, however first i needed to make damn certain she didn't plan on attacking. i wasn't sure i could survive an attack so soon. not with my condition. and with the glacial movements, however vigilant they may have been executed, the gashes had opened and began seeping small trickles of blood from certain seams.

@delphine

By nature, Delphine was not a guarded creature. Prior to her encounter with Baratheon, she was oblivious, a child too enamored with a world of what she had thought to be good and good alone. Yet even after the trauma that came after the attack, there was a part of her that always wanted for nothing more than to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. So it came as no surprise that when the voice, raspy and worn at the edges, emitted from on high, the mare did jump but slightly, turning to catch sight of the bestial creature not unlike Usui. More mature, perhaps.

She smiled at his inquiry, immediately soothed by its hospitable tone until her eyes roved his figure, scarred by battle, flesh still torn anew. The scent of blood permeated the space around them and her nose wrinkled taut with distaste. Since the time she herself had acquired her wounds, the mare had come to dislike the taste and scent of blood. Yet even so she was not to forget her manners as the smile returned full-force. "Hello, my name is Delphine. I was just looking around." She replied, her voice swooping in its low dulcet tones. "You're wounded, you should have it tended to."

( @Niru )

the kind delphine offered her appellation, then suggested i dress the wounds which were still admittedly fresh. which, i didn't exactly want to explicitly flaunt these battle wounds, however, she was not wrong in the fact that i should do more to clean them up. i would shrug it off, however i was afraid the action would cause more blood to seep through the fragile scabs, not to mention the pain associated with the gesture. so i merely looked at the foal with a bit of a soft eye and an anxious, though dormant, grin.

"your concern is appreciated, delphine. perhaps you could escort me to the nearest water source? we could bask and chat for a while, if you'll have me."

the invitation was sent out with a loving, moderate tone which still held the ping of adolescence. tufted tassel swung fluidly back and forth in sheer relaxation, having felt no reason to be vigilant or afraid in delphine's presence. though larger, and could probably pack a punch - especially in my condition - i had a pretty good feeling she wasn't as crazy as the beast of cancer's bane. delphine seemed more down to earth, level headed with a kind heart. the edges of my drooping lips then curled upward in a slight grin, forcing the expression upon marred countenance as the fresh cut along the side of my muzzle and atop it still caused for pain and restriction.

@delphine

Predator and prey. What they were was explicit in a way that nature would have commandeered yet they were anything but. As formalities were exchanged in its gentle ebb and flow, Delphine found that she was smiling to herself; softened by his kindness. "Of course, I would be honored to escort you but I'm afraid you will have to lead the way. I know not where Orion hides its water source and I fear there is naught else in the way of helping you mend your wound." Back when she'd been attacked in Eridanus, there was an abundance of water and moss. The former to clean her wounds and the latter to offer some form of salve to prevent the wounds from opening anymore than they already had.

Concern flashed briefly along her shadowed features and she mauled over what could be used in lieu of their lacking resources. "May I ask what inflicted such wounds upon you?" She inquired, curious and in need of more time to contemplate what they could utilize to help with the healing process. Orion was inconvenient in that the place lacked much else outside of rocks and abandoned debris, much of which could not deign to replace nature's amenities. Once more she cast the lion a brief once over before a different realization settled deeply within her, "Is there a name that I may call you by?"

( @Niru )

"there is a small pool of water not far from the tower's base, if i remember correctly,"
i responded, juvenile words laced in a quizzical politeness. she asked what had happened, then for my name. i gave a soft whir of a chortle before replying.
"my name is niru, miss delphine. i'll tell you about how i got these 'lovely' scars while i soak myself."
i gave another chortle, melodious and dripping in the sheer adolescence of me.

i then moved slowly, methodically, down the wind of the stairs. each paw cast forth was stable, surefooted. nothing was haphazard, i couldn't afford it. already, more blood began to trickle from the opened wounds. i checked over my shoulder a few times to see if she was following, though i was certain she most likely would be. that was what we planned, wasn't it? upon reaching the end of the staircase, i saw the glassy reflection of a small pond not far off, and i headed over to make sure it would be suitable for my plans. i observed it for a moment, looking at my face. my now marred face. forever scared, forever gruesome. i frowned, brows furrowing as i looked at the scar across my muzzle, then down the side of it. as i shifted my face, i was able to see the long scar down my neck. the blood seeping from the opened seams. what a horrible sight. i would always look this terrible. not the blood, obviously, but it was explicitly evident what had happened to me - i got my ass kicked.

finally, i dipped a paw in, wading in slowly to adjust to the water temperature as well as keeping a mindful vigilance of my wounds. the puddle reached up to the midsection of my limbs, so this might be just fine for laying in. i proceeded to do so, slowly laying into the liquid as it engulfed the whole of my body save for my neck and shoulders. i'd dunk my face in when my neck wasn't so sore. i winced in pain as i positioned myself to face the direction delphine would be and come from.

"now, about that explanation of my rather unappealing sight,"
i chuckled.
"i was looking for my father. i haven't seen him in some time. so i'm worried about him. though, i'm sure he's fine. it's just nice to know for sure, you know? well, upon my journey, i stumbled on some place.. i think it was monoceros? something like that. there i encountered a beast i'd never seen before. she looked terrible, something horrendous, as if out of a nightmare. she approached me with a rather harsh and rude attitude, and then began to insult my father's honor, his name. i was blinded by rage, and she attacked. we fought, though i was far too foolish to realize i should have just ran the moment she charged me. her three horns scraped against me as i punctured her nose. food for thought - never attack a monster with three horns head-on."
i chuckled again at my own foolishness. i would shake my head, however, the gash up my neck prohibited me from doing so.

@delphine

Delphine's smile only widened. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Niru. Please, lead the way." Her head bobbed as they descended the stairs; the lion a poster child for practiced elegance and she a loud staccato of stutters and halts. Her emerald eyes narrowed considerably, scrutinizing Niru's movements and trying to no avail to implement the same to her own steps. She would not, in spite of her efforts, succeed in assuming some modicum of majesty and so she forsook the notion of it altogether in favor of clomping, as was custom of Delphine.

Intently, she watched and listened to the lion spin a tale of what had come to pass, occasionally flicking a concerned glance to his open wounds and fighting the desire to tend to it herself. Instead she opted for asking a torrent of questions, something that she discovered she had quite a penchant for as she'd done so to both Adeyemi and Baratheon. "How did you lose your father? I've been to Monoceros myself, my friend resides there!" There was no continuity or flow to her statements, merely thoughts that escaped her lips in exactly the chronology of how they'd come to. "I don't recall such a terrible beast there but it sounds horrible, you are fortunate to be alive." She paused, her gaze downcast before she deigned to glance up again. "Would you mind if I came closer? I'd like to see if I can help with your wounds."

( @Niru )

He was misplaced: a familiar stranger beneath his resting niche, whose knowledge of the sprawled debris was nothing but rushed mythology and virgin dreams. Weaved among ancient paradigms, exalted in his awed hymns, and twined to stars, the colt was still so easily just a babe — freshly spilled from obsidian casings, and ignorant of such things as cities and constellations, honour and cause. Though he had felt the freezes of caution and timidity grip his blood, they, too, were mere instinct press; born not of memory and wisdom, but an inherent desire to shy away from all that lived and breathed its own exotic desires. Oh! carnivores, and sanguine spills — in sooth they were odder still than the patterns carved into Orion's walls, and yet closer to his realities, for there was a method to his canter, and the delicate flicks of his ears, though both oft acted of their own accord. Yes, the land was a phantom maze, and its occupants all beasts with excruciating teeth! but his love for it burrowed deeper than the shifts of the earth and the thick of the waters.

So said, and in some matter so thought, Meredith was a curious creature; and neither precocious empathy nor inborn certainty could sway his hooves; nor could the totality of terror's thrown weight lay for long where his heart lie, which neglected all vigilance and discretion. It would be fairer still to say that this particular fear bordered on exhilaration, a kind euphoria invoked upon discovery, and stirred when tales were uttered on even awkward tongues. And for the object of his fervent fascination to lean upon his home and heart soothed any inherent dread he might of felt in the face of such newness, which, in other circumstances, could overwhelm his senses. Truthfully, perhaps it was the seeing of Delphine aid another submerged creature that called to him — she and water's delicate kiss had been among his first touches, and both were dear to him.

And so it could be described that he was shy in his approach; but nothing more, for between the twain of his soul's greatest companions and the youth of his untested limbs any fear diminished; and that even the small tension which had dug into his bones eased when he and Delphine were no longer so far apart. In the presence of another he was more withdrawn, perhaps, all play discarded from him — but one could argue there was a certain amount of propriety, there, to regard a stranger with cordiality rather than jest. Yet this restraint was the only one he knew of, for questions had never been denied from him, nor had the desire for understanding. "Why is the pond red?" he wondered, negligent of the depths with which the mare and the lions' conversation had reached. He looked upon the golden beast, stare only somewhat apologetic, as though he did not understand where his sympathy was born. "Is it you? You're red, as well." He looked to his sable counterpart, as well, silently asking for her opinion of the scene.

@Niru @Delphine

delphine asked to come closer, asked to aid me with my wounds. i was about to answer her when another creature approached. a young one, younger than delphine. but they looked oddly alike. surely not twins? could such a thing be possible in the caves? i observed the duo with a keen and curious eye before speaking.

"not to worry young one, i'm healing. and yes delphine, that would be just fine."

i grinned lightly, looking from the small foal to the other foal.

"and what is your name?"

i'd hoped i wasn't being impolite, but i remained laying in the water as it caressed, cooed, and swooned my wounds.

{short cuz i'm dumb, luh you guys}

@delphine
@meredith

There was never a moment when Delphine was not desirous for Meredith's company and she could not have imagined why such an instance would arise. That was until now. The silence that hung heavily between the horse and the lion was brought to an abrupt halt by the familiar staccato beat of another's arrival. She knew immediately who it was before she even turned around but when her gaze caught with those of Meredith's gun-smoke pair, her heart sunk.

For reasons that were immediately inexplicable to her, Delphine felt an overwhelming need to shield the sight of the wounded lion from her sable counterpart and it was with urgency that she did exactly thus. Too little too late. His inquiry dragged its sharpened edge along the surface of her flesh, carving bone and piercing her soul. Her breath lodged in her throat and in one fell movement, Delphine had forced herself firmly between Meredith and Niru. "It's nothing." She whispered, her gaze fixated to the floors where her heart surely squirmed and writhed. "Turn your eyes away, Mer." How devastating the taste of failure along her tongue. How wretched the agony that lanced through her entire being. She felt as if she'd allowed her friend to be corrupted by something too cruel and dark for such kind eyes to see and if she'd reacted faster, this would never have occurred. Suddenly there seemed to be nothing she could say or do; no greeting for dear Meredith, no response to Niru's permission.

In a movement that was more automated than natural, Delphine turned with her body still effectively blocking what it could from her companion's sight while allowing her the leeway to examine the lion's wounds. "You'll need a salve to keep your wounds closed." She mused before reaching forward to run her muzzle along the bloodied gashes, washing and examining the severity. Indeed, it would be negligible to leave things as they were but it also seemed impossible otherwise when they were so lacking in resources. "Is there any moss or grass around here?" Delphine inquired.