What do you get when two ruthless assassins raise their daughter travelling through the wildest reaches of Caido? Take one look at Theea and you'll get a pretty good idea. Cheerful and tenacious in equal measure, and curious beyond all else, she began her journey on a mission to find those her mother once called family. And find them she did, soon rubbing elbows with demigods, leaders and even ghosts from the past. Her determination is resolute, her thirst for knowledge unmatched. We can't wait to see where her next adventure takes her!
Congratulations, Theea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
Glaring at a petulant Pip, Koa shakes his head. "You can stay out here, but I'm going inside before my toes freeze off." The dragonling screeches a final retort, but it's too late: Koa has already turned around to head inside, because fuck it's cold and he's not spending another second outside. With a belch of smoke at his retreating form Pip returns to her task of burrowing in snow, ready to jump out and bite the ankles of unsuspecting passers by.
The interior of the small coffee shop is welcomingly warm; Koa sighs contentedly at the environmental shift. Shrugging off his heavy coat, he finds his way into the line, placing an order for a latte and finding an empty space to stand and wait. There's a small crowd gathered near the back; curious, the Dragoon peers in deeper, wondering what the fuss is about.
Turning to a nearby woman, Koa smiles before jutting his head toward the filling seats. "Hey, you know what's going on?" He's entirely missed the sign on the wall just behind his head - the one that promises Madame Melodia's Future Forecast!, followed by details on the fortune teller and her promises of 100% accurate readings, channeled from Ludo itself!
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
Another patrol down, thought Rhi as she stood in the coffee shop, waiting for her latte. She still wore her uniform, though the casual way she stood as she waited indicated that she was no longer working. Still, she eyed the crowd gathered at the back, equal parts amused and suspicious. It wasn't uncommon for fortune telling to be a front for a pickpocketing ring, and though Rhi doubted that such a group would operate well in such a small space, one could never be too careful.
A male voice interrupted her perusal of the crowd, and she gave the stranger a cursory glance before turning her attention back to the crowd. "There's a fortune teller that pops up around town every now and again," she explained, snorting derisively at the practice. "I guess she's set up here today." Satisfied that no pickpockets were currently at work, Rhi turned her attention to the stranger, raising a brow with a mocking smile. "Fancy getting yours read?"
No one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad
A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
A fortune teller? Koa raises an eyebrow in response, his lips quirking into a crooked half-smile. Now that he's paying more attention he sees that, yes, the woman is shrouded in a suspicious number of shawls, each adorned with a metallic motif that clashes against the others. "Ahhh, of course. The crystals should have been a giveaway." They're scattered intentionally all over the table, facets glittering in the firelight.
Turning more fully to the woman beside him, Koa takes in her appearance in full. She's a Shield, he realizes, earning a mild double take, his smile growing broader at the mockery in hers. "I dunno - knowing your future, doesn't it take the fun out of things? Ruins the surprise?"
Though hell, maybe a little foresight might have saved him a helluva lot of heartache, these past couple of years.
A barista calls his name - 'Koa!' - and he scoots around the Shield toward where his coffee waits. "Tell you what. I'll get mine if you get yours, officer." Picking up his latte, Koa winks, mischief glittering in his copper eyes. He shouldn't be flirting, but she's pretty and Halovian and therefore safe, and fuck it, he deserves a little treat.
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
The stranger looked the fortune teller over, commenting on the crystals and earning a laugh from Rhiannon, who coughed to cover it as the woman looked their way. She may not believe in fortunes, but that didn't mean she wanted to offend a Halovian citizen while in uniform.
She was about to respond to the stranger when a barista called out, "Koa!" and he stepped around her to retrieve his cup. Her own order wasn't far behind, and the barista yelled, "Rhiannon!" The Shield brushed past Koa, intentionally leaning into his space with a sidelong glance. Two could play at the flirtation game. "Bet you ten silver she tries to tell us we're a couple," she said with a grin, mischief in her dark eyes that mirrored Koa's copper. "But sure, you're on."
With that, she led the way to the small line that had formed, waiting their turn to get their fortunes told. As they waited for the fortune teller to finish with her current victim client, Rhi turned to Koa with a raised brow. "So, what brings you to Halo?" she asked, sipping on her latte as she shoved her free hand into her pocket.
No one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad
12-02-2024, 12:16 PM (This post was last modified: 12-02-2024, 12:17 PM by Koa.)
A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
Sleeves brush; he bumps his shoulder against hers, accepting the game with a smirk. "That doesn't seem like a bet in my favor," the Dragoon counters with a grin of his own, very much aware of how she's moved into his space.
Still, he follows her toward the line, using their scheming and the small space as an excuse to stay within murmuring range. "Is it that obvious I'm not from here?" he asks with a chuckle, relishing the warmth of the mug on his cold hands. Taking a sip, he thinks about how best to answer. "I was visiting the Warden. He invited me to join the monster hunter's guild." No need to go into the rest of it - Family concerns, Sunjata infected, a brewing coup in his home. "Figured I'd stick around for a bit, given how rarely I come this way. Plus, my dragon loves the snow." Ah, yes, the casual drop of a dragon companion. Classic move. Very suave.
The line moves, and Koa again nudges Rhi's shoulder, inclining his head. "Looks like we're up, dear. Care to lead the way?"
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
Rhi grinned in response. At least the man was smart enough to know when he'd lose a bet - something that not everyone could say around here. But she was game for having a little fun, especially at the fortune teller's expense. Everyone knew that most of them were no better than thieves, anyway.
Once in line, Rhi shifted her weight to one hip as they waited their turn. "Just a guess," she told Koa. "I didn't recognize you, and I have an eye for faces. I'd remember yours, if I'd seen you around before," she added with a cheeky wink. Koa was handsome - she wasn't blind. And it had been too long since she'd had a little flirtatious fun.
But before she could dig more into why he was here (handsome and on good terms with Deimos - her day was getting better by the minute), they found themselves at the front of the line. "Oh, thanks, love," she purred, sashaying her way to one of the seats in front of the fortune teller. The woman was bedecked in colorful silks and dangling crystals, and it was all Rhi could do not to roll her eyes as the fortune teller looked between her and Koa with a knowing smile.
No one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad
A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
He doesn't not watch the way she sashays, silently admiring the soldier's poise and confidence in her body as she saunters toward the seer. Gentlemanly to the last, Koa pulls out Rhi's chair with a grin and a wink before settling down into his own.
"Ah, young romance!" the scarfed woman chuckles in a knowing voice as the pair settles in, baubles jingling as she spreads her arms expansively toward them. "Welcome, welcome! You have come to learn the future of your relationship, yes?" She nods agreement with her own assessment, overly made-up face affecting an expression of beatific calm. "Here, darlings, take my hands - and each other's, of course!"
Glancing sidelong at Rhiannon , Koa shrugs before placing his left hand in the fortune teller's clammy one, the right offered to his new compatriot. As the circle closes the woman sighs, as though some mystic force had come into balance. "Yes, that's it. I can feel the strength of your bond, sweetlings." Her eyes drift closed, and Koa takes the opportunity to raise his brows at Rhi, mouthing 'Our bond,' with a mischievous grin.
Opening her eyes again, the woman looks to Rhi. "Tell me, soldier, how long have you two been a pair?"
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
Rhiannon sat in the proffered chair with a sickly sweet smile, batting her lashes at Koa, her dark eyes dancing with mischief. To an outsider, she would appear to be a young woman in love. To Koa? Well, if he could see past their ruse, he would find a wicked humor underneath. The fortune teller was too chatty, not even allowing them to get a word in before she was instructing them to take each others' hands, creating a sort of circle between them. She placed her right hand into the fortune teller's, then took Koa's hand, and gasped theatrically at the strength of their bond.
Forcing herself not to snicker at Koa's mischievous grin, Rhiannon fluttered her lashes demurely in the young man's direction. "Oh, it's new," she tittered with a shy little giggle, every inch the maiden in love. "It's been a month today," she added proudly, as though such a milestone was somehow noteworthy.
No one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad
A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
His hand tingles where it touches Rhi's, little shocks of electricity sparking joyfully between them. The declaration that today is one month has Koa's eyes briefly widening, but he's quick enough to play along, letting an adoring smile break across his face. "That's right - I promised to bring her for our monthiversary," he croons, for all intents and purposes the adoring, love-struck new boyfriend overeager to please his mate. His eyes turn wicked as he adds: "Anna here loves all things occult." Turning back to the old woman, he offers a bashful shrug. "It's all a bit too mysterious for me, but I'm willing to try anything for my Annie-bear."
The sharp-eyed fortune teller takes this all in with a sagacious nod, humming under her breath. Koa gives her a moment before pressing: "So what do the spirits say? Are we gonna last?" He affects his best puppy dog eyes, leaning forward toward the woman with an eagerness that's only partially feigned, though in no part based on any actual belief in her powers.
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
01-02-2025, 05:50 PM (This post was last modified: 03-01-2025, 02:05 PM by Rhiannon.)
Rhiannon
Well, at least Koa was talented. Rhi's gaze turned appreciatively towards the dragoon, her eyes crinkling with mirth as he played along. She giggled again, the sound strange and foreign on her tongue, even as she almost gagged at the false nickname. Gods, if anyone called their partner 'Annie-bear,' she honestly pitied them. It was almost enough for her to end their little ruse then and there.
Almost, but not quite.
She made a show of squeezing Koa's hand. "Of course, we are," she insisted. Then, as though wanting confirmation, she looked to the fortune teller. "Right?"
The odious woman hummed again, consulting a crystal ball that sat on the table before her. I see... she began. I see a strong bond. Yes, I think you have the potential to go far together. At that, Rhi beamed at the fortune teller. "See?" she told Koa. "I told you." The fortune teller smiled. Yes, yes. A beautiful future awaits you. You will find somewhere special that's just for the two of you.
fin
No one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad
