[ME] save forever for me

Hotaru

It may never be truly cordial - certainly not in the current season - but Hotaru’s smile glows warmer to see Ronin lift his empty hand in an echo of her own gesture. She’ll never cease to respect him, no matter the strangeness of it from the outside. She’s happy for them - both of them. And they all have many thanks to give for the love between the two. Not just for how it has shaped the history of Caido but for its culmination leading to tonight’s return of lost souls. Remi and his all-knowing gaze can surely see the sentiment as it flickers, naked and vulnerable in the wake of Rexanna’s presence ripping down the veils she normally hides behind. When his eyes meet hers she takes the quiet understanding she finds there to provide just enough strength to slip air back into her lungs and ground beneath her feet. Her raised glass lowers, but her smile is smaller and full of gratitude when she breaks Remi’s gaze to find Melita’s.

“No no darling, I’m saying you’re allergic to other people’s emotions. I know you have plenty of your own - they’re not exactly subtle.” She grins at Melita in a way that’s all vixen teeth and approval for the Honeybee’s loud, honest nature.

Not unlike the nature of her daughter - and her son, happily towed in Flora ‘s wake. Hotaru’s arm comes gracefully around the Doubletake, long hair trailing sunlight across the living blossoms that press between them, sweeping Enzo into her other arm to cradle them both. Each one granted a hand that sweeps through their hair, fixing misplaced curls and stray particles of sand. She balances their weight fully, allowing the twins to rest bodily on her as if they’re babes again. Such are the benefits of godliness. “It is, isn’t it? Your fathers will be insufferable,” she sighs mournfully, hiding her smile by dropping a kiss on each twin’s forehead. “You’re lucky your sister has more brain than you Enzo. A hello at the end of the night? There’s no excuse for poor manners, not - even - being dead.” She cuts pointedly and preemptively through his rising voice, petulance crushed with a wry, lifted brow.

But she is not immune to how tonight feels. Flora’s peace harmonizes with her own, and the Valkyrie brings her children closer still so she can bend her head between them, concealing the tiny diamonds on her lashes that betray her overwhelmed heart. “I love you both so very, very much. I am so proud to be your mother - and so happy to have you both here tonight.” The Valkyrie murmurs her love into the trio of their tilted heads, placing idle kisses on any piece she can reach.

Flora had it right. It really is a perfect night.

through her, in a rush of musk and saffron
beauty falls into disarray

Evie

In your arms I understand all at once

That my life has been building me up to us

Does she want to know? Well, it’s too late. The big knowing part that is. And there’s really no avoiding it, right? It’s a kindness that she and Deimos can’t both tap into the Attuned bond because surely it would be a feedback loop of emotional spiraling fit for medal placement if they could. “I wouldn’t have wanted to before now, but since I know she’s really gone now…it only leaves more questions now that she’s here. Questions I can’t say no to as certainly or as easily.” For their newness if nothing else. 

It feels unfair - even somehow selfish - to be in the small group of people more taken aback and put on the back foot by the return of lost souls instead of purely appreciative. Especially during a loving celebration of such a meaningful milestone for an even more meaningful couple. Whether it’s the keen awareness of that or some dusty, old sentiment from Wordsworth days breathing down her neck, it forces a stiff smile on Evie’s face. 

“No matter what, it’s only one night. We know it’s survivable for that alone.” That’s more than they’ve ever been able to say before when faced with looming threats of this size. This one is just more…human-shaped. Emotional. And therefore stands to hurt or heal them to greater degrees than any physical alternatives. But she can’t contend with that right now when she’s trying to put on a brave face. Or maybe even just figure out what in the gods’ names she’s actually feeling. 

Squeezing Deimos’ hands, Evie leans up to kiss him and prays they’ll walk away from this with more healing having occurred than hurt. It’s a low bar maybe, but a meaningful one. This opportunity - good or bad - won’t come again. They need to face it while it’s here.

In your hands I am mine, you take me to myself
The tenses I knew now they bring me to you

Enzo

Enzo goes anywhere Flora does - though he gives her some private time with Vervain because well, he gets their nonna all the time (#favoritechild…byvirtueofdeath). Not that he goes far. Too many unfamiliar (and therefore boring) faces, and far too many of them tearstained or beaming. He tries to check in on Mateo but his brother is still tangling with forces beyond his control, bless his heart, so it’s not long before Flora snags him back up. Next time, fratello.

“Aw man, it’s not fair I can still be grounded or cold-shoulder’d even in Mort’s realm. I can’t control the passage of time, not my fault it’s nearly over!” he moans dramatically, as if he isn’t grateful for the extra time he gets on this plane that all these other people don’t. Perks of being a nepo baby though. But heavy is the head that wears the crown - time to try and love up on his mom in the final hour and try not to have either of them feel rushed. 

But their mom - radiant, happier even than the last time he saw her - is a golden willow that bends and grows around them, pulling them in as easily as gravity. Just as impossible to fight against too, with how she cuts off his protests before they can even leave his tongue. Enzo pouts for all of a moment, because it can’t last much longer than that with his twin and his mom so thoroughly flooding his senses. 

Reaching around both of them - still bigger than them even with all the years of growth he lost out on - Enzo holds tight and only twists his head to find Remi in the distance. He’d said his hellos already, but goodbyes are so much harder when the Bastion is a key host of this shindig. Still, he mouths ‘I love you’ just in case his dad is any good at reading lips. 

And to Flora and Hotaru he says it properly - since someone had made a point about manners. “I love you too. All of you. And I’m always going to - no matter where I am.” He holds them both tighter and reminds himself to ask Flora if their parents know about her plan to bring him back. Maybe not the best thing to bring up right before curtain call, huh?

wallow aloud, and forget to forgive
ever to be the optimist

Ashetta

And I know you're down and out now, but I need you to be brave
Hidin' from the truth ain't gonna make this all okay

I step away from Theea and Vervain for a moment—just to gather myself, really. I knew tonight would be a lot, but I couldn’t have predicted the way it would hit me, seeing my mom and my daughter in each other’s arms. The sight left something trembling loose in my chest. I stay still in the shadows, just out of sight, trying to quiet the pulse in my throat.

Remi holding Aoife makes me smile—she’s the only one of their children I ever met. Flora, Enzo, Mateo, Seren… I never got the chance, and two of them are gone now. I probably never will meet Enzo or Seren, not truly, but just seeing them here like this, this close, is something. I can see the resemblance in all of them. It’s striking. Familiar in a strange, aching way.

There are others I recognize too, even if I’d barely known them in life. Rexanna. Amalia. Edrei fucking Launcelyn, holy shit. That’s a blast from the past if I’ve ever seen one. Just as much as Remi and Ronin are. We were never close, she and I—she was nobility, and I… well, the only noble I’d ever been close with in Northaven was Ronin, and even he never really wore it like a badge. Still, she’s a breath of fresh air. A relic from a time that feels so far removed, so alien to Caido now, that I sometimes wonder if it even happened at all—if it weren’t for the other Northaven outlanders, however few of us remain.

I don’t go and say hello. I doubt she’d remember the no-name messenger with a chip on her shoulder. Or maybe she would. Either way, I’m not about to make myself known—especially not when even the hosts don’t know I’m here.

My eyes drift back to Remi and Ronin, and something tightens in my chest again. I’ll wait until the party winds down. Until they slip away together like they inevitably will, thinking no one will catch them. They don’t know it yet, but tonight, they’ve got an assassin-turned-estranged-sister watching from the dark.

I see your pain
If you don't feel our grace
and you've lost your way

Hadama's smile was slow and subtle amongst so many strangers, but for Remi and Ronin it was there, warm and pleased as his confections were accepted and enjoyed. He inclined his head deeply to the happy couple, a murmured: "You are welcome," meeting their gratitude before he left them to their family - children, ex-lovers, dear friends and close allies who all wished to share congratulations and happy memories with the two wedded demigods.

Turning away to share time with Seren, his eyes met those of Noah and he paused. His emerald gaze searched the Sentinel's face, perhaps noting the tension in his features, but Maea and Liam were at the demigod's side and Hadama did not call out. He did, however, wait for his friend's gaze to catch his own before he nodded deeply in respect for the other man's presence. It was a silent but sincere offer of support if his friend needed it, though he was glad to see that the pale Ancient and the ex-Dragoon were spending the celebration at his side so that he was not alone.

For the moment, Hadama's own attention was given wholly to Seren, and he bowed his head to the starchild to come closer to her level for their conversation, and eventually offering her a warm embrace before she would need to depart once more.

THE FLOOD

// take my heart and make it feel,
take my soul and make it real

After returning from the walk with Vervain, Sunjata seems lighter in a multitude of ways. Sidling in back beside Melita, the Flood inclines his head toward her as he watches Hotaru slip away to go and greet her children. Letting the smile soften along his face, he suddenly remembers he’s by his niece and a little bit of playful energy sinks in, replacing the multitudes of emotions he’d dealt with all day so far.

Nudging her with his elbow, he flashes her a crooked smile. “You wanna go grab another drink and go wander? Seems like it’ll be over soon and I’ve seen everyone I needed to see.” He suggests, already taking a step toward the table with the bar set out, ready to snatch up some liquor that wouldn’t do anything for him. At least he’s in it for the taste.

- Sunjata OUTT

'cause i was bright, yeah I was pale and blue,
starry eyed by every thought of you //

KIADA

burn it into my collar, hollowed onto your wrist

It was a lot all at once. And while she’d managed to spend a little bit of time with Amalia to explain the insanity of circumstances that had lead to her rebirth as an Ascended, her hiding from the war, only to return as an Ancient only to find love from someone both so similar and so different to her that she’d gotten married. Of course, with the apology tacked in that she hadn’t known that Ama hadn’t made it — even if she was sure that the Archangel had heard that a lot tonight.

Slipping away so that she can go and see her mother briefly to give a hug and another little thanks, to tell her that the honeymoon was lovely and she was so happy that she could be a part of it, the Harpy’s found her way back to the main crowd. Deimos and Evie seem busy, so she slips over to the side to snag a snack to devour and watch as the rest of the party starts to come to an end, utterly and ultimately at peace.

heaven knows i don't follow, but i believe in this

Ashetta

And I know you're down and out now, but I need you to be brave
Hidin' from the truth ain't gonna make this all okay

As I linger at the edge of the gathering, letting my gaze drift across the shifting tide of faces, a smile tugs at my mouth when I spot Kiada. We never spent all that much time together—just enough to make the memories vivid. My favorite is easy: the night we got completely wasted and tore through the Hallowed Grounds like a pair of feral spirits, back when the barrier still loomed like a curse around us. It was reckless, wild, and one of the last times I remember laughing until my ribs ached. The sight of her now stirs something warm, and I find myself thinking—maybe, once things settle, I’ll reach out. Maybe it’s time.

My gaze slides back to my mother and my daughter, the two halves of my world, and I let the moment linger—just a heartbeat longer than I should. Then I pull away with care, stepping lightly toward a nearby table where the drinks are lined like little invitations. I grab the strongest one I can find and take a deep, grateful pull. The burn steadies me.

Drink in hand, I retreat toward the shadows, slipping back to where Vervain and Theea sit like anchors in a sea of noise. I’m drawn there without thought—because this time with my mother is fleeting, and selfish or not, I want to soak up every second before she’s pulled away again, before her love is needed by others who’ve waited too. For now, I can steal a little more of her warmth. Just a little.

And all the while, I keep my eyes on Remi and Ronin. There’s no way I’m letting the night pass without finding the right moment to speak to them—before they disappear into the crowd, as they always seem to do.

I see your pain
If you don't feel our grace
and you've lost your way

REMI

Remi looks up as Theea approaches, his grin easy and brightening with her presence. Aoife is still in his arms, cheeks smudged with cupcake crumbs and hair wild from all the attention, but she peeks shyly around his shoulder at the newcomer, her curiosity stronger than her wariness. "Come meet someone special," he says, shifting his hold on the squirming toddler. "Aoife, this is your cousin Theea. She’s clever, kind, and has very good taste in family." Aoife blinks wide-eyed before offering a sticky little hand, her smile slow and sunny. Remi watches them both with a quiet warmth, a steady pride in his gaze as he lifts his eyes again to take in the party—the swell of it, the laughter and low murmurs, the small reunions blooming like flowers across the beach.

The night hums with joy and remembrance. Garlands dance lazily in the breeze; torchlight flickers against the rising tide. Music rises and falls with the ocean’s breath, weaving through the crowd like old magic. Everywhere, there is laughter—loud and bubbling, or hushed and teary, shaped by stories shared between lives that once overlapped and those just meeting for the first time.

And slowly, as the lantern dims, the shimmer in the air begins to soften. Mort’s gift has never been eternal, and the veil begins to call those who crossed it home again. One by one, the departed return to the light that waits beyond the lantern’s golden pulse, passing back through with final smiles, whispered words, and the warm echoes of one more night shared.

Remi and Ronin remain until the end, standing at the threshold. They offer quiet thanks, soft touches, and lingering embraces to those who remain—friends, family, strangers no longer. Then, with the last flicker of flame barely clinging to the lantern’s heart, Remi leans forward and gently blows it out.

Darkness doesn’t follow. Only the hush of surf and stars.

He reaches for Ronin’s hand without needing to look, fingers curling in with effortless trust, and together, they begin to walk up the sand—barefoot, quiet, and full.

The night may end. But everything it gave them will linger.

~FIN

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