[SWE] Festival of Lights - 318 PC

There were actually a lot of people that he recognized around them, and though part of his attention was always on Alys, Tal kept turning his head to try and keep track of everyone. He caught Zavien waving in greeting and he gave his friend a grin. He would have given him a thumb's up, seeing Lena at his side, but the courier's hands were full of lanterns still and he was trying to find a place to hang them.

Thalassa passed by looking unexpectedly glum, and Tal's heart twinged with guilt at seeing the lantern in her hand. There had been so much going on that he felt terrible for missing one of his own, but he promised himself that he'd figure something out before the festival ended. He bit his lip, squeezing Alys's hand instinctively, and when he turned to look at her he caught sight of Flora and Soh hanging out over by the MerKing, having a tearful reunion. Tal was oblivious to the misunderstanding, but was just glad to see the two friends together again.

Letting go of Alys's hand briefly, he reached up to hang his lanterns on a nearby tree that wasn't too crowded yet and spotted Sunjata just as his Archon shifted and flew away. He looked around in consternation for Ru, but seeing no one fitting her usual appearance he shook his head and turned back to his partner in concern just as Sah and Rhiannon came over to say hello. Tal beamed proudly, looking pleased as punch to be on the Seer's arm for the festivities, and grinned at the two Halovians. "Hey guys. Alys, Rhi's been my tagalong since I was just a kid, but now she's a proper Deepfrost Shield," he explained, teasing the guardswoman and not realizing that she and Sah hadn't met yet. "An' Sah's got a sweet tooth th'size o' th'Greenwing! We'll be lucky if there's anythin' left by th'time we get t'em!"

Which wouldn't stop him from trying! Though as they headed for the donut stall Tal noticed a small rubber duck sitting atop an apple amidst the donuts, one that looked kind of raggedy and had a little mask. He hesitated and looked around surreptitiously to make sure no one was watching before he hurriedly offered the vendor payment for the apple and picked up both it and the duck. The toy was tucked it away for luck later. Ludo might have bullied the hail out of him on his last few quests, but it was still Mort's herald.

And Tal's heart still glowed at the memory of the Big God's last words to him, wrapping Alys's magic in gentle awe and pride and joy even all these days later, even as he took out his pocket knife and started idly carving out the apple to make a makeshift lantern for one of his friends who had never come back.

---

Tal hangs lanterns for his parents and those killed by the Void, and makes an apple lantern for Maea

I can't control their fear, only my own.

Zavien nearly melted at Erebos's attempted wink, heart skipping a beat. Chuckling, he nodded to Deimos. "This one is going to be a heartbreaker for sure." And as Koa joined them, the Dragoon tried to keep the lighter tone despite the serious topic. Patting his pocket and the paper within, he gave a smile weighted with plans of a future secret rendezvous (without a certain purple leader). "Thanks to Deimos, it seems we have a lot to discuss." His eyes flit to Lena nearby, including her in the intentions and remembering their purpose for being there along with the lanterns in his hands.

"I'm glad things were successful, and it's been a pleasure meeting your son, but I better get these hung before the ceremony." He lifted the two lanterns for emphasis. Smiling warmly at Deimos, he reached out a hand once more. "Thank you again, and please don't hesitate to reach out. You're not alone." When Zavien stepped away, he lifted an eyebrow to Koa as if to ask 'Want to join?' because although he may be immersed in hidden schemes, he couldn't forget the fact that his friend's recently resurrected ex was mingling nearby. Perhaps tagging along with him and Lena would help keep him distracted. 

Leaving the invitation open, Zavien made his way back to his date, linking his arm back in hers and stealing a bite of one of the sweet rolls. He smiled around the food as he chewed. "Hmmm... Where were we?"

Zavien

yet my blood renders me a King

Sah chuckled, "Sure, Alys. I'd love to." He wasn't the biggest fan of donuts, ironically, but he was happy to tag along. The woman who approached was very familiar as well. He'd certainly seen her around Halo once or twice but hadn't had the chance to meet Rhiannon yet. "Hi. I'm Sah. It's good to meet you."

Tal's comment got him a mock glare from the hybrid, "I'll have you know that magic is fueled by sugar. It's a vital part of a mage's diet." Which technically was true if what he'd read in a book of anatomy a while ago was correct. Something about sugar being one of the key things that fueled the human body.

As the group made their way to the food tables, Sah spotted Erebos and gave the little one a smile and wave. He'd have to catch up with Deimos and Evie later.

Despite his best efforts,Talyson's thievery didn't go entirely unnoticed. Sah leaned in just enough to whisper to the courier as he reached over to grab a pastry, "What are you going to name them?" There was no hiding the smirk on his face.

Sah

vesper

"There is a lot of sad." Vesper agrees, and though he's never been one to stop his sisters from twining around him like a pair of cats, there's no warmth in his limbs as Calypso hooks her arm in through his.

His returning stare toward Jack likely doesn't communicate all that it's meant to given that it's a combination of well what do I do?, go fuck yourself, and hey, nice to see you alive old man, leaving the demigod looking slightly nauseous and dazed.

"I need a drink." He mutters, offering Caly and Nova as apologetic a look as he can manage given the riot of thoughts bombarding against his magic. Caring little about whether or not he was followed, conveniently everyone in the little trio he was leaving behind would be able to guess at what had him in such a sour mood, Vesper made his way toward one of the little booths before coming away with a glass that was almost entirely alcohol with only a splash of mulled spices.

Tell the preacher not to pray, there's no angels where I'll go
Only pieces that are broken scattered dreams across the floor

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the lullaby

"Just so long as you don't expect me to fill that role." Remi chuckles, of being the life of the party. Even so, the Bastion finds himself nodding in greeting to countless sets of eyes that drift his way; Sunjata, Deimos and Evie, Isla, and then...

.."Uh-" What might have been the start of an expletive breaks off just past Remi's teeth as he watches his son arrive, watches the lantern fall from his hands as he reaches out for his sister. "Oh gods." Glancing sharply at Ronin, his breath locked in his chest, the Bastion's brow furrows as his children embrace in the sort of gesture that only confirms his suspicions. "How could he not know we'd save her?" He wonders breathlessly, expressing crumpling.

"I'll go." Remi has time to whisper before peeling himself away from the Knight's side and making a beeline for where Flora and Mateo both stood.

"Flora, you are looking well." Fixing a smile onto his lips, the Bastion glances toward Mateo with his eyebrows raised, taking note of the way the botanist was quickly draining whatever it was in his cup. "Non credi, Mateo?"

i collect scars because I want proof
I've paid for the sins I've committed

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

"I would never place that burden on you, husband," Ronin assures him, smiling and touching a gentle hand to his back as he steps away from the lanterns, watching them glow and flicker in the night and seeming briefly content - right until Remi's flare of upset riots through all the places they touch. "Wh--" Following his gaze across the proceedings to where Mateo stands with Flora, a beautifully painted lantern dirtied on the ground, the Knight does let a curse spill past his lips.

"Maybe he did," he whispers, sadness and guilt mingling in his voice, "but when nobody confirmed it..." Maybe he assumed we'd failed. Nodding gently to the Bastion, Ronin gives him a brief squeeze before letting him go. "I'll put on my best party face," he tells him, watching him off before going to find a stall selling something strong and hot and spiced.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

Mateo

who are these people?
I just woke up in my underwear

Having been fully planning to discard his cup and go to fetch another one, at least until the latent grief in his veins is replaced by fire and merriment, Mateo is about to step away when the shadow of their father falls across them. Raising his eyebrows right back, he nods readily towards the Doubletake, his smile dimpled and warm as he regards Flora. 

"Bella, as always," he agrees, meaning every word. It doesn't matter how Flora thinks she looks, how delicate she's feeling, that she's here and breathing makes her the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

"Pensavo fosse morta," he continues, his smile remaining but seeming a little more forced as he addresses Remi without looking at him. "Ho pianto per lei. Perché non mi hai detto che era viva?"

no liquor left on the shelf
I should probably introduce myself

// I thought of angels choking on their halos //

"Well said," Danta agrees with Astaroth, both at the lack of wallowing and the spookiness of the Greatwood. Still, with no loved ones to try and summon back from the dead, he's content enough, his smile turning wry as he sees Flora swarmed by well wishers and family. "I daresay she's not going to have a second to herself tonight," he murmurs, accepting his cup of cider back and nodding readily at the offer to lurk and watch people.

"I would love to. Preferably somewhere near a stall selling more of this." Raising his cup and leading them over to such a place, he's already able to spy some of his favourites to watch, Deimos and his family and Sunjata (brief as it is) among them. Leaning into the stall to see what else they sell, it's with a grin that Danta purchases what looks like some pieces of spiced taffy. "Here - this should keep those sharp teeth of yours busy," he quips, offering a piece to Asta.

Dantalion

// get them drunk on rose water //

the lullaby

"Come potevi pensare che l'avremmo lasciata morire?" It's rude perhaps to speak about someone when they were right in front of you, all the moreso in a language they couldn't understand, but if there was ever a time, Remi thought it was now. If nothing else, Flora likely had bigger things to worry about than the side conversation going on between her father and brother. "Sai cosa possiamo fare io e Ronin." He adds before clearing his throat and offering Flora a smile.

"Mateo and I will be back with a refill, mmm?" Humming under his breath, he glances to Mateo, nodding over one shoulder.

"È successo tutto così in fretta." Remi explains softly, his words ushered on the heels of a sigh. "I heard her voice in my mind...saying she and Jack had died...Ronin and I rushed to the Greatwood, and then I brought her back to Torchline." All of which took nearly two days. "And then...gods, she demanded to be brought back to Jack, and.." Huffing out another sigh, the Bastion presses his palm against one of his eyes as if to force back the exhaustion that had them wanting to slip closed.

"Se tua sorella fosse morta, lo avresti saputo, Mateo." Remi adds gently, offering his son a weary but warm smile. Quite what he and Ronin would have done had that been the case Remi wasn't entirely sure, but gods knew the Taliesin's were not good at keeping their feelings quietly contained. "Ma mi dispiace che tu abbia pianto per lei. Che non sapevi cosa fosse successo.."

i collect scars because I want proof
I've paid for the sins I've committed

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Mateo

who are these people?
I just woke up in my underwear

"Come potrei non farlo?" Mateo furrows his brow, entirely focused on his father now - such is the case when they start to argue speak in the travelling tongue. "Puoi rianimare le persone, ma non puoi prendere in mano una penna?" Clearing his throat and hurriedly nodding to Flora, he follows on Remi's heels and, yes, absolutely gets that refill as he listens to the Bastion. 

"It is not that I do not understand," he says thickly, pausing for a sip of his drink. "But it is saying something when I receive more information from The Family than I do from you. You would have heard that broadcast as well. You would have known--"

Huffing out a shuddering breath and rubbing at his eyes in a gesture that is almost hauntingly similar to Remi's, Mateo almost leans back against a stall out of instinct, before realising it wouldn't hold his weight. "Sono tutti dispiaciuti, in questi ultimi giorni. Se non fosse stato per il festival, quando me lo avresti detto?"

no liquor left on the shelf
I should probably introduce myself

the lullaby

"Mateo, non sei più un bambino." The words sing from Remi's lips as they never quite do when he speaks in the common tongue. "Sai che riesco a sentire i morti, quindi anche se tuo padre e io non avessimo potuto fare nulla per Flora, avresti saputo che saremmo andati a prenderla. Durante quel periodo tu avresti potuto prendere in mano una penna. Potrebbe essere volato sopra."

Helping himself to a glass as well, Remi merely holds it between his palms, looking moodily down into the rust-coloured liquid. "Quello che sapevo, was that Ronin and I were doing everything we could for Flora. Quello che presumevo was that you would trust more in your family than what some random voice said into your mind."

Sighing heavily, Remi closes his eyes. No doubt the pair of them looked and sounded a good deal more dramatic than either intended to, but such was the case when he and Mateo got going, especially on matters such as these. Even so, the Bastion did try to rein himself in. "Tua sorella non è morta." He points out. "We left her with Jack and then had to force Sunjata to Halo to cure him of a void infection. We didn't send word to you because we thought you would know that Flora was alright."

i collect scars because I want proof
I've paid for the sins I've committed

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia Lumaris

"I'm just so glad you're alive," Sohalia whispered to Flora, who was offering apologies and explanations that were, frankly, unnecessary. With a glance between Flora and her brother, Soh offered a watery smile to Mateo before leaving the family to reunite in peace. She'd catch up with the queen later. After all, she was still staying in Flora's house.

Hadama returned with refreshments, which Sohalia accepted with a quiet, murmured thanks before excusing herself to go and find somewhere to hang her lanterns and collect herself. The emotions among the trees were far less abundant, and she sighed in relief as she began to hang her lanterns amongst the boughs. She'd been devastated to hear of Flora's death, and when the queen hadn't come home, well, Soh had assumed the worst. To see her alive and relatively well... it was more of a relief than Soh could explain.

Her lanterns hung and her tears dried, Sohalia returned to the party, content to people watch for a while.

Mateo

who are these people?
I just woke up in my underwear

"Non sono un bambino, ma non leggo nemmeno nel pensiero," Mateo hisses back automatically, his blue eyes darkening. (Bonus points for the actual mind readers in the audience). "Pensavo che mia sorella fosse morta. Pensavo che lo facessi anche tu! Besides, if I had picked up a pen, would you have even replied?" His hand clenches around the cup a little, the drink starting to burn in the back of his throat.

"Fai un sacco di supposizioni, Papà. But I did not expect you to try and make this my fault." Shaking his head, if they appear dRaMaTiC, so be it, but given his own past few days, he feels as if he's got a bit of a right to it. "You did not send word to me because it did not even enter your mind to do so. I rarely do." He takes a moment to drain his second cup, crushing it in his hand and tossing it into a waste basket.

"Non so nemmeno perché mi hai avuto."

no liquor left on the shelf
I should probably introduce myself

Alys was perfectly content to follow along, lingering nearby as Talyson hung lanterns and trying very hard to ignore the outpouring of emotions from those gathered. Her attention shifted, however, when Rhiannon appeared beside Sah, and she looked the coldly beautiful young woman over with curiosity, trying to ignore the pounding headache that was beginning behind her right eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she told Rhi with what she hoped was a friendly smile, but actually looked a little sickly.

Another time, she would try and get to know the Shield a little better, if only for Tal's sake, but for now, it was all she could do to focus on one person at a time. Tal was feeling some level of guilt - why, she wasn't entirely sure - while Rhi was... what was that? Eagerness? Perhaps a little mischievous? And Sah was feeling playful. And beyond them, mingled sadness and happiness and all sorts of little things.

It was a lot, and Alys was simply along for the ride.

ALYS GLASSE