From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
Overwhelmed all over again, his gaze slipped from the seedlings, long hair long since put up and out of the way, to everything else going on around them. Long before, he wouldn’t have ever had this many gathered in honor of anything he’d ever done or accomplished; so he swallowed down the brimming, quelling emotions, but did permit widened grins at Jigano’s creations and the rests’ efforts.
His head rose to attention once more as Amalia summoned him out of his focus, a very juvenile source of amusement and mischief bounding back in return. The bakery had already filled with the tempting, promising scents of whatever they’d decided upon for flavors, so he returned the seedlings to where they’d remain until the ceremony, and advanced upon the cakes pulled from the oven. “Time to taste test!” A loud, booming announcement for their crowd, meant to summon them from their tasks, for a break, for an opportunity to simply savor. Once the cakes had cooled, he helped cut them into individual pieces, three for each person assisting, placing them, and utensils, along the table and chairs already set up. His eyes went to those who’d helped, arching his brow as they all settled in. “What did you decide for flavors?” Because he’d barely been listening (focused on his own munitions) – maybe each individual could showcase their choices.
Before he sat down, he rounded over to the Sage, presuming he’d be best for one of the last details. “Would you mind coming up with something for the reception? To place on the Notice Board?”
--
LAST ROUND (<3 to all). Time to taste test! Maybe each baker could tell which ones they did? Decide your favorite and we can serve ‘em at the reception~
Sam would certainly be called to attention by the announcement it was time to taste test, his sweet tooth surviving into his Ascension. Rising from the table where the lanterns and bracelets laid complete he eagerly would try any cake put before him regardless of flavour: his favourite would be anything with strawberries, but he would approve of whichever baked treat was chosen.
After the tasting he would wish both Deimos and Amalia well before he went to depart, knowing he would not be there to attend the wedding proper. He wondered, if he ever got married if he might invite Amalia: probably, he supposed, but it was her choice to have a more private ceremony. It was all very romantic.
And it's hard to write about being happy
'Cause the older I get
I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject
Mischief and merriment was the name of the day as Jigano worked alongside Hotaru, adding a few embellishments to her own artistry as the wedding outfits came together beneath her skilled hands. When she had taken his offerings he went back to crafting the decorations; folded paper in various sizes, light enough to be hung and flutter in the breeze (he took for granted that the ceremony would be outdoors, likely at the altar in the Fields). Stars, shields, swords, leaping cats leopards and stalward tigers, graceful deer qilin and stoic eagles in their respective shades.
He was humming happily as he worked, until Deimos's booming voice made him jump a little in his seat. He finished the neat folds of the (golden) eagle and sat back to stretch, bending all the way over his chair back to grin at the General. "That's a command I'll jump to obey," he chuckled, rising to offer Hotaru a sweeping bow and a gallant arm to escort her over to the kitchen, if she'd accept his playful chivalry.
As he settled before the tempting slices, inhaling the scent of each, Deimos's request caught him by surprise. A pulse of honored gratitude slipped through the Attuned bond as he bowed his head in acceptance. "I would love to," he murmured, mind already whirring. "I'll run it past you and Amalia tonight."
Of course, Kiada has no qualms with working with Evie to ensure the cakes are baked and iced to perfection while Amalia attends to her bridal duties. It’s an easy enough shift, and Kiada focuses on ensuring the rest of it is perfect until the bakery becomes full of the scent of their cakes, and she can’t help but to beam when Deimos mentions it’s time to test the cakes. So she comes around, slicing off slices of each cake to those around.
“This one is mine, it’s a vanilla cake with lavender and lemon.” She muses, before cutting off the next few slices for them all to test. “Amalia’s is spiced ginger and cinnamon.” A beaming smile is given toward Amalia with it. And when it comes down to the last slice, she offers Evie a bright smile as well, slicing it off and handing it to those gathered as well. “And lastly, Evie’s which is blackberry and chocolate mint.”
And she settles, tasting them all to decide which was better – though of course, she’s quite biased.
she's fire and ice. you'll fear the cold and crave the burn
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
The cakes smell heavenly, and taste moreso. Flush with the whirlwind of the experience, Amalia settles in beside Deimos to quietly taste them all, offering him bites from her plate and letting Kiada explain the flavors. The tangy lightness of Kiada's is an excellent contrast to the spiced complexity of her own, which in turn pairs excellently with Evie's rich and earthy concoction.
By the time she realizes what she's doing Amalia has eaten each of her slices (with help) and is licking the icing off her spoon.
"There's no way I can choose just one," she declares at last when her feast is done: her only decree as a bride soon to follow. "I say we make all of them." And she grins brightly at her assembled family, flushing with the audacity of the request and staggered to know they will accept it without so much as batting an eye. This is what love is, Amalia thinks. This is what family is. She will cherish this moment for years to come-
Her throat closes, and she says no more, but there are tears of joy in her eyes.
took the stars from our eyes and then i made a map i knew that somehow we would find our way back
I was brought up as a southern belle I grew into the queen of hell
At the end of it all, they are rewarded with three heavenly cakes placed before them, and that's truly all the incentive Hotaru would have needed even if she had been a total stranger to the bride and groom. All three are delicious, and she gives a proud look directed towards Kiada for her efforts. Certainly not a skill she'd anticipated her niece having, but one she's more than eager to indulge in.
The general merriment and joy is addicting, contagious. Amalia's bold declaration inspires a surprised laugh around her mouthful of cake, lifting a hand so she doesn't spray someone with a mouthful of crumbs. But why not? You only get married once - or so everyone would wish - so why not indulge? Go all out, so to speak? Hotaru leans her hip against the counter, savoring her cake and gazing out over the joyous faces surrounding her.
It's likely the best day she's had in a very long time.
You were just a little stowaway That stabbed her way to save herself
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Evie is admittedly relieved that her cake is well-received. It has been years since she has last laid her hands upon this table for the purpose of creation, having been content to assist with gathering supplies for Amalia or sitting down to savor whatever she has pulled from storage for Evie. Though it's a reminder of one of the reasons why Amalia finds this so rewarding; seeing others enjoy her food, knowing they will leave the bakery with full bellies and happy tastebuds because of her efforts.
It makes it all the easier to laugh brightly at Amalia's declaration, more than happy to agree to such a request. Evie has been known for her sweet tooth anyway, and surely there will be a large amount of guests at the reception - Amalia and Deimos are quite well-connected after all - so why hold back? Instead of intruding upon the moment as Amalia's joyful tears become apparent, Evie instead gives her a deeply loving gaze, and knows in her heart that her sister has found the happiness she so deserves.
Everything was perfection; from the decorations, to the fabric, to the cakes, even if he couldn’t convey it via discourse, the grin he bore as he surveyed, as he savored, would say it all. Nods to Jigano, to the imparting of flavors, to everything else surrounding them in a sanctum and sanctuary of devotion and family, clung to his shriveled, decrepit heart.
Eventually the declarations came though - all of the cakes - and they’d have enough participants to make the whole notion and efforts worthwhile. If not, he’d be content to partake in leftovers, not one to complain over the sweets.
“Thank you all,” he motioned and rumbled, the same, quiet smile rendered, head in his palm to survey everything once more, to commit all those precious moments to memory. The rest would be permitted to stay and linger for as long as they liked, until it was all drawn to an end, the ceremony pending.
