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!
”This coward had no idea it was monsoon season,” Ianto snipes back with a crooked smile, bringing over their cups as well to set them down. He waves a hand at Remi’s insistence of the magical-item-nature of his wagon, even going as far as planting his finger against the Alchemist’s lips to silence him. ”And not another word about that,” he decides, his laughter very much musical as he straightens back up.
The smile softens to something equally as genuine then, the fox nodding to his friend. ”I’m glad to be here. And glad that you came out for a walk with me.” He’s already meandered back to the counter by now, snorting at the Alchemist. ”I like to make sure it gets to a particular pitch of ear-splitting,” he explains, though he does remove the kettle and move to pour them their tea. The scents of cinnamon, turmeric and cloves all fill the air, sweetly spicing it as Ianto settles down on his own cushion.
”So should I get back to the Greatwood before the monsoons hit?”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"So not a very clever merchant then, mm?" Remi chimes, though falls silent as the fox presses his finger against the Alchemist's lips. You can't just touch me, like this, he wants to say as feathers flutter down the back of his neck, but he merely mumbles something behind closed lips as if Ianto has truly silenced him.
"Next time you needn't even bother with something so formal as a note. Just a simple scratch will do." As the tea is poured, Remi puts his face over the cup enjoying the heat on his skin and the earthy-sweet scents that the hot water is unlocking. "You could...but so long as you don't keep your wagon on the beach, I think you'll be able to weather it. Perhaps not as a cardinal though, I expect the rains to be quite heavy." Swirling his tea a bit in his cup and trying to hear anything other tahn his husband's exasperated sighs in his mind, Remi glances up with a crooked smile. "You could stay up on the cliffs with us. They've all been reinforced and...well. Plenty of company at my house. Vai and Felix are staying with us, and Ronin's daughter is there too.." And me, his silence says.
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”Well, I didn’t know how you were gonna take my showing up so randomly,” Ianto says by way of explanation, his smile a bit more sheepish as he sets down the kettle and opens the jar of honey, adding a generous amount to his cup of tea. ”Nice to know that I’ll be able to just scratch at your door next time though.”
He wrinkles his nose in agreement about the cardinal business, Ianto having learned to thoroughly hate the feeling of wet feathers. ”I suppose it’ll be easy to get the wagon up there,” he muses, rubbing at the scruff on his chin and leaning back on his hands, comfortable sitting with the wagon door open, the salty-sweet breeze blowing through it to mingle in with the spices from the tea.
Still, he doesn’t quite expect what he thinks Remi is offering, the fox raising an eyebrow and sitting forward again to lift his cup and blow the steam from it. ”Are you asking me to stay at your house? Or just... nearby?” he asks. ”Either way, probably something to check with Ronin about, no?”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"And you thought a note and an adorable face was the best way to go about it, huh." Well, it had worked, hadn't it? Reaching for the honey, Remi helps himself to an enormous spoonful, watching with utter delight as it drizzles from the spoon into the cup.
"Mmm, especially if I do end up carrying you. My new shift is...rather large." Ianto had never seen Remi as a manticore, far as the Alchemist could tell. Whether the merchant even knew he was possible of such a thing was hazy too.
"I'm saying you should park your wagon nearby. And...you know, if you find yourself lonely or bored, you can pop in." If you choose to stay, then you stay. "Nah. It's how we keep the spice alive in our marriage." Remi says with a smirk. "Besides, who else do you even know here?"
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”Yep,” Ianto says, smiling proudly over the rim of his cup and taking a sip of hot, sweet tea, inhaling deeply of the scent. well, at least he knew now that he was welcome to show up at Remi’s doorstep. And then some, apparently, Ianto tilting his head to his friend and letting his smile continue to grow as he watches the honey drizzle into Remi’s cup.
”Oh? Larger than the lion?” he wonders, taking another sip of tea and setting his cup down again. ”My wagon shrinks and I walked all the way down here just fine,” he remarks. ”One would almost think you wanted to show off and carry me.”
The whole thing sounds terrible contrived and like the sort of surprise Ianto would hate to have dumped on him were he... y’know, in any sort of state to be married or even in a relationship. But then again, he’s not Remi and Ronin, so he simply shrugs his shoulders. ”I met your ex. I think, anyway. Sam,” he informs him. ”But the cliffs sound just fine. I’ll curl up in my wagon as a fox. And if I get lonely or bored... then as you say.”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"Much larger." Remi replies, sounding quite embarrassed all of a sudden. Ruffling a hand through his curls to discourage any other feathers from appearing, he clenches his teeth together as he offers the fox a desperate sort of look. "It's almost like you're baiting me into making inappropriate jokes, here. You're the one meant to make me laugh, remember?" Swallowing down quips of, unless you've forgotten how to ride me, Remi takes a healthy sip of his tea, burning his tongue in the process.
Unable to help the cold sting of jealousy that swashes like old dishwater in the back of his throat, Remi does his best to school his expression and his emotions before looking across the table again. Sam had dated Loren and that was hard enough, but Ianto? Remi couldn't stomach the thought. So he'd just have to stomach his tea instead. "Ahh, well that's nice then." He mumbles a bit stupidly, taking another smaller sip of tea, unable to help the smile that spreads across his lips to hear that the fox will take up residence on the cliffs.
"There's this big man who lives quite near us...he's got a wedding coming up to both a man and a woman." It isn't the genders that Remi is surprised at, but the number of them. Being married to one person has been hard enough. "I'll make sure to suggest the wedding buffet has chicken. Mayhap you can sneak in again." It isn't that he's trying to recreate old times, so much as he's trying to create safe times. And with Ianto as a chicken-devouring-fox, surely there's little danger of overstepping to be had.
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Ianto snorts at that, having stumbled unintentionally into inappropriate territory, and he smiles back warmly at Remi, as if to rescue him from the awkwardness. ”Forgive me,” he says through a chuckle. ”Tell me then - what is it you can shift into now? A whale? A rhino? Maybe an elephant?” Tilting his head, he does his best to steer them back into safe territory, the fox recovering his teacup once more for a tentative sip.
That’s nice isn’t the answer he expects, granted, but it effectively closes the lid on that branch of the conversation, so Ianto lets it bob along to discuss marriage instead. Three-way marriage, apparently. ”How greedy,” he remarks with a laugh, shaking his head as if even struggling to imagine it. Still, the mention of a wedding buffet is always guaranteed to raise his spirits, and he raises his cup in a toast. ”It would be an honour to sneak in.”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"It's...uhm.." Bashfully, though quite pleased for the lifeline, Remi runs a hand across the back of his neck, giving his teacup a rather pleading look as he struggles to find a way to describe what he is without sounding...well, entirely full of himself. "..a manticore?" He says at least, eyes flitting across the table for just a moment before returning to his cup.
"Greedy?" Remi repeats, brows inching towards one another before he thinks he might understand. "Oh, because he's snatching away two eligible singles?" Snorting, the Alchemist considers this for a moment before nodding in tentative agreement. "You'll have to make sure to tell him that." He imagines that Sunjata would just smirk and agree, should Ianto say any such thing.
"Good then. It's a date plan."
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”No idea what one of those is,” Ianto says proudly, the word manticore as foreign to him as it would have been to Ronin and Remi when the Alchemist first gained the shift. ”It some kind of chimera thing?” he asks, trying to imagine the creature that Remi might be, nibbling at his lower lip as he contemplates it all.
Snorting then, he raises his eyebrows at the other man and shakes his head. ”You said he’s a rather big man, I’m not going to be telling him shit about his choices and who he wants to marry. Doesn’t make him any less greedy though,” he says with a shrug. ”But yes, a plan, then.” He grins. ”I’ll find a suitable spot for the wagon after we finish our tea. Want to get set up before this rain starts. How is it, by the way?”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"It is, yeah." Remi nods, his cheeks flushing with colour. "It...so...it's part lion, part hawk, part shark, and part scorpion." He swallows awkwardly at that, before shooting the fox a suddenly-bright smile. "Which parts do you think go where?" If anyone can put the pieces together in some absurd way, it's certainly Ianto.
"Oh no? When I saw you last you thought you might like some big man to put you in your place." The Alchemist reminds his friend with a shit-eating-grin. "That sounds like a good idea." As for the tea? "Well now that its been confirmed that you're a coward, I might just have to use that to my advantage and steal all of it." Taking another long sip and laughing under his breath into the cup, he shrugs. "Or I suppose if you keep inviting me over for tea, that would suffice too."
Leaning back against the back of the wagon and taking a deep breath, Remi lets his eyes survey the eclectically curated items for a moment before looking back to Ianto. "You could do quite well here. Merchanting, I mean. But in all honesty, there is a group of traders who might not...take kindly to competition. Better that you find an inroad with them, or steer clear."
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Similarly leaning back against the wagon, Ianto raises his eyebrows and lets out a breathless sort of laugh to hear the monstrous combination of animals that Remi can shift into. ”Didn’t want anything fluffy or not-deadly, huh?” he murmurs, before his gaze also turns mischievous. ”Shark tail, scorpion head, lion paws at the back, hawk talons at the front. Tiny little wings. I bet you’re gorgeous,” he quips, sounding proud and absolutely, definitely right about this.
”I might like being put in my place, but not so much being beaten to a pulp, Remi. I try to avoid that where possible these days, after my colourful past.” The past where he’s consistently beaten and wriggling under someone’s thumb, he means. That past. Still, he gasps dramatically at the prospect of being robbed, sipping delicately at his tea and huffing. ”I can just give you some to go, you know. Wasn’t aware wagon-thieves were so prevalent as to be right in front of me.”
Still, the actual advice under the snark is appreciated, Ianto tilting his head and nodding a bit, finishing off his tea and exhaling softly. ”Well, like I said, keen not to be beaten up. I’ll see what happens after these monsoons, make the right deals and connections where I can. Thanks, though.”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"Well it wasn't as though I really got to pick." The Alchemist counters, before laughing at Ianto's depiction of him. "Bang on. Now I don't even need to show you." Snorting under his breath as he leaned back, Remi forced his mind to not lock onto the fact that this was twice now Ianto had commented (positively) on his appearance. Please, shut up, he pleaded with his mind, wanting nothing more than a normal friendship with one of his exes for once.
'Well you'll never know what he'll do until you try. Maybe he'll propose instead?" Remi suggests with a knowing nod before he tries to wrangle his grin into something he can use to sip at his tea. "Mmm, well. Perhaps you ought to look a bit closer next time. I've been known to steal a wagon, on occasion." They both knew the Wishing Wagon was entirely unstealable at this point. It'd likely spontaneously combust or just trap the thief inside a room filled with sharp spikes or some such. The warning about the others was real enough though, and the Alchemist was relieved to see the fox listening, even if he didn't take it entirely to heart.
"You always seem to." Remi says with a nod, the fox's skill for making deals both a benefit and a curse. Drinking the last of his tea (and making sure to tip his cup all the way up to slurp the remaining dregs of honey within), Remi puts it down with a satisfied ahhhh.
"Right then. Wagon-moving time?"
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”I knew it,” Ianto says proudly. ”And that seems very unfair. Personally I thought you’d have done well with a bunny-kitten-swan combo,” he informs him, setting his teacup down now and making sure he’s put the lid back on the honey properly. He scoffs at the prospect of being proposed to in general, Ianto lurching to stand up and take their cups to the sink for washing up later. ”Reckon that marriage is crowded enough with three, let alone more,” he tells Remi.
His eyes narrow as he glances over his shoulder, expression full of mischief. ”Aye, but you’ve never tried to steal this wagon,” he says - not that he knows of, anyway. Either way, it alludes to exactly the sort of thing that Remi has imagined; if the wagon has defence mechanisms, not even the fox can understand them exactly.
Clapping his hands together, Ianto nods enthusiastically. ”Yes, let’s,” he announces, ushering the Alchemist out of the wagon (and making sure that all the lanterns were definitely extinguished this time), shutting the door and standing before it in the sand.
Quietly, he begins to whistle - a tune that Remi knows well, in fact, from where the fox has tracked his home previously. Except this time, rather than appearing, the Wishing Wagon shrinks back into its pocket-sized form, allowing Ianto to pluck it up and slip it in a pocket. ”Ta daaaa.”
he had eyes like rain & hair like waves & a soul as vast and deep as the ocean
"Bunny-kitten-swan, mmmm?" Remi can't help but shake his head at that, a sad sort of amusement colouring his face. He hasn't been cuddling, sweet, or cute for a good while now, and it's almost painful to hear someone so casually expect it of him. Watching with predatory eyes as the fox sweeps away the honey, Remi just lets his gaze follow along, mercilessly seeming as though he'll snag it away at any moment.
Hearing the fox scoff, the Alchemist tilts his head to the side. "Have you been?" He wonders. "Proposed to, that is."
With an equally mischievous grin, Remi merely nods sagely. "Not yet. But I have done some stupid things because of you before, so let's not count it out." His blindness being one, but a whole host of other things as well.
Snickering boyishly as the wagon shrinks, Remi raises his brows. "Hmm." He hums to himself. "Much more impressive to see it get bigger." Remi mutters, unable to help himself, as he nudges the fox in the ribs. "Alright. Are we flying back then, or walking?"
THE ALCHEMIST
& i guess i didn't mind d r o w n i n g in him.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
