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!
They'd had no warning leaving Northaven. No warning when the guildhouse had burned down. No warning when Safrin had plucked them away from the Grounds and deposited them here. Grinning to himself as he shoves some clothes haphazardly in a bag, he glances over his shoulder at Ronin and chuckles. "It feels...like cheating, not to be starting all over again." Ahhh, but such was their trauma. That not being well and completely fucked over felt like too much of an advantage.
Staring at all the things left to do, to pack, to deal with, Remi just growls low in the back of his throat as he surveys it all, suddenly caring so very little about the things accumulated over the past year. All he wants is to be on the road. To be free again in a way he hasn't known for far too long.
In the middle of the bed Mateo lays, bordered by a lion stuffed toy and Sugar, cooing softly at the ceiling where one of Vai's mobiles hangs.
i wake up and i go back to sleep
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"It looks messier than usual, if that's even possible."
Amalia leans against the door frame, trying and failing to appear nonchalant, as though the packing and planning and moving didn't bother her in the least. The smile she offers the men does nothing to brighten her dark eyes; the ferns that curl in her hair are evidence of her unrest.
Pushing herself off the wall, the Shield strides deeper into the room, settling on the bed. Asking permission from Sugar first (she's learned how protective a babysitter the dragon can be), Amalia reaches for Mateo, wriggling her fingers in front of his face for him to coo delightedly at, his pudgy hands reaching for the slender digits.
She keeps her gaze on the boy, not wanting his fathers to see the pain that's stark upon her face. "How soon are you leaving?"
”I don’t think we have. It doesn’t look like you know how to.” Ronin is grinning, neatly tucking away the last of his clothes into a single bag, which is perfectly closed and set down with the rest of the belongings he has packed so far. Their past rears its head in more than one way, from shared trauma all the way to the fact that one of them has been a soldier for most of his life. A free spirit some might consider Ronin, but the man knows how to pack a bag. The same cannot be said for his husband, regrettably.
”I hardly think this merits growling,” he says, swanning up behind Remi to slip his arms around him, kissing the side of his neck. ”I’ll take over. You go keep Mateo company, or keep drawing up the route you want to take with the wagon.”
Before he can continue, Amalia’s voice chimes out, Ronin smiling over Remi’s shoulder to the Shield and shrugging a bit; mess is relative, after all. When are they leaving, though? ”I don’t think we’ve set a day yet. Probably early LeafChange?”
'Alright judgy." Remi chuckles, not at all offended by his husband's clearly accusatory tone. "Some of us didn't actually have belongings to pack up, thank you very much." Grumbling as he's coddled, the Lullaby heaves a dramatic sigh as his hands drop the shirt he was holding to place them overtop Ronin's. "I'll decide what merits growling." He adds, though is obviously quite happy to leave the packing to Ronin.
Glancing over at Amalia with a shrug to match Ronin's, Remi flops down on the bed near Mateo with Amalia. As Ronin mentions early Leafchange, unlike the Shield, Remi doesn't try to hide the tension he feels to hear it. Tapping one foot against the bed and biting the inside of his cheek, wondering whether this is a conversation they need to have in front of Amalia, the alchemist decides against it apparently. "Or earlier, maybe." He adds. "We need to get to the Greatwood to see what this fuss about the Fae and Ascended is all about. I'm not Governor anymore, but I did say I'd look into it for Wessex."
i wake up and i go back to sleep
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Early Leafchange, or earlier. Amalia, too, feels tension at this declaration, fur feathering out over her neck, the flowers in her hair giving way to vines. She continues to play with Mateo as the men discuss their plans, trying to smile down at the boy despite the churning unhappiness in her chest. "What fuss about the Fae and the Ascended?' she latches onto instead, glancing up at Remi with a raised brow. "Are they still making threats? I spoke to one of them - their Ambassador, Juniper - who said that she'd try to prevent any more unsanctioned attacks."
It's easier to talk about this than to talk about them leaving. Leaving here, leaving her- again she looks down, frowning. "And after the Greatwood? Where will you go? Can I... will I be able to find you?"
Ronin takes over packing so Remi can lounge on the bed with Mateo and Amalia, and true to form, he's got a lot farther than his husband (including taking everything out of the bag and putting it back in neatly) in just a few minutes. It's fine - they play to their strengths, do the Star and the Lullaby. "What's on your mind?" he asks Amalia - even from across the room he can spot the tell-tale signs of tension in his friend; long enough with Remi tells him that whenever fur or feathers appear without warning, it's a bad thing.
Then he's tilting his head at the other man, though there's a small smile playing at his lips that suggests he's fine to leave whenever Remi pleases. "You can look into it for Wessex. I will be there to sight-see, prance around the forest and enjoy myself." He winks.
"Oh..apparently the fae want more ascended body parts for...something. A Safrin-Something." He adds with an unhappy twitch of his lips. "Wessex's note came while she was still sick though, so perhaps it isn't as bad as she made it out to be."
Closer to Amalia than Ronin is, the alchemist can see more of her tells than the Star can. But more familiar with the Shield than he is, it's perhaps better that Ronin was the one to try and get her to open up. Though looking over his shoulder at the Star, Remi fixes his husband with a playful stare. "If you go prancing about the forest in Leafchange, you'll have me hot on your hooves." The words are both a warning and a tease, experiencing having shown them just how amusing incompatible their shifts are during Leafchange in particular.
Looking back to Amalia, Remi nods his head. "I'd thought to try and perhaps ask Ludo for something similar to the shells or parchment that I'd made before, for exactly that reason." He offers with a gentle smile, not wanting her to feel as though the pair were planning on running away into the sunset for never to be heard from again.
i wake up and i go back to sleep
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Amalia frowns but opts not to say anything in response to this new knowledge, though the development is troubling to say the least. "They want to put the Ascended on trial," she comments softly, still looking down at Mateo. "For the Mathair. At least Juniper does." Or so she believes so she hopes. As far as she knows there have been no more attacks since she spoke to Nephele.
Amalia is not a subtle person, and despite her attempts to hide her discomfort it can surprise nobody when it's noticed by the men. Though she smiles at the image of Ronin prancing through the woods, her expression falls quickly with Remi's suggestion, embarrassed to have been caught. Yes, she will miss them. Yes, she feels left behind.
No, she is not going to talk about it like a normal person.
"What does Safrin think of you leaving?" she asks instead, glancing between Remi and Ronin, an eyebrow slightly raised. It's not a particularly kind question; she winces slightly as the words leave her, knowing they're fueled as much by hurt as anything other. Looking away quickly, Amalia begins to rub her wrist. "I mean- did she have any advice on where you would go? Tasks for you to do?"
Ronin almost rolls his eyes at the clear unhappiness that comes along with the mention of Safrin - almost, but he just about stifles it. More interesting is the news about the Ascended and the Fae, though the Star honestly doesn't really know what it has to do with them. He nibbles at the inside of his bottom lip as he continues to pack, unable to offer much more than a shrug, since he'll likely give an opinion that counts as unpopular if he opens his mouth.
Still, he does manage to tilt a devilish smile his husband's way on the subject of his prancing, raising his eyebrows at Remi. "Listen, LeafChange in a forest - there is no better time to practice my prancing. Manticores are native to... where?" He snorts, only to be suddenly and completely blindsided by Amalia's question. "Uh... she doesn't think anything... because she doesn't know? I didn't think I needed to seek her permission." He rubs at the back of his head; suddenly it's pretty frosty in the room.
No longer the Governor, it's hardly his place to comment. Still, a look of surprise dashes across the alchemist's features as he glances up at Amalia, brows deeply furrowed. "A..trial. To what end? We all know that they did it. And we all know that the Fae, and Torchline if she becomes involved, probably aren't strong enough to punish the ascended." Though they all know that really, they're just talking about Wessex.
With a bright smile, the Lullaby sweetly turns his attention toward Ronin. "And what does nativity have to do with being formidable, oh fellow outlander?" He wonders, already feeling his heart start to purr along at a quicker pace to think of the two in the midst of the forest.
But any heat from such thoughts is dashed by conversations of Safrin. Clenching his teeth slightly, Remi turns his attention back to Mateo so that he doesn't let his upset get the better of him.
i wake up and i go back to sleep
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"What about the Order?" Amalia knows as well as Remi that Wessex would be a difficult force to contend with, but should the mysterious force step in perhaps the tide would change. Though... her face falls as she considers this, chewing on her lip. "They might help, though I don't... don't really know enough about their methods to say it would be justice. Or fair."
The icy chill that settles over them at the mention of Safrin is both expected and a surprise. As Remi recognizes her tells, the Shield knows the Lullaby's, noting the clench of his jaw, the way he looks away. "I'm sorry, I thought- since you said you were going to speak to Ludo-" Maybe permission is not required, but Amalia can scarcely believe that Safrin would be wholly disinterested in this decision.
Or maybe she just wants to know that someone else feels left behind, even if it's a goddess.
"She must be delighted by this one, at least." Trying to lighten the mood, the Shield has undoubtedly stumbled into even more dangerous territory. She smiles at the boy on the bed before glancing at Ronin, expression wistful beneath the adoration. "I can't imagine how much bigger he'll be, by the time you... I see you again."
"Nothing at all, sir," Ronin says breezily, grinning and fastening up the bag Remi was packing (it's neat and precise, now, and he's managed to fit more than four shirts in there). He feels the flutter of his husband's heartbeat on his finger, and it goes without saying that the Star is also looking forward to enjoying the colours of the Greatwood, to racing through the trees and searching for trouble adventure.
Quite how the temperature keeps managing to metaphorically plummet is beyond Ronin, but Safrin seems to be the buzz word of a gift that keeps on giving. "I... uh... no, I don't think she is," he says as delicately as possible, glancing to Remi and sending a pulse of warmth and calm in his direction, like it might help to quell the other man's inevitable flare in temper
Pinching at the bridge of his nose, Ronin loses his battle with diplomacy in lieu of fast answers. "Amalia, is there something you want to say? You're... saying a lot without being direct," he mutters.
Remi just shakes his head, not knowing enough about the Order either. "Well, not my problem anymore." He offers with a shrug. It's perhaps a bit crass, just to toss away responsibility like that, but gods if he wasn't completely over the idea of acting as an authority over anyone other than himself.
"About an item to make things easier." The alchemist supplements, unable to say more before his fingers turn into claws and a mess of feathers and mane snarl through his curls. "She will have nothing to say about him." He snaps suddenly, snatching up Mateo and cradling the boy against his chest. Entirely unsure why his name has been disturbed, Mateo gives a plaintive wail before snuggling his face against the Lullaby's shoulder.
With eyes suddenly white with fury, Remi looks over his shoulder at Ronin as the Star sendings soothing pulses his way. It does little to dampen the animalistic rage that contorts Remi's body, but at least the alchemist hasn't done anything more than hold their son protectively and snarl threats under his breath.
i wake up and i go back to sleep
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
None of this makes sense to Amalia, who coils further into her anxious mind, glancing between the men as things grow positively frosty. That Safrin wouldn't be part of Mateo's life isn't something the Shield ever considered, and her confusion is clear in her furrowed brow, the way she blinks and stammers a little. "Wh- why d'you- I'm not-"
Before she can get her wits about her Remi snatches the boy from the bed and Amalia is left helpless and cold, horns curling from between her hair, fur rising on her shoulders as she retracts. "I'm sorry, I didn't- I don't- Remi, please." Extending a hand toward the Lullaby as one might a frightened wild beast, the Shield frowns, tears in her dark eyes. "I would never- you know I wouldn't hurt him. I just don't understand." Again she looks between the fathers, utterly lost in this suddenly turbulent space, her gaze settling on Ronin as she struggles to find footing. "Did something happen? Why wouldn't you want Safrin to know about Mateo?"
