From Attuned to Ascended to Ancient, Kiada Njovu-Reyes has been reborn several times throughout her short life, but her fighting spirit has never once been diminished. With beauty, grace and a quick wit, Kiada is the whole package wrapped in an infectious smile. Recent endeavours have found her in the heart of the Hollowed Grounds, aiding the region and bettering it for her new Ancient kin, and whatever she does next, we know it's sure to pack a punch.
Congratulations, Kiada!
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!
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Oh, no, not at all," Mateo assures Cara, because honestly - it's kind of true. Everest is comparatively relaxed at home, though one would never consider him any type of relaxed by normal standards. But it's as good as it gets for the paramedic, Mateo suspects. "He's talkative, and he even gets excited about things," he tells her, before the lights start to flicker a bit and the beat of the music picks up.
"Enough about him, though - I want to see what you can do." Grinning and taking her hand, he pulls her into the crowd of bodies and fully gives himself to the whims of the drugs he's taken.
Knowing absolutely nothing about time and how long they are gone - it might be one song, it might be five - by the time Mateo returns to the table, he doesn't know where Cara is or whether she is still with him, and his lips are tinted a little bit blue from an impromptu makeout with a Smurfette. His curls are messier than when they arrived, yet somehow look all the better for it, and his makeup is holding strong for now.
"Ever, you seem very serious," he croons as he sidles into the seat beside the paramedic, offering him his best pout. "What can we do to help you loosen up a little, eh? It's Halloween, you should be letting loose."
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Whatever else Cara might have wanted to know about the paramedic is lost to the sudden roar of voices around them as the DJ plays something predictably pop-y and trance-y and popular. Dancing as one might expect, the girl in the overalls flings her hair, thrusts her breasts and hips, and almost loses her shoes at one point. While Mateo getting blue, Cara has found her way onto one of the pillars that surround the dance floor. She'd gone up to dance (with the hope that Ever would be able to see her), but is now thoroughly invested in stealing a bit of cobweb for her hair. For now the bouncers simply watch, knowing that there's only so much they can do to curb these sorts of shenanigans.
"Do I?" Turning to Mateo, Ever sets his pen down (he'd been drawing vines in the margins of his notebook). "Halloween is not about letting loose." He points out in a scholarly tone. "And seeing as I'm not worried about spirits or dead relatives, nor do I care about the fact that winter is coming over and above the increase in car crashes I will be called to, I'm not sure what it is about Halloween I am meant to let loose about." Reaching out, Ever plucks a rather large plastic spider from Mateo's curls and sets it down next to a glass of water.
"D'YOU KNOW WHERE RICKI IS?" A brunette yells, slinging an arm over Mateo's shoulder. "Shit man, you're so fucking gorgeous." She adds, her face just inches from his, having apparently forgotten all about Ricki and her quest to find him.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Should they feel some sort of responsibility for Cara? Probably. Unfortunately Mateo is too spaced out of his mind for that, and he slouches companionably against Ever and thanks him as he teases the spider out of his hair. "Oh, I dunno. Just... being alive?" He beams at the paramedic, automatically reaching out for the water so he can sip at it. "Look at this, y'know? Last year Halloween was cancelled, and now everyone can go and get Covid all they like."
His smile turns dreamlike, and he reaches out to very, very carefully fix a little of the contour on Ever's cheeks. Which is precisely when the brunette can't find Ricki. Mildly startled but absolutely rolling with it, he turns to slip an arm around the brunette's waist, smiling crookedly. "Ever tasted a smurf?" he asks. "And if you haven't, do you want to? It'll be secondhand but I think I can still show you."
As for who or where Ricki is, he doesn't give an honest fuck.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Given his profession, this sass is absolutely not appreciated, and out of spite, Ever is going to ensure Mateo drinks the remainder of his water before he can have any more alcohol. So there. "Hooray for being alive." He agrees stiffly as Mateo adjusts his makeup, taking the opportunity to assess his friend's pupils and deciding that he's still more or less alright.
'Mmm, taste the rainbow!' The brunette agrees emphatically as she whirls into Mateo's arms and presses her mouth against his. Inhaling, Ever reaches out for the water and his notebook, moving them out of the way of the brunette's long hair (Laura Croft, he thinks, but her costume is only half a tanktop and a braid, so she could be anything). One of her hands greedily moves between Mateo's legs as the other plunges into his curls.
Ever folds his hands politely in his lap, and squints out toward the dance floor.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Hooray for being alive indeed. Mateo would have liked to have been able to engage further with Ever, but suddenly there's a pretty brunette in his lap and pressed against his lips, and it's with a muffled hum of appreciation that he lets his hands get their fill of her in return. He's not sure what she's dressed as, but it makes it really easy for him to sample what's going on under the half tank top, and it's with a soft gasp and a moan that her hand sneaks between his legs.
Parting from her just enough to press his lips against her ear, whatever he mutters is only partially in English, but based on the roll of his hips against her hand and the way his fingers slip down her back to cup her peach of an ass, it's probably filthy. He slumps just a little as Ever moves the water and the notepad (and himself, as a result), parting from his new date just enough to lopsidedly smile at his friend. "Save my seat?" he asks hopefully.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Cackling, the brunette licks her lips and for a moment it seems that whatever shenanigans she has planned are going to take place right here and now. Thankfully she slinks out of Mateo's lap, but not before giving the front of his pants and appreciative cupping for good measure.
"You are the VIP." Ever says, looking entirely unbothered by all of what's happening.
Reaching for Mateo's hand to guide it around her waist, there comes a bright and angry what the FUCK from a few feet away that has the Chesire grin wiped right off the brunette's face. Looking like a comic-book heroine stands another brunette with her arms crossed over her chest glaring at Mateo and Tomb Raider. "Jesus, we fucking said not tonight!" She continues, forcing her way over. "What happened to uteruses before duderuses, huh?"
Looks like we found Ricki.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Mateo certainly feels like the VIP, and he turns his best and most dazzling smile towards Ever as he's squeezed and fondled and ushered out of his seat. Which - cue the buzzkill, except that word doesn't exist in Mateo's vocabulary. His buzz is unkillable. "Hey, hey," he says, holding up a hand as if to placate Ricki's temper, while his arm slips more fully around Tomb Raider's waist.
"Listen, now. It's a party! So, I am going to the bathroom, and if one or both of you ladies want to come, I promise there'll be gold glitter all over the insides of your thighs." Blowing them a kiss Mateo waves goodbye to Ever as well and saunters through the crowd to the nearest bathroom to await their decision.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
"See?" Tomb Raider purrs, before nodding her head enticingly toward Mateo. "Besides, you've been such a fucking downer since Steve. Maybe a random orgasm in a bathroom is just what you need? It's definitely what I need." The two woman exchange long stares, wordlessly making their arguments, before Ricki laments and the pair skitter off in Mateo's wake.
Making a silent bet with himself that Mateo would come back with his makeup still perfect and possibly with an extra item of clothing, Ever rubs at his eye before remembering himself and folding his hands back in his lap.
Cara, having been coerced off of the pillar by the bouncers, is now wombling her way across the bar and back to Ever. With her shoes in her hand and a grin that suggests she found more to drink on the dance floor, she drops her heels beneath the table and all but collapses into his lap. "Er—" He says worriedly as she fidgets and moves, appearing to be trying to crawl onto a stool while remaining attached to him. "Can I...get you some water?" Sitting up unsteadily, Cara plants a hand on Ever's thigh and squeezes so that she could edge her stool closer. "Y're a good guy Everest, did anyone ever tell you that? hah, ever tell Ever." Her speech had slowed and become over-annunciated, which Ever listens to with a polite nod of his head.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Ever will absolutely win that bet with himself, because Mateo, whilst a great lover of men, women and anything in between, does not sacrifice his makeup for anyone other than himself. And so when he does return, his curls are desperately ruffled, his shirt is open and his bowtie is gone, but he is otherwise immaculate. He even has a new catch on his arm - Carnations has finally finished her shift, and so he and the bartender make their way happily back to the table.
"I do hope we aren't interrupting," Mateo purrs, and though his cheeks are flushed and he feels weirdly thirsty and the lights are singing to him, he's still got the sense to silently ask Ever if he needs a hand. "We were going to head downstairs now, if you're in."
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Cara is saying something that Ever can't quite make out; her hand keeps edging higher and higher onto his thigh and now her fingers are beginning to creep between his legs such that the only sound he can hear are the sirens in his mind. 'You're pretty.' Cara murmurs, squinting at Carnations and not bothering at all to try and sit up.
All but gulping Ever nods rapidly. "Sure. Yes. Downstairs is good." And though he's eager to be anywhere else, he still reaches out for the glass of water and hands it to Mateo. 'Hello.' He says with a polite nod to Carnations. Trying to untangle himself from Cara's pawing hands, he nevertheless reaches out to help her off her stool. "You could..stay here, if you need a minute?" He suggests. "Noooo, I want to come." Cara protests, which Ever is forced to accept with a tight-lipped smile.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Carnations, having been very early to the party in that she's been serving alcohol to people like Cara all night, is sober enough to realise that the other woman is wasted. "You're gorgeous yourself, sweetie. Say, do you want to try a new drink with me when we get downstairs? It's called a Guardian angel." And it's actually a very, very sweet cup of black coffee.
And for all of her living up to his opinion of her flowers, Mateo is still grateful for the fleck of sanity in all this. (Or, well, he'll be grateful tomorrow - for now he's busy trying to catch the straw in his water with his lips). "Fanks," he tells Ever when he finally gets it, slurping down the water and humming his approval, like it's the best think he's ever tasted.
"You're pretty," he echoes Cara once he's done, winking at Ever playfully and beckoning for him to come on.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
"Oooh, yes." Cara gushes, and if it hadn't been apparent before, it should be obvious now that she is not the sort of girl who is asked to places like this or who has friends like these. Dressed in overalls that she's tried to make sluttier in the bathroom (mostly by removing her shirt so that there's only her bra beneath), Cara is over her head and delighted by each and everything around her.
Sliding off her chair with Ever's hand holding her steady, Cara 'falls' against him and instantly slides one arm around his waist before planting the other on his shirt. Her fingers unsubtly try to slip between his buttons, and given the choice between having her sticky fingers against his stomach or taking her hand, he opts for the latter. Cara, of course, is overjoyed about this.
'D'you think it'll be scary down there? Will you keep me safe?" Cara asks, fluttering her eyelashes up at Ever.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Mm, might want one of those myself," Mateo tells Carnations with a dazed flash of a smile as they head towards the Cellar, and they exchange as close to witty banter as the florist can manage at this point in the night. Still, he descends the staircase with his hand comfortably sitting in his date's back pocket, oblivious to Everest's issues given that the other man hadn't requested his help, and soon the lights dim to near black, bathing them in a deep purple hue.
There's a vague sense of music and people deeper down into the club, but in this strange nether world between the Palliser and the Cellar, everything is muted and strange. Strings of cobwebs catch in Mateo's face, and cold puffs of air blow from overhead fans, making him shiver. He's considering a tactical throw-up when someone jumps the fuck out at them at the bottom of the steps, and he backs up abruptly enough that he'll probably end up on top of Ever and Cara at this rate.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Cara takes every advantage to nestle closer to Ever, who is hyper-aware of every place that she's trying to encourage them to touch, but not out of enjoyment. Not the sort to be riled by a jump scare, the man who lunges at them with prosthetics to make it look like his face has been mostly slashed off, just has Ever frowning quizzically. 'Not very realistic.' He murmurs to himself before Mateo is suddenly scampering backwards and into he and Cara.
"Alright?" Ever wonders, wanting to offer Mateo a snack but not wanting to embarrass him in front of Carnations. Ahead the darkened hallway is broken by a shaft of light from a door that has suddenly opened. Ahead there is the sound of laughter followed by one of those ominous tracks of a child singing an old nursery rhyme.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
