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!
Two days after his letters to the demigods, Ronin arrives as planned at one of the large meeting rooms in the Tower. The place still feels subdued, even with the windows thrown open and a sweet Longheat breeze blowing through. Since Cian's demise the place feels like a clock that needs to be wound; it's slowing down, little by little, and if they don't push through it, things might stop entirely.
Ronin stands leaning back against the large table in the room, fully aware that the last meeting they had like this had ended with him literally flipping such a table. Perhaps things won't be quite so dramatic this time. (Really, though, who are they kidding?). Blowing out a sigh through pursed lips, not for the first time, his blue eyes flick to the doorway, both eager to begin and also hesitant to start.
This is a Mini Event for the Old God demigods to discuss the Draig Cordillera, the Ascended managing to get hold of Cian's Knowt Book, and anything else of importance!
How do I learn my dreams to mold To lay them bare in the morning cold?
It wasn't rare that Ronin and Remi weren't on the same page, but it wasn't the norm, either. From having buried his emotions as a young man, to wearing them on his sleeve as a grieving father, to now letting them rise up unsteadily like steam from the cracks in tectonic plates, Remi sits with his arms folded comfortably across his chest and a look of discontent on his face.
I plan on picturing you naked for this whole meeting. He thinks towards his husband, eyes flickering towards the Huntsman as he allows a small grin to dimple one of his cheeks. However much Remi hated that the demigods were being pulled into the mess left by Cian's death, he'd agreed at once to attend Ronin's meeting, and had further promised to try and not shove the conversation off the rails. But none of those promises extended to the very loud thoughts he was planning on having to keep himself in check.
If they're still out there then the chasm grows For all you know, for all you've known
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Being quite so present in the activities of her fellow Demi-Gods was new for Mildew, but she found that as she made the journey to Stormbreak she was actually quite excited for it. Knowing what was happening in the world and trying to keep atop of it...it was the thrilling ride of life, one that she'd fallen off of a couple of centuries ago.
Blissfully unaware of any nude thoughts as she entered, she smiled at the two men at the table and waved, seemingly perfectly happy despite what they'd gathered to discuss. "Ronin, Remi, hello dears. I'm surprised I'm the first to arrive, I'm usually quite late." She sat down on a chair near the door, allowed herself a moment to be disappointed at the lack of snacks, then waited for anyone else to arrive.
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
A letter had arrived, inviting him to Stormbreak of all places – one for the demigods, which Sunjata evidently was still invited to given the recent… Difficulties between himself and Ronin specifically. But the letter had arrived, it had invited him, and it was also a note of which Frey had mentioned once he’d had Safrin burned out of him.
So he shows. Though not without arriving in Stormbreak to the disapproving eyes of the locals, as he always seemed to. He always put it on the littering scars of the Ascended bites that lighten his tanned skin, but this time it almost feels different. A projection, perhaps. It takes him a bit of time to find the Tower, but when he does he manages to get to the room they’re meeting in, stepping in and fully expecting to be the last to show, to have more disapproving stares thrown his way. Only, luckily for him, he isn’t. He slinks in just after Mildew’s made her hello’s, nodding a quiet greeting to Ronin and Remi, a longer one with a curious glance over Mildew – having not met the woman yet – before taking a seat opposite of her.
It feels the safest out of the options, given that he’s unaware she’s also a Frey demi. Aside from that? The newest demigod remains silent, settled in his chair, waiting to see what happens.
'cause i might make a move
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
They all lived in the spiral of a hurricane, and there was no telling when they would meet the eye of the storm and how long that solace would last.
Although Noah had been the closest when the letter arrived, he seemed to be rather late. His jaw feathered as he stepped through the doors to see several already in the midst, having been called by Ronin. He didn't recognize the woman, but he was sure to meet her soon. He nodded to the others, though he stayed quiet. Unlike the others, Noah did not sit. He stood behind a chair near Remi, though he just barely leaned against it with his forearms, hands clasped together.
"Have you told them?" Noah finally asked, glacier eyes lifting towards Ronin curiously. Of course, Noah was asking about all of the upside down that had happened: the change in the Order, the death of Cian (and how it happened), the Ascended's new information--and the list could probably go on with more of what Ronin knew than Noah.
Ronin gives his husband little more than a raise of his eyebrows, though the small smirk on his face is telling enough. He turns to watch them enter - yes, even you Sunjata - and once everyone is seated or otherwise ready, the Huntsman straightens up and turns to face them all. "So few of us now," he remarks softly, before shaking his head to Noah. "Not yet." No time like the present, though.
"Cian has been killed in the Draig Cordillera by the Voice. She was able to possess and control one of her Ascended - I know it has been threatened and rumoured previously, but now it's a fact. She can take over her Ascended if she needs to - I'm not sure whether there was a choice involved in it." And if only that was it, rather than the mere tip of the iceberg here.
"Cian also had a very important notebook in his possession which allowed him to see events as they unfolded. It's what the Order has used previously to keep abreast of situations. Without that there is no Eye, and at the moment the Order is operating as a council without a named leader." Ruffling his fingers through his hair, Ronin offers them an apologetic smile. "I know that doesn't really affect many of you, but it feels important to say should you need to come to Stormbreak for anything in the future."
Now for the reason for the meeting. "Wessex dropped Cian's head in the Pacifist Plaza," he mutters, carefully keeping his own feelings on that to himself. "So there's reason to believe that the Ascended are now in the possession of the notebook - they might even be aware that we're gathering like this right now. Remi and I were going to go to the Cordillera to see if we could locate it, just in case."
How do I learn my dreams to mold To lay them bare in the morning cold?
Remi doesn't even try and conceal the way his eyes flit towards Sunjata as that which was previously just rumour was confirmed to be true. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't occur to Remi what this means for his relationship with Isla.
'How nice of her to return it.' Remi scoffs under his breath, staring down at one palm, before glancing up at Ronin with a smile. "We all know the Cordillera is dangerous, but if Gideon and Wessex made it out alive, maybe it isn't as dangerous as we thought." Shrugging his shoulders, he glances at the other demigods in attendance. "But then again, maybe it is." No one present save for he and Ronin had immortality to fall back on should things go sideways.
If they're still out there then the chasm grows For all you know, for all you've known
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
To be fair, Sunjata hadn’t known how many of them there was, but there was the notable missing parties – Phoebe, Delphia, Amalia… He makes no comment on those, though, sinking in his chair and remaining silent despite the working of his jaw silently – even as eyes slide to him, Ronin’s and Remi’s, and gods if it isn’t fucking awkward.
Even more awkward when the subject matter hits. The head of the Order is dead. The Voice controlling her Ascended – though Sunjata wonders idly if it was for self defense, not like it matters much in the end. The fact of the matter is that it’s true and all Sunjata can do is listen and stare at the wood grains in the top of the table.
So it seems the Order is sightless and it’s quite possible the Ascended have the upper hand all of a sudden. And then there’s Wessex dropping off Cian’s head in the Plaza. He sighs low and slow, not sure what exactly to do with this information – not sure what he’s to do with the information. “Why were they all in the Draig to begin with?” He asks, unsure what would have brought them to the space he’d learned to avoid. There’s also a part of him that wonders what had occurred to make Wessex make such a drastic call. But if Gideon had been there, as Remi says, then Sunjata can only assume something terrible.
He doesn’t offer to go with them to the Draig, despite having his own dragon shift. He’s unwelcome, he’s weak, he’s still coming to terms with everything that’s changed and what hasn’t since his step into demigodhood. So, the Flood remains silent, gaze lifting from the table to Ronin as the muscles feather in his jaw.
'cause i might make a move
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
02-10-2022, 03:52 PM (This post was last modified: 02-14-2022, 08:28 PM by Noah.)
NOAH
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
Even as Ronin began enlightening everyone on what had happened, Noah did not sit. He listened to the information he already knew, jaw feathering in some rhythm of thinking.
”Some of the Order went to ask the gods for guidance. Safrin was the one who answered.” Glacier eyes slid from Ronin to Sunjata, resting on each of them for a moment before turning to the other two in turn. ”Gideon said they had gone to the mountains in search of a relic, but Safrin was firm that there is no relic in the Draig. She mentioned you, Remi, in having two.” His eyes stayed on the Lullaby for a moment, his eyebrows raised up in a way as to say expect Gideon to ask you about them. Noah knew there would be no getting the relics from Remi from anyone he simply did not want to give them to. No one had that power. ”Safrin also said there would be little benefit for the ascended to attack Stormbreak. The search for more relics to strengthen the side of the old gods seemed to be her main advice.”
Maybe it isn't; maybe it is. Ronin nods quietly at that, and since there's no objection to his and Remi's expedition, he supposes that matter is decided. What Noah has to say does raise an eyebrow, though, and he tilts his head to his fellow demigod. "Do you suppose Cian was lying to Gideon?" he mutters; it's annoying only because the ex-Eye is not around to question. "To say there was a relic just to get him to the Cordillera... What was he trying to do?"
Start the war, Ronin thinks to himself, but he doesn't dare say it. "Either way, Remi and I will go and scout the place out, just in case. Our main issue, though, is that notebook. If it isn't at the Cordillera, then the Ascended definitely have it. They will know everything as it happens. Every relic, every plan. They'll see us coming. We need to be careful... I hate to say it, but perhaps we need to play the defence for a while. They might not attack Stormbreak, but we don't know about other areas."
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
Noah’s gaze slips toward Sunjata and he’s glad he can’t quite partially shift as he used to otherwise his feathers would certainly be ruffling. He offers an "ah." As an answer, but he’s good, letting his gaze dance between them all and drawing silent as they speak, drawing back into his own thoughts and keeping to himself, though his gaze does flicker to Remi briefly at the mention of him having two.
Honestly, Sunjata thinks it’s probable that Gideon was lying. Though it’s more likely that Sunjata’s dislike of the Priest ran so deep that he always saw a flaw in the man. At the mention of the notebook, though, Sunjata refrains from saying anything about the Ascended – not wanting to get into the middle of that can of worms.
'cause i might make a move
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
How do I learn my dreams to mold To lay them bare in the morning cold?
Meeting Noah's gaze, at first Remi thinks that the other man is trying to imply that he should hand them over, before he feels the grit of the underlying sentiment through the attuned bond. Snorting under his breath and pushing his fingers through his hair, Remi leans back in his chair and smirks up at the ceiling.
As for Gideon? "Do we fully trust what Gideon has to say?" The alchemist wonders, tugging his gaze back down and shrugging his shoulders doubtfully. "I can help him replay his memories in a dream if we all want to see for ourselves what happened." Remi suggests.
If they're still out there then the chasm grows For all you know, for all you've known
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
Noah did not know Cian well enough to confidently say whether he would be willing to lie to someone else in the Order, but he had a gut feeling it was the surface he told Gideon to hide true intentions. Noah, of course, didn't know what those true intentions were. However, if Safrin told them there was no relic in the Draig, then certainly the journal would have told Cian so. All of it made Noah's eyebrows come together. He shrugged towards Ronin and shook his head slightly, at a loss for an explanation.
He never thought this would be his life, yet here he was, in the middle of divine politics, trying to stay above the surface of the water.
"I honestly don't know how to move forward in all of this." A moment of vulnerability from the stoic northerner, rarely seen. "I think Ronin is right about working on the defense. With the Ascended having more knowledge and power than they -- really, Wessex -- already had...." He trailed off, unable to keep his line of thinking straight at this point. On Remi's suggestion, Noah turned his attention to Ludo's called. "The way that Safrin was with him, spoke with him, I'm not sure if we will get the information we want now that Cian is gone."
It's a whole lot of nothing, going nowhere fast, and Ronin feels the shared frustration of his fellow demigods in a brief ripple of feathers that shivers through his hair before melting away again. "Then Remi and I will try to see if we can find answers in the Draig. And in the meantime, we can work hard on Stormbreak's defences. It's all we've got right now." And with any luck, this newest upswing on the Ascendeds' part will keep things quiet, at least for a time.
Ronin isn't sure how much he actually believes that, though.
"Thank you all for coming. I'll keep in touch with anything Remi and I find out there in the Cordillera. And if anything happens, or you need anything, ravens will always find us." For now, though, it seems that they've made all the progress they're going to make today.
