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!
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
Now for those who might not recall, Hotaru's first business in the Grounds was as a seamstress, so the moment news of a ball met her ears she had set to work early on obtaining the proper materials for dressmaking. It was one thing to show up in a grand dress, it was another entirely to show up in a handmade dress that was undeniably more skillfully crafted than everyone else's.
And she intends to make that delightful vision a reality.
Most of her home has been transformed into a large open space for her to lay out the fabric on the floor and cut away, the mannequin in the corner already adorned with various draped pieces. She had ordered some impressive quality silks from Torchline with express delivery, so she suspects Talyson or one of his kin will be at her door shortly given she rarely ever requested any other family for her delivery business. Regardless of who - though she suspects it will be Tal given Ru's name on the packing slip - the Valkyrie has left her door unlocked and has cocoa simmering on the stove in preparation while she kneels on the hardwood, careless of her joints as she cuts with intense focus.
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.
A delivery order from Hotaru? Of course Talyson had snagged it for himself, and not just because his Peregrine was far better equipped to make the run to Torchline than the dogsled route that his youngest older sister had taken over when he'd started taking so much work outside of Halo.
He couldn't help her with the Academy like Sah could, but he could do this much for his friend, even if he pretended to grumble about it the whole way. Boreal just chortled and let him, too wise to her human's foibles to believe a word of it.
In fairness he did knock first. He waited a few seconds for courtesy's sake before he slipped inside, Boreal shoving past his hip and almost knocking him over as she padded straight for the hearth to plop down in front of the fire. The courier caught his balance and surveyed the remodeling with bemusement before he shrugged and started pulling boxes out of his Bag of Holding. "Hey, Ru. Makin' some fancy curtains for the Academy?" he teased while he unpacked.
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
The knock warrants a distracted call to come inside, though whether he hears it at all is questionable. He comes in all the same, so clearly it didn't matter much to start. Sitting up on her knees and stretching out her back, arms overhead and clasped together as she works out the gathering soreness there, the Valkyrie turns to smile at Boreal before turning her attention fully to Talyson. Her expression swiftly morphs into one of feigned severity, plucking her scissors from the floor to brandish them at the younger man.
"I shall make you into curtains if you insult my dress, Seawright," she threatens loftily, only to discard her scissors once more and stand smoothly, crossing the fabric in socked feet to join him. "How was the voyage?" Hands dancing along the table impatiently as she awaits her package to be deposited.
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.
He wouldn't have walked in to just anyone's home, package or no, but for Hotaru and Sah he made exceptions. Was he going to walk in on something he'd regret someday? Probably. But he hadn't thought that far ahead yet.
Tal raised the package in question in front of himself in self-defense as the scissors were brandished with dangerous intentions, his grin peeking out behind the sturdy wood that protected the precious contents within. "Oh, a dress, is it? Awfully nice o' you t'make one for Sah!" His grin had turned downright wicked by the time he set the box down with elaborate slowness on the table. "Dunno how I feel about all these fancy parties people are throwin' now, but I guess it beats fightin'." Barely. At least he knew where he stood and how to move his feet when it came to a fight!
"Trip was good! Things're a bit stormy but the Peregrine can ride high an' light o'er the worst o' th'weather," he bragged, proud of himself and his ship. Looking entirely too pleased with himself, he leaned back against a chair back to watch Ru open her delivery.
"Are there gonna be any weird masks this time, d'you know?"
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
His grin is infectious, and Hotaru lowers her scissors with an accompanying laugh. "He would look wonderful in one, as would you," she loftily responds, gleefully aware of the threat it contains. One that strengthens as he postpones setting the package on the table, truly forcing her to snatch it once it skims the surface. Though she listens with one ear, her hands are busy swiftly dismantling the package, removing all the protective lining inside to get to the fabric beneath.
"As far as I know, no. Though I rather appreciated the masks myself," she purrs, cheshire grin emerging as she casts a glance over her shoulder at him. It had taken a few hours to find someone, but she hadn't gone home alone that night. Pulling on the fabric inside, she makes a tittering noise of appreciation at the silky, star-like image that emerges, glittering and shifting in the light. A beautiful powder pink shade with delicate neutral glitter embedded to go over the inner lining she'd been working on. "Even if you don't like the dancing, at least there is always food." Perhaps a poor replacement, but she has long since given up on the notion of forcing Talyson to play nice and socialize.
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.
"I would, wouldn't I?" Tal agreed smugly as he teased her with the box. Though not even a beautiful dress could make him charming, at least it could show off his slouchingslender figure to good effect. He'd put on a fair amount of muscle in the past two years and was no longer scrawny, but social situations sucked the confidence right out of him and turned him into a scowlingshrinking violet parked beside the drink table.
He backed away from the box with a playful show of holding his hands up, grinning as Ru dove in and made short work of the inner wrapping. "Mm. The masks were okay. I wound up in this weird suit, but it coulda been worse..." He peeked over her shoulder at the fancy fabrics within, but a grumpy hum emerged as he rocked back on his heels. "Yeah, well. Don't know how t'dance," he admitted, nose wrinkling in the beginnings of a scowl at the pink glittery silk. "Long as they have quality booze I'll be okay, though." It was important to manage expectations for the night.
He reached up to scratch at his chin, nose still wrinkled as he slanted a surreptitious glance at the Valkyrie. "How d'y'feel about capes?" He tried to sound totally natural and nonchalant as he asked, definitely not considering his own outfit.
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
His smugness is an opening for the vixen's own mischief, as she smiles sweetly. "So you'll let me make you one then?" Perhaps he would look good in some cool blues, maybe coral...
Huffing a laugh at his derision for suits, the Valkyrie cuts her eyes over her shoulder as she checks the cut edges and bias of the fabric to ensure the quality is up to her standards. "If you disliked the suit, you should definitely opt for a dress." Though she curiously wonders what mask he'd worn, if they'd talked or interacted at all, unknowing and unsure. It would have been quite amusing if so.
"Hm, well you know I don't drink," she breezes as she pulls the fabric fully free and begins to arrange it on the mannequin, using a free-draping method as she begins to pin it in place to visualize the folds. "If they have drink cards I'll slip you mine to give you extra." If he became rowdy with inebriation, she'd just stick him in a closet and let him sleep it off.
"Capes are fantastic," Hotaru rallies as she spins on her socked feet to view Tal fully, taking her attention from the pinning for a moment. "And quite distinguishing for Halovians. They have an entire language actually, much like fans for women, though you won't need to worry about learning it." Already eyeing the courier as if visualizing the cape, the woman nods to herself, clearly pleased by what her mind's eye is showing her.
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.
"Sure, if y'want," Tal magnanimously agreed. "Don't promise I'll wear it. Especially if it's not practical." As the younger brother of three sisters, he'd been treated as a living dolly quite a bit when he was smaller. Though he was resigned by the idea he wasn't really bothered at the thought of wearing a dress or skirt, so long as it didn't get in his way.
"Mmm. Well, the pants were definitely too tight," he admitted, ambling back to lean over Hotaru's shoulder and look at the cloth, pretending that he knew what she was doing. "But I liked the cape..." He shifted back out of her way when she went to dress the mannequin and wrinkled his nose at the mention of drink cards. Before he could ask about them he found his dismay melting away when Ru proved to be even more excited about capes than he was and he grinned, catching some of her excitement. "Can y'show me how t'make one?" he asked eagerly as Boreal snorted smoky amusement by the hearth. "Oh yeah, an' what' a 'drink card'? Is that like... a fancy cocktail recipe y'get t'take home?" ...Tal didn't have a lot of experience with fancy parties.
But it was high time he learned, however reluctantly.
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
"I can definitely make it practical," she assures, and begins to estimate his measurements with hawk-sharp eyes as he approaches to look over her shoulder. "My standard of a dress is being capable of hiding a minimum of three weapons, and with at least two pockets. Anything less is laughable and sexist." As if she'd ever be caught dead without her weapons, especially when dresses were so delightfully good at hiding them in silhouette.
It takes godlike strength to not laugh at the imagery of too-tight pants, but it's worth it for the sincere eagerness as she agrees with his plan of a cape. "Of course I can, it's surprisingly simple but we can add plenty of flair. Let me just grab another mannequin." As she goes back to her closet to find another, she listens to his question from over her shoulder, and answers it as she hauls it from the well-organized depths of her walk-in. "At fancier events, most attendees are given what's called a drink card, which allots a certain amount of drinks per person so as to prevent excessive inebriation," she answers primly as she begins setting it up. "But I don't drink, so you're welcome to mine."
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.
"Sure, but why are you hidin' the weapons?" Tal asked curiously. "Aren't they kind like... accessories, 'n stuff? 'Sides, pullin' a hidden knife just seems a lot ruder than havin' one out in th'open so people know what they're fucking with. Just common courtesy, yeah?" - at least to a courier who preferred to spend more time with dogs than people.
His lack of experience with fancy parties was probably showing again and he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably while Hotaru looked him over and he tried not to squirm.
It was a relief when she went on her mannequin hunt and Tal could join Boreal by the hearth, fussing her cheeks and scratching around the base of her horns while she grumbled happily and leaned into the attention. He listened to his friend's explanation of 'drink cards' with a wrinkled nose and no attempt to hide the disapproval in his voice. "Isn't drinkin' the point at big parties? No offense if y'don't, I mean," he added hurriedly, realizing belatedly that he was possibly being rude. "I just don't know how y'get through 'em sober."
He left his dragon with a pat on her scaly head and wandered over to help hold the mannequin steady. "It's just food an' drinkin' and dancin', right? An' makin' up for the last one with more o' the first two if you don't know the steps?"
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
"Because I value the element of surprise more than I do a fair fight," she answers easily, with no shame for her own morality. "Some are certainly beautiful enough to be accessories, but I will always aim to be underestimated. Allowing one or two on display is intentional misrepresentation." Hotaru is far too underhanded for things like 'common courtesy'.
Watching Boreal and Talyson from the corner of her eye with a private expression of fondness, she allows her smiling lips to turn into something openly amused at his backstepping. It's not uncommon. Most Halovians love their drink, and Hotaru is a bit of an outlier for her sobriety. "Parties are one giant web of intrigue, information, socialization, and flirting to me." Between the two of them, the mannequin is easily set up beside its pair, and the Valkyrie steps back to appraise it. "Inebriation only impedes my judgement, so I have no interest in it. And I don't need alcohol to make me a better dancer unlike some," she teases with a little smirk his way.
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.
Tal considered this wisdom and nodded slowly while he fussed over his dragon. "Yeah, makes sense," he agreed slowly. "I mean, that's why Frey made my dagger the way they did." His mouth quirked up into a wicked grin. "You shoulda seen Noah's face the first time he sparred with me!" Sure, he'd ended up losing the training match in the end, but he'd gotten one good nick in on the older, stronger man before he went down!
Then he was up and steadying the mannequin and putting his foot in his mouth - which took some impressive flexibility - but Hotaru let his foe pa faux pas slide and gently educated him without him quite realizing he was being taught. He listened and wrinkled his nose expressively at the mix of intrigue and flirting, but at her teasing he just grinned and tried to put on a haughty air, raising his nose up and trying for a prim accent. "Ma'am, I'll have you know I can't dance no matter how drunk I get. 'Better's got nothin' t'do with it!"
He smoothed his shirt down and then poked at the mannequin with a sly eye. 'So are we startin' with muslin? Or goin' straight for the real cloth?"
she is a flower, but she isn't soft when her petals fall, they hit like bullets
Hotaru grins, her eye-teeth pointedly on display in a way she'd learned long ago from Nate and kept ever since her Attunement. Something a little too animal. "It's a wonderful weapon, I'm truly jealous of it. And I would have given anything to see Noah's expression," she chortles, wondering if it would be worth questing for a device that could display such memories.
She has grown quite adept at dancing around Talyson's various buried explosives, and his jaunty response is a reward unto itself that has her laughing even as she rolls her eyes expressively. "You can't truly think you can admit to being unable to dance without repercussion, do you? I'd be happy to teach you." It's not as if she hasn't done so before with various left-footed partners.
"Real cloth. Your cape will be quite simple and easy to make larger and scale it down. For mine, I've already done a draft so I knew how much fabric to buy." Unrolling her measuring tape, Hotaru steps efficiently behind the courier to measure the breadth of his shoulders and the length of his spine before disappearing back to the empty mannequin to mark the measurements with chalk. "Would you like it to your heels, or on the floor?"
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.
Tal looked entirely pleased with himself and almost insufferably smug as Hotaru deftly stroked his ego and gave him a compliment he could accept without awkwardness. The fact that she was complimenting his weapon rather than himself made it a lot easier to appreciate. Alas for the courier, his swollen ego led him into making a teasing 'boast' that his friend swiftly pounced on, leaving him scrambling for an excuse.
"Teach? Dancing? Oh, I dunno..." he temporized, suddenly modest in an effort to save his pride. "I'd probably step on your feet a lot, an' I don't want t'break anythin' so you can't dance at the party..." He was sweating metaphorical bullets at the thought of accidentally taking Ru off the dance floor, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously.
But maybe learning just one or two dances wouldn't be so bad... Maybe. The look of surprise on Sah's face when he saw might almost be worth it!
He stood obediently still while he was measured and answered without hesitation when she asked his preference. "Heels. Or maybe calf? Don't want people - or dragons - steppin' on it if it's on the floor." He shot his mischievous companion a fondly exasperated look while she pretended to be asleep with exaggerated draconic snores from the hearth, innocent of all such pranks and slander!
