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!
It was an intriguing thought, lowering Stormbreak's protections, one that Alys considered with a tilt of her head. She had to admit that she'd often wondered what lay beyond the barrier keeping Abandoned out of the great city; was it really so different from the rest of Caido? And yet, another part of her shunned Stormbreak's inhabitants, just as they had shunned her and hers. Why visit someplace so determined to keep her out? It was the same reason she turned her face from the gods. If they would not claim her, then why should she bother with them?
In any case, Alys merely nodded as Hotaru described her work, but the talk quickly lightened to happier things. "It's part of why I left," admitted the young woman. "But mostly, after the barrier fell, the world just seemed so - big. I thought, maybe there would be other people out there, like - like me." Her voice stuttered as she spoke, revealing more of herself than she'd intended to her new companion.
She nodded in agreement that Deimos was, indeed, a formidable teacher. "He's taught me a lot," said Alys, grudging admiration in her tone. As infuriating as the man had been - she grimaced at her memory of the rock wall - she had to admit that he had lit a fire beneath her that she hadn't known she needed. "I would love to join your Academy, though. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity!"
When they reached the city gates, Alys retreated inside herself, avoiding the guard's teasing by looking down and away. She was uncomfortable with such camaraderie, and it was evident in the way she slouched, pulling her cloak more closely around herself, despite the warmer air within the city. But Alys straightened a little when Hotaru returned her attention to her, nodding with relief as the conversation shifted back to a normal tone. "That sounds perfect. Lead the way."
She is certainly not the only Abandoned to feel snubbed and iced out by the Gods, but unfortunately, Hotaru has never felt that - she could never hope to understand, even as an Abandoned herself. "Like you as in Abandoned? Or Seers?" It is spoken with a relatively uncommon gentleness that the Valkyrie does not often employ. Still, she can sense the woman falters over her own admission in a way that implies hesitance and vulnerability.
Taking the distraction of her excitement to try and maneuver past both that raw moment and the clear discomfort she feels around the guards, Hotaru merely grins. "Then I would be pleased to have you as a student. You don't have to live in Halo to attend, of course, but I'll add your name to our rosters and have a welcome packet made for you." Creating an overview of classes the season prior had made it so the Academy didn't have to send out messenger birds to every student that didn't live in Halo.
"As soon as you accept being a student, you should feel the cold resistance set in - that should make the Citadel feel even warmer." This means they can stay out even longer shopping, and Hotaru is undoubtedly delighted about that. Luckily the outerwear sellers are closest to the gate to take advantage of any frozen visitors, and Ru leads Alys to her own favored stall. Not quite so grandiose, and with a scowling old man that likely sees fewer buyers because of his bitterness. Hotaru has never been that easily daunted however, and the sour old coot brightens with a sharpening eye as she steps inside. "Hello, Estus. I have someone here in need of a travel cloak and parka. Same measurements as what you have on file for me should do." The man does nothing more than grunt, disappearing into the back as the Valkyrie turns to her companion. "He'll pull a few premade ones. What colors do you prefer?"
Hotaru
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.
Alys flushed at her admission, scowling at the snow beneath her feet. It was unlike her to be so vulnerable, and with a perfect stranger, no less! But Hotaru had made her feel more comfortable than she had in months, and so it had just slipped out. "Both, I guess," she said grudgingly. "There weren't many Abandoned that I knew, back home, and I've never met another Seer."
The news that she was accepted into the Academy was welcome, and Alys brightened as Hotaru spoke of her new role. Her gruffness set aside - for now - she offered a grateful smile to the other woman. Sure enough, as soon as she accepted the role of student, the chill of the air lessened around her, and for the first time since arriving in Halo, she felt comfortable. "I think I'll stay in Halo for a while, actually," said Alys. "Especially if you can help me find some warmer clothes!"
The first stall that Hotaru led her to was smaller and less grandiose than some of the others around, and was tended by a grumpy-looking old man. Alys glowered back at the shopkeeper until he saw Hotaru; then he perked up, and Alys's frown fell away. She watched Hotaru from beneath her lashes as the other woman easily conversed with the previously gruff old man. How did she do it? She seemed so comfortable with everyone!
Then the woman turned back to Alys, who cocked her head to one side as she thought. "I normally wear blacks or neutrals," she told Hotaru. Then she hesitated. "But... what do you think I'd look good in?"
The woman's scowl seems not to affect her willingness to share, so Hotaru chalks it up to embarrassment and has the decency to conveniently avert her eyes so as not to catch Alys in the act. Quite accustomed to such measures after a year or two as Talyson's friend, constantly navigating his social blunders and endearing (to her) bluster. "Most Abandoned in the Grounds hid their status, it's true. One of our Wardens - Evie Wordsworth, you'll definitely know her name - didn't reveal herself until long after the barrier fell. It can be very lonely." As one of the oldest families in the Grounds, Evie's Abandoned status had been even direr a secret, and Hotaru is privately glad the woman had found Deimos of all people to love. Hotaru and her brother could not be more open and proud of their power. Hopefully Alys would learn that in time too, and find community - whether in Hotaru, the school, or elsewhere.
The first step is Alys remaining for longer, and Hotaru's smile is bright and unexpectedly sincere at the ready agreement. "Now I have even more reason to find you a good wardrobe!" She is more than willing to bribe and barter Alys into staying longer. As for her secrets to whittling her way into everyone's graces...well, was she not doing the same with Alys already?
Taking the wide opening Alys gives her to blatantly appreciate the woman's appearance, Hotaru turns and taps elegant fingers against her lips, considering the Seer from an artistic perspective. "Burgundy would look wonderful against your hair. You can have neutrals and blacks as your base layers, and colorful exteriors - it protects you from long-range hunters mistaking you as prey, and allows you to accessorize with color without clashing with your underlayers." Taking a small stroll around Alys to see her from all sides and with different shadows cast across her face, Hotaru hums consideringly. "Really any gem shades would look great on you. Dark sapphire blue, emerald greens..." trailing off as the man returns, Hotaru turns to the ready made cloaks on the table and immediately - and familiarly - begins to grab the lighter, more pastel shades to stack in a discard pile at the end of the table. With one hand she waves Alys closer, eyes still stuck on the cloaks. Picking up the burgundy one, she turns and holds it out to Alys without even glancing at Estus. "Try this one, love. There's a long mirror in the corner over there."
Hotaru
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.
It was strange to find someone who seemed to understand her so well, and Alys peered at Hotaru sidelong as though expecting something weird or awkward to happen. But as Hotaru chattered on, with no sign of negativity or judgment, Alys began to relax. After all, she thought ruefully, if anyone was going to be weird or awkward, it was probably her. In any case, Hotaru had been nothing but bright and welcoming, and such ready acceptance did much to set Alys's mind at ease.
The young woman fidgeted impatiently under Hotaru's gaze, resisting the urge to cross her arms against such intense scrutiny. Despite her discomfort, she was genuinely curious as to what colors she might be able to get away with. She'd never liked shopping (of course, she'd never gone with someone like Hotaru before), but she'd always admired the bright colors and shiny accessories that other people wore. She'd just never wanted to draw that kind of attention to herself.
And she didn't think she'd be able to get away with it.
But Hotaru's reassurance brought a small, shy smile to Alys's face. "Do you really think I could pull those colors off?" she asked hopefully. It was just then that the old man from the stall reappeared with a variety of choices for the two women to pick through, and Hotaru sent Alys off to the mirror with instructions to try on a deep burgundy cloak. The young woman went hesitantly, pulling the cloak slowly around her shoulders and clasping it in the front. She was pleasantly surprised to find that it did, indeed, look nice against her dark curls.
With a delighted grin, she turned eagerly to her new friend. "What do you think?"
There is a small stroke of insecurity that colors her inquiry, and Hotaru is quick to smooth over it with a small, warm smile. "Absolutely you can. Confidence is all it takes - nobody will ever know you didn't wear it from your toddling years." And Alys, from Hotaru's point of view, is at least blunt enough to come off as confident regardless of how she perceives herself.
As Alys heads off to the mirror, Hotaru turns to converse with Estus in hushed tones. She shops here frequently, so most of these are prepared for the Valkyrie herself. It is merely a perfect stroke of luck that Alys is so similarly sized - and Ru is happy to forsake her own future wardrobe for the newcomer, especially given how packed full her massive closet usually is. It helps that Hotaru often avoids these shades given her warmer tones and blonde hair. Almost like fate, wouldn't you say? Hotaru titters to herself in quiet amusement as she returns to the Seer, who turns with the cloak already donned.
"It looks marvelous on you! It really brings color to your cheeks," she fawns, not an ounce of it insincere - if a bit over the top, given her adoration for dressing up others. "There's plenty of internal pockets, too. And the hood is silk lined, so it won't mess up your hair. Something Estus always ensures with my orders," she confides with a wink, confident in sharing this secret of utmost importance with her new friend. "There's four good colors in current stock, take them all. Estus can put it on my tab." Hotaru doesn't really care about the cost, it's nothing she can't pay.
Hotaru
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.
Confidence. There were some areas in which Alys had confidence in spades. Her looks were not one of them. She had never considered herself to be a woman of traditional beauty - not like Hotaru, who was gorgeous without, it seemed, even trying to be. So when someone like her offered someone like Alys praise, the latter's cheeks flushed with pleasure and gratitude.
She surveyed herself in the mirror, turning this way and that, admiring the way the cloak swirled around her. Hotaru was right - the burgundy brought out faint color in her cheeks, immediately making her look more lively and - dare she think it - pretty. It helped, too, that it was much warmer than what she'd had on before - Halovian clothes really were of a different make, it seemed.
She inspected the inner pockets that Hotaru pointed out, her glee slowly turning to dread in her stomach. She'd never owned something quite so fine before, and she wasn't sure if she could afford it. After all, being a Seer wasn't a very lucrative profession - particularly when the potential patrons she'd met thus far in Halo had been rather prickly. But then she thought of Tal and, now, Hotaru, and she softened a little. Even Deimos, gruff though he may be, had been patient and kind with her. Perhaps she'd judged the frigid area too harshly. She could be grumpy at times, too.
At Hotaru's offer to put the clothes on her tab, Alys blanched. She whirled to face her new friend. "I couldn't possibly let you do that!" she exclaimed, shaking her head, sending her dark curls flying. Of course, that was probably the only way she'd be able to afford the clothes, and this was only their first stop for cloaks. If the shopping trip went the way that Alys thought it would, she was sure to have more new purchases coming her way.
Alys swallowed her longing. She was simply too prideful to accept charity.
Touch-starved as she is in her life of solitude, it is difficult not to reach for the color that suffuses Alys' cheeks, and her fingers dance restlessly against her own thighs with the restraint it takes to keep them there. Her joy is like an ocean for Hotaru to sit and watch, taking in each wave as it comes and goes. Even Hotaru isn't sure if it is a maternal pleasure or something more appreciative and romantic that warms her as she watches the Seer examine the garment. It has been too long since she has investigated such impulses.
The exclamation is waved away with one graceful hand, and though the gesture itself is elegant, there is a firmness to her expression that brokers no room for argument. "Nonsense. Estus made these for me, and the colors wouldn't suit me nearly as well if I did choose to take them. Few in Halo are even close to my size, and you are now my student - of course I will provide for you." And, just to make her argument even stronger, she smiles and reaches out to readjust the front of the cloak. "Your cards brought you here. Let me give you this, so that you can stay longer and with more ease." Perhaps that was why they'd crossed paths in the first place.
Hotaru
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.
Hotaru waved away Alys's protest, and the Seer bit her lip, trying to decide whether or not she should argue. On the one hand, she'd no interest in accepting charity, but on the other, Hotaru made a good point. She'd made it sound like students at the Academy would be provided for, and it was an investment in order to make sure she was comfortable in Halo. Maybe, just this once, it wouldn't be so bad to accept help.
Her instincts warred with her intellect for a moment longer as Alys surveyed Hotaru's no-nonsense expression. "I - I don't know what to say," she hedged, glancing away from her new friend and catching another glimpse of herself in the mirror in the process. "Surely there must be something I can do for you in return?" she wheedled, teetering on the edge of accepting the other woman's kindness.
It just seemed too good to be true. Almost like fate.
That settled it, then. As Hotaru had said, her cards had led her here. They had spoken of challenges to be overcome and warned her that she would have to contend with conquering some of her own demons. Perhaps this was one such thing that she needed to work through in order to succeed here and strengthen her magic. She always said that the Universe was at work through her readings - now it was simply time to trust it and her intuition. They'd never led her astray before.
She can almost see the bricks breaking, the mortar crumbling, as the wall of resistance comes down. The last-minute plea is not unexpected - which is exactly why she has an answer waiting in the wings. "Read my cards for me, and we will call it even. Deal?" There is a small smile in the curve of her lips as she presents her hand for Alys, awaiting the final agreement. Estus, meanwhile, grunts and begins to pack up the cloaks she'd named in the beautiful jewel tones - clearly anticipating the Valkyrie winning this particular battle of wills. It's a compliment to Hotaru given she'd won a similar battle with Estus himself the first time they'd met.
"You can wear that one out if you'd like; you'll want the pockets until we can get a good bag for you." Because - unfortunately for Alys - this was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of purchases they'd be making this afternoon. Hotaru would definitely lose ground as each garment was obtained, so best to start out with the most expensive purchases now while Alys was more amenable to receiving such gifts.
Hotaru
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.
It didn't seem a fair trade, a reading for the cloaks, much less a reading for what may turn into an entirely new wardrobe. Alys chewed the inside of her cheek, her brow creased in the slightest of frowns as her instinctual stubbornness and pride warred with her youthful desire for someone to care for her. In the end, she sighed. "I'll give you readings for life," she said with a huff of laughter accompanied by a crooked smile.
The burgundy cloak wrapped around her shoulders and the others stuffed into various pockets, Alys followed Hotaru to the next stall, deferring to the other woman's leadership in the matter of shopping. "What all would you recommend I get?" she asked, almost afraid to know the answer. It was a strange feeling, knowing that she would be in Hotaru's debt, especially since she had no way of knowing just how much debt she'd be in by the time the day was done. Perhaps, once their shopping was done, she could treat Hotaru to a hot meal - and her first reading.
'For life' sounds so grand and needlessly eternal that Hotaru can't help but laugh, charmed by Alys' determination to even the scales. "Okay, deal. Readings for life." And if coin were to find its way into the Seer's pockets each time in the future, Hotaru would merely claim to have been practicing her sleight of hand. Lifting up and empowering women was as important to her as her mission to do so for all Abandoned. What else did the Valkyrie need materialistically that she could not easily obtain anyway?
Waving a goodbye to Estus instead of cursing the poor, unsociable man with a spoken goodbye, the Valkyrie follows Alys back out into the street with their bag of cloaks in hand and the Seer newly garbed. "In terms of absolute basics: gloves, shoes, and snow glare goggles. With the Academy blessing you don't have to get thermal under layers, but I also recommend a waterproof bag if you don't already have one." She would push for the last two, but they were technically optional.
Hotaru
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.
It may have sounded grand and eternal, but the Seer meant every word. She was not used to having someone dote upon her, nor to having someone trying to take care of her, and she was determined not to leave such kindness unreturned. Besides, she thought practically, if Hotaru found that her readings resonated, perhaps she would see fit to mention Alys to friends or acquaintances, thus bringing new business to the Seer. In any case, she looked forward to reading for someone like Hotaru, curious as to what message the cards would hold for someone who seemed, from an outsider's perspective, to have her life wonderfully together.
Alys listened to the list of items and tried not to scowl. It seemed like a long list to her, but then, she also wasn't used to living in such extreme conditions. With an internal sigh, she nodded. "I have a bag, but it isn't waterproof." That, at least, would be a necessity for the Seer. Gods forbid her cards get wet! She shuddered at the thought. "As for the rest - I suppose the thermal underlayers wouldn't hurt, especially when I'm out wandering outside the Citadel. And the rest of your list sounds reasonable enough," she added grudgingly.
If Ru were to know of the business mindset that takes hold in that moment, she would be unendingly proud to have snagged Alys as one of her students. In many ways, Alys reminds her of herself - back in Helovia, that is. Brash, stubborn, a little unsure. Full of so much potential. Maybe Hotaru really has changed, to now take on the role that Ophelia once had so long ago, fostering that skill and natural aptitude into something that would serve Alys for years to come. Or so she can only hope. Halo often provided those opportunities to any who lingered in her borders - and so Hotaru would outfit Alys in the hopes of making it all the easier to do so.
"Perfect, then we shall not waste any time. Gloves and underlayers are sold together at Helen's stall. Bags we'll need to travel afield for, but it's close to the inns and restaurants - we can get an early dinner and rest after all our shopping?" While it's phrased as a question, it is a mockery of one, the Valkyrie far too accustomed to taking charge and following through with her own plans. As they emerge back into the street she wastes no time in turning with the flow of people to head deeper into the Citadel to their next stall.
Hotaru
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.
