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!
Peace and repose’s effects meant there were opportunities for individuals to come together – it’d been years since the last attempt, and with different people and facets, the Sword had more jocular expectations. Change and circumstance, life and death, restoration and upheaval, and somehow they all still had one another – and that’s what he’d savor for today.
Preparations had been an ongoing process since that morning, in between duties, meetings, and missives, but by the late afternoon it’d become a coordinated effort of food, drinks, and some portions still cooking – or awaiting order specifications (ursur steak being the highlight). With the dessert still in the oven, and the wafting aroma of blackberries mingling through the kitchen, they really only had to wait on Kiada and Ru to arrive – with whatever chaos they chose.
Turning to Evie, and hiding any apprehension he had from the last dinner shared with family, his brow arched, and a long, slow breath unfurled. “Do we need anything else?”
Evie has run out of things to do with her hands, the clock on the wall signals their guests will be arriving soon, and though she looks very put-together (intentionally, of course) she feels anything but. Her last family dinner had been utterly disastrous, as Deimos likely recalls, and this is also her first time ever meeting Kiada. And now they're engaged. She feels a bit faint actually.
Conveniently that's when Deimos turns to her, and the world feels marginally steadier under her feet when she meets his eyes even if she knows her face is still pale. His own apprehension is well-hidden, but she does smile slightly when she still sees the lingering vestiges in the slow breath he exhales. "A stiff drink?" she jokes, hanging up her apron and wishing she had literally anything left to do but wait. Instead she reaches to take his hand, trying to quell her own anxiety to offer him a smile. Which, of course, is precisely when the first knock at the door comes, and her smile turns strained. "I've got it," she assures, and heads to open the door, sucking in a deep breath as she swings it open and steps aside to usher in their first guest with a warm welcome and a smile.
No one has ever made me feel this safe, this free, this me
She’d be lying if she said this adventure wasn’t terrifying for her. Not only was she trying to not turn to stone, it was already flaring warning lights in her mind, that uncomfortable sense of dread and shaky fear the entire trek on the sky port. She’d huddled as close to the torches and fires that she could, despite dressing as warmly as possible, topped off with the coat Deimos had made her.
And the second it lands? She’s running, torch in hand just in case, despite knowing where she’s heading. And the second she arrives, out of breath and panting, torch put out the second that she can hear someone opening the door, she rushes in with a smile to Evie for thanks before she shivers, trying to warm up, sluggishly so. “Thanks, sorry, I was getting nervous.” She laughs an awkward laugh, looking to Evie now more officially, her smile brighter as she tries to ignore her own rude entrance to make up for it now. “Thanks for having me.”
and weapons
don't
weep
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
She hasn't seen her niece since she and Noah stood as Halo's brief, temporary Wardens, and the girl had denounced her and left Halo forever. While she'd made amends with Deimos, she and Hotaru had simply...never spoken again. As excited as the Valkyrie is for Deimos and Evie, the prospect of a family dinner has left her with knotted insides for days.
She comes on the heels of Kiada's flurry of an entrance, and Evie opens the door for her with a warm smile that Hotaru can read the nerves in. Ru tries to offer a comforting one of her own, but she wouldn't be surprised if the Evergreen can see the same in hers. Stepping inside, she takes off her coat and hangs it, busying herself so she doesn't immediately resort to staring at Kiada as the young woman attempts to warm herself by the fire. Her fingers twitch with the desire to use her magic to hasten her comfort, but she resists.
"Your remodels look amazing," she compliments the engaged pair readily, having witnessed each one from down the street and seen a few up close already. Ignoring Kiada doesn't spell positive endings either however, so she turns and offers a tentative smile as she extends her hand. Deimos can surely do the same, but Ru is desperate to figure out where they stand. "May I? I can use my magic to warm you up faster." And, regardless of what the Harpy allows, Ru turns her attention to Deimos to affect an upbeat air. "What's on the menu for tonight?"
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.
The quip in return eased some of the apprehension, a quick roll of his eyes giving way to a half-grin. “Tempting,” echoed from the rumble of his tones, but then there was the door, and Kiada’s presence rampaging into the house. He snorted, not surprised by the antics but grateful she’d made it there at all, content that the magic along her coat had worked. Maneuvering forward, if only to ensure the fire in the hearth was blazing for the Ancient, he smirked, nodding. “You are welcome. How long did it take you from the skyport?” Eternally calculating the schematics and minutes, of course, so that they knew and understood the limitations; while still in jocular form.
Ru’s appearance thereafter inspired only the arch of his brow – watching, waiting, the pragmatics behind meetings once more leaving the trepidation into the edges of his straightened, rigid spine. Leaving their conversation about the Flood well behind them, he patted her on the shoulder as he began to move back towards the stove. “Thank you.” Leaving her and Kiada to tend to their emotions, the Sword kept it simple, one hand extended towards the counter. “Ursur steaks for the main course – what are your preferences?”
Arranged on the surface were already salads and rolls, warmed and crescent with slabs of different butter proportions, along with potatoes, glaze on the side for anyone who gleaned for more sweetness. Beverages ranged from water, tea, coffee, or Evie’s curated wines, something she should be proud to show off. “Blackberry cobbler in the oven,” and he winked towards the Harpy for the indulgence. “Evie can give you a tour if you want, while I finish these off,” extending a motion of his jaw towards the meat.
Kiada's harried entrance is far from an insult, and Evie is merely glad that nothing worse had been given a chance to happen to the young woman between the skyport and their front door. "Of course," she replies genially to Kiada's gratitude for being hosted, "I'm just glad to finally meet you. Deimos has told me so much about you." Which Evie knows can be a daunting thing to hear about yourself, so she hopes Kiada trusts Deimos to only be positive in his recounting of tales and memories.
Ru's arrival prompts another smile and a brief, chaste hug. They'd had shops on the same street in the Grounds, and though they aren't exactly bosom buddies, Evie knows her far better than Kiada. Though hopefully the evening would begin to change that.
Grateful for the opening her beloved provides her, Evie tilts her head toward the archway of the open door that leads from the kitchen into the depths of the house. "Absolutely! I can show you around now - if you're warm enough, Kiada?" She doesn't want to risk removing the Ancient from the fire too soon, so she only leads them onward if the young woman consents, ready to show off the guest room (plain, of course) and then the library (far more interesting) at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor. She stands back to allow them to wander about and investigate, smiling proudly from the doorway. "We realized we had far too many books for the downstairs bookshelves, so we decided on a library almost immediately when we started planning the remodel." As well as a room to perhaps someday become a nursery, and changing the master bedroom - but Evie doesn't think such big revelations are the best topic for the evening. "Though it does tempt us into taking work home a little too often sometimes." Whether guild business or Warden duties, the large table in the library was often covered with documents and files. Actually she's rather mortified to realize it still is.
No one has ever made me feel this safe, this free, this me
“Pleased to meet you too.” She chimes, flashing a bright smile Evie’s way as she makes her way further into the house toward the promising fire crackling in the hearth. “A bit longer than I’d like. I had a torch, though.” She hums a laugh toward Deimos as she warms up by the fire, keeping the jacket he’d made her on her person as she looks up to spot Hotaru coming through the entryway, flashing her aunt a bright grin in greeting. “Auntie Ru!” Comes the chime, having no clue where any anxieties might stem from for her aunt as she darts over to give her a warm hug of greeting. “I would love that.”
She pulls away at precisely the time Deimos asks how she’d like her steak and Evie offers to show them around the home, and she flashes her father figure a playful fanged smile as she replies “rare, please.” And it’s punctuated with a bright mmmm sound at the idea of the blackberry cobbler, before meandering her way toward Evie, pushing the sleeves of her jacket up her arms. “I’ll keep the jacket on for a little bit longer but I’m quite toasty, thank you. I’d love to see the house!” She’s already reaching out to loop her arm into Hotaru’s, prepared to follow the red headed woman up the stairs.
There’s a gasp of surprise and delight that leaves her to see the library, of course. Books were interesting and while the guest room was beautiful, it was exactly that. Just a room. “Oh this is lovely!” She fawns, breaking away from Hotaru for a moment to run her fingers along the spines of the books, taking them all in.
and weapons
don't
weep
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Evie's quick hug is a pleasant distraction from the anxiety that gnaws at her stomach, though she doesn't spare all of her attention as she perhaps should with how her nerves hang on the pin of a needle. They are dashed abruptly, almost violently, leaving her awash amidst an aching relief so strong her knees shake and Deimos must surely feel its echoes. The Valkyrie's arms come around her without hesitation, too greedy and grateful to waste time being stunned. "Hello my firebird," she murmurs, heart trembling in her throat as that old, cherished nickname finds its rightful place back on her tongue after so long.
When the Harpy pulls away Hotaru has to bite onto that tongue physically to prevent snarling something toward the happy couple for taking Kiada's attention away. The only reason she manages it is because her niece swiftly takes her arm moments later, keeping them connected and mollifying Hotaru's spike of irritation enough that she manages a small smile for Deimos. "Rare, but seared please." Not quite so rare as Kiada's, but her inner feline would be miffed by anything more than medium rare.
Tugged along happily, Hotaru's eyes rove nosily through every crevice they pass, heedless of the fact it's on willing display. "I should've known you'd be a bookworm given you're a Wordsworth, but I didn't think you'd be a workaholic too. No wonder you and Deimos are so perfectly matched," the Valkyrie teases as she saunters behind Kiada like a guard dog, shadowing her every footstep.
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.
Years of battlefield prowess and scrutiny never went away, but for the moment, he utilized his careful perusal and study of the people around him – loved and cherished. Kiada’s presence a welcome thing in Halo, regardless of circumstances, to her open arms with Ru, to Evie’s delicate handling of moments, brow arching as they all unwound and began the tour. Nodding at their fanged smiles and preference alike, he merely listened to the uttering of voices going up and down the hall, content to simply revel in pieces he never thought he’d have again.
Left to tend to the food, and unbothered by it, he seared and turned, maneuvered sauces and spices around, mind focused on other portions. Segments left unsaid, during heated discussions, debates, and arguments, but platitudes the Valkyrie had a right to know, at least before the masses did. Kiada had already been told of the possibilities, and figured her observant nature would pick up on it eventually. I tried to tell you before… as he reached out through the Attuned bond, as their footsteps grew softer and farther away. Evie and I are engaged.
Witnessing the reunion of Kiada and Hotaru feels almost like an invasion of privacy, so Evie turns her head away to give them their moment - and also to hide her smile. This visit is already starting off far better than their last family dinner, and it helps to settle her nerves. So it is with renewed vigor that she shows off the library, practically preening when Kiada strokes over the spines of the closest collection.
"I've transcribed quite a few rare tomes to circulate more of them, so I guess the bookmaking runs in the blood in some way or another." Despite her levity, there is always a touch of longing and grief when she speaks of Sam, even when the topic is vague at best. Now is not the time to ask Kiada about any tales she might have of her brother, but perhaps in the future. Though she does wrinkle her nose in playful exasperation toward the Valkyrie. "And I must add: pot, kettle. Even if Deimos wasn't around to rat you out, I'm still your student and I know you're no better." Normally she wouldn't be so bratty with a guest, but oddly enough she has found it delights Ru more than passiveness or even easy humor.
To the Harpy, her voice softens in the curves of a smile. "I'm sure Deimos would be happy to have you visit and read whatever you'd like. We specifically put another fireplace in the library because we spend so much time in here." Which means it will be even more comfortable for Kiada. Leading both women out lest they linger too long, Evie points out through one of the hallway windows. "Out there is my personal greenhouse, and Deimos' workshop, which we added on externally." Turning over her shoulder as she leads them to the next room, which she opens to reveal a personal armory. Of course. "I don't know if you're aware Kiada, but we actually added this entire second floor," she laughs. They'd simply had too many ideas to make expanding the first floor reasonable, and little desire to move to a new house.
She's sure Deimos is almost done, if not already. Luckily, this is the last exciting room internally for her to show them.
No one has ever made me feel this safe, this free, this me
The nickname that spills from Hotaru’s lips work to make her preen as much as she can without having an avian shift anymore. The hug is tight and well needed and the Harpy starts to relax into her aunts touch before they pull away to start the tour. “I missed you.” She murmurs softly to her aunt as they walk, arm in arm.
The jest over Evie’s lineage, though, is met with a hum of a soft laugh from Kiada, agreement written across her face as she takes in the library, listening to Evie and Hotaru speak, throw jests to one another, and she can’t seem to keep the amused smile from her face. A bright fanged smile replaces the amused one, already drifting toward the fireplace after Evie’s comment directed toward her. “Are you sure about that? You might not be able to get me to leave. And I’ll never say no to more fireplaces.” The chimed laugh leaves her, sounding just like Rexanna’s despite her being completely unaware of it.
Regardless, she peers through the window where Evie points before following her in further to see the armory. “I didn’t know that. It’s amazing, though.” She certainly approves, and she falls back into line beside her aunt to go wherever Evie directs next.
and weapons
don't
weep
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Ru leans sideways into her niece, wishing she could meld them together somehow so the Harpy would never be parted from her again. "I missed you more," she murmurs, that small spark of teasing caught in the undertones, not wanting to bring the mood down with the reality of her words. Though she does flip Evie off and stick her tongue out at the Evergreen shamelessly when the tables are turned on her, brain too full of happy-fuzzy reunion feelings for wit and snark.
Until Deimos breaks the news mid-tour in the most distracting way.
"WHAT?!" It bursts out of her in a shriek, interrupting whatever conversation Evie and Kiada had been having that she'd mostly tuned out while looking out the window and nodding along (she'd already trespassed on the property ages ago and investigated on her own). Lurching forward, she snatches up Evie's hand - invoking a strangled protest that she ignores - and makes an equally strangled noise of excitement to see a beautiful floral-themed ring on the Warden's hand. "Frey's clit! You're engaged!" And then she bounces on her feet and squeal-laughs her joy in a way that would make her daughter proud and any adult her age cringe to see.
Snagging at the other two women, Ru drags them back downstairs in a thunderous line until they have returned to the kitchen where Deimos is, looking windswept in an otherwise still house with the force of her excitement. Only then does she drop Kiada and Evie - but only because she is then attempting to climb Deimos in the world's most exuberant hug a pair of their ill-fitting heights can achieve. Despite her childish theatrics, through the bond he will feel the sincere force of her excitement, approval, and happiness for him. "You could have warned me with a letter at least!" Timing be damned, now she'd completely derailed the cozy little get-together they'd fostered in the early moments of tours and dinner prep. Not that it means she'll apologize at all for her antics.
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.
Finishing up with the steaks, and taking the pie out of the oven, he waited for the inevitable screech, lurch, and movement from any of the parties involved. Already grimacing and bracing himself as the shriek burst through rooms and floors, he tried to head it off with a firm “Food is ready,” call along the threshold, maneuvering plates out of the way before the thud of feet motioned their way downstairs.
Which had probably been for the best, because suddenly Ru was there and his response was muffled by the excitement, zeal, and crush of her shoulders pressed against his face. “Why would I send a letter…,” when she lived down the street, and he’d meet up with her eventually. Shaking his head, and offering an apologetic glance towards Evie and Kiada both, he attempted to remove the Valkyrie from his figure, prying her off with a forceful but well-meant grumble. “But thank you,” for the silent congratulations and contentment.
Kiada might still be a fresh face to her, but she’s entirely sincere when she grins right back and tilts her head cheekily toward the fireplace. “It’ll just keep Deimos chopping wood every week - that’s a bonus.” She wiggles her eyebrows shamelessly, hoping it will make Kiada gag and groan the way most do when envisioning their parental figures in such a light.
Then she pauses - good god, is she getting old?
Luckily - or perhaps unluckily - she’s jerked right out of her thoughts by Hotaru snatching up her hand, making her yelp an aborted noise of surprise that is drowned out by the Valkyrie’s vulgar excitement. Then they’re all stumble-running down the stairs in a comedic line of fumbling feet, the Evergreen left dazed and confused as she is let go of with dizzying abruptness at the edge of the kitchen. Hotaru is apparently attempting to climb Deimos, and the man’s fondly exasperated look of apology has Evie lifting her hand to cover her mouth as she quirky laughs, old mannerism lessons taking hold. They haven’t even sat down to eat and already Evie’s heart is warm and full. Clearly this family dinner is going much better.
“Why don’t we all sit and eat and we can talk about it?” It’s almost political, but clearly it works as everyone starts scooting into chairs and finding their appropriate plates. Evie sits next to Deimos and grabs his free hand with hers, sparing him an amused grin and a squeeze of their fingers.
No one has ever made me feel this safe, this free, this me
