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!
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Left to her own devices, Melita felt the urgency of restlessness beginning to toy with her senses. Her gaze darted over the gathered, recognizing most, but still not settling into the moment. The Grounds made it worse, for multitudes of reasons, and she wondered if she should start meandering and walking around.
Her uncle’s appearance ceased that from happening – as did the notice of whose hand he was holding – her eyes widening, brows rounding upwards. Perhaps Flora had been right. Pondering over those complexities, she offered a wave to Sunjata and Hotaru, snagging at Fangorn to scratch his head, bestow his own waggling of vines greeting, while Sila settled more on her shoulder.
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
For all the stares they get, both curious and judgmental, Hotaru does not return them. Could she and Sunjata simply be holding hands as friends? Absolutely. Are they? Well, no. But that's nobody's business but their own, and the Festival of Lights isn't exactly a place designed for gossip and drama (or so she would hope, given she's normally the queen of such things).
Sunjata's hand in her own is a comfort, a rock of solidarity and companionship that she can't envision parting from. Her lantern for Ru'in hangs on one finger, Enzo's on another. Her two boys united in death in ways they never got to be in life. It's a bittersweet sort of comfort, as most things are during the Festival.
Waving back to Melita with a small smile, and returning the small nod Isla sends their way, Hotaru squeezes Sunjata's hand tighter as he murmurs into her ear. "Mel, maybe?" She isn't sure how far the Flood's relationship with the Honeybee has come, but she so rarely gets to see the young woman who is as close to her as family, and Flora already seems to have found a companion for the evening to help chase away her own grief.
That flicker in the eyes of a dozen witch-hunters Unaware that I’ve already died
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.
relive who i've been at my worst, every single night, looking for a distraction
He ignores any of the stares they might get from anyone else, though with Isla’s nod he flashes her a soft smile and a wave in kind. He stays beside Hotaru when he, then, captures Melita’s attention with a wave and he returns it just as Hotaru does, setting down his lantern for Nate before her suggestion of seeing Melita has him nodding and already taking the steps to get there — mindful of the height difference and his long legs as to not seem like he’s dragging Hotaru along with him.
“Looks good, Mel. I like the additions.” He murmurs, nodding toward the lantern he knows is for Nate based off of what they’d talked about in the first steps of fixing their relationship. And maybe, because this festival and the amount of loss they’re all feeling, he’s a bit touchy when he lets go of Horaru’s hand and hopes that his niece won’t stab him when he attempts to give her a hug.
the flood
waiting for the sun to rise pretty sight for some hollow eyes
totally sniped from odd ilu
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.
It was a night for quiet contemplation. Though many upon the shore seemed to take solace in the company of others, Hadama made no further move to call out to anyone. He had no shared memories with anyone present of lost loved ones, and his own dead family were a personal pain that he held deep inside.
Finding a quiet place along a dock he rose high enough out of the water to rest his arms on the wood and lean on it for support. It provided a good place to watch the lanterns that floated on the still waters of the underground Lake, and to admire those that hung from hooks within the cave itself. His hair caught the reflected light in a metallic shimmer, making him easy to find if anyone chose to approach, but the Tidebreaker seemed content to spend the night alone with his memories, whether or not Ludo appeared before him this year.
Everyone wants to see heaven But no one wants to say goodbye
There was already a crowd when Soh arrived, carrying her lanterns, and there were several people she recognized. This wasn't a party, though, and the atmosphere was subdued in comparison to the last big gathering she'd been to. Her mood matched: not only was she filled with grief, but she also had her troubles weighing heavily on her shoulders. She wondered what her parents would say if they were here, how they would advise her. Would they be proud of her?
She saw Koa with a familiar figure - Flora - and a muted sting of jealousy shot through her, if only because she knew she had likely ruined her relationship with Koa beyond repair. She knew now that she'd been wrong to ask so much of him, but she would have preferred to have him as a friend than to have alienated him completely. As for Flora... well, the young Heart would be mortified later when she thought of how much she'd revealed to her friend when there appeared to potentially be something going on between the two. For now, though, she slipped away from the pair, glad, in a way, that they at least had each other.
She ached, though, for someone to share her grief with, and thoughts of Jude had tears brimming in her eyes. Tarak, perched on her shoulder, purred softly in her ear, and she reached up absently to scratch beneath his chin gratefully. In the end, she saw Talyson and made her way to his side, offering Boreal a scratch as she arranged her lanterns. One for her mother, one for her father, and one for Auden. Satisfied, she linked arms silently with the courier, leaning her head on his shoulder for comfort.
------
Sohalia arrives with three lanterns: one for her mother, one for her father, and one for her guardian after her parents died made here: {SE} Passacaglia in sea minor
Everyone wants to see heaven But no one wants to die
He might not know the rhyme or reason behind it, but when Sohalia appeared with tears in her eyes the courier automatically nudged Boreal towards her and lifted his arm. The dragon obligingly shifted away from her companion's side, crooning a subdued greeting to her human friend and leaning into the scratches. As the Heart leaned into his side, the Messenger unlinked their arms so he could wrap his around her shoulders instead, pulling her close against his side while Boreal settled on her other side and leaned against her, sandwiching the young woman between two warm, supportive friends.
"Hey," the courier said softly. Nothing more, not tonight. The Festival asked no painful questions and demanded no answers that the celebrants weren't ready to give. Besides, he knew enough about his friend to guess at who her lanterns were for, just as she knew who he had hung one in honor of. Instead he simply offered comfort, expecting nothing of the god and needing nothing more than the assurance that at least one person on Caido wanted to be with him on this night of shared grief and celebration of the ones who had gone to Mort's halls ahead of them.
Lights go out again You stroke my pain and tempt my trouble Seek how we pretend
It felt like Noe didn't know anybody in the crowd, and she felt uncharacteristically shy as she picked her way through the gathered people to try and find somewhere to set her own lantern. It was strange enough to be out of Stormbreak without being surrounded by strangers, too. Oh, wait - there was Mateo and Everest, and she passed by the young Heart of Stormbreak, who looked quite upset about something, and then, finally, she found Koa.
Flora was with him, and Noe raised a brow at how close the pair seemed. She didn't know the other girl well, but perhaps that was something that should be remedied. In any case, that was something to worry about later. For now, Noe appeared at Koa's side with a small, sad smile for her brother and settled her lantern near his.
No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight
Now now, Noe, your brother has two hands, and one will always reach for you.
Lifting his head from Flora's hair, Koa glances over at his sister, warmth blooming bright through his heart and face. He doesn't interrupt as she places her lantern, eyes stinging with pride and sorrow at its skillful craftsmanship, better than anything he could make. She steps back toward him and he reaches for her, pulling her gently against his other side, an arm coiling across her shoulders.
The Dragoon tilts his face toward his sister, smiling down with shining eyes. "She'd be proud," he whispers softly, pressing a kiss against her hair. "Just like me." Feeling more content than he would have believed possible, the young man settles back into silence, soothed by the strength of the women beside him as he watches their lanterns drift and dance.
What some might feel is unfair, others might see as an act of profound kindness on behalf of the masked, ragged god. Then again, perhaps Ludo is being unkind in its choice, depending on what motivations you put on the deity. Or maybe it just really likes the lantern.
Whatever the reason, for the second year in a row, all the lanterns dim in The Black Lake... except for Isla's.
Things are a little bit different this time when they meet; not, perhaps, as sad as he was the first time he walks toward Isla’s brightly lit lantern. There’s a part of him that hopes she doesn’t notice right away as he slips up behind her, leaning his head over her shoulder toward her ear before playfully poking one of her new horns. “These are new.” It’s all he says before he slips around in front of her and gives her a bright fanged smile.
Unlike last time, there’s no fiddle or music to play from him, having not expected this return. So it’s with two empty hands and two functioning arms (even if one is still made of metal even in this spiritual shape) that he embraces her tightly, a surprising amount thanks to Ludo making him more corporeal. His arms are tight around her and he nestles in close, whispering into her ear. “I’m glad you made the change. Eat all the steaks, drink all the booze, and live as much as you can for me, okay? I love you.” Varus withdraws to place a kiss to her forehead, his bright blue eyes vibrant as he scans her newly changed form, and there’s nothing but happiness radiating from him.
LUDO
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Glancing at Noe and only really recognizing Koa's younger sister from the brief summers that their lives overlapped when they'd been much younger, the Doubletake offers the girl a small smile before feeling herself dwindle at Koa 's side. Family was always more important than fuckery, however pleasant and sweet, such that Flora suddenly felt like a horribly squeaky third wheel.
Happy as it made the girl to see her friend reunited with someone she cared for, Flora wasn't so mature as to be able to gracefully hide the disappointment that clutched painfully at every fibre of her being. "I'll catch you later." She whispers gently to Koa, knowing that the Carpenter's were likely just as disappointed with Ludo's choosing as she was. Pulsing her fingers softly against him and opting not to press a kiss to his cheek however much she'd wanted to, Flora untangles herself from his side and melts softly and uncharacteristically into the background.
Noah felt Deimos over the bond. After tipping his head to Fox and patting his friend on the shoulder, the hunter turned to warden and simply lifted a brow. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he could tell through all the time he spent with the Sword that he wasn’t exactly pleased with Hotaru weaving her fingers with Sunjatas. Noah then sighed, having no words for his own displeasure at the thought. After the war, Noah had tried to be kind to Sunjata at least in offering him condolences for his lost husband — but now he balked at the thought of him stepping back into the Valkyries life.
Shaking his head, Noah turned silently to inspect the flickering of lantern lights. While he watched the lanterns he slowly made his way to some food and drink, not feeling it necessary to hold idle conversation with anyone. They were all waiting on Ludo.
When they came, and brought a picture of an ascended soul, Noah went quiet again. Then, knowing he wouldn’t have his time tonight, finished his snack before giving Deimos a nod and heading back in the shadows to his wife and babies.
Later, Isla will feel bad about this. How often, after all, does one get picked for the Festival of Lights, let alone twice in a row? So she'll feel bad for others who missed their chance, feel guilty for having what feels like it should be enough chances for goodbyes and reunions with Varus.
But that's later.
Right now, as the lanterns dim and she finds herself standing in the glow of her own solitary creation, her breath catches in her throat to feel an oh-so-familiar voice over her shoulder. Glancing around only to find no one there, Varus manages to catch her by surprise yet again as Isla finds him suddenly before her instead.
"Gods--" She hugs him tightly in return as if that alone might be enough to keep him planted in the real world with her. Huffing out a soft laugh that does little to mask her tears, Isla nods even if it feels as though the seams of her grief are splitting open all over again.
"I love you too," she whispers. "It's so hard without you. But I'll do my best." It's the least she can do given that she's still around to carry his memory, the Remedy closing her eyes as they part at last, left with the lingering warmth of his kiss against her forehead.
Deimos said nothing, and looked nowhere else, but along the patterns of lanterns thereafter. As his all dimmed, the reality of the same happenstance, year after year, contorted against his spine. Used to the notions, there was no ill will towards anyone else ever chosen – just the privacy of their moments and interludes, his hands wound around portions and pieces of his fallen friends and family once more. Gathered and packed away, he gave a nod towards the Sentinel, before beginning his own departure – back towards Halo, and the comfort of known properties. There would always be more opportunities, and more years, seasons, and cycles.
His lanterns grew dim in the water and the mermanta closed his eyes, exhaling a soft sigh of tension released and hope unanswered for another year. It was still new to him, this idea that he might get a second chance to say goodbye. As he turned his head and saw the woman and her ghostly partner upon the shore he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever have the chance to right the youthful wrong of missing his first chance with his grandfather...
But if it ever came, it would not be this year. He closed his eyes and drew in a slow, deep breath that filled his chest before letting it out once more. Giving a final look around to those gathered he waited a little while longer before slipping into the black waters and away from the shore, swimming slowly towards the blue and red lanterns he had brought. Gathering them close, he dove down into the inky waters and wrapped his magic around himself, aquaporting home to a night of quiet contemplation of those who had gone ahead of him to Mort's halls.
