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!
Supernova and Sword will be roused not from their sleep, but instead beckoned even more firmly into their dreams by a thread of brightest star-bright teal that twines around their hands and fingertips, tugging them along.
Whatever the contents of their slumber, all will fall away to starlight and cloud cover as the pair finds themselves standing high above the Arclight ocean. Before them stands their goddess, draped in silk and with her eyes turned up toward the heavens above where stars wink and dance playfully throughout the cosmic hush of the universe.
We're lost in the space between
who we are and all that we're trying to be
Normally his dreams were contorted into something nostalgic, painful, vivid, blunt memories never quite sealed away. But in these hours, his name reverberated through cosmos and constellations; peeled his thoughts from any other webbed machinations and experiences, until his furrowed brow was lifted, in some semblance of understanding. Safrin, he rumbled in quiet greeting through minds and measures, a half-smile portioned on his face – flitting and floating until they were amidst the ocean.
Far and away from the halls of winter’s everlasting embrace, he turned to nod at Ronin, recalling some year prior when they’d all been summoned in the same way. For healing after the war, for questions, for answers. But this felt different, in fathoms he couldn’t quite reach. His gaze flickered back to the goddess immediately thereafter, draped and veiled amidst them. I trust you are well? extended to both – uncertain of the parameters for the meeting.
DEIMOS
Stop trying to show how to save our souls
It takes dying to know
How to live as ghosts
Plunged deeper into his dreams with only the call of his name from starlight lips, Ronin appears before his goddess and alongside Deimos with a respectful nod for the latter and a solemn bow for the former. Were they not suspended in the skies the Nova would have taken a knee before the lady of stars, but it feels a little strange to do so with an expanse of nothing beneath him.
With waves churning below and stars glittering overhead, one might have expected the Nova to be enthralled with the beauty of Safrin's creations; but of course all the stars in the sky are nothing compared to her beauty. Rather than repeating Deimos, Ronin stands quietly to await instruction. He remembers, too, the last time they were called together like this. But tonight it is just two of them, and he feels like something must be brewing on the horizon.
Smiling warmly as Deimos arrives, the goddess goes to him. As always their relationship is a nuanced thing, and so it's with a hand against the curl of his bicep and nothing more, than she gazes up at him. Starlight and ease pour from her fingertips, and somewhere far away in Halo, Deimos' body will relax all the further into slumber as tension is pulled from his muscles.
Turning as Ronin appears, the herald's reception of her Supernova is a far more intimate thing indeed, one that sees Safrin reaching out for his hand to draw him out of his bow and curling her fingers against his own with a tight squeeze. Ronin's body too, far away in the mountains will relax for her touch.
Stepping back to appraise them both, the goddess draws a deep breath. "I cannot say for sure, Deimos." She answers solemnly. "You both have pledged yourselves to me in ways others have not." Safrin's fingers open slightly as if to indicate why none of her other followers are present in this moment. "I know for many the war seems like a long ago thing, but I know this is not so for the two of you, and though I hate to call on you both so soon...I fear something is coming."
We're lost in the space between
who we are and all that we're trying to be
Tension pulled, he might’ve been all the more encouraged to relax in his current state too, with Ronin’s appearance, with Safrin’s warmth, but all the trepidation seemed to still be stored in his spine, in the back of his mind. For a few moments thereafter he smiled in return, but the solemness in the goddess’ voice lent all the age-old, primordial apprehension, and he half-wondered what they were about to be plunged into next.
He hadn’t taken the peace for granted – they’d built wondrous things from it. To have even some sentiments of it clattering down around him made his jaw clench instinctually, before his gaze was fully on Safrin, and not the surrounding stars. “Do you know what we should be preparing for?” Another war against something they hadn’t marked as a threat? Something foreboding, ominous, and treacherous?
DEIMOS
Stop trying to show how to save our souls
It takes dying to know
How to live as ghosts
Relaxing bonelessly into his bed some hundreds of miles away, as a result Ronin is more focused, if anything, on this dream of his goddess. Squeezing her fingers in return, the Nova drops back to stand with Deimos as Safrin addresses the two of them, and while he can almost feel her words before they leave her lips, it still plunges something icy through his heart to hear it: something is coming.
Deimos covers his immediate question, and so Ronin can only follow it up with the next one on his lips. "What do you need from us?" Because as the goddess well knows by now, there's very little he won't do for Safrin and her stars, as long as it means his family is safe.
"You come asking the hard questions, today." Safrin says to Deimos, her lips twisting into a smile that's excruciatingly sad. "I don't. Whatever it is, it isn't from Caido, but outside of it." Turning over her shoulder to glance into the heavens where the stars twinkle harmlessly, the goddess frowns at something in the distance before returning her gaze to the men before her. "It might be nothing at all, and indeed I hope it is. I'm going to leave for a time - leave Caido completely - to see if I can prevent it."
So saying, she turns her attention to Ronin, his question now pertinent. "I would see you two act on my behalf in my absence. Artemide, my owl, will be around too, but no doubt there will be some who take advantage of the fact that I am not here." Whether that was Ludo trying to poison the waters with gossip of her absence, or mere fuckery among the mortals, she had no idea.
"Tell the rulers of each land to think carefully about how to make use of this time. If conflict is coming, they might perhaps make different choices than those made with peace on the horizon." (cough regional assets cough)
We're lost in the space between
who we are and all that we're trying to be
“My apologies,” and he meant it; with all the trepidation starting to gnaw its way through his bones. Outside of Caido gave him pause, pondering over the complexities of worlds beyond, like so many of them had once come from. Hardships, chaos, and bedlam were abound no matter the region or world, and to have something potentially infiltrate here, made his jaw clench once more.
But Safrin leaving had not even been remotely in his thoughts – nor had he thought it possible – and so his eyes widened significantly. Regaining some of the lost breath from such a notion, his mind contemplated, calculated, and the level of discomfort seemed to only soar. “Do you know when you will be departing? Or for how long?” There had been plans in place for a time – soon, for Halo to collaborate with Safrin, and no doubt hoards more from everyone else, but perhaps all of those would be pushed aside. And rightfully so, if there was a greater need for prevention, and protection.
As for everything else, he structured them within his skull, owls, acting on behalf, others taking advantage of absences. “Of course,” came without pause, and he meant it, for all his loyalty and strength.
DEIMOS
Stop trying to show how to save our souls
It takes dying to know
How to live as ghosts
Echoing Deimos's sentiments in expression if not in words exactly, Ronin's feelings are plain on his face. Outside of Caido and Safrin needing to leave speaks of something larger even than the war they've only so recently dragged a victory from. Drawing a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he nods to his goddess and glances briefly to the Sword. "Between us we'll see it done," he assures her, already knowing it to be true.
"And I'll personally make sure no one takes advantage of your absence." Far from omnipresent is Ronin, but if rumours travel - and they tend to - anyone with a bad word to whisper about Safrin might well find a Supernova on their doorstep. "Is there anything else you need from us?"
08-26-2023, 09:22 PM (This post was last modified: 08-26-2023, 09:32 PM by Odd.)
Smiling, Safrin shakes her head. "No need to apologize. You always cut to the heart of things Deimos, no matter how difficult it might be. That is one of the reasons I have always admired you." She said of the difficulty of his questions. 'At the change of the season, I should think." Swallowing, the goddess looked down for a moment, the gesture making her seem all the more mortal and capable of error. "I realize what this means for Halo...I had been so looking forward to working with you." Not only that, but she was well aware of how much of a fuss it had caused within the region. "I will make it up to you."
Looking at Ronin, Safrin's expression grows a good deal more familiar as tears sparkle in her galactic gaze. "I hope not to be long, but I really don't know." She says softly, nodding her appreciation and knowing she could count on both Supernova and Sword to keep their promises.
"Take these." So saying, two bracelets appear in her palms, one for each. Though the material appeared to be a braided leather cord, there were star shapes within the material that swirled and spread. "The stars will brighten the more dire things become. I won't be able to communicate with you when I am gone, but I should be able to manage this. When they fill up entirely...seek shelter, if you can."
Straightening, the goddess takes a breath. "In the meantime, perhaps ask Frey if the Refuge can once again be used. Items and such of value should be safeguarded, and of course..." She spreads her hands. "Do whatever you can to prepare. I know that isn't helpful, but I really don't know."
Ronin and Deimos have received
Star Counter | A black leather bracelet with unlit stars inside. Increased starlight indicates the progression of Safrin's quest outside of Caido.
We're lost in the space between
who we are and all that we're trying to be
Changes of seasons, and measures of soon echoed. The reel of alterations might’ve sent him into more apprehension, but by now, he’d already grown accustomed to the unwinding, unfurling designations. Calm in the eye of a storm, perhaps, steeling and forging his breath, understanding things would simply have to bide their time, wait, and persist anew, some other day, some other moment. Nodding his head in the midst of comprehension, his eyes didn’t fall away. “We will save it for another time,” with half a smile embedded in there somewhere.
His gaze went to the bracelet, and the words that went along with them. Brightened stars that signified danger, with no means to assist, seeking shelter, the Refuge…he found himself nodding once more, taking it all in, mind rumbling and turning and calculating. “Thank you.” Items safeguarded, notions rendered towards those out in the world, rather than in dreams…
He turned to Ronin briefly, trying to gauge where they were in the scheme of things. “I can send letters to leaders. Perhaps we should meet somewhere at the beginning of Deepfrost.” Plans, somewhat set in motion.
DEIMOS
Stop trying to show how to save our souls
It takes dying to know
How to live as ghosts
Letting out a shuddering sigh, Ronin can only nod to hear that Safrin's departure is so imminent. He might have expected it to be so, given her call to them. "Thank you," he says, echoing Deimos in the receipt of their impromptu doomsday counter. Resisting the urge to reach out for his goddess, because even here he knows his place, the Nova instead fastens the bracelet around his wrist and steels himself to the work to come.
"That sounds like a good idea," he tells Deimos. "I will rally the demigods to attend the meeting as well. If we can spread ourselves out, we might be able to cover and protect more regions that way." From what, though, not even the gods know. "You and I can approach Frey together, perhaps."
Gazing back up at his goddess, Ronin's brows come together in a frown. "I never thought I would need to wish you luck, but... good luck, Safrin. We will be here when you return."
Offering Deimos an appreciative and amused smile, Safrin nods her thanks. 'Another time.' She agrees, hoping that her optimism wasn't misplaced.
Listening to the men speak, the goddess sighed adoringly, pleased that if nothing else, she had chosen well in choosing these two and lifting them as high as they cared to go.
"Come here." Said first to Ronin, the goddess moves to her Nova, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders and tugging him against her. On this night her touch was free of any of its normal seductive qualities, and instead she merely hugged him fervently, while whispering words of appreciation and luck in his ear. "I love you, Ronin. I hope to see you again soon." So saying, she drew back, running her thumb against his cheek before turning to Deimos.
If he'd let her, she'd reach up to embrace him too, her height somehow morphing that he needn't have to lean down to return the gesture. Similar but different words were whispered to him too, ones of fierce approval as well as luck. "I love you, Deimos. Be the strength that this world needs, okay?"
Pulling back, there was nothing left to do but gaze adoringly at each, before closing her eyes and sighing. It was time, and lingering in a dream would do little to change things. Despite the silvery tear that streaked down her cheek, Safrin opened her eyes and smiled as brightly as she could, before disappearing.
