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!
Another LongNight twisted and turned amidst its doldrums; and the Sword once more refused to let the residual torment of the past maul the present. Difficult it may be, but he didn’t pace the floors or stare mulishly around in some restless, impending anarchy, staring into oblivion until it stared back; business was the same, the darkness pressed, loomed, and his bracelet glowed.
It signified movement and progress and something else, but they couldn’t be denied theirs either. So he only stared at the luminous portions for an instant, before snagging at the cider, and pouring glasses for both of them. Sliding it over to the Evergreen, waiting for some pending volley, he settled at the counter, leaning over and staring down at the notebook and charcoal, clearly waiting for his movement and motions. The fact that this one remained entirely blank wasn’t lost on Deimos; there’d been multitudes of other things occurring, and the eternal trap of staying busy amidst meetings after meetings, event after event, had snagged and snarled once again.
But not now. The rest of the world could wait. “Where do you want to start?”
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
Every LongNight should be easier given every year that passes without harm. That is the way healing is supposed to work. But while in some ways the fear does dissipate, a trauma like hers - a trauma all Natural Grounders had been born into - never really goes away. It's why peaceful, cozy moments like these are ones she looks forward to. A way to smooth over the nightmares of the past and rewrite them with better, happier memories.
Taking the cider in hand - impressed as always by her fiance's persistent dexterity even in such small actions - Evie braces her forearms on the tabletop and cradles the cup between her hands, thumb idly smoothing away condensation. The blank pages before them feel promising instead of daunting. A new beginning for them both.
"Location, I'd say. Whether we want to hold it in Halo or elsewhere. There are benefits to both." While being Halovians is a large portion of their identities both separate and shared, perhaps it should not define the background of their marriage the way it had for Noah and Cordelia - who were now notably not in Halo. But they do both love this land, so it would be a worthwhile first decision.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
He laughed, a deep rumbling thing to escape from his chest, at the logistical and logical way they’d immediately presided. He was half-tempted to wonder and meander what they would do if they angled and anchored to the emotional pieces; but analytical and practical to a fault, they’d begin with settings. “If not in Halo, where were you thinking?” The Sword had presumed the winter landscape, the wide-open tundra, and the lingering presses of the Sea of Glass, lifting their heads to the wind, to the world they both cherished, preserved, and safeguarded. Not for tradition’s sake, but because of what they wanted and craved.
Difficult to do, perhaps, given who they were.
Scrawling Halo in his usual concise and precise handwriting, his head tilted vaguely, enticed to tease in some manner too, gave a vague and wry grin thereafter. “I think the size of it matters as well. And who we want to invite. All of that could matter in location.” Something small and intimate, private and personal? Or a massive gathering, with unfurling space? If Kiada were to come, there’d need to be some level of accommodation made, besides the jacket, and Deimos wasn’t certain about Evie’s considerations with Hadama and his restrictions.
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
His laughter is music, and though Evie would love to dive straight into sentiment, location seems like an easier and more important hurdle. Dress colors, flowers, even guests don't matter to Evie if he's at the altar with her, but that sounds like too sappy a sentiment even for the newly engaged.
"I was thinking somewhere Kiada could be comfortable to spend more time, without needing to put her jacket over whatever she wants to wear." Is Kiada more of a dress, two piece, or suit kind of person? Regardless, she shouldn't have to worry about making her outfit work with her magic coat. "A place just for us - gods that sounds cheesy out loud," she groans, cheeks turning a bit pink even as she grins helplessly, wiping a hand over her face.
"I don't want a very large gathering. Honestly, I'm not sure who I would even invite aside from maybe Hadama who isn't already coming." By that she means Hotaru and Kiada. It's a sad realization she has come to, knowing her family will not be there in anything but memory, and that she only has one good friend to her name. Still, she has been determined for some time to move past that, to chase this happy beginning for herself even if she has to do it alone.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
Never one to brand his emotions into realms of cheesy, gods forbid he reflected on them at all, he tilted his head once more, giving off a snort at her presumptions. But they served as some sort of impetus and catalyst, feeding into the machinations always contorting through his brain. Still craving Halo’s outreach, while maintaining pieces and portions for Kiada, coiled, curled, through that calculating mind of his. “What about the greenhouse?” It wasn’t the threshold of any traditional venues – not the zealous threshold of the Sea of Glass – but offered comforts, complexities, and the intimate setting both craved. The only parameters and sticking points might’ve been how to get Hadama there – but certainly there’d be a pool or something he could float about in.
And even if Evie’s list wasn’t long, the Sword was always willing to share his own family – as much as she was willing to tolerate their antics. Maybe, in some way, portions of the Wordsworths could be there. “If we hang lanterns, you could bring Samuel’s?” Or her parents? He didn’t know how she’d take it, but the offer was there just the same, angled slightly off-center along the notebook’s ivory parchment.
Large gatherings had been enough lately anyway with the seemingly endless piles of meetings, and so he took a sip of his cider, pausing momentarily to mire through this one as well. “What if the ceremony was small, but the reception enough for anyone else to attend?” Halovians, friends and loved ones outside of their kingdom…if they wanted one at all.
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
As always, Deimos' brilliant mind comes to the rescue, plucking Evie out of her fretting and brainstorming and plopping her right down in the center of a perfect solution. One that has her heart twisting with emphatic love for all the ways it caters to her in particular. The greenhouse may not have been born from her hands but it is her domain all the same, and a perfect visual backdrop to their vows.
"That would be perfect. The aquatic section is large enough for Hadama to utilize if he decides to come and more than warm enough for Kiada to wear what she wants." Blue eyes soften, impressed as ever by his quick thinking. "Let's put that down as a hard yes." And though she doesn't say anything about Samuel directly, she uses her own pencil to circle where he'd written it, clearly in agreement. While she certainly won't be bringing anything in memory of her parents, she would like for Sam to be there in memory.
"I think that's a great compromise - we have some desperately nosy citizens after all," she laughs, winking capriciously. Many had eagle-eyed her ring since Deimos' proposal, and while they aren't keeping it a secret, nobody close to them who hadn't already been informed had dared to ask yet. Still, Evie knows sharks when she sees them, and some of their people are desperate for confirmation of the news. "I wouldn't be surprised if they'd be eager to attend. And it's always nice to hold a celebration; so long as we have our private ceremony first." Grandiose displays may have appealed to her in her youth, but they don't any longer.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
The greenhouses resounding agreement caused a deepening grin, and indication of the choice was marked quickly upon the parchment. “It already has a pathway,” though he started to sketch anyway, wondering what they’d strive to contribute as far as décor and other options. They could make a large quantity on their own, without soliciting too much help. The silence over lanterns, in between other sentiments, was enough for him to circle that too; including the wake of his own massive quantities of the beacons and lights.
Massive receptions would be easy enough, or so he believed. “We could probably set up refreshments and let them have at it,” shrugging his shoulders; games and antics were par for the course in some of the Halovian involvement – and he’d rather they get it out in the haze of thereafter. He could recall other matrimonial motions ruined by…well, the blight.
“I have not told many,” to which he wrinkled his nose – Kiada, Hotaru, and Sah thus far. Speaking to Noah about it had yet to come up – the Forsaken had enough on his plate, and a distinct timeline of his own. “Do we want a certain season?” Thereafter, his head tilted too, heaving a sigh, remembering Ru’s indications and sought-after schemes. “Or…colors?”
10-28-2023, 12:33 AM (This post was last modified: 10-28-2023, 12:38 AM by Evie.)
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
Leaning closer, personal space a long-distant memory, Evie watches the pathway begin to take shape in controlled sketch lines she could never hope to emulate. "I can do any floral arrangements myself. Maybe string some supports from here to here for trellis-style hanging flowers?" Clever fingers neatly avoid his drawing strokes as she taps areas on the paper to better describe her idea. "Maybe wisteria?" A personal favorite of hers, though they weren't exactly conducive to things like bouquets.
"Refreshments, appetizers, and a dance floor are the only things a successful Halovian celebration needs," she agrees around a grin. They'd be the stars of the show for all of twenty minutes before the party would inevitably turn into its own self-fueled monstrosity. A timeline she thinks Deimos can feasibly suffer.
"I only told Alys after she accidentally realized." Telling Hadama is a little harder given the distance, and it feels quite egotistical to write a letter solely devoted to informing him of the news when they don't even have a date for him to reserve yet. "If it's not too soon, I think marrying in Flowerbirth is very symbolic." Something they could surely accomplish with how small the ceremony itself will be, but still a topic of debate. She doesn't want them to feel like they're rushing because of the impending threat hanging over their heads - but is that not also a valid reason to do it?
Grinning and biting back her laughter at his clear reluctance to indulge Hotaru's visions, Evie twirls her pencil between her fingers. "White is traditional for the bride in the Grounds, I think floral embellishments on the train or gown would be nice but nothing too overt in color. I do like colorful suits if you want to wear something like that?" The beautiful, layered pieces Noah and Cordelia had worn may be traditional, but would certainly be sweltering within the greenhouse. "As for the decor, I think leaning into the natural colors and greenery of the plants is best. Browns, greens, a few jewel tones. Something more varied than just one or two chosen colors." And, preferably, more natural-style decor itself.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
There was an art to the way they shared space, comfortable and quiet, tranquil and full of repose, so he combined the edges of sketches with hers; interlacing natural, wooden trellises with her fanciful wisteria whims. It’d be easy to meld and tie the lanterns there too, lights and company no matter what time of day – and he nodded along at their conformed ideas, brushstrokes of charcoal still following the routes and patterns.
“Dancing,” came on a grumble and a light snort, because his methods were usually to bulldoze and trample with little grace but multitudes of fortitude. “And then an escape to a honeymoon?” Which was a far better idea to his mind; the Halovians could have their liquor and intrigue, gossip and phallic fireworks, while they ducked away elsewhere. He sent her the barest notions of a hopeful glance, perhaps enough to entice for shorter durations and more luring, beguiling affairs.
He wasn’t bothered by Alys knowing, and only heaved sentiments of a sigh thereafter on other parallels. “I have not told Noah yet,” because timing wasn’t great, and they weren’t going to adhere to Noah’s curse and mistakes, no need to delay due to one individual -
Though the timing did make his eyes widen slightly, then glance back down at the picture and notes, striving to see it all within his mind. “Probably feasible. Maybe in the middle?” Enough instances, weeks, and days to put everything together, and still tend to Halo at large; especially with the aspects of a smaller ceremony.
Deimos only leaned back to gaze at her twirling pencil at the mention of white (because he knew better and it’d take all of five seconds for any ivory suit of his to be covered in dirt, blood, mud, or any other combination). “I can probably find a color that would go with your train,” and avoid the alabaster hues altogether on his own pieces. As for the décor and hues alongside, while Ru might not’ve been pleased (he presumed she’d rather something outlandish and loud – but that was neither of them), the Sword was fine with the arrangement. “Those could work.”
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
A happy hum sounds in her throat as he sketches out lanterns among the eaves, envisioning their soft light reflecting on the plentiful glass panes in the greenhouse, making the flowers glow. It sounds beautiful already.
"Absolutely," she emphatically agrees, cheek brushing and lingering against his shoulder for a moment, smiling into the warmth she finds there. "But now you've opened the can of worms of planning a honeymoon too." Would they travel or stay in Halo? Marriage is certainly the best excuse for a miniature vacation, but she knows neither of them would be comfortable being gone for even a short trip with Safrin's absence eternally on their minds.
"Hmm...it's hard because I don't want him to torture himself with being unable to come, but he'll likely be hurt all the same if we don't tell him soon." They're in agreement over not postponing their own wedding for the sake of the Grounds' mission at least. "The middle of Flowerbirth sounds perfect. We'll have until then to hope he can return - if not, then to tell him." Whatever Deimos decides. He has known Noah longer, so Evie will follow his lead.
"Since the bottom will get dirty regardless, I'm thinking a dark red hue of some kind? Something that will hide it until we can get it cleaned." Deimos often looks best in dark jewel tones in terms of color, so he would look dashing whether he chooses the same shade or a complimentary hue.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
The agreement sparked another roguish grin, supporting her stance as she leaned in across shoulders and muscles. “I know,” he considered with a vague sigh as the mention of honeymoons came into play, snagging at another page so that could be jotted down and remedied. “At least we already have several out of the question,” to which he purposefully marked off the Hollowed Grounds, and Stormbreak both on principle and traumas alike. King’s End might have been somewhere near the top of the list, if they avoided portions of Sunjata’s area. Perhaps the cabins Noah, Cordelia, and himself had built were still upright and useful. “I would be partial to King’s End or Torchline,” the latter being they could easily evade the world via islands, even for a short while. “Unless you want to stay in Halo,” with the factors likely not being much different from what they were now.
Perplexities surrounding Noah conjured the lightest of restless tapping, charcoal blotting out little marks on the bottom of the new page. Nor did he want that to be a tribulation surrounding their ceremony; pondering if it would spurn the Forsaken onward into completing something that much faster, or another notion altogether. His eyes narrowed briefly in thought, breath unfurling long enough to blow a few of Evie’s crimson hairs around. “Maybe I will tell him after LongNight passes.” Therein he’d have the notice and potential to make it. No outcome was perfect, but he didn’t want to mar a friendship either.
Hues and blends upon fabrics were an alternative pace, and he collectively considered the details Evie found suitable; sketching them out lightly too, hoping to have the right notions in mind. “Like this?” Hotaru would probably find it feasible, and if not, the challenge would be on for the Valkyrie. “I would not mind that,” to which he wrinkled his nose in jest; agreeable all the same.
She's the light in a dark room She smiles with her eyes and it'll hold you
Evie has still yet to meet Sunjata, but she knows his presence in King’s End is a point of contention for Deimos, so she’s pleased he still puts it on the list despite that. “I’d prefer King’s End. There will be a lot more to see, and we can still find places to swim even if it’s colder.” It won’t be anything they can’t handle with her Academy blessing and his fire magic. Plus it would be far more private and serene than anything Torchline could offer.
The tickling of her hairs as he blows out contemplatively makes her nose wrinkle as it tickles her cheeks, smiling despite herself - and despite the topic at hand. “I think that’s a good time.” It reminds her again of her restless there-and-gone desire to visit the Grounds, never sure if she actually wants to.
Instead, she focuses on colors and combinations, and smiles as she rests her cheek on Deimos’ shoulder. “I think that’s perfect. And with most of it decided already!” The details were in many ways easier, and it was both surprising and delightful to know that the big things were so quickly and easily taken care of.
She's a bullet that's about to fire And she's the steady that will keep you sane
Nodding once more, he circled over the King’s End penchant, mind contorting hosts of ideas that didn’t need to come to fruition just yet. Limitations were minimal at best, especially when it came to water, which brightened his smirk – though he jotted down the cabins as potential shelters nonetheless. If that didn’t work out, they could find or concoct something else.
Informing Noah of the news would inevitably be pushed aside until the skies cleared out of their midnight veils – and perhaps the Sword would be able to assist and move things along in that regard too. The uncertainty was a strange bridge, but maybe the Forsaken had progressed in leaps and bounds since the last time they’d conversed.
As for colors, dresses, and suits, he could notch down the variety and slide it towards the Valkyrie. “I can send these to Ru then,” and it’d hopefully be more than enough to keep her entertained. Shifting topics to something they both favored, his grin took on a brighter indulgence, and he started scrawling once more. “Now, about the food…,”
And while their planning wouldn’t be finished by any means, by the end of LongNight they’d have a great many things taken care of.
