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!
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
He could only shrug and nod at the notion; one would hope they’d find something other than irritation with the Dragoons. “Think they let people borrow from other regions?” Another jest; the jocular note of his rumbling depths adding onto the miniature snow tower he’d been constructing. Belial stared at it from nearby, perhaps wondering if he could torpedo and lunge his way through.
He hadn’t considered Alys to be one of histories, but all the other notions together made sense, especially when it came to her work. “Does it aid in your readings?” For he’d never quite understood the clarity of any card-manifestations himself – even when Mildew had long ago concocted the same gestures. It’d had all worked out in some facets, but he never relied upon semblances of fate or destiny either; a man with much preference towards carving out his own lots in life.
"Depends," she said, sincere even though she knew that Deimos spoke in jest. "Would we want to ally with them? They might be amenable to trades." For not the first time, Alys was relieved that she was just a lowly citizen of Halo. She doubted she would have the patience to play politics. Still, in troubled times like these, she could only imagine that an alliance would be beneficial - but without knowing more of Stormbreak, she couldn't say what they might have to offer.
The seer took a break from shoveling to peer at the path ahead, trying to gauge how much more ground they had left to cover. "Sometimes," she said. "The cards say what they will, but sometimes it can help the interpretation. Why?" she asked, raising a brow at him. "Are you interested in a reading?" When she'd first met Deimos, she hadn't been at her best, and she wouldn't say no to the opportunity to show him what she could really do with her cards.
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Political nightmares being one of his least favorite things to deal with, right alongside paperwork and meetings, he snorted at the suggestion. “Trades simply for books?” He mused, also mostly in jest and jocular dryness. There could be a great many benefits to alliances, but there were more discussions to be had; especially after the latest debacle with Dragoons that needed to be ironed out before anything else.
He wasn’t expecting the next inquiry after his own, and his tones had been out of curiosity more than anything else; the spire at the top of his icy pile coming down with his lapse of concentration. “A reading,” he uttered, striving not to wrinkle his nose at the word, as if it gave him indigestion. “About…?” Trying to appease and humor and finding it uncomfortable. “I like to believe I forge my own path.”
12-03-2023, 02:31 AM (This post was last modified: 12-03-2023, 01:08 PM by Alys.)
Alys
Well, maybe the regions wouldn't trade for books, but hey - there could be valuable information there. Besides, Sohalia was young and dumb, and might loan them an important book by accident. "Knowledge can be powerful," she pointed out. "But if not books, then other things. Who knows what they might have?" Or what they might want - but that was another discussion for another time.
Deimos's reaction, though expected, to her offer of a reading had Alys's mouth twitching at the corners. He was far too practical to believe in her gifts, and she didn't begrudge him that. Still, he was her friend, and she'd been told before that her readings had helped others immensely. If she could do something for Deimos, then she would. "As do we all," she agreed. "The cards do not predict the future. The future is not set in stone. Any action we take, or the actions that those around us take, can alter our paths. The cards are merely a tool for... shall we say, introspection?" Her eyes danced with mirth. "You don't have to, but the offer stands, any time."
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
He mustered another laugh, in full agreement with hidden and tucked away things. “Well, when we go, we can spend some extra time exploring.” Looking around, gawking, and gaping had been the plan with every amount of trepidation steeling him forward, unaware that pending events would lead him down other roads of opportunity and pummeling.
Righting the chunk that had fallen off his foolish and makeshift spire, he loosened another long breath from his chest. Cards might not have predicted the future, but he also didn’t want to hang all his notions upon a couple of turned over papers. “Introspection?” he countered with a wry look, brow arching, one understandably for that – his silence often spoke volumes, too deep and immersed in thought and calculations. “All right,” he entertained her, shaking his head all the while. “Do your worst.” If anything, he’d humor her.
"Perhaps you don't need introspection, but I'm told that it helps," Alys teased, shoveling the last bit of snow from the road and pausing to look over her handiwork. The road was passable now, and Deimos seemed to have finished his portion, so Alys set aside her shovel and stretched her arms over her head. "Shall we get some drinks?" Alys asked. "It'll be easier to do a reading if we have somewhere to sit."
And so, a short time later found them seating in a nearby cafe, each with a drink of their choice and a small plate of food to share. Alys pulled out two decks of cards and offered them to Deimos with a smile that could almost be called wicked, if she didn't believe in them so much. "Here, take a look and choose the one that calls to you," she instructed. The first deck was bright and airy, with alluring artwork and a welcoming feel; the second was dark and moody, beckoning and enticing with a promise to expose one's deepest emotions.
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
A chuckle loosened from his chest, but the agreement was there just the same. Ensuring the pathway was fine, Halo passersby could walk through the cobblestones with little issue, and his misshapen sculpture had been decimated by gravity, he nodded, wrinkling a nose faintly but giving no explanation for it. Perhaps the discomfort of impending fortunes.
Eventually though, with drinks and food snagged, they found a free table, and the Sword could feel the reticence and sedition beginning to contort over his bones the moment the cards were laid out. Giving her a blank look, he grabbed a few crackers and cheese before even beginning to glance their way, chewing and stewing thoughtfully, carefully.
He didn’t consider any decks calling to him, the way the reaches of winter winds did, the subconscious draw to mountains and mayhem, or the rush of sea-salt air. Instead, his eyes narrowed in speculation, glancing at the sunshine bright one as if it might bite him, before pointing towards the darker, moodier set. As she might have expected. “That one,” he rumbled.
Alys could often predict which decks might call to different individuals, and so there was no surprise on her face as Deimos selected the darker of the two. Indeed, she would have been shocked had he chosen the lighter deck. But she said nothing, simply nodding with a tranquil sort of air that always accompanied her readings. This was not the Alys of the mundane; this was Alys the seer, calm and collected and confident. This was, arguably, the Alys that she was at her core.
"Do you have any specific questions, or would you like a general reading?" she asked as she tucked the lighter deck back into its bag and stowed it away in her pocket. Then she began to shuffle, riffling the cards with a practiced ease. When she felt she'd riffled the cards enough, she switched to an overhand shuffle; then, a few more riffles. When the time was right, she would cut the deck and draw the cards - but first, she would hear what Deimos had to say.
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
His head tilted faintly, a vague motion signaling nothing and something all at once; all those predacious factions waiting for whatever was to come. Despite the rare (one other time) occurrence in dealing with cards and their related factors, he had somehow anticipated that to be the end-all, be-all, presuming some circumstance would loom and then they could march forward with the day.
Which wasn’t to be done, given Alys’s next inquiry. His brow arched with her tone, because the Sword always had questions about the world. And though he could have designated hordes upon hordes in the seer’s direction, given the current circumstances around them, he also figured if the gods weren’t certain, than the fortune before them likely weren’t either.
Shaking his head then, his tone rumbled quickly thereafter. “A general reading would be fine.”
The seer continued to shuffle, nodding regally in response to Deimos's selection. At this moment, it didn't matter if he believed in the cards or not - the tarot would reveal what it would, and no amount of belief or lack thereof would change that. So it was that Alys completed her shuffling, cut the deck, and drew out three cards, one after the other, laying them face down on the table. "This is a basic past-present-future spread," said the young woman, pointing to each position in turn. "It's good for general readings, but we can always expand on it if we need to."
With that, she flipped the first card. "The Hanged Man," she said, regarding the card for a moment before continuing. "A card of new perspectives and shifting reality. You've experienced many things in your past, some of which forced you to look at the world in a new and unexpected way." Well, if that wasn't the perfect card for Deimos's past, she wasn't sure what was. Still, she knew that that alone was unlikely to sway her friend on the cards' magic. After all, there were plenty of stories surrounding the Sword.
So she moved on to the next card, flipping it face up. "The Three of Pentacles." That was an interesting card to pull for the present, and Alys continued on in her explanation. "Teamwork and collaboration. Learning together to become something greater." This, too, made sense: Deimos was a Warden, one half of a whole, and it was only through working with his partner that he had come to this place in life. "Bringing different ideas together to implement plans. Meeting goals."
Onward, then, to the future card. "The Six of Wands. Success and victory. Celebration with those who care for you." She tilted her head. "But not the end of a journey; this speaks of a momentary pause to celebrate one's achievements before carrying on to the next challenge. Avoiding complacency." She peered over at her friend to gauge his reaction. As readings went, his had been fairly straightforward; no great menace jumped out from the shadows, threatening all he held dear. No, this was a reading that suggested that he was in a good place in life, and she really couldn't wish him any better than that.
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Ever the observer, he watched as the cards were shuffled, then drawn. Expectations ranged from nothing to the usual flair of doom and gloom, figuring there’d be something diminishing and amplified by the rise and fall of latest events, predictable factions that Caido brought out of anyone and everyone.
Past, present, and future hadn’t been in his notions, so he found himself listening with some mild interest and intrigue, the residual arch of his brow remaining amidst the other brands of stoicism. Hanged Man sounded as though he’d once been heading for the noose (which – maybe), but listening to the notions caused a narrowing of his eyes. Experiences could hasten multitudes, and considering all the barbarity, vengeance, and annihilation, there’d certainly been alterations in the accord. It didn’t mean he couldn’t flicker right back to that in a moment, but –
His head tilted, listening to the next explanation. He found himself snorting and half-laughing, a smothered chuckle still managing to escape from his chest. “Most of us have had to work hard, and together, to make Halo what it is today.” While he’d give credit to Evie, he’d also extend it to each and every Halovian; driven and determined to ensure their world was a sanctum and shelter.
The future one stunned him, and maybe because there hadn’t been an ounce of damnation in any of turned papers. He let it sit quietly in his spine though, for these were all vague connotations, and perhaps, just as he’d learned many times over, he should snag at any opportunity for contentment and happiness that he could. “I do hate complacency,” he winked, permitting a smile. “I will admit, I suspected more destruction and catastrophes.”
Everyone always assumed that the cards were harbingers of death and destruction, and it made it all the more satisfying when they spoke of calm, mundane matters. It was strange, though, to reconcile a normal, everyday sort of reading with the force of nature that was Deimos. Alys wondered what he thought of it, really, despite the wink and the smile. "Most people do," she said wryly. "But is life full of endless death and destruction? There are plenty of moments for the cards to convey that equate to calm, contentment, gratefulness. Perhaps that is their message to you; to be glad for these moments, rather than ever looking onward for the next worst thing."
Her tone was teasing, but she meant what she said. Deimos was always on the lookout, not just for himself, but for his loved ones, for their entire region. She often worried that he didn't take enough time for himself. And though it was unlikely that one tarot reading was going to change that habit, perhaps it would be a welcome bit of encouragement to remember the good whilst searching for the bad.
funny how it all works out in the end you dance with the devil and you lose your head
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
He could probably argue with her on some points about the endless death and destruction – there’d certainly been points in his life, and likely many others, where it had felt just like that. Pitfalls and despairs, losses and heartaches, demolition after demolition with no end in sight – but perhaps it didn’t linger on forever in tangible forces, but from within, layered and littered on inward and outward scars. He wouldn’t say as much, though the arched brow he gave her thereafter admitted he’d like to spurn some of the sentiments.
The finality of her statements, however, contorted through his ribs. From there, he could give over. The Sword granted a light laugh, enough to assure her some thought had been attuned and absorbed with the card’s stock. “Fine. I will take that then.” Which wouldn’t make him any less wary, cautious, or safeguarding, but maybe, to appreciate the serenity and tranquility when he had it – just a little more each and every time. “Thank you,” he nodded, grateful and obliged, for whatever the messages corresponded to.
