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 top of their roof might not have been the optimal place for flying kites, but the wind was rampant, and he had more than enough plans, ideas, and plots to piece together other options. Another piece of a moment and an instant without a deluge grinding down upon their shoulders, and he took every advantage of it, leaning back against tiles with hands under his head, kite string tucked within his grasp, the sun’s intervals not bothersome.
The miniature effigy of the hellhound skimming over the breeze had Belial stirred enough to keep biting and snipping at it, and he snorted, before glancing over towards the Evergreen. “I have not forgotten about the other rings,” so that she was aware, with the smirk still curled along his features. But it should’ve been a partnership in effort and design too, and he wasn’t going to create these without input and particulars from Evie. “Did you want anything specific?”
You have me floating like a feather on the sea While you're as heavy as the world
Optimal has nothing on the hilarity and childish fun of flying kites from their rooftop, and Deimos had scarcely gotten the proposal past his teeth before Evie had been jumping at the chance. Crafting the kites had been delightful on their own, and up above in the sky her own panda kite soars next to Deimos’ hellhound, creating a hilarious contrast. While Belial attempts to dive bomb and destroy, Micah is more intrigued by the string and spools near at hand, which makes the entire endeavor rather…intriguing.
Nearly as intriguing as Deimos’ reminder, which has Evie sitting up straighter, brightness blossoming in her eyes as excitement sparks immediately. “I was thinking matching or complimentary designs,” she confesses, because plain bands and gemstones simply did not hold enough sentimentality for her. “But plants and stars aren’t exactly known parallels.” The twinkle of amusement in her expression makes it clear she doesn’t intend to have their rings mimic their chosen deities, but that it had crossed her mind at some point. “As for what they can do…have you heard of the lucky fountain Torchline is making?” Though it remains incomplete, she’d heard of it from Hadama.
Sitting back and crossing her legs (hiding the spool between her thighs and away from Micah’s claws) she looks up and tilts her face into the sun, eyes sliding shut. “I think it’s a bit of a silly idea, but the notion of luck is a good one. On and off the battlefield, a little luck wouldn’t go amiss in our lives.” Though magic had taken away the scars from the Banshee Queen, she’ll never forget that fateful fight, and how luck might have made all the difference. “Plus it fits with old wivestales and ceremonies we used to perform in the Grounds to bless a union in hopes of ensuring smooth sailing over the years.” They’d talked at length about the various ceremonies and cultural events they wanted to keep or discard from their pasta during their ceremony, so perhaps the rings could stand in for those on Evie’s side.
Pandas and hellhounds had the sky, albeit with wild perytons, leaving his mind to ramble towards rings, instinctually turning towards her as the excitement began its own plunge. Grinning at the rambling notions, he waited until she’d finished, his own mind wandering over the bits and pieces of cosmic designations, and yearning to note they were more than their favored gods, but she’d done so before his lips could part.
He hadn’t heard of the fountain of fortune, but listened all the while – amused again, and permitting a snort, for he’d offered her the same sentiments once before in a ring already embellished along her finger. His eyes went from it and back to her face, studying, content and amused in the particles of sunlight and flickers of potential. “So something with luck embedded when we are near one another?”
Contorting to his side, he began etching a minor design in portions and pockets of unmelted snow nearby, tracing over it lightly with his finger. “We can start with colors first, if we do not have a etched design figured yet,” but his machinations were beginning, eternally heightened on the potentials of artistic relish. From there, he began implementing miniature evergreens and blades, nestling within titles, and frameworks of snowflakes, crystallized and ornate.
You have me floating like a feather on the sea While you're as heavy as the world
She hadn’t considered luck being dependent upon their proximity, but it’s romantic, which means she’s completely enthralled by the idea. “But I’m already the luckiest when you’re by my side,” she simpers, though the curve of her smile can’t hide the softness of her eyes, the sincerity that she shows on her sleeve as easily as her heart. “I think that’s a great idea though.” And she will never take off her engagement ring, though it will move hands the day of the wedding, ensuring she wouldn’t have to choose between the benefits he’d originally proposed to her.
Leaning over to rest her chin on his shoulder as he begins to draw, Evie keeps half an eye on her kite so it doesn’t tangle and plummet against Deimos’ (or find its way into Belial’s teeth). “White, for the mountain peaks.” Her finger dances around his own to make marks of her own ideas, the cold turning her skin pink. “And a dark sky with the auroras.” Tilting her cheek against his shoulder, she eyes the snow on the roof. “I’d like them to match, but I’d also like a stone on mine to distinguish them. Maybe here?” She dips her fingertip into the snow to place a dot hovering in the void of the aurora sky. Using her closeness to sneak a kiss against his cheek, he’ll feel the way her lips curve in a smile against his skin. “To remind me of my North Star, guiding me home when I’m away.” She wouldn’t be her if she wasn’t using every possible excuse to spew sweet things at him, all the better for how sincere they always were.
The words made him laugh and redden his cheeks simultaneously, though he understood she meant it entirely. Picking away at the drawing and details, he listened and watched amidst her contributions, mind webbing and weaving together points and fixtures of clarity and implementation.
White for mountains, dark for auroras, stone upon hers – nodding along, leaning in and snorting at the proclamation of North Stars. He’d never thought of being anyone’s home nor guiding beacon, and the notion propelled further laughter. “All right, give me a second.”
Brows furrowed, concentration honed, between his palms the incantations stirred again – restless intermingling of two, much smaller objects than most of his creations. Gilded and golden for fragments of a time, the press of the bands became sparks of the evening sky, twilights of dominion and supremacy, etched and marked from hues and blends of northern lights. The ivory scaled across mountain peaks embedded into the outlines. Hers became more noticeable by the stone flickering within, and tiny plants nestled alongside, intermittent and along the inside of the band. His held its remarkable qualities with similar lines for blades, tucked and hidden.
Then the tugging of more enchantments intertwined until they were laden with fortune; luck embedded and emblazoned, as long as the pair were near. From there, he permitted them to hover for a moment above his hand, before allowing her to inspect, silent and waiting.
--
Deimos has created:
Lucky Pair Wedding Rings: A pair of wedding bands for Deimos and Evie. Whenever they are in the same thread, their luck goes up +2.
You have me floating like a feather on the sea While you're as heavy as the world
It takes every ounce of strength in her body to resist cooing over his reddened cheeks, though she can't resist her unrepentant grin. Evie has always worn her heart bold and bright on her sleeve, and employing her forthrightness to sweep Deimos off his feet will never get old.
Content to sit back and fly their kites while Deimos works his (literal) magic, Evie takes over handling Deimos' spool while he focuses on their rings, tongue peeking out from between her teeth as she focuses on keeping them from bumping into each other with a bit of magic and micro-managing. When they're read, she eagerly turns away from the kites - immediately discarding any care over whether they'll remain on their proper course - to inspect the matching bands he has made.
Her eyes soften immediately, leaving the spools pinched between her thighs to free her hands to gently take them up and inspect them. The auroras are an almost perfect recreation, and despite the more masculine band, the gemstone on hers is inset and glitters beautifully in the weak sunlight overhead. "They're perfect," she murmurs, and leans over them to press a slow kiss to Deimos' mouth, pouring her love into the lingering embrace. Pulling away, she tilts her forehead against his and smiles down at the pair of rings. "I don't know how I'll be able to stand waiting to put them on." Though the wedding is close at hand, it's not soon enough for the eager squirming in her stomach.
With kites managed by Evie, and thoroughly watched (haunted) by Belial, Deimos’ concentration was free to roam upon her reaction. She inspected and he waited in silence, eyes flickering back and forth from her to the rings, before she uttered perfection and he loosened the breath he’d been holding. “Good,” he had a chance to extend with his own smile, before her lips were upon his, and things were worth savoring, closing his eyes at the forthright connection, until they pulled away and he could laugh amidst the comments.
Snagging the rings out of her grasp, a teasing and toying motion, he pocketed them, meant for solidified safeguarding until the foretold day. Evie wasn’t known for her patience anyway, at least not since he’d known her. “I will keep them then,” with a wink, as if imagining her practicing placing it on her finger, which he wouldn’t put past her. “I have something else we can do in the meantime,” besides lingering on the roof; and for once it wasn’t layered in innuendo.
12-27-2023, 02:57 AM (This post was last modified: 12-27-2023, 02:57 AM by Evie.)
Evie
You have me floating like a feather on the sea While you're as heavy as the world
Feigning an offended gasp when Deimos snags the rings out of her hands, Evie reaches over and tugs on his kite string in a moment of petty revenge, making it bob and weave up in the sky. Perhaps Belial would charge after it, or perhaps their strings would tangle and Evie's own creation would plummet out of the sky alongside his. Either way, worth it.
Alas, her curiosity is stronger and more everlasting than her pettiness, and Deimos' plans are always so very good. She lasts all of one minute before her eyes slink back his way, intrigued. A shame that it isn't steeped in innuendo, but that's the only reason she managed to wait a whole minute in the first place. "Okay, I'll bite. What are you thinking?" Whatever it is, she debates attempting to steal the rings back while they do it, certain she'll never get past his guard and counting on it for the sake of hilarity.
Deimos’ brow arched at the minor threat, but Belial glorified in the small motion of the kite, hooting above it as though he might snatch and rip and tear. Unfortunately for the peryton, his launch was ill-timed, and if either of them deigned to look, they’d have the pleasure of witnessing the youth go tumbling sideways when the kite simply shifted under claws.
Not even bothering to address the chaos, he meant to slip his hands away from the rings already in his pockets, when the primordial, ancient notions contorted against his mind. Narrowing his eyes in speculation for a moment, he glanced down, unfurled the range of glowing, creative enchantments from his hands, and puzzled through the complexities as the items were once more enhanced. Stronger, keener, and far more fortunate – the Sword snorted, then laughed, shaking his head. “Seems my creation magic has grown,” shrugging his shoulders. “Does not mean you will get them any faster though.” Pushing them further, he relinquished his hold before deft fingers grabbed his own kite, waiting for her to do the same.
As for his thoughts on mischief and motions, he permitted one last smirk before altering and shifting with little to no explanation (purposefully) – from human to thunderbird, careful to unravel his wings at a safer distance and not knock the Evergreen off the roof. One bob of his head was an indication to ‘hop on’, and with the kite’s strings carefully clutched in his beak, a range of flying the little sails that he could bet few had ever dared try.
--
Deimos has upgraded:
Lucky Pair Wedding Rings: A pair of wedding bands for Deimos and Evie. Whenever they are in the same thread, their luck goes up +4.
You have me floating like a feather on the sea While you're as heavy as the world
Evie cannot ignore the chaos so readily, though she manages to not get caught up in it, instead biting her lip as a smile grows to try and keep her laughter locked away at Belial’s failure to capture and destroy his newest foe.
It transforms into a pout, because knowing Deimos’ power has only grown makes her want to try them out all the more. Alas, stealing them away is even less likely on the roof, so she reels her kite in as he begins to do the same, intrigued by his proposition.
She isn’t expecting him to shift, though they’ve flown this way countless times before. Laughing and shaking her head fondly as he grabs the kites in his beak, Evie climbs on carefully, holding tight and patting his feathers in the gesture they’ve created to confirm she’s ready for takeoff. The kites already half-forgotten with the thrill of flying so near on the horizon.
Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us
With rings safely ensconced and Evie at the ready, he only had to take flight, leaving the roof behind and the wind within their grasp. The kites too, as they shuddered, beckoned, twirled, and twisted, Belial readily following behind as if the prey had found a new way to settle the score. A blissful and chaotic ease simultaneously – Halo below their feet as he gave rise to the earth and air, peaking and peeking over spires and palaces and roofs and markets; all to amuse, to embark, to have thresholds of tranquility and serenity at their beck and call.
From there, they could blend and bend towards the horizon, until something else harkened and beckoned, liberated and free for moments and instances, however brief and finite.
{FIN <3}
the Resurrected Sword
No one can separate us For we are all that is left
