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!
It felt almost blasphemous to be doing this. Frey was a generous deity who had helped Halo many times in the past, yes. But they were not the god that Sah had sworn himself to. The old gods were a unit, however, so it was probably fine. It was probably also appreciated for an old god follower to show his respects to all of the heralds. Sah would have to keep that in mind.
He glanced at Hotaru and Soleil with a small smile, "Ready?" It was the most that he could muster. Ru had informed them of her departure from Halo on the way to the shrine and the Wild Thunder was still processing the coming loss. Cordelia and Noah had yet to return and now Hotaru was leaving. Sah's pack was spreading apart further and further, and it was painful to watch.
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
I know that I should have told you that I would die Just to hold you
It had been difficult to break the news to Sah and Soleil, and it would be harder still to tell Luka and have it be clear that he'd been the last to know, but Hotaru can't help but be grateful that among the mixed bag of reactions she has received lately that theirs has been understanding. Sad, of course, but that is to be expected, and the weight it places in her chest is one of honor to have earned their love so wholly.
"Ready," she assures with a small smile, and says nothing when Soleil's hand sneaks into her own, merely squeezing it and holding on tight as they begin the short walk to the Citadel shrine.
The freshness of the news makes Ru quiet as she ruminates on all she is thankful for, holding her small collection of offerings and keeping pace with the Lovi's with what remains of her focus. Attuned as she is to Frey, she can't help but say her thanks directly to her herald; for all they have done for Halo, yes, but also for being a constant in her own life that had led to meeting these wonderful people.
The shrine is familiar, neatly decorated with gifts and offerings from countless Halovians, and seemingly always radiating a preternatural sort of comfort. Kneeling on the various cushions around the base, Hotaru guides Soleil down beside her, and reaches her free hand out to Sah to invite him to do the same. Only once they are all nestled comfortably does she begin to retrieve her offerings, placing and readjusting them in front of herself. "If we are to make King's End inhabitable soon, that also means it will be a new settled region for you to explore," she mentions to Soleil, hoping to breathe a bit of optimism and light into an otherwise somber - but deeply appreciative - moment.
And if I just had my shit together I could be with you But I'm too high on paranoia
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.
Soleil is glad that her godmother doesn’t so much as flinch when she sneaks her hand into the Valkyrie’s, though she’s not ashamed to need her touch right now she’s equally trying not to make it a big deal. It feels big to her though. Their pack isn’t the smallest in the world, but somehow Soleil always envisioned that she would be the only one ever leaving to run around and explore the world. It’s unsettling and painful to know that when she comes home next time, Hotaru won’t be on her list of people she can visit.
As they come to the shrine, Soleil follows Ru’s guidance to kneel beside her, pulling out her own offerings of little spice jars from her travels sealed with wax by her own hand. Maybe not the best gift, giving back to Frey what they grew, but she had turned those plants into something new and delightful and that is what she hopes to translate to the herald.
Startling out of her thoughts when the Valkyrie speaks, Soleil musters up one of her usually commonplace smiles. Maybe she’s being unfair by moping - Hotaru is right after all. Maybe King’s End just jumped a little higher on her list. “That’s true! I haven’t been there at all yet, so I’ll have to do some research. So long as I get free lodging I can stay even longer…” she wheedles, trailing off with a wink. Soleil can’t help but try to brighten the mood. It feels like it falls to her to take the baton from Ru and keep it going, even if it means ignoring the hurt in her chest. “Maybe we can time a double visit?” She cranes around Ru (which isn’t hard considering their height difference) to aim the question at her dad, a hopeful tilt to her small smile.
kiss me like I'm a conviction, beg for divinity in my grasp
Sah is so proud of Soleil for how she's handling the news. It aches to see Hotaru leave. But the Wild Thunder must be doing something right if his daughter's reaction is support, love, and acceptance. Even if she is so clearly hurting as much as he is. But he can't take all of the credit. His little sun had earned her nickname years ago and only continued to prove her title.
He places his offerings of freshly picked bunchberries from the tundra. From there, Sah needs no further prompting and reaches over to grasp Hotaru's free hand as he kneels on her other side. Giving Ru's hand a squeeze, he smiles softly at Soleil, "Of course. I'd love that." Knowing Ru, he wouldn't be surprised if she avoided visiting Halo for some time.
He's gone seasons without seeing Ru before and he refuses to let it happen again. He'll be visiting, one way or another. If Soleil tags along, all the better.
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
I know that I should have told you that I would die Just to hold you
Hotaru can tell that the news is hard on Soleil, but her chest aches with bittersweet pride to see the young woman muster up support and a smile despite that. The girl has never walked in Ru's footsteps the way Flora has, but it does nothing to dwindle her pride. Goodness and hope are direly needed in this world, and Hotaru sees it shining through both of her kin beside her, and it makes her squeeze their hands in an overflow of love.
"You drive a hard bargain," she sighs dramatically, pretending to fret over the notion for a bit before letting her grin emerge/ "But I suppose I can set up some lodgings for the both of you." Pulling both of them closer by their connected hands so their heads might huddle together and convene over both shrine and offerings, Hotaru closes her eyes, breathing in their intertwined scents and feeling the protective wall of their closeness. "I love you both," she murmurs, and pours that love into Frey's shrine in a prayer of gratitude.
And if I just had my shit together I could be with you But I'm too high on paranoia
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.
Soleil hasn't been fooled by her godmother's admittedly impeccable acting in years. Anything that seems like exasperation or reluctance is almost always a front, and though her laugh is missing the childish pitch of her youth, it's the same cadence of giggles when the Valkyrie gives up the ghost almost immediately to agree to her terms. As if Soleil wouldn't have visited even if it meant sleeping outside.
As her godmother pulls them both in, Soleil leans all her weight sideways like a ragdoll, wanting to be as close as physically possible and having grown up confident that both adults to her left are more than capable of carrying her weight at any age. Such were the benefits of having cool, powerful mages in the family. And she’s definitely not thinking that to try and stave off the bittersweet tears clinging to her lashes. "I love you both so much,” she murmurs, and tries to linger in the moment as long as possible, reluctant for things to change but aware they will do so without care for her feelings.
kiss me like I'm a conviction, beg for divinity in my grasp
Sah chokes up and he's not afraid to admit it. Turning his head, he lays a kiss on each woman's temple as he echoes the sentiment, "I love you both. More than you could ever know." They were both so deeply a part of him. Saying his prayer to Frey, he settles into their hold. Letting go of their hands, he only does so to twist and wrap both into his arms.
It's a long moment before he finally lets go and takes their hands to bring them to their feet. "Come on. Let's go relax some. I'm sure Luka is waiting." A night of hot chocolate and cuddles was just what they all needed.
-{FIN}
I think therefore I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
