Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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Unlike his last attempt at compelling the animals around him, today's lesson did not see Everest Hart forced into the water by a much of mewling cats. In fact, he looked positively cozy with the ravens flocking nearby. Muttering tasks to them, the attuned used his abilities to help aid them in ways verbal cues or hand gestures couldn't quite manage. They caught on quite quickly of course, being the intelligent creatures that they were, quickly learning what "Red Circle" meant, and caring about it because of the frozen peas and shiny stones Everest kept in his pocket.
Glancing idly over towards the training grounds where a few dragoons were hamming it up, Everest shook his head and looked back at his ravens only to find a few new faces sprinkled in the mix. "Now, I am a man who is aware that he is not an expert on everything, but.." Pointing at the birds in turn, he narrowed his eyes at the void mata mata in their midst. FrIenD of ThE FaMiLy that he was, the creature had no ill effects on him, though the ravens didn't seem to appreciate the competition.
"One of these things is not like the others."
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
One such dragoon is more a knight in shining armour, but that doesn't mean he's any less hamming it up than the others. Ronin has just finished his training, though, as it happens, and it's with a light sheen of sweat on his brow that he unfastens the weights he'd wrapped about his wrists and ankles in the hope of making things both more difficult for himself and easier for the other dragoons.
It's luck more than anything that has him glancing towards the ravens nearby - and the familiar shape among them, for that matter. And that's even before he notices the rather not cool looking mata mata. "Hey, Everest," he calls, already starting to trot over to the young man. "Need a hand?" Because every iteration of Everest Hart that Ronin knows would be somehow paralysed with indecision here.
Ronin, who has been an almost constant figure in his life ever since his friendship with Mateo began, earns little more than a cursory glance from the aviator as he continues to stare down the mata-mata with a look that's more amused than hostile. "Is two not enough?" He wonders, though rather than sounding confused about the question for having taken it too literally, there's very nearly a smile on his lips as he looks up at Ronin.
"I've never noticed these before." He says, of the abyssal mata-mata. "They must have come with the Family." Ever decides with a rather matter-of-fact shrug, before turning toward Ronin. "Rather interesting creatures though." Not bothered nor effected by the swirl of dark energy the snake was emitting, only when he released his hold on the ravens were they allowed to properly panic and croak their disdain before flying away.
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Unable to help himself, Ronin finds himself laughing at what he's certain was just a joke. From Everest Hart. And one that was easily made, at that. "Well, they say that more hands make lighter work, and all that," he says, slowing to a halt and running his fingers through his hair as he watches the showdown between man and mata-mata.
"Mm, you're probably right. There have been a lot of strange creatures popping up everywhere, touched by the void," he continues, blinking and following the ravens' flight as they make themselves scarce. (Ronin can't blame them, because he's feeling pretty gross just being at this distance).
"Shit," the Knight says suddenly, glancing over his shoulder. "Torchline needs something like this, for their quest. Do you mind keeping an eye on it? I just want to go get a container to trap it in."
"Err." Having grown enough to know that what Ronin actually wanted was for Everest to ensure the creature didn't go anywhere, but having not broken his obedient streak quite yet, the aviator was left nodding slowly. "Sure, just...don't take too long."
So saying, Ever stared at the strange creature before folding his arms over his chest. "You don't seem so bad." He murmured, hunkering down onto his heels in order to bring himself more in the snake's eye line. Recognizing what it did in him, the serpent slithered forward, sticking its small black tongue in and out of its mouth before pressing a winged head against one of Ever's knees. Rather than feeling the overwhelming despair and anxiety that normally accompanied the presence of void creatures, the aviator found himself laughing.
'Alright, alright. Not bad at all.'
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Ronin isn't long, returning soon enough with a crate large enough to accommodate the mata-mata, lined with straw. It smells faintly of apples, given what the Knight has dumped out in order to make use of it, but it will hopefully do for this. Still, as he returns to Everest, it's with a jaw that softly drops that he spots the aviator with the dread, abyssal creature fussing about him like a friendly cat.
"What..." he begins softly, holding the open crate out as if he has no idea what to do with it all of a sudden. "Do... Ever, do you think you could put that in here for me, please?" Ronin has questions - a lot of them - but until the mata-mata is safely contained, they'll stay locked beneath his tongue.
Glancing up, Everest looks from the crate, to the creature, then back again, clearly mapping out the dimensions in his mind before weighing whether or not he could do as Ronin had asked. "I think so." Turning to the small creature, he pointed vaguely toward the crate as if it might just go on its own. Nothing of the sort happened, though it did rise up to curl around his wrist.
"Now, now." Chuckling softly, Ever stretched his hand out, burying it in the straw before wriggling it slightly to dislodge the snake. Once it was safely off of him, the aviator pulled back as the creature suddenly hissed at Ronin. Coiling, its jaws agape, the voidling pinned its wings back against its skull, like hostile ears.
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
"That's good," Ronin says nervously, because the mild way in which Ever says I think so - not to mention the playful way he interacts with the creature - is more unnerving than the mata-mata itself. Swallowing and holding out the crate for the aviator to deposit it inside, the noise the Knight makes as the winged snake hisses at him is very, very manly. Honest.
Regardless, he claps the top of the crate down upon it only moments later, caging it safely within. (It's got air holes, don't worry).
"Uh, thanks..." he says to Ever, offering a small and uncertain smile. "It seemed to like you quite a bit, didn't it?"
Leaning back with a somewhat muffled sigh, the aviator looks at the box (noting the holes, thank you), before glancing toward Ronin. "What's this for?" He wonders, sounding somewhat doubtful.
Standing, Everest dusts of the knees of his pants though doesn't take any extra time to ensure that every single atom of sand had been removed as he might normally have. "It's just an attuned thing, I suppose." He says with a shrug. Where once he might have reached for his notebook to record just a phenomenon for later research and discussion, now he merely lifts his blue gaze to scrutinize the Knight for a moment. "They do have a good sense of smell and you have just come from the training grounds." He points out, which was Everest Hart for you stink, Ronin.
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
"Mm?" Glancing back from where his gaze has inevitably dropped to the crate again, Ronin remembers himself. "Ah, it's for a quest. For Torchline," he explains. "We needed to collect one of these void creatures from each region. This will work for Stormbreak, I hope." Smiling - and hearing out the aviator's explanation regarding his affinity to the mata-mata, but not quite believing it - Ronin resists the urge to give the crate a little shake.
"I've just... oh. Shit, well. No, good point." Laughing bashfully and more than willing to concede Ever's point, the Knight glances over his shoulder and back into the training grounds. "I'd better go shower off before showing my face to Remi again then, I think," he says. "It was good to see you, Ever. Look after yourself, yeah?"
"Ah.." Still sounding doubtful, Everest merely furrowed his brow as he continued to stare at the crate, wondering if he'd just aided in the sacrifice of the serpent.
Forcing a weak smile at the mention of the Bastion—Everest assumed the mention of shower off had some sexual connotation, but then, perhaps Remi was just as affronted by smells as the voidling in the crate—the aviator nods. "You too." He replied automatically, clasping his hands behind his back.
Just as Ronin was turning, Ever found himself calling after him. "And look after that mata-mata, alright? It didn't do anything." Feeling protective of the creature for a reason he couldn't quite identify, not that he necessarily needed one to care about the fauna around him, he supposed, Everest nibbled at the inside of his lip before heading back toward Mateo's shop.
~FIN
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
