[Mini Event] that's the tea

even my darkness shines for you

Emotional whiplash certainly is the flavour of the afternoon, it appears. From Seren to his second impromptu fight with Deimos to everything that just happened with Melita, to say that Ronin's brain is fried and that he's Done is an understatement. Even so, he resists the shots of rum he knows he might use to take the edge off things - because gods, what if someone dies again in the time it takes for him to get tipsy? What if he can't do his magic inebriated?

Suffice to say it's a very sober White Knight who trudges back across the sand towards Evie, offering her a tired smile as he collapses down onto the sand. "Your husband packs a punch," he informs her, his smile turning significantly warmer as he gazes down at Erebos. "Don't tell him either, but I'm pretty sure your son takes more after you. Which is absolutely no bad thing."

the

WHITEKNIGHT

Table coding by Sky

He said "I bet you don't remember me"

From bloody noses and lectures to the near-death of his husband's child at the hands of the mother of his child(ren) to the stunning defeat to Deimos and then back to another death, a lot of things were happening.

"Wh—

—nnn—

—how?"

Until suddenly they're all back together and it all seems fine.

"That is a nice new trick." The Bastion hums to Ronin as he walks by, his amusement a dazzling gold through his fingertips as he trickles them over one of his husband's arms. "Mmm, it's true. Let no one ever say those gloves are all he is good for."s Remi adds, grinning at Evie before turning his attention to Erebos. It was impossible not to think of Enzo, such that the Bastion's smile faltered ever so slightly before he forced it back into place.

"He is beautiful, Evie. Congratulations. Also..." Nodding his head slightly toward Ronin, Remi's eyes widen. "..if he ever goes missing, check our houseboat first."

and I said "only ever other memory"

The battle between the heavy hitters was well worth watching, and the Tidebreaker had drifted back to the beach chairs to enjoy his remaining time among the spectators when things continued to be more exciting than anyone had anticipated.

It seemed like no sooner was Seren up than Melita was down and down hard enough that Hadama felt the tide rush out beneath his proverbial fins. Her family sped over and the Tidebreaker stood back, having nothing with which to assist that would make a difference. He nodded quiet agreement to Flora's words, throat too tight to speak.

And then Ronin was there and Melita was sitting up and the water rushed back beneath him, washing over gills gone dry with formless dread--

Well. Not gills at the moment, but close enough. He could breathe again, and he breathed a deep and grateful sigh of relief. "Wish me luck," he murmured to his co-ruler with an emerald glance that conveyed a great deal about heading off to face the man who had just accidentally killed Mel.

karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?

"Kick his ass!"

Sure, Sah had just killed another demigod, but Flora was fairly convinced that Hadama would be able to hold his own. And if not, there were plenty of healers and resurrectors of the dead around (apparently? Thanks for telling us, Ronin).

Rising, Flora reached for a bottle of champagne before sauntering down the beach toward her mother. and Sunjata "Heya." Plopping down in the sand at their side, the Doubletake placed the bottle between her feet where Spice could softly chill it with her breath. "So much for this being a safe tournament." She huffed with a roll of her eyes before peering at Hotaru between Sunjata's feathers.

"You totally went easy on the courier. You could have shot out both his knees in your sleep."

Seren

Barely had Seren returned to the stands with her father, than Ronin had to rush off again, this time to save a life. Aghast, she pressed her hands over her mouth and watched in horror how Melita was resuscitated. Sah's pale face lingered in her vision even when the others returned and Hadama departed to have his duel.

Perhaps she shouldn't be partial, but as she followed the Wild Thunder with her gaze, Seren did hope that he would emerge victorious from this round. To wash away the dread of the accident, in part - but also because she wanted him to win.

Settling down to watch, she had to admit that she felt shaken too, from her own near-death experience. When Umbra came to join her in the sand, she leaned against his warm, sturdy body and took comfort in the steady heartbeat pulsing against her back, while her friends and family milled all around. Alive - she was still alive. It was alright. They were fine.

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

Sah

Sah could feel eyes on him and he hated it. There was only one reason he hadn't left immediately after his loss to Hadama. The King was an excellent combatant and the Wild Thunder felt no shame in losing to him. However, his first fight was different. The guilt was overwhelming, especially now that he wasn't in the midst of combat.

Spotting his target, he walked over to Hotaru and ignored Sunjata beside her. "Can we talk? Please?" He'd need to speak with Melita later and apologize again, but if it was still too raw for him, he imagined she was feeling the same. Granted, he didn't know her well enough to say for sure.

Right now, Sah just needed his family.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

DEIMOS

His victory was a hard-fought battle, and he wouldn’t be afraid to admit it. Wounded and burnt, he trudged his way back along the sands, fully intending to wind his way through to the infirmary tent, had he not heard his wife’s excited shouting. The Sword grinned, head lowered, before eventually winding his way back to Evie and Erebos, where a little crowd had formed again, and he sank along the sand next to her. “Thank you,” he murmured quietly, aware of the onslaught covered and contorted over his frame, and figuring he could take a moment to breathe before mending again.

But then there were other commotions, and he glanced towards Hotaru, a silent pledge to talk later, Ronin appearing and reappearing to help another down, and Remi near too. He didn’t hear much, his eyes rendering along to Sah as well, the segments of the designated tournament seemingly unraveling.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

HOTARU

Hotaru, angled firmly toward Sunjata, flowers and opens up immediately as Flora plunks down at her side. One arm immediately comes to wrap around her daughter and pull her close, certain as the dawn that Sunjata will move his wings to accommodate it. "Safety is subjective when demigods are in the lineup," she grouses slightly, mourning her own strength for how it had hurt Seren while equally agitated that she'd landed so little on Talyson.

Huffing a laugh, she gently knocks her head against her daughter's, their blonde strands mixing. "He's a wily bastard, I need to work on my aim." Grinning, she turns her head to brush her lips up against Flora's ear to whisper, "He's good at running away, I underestimated that." Flora will surely get a kick out of that one.

Sah catches her attention and Hotaru leans back to catch his eyes and the paleness of his face. Softening slightly, she nods, kissing Flora's head and scooting her into the space she'd occupied next to Sunjata once she stands. Pointing at the two of them, one brow rises imperiously. "No wandering off, petal. I need more daughter time." And to Sunjata, an expression that says guard dog time without ever needing to tap into the Attuned bond. Then she turns away to walk off with Sah, intent on providing what comfort she can. She catches Deimos eye as she goes, and gives him a small tilt of her head that makes it clear she'll speak with him later as well. Gods, what a day.

Oh, drunken gods of slaughter
You know I've always been your favorite daughter

karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Cackling childishly as Hotaru must have known she would, Flora beams up at the Valkyrie. "Well, I think you could have beaten any of them if you were allowed to be more sneaky." Bold and flashy movements might once have been her mother's strong suit, but given the powers she commanded now, subterfuge seemed her biggest asset now.

As Sah arrived, tugging her mother away—insert the but did you die? gif here—the Doubletake huffs loudly and flops down backward into Sunjata 's lap. "Miss you already!" She calls brightly, fixing a wide smile on her face. Once her mother and the Halovian were far enough away, Flora let her expression crumple she glanced up at the Flood. "Who the fuck is that, even." She wondered of Sah, annoyed that some rando had come to steal Hotaru away from her daughter and basically-husband.

Well. How interesting.

Without need for a notebook or any tools other than the inner workings of his mind, Dorian watched the tournament as it played out to its inevitable conclusion. Leaning casually against a tree, Dorian appeared almost disinterested, but his mind was anything but idle. With every blow struck, every burst of elemental magic, he absorbed the strengths and weaknesses of each combatant like a sponge, filing away valuable information for future use.

As Deimos emerged triumphant, Dorian allowed himself a small, smug smile. He had gleaned more than just the outcome of the battles; he had gleaned insight into the very fabric of Caido's power dynamics.

With a subtle nod of satisfaction, Dorian turned on his heel and began to make his way back down the beach. His work here was done, but the knowledge he had acquired would prove invaluable in the weeks to come.

relive who i've been at my worst,
every single night, looking for a distraction

Gossiping like children, he withdraws slightly as he hears Flora’s arrival, flashing her a crooked smile as his wings unfold to offer more availability for the Queen of Torchline. A perk that a far few get right now, especially with the tension of Melita nearly dying and Hotaru nearly murdering Seren. For her, though, he takes his unnamed step-father-ness quite well. “I was fairly satisfied with mine.” Even if he thought he’d do better, he wasn’t sure what he was going up against all things considered.

Still, the Flood snorts at her comment over Hotaru and Talyson’s fight, nodding his head in agreement, about to say something else when Hotaru moves to stand and his wings lower, hand remaining against her arm until he physically cannot as she wanders away. It’s with distraction that he doesn’t notice Flora start to drop into his lap, immediately offering an unhelpful ”oh,” that breaks into a soft chuckle as she settles up comfortably and his wings slip around them in a more paternal way, hand lifting to brush out any ocean wind tangled knots in her blonde hair.

“Sah. The Wild Thunder.” He drawls with a hint of annoyance that he’s sure she’ll pick up on, his head hovering over her shoulder as he watches Hotaru’s interactions until he loses track of her and sighs. “I haven’t had many conversations with him, but he’s from Halo. One of those that’s still on the fence about me.” And then, who had accidentally killed his niece. “Though, I don’t know if he knew that Melita is my niece.” He adds after a moment, brows pinching and head tilting curiously in thought, before he looks to Flora to see if she even knew that, or if the gossip train would continue.

Not that he’s complaining in the slightest.

the flood

waiting for the sun to rise
pretty sight for some hollow eyes

totally sniped from odd ilu

karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Frowning at the moniker, although all of them sounded just as pretentious if you took them out of context, Flora pulls a rather ugly face as she too watches Sah and Hotaru slip away out of sight. "On the fence about you about what?" She wants to know, suddenly sounding almost hostile in her defensiveness of the Flood. Bristling, and gods if she were an attuned she might have looked like an offended little kitten as she glanced up at him. "Gods, does it ever get old, all these weird men just acting like they own her?" She's thinking of Tal of course, and how he'd slept in her mother's bed and just...let himself into her life even when she hadn't been around.

"Ugh." Collapsing back down, Flora can only sourly roll her eyes. She'd wanted to spend time with her mother, and no doubt Hotaru had wanted the same with Sunjata. (Sure, Flora had interrupted, but, you know, #Family).

"Maybe you just start picking people up as a dragon and depositing them onto Starfall.." She suggests, grinning up at the Flood. "That'd be so much easier than being polite about it."

Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck

Well, this tournament turned out a bit more dramatic than anyone had assumed this would be, didn't it? By the time the matches concluded and Deimos was announced as the winner, Maea felt limp with the tumultuous emotions she'd been put through. She wasn't close with Melita, but knew her enough that seeing her lying motionless on the ground nearly made her heart stop. Between two severe injuries, Noah's outburst and the shock on Hotaru's and Sah's faces, this was one dramatic event.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she slowly began to pick herself together. Exchanging quiet words with Evie, she eventually got up to leave. There was only so much milling she could stand in one day - and from the look of things, any conclusion drawn from the day would have to wait for a later date. Today was just... too soon.

--------------

Maea out <3

Maea

Dantalion

but you can't be free

Well, Astaroth successfully wins the next round against Remi and Ronin pt. 2, and thus they are at a stalemate. And so, opting not to bet at all for the final (they'll find another way to tie break, he's sure), Danta settles in to watch.

And gods does it not disappoint; by the time Deimos rises as the overall victor, the Maverick is another two drinks deep, and he rolls to his feet off the lounger feeling warmed all the way through and thoroughly looking forward to continuing the celebrations elsewhere.

"Delightful as this was, shall we?" He drawls to the taller Ancient; whether or not Asta follows (though Danta already knows that he will), he'll start making his way off the beach and back into Hualani proper.

---

Danta out!

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!