From Attuned to Ascended to Ancient, Kiada Njovu-Reyes has been reborn several times throughout her short life, but her fighting spirit has never once been diminished. With beauty, grace and a quick wit, Kiada is the whole package wrapped in an infectious smile. Recent endeavours have found her in the heart of the Hollowed Grounds, aiding the region and bettering it for her new Ancient kin, and whatever she does next, we know it's sure to pack a punch.
Congratulations, Kiada!
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!
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
It took her more than a little while to summon up the means and measures to wander back into the festivities. Her heart certainly wasn’t in it, and she avoided most eyes following her, the thrall of whispers thereafter, and the muted glances. She had things to do, words to say, and she wasn’t going to let the tournament cease without taking the time to extend her gratitude.
I could see some of them she might’ve said, as she wandered closer to the taller man in the midst of all the talking and gossip and gawking. Fringes of the dead, as if she’d been close enough to see what happened after they perished. But Ronin would know too – wouldn’t he?
She made no mention of any of those things as she approached, waiting until he was done with conversing with someone else. Sidling nearby, and entirely subdued, she glanced upwards, filling her lungs with a sharp inhale of air, before proceeding. “Hey Ronin, I just wanted to say thank you. Sorry about the whole…mess.”
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
05-07-2024, 08:51 PM (This post was last modified: 05-07-2024, 08:52 PM by Ronin.)
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
Ronin has been talking with someone else, but then there's little else to do but try and distract himself from the cluster of dramatics that has shrouded the tournament thus far. (Whilst keeping vigilant for the next worst thing, of course). But as Mel's voice hits the air the Knight is already turning, and at the flash of fiery hair he barely lets her get the words out before he's drawing her into a tight hug.
"Don't you dare," he murmurs, his voice rough with affection, his smile audible. "I didn't even think twice - you don't need to thank me for something I was always going to do." Drawing back from the Honeybee to look down at her properly, Ronin lets out a sigh that has him feeling like he can finally relax his shoulders from around his ears.
"I'm glad you're okay," he says. "Physically, if nothing else. How are you feeling?" Death is no minor thing, even for a demigod of Ludo; he knows that first-hand from standing at Remi's side.
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
Her eyes were already filling with tears the moment he grabbed her, and she hid them in the fabric of his clothes as she was pressed tightly to his chest. Overwhelmed, probably, amongst the multitudes of other muddling and confusing emotions flickering through her – bewildered, overwrought, uncertain where she even felt planted anymore, roots all gone askew.
Or that multitudes would even want to save her. She’d spent so long daring along for others, or herself, that those semblances had never occurred.
“Yeah I do,” she managed to sob and muffle, because she has no way of giving back something like that. Maybe a gift she could send later, but she had no possibilities of altering another’s life in the way Ronin had.
He drew away and she could feel herself instantly want to curl back into nothing, dashing away the tears from her cheeks within a second, as if they’d never existed and weren’t a cathartic piece of the machine. “I don’t know,” she responded truthfully. And Ronin would understand, out of all of it – but she swallowed down all the inquiries, didn’t want to really name them, bit against their munitions rather than grant them a voice. “Shitty?”
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
"You're welcome, then, if you insist," Ronin says with a warm smile, reaching out to help wipe the tears from her cheeks even if he knows the benefit of letting them fall. Only now does he give credit to all the things he and Melita have been through over the years; from festivals attended to battles fought, all across Hak Etme and into Stormbreak, not to mention every minor conflict leading up to the war.
"Shitty is about right," he confirms, turning to grab a bottle of something strong from a nearby icebox, as well as a couple of glasses, pouring them each a measure and offering the Honeybee a cup. "Do you want to take a walk?" he offers. "We don't have to talk about it. Or we can, it's up to you. Either way, getting out of the crowd might do some good."
Instead of any ominous, life-threatening scene, you are greeted by the sight of cloud wyrms hovering slightly beyond your reach. They twist and turn through the air, puffy forms following their wakes; giving some refuge from the sun.
One even seems to look at you, uttering a soft greeting, before moving on, after its brethren.
You’ve encountered a Cloud Wyrm. This counts as an uncommon creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Cloud Wyrm (uncommon/mythical) - Cousins of the dragon, these small and serpentine creatures boast no wings or destructive breath. Rather, they breathe clouds. Their four-legged white bodies can be seen slithering through the air, puffy clouds streaming from their mouths to ease the intensity of the sun on the plains. They never get any bigger than a weasel, and are known as docile, playful creatures, and they seem to enjoy collecting shiny things.
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
Maybe she wondered if she deserved it – to be lifted away from Mort’s realm for another chance, another opportunity. Maybe she figured in another time she would’ve already been gone, like her sister, like her mother, less fortunate. Maybe everything hurt and broke and still felt raw and ridiculous, and she wasn’t going to cry in front of her uncle or Ru, because they’d already seen enough and –
Ronin seemed to understand anyway, and perhaps that was enough.
She sniffled something back and Fangorn grabbed hold of her ankles, striving to comfort while Sila wrapped her tail around her shoulders. “Okay,” she murmured, immediately taking the cup, half-tempted to down it. She didn’t though, peering into it as they seemed to stray away from the crowd, and she glanced up to look or wave at Remi, figuring that was another discussion to be had later (the whole Ludo thing). Her thoughts were a schism and she wasn’t certain what to admit first, so she shook her head, let the crimson curls fall around her. “I didn’t – I haven’t been hit like that before. Not after all this time, y’know? And I didn’t think anything of entering the tournament. It was just going to be another fun battle…thing.”
Distracted from her thoughts for a moment, she glanced towards cloud wyrms hovering nearby, uncertain whether to laugh or cry again. In the end, she waved those off too, watching as they dissipated into puffs. “I should’ve been better than that.”
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
And so they walk, Ronin letting an easy arm fall around Mel's shoulders as they do, the Knight nursing his drink with his free hand. He's silent for the most part as the crowds bleed away into soft sands and the hush of the encroaching tide, giving the Honeybee as much time as she needs to do with what she wishes. And when she does speak at last, he hums a gentle, considering response, sipping at his drink and turning his gaze skywards to watch the cloud wyrms for a bit.
"Better is relative," Ronin says. "All of us can always be better. That would have been true even if you had won." Shrugging, he glances down at her. "It's a wake up call though, right? Having to fit together the person you were with the one you've become, after a god chooses you for something. When I first came back as Safrin's star, you'd have been able to take me out with one punch, even as you are now."
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
She was grateful to be away from the crowds again; another unexpected thing, given how often she ran headlong into them. But the shock to the system and the wherewithal of failure, leading to death, had a particular and peculiar way of weighing down on her that most other notions never had. She craved to bristle and unravel and torment something – but in those hinges she only had herself. The Honeybee sipped at the drink instead, listening, eyes tracking and trailing on the sand as her companions lingered behind.
Her nose wrinkled at the distinct advice she could hear; already yearning to fight it. “Yeah I…I guess I took a lot for granted.” And maybe that was the cold, hard truth of it all; because she’d simply been too determined, too stubborn, too willful, too proud, too stupid to die. And maybe even worse was that it’d all been so simple. No bloodthirsty monster. No boney fragments across sand. No piece or pocket of war. Just stupid Sah and his stupid electricity. “Did it take a long time to gain everything back?” Clearly, Melita hadn't noticed. Or she'd just presumed him to be so strong in any interval, that it had scarcely mattered to her.
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
"Eh, don't beat yourself up about it. The world will do that enough as you climb back to your full strength," Ronin says gently, giving her arm a squeeze and pausing to take another sip of his drink. "And honestly? Yeah, for me it did." His nose scrunches at the memory, the Knight kicking a bit of driftwood along the sands as they walk.
"But I don't think it will be the same for you. I was brought back in a new body, so I really did have to start from scratch. You are still the same Melita you were before Ludo. Physically, anyway." Smiling and offering her a playful nudge, he adds, "But if you really want to push yourself, I'll always do some training with you."
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
She wanted to argue that next point too, and nearly did, before shutting her mouth tightly. Because in some way, it already had; quick, stark, harsh reminders of her own mortality ringing against her ears. It likely scarred across her chest too – if and when she bothered to look. So instead she nodded, absorbing what she could, nursing the drink in her hands as the world gave way to waves.
To hear Ronin shared the same plight, if not worse, made her eyes dart downwards. “Sorry.” For the things he’d gone through along the way, and for her not noticing, and probably multitudes of other things lost in the transgressions. “And yeah, I didn’t…I didn’t feel any different? But I do have some new things to try,” and for that moment a small smile bloomed – though hastened away quickly at the suggestion. “Only if you promise not to kill me in one blow.”
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
Waving away the apology with a kind smile, Ronin has had more than long enough to come to terms with his long road back to here and now. "It made me who I am today, in retrospect," he admits. "So even though it was a helluva knock back, and it took a while before I felt like myself again, I probably wouldn't change anything." And to believe that his death was the first domino to fall in this long chain of circumstances... gods, it doesn't half make him feel old.
Luckily Melita is there to inject some humour into the conversation, dark as it might be, and the Knight scoffs and holds up his hands as if to be as non-threatening as possible. "I solemnly swear that I won't," he tells her. "And besides, at least I have the means to bring you back if the worst should happen."
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
She gazed up at Ronin, studying and scrutinizing. He was probably right – it’d been a lengthy sojourn from where he’d been mauled by a beast, taken back from the stars, and where he was today – and Melita only knew some of the stories surrounding the Knight. She didn’t think hers truly compared – there’d been impulse, danger, intrigue, fights, and onslaughts, never quite giving in, always a league of tempestuous energy…
To think that here and now was another step in some other league was a startling thing, and she looked away, blinking at her drink. “Too early to say for me,” she winked in return, thereafter, trying to find some trace of humor in all of it. For all the times she'd avoided death when it'd snagged and pulled at her family, for it to find her at a tournament seemed bizarre, even by her mercurial standards. “But thank you again,” and she’d probably keep saying it too, because without him there wouldn’t have been another chance or opportunity.
She did manage to snort after downing the rest of her concoction, pleased with whatever buzzing effect was simmering through her; probably a combination of alcohol and the last few horrible hours. “There must be a limit on that though?”
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
"Probably will be for a while. Maybe in the future we'll have another walk on the beach just like this one and you'll be able to tell me for sure." Grinning down at her, Ronin's arm tightens around the Honeybee's shoulders in a half hug, before he releases her and falls to a halt in the soft sands, watching the tide whisper its way back out into the ocean. "And I told you, there's nothing to thank me for. But you're always welcome."
Glancing back at her as he finishes is drink, Ronin's brow furrows as he considers Mel's question, and he tilts his head this way and that. "I feel like there is, yeah, but... it's like no one gives you a user manual for these things, you know? I feel as though, right now, I could do it again if I needed to. I wish I could be a little more sure than that, though." Unfortunately, it isn't like he can test this particular ability on a casual basis.
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
All this advice made Ronin seem very wise, and she couldn’t help but snag at them for the truth and heart of the matter. In time, maybe they would have further conversations about what had occurred. Maybe she’d be less petty. Maybe she’d be more so. Maybe there’d be multitudes of changes, or she’d conquer and overcome with nothing more. “Fine,” she gave instead, a cheeky grin returning. She’d still be thankful, and she’d already decided upon other ways to show it.
As for limitations, the unknown felt like a grasping, weight thing again, and with being left in only wonder and inquiry…more than a little daunting. “Well, hopefully no one else dies soon.” And then he wouldn’t have to test it out quite so frequently. Altering the subject entirely, and knowing he’d have to return to the others at a quick venture, she smiled. “I’ll have something for you soon. Payback and all that.” Even if he wanted to refuse, she was certain the gift would be adequate enough to not be tossed aside.
the honeybee
Bring me the riot in your heart angry, wild, and raw
