Perhaps the closest equivalent of Caido’s golden retriever energy, Zavien has been the light in an otherwise patch of darkness. Always putting others first, working hard at being a Dragoon and helping Stormbreak thrive in kindness, and always being optimistic, Zavien’s outlook is refreshing and wonderful even with drama and terrible things occurring around him. He always has something helpful to say and a willingness to lend a hand that makes it so fun to keep up with him and we can’t wait to see what else comes his way.
Congratulations, Zavien!
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!
07-08-2024, 12:12 AM (This post was last modified: 07-08-2024, 12:14 AM by Talyson.)
He needed to do something that Ludo would think was cool while holding his Dagger if he wanted the raggedy god to make the poison on its blade stronger, and Tal had wracked his brain for most of Deepfrost trying to figure out just what would fit the bill.
The stuff he thought was cool was probably not going to cut it, he'd reluctantly decided. If the last five years had taught him anything it was that he and the masked god had very different tastes in everything but food. Specifically sweets. If they could agree on nothing else, it was that, and so Tal had tried to think of the coolest food-related thing he could do.
...He'd come up blank, more or less, until he'd reached Torchline. Steering the Peregrine over the steaming bulk of the volcano had inspired a little madness in the courier, so once he'd made his deliveries he bought a couple of supplies and anchored his skyboat at the base of the smoking mountain's slope. The long hike up to the summit had at least been interesting as he occasionally paused to look out over Torchline, seeing the places where the purple of the Void was conspicuously absent... and the places it still was very much present along the Coast. He grimaced and hiked faster until he reached the top. The heat should have been uncomfortable, but his Frostbite Cuff protected him from the worst of it and he set up on the upwind side of the smoke.
There were sweet, thick crackers and a couple bars of chocolate (already starting to melt) beside him, but the stars of the show were the small bag of marshmallows. He stuck one on the end of his Dagger and held it out over the volcano, whistling a sailing shanty to himself as the white suger puff slowly began to smoke and turn brown in the withering heat of the bubbling lava rising up from far below.
After getting stuck in Torchline before Longnight, Zavien had been reluctant to return so soon, however, his search for the extent of the Void infections was never ending. Trekking across the sandy beaches, he'd spotted Apopo in the distance, glowing against the horizon. Its potent orange light was a thousand times brighter than any sunset and he immediately wanted to investigate the fiery island. So he'd hitched a ride over the water to find himself standing on the shores of the lava-ridden land.
His first impression was that it was hot. Zavien's attempts to wipe his brow proved futile as every ounce of moisture in his body chose to jump ship simultaneously, drenching him in sweat. Trying to keep from dehydrating, he dunked his tunic in the ocean, wrapping the material around his head and neck. It helped somewhat, but he still kept some distance from the lava rivers as he continued inland.
The next thing he noticed was the strange popping of lava bubbles accenting the crunching of rock within its currents. It went well with the whistled tone that echoed over the stoney habitat.
And lastly, Zavien took a deep breath to smell the ashy steam of heating and cooling molten lava along with a hint of sweet marshmallow. Freezing, he considered the observation. Why would Apopo smell like marshmallows? And thinking again, how was the wind whistling? There weren't any caves or large rock structures to run against.
Extremely confused, he looked around for something to explain the strange phenomena. Following his nose seemed to be the right move as he worked his way closer to the source: "Talyson!" With a wide grin, he jogged up to the man roasting a white sugar puff on the tip of his dagger. The heat quickly sapped his energy and he stopped by Tal's side, breathlessly asking, "Are you making s'mores?!" He didn't care why the Accepted was choosing to do so on the middle of a lava island. He only cared that there was food that may be offered.
The familiar voice that called his name was a welcome - if surprising - distraction from the hellish view of the interior of Apopo's broken crater. "Hey Zav!" Tal grinned back at his fellow Accepted. He probably looked a little crazy, sitting there in a short sleeved tunic with his Goggles pulled over his eyes to protect them from the smoke and ash, but the Peregrine's captain hadn't been expecting company on this little jaunt. "Happy new year!"
It was impossible to notice the smell of any more smoke in the air, but when Tal glanced back at his marshmallow it was most definitely on fire. It had only been waiting for a moment of distraction to burst into flame, cunning as all of its kind were, and the courier yelped and scrambled to blow it out (only engaging in a small bout of waving it around before realizing what a terrible idea that was). He grimaced at the blackened shell barely containing the molten sugar within, but with a shrug he started assembling the crackers and chocolate to sandwich it. "Uh. Don't suppose y'like th'burnt ones?" he asked his friend sheepishly. "I dunno how many o' these I gotta make but I'll definitely get sick if I try t'eat 'em all myself."
Boreal was nowhere in evidence, and given her habit of wolfing down anything that wasn't watched like a hawk Zavien could probably guess why Tal hadn't brought her along on this particular adventure.
Zavien was disappointed to notice Boreal's absence, but the prospect of more food for his eager belly quickly dispelled those feelings. "Happy new year! I hope this year brings plenty of good memories and the destruction of the Void!" He laughed lightly and ducked as the flaming marshmallow strayed close to his head. It nearly caught on his makeshift turban, but Tal seemed to put out the fire quick enough and the near-disastrous event was promptly ignored.
The charred smell of the sugar would have disgusted most people, however, Zavien wasn't most people. With a smile that rivaled the lava's brightness, he practically snatched the s'more from his friend's grasp the moment it was assembled. "As a matter of fact, the burnt ones are my favorite. They add a whole other depth of flavor." Like a fool, Zavien didn't hesitate to throw the treat in his mouth, having to afhgashthatlad his way past the first few seconds before being able to taste the melting sugar through the blistering of his mouth. It didn't stop the overjoyed smile plastered stupidly to his face or the moan of appreciation. His green eyes glowed in excitement. "I'm definitely not complaining. Make as many as you need." He winked playfully at the Captain. To further show his contentment in eating each and every marshmallow, Zavien took a seat a short distance from the bubbling stream of lava. "What are you making them for, anyways?"
