caeliusofthenight

[caeliusofthenight]

The one thing Cael had to be thankful for was that the motion and direction they'd traveled had at least carried them further through the tree line edged around the small park and given him a bit of cover to drift back to the ground. Unfortunately, it did little for the fact that if the boy's father looked up from his phone he would find no one standing at the tree supposedly trying to save his son. That was another problem for later.

"Probably a good idea." Cael remarked after thinking it over for a few seconds. Once he had landed, his wings almost immediately folded and vanished; as he carefully set the woman and child down. "There we go. Come on, let's get back to your dad, bud." He gave the child a pat on the shoulder before - rather quickly - heading for the treeline they'd veered into.

By some grace of the Cauldron, the father looked up just in time to see them slip back out from the trees. The man sighed heavily with relief and shouted streams of 'thank you''s as he rushed over.

Eliza had squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of impact, but what she felt wasn't at all what she'd expected - not hard ground, but rather someone's arms. It was impossible, because no one had been close enough, but it was true all the same. And then her stomach tried to climb up her throat as they moved in a way that made no sense - horizontally, and then a screaming vertical. She forced her eyes open and inhaled sharply, looking at the wings that kept them aloft and trying to reconcile what she knew about the supernatural with what she saw.

"Eyes closed," she murmured to the boy, placing a hand over them for safety's sake. If he opened them and saw what was happening there was no way to know just what his reaction would be and she didn't want him trying to squirm out of her arms.

"That, uh...that'd be good. But maybe wait until we're on the ground first so we can let our new friend here get back to his dad?"

[caeliusofthenight]

The male's brow furrowed tighter. "You want me to fight you... without touching you?" He questioned, trying not to make the words not sound as incredulous as they sounded to him. "Do you understand what a fight is? I know your Court might be a bit... soft." The remark was teasing. Grumbling once more and looking around, Caelius gradually began to sway a little bit. Back and forth.

the sight of the warrior uncomfortable wasn't enjoyable but it was flattering. "mhmm" the fairy hummed with a playful spark in her eyes and a smirk that told him that his grumbles didn't phase her. she'd been around long enough to know it took a lot to make an ecosian to feel out of sync. her arms were raising and moving through the air with no care, or thought to how she looked as her body moved as fluidly. "then fight me, but don't touch me. it's basically the same thing right?" gwen's brow raised, silently daring him to indulge her.

[caeliusofthenight]

Caelius eyed the man as he approached; cocking an eyebrow in interest at the gear that he bore upon him. "All that for a little kid in a tree?" He questioned with a fair bit of confusion, but just gave him a nod as he instructed him. "I think the Dad's good," Cael glanced over at the adult who was now speaking with a woman he could only assume was the mother.

Stepping a little closer to the tree trunk, Caelius gazed up into the branches. "You hear that? We'll get you down real soon, okay? Hey - what's you name? Mine's Cael." He offered. Moments later, a tiny voice replied - "Timmy."

"Timmy? That's good. Nice to meet you." The Ecosian wasn't exactly sure where his handling of the situation was coming from. After all, it wasn't as if he had a ton of experience dealing with children back in Valeria - as rare as they were to come across. And Ecosian youth weren't exactly as... delicate, as the children of mortals seemed.

His gear was heavy, not that it ever bothered him, but it was hotter than satan's lair today and that most certainly was bothering him as he approached the tree, gaze lifting towards the kid that was perched up in the tree. "My guys are bringing the ladder truck," Ruslan states. "They shouldn't be too far behind me but we need to keep kid and dad calm until they get here."

[caeliusofthenight]

Yeah, probably. But you love me anyway - so what's that say about you? He fired back in between Kaidan's commanding directives. "Stubborn bullheadedness runs in your family, Kade. Which is good, because it's also basically a required skill as part of our dysfunctional family. Besides, she means well. Her heart's in the right place most of the time, even if she takes odd paths to get to the destination." Caelius remarked casually.

There is something unbelievably wrong with you, brother. The corners of his lips twitch as he shoots back mentally, elbows moving to the table top as his hands fold together.

"Find her quickly," Kaidan grumbles, his gaze returning to his papers before releasing a low sigh. "That girl is going to be the death of me, I swear. Is it not enough what we are already dealing with? She wants to be stubborn and bull-headed on top of it all? I'll be sure to have a word with her as well. Just one more thing to add to my list of things to do."

[caeliusofthenight]

Holding back a laugh of his own, Caelius just shook his head some. "Careful with some of those. I think they managed to make the weird-ass trip across timelines with us. Some of them might even be older than Kade." He remarked and peeled himself from the frame - walking over and stooping to help her gather the books from the floor.

"Oh, the secret room's under maintenance. Sorry, we had to lock it up until it gets cleaned." He stated sarcastically before smirking some. "I am - and I assure you, anything bad Kaidan's told you about me... is probably true." He admitted with a laugh.

"oh shit." the brunette yelped, startled, and the books in her grasp went falling to the ground. eve turned, and for the moment of flight or fight she was stupidly picking to fight. that was until she saw the grin and the relaxed frame against the door. this was a friend, from what she had been told she could fear him, should fear him from the position he holds but she trusted kaidan and she trusted that she was safe here. her tense muscles relaxed and an embarrassed laugh vibrated up from her chest. "well, since you asked, i was looking for the secret entrance to the secret room. you want to help a girl out? i could look all day but i don't mind a short cut." eve continued to laugh as she bent down to pick up the books she had dropped. "my name is evelynn. you must be caelius, right?"

[caeliusofthenight]

"The hell you aren't, Princess." Caelius grumbled in an equally unamused tone as the woman tried to preemptively ward him away. "Your brother gave me the Voice and said that you're supposed to be getting back to your training. You know how he is when he pulls that thing out..."

"cael. i am not doing training today. so unless you're here to say that we're going out to have some fun, it's gonna be a no from me." @caeliusofthenight

[caeliusofthenight]

A superhero, huh? Caelius smiled with amusement as he listened to the woman's attempts at coaxing the child into trusting her. He was just about to let himself relax when he heard it - the cracking of the branch beneath them. "Shit."

He gave himself zero seconds to reconsider his options; crouching slightly as his leathery bat-like wings shot outwards and spread wide from his shoulders. The boy's father nearby jumped in a startled gasp - dropping his phone to the ground and staring in awe as Cael shot towards the tree.

He twisted himself upside-down to allow Eliza and the child to fall into his arms; grunting at the impact and curling his arms closed around them before flipping back over and bolting around the nearby tree trunks - and suddenly skyward. Cael allowed himself a second to hover above the treeline before realizing how he'd reacted. "Uh... I can explain..." He offered to his arm-borne passengers and slowly drifted towards the ground with gentle flaps of his wings.

"Of course I won't," Eliza shook her head. "See, I'm a superhero, and a superhero would never let an innocent person fall." She stepped along another branch, extending her arms as the boy got closer. You can do this, she kept telling herself with each step. You can do this. It took some motion from the both of them, but she finally reached up and was able to get both hands on the boy.

And then, just as she'd feared, their combined weight proved too much for the narrow branch. There was a sharp crack beneath her feet, and Eliza grabbed the boy tight to her chest. If they were going down hard, all she could do was try and land on the bottom.

[caeliusofthenight]

"Willow?" Caelius greeted curiously as he wrapped his arms around the woman in a brief embrace. "It's good to see you too. No, no - there's a decent number of us that got sucked over here. Still far less than any of us would prefer, but enough that we don't have to feel entirely like outsiders trying to fit in." He mused.

Closed Starter - @caeliusofthenight

"Caelius, it's so good to see you," Willow beams as she approaches the massive brute. "Up until that storm a few weeks ago, I was starting to think I was the only fae here."

[caeliusofthenight]

"Brook it shall be. It's got a nice ring to it." The male smiled. "So, have you been in the area long? What do you make of all the madness that's been happening lately?" He questioned casually as he propped himself up against the bar counter.

"I suppose we all will," the blonde laughs softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Brooklyn, but feel free to call me Brooke if you prefer. It's nice to meet you, Cael."

[caeliusofthenight]

A scoff escaped the hulking male. Then you know why I insist that I do my own laundry. Saves everyone the trauma. He quipped back mentally as he finished off his meal.

When Kaidan's demeanor shifted, however, so too did Caelius'; as if a switch had been flipped. His posture straightened and his muscles tensed throughout his body as he flawlessly went into 'General' mode and listened to the firm directive his High Lord issued. "Understood. I'll get her started as soon as I find her." He nodded once.

"And yet here you are still grumbling and pouting in my presence," Kaidan hums lowly, his attention still on the papers in front of him before finally glancing up as the Ecosian's stabbing of his salad halts. "Don't bother lying to me, Caelius. Have you forgotten that I know of everything that happens in my home?" The corners of his lips twitched in amusement at the mental words tossed at him from across the table, withholding the low chuckle that threatened to escape as his gaze returned to the stack of papers. Steel trap my ass, brother. A low hum rumbles in his chest, nodding once as he fixed his gaze back on the male across from him. "Then tell her that I said she hasn't got a choice," he states firmly. "She is to resume training whether she likes it or not. I will not take no for an answer, no room for arguments. Am I clear?"

[caeliusofthenight]

"Hey - it's not my fault none of those fancy-pants dragons ever wanted to bond with me. Don't think I'd like it anyway - I much prefer to use my own wings to fly through the skies." Cael remarked. He smirked slightly as Jagger continued talking. "Of course I do." The Ecosian stated in a tone that was half-joking, "I guess you're alright. For a mortal." He emphasized teasingly. He had found plenty of mortals to be entertaining and even decent folk before Valeria had been cut off from their lands. Still, it was always amusing to play the 'superiority' card with them for kicks. "What are you really doing here, anyway?" He finally asked once more.

His shoulders shrug but he gives a look of agreement. He couldn't argue that point, especially not as a rockstar who also only slept on the finest sheets and softest pillows. "Sure ya did, big guy," Jagger finally muses with a roll of his lips, amusement set on his features before it quickly fades. "What's that supposed to mean? You sayin' you only put up with me because of the Mondragon's? Come on, we both know that's a lie, Batman."

[caeliusofthenight]

"A...what?" Caelius regarded the woman with complete bewilderment before shaking his head quickly. "Look, just... stay calm, okay? Let me think a moment..." He grumbled slightly and looked around. Carrying two people wasn't the issue, of course. He was more than confident in his physical capabilities.

I better not get yelled at for this later. He warned in his thoughts and tried to will them to Kaidan, just in case his Lord was paying any attention.

"Okay, come here." He said and gestured for the young boy a few feet away from her to inch his way over as well. "That's it. Doing great, buddy."

"A nin-nin-ja.From the Tokugawa clan" Nova replied way in over her head. Nova shook her head. "You have no idea how many times a day I get called Doogie Howser" Nova admitted with a pout.

Nova nodded in agreement. "Exactly I meant for this to happen." Nova said. "My noble sacrifice is worth it then." Nova said. There was pause. "You wouldn't be able to carry two people would you?" Nova aske in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper."

[caeliusofthenight]

"I can find entertainment." Caelius grumbled mockingly, vigorously stabbing at pieces of steak and clumps of salad on his dinner plate as Kaidan graded papers nearby. He had antagonizing the wolves. He had Amaya. The stabbing paused as Kaidan mentioned knowing about Adelina's injury, however. "... I don't know what you're talking about." He shoved the gathered bite of food into his mouth. My mind is a steel trap. Clamp clamp and all that. He fired mentally. Once he had swallowed, he continued speaking normally. "Besides, I told your sister that. Does she listen to me? No, of course not."

Closed Starter - @caeliusofthenight

"Quit your grumbling," Kaidan remarks, his gaze never rising from the papers that he was grading, glass of scotch sat on the table in front of him. "Surely you can find something to entertain you until we are able to make a move on the cauldron. Why don't you start up Adelina's training again? She could use it. I know about her injury from the night of the storm. You two aren't exactly good at blocking me out in your minds."

[caeliusofthenight]

Atop the tree branches, the small frame of the young boy poked up from a bushel of leaves - the frightened and uncertain expression clear on his face at the strange woman's sudden appearance. "You won't?" He hesitated, but slowly began inching over the branches towards Eliza.

Cael gazed upward from the ground below. The boy's father had wandered several yards off to exchange frustrated words with his equally panicked wife over the phone. His muscles twitched - wings itching just below the surface in desire to speed the delicate situation along.

Eliza let out a little squeak of surprise as she was lifted upwards, grabbing hold of a branch in front of her and using it to very gingerly climb up onto. There was no snap, no sudden plummet, and she transferred the rest of her weight to it. "Okay, kid?" she called as she worked her way towards him. "I can't do this all myself, okay? I can get you down, but I need you to move towards me if you can. I promise not to let you fall."

[caeliusofthenight]

[ Jason Momoa | He/Him] A new face takes refuge under Dark Skies. CAELIUS, an 499 year old FAIRY (ECOSIAN), is one of those from the PAST learning to navigate this changed world. People say behind their back that they’re BRUTISH but the truth is that they’re really IDEALISTIC. Their style can best be described as WINGS SPREAD WIDE IN THE SKY; WEAPONS STREWN AROUND A TRAINING FIELD; AND THE COMFORT OF FAMILY, and we’ll see how that helps them fit in.

( Background Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault/Forced Pregnancy; Bullying/Abuse mention )

Name: Caelius - No last name due to circumstances of birth.

Nickname: Cael; Bastard; Prick; Asshole; Idiot; etc. 

Age: 499

Pronouns/Sexuality: He/Him, Heterosexual

Species: Ecosian Fairy

Affiliation: The Court of Night; The Ecosians

Family: No blood relatives - but considers Kaidan Meadows and the rest of the Inner Court to be his siblings.

Background:

(Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault/Forced Pregnancy; Bullying/Abuse mention)

Ecosian culture can be unforgiving brutal on even the nicest of days. Born to a young Ecosian woman and an unknown warrior that forced himself upon her, Caelius was considered a ‘bastard child’ from conception. Once he was old enough to be weened off his mother and could walk on his own, Caelius was taken away and deposited in one of the many Ecosian war-camps in order to be trained, as per their traditions and customs. Being a bastard child, however, Caelius was afforded no supplies or shelter - being forced to pick fights with other youths and earn the clothing off their backs for himself - and subjected to intense prejudices from not only his fellow trainees, but the commanders and instructors as well. Being exposed to the unforgiving nature of Ecosian lifestlye hardened Caelius into the warrior he would come to be. To make matters worse, Caelius quickly showed signs of possessing incredible potential and power - much to the ire of those same instructors and fellow trainees. This, in turn, only worsened their treatment of the young male.

Life for the young fairy took a turn just a short time after beginning his life at camp - when he ambushed and pummeled a newcomer one afternoon for the clothing off his back - a finer, more delicate type of clothing than any others he had seen kids wearing. That young boy - Kaidan Meadows - later found Caelius trekking through the muddy grounds outside the camp one evening and took pity upon him; approaching him and bringing him back to his mother’s small cabin in which he had been staying during his tenure at the camp. For Caelius, it was the first time anyone had really shown him kindness; the first time he had walls and a roof over his head or a bed to curl into at night. It was a home. Life wasn’t immediately sunshines and rainbows - but it was better. Kaidan and Caelius hated one another for the longest time until a third individual joined them; which unfortunately, for them, drew the attention off one another and onto their poor soul. Upon seeing how every other trainee and instructor at the camp hated and despised the three of them - Caelius and the third friend continuing to develop in stronger and stronger Ecosians; and Kaidan growing into his power as the heir to the High Lord of the Night Court itself - the three individuals decided to cast aside their differences and band together to ensure their survival, not only in training, but in the upcoming Blood Rites that would truly test their mettle and leave them at the mercy of nature and their enemies.

Following the Blood Rite, in which the three individuals managed to protect and aid one another to emerge victorious and claim their places as true Ecosian warriors, Caelius served faithfully alongside his newfound siblings; the bond between them forged ironclad and unwavering over the years spent watching each others’ backs. Caelius and the third friend, whom was likewise a bastard-born male, become the first of their breeding to receive Siphons - crystalline gemstones that adorn the fighting leathers Ecosians’ wear into combat and help focus the raw, magical killing power each Ecosian possesses. Whereas most Ecosian’s were granted a pair of Siphons - Caelius and the third friend were each granted, over time, an unprecedented seven in total to keep their raw power in check. As for Kaidan, his power continued to grow as heir to the Court, but being half-Ecosian and half-High Fae allowed his power to work and be filtered differently from their own. Such restraints were proven necessary when Caelius - now a young, matured male - returned to the village of his birth in search of his mother. Upon learning that she had been worked to death by the males of the village, Caelius erupting in a fury of raw power and rage. When the smoke cleared, the entire village was left as nothing more than a scorched wasteland. It was from that moment onward that Caelius vowed to work towards changing Ecosian culture and their methods and treatment towards young women.

(Here is the War and pre-Treaty era, with alterations due to TVD-verse lore will go.)

Following the War and the Treaty, as Kaidan assumed his position as the new High Lord of the Night Court following the passing of his father, Caelius continued to faithfully serve his sibling; resuming his duties as Commander General of the Night Court armies as well as the Ecosian Army. Caelius’ strength and prowess in combat had shifted the attitude of many Ecosians from disdain and hatred towards the bastard-born, to adoraiton and idolization. He had become a sort of war hero and living legend, alongside his siblings - the trio being referred to as some of the most powerful, if not the most powerful Ecosians in history. Yet, where Caelius was an awe-inspiring and frightful sight on the battlefield as well as a strict and effective instructor during training, the Ecosian had grown into a male that boasted some of the most careless attitudes at times - whether it was vocalizing thoughts that proved he was still, in fact, a male with the occasional baser instincts; giving lip to nobles and officials of other Courts (much to Kaidan’s disdain and annoyance); or having the occasional roll in the sack with pretty High Fae that finally saw him as someone worth noticing. He had developed coping mechanisms of dealing with his rage and frustrations by excessive training or picking fights with anyone brave enough to go at it with him, and while he could be an insufferable oaf at times, his warrior’s heart deep inside continued to burn with the desire to change the world for the better. The only desire stronger in his heart was that to serve his High Lord - his brother - as faithfully and loyally as he could. Sometimes to the detriment of his own health.

Disaster struck the Court soon after Kaidan and his wife at the time had welcome a baby boy into the world. Through methods that, to this day, the Court still struggled to understand, the young baby was kidnapped - ripped away from the Courts and from the Fairy lands. Caelius spent countless days and nights in the skies - flying through not only the Night Court but the other Courts as well. Alliances or inter-Court relationships didn’t matter a damn to the Ecosian - his only focus was on finding his Prince and healing that utterly broken hearts of Kaidan and his wife. Caelius took little to no time to rest, each fruitless report weighing heavier and heavier on him; driving him harder and harder. Finally, his muscles gave out on him and the Ecosian was forced into bedridden recovery for several days. Each day he lay there, he cursed up and down at his failure and inability to find the child. When Kaidan’s wife passed away from broken heart syndrome, a part of Caelius shattered inside too. It had been one of the few, major failures in his lifetime. That failure stayed with him from that day onward. Caelius stayed at Kaidan’s side in the decades that followed, terrified for his brother’s life as he spiraled into darkness and depression. He tried desperately to be the hand that reached into that darkness, alongside their fellow sibling, and to be there to keep the male going. One day. Always just one more day; one more task to do. Anything to keep him from being utterly consumed by his grief. Caelius knew the ordeal had changed something within the fairy fundamentally, but that didn’t matter to him. Kaidan would forever be his brother - no matter what happened.

Centuries passed and gradually life returned to normal within the Court. Whispers began floating into the walled off world of the Fae - of a creature, known as Malivore, roaming the human lands in some sort of pursuit of supernatural species. The species that had the misfortune of meeting this creature seemed to simply disappear - no one could remember those that were lost, but to anyone paying attention, the steadily shrinking populations were increasingly obvious. Eventually, many species became nothing more than myths and legends, much as the Fairies themselves had become to the humans that had not strove to pass on the history of the War and the Treaty. The Courts paid little mind and certainly didn’t bother trying to intervene - the human lands governed themselves and they would deal with their own problems, after all. As for the Night Court - Kaidan had carefully and delicately crafted a cunning persona that was presented to the other Courts - a vicious and cruel kingdom underneath one of their lands’ most prominent mountains. To the other Courts, the Night Court was to be perceived as this dark alterego. Only the Inner Circle and the people of their home knew the truth of the Court; how it operated, what they truly fought and stood for. It was easier that way, Kaidan had tried to explain - but Caelius had never been an intellectual. He had simply nodded and went along with the orders.

The year 2011 crept up upon them without warning - and with it, the sudden and abrupt collision of timelines that saw several of their kind ripped from the lives they knew and understood and thrown into the year 2029 - into a place of mortals; a place of witches, vampires, werewolves, and even some of the mythical species, such as the dragons. A place called New Orleans - and a second, known as Mystic Falls, that had been supplanted within. In this strange new world, Caelius continued to serve Kaidan as needed, but due to being in human lands and the overall secrecy of the supernatural world to the general public, Caelius had been forced to keep his wings - his precious wings; an Ecosian’s pride and joy that they were taught to protect at all costs - concealed most days and soaring through the skies became less and less commonplace - especially as the organization known as Triad, whom had been behind the creation of Malivore, began ramping up their campaign against supernatural creatures.

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

One Year Later

Having entered the scene late into the year, Caelius hadn't spent much time getting involved with the locals beyond finding the occasional werewolf or two and coaxing them into having a brawl with him for amusement, or meeting up with Amaya Castillo on a nighttime run every now and again. Caelius remained stalwartly bored out of his mind at being unable to do anything with the situation surrounding Triad and their newfound possession of the Cauldron and remained blissfully unaware that Kaidan had been reunited with the son he had lost so many centuries ago. To pass the time, Caelius did what he always did - complained to and about Kaidan and pestered Adelina about continuing her training - especially after her injury at the hands of a human Triad agent the night of Evelynn Kenner's kidnapping and Kaidan's subsequent storm.

[caeliusofthenight]

Cael took one more look at the trees before nodding to the woman. He really couldn't see another path forward that didn't involve spreading his wings and earning himself an earful for 'revealing himself to the humans' or whatever. Like it would really be that bad. He shook his head to dismiss his own thought. "Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall." He remarked and without warning gripped the woman's hips in either hand and hoisted her upwards with little more than a soft grunt.

Eliza looked up again with a gulp. The only solution she could think of was one that scared the crap out of her, but like she'd told him - how could she just walk away? "Um...if you picked me up, do you think you could get me to the lower branches? I could try and climb up, and hopefully me and the little one wouldn't be enough to snap them..."

[caeliusofthenight]

Cael chuckled with amusement at the woman's confidence in his appearance. "I suppose someday I'll find out, when I'm too old and tired to keep up this physique." He mused lightly. "Name's Caelius, though you can just call me Cael if you want."

"I suppose it is." Brooklyn chuckles softly. "Oh I doubt that. I bet you'd still have a decent physique."