From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
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!
As soon as they stepped outside, he inhaled a breath as his eyes shut, the feeling of the now cool night air brushing against his face. He felt unrestrained for a moment, calm. He looked to Phoebe, offering her a thankful nod. "I appreciate it, Phoebe." he said, as he started to wander around the garden, idly gazing at the plants that were growing; now he didn't much care for plants, but he could appreciate a nice view when he saw one and the garden was rather quaint. "Plant everything yourself?" he inquired, not bothering to look over to her for now, too busy moving himself around to calm himself from that dreaded feeling of restriction he couldn't stand. "I never was much into gardening, I have more of a black thumb, than anything green. Kill rather than bring life." he teased, at the cost of himself as he offered a small laugh, though again it was tinged with truth.
He never was much of a gardener that was for sure, he tried his hand at aeroponics once but that never took, and there was never any sort of soil for him to even attempt to garden where he grew up, not that he'd of cared about it all too much, but over the years he's come to appreciate what nature he could find and really, Caido was quite abundant with it.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
"Youre welcome." he said with a smile, standing idly by. He seemed to be enjoying the open air and space, and she didn't want to impose on that. So she simply stood near the door, enjoying the strong aromatics of the plants around her. "Most of them, yes." she said with a smile his direction, nodding her head.
The young midwife laughed a bit at his statement. "It takes all types, Eli." she said with a grin. Meanwhile Pim was captivated by the roof, nose twitching as he stared up under the eve. Phoebe glanced up and smiled a little. "Pim, those are humming bats. They eat the bugs that eat the plants so leave them alone." she said, earning the discontented grumble from her little friend.
Yeah, you can say that again. he quipped as he turned back to walk back over to her, gazing at the different plants as he went, he did seem to be enjoying the garden, though he couldn't exactly stay here forever. He gazed up at the bats as she pointed them out to Pim, tilting his head. He'd never seen a creature like it before, it appeared strange, like a lizard bird. "Phoebe?" he started "Do you know of someone I can stay tonight? A ho- well, an inn, a tavern. Something along those lines." he'd finally walked back over to her at this point, he tilted his head, frowning at her, though it wasn't any sort of annoyed frown, it seemed to be just his usual look.
If you could help me out, I'd appreciate it, been sleeping a little rough since I arrived you know?" he said, offering a smile; he felt a little embarrassed having to admit that, but what could he do? She seemed willing to help him and he wasn't one to miss out on a chance.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Phoebe looked away from the funny little bats and back to Eli as he said her name. Pim on the other hand was still fixated on the humming bats, quite sure eating just one would be okay. But Eli's question clearly surprised her, and at once she looked quite concerned. "Have you been sleeping outside?" she said, brows furrowed. That wasn't exactly safe, with all the different sorts of creatures around.
"There is the Rathskellar but they don't have any beds, just drinks." she said. "You can stay at my clinic though. I have plenty of beds to sleep on." she said with a smile. It wasn't like she hadn't housed new Outlanders before, after all. What was another one? "In fact, I insist. Come on, it isn't far." she said, turning to lead him there.
Saying he was reluctant was an understatement, he frowned a little. "I don't t- he cut himself off, as she turned and started wandering off, he sneered a little and followed behind her, finally saying what he needed to as they walked. "Phoebe, that's a generous offer, but I'd feel like I was imposing, really I just need a place that's not uncomfortable. he stated, sounding firm in tone as if he really didn't want to intrude, really he felt he hardly knew her all that much and so sleeping in her shop felt a little odd to him, even if she was being generous.
Yet on they went, still walking. "Really, just point me to a slightly sheltered bit of rubble and I'll hunker down, if anything I prefer it." he continued, though it didn't seem to halt her advance as they were already wandering back out of the college by this time and away from it.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Did Phoebe hear his protests? Certainly. Did she respond to his protests? Absolutely not. She simply kept going on her merry way with him grumbling at her heels, locking up the college before heading back towards the domiciles. Pim sat happily on her shoulder, a grumbly almost laugh like noise hissing through his teeth, as though amused with the antics.
At great length, Phoebe looked back at Eli, wide-eyed with the tiniest hint of a smirk. "I don't know about where you're from, but where I am from and around these parts the appropriate response to my offer is 'Thank you, Phoebe'." she said cheekily, the smirk on her lips widening.
Once more he frowned, eyeing her as she threw a teasing quip his way. "Yeah- yeah, keeping walking missy." came the reply back, giving a shake of his head and a gruff laugh. "I still ain't too happy about all this, but I don't suppose I can fight you on it." he conceded, sighing with the fact he simply couldn't win this and he knew it, honestly part of him was grateful, the other part of him just wanted to go hunker down by himself, bed be damned. He'd never much cared for the company of others in all honesty, he enjoyed company, but he wasn't someone who needed it constantly, so with all Phoebe was doing, it was a little unexpected.
As they turned a corner, he looked at Pim, who gazed at him for a moment, hissed and went back to happily resting on her shoulder. Eli frowned, eyes narrowing at the dragonling, the feeling was indeed mutual. A few people ran past them both, clearly in a hurry, Eli offering a gaze backwards to see which way they went, scowling as he jerked his head round, a little on edge now. "We close?" he said, giving her a glance.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Phoebe laughed a bit at his grumbling antics. Men and their egos - and some said women were the fragile ones! "I mean, you could fight me. But I don't think there is any place where a big burly fellow fighting a helpless girl isn't frowned upon." she joked. "Besides, you don't have to be happy. You just have to be grateful." she quipped as she led him through the streets
By the time he asked if they were close, she was pulling out her keys. "We are here!" she said brightly, opening the door to let him in. The clinic was picturesque homey, with overstuffed couches and chairs, a cozy fireplace, smelling of soothing herbs and spices. A staircase led up to a closed door with a little pull that led to a bell up top. In the back was a small kitchen and the beds she mentioned, each sectioned off into private rooms with sheet walls and chairs and night stands. On the hearth of the fireplace was a little shrine as well.
07-04-2019, 11:23 PM (This post was last modified: 07-04-2019, 11:30 PM by Eli.)
Eli
Eli merely grunted with amused acceptance, finally stepping through the threshold and setting his eyes upon the clinic. His first impression was, mixed, it seemed a little small for one, more so than he was used to for a home. "It's rather... cosy, where ar- he began but with the smell of burning herbs and spice making him cough, he faltered a little. "Where are the beds?" he finally completed. His eyes gazed around, the dimly lit room, the only real lighting coming from candles which admittedly did illuminate the room all that amazingly, but it gave the place a certain, calm atmosphere, which made sense when it was Phoebe who lived and worked here.
He strode quietly over to the fireplace, eyeing the shrine with a skeptical eye, he could tell a religious shrine when he saw one and the one perched up on the hearth was indeed such.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
The cough sounded more like he was clearing his throat to her, so she didn't note it. "Back here. You can take whichever you like." she said with a smile, gesturing to where the beds were. Each one could be full enclosed by the curtains so he had some private space if he wished. Phoebe moved to the little kitchen, pulling out something from an icebox and putting it on the stove. She worked quickly, and soon the smell of stew filled the space as well.
"Here, I'm sure you're hungry." she said, bringing him a bowl of hot stew, a slice of buttered bread, a glass of water, and a cup of tea. "That's the same tea I gave you earlier, make sure you drink it." she said with a smile. "If you need anything I'll be upstairs. Just pull that chord there and it will ring a bell in my room. Are you good for now?" she asked.
The shrine he was looking at was odd perhaps. The base was surrounded by soft silky fabric, the figure atop it, seemingly androgynous was covered in honeysuckle blooms. Pim sniffed at it briefly before resettling himself on Phoebe's shoulders.
As she ventured into the kitchen, Eli made himself at 'home' so to speak and went to find a bed, he pushed down on the mattress, checking how hard it was. Surprisingly he actually frowned at how soft he found it, clearly preferring the rigid back pain inducing beds of military quarters, but he couldn't do much about that and sat down upon it, idly peering around before she finally made herself known as she chirped up, bringing him food.
He took the various items from her, almost instantly tearing off a quarter of the bread and chewing it down with little regard for manners or etiquette; the stew likewise was slurped a good bit down while two hands held the bowl, some might have said it was insane to eat something that hot, yet he somehow managed it, though it left a stain on his upper lip. Finally, he blinked, coming to the realisation that she was watching all this, he slowly gazed up at her, coughing as a hand slowly wiped the lip which had remnants of stew on it. "Yeah, thanks Phoebe, it's real nice." he said, a little self conscious of his eating habits in front of her. He slowly set the bowl aside as well as the bread and took a few sips of the water, washing it down. "This'll do fine, thanks; better than anything I could have come up with, that's for sure."
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Quite the contrary, she was a bit flattered he scarfed it all down with such gusto. Clearly he was hungry, and it was obviously good food. She smiled and offered him a cloth napkin. "You're welcome. If you're hungry, there's still more in the pot on the stove. Feel free to help yourself." she said. "Sleep well, Eli." she said before heading upstairs, and fortunately for him took Pim with her.
The next morning she awoke and found Eli had already headed out. She wasn't terribly surprised though. He seemed sort of the wandering sort. So she went about her day, staying home, airing the place out in the lovely Leafchange air, baking...and then having it all fall apart.
Whenever Eli returned he would find Phoebe sitting on the floor by the fireplace near her little shrine. On the counter of the kitchen was a pie, a single slice having been cut out and left on a plate by the table. She sat, holding her knees to her chest, Pim curled up around her. Even though her face was hidden, buried in her arms, surrounded by a curtain of her thick hair, something was clearly amiss. Such a bright, happy person didn't usually take to such sulking.
Eli had indeed been out for most of the day, having stepped out much earlier than she probably realised, but come back he did, as evening was winding its way down and night took its place. The door opened and the surly brute stepped through, sporting a crossbow held by his side; exhaling as he peered around he frowned a little as per usual, though something about him seemed a little different, a little... lighter somehow. He tilted his head, finally spotting Phoebe. "Phoebe." he said in greeting as he wandered over to his temporary bed, seemingly not noticing anything out of the ordinary for now, oblivious to the fact something was clearly a little off.
He exhaled, setting the newly acquired weapon down nearby before sitting himself down on the soft, uncomfortable lump of bed; today had been good Not only had he actually found a sense of purpose, he had managed to procure something of an ancient relic to him, a weapon of a bygone age that he now at the pleasure of owning, yes... it had been a rather fulfilling day by many counts.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Phoebe was so wrapped up in her own little world she didn't even hear the door open and close. Pim did, and briefly lifted his head, eyeing the man for a moment before tucking his head back against his companion. Even that little movement didn't make the young midwife stir. But when Eli said her name she startled, lifting her head towards him. Even the most oblivious would see then that something was the matter.
Her wide brown eyes were bloodshot, cheeks stained from tears, and lips set in an unnatural frown. "O-oh, Eli...I didn't hear you come in, I'm sorry." she said quietly her voice a little shakey and lacking the vibrancy it had held the day before. She glanced outside, realizing how late it was. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you're hungry, let me get you something to eat." She said quietly, standing on shakey legs to hurry to the kitchen. The young blonde wiped roughly at her face trying to do away with any evidence of her sorrow far too late.
