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!
Raising a hand to his forehead, Amun frowned. However, his eyes sparkled with mischief. "I do think I'm coming down with something, yes." Expression morphing to a grin in an instant, he clasped Maea's shoulder. "I think you gave me your level headedness." Tone teasing, he let go of her to lead her deeper into the tunnels.
Glancing over his shoulder at her, he smiled. "Or, here's a thought: we can be comfortable enough with each other to raise concerns and talk through them civilized beings." Then he chuckled. "Or we could just bottle things up and wail on each other when the emotions finally overwhelm us like some people I could name." He winked lazily at her as he took them around a corner.
"Oh gosh, I'm so terribly sorry. What a tragedy." She smirked back at him, some of the brightness in her returning as he took the lead, their exploration continuing.
"Whatever works for you," she shrugged as well, when he offered his options. "A good row does help relax those pent up frustrations... Haven't had one since... Loren, I think. And he was far too level headed about it, didn't even shout back. Does that even count as a row?"
Following Amun around the corner, Maea suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of the back of his shirt, in an attempt to make him stop. Ahead of them, the tunnel widened into something like a cave. The floor rose up rather steeply, and boards had been laid down away from the reach of water. And along the walls... were crates. Sacks. Bundles and chests. There were no people around that she could see, but Maea gazed about frantically anyway, because this... could not be good.
"Uhm... is.. this what I think it is?" she hissed, very quietly, into his ear.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun nodded solemnly, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. "You should be." Reaching out, he punched Maea affectionately in the arm. "I used to be fun before I met you." Obviously he was teasing and he grinned at her.
However, he couldn't help but grimace at the mention of Loren. "That stick in the mud? What'd he do this time?" Genuine annoyance colored the potter's voice. Shaking his head, he shrugged. "I prefer other ways to relieve tension." He winked, though it was more playful than suggestive.
Maea would have no trouble getting him to stop. Indeed, he would still completely in the way only Ascended could. His own voice was as quiet as hers, though not as frantic. "Loot. Though I imagine it's trapped." Gently and slowly, he started backing away.
"Nothing worth repeating, it turned out to be a misunderstanding in the end. And please don't call him that. He's my friend, and he has been through a lot." Her rebuke was gentle but sincere, and rather pointedly ignored his pass on ways to release tension. She knew what he meant.
Staring at the loot they had stumbled upon, Maea was glad to find Amun as quick to back away as he had promised. She eased back along with him until they had come back around the corner... where she stopped, eyes wide and heart racing. A smile made her expression seem a little excited as she sought his gaze. The daredevil, troublemaking reckless kind of look that usually preceded trouble.
"That was unexpected," she breathed quietly.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun raised his eyebrows at Maea's defense of Loren. "So what? We've all been through a lot. Doesn't give anyone an excuse to be mopey and mean and boring." However, the potter breathed out a sigh. "Alright. I'll stop." Still, it was clear his opinion of the Launceleyn was unchanged.
Thankfully, she let the Ascended steer her away from the smuggler's treasure trove. Turning, though, he saw the eager expression on her features. Reaching out, he placed both hands on her shoulder and attempted to gently, but firmly, turn her around. "Unexpected, and a sign that perhaps we should make our escape while we still can." He gave her a little push.
"Not everyone can be as strong as you," she countered, but then let the matter drop, as Amun relented. He did not have to love her friends, though she certainly would be happier if they at least got along... and there was more pressing business at hand. Like escaping this smugglers den and the loot left behind.
"Oh, you are no fun at all now!" she pouted, but let him turn her around and push her down the tunnel. "I'm deeply sorry for infecting you with sensibility... I thought you would have at least wanted to take a peak at what they had." But for all that she said it, Maea did not try to turn or go back, and her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper. Curiosity was a great flaw of hers... but her life had suddenly filled up with things to loose. The annoyingly optimistic man behind her being one of them.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun nodded sagely, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. "I know. It must be so hard for them." Somehow, he managed to make his tone teasing despite the fact that he was speaking in a whisper.
Still pushing Maea away from the loot (though gently), he steered her towards the corner they'd come from. "Yes it's awful. My new motto is live to have fun another day and everything." Chuckling softly, he glanced back at where they'd come from. "What they had was a whole bunch of trouble for us."
However, there was suddenly the sound of boots against stone, and the low sound of voices not their own. Narrowing his eyes, he peered through the easily pierced darkness, seeing the flicker of a torch down the tunnel they'd come from. Pressing himself to the cavern wall, he tried to pull Maea back towards the loot, hoping this wasn't the smugglers coming to check on their stash.
Trouble seemed to be on the menue regardless of what they wanted though. She didn't have time to reply to his quips before he tensed and began to urge them back, towards the cavern. Maea's eyes grew wider as she realized someone was coming their way, and she let him steer her back, tapping his hand if she could reach it to make him put that glowing patch out. She wouldn't be able to see anything, but trusted him enough to keep them safe regardless.
Oh, this was definitely the kind of thing that would leave her in trouble with her lover. Sneaking into smuggler dens, nosing about where she did not have any business being... heck, what were the odds of this actually being Sunjata coming down this path with some business colleague? She didn't know enough about his Advocate's business, coudln't swear that he wasn't already thick with whatever dregs of humanity that filled the slums of Torchline.
It would be so embarrassing... and awkward to explain if anyone did indeed find them here.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
As Maea tapped his hand, Amun nodded in understanding. He ordered his patch to go inert, and the glow snuffed out, plunging her into darkness. Luckily, he had no trouble seeing: gripping her upper arm firmly, but not tightly, he led her through the tunnel and around the corner to where the loot awaited.
Once there, he had to slow, making sure there was nothing in the path that she would trip over or disturb. Unfortunately, the approaching people had no such need for stealth. It quickly became apparent from the way their voices and footsteps grew louder, and the way the tunnel brightened slowly with flickering light that indicated a torch, that they were gaining on Maea and Amun. He squeezed her arm, hoping she'd get the hint that they needed to change tactics or do something different.
The area was plunged in darkness, with only the distant glow of a torch to give them any idea of where the approaching people were. Maea followed Amun, with no choice but to trust that he wouldn't lead them astray. Her eyes were straining to try and see in the dark, but she picked up nothing, all senses on alert; the squeeze on her arm made her start, heart racing.
Perhaps it was the lack of sight that helped her other senses heighten. Standing there, Maea felt a draft whisper against her cheek from the side, and she tapped Amun's hand again, easing herself over towards the rocky wall. Reaching out blindly with her free hand, she fumbled against the wall, and found... nothing? It could be a crevice. Small, barely able to fit the two of them, but... perhaps hidden enough that they could avoid being detected. Maea swallowed back the mounting panic and tried to squeeze herself in there, dragging Amun along. Either it would work, or they would be in so much trouble.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
02-28-2020, 03:34 AM (This post was last modified: 02-28-2020, 03:34 AM by Amun.)
amun
As Maea tapped Amun's hand again he looked at her sharply. However, his gaze was soon drawn to the crevice she'd somehow found, even when he hadn't. Immediately, he shifted course, guiding her to the small hole. Maneuvering so she and he and his cutlass wouldn't smack into anything was quite a trick, but he somehow managed.
Making sure she was situated, he paused before squeezing in next to her. Peeling off his patch, he slapped it on the back of his neck, then pressed against her. As he did, he ordered the patch to make the skin of his neck shadowy. His shirt and shorts and boots were dark, as was hair, and the skin of his lower legs was hopefully hidden by dint of being lower, and he stopped breathing, instead keeping his senses strained for any sign that the people were getting close to their hiding spot.
She couldn't see a damn thing. It was tight, in every direction, and Maea soon found that the crevice did not run deep. It was barely big enough to fit the two of them, and as she pushed herself in, the jagged lava rock scraped her skin raw, opening gashes in her shirt and trousers.
Amun followed, did something with his patch, and grew utterly still. Not even breathing; it felt like a statue was standing beside her, close enough that she could feel the cool air that radiated from him. Neither hot nor cold, just... cooler than the air around them.
Her own heart was racing a wild jig in her chest, and it was difficult to hold her breathing slow. Fumbling for his hand, in desperate need of some reassurance right about now, Maea tried to hear what was going on outside. She heard muffled voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Given that they were pressed together, Amun could feel Maea begin to tense. Frowning, he tried to project his own stillness. However, as she began to reach for him, he captured her hand with his own. Giving her fingers a gentle squeeze, he held them close to his chest. "Shhhh." It was more a breath than anything else.
His Ascended ears had no trouble picking out the men (and they were indeed men, two from the sounds of it). Good haul today. Think cap'n will be pleased?"
"Cap'n, aye, but I betchur more about impressin' yer girl Cassie at the Pearl."
There was a thump of a crate or a chest being deposited, followed by a thump of a punch, though it sounded more friendly than violent. "Shut yer gob. Like ye ain't sweet on that lass Rekka." There was a deep throated chuckle, followed by shuffling footsteps.
The worst part was, Maea didn't do so well with tight spaces. It was a recent thing, a creeping claustrophobia brought on by too much crawling around under ground. This darkness was tight and dense, reminding her of the Spire, of the mine in Halo with its gruesome inhabitants.
Even with Amun holding her hand and pressing it to his chest, the girl was beginning to feel closed in. Trapped, as rough voices came closer, and the sounds of goods being shifted around could be heard. Her pulse was racing, breath coming more rapidly, uneven; she tried to shift, move, but was crammed in too tight. It didn't help. Sweat began to bead on her face, panic dawning in her eyes as they searched the dark blindly.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
