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!
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Can you go rock climbing?" Mateo asks, as if this is something brand new about his friend that he's never discovered before. With his hands hidden away beneath his shawl and his legs neatly crossed beneath him on the chair, he looks like some sleepy and dishevelled shaman, especially as he gives a warm smile that dimples only one of his cheeks. "I never make pretend conversations, Everest. I enjoy every one of them - and I asked you to dinner tonight because I like you." The happy flush to his cheeks might well be something he can switch on and off by now, because it's genuine enough to be practiced.
"You can be the Frontman," he decides airily. "I thought you would like that. You'll blend in wearing all that black, and with a full face mask no one will ever even know it's you!" And then they can sneak off and go to all the other Halloween parties Mateo has probably been invited to.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
"Yes?" Ever replies, considers, and then clarifies. "I have the ability to rock climb." He says as if that helps. Of course Mateo's breezy compliment catches the paramedic entirely off guard, and now the colour on his cheeks is quite pronounced even as he considers his remaining food. "I like you too." Ever says under his breath, like he's some child forced to make an apology rather than the grown man he is, expressing friendship.
Looking up sharply with an expression of relief, Ever smiles. "I would like that. And—" This next part is said entirely casually as if the paramedic was simply commenting on their breakfast. "All narcotics are kept carefully locked and monitored." So don't bother, and please don't get me fired.
Then, entirely out of the blue: "Should we get a pet?"
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Will you teach me? I've never gone rock climbing," Mateo says, one of his hands emerging from his shawl so he can twirl a lock of dark hair around his finger like some casual Marilyn Monroe wannabe. He smiles back to Ever, then waves a casual hand about the mention of the narcotics. "I don't shit where I eat," he reassures him. "I'll be clean for your Halloween party, and I'll be nice to your work colleagues." Ever might have to keep him on a leash, but he'll keep his promises so help him God.
Should they get a pet, though? Mateo all but lights up on the inside, his back straightening, and all remnants of his hangover seem to vanish. "A cat?" he asks. "We couldn't get a dog, that's too much work and we're out a lot. I'll shower and we can go to a shelter and adopt a cat before dinner?" It's too late - he's already getting up.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Ever considers pointing out that rock climbing will likely cause all of Mateo's carefully manicured nails to break, that he'll get callouses, and that it's hard work, but even the paramedic is self-aware enough to know that these would all just be excuses. "Sure." Ever agrees, and tonight on his downtime, he will absolutely be googling rock climbing videos.
Frowning at Mateo's turn of phrase, Ever shakes his head at the latter two promises. "You'll be wearing a mask too. You know...if we're both masked...couldn't we just say that we went? Surely someone else there will be masked.."
But then his musings have been made into plans, and Ever is left staring down into his mostly-cold food mentally chastising himself for so carelessly asking a question that he should have assumed would have had this result. '...okay.' He agrees, pulling out his phone to google what supplies do you need for a cat, and making a meticulous list of items.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
At the agreement to both rock climbing and cat adoption, Mateo claps together his uncalloused and perfectly manicured hands and saunters off to the shower. "We will have to show up for at least five minutes," he calls, obviously referring to the Halloween party. "Lift up the mask, say hi to the people who insisted you had to go, then we can escape!" He speaks as if he's very practiced in these things (he is) and has perfected it over the years (he has) before disappearing into the bathroom.
Mateo sings in the shower (because of course he does), and he can hold a tune which is a relief, but the fact that he only sings obnoxious advert jingles is something of a downside. Either way, his serenade to Everest is interrupted by a "YES!" halfway through, which naturally indicates that he has located last night's gift from Andres.
And about forty-five minutes later, he emerges from his bedroom - his freshly tidied bedroom, if they're getting a cat - with his curls damp around his chin, wearing a pair of pale jeans that are more hole than denim, a fishnet shirt, and a black leather jacket. He's also got a flamenco pink purse slung over his shoulder and winged eyeliner. "What colour cat do you want?" he asks, fishing in his purse for some bubblegum.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Ever's shoulders relax and at least some of the tension he always carries there seems to melt away. Just a few minutes, and then they could go. That seemed doable. Even if the rest of the evening was spent following Mateo around (as was the norm), that was still better than feigning interest in maintaining his status as 'acquaintance with just about everyone he worked with. As Mateo sings, Ever cocks his head to the side, before writing laundry detergent in the upper corner of his notebook. The resounding yes causes Ever to tense, but otherwise remain silent.
He doesn't want to know and hopes that Mateo has just had a good orgasm and not the thing he thinks it is.
Ever hasn't changed, of course. Wearing nondescript blue jeans and a sweater from some charity-drive or other he gave money to, somehow he still looks the more awkward out of the pair. "What colours of cats tend to pee on things less?" Ever asks, standing. "I read that cats like to pee on things." He was peed on often enough at work by patients who had lost control of their bowels, but at least he was paid for that.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Orange ones," Mateo says around his bubblegum with all the confidence of someone who has absolutely done research on the subject. He hasn't, of course, but he'd like an orange cat. "Only boy cats do that. But then I've heard you can't get orange girl cats. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!" This is trilled in a sing-song voice, of course, and he beckons Ever out of the apartment with a click of his heeled boots.
They have to stop at the florist where he works (conveniently, directly beneath their apartment) so Mateo can make up a bouquet of carnations for the uninspired and boring bartender, and naturally they swing by the Palliser so he can deliver them. That doesn't eat up as much time as it usually would, mainly because Mateo tells everyone they run into that they are GETTING A CAT, and the excitement is either contagious or they just don't want to deal with it.
A fine rain is falling by the time they reach the shelter, and Mateo has snagged one of those charity newspapers from the subway so he can hold it over his head and not get wet. "Ready?" he asks brightly.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
'Ah.' Ever says thoughtfully, and though he's quite the clever man, he's always tempted to believe the things Mateo says off the get-go, no matter how outlandish. 'There are no orange girl cats?' Surely that wasn't right? But then, they'd find out soon enough. Hustling out of their apartment, but not before triple checking the windows were locked and that Mateo hadn't left any heating or curling implements plugged in in the bathroom.
With his hands shoved into his pockets and an expression that might make anyone passing by thinking he was quite constipated, Ever waits for Mateo to deliver the flowers, fully expecting to be forgotten about for up to an hour, depending on how things went. Pleasantly surprised to see Mateo emerge relatively quickly, the paramedic pushes himself away from the wall he'd been leaning on.
"We should probably Uber home." He says, thinking that rain and cats didn't mix, and not just because of cartoon reinforcement. Pulling open the shelter door that Mateo might go in first, Ever pulls out his notebook and is just about to tell Mateo that they should have gotten the supplies they needed first (how were they meant to go shopping with a cat in their arms), only to find that his friend has already disappeared.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Mm, that's probably a good idea," Mateo agrees, giving a roguish little curtsey as the door is held open for him and sweeping away the newspaper so he can toss it in a recycling bin. Luckily for Everest, he will find that the shelter at least supplies a kitty carrier for them to bring their newest addition home in, and a variety of other starter bits and bobs; food, litter tray, bed, bowls etc. Yes, yes, the price is probably extortionate, but that's the price you pay for charity, Ever.
Mateo, meanwhile, has accidentally(?) charmed the receptionist and is casually chatting to her about his paramedic roommate and this wicked Halloween party that's going to be happening, and a small buzzer sounds as she unlocks the doors to the back of the shelter. "Come on, Ever!" He beckons his friend, already leading them through. There are plenty of kitties-behind-bars (criminals, Mateo calls them) but also a bunch in a meet and greet area, and Ever will likely be able to see the seratonin overload his friend like so much pixie dust. If they aren't careful, there'll be a house full of cats.
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Unhappily jotting down the prices they'll end up paying next to what they would have paid if they'd done all of this in the right order, Ever glances up to find Mateo beckoning him through a doorway with a twinkle in his dark eyes that immediately made the paramedic worry.
As cats do, they sense Ever's unease as he enters the meet and greet area where a number of cats have already been placed. He can hear Mateo asking for more of them to be released, like he's robin hood here to speak on behalf of his imprisoned brethren and barter for their freedom. Sitting awkwardly on a chair with his knees and ankles together, a large Persian-ish cat leaps immediately onto his lap. It considers Ever for just a moment, before rubbing its cheek against his face, resulting in a bout of sneezes from the paramedic.
"Uhm..Mateo..?" He says, as the cat on his lap bites at one of hands as it tries to push the cat's face away. "..I think.." I'm allergic, he wants to say, but a sneeze cuts the words off in his throat.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
Mateo, naturally, is swanning around the meet and greet area with a large orange tabby shoulder surfing on him and a dark little void cuddled in his arms. Another cat is winding its way around his legs by the time Ever starts sneezing, successfully spooking the felines away. "Ever?" His eyes widen and he rushes forward to crouch down by the chair, lowering his voice to a secretive whisper. "Ever if you have Covid you can't be in here," he hisses.
But of course for all of the florist's flair, he's not as stupid as he looks (and acts, and sounds, and acts, and looks, and acts...), and the smile he gives is both sad and understanding. "We can't get a cat, Ever. You will never be able to work with your eyes all puffy," he says, patting his arm. "Come on. Maybe we can get a lizard from the pet store, or a rabbit."
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
Giving his friend the best scowl that he can despite the itching behind his eyes, he looks around and loudly declares: "I do not have COVID." He then kicks out at one of Mateo's feet for good measure. Despite this, Mateo's quick and genuine understanding has the paramedic sighing. "I can take Claritin or something." The or something, being a stronger antihistamine from work.
The receptionist has reappeared, despite her station being on the other side of the door, and now she's leaning suggestively against one of the counters in a way that makes her cleavage puff over the v of her shirt like marshmallows. "SsoooOoOoOo?" She wants to know in a sing-song voice, and though there's an obvious pun about which pussy Mateo wants to take home with him on her lips, she lets the innuendo simply glitter in her gaze instead.
"I read that it's better to have...to have..." sneeze. "..two. Is that true?" Ever asks the receptionist, who is firmly ignoring him in favour of Mateo.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
who are these people? I just woke up in my underwear
"Ever, my shoes," Mateo complains, having to do a little hop dance as his feet are targeted from his place crouched next to his friend's chair. "You're a paramedic, you can't be dosed up on antihistamines every day. That's like something I would do." He hopes the comparison will be enough to stop his roommate from being a stubbornly accommodating idiot, but Ever is already suggesting two cats to the receptionist who has popped up like a daisy nearby.
"Everest Hart," Mateo scolds him, before rising to his feet and also choosing to ignore the paramedic in lieu of having a quick and whispered conversation with the receptionist. It begins with some giggling and some vaguely suggestive Italian gestures, ends with her number in his phone, but she's also moving to one of the cages in the corner.
"There's one cat here that's hypoallergenic," he tells Ever triumphantly. "If you want to meet her. She's older - like seven, I think. And no one seems to want her. Do you want to see?"
no liquor left on the shelf I should probably introduce myself
He could. He absolutely could. Or, more than likely, he'd just sneeze constantly at home and deal with it. "Hey." Ever huffs unhappily, the comparison doing precisely what Mateo hoped it would, leaving the paramedic frowning deeply enough that you could probably lodge a coin between his eyes and have it stay.
Rolling his eyes at Mateo's back as he's scolded and then ignored, Ever rubs at his nose which has already gone quite red. But then Mateo is back sounding quite pleased with himself in a way that is immediately concerning. "Sure.." Standing, to which the cat on his lap takes great offence, Ever follows Mateo and the receptionist. He tries not to notice how she seems to have hiked her Lululemon sweat pants up, or how her ass seemed to wiggle with each and every step. Surely that was uncomfortable? "We can get whichever you like. Really. I can make it work." Ever whispers, before having to cut short whatever else he might have had to say as a cage is opened and a gorgeous blue-eyed cat is revealed.
She does dart out the way the others have, but instead inspects the three cautiously, her tail flicking with obvious judgement.
I was a dead man walking, with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
