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!
Unlike Anju, Soh was a voracious reader, and the thought of reading in the nook while the sun came up and she enjoyed a cup of tea made her positively green with envy. She'd have to see what she could do about setting up a little nook like this back home. It wouldn't be quite the same, unless she wanted to delve into construction work (she didn't), but perhaps she could create something just as cozy.
With her mind dancing with ideas, she followed Anju back to the kitchen and happily accepted her cup of tea. Blowing on it to cool it, she took a slow sip, trying to avoid burning her mouth. "I'm ready when you are," she said. After all, this was Anju's home and Anju's taffy. Soh was just along for the ride.
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
Pleased - and beginning to dismantle her hardened Dragoon exterior the longer she is in the sanctum of her home - Anju gives Sohalia a warmer smile and motions to the ingredients. "The first part is very simple. Combine all the ingredients in a pot with a candy thermometer, and apply heat. If you will sift the cornstarch?" She nods to the labeled box and the sieve next to the large bowl for Sohalia to begin combining all the ingredients in accordance with the measurements listed on the paper Anju had written the recipe on. Starting the burner so the pot can warm preemptively, Anju outfits it with the thermometer by clamping it to the side and turns on the vent so the caramelizing sugar would not set off the smoke alarms.
Returning to the young woman's side, Anju starts from the bottom of the list of ingredients so they can meet in the middle. Without Riya it is hard to remember social niceties, but the quiet of the room is likely only comfortable to her. "How long have you lived in Stormbreak?" While Anju knows a huge portion of their city personally after a lifetime tending to their needs, it would be arrogant to claim she knows every single one. Especially when she does not know Sohalia's family name.
Soh was largely unbothered by Anju's hardened exterior. She was someone who never met a stranger - and she was more than capable of adjusting to the preferences of those around her. Sure, she might fill silences with mindless chatter, but she was so cheerful about it that people never seemed to mind. And Anju was doing better with social niceties than she thought - good enough, at least, that Soh didn't feel she needed to ramble to fill the silence.
It was with a smile and a nod that she took the sieve, checking the recipe to pour the correct amount of cornstarch into it. For a moment, she was occupied with sifting the cornstarch, and then with beginning to add in the other ingredients, and so it was that a few minutes passed before Anju broke the silence. "Not very long," she admitted. "I'm from the Hollowed Grounds originally, and from there I traveled to the Greatwood. It's only been recently that I've come to Stormbreak. What about you?"
06-06-2023, 09:21 PM (This post was last modified: 06-06-2023, 09:21 PM by Anju.)
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
Despite her normal reticence, even Anju must admit that Sohalia's lightheartedness fits well in her home and presence. She does not get lonely in the typical sense - not only an introvert, but burdened with Riya's constant presence (she gets a snort from far away for that one) - but it doesn't mean she is blind to how nice the companionship is today.
It's both validating to know Anju had not missed her somehow over the years and surprising that she is so recent a citizen. "I was born here, as were my family at least three generations back. Thirty years now for myself." Older than Sohalia certainly, but still in her prime. With the ingredients mixed, she gently takes the bowl and transfers it to the pot on the stove, and begins to stir the mixture with a measured, slow hand. It would need to be mixed the entire time, but luckily it wouldn't take long enough for them to need to swap out the duty. "Welcome to Stormbreak, by the way. We have no leader as of yet, but I have been doing my best leading the Dragoons and keeping patrols going. If you need anything, you can find me here or in the Nest." She will not conceal Stormbreak's faults from the young woman, and instead arm her with information and connections she can utilize as a new resident in an uncertain land.
To Sohalia, anyone who had been born and raised in Stormbreak was fascinating, if only because she felt that the city was so much more advanced than her home region. She wondered what it would have been like to grow up here, if she would be as taken with travel if she'd had so much close by to explore. In the end, she decided that she'd still be a wanderer. She liked exploring far too much for it to have been chance. "Thank you," she said with a bright smile. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Anju stirred the ingredients in the pot on the stove steadily, keeping it going for the allotted time. She wanted to offer to help, but the instructions said that it didn't need to be heated for long, so she turned to conversation to fill the silence. "I think you must have been doing a wonderful job," she told Anju cheerfully. "I've seen nothing but good in the city since arriving. It's why I decided to stay."
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
Sohalia's agreement is all she needs, dropping the topic with a firm tilt of her chin. It must be becoming clear to Sohalia that this is who Anju is; a woman of order and control, perfectionism and alignment. It merely lends itself to her status as a Dragoon, not the other way around. There was no 'relaxing' when off duty, because she did not need or desire it.
Compliments are not what she expects, and her expression becomes almost startled, unequipped to deal with it. For a moment she lapses into silence as she transports the pot to the trivet on the island, turning off the stove and tilting the hot mass of sugar onto the covered counter. "Thank you," she finally utters, realizing she has been contemplative too long. "I am glad to hear that. Without a leader or a formal title it has been difficult to rely on the morals of those around us to adhere to structure with little enforcement." They follow her because they do not know what else to do. Or at least that is how she perceives it, never one to boast or brag her own accomplishments or favorable traits (which she doesn't perceive herself to have). "But I am proud of my fellows, and the people of this city for having the heart to continue following what once existed. Though at times misguided by the men who led them, Children of the Storm have good hearts." Taking up the protective gloves she had ordered, she hands one pair to Sohalia with a slight smile. "So you are surrounded by your fellows." Because Sohalia clearly has a good heart as well.
Gesturing to the taffy, Anju slides her own gloves on. "Now we cut it in half and each of us kneads the food dye into it before we stretch it and cut them into pieces." She begins to liberally spread the dye before handing it Sohalia, folding the taffy with the flat rectangle instrument the seller had instructed her to use so as not to burn her hands, folding the sugar over the dye and beginning to knead and flip it until the black shade is dispersed.
"It must be difficult to get things done, without a formal leader," Soh mused, tilting her head to one site thoughtfully. She watched as Anju turned out the mass of sugar onto the counter, intrigued by the texture of the mixture. She resisted touching it only because it was hot, and because she didn't want to somehow mess it up. "But the people and the city seem to be thriving. Do you think a new leader will come forward?"
Soh smiled shyly in response to Anju's compliment, touched by the woman's sincerity. Ever since she'd bee young, she'd always striven to be kind and bring light into the world. To be told she had a good heart was, perhaps, the highest compliment she could receive.
Soh took the gloves with a word of thanks, sliding them onto her hands before taking the dye from Anju. She copied the Dragoon, spreading the dye liberally and then taking a flat rectangle of her own to begin kneading the sugar. It was oddly soothing work, and there was something particularly satisfying about the way the dye dispersed through the sugar in swirls and swathes, until it all became one solid color. Soh looked at Anju to see if she was done with her kneading, and to wait for instruction on how to stretch the taffy.
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
"Harder than you know," she admits simply. If Sohalia desired details she could ask, but Anju did not want to inspire any sort of fear or doubt in the young woman who had only just moved here recently. Unfortunately, her hand is mildly forced, as she must be honest with her next answer. "Frankly, I am not hopeful given it has been two years." Sunny beaches, beautiful wildlife, and cohesive cities beyond their borders drew people away from Stormbreak these days. Not to them. Fresh blood that would potentially be interested in leadership and could be trusted with it? Anju was not sure it even existed.
Seeing that Sohalia is ready as well, Anju picks up her taffy lump and plops it on top of Sohalia's before picking both up and holding it so that the young woman could grab one end. "Now we both pull from each side until the middle droops, connect the ends, and then press the middles together to reform a solid piece. Over and over." It would allow them to continue their conversation at least, but it would be repetitive, to say the least. Luckily they hadn't made very much so it wouldn't take too long.
"Hmm," said Soh, a small frown on her face as she considered Anju's words. She was sure that things had to have been difficult, but surely someone existed who would be willing and able to take on the task of running the region? Even if it had been two years.
Anju plopped her half of the taffy on top of Soh's before holding up the mass for Soh to grab one end. Following Anju's instructions, she began to pull on the taffy until it began to droop, then met the older woman back in the middle to reform it into a solid piece. Then she repeated the process. It wasn't the most interesting work, but it wasn't difficult. Since it was a fairly mindless task, it was easy to keep the conversation going.
"Who ruled before?" she asked. "What were they like?" Had there been something that happened, to make people shy away from leadership?
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
Ah, history. Surely there is someone better at this than Anju to explain it to Sohalia as they fold and stretch the taffy methodically, but there is nobody else in the room to take the question in her stead. Anju knows the Order had existed but beyond that, their smoke-and-mirrors dealings and plans had been far beyond her (and gladly so). But at least in terms of leadership, she can supply that information.
"Before we had a true Commander, we had The Order. A government of multiple individuals headed by a man named Cian." Her tone is perfectly neutral, betraying nothing of what she'd thought of this man or the council that had once been. "Some perished in independent circumstances, but the Order was destroyed when the Ascended attacked the Tower and killed many more." Grief does not make her hands shake. They stopped doing that when she was a young woman, face bloodied and sword-arm trembling with the agony of overuse. But she still prays; for Seraphina, for Falke, for Abraham. "Ronin Taliesin - Safrin's demigod - defended the city that day. In the aftermath, he became our Commander." Something she had wholly approved of.
"However, after the war he left his post and never returned. And we have operated without a leader since." If she were not so forthright perhaps she would make it flowery, talk about his sacrifices and his well-deserved solitude with his husband, but Anju doesn't find it meaningful.
"I believe we can begin cutting it now," she instructs, and takes the stretched-out taffy in hand to set it on the island once more, handing Sohalia the same sharp rectangular blade. She demonstrates without a word; cutting a width-wise strip and then segmenting that strip into little squares.
Soh listened as they stretched the taffy, perfectly content to learn more about her new home from her new friend, who had been here for far longer than Soh. It sounded like leadership in Stormbreak had been challenging for some time and was now tenuous, at best. She wondered, briefly, how long that could last before someone had to rise to the challenge. Who would make important decisions for the region if not a ruler of some kind? "Is there no one who might take over now?" she wanted to know. "Or, well, not take over, exactly, but..." Perhaps Anju would get what she meant.
Soh copied Anju's movements, taking the rectangular blade and beginning to cut the taffy width-wise and then segmenting it into small squares. "How is the taffy stored?" she asked curiously. She had to imagine that it would stick together if left like this, but she didn't see any storage materials nearby. Perhaps Anju had them stored away.
In my brightest reverie I can see her walking next to me I feel her breath upon my cheek, speaking gentle words to tame the beast
Anyon currently? "Not that I'm aware of. Myself and Lena are perhaps the oldest and most aware of the past and current political climate, but neither of us is intent on leading. Anyone else has not made themselves known." Oh, but if only they both knew what was to come. How this conversation would be looked back on by the end of the season.
"Each one will get wrapped in a smaller version of what amounts to parchment paper once they've fully cooled. The paper will not get embedded in the taffy, so it will be easier to unwrap." It will take time for that to happen, but made faster through the use of her fridge - which she employs as soon as they have finished cutting the taffy into segments. And then she makes a small go bag of the taffy, not hearing any objections as she places it in Sohalia's hand when the young woman is ready to go. "Here. For your help. And do visit, your company was quite nice." Which is as close to effusive praise as Anju can get. Now that Sohalia knows where Anju lives, hopefully she and Riya will see more of the girl.
;)
