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!
05-30-2023, 02:45 AM (This post was last modified: 06-04-2023, 12:11 AM by Eleftheria.)
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
This was the second time in Eleftheria's life they had ever seen the ocean, and it shocked them that it was just as beautiful. The glaring sun of Longheat made the blue water sparkle and shimmer in the most glorious way, and El was captured by it completely.
Before the Hollowed Grounds was a series of islands, it was more than a day's walk from the Hawke homestead to any ocean, but that changed once the war ended. A lot of things did.
El was standing at a sandy area that bled into the ocean adjacent to the end of the docks. There was a pier that stretched out into the water, but El was too afraid to go that far out just yet. Here on the sand felt safer than the creaky old planks of the pier. They'd always wanted to learn to swim, since they were a child, but they never had. They stood in the sand, close enough that the waves washed over their bare feet. It was just so calming, the way it moved back and forth rhythmically. They kept walking, until the water was to their knees, and their heart started to beat irregularly. Could they teach themself to swim? They could probably teach themself to swim. Why not? How hard could it be?
After the ROUS debacle with Fox, you'd think Bart would stop trying to cool off through the act of swimming. You would be wrong, because Bart is as stupid as he is stubborn. This time at least he has chosen the ocean instead of a lake - more populated, but waters he can trust, and populated by enough boats that any creepy creatures would be less inclined to come near the shallows. Hopefully.
He is currently sitting on the furthest dock on the beach drinking from his water bottle when El walks right past him. He pays them no mind at first because there are plenty of people milling about beneath the summer sun. Until they start to act a little...weird. Hesitating in fits and starts like Ophelia heading to her demise with a fistful of flowers.
The nurse in him sits up and blares alarms, so Bart abandons his bottle and slides into the water to swim towards the stranger until he can get close enough to talk and also feel the silt and rock beneath his feet. "Hey, y'okay? Ya look spooked." Gruff but clearly concerned as he stabilizes and stands, water level falling to his chest as he straightens.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El is jolted out of their thoughts by a voice, one that sounds low and concerned. They look up from their feet to see a man in the water, up to his chest in it. He isn't too far away from them, so they supposed the water got much deeper much quicker than El had expected. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to teach themself to swim.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," they say in response, intending to leave it at that. Then they think about the man, who is completely at ease where he is, and looks as if he's going to swim away. A flash of jealousy sparks in El at the way he seems so comfortable in the water, and they decide that vulnerability is the only way to get what they want in this situation.
"Actually, I was trying to summon the courage to teach myself to swim. I thought, it can't be so hard, right? But now that I'm here..." I'm scared, they don't say. They don't want to finish their sentence, and unless the man is completely oblivious, they don't think they have to.
Hell, Bart's pretty much the same in being content to leave it at that. He did his moral duty or whatever, that means he's off the hook. Sloppily saluting them and beginning to determine whether he wants to exit here or swim back to the dock, his dark curly head turns back around when their voice echoes out over the water a second time.
Then he just sort of treads water there for a bit, wondering how nice of a dude he wants to be today before groaning to himself and swimming towards shore.
Emerging soaked and careless of how he appears, expression set in its permanent pout-scowl, he gestures back towards the water. "Hell, I ain't got nothin' better to do today. Want me t' teach you?" A little too gruff to do more than avert his eyes from the implication that lies on the tail ends of a sentence they don't complete, because Bart isn't the most comforting type despite his profession.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
The man takes a moment before groaning to himself and sauntering up to El. He's tall and attractive in a soft looking way, but that perception shifts as soon as he gets close enough for El to see the scowl on his face and hear the gruffness in his voice. To this, they feel indignant. It's not like El was forcing him to do anything.
"Well, that would be ideal, yes, but not if you really don't want to," they give him an incredulous look, brows furrowed and arms crossed. His words offer valuable help to El, but his callous delivery puts them off. The sea continues to rise and fall around their knees, and El looks down, heart pounding a little harder every time the water gets high.
They're not the first person to be put out or off by his bad personality. Bart has long since grown used to navigating the minefield he creates simply by existing (and, admittedly, by refusing to stop being a little shit). Grumbling slightly to himself, Bart squeezes some water out of the fabric of his shorts to avoid having to look into their eyes. "Nah, I'll help. I just sound like a dick all'a time." Because he is one, but that's neither here nor there.
He can tell they're nervous because, frankly, it's plainly obvious. Sighing to himself, Bart closes his eyes and taps into that softer, vulnerable part of himself he usually keeps buried when not working with his patients. "The waters here are the safest in th' Grounds that still have currents. Perfect place to learn - it doesn't drop off too fast, so y'can wade out further to start. I'll stick by ya." Walking closer to do just that. They might not appreciate the sudden dive straight into business, but it's the best Bart can do if he's going to be utilizing his bedside manner.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
Bart's explanation for his attitude is unsatisfactory, to say the least, but El says nothing about it. At the very least, he seems willing to help. And if he ends up being too mean, El could always just leave. His next words aren't quite so callously delivered, which makes El feel marginally better about the whole thing.
Hands twisting in their shirt, El wades slowly deeper into the water at Bart's instruction. He says the waters are safe, but it doesn't make El feel any less nervous. The water rises to their hips, and they instinctively reach their hands out to steady themselves. One of their hands connects with Bart's forearm, and they grasp it tightly. The current isn't even that strong, but El still fears being carried away by it.
Holding Bart's arm does help, however, and El is able to go even deeper, albeit at a slow pace. Once the water starts rising past their chest, nearly to the shoulders, they stop. "Okay, what now? I told you, I don't know how to swim. And I don't wanna go any deeper."
Most people consider Bart to be unsatisfactory in nearly every reviewable category (he has a 1.5 star average for social interactions) so El certainly isn't the first to give him such an exasperated look. But the moment they reach out and clasp onto his arm, clearly terrified, Bart's bedside manner rears its head and he immediately lets his free arm come around their shoulders to hold them gently in place. Hopefully it's clear from his much taller frame and well-muscled body that he won't be letting them drift away anytime soon.
"It's okay, we're not going deeper yet. We're gonna stay right here." He sounds like an entirely different person now, eyes attentive on their face as the comforting, calm tone takes over. "I'm a lot taller'n you, so I'm gonna be here to brace ya. Don't worry, the first step to swimmin' is super easy." Repositioning - though not pulling himself free of their grasp - he flashes them a smile that makes all the sharp edges melt away to reveal the far more fitting boyish expression beneath. "First yer gonna float. That means I'm gonna have ya go on yer back and I'll have my hand under yer back the whole time, and I'll stand with mine to the ocean so ya can't drift out either, 'kay?" He says it as he moves so El also can't look out at the horizon and scare themself even more.
"But it's gonna feel scary as shit at first, so I want ya to practice just holdin' onto me and liftin' yer feet off th' sand at the same time. Like uhh...like bunny hops. That's what we'll call 'em." He'd come up with silly names for things for his pediatric patients all the time so it's quick enough to his tongue, roguish grin gone more juvenile as he aims it down at El, holding still so they can do it at their leisure.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
To Eleftheria's surprise, Bartie's attitude seems to shift into one that is nearly the opposite of how it started. His voice is soothing, and his steadying arm around their shoulders comforting. He moves to block El's view of the endless ocean melting into the horizon and gives them clear instructions on what to do. He gives them a smile that absolutely shocks El in how much younger it makes his face appear. All this in combination with the childish name he uses in his instructions eases the fear gripping El's heart.
They nod to him as he instructs them, face serious but feeling slightly more calm. They move their hands to hold onto his upper arms, then start doing the little bunny hops. It's much easier to move up through the water than they expected, and their body's buoyancy is strange to get used to. As they continue to do the little hops, it's as if the water wants their legs to rise, pushing them into a horizontal position, but they stop themself before it happens. Every time their feet leave the sand, their fear rises up again, but the grip on Bartholomew's arms serves as a comforting anchor.
Soon enough, they are impatient to move to the next step, so the next time they hop, they allow their body to move with the water and turn horizontally. As they move their torso backwards, however, they can no longer hold on to Bartie, and panic begins to rise up in them. They thrash in the water instinctively at this, going back to a standing position and grabbing on to Bartie again with a death grip.
"Okay, you were right, that was super scary," they say, chest heaving with breath. They hadn't even exerted themselves; it was simply the adrenaline pumping through them that made them want to catch their breath. After a waiting a bit to calm down, they take a deep breath in through their nose and exhale while looking at Bartie. "Let's do it again. But remind me how? I can do the bunny hops, but it gets scary when I have to float."
They seem to calm once he takes away the dizzying element of the ocean beyond with his broad shoulders, and Bart can't help but feel relieved when he doesn't manage to irritate them any further before they even get a chance to try. He may be the prickliest in the bunch but when he has them holding onto his arms, trusting him despite their fear, all the spines and needles fall away to something softer beneath. And, frankly, it's nice to be able to touch someone again after so long in isolation.
All things considered, they're incredibly brave; submitting immediately to his advice and continually repeating the little bunny hops as he steadies them with his arms. But impatience is the killer of confidence, and he can tell they weren't totally prepared for the sensation of being on their back when they try for it out of the blue. Jolting, he tightens his grip and pulls slightly to help get them back to their feet, heart thudding harder in his chest for a moment as they cling to one another in the aftermath.
Any desire to berate them vanishes as they own up to their fear - and he envies them that easy ability - and soldier on despite it. In fact, it makes him crack a helplessly impressed grin. "You were badass about it though," he reassures, voice kind this time despite the crudeness. "So next time you hop, do it facin' that way, not towards me. I'm goin' to put my arm under your shoulders 'kay?" Consent is important and all that. "No matter how it feels, I won't let ya go under. You can hold onto me with the hand closest, but let the other drift out." Maybe that will give them more of a feeling of control. A reassurance that Bart won't move away or drop them, though he'd never dare. "Then yer gonna go on yer back again, and keep your legs curled like when ya were hoppin'. It'll feel better than extendin' them yet." Bart tries to be as detailed as possible so that when the moment comes, they won't be surprised or scared. "The water'll make you super light, so I'll put my other arm under yer legs when you get to there, and then I'll just...cradle ya I guess is the best word. And we'll work on you learnin' to float on yer back that way." With zero risk of being pulled out by the waves or dipping below the water if they breathe anxiously and can't keep themselves buoyant.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
Eleftheria feels a little rush of warmth snake through them as the stranger compliments them with a genuine smile. It occurs to them that they're putting a lot of trust into this man, someone whose name they don't even know, as he turns them so that the side of their shoulder is nearly touching his chest. He continues to explain in many words what the next steps are, but El is only half listening at this point, beginning to wonder whether they should just get out of here in case the man has malicious intentions. They aren't completely convinced that he's dangerous, however, and he's being a good sport about teaching them to swim...it's not as if El is giving anything to him in return. They take a breath before deciding to continue on unless the man does something to give them a bad feeling.
His voice and touch, however, are gentle, giving El the opposite of a bad feeling. After a moment of hesitation, they turn their head to look him in the eyes with a little grin and say, "I'm El, by the way. Figured you should at least know my name before cradling me." There is a teasing light in their eyes before they turn away and do a big hop to go straight into a floating position, feeling safer to do so now that they know the man will hold them.
It doesn't go very well. There's a swooping feeling in El's stomach as gravity shifts around them, and their upper body goes a little too far backwards into the water, drawing some of it up their nose. Yet again, they splash around and grab onto Bart with flailing arms, righting themself and spluttering water from their nose and mouth. Fuck, this is embarrassing. The water is salty and itches their throat, mouth, and nose unexpectedly. They take a minute to cough things out, waiting a couple more breaths and wiping the water from their eyes.
"Okay, I'm gonna go slower this time," they say, before doing exactly that. On the third try, they make an effort to keep their face above water and let their free hand drift out. Their eyes are squeezed tight, and their heart is beating fast, but to their surprise, they don't immediately sink. In fact, they actually begin to float a little. It's taking all of El's self-discipline not to tense up and move around, knowing now that doing so will ruin the whole exercise.
Bart barks a laugh immediately when El - newly named, by the way - is so hilariously upfront about their impending cradling. Sass is the fastest way to his unbearably well-guarded heart, so he regards them with a toothy grin. “You’re not wrong. Good to meet’cha El. I’m Bartholomew.” Just as protective and choosey about his name, he hesitates and searches their face for a few moments. They’re being incredibly vulnerable with him, trusting him this way. It feels wrong not to do the same, and he hopes his face (which hasn’t heard of a poker face in its life) will express that he’s trying to be open as well when he offers, “But, uh. You can call me Bart. Or Bartie.” He thinks that Sunjata and Melita are the only two living souls left who have the privilege of that nickname, but Nate would kill him if he shut himself away for good from the people in this world and simply rotted away.
El moves a little too fast, clearly determined if in the wrong way, and Bart’s strong arms are quick steel traps that curl back around them for support the moment they choke and flail. “Hey, hey, it’s not a race okay? You don’t gotta fling yerself. I can hold ya at almost any angle.” It’s hard not to use modern-world idioms because nobody ever understands them in Caido, so he swallows them down.
They seem to get the idea themself anyway at least, and within moments they’re on their back, floating just above the bend in Bart’s elbows. Seeing they’re tense, he takes most of their weight into his arms so that they can relax into his hold, floating higher so the water isn’t creeping near their face. From above, he beams down at them. “There ya go! You did it!” And any previous sign of grumpiness is a distant memory with the clear pride and excitement in his tone. “Now I want ya to relax as much as ya can. Like, total limp noodle. I’ve got my arms under ya, so trust me y’ain’t goin’ anywhere - and I’m gonna slowly spin us so you’ll feel what it’s like to bob around.” And the motion will help keep El out of their head and away from their fear. He only starts after he has warned them, slow little motions that have the slight ripples of waves brushing over El’s shoulders as Bart moves them around. “Now that you don’t have to worry about goin’ under, I want ya to focus on how you go a little deeper in the water naturally when you exhale and then float back up when you inhale. Yer lungs are like -” fuck does Caido have balloons? Or even helium? “- like little cloud spiders. Even if y’ain’t holdin’ all the air you can there, you’ll float naturally if her calm and in the right pose. Hell, you can even float on your back almost forever if you keep yerself breathin’ slow and just usin’ yer hands and feet to paddle.” Maybe that will make them feel a little less frightened to know that they could float (in shallow water of course) almost indefinitely. Treading water would be safer of course, but that’s a few lessons ahead.
No, Bart isn’t thinking about future lessons. Shut up.
“I’m gonna hold ya and do these circles, and we’re just gonna talk. Get ya comfortable with floatin’ and lettin’ me hold ya.” Because Bart’s gonna assume that’s equally weird for them. “So uh, at risk of soundin’ like every low-bar-chasin’ loser on a first date, tell me about yerself. Jabber away.” Eventually he’ll start to brace El less and less, but he’s in no rush. This has been nicer than he could’ve anticipated.
07-22-2023, 12:36 AM (This post was last modified: 07-22-2023, 12:40 AM by Eleftheria.)
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El does their best to relax as they listen to Bart's instructions, no longer squeezing their eyes closed tight, eyelids smoothing out. It's a strange feeling, floating on the surface, made even stranger once they start moving around. It's as if the ocean is a cushion, and El is lying on it. They smile a little to themself as they think of this.
Their heart is still beating fast as they try to take slower, deeper breaths, indeed feeling the difference in the buoyancy of their body as they inhale and exhale. It helps that Bart is explaining everything much too thoroughly, so El doesn't have any clarifying questions to ask once he's finished. Then, with a bit of awkwardness yet warmth in his funny-sounding accent, he asks them to talk about themself. It's a bit surprising to El, really; this is reflected in how their brows raise before coming down again. The small smile returns to El's face as they try to think of what to say.
"There's not much to tell, really. My last name is Hawke. I was born and raised on a farm in the Grounds." They pause, unsure how much or how little to give away to this man. They don't know anything about him. He could be so devout that to discover he is holding an Abandoned in his arms would horrify him. He could hate thieves. He definitely isn't from around here, which is one reassuring fact they cling to.
"My favorite dessert is a good, fresh ice cream. I want to explore and travel the entirety of Caido, but in all honesty I haven't seen shit. I want to know everything about everything. I know a lot of things about plants and herbs, their healing potential." And stealing, they tack on in their head, deciding against confessing their criminality from the get-go.
"I'm not very religious. Not at all really." They add this after a pause, hoping it will provoke a response that reveals Bart's opinion of the gods.
