What do you get when two ruthless assassins raise their daughter travelling through the wildest reaches of Caido? Take one look at Theea and you'll get a pretty good idea. Cheerful and tenacious in equal measure, and curious beyond all else, she began her journey on a mission to find those her mother once called family. And find them she did, soon rubbing elbows with demigods, leaders and even ghosts from the past. Her determination is resolute, her thirst for knowledge unmatched. We can't wait to see where her next adventure takes her!
Congratulations, Theea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
It was warm in the sun. Not the Climb kind of warm, but balmy enough that two ancients could go without a cloak and still feel decently comfortable. Maea had spread hers over a mossy rock and sat gazing at a brook that wound its way across the path they had been following. The spring flood was soaking the ground and her boots were wet, set aside to dry after a careless tumble into the water. Light flooded the small glade, and in response to its loving warmth all kinds of things had sprouted from winter's dormancy, to reach for the sun with all their might. Fiddle-head ferns coiled along the base of the rock and a patch of star-flowers bloomed just below her bare foot, nearly obscured by winter-green vines that crept across every available surface, winding up tree trunks and lending an illusion of verdant abundance to a forest still in the throws of awakening.
Sucking on the scraped knuckles she had earned from shoving her hands into a rose bush - they had actually found one, believe it or not, only to discover it a completely ordinary wild rose without even a hint of flowers or buds - the taste of her own blood caused her tail to twitch in irate patterns, slashing the air as if it offended her with its sweet fragrance and gentle caress.
"We should try to hunt something for lunch," she blurted out, shattering the stillness with a suddenness that betrayed the falsehood of the picture she had painted. There was nothing peaceful or serene about Maea today; she was restless, annoyed at the lack of progress in the search for roses and more than willing to let herself be distracted.
Maea may be annoyed, but Thal was just plain bored. Her own boots sat to the side, hanging from a tree as she circled them with a distant flame to dry. Their thick leather hadn't been compromised, too worn by ocean-wear to be affected by her 'rescue' of the clumsy Ancient, but since Maea had insisted on drying hers out, she figured she might as well do the same. Now she just leaned against a tree, 'patiently' waiting for their search to be over while she scanned the forest for anything more interesting than flowers.
Her ears perked at the mention of food, feeling the distance ache of her own stomach. She nodded her head as she turned her gaze to Maea. "That's probably a good idea. Otherwise, I might just eat any flowers we find." Which was impossible, since she didn't think they'd ever find the stupid things. But that didn't stop the fanged grin she flashed, pushing off from the tree to snag at her laces. The fabric of her black cloak fluttered like liquid night despite the sunshine dappling through the leaves, her silver dagger hilts catching the rays, showing that she was made more for night hunts than sunlit strolls for flowers. But despite that, she'd agreed to join Maea in her hunt, wanting to be a 'supportive friend.'
Flicking her own tail excitedly, she asked, "Are you in the mood for anything specific?" Thal could honestly be convinced to eat anything, so she left it to the more tender-hearted of them.
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
Laughing at the quip despite it not really being all that funny, Maea slipped from her perch and let the fire die out from its loop around her shoes. The sun could do the rest of the work while they hunted; she wanted to fly, wanted to prowl through the underbrush and maybe accidentally set something on fire.
She was in a mood to watch things burn.
But that was not a very nice sentiment, so she swallowed it back and shook her head instead, leaving it up to chance what ended up on the menu. "So long as it can't hold a conversation, I'm fine with anything. Wanna scout from above? Maybe we'll find a bear, or at least something worthwhile..." Her smile had an edge to it, something tense and slightly feral that wasn't normal for the albino woman. Bloodlust was simmering in her veins, 'that time of month' bringing out sides she'd prefer to leave buried... but as she was in the company of one who wouldn't care if she showed some teeth or not, Maea tried to let it out without resisting. Not a monster, she kept repeating to herself; not a monster, just a predator. Like a wolf. Or a tiger. Or a crow.
Shifting into the latter, the bird launched into the air and winged around the clearing, waiting to see whether Thalassa would choose to join her or take some other approach. Moving improved her mood by several degrees; perhaps a good chase and the soft burn of exertion would help take the edge off.
Thal was surprised by the fanged grin Maea gave her, unable to hide the way it made her smile in return. Bloodlust may be something feared by others, but she chose to embrace it, letting it free her of propriety or expectations in exchange for the primal urge for blood. Her own desires were carefully under wraps, rarely hitting the point where she lost control anymore from pure frequency. Part of her missed it, even as the driving of her every thought and emotion towards the hunt could be frustrating, it was equally something to be celebrated and enjoyed.
She was both jealous of and happy for Maea, more than willing to assist in the endeavor, as evidenced by the tightening of her muscles and quick flick of her tail. Chuckling, Thal nodded her head. "Works for me. Lead the way." Shifting into her lyvern form, she took to the sky with a little more effort, her large wings flapping hard to lift her into the clouds. A low grumble was her indication for her friend to let her know when she finds their target.
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
Pushing up from the ground before you is a blood-red rose.
You’ve encountered one of Vi’s Roses.. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. You can post a link to this thread in the character updates thread if you pick the rose, to have it added to your inventory.
Vi's Roses (rare): A beautiful crimson flower with thorns of deep gold, it is rumoured that these roses are coloured with Vi's lifeblood. When planted, they have the ability to cleanse the area around them.
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
With both avians airborne, Maea was just making a final circle around the clearing when it caught her eye. A flash of red so vibrant, so luminous in its intensity that the rest of the world might as well be rendered in gray. Shock pulsed through her system, and without thinking she plunged down to the ground, shifting back to her ancient form in mid air. Staggering from the hard impact of her feet hitting ground, she staggered and fell to her knees before the rose - the rose - the miraculous and elusive and very very real rose that suddenly bloomed where she thought she'd looked a hundred times already.
"Thalassa!" she gasped, as if the lyvern wouldn't have noticed her plummeting already. Eyes burning, her hands rose up to cup the glorious petals, wary of touching the gilded thorns or indeed the perfect blossom. She found it. They found it. It was real, she could go back to Torchline, she could -
"Gods, what do I even do now?" It seemed almost a crime to pluck something so beautiful. A dagger - she needed a knife. Or... would it survive being dug up by the roots? Maybe what she needed was something to carry it in, so that it would remain fresh and alive until... until what? Something about planting it, right?
Belatedly, she realized she was laughing, her face wet with tears. "It's actually real..."
The sudden divebomb of the white gore crow was a shock, and she had to pull up on her wings to hover, disgruntled by the sudden change of attention. After a moment, she spotted the red petals, disbelieving that it might actually be the flower everyone had been searching for. She never expected to be one of the people present when it was found. So, as she followed Maea down to the ground, her own motions were more suspicious and reluctant, glancing around for possible traps or signs that the flower wasn't real while she shifted.
Eyes narrowing at the undeniable evidence of the red rose before them (and no signs of foul play), Thal placed her hands into her pockets and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't ask me. I never expected to actually see one." She didn't even get close to it, shuffling her feet as she waited to see what Maea would do. A greedy part of her wanted to take it and sell it, sure that it was near-priceless, but her friend had been so desperate... she cast the thought aside with a low grumble. "I guess this means you'll be heading back to Torchline? You got your ticket."
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, Maea had not expected to find one either. Though she had searched doggedly for the the rose, it had been a quest of stubbornness and petulant refusal to let Flora have the last laugh in their feud. But now that it was right there in front of her eyes, suddenly it seemed like such a petty reason. Was there not more important reasons to find the flower? Had her mind not already moved past the idea of returning to Torchline to settle, after the conversation she'd had with Liam?
Kneeling before the flower as if in prayer, she gently brought her hands to the soil and began to dig it away from the roots. Using her nails to uncover fine tendrils of root so that it could be lifted whole and intact from the ground - Maea didn't have the heart to cut it, after all - she found herself hesitating to give Thalassa a proper answer.
"I... am not so sure," she murmured, thoughts tumbling over themselves in a muddled haze. Shock, maybe, caused them to seem messier than normal. Which was saying something. "I did get my ticket back... and I will return to settle the matter of my 'exile' with the queen. But as for staying..." She bit the inside of her cheek. "I might... actually remain here. I met this guy... Liam? We've become friends, and he asked if I wanted to stay." A complicated expression clouded her face; tender, happy, wary - much like Thalassa before Vi's Rose, whatever Maea saw when taking the man's name in her mouth carried a good deal of suspicion, as though it was a mirage that might disappear or a trap she should know better than to walk into.
Her eyes watched carefully as Maea moved to scoop dirt away from roots of the rose. Thal let her hand drift to her dagger, still cautious that something or someone might appear to ruin the moment. However, it was hard to focus on anything other than the pale Ancient as she caught on the mention of a name.
Liam, huh?
Ignoring the lofty decisions of where she may or may not live, Thal raised an eyebrow, blue eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh? And what did you say?" Suddenly, she wasn't so bored anymore. Maea didn't make friend easily (at least not in her experience), and the way she said his name... There was obviously something else going on there. She knew better than to tease too much, but she couldn't resist the urge to probe a little deeper about who might have caught her attention.
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
Dark soil stained her hands. Moist with the rainfall and snowmelt of the season, it came away easily enough. Reaching for the edge of her cloak, she yanked it down off the rock and began to pile dirt and mulch onto the wool, and gently lifted the entire rose plant onto the garment so that she could wrap it securely into a bundle. The reverence she felt upon handling such a rare specimen of a plant was unlike any she had experienced, close in weight only to Dygra's presence.
It could be excitement from this most unexpected of blessings that drew the color into her cheeks. But then again, the topic was cause enough, and Maea very carefully avoided Thal's gaze.
"I, uh... said I would." Why was it so strange to say it aloud? She had meant to move all along - what difference did it make where she wound up?
But it wasn't about the 'where', not really, but rather the 'why'. And even Maea wasn't entirely sure about why it had been so easy to alter her plans. Except...
"It's... not often anyone asks me for anything, you know. It seemed to mean a lot to him, and I have the house, and it just... it seemed so right. So easy. I didn't even have to think about it." A lopsided smile towards her friend showed that Maea was aware of how astonishing that was, for an overthinker and chronic worryer like herself.
She tried not to grin too wide at Maea's admission, even more intrigued by the man who had made her friend alter her goals in such a short time. How had she gone from 'Torchline no matter what' to 'maybe I'll stay in the Greatwood'? Meanwhile, she couldn't even go most conversations without arguing with her.
Nearly stunned by the smile she flashed her, Thal let out a low melodic hum, full of thinly veiled curiosity. "Hmm... You must have spent a lot of time with Liam to trust him so much." No one had ever accused the pirate captain of being 'subtle,' so the playful tilt of her head and smirk of her lips is about as close as she'd ever get. The flower was nearly forgotten in her new quest for information, not bothering to help as Maea packaged it neatly in her cloak. Instead, she crept a little closer, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, ever the pestering little sister.
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
Catching the lilting tone, Maea shot a narrow eyed glance at Thalassa. The smirk on the girl's lips was somehow alarming, clearly reading into things that wasn't there. Just because she had met a person she got along with! It wasn't that strange, was it?
"He has been helping me search for this," she explained, a touch defensive even as she gestured to the rose. "We've talked a lot along the way... that's probably why." And there was an honesty and openness about the former dragoon that made it impossible to doubt him. If anything, it was the unbridled kindness that chafed at her; if Liam had any flaws, they were few and small enough that she hadn't spotted any so far. Which, honestly, was a bit annoying - a person could be too perfect, leaving nothing left to prove that he was real, actually human.
"Why the sudden interest? I have friends, you know, I don't think mentioning another is all that odd." Admittedly, she rarely talked about them. Maybe that was why Thal suddenly had a hundred questions; for once Maea had dropped a name.
Ever the vindictive little brat, Thal found Maea's defensiveness entertaining. "Mhm. So much that you're willing to change your mind on Torchline. He must be quite the smooth talker..." She should know, she'd met a few recently, one in particular that had ended quite enjoyably for the both of them. But Maea wasn't like that, so she knew it probably wasn't anything more than an intellectual connection - for the moment. Friends could easily become more, and the way things had shifted so much so quickly, Thal got that inkling that she may be right about this one.
Her eyebrow raised, playfully curious. "Other than Hadama and Tal? Who?" Although somewhat teasing, the question remained. Admittedly, she didn't have many friends of her own, but she was working on it. Thal could at least count Asta (and maybe Danta) among her ranks, and that was more than Maea could say.
Never been the type to Let someone see right through
And I hope that you don't suffer But take the pain
The frown tugging on pale brows said with all possible frankness that there wasn't any 'smooth talking' going on during her and Liam's excursions. The idea was almost offensive; if he'd been the kind of person to approach her with intentions, she wouldn't have let him anywhere near her or her future plans.
"He's kind, that's all. Honest and kind, and for some reason he doesn't seem to mind that I'm not. What's not to trust?" Maybe those were traits that the pirate would find boring. To Maea, it was soothing; a calming presence that gave her a pause from emotional fireworks and a space safe enough that they could sit in silence without a need to fill it.
Making sure the rose wouldn't be crushed by its woolen wrapper, Maea picked it up into her arms as though it was a living creature, something fragile that should be treated with care. Raising a cool brow at Thal, a smile took the edge off; she could understand the surprise, probably. "Remi is a friend. He gave me a house, did I tell you that? It's a huge part of why I'm staying. Ronin is a friend too; and I have grown close to a woman from Halo, named Elizabeth. There's also Alys, Tal's partner..." Tilting her head aside, she flipped through mental pages for faces she might have forgotten. Mostly those were of acquaintances though, too briefly encountered to be mentioned now no matter that she liked them.
