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!
05-21-2019, 07:36 PM (This post was last modified: 05-21-2019, 08:00 PM by Emmett.)
With the thrill of the Banshee hunt over, there was little to do but return to the guildhall for a debrief then go home. Covered in mud and blood as he was, Emmett knew he would have to go to the farm for a change of clothes and a wash before he picked up the kids, so he wouldn't scare them. None of the blood was his except for the three raccon scratches on his face, not deep or serious but drawn harsh across his nose, dripping red down his face.
Despite all of this, he was grinning. He had helped to accomplish something real and had seen immediate results, not the kind of thing he had in abundance at the minute, the kinds of things where the rewards were years in the future.
Swinging his axe along with his feet (there were not many people about in the early evening, which he was glad for; being seen like this would probably not help his reputation at the market) he whistled a jaunty tune, walking along the street and looking up into the sky.
Not many were out in the early evening because they were winding their days down – but not Phoebe. As of late she had been working tirelessly to avoid being idle. When she was idle her mind wandered the places she did not want it to. This evening she was carrying a stack of books she had donated to her for the College from a Natural family that were about traditional healing practices used before the fall of the barrier. She was actually rather eager to read them, to see what sort of overlaps there might be between Outlander and Natural practices.
And that’s when she saw Emmett in his bloodied, mud-covered state.
The books clattered to the ground and she gasped. ”Oh my goodness, Emmett! What happened, are you okay?!” she said hurrying over to him, books forgotten on the ground. She placed her hands on his cheeks, horrified at what she saw. ”Where are you hurt? We need to get you to the infirmary right away!” she said, clearly terrified that something awful had happened to him.
05-21-2019, 08:03 PM (This post was last modified: 05-21-2019, 08:04 PM by Emmett.)
Emmett was first alerted to Phoebe's presence by the sound of the clattering books, looked over to see what the noise was and immediately knew this was not good, that Phoebe would be quite upset to see him like this. But it was too late; she had seen him and he couldn't get away with it.
Slowly he tried to smile reassuringly and lift his hands up to cover hers, shook his head. "Hey, calm down. Most of the blood ain' mine." After a beat of silence he realised that most likely was not the most comforting thing he could say. "I was helpin' Ronin with somethin'."
With that said, there was still the stinging cuts on his face, and actually having them properly cleaned was likely a good idea. "...Remi did claw up my face, though. Er, by accident, but it does hurt..." He tried to stroke her knuckles, pull down her hands and kiss her. "But I'm mostly fine."
Emmett’s smile threw her off. That wasn’t the expression she had been expecting him to make. Her brows furrowed as he spoke, her heart still racing. He had been doing something with Ronin? And Remi scratched his face. Her hands were not difficult to pull down from his face, her fingers curling around his to keep them in her grasp. Phoebe responded to his kiss, pressing her lips against his but still feeling very confused. ”What on earth were you doing? How did this happen?” she said, clearly still very concerned. ”Are they alright?” Now she was worried about Ronin and Remi too!
The young midwife left his side for only a moment to quickly gather up the books she had so unceremoniously left on the ground before. Clearly Emmett wasn’t as grievously injured as she had suspected so she had a moment to retrieve what she had been carrying without guilt. ”Well you’re at least coming back to the clinic to get cleaned up and so I can look at those scratches. You don’t want them getting infected.” she said, voice a little tense from the shock of getting so worked up then having little to be worked up about.
"Y'know Ronin has his guild thing? I was helpin' out with tha'." For now, Emmett did not mention that he had asked to join and had been admitted into the halls, would now be covered in monster's blood regularly if these hunts happened often. One thing at a time, he thought. "And as I said, Remi...it was an accident. They're both okay, and I'm okay. We're all fine."
She insisted he come back to the clinic and he nodded with a little laugh, letting her go to pick up her books. Once she had he placed his cleanest hand on her arm and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
"I'm sorry for scarin' ya. I didn' think I'd run into anyone before I got the chance t'get a bath...do you have one at your place?" He was sure she probably did, but who knew how Outlander town folk did things? He'd heard some of the Outlanders speak of bathhouses and other such things. Raising a hand to dab a finger at his bloody nose, he looked at the bright red on his fingertip.
"I don' think Remi's dirty enough t'give me an infection...he nearly got me as a lion, that woulda be way worse."
”The Monster Hunters guild??” Phoebe said in total shock. What on earth could a builder and a farmer like Emmett have to do to help out a Monster Hunting Guild? Clearly he hadn’t been planting something for them or fixing a roof! She was glad everyone was okay but she still was shaken by what she saw and heard. ”What were you helping them with?”
The kiss on her cheek made her sigh, albeit a bit dramatically, but she did smile a little at him. ”Yes I have a bath. Where did you think I was bathing?” she said with a light laugh. ”It’s always better safe than sorry with cuts, Emmett. Once you get washed up I will clean it up and put some ointment on it. Or would you rather your face swell up to the size of a…” Suddenly his words registered and she stopped. Remi almost got him…as a lion?? That wouldn’t have just been way worse, it would have killed him! She looked panicked all over again.
”Why would Remi be nearly attacking you as a lion on accident??”
"Er...well..." Emmett rubbed the back of his neck, feeling wet blood there and frowning - where had that come from? "I was helpin' him with a hunt...y'know, huntin' a monster..." That much was probably obvious, but he was trying to stall for time before he ran his mouth too far.
He began to try and walk towards the clinic, wanting to get off the street where anyone else might see him. As he walk he spoke, trying to keep smiling reassuringly. "He uh...well, we were fightin' the Banshee, and I slid and went too far and he was tryina fight with his claws, and I got too close. But at the last minute he changed so he wouldn' hurt me too bad."
Emmett reached up and touched the cuts on his nose again, rubbed the blood between his fingertips. "I'm sure if he still has the same opinions of me, he mighta enjoyed gettin' t'scare me a bit. But he made sure he didn' hurt me too bad, and I'm grateful for that."
Phoebe was already a pretty pale person to begin with, but she grew more so as Emmett explained. ”You…you were hunting a Banshee!?” she said in complete shock. For a moment she couldn’t form words. It was one thing for Ronin to go out hunting a monster. He was a trained military man – and Remi had fought the Spire Demon so a Banshee was probably smooth sailing compared to that. But as far as she knew, Emmett was a completely different thing, having no real combat training or experience to speak of.
”Why in the name of Frey were you off hunting a Banshee with them?” she said, her chiding tone clearly coming from a place of heartfelt concern. ”Do you know how to fight like that?” she asked, brows furrowing. She figured Emmett knew how to throw a punch or two, but fighting a monster was not in the same arena as a fist-fight.
By then they had reached the clinic and she quickly ushered him in and up the stairs where she lived above the main clinic. Quickly she lit her fireplace then filled the tub halfway with cold water, setting a few teapots on the stove to boil water to fill it the rest of the way so he could have a warm bath. His comment about Remi made her frown. ”What do you mean about Remi’s opinions of you?” she asked.
Emmett cringed as Phoebe repeated the name of the monster incredulously back to him. He knew it didn't sound good, but he'd never really felt too much at danger from the creature, not with such a capable and brave bunch of companions around him. "Well, yeah, but there was one a it and a lotta us..." He mumbled, trying to make it sound better.
As they headed into the clinic she continued to tell him off and this time Emmett fondly rolled his eyes. "Bee, I ain' a kid. I know how t'fight just fine. I actually killed it, with my axe." He lifted the weapon in his hands (for that was how he saw it now. No longer a tool for wood, but a blade for the final hit) and smiled. "I did real good, just as good as anyone else." The pride in his voice rang clear.
He followed her upstairs and sat on a chair by the bath, beginning to take off his soiled clothes, trying to make as little mess as possible by stacking them in a pile beside him. "Y'don'...know?" Emmett asked, tilting his head once his shirt was off, having assumed Remi would have leapt at the chance to warn Phoebe away. "He don' think I'm any good for you. He told me as much at Fiat Lux."
”Well there was only one Spire Demon and a lot of people fighting it and someone still died.” she lectured with a small ‘harrumph’ noise passing through her lips. She of course knew that a Banshee probably paled in comparison to the Spire Demon but she was going to stick to that argument anyways. It still had been a dangerous venture, strength in numbers be damned.
”I know you’re not a kid but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you!” she said, sighing a little and slumping her shoulders. But she could hear the pride in his voice as he spoke. As dangerous as the fighting was, clearly he had gotten something out of it, something that lifted his spirits. She recognized how important it was for him to have something like this, especially as of late, and so she sighed and gave him a small smile. ”I am sure you did. You excel at anything you set your mind to…won’t stop me from worrying though.” she said almost teasingly, kissing his cheek. ”And even though you’ve given me about five panic attacks I am proud of you for trying something new.”
Phoebe would quietly gather his clothes and submerge them in a bucket of cold soapy water to soak a little. It was the best way to get the grime and the blood out. ”Ohhhh.” Phoebe said, realizing what Emmett must’ve meant. ”I don’t think he thinks you’re bad for me.” she assured him. ”And besides, even if he did, Remi isn’t the sort that would take that out on you in a situation like that. It takes a lot more than what happened between us for him to genuinely dislike someone.” she said, giving him a small smile. ”He’s just…over protective. Like any good older brother would be around their little sister’s boyfriend.”
Emmett let her have her point about the Spire Demon, but it was clear from the look on his face he didn't really consider it a very good comparison.
He watched her carry away his clothes with a slightly vacant expression, listening to her speak. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off he found himself quite tired, but there was still much to do before he could go to bed. Even once he had cleaned himself and gotten the kids, there were nighttime chores at the farm. "...I don' know if I excel exactly, I tried t'play a guitar once and I was real bad at that. But...thanks, babe. Tha' means a lot t'me."
It seemed she did know what he'd meant about Remi. "Yeah, I don' think he actually meant t'hurt me. I dunno. I guess the best way to prove him wrong is t'treat you good, right? I was talkin' to Amalia 'bout it back at Fiat Lux and she told me to try not to take it so personal...I'm workin' on it. I guess I'm sensitive at the moment."
Emmett stood, stretching his arms high above his head, his muscles sore from swinging his axe so much. Totally nude, he gave her a cheeky grin and a wink. "Does me bein' a cool hero make me hotter for you?"
05-22-2019, 06:45 PM (This post was last modified: 05-22-2019, 06:45 PM by Phoebe.)
”Well…guitar aside. Fighting monsters is a more practical skill to have anyways, really.” Musical instruments were nice and all but they wouldn’t keep you safe under an attack. She smiled at him as she left his clothes to soak, pulling the kettles of boiling water off the stove. Phoebe made her way back, pouring the hot water into the cool water of the tub before setting the pots to boil again. ”You’re welcome.” she said, blushing when he called her ‘babe’. That was the first pet name he had ever used for her besides Bee.
”No I don’t think he meant to. I think he was just…trying to be stern. He came and gave me a bit of a hard time too.” she said and smiled at him a bit. ”But yes, I think if I am treated well he would come around pretty fast. Me being happy and well was the root of his concern after all.” she said. It seemed odd to her that Amalia was who he spoke with though. Why was she his confidante? He had never mentioned her before…”You and Amalia are close then, I take it?” she asked.
Phoebe looked up at him just as he stretched, having known he was naked but somehow still being taken aback by it. Her eyes widen and cheeks turned dark red for a moment, before his words registered and coupled with the smirk on his face she couldn’t help but laughed a bit. ”What do you mean by that? I found you plenty hot before.” she said, bringing more boiling water to the tub.
"Stern...Hm. I guess." Emmett repeated, shrugging. He had other, slightly ruder words for how Remi had been, but he wouldn't bring them up with Phoebe. He stepped into the tub after she had put the water in, dipping in his toe first to check the temperature. It was fine (he supposed she probably had a lot of practice, looking after babies) so he got in properly, holding his nose and dunking his head under to get all of himself wet.
As he surfaced, he shook his head at her question about Amalia. "Eh, not really....but I knew her growing up, and we have stuff in common, you know? We both lost our families, both work makin' food here...we're both Naturals...so I just kinda got talkin' to her at Fiat Lux. She's a nice lady." Emmett began to scrub mud off his arms with his fingers, the gunk so caked on in some places he had to push at it a few times before it slopped off into the tub, turning the water a rather unappealing brown.
"I sure hope y'find me hot already, but there's always further t'go, right? I guess you wouldn' get it, what with bein' perfectly beautiful already and everythin'." He teased, raising his other arm. "..D...D'ya have any soap?"
As he stepped into the tub she rummaged through her drawers trying to find a soap that wasn’t too girly smelling. Most of what she had was very flowery – lavender and honeysuckle, peach blossoms and sweet pea flowers – all scents she was pretty sure Emmett would object to having on his person. Eventually though she found some that had a muskier smell to it that she thought more manly.
He started describing his relationship with Amalia, and it would be clear as day on her face her discomfort. Her eyes glanced towards the ground, her gut twisting and heart fluttering with anxiousness. Him and Amalia did have a lot in common…how long before something…someone familiar became more attractive to him? ”O-oh. Yes, well…she is very kind. I bet she would be easy to talk to.” she said quietly, coming over to hand him the soap.
She was holding it out to him when he asked for it, and he would see the shock on her face. The way her lips slightly parted, the lift of her eyebrows. ”Emmett…” she said, sounding crossed somewhere between chiding and hurt. ”I don’t think that way about you at all. If monster hunting makes you happy then…well I will suck up my worries and support you as best I can. But…if you’re doing it just to…because you some how think you’re not enough for me then you’re wrong. I’ve always liked you just as you are.” she said, smiling at him, albeit a bit sadly. ”And I am far from perfect at anything…and I do know what it is like to feel insecure…like you don’t measure up.” she added quietly.
