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!
Things were going pretty well for Adam, at least as well as they could in this stupid Caido place; he'd been kidnapped but gotten free, had got a continually filling cup (which was likely quite enabling and bad for him, but being enabled felt good) and had a regular hook up.
However, as per usual, the emptiness had a tendancy to creep in at the end of the night, and he liked to go on walks. Pretend he was doing something important, headed somewhere to be lauded as a hero at the end of a mighty quest. Managing to put the horn away in his bag before the sun had gone down, he was actually surprisingly sober for once.
Sitting on a wall in the fields by Maea's house, he placed his chin in his hands and stared over the dim evening scene, the warmth of Longheat at odds with the cool blues of the sky. Coffee curled up beside him, head rested on his thigh, and he scratched the top of the dragons head. "Y'know, Cof...you'd probably have gotten on alright with Flash, my horse. You're both sassy little shits." He mumbled, smiling down at his companion.
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
It had been a little bit since Peter had had the chance to take a walk. Being on a schedule was nice, but he liked his chances to wander as well, feet tracing unfamiliar and familiar paths alike while his mind wandered. This time, he’d chosen familiar, the path to Maea’s farm rising up before him, and bringing with it a familiar face.
A small smile came to Peters face, it was the first time he’d seen Adam since their basement adventure, and he was a little concerned to find he’d missed the other man. Peter made no effort to hide his approach, though he stopped a little distance away, old habits dying hard. It was the first time he’d seen Adam since joining his new family, and he wondered if the other would be able to tell the difference.
”Who are... who are you talking to?” He asked, not noticing the little drake resting on Adams thigh.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
The sudden voice caused Adam to whip his head around to look for someone, nearly in the process wobbling off his perch on the wall. Luckily he managed to stay on, though it involved a rather ungainly move with his arms and Coffee hopped off in disgust of being moved. Seeing it was Peter, Adam smiled and pointed to his dragon. "I'm talking to Coffee. Who else?"
Still though, he kind of liked the weird little nerd and was happy to see him. "But I can fit in one more. How come you're out here so late? Oh, oh--" Holding up a hand he went through his bag with the other until he fished out the horn. "Went to Ludo and found out what this was for. It's pretty great."
Holding out the horn to show Peter it was full, he tipped it back into his mouth and drunk the whole cup, then held it out again - suddenly fresh cider bubbled up into it from the bottom until it was full. "Fancy a drink on me?"
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
Seeing Adam nearly fall brought the ghost of a smile to Pets face, amusement sparkling in his eyes more than across his lips. ”I thought... maybe you went crazy.” Peter shrugged, and nodded a polite little greeting to Coffee, not expecting the creature to even glance at him. Animals never liked him.
”I’ve been... I’m busy. So I can’t walk at different times.” Peters eyes drifted to the farmhouse, his brows pinching just the slightest, then flicked back to Adam. ”You’re out late too.” He pointed out, head cocking to the side.
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t interested, excited even, in what the horn did. Adam had nearly died for it after all. At first, Peter thought it was just a drinking mug that didn’t spill, Adam pulling it from his bag already full of liquid. He watched Adam drink with a cocked brow, his eyes widening as the other man held out the newly empty cup so Peter could watch it fill again. He looked at Adam, suspicion on his face, then took the cup, giving it the same look. Once he determined it was safe, Peter took a drink, fighting to keep his face straight as the taste of alcohol hit him. He passed the horn back, the little bit he’d sipped already refilled. ”That’s... it’s magic?” A stupid question, but all he could think to say in the face of the phenomena.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
"I went crazy fucking years ago, mate." Adam laughed as Coffee lifted up his head and blew out several smoke rings in Peter's direction. It wasn't clear if this was a greeting or a warning but the dragon seemed sleepy and content on Adam, so it likely wasn't intended to be threatening.
Peter was...busy? Well, that made for a change. It seemed unlikely to Adam that Peter was busy with anything good; he suspected that the scarred man did not know how to do anything other than follow grim orders. Probably, someone with a plan and a need for extra hands had found him - a shame, but Adam couldn't babysit every dorky goth in the place.
He loved Peter's reaction to his drinking horn, laughing and nodding. "Fuck yeah, it's magic. Got it back from Ludo like that." Adam patted the wall next to him. "Cop a seat, Pete, and tell me what's got you so busy, then."
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
Peters brows quirked at Adams answer, not sure if he should be concerned or simply take the edgy words in stride. He supposed they could simply be taking about very different kinds of crazy, though the bemused expression on his face remained in place.
”Can it fill up... um, can it be... not alcohol?” Peter wasn’t sure how useful a cup that only filled with alcohol was. It probably depended on how much one liked alcohol, so for him it was next to useless. Still neat, just not something he’d want. ”It’s good you... you got something good.” Hopefully it was worth the faceful of minotaur.
”I was... I joined... there was a uh, a woman...” Peter tried to find the words to explain as he took the offered seat beside Adam, the heels of his feet tapping against the wall. ”I have... I have a family, and... and a new name!” Adam was the first person he’d actually told, and he was surprised at how good it feel to be able to say he had a family.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
06-08-2019, 05:11 PM (This post was last modified: 06-08-2019, 05:12 PM by Adam.)
Adam
"Nah, I got to choose what went in it, and what the hell else am I gonna pick?" Adam laughed. "Water? Nah, if I'm getting a magic God item, I'm having something that'll be fun. What would you get it filled with?"
Talking about fun made him thirsty all over again and Adam took a long drink from his horn before listening to what Peter had to say. As the other man got to the end of his words Adam spat out his mouthful of cider and turned to stare wide eyed. "You got fucking married?! You?! Already???"
It was the only thing he could think of that connected 'woman', 'family' and 'new name'. Peter really didn't seem the type to rush into matrimony, though.{/i}
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
”I would’ve picked something... good?” Peter mumbled with a shrug, obviously disappointed in Adams taste. {aay}”Juice, or... something... something sweet. Not bitter.” His nose curled as he said the word, Pet barely able to refrain from poking his tongue out in disgust.
Peter hadn’t thought he’d said anything too shocking, and didn’t understand Adams reaction one bit. He’d thought the ther man might be... happy for him, or something, but- oh. Adams words shed some light on what he’d thought, an amused snort leaving Pet in response. ”Not married. No, I’m not... no one would do that. With me. Dumb.” All he could do was shake his head, a slight smile on his lips.
”Adopted. It’s... it’s good, and I’m... I am happy.” Peter nodded, more to himself than to Adam, then turned, excited to see the actual reaction to his news.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
Pet's idea of something 'good' being juice really just confirmed Adam's opinion of the other man as childish. He seemed almost like a 10 year old sometimes, too innocent for the scars that covered his skin.
He was surprised when instead of launching into a defense of his new wife, Peter instead told him he was 'adopted'. Leaving aside Peter's insistance that no one would want to marry him (clearly a complex that Adam didn't have the energy for, and he was not planning on ever getting married.) he leaned back, raising his eyebrows.
"...Adopted. Aren't you like, a decade too old for that? I mean if it works for you, whatever, but..." He thought Peter was childish, sure, but this felt rather extreme. "How'd you go about getting adopted?"
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
Peter leaned back when Adam did, testing his balance as keen blue eyes searched the other mans face like he was trying to decipher thoughts before they were given voice. What he saw obviously wasn’t what he was expecting, Peters face and stomach dropping. Shouldn’t Adam be happy for him? They were friends.... were they friends? Peter didn’t know how to tell.
”Not... no, not adopted like that.” Relief cut through Peter, confusion an easier pill to swallow than condemnation. And he could see where it had come from, his phrasing not the best to explain the situation, though he didn’t know any better. ”I... met a woman, Z-Zariah.” Even though she was not near, Pet stumbled over the name, years of instinct telling him he should not say it out loud. ”She asked me some things, and she... we talked, and she... she invited me to join her family.”
Leaning forward, Pet looked away from Adam, out over the fields, his eyes not touching the little farmhouse closest to them. ”It’s like... work, and everything, but I... I have a new name, and things to do, and training.” Even though he was taking about very menial things, it was clear Peter couldn’t be happier with the arrangement. It was familiar, something he could do easily, and it gave him the structure he’d been missing since he came here. And... this was different than before. He could feel it.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
Peter's explanation cleared some things up, but left Adam pretty concerned. He didn't normally worry for people, but Peter seemed especially vulernable and this was rather obviously something shifty. Not one for being subtle, he asked: "Hey, Peter. So do you know what a cult is?"
"Because this sounds like a cult. You meet some woman, she gives you a test, you get a new name and jobs and learn stuff? All that quick?" Adam pulled a face, distaste for the whole situation clear on his features. "Doesn't that ring just the littlest of alarm bells in your head? That maybe this might lead to some fucked up shit?"
Adam took a swig from his horn, not having prepared to warn his friend away from a cult tonight and feeling far too sober for it.
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
”I know what a cult is.” Peter responded immediately, his head cocking in confusion. He didn’t see how that was relevant, but as Adam continued his brows creased, his lips dropping into a coolly neutral expression. ”It’s not a cult. It’s a family.”
Adam did manage to stir some doubt into Pet’s mind though. When it was said out loud, the whole situation did seem to have moved quickly. And now that he was embroiled in it, it was familiar. Though, there were differences. Zariah was demanding, but she’d never been cruel. And Edrei had been nice.
On the surface, Peter looked calm, his eyes fixed on Adam in a steady stare. His hands however, told a different story, fingers picking at loose rocks, a few places on his knuckles bloody from the unconscious action. ”I’m happy. This... this isn’t anything bad. Its what I want.” It almost sounded like he was convincing himself as much as he was standing up to Adam. ”What... what’s gonna be fu-fucked up?”
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
06-16-2019, 01:20 PM (This post was last modified: 06-16-2019, 01:20 PM by Adam.)
Adam
It's not a cult, it's a family.
If Adam could make a list of 'most culty sayings ever', that one would have been top of the list. He would have laughed, if he wasn't actually quite worried for Peter's safety. "That's what they want you to think, but c'mon. How long have you known these people? Y'don't just become family because you decide you are. You're either born with them or you have to get to know them."
His own 'family' back at home, disfunctional and spread far as it was, had been all found, scraps of the streets holding hands over the feeling of being outcasts. But the bonds had developed over time, had not been forced.
"You know, like, today it's nice happy family. Then it's they need you to go get something. Then they make up new rules. Then you need to kill anyone not following the rules. Then you need to sleep with someone. Fucked Up. Shit. That's just how this kinda thing normally goes." He shrugged. "I'm just saying be careful, Peter. You don't just..."
Adam sighed. "I know it's...prolly tempting, right? You want a place to belong here. I get it. But you need to make sure you fall in with the right crowd. It sure as hell ain't me, but I don't think it's this 'family' either."
men, they say a lot of foolish things
And in the end the only words
I can find to believe in are mine
”I can decide. I did decide.” Peter insisted, his hands coming to a rest. After the nervous fidgeting from before, the stillness seemed more unnatural, especially in combination with the unblinking stare.
Without the backdrop of any kind of real family dynamic, chosen or otherwise, Peter only felt like Adam was butting his head in where it didn’t belong. This was something he hadn’t been excited about, that he had been hoping to share with someone’s he had hoped was a friend. It felt like he just couldn’t win, no matter what he did, someone would be unhappy.
Adams examples of how things could get worse drew a humourless huff from Peter, his eyes flicking away from the other man, down towards the farmhouse. ”I do know that kind of thing goes. It’s bad. I... I know.” Peter shook his head as his voice cracked, then turned back to Adam, eyes now glistening. ”This isn’t that. I know.” It wasn’t that he was blind to the similarities, but... it was impossible to escape similarities. If he judged his new family by his previous hells, how would he be able to grow? How would anyone be proud of him?
”You don’t... you don’t know them. And... you just... just said you’re not the right kind. Crowd.” Hypocrisy was easy to point out, and far easier to focus on than any misgivings Adam has managed to seed.
PETER
They don't know you like I do
The little secrets that you keep
I'm gonna haunt your dreams at night
You'll have to hide those kitchen knives
