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!
It had taken some work, but Jiao had made what she thought might be one of her finest dresses yet. It was a pale pink, long and heavy, fell on curves flatteringly; gold embroidery covered it in fine flowers and vines that traced the collar and hem of the skirt. If she hadn't agreed to give it away from the start, she would have kept it for herself.
But it was to be sold, for a little bit of tea. Honestly, she regretted the deal a little now, but she was a woman of her word, so she went to the clinic, a wooden box in her arms, and knocked.
When Phoebe answered, she would hold up the box. "Hello! I have a delivery. I want you to try it on."
Phoebe wasn’t expecting any visitors, but she would gladly take them. She had been spending the day making various teas and tonics, replenishing her supplies, as well as some studying and scrubbing every square inch of the building. Why was she working so hard? Well, it did distract her from all the things weighing on her heart. She couldn’t really spare a moment of thought for such sad thoughts or emotions when she needed to be focused on the task at hand.
So she was happy to answer the door to entertain a guest.
”Oh! Jiao! Welcome!” stepping aside to allow the Fae in. She would be greeted by the homey atmosphere of the place, full of warmth and mixed with the scent of fresh fall air and comforting herbs and spices. ”Oh! I am so excited! I will happily try it on. Can I get you any tea or anything too?” she asked, wanting to make a good impression on the woman and make sure she was comfortable.
Jiao was impressed to see a room so nicely decorated inside the space that had once been in the barrier. In her experience humans liked things drab and dull, so to see a cosily decorated space was a nice surprise. She had always been attracted to small, warm spaces.
"Yes. And remember, you promised to pay me in some tea too." She reminded Phoebe, coming in and placing the box down on the table. With a last look around, she sat in a chair with her hands primly on her knees and watched Phoebe make tea. "It's nice in this room. You said you were a...midwife, right? Is this where people have babies?"
Jiao never planned to have a baby, but she supposed if she had to it was a nice enough space to do it in. "Is there anyone...here right now?" Perhaps there was another back room just full of expectant mothers (in which case, she would be making a quick exit).
”Indeed I did, and I have them here!” Phoebe said with a smile, patting a small box on the counter next to her where she prepped the tea for Jiao to drink. She brought the cup to her as well as the box of promised goods. The brewed tea was spicy but sweet, a comforting, calming sort of beverage that warmed one to their very soul. Phoebe opened the box to show her all that was inside. ”These are the teas to help you sleep. Drink a cup about an hour before you wish to go to bed and you should drop right off! But I also prepped these as well. They are aromatics and you can either burn them like incense or put them in a bathing tub to soak in. The scents induce calm and relaxation, and in a bathe can help soothe sore muscles.” she explained with a soft smile. ”I hope these help you.”
”Oh thank you! I’ve put a lot of work into it.” she said with a smile. ”Sometimes people have babies here, though usually women visit me here for check-ups or examinations. Usually I go to their homes to help them through labor. As comforting as this place is, nothing is quite as comfortable as one’s own home.” she said with a grin.
”Oh no, it is just us right now.” Phoebe assured her. She remembered that Jiao was not a particular fan of babies, and did not want her to worry that any would suddenly appear in the clinic.
Jiao took the box gladly, opening it and smiling as various pleasant scents reached her. She liked pampering things, things that smelt good and made her feel luxorious. "Thanks. They smell good. Do you use these yourself...?" It did cross her mind (in a sort of silly, hypothetical sense) that a human's goods might not be entirely trustworthy. Or at least, that was the sort of thing Delah would say.
She was assured that no babes or mothers were in the building, so she felt comfortable enough putting down her tea after a sip and taking out the dress, now that there was no risk of...fluids getting on it.
Lifting it up and out of the box, she let the skirt tumble down, but not touch the floor. The pink colour was caught in the light of the fire and windows, giving it the appearance of shifting, changing colours. "So, this is what I made. It should make anyone who sees you want to give you anything you ask for." She claimed with a little smirk.
07-14-2019, 09:05 PM (This post was last modified: 07-14-2019, 09:06 PM by Phoebe.)
Phoebe
Phoebe smiled and nodded. "Yes, sometimes I do." she said happily. "Though, usually I give them to my patients or friends who need help relaxing or sleeping. I especially like that incense for the winter, or cold rainy days. It just makes everything feel cozy and warm." she added, pointing out one in particular.
The young midwife's brown eyes widened, and she gasped a little, her hands rising to cover her mouth. "Oh, Jiao..." she breathed, clearly blown away by the dress she held. "Oh it's gorgeous!" The pink - her favorite color - was spectacular and the way the gold embroidery shimmered in the light was truly a work of art; and she could see how the stitching curved in just the right places that it would emphasize a feminine figure on even the straightest of builds. But as Jiao had said before, it did clearly have quite the plunging neckline, which did make her a little worried...but it was so beautiful she was pretty sure that outweighed any discomfort she would feel.
Gently she reached out to touch the fabric, still in awe over it. "Where should I wear something so pretty?" she said with a light laugh, feeling the dress outclassed her humble lifestyle.
Jiao always loved to see positive reactions to her work, what craftsperson didn't? She smiled as Phoebe took the dress and gasped. It was too rare she got to make beautiful pieces for women; often her job could be quite boring, patching up knee-rips in pants or fixing jackets. To make something that was arguably a piece of art by itself was a honour, even better now that it was appreciated.
The question made her laugh. "Wherever you want, duh. Do you think I only wear my nice dresses to events? No! You wear it in your room if you want, out to get vegetables from the market. Whenever you want to feel nice." She drank some tea and smiled, the words genuine. She had never been shy.
"You should try it on to make sure it fits." She instructed, waving her hand towards Phoebe.
”Oh!” Phoebe said, clearly never having considered that before. Wearing such a beautiful dress just…because? She wasn’t sure she was that bold but…maybe she could come up with an excuse or two toe wear it around town. With a nod she rushed back to one of the little private rooms she had for patients, changing out of her current dress and into this exquisite piece.
There was no mirror there though, but fortunately she had one on the wall at the bottom of her stairs, a nice full length one too. She hurried out in front of it and gasped. It fit like a glove, making her appear to have curve where she usually didn’t, her tiny waist emphasized by the cut. The deep neckline was a bit much for her, though surprisingly flattering. Since she wasn’t particularly well endowed, she appeared even more dainty and delicate, her collarbones more on display than anything.
But suddenly a wave of emotion hit her, and tears rose to her eyes. She had thought she would wear this dress for Emmett, to pretty herself up for him sometimes and make him proud to have her on his arm. But now…she had no one to wear it for. She bit her lip, trying to shove her emotions back down but found herself overcome with sadness. ”Oh Jiao, it’s so beautiful.” she managed, voice cracking slightly.
