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!
The chiding felt like a smack in the face, but sometimes that was what someone needed to get their head straight. Phoebe stiffened, eyes gazing down as her emotions suddenly pulled back into line. She took a deep breath in through her nose, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I'm glad you're not sick." she said quietly. Failing was not Failure. She knew she should know that by now but it was a lesson she clearly needed repeated a few times. Such was the struggle of those who put too much responsibility - needed or not - on their shoulders.
"No." she said without hesitation. "I am not giving up." Even if she wasn't successful, at least she was doing something. She had to. She had started. She wouldn't just drop it. She couldn't. "Do you know where in the Greatwood it originated? I'll go right now." she would keep observing it, keep taking samples, maybe even find some unfortunate creatures she could study. Where the first areas of sickness showed up seemed a good place to find a lot to work with.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
"Well, then off you pop." Frey said with a weary nod that might have also held the shadow of a smile. "I said you could ask me questions. So far I haven't heard one." They added.
And then of course, she asked one.
"The big tree." Frey said, without hesitation. "The one the Fae believe might have once been a goddess, centuries and centuries ago."
The cloud lowered slightly more so that Phoebe might peer into the god's face. They looked agitated and exhausted. "You humans act like the world is yours to save. It isn't. Stop putting that burden on yourself honeybunch. If I ever hear you say you failed everyone again, I'll wack you so hard your won't be able to sit down for a month. And not in a fun way." A bit of their old humour resurfaced, but only just.
The big tree that might've been a goddess...Phoebe nodded, storing the knowledge away. Pim by now had floated back down and skidded to a halt at Phoebe's side - which may or may not have resulted in some scratched from his claws on the slick floor. He trilled up at Phoebe and daddy Frey, rubbing his head against the midwife's leg. Wherever she went, Pim was sure to follow to protect her, as he was meant to do.
Phoebe frowned a bit at the sight of Frey's expression, feeling guilty that she may have been the cause of their frustration. She tried very hard not to be a burden, to be helpful, and when she fell short it was hard not to feel like a failure. But clearly, that was the sort of self-denigrating behavior Frey did not wish for her to cultivate. The reappearance of their humor, even in a small way, did help her feel less so though, and she smiled ever the tiniest bit. "It's hard not to but I will do my best not to." she promised with a little nod.
"Is there anything I can do to ease what troubles you?" she asked, resisting the urge to reach out and take their hand. It was a human gesture, Frey had said, and since her human self-burdening was already irritating them she didn't want to grate on their nerves further.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
"Mm, help me figure this the fuck out." Frey said in a voice that sounded serpentine and weary. "It isn't on you to solve it, but that's what I need right now. Answers. Information." Absent from that list was whining, tears, and the mortal need for approval.
Frey had much bigger fish to fry. Much bigger, lest they be the one fried.
She nodded, taking in and exhaling a steadying breath. She had to focus on that. Answers. Information. She might not be able to solve it, but she could get at least something. Phoebe bit the inside of her lip to resist the urge to apologize, remembering that Frey didn't particularly care for them. "Okay, I won't bother you again until I've found something else." she said with a little determined nod.
Sensing her determination, Pim roared proudly. He didn't quite understand what was going on - or did he just not care because he was a dragon and so he felt indifferent towards saving the world? - but he didn't need to. Determined was good!
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
