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!
Loren gave Rexanna a puzzled look. ”What room?” No one had ever mentioned a room that could let Ascended feel normally, at least not to the Launceleyn. Then again, that was hardly surprising given that he’d only just gotten back, and had other concerns on his mind. The sheer amount of information he’d gathered was still proving inadequate, and it didn’t help that every question he asked was like pulling teeth. Hopefully he’d catch up eventually. But probably not, given how distrustful everyone seemed to be of him (rightfully so) and how busy they all were on things far more important than educating a woefully ignorant man.
When she mentioned that she was fast—but apparently not jaw-droppingly so—the summoner felt a bit of relief. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, he did. But anything that moved that inhumanly fast, especially a predator that drank his blood, would give him pause, no matter how benevolent it was. ”We should test it some time.” Realizing that he’d gone into that weird analytical space he occasionally slipped into where he forgot to consider other people’s emotions, he flashed her a guilty look. ”Uh, assuming you’re okay with that, of course.” Remi’s words about how the Launceleyn came across as cold and unfeeling echoed in his ears. It was more true that he knew and he couldn't seem to break the habit.
As Rexanna spoke, Loren remained mostly silent. Still, her words confirmed what he’d suspected: The Voice wasn’t this evil creature out to destroy the world. If anything, her actions in lashing out (if she’d even actually lashed out), were completely understandable, if not entirely justified. He too knew a little about being trapped. ”For what it’s worth, I didn’t believe what people were saying about her. I told them they were afraid and ignorant, and that it was blinding them to the fact that all they had were guesses and conjecture, but...I am not exactly in a position to change anyone’s mind about anything.” Not even himself, let alone The Voice.
He asks which room she speaks of, and she gives him a somewhat sly glance. “The room at Lily’s.” She says easily. It’s the only place she knows of that allows them such a gift. Certain that it’s a gift from Frey to enjoy and indulge. But she comments little more on it before she’s telling him how fast she can run. Her head tilts at the thought as he suggests testing it sometime, and she nods along.
“We should.” A quiet agreement. Until he asks if it’s okay and she lets a quiet hum of laughter leave her lips. “Yes, I think it would be a good idea. I’m still pretty unfamiliar with my new body.” She says with a shrug, glancing to him again. She almost wants to tell him what her body feels like now after the bite, after the blood has intermingled with her system. With how she wouldn’t go out of her way to constantly bite people because she’s feeling sluggish and slow now, an awkward kind of hangover feeling she can’t exactly articulate.
But she still hopes he doesn’t think of her in such a way.
She’s almost thankful when the conversation shifts to the Voice, but she’s uncertain with his thoughts on her goddess. And so she remains quiet while he mulls it over and thinks about it. But what he says relieves her a small amount and she nods in agreement. “I have been severely punished for misunderstandings and coincidences based off of conjecture.” Another small admittance. “I prefer to get the truth before the pitchforks.”
Loren had met Lily at Rexanna’s wedding planning party. However, he had absolutely no idea what the blue-eyed woman was saying about the red-headed woman’s room. ”Again, I find myself asking, what room?” If anything, his curiosity had been even further piqued by the mystery of this strange room that Rexanna seemed to think was so-well known she wasn’t bothering to explain it.
Thankfully she agreed that testing her abilities would be a good idea and he flashed her a fleeting smile. Although it had been a long time ago, Loren had at one point fancied himself a scholar. He knew better now, knew that he was mostly just a fool who needed to learn more than he was capable of, but experimentation would still be fun. Unlike most people, it seemed the summoner actually liked to find out the truth. ”I’m sorry you experienced that. Hopefully we can do something to dispel people's misconceptions. And I do too. Like finding out what's actually going on, that is. Seems to me there’s been a lot of torches lately and not nearly enough discussion.” Some of it could be laid at the feet of the blight: it made people not themselves, prone to being paranoid and irrational.
But some of it was pure dumb prejudice and ignorance.
He asks what room again and she can’t help but snort a bit at the need to know. Did he want to go? Was he looking to avoid it? Either way, she imagines she should probably tell him, and she gives him a light smile in response. “Lily, from the planning party. One of the back rooms of her home is… almost like it’s enchanted?” She hums lightly, giving him a sly glance before they walk and the conversation shifts.
She nods to him regardless, before a light frown crosses her face and she shrugs lightly, the parasol bobbing over their shoulders while she does so. “She isn’t really helping the case much by not telling us… or giving us a way to help.” She admits. As much as she loves her goddess for the freedom she has been given, there’s a part of her that wonders at what the deity is trying to do, what she stands to gain. “Aside from the wedding, I’ve been trying to keep a low profile.” She admits quietly, glancing back over to him. “But I am always willing to have a conversation with people, it’s just that I don’t think many people are willing to, back.”
Loren had pretty much figured out that there was something special about the room, given how long this back and forth with Rexanna had taken. However, hearing that it was enchanted was less than helpful. ”Enchanted to do what?” Somehow, he’d forgotten exactly how they’d gotten onto this topic to begin with, but now that he knew Lily had an enchanted room he wasn’t going to stop asking about it until he figured out exactly what it was and how it worked.
Then the conversation moved towards a mystery of another kind, and one of a much more serious nature. ”Well, we have a way to help. Hopefully.” Vi’s Roses were just that, a way to help, though it was basically like specialized praying. Hesitating, the summoner gave the blue-eyed woman a curious look. ”Are you certain that the blight came from The Voice? Did she say something to confirm that? Because everyone I’ve spoken to has just been hypothesizing.” If the goddess herself had spoken, however, Loren would be very interested to know about it. ”That’s fair. How are you feeling about the festivities?” Probably stressed: most people were, going into wedding, not that the Launceleyn had all that much experience with soon-to-be married folks. ”For what it’s worth, I’m always willing to have a conversation.” His voice came out softly and tentatively—and he knew it probably wasn’t strictly true, given his predilections towards shutting people out—but he meant it.
Somehow, Loren has forgotten what they are talking about, and Rexanna can’t help but to look away from him. If she could have blushed anymore, she certainly would be flushed. If for no other reason than what they had experienced with the bite. But she swallows hard, shrugging her shoulders. “Enchanted to have sex.” She says as bluntly as she can, glancing over to him with an amused smile.
Still, she nods when he mentions that there’s a way to help. That’s all she’s wanted, an attempt, an idea to help make it easier after experiencing it first hand. She’s not as afraid this time, far more cautious, but she doesn’t think she’ll be panicking this year. At least not in the way she had last year.
And so she regards him when he asks if it’s the Voice. And she shakes her head quietly as if to say she doesn’t know for sure. “No, but she hasn’t denied anything to us as far as I know.” She admits, though the fault is on her for not going and asking first hand. She doesn’t know, doesn’t want it to affect the wedding. And for it all, she gives him a light smile when he questions her. “A bit nervous because of all the blight that’s around, but not nervous about the event itself.” She says lightly. Her wedding in Asciend had probably been the most stressful one. This one? She knew everyone there, everyone involved, and she felt no real need to worry. All would be right, all would be well.
“Well, anytime you want to chat I have two ears to listen and a mind to stretch.” She jests, but she means it. If he wanted to talk, she was there to contribute, to think, to expand.
At Rexanna’s words Loren blushed a furious crimson. Now that she laid it out in such clear terms, he remembered how they’d stumbled upon this conversation to begin with. That, combined with his experience of the bite from earlier, left him completely and totally speechless. ”O-oh. R-right. Sorry.” He definitely wasn’t going to ask any further questions, and he was resolved to stay far away from Lily’s room.
So it turned out his suspicions were correct, and no one really had conclusively tied the blight back to The Voice. Loren sighed, and glanced over at Rexanna. ”Not denying something hardly makes someone responsible for it. And I can imagine The Voice might not want to answer to those who must seem so small in comparison. That’s especially true if all we’re bringing are accusations, given how long she was imprisoned.” The summoner wouldn’t respond well to such questions if he was in The Voice’s position.
”Don’t worry. There will be plenty of people there to make sure the blighted don’t make any trouble for you.” Loren included: anyone who attempted to interfere with Bastien’s and Rexanna’s marriage would get a face full of monster. However, the summoner didn’t want the blue-eyed woman worrying about that. ”I’m glad to hear all the planning is going well then.” Granted, the Launceleyn had helped with said planning—so he had some idea what was going on—but he had always assumed people would be way more stressed about a wedding. Maybe Rexanna was just a much less neurotic person than Loren. Granted, that was a low bar.
The offer to talk startled a smile out of him, though it faded quickly. ”Thanks. I appreciate that.” He probably wouldn’t take her up on it (what with still not feeling like he really belonged in the Hollowed Grounds) but even knowing she was open to it was nice to hear. For now, at least, Rexanna was willing to spend time with him, it seemed. He’d probably find some way to ruin it, but for now he’d just accept it for what it was.
She nods to him when he apologizes about asking about the room, and she snorts in response. “It’s fine.” Because it is fine, she doesn’t particularly care if he’s forgotten what they’ve talked about. He’s endured quite a bit today, and if her memories from being in the same position are any consolation, she knows it takes a lot out of you. And she needs to ensure he gets home and eats something to regen what he’s lost, even if she hadn’t taken much.
But she looks ahead when the conversation shifts, and listens as he mentions that the Voice might not want to respond to the accusations, and she nods in agreement. “It’s different from just simple speculation. It’s… Argumentative. I don’t blame her.” She says lightly, brows furrowing as she considers it all. “She’s been locked up for a very long time, through generations of people. Perhaps that’s why we don’t age.” She hums thoughtfully, getting off track, before she focuses on him again with a light smile.
He tells her nobody will intervene at the wedding, and she nods, uncertain where in her life she deserved to have such wonderful people as her friends… But she’s thankful for it. “Thank you, Loren.” She tells him honestly, earnestly. It means the world to her, and she hopes it conveys through the simple words she’s given him. “I think we’re just basically ready for the day. I’ve made Bastien’s ring already… I hope he likes it.” Her shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug before she looks back over to him as she tells him she’s there to talk and listen too.
Or hell, even a shoulder to cry on should he need it.
“You’re welcome.” She tells him simply, matter of factly, with a smile on her face. “I don’t need to sleep, technically, either. So if you wanted to drone on for hours I’m willing to.” She tries to lighten the mood with a joke, uncertain if it falls flat or not.
Hopefully it was fine, but even if it wasn’t the summoner definitely wasn’t going to keep talking about it. Besides, their conversation about The Voice was much more interesting and important than a sex room. While he wasn’t going to speculate about the goddess’ motives—or why the Ascended didn’t age, though he filed away that tidbit for later—he still found that he had questions.
Well, actually, he had one question in particular. ”Could...could I talk to her?” While Loren didn’t really know what he would say, if anything (assuming The Voice would even answer, given his status as an Abandoned), he always felt that it was better to go directly to the source rather than listen to baseless rumors and gossip. And unlike many others in the Hollowed Grounds, he had almost no preconceived notions about the goddess of the Ascended.
”Of course.” Rexanna’s thanks was surprising, and he answered automatically: obviously Loren, at least, was not going to let anything put a damper on the bride and groom’s happy day. Even if he couldn’t ever imagine himself loving someone and being loved in turn enough to get married, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help others find their bliss.
In fact, it seemed the least he could do, after all the romantic troubles he’d caused. Then again, maybe that was a reason for him to steer clear of others’ relationships.
Recognizing that line of thinking wasn’t going to lead anywhere either of them wanted, he firmly turned his attention back to the blue-eyed woman. ”I’m sure he will. And even if he doesn’t, he loves you.” So it shouldn’t matter if the ring was ugly, or if there was no ring at all; as long as the two of them were happy with one another, the rest was just window dressing.
As she offered to listen to him for as long as he might need, he smiled a bit sadly at her. ”I don’t know that I’ve ever felt the need to talk about something for hours, though I’ve definitely felt tired before.” Actually, he felt tired pretty much all the time. ”But thank you. I really appreciate it.” Even if he was quite unlikely to take her up on the suggestion, that didn’t mean he wasn’t grateful.
He asks her if he could meet her, and Rexanna’s gaze drifts over to him consideringly. She doesn’t see why not… it wouldn’t be any different than her bringing him to Frey when she was still Abandoned in the hopes of spreading their name. And with it, any form of hopefully good information would be beneficial for them all. So she gives him a gentle smile and nods. “I can take you to her some time.” She agrees quietly, stepping along the snow to the path toward the Manor.
His automatic response to her thank you makes her smile, and she nods with it, reminding her of days past with the common sayings and nonchalance most nobles tended to give. But she doesn’t comment on it, because she’s done it time and time again too. Still, she appreciates it deeply, especially when he comments that Bastien would love it regardless, and her fingers idly rap against the parasol. “He better or he might be surprised to find some fire beneath the ring box.” She jests with a quiet snort.
Not like she’s actually planning on it. She thinks she knows the artist well enough to know what he’ll like.
But she tells him they don’t need to sleep, and that she’s all ears as they round the corner in view of the Manor now, and she glances over to him when he responds. Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. “You never know when you might need somebody.” She adds easily. Eyes drift up toward the Manor with far less apprehension than the last time she had visited. “Have you fixed the window in the bathroom yet?” She asks quietly, a small amused smile on her lips — thankful it’s something she can joke about now, that it doesn’t leave a bad taste in her mouth.
Well, that was an unexpected answer, and quite a relief: Loren was used to people being both unwilling to provide information and to having to do pretty much everything on his own, so Rexanna’s offer was incredibly welcome. ”Thank you. I appreciate that.” His relief and appreciation were hopefully clear. The only god the Launceleyn had met was Frey, and the god of love wasn’t exactly easy to get answers from. Maybe having a second person there, one who The Voice actually liked, unlike the Abandoned, would improve his chances at finding out something about the goddess’ motives.
He knew they were getting close to the Manor, but strangely enough, he found himself dragging his feet. Despite the earlier awkwardness with the bite, the evening had taken a surprisingly pleasant turn. Perhaps that was why, when Rexanna joked about what she might do if Bastien didn’t properly appreciate the ring, the summoner gave her a brief grin. ”Just say the word and I’ve got any number of nasty critters to send after him.” Obviously he was joking—he had met the blue-eyed woman’s soon to be husband and quite liked the other man—but Loren knew where his loyalties lay.
She was right about that. Of course, the issue with Loren was less not knowing when he needed someone, and more his tendency to stubbornly refuse to reach out when he knew he needed help; he wasn’t used to be able to rely on people, so he usually didn’t, even when they offered help. Still, Rexanna probably didn’t want to hear any of that. ”True. I’ll keep that in mind.” At her question about the window, he shook his head. ”I was planning to barricade all the windows for LongNight, so I figured I’d get to it then.” Hesitating, he gave her a tentative smile. ”Until then, well, you've got a way into the Manor at all hours if you need one, and don’t want to use the front door for some reason.” It was his awkward way of saying she was always welcome in his home.
“Mhm!” She hums to him, offering him a smile. It’s the least she can do for her people. And besides, she thinks she’s relatively well liked — if everyone were out to hate the Ascended, perhaps she could be the face to make it easier for people to deal with it. But regardless, her head tilts as he almost seems to slow his pace, and she matches him, chatting away about Bastien being met with fire should he not like the ring she’s made for him.
It’s easy, though, the conversation. And she hums a light laugh at his comment. “Ooooh, how tempting.” She winks, imagining some sort of monstrous beast chasing after Bastien and nipping at his heels. But it’s all in good humor, and she relaxes a small amount more as he opens up, as she comments about the window — passing over the thank you, that he’ll keep it in mind. She doesn’t know if he will, but the conversation is shifting and she’s enjoying where it’s heading.
Her dark haired head bobs in agreement to his statement, boarding up the windows would be good — important. And why make more work for yourself when you could just take care of it all in one go? She likes the way he thinks. But with his next comment, she looks back over to him with a brow raised, an amused smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Well, I didn’t get a good look of the place the last time I was here.” She contemplates, reading between the lines. “Hope you’re ready for surprises!” She jests with a laugh. Not like she’d act on it, but the comment is too fun to make.
Bastien already knew a little bit about what Loren could do, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve that no one had seen yet. However, best to keep them there until he absolutely needed them. As Rexanna joked about surprises, he smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. ”Not really. Full disclosure, the last person who tried to surprise me got a manticore to the face.” That wasn’t an exaggeration: Remi had jumped at the summoner and he had reacted instinctively. Rubbing his hands together nervously, he gave the blue-eyed woman a chagrined look. ”I was kind of...trained to respond to threats with overwhelming force.” That was the kindest way to describe what his family had done to him and why he reacted so poorly to unexpected occurrences.
He comments that the last person to surprise him got a manticore to the face, and for a moment her mind races with it. When she had used Loren’s magic, she had to think of what she wanted to appear in order for it to do so… and with a surprise, to quickly think like that, why would he have gone straight for that?
Unless….?
Oh.
She glances to him with a raised brow, thinking of Remi and the blighted pumpkin, where he had shifted into that giant creature — then after when she had bit him, her first time, and flew with him along the winds of the fields. But she doesn’t say his name, wondering deep down what her close friend is doing these days with a sick husband and a wedding to help put together, and a lost lover returning (memories gone or not).
But his comment draws concern in the pit of her stomach, and she flashes him a gentle fanged smile, hoping it helps. “Oh, no surprises like that.” She begins. “I was thinking random snacks or blankets that weren’t there before. But since I told you it’s not a secret anymore.” Her smile grows broader, while deep down she wonders further what the Launceleyns had the man beside her endure simply for family.
