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!
09-08-2019, 05:58 PM (This post was last modified: 09-20-2019, 07:37 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
As soon as Loren had realized that Abasi might be blighted after all, the Launceleyn realized his final Rose might not be safe in the Manor. That was bad enough, but the summoner also felt a growing need to plant it immediately: it was the last Rose he had, and after the encounters with Melita and Ronin, he figured he should find a safe place for it as soon as possible. The command from Vi was also urging him onward, and he could feel guilt and fear gnawing at his gut. All that made his feet swift.
The summoner had retrieved the flower from where he’d stashed it, and tucked it into his belt pouch. That done, he’d gathered his pack to plant and care for the Rose, and turned to go. Both thankfully and worryingly, no one seemed to be home; despite the fact that it was the middle of the day and during Deepfrost, there was no sign of Peter, Beatrix, Jace, Renaud, Aonghas, or Abasi. Most of those people should’ve been home (well, all of them) but at least this way Loren could get in and out quickly, without risking any awkward or dangerous encounters. He was hurrying for the stairs, hoping to be on his way without anyone being the wiser.
The illness had come quietly, swiftly like an assassin; Abasi had been a little sick one day and beside himself with mind-muddled madness the next. Shaking, shivering, finding himself unable to keep down food without it coming back later as a black mess. He had seen much suffering in Eygpt, but never a disease like this.
Not only did he have to deal with coming to this place (something that, despite the soft sheets and life he had carved out in only an instant, seemed to inspire great rage inside him) but he now had a sickness that he feared would kill him before he could discover why he was here.
Stumbling from his room, he felt determined but to do what, he did not know. Just to lash out at something, to make sure that someone was punished for this series of events. Did they not know who he was?
When he made it to the stairs, he saw his benefactor. Loren, looking furtive. As if he was hiding something. Immediately he slammed his fist down on the bannister. "Where are you going?! I have been suspicious for some days now that you are not as generous as you seem. I must know your plan against me." He had said similar things in earlier days but not with such conviction nor anger, the way his eyes lit with certainty looked down upon Loren.
Loren saw Abasi at the same moment the other man saw the Launceleyn. As the pretty boy slammed his fist into the banister, and at the sound of the familiar voice twisted into paranoia, the summoner’s stomach twisted into knots and he felt his body tense. ”Abasi! There you are. I’ve been worried about you.” Though Loren was pretty sure could subdue the other man by force if necessary, the Launceleyn wasn’t sure this was the blight at work, and he wanted to try reason first.
Descending the stairs slowly, he kept a way eye on Abasi, eyes peeled for any sign of any attack or a spell. ”I picked up some medicine for you, from Evie. Remember Evie? I told you I was going to see her. I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as you'd like, and I'd be happy to discuss how to make your stay here more comfortable.” Loren kept his voice low and soothing, as he would if he was speaking to a skittish animal. At the same time, he shot the other man a gentle smile that he didn't really feel.
Loren responded with a happy, indifferent tone, as if Abasi had asked him about the weather. Without him knowing why, this made him even more angry, his hands curling into fists at his side. He struggled to actually reason out the rage he felt, but he knew he felt it.
"Of course I remember Evie. I'm not an idiot." He spat, never having liked being condescended to. Descending a couple of stairs, he began to shake. Partially through weakness, partially through a desire to fight the man. Not that he had ever been prone to physical violence; in fact he usually avoided it at all costs. Perhaps it was a shred of himself remaining then, that stopped him from actually surging forward.
"How could I take medicine you offer me? The last time I took anything from that conwoman I got no better." He gestured to himself, his clammy and pale face, his drawn features. The progression had been drastic in the last two weeks and he knew he looked weak. "You don't know who I am, but if you did you would not dare keep me here as you are. If only my father could see this now." He spoke as if he was delivering great blows, not hot-headed nonsense.
Yeah, this was bad: Abasi was irrational and paranoid and Loren felt his heart sinking. ”I never said you were an idiot. I think you’re quite bright, actually.” Or at least the other man would be, if he wasn’t afflicted by what increasingly seemed to be the blight. There was a way the summoner could probably be certain, but it would be dangerous and he didn’t want Abasi getting hurt. ”We talked about it, and she came up with a new treatment that we both agreed would work.” That was a straight up lie, but no sign of it appeared on the Launceleyn’s face; he’d been trained in spycraft, so lying wasn’t exactly tough for him. It was telling the truth he struggled with.
Loren wasn’t keeping Abasi here, but again, this wasn’t really the other man speaking, or at least the summoner didn’t think it was. ”You’re free to go at any time, Abasi.” Lies, more lies. ”But I thought you felt it was more comfortable here, didn’t you?’ Then Abasi brought up the plan and the Launceleyn held up his hands in a placating gesture. ”The only plan I know of is your treatment plan. You said yourself that you’re not feeling well. I’m just trying to help, I swear.” That, at least, was nothing but the gods’ honest truth.
"Oh, don't smother me with flatteries." He shook his head, disgust in his eyes. "If you think me so bright you wouldn't..wouldn't..." For a moment the blackness that had taken over his soul faded and he looked lost, the sentence falling from his lips and his eyebrows coming together, confusion finally settling in.
Abasi was quiet for the rest of Loren's words, staring as if he had never seen the man before. "No, no, I..." A slow deep breath. "I know...that. I know that. Why am I...my mind is so.." Hands going up to rub at his temples, Abasi sank down to sit on a stair, mumbling to himself, trying to make sense of the fog behind his eyes.
There was a slight pause from Abasi and Loren decided to seize upon it. ”Wouldn’t what?” The Launceleyn’s words came out softly, and he took a few steps and stairs closer to the other man. Although it was entirely possible Abasi was indeed blighted, Loren wasn’t too worried about fending off the other man. The Launceleyn was just worried about hurting Abasi. ”It’s okay. Come on, let’s go have some tea.” And if Loren dosed it with some medicine, well, hopefully the other man would forgive the summoner.
The step Loren took closer almost pushed Abasi into his rage again, his fingers pressing hard into the stairs beneath. But he held himself together on a thread for the moment, looked up and took a slow breath. "...I suppose I could have some tea. I don't...remember when I last ate or drank anything." For the last while he simply hadn't cared.
Shakily, he got to his feet, clinging onto the memory of Loren asking him for tea, needing to remember where it was he was going, which would get harder to recall with every step. "Is this..the sickness? That is spreading through the town?" He thought it likely, and if it was he only really had one thought: At least death would be a swift end to this strange nightmare.
As Abasi continued to, well, not relax, but at least be amenable to Loren’s suggestions he gave the other man a gentle and encouraging smile. ”Great. I think some tea would do us both some good.” As Abasi stood up, Loren went back down the stairs, careful to keep his body turned so that he could keep the other man in the corner of his eye. At his question, though, the Launceleyn paused. ”I think so. But we’re working on a cure, I promise. And in the meantime, please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable.” Hopefully that would be enough to placate Abasi and get the other man to come to the kitchen. All this while, the summoner was acutely aware of the Rose in his pouch: while planting it was still his top priority, he needed to get Abasi squared away first.
"The tea here is probably not like home." The sentiment was half of what he really wanted to say, that it could not replace the smell of the desert herbs and recipes used in his mother's tea, that he had always preferred cold drinks anyway, that he had not often been asked to tea with anyone and did not see it as a relaxing activity. But those things all floated by his sick brain and he struggled to cling onto them, so he only mumbled the one short sentence.
Abasi had almost forgotten his question when he got the answer, but he still felt a cold shattering fear fall through his stomach. "W-well, how long do I have, for this cure? Why are you not preparing it now?!" Suddenly he was yelling again, roughly pulling himself away from Loren and defensively holding up his arms. "Did you give this to me? Where--how did I get sick?! I did not--" Confused, angry again, he closed his hands into fists and this time seemed as if he might actually try to hit his benefactor if further pushed.
There was a bittersweet quality in Abasi’s voice that Loren knew well: homesickness. Even without knowing much about the other man, it was clear that he was hurting. Blight or no blight, the summoner knew a little bit about how that felt. ”Maybe not. But I’m sure we can find something you’ll enjoy.” He smiled softly at Abasi, though it was sad around the edges. The longer the other man thought about his old life, the harder it would be for him to get used to the new one he’d have to make here.
Of course, as Abasi grew angry at Loren’s words, it seemed the other man might never be able to settle down, at least not while he was still sick. The Launceleyn raised his hands once more in a placating gesture. ”I’ve already done my part. Others are working on it as well. I promise, it will work in time.” Lies, all of it, except for the comment about others doing their part. Still, Loren didn’t want to get into specifics; every time one of the blighted had seen a Rose, they’d flown into a rage, so he was afraid to even mention them. ”Hey, whoa it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. Don’t panic, alright? I’m here.” At the obvious distress in Abasi’s voice the summoner spoke soothingly and he instinctively took a step closer to the other man.
Vague promises of 'others' working on a cure did not do much to quell Abasi's rage, which was truly a symptom of anxiety and despair being channeled through the effects of the Blight. But his emotions were fleeting, changing from one second to the next like a melodramatic story. Loren's soft voice and soothing tone made him suddenly feel weak, unsure.
"I...I'm sorry, I.." Where only seconds ago he was going to surge forward to attack, he instead slumped in towards Loren seeking some kind of comfort he would never usually let himself look for. "There is too much happening and I am...I fear I will not live much longer, Blight or not."With these ominous words, he quietened, not moving.
As Abasi slumped forward Loren closed the distance between them. Sitting on the step, the summoner would sling his arm over the other man’s shoulders assuming he didn’t do anything to resist.. ”Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.” However, at Abasi’s warning, the Launceleyn stiffened and turned so he could search the other man’s face. ”What do you mean? Are you sick? I mean, other than the blight?” Loren couldn’t think of any other reason Abasi might believe death was coming for the other man. ”I can heal you.” The offer was immediate and without hesitation: already the summoner was calling upon his magic, though he’d refrain from actually casting a spell until he received permission from Abasi.
"Don't-- Don't patronise me." Abasi warned, but the heat in his voice was the usual irritation he carried, not the sickened tones of the Blight. While he was not one to often apologise, he was also not keen on people pretending he had not done wrong when he had.
That Loren seemed so confused about what he meant confused him in turn. Plainly, he stated: "No, I mean that if this trial continues much..." His head began to cloud over and he paused, took a breath and tried to force his words back. This time, he was successful. "..longer, I shall have to kill myself. Is that not clear? I have no interest in digging myself out a place in this awful world."
