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!
"Patterns." You reply with a gentle shrug, pulling your eyes away from the birds and focusing instead on him. "Not a whole person. Not yet. Small areas though. If you had a wound, I could freeze it." You could also, say, freeze the area around a heart and kill someone. Or freeze the lungs. This thought has never occurred to you, though. "Not currently, no." As a point of fact, you're only uncomfortable with touches you deem unnecessary: hugs, caresses and for the time being, sexual encounters as well. Perfunctory touches seem alright to you.
"There have been complaints." You acknowledge. You've been run out of places, insulted, hit, ignored, protested against, etcetera. Had Loren met Kai, most of the summoner's worries would likely be eradicated. It would likely happen at some point or another if he kept in contact with Oia. Even if he didn't, Kai was the type you simply got to know.
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
Patterns didn’t really answer the summoner’s question. ”What patterns? Are there patterns to your magic that allow you to predict how it will progress?” There were patterns to his magic, he knew that—though the mutations didn’t follow suit—but he had absolutely no idea how it worked with demi-gods. Again, the only other one he’d met was Ronin, and the two of them weren’t on speaking terms. Oia’i’o admitted that she couldn’t freeze a person and Loren relaxed almost imperceptibly (though the yet wasn’t exactly encouraging). ”How far away can you freeze something. And how long does the freeze last?” She’d released the bird, so he didn't know how long it could hold something in place. No magic was indefinite, though. Presumably there were some limits.
Simply nodding at her comment about not needing healing, the Launceleyn frowned when she told him there’d been complaints about her personality and behavior. It couldn’t have been from anyone in the Hollowed Grounds, or at least he assumed not. She and her twin were new here, after all. ”From people whose judgment you trusted?” Just because people had been critiques didn’t mean they were valid ones.
Then Loren felt a familiar presence approaching and he smiled. Craning his neck, he was inordinately pleased to see Astra trotting up. She was perfectly capable of amusing herself, but unless he'd ordered her to stay home—something he tried not to, since she gave him such sad looks when he ddi—she usually came to find him if he'd been away too long. Normally, she always came straight to his side and he would obediently scritch behind her ears, but this time she went passed him to give Oia'i'o a closer inspection. The summoner couldn't blame her, given who the demi-god's parent was. Instead, he laughed and rubbed the luxere's side. She didn't react in the slightest.
"Yes." You reply, offering the Launceleyn an encouraging smile as if he were a small child finally grasping onto an arduous concept. And in a way, that's exactly what he was like, other than the age. "All magic, abandoned or otherwise, follows a template, you might say. Even though that appear as a result of a mutation still follow a predictable pattern once begun. It isn't an infallible pattern, but has been consistent enough for most predictive purposes." He asks about distance and you consider. "Only a few feet." You reply. Though soon, the range will be more as your strength increases. "I have never kept anything preserved for longer than it takes to study it. Kai can animate things for up to a season, so one assumption might be that my magic lasts that long as well though I have never tested it." Pausing, you nod, and then reconsider, adding: "Our magic works in unison." You explain.
You blink at this response, unsure how to answer. "I do not trust many judgments. Though if a sufficiently large sample size all seem to confer on a point, it is usually worth taking that point seriously as a hypothesis." You reply after a moment's though.
As Astra appears, you properly smile and at once you look all too human. All like a normal girl for the first time. Maybe it is because of your lineage or simply because animals and those with certain sorts of mental illnesses tend to have an unspoken understanding, you absolutely adore animals. This one, a luxere, is well known to you of course. And so instead of taking notes, you simply hold out your hands to embrace the fawnling. Regarding her with bright blue eyes you are content to simply bask in the presence of such a perfectly designed creature until you remember (latently) that Loren is still around. "Luxere have developed one of the most potent defenses against dark magic that exists." You mumble, entirely distracted by Astra's utter perfection.
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
11-04-2019, 01:57 AM (This post was last modified: 11-04-2019, 01:58 AM by Loren.)
there's light at the edge of the darkness
Oia’i’o’s explanation of her magic helped, but it didn’t explain everything. Still, Loren figured she’d have a much better idea of her skills and talents than he ever would. As she continued to speak, he found his fingers drumming that beat on his knee once more. ”Was that by design? Did Rae give you and your twin complementary gifts?” That seemed likely—though again, he was mostly ignorant here—but he’d learned it was always better to ask than assume. It didn’t always stop him, but he was making progress. At the same time, he filed away the information about Kai’s magic for later.
Large sample size or no, the Launceleyn didn’t like her easy acceptance of others’ judgment. ”How large a sample size are we talking about here? And how would I, someone who disagrees with the majority, fit into it?” He found himself smiling a little sadly. ”I have to say, I don’t necessarily agree with you that just because most people believe something that makes it true.” Indeed, his family thought him weak and useless. He’d been anything but. It had just taken time and a different approach than the Launceleyns were willing to take to allow him to flourish.
Feeling Astra’s sheer joy at being held by the demi-god, the summoner beamed at both of them. It was one of those rare and special smiles that transformed him into almost a different person. Though they were becoming less rare nowadays, and he felt pretty good about that. The grin dimmed (though was no less joyous) as Oia’i’o spoke about the luxeres’ capabilities. ”Really?” He vaguely remembered hearing something about that, but hadn’t learned any details or had reason to test it. ”How does the protection work, exactly? And why did they develop that ability?” The thought of predators using dark magic was enough to wipe the smile from his face.
You find your eyes drawn to his fingers, watching as they tap against his knee. The sound is percussive given the skin on skin, and you are suddenly overwhelmed by it. You note every minute change in tempo; in your mind you see the beats stretching out as if on a road. Every time the implicit metronome you’ve created is changed, the road blurs and changes. It’s distracting in a way most people don’t understand. You notice the way even slight changes in where his fingers find his skin changes the sound. How, as his fingers repeat the motion and his muscles grow more loose, how the movement of his fingers change. Often you’re criticized for not being able to focus, but honestly, how can you, with how loud and interesting the world is?
Tilting your head slightly, eyes unfocused on his fingers still, you force yourself to pull away. To swim towards the sound of his voice the way Kai has taught you. ”....yes.” You say, your distraction obvious. When you draw your eyes up to his, you find it hard to keep them there. You want to watch his fingers more. “Twins, just like they are.” You add.
“Alright. Most people do not like talking to me.” You ammend, more than happy to update your language. “I am not sure that I know how I am, in an objective sense. Nor whether such a thing exists. I think how someone is is how they are perceived. The unimportant parts rely on others.” Beauty, humour, being tolerable. All relied on the perceptions and approval of others and largely fell into the category of things you don’t care about.
You don’t notice Loren’s face. Even if you did, you’d likely not pick up on the transformative power of his smile and how it turned him from an awkward nearly naked man on a bridge into a face some might call handsome; you have eyes only for Astra. You press your face against her fur, breathing in her scent and delighting in the sensory experience of her.
“Many dragons have dark magic. And the creatures that live in the swamps too. Places where it is dark and cold and they are often found. So instead of becoming small and dark themselves so as not to be seen, they learned to glow. To shine brightly and repel, instead of hide.”
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
Although Loren was better at picking up on cues than Oia’i’o was, he had to be paying attention. Unfortunately, he often got lost in his own head a lot. It didn't help that he'd just had his entire worldview turned on its head. And then there was another bit of information that it took him an embarrassingly long time to process. ”Like...they are? Rae is twins? Are twins?” The Launceleyn didn’t think he knew that, and was more than a bit confused about both the verb usage and the concept.
Then, because it seemed relevant, he gave the demi-god a slightly sad smile. ”I had a twin brother.” Although the summoner didn’t like talking about Neron, it seemed the least Loren could do. Maybe it would help the two of them bond. Then again, maybe not: Oia'i'o didn't seem to be the bonding type.
Nodding in approval at her updated language, the Launceleyn raised his eyebrows as she continued to talk about how people thought of her. ”What about your self-perceptions? Don’t those matter?” Still, he was happy enough when the conversation swung around to luxere (it helped that Oia’i’o and Astra were clearly entranced by the other, an adorable sight). Well, actually, he was far more interested in the rest of what the demi-god had to say. ”There are dragons? They have magic? Where are there swamps?” Granted, he’d seen the miniature dragons, but he didn’t think they had magic, at least not as the summoner understood it.
"Yes." The whole notion of duality was a rather tired one, and yet it was prevalent in nature. That, and it simply was what Rae was.
"Had?" You ask, thinking you've correctly identified a leading question. Similarities don't really interest you the way they do most people. You like things that are interesting. Having a twin in and of itself isn't interesting. Statistically it isn't even surprising that Loren does.
Briefly you consider this, before shaking your head no. "Certain judgments only exist externally. For instance, I cannot decide how it is others see me, or if I am easy to get along with."
You don't pet Astra the way most people would, don't scritch or fuss. Instead you press herself against her like another luxere would, trailing your forehead down her shoulder and simply sighing against her soft fur. "Yes. Yes. South." You say, almost in a sing-song voice, though only just. Really, it's hardly noticeable at all.
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
Oia’i’o’s matter of fact response about Rae steadied Loren. The god (gods?) were twins. Alright then. However, her question about the Launceleyn’s own twin caused him to smile sadly. ”Had. Neron...he didn’t come to Caido when I did.” They’d never liked each other, yet they’d been family, and the summoner missed his twin, as well as all the rest of his kin, whether they were dead or gone. Except maybe Zariah: she’d turned into a monster, by all accounts, and was coming back, and Loren didn’t know how to feel about that.
”Others’ perceptions matter, yes. But how we view ourselves can impact how we interact with others. And we can choose to accept the view of other people, or try to change it, through our words and actions.” He was probably arguing a point that the demi-god already knew—or didn’t care about, more likely—but it seemed important enough to belabor.
Astra was happy as a clam being held tightly by Oia’i’o. Loren, on the other hand, found the demi-god’s answers entirely unsatisfying. ”Where are there dragons? How do you know there are swamps to the south? How would I get to the swamps?” As far as the summoner knew, all exits from the Hollowed Grounds except for the Greatwood were blocked by some hazard or another and soon the Greatwood would be blocked as well: electrical storms, rock monsters, and Fae, oh my.
"He must not have suited the Voice's purpose, then." You reply. It has never occurred to you to think about what it would be like to not have Kai around. Impossible, you think. You were made to be together. It's incomprehensible that you wouldn't be.
" I don't let how others perceive me change how I interact with them. Other than Kai. He helps me understand." You say. You trust your twin implicitly to lead you through this world, especially since there are things he understands that you don't. As for others though? You have been told to change on any number of occasions, but you don't. It isn't that you like who and how you are, so much as you don't see the point in changing.
"Lots of places." You reply into Astra's fur. "Because that's where they are. By navigating to them. Though with the storms, that will be challenging."
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
Well, if Loren hadn’t already had ample evidence that Oia’i’o wasn’t the most perceptive (about social cues, at least) or empathetic of individuals, that comment would probably have caused him to accuse her of being callous. As it was, he just looked away, trying not to feel too sad about losing a twin brother that the summoner had never liked. ”Guess not. But I miss him, and knowing he didn’t serve The Voice’s purpose doesn’t exactly make me feel better. Why am I a more worthy choice than him? Why not take both of us?” Neither of those were questions the demi-god could probably answer.
Thankfully, the Launceleyn’s fears about Oia’i’o’s self-confidence—or at least her continued insistence that people viewed her as weird—had been unfounded. ”That’s good.” He could probably learn a little bit from her about not letting others change how he acted. For too long, and still far too often, he’d tried to fit himself into the molds others had for him. Hopefully he’d broken that habit.
As she continued to speak into Astra’s fur, Loren gave the demi-god a concerned look. ”Everything alright?” The luxere was totally fine with all the attention, but the summoner didn’t know if this was normal behavior for Oia’i’o or not. ”What environments and regions contain dragons? And how would I navigate through the electrical storms to get to the swamps? He kept having to remind himself that specificity was key; Oia’i’o would answer exactly what he asked, nothing more, nothing less.
"You should ask the Voice." You reply, thinking that an obvious way of gaining the information that Loren was clearly looking for. It makes more sense to you now why he wanted the list of names. It would take some doing, but indeed you could look into it. As it would turn out, Loren would find the answer to his query before you were able to.
Nothing is wrong, you're just a bit overwhelmed by the tactile sensation of the deer and have found absolutely no reason to disentangle yourself from her. At least until Loren comments. Blinking, you pull back to give the summoner a look. "Is my behaviour indicating that it is not?" You ask, not sarcastically as one might think, but with genuine uncertainty.
"The mountains, mostly. To the west of here." You reply, before tilting your head. "A riddle?" Your eyes blink out your pointed uncertainty and expectation. "You would navigate the storms... poorly?" You guess. Much as one might think you like riddles, you don't. They trade on lexical ambiguity and humour that you don't understand.
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
That was a surprising response. Loren tilted his head and gave Oia’i’o a quizzical look. ”I’m planning to. How do you feel about The Voice?” The old gods and their followers tended to have a contentious relationship with the new goddess, so the summoner would’ve assumed that would extend to the children of the old gods as well. The demi-god, however, seemed totally fine with the idea of people seeking out The Voice.
Chuckling, the Launceleyn shook his head at Oia’i’o’s question. ”Not necessarily. I’ve just never seen anyone cuddle Astra like that.” He smiled at the daughter of Rae. ”She’s loving it, though, so maybe I should try it some time.” Indeed, the summoner could sense pure bliss through his bond with the luxere. She thought the demi-god was the best, only second to Loren.
”How far west?” No one had heard or spoken of mountains directly west of here, but then again they were hemmed in by the Greatwood. As she asked if the question was a riddle, then told him he’d navigate the storms poorly, he let out a huff of laughter. Apparently, his phrasing hadn’t been careful enough. He took a moment to come up with a better sentence. ”What, if anything, can I do to navigate the electric storms safely?” Hopefully that was clear enough.
"I don't feel anything about her." You reply. You have many thoughts on the subject, but certainly no feelings.
Nodding a bit uncertainly, you turn your gaze back to the luxere. It's far easier to look into her gentle eyes than Loren's blue ones. Not for any particular reason, other than animals are easier to understand than their human counterparts. They don't pretend, other than as an obvious defense mechanism, and other than a few very rare occurrences, they don't lie. Their intentions are more or less obvious, and normally they are not insulted.
You open your mouth to reply, geography having always come easily to you, before stopping. "That part of my memory is gone. But.." Closing your eyes tightly you hold up your hand. Therein the entire content appears, though it is utterly without form or identifying features. Just a shape. The Hollowed Grounds and Greatwood appear on the east, and then a jagged scar of mountains ripple downwards almost directly through the continent.
"You laugh a lot." You note, opening your notebook and recording that observation. You aren't sure of the reason behind it (little of what you've said can be interpreted as being humourous). "Unclear. I have not inspected the storms, though they have been put there by the gods. Do you have any god-level magic?"
of course it's exhausting, having to reason all the time in a universe which wasn't meant to be reasonable.
Right. No feelings for Oia’i’o. ”What do you think of her then?” This conversation was going to last a long time if Loren needed to ask every question twice before he actually asked the question he wanted the answer to. However, he was getting so much useful information from the demi-god that he was going to keep asking questions until he literally couldn’t think of anything else.
On the subject of useful information, the daughter of Rae’s memory couldn’t supply distances. However, she could do something better: an illusory map appeared, incredibly detailed, even if it was just general forms, and only some parts of it were clear. He made sure to study it closely, drinking in every detail. ”Incredible. Thank you.” Then he gave Oia’i’o a considering look. ”You have illusion magic, then? What other magic do you have?” They’d covered her ability to freeze objects, and he’d seen first hand both that and the way she seemed to blend into her surroundings. But apparently she had more tricks up her sleeves.
As she commented on his laughter, he smiled. ”I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear you say that.” However, he would choose to view it as a positive sign of growth and development and all that good stuff. The smile slipped away as she explained that he’d need god-level magic to part the storms. ”What qualifies as god-level magic? And what would make the gods take the storms away?” Either option worked, really.
