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!
11-04-2019, 02:34 AM (This post was last modified: 11-04-2019, 05:22 AM by Peter.)
Good time for a change
see, the luck I’ve had
The place Peter had come from was dry, and hot, a city of metal in the middle of a desert. He had thought that maybe, he would like the snow, the cold, the dark, and while it had been fun, for a bit, he was done with it. The Flowerbirth air was sweet, and his day was free, and he found himself walking, away from the settlement, into the blooming wilds.
He had had a thought, over Longnight, about apologizing to the gods. Maybe not to Frey specifically, since he was still afraid of the gods wrath, even as mild as he had experienced it. But it wasn’t in his nature to leave it, even if there was nothing he could do. He needed some kind of approval from a higher power. And what higher power could there be if not the gods? In his own world, he had never put much stock into the gods, but here, they were far more real.
Over Longnight, he had learned some things about Safrin from Amalia, stories and lore, ideas for offerings, and had gathered together things that he could use. The shrine was easy to find, the stones giving it away, and Peter began to pull items from his bag and set them out in front of him. A mirror, stars etched into its surface, a deep blue candle, and a knife, one of the ones he had come with. Once everything was set out, and shuffled his feet nervously, before sighing, and sinking down to his knees.
”Safrin.” He started, before wincing, already feeling like he’d overstepped. ”I-I know... I’m not um... I’m not what you usually answer. But I want to be better. I... want to change.”
Now that she was no longer blighted, the goddess was back to her prideful and dramatic ways. Stepping through a curtain of starlight, she appeared one leg first, followed by the rest of her. She was beauty incarnate but with a dark tinge. There was a blackened secret held in her galactic gaze as she crossed her arms, giving the abandoned a smile.
“You want to change? And what’s that to do with me? You’re already corrupt sugar. Your soul tainted.” What he wanted wasn’t impossible, but nor was Safrin particularly known for simply granting favours.
The words came before he saw anything, and then he couldn’t look away. To call the goddess beautiful would be an insult, to call her terrible would be the same. Peter was spellbound for a breath, his eyes wide, taking in every glittering hint of starlight, then, he lowered his eyes again, his lips silently tracing the words Thank you, thank you.
”I know... I know I am. I p-promise I do.” He offered quickly, once he was sure she’d finished speaking. ”I don’t want anything for... for free. But I don’t know how else... I just... I want to earn something better. I want to work, and... and prove myself to you. Please, I...” Peter swallowed, to try and keep his voice from cracking. ”I don’t... don’t want to b-be hated.”
Narrowing her eyes the goddess slunk forward with a feline sort of grace and predatory intent. Running her fingers through his curls, her long nails scraping along his scalp, she clutched a lock of hair to draw his gaze up from the ground.
"To not be hated. " This was something the goddess could understand. She, after all, was a haughty and prideful creature. To be hated was not unlike death for one such as Safrin.
"When you close your eyes...when you imagine yourself in a life different from this one, what do you see?"
The nails on his scalp would have made him flinch, if he was less used to the gesture. As it was Peter didn’t fight the redirecting of his gaze, though he was clearly uncomfortable to look directly at her. She was so bright it almost burned, and he didn’t need anyone to tell him that he wasn’t worthy of this.
Safrin repeated his words, and if he wasn’t held up, he would nod. A soft breath left him at her question, his tongue coming out to wet his lips, get his thoughts in order. He had dreamed of another life for as long as he’d dreamed, though the specifics changed now and then. He didn’t even need to close his eyes to think about the answer.
”I-I’m not... not like this. Not broken. I... escaped sooner, and I... I was strong enough to help people. To... to not listen, and to fight back.” Peters eyes shine, his gaze fixed on the goddess’ face but distant, a single tear running down his cheek as memories come rising up. ”I see... someone, a... a man, or... me, but I... deserve the people around me. And I can... keep them safe, if they need.” He has no idea if this is what she wanted to hear, if his rambling is even coherent, but it’s all he can offer.
"Safety is a troublesome thing." The goddess mused, stretching out a finger to carefully retrieve the tear from his cheek. Holding up her finger the droplet pulsed against her skin, defiant of gravity. There it grew, and grew, and grew until it was the size of a balloon.
"Before you can save others, before you can be strong or worthy, you must be those things for yourself first." So saying her hand rose higher still, the droplet growing and growing and growing. All at once it crashed down upon Peter, covering and molding around him. There was no air to breathe inside of this sea of his own making. Only Safrin's cool eyes staring at him, distorted by the saline, as she watched.
The goddess hand on his face was enough to surprise Peter out of his upset, his view of her face growing obscured by the blooming of the tear she took from him. He wants to lean back, away from the droplet, the looming planet of water above him. But moved too late. Safrin says he must do things for himself, and before he can ask how, the tear comes crashing down on him.
There is no impact, not like he expected at least, but the air is stolen from his lungs nonetheless, the salty sea warm, cloying. Peter kicks out, trying desperately to free himself, to move towards the twin pricks of starlight that he knows are Safrin's eyes. As he fights, and panics, fear rising in his throat as surely as water tried to invade it, Peter feels hopelessness grip him. It is so close to overwhelming, if he had been at any point earlier in his life, he would have succumbed to it.
Now though, he has reason to fight. Reason to survive. He is choking, lungs burning when the warmth around his fingers changes, the chill of the air touching him again, but... it's strange. He can't quite tell how, but he drags himself towards it, more of him escaping and changing as he fights. And finally, escapes.
He doesn't realize there's been a change at first, just sucks in great lungfuls of air and looks up at her, his mouth opening to ask why?, a low whine leaving him instead. His mouth is no longer his mouth. His hands are no longer his hands, instead now heavy paws, leading up to a furred body. Peter goes still, unsure what to make of this, unsure if he should thank the goddess or cower from her. Maybe both.
Impassively she watches this struggle. She can feel his oxygen-deprived brain flailing against the inevitable. Will he break free in time, or will he drown in an ocean comprised of his own inability to save himself? He is nothing to her, not yet anyways. If he makes his way out, then he will be reborn into her fold. And if not? Just another broken soul, tarnished by magic that was beyond saving.
As he tumbles out paws first, maw gaping in surprise, the goddess grins down at him. Kneeling so that she might be closer to his level, she tilts her head with amusement as he merely whines instead of speaks.
"Well done, sugar." She coos, hands stretching towards the strong jaws to softly stroke his wet fur. As she does starlight falls around them, drying and invigorating him to give him a true sense of the body his mind now commands. "Tell me then. How do you feel?" She asks. Waving her hand the air before them ripples with light, yielding and bending until it is a mirror through which Peter might see what it is he has become.
Even as distressed as he was at nearly drowning, Peters quiets immediately as Safrin praises him, leaning into the hands on his face and looking up at her with huge eyes. He is still confused, but it fades slowly, as he dries, as he becomes aware of the new feet beneath him, of the fur covering him, of the strength and power hidden in all of it. His front paws dance, the smallest expression of excitement he can make.
He wants to answer her question immediately, his jaws opening and releasing a series of yips and calls, nonsense enough that he pauses, and tries again, thinking about it instead of simply acting. I feel amazing-good-perfect. Thank you! Thank you! Even in just his mind, the words move so quickly they trip into each other. Then, he turns to look at the mirror she’s made, a jarring disconnect forming until he moves closer, sniffs after his reflection. This is him. He is... whatever the beast he’s seeing is, and he loves it.
It takes a moment for Peter’s excitement to fade enough that he can turn back to Safrin, leaning up into her, a chorus of thanks radiating from his mind. I’ll be good-useful! I’ll do good! Thank you!
His barks and cries are like music to her ears, and the goddess beams down warmly at him. "Remember this feeling. The triumph that came from your fear. This body is strong yes, but still it is you who wields it sugar. You are attuned to us now, to all life and that bond will only grow the more that you do."
Grinning at him, Safrin nodded and stood. "Some will see you now and fear you for what you are. Some will be curious, others still might hate you. But it is up to you to decide what you will become now. I have opened the door for you into our world, but like with the water, it is up to you what whether you sink or swim in it."
