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 found himself pacing outside the door to Remi’s workshop. Astra watched the Launceleyn walk, a concerned look on her face. For his part, he was almost completely unaware of his surroundings as he took a few steps forward, halted, turned, and repeated. There was a nervous look to him, as if he was a wild animal about to flee. However, he stopped, took a deep breath, then faced the door.
Raising one hand, he knocked with a confidence he didn’t feel. ”Remi? It’s Loren. Can we talk?” His voice came out evenly, but he found himself holding his breath. Once he realized, he released it and clasped his hands behind his back. Of course, then he remembered the door was open and he pushed it open and nearly rushed inside. ”Are you here?” He peered around, eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the slightly dimmer exterior and looked for the alchemist.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
Completely lost in thought, the alchemist hardly heard the knock at the door. Given how many came and went at any given time, and perhaps importantly because it wasn't his guild anymore, Remi didn't even think to answer it. Only the familiar sound of Loren's voice that echoed through the large room made the alchemist stop what he was doing and glance up. Offering the summoner a bright smile, he waved him over.
Not seated at his workbench but instead on the floor, a number of things floated around the alchemist's head, fitting themselves together in various arrangements as he stared at them.
For a moment, Loren and Astra both just stared at the objects being constructed and deconstructed above Remi’s head. Then, though, the summoner shook his head and approached. The luxere stayed where she was, though she looked around the shop, a curious expression on her face. For his part, the Launceleyn knelt by the alchemist. "Do you need help with anything?" Loren's voice came out softly.
However, before too long, he bit his lip. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Shifting so that he was seated in a cross-legged position, he tilted his head. His expression was as patient as he could make it, but there was a troubled look in his eyes. "Actually, I could do both at once." The corner of his lips quirked up.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
"So very many things." Remi quipped back, glancing up with a lightness in both his expression and his tone. But then as Loren bit his lip, a habit becoming ever more frequent, the alchemist fell silent as a softly confused expression etched itself across his lips. "Uhh, the—" Moving various objects aside to give Loren space, the alchemist tilted his head skeptically.
"Good and bad at once, huh? Sure. That sounds like you." Remi add with a sly smile. "Go on then."
In love? Engaged? Cursed by a god? King of the Hollowed Grounds? Honestly with Loren, it could be almost anything.
Loren smiled, though it was a bit distracted. ”Well, I’m not a thinker, but I still think I’m supposed to help you with a wheel. Assuming you still need help with that.” Shrugging, he ran a nervous hand through his hair. ”Er, well, what I mean is, let me know what I can do to help, if anything.” This time, the summoner’s smile was a bit more certain.
Staring at Remi for just a moment, the summoner finally nodded. Then he shifted. Giving the alchemist an open-mouthed and toothy smile, the honey badger felt a fierce pride and joy course through him and accompany his thoughts. This is the good news. However, it was quickly replaced by sorrow, which he also sent along to the other man. Zariah came to take Beatrix and Jace away.
The Launceleyn found himself pacing, his claws clicking against the floor. She also disowned me and threatened to kill me for being a traitor. He was not at all bothered by her threats. Still, a snarl escaped despite his best efforts.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
Snorting, Remi shrugged with a playful helplessness as he glanced at the assortment of things around him. It was all hard to explain, and not for the first time Remi thought about what it would be like were the summoner actually an attuned. Never would he have guessed what an apt segue those thoughts were.
As Loren first began to shift, the alchemist knew immediately what it was he was seeing. A bright thrill of surprise and delight flushed through him as he stared down at the small badger-like creature. Feeling Loren's thoughts however was perhaps more of a blow than the alchemist expected, and he found his breath catching in the back of his throat as his lungs stuttered slightly. It was a sort of intimacy that the alchemist shared with many, but with Loren it seemed..well, something.
All of this of course flooded outwards from his mind. Remi had never been one to block his thoughts and feelings from his fellow attuned, and now that Loren was one, he was privy to the bright sea of the alchemist's mind should he feel along the mental tether into it. Welcome to the club. Remi thought back with a crooked smile, his mental voice far warmer and more thickly accented.
Quickly though Remi's smile faded away as Loren continued. "Disowned you? For what?" There was no surprise in his voice, he'd seen Zariah recently and assumed she'd go to find Loren. Then again, given Beatrix and Jace were hers, perhaps that wasn't surprising either.
11-18-2019, 07:44 PM (This post was last modified: 11-18-2019, 07:44 PM by Loren.)
Love mends even the broken parts
As the alchemist’s feelings washed over the Launceleyn, he halted and turned wide eyes towards the other man. Then Loren shook his whole body. Uh...thanks. The simple words were underscored with a great deal of gratitude, and his own welcoming and acceptance. There was a bit of his own delight and joy in there as well.
It faded aways as he resumed pacing, the nervous energy needing to be burned off. His own mind was open now as well, his anger and frustration with his cousin practically boiling over. I'm a traitor for abandoning her and the rest of the family. Glancing over at Remi, Loren finally forced himself to come to a halt, though his claws scraped slightly against the ground in an unconscious motion.
The other man's lack of surprise finally sank in. Turning sharp eyes on the alchemist, the honey badger snarled again. She came to see you, didn't she? The summoner started moving once more, intending to do a full circle of Remi to check for any sign of damage.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
"Ahh, yes." Remi said with a slow nod, rubbing at the bridge of his nose as he looked down at Loren with a curious expression. So the whole bit about her...just leaving the children to go and do the Voice's bidding..that was all...fine? This Remi said silently. It wasn't as though the guild was overly full just now and with all the noise it was hard to eavesdrop. If nothing else, it had always been easier to speak wordlessly.
Raising a brow as the new hybrid circled him, Remi had to tug in a breath as his predatory instincts snarled beneath the surface. Indeed Loren would feel the alchemist's primal unease at having another predator behind him, as well as the mental focus it took to keep his heart from racing and claws from appearing on his fingers. You know she did. He said with a grim nod. She treats me as though I am someone to be toyed with. Remi added with a dark mental sigh.
More than a bit confused by Remi’s words, Loren gave the alchemist as curious a look as a honey badger could muster. It helped that the feeling accompanied his words. What do you mean fine? Then the summoner shook his whole body and resumed his circle around the other man.
Which halted as soon as the Launceleyn sensed the unease wafting from the other man. Spinning around, Loren began pacing in front of Remi, the honey badger's need to run combining with his own nervous energy. You're not. The swift and fierce response was mixed with an anger at Zariah's audacity. She told me my days were numbered. I told her she wasn't in charge, and that her stint as head of the family would only last until I bested her. Which he was certain he could do, and he tried to convey that certainty to the alchemist.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
Sarcasm. The alchemist replied gently. What you did was...well, you know what it was. But you had no children here. Zariah had two and left them with her Peter and left the grounds to Edrei, and, from what I hear, without much of an explanation to anyone. The point being that while Loren's leaving had hurt him, he wasn't a child like Bea and Jace were. If Loren was guilty of abandonment, what did that make Zariah?
Humming a silent note of thanks as the honey badger stayed within eyesight and relaxing noticeably, Remi nodded in agreement. A mental wince and sadness rippled out from his mind a bit though; the only reason he knew he was no longer her plaything was because he knew the limits of what he was capable of. Murder and violence no longer unknown to him, and that fact humbled and saddened him considerably.
Everyone's days are numbered. Remi replied with a wry smile, clearly unimpressed by the threat. What came next made the alchemist frown deeply as he stared down a the small predator. Head of the family? You mean to...continue the Launceleyns? His silent words seemed to emphasize the capital L; the Launceleyns had a family structure unlike any Remi had seen before, a devastatingly unhealthy one.
Settling onto the ground, the honey badger’s nostrils flared. Beatrix was scared. But not surprised. In fact, Beatrix was happy to see Zariah at first. Letting out a little growl, Loren tried to project the image of his half-sister's worried eyes as Zariah took Beatrix and Jace away. She always seemed to know that Zariah was coming back for her, though. He thoughts grew sad, then, and he whined.
Loren was similarly unimpressed with Zariah’s threats. Still, he was silent for a long while. When he finally sent his thoughts to Remi, they were filled with sorrow and resignation. I have no wish to continue the Launceleyn legacy. Pausing, the summoner gave the other man a determined look. But if defeating Zariah in a one-on-one duel is the only way to get her to submit, and free the rest of the family from her tyranny while opening up Halo to everyone in the Hollowed Grounds, then I will do so.
Standing, he began pacing, needing to burn off the energy he could feel coursing in his veins. But only if it is the only way. And regardless, I will never submit to her. From the fear in his mind, it should be clear to Remi that the summoner was very much afraid it was the only way.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
Listening, Remi ran a hand through his curls as his head moved slightly from side to side. Children would think their parents would return to them; Remi had plenty of times.
Do you really think that if you bested her, she'd back down? I would be shocked to know she had the honour to bear that out. However as Loren continued, Remi raised a brow. Loren. The alchemist said looking pointedly down at the smaller creature. You are doing it again. "Again" meaning needlessly positioning himself as the hero in the story; the only savior available.
So...how is it you are a hybrid now? Remi asked, tugging in a breath.
Letting out a growl, Loren found his thoughts turn dark. No. But at least the rest of the family will not follow her. As Remi looked down, though, the honey badger grumbled, before flopping to the floor. It's not the same. However, his thoughts were uncertain. I don't know of another way to show my family there's a better path, at least not while Zariah is still poisoning their minds.
Letting out another grumble, he tilted his head so he was staring at the alchemist. I've been wrong before, though. So I'd welcome your suggestions. There was more than a bit of embarrassment as well as gratitude in the Launceleyn's thoughts.
The embarrassment stayed, though it was soon mixed with joy. Frey asked if I would fight or flee. I said fight, and I fought off their attempts to get me to run. So they blessed me with this form. Falling silent for a long moment, the summoner finally sent an apologetic pulse to the other man. I should've asked you how you became a hybrid. So. How did it happen? If you don't mind telling me. He looked away, the hesitation apparent in his mind and his body language.
Remi Abruzzo & all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
It...does not seem as though they are following her now. And I would think it would be their choice, either way. The alchemist counselled gently. There was world within the realm of the Launceleyn's that he was obviously ignorant of. Be that as it may, this was not Northaven nor Northwind. If the two adult Launceleyns wanted to find a different path away from Zariah and Neron, there was an entire community of people who would help them do that.
Glad that the honey badger took the alchemist's point in a way that made him merely grumble rather than stalk off with anger, Remi pulsed a note of gratitude towards the smaller creature. Just this: it is not up to you to open the way to Halo, even though those with your blood are running it. No one expects it of you and you should not expect it of yourself. As for your family... Shrugging his shoulders and folding his fingers together, Remi tried on a smile. Fighting for dominance seems to be the way of the Launceleyns. Perhaps...in order to over come it, you need to find something else. You cannot fight fire with fire and then expect anyone to see you any differently.
Raising a brow at Frey asked, his discomfort sparking brightly between them, Remi silenced his mental outburst to listen. Ah....and do not take this the wrong way...but what are you? Remi asked with a crooked smile. He'd seen many a creature in his travels, but nothing quite like what Loren was now. Close, but not nearly the same.
"Ahh.." This the alchemist hummed out loud. Frowning and squinting up at the ceiling, he let his unhappiness flow from him. Not at having been asked, but because the process had been so awful. Not a blessing, but a curse. He replied with a grumble, curses having apparently become a bit of a thing for him. It was Ludo, not terribly long after you would have left, I suppose. It found me in the woods and lured me to a swamp with an image of my mother. Remi's heart pulsed heavily in his chest, grief and despair coating his mental words. I thought...since others had apparently come back from the dead when we arrived here, that perhaps she was there too. A feather appeared in the alchemist's hands, that he anxiously twisted back and forth. Anyway...Ludo tried to get me to kill myself. When I did not it made me watch my father drown my mother, and then cursed me for my inaction. That was also the day I became a lion. He added, scratching at the back of his neck. I nearly killed someone that night. A man who found me half-shifted, mad with what Ludo had done and what I had seen.
