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!
Well the news has hit, and its sunk deep within him, mask replaced and shadows beneath his eyes like he had been the months before arriving here in Caido. This time it was harder, he couldn’t just escape, remove himself from the memories of her, of places where she’d been. There were no fresh starts, not yet anyway. And he finds himself wandering to at least one he couldn’t remember seeing her face at.
The Woodland.
He comes in panther form, Haai left at home, and he spends the time giving into the panther’s instincts, letting it override his own as he hunts. It’s late, dark outside but his feline eyes make it easy to spot the occasional rabbit, the occasional deer. Yet none seem appealing just yet. He continues on for some time before he grows tired of it, giving up eventually After a bit more time spent finding the perfect tree, he leaps up into it and lays against the branch, head on his paws to survey from above.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Loren had been looking for Sunjata for a while, but it quickly became apparent that the other man was not in his usual haunts. Someone, however, had mentioned seeing a panther making its way to the woods, which was why the summoner was shifted into a honey badger, long legs easily carrying him through the forest.
There were tufts of dark fur, prints, disturbed plants, signs his new instincts told him to pay attention to. Then they disappeared. However, yet another instinct nudged his mind and he sniffed the air. There was a big cat here, close, and Loren raised his head, easily spotting Sunjata against the lighter wood. Hey. I've been looking for you everywhere. The honey badger's words came out more concerned than anything else. Mind if I join you up there? Without waiting for a response, he began climbing, his claws easily sinking into the bark.
He hasn’t been aware of much as of late, least of all the fact that the summoner has been looking for him. There’s been more important things running across his mind in the end anyway. Still, he’s surprised as he surveys from above, watching the smaller badger as he scouts for scents, for tracks, before he finally looks up and spots him. Sunjata’s head tilts away from the badger, deciding for a moment he might just try to ignore him. But it doesn’t work like that.
He’s been looking for him apparently, and he lets his tail drop from the branch as he stands along it to face where the badger comes from. What is it? A straight question, none of the fun and easy banter they always seemed to share, no pulse of amusement or pleasantries. Just a vast emptiness that comes from the panther, silver eyes shadowed, haunted, lingering on the badger.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Without pausing in his upwards climb, Loren sent another worried wave towards Sunjata. I saw the note on The Notice Board. About Lusea. I was worried about her, and you. Although there was another matter the summoner wished to discuss with the panther, for now, the honey badger's thoughts just held a gentle concern.
Something in the other man's man was giving the Launceleyn pause. He'd learn to trust his new instincts, so instead of crawling onto the branch Sunjata currently rested on, Loren crept onto a nearby branch, close enough to see clearly but far enough that they could not touch. Settling down, he looked up at the panther with a steady gaze.
He can feel the worried sense that Loren sends to him, and he wishes to shy away from it, to ignore it, pretend it doesn’t exist as it adds to his own unsteady feelings. And of course, the mention of the notice board doesn’t help much. His head turns away from Loren, a feline sigh leaving him as his tail curls back around the branch. He supposes that perhaps he should be up front about it, as much as it hurts to say it. It’s the first time he’s telling anyone, the first time it falls from his lips that she’s gone again.
At least this way he can just send it over, think it over rather than feeling the words mull over his tongue again and again. She’s gone. He begins, trying to keep it short so the feelings don’t tumble through the bond, but he knows that it’s not a good enough answer, and his ears flatten against his skull as they flow through anyway. A certain kind of hurt, heartbreak crossing the distance between the panther and the badger. She’s dead. Again.”
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
For a moment, Sunjata’s words didn’t register. However, then the full impact of them sank in and Loren’s claws gripped the branch, cutting furrows in the bark. Gods. Sunjata, I’m so sorry. The words were overshadowed by the grief and support the Launceleyn sent to panther in equal measure.
Then the summoner sprang into motion. It was simple enough to cling to the trunk again and transfer himself to Sunjata's branch. Loren would press himself against whatever part of the panther was closest, assuming the other man let him. All the while, the honey badger would radiate comfort and sorrow. Coherent thought failed him, so he just tried to convey to Sunjata that the other man was not alone.
His ears remain flat against his skull, his head turning away from the badger even further as his words, as his support reach him through the bond. He’s never known what to say when people apologize for it, he’s never figured it out. Somehow, with his luck and this curse of his he wonders if perhaps he should start learning, so it’s second nature by the time the next one happens. Because it probably will. She went to Halo, apparently. He rumbles across, wanting nothing more than to disappear into a small speck of dust as the badger moves forward.
Loren’s on his branch now, and Sunjata doesn’t move an inch, and he can feel the badger as he presses himself against the side of his blocky head, another feline sigh leaving him, steel eyes shutting closed. I… Don’t know why she would have gone. Delphia assumes a Frost Giant got her, I think that's what she said. He doesn’t even know what it is, but a throaty growl leaves him at the thought of the creature snatching her. Gods, Loren, it’s harder the second time. I wasn’t there for her this time.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Loren pressed against Sunjata's head. As the panther's eyes closed, the honey badger lifted his own head and nuzzled against the other man's cheek. All the while, the summoner did his best to continue sending comfort and support without letting his own sorrow leak over as well. I'm here. Finally, the Launceleyn voiced his thoughts, and he sank as much emotion as he dared into them.
I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Loren shifted so he was curled up against one of Sunjata's legs. You are not alone. Reaching out with a paw, the summoner stroked gently against the other man's fur. It's not your fault. The honey badger's thoughts were quite certain about that.
Loren tells him he’s there, there for him and throughout the throws of feelings that overwhelm him, opening up old scars, and he can’t help but wish to shy away from that too. He remains silent, absorbing the feelings that Loren sends, the words that are said. Again that he’s not alone, that it’s not his fault. But what if it was? What if he was just this… black hole that absorbed and destroyed those that were close to him?
He remains still while Loren leans closer, adjusting against his leg, and his side twitches lightly beneath the gentle touch of the summoner. Everyone that gets close to me, dies, Loren. How is it not my fault? I’m the only common thing between them. It’s the only reasonable thing he can think of. Him.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
No. There was a fierce intensity in that single word, and practically everything within Loren rejected Sunjata's statement. It is not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for their deaths. The honey badger shifted until he was able to look into the panther's eyes.
The world is a cruel and dangerous place, filled with capricious gods and monsters, both nonhuman and human alike. Taking a deep breath, the summoner let it out with a huff. You don't know where Lusea was going, or why, do you? Nor do you know if you being there would've made a difference. You might have died as well." A spike of grief shot through Loren at the thought.
Perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised by the no that he receives, and yet there’s a part of him that still is. Shadowed eyes slip toward Loren as he shifts into his view, ears wavering, flattening slightly. Hadn’t it been? His mothers, Lusea’s, so many of the rebels that had been like brothers and sisters to him. He didn’t even know if his own blood related sister is still alive.
Still, he remains silent when he mentions that the world is cruel and dangerous, but it doesn’t help the feeling any. Doesn’t help the emptiness that settles within him. There’s a hollow feeling of a laugh that shifts toward the honey badger next. I’d have rather it been me. He sends to Loren, keeping his eyes on the badger. She died twice now. What had she ever done to deserve that, of all things? The thought makes a snarl erupt from his throat, but it's not directed at the badger. Directed at life, the gods, the terrible luck, the curse that's simply him.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
No. This time, the word had even more force behind it. Don’t think that. Don’t ever think that. The summoner let out a little growl, though it wasn't directed at Sunjata, or at least not exactly.
Then Loren forced the anger aside, replacing it with a compassionate understanding. I know what it's like to want to sacrifice yourself for others, others you feel are more worthy than you. Sorrow began building with each word. What it's like to see others die and you live, when you're convinced that it should've been you. The honey badger took a deep breath. But the best way to honor those you loved, and who loved you in return, is to keep living, and to live your life to the fullest.
There’s more force behind Loren’s no this time, and his ears flicker, waving in a slight hint of uncertainty. Don’t ever think that? It’s been a common occurrence in his mind for years, since he was seventeen, since it all started, since the snowball began to grow bigger and bigger into a boulder that blazed a path wherever he’d gone. But he doesn’t comment on it, instead he keeps the quiet sorrow, those feelings, close to himself and hoping none of it spills over into the bond they share.
The mention of sacrificing himself for others does feel truthful, with the way that Loren had been the one to stand in the way and burn the Rathskeller down. The way that when he had gone out over LongNight to inspect the Luxere, that he had been the one to open the door and get him back in. His head shakes slightly, denying the fact that he could ever honor anyone. He had nothing to offer. What did anyone even see in him? How. It comes out flat, eyes narrowing on the badger. What do I even have to offer anyone? I’ve done jack shit since I got here. Aside from breaking hearts and… Well, that’s mostly it.
when i'm sober, would you stay?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The honey badger rumbled with disagreement, in both his mind and body. By reminding yourself that even in the darkness, there is still light and good in your life. Still something worth living for. Loren nuzzled his cheek against the panther’s, trying to send a soothing pulse along with his thoughts.
You kissed a goddess. You’re opening a new bar. Then the Launceleyn felt a bit of amusement bubble up, though he kept it carefully walled off from the other man. It was easy enough to do, given that mostly Loren was feeling grief. You're head of a thieve's guild, which has to mean something." Again, the words we underscored by all the comfort Loren could send Sunjata's way.
Then, though, the comfort faltered. But I get it. I get the feeling like nothing you do matters, like every action ends in disaster, like everything you try to do just makes the situation worse. The summoner's thoughts turned dark. Maybe we can figure out a way to make a difference together though? There was a tentative hope in the honey badger's offer.
