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!
12-04-2018, 09:47 PM (This post was last modified: 01-07-2019, 10:43 PM by Bastien.)
Bastien had heard from other Outlanders trying to find their way that the place to go to find Naturals and useful supplies was the Settlement. He had been wanting to explore more anyway, bored with his depressing broken home and lack of fun, sexy, bohemian art spaces. Perhaps, he thought, if he bought some of their things and tried to talk to a few Naturals, he might learn more about the place he seemed stuck in.
The stalls were...depressingly normal. Bastien appreciated the familiarity in some ways but also wished they would give him something of interest. He bartered for a piece of fabric, giving away a drawing of a neighbour he had done with some soot on the back of a note left at the bar. Necessity was the mother of good art, he reminded himself, and it seemed to be true in the eyes of the woman who took it for the fabric, which was beautifully dyed and while small, would cover up some of the cracks in his wall.
He was so distracted thinking of how fortunate his find was that he didn't see the girl in front of him at all, not until he had crashed into her, stumbling to find his feet. He dropped the fabric (thankfully just on grass, where it was not too stained) and pushed her forward accidentally, just at the last moment stopping himself from tumbling over too.
Deeply embarrassed, he quickly stood up straight and held out a hand to steady the girl. "I am so sorry, cara mia! I did not see you even despite your beauty. Are you alright?" He bent down to pick up his fabric and quickly bundle it under his arm, more concerned with his new acquaintance. "I do not often act like such a brute. You must let me make it up to you."
Phoebe was busy trying to find a way to get her shop back up and running. That meant she needed supplies…which meant she needed something with which to trade…which meant she was having a hard time. What she had to offer was intangible. Midwives were care workers. She didn’t make things with regularity to use as currency. Fortunately, her foraging in the woods had gone well enough that she had been able to put together some packets of healing and calming teas. It wasn’t much, but that in conjunction with the promise of future assistance (oh yes, you bet she was targeting women vendors and married men), she was managing to pull together some supplies to make her clinic as homey and comfortable as she could.
She was looking through her basket one last time, to make sure she had everything. Fabric, feathers, and sewing supplies for curtains and comfy pillows. Check. Jars and tins for holding herbs. Check. Wax and string for making candles. Check. A sharp set of knives for…
Phoebe didn’t get through her thought. The young midwife made a soft gasp of surprise as she was suddenly shoved to her hands and knees on the ground – fortunately all her sharp objects were encased well enough that she didn’t hurt herself. But some of her things were scattered on the ground and she was quick to try and collect them all, shoving them back into her basket. ”I am so sorry I didn’t mean to get in the way! she said without looking up as she finished gathering her things. Stupid Phoebe, getting in the way!
But the man’s voice caught her off guard…specifically the accent. He sort of sounded like Remi, but definitely not Remi. As she placed the last item in her basket she looked up, big brown eyes wide. Despite her beauty. Had this…very…very handsome man just called her beautiful? The young blonde’s cheeks turned dark red and suddenly Frey’s quest began itching at the back of her mind.
Oh no no no she could not think about that! She still had to speak after all!
”I-it’s okay! It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have stopped in the street like that…” she said as she took his hand lightly and stood. ”But yes, I am fine. Stronger than I look.” she said with a light laugh. She was tall, only about five or so inches shorter than this man, but very lightly built. She knew she looked rather breakable. ”My name is Phoebe by the way…I don’t think I have seen you before?”
Phoebe immediately apologised, which only served to make Bastien feel worse for banging into her in the first place -- but then she seemed to stop and look at him for a moment, her cheeks turning red. He raised an eyebrow, aware he was handsome but not having had that kind of reaction in this place yet.
"Bastien De Rosieres." He said as introduction, kissing her hand lightly on the knuckles before letting it go. "There is no need for you to apologise, cara. You must let me get you something. I could have ruined your cloths...and...other items." Bastien frowned at Phoebe's eclectic basket of items.
"I apologise, but I am infinitely curious. What are you buying all of this for? Some kind of...bedroom?" He had bought plenty of fabrics and sewing supplies himself over the last few days to make drapes and decorations for his church, but he hadn't heard of any others setting up anything similar.
Phoebe was likely more youthful and inexperienced than Bastien was used to. Her innocence lent itself to easy embarrassment. Hence the blush, which darkened as he kissed her hand. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest. Did this man understand how attractive he was? It was literally painful. He probably made everyone else around him look like piles of dirt. And with that accent and his actions? Stop. It was unacceptable how handsome he was, on the verge of illegal. For a moment she wondered if this was a deity pretending to be human, because certainly no mortal man could look so…perfect. ”It is good to meet you, Bastien.” she said, doing her best to not stutter through the sentence.
”No, no, it’s quite alright, it was just an accident! I appreciate the offer though.” she said when he insisted on doing something for her. It really wasn’t necessary. It was just an accident and everything she had could be washed if it needed to be. The curious look on his face did help break some tension though. He asked what she was doing and smiled a little at his guess. ”Sort of. I am a midwife, and I am working on getting my clinic re-opened.” she explained. She was making many bedrooms in a way, as well as an all around comfortable space. Though some of the things she had – the knives and some of the sewing supplies – were more tools of the trade than anything.
Once again she refused his offer of reconciliation, so Bastien stopped insisting. It was rude to keep on something once someone had refused, after all. Still, he hoped that she might join him for a drink at the Rathskeller where he could make sure she was alright (and do some work before the end of the day).
"A midwife? Noble work. Is there any help you need for your task?" He knew nothing about midwifery, but if his church went as planned there could well be a few more pregnancies in town. Besides, it was always good to help the young and ambitious.
"Maybe you could tell me about it on the way to the Rathskeller? I work there sometimes, and I would love to get you a drink. Not to make up for the fall, as you insist. The drinks are free anyways so it shall just be a chance to discuss your craft. Of course..." He looked her up and down. "Maybe you are too young for a true drink. We have some juices."
Noble work. That brought a bright smile to her face. It was noble work and while she didn’t need people to recognize that it was nice to hear every now and again. Especially from men who never required her services personally. Usually only those who were fathers, especially ones whose wives had struggled in labor or during pregnancy, recognized the value of her work. The blonde looked through her basket again and shook her head. ”I think I have all I need for now. Or all I can get anyways. I don’t have much in the way of tradable goods.” she said with a little shrug. It did mean getting things like food was going to be difficult for a little bit…but she would just have to make what she had last.
The Rathskeller? That was…the bar right? A drink did sound nice…and then he made the assumption that she was too young for a drink. She stared at him with wide brown eyes in surprise for a moment, but her expression melted into a smile and she giggled. ”Don’t let my face fool you, I am an adult. A drink would be nice.” she said, still finding it very funny that he thought her a child.
She claimed to have everything she needed; Bastien did not know enough about her business to assume any different, so he nodded and began to walk in the direction of the Rathskeller since they were both done shopping.
"Oh? An adult?" He looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face, not thinking her much older than 16. To Bastien, 'adults' had become older as he had, the bar rising a little each year. "I know it is terribly rude to ask a lady her age, but humour me?"
They passed a building with stars painted around the door at the edge of the domiciles. Bastien paused, looking towards it then at the cloth in his hands. "Before we go to the Rathskeller, I must make a small detour here. It won't be long." With that he walked to the door and entered, using a key that was mostly for show (the lock could be easily pushed in, but he wanted to believe in the people here enough to not replace it).
He held the door open for Phoebe, thinking it rude to leave her waiting outside. Inside there was a fabulous hall with cloths hanging from the ceiling in tones of blues with stars, matching paintings and writings on the wall also in a deep blue. There were chairs and bottles about, clear remnants of a good time had. Bastien seemed to think this all mundane and normal, for he simply entered and placed the cloth on a chair towards the back, then turned to look at Phoebe.
"What do you think, hm? This is my little chiesa divertente. A place for those with music in their souls to come together. It is my project...like your clinic, I suppose. But possibly for less honourable tasks."
01-08-2019, 08:01 PM (This post was last modified: 01-08-2019, 08:01 PM by Phoebe.)
Phoebe smiled as he questioned her age. She knew she looked younger than she was, so she wasn’t surprised by his surprise. ”I am seventeen, though I will be eighteen come spring.” Young, certainly, but no child. Not by any measure she had grown up with anyways. Plus when you spent your childhood learning how to successfully coach women in their effort to bring children into the world, you tended to mature quickly. Well. In some regards anyways.
She assumed the place they stopped was where he lived, and it made sense enough to her that he would want to stop and drop off his things there. He invited her in and she looked around in slight awe as she stepped in. It was a rather mesmerizing place…even if it was a bit untidy. Unmarried men were usually untidy though. ”Chisa-what?” she said with a confused expression. She wasn’t sure what language he was speaking but she definitely didn’t know what it meant. ”It is impressive and…inviting. Comfortable.”[/say} she said with a smile. How could it not be, being surrounded as they were in pretty fabrics. It was like being in a child’s blanket fort on a grander scale. But his last statement confused her. Less honorable tasks? ”What do you mean?” she asked, tone apprehensive.
Now she was regretting coming in her all by herself with some man she didn’t know. Less honorable tasks…like what, killing stupid girls too easily caught up in a handsome smile? True or not, her internal warning bells were going off, so much so she even took a slight step back towards the door.
Seventeen? Old enough to drink he supposed, but not what he'd call an adult. Still, he only smiled politely in response to her answer. Getting into arguments with teenagers was something he already did plenty working with Edrei, and he didn't need to do it more than that.
"Oh, my apologies. Chiesa divertente. A church, but one with a focus on having a good time. I am glad you think it is inviting. That is very much the point." He fondly rested a hand on a nearby table, smiling down at the ground as if congratulating the building itself on the compliment.
But at his words about tasks Phoebe seemed alarmed and took a step back towards the door. Bastien blinked, unsure what the issue was, but he could tell he had said something not to her tastes.
"I do not mean anything unpleasant. Simply the more taboo ends of pleasure." He shrugged, walking past her to open the door and hold it for her, making it clear she was not trapped. "As of yet I have not found any true hedonists here, but I am looking. I promise you my intentions are good, just...not pure. Nothing I expect a girl like you to know of."
01-08-2019, 08:47 PM (This post was last modified: 01-09-2019, 12:33 PM by Phoebe.)
Phoebe looked confused at first. A church…focused on…having a good time? What on earth did he…oh. Her cheeks blazed red again. Apparently, sexuality was an important and very open aspect of the culture in this new place. It was definitely going to take some getting used to and she wasn’t sure yet if everything would be better or worse for it. She changed her mind on that every day it seemed.
As he opened the door she stepped back outside, relaxing a little. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions she shouldn’t have. Well…no. She did jump to conclusions she shouldn’t have. Phoebe felt guilty about it, but he was already moving right along with the topic.
”Nothing I expect a girl like you to know of.”
Well what in heck did that mean!? She recognized her innocence and lack of experience but she wasn’t stupid. ”You don’t become a master midwife without knowing quite a lot actually.” She said, giving her basket a little glare as she adjusted it on her arm. Sure she had never put any of it into practice but she might, technically know more than he did. She had to. What else was she to do when a woman came complaining about a lack of fertility or a lack of drive or what she was supposed to do while her body healed but her husband wanted her? Phoebe knew a lot. Just…don’t ask her to act any of it out with any level of confidence.
”So you worship Frey then?” she said, still a little irritated at his assumption about her. She didn’t know about any of the other deities and if he was worshipping with sex-parties, who else would it be? Briefly she wondered how well that worked out for them, given that Frey’s interests went beyond sex for the sake of it.{/i}
"...Hm. I suppose you are right." Bastien conceded, not having attached the idea of Phoebe as a midwife to Phoebe as a person who would know about all the facts of life. It made sense, and he felt a little silly for not realising it earlier. "I apologise for the incorrect assumption, then. You are simply a picture of innocent youth and I couldn't help the jump, cara."
As Phoebe stepped out, he turned around and locked the door behind them, patting the wood with a warm smile before he left, the pride practically beaming off of him.
The assumption that Phoebe made about his chosen deity made sense, he supposed, from what he knew of Frey, but he thought the stars would have been a giveaway - it did not occur to Bastien that not everyone had seen Safrin.
"No, not Frey. I have never met them...though I am sure they are a fine God. We appear to have similar interests." He chuckled and began to walk, heading towards the temple and Rathskeller. "My church is for Safrin. I met her at the shrine a few weeks ago and...my life is changed. She gave me this gift, see?" He held out the pendant on his chest for Phoebe to look at. "And her beauty had me entranced. I only know one way to do things and I hope it will impress her. She wanted me to spread her name. And well...this way it will certainly be on a lot of lips."
Oh, jeez this very very handsome man really had a way of ruffling her feathers – which was hard because she wasn’t one to get angry even when warranted nor did she have feathers. Well. She did have feathers in her basket. But they could not ruffle sadly. There was nothing to suppose there simply was and was not. She was knowledgeable. She was not experienced. There was a difference. He noted her youthful appearance again and she sighed. Is that all anyone was going to see? A child’s face on a somewhat recognizably adult female body? How was she ever going to complete Frey’s quest if that was all people saw!? ”It is a constant struggle when you look like me I suppose.” she said with a slight frown.
Not that she wanted to look old but…couldn’t she have at least looked like she was of consenting age?
Her brow furrowed when he said it wasn’t Frey. There was more than one deity that called for sex to worship them? Safrin. That was a name she didn’t recognize. ”I’m sorry, but I have never heard of Safrin. What does she represent?” she asked innocently, looking at his medallion with curiosity.
"Do not worry about looking young. You shall yearn for it when you are old." He was fortunate to have handsome and good features himself, but even he had spent time in front of mirrors poking at wrinkles in his skin and wondering if certain parts of his body were less tight than they used to be.
Phoebe asked a perfectly reasonable but very difficult question. Safrin herself had been vague about what was under her jurisdiction and he had simply been guessing at things she might like, using the stars as an aesthetic call simply because it reminded him of her.
"She....honestly, I do not know. But she was beautiful. When she spoke to me I felt that nothing else mattered. Perhaps she is simply an emblem of the divine, of all they can be - the power and the beauty of that which is above us..." Dreamily, Bastien looked up to the sky, still walking with an easy grace. "I only hope my attempts to honour her do her well. Once I have finished this place I shall try to see her again and drink in her presence."
Well good for older her but right now it was a problem. She needed to find herself a boyfriend, someone she could feel the sort of passion with that Frey had instructed her to find. Phoebe nodded a little. ”I suppose so.” she said. She couldn’t hold it against him that he didn’t understand why it was problematic for her…nor did she feel like explaining. She had a feeling it would make things…awkward.
As he started describing this…goddess, she couldn’t help but stare at him a little wide-eyed. So…she was beautiful. Alright then. What else? Everyone had a sense of vanity but surely there was more to her than being beautiful. While terrifying in a way, Frey was also a sight to behold – it seemed likely attractiveness came with the territory of being a divine entity. ”So…you follow the doctrine of a goddess…that you don’t actually know the doctrine of…who has not made clear what their doctrine is…because she is pretty?” Phoebe said a little dryly, still trying to wrap her mind around the logic of it. Even if Frey’s wants were…intimidating to her, at least they made it clear (mostly) what they were about. It was fairly obvious what made them tick. But to follow a goddess just because she was pretty? That seemed…shallow. A bit stupid. The prettiest things could have the meanest bites.
”I am not certain I could support following a deity that does not communicate their purpose. Forgive me, it seems a little foolish to go so far down a path of worship and not truly know if what you are doing honors them. Based on what you have said, you could just as easily be offending this Safrin and you would not even know it.” Phoebe was a fairly logical person. His logic made no sense to her. This goddess is pretty so I am going to sleep with as many people as possible because she is pretty even thought I don’t know that she would approve of that as a way to honor her. At least with Frey and this quest, she knew what she had to pursue to please the deity. Passion, desire, and ultimately an exploration of her sexuality with the object of her passion and desire as a willing participant.
