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 had bumped into Oliver on the way to the summoner’s latest excursion to the Greatwood. One thing led to another, and now they were both shifted (him into a honey badger) and headed towards Ludo’s Woods. The trees there were reddish, and every now and then, they’d stumble upon a lantern. Luckily, the Launceleyn didn’t spook easily.
Thanks for tagging along. There was a great deal of gratitude in that thought, but also a distracted quality. His eyes and ears were trained on their surroundings, and his nostrils flared at every new scent. All in all, he was completely alert to their surroundings, trying to ride his instincts rather than letting them control him.
Bumping into Loren hadn't been too much of a surprise. He and Loren tended to gravitate to the same locations, be it to help others or simply to live their lives. It had become a norm to see the other man outside of the house. The real surprise came from when Loren actually told him where he was going. Obviously, Oliver wanted to go eventually to the Greatwood and one thing led to another and off they went!
He didn't know too much about Ludo, but that didn't mean he was fearless, far from it. Seeing random lanterns that appeared to have no purpose only creeped him out even more. Walking next to the badger, Oliver's ears remained alert. He assumed that Loren would be able to cover smelling duties, so instead he could just focusing on listening for anything. No need to thank me. Hell, I should be thanking you. It's my first time ever coming here.
His small paws padded against the ground as the two journeyed deeper and deeper into the woods. He was curious to know Loren's full reason for coming here, but decided not to ask. Oliver could tell how distracted the other man was and decided not to bother him too much. So instead, his ears remained upright and attentive, searching for anything that may cause them any harm.
They continued on in companionable silence, though Loren could sense Oliver’s unease. In contrast, the summoner just tried to project a warm and comforting aura through their mental link. Don’t worry. I haven’t ever seen any predators in the Greatwood. He tried his best to make that thought reassuring, though he remained wary of their surroundings.
At the other man’s response, the Launceleyn glanced over briefly. It’s my first time in Ludo’s Woods as well. We’ll be fine though. If nothing else, he had a great deal of confidence in his ability to keep those and those around him safe from physical threats.
It was the more insidious ones that kept him up at night.
The little waves of positivity and warmth from Loren do actually help to calm Oliver down. What he doesn't entirely realize is that as an attuned, he had been projecting his emotions. So hopefully Loren is pleasantly surprised to receive a small, pleasant shot of emotions back towards him. One that signifies that Oliver has once again calmed down. What helps even more is Loren pointing out that the Greatwood has no predators. Really? Damn. That's fantastic! Then....why was he on such high alert?
Turning his head to look around a bit as he trotted along, Oliver sent another little question towards his friend. I'm about to sound so stupid....but why exactly are these called Ludo's Woods? Is it because the area reminds people of the god? Or is this where the god resides?
12-24-2019, 01:32 AM (This post was last modified: 12-24-2019, 01:33 AM by Loren.)
LOREN
Actually, Loren had not said that exactly, but he was an empath, not a mind-reader unless the thought was specifically sent, so he just sent another pulse of warmth and comfort in response to Oliver’s excitement. Glad you think so. There was the barest undercurrent of amusement, but mostly it was contentment at stretching his legs and getting to explore a new place.
However, the other man’s question was a good one. Sadly, the Launceleyn did not know the answer. No idea! There was a cheerful quality to the thought. But those look like burial lanterns, and the ground by the trees looks a little bit like freshly dug graves. He jerked his chin at a lantern and at a pile of dirt as they passed it. There was also the scent of old decay in the air, though he didn't mention or point that out.
12-24-2019, 01:47 AM (This post was last modified: 12-24-2019, 01:49 AM by Oliver.)
OLIVER
Okay, maybe Oliver has a bad habit of misunderstanding. Or messing up. Or getting in people's way. Or in general fucking things over, but that's fine! Everything is fine. He and Loren can just enjoy their pleasant little walk through the forest. The emotions Loren continues to send only soothe the little fox even more.
Though, the excitement soon drops as does the happiness. Once Loren actually points out the things he had been ignoring, well....Oliver becomes very uncomfortable. The smell wafts forward and he stops for a moment, clearly taken aback, before he continues on, trying to hide his response. Still....he feels weird, uneasy. He's always been uncomfortable with death. Not able to really handle finding out someone died or really being around dead people. Are.....are they freshly dug graves? Part of him is in denial because surely, not that many people could be buried here.
The little fox starts to walk a tad bit closer to Loren, searching for that comfort. What exactly are you here for?
As Oliver grew slightly unnerved by their surroundings, Loren immediately flooded the bond between them with a soothing pulse. Hey, whoa, it’s okay. The summoner’s thoughts were as calm and steady as he could make them. No. They’re almost all old graves. A few animal burrows. I imagine this might be the Fae’s version of a graveyard. But there was no threat, and the Launceleyn tried to project that feeling towards Oliver.
As the fox wandered closer, Loren bumped the other man with an affectionate shoulder, careful not to put any real force behind it. Just seeing what's out here. I didn't get a chance to explore the Greatwood before, what with everything else going on. The summoner kept walking, radiating calm. We can turn back if you want, though.
Wait...how could Loren tell he was so nervous? It shouldn't be that easy to read a fox, like, come on. It's not like he's shaking or anything, which he wasn't. There is a nod of his head as he agrees with Loren, deciding to ignore that confusing bit. It was going to be okay. Loren was here, they would be safe. Okay....I thought this was like a mass dumping ground or something, not a possible fae graveyard... That did help him to calm down a small bit, but mostly that was thanks to Loren trying to soothe him.
But to hear that he might be the reason why Loren stops the adventure? Fuck. That'd actually be really shitty. Hey, I didn't say I wanted to leave. There is a pout to his voice, showing that despite being afraid, Oliver didn't actually want to leave. I've never been to the Greatwood. I want to explore, see what there is here. Yeah...maybe this place is creepy, but who knows what it could hold. Of course, they could also go and check out other parts of the Greatwood. Oliver simply didn't want to leave, he wanted to continue exploring.
Loren’s amusement was evident, though tinged with a bit of sadness. No. Not a mass grave. Have you ever actually seen a mass grave? There was a hesitancy in the summoner's thoughts for so many reasons: Oliver's memory was spotty, the fox was already nervous and this topic probably wouldn't help, and the memories of war were hardly happy ones. Still, the summoner did his best to radiate serenity, a serenity that matched the woods the padded through.
He glanced at Oliver. Then the Launceleyn sent a pulse of understanding and agreement through their mental link. Alright. We'll keep going for now. Let me know if you change your mind. With that, he continued to lead them on a winding path through the trees with reddish bark. Are you still getting used to being an Attuned? One of the perks of being what they were was that they could hold a full conversation without making a sound. So he kept alert, eyes and nose and ears peeled, even as his thoughts strayed.
There is a softness, one that hasn't really come out too much around the other man. Yes....I couldn't tell you the context, but I know for sure that I have. He could vaguely remember the incident that caused it. It wasn't a typical mass grave, but it was basically one. A massive incident where no bodies could be found, simply a massive area that people were too wary to build on. When someone did....bad things happened. The emotions he felt weren't necessarily bad. He wasn't abundantly sad nor scared, more thoughtful but also respectful. He was gentle, as though he wanted to show the dead as much respect as possible.
His mood shifted easily, showing he wasn't too hurt by these thoughts. They happened when he was younger and he had already grieved, leaving him to simply feel a bit hallow when talking about it. I'll let you know. Loren was always so kind and respectful. Whether or not Oliver actually deserved it was debatable. He kind of felt like a potato that just sucked up resources and wasted a room. Then again, Loren hadn't kicked him out so maybe he wasn't being too much of a waste.
Oh....yeah. Yeah I am. He was snapped out of his thoughts and was starting to become upbeat once more. {say}It's so weird....a little while ago I was almost attacked and my instincts just kicked in. Like...my body and mind just knew automatically what to do. He was still overwhelmed by the sensation even now. To know that his body had even more of an idea of what to do than him. Also....I hear way more than I probably should in this body. And there's the joke in him. You could practically hear the grin in the voice, the teasing tone.
Loren was mostly silent as Oliver explained, though the summoner did his best to continue sending warmth and reassurance to the other man. I’m sorry to hear that. What kind of bad things? The Launceleyn tried to keep his thoughts quiet, not wanting to interrupt Oliver’s flow of memory too much.
Simply pulsing acceptance and understanding at the other man, Loren felt his eyes drift to a particularly elaborate lantern. Still, amusement bubbled up and flowed through his bond at the mention of losing control. It happens to all of us. Attuned just have it a bit harder. I personally have found that meditation helps. He shot a glance at the other man, along with curiosity. What do you mean? Hearing too much didn’t seem like a problem, hence the summoner’s confusion.
There’s a shake of his head and he looks down, focusing on his own feet as he continued to walk. Well...once there was a fire. Nobody got hurt, but it damaged the building. Then after they repaired, a completely different part of the building had a wall collapse. People have heard sounds...lost things have wound up there. Nobody uses it for shelter because of how you feel when you enter it. Oliver knew to stay away. It was for the best.
Turning to look back at Loren, he tilted his head. Could you teach me how to meditate? I think it’d help me a lot. Seeing as they shared a home, they should be able to easily be able to meditate sometime. I can hear so much. I don’t want to eavesdrop but sometimes I just do. It’s so awkward what I hear. I feel invasive as hell.
12-25-2019, 01:28 AM (This post was last modified: 12-25-2019, 01:29 AM by Loren.)
LOREN
Staying quiet again as Oliver recalled and recounted what he could of the haunted building, Loren made sure to pulse comfort at the other man when he finished telling his story. Did they ever figure out what the source of the problem was? Then the summoner shot the fox a tooth grin, honey badger style. I’m glad your memory seems to be coming back, at least in part. There was a great deal of excitement for the other man in the Launceleyn’s mind.
The excitement only grew, and was joined by enthusiasm. Absolutely! But you’ll have to be patient. It’s easy in theory, incredibly difficult in practice. As Oliver explained further, Loren’s eyes wandered to the fox’s enormous ears. Well. Can you move your ears at all, maybe shut out sound? Or earplugs. Alternatively, I’m sure you’ll discover more shifts soon. They continued to weave through Ludo's Woods, a quiet contentment falling over them.
This....is where Oliver struggled. A disgruntled growl left his throat, frustrated with himself once more. Why the hell did he always just draw a blank? Certain parts were missing, preventing him from ever figuring out the full picture. It didn't hurt him to focus, just frustrated him to no end. I don't know...maybe it was haunted or cursed....I feel like maybe we had magic where I came from or something like that....since I knew what a unicorn was and I know what dragons are. The fox shakes his head, once again unhappy with himself. He'd be able to remember situations or small portions of his life, but never any names or faces. Maybe someday he'd be able to sit down with someone and actually say every single little story that came to mind...then maybe they'd be able to bring something out or piece together where he's from. Still, Loren seems to have hope or is at least proud of him. Yeah, me too. Remember how bad it was when you first met me? Gods...now, well, now I can remember so much more. Many of which he hadn't even told anyone yet.
Loren's enthusiasm continued and Oliver couldn't help but feel happier himself. It was simply so contagious. I'm okay with things taking a while. I wanna learn meditation, absolutely. Maybe they could do it one morning at the manor. That...could be nice.
Oliver was a bit surprised by the next question. My ears can move, yeah, but I still hear everything. Just to demonstrate, Oliver proceeded to try and move his ears in everyway he knew, which included letting them press against his head to simply moving them so they're no longer facing forward. I hope I can get another shift soon....maybe a bigger one or one that can fly. I mean, I'm really cute and I also love getting scratched, but I cant help but imagine what the next shift could be.
