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!
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
Sam was, in a word, exhausted.
Not only had Ronin brought down the temple and caused his foot to become a slushie, he'd spent weeks fending off criticism about his Goddess and all his choices related to her (did any of the other Ascended receive so much ire about it, he wondered? Was it just that he seemed soft enough to listen?) and was beginning to become very jaded indeed. In a way, it was filling him with a new, stronger version of confidence. One made partly of spite.
There was still something that nibbled at the back of his brain, though. Something, or, someone, he'd heard mentioned a few times: The Prince. A pitiful child of The Voice, apparently, left to rot in the underground. Maybe it was true, but he couldn't trust the word of the Voice's detractors (equally, he could not necessarily trust The Voice) - he had to see for himself. See who this person was, see if he could help them. See if they could be redeemed.
So he set off into the Underground, hoping to meet this Prince. "Hello? My name is Samuel. I'm an Ascended, like you -- I'm looking for 'The Prince'?" He yelled out into the dark a few times, hoping to catch the attention of this mysterious figure and assure them he was friendly.
You materialize (read: walk up) silently behind Sam (read: ...actually pretty quietly. Who'da thunk?), who you do not actually know, standing on tiptoes to peer into the darkness as though this will somehow give you the ability to see what the stranger is searching for. You aren't close enough to be creepy, thankfully, and your lantern probably gave you away before you could freak him out too much, but it's definitely not your smoothest approach to a stranger in a dark labyrinth of tunnels under the ground.
It's just that you're far too curious about everything to care.
At least he'll be met with a very, very innocent smile and eager gaze if he turns around, instead of, I don't know, your twin's blank stare or a monster or something. You're just a kid with wild hair and a thirst for knowledge and a tragic lack of social skills and a bunch of mushrooms blooming merrily from behind your right ear.
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
So far, Sam's search had been fruitless, only the cold walls of the caves appearing before him along with his own voice echoing back into his ears, a reminder of how alone he was in the underground. Perhaps this Prince was a story made up to smear the Ascended - it would hardly be the first time he'd seen people bend the truth to make his Goddess look back. Of course, the Prince could be real and just not want to see him...he sighed and resolved to walk on further.
That was, until he saw a light appearing around him from behind. Stiffening, Sam wondered if he'd attracted the attention of the one he'd come to see. He turned slowly, anxiously, waiting to see a beast or a hideous vision of his future...
Even though Kai was much better than either of those things, Sam still jumped and yelped, still finding it a shock to meet a pair of eyes down here. "Who are you?!" He asked, then squinted closer to Kai's face. For a split second he wondered if this was the Prince, but then he remembered seeing this person around before in town. "...You're not the Prince, are you? What are you doing down here?"
When the redhead stranger jumps you jump to, also emitting a yelp of surprise, though your expression shifts quickly to one of amused embarrassment beneath your freckles. "Sorry!" you say quickly, taking a step back to give him some space. "I thought you could sense me 'cus you said you're Ascended an' I read they can feel movement of stuff in the dark, like electric impulses. Is that true?"
With a shake of your head - nope, not the Prince - you extend your hand to the stranger, a greeting you've seen many people here perform. "My names Kaimana. I'm lookin' for information an' I heard there's a lotta old books an stuff down here. Why d'ya need a Prince?"
01-13-2020, 05:15 PM (This post was last modified: 01-13-2020, 05:32 PM by Samuel.)
Samuel
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
"Um..." Sam hesitated, wondering first how it was that Kaimana knew he was Ascended; then he remembered he had yelled it out while he had been trying to address the Prince. He didn't know if he was totally happy with a non-Ascended stranger knowing that, given he wasn't sure of Kaimana's opinions...but it was out now. "Ah...I think we just have better hearing than most people. But I was concentrating on what I'm trying to do."
It seemed Kaimana wasn't going to leave him to it, and honestly Sam, as much as he was a little anxious, was glad for the company. The caves were dark, too quiet, and this creature he was looking for...it frightened him. "I don't need a prince, or at least...not just any prince. I'm looking for the Prince. He's...an Ascended, like me, I think. But he's...sick. I was hoping I could see if I could help make him better, but I can't find him."
Well, the lack of electrical impulse awareness is disappointing, and you make a mental note that Ascendeds are not, in fact, like sharks. Their loss, really.
Another piece of new information: Ascendeds can get sick. This catches you off-guard: "I thought 'scendeds were immune t'illness?" Following along dutifully at Sam's side (you're very invested in this whole thing now), you continue to pepper him with questions, the shadows cast by your lantern swinging merrily over the walls. "What's he sick with? How're you gonna help him?"
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
Sam realised that his choice of words might not have been the best; Kaimana looked to be a teenager but spoke like someone much younger, seemed to take things far more literally than the average person...he tried to rephrase, considering his words. "They are, mostly, yes. The Prince...I heard he was made before The Voice knew how to properly make Ascendeds, so he isn't quite the same as Ascendeds nowadays and now he's gotten ill." He avoided mentioning the supposed negligence of The Voice, not wanting Kaimana to go repeating those rumours.
"I'm hoping...maybe I could take him to The Voice and she might be able to help him, now that she's learnt how to make Ascendeds better. After all, she is always very kind and helpful to me...or...maybe if he'd like something more immediate, I was wondering if letting him drink from me might help him." Admittedly, it felt a little odd, to be ready to let an absolute stranger drink from him, when it had never happened before, but Sam was willing to sacrifice for one of his family. "I don't have any blood from anyone else right now though, so he'd only get the benefits of my own fluid, which might not...do much."
The sound is wet and palpable. It's the sound of jello thrown against a wall, of the wringing-out of wet and muddy towels, of spit horked out onto the grass.
The tunnels twist and turn, but if you're quite observant, you might notice a trail not unlike that left behind by a slug. Only this is much bigger and carries with it a pungent odour of sulphur. Alright, perhaps you don't have to be too observant.
An early Ascended? Fascinating. Rocking back and forward on the balls of your feet, you pause to ponder this a moment before scrambling to catch up with the stranger. "Are there other not-proper Ascendeds? Why's it called The Prince?" Your bare feet are mercifully quiet on the stone ground, and your voice surprisingly soft given how exuberantly you ask each question.
Sam's plan is certainly interesting, and you wonder how it would work. It's great to see someone else doing the experimenting for once, and you're eager to observe how this goes- though the last thing he says does cause you to pipe up again. "Y'could drink from me," you suggest with a shrug, deeply curious about the whole idea. "I don't really know how it works - y'get an ability from me, right? I mostly just know things 'bout plants. But maybe that'd help?"
Then you hear (and smell) something further down, and stop short, not wanting to alarm it - or step on Sam's toes.
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
"I'm not sure if there's others. I've heard rumours, but nothing I know for sure." The LongNight monsters, the Spire Demon...he had done his best to not believe any of it. He had seen no humanity in the creature that had taken his fingers and didn't want to think of himself as related to such a dark being. "I'm not sure why he's called The Prince. Maybe that's something we could ask him."
At first Kaimana's sudden offer made Sam want to shake his head, but something stopped him. Perhaps it was a couple of things - that new abilities could actually be useful here, that Nathaniel had been biting people willy nilly at his clinic - but he found he actually felt it might be a good idea. "You're right. It might help; um.." Sam sighed; he couldn't just bite Kaimana without informing him of all the effects first. "It may make you feel a little odd. Possibly ah...pleasurable?" That said, if Kaimana still offered him up his wrist, Sam would drink - as little as he could while still retaining the abilities.
The sound in the distance, an odd, wet slap, made Sam look up. As the smell hit his nose he made a face and wished for the first time he'd asked The Voice to take away that sense along with his pain. Still, the trail...it began to match up with what Amalia had told him. "I think if we follow this we might find him." He informed Kaimana.
You nod and offer your wrist without even a little bit of fear, which may be rather foolish but is at least consistent with your brand. Oia will be fascinated to hear about this, you think, preparing yourself to make a very detailed account of everything that happens once the fangs reach your skin, committed to committing each moment to your mind.
...Which, it turns out, will be harder than you expect, because the sensations that come with being bitten are wild. You're reminded of that afternoon with Frey when the heat rose in your groin, your phallus swollen with blood. "Huh," is all that you remark as Sam pulls away from your skin, wide-eyed and a little dreamy, blinking in the dark. The fire in your groin aches for more, which is incredibly odd given that you're fairly certain Ascendeds can't reproduce to begin with...
...but Mort's sweet children your body is screaming to be given a chance to try.
You nod, distracted, as Sam leads the way deeper, your mind still racing from the bite. It's only the increasingly pungent odor that begins to wake you from your stupor, and even then it takes you a minute to register what Sam's saying. "That smell... is the Prince?"
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
As Sam drank, Kaimana's blood pouring into his mouth, he tried his best not to gasp out loud. He'd forgotten how blood, real blood, could taste, more than that how real blood could make him feel. From the way Kaimana sounded, it seemed he'd noticed too. Clearing his throat as he straightened up, Sam wiped at his mouth, trying to pretend he was unaffected - at least he had known what to expect.
It was clear Kaimana hadn't, from his slow reactions after. Feeling a little guilty, Sam made sure to stay close. Pleased when he spoke, thinking it a good sign, he responded: "...Maybe? I'm..not sure. It doesn't smell very nice." But perhaps that was just a symptom of the Prince's illness. Regardless, he continued to walk down the cave with the trail, letting the horrible smell wash away any remaining eroticism between himself and Kaimana.
The shhhhlorping sound continues as the Prince valiantly tries to squeeze himself through a crack in the wall which is much, much too small. Then again, perhaps he possesses properties like rats or animals such as cats that can meld themselves through spaces that appear far too small...
I pray to blades of grass
To find forgiveness in the weeds
The smell grew stronger and the trail thicker under their feet and Sam suspected they were getting closer to the man he had come to see. He tried to steel himself, not sure what he'd see but wanting to put across a face of friendly non-judgement for whoever it was he found.
The sound he heard as he rounded the corner was rather alarming and he didn't connect it to anything until he saw, pressing into a crack in the wall...something. Sam frowned and squinted, trying to better see and make sense of the form squishing itself into the small space. This, he supposed, would be The Prince.
Holding out a hand to indicate Kaimana should stay back then pressing a finger to his lips, urging him to be quiet for at least the first moment, he took a step forward. "Excuse me, are you...the one they call The Prince? My name is Samuel, I came to find you to see if I could help you. I'm Ascended, I heard you were too?" His voice was gentle and kind, as quiet as he could make it while still being understood.
