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!
All along the port were men and woman alike bartering, flirting, fishing, and otherwise getting on with life, such as it was in Torchline. There was a shout of something profane, a moment of tense silence, and then a rowdy chorus of laughter that bubbled up from the docks with a certain mad alchemist in its wake. "Right, right. Well if you think tentacles are something to marvel over, ask Ronin to show you his two-for-one trick." The implications of this were clear to all listening, and there was a good deal of nudging and dirty looks to be had between the men Remi was leaving behind.
Shirtless and scarred, Remi hoisted a net filled with a floundering cloud-manta over his broad shoulders. He looked good, in a clearly-sleeps-on-the-beach sort of way. Though there was a smile on his lips it didn't reach his eyes, and all traces of boyish good humour were entirely gone from his sun-shaded face. Offering a jaunty middle-finger to the crew of dirty-faced men and women on the docks, Remi headed towards the stretch of beach affectionately referred to as home.
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Loren stood in the mists, staring at the newest signpost that had appeared. Unsurprisingly he looked terrible, hollowed out almost, skin pale, frame once again too thin, dark circles etched under his eyes. He didn’t feel much better, an empty apathy having rushed in to the hole in his soul after he’d cried his last tear.
Finally, he sighed and stepped through the portal to Torchline.
The heat, light, and the beauty of the new land was like a slap in the face. However, even that didn’t muster a response from him. He just looked ahead dully, then took off his cloak and draped it over his arm. His clothes were a drab brown, looking even worse against the vibrant background.
Walking forward, leaving heavy footprints behind in the sand, he wandered aimlessly, not looking for anything or anyone in particular, just...moving around the port without much purpose. There was nothing really ahead or behind him that he cared about, not in his life, so he ignored the curious looks, mutters, and appraisals from the locals, who were very amused by the obviously dumb stranger in their midst. If anyone got too close, though, he just turned a blank expression on them and remained silent until they left him alone. It was enough to deter even the most curious of onlookers.
However, a familiar, yet very different looking figure, shirtless, carrying a sack, walking just ahead, stopped the summoner in his tracks a short distance away. Eyes still dull, he watched for a long moment. Finally, he spoke up, voice raspy with the telltale signs of not having been used in a while. ”Remi.” There was no particular inflection in the call, just the barest hint of surprise. Although the link was wide open, on the Launceleyn's end at least, Remi wouldn't get anything more from Loren's mind.
Well that was something they had in common. Remi's false joy for those around him was a front, an easily-dismantled screen to hide the hateful wasteland within himself. Everything burned or smouldered in what remained of the alchemist's heart; even his love.
Four, he thought to himself grimly. Loren, would make four.
Turning sea-bright eyes towards the Launceleyn, Remi raised a brow. He could confidently say that he was the more attractive of the two, and not just because he wore ocean-brine and sand shockingly well. Loren looked like hell in Remi's eyes, which was saying something. Apparently the alchemist's rose-coloured glasses had been shattered along with the bones that Loren had healed. The scar tissue on Remi's throat and amassed in the center of his chest was grotesque, but the alchemist's confident posture seemed to indicate he didn't mind the way people stared.
"So you are alive."
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Remi’s demeanor and appearance didn’t bother Loren. In fact, he didn’t really react at all as the alchemist turned and revealed the mess of scars on his throat and chest, the ones the summoner obviously knew the source of. He didn’t move from his spot, just stared straight at the other man. "Yes." The word didn't have much life in it, and neither did the Launceleyn these days.
He was silent for a long while. "So you are here." Still practically unmoving, hands at his side, posture ramrod straight from a lifetime of conditioning and nothing more, he didn't sound glad or sad or surprised at that fact.
Shifting the net on his shoulder, Remi stared almost impatiently at the summoner as the silence stretched out between them. Would he get a lecture? Would he get angry Loren? Sad Loren? Bossy Loren? He just couldn't' wait to find out. He assumed something dramatic had happened in the summoner's life—didn't it always—which would justify whatever iteration of the Launceleyn he was about to receive. Unbeknownst to Remi though, at least this time it was justified.
"Are we just stating obvious facts now? Alright, I'll go. You look like hell."
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Still standing right where he’d stopped, Loren didn’t react or rise to Remi’s words or impatient look. In fact, the summoner did pretty much nothing, and his mind was similarly devoid of much thought or emotion. "I guess so. And yes." His voice still came out in that dull monotone. "You look tan."
Finally he moved, though it was just to shift his weight from side to side briefly before crossing his arms. "I missed you. Glad to see you're alive" It didn't really sound like it, and he wasn't actually happy about anything, but at least he'd said the words. Still staring almost unnervingly ahead at the alchemist, the Launceleyn didn't add anything further.
"Yes. Living outdoors has that effect." Remi agreed with a sarcastic smile. Watching as Loren shifted, his weightloss seemingly emphasized given how long it had been since they'd last seen each other, the alchemist could help but think fucking Loren might be like fucking a skeleton. It wasn't a pleasant thought.
"I can't say I agree on either account." He replied with a shrug. "What with the whole not letting me die thing." Puckering his lip in a pantomime of thoughtfulness, Remi tugged in a breath. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like we'd agree to, you know, not force things on the other, to not pretend to know better...all that not touching without permission."
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Again, Loren remained unmoved, physically, mentally, emotionally. "That it does." It was a quiet acknowledgement, just loud enough to carry across the short distance between them.
As Remi unsurprisingly disagreed, the summoner moved almost minutely with a shrug of his own. "We did. Fair enough."
He stilled once more, though his eyes swept over the alchemist before returning to his face. ”So kill yourself.” There wasn't any worry, fear, concern, nothing soft, nothing hard about the suggestion. It was offered as blandly as everything else that fell from the Launceleyn's lips these days. He continued to stay where he was, not making any motion to encourage or discourage.
"Fair enough." The words were whispered sarcastically as the alchemist merely rolled his eyes. "Bit late for that now." Remi said, an eye narrowed and jaw turned cheekily upwards, before reaching out to roughly clap the Launceleyn on the shoulder. Frail as Loren was and stiff as a board, Remi wouldn't have been surprised if he fell right over. "That's probably the most genuine bit of advice you've ever given me. Well done Loren."
The cloud-manta, squirming unhappily in the net, finally became enough of a burden that the alchemist plopped it unceremoniously onto the sands. Rolling a shoulder now red from the rope, Remi crossed his arms across his chest.
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
01-24-2020, 08:31 PM (This post was last modified: 01-24-2020, 08:37 PM by Loren.)
At Remi’s sarcastic response, Loren inclined his head in the barest of nods. ”Yes.” Again, it was a simple acknowledgment, nothing more, nothing less.
When the alchemist slapped the summoner's shoulder with quite a bit of force, he swayed slightly, but didn't fall over. As the other man struggled with the captured animal, the Launceleyn lowered his hands to his sides. Remi crossed his arms, and Loren's eyes flicked down to them before flicking back up to the alchemist's face. "What do you want, then?" The question came out almost bluntly, though without any hint of animosity or anger. It was just an attempt to speed the conversation along.
'You're the one who stopped me, Loren." The alchemist pointed out dryly, a brow raised. Around them the crowds continued to surge and mingle, not unlike the waves a bit farther out. Torchline cared little for the drama or hearts of men; only for their coin.
As for what Remi wanted? Well, that was forever something out of Loren's reach, now wasn't it? So thoughtful of him to ask, though.
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Again, Loren nodded almost imperceptibly. ”I did. Nothing’s stopping you now though.” There was still nothing but a dull monotone in the words.
Standing where he'd been the whole time during this conversation, he waited, strangely patient, for some answer to his question. When it became apparent that none was coming, he turned his back to Remi and walked in the opposite direction, following the path the Launceleyn had taken to get here back towards the portal.
"Good chat as always, Loren." Remi mumbled under his breath, sarcasm tugging the words down. Reaching for the net, the alchemist shouldered it again easily and moved to continue the path he'd been on before he'd been stopped.
As for Loren's departure, let's just say he stuck out like a sore thumb in Torchline. A few locals had been milling about, waiting for the conversation to wrap up. So as it did and the summoner moved back towards the portal, they closed in. Looking like an easy enough mark, three men tried to pin Loren against a wall. One tried to hold his shoulders while another pressed a knife against his stomach, mumbling something about the Launceleyn handing over everything valuable he had on him.
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
01-24-2020, 08:54 PM (This post was last modified: 01-24-2020, 09:01 PM by Loren.)
As the three toughs closed in on Loren, he let himself get pressed against the wall. His eyes remained dull, and he made no move to fight back. Nor did he move to empty his pockets.
Of course, he didn't need to move to tap into his magic.
He pressed against the knife with his telekinesis, doing his best to bat it aside so at least any cut wouldn't be immediately fatal. If he could, he'd flip it around and drive it through the first thugs' palm. At the same time, two wolves appeared, lunging for the other two attackers' legs, biting and snapping. All the while, the Launceleyn remained completely impassive, expressionless.
