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 was still getting settled in to Halo, and word of his arrival hadn't actually spread that far yet. Mostly, he'd been puttering about the Palace, acclimating himself to life there. Today, when his thoughts and sorrow had grown too much he'd decided to explore the parts he hadn't seen yet.
So he and Astra set off, hopefully in search of a library. Dressed in brown and utilitarian garb, with a fur-lined cloak on his back, he padded through the halls, more wraith than man. The gaunt frame and dark circles under his eyes just added to that look, as did the dull expression on his face. Although people eyed him suspiciously as he passed, they said nothing.
Of course, then he turned a corner and nearly bowled Peter over. The healer stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the adopted Launceleyn.
Peter heard a great many things about the day to day bustle of the palace, given his new position. He knew Loren was arriving, and in a state apparently, and he had chosen to keep his distance. It's what had always helped him work through his own issues, time and silence and no one trying to help him.
It's a plan that works reasonably well, for a few days, but that ultimately falls apart. Almost literally. Peter is wandering the halls, a destination in mind but unimportant, when he turns a corner and stops short, his eyes wide. "Loren." He said softly, a greeting and a question, concern growing on his face. The other man looked awful, worse than anything Peter had imagined.
He takes a breath, suddenly feeling very much off balance, uncertain. "I... hello. I'm um... I'm sorry I didn't come to... to see you when you arrived." His start is uncertain, and it only spirals from there, try as Peter might to pull it back into something resembling a normal conversation. "Were you... um, were you trying to get somewhere? I... I could help."
”Peter.” Unlike Peter, Loren’s voice wasn’t concerned, his expression wasn’t distressed. In fact, both were fairly blank. Although the healer's mental walls were down, the adopted Launceleyn wouldn't get anything from Loren's mind.
Because it too was rather empty.
It certainly wouldn't answer the question buried deep in his name. "No need to apologize." Stepping aside, he began to walk past the other man. However, Peter's offer stopped the healer in his tracks. Loren glanced over his shoulder and considered the spymaster for a long moment. "I was looking for a library. If you could give me directions to one, I'd appreciate it." It didn't sound very grateful or enthusiastic, but at least the healer had responded.
It is oddly disconcerting to have Loren’s numb voice respond. Peter shifts from foot to foot, almost physically weighing the pros and cons of pushing the issue, of actually asking what’s wrong, and trying to help his kin like that. Comfort, support, they were not things that came naturally to him.
While there is nothing in the way of support Peter can offer, he does know a way to the library. ”It’s... you go down, and there’s a.... a thing you can... why don’t I, I can show you?” It would be easier than trying to explain the directions, and maybe give him a chance to do... well, something. Something more.
Without really giving Loren a choice of whether to accept or reject the offer, Peter pun on his heel, and began walking, slowly at first to ensure Loren was following. They go down the hall and around a corner, stopping before a staircase. Peter considers it a moment, then steps to the side and presses at a brick, a whole section of the wall moving under his touch. He gestures for Loren to go into the secret passage first, if only so he can be sure it is closed properly behind them.
As Peter awkwardly fidgeted in front of Loren, he continued to regard the spymaster with an almost blank stare. Indeed, the healer’s eyes were entirely distant and his expression was smooth and emotionless. As the adopted Launceleyn attempted to explain where the library was, there was no change in Loren's features.
Finally, the other man led the way to where this apparently hidden library was. The healer padded behind Peter. As they walked, Loren took careful note of the twists and turns. As the secret passage was revealed, he raised his eyebrows slightly, but stepped forward without hesitation. Once inside, he waited patiently for Peter to take the lead once more.
”What uh... what did you want to go to the library for?” Peter asked, closing the passage door behind them and leading the way though the back hallways. It wasn’t really the best shortcut, if he was honest, but it gave them some privacy, kept Loren away from the prying eyes of anyone else.
With his hands wrapped up in front of him, Peter tried to figure out what he should say, what he should ask. The dull numbness of the others responses worries him, and he has to wonder what happened. He knows enough just enough to know he shouldn’t outright ask, so he tries to start casually. ”Why did you... I mean, I thought you said you weren’t... weren’t coming here.”
Glancing slightly at Peter, Loren followed the adopted Launceleyn down the hallway. "I wanted to see if there were any books on medicine or herbs that I didn't know about." The healer's voice came out without much inflection.
However, his expression grew shadowed and haunted, eyes distant, at the other man's next comment. It wasn't actually a question, but Loren answered anyway. "Would've thought your eyes and ears would've told you already." It came out flatly and a bit curtly. "Things change." There was equal parts bitterness and guilt in the words. "People die."
With that, he took a deep breath and smoothed his features into an expressionless mask again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you weren't happy I was here." It was impossible to tell how he felt, if it was a joke or not, given his monotone.
"What do your fellow advocates think of your new post?" There was little real interest behind the question.
The reason for the library was met with a thoughtful nod, though Peter hadn’t actually spent enough time among the books to make any recommendations. That had been the simple question though, not the one that brought a spark of tone back to Loren’s voice, in the exact opposite way Peter had wanted.
”I... wanted to hear it myself. From you. I suppose.” There was real uncertainty in Peter’s voice now. Clearly, he had struck a nerve, or something, but now he wasn’t sure how to navigate without striking it again. And despite his misstep, he wasn’t ready to give up completely. ”I’m sorry. I... please, tell me if I can... help?”
Loren’s return to nothingness rattled Peter a little, and the realization that he’d never been on this side of it struck him suddenly. ”I’m happy to see you.” He offered carefully. ”I wish... it was for better reasons.” He wished he knew how to help, but even when he’d been in cold, emotionless places, he hadn’t wanted anything but to stay there. Only time had ever helped.
To have the conversation shift back to him so suddenly made Peter frown, then shrug. He could put off answering for a few moments as he opened a door out of the hidden path they were in, directly into a library. He made a halfhearted ta-da gesture, then turned back to Loren. ”It doesn’t affect anything with them.” He answered properly, not moving to actually leave the natural Launceleyn now that they had reached his destination.
"You can't." Loren's tone wasn't cruel, just empty. "I appreciate the offer, but I just need time and space. I'll get over it." He shrugged at Peter's comments about being glad that the healer was here, since there didn't seem to be any need to respond to them.
Moving into the library, he scanned it briefly. "Thanks for showing me the way." Making his way deeper into the stacks, he tried to figure out if there was any organization in place and if so, what it was. "What are you all working on these days?" It came out idly and distractedly as he continued to walk through the bookshelves, looking for anything that might be useful to him.
Peter simply nodded in response to the thanks, his lips pulled into a tight line as he followed the summoner with his eyes, and, when necessary, moving along the rows to keep him in sight. Worry was a common look for Peter, but worry for others was an uncomfortable change.
The least he could do was answer questions, so he did, not really bothered one way or the other if Loren listened. ”I’ve been... working on the training, mostly. The um... captain, here, she... she’s good, but not for... stealth.” He leaned in towards a shelf, looking at a book at random before setting it back carefully. ”Zariah... she’s been busy with the um.. the school. And...” He shrugged again. Really, there wasn’t anything terribly interesting.
Peter followed Loren through the stacks. Glancing back at the spymaster as he explained what he'd been up to in Halo, the healer returned to trailing his finger along the books. "That's good to hear." Pausing, he pulled out one and started flipping through it. "Do you have everything you need for training? And what do you think of the school?" Again, the questions came out distractedly and disinterestedly.
The volume turned out to be unimportant, and he slid it back into place. "I was asking about what the advocates were up to, though." With that, he resumed his slow walk through the stacks, scanning the titles for anything that might prove useful to him.
Peter isn’t really sure what causes the change, but the conversation flows easier, now that they’re elsewhere. It’s easier to be comfortable. ”I... think I have everything. It’s... it’s hard to turn what I know into... drills, or...” He shrugs a little helplessly. It’s all a work in progress still. His answer about the school comes easier still, almost rehearsed. ”I think it’s a good idea. It’s... cozy, there.”
There had been the naive hope that Loren would move past the subject of the advocates, would let it drop. Peter pursed his lips while he thought about his answer, trying to be as careful as he could. ”I... haven’t had too much um... too much contact.” He began, shifting his weight. ”I know... there’s been talk of something... more permanent, out here.”
Still looking at the books, Loren shrugged at Peter's comment. "Not really." The healer spared a glance for the spymaster. "You could test their observation skills. Give them a set amount of time to examine a room then ask them to describe what they saw. Or change something about it and see if they notice." Unsurprisingly, Loren's voice was bland and businesslike. "You could have them practice disguises, accents, lockpicking, pickpocketing, and forgeries."
Turning back to the books, he picked up another one. "I haven't had a chance to check it out." This volume wasn't relevant either, but it did contain myths and legends about Halo so he tucked it under his arm.
However, he frowned slightly at the adopted Launceleyn's next comment. The healer turned to give Peter an appraising look. Then Loren decided to probe a bit with an outright lie some creative usage of the truth. "Really? That's not what Sunjata told me." His voice still came out in a monotone.
Peter hummed softly, nodding as he considered Loren's suggestions. "It's not how I... I'm worried about the... usefulness of practice in a real... situation." The way he had learned was by not dying to the things life had thrown at him, that he'd been thrown into. And, clearly, it had worked. "Thank you, though. I... I'll have to try some of those."
Talk of the magic school tapered off without much interest, but Loren was apparently invested in whatever the advocates were doing. If nothing else, he actually turned towards Peter, who returned the look with a questioning quirk of his brows, silently inviting the summoner to speak his mind. The question turned to confusion, and then it was Peter's turn to be blank, answering first with a shrug. "What did he tell you?"
