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!
His implications had her flush. For all that her language had turned coarse with the seething emotions, Maea had absolutely no experience with sleeping around. It had always seemed very immoral to her, something reckless and stupid that could only lead to heartache - she still couldn't fathom the idea of physical intimacy without emotional attachment - and if Loren wanted anything to needle her with, he had a huge target right there. She did not dispute him. Just rolled her eyes and moved on, leaping on the next point as if it might save her from the awkwardness of discussing... that sort of thing with him.
"Oh, yes, because you seem to be having so much fun," she said acerbically, eyes moving from Loren to the dingy back alley and over to the cups in his hands. Then back, with a rised brow. "This is working out for you? Then by all means, go ahead and continue. "
She stepped back, and when he challenged her with arms splayed open the girl just shook her head.
"I'm not going to hit you, if that's what you're hoping for," she told him, face twisting into a mockery of a smile. "But I am not going to take lessons, or accept healing, from someone who runs to the bottle in broad daylight. Those are my consequences. But I don't suppose it matters to you either way, as you did not want me around from the beginning. Congratulations; you get what you wanted. "
She began to turn away, throat burning, intending to leave him there with his boozee and his birds. And nevermind that they were both long gone - it seemed a wonderful irony.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Smirking again at Maea's rather tart tone, Loren raised the empty cups to her. "You should try it some time." The suggestion was obviously made mockingly. "Because it sure is working out for me. And while I don't need your permission, thanks" The last word practically oozed sarcasm.
Snorting as she mentioned she wouldn't hit him, he let his arms drop to his sides. However, he let out a huff of laughter as she revealed her 'consequences.' "So, what, I'm supposed to somehow care that you're choosing to punish yourself because you disapprove of my behavior, which is harming no one but myself?" He shrugged. "You can play the martyr. You and Sunjata have that much in common, at least." Dropping his voice to a whisper, he leaned towards her a little. "But that doesn't make you one."
Pushing off the wall, he stalked after her as she walked away. "For the record, I did want you around, and I didn't want to drive you away." His voice came out almost conversationally. "But guess what. That moral high ground you're so desperately clinging to? It doesn't exist."
His words kept coming after her, and judging by the crunching of boots in the snow, so did he. She was able to tolerate it for a few steps, but finally she snapped and spun back, stopping dead so suddenly that she almost slammed into him as he followed.
"But it is hurting others, Loren!" she told him, voice rising in frustration and to her own distaste, Maea found her eyes dimming with tears. Gods, when had she become so weepy? It was never her, she never used to cry for anything. "You hurt Sunjata, and you're hurting me, and you don't even seem to realize it! You say one thing and then do another, and I don't know if I should trust your words or your actions, or none of it at all."
Stepping in even closer, she shoved a finger into his chest, accusatory as if she'd rather it have been something sharp enough to pierce. Heavens knew her words certinaly did not. "You say you don't want to push me away, but you're doing a fine job of it anyway.
"Stop saying my relationship is going to end before it's even had a chance to begin! Stop looking at me like I'm some child who don't know anything, because I'm not! Don't you think I know how much of a long shot this is?
"But I don't care. I don't care if he's slept with everyone I know, or if it will end tomorrow because it's real right now and it's better than anything I've ever had. So don't you dare take that away from me!"
The finger turned into a palm and this time she shoved at him, not sure if she was pushing away him from her or the other way around. Either way, her push were reinforced by telekinesis and far stronger than she should have managed on her own, with only her slight frame to supply the force. Glaring up at him with red-rimmed eyes and cold anger draining the color from her face, she looked smaller than ever. Knew it too, and hated it. Hated being someone he could look down on like this.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
They barely managed to avoid a collision as Maea stopped dead in her tracks directly in front of Loren. As her words began spilling out, soon followed by tears, he peered down at her. When she poked him in the chest, he smirked. He continued smirking as she kept speaking.
When she shoved him with a surprising amount of strength, though, he did indeed stumble back, barely managing not to slip and fall on a patch of ice. For a moment, he was silent and motionless. Then he grinned. "Alright. Deal." There was no vitriol in his voice, just a sort of wry amusement.
"Just so long as you know that I don't care if I'm a sloppy drunk or a slut, because I'm still doing everything I'm supposed to be doing." He crossed his arms, the motions hampered by the cups he still held. "At least I'm enjoying myself, and I don't need your judgment, just like you don't need mine.
Perhaps she was a little surprised that he actually had to step back. Breathing hard under the onslaught of emotion (she really was not used to being riled like this, to feel this much) Maea just stared at him for a time, thinking. Considering. It still looked like he was laughing at her, but at least there was none of that mightier-than-thou disdain left. A small victory, but likely the only one she could hope for here.
"Good," she said after a moment of tense silence. Agreeing, to not pester him any more if he kept his doubts to himself. If this all came crumbling down her ears later, he could say 'I told you so' then. "And next time you know of or do something idiotic that affects me, just tell me. I don't care if it hurts, it's still better than wondering whether I've been a fool for trusting you.
"Any truth is better than silence or lies. Please?"
She swiped with her sleeved hands at the tears that had escaped to her cheeks, angry little jerky gestures that didn't do much good. Sniffling, and hating that she had nowhere to hide away until her face had settled, Maea turned her face away, as if it might somehow make her less visible.
But she remained. Did not try to leave again, nor repeat her threat of giving up his lessons. Or his aid. Because... well, he was right. It wouldn't help anyone if she made herself suffer.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
As Maea stared at him, Loren took some deep breaths of his own. Although he was slightly tipsy, that didn’t stop him from meditating, years of practice overcoming his intoxicated state. As she began to speak again, it was his turn to watch her carefully.
When she finished, he nodded slowly. "Honesty. Got it. I can do that. Again, deal." He extended a hand for her to shake. Whether or not she did, he'd eventually create a cloth for her to wipe her tears on.
Tilting his head slightly to one side, he eventually sighed. "Do you need healing?" It came out in a much more normal tone, and the offer was genuine.
Again he agreed, and she nodded that she heard him. That it was indeed a deal. Breathing in deeply, she let the tension flow out on the long, deep sigh. Slightly shaky, not quite calm yet, but getting there. Seeing his outstretched hand, she hesitated a bit... but took it, his hands for once far colder than her own in the frigid air. He didn't have Ludo's shawl to stave the cold off; it struck her as rather reckless to be out drinking in the cold. But she did not say anything about it. Had promised not to critizise.
She accepted the handkerchief and made a better job of cleaning herself up this time, wiping away tears and the runny nose. Coughed a little, feeling the clog in both airways; the stubborn prideful part of her wanted to decline his question of whether she needed to be healed. Common sense overruled the stubbornness however, and she nodded. A touch sullen perhaps, but... at least she accepted. Decided to make it a peace offering.
"... yes. Seems like I'm going to need them fairly regularly. Likely forever." The way she said it made the words a reluctant confession. Truth for a truth.
"The person who figured this out... he said there are ways to make it better, but... not remove the underlying cause. And he doesn't have the equipment to do anything." She shrugged with a tired, resigned glance at him.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Loren’s grip was firm, though he released Maea quickly enough. When she took the handkerchief, he turned to the side, giving her at least the illusion of privacy (he hoped). Tucking the cups into the pouch where he’d stored the empty flasks, he glanced back at her when she finally agreed to healing.
Nodding slowly, he lifted a hand to lay it on her shoulder. Assuming she didn’t pull away, he’d poured magic into her, replacing her soldiers the same way as he had once before. "Did he mention what equipment he might need?" He kept his eyes trained on his hand. "And while this might be beyond both him and beyond me, there are those in Caido with more power than both of us."
Permitting the hand on her shoulder, the girl relaxed a little more as the magic flowed into her, easing symptoms that had barely begin to rear their heads. A little warm and pleasant and equal parts itchy and unnerving, she let him do his job without fighting against it.
"He tried, but... while he knew what they did, he said he couldn't explain how in any way that might let a creationist make them. It sounded like very advanced technology." Far more so than anything she understood. It scared her a little, that the flaw in her body went so deep that not even magic could fully restore it. Much like her eyes...
His suggestion was met with silence for some time, as Maea pondered it. Nodding that she maybe understood. "The gods, you mean? I suppose... An ascended I know offered to bring me along to The Voice. Perhaps she would know what to do. Or I could try to make another bargain with Ludo.
"But... I'm a little afraid, of what the price might be. If I have to trade something for something again... what would I give up this time?"
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Nodding along to Maea’s words, Loren continued to pour magic into her. As with last time, the first round had been to burn out illness and replace any part of her immune system that was too degraded. This round was to repair the minute damage caused by a weak immune system. ”That’s too bad. Perhaps we could acquire magical items that have the same effect though?” The question came out idly and distractedly, focused as he was on his magic.
He shot her a considering glance. Finally, he nodded again, slowly. "The gods." Frowning, he sighed. 'There's only one way to find out what the price is." His eyes studied her features. "But I can't imagine they'd make you pay it without your permission."
As before, being healed eased aches and pains she barely had registered before. Little bruises and nicks, a tightness of the lungs and a nagging ache in the stomach she'd thought nothing of faded away, along with the scattered hickeys her lover had branded upon her skin.
"Perhaps," conceded. "I don't know enough to say whether it is possible or not. If you are interested in the project, the person I've been talking to is Nate, at the Medical College. I'm sure he can tell you more."
Rubbing eyes that no longer felt puffy or red from the hateful tears, she could only shrug at his faith that there would be a choice. "Most likely not without my consent," she agreed. "But then... perhaps it would be better to remain this way. With a weakness like this, I could never become a threat to my gods, like The Voice. No matter how much magic I end up with." A wry smile twisted her mouth; with her current abilities, it seemed an unlikely thing that she could ever be that powerful. "Maybe they could find it in them to accept me if I keep it. "
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
At the mention of Nate, Loren’s eyebrows rose. Still, he nodded, and lowered his hand from Maea’s shoulder. ”I’ll check in with him, thank you.” Technically the doctor was the healer's professor, so they should probably have a meeting anyway.
When she mentioned that perhaps it was better to stay ill, however, the Launceleyn let out a huff of laughter. Crossing his arms, he cocked his head to one side. "Is that so?" The question came out a little too idly. "So you think without this weakness you could one day rival the gods themselves?" There was no animosity or venom behind the question, just a simple prodding that she wasn't approaching this from a particularly unbiased point of view.
"And if they are indeed worried about that, can't they just refuse to heal you?" He shrugged, not at all sure of anything when it came to the gods.
His question was met with a wide eyed stare, clearly alarmed that he had taken it even a little seriously. "No, Mort save me, of course not!" the girl countered, shaking her head vigorously. As if the mere thought was offensive. "But that's the root cause of us being made Abandoned, isn't it? I just mean that removing even the risk might... But it would be a miracle for them to even acknowledge my prayer.
"Asking for things just feels... rude. Greedy. I don't want to impose on them like I have any right to their time or consideration."
It was the lament of a child longing for the approval of absent parents, ready to settle for a pat on the head and too afraid of rejection to let herself be spoiled.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
At Maea’s almost shocked response, Loren let out a huff of laughter. However, he shrugged again when she brought up their status as Abandoned. "Maybe. But the gods have chosen to bless individual Abandonded, so perhaps it's less of a risk in their minds and more that we need to prove ourselves particularly worthy in their eyes." He held up his hand and shifted his fingertips to claws for a moment to demonstrate what he meant.
”You say that like they don’t have a choice in the matter.” He snorted, and shook his head. ”But in every interaction I’ve ever had, they were quick to tell me when something was an imposition. I can't imagine it would be different for you." Cocking his head to the side, he studied her. "Now you're just being self-pitying. I know for a fact they've answered you before."
