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!
Crazy, or just a girl in love. The difference wasn't all that great, but of course Maea didn't think of it that way. To her it was the most natural thing, to trek all the way back in order to maybe find a simple, unadorned training bow that could be found just about anywhere... because her lover had given it to her. No other would suffice, it had to be that one or none at all.
Of course, she forgot to take into consideration that said lover would have been far happier if she just got herself back home in one piece.
Maea kept her mouth shut along the way back to the hunting sight. She too noticed the birds hovering in the air, assumed they'd come for the free meal they had provided for them, and thought nothing more of it.
"Why don't you catch one of those? Maybe they're Hels, and you can see if they let you walk on water," she told Saiden, half joking. At least that way, she could search for the bow in peace while he was busy doing other things. Free from any nagging about returning soon, or more jibes of her being crazy.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Saiden just sighed as Maea determinedly followed him out towards where they’d battled the manta mostly successfully, in his mind. At her comment, he glanced up towards the birds, frowning. ”Nah. Not Hels.” It came out a little grumpily, and he looked over his shoulder at her. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me." The words were a bit mocking, though he continued to walk along the Rainbow Road.
Thankfully, once they spotted the birds, it didn't take them long to reach the actual corpse. Glancing around, the cook crossed his arms. He didn't spot the bow right away, but he wasn't actually looking that hard.
She gave him an innocent look. "Good thing you know better then. I'll go look over there." Pointing towards the place where she'd fallen earlier. "I am grateful that you're here, you know," she said as she began to pick her way around the dead Cloud Manta. It had not begun to smell yet, thankfully, but already the birds had begun to tear into it. Before long, there wouldn't be much left of it. "I definitely owe you one after all this."
Maea began to scour the ground. Fortunately there wasn't any sand for the bow to get buried in, but she had been knocked flat and it might have skittered off a ways. She was methodical and thorough, but there was still that tight taste of panic in her gut, of losing something precious. Irreplacable.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Grinning at Maea's comment, Saiden nodded. "Good thing I do." Waving away her gratitude and her offer of a favor, he just shrugged. "Nah. Way I see it, this is part of the original deal. Don't take on additional debt unless forced to." He said it sagely, as if imparting more Torchline wisdom to her (which it was).
As she directed him to check out the opposite side, he ambled over there. His search was far less methodical than hers, but he finally, he stumbled upon a length of wood. There was no sign of a string, but it looked like it might be right. Holding it up, he called out to her. "Is this it?" He waved it around a little bit.
02-18-2020, 09:29 PM (This post was last modified: 02-18-2020, 09:42 PM by Maea.)
MAEA
"You know, where I come from, 'owing' something isn't a matter of life and death," she said off-handedly. "It could be something as simple as paying for lunch next time, or lending a hand with some simple task. I think you're a bit high-strung about these favors of yours..." Leaning down, she picked up something that had looked like wood, but found it a strangely shaped rock instead.
When Saiden hailed her, Maea hurried over and looked over the item he held. Her eyes widened in relief and with a smile she nodded, holding out her hands for it, if he let her take it. "Yes! That's it! Thank the gods, I thought it was gone..."
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Saiden raised his eyebrows at Maea’s comment. Pausing in his search, he put his hands on his hips. ”Hey, remember what I said last time we parted?” The question came out tartly.
Bending down to continue looking, he shot her an annoyed look. ”Last I checked, you’re not from
Torchline.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, the sound incredibly disapproving. ”Would you like me to repeat the spiel about coming here and telling me how to live my life?” Glancing up, he stared at her.
However, he handed over the bow easily enough. As she took it from him, he slid his hands into his pockets. ”Glad we found it. Can we go now?” There was something almost impatient about his tone.
Maea flinched. Of course she remembered. Couldn't forget. "Look, I'm... sorry. I really am. I never meant to cause offense, or insult your traditions." She couldn't quite bring herself to look at him when she reached out to take the bow, hands roaming over the wood to check for damages. The string was gone, but that was easy to replace. Aside from a few scratches though, it seemed in working condition still. She sighed in relief, then turned her focus back on Saiden.
"I'm not saying your way of doing things is bad. Just... tried to offer some compensation for all this trouble. I brought you along on this trip, and nearly got you killed for the trouble. You won't let me make up for that?"
She searched his face, honesty in her eyes as she offered again. He could call it a debt if he wanted to, Maea didn't mind. Nor would she be bothered if he thought her naive for giving more than she absolutely had to.
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" she asked, noticing his impatience. Didn't think it was only because of her, but... if that was the case, at least he was given a chance to tell her outright. This relation was fraying at the edges already, tensions mounting; it frustrated her, when she only wanted to be friends.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Raising his eyebrows at Maea's apology, Saiden smirked. "Why does that matter? Intention or not, you offended me." Clearly not impressed, he clicked his tongue again.
Rolling his eyes at her words, he pointed a finger at her. "You also didn't let me get killed, at great personal risk to yourself. Not many people around here would do that. So, like I said, we're even." His tone indicated that, as far as he was concerned, the matter was closed.
Saiden halted, and gritted his teeth. "Because I'd rather not be around when the larger predators come for the manta's corpse." With that, he resumed walking, heading away from the corpse as fast as he could limp.
The girl bit her teeth together, jaw muscles feathering as she tried to hold back a rising temper. She let him walk on by himself and took a moment to offer a prayer over the dead animal, offering thanks and all the other appropriate measures for the life taken. Only when that was done did she turn and follow after Saiden, not nearly as concerned about predators. They would be busy with the carcass, with no time to spare for them.
"Alright, so I offended you. If sorry isn't enough, then how do I make it up to you?" she persisted, once she'd caught up. Walking was a major pain, she was battered and bruised all over, and her patience was wearing thin - not that there had been a lot of it to begin with - but she had not yet stiffened and so far movement was at least manageable.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Pausing as Maea said some prayers over the dead manta, Saiden bowed his head respectfully. However, he was clearly glad to be moving on. There were animals here he was sure she'd never heard of, let alone seen. And he'd already risked his own skin more times than he cared to today.
As she almost pathetically asked how she could possibly make it up to him, he rolled his eyes, glad she couldn't see the movement considering he was in front of her. "Maybe you can't. Ever consider that?" The words came out idly, as if he wasn't bothered by her insistence that he accept her apology. "Just don't die before I come to collect from you, alright?" He continued to hobble past the bands of rainbow colors.
His words silenced her again. For a long time, Maea just trundled along beside him, avoiding the geysers as best she could. The colors of the scenery were all but lost on her, forever associated with the heavy led of a guilty conscience. Had her actions really been that bad? Were her honest mistakes that irreparable, that impossible to forgive?
"Then... I'm even more sorry," she eventually said, rather more weakly than before. Clutching the bow in her hands, she stroked the wood as if it might bring her some comfort. Apparently, thoughtlessness would cost her more than bruises today.
"I'll... make sure to stay alive. And if not... well... I'm sure I can ask Ludo for a favor. It's bargained with me before, might not be impossible." She touched the shawl, another small bid for comfort; though she wasn't alone, Maea hadn't felt so lonely in a while.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Saiden glanced over his shoulder at Maea. For a moment, he regarded her, before he turned his gaze back to face the path ahead. ”Your apologies are for you to feel better. They mean nothing to me." The words were more matter of fact than cruel.
Making sure to give a geyser a wide berth, he kept limping slowly back towards the port. "If I want to get involved with the gods, I will speak to them myself. I've already gotten more from Ludo than I have any right to ask." The words were sad, though thankfully she couldn't see the way his expression had suddenly grown stricken. He glanced up at the sky above before shaking his head.
Again she was dismissed, and this time Maea kept her mouth shut. She knew rejection when she saw it, and wasn't really the kind of person to persist, or force her company when it was no longer wanted. Not even the revelation that Saiden had met with Ludo could rouse her curiosity enough to ask, because there was something in his voice that suggested he would not answer.
She kept her distance until they were back in familiar areas. Once she knew she could find her way to the portal on her own, Maea stopped. "Thank you, I can manage from here," she said. Closed off, neutral - if he really didn't care to make amends, then why should she? "If you want your favor, I can be found and the VlamVloed in the Grounds, or at the Academy in Halo. It's been... interesting."
Nodding her head in a farewell, Maea began to walk off along the beach, a limp to her step and her figure small, ragged and in tatters. But her back was straight, at least, and the head held high. It could all have been worse. So much worse. Squeezing her bow in one hand and the pearl inside its pocket in the other, she allowed herself to feel a small amount of satisfaction at the mission accomplished.
Nothing lasts forever, I thought you should know
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
02-19-2020, 07:01 PM (This post was last modified: 02-19-2020, 07:21 PM by Saiden.)
Thankfully, Maea finally fell silent, and they hobbled back to the port without further incident. Sighing, he checked his body for damage, rolling his joints slowly. At her words, though, he shot her a neutral look. "I'll keep that in mind. And interesting is one word for it." His tone was careful, and he obviously didn't elaborate what other adjectives he would use to describe their outing.
Nodding back at her, he waved idly. "Until next time, I suppose." With that, he turned and limped in the opposite direction to her. He was headed straight towards the Ark so that he could sulk and nurse his wounds in private.
