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!
This was the smallest portion? Well shit...Oliver couldn't even imagine what the rest of it looked like, probably extravagant and simply gorgeous. "Can you tell me about the portions? The military I can make guesses on...but what about the magical and religious parts?" Oliver didn't think that there would be such a large amount of the palace devoted to the gods. Did the people of Halo believe in different gods? Did they even have their own religion? Oliver wanted to know way more.
It came off as a faint surprise that Loren didn't miss cooking in the slightest. If Loren didn't miss it, then that must mean he didn't enjoy it...so why would he reject his offers for help? Why would Loren force himself to do something he didn't enjoy? Oliver would've gladly cooked instead, really. It didn't seem right that Loren would force himself to do that.... no wonder why he chose to leave. Did running the manor even bring him any joy? If he truly was happier here, then this truly was the best decision for him, even if it made Oliver lonely.
Another surprise was when Loren once again showed interest in what Oliver had to share. Before he could begin, though, the two stepped into an absolutely gorgeous kitchen. his eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face as he breathed in the delicious scents wafting in the air. It was fantastic and it only made him even more hungry. With his mood now elevated, he was able to talk with a new sense of confidence. "Well...I guess I'll give you a brief run down. Bastien is gonna be throwing a party...and there's gonna be sexy dancers there..." He hummed to himself, thinking off about what else to share. "There's....honestly not much else? Really... but boy has a lot happened to me with Torchline." Might as well indulge Loren in that juice drama.
Oliver's body was relaxed, really, showing that whatever he was going to say next wasn't all that big of a deal. "So.... I got into a fight...like an actual fight...dude really wanted to kill me, but it's fine! I haven't seen him since and hey, I'm still here!" Maybe he was a bit too relaxed about that part. "Also! I saw Remi! He's....he's changed a lot...but I mean, he is alive." Oliver's voice trailed off ever so slightly, a hint of worry in his voice, before he quickly tried to make it positive once more. "Torchline is just so beautiful, Loren...it really feels like one of the closest things I've ever found to home."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Giving Oliver a confused look, Loren frowned a bit, and his brow furrowed. "Well, Zariah is the Archmage and runs the Arcane Academy, which I told you about. Ingrid is High Priestess. You'd have to talk to them to learn more about their roles." Shrugging, he gave his fellow hybrid an almost apologetic look.
Nodding along again and making encouraging sounds, the healer busied himself with pulling down a bowl and a spoon for the other man. "Sexy dancers? What kind of party is this?" The Launceleyn turned to face Oliver, a curious expression on Loren's features.
Tilting his head to the side, his eyes narrowed as the other hybrid brought up his encounter in Torchline. "Who? What happened?" The healer's eyes swept over the other man, as if the Launceleyn could assess the damage from here. However, he'd seen Oliver nearly naked, and the other man hadn't looked that injured.
Then his fellow hybrid mentioned the alchemist, and the Launceleyn's expression darkened. "I don't want to talk about Remi." There was something ugly in his eyes, and his voice came out as a warning. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he spooned some of the ever present meat stew into a bowl, placed a rough hunk of bread next to it, and passed both over to Oliver. Loren just poured himself a generous glass of the mulled cider.
Taking a long drink from it, he rolled the cup between his palms. "So your old home was tropical then?"
The blonde made a visible look of disgust at the sound of the name 'Ingrid'. It wasn't hard to figure out who she was seeing as she had such a unique name and had claimed to be a high priestess when they met. Obviously, Oliver didn't have the best experience with this chick and he wasn't going to go into details since the last thing he wanted was to ruin his own mood. "I'll make it a point to go and speak with Zariah, thank you." He made it a point to not even mention the name of the bitch who mocked him and belittled him.
Thank the gods, the subject moved on. Oliver would rather talk about almost anything than that retched, immature brat. "I'm...not completely sure... I'm going to be one of the dancers. You know, the usual. Stripping...lap dances.... that kind of stuff... I think you'd probably recognize all the people who are doing the dancing." He wasn't going to name anyone unless Loren asked. It was a tad bit embarrassing to talk about, but Oliver didn't exactly mind it.
Their topic shifted once more and he almost wished he could speak about Ingrid or Amun or anyone who has made him feel like shit. At least they didn't attempt to murder him. Taking in a deep breath, Oliver tried to slow down his heart that had quickened its pace. It's okay. He was fine. "I... may have hit a guy with a rock... and he chose to try and slash me and stab me.... and drown me..." His voice grew quieter as the tale went on, his eyes no longer looking anywhere towards the direction of Loren. It was embarrassing as can be and he was lucky to be alive to tell the tale.
Oliver wasn't sure what happened between Loren and Remi, but it clearly wasn't good. "Understood." Was it. That's all he could say. He didn't want to force it. Loren was finicky and the last thing he needed was to be yelled at or something. Stay away from the rough topics and everything would be okay.
Grabbing onto his bowl, Oliver got himself a healthy spoonful. The moment it entered his mouth, he let out a content hum, pleased with the warmth and amazing taste it provided. He'd have to thank the chef for preparing such a fantastic meal. "I don't think so, no." He shook his head and got himself a sip of cider before continuing. "I think I just lived in a sea-side town."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Raising his eyebrows at Oliver's unhappy expression, Loren tilted his head to one side. "What happened with you and Ingrid?" Although his tone came out idly and conversationally, his eyes were sharp.
Nodding when his fellow hybrid agreed to see Zariah, the healer took a sip of his cider. However, his eyes widened in surprise as the other man revealed what kind of party it was going to be, and what part he was going to play in it. "You're going to be a stripper?!" The Launceleyn couldn't keep the incredulity from his voice or his thoughts.
Letting out a huff of laughter, he shook his head. "Who else will be dancing?" There was something lightly amused about the words.
Humming thoughtfully, he tapped a finger against his mug. "What was the weather like?" As he waited for Oliver's answer, Loren took another sip.
02-29-2020, 12:10 AM (This post was last modified: 02-29-2020, 12:11 AM by Oliver.)
OLIVER
Well fuck. Either Oliver really needs to learn how to act or Loren is really good at reading people. No matter the reason, he now pretty much had to be open... or at least tell some of the truth. "I got drunk one night, she found me, and once she found out what happened she started to make fun of me and said some really offensive and honestly ignorant things. She was super immature and not someone I'd ever go to for religious advice." He let out a shrug at the end. He didn't care too much. Ingrid was a rude bitch and showed to him that she had no right to be of such high status in Halo.
Offering a grin to Loren, the blonde let out a light shrug. "I mean, yeah. Why not? Bastien asked me to. I'm touched that he thinks that I'm attractive enough for it." Oliver thought that he looked handsome, but he also knew that he was far from everyone's type, so it came off as a major surprise when he was invited to join in on the crew. "It's just Nate, Amun, and Harper." There was an obvious peak in the way he spoke when he mentioned the last name, as if he had more interest in this man than anyone else in attendance. It wouldn't be too obvious, but if Loren was listening carefully and picked up on some signals, he may be able to notice the little flutter in the blonde's tone. "Why? You wanna come to the party? Looking for anyone in specific." He threw a clearly playful wink towards Loren, holding back a fit of laughter.
Taking a sip of his own cider, Oliver tilted his head up, thinking for a moment. "Very dreary most days...not sunny like Torchline."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Frowning, Loren gave Oliver a sympathetic look. "Sorry to hear that. Luckily, you don't have to ask for religious advice from her." Then the healer tilted his head to one side. "But she is High Priestess of Halo, and my brother isn't one to surround himself with incompetents." His words came out quietly, but with a bit of an edge.
Shaking his head a little, he gave his fellow hybrid a rueful smile. "Better you than me." Taking a sip of the cider, the Launceleyn raised his eyebrows. "When is this party?" Brow furrowing at the list of names, he tapped a thoughtful finger against the mug. "How do you get along with your fellow dancers?" There was something amused about his tone.
As the other man asked why Loren was interested, he shrugged, then smirked. "Don't worry, I'm all set on that front." He let out a huff of laughter.
"Cold? Do you remember if it was foggy? Was there a harbor?" The questions came out softly.
The amount of confidence Loren had in his own brother to choose someone was great, but for the first time in a while: Oliver completely doubted him. "Unfortunately....I think he might have messed up... I'm not saying he's bad and she seemed amazing at first...but she is absolutely incompetent." Oliver genuinely sounded a bit concerned, worried that this mistake would ruin what Loren's brother was trying to do. "When we first met she didn't even know that you could arrive through the portal as an Ascended or as an Attuned, yet she was already claiming to be the high priestess." Hard to be the priestess of a place when you don't even know how it works. The interaction Oliver had with Ingrid truly had been horrific and he hoped he didn't have to speak to her ever again.
Speaking about the party and stripping wasn't too bad....so far. "I'm... not actually sure when the party is? But I will absolutely send you an invite as soon as I know." He threw in a playful wink towards Loren before leaning back in his chair. All was well totally, but then Loren threw him a curveball. Attempting to act normal, Oliver straightened up a bit. "Well.... I have only talked to Nate once... Amun and I have a very rough past and he's kind of a dick.... and Harper is you know, staying with me. Super sweet and absolutely amazing guy." Amazing in more than one thing, Oliver had learned from the party. Hopefully that would answer all of Loren's questions because...ouch would it be awkward if Loren knew about his infatuation for Harper.
The shift in Loren's tone was a bit concerning. Was something wrong? "I mean...yeah? Yeah. It did look like that... and I think it might've been a harbor, yeah."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Loren grinned at Oliver. "No no no. Neron never messes up. We're just too shortsighted to see his brilliant plan." There was something bitter in the healer's voice, and he took a long drink from his cider.
Setting it down, he shrugged. "So? Halo worships the old gods, and we rarely get Outlanders here. It doesn't shock me she didn't know that." Rolling the mug between his palms, he frowned a bit at his fellow hybrid.
"Amun's kind of a dick, yeah." The Launceleyn nodded in agreement. Then he smiled a bit smugly. "So you and Harper are getting along, then?" Raising his eyebrows, he regarded the other man, amusement dancing in Loren's eyes.
"Were there beaches, and were they sandy or rocky? What kind of hauls did the fisherman bring in?" Again, his voice was soft, trying to coax more memories from the depths of Oliver's fragmented mind.
That comment earned a clearly playful eyeroll from Oliver. He certainly doubted this Neron's ability to make good choices when a child was set to run all religious decisions. "You should help me meet this Neron, seeing as he's apparently oh so wise and knowing. Don't you think it'd be good for me to meet him?" Oliver wanted to ask far more pressing and embarrassing questions, but chose not to far now in fear of accidentally fucking up so bad he gets executed for treason or something .
A clear frown formed on his face and Oliver shook his head. "Last I checked, attuned individuals fell under the Old God category. Am I not wrong? And she also told me, if I'm not wrong, that she herself is an Outlander... so why would you guys put an Outlander who didn't even know attuned individuals could come through a portal?" Loren was still misunderstanding. "What she did was immature, Loren... she laughed in my face and said some extremely rude things...not something that I would want a person I can go to for religious advice to say." Nothing that Loren would say could fix how Ingrid treated him. To Ingrid, he was a pile of shit hardly even worth his time and Loren was completely missing the fact that Oliver had been genuinely hurt and offended by her comments, then again, when the fuck did Loren ever see any points of view beyond his own.
Speaking of assholes, Amun came up. "More than just kind of: he's a massive asshole. Kept fucking playing with me like a creep." Seeing as Amun kept calling him blondie and probably stared at his ass a lot. It was annoying and clearly messed Oliver up quite a lot. The topic of Harper did allow Oliver to visibly lighten up. His eyebrows raised and his face softened. "Well, yeah...seeing as you left, I'm...you know...trying to keep things in order....and he's you know, super nice and sweet so of course we are getting along with each other. It's hard not to when his happiness is infectious." That wasn't gay, right? It didn't sound gay so clearly he and Harper were just friends.
Looking up at the ceiling, he hummed briefly before continuing on. "I...don't think they were nice beaches, no. Far from it...so I will assume they were rocky? And I couldn't tell you the shipments. That part is just blank, I just know we got them and sent stuff out."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Loren raised an eyebrow at Oliver. Unlike his fellow hybrid, the healer was deadly serious. ”I absolutely do not think it’s a good idea for you to meet him if you’re going to take that tone around him.” It was a mild rebuke, but a rebuke nonetheless.
Shrugging at the other man’s complaints about Ingrid, the Launceleyn waved a hand vaguely. ”I’m sorry she was rude to you, but no one is asking you to take religious advice from her.” Taking a sip from his cider, he sighed. ”There are enough spiritual advisors in the Hollowed Ground if you need that. Besides, it’s not like either of us have a great track record with the gods.” There was an exasperated tone to his voice.
Eyes narrowing when Oliver mentioned Amun had been a creep, Loren’s eyes narrowed. ”How so?” There was something menacing in the quiet question.
Letting out a huff of laughter, he took another sip of the cider. ”It’s just his happiness you like, huh?” There was something teasing and darkly amused about his voice.
Tapping a finger thoughtfully on his mug, he frowned. ”Was the main business fishing or shopping goods from further inland?”
There is an eyeroll that Oliver just cant hold back. "Fine... I would like to meet him eventually and I will be nice. I wont be rude to him and I will hold my tongue." Oliver would promise to be as nice and respectful as he could. Maybe he could throw in a your highness and kiss the man's toes or some shit. Whatever it is that kings wanted. Why Loren was so protective of this Noreon dude, Oliver wouldn't know for a while probably.
"I mean, you did ask to know why I don't like her then tried to defend her, I was merely standing my ground. But, I'd really rather not waste anymore time on that." That being Ingrid and the general subject of her. Why Loren was so willing to rant about how amazing Ingrid was but not say anything about Zariah, Oliver wouldn't get it. Did Loren like Ingrid or something? Ingrid didn't seem like Loren's type, far from it even. But whatever. Whatever.
Things only became even worse and it seemed that Oliver had to talk about yet another person who messed up his life. Letting out a groan of annoyance, he took a long swig of the cider. "Okay... I will make this brief because I sound like a child whenever I talk about him, but to make things sweet and easy: Amun bit me in a dark alley and then proceeded to flirt with me every single time he saw me. He made me feel like he wanted me, but apparently I was just a perfect target to fuck with because I had basically fallen for him since I thought he genuinely wanted me." He said it with as little emotion as possible, but it was obvious he was holding back quite a lot. Thank the gods that Oliver cant send emotions through their bond in this form because...ouch would he be projecting way too much.
Speaking about Harper was much better, but Oliver could hear the shift in Loren's voice. Something was for sure up. Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Oliver leaned back a bit. "I mean...Harper is great, what more is there to say?" That he's sexy? "You've met the guy," If Loren wanted to insinuate something, then he best be blunt about it. Oliver was almost giving him a challenging look, one that said for Loren to spit it out. Say what he was thinking already.
A soft sigh escaped his lips and he let out a shrug. "Once more, I don't know. I cant remember the imports or exports, just know they happened daily.... or almost daily. On good days, they were daily." That much he could correct himself on. Otherwise, he had shared as much as he knew about what the ships carried.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Loren sighed at Oliver's response. Taking a long sip from the cider, the healer moved to refill it. "I didn't suggest that for his good, but for yours. Disrespecting him is a bad idea." As his fellow hybrid went on to talk about Ingrid, the Launceleyn rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. "She's on the council with me. I can't exactly speak ill of her."
Lowering his hand, he gave the other man a confused look. "Why are you mad at me?" Loren was legitimately confused at Oliver's reaction.
Taking another sip of the cider, the healer tapped the edge of the outside of the cup it was in with an annoyed finger. "I'm sorry to hear that. Flirting how?" He tilted his head to one side.
Letting out of huff of laughter, he shrugged. "Are you attracted to him?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively at his fellow hybrid. Nodding at the other man's explanation about his previous world, the Launceleyn's brown furrowed. "Can you remember anything else?"
Who even was this Neron? Was he as powerful as Loren made him out to be? "If I agree to be nice and hold my tongue, will I be allowed to someday meet him?" That means that Loren would have to trust him and believe Oliver were telling the truth...which he absolute would. Yeah. Totally.
A sigh escapes his lips and momentarily, he takes a swig of the cider before speaking. "Didn't mean to come off as angry...trust me, I'm not mad at you... just.... frustrated with life. I shouldn't have taken it out on you, I'm sorry Loren." Okay... he was a tad bit upset with Loren, but his response was uncalled for, absolutely. Oliver knew that he should try to be kind and respectful, thus, they would hopefully migrate away from this conversation.
Oh but alas, things only got even better. A groan of annoyance left his mouth and he took a deep swig of cider. "Okay... maybe it wasn't flirting, but ugh.... dude just kept calling me Blondie and shit. Kept winking and- yeah... it's... I guess it's the way he looked at and spoke with me? It wasn't like, verbal flirting." Oliver stopped speaking for a second, looking away and picking up the bowl of food. "He didn't say anything obvious... just made me feel like he wanted me... but I'm fine now." Quietly, he ate a bit of the food, clearly trying to end the conversation. Speaking about Amun obviously made Oliver uncomfortable and seeing as how Oliver kept running into him, it truly was miserable. A constant reminder of how unwanted he was.
Oliver hadn't entirely expected Loren to be so blunt, but he also hadn't exactly avoided the topic very well. "Well- I mean, what gives you-" He cut himself off and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I am... honestly not sure? I mean... how do you know that kind of stuff? I was given the advice to just kiss him or something, but... isn't that wrong? I'm worried...and..." His voice trailed off and he looked off to the side. "Do you want to hear all of it? Or is that enough of an answer?" There was no anger in his voice, more like he felt guilty. Loren didn't want to hear about his romantic life, surely. Only if Loren asked for more would Oliver say more since he didn't want to make his friend feel awkward or uncomfortable. There was such thing as oversharing and he had to make sure Loren was alright with it first.
Ship talk is boring as fuck, but better than half the shit they've spoken about that day. "The ships were fucking massive... like, massive as fuck. We had small ones too, but also tons of big ones."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Loren raised his eyebrows at Oliver's question. "Not really my place to decide." Shrugging, the healer let out a huff of bitter laughter. "My brother keeps his own counsel most of the time. But if you prove yourself worthy he might grant you an audience." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep his annoyance from creeping into his voice or bleeding through his link with the other hybrid.
At the other man's explanation, the Launceleyn pressed his lips together, clearly not convinced. "Why does life have you down?" Although he tried to give Oliver a sympathetic smile, Loren wasn't sure how successful he was.
He tilted his head to one side as his fellow hybrid explained his troubles with Amun. "So he...gave you a nickname and winked at you?" It was evident the healer didn't understand why that was so problematic. "Is it possible that's just his demeanor? My cousin was like that before she..." His voice trailed off and he swallowed, a stricken expression crossing his features.
Shrugging, he took a sip of his cider. "Does being with him make you happier? Do you want to spend more time with him? Do you want to touch him, and be touched in return?" There was something distant about his questions, and it was clear he couldn't quite muster up the understanding necessary to gossip with the other man about his crush. Indeed, talking about it just made the Launceleyn sad and guilty.
Brow furrowing, he rolled his mug between his palms. "Were they made of wood? Did they come in on a regular or irregular schedule?"
