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!
Astra, always more perceptive than Loren, had lost her fear of Chulane as soon as he shifted back to human. However, she trotted over to Korbin instead, peering up at him with wide eyes. Loren, though, kept his focus on the newcomer.
"You can repay us by helping the next poor soul who stumbles into this land, yeah? Or by helping us out once you've got your feet under you." Smiling, the healer gave Chulane's shoulder a squeeze. Then the Launceley lifted his hand and curled his fingers around the wine.
Taking a quick sip, he returned to his seat. "I can certainly find you a place to stay. There are spare cots in the infirmary, and you're welcome to stay there as long as you need. Alternatively, if you'd like some place more homey, Korbin might know some spots in Snowcloak." Loren glanced over at the hunter, giving the Hale a quizzical look.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
I was normally perceptive, normally empathetic to those near me - it was a natural feature I was born with, which was then elevated and trained further as I advanced through veterinary medical school. Where I was from, animals couldn't talk, one had to do what they could to observe their behaviour, and identify from that where something was wrong.
As it was, right now, I was far too caught up with my own shitshow of emotions to take in that another in the room was feeling sullen or down in the dumps. Perhaps as time went on, and I had a chance to look back on this moment, I would realise the full extent of what was going on with all of those present in the room - right now though, I was just trying not to lose my shit.
"Thanks," I repeat for the umpteenth time this evening, nodding my head. "That sounds like something I can do," there was nothing like a job to get one's mind back in the game, to give it focus, purpose. I had a feeling I was going to need a lot of that, going forward. I look to the raven as Loren mentions his local knowledge, awaiting any advice the currently bird-formed man might have for me.
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
They didn't notice - with the exception of Astra, bless her - or didn't care that he was feeling left out, and Korbin was fine with sulking on his own. Could have left at any time if he really wanted to, but was aware enough of the childishness of his emotions to not draw attention to them.
When Loren threw the question of lodging at him, and Chulane's attention fell on him as well, it was tempting to just ignore them both. Let them get by without him, it was fine.
Then, he recognized that indeed, they probably would be fine. Whether he helped or not. That too was uncomfortable... much because he wanted to be needed, but not by these people? Except he did... ah, it was a fucking mess.
"There's a lodge that takes in people," he answered demurely after a painful silence. "Supposed to be temporary, but... I can talk to the owner. If he's willing to work for his stay, maybe something can be arranged."
'He' being Chulane of course. The raven opened a beady eye and gazed at the man. Probabaly that was a task for the morrow however.
"You should keep him here for tonight," Korbin suggested quietly, thoughts directed only to Loren. "Shock can do strange things to people."
Better keep an eye on him, at least for the night.
When Korbin mentioned a lodge that took in outsiders, Loren raised his eyebrows slightly. He sent a a thought just to the raven. I thought you all didn't accept outsiders here. However, the healer's thought was simply some good natured teasing. Good idea about keeping an eye on him though.
Turning to face Chuy, the Launceleyn smiled. "Why don't you stay here overnight, since you're here anyway. Then, in the morning, Korbin can come and bring you to the lodge." He glanced between both of the other men to make sure that was alright.
Astra, of course, was still distracted by Korbin's distress. Bleating softly, she reached up with her forelegs to lift the top half of her body off the ground, trying to get closer to the raven.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
Everyday I will be blown away by the capacity for kindness, for generosity in others. Coming from a world where one sometimes lost faith in the intelligence and humanity (or lack thereof) of those who populated said world, I was grateful (I would be eternally grateful) to the kindness given to me today, even if they brushed it off as their duty. One still had to choose to do the duty assigned to them, and therein was the kindness, within the choice, the decision, to follow through with one's promise.
"Yeah, that sounds a good plan," I murmur in between sips, letting the drink fill me, warm me, letting it wash through my tired body and mind - I didn't consume alcohol very often, and so it didn't take much for it to have the desired effects on me. I yearned for the numbness, for the sleep, for the blissful abandon that consumed one when their blood was awash with the drug - and so I drank whatever was offered to me, and as the night stretched on (I didn't track the time) I allowed myself to be ushered into a sleeping cot, and there I slept, deeply, though not before asking "What's a Ningo?" at least one more time.
ooc: Thanks for the thread guys, I'm ready to call it Finished if you are - feel free to reply or archive it as you see fit <3
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
The raven gave Loren a long look. "Outlanders are not the only ones who find themselves in need of a place to stay from time to time," he replied quietly. "Life in Halo is just as messy as everywhere else, I imagine."
There were divorces and rows, people who lost their whole family in accidents, in illness, scum and violent types, families with too many mouths to feed... Always someone would need somewhere else to be.
So he nodded assent to the suggestion, and when the drinking looked to become more serious, the raven quietly left. He had his own bed waiting, and wanted to let his sister know he was home and in one piece.
04-27-2020, 01:13 PM (This post was last modified: 04-27-2020, 01:14 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
As Korbin responded, Loren nodded in understanding. It was a joke. But that makes sense. Thank you for sharing it with me. He gave the raven an appreciative smile.
Then the hunter left and the healer returned his attention to Chulane. The Launceleyn was careful not to let the newcomer get too drunk. Thankfully, the other man seemed exhausted enough that he couldn't stay up too much longer.
Standing up, the Launceleyn led Chulane to the infirmary. When the subject of Ningos came up once again, Loren let out a huff of laughter. "This is a Ningo." He summoned one of the birds, holding it in his hands. "They're all over the Citadel, you can't miss them."
Then he dismissed the bird. "That can wait until tomorrow. Get some rest." The luxere climbed into the cot besides Chulane. The healer smiled at the sight. When he was sure the newcomer was asleep, the Launceleyn moved to a comfortable chair in the corner. Sitting in it, he dozed, not quite willing to abandon his charge for the evening. Luckily, the night passed without further incident.
-FIN
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
