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!
To be honest, Letha though herself an anomaly at this point, too. Amun was an outlander and he had not told her that he didn't have any memories from his life before Caido. He said he had been helped through to adjusting to life here, like he was helping her, but not that it was because he didn't remember--merely just because that's what needed to be done with those that are new. "Neither did I." She said, her eyes lifting to the natural as her lips curled back into a cheeky smirk. It only lasted a moment, a flash of fang, before fading back away.
The water held her and as she moved her body to mimic Raza's. Her feet barely touched the sandy ocean floor, but she tried to keep her body at least close enough that she could use it as traction if she needed to. Letha was particularly gifted at being able to adapt her body to do something she watched other people do, and with some practice, was quick to master movements. "No, it's not so bad." She decided, pursing her lips some. She found, in fact, that the ocean was just as welcoming now as it had been when she stood at the base of the lighthouse.
As Letha smirks at me, white-white in the moonlight, I could swear that I see a flash of somethin’ not normal. Not-like-me normal. Normal’s like, a big umbrella here, and even though she’s an Outlander, I suppose should could be Attuned or somethin’. In the pause that follows, I seriously consider asking what she is, but I also just… don’t care. She seems cool. Anything else is extra.
I smile back - just a small one - and chuckle. “Glad I’ve finally convinced you,” escapes a bit dryly, but not unkindly. More teasing than anything else, because of course it ain’t that bad. But as for fun, well that’s when my smile gets even bigger and I really laugh. “Gods, no. I mean yes, but this is tame. You’ll know fun in Torchline when it happens. Especially if you stick around for Deepfrost.” There’s booze ‘n bonfires, dancin’, drugs, sex. All reminders that it’s good to be alive.
The water held her and made her feel weightless. The more time she spent in the water, watching Raza and the way she moved her arms and legs and the way she breathed, the more comfortable she became. Letha had figured out that she didn't need to breathe, and so her natural anxiety about drowning started to ebb away with the push and pull of the tide. The water crashed up against the shore behind them, and Letha felt like she could stay like this forever.
Raza mentioned the fun that increased during the winter season, and that piqued the woman's interest. "What's so special about Deepfrost?" Letha had no idea what the seasons were like here, and had no idea that the fun in Torchline increased in the winter because most sailors were ported for the duration of the season. There was something about Letha that was sheltered, even innocent, but that is what happens when you grow up far away from any sort of large society. Letha, too, was always held close because of the disability she lived with in her past life -- the drinking, drugs, dancing, sex, all of it was foreign to the ascended woman.
There’s a bit of a twinkle in my eye as I think about how to best answer her question. How much do I reveal, and how much do I leave for her to experience herself? “Well, it’s one’a my busier seasons, what with the sun goin’ down earlier an’ the sailors in port. We’re an… opportunistic people. Have fun when we can ‘cause you never know if you’ll be alive in a season kinda thing.” I grin wickedly at her, not caring if she can see it in the dark or not.
“An’ LongNight is like one big party. So…” I leave the rest for her to figure out and fill in the gaps, or not. A wind picks up and I suddenly shiver, aware that it’s been a bit and it’s probably a lot colder outside of the water now.
“Aight, time for me to head back.” I throw her a glance, but she’s by no means obligated to get out of the water if she doesn’t want to. Wading slowly to shore, I can’t help but want her to follow, so I can catch a better glimpse of her. She's cute a innocent. Been a long time since I've seen anyone with that sort of combo goin' on. Torchline doesn't really do innocent.
Raza explained how Deepfrost in Torchline was a benefit for her, and Letha nodded, following along with the information. She still had so much to learn about this world, and whatever she could gain she would take; whoever would answer her questions she would continue to ask. She did not need to know anyone's personal information, just information about the world she now lived in. In reality, Letha did not really want anyone's personal information -- that felt too heavy for her to carry. After all, she had Amun and she had the other Ascended as a makeshift family, and that felt like enough for her right now.
A frown pulled at the corner of her lips, though, as Raza moved to leave, and announced her exit. Letha stayed put in the water for a moment, watching the darker-skinned woman tread and move towards shore. Letting out a sigh, she followed. Without the sensation tugging at her body, Letha did not pay much mind to how her wet--and mostly translucent--clothes clung to her lithe frame. She followed Raza to the shore and gathered her things. "It was nice to meet you."
