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!
Delphine watched the man lose his composure, watched knees hit the ground, and when she decided the man was effectively disarmed by his own, soulcrushing pain, she moved forward again.
She held out a hand, scarred and imperfect, "Come home with me. Sit by the fire and let me make you a meal. You can leave whenever you wish or stay as long as you wish, but please? You're hurting, the least I can do is offer you a meal and a warm fire." The blonde woman offered a slight smile.
"Do you have a favorite meal?" She doesn't touch him, even though she's certain she could help. Her hand hovers far enough away that he has to actively reach, search for her touch if he accepts it.
He reminds her of an animal, that's lost everything its known and has no idea what to do now.
How can I begin again? How can I try to love someone new, someone who isn’t you?
But what does it take to break you, to awake you?
To make you bow and spit it out?
He was all that. A wolf without a pack. A wild horse separated from the herd, a raven flying alone in empty skies. It didn't matter much that there were other birds around, because they were not who he had lost, who he needed to be whole. Ravens did not fly with eagles, or with sparrows. Wolves did not form pack with lions, or with deer. This woman stood there, reaching out a hand, but what she offered sounded so empty. So pointless. Humiliating.
How could he let his guard down around someone he didn't know, that he didn't trust? This was not the lowering of a drawbridge, no peace offering. She, just like Chulane, just like Loren, were ramming down the door and barging in, hurling words at him like rocks until he had no choice but to break. Shatter, the pieces becoming smaller with each time.
Did they think they were helping? All they taught him was that his 'No' meant nothing to them.
Korbin closed his eyes and shook his head, even as he brought his arms up as if to shield himself from blows. It was such an undignified thing to do, and it cut him that this slip of a woman could make the tears burn in his eyes with only words. He hated it. Hated them. Hated her for not listening, for not leaving. He had threatened, suggested, asked nicely... what would he have to do to get through?
"No! Leave. Me. Alone." Korbin spelled it out as clearly as he could, straining his whole being to hold back the shakes, the sobs, the visceral pain that just wouldn't go away.
What good would food do? He couldn't keep it down anyway. What point was there in fire, if he couldn't burn in it?
She could do nothing to fix this wreck.
Doesn't matter if I hate you or embrace you
Nothing makes you turn around
Delphine studied the man, her head tilting slowly. "You can't stay in the snow like this." Her hand lowered, found her warm pocket, the cold metal of the knife she kept with her, a reminder, a hopeless wish for protection, against her fingers.
"You know, I forgive you, for grabbing me." She lowered herself down, already hearing Noah in her thoughts, nagging about the cold. Settled on the ground, a few feet away from him, she spoke quietly, "Will you tell me about her, your sister? I never had a chance to meet her." Her voice is quiet, "I know she and Noah were close, though."
How can I begin again? How can I try to love someone new, someone who isn’t you?
But what does it take to break you, to awake you?
To make you bow and spit it out?
"...tell me about her?" Korbin flinched again, an actual whimper escaping him as his simple request for solitude was ignored yet again. Was this caring? Or was it just the selfish stroking of her own ego, a repeated mantra that she was good as long as she tried to do good to others? Another shadow came to Korbin, another person hovering over him asking about his sister. Tell me about Weaver. Tell me about her. Keep talking, tell me more.
He couldn't. Wasn't drunk enough, wasn't weak enough, not angry enough to let the words spill. Would this fire and this food be forced on him too? Would the woman sit there until the cold made them both numb, until someone came to drag him away in the night again, fingers digging into his elbow until leering eyes could peer out from another dimly lit sitting room, full of opinions and judgements on something no one could possibly understand?
Korbin couldn't take it. Couldn't stand it. He didn't speak, just growled wordlessly at her and shimmered. His form shrinking, dimming, darkening until he was a bird in the snow, one lone raven spreading its wings. Trying to escape, to fly away, off where she definitely could not follow.
Doesn't matter if I hate you or embrace you
Nothing makes you turn around
Delphine received no answer, and instead watched as he shifted. A raven. Like the ones across his chest. Beautiful, even in sadness. She moved to stand, as he sought to take flight.
"Bye-bye, pretty bird." She murmured, feeling the cold as she stood. And as she headed home, newly formed bruises on her wrist, which she's forgotten about, she can only ponder about the man.
What kind of twisted monster was he letting himself become?
-FIN-
How can I begin again? How can I try to love someone new, someone who isn’t you?
