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!
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
The lighthouse at Aumakua had quickly become her favorite playground. It was far enough away from the small cluster of houses where her family had settled to feel private, yet not so much that the grownups protested when she ventured off on her own. At least, not after the first few times, when they had come looking for her, stormy eyed and as full of worry as they were of reproach. Seren had quickly learned the benefits of telling them where she went, and save for the constant presence of one companion or another to keep watch over her, she was left to her own devices.
Which suited her perfectly todsy. The afternoon was hazy and overcast, full of drifting fog that rolled in from the ocean. By the time she reached the building, Seren was wet to her knees from shuffling through the grass, and she regretted carrying her bag of rocks all the way from home. With a suitably melodramatic sigh she slumped down on the steps leading up to the tower door, and began to dig out her favorite rocks, lining them on the surface beside her.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Her time at the lighthouse had been disturbed once more. Letha had chosen to stay here during the day, using the shadow of the lighthouse to hold her. Although it was foggy, the woman had found herself sluggish. In the night, she was strong. The girl did not seem affected in the way she was, so she did not believe her to be an Ascended creature, like she was. Amun had gently guided her to this fact, although she still did not truly understand all of what it meant.
She watched the girl for a few moments, standing still. She had learned that she did not need to breathe -- she had discovered that while swimming -- and it was useful in this moment. She was soundless. She had not been hiding from the eyes of other people, but merely waiting where she felt safe until she could catch up to herself once more. "Hello," she said gently, waiting to see if she would startle the child.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Seren looked up at the sound of the voice, and glanced about. It took her a while to spot the figure, but when she did, a smile widened on her face.
"Hello!" she returned, bright and cheerful. "Are you here to visit Mama?" Even in the dim light, her eyes were very blue and the curls even bouncier and more unruly than usual. Due to the mist, no doubt.
The child didn't move from her seat. The person made no attempt to shoo her away from the steps yet, so her rocks were safe.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
The girls smile instantly made Letha's chest feel warm. She had not started the child, after all. She let a small, rare smile grace her lips. "Hello." She said again, more confidently and full of warmth. Letha had always loved children. They were full of wonder and curiosity, and weren't usually running on selfish agendas. The woman had many siblings, all younger than her, and in this moment, she missed them dearly.
She stepped forward, reaching the edge of the shadows of the doorway. She lowered herself down, pulling up her skirts to sit cross legged. She wondered what the girl was doing here as she observed the mess of curls atop her head. The dark hair and bright, blue eyes nearly matched Letha. If someone did not know better, they might guess the two related. The girl's question caught her and she shook her head lightly, brows coming together some. "No, no. Are you waiting for your Ma?"
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
The girl tilted her head curiously at the woman, when the answer came out negative. "Okay. I thought so because usually people go into the tower when they talk to Mama." Seren leaned back, following the outlines of the tall building up to the top, where the glow brightened the mist in slowly turning circles. "I am not exactly waiting... It is more that I saw her here last, and it feels like she is closer here. I will see her soon."
But 'soon' was a difficult concept, and she couldn't really say when it would be.
"My name is Seren, what us your name?" Turning back to the woman, the child gave her a curious study. Noting the dark hair and the pretty face - she almost looked like Mother, but not quite.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Whoever this Mama was the girl was speaking about, it felt awfully cryptic to Letha. "Hmmm." Letha mused at the information about people going inside to see her mother. Who was this woman? Was she important here in Torchline? This didn't seem like a place where official business was held and where actions were carried out, but Letha was new here and didn't know the inner-workings of this place. Mentally she shrugged, moving on.
Letha did not ask again--yet--about the girls mother. Instead, she offered her name, moving on with the girl's lead. "Letha," she let her smile widen, though it felt foreign on her face. Letha was more often stoic, or looking pensive, than she was smiling. She hoped it was warm, and didn't look threatening on her face (could a smile look threatening?) "It's a pleasure to meet you. What have you got there?" she gestured toward Seren's collection of stones.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Without a question to prompt her into further explanation, the girl had no reason to believe the matter wasn't clear as day and perfectly understood.
"It is nice to meet you too," she returned, perfectly polite. "It is my pirate treasure. Look, this one has gold on it." Picking up one of the rocks, she held it out for Letha to see the flecks of feldspar within the rock. "And this one is a diamond, and this is a secret heart." The 'diamond' was a small rock of very clear quartz, while the heart was... just a rock, unless you turned it just right; then it suddenly made a lot of sense.
"What are you doing here if you are not talking to mama?" It was a mere casual question, born out of curiosity. Not a lot of people came this far out.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Letha's smile couldn't help but get bigger and happier as the girl told her about her treasures. The wonder, the innocence, the imagination of the girl warmed Letha's heart. The last 48 hours had been rough for the woman, and she was glad to find some semblance of light and peace. Seren had brought this to her, and the universe had brought her Seren. She wanted to move closer to the girl, but Amun had said she was flammable, and even in the overcast light she was not willing to risk bursting into flame before this child.
"May I see one?" She asked, reaching a delicate hand out towards Seren. "They are very beautiful." Letha leaned against the doorway of the lighthouse, the stone cool despite the warmth of Torchline. "Well, I just like it here. I found the lighthouse last night when I was exploring. You see, I'm new here. I'm just trying to get an understanding of it all." She was obscure, and she was ready for the girl to ask more questions, but Letha did not freely give the information--the information that she had fallen through a portal, transformed, and now had to figure out how to live this...this...this life(?) she had been given.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Flattered that Letha wanted to see her treasures, Seren dug into her bag and found one of her favorites. She handed over a very smooth, perfectly round piece of rock that was almost entirely black, save for small white speckles of red and white within it.
"I am new here too," Seren admitted. "I lived with Mama in the stars, but then she said I should come live with daddy. So she took me down here. We landed over there - " she pointed at a spot a little ways away from the lighthouse " - and I have not seen her since then. But I will soon, she said so."
It was just that 'soon' could be an awfully long time. The child was patient though, and tried hard to do as she was told. Still. She kept coming back to the lighthouse, waiting and hoping that maybe Mother would come back to see her anyway. Just a little while.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
The woman reached for the stone from the little girl. She turned it over in her hand and made a small spectacle of admiring it. A few oo's and aah's fell from her lips. It was not all a spectacle. There was part of Letha that truly did admire the stone. It was interesting how diverse nature could be. "You are a very good little pirate. Very gifted in finding treasure." She played along with the pretend game, smiling down at Seren.
An eyebrow lifted as Seren continued to talk about her mother. This seemed a good enough time as any to satisfy the curiosity. "Seren, who is your mother?" She asked, reaching out to hand the smooth, round stone back to the girl and gesturing for another one. Letha knew that some people were incredible idealists, so colorful and grandiose in their lives. Did Seren truly mean that she lived in the stars with her mother, or was that just the phrasing they used to describe their home? Had Seren been called here to Caido, like Letha, and come through a portal? Had a man found her and claimed her as his own, naming himself father?
The questions and possibilities rolled around in the dark-haired woman's mind, but she waited and listened intently for what the girl would share with her.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
The girl beamed at the praise, and was more than happy to exchange the black stone for another. This one was about the size of a grown person's palm, gray and jagged on one side, while the other held the fossilized semblance of a dragonfly on the other, outlined in white against the gray.
"You can have that one if you like," Seren told her. Since Letha seemed to really like the treasures.
The question of who her mother was had quickly become both common and familiar. "Mama is Safrin," she said, with the air of someone who had repeated this often enough. "Daddy is Ronin. I am a demi-god." All facts, and nothing she felt was very exciting.
"Where were you before coming here?" Questions were a fun game too.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Letha held the new rock in both hands. She turned it over several times, running her thumbs along the jagged details and her index fingers along the dragonfly fossil. She beamed in her own way, her smile so wide it nearly hurt her cheeks. "Thank you, Seren. This is a beautiful gift." Warmth spread throughout her, and she knew that if her body were able to do it she would feel so warm to the touch. It seemed so simple, a rock given to her by a child, but Letha took it as something more than that -- a welcoming to this place, to this new world that she would one day call home.
The pure joy that radiated from her was enough to hide the shock that Seren's statement brought. A demi-god? What did that even mean? Amun had told her about the new gods -- about the Voice -- but not about Safrin. Who was she? The hairs on the back of Letha's neck prickled. She sat the rock down in her lap and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Amazing." She breathed.
But the child's question made her lean back some. Though she could not blame the child for anything she was asking. Letha had asked her own questions, and it was only fair that Seren get to do so as well. "Well, I don't really know. Maybe even it's not that I don't really know, it's just that I don't remember." She admitted this to Seren freely, letting the vulnerability of her unknown history fall from her lips, no holds barred.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Pleased that her gift was well received, and that she was suitably impressed with Mother, Seren listened with all the gravity she could muster as Letha replied. It was rather clear that she didn't comprehend the problem fully, but at least she understood that it was troubling the woman.
Full of quiet sympathy, Seren reached out to pat the woman's hand. "There there," she offered, trying to sound as warm and soothing as Mother. "It will be okay." She believed it, with all her little heart.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
A shocked breath caught in her throat when the child reached out to comfort her. The shock did not come from the fact that the child was comforting her--well, maybe a little--but it was that the touch did not feel comforting. It did not feel like....anything. It was stagnant, skin against skin. Letha breathed out, pushing the air from her lungs she knew she did not need. "Thank you, Seren."
She adjusted, some, straightening up and clearing her throat. "So, what do we do here for fun? Aside from gather pirate treasure, that is." She smiled down at the child, trying to keep her lips someone connected as to not totally display her new set of fangs. 'I bet you know all the fun things in Torchline."
