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!
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
"There would have to be a serious offer before there was something to reject," Korbin pointed out. He looked a little uncomfortable. "Friends aren't made over a random conversation anyway." Not the kind he would trust and rely on, at any rate.
He scowled at the comment that followed. What small moments of lighter spirit there had been were rapidly falling away again, as Korbin retreated back into the safety of his own space. "Even if I didn't, it would have nothing to do with you."
It was short, clipped, rude even by his standards. But though he winced internally, the boy just shoved his hands back into the pockets and turned his face away, jaw set in stubborn dismissal.
Ah, well. Maybe it was a rejection after all.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun just grinned at Korbin, then spoke in a teasing tone. "And how do you know my offer wasn't serious?" It wasn't, but that was besides the point. As the other man commented on how to make friends, the potter just chuckled. "Alright, I'll bite. How do you make friends?" A little Ascended humor there, though Korbin probably wouldn't pick up on it.
Smirking, Amun spread his arms a bit again. "And here I was thinking we were getting along so well." However, he made no move to, well, move. Indeed, he just watched as the other man started to walk away. There was something maybe a bit sad about the potter's expression, but mostly he was just content to brood himself.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
The discomfort grew more noticeable at Amun's quip, but Korbin didn't rise to it. Not sure he cared to challenge the notion, or find out if he was indeed wrong. The whole trail of thought had derailed already, and there was no humor to be salvaged from it, he felt.
"Time. Shared experiences over time, with trust and loyalty proven beyond a doubt," he replied shortly. A stark, towering ideal of his that few managed to live up to. Korbin didn't have many friends... but then, he didn't need many either.
He wasn't sure he agreed with the assessment of their compatibility. "Half this conversation was spent arguing about race," he pointed out. "If this is your idea of getting along, well..." He shook his head in disbelief.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun just laughed bitterly at Korbin's explanation. "Sometimes friendships can be built on other things. Shared interests, a similar personality. Proximity." Shrugging, the potter just shook his head. "And sometimes trust and time and loyalty and shared experiences don't result in a friendship. Usually don't, in my experience." And he had at least a decade's worth of experience on the other man.
Chuckling again, a bit more humor in it this time, the Ascended slipped his hands into his pockets. "Some of my closest friendships started with an argument about race." It was the god's honest truth. Amalia and Maea, mostly, and the thought of the latter brought the grief back to his features.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
They all sounded like flimsy things, in Korbin's mind. Unreliable. And they all more or less excluded Amun, a little more with each example. They weren't similar, shared nothing, and with Deepfrost approaching there would be no proximity to even speak of. He failed to see the point.
"All I get from this is that you sound awfully keen on being friends," he remarked. "Why? You don't know anything about me."
Not to mention, Korbin had been less than pleasant through most of the talk. He didn't see that there was any appeal in staying anywhere near him.
Which kind of was the point.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun chuckled at Korbin's statement. "Don't I?" Finally pushing off the wall, he took a few steps closer to the other man, though stopped a short distance away. "You like music and you're worried about your sister. You don't like change, and you've never met an Ascended before. You don't like the heat, but you do like to argue." The potter raised his eyebrows, as if to ask how he was doing.
Then he shrugged. "Maybe I'm in the market for a new friend." That was too close to the truth, and his lips twisted into a mockery of a smile. "Or maybe I'm just hoping to prevent you from making the same mistakes I did."
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Dark eyes narrowed as the list was rattled off. He had been talking too much, that was painfully obvious. Pressing his lips together, he held his ground as Amun approached, but there was a tension in his stance. Like he was getting ready to fight or run. "Superficial things," he countered. "Doesn't mean anything."
Hidden inside the pockets, his hands clenched. He didn't like it when people threw themselves at him. Didn't want to be close to anyone, or go through the process of determining whether someone was trustworthy or not. It took up time, energy and attention he could better spend elsewhere. There was no room in his life for more people, because inevitably they would leave.
"And what mistake would that be?" He didn't really care what it was.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun just shrugged. "Nothing wrong with superficial things." However, he found himself giving Korbin a curious look. "But fine. What sorts of things mean something to you." The potter slipped his own hands into his pockets, mirroring the other man's posture. That, combined with the Ascended's overall relaxed demeanor might be enough to put Korbin at ease.
Smiling sadly, Amun looked out to sea again. "Raging. Fighting everyone and everything just for the heck of it. Never settling down or opening myself up to others for fear that I or they might leave some day." It came out quietly. "Life's too short and precious to squander it on all that."
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He was not at ease. Amun kept throwing deep probing questions at him, that would only leave him more exposed. And Korbin resented it, rejected it, didn't want to be understood. There was only one person who was entrusted with that kind of insight anymore. The others were dead. Gone, and had taken pieces of him with them that could not be replaced.
"Maybe you have room for that kind of thing, but I do not," he replied through clenched teeth, in a low rumble that was close to a growl. "I don't have to let anyone in that won't stay. I'm fine with what I have, and I'm getting sick of listening to people who think they know what is good for me. I'm the only one who get to decide that."
He withdrew, stepped back and turned to leave. He was done with this, done with talking when it wouldn't get anywhere or solve anything.
Friends. Ha. He didn't need any. He had his sister; she was all that mattered.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Alright this conversation was clearly going nowhere. Amun just grinned at Korbin's retort, not bothered by it. "To each their own." Toasting an imaginary glass, the potter inclined his head towards the other man. Letting Korbin leave, the Ascended just returned to his spot in the shade.
Slouching, he just watched his new ship for a while. His fingers itched to take her out on the water. However, he finally sighed and pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against. It would have to wait for another day, when his kin weren't quite so busy.
He had to throttle down the nagging thought that they'd never have time for him unless there was something in it for them.
