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!
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
He had to show up before Halo closed their borders. And honestly, it wasn’t particularly something he was looking forward to. But with the blow up at the Festival of Lights and everything else, he needs to actually visit the Launceleyn and lay out exactly what’s to be expected. It’s an odd situation to be in, but given the circumstance and what he’d had to talk Remi out of doing… Well, it was the best way to try and save the man’s life.
And so against his better judgement, he sends a letter ahead of him, and goes straight for the Palace, unsure of what to expect but wrapped in quite a few layers of furs and a bit more solemn of a look crossing his face as he watches people pass through the entry way – waiting, specifically, for a familiar face to arrive.
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Loren couldn't say he was surprised to receive Sunjata's letter. Indeed, the Arbiter wouldn't have to wait long before the healer showed up. His expression wasn't exactly friendly, but then again he got the sense this wasn't exactly a friendly meeting. "Sunjata. Come on in." Waving the other man in, the Launceleyn would escort Sunjata to one of the nearby sitting rooms.
Entering it, the healer would gesture for the Arbiter to take a seat. "Can I get you anything to drink? Water, wine, tea? I can also arrange for food." Hovering by the drinks, the Launceleyn watched the other man carefully. Although the formalities fell from Loren's lips a bit stiffly, they took hospitality seriously in Halo.
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
Luckily for him, Loren doesn’t take long to arrive. And he offers the Launceleyn a small smile. It wasn’t a friendly meeting, by any means, but that didn’t mean Sunjata couldn’t still be friendly to the summoner. But he follows the man into the sitting room, steel gaze flickering around to take it all in before he takes a seat, shrugs off the furs and jacket he wears, gaze flickering back to Loren as he speaks. “Water would be nice. Thanks.” He doesn’t need food right now, but water? Perhaps a nod back to the meeting in the bar.
But he huffs a quiet sigh as he leans back, a solemn kind of seriousness taking over his face as he focuses on the other man. “I’m assuming you have an idea why I’m here?” He asks, if the event at the Festival of Lights were any indication. He imagines Loren might have a pretty decent idea of it, regardless of how much Sunjata wants to pretend he has control over the situation.
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Nodding at Sunjata's request, Loren poured the Arbiter a glass of water. Setting it down before the bartender, the healer went to sit in a chair opposite the other man.
When Sunjata asked the Launceleyn if he knew why the Arbiter was here, the healer let out a huff of laughter. "Let me guess. My recent behavior has been entirely unacceptable and you're about to fill me in about how stupid I am and how much of a mess I've made." He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Sound about right?" Despite the tension clearly visible in his shoulders, he somehow managed to keep his tone light. His eyes, though, were sharp as they stared at the other man.
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
The water is granted another nod as the glass is set down. He takes it, drinks a bit of it, and sets the glass back down as he focuses on the summoner’s explanation of why he thinks Sunjata might be there. And well? He’s not entirely wrong, but he’s not entirely right either. So Sunjata heaves a small sigh, leaning forward in the seat to let his gaze flicker over the other man. “Kind of right, kind of not.” He rumbles, offering Loren a softer smile to that, almost apologetic.
“I had to convince Remi to not outright kill you.” He begins, huffing a quiet sigh, hands folding in front of him. “But… That being said, I had to compromise. He doesn’t want you in Torchline. So the compromise is that you’re banned from there, and if I find you there, I have to put you in the jail.” The smile fades to a frown at this, the seriousness crossing his face. “It was… The best I could do. I’m sorry.” Because regardless of what Sunjata might have told Remi, Loren was still his friend. Was still Maea's friend despite everything.
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
As Sunjata revealed the exact reason for his visit, Loren pressed his lips together unhappily. Then he sighed. "Let me get this straight." He rubbed his eyebrows tiredly. "The Governor of Torchline is formally banning the Grand Healer of Halo in what is, essentially, a fit of pique?"
Raising a hand to forestall the Arbiter's response, the Launceleyn's eyes narrowed. "I recognize the situation is a lot more complicated than that, but that is what it looks like from the outside. As far as I am aware, I have broken no laws that would warrant being thrown in jail." Mostly because Torchline didn't have any laws, but that fact still remained. His tone had remained even, but he was unable to keep the annoyance and upset from bleeding through their bond.
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
Of course, Sunjata knows how it sounds. And his lips part to try and tell Loren exactly how it looks to Remi in terms of the crimes, but the Launceleyn holds his hand up and Sunjata sighs, leaning back with the glass in his hand as his steel gaze surveys the summoner and the further reasoning given. “It is a lot more complicated than that.” He agrees, softly, before his shoulders roll a small amount. “But the thing of it is, is that Remi doesn’t need a reason in Torchline. You haven’t broken any laws yet, but you will if you return there.” He frowns to this, lifting the glass to his lips again just to give a moment of pause.
“Like I said, I did what I could. Would you rather it be banned from Torchline until he changes enough to feel okay with your presence? Or would you rather not have a head attached anymore?” An avian tilt of his head, the annoyance from Loren meeting a wall of calm. There isn’t much he can do, really, aside from be the messenger. “And when it comes to Halo, neither Ronin or Remi want anything to do with the Launceleyns, and I hope our friendship might make it easier to still work together despite it to try and change their minds. But it will take time, Loren.”
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"So that's how it is." For a moment, Loren gazed at Sunjata a sadly. Then, though the healer's expression hardened. "You're right, it is complicated." He leaned forward and fixed the Arbiter with a piercing look. "I would rather people be reasonable and smart and not let personal vendetta get in the way of what is politically expedient."
Expression unchanging, the Launceleyn softened his tone a bit. "I appreciate everything you did. I am sure given time you can talk them around." He took a deep breath and straightened up. "If it was just something that affected me, personally, I would sit quietly by and let you handle it." He pressed his lips together. "But it's not. It's political. So Halo is going to have to respond in kind."
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
He’s not phased by the piercing look the summoner gives him. He expected as much, to be honest. “It isn’t a slight against Halo. It’s against you.” He adds, because he’s sure that Remi would care less if people slipped between the divides of Torchline and Halo, just so long as it wasn’t Loren who was the one that ventured.
The mention of politics though does have his lips quirking up in some hidden amusement. “Again, it’s entirely based on you as a person. It’s not a political maneuver. But we can work with it if that’s what you turn it into.” Broad shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. “What would you do? Halo is closing its borders at the end of the season anyway. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to wait to do anything about it until after you can leave here again?” Another tilt of his head as he sets the glass on the table between them.
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Loren continued to stare steadily at Sunjata. "But that's just it. This isn't just a conflict between Remi and me anymore, however much he might think it is." The healer jabbed a finger into the table before him for emphasis.
"This is a conflict between our governments. Whatever you might claim otherwise, Remi is using his political position to ban me from a region. Any outsider observer will see it that way. Seeing as I am a prominent member of Halo's government, that's exactly what this looks like, regardless of what it actually is."
Spreading his arms a bit, he shook his head at the Arbiter's word. "And let a whole season pass by with the news spreading that Halo did nothing in response to the Governor's actions? I cannot in good conscience condone that. It makes us look weak." The Launceleyn brought his hands to his lap and slid his fingers together.
As the other man asked what Loren would do in response, he took a deep breath. "Ban you, as the Arbiter, from Halo. In addition, the Kraai will be seized, and all illicit activities by the Advocates in this region will be stopped, by force if necessary." It came out quietly, and reluctantly, but he wasn't going to be bullied and he wasn't going to be backed into a corner because Remi was throwing a fit. "I'm sorry, my friend, but there are few other options."
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
“It’s not an official statement, Loren.” Sunjata begins, raising a brow. “The fact is that it’s a quiet warning for you to not be seen there. What is there for people to find out and imagine? Unless of course you go and tell people.” It’s not like Sunjata’s going out there and posting it up on the notice board with his face. There’s no bounty. Just an attempt at understanding that Loren shouldn’t come to Torchline.
But of course, Loren has to drag him into it, and Sunjata can’t help but to chuckle to that, a grin crossing his face in the absurdity of it all. “I came here to warn you as a friend. For your protection against gods know what Remi wants to do. What good is taking the Kraai away from a Halo native going to do for you?” He asks, first, because it makes little sense to him. “Besides of course, becoming a slight against me for being the messenger?” Already he can feel the tension forming in his mind over the dramatics of it all. “The baseline is that Remi doesn’t want you in Torchline. And I have to enforce that. But I am not going around searching for you if you break it. It’s just that if you are found there, there will be consequences. If it were a political move, everyone would know and I wouldn’t have come all this way to tell you.” He could care less about getting pulled into the squabble between them all, but friend to friend? This is what they agreed on. Sunjata being the go between. They had all agreed on it.
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"You should have probably led with that." Loren's tone was much more reasonable now. However, his eyes still narrowed slightly.
"What does it matter if the ban is official or unofficial? It's still a ban against a member of Halo's ruling party being enforced by Torchline's ruling party for reasons that are personal, is it not?" Giving Sunjata an unamused look, the healer shook his head. "And as such, requires a proportionate response. As you already noted, Remi and Ronin have no business in Halo. Which leaves you, my friend."
His nostrils flared a bit. "I appreciate your concern, but I can protect myself." Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms. "Fine then. As long as this unofficial ban stands, then you are similarly unofficially banned from Halo. If you are caught, I will personally escort you back to the border."
Sighing, he shook his head slightly. "I don't want to do this, but you're in politics now, and if you weren't prepared for the consequences that might arise from your new position and your government's policies, you shouldn't have volunteered." Tone brisk, he lowered his arms. "Considering that the borders are closed for Deepfrost, you'll have that time you requested to talk Remi out of this course of action." He raised an eyebrow. "This is nonnegotiable, by the way."
dreams where you're murdered boy i know you heard it all before
Exhaling a quiet and long sigh out of his nose, he tilts his head to Loren’s explanations. “It’s for your well-being, Loren.” He says a bit more softly. “It’s not something I want to do either, but it has to be done if only to keep Torchline’s peace if Remi and you get into it again.” Broad shoulders shrug again, tapping his fingers along his knee. “Likewise, Remi won’t come here because of you for that same reason.” He hums somewhat thoughtfully.
But as the summoner continues on, folding his arms, Sunjata’s gaze follows him. “Alright.” He offers, agreeing with the terms since it seems it's the only way they’ll go about this civilly. But when Loren goes on to talk about politics and all of that, Sunjata can’t help but to chuckle, amusement lingering in his bond at it before he tilts his head to Loren. “I’m well versed in politics, remember. So I’ll agree to the terms so long as you leave the Kraai out of it and let Weaver keep her livelihood.” He offers a wink before sitting forward, hands folding in front of him. “But I’ll take the time.” He agrees with a nod. “Keep an eye out for letters.” A tilt of his head to that before he goes to stand. “So. Care to do your duty and escort me back then?”
you shut your eyes to pain boy then just lock the fuckin' door
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
As Sunjata explained why this was necessary Loren snorted and shook his head. "I haven't expressed any violence or antagonism towards Remi, have I?" He leaned forward a bit and fixed the Arbiter with an expectant look.
"Fine. I'll leave the Kraai out of it." It was easy enough to agree to that, both because they were keeping this arrangement unofficial for now, and because the healer had been planning to release it officially to Weaver anyway.
Rising to his feet, he nodded. "Looking forward to hearing from you." Then his lips twitched with amusement. "Plus this will give us a chance to catch up with none the wiser." He gestured for the other man to lead the way out of the sitting room.
