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!
Aisha had of late been getting more and more involved with the world around her. While at first she'd denied, she'd then tried to learn; drink in any knowledge that she could get with a clean palette, open minded and curious. Now was the time to utilize all that she'd learned, to embrace Caido in it's differences and traditions, fall into the push and heel of life as an outlander.
Part of that meant visiting a shrine, to seek the divine as she was so often advised to do. Her hair left down in a silken gold mane, she'd set out at dawn with strong intent, a satchel at her side carrying offerings that she'd accumulated over the past days. For the old gods, the heralds of life, death, and creation. She'd been skeptical, for on her world the gods were merely myth. Stories sewn together to create religion, and purpose for those who needed it.
She left her skepticism at the manor, choosing to trust and simply pray. To see who answered if anyone at all, and be gracious for it. Aisha chose the earthen shrine that she'd passed once before while exploring the glade. It was farther from the settlement and it's people, somewhere she could feel alone, or perhaps not alone. The sun beat down today, offering a faint heat as respite from the imminent winter bite.
Knees pulled underneath her, she crouched before the stone structure at the center of the rings, carefully placing the contents of her satchel around the alter. For Safrin, a handful of quartz stones that she's collected while exploring, each shimmering of their own crystalline accord. For Ludo, a set of dice that she'd painted (using her charitable hosts supplies) in black, with little white eyes on the side. Lastly for Frey, a bottle of honey and a cloth wrapped strawberry pastry, freshly made this morning; and that Aisha had a hard time refraining from indulgence.
"I seek to meet with one of the old gods, Frey, Ludo, or Safrin. I have some questions, and prayers for a friend," she said with a relaxed smile upon her face. Now she was only to wait, and see what she might conjure.
The quartz left on the shrine is gone in a flash of starfire, held suddenly in Safrin's hand. Clothed in a white gown, the goddess looks down at the opulent mineral with a small smirk on her lips. Petulantly as she steps forward, she kicks over the jar of honey meant for Frey.
"Hello lovely one." The goddess purrs, her perfectly painted lips turned up in a sweet smile. Reaching forward to take a strand of Aisha's long golden hair, she grins warmly. "How beautiful you are." Safrin notes, almost distractedly before her eyes flash upwards. "Questions, have you? And a prayer?" She tilts her head thoughtfully.
04-28-2020, 08:55 PM (This post was last modified: 04-29-2020, 09:45 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
and i knew how could she not
She needn't wait long, a flash made her jump, honey hazel eyes wide as the quartz disappeared in a starry mist, and by the shrine there is now a woman. No, this is no woman like Aisha had ever met, this was a goddess. There was no mistaking her for less, the aura she emitted was cosmic, ethereal, perfect. Aisha felt a whirl of butterflies in her stomach, and at the same time her head was clear and calm.
What to do but smile, she simply couldn't help it as the goddess bent to caress her hair, complimenting her so. She couldn't possibly compare, and one so usually confident in her looks felt bashfully rosy and incredibly flattered. "Thank you, that means everything coming from a goddess of the heavens," she replied with a respectful dip of her head. Perhaps later, after Safrin was gone, she would have her moment of disbelief, hysteric excitement, go running to tell Oliver, but for now she felt calm, and simply blessed.
"Yes, I wanted to ask for guidance on how to prepare for Deepfrost, and Longnight. I think I want to stay in the Hollowed Grounds, but I don't really know. I'm just kinda new to Caido and I want to know how to be the most helpful I can, and you know, how to survive," she said with a demure blush about her cheeks.
"Oh! And I promised a friend that I'd pray for his quick recovery, he was cursed to be deaf for who knows how long, so I told him I'd try," she added, gaze drifting over Safrin's frame, stars twinkling reflections in her eyes.
04-30-2020, 07:21 PM (This post was last modified: 04-30-2020, 07:22 PM by Safrin.)
safrin
Safrin hummed an acknowledgement. She was unwaveringly prideful, and Aisha's reaction played right to the goddess's vanity.
To hear such a mundane question asked of her made the goddess pause and regard the woman before her. Had she been an abandoned, the conversation might have stopped there. But attuned as she was, her soul itself earned her Safrin's patience if only for a little while longer. "There are plenty you might ask for that sort of information, you know." Safrin pointed out with a raised brow. "The Grounds are not that hostile because of DeepFrost, though you'll want to prepare stores of food and fuel...as for LongNight? Stay inside. Find yourself a home, and keep the doors and windows closed no matter what you might hear. The monsters who roam are tricky things and will do whatever they can to find their way inside." But all of this was common knowledge.
Hearing the reference to a friend who had been cursed tickled Safrin's curiosity. "Oh? And what did your friend do to receive such a curse?"
04-30-2020, 07:39 PM (This post was last modified: 04-30-2020, 11:40 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
and i knew how could she not
The goddess wasn't entirely pleased with Aisha's question, and of course had a point. She had been given advice from others, and knew the basics, but it all seemed much more real, more tangible from a deity's lips. She ducked her head just a bit at that, but returned her gaze to the starlit being when she obliged her questions. Her thoughts were confirmed, though there was one final query, asking for guidance now, "Do you think it's best for me to stay in the Hollowed Grounds during Longnight?"
On to her prayer, she replied to the goddess's question to the best of her ability, "He told me that he played music at a shrine, and that whoever was listening didn't like it. Then he went back way too soon and got cursed again. His name is Korbin."
"Depends on your definition of best." Safrin replied with a light shrug. "If what you want is your safety guaranteed, to know that you won't be a burden on the resources of the Grounds during its most difficult time, then no, I shouldn't think so. But if you do stay, and hear me very well: do not open a single door during LongNight, no matter what you might hear. Do not crack a window. Let nothing in."
Laughing slightly at that, the goddess's perfectly painted lips twisted slightly. "There are spirits who haunt our shrines, drawn by the power and nearness of us. Often they will silence the prayers of others so that we can't hear them, either by offering their own responses or cursing those who have come."
Aisha gave a thoughtful nod, Safrin's advice not taken lightly. The girl could often be a bit too confident, passionate about playing the role that she'd chosen for herself. This particular instance was not the time or place to make over zealous decisions, when more than just her own life was at stake. What help could she really be in the Hollowed Grounds, more than a burden. She'd talk more to Oliver about it, but was beginning to lean towards Torchline for Longnight.
Speaking of Oliver, she probably owed him a little shout out. Glancing back to the cosmic entity before her, unable to keep from smiling contentedly, "Thank you Safrin, I truly appreciate your advice. Oliver spoke very highly of you and your beauty, and kindness, and I have no choice but to agree with him."
The perfect figure let out a singing laugh, even that was perfect. Aisha listened as she explained, still in awe that it was a goddess she spoke to, "Do you know if he'll be able to hear again?"
Indeed it would serve Oliver well to have his name mentioned in this regard. With an appreciative nod, the deity beams at Aisha. She's no stranger to flattery, and even if it isn't entirely sincere—the girl having only just met the goddess after all—still she is made more vibrant for it, like a blossom beneath a summer's rain.
"I assume so." She says with a nod. "The spirits that like to linger around our shrines are not particularly powerful. They are more meddlesome than anything."
Aisha liked to see how the goddess simply bloomed at her praise, somehow brighter than before with the smile she beamed her way. The smile that could melt a girl's heart, Aisha returned it with as much warmth as she felt.
Korbin's fate would not be so grim, and for that she gave an appreciative nod. If she could tell the boy she would, but Flowerbirth was so far away. They wouldn't meet in person again until then. While she likely wouldn't be able to help him much now, at least she knew he would be relieved of his curse, and next time they met she'd be have a story to tell him. "I'm glad you came and not one of those spirits," she said, thinking back on how lucky she really was.
It felt wrong to keep the goddess much longer, Aisha had gotten her advice, her answers, and fulfilled her request from a friend. She felt happy, and while she was loath to leave the starlight woman, she likely had far better things to do. "That's all I really hoped to ask today, if there's anything I could do for you, you need only ask," she said.
"Mmm, they are meddlesome to be sure. But if you really are worried about your friend and he's not been put back to rights by the start of Deepfrost, bring him to me and we'll see what we can do. So long as he isn't an ascended, of course." Safrin added with a laugh, very much doubting Aisha would have mentioned it if he was.
'Thank you, lovely one. I shall keep that in mind. And remember what I said, should you chose to stay in the Grounds during LongNight, you mustn't open a single door nor window. Not a single one." So saying, the goddess beamed at the woman.
Disappearing in a flare of starlit smoke, Aisha would find all of her muscles suddenly relaxed and invigorated, her mind sharp and her soul free and easy.
05-08-2020, 03:11 PM (This post was last modified: 05-08-2020, 03:11 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
and i knew how could she not
"Thank you! I'll send him a message about what you said, I'm sure he'll be happy," Aisha replied, then adding to address the latter, "He's attuned like me." She did wonder though, if he hadn't been, what would the goddess do should she bring an ascended to her?
Lovely one, Aisha too was prone to compliments, basking in the light of praise. Especially when awarded by one so powerful. She gave a respectful dip of her head, then returned her honey gaze back to Safrin, "You have my word." Only seconds later, there was a radiant flash, and a twinkling mist was all that was left. The aura remained, sinking through her skin and rejuvenating her, spirits high and free.
Ok, now for a giddy celebration, Aisha let out an excited shake, accompanied by a bout of giggles. Holy fuck! She'd just talked to a goddess, and one so beautiful too. Wait till Oliver hears, the blonde woman gathered her other offerings, leaving the spilled honey for whichever spirit saw it fit for their own. Taking a bite of the pastry, she turned and hurried from the glade, on her way to write and send a letter to Korbin.
