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!
A smile and a nod is thrown his way. ”Just making sure. I’ve never been in a form like yours so I’m not sure what sort of position is the most comfortable to be in.” Worry that she had been forcing the poor snake to be in an uncomfortable situation filled her but she was soothed by his words and adjustments, trusting that he was honest in stating that all was well.
It seemed that Jigano knew pretty much everyone! Always knowing someone who fit a scenario or was capable of fulfilling something that Delta desired. It was impressive as hell really and made Delta wondered just who exactly she was speaking to. ”Do send him a message! I’m not someone who’d be best to be painted, but I know of pretty locations.” So to say that she wasn’t vain enough to believe she herself should be painted.
There were many ways to send a message to a mermaid, it all depended on the situation. ”Hmm. Well, if you use the attuned bond and ask for Delta, I or maybe another merfolk may hear and pass the message along. Otherwise... just asking around? It’s hard to say.” This sort of thing hadn’t come up before and she hadn’t given it much thought.
A list? Like a proper list? ”Well- sure! Would you like it now or...?” There were plenty of things she wanted and could easily name them off the top of her head. ”Also. What’s a picnic?”
Jigano had found that, as a snake, most positions were surprisingly comfortable. His flexibility made comfort a relative concept, as long as he wasn't being squeezed or squished. He sent gratitude through the bond to Delta, however, touched by her concern, and he took the opportunity to rearrange himself into a less precarious position, at least, so he didn't have to worry about the wave action knocking him loose and washing him away.
I can certainly send him a letter, at least, the bard agreed easily, glad that she had thought of a compromise that would hurry things along. It will probably be after LongNight for him, too, though. A word of caution so she didn't get her hopes up too high with the darkest night soon to be upon them. It occurred to him that she likely didn't know why he was so concerned about it... In the Hollowed Grounds there are monsters that come out only during LongNight, to attack the people living there. So we have a great deal of preparation to do to try and keep ourselves safe. Many people will take refuge here in Torchline for the week, and the portal will be guarded to make sure nothing else gets through it. He doubted the monsters would bother traveling beneath the waves, but it didn't hurt to give warning so the merfolk knew what to expect if anything happened on land.
I can do that, he agreed, a little sad that there wasn't a better system in place, but maybe he and Delta could devise one after LongNight? A way for merfolk to get ahold of specific humans and vice versa. Some sort of ocean mail service, perhaps? Only, not with paper that would only fall apart underwater. Maybe we can come up with something better if merfolk and landfolk will be talking more? he suggested, so she could start thinking about it, too. She would have a better idea of what would be useful underwater than he did.
You can take your time and come up with it when we schedule the trade, he reassured her. But if you have any ideas or foods you have questions about, I can try and answer them now. And a picnic is when friends or family get together to eat outside their houses in a small group. An inadequate explanation, perhaps, given that laying out a blanket on the grass wouldn't have quite the same meaning on the ocean... Usually in someplace with trees and grass, to enjoy good weather with their meal, and good company. Usually they - we - eat inside our homes or buildings, so that's why a picnic is special. He paused, as his answer brought up another question he didn't want to come across as rude. What sort of buildings to merfolk make? Or did they need any at all, since they didn't need to protect themselves from rain and snow and extreme temperatures underwater?
A letter? How fancy! Delta finds letters to be very helpful, but only to an extent. It isn't exactly all that easy for her to send a letter to a human and she still isn't entirely too sure how sending letters even works. All she had learned was that you write a letter and it ends up at another person... anyways, Jigano was talking and about some scary shit.
These monsters were some ultra bad news and she had so many questions. "I'm... I'm so sorry that you've had to deal with that... it sounds awful." Worry and sadness filled her. "If I could offer any help I would, but I don't think anyone could stay within the ocean with us." There wasn't anything else she could think of that would help.
Shifting conversations to food was a bit hard, but she was able to be a bit more chipper once more. "Yeah, maybe... I know that our leader has this magical object to speak with the mayor on land... but it isn't exactly you know, widely used by us. It'd be nice if we had something lots of us could use." Really, Delta just wanted to be able to speak with humans way easier. "Would there be a way that we could make more?" It wouldn't be optimum to only be able to speak with one human, but that's better than nothing.
Jigano was willing to give her some time... except she knew exactly what she wanted. "Oh, okay... I do have some ideas? If you'd like to hear?" There were plenty of things she not only wanted to try but also to just experience. "Like... cake. Cake can have that stuff on the top, yea? I forgot the name of it, but I heard it's like paint, but you can eat it!" Icing, which she was talking about, absolutely wouldn't last underwater, explaining why she had zero experience with it.
A picnic sounded fun and a very human thing to do. Special? Well, she couldn't see how it was any different than a normal dining session, but it seemed kinda fun. But human, so human. And then she was asked a super human question. "Our... buildings? We make normal buildings. Homes and buildings and stuff." Clearly, Delta was very very perplexed.
06-13-2020, 03:52 PM (This post was last modified: 06-14-2020, 03:59 PM by Jigano.)
It is, he agreed grimly. LongNight was awful, and he only regretted that they couldn't convince everyone to leave the Grounds for the week. Some Attuned might be able to shelter in the ocean in their shifts, but only as a last resort... and none of the ones I know would willingly abandon their people who can't shift. Still, he sent gratitude through the bond, appreciating Delta's kind heart and willingness to help. Thank you.
He listened with interest to hear that the merfolk had a far-speaking device like the shells he had given to Phoebe, before she had abandoned the Grounds for greener, wetter pastures. We had a similar device, once, he agreed with a sigh. But Phoebe took it with her when she came here and I don't know what's happened to it. It would have been good to have during LongNight, though. The purpose it had been made for, and the reason he had reunited her with the missing half, back when she had been their Healer and dedicated to saving the wounded and the dying. Once, we might have been able to... there were those who could create such magical items. But the human magic of the world shifted and ever since the art has been mostly lost. Maybe we could find a nonmagical way? As easy as it was to rely on magic, the shifts had shown that it wasn't always a stable power. And now the only one who he knew could make such things was Deimos, and even then only rarely.
He bobbed his head in eager agreement to hear what Delta would like, and his eyes brightened at the mention of cake. He had to work to keep the jewel held firmly in his jaw when he started salivating at the thought. Frosting or icing, yes. Very sweet, sugary stuff. I think you'll like it a lot. He could get small iced cakes from Amalia when he told her about the merfolk.
He was glad he had phrased it as "what kind of" and not "do you have" buildings at her answer. Glad, too, that she was patient with his lack of knowledge of her people. Are they made from stone? He was trying to imagine how they must look, underwater, where things were lighter and tended to float - or at least, he tended to float! Most human buildings are made from wood or stone, but I didn't think... well, do you have anything like wood, underwater? Some tough plant material that doesn't rot when its wet?
There is a nod and she understands exactly what Jigano means. ”It’s a very noble thing indeed. To stay when you could easily flea and be safe... I’d hope that they’d try to do something to help us if we were ever in danger.” There is a small bit of hope in her voice with that comment, but she also understands that it may not be the same. Those humans have bonded with the non-attuned. She knew of plenty humans who couldn’t care less what happened to the mer people. Never had she met one but she had heard plenty of stories.
Another name she didn’t know and at this point, she chose not to ask too much. ”Why has she taken it?” An inquiry into the action rather than the personal, but she would appreciate a bit more details. The following information was rather sad and unhappy. Magic was so finicky and it’s a real shame that the humans lost such an ability. ”That’s... too bad. I’m sure it would’ve been amazing... where did those devices come from? The ones you mentioned. Were they created by humans?” Or by gods was hinted at but never verbalized.
The silly words immediately brought back the memories and she nods happily, grinning. ”Yes! That! Are they cold? Since it has ice in the name. And frost! Frost is kinda cold.” Had she made an amazing discovery? She sure hoped so!
Ah right. The next question helped a lot. Talking about buildings was kinda boring, but if Jigano was happy then Delta would also be happy- er not as bored. ”Yes, Stone. We use different kinds of rock and minerals. Some plant based stuff works too, it’s kinda a combination of all of it. No wood, wood wouldn’t last. It gets rotten and nasty.” Wood was stupid in that way if they weren’t careful about it.
Myself and those I know of would, he assured her, thinking of Amalia, Deimos. Sam, Oliver, Lily, and others as well, who always showed up when help was needed, even for strangers. And there were likely many more in Torchline as well who hadn't yet met! ... or so he could hope.
I don't know, he admitted with a mental sigh. I suppose... because she had it, and she took all that she owned with her when she left? With no thought to those she left behind, he felt, but did not say. Maybe she's given it to someone else, since then. I haven't seen her since her departure. She made a point to avoid speaking to us, so I don't want to force things until she's ready to see us again. Only time would tell.
Delta's questions helped him shake off the melancholy he felt over Phoebe's abrupt abandonment of the Grounds and he bobbed his head again in confirmation. Yes, Remi made them. They were shaped like large seashells, actually! But there were only two; you could speak into one and be heard in the other, no matter how far away you were.
Her curiosity in the sugary confection was well-earned, and her quick understanding of the root words delighted the bard. Not cold, but the stuff is usually white unless you add more colors to it, and the way it's spread on cookies and cakes looks like fresh snow or frost has fallen on them. Do you get much ice and frost here? He hadn't seen any in Torchline yet, but that didn't mean the merfolk couldn't swim to the far north, perhaps even Halo?
He was intrigued by the mention of minerals and the combinations, wondering if it was like human construction or completely different to take advantage of the watery habitat. I wish I could see it someday, he admitted wistfully.
A smile forms at the ends of her lips ever so slightly. "I had no idea that so many humans were this... kind. I haven't had many interactions so it never really occurred to me that you'd do something like this." Delta wasn't sure if the humans ever would actually try to save the merpeople, but Jigano seemed confident enough in his own species. Hopefully, he was right.
Right. His explanation of what Phoebe did made sense. It wasn't malicious, merely someone trying to move locations. "Do... humans move often? Is it a frequent thing where you find new homes or go to new locations? I'd imagine that these portals have certainly given you the option to do that." Merpeople couldn't really do that. Moving around to new homes wasn't exactly a thing made available to them, far from it.
Gears clicked in her mind and she nods, eyes widening. "We have something like that! Or- I don't, but the leader does. It's fantastic! Though, it's only really for government stuff so... I don't know." Her expression drops ever so slightly. 'It'd be cool if there was another. Oh well." It sure sounded like making another was near impossible, so she accepted that fate and moved on.
Icing was a weird name and by the sound of it, the name only really came from the color. Or something. It wasn't exactly a very wise name in Delta's opinion. "We don't get much frost. I just know that it's those little water stuff that's on grass when it's a super cold morning... but it doesn't happen really." There were clearly a few things she had learned by listening to humans, based on her explanation of frost, but she also had so much to learn and experience.
Flickering her tail, Delta tilted her head to the side. "Well... I'm sure you can visit it someday, I certainly don't see why you cant." There is a hint of confusion to her voice. "Maybe once it's safe, I can ask the leader for you? And he can tell me if he and your governor thinks it's okay." Jigano seemed like a very nice man so surely it'd be okay if he came underwater.
The serpent hesitated, then coiled himself a little tighter on the rock. Not all humans are, he admitted regretfully. It is always wise to be wary when meeting someone new. But I think there are more good than bad people in the world, of any race. An optimism it had taken him seasons and hard lessons to learn, but one he held to now.
Delta's question on moving had him tilting his head, teasing the stone in his jaw with his forked tongue as he thought about how to answer it. "Not often, no. But some are more prone to wander than others, picking up and moving every few years. Or even every few seasons. Others search for something... particular. For Outlanders, many seek a place like the one they left. For some that is snow, others it is tropical, others still it will be desert or plains... they make do where they must for now, but if Rae's Storms fade or more portals open, they will probably move. If you mean travel, going to a new place and then coming back after, then that is more common, yes. What would it be like to have an entire ocean to explore, he wondered? What about merfolk? How far up and down the coasts can you swim? Protected from storms beneath the waves, they could surely travel when even the big boats were trapped in harbor for the seasons.
He listened curiously to her mention of a similar device, and... a leader? Leader? He echoed the thought in the Attuned bond, curious as to what sort of political structure the merfolk had.
Jigano bobbed his head in understanding, ruefully hoping she never had to see Halo for herself, but perhaps he could bring a chest of ice from there that would stay cold long enough for him to reach her on the dock?
He perked up as she offered a possible visit someday, serpent's mouth almost seeming to smile in his delight. Thank you, Delta! I would appreciate that very much, he exclaimed. Remi's not my governor but... hmm. I suppose it doesn't matter. Just that you're willing to ask for me is very kind. And he appreciated her willingness to try, even if for some reason it ended up not being allowed.
07-01-2020, 10:24 PM (This post was last modified: 07-01-2020, 10:24 PM by Delta.)
don't you know there's a part of me
There is a nod of understanding. "Yes... I am glad that all of the humans that I have met have been nice." The fae interaction would go un-mentioned, as if it never even happened in the first place. Humans didn't need to know about those issues, hell, the merfolk didn't either.
Jigano goes on to explain the peculiar ways of the humans. Explaining that Outlanders seek out places similar to their old homes. It's kinda silly and Delta struggles to relate to their problems, but she does try to keep an open mind about their plights. "Honestly, a lot depends on the time of year... but further than Torchline is dangerous." There is a shudder and she shakes her head. "I've only heard tales, never seen it for myself, so all I can tell you are things I've heard secondhand. I don't really know for sure for myself." It was sad but she had to accept it and not dare risk her own life simply to see what was beyond the reef she grew up in.
A scrunch of her nose is the next obvious thing on her face. "Well... I mean, if you're visiting here, isn't he still the Governor that you must respect? But, I guess you do have a point with that.... I'll still try my best." Delta still had so many questions about the world, but she chose to remain calm and quiet.
If Jigano should leave, then she'd be fine with it, happy that she got to explain her life to yet another human. As well, she had luckily been given the opportunity to learn far more than before, something that'd absolutely help her out tremendously.
Delta's insight into the dangers of the open ocean seemed wise to the bard, especially given how little he knew of the world beneath the waves. If she said that it was perilous to go beyond, he believed her, and only gave a slight shake of his scaled head in reassurance. It is wise to know your own limits, and to respect the risks. It showed uncommon good sense in someone so young, he thought.
Not that he was that old, but he sometimes felt that way, even if he turned it into a joke with his friends.
You make an excellent point, he acknowledged wryly. And I do respect him. But more because of who he is and what he's done in the past than because of the title.
He heaved a serpentine sigh as he looked up at the clouds that had blown in to obscure the sun. It looked like a storm was approaching and he bobbed his head apologetically at the mermaid who had been kind enough to talk with him. I had better go before the waves get too choppy. I hope I'll see you again someday, he wished her.
And with that he released his hold on the rock and slipped into the sea, swimming for shore and hoping to make it to shelter before the rain hit.
Not that he could get any wetter than he already was!
