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!
06-09-2020, 08:35 PM (This post was last modified: 06-12-2020, 02:06 AM by Arlo.)
ARLO
light my candles in a daze
Well, fuck. Arlo had no idea what the fuck was going on. Look, he knew about portals, and time travel, and all that kinda shit; nerd stuff, for sure. He'd had no idea that it really existed. He would have been much more careful walking through the woods if he'd known that was the case. He'd ended up in the middle of nowhere, apparently unscathed, but alone and dreadfully confused. He hadn't been naked, at least, but his shirt and pants didn't give him much shelter from the cold, and he'd walked really fast to keep himself warm. Jogged, even. He usually didn't like to do that in public. It made him look like he put in effort in to his appearance, which clearly, he did not. Strangely enough, he couldn't remember actually being cold- and he definitely should have been.
He'd kept running until his legs failed him, sprawling him on the rocks, and cutting his knee. It hadn't hurt. He'd thought, well, that was probably just the shock of it all, but there hadn't been blood either, just a clear swatch of liquid. He'd thought maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, had bleached the color and turned the world black and white, but when he'd looked up at the sky it had been as blue as always. He was grateful the sky was blue. That made him hope that he was still somewhere on Earth, as strange as that thought felt to even think. He'd stuck to walking, then, seeing as he was clearly in shock and his body wasn't working as it should.
He'd eventually found his way to a town, if you could call it that. It looked pretty shabby and rundown to Arlo. The houses didn't look fit for living. He'd thought at first that maybe no one did live in them, but there seemed to be plenty of people milling around. He'd been hungry by this point, in a dull, tired way, none of the usual pangs. He just felt like he needed nourishment, like he'd pushed his body too hard. The smell of bread wafting around the streets had led him to a bakery, but they hadn't wanted to take his cash. The chain around his neck had been payment, though, but the bread hadn't done anything for that empty feeling. The whole situation was surreal; he kept expecting to wake up and find himself back home, five minutes walk from his bed where his acquisition from the previous night hadn't got the hint and slept soundly. Feeling numb, Arlo decided to sit down for a bit, his strange dress and appearance causing a few sidelong glances.
Bastien was pottering happily around the market, looking at the various stalls for things to put in Azrael's room: perhaps their child was barely even a week old, but he was sure they would still appreciate some finely carved candles or dyed fabrics hung on the ceiling. After all, he was raising an aesthete. The golden candlesticks with bronze detail were just perfect for his childs cartography themed room.
The only thing to distract him from his search for pieces for the baby room was the sight of the crowd all pushing to one side as if trying to avoid something, though he saw some staring. Following their eyes, Bastien spotted an odd looking fellow indeed; within a moment though he knew what the case was: ah, a new Outlander.
He'd seen to enough of them by now to recognise the signs: outlandish dress, a lost look in the eye, stood or sat about not doing much but staring at the world around them. Gently putting his things down on the edge of some stall (much to the stallkeeper's annoyance), Bastien went to walk over, the compassion in his heart for the man's predicament too strong to ignore.
Standing before the man he put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head, taking him in. He'd certainly never seen someone with so many tattoos: how interesting! "Hello, my friend. You are new here? You look rather lost."
Still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man's beliefs
06-10-2020, 09:14 AM (This post was last modified: 06-10-2020, 09:15 AM by Arlo.)
ARLO
light my candles in a daze
He'd only been sitting there for perhaps ten or so minutes when he heard a voice; it startled him slightly to be addressed and he glared up at the approaching figure. His features softened, though, at the gentle tone and he smiled broadly. At last, someone had come to help him. Arlo wasn't use to having to do things for himself. That was what friends are for. Thankfully, this handsome looking fellow looked the friendly sort. "You're quite right." He wanted to roll his eyes slightly at the pompous tone, but figured it might be a dialect difference. Seeing as somehow he wasn't in the same place. He didn't focus on that thought for too long, because it unnerved him, but instead stood, offering his hand to the man.
He was tall, dark, handsome, Arlo thought. "I'm Arlo. Could you tell me where I am?" The blonde smiled his sweetest, most amiable smile. He was terrified what the answer to his question would be, his stomach lurching and tossing at the thought. What if he wasn't on Earth? How crazy that would be. No Mom or Dad to pick up his pieces, no boyfriends, no girlfriends, no buddies, no annoying work mates. He'd have no one, no one at all. Even if he was in a different country, how the fuck was he going to get home? His face, usually pale, blanched white at the implications of his thoughts. What would he do for money? And why did his body feel so strange?
He doubted the man in front of him would be able to answer all his questions, but the kindness the stranger had shown him made Arlo want to stick to him like glue. He'd been the opposite of needy in his past life; he'd shrugged those clingers off the second he could. But here, here? He was anxious, nervous, and deeply unsettled. He felt all at once like he was moving in a thick, cold gloop, and like time was whizzing past him, changing everything around him without his consent. It wasn't enjoyable. As suddenly as he stood, Arlo sat again, his legs feeling weak and flimsy. "'M hungry. I had to walk a long time." The shock again threatened to overwhelm him, his lips feeling numb and his chest tight. He stared, pitifully, up at the man, all at once resentful that he'd become so helpless, and thankful someone had stopped at all.
Arlo confirmed Bastien's suspicions, not that he really needed to; the man looked so lost there was only one thing that could have happened to him. He shook the hand that was offered gladly and tried to give the new Outlander the kindest smile he could. He'd once been there, suddenly in a field in only his sleeping pants and with nothing from his own world on his person.
And there it was, the time-old question: where am I? Taking a breath, Bastien looked about the market stall, the bumbling scene that had become so familiar in the last two years. "..You are in a place called Caido, my friend: well, more specifically the Hollowed Grounds. It's quite common for people to wake up here from somewhere else." Even for Bastien, who prided himself on his eloquence and grace, the situation was difficult to explain. "...Wherever you came from, you will not be able to return."
Perhaps it was a bad idea to tell Arlo that so soon, but Bastien felt that being upfront with that particular fact might be the kindest thing he could do. At least the next thing that Arlo mentioned was something he could really help with; holding up a finger as if to say 'one moment' he leaned back to one of the food stalls and grabbed a wrapped pastry, winking at the shopkeeper, who just rolled his eyes: the people of the Hollowed Grounds had come to know Bastien well in the last years and knew he generally paid back in full if not more.
Handing the pastry to Arlo (he wasn't sure what was in it: some kind of meat and cheese?) he thought for a moment and tried to peek at the man's mouth, wondering if he'd be wanting blood instead. Hopefully not. "What is your name?"
Still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man's beliefs
06-13-2020, 08:56 AM (This post was last modified: 06-13-2020, 09:02 AM by Arlo.)
ARLO
light my candles in a daze
"Caido. Arlo's eyes widened, a small grin forming on his lips. It just seemed completely unbelievable. He'd never heard of the place. The blonde let out a slightly nervous bark of laughter. "And Caido is a... Country? A planet?" The laughter fell from his lips in a trembling stream, a nervous guffaw as he struggled to register the reality. The fact his body didn't feel... Right was only adding to his sense of dissociation. He shook his head. "Fuck. This can't be real. I was just taking a fucking walk, waiting for Tom or whatever his name was to leave." The giggling hiccuped and interrupted his tremulous voice. "And now I'm in Caido, Hollowed Ground to be specific- he mocked, pressing his shaking hands to his head,"-and apparently even blood isn't blood coloured here." Arlo let out a shaky breath.
The man made a move to leave him, and Arlo was struck with terror. He wanted to call out, please, stay! but managed to bite the side of his mouth before the words slipped out. Curiously, the bite didn't sting like it usually would- Arlo frowned. He guessed it had something to do with the dissociative feelings caused by the processing, and decided it might be wise not to bite himself in this current state. If he wasn't feeling pain like he should, he might do some serious damage. Thankfully, just when Arlo was beginning to feel his chest tighten with anxiety and his breath hasten, the man returned. He took the proffered pastry but made a slight face and swallowed heavily. ”Much appreciated but… I don’t think I can eat it.” He muttered, and made to hand the pasty back to the man. ”I tried to eat some bread before and it felt- wrong. Maybe I need some soup or something.”
Usually, he'd prefer to be more charming to strangers, and knowing he was likely coming across as ungrateful shook him a little. He lifted his head slightly, peering at the tall man. "I'm sorry." He sighed. "I sound crazy." He mustered up his best I'm-a-good-guy,-honest smile. The comment that he wouldn't be able to return to his family hadn’t really effected him, apart from a slight inconvenient twinge. Where was he going to stay? He gave the man another once over. He seemed relatively affluent, although this town was... Undesirable to say the least. Maybe if he made a good impression he'd be able to sort something out. Considering this place apparently didn't take the right currency, Arlo wasn't sure what he could offer apart from his good looks and dazzling personality. "God, I've probably come across as a complete moron." He smiled wryly, flipping a hand dismissively. "Thank you for coming to my aide, fine sir. I’m Arlo. Arlo Gavanagh, although I suppose that doesn’t matter anymore. What's your name?" He let a hint of coy flirtation colour his tone.
"It is..." Bastien paused, unsure of how to categorise Caido by those terms. "It is a land split up into different areas, which I suppose you may as well call countries." With portals to take them from place to place and a lot of the world still hidden away, it was difficult to draw definite border lines. It seemed like Arlo wasn't too interested in the answer anyway, a series of panicked words coming from the man; Bastien tried to forgive the mockery.
As Arlo said he couldn't eat, Bastien got his first good glimpse of the man's fangs: ah. Gently he shook his head, crouching down and opening his own mouth, pointing to his fangs. "My friend, you are like me. You will...need to eat, but not the food you are used to. We can discuss it in a moment, mm?" It was hard to lead a stranger into the 'you'll need to suck on my wrist and it'll get oddly sexual' talk, so he felt that was best left until they'd at least exchanged names.
"I have been in your position; moron or not, it is hard." He said understandingly. "I am Bastien De Rosieres. I arrived in this place not unlike you just have about two years ago."
Still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man's beliefs
Again Arlo felt an unreasonable urge to giggle. Was the man always so serious, so righteous? His wording was… Interesting. It made Arlo wonder if perhaps that’s just how they all talked. In this, well, planet thing. Or country. The man wasn’t really able to tell him; perhaps the whole idea of a country or planet was outside his realm of understanding. It would explain why this little shitty town looked straight out of the dark ages- that’s probably exactly what it was like. Fuck. ”Right. Okay. And this is one of the places? The shittiest?” At least, that’s what he hoped. Perhaps there would be some nice, comfy place he could settle into.
Now the idea that he couldn’t go back home penetrated. Back home had nice warm beds, electricity, a social justice system and choices… Who knows what this place contained. It could be full of raging homophones. The thought concerned him slightly, but Bastien crouching down in front of him to show him his teeth jarred him out of the train of thought. He stared, surprised, at the teeth. They seemed unnaturally serrated and pointy, sharp.. LIke him? Slowly, he brought his own fingers to his mouth and traced the shapes there. He pulled back suddenly, startled, when they didn’t feel as they usually did. ”What the fuck.” He breathed, mouth agape.
He was deeply perturbed by the revelation that not only was he bleeding clear things, his eyesight was all kinds of fucked up, and he wasn’t feeling pain, but apparently his teeth were now… Different. Even despite this, he still felt slightly pissed off that the man’s faint suggestion that he might be a moron, even if Arlo had said it himself. The man should have rebuked him, told him he was anything but a moron. Given that they had only just met, Arlo grudgingly let it slide. It was also nice to hear that he wasn’t alone in this predicament. He let out a sigh. ”Nice to meet you, Bastien.” He rolled the unfamiliar name around his mouth. It had dark ages vibes, too. Arlo wondered where he came from, but a pang of… Emptiness tugged at his attention. ”What were you saying about food?”. He’d ask him about his whereabouts when his hunger had lessened.
Arlo's question, if the Hollowed Grounds was the 'shittiest' of Caido's locations...it was fortunate Bastien was not a natural nor was he easily offended. Laughing he shook his head, though he paused afterwards to consider this. "I suppose it would depend on what you wanted in your home, hm? There is Halo, which I do not care for, but others I am sure love it: it is a cold place, with many mountains. There is the Greatwood, which is..well, a great wood." With a chuckle he shrugged, hoping Arlo wouldn't mind his lack of knowledge there. "And Torchline, a warm place with a beach...although."
It was clear this man was an Ascended, and Bastien thought it best to get the warnings in early. "People like you and I, with our fangs, we cannot go to the Greatwood and I would advise you stay out of Torchline during the day. The sun will harm you." He had no idea if Arlo's world had an idea of a vampire, but if it did he would surely be putting together the pieces by now.
So, food. "So...you have arrived here as an Ascended. That means...you do not obtain your energy through food. You must drink 'fluid' or..if that cannot be found...blood." Bastien kept his voice low: there could be those in the crowd that did not approve. "If you like, I could give you some of my own fluid for the time being, but soon you will have to go and speak with our Goddess."
Still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man's beliefs
06-15-2020, 12:20 AM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2020, 12:22 AM by Arlo.)
ARLO
light my candles in a daze
Arlo hadn't thought about the fact his comment might come across as rude; the place was a shithole. Surely, even living here, you'd have to know it was pretty crap, right? "That sounds nice." He remarked, thinking of long days in the sun. He'd need to find sunblock, though, if they had that here. His skin was pretty fair and burnt easily. He opened his mouth to ask, how the hell do I get there? but Bastien was talking again.
What he was saying... Didn't make sense. It almost sounded like he was saying they were vampires, which was impossible, because vampires didn't exist, right? Right?! His finger moved back up his mouth, feeling for the so called 'fangs.' Well, they were there, and yes they were sharp. If Arlo hadn't already been sitting down, he would have felt his legs sway underneath him. He was about eighty percent sure he was going to wake up soon, because there's no way this could be anything other then a dream. Sure, it seemed awfully realistic, but maybe he'd just been drinking a whole lot of apple juice, or had ingested a hallucinogen that he wasn't aware of. "Are you trying to say I'm a vampire? That you're a vampire?" The incredulous note to his voice was evident, even as it shook slightly with fear.
Not that he was afraid of this man, but he was fucking terrified of what he was saying. Either he was a complete nutcase, or shit had rapidly gone downhill for Arlo. At least, if what Bastien was saying was true, it wasn't all about blood. He frowned at the mention of fluids, face scrunching up in disgust. "What kind of fluids man?" The word conjured up all kinds of things, some less pleasant then others. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, let's say I believe you, and accept your offer of... Fluids. You're not gonna take me behind an alley and spit or-" He broke off, snorting a little with laughter. "You get what I mean, I ain't that kind of lady." That wasn't strictly true, but he was also feeling too off kilter to really get interested in the idea of a hook up. He shook his head, eyeing the man with speculation. "You seem alright. And I'm really hungry. Can we do it here, though? Or is that not 'appropriate.'" If the man said it wasn't, well, Arlo wasn't sure if he wanted to get into this whole thing. He didn't want to die, though, so maybe he had no choice. What was the worst that could happen?
Bastien struggled not to laugh as he saw Arlo touch his fangs; the poor man looked as if he might keel over in shock. He supposed he'd had the good fortune of coming knowingly into Ascending, having had time to consider it over and see what it meant. To find your body changed so suddenly had to be overwhelming. "Ah! Yes. I did not know if you would know the word. We are exactly that, vampires. Of a sort."
Robot-vampires really, but the details could wait.
He did let out a loud laugh as Arlo seemed to think he intended to take him into a dark alley to spit in his mouth or some other kind of fetishistic activity. "No, no. No dark alleys: To my Sanctuary, which I assure you is a perfectly bright and comfortable place; my wife shall even be there, if that will comfort you that I don't intend to whisk you away into the night." Not that he and Rexanna didn't sleep with other people but...well, for the moment, he thought the idea might comfort Arlo.
"The transaction can be quite intimate: not the kind of thing you do in public. It would require you to bite from my wrist." Bastien continued to explain, voice very casual for describing such things.
Still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man's beliefs
Arlo rolled his eyes slightly at Bastien's comment. "Yeah, but they weren't real. Like, imaginary." He scoffed, examining his tattooed hands for a second. "I would have much rather been a damn werewolf then a stupid vampire." He muttered, under his breath. part of him wanted to ask if there were werewolves here, too, but did he really want to know? Probably not. He thought it was probably best for his own sanity if he was gradually introduced to all the little quirks of this... Place.
Arlo grinned a little wickedly at the man's laugh, gratified that he found him funny. It had been a joke, sort of. Arlo liked to make light of situations as much as he could. "That sounds like a date." He winked, his tone lascivious. Dude had a wife, though, which was kind of lame, but Arlo could still flirt all he wanted now he thought he wasn't about to go through something disgusting. A thought occurred to him; what if this place was like the dark ages, and he was going to get hung for displaying signs other then hetero-normality? Yikes. But where was the damn proof, he thought. Flirting was harmless, and if the man was super duper straight and medival-y, he'd probably just take it as humor.
Arlo lifted an eyebrow, slightly surprised by how much his body didn't revolt at the thought. In fact, was it just him or did his teeth feel suddenly heavy in his gums? Like they couldn't wait? He wanted to ask, why the wrist, why not the neck? but shrugged his shoulders instead. "Alright. I'm game if you are." He smiled, and placed his hands on his knees to push himself upright. "Lead the way, good sir." He gestured in many directions with a flourish. He felt curiously excited. Perhaps because this was oddly reminiscent of a hook up, even if the circumstances were slightly different, but his body churned in a familiar way.
Bastien did indeed lead him back to his Sanctuary, and Arlo did indeed bite his wrist. It was a rapturous thing, for sure, that first bite. Bastien's fluid would be enough to tide Arlo through until he could make other arrangements, and because of his good fortune of meeting Bastien before Long Night, Arlo was able to make safe passage to the temple, where the rest of Hollowed Ground sheltered.THREAD CLOSED
