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!
”What did you just tell me?” Finn says of apologies, eyebrows raising a little as he gazes across at Amalia. To hear that she had made everything herself... the Spyglass is impressed and it shows; he accepts his plate and takes up a fork as well, marvelling at how it all looks with fresh eyes. ”I am a terrible cook, so I’m sure it won’t disappoint,” he confesses, before awkwardness colours his cheeks again. ”I mean, it’s probably delicious anyway, but I just...” Wouldn’t know the difference? Shut up, Finn.
He silences his own runaway thoughts with a bite of pie, taken for a moment by the deep smoky flavour, the rich taste of the vegetables. ”It’s beautiful,” he tells her with no small hint of wonder - mainly that people can actually take ingredients and make things like this. It will surprise him every time, he’s sure.
She might have been chagrined by his chiding if not for her pride as his expression shifts, an embarrassed pleasure unraveling within her at the (untested) praise of her cooking. "I'm a baker," she offers by way of explanation, shrugging and tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear. "It's about the only thing I'm any good at." She chuckles at her own self-depricating joke.
The now-deserved compliment elicits a bright, vibrant smile which seems to ease the worry lines and dark bags from under her eyes. "Thank you," Amalia says shyly, quickly taking a bite of her own. "I could teach you, if you like. Some simple recipes to make at home. Or... You can come to my bakery, if you're ever in the Grounds."
”I’m not sure I agree,” Finn informs her softly, between bites of pie. She might be a baker - and a wonderful one, from what he’s experienced so far - but it’s not the only thing she’s good at, not by a long shot. But he’s not really able to talk about that without revealing that he’s known her name, known the moniker they call her by, from right at the very beginning. So Finn merely enjoys the food with quiet enthusiasm, rarely getting a chance to eat anything quite so fine.
The offer to teach him comes as a shock, and he glances up from his plate with honest and boyish wonder on his face. The smile surprises him as much as it probably does her, lopsided and pleased, and he nods gently. ”I think I would like that. One day, perhaps,” he murmurs, resolving to try and visit the Grounds, should he get the chance in the future.