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!
The monsoon season had passed, and the blistering heat of Longheat had arrived. It was... nice, to know that he could justify keeping his stall open further into the evening hours, and avoid the heat-filled skies at midday. The evenings were still hot, but not as bad.
He chatted with some customers, displaying some of his "best" wares to them. A charismatic smile here, a laugh there, eventually most people bought something from him. Often these people were none the wiser that there was another side to his business, kept quiet and out of sight.
The evening was nice, and so far nobody had tried to steal from his stall. He disliked chasing down thieves, being that he was something of a thief himself. Part of Elias was torn, as whether to close up shop for the evening and head to the beach for a swim or keep his hours.
Eventually, the decision became clear; he'd much rather a swim. And as he closed up his stall, tucking away the important bits, sending most of the wares to his home with his crew-members, he snagged his dinner which had been neatly prepared and shoved into a sack and headed toward the beach.
It wasn't too hard to find 'the perfect spot' to roll out his towel (because of course, anyone native to Torchline is prepared to go to the beach at any time) and settle in to have dinner, watching the waves of the ocean, and other beachgoers.
how do you wanna face it? when the end is so close you can taste it
Between the sickness and the fear of the sickness and the heat, the Hanged Man is dead. Well, the shaded canopy I’ve set up to continue and try to make money whilst repairing, is dead. It’s been too long. I’m in a foul mood as a begin to pack it all up, pouring the now-lukewarm containers’a ice over myself to try an’ stay cool as the sun goes down. Once the liquor and all the multiple door guarding it are locked, I grab a small towel an head to the beach.
Knowing I’ll get some stares, I start a piecemeal strip as I get closer t’the water, the need to cool down overriding the potential that my shit could be stolen (it won’t be, if they kno what’s good for ‘em) an’ practically run into the water once I’m down to my underwear. Fuck, I’m lucky I wore some today (would it have stopped me? I'm not sure)
The Ocean takes me in, bathing me in the salty coolness that I’ve often imagined a mother’s womb to feel like, whilst high. It holds me, plays with me, gives me a chance to stretch my limbs after bein’ confined to the makeshift bar all day. An’ eventually I feel better, kicking to head back to shore, prancing outta the water like I own the damn beach. First person I see (that I know) is Elias, so I wave to ‘im, drippin’ wet, clothes half-see through - but with a much more genuine smile on my face.
“Hey Elias.”
When the fuck did he? start to look like a cool drink'a water? Since yer cunt's been unusually dusty, Raz.
"Raza! Did the water help?" He'd watched her rushed pace, seen her practically run to the ocean. He couldn't blame her, though, after all, something about the sea in this heat... His gaze wandered from her face, appreciatively.
He'd be a liar if he admitted that seeing Raza, with her clothes half-see through, wasn't a pleasing sight.
He's aware of the Hanged Man, the loss, and of course, the sweltering heat, with the strange sickness. Life in Caido isn't all that grand this season, but it is what it is, and he's been around long enough to know that.
"How were your sales?" As she neared closer, he offered an apple from his dinner, flashing a grin. "Did you remember to eat while you worked? I didn't," he snorted, he never did. He was too busy watching for thieves, charming his wares into people's hands.
I'm so tired of the shore, let me in, baby, You're an ocean beautiful and blue, I wanna swim in you.
how do you wanna face it? when the end is so close you can taste it
“If by helped, you mean I don’t want to stab people any more, then… yes, it helped.” Tossin’ him a wry grin, I begin to track my way back up the beach, pickin’ up the few bits’a clothin’ I’d shed on the way down. An’ once I grabbed the last sandal, I headed back towards Elias, tiltin’ my head to one side an’ squeezin’ the water out of it as I go. One hand is fussin’ with my hair an’ the other is holdin’ clothes, so I have to toss ‘em down to gleefully take the apple.
“Gods, you’re a gem. Too hot to eat, even with the breeze.” An’ now that I’ve said it aloud. I grimace a bit. “Guess this is me ‘hangry.’” Or I was. The apple helps, an’ I seem to devour it in the same way my stomach is all of a sudden devouring itself. I lean back an’ enjoy it, watchin’ the Arclight an’ the people who depend on it.
“So how’s business?” I ask through a half mouthful’a apple, turnin’ to look at ‘im with an eyebrow raised.
Elias nodded, returning the wry grin. He understood. She took the apple from him, and he chuckled, watching as she ate. He had more, he always brought enough food for a few people.
It was mostly instinct. Part of him knew he was more likely to run into someone he knew, than someone he didn't. And either way, he could build business connections with someone knew or the opposite. And food was usually a good way to do that.
"Want more?" He asked, around his own bite of apple, leaning to push the picnic basket toward her.
"Mmm, business is alright. Been considering finally building a proper shop, though. Might be useful, to have the pier stall and a shop." A shrug here, his gaze has wandered back to the ocean. A shop was what his father had always wanted, but had never done.
I'm so tired of the shore, let me in, baby, You're an ocean beautiful and blue, I wanna swim in you.
how do you wanna face it? when the end is so close you can taste it
Can’t help but laugh at meself when he asks if I wan’t more. It must be pretty obvious. Duckin’ my head, I nod, toss the core somewhere amongst the rocks for the Hels to scavenge, an ‘ take another apple. “Thanks,” I add with a smile, listenin’ to ‘im talk about the stall.
“You should, with all the extra travelers we been gettin’ lately. The Hanged Man’s been more busy ‘n usual, even with it bein’ this damn hot.” I know there’s a lot goin’ on in the world right now, but one thing’ll always be certain: people wanna drown their sorrows whichever way they can. An’ as long as they don’t cause trouble, I’m happy to help ‘em do it.
“What do you think your dad would do?” I know he took over the family business and am ready to listen when I spot Mik at the edge’a the beach, shadin’ is eyes an’ lookin for - me, probably. So I stand an’ he sees me an’ then gestures that I need to come. Sighing, I turn to Elias, “Sorry, looks like Mik needs somethin’. Come on in for a drink on the house, yeah?” Then with a wave an’ a grin, I grab my clothes and start to head back to responsibilities.
