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 keys are weighted, and because of the age of this piano, some are heavier than others. Even so your fingers whisper across them, stretching to bring together certain notes that the length of your fingers allows for. Your body sways, caught in the riptide of the melody that hums from within the piano, and though you're helpless against it, there is a smile on your face as you drown in the thickness of the chords that rise up around you.
The song you play is an old one; old enough that you don't need sheet music anymore to remember the architecture of the notes as they unfold. It isn't a happy melody, but nor is it sad. Caught somewhere in the realm of melancholy, there are whispers of optimism that are quickly balanced by repetitive strains that suggest certain things cannot be changed.
The door to your apartment is open. Finn has been released already, and you haven't realized that you've kept opening the door when you play anyhow. Its just become part of your ritual, same as the peppermint tea with lavender honey that sits cooling next to you.
There’s no reason for Finn to be anywhere near Tobi’s apartments, and in truth his feet have taken him there quite by accident. He’s been down to the clinic to get a replenishment of sleeping medication - something he has been uncharacteristically compliant about since coming around from his sickness - but whilst he’s there... he hears music. And he may as well be attached to each stroke of those piano keys; they tug him on invisible strings towards the source.
So Finn finds himself at an open door, a paper bag in one hand and a half eaten pastry in the other, the Spyglass lingering at the threshold as if there’s a force field preventing him going any further. The music is vibrant in its melancholy; a deep violet mist that shrouds Finn, rooting him in place. ”Doctor Hart?” he calls out, hesitant of stopping the song, but needing to know anyway.
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
Time is different when you're playing music. You hear someone call to you, and even though you know it's Finn, you don't stop right away. Like having a bite of spaghetti nearly all the way to your mouth as someone asks you a question, it's no surprise that you take the bite, chew, and then reply. So it is that you feel compelled to finish the musical-phrase that you're on, before you let your fingers slow. The warm resonance of the strings hangs heavily in the air, the harmonics like some latent flash of brightness that sparkles above.
Turning toward the door, you flash an immediate smile to the man who lingers there like a ghost. Picking up your tea and blowing on it (not necessary, its gone cold now), your fingertips still stroke the keys that they rest upon as if reassuring the piano you haven't forgotten her. "Nice to see you out and about." You think there's some quip to be made about you having seen the inside of Finn's apartments and wondering if that's why he's here now, to repay you for that, but you think better of it. "How are you feeling?"
Even though Finn is the one who has interrupted, he is as lost as October in the music, and as the notes hang in the air he relishes them with hazy eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear his mind. ”It is nice to be out and about.” He smiles a bit, though he doesn’t move beyond the threshold of her apartment; predictable, given his own sense of privacy. ”I feel... much better, actually.” The smile grows despite himself, his grip on the paper bag a little tighter.
”Did you play when I was in the clinic?” He’s never heard it, but then he spent a lot of his time in the hospital bed out of his mind or in a drug induced slumber. ”It was beautiful. I... would you like to come for a walk with me?” Someone has taken away Finn and replaced it with someone else, clearly. Either that, or he really is feeling better.
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
You recognize the bag, the familiar lump of a medicine bottle inside. You also know what's on Finn's charts and what he's been prescribed. There's no need for you to make small talk about what he holds, especially since you know how reluctant he likely is to be taking it.
"I did, a bit. Though I was working an awful lot." Working to find a cure, working to understand what made the water working, working to learn how long Finn had.
The look you give Finn is one of welcome surprise, and while it might just be the Spyglass's way of evening the score with you, you're more than happy to take him up on the offer. Still, your fingers reluctantly stroke the keys. It's a strange addiction, music is, and part of you wants to tell him to leave that you might continue playing. You wouldn't—and don't—closing the lid on the keys. "Let me just grab my shoes." You hum brightly, not wanting to give Finn a chance to back out.
"Did you hear about the dragon egg that was found in Halo?" Shoes on, a loosely-fitting tanktop and shorts thanks to the heat, and your hair piled on top of your head, and you're ready to go.
Finn glances away knowingly as she explains about working an awful lot - given that they are both workaholics, there’s no question that the balance in their lives is somewhat skewed. (Add in a generous sprinkle of whatever the heck is wrong with the Spyglass on a good day and it skews even further). Blinking, he shifts his gaze back to her in time to see the way she caresses the piano keys, and he almost asks her to keep playing - it is likely only his broken hand that has forced him out into the open, truthfully.
But then she’s getting her shoes and ready to head out, Finn standing aside for her to join him. ”I didn’t. I haven’t heard much since I was discharged,” he confesses, strolling along the corridor towards the exit to the Tower. ”I have been busy catching up on all I have missed. What happened to the egg?”
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
You follow Finn easily; he's taller than you are, but your long legs are more than capable of keeping pace. In fact, it'll likely be you that has to remind yourself to slow down for him, so used to rushing about as you are. "It chose the Artificer, Seraphina, to bond with." You explain, describing the opalescent dragon to Finn with a bit of a melancholy shrug. "Have you ever thought about a companion?" You ask, pushing open the heavy oaken doors, bathing you both in a bright splash of sunlight that has you immediately narrowing your eyes against it.
As an Attuned you'd bond to a griffon, though you've never had the inclination. It would be unfair of you to subject any other creature to the sort of life you lead
It’s true - she easily outpaces his stroll, especially seeing as he’s snuck another bite of his pastry before they set out. Hurrying to catch up, his long legs quickly fall in step with her, stormy eyes widening a fraction to hear that the dragonling bonded with the Artificer. ”She was wearing it, when she ran into me at the Collegium,” he explains, remembering the little creature that had extended its wing to him.
Finn squints as well, the sunlight all too bright against his eyes, and he lets out a slow breath at the warmth on his skin, the vibrancy of the world outside. ”Hmm? I... no, I don’t think I ever have.” Much like the doctor who walks beside him, Finn does not think that he would make a good companion - not enough to bond to one. ”I can barely take care of myself, let alone anything else.”
There’s a pause, as they head down stone steps and out across the path. Then, ”I am forbidden from leaving Stormbreak.”
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
Chuckling a bit hearing that, you nod at his account. "It always strikes me as strange how...wearable dragons seem to be." You muse with a shrug. For such impressive and terrifying creatures, that they're content to model themselves after scarves or necklaces is endearing.
It's rare for you to show so much skin, normally hidden away in baggy scrubs as you are, but outside in the oppressive heat, you've absolutely no choice. Even with your hair up you're sure to feel beads of sweat begin to accumulate around your hairline, though luckily you think of anyone you might have decided to take a stroll with, Finn will be the least judgemental about it. "No, me neither. It might not be the healthiest thing, but I don't seem to mind being alone as much as others do." You aren't baited by Finn's comment about barely being able to take care of himself, though you do flash him a wry smile and a silent shake of your head.
"Mmmmm." You hum in acknowledgement, biting the inside of one cheek and fidgeting with the bottom of your shirt. "I...wasn't part of that decision directly, but I did hear about it." Nudging Finn's shoulder with your own, you smile brightly out at the world. "Honestly, were you planning on going anywhere, anyway? Cian can think that he's locked you down, when really, he's just made your life easier." You babble, happy to try and put a positive spin on things.
”You’re right. I have rarely seen one larger than a cat in my time,” Finn agrees, his lips twisting in a wry smile as he tries to cast his mind back. Then again, the majority of the Accepted he knew with companions were from Mollie’s, and accessorising with one of the mystical reptiles was understandably endearing for a prostitute. The Spyglass clearly has not thought as far as the heat, and he is already rolling up his shirtsleeves as the sun bears down on them, regretting being so accustomed to the cool temperatures inside the Tower.
He has absolutely no right to talk about what is healthy and what isn’t, finishing his pastry as they walk and letting his hand slip into his pockets. They head out onto the street; Finn tends to walk no further than the perimeter of the Tower, but he has company today. ”Would you like to go to the Celestine?” he asks, unsure if she has anything else in mind.
Tobi’s shoulder nudges against his own, and while the Spyglass drops his gaze to the ground, there’s something peculiar in his expression; something decidedly satisfied. Smug, even. ”He has given me a gift,” he confesses, like he’s afraid the Eye will overhear. ”If I never leave this city again, it will be too soon.”
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
"Me too. I'm almost glad for that. The walk across Halo was bad enough without having to worry about a dragon snarling down." You say with a shake of your head. You and Sera had been shockingly lucky in your trek across the frozen wastelands. You'd been prepared, but not for a dragon attack.
"Oh. Sure." You beam brightly. You weren't sure how much outsideness Finn would be able to take. And though the canine part of yourself needs many more walks and socialization than the you part of you, you are rather enjoying this. "I heard that there's a unicorn thats recently been brought in.." Unicorns, for reasons no one knows, bring you unfathomable joy. It isn't right to call them one of your kind, but it soothes the part of you that must remain hidden, to see one in the wild.
"See? Cian thinking he's punishing you when really he's given you exactly what you've wanted." The smug look on Finn's face is hard to decipher. And you, far too cheerful and sunny to understand the inner workings of the game being played, simply see a man who appears content with his fate. And honestly? You've never been happier for Finn. "So that's all he had to say? Stay in Stormbreak?"
”It was quite uneventful when Cian and I made the journey as well, if I remember correctly.” And based on what had happened very shortly afterwards, Finn might very well not remember correctly. Nodding at her agreement, and both relishing and disliking the heat that beats down on his shoulders, the Spyglass changes course towards the Celestine. ”A unicorn? I’m surprised they allowed it,” he remarks. As unique a creature as Finn might be compared to the rest of those in the Order, some prejudices are bred in.
He is content with his fate, truly, as well as a lot of other complicated emotions, and something twists in his expression as Tobi continues. Finn shrugs, trying not to glance down at the cast on his hand. ”Stay in Stormbreak, compass confiscated... some veiled threats about going back to the Silk Houses.” That is the only snag in the game, so far - to be sent back would truly be the final nail in the Spyglass’s coffin.
one by one they lay the world at my feet,
one by one they drive me crazy.
"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if...Cian had some ability that kept him safe." You mumble under your tongue. You've absolutely no evidence to support this save for the Eye's continued survival. All of his near-misses and almost-deaths, and still he walks about utterly without fear.
You swallow hard at this remark, knowing it to be all too true. "Mmm, well. I suppose it's hard to say no to Frey when they place animals inside for healing." You reply, a touch uncertainly. Unconsciously you fuss with your bangs, sweeping them slightly out of your eyes as you walk. You're absolutely not suddenly self-conscious about a horn that isn't there.
"What." You stop, reaching out for Finn's shoulder that you might draw him to a stop as well. "Absolutely not." There is a flush to your cheeks, and though your eyes are dark naturally, the kindness in them wavers for a moment as something more predatory takes over. Bernese mountain dogs, like you, are gentle by nature. But like you, they are not cowardly. They'll not allow members of their pack to be so thoroughly abused. There is a very un-October snarl on your lips as you stare hard at Finn, as if your glare might somehow absolve him of Cian's threats.
”It is his confidence,” Finn says with surprising ease. ”And his reputation. The airs he puts on in front of others make him formidable.” There’s a lot more to it, he’s sure, and the Eye is so far under his own skin at times, too, that it’s hard to tell what’s assumption and what’s truly a part of Cian’s nature. Still, riding the high of his ‘confinement’, Finn is happy to bat around theory as they walk.
He hums his agreement at her remark about Frey, nodding to her. ”That is true. Would would like to stop by and see it? They say some unicorns have the ability to heal. I imagine that would be something of a perk in the medical clinic.” Were it not for the blasphemy of such a thing, of course. The grand archways of the Celestine appear soon enough, and sweat is already dewing on Finn’s forehead. Luckily, the gardens have plenty of shady spaces to sit, so at least they might take a break.
But Tobi’s hand stops him suddenly, Finn falling to a halt and gazing down at her as if unsure of the expression on her face, of what it means. Her words do help, granted, and it’s with the most gentle sort of awkwardness that he tries to met away from her touch. ”I am sure it is just a threat to frighten me into compliance,” he says, hoping it to be true. ”I dare say Molly would refuse to have me now, at my age.”
