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!
It’s a twisting, winding path back to Halo, and as soon as they break into the icy tundra Nate wants to turn back, wants to hide again in the warm dark caves and bask in the heat. But, they can’t go home without moving, can’t go home without finishing other things first, an endless feeling list of tasks and visits to make, while they have the chance. At least on this visit to Halo, Nate isn’t alone, isn’t lost and wandering.
The shrine is one of the last stops they have to make. It’s not storming, a fact that’s blessing and a curse, materials still tucked safely away in his bag, though that’s not really why they’re here. No, they’re here because of the other items tucked in that same bag, jars of spring water carefully collected from the climb.
Something about having Sunjata by his side while he does this is strange, makes the whole experience seem less real. But Nate goes through the motions, placing the jars of water on the shrine itself, then stepping back. ”Mother, I... we found this, and... it heals the others, but... but not ascended. I don’t know if it will help you, um, help us, but...” Nate trails off, it sure how to continue, when it felt like he wasn’t appealing to anything, not yet.
If he’s being honest, Sunjata can’t remember a time where he’s ever seen the Voice. He doesn’t even know if he will this time. All he knows is that he’s one of Safrin’s chosen, an unlikely pick to get a response from the Voice at all in the first place, but it was an idea that had occurred when Nate had spoken of the Torchline shrine and it’s becoming.
So he knows that they have to at least try, right?
He hands off the jars to Nate to place upon the shrine, hanging back to a space where Nate can return to, looking upon the shrine curiously, chewing on the inside of his cheek while Nate speaks. And when Nate trails off, Sunjata picks back up, stepping up to stand beside Nate, moving to wrap an arm around his husband out of solidarity. “It has varying reactions with the Ascended.” He adds on, recalling the way Sam had reacted so vividly different from Nate. “I thought maybe… Since Nate mentioned you’d integrated with the things of Torchline to make a shrine, perhaps you might be able to fix this in a way that could help – even… Temporary, like it does now for us.” Because already he can feel that hollow sensation in the back of his mind, his body warm beneath the layers he wears in the snow.
if i let go, would you hold on?
would we fly?
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
As she has done with the other Ascended who visit her shrine whilst sick, when the Voice appears it’s as little more than a flickering hologram. She gazes sadly upon Nate, giving Sunjata nary a glance for his trouble. And the jars, too, go untouched. When she speaks, her tone is tinged with weary frustration.
”This water comes from a place known as Frey’s Breath. It is cultivated by the old gods, by the very essence of nature. It is akin to drinking poison for my bright ones.” Her form seems to quiver and spark, and something carefully lances out of her to zap at Nate. It will replenish him without the need for touch or interaction, but even that likely won’t stave off his thirst.
More than ever before, the Voice dominates Nate’s focus, his mind when she appears, a shadow of her usual self. He can only barely meet her gaze, looking for all the world like a child about to be scolded. ”It... it affected us different, me and Sam.” It’s not really a question, only barely a statement, because she must know, right?
The spark that strikes him fills him with some measure of calm, of focus. Not enough to keep his head from cocking, his brows furrowing as he struggled to work through the haze of the last half season. Had she requested something? Had he forgotten? But that doesn’t make sense, the shrine is broken, has been since before he was sick, and this is the first he's seen the Voice. ”I... didn’t know. Who did you ask, what... what do you need?”
For the first time, Nate turns away, glances back at Sunjata as if asking permission before he continues. ”We’ll get it for you.”
A hologram. Sunjata’s seen those before – witnessed many of them in Korofi. It’s both… Surprising and nostalgic in a way that has his jaw snapping shut, silence overcoming him as her voice rings through. And it makes sense, really, that it would be exactly the same as taking poison – how ones body might go about trying to get it out by any means necessary.
But for the rest of it? Sunjata’s gaze remains carefully on the Voice – almost wary in a sense – his arm still wrapped around Nate as the tendril reaches out to him to zap him. Sunjata doesn’t know what it means or what it’s done, but his focus is on Nate now with the results. And when Nate seems fine, he can’t help but to focus on her statement.
Nate speaks and then looks to him, and he offers a soft smile to his husband, before his gaze flickers back toward the Voice. He’s quiet, but he nods the same, a small promise that he would help. He’d already offered Wessex his help for the Ascended time and time again, but this was far more personal. “Anything to fix it, we’ll get.” A vow provided she could give them the direction they need.
if i let go, would you hold on?
would we fly?
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
She stands, stoic and quiet awaiting their answer, offering little more than an understanding nod at the news that the water has affected them differently. ”You gamble with yourselves whenever you try to use a cure like that,” she says of the water, glancing between Nate and his husband with static eyes. And for the first time her gaze lingers upon Sunjata, as if recognising that he is not sick, like there might be something more to be done than throwing out stabs in the dark.
”I asked your sister. I asked Wessex,” she explains to her bright one. ”But she is sick, too. There is a metal that was pulled from the LongHeat god, Tanau. I require it, but it is currently in Halo with Loren the Firebrand. Retrieve it - help her however you might.”
A gamble made some kind of sense, he’d always been lucky, when it counted, and Nate accepts the explanation easily, with a smile. His hand squeezes more tightly around Sunjata’s trying to offer support, though it must feel like he’s seeking it, as the Voice’s eyes leave Nate.
The fact that Wessex was sick as well shakes something in Nate, some part of him assuming the head of the family would be above such things, would be somehow untouchable. He straightens, shifting uncomfortably from side to side, but nods anyway. ”We’ll get it.” He repeats earnestly. ”Promise.” It’s not a word offered lightly, but it is offered nonetheless, highlighting his seriousness, if not to the Voice, then at least to his husband.
As it goes, it makes sense. That each person would react differently to it. But for all the understanding Sunjata gets, it sparks away for a different feeling when the Voice actually looks at him. Nate’s squeeze is a good distraction, something that settles his nerves as he stands there and listens. He squeezes Nate’s back, a confirmation perhaps.
He thinks of Wessex, brief vivid shades of memory that come and go, both being sick – likely at the beginning before everything started to blank for him. And when the Voice mentions that Loren has the metal, he’s not sure how it makes him feel. On one hand, he likes to consider Loren a friend of sorts. On the other hand, he doesn’t know if the Firebrand would help. And it worries him.
But he nods to the Voice, hearing Nate’s promise, silently hoping that they can indeed get it and fulfill the promise given. “Thank you.” He offers her, keeping Nate close as they turn to leave – now on a mission.
- FIN <3
if i let go, would you hold on?
would we fly?
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
