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 is now," Ronin admits softly, letting the projection get to work in silence as she nears the bed once more. "It took a long time to get used to. It used to exhaust me - not the summoning, but having to do so many different things at once. Now I can trade places with it, if I need to." He scrunches his nose, like it still amazes him sometimes - and it does. "Sorry I startled you, Doctor."
His blood, at least, is something he's certain of, and he flashes her a crooked smile. "No, as far as I last checked, it was still just red like everyone else's," he explains. "Would it be easier if I told you all I can do? I'd not want to accidentally give my new doctor a heart attack if you're to be seeing me in all kinds of states."
Exhaling a breath that causes your bangs to shuffle across your forehead, you nod, though you've absolutely no idea at all what it must be like. "If I had an extra me..." You laugh. "Well, I'd use it more for just scaring the life out of doctors who are just trying to do their job." But then he apologizes, and you're helpless to do anything other than smile in such a way as to absolve him completely. "I take it that the things you can do are...more than an abandoned. But it's...well, it's like I said. You don't see it here. And...given that I don't ever leave..." You trial off, shrugging your shoulders. This man is many firsts for you, and though your heart is still working on slowing back down, you are thankful for it.
Reaching for a needle and vial, you turn on your heel and give the Star an adorably worried look. "I mean...yes, I suppose that would be easier." Having literally no idea what to expect, you move to stand by his bed, smoothing away the gown that you might tie an elastic around his upper bicep.
"I'd tell you what I like to use it for, but it's not suitable for current conversation. I did escape from a Wicker Woman with it the other day, though." The memory causes starlight to flare out of him brightly for a second, before he clears his throat and calms it down, suitably embarrassed and shifting to sit up on the bed so she might be able to take a sample of his blood. "I've never seen an Abandoned do what I can do," he agrees, a little puzzled by it. "When she brought me back, Safrin explained that I would be different... I didn't expect this though."
With a huff of laughter, he gives her as much of an explanation as possible. She's already seen his duplicate, his dazzle, his nimbus. So Ronin gives the lowdown on his starbolts, deciding against creating one when she's got a needle in her hand; he explains about the constellations on his forearms, too, and the strange manipulation he has over dreams. "The last one isn't really something I can show you. It's been affectionately referred to as a supernova. I... uh, explode."
"Sex?" You say, entirely unphased. You're a doctor, not a 12 year old schoolgirl despite the blush on your cheeks. "Perhaps holding multiple drinks at once? Cheating at cards?" Magic might have gotten to you, but Ronin will find that other than that, it's far harder to rile you. Not so ruffled by the pulse of light this time around, you hold Ronin's arm to draw blood, peering over at his chest, trying to see if you can discern just where the light comes from.
"I think you're easily the strongest man I've ever met." This isn't even close to flattery, and you're pretty sure that Ronin will know it. "Right..." You sobering chew your lip, feeling Ronin's forearm for a vein. "You died." Swallowing hard as you place the needle again his skin, you mumbled, "-just a pinch-" before pressing it in. Pulling back the plunger and revealing red blood, again you find yourself with that strange mixture of relief and disappointment.
'Well, good to know if I ever have any comatose patients, I know just who to track down." Even as a unicorn, bringing someone out of a coma is not so easily done. "That sounds...I mean, I'm sure you hear it all the time, but...that's all incredible Ronin." The mention of explosions has your fingertips tensing slightly against his arm as you shoot him a questioning look, wondering if he's joking. "Explode." You repeat. "So is it like..a one time thing, then?"
"All three. And playing catch with myself, and making sure I look alright before I leave the house," he says with a lopsided sort of smile, holding his arm still so she might be able to take blood from it. His gaze follows hers however, when she tries to peek at where the glow from within him is coming from, like they might both look down and see a brightly burning star-torch or something. "I am little more than above average on the scale of strength," he scoffs, Ronin sounding quietly humbled about it. "Meet my husband. Then you'll have met the strongest person you've ever met."
He tolerates the bloodletting with the sort of maturity that makes his reaction to having his feet touched seem twice as bemusing, Ronin watching the syringe fill and offering her a humble smile at her compliments. "I am a very lucky man," he says softly, fingers flexing to ensure that his blood keeps flowing. "And... no, it's not a one time thing. It's like... a really intense version of the light you saw just now. It heals, and hurts."
"Catch?" You perk up at that. "I happen to know someone who loves playing catch. And chase. If you're ever interested." You grin. It's you. It's obviously you. Had you a tail right now, it would have wiggled your entire butt with excitement.
"Well." Your smile softens dramatically. "I know its come at a price for you." It isn't' a storyline you've followed closely, mostly having heard snippets at Order meetings as of late once the demigods began to take center-stage in various updates, but you know enough to realize that Ronin's abilities weren't just gift wrapped and handed to him on a platter.
"Well." You mumble, at a loss for words. Pulling out the needle and placing a cotton ball over the small hole, you reach for one of Ronin's hands that he might hold it there himself as you label the vials. "Here's hoping the soldier life suits you here, or it sounds as though I might be out of a job." Guiding lights and healing? Being in two places at once?
His eyebrows raise at the sudden perkiness from the doctor before him, Ronin trying to stifle the smile that wants to creep across his face (and failing spectacularly, of course). "I'll keep it in mind. I've got a feeling that my time in those barracks is going to be spent getting particularly inventive with training." Such is the case when you can outpace most of the soldiers there.
His smile softens as well, and he nods gently in response to her remarks. "Everything does have a price - that's what I'm learning," he says, letting her take his hand to place it over the cotton ball. Ronin peers curiously at it for a second, as if wondering what would happen if he took the ball away. Would blood just jet across the room? (He doesn't, of course, but the thinking is plain on his face).
"Out of a job? Hardly." He grins to her, brightening again suddenly. "Whatever I can do is for emergencies here, as far as I'm concerned. I have a big respect for what you do. That, and between you and me, I'm pretty accident prone for a dEmIgOd."
"How difficult that all sounds." You reply, voice honied with sympathy that the spark of mischief in your eyes seems to cancel out. "Poor, poor demigod. Maybe you can run around and lift some buildings or carriages." You add with a playful roll of your eyes.
Folding your arms across your chest, you just shake your head and laugh at the man on the bed. "If I didn't know you were married, I'd say that sounds an awful lot like a line." Pretty accident prone . Uh huh. Sure Ronin.
"I should have the results of your tests in a day or so. Is there anything else you want me to take a look at?"
"Oh, ha," Ronin drawls, grinning at her and glancing up as Sugar comes to swoop and settle around his shoulders (his projection has long been dismissed now that the mess has been cleared up). "If you ever need some buildings moved around, just come and find me," he says with a nod, inspecting the hole in his arm beneath the cotton ball and soon seeming satisfied that the bleeding has stopped. Sugar nuzzles against his jaw, scenting the blood, and it's only the fact that October has thus far proven to be the best that prevents her paranoia from assuming the Attuned is on the attack.
The sweet smile Ronin shoots her at his apparent flirting might be either confirmation or denial; when he shows up with inevitable arrow wounds and with his leg hanging off, he wonders if she'll reconsider how it sounds. "Who says being married would have anything to do with it?" He scoffs. "Unless you know how I might be able to learn how to teleport using the miracle of medicine, I think that's it. Thank you, Doctor Hart."
You roll your eyes at this man's continued sunny nature despite all odds and twists in this conversation. "And just why would I tell you how?" You scoff, ignoring the obvious reason (Remi) in favour of more careless banter. Glancing over your shoulder to where Ronin's projection has 'cleaned up' (clean by soldier's standards, but neatly organized by a doctor's? Not quite), and stifle a sigh. All in a day's work.
"Well, until the inevitable next time." You say by way of ending the conversation, in favour of putting things back in order. Time would tell sooner than you expected that Ronin hadn't been exaggerating about his proclivity for injuries, though whether or not they were accidents is still up for debate.
