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!
12-09-2020, 04:28 PM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2020, 06:11 PM by Odd.)
RONIN
THE DARK STAR
"Not unless you think Finn somehow came from Northaven and just got... dropped here when he was a kid," Ronin says with a chuckle, glancing to Tobi. "But it's something I considered too, when I saw them together." They are uncannily alike, and suddenly Ronin understands it, why Remi was so taken aback by it all. But he banishes that from his thoughts as best he can - if he's going to be sleeping again soon, the last thing he wants is to be dreaming of Finn.
Rising to his feet with Tobi's help (and doing his best not to pull her over or fall on her), Ronin is a bit wobbly at first, but with a mighty yawn he manages to set off where she indicates, his footsteps slower than usual but at least steady enough for the time being. "A sleep study room seems perfect for someone with dream magic," he points out with a grin. "Could you tell those nurses that next time I'll be fine with just a bit of the sedative?" Not that he wants there to be a next time.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
You raise a brow at that, suddenly feeling as though your stomach has dropped and is now slithering toward your feet. "He..doesn't talk much about his upbringing." Trauma, Falke had said. But Outlanders had been appearing since the barrier went up. Was it impossible? 'And Remi doesn't..have any siblings?' Because if the answer was no, that would certainly put an end to things.
Your legs are long and you have to mentally check yourself back to Ronin's pace—not that you mind. "So this magic of yours. You can just...go into people's dreams? By touching them while you're both asleep?" Honestly, you're not sure what to make of that. You suppose it's nice, though. 'I'd be able to get so much more work done if I could keep working, even when I was asleep.' You say with a laugh, pushing open the door to the clinic. Of course you'd use the magic to do more work. What else is there?
The final door you open for Ronin leads to a room with soft blue lighting. The walls are padded to dampen sound, and the beds have monitoring devices and thick layers of memory foam. "Here, let me find you something to sleep in." You mumble as you nod your head toward the bed, setting off toward one of the cupboards where you hope to find a t-shirt and loose pants for the Star to sleep in.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"Oh," says Ronin, chewing at the inside of his lip as they meander back towards the medical clinic. He does his best to speed up to his usual pace, but it's impossible without knocking expensive-looking things off pedestals (or whatever other weird ornamentation the Tower is into), and so Tobi slowing her pace is ultimately very appreciated. "Remi doesn't know," he admits. "He and his father travelled. And his father was a whoring bastard, so there could be other siblings..." He shrugs his shoulders.
Ducking his head in a nod as Tobi asks about his abilities, he meanders into the clinic again after her. "Safrin granted me the ability for situations like... well, like Finn's, I guess. I can lead people out of locked-in states, comas, bad dreams... Remi can keep them there. But his ability has developed further than mine, I think. Mine only works if the person is sleeping beside me." The Lullaby has demonstrated that he's able to slip into dreams from afar, though.
The sleep room is an utterly foreign experience for Ronin, and the Star suddenly seems wide awake as he takes in the monitoring equipment, the blue lighting, the incredibly squishy mattresses. "Whoa," he blurts without meaning to, having completely missed the doctor trying to find him something to sleep in. Which explains why he's already pulling his shirt over his head, intending (apparently) to just sleep in his underwear.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
You swallow hard at that, making a mental note to ask Falke if he has any indication that Finn might not have actually been born in Stormbreak. Unless...is it even your place to wonder? You think it's medically relevant, but you suddenly have a sneaking suspicion that you might suddenly be straying into territory you don't belong in. So what if Finn is an Outlander. So what if he and Remi are related. Finn's mind is his own, or Falke's if it's anyone else's.
'That's incredible.' You breathe under your breath, not wanting to interrupt. Until he mentions what Remi can do which causes your brows to furrow beneath your bangs as you shoot him a look. "Keep them there? Like...sedation?"
Turning around to see Ronin strip is something which has likely caught the breath of many women. You're both more and less subtle about how your eyes roam over him, unapologetically drinking him in, though your gaze is looking for wounds or discolouration. You hold up the shirt and pair of baggy shorts that you've found a touch helplessly, wandering over to him and setting them down on the table next to the bed.
"I am indeed. With lots and lots of wires." You agree with a crooked smile, bobbing your eyebrows menacingly. "Do you need the bathroom before we get started? There's also a shower if you feel so inclined, and a toothbrush and other things as well."
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
12-09-2020, 05:42 PM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2020, 05:57 PM by Honey.)
RONIN
THE DARK STAR
"I suppose you could call it that," Ronin says, though sedation doesn't sound about right. Entrapment would be a better term, but he doesn't really feel comfortable associating that with Remi, however true it might be. Tobi sets the clothes out on the bed all neat and doctor-like, leaving Ronin holding his balled up shirt and looking very sheepish about it. He changes his mind and folds it in a way much more befitting a soldier, before dragging the new shirt over his head.
"Oooh, wires? My favourite," he says, as if he has any idea whatsoever what it's like or what will happen when he's all hooked up. Wiggling into the shorts as well, he bounces on the balls of his feet for a moment (a gesture of do I need the bathroom - no, I think I'm good), though he tilts his head as she mentions the shower and everything else. "Do you... think I should shower?" he asks with a grin.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
You note the way he goes from sheepish to soldier, rolling your eyes at how easily cowed this demigod can be. You're pretty sure your ability to manipulate his choices likely ends with folding clothes, but it does make you chuckle to see it.
You're easily able to maintain eye contact with him as he changes, the human body having never been a thing which makes you feel uncomfortable. This is made especially salient as you lean in for a sniff near his shoulder, dramatically recoiling. He actually doesn't smell that bad at all, but of course it wouldn't be any fun to simply say so. "Well, that isn't up to me to decide. You should ask the person you're sleeping with if they mind." The mischievous tilt of your head and bob of your eyebrows indicates that that someone, is Ronin.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
12-09-2020, 06:02 PM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2020, 06:03 PM by Ronin.)
RONIN
THE DARK STAR
Raising his eyebrows as she leans in close, only to snort at the reaction, Ronin nonetheless follows suit and sniffs at himself, only to shrug as if to say meh, it's been worse. "Luckily, the smell of myself doesn't carry through into my dreams." He grins, and without further ado (and very gladly, in fact), Ronin slips into bed. The memory foam is like nothing he has ever felt before, and he groans a note of utter contentment as he sprawls out on his stomach, obviously forgetting about all the wires.
He does, however, remember Tobi mentioning it eventually, and is kind enough to offer an arm out, as if that'll do. "Do you like it here?" he asks suddenly, his voice a bit muffled by the pillows, his body aglow with soft blue light. "In Stormbreak, I mean."
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
'Oh I see. So you really make your dreams dreams, then.' You tease, imagining Ronin somehow even more glorified and hero-like than he already was. Riding on a pink unicorn or something equally ridiculous.
"Pretty good, huh?" You say in the wake of his groan. You've stolen in here a few times to sleep on these beds when you have the forethought to. Most times you wake up covered in drool sprawled out on your desk, but on the off chance you actually plan to sleep at work, it's here you come. As his arm appears, you roll your eyes and nudge his shoulder. "On your back, if it isn't too much trouble." Pulling up the covers slightly to make his transition that much easier (and avoiding any tangling of the sheets), you fluff it down around him.
"Yeah, sure." You reply with a shrug, pulling open a drawer and pulling out all sorts of complicated and colour-coded wires. "I've never really been anywhere else." Your dark eyes flit from the wires to Ronin's face. "I'm not really allowed to leave." And then realizing how that sounds you hurridly add, "I'm sure I could, it's just all my work is here in the Tower. I think sometimes Stormbreak could be suddenly covered in glitter and I wouldn't know unless someone came in and told me." You laugh, but it's a touch melancholy, despite the brightness of your smile.
'What about you? How are you finding things so far?' Reaching down you begin to affix things to Ronin's temples, the muscles around his heart, and even on his fingertips.
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"When it suits me, sure. I usually just change the landscape around," Ronin says with a playful smirk, and he grumbles at her childishly to hear that he needs to move from his infinitely comfortable position. "It's the best thing I've ever slept on," he admits, rolling onto his back and wondering how long things will stay that way. It's a curiosity that turns into a worry as he listens to Tobi as she explains, and the wires come out.
"I'll die if I roll over in my sleep," he remarks, surrendering his face and fingertips to her ministrations, blinking at the wires that suddenly stem out of him like the snake-hair on Medusa. "What's all this for?"
Not expecting the question to be fired back at him (tut tut, Ronin), the Star's cheeriness falters as well. "I'm homesick," he admits. "It's been years since I was without Remi or the people I know. This is... a transition. And I'm not sure what anyone wants from me." Still, it's sad to hear that Tobi has never really gotten to leave Stormbreak; and he can tell that she wants to, even if she doesn't say it.
"I could show you all the places I've been, if you fall asleep next to me." He bounces his eyebrows at her.
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
"You can do that?" Your eyes have grown childishly large, as have your cheeks as you beam at the Star. It makes sense that in a dream he can do whatever he wants, and if you thought about it for more than just a second, you'd probably figure that out. But magic is almost entirely unknown to you, and you find yourself engaging with the concept of it with a childlike-wonder.
"Lucky for you that you're in a hospital, then." You point out with a smirk. 'Oh, it'll measure things like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels.." Run of the mill stuff, for you anyway. "You know, so that you don't actually die. But if you do crush a wire or pull one out, a light will go off in a room next to this one, and I'll come and stick it back in." You wink at this, grinning crudely.
"Well you arrived with that other demigod, Amalia?" You offer helpfully. "And at least you have your dreams. Is that where you go every night? Back with Remi and your friends?" You push down a rather sticky bit of plastic just below Ronin's collar bones, brushing some of his chest hair out of the way. No doubt removing some of these are not going to be fun for him. 'Well, if I knew, I would tell you." You reply, lips twitching in an unhelpful frown.
His offer is unexpected, and though the sight of him shirtless earlier didn't steal your breath away, this certainly does. Blinking down at him, your cheeks flushing with bright anticipation of everything he might be able to show you, you quickly swallow down the hope his words inspire. "But then there would be no one to come and save you when you inevitably strangle yourself with all these wires."
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"I mean, can't you? In your dreams?" Ronin smiles up at her sleepily, only to grumble at the placement of the sticky components she's apparently going to wax him with later. All of the meanings behind the wires would usually cause unbounded curiosity within the Star, but right now it all sails quite merrily over his head. Except the part with the blinking light and her sneaking back into the room to fix his wires. "Well at least I won't get all strangled." He yawns.
Ronin had arrived with Amalia, but the faraway look on his face suggests that it's not quite the comfort that it ought to be. "Things are complicated," he mutters. "They shouldn't be, but they are." And that's all there really is to say about it.
With a sunny smile back up at her, Ronin shrugs his shoulders. "Well," he says, "the offer's always there if you want it. You could pull the wires off and just sleep, and then..." He yawns again. "I'll show you whatever you want."
12-09-2020, 07:19 PM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2020, 07:20 PM by October.)
October
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
"To be honest, I don't remember many of my dreams." You say with a small shrug, as if this is some shortcoming for you to be embarrassed of. "I only sleep a few hours a day, and when I do, it's lights out."
"Well you might get a little strangled." You reply with a mischievous smirk, as if you'll take your time coming in to rescue Ronin should it come to that. "But nothing you can't handle."
Without any context for what the demigod has to say about his female counterpart, you just offer him a stiff-lipped nod. Not of your business. God it.
'Forgo doing my job to take a nap next to a handsome man? That doesn't sound like me.' And truly, it doesn't. 'Maybe some other time.' You reply a touch half-heartedly, wishing you could imagine up a situation where time would permit such a thing. But as it is, going for ball-walks with Finn is about the limit of free time that you have.
"I can play some background music if it will help you sleep." You offer, though by all of his yawns, you aren't sure he's going to need anything more than the closing of his eyes to send him off. "I have...grassland sounds, ocean waves, whale calls, rain.."
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
"I mean, that sounds lovely, considering what I just brought your friend out of," Ronin mumbles, referring - of course - to Finn. He doesn't seem to mind getting a little bit strangled, offering a toothy grin and a shrug to Tobi, as if that's to be expected. Personally, he thinks that he could manage to get himself incredibly strangled in the time it takes her to rush from one room and into the next (call it a talent), but he doesn't say that. Obviously.
"Some other time, then," he agrees, already settling down to close his eyes when Tobi mentions sounds to fall asleep to. And she's right, he really doesn't need any help in drifting off, but ocean waves is too good to pass up. "That one, please," he says, peeling his eyes open and smiling hopefully up to her. "It's been a long time since I heard it."
It's a quiet consolation A mistake that I don't mind
"He doesn't sleep much, either." You say sadly, of Finn. Interpreting Ronin's smile as one that indicates he might like to be strangled, you merely wrinkle your nose and roll your eyes at his antics, sleepy though they might be.
'As you wish.' Rising, you tuck the Star in, edging the blankets around his body before turning to a wall panel and selecting ocean waves. You close your eyes as the sounds start, the slow pulse of the water tugging at something deep within you that you can't quite name. Turning around to say a final goodnight, it seems as though the Star has already dozed off. With a silent chuckle, you do a final check of the equipment before leaving the room and taking up your place in the one beside, where you can monitor Ronin for the night.
~FIN
Maybe you'll meet me at the station Or maybe somewhere down the line
