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!
lights will guide you home, & ignite your bones & i will try to fix you
You sort of wish Ronin2 had remained, the comfort of having another body, unreal as it was, comforting. In response, you sit a bit straighter on the nimbus. Grinning at the Star (and immediately regretting it as your lip chimes bright disagreement), you shake your head. "The last thing we need is for people to see a sudden blast of light in the sky. They might start shooting at us." You shrug, smizing at Ronin in lieu of actually grinning at him, from behind the arm of your sweater. "I suppose it's a good thing I don't play a wind instrument." You muter. Or make-out with anyone on the regular.
"I...perhaps it's worth speaking to Cian about. Your reputation here...it matters." You begin, unable to really explain the sentiment properly. "I doubt the Eye will want one of his prized soldiers being seen as a loose cannon who steals things." But then, if you'd heard about the things Ronin and Cian had done together, you might well rethink that.
"Oh, it wouldn't be a blast of light. I've got a couple of other tricks up my sleeve. But if you think you'll be alright, I'm not going to intrude." He winks at her, falling quiet with concentration writ upon his features as they start to ease into the docks. Ronin definitely doesnt want to hit any other ships given their luck so far, and so he rushes to pull down the sails, torn as they are, for the ship to settle between the other vessels.
They bump against the port and he winces a bit, but there's no further damage - and no sign of Gus, either. "Thank fuck," Ronin whispers, rushing forward to tether the boat and conjuring the nimbus over so that Tobi doesn't have to move. Borrow things," he corrects with another roguish grin, hopping out after the nimbus has drifted ashore. "But you're right. I'll have to have a word with him. I'll speak with him first thing tomorrow, and then I'll come to find you. Okay?"
TALIESIN
they said it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
lights will guide you home, & ignite your bones & i will try to fix you
'Of course you do.' Your eyes roll with amusement. Perhaps it's because of how secretive you are with your own healing magic that you think Ronin's ought to be spared or saved up for something important, that you shake your head. "It's just a split lip. Besides, it's like a souvenir."
Falling silent that Ronin might slip them back into port without issue, you turn your eyes up toward the stars, wondering what it is men like this demigod see in them. Their futures? Some ethereal pull of fate? Because as romantic as it would be, and as much as you might want to be the sort of girl who sees wonders in the heavens, you just...see a lot of darkness, with bits of light scattered meaninglessly in between.
As the nimbus floats toward Ronin with the wave of his hand, you grab at the cloudy shape for dear life. "This thing should really have handles." You murmur cheerfully despite your scowl. However as Ronin so effortlessly talks about going to see Cian, your expression grows rather grave. Slipping off of the cloud, inelegantly, you reach out for Ronin's arm that you might try and focus his attention. "I know you're..you and all, but Cian..." Forgetting yourself you bite your lip slightly, wince and clench your fingers together, and then continue. "..he holds a lot of cards. No one ever really knows what he's planning, or where they stand with him. Just...be careful, alright?"
"A souvenir? I could have just gotten you something sentimental, rather than busting your lip by accident." Ronin grins, turning to check on the ship as they climb back on solid ground. Snorting at the news that his nimbus needs handles, he merely gives Tobi a nudge, happy for her to ride the cloud back down from the Falling until they reach the Tower. Speaking of such, along with the Eye that resides within it, he raises his eyebrows as they sneak themselves past the boatman's hut.
With a smile that speaks of conspiracy, Ronin nods warmly, appreciative of the warning. "I've had a taste of that already," he says. "I'll be careful, I promise. Believe it or not, I have experience with someone much more cunning than Cian by far." Ah, but he's not going to badmouth Safrin, not when she has given him the opportunity to see Remi again in person.
TALIESIN
they said it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
lights will guide you home, & ignite your bones & i will try to fix you
'We were in the middle of the sky." You point out. "Not many sentimental giftshop opportunities. Slinking past the hut like two naughty teenagers, you vaguely wonder what time it is, before promptly deciding it doesn't really matter.
You don't know what to make of Ronin's words—though if you did, you'd point out how well and truly bound he is in the goddess's net and that perhaps he hasn't done quite as good of a job navigating her waters without any consequences as he thinks—and so you merely let your hand slip away and sigh under your breath. 'Whatever you say, captain Taliesin. Or is it pilot?" You crinkle your nose endearingly as you wonder if you can't make it to Cian before Ronin can.
But then, the Eye likely already knows, now doesn't he?
"So you would think." Ronin says, and with a sudden grin he unwraps his scarf from around his neck to reach across and sling it about Tobi's instead. "There - something to hide in, the next time you have to make a house visit." He winks. It's true that Ronin has most definitely entangled himself with Safrin, and he's no longer trying to get out of that. No, now he's playing the game in earnest. And perhaps he enjoys it more than he cares to admit; such is the cost of binding oneself to the Lady of the Stars.
Cian, though? The Eye doesn't frighten Ronin. He will most certainly outwit the Star, but Ronin has always been good at speaking plain and cutting through a serpent's tongue. (Granted, he's never known a serpent to be quite so silent as Cian).
His thoughts are still on this when Tobi calls him Captain Taliesin and he almost stumbles over a bit of gravel, the laugh that escapes him one of nostalgia and near longing. "No one has called me that for a very long time," he says.
TALIESIN
they said it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
lights will guide you home, & ignite your bones & i will try to fix you
So, you absolutely didn't think he'd be able to follow that one up with anything more than a shrug and a wink, but there he goes, unwrapping his scarf. Still warm and smelling entirely of him, as he winds it around your shoulders you can feel your stomach subtly flop around as if you were back onboard the starship. Married, you remind yourself, but even so, you flash him a smile and turtle your neck down so that his scarf covers your mouth and your nose.
Glancing over your shoulder having not meant the title to be a joke, but a sort of compliment, you tilt your head quizically, pulling down the material over your mouth so that you might speak. "Is that...a bad thing?" You wonder, one of your brows raised as you gaze up at him with softly skeptical amusement.
"Oh, no - no, not at all." He smiles to Tobi, suddenly seeming bashful; younger, somehow. "Back in Northaven, when I was part of the Storm Guard, I was Captain of Training. It was one of my favourite jobs," he admits, ruffling a hand through his hair and glancing back up the winding path to the Falling, as if to make sure they haven't awoken anyone else or caused further trouble.
"Then when I came to Caido, that all went away, so... I guess it just feels strange to have it brought back, however briefly." Shrugging his shoulders, he leads them now back to the more populated areas (populated, at least, prior to it getting so dark and so late) so he might drop Tobi back to the Tower. "Sorry, if I made your night more trouble than planned."
TALIESIN
they said it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
lights will guide you home, & ignite your bones & i will try to fix you
Northaven. A world so far away from this one. You feel a familiar flutter in your stomach that you often felt as a girl when your parents would tell you stories of Outlanders and the places they came from. "Captian of training, huh?" You peer up at Ronin from behind his scarf. "I feel like you would have been rather good at that." There's a confidence about Ronin that makes him easily trusted, but also an easy-going camaraderie. Unlike the Eye who demands respect and attention with Ronin you can see soldiers just wanting to give it to him.
'Well, I guess that's a bit like what you are again. Captain of training...and skyboats." You can't help but add with a giggle.
"Oh, don't worry about it. Things never really go to plan, not working in the clinic. I"m used to that part of it, but I can safely say that's the hardest my heart—and my legs—have had to work in a while." You too glance over your shoulder and where you've come, but only to appreciate the gradual incline of the walk up toward the Skyport. Reaching where the city's various roads intersect, you slow your steps, nodding toward the great road which will lead Ronin back to the training barracks.
"Well, this has certainly been some night," You chuckle, red-nosed and bright eyed. "Thank you. I think I actually might have had some fun, in between being thrown onto a ship and splitting my lip."
"Thank you. I like to think I did an alright job of it as well." Compliments make him flustered - they always have - and the Star shoves his hands in his pockets and glances away, a bashful smile on his face. "As fun as it was, I don't think I make such a good captain of skyboats, though. I'll leave that to the experts - once I've helped to repair that ship we bumped about." He falls to a halt as they reach a crossroads, Ronin knowing that this is where they part ways.
He grins - he can't help it - to hear Tobi admit that she had fun as well, and he shrugs his shoulders. "Hey, maybe next time we can let someone else pilot the ship and just sit and relax. We'll go way out from the cliffs and everything." With a wave of his hand, he gestures the nimbus to go with Tobi, to walk her home even if he can't. "Just tell it to shove off when you get to the clinic," he advises, before starting to walk backwards down the path.
"Goodnight, Tobi."
And then, of course, he is gone.
~FIN
TALIESIN
they said it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
