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!
Death is nice, in a very distant way. It’s easy. A long deserved rest, at the end of a life too short. At least it had been gentle, near the end. Despite the end. Not that he really remembers it, not that he had been at all aware of it. Just blank darkness, then gentle peace.
A life free from pain, free from the shadows of other people towering over him? It was an easy choice to make for that kind of freedom, that kind of ease. And to go through it with Adam at his side, shining and perfect and safe in the same way? That makes it even easier.
The smile across his face is unusual for him, but all of this is unusual. Even Pet himself feels unusual, changed, slightly, but still him. Just a better version, a more healed version. And that’s all we’re saying about that.
Pet is following heavy footsteps, wrapped in dramatic black, and long long legs leading up to a face he hasn’t actually seen in far too long. ”I thought it was peaceful.” There is more than a small chance that he’s simply being contrary, the tilt of his head playful in a way that doesn’t look it at all.
Blue eyes lift, searching for familiar faces, and finding both fewer and more than he expects. People missing for the day, or missing forever? Though he doesn’t move any further than Adam, his hand coming out to wrap around the other man’s.
Nate’s a barbed, sharp wire beside him, tense and taut, and Sunjata can’t help but to relish in it – even if only a little bit. It helps the pain in his jaw, the bruising that splotches across his neck and up from his face. His own mood isn’t much better, paired only by the fact that he hates Halo, hates the cold, hates everything about this place and this festival.
His steel gaze flickers along the lanterns Nate’s brought, mind registering what he sends over, hearing the distraction in the words. But he doesn’t ask, focusing instead on his own, nostrils flaring in an attempt to keep from clenching his jaw. Gods, wouldn’t that have been a vacation. He hums, managing to catch his husband’s gaze, a glimmer of amusement flickering within them.
Still, he settles back, watching and waiting, an arm wrapped around Nate’s shoulders, practically glued at the hip when Ludo appears – a bristling of interlocking plates running up his neck and stopping just below his jaw. He bristles more when the lanterns begin to change, on edge and attentive in the ways a protective dragon might be for his hoard.
One by one they come, he spies Ezra and Edrei in the wings. His breath hitches, searching and searching, growing still beside Nate in such a way that’s hard to tell whether or not it’s from hope or from dread. He remains, watching, blinking only when he needs to, when suddenly he spies a familiar pair, one that has the sensations sent to Nate through the bond full of relief and horror, a mixed mash of sorrow, regret, and gratitude that spreads and fractures through him.
Suddenly, the Flood forgets of the pain in his jaw, he forgets about how much he hates Halo and the snow and the cold. Suddenly, he’s stepping forward and releasing his arm from around Nate, still reaching for the Ascended’s hand or arm, wherever to try and drag him toward them with him. “Peter…? Adam?” He manages through a swift hiss of pain, pushing it away, throat tightening up even more with the plating wrapped around his neck. “Gods.” A mumble under his breath, to himself mostly, until he’s standing before them – steel gaze flickering between the two men, pausing in what he wants to do.
Then deciding quite swiftly fuck it, surging forward to pull Peter into a hug. A shaky, trembling, hug.
i've learned to lose, you can't afford to
SUNJATA
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.
While Ludo was there, Gideon was at peace, smiling and happy to be seeing the God he was so loyal to again, even though his lantern wasn't chosen (in some ways, he was glad about that too; seeing Jonah again wasn't something he really wanted to deal with, even if he had to one day). As the Herald disappeared, he stretched, getting ready to leave, maybe find somewhere to get a drink first...
Then a crackle of electricity signified the coming of something evil and ominous, and he watched in horror as a false God raised an army of the dead; something that the rest of the crowd seemed to be thrilled with, somehow. He stood frozen, unable to move or think beyond his disgust with what was happening. They had not seen this coming, and now she had even more souls trapped in her hands.
He didn't want to see any more. As people around him wept to meet their loved ones again (couldn't they see how their insides had been replaced with machines? How their lives had been unnaturally lengthened?), he disappeared back to Stormbreak, needing to discuss this with like-minded people soon.
What I've seen so far
The good ones always seems to break
01-02-2021, 06:36 AM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2021, 06:38 AM by Nate.)
there's a niche in his chest where a heart would fit perfectly
It sounds so nice. Just a few days utterly free of responsibilities, wrapped up in bed, in their home, in each other. Maybe it would have been enough of a chance to decompress, to begin to relax again. Or maybe the time spent alone would only give them more reason to grow suspicious and paranoid, to lock themselves away and board up the windows and doors. It's an impossible dream though, because they're here.
His arm wraps around Sunjata in turn, Nate gritting his teeth and looking away as Ludo appears, ill at ease with even the idea of the Old Gods at the moment, their very presence a heavy weight on his shoulders. Leaning on his husband to help carry the silent burden, a shift in the light of the lanterns, painting the room in cool colours, shifting the mood to one that feels like home, though it isn't until the Voice appears that he knows why.
And just like that, the flickers of a vision he'd had make sense, surprise lifting Nate's brows as he watches faces he knows should be laid to rest up, walking around. Sunjata steps forward before he really fully absorbs what has happened, Nate stepping after him just to keep in contact, pulled by a lot more than the light fingers wrapped around his hand.
A grin that seems confused tries to climb onto his lips, Nate's head cocking as he sees who Sunjata is making a beeline for, the hug surprising him a touch. He doesn't know what to do, so he aims his sharp grin at Adam, looking him over before finally forcing his voice out. "Long time no see, huh?"
A face that is recognizable even through the bruising that mars it approaches them, Pet's eyes widening in response. There is a moment of stillness just long enough for him to respond to Adam's name, to his own name, with a breathless whisper. "Sunjata." Then arms wrap around him, the hug stealing anything else trying to leave his lips. He's stiff, still, for a long moment, before his arms lift to return the hug, slow, and almost hesitant. Adam's hand lifts with his, a connection that Pet is not going to break, even for this.
The first loss that has come from this deal grows apparent quickly, the easy connection severed, silent, Pet reliant on his own lacking words, on his dry throat, more than he ever has been before. "You..." He pulls back, wide eyes looking over the attuned as he struggled to find something to say, some way to continue. "You look... terrible." Pet's brows knit together, worry bubbling up the same as it always has.
"I'm sure it's there." I've got my arm neatly tucked into Edy's, and I'm wearing next-to-nothing, and it's certainly an entrance to entrance, if I do say so myself. Doesn't hurt that we're in the company of a whole throng of beautiful recently dead people, following a lovely Pied Piper into a winter wonderland. "That darling ponce wouldn't let such a treasure go to waste."
As for funerals and fanfare? Bygones. Sure, I would have liked to have a funeral worthy of a queen, but there's always next time. And the time after that. Maybe I'll make a habit of dying, if it comes with the perk of fabulous rebirths.
"Don't be jealous, gorgeous- you can join, too." I wink at Isla, draping myself over Edy's shoulder like a silk cloak to do so, practically purring against the once-and-still-my-Queen. "I'm sure our new Lady would be willing to make some allowances for her devoted new fans. In the name of furthering the cause, of course."
I like it when you take control
Even if you know that you don't
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
It had been a nice dream. Her brother had been there, and the rest of her family too. All gathered, all together. Leaving had not been an easy choice. Death was comfortable, like a long, warm embrace. But as always, she had been too restless and when the door opened, when the offer came, it was even harder to resist walking through it. Impossible, as it turned out.
Still, it really did not feel like she had come back to life. Not really. The snow under her bare feet did not feel cold, nor did the air do much of anything as she reflexively drew in a deep breath. Everything was peculiarly distant, and it would no doubt take some getting used to.
There was no fog of breath to rise overhead either, as she breathed out - funny that, breathing yet not - and the shadows were oddly bright as she looked around. Faces were all around, illuminated by flickering candle-light. Friends, strangers... loved ones left behind.
Maea stepped aside a ways when a cluster of people formed in her path, and regarded the reunion before her with a bemused smile. Peter was right, Sunjata did look terrible. "Those are some colorful bruises, alright. Who did you fight with this time, hm?"
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
there's a niche in his chest where a heart would fit perfectly
It would be a lie to say Nate fees nothing, seeing faces he’d thought lost, people he’d been close to, but he doesn’t let anything actually show. Apart from Adam, Nate doesn’t even let his face shift into more than a distant smile, mismatched eyes taking in everyone who steps out.
When his husband steps forward to wrap Adam’s beau in a hug, Nate stays where he is, a step back, letting Sunjata have his moment, giving him all the time he needs. And when the hug is broken, his hand is there on the attuned’s back, a steady tether.
He’s the one who’s going to need the tether though, a familiar figure paler than death and ascension approaching their strange reunion. Brows pinch together in confusion, worry, twisted strangely by the scar splitting his face before Nate just clicks, settling in ease and oiled words. ”You should see the other guy.” Nate flashes a smile that’s all teeth, and wraps an arm around Sunjata’s shoulder, shaking him a little. ”Sunny here cracked his face right in half.”
So much happens at once and all Sunjata can do is focus on Adam and Peter, to swallow down the pain in his jaw, to wrap his friend in a hug that he typically wouldn’t have. The hug breaks and a hand reaches out to rest on Adam’s shoulder in a pat of greeting, a softer smile placed on his face as his steel gaze lingers between the two men. He can’t help but to lean into Nate’s touch, to let his gaze return to Peter with a huff of a laugh. “When don’t I?” Comes the comment before things begin to unravel.
Because there’s another voice piping up, another one that has Sunjata stilling and trying to determine whether or not to turn to it – be it awkwardness or uncertainty. Nate is quick to respond, the words a smooth and quick quip while he flashes a smile that’s almost all teeth. He’s shaken a bit, both by the realization and the arm around Sunjata’s shoulders. That’s when he finally deigns to look, his smile faltering, but he isn’t surprised.
Why should he be?
No, if anything, there’s a pool of bitterness that perhaps leaches into his stomach, of her last words and how everyone else had managed to get them but he did not. He doesn’t know if it was her idea, he doesn’t know what to think about it all. What he does know, is that he swallows down past the pain in his jaw, steel gaze flickering and shadowed. “Welcome back, Maea.” He manages through a quiet hiss of pain from his jaw, from the way he clenches it even though he knows he shouldn’t.
After all, what else could he say? What else was there to say? ‘Oh, remember when I told you not to worry about Nate? As it turns out...’ Or, 'Ha, I got electrocuted trying to fight a sea panther because I heard you and Lusea in the mists off the ocean and thought I could save you even though I knew you both were dead.' No, he lets it settle, left in the middle of this awkward spiral, in pain and little sleep, crossed between surprise, relief, and sorrow.
i've learned to lose, you can't afford to
SUNJATA
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.
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Pale eyes flicked over to the looming shadow next to the man who'd first drawn her attention. They took in the odd colors of the irises, the scar slashing across the once so immaculately handsome face and the arm draping across Sunjata's shoulders, and without blinking returned back to the Flood. Her own smile faltered. For all that her physical senses had dulled there was no numbing of the quick pain that stabbed through the place where a heart had once been beating. Welcome back... to what? Well she had wanted him to move on, to keep living even if she did not. But it was one thing to selflessly wish for the happiness of others, and another entirely to actually see the happy ever after with her own eyes.
Drawing in an entirely unnecessary breath merely to steal some time, to gather her racing thoughts, Maea flashed a smile back at Nate - a smile that was sharp and toothy and perhaps a little too wide - and managed to look at Sunjata without actually meeting his gaze. "Thank you. I wish I could say you look well, boys, but to be perfectly honest..." She raised her hands with a rueful shrug. Surprised at how steady her voice was. Surprised too that it was so easy to keep her thoughts moving forward, and that her feet seemed so very eager to follow.
Ah, it had never been so tempting to run away from something before. Had she left all backbone behind in Mort's realm?
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
There it is. The realization, with Nate’s arm draped around him and Sunjata’s attention half between the two Ascendeds – the reunion with Adam and Peter on hold for the moment. And he can see it flicker along her face – how he always had before – but this time he makes no move to fix it. He doesn’t know how. He doesn’t know what to do. And perhaps that’s why he settles where he is, his eyes still focused on Maea while his mind sends a quiet and exhausted message to Nate.
Ek weet nie wat om te doen nie.
Hushed and quiet so that even if other Attuned were nearby, they wouldn’t understand it. The Korofi slips from his mind aimed directly to Nate, his eyes focusing on Maea when she speaks and her attention lingers on Nate. He wonders if she’s seen the rings that adorn their fingers, what might flicker across her face with that realization, too.
“A lot has happened since…” He trails off, unable to continue without saying what he wants to even if it comes out harshly. His hands, clenched briefly before, rise to gesture as if he’s trying to say it without actually saying it. A lot has happened since she died, since she’d chosen to go on that ghost whale trip, how he still fears the creatures in the depths and faced them as they tried to drown him, too.
i've learned to lose, you can't afford to
SUNJATA
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.
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
"... since I died? Yes, I know." Some of it, at least. It was hazy in her mind, vague recollections of her name being called, of frustration over messages not delivered... Maea sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind an ear. Let her gaze drop to the ground, and then stray off towards the crowd. Some were leaving, others staring in shock at the returned ones, at this miracle - or curse? - that had taken place. "I think we need to talk," she offered, with a glance up at the two men. Nate and Sunjata both. "But I'm not sure this is the right place for it..."
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
