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!
Azrael had told him about the notice on the board, the Fae waiting in the temple, and Bastien had known immediately he would have to go and speak with Juniper himself. Not that he didn't trust his child to make a good impression on the visitor, but as a council member here it felt right he have a part in it...and Azrael, as much as he loved them and as smart as they were, was still very young. He had to make sure they hadn't said anything in error that would cause a problem.
So he waited in the temple for Juniper to appear, around where Azrael said she had been. Wearing a simple outfit, just a plain kurta and pants, he leaned back in one of the benches and reminisced about the first time he had entered this Temple, when he had met Safrin...how different he had been then, how fresh to the world. So much had changed.
When he saw Juniper enter (and it had to be her, because how many Fae came into the Grounds on an average day?), Bastien would stand and smiling, bow his head at her. "I understand you are the Fae wanting to meet my people. It is an honour."
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper was a little surprised to have someone waiting for her, but then she realized she should have expected it -- she'd told people when she would be there, after all. Which potentially opened her up to an ambush, but ... she had to hope that hostilities between the Fae and the Ascended were not that open yet, or this entire project was a waste of time.
She bowed her head as well, returning the greeting. "I am; thank you for coming. My name is Juniper. Are you Ascended?"
Perhaps she should ask for his name before that question, but she assumed he would offer it in return for hers. And she'd asked for both Ascended and those close to them to come and speak with her, so she didn't want to assume.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Thankfully the Fae was indeed the woman he was looking for and their first greeting went well. "I am!" He confirmed, for a moment opening his mouth and with a smile shaping his lips, gestured to the fangs there, which would hopefully confirm it was the truth. "There is something else leading to this meeting too - I believe yesterday you spoke to my child, Azrael? I am their father." Bastien put a hand to his chest, proud of that accomplishment above everything else. "While I have the utmost faith in them...well, I wanted to be sure you heard from the adults, too."
A little laugh and he gestured for them to both sit, hoping to make this as casual and comfortable a meeting as possible. Bastien had no interest in blaming, arguing; the way forward was to find their similarities, not to focus on the differences.
"So, you wanted to meet Ascended, and here I am - Do you have questions?" He asked, gesturing with his palms open that he was willing to answer them.
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
"Ah, you're Azrael's father." Juniper smiled. "I'm glad they came to speak to me; I enjoyed our conversation. They're a very unique child."
A child who might be in a great deal of danger, she remembered, if the Order truly sought to destroy all Ascended. But she tried not to let that thought show on her face. Better to keep the conversation light.
"But yes, I do think it's a good idea to get an adult's perspective." Juniper laughed a little, then grew serious. Did she have questions? Definitely, but suddenly the specifics fled her mind. "I'd like to know more about your people as people rather than, well, enemies. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, perhaps?"
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
"Indeed I have that honour." Bastien bowed slightly, but was interrupted by a laugh at Juniper's comment about Azrael being unique. Were he prone to offense, he could take it at that, but to the artist there was no higher compliment. "They take after their mother and I, that is true. No blending in with the crowds when you are a De Rosieres."
After that though, they were to get down to business, to the real discussion. Bastien nodded at what she had to ask, pleased to hear such a kind, humanising question; there was hope here for a connection. He had feared that this would be more like an interrogation, an angry Fae looking for revenge...but for the moment things seemed to be softer, gentler, more inquisitive than retributive, so he would respond in kind.
"Oh, my favourite subject." He paused to think on what to say, though not for long -- Bastien had a lot of practice talking about himself. "Well, I arrived here three years ago now...a little longer than that, in fact. Before that, I came from a place called Venice; it was a city full of art, decadence...and corruption. Different to Caido in many ways and for a while, it was all I could do to hold on and survive here: but then I found my niche." He smiled, proud of what he had created so far in the new world.
"I have always been an artist and performer, dedicated to aesthetic beauty and philosophy above all else, a bohemian and hedonist - it might seem strange, then, that I chose to Ascend; and I did choose it, I was not brought here like that; but what the Voice had to offer me was living forever. To be able to see the world change, develop and grow, to be able to practice my work endlessly...it appealed. And so I am the worlds first sober, celibate hedonistic philosopher." He laughed, unsure if she'd know of all these concepts but enjoying the title for himself.
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper smiled at Bastien's laugh. Yes, she was starting to get a sense for the energy and vivacity that made the De Rosieres family stand out in a crowd. Odd to think that there was no blood, no physical warmth in Bastien's veins to match the warmth of his voice. "I hope I didn't upset Azrael too much. I tried to be gentle, but ... Well, they asked what happened to the Mathair, and I told them."
She listened with interest to Bastien's account of himself, too. Juniper wasn't very familiar with Outlanders, and hearing about Venice intrigued her. The only cities she really had context for were Halo and Haulani, and she'd barely visited either. From his description, Venice sounded more like Haulani to her -- bright, alive, with a dark underside -- but she could tell there was much more to it than that.
"I see." Juniper did chuckle; she knew what hedonism was, even if the word "bohemian" escaped her, and the image of a sober, celibate hedonist did amuse her. It did seem strange that someone with those ideas would Ascend, given the loss of physical pleasure and sensation brought about by the change. "So you chose to Ascend for long life ..."
She could see the appeal, especially for an outsider whose lifespan was only a fraction of a Fae's. Some Fae felt bad for outsiders and their short lives; Juniper had never given it enough thought to be one of them, but she could see the logic there.
"Do you like being Ascended?" Juniper asked. An impertinent question, perhaps, but she was curious. And then, on thinner ice -- she took a moment to phrase this one: "If you don't mind telling me ... How do you feel about the other Ascended, and the Voice?"
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
"Ah." Bastien nodded, not angry or upset about Juniper telling Azrael about the Mathair; after all, unfortunately, they were going to find out eventually about the horrors of the world around them, as anyone had to with age. "I was not present for the events at the Mathair, so perhaps it is best they hear the account from someone closer to it, anyhow." He had no objection to the Fae perspective on the event being given, seeing the Ascended and Fae as similarly put-upon people more so than enemies.
He nodded as she repeated the essence of why he had Ascended, though her following question made him pause, Bastien tilting his head from side to side. "I am not miserable nor angry about it, though perhaps if the choice had been less spontaneous, I may have left myself a year of sensation before the Ascension." A chance to, as much as he could, get it all out of his system, have every drink, drug, orgy...whatever he could imagine, before such luxuries were no longer possible. But he was here, and he'd never seen much point in regrets.
As for the other Ascended...he hummed. "I try to like everyone, as much as I can. The Voice.." Bastien let out a laughing sigh, aware of the Goddesses less than stellar reputation. "She has good intentions, but she is not well connected to the lives of average people anymore. She does not know how to appeal, to make concessions, to the lives she affects...I am trying to speak to her to help her understand." That was all he could do, really. "I do not agree with all she does, if that is the point of the question."
"Other Ascended are generally my friends. I can't think of one I actively dislike, though there are a few I...like less than others." He said diplomatically.
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper nodded, glad to see that Bastien wasn't upset -- and that he wanted Azrael to be well-informed rather than fed flattering half-truths. "They're a good kid -- they asked if there was a way they could help us. I told them I'd let them know if I found one."
A less scrupulous woman might have kept that piece of information to herself, in hopes of taking advantage of Azrael's childish altruism. But Juniper would rather make sure Azrael's father knew of their offer -- for ethical reasons, but also so there was no suggestion later that she'd tried to trick Azrael.
Then another nod. "It's good to hear that it doesn't weigh on you. You called it a spontaneous choice -- you decided quickly?"
She wanted to ask if he'd been fully aware of the downsides when he'd Ascended, but that seemed like a bit of a leading question -- as if she wanted to imply that he'd made a poor choice. She'd rather not influence Bastien's account with her own preconceived notions.
Still, Juniper couldn't help the bitter cast her face took on as Bastien spoke of the Voice, even though she'd brought up the subject. Potent anger remained in her heart for the goddess who had ordered the attack on her people. But she made herself take a deep breath and calm herself. The Voice's actions weren't Bastien's fault, and Juniper appreciated the insight he offered, even if she doubted the Voice's "good intentions." "She doesn't understand the effects her actions have on the lives of mortals? Or does she simply not care?"
All right, that came out a little sharper than Juniper had intended, and she took another deep breath and smiled, to show that she wasn't angry at Bastien himself. "I don't mean to put you on the spot -- I suspect the only one who could truly answer those questions is the Voice herself. If you are trying to make her understand the consequences of her actions, I hope she heeds your words."
Another nod and another smile, this one less strained and more amused. "I understand. There are Fae I like less than others, too, and some I wouldn't even call my friends."
She pondered for a moment, considering asking Bastien about the Ascended who'd attacked the Mathair specifically, but she felt such targeted questions might seem a bit antagonistic.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Bastien grinned to hear that Azrael had tried to be helpful. "That sounds like them. If you need some Fae cheering up, I am sure you could do much worse than Azrael." Ascended or not, the kid had a sunny personality and a way of making most people smile with their genuine enthusiasm for just about anything they got their hands on.
The circumstances leading up to his Ascension were complicated and would distract from the conversation, so he merely nodded and said: "Yes. I was in a situation where it was of benefit." Bastien shrugged; he did not regret Ascending, but looking back, he would have perhaps done it at a different time, with a more clear mind - but that was the joy of hindsight, wasn't it?
Luckily, Bastien was very used to people's anger when it came to the Voice and was well prepared for the questions, considering them with a point of being calm and quiet, putting a finger to his chin and staring down at the stone slabs of the temple floor for some time. "To an extent, I think she cares about as much as all the other Gods do about mortals, at the end of the day - not very much, except for a few." He shrugged; it had been a hard lesson to learn, but he'd definitely learnt by now. "I believe she sees everything she does as acceptable damage on the way to her goals. No one knows what those goals are, so is it justifiable? Is any of it anyway, even if her goals are utopic?"
This was getting into philosophy now and he tried to reel it back, looking at Juniper with the most honest eyes he could. "I think you'll find most of the Ascended are simply people acting under the wills of Gods far more powerful than we could imagine and with plans we cannot know...like most other people in Caido."
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper smiled and nodded, though she didn't think asking Azrael to cheer up the Fae would be truly practical -- not given the hostility too many Fae would probably exhibit towards an Ascended, even an Ascended child. A pity, but that was the state of things between their peoples.
She nodded again and didn't pry further into the circumstances of Bastien's ascension ... and then they came to the Voice again. Despite her anger, Juniper took care to listen to Bastien's words, to keep in mind that he was not the person she was angry with -- and it helped that he didn't try to defend the Voice. Instead he spoke a version of theology, of philosophy, that Juniper could understand and relate to, even if it was a bit cynical. No, the gods didn't pay much attention to the needs of mortals ...
"Still," she said, continuing her thought aloud, "I would like to think that the gods are righteous, moral. Perhaps not the heralds, not always -- I know they can be a bit eccentric. But the greater gods, who shape our lives and deaths ... We teach our children that Vi and Mort love us, and that is why they have crafted our lives and afterlives so carefully. I know they don't take much interest in individuals, but I do believe that they care for mortal life as a whole -- and would not take it without good reason."
But then Bastien was right: Juniper bowed her head again, though her voice was a bit bitter when she said, "Yes, I imagine the Voice thinks her reasons are quite good -- whatever those reasons are. I doubt I'll ever agree."
And another nod, as the conversation turned from the motives and actions of gods to those of mere mortals. Juniper smiled, a bit wanly but with sympathy. "You're right. You have your goddess, I have my gods -- and we all just have to try and survive their conflict."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Bastien nodded to Juniper's description of the Gods; he did not doubt it. He'd never had the pleasure of meeting anything beyond a Herald himself, but he had never heard anything else. "My goal has been, since I have Ascended, to find some kind of peace between...well, at least the people that follow the Gods. I cannot settle debates for deities, but I can accept someone who follows a different path than I." Of course, when they had to hurt each other to follow Gods things became more complicated, but he didn't have a solution for that. "I'd like to meet one of those Old Gods...but ah, I value my life a little too much."
He could not expect a Fae to agree on the Voice's reasons; honestly he didn't know if he did. With the Voice often so secretive about her intentions, it was hard to know if they were in line with his own morals; he just had to hope.
"Exactly. I want you to know that there are many Ascended just like me, who do not aim to hurt or ruin...it is an odd obligation to the Voice we carry, but many of us try to hold it along with compassion and sense." Ever one for dramatics, he put a hand over his heart as he said this, closing his eyes for extra emphasis.
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper was surprised by Bastien's nod, his agreement -- she would have expected him to argue that her gods were not so righteous after all. The fact that he could see her side of things once again set her at ease, helping her set aside her bitterness. And they had the same goal in the end: peace. "I would like to see peace between the Ascended and followers of the Old Gods as well -- I hope someday we can coexist, at the very least."
She didn't mention what she'd heard recently of brewing war, or her own attempts to prepare for that eventuality -- because she still considered it only an eventuality, a possibility that could yet be avoided. And her presence here right now was part of that attempt to avoid it.
Juniper smiled rather ruefully at Bastien's self-preservation -- yes, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? And then she smiled at his theatrics, too. "I have no trouble believing that. I may have a quarrel with the Voice, and with the specific individuals who attacked us, but I understand that there are good people among the Ascended as well -- that you are not a monolith."
Though the Order would certainly treat them that way ... Again Juniper's conscience rebelled against the Order's goal of extermination, but she said nothing of it to Bastien, not when they were having such a pleasant conversation.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
"Yes, we share dreams. Maybe we can start with the two of us and hope that spirit will flow outwards." Bastien agreed fervently, wishing he could leave the temple in confidence that it would ever actually happen. Right now, when nothing was happening of note in their ongoing conflict, when it was peacetime, it was easy to discuss and come to agreements - later, when things came to boil, it would become harder to maintain.
That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy it while they had it, though. "I'm afraid I don't know how it was that lead that particular mission. I would not have approved." Bastien wasn't afraid to let the Voice know when he didn't agree, but often simply didn't go on missions because of who he was; his talents did not lend to fights.
That unpleasant business aside, he tried to wear a smile. "So...tell me. I've never been to the Fae village. What is it like? Do you make art? What kind?"
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper nodded, smiling slightly. "We can certainly try."
She would have liked to say that they had a long time to work on it, considering how long Fae and Ascended lived -- but that was assuming they didn't destroy each other in the next few years. And even with that granted, she had a feeling that the longer this feud went on, the more difficult it would become to truly make peace.
Another nod: Juniper didn't need Bastien to tell her who had led the mission to attack the Mathair. The names of the three survivors were practically tattooed inside her skull. Wessex Theskyra, Amun Arlun, and Samuel Wordsworth. But she didn't bring that up to Bastien; she, too, wanted to leave that unpleasant business behind. (Perhaps if she'd known of his relationship to one of the deceased attackers, Rexanna, she would have felt differently, but she'd only ever focused on the living murderers.)
Instead, she smiled back, his questions bringing up thoughts of home. "I'm not surprised that you've never been -- my people do not welcome outsiders to the heart of our lands. The Sea of Branches is open to outsiders, but ... perhaps not Ascended. We do make art, of many kinds -- we are known for our jewelry, our leatherwork, our architecture and craftswork. I'm not an artist myself -- I was a hunter, before I started to reach out to other peoples. But I've lived my life surrounded by the beautiful things my people create."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
