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!
01-21-2021, 03:15 PM (This post was last modified: 01-21-2021, 03:17 PM by Raza.)
RAZA
“This is it?” Raza demands to no one (and everyone) in particular, as this morning’s errands take her to the center of Haulani. Multiple people had told her about the tree, of course, the way it giggles and seems to move under someone’s touch, but she had yet to see it for herself. A bag of citrus slung over her shoulder, Raza squats down to the tree and watches it for a moment before reaching out to delicately brush against one of its boughs. The slightest giggling wiggle shudders through the tree, causing the barkeep to unexpectedly smile.
“Fuckin’ cute is what you are,” she declares, reaching out to touch it again, perhaps like one might tentatively tickle a baby that isn’t your own.
she's got a real quick trigger and some new demands
Sleeping under the stars had proven to be unpleasant in Deepfrost, even in Torchline. So, after being nagged out of the boarding house by a stocky landlord far too obsessed with material possessions, Nicos was on the streets again letting translucent rays warm his skin. His daemons were still asleep, it was just him in the morning light.
He followed his stomach to the market square. Snatching a papaya from the colorful stall of a blissfully unsuspecting merchant, Nicos casually strolled away... and towards the firling. Visiting the spiky evergreen had become a part of his morning routine. It was a source of joy. It didn't nag or demand payment. Argue or complain. It mainly giggled.
Crouching down in front of the tree, without paying much notice to anyone else, Nicos slipped out a knife from his boot and peeled the skin off his freshly caught papaya. He proceeded to feed them to the firling, depositing the peelings at its foot. As he carved out a piece of succulent fruit for himself he heard “Fuckin’ cute is what you are”, and raised his head in stunned curiosity.
Snapping out of his daze like a bear wakes from a deep winter sleep Nicos noticed the woman in front of him. She appeared to have perceptive eyes, he noted. "Thank you." A grin spread out from his lips to his eyes and a cheerfulness overcame him, radiating outwards at the tall, dark stranger. "I don't hear that often. Surprisingly."
He looked down at the piece of fruit stabbed at the end of his knife and extended it towards the objectively wise and generous stranger. "Papaya?"
Raza looks over at the speaker for long enough to get a good look at ‘im. Her head tilts sloooowwwwly to one side and then shakes, denying his claim to cuteness. “’M not surprised. Ya might be if yer eyes were closer together and yeh gained some weight, but otherwise...” she shrugs and goes back to gently stroking one of the tree’s branches.
A little pang’a guilt flutters through her as the guy then offers her a bit’a fruit. Giving him a suspicious look, Raza hesitates before taking the papaya gingerly off the knife. Seems alright - he was eatin’ off the knife and the fruit was whole. That’s when his grin registers with her and to be honest… it’s baffling.
“What's got ya so happy?” she asks in between bites, a little bit’a juice running out from between her lips and down her chin. Wiping it away with a slow gesture, she crouches down to his level but stays balanced on the balls of her feet.
she's got a real quick trigger and some new demands
A gasp leaves Nicos' lips at the stranger's sudden turn-around, his hand going up to his chest and adjusting the grip on the knife in a delicate, ladylike gesture. "You should be feeding me then. Get me all plump and adorable." With that, the shock and disappointment were gone and an easy smile was back on Nico's face, his hand once again outstretched with the fruity offering.
Satisfied that his gift was received, he went back to sharing his food with the perky tree. At Raza's question, his eyes shot up to meet hers before darting between her and the tree, as if to ask if she was still talking to it. "Me? Why not? It's a warm, sunny morning and a tall, dark stranger paid me a compliment. For a moment my life was a cheap romance novel." He let out a wistful sigh. "Alas... Maybe if I looked like this?" As he asked the question his eyes appeared to move toward each other, his cheeks filling up ever so slightly. He leaned his chin on his wrist and batted his eyes, awaiting her answer.
Raza can’t help but chuckle. The guy is entertainin’, and not in a I can’t wait to see how you fuck yourself up next ‘cause you’re an amusin’ drunk kind of way. Alas, that’s more ‘n half her life. It's more witty. More alive. ‘N even though he seems like half a kid (but that also makes him half adult, yeah?), the bar owner finds herself intrigued, despite ‘er best efforts.
Crackin’ a smile an’ raisin’ a brow at his antics, Raza finishes the papaya an’ wipes her juicy hands on her pants before reachin’ out an pattn’ his cheek in mock fondness. “Mmmm, much better,” she jests, referring to his cross-eyed look. And maybe that hand lingers just a little bit longer than it should, or maybe she’s just teasin’ him, but when she pulls away, there’s a spark’a somethin’ in her eye.
“Name’s Raza. I own the Hanged Man. Pop on by sometime.” Pushin’ herself back up t’standin’, the tall, dark stranger face’s slides into a quirky smirk as she looks down at the stranger. No need for a name unless he comes through.
“If I find ya amusin’, the drunks definitely will. An’ I pay well.” Wavin’ her fingers at him in farwell an’ thanks, she turns slowly an’ heads on about her day.
As for what kind’a payment, well… Raza ain’t above a spirited negotiation session.
{Fin}
she's got a real quick trigger and some new demands
