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!
There’s a little nagging her in the back of her head. It’s telling her that Nate’s vision is to be heeded. That they need more places to hide or retreat to if something goes wrong. They have a place in the Settlement, some structures in the Ruins - the Underground, perhaps, if the Monsters don’t follow. It’s further away from where the “action” is supposed to be, but there’s a chance that nothing will go right and they’ll find themselves in the Sanctuary. And should they get separated… shaking her head, the Wraith refuses to think about it as she sets herself to prepping her house, per Nate and Neron’s original suggestion.
Using one of those Queenly prerogatives, Wessex had sent a few people into the Woodlands to collect more snowmoss for her (that’s called delegating and she’s getting a lot better at it, okay?) while she and Daphne discuss re-arranging to allow for more people and better flow - if worst comes to worst. When the moss-hunters return, she does manage to stop from conscripting them into service and instead opts to do some of the prepwork to Theskyra House herself. Fix the floorboards. Stuff the snowmoss. Cover the windows. The usual.
It ain’t glamorous, but it should be done. Wessex stands in one of the big lower windows, tacking up black cloth over them from the inside.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
and the sky was littered with the corpses of stars
They’re simply looking for things to do, which brings them here - hearing a few comments from people in the Settlement that the Theskyra house was getting reinforced. And perhaps they’re just a bit curious on how they might be able to help, given the fact they’d just helped reinforce the barracks just in case it was used. Their father’s warning is still fresh in their mind, but you’d never know it with the way they bounce along the alleys toward Wessex’s home.
Once there, they pop their head in, flashing their Aunt a bright smile and small wave. “Hi!” They announce their presence, looking around to all the items left about that needed to be done. “Do you want some help?” Because they always ask before they invite themselves in to help, just in case nobody wanted it. Politeness went a long way and it was ingrained in them from Bastien’s hand in their upbringing. Politeness, patience, and overall goodness is what was absorbed through and through their little frame that was continually growing.
Morgan knew that when it came to the fighting that had to happen over Longnight, she was at a disadvantage of sorts, not having the same abilities as the Ascended nor the experience. Her fighting history was a benefit, of course, but she'd have to be smart about what battles she involved herself in and where.
With that being the case, helping as much as she could with preparations felt right. A lot of this was new to her (until she'd caught on, Morgan had spent a long time wondering what the moss was for), but with instruction and example, she'd follow along. It was always good to have a safe place to retreat. Holding up the fabric for Wessex to tack it over the windows, she wondered if it would actually work: she'd have to just have faith in those that had faced these monsters before.
She certainly wasn't expecting to see a child; Morgan turned to look at Azrael with raised eyebrows, wondering why one so young was around - hadn't everyone been evacuated or left of their own will that wasn't fighting, by now? Still, it wasn't up to her if Azrael helped. She looked to Wessex and waited for her word.
It feels… odd, in a way, to have the two leaders doing something so mundane as tacking dark cloth over a window. The two of them are clearly no stranger to hard work and doing whatever needs to be done, but there is something about them coming together in this preparation that is comforting. Wessex makes sure to pull the cloth taut before she attaches it to the wall, leaving no room for light to escape (even with the shutters closed, there’s always a possibility) its dark clutches.
There’s a nail in her mouth and a hammer in her hand when Azrael’s voice pulls her attention. She quickly smiles at the offer and nods, “That would be wonderful, Azrael, thank you.” But before she directs him to the baskets of snowmoss on the table, she indicates Morgan. “Have you met the Warden of Halo? This is Morgan Aristomache, she’s down with Neron to help us.” Turning over her shoulder to the other woman, she indicates their younger helper.
“This is Azrael De Rosieres, Bastien and Rexanna’s child.” She has no idea if the Glacier ever met the late Grounds’ Queen, but it didn’t seem right to just say Bastien’s child.
With this window done, she moves to the next and starts at the bottom, easily able to do this part herself if the two of them stop to chat.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
and the sky was littered with the corpses of stars
Their gaze dances over Morgan for a brief moment before their question is received by Wessex, a bright fanged grin of a smile crossing their face as they nod, waiting for instruction. “Hi Ms. Warden Aristomache.” They say in greeting, offering a small half bow before they’re bounding toward the basket of snow moss to get started, their attention flickering toward the introduction that Wessex gives to Morgan. “It’s really nice to meet you.” They offer as they step past the Warden and Queen to begin with the snow moss.
They bound toward the corner with the bucket to begin filling the floorboards with snow moss to keep the creaks quieted down. “I’m glad you’re here to help us!” They offer Morgan an easy smile, glancing up from their work, before they continue on with stuffing the snow moss into the floorboards, quieting down to focus on their task.
Wessex introduced her to the child, but the names given meant little to Morgan; she had a vague idea of who Bastien was, given his role in the Ascended preparations. She felt like Rexanna was a name she'd heard before too, but she couldn't recall where. Either way, she smiled and nodded at Azrael. "It's nice to meet you too, Azrael."
She watched them go to pick up a bucket and begin collecting snow moss without a second thought: for the children here Morgan supposed all of this had to be normal, just what they had grown up with. The monsters under the bed were very real here and that had to change how the children developed...though that wasn't really something you could just ask a ten year old about, so instead she opted for: "Are you going to be staying here for Longnight, Azrael?"
There is indeed a sort of weathered practicality in the Grounders’ preparations; we do this and this and this and we are safe, in theory at least. Keep it dark. Keep it quiet. Drug the babies, try not to be near the end of a pregnancy in Deepfrost, don’t go out, no, seriously, don’t fucking go OUTSIDE.
It was usually unwatched children or drunk idiots or the would-be-heroes that inevitably got themselves and their household killed. And so the lore never changed; sing the songs, cover the windows, quiet the floorboards.
Until this year. Wessex watches Azrael out of the corner of her eye and realizes with both an ache and a twinge of foolish hope that this could be the year that that all changes. That children born after will never know the terror of this week - it will fade into smoke, floating away like the ash from a centuries-long dumpster fire. It fuels her hands, drives her faster through the familiar motions, until she she’s reaching up again and reaches out to tap the Warden on her shoulder for some assistance.
A family passes by on the outside of the House, the sound of an excited child drifting in through the open door, “Can we go to the beach? I can’t wait to see the OCEAN!”
“Daphne?” Wessex yells back to her housekeeper. “Can you mark that the Lopak family is going to Torchline?”
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
and the sky was littered with the corpses of stars
They work diligently, quickly to stuff the snow moss into the floorboards that when Morgan’s question reaches them, they nod on default before pausing to lift their gaze up to meet the Warden. “Yes. I’m going to help!” They flash a soft fanged smile Morgan’s way before they’re stuffing items back in, casting a glance at Wessex only as she yells back to the housekeeper of another family in the Grounds. But their attention returns to Morgan quickly after that, their hands working to stuff snow moss into the boards in a steady rhythm.
“I was made by the Voice. I’m a demigod like Aunt Wessex and Osozo.” They say with a hint of pride before they pick up their bucket to move to another section, checking the floorboards for their squeakiness. “Papa and Mama worked very hard to get the things She needed to make me and here I am!” Here they are, a Voice demigod. “Plus… I can heal Ascended, too, which from what I read isn’t very common.” Their gaze drifts to Wessex with this, asking for confirmation.
Azrael might be the best Ambassador they have, and though the Warden has both said and whole-heartedly demonstrated that she’s here to support the Ascended, it’s always helpful when they show their face. Since they seem to be engaging Morgan in a conversation, Wessex finishes her window and then calls out for Daphne again, who’s managing the windows in the back. “Daph, if you’ve finished the windows back there, let’s tackle the ones upstairs. Warden, do you think you can handle the other room?” she asks, before laying out what should be enough cloth.
The Wraith and her housekeeper disappear upstairs for a moment and the people downstairs will hear some dull thuds as carpets are rolled out to quiet any footsteps before they begin to tack up more window coverings.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
and the sky was littered with the corpses of stars
There’s quite a bit of pride when it comes to their upgrade, of their ability to be able to heal. And they hope it shows in the way they talk about it, idly, while they stuff snow moss into floorboards and move around to place rugs down on the floor, darting around to place curtains up to block the light from any cracks and crevices. But they don’t have much else to say, offering a small parting smile for a moment while they take their bucket and bolt upstairs.
They find Wessex and Daphne, moving to stuff snow moss into the floor boards that the rug missed, as well as moving to help Wessex hold the curtains to nail it into place. She’s much taller than they are, and so they try to offer all the support they can, using the empty bucket as a stool in the haste of the moment to help where they can.
Azrael finds the two of them upstairs and joins the team. While they’re there, Wessex fingers an item in her pocket, wondering whether or not to give it to them now, or later, or - should she ask Bastien first? They travel from room to room, thumping on rugs and removing any potentially loud items (is that a crack and the wind? No, they can't have that) and then back downstairs as the Wraith double checks all the coverings and that one particularly creaky floorboard - don’t worry, that’s stuffed with more snow moss.
They end up in the kitchen, where Wessex shows Azrael the back door and its lock, then her quarters and the steps leading down to the surprisingly cozy quarters - made when she was still vulnerable to the sun. There, she takes out the bottle of repellant and presents it to them, with some very specific instructions. “This is for you. It’s some monster repellant that I got when I was a member of the Monster Hunters Guild. You just point and spray - it will probably help against baby monsters but not the big ones, so I want you to remember to point and spray and then run the other direction, okay? It will hopefully give you more time, but it won’t stop them completely.”
Trying to catch their gaze to make sure they understand that they’re not to be overly brave with it, she eventually sends them back home and begins to make sure that they’ll have enough food for Morgan at both strongholds for the entirety of the week.
{Fin}
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
