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!
Locke sits himself down at one of the tables, a drink already in his hand as he looks around the bar. Maeve's busy with Halenani planning and he doesn't want to bother her and he's finally got some free time so he's here instead. The goal isn't to get drunk except he's already halfway through his first drink. Whoops. But it's a rare day of no training and he's going to take advantage of it. He doesn't have many of them left, he thinks. It's finally Longheat, he's just waiting for the Skyport to be built. Sounds like it didn't survive the monsoons. They must've been extra bad this year.
He leans on one hand, sipping his beer as he people watches. It's kind of nice to just relax and be with his thoughts. There's been a lot of new lately and he hasn't really had time to process it. He doesn't plan on doing it tonight either! He just wants to drink. One at a time though, no need to go stumbling out of bars just yet.
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
Eryx was fully taking advantage of his day off. Trainings were becoming more tiring now that the heat of the new season was beating down on their backs day after day. Eryx wondered about what the weather was like in other parts of Caido. He had only been here for about six months after being forced through a portal that dropped him here and he had never left Stormbreak since his arrival. He liked it here well enough but there was a restlessness in him that was curious about what it was like in other places of this still unknown world.
He had been at The White Heart for at least an hour already and was delightfully buzzed though still far from drunk. He wasn't the sort to dive into his drink too quickly. He'd hate to cut the evening short because he was too wasted to function.
Eryx loved being around a lot of people, especially those who were just here to have fun. He was laughing and chatting it up with other dragoons, people he had got to know over the last few months, and strangers as well. Eryx wasn't shy. Given a challenge by one of the people around him, Eryx climbed up onto one of the chairs and loudly started to sing a song he had learned since he had arrived in Stormbreak. Before long half of the bar was singing along.
Locke is a simple man. He goes to a bar, he drinks, he inevitably gets drunk, he winds up in someone's bed. Or that's usually how it goes. He also has very simple pleasures, one of which is just relaxing, having a nice time with his stupid thoughts. But that's not happening tonight, clearly. Which is good, he doesn't want to think. That's why he's here. However! Loudly singing, maybe drunk, Dragoons wasn't exactly the kind of distraction he was looking for.
He slumps down in his chair, nursing his second beer as the singing gets louder. He's halfway through it and it hasn't stopped. His leg was just kind of bobbing under the table and now it's really going. His jaw clenches and unclenches as he mentally wills the singing to stop. It doesn't. His eyes dart from his glass (which he is gripping too tightly) to the man on the table, the one who started it. He's familiar in that Locke has seen him but not enough for him to know a name or anything else about him.
Another breath passes before Locke stands up, his nerves frayed to the point of no return. The sound the chair makes is loud, even with the singing and a few of the others stop to look at him. He ignores them in favor of making his way to the side of the table. He braces against it, leaning up to stare Eryx down. "Can ya shut the fuck up? Can't even hear myself fuckin' think!" Maybe a little harsh but Locke is rarely soft.
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
Eryx thrived on attention so when more and more people started joining him in his song it only enticed him to continue singing. He was too much in the thick of it to pay attention to the sound of the chair, though those who were closer to the annoyed gentleman had certainly noticed. No, he only noticed when when said gentleman leaned against the table and stared up angrily at him.
Eryx too recognized the man, but only barely, and definitely didn't know his name. He wasn't at all put off by the man's rudeness, it wasn't easy to offend Eryx, especially not in a bar where he was familiar with grumpy drunks.
He did pause in his singing though and, still standing on the chair, leaned over and pressed his palms against the table so his face was maybe a foot away from the angry man's. "If you wanted to think then you came to the wrong place, friend," he said with a handsomely crooked smirk.
Locke rolls his eyes with a huff. He's not used to people just brushing him off like that. Then again most people just don't want to deal with him. It's fine. He pushes himself up to his full height before leaning closer to the other man. Every ounce of his body language screams intimidation, whether it's working or not? Still to be seen. "Didn't come here to think but I also didn't come here to listen to whatever the fuck it is you're doing."
His jaw clenches and unclenches before he reaches down, taking Eryx's drink and downing it before slamming it back on the table. "Came here to get drunk and maybe laid and I really don't think you're helping with either of those." The getting laid part is actually pretty far down on his list of things to do. It's kind of a weird thought actually. He has a girlfriend but they're open, right? At least he's pretty sure they are. Either way, this dude's singing isn't getting him any closer to being laid or drunk and that's a problem.
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
Eryx's stomach did a little flip and his heart rate picked up as the man leaned closer to him. He was pretty sure this guy could beat the crap out of him, probably without too much effort. Eryx wouldn't go down without a fight of course, he wasn't a lightweight, but he was certain he'd lose. Seeing the various scars on the man's face only seemed to prove to Eryx that his assumption would be right. Yet somehow the scars were both scary and somehow did the man some favors in the good looks department.
His gaze followed the man's hand as it moved to pick up his drink and for half a second he was irritated until he realized he really didn't care. He could always get another. "Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that," Eryx replied more boldly than he felt with this beast of a man in his face. Perhaps he could be of help with at least one of those...maybe both if Eryx was lucky. He climbed off the chair and there were a couple disappointed groans. Eryx waved them off.
He caught the attention of barmaid, "Get this man another," he said with a charming smile. She nodded to him and moved towards the bar as Eryx turned back to the angry stranger. "My treat. As an apology," he said with a little coy grin. His gaze flicked down to the man's lips briefly before catching himself and looking away just as the barmaid returned and Eryx slid the new drink across the table towards the man.
As Eryx got off the chair, Locke relaxed, finishing off the beer and stepping back, just a bit. His goal had been mostly accomplished but he has a feeling it was less intimidation and more the way Eryx is looking at him. He raises an eyebrow but takes the second (third?) drink. "What makes you say that?" As if he isn't on his third beer. He's probably not leaving sober, that's for sure. Locke heads back to his table, tilting his head as if to tell the other man to follow.
"Thank you, for shutting up. And the beer, I suppose. Think I've seen you around. Name's Locke." He holds his free hand out, having relaxed without the singing. It wasn't that he's against fun. It's just that he's against that kind of fun.
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
"Well for starters, you wanted to get drunk, and-" Eryx motioned to the new drink in Locke's hand that he had just paid for. He had helped with that part. As for the getting laid part...Eryx didn't speak on it directly, he'd sit on that one for a little longer to gauge his potential success.
He watched as Locke started to walk away, letting his gaze roam down to the man's backside and considering whether he should follow or not when the man motioned for him to do so. He didn't hesitate for another second and grinned to himself as he moved after him.
He chuckled at the man's thanks but only replied by clasping his hand into Locke's with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Eryx," he offered his name, "And I don't think I can say the same, unfortunately. What a shame." He was new enough in town himself that he couldn't simply assume that someone else might be new.
Locke shrugs as he takes a drink of his drink. As long as he knows where his intentions lie, or something. Locke's still not entirely sure what's up with this guy but he follows him over to his table so that's a start. They shake hands and Locke kicks out a chair for Eryx to sit in, if he wants. "Yeah I'm pretty new, honestly. Don't even got a dragon yet. But I'm leaving soon so it doesn't matter."
He says it all very casually as he takes another drink. It's fine. "So where are you from? Greatwood maybe? Outlander?" He didn't look like a Torcher and he didn't quite read as being a Stormbreaker but who knows. Locke doesn't. He's just trying to be nice. Which is, admittedly, kind of rare for him. He takes another drink, enjoying the little buzz he's starting to get.
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
Eryx sat down in the roughly offered chair with a little amused grin. "New, but also leaving soon?" he replied, "Would I be wrong in guessing you're from Torchline then?" he asked. Just the notion drew his interest, he'd heard a decent amount about Torchline but had never even left Stormbreak before.
His gaze dropped down to Locke's lips as the man took another drink, he was very attractive man, grumpy or not. Eryx didn't mind. "Outlander," he confirmed. "I've been here for about six months and have been in Stormbreak since I arrived."
He caught the attention of a passing barmaid and ordered another drink.
He nods to the question, "Being a solider really isn't my thing I don't think. And yeah Torchline. Born and bred." He's curious how the other man can tell. Surely it's not the tan or almost sun bleached hair. Or maybe it's the general vibe he exudes. Or his accent. Actually, it'd be harder to think he was from anywhere else besides Torchline.
He doesn't miss the glance, biting his lip as he watches him drink. "Oh? Not very long then. You'll have to come visit me in Torchline some day." Locke is a much easier person to deal with when he's got some booze in him. "How is it? Being here? Very different from where you're from?"
I'm motivated by the lack of doubt I'm consecrated but I'm not devout
