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!
"... and I know there probably won't be any starwhales, but real ones would be fun too, don't you think?"
The keel of the boat whispered up against the sandy beach, and a long-suffering fisherman let out a sigh of relief as the younger of the two women scrambled out. Bright of eye and smile she may be, the child of Safrin, but she never stopped talking.
"I will be back for ye on the way back," he muttered, and offered a hand to the Madame to help her down to the beach. It was early still, and the worst of the heat had yet to set in. Wisps of clouds on the horizon promised another beautiful day, and the fisherman was clearly in a hurry to be off out to his nets.
"Come on, Maeve, let's have a look around!" Seren waved for the woman to hurry up. Already several yards down the beach, the dark-haired youth was a bundle of energy quivering for something interesting to do. Exploring these islands had always been on her list; taking it slow didn't even cross her mind.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
It was hard not to smile as the younger girl babbled on and on and on. She hadn't stopped talking since she came to retrieve her from Sunjata's that morning with the declaration that they were going to do something fun. What that something was had yet to be truly revealed. It definitely wasn't Starwhales. Maeve was dressed for the beach. Sunglasses, large floppy hat, and a shall to cover her swimsuit. Not that she did a lot of swimming, but that was fine. She took the man's hand, flashing him a winning smile, "Thank you so much for bringing us out here. We'll be ready when you come back by." Maeve tossed him a wink for good measure before setting off down the beach after Seren.
The starchild was already well ahead of her and Maeve shook her head, "What did I say before I came out here, Seren? This is a day for relaxing." She called back to her, a playful edge to her voice as she padded through the sand, feet slipping across the powdery white grains. Truth be told, Maeve really didn't mind. Seren was a delight to be around. Someone she was quickly considering one of her closest friends.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Shading her eyes with a hand, Seren grinned at her friend while the fisherman pushed his boat back out to sea. "Oh, come on. You can't mean we should lie and do nothing a whole day? These islands are amazing! Did you know that they move? Just keep an eye out, and you'll see." She made a sweeping gesture towards the horizon for emphasis. Small islands dotted the azure sea like scattered beads from a necklace. Some smaller, some quite large, some with greenery while others still were little more than sand-banks jutting from the waves. There was no rhyme or reason to their placement, and for good reason.
Still, she did remember the conditions Maeve had set before agreeing to come along. So Seren waited for the Madame to catch up, and kindly kept pace with her. Even if it was meandering and slow. "What do you consider 'relaxing', then? And please don't say sun bathing." Anything except lying still.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
A laugh bubbled up in her chest and she smirked back at the starchild as she continued her leisurely pace, "Of course not. I'm just saying we don't have to do nothing. We just don't have to do things the entire time." Maeve argued, finally reaching her side and slinging her arm around Seren's shoulders as they walked, "I've heard that they do. Can't say I've ever seen it myself." She looked out at the clear blue water, the waves washing up against the shore of the island gently.
She scoffed, brows bouncing towards her hairline as she looked over at the other woman, "Sunbathing? With my skin? You must be out of your fucking mind." Maeve rolled her eyes, wrinkling her nose as a smile tugged on her lips. "We can look for shells or build sandcastles or literally anything."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Hooking her arm around Maeve's waist to complete the picture, Seren hummed with relief. "And here I was, thinking you would prefer to lounge in the shade all day," she teased. "Alright. Have you ever seen a mermaid? I bet if we swim out a bit, we could catch a glimpse of one." A tall bet to make, to be fair. Seren had only ever seen one of the merfolk, and she had no idea where they might show up. The water was inviting though, and she was surpremely unconcerned with Maeve possibly becoming afflicted with a tan. (Or sunburn, more likely.)
Her gaze still dipped towards the beach at the mention of seashells. It was reflex, old habit, and the young woman still had a knack for it. Before long, she ducked down and fished up a pretty pink-hued scallop shell, which she handed over to Maeve. "For you," Seren smiled sweetly.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
"Don't get it twisted, love. I will absolutely be hiding in the shade some. Otherwise I will get a sunburn." Maeve quipped, looking down at her with a grin. She hummed, tilting her head to the side. "I have actually. Her name was Delta." That was ages ago at this point. The girl couldn't even speak. Maeve pursed her lips, arching her brow at the mention of swimming, "I wouldn't be able to go with you anyway. I can't swim." She shrugged her shoulders, not too concerned with what Seren might think of her lack of ability to swim.
Seren leaned down suddenly, scooping up the shell and passing it over to her. Maeve smiled, turning it over in her hand, "Pretty. You know, we should see if we can find some black shells. I'd love to have a black conch for my room." Maeve mused, finding a good spot to spread out her blanket she brought in a nice shady spot. "You know, I could make sure you had a room there if you ever wanted to come stay with me."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Delta. That was a familiar name. "I think we have met the same mermaid, then," Seren replied with a look of delight. "I was still little at the time. The Leafchange before last..? I was with father by the docks when she appeared." It had been the day of her life, worshipper of mermaids and pirates as she were. "Isn't it unusual for a Torcher to be unable to swim? I can teach you, if you want."
As for gathering seashells... "Sure. Whoever finds more in an hour wins," she suggested; making a contest was sure to get the girl motivated. Adjusting her own shawl against the playful wind, Seren began to drag her feet through the sand as she kept on walking. Driftwood and pebbles rose to the surface in her wake, along with the occasional seashell. Black ones would be hard to find, but she was not opposed to a challenge.
At Maeve's offer for a room however, she threw her head back and laughed brightly. "That's very generous, Maeve. I can't wait to tell father I have my very own room at your brothel." What kind of expression would he make? Would he be proud of her? Honestly, at this point the bar had probably dropped fairly low... maybe anything would be fine as long as she kept in touch.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
"We must have! I guess that mermaids aren't all that common then, huh?" Maeve mused, tucking the shell into her bag as she settled on the blanket, pulling out the sunscreen and starting to rub it into her skin. Her cheeks flushed and she shrugged her shoulders, "I guess so. I just never learned as a kid. Didn't have anyone to teach me." She explained, working the lotion into her skin as she looked over at the starchild as she offered her services in learning how to swim. "That's sweet of you, but I think Locke will have a fit if someone else teaches me. He's been itching to teach me."
Leave it to Seren to turn seashell hunting into a competition of sorts. Not that Maeve really minded. "Fine. A competition. I'm sure I'll find more than you." Maeve stuck out her tongue at the other girl even as she already started to make her way along the shore. With her sunscreen on and her hat secure, Maeve stood, stretching long limbs before heading towards the water. She walked along the coast, bending down every now and again to sift through the damp sand.
"Ah, well, not at the brothel proper. The other building is a purely for the workers to reside in. Make sure you tell Ronin that." The last thing she needed was the Star coming after her for allowing Seren to step foot into the Halenani. Not that she ever would. The girl was much too innocent for that kind of thing.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
"Common enough to be more than legend. But I guess they prefer to stick to themselves." Humans really weren't all that interesting, compared to the mysteries of the deep seas. Seren did not blame them for it.
As Maeve settled in, Seren indeed gave herself a head start. Her heart skipped a beat whenever she found something dark in the pale sand, but it was always just a rock or a dirty brown shell. At one point she found a blue clam shell, and stashed it away with a secretive smile into her own pocket space; the nightly beach could use some sprucing up. "Oh, would he now? You two seemed quite cozy back there," she teased, and threw a glittering look at the Madame. "Locke did say he knew you... He gave me some of your tea, back in Stormbreak." From one fellow dragoon trainee to another.
Grinning, she waved away the clarification. It was much more fun to see Maeve squirm for once, and dangling her father out apparently did the trick. "Oh, but are you sure? Maybe I should tell mother, too." Wiggling her eyebrows, Seren was clearly jesting. Safrin no doubt knew already; if not from watching herself, then from the little prayers Seren offered at night. To keep in touch.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve couldn't really blame them either. The main humans on shore were close to war. Why wouldn't they hide in the depths away from the majority of it? She found herself wishing for the same thing at times.
The Madame wasn't too concerned with actually winning the competition. She already knew that the starchild had a penchant for finding things. Instead she merely looked for shells that fit what she wanted. Occasionally plucking one from the sand and dipping it into the water to rinse it clean. She didn't have a fancy pocket space to put things in and had to settle for her small basket instead. Maeve arched a brow at Seren, "What would you know about any of that, love? You couldn't even handle a little flirting." She teased, winking at her with a grin before her eyes dipped back to the sand. "We're kind of seeing each other. It's a new thing. You know that necklace you found? He was the one who gave it to me."
A soft smile curled on her lips as the memory came back to her. Even if the night had ended poorly, it was still something special. It was the start of all of this. They wouldn't be here now if that hadn't happened. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing her curls out of her face as she bent to pluck another shell from the sand. The one dark purple in color. "I will have you know your mother is quite proud of all I accomplished. She told me herself." Maeve shot back with an exaggerated huff, rolling her eyes, "It's not my job to keep you out of the brothel. Not that I think you'd even go in there."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Awarding the other woman a wide eyed look, Seren tried to keep from blushing at the mere reminder of that incident. "It's one thing to have it pointed at me, and another to see when other people get along," she retorted with an exaggerated air of dignity. "You look good together, is all I'm saying." If they were acting on it, all the better! "How does that work though? If Locke is going to be a Stormbreak Dragoon?"
Taking the whole shell hunt too seriously was not going in Seren's favor. She tried too hard, and was awarded with tunnel vision for her trouble. When she finally found a shell that even remotely resembled black, it was a tiny one, no bigger than the nail of her little finger. "Does this even count?" she asked, holding it up for Maeve to see. "I guess that's true. And you are right... I just don't know that there's anything in a brothel that I would want."
Straightening up to ease an ache in her back, Seren took a break. Glanced out across the sea, and out of nowhere she asked abruptly; "Does it count as a kiss, if someone puts their mouth on yours to get water out of the lungs?"
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve snickered, unable to help herself at the sight of Seren's blush. They might have moved passed the initial flirting that anyone who met Maeve had to endure, but they weren't past the teasing. That part didn't really stop either. "We do get along, don't we?" She mused softly, smiling to herself as she found a pretty blue shell that Seren would certainly love. The question made her head snap up and her lips parted. Fuck. Locke hadn't told her? Was she supposed to tell her? "Well, with the skyport built it's going to be easier to see him, but uhm, I'm not sure if he's going to stay or not." Maeve shrugged her shoulders, trying to go for nonchalance.
The Madame was definitely not taking this as seriously as Seren and she had a nice basket full of shells to show for it. A laugh rang out over the waves as the starchild held up the tiny shell and Maeve shook her head, "It definitely doesn't count for your total, but we should keep it. I could put it in a little vial." Plus Seren found it for her and that meant something. A little reminder of their time together. "Which is fine. It doesn't have to be sex, though. Not even anything physical. Some of my workers are great story tellers. You could just talk to them." And she new just how much the other girl liked stories.
Not seeing that Seren suddenly stopped, Maeve about ran right into her, blinking at the question before she smiled, shaking her head. "Uh no, it doesn't. You have to be conscious to consent and participate. While it is the kiss of life, it isn't an actual kiss."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
The attempt to make light did not really work. The smile on the girl's face faltered, replaced by growing confusion. "He's not staying? With you, or... is he leaving Stormbreak? But he just got there..." She couldn't help it; there was a pang of loss in her chest at the thought. Maeve would be staying here, and if Locke left too then she would have no real friends left in the stone city. Her father would be there, certainly, and her brother. Remi too, but... that wasn't the same.
"I do like stories," she confirmed, somewhat deflated by the bad news. "I'd at least come visit once, if you would have me." She didn't have to stay long, or do anything if she didn't want... And a place run by Maeve had every promise of being interesting, even if their opinions of 'a good time' differed.
Seren took a half-step back, to avoid being crashed into. Seeing as the shell was approved for keeping, she held it out for Maeve to take. Such a small thing would only get lost in the Night land. "I see. That.. makes sense." Nibbling her lip, she thought about it. It was true she had not been conscious enough to say yes or no or refuse the help. But she still remembered. If it didn't count... "Maybe that's for the best, anyway. He was older than me." Judging by the little scowl and the slight blush, she wasn't entirely happy with the answer though. The whole world was older than Seren, and if she were to go by that logic, she would never be able to do anything.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
She knew that telling her about Locke would likely bring down the mood. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but she also wasn't going to be someone who lied to her. Not when so many people seemed willing to keep things from the starchild. "I think he's leaving Stormbreak, Seren. I'm sorry... He was going to tell you. I thought he already had." Maeve admitted, pressing her lips together in a thin line. She felt terrible, a tightness in her own chest as she looked over at the girl. "Even if he does come back to Torchline we'll both come visit you and you can come here whenever you want. We can have sleep overs and braid each others hair and eat so much cake."
Maeve's expression softened and she came to a stop beside her, reaching up to brush her hair back in an affectionate gesture, "Of course I'll have you, petite étoile. You're my friend." She told her softly, brushing her thumb over her cheek in a way that's meant to be comforting to the younger girl.
With a soft sigh, Maeve too the shell, placing it carefully into her basket. "Seren... You'll have your first kiss one day. With someone you like and care about. It'll be special like you want it to be." She soothed, giving her a small smile as she looked over at her, arching a brow. "Oh? Who was it? If you don't mind me asking."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
