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!
Isla has visited Torchline only a handful of times in the past few weeks, but it's enough to hear on the grapevine that someone attempted to set fire to the Wren Society. If she had blood it would run cold, and so it's no wonder that one of the nights following the fire, she stops by to check on the place. Her guildmaster and friend is nowhere to be found (but Nate is a fellow doctor and she's unsurprised that he is almost always busy), so the medic takes it upon herself to linger and ensure things are in order.
A few parts of the building are still smoke stained and in need of a good clean, but in comparison to Isla's infirmary, the place is looking pretty good. Less so the people in it, but then you didn't come to a medical clinic if you were feeling fine and dandy. She realises, also, that a few of those here aren't patients but refugees from the Halenani - regardless, she begins her rounds by checking everyone over, ensuring there are no cuts that need cleaning, no infections, no fevers.
She never feels good at having a full clinic (an empty one means everyone is healthy) but the company is admittedly nice for the night.
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
06-02-2021, 09:00 PM (This post was last modified: 06-02-2021, 09:00 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
The risk of running into Nate at the Wren Society was high and Maeve didn't really want to focus on her odds. She wasn't even going there for him. No, she was coming to check on her workers and to update them on the progress of the rebuild. Soon they would be able to come home. That was her hope at least.
Maeve pushes through the front door, a basket of goodies cradled in the nook of her arm to help lift their spirits. It seems she isn't the only one paying the patients a visit. An unfamiliar voice drifts down the hall, giving the Madame pause for only a moment before she's continuing forward. "Hello?" The voice is distinctly feminine and Maeve struggles to place it, not recognizing it as one of the nurses who helped tend to her on the night of the collapse. Gently she raps on the doorframe as she peeks around the side, spotting a blonde woman who she doesn't recall seeing before, but that doesn't say much. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. I was just coming by to check on some of my girls. I can come back later if you're in the middle of an exam, though."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Isla has just been in the middle of bandaging a burn to a young lady's hand - an accident with a tea kettle, nothing more - when a voice pipes up and has her looking around. "Oh - good evening," she says with a smile, straightening up after tying off the bandage for her patient. "That's alright, I just finished up here. I'm Isla, part of the Wren Society. I stopped by from the Hollowed Grounds to see Nate but it doesn't seem as though he is around," she explains.
Offering a small wave to the woman as she leaves, Isla turns back to give her full attention to the newcomer. "Your girls?" she echoes, before it clicks. "Ah - the visitors from the Halenani? That's really kind of you. I think they are all feeling a little homesick, but then I suppose I would be as well."
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Isla... Why did that name sound familiar? Her brows knit together, head cocking to the side as she tries to place where she heard the name before, but it comes to her after a moment. Oh. Oh. Despite the realization that this was Remi's Isla, Maeve smiles brightly, adjusting the basket on her arm so she can extend her hand to the woman. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Maeve, Madame of the Halenani." She says as way of introduction, shaking her hand should she offer it.
"We're working on getting things rebuilt. It's been a process." Maeve runs a hand through her hair, offering her a small smile as she shifts on her feet. "So you're a doctor too?" Her head cocks to the side, moving to head towards the front room, setting her basket down at the front counter before leaning against it lightly.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Her name doesn't ring a bell, because Remi hadn't said it at the time, but her title - Madame of the Halenani - seals it in the medic's mind. It is lucky that Isla is renowned for being unflappable and that she's currently in a very happy relationship with someone who isn't Remi, and her smile doesn't so much as flicker. She shakes hands after washing them given that she's just been tending to a patient, before following Maeve into the front room of the clinic.
"I can imagine it is," she says softly of the Halenani. "Was it the monsoon, that caused the damage?" she asks, glancing around at the small marks that evidence the almost-fire in the Wren Society. "And you wouldn't happen to know what happened here, would you?"
A cursory glance around the room shows no new patients to see, and she returns her pebble blues to the Madame's face. "Yes, I am." She smiles. "I run the infirmary in the Hollowed Grounds, and I was a field medic before that."
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
"It was, yes. The winds took out one of the walls and some supporting beams. Luckily not too many people were hurt, but we're having to rebuild from scratch." Maeve shakes her head, that tell tale irritation at the situation rising up in her chest, but she quickly pushes it down with the reminder that rebuilding from scratch meant a better place for her workers. As for what happened at the Wren Society, "As far as I'm aware someone tried to burn it down at the same time the Slagveld was attacked. My partner, Locke, was here when it got put out. Apparently the Voice had something to do with it." Surely that would be nice for the Ascended to hear about. It seemed that every time she turned around there was something negative to say about the Voice and the Heralds. Neither were without their faults, but Maeve didn't think that one was better than the other. That just wasn't her way.
Her brows lift in interest and a soft sound rises in the back of her throat, "A field medic? So would you say that you're fairly good at giving first aide with potentially limited supplies and the like?" Maeve asks, curiosity coloring her tone as she leans a touch closer to the woman. Asking Nate for help with this was absolutely out of the question and October had too much on her plate. The Madame was beginning to worry that there wouldn't be anyone able to teach her what she needed to learn for Safrin, but maybe she was in luck. "I've been wanting to learn more about non-magical healing. I know some things about medicinal herbs, tinctures, and the like. Nothing really about first aide besides basic bandaging."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Isla winces in sympathy to hear about everything that had befallen the Halenani, the doctor letting out a sigh that she doesn't need, but that feels nonetheless necessary. "I am sorry to hear that - I know the feeling, having to start from scratch. Sort of, anyway." A feeling that becomes ever more uncomfortable when Maeve explains what happened to the Wren Society and the Slagveld, Isla pausing and furrowing her brow. "My infirmary was recently set on fire as well," she confesses. "That is... worrying. I wonder if it was at the same time..." And if it was, what did that imply?
Luckily, Maeve's curiosity draws Isla out of herself a bit, the medic flashing her a polite smile. "I should hope so," she says. "I provided first aid and field surgery in active warzones. If you'd like to learn, I would be more than happy to teach you. It sounds as though you have a lot of the basics down already."
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Maeve sighs softly, shrugging slender shoulders as she wraps her arms around her middle, "It's alright. I'm just thankful that not more people were hurt. Now I can focus on building something better for them." She smiles, choosing to remind herself of the positives of this situation. At least this would mean a better home for her workers. Somewhere they could raise their families and live their lives outside of the walls of the brothel. The Madame's own brow furrows, concern twisting her features as she looks over at the other woman, "Oh no... I'm very sorry to hear that. Did you lose anyone? And this happened perhaps a week or so ago. Maybe a little longer. I'm not sure if they were connected or not."
At least the Slagveld and Devil's Advocate weren't. Maeve knows that much. Hotaru would have no reason to go after Isla's infirmary and there wasn't any way she could have caused the Wren Society fire since it happened at the same time. "I don't think that the person responsible for the Slagveld was also involved with the Wren Society."
A small nod is offered, a smile curling on her lips as they shift their focus towards other matters. Specifically Maeve's need to learn first aide. "I would be grateful for anything, truthfully. I know some basics, but it wouldn't hurt to have more knowledge at my disposal."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Isla echoes Maeve's smile, nodding gently to her. "That's the spirit," she murmurs - the medic had thought much the same thing when it came to the infirmary, and she had finished putting the pieces back together by now. With luck, both the Halenani and the two clinics would end up stronger for all that had happened. Still, Isla's smile fades at the mention of losing anyone, and she bows her head. "Two patients," she admits. "The smoke inhalation got to them before I was able to get them out."
The dates do seem to line up - something which unsettles Isla even further - and she chews at the inside of her cheek. "What makes you say that?" she asks about the Slagveld, not knowing the details, of course. And luckily for the both of them, the heavier subjects of their conversation are interspersed with knowledge that Isla is happy to impart.
"Ah, well - let's see what we can teach you." She reaches beneath the reception desk for a few pieces of parchment, so she might write notes to give to Maeve when they are all finished. "You know how to sterilise and bandage a wound, then. How about sutures, or setting a break?"
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Her expression turns somber and she nods slowly, letting out a sigh, "I'm sorry to hear that." Maeve murmurs, sympathy for the victims clear in her voice, knowing how lucky they were that no one here was hurt in any of the tragedies that had recently befallen Torchline. "Despite the circumstances I hope their passing was painless." She's not sure how these things work, but maybe they were given a lullaby to see them off. Maeve hopes that Ludo was so kind as to offer them that at least to ease their passing.
A moment passes as she considers the best way to word her answer, lips pursing in thought, "I believe that the attack on the Slagveld was more of a personal vendetta against the Governor. They're still investigating, but there is evidence that suggests it." Maeve doesn't provide names, not wanting to put either Deimos or Hotaru under speculation despite the fact that both are already being considered closely. "As for the attack here? I don't have many details about that, but from what I've heard, it seems unrelated." Mostly due to the fact that she knows Hotaru and Deimos couldn't have also caused a fire here at the same time. It just couldn't have worked that way.
Maeve smiles gratefully at the other woman, straightening herself up in preparation for the lesson. She shakes her head, "I don't know how to do either of those things. I can clean and bandage. Even remove debris from a wound, but I know nothing of sutures or setting bones." Maeve provides helpfully, watching Isla closely as she draws out the parchment from beneath the desk.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"Mm. I like to think that it was," Isla says, though sharing the intimate details of her patients' deaths is not something for idle conversation, and so she lets the subject drop. Not that the next one is any better, and her brow furrows as she considers the events in the Slagveld. "It still seems like an awful lot to happen at the same time, doesn't it?" she mumbles. Personal vendetta or not, this certainly won't help matters with the Ascended or anything else.
Isla is more than happy to leave that train of thought behind - not only that but it is a pleasure to talk of her work and to impart that knowledge to somebody else. So she starts with the basics she's spoken about. "Unfortunately we don't have the advantage of someone rushing in here conveniently with a broken bone to set, so I'll sketch it out as best I can," she says with a smile, doing just that whilst explaining the process; the splint, the method, the aftercare.
"Suturing is something I can teach, though that is a lesson all by itself. Perhaps anoher time, I can come and just teach you how to stitch a wound shut?" she offers.
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Maeve couldn't argue with that and she nods in agreement, a soft sigh pushing past her lips as she shakes her head, "It does seem like a lot. I'm unsure whether it is merely coincidence of someone taking advantage of the chaos or an organized attack by a singular party." While she doesn't think Hotaru had the ability to strike two places at once with Diemos's aid, she couldn't discount that there could have been a third party she was unaware of.
Their conversation and attention shifts towards techniques that Maeve wishes to learn and the Madame is grateful for something else to focus on other than the mess that was currently Torchline. She listens to everything Isla says closely, committing it all to memory and occasionally interjecting questions when she needs a better understanding. Despite not having the best education growing up, Maeve is a good student, engaging with the content that Isla provides. "What do you do if you don't have a proper splint in the field? How else can you stabilize the break?" She asks, brows drawing together as she considers the question she just posed herself.
Her smile is almost blinding as she looks up at the other woman, "That would be wonderful. If it's necessary, I can travel to the Grounds." Maeve offers, not aversed to the portals as some of her counterparts were, but soon she'll be able to travel much more easily. All she has to do is finish this quest.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Answering Maeve's questions as best she can, Isla also makes sure to jot down the process with her sketches for the madame to refer to. It isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and Maeve might find that she needs to adjust it to her patients' needs, but the hard and fast rules are there. "Ah - a good point," she says, nodding to her and flashing her a smile. "In a pinch, many items can work. Even a rolled up towel or piece of clothing is better stabilisation than nothing. But rolled up parchment, a heavy stick, they will work too."
Of course, there are a few precautions to take and things to be aware of, and Isla walks through those as well - how to be careful that the splint isn't too tight, how to address any bleeding and things like that. She doesn't expect the madame to look quite so happy with her offer, though her enthusiasm is very much appreciated. "Ah, perfect. You're free to visit whenever you like, then - my infirmary is running again now."
Gathering up the papers, she thinks that's enough for broken bones, setting them aside to separate them from anything else she might want to do. "Alright, shall we move onto other first aid? In a place like Torchline I imagine burns are quite common. And it would be useful to know how to help someone who might have inhaled some water." Drowning and sunburn and heat exhaustion - the perils of paradise.
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Maeve is grateful that the medic seems happy to answer all of her questions, being thorough in the process of doing so, making notes here and there on the paper before her so that Maeve might have it all to look over later. She would have been a good teacher. Maybe she was in another life. The Madame couldn't say for sure, but it was easy to see why Isla and Remi got along so well. "That makes sense. Just something to brace it against so you can wrap it." She repeats the earlier information, committing it to memory so she will be prepared for whatever was to come in the future.
"Perfect! Would it be best to send you a letter for when I plan to visit? I would hate to just pop in unannounced." Maeve smiles at the other woman, shifting her stance against the counter as they prepare to move to the next topic, further expanding her knowledge. A laugh bubbles up in her throat and she shakes her head, "More common than you would think. I'm pretty sure there isn't a single person in Torchline besides myself who actually wears sunscreen. It's truly a mess." While it wasn't the same as suturing wounds or setting bones, this would be no less important.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
