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!
Weapons weren't the Madame's strong suit. They never had been and they likely wouldn't ever, but that didn't mean she shouldn't learn to use one. Her dagger works well enough, but she doesn't fancy being up close and personal with whatever it is she's fighting. The idea of that doesn't sit well with her. Not that combat sits well with her in general, but she was trying to learn. Locke might have claws now and that was all well and good, but it would be naïve to think he'd be with her constantly.
She got the bow, quiver, and arrows from one of the merchant stalls in the port. Not knowing much about the weapon besides it let you stay back from the thick of the fray and that was good enough reason for her to give it a try. Maeve set up a little target a short distance away and stands back from it, brows knitting together in concentration as she examines the weapon in her hand, awkwardly drawing an arrow from the quiver on her back to nock it on the string. She draws it the string taut, wobbling slightly as she aims it at the target, releasing it only for the shot to go wide and disappear into the underbrush. Again. "Fuck me..."
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
The hunter had come to Torchline for another trading endeavor. He packed up loads of luxere and ningo and seal, towing them behind him in a cart. As he worked through the day smooth-talking as many shopkeeps as he could, Noah's meat supply was eventually replaced with teas, herbs, dried fruits, fabric, and dried fish. Happy with what he had gathered, Noah paid a little extra for one of his regular trade partners to safeguard his spoils until he returned. Set with his bow, a quiver full of arrows, and enough sheathed knives to raise a few eyebrows, Noah set out towards Apopo. He had intended only to take notes of the wildlife he encountered, but Caido had a different plan in mind for him today.
The woman stood and shot off her arrow, and Noah pulled his lips in between his teeth to keep from chuckling. He would not have meant it in a mocking way if he did, but merely he would be laughing at the coincidence of the circumstance he found himself in. "I don't think that would help improve your aim." A thick, playful smile exposed the hunter's teeth and wrinkled the corner's of his eyes. It was uncharacteristic for him to play with such humor without knowing this woman, but as he stepped down from the rocks he traversed over he almost could not help it. "Would you like a hand?" He asked, removing his own bow from across his shoulders and lifting it as a display for her.
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
Having chosen to not bring Aidon up here with her, she didn't have anyone watching her back and because of this she completely missed Noah's approach. The sound of his voice made her spin quickly, green eyes wide as adrenaline rushed through her veins as quick as a shot, but his words draw a quirk to her lips despite her irritation at her clear lack of aim. "At this point, love, I'm willing to try anything." Maeve huffed, running a hand through her curls to push them from her face, seaglass gaze running over him from the top of his head to the tips of his boots. He wasn't a familiar face and Maeve liked to think she knows most people in Torchline by this point. The Madame glanced back at the target with its clear lack of arrows, having lost count at how many times she'd attempted to hit the damn thing before her gaze swung back to him, dipping to the bow he pulled from his back.
"I wouldn't say no. Pretty clear that I have no clue what I'm doing." She shook her head, a soft laugh bubbling up in her throat as she smiled up at the blonde, taking a small step forward. "I'm Maeve, by the way. Figured you should know what to call me when you express your disappointment in my obvious lack of skills." A small hand is extended to him, still somehow clean despite the ash the surrounded them, soft and clear of callouses.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
The frustration she felt at her clear lack of skill in archery did not show itself as a fiery demon with intent to burn the hunter down. For that, he was thankful. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding after she accepted his offer of help. The broad, toothy grin on his face brightened for a moment before lowering as hi face turned to something more fitting, more focused, for what was about to occur. "Noah Olson." He extended his own hand to grasp hers in greeting. Everything about his hand was opposite of hers -- a large, calloused, working hand.
"Okay, let's start from the very beginning then." He worked to make sure that his tone was not patronizing in any way. He had taught many, many young hunters in Halo to shoot a bow. Maeve was no exception to that now, except for her age. He took his own bow and placed it over his shoulders again, the string against his chest. "Which hand do you write with?" Noah asked, taking a sidestep from Maeve and tilting his head some.
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
The only thing fiery about Maeve was her spirit and Noah didn't need to be feared being burned by such. It occurred to her briefly that he had a nice smile. Bright and kind, making the corners of his eyes crinkle, lighting up his whole face even as he schooled it into something a bit more subdued. She liked that he didn't seem to hold back, not afraid of giving too much away with his expression in this moment, and she found herself missing the simplicity of such interactions for a brief second. "We're doing last names too? In that case... Ansel. Maeve Ansel." The Madame repeated, supplying her full name to this relative stranger, "I feel like I haven't seen you around Torchline very often... At least not in my part of town." She mused, distracted by the roughness of his hand, but not dissuaded by it as she noticed the difference between them.
It was kind of cute how hard he seemed to try, focusing on the way he presented his voice, taking on that of a teacher while being mindful of how it might seem to her. It brought an amused smile to her face, bottom lip catching between her teeth to keep it from growing too wide, "I'm all ears." Came the easy reply, straightening herself up as she gazed at him expectantly, waiting for the first bit of the lesson to start. "I'm right handed."
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
There were parts of Noah that would always be formal. Introducing himself to someone new was one of those things. His father had taught him to be polite and be good, which caused him always to give first and last name upon introduction. When she gave him the same pleasure, Noah nodded and committed the name and face to memory. He had a knack for remembering names and faces, anyway. "I only come to Torchline to trade. I'm from Halo." It was easy to see in the paler tone of his skin and the general ruggedness about him.
"Okay, that's a good start. So you were holding your bow correctly then." His eyes brightened as he talked, an excitement and talent coming forth as he spoke to her. "Look at the target. Now, take your hands and put them up, like this," He lifted both of his hands, arms straight with palms out, and made a triangle out of his forefingers and thumbs, "With both of your eyes, focus on it through the opening in your hands." The hunter looked at the woman from the corner of his eyes, to assure she was following him. "Now draw your hands back to your face. Whichever eye your body naturally draws to, that is the eye you are dominant with."
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
Looking at Maeve, it would almost suggest that she herself was from Halo. Her own skin even paler than his. The only thing that might dissuade one from thinking as much is the openness about her. An aura that was warm and inviting, enticing you closer the same way a crackling fire in a hearth does, tingling through your toes and fingers. "Halo... You know, I've only been twice. Didn't stray too far. I'm not suited for the cold." Maeve hummed, head cocking to the side in consideration as she gave him another look, studying his profile with sharp eyes.
"See, I'm not a lost cause just yet." The Madame teased, tossing him a wink as she smiled, almost cat like in nature. Whatever irritation from before quickly replaced now that she had banter to distract herself with. She mimicked his motions, holding her hands out in front of her and forming the triangle, slowly drawing it back towards her face. The movement was slow and deliberate, making sure that she wasn't letting anything besides the natural inclination influence her, finding that her hands drifted towards her left eye. "Huh... So that means left then?"
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Lowering his own arms, Noah took another step to the side as Maeve worked on finding her dominant eye. The hunter's lips came together and his chin bounced, a small hmm of interest vibrating his throat. "It seems as such." He reached out for her bow, then, the hesitation gone from him. He inspected it for a moment, turning it over in his hands. It was not a bad piece of craftmanship, but in his own opinion it had nothing on that the artists in Halo could create. "You will have a harder time shooting this weapon than another." He held the bow out at an angle for her to see it, as well. "I'm guessing whoever you got this bow from also asked which hand you wrote with?" He lifted a brow, glacier eyes settling on hers. "This bow is carved for a right handed shooter, which typically they are right eye dominant. But you're unique." The statement was meant to reassure her.
"Difficult does not mean impossible, but I do recommend if you want to continue with archery, you get a new weapon." He pulled his own bow off of his back and balanced it in his hand beside the other one, to display the differences. "I am left handed and left eye dominant, like my father was, and so I still use his bow." It was easy to see with both weapons side by side the differences. "I'd have you try mine, but the draw strength is quite hefty." He shrugged a little, the ease of teaching bringing out an animated side to him. "We can work with this." He handed her her weapon again, and lifted his own.
"I noticed you aimed pretty wide, and that was probably because you were focusing with the wrong eye. Try that you did before, stance and posture and everything, but focus with your left eye. The compensation you'll have to use for now might take you a minute to get used to, but if we can get your aim honed in we can work on accuracy after that." He pulled an arrow from his own quiver, nocked it, pulled back, focused, and shot, all as an example for Maeve.
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
Maeve dropped her arms, brows knitting together as she watching him move closer, curious about what exactly that meant. "Is that bad..?" She asked, passing him the bow when he reached for it, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as he began to explain. Her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat, that same irritation she felt before threatening to bubble up again, but Noah was an incredibly good teacher. His explanation quickly put her at ease, words almost gentle as he reassured her that there was nothing wrong with that, but she was simply unique. "They did. They said I wouldn't have an issue. What kind of bow do I need then? Where do I even get something made like that?" Not everyday that the Madame of a brothel needed a weapon.
A huff pushed past her lips, "Oi, just cause I look small doesn't mean I'm weak." She wasn't and while she might have some difficulty with his bow, there was still a chance she could manage it with effort, knowing that her muscles were developed if not prominent. She was lithe with the body of a dancer. Maeve had more strength than one might expect. Maeve accepted her own weapon back, pursing her lips in concentration as he continued with his instructions, urging her to repeat what she had before with the new information he'd given her.
His arrow was loosed, sinking into the target with a soft thunk. Maeve pulled an arrow from her own quiver, nocked it, and drew back. Her form wasn't perfect by any means, but her arm was strong and steady as she held the string taut, finally releasing it. It was probably good that Noah was standing to her side and not ahead of her because there would have likely been an accident. The arrow disappeared into the underbrush, going a good distance, but ultimately missing the target. "I take it back. Maybe I am hopeless." Maeve laughed, dropping her stance with a shake of her head.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
She lifted the bow, nocked, pulled, and the arrow flew....away from its intended target. "You're right," Noah lifted his hand back towards Maeve, requesting the bow once more, "about not being weak." If she handed it to him, the hunter would take a step back and pull the bow string. It would come back with ease, his pull effortless. "There is a combination of bad here: this bow is too light for you, it is designed opposite of what you need, and we need to work on your posture." He smiled as he looked back to her, a smile meant to wash away any self-doubt that started to bubble within her, should there be any. "But these things are all fixable."
Noah set her bow on the ground, pulling his off of his body once more. "This bow is about five times the draw weight of that one." He shrugged some. "Let's give it a try, though." He held it out to her, following with an arrow from his own quiver. "go ahead and nock and draw, but don't shoot." Noah instructed, changing his position so that he stood to the side of her, but quite close. His chest only touched her when he breathed, but his proximity to the stranger was nothing to ignore. Should she do as instructed, Noah would continue to work--
"Lower your drawing arm elbow." He touched it lightly, pressing her elbow towards the ground, about an inch. "Now lift your other shoulder." His opposite hand lifted, two fingers instructing the motion on her shoulder. "Straighten your back, and hold yourself in your hips and core." With these instructions, however, Noah did not touch Maeve. "Focus just below where you want to hit the target, and shoot."
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
It was hard to hold any doubt in herself when he was so quick to explain it away, telling her all the little things they could change to fix it, to make her better. He had a calming presence about him and Maeve knew that this wasn't his first time teaching these skills. It likely wouldn't be his last either. Maeve easily passed him the bow, watching with interest as he drew it back, muscles flexing with the movement, but clearly lacking any strain in performing the action. She closely studied his posture, noting his he didn't have to adjust anything, simply landing in the form he needed as if by muscle memory. "Glad to know that I'm only mildly problematic. That's a first." Maeve laughed, her smirk catlike as she arched a brow as if to encourage him to poke back, but she wasn't sure if he actually would. So tight laced as he seemed.
Maeve took the bow from him and could already feel a difference in the weight of the weapon itself. Sturdy, balanced, and strong. It was fitting for him. While it was much larger than the one she was working with before, it didn't stop her from using it just as easily, knocking the arrow and drawing back. There was more effort required, but not as much as she thought. It would be difficult to hold it for long stretches of time. She could feel the heat of him against her back, chest occasionally brushing against her shoulder blades as he breathed, slow and steady.
With gentle touches he adjusted her position, lowering her elbow, lifting her shoulder and she was easily guided through all of them. Her own breathing steady despite the way her pulse seemed to rabbit in her chest, sweat gathering at the small of her back, hairs prickling at the back of her neck. It wasn't until he got to the part about her hips and core that she faltered, brows knitting together as she attempted to follow his instructions, but not understanding exactly what he meant. Her core was tight, muscles locked despite how she breathed with her diaphragm, but the position of her hips left something to be desired. A first for her, given that her hip work was usually stellar, but archery wasn't the same. Even the Madame knew that. "I don't think I've got it right.."
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Noah felt it fall apart as soon as Maeve took her breath before shooting. Her hips cocked too far forward and, despite the strength in her core, her shot went over where it was intended. A frown threatened to tug at the sides of Noah's lips, but he pushed it away. "That's alright." He breathed. "Try it again." When she put herself back the way that Noah had instructed previously, his hands moved up to her hips. He touched her with just the tips of his fingers at first, subtly asking permission before adjusting her stance. "Your core is going to supplement your upper body, keeping your back and shoulders where they need to be.
Your hips, though, are the part where your grounding meets the rest of your body. Spread your feet just a little further apart, and bring this one back--"
He reaching forward to tap her foot furthest from him with his own, until it was where it needed to be. "--so that your stance is wide and strong, and your hips and translate it up into the rest of your body." He held her hips this time, no longer needing to breathe to touch her back with his chest. "Try again. Take your time."
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
His soothing reassurance washed over her, dismissing the frustration and disappointment at her performance that threatened to overtake he, letting out a breath as she refocused herself. The breath of his words was warm against the back of her neck, bringing goosebumps to the surface of her skin, unable to help the way her pulse ratched up a touch further. Calloused fingertips run across her hips, barely touching her before finally committing to the movement, drawing them into the correct position. "That makes sense.. I think I understand." Maeve murmured, shifting until she was properly in position with his gentle nudging, hips pressing back until there isn't any space left between them.
Had she known archery was such high contact, she might have taken it up sooner, especially if he'd been her teacher. Better late than never, right? She drew in a breath, raising the bow and drawing back the string after slipping another arrow into place, making sure to position her arms correctly. This time she released, the arrow whizzing through the air and piercing the side of the target with a satisfying thunk. Her smile was instant and she turned in his arms, flinging her own around his neck as she squealed in delight, jumping up and down. "I did it! I hit the target!"
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Noah did everything he could to stifle away and push down the awareness of how her body relaxed at his touch and instruction. Like he had with Hotaru, he wanted this interaction to stay as professional as it could. He sucked in a breathe when she drew back, holding it in anticipation--and self control--for her shot. When the arrow finally did fly, the success was quick and bright and delightful. Maeve twisted and threw her arms over him, the excitement in her voice contagious to him. He grinned and chuckled some, one of his arms wrapping briefly around her waist to return her hug before he took a step back. "See, I knew you could do it."
He turned then, sharp and quick, lifting a brow at her. "Now let's try a moving target." His eyes were bright like blue fire rather than their normal, cold, glacial state. He trotted over towards the target and plucked her arrow from it. He picked it up, and held it like a shield. "You can practice your aim, and I can practice my footwork." He winked at her above the target before he dropped his head behind it.
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
