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!
The Madame has yet to have her lesson from Safrin about how dangerous the Voice can be. How much hard she can do. Even after that happens, the Madame will have a hard time not feeling pity for those who have been hurt by the heralds, even now there is an ache in her chest to hear of what Wessex went through. "That sounds unfairly cruel... To dangle your passed loved ones before you like that." She says softly, imaging the grief that might have caused the Wraith, knowing that her own heart likely couldn't have taken it had she been in the same situation. Maeve carefully selects another rock, attempting another skip and only getting two splashes before it disappears once more, sighing heavily at her clear lack of skill in this particular game.
"And then to try and kill you with sunlight when you tried to pray.." She shakes her head, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth as her brows pinch together in thought, "I haven't prayed since I was a child. It was before the barrier fell... I didn't know that they couldn't hear me at the time. No one was around to teach me that, but I haven't tried since." It's a lie, but an easy one to tell. It had been true at one point, but she's since gone to Safrin herself, seen the goddess with her own two eyes and felt her warmth. Before that, the Madame had thought herself forgotten and unloved, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She doesn't tell Wessex this, of course. Not when her own opinions are so clearly stated.
No one wants you when you have no heart and I’m sitting pretty in my brand new scars
we're all stories unfinished and we die to find some fitting words to write
For those who had softer hearts, yes, it probably was cruel. Wessex had simply been happy to see their faces again. She shrugs. “I made peace with my choice years ago, if it was intended to be cruel, it fell short of its mark. I do miss my sister, though. I think she would have loved to see how beautiful the rest of the world is.” And she’d gained a whole other family in the meantime - a different kind of family, but a family nonetheless, complete with a wonderful Mother. But there was one member of her family who’d been affected by Ludo. “Ludo also forced Isla’s soul into a unicorn’s body instead of letting it go to the Voice. Left her there to waste away.” Which, to Wessex, seems cruel.
“Between that and Safrin making a door that could kill Ascended without telling us it would do so -” she shakes her head, still bitter about that whole LongNight. Deimos. Everything, really. “ - she killed a good Queen and a child. Purposefully.”
She looks out across the water, to the other side of the river, growing still as Loki screeches encouragingly to the other above her. “The heralds’ve been trying to hurt us and punish us for a long time. We just want to live.”
It was sobering to hear. The Madame knew of the dislike for the Ascended. She knew how the Old Gods wished to be rid of them. While she didn't fully understand the harm they caused herself. Maeve didn't have a desire to cut them down and rid them from the world of Caido. It wasn't really what she wanted, but she did want to be safe and to live a life of peace. If she had to fight to do so, she would. Even still, the things Wessex revealed to her made her sick to her stomach, having trouble rationalizing the actions taken against them.
The mention of Isla has Maeve's brows drawing together, confused for a moment over the events. Hadn't Remi begged her to be spared? Wasn't that why Ludo brought her back that way? Her lips purse and she lets out a breath, turning another rock over in her palm, "I've met Isla. She's been teaching me first aid... I didn't know that, though." At least not that side of things.
Maeve swallows thickly, shaking her head as she half heatedly skips the rock across the water, "It's all so tragic..." And it is. Her words don't encompass all she's feeling about it, but she doesn't know what else to possibly say. Not when an apology from her would do nothing to end what's happening here now.
No one wants you when you have no heart and I’m sitting pretty in my brand new scars
we're all stories unfinished and we die to find some fitting words to write
One last search for a good skipping rock, flat and cylindrical, this time with the toe of her boot before squatting down to get a closer look.
Tragic. A word used when things could have been done to prevent it, but weren’t. A word used by people who shake their heads and offer thoughts and prayers, but do little to change it from tragic to something less horrifying. It doesn't inspire confidence in Maeve. With her back to the Madame, Wessex scoffs into the stones. “I suppose that’s one word for it,” she says, rising in a fluid motion and sending the rock into the water, not really caring if it skips or not.
“Avoidable is another. Genocide a third.” Turning to Maeve, the Queen sighs. “If you do go to pray again, I hope you choose to give the Voice a chance.” Though deep down, she’s doubtful it’ll happen. It’s hard to do the right thing when everyone around you is turning a blind eye to the dirty, dirty truth.
Feeling like as if she's been scolded, Maeve ducks her head, pressing her lips into a thin line as Wessex's words lash out at her. Sharp, cold, and calculated. The Madame lets out a breath, sending her last stone across the water, but it just sinks straight away much like the weight in her stomach. Aidon, sensing her unease comes sweeping back towards her, trilling and warbling as he lands at her feet. He weaves around her legs, pressing against her calves and arching his body into hers. She drops a hand to his head, taking comfort in his presence, letting it soothe the nerves that run through her. "I'll consider it. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on it." Maeve murmurs, gathering her basket, straightening herself up and taking a slow step back from the shore.
"It was nice to officially meet you, Wessex." She backs away from the Wraith slowly and Aidon bounds ahead of her, but sticks close, not daring to stray far. With unease settling over her like a wet blanket, thoughts buzzing in her head to do with Wessex's words, she slips back into the greenery to head for home. There was a lot to think about.
~FIN <3~
No one wants you when you have no heart and I’m sitting pretty in my brand new scars
