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!
Sah was almost home. The journey to the Greatwood and back had been long and tiring. But very fruitful. Vai had given great advice, he had found and bonded to Lilly, and he had met Seren. It'd been an incredibly busy time for him, having to keep a quick pace in order to complete it in the season. But Sah didn't regret it.
Sah and Lilly were carefully making their way through the Tanglefoot. The going was slow however due to Lilly's little legs She tripped on everything. Chuckling warmly, Sah scooped up a disgruntled puppy. "I'll just carry you, ok? You can walk again once you can actually take a step on the terrain." He soothed the pup with a few ear rubs.
As they kept walking, Sah kept his senses on their surroundings. His bond was Lilly was still new and the newfound protective instinct was still powerful. It was because of this that he heard the muffled footsteps. "Hello?" He called out, one hand holding Lilly while the other reached for his sword.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
This is bullshit. Maybe he should have just left the hunting to Sunjata, maybe he shouldn’t have gone off all cocksure, but there was just something in him that couldn’t stop, that needed to do this. Needed to run into the jungle like he stood a chance in the twist and tangle, like he wouldn’t be lost immediately.
All for a fucking ramphire.
Nate’s past the part where he takes out his rage on trees he passes back, his hands a twitchy mess at his sides as he stomps through underbrush, not in the mood to be quiet until he hears a voice. All at once he falls still, he creeps through the dense vegetation to get a look at the other stupid soul to be this far in the middle of nowhere.
It’s just a kid. But Nate doesn’t breathe yet, even if he does step out of the greenery, suspicious gaze on the stranger. There’s a moment of sullen irritation on his face, there and gone in an instant, whisked away by a manic grin. “Warn a guy next time, huh? S’how you get jumped in a place like this.”
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah still eyed the newcomer warily for a moment before removing his hand from the hilt of his sword. An eyebrow raised, small smirk in place. But his hold on Lilly also relaxed, the pup no longer held by a tensed arm. "I could say the same to you. Hearing footsteps suddenly in a forest? Nearly gave me a heart attack."
Sah ran an eye over Nate, taking in the tension and irritation. "You've had a shit day for sure." He noted bluntly. A small mischievous smirk appeared. "Shitty quest? I keep running into people on quests out here for some reason." A chuckle escaped him. "Granted, what kind of quest doesn't send you to the middle of nowhere at least once?"
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
“Gave you more warning than you gave me, didn’t I?” Nate snaps back, his brows furrowing without shifting the grin pointed on his lips. It takes a deep breath, but he smooths his features again, a hand lifting to push his heart out of his face and giving him an excuse to give the kid one more once over, eye lingering on the puppy in his arms.
Though, all that work is for not as the stranger cuts through his mask. At once the paper thin grin is replaced with a scowl. “Fuck do you know?” He huffs, kicking at some barely sprouted plant in the ground and uprooting it. “Y’wanna call dinner a quest, then sure, ‘M on a fuckin’ quest.” Licking his lips, Nate leans in a little, looking Sah over with one good eye while his hand subtly lifts for Lilly to sniff. “You on a fuckin’ quest?”
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah gave a small shrug. "Fair enough." Though he wholly disagreed. Calling out was a far better warning then letting your footsteps announce you. But clearly the man in front of him was too stressed for such minor arguments. Sah glanced at the poor little plant that had just been murdered. Clearly too stressed.
Sah ignored the first question, assuming it was rhetorical. "I'm not. I was just vising someone in the Greatwood and am now making my way home." The Abandoned eyed the stranger's hand as it drew closer to Lilly. The pup was a surprisingly good judge of character already, so he'd let her decide if she wanted to bit the man or not. Lilly however, simply sniffed Nate's outstretched hand. Giving a little whine, she then stretched her neck out and gave the hand a small lick. Sah hummed, mostly to himself. Well the guy passed Lilly's inspection, even made the pup worry about him. So Sah assumed that even irritated as Nate was, he probably wasn't a horrible person.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
To hear that the man has come from the Greatwood already has Nate’s back up, but it’s the latter half of the sentence that really concerns him. “Where’s home?” The words leave Nate immediately, his posture stiffening again as suspicion builds in the back of his throat like venom. They’re a little off course if it’s Stormbreak, but he can’t help the worry.
Rampant paranoia doesn’t stop his delight when his hand is accepted but Lilly, the shadows around his eyes softening for the briefest moment as he reaches forward to stroke her head. Right before he mumbles a soft “Yea, the bitches always love me.” It’s a glimpse into whatever lurks beneath the stress, one that Nate doesn’t actually seem entirely aware of.
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah noticed the second the stranger's guard went up. Though it was a bit difficult to figure out which word set him off, or if it was simply natural paranoia. "Halo actually. I've been living there since I ended up in Caido." Sah explained simply. "You?" He still wasn't sure of this unnamed stranger. But Lilly seemed to be alright with him, and Sah trusted her judgment. The little pup was sending waves of reassurance and curiosity to her bonded. And Sah could sense some empathy in her as well. She seemed determined to cheer this man up. Lilly was also very much enjoying the head pats, her tail wagging.
Sah couldn't help but quirk a brow at the small comment, but didn't say a word. It seemed Lilly's plan was helping somewhat. "This is Lilly by the way. I'm Sah." He kept his tone just neutral enough that the stranger hopefully wouldn't feel like he had to give up his name if he didn't want to.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
“Seems like a real roundabout way to make the trip.” Nate points out, the hard line of shoulders not quite softened again yet. “Theres a portal in the Grounds you could have taken. Fuck, I think there might even be one in the Greatwood itself.” Not that he thought anyone really had an interest in using that one, lest they be slain by angry fey. “M’from Torchline.” He offers softly, deciding a man with a puppy could only be so much trouble.
Nates other hand rises, fingers stroking the warm soft fur at Lilly’s chin as well as her head. “She is a cutie, aren’t you Lilly?” Cooing over the pup, Nate let’s his gaze rise to Sah’s face, something unreadable in his eye. “It’s a pleasure, Sah.” Theres a lilt to the name, like Nate is teasing in some impossible to decipher way.
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah gave a shrug. "I wanted to see more of Caido. And get away from civilization for a bit. It seemed like a decent idea." He was a bit surprised that the stranger gave any information on himself. "Torchline, huh? I've never been. I much prefer snow to sand so I've been hesitating." Sah gave no indication about why he avoided the portals beyond just wanting to explore. As much as Lilly seemed to judge this man decent, neither of them trusted the stranger yet.
Lilly did yip happily at the compliment, preening under the attention. Sah gave a small chuckle at the smugness he felt through the bond. "And she knows it. Won't let anyone forget it either." His tone was a mix of exasperation and fondness. Sah raised a brow at the teasing undertone of the stranger's greeting. The fact that a name wasn't given after all, was also noted. "So what does have you stalking through the forest with enough stress and borderline rage to make a puppy worry about you?" Sah finally asked. Lilly had been sending him odd sensations that he had only just deciphered as a request to help the stranger out.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
“You mean you’ve been missing out.” Nate manages a bark of laughter along with the words, some measure of tension bleeding away from him. It’s still present, obvious in the clench of his jaw, the way his gaze is never quite still, but... it’s better. “If you’re used to the cold you might like Longnight best though. Just a week of parties on the beach.”
Nate simply responds to the bark with a chuckle of his own, his teeth baring playfully at the puppy. “Dinner.” He answers simply, not looking up at the other man. “Hunting seemed easier than heading into town.” Nate shrugs, his hands leaving Lilly so he can put into the gesture. “Shoulda known better though. M’ fuckin’ cursed.”
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah snorts out a laugh. "I suppose that I have. Maybe I'll swing by on my way home. Not used to parties just yet, but maybe when Longnight rolls around I'll be willing to give them a try." The massive collection of people, sights, and sounds that most parties were was still overwhelming for the former canine. He often found himself feeling overstimulated and stressed at them.
He let out a nod at the concept of looking for dinner out here, though he didn't fully buy it. Lilly however playfully bared her teeth back, tail wagging furiously. Sah chuckled. "You've made a friend." He noted, eyeing the pup. Both Sah and Lilly froze at the last sentence, concern growing in both. Lilly gave Nate's hand a gentle lick as Sah spoke. "Cursed? Did one of the gods decide to fuck you up?" He didn't make any move to ask if it was deserved. From what Sah had been told, if often was unprovoked.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
“What, you’ve never been to a party before? You been livin’ under a rock?” A noise huffs out of Nate, disbelieving and small. He’s teasing, the tone obvious in his tone, in the way his head tips back and the corners of his grin creep up.
Nate snorts, all but rolling his eyes. “Yea. Safrin hates my fucking guts. She threatens me, I bite my tongue, it’s a whole thing.” A finger rises to twirl in the air, trying to communicate just what a waste of time Nate thought it was. It drops back onto Lilly’s head after only a moment though, a deep sigh sagging his shoulders. “I make it work.”
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
Sah quirked a brow, a mischievous grin on his face, matching Nate's teasing. "Outlander. I've never been to a human party." Lilly sends a pleased feeling toward her bonded. Sah really wasn't sure why his pup thought this man so desperately needed cheering up, but she was determined to see it happen.
The mention of Safrin and Nate's dynamic had Sah's brow furrowing. "Safrin?" The message of how much wasted time went into the dynamic was heard loud and clear. The sag of his shoulders had Lilly meeting Nate's hand with more licks and Sah letting out a sigh. "Care to share?" The Outlander grimaced. "I'm friends with one of her kids so I've mostly heard the positives. But even...even some of the people closest to her have mentioned her negative traits. Vaguely though, of course." For his own sake, it'd probably be smart to hear both perspectives. Especially since Umbra was so against him befriending Seren. It made the Abandoned worry about Safrin's inevitable reaction.
// the anesthetic never set in and i'm wondering where the apathy and urgency is that i thought i phoned in it's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal but we deal, we deal //
A brow lifts with judgy haste, Nate not sure what to make of the qualifier. What other kind of party is there, if not human? But it’s not enough to comment on, not really, not with Nate still in the mood he is, and still thoroughly distracted by Lilly.
Luckily for Sah, Nate’s reluctance to vent is completely outweighed by his desire to shit talk a goddess. “Kids always have nice things t’say about their moms, huh?” Nate smiles wide, all teeth. “It’s pretty easy to pick up on her negatives once you meet her. She’s bitchy, she’s jealous, she’s controlling. If she wasn’t a God, I’d say it was a wonder no-ones tried to teach her a lesson yet.” Even with her being a god, Nate seems like he wouldn’t mind taking a swing at it.
// can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid sit back, relax, sit back, relapse again //
