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!
Locke might not have known her really well, but Paige knew all about Locke. Well, as much as Auntie Maeve was willing to tell her, but Paige made sure to ask so many questions. She lets the man pick her up, looping an arm around his neck easily as her eyes go wide, "Unicorn hair? That sounds silly. What's it taste like? Is it good?" Paige asks, excitement in her voice as she wiggles in his arms, straining and stretching to try getting a better look at everything. There was so much to take in and see. So much to do. A booth with brightly colored twinkling lights catches her attention and she points to it, "What's that?"
Paige looks back at Locke expectantly, sure that he has all the answers to her questions, knowing that most adults do. He's an adult too. So he has to know. That's how it works. "Are you and Auntie Maeve in love?"
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
The questions start almost instantly and he has to remind himself that this is just how kids are. They're just.. full of questions about everything. It's his.. favorite thing about them. Even if his nerves are already a little on edge, he's grateful for the change of pace. Paige is pretty cute after all. "Mhm, cause it's wispy like a unicorn's mane. I think. It's very good. It's just sugar and air and maybe some magic." He's really not sure how it's made but still. All of her wiggling makes her harder to hold but he just.. Tries his best. Dropping her would not be impressive and he's maybe got a girl to impress. Paige's question catches his attention again and he turns to look at the booth. "Looks like a game. We can go check it out after we eat, yeah?"
Getting her sugar maybe isn't the best idea. He's forgotten how excitable kids this age can be. He carries her over to the stand, shifting her so she's properly on his side and can look at all the flavors. He's about to ask her what she wants when she cuts in with a question of her own. His face flushes darkly and he kind of laughs. "Somethin' like that.." CHILDREN!
She can't help it. There are a lot of questions in her head and most adults don't bother answering them. Locke isn't like most adults. He's fun. Auntie Maeve always seems to laugh when she's with him and he always makes her smile. Paige stops wiggling in his arms as they draw closer to the table and he shifts her to his hip instead, momentarily distracted by the unicorn hair and the possibility of different flavors. "Magic? I didn't know you could put magic in food. Is that why your cookies are so good?" She asks, head cocking to the side as she looks up at Locke with bright eyes, nose wrinkling up. "Okay! After unicorn hair we can play." Paige nods her head decisively, already having made up her mind on which prize she was going to get when he won.
The blush on his cheeks is something she isn't expecting and it makes her giggle, poking at his cheek with a finger, "I knew it! Auntie Maeve loooves you too! I heard her say it!" Paige grins up at him before she's looking back down at the treat, pointing to a blue and pink swirled one. "That one please!"
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
Maybe he's just feeling a certain kind of way lately, okay? There's been a lot of shit on his mind but it's hard to think about war and gods when there's a wiggly seven year old asking you everything that comes to her mind. Locke wrinkles his nose up at her, sticking his tongue out. "My cookies are good because I've spent a lot of time learning how to make them. Guess its a different kind of magic." Are they really that good? Everyone keeps telling him they are.
He looks over at her again, scarred eyebrow quirked up as he tilts his head. "Oh yeah? And who has she been telling she loooves me to?" He mimics the way she says it, entirely too curious to let it slide, even when she's pointing to the swirly candy floss. While he waits for her answer, he orders her candy floss and you know what? He gets some for himself too. It's just blue but it's fine. He's pretty sure it all tastes the same.
"What else does she say about me? Just wonderin'.."
Her brow furrows and she purses her lips on thought, "Do you teach yourself? I sometimes helped make cookies in the kitchen, but then our home fell over." Her shoulders lift in a little shrug, holding onto him as he steps forward to get their candy floss. "She told momma and some of the other girls. They always ask about you 'cause Auntie Maeve doesn't usually see people outside of the house. They said you're special." Of course Paige doesn't know anything about what it is they actually do or why that's an important distinction, but that's what they said and he asked.
Paige takes her poofy cloud of floss and tears a bit off, stuffing it into her mouth and humming, doing a little happy dance in his arms. "She says that you're funny and a good cook and that you have a nice butt. 'cept she doesn't say the word butt. She says the other one, but I'm not allowed to say it."
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
"Yep. I used to help take care of a lot of kids so I had to learn how to cook." Internally he's screaming even if externally he's grinning at her. "I think we're almost done building the new house so you should be home soon. Maybe we can make cookies together one day." Never make a promise to a kid, that's what he's learned. You just teach them to be let down. He takes a bite of his candy floss as he looks at her. "Oh yeah? I dunno about that." There's a hint of red to his cheeks either way.
She keeps talking and the red tint to his cheeks only darkens. Still screaming internally and still wishing he had more than overly sweet candy floss to distract him, he brings her to the game they were looking at before. He might be able to win her something. If he can manage to put her down. "Those are all of my good qualities, that's for sure." He shifts her a little bit again. "Want down? I can play the game while you eat your unicorn fluff and I'll eat mine while you play?"
"Why did you take care of a lot of kids? Did you have a lot of babies? I didn't think that daddies could have babies. I thought it was only mommies. Can daddies have babies too?" Paige doesn't seem to notice his little internal struggle with himself, too caught up in asking all of her questions, tearing away at the candy floss and putting piece after piece into her mouth. "That would be fun! Could be put chocolate chips in them? Those are my favorite." Doesn't matter that he didn't promise, Paige definitely won't be forgetting anytime soon. Not with the possibility of cookies on the table. She huffed, narrowing her eyes at him as he dared to argue back, "That's what they said though!"
Paige is unaware of his reddening cheeks or his screaming, content with her candy floss and the possibility of a prize. "Yeah! You go first. Then I'll go. I bet I can beat you." She said matter of factly, looking up at him with a grin, lips stained slightly blue from her treat. Does it matter that she doesn't know the game? Nope! Will she insist that she can win no matter what? Yes she will!
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
His face scrunches up as he tries to figure out how to answer her. "They were my siblings, not my kids. I don't have any babies. And I think.. Some daddies can have babies. Especially if the gods help. And sometimes mommies and daddies adopt babies too. There's lots of ways." What is he even saying? Her mother is going to kill him. "Of course we can put chocolate chips in them. That's my favorite kind too. Especially with milk." He wiggles his eyebrows at her as he takes another bite. It's too sweet but he's already feeling the sugar high so it's fine.
It's a dart game so she probably can, honestly. Especially with the sugar coursing through his veins. "We'll see. Either way, I'll give you the prize I win, okay?" He gives her a little wink before picking up the darts and throwing them at the little targets on the wall. He manages to get enough for a little stuffed rabbit and he holds it out to her. "Your turn then?"
It all sounds rather complicated and Paige has a bit of a hard time following, but she tries her best. Kamaria has two daddies, but her mommy was Safrin and her daddy was Sunjata. How did that work? She's tempted to ask, but he says that they can put chocolate chips in the cookies and that's enough to distract her for the time being. "Especially with milk! It's the best!" Paige says with a firm nod of her head, finishing off the last of her candy floss while Locke starts the game. It's darts and she doesn't know how to play, but it seems easy enough.
He wins a bunny and her eyes light up, knowing that she's going to get a prize even if she doesn't win. With a serious amount of concentration, Paige steps up to the game, throwing dart after dart at the little target. Not a single one sticks, but that doesn't seem to matter because she gets a prize anyway! The person behind the counter hands her a toy snake and she turns back to Locke to show off her prize.
With a bright smile and sticky fingers, she seizes his hand, "Let's go show Auntie Mae!" There are plenty of other games that need playing, foods that need tasting, and cakes that will eventually need stealing, but the girl is content to stay with the two adults for a little while longer.
~FIN <3~
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
