And i kept running for a soft place to fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

Her habits have shifted again. Midnight walks and night time revelations fill her evenings, drawing her through the streets of Haulani and down to the shore, the only place that seemed to bring her peace anymore. Aidon, ever watchful and alert when his bonded is lost in her thoughts like this, bounded ahead of her. Claws digging into the sand, occasionally pouncing after a crab that braved exiting its hiding spot only to be met with a dragon, occasionally peering back over his shoulder with glowing orange eyes to ensure that Maeve was still alright.

The Madame hardly seemed to focus ahead of her, simply allowing her feet to carry her forward, one foot in front of the other. The breeze tugged at her dress and hair, the longer strands whipping in the wind, moonlight bathing her in a silverly glow. Awashed in the light, she looked almost ethereal, drifting along the shoreline like a lost spirit and in a way, she was.

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

The sand and sea had become his usual haunt throughout the last few weeks, where he had been in an odd in between kind of state; back with Pet but with nowhere to live, hating his Ascension but glad to be alive, terrified for the war and sick of the monotony of his current life. Adam found at least some solace in the sound of the ocean, as soppy as that was.

He really was getting old, but he found he didn't care all as much as he once did.

It wasn't that unusual to see others out for night time walks on the coast, after all there were plenty of Ascended in Torchline, but the figure he glimpsed before him moved so slowly that it made him pause. Squinting, his eyes now able to pierce through the dark in a way they hadn't before death, he realised who it was.

"Hey!" Adam called, running up the beach before he even thought of it. "Hey, Maeve! What're you doing out here? There aren't even any puddles!" Getting close, he could see that she was not entirely her usual self; something about her seemed off, sad. His foot steps slowing as he got within a few feet, Adam lowered his voice: "...You okay? It is kinda late to be out for you."

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

She doesn't hear him at first. His voice mixing with the crashing of the waves and simply becoming white noise in her ears. If it wasn't for Aidon suddenly sending a warning along the bond, Maeve wouldn't have even looked up, but that cool spike hits her mind and she sucked in a breath. The familiar voice of Adam washed over her and she turned, spotting him in the dark, the moon casting both of them in her glow. She didn't say anything at first, but her feet carried her forward until she was throwing her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "Adam." His name is muffled against his chest, a warm exhale of breath as she slumped against him for what seemed like minutes, but was really only seconds.

The Madame drew back, looking up at him as her brows drew together, struggling to know where to even begin. So much had happened. More than she could ever imagine. "Honestly? I don't know. There's... a lot." Maeve admitted, voice as soft as the whisper of waves against the shore, jade eyes running over his face. They swim with a myriad of emotions, all of them jumbled and knotted together into something that she couldn't even begin to unravel. "Do you have time to talk? I think I'm the one in need of that post fuck therapy session." Minus the fucking. Although, she really wouldn't say no to that either.

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

"Whoa, hey!" Adam exclaimed as Maeve suddenly got close, her face pushed into his chest and his name whispered gently. He wasn't used to such warm welcomes, but after his initial moment of surprise he wrapped his arms around her, tilting his head to try and look down at her face. "Whats up?"

The waves slowly broke the shore and left again and after he counted five coming and going, Adam let her go and took a step back, nodding. "Sure, I'm not doing fuck all, just wandering around on the beach like I'm being cool and broody, you know." He said, as if this was something any average person would do at night. Taking a few steps back up the shore and finding a rock large enough to sit on and stare at the ocean while they spoke, he patted the spot next to him. "Take a seat, Pete."

If that phrase was anything to go by, it was not a sexy kind of night.

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

It was easy to melt into his embrace, letting the weight of his arms around her comfort her and she knew that right now he was her friend, that he cared. She let out a shaky breath as they both pulled back, a small smile managing to tug at her lips, "You're always cool and broody, love." Maeve said, trailing after him towards the rock and taking the invitation to sit on the rock. An unsexy night indeed.

She drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around the top of them as jade eyes focused out on the ocean, the Nightshade attempting to arrange her thoughts. "You remember when we went to the room together? What you said to me?" He said a lot of things to her that day, but there was one thing in particular that was on her mind. "That you'd be here for me if I needed you? Well... I kind of need you, Adam." Maeve murmured, turning jade eyes onto him, bottom lip catching between her teeth nervously as she worried what he might say.

"I'm pregnant... I'm pregnant and now the queen of this place and I am fucking terrified." Her breath let her in a rush, fingers curling in the fabric of her skirt, bunching it up beneath her palms.

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

"Well yeah, obviously." Adam agreed, clearly quite pleased that she'd said so. For once though, he swiftly moved on from the appraisal of himself and focused on her, picking up on Maeve's sombre attitude.

She needed him; he was surprised she felt like she had to ask so carefully, as if he was going to say no. The one genuinely good quality Adam could lay claim to was that he was loyal to his friends (up until they became Demi Gods, broke his marriage and joined the side that wanted to murder him). Shuffling closer now that she was sat with him, Adam put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Sure. You got me."

And she did, though what she said next did admittedly surprise him; Adam turned his head to stare at her for a moment, then looked away, trying to not seem too concerned. After all, if he took it in his stride, it would help her to, right? "Uhh...okay, well, lets take it one step at a time. Pregnant. Do you know who the dad is?" By the very nature of her job she'd have slept with a lot of people lately - for the briefest of seconds Adam was worried it might be himself, until he remembered he was permanently shooting blanks now.

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

The ease in which he reassured her that she had him helped to start untangling the knots in her belly. Maeve let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, leaning heavily into his chest as he wrapped a long arm around her, gathering her into his embrace. Everything with Adam was always so easy. He simply understood her in a way that not many others did. In her heart, Maeve knew that she could let her guard down and break to pieces in front of him and he would be here to help her put it all back together again. That's just how he was.

It was one of the few things that she did know. The father of her child. It was a blessing in itself, but Maeve hadn't slept with anyone aside from Sunjata and Locke since the Halenani collapsed. Not to mention she'd only been sleeping with Locke at the time she actually became pregnant. That was the easy part. Knowing. The part that wasn't easy? The fact that Locke left and had no clue.

Maeve nodded, licking her lips as she drew in a breath, "Locke. He, uhm, he's gone though. Went out on the Ark. He left me and ended things before I knew. I didn't get to tell him. To be honest, don't know if he'll even want me when he gets back. He didn't want me before, y'know? Why would he want me now?" Now that she came with a child. Now that she was even more of an anchor around his feet. No, Locke barely wanted to be held by her. Why would he want to be chained too?

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

The way Maeve heavily leaned on him, her body feeling limp and tired, was concerning; Adam held her all the tighter, sighing as he stroked her arm. It seemed that there couldn't ever be a time when everything was okay - if one thing improved, another life had to fall down, another tragedy of equal measure occur in another room.

At least she had a clear idea of who the father was: it was a start. At least, it was someone to threaten with a knife if he tried to desert her. Adam had done this once with Amalia, threatening to end Deimos if he dumped her with broken legs. He had no qualms about telling shitty boyfriends where they could stuff themselves...possibly because a lot of the time, he was one of those shitty boyfriends.

"Well, okay, let's go slow through that, right? Why'd he break up with you? You sure it's cos he 'don't want you'? I mean, Maeve, you're bangin' hot and cool to boot." He squeezed her a little tighter for a moment, trying to get a smile. "D'ya think he's the kind of guy that would do the right thing and take responsibility?"

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

She was so tired. Everything seemed to weigh heavily on her. How could she possibly hold it up all on her own? How can she protect her baby and lead a region and keep her friends and those she loved safe by herself? Maeve leaned into him heavily, letting out a shaky breath as he drew her ever closer, allowing her head to drop against his shoulder.

Well, Adam, the good news is that you're not the shitty boyfriend this time. Hell, you aren't even her boyfriend at all and you're doing a better fucking job at it than most. Not that the thought had crossed Maeve's mind. All she knew was that she needed someone and here he was.

"He said that it wasn't working out. That he wanted me to leave. That he didn't need me." It's so easy to feed the words back to him now. As if they happened to someone else, but they still hurt. "That sounds like not wanting me, Adam. Banging hot and cool to boot aren't enough, apparently." The words do earn him the faintest hint of a smile, but it's stolen by the pain of everything else. She drew in a breath, a shaky shuddery thing that did little to actually fill her lungs, "I'd like to think that. He took care of other kids that weren't his, but I really can't say."

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

"...Right, okay, so what I'm getting from that is that Locke is a fucking idiot." Adam nodded sagely, as if this was an indisputable and now entirely proven fact. "Did uh, did you think it was working out?" It was hard to judge a whole relationship from the outside, but if they had been doing well until that point, Adam hoped Locke would at least give her another try; he'd seen too many women left on their own, depressed and desperate. Caido was in those ways not as harsh as his home, but Adam was sure it would not be easy for Maeve without help.

If he wasn't going to be responsible, though, which was entirely a possibility...Adam sighed. "Well, hey. I don't love 'em, but kids like me. I know magic tricks and shit. You can dump them with their uncles Adam and Pet. Pet might even show 'em how to kill a man in under five seconds." That was the kind of talent his partner brought to the table - she could take it or leave it.

"So uh, Governor? How'd that one happen exactly?" Last he'd heard, she was a madame, Queen of her own little world but hardly a leader of a state.

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

Maeve huffed, running a hand through her hair before dropping her head back against his shoulder, "Yeah, but he was my fucking idiot." She lamented, slumping against him with a sigh once more, snuggling into the warmth of his embrace. It might be true. It honestly was true, but he was still hers and she love him. Loved him so much that she was willing to try to be only his. "Yeah, I did. We'd been living together. Since I came back after the monsoons. I was going to go back to the Halenani and I was going to ask if he wanted to stay with me there too, but it all just went to shit."

Thankfully Maeve wasn't truly alone. She wouldn't be. Not with Aurelia backing her. Not with people like Adam in her corner. Maeve drew back to look at him, arching a brow as she cocked her head to the side, "You and Pet are back together?" It was a small detail, but one she was glad to catch. That was until he mentioned the whole teaching them how to kill someone in five seconds, "Perhaps we'll keep murdering techniques to a minimum to start with, but I won't say no to the help. Thank you." She murmured, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the cheek, tucking herself against his chest once more.

"Queen, actually." Her cheeks flushed and she lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug, worried for a moment that he might take it poorly, "Safrin appointed me. Along with Aurelia. I- I wasn't expecting it, but know that it doesn't change things with us. I don't want to hurt the Ascended. Just like Sunjata."

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

Well, he could understand that. Not only had Adam been many people's 'fucking idiot', he'd also had a few of his own. Keeping his arm around her and tapping the top of her head with his cheek, he huffed out a little laugh. "Okay, well...I dunno, one fight and it all blows over isn't usually how stuff actually ends, right? As soon as he gets back you gotta grab him and make him listen to you." Hopefully, he'd try, but Adam couldn't guarantee anything. He didn't even know the guy to make judgements.

He blinked at her question, for a moment almost forgetting he and Pet had been apart at all. "Oh, yeah. We worked it out and now we're living together in a cave. ...It's better than it sounds. We're happy and shit." For anyone else, a cave was a miserable house, but two weird Ascended that liked the ocean? It was fine. Grinning as she kissed his cheek, he held out a hand before them. "Okay, no murders, but--" Adam rolled his thumb up his fingers and produced a coin, that appeared and disappeared each time he opened his palm. "How about that? Gonna blow the kids mind."

Perhaps Adam privately raised his eyebrows out at the beach at the title of 'Queen', but he didn't say anything about it. "..Huh. Did she say how come? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure you're gonna smash it. Just seems...strange. And..." He sighed, chewed on his lip; he really didn't want to add to her problems, but.. "The Old Gods have ways of manipulating people. What're you gonna do if she threatens you, your kid, if you don't crack down on Ascended?"

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

"What a shame she's fucked in the head," they said.

It was how it went, wasn't it? Either you were someone's idiot or you had an idiot. In this case, Maeve was the one with an idiot and she sincerely hoped he would listen to her when she finally found him. "One would think it would take more than that. I can only hope that he'll take me back. Take us back." Maeve sighed, running a hand over the small swell of her belly, really starting to show now.

She smiled softly at that, warmth spreading through her chest at the mention of him and Pet, loving that they were actually happy. Good. He deserved it. They deserved it. "Well, the offer for you to work as security at the Halenani still stands. That would come with a room for you two if you wanted it." Maeve reminded him of the offer she made before, unsure if he'd care to take it, but more than willing to still have him if he wanted. The Nightshade had lived in a cave before, but then again, she wasn't an Ascended and had also been a child. So her experience was likely much worse in comparison. Her attention is pulled by the magic trick and she can't help the soft laugh that rises in her throat, "Oh, I have no doubt they'll adore it."

He was right. It did seem strange. Maeve pressed her lips together, considering his question, "She felt that we had Torchline's best interest at heart. Not only that, but that we would take care of the people." The Ascended that lived among them were few and far between. Truthfully she only knew of three. At least by name. It was the other question that worried her more and Maeve sighed heavily, "Honestly, I don't know, Adam. I know that both Aurelia and I are going to try our best to remain neutral for as long as possible."

Maeve

Adam

Speed up to the precipice and then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times and then learn from their mistakes

"Well...if he doesn't, tell him to come talk to me. I got a couple friends." Shrugging his arm away from her for a second, he held out both fists in front of him. With Adam's weedy arms and skinny fingers it was nowhere near as threatening as it could be, but the spirit was there.

Moving back in close, he tilted his head side to side at her offer. "I think we're good in the cave for now, but...thanks. If you ever need the help, let me know. Right now I think me and Pet are just...taking time to get to know each other again, y'know?" Everything was new, not just after their break up but after coming back to life; there was a distinct then and now and they had to work out who they were in the now.

That was all well and good, but depending how things shook out with the Gods, that 'now' could be over very soon. Not leaning away but going a little stiff, Adam sighed and stared up at the sky. He knew Maeve was as helpless as any of them, tried to swallow the anger that wanted to rise. In the end, though it was probably not the best response, he laughed and said: "Okay, well, gimme some good warning before the death squads come around, yeah? I'd at least like to get a headstart."

We are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall