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!
He probably shouldn't have wandered this far away from the Ark but there's meat to be had. Or he hopes there is. If these stupid gourds would get away from him. He's tired of dried meats and fruits. He wants something fresh. Vampire gourd is not on his menu though. A low growl bubbles up in his throat as he pulls himself up a tree. A swamp isn't really all that different from a jungle, right? Nothing to worry about. Plus, it doesn't seem like they've quite figured out how to climb yet.
He's only ever seen a vampire gourd a handful of times and they've all been Fangorn. These are much less friendly and cute than the one he's familiar with. A pause as he watches them clamber together before he sighs. There's no getting out of this one. He bunches his muscles before simply jumping down on top of them. His weight, plus his claws get most of them. He slaps one away before biting another. It's kind of a little morbid but there's one biting his tail so it's only fair, right?
Ray had been out gathering herbs when of course the seasonal pests showed themselves. The leopard was not please in the slightest at the interruption. And so with a snarl she'd set out to remove the ones in the nearby area so she could get back to work. With a swipe, Ray sent on gourd crashing into a tree trunk and exploding. Just as she was about to pounce on another she heard a growl.
Turning around she spotted a jaguar leaping down. Though it wasn't clear initially if it was a felow Attuned, she reached through the bond. The little shits bothering you too? The statement was made as she swiped another pumpkin and sent it sailing further into the trees.
One goes just past him and he turns to stare at the other cat. He forgets about the bond again, confusion crackling along it, before her voice reaches him. That's an understatement. He huffs, leaning down to grab one and simply crush it between his jaws. He spits the chunks out, shaking his head. Is it like this everywhere? He's only been on a boat for most of the season so far. It's fine.
Locke turns to slap the one biting at his tail away, growling with satisfaction as it's ripped apart by his claws. He turns to look at the other cat and if it weren't for the voice, he might've thought it was Sunjata or Nate for a moment. But maybe that's just wishful thinking on his part. But its probably better if it's someone he doesn't know. What are you doing out here?
Ray chuckles through the bond as she nods her head. Everywhere. It's horrible this season. Worse then past years it seems. Pouncing on a gourd that got too close, the panther crushed it beneath her claws with a satisfying pop. I've heard they've shown up in absurd numbers in every region. Even Halo. It was strange, the gourds finding themselves all the way onto the other side of Caido. It made Ray wonder what was driving it all.
The question about her presence has Ray tilting her head. I was out gathering herbs. The little pests kept getting in the way so I thought I'd remove the ones in the nearby area. What about you? Here just to smash pumpkins? Her tone through the bond is mildly playful, a hint sarcastic.
Wonder what has them all so riled up. They're far from the Grounds but not like super far. Halo, however, is the last place he would expect them. He wonders if it's this bad in Torchline too. Briefly worry crackles along the bond but he shuts it down quickly. He really needs to practice his control of that. I don't remember them ever being this bad. Maybe the war talk has them upset. Or excited. The gore crows must be vibrating with excitement.
Hunting. Looking for fresh produce mostly. Not sure what I was hoping to find in a swamp though. Maybe berries. Do you want me to help you? I don't know much about plants but I can keep them away from you while you look. Any excuse for violence lately it seems. He slaps another away, growling happily as it explodes against a tree. Its a little.. gorey but hey!
Ray gave a feline shrug of the shoulders, shaking out her fur a bit to dislodge pumpkin guts. She notices the quickly suppressed worry and feels a pang of sympathy. I find it helps to deliberately send messages more often. Once you get used to the sensation of sending thoughts, you have an easier time realizing when you're about to do it subconsciously. She advises, trying to explain the process that helped her out when she first Attuned. The bond is certainly an adjustment from being an Accepted.
Changing the subject so that her companion doesn't have to dwell on it if he doesn't want to, Ray steps on another pest forcefully. I don't remember them being this bad either. His offer to help has the herbalist perking up, ears twitching. That'd be amazing, thank you. Smacking pumpkins away she leads them over to a patch of mushrooms growing out of a twisting tree.
If you keep them off my back, I'll let you take some of these home. They can boost your immune system to help speed up recovering from an illness or infection.Ray offers as she reaches up and sinks her claws into the bark.
Ah. I haven't had anyone to practice with. My.. partner is an Accepted. Not that they're together anymore but it's fine! Speaking of accidental bond fuckery, Ray might notice something akin to sharp pain but only a moment. Locke growls softly, slinking his way towards her properly.
He lingers behind her, letting her work on getting the mushrooms out of the tree. He'll help if she needs but she seems to know what she's doing. He'd rather smack pumpkins away. He's feeling a little pissy and it's his own fault. Luckily there are plenty of things to take it out on. I don't get sick but I'll keep it in mind. Might be good to have on the ship anyway. Last thing he wants is to get hurt doing something stupid. It might be the first thing he wants too.. Conflicted as he is about all things at the moment.
Ray nods in understanding as she begins to remove the mushrooms. Claws digging into the bark, she carefully carved out the pieces where the fungi were attached. Soon the Attuned is removing long strips from the tree, ones that she'll carry back home later. Ray politely ignores the spark of pain Locke unintentionally sends but it does feel another surge of sympathy. The jaguar is clearly struggling with something, something too personal for a stranger to pry into though.
Focusing on her task, Ray is grateful to have Locke keeping the pumpkins at bay. His mention of a ship catches her attention. He could mean any ship, but something about his demeanor has her considering another option. You from the Ark?
He looks at her over his shoulder, taking her in for a moment before turning back to a gourd that's wrapped it's vine around his forepaw. He pulls it forward, sinking his teeth into it and tossing it away. It makes a satisfying crack against a tree and he all but purrs in response. "Good guess. How'd you know?" There are plenty of ships leaving the ports of Torchline and other places, surely. But then again, The Ark is something else, isn't it? Not but a few seasons ago, one of the Queens was sailing on it herself.
Locke can't focus on it too long though, as more vampire gourds have gathered near them. He growls lowly, sinking down closer to the ground. He picks as many off at one time as he can, batting them away with massive paws. "Hurry up, this is getting annoying." He doesn't even notice the cut to his paw. Oh well. It's not deep and he'll be fine but it'll burn once he notices it there.
Ray chuckled through the bond. You've got the attitude of the Ark. Every single one of you has the same edge, it's rather telling. All of the ones that she'd met at least had a similar presence. A little jagged around the edges, a little guarded. But good people. That's not opt say others besides those on the Ark weren't the same. But as ships go, it was a decent guess.
Ray was just scraping off the last section when Locke prodded her. Done. Twisting around, she swiped a gourd away. Now let's finish these fuckers off. I'm sick of them. Pushing her collection behind her, the Attuned began to pounce on the pumpkins eagerly, claws sinking in deep in a satisfying manner.
He scoffs, shaking his head. It's only a temporary arrangement. Just needed out of Torchline for a bit. His tail whips angerly for a moment before he forces himself to relax. He's going to have to deal with these emotions soon. Or not! Don't think sailing is my thing really. Plus, when he gets back, he'll have a kid to deal with, not that he knows that but still.
She growls that she is finished and starts just.. destroying pumpkins and Locke would purr if he could. The emotions from moments ago roll off him as he takes it out on the gourds. He'd feel worse if the jaguar's predatory nature wasn't starting to well up in his blood. It's an interesting feeling and he almost enjoys it, losing himself to instinct. It's a lot easier than worrying about human trivialities.
Ray nods at the explanation and politely ignores the accidental overshare. Though it does seem like she struck a nerve. Oops. Putting that aside, the leopard throws herself into her instincts. Sometimes it's truly great to let the cat do what it wants. And right now, it wants to destroy pumpkins.
Ray is pleased that Locke seems to be on the same page. From then, conversation pauses as they take care of the biting pests. The two cats continue to destroy pumpkins until they are satisfied and there are no other gourds within reach. From there, they part ways, both carrying bark laden with mushrooms in their jaws.
