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!
”Obviously.” Maeve repeats, taking another sip of her tea, letting it warm her throat as she does her best to relax against the cushions of the couch. It’s hard to take what he’s saying as genuine, but the Madame does her best. A dark brow arches despite that, head cocking to the side, ”Is that right?” The prompt isn’t laced with anything other than curiosity. It wasn’t an opinion she thought he would have.
Quiet settles over them for but a moment as Nate shifts to set his almost empty glass down, pulling out the pad he’s been scribbling in the whole time they’ve been together, prompting Maeve to pay a bit more attention to what he has to say. ”I’m sure we can manage that. It isn’t just myself that wants my workers to be ready, but they are eager to have a plan as well.
The smile is almost unsettling. It’s the first one that he’s given her that isn’t laced with an ever present predatory nature. For a breath she almost can see how some might consider him charming, but she knows better than to let her guard down. A snake might be beautiful, but it is still a snake, willing and ready to strike whenever it sees fit. ”I would have never guessed that about you, Nate. Then again, there is plenty we don’t know about each other.” She muses softly, lips twitching into a faint smile as she ignores the obvious glint of his ring, not feeling the need to acknowledge such a thing. Her own fingers lift to her neck, thumb running across one of the dark crescent moons of her necklace, mind flitting to Locke as an ache grows in her chest and her brows knit together. The smile that was resting so prettily on her lips fades and she draws in a breath.
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
So you drink your day away till the liquor in your mouth laughs
“Sure. S’gotta be the newest place in town, huh?” Harder to blow down something fresh built than something that’s been standing in the elements for years, usually. Nate knows his brother had some kind of a hand in this lace though, knows that Bart knows how to do good work, and most importantly, he wouldn’t let others do shit work. But he’s distracted by yet more planning, lessons and emergencies changing what he’d thought. “Usually people could care less about this stuff.” Nate admits, a shrug rolling over his shoulders as he pauses his scribbling, and plays up his offense.
“I know you wouldn’t have.” There’s no hostility in the words when Nate says them, no accusation, for all they might come across like it. “I know you don’t care to know me beyond what you’ve already decided.” The hostility, the mistrust, whether he deserves it or not, it all points to the fact that her mind is made up about him. And it’s a feeling that’s mutual. “I mean, it’s fine.” He says with a laugh, before she can object, if she even means to. “Its not like I think of you as much more than my husbands wannabe mistress, so it goes both ways, right?” For the first time, Nate’s gaze drops to the gravid swell of Maeve’s belly, a brow lifting as if it’s the first he’s noticed it.
Without looking, he rips off the sheet of paper he’d been writing on, setting it beside his nearly empty glass. A record of the recommendations he’s made, number and suggestions and training plans outlined. “Why don’t you think about everything I went over with you, and let me now when you’re ready to schedule some training for the workers, huh?” With a wink, Nate stands, rolling his shoulders back.
“I’ll just see myself out darling, thank you for your hospitality.”
"It is." She confirms, not bothering to add that it was also one of the most structurally sound thanks to the very nicely drawn blueprints they had to work off of, building the whole thing from the ground up based on those. Bart did have a hand in things. In the clearing off the lot an the tearing down of the old structure. Something that was minor overall, but still helpful. Not that Nate knows how much his brother helped. Their attention shifts back to the new plan they need to come up with and Maeve mimics his shrug, "I like to be prepared." Comes the even reply as she finishes the last of her tea, stretching to place the cup back onto the tray that was brought in earlier before she settles once more.
The Madame crosses her legs, folding her hands in her lap lightly as she studies him, jade eyes just as calculating as his tend to be. There might not be any hostility or accusation apparent, but Maeve is not naïve enough to think that Nate means nothing by them. Neither of them like each other. That's a fact that won't change. Nate, for all Maeve cares, could fall off the face of the earth and she wouldn't miss him. He would likely say the same about her. The feeling is beyond mutual. Maeve finds no need to correct him and wouldn't even bother to. Why pretend? However, his statement does almost make her laugh. Lips twitching up into a smirk before she's quickly schooling her features.
Wannabe mistress? That's a new one. Funny, considering that Sunjata had more than wanted her at the time. Even still, she had been doing a job. Whatever hang ups Nate had about that were all his own to deal with. Maeve doesn't bother hiding as she smooths a hand over the swell of her belly, arching a brow and daring him to say something, needing far less of an excuse to snap. Still, she remains the picture of composure. Calm, collected, and unbothered by his words as her head tilts.
The visceral wave of nausea that rolls through her at Nate's wink and pet name is almost enough to make her gag right there on the spot, but she doesn't let her composure break. Instead she offers the sweetest smile, pretty as a painting as she looks up at him, almost coquettishly from beneath her lashes. "Of course, sweetheart. I'll be sure to let you know." She practically purrs, all honey sweet as she remains on the couch, eyes tracking him towards the door.
It isn't until it firmly closes behind him with a click that Maeve rolls her eyes. She has all of his notes, suggestions, and plans outlined for her now. The Madame has a feeling that she won't be needing him again any time soon.
~FIN~
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
