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!
and we'll forget this solemn day, we'll always be young again
He’d considered a companion at some point, but that had come and gone before his awakening in King’s End. He doesn’t know what kind of impact having a companion for him might be with what’s about to come, though he supposes if it’s anything like what Maeve had, it wouldn’t be like he’d know what was happening until the bond already grew.
“Yeah, that’s it.” Varus rumbles with a hint of amusement, but shrugs at the mention of them not being fans of hers. Truthfully, they weren’t fans of his either given the obvious. He does perk up a bit as she mentions it’s Safrin she’s chosen to align with, a curious gleam crossing his gaze. “Why’s that, if you don’t mind me asking?” He asks, already moving toward the crib to help put it together. Might as well.
There’s also a small part of him that somewhat relishes in the idea of him, an Ascended (also from the first war) putting together a crib for a child for a Safrin follower, sure that she won’t like that all that much. “You can talk about it while I put it together.” He offers her, already kneeling beside the pile of wood to separate it, reaching for some discarded tools off to the side, working on the frame first.
"Of course. I suppose that makes sense." Maeve huffs a soft laugh. He surprises her by moving towards the crib, starting to sort out the pieces and picking up tools, kneeling to get to work. Maeve hums softly at his offer, shifting towards the rocking chair she has set in the corner, sinking into it with a huff. Her hand settles on her belly, smoothing small circles against the spot that they favor kicking, "There are a lot of reasons for it, truthfully."
Aidon shifts to settle beside her, his head resting in her lap as she gently rocks the chair with her toes, her free hand running across his scales. "I hadn't prayed since I was a child. Of course, they didn't answer me then. They couldn't. It really skewed how I thought about them. I didn't have any faith in the gods for the longest time." Not the Old Gods or the Voice or any of them. She was too young to know any better. Too used to being abandoned and unwanted that she wasn't willing to try again. Not after that first time. "It wasn't until a friend of mine was in need that I considered going to her. I needed a way to be there for those that had need of me, but I couldn't do that on my own."
She pauses, glancing up at him as her bottom lip catches between her teeth, "I didn't think she would come when I prayed. I didn't think anyone would, but she did and asked for nothing in return. She expressed how much she wanted to be there for me. She fully embraced me." Likely in the same way the Voice seems to embrace the Ascended. "Ever since that first night she's given me blessing after blessing. Weapons, power, protection for my baby... And she's asked for nothing but my love."
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
and we'll forget this solemn day, we'll always be young again
Once he gets the tools and the wood separated, Varus can start. So he sheds his light jacket, putting it in a pile off to the side. Underneath is a short sleeve shirt, one arm scarred in a few places, the other completely metal – and as he works, Maeve would be able to see that the metal of his arm goes all the way up to his shoulder, ending right beside his collarbone.
He listens to her though, to the story she projects. He’d had a similar thought when it came to the gods growing up – he’d been Accepted once upon a time after all. Yet the only person he ever grew close to was the Voice, and with the war that was brewing, well, the Underdogs always sounded like the better choice in his opinion. He just hadn’t expected to shut down for three hundred years.
The base of the crib gets put together, with the legs still off if only to make sure it went together without a hitch trying to balance it. He bites his tongue from saying something along the lines of ‘all she needs is love until she doesn’t’. If Maeve’s content with Safrin, then so be it. “Sounds nice.” He offers quietly, glancing up at her with his oceanic gaze. “Sounds a lot like how the Voice is to me.” A crooked, fanged smile crosses his face with that. “Glad you got someone in your corner, though.” Even if it was the opposite side.
Maeve isn't naïve. She nows that Safrin could change her mind about her at any point. That she could fall out of favor with her goddess if she crossed the wrong line. However, she also knew that Safrin would bring down the heavens for those she held in her favor. She watches as he works, bottom lip caught between her teeth, jade eyes sharp as she waits for his reaction. There isn't anything outwardly that gives away his distaste for her choices, but Maeve knows it's there, lingering beneath the surface.
The Queen smiles softly despite the flicker of unease that builds in her chest, hoping that this doesn't change the tentative friendship between them. "We all find it eventually I think. It makes sense that it isn't in the same place. We aren't the same people. None of us are." She muses, eye flicking back to the crib, watching it come together and ignoring the pang of longing for Locke it stirs up. They should be doing this together and yet every step she's faced practically alone.
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
and we'll forget this solemn day, we'll always be young again
He works quickly, familiarized enough with building to get it on a solid base so that the frame of the actual crib can just fit into it. It takes a few moments before he manages to make the base of the crib portion itself, but he listens to her regardless, offering a nod before a metal hand rises to push his hair back, the length growing a bit longer as time went on, the Ascended choosing not to cut it. His gaze lifts back to Maeve once she finishes with a small crooked fanged smile. “We aren’t.” He agrees, before working again.
Soon enough, he manages to have the crib put together and he rises, stretching out his arms, the metal one squealing a fraction as a bur gets stuck within the plates. A quick turn around of it and it’s fixed, however, and he turns to stand on the other side of it before his oceanic gaze lifts to Maeve. “Alright, wanna help hold this in place so I can screw in the base?” He asks, already lifting the crib with ease to set it on the legs, waiting for her to hold it so he can screw the pieces in.
They both seem to agree on that and it's nothing for her to return the fanged grin with a softer smile of her own. The silence is comfortable while he works and it isn't until he requests her help that she makes to stand, pushing out of the rocking chair with some effort before carefully making her way over to him. "I think I can manage that." Maeve hums, jade eyes holding his for the span of a breath as she lifts her hands to steady the crib so he might be able to screw things in.
"Thanks for doing this. I was worried I wouldn't have it built before they were born." She admits softly, a small crease forming between her brow as she holds the frame in place. The queen had been busy with a multitude of things and despite the fact that she would love nothing more than to focus on her baby, that just wasn't possible when she had a whole region that needed her attention.
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
and we'll forget this solemn day, we'll always be young again
She’s able to manage it and Varus is quietly thankful as she holds onto it and he fits one of the legs into the spot where it’s to be screwed into. The metal arm is helpful in gripping onto the screwdriver, able to spin and spin until the screw is in place before he slips over to the opposite side to do that one so she doesn’t have to hold onto it too much longer than she otherwise would.
It’s quick work and he does glance up at her to flash a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders. “No problem, Maeve.” He offers her quietly, finishing up the screws and giving the crib a good natured push to ensure that the legs aren’t wobbly and that they’re even. When he’s pleased, he sets the tools on the table next to the rocking chair and lets his gaze scan back over the crib just to ensure it was fine. “I think that’s it. I should probably get going back home now.”
Between the two of them they manage to finish the crib and it's all a bit more real. She draws in a breath, eyes trained on the crib and barely hearing his words, only looking up when he gives it a little shake. The crib doesn't wobble or creak. The construction sturdy. Maeve returns his smile, straightening herself back up as her hand comes to rest lightly on her belly once more, "I hope that fishing line comes in handy. Try to stay out of trouble, yeah?" Maeve drifts towards the door, leading him back to the exit so that she can close it behind him.
"Don't be a stranger, Cal. Tell Isla I said hello, will you?" She leans against the door, a soft smile still on her lips as she braces against the frame.
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
and we'll forget this solemn day, we'll always be young again
“Trouble? Me?” He teases her lightly, shaking his head and running his metal hand through his slightly longer hair as he steps toward the door to collect his jacket, looping it over his arm as she guides him toward the exit. He pauses with her as she moves to close the door and after they’re out and she’s bracing against the frame, he turns to her on his heel and offers a nod and a chuckle.
Hopefully he won’t be a stranger, depends on how much work the Grounds has to do he supposes. “I won’t.” He pauses, the grin sharp and cutting. “And I will.” He tips his head toward her, before he’s turning back down the hallway, a small jaunty little tune of a whistle leaving his lips as he does so, broken up only by a “goodnight Maeve.” just before he’s rounding the corner to slip out of the home sector of the Halenani.
