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!
She waits along the edges of the shore. The last time she'd been here is still haunting her in the back of her mind, but somehow it serves as a stark reminder of the path she's wanted to tread this whole time. So she waits, glancing up at the stars and the moon in the clear, midnight sky.
There's a soft smile on her lips. Whether it's out of happiness or not, truly, is hard to tell. Logic should dictate that it isn't. All the same, it's good to be home.
She expects Wessex, so when the Wraith shows up she is quick to turn and greet her. The cloak billowing around her isn't meant to hide her identity, so the hood rests around her shoulders. Her dark curls tangle around the edges of her jawline and she lifts her gaze to regard the Hollowed Grounds' General.
"It's been a while, Wessex. I'm glad you came," she starts, and her gaze flickers as her smile wanes, "but you didn't ask to meet with me just to catch up." Of course, she's pretending as if she hadn't seen Wessex preaching Ascension in Haulani before she left. "What is it?" It's not a demand or suspicion, it's concern that creeps into her tones now.
The coast is quite a long stretch of land, so it takes another back and forth of clarification before she’s able to narrow down exactly where the Fireheart means. So at the appointed time and place. The Wraith appears, lacking a familiar cloak, but still silent and pale and blonde. She wears a simple, sleeveless leather breastplate these days, a belt to hold weapons, and loose, comfortable pants. They’re probably pretty dirty right now, given all the building and rock-hauling that’s been going on lately.
But the face that’s there is not the Aurelia she knows. The Wraith is startled for a moment, pulling back suddenly and immediately wondering if she’s been pulled into a trap. Snapping into a fighting stance, it’s a hot minute before she’s able to connect the voice - still familiar, still sounds like Aurelia - to the face.
“You sound like Aurelia, but that ain’t her face.” Frowning and concerned, Wessex leaves the statement open-ended, somewhere between an accusation and a question.
08-10-2021, 11:03 AM (This post was last modified: 08-10-2021, 11:07 AM by Aurelia.)
but if you're broken
Aurelia startles just the same as Wessex does. Tensions are on edge enough as is with the forces that be against these two, that might drive these two to odds against one another - let alone that Wessex strikes a fighting stance suddenly. Let alone that Aurelia doesn't realize why, at first. Her own hand reflexively ripples towards her hipline, where her set of daggers hang from sheathes. Her gaze flashes toward Wessex's hands and in a pulse of starlight a shield appears directly in front of Aurelia's body.
It's all too soon after being nearly-killed for Aurelia to simply... not react to the threat of that again.
But after the beat of her heart steadies and the flush of adrenaline is filtered through, the star shield evaporates into thin air - a bracelet around her ankle again. The hand at the hilt of a dagger sweeps out in a 'white flag' gesture, and she eases back at the clarification that it's her new face.
"Sorry, I... I should have warned you," she offers, tone low with apology, "since we last met, a spirit in the Wilds changed my appearance. I'm me, I assure you. If you don't believe me, well.. there's the deal we made in Halo - after you'd obliterated a tiger to save my stupid ass - also after we ended up spat out in the Climb. I didn't tell anyone about our meeting then, or our meeting tonight." Wessex can do with that information what she will. "I still have scars on these fingers from the frostbite," she wiggles her fingers in the air for emphasis, where the tips are darker.
More seriously, Aurelia shifts her weight in the sand and goes on to say, "Seems as though we've traded places a little.... You're not Queen of the Grounds anymore.." her brows quirk a bit, the question audible in her voice; what happened there?
The two of them face off, a sudden burst of starlight causing Wessex to blink but hold her attack, purely because she’s more than confident that any attack on her will do more harm to the woman before her than it will do to her own person.
She softens slightly at the gesture, lowering her arms a fraction until she starts to explain, though when she does the explanation sounds alien. A bit discombobulated. Why let someone - a spirit, even - change your face? It’s not that the General doesn’t believe Aurelia, especially after she lists the things that must be true (she doesn’t even need to look at the frostbite scars and waves them away), it’s that it’s just so bizarre. “O...kay.” Her hands fold quietly across her chest and grasp at elbows, trying to shake the defensive feeling. It isn’t how she wanted to start this chat.
“A bit, yeah,” trying to offer a fanged smile back, Wessex blunders forward. “I really did mean to send congrats earlier.” Huffing in amusement, the last bit of tension seems to ease out of her. “This suits me better. I can go where I want, do more things, am less tied down with responsibility. Other than the typical GeNeRaL things. Which is why I asked to see you.”
08-17-2021, 11:19 AM (This post was last modified: 08-17-2021, 11:20 AM by Aurelia.)
but if you're broken
Aurelia's expression softens, understanding how suspicious and confused Wessex must feel, and how much of an adjustment it must be for those that still have yet to see her 'new face'. She only hopes that her words are convincing enough to soothe any ruffled feathers, and does her best to move on as though it hadn't happened.
As the tension seems to completely leave the Wraith, Aurelia finds a relieved sigh working its way out of her own lungs. Her gaze flickers over Wessex with what feels like a fresher take, seeing her for what she really seems to be. An adventurer. "You sound better, at least," she smiles gently, "a lot better than the last time we spoke." She'd almost said happier, but the word seemed off given the timing and that Wessex would apparently like to talk about more serious affairs.
"I figured this might be about something important," she admits raggedly before turning towards the outstretched sands and gesturing, "Walk with me." Without waiting for much longer, she turns completely and begins to walk at a relaxed pace along the shoreline. Her silence is attentive and expectant, giving Wessex all the room she'd need to speak about what had brought her here tonight.
“It helped to have others take some of the responsibility.” Which is probably what the Wraith needed all along. She can finally put some of those porcelain plates down, or hand them off, or whatever metaphor we want to use. “Which should come as no surprise.” Offering Aurelia a look that says she might actually know the responsibilities Wessex now speaks about - and might also know the advantages that having a supportive co-ruler might offer.
Falling into step with the Fireheart, the Wraith wastes no time, despite the gentle moon that hang delicately in the sky and the ghostly glimmer of the surf on the sand. “I can teach my people many things, but defending against animals isn’t one of them, because I haven’t spent much time as an Attuned. I can guess - but I don’t know.” Running a hand through one side of her hair, she exhales in slightly frustration. “And I think everyone should have the basics of self-defense. Especially my younger siblings.”
She glances out to the vast ocean, to the world she loves and the mysteries of the deep, dark sea. After a moment her gaze slides back to the Torchline Queen with what might be a stupid ask. “Do you know any Attuned who might be willing to lend me a shift, just so I can get the basics? I can’t keep going to Sunjata, Nate might get jealous. And they deserve some time to themselves.”
Aurelia nods knowingly. "It's definitely been a help. With responsibilities spread between those that are better suited for certain tasks at certain times, it's... the load is shared more equally that way and people are played to their strengths. That's the way it should be." For that, she can respect Wessex's decision. Hell, for the fact that it made her feel better at all, she could respect it. One's own desires should still be accounted for, after all.
But as they walk across the shore, Aurelia's boots sinking into the wet sand as they go, and there's no sign of tension, she cannot help but feel more and more apprehensive as Wessex speaks. Almost immediately, she gives Wessex a sharpened look - but nothing else as she hears her out.
"Are you trying to teach your people how to defend against animals, or how to attack Attuned?" She asks, coming to a sudden halt in the sand. "Because from what I've seen of you, Wessex, you know very well how to handle a wild animal."
She tilts her head to one side, awaiting the answer.
08-18-2021, 02:03 PM (This post was last modified: 11-24-2021, 04:59 PM by Wessex.)
you wouldn't even recognize me anymore
not that you knew me back then
The accusation has Wessex suddenly looking at Aurelia like she’s grown another two heads. But sharper. She’s wounded - again. After a moment of bewilderment, the Wraith rolls her eyes and dryly trudges on. One foot in front of the other, but each step seems just a little heavier than the one before it.
“Yep, you got me. I’m actually risking one of the few non-antagonistic relationships I have left by what - lying? - so I can teach teenagers to kill Attuned.” If there’s bitterness at the end, she doesn’t try to hide it. “You may not know me very well, but from what you do know - personally - Does that really sound like something I’d do?”
She pauses, briefly, turning towards Aurelia. “Hell, if I were trying to kill Attuned, that I’d be so clumsy as to tip the Queen of a potentially hostile region off?” But she’s a big, sneaky, bad, right? Shaking her head to herself, the General turns back to their walk, gaze fully focused on the sand and teeth digging into her tongue.
