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!
They run. They run and her lungs burn and she's fairly certain that she might actually meet Ludo a whole lot sooner than she's expecting to. Paige looks back over her shoulder, watching as the tiger steadily gains speed, covering ground with long strides with each second. At first, Paige doesn't realize his hand is slipping from hers until it's suddenly gone. Panic shoots through her, but she quickly realizes he's shifted and she follows his lead, shrinking down into the small form of her weasel. Fur white and blending into the snow.
Everest barks, snarling and growling with all of his puppy might, doing his best to buy them time. It's just enough for her to remember something Mateo said to her the last time she saw him. 'You could probably ride him in that form.' Paige has just enough time to climb onto his back, gripping onto him for dear life as he bolts forward and away from the tiger.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Too full of nerves and panic to even realize that he has a hitchhiker, Ever runs haphazardly through the snow, yelping and crying out in the hopes that someone might hear. His paws, large and unwieldy have a hard time finding purchase on the cobblestones even though the Celestine's pathways are shovelled quite often. Bright golden pangs of panic spring from his mind as his heart quivers and races, easily felt through the attuned bond.
Hearing voices ahead, Ever is temporarily stalled; if he runs toward the sounds, that might mean safety. But it also might mean putting others in danger. Gods he wishes Mateo were here to tell him what to do.
Running towards some bushes, the dark pup begins to frantically dig in the underbrush as if he might make a hole large enough to stuff himself into. But a black dog in the white snow was hardly stealthy, even with the white blip of fur that happened to be Paige on his back.
His panic mixing with her own makes it very hard to think and that's what she desperately needs to do right now. Think, think, think! Paige grips onto his fur tightly, eyes darting this way and that in hopes of finding shelter. When Ever pauses she has a moment to gather her thoughts, hearing the voices ahead and having the same idea as him, but they probably won't be able to do anything. Not really. Not against a tiger. He starts running again, diving into underbrush and frantically digging, almost dislodging her from his back.
Paige takes the chance to look around, spotting a hollowed out felled tree that's much too small for a tiger, but the perfect size for a puppy and a weasel. Ever! There's a fallen tree! We can hide in there! She urges, crawling up to his head and giving his ears a little tug with her teeth to get his attention. There are a lot of smells around here and something in her gut tells her that they won't be so easily found. Especially with the way it's covered in snow and halfway buried in the underbrush.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Her voice inside of his mind is bright and jarring like cheerful sleighbells used to rouse a slumberer from sleep. Jumping instinctively, Ever's ears pin nervously against his skull as Paige's voice echoes in his mind. Polite and easily directed, the puppy follows her instructions almost immediately despite the needle-press of her teeth against his ears.
Darting into the opening and ignoring the moss and bugs dislodged by his presence, Ever tries to squirm his way until he's equally as far in as he is out. My mom will be heartbroken if I die, Ever thinks, his voice boyish and worried. Nothing in him tries to put on a brave face simply because he's with a girl, nor does he feign bravado. Instead, the puppy trembles, making himself as small as he possibly can.
Outside there are voices—one belonging to a woman that cuts through the cold clearly—but Ever can't understand what she's saying. There's a moment of snarls and large paws against the snow and stones, and then...
He takes her instructions and runs with them, squeezing both of them into the log and it's only when he stops moving that Paige wiggles off of his back to curl up against his head, pressing her own there in comfort. She's just as scared even if she's trying to be brave for the both of them. How can she be an adventurer when she grows up if she acts like a baby in the face of danger? It simply won't do. The weasel takes in a sharp breath, letting it out in a warm huff against his temple. It's okay. You aren't going to die. Paige replies to his thought, shaking just as much as he is despite her steadying breath, but eventually as silence reigns over them the girl dares to move.
I'm going to check if the coast is clear. She whispers despite the fact that her words are silent to anyone but him. Paige gives his nose a little pat with her paw before slithering much like a snake towards a small hole in the top of the log, poking her head out to look around. Thankfully her white fur blends in with the snow that covers their temporary hiding spot, making her hard to spot in the powder, ears flicking and nose twitching. There isn't any sign of the tiger and the voices from before seem to have faded too for the time being.
She heaves a sigh of relief, I think it's safe now. Do you want to come out? Paige prompts gently, trying to send a feeling of reassurance along their shared bond and having no real idea if it works, but she hopes for his sake it does.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
He is small, but then, so is she. Her breath is little more than a whisper against his fur, but the accompanying mental emotions sing through him warmly enough. He isn't too sure what to make of that. How can you know that? He wonders, genuinely.
Rather than argue, Ever just tucks himself all the more tightly into a ball. The ball is not brave nor bold. He'll leave that to the Paige's and Mateo's of the world. He is sensible, and potentially, on Ludo's doorstep. Outside, Paige will see a beautiful woman with brunette hair walking away with the tiger following amiably behind her. The woman is Lena, if the two have met, but if they haven't, she's just a stranger.
No. Ever answers honestly and timidly. He doesn't want to come out. He wants to stay in here until all the adrenaline has bled out of his muscles because just now he's a vibrating ball of energy that's incapable of movement. Is...is it really safe? He asks after a moment, blinking at her with wide blue eyes.
09-22-2021, 03:08 AM (This post was last modified: 09-22-2021, 03:09 AM by Paige.)
Paige
To be fair, she doesn't know that he won't die, but she's going to choose to think that he won't. That they won't. If only because it's the better thought of the two. No one wants to think they're going to die! Even if being chased down by a molten tiger is a crazy way to go. They're just kids and it's way too soon for their stories to be done. Just trust me, Ever. I told you I'd keep you safe, right?" Sure they were just chased by a giant tiger that wanted to eat them for lunch and they were currently hiding in a log, but technically the girl had kept her word. He wasn't hurt. Just scared.
She goes back to watching, in awe of the stranger who simply walks away with the tiger as if they're best friends, taking the danger with her. A sigh of relief is palpable along the Attuned bond and she ducks back inside, standing up on her hind legs in front of him. She's small enough to do that without her head even reaching the top of the log. It's really safe. I promise. We can wait in here though if you want. I don't mind.
Her voice is just as bright as always, but there is a softer edge to it and if she were to be human right now there would surely be a kind smile on her lips. Paige inches closer, returning to his side to curl up with him, willing to wait as long as he'd like before they venture out again. You know, it was really brave what you did. Barking at it and everything to try and distract it. She offers quietly, a sweet sort of awe trickling along the bond, warm and fuzzy just like her fur. He might not be a fighter and he might not be bold, but she still thought he was something for doing that.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Ever's blue eyes blink hard at that. Trusting wasn't something he did easily, but it wasn't as though he had much of a choice in the matter just now. Trembling as Paige departs again to peep outside of the log, the boy watches intensely so as not to lose her against the backdrop of snow. Her sigh has his muscles relaxing by degrees, leaving him feeling suddenly exhausted.
Her weight against him, small as it might be, fills his mind. Physical contact is more bearable as a dog, but it's still something that the boy is hyperaware of, nearly to the point of being unable to think. I wasn't trying to be brave. He protests weakly, softly scenting the air to reassure himself that he couldn't smell the tiger anymore. I didn't know you could be a...uhm.. Trailing off, Ever turns his head slightly. His eyesight wasn't the best in the dark, and so he lets his head quizzically tilt to the side. ..what are you?
Paige gives him the equivalent of a shrug in this form, body shifting slightly against his as she steals some of his warmth, content to remain for the time being. Doesn't matter if you were trying to. You still were. She insists just as gently, wanting him to know that despite the fact that he'd been scared and still kind of was, he was brave too. In her opinion, you could still be brave even if you ended up running away. Standing your ground for even a second counted for something.
A laugh echoes through his mind and she wiggles back enough so he can get a look at her, liking the way his ears flop to the side when his head tilts, A weasel! She supplies helpfully, spinning in a little circle before standing on her hind legs. I'm usually brown with a white belly, but I guess since it's Deepfrost I'm white all over right now. Paige didn't know too much about her form besides the fact it was very sneaky and she could fit into very tiny spaces.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Ever's nostrils flare, and with a puppy-like boldness, he reaches forward to nose her. Sniffing hard enough to ruffle her fur, the boy considers, locking both her scent and the description she'd offered of her summer coat, in the back of his mind.
Will you get bigger? He wonders, knowing that he would grow much larger than he currently was. Ever's mind fills with the image of a massive weasel, soft and curious, that stood about hip-high. Was such a thing even possible? The puppy's large ears and paws were a clear indication that he was not fully grown, whereas with Paige, her proportions looked right. But then, knowing nothing at all about weasels, maybe that didn't mean anything at all.
His nose pokes into her belly as he sniffs her, making her back legs shift a pit as her front paws press against his snout and a chitter echoes in the log. It tickles more than she thought it would and there is a little wet spot on her belly where her fur sticks up kind of weird now, but she finds she doesn't mind it all that much.
I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'll stay this size, but if I get another shift it might be bigger. She didn't know when she would get another one, but hopefully it would be soon. Being this tiny was very useful, but after today having something bigger and with teeth or claws would be incredibly helpful as well. She's only met a few other Attuned and only one of them has more than two shifts.
Suddenly curious the young girl tilts her head, ears flicking, What do you think your next shift will be?
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Oh. Ever hums silently, storing this information. Is it scary being small? I think I would worry about getting stepped on. This doesn't say much, given how often Ever worries about things, but it does seem like the sort of thing that might happen.
Letting the rest of his muscles unclench slowly, Ever's tail gives a weak flop against the ground as he considers. I'm not sure. My mom only has one. This wasn't actually true, but then, Tobi's second shift was a carefully guarded secret. So maybe I'll just have one forever like her. But if I could choose...I think flying would be neat. Being able to just... get away no matter where you are. But nothing too flashy. He decides with a soft and decisive puff of air.
Paige takes a moment to consider the question, head tilting to the side, In Torchline it can be a little crowded sometimes, but I practiced in the market dodging feet. Most of the time I can squeeze into all the spaces people can't walk. She muses finally. Ever does worry about everything, but Paige isn't a worrier. It's hard to even consider something like that.
Oh. Was it possible to only have one shift forever? Mr. Jata could shift into a lot of different things, but Ray only had two shifts that Paige knew about. She wrinkles her nose, Flying would be neat. Paige agrees, imagining him as some kind of hawk or perhaps a sparrow. Sparrows weren't flashy, right? He turns the question back on her and Paige draws in a deep breath, huffing it bac out in a puff as she lowers herself back onto all fours, I think I would want to be a dragon. I want to be able to fly, but I also want to protect my friends too. Plus, I want to find Caido one day and I think it would be easier as a dragon.
Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long
there was no where for me to stay, but I stayed anyway
Oh...My mom says that if you're knocked unconscious, you immediately shift back, so I suppose you can't be hurt too badly. Ever of course is far too cautious to have ever been KO'd (yet), but perhaps this information will be useful for Paige.
Dragons are so...so big. The words are thought as if it's a bad thing to be too large, in the same way he expressed concern over Paige being too small. But then, Ever was the sort of boy who was happy right in the middle. My....legs are starting to cramp in here. He mumbles eventually. I think maybe I'm ready to come out.
And so they do. Later in life when memories have become murky with retellings, Ever will recall this encounter as being absolutely close to death, whereas Paige will likely remember it as a fun outing.
