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!
When you're standing at the crossroads & don't know which path to choose
Enjoying herself perhaps a little too much, it wasn't until the mice and rats were well and truly gone that Tobi shifted back. Feeling flushed and warm, her muscles aching pleasantly, the doctor ran a hand through her semi-sweaty hair before shaking her head to silently chastise herself for her antics.
Now, back to cooking.
Trying to separate things into broad categories such as baking spices and cooking spices, Tobi took stock of what there was before her. "Mmmhmm!" She hums brightly to herself. "I think that will do nicely." So saying the doctor got to work on making the dough for some yeast-free cheddar bread rolls, a spread of fruits and vegetables with dips, and a simple vegetarian lasagna.
Let me come along, 'Cause even if you're wrong, I'll stand by you
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
She wonders if it’s something inherently wrong with her, the reason why she can’t quite get all of the children’s attention. She understands that it’s a social event, that they may be excited to see one another when they’re not in classes, but this is an event too and despite what she knows about festivals, she can’t help the playful smile that crosses her face as she clears her throat to get all the children’s attention again.
“Children! Children… If you all do very well during this dance and song, you’ll get so much ice cream! All you can eat, whatever flavors you want!” She says it like it’s a secret, like it’s the most exciting thing in the world to receive. And with that, she returns to trying to get them to participate and agree, with the promise of ice cream – any kind they’d like – as their little rewards.
Sera tries to convince the children to work with her for ice cream!
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
Somehow, Lena managed not to spread a glittery trail of destruction behind her and the image of her so utterly covered in the sparkly substance made Gideon laugh. "It's alright. I'll help you salvage what's in here. I didn't know it was this unorganised." This was definitely a 'past Gideon being an asshole' situation. While Lena went off to find a broom, he gently began to extract pieces of art that weren't too ruined out of the box and put them on the steps.
October had some great ideas for meals, but she'd find that the luck she'd found in scaring the mice wasn't necessarily going to carry across into cooking skills. Her food would be edible, perhaps even tasty, but it wouldn't look pretty. The rolls were lopsided, the vegetables unevenly cut and the lasagne caved in on one side.
Sera would learn that bribing absolutely worked on the youth of Stormbreak. With the promise of ice cream, most of the little ones perked up and put more spirit into their routines, though admittedly they had more enthusiasm than grace. With a lot of missed rhythm and stumbling, they made it through the routine, a lot of effort on display.
Once Gideon had gathered the surviving decorations from the box, seen the glitter was mostly gone, could smell the food from the kitchen and could see the children performing something akin to a dance, he grinned and stood on the steps at the front of the Temple to speak loudly so everyone could hear him. "Everyone! It's all looking great. Especially the dance, kids - good job." He wasn't a massive child person, but he tried, giving them all a warm smile. "Lena, Sera, October, can you come here? There is one more thing..."
When all three women approached (the kids went to clamber over pews and run around the Temple, normally things Gideon would discourage, but he let it go this time), he asked: "I thought I'd ask you. Do you think we should host some kind of spiritual event, similar to the one that will occur in the Temple, outside of Stormbreak? To show those outside of our blessed city how it looks to be truly in line with the Old Gods?"
-
Answer Gideon's question~
Lena: 16
Oct: 7
Sera: 16
GIDEON
You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
Clapping her hands together in excitement as her bribe works, she flashes them all a bright smile and gets straight to work. It isn’t perfect, but it’s something, and the enthusiasm of most of the children have Sera nearly glowing in her pride for the children being able to figure it out, even if it isn’t perfect.
Gideon’s voice, however, captures her attention and she tells the children she’ll be right back, chiding a few of them to not hurt themselves as they dart over the pews and the like, moving to stand before Gideon and contemplate the question that arises. “I think it might be worth it.” She offers quietly, folding her hands behind her back as she considers it further. “We can show them all what it’s like to have faith in the Old Gods, right?” She casts a glance toward October and Lena to see what their thoughts on it are.
Sera answers Gideon’s question with a yes!
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Finished with the decree of decorations and subsequent cleaning, Lena turned her attention to the song and dances, clapping along wildly with the beat of everything else going along – and only advancing from her area when Gideon called them over. Still covered in glitter and not bothered by it at all, eyes following the pathways of the children because some behaved exactly like the animals in her care, she inclined her head towards the Priest.
The question was intriguing, though she wondered why he even asked. Without hesitation, she followed her sister’s response. “Yes. Especially now, more than ever.” The lingering of war. The mayhem rushing towards them, calamity beginning to build and brew. “Were you thinking of anywhere specific?”
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
When you're standing at the crossroads & don't know which path to choose
Well, not all food had to be pretty. Just edible. And at least this was mostly healthy. With a shrug at her efforts—she was a doctor not a chef after all—Tobi is just wiping down her hands as she hears Gideon calling from the other room.
Walking out and standing with Lena and Sera as if Gideon was their Charlie and they his angles, the doctor finds her hands uneasily clasped behind herself at the Priest's question. "I'm not sure I'm the best one to ask." The doctor admits with a self-deprecating laugh. "As a doctor I don't leave Stormbreak much, so I couldn't possibly say one way or the other." As a Rae follower, Tobi was not inclined to be showy about her faith and fealty, nor did she have any of the practical knowledge or foresight to judge what a festival outside of Stormbreak might invite. Smiling apologetically, Tobi shrugs.
Tobi doesn't give an opinion
Let me come along, 'Cause even if you're wrong, I'll stand by you
Two vote for yes and one non-participating; that was all the encouragement Gideon needed. "Torchline is often my choice. It is filled with many different kinds of people, not overrun with Ascended but still somewhere where their influence is known. They are, I believe, the city with the best chance of being saved." In his dreams he had seen a Torchline united under the Old Gods, with him as their guide and messiah. One day.
"Anyway - thank you, to each of you. Your help has made this busy season all the more bearable." He looked to each in turn and smiled, genuinely grateful for their assistance, even where it had gone wrong. "I must insist you come to the festival and service."
---
Thanks! End of PQ.
GIDEON
You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames
