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!
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
Edmund made his way into the Court of Stars with open curiosity. He hadn't been here since before Frey aged him up and it was even more incredible than he remembered. Wandering the halls, he eventually ended up in the garden. Walking along the path surrounded in greenery, Edmund found himself relaxing. The flowers were beautiful, and the visages of Safrin everywhere made him feel safe.
Suddenly feeling sleepy, he settled onto one of the benches in the garden. Curling up around his backpack, Edmund found his eyes shutting. The sea breeze through the columns was soothing and warm. Soon the child was fast asleep.
Maybe it's not the end of the world Maybe we'll find some kind of silver line
She was napping in the garden first, actually.
It was an amazing feeling, to see it all grown out and flourishing. Just as Maeve had imagined it, she thought, as she curled up on the top of a shelving unit filled with potted ferns and succulents. Though her coat is a stark, reddish color, she's so small that when she's not moving... she sort of just blends into the background. Into the ambience of the garden. Maybe she just looked like another flower pot, if you didn't look directly at her.
But she stirred from her peaceful slumber, her fluffy cheeks rising from her paws to observe a young boy as he entered. She expects to have to scold him for coming to dig up flowers or some other childlike antic, but she's pleasantly surprised when he.. simply enjoys the garden, as she was not long before him. Attempting to continue going unnoticed, she sits very still and peers through the fern plant beside her to get a better look at him.
The dark, smooth hair; the way his face is angular but still soft at the edges; that brightness in his eyes, telling of something more. The fact that he's here in the Court at all.. Almost instantly she realizes who he is.
She's contemplating how to approach him without potentially frightening him or catching him by surprise when... he falls asleep. With a tilt of her head and a twitch of her lengthy tail, she works her way down from the shelf. There's only a quiet pitter-patter of pawsteps and shuffle of fur before she's perched above him on the back of the bench.
She flicks the tip of her fuzzy tail over his cheek, gentle enough that it wouldn't be jarring. Hopefully. Unless he's a jumper. Some people were like that, no matter how nicely you woke them. Leaning forward so that she could peer down at his face from above, she lets out a friendly little warble.
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
The little warbling noise registers while Edmund is still asleep. It's a funny noise that has him waking up with a giggle. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he looks up and sees the small panda. "Oh. Hello. Are you the one who made that funny noise?" One hand goes to rub the corner of his eye while the other reaches up curiously to pet the creature's cheek.
Still half-asleep Edmund hasn't yet realized that the animal might be an Attuned. It's as he finally begins to wake that it dawns on him. "Are you an Attuned?" A yawn is pulled from the child as he begins to sit up. "I'm Edmund, what's your name?"
12-14-2021, 02:58 AM (This post was last modified: 12-14-2021, 02:58 AM by Aurelia.)
it's the road that leads to nowhere
There's no jolt, no fear. No... he wakes up laughing and she can't help but melt a little bit inside. Her white ears prick forward, expression perking up - as much as it can, anyway. Her tail wiggles out behind her excitedly and she trills in response, in confirmation: yes, that was me! But she knows he can't understand her. Even if he is Attuned, he's probably incapable of understanding her when not in a shift. The hand that reaches out impulsively to touch and pet her coat, it's allowed. She does have to admit that, as an animal, it does feel rather nice to have your ears scratched or your fur stroked. So she leans into the touch with an affectionate purring sound.
After he sits up, she hops down onto the seat of the bench and takes on her natural form. An answer all of its own, too. And she's much bigger than a red panda, wearing a lot of cloth and leather-based clothing. Boots, too, the kind that are made for adventuring. And they've seen quite a lot in the last few months, those boots. But they've held together thus far, and so there hasn't been much reason to replace them, beat up as they are.
"Yes, I'm Attuned. Well, partly," she corrects herself. With a tilt of her head, she gives him a knowing look and explains, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Edmund. My name is Aurelia. Are you Attuned?" She raises her brows, curious. He's probably Accepted, if Maeve was anything to go off of.
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
Edmund smiled widely at the warm reception, marveling at how soft the panda's fur is. The tail wiggle and trill has him giggling once more. He's never seen a creature quite like this before, but the small red panda is as adorable as it is funny.
Edmund watches her jump away with some disappointment, but it's quickly replaced with curiosity when Aurelia shifts back into human form. He watches the change with open wonder as to how it might feel to completely change forms. There's a beat of confusion as to how the Attuned knows his name but as soon as she gives hers? Edmund perks up and gives the woman a hug, "Hi Aunt Aurelia!" All of his mum's friends were his Aunts and Uncles to the child.
The question about his status makes Edmund pull back and shake his head sheepishly, "No. But it looks like it'd be fun." Being able to become an animal was amazing after all. The child hesitates for a second before adding, having to remember the term, "I'm an Abandoned." Now that it's said he gives Aurelia another grin, "I have fire magic! And that's just as cool as turning into an orange fuzzy thing!" Despite his initial worries, Edmund loved his magic.
12-16-2021, 10:42 AM (This post was last modified: 12-16-2021, 10:43 AM by Aurelia.)
it's the road that leads to nowhere
The almost instantaneous reaction makes her jump a bit in surprise, not having expected the child to refer to her as Aunt - or to hug her. In reality they were perfect strangers. She only knew who he was because she'd known his mother, and she could recognize those distinct traits anywhere. Still, she gently returns the embrace, resting her chin on the top of his head, replying with a light laugh, "Hello." She had cared about Edmund before he was even born, and she wasn't about to stop now.
As he pulls away, so does she, and she watches his expression as he tells her about himself. She laughs again when he's done, shaking her head in amusement. "That orange fuzzy thing is called a Red Panda," she explains, "and.. shifting can be fun." It could also be scary, especially if it turned out that shifting is the one thing that saved your life, but she'll leave that part out.
"But you know what? I have the best of both worlds." She smiles cleverly down at him. Deciding better of conjuring fire in front of a child that can potentially wield it too, she leans in and whispers - as if it's a secret, "I have magic too!" And, instead of fire, she snaps her fingers. A pulse of bright, playful feelings are shared as she conjures glistening, rainbow-colored glitter. It flutters down all across Edmund's hair, his nose, his shoulders. And he might feel something because of it. Maybe it feels mischievous, or energetic, or silly. Or maybe it just tickles.
Aurelia has used Glitterific* magic, trying to influence Edmund to feel playful! How this effects your character comes down to your own interpretation, of course.
*Glitterific | Aurelia snaps her fingers and conjures a dusting of glitter over a 5ft area. It can be any color she chooses. It's very hard to remove and trying to wipe it off makes it spread. Effects one user. Success is based on END stats. A difference of 10 or more is ineffective. 5 or more is weakly effective. And below 2 is effective for surface-level emotions. Lasts 1 minute. Restrictions: Cannot successfully compel characters to feel emotions outside of their normal range.
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
Edmund suddenly finds himself giggling, "A red panda? But it didn't look like a panda!" The discrepancy is somehow hilarious and has the child snickering hard enough that his shoulders shake. He gives Aurelia' side a nudge with his shoulder, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Are you other shifts things like blue pandas? Maybe purple ones? I like those colors. Green too." The colors that reminded him of his Mummy and of Safrin. Colors that made him feel safe and cozy.
Still giggling, the child continues to bombard they Hybrid with questions. "What other magic do you have? Can you teach me more magic? I love fire but doing other stuff is cool too!" Seems the glitter gave Edmund a bought of giggles and a burst of energy.
An amused, charmed laugh parts her lips. "I suppose it isn't really a panda, but that's what they're called. It's a bit more like a raccoon, or a teddy bear-cat hybrid." She tilts her head and her brows raise at the mention of purple and green pandas. She highly doubts the existence of such creatures but in Caido, who was she to say? "I don't know, truthfully. Maybe you will find these other pandas in the Wilds someday, hmm?" She reaches out with one hand to ruffle his hair, smiling to herself as the glitter spreads and he seems more energized from it.
The questions keep rolling and she almost has a hard time keeping up. But, eh, it's only fair. His excitement is understandable, and it's much better for him to like his powers from the get-go. Not like her. She'd despised them, at first. Especially fire...
"I don't have too much under my sleeve. I have a tiger shift," and, as if on cue, orange and black fur covers the skin on her wrist and arm. Just as quick as it appears, it's gone, though. "I have air magic, but it's very weak. I'm working on getting better. My strongest is fire, actually. Like you, it's the first ability I had. So I guess I'm pretty familiar with it..." she shrugs her shoulders, unreadable darkness forming in her gaze as she peers down at him, "What would you like to learn?"
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
The hair ruffle triggers another giggle from the child, a burst of laughter and glee filling the air. "Maybe! I wonder what they look like?" Would they be as cute as the red one? Would they make the same funny noises? Edmund would love to see them one day if they were out there in the Wilds.
Edmund eyes Aurelia with wonder as she lists some of her abilities. "You have fire too?!?" Excitement fills him and the child scoots forward to eye the women with eager eyes. "Please teach me more about fire magic!" Taking a deep breath, Edmund makes himself calm down a bit. "Please? I can make flames move a little, but I can't do anything else. I want to light candles and stuff!" Moving fire was cool, but creating it? That sounded incredible to the child.
Aurelia chuckles quietly and leans back against the bench, shrugging as she answers, "Well they'd be purple and green, obviously." Thinking on it, there were quite a few colorful little creatures out in the Wilds already. Perhaps they would sate his curiosity, too. "Maybe I can take you to see, in Longheat. If your mother says it's okay, of course." She proposes.
He scoots forward and eagerly questions her further about the fire magic. She adjusts in her seat so that she can face him a little better, a glimmer of amusement shining in her green eyes. She does appreciate him trying to keep calm in spite of his excitement. "Well, until you master it, you won't be able to create fire on your own," which she knows will be a disappointing reality for him, so she tries to smooth that over, "but the only way to master it is to practice what you can do now. You need to learn control, patience. Fire is a good teacher, but a harsh one. You'll have to learn quick..." she speaks more sternly as she goes on, "and you can never underestimate it. Even the flame from a candle can set an entire house on fire."
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
Edmund gives an eager nod, "Yes please! I like exploring." Hopefully his Mummy would give him the permission. It was one thing to explore in the areas around Haulani and the rest of Torchline. It was another thing entirely, an exciting thing, to go beyond the region's borders.
It was a bit disappointing to learn that he wouldn't be able to create fire for some time and it makes Edmudn deflate slightly. But listening to Aurelia's small lecture on practice fills him with determination. "Ok, I'll practice." Practice made perfect, and Edmund wanted to learn all he could about his magic.
Then the other Abandoned clearly lays out how dangerous their shared magic can be, and the child's brow furrows in thought. "I have to be careful then. I'll try to practice outside." Edmund looks at Aurelia curiously, a little eagerly. "Can you help me practice right now?" Practicing with someone with mastered fire magic supervising seemed careful enough.
01-01-2022, 06:59 AM (This post was last modified: 01-01-2022, 03:18 PM by Aurelia.)
it's the road that leads to nowhere
Edmund's eagerness to explore the jungle is a trait that Aurelia can only admire, and one that she wishes to support, to mold in a positive way. It was vital that Edmund saw the beauty in the outer reaches of their world, that he was not fear-mongered into staying hunkered down in the prison of protective walls. Walls offered protection, yes, but they also constrained freedom. "I will ask her, don't worry. With her approval, we'll head out as soon as we can." It's a promise she makes with full intent to carry it out, knowing that if Maeve could trust anyone to know their way around the Wilds it was her. But the conversation carries on to more serious topics.
"That's a good start-" she says approvingly, nodding and smiling... until Edmund asks her to practice with him here and now. Her eyes widen and she stares down at the child, dumbfounded. Somehow she wasn't expecting to be put on the spot like this.
Aurelia weighs the decision in her mind during her pause, until, "Yes. I'll help you. You're much safer practicing fire with me than most others," she decides, tilting her chin down at him. With a small sigh, she rises to her feet and creates a bit of short distance between them. Enough that she's still in his ability's range, but she's also far enough that the wake of her flames won't singe his eyebrows off.
Holding up her hands in a conjuring effect, her brows furrow, her body turns more rigid, and the depth of her breath steepens. After a few seconds, she summons a strong ball of flame between them. "This is it, Edmund. Your power," she says over the spit of fire, "remember to take it seriously. I want you to search inward. There's something within you that's tied to the fire. Grab it and don't let go, see what you can make it do." Her instructions are direct and snippy, but she hopes they'll give him the courage he needs. "Don't be afraid. I can fix whatever goes wrong. You're safe here."
Cool guys don't look at explosions, even if they're imaginary
Edmund grins at Aurelia's promise of adventure, "Yay! Thank you." Exploring the Wilds sound incredible and the child is hopeful that his Mum will allow the trip. There's so much of the world he's yet to see, so many new friends to meet. It's as exciting as it is daunting, and he can't way to start.
The grin turns into a look of wonder as Aurelia agrees to practice with him. Seeing her create fire from nothing is astounding and it's hard for Edmund to imagine one day being able to do the same. He feels a bit nervous now that they're actually starting, but Aurelia quickly soothes his fears. That's right, his aunt is here, and she'll protect him from the consequences of his own magic as they practice.
And so, Edmund focuses on the fire, holding his palms out as if holding something. At first, he struggles to grasp it, but she told him to look inward, didn't she? He closes his eyes and tries to find that small burst of warmth he's felt in the past. There. Deep in his chest lies a small curl of warmth, a tiny ember in his heart. Latching on to it makes it move but nothing happens.
You were supposed to feed fire though. So, Edmund focuses on things that make him feel warm. Hugs, his Mum's smile, Lady Safrin. The ember ignites and he feels it grow and connect to the fire in Aurelia's hand. With his eyes closed, the child can't see the result. But the fire in the hybrid's hand begins to flicker and a small flame comes off of it before finally landing in the child's palms and resting there.
01-05-2022, 06:18 AM (This post was last modified: 01-05-2022, 06:19 AM by Aurelia.)
it's the road that leads to nowhere
To her surprise, whatever attaches Edmund to this element isn't something wrathful or angry - not like what tied Aurelia to it. She can see it in his face, the peace and the warmth he feels just before a flicker of the flame hovers toward him.
She admires him almost the same as he admired her ability. No, he may not be as strong or as controlled as she (yet), but from the fire he derives something Aurelia never could. She feels a strong urge to keep that protected, to bar it from ever being tainted. But she also knows that is not something she, or anyone, can control. One day, Edmund would grow into a man, and the people that care for him can only hope he uses the tools they give him now.
His eyes are closed when the flame laps and hovers just above his own hand, and Aurelia smiles fondly at the image. She lets her own fire die down to something smaller, something that can fit in the palm of her hand as well.
Then, she kneels down in front of him and brings her hand up so it is beside his own, their twin flames adjacent, feeding off of each other's energy. "Look, Edmund," she whispers, grinning, "you've done it!"
