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!
It was a pleasant surprise for Lilliane to hear that Caido seemed to have a few traditions which weren't too different from the ones in her old world. Somehow, it made her more at ease. And as such, Lilliane had decided to take part as well and prepare some sweets.
And since she was already at it, why not make some more? Well aware that some people within the Hollowed Grounds would have trouble making something themselves, Lilliane had talked with the family that had taken her in. With their approval, she made a little sign reading I'll make all kinds of sweets for you. Just bring the ingredients and either a bit of time or something small for trade. and placed it in the window of the kitchen.
Humming and working happily in the kitchen, Lilliane left the front door open for anyone to wander into her limited-time prop-up bakery.
Wessex doesn’t have a baking bone in her body. Making some travel bread and charring some meat? Yeah, she can manage that. It’s edible, but there’s a reason she wasn’t usually elected the group’s cook on hunting expeditions.
The scent of baked goods hits her like a punch in the gut. Her heart says Amalia, but her head says yeah fuckin’ right. A quick check tells her the Devas Bakery is still shuttered, so it must be someone else… and to her shame, she doesn’t remember that Lilliane is a baker. Not yet, at least. Not when the newest Outlander isn’t standing right in front of her. The wafting aroma, however, is so lovely that she follows her nose to an open door and when Lilliane is visible again, she calls out with a cheerful wave of her hand, “Lilliane! You have no idea how long it’s been since we smelled something like this.”
Her words might be a little sad, but her face is forced into something happy. As if the recent past hadn’t happened at all.
there was a time that we were kind, but now don't write me, you're not fooling anyone
Looking up from the dough she was currently rolling out, Lilliane smiled. "Hi Wessex." She set the wooden rolling pin to the side and turned towards Wessex entirely. Her apron coated in flour certainly spoke of more baking having been done earlier that day. "I suppose there's not much necessity for pastries in the grounds." Although a statement of facts for the most part, there was a hint of sadness in her tone as well - though most likely due to different reasons than Wessex.
The smile returned to Lilliane's face. "Would you like some?" And she pointed at a few cookies, already baked and currently still waiting to cool entirely. Then she tilted her head, her brows furrowing slightly. "Though... I know Ascended can't taste. Is it the same for you, or are the Demigods of the Voice different?"
Not wanting to leave the conversation on a low point if the answer was no (and having no idea of the occurrences at Stormbreak yet), she then asked: "How are you doing?"
“Not right now, no,” there’s a matching, comiserate hint of sadness in her tone and Wessex doesn’t do anything to try and hide it. Lilliane's whole appearance, flour and all, reminds her too much of Amalia, and Gods, she thought she'd dealt with that blow better. Apparently not. “But I was an Accepted for almost forty years, so I know what I’m missing.” And she does miss it, some days, along with drinking and fucking and being able to feel the sun’s warmth on her face.
“I’ll take some for the festivities.” Despite… everything, some traditions die hard. Is she likely to curry any respite by leaving sweets out for Ludo? No, probably not. Does it make her feel a little bit more normal? Sure. Let’s go with that. Shrugging away her real answer to how she’s doing, the Wraith plays the diplomat well enough. “Eh, been better. How are you? Is there anything you need in particular?”
there was a time that we were kind, but now don't write me, you're not fooling anyone
Lilliane nodded slightly. She knew it was a matter of Ascended not needing food. And even among the Accepted at the Grounds, pastries probably weren't the priority. But she couldn't help but feel like she wasn't needed in this place. Still, she made sure to return the smile to her face. "I know there are many other things which are more important right now. But once things have calmed down again, I'll try to talk to the Voice and ask her to give the Ascended a sense of taste. Otherwise, I'd be missing out on customers." The last part was added jokingly, although she was entirely serious with this plan. Would it work? Probably not. But she'd try.
For a moment, Lilliane was debating to ask for something to trade for the cookies. But it seemed like Wessex needed something to cheer her up. "Sure. Also, if there's something specific you want, I can make it if you get me the ingredients." While she noticed the evasive reply Wessex had given, Lilliane decided not to press the matter. "Been worse," she said with a shrug and a smirk towards Wessex. How was she supposed to put all these thoughts and emotions into a few words? As for what she needed... "I'm actually running out of flour."
Wessex has to smile at the notion of Ascended being able to taste again, because she hasn’t heart to tell Lilliane that it isn’t likely to happen; if the Voice wasn’t going to give her children the ability to fuck outside of their special room, she probably isn’t going to give them any of their other senses back. But it is a sweet sentiment from the Outlander and the demigod takes that kind of thinking for the small kindness that it is.
“Oh no, I’m fine with these, really. And I’m sure I can manage to find you some flour.” Turning her head to the surrounding houses and businesses, she hums to herself for a moment. Surely if there was any leftover flour in the Devas Bakery, it's gone moldy or full of bugs by now. Options, options... “Let me think…” And while she’s thinking, the General asks absently, “So what’s your favorite thing to make?”
there was a time that we were kind, but now don't write me, you're not fooling anyone
While she left Wessex time to think, Lilliane started gathering some of the cookies, which had cooled down enough. Then she laid out a piece of patterned cloth on a clean surface of the kitchen. It was different from what she was used to. But it seemed the most fitting substitute to present wrappings she had found. Most people came with their own baskets or something similar to fetch their pastries anyway.
Starting to place some cookies on the middle of the cloth, Lilliane thought for a moment. "As boring as it may sound, bread. It can be tasty, it's filling, and there is a surprising variety in types of bread." Smiling to herself, she placed the last cookie on the little pile and took the corners of the cloth to tie them into a knot. "Here," she said, offering Wessex the cookie bundle. "Some cookies for the festivities."
The idea comes to her in a flash, and with a physical aha! the General turns briefly to Lillianne and offers, “I’ll be right back” as an explanation. Which… isn’t much of an explanation, actually. Wessex disappears and then returns five or so minutes later with a sackful of flour in her arms, and the baker will be able to tell it’s flour due to the fine white haze that dusts the demigod’s dark clothes.
Where it came from or what she did to get it is kept secret for now, as she sidles over to the kitchen door and places it just in side, so Lillianne can easily access it. Then she turns and accepts the cookies with a smile. “Fantastic. Thank you. I hope that’ll make you a decent amount of bread.”
there was a time that we were kind, but now don't write me, you're not fooling anyone
Although slightly surprised at first, Lilliane decided to shrug off Wessex's sudden departure. Unsure when 'right back' was supposed to be, she started cleaning her workspace, preparing for the next few things to make. Maybe she could try her hand at something new.
Looking up as Wessex returned, Lilliane smiled. "Thanks," she said with a nod towards the flour as she gave the packaged cookies to Wessex. "I'll be able to make some more pastries and some bread with that." Maybe a little extra to give to the family that had agreed to take her in for the time being. As a little thank you. "If you need more, you can stop by anytime."
