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!
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
Bastien had never thought he would say this to himself, but his funeral had gone swimmingly. People had come up to him, paid their respects, seemed upset even. It had been such a fabulous caress of his ego he knew he would live off of it for years. There was a part of him, something small and in the background, that wanted to suggest it was morally wrong, especially at this time of year...but he pushed that off. It was just show business.
But...there was one reaction for which he felt especially guilty. Rexanna had appeared looking mournfully lovely with real sadness in her eyes, and he had felt his heart drop to the floor. It had been the only moment in the whole ceremony where he had considered throwing the whole thing off, but he had resisted.
At the end, he simply couldn't let her just leave, though. As quickly as he could (damn these old legs! Would he be so slow when he grew old?) he rushed to get her before she headed out the door and touched her elbow. "Si--Ma'am. There is something special left for you. Would you follow me to the other room...?"
It had been a lovely ceremony, yet Rexanna still couldn’t piece together exactly how it happened. How had Jedidiah found out Bastien had died long before anyone else had? She still didn’t know who the man was, had he been hiding in the shadows all this time to take over? Or perhaps the worst thought she had during the ceremony – that somehow Jedidiah had a hand in Bastien’s death; perhaps he was jealous of the attention and the ability to run a church such as that, and the more she watched the older man, the more she seemed to find the appreciation for dramatization that Bastien always had.
But as the ceremony wrapped up, she waited a bit toward the end before she stood to find her exit. She had almost made it to the door when she felt a touch on her elbow and stopped, her head swiveling to see whom had stopped her when she found Jedidiah. Did he know her suspicions? A flash of skepticism crossed her gaze as he spoke – a heavy accent similar to Bastien’s that interested her more. In a moment of passing, the skepticism in her gaze was lost as she offered the elderly man a charming smile. “Of course.” She purred, turning away from the door and gesturing with her hand that she’d follow him there.
She wasn’t sure which room they’d be entering – if it was the one that she had shared with Bastien and others during the Masquerade, or a different one, but she was interested to see what the man had left behind for her. She didn’t think she had that much of a connection with Bastien to warrant him leaving a will of all things, but she wasn’t one to complain. Perhaps she could understand better what happened to Bastien without everyone being around. So when they made it to the room, she watched the man curiously and expectant – waiting to be told what it was her friend had left her.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
As soon as he had her agreement Bastien headed to the back, knowing it was going to take him a while to get there with his newly shaking legs and stiff joints. Once he reached the room where he had once held the orgy of his dreams, he sat down heavily and exhaled, tried to gather his thoughts and work out how he was going to say any of what he had to.
"Thank you for coming back here with me. I have...something to tell you, which might shock you, Signora." Now that he was alone with her it was hard to stop his identifying Italian to come out. Bastien reached up and pulled his hood back; revealing more of his face so that when he told her the truth she might have a better chance of recognising him.
"Bastien is not dead. Forgive the lies, they are necessary." They weren't, really, but that was by the by. "Bastien...well. It is me, Rexanna, though you are the only one I would permit to see me in such a state. I have been cursed." He gestured to himself. It would be clear what the curse was.
"But." He said, holding up a finger to pause anything she might want to say. "It is only for this season of Flowerbirth. I hope after you can erase this image from your mind and still find me beautiful after."
It didn’t take much longer than it would’ve taken her to get to the room he was speaking of. Upon entry, she glanced around the room until her eyes landed on the spot that she had shared with Bastien and all the others, watching while Jedidiah took a seat and sighed heavily – speaking with the same kind of accent that Bastien had, only so much more open about it now. Her head tilted, her dark curtain of hair sweeping over her shoulder with the movement as she squinted at him after he removed his hood.
“B-Bastien?!” She began, a hand reaching up to cross her lips. At first, shock, second, a hint of anger, but then understanding began to brim underneath. She moved forward, hand that had covered her lips now reached out in an attempt to touch his wrinkled cheek. She leaned down over him with wide eyes as she surveyed him, trying to spot the lie. When she couldn’t, and she opened her mouth to speak to him, his finger lifted to hush her and anything she had to say in response. And when he spoke, she laughed a bright chiming laugh.
“Gods.” She breathed, another quiet chuckle slipping her lips. “I… I’m not sure what to say.” She said, leaning a bit further back to look at all of him and see where the lie might be, but it seemed accurate through appearance. She took a hand then, running it through her hair as she exhaled through her nose. “What are you going to do when you change back?” She questioned, opening her sapphire gaze to land them on him. “When everyone finds out you were alive the entire time?” Her gaze grew slightly narrower as she contemplated the options. She’d keep his secret, maybe even the idea that Jedidiah had simply created the lie and Bastien had hid away.
But it still didn’t match up to his need for attention. What would be a good enough reason to send him into hiding? She eyed him curiously again before she moved to sit across from him, leaning onto her legs with her elbows. “I can relate, you know.” She purred with a wink before she leaned back and sighed quietly again. “What’s the curse supposed to do?” She asked thoughtfully.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
Rexanna, predictably, replied with the grace, humour and empathy he had come to expect from her. She didn't chide him for the lack of morals, she didn't flinch away from his new features, she just understood then accepted. Bastien couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face as he turned to look at her when she sat.
"The plan right now is to explain it as a strangle miracle, a plan of the Gods. They do seem fickle here...I think everyone would believe me if I said I just woke up again as if I had come back like the first time." He shrugged, having thought of this plan then deciding it so foolproof he had not thought about it much past that.
"It's supposed to..." Bastien sighed and looked off to the side, pinching his nose in an almost bizarrely open show of frustration for the usually carefully crafted persona he wore. "..Humble me. Safrin thinks I'm in need of that, apparently. I can ask her to stop this torture, but then I lose...and well. I refuse to do that." Perhaps it was slightly abrasive to the point of the curse, but his pride wouldn't let him pull out early.
"You must not tell anyone, Signora. Can I count on your secrecy?"
She leaned back, crossing a leg over the other as Bastien explained his plan to her. Her mind still trying to wrap around the fact that Bastien wasn’t dead, and had simply been cursed. She imagined she’d have a good laugh about the situation later when she was alone, but offered a similar wide grin to him that he gave to her. As he explained, her smile began to falter slightly and her brows inched slightly closer together. “If you’ve already been cursed, don’t you think that they’d not… appreciate it if you were to say it was part of their plan to resurrect you?” She paused, considering.
But Bastien was frustrated, and she shut her mouth as he went on to speak of humbling himself. To which she nodded – she agreed to an extent, deciding that everyone should at least try to be humble. But she nodded to him, a crooked smile crossing her lips as she eyed him and sighed softly as well. “Your secret is safe with me, dear.” She purred to him, but she wanted to try and make him understand that if a god had cursed them, the last thing you should do is anger them more. She knew that from Frey.
She also knew that Bastien was very into himself, and it would be hard to get through his thick skull without offending him. And she wasn’t certain where to start, but she stood and made her way back over to him and knelt down a bit to be more eye level with where he sat, looking at his old face as she contemplated. “You don’t need to lose. It’s a hard task you’ve been given, but if anyone can manage it, it’s you.” She hummed, trying to inflate his ego. “And being humble isn’t so bad.” She winked before laughing quietly. “It seems as though she wants you to know that you can still be a great and valuable person without your looks on your side.” She added, tilting her head.
“If it helps, even if you stayed in this form forever I’d still travel around Caido with you.” She hummed to him, looking up into his face.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
"Well. Maybe it could use some work." He admitted about his plan of resurrection with a shrug. That was a concern for the end of the season, something he was sure he could work out at the time when it was relevant. Besides, offending the Gods was not much of a concern to him; not when he was sure it was all actually in good fun and they really all loved him.
Bastien watched as Rexanna came to stand over him, the only part of him that shone through as his usual self his eyes, which were still quick and dark as ever, following her til she sat before him.
"Well, of course I can be." He said with his usual pompous confidence, but there was something a little unsure in his voice, something embarrassed and small that Rexanna would only notice because she knew him. As much as Bastien did believe in his own skills, there was some truth to the old wisdom that those who boast are insecure; without his well-sculpted muscles or face he felt naked, and not in the fun way.
But Rexanna's promise that they could still travel together made him smile, a truthful one that reached his eyes. "Thank you, tesora. That is...very kind of you. Though I fear you may have to carry me." He laughed, a wrinkled hand going up to push back the remainder of the hair he had. "I suppose this is a grim vision of the future, though I like to think I might be able to age slightly more gracefully than this."
She grinned to him as he mentioned his plan, thinking about how they could figure it out to make it better, and less likely to have Safrin smite him where he stood. But as she came closer and he spoke with the same confidence as before, she focused on the slight waver of his voice. Her head tilted slightly and her grin shrunk to a soft smile. “Despite what happened to you, at least you have a deadline to be fixed.” She mentioned, turning her head and eyeing him from the side. “It was Frey that cursed me as I’ve found out. But – I haven’t fixed myself just yet. I suppose I wasn’t enough of a focus during the Masquerade to appease them.” She hummed to him, playfully and pretending to be a bit hurt.
But as the conversation shifted she nodded to him with another charming smile. “I’ll show up one day with a chair and roll you around.” She winked before expelling a breathy laugh. “But we can wait until your task is over. In the meantime we can work on this plan of yours.” She crossed her arms along her chest as she leaned forward again and smiled as he continued to speak of age. “Well, in fairness, all of us will be in the same boat. I don’t imagine I’ll age well, all the stress I’ve had I don’t think it will help me in the future. But we can hobble around Caido together.” She laughed again, even if the thought scared her a bit.
She was thinking of the future, a future with friends and a life well lived. And despite the smiles and laughter, the thought was terrifying.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
"Ah, cara. You are making it hard to resist praying to Safrin to stop this right now so I can give you all the focus you deserve." Bastien wistfully sighed, his chin in his hand. He had felt something building between them, had intended to kiss Rexanna more the next time they met, but now he could not act on his desires unless she had a very specific fetish for liver spots.
He realised he might actually get to know someone before they became just a sex buddy. Horrendous.
"I am sure your beauty cannot fade. Perfection is like a diamond, hard and permanent." The compliments were almost automatic, dripping off of his tongue like gold even with his worn appearance. But his heart wasn't truly in them, his heart still heavy with the knowledge that his next two months were going to be spent like this.
"You do not resent the deception, I hope. Of the funeral. I saw you were upset...and I was flattered, Signora, but I never wish to cause you pain."
She glanced to him with a small smirk and quiet laugh. “Isn’t some of the fun from pining after someone for so long?” She hummed thoughtfully, a hand reaching up to tap her full lips with her fingers. “Makes it more special.” She added, a wink sent in his direction. While Bastien was the type to prefer instant gratification (at least from Rexanna’s point of view) Rex was more of the type that found a certain sweetness in the lead up. After all, her story of running from her ex husband and the treacherous life after would hardly be as impressive as if she were to have accomplished all that in a span of a week. Even if t was stressful and terrible. This, at least, was different in the sense of happiness and fun and letting loose. And perhaps some part of her enjoyed teasing Bastien a bit at the present moment, however harsh it might have been for the man.
His compliment, however, fell a little flat and she turned her head to stare at him a bit more head on. “I’m not so sure.” She purred with a bright laugh. “Hopefully I get to find out one day though.” she amended with another quiet chuckle. But Bastien was moving on, speaking of the deceit of the night with the funeral and she sucked in a breath – contemplating for a moment. “I’m not happy about it… but I am glad that you’re alive, even in this state. But I imagine people will have questions, and if they get too close to you they might find out. I’m more worried about the consequences of what might happen.” She finally said, honest as she could despite the ever living honey tone to her voice.
When she looked back up to Bastien she was smiling softly, a crooked and rare real smile. “I do want the best for you Bastien. I just hope you realize that too, perhaps take some humility and humbleness from me.” She resulted, reaching up to take one of his withered hands in her own if he’d let her.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
"..I suppose. But this temptation is so great the waiting is agony." Bastien was indeed used to instant gratification, valued things that were immediate and now over anything he'd have to wait for. He'd rarely found waiting made anything better...but now he had little choice but to wait, and Rexanna was the most worthwhile person he could be patient for.
He nodded and glanced down as she admitted she was not happy about the funeral. For the first time he realised that perhaps playing so readily with people's emotions was perhaps wrong, that it was not something that should be done with a fickle indifference.
But consequences? Those he could always handle. He smiled and moved to place his hand over hers comfortingly, trying not to notice how soft her skin felt next to his now worn and leathery fingertips. "I will be fine, Rexanna. It is...just a matter of working it out. And from now, I promise: I will fill you in on all plans I make beforehand, so you may tell me why they are bad ideas." His eyes filled with a fond amusement as he smiled.
He almost pointed out that it wasn't very humble at all to suggest someone else take on your humility, but he didn't. She took his other hand and he let her, feeling both like a boyfriend and a grandfather; a strange duality. "Perhaps I will try. What is your first suggestion?"
She snorted to him, a hand raising to her lips in a “shh” motion. “Worth it in the end, though!” She chimed with another playful wink sent his direction. Rexanna had been used to waiting for things, had never witnessed instant gratification and when it had appeared – the instance when Frey had taken her brand just like that with a snap of their fingers, it was a strange feeling indeed. Part of the fun for her was the work it took to get there, and Rexanna was never one to avoid getting dirty in order to see results. But she, like Bastien, was stubborn and hard headed. However, unlike Bastien, Rexanna was also a negotiator. She could pick her opponents and learn what they wanted to hear while still getting her point across, only in a way that seemed to favor them. It was the easiest thing to do.
She wasn’t in the game of making enemies.
She was returned back to the present when Bastien’s rough, wrinkled hand covered her own and her sapphire gaze slipped up to meet his dark eyes. And when he spoke, there was a faint amusement with them that reflected in her own. “I care about you Bastien, and if I can help ensure a god won’t smite you where you stand, well…” She putted with a quiet breathy laugh. She took his other hand, however, thinking of her humble beginnings and despite being elevated, it still never changed the core of her. She could be a princess – a queen – worlds away and she’d still consider herself a servant of royals.
She thought for a moment how to word it, uncertain if she’d ever told Bastien most of her story. She knew she had told him she had been a servant and royalty, hidden away. His hum of a rags to riches story came to mind, but it wasn’t all good. She grew a bit solemn for a few moments, eyes gazing softly at Bastien yet looking almost further away, as if she could see the burning spires of the white castle of Halyven if she looked hard enough. “I told you I was a servant that turned to royalty, yes?” She pondered, her thumb absentmindedly caressing Bastien’s Hans while she spoke. “But I didn’t tell you of the terrible things that happened. It’s a strange thing, to be a normal girl waking up on your birthday to find out you were royalty all along. It seems like every girls dream, to marry a prince and live a happy life; but I never thought I deserved it. I still thought I was that normal girl, nothing special about me in the slightest. I still think that. Besides the fact that my husband was insane.” She said shifting her head and looking now directly at Bastien. She offered a small smile. “I watched my city, my home, my world burn to the ground before my eyes and I ran from it. I ran from my husband as he torched all the surrounding cities searching for me. I could hear the cries every morning and yet I still ran.” She paused, her flirtatious hum at odds with the seriousness of the conversation.
“I didn’t want to keep running, but I landed here and had some… self sacrificing tendencies.” She hummed with a quiet, nonchalant laugh. “I was prepared to atone for everything I’d done, but Frey saw it as a flaw. Told me to care less about people and more about myself, and it’s been hard. I’m not good at putting myself first. Perhaps we can learn from one another.” She added, standing before him now and looking down at him with her hands still in his. “So maybe follow the footsteps of mine where you are more sensitive to people, where you try to help them not for your own gain. It’s why I went to Frey in the first place, to help someone else. I’ve never gone just for me.” She tilted her head and smiled. “My first suggestion is to see how you affect others, and be willing to help them – but not for your own gain.” She reiterated, knowing it would be a tough transition. He had already failed on that part with the “heroic acts” decree he had said of his apparent “death”. But due to Rexannas nature, of helping and negotiating, she hoped he might understand. Might be willing to go out and change himself. It would certainly be easier without his youthfulness.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
Bastien was quiet, paying careful attention to all that Rexanna wanted to say. The desperation he felt inside him was enough to make him want to try new things, including actually listening to people when they tried to help him. It helped that Rexanna had a good story, one that sounded like a fairy tale but with a depressing dose of reality tossed in.
Once she had done speaking he was quiet for a while, his hands still resting in hers but his eyes focused somewhere beyond her, his mind busy.
He had always thought himself kind and good; in some ways this was true. He had helped many people, before. He had encouraged and sponsored and protected, had lifted young souls up to artistic success in a world where they had little chance as they were. He had truly tried his best to help them. But...had it been selfless? Well, no.
He had taken 50% of profits, had made them repeat his name, had named the sanctuary after himself, had used their names to further his own...it had not been an entirely altruistic effort.
Did that mean he was heartless, without worth? No, it was what he'd had to do to survive as the child of immigrants in the time and place he had lived. But it was not the humbleness, the kindness that Safrin was searching for.
"Thank you, Rexanna." He said, then stood, leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You are truly the best of the people here. I...do not know how to begin, helping others. What would they want from me? I can perform, dance, paint...but these things would likely be seen as attention for me again."
For her story, he was a perfect audience. Able to listen quietly yet still understand with her flirtatious tone that there was nothing beautiful in the terrible things she had done. But she had learned from it, slowly at first. Yet it had grown like a snowball turned boulder. Small at first, but growing bigger with every pass. And she tried to take Frey’s offering in hand, hoping that by learning from them she might better herself. Might not burn herself out by giving others the entirety of her when they were unwilling to return the favor. And it seemed, when Bastien had a far away look, that he might be thinking of the things he had done too. She was certain he’d done good things, but in the name of selflessness, she couldn’t say.
But she was interested to learn about them.
When Bastien stood, and placed a kiss upon her cheek she smiled to him and dipped her head in a small nod. Her attention fully on him as he spoke, as he intently considered her words and how he might honestly help them. He spoke of the things he was good at, how it might give him away and she nodded in agreement. Definitely not the artistic things he was comfortable with – he’d have to do something out of his shell, out of his comfort. But she’d help him with it, to make it easier. “I think a good start is by asking what others might want.” She purred to him, but it was a thoughtful statement. “For example, I imagine when the sun returns there will be a need to clean up the damage of Longnight. Perhaps start there, walk the streets and ask what you can do for others.” She finally said, eyeing him contently.
“I bet my house has suffered while I was away. I could use some help cleaning up the rubble.” She winked to him before looking around the room they had spent time together in. “Some volunteering, something where everyone can have an equal part. Like helping to make food for those that have lost someone and can’t help themselves. Or if they need someone to talk to, lend an ear. It’s easy once you get the hang of it. You might not agree with what people do or say, and think you might be able to do it better. But you do it for them. We’re all people with our own stories. And what we were before matters little in this bubble.” She returned her eyes to him with a nod and a cheerful grin.
