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!
In that moment, Rexanna would suddenly look unmistakably as beautiful as any god or goddess that Bastien had ever seen, real or imagined, dreamt or painted.
To be adventurous was in the woman's nature, even Frey could see that. Her lust and skills in the bedroom were legendary in a distant sort of way, honed to a defense far more effective than any blade had ever been. Yet true intimacy had always been ... perhaps more elusive than she would have admitted to. And so, lasciviousness dripping off of her lips like honey Rexanna had indeed had her fun in ways that pleased the god, but this act of grace and sensitive perspective rang wonderfully in the gods ears.
Frey's curse would slip off of Rexanna's lips like a lovers, only to be replaced with ... a sort of sheen shall we say. A glamour, if you like (check your records).
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
"...Hm. I may struggle to help with the more...labour-intensive parts, right now." He admitted, looking down at his arms, which shook when he picked up anything heavier than a wine glass now that age had twisted them into wrinkled, old limbs. "But...I could help to make what is there more beautiful." Bastien knew how to make things look aesthetically pleasing, could guide people to the correct placement of the items that had survived to make their homes look better in the aftermath of destruction.
She was being a touch condescending, he thought; he was 32 and knew that people liked when they were listened to, but he stayed quiet. He had asked her for these instructions after all, just liked to hear her speak.
"If you need my help you need only ask cara, but I would not know how to open the floor for people to come and tell me their stories. I have always fought to get mine out." His initial thought was to open confessions in the church, to invite people in to share their sins but...that was likely going to be dismissed as more ego-stroking pageantry.
"Is it hopeless? Oh, I do not know how to change who I am. It was never a problem before." He whined, rubbing his face with his hand. Then suddenly he caught a glimpse of Rexanna through his fingers and slowly lowered them. "...I know it is not the time, but...you are looking...radiant today."
She smiled to Bastien, a bright cheerful one as she nodded to him. “That’s fine, it’s more of the thought that matters to me.” She offered with a roll of her shoulders as her smile softened and her eyes lingered on his older face. Despite the fact he thought she was being condescending, he had asked for her opinions and help, and while she wasn’t great at saying things with the shift in her voice she hoped he understood. It wasn’t so much of an attack on who he was, it was more about helping him to realize he could change. All he needed to do was try.
But as he mentioned that he’d be willing to help her any time she asked, she nodded and let her gaze drift from him for a moment, “Maybe you need someone that’s willing to listen?” She said thoughtfully, turning her sapphire gaze back to him as if to suggest that she, too, was that person. After all, he had listened to her story and was attentive to the details she gave him. But she hasn’t given him all of it. And she was certain that night in the Rathskeller, he hadn’t told her all of his either. “Story for story?” She hummed with another charming grin. But he seemed desperate, and she could understand to a degree of what he was going through. Her gaze shifted from amused and helpful to a bit of concern as his hands covered his face.
But when he removed them and looked to her, he almost seemed to stumble over his words. She flashed him a grin in response, not yet realizing what was happening. “Changing the subject are we?” She joked to him with a hint of sarcasm. And when it left her lips, she stepped back from Bastien with wide eyes. “Wait.” She paused, as if she could mouth the words to herself before she spoke and have them come out the correct way. She likely looked a bit crazy, standing there before Bastien, wide eyed like a doe. “I can… I can speak normally again?” It was almost a whisper as her hand moved to her mouth, no longer carrying that flirtatious him, no longer carrying that honey dipped tone of seduction. “Bastien! Gods, I think I’ve finished my task!” She cheered, a wide grin spreading along her face. She didn’t know what to do with her hands or her body, but she knew she wanted to celebrate it somehow. Yet she did need to tell Remi eventually as well. Her eyes looked around the room they were in before settling back on Bastien. “I’m… normal again!” She paused as if she couldn’t believe it.
I'm all dressed up and naked
I see what's mine and take it
"If only I had a story half as thrilling as yours." He did not often call his own life boring, had made a career of bragging about how wonderful it was and would continue to be, but he couldn't really beat secret royalty and curses and evil husbands. Painting in the Venetian courtyards was a lovely image but made for boring storytelling; there were only so many times you could talk about how the light hit the cobblestones just right.
Bastien watched curiously as Rexanna came to a realisation about her own voice. As he'd said before he had not noticed much wrong with her before, perhaps because in Bastien's imagination everyone was flirting with him all the time, but he was still glad to see her happy.
"Well, I'm glad I could help? If I did? What was it you had to do, exactly?" He had assumed curses from Frey could only be fixed by sexual means, and all they had done was talk. But if he had helped, that was a good start on his list of selfless deeds, he thought, even if it had been unintentional.
Despite the elation she felt within her, she grinned a beaming smile to Bastien before he spoke. Her head tilted slightly in response to the question, uncertain of what it was exactly she had to do. Frey had only given her so many instructions of finding pleasure and happiness, and despite her attempts to do so, she had only become fixed when she wasn’t doing those things. “I… I’m not sure actually.” She stumbled over her words before a chiming, exuberant laugh escaped her lips.
She looked around the room for a moment once more before sighing quietly, running a hand through her hair and resting that hand on the nape of her neck. “But whatever it was, it worked. Thank you Bastien.” She said finally, coming forward to press a kiss to his brow before stepping back from him. “I should go, I need to tell Remi what happened. But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She offered, to try and soothe any worries he might have had about her blabbing about his not-death.
Rexanna turned then, glancing back once more to Bastien. “I hope we can talk again soon!” She chimed to him before whirling out, no longer a morose woman but instead a bright, happy one. This was incredible news and she absolutely needed to share it with everyone she could.
