Maea
give me shelter, or show me heart
The brightness of her smile lit up the girl's face, clearly delighted at the almost-yes to her invitation. The clause Chaele set up was reasonable too, though it left her somewhat bemused.
"Of course, if that's how you prefer to arrange it," she agreed easily. "Though I would never send anyone packing, not while they still want to be part of the guild and are willing to lend a hand where needed." Not for anything less than grave harm done to premises and personnel, or other forms of disagreements.
The question that followed was rather personal, and clearly took Maea by surprise. For a while, she weighed whether she wished to divulge such an intimate story or not... then relented with a faint sigh. Theirs was a quest for knowledge, after all. She might as well start in good faith.
"It was about three years ago, now. Perhaps a little more. I had gone through a bad breakup with my lover, and wanted something to do that would take my mind off it. I saw a notice posted here in Torchline, about ghost whales causing trouble. Some people I knew of from the Hollowed Ground would be going after them, and so I decided to join them."
She pulled her legs up against the chest and wrapped her arms around them. Huddling in, as if she might shield herself from the memories that way. "I was very young and very overconfident. I was born abandoned and had recently learned to master water magic; despite that, Ludo had seen fit to attune me. I felt powerful, and reckless, and I thought I could be of use to the others." There was a wry twist of her mouth, that might pass for a smile. "Unfortunately, I also did not listen well to instructions. When one of the others jumped into the water, I decided to follow and aid them. Trouble was, they didn't need the help. And I... I was swallowed up by one of the ghost whales."
A long, heavy silence followed, as Maea relived those terrible moments. Her struggle in the darkness, the pain and fear as she was jostled around; she closed her eyes, but it did nothing to shut the images out.
"I - I was knocked around until I lost consciousness... and my companions did not notice that I was missing. So I died, down there. I suppose my bones are here, somewhere. Lying on the bottom of the ocean, gnawed clean by sea creatures."
Was that too macabre? Chaele was wearing a bone mask; somehow she didn't think the person would take offense.
"Of course, if that's how you prefer to arrange it," she agreed easily. "Though I would never send anyone packing, not while they still want to be part of the guild and are willing to lend a hand where needed." Not for anything less than grave harm done to premises and personnel, or other forms of disagreements.
The question that followed was rather personal, and clearly took Maea by surprise. For a while, she weighed whether she wished to divulge such an intimate story or not... then relented with a faint sigh. Theirs was a quest for knowledge, after all. She might as well start in good faith.
"It was about three years ago, now. Perhaps a little more. I had gone through a bad breakup with my lover, and wanted something to do that would take my mind off it. I saw a notice posted here in Torchline, about ghost whales causing trouble. Some people I knew of from the Hollowed Ground would be going after them, and so I decided to join them."
She pulled her legs up against the chest and wrapped her arms around them. Huddling in, as if she might shield herself from the memories that way. "I was very young and very overconfident. I was born abandoned and had recently learned to master water magic; despite that, Ludo had seen fit to attune me. I felt powerful, and reckless, and I thought I could be of use to the others." There was a wry twist of her mouth, that might pass for a smile. "Unfortunately, I also did not listen well to instructions. When one of the others jumped into the water, I decided to follow and aid them. Trouble was, they didn't need the help. And I... I was swallowed up by one of the ghost whales."
A long, heavy silence followed, as Maea relived those terrible moments. Her struggle in the darkness, the pain and fear as she was jostled around; she closed her eyes, but it did nothing to shut the images out.
"I - I was knocked around until I lost consciousness... and my companions did not notice that I was missing. So I died, down there. I suppose my bones are here, somewhere. Lying on the bottom of the ocean, gnawed clean by sea creatures."
Was that too macabre? Chaele was wearing a bone mask; somehow she didn't think the person would take offense.
watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep
and I'll be yours to keep
