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!
Earlier, Pihu had meandered through the market stalls at the carnival, eying the merchandise on display. Despite coming from Torchline, where every good under the sun (and some that should never see the light of day) was traded and smuggled, there were items here she'd never seen before. So, she wandered back through the displays, keeping one eye on the crowd and the other on the goods.
The shopkeepers kept an eye on her as well, even as she gave them her best grin. For now, her hands stayed by her sides. However, her fingers twitched to try and nick some of the items. She was biding her time, though, until the vendors were less wary or were distracted by something.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
The prices weren't that terrible, all things considered. And the quality of the merchandise was tolerable, even excellent in some cases. As she moved from stall to stall, eyes roaming stacks of books, piles fur, heaps and piles of plates, cups, weapons, gadgets and jewelry, Maea tried to figure out what sort of things Amun might like. The books were a hard pass; none of them had pictures in them. And the kitchenware - not only did he have little use for it, but he could make better quality stuff himself. Weapons... it was a possibility, though seemed far too grim a reminder of bad times to come - she wanted to cheer him up, not add more gloom.
That left trinkets, accessories and clothes. Spotting a stand full of glittering chains, necklaces, rings and baubles, the girl inched up to it and leaned in to have a closer look. The vendor gave her ratty coat and worn boots a long stare, and folded their arms across a narrow chest with a disapproving expression. Maea ignored them.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Across the lane, Pihu was running her fingers over a scarf. Although her hands were on the cloth, her eyes were scanning the crowd. A pale woman in ragged looking attire caught the Attuned's gaze. The stranger was striking in more ways than one, so much so that the shopkeeper selling jewelry and trinkets was glaring at the white-haired lady. The thief released the scarf with a nod at the clothing vendor on her side.
Whistling, she slipped her hands in her pockets. While the accessory seller was still watching Maea, Pihu slid one hand out. As swiftly as she could, she palmed a bracelet. When she tried to slid it up her sleeve, though, the stubborn thing got caught on something or other, because try as the raven might, she couldn't get it out of her hand. She cursed under her breath.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Maea ignored the crowd milling about, absorbed in her scrutiny of the merchandise. At least until someone sidled up beside her. Shifting a few steps to the side to make room for others, she put a hand on her satchel. Just to make sure it was where it should be. And that might have been that, had it not been for a sudden jerk of the person, and a curse that her sensitive ears absolutely picked up.
Looking up, she took in the woman, the bracelet in her hand and what looked to be a very furtive struggle. The shopkeeper noticed too, and swelled ominously as glittering black eyes narrowed on the additional riff-raff that had flocked to their stall.
"It's polite to ask before touching things that aren't yours," Maea remarked coolly, and very pointedly put her own hands behind her back. "Damn right,," the vendor grunted. "Ya gun' pay fer tha'?"
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Pihu looked up from her palm to find the pale stranger and the shopkeeper both staring at the Attuned. However, she just cocked her head to one side. "I was just tryin' to see if it'd fit on my wrist. It's too small though, and I pinched myself," she explained, holding the bracelet out to the vendor.
Without looking to see if the merchant took it (or could take it, in which case, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it), she swiveled her head to eye the other woman. "It's also polite to stay out o' other people's business, but ye seem perfectly happy sticking yer nose where it don't belong and jumpin' to conclusions." The words fell out of the thief's mouth in a taunt. Raising her eyebrows, she stared without blinking at the ragged looking lady.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
It sounded like an excuse, and a poor one. Maea merely raised a pale brow while the vendor snatched the bracelet from the open palm and tenderly returned it to where it had been. It rose even higher when the woman turned on her and snapped, like some small territorial dog with too much attitude for its size.
That cold expression took on a note of boredom at the accusation. Maea gave the woman - a Torcher by the accent - a long stare, scanning her up and down and weighed the effort of arguing against her own quiet suspicions. A bland smile appeared on her lips, that did not reach the pale eyes.
"Apologies," she replied and gave the other a slight bow. "My mistake."
Then she turned back to continue the scrutiny of the merchandise. Fully expecting that to be it.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Thankfully, the shopkeeper took the bracelet from Pihu's palm without incident. That allowed her to focus her full attention on the pale stranger. The Attuned balled his hands into fists. She was taller than the raggedly attired lady, and the raven stood up straight, doing her best to loom. She stared down at the other woman until the stranger finally spoke.
Pihu scowled at the woman's words. "Are ye now? Cause ye don't look or sound very apologetic," the Attuned scoffed. "Ye can take yer apology and shove it where the sun don't shine." Tsking and shaking her head at the pale lady, the thief turned and stalked towards the crowd. Still, she couldn't help but throw a glare over her shoulder.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Used to being looked down on by far taller figures than this, the looming did nothing to unsettle the slender girl. She merely blinked at the belligerent attitude and shrugged when the woman cursed at her and stormed off, amused rather than upset. Curious, how offended the Torcher had been by her comment. It was almost as if it had touched a nerve.
Maea lingered by the stall for a while longer, but eventually shook her head at the vendor and moved along. None of the items leaped out at her, and she didn't much like the way the merchant kept glaring at her, as if the slight altercation had somehow been her fault. Looking down at herself, she had to admit that she did look worse for wear...
With a sigh, she angled towards a nearby clothes stall, and plucked listlessly at the assortment of shirts and pants, coats and cloaks and shawls. All of excellent quality, but... nothing really appealed to her.
A sudden tug on her bag ripped it off her shoulder, and with a sharp "Hey!" the white-haired girl spun around, just in time to see a laughing youth dash off into the crowd with his prize. "Come back here!"
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Giving Maea one last glare, Pihu pivoted away. When she was only a short distance from them, she lifted her hand. Staring at her palm, she clenched her hand into a fist and then released it. "What in Safrin's starry bottom just happened?" she whispered under her breath, continuing to flex and unflex her fingers.
As the voice rang out behind her, she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw the other thief barreling straight towards her, apparently with the pale stranger's bag in tow. Stepping to the side, the raven slid her foot out to try and trip the boy. If she succeeded, she'd try to pluck the bag from him. "Amateur hour," she muttered.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
The thief toppled like a felled tree and faceplanted in the churned up slush of mud and snow. Maea was there a heartbeat later and yanked her satchel out of the thief's hand. A moment was spared to peer inside, just to make sure all the content was still in place.
Then she turned, and blinked in some surprise at the very familiar looking woman. "Thank you. That was very quick thinking." Reaching into the satchel, Maea pulled out a crisp winter apple, and offered it to her. "It's not much, but... for your trouble." The cold expression from before was thawed several degrees by a slight smile.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
05-12-2022, 06:55 PM (This post was last modified: 05-12-2022, 06:55 PM by Pihu.)
Pihu
As the boy collapsed like a felled tree, Pihu grinned. She snaked her foot out of the way just in time to avoid it being crushed. Hands on the bag, she didn't get to take it from the other thief before the pale woman got there. However, the Attuned managed to slip her fingers inside and nab something small off the top. Actually, the motion of the other woman pulling the bag away worked in the thief's favor, as the item slipped out.
It turned out to be a comb. However, when she tried to slip it up her sleeve, it wouldn't go again. Her eyes widened, even as she stared at the apple the ragged lady was offering. "This fell out," the raven lied with a shrug, holding out the comb in an open hand. For a moment, she looked at the apple before taking it.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Somewhere behind her, the young purse snatcher scrabbled to his feet and darted off into the crowd. Maea was not interested in playing enforcer now that she had her things back, and let him go. Her attention was on the slender woman, and the comb that was extended towards her. She blinked and accepted it, before checking the contents of her bag again.
"Ah, that it did. Thank you again! It seems I really was wrong, before. I am sorry - it looked like you were trying to steal that bracelet, not just try it on." Smile widening slightly as the apple was accepted from her hand, Maea looped the satchel over her head and shoulder, so that it couldn't be so easily parted from her again. "I hope I didn't prevent you from buying it; that stall had some decent quality. With those prices he can't be making much of a profit today." A look of sympathy crossed her face; good quality never payed as much as it was worth on fairs like these.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
As the boy scampered off, Pihu shot a scowl after him. Still, the pale lady let him go, so the Attuned just rolled her eyes and turned to face the stranger. Tensing as the other woman reached for the comb, the raven's shoulders didn't drop in the slightest even after the raggedly clad lady successfully took it from the thief's palm.
"Yeah, I got that," she drawled. Looking at the apple in her hand, she tried to toss it in the air. It managed to unstick from her skin and her breath puffed out in a cloud of white as she caught the fruit. "Nah, I was just browsing. Were ye gonna buy something?" Taking a bite from the apple, she chewed and swallowed before shooting the other woman a smile.
They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear
