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!
The quick patter of young excited feet seems at odds with the pristine, towering palace. It would be to anyone around who can hear the way they echo down the empty corridors and up and down spiraling staircases. To Soleil however, they’re right at home. Because she is a princess, and every princess needs a castle. Her father may not be royalty, but nobody had stopped her so far, and the hallways were practically empty, so her imagination is allowed free reign without consequence.
Giggling echoes down the long hallway as Sol scampers out from the library wing, amber eyes bright as they dart both ways down the corridor before spontaneously picking a direction and racing down the long rug that pads the area outside the door. Thick cloud of hair bouncing along with each eager footfall, and ignoring the scandalized noise she gets when she nearly knocks into a caretaker of the palace as they’re emerging from a yet-unexplored doorway. Their cry towards her back to ‘slow down’ is entirely ignored. There is exploration to be had, there’s no time to go slow!
everyone around her seemed brighter and better for having known her
Perhaps it was silly to move through the castle wearing the skin of her fox, but Cordelia didn't want to be stopped today. She wasn't much in the mood for talking. Especially not with those who wanted to gain her attention simply because she was connected to Noah. The people of Halo didn't often try to bend the people in leadership to all of their whims and fancies, but it had been a while since they had someone so willing to listen. The Attuned couldn't exactly blame them. Still, she wasn't up for playing politics today.
No, instead something else caught her attention entirely. The sound of laughter and little feet padding through the halls of the palace. Her ears twist and flick, nose lifting in the air to attempt to catch the scent of whoever it was, curiosity getting the better of her when she realizes it's one she recognizes.
Trotting down the hall, following the scent and the sounds of a child who is clearly playing, Cordelia sets off towards this new entertainment. Only when she spots the wild cloud of curls, realizing who it is she's following, does it sink in. Letting out a yip as she darts forward, getting in front of the girl, the fox goes down into play pose before her.
The yip of an animal startles the girl, making her stumble a little on the carpet, but she quickly catches herself and looks about to find the source. It’s not hard to, given animals aren’t exactly commonplace in the Palace. An excited little gasp leaves her when the fox bows down into a play pose, a language she knew well before the common tongue she utilizes now. In fact she finds herself eagerly bending at the waist, hands on her thighs in the closest human imitation she can get without thinking.
“Hi!” bursts out, eager and senseless, no further words to be found. Almost meaningless, only a vehicle for her own human equivalent of a yip of greeting. And then the chase is on - Soleil runs towards the fox with a string of giggles petering out heavier on each footfall, agile but woefully slow compared to a fox as she engages, taking up the offer wholeheartedly.
everyone around her seemed brighter and better for having known her
It's a silly indulgence. This chase that she finds herself in. A bright spot in the darkness that seems to constantly press in on her ever since her conversation with Sah. The news he broke to her, making her heart shatter all over again after she'd just put it back together, leaving her a shell.
This was easy, though. It relied on nothing but her instincts. Her fox form easily enticed in chases and games of little consequence. Especially with a child who was so sunshine bright that Cordelia couldn't resist basking in her easy presence. Soleil gives chase, sprinting down the hall after her as fast as her legs could carry her, tripping over herself in her haste. The fox slows her own pace so that the child actually has a chance at catching her, keeping herself just out of reach.
Soleil has no way of noticing the easy pace the fox keeps, intentional, forgiving of little legs and hidden folds in thick rugs that would otherwise ensure absolutely no success in this endeavor. Success doesn't matter to Sol though, the chase itself enough to fill the hallway with bright giggles. Even as she reaches, however, her hands are clearly gentle as they aim for the light tip of the fox's tail swaying so close at hand.
When she's able to brush her fingers against the fox's tail, she agilely drops to squat on all fours, knees bent but aloft over the rug. "Tag!" she cheers, and spins to go running into the nearest open doorway, abandoning the easy straight nature of the rug and hallway. It's filled with large, spaced out tables, and far more tomes than Soleil has ever seen in her entire life - giving her a brief pause, but not enough to dissuade her from the game as she runs down the aisles away from her new friend.
everyone around her seemed brighter and better for having known her
The sensation of fingertips against her tail makes her whip around just in time to see Soleil disappear into an open doorway. The Shrike yips in response, galloping after her without a thought of hesitation. She sees a cloud of hair bouncing down one of the aisles of books, hidden behind the stacks of tomes that line the shelves. Slowing her steps, the Attuned comes to a stop, ears flicking back and forth to listen for the little footfalls that echo through the room and across the wooden floor.
When she realizes just where she's going to round the corner and darts down that aisle. Carefully, making sure not to hurt her in the process, the Shrike pounces on Sol with a playful nip. They go rolling and Soleil is pinned momentarily before Cordelia lets her up again.
The delightful yip from behind her is an additional moment of triumph, which lends a kick of speed to her legs as they go rocketing into the stacks of books. Though she doesn’t notice when the soft patter of paws slow and fall away, not over the pound of her heart and blood in her ears. Only noticing when she glances over her shoulder and the vixen is not there in eyesight.
It’s as she’s looking back that Cordelia pounces, sending the two flopping gracelessly over the soft rug until the fox stands triumphantly poised overtop the young girl. Soleil is giggling even before the fox pulls off of her, and she sits up, legs crossing and arms around herself as she laughs. “That was fun!” she gushes, only remembering at the last second to hush herself in the library. As if running feet were any better. “Thank you for playing with me, it gets really lonely and boring here,” she confesses softly, unashamed to wear her heart on her sleeve and not expecting a verbal response at all, so accustomed to sharing her worries and dreams with her father’s companion.
everyone around her seemed brighter and better for having known her
It was fun and though Cordelia can't respond verbally, it doesn't stop her from inching forward, touching her nose to the girl's lightly. She stays there for a moment before lifting a leg, dropping it over the girl's shoulders as if giving her a hug, paw pressing between her shoulder blades lightly. Her head dropping on top of hers as she whines softly. She's not sure how long they stay in that makeshift embrace, but eventually the Shrike pulls back, giving his cheek a little lick.
Suddenly the other tasks on her agenda for the day don't seem nearly as important as spending time with Sol. The rest of the afternoon is spent playing games of chase, hide and seek, and snuggled up on the floor whenever they decide it's time to rest.
