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!
Will you throw me to the ground like you mean it? reach inside and wrestle it out with your bare hands?
The first time they come across the shrine, Nate laughs it off and feels the strain of his grin a little too much. Snow makes the usually infuriatingly confusing hedges that much more frustrating, making it all too obvious when they start to walk in circles. Just when Nate thinks they’ve made some kind of progress, there’s the dead end and the circle of stones again.
It only happens once more before Nate doesn’t immediately turn around and walk away. He lingers. Stares into the centre of the stone ring. And then, slowly, deliberately, he steps closer, reaching back to tug Sunjata with him, lacing their fingers together. Nate is careful to stay a half step in front of his husband, staying between the Flood and the shrine.
“I’m willing to call one a fluke.” He addresses the empty stone circle with a laugh, his feet kicking at the ground and his shoulders rolling back. The fingers tangled with Sunjata’s tighten and squeeze, but not before a tremble can be felt, the strain of holding the mask up.
that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights
He fully anticipates them to walk away again, a step headed in the wrong direction when Nate tugs him back. He almost slips on the ice and snow briefly before catching himself, remaining a half-step behind his husband until the shrine is in view, until Nate speaks, as the Flood has a moment to scan the dark stones, turning his attention toward the Ascended to scan him quietly as well. Their fingers are intertwined, the slight tremble felt by the Lone Ranger masked with a tight squeeze he offers from a lightning scarred hand.
He isn’t sure if it’ll help if he speaks – if he should. She’d be expecting him at some point, though, he imagines. She had intended for him to speak with Frey and he has, so perhaps in his being here she might realize there’s that to work out as well. Regardless, Sunjata remains slightly behind Nate, hand in hand, leaning in to press his cheek against Nate’s shoulder lightly in an extra amount of solidarity before he straightens back up and waits for something to happen, holding his breath.
stitching up the loose threads of my soul
so in the morning i'm bulletproof
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The Voice's tone is warm, almost playful, ringing from within the stones before she appears in a crackle of ozone and static.
"After all this time, do you not think I would come to you unless there was a very good reason?"
She has noted Sunjata, offering him a brief nod of acknowledgement, but her electric eyes are all for Nate. Reaching out for the Lone Ranger, her hands cup his cheeks as if to get a good look at his face, to check her own work on his eye.
"It is very good to see you, Nate," she murmurs. Although the demigod might not feel pain or pleasure, hot or cold, he will feel a pulse of warmth and calm, of belonging, and the Voice releases him only a moment later to hover within the stones.
Will you throw me to the ground like you mean it? reach inside and wrestle it out with your bare hands?
“We’ll just add it to the list of unbecoming things about me then, eh?” The corners of his lips sharpen, his chin tipping up as his Goddess tunes into existence. Nate squeezes his husbands hand again while a shrug rolls over his shoulders, trying to bleed some restless worry out of him. “Maybe things’ve changed.”
His face being grabbed assures him they haven’t though. It’s a strain for Nate to maintain eye contact, the tension tugging at the scarring around his eyes. He can pretend it’s the intensity of the glow of her hands on him at least. Her words rob him of his wit, a shallow nod the only answer Nate can manage before he’s released.
Some part of him truly hadn’t expected to get this far. “I-I uh,” Nate clears his throat. “Sunny went t’chat at Frey.” It’s their official business after all, better to start with that than “And I want something selfish.”
that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights
He doesn’t expect to get an acknowledgement, not yet at least, so he is a little surprised when the nod comes his way. He tries not to let it show but he does squeeze Nate’s hand just a little tighter as the Voice focuses on the Ascended beside him, his gaze following the interaction, until of course, Nate speaks up about Sunjata’s own needs for seeing the Voice.
There’s a soft smile that blooms on his face, a nod in response to his talking with Frey and the request Nate has for something selfish. Better start with himself, though, he supposes. “We’ve agreed on a neutral zone for when the war starts, with your help.” It’s what they’d talked about previously, at least, when Nate was ‘dead’ and cradled to his chest. It’s a different moment for him, though, and he casts a soft loving gaze toward the Lone Ranger before his eyes land on the Voice again. “It requires some of your lightning in a bottle, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
stitching up the loose threads of my soul
so in the morning i'm bulletproof
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"There is a list? I hardly believe that," the Voice chides with a small smile, tilting her head as her demigod speaks, not of himself at first, but of Sunjata. Bowing her head, she takes Nate's prompt and turns her attention fully to the Flood.
"Neutrality looks good on you," she decides, her smile twisting into something almost mischievous. "Lightning in a bottle is more than doable. As per our agreement, then..."
With a wave of her hand, the scent of ozone fills the air afresh, and a crack of electricity produces, before them, a seemingly simple glass vessel. Within, though, electricity sparks and chases itself around the confines of the bottle. "I hope that will suffice," she says, gesturing for Sunjata to take it.
"And now something selfish...?" She raises her eyebrows at Nate.
Will you throw me to the ground like you mean it? reach inside and wrestle it out with your bare hands?
Nate’s attention also shifts to his husband more completely, pride pulling the stri mg s for his smile now and finally adding a genuine warmth to it. It only grows as their eyes meet, joined by naked relief, the clenched fist of Nate’s expression loosening as the Voice grants the request without hesitation.
That’s the serious part done, which means it’s back to him, his frivolities. Nate spends a moment longer smiling at Sunjata, turning just in time to find the Voice’s brows expectantly high. The smile doesn’t turn plasticky and fake again but instead falls of his face completely. Left behind is a calm, quiet expression, all but transforming the Lone Ranger into the Lone Stranger.
“I miss the bond. Our,” he tugs Sunjata’s hand up and shakes it, “bond. I want… you can do something like that, right? Something that can’t be taken away, that’s just us?” Nate only realizes he’d started babbling after he stops, his brows pinching and his lips pursing.
that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights
His attention remains on the Voice, even as he can feel his husband’s own boring into him. There’s a bit of worry, some amount of apprehension that the Voice may not agree, before the compliment is given and his shoulders loosen his tension a bit. “Thank you.” He says softly, until the electricity in the air seems to set his teeth on edge, until the whipcrack of electricity sparks in the air and Sunjata tries his best not to flinch, failing in the process as he squeezes Nate’s hand a little tighter.
The lightning scarred hand remains intertwined with Nate’s as he steps forward to take the bottle from the Voice, a brighter smile aired as he clutches it tightly in his freehand, moving to shove it in the pocket of his jacket. “Thank you so much.” He repeats, averting his gaze toward Nate once more as he asks for the bond again, warmth blooming in his chest as he thinks about it.
Gods how he’s missed the bond between them.
stitching up the loose threads of my soul
so in the morning i'm bulletproof
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The Voice hovers before them, giving a small smile to Sunjata and nodding, before turning back to Nate and the matter at hand. Frivolous and selfish it might be, it is still what Nate has requested and so it is what she will address. "I can," she confirms, static electricity dancing over her form as she considers what would be necessary for it.
"You already have a ring that does something similar. That will play a part in creating this new item," she says.
Nate has received a quest from the Voice! He must complete:
1. A thread collecting a vial of Sunjata's blood
2. A thread collecting a vial of Nate's fluid
2. A thread melting down the Blood Ring in Nate's inventory and adding the blood and fluid to the molten metal, before reforming the ring.
3. A thread collecting something from an Attuned's shifted form (e.g. feathers, fur etc.)
He will receive:
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Tether Ring | A magical ring infused with Sunjata's blood and Nate's fluid. Allows for mental communication between the two that mimics an Attuned bond at a range of up to 10ft.
Will you throw me to the ground like you mean it? reach inside and wrestle it out with your bare hands?
The details of the quest are laid out, the part of Nate in disbelief that this is happening carefully tamped down by the rest of him. He is focused, he is tuned in, he is already making plans. “Thank you.” There is no small amount of sincerity in the words, thought it’s clearly not all he wants from the Voice.
It’s not even close.
Nate knows better than to ask for too much, but there are some things he can’t help but chew on. Some things he needs answers for that no one else can offer. “I just uh… one more thing, Sunny, and Wessex and Isla, mentioned uh… that exchange, and my eye and…” The Lone Ranger chews his lip, gaze dropping to the ground for the first time. “Did they, I mean, do you know if they did anything else to me while..?”
that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights
They do already have a ring, one that was a gift from Ronin from what seems like a lifetime ago — one that’s almost a sweet thought of a new beginning to smelt it and turn it into something new, something wholly them. So as she keys out the plan, Sunjata is prepared to help in whatever ways he can.
He squeezes his husband’s hand, leaning in lightly to keep his cool arm by his own scarred chest, remaining silent as the question is aired and averting his gaze from both his husband and the Voice to the snow and the crackling static that seems to fill the air, that almost sets his teeth on edge again and again.
Sunjata will remain silent and just sort of watching unless addressed.
stitching up the loose threads of my soul
so in the morning i'm bulletproof
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"You are welcome," the Voice says with a soft nod of her head, glancing between them and raising her brows as Nate speaks once again. Her expression is carefully blank in a way the Lone Ranger might well recognise, the Voice stepping forward to let static fingertips move across his face, down his neck and across his chest.
"They collected fluid," she confirms as those same fingers trace along his forearm before releasing him. "Two vials of it. But other than that, you were left alone. No demigod or other citizen of Stormbreak touched you, other than to return you to Sunjata." Whether that will give him what he's looking for, though, remains to be seen.
Will you throw me to the ground like you mean it? reach inside and wrestle it out with your bare hands?
Bright eyes follow the path fingers trace down his body, the demi-gods hand flexing as if in anticipation when they fall away. Nate keeps his gaze down, locked on his palm for a moment before he nods, unhappiness settled deeply into his face when he looks up again. The answer is better than he'd expected, but still makes his skin crawl in a way he can't truly explain. "I don't suppose there's anything you could do about that?" He asks, anticipating a no and not letting himself linger on it for too long.
"If it uh, happens again, can we just... take the option away? Blow me up when it's most opportune?" He'd had this conversation with Sunjata already, but he still squeezes his husbands hand tightly, offering some small amount of reassurance. At the end of the day, it was the best for everyone involved.
