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!
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
Ice wasn’t something readily experienced by the honeybee. Sure, she’d been to Halo a couple of times, but certainly not out of enjoyment. She was, by all accounts, a being of fire and embers and infernos, with everything else notched in between – the encounters with frozen proportions few and far between (if one forgot the quiver on her back).
So she found herself tapping on the edges of it with one booted heel, pondering, frowning, hands on her hips, for a moment or two. She could conquer this. She could conquer anything. Fangorn, with his wisdom, sauntered out and slid along on his vines, rumbling and grumbling his enjoyment. Sila seemed all the more perturbed, staring at her reflection in the glassy veneer.
Melita huffed, not to be outdone by a vampire gourd, and started out on a diligent march, before, regrettably, and unsurprisingly, falling on her ass. Eyes rounded in a stunned, stupefied expression, while Fangorn howled and Sila clicked her talons across the force over to her bonded. “Huh,” was all that formed, other than a snort.
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
Not wanting to look like an idiot, Flora was standing by the rink pretending to be waiting for someone. What she was actually doing was noting 1. where to get ice skates, 2. how to put them on, 3. what you were supposed to wear? and of course, 4. how to skate. She'd figured out 1-3 (that booth over there, like a fucking shoe, and something cute you could move in), but as for 4? Well, some people certainly made it look really easy. Others, ahem, Melita, made it look like the horribly tricky thing that Flora was thinking it was.
'Oooh.' Cringing from the side but making no attempt to go to the fire-haired girl, Flora cranes her neck to try and see if Melita was alright. "I think you almost had it though!' She quickly adds, not wanting to sound as if she was criticizing Melita. The other woman had a dragon and a vampire gourd for one, and two, the last thing she needed or wanted was to be challenged to "show her how it's done".
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
Had Melita taken more than an instant to look around, she would’ve noticed other people, other people on ice skates, or other people snagging at nearby ice skate booths. From her vantage point on the rime presently, she did happen to catch a few glances. Some were laughing – which was fair, because she would’ve done the same. Some were grimacing, because yes, she was going to be bruised for a bit. Some were struggling, knees buckling, obviously trying not to fall straight on their ass.
She sighed, scratching the top of Sila’s head as puffs of smoke unfurled from the being’s nostrils, giving Fangorn an envious look as he continued to bound along the structure without issue.
Frowning a bit, she hadn’t seen the other youth nearby until the cringe was heard – swinging her head in that direction, but making no move to get up quite yet. Not really sure if she could, unless she crawled along. The honeybee wrinkled her nose for a moment, but since the words had been kind and not condescending, she simply huffed out a response. “Have you done this before?” Gesturing towards the others, one launching a massive twirl in mid-air nearby, before landing smoothly and sailing off.
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
Normally Flora would be quick with a lie in this situation—Oh, yeah I totally have. Loads of times, actually—only she was clever enough to know that the follow-up lies needed would compound themselves too quickly to be believable. Why aren't I skating now? Oh..I hurt my ankle. Why can't I give you instructions from over here? Uhm...I'm actually hiding from someone. Who? Why? Oh, well.. and so on. Shaking her head, Flora smiles. "No, never. It gets cold where I live, but not enough to freeze the entire river." Small sections of it maybe, but after having nearly drowned as a child, Flora wasn't all that interested in venturing out onto the ice.
'You really did look like you had it though.' She adds, flashing an uncertain smile.'Is this...does this happen every year?' Glancing around, it wasn't clear whether or not those currently whoooooshing around the ice were from Halo where skating was more common, or whether or not this was a regular occurrence here in Torchline.
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
Sitting there, thinking about scowling at the successful people, the youth just gave a hapless shrug, before attempting to right herself. Rolling over onto her knees, and striving to rise from there with a push from her arms, she managed to…mostly become upright. There were a few bobbles and wobbles, with encouragement from Fangorn and Sila, and several windmilling moments, but overall she managed to stay on her feet.
Which caused a very broad, proud grin.
The question made her head turn back to the stranger, carefully, cautiously, remembering wayward movements last time had given her an abrupt end to the charade. “No. I haven’t seen it before.” Hence the lack of experience – and she’d never been a Basiner amidst Helovia. Born in the desert, with no ice in sight. “Well, you’re welcome to try too.” And then she shuffled forward, shocked and surprised when balance was maintained.
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
Melita will hear the sound of applause, and should she look back to Flora, she'll find the girl beaming right back at her, thumping the palms of her hands together. Getting up looked just as hard as the twirls people were doing as far as Flora was concerned. 'Oh...huh.' Frowning to herself before stretching out her hands and adjusting them as if she might be able to control Melita somehow, the girl ducks down beneath the fence she'd been loitering behind quite without thinking.
As for trying it? "I really don't like falling..." Flora said, rather awkwardly, before realizing that no one liked to fall, and that was likely a very stupid thing to say given that Melita had just been flat on her ass. "But I suppose I could try, if...you're going to keep trying, too?"
There was no way she wanted to look like an idiot on her own, but as we're all aware, it's perfectly fine if you do it with someone else.
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
Oh, Melita would keep trying. She was one of the mass who simply didn’t cease, even when it was probably the best notion. Smiling at the applause, and maybe eager to coax another into the same situation simply for amusements, she shrugged her shoulders, but only a miniscule amount. Enough to ensure her balance strived. “Yeah, I am!” More of an exuberant chirp this time, the youth intended to shuffle her way closer to the stranger. “It doesn’t hurt too bad.” If one was used to gaining bruises on their asses, or far more understanding of graver, more grevious, injuries.
Fangorn, once more, was the resident show-off, gliding across with ridiculous ease, while Sila garnered a few more smoke rings, aiming them at the ice. As the honeybee made a fair impersonation of either a penguin or a very, slow, cautious, newborn deer, gangly, unfurled legs and all, she lifted her head, finally appraising the other youth. “I’m Melita. Who are you?”
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
Pain was far less of a concern for Flora than looking like a complete idiot, but now didn't seem to be the time to explain that particular bit of childhood trauma. So, pulling in a determined breath through her nose, Flora stretches out one of her feet to tap experimentally on the ice.
"That's a really pretty name." She immediately comments, flashing a quick aqua gaze in Melita's direction. "I'm—" Quickly her mind considers lying. No one would know her by her first name, and seeing as Melita hadn't given her full name, Flora saw no reason to either. "—Flora."
Sticking her hands out and windmilling them about as the ice instantly tried to steal away any semblance of balance, Flora overcorrects which sends her sprawling towards Melita.
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
Fortunately for Flora, her namesake, and heritage, would be safe from the honeybee. Not that she would’ve minded, or known, for that matter – not recognizing distinctive features that should’ve been a key sign of parental lineage. Too pre-occupied, too distracted, and too impulsive by all rights, the question wouldn’t even pass her lips. “Yours is pretty too!” Like petals and reminders of the nature all around them – and the very bizarre one they were striving to conquer at the moment.
Sure enough, the instant Flora sauntered along the ice was a declaration of the slippery veneer’s power, and she came coasting towards the fiery youth. Fangorn wisely scampered out of the way with a few grumbles, but Melita wouldn’t be so lucky. Being able to see it coming and not having the ability to cease it was a bit of a nuisance, and she grimaced as Flora’s foot made impact with hers.
Sending her down on the ice. Again.
“Hm,” she uttered, now bruised on both ass cheeks. “There’s got to be a better way.” Like…crawling.
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
Beaming at the compliment—Flora of course knew her name was pretty, but that didn't mean she didn't adore hearing it (often)—the girl decides that she quite likes her copper-haired counterpart. However Flora's appreciation for this serendipitous meeting was not long for this world as she and Melita collide with painful slowness that likely made it comical to anyone watching. Down they both go, hard enough to knock the air from Flora's lungs.
"——!—un!" She gulps, seeing stars and keenly feeling the chill of the ice through the thin layer of her shorts. "Gods, I'm so sorry." Flora offers as soon as she can inhale without it feeling as though there were hands around her throat. "I know it's silly to say, but the ice is so slippery!" Across the ice a gaggle of similarly aged girls are snickering to one another while stealing glancing towards both Melita and Flora. "Rude." She huffs under her breath, watching as one of the girls peeled away from the group so that she could perform an elegant and effortless twirl on the ice.
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
“It’s all right,” and Melita handwaved the apology off, figuring she’d felt worse for wear in many other circumstances. This one was just silly. "You okay?"
Her eyes narrowed though as the other girls hastened by – dangerous and speculative. The features grew even more so as a beautiful pirouette and twirl was executed, the youth spinning madly in the air as if she’d been accustomed to this all her life (bizarre). “I could always set them on fire,” the honeybee mumbled under her breath, pondering the likelihood and accuracy of the bow, of the quiver, of the speed it would take…
Shaking her head, and sighing, she rolled back over onto her knees, before trying again, rising on a teetering, toppling wobble. “Well, we have to start somewhere. They didn’t begin like that,” and her thumb gestured back to the giggling gaggle, one peeling away again to extend their leg out and revolve around in quick, tight turns without falling over once. “Would it help if we had those skate things?”
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
"Yeah..it's probably just my ego that's bruised." Flora admits in an uncharacteristic bout of honesty that she quickly follows up with a quick tittery laugh.
Instantly Melita's suggestion has Flora wanting to grin and nod, but knowing little of her fire-haired counterpart, at first all she could do was glance speculatively in her direction, trying to determine if she was being sarcastic or not. "I could channel." Flora tentatively agrees. "Maybe a shark could jump out of the ice and gobble her up during one of her spins." For all of their threats, the gaggle of girls were still smirking, before applauding wildly as their more experienced skater returned into their midst.
"Probably, but—" Just as she and Melita were getting to their feet, one of the girls approached pushing a chair. Halting in such a way as to throw a sheet of shaved ice over the duo, she offered them a condescending smile. "Here, maybe this will help." She sneered brightly. "It's what the kids use."
yes, yes, I am wild I am the wind that makes breathing hard
A very quick, if not slightly nefarious grin, sparked the moment the suggestion was made – clapping her hands a few times while struggling to maintain her balance. “Oh, wouldn’t that be lovely,” as if they were talking about strolling around a park or through a garden, instead of obliterating some obnoxious showoff. “I bet I could channel Ludo. It would love to wreak havoc,” uttered on another sigh, for the moment, content with the image of the bitch sinking beneath waves.
The shaved ice flickering back at them – and the not even subtle notions from this masquerading hag – shifted all the nefarious proportions within Melita’s gaze solely on her. “Thank you so much,” the honeybee said swiftly in return, with a batting of her eyelashes that if anyone knew her at all, signified something dangerous was coming. Her hands grasped hold of the chair, fingers tightening over the metal and iron underneath, having just been granted and given a motive and weapon all in one motion.
When the condescending beotch roamed away with that same indignant sneer, the honeybee eased a very long, slow breath, before turning to Flora. “I’m going to run her over with it.” And then she gestured to the seat portions, an invitation to be a part of the upcoming chaos.
I am the ocean and the battered shore I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury
06-21-2022, 08:14 PM (This post was last modified: 06-21-2022, 08:28 PM by Odd.)
flora
Flora felt her cheeks grow so warm she thought if she put her face down on the ice she could leave a clear imprint of her profile. Hating, and I do mean hating to be the butt of anyone's joke, she clenched her teeth together and glared daggers into the girl who had so generously offered the pair a chair.
About to say something like, boy, I could just about kill her, the words halt, fizzle, and then roll off Flora's tongue as dark laughter as Melita nods towards the chair. "Lets fuck their shit up." Scooting around and sitting with her hands wrapped tightly around the seat of the chair, Flora gives a decisive nod.
"I might not be able to channel Ludo, but I can channel something." So saying she rubs her hands slightly together and whispers something about spraying the gaggle of girls with fish the way she and Melita had been sprayed with ice.
