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 empty, sunless sky is intimidating only the first two days. After that, it’s merely another inconvenience as his sleep schedule - already tenuous at best - goes completely sideways and into the dirt. Since moving to Torchline at his sisters behest he has spent most of his time gallivanting around, exploring and sticking his fingers into things. Today is no different, though he is determined to be of use.
A little bargaining for some nets at the docks, some gleaning of information from surly old fishermen at the bar, and Enzo has a private little section of river to pull fish from. He’s not planning on keeping them, especially given the pile he already has in a cooler on the bank - even a growing young man couldn’t hope to eat that much. No, he intends to hand them out in chunks to the various organizations around Torchline so they might have enough for LongNight.
Halfway in the river and shivering with the cold but working with a dogged focus, Enzo grunts as he pulls on the netting, barely keeping his footing against the struggling fish in the net but refusing to back down. A routine, as evidenced by his drenched clothing from previous battles.
you'll play the artist and I'll play the thief 'til I just let you down
It wasn't uncommon to wander across people working in the middle of Longnight. The Nightshade did not expect to come across the other half of Flora, however. She recognized him from around town. When he wandered about with Flora or tagged along with Paige. The queen slows her steps, crossing her arms over her chest as her head cocked to the side, "So, this is the overly generous fisherman I've been hearing about." She drawls, an easy smile curling on her lips as she watches him struggle with the net for a moment.
"You doing okay there?" Already drawing closer to the water, Maeve begins to take off her shoes, preparing to step into the water to help him. Even though it was late and Harper would be expecting her home any moment. He'd surely understand her stopping to help a fellow Torcher.
A few greetings here and there made by wandering fellow Torchers was anticipated and familiar, but the Queen herself appearing and deigning to speak with him is a little flabbergasting. Flora had told him of her meetings with Maeve, erasing the illusion of untouchability that shrouded figures of import normally. (Admittedly Enzo rarely had that anyway, given his father.) A habitual hand nearly rises to rub sheepishly at the back of his neck, but when he nearly loses the net as a result Enzo jerks and yelps, laughter bubbling up immediately after as color comes to his cheeks - thankfully hidden by the darkness of the day. “Just making sure everyone has something on their plate, and I can’t hunt to save my own skin,” he laughs amiably.
Splitting his focus for a moment more to see that Maeve has removed her shoes, Enzo grins winningly. “A little help would be great, this load is really full. If we can get it together I can probably call it early!” There’s no doubt or concern over dirtying the Queen’s hands or waving her away out of some misplaced idea of pride or preserving her due to her status. In the Greatwood everyone dirtied their hands, often literally, and the idea of being above it because of title alone was entirely beyond his worldview. Good thing it appeared Maeve didn’t prescribe to that either.
you'll play the artist and I'll play the thief 'til I just let you down
The Nightshade was used to a mix of reactions from her fellow Torchers. Some who refused to make eye contact. Others who barely said a word to her besides a few muttered hello's and goodbye's. Then there were those who really knew her. The queen was just a person. A person appointed by Safrin to rule a land, but still a person. Maeve sees Remi in the boyish grin and the way he reaches to rub at his neck, something she's seen the Lullaby do many times, but he manages to stop himself lest he lose hold on the net. "I've heard tales of an overly friendly fisherman. Didn't expect it to be you." She drawls, rolling up her pants and wading into the water, careful not to slip on the rocks.
Grabbing hold of the other side of the net, she hauls it up with a grunt, brows knitting together with the effort of it. The queen wasn't weak by any means, but the net was basically overflowing. "I think we'll be good after this one. I can help you drop a few things off too."
If she sees Remi in his mannerisms, she will hear Hotaru in his laugh - soft, melodic, even in its deeper tones. “What do you mean by that, my Queen? Do I not look like a fisherman, or do you not think I can be overly kind?” The mischief in his tone as he plays her words is undermined only by the grunt of effort as he hauls on the net.
Luckily that effort is easily halved as Maeve enters the figurative fight against the fish. Their wriggling bodies are hauled onto the riverbank much easier with two able bodies to do so. Lifting a hand he uses his magic to pull the metal rod on the bank into his palm with a hearty snap of sound, plunging it through the net holes into the ground below as a fail safe stake in case the fish try to pull back towards the water. Slapping his hands cheerily on his thighs, Enzo straightens with a dimpled grin on display as he turns to Maeve. “Thanks for the help. I won’t make you help me kill them but we’ll want to do it quickly so they don’t suffer.” As such he is already quickly working at it, quickly beheading them one by one and tossing them into the open cooler that remains. Letting Maeve choose what she decides to do - help, turn away, leave, whatever her constitution dictates.
you'll play the artist and I'll play the thief 'til I just let you down
She does hear it. Clearly and it hurts a part of her heart. Things between the Nightshade and the Valkyrie are tenuous at best. Neither of them talking to each other since that night outside of the Greatwood. "Given what I know of your parents, I don't think there is an unkind bone in your body." Even if Remi is prickly at best, only just barely managing to keep from snapping at those who wander in his path given the way things were going for him lately. Ru on the other hand? Maeve knew her to be nothing but kind, willing to bend over backwards to help those she cared about.
The Nightshade isn't exactly squeamish, but she's not a fan of fish. Especially ones she watches die. Instead of doing the killing, Maeve busies herself with tossing the dead ones into the baskets to make it easier for him to haul them off to the respective organizations that are in need of extra help.
He’s tempted to ask how well she knows them then, given all he has seen. The sharp glint of manipulation in Hotaru’s eyes, the empty void of darkness in Remi’s. Enzo loves his parents as well as any young boy can, and he knows they are both incredibly kind in their own ways, but he can’t conceal his momentary surprise. At least it’s smoothed by a humble smile, light eyes darting downward in a poor attempt at concealment. “So then I’ll take that as not appearing to look like a fisherman. Time to work on growing a beard I suppose,” he chuckles, continuing his merciful killing of the fish as he goes along, not allowing his own conversational desires to extend their suffering.
Once the cooler is filled he bundles up the net and hauls the overly full containers onto his trolley. Wagon. Thing. It’s a useful little piece of equipment that has seen far more use in the LongNight hours. “I really appreciate the help, I’m glad I didn’t lose that last load. Please, take some home. I’m sure even if you don’t like it you’ll find someone who will.” Perhaps one of her Council members, or a beggar on the street. He wraps it in butcher paper swiftly, so she won’t dirty her hands, and ties it with jute. And then he waves her away back down the path, to home and whatever the dwindling remainder of her evening looks like. Enzo? He will begin distributing while the fish is fresh on still-frozen ice. The evening still has many hours left for him, but Maeve has helped shorten it considerably.
- FIN
you'll play the artist and I'll play the thief 'til I just let you down
