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!
Nikolai stared at the book in front of him as he furiously wrote down notes on a piece of paper beside him. The Ascended had recently discovered an interesting inconsistency in the astrology records. Different languages had different names for the same constellation, and he'd recently realizes that this influenced the stories and astral maps that had been made throughout the ages.
It seemed like some constellations that were actually the same, had different stories and implications of their routes. Upon realizing this, Nikolai had dived headfirst into compiling all of the information that he could. Hopefully he'd be able to create a full and accurate guide of the stars where such inconsistencies were absent.
we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty
The Atheneum feels empty and lonely after losing Mabel. This was the setting of Ophelia’s first real friendship, and now it reminds them so sorely of the lost girl that they simultaneously can’t bear it and can’t resist visiting to remember that first day. The knowledge they will meet again is bittersweet and meaningless with how long their lives are as Ascended. The only comfort is knowing that at least Mabel has her sister.
They aren’t expecting to run into anyone as they wander the stacks like a ghost, reminiscing. But once they realize who it is, they can’t help but brighten a little and change direction to come to his side. “Nikolai,” they greet warmly in their dreamlike tone. “What is it you’re working on this time?” He had read to them the first time they’d met, and that memory is a similarly bright jewel in their mind.
trying vainly to forget the pain that came with heartbeats
Nikolai glanced up at the sound of his name, softening as he recognized Ophelia. "Oh hey. Long time no see, Ophelia." As he spoke, he scooted over to give them room to join him at his bench if they wished. He also nudged one of the books over so that they'd be able to see it. He wasn't sure if his fellow Ascended had mastered reading yet, but there were plenty of pictures of different constellations on the pages.
"I'm trying to compile the history and mythology of our stars. There's so many contradictions or just plain different versions that I'm trying to get them all written down into one place." Nikolai nodded towards a large book that was covered in his handwriting and diagrams. Many of the pages were still blank but he'd been hard at work trying to compile it all. Each section held a diagram of a single constellation and the stars that made it. Following that were the numerous stories and myths as well as their origins.
"Do you want to hear some of the stories?" He asked his sibling. "I could tell you two about the same constellation and you could see what I mean about needing to put it all in one book."
we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty
It has been a long time, which is truly unfortunate. The world is much bigger for Ophelia now than it had been before their Ascension, but they must remind themself that the family is most important. Though the world is wider now, they should stay closer to home for moments like these. Gracefully folding onto the bench beside him as he makes room, Ophelia props their heels up on the edge like a child, arms around their shins as they lean sideways to investigate the books he spreads out for them.
The pictures and diagrams alone are beautiful, and they listen avidly as Nikolai explains what he’s hard at work doing. Brightening at the offer just as they had the first time, they smile beatifically. “Yes, I would love to hear about them! Will you make copies of your compiled book when it’s finished, so that the outdated ones can be removed from the library?” Or was this more of an individual passion project? Needing to have things ordered and refined to stop the biting, nagging irritation of incompatibility?
trying vainly to forget the pain that came with heartbeats
Ophelia's eager agreement made Nikolai match her grin. It was always fun to share his work and current interests with those who appreciated them. And his sibling gave the impression of one who valued knowledge, at the very least in regard to literature and history. That was more than enough for the scholar.
"Awesome!" Nikolai flipped open two books to bookmarked pages. As he did so he answered their other question. "I'd probably make a few copies. At least one for the Atheneum." He hummed in thought, "I think I'd leave the old books where they are so that people can compare the history of such publications. Such as when certain versions of the stories were more prominent and such." Even mere tidbits of information could shed insight on the state of society at the time and what morals were important to the people who lived then.
Once he had the books spaced as he wanted, Nikolai then pointed to an image on the first book. It was a raptor like bird whose talons and feathers looked sharp and scruffy and whose eyes were beady. "This is the constellation Falcon as portrayed by one story." He then reached over and tapped an image in another book. The image showed another falcon, this time poised an elegant soaring above the clouds. "And here is the same Falcon according to another. What makes this case so interesting is that both stories seem to have arisen around the same time in history. They just arose in different regions."
we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty
His company alone is blessing enough, but after a childhood sequestered away from things like school and libraries, any manner or genre of knowledge is a treasure trove they yearn to touch and explore. It’s a blessing then that he is so eloquent, capable of explaining and answering questions in a way that make simple sense in Ophelia’s head. With no capability of growing tired, they could sit for days talking about the stars if they truly wanted.
The birds he points out are captured in different poses, but he explains they share the same name despite having arisen in different regions. “Do they both use the same stars despite the different shapes? Or are they in different parts of the sky, but happen to share a similar theme?” Leaning sideways on the bench they investigate the pictures with their eyes, trying to determine the answer on their own in a gesture of good faith, showing their genuine interest in the topic.
trying vainly to forget the pain that came with heartbeats
08-28-2022, 08:36 PM (This post was last modified: 08-28-2022, 08:51 PM by Nikolai.)
Nikolai
Not all truths Belong to the light
Nikolai smiled slightly, "They use the exact same stars. It's just flipped perception of position depending on what side of the world you are on. And that's probably why they end up with regional stories. The same stars from a different angle leading to a difference in cultural significance." Different time periods and different priorities.
It truly was fascinating to him. "The first Falcon is a noble guardian, who proudly rises from the ground to soar and watch over its people in the stories. Yet the second one who plummets to the ground is believed to be a bringer of death and decay. Same stars, different direction, opposite meanings. It's wild. Not all of the discrepancies are this blatant, but you get the gist." Some of the clashing stories of other constellations just had minor differences and discontinuities. Very few were as blatantly polarized as Falcon.
Honestly the clashing details were more interesting than the stories themselves sometime.
we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty
The next explanation makes everything much clearer, and Ophelia ‘ooh’s appropriately, eyes big and intrigued; and mildly unnerving to any non-Ascended, with how they never pretend to need to blink as humans do. “I wonder if perhaps the reason stories became more prevalent is because the heralds were stuck in the barrier.” If their faith wavered, or their curiosity grew, or tales simply died out as those who remembered the heralds died first.
Ophelia can only make assumptions, they’d only known the barrier their entire life, and their family was so religious - and paranoid - that most all contact with the rest of the Grounds had been forcefully cut. They don’t even know how many years the barrier had been in place before The Voice orchestrated its fall. “I know travel isn’t easy for us these days, but have you considered meeting with other star-studying people in other lands?” Knowledge was best shared, and - for Ophelia at least - best understood when exchanged verbally. Though if Nikolai’s love for the books was any indication, he likely didn’t feel the same.
trying vainly to forget the pain that came with heartbeats
Yet again, Ophelia's shared enthusiasm brightens Nikolai's mood. Her observations were intriguing as well, and he listened intently as they spoke. "I've never thought about it that way. That'd makes sense though. The barrier was around for centuries, and I can definitely imagine people turning to the stars and other aspects of nature for spirituality and guidance." People everywhere generally wanted something to lean on, something to explain the uncontrollable aspects of their world. With the heralds gone, perhaps nature itself took root.
The idea of reaching out to other scholars was daunting and Nikolai paused in thought. "Maybe? The stars are a current topic for me, but I generally switch around as things catch my eye." He bit his lip nervously. "Also, I've only spoken with a few other academics in the family. The idea of being around outside ones is a little unnerving." Meeting new people in general was. He could see the value in academic debate, but books were far less stressful.
we're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty
They preen at the complimentary tone, accustomed to being the least well-read and educated in most any gathering, Ascended or otherwise. It has never bothered Ophelia. They don’t bother holding resentment for their horrible family, not when justice has already been served and they all lie beneath the soil now. Far from where they can hurt Phi anymore. But they always seek to be useful to their family, and having proposed a different angle for Nikolai to consider is helpful enough to make Phi nearly glow from within with a quiet joy.
“It can be quite intimidating to speak to anyone outside the family,” they agree, head bobbing animatedly despite their somber tone. “But maybe I could come with you? We’d be safer together.” Just in case of course, but maybe that assurance is what Nikolai needs.
trying vainly to forget the pain that came with heartbeats
Nikola smiled softly at his sibling, "Thank you. I might take you up on that." It certainly was the reassurance he needed. The reminder that his family had his back, just like Wessex had taught him. But a lesson he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around. He was ready to do anything for his family but for some reason it always caught him off guard when that sentiment was returned.
Nikolai glanced up at the clock and startled. "Oh crap!" He turned to Ophelia, "I have to get home. I promised my mom I'd help with the chores. And I... kind of forgot to do my portion." Oops.
Collecting his books he smiled at his sibling, "Thank you for indulging me. If you ever want to learn anything else about the stars or anything else really, let me know. I love discussing it with you."
With that, he turned on his heel and with one more wave, scurried home to avoid his mother's wrath.
