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!
It didn't do to do things half-assed for a god. Not when that god was doing something to help you out. So Tal had climbed the big mountain behind Haulani without his usual grumbling; just putting his head down and trudging through the jungle and up a narrow path.
And up.
And up.
Until the jungle grew sparse and the sun shone cheerfully down on what should have been a lovely Flowerbirth day in Torchline.
And to Tal, Halovian born and bred, it really was beautiful. This was the first visit where he hadn't wanted to peel his own skin off to get some relief from the tropical heat and humidity. Torchline's lingering 'Deepfrost' was a deliciously balmy day to him and he whistled slightly out of key as he moved to the rocky scree above the treeline and began seeking out the most interesting volcanic stones that he could find to stuff in his Bag.
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Melita was a child of the desert, first and foremost. The sand had been something she’d known for an eternity, no matter which world she spiraled into. The snow had been a distant figment; like tales of the Basin, or an inclination to visit Halo – never definitive, never pressed into her wake unless she needed to.
Stepping outside of her home, seeing the snow, and feeling the balmy winds, had somewhat of a shock.
“What the fuck,” had been uttered along her breath from the moment she began hiking along Apopo, mostly to get a measure of just how far this cold extended. Sila had long since unfurled her wings above the Honeybee’s head, stretching them out and seemingly unbothered by it all, while Fangorn complained and whined in equal measure with his bonded. “Why is it like this,” sent her teeth chattering, as she’d carried on without a jacket – bullheaded and mistakenly thinking the weather would turn into something else as she meandered across the usually green and fertile landscape.
And then, glancing over for a seventh time in hopes of not seeing snow, there was that doofus courier.
She blinked rapidly. Maybe she was hallucinating about being in Halo, because that might make more sense. Instead though, she offered a snort from her higher vantage point, a greeting that resounded with a lack of any formality. “What are you doing here?”
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Tal wasn't completely focused on his task; he was Halovian enough to keep a weather out for approaching predators and storms. Still, a nearby herd of fluffy rhampires had largely masked Mel's approach and it wasn't until she cleared her throat that he whipped his head up and saw the familiar curly red head.
Like Mel, Tal was wearing short sleeves to get the most out of the chilly - but not Halo chilly - day. Unlike her, however, he looked perfectly comfortable in the current unseasonal temperature.
And when he saw her shivering, something dangerously close to a smug grin spread over his face as he waved. "Hey, Mel!" Wait. She liked rocks, didn't she? He thought he remembered something about her and rocks, so he quickly sorted through his small pile to find the most interesting one - a shiny piece of oblong obsidian with its edges rubbed curiously smooth so that it was almost slippery to hold - and tossed it towards her. "Here, catch!"
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Catch she did – though she would’ve liked to have tossed it back straight into his smug face – lifting it towards the sun briefly, by way of inspection. “Obsidian?” She called back down, presuming he’d snagged it from the Climb or wherever he tended to roam. Her fingers curled around it, and she didn’t give the artifact back, instead, choosing to cluster back into her clothes, arms wrapping around her sides and over her chest.
Fangorn mumbled and grumbled something, while Sila flickered over to land on her shoulder, providing some amount of heat without setting something on fire. The Honeybee sighed, then shook her head, trying another tactic. “You hunting for rocks out here?”
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
07-06-2022, 06:06 PM (This post was last modified: 07-06-2022, 11:09 PM by Talyson.)
"I think so!" Tal dusted his hands off and made his way over towards her - pausing to scoop up another rock on the way and tossing the pumice stone experimentally, feeling its light weight. "Don't really know much about rocks but it's black an' shiny' an' on a volcano soooo..." He shrugged and ambled to a halt nearby. Fangorn got a little wave, but Sila was new and Tal admired her burnished scales with a low whistle. "What's her name?"
Tal's grin widened a little as he gave in and answered what she'd been trying to ask him from the start. "Yeah, Frey sent me to get some," he revealed, thoroughly distracted by a new companion. He dug in his pockets to pull out his current picks, offering them to Melita's more experienced eye: a selection of obsidian, pumice, basalt, and granite pebbles and rocks. "What are you doing up here?" Sincerely curious, but not, perhaps, phrased in the most polite way.
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
The young dragon, shy and apprehensive but working through those emotions, gave a high-pitched screech at the mention of her existence. Melita raised one hand to scratch at the fledgling’s head and bronze scales, voice carrying its proud demeanor and depiction in the quick syllables. “Sila.”
Her brow arched at the designation of Frey sending him on a search for…rocks. But sure enough, she was intrigued by the semblances, glancing down at the pumice, granite, and more. He needed to find more color and distinctions, but those were her preferences, and not a deity’s. “Ah. What are you trying to get?” She figured: some manner of an item in return for his work.
As for her actions? The Honeybee snorted. “Was seeing if there was snow out here too. Never seen anything like it in Torchline.”
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
"She's beautiful." Tal had no trouble admitting that, even if it was to Mel. "Hi, Sila." He would have happily stayed on the topic of the companion for awhile, but questions of tasks and stones distracted him for the moment. He watched Mel's face for some sign of approval or dismay in his choice, but at her question he tucked his current catch back into his pockets and puffed his chest out proudly.
"Somethin' that lets me travel through Halo even in Deepfrost," he boasted. "An' protects me from the cold!" Something he remembered that Mel might want today, too, when she revealed her own reasons for being on the mountain.
"It's pretty weird," he agreed slowly, turning to look back over the bay spread out below them and the sprinkles of snow here and there, marring the tropical landscape. "Kinda nice but... weird. Halo isn't any different this year, at least. An' neither is Stormbreak." So at least it wasn't something that was affecting the whole world. Just... certain bits of it. Like this one. "What d'you think is causin' it?"
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
“Thank you,” came on a quieter fold, but not for long – Sila unfurled her wings, brandished another screech, and then seemed to preen from the compliment. The Honeybee rolled her eyes, but then flickered her attention back to the courier, if only because the mildest of curiosity had settled there.
Not a weapon then – but some manner and means of defense. Kind of. Melita hadn’t had to worry about the weather before, not really – she’d often prepared for it if she was hiking towards Halo or marching along the swamps. This, the unexpected, combined with her stubborn pride of not retreating to her home to find more garments, jarred at her senses. “Oh,” she uttered, not giving sentiments of either disinterest or intrigue.
“I have no idea,” she surmised after a moment, burrowing back further into her dress and shawl. “We’ve never had this before.” Maybe something to do with LongNight? The pressing war? They should’ve been used to some level of fuckery by now, but it’d been a while. “You seen it anywhere else?” Not Halo – though it’d be difficult to tell. Not Stormbreak. Hm.
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Sila was a treasure and Tal grinned at her preening before indulging in some of his own.
It wasn't too much of a surprise that he'd been hoping for decidedly more of a response from the honeybee girl, and there was a long moment of vibrating silence while he waited for her to continue. There was a certain amount of pride at having talked to his second-ever god, and given how he'd just spent Deepfrost cooped up in the Citadel he was even more proud of the item he'd asked for.
But when he realized that Mel wasn't going to give him anything else the courier seemed to deflate and his brows beetled back towards his more usual scowl. He kicked at a loose stone that hadn't made the cut, sending it bouncing down the volcano's side, and turned to admire the view laid out below rather than his company for the day. "Torchline's never had snow before?" he asked, some of his incredulity breaking through his incipient pout.
A stolen glance revealed her shivering and he started to open his mouth to offer--
And then snapped it shut again, returning his gaze stubbornly to his feet to seek out more rocks. "Nope. Haven't really gotten anywhere else yet, though," he admitted after a moment's pause. "Maybe it's more of Rae's tricks?" There'd been that whole kerfluffle throughout Deepfrost, after all.
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
If Talyson was looking for some measure of approval, of impacts and efforts, it probably shouldn’t have been from the Honeybee. Considering most of the time she only felt inclined towards wiping smug little smirks off his face, the notions here remained relatively inscrutable. If anything, a little grin tucked in the corner of her mouth, despite the conditions and temperature alterations causing another shudder, just to see his shitty little face turn into a scowl. Even the pout managed to unfurl a long eye roll from the youth. “Why would it?” The climate was tropical – though a little less than the Oerwoud – with the warm sea and the salty air, with the volcanic persuasions, with the constant sun. Her nose wrinkled into a definite 'you need to get out more' distinction.
Tucking herself further into her shawl, and contemplating wrapping Sila’s wings around her shoulder, the youth kicked at a stone and watched Fangorn eagerly chase it – shrugging all the while. “Dunno. We had a little ice rink here.” Which had been odd, considering everything else around it hadn’t been cold or frozen at all.
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Melita was, unfortunately, pretty badass - much as it pained Tal to think about too much. And she wasn't Sah, which made her immediately way cooler in the courier's mind. Impressing her had become something of a subconscious goal, even if he'd never admit it out loud.
It didn't mean he'd stop trying, thought.
"I mean... snow is normal," Tal pointed out, with all the confidence of a native Halovian who'd only recently begun leaving the Tundra. He stole a glance over at her and his scowl deepened at her wrinkled nose and perceived judgment.
The mention of an ice rink had a note of triumphant satisfaction entering his voice as he nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! We had one in the Citadel, too... I mean, we usually do, but this one was like... festive, an' shit." He tilted his head, scowl threatening to return. "...and a bunch of memory snow lizards that fucked things up a bit in town."
He knelt down and sifted through some of the rocks at his feet until his fingers closed around one that sparkled in the chilly sunlight.
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
“But not for Torchline,” and she rolled her eyes, heaving a gigantic sigh as they went back and forth. “Think of it like Halo suddenly having green grass. It’s weird.” Unaware that once transpired, being an Outlander and all, the youth shrugged again and began to move to keep herself warm, maneuvering along the portion of her claimed-hill top, feet skimming over the rime held fast there.
“Yeah but the rink was just surrounded by sand. No snow around it or anything.” Another bizarre portion. “We went skating anyway.” Got rid of some bullies. Became triumphant and gloating fixtures on the ice (and by that she meant using the chair and crawling over portions like drunken buffoons).
Wrinkling her nose again, and following after Fangorn’s dragging vines as he sought to match her motions, she strived to remember if they’d ever encountered memory snow. Maybe outside of the beach. “Is that like the memory mud shit?”
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
"That's not that weird," Tal grumbled, scuffing a booted foot over the volcanic stones that covered the higher slopes of Apopo and slid treacherously underfoot. "It would be kinda nice, actually." Grass outside of the greenhouse. A chance to grow things again, and not live on the edge of starvation, reliant solely on the hunters for survival. Yeah. He could get behind that idea.
Especially if it meant the melting of the Sea...
"So you do know how to have fun," Tal teased slyly to notions of skating, looking up from his crouch with a smug grin. He stood and dusted his knees off, adding another rock to his collection as he nodded at her question. "It's like... what memory mud was before it was mud," he tried to explain. "When it melts an' mixes in with dirt, it becomes memory mud." Not that snow often had occasion to melt in Halo, at least; or stay melted long enough to sink into the frozen ground.
"Hey, where'd you learn to skate?" A genuinely curious question, given his experience with the honeybee girl so far had been in places where the heat was always on.
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Melita rolled her eyes, continuing to shuffle along the stones and knoll, figuring getting through his thick skull wouldn’t amount to much. The second statement though caught her off-guard, brow furrowing slightly, head jerking back to glare at him. “Of course I do.” With other people who were fun – not smug little shits.
Not needing or requiring the memory mud or snow explanation – she could surmise it pretty well on her own, she shivered once more, and pretended as if she’d been skating all her life, adapting a very lofty air, nose shifting towards the sky. “Oh, I watched for a little bit. Quick learner.” Forgoing how she and Flora had made an entire mess of things and been amused by it all, one hand went back to Sila on her shoulder. “Well, I’m headed back. Need to get out of this shit,” broadly waving another hand in a gesture over the snow, rime, and whatever else was clinging to her feet.
She kicked at a few more rocks, sending them towards Talyson. “Try those,” echoed alongside the pebbles and wares, before she intended to stomp away.
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
