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!
"Now, you rotate your hips, and tilt your torso down like this, being sure to keep your elbow near your knee." Tobi explains, as she elegantly tips to the side into a trikonasana, or extended-triangle pose. "Use your core, and don't let your knees push out too far." She adds, seemingly able to hold the position effortlessly.
All around them people milled about, holding hands, chatting, reading, and otherwise just enjoying the perfection that was Sunjata's haven. The air was warm enough that Tobi didn't feel cold at all in her tank top and leggings, but nor was she sweating either. With her barefeet in the grass and her hair pulled back into a ponytail, Tobi smiles up at Finn from her mostly-upside down position.
Getting Finn to do yoga with her had taken a good amount of convincing that morning, supplemented by numerous articles showing the benefits of stretching when it came to clarity of mind and overall health. Everest had managed to slink away before Tobi could convince him, but Finn hadn't been so lucky.
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
That is what he keeps telling himself anyway, even though he feels as though he isn't breathing quickly enough and his feet and hands are all rotating the wrong way, and his back hurts.
It's relaxing - Tobi told him so. And she doesn't lie to him, not unless it is life or death, which this isn't (right now, but it might be in a few more minutes). "Okay," he says of his knees not poking out to much, of his core being engaged, even though he looks more like a badly folded origami than a man reaching enlightenment.
"When do we get to do the... the shavasana one?" he asks. That's the one where they get to lie down, if he remembers correctly. He might just manage that.
"Not until we get to the floor series, which is in about 4 postures from now." Tobi replies chipperly as if she were as blissfully unaware of the blood vessels protruding from Finn's forehead. Rising up and having hardly broken a sweat at all, Tobi keeps her legs spread apart as they had been. "Palms together and elbows by your ears. This one is called standing-head-to-knee pose." There was another name for it, but not even Tobi could tongue-twister her way around it. Stretching forward, the doctor folds elegantly until the tip of her nose is against her knee.
"Got it?" She asks of Finn, not wanting to turn her head towards him and pitch her spine out of alignment. 'You should be able to feel the stretch up the back of your legs and through your spine." Following this was tree pose and toe stand, both postures that took a great deal of strength and balance to remain in, before, finally, it was time for savasana.
Sinking into the ground, her shoulders relaxed and her breathing even, Tobi had to resist the urge to peep her eyes open so she could see if Finn had fallen asleep or passed out with relief.
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
Standing-head-to-knee-pose, tree-pose and toe stand can all get out of the Safe Haven and die at war for all Finn cares about them, and whilst he technically succeeds in transitioning to each one, he's sweating a great deal more than Tobi. And the rise and fall of his chest suggests that he's been jumping hurdles rather than doing yoga, because he's flat out on the ground when it finally comes to savasana.
"You know," he says when he has finally gotten his breath back a bit, "I think perhaps I have felt all the benefit of yoga all I can for today." It is the politest please do not make me do this again that Finn can possibly summon, and gods he hopes that Tobi will take pity on him.
'You don't want to do the floor series?' Tobi asks with only a mild pout. Whether it's the haven itself or simply being away from all the things that normally scream for her attention, Tobi feels incredible these days. Her body feels limber and strong, and her mind feels settled and rooted in a way it hasn't for a very, very long time.
Opening her eyes, Tobi rolls over onto her stomach which coincidentally puts her shoulder to shoulder with Finn. Beaming at him from behind long mascara-free lashes, Tobi crinkles her nose as her smile widens. "We can be done for today." She agrees, and if there's slightly more emphasis on for today, all the better for the Spyglass to prepare himself for tomorrow.
'I'm sorry there aren't more mysteries here for you to solve.' Detectiving had been taking up so much of Finn's time before they'd had to relocate to the Haven, Tobi could only assume all the peace and quiet was disturbing the Spyglass's routine. "I could make some up for you if you like?"
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
"I think this part of the floor series is what I would like to practice," Finn says slowly, his eyes closed and sweat beading on his forehead. Only when a shadow falls across his face does he blink his stormy eyes back open, peering up at Tobi and managing a tired smile for her; because apparently a safe haven does not fix a man's insomnia, especially when he keeps thinking about the war raging outside.
"I do not mind the lack of mysteries," he says quietly, inhaling a deep breath in and relaxing fully into the grass. "I have a lot of reading to catch up on, and I can spend some time with Everest..." And if only that made it possible to forget that they're on the other side of what might well be madness.
Shifting over onto her elbow so that the arm closest to Finn was free of her weight, Tobi lifts it to press her fingertip between his eyes. "Are you focusing on things you can't change, again?" She wonders, tapping just once and very softly, before letting her thumb gently smooth down one of the lines on his cheek. It felt selfish to be so unburdened while others were very likely giving up their lives on the Outside, and while the doctorly part of her wanted to help, Tobi's pragmatic nature kept her from fretting about things that were simply out of her control.
"I'm sure Ever would like to spend time with you as well. He and Mateo seem to be schemeing and even though I don't think they can get into too much trouble here..." Trailing off, Tobi shrugs to indicate that boys of a certain kind could get into trouble anywhere.
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
Finn's eyes slip shut all over again as Tobi reaches out for him, and though it's true that he's absolutely focusing on things he can't change, at least he isn't thinking about being touched, or even minding it. Small miracles and all that; Tobi's love has managed to close some of Finn's deepest wounds, and he tries to relax further into the ground.
"Yes," he says, and it isn't really an admission since it's obvious. "I know that staying here was the best for everyone, but I did not expect to want to know so badly what was happening outside."
Luckily, talk of Everest does perk him up, and perhaps there's even a hint of a smile on Finn's face. "I am not sure that our son is capable of scheming," he admits, peeping up at Tobi. "His best friend, on the other hand..." Far be it for him to throw shade at the Taliesin boy, but mischief absolutely his middle name.
'Mmhmm. Thought so." Tobi mutters sounding precisely like the sort of pleasantly annoyed physician that she is. She'll spare him the lecture this time, so long as he knows that he's being a less-than-ideal patient, even if he hasn't been properly under her care for some time now.
"He might not be capable of it yet, but given enough time with Mateo...?" Tobi grins and shrugs. Far be it for the doctor to malign Mateo, Ever, or Finn, but it was her personal opinion that both Finn and Ever could use a little softening around their edges. That didn't mean Tobi was looking to change the men in her life, but as with the yoga, a bit of stretching would be good for them.
"Scheming aside, I overheard Mateo talking about collecting a catalogue of seeds from all over Caido. It actually sounds like a very good idea." One that might require adult supervision, hint hint, Finn.
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
She hasn't said it explicitly, so Finn doesn't know how terrible a patient he's being, but if he did know, he'd likely try to dig a hole to climb in so as not to be an inconvenience. (Because why have a measured reaction when you can always jump to horrible conclusions?) "Are you sure that Mateo won't end up like Everest?" he asks, his tone somewhat hopeful even if there's a smile curling at his lips that suggests he doesn't believe it will ever happen.
Opening his eyes to peer up at the doctor, Finn raises his brows to hear about the boys' surprisingly tame plans, and he nods gentle agreement. "It does," he agrees. "I always find organisation quite calming, so I imagine Everest will feel the same about the catalogue." No, he's completely missed the part about needing adult supervision. Maybe he's the one who needs it, eh Tobi?
"I think that is just as unbelievable as Everest ending up like Mateo, but...I have hope that they'll balance each other out." In the years to come all of Caido would see just how true that was. For now, as parents, all Tobi and Finn could do was...well, their best.
Lovingly rolling her eyes, Tobi nods as she gazes at Finn. "Maybe you could give them a few tips on how best to get started on a project like this? Even...help them?" Innocently said, were this anyone else, Tobi might have been shoving them in the ribs with her elbow instead of making soft suggestions. "But I don't mean right now." She hastily adds, not wanting Finn to rush off in an attempt to follow instructions. Not when they were having such a lovely savasana.
Not wanting to indulge more questions about what might be happening in the world outside of the haven, Tobi instead beams down at Finn as she clears her throat. "How can you drop a full glass, but not spill any water?"
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
"What is that old saying? Opposites attract?" Finn agrees, and if their own relationship isn't an example of such a thing, he doesn't know what is. And whether Everest and Mateo balance each other out or not, at least they have each other. Neither boy is alone in the war, or in the safe haven, and that's more than the detective has ever had, so they are doing well as far as he's concerned. (Despite the parentage of his son's chosen best friend).
The idea hits him once Tobi suggests it - because of course it does - and it's only her remark that keeps Finn laying bonelessly in the grass, the ex-Spyglass smiling to himself. "I could help them to get started," he says, though they all know (Finn included) that he will stick around long after the start. It's a new project - why wouldn't he?
As Tobi speaks again, however, his brow furrows. "Perhaps with some sort of intricate pulley system?" he suggests. "Or perhaps a lid for the glass? Or... oh. Oh. This was a riddle, wasn't it?"
Tobi watches this man who she fathered a child with, who she adores utterly and completely, overthink her question before finally coming to the realization on his own. Hilarious as it was, it actually demonstrated marked improvement on Finn's part to understand subtle social clues. "Mmhmmmm." She hums, before leaning down to press a soft kiss to the tip of his nose.
"The answer, is if the glass is filled with milk. Then you can drop it and not spill any water. Get it?" Assuming he both would and wouldn't understand (technically, yes, but in terms of the riddle having absolutely no point or expected answer, no), Tobi rolls over onto her back and grins up at the clouds passing overhead.
"I love you Finn. You and your intricate pulley systems."{s/ay}
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it
Closing his eyes, Finn accepts the kiss to his nose with a good natured smile, before his brow furrows and he peeps back up at the doctor. "Milk?" he repeats, a touch incredulous. "That feels rather like cheating. I might have said anything other than water for the riddle to still be solved." And a riddle with multiple possible answers is just... it's just...
Well, he doesn't know what it is, but he doesn't particularly like it.
Luckily, Tobi loves him and his intricate pulley systems, and that's more than good enough for the detective. "I love you too, Tobi," he murmurs, quite enjoying this savasana now, even if he isn't entirely sold on the rest of this yoga business.
