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!
"Here we are!" Ray happily opened the door for Freya to follow her into the cafe. The owner recognized the herbalist on sight and joyfully waved the two women in with a bright smile. He was an elderly man who had laugh lines that were clear as day on his aged skin.
He led the two to a table before handing them menus. Sittind down, Ray didn't even glance at the page. "I always get the same thing here." She reached over and pointed to a specific sandwich listed. "It's got tomato, cheese, and some kind of oil. It's just delicious." Although the Attuned was always happy to try new things, there were some classics that she'd never stray from.
Following the other herbalist into the caffee, Freya was met with a friendly gaze staring at her with one of the warmest and brightest smiles she had seen in a long time. It was the kind of smile that didnt make it hard for her to feel welcome and safe.
Mumbling out: "Wow, this looks homely...", she would follow Ray towards the table as she was being led as well, where she would be, upon sititng, taking up the menu and looking through it, before raising an eyebrow at the speed at which the other woman had chosed her meal already. While it certianly sounded good and delicious, the thing that Ray was ordering, Freya was craving for meat, and instead ordered a sandwich with ham and cheese, first fried and then baked in a pan together with a sort of cold brewed tea with fruit juice mixed into it, before her attention went over to Ray and she gave out in a chuckling way: "You seem to be here often. Is that right? Also i hope you arent mad about my little trick earlier. I saw your throws and didnt want to show how unexperienced i am, you know?"
Ray smiled at Freya's observation. "Very. Old man Rick has nearly a dozen grandkids and a few great grandchildren too. At this point he just considers everyone younger than him a kid he's yet to adopt." Rick was the kind to let anyone hungry work for some food at his deli. The Attuned had even taken a nap in his breakroom before when she had been having a horrible day and he demanded she rest.
Giving Freya time to decide what she wanted to order, Ray happily sipped some tea that Rick brought over. "I do. It's my favorite lunch spot in Torchline." It was cozy and calm, a vast change from the hustle and bustle of Haulani. And the food was wonderful.
Waving a hand, the Attuned laughed off the Abandoned's apology. "No worries. It's one of the most harmless pranks anyone has pulled on me. I still got some practice in, and so did you. it all worked out."
Grinning she leaned forward, "In fact, we should train again sometime. We could throw knives and see who hits the most bullseyes. I can throw physically, and you could use your magic. It'd be fun."
"Well he seems pretty open about that!" Freya would answer in an achnowledging voice, before her tone got somewhat more sad, when she added: "I wish it had been like that for me but anyways.", hinting that she had other experiences in the past, that involved people which werent as nice or welcoming as Rick.
"I can see that. Honestly it doest feel like a bistro and more like... i dont know. Its not a home, but has the feeling to it, you know?", Freya would say to the other womans explaination about this place being her favourite spot.
By the time Ray was seemingly accepting her apology, Freya would answer with a smile, as she said: "Oh? Whats the worst prank someone pulled on you yet then? Mine would be when a friend of mine made me a tea out of peppers, when i was sick. But aside from that, training together would be lovely, yes. Say, you dont happen to have a sword or the likes? I would like it a lot if we could train with melee weapons, since i could use the training for when someone comes close to me. And before that i need to buy a few things first, if that is alright."
Ray's eyes softened at the tone in Freya's voice, "He's a welcome rarity." She too had seen the worst of people. Growing up in the center of Torchline exposed her to just how dangerous and desperate people could get. The city had grown and improved since she was a child, but she doubted the sharp edges within the region would ever dull.
The idea of spicy tea made Ray chuckle. "Yikes." She shook her head, "It's hard to point to a single incident as the worst one. But one of the most memorable would be when someone broke into my shop only to put glitter and catnip everywhere. It was a mess to clean to say the least. And well..." Ray shrugged with a grin, "My feline shift was happy to say the least." Who know leopards liked catnip? Or maybe it was just her.
Training with Freya again was a welcome idea. "I use throwing knives for melee, does that work?"
"To be honest its... somewhat frightening. Unexpected to see people so friendly, you know?" Freya would answer to Ray as her eyes went back to look at the elderly man who seemingly was busy making drinks for now. "Maybe its just me not expecting someone so nice. Usually people all come with their own hidden agenda's. Some good, some bad. Some open, some hedign behind a smile. But i belive that he is nice."
Looking back at Ray now, Freya let out a chuckle as she heard the story of Ray, how someone broke into her store only to release a rather harmless plant. However, once she heard the word "shift", her head slightly went to the side as she was repeating it slowly with interest in her voice: "Shift? As in you turn into an animal? Are-... are you large when you are shifted?"
Freya personally actually never had seen anyone that was able to shift in person. Left alone talked to one, or at least she didnt know that she had talked to one, so this had gotten very interesting very fast. By the time the question about using throwing knives came, freya would think about it for a few seconds before shrugging and answering: "Well i suppose they work like small swords so... sure, why not!"
Ray's smile turned melancholy and she had to resist reaching out to squeeze Freya's hand comfortingly. "I know." She did, and there really wasn't much else that could be said on the topic, People were complex and often had layers of motivation and intentions. Not being able to determine what they are or finding none was off-putting.
"Oh! Yes. I'm an Attuned. I have a few shifts, one of which is a leopard. It's not the largest shift out there but it's certainly bigger than my natural form." Between Harper's elephant shift and dragon shifts of some demigods, a panther was tiny.
Approval for her knives came and Ray grinned, "Perfect. I need to pick up some last-minute things for LongNight after this, but maybe we can spar tomorrow morning?"
Seeing the native smile at her, Freya couldnt help but to smile back somewhat shyly before breaking off the skin contact as she noticed her cheeks getting warm. It was nice to have people as friendly as ray and the owner of this coffeeshop around, Frey thought to herself, before Ray decided to give a bit more informations about her. Looking back at her, with a bit of redness painted onto her cheeks now, Freya would nod when Ray gave ot that a leopard wasnt the largest animal. In her mind it didnt need to be the largest one either. After all, she was sure that those animals had other benefits to them, especially how atuuned were, to her knowledge, favored by the gods to begin with, so she doubted they would have let her be an animal that wasnt with a use.
"Still, leopard... that sounds... energetic, you know? I havent seen one yet but i cant imagine they are bad."
By the time Ray stated that she needed to pick up some things for the LongNight, Freya would actually yelp up as she needed to buy some things as well, aside from finding shelter to begin with. "You know, i need to buy some stuff as well and maybe find a more long term place to stay as well. Mind me coming along with you?"
Ray chuckled, "It's my favorite shift, my first one actually." She would always have a soft spot for her feline form. The first time she had shifted had been freeing in a way she'd never known prior. "If you ever get the chance to become a hybrid, I highly recommend some kind of feline shift." Powerful, agile, great senses, and a new appreciation for sunny spots. What's not to love.
"Sure! If you tell me what you need to get, I can show you the best stalls for them." Ray was more than willing to let Freya join her. The other woman likely also needed a local to help her barter at first. The merchants in Torchline could be brutal when negotiating.
Freya would burst out in a short chuckle when she heard Ray tell her that she should probably become some sort of hybrid. Answering and explaining her amusement, she would look at Ray and give out: "I cant even manage to keep long enough in one spot to build a propper house so i dont think i am able to become a hybrid of sorts, you know?"
By now their food arrived and Freya would thank the older man, before taking her food and taking a bite out of it. Davoring its tastes, she would find it to be in fact quite amazing. Even moreso, it tasted like propper food, cooked with love. Giving Ray another look, Freya would finish her bite by swallowing it down and began to list up a few things on her fingers: "Oh i need something to eat which will be good during the colder times. I thoughts about dried vegetables and dried meats. Aside from that a new blanket and sleeping bag might be needed as well. And i need to find a place where i will stay during long night. What about you though? What do you need? And thank you, i appreciate it."
Ray chuckled, "Fair enough." Becoming a hybrid was a lot of work, and if the tasks involved didn't fit Freya's lifestyle, who was she to judge? Attuning was a major decision, a permanent life change. It wasn't for everyone. Especially since for Abandoned seeking to hybridize, it often meant dedicating themselves to a deity. It meant that for everyone, even regular Attuned. But it was certainly a bigger deal when you were an Abandoned.
The herbalist happily tucked into her food after thanking Rick, humming happily to herself at the first bite. And if a slight purr came out as well? Well sue her for liking her food.
She listened as Freya listed her needs and nodded. "Alright. There's actually one shop that covers all of that but a place to stay. I can't remember the name but it's one that sells survival and hunting gear. They always have dried meat and fruit as well as blankets and sleeping bags. It's basically the outdoorsy general goods store." Hunters and travelers alike flocked there to get their basic supplies.
"As for a place to stay, there are multiple Inns in the city that I can show you." With the city growing as it was, there were more options today then there had ever been when Ray was a child. Some had been destroyed in the war but as time passed, new ones emerged.
It wasnt about the lifestyle not being the one for Freya. It was about the difficulty of the entire endeavour. Freya wasnt too sure if she would ever be able to get the favor of the gods. After all, her parents had told her that her powers were a reason for the gods to dislike her. On top of that, this had been the reason why Freya had broken up contact with them.
Taking yet another bite and looking over to ray, seeing how she could have sworn to have heard a purr of sorts, Freya finally decided not to ask if what she had just heard was right. Either way it likely would only lead to a somewhat strange argument, even if Freya couldnt deny that the sound had been quite cute actually.
"Well we can go and get your stuff first and then mine, if thats alright? The Inn's should be opened in the evening still anyways, right?", Freya finalyl would answer, after having consumed a bit more of her meal. While certainly it would be good to first go looking for an Inn, and then to go shopping, it only meant that they would have to walk twice the way and on top of that maybe even have the stores close, if their search was unsucessful. Needless to say however, Freya didnt want to rish her new friend not getting the desired items in time.
02-01-2023, 07:56 PM (This post was last modified: 02-16-2023, 05:51 PM by Ray.)
Ray
Never underestimate The lengths to which
"Definity!" Ray nodded in confirmation. There were Inns in Torchline that hardly ever closed. Some taverns too. The two women finished their meals and with a wave at Rick, Ray began to lead Freya to the market. "There's a merchant that I need to pick up an order from. Some herbs just won't grow in Torchline, and I don't always have the time to go harvest them from the Wilds and other regions. So, I tend to get a merchant to broker me a contract with someone who can."
The merchant's stall was close and as they approached; the scent of herbs was heavy in the air. The table had jars and boxes, filled with a wide variety of dried herbs and plans. There were live ones in pots surrounding the stall that were also for sale.
"Mhm" Freya would say and agree to Ray before she focused back at her food, finishing it soon after. Afterwards, after paying for their meals, the two women would make their way towards the market and specifically a store that seemed to sell herbs and byproducts of it, ranging from dried herbs, over to fresh ones, entire plants and even some commona items that were treated or flavored with herbs.
"Oh thats interesting. Usually i tend to go around and get what i need myself. That way i can see if i find anything else along the way and not to mention, most of the times its much cheaper that way. Although... i guess with your job you are making enough that its worth it still." Freya would answer to Ray's explaination, before standing slightly back and letting Ray conduct her buisiness. It wasnt till then that Freya would spot 2 large pieces of herb covered smoked ham which obviously were for sale. Waiting for her turn patiently afterwards, Freya bought the 2 hams as soon as the merchant greeted her, realising what an ideal food source they were during long night. After all, dried meat was preserveable for ages and if it was covered in herbs, this increased even more, thanks to the often anibacterial properties of herbs.
