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!
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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!
Tal's words were a comfort. Alys offered a small smile, but Tal's attention was on her cardinal. He seemed to be finding whatever it was he was looking for. Alys was glad, even if she didn't understand the point of the exercise.
"Maybe I will go to the Academy," she said, tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. "I've never been very good with magic, so I guess I could use the help." leaned her head on one hand and wiggled the fingers of the other at the mouse. It reached for the bread, but of course it couldn't take the offered food. It was only an illusion, after all.
"Thank you!" Alys said warmly, flushing with pleasure at the praise. "I've watched a lot of mice and birds. Sometimes, I can do a butterfly, but I can't get the flight quite right. They're so... floaty." It was at that moment that her food arrived, the server eyeing her warily as he set down the tray. She thanked him, and he quickly departed, seemingly not interested in partaking in their magical discussion.
At Tal's question, she laughed. "I can't say that I did, but it's a good idea! To be honest, I've never really known what to do with my magic," she admitted. "It's not really... useful. It's just sort of there."
Tal obediently held the crumb steady so the mouse could pretend to nibble on it if Alys wanted, his grin quirking up a little in spite of himself at the silly little play-pretend. "I can't do it m'self, but Hotaru's good at teachin'. An' Sah is..." Tal made a face, halfway between a rueful scowl and a wry smile, exasperated and reluctantly fond all at once. "He's full o' hot air. But he knows about magic, I guess." His relationship with his best frenemy and sometimes-rival was... complicated. But it worked.
He nodded along in understanding, having finally seen butterflies a few years ago when he started traveling outside of Halo regularly. Before he could find an answer her food showed up and he heaved a sigh of relief that was probably meant to be subtle but maybe didn't quite manage it. Lifting his spoon, he offered her a toast and dug in for a couple of spoonfuls of good, hot stew, chewing the hearty vegetables and savory ningo meat while he considered her words. Swallowing and feeling better as soon as the food his hit stomach, he tried to put himself in her shoes.
"Yeah. I guess it's hard when it's still small. Have y'ever thought about what you'd do with it if y'got better at it an' could do bigger illusions?"
Truth be told, she'd never really given her magic much thought until recently. It had always just been a distant part of her, a part that she never really considered much use. It was only after seeing a stranger using his magic to fix things that she really began to question what she could do with hers. All she'd come up with so far were parlor tricks.
Alys pulled her bowl closer and stared into her stew glumly, her mouse disappearing with her good mood. It was just illusion magic. None of it was real. She'd seen people do remarkable things with magic. They just... weren't her.
She scooped up a spoonful of stew and blew on it gently; hers was piping hot, having just been brought to the table, and she wasn't a fan of burning the top of her mouth. After a moment, she swallowed a spoonful. It was tasty. But before she could eat more, she realized that Tal was kindly trying to be helpful, and so she merely stirred her stew distractedly as she thought. "I... don't know," she said. "I thought of using it to show people things, but... I haven't been able to figure out how. Like - with the cards I was telling you about. To provide wisdom or, or - food for thought, at least, but in a visual form?" She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know. It's probably stupid."
Tal didn't hesitate to keep eating while Alys thought and talked, though he did eventually realize the mouse had vanished and his companion seemed to have lost the playful spark of earlier. Was it something he'd said? ... It was usually something he'd said, and he grimaced slightly as he bit down into a chunk of potato that was still a little too hot.
"Sounds like y'want t'be a storyteller," he suggested after taking a swallow from his mug to wash the bite down. "'S a good profession here, with the long Deepfrosts an' all. Other places, too But instead of havin' t'rely on words t'paint your pictures, you can make the stories real with your illusions, yeah? Like... like moving pictures!" He waved his spoon excitedly, almost hitting a passing server who just sighed and kept going.
Tal never even noticed, his Goggles still firmly on his face.
Alys took another bite of her stew, enjoying the chunky vegetables and bits of meat that flavored the broth. Distracted, she didn't bother to summon a new illusion. If Tal needed more, she'd return her attention to it after they ate. As she devoured her food and her stomach began to fill, she began to feel better. She really shouldn't go so long without eating.
Her brows knit together and her nose wrinkled at Tal's suggestion. "A storyteller?" she asked, pursing her lips. Well, he wasn't wrong exactly, but there was more to it than that. She just didn't know how to put it into words.
Which, she supposed, was the point, really.
Biting her lip in concentration, she summoned a tiny person on the table. Its features were indistinct and blurred - clearly an illusion - but it was discernible as a person all the same. "I want to be... more than that," she said softly as her illusion toddled toward an illusory cliff. "Nothing wrong with storytellers, but I want to - to give advice, and show people things that maybe they've never considered about themselves. I don't - I don't know how to explain." The person took a step off the cliff - only to walk across an invisible bridge to get to the other side.
"Like that," she said in reference to the illusion. "To describe someone on the brink of a new journey, to encourage them to take the first step into the unknown. But -" A swirl of darkness rose from the depths of her illusion, snaking around the person ominously. "- to remind them to look before they leap, so to speak." Alys was at the end of her power. The illusion flickered and went out.
She didn't seem thrilled with his suggestion and Tal shrugged, a little disappointed and not hiding it very well. Still, he had hot food, a cold drink, and a place to sit down for a bit; now that some of that food was in his stomach, he was less grouchy and more inclined to listen. Besides, listening to Alys talk meant he could spend more time shoveling stew into his pie hole, and he wasn't going to look that particular gift horse in the mouth.
He didn't really get what she was saying, but that was okay. He watched the little doll move towards its cliff and then use magic or something to walk across thin air. "Sure, but... I dunno. People are gonna have to trust you an awful lot t'tell you everythin' like that. Or I guess you could just stalk them," he added helpfully. "Halovians... we're a pretty self-sufficient bunch, y'know? An' not real big on trustin' strangers. 'Specially not strangers who try t'tell us what t'do." His expression darkened near the end and his brows knit together in a scowl aimed at the wall behind Alys, thinking of someone else. Or maybe two or three someones.
Halo's history of rulers was a rocky one.
He tried to shake off the shadows of the past, focusing on the woman across from him once more. "Have you tried this advisin' stuff in King's End or Torchline?"
Tal looked momentarily disappointed, and Alys glanced down to scowl at her food. It was her life they were discussing, not his; what right had he to be disappointed when she wanted to be something more? She stirred her stew and took another bite, then reached for her bread. If they couldn't see eye-to-eye, well, that was just fine with her. She'd eat and be on her way, and that would be that. She'd figure out her magic another way, with a different person.
But despite her grouchiness, Tal did seem to want to help, even if he wasn't doing a particularly good job. Alys's gaze returned to the courier as he suggested trying out her ideas in other places. "I haven't tried other places yet, but I will. I think I might try the Academy first, though." After all, she'd just gotten to Halo. It seemed silly to give up so soon. She paused. "Have you seen much of King's End or Torchline?" She may not have been there yet, but he might have. Maybe she could get some information and then decide whether she wanted to stay or go.
Tal wasn't usually accused of giving great advice, as Alys was learning. He wasn't good with people outside of making his deliveries, but his heart was usually in the right place even when his words missed the mark entirely.
Or backfired completely, which was unfortunately as often as not.
But with his mouth full of stew he nodded agreement at her intention to try the Academy, glad at least one of his suggestions was meeting with approval. Hotaru would be glad of another student, and he was always in favor of giving Sah more work to do to keep him out of trouble.
Her question turned the tables enough that he had to hurriedly swallow and take a swig from his mug before he nodded, perking up and looking annoyingly proud of himself. "You bet I have," he confirmed, disappointment dissipating like morning mist in sunlight. "I'm a courier, deliverin' all o'er Caido! I've been just about everywhere but the Draig." His chest puffed out a little bit.
"Not many people in King's End. There's a Refuge there where folks hid durin' the War, an' some stayed on after. Wrenzoak's Refuge, it's called, an' it's a nice enough little town, but funny thing is, no magic works there. Attuned can't shift, Abandoned can't--" he wiggled his fingers, "--an' Ascended tech didn't work either, back when they were still around. So it's kinda like neutral ground for everyone. But Torchline? If y'can take th'heat, Torchline's bustlin'."
He grinned in spite of himself, stealing a quick bite before using his spoon to emphasize his words. "There's canals all through it, an' Merfolk travelin' through the whole city. Haulani's a big place. Big as Snowcloak, but more spread out. Half the city is on floatin' islands above the sea!" His spoon sketched an arc in the air that swooped down to the table. "They've got a good skyport there. Second best in all Caido, after Stormbreak's, an' you can buy or sell anythin' in the Port at Kaiholo if you're willin' t'trade favors for it. They used t'have a Queen, but the current King is one o' the Merfolk, if y'can believe it. It's a pretty friendly place, but y'gotta be ready t'bargain hard or you'll get taken advantage of in a heartbeat."
Alys hadn't been prepared for Tal's long-winded narrative, but she welcomed it as a chance to eat without interruption. She reached for a piece of bread, breaking off a piece to dip into her stew. She ate slowly, listening politely, nodding where it seemed appropriate. Though she was unimpressed with his boasting, she appreciated the information that Tal saw fit to share. Perhaps he was right, and she would fare better in other places. At least it wouldn't be so bloody cold.
Tal's description of King's End caught and held Alys's attention. A place where no magic worked? Perhaps she wouldn't feel so at odds with herself there. She made a mental note to take a skyship as close as she could get at her earliest opportunity. She didn't know much about the area, but she could always learn.
Her companion, though, seemed more inclined toward Torchline. As Alys ate, she leaned her head on one hand, gazing at Tal as he described the area. He was more animated now, and seemed to enjoy talking about the world. Alys wasn't much of an explorer - that is, she didn't wander just for the sake of wandering. She just didn't feel enough of a draw to any one place to settle down. Perhaps, if she followed Tal's advice, that would change.
"Hmm," she hummed as Tal took a break. "They both sound interesting. I've never seen a merperson; are they like normal people, except for the tails?" It was, perhaps, a rude question, but Alys didn't notice. It was more like she was thinking aloud, but she paused for Tal to answer all the same.
04-03-2023, 07:35 PM (This post was last modified: 04-03-2023, 07:51 PM by Talyson.)
The truth was that he'd been utterly disgusted by Torchline the first few times he'd gone there. Compared to Halo it was so bloody hot, and the humidity was just gross. But as he'd traveled more he'd begun to acclimate to the world beyond Halo and he'd learned what real humidity was like in the Oerwoud and Feverlands. Not to mention what real heat was in the Climb! Since then the coastal region had been growing on him. At least, in any season other than Longheat!
He took a big drink from his mug to soothe his throat after all that talking and paused to have some bread and stew while Alys asked her next question. Tal wasn't exactly the best arbiter of what constituted a 'rude' question and he didn't even blink at this one as he nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I mean, some of 'em have webbed ears or hands, an' they can have some pretty crazy hair colors, but mostly the top half looks normal from a distance, at least. An' then the bottom half is, uh... some sorta sea creature, dependin'." The octopus types were fuckin' weird in a fascinating way.
He tore off another chunk of bread, slowing down as he neared the bottom of his bowl. "So, where are y'from anyways?"
Alys listened thoughtfully, spooning out another bite of stew. That merpeople could have different lower halves made sense, though she had never really considered it before. "Fascinating," she murmured. If she were a merperson, what kind of lower half would she want? Although they probably didn't get to choose, did they? Shaking her head, she decided she could consider that another time.
Her bowl was growing empty, and her stomach had finally stopped its rumbling. It left her in a better mood, and she considered Tal's next question as she mopped up the last of her stew with some bread. She supposed it couldn't hurt to share, so she shrugged and said, "The Hollowed Grounds." It hadn't been much of a home, and her dismissive tone made that clear. "After the barriers fell, I left. I stayed in the Greatwood for a little while, but it wasn't..." Wasn't what? Homey? She scoffed internally. "I just got bored, I guess."
The Mer were pretty interesting, even if he hadn't had very many interactions with them. As far as he knew they didn't tend to get a lot of mail from outside of Torchline... or at least none that came through him. If he got his business expansion off the ground there, maybe that would change, but for now he was just happy to have a full stomach after a long day of work.
He nodded slowly at her answer, fingers tapping distractedly on the tabletop after he set his spoon down. "Makes sense. Th'Greatwood's nice an' all but it can be kinda... weird." Unsettling, at least, and occasionally frustrating when the local Fae didn't take into account that humans couldn't fly. All the doors were too short, too - though maybe that didn't bother Alys as much as it did him.
It was amazing how much better he felt now that he wasn't hangry anymore, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck self-consciously as he looked down into his empty breadbowl. "So, uh. About your advisin' gig. D'you have any advice for me?"
Finally finished with her meal, Alys brushed her hands together to rid them of any crumbs before setting her bowl aside. A server swooped in a moment later, removing the empty bowls and leaving the table clear but for their mugs and Alys's cards, which she'd set to the side as she ate. Alys summoned her mouse distractedly and watched as it scurried around, "nibbling" on the crumbs their bread had left behind. It was interesting - the more she used her illusion magic, the easier it became. She'd have to practice more.
Tal would leave now, of course, now that the meal was over and their chat was done. She was under no illusions: he didn't seem particularly interested in a reading, if he'd even understood what she'd meant when she spoke of her goal. Part of her welcomed the promised silence. She could go back to her cards and her journal and return to glowering at anyone who passed too close to her table. On the other hand, though, it wasn't all bad having company.
It surprised her when Tal asked her for advice, and her gaze popped up to see him rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Oh - I - sure!" she exclaimed, a genuine smile appearing on her face. She grabbed her cards and began to shuffle. "Is there anything in particular you want advice on, or just, y'know, life in general?"
To be sure, Tal hadn't really understood the cards or what Alys did with them. And maybe they were destined to be nothing more than ships passing in the night, together just this once and then swept apart by the foibles of Caido and the complexities of their own lives. But she'd seemed genuinely passionate about her dream of offering guidance to others and there wasn't any harm in listening to what she had to say. Maybe she'd have some insights that would help! Or at worst, he'd just spend a little longer in the warm comfort of the tavern.
He felt a little weird about it, but what the hail. When Alys perked up he was happy that he'd done it, and he gave her question some genuine thought while he watched the mouse through his Goggles, distractedly noting its ghostly aura of illusion at this distance. "Um. Hmm. Well... I'm thinkin' of expandin' my courier business t'Torchline. Settin' up a permanent place there for deliveries t'be picked up an' stuff. So... advice on that, I guess?"
