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!
Giving her a wry, mockingly offended look as a majority of the grapes were levitated out of his reach, he promptly snorted again, before snagging at the berries. He could always cause or stir enough dramatics to repeat the same frenzy as the marshmallows incident during LongNight, but figured he’d relent for the moment. There would always be other opportunities.
While the young foxes rolled and played, tumbling closer to the brook than he would’ve liked, he listened to Evie’s considerations, swaying over the subject of companions again. His eyes went from her to Zuriel once more, watching as the mare embodied a sovereign, composed, and majestic state – eternally self-assured, independent, and more than a little spoiled. But there were many personalities accompanying animals, and so he shifted his attention back to the Evergreen, uncertain about her hesitations. “And why do you think that?”
As for the other animals, he must’ve missed them on all his ventures – surprising, given the amount of time he’d spent in exile. But they’d been busy plotting, scheming, building, and ultimately waiting for moments to strike back – there hadn’t been much occasion for elephants or pandas. Another rumble came after he swallowed a handful of blueberries, granting her a smile in the process. “I will have to seek them out next time I am there.”
Evie is secure in her decision to steal the grapes away - Deimos could definitely pursue them as he had the marshmallows before (though that makes her cheeks heat a little to remember, suddenly distracted from her handful of well-won fruit) but the scuffle would surely alert the foxes and send them running. It's a rock and hard place, and Evie is content to wedge him between.
Like a concerned mother, Evie's attention wanders back to the kits as they play a little too close to the stream. While she understands the cycle of nature perfectly plainly, she isn't kidding herself by pretending she wouldn't intervene if necessary. It's also a convenient excuse to not meet her partner's eyes when he delves a little deeper than she'd hoped he would. "I know they prefer Abandoned, but they're...well, they're rather pure aren't they? Personalities notwithstanding. There are so many stories about them only seeking out young maidens, or those with minimal magic - though my parents told me those, so I can't say they weren't twisted intentionally." Chewing on another grape thoughtfully, the Evergreen shrugs slightly, self-conscious. "Plus, though I don't care anymore, I got used to dreading ever bonding with a unicorn because it would make it obvious I wasn't an Accepted." Or invite far too many invasive questions.
There's a distraction in the next topic offered, one Evie is slightly grateful for. She can't imagine being this vulnerable with anybody else, but it doesn't make old hurts stop aching entirely. "There's next to no civilization out there, so it's easy to miss. I can show you them if we visit together, I know all the best spots - just like you do." Winking, she returns her gaze to the foxes she'd implied, watching them fondly and remembering those lonely but beautiful spring seasons with all the young, wobbly animals she could have her fill of.
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
Sometimes Deimos thought it would be terribly convenient for Evie to have an Attuned bond, merely so he could persist in juvenile tactics through measures of the mind as well. Alas, he would always have to be overt and direct in his approaches, or under covert glances. Giving her a sidelong stare that signified many naughty and nefarious things, he then lifted it upwards as if unbothered at all, finishing on the rest of his berries.
Though his eyes rested briefly on the kits again, narrowing as they skirted around the stream’s small shoreline, before making their way back up the tiny knoll. They were a dizzying sight, energetic and fervent, screeching again in their ice pitches, before he muffled a snort, returning to Evie’s stances on unicorns.
Considering he was an outlier to both diction and speculations, he could only arch a brow at her, pondering if these had been lies, mistruths, or fabrications stretched across the earth. The jocular mannerisms persisted, intending to drive a wedge into the discomforts and beliefs of those far too ignorant of the world around them. “I am neither of those things,” he supplied, with a twisted grin, if only to make her feel a bit better, or to lift the spirit of the day once more. “Whatever you happen to find, they will be welcomed here.” Without the parameters of strange disillusions, racism, and anything else lingering in between.
His gaze softened at the next statement though, a small smile appearing from the Cheshire snickers and smirks. “Sure. I would like that.”
He could do with a little required practice in the overt, though she has come to read him well enough that the lack of Attunement matters little in discerning expressions. For example, she find her own cheeks heating immediately at the myriad of promises that hold such weight in his gaze, only to teasingly dissipate back into a countenance of neutrality. “Tease,” she accuses playfully under her breath, trying to keep her own lids from dropping low in answering seduction. They have a young audience after all.
He needn’t worry about the memories dragging her too deep beneath the ice where he cannot reach her; his presence alone always inspires enough peace and love to buoy her against any height of wave or current. It doesn’t mean she can resist smiling right back. “I do think you’re quite pure actually, in a lot of ways. But I concede your point; my parents probably just extra sucked and decided to drain the fun out of everything.” Which is exactly why she deserves to gleefully, girlishly envision a future companion now, the way she’d never gotten a chance to before. Always clinging too hard to secrecy and blending into the background to strive for uniqueness.
“Me too. I’m glad things are quiet enough that we get to take a few more days alone here and there.” The year after the war had been nearly as rough logistically as the one preceding it. Now, with all the hard work done and peace reigning for over a year as well, they can take more mini vacations without worrying Halo will suddenly crumble in their absence. “There’s still so much I haven’t even seen of Torchline! Melita was telling me about a place called Rainbow Road, and water horses in the Wilds. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface sometimes.”
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
A telltale snicker snagged on the ends of his mouth at her flushed cheeks and then downward gaze, notions and promises of soon and later; listening all the while so he didn’t become distracted by their lack of subtly, though he may have winked at the tease comment. Finishing off the berries, he brushed his hands together, before maneuvering back into the bag, and retrieving their next course; burgers, one already fixed to her liking, and the other to his, passing it over to her –
Though nearly forgoing the action altogether, when she responded. A snort hastened through, muffled for the benefit of the kits, but the wrinkled nose and suddenly seditious air, head raised high to counteract the claim, said everything before it rumbled across his tongue. “I am not,” as if this was a most grievous offense. He had a thousand arguments to contradict and counter her statement, but opted to shake his head, before finally extending the burger to her.
The Sword left the parameters of her parents out of his thoughts; he’d never heard good things. Speculations ran far more rampant to potential adventuring into the wilderness, rather than always being tied to the tundra. Breaks here and there were a necessity, instead of the potential of running themselves into the ground. Taking a bite, Deimos snorted again at the mention of the asinine equines within the wilds, swallowing the meat down before answering. “I had to save someone recently from them. Do not be lured,” and he arched a brow, presuming she’d be just the sort to accept their invitations too. “I heard there were more pieces to explore in the sea too.”
It's a close call with the burger and she can tell, his feigned offense putting her delicious meal at risk. So the second he seems to concede, she plucks it out of his hands to ensure her mischief won't rob her stomach. An unfortunately common concern for the Evergreen. And though she knows there is much truth and self-flagellation hiding there beneath his protestations, he has grown so much that those shadows don't appear to take root in the moment beneath her discerning gaze, and his lighthearted dramatics make her own chest swell with warmth that colors her laughter as it ekes out. "You're the perfect model of a knight in shining armor from books!" Tearing a small piece of bun off her burger she launches it at him before taking her first bite, eyes still aglitter with amusement even as she silences herself for his sake.
It also helps her hide her pout, because he is far too correct in his assumptions that she would accept such a ride without prior warnings to scare her away. "I wonder if they could be companions. Like those rare landshark and starwhale companions." Those whose existence outside of their natural element did not seem to overly bother them. "I don't know about sailing, I don't know if I'm the type to get sea sick. But Hadama and I discovered an algae that creates a bubble to wear over your head for underwater exploration! It does cause some ringing in the ears, but it makes me want to visit the Mer kingdom now."
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
The next round was far more wounding than the last, and he took a moment to either appreciate or be stunned by her gall, eyes widening, having to put his burger down in stunned disbelief. “You take that back,” came along his quiet rumbles, and as she aimed portions of bun, he flung it back with air incantations, fully intending for it to flick off her forehead. He gave an involuntary shudder at the horrific notions of knights in shining armor, imagining some horrible depiction from one of her many novels, then wrinkled his nose in distaste.
It gave him some moments to bite into his food without further drama, reflections careening through the companions they’d met along the way – Amun’s landshark, Amalia and Nate’s starwhales. Jyoti had been a favorite, but the others hadn’t gained his approval in his high esteem. “Potentially. Though I would not seek one out.” They’d fallen out of his favor from near murder attempts on several individuals.
As for sailing, the Sword shook his head, having no intentions of such matters, not when there were other parameters up his sleeve, simmering beneath his skin. “I still want to test out my other shift,” with a wry smile to follow, before shrugging his shoulders. “Do they allow outsiders in?”
His protestations are far more dramatized the second time around, which only makes Evie laugh harder, until her lungs are empty and she is left clutching her stomach with one free arm. "What? It's a compliment!" she insists through humor-wet eyes, unable to defend or retaliate against the bread that bounces right between her eyebrows. "Saving distressed damsels, earning favor from Gods and men alike, handsome and gifted - what am I possibly missing?" And though she means it all earnestly, her teeth flash white like a laughing jackal, aware he will find flaws in every statement to tear apart and shudder at.
It takes a few moments to reign in her amusement, and she takes the time directly after to savor her burger instead of answering immediately. "I believe so! They just had a bubble stream created to transport non-Mer safely down to the kingdom, and there has been a lot of experimentation with algae and manta stones to encourage tourists." All of this was learned firsthand from Hadama, which was why she'd been recruited last-second to help test out the ringing algae.
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
It was no secret that he thought very little of himself – deeds, liberations, deliverances, and shielding included – and the protest contorted rapidly over his tongue. He didn’t want to be thought of in such manners because in his notions, they weren’t true, and while playful offense might have swept over his features, the sentiments behind them still stung and clustered together. Amidst the weight of all his other actions, he lingered in quiet, eyes narrowing, uncertain how to even respond without another objection. “That is quite a pedestal,” he finally offered, voice subdued, certain he’d already fallen from it lives before; peeling away another portion of bun to halfheartedly launch in a pocket of crimson locks.
He didn’t take a bite as the subject altered and changed, watching the kits roam around freely, no burdens or thoughts intertwined; just bursts of movement and joy. Alterations in Torchline’s attempts at tourism beneath the waves made him snort; for a year or so before he hadn’t been welcome at Chrys’ beckoning, had lingered at the shrine below the depths, and went home. “Did you get a chance to go?”
Even if his words did not let her peer into his mind and where his thoughts begin to wander, it would be apparent enough by his expression that he finds the idea difficult to contend with. Sometimes Evie knows to let him be, to move on to laughter and distraction so he can mull over his thoughts in privacy. Other times, she rescinds the harmless notions or apologizes. This time, she reaches to touch his knee gently and tries to get him to hold her gaze, staunchly ignoring his next attack. "It's not a pedestal you can fall from, it's the person I see in you, and that only changes slowly and with time. You're my knight if nothing else." Her hand squeezes around his knee. "And who else matters? Nobody else would dare to call you it to your face but me," she breaks into a grin, giving him an out if he needs it as she takes her hand away. "Just don't go calling me a damsel, then we'll really have words."
Shaking her head and taking another bite, she swallows and flicks the bread piece back at him from where it had fallen onto her thigh. It goes wide, but the ningos will eat it if nothing else. "No, we were in a different area at the time. But I'd like to. Hadama said next time he'll find whales to show me whalesong, so maybe then!" She isn't sure if they hang around the Kingdom or not, but she'll definitely ask. Personally she'd rather go with Deimos at her side, but maybe if she does end up going without him the first time she can get a bearing on the place in order to show him the best parts.
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
His nose wrinkled in defiance again, mind binding over those melancholic threads with a ferocious ease; time and effort sometimes not appeased in the grand scale of where he’d meandered and wandered over time. Swallowing down a trace of bile, some manifestation of refusal, his eyes wandered back to hers as she ambled closer, a touch on his knee, a set line in his jaw. The words were difficult to accept, even if they ranged from her perspective, an outlier against all the vantage points and interpretations he had on himself. More than once he thought about speaking, but naught did it justice, and so he felt his eyes go downward, staring at the blanket, the grass, listening, striving to find the parallels. So he nodded, permitting only the lightest grin to rally in the corner of his mouth, a promise of no damsels. “I would not.”
He still didn’t eat, mulling and thinking, drawn back into that heavy burden of quiet fortitude, walls threatening as an act of defense. Potentials of Torchline kept the deepest mire at bay, of whales and songs, of ways she’d found companions even beneath the waves. “That sounds nice.” Because it did – peaceful, tranquil. Attempting to salvage whatever mischief he had left in his mood, the smile remained. “You will have to memorize their tunes. Perform them for us.”
She won't always be able to reach him in just one day, one small heartfelt speech, but she will never stop persisting. Words held less meaning to him than actions, but it didn't mean Evie would ever stop using them to tell him how inspiring and wonderful she finds him, how much she loves him. So she takes a small victory in his lack of rebuttal and the tiny smile that hides in the corner of his mouth.
Taking momentum from his opening, she cringes and laughs. "Gods, Hotaru made me sing for our Academy training, that was bad enough!" But she sets aside her food and urges Deimos to do the same with those same flapping hands which then pull on his own. "Come on, lay down with me. We'll do some cloud watching!" It would give them a chance to be close, to let him think without falling too deep, and they have nowhere else to be today.
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
“Did she?” He smirked, just a little more, unsurprised by Ru’s compulsion tendencies, or command of incantations. “Still better than anything Zariah came up with, I hope,” with some bitterness reserved for the Merciless and everything she’d once claimed, before Evie’s hands were at him again, and he snorted once more, taken aback by the direction.
“I have not watched clouds since I was a child,” which probably wouldn’t shock many, given the nature of his youth, and everything else that occurred thereafter. Soldiers didn’t have time to stare openly at the sky, unless a barrage or assault was coming from there, and scenic notions rarely passed through a landscape riddled and rankled with adversaries. A misplaced sigh, as if he didn’t know what to do anymore, ensured the food was tucked away, likely to be finished off by Belial.
The Sword didn’t stretch his body all the way down – leaning back on his elbows instead, primordial readiness and apprehension not permitting a lack of safety on all accounts – before his piercing eyes flickered upward, glancing at the puffy sentiments. “Bird,” he announced with the jutting of his jawline, to a simplistic design with outstretched wings.
Her nose wrinkles in clear distaste at the mention of the former tyrant's name, scoffing under her breath even though her hatred would not be ill-received in current company. "Definitely. I had never seen that form of magic used in the way she did - it was far more effective, and also more terrifying because of it. I was very impressed - and equally unsurprised that Zariah was incapable of that level of creativity." This time her grin is sharklike, lingering in revelry over souring the woman's name even well after her downfall.
"All the more reason to do it now then!" Any objections will not be listened to which Deimos seems to sense given his capitulation and change in posture. Evie rolls her eyes quite liberally at his reluctance to fully lay down, but doesn't let it stop her from doing it - tossing one leg over his and turning her head to press a quick kiss to his forearm before gazing up at the clouds.
"The temptation to point out all the genital shaped clouds makes me question my own maturity," she mutters before lifting her hand towards the clouds just over the distant trees. "That one looks like an ursur on its hind paws."
Cover your crystal eyes And let your colors bleed and blend with mine
