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!
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
The Pacifist Plaza is always busy on days like these - days like these referring to long and lazy afternoons when the sun is high and the pavestones shimmer in the heat. Stalls selling shaved ice and chilled tea are bustling, and the sound of children's laughter and the bright calls of merchants fills the air. Mateo hears all of this from the open doors of his own shop, but his little section of the Plaza is remarkably quiet.
It's not that his business is bad, of course, not at all; Mateo owns a florist and is renowned for providing the area with flawless displays (among other, very interesting and very secretive specimens). Rather, it's the simple and unfortunate truth that places like his shop tend to get humid af in this weather.
And so it's quiet and tranquil as Mateo tends to his flowers. Dressed in a sleevess shirt that can barely be called that (it looks as though someone has tried to macrame it and gave up halfway through) and a pair of pants with a drop crotch so low it's a surprise he hasn't fallen over himself, the botanist happily chatters away to a display of herbs and vegetables he's been cultivating for fun more than anything.
"And what am I going to do with you," he wonders to himself, trying to disentangle a vine of tomatoes from a few sprigs of thyme.
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Pacifist Plaza was perhaps one of Sohalia's favorite places in the city. It was always bustling and busy, filled with vendors yelling and shoppers bargaining. Soh loved to sit and watch as much as she liked to wander and explore. Today, though, she was wandering, window shopping in and out of the many stores in the plaza. Every once in a while, she would pick up a piece of clothing or jewelry that caught her eye, but for the most part, she was content simply to look.
It was the first time she'd noticed the little plant shop, and she entered eagerly enough despite the humidity. She'd always liked plants, and kept several of hardier varieties in her shop and apartment. It was difficult, given that she traveled frequently, but she'd managed a few succulents. Perhaps she'd have to hire someone to come and water her plants while she was away. Then she could expand her range.
In any case, she was eager to explore what the shop had to offer - at least until she saw who she assumed was the shopkeeper, who was dressed in very little in the way of a shirt. It reminded her of swimming lessons with Tal, when she'd been so distracted that she'd hardly even been able to complete her task of teaching her friend to swim. With a faint flush in her cheeks, she cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said, studiously keeping her gaze from wandering over the strange man, "But I'm looking for some plants. I travel quite a lot, so I need something low maintenance. Do you have any recommendations?"
05-04-2023, 05:38 PM (This post was last modified: 05-04-2023, 05:38 PM by Mateo.)
Mateo
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Deep in his conversation with his tomatoes, Mateo doesn't hear the stranger enter the shop. Ordinarily there's a cheerful bell above the door to alert him to customers, but he's propped it open today due to the heat. All of this is to say that he startles a bit at the sound of her voice, though his hands are as steady as ever on the herbs and vegetables he's cultivating.
"Ah, mi dispiace," he trills, slipping into his father's native travelling tongue (though Outlanders might well compare it to the more contemporary Italian), "I did not see you there." And now he absolutely does see her; she reminds him of begonias and cherry blossoms, and already Mateo is mentally adorning her with inquisitive petals and seeing her wreathed in delicate floral scents.
Or maybe it's just the lingering dreamdust in his system from last night, who can say?
Anyway, she's asked a question and the botanist is never one to shy away from an answer. "Low maintainence can still be beautiful," he says, moving away from the herbs (for now) and into the shop proper. "Are you looking for something that flowers, or has any additional properties?"
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
As the man spoke in a foreign tongue, Soh smiled shyly, hoping that he knew the native language as well. As much as she admired those who could speak multiple languages, she could not count herself among them. So her relief, when he greeted her further, was probably fairly obvious, though she did her best to hide it behind a bright and friendly smile. "It's no problem," she replied. And it wasn't. Truth be told, she would have been content to browse the plants and flowers all day.
Low maintenance can still be beautiful, he said, and she nodded in agreement. She loved her little succulents; they were captivating, even if they were small and simple. "I'd love something that flowers, actually," she told him dreamily. "I didn't know that there was something that flowers that wouldn't die while I'm away. What would you recommend?"
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
"You would be surprised," Mateo says with all the air of someone who very much enjoys doing the surprising. Leading her towards one section of the shop, he coaxes some sentient vines out of the way, shooing them affectionately back into the canopies overhead. "There are quite a few to choose from. Here we have saintpaulia ionantha." (That's African Violet, to you and I).
Gesturing to a small plant with fuzzy leaves and ruffled purple blooms, Mateo instinctively leans down to inspect it and ensure it's doing alright. "There is also clivia miniata, if you prefer orange blooms. Oh, or euphorbia milii - or crown-of-thorns - which is more of a poinsettia relative. All of these prefer dryer soil, but they produce some lovely flowers."
Straightening up and suddenly realising that he has gone full root-and-stem-botanist on his customer, he offers a dimpled and apologetic smile. "If that is too much choice, though, I do keep a few flowering cactii."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Soh followed him to a flowering section of the shop, watching him shoo the sentient vines away with awe. Her fingers itched for her journal; what an interesting place this would be to draw! But she resisted the urge to reach into her bag, instead listening quietly as the shopkeeper told her of the various blooms he'd recommend to someone in her situation. She rather enjoyed the one-sided conversation, very much taken by his enthusiasm. She returned his apologetic smile with a genuine one of her own. "I'm rather drawn to the crown-of-thorns," she said, resisting the urge to reach out and stroke the petals. "But they're all beautiful."
Soh took a closer look at each plant that the shopkeeper had identified, admiring the beautiful flowers. She longed for some color in her shop and the apartment above it, and to find that she might be able to have something so lovely made her wildly happy. She pondered her choices for a moment, then nodded. "I think I'll start with a crown-of-thorns and see how we get on," she said. Then, curiously: "I have to ask - how do you keep them all straight? The proper names, and the common names, and which one's which...?"
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Somehow Mateo thought she would, and the way the smile continues to light up his face says as much. "Euphorbia milii it is," he says, shifting to inch by a few lilies and other flowers so he can select one for her. "Since it is your first one, I would recommend this," he says, carefully lifting a small pot with a crown-of-thorns in full bloom. "She is well established and is already flowering. If you get along and want to try some others, we could try some younger plants."
But for now, this one should find herself very happy in a new home, and he offers it out to her to take. "I can write some care instructions for you, if you would like," he continues, already considering as much when she makes her query. "Ah, well," Mateo says, riding the words out on a sigh. "Every species and variation has its own personality, you see. To me they are like little people."
And he lets that hang in the air for a second, before offering her a crooked smile. "I just really like plants," he confesses. "I have done since I was small. It is just practice, I suppose."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
"She's beautiful," said the young woman, gently taking the plant from the shopkeeper's hands and admiring the full blooms. "That sounds like a perfect plan. And yes, care instructions would be lovely."
The concept of plants being like little people was a foreign one to Soh, but not unwelcome. She remembered the sentient vines in the Oerwoud and the way they had lifted her helpfully into the air to reach a low-hanging branch. A small smile graced her features at the memory. "It's fascinating," she told him. "I would love to know more about plants. I just recently purchased my own home, you see, so I finally have a place to keep them!" And the more greenery, the better, as far as Soh was concerned. As long as they would survive her frequent travel, that is. She couldn't stand the thought of losing a plant due to her own negligence - especially if they were like little people!
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Mateo is already working on the care instructions, as it happens, meandering through a pathway that looks like it may as well have just this minute opened up, heading behind an old oak desk where an even older cash register sits. "Oh?" He grins hard enough at that to show dimples. "Well, congratulations on your new home. Did you move from within Stormbreak, or are you new to town as well?" he asks, in the meantime taking a small piece of faded card and beginning to etch out some instructions in a flowing, looping script.
Signing it at the bottom - Mateo Taliesin - he blows on it a few times to dry the ink before holding it out to her. "That last part is not an instruction, it is just my name," he jokes. "And if you would like to know more, my door is usually open. I was just actually about to try and make some lunch with a few vegetables I was growing as a side project, if you wanted to join me."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Sohalia followed the shopkeeper down a path and to an old oak desk, where he scribbled down care instructions, blew on them to dry the ink, and handed the sheet of parchment to her. "I'm originally from the Hollowed Grounds, but I've been traveling for a while now. I decided to settle down in Stormbreak recently, so I bought a little place not far from here." She returned his smile with one of her own, bright and sunny and genuine. It was always a pleasure to make a new friend, and it seemed that the shopkeeper was chatty enough that they were well on their way to friendship.
As he joked about his name, Soh looked down, blushing slightly. "I'd forgotten we hadn't been introduced," she admitted ruefully, feeling terribly rude. "I'm Sohalia Lumaris - but you can just call me Soh." She holds out a hand, offering it to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mateo."
The man extended a rather kind offer to join him for a meal, and Soh considered for a moment, running her thumb over the lip of the pot she held with her crown-of-thorns. She had no plans for lunch, and the alternative was to pick up something to eat at home alone, so she smiled. "If you're sure I wouldn't be a nuisance, I'd love to join you," she said. "Just let me know how I can help with lunch. Have you always lived in Stormbreak?" she asked then, picking up the thread of their earlier conversation, curious about whether she was the only transplant or if perhaps Mateo had come from elsewhere, too.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
"Ah, that is right - you did mention you were away a lot travelling. Is it a passion or a job?" Mateo wonders with a smile, leaning his forearms against the desk now that he's done with the instructions and she has the crown-of-thorns in her possession. "Molto piacere," he trills, reaching out to shake her hand with a grip that's surprisingly firm given his somewhat delicate appearance.
As for lunch, he straightens up and shakes his head. "You would be doing me a favour, honestly," he assures her, beckoning for her to follow him back to his original place among the herbs and tomatoes. "I was thinking of a tomato salad? I have far too much here." He'd let them grow rampant, and apparently this was his problem now.
"Oh, no - I lived..." It honestly takes a second, but he gets there eventually. "When I was very young I lived in Torchline, but it was not for very long. Then I was between here and the Greatwood - my fathers lived in different places, you see. But I suppose I have been here for most of my life, you could say?" He can't say he's ever been to the Hollowed Grounds, though.
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
"Both," she admitted with a smile. "At first it was just to explore, but then I started taking notes and making maps - now I sell annotated maps. Mostly, I get to go where I want, but sometimes I have people come to me for specific things." She spoke dreamily, and it was clear that traveling was indeed where her passion lay. It was just so exciting, to always see new places and things. Besides, she'd met some of her dearest friends traveling.
Settling her crown-of-thorns carefully on the oak desk, Sohalia followed Mateo to the tomatoes. "A tomato salad sounds divine," she said with a smile. She was a fan of fresh vegetables, and it didn't get much fresher than straight off the vine! "Do you have red onion somewhere?" A little red onion and fresh herbs would make for the perfect salad, and Soh was more than willing to help put it together.
"I haven't seen much of Torchline, but I liked what I have had the chance to visit," she told him cheerfully as she waited for him to select the best tomatoes. "I spent a great deal of time in the Greatwood, though - I thought about staying there, but I fell in love with Stormbreak when I was visiting a friend."
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
"Maps?" Mateo can't help but perk up at that. "My best friend is a skyship pilot. I bet he would find those very useful." Alright, so Everest Hart was a pilot in training, but apples and oranges and all that. "Perhaps I will have to come and see you about a map at some point. Do you have a business?" A map shop sounds both strange and also like the exact sort of thing Stormbreak would have.
Busily selecting the ripe tomatoes - and of course Mateo examines each one carefully before deciding it would be a good fit for their salad - he glances up and squints across the makeshift vegetable patch for a moment. "There," he says, pointing towards a few bright sprigs of green. "Those should be ripe if you want to pull some out." As for herbs, he grabs a generous couple of handfuls of fresh basil, gathering all of the ingredients into a basket and holding it out for Soh once she has her onions.
"Torchline is beautiful. I might avoid it at this season, though - if you think it is warm here, Torchline is almost unbearable in Longheat." The Greatwood, though - that's a place fit for every season, in Mateo's opinion. "Ah, you did?" He grins at the thought of anyone falling in love with Stormbreak. "A lot of people find it very grey. I am glad you did not judge a book by its cover."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
"That sounds fascinating," Soh said, in reference to being a pilot. She supposed that if she couldn't draw maps, then perhaps such a career path would have been what she'd choose - now that Tal had helped her get over her fear of them, that is. "I do. Lumaris Arts & Cartography. It's new, but I'm over on Merchant's Lane." The road wasn't far from here, a few blocks away from Pacifist Plaza. "You'd be very welcome, if you ever wanted to come and take a look."
At Mateo's instruction, Soh meandered over to the patch of green sprigs and carefully selected one or two for their salad, placing them in the proffered basket alongside the tomatoes and bunches of herbs. "I could understand that," Soh mused as she followed Mateo to their prep area. "It certainly is a lot of buildings. But it's also always - I don't know, alive? There's always something happening, and always something to do. I visited the Celestine and the Collegium when I first arrived. Have you ever been?"
