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
"Then I will make sure I find the time to visit," he murmurs with a smile, settling by a counter that will serve well enough as their prep area (he often finds himself having to pause and eat lunch in the shop, so there are plenty of basic ingredients about). Stepping away to a cupboard next to a closed door to fetch those very ingredients and utensils, Mateo returns with a set of knives, a large wooden bowl, and some olive oil.
Taking it upon himself to start cutting the tomatoes while Soh deals with their red onions, the botanist grins across at her. "That is very true," he agrees. "And I know them both quite well - I was schooled in the Collegium, growing up," he confesses. "Have you met Lena, the caretaker of the Celestine? She knows the place like the back of her hand, I think."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Following Mateo to the counter, Soh waited for him to fetch the various utensils and ingredients they would need in order to make their salad. He returned with a set of knives, a bowl, and some olive oil, and Soh waited for Mateo to make his selection of knives before picking up one of her own, knowing that some people had strong preferences about which knife they used. She picked up a red onion and began to slice it, splitting her attention between the task at hand and the conversation. She didn't want to cut herself by accident, after all!
"Lena is a good friend," Soh said with a smile, thinking of the woman who had comforted all those months ago in the Greatwood. "And the Celestine is marvelous. It's one of my favorite places here." She continued to slice her onions, setting aside the slices for inclusion in their salad. "I was able to help with the animals, once. It was incredible." She thought of the adorable mata mata, the beautiful unicorns, the intriguing cloud wyrms. "What are your favorite places in Stormbreak?"
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
They work well as a team, as it happens, and Mateo wonders whether he ought to have put the Gone Fishin' sign up in his shop window (that's code for back in a bit) to prevent a customer coming in and interrupting them. Luckily, the humidity and the weather are keeping people at bay, and the botanist adds their tomatoes to the wooden bowl and adjusts it for Soh to put the onions in when she's ready.
"Ah, she is? You have started off life in Stormbreak well," he says, flashing her a dimpled grin and grabbing the basil now to roughly chop it. "We have similar tastes as well, as it happens - the Celestine is one of my favourite places too, though I go more to look at the flora, as you can imagine."
But there are others, and as Mateo adds the basil with a flourish, he nibbles at his lower lip to think. "Have you been to the Eye of the Storm? That is quite something. It is a natural hotspring, but the bottom of the spring has been replaced with glass. You can see right down towards Torchline on a clear day." He also likes the White Hart and Mother Molly's, but those aren't places he imagines she wants to hear about.
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
When it occurred to Soh that their lunch might be interfering with Mateo's business hours, Soh looked around the shop and was again awed by the sheer number of plants on display. She was relieved to find that no one else had wandered in, perhaps preferring cooler, less humid shops. As it happens, Soh didn't mind the heat or the humidity. It was all worth it if she came away with a new friend (and, of course, her crown-of-thorns).
Mateo pushed the bowl towards her, and Soh deposited her carefully chopped onions, scraping the sides of the knife on the side of the bowl to get all the remaining bits and pieces off. "I can," she said with a sweet smile, glancing again at the flora around the shop. It seemed that Mateo had quite the gift with plants of all kinds.
"I haven't been there yet! I will have to add it to my list." She paused, tilting her head thoughtfully, pleased to have someone who was so intimately familiar with the city to question. "Where are the best restaurants? I always want to take friends places when they visit, but I haven't had much of a chance to explore for myself."
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Once Soh has deposited the onions into their salad, Mateo adds the roughly chopped basil and a generous glug of olive oil, before retreating to get a spoon to toss it all together. "I think there will be enough for leftovers," he remarks with a smile as he returns, and as she asks about restaurants, he can't help but gesture to their salad with a flourish. "Are they not right here in this shop?" he asks playfully, reaching out to give the bowl a stir.
"For restaurants I would say the Silk Houses are best. There are a lot of niche places, bistros, that sort of thing, but the White Hart does a good meal as well. If you want something lighter - cafes, coffee shops and so on - then the Plaza has some good options. My parents used to get breakfast from a little stall near here most days."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Sohalia giggled as Mateo flourished a spoon at their bowl. "Of course, nothing could be as grand as this," she teased with a grin, "But I'm sure your tables will always be full, so I'll need some backup options." She didn't cook often, staying busy with her business, and she rarely shopped at the market since she was gone so frequently. The food in her home was mostly non-perishable and not particularly tasty or nutritious, so having a short list of restaurants was imperative.
She hadn't heard much of the Silk Houses, aside from the fact that it was perhaps a less desirable part of the city; but she had no problems of her own with the area, so she tended to shrug off any rumors she heard, taking them with a grain of salt until she could visit the Silk Houses for herself. "Good to know," she said thoughtfully. "I'll have to try them. Perhaps we could go together sometime?" she proposed brightly, always pleased to have company.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
"Ah, a very good point," Mateo acquiesces, shooting another dimpled grin her way and stepping back to fetch a couple of mismatched bowls and forks, as well as a small container for some leftovers that Soh can take away if she wants to. "Well, I think it might be time to dig in," he says, glancing across at her. "Would you like to do the honours first?"
As for trying out one of the cafes or restaurants with her, Mateo gives an easy nod and pulls over a stool to sit down on. "That would be nice," he says. "Now that it is getting warm, I know a good ice cream place, if you ever want to go and try it out," he offers. "They do smoothies and milkshakes as well, if you aren't in the mood for desserts."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
Soh surveyed their handiwork. It was a delicious looking salad, and she felt her stomach rumble in anticipation. "I'd be honored," she said with a playful curtsy and a giggle. She sat on a nearby stool and carefully forked out some of the tomato salad into her bowl, trying not to let anything spill onto the table. When she'd amassed a reasonable portion, she stuck a piece of tomato with her fork, popped it in her mouth, and chewed slowly. Her eyes closed in happy bliss (there was nothing like fresh tomatoes) as she hummed her approval. "My compliments to the chef," she said after she'd swallowed her mouthful. "It is wonderful."
The idea to get dessert was a welcome one, and as Soh continued to eat her salad, she nodded. "I'm always in the mood for desserts," she admitted between bites of food. She had quite the sweet tooth, and often shopped for local candies and sweets whenever she arrived in a new place. "And I always appreciate good company," she added with a smile.
Champagne, cocaine, gasoline and most things in between
Joining Soh in portioning himself out some of the salad (and yeah, there is plenty left for each of them to keep, as he had suspected), Mateo grins at her appraisal. "Well, I think we really ought to be thanking the tomato plant, but I suppose our efforts played a small part as well." With a chuckle, he skewers a bit of tomato and onion as well, enjoying the burst of sweetness and the crunch.
It is wonderful, and Mateo falls quiet to eat while she continues, offering Soh a crooked smile for her remarks. "Well, then," he says, offering out a bit of tomato for her to toast against with her own fork, "to good company and future desserts. With Longheat starting to really ramp up, we might need milkshakes sooner rather than later."
I roam the city in a shopping cart a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm
"Of course," laughed Soh. Then, a little more seriously. "You'll have to tell me the best kind of fertilizer for tomatoes, and I will make a donation in thanks." She was only halfway teasing, and made a mental note to be sure to bring some fertilizer to the shop - even if Mateo refused her offer. Soh was a generous friend, and she very much personified even something as simple as a tomato plant. She would give her friends' animal companions treats; why not do the same for Mateo's plants?
With a smile, Soh speared another piece of tomato on her fork and bumped it against Mateo's in a toast. "To new friends," she added, having thoroughly enjoyed Mateo's company. "And certainly plenty of desserts."
