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!
Phoebe continued to open boxes and pass Liam things to put away. It was an easy, sort of mindless task that allowed her to concentrate on the conversation rather than what she was doing. "Well, I've sort of been positioning myself to take over." she admitted. "Building bridges, shoring up the shoreline of the Stone Symphony, generally just trying to make the Greatwood more liveable again. All that's left is to set up a base of operations so to speak." She had put a lot of personal time and effort into the task, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"People think of the Greatwood as too...rustic. If I can find a way to modernuze it without losing its charm, I think more people would want to live here." she explained. But it would be a hard task. The two places were very different. "Well...how much ownership are you willing to take of it?" she asked, curious to see if he would be willing to lead such a force.
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
While Phoebe's task was easy, Liam's required a little more thought. He was the type of person that needed to have things in specific places, organized just so and placed exactly where they belonged. Setting up the kitchen, therefore, with its dishes and glasses and silverware and cookware and everything else that he'd packed away in Stormbreak, was a task that required some thought. Still, he'd always been capable of multitasking, and as he considered the pros and cons of having the glasses in this cabinet or that, he listened to Phoebe as she described her bid for leadership. "That's admirable," he told her. "It seems to have worked; I'm here, anyway." He flashed her a smile. "Let me know when you want to set up that base of operations. I will be happy to assist."
As for the rest, he paused to consider. Would he be willing to lead up such a force? "You would be willing to have a newcomer take ownership?" he wanted to know, curious rather than judgmental. But regardless of her answer, he shrugged as he began to put glasses in the cabinet he'd decided on. "I... want to be useful," he decided. In truth, he could use the challenge. That such an opportunity had presented itself on his first day in the Greatwood was not lost on him; if he believed in fate, he would have possibly considered this meeting to have been pre-ordained. "Since such a force doesn't exist, I would be happy to help build it, if that was something that our fearless leader wanted." He shot her a teasing grin, perhaps the first carefree thing he'd said since she'd appeared on his doorstep.
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
Phoebe smiled up at him. "Thank you. You'll definitely know when I need help." she said. As she moved on to another box, it seemed more filled with personal items - clothing and weapons and such. Was that Dragoon armor she spied? Unsure if he wanted her touching these things or not, she paused in passing him things
"Why not?" she chirped. "It isn't like other people are competing for the job. Besides, you were a Dragoon, I know their skills so you're fit for the roll." she said with a smile. At the notion of being a fearless leader she laughed. "If only. But if I am able to take leadership, then you have the job."
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
Liam didn't notice the box of personal items at first, mentally debating which drawer to place a set of knives in. The kitchen was nearly done, the process made all the faster by Phoebe's help, and it was with a strange sort of gratitude that he decided on a drawer and turned back to her. He'd been anticipating having to do all of this himself, so to have help, and from such a lovely-seeming person - and his potential future leader, at that - was a pleasant surprise.
"Then I would be happy to serve," he said with a nod. That decided, his gaze finally landed on the box that had given Phoebe pause. It held clothing, weapons, and armor, and he frowned at it. "Must have been mislabeled," he said. Or perhaps the movers had simply misplaced it. "I'll take that one, and we can move on to the living area?" With that, he took the box and carried it into his bedroom to sort through later. Not that there was anything that he had to hide, precisely, but he wasn't sure he was ready to share his personal effects with someone he barely knew.
Returning to the living room, he took in the boxes stacked on the side of the room. The furniture was in more or less the right places: a comfortable couch across from two chairs, a coffee table in between; a lamp sitting between the chairs on a small side table; a few plants for decoration. All in all, there was little to do with the space other than to unpack a few boxes of decor. The first box that Liam picked up held various knick knacks that he'd collected over the years, some of which belonged to his late wife or children. He opened it carefully and began to pull out various items.
Whichever box Phoebe chose would hold pictures. There were some of him as a Dragoon, finishing his training; a few of Stormbreak or other notable locations; and one family portrait, the only one that he had left.
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
"Then I will be sure to call on you." she said with a smile. What luck that a former Dragoon was willing to help her and the Greatwood with something that was so needed if they were to grow.
But he took his box of personal effects and deposited it in the bedroom. It was on to the living room next which seemed comfortable to her. Phoebe picked up a box and began pulling things out onto the coffee table for him to place wherever he liked. The pictures offered her a glimpse into his life...perhaps too deeply. She pulled out the family portrait and her brows furrowed. Sensing a sensitive subject she carefully asked after it. "Is this your family?" she said.
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
Is this your family?
Liam's heart twisted painfully in his chest as he looked up to find his family portrait in Phoebe's hands, the way it always did when he thought of their absence. It had been years since they'd died, and yet they still had a hold on him as though it was yesterday. Some days, he almost felt okay, but then something small would spark a memory and he'd be enveloped in self-hatred. How could he be okay when everyone he loved was gone?
"It was," he said softly, moving to stand next to Phoebe. "They died in the attack on the Tower." It went unsaid that this was why he'd moved; why, after years of torment chasing their ghosts in the city, he'd found it easier to start over elsewhere. "It was a long time ago." As though that made it easier, somehow.
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
She could see the pain it caused him. It was almost tangible. "I'm sorry." she said softly. What else was there to say? Even the condolence would feel hollow, this she knew well. There was nothing that could really soothe the ache one felt at losing their family.
"My family is in another world that was war torn. I've no way of knowing their fates." she said, trying to relate to him. "And I've miscarried twice. It is hard, but it does get easier with time to bear." she said, setting the portrait down carefully.
"The Greatwood will help you heal and start again." she said gently with a small smile.
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
Everyone in Caido had their own burden to bear, and it would seem that Phoebe was no different, except that in her case, she was stuck in a state of perpetual limbo, never knowing the fates of her family. Which was worse, he wondered? To know and mourn, or to not know and hold onto false hope? If he had the choice, he wasn't sure which he'd choose.
"I'm sorry," he said of her losses, understanding evident in his tone. It was difficult to imagine, having to live life without knowing the fates of one's loved ones, without even the chance of finding out whether they were alive or dead. He wondered, briefly, if perhaps the gods could help, could at least provide some answers, but then he reconsidered. Would answers really help in this kind of situation, or would it only make things worse?
Shaking himself, he returned Phoebe's small smile. "That's the idea," he agreed. "I don't want to forget," he added, taking one last look at the portrait before moving to another box. "I just... want to move forward. Is that terrible?"
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
Phoebe shook her head. "It's alright. I came to terms with it a long time ago." she said with a hint of a sad smile. That was all she could do, come to terms with never knowing, or else it would drive her mad. As it was, Caido had already done that to her once with the blight.
"It's not terrible at all. It is the only option." she said, moving on to another box. "We can't live in Mort's realm while we exist in Vi's. We belong here, in the present, not the past." she said, leaning on her faith for guidance. Surely as a man of Stormbreak he would appreciate that. "Not that we forget of course, but we must keep living. And to do so is to go forward."
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
She was right, of course; there was no use living in the past. So Liam nodded. "You're right," he said with a smile. "Just promise you'll remind me when I forget." He meant it to be a joke, but it came out far more sincere than he'd intended, and he blushed slightly as he realized how familiar he sounded. He'd only just met Phoebe, and here he was all but baring his soul to her.
To busy himself, Liam took various knick knacks and began placing them about the room: some pictures on the walls, some bits and bobs on the coffee table, and before long, things were looking decidedly more homey. With the living room and the kitchen more or less complete, and a dining room that had decidedly little to unpack, that left the bedrooms. Liam placed one last item and turned to Phoebe. "I really appreciate your help," he said. "I would offer you something to drink, but... I think I have, uh, water or water?"
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
Phoebe smiled at him warmly. "I am happy to remind you. My door is always open." she said, taking his seeming sincerity as actual sincerity. Though as he blushed, she just laughed lightly. "Come now, nothing to be embarrassed about! How are you to make new friends if you aren't open with people?" she said with a grin.
But it seemed most of the unpacking and sorting was done. And at the mention of a drink, she grinned. "Well who says we have to stay here? Let's go to the Bodega for a drink. Might as well get to know the area, right?" she said as she stood, skirts flouncing around her knees. "Let me guess...you're a whiskey man?" she said after a moment's hesitation.
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
If they spent any length of time together, Phoebe would find that Liam blushed fairly easily; for a soldier, there were certain situations that left him flustered and out of his depth, and talking about feelings with a pretty woman was one of them. "Right, well, when you put it that way," he muttered with a short laugh. He did want to make new friends, of course - he just hadn't had to do that outside of his work for a very long time. How did one make friends as an adult, anyway?
At Phoebe's suggestion to visit the Bodega, Liam brightened, gratefully grasping for the line that she threw him. "That sounds great," he said with some relief. It would be nice to see more of the area - especially if it was a place he might someday help to defend. Then he laughed. "I am," he said. "How'd you know?"
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
Phoebe grinned. "When I put it that way, I'm right." she said cheekily.
But they were off to the Bodega! She smiled and turned to lead the way, well versed in the winding paths of the Greatwood by now. "That's my cottage. I'm also a midwife so I act as the apothecary here. There is the observatory. A shrine to Safrin is there. Oh and down that way keeping left as the trees move is the Crimson Cataract. A shrine to Frey is there." she said cheerily, pointing things out as they went.
"I used to be the Madame of the Halenani brothel in Torchline. I got good at guessing people's drinks." she said with a sunny smile. "You're a soldier so you drink something strong so everyone thinks you're tough, but you're also not fussy so you aren't going to go for anything overly produced. So, whiskey. Maybe vodka but that isn't as much a straight drink as whiskey." she said as they came up to the Bodega.
Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head And I lie broken in words I said
Phoebe's cheeky response had him chuckling, and as they left his little cottage, he offered her his arm politely. They meandered through the paths of the Greatwood, Liam taking mental notes of what was where. It was nice, wandering through his new home; it made him feel like maybe he was getting a fresh start, like maybe this could be what he needed to move forward.
The news that she had been a madame of a brothel had his brows raising and his cheeks reddening. He wasn't a judgmental man, but he hadn't been expecting that. He cleared his throat. "I genuinely like whiskey," he informed her, perhaps a little defensively, a rueful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He wasn't sure he liked being told that he wanted everyone to think he was tough - even if, maybe, she was right a little. "What about you? What's your preference?"
Never thought I'd walk on this street again Standing where it all began
