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!
Turning a corner up and into the blessed familiarity of the Falling, the moored skyships beginning to pop up all around them, Mateo already seems to be coming back to himself a little. Or perhaps it's just the addition of his friend's discomfort that's allowing him to break away from his selfishness, but either way, he hobbles a little quicker to draw even with Everest.
"It is true that some people are naturally more inclined towards physical contact," he agrees - he's one of them, hey, hello. "But that is not just a gesture of appreciation, it can also be a sign of physical attraction. I believe those patrons may have been trying to flirt with you, Ever." He says it like an apology, though it's accompanied by a dimpled smile. "It is quite common in taverns. You are off limits because you are staff, and that simply makes you more tempting."
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
Giving himself a mental check so as not to outpace Mateo, Ever glances over his shoulder as dimples appear on his friend's cheeks. His own cheeks are hollowed with the force of his frown, and though he understands all the words that the botanist is saying, he can't make sense of it at all.
"What about something being off limits makes it more tempting?" He wonders earnestly, and though the day is quite warm, that's not the only reason that Ever's forehead has begun to break out in beads of sweat. "So if I were to...be more available then, would that make me less tempting and thus less touched?" If yes his next question would be how he could make himself more available, though in reality Everest was concerned that the logic wouldn't flow backward the way on paper it normally would.
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
Ever tries not to outpace his friend and Mateo, in return, is already attempting to hobble a bit faster, able to see la Verbena's sails creeping closer through the skyport, and the result is a strange not-amble that probably makes them look ridiculous. (Not that he cares). "People want the things they cannot have," he says, and whilst he's very certain of that fact about humanity, he can't really say why. "Maybe it is a jealousy thing? Or a fear of missing out?"
Shrugging, he carefully gets himself up and onto the deck of his ship, resisting the urge to melt onto the wooden boards and simply lay there for a while. "I would not necessarily say that, especially not in Torchline," he admits, not wanting his friend to expect something and end up in an even stickier situation. Unlocking the cabin door, Mateo abandons his new hiking stick to hop down and into the belly of the vessel, into home.
"I could ask Flora to hire a security guard? They could tell off patrons who touch the staff inappropriately. Ooooh, maybe I could do it."
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
Ever's face crinkles into what is, by now, an extremely common expression of confusion. Rather than replying right away, instead, he holds his hands out just in case the botanist tripped or stumbled. He was concerned about Mateo of course, but it was just basic logic that suggested bracing Mateo in case of a fall would require much less touching than should the botanist fall on his own and have to be carried.
'Oh.' Well, that was disappointing. "How does it work in Torchline then?" As the mention of a security guard, Ever opens his mouth to tentatively agree, before clicking his teeth together. "You...could." The aviator agrees because it was a logical possibility if not an entirely advisable one. "Actually, with your tentacle rod, you wouldn't even need to go too close in order to break things up."
Closing the door behind them and blinking a few times to adjust his eyes to the light, Ever straightens slightly and takes a breath. "Okay, we have now gotten home. Next on your list was for us to shower and then eat."
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
"I do not know how it works specifically," Mateo admits, his voice echoing a little as he heads downstairs. "I just get the impression that in Torchline it does matter if you are available or not - if they find you attractive, they will still flirt. If you appear more available, they may feel as though they have permission to, uh, raise the stakes." Hoping that Ever is able to understand that particular idiom, the botanist puts down his bag of holding and merely stands for a moment in the peaceful quiet of his home.
He doesn't know if it makes him feel better, to be here after having disappeared completely for a day or two, but the aviator's presence certainly helps. "Perhaps I will mention it to Flora," he says, even if the reality is he'll forget about it in a couple of hours. "Ah, that is right. Good memory." Already limping for the little bathroom, Mateo stiffly starts to peel himself out of his clothes. "Make yourself at home."
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
No, Ever didn't understand that particular idiom such that as Mateo padded downstairs, he'd hear Ever mumble, "I didn't realize there was gambling involved." Making a mental note to aks Mateo about it in more detail - if it was an idiom, he had an alphabetized section of his notebook dedicated to them - but for now they were moving onto step 2 of The Things Mateo Said He Needed.
Make yourself at home was an idiom that he did understand, or at the very least one which the botanist had explained to him. It meant make yourself comfortable here as if it were your own home, though given the differences in the lives he and Mateo led, that would prove quite difficult. "I can try." He says somewhat doubtfully, before also beginning to get undressed.
Carefully undoing his shirt, he lays it over one arm before beginning on the buckle of his pants, just a few steps behind Mateo.
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
Having expected to disappear into the bathroom and leave Ever to his own devices, Mateo is surprised when, as he turns to close the door (after grabbing a towel and a rubber ducky to keep him company on the floor of the shower) it's to see his friend also getting naked. Were he in any other sort of mood, the botanist wouldn't have been able to resist a quip or two about it, but today, at least, he merely flaps a hand to try and stop Ever from going any further.
"È colpa mia - I was not clear. Everest, I am happy with just your company in the boat. We do not have to shower together. You can have tea and some food if you are hungry, but unless you really would like to shower with me, I will be fine in here alone," he promises, his voice tight with contained laughter.
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
Blinking in surprise, the aviator stops just short of tugging his pants down to his ankles. "Oh." Were it anyone else he would have likely felt quite embarrassed and put off by this misunderstanding, but given that it was Mateo, and especially given that Mateo knew how to speak Everest's language, the aviator simply nodded and refastened the button on his pants. "Alright then. I'll start heating water for the tea, then."
Without a word, Everest disappears into the main cabin of La Verbena, and though he has explicitly been told otherwise and is normally quite adamant about following rules, he does begin to clean up. Just a little bit. Mostly it's aligning the corners of things, neatening stacks that seem on the verge of falling over, and folding blankets. He knows better than to actually organize anything, because much to Mateo's credit, the botanist does have a method to his relative madness.
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
"Alright. I will see you soon." And so Mateo and his rubber ducky disappear into the bathroom, and the sound of a shower fills the space soon thereafter. Of course he's gone in plenty of time for Ever to not only heat the water for tea, but to tidy to his heart's content and probably a few more chores besides.
By the time the botanist returns, at least, he does look a lot better for it, wearing a wide necked shirt that falls off one shoulder and a pair of thin sweatpants that drag on the ground a little. With his dark curls loose around his face, he shuffles instantly to the kettle to prepare his tea. "Are you sure you would like some?" he asks, given Ever's heinous admission last time.
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
Stiffly, Everest frowns but nods. He'd gotten out two mugs after all, and besides, he often ate and drank lots of things he didn't particularly like. Usually, that was for the good of his body, but that this was for the good of Mateo seemed like more or less the same thing.
With a blanket in one hand to wrap around his friend's shoulders and with the botanist already fixing his tea, Everest felt as though he could finally relax somewhat given that he'd done the majority of the things you were meant to do when someone was upset. 'Your sister said that I should tell you that if you ever have sex with Koa she would cut your hair off." Everest says in a neutral voice as he stands just in the corner of the kitchen. "Apologies I only just remembered. She also said to tell you hello and that she will be coming by to visit shortly."
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
Smiling to himself and accepting it nonetheless, this time Mateo is making black tea with milk and sugar, and while he waits for it to brew he can't help but wonder if Ever will like it a little more. "She wh-- oh," he says, brows furrowing to hear Flora's thread wrapped up in a few logical sentences from his best friend. "Oh, well. I did not plan to ever sleep with Koa, so I will keep that in mind." Moving to dig around in his ice box, the botanist finds some soup he'd prepared before his sudden departure and goes to warm it on the stove.
Finishing the tea while he's waiting for it to warm through, he brings both mugs to the barrel that serves as a coffee table and gratefully accepts the blanket from Ever. "I will look forward to her visit, then," he says, wrapping the blanket around himself and shuffling back to the stove for soup. "Do you want some?" he asks Ever, before turning to lean against the counter. "My sister is not one of the people making you uncomfortable at the tavern, right?"
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
"Nothing to worry about then." The aviator answers with a small shrug, never really knowing when to take the squabbles between the siblings seriously, having never had one himself. Still, he thinks if he did have a brother or a sister, they'd likely not have this sort of relationship anyway.
Trying not to scent the air as Mateo pulls out the soup despite the way his instincts suggest he should, Everest instead begins sweeping some nonexistent crumbs into his hands before brushing them away into the sink. "It does smell good. Yes, thank you." Mateo's question has Ever's shoulders stiffening, and though he is taller than the botanist when Ever straightens properly he suddenly looks very tall indeed.
'Well...' Had he glasses he'd have already taken them off and adjusted them several times; alas without anything obvious to fidget with, Everest finds his eye line tugged blankly toward Mateo's shoulder as he shrugs. "Yes, but it is alright."
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
Waiting until Ever has brushed away his invisible crumbs to retrieve a loaf of bread to cut some for their soup, one might wonder if this is intentional on Mateo's part. And one would be correct. Hmming in response to the other man's admission, it isn't until he's serving up their lunch that he considers replying, and it's mostly because he doesn't want Ever to have to play messenger with tell my sister if she ever makes you uncomfortable again I will cut all of her hair off.
"I do not think it is alright. But let me rephrase - is she one of the people who touches you without your consent? Or is it the same sort of discomfort that you usually feel around her?" Because gods know that Flora absolutely knows how to push Ever's buttons, and she does so ruthlessly.
I wanna wake up Can't even tell if this is a dream
With relief, almost, Everest begins to de-crumb Mateo's counter of real crumbs as he begins to cut the bread. It gives him something purposeful to do with his hands and his mind such that thoughts of Flora have almost entirely been banished until they're turning toward Mateo's little table to eat their lunch.
'Well, she does do that, yes.' Ever admits, before hastily adding: "But it isn't the way some other people do it." That said, the aviator pulls a face that has his cheeks wincing and his lips tightening. It was hard to explain just what it was he meant, if only because the different sorts of touches seemed so nuanced in a way he just didn't have a vocabulary for. "She always tells me that it's fine and that it's the sort of thing I should get used to as a pilot, and just...as a person." Blinking across at Mateo to try and gauge his friend's reaction to this, the aviator quickly swallows and shrugs, not really wanting to get Flora into trouble.
I've done the math, checked the facts And there's no changing that
