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!
In search of snacks, Kaiden had made their way to the port. With so many people around, the merchants often forgot to look down for thieves. There was one merchant who was selling jerky of some kind and it smelled wonderful. Swimming slowly and keeping to the shadows, the mer positioned themselves on the edge of the port closest to the stall.
When the merchant turned their back, the mershark shot up out of the water and quickly swiped a handful of jerky before disappearing beneath the water. They could hear the merchant's exclamation of supplies at their suddenly missing wares from their spot underwater. Ignoring the man's distress, Kaiden happily enjoyed their snack.
10-30-2023, 11:37 PM (This post was last modified: 10-30-2023, 11:38 PM by Andromeda.)
Andromeda
Andromeda wasn’t one to frequent the port, but several seasons ago she helped Hadama and the other handsome king here for the betterment of Torchline and she was now known to come and check on everything once and a while. But, today, she wouldn’t even make it that far.
Swimming towards her at an impressive rate was the grumpy bastard she had met briefly before. Her interest piqued, she stopped her forward advancement and let her brilliant red tail fan out to catch their attention. ”Where are you going in such a hurry there, sharky?” She called out, her mental voice dripping in the honey that nearly never left it, and cocked a brow upwards at the other mer.
Kaiden barrel rolled away from a flash of red and only then processed the source of the color. Snarling despite the piece of jerky they carried in their teeth they answered through the bond, None of your business, Red. Just keep swimming. Glancing back, they had to restrain a flinch as a spear pierced the water where they'd initially been. That merchant was mad. Hopefully Hadama wouldn't hear about this.
Turning to look at open sea they surged forward to distance themselves, Swim! They might not know or like the flashy mer, but a spear to the side wasn't something that they wished upon her.
Andromeda's vibrant red tail swirled in the water as she confronted the approaching figure with a sly curiosity. Where are you going in such a hurry there? Her words resonated with a magnetic charm that wrapped around the aquatic realm. The enigmatic tension between them lingered beneath the surface.
The shark halted, its gaze meeting hers with a mixture of surprise and recognition. It seemed a moment suspended in the ebb and flow of the ocean's currents, two beings on different paths converging in an unexpected encounter. As the currents settled, Andromeda's eyes gleamed with unspoken secrets, and a subtle understanding passed between them, forging a connection beneath the waves that would resonate in the depths of Torchline's mysteries.
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
Kaiden's bafflement leaked into the bond, Away from the spear, obviously! There was a familiarity beyond recognition in the woman that the mershark couldn't place. A knowing and understanding of sorts. They could dwell on it later but for now, they resigned themselves to grab Andromedia's hand and drag her through the water as another spear cut through the surface. Faster! Does your tail work or not?
They would probably need to report this to Hadama. No. The King would catch onto the merchant's motive. Best let this story sink to the bottom of the sea. Kaiden refused to incriminate themselves. Hopefully, they could convince Red to keep her silence as well.
In all honesty, Andromeda had been so focused on the mershark and her response to them, she hadn't had time to really react to the spear. It wasn't coming for her, after all. She didn't cause this problem.
Regardless, she was stuck in it. She grumbled and growled as finally they were deep enough and far away enough from the danger that she could rip her arm away from them. "What was that all about, anyway?" She demanded, letting her tail vibrate around her in bright, red waves that displayed her anger. As a noble, she wasn't akin to such treatment, and the frustration began to roar through her. This was no longer an opportunity to judge and mock the mershark, but instead she contemplated all the ways she could flay them with her words.
Kaiden eagerly let Andromeda go, not wanting to touch her any longer than necessary. You're welcome. They'd just saved her life! How could someone be so unobservant as to ignore a spear cutting through the water? Someone was clearly sheltered.
But perhaps she did deserve an explanation of some kind. An angry merchant. Kaiden wasn't about to admit their crime. Especially to someone so mean and ungrateful. She'd probably report them! Andromeda's anger was rather intimidating and the mershark jutted their chin up even as they backed away an inch. It's over and done with so just drop it. Through the bond their guarded annoyance poorly covered up their anxiety and the lingering fear of nearly being speared.
with her tail swishing with a mix of annoyance and lingering tension, Andy regarded Kaiden with a skeptical gaze. Oh, spare me the theatrics. I wasn't the one prancing into danger. she retorted, her eyes flashing with a hint of impatience. The underwater currents carried the weight of her frustration as she swam a deliberate circle around Kaiden.
An angry merchant, you say? she remarked, her honesty slicing through the water. What could make a landwalker so angry as to cause you so much fear? Andy crossed her arms over her bare chest, green eyes falling hard on them as she settled dreictly in their path.
Kaiden scowled, I'm not scared! They turned away sharply, only to fail when Andromeda moved to swim in front of them. Grimacing, they looked over her shoulder. Kaiden didn't want to admit anything to this rude red mer. But she wasn't budging, and her body language showed that nothing but the truth would make her leave them alone.
It's not like they're going to miss just a little jerky. Will you move now so I can leave? Face squinting with the pain of the words, they reluctantly added, Please? If that didn't do it, Kaiden would have to bite the woman. There was no other option that they could think of. Not with this stubborn Red.
Rage, bright and brilliant and as red as her hair and tail, filled her. Jerky! This bullshit was over JERKY. This whole thing is over some stolen food? Not even something expensive. Andy couldn’t roll her eyes any harder. You risked your life, and apparently mine, over something that is free to all men citizens in the palace? That is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard in my life—
And they wanted to leave. Go, you coward. Andy moved out Kaiden’s way with a broad flourish of her tail. I’ve never met someone with so much audacity and idiocy all wrapped up in one creature. You have to stoop yourself to the actions of the landwalkers. They won’t miss it, you say. But we’re drowned in riches. The merfolk are not a suffering people, yet you swim around and squander. You’re nothing but a danger to yourself, with a head full of seaweed and silt and bullshit— Her arms crossed firmly over her bare chest as she gnashed her teeth at the shark, anger darkening her green eyes. Even with her glamour, the danger of her rage dampened the beauty of her face.
Red exploded and Kaiden flinched back before snarling, You're the one who interrupted! And how was I supposed to know that there was free food?! Are you sure that isn't just for you fancy rich mer? Not all of us can just swim into the palace whenever we want! Some of us actually have to hunt if we want to eat! They had no idea if what Red said was true or not. Kaiden hadn't spent nearly long enough time in the city to confirm it. But surely Hadama would have told them about free food? The King knew full well how food-driven the shark was.
As Andromeda's anger grew, Kaiden's shoulders hunched up to their ears and their tail thrashed, It's tiring and it's hard and sometimes you just want an easy meal, ok? Andromeda's rage was something to behold and Kaiden knew that they were in danger. But their own anger at her entitlement and ignorance burned brighter than their self-preservation. As usual.
With a clear exit, they surged forward, swimming past the other mer, relief flooding the bond now that they were outside of the woman's reach. Glancing back once there was some distance, Kaiden scoffed. Maybe you should take some time away from your riches to see what the common mer deal with. Or what the ones who live outside of the city experience. If they hadn't know beforehand, this conversation solidified the fact that Red was rich and likely a noble.
Andy couldn't handle the way this mer spoke, nor how they acted. Rage and frustration built up within her until she was an underwater volcano. Her red hair floated around her and her tail flared and vibrated with the emotions churning in her belly. I am SO over this! She said, hands curling in to fists as the mershark swam away from her.
When the noble turned her tail and started swimming away. Across the bond, until she was out of range, Kaiden would be able to hear a whole slew of swears and curses and threats that she imposed over the mershark.
