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!
He’s a little too inebriated to have seen the way she reached for him, though he blinks at her hands dumbly, knowing he missed something but unsure what. When he takes it back, he unwittingly does the same, hoping to touch her forearm and wrap his fingers around her skin with gentle strength to squeeze and comfort.
“There’s still some good though, isn’t there? There’s you. There’s me. It ain’t much, but there’s always something worth staying around for.” He may be a hypocrite, but there’s a reason he keeps trudging onward. Love may have failed him, but what few friends he has left have not, so he can’t say the world is worthless. Not yet. “And you can have magic again someday. I know you can - I’ve seen it in other Ancients.” Edmund, of course, and only ever Edmund, but perhaps it will be some small comfort, though he’s hesitant to tell her that it had manifested as fire - the exact opposite of the magic she misses most.
It’s darkly humorous that she tries to comfort him in the same way, offering solutions to otherwise hopeless situations. He offers her a smile, though much like hers it’s sad and tired. They’re a pitiful pair. “I could try. I don’t think Caido is quite interested in such small theatrics and entertainment though. The Artists Guild is gone, most of our singers…the world is just too dark, I think.” Normally he would think it could thusly use a little light, but after the attack during Fiat Lux, even small gatherings often lead to shifty eyes and nervous dispositions. Not to mention Harper would be incapable of running an entire circus by himself, no matter how talented he is at each individual act.
While intentionally forgetting those years as an Ascended may be frowned upon by a therapist, Harper is not a therapist, and any sign of Maea looking toward the future is a positive thing in his eyes. “I think that’s a good idea. Starting over as much as you can.” And the offer to accompany her will always be there, whether it’s now or years from today, with Dygra or with Ludo. He thinks that maybe they have to look out for each other after everything they’ve gone through.
No one had told her that Ancients were capable of doing magic. The effect of the revelation was raw and visceral in the young woman; hope and desperate longing wrote its way across her face, like meat dangled before a starving dog.
"Truly?" Maea hugged herself to keep her hands from shaking; it was all she could do not to grab Harper and shake him, just to make sure it was real. This, the room, him – the glimmer of a chance. It seemed... too good to be true. "If that's really so..." she would have nothing more to ask for.
The ringing in her ears took some time to subside. When she caught on to what Harper was talking about, he had already moved on to guilds and the lack of trust in good times that permeated Caido. Not without cause, but Maea thought it was a shame.
"Would you perform for me?" she tried, and scooted in close to Harper. Giddy and light headed from the shock he had given her - or maybe the alcohol - Maea's smile glittered with the idea of fun. Entertainment had been scarce growing up, music beyond simple folk tunes a rarity; she was not going to let him weasel out of this so easily. "Please? I'll pay attention, I promise!"
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Harper smiles softly, glad to have been able to give her this even if it's not everything she wants and more. "Yes. Fire, at the very least. I'm not sure about the rest." But is it not a kernel of hope to chase and investigate? Something to buoy her in dark moments when he may not be there to hold her hand?
Far from daunted or dissuaded by her closeness, Harper angles himself more toward her and obligingly scoots closer as well, leaning in like conspiring children with an amused grin on his face. Her pleading is adorable, prompting a warm laugh. "Of course I can! But there's so many things I can do, which would you want to see?" Extending an arm to rest behind her on the seat, Harper rattles off the first few that come to mind. "Only a few work indoors, mind you, so the list isn't impressive immediately. I can sing and play the guitar, or show you some acrobatics." He glances out at the dancing, socializing crowd beyond the shadow of their table and pouts slightly. "Though we'd need to find a room for that, and they might make us pay since they won't believe it's for a different kind of performance," he teases with a wink, willing to pay the coin if it keeps that carefree expression on her face. He has no reputation to ruin anymore, and if anyone who knows him sees them heading into a backroom, it will have no consequences. It's a strange freedom, one he chases eternally with each visit to a new brothel or bar.
If all that came of this evening was that gift of hope, Maea would still consider herself blessed for it, and content. But it wouldn't be all; not when her dour mood kept lightening, not when she was allowed to settle into the safety and comfort of Harper's presence. She wondered if that was an effect he had on everyone, or if it spoke to some particular need within herself. Not that it mattered - it was there, and she accepted it for what it was.
"All of them," she replied with a toothy grin once he asked her to choose. "Whatever works indoors, I want to see it." Braving the rain was not very tempting, not even for acrobatics, not now that Maea was warm and comfortable and Harper's breath kept tickling her cheek. And if she flushed in his proximity, or at the implication of what borrowing a room might be to anyone who saw them leave... Maea blamed it on the drinks. Firmly pushed away any other kind of thoughts, recollections of prior intimacy or otherwise that popped up unbidden, because no. She wasn't doing that to herself. Not again.
"I think some people assume I work here," she confessed in lowered tones, covering the sudden moth infestation in her gut with a delicate cough. "It was the owner who found me, and since I didn't have anywhere to go, I stayed here for a bit. Just a day or two, but... you know. People talk." Where Harper was comfortable with that kind of gossip, it mortified Maea who had next to no experience with it; "But I guess that means it can't get worse?"
Gazing expectantly up at the Attuned, she would leave it to him to decide. "It's better than my place..." which was cold and damp and in desperate need of new windows. And a good scrubbing of floors. Decidedly not a place to house guests.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Laughing boisterously at her toothy smile and dogged insistence on being entertained by all the skills at his disposal, Harper shakes his head fondly and caps his flask now that it's clear they won't be lingering much longer at the table. Her slight fluster makes his grin mellow into an understanding smile.
"Let them talk. We'll never know their names or faces - who cares if they know ours?" It's a freedom for him, and though he can't force her to feel the same, he wishes she could experience it if only to quell the feeling of being judged that he suspects lingers in her stomach. He'd experienced it all too often while briefly leading Torchline.
Standing and making his way around the table to her, he bows gallantly and extends one hand to her in offering, heedless of the heads that turn and eyes that stare. "My dear lady, as you have granted me an evening of your time with which to entertain you, then please lead on to our destination." He turns his voice svelte and charming, attempting to channel some princely mannerism by which to make her flush - or better, laugh.
She cared. She had always cared - too deeply and too much - to the point of crippling herself, freezing into a standstill when no one else could indicate approval or disapproval. Blue bird trapped in a cage in a cage in a cage, it mattered little that a barrier had fallen when she kept herself locked up behind bars of preconceived notions.
But Harper's laughter was irresistible. The gallantry was so playful and free that she felt freed by it in turn, permitted to let go, loosen up and play along - even if just for a moment. It was his lucky day, because she both flushed and laughed as she took his hand, letting him help her to her feet. The room spun dangerously, but the hand in hers was steady enough; she held on to it for safety.
"Scoundrel," she accused with a feigned pout, playfully falling into the role he'd assigned her. "This better be worth my time. This way."
It took but a moment to secure a room. Holding on to Harper made her brave, all the way across the dancefloor, past the bar and into the dimly lit corridors where rooms lined up one by one. They didn't meet anyone, for which she was thankful, nor did any sounds permeate doors or walls, but Maea felt her cheeks burn all the same when she found the right number and pushed it open.
Beyond lay a lush haven of decadence. Larger than strictly necessary, there was more in the suite than just the obvious bed. While that did have a very prominent placement, there was more than enough space for a comfortable sitting area, tables and side tables laden with lit candles, cut fruit, mini bar and more. Her own reflection gazed back at her from a hundred angles, wide eyed and apprehensive, only to catch sight of the man behind her.
Only then did she lose her nerve. When the door snicked shut, and the din of the crowd fell away, and it really dawned on her where she was. Entertainment... could mean a lot of things. Had they been talking about the same things? The same kind of... acrobatics?
"Well. Here we are." It had never been so hard to look at anyone before; that sense of wanting to sink through the floor was rapidly growing like a keen in her ears.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
The room may spin for her, but Harper has only grown more sober since sitting at her table, and his strength is hers to rely upon even if he were far more inebriated. Drunkenness has hardly ever robbed him of his balance, which is a boon considering what she asks him to do for her.
Grinning unrepentantly as she affects a dismissive role, Harper swaggers after her on long legs, shrouding her like a bodyguard. If anyone sought to watch her leave with their prying eyes and whispering tongues, they would only find Harper's broad back and the faint motion of Maea's skirts around his legs. How unfortunate.
When the world shuts out behind them with quite impressive sound proofing, the plentiful mirrors betray Maea's wilting, and Harper simply can't have that. Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Harper instinctively leans down to press a kiss to the top of her shoulder and only catches himself midway, lifting her hand instead to kiss the back of it. "Go have a seat, I'll make some room," he commands with the same upbeat tone from before, intending to give her direction while making it clear the energy doesn't need to change. Releasing her, Harper flings pillows and linens haphazardly until there's plenty of room to entertain and delight in the center. He makes no grand show of removing his shirt, boots, and socks - they're a necessary change, but there's no sense in giving the wrong impression.
Clapping his hands smartly when he comes to stand before her again, Harper grins brightly. "Welcome to the one-man show! Now there's no music or good items to juggle, or even a tightrope, so we're starting with acrobatics since it'll be the least impressive." Winking, Harper wastes no time in easily falling forward onto his palms and into a rock steady handstand. Making a noise of realization, Harper walks in a small circle on his hands to see her instead of showing her the play of muscles in his back flexing and contorting to keep him upright. Dark curls pulled toward the floor, Harper's grin is easy and relaxed, unbothered by his current state. "I knew training this every day would come in handy," he huffs, voice slightly thin with focus and the need to tense his muscles. Legs dropping open instead of neatly aligned, he slowly lifts one hand off the floor until he's held with just one palm to the floor. "Care to hand me something palm-sized?" He would need to make the show of strength more interesting given he couldn't exactly do backflips and aerial cartwheels in a room like this.
A racing pulse betrayed her nervousness even if the mirrors had not. And maybe it was the drink or just the general setting, but a tiny part of Maea was disappointed when the suggestive lean in of Harper's became a chaste kiss of her hand. Of course, that was unusual enough to have her cheeks burning. Spooked by the places her own mind was trying to go and more than happy to follow instructions, she hurried across the floor and all but tumbled into a chair so plush it swallowed her up. Too big, her feet didn't quite reach the floor and it took some wriggling to make herself comfortable. Her hand felt cold without his palm wrapped around it; she rubbed the skin absently and wondered if something else had been in her drink. Or his. Or if she was just being silly.
By then, Harper was demolishing the room. Wide eyes watched him shift furniture and undo pillows and comforters, and the sharp clap of his hands told her how tense she still was as it had her flinching. A new kind of flutter was starting up in her though; excitement and intrigue taking the edge off, and Maea clapped her hands with encouragement as her friend began his ment. "I believe in you!" she laughed, leaning forward as he began.
Now, Maea had been to enough training grounds to no longer get flustered at the sight of a man's bare chest. Or so she thought. But with her blood singing with alcohol and it being this up close and personal, it was... difficult not to stare, you know? Especially given that she was supposed to be looking at him. And there was a lot to see; more than his friendly face and easy smile had ever led her to believe. It brought back their old encounter in the Feverlands; the darkness in them both, confessions made that at least she had struggled to really believe... Because Harper had always seemed harmless to her. Except... except now she had to question that assumption all over again. Not only his capacity for violence, but also a far more personal danger she had never fully considered until now.
Uncharacteristically giggly with a storm of moths eating at her insides, half trying to figure out if she could manage that kind of movement too and half just delighted, because even basic acrobatics were so rare a sight to see, she ooh'd with very real awe at his performance.
The request for an object had Maea looking around frantically, scanning the room. Some fruits caught her eye, and a tray of stcked crystal glass and what appeared to be a stone goods sculpture depicting a turtle just poking its head out of a rounded shell. Choosing the sculpture, she offered it to Harper, smiling cheekily at his upside down face.
"Will this do? What does it look like, to be upside down?" It looked fun. She certainly hoped he was having a good time - she most definitely was.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Her stare has layers of emotion to it, and though Harper wants to delve into them and pick them apart, the pleasant buzz of alcohol and the rising smile on her face is enough of a distraction to allow her the privacy she deserves. No matter how painfully curious he is, or how badly he wants to act on the way her eyes linger as he divests his shirt. She, of all people, deserves more respect than he - in all his broken glory - can give her right now.
Blood rushing to his proper head being on his hands at least distracts him from that vein of thought, and her giggling is pleasantly stereo with the thumping of blood in his ears. Carefully keeping himself balanced on one palm as she holds out the stone...turtle? Harper wraps his fingers around it and slowly brings one leg down in a show of flexibility to get it centered on his foot before straightening back out - still on one arm. The turtle remains perfectly balanced even as his legs go back to their split configuration, and then smoothly to a pike once more.
As he does this, he focuses on Maea upside-down as best he can, long curls falling away from his face and flushed cheeks emphasizing his grin. "You're twice as pretty, but that's the only real change," he quips, winking at her no matter how strange it must look from her vantage point. "It's disorienting if you're not used to it," he answers properly instead as he begins to shift the turtle between both feet, legs falling apart in a butterfly configuration to keep the stone decoration firmly between, returning his free hand to the floor for more security. "The head-rush is fun though!" Even if it makes this kind of acrobatics more short-lived.
Knowing anything of the respect he had for her might have made her cry, so perhaps it was for the best that Harper didn't say anything. Like this, Maea was left to giggle and blush in blissful ignorance, hands pressing into her burning cheeks at his compliments.
"I'll have to try it sometime," she laughed in return, "when I trust myself to keep the balance." And didn't wear a skirt.
Following the path of the turtle as it journied from palm to foot to another foot, she got swallowed up in the marvel of Harper's agility. Years dropping away, she anxiously followed along and rocked forward whenever the little sculpture dipped or tilted, worried if it was about to fall, hopeful that it would arrive safely to any new destination.
"You are wonderfully skilled," she praised him, clapping her hands. "Please, don't hurt yourself though - if it becomes difficult, it's okay to stop." Tilting her horned head around as much as she could to try and catch his eyes properly, Maea smiled at him; fond concern wrapped in youthful mischief that dimpled her cheeks.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"I'm happy to teach you," he offers brightly, because it would be far safer and more enjoyable that way than failing repeatedly and growing frustrated with various bumps and bruises. Her nerves are apparent even upside-down, and Harper huffs a laugh (because he can't manage much more when every muscle is activated to keep him upright) before lifting one hand off the ground once more to pluck the turtle from between his feet to set it down and return smoothly to his feet to stand properly once more.
"I'm perfectly okay, but that's not where the fun ends! What does the fruit selection look like today?" Taking the turtle sculpture to return it to the table, Harper leans into Maea's space to investigate the fruit bowl. He's utilized these rooms enough to know the general selection, but it changes with the seasonal availability. Today, he's lucky to find multiple apples and a few oranges, which he takes up as he provides Maea with breathing room once more. Not before shooting her a bright grin from far too close though. "Hold onto these and toss them to me when I say, okay?" He hands her two apples, glad that they'll be easily balanced in her skirts.
"I promised you as much of a show as I could offer, right? Well, how about juggling?" After he gets a feel for the weight of each fruit, he jauntily sends them circling from palm to palm, starting with just a few since two more will soon be introduced. It's not a talent that is meant to be showcased long-term, so Harper tilts his chin at her with a grin. "Alright, toss me one!"
Was it the offer that stole her breath away, or the way he smelled as he leaned in close? Maea had only just relaxed from straining with him to keep the balance on one hand, or two, only to find her senses assaulted once again while the Attuned man foraged for fruit. If she didn't know better, she might have suspected that he was teasing her on purpose. But she didn't think Harper liked her that way, and so she struggled on her own to keep a straight face, suffering the radiance of his smile all alone until he backed off again.
Looking down at the apples he had deposited in her skirt, she considered throwing them at him for a moment. And brightened considerably when he told her to do just that! If the toss was a touch harder than necessary, she would blame it on the liquor. It was the perfect excuse for a lot of things this evening - in fact, Maea felt she might need a good deal more to drink if things carried on this way.
"There you go! How many can you handle?" A streak of wicked delight lit up her eyes; soon after the first apple she threw him a second. Then, after seeing how he handled that, a third. Not that she wanted to make him fail, but it would be nice to see him struggle, just a little bit. His cocksure attitude was beginning to grate on her - if she had to suffer, so too should he.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
It's definitely intentional, but Maea had drawn a line in the sand unwittingly with her discomfort surrounding these back rooms, and her declaration against love. Not that Harper harbors much of that in his encounters with various men and women these days, but this is Maea. He's not sure he can keep it that cordial. He's also not able to stop testing the waters, but at least it's momentary.
The strength behind the toss makes him bark a laugh now that his lungs can properly do so, but he integrates the apple into the mix easily enough. "I can do at least ten easily, but I haven't gone past fourteen. Not enough fruit for that I'm afraid," he sheepishly grins, though it would be amusing to hunt through the empty rooms to steal the fruit from unsuspecting future guests for the sake of their nonsense. He catches the second apple, then the third - eyebrow raising slightly, intrigued by her forcefulness.
Slowly, his grin thins into a smirk. "Trying to trip me up? Mean, Maea. I didn't know you were the type," he croons as if wounded, but it's clear he's only encouraged by it. "Am I not entertaining you enough?" His smirk becomes a wicked grin, making it clear he's baiting her.
A moment her expression seemed about to darken. Black pain streaked past in her eyes, and the recollection of fire, of another's pain and anguish threatened to rise through to the surface. But she shoved it back down with force, and leaned back into her seat with a smirk snaking onto her lips, a little too sharp to be only cheerful. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Harper," she quipped back, almost forgetting to be embarrassed now that there was a challenge in the air.
"I'm just wondering, if this really is all you can do? It seems so easy, so I have to question if you are holding back." Crossing one leg over the other beneath the skirts, her smile became so gentle as to be infuriating. "Are you tired, after all? Am I asking too much of you?"
Another apple came flying, but a bit too far to the left this time; if he wanted to catch this one, he would have to move.
I'm bleeding out for you
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
