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!
Between the House of Midnight and their new home, Hotaru has begun scouting an adequate area for training. Though she misses the overly-outfitted barracks in Halo, most training for her requires a sufficiently strong partner, so she tries in vain to lower her standards.
Just off the main road in Meadowreach there is a flat piece of land where perhaps an old house once stood, or where flowers are otherwise reluctant to grow. Most intriguing to Hotaru is the tree in the center, dead from being cut off a few meters from the ground. It’s perfect for solo training. With a bit of padding firmly nailed to it, it’s the sturdiest wooden dummy she has ever worked with.
Longheat’s oppressiveness has led to her piling her long golden hair high into a topknot, and shedding her top until she’s only in a fitted workout bra and shorts. Stares aren’t exactly something she cares about; she’s technically hireable at the House of Midnight as an item with Sunjata, and appreciation has never been objectionable to her. Besides, nobody has approached her from the road yet, though that may be because of the ferocity with which she kicks and punches the dummy.
She has been preserving as much of her energy as she can for her continuous flights between Torchline, Halo, and King’s End, but lately the repair efforts have slowed down as the dead are counted and the quick actions of neighboring regions take hold. Now, she suffers from a buildup of nerves and frustrations, and this is the only thing that helps her feel more in control of herself and the situation.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
A tiger had little need of roads. It wandered where it pleased, content to test its speed and endurance against the wilds of Caido. From the flooded beaches of Torchline and through swamped forests of the Ouerwoud, across the sodden Feverlands and onto the rolling hills of King's End, faded and wilting in the throws of Longheat. It came padding down a hillside, and was about to steer clear of the source to this constant whacking and punching. The figure knew what they were doing, and misunderstanding was quite predictable between battle hungry sentries and feral beasts - and this tigress did not really have the time for wild hunts. Until it saw who the skilled fighter was.
It paused then, lingering in mid stride until blued steel stripes began to melt and slough off into the meadow. Molten metal caused little wildfires to spring up around massive paws, only to be put out by a thoughtful kneading of warm earth.
In the end, the white tigress decided that she was done running from familiar faces, and angled her course so that it would lead her to the hill, and the dead tree, and the woman with the striking figure and Valkyrie heart. Halfway up the slope, the molten tiger shifted mid stride, shimmered and grew into Maea. The black coat contrasted starkly with her pale face and hair, the frayed hem whispering through tall grass. The angle and size of the horns jutting from her head was brutal, screaming out an otherness that a swaying tail only reinforced.
She paused a good distance away, unsure of being welcome, with hands hidden in the depths of expansive pockets.
"Hotaru..."
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Hotaru keeps idle track of those who pass by, so the newcomer doesn’t go unnoticed, though she does little more than catalogue their presence. At least until they shift, and the afternoon sun glints sharply on their fair complexion. That is enough to make Hotaru pause, fingers flexing against her palm to ease the tension out as she lifts the back of her forearm to wipe the slight sweat off her brow, blinking it and the sun away in tandem to better view the person approaching her.
Her name falls from the woman’s lips at the same time as Hotaru breathes, “Maea?” She hasn’t seen the woman since the swamp, when she had been so full of turmoil over her Ascension, and Hotaru had advised her on what it meant to be a predator. Such an unfitting summary for all they’d discussed, but Ru had been left with only tumultuous emotions and a constant sorrowful wondering after. They hadn’t met again, and then the Voice had fallen. What more was there to think? Maea’s presence in her mind after the war had been accompanied by mourning, but it seems she was wrong. The horns and tail - familiar to Ru by virtue of her niece - tell a story without Maea’s permission.
“It’s good to see you,” she calls across the short distance, wanting Maea to be certain of her welcome as the Valkyrie closes the distance with quick strides. Her smile is warm as she reaches for Maea’s hands, hoping to clasp them in some way. “You look beautiful. It seems you’ve changed yet again, my dear.” But there is no somber note or expression to accompany it, hoping to lead by example with her relaxed expression and complimentary tone. These are slightly better changes than Ascending, she suspects, at least given what she remembers of Maea’s hesitations back then.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
How many times had she left this woman hanging, by now? First the visit that never happened, then stray encounters where Maea asked selfish questions and selfish requests. Dying and vanishing and reappearing from thin air - by rights she shouldn't be a welcome sight. But time and again, Hotaru kept surprising her. Today was no different.
In a heartbeat the golden-haired beauty had closed the distance and Maea found her hands encased in a warm grip, soft and calloused in equal measure. That she hadn't expected anything of the sort showed in the wide eyed expression, the way she froze and stopped breathing ... but then a smile broke through, hesitant and a bit shy from being complimented.
"It's good to see you too. Ah... mh, yes. It seems to have become a theme... I hope it's the last time."
Beautiful was not sufficient to describe Hotaru. Radiant came closer; as always she had a way of taking Maea's breath away, challenging everything she thought she knew about herself.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your training... just couldn't walk by without saying hi."
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Had Hotaru seen any sign that her touch was not readily accepted she would have dropped Maea's hands smoothly without calling attention to it, but often she finds that people want to be touched, they simply have forgotten how to be. Maea strikes her as that kind of person. Her relaxation only strengthens that idea, and Hotaru rubs her thumb in idle circles over the fine bones beneath Maea's pale skin, and though the loreseeker surely didn't mean it as a joke the Valkyrie laughs warmly all the same at her fumbling shyness.
"Change is inevitable and eternal and all that," she flippantly laughs, removing a hand to wave it vaguely in the air, "or so Frey would say. But I hope, for your sake, the larger changes are behind you." Perhaps she and Kiada would find comfort in speaking to one another, she finds herself thinking, given how they had both died and then circumvented that death entirely through understandably difficult means.
"Nonsense, it wasn't an interruption at all!" Discovering Maea is alive is something she would put most anything on pause for. "I haven't finished yet if you'd like to join me? I'd offer to take you straight away to a restaurant but I really should finish," she sighs as if put-upon, despite the restriction being entirely self-made. Her heterochromatic eyes gleam with something like hope and amiability, unaware of how her radiating happiness is impacting the other woman.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Like standing in the brilliant sunlight. Washed over and through with light; irresistable and warming against a heart too used to loneliness and cold. Such was the effect of Hotaru on the younger woman, until Maea had no choice but to smile back, however sheepish it turned out.
"I'm due some good things," she agreed, if a touch wryly. "Guess we'll have to see if anything good is to be had - what with the sky falling down on us, and all that."
Gently queezing the fingers in her hand, she only let go to shrug her light pack off the shoulders and set it aside.
"Of course I'll help you. Unarmed, weapons, shifted...? I can't match you in magic, alas, but if you want to spar, I'll do my best in anything else." The heavy coat followed suit, and was thrown aside onto the pack. Beneath, Maea's clothes were simple and plain, mere threadbare shirt and baggy trousers that ballooned from the top of knee high boots that had seen better days. Faded black in hue and travel stained, both the garments and the easy roll of thin shoulders was a far cry from the neat, tidy little wallflower she had been when they first met.
She was honestly glad for the offer to train; Maea would spar over sitting at a restaurant any time. This way she would know what to do with her hands.
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
It's good to see her smiling. Hotaru had despaired over her most recent memories of Maea - the ones she'd been left with when she thought the loreseeker was dead - being so sorrowful. Matching her smile with a sharp grin, Hotaru rolls her shoulders in an elegant, predatory motion. "It's Caido, dear. It wouldn't be living up to its name without a little world-ending news."
Guiding Maea further toward the training post after she disrobes, Hotaru shakes out her arms and tightens the bun on top of her head while her companion readies herself. "I don't mind unarmed, do you? Although what shift do you have?" Perhaps if it's something comparable they can consider that instead, but given Maea's physical build is so close to her own, the Valkyrie may be able to provide better insight and advice with hand-to-hand. Clearly she won't be shaking her Headmistress inclinations anytime soon with how quickly and easily the notion of education springs to the forefront of her mind.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
"I guess. But why do I always miss out on the quiet times?" Affecting a petulant pout for all of a moment, it isn't long before the worries are shrugged off, better saved for another time.
The prospect of a spar did cheer her up, and it was with quiet anticipation that she sized up her opponent. It always called for some adjustment whenever she faced someone of her own size. It changed everything, from the angle of strikes to the speed and tactics; here, she didn't have to worry as much about reach, but far more about Hotaru's lightning reflexes.
"Molten Tiger," she replied, as she followed Ru further into the training field and sank into a ready stance, tail swishing excitedly behind her. The flash of sharp fangs turned the grin into a viscious, hungry thing. "Better not... would be a pity to ruin that gorgeous tan of yours with burns."
Wiggling her eyebrows in a playful taunt, Maea made the first move; a sudden instep without warning, followed by a swift kick aimed at Hotaru's knee while her hands grabbed for an arm to pull the woman off balance.
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
“You’re simply too interesting for the world to turn away from,” she simpers with a wink and a grin, intent on keeping Maea’s mood buoyed high and away from talk of resurrection and loss.
In fact, just for the fun of it, Ru grins and lets her golden mountain lion ears sprout from her hair. Not nearly as fiery as a molten tiger, but maybe they can tussle as big cats another time. “You flatter me darling. I can heal anything you burn - but for now, this is enough.” Her hands come up in loose, trained preparation in front of her, critical eye sweeping over Maea’s form. Not appreciatively (this time) but to size up her competition.
Maea doesn’t allow her to garner too much information ahead of time - smart girl - and strikes first. Ru lets her knee bend to cushion the impact, unwilling to shift her position so early on. Instead when Maea pulls at her arm she lunges forward with it, using the momentum to try and bodily crash into her opponent to force her backward and off-center instead of trying to evade.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Grinning with genuine pleasure at the banter, Maea did her best to push all thoughts of Hotaru's sunwarm skin out of her mind and focus on the training. Her attempt to knock the Valkyrie off balance was firmly blocked and the Ancient found herself colliding with her as Hotaru launched into her, returning the favor.
Lashing out with her tail, the leathery appendage tried to snake around a leg, and with her grip on the blonde's arm Maea fell backward, hoping to take her down to the ground as well. As she fell backward she tucked her chin towards the chest, and twisted, attempting to assure that she would come out on top - though it was a gamble if it would work on such an experienced fighter as Hotaru.
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Hotaru again works with the momentum that Maea uses to throw the pair of them to the ground, rolling with the fall to ensure no bruises would spring up by morning. Allowing the Ancient to land on top as a diversion, she lifts a knee hard and fast toward Maea's ribs before their momentum can settle or she can be perched upon, driving her power behind the move so that even if it misses her shin or foot might catch the other woman and toss her off to the side.
The tail around her leg poses more of a problem - she isn't sure how hardy they are frankly - but hopefully it would unwind naturally if she manages to throw Maea off and to the side.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
The advantage in taking the top was too good to pass up on. When Hotaru aimed a knee into her ribs, Maea took the blow with a grunt and wheezed as air shoved out of her lungs. The bone vibrated like a tuning fork from the impact, but didn't break; good.
Grappling for the woman's arms in an attempt to prevent an overturn, the slender tail did the same service with Ru's legs. While far less strong than her other limbs, it might still suffice to at least hold her down, prevent kicking; and offer Maea a chance to claim points by siezing hold of Hotaru's neck.
Here it was only for a quick graze. But in a real fight, it was pretty much an assured victory. Of course, she had no illusions that the Valkyrie would let her win that easily.
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Hotaru is admittedly impressed when Maea takes the blow full-on for the sake of maintaining her positioning. While she had held back slightly given their power differences, it says more of Maea as a person and a fighter that she chooses this course of action instead.
The hand on her neck has her huffing a strained laugh, wishing she had the time and air to make an innuendo about it. Instead, she brutally punches at the inside of Maea's elbow to cripple her hold on the Valkyrie's neck, and then tries to get her arm up and between them to press her forearm and elbow into the space between Maea's neck and collarbone to choke her out if she tries to get too close.
With their power differences, it's reminiscent of roughhousing, and the skinship it provides has Hotaru lighting up from within - a roguish grin on her face that clearly translates how much fun she's having, whether it's normal or not.
what I did, do, to me and you, keeps me awake if I were a ghost, you'd be the proof
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Gold. The Valkyrie always made her think of it. Ripened wheat near harvest time. Honey trickling from freshly cut beeswax. The scent of dew in the grass on a Flowerbirth morning, when the rising sun set the sky on fire. Rich things, vibrant things; the sun. Velvet over steel, was how it felt to touch her. Soft and warm yet immovable.
The blow to her elbow cracked down swift as lightning and hit the nerve cluster. Folding like a candle under pain that riccocheted through her body, Maea all but collapsed onto the arm that raised to ward her away. There was a choking sound as her neck connected with Hotaru's limb, and all thought of further attacks vanished as a struggle to breathe took presedence.
Ruthless. Maea admired that. Always had. She would make sure to tell the woman, too, once her throat started working properly again, and the no longer felt like swallowing her own tongue was a real possibility.
Alas, she was wide open; it was all she could do to hold on, no longer sure if she was wrestling or hanging on for dear life.
Gets so hard to steer Yet I go on
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
