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!
Watching Tal's expression change, Maea wished more and more that she hadn't said anything. Maybe it wasn't always better to get things out in the open. What was the point, when they couldn't do anything about it? She looked at Boreal and smiled, but it was a distant thing, shadowed and lonely. "And I care much for her."
But that was all it would ever be. And that was the problem.
It didn't get much better when the conversation shifted back towards the shrine. It made a certain sense to go and ask Dygra about her relationship with the other gods, but Maea felt the notion lodge like a caught breath in her throat. Making it hard to breathe and her skin sort of... prickly.
"I... don't think our relation is familiar enough for those kinds of questions," she replied weakly. "Besides, it's my consent you need, right? I would have to make up my own mind anyway."
Wishing she could wrap the flames around herself like a cloak, Maea spared her clothes from a fiery demise and concentrated on not burning Tal. Finishing her meal, she licked grease from her fingers, curiously following Boreal as the dragon padded around her.
"What - hey!" Lurching forward from the shove against her back, she dropped the flames. They sputtered and went out., and she stared dumbly at the Messenger. Who rapped his vest, grinning like he had invented a new color. The garment seemed entirely innocuous, but that sound...
"Is that... armor?" Dubious, the Ancient reached out to examine the strange cloth for herself. "I was picturing something more... shiny." Like the suits of armor from the barracks, and the chestplates the guards wore.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
It was weird how he could almost feel Maea pulling away, even though she hadn't physically moved. His scowl was his armor, as much as that distant smile was hers, setting them at arms-length now that it was too late to un-acknowledge the things that they each had that the other wanted.
And would never get.
The shrine wasn't so much a sore spot for Tal as it was an awkward spot, but he had lots of those. He was doing his best, but even he had to admit that his best wasn't... wasn't very good. At least he managed to pick up on Maea's discomfort with his suggestion, and he gave a shrug, trying to pretend like he wasn't disappointed that she didn't want to go with him to ask her new patron about whether an epic godly team-up was in the forecast. "I mean, your consent for the shrine, yeah." He caught the hem of his shirt between his fingers, trying to squeeze out a little more water even though he was already mostly dry thanks to Maea's fire. "Askin' Dygra is more just... I guess, t'make sure it's not gonna be like it was with th'Voice all over again." They had Safrin's word that the old gods didn't have any enmity with this fiery goddess, but as far as he'd been told, no one had asked Dygra's side of things yet.
But if they couldn't do anything about magic or companions or shrines or Dygra today, they could at least do something about Maea's quest. Tal relaxed when he realized there was something concrete he could contribute, and the physical catharsis of a spar was more than welcome to help shake off the uncomfortable emotional rollercoaster of their conversation so far. His grin returned as Boreal did her part and the pale Ancient put the clues together. "Sure is," he confirmed proudly. "Was a pain in th'ass t'quest for, but it's saved my hide a few times. So, anythin' special we need t'do for yours? Blindfolds or standin' on one leg or fightin' underwater or anythin' like that?" Because if he'd learned anything over the years, it was that some quest requirements could be weird.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Rockhide Vest | An armoured vest flecked in black and white and lined with cool, fur-like material. This item blocks physical damage at Talyson's Mastered level. Requires a 2 post cool-down between uses.
04-02-2024, 07:21 PM (This post was last modified: 04-03-2024, 08:36 PM by Maea.)
MAEA
Sitting with the regret of shattering the illusion that everything was alright between them, Maea tapped her fingers quietly. Trying to guess what Dygra might answer to such a question was presumtuous, and yet she had a nasty suspicion that they wouldn't like the answer.
"She is entropy... Who knows? Maybe she wouldn't mind the turmoil that comes with that kind of conflict." The thought was aired reluctantly, the grimace that wrinkled her nose a clear suggestion that Maea would rather not find out.
All but launching herself up on her feet, she spun around to face Talyson on a naked heel, only to sink into a ready stance with a fanged grin.
"Just 'spar with an armored opponent'," she replied. "Care to dance? You can take out all your frustration on me, as a trade."
It was only half in jest; it had been a while since anyone came at her seriously. Now that she could feel pain again, it was not good to let the sensation of being wounded fade too far away.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"...Oh." Hearing Dygra described like that, well... it wasn't exactly reassuring. He wasn't sure if he felt better or worse that Maea didn't seem comfortable with it either, but luckily they didn't need to linger any longer on it. The chance to help her out with her quest was a much easier topic that he was relieved to change to.
Tal snorted at her offer of a trade. "What, like beatin' up someone half my size is gonna make me feel better?" So maybe things weren't 'alright' and perfect between them, but that wasn't exactly unusual for the courier. Most of his friendships went through rocks and storms, misunderstandings and disagreements. It wasn't fun but he was used to weathering them. Sure, shit with Maea was going to be weird for awhile, but he'd meant it when he'd told her that her answer to his quest wasn't going to ruin anything they already had.
Other stuff might. He'd fucked up enough relationships to be honest about that. But not this.
He straightened up into a rough boxing stance, fists raised to protect his face and elbows in to protect his ribs, though if Maea knew Tal well enough by now, she'd know he was more likely to play by pub-brawl rules than anything in a fancy ring. "But I can work on my dancin', sure!"
And he darted forward, sending a feint towards her nose before following it up with a true jab towards her left side.
Her shrug was light, palms splayed out to the sides. Who was she to judge what lightened his load? She was half the size of most people, it hadn't stopped anyone from taking shit out on her in the past.
It honestly felt good to set aside the talk for a while. A stillness came over her with the first punch Tal threw, so that everything after narrowed into the simple task of blocking and striking. Maea dodged the feint to her nose and put her arm up to deflect the blow coming at her side. The strength loaded into his punch startled her - possibly she may have underestimated how tough the Messenger really was - and she quickly adjusted her strategy even as she gritted her teeth against the pain flaring up her arm. It felt like her bones vibrated, numbing her sigits all the way to the fingertips.
Rather than punching back, she attempted to disrupt his balance by pushing his arm downward. Aiming a swift kick towards the inside of his right knee, her tail slashed the air behind her, compensating for the motion to keep her balance centered.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Well, his attempt at teasing fell flat, but at least the conversation was over for the moment. Getting down to business, he was impressed when she anticipated his feint and blocked his first punch. She'd asked for a spar, and Tal wasn't going to hold back out of some misguided chivalry. He didn't know Maea well - as their recent interactions had proven over and over again - but he'd gotten to know her well enough to figure out that such patronizing bullshit wouldn't be appreciated.
Besides, she had too many tricks of her own to take her lightly.
If she hadn't pushed his arm down he wouldn't have seen the way her weight shifted in time, but she did and he did and he quickly reacted. Thanks to where his arm had been moved he couldn't just pull back and dance away like he'd prefer, so instead he went with the motion, stepping forward and inside the circle of her kick to stop it short and dilute its power as he tried to bring an elbow around to strike her sharply in the chin.
As Tal stepped in closer, Maea's kick caught on his leg and came away harmlessly. Rather fittingly, the Ancient woman moved like a cat. Flexible and unafraid of twisting in unconventional ways, she tried to read the flow of their movements so that she never lost her balance entirely. It was a way of fighting that sacrificed strength in favor of flexibility, which was just as well when facing opponents that overpowered her anyway.
When the elbow came flying towards her chin she dropped her torso backwards, intending to tumble away over hands and feet. But she wasn't fast enough. The graze of force impacting with the side of her face sent her reeling. She landed on her ass, vision flickering unsteadily, and rolled instinctively out of reach.
She needed a moment before she could get back up with her hands held up to guard her face and throat. Widened pupils darkened her eyes and she flashed Talyson a blood-lined grin; a split lip was a cheap price for underestimating him. Deciding that she needed to test how much protection that vest of his really afforded him, she copied his move. Approaching from the side, Maea feigned a fast jab to his face before spinning and sending a hard knee straight for solar plexus.
Having a tail really made it easier to twist like this. She had picked up a preference for acrobatic fighting and kicks early on, and it was still a work in progress to regain a sense for it, after gaining horns and a newlimb that threw her center of gravity off kilter. But this felt good. Even if she couldn't get through, even if her impact remained weak, all her years of collecting techniques and honing basics was beginning to pay off.
Maea's fighting style resembles taekwondo, for reference.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
04-05-2024, 03:36 AM (This post was last modified: 04-05-2024, 03:53 PM by Talyson.)
Her kick landed with a feeling of impact but no pain, though the same couldn't be said for his elbow to her chin. He felt that radiate up his arm and a wince creased his face as Maea dropped back and hit the ground. Instead of following after her, he paused to shake out his arm with an apologetic grimace to the Ancient, giving her a chance to get back to her feet while he backed up a bit, opening the distance between them to something he was more comfortable with. He was too used to being the scrawny one in a fight to enjoy staying in that close for long, even if times had changed and he was stronger than he realized.
Maea's grin, however disconcertingly bloody, was reassuring enough that he kept his guard up as she moved in again. Unlike her earlier perspicacity, Tal failed to read her feint in time. He shifted to block it, briefly opening his body up to her knee. By the time he realized where the true attack was coming from it was too late to block it fully. It struck him in the chest, eliciting a whoof! of escaping air as she hit the unexpectedly hard surface of his vest. the impact knocked the wind out of him but otherwise didn't seem to leave so much as a bruise as he shook it off quickly and ducked down to launch a pair of quick, hard jabs at her own midsection.
Maybe getting a taste of her own blood was a good thing? It certainly sharpened her senses and dropped everything that wasn't focused on the spar by the wayside. Even the ring of pain in her knee as it made clean contact with the armored vest felt as nothing compared to the throbbing of her jaw.
Reflexes helped her stay upright, while luck and timing allowed her to spin away from Tal's punches to her stomach as his fists came flying. By some miracle she avoided the attack it entirely, and now she found herself open to counter. Since she was shorter by quite a bit he would have to lean forward to reach her, which put his own jaw nicely in reach of her kicks.
Maea spun once, picking up momentum; then she suddenly switched leg, twisted and sent an upward kick flying towards Tal's chin. Being barefoot would make it less dangerous - nevertheless, if it landed he would at least feel the impact.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Tal might have appreciated Maea's sinuous grace and excellent reflexes more if he hadn't been so disappointed in his own inability to land a punch. He scowled in concentration as he tried to shake off his earlier surprise at her knee landing, reminding himself not to underestimate her just because she hung out with books a lot.
He hadn't been leaning when he'd jabbed out his punches, at least; he'd ducked down, keeping his weight centered as he'd hunched lower to launch his attacks. Her spin was flashy and impressive, but it also telegraphed her intentions and gave Tal the precious second that he needed to pop up and shift to try and catch her leg, snaking his arm over it while he stepped in to drive a slightly-off-balance punch at her solar plexus, sacrificing some of his power in exchange for the speed to get the attack off in time.
Theory and practice did not always align, alas. Maea found this out firsthand as her leg was neatly caught and left her hopping awkwardly on one foot, trying to keep herself upright.
The fist that planted into her gut was well aimed, but fortunately not at full strength. Having tightened her ab muscles, a whoosh of air still left the Ancient, and entirely by instinct she responded by slapping at Tal's face with the long tail. Dropping her full weight to the ground, she hoped he would be surprised enough to let go; the quick exchanges har sweat beading on the brow and her breath was catching in the throat.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Tal didn't get to feel more than the briefest millisecond of triumph that his defense and attack had worked before he was resoundingly slapped in the face with a spade-tipped tail. He dropped Maea's leg more from shock than pain, though the ruddy imprint of her noodly appendage remained behind on his cheek, stinging something fierce.
He blinked down at where she landed, his own breath coming quick in his throat, and then he let out a groan and dropped gracelessly down beside her, waving to indicate that he was done. "Those were some pretty crazy kicks," he admitted, rapping his Vest lightly with his knuckles where she'd kneed him. Better there than lower down! "Where'd y'learn t'fight like that?"
Seeing that the bipeds had sorted out their game of tussle-and-pounce, Boreal happily ambled over to flop down on her belly between them, wriggling in the way that only a big dog dragon could manage to shove her shoulders in between them so that they could both have the privilege of petting her while they cooled down.
Grunting, Maea pushed herself up to sig, rubbing a sore spot on a shoulder where it had connected with the rocky ground. Next time she would try to avoid dropping straight down, restrained or not.
Huffing a breathless laugh at Boreal, she scratched the big dragon around her horns.
"Here and there," she replied, rather evasively. Unwilling to admit that she had stolen the moves from Torchline dancers and adapter them for sparring - it seemed she had a lot to work on still. "You're a lot stronger than you look," she pointed out, side-eying the Messenger. "What's your weapon of choice?"
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Boreal rumbled happily as Maea's fingers found a good spot, and Tal snorted in amusement as he took up the task of rubbing the spot between her wings that she couldn't reach. He scrubbed the heel of his hand over her smooth scales, slanting a glance at Maea with his dark brows raised as she neatly evaded his question---
But she followed up with praise that successfully distracted him from following up on it. He straightened a little, puffing up his chest with a proud grin. "Yeah, y'think so? I was always such a scrawny brat, it's still weird t'me t'think..." He shook his head a little. "But I guess workin' th'Peregrine's riggin' an' tiller've really helped." Boreal snorted her opinion of his pleased peacocking, her thick tail snaking around behind him to smack against his thigh, but he just grinned more broadly and scrubbed harder until she let out a blissful sigh. "An' I'm a dagger guy these days. Used to be axe, but I got a fancy Dagger from Frey that let's me keep outta range, an' it comes in real handy!" He turned his head to look at her curiously. "What about you?"
