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!
/// sorry, but you just got in my way i promise honey, i can feel your pain
Was it difficult? He can’t say for sure. It was… Interesting. And at the end of the day, he isn’t sure what kind of things might have happened over the years had they not gone into stasis, essentially. “I would say it’s different.” Astaroth says, flashing her an easy smile as the clinic comes into view, hearing the slight squeak of the sign.
He follows her diligently, ducking lightly beneath the frame of the building as he enters. “It is wonderful to see so many of us, regardless of where you’ve come from. I was Accepted, for example.” He announces, shrugging lightly as he starts to take in the room. It’s beautiful, and quite well decorated with books and things of that nature – a space he immediately feels comfortable in. “You have a beautiful home, Isla, dear.” He says, turning to her with a light smile, stepping over to set the cane against the edge of a table, setting the clothes there and slipping out of the jacket so that he can start to figure out the rest of his whole attire.
“There are, likely. Though between us some of them are far better off remaining as stone.” Himself, too, if Dantalion was to be believed, but he’s here now and that’s what matters. The rest of them, Astaroth is content to leave them where they lie.
He picks his items and withdraws, flashing her a parting smile as he disappears into her bathroom, shedding out of the clothes that screamed the Climb and his Bloodlust, only to return shortly after looking like a new man – a freshly put together gentleman with a taller stature now, from feeling better of it.
“How have you found being an Ancient thus far?” He asks, continuing the conversation from where they’d last left off.
Astaroth
and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane? ///
"Different is a good way of putting it," Isla agrees, having gone through several such transformations in her life (and deaths) to understand the choice of words quite intimately by now. The surprise comes, honestly, at the compliment to her space of all things, the Remedy finding herself smiling into it as if seeing it with fresh eyes. "That's kind of you to say. Shall I make some tea?" Unsure if that's anything like his drink of choice, he'll be pleased to note there's also a well-stocked liquor shelf if that's his preference.
Allowing him to depart and to take as much time as he needs, by the time Astaroth makes his return Isla has just taken her whistling kettle off the stove, and has also unpinned her hair to let it fall around her shoulders. "Honestly? I think it saved my life," she admits in response to his question, her smile directed into her teacup. "I lost everything during the war, and being an Ascended, it was far too easy not to feel anything. It sounds cliche, given what we are, but becoming an Ancient really put the fire back in me."
Chuckling, she finally lifts her gaze back up towards her guest, expression lighting up to see him so put together. "You look good as new," she compliments.
/// sorry, but you just got in my way i promise honey, i can feel your pain
He also thinks it’s a great way to put it — it alleviates any potential to think that it could be one way or another. But as she asks if he wants tea, he flashes her another fanged smile and nods, before he vanishes to get all put together.
It’s far more comfortable, and Astaroth feels like he’s back to his old self when he steps out and approaches her, asking his question as he moves to settle into the chair opposite of her, sitting a bit angled so that his long legs don’t get all into her space. And while she says her thoughts were cliche, he does hum a gentle laugh, inclining his head in a small agreement. “I’m glad you feel that way.” He feels the same too. After all, becoming Ancient had saved his life too, but that’s a secret kept behind his sharp teeth.
He takes a sip of the tea and sighs contently as it warms him, sinking a little into the seat before he flashes her a grin of agreement. “I feel like new.” He says with a touch of relief, cradling his cup with both of his hands, looking not unlike he was simply relaxing on vacation. He takes another sip and peers back at her from over the rim of it. “What can you tell me about the Hollowed Grounds right now?” He asks.
Astaroth
and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane? ///
Happily offering out his cup of tea, Isla opts to fold her legs comfortably beneath herself on her chair, giving Astaroth all the room he likes to stretch out his long legs. Taking a sip of her own drink and feeling the weight of the day so far fall away, she's settled and more than happy to talk about the Grounds - which feels strange in itself, given how much trauma the place holds for her. Time is a healer though, or so they say.
"Well," she murmurs, "right now it's more like a collection of islands than anything else. The temperature is quite similar to Stormbreak, if not a little warmer since it's not..." Waving a hand to indicate that the Grounds wasn't in the sky, Isla pauses for a drink before continuing. "I haven't been there in person in a long time, but I've heard it's prospering now under more of us." The Ancients, she means.
"It's always been sort of a pariah of regions, honestly, so it's good to see it getting better."
/// sorry, but you just got in my way i promise honey, i can feel your pain
He watches her comfortably almost curl up in a sense, allocating him more room to spread his long legs out, and given that he’s pretty much been all go, go, go since he’s woken up, Astaroth appreciates the little gesture for what it is. It’s evident in the way he slouches a little and cradles the cup, listening as she speaks about the Hollowed Grounds, taking mental notes.
Especially when the question revolves around the fact that ‘it’s prospering under more of us’. So obviously, whatever Dantalion is doing is working, and if he’s trying to create and carve out a space for them in a place (that as far as he can gather) seems to be wary of them. As it turns out, though, many of them tend to be more socially acceptable than Astaroth does.
Regardless, his lips quirk a little behind the teacup, taking another sip and sighing a content hum, nodding. “I’ve heard just about the same.” And it does admittedly burn a little that the cause of it is the Maverick's doing, so he decides to change the subject, somehow at a loss for the brief moment of something better than; “This tea is delicious.” He offers, appraising her with his dark gaze again and the ghosting of a smile over the cup.
Astaroth
and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane? ///
"At least it wasn't hit too badly by the Starfall," Isla murmurs conversationally, frowning over her shoulder at the open windows and fluttering curtains, where the purple hue of the sky can just about be seen on the horizon. "Not like here. Torchline is not looking its best, I regret to say. Still, probably preferable to Halo, right?" That region had been hit as well, by the meteor strike, but it's a lot less friendly to their kind. (Weather wise anyway, Isla is sure the people are perfectly friendly).
"Oh, I'm glad you like it." She smiles, gazing down into her cup. "Is it strange, coming back to everything?" she asks suddenly, a curious furrow to her brow. "I remember it took me a few seasons to get used to it, after being an Ascended for so long. Even things like the sun on my skin, or the taste of good wine, they all seemed like the best first thing." It's funny now in retrospect, but gods, it had been a transition.
/// sorry, but you just got in my way i promise honey, i can feel your pain
Starfall is just a faint thought that flickers through Astaroth’s mind when she says it, pinpointing back to what Dantalion had said about something from space coming down. Honestly, it sounds like a lot of drama to Asta who would much prefer things to go back to normal – finding a beautiful home to set up in, devouring the occasional wayward soul. You know, the perks of life.
But, it seems that’s not the case, and so he hums and inclines his head a little toward her in a small form of apology. “I will say that it seems everyone is working together nicely to get it back up to par?” Not that he would know what it looked like before it, but as far as he can tell it’s functional. As for Halo, a low hum leaves him as he nods. “So long as I can avoid turning to stone for another few centuries, I’ll consider it a victory.” He chuckles lightly, sitting up a little, crossing one long leg over the other ass the teacup lowers and he focuses his dark gaze on the Remedy again.
“Truthfully, my dear, it had only felt like a few nights of a good slumber. Dreaming the nights away.” His hand lifts to wave around absently while he speaks. “Only to wake up and find out it’s been far, far longer. Luckily for me, however, I was able to somewhat sate myself off of the most impolite fyrhund.” The grin he shoots her is a little too feral, head tilting slightly as his long hair brushes against his shoulders. “I have yet to indulge in the rest of this... New Caido, though, and I most certainly do look forward to it.”
Astaroth
and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane? ///
"Mm, that's true enough. If nothing else, Torchline has form for pulling together when it counts." When Apopo erupted, throughout the war when half the city decided it belonged more in the sky, and now this. She half thinks the place deserves a break, actually. "And gods, here's hoping for that," she agrees with a warm nod. Having never been stone, Isla still doesn't wish it on anyone. Indeed, she's left wondering how many others are still left up there in the Climb.
It's a thought that disappears as Astaroth grabs her attention again, the Remedy offering a soft smile and nodding at his explanation. "I'm glad you weren't aware of it, honestly. That sounds like it would be torture." Feeling every hour and day tick by and being able to do nothing about it; a recipe for madness, surely.
"Well, I wish you every bit of luck out there," she adds, raising her teacup in a cheers. "And if you are ever in Torchline and need a hand, my doors are always open."
/// sorry, but you just got in my way i promise honey, i can feel your pain
Humans were versatile and often would fight to try and protect their homes. Astaroth was aware enough for that, having done much the same years ago. But things were different now, and while he’s beholden to no region just yet, the Ancient is content to see how everyone else deals with it while he makes his way toward the Hollowed Grounds.
Flashing her an easy and toothy smile at the mention of not turning back to stone, he remains contently settled in the chair, taking a moment to relax, nodding his agreement to the fact that he’d dreamt and felt like nothing had changed. It was better than the alternative – because if anyone thought he was bad enough now, in that instance he certainly would be a force to be reckoned with upon his awakening.
Lifting his teacup to meet her in the little cheers, he takes a sip and sighs contently, Astaroth letting his dark gaze return back to the Remedy. “I appreciate all of this, my dear.” He murmurs gently. A little bit more small talk and finishing the cup of tea, Astaroth finally feels put together enough to bid his farewell, not wishing to take her entire day away from her. Besides, he has a new city to explore, doesn’t he?
- FIN <333
Astaroth
and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane? ///
