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!
Phoebe smiled and blushed at his words, that had to be a good sign. Maybe he was going to be able to pull this back, to save his relationship from the black hole that had appeared in his life.
Her request dimmed his expression a little, Emmett still not sure how to articulate all of his feelings about the Outlanders and the Spire, about the presence of all these new people in the Hallowed Grounds. But with the barrier coming down and Phoebe right in front of him, it all seemed less important. "I...yeah, I promise. I'll be more careful with all my words from now on. I...don' know how to explain all of it to you properly yet, but I'll try come up with a better way t'do it."
With that promise made he stood, held down a hand for Phoebe to hold so he could take her over to the part of the fields where people to dancing. As they walked by he looked to his siblings playing easily, glad they were content; hopefully soon he would be.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
Phoebe smiled a little and nodded at his explanation. ”That’s all I ask for.” she said softly. She didn’t expect him to be hunky-dory about it all. There were many sides to this story, many truths struggling to coexist. She just didn’t want to be lumped in with the parts that made him angry, because she didn’t think she belonged there – which he had corroborated a few times now. That he would try to be clearer was more than she expected of him.
She took his hand and stood, her skirt flouncing over her legs with the movement. The blush remained firm on her cheeks, her heart racing a little with the hope that maybe – just maybe – things might work out. Brown eyes scanned the field of dancers as they approached, feeling a little apprehensive. Dancing was dancing, but everywhere had their own norms about it – norms that she definitely didn’t know. ”I uhm…I’m not really familiar with this…” she admitted quietly. It seemed fairly straightforward, but this was the first festival she had been to in Caido. She didn’t want to embarrass herself, or him, or give anyone another reason to mock people like her.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
"Well I ain' no good at dancing either, but you mostly just gotta believe you can do it and have fun." The song just ending as they approached, Emmett guided Phoebe into the circle of dancers for the next one, holding her hand with one of his and his other hand coming to rest just above her hip. "Mostly you just gotta spin and look like you're havin' a good time. Most people just do it for an excuse to be close t'someone."
After he'd said this he flushed, looked away from her as the music began, then began to step back and forth to the jaunty tune, whirling her around when the music picked up and got louder. His feet were heavy, clumsy but sure, a smile on his face more genuine than there had been for weeks.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
That was a refreshingly lackadaisical way of looking at it. Believe you can do it and have fun. Both were things that had been in short supply for her as of late, ”Okay…I can try.” she said a bit nervously as she followed him out into the crowd. Everyone else did look like they were having fun, and very much wrapped up in whoever they were with so their arrival went basically unnoticed – which was fine by her.
His blush made her own darken as she placed her free hand up on his shoulder. Well. At least for the time being could follow his lead. There had been dance lessons as part of her finishing school curriculum, but it had always been so formal, so stuffy. As the music started and Emmett prompted her to move whatever way he wished her to go, she found it much more similar to the dancing she had grown up with. It brought back memories of begging her brother to spare a dance for her – and when he did him spinning her wildly – and watching her sisters dance with their sweethearts with envy. As she spun under his arm her skirt flared out and hair whipped around behind her, a laugh escaping her lips and broad smile lifting her expression.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
"Yeah! You'll be great at it!" Emmett assured Phoebe, sure she would be much better at him at it. After all, she came from a place where she'd learnt about this kind of thing, right? And it was just dancing. It came easily to Emmett, cheerful and light movements swinging them around in sync with everyone else.
Her laugh brought a matching one from him, the sound carefree and easy, at contrast with the usual dark tone in his voice now. At a rise in the music he let go of her with one hand and let her spin out, brought her back in close to his chest.
The movement brought her closer to him than he had intended and as she came in close to his face Emmett smiled, chewed at his lip but didn't dare to do the obvious, thinking it was probably too soon.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
04-08-2019, 07:18 PM (This post was last modified: 04-08-2019, 07:44 PM by Phoebe.)
PHOEBE
Phoebe was indeed light on her feet and quite graceful, her movements quick in response to his leading steps and pushes against her hip and hand. But really, whether the quality of her movement was good or not by anyone’s standards, she was just having fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she had simply had a good time doing anything. There was always something nibbling at the back of her mind. Some hurt, some sorrow, some worry…but for now it all faded into the background. The music was lively, people were laughing, and Emmett was smiling and holding her and…
She gasped a bit as she was pulled flush to his chest, lashes fluttering as she looked at him. Their faces were close enough that she could feel his breath upon her face…and yet he hesitated and in turn so did she. Brown eyes cast down, glancing in the direction they were moving, unable to hold his gaze. Was it shyness? A lack of confidence? Worry? Perhaps a combination of all of them in reality.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
Phoebe looked down and Emmett could feel the moment slipping away from them, tension falling into cold disappointment; before it could go completely he leaned in and kissed her cheek, then her temple, forehead, chin. Before long he was kissing all over her face with a smile on his lips and a laugh in his throat, still spinning her about the field.
"You wanna stay for the next song?" He asked as the music began to wind down, some people tugging their partners off for a much-needed respite from the dancing. Personally he was quite glad for the chance to move, but he would go if Phoebe was tired.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
The kiss on her cheek caught her off guard and she started a little, looking back at him wide eyed. Then the one to her temple and forehead sent her heart a flutter. Then he just got ridiculous, peppering her face with little kisses. She laughed and squeezed her eyes closed trusting him to not let her trip or fall as they continued to move in time with the music. ”Stop, stop, stop!” she said, giggles interspersed between the words, akin to how she might protest being mercilessly tickled; her tone playful not angry.
”Yes, please!” she said, despite being a bit breathless from laughter and being twirled around so much, her fingers curling into his shirt to keep her balance. She was having fun, why would she want to stop? Quite the opposite, she wanted to live in this moment forever, happy, carefree, held in Emmett’s arms while he grinned at her. Her legs could have been mush and she still would wish to continue if only to make it last a moment longer.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
The way she laughed, how she readily agreed to keep dancing..with a wide smile Emmett remembered why he'd fallen for Phoebe in the first place. Why ultimately, their bumpy patch wouldn't matter in the long run because it was them and she was everything he'd ever really wanted in a companion, fun and hard working and willing to look past his patchwork mess of communication skills.
The next song was a little slower, fewer people on the floor. Emmett took the chance to move more into the middle of the space (though not to the absolute centre. He had never been one to try and grab the spotlight) and change their dance to something slow and rhythmic.
"The kids have missed ya, y'know. They keep askin' about you." He told her over the music, glancing over to where the children were playing. "...I missed you too. It's awful lonely with just toddlers in the house."
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
Phoebe smiled a little and followed as Emmett led them further into the circle, glad to not be at the very center. She was more of a wallflower sort herself. The slower tempo was a nice respite though from the frenzy of the previous number, allowing her to catch her breath. ”It’s nice seeing you smile.” she commented quietly with a small one of her own.
She glanced over to the crowd, not really sure where Chris and Milly were, but knowing they would be there nonetheless. ”Really? They’re sweet.” she said with a smile, looking back at Emmett. ”I felt a bit bad…I had made Milly this anti-monster tonic for under her bed when you all were at my place. It was just some rose water in a pretty bottle but it helped her sleep…but I didn’t think you would want me stopping around just to bring it.” she said quietly. She had a feeling Emmett had his own big brother ways of dealing with monsters under the bed, but she still felt bad that in their break-up Milly had lost her monster tonic. Phoebe’s cheeks blushed when he said he missed her too, and she looked down a little. ”It can’t be easy trying to live in there.” They literally could not use the kitchen. How he was managing to make meals was beyond her – cooking over an open fireplace wasn’t easy. Brown eyes glanced back up at him before she spoke again. ”I…didn’t think you would have missed me…It’s a little messed up but…It makes me feel good to know you did, because I missed you.” she said quietly.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
Aoife was in need of a nap, so Remi, Isla and the baby were heading off. Isla had had about enough of the girl's flapping upon her spine, so it was Remi's turn to endure her boundless energy. Walking home along one of the paths, totally coincidentally it would seem, it led precisely to the plot of land currently occupied by the on-again off-again lovebirds. For the moment they appeared to be on-again, and though he was in absolutely no position to judge given his rollercoaster relationship with Sam, he could still be protective. His own mistakes did not stop him from loving Phoebe enough to want to do that.
"Hallo Pheobe!" The alchemist called with a cheerful and sunny wave, while mentally he was thinking—and saying—something quite different. She told me about you. Remi whispered into Emmett's mind, his voice more thickly accent and a good deal sterner than his vocal expression had been. And if you hurt her because of anything other than her own stupidity, you will have me to answer to. If I hear any more talk of this outlander nonsense, you and I will have words.
With another chipper wave, this time using Aoife's hand to gesticulate, Remi grinned as his friend. "Enjoy the afternoon!" He added, his expression still gentle and warm, despite the silent warning he'd just given Emmett.
REMI
What have I become? My sweetest friend—Everyone I know goes away in the end
If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself. I would find a way
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Oooooh. Milly asked me for her monster stuff and I didn' know what she meant." Emmett had improvised, made some growly noises and pretended to spray something under the bed; no wonder she hadn't been satisfied. Phoebe had so easily slotted into his life he was still finding places for her to be missed.
He'd been living mostly in the barn but didn't mention that, knowing it would worry her into she actually got to see it, how he'd made it cosy and safe, the upstairs remade to be two separate rooms. "S'okay. I think everyone wants to be missed, right? " It was something he had spent a quite a lot of time considering lately, after his families death. Behind the barn there was a small memorial growing, where he went to remember and miss each day.
Dancing slower it was easier to think, to look at Phoebe with a smile and marvel in just how pretty she was. He was focusing on the colours in his eyes when suddenly a voice inside (??????) his head made him flinch. Emmett stared after Remi with wode eyes, reasonably sure he was the source of the voice. "That...a friend of yours? " He asked Phoebe, beginning to pull them away from the dance as the song started to wind down.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
Phoebe smiled a little and nodded. ”You were still pretty out of it from your injuries but she was having nightmares so I had to improvise.” she explained. She had, after all, taken care of Chris and Milly while Emmett had recuperated, which had involved lots of sleeping and moving as little as humanly possible. It was a bit comforting to hear that they kids really had missed her too, that she had helped them enough to warrant missing.
”I suppose that’s true.” she said with a small smile. Being missed meant that people cared for you and wanted you around in some capacity. Who wouldn’t want that?
Another voice caught her attention and she glanced over, seeing Remi, Isla, and Aoife passing by. She smiled and waved back, briefly lifting her hand off Emmett’s shoulder. ”Hi, Remi! You too!” she called back. It was probably right around Aoife’s nap time, so Remi’s departure made some sense. When Emmett spoke she looked back at him and nodded. Yes, that’s Remi. He’s and alchemist and about as close as I have to a brother anymore.”
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
"Yeah..." Emmett trailed off, already having plenty of guilt for not automatically slipping into the expected role of substitute parent for his siblings, for not immediately being ready to step up and 'be a man', as his father would have put it. He knew the shame was silly, knew that he should be glad for Phoebe's help in that time (and he was, in many ways) but there was still a bit of him that felt embarrassed he was not made of steel.
He watched as Remi faded from view. For a man carrying a baby, he sure was threatening. On one hand, Emmett was glad Phoebe had someone looking out for her. On the other, he wished he wasn't the one perceived as the threat.
They came back to the edge of the dancing area, where crowds stood to chatter and watch. Emmett leaned against a fence post. "He uh, he's protective of ya, huh?" It did not occur to him this would not make sense to Phoebe, who had not heard Remi's words. "My little sister...she once dated a guy a couple years ago that was a right..." He made a face. "He didn' respect her right. I kicked him in the shins in my shift. So I guess I get it." He laughed, just a little tinged with sadness with the knowledge he would never see his sister smile like she had then again.
Emmett
It burns too bright
I think about my self a lot 'cause it's the only one I've got
I've earned this life
What have I done to earn this life?
