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!
11-01-2019, 01:26 PM (This post was last modified: 11-08-2019, 02:15 PM by Loren.)
there's a fire starting in my heart
reaching a fever pitch
LongNight had ended. Deepfrost had ended with it, and the survivors—of which there were many—had emerged from the Temple into a transformed world. The snow had melted and left behind mud that was persistent and seemed to coat everything in a slimy film. There’d be a long and hard clean-up process, but nothing they couldn’t repair or rebuild, nothing they couldn’t recover from except for the lives they’d lost.
Although it was selfish and cruel, no one Loren had known that well had perished in the week of darkness and monsters, and he entered this Flowerbirth with a renewed sense of purpose. After leading his merry band of family and houseguests back to the Manor, though, the Launceleyn had been appalled to see that the building was in a great deal of disarray. Whether it was from monsters looking to get in, or just an absurd amount of snow and mud, he’d have a lot of work to do to get it back to its former glory. Maybe he’d even make it better: he’d never liked the dark decor, and if they had to refurbish it anyway, he wouldn’t mind some lighter fabrics.
He’d gotten everyone settled back in before starting the clean-up process. Strangely enough, he started with a bathroom on the second floor; it was the one that Rexanna had escaped from, and because the window had been left open the damage was more extensive than most of the rooms. And there was mud everywhere. Though the summoner had all the tools he needed to fix it up, first he needed to get rid of the mud on everything. Though he kept bringing more cloths and water buckets, though, it seemed to creep back into place. Soon, he was downright filthy himself.
Abasi had been shocked when they had left the safe cocoon of the temple and he had seen the extent of the destruction left by Longnight. He had heard the monsters, seen their marks on the people who had returned through the doors, but he hadn't realised there would be such obvious scarring on the landscape. It reminded him of the worst floods he had seen in his life time, when the Nile had come to swallow the town whole.
Once all of his things were back in his room and he had had ten minutes to sit and clear his mind, he readied himself to assist with the clean up. He had said he wanted to contribute to the house and he meant it, however he could.
Hearing noises from the bathroom, he headed there, pushing up his sleeves. He had worn the plainest clothes he had and for once left his golden jewellery in the bedroom, his wrists feeling oddly light and naked without it. Turning the corner into the bathroom and seeing the mud everywhere, he took in a stressed breath.
"How do we clean it?" He asked, not wanting to make any assumptions. Things were always odd here. "With two of us it should be faster, at least."
At the sound of the other man’s voice, the summoner turned and grinned. They’d made a promise during the heart of LongNight, to see where whatever it was that was between them would go. Granted, he didn’t think either of them had expected it to lead them to a mud-streaked bathroom. ”Hello Abasi. Good to see you too.” Though it was probably unfair to gently tease Abasi like that, especially because they'd just seen each other recently—though it was hardly the greeting the summoner had been hoping for—the other man’s formal tone and businesslike demeanor wasn’t exactly what the Launceleyn had been hoping for. While a kiss was probably too much to ask, something more than Abasi would presumably show anyone else would've been nice.
Still, they did have work to do here. Hopefully fun could come later. Sighing, Loren ran a hand through his hair, forgetting for a moment that it was covered in mud; it left dirty blonde tufts sticking upwards it quite a disheveled manner. ”I was hoping that I could scrub and wash it away, but there’s enough of it that I think we’ll need some more substantial tools.” Glancing at Abasi, Loren bit his lip. ”Think we could shovel it out?” It would be thankless and tiring work, but the Launceleyn’s original approach wasn’t working. If the other man agreed that shovels would do the trick, the summoner would lead them both to where the larger tools were kept.
The teasing tone in Loren's voice was the only thing that made Abasi aware he had entered coldly; it was simply in his personality to get right to business, regardless of who it was he was speaking to. But he had something with Loren he had never found anywhere else and he held up a hand in apology, knowing he had to try be different. "I apologise. Hello...I...was distracted by all of this."
He gestured to the mud, which Loren promptly smeared all over his hair. With a small amused smile on his face Abasi stepped forward to try and smooth it back down, a strangely affectionate gesture after his cold entrance. As much as he tried to pull the mud out of Loren's hair it seemed determined to stay, but he at least made it so his hair wasn't quite so tufty. "It seems we have no choice but the shovels. This is a very determined mud."
"Does this happen every year?" He asked as he stepped back.
Seeing as Loren hadn’t really been offended, he waved away Abasi’s response. ”No need to apologize.” Smiling a bit mischievously—not an expression that the summoner wore often, so he didn’t know how it would come across—the Launceleyn moved a bit closer to the other man. ”And here I was hoping you’d be a bit distracted by me. To think, I lost out to some mud.” Granted, it seemed to be some exceptionally stubborn mud, but Loren liked to think he was a bit better than that.
As Abasi stepped forward, the summoner’s breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he’d thought the other man might be coming in for a kiss; however, as Abasi’s hands did their best to scoop the mud out of the Launceleyn’s hair, he let out a little huff of laughter. ”Thanks.” Seeing as Loren didn’t pay much attention to his physical appearance at the best of times, he hadn’t even considered what a mess he looked after getting mud in his hair. He gave the other man a grateful smile. Even if the efforts had been for naught, the summoner realized he kind of liked having someone else looking out for him for once.
Besides, even that small contact had set a little bit of heat simmering in his belly.
Business before pleasure, unfortunately: when Abasi agreed they needed shovels, the Launceleyn nodded in acknowledgement, then turned to lead the way to the closet with the tools. Grabbing two shovels, he held one out for Abasi. ”It was muddy, but I didn’t notice it being this bad. Or this persistent. Or this...lively.” Shaking his head, he turned to bring them back to the bathroom.
Once there, he started tossing full shovels of the stuff out the still broken window. Seeing as he wasn’t actually physically strong, it was painful, thankless, difficult work. Sadly, none of his magic (as far as he was aware) would be useful in this endeavor. He could feel the frustration building, though he tried not to let it show. Instead, he focused on Abasi, which was much better. "You still planning to open up your funeral home?"
Abasi chuckled, sheepishly looking off to the side. "I have always been focused on the task at hand. It needs to be completed before anything...for entertainment, anyway." Not that Loren was just 'entertainment', but it was the best word he could find for the moment. Eager to move on from this subject, he nodded a 'you're welcome' to Loren then looked over the mud again.
Taking a shovel, he began to take out chunks of the mud and throw it away, hoping no one was on the other side of the window. It was still cold and the work made him sore almost immediately, but he was determined to see it through without complaint. "I hope the change is not a bad sign of anything to come. Sometimes in Egypt you could tell from the texture of the sands if a flood was approaching."
Stepping a little deeper into the room to get to one of the larger piles of mud (for it kept sliding down onto work he'd already done, making it feel endless) he nodded to Loren's question. "Yes. I have selected a building I think will be suitable. It will need work to be made appropriate for the job, cleaning and so on, but..." Hopefully, he tilted his head side to side. "It seems promising. Then of course, I need to make sure people trust me enough to leave me their dead. There is more work than just the building and supplies."
He'd never been massively charismatic, but he'd have to try. He could not rest on a Priestly title here. "I have noticed a new power emerge inside myself. I think perhaps that might help to convince them."
It seemed that Abasi was maybe a little embarrassed. Loren chuckled at the sight. ”I’m much the same. But...I’m trying to be better about living in the present.” It wasn’t something that came naturally to him. ”So if I ever start acting single-minded, feel free to distract me in whatever way you see fit.” There were lots of things on the summoner’s mind that would be appropriate (or inappropriate, depending on the context). Hopefully the other man would feel similarly.
At the mention of entertainment, the Launceleyn grinned unabashedly. ”So there is entertainment after this?” Though he tried to keep his voice cool and nonchalant, he couldn’t prevent the hopeful and uncertain tone from creeping into his voice; although Abasi had been the one to make the summoner promise to see where things went between them, doubt still crept in. After all, he was shitty at relationships of all kinds, and it was entirely possible the other man had changed his mind.
They both got right to work. Almost immediately the Launceleyn’s arms started to ache. Physical labor was definitely not his strong suit. Still, he kept gamely at it—even if he found himself scooping up smaller and smaller piles of mud rather quickly—as he listened to Abasi’s concerns. ”I’ve realized that everything is a bad sign in Caido. There was the barrier, then the blight, and…” Loren sighed, giving the other man tired look. ”I’ve heard there is more trouble on the horizon, yes. But I’ve decided that worrying about it all is just going to drive me crazy. I’d rather find joy where and with who I can.” Like with Abasi. Hopefully that was apparent.
Moving to the other side of the room, the summoner glared at a particularly stubborn pile of mud. Every time he moved part of it, another seemed to rush in to fill the gap. So it was a distinct relief to hear that the other man had found a space. ”I’m glad to hear it. And I wouldn’t worry too much about getting people to trust you.” Loren grinned at Abasi. ”You managed to get me to do it.” And the Launceleyn trusted very few people, though that circle was rapidly expanding. Progress and all that.
While it was maybe a bit morbid to think about helping Abasi with his mortuary, the summoner would put in a good word for the other man if it ever came up. Loren prayed that it wouldn’t, at least not for a while: he’d had his fill of death for a while. At the mention of new magic, the Launceleyn looked up from the stubborn mud pile eagerly. ”What new magic?” It was nice to hear Abasi sound excited about his gifts for once. The other man had firmly fallen into the 'woe is me the gods have cursed me' camp for a while, so this was a pleasant change.
"Living in the present..." Abasi repeated, not having heard the phrase before. He said it like he was trying it out, frowning. Wasn't doing the task before him living in the present? Perhaps he did not understand the meaning, but there would be time to ask about it later.
It felt odd to be flirting while shovelling away huge amounts of disgusting mud, but he attempted anyway. While his inexperience was obvious in his flat voice, there was a smile in Abasi's eyes as he looked across and said: "Well. We will have to get clean after this and it would be foolish to waste water with two baths." With a huff of almost-embarrassed laughter he continued to work, flinging mud out of the room.
"You are likely correct. There do not seem to be many 'good' signs here." He sighed, but nodded at Loren's resolution. "Probably a smart idea."
He felt like he was making some headway with his chosen area of mud, though it was hard to tell when the substance so quickly rushed back in to fill itself. It had to run out eventually, he assumed, and kept going. "I am not sure how. I became a part of your home then immediately disrespected you when I was ill. I think you may just be more forgiving than most." Abasi had a rather cynical view of the public, was sure it would take a lot of effort to get himself a good reputation.
As for the new power, it was difficult to fully explain. "I can...feel where there is darkness. And..." Abasi raised one hand, fingers together and palm facing the ground. "If I run my hand over it, I can eliminate that darkness. I found this in Longnight with some objects that had been outdoors and brought in. If they had lingering evil upon them I could purify it. Cleanse it." There was a pride in his tone.
If the summoner had known Abasi was confused by the concept of living in the present, the Launceleyn would’ve done his best to explain it. Then again, this might be a situation where showing would be better than telling. Besides, the other man’s comment was a good start: Loren smiled gratefully at Abasi’s attempt, which, inexperienced or not, certainly sounded good to the summoner. ”Very foolish, I agree.” With that, he redoubled his efforts to get this mud out. He was now very eager for that bath, and everything that would hopefully come from it including him.
When the other man agreed that all Caido supplied was omens, the Launceleyn grinned, though it was kind of weak. ”I guess we’ll just have to make our own good signs then.” And this, between the two of them—whatever it was, since neither of them seemed to have any idea—was certainly an encouraging sign. Still working on the same mud pile, he glanced over at Abasi as the other man voiced doubts about earning other people’s trust. ”I’m really not. Also, I don’t hold the blight against you, and no one else will either.” As for trust, though, Loren didn’t really have answers for that. If he did, he would not have mucked everything up when he returned. ”The only advice I can give you is to ask and not assume.”
Listening to Abasi’s explanation about his new ability, the summoner sent a bright and impressed smile the other man’s way. ”That’s amazing. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Are there any limits to what you can cleanse?” There were still likely artifacts of dark magic tucked away in the Hollowed Grounds (and in the Manor), and the other man’s magic might prove useful in disposing of them safely.
After flinging another shovelful of mud out the window and returning to find the pile seemingly unchanged, the Launceleyn frowned. His frustration was rising, and with it, something else: he could feel something within him, some magic or other, itching to get out. While giving in to such desires was almost never a good idea, in this particular case he was annoyed enough to let go. At least a little bit. No point in being reckless.
Releasing his tight grip on his magic, Loren’s eyes widened as a jet of water shot from him and blasted the mud apart; it continued flowing until it had washed the pile fully out the window. Turning to Abasi, a look of shock on the summoner’s face, he simply stared at the other man for a moment. Then the Launceleyn chuckled. ”I guess you’re not the only one with new magic.” Holding up his hand, he dipped into that new pool of magic again, and an orb of water formed above his outstretched palm.
Knowing that a bath (and implicitly, rather more than that) was coming after the hard work made each push of the shovel easier, even if Abasi did feel some anxiety about performing well both in the labour and the reward begin in his chest. He did not show it, the corners of his mouth just slightly turning up as he worked.
Making their own good signs...as much as Abasi did not normally go for hopeful or sentimental sayings, he liked the proactive attitude of this one. Maybe they could make their own fortunes despite the harsh world around them, if they tried hard enough. If Loren was right about no one holding the Blight as a grudge, perhaps he was starting from an even better place than he thought. "I suppose so. I will not mention it unless they do. There is no point in setting people against me unnecessarily."
The positive reception to his new powers made him take in a breath and stand proudly. "It...seems at the moment it's limited to small amounts of dark power. But I feel like my ability could grow in time." It was odd to be so aware of the magic inside him, of it's limitations and improvements, like growing used to a new limb.
He began to shovel again, but the sound of sudden crashing water as well as more than a few cold drops on his side made him look over to Loren, who appeared to be shooting a large jet of water at the mud. Abasi blinked a few times, unsure if he should have been surprised or not (and if Loren knew he could do this, why he hadn't started with it?) and only found his words again once Loren had spoken his.
"I...suppose not. This is a new ability for you?" He asked, stepping back and gesturing to the mud around them, implying Loren should take over the work.
They were both feeling pretty good about what they might get up to once they finally got rid of all this mud, it seemed. Abasi’s decision to not revealing his bout of blight to other was his choice, so Loren just nodded. It was probably best to leave the blight behind, at least in how it had caused individuals to act out; the damage it had done in other ways still needed to be dealt with. Regardless, he smiled at the other man in approval.
”That’s wonderful. I’m excited to see how it progresses.” Although the summoner was assuming he’d be around to see how Abasi’s magic developed, the Launceleyn felt that was a pretty safe assumption. Then again, magic was weird, as his own new abilities with water demonstrated. The liquid was cold and Loren frowned, instinctively warming it up. It worked, surprisingly enough.
At the other man’s question, though, the summoner grinned. ”Very new. As in, just discovered it. Lucky me I guess?” Very useful, though: as Abasi stepped back, the Launceleyn took a deep breath, then reached down to the pool of magic contained within himself. It had grown, obviously, and he grasped at the thick strands of his new power. Then he shoved it out into the bathroom.
Turned out, he put a little too much energy behind the spell. Water practically exploded out of him; while it was warm and chased every last bit of the mud from the area, it soaked him and maybe the other man as well, assuming he didn’t move out of the way in time. Loren, at least, was dripping, and his clothes clung to him. ”Uhhhhh...sorry. Guess I need to work on my control.” He sought Abasi a sheepish grin and ran a hand through the summoner's now mud free hair. ”Or maybe I was just really excited about that bath.” Two things could be true at once.
"Yes. Though I hope there are not too many opportunities for me to test it. I think a period without darkness would be good for all of us." Abasi mused quietly, turning over his hand and looking at it. It felt like a great responsibility, this power, given the amount of dark things happening in Caido at any given time. If he hadn't known the Gods of this place hated him, he would have thought of it as a God-given destiny.
To see the literal birth of a new magic in Loren was something to smile about, anyway, especially since it would greatly help their current situation. "Indeed. It appears to be useful."
Though Loren put it a little too much to use. Abasi, taken by surprise, did not move in time, and quickly found himself absolutely soaked, pants clinging to his legs but his heavy top layer just sagging down heavily. He pulled it off and as the sweater came over his head he began to laugh, more than he had in a long time. The laughter kept coming, starting as a soft huff but growing into a gasping mess as he lifted up a dripping hand between them and stared at it.
"I...I do not think we need the bath." He said, still smiling.
What they wanted didn’t usually matter when it came to their magic. Loren grinned at Abasi’s comment. It was a nice sentiment, one the summoner wholeheartedly agreed with. ”I think it would be good too. But it’s also good to know that you can banish it when we stumble across more darkness.” When, not if. Indeed, the other man’s ability seemed like it would be very useful in a wide variety of situations.
On the subject of utility, this water magic would probably come in handy, that much was true. However, the Launceleyn wasn't thinking about that just then; instead, his heart beat a little faster at Abasi’s smile. Then, thouhg the other man’s comment came out as businesslike as most of them did. Loren let out a little chuckle and shook his head. ”Useful? Is that all?” Again, his voice came out slightly teasing, but he was hoping that he’d get a little something more than useful. After all, the summoner had praised the other man’s new magic.
Then again, maybe useful was all the compliment Launceleyn deserved: his water poured over both of them in an uncontrolled wave. At least the mud was gone. He was about to apologize again, but then Abasi moved to pull his sweater off and Loren’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes followed the motion, noting as well how nicely the other man’s pants clung to his legs. The comment about the bath caused the summoner to let out a huff of laughter. ”Guess not.”
Then Loren peeled off his own shirt, leaving himself bare chested. ”Does that mean we’ve reached the entertainment portion?” There was something slightly wolflike in the grin the Launceleyn sent towards Abasi, but the summoner didn’t move from his spot. Although he could’ve probably pulled all the water off both of them, Loren decided he liked the image before him.
Loren once again pointed out his stoic language and Abasi let out a breath that was somewhere between amusement and frustration. Whether that frustration was at himself or Loren was unclear, but he added onto his original statement with: "I did not think I needed to tell you that it is immensely impressive, much like all of your magic." He could have said more, how he aspired to one day be as powerful as Loren, but there were only so many compliments he could give in one day.
If someone had told Abasi only a few months ago he would be in a wet pair of pants flirting with an actual sorcerer, he would have scoffed. Yet here he was, putting his soaked sweater down and laughing as he nodded, confirming that yes, he supposed they had reached 'the entertainment portion'.
Though he had always been a practical man: "As long as there is no more mud to clear anywhere else, I do not see the harm in..ah...leisure." Perhaps an odd word to pick, but he was still getting used to having whatever this was, something close to a relationship. He took a couple of steps closer to Loren, eyes once again following water droplets make their way down his chest. Why was it the man always seemed to be wet?
