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!
Taking the apron and slipping it over her head, Maea raised a brow at him when he commented on her choice of item. "What, you think I'm setting the bar too low? I'll have you know, my only experience with clay is digging through it to plant apple trees," she said, poking her tongue at him playfully.
Setting to work on dampening the clay, Maea found the shift of attitude in her friend rather interesting. From serene craftmaster to jokester and now over to hawk-eyed teacher, there was a lot of depth to him, and it was fascinating to see.
"What made you take up pottery?" she asked him, and glanced up from her task for a second, before reaching to dampen her hands further; the clay was still rather hard and unyielding, far from the supple texture his had looked to be when turning it on the wheel. Maea found that she rather enjoyed the feel of it in her hands.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"Don't worry. You're in very capable hands." Smirking, Amun held up his own hands so that Maea knew exactly what he was speaking about.
When she asked what had caused him to take up pottery, though, he hesitated. "Once you've got it wet, begin to shape it. If it becomes too difficult, wet your hands again and dribble some water on the clay." He lowered his hands.
For a long moment, he was quiet. "It's a long story." He crossed his arms and slouched further down the wall. "My ship got caught in a storm, and was blown off course. Many of the crew, my adopted family, were killed, and the ship itself was heavily damaged." The words were soft and more solemn than she was used to hearing from him.
"We crashed onto a beach. There was a settlement there, one that was just starting out. They didn't have anyone who could repair our craft, so we settled in there. The potter was old, and had no apprentice. He took a shine to me, and, well, here we are." He shrugged a bit to let her know that it wasn't some fun tale or exciting adventure that had led him to his craft.
That quip earned him another flash of tongue, shockingly pink in contrast to her pale skin. The laughter paled from her expression as he grew quiet, and Maea made sure to focus on her task, leaving him to gather his thoughts in his own time. Not a fun story, then.
And it wasn't. She too was quiet for a time once he'd finished relating the tale. It was a lot to take in - a lost family, a newfound one in the old man who took him in, and after that... more loss. Being torn away, brought to Caido. It didn't even matter if there were now two Amun living on different worlds; this one who existed with her was still robbed of his home.
"I'm sorry to hear about your family," she said quietly, and glanced over at him. Her hands had begun to work the clay, trying to work the matter into some semblance of a cup. "You must love it quite a lot, though? If you still do it, even here, when you don't actually have to."
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun shrugged at Maea's apology. "Not your fault. And it was a long time ago." Then he smirked. "Besides, it apparently happened to someone else entirely." There was a slightly teasing tone in his voice, and he winked at her.
Expression softening as she mentioned he must love pottery, he nodded slowly. "I do. I have very fond memories of my time in the settlement, to be honest." Shrugging, he chuckled a bit. "Besides, it's nice to do something with my hands." There was something a bit suggestive about the comment, but he was mostly just trying to lighten the mood.
As she worked the clay, he moved closer to her. "Here. Let me demonstrate." Moving swiftly and surely, he sliced off a chunk of clay. Dipping his hands in the water, he wet the unworked clay. Then he began pressing his thumbs in the center to make an indent. As he did, his other fingers curled up, pulling the sides of the clay up a bit.
She gave him a look, that suggested she did not buy his carefree act in that particular instance. "Don't even try it with that angle. Just because you are not the original you, it doesn't mean that your experiences in the past are less real. You still feel what you feel, and that includes mourning for the loss of people that mattered. Which makes you quite human, and far more likable than any shallow jester, no matter how brightly they smile." It was a sign of how far she'd come in her thinking of the ascended, and perhaps of Amun himself that the would say as much. Not too long ago the girl had questioned whether he was human at all.
As his expression softened, so did hers, and she snorted halfway between amusement and embarrassment at the veiled implication of 'using his hands' - not missing it this time. "And how is that going for you? Any interesting developments since last time?"
Maea watched him closely as he took some clay for himself and admired the practiced ease with which he worked it. She tried to imitate the way he shaped the beginning of the cup, and found it harder than he made it look. More than once she pushed the clay too hard and made cracks, or shoved the uneven edges enough that they became misshaped.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
As Maea tartly informed Amun that he was wrong to feel as he did, he just shrugged. He wasn't particularly bothered by her assessment. "Maybe I know that if they were here they'd rather that I was enjoying my life instead of moping around mourning their loss." Indeed, his voice was strangely cheerful.
He let out a long suffering sigh, though his eyes glittered with amusement. "Sadly, no. I am still a confirmed bachelor." Then he smirked and gave her a pointed look. "How about you? Still with your tall drink of water?" His voice was completely and fully suffused with a gleeful teasing.
As she ran into some difficulties, he redid his movements, much slower. "No rush. The clay will wait for you. Take your time to make sure you're doing it right." He winked to let her know the phrasing was deliberate.
"Oh, i didn't say you have to be sad. Just that if you are, its okay, because it's still all you. Copy or not." She offered a smile, with a feeling that they might be talking past each others points. Her offense was due more to the implication that he wasn't affected by the loss because of being a second edition Amun... as if that somehow separated him from all the memories of the past. Maea did not agree, but didn't want to argue the matter, as it was a sensitive one.
Hearing his mournful sigh, she made a sympathetic noise and released a hand from the clay to pat his, not caring that they were both sticky with clay. "That's not right!" she said, voice laced through with sincerity despite the humor. "Surely there must be someone who has caught your eye?" Honestly, she was surprised. A kind, cheerful person like Amun should be snatched up a long time ago.
"Hm, well..." Maea blushed a little at the reflected question; withdrew her hand to keep shaping the clay, more slowly despite the innuendo he laced the instructions with. "It seems... maybe I was a bit too pessimistic earlier. Or maybe he just changed his mind but.. it seems he wants to give it a try? So we're.... how do you say it. Seeing? Together?" By her tone, it was clear she couldn't quite believe it. Saying it aloud sounded too good.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun grinned. "Well then. Copy or not, I choose not to be sad." Seeing as his hands were spotted with clay, he reached out to playfully nudge her with an elbow instead.
Sighing, he shook his head, a flash of honest annoyance crossing his features. "You'd think." He shrugged and spread his arms a bit helplessly. "But alas, there are sadly few eligible bachelors who want to be with an Ascended." And he'd been a bit too busy exploring to seriously seek out sexual conquests.
Raising his eyebrows at her shy response, he chuckled. "Well, that's encouraging." He cocked his head to one side. "But if he ever mistreats you, I will have a word with him." Winking, he nodded at the clay. "Much better."
Laughing, she nudged him back with her own elbow as payback. It really wasn't easy to get him down, which she was very grateful for. Maea could be gloomy enough for the both of them.
"That is very reassuring. Let us hope it will never be necessary.
"It's almost too bad that I'm spoken for now... and that you have your preferences. Or I'd definitely consider someone who claims to be so good with his hands." It was her turn to wink at him, with a rather mischievous smirk.
Looking back down at the clay, she was finally getting the hang of moving the matter where she wanted it to go, and had begun to get some height up on the walls of her cup.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
”If I do get all mopey, just remind me what I said here today." As Maea, of all people, offered to fool around with Amun, he put his hand over his heart in mock horror. "Why I would never have expected such language and such an offer from my sister." Grinning, he waggled his eyebrows.
Then he smirked. "Although I have to say it worries me that your boy doesn't know what he's doing with his hands. Do tell me if you need me to give him a few pointers." Winking lazily, he continued to work on his own cup slowly.
Then he glanced at her almost slyly. "And since you seem far more plugged in to the latest gossip than I am, do tell me if you meet any cute guys."
02-09-2020, 11:38 PM (This post was last modified: 02-09-2020, 11:45 PM by Maea.)
MAEA
"Who better than a sister to truly appreciate the values of her brother?" she retorted with a lofty tone, making a good show of ignoring the slight coloring of her cheeks at his mock outrage. And her own boldness. "And don't you worry... I'm well cared for."
A slight frown creased her eyebrows. "As a matter of fact, I'm probably the one who needs those pointers... I've no idea what I'm doing half the time." And did it bother her to admit this? Well... yes and no. Because she really did not have a clue for good reasons and... Amun was very safe to talk to. He wouldn't pass it on. She hoped.
"Oh, well. It just so happens that I've come across someone who might be to your liking," she replied when he went on, asking for names. Wiggling her eyebrows at him, for good measure. "A Torchline resident. Tall, tanned, very nice eyes, and quite available, if the way he threw himself at me is any indication. I've no idea what his preferences are, but you could always find out... he's apparently frequenting The Hanged Man quite often."
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"I suppose it is hard to argue with that logic." Amun's voice was slightly bemused. As Maea revealed that actually she might be the one who needed help, he smirked. "I'm sorry you need help finding out what pleases a man? And you didn't come ask me? I'm offended." He let out a mock annoyed huff, but his eyes twinkled.
As she mentioned she might have someone for Amun, he leaned forward a bit too eagerly. "Is that so? And who is this mystery man from Torchline?" As he waited for her to answer his very enthusiastic question, his hands continued to shape his cup. "And what and where is the Hanged Man?"
The color on her face deepened, and the girl made a point of looking very much at her hands as they worked to shape the cup. She reached for the bucket, to dampen her hands a little more. "I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" she mumbled without quite looking at him. "Don't tease, I've never... actually.. been with anyone. Before now. Wouldn't know anything." And despite the gossip she was in on lately, Maea usually didn't listen to such things. Or particpate in the kind of discussions that might have those topics brought up. A rather sheltered girl, as Loren so snidely had pointed out.
"Well... His name is Saiden. He's a fisherman and a cook, and an Abandoned... with some water magic. The Hanged Man is the local bar. I've only been in there briefly in the day, and it seems... rowdier than the VlamVloed. They don't serve any food." Her scowl said plenty of her thoughts on that. But then, the girl was also quite biased when it came to bars.
I'm an angel bored like hell And you're a devil meaning well
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Unfortunately for Maea, Amun was not going to be deterred by her embarrassment. In fact, he waved a hand almost impatiently. "Yes, yes, you're talking to me now." He set the clay he was working with down.
Then he turned to her and crossed his arms. "I guess the place to start would be to ask what you've done already." A wicked grin crept onto his lips. "And to ask what you'd like to do." He winked at her.
Nodding thoughtfully, he grinned, this time much more friendly. "I'll have to check out this Hanged Man." Then he smirked a bit. "And this other man, of course. Sounds like we might get along just fine."
