Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
The boy chuckled softly, a surprisingly warm sound compared to his gruff quipping at the start of this encounter. Perhaps his gloom was only skin deep... or a dark cloud about to drift away from the sun it had obscured. Who could say.
The suggestion was another one he had not really considered before. Poking some pebbles around with a foot, he turned the idea over in his mind. "Possibly... I might give it some thought," he conceded. It was about as far as he would go at this point in time. Korbin always did prefer to make his final decisions on his own.
"So, what has brought Potter the Pirate to the docks today?" he asked, changing the subject almost abruptly.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Always happier to chat amiably than argue, Amun grinned at Korbin's laughter. The grin deepened at the other man's words. "Sounds good to me." However, the potter nodded at Korbin to hopefully let the other man know that the Ascended understood how difficult this was.
Chuckling, he shrugged. "Not much, really." He gestured at the brand-spanking new ship floating in the harbor. The one they'd been throwing rocks at earlier, of course. "Just checking out my new vessel, deciding when to take it out on its maiden voyage." Tone teasing, he glanced at the other man. Obviously Amun was amused to have caught Korbin in the act.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
"Oops," the young man said lazily, when Amun gestured to the ship and called it his. Now Korbin longed for an even bigger rock so he could really make his mark... "Aren't ships normally called 'she'?"
He looked the offending ship over again, still annoyed by the newness of it. "You really should take a trip," he agreed. "Get some scrapes down, make a few marks... It's not yours until you lick it, as they say."
And maybe he wouldn't be so irked by its existence if it at least looked like it belonged. Hey, that seemed like a metaphor for something else. Fancy that...
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun grinned. "They are." Nodding, he glanced over at his ship. "But she's still new to me too. And it's been a while since I actually sailed." Indeed, she didn't even have a name yet, something he should rectify soon.
"You've licked a lot of things to claim them, have you?" It was clear he was amused by Korbin's words and discomfort both. Still, the potter shrugged easily. "I would but I've got some business to attend to on shore first."
Then he gave the other man a more serious look. "Plus I need a crew for something of that size. Unfortunately, she's not particularly suited to anyone but the Ascended, and they've been too busy to take her out with me." It bothered him, though he tried not to show it.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
"Hmm. Nervous?" he asked, looking askance at the man. "I've never set foot on a ship in my life. Can't say I'm planning to either." The idea of that much open water made him nervous. He was a creature of wind, not water.
"Of course," he quipped back, with a sly wink. "Only the really important ones though." He shifted, and was relieved to feel a breeze shift to come his way. It relieved some of the heat, made him feel like he could breathe again. "All Ascended... doesn't sound very inclusive of you. I thought I was supposed to be the close minded one here."
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Chuckling, Amun shook his head. "Hardly." Then he winked at Korbin. "But as you said, she's a lady. If I'm going to take her for a ride, I should do it right. Be respectful and all that." The potter grinned, a bit of his old wicked humor coming back to him.
Snorting, he raised his eyebrows at the other man. "And what do you consider important?" The Ascended was quite curious to know the answer to that.
When Korbin pointed out that the ship only accepting Ascended was exclusionary, Amun shrugged. "We don't do well with sunlight. It sets us on fire when we're newly made and weakens us when we're stronger." He gestured at the ship. "That emits darkness, which we can see just fine in. Makes it safe for us to sail. So in a way, I'm actually being inclusionary by giving Ascended access to something they couldn't otherwise enjoy." It was all a matter of perspective.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
His responding grin was perhaps not quite as wicked, but not entirely awkward either. "Probably for the best," he agreed, "or the lady might decide to pick another captain for her next joyride."
Baudy jokes aside, Amun's next question was perhaps a touch too personal. The most obvious ones should have been made plain already - continuity, home and family - but they were hardly lickable things, now were they. Anything else... well. Maybe some other time. "Oh, the usual things," he responded airily. "Family, friends... Nothing worth noting."
The explanation for the all Ascended crew was perhaps a touch more interesting, and the youth nodded his understanding. "I'm sure there are Attuned out there with good night eyes," he suggested, "but if you really want to keep it to yourselves, I got nothing to say on that. Not like I'm begging for a ride anyway."
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun couldn't help but wink at Korbin. "No chance of that." Unsurprisingly, the potter's tone was more than a bit smug.
Raising an eyebrow at the other man, the Ascended actually full out laughed at Korbin's response. "Let me get this straight. You licked your family? And your friends?" Amun gave the other man an incredulous look. "And they're still your friends?" Letting out one last chuckle, the potter shook his head.
Nodding, his expression grew a bit sly. "Well. I may have promised the Voice I'd make it available to Ascended in order to get the boat in the first place." There wasn't an ounce of shame in that admission.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
"My, aren't we confident," Korbin mumbled at that. His expression turned into a grin when Amun laughed. "Of course. They're not friends if they can't stand a bit of tongue. And you clearly don't have siblings if your fights haven't descended into that kind of thing." He left it intentionally vague what he meant, just to see what kind of reaction it would draw out.
Turning back to study the ship, Korbin wondered if his aversion to the ship had anything to do with it being made by The Voice. Not because of any personal vendettas against the new god, but rather... because it had not been crafted by mortal hands. It made it feel somehow less real.
"Avaliable and exclusive are quite different, I think... but I suppose it is your ship." He gave a noncommittal shrug, finding himself grow less interested with the subject.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
"Yes." Amun smiled, not at all put off by being called out for being proud. As Korbin laughed, the potter's smile turned into a grin. "So, on the off chance we become friends, you're going to try and lick me?" He raised his eyebrows, clearly amused. "I'm not saying I'm opposed to it, I just want to know what I'd be getting into." Chuckling, he winked at the other man.
Shrugging, Amun crossed his arms. "I was just pointing out that in order for it to be available to the Ascended, certain modifications needed to be made." Much more quietly, he added, "Everything can be seen as exclusive if you look at it hard enough." However, his tone indicated he'd be equally happy to let the subject drop.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He didn't take the bait. Boring. The prospect of becoming friends with anyone outside his home seemed remote, so Korbin nodded sagely, content to banter over something that problably wouldn't happen.
"When you least expect it," he confirmed, the smirk lazy and not entirely serious. "Retaliation is of course always an option. But mind you, it's quite the binding contract... once licked, there's no backing out again." He sounded dead serious, and only the glitter in his gaze suggested that he might not be. But then... who really knew?
"And everything can be seen as inclusive, if you pick the right angle," Korbin countered. "It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose. Once you fly high enough, it's very difficult to make out details." And that was his way of trying to close the subject. Or shift focus elsewhere.
Arguing things like these was better done over a drink in the depth of LongNight.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun just smirked at Korbin. "Joke's on you. I don't really feel physical sensations, remember? You could lick me all you wanted." And yes, the potter's tone was mildly suggestive, though he was mostly joking around. He spread his arms, revealing his body. "Have at it. I'll deal with the friendship thing later." Expression amused, he raised his eyebrows challengingly.
Chuckling, the sound dark and low, he gave the other man a curious look. "And what type of views do you wish you have?" Pausing, the Ascended shook his head a little. "Or put it another way, what kind of life would you like to live, if you had a choice?"
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He snorted in response, and shook his head. "Listen, friendship is the prerequisite, and I'm all set on that front. You're quite safe, stranger." There was a marked distance in his tone, something in his posture that suggested that bantering was fine, but there was a limit to how familiar this would get.
Korbin didn't let people in easily. Didn't trust easily. Didn't really do friendship.
It was bordering on that line, Amun's next question, and Korbin shrugged, the walls around him starting to creep up again. "I like things the way they are," he said shortly. "No need to change anything."
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Amun chuckled. "Ouch. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just rejected me." However, he didn't sound in the least bit hurt or slighted by Korbin's rejection. If anything, the potter had been expecting it. He seemed to have lost his ability to make close connections with people in the wake of Maea's death.
Although he could've commented that not all change was bad, he decided to let that part of the other man's go without comment. Instead, the Ascended just gave Korbin an amused look. "Do you like things as they are right now?" Amun glanced back at the horizon. "Is that why I found you brooding?"
