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!
Oliver, true to his word, had sent Amun a note when the blacksmith next fired up his forge. Luckily, the potter wasn't particularly bothered by sunlight these days. Not even taking the time to toss on a cloak, he finished up his latest project, a vase, and set it to dry in a corner.
Then he scooped up the metal ball. Leaving the studio, he made his way towards the other man's shop. Knocking on the doorframe, the Ascended called out softly. "Hey, Oliver, got your message. Is now still a good time." He didn't want to interrupt Oliver if the blacksmith was in the middle of something tricky.
Today was a special day in Oliver's forge, for he was trying to learn how to make....a knife! It wasn't going to be impressive, far from it, but it was absolutely an effort. Right now he was working on the blade, currently hammering at the metal and attempting to at least make a blade like shape. Honestly, he wasn't exactly sure what made a knife sharp and would probably have to check and see if the Loreseekers had any books on blacksmithing.
He had far more important things in mind before that. A message had been sent to Amun and Oliver was more than ready for a late night, waiting for the man to appear around sundown. The wrapping at the door would've been mistaken for a customer if not for Amun's face. Holding up a hand, Oliver tried to signal with his finger a one, hoping Amun would understand what it meant. Plucking the hammer back up, he worked for maybe another minute or two before finally pulling away.
With a heavy breath, he took a few steps away and finally lifted off his mask. Due to the heat of the fire, he was actually wearing a short sleeve shirt, but the moment he took a few steps away he quickly put on a cloak. "Hey Amun, surprised to see you so soon. Want to come inside and take a seat?" It was an offer that would probably be rejected, but an offer nonetheless.
i just want my existance to be
more than trembling
Amun did indeed understand. When Oliver held up his finger in the universal gesture for 'just a moment,' the potter froze right where he was. Standing almost motionless just inside the doorway, he waited completely patiently for the blacksmith to give the all clear.
Once the Ascended received it, he nodded at the other man's offer. Sitting, Amun held up the orb. "Let's just say I'm eager to complete this task. Or maybe I just wanted to see you again."
Grinning a bit, tone teasing, he jerked his chin towards the forge. "On the note of getting this finished, mind throwing this in there for me? I would, but, you know, Ascended and fire." Shrugging, he waved his other hand in the air, hoping he wouldn't need to explain the issue to Oliver.
Thankfully, nothing went too wrong during his attempts. Amun understood the symbol and he was able to do what his main goal was: make something that looked close enough to a blade! He'd have to wait and see if it actually cut well once the blade had time to cool off.
In the mean time, he could finally focus once more on Amun. With a playful smirk, Oliver took a small step closer. "Couldn't it easily be both." He asked with a grin on his face, a small part of him hoping that this interaction would be much longer than the last one. He did, after all, just put in a couch down in the basement. It was a hard as fuck task, but it would be very useful for nights where he couldn't make it back to the manor due to exhaustion.
Plucking up the orb from Amun's hand, their fingers brushed up against each other momentarily as the blonde looked over the orb briefly. "I can. Like last time I'm going to assume that there isn't a set amount of time for how long it needs to be in there?" Waiting momentarily for a response, Oliver made his way over to the fire, shedding off the cloak as he did so. Adjusting the mask, he carefully placed the orb into the forge and waited. If Amun had given him a time then he'd try to wait until then, otherwise, he'd wait only a few moments before picking it up with a pair of tongs. "It needs to cool off for a bit, cant have you getting hurt now." His voice rang out loudly, clearly due to the mask. If only he could wink at Amun, what a loss.
i just want my existance to be
more than trembling
Smirking right back at Oliver, Amun shook his head. "Nah. One or the other, take your pick." Peering curiously at the metal that the blacksmith had been working on, the potter's eyes narrowed somewhat.
However, his gaze was drawn back by the other man's question. The Ascended shrugged. "Nope. Just has to sit in a powerful fire. So I guess keep it there until it's heated all the way through?" There was a slight amount of uncertainty in his voice, but he wasn't too worried about the specifics.
"I appreciate it, though heat's not really a problem for me." Still, he made no move to pluck it from the tongs. Instead, he pointed at the other bit of cooling metal. "What's your latest project?"
Offering the man before him a pouty lip, Oliver fluttered his eyes dramatically. "You cant make a special exception for me? It does get very lonely here so I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a while." Honestly, if Amun did stay for any longer than needed, Oliver would be extremely surprised. Amun had no real reason to stay after the metal ball stuff was done and even though Oliver might be interested in a companion, he didn't want to get his hopes up.
Nodding, Oliver offered him a "Can do." Before he was off to work, making sure the metal ball seemed hot enough, but not too hot. It was carefully removed with the tongs and Oliver tried to make sure he wasn't risking getting him or Amun hurt.
There is a response and he gives a light shrug. "Yeah, well, my fleshy body doesn't like the heat and I'd rather not burn off the skin of this gorgeous body." He had to be dramatic with his words since his face was covered right now.
After a bit, the orb seemed cooled off enough and he moved to hold it out to Amun. "Go ahead and take it. The offer still stands to stay for a bit longer if you're interested."
i just want my existance to be
more than trembling
Amun chuckled at Oliver's antics. "I would, but I'm not just going to sit here and wait until you take a break. I'll swing by when you're working on something that doesn't require your full attention." Flashing the blacksmith a knowing smile, the potter raised his eyebrows.
Smirking a bit, he winked playfully, without a hint of flirtation. "I don't know man. Chicks dig scars." Unsurprisingly, he was teasing the other man.
Plucking the orb from the tongs gingerly, the Ascended nodded his thanks. "You just told me you were trying to avoid burns. If you want company, you should be working on something that won't hurt you if you get distracted." Standing up, he shrugged. "Also, you can always swing by the studio or meet me at the Sanctuary. Thanks for all your help though. Like I said, I owe you two." With that, he headed towards the exit.
Letting out a clear and loud thoughtful hum, Oliver nodded. "Sounds good with me. Typically, those times are the mornings or evenings." If Amun did want to drop by, then fantastic. And if not, then nothing would be lost. Oliver wasn't entirely sure what exactly their relationship was at this time or what would even happen in the future, but he also wasn't too bothered.
A playful eyeroll and Oliver shakes his head. "Too bad I only like guys. Big shame." It was a lighthearted comment, one that showed Oliver was in the mood to joke around. Hopefully Amun would receive it well.
His words were true and Oliver understood what he meant. "I'll try to drop by... stay safe out there, alright? And have a good day." He offered the man a soft smile before going back to his work, finally plucking up the blade and inspecting it closely. Time to see if all his hard work would pay off or if he'd have to keep making blades all day.
FIN?
i just want my existance to be
more than trembling
