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!
Everything was ready to go. All prepped, all in order, everyone informed who needed to be, all plans set in action while they were away. And Jack couldn’t wait. True, the captain looked like absolute garbage, yellowing bruises still fading along his jaw (and in various other places on his body), his dark hair swept out of his face and kept there by the pouring rain, eyes squinting against the light.
But as he stood on the dock before the Ark while the men made their final checks, he was as close to content as his stormy mind could possibly get. Arms folded across his chest, shirt clinging to his wiry frame, he gazed up at the ship as if it were speaking to him. Of course, the more likely explanation was that he was gleaning the thoughts from those passing around him, but he couldn’t very well explain that.
Really, there was no reason for him not to already be aboard. And yet, he was still on the boardwalk - for now. There was one last farewell to give, to a man who would not walk aboard his ship for love nor money, lest Jack accidentally-on-purpose sail them into the sunset.
"Woulda thought your pretty ass'd be looooong gone by now."
Sorry, Jack, but there won't be a dazzling young maiden to see you off today. Instead he gets, well, you: grizzled and grayed and newly scarred and clutching a somewhat dismal bouquet consisting mostly of ferns and fronds with one or two early bloomers thrown in for effect. Look, the end of a week of darkness is not a great time for flowers, and the point is you did your best, showing up at all.
"Ya look like shit," you point out, coming to a stop beside him and extending the bouquet. The thing is topped in a shock of color that Jack will easily identify as Ki. Leaning against the railing of the dock, you raise a brow to your best friend reluctant work acquaintance. "Elo tell ya 'bout our gift?"
”My pretty ass was waitin’ on you. If you were ever on time, the ship’d be long gone by now.” Jack didn’t glance across at Zeph at first, as if he were truly annoyed by it (which of course he was not), the captain eventually turning his attention to the other man as the rain pattered softly down onto them. ”I guess we match now, then,” he said of looking like shit, arching an eyebrow at the flowers and letting a hand fly to his chest in a for me? gesture.
Accepting the bouquet, he levelled it with his face so he could gaze across at Ki. ”I know,” he said. ”The quality of bugs on this one isn’t up to par. I’ll pass on your criticisms.”
Blue eyes sliding back to Zeph, the wicked smile that slanted across his lips told everything. ”She did,” he murmured, lowering the bouquet. ”Undoubtedly there’ll be trouble from it. I trust you to keep the heat on while we’re gone.”
07-05-2020, 04:39 AM (This post was last modified: 07-05-2020, 04:40 AM by Zephyr.)
your bright eyes are gonna kill me for sure
"If I was on time I'd be watin' on you 'til my hair turned gray," you shoot back languidly, turning to lean your forearms on the railing and stare out at the ark. His comment about you matching has you looking over flatly, your eyes raking unimpressed over the yellow bruises that will definitely heal. Meanwhile, your face is going to be cut through until you fucking die- but yeah. Totally the same.
His conference with Ki has you snorting, even though she definitely agrees with his assessment and makes it clear through your bond. She's always been rather pleased with Jack's ability to read her for whatever reason, and now she meets his gaze with her own beady, expressionless eye, trying to convey her absolute dismay at being left once again to keep you in line.
Ki leaps off the bouquet and onto the railing, making her way along the dock with as much swaggering bravado as any human while you raise a brow to Jack's sharp grin. "Undoubtedly," you agree, sounding rather unimpressed. "Don' worry- I'll babysit our new 'Biter an' his bloodsucker while yer off galavantin' 'round th' world." It's what you do: take care of shit while he's off on his adventures. And yes, the fact that you don't go along is based entirely off your own poor stomach for nautical adventures, but that's never stopped you from giving him shit before.
”Don’t look at me like that - you know it was in jest. ‘Sides, scars are sexy - said it yourself.” Jack smirked, watching as Ki swaggered off down the railing with amusement in his eyes. ”It’s aight,” he called after her, ”I’ll be back before you know it.” Now back to the goodbyes at hand, that were definitely going to be brief and manly and not emotional at all.
Folding his arms across his chest, the bouquet springing jauntily out of one side, Jack raised his eyebrows at Zeph and jerked his chin towards the Ark. ”If you fancy somethin’ different there’s always room for you aboard. C’mon Zeph - drop everythin’ and come gallivantin’,” he asked, his tone playfully challenging. He got shit and he gave it in return, and all was right with the world.
It's always been a little weird, how easily he can guess what you're thinking (almost like he can read your mind), but you've learned to shrug it off as him being weirdly good at picking up cues. Not responding to them - the man has all the manners of a rhampire in mating season. But it's nice to know that someone gets you, even if he often doesn't make a lick of sense.
Not moving away from the comfort of the railing, you snort derisively at the invitation. "Stuck on that rickety thing with you for a season? I'll take th'Biter, thanks all the same." Truth be told you would fucking love to sail the ocean blue, but both of you know that your stomach will never allow for such a thing. "'sides which, I'm pretty sure yer navigator has th'hots for me. Wouldn' wanna steal yer bedwarmer while yer out at sea." I'll wait until you're back, your raised eyebrow and smirk say as you reach out to pluck a flower out of the bouquet.
”Rickety? I beg your pardon,” Jack said indignantly, though the crooked smile playing across his lips suggested that Zephyr was one of the few people who could get away with that jibe. He shrugged and let out a sigh that pretended at lamenting, turning back to the ship that towered overhead. ”Well, I’m sure he’ll keep you on your toes, Zeph.”
The remark about Eloise drew Jack’s gaze back to the other man, and he reached out to swat at Zeph’s hand as he stole one of the flowers from the bouquet. ”The hell you would. If she so much as whispered in your ear you’d run a mile,” he shot back, knowing the dock worker to be very much in the bark-not-bite category. ”Unless you suddenly found your cock over Longnight, anyway.”
"Yer right- she's a lovely ship. Ain't her fault she got stuck with you as a captain." You turn to look up at the ship almost apologetically- and it's true, she's a magnificent creation. For all the shit you give him, Jack takes good care of his craft. You know she couldn't ask for a more invested captain.
But it's fun to be an ass.
He's not wrong about Eloise and you: sure, you've gotten your kicks over the years, but mixing business and pleasure has never been your thing. Very irresponsible and dangerous, Jack. But when it comes to finding your cock... Well. If you were a younger man you might have flushed as an image of Vai dances scandalously through your mind. As it is you snort and raise an eyebrow, looking sidelong at Jack. "Just cus I don't stick it in anythin' that's warm don't mean I can't get what I need, kiddo."
Jack let that one go - it was enough to know it wasn’t true and hear the compliment to the Ark for what it was, and the captain gazed up at his ship with a fondness reserved for her and her alone. It wouldn’t be long now, before they were rocked by the waves and there was nothing but the deep all around. One could find peace out in the ocean - Jack was one of those people.
Drawn back by the always-interesting conversations about Zeph’s cock, he could barely hide his surprise at the sudden and delicious image of a woman, pale skinned and dark of hair, that flicked through the dock worker’s mind. Turning away so the other man wouldn’t see his sly smile, he shrugged his shoulders. Oh, I’ve no doubt about that,” he drawled. ”Anyway, is there anythin’ more you need from me? Or is this the part where we hug real tight and you wave your handkerchief as I go up the gangplank?”
You're not thrilled with Jack's knowing tone, glowering suspiciously at the back of his head. He always seems to know a little more than you want him to, and part of you wants to keep Vai guarded, away from his chaotic grip.
And his tendency to fuck anything pretty with a pulse. The very thought makes you shudder.
"I'm beginnin' t'think I'll hafta drag ya, t'get ya off my dock." Sardonically you roll your eyes, a faint smile on your lips. No handkerchief, no hug goodbye: it just isn't the way for you. "Get the fuck outta here, brat, before ya grow roots. An' bring me back somethin' nice this time, eh?" Be safe, I'll miss you, don't fucking die. Except, y'know. Manly.
Snorting out a laugh, Jack turned to walk up the gangplank, trusting and knowing his ship well enough to navigate it backwards without a second thought. ”Only the best for you, Zeph,” he said, waving the bouquet with a flourish. ”I’ll not darken your docks for another season, so watch close, aight?”
Winking at his friend, Jack spun on heel to finish his trip onto the deck. Once there he blew Zeph a kiss for good measure, the sly look in his blue eyes saying all that words and gestures didn’t need. Look after yourself, and the rest of the islands if things go tits up. Apopo blowing her top had nothing on a bunch of Torchers losing their tempers. Eat your heart out, Arbiter.
