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!
07-17-2020, 07:18 AM (This post was last modified: 07-17-2020, 07:20 AM by Nate.)
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
Considering the things he’d helped his fellow ascended collect for their own quests from the Voice, Nate considers himself lucky. A diamond, and sear cats blood.
The cats blood is the simpler of the two to come across, so he decides to worry about the diamond instead. It shouldn’t be difficult to find a diamond the size he needs, with the kind of port Haulani boasts, but actually obtaining it is going to be a problem. He’s got a bag filled with a few nicer trade items, and a rough limit decided on for things he’s willing to do, favours he’s willing to trade out.
His steps through the market are unhurried, despite the heavy pattering of rain, the paranoid vigilance that has him stiff and hunched. Pemota lingers over his shoulder though, her starlight calming, almost as much as the presence of Haai, keeping in step at his side. Nate tries to keep his mind on simple things, as his eyes shift around, trying to find what it is he needs.
Imagine: a man leans against a shadowed wall, a knife clutched in his hand. He greets you with a smoky voice, only coming into the light as you draw close. The knife is glinting and wickedly sharp; with skilled strokes he slices into an apple, placing the flesh into his mouth directly from the steel. His face is grizzled and scarred, and you can tell he's got a tale to spin. Your spine tingles, and butterflies fill your stomach. An adventure is about to begin.
This is not what Nate will find, if he follows the source of the voice. Instead of smoky the voice is somewhat mumbly and heavily accented. Instead of eating an apple with a knife he's... well, that part's true, actually. As are the scarred and grizzled features.
But the butterflies? Probably not.
Still perched on the (rather well-lit) wall, you raise a cloven brow. "Enjoyin' th' night market? Lemme know if there's anythin' I can help ya with." Half-sarcastic, half-genuine. If he's here for business you'd rather handle it yourself. Less chance of him and his worse half causing chaos on your docks.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
A voice rings out that Nate really, really doesn't want to hear. It is, if it comes down to it, a fight that he feels like he can win, and that though is the only thing that convinces him to turn, wide, fake grin on his face. "Evening." He can act civil for as along as he needs.
"Enjoying it well enough. Better than the last time I was here." A careless hand is thrown up towards his face, the scar there, though the bright blue eye never leaves the smuggler, sizing him, his words, and his shiny little knife up.
There's no reason to trust the man as far as he could throw him, but in this one, specific instance, he might actually save Nate some time. And swallowing his pride to ask for help is something he can do easily enough, though he's sure it won't be the only hoop he has to jump through.
"Might take you up on that." A mumbled reply, coming before Nate takes a half step closer, a hand lifting to push his hair back. It's as if he steps into a different version of himself, the hard set of his jaw melting away to a thin smile, his eye softening. He can be civil, to get what he wants. "I'm looking for a diamond. A big one." A hand comes up, fingers making a circle approximately eyeball sized, for example.
He gestures to his fucked-up face and you can't help wince in sympathy. "Heard about that. Hope y'know that wasn't one'a mine." This is surprisingly sincere and serious: your people definitely did not commit that particular sin. You wouldn't tolerate it if they did. There are unspoken rules of the underground, one of which has always been don't go for the face.
A rule which both Dickrector and 'Biter have now broken, and been summarily punished for.
Here's the thing that Nate does not yet know about you: you take your work very seriously. You've done a lot to reach your position on top of the smuggling heap, and you do a lot to maintain some semblance of legitimacy to your highly illegitimate business. Petty differences aside, business is business and work is work, so when he does reveal he's not here for pleasure you're quick to change your tone.
"A big diamond? Not an easy thing t'come by, that." Rising up from your place on the wall, you regard Nate frankly, not shying away from the fucked eye. "Not cheap, either." Gesturing for him to follow you turn and begin to walk down the dock, expecting him to be obedient. He's in your world, now.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
Much as Nate would love to scoff at the words, he knows they’re true. Too bad he hadn’t taken this walk earlier, before certain things had come to light. ”I know. We’re pretty sure it wasn’t anyone from around here.”
This awkward, working while unfriendly dynamic between them was uncomfortable, but at least it was preferable to another fucking fight. Falling into step behind the smuggler, Nate lets his words drawl out of him. ”It’s not something I’d be looking for unless I needed it.”
A short, knowing laugh leaves him at the next warning. ”I’m not expecting anything to come cheap.” Especially not from Zeph. After all, he’d always given worse deals to people who had pissed him off, with that caveat that whoever could go through the trouble of finding someone else. They didn’t, much like he wasn’t going to. ”You’re not gonna fuck me over though, right bud?”
Aww, he really doesn't trust you, does he? "I'm wounded," you reply with affected injury, holding your hand up to your heart. Turned around you are now walking backwards; you know these docks well enough to navigate them with your eyes closed. "Far as I'm concerned we're even. An' even if we weren't- I never let petty squabbles get in th'way'a business." This, of course, is a lie. You fully intend to jack up the price Nate plays for his fancy little stone.
But let him believe what he will.
Turning back around you stop your tour at a modest looking stall. It's offering clay pots of fairly decent craftsmanship, and manned by a larger woman who greets you with a warm smile. "Auwe, Aunty, you look beautiful," you announce, leaning across the countertop to warmly kiss her cheek. "You met our director'a social affairs? He's in th' market for somethin' special."
The woman looks at Nate with a critical eye, then breaks into a grin. "Aye, an' what kinda think we lookin' for? A vase? Or a bowl? Maybe a full set'a tablewares?" Leaning on the side of the stall you wait and watch with an almost-smile, curious to see how Nate takes this detour.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
"You think I was born yesterday, huh?" Nate huffs, more amused by the show than anything else, and glad that the full glory of his skeptic expression is available for the other man to see. Not that he's going to believe anything said by Zeph anyway, but the fact that they might be even comes as a bit of a surprise, and irritation. Still, that's a problem for another time.
For now, Nate follows, obedient as can be, even when they stop at a stall that doesn't seem to have a single thing to do with the diamond he's looking for. It's a game he at least has the sense to play along with, offering the woman running the stall a bright grin in return, and stepping forward.
"I'm looking for a diamond, though I don't think there's a stone you could show me more dazzling than you." With a glance thrown towards Zeph, Nate leans in, letting his volume drop just a touch. "I'm getting married, you know." He's hoping the words might help his chances, though he knows there's just as good a chance of them being used against him.
Wow. Wow. No subtlety after all, just a straight dive to the heart of the matter, eh? You exchange a look with the old woman, shrugging and raising your hands as if to say hey, not my fault. You set the floor for Nate to dance on; if he's not graceful it ain't on you.
The auntie, for her part, looks skeptical and somewhat put-out. Propping fists upon her hips she fixes Nate with a look. Boy, I've been married five times! she replies with a merry laugh. Lemme tell ya- a happy home starts with happy dishes. Now, if yer lookin' fer some bowls, some'a 'em got a rather pretty pattern. Here, look look. From under the counter the woman brings up a stack of bowls wrapped in brown paper, gesturing for Nate to come closer that she might unwrap them and reveal her work.
You hold your place leaning on the wall as all of this unfurls, looking away briefly to greet one of the dockhands and shake your head at his skeptical look and the thumb pointed to Nate.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
If he were a little less perceptive, a little less worried about some kind of figurative or literal knife in his back, maybe Nate would have missed the look shared the older woman and Zeph. As it was though, he couldn’t really care too much. You want subtlety, you do the talking yourself, old man.
Now that he’s here though, he doesn’t really have a choice but to see it out, not until Zeph moves him along. As familiar as parts of it might be, this is not his world. And he knows better than to be rude, so he laughs along with the woman, nodding as he does.
”We could use a little more happiness in the house.” He agrees, leaning in closer, good eye facing towards her, and the wrapped up bowls. Eager to see the pretty pattern, along with whatever else the bowl might hold.
You watch keenly as he leans in, waiting to see his reaction when the bowl is fully revealed. Diamonds indeed: painted around the edge of the dishware, sure, but also seated in the bottom, sparkling even in this dim light. There's a few of them, in various sizes and state of refinement. The biggest one is entirely uncut, about the size of a quail egg (or an eye). The smaller ones could always fit on a ring.
'Like what you see?' the old woman asks, pushing the bowls over for him to look at. Finest you'll find this side'a Halo. An' I'll give ya a discount, you bein' an intended an' all. She winks and you snort, figuring her discount will be an absurd jack up. Fucker deserves it though. And hey, you're keeping your promise: it ain't you fleecing the fool.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
Being ascended takes away the magic from a lot of things, but it doesn’t steal the short gasp as the bowls, and their precious cargo, are revealed to him, his one eye going wide as he stares down at the treasures. His gaze doesn’t leave the diamonds, though he wants to glance sideways at Zeph. ”These are even nicer than you said.” He purrs, shifting to look closer.
”What’re you looking for for the biggest one?” His gaze snaps back up to the woman’s face, a sweet grin spread over his lips. Hips can’t to the side as he leans even further onto the stall, bringing attention to the few treasures he’d brought along with him, few enough that there’s no way they’re going to cover whatever trumped up cost he’s slapped with.
It's almost cute how excited he is to see the rocks laid out before him. You chuckle a little, exchanging another look with the woman at the stall, her own keen eyes sharp and glittering as she marks the Ascended's interest. When he reveals his collection of treasures it's all you can do to keep from snorting, turning away and rolling your eyes as the inevitable bargaining dance begins.
'Oh, what pretty little toys you have,' the merchant says blithely, smiling broadly, her crooked teeth glinting with gold. Reaching to return the cloth to its place atop the diamond, she blinks serenely at him. 'Perhaps th' diamond set's a bit rich fer yer taste. Sure yer beloved'll be just as happy with another stone. Say marble?
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
just put down the bottle, don't listen to what you've consumed
"No." A gasp of desperation, before Nate remembers himself, remember's who he's with, and hardens himself again, the momentary slip of the grin only making it seem less real when it returns. "It has to be a diamond." Maybe not necessarily that diamond - she'd said this side of Halo, hadn't she? Halo was just a hop, skip, and portal jump away. It would be so much easier to have it now, to not have to search anywhere else, but it's an option he holds in the back of his mind if it really comes down to it.
His tongue darts between his lips, greasing the way for his words, his smiles. "There's a lot I can offer if you give me the chance." Nate doesn't bother to hold back his wink, the way his head tilts towards her. "Name a price. A job, a trinket. Let me earn it." It doesn't exactly feel like he's coming off as less desperate, but he's managed to inject confidence back into his voice, a swagger that says he can make everything he promises come true.
08-20-2020, 08:38 PM (This post was last modified: 08-20-2020, 08:38 PM by Zephyr.)
zephyr
You can smell the desperation on him, and the saleswoman can, too. She's still smiling at him, only now here smile has turned a little bit predatory, curled dangerously at the edges. Hmm... so many promises. I do have some work for a young strappin' lad, and a need for some supplies. Rhampire horns - two - an' a new cloud manta stone. An' one ghost whale rib. That'll do the trick, eh Zeph? She looks at you and you shrug again, raising your hands as though to say that this is between the two of 'em.
A moment of thought and she seems to come to a decision. Nodding curtly to herself, the woman extends her hand. What a fine lad you are, to help an old woman like me. Now you hurry along and fetch those things, there's a dear. Yer dishes'll waitin' when ya get back.
I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
