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!
07-23-2020, 08:04 AM (This post was last modified: 07-23-2020, 10:41 PM by Nate.)
You're the prototype for me and if heaven wants to take us they can try
Nate supposed, after everything else he'd done since receiving his position, it was high time to actually do something for the community. And with the weather turning, growing worse and worse by the day, it seemed obvious what he was going to do. Aside from the pure physical labour that came with reinforcing roofs and windows, and setting up sandbags.
So, emergency kits. All the preparation in the world wasn't worth anything if it was only preventative. Sometimes (most times) things got out of hand, or didn't go as planned, and while he was sure most people already had something in place, Torchline naturals well acquainted with the weather and the temperament of Flowerbirth, the population of people from elsewhere just kept growing.
A message had been posted on the notice board, telling people to come to the Slagveld if they wanted to help, with time enough between it going up and the event that Nate could gather supplies he thought he might need, resulting in a pile of supplies sitting beside the boxing ring, ready to be dispersed amongst volunteers, the first of whom was already settled beside him.
Now all he had to do was wait for the rest.
Help Nate make some emergency kits, and knock out an SE/help out a gov't at the same time! Open to everyone, please post your arrival!
ransom notes keep falling out your mouth, mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs speak no fear, no i don't believe you. you don't care a bit. you don't care a little bit.
Of course he’d offer his help. It’s part of their whole ‘lazy’ Flowerbirth, something calm without any of the trauma that usually surrounded the two of them. It also meant that he didn’t have to be away from Nate, worrying himself with Hotaru’s situation in Halo. It was easier to focus on something else, and that something else feeling much like home as the days go by.
So he remains beside Nate, settled within a chair, leaned back with his gaze flickering along the boxes of items — still not knowing what was what — but content to wait until Nate enlightened him and whomever decided to show as well. “It’s a good idea, you know.” He rumbles, turning his attention to Nate with an amused smirk. “Hopefully they take to it.” Would prevent a lot of problems in the long run, right?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
they say it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
Ronin can’t exactly show up if he’s already there - but it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to help when it becomes apparent that Nate and Sunjata’s presence is for more than drinking and fighting. For the Dark Star’s part, he’s been working on one of the punch bags, his hands wrapped, hair damp with sweat. ”There’s no reason for them not to take to it,” he muses in the wake of Sunjata’s remark, catching the swinging bag and leaving it there to approach the other men.
Inhaling deeply and letting it out again, he sweeps his hair back from his face and moves to lean against the ropes of the boxing ring, rolling his shoulders and grabbing for a towel to wipe his face and chest off. ”Either way, it’s better to be prepared than not. Never been in a monsoon - can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”
As a fisherman's daughter, Arialla was well-accustomed to coastal storms and the need to prepare for them (though, unbeknownst to her, the Torchline's storms grew much more severe than those of her mild home). Lingering in Torchline even after LongNight as she was -- she felt reluctant to return to the Hollowed Grounds -- she figured she might as well lend a hand. After all, this was one of the few activities she'd found in Caido that she actually had some experience with.
"Hello," she said, rather shyly, approaching the group of strangers. Their piles of supplies identified them as the storm-prep group, but while she had heard the names "Nate," "Sunjata," and "Ronin" tossed around, she didn't know any of them by sight. "I'm here to help with storm preparations -- my name is Arialla."
Harper can firmly say he's never experienced a monsoon, but after asking about the local weather he's up to snuff on the fact that it's no bueno. So when the notice goes up mentioning preparations for the storms, Harper pounces on it like the veritable golden retriever of a man that he is. The Halenani isn't as busy after LongNight, and it's a simple matter to finish his shift and go for a nice jog along the beach to the Slagveld. It seems he's the last to arrive, though most of the faces are familiar.
Sunjata is met with a grin, and he gives a short wave to Ronin after recognizing him as the man he almost did dick-paint-art with at the Halenani. A shame it hadn't happened, but alas. Though Remi had certainly seemed inclined, maybe the man is a bit more timid, so Harper doesn't bother with more than the smile and wave. The other two are unknown to him, and so he obviously jumps right into integrating himself - Nate he at least recognizes visually from the Artist's Sanctuary event. The last is a copper haired girl, and Harper sidles into an open space between all the people, glad to have caught her name as she announces it. "I'm sure extra hands are never amiss," he assures, reading the nerves off her body like a language all of its own. Omnipresent smile never fading, he claps his hands restlessly and turns to Nate, eager to begin. "How do you want us to start?"
You're the prototype for me and if heaven wants to take us they can try
Ronin's approach is acknowledged with a quiet nod, the doctor uncertain until that point if the man was going to join them, or simply be an observer. "I can think of a handful of reasons for them not to take to it." Nate replies lightly, leaning against Sunjata as if showing off just one of them. The pose doesn't shift even as others filter in, a woman who is utterly unfamiliar, and a man who is only barely familiar.
Regardless of how casual he tended to be, some part of Nate seems to straighten up as he addresses those assembled, clapping his hands together before he speaks. "I want to thank everyone for coming, first of all. If what we do today helps just one person, then it's more than worth it." An unwavering smile clings to his face as he speaks, as he turns to gesture to the boxes. "There's lots to do, and I'm hoping breaking the tasks up will make them go faster. What I want is to get the basics of an emergency kit filled out, the things that might be harder to have on hand for the average person, in a bag big enough that it can be added to."
Going over what needed to be done once more in his mind, Nate started outlining tasks. "I'll need someone to cut and fold bandages, I have a few templates already made, and instructions on the best way to fold them." He moved to pull a box free from the group, bolts of plain white fabric filling it, along with a pair of shears, and the aforementioned examples. "Water filters need to be assembled, which... would go fastest as a two person job, I think." There was a box of bottles with the bottoms cut off, ready to be turned into simple filters, though the rest of the supplies needed a little more work. "There's charcoal and corks that needs to be broken down into smaller pieces, and the bottles will need the necks stopped with fabric before they can be assembled. I uh, have another example in with the bottles." Let no one say he hadn't done at least a little bit of preparing. "I managed to get a hold of some food that will need to be sorted properly, each bag will need some kind of vegetable or fruit, and some kind of protein." And finally, last but not least: "And the bags. They need to be waterproofed, there's some wax around, but if anyone knows an easier way, I'm open to suggestions."
Nate had done more than enough talking it felt like, and for once he was happy to fall silent again, and let his volunteers choose their tasks.
Round 1!
There are 5 tasks!
1. Cutting and folding bandages. There is fabric and scissors provided, along with an example of what to do.
2a. Preparing filter media for the water filters, specifically breaking down large cork and charcoal pieces into something finer.
2b. Preparing bottles to be used as filters by covering one end with fabric and filling with the various filter medias (charcoal, cork, sand, gravel) when they're ready.
3. Sorting jars of food and separating them into batches for each kit.
4. Waterproofing the bags, either with the provided block of wax, or by some other method.
Feel free to use the entire space of the Slagveld, and assume that any simple tools or materials have been provided. :>
they say it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
”Best we give them a handful more reason to take you up on it then, no?” Ronin smiles, falling quiet again to hear Nate out. It’s remarkably well thought out - not that the Star is surprised, given that the Ascended is a doctor - and he glances over everything that needs doing with a curious eye. ”I think I’ll take the bandages. It’s about time I learned to do something other than carry boxes.”
It’s a joke, of course; Ronin was previously a soldier, and was given basic medical training in a lifetime back. Rather than a learning curve, cutting everything to shape is more of a refresher course, and one that he’s very pleased to take. Whistling under his breath, he takes up the scissors and gets to work.
07-27-2020, 05:47 PM (This post was last modified: 07-27-2020, 05:47 PM by Arialla.)
Arialla
Arialla nodded along to Nate's instructions, then took a moment to consider which task she'd be best suited to. She almost said bandages -- as a priestess of a healer-god, she had some experience making them; it was a common task for novices -- but Ronin spoke up first, and she didn't think it was a two person job. Making water filters looked a bit complicated, and she wasn't that handy, so ...
"I can sort food." She went over to the food supplies and started to look through them, frowning a little as she considered the best way to tackle the task. Should she sort everything first, then put the bags together, or make the bags as she went? Sort everything first, she decided; that would make things less complicated, fewer things to keep track of. She sat down by the supplies and started moving things into two piles.
-------
Arialla will take up food-sorting duty, creating two groups: one of fruit/vegetables, and one of protein.
ransom notes keep falling out your mouth, mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs speak no fear, no i don't believe you. you don't care a bit. you don't care a little bit.
“Ouch.” Sunjata retorts to Nate, but still shifts enough that his arm can rest along Nate’s shoulder with a huff of a laugh. Ronin’s comment is met with a grin, an eagerness. “Sounds like your kind of storm, Ronin. You’re in for a treat.” A flash of a wink is given before people filter in, a nod and a softer smile given toward Arialla, a more rogue grin given to Harper.
But then he’s letting Nate go to offer the instructions for what they’re here to do and Sunjata remains sitting, leaned back and watchful of where and what everyone picks. The pairing remains open, and Sunjata glances toward Harper a brief moment before he moves to stand and reach out toward Nate, tugging at him to come with the attuned toward the filters. “Thought of everything, didn’t you?” He murmurs, leaning over to press a kiss to Nate’s temple.
But then he gets to work, pulling out one of Safrin’s daggers — sure that this isn’t how she imagined he’d be using it, at least in this instance, and he begins to slice into the corks and charcoal to break them up to be added to the filters.
Sunjata picks 2a, and drags Nate along with him ;D
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The instructions are far more complex than Harper had admittedly been expecting. For a moment he privately considers their leader, curious and intrigued by the level of knowledge and preparation. But there's no time to inquire about one's origins and training when they're gathered together like this for a reason, or at least no respectful way to do it, so Harper instead considers the available tasks.
Working with Sunjata wouldn't be a problem, but Harper instead heads for the wax, content to be out of the loop the other three men apparently make. Grabbing the bags and the wax he sets up at a table, warming the wax with his hands and a patch of sunlight through the window, content to go slowly instead of ending up with the wax turning too far into a liquid state. Spreading it slowly and methodically along the bags surfaces, falling into the rhythmic motions.
You're the prototype for me and if heaven wants to take us they can try
Everyone falls to their tasks with gusto, some Nate greatly appreciates. Reaching out to the public could be somewhat of a mixed bag sometimes, but he'd attracted a good group, and he couldn't be happier. Though he'd meant to fill in wherever was needed, he wasn't surprised when Sunjata tugged him along to work on the filters, the pair of them settling in a corner to work together. And, surprise of surprises, it goes well.
Prior experience is all well and good, but it cannot help Ronin when the two halves of the scissors fall apart in his hands, the bolt holding them together giving in to age and use. Though there is a lot of preparation done, there is apparently only one pair of scissors available in everything Nate has gathered. There are other sharp implements, though it will be slower going, unless the Demi-god has a better idea.
The boxes of food are clearly hand offs, something bargained for out of someone's back room, and it shows. Arialla will find the jars covered with a healthy layer of dust and cobwebs, even within their boxes. Thankfully, the seals all seem to still be strong, and the glass has held up. What's within maybe not be the most appetizing, but it's something. As the once priestess works her way down the box, the cobwebs will become thicker and thicker, until the culprit is finally revealed, a handful of fat, spindly spiders, hiding along the bottom of the box, and skittering away from the light when they are revealed. They'll have to be dealt with somehow, if only so the task can be finished.
Harpers task is perhaps the easiest, and most monotonous. Bag after bag is covered with wax, the temperature letting it spread without crumbling, or dripping away into nothing. Trouble only arises when he grabs a new bag, and finds it suspiciously heavy, a rumbling weight voicing it's displeasure within the bag. Investigation will reveal a cat, large and fluffy, more than likely attracted by the bleeding heart that runs the boxing ring. It doesn't seem keen to leave, a clawed paw coming out to swipe at the accepted, accompanied by an angry hiss.
Sunjata's daggers make clean work of the particulate, containers of large pieces broken down into smaller, easier to manage ones. There is a lot though, and it can only be handled so quickly, lest it crumble too much. Nate, beside his fiance, finds his own task easy enough to manage, once he's figured out the trick of it. It's a little more complicated than he expects, Nate's initial idea not working, simple string not keeping a tight enough fit around the bottle, not when he doesn't have the time to ensure all of them are done perfectly. Most of them still have their caps along with them though, and with a quick modification, they're easy to screw on top, holding fabric in place. Both of the jobs are finished at roughly the same time, a convenient fact for them, as it means they can transition into the next one easily.
Filling the bottles is it's own beast, a fiddly job, but one that Nate and Sunjata both can tackle together. Charcoal, then cork, then sand and gravel are poured in, the top secured with a slip of fabric, and more string. It's less important that this one stays in place, as it's only meant to keep everything inside the filters while they're in the bags.
Round 2!
Ronin gets a handful of bandages made before the scissors give out on him. Perhaps they can replaced, or repaired, to finish the rest of the cutting? Arialla finds a bunch of spiders at the bottom of her box of food, keeping the last few layers from being easily accessed. They will need to be dealt with to finish sorting the food. Harper has no issues with waxing the bags, but a large, upset cat has taken up residence in one of them. Sunjata breaks down the filtering materials, but now Nate needs help getting the bottles filled properly.
they say it's all been done
but they haven't seen the best of me
It’s with a grumble of disappointment that Ronin finds the scissors falling to bits in front of him, the Star frowning down at both pieces as if expecting them to magically jump back together again. They don’t, of course, which is irritating to say the least, but where there’s a will there’s a way. Doubly so, for Ronin. He hunts around for anything else he might use, settling on a sharp knife, but as Nate has suspected already - it’ll be slow going like this.
So he conjures up his astral projection to hold the material taut while he cuts it, providing a much needed helping hand in the situation. Hopefully this will speed things up and the knife won’t be nearly as much of a hindrance as it might have been otherwise. As he works, he also glances around to check out the rest of the group and how they’re doing.
Ronin goes for a knife instead to cut the bandages, and he conjures his astral projection to help him out with the task.
ransom notes keep falling out your mouth, mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs speak no fear, no i don't believe you. you don't care a bit. you don't care a little bit.
It goes surprisingly well, the daggers making quick work of the things Nate needs him to. And despite the fact that it takes some time, Sunjata finds that their tasks finish at the same time. He flashes a quick grin to Nate, before glancing around to see how the others are doing — spotting Ronin’s astral projection and huffing a small snort. “You good Ronin?” He asks, a dark brow raising toward the Star, before he notices the shuffling of items in front of him and Nate.
He wipes the blades off quickly, placing them to the side as he goes to grab a piece of parchment to make a makeshift funnel, reaching for a bottle and popping it inside before his steel gaze lifts to Nate. “I’ll hold the bottle and you can pour them in?” The end comes out as a slight question, moving to tackle the funnel and bottles to keep both from falling apart and falling over.
Hopefully this part goes just as well, not wanting to get too cocky too soon.
Sunjata makes a small funnel to stick into the bottles for Nate to pour the filter parts into!
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Arialla wasn't thrilled by the cobwebs, but she wasn't going to complain -- at least, not until she came across the spiders themselves and had to stifle a scream. She wasn't particularly afraid of spiders, but seeing them scuttling around in there startled her badly.
"Oh, that's just lovely," she said, once she'd taken a deep breath to steady herself. All right, Arialla, you can do this. She could have asked one of the men for help, she supposed, but they all had their own tasks, some of which seemed to be going even worse than her spider-ridden food box. And she was trying to become a tougher, more capable person here in Caido, someone who could step up and solve problems -- with that goal in mind, a nest of spiders seemed like a decent place to start.
So, how violent should her response be? She didn't see any way to shoo the spiders carefully of the box, and she definitely didn't want to get close enough to actually, say, put a cup over them and remove them. (Not that she had a cup to hand, either.) So ... sorry, spiders, you picked the wrong box. She went back through her last few sorted food items and found a heavy, sturdy jar, then gripped it by the top and leaned over the crate to start smashing spiders with it.
-------
Arialla's going to crush the poor spiders with a jar.
