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!
Sam wasn't sure he wanted his inevitably wonky vase to be remembered, but understanding the spirit of what Amun was saying he obediently continued to work on it, not mentioning the contact as it came and went and working the water into the clay. He found that he actually quite liked the tactile nature of it, how he could be less precise than his usual day to day work required.
The hand on his shoulder was a surprise too (Amun certainly was handsy, wasn't he?) but Sam didn't say anything, stood up and went to look at the wheel, which he had previously not paid too much attention to. He watched as the potter kicked the wheel and the thing began to turn, impressed by the simple but effective mechanics of the whole thing. When it was his turn he sat and while he was a little nervous about doing well, he found himself excited to give it a go.
"Right, so..." Sam kicked the wheel and it began to turn; he found he struggled to maintain a steady speed quite as well as Amun had, but he managed to keep it spinning enough that he was satisfied. "I think I have it. So...what now?"
Amun certainly was handsy, but he never went where he wasn't welcome. In this case, he gave Sam some space while the redhead figured out how the wheel worked. When the other Ascended mostly got the hang of it, the potter grinned and nodded. "Good!"
Walking over to the workstation he retrieved the clay the other man had been working with. Placing it in the center of the wheel, Amun chuckled. "Now the magic happens." He pointed at the unworked clay, which was throwing off droplets of brown water as it spun. They were both getting a bit splattered, hence the aprons. "Press your thumbs in the center to start making a depression. That'll be how you hollow out the vase. Then pinch the top with your fingers and gently pull up to make the neck."
Somehow, Sam wasn't quite expecting the splatters of clay when it began to spin and he made a rather undignified noise of surprise as he received some right on his nose, wiping it off with the back of his hand: maybe he had an apron on, but he'd have to wash this shirt as soon as he got home if he wanted to save the sleeves. Still, not complaining, he leaned forward to begin following Amun's instructions.
Pressing down, he successfully made the interior of the vase, 'oo'ed at how the clay almost grew up around his fingers as it spun. Pinching for the neck was a little harder, his fingers not quite grabbing onto the edge well enough for a moment; Sam frowned and stuck his tongue slightly out as he tried to concentrate, catching the edge and pulling for a neck.
As predicted, it was wonky and uneven, his too-hard fingers on the neck had left an indent, but it was at least somewhat shaped like a vase. Letting the wheel come to a stop, he looked at Amun as if waiting for a verdict.
Laughing at the splatter and Sam's reaction to it, Amun slipped his hands into his pockets. "Sorry. Should've warned you." He nodded at the cot in the corner. Next to it was a dresser with a washbasin, and there was a string of drying clothes next to it. "You can wash up afterwards and borrow some of my clothes until yours are dry, if you like. We're about the same size."
He smiled, glancing back at the redhead. "I'm sure we can think of some way to pass the time." Amun winked, both eyes crinkling as he did.
The smile turned into a full on grin at the other man's delight. The potter clapped when the wheel finally rumbled to a halt. "Excellent. Unique, and really great work for your first time." He nodded at his fellow Ascended.
Then Amun stepped forward. "Now we can either leave it as is and move on to the trimming and the glazes and the firing or I can show you how to correct some of the imperfections. Up to you." He trailed his fingers along the outside of the vase, tracing around the neck in particular.
Sam looked over to the washbasin, unsure about Amun's size of them being the same size (compared to Amun, he felt very weedy indeed) but nodding all the same, glad of a chance to get the stains out of his shirt. "Thank you. How do you keep anything you own clean??" As for suggestions of ways to 'spend the time', any implications flew over Sam's head, the earlier discussion of the Voice not at all having put him in the right mind for flirting. "Oh? What's that?"
Embarrassed at the surely undeserved praise he grinned, flustered, looking down at the floor. "I'm sure you're just saying that, but thank you." When he finally was able to look back up at the vase and consider the options Amun gave him, Sam reached out a finger to just feel along the smooth edge of it, finding that he liked having created an object in such a short amount of time. "Show me how to correct it." He requested, taking back his hand to let Amun take over.
Chuckling, Amun shrugged. "I don't." Winking, he gave Sam a once over. "But I don't mind getting a bit dirty." The potter licked his lips.
Then he grinned. "Just messing with you. I just have to wash my clothes a lot." He punched the redhead gently in the arm.
Raising his eyebrows, Amun hummed. "Whatever you want. Maybe we can just talk though, get to know one another?" Hesitating, he offered the other man a smile.
Nodding he lifted his hands from the clay. "Alright. Set the wheel to spinning. Once you've got it up to speed, place your fingers inside the neck. However, don't pinch, just push out a little and let the natural rotation smooth it for you. And if you widen it too far just do the opposite and smooth the outside by pressing in a little."
"...Oh." Sam replied, only just seeming to realise then that he was being hit on; he laughed awkwardly, unsure of how to feel about it: Amun was surely an attractive man, but he wasn't used to being pursued, especially not by another Ascended. Thankfully, he was swiftly given a way out of the conversation. "That sounds annoying." He said, laughing more genuinely and playfully rubbing his arm.
Talking and getting to know each other sounded like a good start for any sort of relationship, though; Sam nodded and smiled, glad that they'd gotten to this point after the somewhat tense start. "That sounds nice." That agreed, he got to following Amun's instructions, spinning the wheel again and manipulating the clay.
It was wobbly still when he had done, the vase seemingly doomed to always lean a little to one side, but it looked better than it had: maybe the slant could even be called character. "Okay, I think that's...as good as it's going to be." He laughed and held out his hands either side of the finished product, as if to say 'ta da!'. "You said something about glazes, next?"
Laughing at Sam's reaction, Amun shrugged at the redhead's comment. "It's not a big deal. And I definitely think it's worth it." The potter beamed as he gestured around at the shelves that lined the room, which held all sorts of pottery: plates, cups, vases, bowls, boxes, even statues. Each one was painted, a riot of colors and designs spanning from simple geometric shapes to portraits both stylized and realistic.
Still smiling, he nodded at the other man. "Talking it is." Then Amun smirked. "We'll see where that takes us." He hummed a tone in the back of his throat.
Shaking his head, he leaned forward to peer at the vase. "Well done. Really well done." He grinned lopsidedly.
"It's much better, but glazing is actually the last step. Sorry for the confusion." Taking a slim blade, he held it out to Sam. "Use this to trim off some of the excess clay, even it out a bit. You can also carve grooves. Just spin the wheel and hold it against the clay. If you're trimming, run it up and down the area you want to make smaller. If you want to make a groove, hold it in place until there's a small one." The potter smiled. "Just don't cut too deep and you'll be fine."
Assuming the redhead took the knife, Amun would head over to the kiln. Taking a poker, he'd carefully expose the coals. Then he'd toss some kindling followed by some logs until it was blazing merrily. All the while, he'd give the blaze a respectful amount of space.
Sam could certainly appreciate the artistry in Amun's work; perhaps later he would like to spend time looking at each project in more detail. With a smile he looked over each, nodding and agreeing that it was indeed a worthy use of the potter's time.
"Thank you. It will probably look alright in the windowsill of my shop, at least." He decided, imagining the earthen tones of the vase in the window before the sea. The whole shop was decorated humbly, with homemade shelving and ornaments, so a slightly wonky vase wouldn't look too out of place.
He took the knife, accepting his mistake on the glaze (he really had no idea what he was doing) and trying to cut in the grooves Amun had mentioned as the other Ascended went off to fire up the kiln. Experimenting, he moved his hand up and down as the vase spun, creating a wavy line around the middle: the result made him smile, even if there were little beads of excess clay around the pattern. "How do you come up with the designs you do?" He asked as he sat back to look at his work.
Grinning, Amun cocked his head to one side. "You looking for some artwork for your new shop?" He rubbed his hands together. "If you are, I could make you something." Gesturing around at the displays again, he smiled at Sam. "Everything on display is up for grabs. And if nothing strikes your fancy I can make you something specific."
Laughing at the question, he shrugged. "Depends." He pointed at a vase where the opening was the jaws of a dragon, the neck its head, and the body was its furled wings, claw, and tail. "Sometimes it's a commission." Moving on to a box where dolphins leapt on the side and wave patterns decorated the top, he smirked. "Sometimes I'm inspired by the world around me."
Then he smirked and pulled out his patch, setting it on his palm. "And sometimes I'm just playing around." A flower bloomed on his hand as he activated the little piece of tech, a vibrant pink shading to yellow in the center.
Nodding at the redhead's actions with the knife the potter carefully retrieved the vase when the other man seemed finished. "Now we put it into the kiln and let it dry for a while. Once it's dry enough, we can take it out and paint the outside with the glaze and put it back in." Amun sighed. "After that, it'll take a couple of days to fire completely. Sorry, I probably should've warned you. I can deliver it or you can come pick it up, whichever you prefer." While he waited for Sam's response the potter slid the vase into the kiln.
"You can sit on one of the stools. Or check out the wares. Sorry, I don't really entertain people that often." Chuckling, he grabbed one of the stools by the workstation for himself. Perching on it, he watched the redhead.
"Oh! That would be lovely, actually." Sam looked up at what was on display, letting his eyes focus more intently on each piece now as he considered what would fit well in the shop. Eventually he saw, at the end of the shelf, a small vase painted with a simple pattern: it was humble, but intricate and the colours seemed to shine off the pottery. Pointing to it, he smiled at Amun: "What would you want in return for that one?"
He nodded at the explanations about some of the works, finding it fascinating to hear other people's processes: his own had always been so methodical, slow. How amazing it would be to be simply inspired, and to make right away! "You're very talented." Sam said, genuine smile framing the compliment.
The flower certainly drew his attention too, Sam leaning forward to see it. "...Is that...magic?" He asked, wondering if perhaps Amun had recently drunk from an Abandoned.
Not having been aware of the amount of time clay really took, Sam considered his options: he wasn't planning to stay in the Grounds for much longer, but he didn't want to make Amun travel all the way to Torchline... "...Could you keep it for me, and next time I'm in town, I'll come for it? I'm not sure when that'll be." He watched his work slide into the kiln, hoped it wouldn't explode (he'd heard that could happen).
Going to sit down on one of the offered stools, he looked Amun over: it seemed he had perhaps missed out on the opportunity to make a friend earlier. The man was kind, creative...he shuffled a little on the seat, wondering how to continue to make conversation that wouldn't lead to any more potentially tense topics surrounding the Voice. "..Did you make pottery in your old world? Before you came to Caido?"
Grinning at Sam, Amun followed the redhead's finger. Walking over to the vase, the potter picked it up. "This?" He inspected it before holding it out for the other man. "Got any up to date maps of the ocean near Torchline?"
Chuckling, Amun nodded at Sam's compliment. "I know. But thanks for saying so." The potter raised an eyebrow at the redhead's question. Glancing at the patch, Amun shook his head. "No, it's tech. It allows me to camouflage whatever part of my body is underneath it." To demonstrate, he had his palm turn into a rocky surface.
Nodding, he smiled. "Of course. Especially because that guarantees you'll visit me again." He winked at the other man.
Leaning his palms on the stool, Amun nodded again. "I did. But I was a sailor before that. Unfortunately the ship I was on got caught in a storm. We couldn't repair it, so I apprenticed myself to a pottery maker. The plan was just to do it until I could find another crew to join, but I ended up falling in love with it."
Then he narrowed his eyes and smirked a bit. "Your turn. Did you always want to be a bookmaker?" He cocked his head to one side as he waited for the answer.
"Yes, that one. It's beautiful." Sam held out a hand to take the vase and look at it closer, fingers reverently light and gentle with the piece. The price Amun asked was more than reasonable and something he could easily fulfill so he nodded, going to softly put the vase down by the door so he could take it when he left. "Yes. A variety, actually, showing different information. What would you be using it for?"
Never having been able to be so accepting of his own talents, he was somewhat jealous of Amun's easy way of acknowledging them; Sam had often fantasised about having that kind of confidence. It seemed Amun had a few more tricks up his sleeve (or in his hand..?) too, the patch fascinating in it's own right. Leaning forward to watch it change, Sam nodded appreciatively. "It's very impressive." It reminded him of his own, now lost, ability to blend in.
A sailor and a potter? Amun was certainly a man of various abilities. "Oh, I see. I've always thought it must be lovely to work exploring the sea...but I understand the appeal of simply creating things too." Which nicely tied into his answer to the question directed at him: "No. I had no plans at all really, then an old bookmaker in the market took me under his wing when my parents kicked me out. He taught me a trade and gave me somewhere to live...I owe a lot to him. I did find that I liked working on the projects, too. It let me escape."
Grinning, Amun handed the vase over. "I'm glad you think so." When Sam asked what the potter wanted a map for he chuckled. "I have a boat in Torchline specially prepared for Ascended. Totally blacked out, courtesy of the Voice. I figured I might take it for a few trips around. Maybe you'll join me some time?" He cocked his head to one side.
Nodding, he ordered the patch to shift to a soft blue glow. Curling his fingers around it, the light shone through, bathing his whole hand. "Thanks. But give credit to the Voice." Smiling, he winked at the redhead.
Sighing, Amun drummed a bit on the edge of his stool. "It was lovely. Hard to do it without a crew, though." He shrugged. "Which is why I want some of the Ascended to go sailing with me." Pausing, he shrugged.
Glancing at the other man, the potter raised an eyebrow. "Your parents kicked you out?" Frowning, he leaned forward a bit. "Escape how? Into the world of the books?"
