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!
With all the time he’d lost, Nate felt like he was rushing, trying desperately to catch up to hamlet, the plans he’d made. Though nearly everything physical was burned down, save for the few half formed plans left in his office, the ascended has always been one to think on his feet.
The building he’d chosen for his newest venture was close to the Slagveld, more to keep things simple for him than any other reason. He was planning on encouraging a mobile group, the headquarters not mattering as much as the ideology, the drive to help, to make things better. Notices had been posted around Haulani overnight, inviting anyone with a gentle hand, anyway with with a healing bent to lend their hands and their skill to something bigger than themselves. The Caido Aid Society was being born today.
Or... something like that. He wasn’t settled in a name yet. Was hardly settled on anything, just kept pacing between the mostly empty rooms of the building, scuffing marks into the floor as he decided where walls should go up, where they should come down, how the space should look. Anything he could do to distract himself before people who weren’t Sunjata showed up, and he had to make it seem like he was properly prepared.
This is a PQ to establish the Caido Aid Society (name pending), an organization meant to advance health and safety for the general public through free lessons, safety gear and information, and safe connections to vital resources. Think of it as a Red Cross type organization.
There are 4 open slots to help set up the Headquarters, and please DM me (Jyawnee) if you’re character would like to join the Society as a member!
Please write your character arriving at the soon to be Headquarters!
there was a moment, a hole opened in the sky a chance to join that pantheon
He wonders if it’s part nervousness that he sees in Nate, the way he paces and tries to decide what to do before anyone else shows up. He doesn’t voice it, of course, any worries kept to himself mostly. Instead, he focuses on the path Nate takes, the scuffs in the floor that seem to create a line over and over again. He leans against the wall, arms folded, watching Nate with a soft smile on his face. “You know, if you keep walking so much you’ll wear away the floor in that exact line.” He tips his husband a wink, pushing himself off the wall to head toward the supplies they’d brought.
He peers down at it, scanning through everything, deciding that whatever they needed to do he’d likely be a capable body to help whether it be from strength or shifts alone. And so, much like his husband, he sits in and waits for those interested to arrive.
for all the times they never heard your battlecry now be an angel, sing along
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.
”Congratulationsssss!” Vai swans in through the door of this soon-to-be headquarters, a bottle of sweet summer wine in hand. Because even though they were both sick and only recently cured, they’d gotten married, after all. The witch sweeps over to Sunjata first, pressing the bottle into his hands and leaning up (right on her tip toes) to kiss his cheek.
Next she turns to Nate, all pretence of polite distance forgotten since the whole having-to-take-care-of-them-both thing. If she’s able to, Vai will catch him mid-pacing to hug him closely. He also receives a kiss to the cheek before she lets him go once more. ”It’s good to see you looking better,” she says softly. ”Tell me where I’m needed, and we’ll get this place up and running in no time.”
vervain
well i'll rest my eyes
and i'll let the earth breathe
Wessex definitely isn’t here just because she needs it to level. Nope. Definitely not. she wants her name associated with something good. Nope. Definitely not.
She also doesn’t have a healing bent, but if Nate can be an Ascended and do it, hell, she can pretend like she may or may not eventually be the one sending folks to the Aid Society for fixin’ up. It’s fine. It’s fine. Loki is elsewhere, so her approach isn’t quite as loudly announced as it usually is, in fact it’s probably a little quieter, with the Wraith slipping through the streets of Haulani and flowing between the people like a stream of dirty city water - more or less ignored, definitely avoided.
Her eyes to go the building as she approaches, but is quickly drawn to the perky voice of another woman. High Energy. Okay, so it’s going to be like that? Inwardly sighing to herself, the demigoddess follows behind the other woman, but settles for a half-smile and a wave, finding a place to chill until their beginning instructions are issued.
Arialla recognized most of the other people present, though she didn't know any of them well, so she offered a shy little wave as she showed up, quickly a bit overwhelmed by Vervain's energy -- particularly as Vervain was the only person present she didn't know, and Arialla had no idea what she was congratulating Nate and Sunjata on.
But here she was, ready to sign up for the Caido Aid Society -- it sounded like a good way to help people, to give back to her new community. Though she wasn't an experienced healer, she knew some basics, as every priest of Apollo did, healing being one of the god's primary domains. And while she was happy to bring that experience to the table, her understanding was that today's efforts would be more focused on moving and packing, anyway.
"Just let me know what to do," she said, with a smile.
”Honestly, wearing it down right here might help us.” The pacing doesn’t stop, Nate’s mouth now matching his feet. ”I think a wall should go up here, and that one,” a hand lifts to point at a different wall, ”should come down. Make it two... three..?”
His half formed plans don’t get the chance to be voiced, Vai entering with a bang, and a bottle of wine. Nate’s steps slow finally, just in time for him to be surprised by the hug, his body stiff for a moment before he leans down to wrap his arms around her as well.
As one entered, so did more, Wessex and Arialla both entering on Vai’s heels, Nate offering them each a smile over the witch’s shoulder. ”It’s good to be feeling better.” He rumbles with a laugh, a smile so wide it should hurt. ”And it’s good seeing all of you here. Wessex, ...Arialla.” It might take him a moment longer to remember the priestesses name, but he’s no less thankful to her.
”Now I won’t bore you all with the details, not right away.” And not only because he hadn’t ironed them all out himself. ”The first step is making the inside work for us. I want a classroom, two smaller general use rooms, and some kind of community area in here.” All the space held at the moment was a few racks of dusty shelves, the supplies he and Sunjata had brought in, and a back office. ”The best way to start is probably the walls, and getting the whole area cleaned out. Then we can get the walls done, and furnishing.”
Once his explanation is finished, Nate claps his hands, immediately feels awkward about the gesture, and tries to cover for it by getting to work immediately, framing out the new rooms.
Round 1!
The rooms need to be framed following Nate’s guide, and the rest of the area needs to be swept out and tidied.
there was a moment, a hole opened in the sky a chance to join that pantheon
“Getting ideas for the house, huh?” Sunjata rumbles, flashing a grin Nate’s way that doesn’t fade as Vervain breezes in, immediately heading toward him and handing a bottle to him, a kiss pressed to his cheek. “Thank you Vai.” He remarks softly while more people walk in, gaze slipping from Vai while she heads toward Nate and Sunjata’s attention lands on Wessex and Arialla.
A small wave is given to both of them, nothing much more added while he finds a place to set the bottle of wine so that it won’t get broken while they work. It helps to keep him silent while Nate speaks, offering hellos to everyone and laying the tasks out sharp and to the point. He spends a few moments leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest while he listens.
A small amused hum slips from him as Nate immediately gets to work, wasting absolutely zero time in it. And while he considers grabbing a broom and pan to sweep the room and essentially annoy his husband, he decides it's probably quicker if he doesn't. So he picks a wall to start framing, attention focused on the outline of what the frame should look like, moving to grab boards, nails, and a hammer. And then he begins to make the wall frames.
Sunjata picks framing!!
for all the times they never heard your battlecry now be an angel, sing along
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.
She is, however, fucking awesome at cleaning. Yes, you heard it here first, the Queen of the Hollowed Grounds is an expert sweeper, mopper, and organizer.
“I’ve got part of the cleaning,” the Wraith declares with a raised hand, moving to pick up the broom and dustpan that Jata’s declined to embrace. Moving to one half of the building, Wessex starts in a back corner and begins to methodically sweep little sections, pushing the dust and debris out towards the door. A little pile here, a little pile there… she doesn’t hum, exactly, because she is no longer sick, but she does look almost domestic, the short movements quick and familiar. Once it’s time, her shadow holds the dustpan and she tries to keep it all as tidy and efficient as she can.
-------------
Wessex cleans with her shadow holding the dustpan.
"I'll clean as well," Arialla said, shooting Wessex a comradely smile before she remembered who she was smiling at. Well, it wasn't as if she personally disliked Wessex, even if she had doubts about the goddess the Wraith devoted herself to. Their previous encounters had shown Arialla that she could work with Wessex, though she wouldn't want to get into a theological debate with her.
Arialla would have offered to help Wessex more closely, in fact, but then Wessex's shadow seemed to have it covered, so Arialla grabbed her own supplies and started from the other end of the building, figuring they would meet in the middle. Or near the middle, anyway: Wessex would probably cover ground quicker than Arialla did, since she had an extra pair of hands. Must be handy useful.
Smiling to the others as they come to join the little group, Vai steps back to hear Nate’s instructions. And with Wessex and Ariana getting to work cleaning, the witch finds herself joining Sunjata in his framing of the rooms. ”As long as it isn’t retiling a roof again,” she quips with a grin towards Nate; little good it had done in the end, now that the house had burned to the ground.
Helping to steady the frames, passing nails and holding the boards where needed, Vai is no construction worker, but she’s an extra pair of hands where it counts, and hopefully that means she and Sunjata will be able to get this done without too much hassle. It helps, of course, that the Flood is a giant; Vai lets him do all the parts where being tall is a prerequisite.
Vai helps with framing!
vervain
well i'll rest my eyes
and i'll let the earth breathe
Having people fall into motion at his words is not something Nate thinks he will ever get used to. Even with the way he'd tripped over the last shard of it. For the first few breaths, everything seems to go well, seems to be going smoothly.
But there is a fatal flaw, in all of his careful planning, all of his preparation. The load of wood he's gotten is rotten, eaten away by humidity more effectively than any termite. Not that either Nate or Vai is successful in any other way either. Nails slip out of the witch's hands as if they're alive, resentful of being held; at one point a hammer drops, almost crashing into her foot. Meanwhile, every plank Nate places falls apart, slowly at first, and then all at once. Nate notices and simply stands back, watching the doorway, the beginnings of a wall he'd placed slant to the side, clattering against an existing wall, and opening a hole in it.
And of course, the effort wouldn't be complete if the hole didn't disturb a colony of bats, a chorus of tired, irritated squeaks heralding their discovery. And of course, who else do they head for if not Nate?
Sunjata fares the best out of the three of them, but considering the rotting wood, the distraction of the bats, that’s not really saying too much.
The cleaning crew fares better, but only just. Whatever had once inhabited this building has left behind a greasy, sticky dust, one that’s only smeared around by the attempts at sweeping. There are buckets and mops around, a method that would perhaps be more useful. Especially since the bats only add to the mess on the ground.
Nate takes a long moment, once he’s ducked down, protected himself from the bats, and just thinks, trying to figure out where to go. ”Sonskyn, will you come to get some new wood with me? Once we get our guests out. Vai, would you mind getting that hole filled in?” The witch is offered a grin, before Nate turns to face Wessex and Arialla. ”You guys keep it up!”
Round 2 Bad rolls fam
The floors are still dirty, the framing wood is rotted, and a family of bats have been released into the building!
Vervain suffers some misfortunes trying to help with the framing, and Nate asks her to fix the hole he put in the wall. Sunjata manages to get some of the framing up, but the wood is rotted away, and Nate’s asked him to come along to get more wood Arialla & Wessex the dust on the floor is sticky and can’t be easily swept away, but there are buckets and mops available, unless you have a different idea!
there was a moment, a hole opened in the sky a chance to join that pantheon
Sunjata can absolutely help where Vai falls short (ha!), but as the boards are revealed, termite damage and rotted away – already a bit of a downer to the work being done. Pair that with the nails that fall and clink along the floor and there’s a whole team made of just… Terrible things. But of course, it’s not done yet. He can hear the squeaking of bats, Sunjata’s gaze flicking to Nate with a cross between a grimace and wry amusement.
He reaches out to try and compel them to leave Nate alone at the very least – knowing full well just how much Nate enjoyed the creatures and their frequent assaults. He flashes Vai and apologetic grin, slipping over toward the space where Nate’s ducked, hoping he might be able to block the majority, in case compelling them hadn’t worked. “Always.” He replies to the prior question, ready to guide Nate to where the new wood was located, ready to drag it all back.
Sunjata tries to compel the bats to leave Nate alone, but if it doesn't work he goes and tries to stand in the way of them, ready to follow and help Nate bring in new boards!
for all the times they never heard your battlecry now be an angel, sing along
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.
Well, if this doesn't just go horribly wrong. Vai can't seem to hold things for shit all of a sudden, and it's with a curse and a quick hop out of the way that she narrowly avoids dropping the hammer on her foot. In the meantime, everyone else seems to have equally as bad luck (except for Jata, who fares marginally better), and Vai has just retrieved all of the nails and the hammer when she turns to find Nate putting an accidental hole in one of the walls. "Wow," she says with a light scoff of laughter.
"Sure, I'll give it my best shot. We can't do much worse, right?" So saying (and knocking on one of the sturdier planks of wood for luck), she approaches the hole in the wall and attempts to board it up. Her specialties lie in healing and air magic, so it's with more mundane means that she attempts the hammer and nails once more.
Vai tries to board up the hole in the wall!
vervain
well i'll rest my eyes
and i'll let the earth breathe
Arialla watches the others' difficulties with sympathetic winces, and the occasional duck as the disturbed bats fly too close, though she's level-headed enough not to start screaming about them. Instead she keeps to the task of sweeping -- and finds her tools inadequate for it, barely able to do more than scrape the sticky residue.
Well, looks like this is going to require a bit more labor than she'd initially thought. Arialla sighs and gets a bucket and mop. Though one way to make things quicker does occur to her: she looks at the others and says, "If anyone has water magic, that might make cleaning up easier."
Arialla herself has no such powers, however, so she just gets to work mopping.
--------------
Arialla suggests using water magic to help clean the floor, but since she has no magic, she's just mopping.
