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!
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
To say it had been a surprising amount of work would mean that Sera clearly wasn’t that familiar with her job. It had taken just under a week, once she’d gotten the materials made, crafted and glimmering, one sided glass she could install with her team into the Spyglass’ office. It had taken a day or so to knock out the wall facing the city, to let the light shine through. It had taken another day to clean and set up the framing – spaced out as far as she could make it if only to give Finn as much room to write upon the glass as he saw fit.
It had taken the next day to set the glass, to ensure each piece fit and sealed perfectly – a way that rogue winds wouldn’t clatter them against each other, rogue birds wouldn’t find their way flying into it – that was mostly the point of the one sided glass, an attempt to ensure nothing happened to it. And when they’d managed to get it done – only a bruise or two settled on Sera’s arm from her framing ventures, only then did her team get the time they needed to rest and she had time to finish up.
The day before the show off, she’d taken particularly close care in cleaning up the mess, the pieces of wood, sawdust, insulation, tools left behind to where it almost appeared perfect. Then, focusing on cleaning the glass so that all fingerprints were gone. The last step – perhaps a final touch because Finn had simply mentioned the idea of it to write on, did she craft a small little shelf to attach to the framing, a space where pens could sit and an eraser of sorts to remove it entirely from the glass would be located.
And then it’s finally the day – one last quick check through it, through the glimmering sunlight that filters in through the expanse of windows, ensuring that it’s up to her standards, when she sends the letter to Finn. But she doesn’t quite let him in just yet – no, she stands outside the office, doors drawn shut, Levi draped around her shoulders with his head tangled in her dark hair. She stands as a guardian, waiting for the Spyglass to arrive to properly make the surprise just as perfect as she hopes it would be.
It’s a pride thing, really.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
Finn has been more than a touch busy since his initial meeting with Seraphina. Her letter arrives and he responds promptly, and the Spyglass who approaches her this time seems somehow brighter and more put together than before. There is no cast on his arm, for one thing, the complex break all too easily healed up by a unicorn in the Celestine. Indeed, he seems to have a little more muscle on his bones, and there is a light tan to his skin that suggests plenty of walking outside.
He's just tucking something into the satchel slung over his shoulder, and if Sera looks really closely she might notice that it's a half-eaten gingerbread man from one of the various bakeries in the Pacifist Plaza. Finn has found his appetite, he has found sleep, and he's found peace along with it. Sure, it's highly medicated still, but the improvements are obvious.
Still, not everything changes, and the smile he offers her is as polite as it is awkward as he draws close to the office. "I hope I have not kept you waiting long," he says softly.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
He hadn’t kept her waiting very long. No, as soon as she’s closed up the doors and stood outside, ensuring that everything for the big grand reveal was perfect, only then does she spot him across the way, heading toward her. He looks better now, somehow more filled out – less gaunt and exhausted, the bags under his eyes slightly less-so. Perhaps time away from the office was exactly what Finn needed?
She hopes the windows only add to the brilliance that seems to be hidden within, poking out through the cracks.
At his polite and awkward smile, she breezes by it with a soft, brilliant smile of her own. “You haven’t.” She assures him, dipping her head slightly, Levi offering a puff of air in greeting toward the Spyglass as Sera begins to move. “Are you ready? I must be honest in saying that I’m very proud of this one.” One of her better projects, really. One that was so different from the standard walls and expansions that she had grown accustomed to.
At his agreement, only then does she open the doors wide, lingering by it to let Finn in first. The office is cleaned up, the windows letting in light that would chase all the shadows away during the day, windows that would let the moonlight filter in late at night. The spaces between the windows big enough for notes to be placed, the shelving added to include the pens and the erasers, there’s even a string of twine near the top where he could pin important papers to them for reference should he wish to.
But she remains silent, unable to wipe the excitement from her face as she watches and waits for his reaction.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
"I am ready. I'll admit that I have missed the space, since leaving it." An unusual feeling for the Spyglass to be sure, given that he tries to avoid his office if at all possible on an ordinary day. But perhaps Sera is about to change all of that, and he gestures for her to go ahead and open the door for him. The Spyglass steps inside, squinting at first because he honestly doesn't expect the amount of light that greets them.
For the first time, Finn realises that his office is located at just the right angle in the Tower to let in all of its brightness and brilliance, and his stormcloud eyes dance over the window panes with unbidden awe. He takes in the carefully placed panes, the spaces between, the extras that he hasn't asked for but seem to fit so perfectly nonetheless. His feet have taken him forward quite without his permission, his fingers reaching out to hover over the glass, to take in the view down below.
"This is more than I could have ever expected," he confesses, glancing over his shoulder with a boyish sort of pleasure in his expression. "...I don't know what to say. Thank you, for this. It's perfect."
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
It is a surprising admission that Sera doesn’t expect to hear from the Spyglass, and she hopes that the addition to the space only amplifies it. So she opens the door, lets him in, lingers by the doorway to give him space while he takes it all in. The silence can be both worrying and wonderful, only able to tell by the language spread on the person’s face. With Finn, she can’t read him, not until he glances to her after she’s followed him in a small amount and offers that boyish expression.
It’s returned with a brilliant grin. “You’re welcome.” She says softly, moving over toward the windows now to show the extras. “I’ve added a bit of twine you can connect papers to, a little basket of clothesline clips to hang them. There’s also this shelf, these pens should work well with the glass and be easily erased.” But that’s not entirely all, is it?
She slips away toward the edge, where the windows don’t quite reach, a small shelf she’s made into holding the cleaning solution. “This is a bit of a special solution to clean it and keep it shining. It’s easy to make, but if you need more don’t hesitate to ask.” Dark eyes lift to meet Finn’s figure again, that smile remaining bright and vibrant. “And since it’s one sided, you shouldn’t have any unexpected visitors. We tried to make it appear less tempting on the other side so no birds will fly into it.”
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
Her grin seems to light up the room more than the windows do, and for the first time since they've gone missing and earned him this stay at home in StormBreak, Finn wishes he had his glasses that he might look at her through them. He blinks a couple of times, as if to catch his own attention, and listens carefully as she approaches the windows as well and explains all of the extra features. His eyes flick from the twine to the clothespins to the hidden shelves and nooks and crannies, as if trying to take it all in at once.
"You must have quite the creative mind," he remarks. "Do you go above and beyond for all of your clients?" In some cases this might constitute flirtatious behaviour, but for Finn it's a genuine question, and he eyes the solution with a nod, committing it to memory. His fingers already itch to write on the window panes, and before he knows it he has shrugged off the satchel and he's reaching for one of the pens.
He pauses at the last second poised to write, and offers her a sheepish smile. "Would you like to do the honours?" he asks.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
Her shoulders loosen with a small amount of relief she feels upon his reaction – all good things entirely as she breezes by him to show him the extra additions that she’s added in. His comment, however, does keep that bright grin on her face, though it edges toward becoming playful. “Not to brag, but I am the Artificer.” She chimes, flashing a wink toward him. “But no, not usually. Only when I think I have an idea of what would benefit the space.” A brief pause as she considers it. “And only when I know the receiver won’t be upset with the choice.” The last thing she wanted was for her to take some artistic freedoms, only to have the customer shout at her over it.
Finn hadn’t seemed the type, so she wasn’t too afraid of trying it out.
But she lingers by the shelving now as he shrugs off his satchel, Levi crawling off of her neck to coil himself up in a shelf as Sera watches Finn reach out – pausing only at the last second. Her brows raise at the offer, hands clasping together in front of her as she considers it. “Oh, sure.” A hint of shyness, rare for the woman that’s rebuilt Finn’s office to let in the light to the dreary location. A quick glance is given back toward him, ensuring that it was fine, before she takes the pen in his hand and picks the window beside the one Finn wished to write on.
Her handwriting is legible, each letter connected, half a cross between cursive and print – the handwriting of someone who tended to write fast without much time or need to print things out incredibly clear. ‘Welcome back, Spyglass.’ She writes out. It's unclear if it's back to his office, or back to being well, as she turns back to him. Closer to him now in this space, she finds herself looking up at him with that same bright smile, handing the pen back to him so he might be able to write whatever it was he wanted to start with.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
"Ah, I see." He offers her a sheepish smile, the Spyglass averting his gaze as he realises that of course she is the Artificer. This is her job, and given that she's part of the Order, it's pretty much a given that she'll be good at it. It will probably dawn on Sera quite quickly that he doesn't particularly understand playfulness, at least not on this occasion, and he clears his throat awkwardly. "Well, I can assure you that I am not upset with your choices here. This is... more than I could have ever expected."
He watches as she writes out her message, Finn tilting his head as he reads the words, a softer smile touching to his lips. Accepting the pen back from her, he adds his own flourish beneath it; his handwriting is unsurprisingly neat and simplistic, born out of a mixture of his job and the fact that he didn't become literate until comparatively late in life. He writes Thank you, Artificer beneath her message, satisfied with the project and stepping back to look it over.
"I don't think I've ever had anything like this before. It will certainly make my job much easier."
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
It’s no matter that her playfulness falls flat, if anything it makes it easier — a way to get the awkwardness out. She and Finn have not talked much, if at all, aside from the day they’d quite literally ran into each other just outside of his office. Other than that? She and the Spyglass had never held a conversation, had never delved into her playfulness and his awkwardness, and it’s… strange. It doesn’t keep the grin from faltering on her face though. She’s glad he likes it, it’s evident in the way her face lights up, evident in the way she turns her attention from him to write swiftly on the glass before handing the pen back to him and stepping aside to grant him space.
And she watches as he responds on the glass, something softer and warmer coming across her smile when she peers back at Finn, still surprised at how she has to crane her neck to peer up at him. “You’re welcome.” She chimes in response to the words, turning so he can get a fuller view of the office space.
His comment has her nodding, arms folding easily behind her back, honeyed gaze flickering along the desk that awash with sunlight. “Forgive me for being bold to say, but the office was a bit dark... And dare I say dreary.” A crooked smile is flashed his way before she’s reaching up to run her hand along Levi’s side, the Artificer biting her tongue from mentioning how spaces tend to reflect those that surrounded themselves within. “Sunlight does a lot to a person. We’re like flowers in a way, waiting to soak it up and bloom.” She pauses, a bit of a wistful sigh leaving her. “I fashioned my apartment with many windows specifically for that reason.” Her gaze lands on Finn again, a breath of a laugh leaving her lips with the admission and her tangent.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
Already Finn is lost in the possibilites of this new addition into his office space; aside from the obvious, being that the world can now pour its light and its views in on him as he works, there's so much more to be had. The facility to write down thoughts, to let them sprawl into conclusions, to pin extra work and information up and take it down again, and then to wipe it clean when done? His use of paper will undoubtedly diminish from here, something which the Collegium with likely thank Sera for.
When she speaks once more, he can't help but smile a little ruefully as he steps back away from the wall, leaving their combined messages for the time being and replacing the pen on its stand. "This is the Spyglass's office," he explains. "Every Spyglass has used it since the Order began, as far as I know. It was chosen for its proximity to the Collegium and the Archive." But it is dreary, and dark - until now, that is.
Her remarks about sunlight, wistful and imaginative as they might be, has him nonetheless nodding. He grabs his satchel and moves to place it on the desk, to ensure that neither one of them trips over it. "My apartments are in one of the towers," he explains, almost in agreement. "Not much in the way of windows, but there is a skylight that gives quite the view of the stars."
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
She remains still, against the shelving to the side, giving Finn all the space to explore and inspect her work, waiting idly while she waits to see what he decides to do first. He leaves the messages which does surprise her, but she tries not to let it shine on her face as Levi steps over the shelf to land back on her shoulders, his pale opalescent scales glimmering with the sunlight as he curls around her.
“Then it was certainly due an upgrade.” She replies on his history lesson, a soft smile tugging on the corners of her lips. The topic of sunlight has her gaze flicking back to the Spyglass, focusing on his reaction to said words, watching idly while he grabs his satchel and sets it on the desk. “Gods, what I wouldn’t give for a skylight.” She hums with a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Installing one into mine would be installing a window into the Eye’s apartment.” A brief pause, lips faltering in her smile. “Not particularly a view I want to see.” No, the less she had to talk to Cian the better.
Things were easier that way.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
Finn has settled back into his usually productive ignorance, either oblivious or uncaring of social etiquette as he takes his research from the satchel. He listens, but his attention is on the notes and the books he sets on the desk - though she does catch him off guard with the remark about the Eye, and a sudden and boyish smirk can be spied on his face as he turns back to face her. It's gone before he can really let it take hold, stifled into something more polite and befitting the conversation.
"I assure you that you would not want that," he agrees, amusement lacing his tone even if he has banished his smile. "Though I daresay the Eye sleeps in his suit, so you would not run the risk of seeing anything uncouth. Still, I wouldn't recommend gifting him a glass floor in order that you get a skylight."
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
His attention is occupied it seems, and Sera isn’t sure whether or not that’s a cue to leave or to remain, whether he wanted her company or not. But Finn had always been polite and to the point, and if he wanted her to leave she imagines he’d simply say something. At the very least, she gets to be there with him while he organizes his things, while the vision she’d had of his office space with him working away comes to life before her eyes.
She’s almost forgotten what she’d said, distracted by the amusement that laces his tone but doesn’t cross his face. When she finally realizes it, her lips curl in a small smile. “Thank Frey for that.” She half murmurs, a breathy laugh leaving her as she runs a hand through her dark hair, letting it fall over Levi where he sits on her shoulders again. He simply puffs a bit of air to blow it out of his face. “I doubt he’d appreciate the view of me as well.” She can’t help the brighter laugh that leaves her, the wrinkling of her nose as she lets it go.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
"I'm not so sure about that," Finn says, practically without realising it. The implication is clear, however; that the Eye likely would appreciate the view of Sera, however he happens to find her through the sudden appearance of a glass floor in his rooms. Whether that says the Spyglass shares this view is not as certain, and he's already grabbing a few pages of notes to go and pin up against the transparent wall.
"The Eye has a penchant for the ladies, believe it or not," he remarks, entirely in a research mindset by now, and he reaches for the eraser to swipe away their messages, a pen already in hand as he begins to jot down a mindmap that spawns from whatever is written on his pages of notes. Only once he's halfway through it does he realise that he still has company, clearing his throat and stepping back a bit. "Sorry, I am being rude." He smiles sheepishly.
