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!
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
While Sam was not back in his bookshop under the best of circumstances, there were still things to enjoy about the simple, quiet life he could lead maintaining it. Of course, as always his anxieties and fears remained in the background, but in the dark and cosy shop, the fire crackling away (behind a guard) and surrounded by the smell of paper and books, it was easier to put them aside and focus on what could make it a good day.
With the door open for any customers to enter, he was sat at the counter, practicing his lettering; with the break he'd had in bookmaking he'd feared he'd lost the way, but it actually seemed he was fine, the letters coming out of his pen even and neat, no noticeable difference from the last time he'd written. Taking sips from his tea, Sam smiled at the page, lifted it up to the light coming through the dimmed windows to see the letters as clear as he could.
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry was wearing his trademark sheepskin jacket, due to the cold, gray gloom that was cast over the settlement. Otherwise, the weather was fairly clear. He was out delivering some leftovers to a few family friends. His parents often sent him or his brother on those kind of errands - or to take their place in the markets selling wool and meat. His deliveries had come to an end but, as he glanced into the pack he was carrying, there was still one container left of food. His mother had probably packed it for him. A slight smile worked its way onto his face. She didn't have to do that...
As he contemplated where to eat and continued walking, he noticed that the door to Wordsworth Books was open. He casually meandered over, pausing in the doorway as Sam's cat greeted him. "Hey there, Mia!" He bent down to scratch her beneath the chin, to which she relaxed into his hand - as any cat would.
He glanced up as he continued petting the cat and looked around for Sam. His eyes found the older man at the counter, holding a piece of paper and a pen. Of course. "Sam! It's been a while," Henry said, standing up and walking over with a grin.
He paused to pull the container, wrapped securely in a white cloth, from his pack. He set it on the counterspace, wherever there was any. Sam was probably used to this kind of generosity from the Walkers. They always kept their friends well-fed, so Henry didn't feel the need to explain; he merely gestured to it to indicate that he'd brought it for Sam. If Sam was hungry, he would find warm leftovers of roast lamb and garnished potatoes.
Leaning onto the counter with his chin in his hand, Henry looked down at what Sam was working on. "Are you writing about your crazy adventures?" he asked, glancing up at Sam's face. There was a bit of... something extra in Henry's tone and expression. He wanted his own adventures to write about and he was sore that he didn't have any.
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
Hearing a voice at the door, Sam put the paper he'd been practicing on down and glanced over, smiling to see a regular customer pay attention to Mia, who always loved it. While most cats would turn away such affection, she eagerly rubbed her nose against his hand and purred; Sam sometimes wondered if she was really his cat, or the entire town's.
"Yes, it has. Hello Henry. How are you?" He smiled, genuinely happy to see a friendly face. When he was talking to someone he used to know like this, it felt like hardly anything had actually happened between his shop opening and the current moment; like the rise and fall of his life in Torchline had merely been a dream.
Glancing down to the offered gift he smiled, though what faint smell he could pick up told him it was food, which he normally did not indulge in beyond tea and a nibble or so on a biscuit. Still, it was polite to accept, and he could always give it to someone in need later. "Thank you." He said with a nod, taking the package and putting it behind the counter.
Looking down to what he had written, Sam laughed and shook his head. "No, just practicing letters. I haven't had any crazy adventures to write about." Sure, he'd been to a lot of places and by now, been involved in a lot of things, but none of them had been adventures in his mind: just endless unfortunate circumstances he'd been involved in. "What makes you think I have?"
11-12-2020, 11:17 AM (This post was last modified: 11-12-2020, 11:18 AM by Henry.)
HENRY
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry, at first, didn't answer Sam's question of how he was. He kind of didn't want to, didn't want to think about the honest answer for that. So he just kind of grinned and offered a slight shrug in response, doing his best to avoid it. He didn't like lying, even for such a simple answer. Everyone always said they were 'fine' or 'good', even when they weren't, but Henry didn't have it in him. The best he could do was smoothly dodge the question.
Henry watched keenly as Sam followed his words down to the paper he had in front of him. When the bookkeeper denied any notion of having adventures, that he was just practicing his letters, Henry glanced down to see that he was really just practicing his lettering. "I probably should do that, too... if I ever get the courage to let anyone read my stuff..." he admitted, a mumble into his hand.
Then, he lifted his head up from his hand and scrunched his brows together. "Aw, c'moooon! You have the perfect cover! The average guy. A bookkeeper that minds his shop and his pet cat," he made a show of turning and gesturing around them at all the books before settling back against the counter. There was a knowing grin on his face, "no one suspects that anything out of the ordinary would happen to you, Sam, and that's exactly why... you must have the wildest stories! Tell me one? Please?" He was joking, of course; he didn't really know the details of Sam's personal life when he wasn't in the shop. This was his way of asking, though it was a bit of a tease. He hoped he wasn't being too bold. Sometimes Henry was a bit much for others; he knew that and he... well, he did his best.
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
It was very rare that anyone in the Hollowed Grounds was actually okay, so Sam didn't push Henry for any further answers; he'd talk if he wanted to. A lot of people didn't bother asking anymore, had stopped around last Longnight.
"You write? I could always help you make your stories into books, if you'd like." He offered, quite excited about the idea of such a project; just the thing to ease back into bookmaking and selling, discovering a new person's work. Sam gently moved his paper to the side and pulled out a book that when he opened it, bore thousands of tiny scribbled notes, of books bought and sold, jobs to do, things he had completed.
Henry's insistence that he had to have good stories distracted him from whatever he was about to do, though. Sam laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking off towards the window. He certainly did have stories, but a lot of them he didn't want to tell; he searched his mind for one that ended at least somewhat happily. "Well...I've been to each region on missions for the Voice. I recently went to the Climb; have you ever been there? It's an awful place."
11-14-2020, 04:39 AM (This post was last modified: 11-14-2020, 04:40 AM by Henry.)
HENRY
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
When Sam offered to help him make his stories into books, Henry paused uncertainly. His writings were less like stories and more like poetry. He had pages and pages of it, tucked away in his room back on the farm. For reasons that others may not have understood, he was petrified of letting anyone else read his work. Sam's interest was kind and Henry was incredibly tempted to accept the offer but, instinctively, he wanted to reject it. His expression fell a little.
"I don't know..." he replied, averting his gaze down to what Sam was doing again. With a reassuring smile, he added, "They're all really bad, anyway."
"I've never been there, no," Henry answered, eyes stretching a little wider at the thought that Sam had gone to such a place, "but I've heard some things about it that make me glad I haven't. Why did you go to the Climb, of all places?"
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
Sam frowned, knowing well the sound of self-doubt in the tone of Henry's voice, having uttered similar phrases and denials himself many times. He knew that he could not force the man to bring his work in, that it was a slow and personal journey to build up confidence, but he tried his best to encourage, shaking his head and smiling. "I'm sure they aren't. Could you maybe at least bring one in for me to look at?"
Maybe if they started there, it would be easier to take the steps to selling in the store.
"Oh, I absolutely did not want to go to the Climb." He explained with a laugh, unable to imagine why anyone would. Any moment in that place had reminded him of just how fortunate he was to have a cosy bookstore with a window and a controlled fire. "The Voice asked me to explore the area so she can place a portal within soon." While he suspected that once his work was done he'd never go back, it would be useful for others who needed to venture to the region. "Currently, the only way there is through Halo, which is quite the journey."
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry shifted uncomfortably at Sam's reassurance on his work, tilting his head one way and then the other in consideration. He didn't want to say 'no' but... did he have anything he was willing to show Sam? Surely, the man had read lots of poetry, and he would be able to scrutinize Henry's work with ease and experience. "Maybe... But, if you let me come with you on one of these journeys sometime, I'll agree to show you my work."
He smiled at Sam's laugh, understanding to a degree. Henry was happy to go just about anywhere. He wish he could see the things that Sam had seen, to face whatever obstacles or dangers there were out there to face. He didn't want to just hear about them. Still, he felt something keeping him landlocked in the Grounds. Even still, hearing about others' adventures was better than nothing. So, the look of surprise in his eyes soon turned into a curious gleam.
"The Voice, huh? Why would anyone want to portal there, you think? Seems like a desolate place..." he scratched his neck thoughtfully, continuing to ask, "Well, what did you find there?"
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
The trade that Henry suggested was fair; Sam would never turn down company and help on a mission, never one to over-estimate his own abilities, but immediately he had to ask: "It's probably going to be a task for the Voice, if you do come with me on a journey. Are you comfortable with that?"
As for why anyone would want to portal to the Climb, that had been a mystery to Sam as well, though he'd been considering it for the last while and had a couple of potential answers. "I suppose...the cure for the illness that spread last season came from the Climb, or at least, one of them did, and I know that at least one God resides there. I think it is somewhere that might be useful, rather than somewhere people want to go." Personally, once he was done with the portal mission, he intended to never visit again.
Sam laughed at the last question, walking out from behind the counter and towards the kettle hanging over the fireplace. "A lot of rocks and fire and horrible places. Would you like some tea?"
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry nodded with a thoughtful frown, "I don't have a problem with that. The Voice is good in my book. I'm more wary of the ones that trapped us all in a giant dome with no intention of letting us out. I'm sure the Old Gods would say they had their reasons, but..." he raised his eyebrows with a look, clearly unimpressed with that. He truly resented the Old Gods for what they did. It wasn't right. But who was he, compared to a god?
He listened with interest, intrigued by Samuel's answers. He leaned back on one arm to watch Sam pass by towards the fireplace, where a kettle hung over the flame. "Some tea would be amazing," he said with affirmation, only then realizing how parched he was. After running errands for the better part of the day, a refreshment sounded like heaven. Especially something like a fresh cup of tea.
Henry sighed and mused aloud, "If I can be honest, Sam, I've been feeling real... stuck, lately. Helping my parents out with the farm, it's- it's been an amazing experience for me, really. But I want more in my life than just... this. You say the Climb is a horrible place but, that just makes me wonder more about- about what's out there. The things I could be doing, discovering, writing about. All my life I've been sheltered by my parents... even after the dome..." he trailed off, a line of tension flexing against his lower jaw.
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
"...Yes, you're quite right." Sam nodded, not having heard that particular argument before, but happy with any reasoning that made non-Ascended more sympathetic to the Voice and her followers. "The Old Gods are often so focused on their revenge and pride that they ignore any death or cruelty along the way." Was the Voice the same? Arguably, in some ways, but she had at the moment, in Sam's opinion, more of a track record for actually caring. After all, she'd made available the cure for everyone; the Old Gods would not have done, he was sure.
With the confirmation about the tea, he fetched two cups and from a large wooden box, pulled out a couple of bags containing an aromatic apple tea; the autumnal mood outside had made him think of it. Pouring the water carefully, he looked over as Henry began to speak again: it was a good thing he was making the tea, he thought, because this sounded like it'd be a conversation that needed it.
Handing a cup over to Henry before going to sit behind the counter again (there were numerous places by the counter and further into the room where the other man could relax), Sam hummed and considered his answer. He'd always been a homebody, quite content to stay in one place and keep to himself; it was fate and obligation that took him on his 'adventures'. Still, he supposed he'd had enough of them now he could give some advice. "The best way to do that sort of thing, I think, is to simply do it. Would your family be willing to let you go? Perhaps over the Deepfrost, when the farm will require less work, you could visit another region. Torchline, where it hardly gets cold at all...or Halo, where you'll feel so frozen you'll swear you were made of ice."
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry tipped his head in agreeance with Sam's words on the Old Gods. He allowed that part of the conversation to fall away casually though, perhaps it could be brought up again later, should either of them want it to. As Samuel moved to ready their tea, the aroma of it seemed to make Henry swoon a bit. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath in through his nose, opening up his senses to the rich, sweet scent of... "Apple?" He opened his eyes to peer over at Sam with a soft smile.
He graciously took the cup that was handed to him, that charming smile planted confidently against his cheeks, "Exactly what I needed, thank you." Following Sam's lead, he found a seat by the counter where he could still clearly see the other person. He leaned back in the chair comfortably, holdin the cup close to his lap for the moment. His smile dissipated as his mind returned its attention to the weight of the conversation he had started. He didn't need to think much about Sam's advice, knowing that he was absolutely right. "Yeah... you're right..." he shook his head and his blue gaze lingered on the window, where he spotted Mia laying upon the sill. He looked back at Sam, "I'm not sure, what if something happens while I'm gone? I worry too much, I guess. You're right," he repeated, "I should put myself out there more often. Meet new people, do new things. It's exactly what I want to do but, my family... well... they expect me to take over the farm when my parents pass. So my father puts a lot of pressure on me to stick around, to take care of things, to look out for my brother, take care of Mom..." His gaze flickers down to his cup and he hovers it beside his lips, testing the heat.
And you understand with every seed you sow you make this cold world beautiful
"Yes. It's one of my favourites for this time of year." While he couldn't taste the full flavour of the teas he chose, Sam still took what joy he could from the hints of smell and taste he got from them. At this time, as the weather outside grew colder and the skies greyer, he found himself wanting comforting, cosy smells and tastes, things that warmed even his Ascended chest from the inside.
After Henry took his tea Sam relaxed in his seat, immediately going to sip from his cup as it was still steaming; after all, with no pain and a dulled sense of temperature, he never burnt himself. He listened to what Henry had to say, finding it hard to relate in some ways; he'd always had the feeling his family couldn't wait to be rid of him, not that they wanted him to stay.
He hummed, looking down into his tea. "Well, couldn't your brother take the farm? And...if you are going to take it, couldn't you go for some adventures now, before it becomes time for you to take it on?"
I was waiting for something extraordinary but as the years wasted on...
Henry hesitated to drink his tea yet, feeling that it was still pretty hot. He looked over and, to his surprise, Samuel had already begun to drink his. Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise, watching as he made no indication of getting burnt. "You really can't feel pain, can you?" he asked abruptly, eyes widened. Henry's knowedge of the Ascended was shaky since he wasn't really close with any of them, or anyone as of late, what with much of his time focused on the work he had to do. He rarely witnessed them do things like this, so it was a little bit shocking.
Heny's thoughts lingered on Samuel's queries, shrugging slightly in admittance to them. "He could. I guess he seems interested in it, so he might be okay with me leaving. That still leaves the discussion with my parents..." he sighed and gazed over at the fire, not looking forward to that, "maybe I can figure something out, especially if I put it to them like you just did to me," he glanced back over at Samuel, "I'd hate to disappoint them, though. They're worried I won't want to come back, that I'll 'find what I'm looking for'. Though I'm not even sure what that is, myself."
