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!
Trips out to the Greatwood were once rare but now were required. It wasn’t something he wanted to become obvious, but he had something important to get to.
A simple bag was strung over his shoulder, actually filled with things he had made by hand, both from his forge and artwork. So he could easily pass it off as being a simple trade, but oh was this far more than that. These were all example: things to hopefully demonstrate just what he was capable of doing.
Why would he do that? Well, thanks to Remi, Oliver was desperately searching for a man by the name of Ianto. A man who had a Magic Wagon that he kind of really needed to help him move. And apparently, the man needs a damn good bribe. The only problem was that Oliver needed to find him first.
The Wishing Wagon is renowned for only being found when it wants to be. Or perhaps only wanting to be found by those looking for it? It's a difficult middle ground, honestly. Either way, Oliver will come stumbling onto it seemingly by accident, stationed in a meadow in the Greatwood. It's all packed neatly up right now, given that Remi is off gallivanting doing demigod things, and the man Oliver is looking for is perched on the step of the wagon, a carved pipe between his lips, a staff in his hands.
Ianto isn't much of a whittler, but his carving skills will only get better through practice, and so he painstakingly carves patterns into the staff and hums under his breath, his fox's tail flicking at his heel. At the sound of someone approaching, blue eyes flash up, bright as the sky peeping through the last of the Leafchange foliage. "Morning," he murmurs around the pipe, perhaps a little more suspiciously than in previous seasons. One never knew who was prowling the woods these days.
Unbeknownst to Oliver, the magic of the wagon truly was wonderful. It'd make his search as easy as possible, completely eliminating it altogether as right in front of him stood the magic wagon. A small smile appeared on his face as he moved forward, his eyes landing on the man sat at the front.
A large staff lay, his hands delicately moving to whittle shapes into it. It earns a raised eyebrow and head tilt from Oliver, clearly very intruiged. His eyes then land on the swishing tail, automatically registering it as that of a fox. This creates a small smile- excited he had met another attuned with a fox shift. While his fox shift was a different type, it was still always fun to meet a similar species.
Then finally, he realized how quiet he was, knowing it was right to speak up. "Hello? You must be Ianto. I am Oliver." He walked forward, making sure to keep his intentions obvious. His posture was open, hands completely visible. He was here for a reason, yes, but not a bad one.
"I was hoping I could offer you a deal."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
They stare at each other for a long few moments without saying anything - without the other man responding to his greeting, with... nothing happening, in fact. Ianto's grip on the staff and the whittling instrument grow just a touch tighter, the fox hoping that he doesn't have to use either of the makeshift weapons. Because that would just be peachy, wouldn't it? Then finally the silence is broken, and if it weren't for Oliver's point - I was hoping to offer you a deal - he'd have been particularly horrified to be recognised.
Instead, a slow smile tugs at the corners of his lips, his tail swishing once more as his nerves ease. "What kind of deal?" he asks. "What's in it for me, and what am I doing for you?" His accent hugs the words, making them sound more musical in the quiet of the glade. "And where have you come from, to find me?" More to the point - did anyone send you?
Had Oliver neglected to respond to the greeting? Absolutely. It didn't really cross his mind- he was a tad bit nervous, of course, so it kinda went in one ear and out the other. This was a major thing and he had to remain calm to the best of his abilities. Any sign of agitation could lead to that lovely staff being shoved through a place that staffs do not belong in human bodies.
Trying to help ease, thanks to the swishing of Ianto's own tail, Oliver allows himself to partial shift, his own fox ears appearing on his head. "I have multiple talents and abilities that I can lend to you, as well, I am very skilled at crafting. I brought examples along with me if you would like to take a look... I'm also willing to negotiate in other ways if that's what you're looking for." Remi had warned that a damn good bribe would be needed and Oliver absolutely came prepared.
"Remi said you may be able to help me with moving all of my stuff from my home in the Grounds over to here... I need to move here for my own safety in the coming days. I have multiple items including things from my forge, so any help is appreciated."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Multiple talents and abilities, eh? Ianto lets himself relax a bit, lets a golden grin flash across his face, and he tucks up his feet to sit cross legged with the staff across his lap. The whittling knife goes down, and he perks up to listen properly to what Oliver has to say. The fox ears do not go unnoticed, of course, blue eyes flicking up before returning to the other man's face.
No, it's the mention of Remi that really gets his attention, Ianto raising his eyebrows and seeming honestly surprised. Quite what surprises him is locked away in his own mind for the time being, and there's another long silence as he draws on his pipe. "Show me what you got," he says. "Might take a couple trips, if it's a forge we're moving. Where do you want it moved? Greatwood's a big place."
01-01-2021, 09:39 PM (This post was last modified: 01-01-2021, 11:16 PM by Oliver.)
OLIVER
Ianto is a lovely man- smiling and listening well. Why the fuck hadn't Oliver gotten to know him yet? No wonder why Remi suggested going to him. While it would take a hefty bribe, the guy seemed wonderful to work with.
A command is given and Oliver nods, taking a few steps closer and settling the bag onto the ground. Kneeling down, Oliver begins to pull out goods.
First, comes a dagger with a decorative handle to it, two small gems on it. Etched into it are swirls with two stars. "We don't have to move all of it... just my tools and stuff. I'll just rebuild the bigger things over here." Seeing as he didn't want to be too obvious or too much of an inconvenience.
Next comes a few speer heads. "These are for speers, I try to make different types of weapons." Followed by a skinning knife, inspired by a blade he made as a gift for someone. Whatever happened to that? Oh well. "And here's a skinning blade... I can also make nonweapons, like decorative things. I once made a full kitchenware set, but I don't think you'd really want a fancy frying pan." A grin was thrown his way, a clear attempt at a joke to help create some sort of bond.
Then he started pulling some different things. A small plush bear, a sketchbook, and then a canvas. The sketchbook was filled with different drawings and the canvas was colored with reds, yellows, and pinks: a sunset. "I try to do art too... it isn't super fancy, but I love doing it. So if you want a portrait or really any art at all, I can do that.."
His eyes glance over to the bear and he lets out a huff of laughter. "Sorry- I can also sew. I just didn't have anything else as an example."
Then a tough question came up. "I'm... not completely sure... Remi seemed confident the Fae would enjoy having a blacksmith around. I'd love to live in an actual home of sorts- but I don't know If the Fae would let me."
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Oliver kneels down, presumably to start showing the things he has brought with him, and Ianto leans forward a bit over his staff to watch the goods as they start to appear. "Oh, if you're not moving a whole forge, we'll be able to get it done in a single trip." Of that he sounds remarkably confident, despite the fact that the wagon behind him doesn't look capable of holding all that much. With everything the fox already has with him, along with Remi and Mateo, it should be packed to the brim.
He watches the knife appear, the spearheads, the blades, the canvas, the bear and all the other trinkets, listening keenly to Oliver's explanation of each one. Scrunching his nose a bit at the other man's last remark, he exhales a smoke ring from his pipe and rolls his shoulder in a shrug. "You may need to speak with the Fae for that sort of thing. Though, I suppose if Remi gave you his blessing, that might be different. I'll be able to take you to the Sea of Branches - you can start off there."
And for the payment? "I'll take the bear, your fondest memory... and a fancy frying pan, when you get around to making it." The fox sounds serious. A plush bear, one of Oliver's memories, and a kitchen utensil.
There is a sigh of relief followed by a nod. ”Thank goodness. I’ll try to pick which of my personal stuff to bring. I obviously probably can’t bring it all.” So much art would have to be left behind, but it would hopefully be a sacrifice that’s worth it.
Ianto’s understanding makes sense. Hopefully he’d be able to progress once speaking to the Fae, but he’d settle with whatever he could get for now.
Then the payment comes and Oliver’s eyes widen in surprise. His expression otherwise remains neutral but it’s obvious this wasn’t quite what he expected. Remi implied it would be hard- extremely hard. This felt... fun. Unique. Something that actually started to bring a small smile to his face. And why? Just thinking about the memory he planned to share made him feel happy.
”This happened back in my old world- I was young, I don’t know. Maybe seven or so? My mom had just given birth to a new baby so my older sister and I were sharing a room. We started fighting and stuff and being ya know, bratty siblings.” The smile grew slightly, Oliver recognizing how young and immature he was. ”It was rough at first, for sure... and one night there was a brutal storm. We lived on the coast and it was the worst storm I had ever seen and I was terrified.” Oliver paused for a moment, running a hand through his hair.
”And then my sister just... grabbed my lamb stuffed animal and her cat and we just. Started playing games. She told me stories and jokes and all kinds of fun things... and overtime I wasn’t scared. She comforted me and stayed with me until I fell asleep... after that? We still argued, yeah, but I grew a lot closer to her.” He and his sister would stay close, it was nice to have someone he could trust in life and honestly, he missed her so so much.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
Ianto merely shrugs at that - it isn't his decision as to what Oliver decides to bring with him on the move to the Greatwood, after all. "There's plenty of room," is all he says, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder and into the (not-that-large-looking) wagon. As for the price? He can't comment on what Remi has told Oliver, only on what he has deemed the cost for the move to the Greatwood.
Oliver starts talking and Ianto settles in, drawing again from his pipe and exhaling a smoke ring, listening intently. The memory certainly sounds like a fond one, and the expression on the fox's face is almost Fae in its intensity. The merchant seems to see more than in the story, collecting up the information and storing it away for later. It is a transaction, after all.
"I think that will do quite nicely," he says with a nod and a satisfied smile, lolling back against the wagon doors. "Where are you in the Hollowed Grounds? I'll swing by in a couple of days."
There is a raise of an eyebrow as Oliver glances over at the wagon. Well, seeing as people had all sorts of magical objects, Oliver wasn’t about to deeply question how much room was truly available inside. Maybe this just happened to have endless space inside? Oh well, he’s find out in due time.
The story had been told and they were now at the point of figuring out the pickup situation. ”Ive taken over the manor over in the settlement- I lived there when I first arrived and kept the thing running for anyone who came through the portal. That’s kinda gonna end with me gone, but you can find me there. My shop isn’t too far away either.” If Ianto wanted Oliver to bring all of his shop tools home then that’d be hard as hell, but he’d work with it for sure.
All Oliver wanted was to get to a new home safely without earning any unwanted attention.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
01-19-2021, 08:19 PM (This post was last modified: 01-19-2021, 08:20 PM by Ianto.)
it's not what it looks like
Honestly, Ianto has no clue about what is where in the Hollowed Grounds - he's only been there a handful of times, and that was back when Zariah was ruling the roost. How strange it would be to set foot in the place again, when it's arguably more dangerous than before. Does that mean he has gotten braver? Unlikely. He's probably just more reckless than he used to be.
"I'll go in search of that manor, then. We'll drop by the forge on the way into the Greatwood. Be ready, aye?" Tipping a wink to the other man, Ianto reaches out and gives the side of the wagon a good pat with his hand. There are no horses to draw it, and yet it still rumbles away into the forest on its own accord. A moment later, and the fox merchant is simply gone.
