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!
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
It isn’t long before The Wraith is back to her old ways, methodically marking things off her to-do list in a surprising display of organization. Grounders were quite likely to see their Queen zipping about in the days following her return - sending notes here and there, busying herself with preparations and catching up (for there seems to be much to catch up on) with the newly Ascended.
The portal hasn’t faded from her mind, the task the Voice gave the quartet burning a hole in her head. It’s an obsessive conundrum, calling Wessex to stand in front of her own hearth and stare into the fire as if this dangerous kin could give her all the answers. It doesn’t. It won’t. She knows nothing of lava, but that doesn’t mean others don’t.
Notes go out to Sam, Amun (who’s been noticeably absent), and Nate, requesting their help once again for this task. She has nothing but the resources of the Grounds at her fingertips and the ability to procure anything they might need, within reason.
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This is a PQ to make an item to help transport lava for the The Climb’s portal. The spots have been filled.
For once, Nate feels prepared, his racing thoughts and lack of sleep a surprising boon in this specific case. With nothing but time, and nothing but a desire to keep his mind moving, he's managed to put a lot of thought into this particular conundrum, and he thinks he's come up with a solution. Maybe. It's untested, but even that is better than anything they've already tried.
When the note first arrives, all it evokes is a sigh, Nate not looking forward to yet another trip to the Grounds, but surprisingly ready. There's a notebook under his arm when he shows up, dark tinted glasses hiding his eyes, but not the wide grin on his face. "It's good to have you back, boss." He rumbles the Queen's way, straightening up and waiting for the rest of their ragtag group to show up.
And here we go, "Hello, floor. Have you met my knees?"
That his quest for the portal in the Climb had been a failure, even if only a temporary one, had been a definite disappointment for Sam. He'd hoped to prove himself to the Voice with it, to show that he could provide and help the Ascended, that he was committed to the cause after his lapse in the year. The way it had ended up had been rather embarrassing, with that in mind, so Wessex's note, the chance at redemption, was welcomed.
He arrived with a backpack of what he'd hoped might be useful items in it and a can-do attitude, even trying his best to grin at Wessex and Nate as he walked up to them, the expression feeling quite unnatural on his face but staying there determinedly. "Hello! I was glad to get your note. Do you have an idea?"
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
“It’s good to be back,” Wessex replies with a confident, fanged grin to both men as they become three. Sam wastes no time in posing the question that’s on all their minds and Wessex’s mouth presses into a thin line in response. Grabbing a stick, she goes to an empty area of snow and begins to draw something.
“So the hole is here,” drawing a simple circle in the snow, she then makes a little squiggly line to indicate the edge of the crust and the lava beyond. “And the lava is here.” Obviously. They were there too. “It’s not too far, but we need something that will either stay cold enough in the Climb to not immediately melt, or something that can’t be melted by lava. Maybe something with a rock interior and an ice exterior? The lava has obviously cut it’s way through rock, but hasn’t melted everything. We’d just need to get it quickly into that rock container.” Looking at Nate, her brow furrows a bit.
“Can you remember anything from your previous world? Something that doesn’t melt in high temperatures?” Ice is obviously a no-go, it would start melting the moment it left Halo. But maybe there's some everyday items that can be reappropriated. Or borrowed. Or stolen.
"Oh, no Amun then?" Despite an admittedly weak attempt to stop himself, the words leave Nate, though he manages to strip away most of the tone, so it sounds a touch more like he's mildly concerned instead of gloating. They have a task to focus on though, his attention snapping to the ground as Wessex summarizes their dillema.
No, there was nothing he could think of that wouldn't melt, nothing they would be able to procure at least, but an idea came to him nonetheless. "Maybe instead of ice, we could figure out a way to make it moving water? A uh... a pump or something?" It would be more manageable than ice, if nothing else. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, crouching down after a moment of halfhearted glancing around for his own stick.
The doodle he produces is simple, a large, double-walled bucket, with a pump attached. There are minor details to be worked out, more than likely. Steam comes to mind first, as well as the fact that they'll need a fairly large amount of water, though those are both manageable problems.
And here we go, "Hello, floor. Have you met my knees?"
Sam did pick up on a slightly odd tone in Nate's voice as he asked about Amun, but unawares of any bad blood between the two, just shook his head and shrugged, not knowing where the potter was; hopefully just the three of them was enough. As ideas began to be discussed, he wondered if he was even needed, watching carefully but having very little to contribute to the conversation; he'd never been an engineer sort.
"I know a few blacksmiths in the Grounds that I've traded books and so on with before - I could probably get them to make anything we need." He provided eventually, knowing that was the best thing he could help with. "If we carry whatever it is between the three of us...it shouldn't take us more than a few seconds to get it in the circle, right?" The distance wasn't that great, and with three Ascended working together he didn't see it being a huge task - that was, if nothing went wrong.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
The Wraith frowns and shakes her head a bit at the mention of Amun. “No, I haven’t seen him since returning - which is worrisome. When was the last time either of you saw him?” She has not only a personal interest in making sure he’s okay (like, he’s probably the closest thing to a really good friend that she has right now) but also a professional one, considering he was supposed to be her liaison-of-sorts.
It’s something to worry about later.
Her concern for Amun quickly turns to satisfaction as the three of them come up with something. “Water shouldn’t be a problem, we can bring that in. And I don’t mind doing the more dangerous parts, or whatever. If you two can explain this -” she says with a glance to Nate, “to a blacksmith, I’ll head to the stonemason and get an interior made. How’s that sound?”
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Last chance for alterations before it’s time to split up! Sam and Nate should go to the Blacksmith while Wessex will go to the Stonemason.
Nate knows exactly when he’d last seen Amun. He’s not in the mood to have the conversation the truth would entail though, so he just shrugs. ”Last i saw him was when we came back from the Climb. I haven’t actually been around too much.” Not a lie. There is some amount of concern, considering the snare trying to close around them, one of their own going missing was not a good sign.
Still though, he’s not Amun’s keeper, and there’s no reason to worry until there’s evidence for it. He just can’t handle one more thing on top of everything else. It’s so o much easier to focus on the task at hand, the doctor staring blankly down at his sketch before nodding. ”I think we can handle it.” He says confidently, a hand reaching out to clap Sam’s shoulder. ”You’re the one who knows the blacksmith. Let’s go.”
Letting Sam lead them to whomever it is he knows, Nate turns back to Wessex. ”We’ll meet back here?” It’s not really a question, more of a confirmation, but he still lingers until it’s confirmed.
And here we go, "Hello, floor. Have you met my knees?"
"He was at my house for a date...but that was...over a week ago." Sam said quietly, looking troubled himself. Perhaps he'd have to look into that himself, do some kind of personal search and rescue mission; the timing of the disappearance was especially unfortunate for the Ascended, which immediately made him worried that it might be deliberate, a snatching by their enemies to lower their chances at Longnight.
Jumping from the contact on his shoulder, Sam turned and nodded at Nate, flashing a quick smile. "Yes. I'm sure he'll find it an interesting challenge, if nothing else." It certainly wouldn't be the average request he had, Sam was sure. Still, the potential awkwardness of asking for it was better than anything more dangerous.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
“Okay,” Wessex accepts, keeping the rest of her concerns behind tight, slightly frowning lips. It’s obvious she’s worried, but now is neither the time nor place to solve the mystery.
Nate’s question brings her ‘round again and she nods an affirmative. “Yep, let’s meet back here.” As soon as the pair turn, she’s on her way to find the stonemason, which really just means she teleports to his house near the Underground.
He isn’t there, but his wife is, and unfortunately for Wessex, Mrs. Stonemason has never liked the Theskyra bitch, and the fact that she’s Ascended makes it even worse. Their conversation is… not pleasant. Not at all. Mrs. S has a few choice phrases for the Queen (which is put in air quotes when said), who, to her credit, tries to play nice up until she’s threatened with fire.
It’s about to go really downhill whenMr. Stonemason - Albert, or Al as his friends call him (no, Wessex is not his friend either) - shows up.
Meanwhile, Nate and Sam head off to find a blacksmith other than Oliver. Which is fitting, given the task at hand. She (because women can absolutely be blacksmiths) isn’t so keen on Nate’s eye. In fact, it gives her the spooks and she starts rattling on about a spirit she met at a shrine who warned her about eyes, but she recognizes Sam and starts to calm. He’s even able to persuade her to help them, so long as Nate either keeps one eye shut or wears something to cover it up.
-------------------
Wessex failed miserably.
Nate failed, almost as miserably.
Sam might just save the day.
Keep at it!
With his single detail ironed out, Nate is happy to get moving, following Sam where he leads. His grin is sharp and wide as he elbows the bookmakers arm as they go, dark haired head tipping towards the shorter ascended. ”Did you think this was going to end up being such a hassle?” He rumbles, voice light and clearly joking.
Though, that good mood and joviality doesn’t last, problems arising immediately. Out of everything about him; his generally agressive air, towering stature, giant fucking facial scar; it’s the eye that causes problems, and no amount of explanation, pious or honeyed, budges the soot stained woman.
Sam, of all people, smooths the situation out somewhat, offers a compromise that Nate very nearly shoots down just on principle, but... they need this. So Nate swallows his pride; a dry, painful lump; and covers his eye (the original blue one, it isn’t as if she knows which is the new one after all) just long enough to sketch out his idea properly, and explain the mechanism to her. As soon as she seems to understand it, Nate stalks outside to tear the stupid eyepatch off and smoke away his newfound anger.
And here we go, "Hello, floor. Have you met my knees?"
Sam was not at all used to being the one that brought calm to social tension, but then again, he didn't have a creepy eye-scar. Somehow, through his usual bumbling, awkward affability, he managed to get them a deal. Honestly, once Nate was out of the room, his obvious irritation making the atmosphere quite uncomfortable, it was easier to express what they wanted, Sam doing the best he could to explain and drawing out a picture.
It would take a while to make, of course, but he tried to promise enough in payment from his store that she would work on it right away; Sam went to wait outside with Nate, patting him on the arm comfortingly for his rejection. As much as he did find the whole thing vaguely amusing, he did know how painful it could be to be ostracised for something you couldn't help.
--
Sam talks to the blacksmith and tries to get her to make the thing right away.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
Alfred, it appears, is not as racist as is wife - or perhaps he’s heard of what the Ascended demigod can do, or perhaps he has a bit of respect for someone who’s returned to lead them. Whatever the case, he steps in between the two women and diffuses the situation.
Taking Wessex into his workshop, the Queen is able to describe what she needs - simple, really - and the man brings out several options. None of them seem to fit perfectly inside a bucket, but one is deeper than the rest and so he starts to shape it a bit more to fit the specifications. It takes some time, but it is eventually done, and she leaves with her thanks and the promise of a rabbit or something as payment.
As for the other two, Nate’s exit from the room is exactly what the situation needs and - crazy or not - the blacksmith sets to molding the kind of device described. It does take some time, and a restart at some point when a hole appears, but she eventually emerges with the double-layer bucket (or whatever we’re calling it).
Wessex is waiting for them by the time they arrive, her own item in hand. “I hope this is the right shape,” she says when they’re all together, offering over the bowl.
“Should probably see if it all fits together and give it a little test.”
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Everyone rolled much better this round! Almost done. Let’s put it together and test it out.
All things considered, this wing of their struggles could be worse. It could be a lot worse. Nate gets to sit outside, work his way through a half a deck of smokes, and lets Sam do all the heavy lifting. The proverbial heavy lifting, at least. Nate’s more than a happy to swoop in once the pump and outer basin are finished, hefting them up over his shoulder and carrying it back to where they’re meeting the queen.
Wessex is already standing their waiting, so Nate wastes no time in setting down the metal piece, reaching out to take the stone inner and line it up. ”Everything looks good.” He hums, leaning back to look at it from more of a distance. This... this could actually work. The doctor nods, more to himself than the others at first, then looks up. ”Let me grab some water then.”
And off he goes to grab a bucket, filled with water by the time he comes back, the various pipes arranged so there’s a proper flow. ”Do you want to do the honours Sam?” He offers, gesturing towards the repurposed bellows that make up the pump.
