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!
03-04-2021, 06:43 PM (This post was last modified: 03-04-2021, 09:58 PM by Samuel.)
SAMUEL
Do you remember what you said to me?
'Cause we lost track of time
He'd not quite been able to face it right away, after the sun had risen; Sam had escaped to Torchline for a couple of days. Cowardly? Maybe. But he'd said the whole time that this Longnight mission was a bad idea; he didn't feel too obligated to help with the fallout when he'd spent over a year arguing against it. The only thing he knew he'd have to deal with was his store, which he'd seen catch alight during their walk through the Settlement.
It was weird, as he'd planned to give it up entirely not too long ago, but Sam found that his heart caught on the idea of the store burning away. He imagined the whole place blackened and brought to the ground, books gone in smoke and hours of work forgotten and turned to ash.
Thankfully, once he actually reached the store, things weren't quite so grim. There was indeed damage; the front of the store was black and charred, the windows covered in a thick layer of black soot. The door had opened, warped in it's frame, and some of the books in the front half of the store had burnt, but the fire seemed to have dwindled by the time it got to the back of the store, the metal staircase and stone fireplace seemingly stopping it from spreading all the way. It would be a lot of work, but it was was savable.
Sam began to work with a brush, just sweeping away the ashes and charred wood and paper from the floor into a pile. Outside he put a simple sign: HELP APPRECIATED.
--
Open PQ to help Sam recover his bookstore after it got burnt in Longnight!
3 slooooots. For a first post please write your character arriving!
i wouldn't know where to start 'sweet music' playing 'in the dark'
It’s their job to help when it comes to their home, is it not? And now that they’re fully grown, perhaps it would be easier to reach the higher areas that they had struggled with during the LongNight prep, in order to help fix what had gone wrong. A lot had gone wrong, in the end, but when they see the Help Appreciated sign, they can’t help but to stop and poke their head in.
They spot Sam, sweeping piles of ash and charred wood and paper, something that they could absolutely help with. “Hi Sam. I can help if you’d like.” They say with a small wave of greeting and a soft fanged smile, stepping into the building and looking around to ensure that the structure of it was good. Aside from that? Well, they’d let Sam direct them wherever he wanted them to go.
03-04-2021, 07:16 PM (This post was last modified: 03-07-2021, 03:37 AM by Aisha.)
what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
Her time in the grounds may be short, as she had work to be done back home in Halo, but she would make the most of it. Grateful for her hands calloused by years of training and labor, the work was not too hard. If anything it was the emotions of it all that really got to her, stifling the excitement she'd brought with her into the new season. This too, was a part of the healing, and the moving on.
Today she found herself at Sam's bookstore, or what the sparkbird had left of it. She was early, but not the first to arrive on the scene. Another person milled about, with young features almost reminiscent of Bastien in a way. Though that couldn't be, Bastien's child was a child after all. She moved towards the pair, her hair was tied up to work, her sword at her hip, her smile of greeting was bittersweet. "Hey Sam," she called, walking to the door frame and running her hand along the black wood. Her palm came away painted in soot.
Distracted, maybe. Indifferent, perhaps. But it was certainly a category of avoiding.
Instead, she drifted in and out of a range of emotions, below the surface, nothing skin deep. Her travels took her back along the Settlements, rooted in disaster, mayhem, away, away, away from anything they’d built. She stifled a sigh at Samuel’s bookstore; she hadn’t been a frequent visitor, but it wasn’t reliving their time in the jail or the barracks.
Might as well.
“Hello,” she offered by way of greeting, mostly to Samuel and Azrael (who’d apparently grown infinitely in a short period of time – her quizzical look might’ve said it all), she didn’t know who the other woman was. Hands in her pockets, a shrug to her shoulders, the youth was solemn and feral and quiet. “I can help.”
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
He hates seeing the destruction.
Was it worth it? he wants to ask, the sour words curled on his tongue, but he doesn't know who to ask them of. Wessex, their Queen? Mabel and Henry, natives to this land, haunted by the prototypes for centuries? Morgan, Nate, Kiada, Elide, who didn't even live here? Ezra and Mara, who died for it?
Was it worth it? All of this destruction—fire and death. Aamu slowly drifts into the gathering by the Wordsworth bookstore, remembering his brief visit just days before LongNight. It had been such a cozy place, and he'd finally got to heap affection on that fluffy cat. How had she fared?
At first he doesn't recognize Azrael, a teenager now instead of a child, and when he does he does a bit of a double-take. How did they grow so fast?
No matter; he nods to them all, finally focusing on Sam. "How's Mia?" he asks softly.
Do you remember what you said to me?
'Cause we lost track of time
While Sam would not have chosen to see his shop partially up in flames, it was heartening to see the response of the people around him. At first he didn't recognise Azrael, the child he'd seen at Longnight now suddenly a young adult; he simply nodded, wide eyed and watching them for a while as they headed in. Aisha received a smile and a greeting, as did Mabel and Aamu.
"Oh, Mia is upstairs. She's probably asleep. She was hiding in the roof over Longnight, but I think she was smart enough to get out." Mia had been a street cat for years, after all; she was capable of caring for herself. "If you have any food on you, I'm sure she'll come down for that."
A fifth visitor came, the carpenter from the market he had asked to make a new door. Leaned against the wall, Sam smiled as he looked it over; he'd gone for something a little different, to try and make it a nicer transition. An oak branch, carved into the wood, with a little mouse sat by the handle. "This should fit into the hinges I already have, I believe...there are tools behind the desk, if anyone wants the honours...?" He always seemed to mess up those sorts of things, and wasn't tall enough to reach the top hinge without a support.
The other jobs were simpler; there was a lot of boring, but necessary cleaning to be done, soot and dirt taken off the wooden floor and stone walls. Also...this job hurt his heart, but in the shelves by the door, many of the books were little more than scraps of leather and paper. Someone would have to sort through them for anything salvageable and toss the rest; Sam couldn't quite bring himself to do it.
---
Jobssss:
1. Pick up old charred books too burnt to be saved.
2. Help Sam clean the walls and floor (2 people)
3. Begin to put the new door back in place.
no post order!
Yeah, we lost track of time
You always let me down so tenderly
Quiet, though hardly submissive, the youth remained stern and stoic and upright, glancing over the particles of the bookshop. Darting, uncanny, enigmatic eyes eventually flickered and filtered back to Samuel as he gave over instructions. Inadequate for the task of placing hinges along a door, the youth offered for the books instead. “I can sort.”
And then she wandered towards the relics, the bits of scrap of leather and paper, disheartened suddenly, in the loss of their words. In things that wouldn’t be again. And she didn’t want to reflect any further into those ambiences, into the way they were reflections and mirror images, hands lightly gliding over those who couldn’t be saved. Still, she handled them with care, placing them aside, and striving to find the survivors.
i wouldn't know where to start 'sweet music' playing 'in the dark'
Oh they notice the brief stare from Aisha, the smile of greeting from her is met with a bright fanged grin of their own in greeting, a nod to Mabel when she arrives as well, and lastly to Aamu – all bright and content smiles lingering along their face. But their attention flickers back to Sam, awaiting instruction, waiting to see how this fully grown body works when it comes to crafting – as was their passion – in the hopes that it would be all that much more useful.
Mabel picks the books, and Azrael chooses the door, sparing a quick glance around to see whether or not anyone else was tall enough for it – and after their last growth spurt, perhaps they’d be better suited for it anyway. So they move toward the door, inspecting the craftsmanship with an appreciative eye, a soft smile crossing their face as they move to the entrance to remove the current door from the hinges – searching for the tools necessary they’d need to replace the hinges as well with something strong.
Azrael picks the door! They start to remove the other door and hinges so they can put new hinges on and place the door!
what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
The introductions were sweet and simple, a couple fanged smiles from the teenager and from Sam, and brief acknowledgement of the other two. Aisha was glad to hear that the cat survived, hopefully they'd get to see her before the day was through. But that would wait, tasks were lain forth and snatched up quickly. Cleaning it was then.
She grabbed a towel, dampened it from a bucket of water, and began to scrub at the soot stained walls. Aisha was the type to easily get lost in tasks like this, pressing forth until every smudge was gone. So she worked, quick as she could, focused and quiet.
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
"I'm glad to hear," he says, and he means it. But there is not much else to say about it. Aamu has no need to eat anymore and rarely carries food with him, so he doubts he'll be able to lure the fluffy lady out of hiding with anything more tangible than his charm and insistence. Which, knowing cats, might just fail entirely.
But that would be a mission for after the bookstore was freshened up and secure again. Aamu runs a critical eye over the walls and ceiling as he steps in, but it seems structurally sound (to his relatively inexperienced eye). He wouldn't much fancy it falling down on his head as they work.
It's easy to spot the largest job: the walls and floors are a mess, and Aamu goes to prepare a bucket of water and a mop. It'll be many trips to empty and refill the bucket, considering how quickly the waters turn black once he gets started on the floors, but if it's anything he's done a multitude of times since returning from near-death it is clean floors.
Do you remember what you said to me?
'Cause we lost track of time
As everyone got on with what he had asked, Sam went to the back desk to make sure everything of import was still there. Unfortunately, there wasn't just the flames to worry about over Longnight; the door had been open a while, and he knew that there were some that would loot their fellow Grounders during chaotic times. Thankfully, it seemed that nothing was missing, so after a look through each drawer he could return to see how people were doing.
The books by the front of the store really had taken on some of the worst of the burning; leather cases were curled at the edges and pages black at the corners, some of them crumbling upon any touch. Moving the books that had survived better would surely ruin the more destroyed ones, but would be faster and the ruined ones may not have been worth saving anyway. It was up to Mabel to make the decision.
Azrael will find that their job is harder than they first thought. The fire had warped the door frame, making subtle but significant waves in it's shape where the wood expanded and shrunk. If the door was pushed in hard enough, it would stick but likely still work, or it could be properly fitted, which would take a while - Sam was not watching, so it was up to the young Demi what method they chose.
Aisha's cleaning was effective, though perhaps a little vigorous; a chip of thin wood covering fell out of the wall under her hand, revealing a bright blue beneath, with a barely-there golden line: a beginning of a pattern? At this stage, with so little visible, it was impossible to know if there would be more of the design behind the wall.
Sam was impressed to see just how clean the floor was when Aamu was done with it. Maybe the Voice had gifted him with special floor cleaning powers? Either way, the job was certainly done; he nodded as he stepped around gently to check it. "Thank you. I don't think the fire reached it's way upstairs, but maybe you could check for me - and say hello to Mia, while you're there." He smiled, knowing Aamu would like that.
--
Mabel finds that the books are crumbling in her hands and are difficult to sort. There's a decision to make: spend the time rescuing those in better condition only, or set aside time to put together pieces of the ruined ones? (9)
Azrael finds the tools and begins to work, but finds that the door frame is warped and difficult to work with. They need to find a way to straighten it out, or jam the door in somehow! (5)
Aisha finds that cleaning soot is going well enough and the walls are coming through. In her wiping away, she chips off a piece of wood that reveals something exciting beneath! Does she just continue to clean, or further investigate the new pattern? (14)
Aamu is just an absolute pro at mopping floors. The floor is the best it has ever looked and it gleams with perfection. Sam asks him to help check for damage elsewhere (potentially upstairs, where Mia is? : P) (20)
No post order!
Yeah, we lost track of time
You always let me down so tenderly
i wouldn't know where to start 'sweet music' playing 'in the dark'
They manage to take the hinges off, but the door in the shape that it is, is warped, and if there’s one thing you all will learn soon about the young demigod, is that Azrael doesn’t half ass things. No. They’re a perfectionist underneath it all, and they’ll take the time to focus on fixing the entirety of it so nobody has to jam the door in. So they inspect the door, the one that’s created, grabbing a piece of charcoal to see where it rubs and what needs to be replaced, and they glance around in search for Sam briefly. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to go grab something!” They let him know before they’re bolting out the door to go grab a few of their things, to return with an arm full of tools they can use to fix it.
The main point of attack for them is to remove the piece of the doorframe that is warped and causing the problem, to then try and sand down the wall it connects to in order to make it even. Once that’s done, they’ll check out the door and it’s size to see if it’ll still rub against the warping.
Azrael goes hard and takes down the door frame and tries to sand down the part of the wall where it's warped and replaces it with a new doorframe!
what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
Aisha worked away at the walls, scrubbing them so vigorously that a piece of the wood chipped off into her towel. She noticed the hole, then glanced down at the piece of wood. A look around the room to see if anyone had seen it happen, then she was going to slot the chip back in but she noticed some bright coloring underneath. Curious, she started to pick away at the edges around the hole, revealing just a tiny bit more of the pattern but not enough to satisfy her interest.
"Hey Sam, I think there's some design under all this wood," she called over to the bookseller, hoping maybe he'd have some insight, or give her the go ahead to chunk off some more. It might be nice, and if not, well that's what the pq was for right?
Aisha tells Sam about the design and wants to expose more of it.
Some of the stacks, the tomes, borne with the weight of knowledge, sanctity, and wisdom, weren’t going to be able to remain so much longer. With the way the books crumbled in her hands, with the way the embers had scorched and desecrated, it didn’t look as though some weren’t going to be salvageable at all. Indicating her apologies with a light touch, she bent her head and searched for those capable of surviving. Perhaps the others could be reprinted at another interval or time, when the world wasn’t so bleak.
She nearly snorted at the insinuation.
Gentle, light, ethereal, as if she was hardly there, her dulcet movements and motions sought to seek out those who could be rescued and recovered.
--
Mabel tries to rescue the books in better conditions!
