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 I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
He's surprised at how easily the floors become clean. He's done his best to go where Aisha has already taken care of the walls in order to save himself from having to clean it all twice, but even so, it would probably benefit from another wipe-down once all other matters are settled. Mabel is making a bit of a mess too, after all.
"I'll take a look," he agrees, offering a brief, easy smile. They've not come easily since LongNight, and though it is genuine it still feels like mimicry, imitation of a better time.
Aamu carefully makes his way to the upper floor, taking extra care with the stairs. They seem fine, and he guesses Sam's been upstairs too, but doesn't hurt to be cautious. Once above, he'd do as Sam asked, checking for other damage, and looking for Mia. She would, of course, be given her due attention, with pets and scratches should she so desire.
Aamu goes upstairs to check it for damage, and to pet Mia!
Do you remember what you said to me?
'Cause we lost track of time
Azrael's hard work and determination to do the job right paid off; the door, once it was properly fitted and shaped, would swing smoothly and shut neatly with a satisfying click, and looked great too. Sam, when he glanced over, smiled wide and went to inspect it. "Wow, this is amazing! Good job, Azrael. I suppose you must be like your father, with the artistic sense." Not that he knew Bastien very well, but it was hard not to be aware of the weird party man putting murals all over town.
He was happy to see Mabel taking such care with his books and left her to the work, knowing that it would take a lot of concentration; she seemed to be doing fine. Similarly, he let Aamu head upstairs, knowing that he'd likely just go up there to pet Mia, but he didn't mind - she always wanted the affection.
Aisha called for him and he went to see what she meant. "Oh, wow. I had no idea this was here..." Sam pressed a finger into the wall on the old paint, which felt solid enough, like it wouldn't chip or crumble. It would be a risk to pull down the wood before it, but already he was excited for the possibility of finding something better behind; it would feel like some kind of cheesy metaphor come to life about silver linings. "I think we should try and reveal more of it...slowly."
With that, he'd begin trying to pull away at the wood; with the charred and burnt edges it came easily, the hole growing bigger and more of the paint beneath being revealed.
---
Come help Sam/Aisha remove the wall to see the new design :0
This round has an OOC element (because I can't think of anything else lol)
Vote for a paper in your summary! 1-4: 1 2 3 4
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'
There’s pride that blossoms in their chest when they fit the door back into place, closing and opening it to ensure that it doesn’t rub against the frame as it had before. And they inspect the frame on either side to ensure that it hopefully wouldn’t get worse over time. But it seems to be working well, no squeaks on the hinges or anything in the slightest that would be annoying. They flash a bright grin Sam’s way with the praise, nodding their head in agreement. “I’m glad you like it.” They chime, refraining from mentioning that they’re simply glad that it worked.
When the call is made, however, they step over to inspect what Aisha and Sam have found now that their task is done. “Ooh, how wonderful.” They murmur, stepping toward the wall and pulling gently at another piece slightly lifted on the edge to hopefully reveal more pieces beneath it to see wha tit looked like more fully.
Azrael goes to help pull away the wall! AND I VOTE FOR #4!!
Handled with care, the books eventually accrued a pile of those that could continue their survival past LongNight’s threads, and she sighed, placing the last of the lasts along the shelving. She’d hoped to salvage more – but the rest had been deemed diminished and gone, slated for dismissal and discarding.
But then there was a call, and with one lingering look back upon their sullen wares, the youth followed after Samuel’s attentions – meandering until she reached where the others had gathered. A wall – charred and burnt edges requiring attention and care, with something hidden and lurking underneath. Intrigued and curious, she nestled forward to assist, striving to be gentle and careful as she’d been with the resting tomes.
what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
Sam hurried over to the wall that'd sparked her interest, inspecting the small hole in the wood. Aisha stood back, letting Sam look and contemplate, she rolled the chipped wood over in her hands a few more times as he did. When he came to a decision, she grinned, dropping the chunk and replying, "Perfect."
The woman got right to it, soon joined by the enthusiastic young demigod and the other ascended. Gently and meticulously they pulled away at the planking, timber charred in some places and scrubbed clean in others. It didn't matter anymore, they sought to expose something new and hopefully even better.
Aisha helps gently removing the wood and I'm votin #2!
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
Aamu's more than happy to be upstairs, alone and in the company of an affectionate cat. He runs his fingers through her smooth, soft fur, rubs her cheeks and ears and dares the occasional mischievous twirl of her whiskers. There isn't really any damage he could see up here anyway, and he figures if Sam needs him for something else he'll just call, or come up.
When it comes, it is more of Aamu's cat-daze being disturbed by the feeling of something going on downstairs. Regretfully he slides towards the stairs, noticing how they are all crowded around this one section of the wall. Aamu silently makes his way down the stairs to join them, peering over shoulders to see a fresh design hidden behind the wooden paneling of the wall. Huh, he thinks, and watches how their eager, prying fingers work the wood free to reveal more of it.
It, of course, makes a complete mess of the floor, dirt and splinters falling down. "My floors," Aamu says with mock drama, placing his hands over where his heart had been.
Do you remember what you said to me?
'Cause we lost track of time
Indeed, it probably would have been smarter to take down the wall before the floors were cleaned, but alas, the wallpaper had not been discovered until too late. "It's alright, I'll sweep after. I'm sure your clean will be good enough I can just sweep the dust off the top." Sam comforted Aamu, though found it hard to not let his eyes drift back to the wall while he was still talking.
Over time the pattern revealed itself to take the form of trees and stars on a deep blue. It was a cozy, sweet kind of image and Sam couldn't help but smile wide as he saw more and more of it, feeling it perfectly complimented his shop. "Wow, isn't that lovely? Thank you so much for helping me discover it, everyone." He thanked them all as they chipped away enough for it to be obvious the paper covered the entire wall. There would be more to move later, but for now Sam was content with the discovery.
With the books mended, door fitted and floors cleaned, the shop was ready to be back in operation. "I appreciate all of your help. If you want anything...a book, time upstairs to read...only ask." Sam told them all, giving a warm smile as he opened the door for them.
--
Thank you! Feel free to post a closing post, I will be archiving this in a couple days.
The wallpaper winner is #2 , chosen by an independent third party since the vote was a draw! ;P
Yeah, we lost track of time
You always let me down so tenderly
what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
Aisha couldn't help but snicker at Aamu's mention of the state of the floors. Even as the walls were stripped bare there was more work to be done, they were only making more for themselves, but in the end it was worth it. The design here was beautiful, elegant and somehow exuded 'library' vibes. Aisha was happy with it, much better than freshly scrubbed wood.
Sam was too, and that was what mattered most. "Mostly me," she tossed in playfully when he thanked 'everyone' for the discovery (originating from her over vigorous scrubbing). Even amid the ruin of the grounds, there was hope, playful teasing and smiles to be had. That was the beauty in the grounds, the rebuilding, as tiring as it was.
"Thanks Sam, I'll see you around," she smiled his way, and waved goodbye to everyone else, leaving to go find something else helpful to attend to.
Mabel arched a brow at Aamu’s dramatics, as if she might’ve been poised to laugh – right on the brink – until the discovery of what was beyond and behind the wall distracted her again. Patterns of blue, of trees, of stars, like a tapestry of the Fields on a perfect evening, before worlds crashed and burned and collided. It was a lovely, picturesque scene, and she eyed it for more than a moment, taking in someone’s talent and abilities, before nodding, imparting her eyes back upon Samuel and his offers. “You’re welcome.” Perhaps she would be back to read.
For now though, the day was done and over, and with a wave and a nod of her head, the youth departed.
