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!
There was no explanation for why it had taken so long – save for some measure of dread, of apprehension, of being afraid of what she’d find. The house was its own haunting parallels, from times where she’d had family, then nothing at all, hallmarks of what used to be, what once was, and couldn’t become again.
But pressing her bare feet on the outskirts, staring at the gaping holes in the side, glancing at the burnt edges, made her heart sicker than she’d ever come to realize.
The barn was destroyed and gone, felled into pieces of timber still smoldering, and others merely ash. Like bones and decay and naught. While it had been leaning at the best of times, to see it completely succumbed made her inhale, sharpen a breath she didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t need – clenching and balling her fists.
The structure within seemed to have held together by sheer will and tenacity – for it was the roof that bore the most damage. Windows were blasted out. The rooms seemed virtually untouched, save for the place where her parents had once resided; charred marks settled on the walls. Their gods didn’t save them again.
Surveying the disastrous wake meant she wouldn’t be able to do this on her own. As much as she detested asking for assistance, especially in the heavy losses suffered elsewhere, if she and Aamu were to remain here, the shelter would have to re-established. So she penned a few marks upon the notice board, with directions to the farmhouse nestled in and amongst the trees.
Sighed, then began sorting through the timber of the barn.
--
PQ to help salvage and repair Mabel’s farmhouse! Feel free to have your characters’ see a notice board post indicating she needs help!
Cam didn't know many people in Caido and definitely didn't know the owner of his farmhouse, the "Mabel" who'd asked for help on the Notice Board. They didn't have any particular skill in construction, either. But they'd been startled by the devastation facing them when they returned to the Grounds after LongNight, horrified by the aftermath of the destruction they'd escaped. They wanted to help somehow. And this had seemed as good a place as any to start.
At home, they never would have volunteered for something like this -- not just the manual labor, but to be around strangers, in a strange place. But all of Caido was strangers in a strange place now, and they had to get out and start meeting people somehow. Not to mention that they'd better get accustomed to manual labor. Somehow they didn't think "data entry" or "graphic design" were going to work on their Caido resume.
So they showed up a little late, having gotten a bit lost looking for the farmhouse. They'd left their stuff at home, since most of it was useless, through they had brought a canteen of water slung over their shoulder -- the canteen a gift from their current landlady. It might not be too hot, but this could be thirsty work.
"Um, hi," they said, spotting Mabel. "I'm Cameron, they/them -- I saw your Notice Board post and I'm ... here to help out?"
They really didn't sound confident about that fact, but they were here.
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
And of course Aamu is there. He hadn't wanted to intrude after the destruction, swung by at some point to notice it was fucked and then left it up to Mabel to take at her own pace. He was fine with sleeping rough or hiding out in King's End: it was she that tied him to this place anyway, so if she went away, he'd go away, too.
But actually coming back here again .. hurt. He thought of the first time, of coming with Mabel like some stray, collapsing in the hallway with her, and everything that came after that—he'd tried to not leave his mark on the house but had, anyway. It was in the strong teas in the cupboard, the sharpened knives, the leather oils and fats, the cleaned bathroom—
It was in all the memories he had of the place with her, all the little moments they'd shared.
What wasn't this like for her, then? His heart aches for her.
Aamu comes from around the side of the house, having spared the collapsed barn little more than a cursory glance, and notices the stranger. They don't seem Ascended, but they do seem a bit nervous. Aamu's head tilts and he intentionally positions himself so that they form a triangle, rather than standing by Mabel's side. "Hello Cameron," he says, gentle as always. "I am Aamu."
Then he looks to Mabel. He might live here too, but it is her house.
The first to arrive was a stranger – and she tilted her head, clearly trying to ascertain who he was. It wasn’t a predatory glance, though she could understand and surmise if it came across that way, based on her narrowed eyes and studying air. When she seemed satisfied with the scrutiny she nodded, accepting him into the fold. “Thank you,” was a quiet tone and gesture.
Aamu was expected, and she wasn’t certain how to feel or what to say. He’d likely seen and surveyed the damage for himself at some point. The way it splintered, cracked, and still somehow remained. Maybe just like the rest of them.
Trying not to think about the way things shattered, the youth took it upon herself to wander out of the rubble of the barn, and figure out what was needed next. “I was hoping to look at the roof first, and see what needs to be fixed.” She pointed to the ladder, a bit rickety in age, already placed aside the outer wall. “We can climb up.”
Following on her own directions, and not worried about Cameron possibly not being able to see as well as the Ascended, Mabel shimmied up the ladder quickly (as if she thought it might fall apart if she bore weight too long). Waiting for the others to wander in the same stead, she glanced at the smoldered, destroyed shingles, the long gashes seemingly cut through. “We need to re-shingle some areas, and someone can help me pry off these boards,” pointing to the jagged, clearly scarred ones – likely from the SparkBird’s rage. A pile of shingles had already been placed in pre-cursory thoughts, and a number of necessary tools.
--
Head up the ladder (watch your step) and pick a task!
Mabel needs one more to help her pry off some boards, and another to start re-shingling. Presume the tools are already there for you.
Let's go to war to make peace Let's be cold to create heat
Cam nodded to Aamu, whose gentle manner did help set them at ease, and in response to Mabel's thanks. Then they got right down to business, which Cam appreciated, as it left them little time to stand around and feel awkward. They climbed the ladder carefully, in the dark, a bit surprised that their companions didn't set up some kind of light -- they didn't realize that the Ascended could see perfectly well, didn't even realize that the two were Ascended.
"I can help pry up the broken boards," Cam volunteered, after contemplating the tasks for a moment. That seemed like the better option for someone with no construction experience -- they feared they'd hit their thumb with a hammer trying to nail shingles down. With this task, they should only have to worry about falling off the roof.
Cam will start prying up the boards.
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
Roof first? Fair enough. Aamu waits as Mabel shimmies up the ladder, agile like a cat, and waits as Cameron follows. They seem a bit hesitant, careful, and Aamu frowns slightly as he studies them when they climb up. They're not built like a hard worker, they have the most intriguing hair, and spectacles. Their fashion is not of this world. Tentatively he decides they're an Outlander, and then he takes his turn on the ladder, joining the duo up on high.
"I'll start on the shingles, then," he declares (though calling it a declaration when it comes from someone as mild as Aamu is a bit of a stretch) and leaves the other two to work on the ruined beams. He's careful with sounding out the roof before putting his full weight on it, and then works on stripping away the ruined shingles, inspecting the beams below for damage. Then if they're fine, he'll replace the shingles.
Perhaps it was best that Ascended couldn’t feel pain, for their senses would have been overwhelmed by the distinctions. Maybe the semblance of utter failure would do enough damage.
Prying the boards should’ve been easy enough, a relinquishing of old nails and cracked, decrepit, splintered wood. But it wasn’t, and they snap and intermingle, fracture and splinter, coming completely apart, disintegrating before their eyes, debris and ash and cinders alike. Some of the timber split right into two, coming back upon Mabel and Cameron, either intending to maim, slash, rip, or tear into their flesh. A hiss grumbled from the girl, and she could only glance back at the stranger, uncertain as to how he fared.
Even shingles should’ve been easier, but there was no fortune on their side this evening. Aamu, wonderful as always, couldn’t handle his grasp on them (for whatever reason – likely very, very poor dice rolls), and they all fell off to the side, landing with a heap back upon the grass. The long, long weeds that hadn’t been taken care of in some time, collecting and curling around the house.
The youth didn’t bother hiding her grimace. “Well, we’ll have to try that again.”
--
Those dice rolls were impressively bad.
Cameron and Mabel’s efforts don’t go quite as planned – the wood snaps between them and hits them.
Aamu loses his shingles and they’ve fallen off the roof.
Try again. D:
Let's go to war to make peace Let's be cold to create heat
"Shit," Cam swore under their breath, then: "Oh, ouch."
They examined their splinters as best they could in the dark, wincing. Those were going to be a problem, huh? And they couldn't even see well enough to get them out, so they'd just have to live with the pain for now. It wasn't too bad -- not an emergency-room issue, they would have said if they were still in a world with an emergency room -- but they were definitely worse for wear.
And they weren't the only one who'd been hit: they asked Mabel, "Are you OK?"
Surveying the boards that had crumbled before them, Cam added, "If they're going to fall apart anyway, it might be easier to just smash them -- and stand back, so we don't get hit again -- than try to get rid of them in one piece. Then we'd just have to pry up the nails ..."
They started to put their plan into action as they spoke, taking a hammer and carefully attacking the boards to try to batter and pull them to pieces.
Cam suggests that they destroy the boards rather than trying to take them off, and starts doing so.
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
He's doing fine, until he's about to get started on putting the fresh shingles in. Because there's some weird conjunction of occurrences at exactly the wrong moments: his fingers reach for the pile, and the beam between Cameron and Mabel snaps. His head flicks in their direction, and as the splinters rebound and rain around them his brain disconnects and he pushes the pile of shingles—
In the aftermath of it Aamu just kind of sits there, a little confused about what just happened. "Huh," he breathes as he leans to peer over the edge of the roof. Yep. The shingles are all down there, having the time of their lives, likely. He blinks and peers back at Mabel and Cameron. "You two alright?"
Then he moves to the ladder, slipping down to collect his shingles for a second try.
Hopefully everyone else in the group was tenacious and determined, because wooden boards were suddenly proving to be far more than she’d gambled.
Content with the new idea, and nodding that she was fine (she’d heard the ouch in between, and pondered over the length of time it would take to get them to the infirmary; for she certainly had no nursing skills, or bandages nearby), Mabel thought smashing them into pieces would be just fine. A stress relief. A way to cope with the ridiculous nuances hovering over the party.
So it was, in…a way.
The pieces splintered, fractured, and flew as rapaciously and murderously as before. This time Mabel managed to duck, but she wasn’t certain if Cameron had enough ability to get out of the way in time. “This is ridiculous,” she snapped, eventually placing one heel in a crushing blow to the boards. It shouldn’t have been that difficult. But at the very least, the boards had been smashed. “We can pry up the nails then,” she uttered on a heavy sigh.
Aamu, for his part, did in fact manage to scurry down the ladder, grab hold of the shingles, and climb back up, with no issue. A relief in and of itself, truly, considering all the other circumstances. He’d be able to start the process all over again.
--
More cruddy dice rolls!
Cameron and Mabel can pry up the nails, and Aamu can try shingling again!
Let's go to war to make peace Let's be cold to create heat
"Ouch!" Cam repeated as another flurry of splinters came their way. "Ah, man. Dammit."
They didn't think their injuries were serious, but they stung a good bit, and Cam could already imagine the time it would take to painstakingly remove the splinters later -- if they could even manage to find a good light and some tweezers. Did tweezers exist in Caido? They'd have to ask their current landlady.
Surreptitiously, they glanced at Mabel and Aamu, wondering if they could call it quits after two rounds of injuries. But the others seemed ready to continue, and Cam didn't want to let them down. They put a brave face on it and reached for a hammer. "All right, fuck these nails."
Cam starts prying up the nails.
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
Really. It's almost as if the house is bloody sentient and hellbent on not having any parts replaced at all. Aamu's journey to the ground to herd his lost shingles back into the fold is accompanied by snapping and cracking and expressions of pain and the occasional rain of splinters from above. It is a very strange soundtrack and he frowns disapprovingly at the roof once he's back on it, shingles carefully wrapped into a bundle.
Mabel seems fine, so he's content to have at it again. Aamu returns to his previous patch, carefully placing the shingles down and choosing the spot where he seems the least likely to give them flying lessons again. He is very mindful of what he's doing, an very absorbed by his work. "Nuck these fails," he mutters under his breath after Cameron's little declaration.
Perhaps, like in most things, they managed to prevail.
No pain, no anguish, no torment, no new injuries – even if Cameron would’ve been the only to one to feel it. The air of disappointment still didn’t billow away in an Ascended’s form.
But it didn’t exist in the here and now.
Gloriously, the nails were pried up by Mabel and the unknown artist. Rendered and placed off to the side, with an unnecessary sigh of relief pooling from her lungs, the youth stood upwards and stared at the chaos around them. Even if it was small and substantial, there was a grand notion that they’d conquered a set of damned spikes, pins, and rivets. “We did it,” she whispered, half a smile tucked along her mouth. As if it was worth celebrating.
Maybe it was. Every little moment counted nowadays.
Aamu held success too. The shingles didn’t glide around. They didn’t fly or fall off the sides of the building. They stayed in place, patched and shone over all the hardships they’d faced, and ceased to falter.
With a huff of absolute obstinance, the youth’s gaze went to the new boards, or…salvaged ones that hadn’t been mauled when the barn collapsed, beginning to grab hold. “Let’s replace them with these then.” With all three of them working, it wouldn’t take as much time. Then, perhaps, they’d only have the windows and any other odds and ends within the home.
--
Good rolls, yay!
Let’s replace the crappy boards with much less crappy boards!
Let's go to war to make peace Let's be cold to create heat
and I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall
His care pays off: maybe it's slower going than it would've been the first time around, when he was a tad more careless, but this time it doesn't involve knocking the shingles off the roof. He works his way around, until it's all covered up again. Neat. Whole. Repaired. Just one small thing out of many, many more.
Once he is all done he heads over to Mabel and Cameron, looking at the pile of salvaged boards. There's no need for words, so he merely nods, giving Cameron a bit of a longer gaze there in the dark: it's not hostile, just .. studious. In truth, he's just trying to see how the only non-Ascended in the party is holding up.
But they haven't fallen off the roof yet, so... Aamu shrugs slightly and goes to help with the boards.
