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!
Shit has gone down, apparently, since Jack left on his merry little voyage on the Ark. No sooner has he come back into port when news of Sunjata's departure reaches his ears, along with a couple of very interesting letters. He's had to put the Flood to the back of his mind, given the fact that he's not fucking there to interrogate, and the captain has locked himself up in his cabin to swear and throw shit ponder the matter before sunset.
Now, of course, sunset is here, and it's a very cool and calm and perturbed looking Jack who approaches the Court of the Stars, freshly washed and dressed in preparation to meet Maeve, though no amount of scrubbing will take away the fresh tan from being out under the sun and sky.
Knowing precisely nothing about where he is meant to go, instead Jack merely lingers within the entrance of the courthouse, his senses and his magic sharp for the sound of anyone approaching.
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
07-31-2021, 08:54 PM (This post was last modified: 07-31-2021, 08:54 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
News of Jack's arrival reaches Maeve quickly. She'd been expecting him and as such stationed Aidon at the front of the building to inform her as soon as the Captain arrives. Which he does in a rather broody fashion. Aidon grumbles from his perch, orange eyes narrowing as she sends an image of Jack along the bond to Maeve who currently resides in her new office. The Nightshade is quick to stand, wrapping her cardigan around her, concealing the pregnant swell of her belly with the thick knit. Even with her pregnancy, she hasn't gained much weight and the muscle she has keeps her from having a bump that looks more like a watermelon under her shirt, instead it's still as if she's eaten a rather large meal.
Her footsteps echo down the hall as she approaches, offering Jack a small smile despite the circumstances, "Jack, darling, glad to see you made it back in once piece." Comes the greeting, her voice just as sweet as usual, stopping a few steps away from him. "We can chat in my office." She already had something sent over from the Halenani for him to sip on in hopes that it might make a possibly difficult conversation go a touch smoother.
Aidon appears from somewhere above, landing beside Maeve with a snort, huffing out a bit of smoke as he regards the Captain with narrowed eyes. The Nightshade pays her bonded little mind, leading Jack back towards her office instead, the dragon trailing along beside her. Soon they're tucked away behind closed doors, Maeve sitting behind her desk with Aidon curled at her feet, a drink poured for Jack and pressed into his hand as she settles. "Where would you like to start?"
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
The dragon catches Jack's eye, and he holds Aidon's gaze right up until the point where Maeve's thoughts flicker in through the boundary of his magic. "I always do," he drawls when it comes to getting back home in one piece. It isn't the sea Jack has to fear - it's shit like this on his doorstep when he gets back to dry land. Looking the madame up and down, saying nothing but understanding everything, he follows in her footsteps (and her dragon's, of course), saying nothing further until they reach her office.
Courthouse, office, queens - it's all very not Torchline, and Jack accepts the drink and takes a generous sip of it, all the while still examining the walls and Maeve's desk and the whole weird new set up. "The beginnin' is normally a good place," he remarks. "What happened? Why'd the Flood step down, and how'd you and Aurelia get here?"
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
Maeve makes herself comfortable, taking up her still hot tea from the edge of the desk, sipping from it slowly as she watches him study the new surroundings. The walls are a soft gray an the furniture is that made of sun bleached and washed white. A full bookshelf resides against one wall and their is a window to the left that gives a view of the garden as well as the sea beyond. A fireplace crackles behind him, providing warmth and a modicum on light to the space aside from the various sconces that are lit on the wall.
Setting her tea down and straightening, Maeve gets right into it, "Sunjata chose to step down. He told Safrin that he didn't want to do this anymore. He wanted to focus on his family. We all know there is a war coming and given their chosen goddesses it's only a matter of time before they're pulled in opposite directions." His focus was no longer on Torchline. It hadn't been for some time and the region was suffering for it. While it hadn't been the Flood's intention to have his focus pulled from his job, it had been none the less and that wouldn't do. Not when there were so many things to be done and prepared for. "If he remained the governor... Well, he felt the cost would be too much."
As for how they got here? That was a bit easier. "Torchline is promised to Safrin. It has been for some time now. As followers of hers, she felt that we would be the best fit and appointed us herself. Along with a council of our choosing, of course." Maeve takes a pause, bringing her tea back up to her lips, "There is a spot for you on it, Jack. If you want it. Chief of Commerce by title, but we all know that you're more than just that."
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
He doesn't take a seat. Indeed, as Maeve explains, Jack will look as if he's only half listening (it's not true, of course), and he meanders around the office to take in the furnishings, the decor, the gardens, all the stuff he's also not sure is of benefit to Torchline, but they'll get to that in a second. The Sunjata stuff he takes in stride - because as fucking irrirating as it is, there's fuck all he can do about it now that the Flood has already jumped ship. He'll pick that up with him separately.
The Safrin stuff, though? He raises his eyebrows at that, glancing over his shoulder to Maeve and sipping at his drink again. "Has it? News to me," he rumbles. "For all of the Flood's bein' here, the islands have always been a melting pot. Especially given the Voice's influence. What makes you so sure Torchline'll bend to Safrin?" He snorts softly. "Or is buildin' an obnoxious courthouse and callin' yourselves queens enough?"
Oh but lookie, there's a little titbit in this for Jack. Turning fully to face Maeve, he tilts his head to her, knocking back the rest of his drink and setting the glass down on her desk. "And what'll that entail?" he wonders. "Or is it just everythin' I'm doin' now but with a little gold star on it?"
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
His irritation isn't surprising. If anything, it's expected and Maeve takes it in stride. She shrugs her shoulders, "Whether or not it has been stated formally, it still is. This region is protected by her and it has been since Sunjata came into power and will continue to be now." It doesn't change that the region is a melting pot. It still is. Even if it belongs to Safrin. Maeve and Aurelia have no plans on pushing the Ascended from the islands or closing their borders to anyone. Not for as long as they can help it. "There is nothing to bend to. She's already done a lot for us. The canals, the shield that will protect us from the monsoons, an the fountain we're working on now. All exist to benefit us and she's asked for nothing in return." Except for their time and acceptance of her presence here.
"What Torchline is won't be changing. It is still a melting pot and it will be a safe place for those that need it. Aurelia and I are going to make sure of that." Maeve meets his gaze evenly when he finally turns to face her, setting her cup down and shifting in her seat, unbothered by the sharpness that clings to his words. "It isn't just a title, Jack. You'll have a say in decisions. In the choices that we make. No one here knows the people like you do. We'll both admit that. I even told Safrin that you were seen as the unofficial governor of this place. We want you to be a part of this. Of all of it. So yes, it'll be what you're doing now, but not just that."
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
"You sure about that?" Jack tilts his head, slowly sinking into the seat on the other side of her desk. "Not that it matters either way, given what gods can do, but I don't reckon someone like Safrin is gonna accept any old fuck into a place she's got her stamp on, mm?" He raises his brows; given that he'd just been about to head to a Voice shrine that he helped build, it seems pertinent to say.
How kind of her to pass on his name to a goddess of all people - though going from unofficial governor to part of things is admittedly a step down in his eyes. The captain taps an absent finger against the woodgrain of Maeve's desk, sharp blue gaze never leaving hers. "So long as my business doesn't get impeded, I don't s'pose it matters a fuck what you do," he mutters eventually.
"So what else are you expectin' from me movin' forward?"
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
08-01-2021, 06:52 PM (This post was last modified: 08-01-2021, 08:16 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
That isn't all she has for him. It isn't just a position on a council. Oh no. Aurelia and Maeve spoke before she left. There is one more thing to sweeten the deal and bring the captain over to their side. To smooth this transition further because that's what needs to be done. "Your business won't be affected. We have more than just the council position in mind for you, though." She begins, choosing to ignore the rest of it because that isn't the thing that matters right now.
"We'll need your assistance in in the regional quest, but after that... Well, I think you'll find the next project much more appealing." Her lips curl into a smirk, bringing her tea to her lips, taking a sip and letting him sit in that for just a moment. "We're going to get you your ship. A skyship. You can have a whole fleet of them and they'll be yours to captain, but only if you move forward with us." Maeve finishes, crossing her arms in front of her as she leans against the edge of the desk, arching a brow to consider him.
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
The confirmation that his current dealings can continue unimpeded is enough, and Jack is about to say so when Maeve continues, the captain tilting his head at her as he waits for the honeytrap to spring. "Is that so?" he says coolly, sitting back in his seat now and absently slipping a pack of cigarettes and some matches from the inside of his waistcoat. He places one between his lips and offers one out to Maeve.
"What's the regional quest?" he wants to know, given that he's meant to help with it. "I ain't swimmin' out in the middle of the sea again with some Mer, if that's what you're after." It hadn't been that bad, in truth; Jack just likes to complain about it.
But then pop! goes the trap, and as Maeve leans forward, Jack's blue eyes narrow. For all the world he's uninterested, but that's exactly what a poker face is for. "I have a ship," he says eventually. "I don't need another. I don't need a fleet of 'em. Can sweet lady Safrin make the Ark fly?" he wants to know. "That'd be enough to sweeten any deal."
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
At the offer of the cigarette, Maeve shakes her head, "I'm alright, thanks." She murmurs, jade eyes still trained on him, watching every move as he keeps himself collected. Not surprising from the Captain given what she's learned of him. How very little he lets himself go.
Her brows lift in surprise and she huffs a laugh, "No, that's not what we're after. You can rest assured that we don't have need of that for the time being." Maeve begins, shifting to get more comfortable even as she leans against the edge of the desk. "The fountain out in the garden will have healing capabilities. The equivalent of someone who has mastered that magic." It's a good first task, in her opinion. The benefits of having something like that at their disposal are nothing to scoff at. "Aurelia is off wrangling unicorns for it as we speak. What's left is to cleanse the fountain and the surrounding area as well as gathering water from Frey's Breath. Which ever of those you choose to help with is up to you."
Whether Jack realizes it or not, this is almost preferable. To convert the Ark would likely be less work than constructing something from scratch and Maeve has no doubt that Safrin could make it happen. "Of course she can. If that's what you would prefer then that's how it will be."
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
Suit yourself, says Jack's shrug of his shoulders, and he sparks up his own cigarette and puts the rest away. "Healin' capabilities?" he echoes of the fountain as Maeve delves into the nitty gritty of their quest. "That's very clever." High praise from a man who normally doesn't give a shit about anything beyond the prow of his ship, Jack drawing deep on the cigarette and relaxing a touch into his seat.
"I'll find a way to help cleanse your fountain," he decides. "I only just got back home, I ain't keen to go an' flounce off to Frey's Breath." Nodding and assuming the matter to be settled there, he turns his attention back to something much, much more interesting. And yes, Jack does know it. But no, Jack doesn't care - see the above point. "In exchange for what, then? A place on the council, workin' with you an' tellin' Safrin how much I definitely worshipped her this whole time?" He tilts his head.
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
It's very high praise from the likes of him and she flashes him a smirk, "Thank you. We thought that it would be useful." Torchline needed to heal in more ways than one. It had been through so much in the last few seasons, having a way to take away the physical and mental scars of that was desperately needed. Safrin had been pleased with the idea of it as well.
Her brow arches at the offer to help cleanse, curiosity piquing for the span of a moment, but she lets it go. Best not to push when she's just now getting somewhere with him. "I don't blame you. I'm not looking forward to the trip myself, but someone has to make it." Aurelia was handling unicorns. The least she could do was get some water. Besides, she needed to gather some for her own personal quest. Something she needed Jack's help with as well. They would get to that. Right now, there are details to be settled about his ship.
Maeve snorts, a huff of a laugh pushing past her lips, "No sense in lying to her. She knows that you aren't a follower. Whether you choose to be once she provides what you want is up to you, but I might suggest leaving an offering of thanks either way?" Safrin wasn't wrong when she said that Jack could be bought. It was the very thing she was doing right now. "Essentially, you'd take the position, work with us, and in return you get your ship. Seems like a fair trade to me."
She finishes off her tea, licking her lips as she straightens, "There is one other thing, but it's more of a personal matter... I need some Dreamdust. Not a lot. Probably no more than a pinch. Would you mind helping me with that?"
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
Someone does have to make the trip - luckily, Jack isn't queen of Torchline, so the responsibility doesn't fall on his shoulders. Besides, it'll be a task enough to figure out how to cLeAnSe tHe fOuNtAiN, so he'll be mulling over that for the foreseeable, undoubtedly. "Are you gonna wait until Aurelia gets back before you head off?" he wonders. Are you going to leave Torchline without a leader present in your first season in power, is what he's really asking. Of course.
Drawing again on his cigarette and exhaling smoke up and into the air, he nods and sits up in his seat once more. "Sounds like a deal to me," he mumbles. "Am I to assume I've gotta go to her shrine or whatever in my own time, or will I be chaperoned?" Doesn't much matter to him - it just helps to know.
As for the dreamdust, he raises a brow at Maeve as he rises to his feet, assuming they are done here. "I assume our agreement 'bout the Halenani still stands," he says. "I can add some to your shipment - whatever gets your dick wet."
you wanted perfect, you got your perfect but now I'm too perfect for someone like you
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
"We have a council in place for a reason, but it should only be a day. If that." The trip wasn't going to be a long one. They only needed to collect water. Ray, Harper, and now Jack could manage to keep an eye on things for that length of time surely. Whether Jack agrees or not is something else entirely.
Maeve wrinkles her nose for only a moment at the smell of the smoke, the fumes threatening to unsettle her stomach, but she pushes the feeling aside. "You'll be expected to attend the turn in for the regional quest, but otherwise... It's up to you. I don't think it would hurt to leave an offering for her in your own time." She says with a shrug of her shoulders, relaxing back in her chair, head tilting to the side thoughtfully.
Maeve gives him a nod, "Of course. It isn't necessarily for my patrons. I need it for a quest, actually. Either way, I only need a small amount." It wasn't for her to use as one might imagine. She wouldn't dare. Not when she's pregnant. Likely not after, either.
Baby we built this house on memories Take my picture now, shake it til you see it
