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!
Jack's had a helluva time lately. Between the committing himself to a fucking goddess, wearing a star on his cheek like a teardrop and spending days on his ship losing his mind and having it try to pound its way out of his skull, he's not been able to take advantage of certain gifts. Namely, the gift of flight for the Ark from Safrin, even if it only is during the moonlight hours.
The captain chooses a starry night, knowing that this will fill her sails the best, and though Jack is one to keep his cards close to his chest, the ship's gangplank is lowered for a select few to come on board. They won't take flight until they are well beyond the immediate shore; even though it won't be possible to hide the fact that the Ark is airborne, they can make it a little subtle at least.
"Aight, last call!" he shouts through the glowing lanterns that line the Ark's railings.
romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic and recommended
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.
Eating fire is your ambition to swallow the flame down
They’re not known to take to the sea during Deepfrost. The season was usually an interval for bonfires, gatherings, stupidity, and general drunkenness. So the fact that Jack was aiming for the Ark to set sail, at night, was enough to garner Melita’s suspicion and curiosity.
She wandered up the gangplanks with little preamble, Fangorn tucked in her arms. The casual tilt of her head only revealed her inquiry, though the Captain would likely be able to sense the ongoing questions circumventing through her brain. Not that the honeybee would permit it to remain solely in her mind; extending the notions towards Jack within a moment. “What’s all this about then?” A mild tone, a sort of wondering, wandering, laughter, as she continued clambering aboard, taking her usual spot along the deck, nearest the cannons. Once settled, and talking in jovial spirits with the rest of the crew, she opted for another query. "Where are we headed, Captain?"
to be lit up from within, vein by vein to be the sun
Maeve approaches the ship with long strides, curls lifting with the light breeze that comes off the water, tugging at her clothes with cool, invisible fingers. His call rings out just as she reaches the bottom of the gang plank and Maeve doesn't hesitate walking onto the ship as if she owns it. She doesn't, of course, but the confidence is still there. Slipping her hand into Jack's to steady herself as she steps aboard the Nightshade offers him a smile that curls on her lips, "Good evening, Captain." Comes the purred greeting, jade eyes roving over him as they always do when they first come together, getting herself a nice eyeful before she's breezing past him to find a place to perch.
Aidon circles in the sky above her, dark scales helping him to blend into the ink black sky, the colors of his wings muted by the silverly light of the moon. Maeve offers a small nod to Melita along with a wave and a smile, taking up a spot near the wheel, gazing out across the water with a faint look of wonder.
There's a room where the light won't find you Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
This… seems okay. Bit safer than the sea, yeah? Theoretically. A ship blessed by Safrin can’t possibly fall from the sky, can it?
She doesn’t have the same kind of bravery that Melita does; her fuck-all attitude doesn’t extend to adventures and sea-farings, so it’s understandable that Raza is hesitant as she stands at the edge of the gangplank, lips pursed ‘n face scrunched as she squints through the dark at the ship (which, frankly, doesn’t seem any different). But in the end it’s too good to pass up. Come ‘on! A flying ship? Murmuring to the Captain as she passes, the barkeep can only mildly threaten him. “If I die tonight, I’ll come back and haunt the fuck outta your ship.”
Then a familiar thump on the shoulder as she moves away from the railings, to some place far more… steady.
Well look at that - a trio of angels come to take flight with the Ark. "Evenin'," he purrs to Maeve, before flashing a toothy grin acoss at Melita. "We're headed out for a little jaunt," he informs the redhead, accepting the punch to the shoulder from Raza with a crooked grin. "Only a short one - no dyin' necessary. Now you ladies hold on tight - even you." Nodding at the honeybee girl, Jack sets off across the deck and whistles for the crew to draw up the anchor and the gangplank.
While they do so, the captain takes his place at the wheel, calling orders to adjust the sails and to ease them out of port. Only when the Ark begins to move does Jack feel it in his bones, that innate sense that his ship wants to go, wants to fly, and fuck but he's heedless to do anything but let her.
And so it is that, with sails filled with starlight and rippling back from her stern, the Ark lifts gracefully into the sky on her first flight, and Jack - for perhaps one of the first times in his life - is speechless.
romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic and recommended
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.
Eating fire is your ambition to swallow the flame down
Suspicion didn’t even bother hiding itself on her brows – arching slightly, before glancing at the other members of the crew. A little jaunt. Hold on tight? Her features were a picture of confusion, with the additional proportion of barely withheld excitement – a creature of danger and intrepid ridiculousness even at her best. So she assisted where it was necessary, running through the regular gambit of skills and requirements –
Until – of course, the god damned ship took flight.
“What the fuck,” flew out of her mouth before she could stop it, immediately dashing over to the side of the ship, hands secured around roping, as sails filled with starlight, as it began to arc, lilt, and ascend over the sea. “Incredible,” she whispered then, jaw utterly slack, gilded eyes taking in every pattern of cosmos flicking off the bow and stern and everywhere in between. “How did you manage this?” A thousand other questions stirred from her mind, but that had been the one stirred behind her tongue and unleashed without forethought.
to be lit up from within, vein by vein to be the sun
10-19-2021, 10:13 PM (This post was last modified: 10-19-2021, 10:14 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
As always, Jack greets her the way that she deserves to be greeted. With all sly grins and purred words. She preens at the attention as per usual. Her smile is sugar sweet as she breezes past him. Maeve greets the other two women with nods and smiles as she moves towards the wheel of the ship. Pale fingers wrap around the railing of deck, holding on tightly as Jack takes his position, bringing them out of the port and onto the open water.
She's more prepared than everyone else here aside from Jack. She knows what's going to happen, but when it does? Her breath catches and a smile curls on painted lips, jade eyes sparkling just like the stars that fill the sails, letting out a delighted laugh as she turns to Jack. Maeve drifts towards him, holding on to the rail as she moves, letting her grip keep her steady so she doesn't lose her footing. Finally she reaches him and her hand finds his arm, slipping up to his bicep, squeezing gently, "Isn't this amazing? She was made to fly, Captain."
There's a room where the light won't find you Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
No dyin’ necessary? Well aight then. Somewhat reassured, Raza settles herself near the main mast and dutifully wraps an arm around the thick pole. But why? For what? Easin’ outta port seems pretty normal until -
it’s obvious that this is no ordinary jaunt, no regular trip. Raza wraps both arms around the mast now, no thoughts or worries to how she looks, clinging to boat despite how smoothly it seems to lift outta the water. The others - Melita and Maeve - are nowhere near as phased and the barkeep lets them ooh and aww before she tentatively goes back to just stabilizing herself with a single arm. All of their questions echo in her head and as she glances over at Jack (yes, with Maeve dripping off his arm, and that earns a really sort of raised brow).
“Yeah, Jack. What didya do for this?” she asks quietly, feeling a growing sense of concern dampen the very cool moment. Nothing is free. And this? This is a very big thing.
What the fuck is absolutely an adequate way to describe what happens, and Jack steers the Ark higher through the starlit skies, feeling the excitement balloon in his chest such that it threatens to have him taking off as well. He can sense the mingled excitement, pleasure and wariness that vibrates from each of his impromptu crew, and as he turns to Melita and Raza, it's with a wink that maybe shows off the small star tattoo now branded at the corner of his eye.
"Had a little help from a goddess," he admits, all bravado and devil-may-care. "I s'pose you could say I'm a Safrin man now. If that's a problem, you know where the edge of the ship is." It's a jest, especially in current company, but for anyone else in the future? He fucking means it.
romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic and recommended
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.
Eating fire is your ambition to swallow the flame down
Melita missed the wink, but certainly not all the other implications. And while her mouth remained hanging open, head down and into the wind, letting the world coast along underneath her, she grinned. Completely unbothered by the sentiments of Safrin, for she had no issue with the goddess (even if her chosen herald did), and she laughed into the void, watching constellations shine amongst skies and sails.
What a way to avoid ghost whales too.
Permitting one hand to incline along with the air, the youth turned her head back to the Captain – ignoring Maeve’s antics, and smiling warmly at Raza, if only to ease the tension. “Will we be flying to the stars then?” Or was it a joyride - experimental and carefree?
to be lit up from within, vein by vein to be the sun
Maeve pays Raza little mind. Not caring one way or the other what the owner of the Hanged Man thought about her involvement with Jack. The woman could scoff and raise her brow all she wanted, but Maeve was rather content with their little arrangement. An arrangement that allowed her to enjoy his attention just like he enjoyed hers. They make an interesting pair. No matter how fucked up they might be. Maeve smirks knowingly at Jack's easy words and she has no point to argue.
Instead the Nightshade stays put, hanging onto Jack as they sail through the skies, letting her lungs fill with starlight and her belly swoop excitingly as they drift through the air. It's an experience she never thought she'd have and she's glad she gets to now.
There's a room where the light won't find you Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
Maeve can ignore her look (which wasn’t for her anyway, it was for Jack) all she wants, because Raza knows how the Captain is. The world would likely end before he considers himself part of a pair. And besides, she has a bigger shock to focus on than the Madame's , when he reveals he’s aligned himself with Safrin.
She can’t help the frown that furrows briefly between her brows and that sinking feeling of disappointment. There’s nothing to be said in present company, but her concern deepens as she tries to wrap her head around what that means for someone who had been so staunchly for Torchline, Gods be damned. “I hope she’s worth it,” the proprietress murmurs to herself as she turns back to the sky and, like Melita, tries to focus on the beauty and awe of flying instead of the small ball of dread in the pit of her stomach.
Jack hears it all, of course. He hears the defiance from Maeve and the doubt and dread from Raza and the bubbling excitement from Melita. And tonight he's only really interested in the latter - he can speak with Raza in his own time, but this night is for flying. "Not just yet," he calls back to the honeybee girl with a grin, "this is just to make sure it's all in working order."
Because like it or not, war is coming. Like it or not, Torchline has been stamped with Safrin's mark. And Jack won't be left behind, not when he's got a chance to see these islands on the other side of the fight. Jack might be staunchly for Torchline, but above even that, he's staunchly for Jack.
So they sail across the stars for an hour or two, circling Torchline before coming to a gentle touch down back into the waves. And as they draw back into the docks, Jack is absolutely content with the decisions he has made. He's not here for regrets.
~FIN
romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic and recommended
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.
