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!
With a baby to consider, of course Harper had ended up checking in more frequently with the teachers in Torchline’s school. As a naturally amiable man conversation was easy, and as a familiar face already they’d been more than happy to address their concerns with him. That being, the unfortunate gaps in education that a Renaissance-ing land such as Caido unfortunately had to contend with.
After days of consideration, Harper had agreed to set up shop so to speak as a teacher for the students aging out of the current system. Near the school but separate so as to be available to adults as well. With Wren Society closed, and his own experience teaching all ages and races in his home world and even here, it seemed the best way to help out the people in the coming times.
Seren had been a wonderful pupil, and the memory of those days training her had been the encouragement he needed. Phoebe, Amun, Weaver, Aurelia…he’d guided all of them down the path of learning new skills in his time in Caido.
So he had put up a notice on the town board, providing enough time to procure materials to fix up the outbuilding the school had ceased using. It was in decent shape, if a bit vandalized by bored students, so hopefully it would be an easy task.
- - -
Harper is setting up his “business” - a private tutoring/teaching studio for older students and adults! Hoping to move this along pretty quickly, so only looking for 2-3 participants.
When Ray had seen the notice Harper posted, she'd felt a rush of pride for her fellow council member. Harper's idea was a great one, one she fully supported. Leaving a note on her shop's door she closed early for the day and headed over to the Port. As the herbalist drew closer, she spotted Harper and gave him a cheerful wave, "Hello!"
Taking in the supplies spread out around them, and the state of the building made Ray smirk. "Looks like we've got a bit to do." Her smile turned warm as she regarded Harper, "This is an amazing idea. Even beyond today, if you need any help at all with this, let me know. I could even teach classes on herbs and first aid if you wanted."
Ray fully agreed with the importance of education and the idea of helping to provide it to others was incredibly appealing. A small way to give back to Torchline that could have major impacts.
12-17-2021, 12:53 PM (This post was last modified: 12-17-2021, 12:53 PM by Cordelia.)
Cordelia
It had been hard to leave behind their little home in King's End, but where Deimos went, so did she. That was the agreement she'd made with Noah. So here she was. Back in a place that was the polar opposite of Halo. Cordelia slowed her steps as she saw the gathering of people, feeling that familiar Attuned bond that connected them and a tentative smile curled on her lips. "Need a hand?"
She'd seen the notice, of cours. She knew that he did. Cordelia surveyed the building, head tilting to the side as her lips pursed, "Probably best to paint the outside."
Cordelia suggests that they paint the outside to cover up the graffiti.
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
12-17-2021, 08:07 PM (This post was last modified: 12-17-2021, 08:08 PM by Harper.)
show me all of your affection
let it rain on me
Ray is a familiar, exuberant presence, and Harper returns her wave with a sunny smile. The compliment and offer for assistance makes his cheeks warm with pleasure and appreciation. “Thanks Ray. I’ll definitely keep that in mind - maybe I can set certain days each week for guest teachers?” Though his own experience is vast and detailed across all manner of subjects, he’s not so arrogant as to claim he knows all. Especially with the differences between his world and Caido’s.
The next woman to join them is unfamiliar, but greeted with no less warmth. “An extra pair wouldn’t be amiss! Luckily I got some paint - nice and colorful and hard to miss.” Winking, he laughs and claps his hands readily to assemble the small group to order.
“I’ll do the heavy lifting - not that either of you lovely ladies would be incapable,” he smiles playfully. “I’m going to haul in the furniture I acquired. If someone wants to help clean and unboard the windows inside, and someone else start on scrubbing the outside to prep for the paint to lay smoothly?” He leaves them to decide their own tasks, opening the door to the stale air inside to begin hauling desks and other items in.
He's just as warm as the air around them and Cordelia wonders for a moment if he's a preview for the way all Torchers are or if he's simply an outlier in the way he seems to be made of sunshine. Still, the Attuned gives him a smile as she draws closer, snorting at his words if only because she's more than capable, having built her fair share of structures the last few seasons. Cordelia doesn't argue, though. Instead she heads inside, taking a broom and hammer with her to pry the boards from the windows.
She starts there first, using the claw of the hammer to pull the nails from the rotten boards, removing each of them and tossing them out the open door into a pile. Cordelia took up the broom next, sweeping out the large main room, gathering it all into a pile before sending that out the door too.
Cordelia removes the boards off the windows and sweeps out the room.
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
Ray gives Harper a satisfied nod, "That'd be a great idea. Maybe even short-term workshops with various trade professionals?" Torchline was always in need of more skilled laborers. Two to three day workshops teaching the basics and finding potential recruits for trade guilds had the potential to vastly improve the quality of their workforce. The herbalist recognizes Cordelia and sends her a grin, "Good to see you again!"
Harper's joke gets a soft laugh from Ray as she goes to collect the tools she needs to clean. "Don't break a nail!" She calls after her fellow councilman as she gets to work. Setting up outside, the herbalist fills a bucket with warm soapy water and begins to scrub the walls down with a rough sponge. Once she'd done with that, she'll give it another rinse, dry the wall, and give it a once over with sandpaper. Hopefully that will be enough to even out the surface and prep it for paint.
Harper beams at Ray’s further suggestion, scarcely able to hold still. The acrobat longs to get the excited energy out in a more fun physical way, but for now there is work to be done. His laughter trails after him out the door as Ray’s taunt chases him inside. Rather unluckily broken nails - of either sort - are seemingly on the agenda. While the herbalist finds the work to be completed swiftly, the two inside encounter something unexpected and far worse.
As Harper moves an old cabinet, an entire family of bats goes flying into the inside of the room, disoriented and startled as the nocturnal creatures try to find the door. Leathery wings beating at his and Cordelia’s hair, disrupting both their efforts. Harper startles, stumbling backwards with a noise of surprise more than fear. “Clear the door Ray!” he yells just in case, and partially shifts his giant elephant ears to try and gently buffet the bats out the only opening.
- - -
Ray is extremely successful! Start painting, or help with the bats if you’d like!
Cordelia and Harper have stumbled upon a frantic nest of once-sleeping bats and must clear them out before they can continue.
Upon hearing Harper's warning, Ray leaps out of the way of the door just as the bats swarm through. "What the...?!" She glances through the door and takes in the situation. A colony of bats apparently has moved in and although she could start painting, it seems counterproductive.
With a sigh Ray makes her way in to join the others. "Let's get these guys out and then continue." It was best to deal with this situation swiftly instead of further stressing the bats. Grabbing a painting tarp, the herbalist begins to try and coax the bats out. Gently nudging them out of their hiding places and out the door is her goal.
Ray comes in to help with the bats. She grabs one of the tarps they have for painting and begins to use it to gently coax the bats out.
12-30-2021, 04:02 PM (This post was last modified: 12-30-2021, 04:04 PM by Cordelia.)
Cordelia
Cordelia ducks as soon as the bats make an appearance, knowing better than to get in their way, but having no where else to really go. The attuned huffs softly, creeping to the side wall, attempting to avoid the majority of them. It doesn't solve the problem of getting them out, though. Seeing Ray's idea, the attuned moves to join her, taking the other side of the tarp so they can make their reach wider. It takes some maneuvering, but she manages to help her try and urge them out through the open windows and doors.
"We'll probably want to check the rest of the place for other critters. They're likely hiding all about." She wouldn't be surprised if there was a family of racoons in the attic or maybe even Hels. Nothing would surprise her.
Cordelia helps Ray with the tarp and suggests they look for other critters too.
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
Between the three of them - tarp, ears and all - the bats clear out into the brightly lit day outside. Harper spares a moment to feel guilty for having disturbed them, but overall it's for the best. "Agreed, there's not much else in here but let's check just to be safe." Luck seems to be on their side (or dice rolls) because they find nothing else aside from dust and debris.
"Well, let's hope that's the worst we encounter," he says with a grin and goes back to hauling furniture in. Ray had been the only one ready to move on after all, he still needs to finish his own task. At least the materials he's hauling in are of a better quality than the half-rotted cabinet the bats had been hiding in. That, too, is hauled out. Good thing he keeps up with his training regiment otherwise it would have been much more of a hassle.
- - -
No other animals to be found, and the bats are successfully freed! Harper and Cordelia still have their tasks to finish, but Ray can get started on her next step of painting!
With the bats gone, she's free to take up her broom once more, returning to the task at hand. Sweeping isn't a difficult thing to do and the Attuned focuses on doing that first, humming softly as she lets her mind wander, thinking it funny how she seems to fit herself in to each place they end up. Halo, King's End, Torchline... All of them hold some kind of role for her to fall into. Maybe that's why it's so easy to settle in places she's not meant to linger.
Once she manages to get all of the dirt, dust, and cobwebs swept away the room is already looking that much cleaner. Returning to the boards that still cover the windows, Cordelia works on prying them free, tossing the rotted wood out into the growing pile of debris.
Cordelia finishes her sweeping and taking down the boards!
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
Ray wipes her brow once the last bat is gone, "Phew. That could have gone much worse." Critters removed, Ray takes her tarp and goes back outside. Placing the tarp down and grabbing her paint, the herbalist begins the next part of her task. She spends a solid moment just eyeing the wall and trying to decide what might be the best color and or design.
After a moment, an idea occurs to her. Ray grabs the paint and begins a mural of sorts. Her plan is to paint tone of the walls to mimic an old scholarly building. The kind where one would expect philosophers and such to gather. Textured columns, vibrant flowers, and a soothing blue sky. All of it is painted in careful detail on the front part of the building. The rest of the walls are painted the same blue color.
Ray gets to painting! One of the walls she's trying to do a mural to mimic a scholarly building (columns, sky, foliage, etc.- think Greek philosophers). She's painting the rest of the walls a soothing blue.
Whether it was the first or only bump on the road is to be seen, but for now everything goes not just swimmingly, but incredibly well. Each individual’s efforts are actualized swiftly, with no further necessary exertion or creativity required. Ray’s mural begins to take shape beautifully, the inside area is swept and then lit by the sun outside as the boarded windows are released, and the furniture is brought in and set up without any stubbed toes.
It comes together faster than Harper expected in the beginning, and soon he wanders outside to check on Ray. “Wow, this is beautiful Ray,” he breathes, admiring the mural. “Mind if I add some personal touches on the side?” He sidles up to the paint can, smiling beatifically as he coats his palms in a thin layer of paint before rising and pressing them to the right of the entry door on the opposite side of her mural.
- - -
Last round ladies! It’s a free for all for details and touch ups!
Ray sends a grin over her shoulder at Harper, a paintbrush still in hand. "Thank you!" Seeing him coat his hands in paint pulls a chuckle from the herbalist and a grand gesture with her other hand. "By all means, go ahead." Her lips twitch for a moment before she breaks into a bout of laughter at her own terrible attempt at an accent.
Letting Harper do his thing, Ray turns back to the mural. There are a few places that she'd like to add some more details. Adding depth to shadows, improving the reflections on the water, etc. It's nice to just slow down and take her time on a painting. This is going to be on her friend's building too, so she wants it to be some of her best work.
~
Ray adds more details and final touches to the mural.
