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!
01-01-2022, 05:48 PM (This post was last modified: 01-01-2022, 05:51 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
It occurs to her one evening that there are plenty of spare rooms in her brothel that could be used for other things besides her workers. Of course the Smuggler's Guild had the Fingers to operate out of, but the Nightshade can't help thinking it might be good to have a more formal area to conduct trades if necessary. So Maeve does what any savvy business person does and gets to work.
She sends notice to Jack, letting him decide if he's going to help or send others in their guild to do so, not caring one way or the other who decides to help out with the little project. Right now it's nothing more than a room for storage. One of the first tasks will be to clear out the excess furniture before anything else.
Write yourself arriving and getting to work with the furniture!
1. Jack
2. Melita
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Melita had never actually step foot in the Halenani – brothels weren’t really her thing (seemed to be way more up Sunjata’s alley) – so when the notice went out, she wrinkled her nose at the prospect. But since Maeve always seemed willing to aid her, and this was for the Smuggler’s Guild, she only dragged her feet slightly. Fangorn bobbed along behind her, grumbling and growling, and with her weapons bag neatly over her shoulder, they set off in the Longheat semblances, wild hair already tied back and away from her face.
“This was a good idea,” she proclaimed, by way of announcing her presence loudly once she’d cleared the front door. Her gaze peered around in a childish, natural sort of curiosity, before meandering over to the room, gazing at all the furniture. “Where do you want us to put all of it?” After receiving orders, she snagged at a low table, beginning to drag it out of the room.
Of course Jack shows up. He also brings help by way of Melita, if you count the chaotic redhead turning up of her own accord as arranging help. "She's full of 'em," he drawls in response to Mel's quip, moving to help shove out the low table she's trying to move. Once that's stacked up, he returns for the chairs and a few more boxes of brick-a-brack. "Cozy," he remarks of the room.
One might not think it, but it's actually just the sort of room a guild full of smugglers could make use of. Decently soundproofed (thanks, Halenani) and without any windows, it's also a very decent cover, given how many people go to brothels on a regular basis. Apart from you Melita, duh.
Jack helps Mel start to clear furniture!
you are a quiet god and your hunger is cavernous
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.
01-02-2022, 05:44 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2022, 05:44 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
It is a good idea. Thank you for noticing. Maeve smiles at Melita as the honeybee girl appears, knowing this was one of the first times she's ever been inside her establishment, "Thanks for coming to help." The Madame hums, silently calling for Aidon to come down and see his friend, knowing the dragon would be peeved to be denied the opprotunity to play. "Just out into the hall. The other men will put it away properly." She says with a wave of her hand, shifting her attention to some of the smaller things that she can move by herself when Jack's voice cuts through the din.
The smile she flashes him is one he's come to expect from her, "You would know, wouldn't you?" She drawls in return, tossing him a wink as the two get to work moving the bulk of the furniture. While Melita is incredibly gung-ho for the whole endeavor, her excitement gets the best of her, feet scuffling on the floor as she attempts to drag out the table. It isn't until Jack steps in it gets anywhere.
Still, the three of them quickly get the room cleared out aside from a spare desk and a few chairs. "Let's get this place swept out and we can move some of the more interesting items from storage into here."
Sweep up and get the items from the last shipment out of storage!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
"That I would," Jack agrees, his voice a little gruff where he's moving the table out with Melita. The men in the hall are happy to receive the furniture - Jack ensures it, because he's not moving it an inch further than the fucking doorway - and when he returns, it might be of the surprise to some, but he reaches for the broom. "Ain't like you not to run a tight ship," he teases Maeve, flashing her a smirk as he gestures to all the dust and debris than needs to be cleaned out.
"What you got for us to come in from the shipment?" he wonders, keeping a close eye on Seven, who has just slunk in from the doorway to leap up onto the desk, offering the group a mrow for her trouble.
Jack sweeps!
you are a quiet god and your hunger is cavernous
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.
Melita refrained from rolling her eyes as they toss little flirtations back and forth – and aside from wanting to openly gag, the youth took the rest of the measures in stride, completely unbothered in her haste (familiar patterns). Meh, so she tripped. Could’ve been worse.
Once the furniture had been moved, and trying not to be distracted by Seven (she still gave a little wave anyway, because the cat had always been an interesting companion), she also endeavored to snag a broom. Fangorn, ever the pleasant fellow, gestured to Aidon, presuming they’d find some game to play together.
The honeybee, though strangely silent, was still very attentive to the subject matter at hand, nosey to a fault, head tilting, listening all the while.
Sorry, Melita, but you put these two together and it's bound to happen. Maeve laughs demurely, waving Jack off as he pushes the table out into the hall with Melita, following with a few odds and ends herself. "We don't often come in this room. I suppose things have gotten a little lax without my constant monitoring. Still, I can assure you everything else is still just as tight." Maeve hums, breezing back into the room and reaching forward to scratch Seven underneath the chin, cooing at the cat as she does so.
The other men are off to bring up crates and Maeve shifts to open up a ledger that rests on the desk, "We have some Dreamdust, Snapdragon, and a few other things." Jack would know. He's the one who brought it to her. Aidon happily joins Fangorn in a rousing game of hide and seek out on the main floor, uncaring of the patrons it might bother, too intent on playing.
Maeve turns her own attention to a wardrobe style cabinet, opening it up to reveal old liquor bottles as well as a few vials that are labeled with her neat script. "We can put things in here. Keep it all out of sight, but able to stay organized." She says just as the men return with said crates.
Empty the crates, catalogue things, and fill up the cabinet!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
The honeybee did grimace at the innuendos this time, nose wrinkling into a defiant little measure and muttering something under her breath. After sweeping, she turned her attention away from the lot of them, and mostly towards what they were supposed to be doing, eyes flickering towards the crates, Fangorn entertaining himself with Aidon (probably under a table – tucked under edges of lace in a very pathetic display of hide and seek).
So, familiar with the routine by now and the smugglers items, the youth intended to assist in emptying the crates, as carefully as she could manage (which wasn’t saying much), heading towards the cabinet.
"Of that I have no doubt," Jack purrs back to Maeve, giving Mel a shove for good measure. (It doesn't look playful, but for Jack it's about as good as it gets). Seven, at least, makes up for her bonded's lack of cheer, leaning into the madame's scritches and offering a high pitched mrrrp! in response to Melita's wave. With those introductions done, she takes pride of place curling into a furry donut on the desk to watch the proceedings.
Jack picks up where Mel leaves off, accepting the items as they reach the cabinet and making sure to label and catalogue each one before he tucks it away on a shelf of its own. Maeve can feel free to change things as she wishes, but for now at least the items are away and they are tidy.
Jack catalogues the items Mel brings and stacks them into the cabinet.
you are a quiet god and your hunger is cavernous
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.
Melita empties, Jack catalogues, and Maeve organizes. It's all rather streamlined until it isn't. Whether it's because the thoughts in the vicinity get too loud or the captain is simply distracted, a few bottles slip from his fingers, shattering on the floor in a splash of color. Maeve turns at the sound of broken glass, eyes widening as she spots the color of the liquid, the deep purple seeping into the floor. "Shit... Don't touch that with your bare hands. It's a rather potent poison that has a nasty habit of burning your skin down to the bone."
She carefully steps around it, grabbing a broom to sweep up the broken glass and a spare bottle, placing it on the desk as she gives Jack a look. "It has a water base..." Maeve glances towards Melita, "There is a bucket and mop down the hall. We might need it."
Last round!
Melita needs to get the bucket and the mop. Jack can maybe clean it up another way.
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Everything seemed to be going well, until it simply didn’t. Melita instinctively shifted away from the liquid and glass, arching a brow as Maeve proclaimed what the hell the nasty shit was. Why even have that poison around here?
Well, the honeybee could think of some reasons, but none of them were real great.
Instead of mulling it over in some mulish fashion, the youth tended to what they needed at the moment, rambling down the hall, and not having the mind to explore. Instead, she persisted in finding the bucket and mop, and once that was successful, came back towards the fray, striving to assist in cleaning up the mess.
--
Melita gets the bucket and mop and tries to help clean.
Jack is still staring incredulously down at the vial, as if asking it what the fuck it's doing on the floor, when Maeve pipes up. "I couldn't have chosen the one filled with massage oils," he drawls, though he does step back to allow Melita to go and get the mop and bucket and start cleaning it up. The spare bottle is taken care of, as is the poison and the broken glass, so Jack busies himself in finishing up with the cataloguing and organising.
And once that's done, he absolutely goes wandering off, only to return with what looks like an expensive bottle of wine and three glasses. Pouring them all a measure, he lifts his own in a toast. "Cheers, for givin' us a place to conduct shady shit without havin' to sit in the draughty old Fingers."
you are a quiet god and your hunger is cavernous
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.
Thankfully it isn't too hard to clean up. Maeve makes sure that no one messes with the bucket or mop after the spill is mopped up, allowing them to clean the remainder of the glass up shortly after, leaving the room ready for business. Before she can say much to the captain he's disappearing, but his arrival with wine is more than appreciated. She takes a glass, lifting it in a cheers, clinking hers to his lightly. "If I have to do business I'm going to be comfortable while doing it." The queen drawls, tossing him a wink as she takes a sip of her wine, perching against the edge of the desk.
"This will be free to use as necessary. I'll have a spare key made for you, Jack." She drains the last of her wine and motions the rest of them out of the room, locking the door behind her once they're all clear, satisfied with the work they've done.
~FIN~
And we're done!
There is now a room at the Halenani to be used for trades should it come up!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
