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!
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
It was along the Miana Pool she traversed, bare feet pressing over the surface, the evening skies glittering with stars. If she were to pause, take a breath, for more than an instant, she could behold the litany of their hues, the beauty of their incandescence, the state of the seemingly endless constellations.
Instead, because Melita wore determination on her brow, and a basket in her hands, she stared upon the glassy veneer. Her movements caused few ripples, dainty and refined in her motions (for once), as if she had to sneak upon a cluster of stars reflected in the gentle abyss. Along the banks sat Fangorn and Sila, both predisposed to wondering what the hell she was doing at any given moment.
And Jack was there, somewhere, she presumed, her head down, not glancing in his direction. “How are you going to help?” She asked, with a cheeky disposition, half a smile worn into the corners of her mouth, as she lowered into a crouch, hovering over a patch of mirrored cosmos.
"Supervisin'." Obviously that was going to be Jack's answer, the captain sitting on the and a couple of feet back from the Miana Pool, a cigarette between his lips and a cat draped around his shoulders. Seven mrows her agreement, purring and headbutting him obnoxiously, and he swats at her. "You can have her as help though, if you want," he says of his companion.
It's a lazy sort of evening, the breeze cool and refreshing (which is about as chilly as it gets in Torchline at Deepfrost), and Jack can't help the lazy smirk that curls across his lips as he watches Melita creep up on the ripples with her basket. "You know how stupid this is, right?" he asks, just in case she hasn't noticed.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
“Of course,” and she gave him a cursory roll of her eyes, before hastening her basket downwards, over the placement of stars, striving to sweep them in a cluster and myriad of droplets. Gazing down into it, as if expecting all of them to glitter back up at her, the youth snorted. “It could be worse.” Considering soon she’d be on a wild goose chase for a relic within Stormbreak, and with who knows what to come thereafter – yeah, she’d take this over wandering around like a lost fool.
Her eyes went to Seven for an instant, tilting her head, features elongating into a Cheshire grin. “If she wants,” before she stepped toward another row of stars.
Though not without giving a kick of water in Jack’s direction.
"I s'pose there's that. We ain't bein' attacked by a ghost whale today," Jack agrees with a gentle roll of his shoulders that disturbs Seven's perch, causing her to spring down and arch her back in a decadent stretch. Flicking ash from his smoke, the captain settles his gaze back on Melita as she sneaks up on more stars. "Well, cats ain't meant to like water, but she does spend most of her time on a ship," he drawls, Seven padding up to the edge of the pool now to investigate.
As Jack swears and swats at the water being splashed at him, the little Sear Cat does reach out a paw to try and bat at one of the celestial reflections, meowing a curious trill up at the honeybee girl, like she might know what to do next. "Thinkin' of tryin' to see Safrin again soon. To get the Ark to fly for longer." It isn't usual for the captain to volunteer information and plans, but (and it's terrifying to realise) Melita is one of the most seasoned members of his crew these days.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Melita would never discount a lack of ghost whales, even though she’d worked hard to achieve that damned charm. Perhaps it’d all work out in the end anyway – considering the way the Ark could now take flight, sailing out along airways instead of down into the dregs of the sea.
She left the notion of anything else threatening within the sky to meander off her trail of thoughts.
Taking up residence besides Seven as she pawed at the water, and ignoring the ones she’d currently been stalking, she lowered herself into another makeshift crouch. “Good work,” she whispered to the cat, as if the reflected constellations could hear her approach, and they had to remain stealthy. Her basket eventually took a swipe, not dissimilar to the feline’s actions, offering a feral grin in exchange as they ‘caught’ the cluster.
The words thereafter surprised her – eyes widening – because she’d rarely, if ever, been given information about any of Jack’s schemes. Understandable, given who she was, but still. “Oh?” The shock gave way to another cursory, wild, untamed predilection, the curl of her smile manifesting into something Cheshire. “Were you planning on sailing farther?” The key indication of where settling in.
Jack wrinkles his nose at seemingly nothing, but in truth it's the similar notion of shit waiting in the sky to cause them problems. Thanks for the nightmares, Mel. "Don't encourage her," he complains regarding Seven, as if the compliment would go to the feline's head. It doesn't, of course, and the Sear Cat mrows her thanks and rubs up against Melita's leg as best as possible without falling into the Miana Pool.
The captain widens his eyes right back at the honeybee girl, like her surprise is something to be mocked, even though they both know it's a fairly big deal. "Farther, for longer... O ain't really decided yet, but it'd be nice to see more of Caido 'fore the gods burn it all to the ground," he drawls, smirking back at her. "You in, if I need shit done to make it happen?"
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Actively encouraging a Sear cat was absolutely something Melita would continue to do, and so she permitted one hand to leave her basket of constellations, scratching at the feline’s ears while Jack continued.
She caught his surprise too – a mutual exchange of shock and bewilderment apparently, and it took a lot of her control (which they all knew was pathetic at best) to not burst out laughing. Instead, she gave one last scritch to the companion’s chin, before hunting another patch of stars over to her left, listening all the while.
“That’s fair,” the honeybee acknowledged, before making a beeline on some reflected beams of light flecked in red and blue. “Sure. I’d like to see where else we could go too.” The acceptance was easy, given her curiosity, her ridiculous, adventuring nature – maybe a lingering reel to last them lifetimes before everything went to absolute shit.
"Then it's decided," Jack says with a nod of acquiescence, unable not to smirk at the way Seven purrs obnoxiously into the fussing, scritching fingers, only to topple dangerously at the edge of the pool when Melita steps away again. As he watches her hop across the water to catch more stupid stars, he recalls what this is all for, and exhales a smoky sigh.
"Oh," he says, as if it's just a passing thing and not something that might change Mel's life, "Maeve wants council members to appoint someone else to support their position. I'm a council member, and you're gonna support my position. Congratulations."
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Another round of stars were captured in haste, permitting her a moment to simply listen – gaze focused on the water, on the ripple effects of her dashing movements, and then on nothing at all – save for the intonations of Jack’s insinuations. Thinking she’s missed something, or there had been some unknown leaps and forays into the instant, her head flickered upward, gilded gaze catching at his. “Supporting what now?” Brows furrowed, confusion rampant, Melita could only try and connect, pinpoint proportions – perhaps about the Ark again…aware that she hadn’t attended an entire meeting where all of this had occurred -
Which was too bad in hindsight, given her predilections towards weapons.
Fangorn and Sila both made some sort of singular appraisal in grumbles and bits of puffing smoke, but the youth’s convictions were still lost in the grandiose of things.
"No, see, you are meant to say thank you," Jack drawls, raising an eyebrow as Melita.exe apparently stops working. But as the youth's companions equally glitch out, and Seven is left mrrping between them all like she can bring them back by virtue of being a cute feline, Jack realises he's going to have to repeat himself. Flicking ash from his cigarette and looking quite put out about this, he starts again. Literally. He repeats himself.
"Maeve wants council members to appoint someone else to support their position," he says slowly, like they're going on a word adventure. "I'm a council member, and you're gonna support my position. Congratulations." Here he gestures, as if to help Melita along the way. This is where you gush with gratitude, and so on.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Maybe she was still glitching out, because there was some key piece missing here, or the understanding was above her head. Even Fangorn’s eyes narrowed, though it was difficult to tell if that was towards Melita’s confusion, or the subject matter as a whole. Sila had stopped listening entirely, draping tiny claws along the rippling surface.
Basket still in hand, caught mid-crouch, her gilded gaze rounding into something potentially dangerous in its bewilderment (lethal in its own regard, really), whatever impulsive mechanism that kept her brain going continued on its course. “So I'm just supposed to do whatever you say?” Is that where they were going with this?
Given that not only can Jack see the predatory sort of stance that creeps over Melita, but he can sense it in her thoughts too, his reaction can definitely be counted as jarring. Because he laughs at her remark, flicking more ash from his cigarette and raising his eyebrows at her like she's dumb. "Did you know," he drawls, "that since I'm captain of a ship and you're part of the crew, you're s'posed to do whatever I say?"
Shaking his head now, he takes another drag of his smoke. "No," he says, just in case she needs it spelling out for her. "Or at least, only as much as you already do, which is fuck all, in case you ain't noticed. Just need someone appointed, in case I'm busy and shit needs doin' for this whole..." Jack rolls his wrist at their star collection activity, as if to say this bullshit.
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
“Yeah, well, when have I ever done that?” came on a Cheshire curl of a smile, as she launched towards another series of stars. In truth, she tried to follow orders…sometimes, but the inspiration for cannon fodder or trying to simultaneously save things had always been driven by her impulse.
But then there was more sense into the whole charade, and he could’ve just said that from the beginning. She rolled her eyes, though not pointedly at Jack, instead eventually casting her lot and glancing down into the basket of reflected pools and constellations. The grin widened, which should’ve been a warning, maybe, that this was a horrible notion and idea. Or the best yet. Who knew. Her head shot upwards again, gilded gaze cast in a nefarious sort of delight. “Does that mean I get to shoot the thing?”
"To your credit, you do sometimes, but I'm pretty sure it's an accident," Jack drawls, though there's undeniable amusement in his expression. Batting once more at the reflections in the water, Seven prowls back over to her bonded, purring obnoxiously and rubbing her cheek along his knee.
It's true, Jack could have said all of this from the beginning, but the captain is no more capable of giving a fuck about other people's preferences as Mel is to following orders leaving cannons alone. But perhaps when all is said and done, there's a savage sort of kinship between them, because the catlike smile he directs back at her is entirely wicked in its mischief.
"If I ain't around, you can shoot the thing," he confirms. "That a'right with you?"
like a secret or a sin
JACK
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.
