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!
There was a joke laden in there somewhere, if they weren’t in present company and if he were in a better mood. Instead, his eyes narrowed, studying and examining the granite that resisted both of their magic. Perhaps he hadn’t been focusing or concentrating enough, based on what they’d just encountered, for he wouldn’t admit to finding something like a cluster of rock a fellow foe.
Wrinkling his nose, the Sword sighed, before adhering to the task again. Ensuring full, sharp, and accurate convictions, he unfurled another round of earthen enchantments (not even glancing back at Sah or Talyson’s way, because that would be another distraction, though potentially worth a laugh). Maybe sheer force of will would be enough to ensure the granite adhered to their determination and intentions.
--
Deimos tries again on the granite, using Mastered Earth.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
He just snorted and rolled his eyes, refusing to give Sah the satisfaction of seeing even a glimmer of how impressed he was. "So, nothin' new then, is what I'm hearin'." He tossed the teasing over his shoulder as he glopped and spread and patted the clay down in his section.
Tal was a courier with talents in woodworking and some experience in basic construction. He was not a... a clayworker. For this project, functional was his goal. And since that was pretty much the definition of passable, he felt pretty good about his part of the undertaking. Maybe not proud of it, but there was a saying in pretty much every civilized language:
Good enough for government work.
But then a spatter of thick, sludgy clay bits showered over him and spattered across his most recently-smoothed area and he spluttered and shot the hunter a scowl with some real feeling behind it. "Oh, come on, Jester! Stop dickin' around an' tryin' t'show off an' get some dirt under your nails." He stomped up out of the basin and tossed the hunter his shovel before grabbing a screed board instead. Heading back down, he used the broad, flat wooden board to smooth over the thick droplets that dotted his previous hard work - hopefully doing a better job of smoothing and flattening the clay while he was at it.
Tal grumps at Sah and uses a screed board to flatten and smooth the clay that got screwed up from the clay gobs.
Sah snickered but internally grumbled. Tal had never seen his fire magic before, had he? Not that he could recall. "Yah, yah." But then things turned messy as the Abandoned soon learned that clay was far too stubborn for air. Maybe he should have waited till he had earth magic to tackle something like this.
Rolling his eyes but obliging, he simply flipped Tal the bird before grabbing a shovel. "Fine. " Getting to work on cleaning up the clay, Sah paused and smirked over at Talyson, "Haven't you ever heard of a mudbath? I was trying to do you a favor."
~
Sah grabs a shovel to help clean, while sassing Tal.
This time, everything goes as smoothly as it possibly can. Magic prevails against hardy granite, shovels are wielded in strong arms, and clay is smoothed and flattened into a perfect sheen. In fact it's noticeable enough that as Evie wipes her brow and turns around to see the progress going on with the clay, she brightens with a grin. "Wow, looking great you guys!" With one last glance at the area she and Deimos had cleared - now the remaining half of the springs-to-be - the Evergreen considers their next course of action.
"Since you seem to have a steady work going, how about Deimos and I lay the volcanic rock behind you on this side while you finish claying the last half?" It would likely be cleaner and more efficient than trying to do a hand off. Whether they want to make any changes to their process or choose different tools would be entirely up to them. As for herself, Evie hops out of the pit they've created and heads back to the volcanic rock. Luckily since three people had gone and collected a good amount, it won't be a measly few stones stuck into clay by time they return to Frey. Grabbing one of the bags, Evie hands another to Deimos if he is nearby, and she carefully uses her telekinesis and earth magic in tandem to place the stones from the rim of the springs instead of ruining the clay Sah and Talyson have packed in.
- - -
Wonderful rolls everyone! Evie proposes keeping the clay team in their current roles, but up to you if you want to change your process or tools, or try something new.
Meanwhile, Evie and Deimos are on team Volcanic Rock.
if this love does not call itself a wildfire then I don't want it at all
Success this time assured his mood didn’t become any more disgruntled; a long, slow breath eventually flowing out of his lungs as magic adhered and rock crumbled. Straightening out from his crouch, he maintained his steady bout of silence, but gave an acceptable nod for everyone’s efforts.
Volcanic rock was the next interval anyway, and hopefully could adhere his attention to the task, rather than continually marching towards the ruin of the shrine. Grabbing at the proffered bag, he roamed out of the makeshift pit as well, following Evie’s work. Though, mostly to maintain focus, he did so without incantations, meticulously placing them along the rim of the springs with merely his hands.
--
Deimos helps place the volcanic rock!
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
"Wait'll Ru hears that you're tryin' t'cut in on her profits," Tal shot back, smoothing over the mess with the screed as Sah got to work with the shovel. "Or are y'givin' up huntin' t'be a mudboy at the spa?"
It was impressive how much difference using the right tool for the job made. When Tal paused to survey the repairs he grinned and wiped a little sweat off his brow, clearly pleased with this new result. The clay looked so smooth and fine that Boreal came back to check on it, and there was a look of wicked calculation in her eyes as she measured the distance across the freshly-smoothed clay to Tal's side.
The courier pointed the haft of his screed board at her warningly as she raised one foot and started to step into the clay--
"Hey! Venison bacon with cheese tonight if y'stay out o' th'muck!" The foot hovered and then slooowly retreated as she sat her butt down on the edge of the pool-in-progress and made a show of innocently cleaning her claws.
Tal heaved a sigh of relief and got back to work smoothing over the clay that arrived on the other half of the pool, figuring if it wasn't broke, why change it?
Tal bribes Boreal to stay out of the clay and keeps on smoothing with the screed board!
Sah snorted a laugh, "I wouldn't dare." Even if the Wild Thunder might hypothetically be able to take down the Valkyrie in a fight, he sincerely doubted that it'd be easy. Especially not if she were defending her spa and its reputation. She'd kick his ass. Soleil would probably even back her up and there was no way that Sah could possibly defeat that team up.
Taking his shovel once more, this time calling his telekinesis in as well, Sah continued to work on the clay. He predominantly used the shovel but called upon his magic as needed to deal with heavier or broader portions that defied his shovel's efforts.
~
Sah works on the clay with his shovel and telekinesis.
It's a good thing Sah and Talyson do so well, because Deimos and Evie's rocks look terrible. Now the good thing is nobody is judging this based on aesthetics, so the two of them might not even notice! (Evie does. She absolutely does. She cringes to look at it - but it's just going to become one big rock bottom anyway...right? Right.)
Luckily the other two do wonderfully - more than, even, with how smooth and perfect the clay looks as they finish and emerge from the other side. Evie and Deimos drop their rocks from the edges, and with little more to do, the Evergreen dusts her hands free of volcanic rock debris and smiles sheepishly at the Sword. "Last thing is the water, then!" With a touch of magic to the clay to make it even more watertight, Evie takes one of the pails of water and tips it in, letting it pool in the bottom for Deimos to freeze as planned. Once the Sword has deposited his pail, the Evergreen stands and beams at the collected workers.
"And that's it! Thank you for all your work, the clay looks amazing. Now we just have to return to Frey." Glancing at her partner with a warm smile, the Evergreen swings the empty pail idly at her side. "Drinks are on me if anyone wants," she offers to the group at large, okay with the fact that she may be rebuffed. They are welcome to go their own ways from here, confident in their work and all that will come once Frey has worked their magic.
- - -
That's a wrap! Wonderful job everyone, feel free to write closing posts if you'd like, otherwise I will be archiving in ~72 hours. Good job Halo!
if this love does not call itself a wildfire then I don't want it at all
Tal just grinned as Sah revealed his self-preservation instinct was still working, and kept on smoothing the clay down. For all their friendly bickering, the two had a good rhythm and actually worked well together as a team.
Sometimes.
Not that Tal would ever admit it out loud while sober.
The same couldn't be said for Evie and Deimos's rocks, but one look at Deimos's face was enough to keep the courier from making any commentary. He waited until their backs were turned before glancing to Sah and raising his eyebrows, then got to work cleaning off the screed while the Wardens played with the water.
As they finished up, Boreal grabbed his hand in gentle teeth and began to tug him towards the Peregrine. "Got a date with a frying pan. Sorry," he replied gruffly to Evie's invitation. Boreal rumbled approval at his priorities before she crooned farewell to the assembled humans and companions, continuing to bully her human onto his skyboat. She had been promised bacon, and she intended to collect!
Tal out!
03-27-2023, 10:27 AM (This post was last modified: 03-30-2023, 09:58 PM by Deimos.)
Deimos
Deimos noticed. Pre-occupied as he’d been, it probably would’ve been impossible to place them nicely, despite how many times he’d tried to resolve his focus to the here and now. Perhaps these were the times where his machinating schemes betrayed him; already winding into headlong tactics to prevail in the present. His eyes glanced over their work, and barely registering that he’d hardly spoken at all during the tasks, permitted a low rumble of a whisper for the Evergreen. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.” Right back at the pieces of potential Ascended shrine – at the depths of threats conveyed, at the possibilities of returns, at wondering if all these apprehensions were for nothing, or a call straight back to arms.
Adhering to the other tasks, water cast and frozen, there was a silent promise embedded that when they returned, an eventual thing (the lure of hot springs), he’d try to resolve the distorted components of their jumbled stone formations. He heard the invitation thereafter, attempting a vague smile, before accepting with a nod – hoping all his trepidation would be in vain.
From there, they could collect themselves, broadening their reach from the Fangs and back to the Citadel, the process complete.
{FIN! Thank you everyone!}
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
