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!
07-04-2023, 06:52 PM (This post was last modified: 07-06-2023, 06:04 PM by Dantalion.)
Dantalion
how the fuck am I supposed to know
This is certainly an interesting part of the Inner Quarter.
Indeed, the Last Whisper might be a place designed for someone like Dantalion, only there's a bit of a problem here. Quite how the cloud spiders have found their way into this covered lane is beyond the Ancient, but they're absolutely here, and by the labyrinth of steel-corded webs, they don't plan to get out any time soon.
It calls for a swift evacuation, if you ask him - but there's only so much he can do alone. (And that's not to underestimate what Danta can achieve alone, but orgasms will only take him so far when it comes to getting rid of spiders). So, scrawling a note at the top of the steps leading into the Whisper - it reads, roughly SPIDER PROBLEM, COME AND HELP - he waits for the cavalry to arrive so they can Make The Hollowed Grounds Great Again.
SE PQ to catch and dispose of some cloud spiders! Please post your character arriving!
The Grounds had changed a surprising amount – so much so that she didn’t even recognize this part of it aside from the bar that had been there long before she’d died and come back and done the whole, hide away as an Ascended in the Grounds bit. So what brings her back? Curiosity, mostly, wondering what had remained the same and what had become different. And certainly, the tiptoeing down the steps into the lane of shops and brothels and bars were initially intriguing – none more so than the scrawled words of a spider problem.
Well, maybe it’ll be interesting enough – an adventure of sorts. So she makes her way down, avoiding the silk the best that she can, before she sets eyes on her first, other Ancient and her iceberg eyes narrow slightly as she clears her throat and lifts her horned head, the heady light making the ruby marks in her dark horns muted. “Are you the one looking for help to get rid of the spiders?” She asks point blank, arms folding across her chest.
heaven knows i don't follow, but i believe in this
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
After the madness of the past few months and finally successfully getting his hands on unicorn blood, Edmund takes a small detour. Partly to settle his frayed nerves and partly because he needs to do something fun and for himself. Exploring has often been an outlet and it is one this week. He finds himself in the Grounds and with slight nerves, seeking out the Whisper. Would they let a teenager in? Hopefully.
Pausing as he eyes the sign, Edmund sighs. Well, it's a change of pace but not the one he intended on. Climbing the stairs further he spots Dantalion and another Ancient that he's yet to meet. Turning to Danta with a blank expression, Edmund calls out, "You require help?"
Intentionally or not this seems to be yet another case of Dantalion organizing the equivalent of an Ancient Party, and Ophelia's presence merely cinches the matter. If they were a different person perhaps they'd be understandably upset that everyone suddenly shows up in the Grounds they've been floating like a ghost around with little notice or apologies, but Ophelia is decidedly not that type of person. Instead, they merely float in last like a horned fairy, practically skipping with delight to see so many friends.
"He seems the type to require help at all times in some way or another," their dreamlike tone responds to Edmund in a display of playful teasing that seems at odds with the ghostlike Ancient's normal disposition. Kiada is a new face, but the horns on her brow mark her as one of them, and Ophelia is nothing if not adamantly supportive of the idea of family. So Ophelia smiles brightly at them, even if their eyes are still strangely far-away, before turning to Dantalion. "It's good to see you again. How can I help?"
it's peaceful in the deep, either way you cannot breathe no need to pray - no need to speak
With the Hollowed Grounds’ alterations in landscape, some of the animals have grown a bit wilder. A bit bolder.
So while it may surprise some, and others not at all, a crow swoops down, snatching at clothing and bags with sharp, irritating, and annoying talons. Maybe you just lost a piece of bread, or a valuable keepsake!
Unsurprised to see so many showing up to his aid (why wouldn't they, look at him), Danta is delighted to find that they are all Ancients. Okay, full disclosure, he's particularly delighted with Kiada, and it's with a fanged smile that he inclines his head to her, confirming that he is, indeed, the one looking for help. Then the kid shows up as though he hasn't been away forever, and Ophelia is hot on his heels.
"You wound me," he tells Ophelia, equally as playful. "I don't require it - but I always appreciate it." It's at that moment that the bloody Serendipity pesky crow swoops down and rifles through his fucking pockets, taking off with something important or otherwise. (Danta doesn't know and he doesn't care).
"Uh," he says, dumbfounded and outraged in equal measure. "Right. You investigate some of the shop doorways. I need to deal with that." And so, shifting into a (much larger, much scarier, fuck you) gore crow, he takes off after the bird.
Danta is having bird troubles, so he's dealing with that.
Everyone else, go and poke around some shop doorways to see if there are any spooders! There's a tea shop, a fortune teller's boutique, and the Vlamvloed to check first!
No post order!
if we're in love or if we're in pain?
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
She isn’t the only one that shows for help – and gods is she not expecting to see so many other ancients as well. She feels left out of a party, somewhat, despite it being entirely her fault. And the only evidence of such an insecurity that can be seen is the way her tail wraps around her leg in her uncertainty, arms still folded across her chest as she looks to Danta, then to Edmund, then to Ophelia and spies the smile they offer her, one that she tentatively offers back.
Danta’s nod is enough to keep her content, even before his playfulness toward the pale Ancient reaches her ears, watching as a crow swoops down and steals something from his pockets. So much for that suave façade. She can’t help the smile that blooms on her face, a soft snort of a laugh leaving her as she shakes her head.
“Alright.” She offers softly, giving him a wave but not moving until after she spies him shifting to a gore crow to chase after the smaller one, a dark brow raised slightly impressed, before she starts to investigate the VlamVloed for spiders.
Kiada investigates the VlamVloed!
heaven knows i don't follow, but i believe in this
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
"I will kiss it better if you like," they assure with all the sincerity of a vow. They have always been fond of Dantalion's dramatics, so different from any other person they've had the pleasure of meeting.
And speaking of new people, Kiada smiles back, which only makes Ophelia's broaden. It's a bit hectic already, but Phi is nothing if not a hard worker no matter how air-headed and strange they might appear. With little to no direction, they wander straight for the tea shop.
It smells lovely even with all the spiderwebs, but there are no visible spiders from the doorway. Wandering inside, they begin to investigate the undersides of tables and chairs, keeping an eye for any movement or leggy beasts.
- - -
Phi checks the tea house!
it's peaceful in the deep, either way you cannot breathe no need to pray - no need to speak
An echo of a smile flickers across Edmund's face at Danta's misfortune. It's gone as quickly as it comes, and he sets his eyes on the fortune teller's boutique. It's the kind of place that would have fascinated and excited him not long ago. But as inspects the door and the steps in front, all he feels is mild curiosity.
Edmund wonders if he'll even be able to tell any real spiders from potential decorative ones. Fortune tellers were spooky, right? Did they have spooky decorations? Or was that a witch thing? Shaking his head, the young Ancient focuses on his investigation.
Edmund investigates the fortune teller's boutique!
While his trusty crew do their investigations, Danta is successful in his game of catch-the-crow, and by the time any of them return, it will be to the flamboyant Ancient picking his teeth with a dark feather. Enough said about that, hm?
Kiada will find the VlamVloed locked and dark inside, which is sad, but it does mean that it can't really be home to too many spiders. Indeed, there's only one - a squat, floating thing - hovering around the doorway and trying to spin further webs. Should be easy to take care of, right?
Ophelia finds not one leggy beast, but three of them in the tea shop. Perhaps they wanted to stop for some cake and a hot drink? They don't seem particularly smart or large, either - all of them are somewhat trapped under the table, unable to get out due to their own inflated abdomens.
As for Edmund, he's correct - fortune tellers are indeed spooky - but there are no spider decorations here. It just means it should be easy to spot the pair of cloud spiders trying to dangle down to perch on his head as he explores.
Catch and dispose of your spiders any way you like!
No post order!
if we're in love or if we're in pain?
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Edmund barely stifles a yelp when he feels the sensation of far too many legs landing on his head. For a moment he considers how simple it would be to grab one of the lit torches and set them ablaze. Another heartbeat and he reconsider, wondering if perhaps he should just carry them out of the shop unharmed. But then they'd take up residence elsewhere.
With a flick of his tail, the young Ancient settles onto his initial plan. Grabbing a lit torch from the wall, he walks over to set the spiders on fire. Hopefully the web isn't so flammable that the sparks radiate to the building itself. He reaches for his magic to do damage control as needed.
~
Edmund grabs a lit torch and tries to set the spiders on fire. His fire magic is ready to be called at a moment's notice to hopefully prevent the whole shop from going aflame.
The harpy is surprised to see that it’s locked, the interior dark and appearing as if nobody’s entered in quite some time. But as she pulls back to look up, she notices the floating arachnid starting to spin another series of their tough, resilient webs. Having little to no qualms over it, she glances around the area before grabbing a board nearby, likely used for boarding up a window or some kind of repair.
Right now, though, it’s become her bat, and she hoists it up fully focused on the cloud spider above the door before she swings in the hopes of nailing the spider to the door with a loud splat.
Kiada grabs a board and tries to fly swat the spider on the door!
heaven knows i don't follow, but i believe in this
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Three fat spiders stare back at them from underneath the table, clustered together in an adorable fashion. Cooing at them, Ophelia gets on their knees and examines them closely from below, debating if they'll kill them or free them. For all their cuteness (to Phi, at least) they also don't exactly have any qualms about crushing them.
Given how much work already awaits with the webbing they'd spun, and not wanting them to get free just to come back and produce more, Ophelia reaches up with their bare hand and seeks to crush them flat with their palm against the underside of the table. Hopefully, they wouldn't have the time or space to evade such a simple strategy.
- - -
Phi tries to crush all three with their hand!
it's peaceful in the deep, either way you cannot breathe no need to pray - no need to speak
A bold move, Edmund. From within the fortune teller's boutique, ghoulish amber light fills the air, and the pair of cloud spiders are snuffed out with tiny, tragic screams. Whether the webbing is any more flammable than regular spiderweb is debatable, but there's more than enough (regular and cloud) in the corners of the shop to ignite and cause problems. "Whoa, whoa - bit early to raze it to the ground, isn't it?" Danta comes to help take care of the flames. Hopefully his magic with Edmund's combined will get it under control.
Kiada has much better luck - the satisfying, hollow smack of the board against the cloud spider covers any other sound of its demise, and the VlamVloed is made arachnid-free once more! There's just a little bit of webbing to clear away now, and she's done!
As for Ophelia, perhaps squashing three of the buoyant bugs at once is a bit ambitious, because one of them wriggles an escape from between their fingers. It tries to skitter away beneath the underside of the table. Better catch it, Phi!
Danta and Edmund need to control that fire!
Kiada has some spiderwebs to clear out.
One of Ophelia's victims has escaped, and requires taking care of!
No post order.
if we're in love or if we're in pain?
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
