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!
09-02-2023, 02:10 AM (This post was last modified: 09-11-2023, 12:39 AM by Sohalia.)
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
With the coming of Deepfrost, the nights came early, and it became quickly apparent that the few lanterns in the Silk Houses that they'd put up a few seasons prior were no longer going to be enough. The rest of the city lay shrouded in darkness, with many of the lamps throughout its streets in disrepair. Although they had been working on improving the city's infrastructure, lighting was one project that had been left undone, and so on this particular Deepfrost morning, Soh waiting at a designated place in the middle of the city for volunteers to join her.
Today's task was simple: repair the lights on the main thoroughfares of the city. They could branch out into the smaller roads as time went on, but they had to start somewhere, and nowhere was better than Stormbreak's heart (haha, because Soh's the Heart of Stormbreak, get it?). A pile of supplies lay nearby, waiting for the volunteers who began to gather.
------
This is an open PQ to create and repair lights in Stormbreak in preparation for Longnight. Please post your character arriving, and we'll get to work next round!
Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you
Far be it for Koa to let his Queen down.
Even if that Queen had broken his heart.
The man who arrives for round two of lanterns with Sohalia is a far cry from the boy who showed up seasons before, flush and foolish with the rush of youthful purpose and ardor. Today's Koa is a more serious sort, wrapped up tightly in a Dragoon-issued coat, his copper eyes bright and quiet in the winter morning. He'd debated mightily whether or not to come, ultimately landing on fuck it all. Pride and stubbornness and a lingering thread of curiosity, that's what pulls him out today, draws him back into her orbit like a tether in his chest. He wants to prove that he's over it.
(To her, Koa? Or to yourself?)
He stops a comfortable distance away, eyes landing anywhere but Sohalia's face. There's no bright greeting, no flash of a smile, just one wayward look that says more than he wants before his expression is schooled again, back to the mild neutrality of a well-trained soldier. He's here for a job, nothing more. Get in. Get out. Don't think about the flush that the chill brings to her cheeks, the way her pale skin glitters like snowlight---
Koa, my lad, you may have fucked up.
Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
Gasp, what was this? A situation which would be made potentially awkward by her presence? Well count Flora in.
Though she and Koa hadn't talked about Soh, not at this point in their thread anyway, Flora could only make certain assumptions based on the things Sohalia had told her. Best as she could understand it, if Soh wanted to have both Jude and Koa, that would have meant there were feelings on the soldier's side as well, right?
And were there still?
'Hey girl.' Swanning over, the Doubletake wraps her arms around the Luminary's shoulders, pulling her tight. "I've missed you." She whispers, before pulling back in order to raise her eyebrows and purse her lips in a secretive so Koa????? sort of gesture she hoped the soldier wouldn't see.
Releasing the Heart, Flora twists in order to peer coquettishly over her shoulder toward Koa. "Heyyyy."
i scream for whatever it's worth "i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Soh liked to think that she knew Koa fairly well, for all she didn't know him that well at all. At the very least, she knew him well enough to not be surprised when he showed up to help, and yet...
His appearance before her left her mouth dry and her cheeks pink. They shared a momentary, charged look before Koa carefully schooled his expression, and Soh looked away, her heart twisting painfully in her chest. She knew she'd fucked up beyond measure, and it hurt to know that she'd very likely burned a bridge that could never be repaired.
Was it wrong that she wanted to try?
She'd only just gotten up the courage to speak when, out of nowhere, Flora appeared. "Flora!" she said with relief, hugging her friend back with a quickly whispered, "I missed you too!" Her cheeks warmed - thank the gods that they were already pink from cold and embarrassment - at Flora's look. She remembered seeing Flora and Koa together at the Festival of Lights, how she'd wondered if there was something going on that was more than friendship. "Let's talk later?" she murmured for Flora's ears alone, her gaze pleading. They had a lot to talk about, it seemed - and all of it about Koa.
But for right now, they had a job to do. Right. "Thank you for coming," she told them both, a hesitant smile on her lips as her gaze flickered between Koa and Flora. "So, in preparation for Longnight, we need to do some cleanup on the lighting throughout Stormbreak. I figured we could start here and work our way through the city. First things first, we need to test the lanterns and see which ones need to be replaced. There are ladders over there," she added, pointing to the ladders nearby. "So, um, pick a lantern and we'll see what we're working with."
------
Round 1
Check the nearby lanterns to see if they need to be replaced. No post order!
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you
Well shit.
Whatever awkward tension Koa might have felt at facing Sohalia again is magnified into absolute panic when Flora - Flora! - appears, swooping in like a bird of prey and the Luminary in a hug. Which means that not only are both girls here, they're also friends, and Koa feels his ears grow hot and his face grow cold as he wonders what sort of conversations they've had lately.
Whether they're whispering about him.
(Which obviously all their recent conversations must have been about. What else could possibly be more important in their lives than him? (He's a 21-year-old boy, what did you expect? Nuance? Understanding of the Bechdel test?))
He doesn't catch Flora's look, having suddenly become very interested in a speck of dirt on his shirt. But he does hear her greeting, looking back up with a smile that's only slightly strained. "Flora," Koa replies, his voice shockingly steady given the panic in his chest, the way he feels very much like the human embodiment of Ralphie's danger meme.
Thank the gods Sohalia speaks up quickly, instructing them toward their first task. Koa sets about his work with perhaps more haste and earnestness than appropriate for the situation, snatching up a ladder and taking it to check a lantern that's far enough from the girls to avoid awkward conversation, but close enough that he can keep an eye on them.
Y'know. Just in case.
Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
"Uhm, yes." Flora agrees brightly, biting at her lower lip while at the same time bobbing her eyebrows. This was all going to be a bit festive, but then, if only she knew the full truth about the three of them, perhaps things would actually go fine.
Or maybe it would end up in an orgy; given that only Sohalia would likely be against that Flora thought that actually there was a rather good chance.
'Oh totally. See which ones have a spark, and which ones need a little help, mmm?' This is said more or less to both Sohalia and Koa, meaning any and all associated innuendos. Though the girl wasn't particularly a fan of heights, nevertheless, she reached for a ladder and placed it against one of the lanterns. Turning her chin over her shoulder to try and spy whatever lingering and longing looks might be passed between soldier and Heart, the Doubletake would then turn back to her task.
i scream for whatever it's worth "i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
At her instruction, Koa snatched up a ladder and went rather hastily to a lantern, Soh's eyes lingering for a moment on his retreating figure, no doubt giving Flora a view of just the sort of longing look she was looking for between the Heart and the dragoon. Perhaps it was a good thing that the Luminary was not particularly adept with innuendo - Flora's flew right over her blonde head, and she gathered up her own ladder and went to check a nearby lantern.
Koa and Flora managed to check their lanterns without much trouble. Koa's flickered oddly, and Flora's was burnt out, but their ladderwork was certainly passable. Sohalia, on the other hand, struggled to place her ladder on a stable enough surface, and she'd only made it halfway up when it teetered beneath her, eliciting a squeak of surprise from the girl. Her cheeks warmed, flushing a deep red at her inability to do even the simplest of tasks, but she managed to climb down from the ladder without further incident to reposition it more safely. When she finally checked her lantern, she noted that it was dimmer than it should be.
"Right," she called to the others. "If your lantern has any problems, let's bring them over there -" and she pointed towards the gathered supplies, "- to try and fix them. Hopefully we won't need all new lanterns."
------
Round 2
Let's get our lanterns down and try not to die descending our ladders. No post order!
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you
It's all quite awkward, but the work helps - anything to keep his mind off the women who work behind him. Each one is a spider spinning a web, tangled threads weaving into trapdoors and pitfalls that Koa is hopeful and hopeless to avoid. Better to focus on the lantern in his hands that the way their eyes glitter like jewels, their looming expanses of ocean and sky threatening to swallow him whole.
Which doesn't keep him from starting as Sohalia teeters, instinct pulling him toward her perilous perch. Not far - she's not actually falling - but the concern is enough to be noticeable.
His lantern is in decent shape, but it can use some TLC. Plastering on a grin that doesn't meet his eyes, Koa saunters toward the indicated supplies, still trying valiantly to be as inoffensive as possible. He may not be an engineer, but he's grown up among them, and armed with that (minimal) understanding he sets to fixing up the interior workings of the thing, hoping to get it back in ship shape.
Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
There was clear tension between the three of them, and given that only Flora knew the real extent of it, she looked about as pleased as a cat with cream on its whiskers. Singing under her breath as she worked, the Doubletake reached out for the lantern closest to her. It took longer than it should have, if only because she kept shooting glances toward Koa and then Sohalia, trying to gauge just how much the two were actively trying to avoid each other's gaze.
Snickering to herself as she descended her ladder, Flora brought it over to the table and began to refill the kerosene within. "You know, in Torchline we have these new wicks that don't burn as quickly. I think we make them from something in the ocean." Glancing over her shoulder toward Sohalia, Flora grins. "Maybe someone can come down and check it out." Rather suggestively, she looks toward Koa before shrugging.
i scream for whatever it's worth "i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Soh descended her ladder without further trouble and made her way to the supplies that were grouped nearby. It was terribly awkward, and Soh found herself avoiding not only Koa's gaze, but Flora's as well. If she kept her eyes on her lantern, then she couldn't make any mistakes, right?
(Wrong, as it turns out. Thanks, roll of the dice.)
Koa may have grown up in a family of engineers, but he was not one himself, and in trying to fix his lantern, he managed to shatter one of the glass panes. Soh glanced up with surprise, her gaze flickering from Koa to the lantern before returning to her own work. There was more glass in the supplies; hopefully Koa would find it without her intervention.
Flora was successful in refilling the kerosene, and even chatted as she worked. "We'll have to look into that," said Soh noncommittally. Normally, she'd jump at the opportunity to visit Torchline, but things now were so strange and foreign that she didn't know if she'd be welcome. "Thanks, Flora," she added warmly, not wanting to be cold to her friend.
Soh had the worst luck of the three, with a lantern that was near death. She tried to fix it to no avail, and in the end threw her hands up in frustration. It looked like a new lantern was going to be needed.
------
Round 3!
Koa's lantern has a shattered pane and needs to be repaired!
Flora's lantern is repaired and needs to be returned to its pole (or Flora can help Koa/Soh with their lanterns).
Soh's lantern is toast, and she needs to find a new one in the pile of supplies.
No post order!
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Not knowing the ripples that Sohalia's love triangle had caused, it was with a quiet hmmm that Flora regarded her friend, trying not to take Soh's brevity personally. It was probably just because the Heart was worried about LongNight upcoming, or trying to sound cool in front of Koa.
"Or I'll just bring some by when I come and visit next." The Doubletake chirped, not specifically mentioning who it was she'd be coming to visit.
Raising a brow at the Luminary's outburst, Flora shot a look toward Koa and motioned that he ought to go and give her a hand. Opting to hang her lantern so that at least one of them was complete, Flora moved to the ladder once more with her lantern in tow. When she returned, she could either take over from Koa or help Sohalia, depending on what the pair had opted to do.
i scream for whatever it's worth "i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
11-14-2023, 09:54 PM (This post was last modified: 11-14-2023, 09:58 PM by Koa.)
Koa
Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you
Fully focused on the repair of his lantern, Koa does not catch the odd exchange between Flora and Soh. Perhaps for the best - certainly his ego would not have allowed him to think there was any other cause than a brewing catfight for his affection, and given his anxious state he's not sure he could handle such a thing.
Indeed, so anxious is he that he manages to pop a pane out of his lantern, causing it to shatter upon the floor. He winces, looking up just in time to watch Sohalia throw her hands up and catch Flora motioning that he ought to go assist. Which, yeah, that's a nope. So Koa opts to do the cowardly smart thing, pretending not to have noticed what's going on around him and redoubling his focus on lantern repair, the quicker to escape this absolute deathtrap. He even makes use of his ring, using the electricity within it to try and spark a fire on the wick with a quick flick of his fingers.
Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
And finally, at long last, the torture came to an end. Flora's lantern was complete, and she was easily able to return it to its post. Koa's efforts with his ring were productive, ending with a lantern that was repaired and ready for hanging. Soh glanced over at the spark of fire on the wick, her gaze sweeping briefly over Koa's face before returning determinedly to her own lantern. It was beyond saving, unfortunately, so she took it to a pile of trash and tossed it on top before searching in the pile of supplies for a new lantern. Once she'd found it, she gave it a once-over to ensure that it was in tip-top shape and carried it back to their work table to prepare to hang it.
"If we can just replace these two where they came from," Soh said, trying for an air of calm and serenity. "Then we'll be done." And with that, she grabbed her shiny new lantern and made her way over to her ladder.
------
Last round!
Everyone put your lanterns back up! (Or, if you're Flora, and you've already put your lantern back, continue to make things as awkward as possible.)
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
Who knew what would ultimately come of this; maybe at someone's wedding, this would be a story mentioned and laughed about. More than likely it would just be an awkward afternoon which was inevitably forgotten about, but whatever the case might be, Flora was more than happy to capitalize on it.
"You're so strong Koa, you should probably steady that ladder for her." The Doubletake murmured softly under her breath. It was a good suggestion, even if it wasn't a totally innocent one, and besides, it wasn't as if the dragoon could just directly ignore her the way he could ignore a wave of her hand.
Beaming at the two with her hands on her hips as if it was up to her to survey their work, Flora cleared her throat expectantly and raised her eyebrows at the dragoon.
i scream for whatever it's worth "i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
