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!
11-07-2023, 04:15 PM (This post was last modified: 11-09-2023, 12:18 AM by Sohalia.)
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
The Spyglass was a mess.
Soh had expected as much, given the state that it had been left in ever since the mothman's attack. The roof had been shattered, and broken glass and debris had rained down to the lower levels of the observatory. Puddles of water lingered on every flat surface, a tribute to the storms that had plagued Stormbreak since the start of Flowerbirth. As Soh took in the damage, she winced, rubbing at the scar on her neck and sighing. They really should have repaired this sooner, but life had been crazy for all of Caido, and they were just going to have to do their best now.
Rain poured from the sky as lightning flashed and thunder struck. Soh stood under an overhang as she waited for the workers to assemble, staring miserably out over the wreckage of the once-great building. What did she know about rebuilding an observatory? But she'd brought specialists and engineers, and they would be able to help guide the project to completion.
Hopefully.
------
This is a PQ+ to repair the damage to the Spyglass from {KQ} twinkle, twinkle. Please post your characters arriving and we'll begin. No post order.
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Lena couldn’t help but grimace at the state of things – inwardly, perhaps, given her modicum of rapport and refinement. Stormbreak had multitudes to do, and much like any other time, the Caretaker was willing, eager, and ready to take things on, to benefit the cause of her fellow compatriots.
“Here to help!” she chirped, having exchanged her basket for a simple bag, containing her healing staff (just in case – one never knew these days), and an assortment of bandages, tools, water, and food. Mittens came too, though thoroughly leashed, and it managed to behave while they waited for the others to arrive.
--
Lena is bringing everything on her profile, including Mittens, her staff, and bandages, tools, water, and food.
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
you can turn off the sun, but I'm still gonna shine
It makes sense for Koa to help with cleanup - he is, after all, at least partially responsible for the dome's destruction. He'd wanted to get to it during DeepFrost, but things seemed ever to come up; besides, it made more sense for their leadership to spearhead this one.
But the Dragoon is pathological in his need to serve, and so when the call for aid was put forward, our boy of course complied. There couldn't have been a more miserable day for it: the storms persisted, unrelenting, pounding down on the boy's umbrella as he makes his way to the gathering point.
Pipsqueak, utterly unimpressed with the deluge, has taken refuge in his bag; she pops her head out as they arrive, squawking her misery to Lena and Mittens. Koa for his part is serious, but not morose. He greets the women with a crisp salute, an easy smile on his boyish face. "Someone order a Carpenter?"
(cue applause/groans)
Raising an eyebrow at the gloomy sky, Koa soldiers on. "Great day for it, huh? This weather has been nuts."
"That would be quite helpful, actually." Everest agrees, appearing out of the gloom and looking at Koa. Clearly unaware of the pun being made, he glances from the dragoon to the Heart and back again. Had someone ordered a carpenter?
Dressed absolutely appropriately for the weather—a well-oiled leather slicker with the collar turned up, a beautiful blue scarf (a gift from Mateo) overtop of a wool sweater—the aviator pulled gloved hands out of his pockets only to shove them nervously back in again.
Flashing Lena a smile, Ever turned to glance over one shoulder, frowning slightly. "Mateo was just with me.." He murmured apologetically, wondering what (or whom) had diverted his friend's attention.
even if i had to lose you to know you, i'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
11-09-2023, 12:23 AM (This post was last modified: 11-09-2023, 12:23 AM by Sohalia.)
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Friends and compatriots arrived alongside the many workers who had been summoned (and yes, there was probably a real carpenter in there somewhere), and Soh offered each a smile and a word of thanks as they gathered under the eaves. Koa even drew a giggle from her, no matter how miserable the weather, and she shot him a grateful look for his attempt to lighten the mood.
Once everyone was gathered around, Soh consulted with the builders who had been hired, and then turned to their assembled group. "The first thing we need to do is repair the dome," she said. "Once it's not raining inside anymore, we'll have a lot better luck patching the place up and cleaning up behind ourselves. Let's start with some scaffolding..."
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Lena waved to her compatriots, before striving to listen and adhere to the tasks given. There was a massive amount of work to be done, but that had never bothered her before – just as long as she could provide some aid to her people. And while she didn’t hold any expertise in scaffolding, that didn’t mean she wasn’t eager to attempt.
Rolling up her sleeves, and then starting amidst where other workers were already gathered, the Caretaker paid attention to how they were constructing, sharp eyes taking in movements and motions with the tools. She jumped in when it was suitable and helpful, aiming to utilize her strengths and ability to learn, rather than hinder any progress.
--
Lena helps with scaffolding!
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
you can turn off the sun, but I'm still gonna shine
"It's a joke, Everest," Koa explains patiently to his friend, "'Cus my last name's Carpenter. But I'm not particularly good at carpentry. So can I technically be called a carpenter?" A good puzzle for Ever, Koa thinks, tilting head and waggling his eyebrows in question.
Directions given (somewhat), Koa sets to work, following Lena toward the assembled real carpenters and contractors. He's quick to offer himself as a creature of manual labor, always willing to lift or carry or push or pull - any opportunity to show off his muscles, because for all his recent growth he is still a himbo at his core.
Not unlike his Father, Everest wasn't the best at identifying when a joke had been made. Blushing slightly and dropping his gaze, the aviator smiled apologetically as he run a hand over the back of his neck. "Oh I see." And he did, but only once Koa had explained it. "Well, you are a carpenter, but I suppose saying so in this context implies that you're something you aren't, so...you absolutely can be called a carpenter, but I wouldn't advise it in this situation." He offers with a small shrug before turning toward Sohalia and her assembled team.
Having grown quite strong over the past year or so, Everest opted to help out Koa with the manual labour as much as he could. While he had ideas about the placement of the scaffolding, it occurred to him that saying as much might be considered rude given that the crew Sohalia had brought were likely trained in this area; nevermind Ever's understanding of physics.
even if i had to lose you to know you, i'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
Listening to the two young men debate the merits and pitfalls of calling Koa a carpenter had Soh shaking her head, a smile on her face as the pair reached their conclusion. At least, if they were all going to be here working, there would be smiles and laughs to be had throughout the tasks.
The workers, aided by Lena, Koa, and Everest, began work on the scaffolding and were successful in assembling the frame and building the supports. After anchoring the scaffolding appropriately, it was time for the next step in their project. They would now need to build a frame for the roof of the Spyglass that would support their reconstruction efforts. After some discussion, it became clear that pieces of the frame should be constructed on the ground, passed up the scaffolding, and nailed into place on the roof.
------
Time to work on building a frame for the broken glass ceiling! There are tools and materials nearby, and NPC workers to help as needed. Choose your task below, and Soh will take what's left. No post order!
1. The frame needs to be prepared on the ground.
2. Prepared pieces of the frame need to be passed from the ground up the scaffolding.
3. Pieces of the frame need to be held in place.
4. Pieces of the frame need to be secured in place.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
In between shaking her head and laughing at the younger men, the Caretaker was pleased to find their scaffolding efforts went well. Between the platitudes and multitudes of capable workers, success reigned supreme, and it alleviated any worries throughout her frame.
Gazing upon the next project though, she could certainly aid in a variety of places. “I can help prepare it on the ground,” and that way, hopefully, by the time she and the others were finished, the rest could go about their tasks – not much waiting involved. She’d always been about proper time management.
And with that, the Attuned aimed to apply herself in the same manners as before, watching the experts at their craft, and lending her aid and support where she could.
--
Lena tries to help prepare the frame on the ground.
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
you can turn off the sun, but I'm still gonna shine
"A wise conclusion, I'd say." A shit-eating grin defies any attempt at sagacity, and it is only through Herculean effort that Koa keeps himself from playfully thumping Ever's shoulder. Together they set about the task of manual labor, which might have devolved into a dick waving contest were Everest anyone other than who he is.
The next set of projects comes with more options, and Koa is quick to volunteer for the one he thinks himself most suited too. "I'll hold bits in place!" the Dragoon offers, already starting to ascend the scaffolding by the time he's finished talking. A bright salute is given to those who will direct him on where to hold things, ready as a soldier to do what he's told. Though we've established Koa isn't a carpenter, he is a Carpenter, and that's a breed that's built for work.
Alas, Ever is who he is, and so instead of dick-wagging, he goes about his work with as much dedication and effort as he might approach anything else.
Watching Lena prepare the foundations with Koa to keep things where they needed to be, the aviator opted to aid in aiding the NPCs currently engaged in raising the frame up to the top of the scaffolding. Of course, had the boy been someone else, there might been an easy opportunity to make mention of his ability to raise some wood. Especially as it would likely need to be Sohalia at the top securing it in place.
Perhaps Koa would reach for the low-hanging fruit; as it was, Everest helped to create a pulley to better hoist the frame upward.
Ever raises!
even if i had to lose you to know you, i'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
11-16-2023, 03:38 AM (This post was last modified: 11-16-2023, 03:38 AM by Sohalia.)
There is love inside this madness We are walking on the moon
With her companions taking their respective places, Soh realized that she would need to make her way to the top of the scaffolding to secure the frame in place. Rather than get in Koa's way as he ascended the ladders and terraces leading up to the top, Soh elected to shift into her snowy owl form. Thus, she was easily able to ascend to the top of the scaffolding, and she changed back right as the young dragoon appeared at her side. She shot him a quick, shy smile as he arrived, but quickly turned her attention back to the task at hand.
Unfortunately, things went less than smoothly this time around. Despite Lena's assistance, the preparation of the frame on the ground took longer than anticipated, and it took several tries to get the measurements right. Passing it up, too, was harder than necessary. The rain made everything wet and slippery, and Everest and his crew nearly dropped it several times as they passed it higher and higher along the scaffolding. Once they got it in place, Koa and his crew were able to hold it there - albeit with rain falling uncomfortably into their eyes as they did so - but as Soh and some of the other workers started to nail it in place, they quickly realized that someone had done something wrong somewhere along the way, as the measurements were off by several inches.
Rather than pass the frame pieces back down to start over, it was decided to adjust them on the fly, and so the work continued...
------
Oops, the frame is the wrong size! Let's fix it. There are tools and materials nearby, and NPC workers to help as needed. Choose your task below, and Soh will take what's left. No post order!
1. Measurements of the gaps in the frame need to be taken.
2. The frame pieces need to be held in place.
3. Materials to fix the gaps need to be passed up the scaffolding.
4. Pieces of the frame need to be secured in place.
Though I don't believe in magic I believe in me and you
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Lena wasn’t one to get too frustrated – and some level of failure was probably to be expected, given the circumstances surrounding the frame, and the elements. Instead of gritting her teeth, she bore it well, shaking her head from the cascading droplets, taking, steeling a breath, and then wondering where best to lend her aid – if it was beneficial at all.
After some consideration, she stayed where she was, thoughtful with the rest of the workers. “I can help with the measurements again,” and find out where all the motions, and subsequent gapping, went wrong. They’d do better this time.
--
Lena tries to help take measurements of the gaps.
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
