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!
If there were magical notifications aboard the Ark that alerted the crew to opportunistic and ambitious blondes stealing aboard, Flora was not aware of them. Draped in a sage-colored sweater and cloaked with invisibility, Flora stole onboard the Ark as the crew busied themselves loading and unloading crates. Once or twice she had to pin herself against the wall of a corridor as one of the burlier members passed by her, but given that she hadn't bothered with any perfume that evening, so long as no one touched her, she thought she passed relatively unnoticed.
Whether or not she would fool Jack's companion was another matter entirely, but she wasn't worried about the feline giving her up to the wrong people. She was here to see Jack, after all.
With her breath held until the captain's corridor was free, the Doubletake tried the handle only to find it locked. She'd been expecting this of course despite hoping perhaps that it had been left unlocked. So, with only her thoughts to keep her distracted, Flora pressed herself invisibly against the wall to wait.
The question, of course, is thus: was the door locked because the captain is out, or was it locked because he's very much in, and doesn't want to be disturbed? Flora will find out soon enough when, as her very distracting thoughts become loud enough to pull Jack from his reverie, a key twists in a lock and the door to the captain's cabin swings open.
"I know you're out there," he drawls, already standing aside as if to welcome her in. Jack's already cluttered desk is cluttered further today with maps weighted down by driftwood and sea glass, and a few scrolls have been tossed unceremoniously onto the bunk where he sleeps, fucks, and occasionally rots.
Now, whether the captain himself has the ability to see through invisibility (yep) or his cabin is able to recognise visitors outside (possible if not for the former) is something Flora will need to decide for herself. Regardless, the invitation to come in is there.
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.
One might wonder why Flora hasn't put it together that Jack is telepathic. His remarkable ability to give her precisely what she wanted during sex should have been the only clue needed, but gods if there weren't so many other signs. Later, if the secret is ever shared, perhaps the Doubletake will chastise herself for not figuring it out sooner, but as the door opens and the captain welcomes her in, Flora can only assume that Jack must have some charm to see through illusions. It would only make sense, after all.
Slipping inside and twisting her ring to reveal herself, Flora opts to forgo the usual banter that a moment like this might otherwise invite. "Harper is stepping down." She advises the captain, though given her thoughts have been about nothing save for Harper's abdication, her recent meeting with Hadama ("I want to lead alongside you." "Your timing is not... good. I will not say yes or no today, Flora. I need time before I will trust a co-ruler again." "Well, time isn't a luxury you have. This isn't about your feelings, this is about Torchline, and frankly, you need someone like me if you're going to get her back, because she's dying, Hadama"), there's very little Jack will actually need for her to explain.
Combing her fingers through her hair, Flora sets her jaw and lifts her chin before repeating the words she'd said over and over when last they'd met. "I want it, Jack."
Clicking the door shut behind her, Jack returns to his seat at the desk, gesturing imperiously for Flora to sit in the empty chair opposite if it suits her. Her words and thoughts cut through whatever banter might already be bubbling on his tongue, the captain's gaze growing sharp in a way that suggests it is not very often at all that someone comes to him with information he didn't know already. "Is that so?" he says softly, and a dark smile plays across his lips as he lets his fingers ghost across the part of the coast where King's End sprawls.
"I s'pose you're over the moon about it?" No amount of I told you sos would make it any less satisfying to know that Torchline had chosen wrong. And neither is her next statement necessarily a surprise, Jack tilting his head and slouching in his seat, his faded linen shirt half buttoned, his boot resting against the edge of the desk. "And you want me to help you take it?" he hazards.
"Or to help you keep it?"
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.
"Mmhm. He wrote it in a letter that Sunjata gave it to me. He said letting me know first was his way of apologizing." Flora's smile, suddenly sharp and crooked, suggested that Torchline's former king had picked his apology well. Glancing at Jack's fingers and where they marked the map, the girl tilted her head slightly. "Sunjata is ruling there now. My mother is moving there and Harper as well. No doubt more than a few will follow along from both Torchline and Halo."
Now the Doubletake's smile is positively devilish with delight, and though the moment might call for it, no part of her aims to be coy or mature about it. "Of course I am." She agrees, and it's precisely for the reasons the captain thinks: she'd been right and there was now an opening she was oh so ready to fill.
"Well..." Walking to the desk and letting her finger ghost along Torchline's borders, the Doubletake considers. "Much as I'd like to just take what I want.." Realizing she'd begun to score the map with one of her nails, Flora clears her throat and folds her arms across her chest. "Working with Hadama would be much easier all things considered. That said...he did ask for tImE, and...Well, I'm not very good at being patient, so..."
"So I have heard," Jack says, his voice dropping somewhat even if his gaze remains on Flora rather than the map and King's End. He might not have been the first to get wind of Harper's abdication but he's absolutely heard about Sunjata's little project piece. "That new marketplace - the Castaway Exchange or some shit - is already causin' problems for me an' the crew." And all the nice little hidey holes in the wreckage that he was using too, to boot.
Luckily Flora's smug pride at having been right is a nice balm on his mood, though his hand does lance out to try and swat her fingers away from marking his map. Jack doesn't reply right away, the captain letting his eyes rove over Torchline's borders now as well. "If you're doin' right by the islands, workin' with Hadama is definitely a better choice," he agrees.
"Foot in the door an' all that. But you could always threaten, if the time he's askin' for is too long." Because of course Jack's the type to put the pressure 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.
Raising her eyebrows, having heard nothing (nor previously cared) at all about the changes in King's End, Flora is suddenly extremely invested. "Is that so.." She hums, eyes narrowed softly as she looks to Jack. "Anything I could help with..?" Whatever the pair are to one another, helpful for the sake of it is certainly not it.
Looking down at her ringed fingers and giving them an experimental flex, the Doubletake looks at her palms for a moment before looking back to Jack. "I think I could take him. In a fight." She murmurs softly. "Maybe not out on the open waters, but.." Having been eyeing up the residents of Torchline in a way she hadn't ever done previously, Flora had realized that at some point she'd gotten hella strong without even really being aware. Only now that she was, even she knew she had to be careful about throwing her weight around too much.
"I don't want to threaten him with it, so much as...I guess I wish there was a way of saying gee, do you know how easy it would be to have my dad cart you off to the Cordillera where you couldn't get down and then I could just step in without having had to do anything more than write a letter? or even, if you can't beat me in an arm wrestling contest do you really think you could beat me in a duel for the crown?" Sighing, Flora shrugs. "It would just be so much easier if he could figure it out on his own that this is his only real option, you know?"
Raising an eyebrow at the offer of help and realising, perhaps for the first time, that it's coming from a place of potential leadership rather than from a girlish need to please, Jack's smile is shark-like at best. "Mm, well I've a few stashes of contraband out there that I need to check haven't been put on sale in someone's new fuckin' stall," he mutters. "Your clever ring might help with that. I also need a new place to conduct business around that area." He resists the urge to roll his eyes. Fucking Sunjata - he'll have words with the Flood personally about this bullshit.
"You're thinkin' too literally," he continues, when it comes to threatening their current ruler. "Especially if this is someone you think you should prob'ly rule with. Blackmail's a delicate game, you know? Let him sweat for a few days. If you've nothin' after that, I'll whisper in a few ears." And now they're really talking teamwork - how about that.
"Tell me - what will you do first for Torchline, when you're in charge of her islands?"
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.
"Easy peasy." Flora replies with the sort of immediacy that speaks to her privilege in life; a privilege she was clearly more than willing to extend to Jack on a much more regular basis if their friendship remained as mutually beneficial as it had so far.
Wanting to argue if only because agreeing with Jack felt far too natural at this point, Flora swallows back a mouthful of hostility and nods. "Alright. A few days, then." She agrees, leaning against one corner of Jack's desk and folding her arms over her chest.
When. Gods, she'd have done just about anything for Jack for that one word, intentionally spoken or not. "I have a few ideas...Most are to do with keeping our shores safe. I mentioned the shooting stars to Hadama and the new plants and he says it might just be a coincidence and that there's no evidence so...I guess I'd go right to Frey to find out. They'd know for sure, and if it has to do with some outer space bullshit, I'd have our next RQ be with Frey to make sure no invasive species fuck with what we have going here." The last thing a coastal land needed was poisoned water or shoreline erosion because of some stupid new plants.
"Atta girl," Jack drawls, both at her checking his contraband and the waiting a few days. And that choice of words is definitely intentional, in case you were wondering. Settling further back in his seat so he might look up at the Doubletake perched on the corner of his desk, the captain can't help the smirk that curls across his lips as he listens to her.
"You better start playin' down that sharp mind of yours," he warns, reaching into his drawer for cigarettes and a matchbook. "People'll stop underestimatin' you soon if you're not careful. An' you want them to keep on underestimatin' you." He's pretty sure Hadama has been doing it all this time, anyway.
Lighting a cigarette and offering it out to Flora, the captain follows up lightning his own and hisses out a smoky breath as he gazes out to the choppy waters. "What about King's End poachin' all our best?" he wonders. "Half surprised you didn't click your heels and pop off to join 'em too."
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.
Watching the captain as if she might learn more trade secrets simply by the way he reached into his desk or how he lit his cigarettes, Flora responds to his advice with a one-sided shrug. "I dunno, that hand feels...played out, now. They underestimated me last time, and all it did was help Harper get elected. Maybe it's time they start estimating me, says michael scott appreciating the fact that I'm not just a kid anymore."
Reaching out, Flora accepts the smoke with the sort of ease of practice she'd only pretended at before. Now as she raised it to her lips and inhaled deeply, there was no coughing, no faces pulled in response to the tobacco; only a slow drag of satisfaction followed by a carefully sculpted whorl of smoke.
"Sunjata asked me. Said he'd give me a place on his council and a house to move in to." Flora replies nonchalantly. "I thought about it too, especially with my mom moving there, but..." Smiling faintly, the girl shakes her head. "I want this. I want Torchline. I'm not going to be the sort of woman who keeps coming back time and time again when she's kicked, but...I'm not done fighting for her yet."
"I s'pose you might have a point there. Keep the act in your back pocket for meetin' new people, maybe," Jack considers, exhaling out another breath of smoke. "Though you'd expect 'em to appreciate your connections more'n anythin' else, kid or not." It's something the captain can never say he's taken for granted, and having demigod(s) at the tips of her fingers is nothing to sneer at.
"Did he now," Jack drawls, glancing up at Flora and seeming satisfied with her answer. "Well, on behalf of Torchline, let me say how grateful we are to still have you." He smirks. "I'm headed to King's End soon to have a word with our Flood. You're welcome to come - it's about time I got outta these choppy waters."
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.
"You'd think that. Maybe they just need a reminder of what those connections can do. Or, not do, as the case might be." Was Flora capable of single-handedly saving Torchline? Of course not. Was her father? Her step-father? Her soon-to-be-step-father-on-her-mothers-side? "Maybe my next item will just be bracelets for them all, that pulse when I'd like them to pop over. Saves having to channel, anyway." The Doubletake murmurs, more to herself than to Jack, storing the idea away for later.
Though..a mauraders map was still tempting..
"Oh shut up." Though she rolls her eyes, Flora cheeks flush behind the wall of smoke she exhales to try and disguise just how pleased Jack's words made her. "Maybe I'll just do that." Then, not really knowing what a can of worms she might be opening up, adds: "Losing Harper is on great lose to Torchline, but...I mean, Sunjata is Melita's uncle after all. Have you talked to her about ... " Trailing off, Flora shrugs.
"Well do let me have a front stage seat when you plan to pop that particular firework," Jack murmurs, flicking the ash from his cigarette into the tray nearby and thumbing through his maps until he finds his most recent one for King's End. "I'll have to get this fucker updated as well," he grumbles, as if Sunjata's decision to better one of the wild lands is some great inconvenience to the captain (because it is).
Lifting his gaze and raising his eyebrows at Flora as if to ask if she'd actually just told him to shut up, Jack's mood is soon soured by the mention of their (he's sure) soon-to-be-leaving Honeybee. "I'm waitin' for her to bring it up," he says, and if he sounds a touch childish about it, so be it. "She's more at home on the sea'n land lately, so..." So maybe she won't go? Who's to fucking say, honestly?
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.
