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!
11-30-2023, 11:28 PM (This post was last modified: 12-08-2023, 11:56 PM by Alys.)
Alys stood in Evie's old shop, key in hand, looking around with something akin to amazement on her face. She still couldn't believe that the Warden had simply given her the shop and all it contained. Guilt gnawed at her - she should really return the key, or at least try to pay Evie. Even if the Evergreen insisted it wasn't necessary, there was something about being on the receiving end of such an extravagant gift that felt wrong.
But Evie had made it perfectly clear that she wanted Alys to have the shop, that she wanted to see it blossom and bloom, and it was that knowledge that kept Alys rooted firmly in place. The bones were there, and all she had to do was a little tweaking and cleaning, and her new apothecary would be open for business.
Now all she had to do was wait for some help. She'd put up flyers around town seeking assistance, and if she knew anything about Halovians, it was that they were more than willing to help one another. While she waited, she set to checking her to-do list as Sascha played in a corner, chasing a mouse into a nearby hole.
------
This is an open PQ to establish Alys's shop. Post your character arriving and we'll get started!
Deimos, when not focused on the entirety of Halo at large, also resorted to assisting his brethren whenever and wherever he could. In between the balance of meetings, letters, paperwork, spars, patrols, wedding planning, and whatever else came in his direction, he’d carve out bits and pieces of time to ensure friends, allies, and companions were sated and content with their lot in life as well.
Evie had already informed him ahead of time of her gift to Alys, and while he’d known the seer had been searching for a place, his own machinations hadn’t placed the Evergreen’s old place into consideration. Perhaps he should’ve felt mildly guilty over how little she’d been able to use it, but it was gratifying to see it wouldn’t go abandoned and discarded.
Eyeing Sascha as he arrived, he snorted, intending to place a joke within the greeting. “This place looks familiar,” arching a brow, and waiting for the moment to pass, he persisted. “What do you need help with?”
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
As the resident jack-of-all-trades, a flyer for assistance is Luka's bread and butter. More familiar with Alys now that they'd run into each other once in private, he'd mentally noted the information and ensured his schedule was free on the day she had requested help. It was time to return the favor.
Deimos is a familiar face, though his sister had always run around in his shadow more than Luka. Nodding respectfully at his Warden, Luka crosses his arms comfortably and surveys the space. It's in better shape than he would have expected; most Halovians come into a new business by remodeling a decrepit building instead of being handed down a renovated one. Hopefully, that means their tasks will be relatively easy.
Inclining his head in greeting to Alys, Luka glances around the shop with intelligent amber eyes. "Here to help," he says just in case it needs clarification, Deimos having already asked what needs to be done.
12-09-2023, 12:04 AM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2023, 12:05 AM by Alys.)
Deimos's arrival was not entirely a surprise, although Alys did feel moderately blessed that he had chosen to take time out of his busy schedule just to come help her. Surely the Warden had better things to do, and that he had chosen this made her heart swell with gratitude. She chuckled at his jest. "I'm sure it does," she said wryly, wondering just how much time Deimos had spent within these four walls with Evie. It was rather a good sign, she thought, that her new home would have been the source of such love and affection prior to coming into her ownership.
Luka's presence, on the other hand, did surprise the seer, seeing as they had only met the one time. Still, she greeted him with a smile. She certainly wasn't going to turn down willing help, not when she had a to-do list as long as her arm. Just now, she consulted that very list, identifying the items that were most well-suited to her helpers. But, just as she was about to list off tasks, a loud crash from the greenhouse made her jump.
Alys's first thought was that Sascha had gone exploring, but when she looked around the find the cub, she was still in her corner with the mouse hole, looking just as nonplussed as her bonded. "Well," said Alys warily. "Let's start by figuring out what made that noise."
------
Round 1
Explore the greenhouse to find the source of the noise! Choose between:
1. a stack of old crates
2. a pile of old bags of soil
3. a dark and dusty corner behind some potting tables
Alys will take what's left. No post order!
alys glasse
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
The Sword gave a direct nod to Luka; wholly unfamiliar with the lad, but respectful an polite nonetheless. Granting Alys only a smirk at her response, his attention was entirely on the noise thereafter, some amount of trepidation, and then a brief eyeroll, cast in the greenhouse’s direction. There were multitudes of what it could be, and his distinctions, machinations, and notions always pinpointed upon an animal or something else fallen, damned and due to make a mess.
Familiar with the layout, he meandered through and glanced around the options. Rather than place himself, or anyone else, immediately in harm’s way by poking his nose where it probably didn’t belong, he stood off to the side, and used his Air magic to lift the old bags of soil.
--
Deimos uses his Mastered Air to lift the old bags of soil.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
His Warden giving him direct recognition feels rather momentous, but Luka only nods back, hoping to make a positive impression. Alys being surprised by his presence is equally not surprising; Luka is a homebody and a bit of a hermit. Not exactly a good combination when Halo is such a tightly knit community that physically can't expand much farther than the Citadel limits. It's only his sister's nagging that has gotten him to start getting more involved lately, and recognizing Alys' name had been the big reason for choosing her flyer to answer.
Grimacing at the sound of destruction from within and realizing he has no magic to aid him from afar like Deimos clearly does, Luka nods tersely and ventures deeper into the building. There's a stack of old crates in the corner, and he begins moving them around, hoping it will scare any smaller creature out and otherwise let him peer around and inside him in the meantime.
- - -
Luka looks in the old crates and moves them around to scare anything out!
With the two men having selected their areas to search, Alys meandered slowly towards a dusty corner in the back. It appeared that she would have to squeeze behind some old potting tables to get back there, and she was just wondering how best to do that when there was movement behind her. She twirled and her eyes landed on Luka, who had disturbed some kind of animal - it skittered from behind the crates and into the open, where Alys was able to set eyes on it for the first time. It was a rat - not particularly special, but very, very fat, and as long as her forearm.
Fortunately, Alys was not particularly jumpy when it came to animals, and rats had never bothered her. "Well," she said as the poor creature looked between the three humans, clearly trying to decide on its next move. "Let's get rid of that. Luka, can you see if there are any more in those crates? Deimos, any ideas on catching the rat?"
------
Round 2!
1. Luka to look for any more rats.
2. Alys and Deimos to try to get rid of the one in the open.
No post order!
alys glasse
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
When nothing was revealed from his chosen section, Deimos turned his gaze towards the sudden skittering of a rat. Having faced numerous monsters and impending death, he also wasn’t bothered by the rodent – besides, this one was neither blind nor venomous, so it was already deemed mostly harmless. “I can compel it away,” and he maneuvered towards the door, intending to allow room for the beast’s escape (though, with Belial lurking outside, perhaps it was only a matter of time anyway). Attuned measures rampaged through his soul, with only a singular command and demand for it to flee and leave.
But he couldn’t recall any such issues when Evie had been running the shop; perhaps in her withdrawal to other duties and a long, extended absence, others had taken root. “We may want to find out where they could be coming from.” If there was a hole somewhere, Alys would continue to have the same issues.
--
Deimos opens a door and tries to compel the rat out via:
Beastmaster | can compel any animal for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, or 20 small)
Beast Speaker | Can speak to rare creatures/companions/regular animals.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
Luka doesn't startle when the rat scurries out, though his shoulders tighten and his mouth turns down. He isn't bothered by the animal itself, but its presence does not bode well. Hopefully it's a solitary rat and not a colony that awaits them as they clean and construct in the apothecary. Luka didn't exactly prepare himself to deal with a swarm.
Luckily Deimos takes the lead with the rat, and Luka obligingly gets out of his way even though it means having to continue looking for what may yet be more rats. He moves and jostles anything he can see that isn't bolted down, and sticks his gloved hand into anything that is such as drawers and cupboards. If they're hiding anywhere, he'll make sure to find them.
"Thank you," said Alys as Deimos turned his magic - or whatever Attuned abilities - towards the rat. It was the matter of a moment to compel the beast to exit, and Alys had to trust that it would be compelled to leave for good. Now it only remained to be seen if there were more to banish.
Luka's search yielded nothing else - save for a small hole near the base of a wall in the back, just large enough for the rat to have squeezed through. Alys appeared to peer around the youth. "Hmm. Let's close that up," she decided. "Then we can get the rest of the greenhouse sorted."
------
Round 3
1. One person to seal the hole (materials provided)
2. One person to carry out any old soil and broken pots
3. One person to replace things back where they belong
No post order!
alys glasse
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
The rat’s grand escape probably wouldn’t have a very good ending for the rodent – not with Belial watching outdoors, but that was neither here nor there for the Sword. Instead, his attentions meandered back to other tasks, and the gaping hole in the wall.
Narrowing his eyes, and perhaps bothered that the nasty animal had even tried such a nuance, he advanced towards the supplies, grateful in some circumstance that he wouldn’t have to be creating anything. “I can take care of this,” gesturing to the wide-open portions of the structure, and beginning to do just that; snagging at tools and wooden pieces. If necessary, enchantments in earthen and creation hastened unrelentingly; well-versed and used to construction purposes.
--
Deimos goes to repair the hole!
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
Luka is admittedly relieved when no further rats are forthcoming, and all the more so when Deimos volunteers patching the hole. He may be an unintentional handyman, but Luka doesn't want to shoulder the weight of the blame if his repairs aren't up to snuff and Alys gets more unwanted squeaky visitors later down the line.
Luckily he's good at menial labor, so hauling stuff is right up his alley.
Lugging the soil bags out (and checking for holes ahead of time so he doesn't leave a cartoonish trail of dirt behind him if any are present) he sets them along the outside of the shop under the overhanging eaves, just in case Alys wants to utilize them in the future. It will keep the snow and rain off them until she thinks of somewhere else to put them. The broken pots go next, though he chucks those into the garbage pile outside given they're beyond saving.
Alys was glad that the two men left the task of returning things to their homes to her; it was easier, that way, to put things back exactly how she wanted them, to begin to craft the space into something that would work for her rather than something she had simply inherited. As Deimos fixed the hole in the wall and Luka hauled out old debris, Alys set to work pushing tables here and there, setting unbroken pots in their places, and just generally putting things in order. When she was done, she took a step back, brushing the dirt from her hands and surveying the area with satisfaction.
"This is wonderful. Thank you both!" she said, meaning every word. Then she led the way back into the shop. The shop section of the building was in better shape than the greenhouse, and she didn't see much that needed doing. There were cobwebs to be knocked down and dust to be cleaned up, but other than a few old crates in the corner, that was it. It wouldn't take them long to take care of this, and then she'd see about treating them to a hot meal.
------
Round 4!
1. One person to knock down cobwebs
2. One person to dust
3. One person to move old crates to the garbage pile outside
No post order!
alys glasse
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Repairs made, his attention meandered from tracing old familiar footfalls to portions and pieces Alys would make her own. Such was the way of Halo – determined factions willing to mold and reforge the wakes of their world. Enduring and formidable, constant and stalwart, whether it be through defenses or finding their worth, potential, and capability. Nodding at Alys’s gratitude, they carried on, through halls and wings.
Glancing at both constituents once the tasks and directions were given, he automatically started for the crates. Through the usual brawn and strength, he aimed to grab hold of the cases and containers, returning back and forth if necessary, to garbage piles outside. Perhaps later Alys would let him set it ablaze for personal amusements.
--
Deimos takes the old crates and goes to move them outside.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
