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!
It didn't really matter that she'd seen him before. It was still new enough to make her stomach tingle, still interesting, and he was after all very nice to look at. If she hadn't been so bruised, this showering together would have been all kinds of interesting... but alas, even though she could think of it, Maea was in no shape to do anything but clean off, heal and sleep. It was, she supposed, another reason to stay safe...
"Can't say I mind cleaning off very much if this is how it'll continue," she smiled back, brightening visibly as he laughed - actually laughed - at her comment. That... made everything feel better.
Leaning her head into the fingers that began to lather her hair, Maea just stood still and kept her arms around him. Smiled into his chest when he paused the cleaning to hold her, and hugged herself closer, not even caring that she ached where his arms came about her back. "Whole and safe," she agreed, melting a little at the warmth in his voice, how soft it had become. Liefde. She loved it when he called her that. Still hadn't asked what it meant; because it didn't matter. Her guess was enough, and the way he used it... said more than any explanation could.
"I missed you too," she replied, with a deep sigh that suggested how deep that longing had gone while they were apart. So many burdens had been placed on her shoulders, and only now did she let them drop for a while. Able to focus solely on him, while they had the chance. "I'm sorry for making you worry. How've you been?" Stroking her hands over his back, Maea leaned into him a little. So very glad that she wasn't bruised on the front too; at least she didn't have to be careful there.
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
“Mmm…” He trails off a small amount, head tilting slightly as he works his fingers through her hair. “Can’t say I mind it either.” Agreeing, he smiles at the way she tilts her head back into his touch, his fingers and comb lathering it through and scrubbing gently at her scalp until the water begins to run somewhat clear when he moves the attempts to her temple to get the dried blood off. She holds him close and he remains there as a pillar for her, fingers trailing down the side of her neck where her hair sprouted behind her ear.
Her comment of missing him too has him smiling softly, before he contemplates her next question. “I’m… A bit drunk to be honest.” He admits with a small huff of a sound that could be considered amusement despite it all. “But I’ve been okay.” He tells her gently, before leaning down somewhat to kiss her gently on her lips. “Lots of self reflection I guess. It’s quiet when you’re not around.” He teases her, searching her gaze while his own lightens the storm clouds within.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
A little lump and scrape just above the temple was the only reminder of the cut that had sent blood streaming down her face. It had been significantly reduced by healing, and her concussion reduced to a dull headache, barely noticeable against the other pains. Probably she would have to see another healer come morning, if she wanted to do anything more than rest the few days they had together before she had to return to Halo. But for now, she was content to just stand there and enjoy Sunjata's fingers on her scalp, brushing down her neck in soothing strokes. It was nice, made her feel very pampered, and today... Maea thought she rather earned it. Even though it'd been dangerous and the outcome less good than hoped for, she had still succeeded. Completed her mission to satisfaction. It certainly bolstered her confidence.
Prying open an eye, she looked up at her lover when he admitted to being drunk. Tried to see if this was a permanent state, or just for tonight. 'Okay' was... as questionable as her 'fine' had been, but at least he wasn't downed by the drink. Or anything else. "You know best what you can handle," she admitted. "I might be happier if you didn't smoke so much though... the smell sticks to my clothes." Maea poked his side a little, to see if he was drunk enough to be ticklish. She angled her head up when he leaned down, and tasted the drink on his lips as he kissed her. The smoke. It was indeed stronger than usual, but... well. "At least you've good taste in spirits," she smirked, licking her lips when he withdrew. A little disappointed that it had lasted such a short time.
Meeting his gaze, seeing the brightening of his mood, Maea smiled up at him, her own eyes warm and affectionate as she absorbed his features. Almost hungry, as if she had to get her fill of them now while she had the chance. "Wish I could say the same," she said rather ruefully. "I've very little time to think of anything at all... which is probably for the better, given... certain things. Or I'd give up this whole venture and come home right away."
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
She pokes his side and he chuckles lightly, slipping to the side away from her hand a small amount as he peers down at her. “Mmm, but then how would anyone know you’re mine?” He teases her again with a wink, but makes a mental note to try and work on it. The least he could do, really, even if Peter and Adam’s death has spurred it on a bit more as of late.
But he kisses her and she kisses him back, and he goes to search her gaze with the briefest edge of a smirk curling to his face. “Anything is better than whatever they have in Halo.” He rumbles with another small chuckle. But it fades as soon as she’s smiling up at him, talking of work and more work, and his fingers scrub at the base of her neck over sore muscles to wash out the soap, finally able to see her beneath it all. “How is the Academy?” He asks quietly, trying to guide her to turn around and let him see her back to the spaces she can’t reach.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"Oh, I'm sure you could come up with something else," she hummed, an amused brow rising over the smug contentment at having made him flinch, even a little. "Why, are you worried someone might try to take your place?"
Still savoring the flavor of him on her lips, Maea turned under his hands, letting herself be steered away even though it meant having to let go of him. She pulled her hair forward over a shoulder, entrusting all of her bruised, beaten back to Sunjata. So sure he wouldn't hurt her more than he had to in order to get her cleaned up, so willing to endure that necessary pain... because it was him.
"Well, it's... challenging," she admitted, thinking fast to sort out what she could comfortably tell him and not. "They are strict, but the lessons are interesting, and there is always something new to do. So far we've only had to deal with Zariah once... though I'm sure it's not the last time." She filled her hands with water and brought it to her face, rinsing off lather and soap from the eyes. "Loren is training me regularly too... I'm not sure who benefits more form it though, between us. Half the time it deteriorates into existential crisis talks." Though she tried to say it lightly, it was clear the sessions weren't all that fun for her. Damned difficult and heavy, was more correct.
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
Perhaps it’s his ego talking, but his smirk widens a small amount as he contemplates her comment. “I like to think I’m irreplaceable.” He hums with an almost matter of fact tone. But there is a part of him that’s growing increasingly more jealous should others peak their interest Maea’s way. As it stands right now, however, they’re both there in each other’s arms. Nothing to worry about there.
Still, he turns her and she pulls her hair over to her chest over her shoulder and he grabs a bit more soap to lather along her shoulders and down her back, scrubbing as delicately as he can against the dirt. He cups a bit of water to run over her shoulders to wash the lather away before continuing to her lower back and along her sides, ever careful.
“What did you think of her?” He asks in regards to Zariah. Maea already knew his distaste of her teacher, but he wonders what she thinks of her on her own. And with the mention of Loren, his fingers still along her spine. “I saw him before I left Halo. He told me about your promise.” His voice is a bit quieter there, but he recovers enough to continue to try and lather more soap upon her pale and battered skin.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Maea laughed, a quiet chuckle at his confidence, but did not contradict him. It was true, as far as she was concerned. There had been no one before him, and she was quite sure there would be no one after, even if Caido wrought havoc on her life and she was left without him. Knock on wood. Of course, she couldn't swear anything on a future that she'd do her utmost to avoid, but for now... Sunjata had no rivals for her affection. No doubt he would be very smug to hear that. So, Maea conveniently forgot to tell him.
Her mind was brought sharply away from any kind of glum thoughts as he began to lather her back. For all that he tried to be careful and gentle, the girl eventually had to reach for the wall in front of her for support, because the waves of pain made her quite unsteady. Offset only by the thrill of being touched by him, after what felt like an eternity apart. It was a heady mess, and thinking around it was not easy. Not even when the topic was as unpleasant as The Merciless.
"She's... quite insane, I think. Very pleasant, very strict, and completely lacking any kind of common sense. So far I've kept a low profile, don't want to draw her attention... Weaver wasn't so lucky though. Her attitude might become a problem." Unable to bend, she wondered who of the two formidable women that might break first. Not something Maea would ever bet on.
But even that was more pleasant than the subject of Loren, and the promise Sunjata brought up. Maea closed her eyes and sighed, letting her head hang down between the arms. "How much did he tell you?" she asked, quietly. Very somber, because the Healer was not a fun subject to drag up.
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
He lets her prop herself onto the wall in front of him for support while he cleans her back and sides off, finding it to be far easier than the tangled mass of her hair. And with it, he listens as she speaks of Zariah and Weaver, bringing a quiet chuckle out of him. “Well, our friend Weaver will have something to back up on if things don’t fare well at the Academy.” He rumbles with amusement, wondering if it would bother the Halovian woman so much to be kicked from the academy, and what that might mean for Zariah.
But it fades just about as fast as Maea’s does with the comment of Loren. “Mmm, so, he told me he slit his wrists in front of you.” He says quietly, running the water along her back and spine. “And you made him promise to take better care of himself. Drink less, spend time with Astra.” He trails off a bit before he lets his hand settle at the top of her hip as he goes to place the soap back to where it was originally — having her sufficiently clean.
“He said you’re watching him closely.”
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Feeling the water rush down her spine, over the muscles and the skin while leaving cleanliness and warmth behind, Maea succumbed to a shudder as chill seeped out of her. Either she was getting used to the pain, or it was lessening under the warmth, but it started to feel a bit better. Perhaps the healing was still doing its job in her system too.
"I've no doubt Weaver will be fine, regardless," she agreed. She did rather look forward to spending more time around the Halovian woman; so far their interactions had been brief.
"Ah, so he told you that." Maea straightened slowly as the subject turned to their mutual troublemaker of a friend. When he was done fiddling with the soap, she leaned back against Sunjata and rested her head on his shoulder, eyes closed as she tried to figure out what to add. Her thoughts moved so slowly, weariness bone deep. "All I've done is give him something to hold on to. He said he didn't want to make decisions, so I've made some for him. I do keep an eye on him as best as I can, but... in the end, if he goes off to do something stupid, I wont know until it's too late." A thought that brought her no end of anxiety, even though she knew it was his choice, his decision to make.
"It's all up to him though, if it'll help. I can't fix him, that's all on him. And until he decides that he really wants to live..." Maea shrugged, helpless in the face of that all consuming darkness.
The part that scared her the most about it all was that Loren wasn't the only one who felt the pull of it... The man behind her wasn't exactly a steady rock of mental health either. She moved a hand to place it over his where it lingered on her hip, as if to double check he was still there. Still real, and whole, and just a little bit drunk.
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
She straightens slowly, leans back against him, and he listens to her as his hand remains at her hip. His other hand finds her side, carefully trying to avoid any of the bruising as his thumb traces her skin gently, soothingly. “It’s not easy.” He agrees quietly. “I’m not sure if he wants to change… But he’s going to have to want it.” He comments quietly, thoughtfully, even if a bit drunk.
“I have a tendency of pushing people away when things get hard… And I want to change that.” He begins, leaning back somewhat with her to rest his back against the wall and enjoy the warmth of the shower. “So I am… I’ve let you in closer than basically anyone.” He says quietly — and it had helped. He wasn’t hurting anyone, wasn’t out there hopping from bed to bed and hangover and hangover trying to forget.
“I was pissed at him though… for doing that, especially in front of you. And I… didn’t know he had done that before I admitted to you my own thoughts after the hunt.” He says slowly, thoughtfully, his hand with her own covering it, curls slightly to tangle his fingers with hers while his other traces up her side to her shoulder. “He also told me not to break your heart.” His voice is even quieter here, though a bit rough with his accent. It’s clear he doesn’t think he wanted to even get close to it.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Listening, she leaned into him. Savoring the careful strokes of his fingers as they drew patterns between patches of unblemished skin. If she was still, her back hardly bothered her at all, and she could feel his heart beat against the back of her head. The rhythm was steady and sure, and very soothing.
"I'm very honored that you trust me that much, you know," Maea said softly. Braiding her fingers tighter with his, she squeezed his hand, to reiterate the point. "Probably, that's what Loren needs too. Someone who can give him undivided attention and love. I'm afraid that's not going to be me, though..."
Tilting her chin up, she tried to catch Sunjata's gaze, half smiling, eyes warm, and very full of color for once. "Unless you're going to ignore him, and do the opposite of what he suggested? Were you planning on breaking hearts, love?" Maea knew it wasn't a subject to joke about, that it was quite serious for him, but... if she thought too deeply of how fragile this peace was, then she would begin to doubt it would ever last. And that would be the first step towards breaking everything.
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
“Well, you deserved to know if we’re to make this work.” He offers with a hint of that teasing back, leaning against the wall as a pillar for her to stand against. But when she speaks of Loren, he simply listens, until a quiet chuckle leaves him at the end. “We’ll see if he’s lucky enough to find a ‘you’.” He rumbles, looking down to her as she lifts her chin up to catch his gaze – his own are lighter now, knowing that she’s there – safe and sound within his arms.
“Oh absolutely not.” He gives her a playful smirk – turning it into something to joke about if only to keep the darker thoughts away. He goes to stand up a small amount more, bending just enough to kiss her forehead lightly as the water begins to turn cold. “I’ve no idea what kind of army might appear at my doorstep if I ever even thought about it.” There’s a smile to his tone and his face as it lights up a small amount before he reaches forward to turn off the shower.
He pulls the curtain back, reaching for the towels to hand to her so she could dry herself off in the least painful way. “Are you feeling better now?” He asks quietly, reaching for his own towel to wipe away the water along his neck and down his chest.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Maea snorted at the idea that she might be some ideal definition of a 'someone'. No doubt it was only Sunjata who thought of her like that, and it was good enough for her. Better than good, actually, because even that was more than she had dared to hope for, not so very long ago. "He'd find someone quicker than quick if he just stopped being an arrogant prick," she said with a smirk, half amused and half vexed at the attitude she was so frequently clashing with.
Speaking of, there was one standing right by her too. Smirking and all full of reassurance, like he hadn't been dragged into this whole relation by the scruff of his neck. Maea grinned at him as he kissed her forehead, eyes mischievous. "Well... there might be a small one," she told him. "I know at least one person who's offered to beat you up for me... I adopted him. He's my brother now."
Shivering in the damp coolness that followed after the water was turned off and they climbed out of the shower, Maea accepted the towel and wrapped herself into it. Gently patting herself down was the only way to manage without aggravating everything, but on the whole she was a lot less sore than before. No salt chafed on her skin, the clothes were off and after that warm soak, she almost felt human again. So she nodded, and came over to him. Pecked him on the shoulder, just because she wanted to. "Yes. I always feel better when you're around."
Lost in a world full of non-believers Searching for smoke in a still water pond
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
with every breath and every intake tip toe further away
A louder chuckle leaves him as she calls Loren an arrogant prick. “Ahh, very true.” He agrees, lips shifting into a smirk before he shakes his head a small amount to that – flitting a bit of water around. “He threatened to kick my ass for it again.” His smirk fades a small amount as he focuses on her, though it hasn’t disappeared completely. Instead, his face retains a content look as she grins up at him, eyes gleaming mischievously.
“Oh? Is that so?” He asks with a tilt of his head, the smirk returning briefly. “And who, pray tell, is this?” He waits patiently for an answer as he dries himself off with the towel before wrapping it around his waist, reaching for the comb he’d used for her hair, to brush through his own quickly before turning back to her as she approaches. She kisses him lightly on the shoulder and he leans back against the countertop briefly as he regards her.
A smile crosses his face, softer there. “Good, I feel better when you are too.” He admits, bending down lightly to search her gaze, eyes dipping briefly to her lips. “Nobody else calls me fishboy even if I’m not a fish.” He teases her before trying to reach for a hand, to lead her back toward the bedroom.
further away from this mistake i'm no savior, i'm no saint
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
