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!
Though the Hanged Man always seemed to be in the throws of perpetual twilight, Flora had gotten rid of the ugly wicker chairs and beer-stained tables which had once littered the interior in favour of smooth oak planks with rough edges. Though she wanted to keep the rugged feel of the tavern, there was no need for anything to look cheap; one way of doing just that was making sure nothing was cheap. Easy peasy.
Though there was still a large CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS sign on the door, the Doubletake was quite sure that wouldn't stop Paige from coming in. Though Flora would have propped the door open for her friend, given all the work being done in the back, she couldn't take the chance. Besides, Flora would have staked her entire reputation (whatever that was worth now), on the page that Paige wasn't about to be flummoxed by something as simple as a do not enter sign.
Standing behind the bar, Flora was in the process of pulling out a number of glasses to accompany the bottles of alcohol she'd already brought down. Hopefully she and Paige could come up with a signature cocktail for the grand re-opening.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
05-31-2023, 02:07 PM (This post was last modified: 05-31-2023, 02:07 PM by Paige.)
Paige
I guess sometimes we all get
Flora would have won that bet. Paige took one look at the sign and a Cheshire grin curled on her lips, ears perking to hear the Doubletake flitting around inside. The Attuned doesn't bother with the front door, instead shifting around to the back of the building, easily scaling the side of it and getting access onto the roof in moments. She shifts into her weasel form, scampering along the thatched roof until she is able to find a spot to slip inside, silently running along the beams that line the ceiling until she's behind the bar. The Attuned's nose twitches, dark eyes watching her friend with silent appreciation as she works behind the bar.
It's with practiced ease that Paige slips down the wall, weaving among the bottles lining the shelves, managing to keep from rattling them with her lithe body. She waits until she's on the ground, all paws planted on the wooden floor to shift back, sliding up behind the Doubletake as her hands cover Flora's eyes.
"Guess who." Paige whispers in her ear, making the loose curl there shiver with her breath as another smile curls on her lips, a smile clear in her voice.
The number of people sneaking up behind Flora in her own bar was far too high. Sure that number was only two, but if this became a regular thing she was going to have to do something about it. Then again, if 50% of the sneakers were as welcome a sight as Paige was, perhaps Flora could let it slide.
Initially bristling and reaching for one of her daggers, the sound of her friend's voice had Flora relaxing and then some. Twisting around with relief and excitement both, the Doubletake wraps her arms around Paige's neck, drawing the attuned close and burying her face into the cleft of her neck. "Gods, I have missed you." Maybe not until right this instant did it occur to Flora just how few friends she really had. Mateo was her brother so he didn't count, Jack was...well, she didn't really know what to call that particular relationship and everyone else was more of an acquaintance.
Tugging Paige closer, Flora sighs indulgently. "I have so much to tell you, but you go first. How are you?"
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Preparing for the worst, bust expecting nothing other than a warm welcome, Paige is there with open arms for Flora. She loops them around the petite girl’s waist, squeezing her tightly as her lips brush against the crown of her head, laughing softly as she’s pressed against the bar. ”I’ve missed you too, Petal. So fucking much.” The attuned exhales against her hair, eyes closing for a moment as she enjoys the closeness of her, absorbing her warmth and her sweet floral scent that always permeates the air when she’s around.
She draws back only enough to sit herself up on the bar, tugging Flora to stand between her thighs, not letting them part for even a second now that she was back within reach. ”I can’t wait to hear about all of your exploits, little miss Doubletake.” Paige teases, letting the title roll of her tongue easily, tossing her an easy wink as her fingers trace along her exposed arms, head cocking to the side.
”I’m okay. Got momma settled with Toby in our new place. More removed from everything, but still close to the other girls so she can visit and help.” It was part of what had kept Paige away for so long, finding her brother, and getting them set up in a place that would finally be safe. On top of building her own clientele and contacts, growing her own little empire, and now she was finally back home on familiar shores where she was meant to be. ”Been testing some new things. Stuff I think you might enjoy.” At this her lips curl almost devilishly, eyes sparkling as she gazes down at her blonde counterpart.
From the corner of the room a massive wine-spider scurries. Running toward you, it tries its best to crawl up your leg, hovering against you for warmth. Clearly something has startled it. Poor thing.
This is not a RE nor a rare creature. It cannot be used for levelling.
Wine Spider: These friendly arachnids can grow up to the size of a small housecat. With fuzzy bodies and spindly legs, they are often found lurking around wine racks or kegs of beer. They are almost always drunk, hiccuping and stumbling about. It is said that finding a baby wine spider in your drink is a lucky omen!
More than content to find herself (once again) between Paige's thighs, Flora lets her fingertips flutter on the bar on either side of her friend's legs as she gazes up into Paige's ocean-blue eyes. Giving a little shimmy as her title is mentioned, Flora runs her tongue playfully across her teeth. "I've learned a few tricks since I saw you last, too." Both item-wise, and just maybe bedroom-wise as well. No doubt it was nothing that a girl like Paige hadn't seen in the brothel or experienced herself, but so what?
Frowning, Flora nods. When Enzo had died Hotaru had needed to grieve in her own way. Though Paige's brother hadn't died, having been more or less lost only to become an ancient and just sort of...have everything change? Just like that? No doubt Maeve was likely grieving something along the way. "That's good. I was really worried about her for a while there." It certainly wasn't like Maeve to shirk her queenly duties, though when everything came to light it made a lot more sense.
Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, the Doubletake turns in time to see a winespider - likely the same one she'd seen with Ronin the day before - scuttling out across the floor. 'I just gave you wine yesterday." She called to the little creature with a huff, before turning her attention fully back to Paige.
"Ohho?" Biting at her lower lip and bobbing her eyebrows, Flora gazes up into Paige's face, leaning against the bar fully now. If her friend had a clear view down the top of her sundress because of the angle, surely that was accidental. "Like what?"
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
A melodical laugh tumbles past her lips as Flora shimmies, eyes tracking the movement of her dainty shoulders and the flash of her clavicle, tongue darting out to wet her lips. "Tricks you say? Care to share, petal?" Her voice dips into a purr despite herself and if her leg hooks her around the waist and tugs her closer, whose to really say. Certainly not the winespider that comes scurrying out from a corner, hiccupping and tumbling, begging for another little nip that Flora denies it.
Now, Maeve was an entirely different subject. One that Paige hadn't brought up with anyone. Edmund and Toby were often interchangeable to most. Her cousin and her half brother two entirely separate beings, yet often mistaken. Not now that the fallen Prince of Torchline had turned away from Safrin, but before. "Maeve just came home... She got sick when looking for Edmund. Some kind of infection. She was found wandering in the swamps delirious with fever and she was taken into a village. Jude found her. She's home now..." The former queen had been missing for almost two seasons. Writing one day and then gone without a trace the next. Her family and the girls had been utterly devastated.
Shaking her head, Paige pushes that away, instead turning her attention back down to Flora and taking in the eyeful she's offering her. Blue eyes rake over her form and a hand comes up, fingers tracing along the column of her throat before shifting to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear only to produce a little pill from behind it, holding it before Flora's gaze.
It's innocuous enough. Small, white, and no bigger than the tip of her pinky. A slight iridescent sheen glinting along the surface of it. "I call this little beauty Lightseeker. Can dissolve on the tongue or in a drink. No real aftertaste and it doesn't have a smell, either." Paige begins to explain, lips curling at the edges, "Produces light visuals, brighter colors, and feelings of euphoria. Really gets the party going. Fairly harmless when taken in controlled doses." A typical party drug and one she was rather proud of, thank you.
About to reach beneath the bar for her mirror, as Flora feels the welcome ring of Paige's legs around her waist, all thoughts of illusions and doubles disappear utterly from her thoughts in lieu of the shine on the attuned's lips and the curtain of her hair. "I'll show you in a bit." She purrs back instead, fingertips gliding against the sides of Paige's thighs as if suddenly very interested in the construction of her shorts.
Confusion creases Flora's forehead for a moment as she realizes that there's a disconnect between who she thought Paige had been speaking about, and the reality of the situation. "Oohh.." The Doubletake murmurs a touch vaguely; despite her concern, she wasn't sure if the misunderstanding was on her part or if Paige was being intentionally vague (it was the former, of course), and so rather than coyly brushing against the attuned's legs with her fingers, Flora instead reaches for one of her hands. Dragging her knuckles toward her mouth, Flora presses a kiss softly against the curl of her friend's hand before offering a reassuring squeeze. "Well, if there's anything I can do, you only need to ask, okay?"
Chin tilted up to allow Paige's fingers whatever access they might want, Flora let out a dramatic and childlike gasp! at her friend's little magic trick. "Lightseeker, mm? Sounds fab, though I'll never serve anything to my customers I haven't tried personally, so.." Flora shrugs, the gesturing amplifying her cleavage for a moment before standing on her tiptoes and stretching up and suggestively and toward Paige.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
To be fair, Paige lost any interest in the tricks as soon as Flora's hands found the outside of her thighs, playing with the frayed hem of her cut offs. Whether or not Flora was actually interested in her shorts or what was inside them didn't matter to Paige. Not when her favorite accepted was standing between her legs looking as beautiful as she remembered. Gods, how did she stay away for so long? Paige didn't even know. She was crazy for it, that much was for sure.
The kiss catches her off guard for only a heartbeat and Paige lets out a rush of breath, giving her fingers a squeeze back in return. "Okay. Thanks, petal." She murmurs, letting that part of the conversation go to focus on much lighter things. Definitely things that will leave them feeling glowing.
Paige can't help laughing at Flora's gasp of surprise, eyes lighting up as she looks down at her, watching with distinct interest as she rises up on her tiptoes and brings herself ever closer. Catching Flora by her chin, the attuned doesn't hesitate to close the distance, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "Such a good business woman you've become. How about you make us a drink and we'll share, hm?" She mouths against her lips, words forming across that petal soft skin that she'd been dreaming of for seasons now before Paige releases her to do just that.
The press of Paige's lips against her own is featherlight and yet somehow Flora feels it like a spring rain. Goosebumps bloom over her skin as a shiver races down her spine; had she not been leaning against the bar, she might have had to take a few steps backward to fight her balance. Positioned as she was, she simply sighed into the wake of Paige's lips against her own before letting her eyes slip back open. "I can do that." Flora whispers, still captivated by the phantom sensations sparkling across her skin.
After taking a deep breath and flashing Paige a crooked smile she doesn't at all try to hide, Flora drops back from her toes and reaches for a bottle the colour of faded denim. "My dad makes this up in the mountains, and then he leaves it to brew beneath the waterfall." She explains, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks. Pouring them each a healthy serving, Flora nudges Paige's cup toward the Attuned before raising a brow and nodding toward the little pill with a grin.
"Ready when you are."
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Flora isn't the only one left reeling from a simple brush of lips and she has to remind herself to take a breath as the Doubletake withdraws from her to follow the instruction. The familiar weight of Flora between her legs, the heat of her body, and the silken touch of her skin had been enough to bring everything back. All of it. Suddenly she's dying to know all that she's missed. Every single detail, hating that she'd been gone for any of it, that she hadn't even written. Silently, she vows to not let it happen again.
Paige doesn't even try to keep her own smile in check, letting it crinkle the corners of her eyes as she returns Flora's, producing another little pill of the same type from a small metal container. Arching a dark brow at the description of the brewing process, the attuned can't help but be a bit impressed. "Sounds incredibly fancy. I would expect nothing less from someone associated with you." She tosses her a wink, dropping a pill in each glass and giving them a stir with her finger.
The blue liquid takes on a shimmer, catching the light as it swirls in the glass, "I suggest downing it in one go. It would be best served in shots for more immediate effects and if you wanted to just have a smaller reaction you could do mixed drinks." They were, of course, going all in. Paige was going to ensure that Flora knew what she was getting. Tossing back her drink, she hisses only slightly at the burn, but the warmth settles low in her belly and sits there pleasantly after the initial sting.
"Takes about ten minutes to kick in. You might feel the urge to move. Lights might seem like they're dancing. Stuff like that... If you're not sure of anything, I'll walk you through it, yeah?" Paige draws Flora back between her legs, fingers combing through her hair and running over whatever exposed skin she could find, head tilting to the side. "Now tell me, petal, what all have you been up to without me?"
Watching the liquid begin to shimmer, Flora is just as entranced by the way the dissolving pill catches the light as she is by Paige's finger softly swirling through the glass. Listening and marking the attuned's recommendations for later when she's preparing cocktails for the tavern, Flora watches her friend make easy work of the drink before following suit.
Likely Remi would be horrified to know his gin was being used as a shot, never mind that it had drugs dissolved in it, but Flora can think of no better way to serve it. Pressing the back of her wrist against her lips to hide the grimace she feels, Flora forces herself to breathe out despite the burn in the back of her throat. "10 minutes huh? Just enough time for me to catch you up." The Doubletake purrs, positioning herself back between Paige's thighs with a feline grin on her lips.
Letting her head tilt back and losing herself momentarily in the blissful feeling of fingers combing through her hair, Flora exhales indulgently as she tries to nudge her mind back on track. "Wellllllllllll." She drawls. "Other than taking over this place, I'm bringing the Thieves Guild back..." There was no one around to hear, and not only was Flora not worried about Paige telling the wrong sorts of people, but she actually hoped her friend would join. "I ran for queen and lost." Cracking her eyes open just a touch but not wanting to shift the focus of her senses away from Paige's fingers, Flora just shrugs. "It sucked."
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
Paige would actually pay good money to know what Remi thought of their use of his gin, but then again, she didn't really have to guess. The attuned knew enough about the Lullaby to know that he'd likely not be too happy with their choices. Guess it was a good thing he wasn't here to judge them.
Chuckling at Flora's blatant flirting, Paige willingly accepts her back between her legs, nails scratching lightly at her scalp. "You have my undivided attention." She drawls, eyes fixed on the Doubletake in the soft lighting of the tavern, watching the way her eyes flutter with each touch Paige graces her body with.
"The Thieves Guild, you say? Have room for another delinquent?" Paige asks, just as Flora hoped she would, knowing that even if the Doubletake didn't have room, she would make sure she found a way in. There was no way she would have her friend do shady business without her. Not because Flora wasn't capable. Quite the opposite, Paige knew Flora had the upper hand when it came to most things, but it was more that she didn't want to miss out on all of the fun. Making a soft placating noise in the back of her throat, Paige leans forward, lips brushing across Flora's temple, breath warm against her ear, "If it makes you feel any better, you're still the queen of my world..." She grins, teeth nipping gently at the delicate skin of her lobe as her fingers keep working lightly at her scalp.
"Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that!" Flora purred, her aqua eyes shimmering with a tinge of drug-induced haze, yet her excitement remained as vibrant as ever. "If anyone starts prying, I'll just say I have a...well, a lost-and-found. Things tend to go missing around here, and the Fingers have a knack for snatching them up, you know?" The Doubletake flashed a mischievous grin.
Caught between a desire to entwine herself with Paige in every possible way and simply whisk her friend away to the coziest, most inviting bed, Flora let out a soft, wistful sigh as she wrapped her arms around the Attuned's waist. "I always said I wanted to be Queen because my dads were..and my mom has been...and Maeve was such an inspiration for so long and..." She shrugged, a touch of helplessness colouring her gesture. "..to have them all think I couldn't do it?" That had been the worst. Flora hadn't really wanted to win, but gods she absolutely hadn't wanted to lose.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that
