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!
As the colours of Leafchange settled on the Hollowed Grounds, Jack Tar Landing burst into a frenzy of activity as those around the docks took advantage of the unseasonably warm afternoon. The marketplace, a vibrant riot of colours and sounds, pulsed with energy as vendors beckoned passersby with their ("exotic") offerings and (un)savoury delights. The air was filled with the mingling scents of saltwater and spices, drawing in visitors and locals alike to spend what coin they had before the air turned cold.
Against the backdrop of ships swaying gently in the harbour and the rhythmic lapping of waves against the docks, the Landing exuded an undeniable charm for those who knew where to look for it. Not as grand perhaps as the markets in Torchline nor as orderly as those in Halo, still, the Grounds had a quirky appeal.
Calls of Oy, com'an have a peek at wot I have! would follow Ronin around as he milled through the aisles that twined around the market stalls. Betcha ain't not seen the likes of this before! they'd call his way, even after recognizing the Nova for who he was and knowing he'd absolutely seen things much more interesting than the trash they peddled as exotic riches.
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Quirky appeal - that's definitely a description that Ronin is starting to apply to the Grounds in general, but nowhere more so than here in Jack Tar Landing. He arrives a little before noon so he might take the place in properly, dressed - as instructed - in the shirt, pants and boots ensemble that he's been sent by his husband the stranger.
Looking as though he's stepped out of some romance novel (the backdrop of ships and lapping seawater only adds to the effect), he's nonetheless still more brooding heartthrob than charming rogue of the story, pointedly ignoring any and all attempts to get his attention. Oh, he's sure that the tat on offer probably is quite interesting if he cared enough to stop and look; alas, he's only here because he's been summoned, and as he settles to stand at the edge of the docks to gaze at the gathering ships, he's honestly not sure what he's looking for.
But it's a great place to stand and seem aloof (and he likes to think he's good at it) and so it's where he opts to stay, mentally comparing the place to Torchline with each little detail he picks up.
Where once The Stranger could have seamlessly blended into the shadows simply by remaining still, alas now he was forced to resort to more common measures of being unobserved, namely, skulking. So it was that Remi moved with the crowd, choosing to linger beside one of the market stalls to track Ronin's movements.
Even from a distance, the sight of the Nova was such that Remi felt his breath catch in his throat as his stomach fluttered. The years had been as kind to Ronin as they had been cruel, such that the snow around his temples and the strands that silvered his hair spoke of a man whose fingers had come far from the sorts that fumbled due to a lack of experience. The outfit chosen was reminiscent of when first the pair had met, and though anyone seeing Ronin would be unable not to recognize him for who he was, if Remi squinted the right way, he could easily see the young captain of the guard that his husband had once been.
Pulling out the flower he was meant to wear, the Bastion waited until he found someone who was approximately his height. No one matched his bulk, but thanks the cloak he's brought, he thought the ploy would work well enough. After an exchange of coins and a whispered word, a younger man donned the cloak, pinning the flower to the chest before sauntering down toward the docks with a simple instruction: Get Ronin to follow you back into the marketplace.
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Given that he's the one being ogled rather than doing any staring of his own, Ronin is unable to wax lyrical at the sight of his husband, namely because he can't see him yet. And whilst he appreciates the effort Remi goes to, doppelganger and all, the pair have been together for long enough now that as the stranger settles beside him, becloaked and pinned with the flower he'd sent, he simultaneously knows that this isn't the Bastion, but also that he's absolutely been sent by him.
And so at the attempts, while not exactly half-hearted (coin and the presence of a couple of demigods will do that), the Nova takes pity and offers an indulgent smile the stranger's way, gesturing for him to lead on. Who is he to deny an attempt to woo and befuddle, especially when the world is going to shit every five minutes?
At first it’s a murmur, then a symphony. Voices all out with laughter and conversation. As you look around the voices change to cries, screams. The words ‘Sparkbird’ and ‘Lady!’ call out in fearful tones. As a fin cuts through the water it becomes clear. You’ve just heard the fall of the Hollowed Grounds to the Sparkbird, recorded by the voices of passing Echo sharks. Good luck sleeping tonight.
You’ve encountered a pack of echo sharks. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Echo Shark (common) - A dwarf species of shark known for hunting in packs, the Echo Shark can live in both freshwater and saltwater. They are able to mimic any sound they’ve heard and band together to increase their range of vocals. The sharks use the words and sounds they’ve learned to lure unsuspecting prey into the water, where the sharks will then leap up and drag them into the waves.
Hamming it up perhaps a bit more than he'd like to see—Remi had paid the man to get Ronin to follow him, not to try his hand at enticing the Nova—it's with a roll of his eyes that the Bastion waits until the Nova is suitably lost in the current of shoppers before he makes his move.
Whether or not the Nova was aware he was being followed—given who and what Ronin was there was every reason to think he absolutely knew where Remi was—still the Bastion made every attempt at stealth as he trailed his husband through the marketplace. Only when he was close enough did he reach out for Ronin's left hand, though his fingers had no intention of softly clasping his husband's as they often so had. No, no. Instead, he jostled his shoulder against Ronin's as if having mistakenly tripped or been shoved by the crowd whilst reaching to steal the Nova's wedding ring. With it tucked safely in his palm, Remi stuck out his foot to trip up those behind him in order to force a log-jam in the flow of traffic and to make his escape.
Ignoring the cries of the echo sharks, Remi pushed back against those trying to get by, trying to flee the scene like a common thief.
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Similarly ignoring the echo sharks - he's got enough nightmares without adding further fuel to that particular fire, thank you - the Nova continues to follow his not!husband through the marketplace, even as his senses remain sharp for the oh-so-familiar figure he swears is tracking them. It's of little surprise, then, that as his fellow demigod oopses right into him with a hand expertly grasping the wedding band from his finger, Ronin is grinning and trying to stifle it.
"Stop, thief!" His voice, clear with the rich undertone of an order he expects to be obeyed, rings out loud enough to have the rest of the crowd freezing for a second, even as the Nova whips about in pursuit of the Remi-shaped cloaked figure.
And it doesn't matter how far the Bastion gets, because another brand-new Ronin will be waiting for him on the outskirts of the marketplace crowd, aiming to twist and fasten his arm behind his back. "I believe you have something that belongs to me," he hisses into his ear.
There's confusion among those in the marketplace, if only because the cloaked figure that Ronin had identified as Remi is certainly far too large for any of them to be keen to step in and try and help the Nova. Instead, they part, slowly, and murmur amongst themselves.
Inhaling a hiss of surprise that the amused pulse through their bond will reveal to be fake, Remi draws up with a lack of coordination that requires actual effort, in order to try and avoid Ronin's duplicate. He doesn't, of course, and as his arm is pinned behind his back the Bastion gasps in "pain" and "surprise" before wriggling as if he might somehow still slip away.
"Why, I have no idea what you mean." Remi replies in a thickly accented voice, lifting his chin defiantly and trying once again to tug himself free of Ronin's grasp.
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Sir, you are only going to make this more difficult for yourself," Ronin purrs mutters to the 'stranger' he's definitely managing to restrain on purpose and not just because Remi is letting him. "I am a soldier, you know. There are better people you might have tried to pickpocket." Already he's 'marching' the cloaked man away out of the marketplace crowd and down a skinny, makeshift alleyway between two lines of stalls.
Only once they are out of sight and earshot of the general rabble does Ronin let his cRiMiNaL go, dusting himself off and casting a reproachful look at the other man with too-blue eyes. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he wants to know, kicking an empty crate to the side and folding his arms across his chest, looking for all the world like a haughty noble wrapped up in some business he doesn't want to be in.
"Oh, I can make it a lot harder than this." Remi grumbles back, tilting his chin over his shoulder just enough to catch a glimpse of a stumbled jawline and sharp blue eyes. Rather than letting his knees go weak, instead the Bastion drags his feet such that Ronin will have to manhandle him into the alley if that's where he wants them to go. "I do not believe I was anywhere near your pockets." He adds, before silently wondering if he had reached in, just what he might have found.
Taking a stumbling step forward before brushing himself off as if something about Ronin station might be catching, Remi combs his fingers through his curls and turns, palms up. "Like I said, I do not have anything." InKWeLl
Glancing "nervously" up the alley, Remi swallows and returns his gaze to the soldier. "Is this where you bloody my nose so you can run back to command and show them what a good job you have done of kicking the commoners around? Or..." Taking a step forward, the look on Remi's face is now cautiously confident. "..is there maybe some other way of working this out? Something you blue blood boys are told not to want...?"
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Oh, I bet," Ronin whispers gruffly into the other man's ear, and for a second the pretense of strangers drops enough for the flush of lust and amusement to melt together everywhere they touch. Clearing his throat - harder, indeed - before he knows it, they stand at opposites in some debris filled alleyway, likely frequented by ruffians and merchant apprentices.
"As that may be, I do still seem to be missing something," he snips, holding up a left hand curiously missing a ring. One of them, anyway; Ronin has always been a fan of his trinkets after all, magical or otherwise. And as Remi turns with his palms placatingly turned up, the Nova can only raise his eyebrows disbelievingly.
"Are you going to make me search you myself?" he wants to know, prowling closer and dropping his arms to his sides. As for bloodying his nose or anything else they might do to settle matters, Ronin is glad all of a sudden for his missing wedding band, that Remi might not feel how his heartbeat picks up. "I've no idea what you mean," he hisses.
Remi's mouth instantly goes dry as Ronin remains close enough for him to feel the garnet-depths of the other man's lust wash over him. Nearly—and gods if Ronin hadn't had such a shit go of things lately Remi would have been so sorely tempted to drop the act then and there—Remi gives in, but instead he takes the moments that they are apart to breathe deeply and steady himself.
Looking at the soldier's hand, Remi raises his eyebrows innocently. "Well if you are looking for a wife I am sure it will not take you long, sadly..." Looking over his shoulder, the commoner shrugs at the empty alleyway.
Having taken pains earlier that day to shave just enough to appear youthful but not young, and to let his curls properly dry that they might appear as full as they once did, as Remi meets Ronin's gaze he hopes that it's with the right mixture of nervous excitement. Only, he's genuinely starting to feel the shivery pangs of adrenaline low in his stomach reminiscent of his days as a closeted gay. The pair had never met like this back in Northaven, but that didn't mean they might never have had things been even a little different.
"Only if you think you will find what you're looking for..." Remi answers, before reaching down and turning out his pockets. "Don't you?" The traveling tongue curls around the words as Remi raises a brow. "I have seen you, you know. Seen the polite way you escort your dates around town, lovely as those girls are. I have also seen you with your soldiers. The way you train. The way you really throw yourself into them. I mean, it."
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Letting his eyes narrow somewhat at the commoner's tone, Ronin lifts his chin and stares him down, allowing the silence to say everything he won't; no need to dirty his tongue for someone like Remi after all. But gods if he doesn't have to swallow down the sudden hunger for the other man as he takes in the effort he's made to properly look like his Northaven counterpart, and Ronin is sure that in another life, perhaps, this might have actually taken place.
Granted, he'd ever been easygoing with regard to his proclivities at The Wall, even if not exactly open about them, so this might have gone somewhat differently. But where's the fun in it being easy?
"You really want that bloody nose, don't you?" He hisses instead, promptly invading the other man's space to strip away the cloak and turn to press him against the nearest wall. "I'll find it myself, then. You've only got yourself to blame for this." His hands are rougher than Remi is likely used to, for this man who is not currently his husband, but they are no less dexterous for it.
With his posture cowed, Ronin will have to properly look down at Remi, and for just a moment there's genuine animosity in the once-commoner's gaze as he finds himself back in all too familiar waters. It's quickly dispelled in lieu of the fantasy of course, as his mind and body much prefer the scenario wherein he's manhandled in a dark alley by the handsome captain of the guard rather than thrown in jail for one inappropriate look.
"Maybe I just want to see if you're capable of getting your hands dirty—" The words are cut off by the swish of fabric as his cloak is tossed to the ground and he's forced against the wall. Hissing out a fairly believable gasp as the air is knocked from his lungs, Remi nevertheless plasters on a smile.
"Is this what they teach you soldiers? Or is this something you have just been practicing on your own?"
the glow of the cities below lead us back to the places that we never should have left
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
