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!
Remi shrugged airily, sandwiching the fox against the wall for just a moment, still clasping the hand he'd used to tug Ianto up with. "You are a good merchant—" The alchemist gushed, revelling in the feeling of flesh against flesh even without the flames of a few moments ago. "—offering me what I want without me even having to ask." He added with a smile, curling his free hand around Ianto's waist to pull him into a kiss before glancing towards the door.
"We probably should be dressed though. Ronin is likely going to be home soon, and given I promised Sugar meat for breakfast, I would rather not face her naked." The alchemist said, a stack of clothing appearing in his hands for the second time that morning. With a last and shame-free glance at his friend's physique, Remi tossed his portion of the clothing at him before getting dressed himself.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Ianto was putty in Remi's hands, a stupid little smile on his face as he was fawned over, and he melted into the hands on his body and the lips against his own, eyes slipping shut for a moment. He seemed close to wanting to nap, in fact, the fox having to snap himself out of it to accept the clothes (and the sultry little look from Remi), shucking into them and ruffling a hand through his coppery hair. "That is a very good point," he muttered, looking worriedly towards the door.
Buttoning his shirt and pants, Ianto nodded to Remi and smiled, looking perhaps the most relaxed that he ever had done within the barrier. "Alright. Let's meet our dragony maker," he murmured, making sure to stay behind the alchemist so he didn't get eaten.
Looking adorably disheveled, Remi too ruffled a hand through his curls, glancing over his shoulder as Ianto not so subtly moved to stand behind him. Raising a brow but saying nothing, Remi chuckled and nodded.
Opening the door was a very impatient and entirely frosty looking dragonlingly that the alchemist just beamed down at. "Oh, Sugar." He said with a grin. "I did not hear you there." Remi added with a chuckle, lowering a hand to either stroke the dragon on her head, or to let her climb up his arm should she choose.
"Breakfast is bacon and eggs, and scones from the bakery. Any objections?" It wasn't entirely clear who he was talking to at this point.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Ianto was still a bit unsure of Sugar as Remi opened the door, especially as the reptile in question shrieked so angrily up at the alchemist. The reason why became clear to the fox as he cocked an ear to listen. "I think your baby is crying," he murmured, smiling a little at the dragonling; she accepted both the stroke to the head and clambered up to curl around Remi's neck and shoulders, nosing into his ear.
"No objections from me, though you'll understand if I let Sugar decide on my behalf," he said with a quiet laugh, looking quickly away as the young dragon fixed her frosty glare on him, even if it was only for a passing moment.
The alchemist nodded shooting Ianto a cheeky grin over his shoulder. "What hearing you have. Whatever would I do without you." He said with a playful roll of his eyes. With his dragon-scarf fixedly in place, Remi walked calmly down the hallway not so long ago he'd staggered down in the opposite direction, tugging the fox hastily behind. Reaching the stairs and taking them two at a time, Remi exuberantly entered Aoife's room with a sunny smile on his face. For some having a near-toddler awake and ruining what might have been a morning alone with Ianto would have been a bother. Not so for the alchemist, who pulled Aoife from her bed, tossed her lovingly into the air with promises of meeting a new friend, before descending back down the stairs with her.
"Ianto, meet Aoife." With chubby palms flailing towards the coppery-man and starlit eyes still groggy from sleep, Aoife made soft cooing noises under her breath, much more interested in being fed than in the fox at the moment.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Am I really meant to answer that?" Ianto smiled back warmly, his hand closing around Remi's so that the other man could lead him down the corridor - a corridor that the fox finally got a chance to look at now that he wasn't concentrating only on... well, on Remi. The guildhall, too, piqued his interest now, and he meandered slowly around it while the alchemist went to collect Aoife. With the dragon and the babe in his arms, he almost looked like Ronin when Ianto glanced up, and he smiled and folded his arms across his chest.
"Well aren't you a heartbreaker," he said, crossing the room to look at the girl properly, though Sugar's eye on him stopped him from being too familiar with her. "Breakfast, then?" He laughed, stepping back for Remi to lead the way to the kitchen. "I've got no problem cooking, since your arms are a bit full. Just let me know where everything is."
Aoife cackled happily at the musical lilt of Ianto's voice, flapping her arms against Remi's grasp of her. Strolling into the kitchen, Remi took a seat at the table. Setting Aoife on one knee and idly bouncing it, he flashed the fox a grin. "Oh, he cooks too. Is there anything you cannot do?"
A rumble from Sugar's stomach halted Remi's flirtatious commentary. "The meat you will find in the cold box just there, compliments of Sugar." The alchemist said, gesturing towards what might be called a refrigerator in another place and time, but was really just a stone box that the dragonling blew frost into and onto every now and then to keep things frosty.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Oh, undoubtedly. Hopefully you'll stick around long enough to find out what it is." Ianto grinned over his shoulder as he was shown into the kitchen, though he arched an eyebrow at the ice box in the corner. "Oh, I see," he said, "she's frosty on the inside, too." Laughing, the fox quickly went to work and stoked the fire so it would be hot enough to cook with.
From there he rummaged through the ice box, removing a few thick slabs of bacon to fry, humming to himself as he did so. He couldn't recall a time when he had felt quite so domestic, and the hiss of the meat on the griddle brought a strange and happy smile to his lips. "How does Sugar like it? Raw, I assume?"
Remi snorted at that, wondering if there would ever be a line that even Ianto found too corny. So far if that line did exist, Remi couldn't even imagine it.
"Hey now," The alchemist said, reaching out a finger to stroke the bridge of Sugar's nose. "You say that like it is a bad thing." He mock-corrected, leaning his head against the scarf-dragon and humming loving sounds in her direction.
Watching Ianto cook, the domestic-nature of the scene was not lost on him either. And while in other situations it might have made him feel uncomfortable, as the fox puttered and hummed around the kitchen, Remi found himself smiling softly. "A man could get used to these sorts of mornings, you know. Although given how much you do not like to be within the barrier is going to be quite disappointing for me I think." He quipped, pressing a kiss into Aoife's hair.
Rather than answering for her, Remi bobbed his shoulder to elicit a reaction from Sugar herself. Opening her mouth and snapping her teeth, Remi looked back to the fox with a smug grin. "Does that answer your question?"
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"It is a bad thing when you're standing on this side of the glare." Ianto chuckled, glancing over his shoulder and watching as Remi lovingly fussed over the dragon and the baby in his lap. His smile softened considerably, the fox shaking his head as if to dislodge some thought before he turned back to the bacon and eggs. Well, just bacon apparently for Sugar. And from the snap of teeth that he could hear as well as see, not cooked bacon.
"Your wish is my command, o mighty ice dragon," he said reverently, taking out an uncooked piece of meat and dicing it into dragon-friendly strips, before placing it upon the table before Sugar on a place. "Ta daaa."
Ianto turned to lean against the counter as he waited for their breakfast to cook, arching an eyebrow and shrugging in what was meant to be a casual gesture. "You know, there's plenty of room in my wagon if you wanted more mornings like this."
"Well, then that is your fault for being so easy to glare it." Remi quipped playfully back.
Without so much as a pause, Sugar was on the meat in an instant. As she tossed back chunk after chunk, Remi leaned back to give her space and grinned at Ianto. "The lady of the house gives her thanks." He said on her behalf, making sure to keep Aoife's waving hands away from the icy-drool falling from the dragon's snapping jaws.
Tapping his foot beneath the table, Remi had to consciously keep it from pausing at the fox's casual suggestion. Had to try to keep his face smooth and even as well, though he only bothered for just a moment. Hiding emotions and his thoughts wasn't Remi's style, even less so now that the world had brightened up considerably.
"The bed seemed a little small from what I remember." Remi returned, his lips twisting into the shape of a smile that wanted to be far larger.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Yeah I bet..." Ianto commented at both the glare and the thanks, smirking and turning back to the griddle so he could turn the bacon and check on the eggs.
He found plates and cutlery pretty much just by rifling around in cupboards, as well as the scones from the bakery, arranging everything so it was ready (and, of course, putting out an extra plate for Ronin, because it was his house after all). He snorted and grinned over his shoulder as Remi spoke.
"You remember it badly," he remarked. "If your giant lion ass can sprawl comfortably in it, I'd say it was more than ample for little old us." He winked. "The offer is open, if you fancy it."
Remi watched Ianto riffle through the cabinets offer absolutely no assistance, other than to occasionally use his magic to open cupboards that the fox had previously closed, or to slide dishes he was reaching for just an inch or two back.
"Maybe I like to sprawl out when I sleep. You don't know." The alchemist said with a grin, though it faltered with a feeling Remi was far too familiar with. "..or do you? Did we spend nights together before?" He asked, trying to sound chipper about it rather than the sort of soggy frustration his lack of memories usually caused.
I forgot what it was like, to think I found you finally
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Having been busy shovelling food onto plates, Ianto recognised the tone of Remi's voice, rather than what was actually said. He paused, the fox tilting his head and turning fully to address the alchemist. "It's not important," he said simply. "That was then. This is now. I only really care about now. Besides, you might have learned to sprawl out in your sleep since coming to Caido - how would I know?"
Offering Remi a sunny smile, the fox finished up with breakfast and brought the plates over, seating himself at the table. "Am I going to have to defend my food from a small dragon?" he wondered aloud, before smirking at Aoife. "And I know you aren't old enough to handle bacon yet, so at least I don't have anything to fear from you."
