Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
“I’ve already moved on.” Uh huh. Rexanna’s skeptical at that declaration, but she doesn’t let it show. Instead, they’re moving onto the topic of relationships, of friendships, while she slips on the jacket she’s come over with – lifting the hood to settle along her head and hide her dark hair beneath the ebony fabrics. And when she looks back to him, and he smirks, she knows she’s not going to get anywhere.
Oh well, let him burn.
But he asks what she wants from him, and she snorts in her response, a smile crossing her face. “I didn’t want anything from you Loren. I wanted a friend.” Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. It had never been a take and take. She wanted someone that she could simply be with, talk about the random things that happened, deal with it all the same. Perhaps Longnight would either open him up more, or keep him further reserved, iced and closed off.
But he tells her that there’s nothing left to figure out, and she chews on her bottom lip, letting her frustrations get the best of her. And she shakes her head toward him. “I will be at the Temple for Longnight, if the Sparkbird attempt is still open.” She says flatly, eyes moving back toward him from the door with a raised brow.
Because at the end of the day, whether they liked each other or not right now, that wasn’t the concern. Longnight was. Keeping people safe was. And after everything that had happened, with the Ascended headlining it all, portals made and trees burnt to the ground… Well, a small amount of good karma was needed.
Aw, how cute, Rexanna just wanted to be his friend. However, Loren wasn’t particularly interested in that these days. Maybe if she hadn’t already been friends with Remi—indeed, the Launceleyn remembered what she’d said at their first interaction, why she recognized him—it would’ve been possible. As it stood, she hadn’t come in time, and she had too many strings attached to her already. Plus, he didn’t want anyone in his life right now. ”I told you I didn’t have friends.” Perhaps she should’ve stopped to ask herself why.
When the blue-eyed woman told Loren she would be at the Temple, and that she wanted a drink, he smirked. ”I’ll be at the Temple too.” Hopefully that little fact wouldn’t deter Rexanna. Still, if she wanted his magic, all she had to do was ask; he held out his wrist for her without hesitation. ”As for the Spark Bird, it’s still open.” Then he tilted his head, exposing his neck. ”Unless you’d like better access.” It was more intimate, yes, but it would also be over more quickly. However, the choice was hers.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
Yeah, she’s gathered that he doesn’t have friends. But she doesn’t comment on it, finding no need to continue the circle of retorts they’ve resulted to. And when she tells him that she’ll be at the Temple, with the possibility of continuing the Spark Bird protection, hoping somewhere deep down that it can work, she ignores the next smirk he gives her.
He confirms he’ll be at the Temple, and she nods with a quiet understanding. And when he mentions the Spark Bird, and the option still being open, he holds out his wrist and tilts his head. For a moment she thinks she should just walk out, leave it for a different time… but what if he didn’t show to the Temple? What if something happened between here and now? She could at least have it in reserve, held tightly within just in case.
‘Gods’ She thinks with a slight amount of annoyance, tentatively removing the hood and stepping toward him with flat eyes. “Which would you rather?” She asks him, ultimately it’s up to him. But she wants something in reserve, held just in case. For the better good of them all, rather than this little argument they’re having.
When Rexanna asked, Loren just shrugged, though he didn’t change the rest of his posture or the position of his head or his upturned wrist. He really didn’t have a preference. ”I don’t care.” Partially that was because he didn’t care about much of anything these days. However, another, much larger part of it was that after Frey had put him through his paces, everything else, even the bite of an Ascended, seemed tame in comparison. Indeed, the summoner would probably never experience something as mind-blowingly pleasurable as fucking himself under the watchful eye of a lustful deity. It was impossible to top that, not that he'd really tried yet.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
“Helpful.” She replies sarcastically, nearing him and debating internally where to bite. The neck would be quicker, she could grasp as much as she needs and then walk out the door until Longnight. But it was far closer, far more intimate, and a part of her with her mood, didn’t quite want to deal with that sort of closeness. So instead, she lets her gaze drift from his face and his neck, to the wrist he leaves outstretched. Reaching out to grab it, her touch is still gentle despite the frustrations she feels, and if he lets her –
She lifts his wrist to her lips and spends one solid moment relaxing, forcing the annoyance to dissipate if only for a fraction of an amount, before she bites onto his wrist.
Loren just smirked at her. Apparently, Rexanna found his actions here today less than helpful. That was too fucking bad. Indeed, he thought he was giving her exactly what she needed. If she wanted more, that was her problem at the moment. ”I’m giving you my blood and my magic. What more do you want?” Probably friendship, but they’d covered that. As for a decision between his wrist and his neck, well, she could definitely handle that much, considering he was doing the bulk of the work here.
Indeed, she took his arm without too much delay. As her fangs sliced into his flesh, he moaned, allowing the pleasure to wash over him without reservation. At least this much hadn't changed, except that this time he welcomed it in instead of worried about it.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
Well, she wouldn’t want it if it didn’t have the possibility of helping everyone within the Hollowed Grounds. But here they are, and she steps toward him, grasping for his wrist in her immediate decision. And when she does, there’s no protest on his end. In fact, quite the opposite of last time, and it feels strange – it feels odd, but she goes through with it anyway.
Sighing against his wrist, she listens to him and drinks the blood deep within her. It's always been a wonderful feeling, freeing and a good amount of release that came with it, but she fights against it regardless, seeking out as much as she’ll need for summoning the Sparkbird. A reserve, for LongNight that they cannot afford to miss out on. Despite the arguments and frustrations the night has turned into, at least this is the good part. And luckily, it doesn’t take her long to get her fill, withdrawing from his arm when satisfied, sapphire eyes softer now as she looks to Loren. Her hand remaining on his wrist if he lets her to help the bite clot and heal quicker.
10-14-2019, 03:23 AM (This post was last modified: 10-14-2019, 03:24 AM by Loren.)
LOREN
As the pleasure built, the Launceleyn felt a moan build in his throat as well. Unlike last time, when he’d been reluctant and fighting against the sensations that he hadn’t invited and did not want, this time he was totally open to it. Indeed, as his body responded, he found himself stepping forward, trying to get closer to her. However, the bite was over far too soon; while her lips lingered on his wrist, the ecstasy faded far too quickly for his tastes. Unfortunately he couldn’t force her to keep going.
While she licked his wounds—he could’ve fixed that, and probably still would—he called upon his healing magic, and sent it coursing through his veins. As the sky blue light spread through his body, he could feel it restoring the blood that had been taken from him. Neat. And then, perhaps because he was still feeling good from her bite, or from the lingering healing in his blood, or both (and they'd eased his anger for the moment) his eyes thawed somewhat. ”I can’t make promises. But if I see you at the Temple, perhaps I will be in a more friendly mood.” His voice still came out chilly and hard. However, the edge had softened somewhat.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
He restores himself, and her hand leaves his wrist to find it healed perfectly. Her gaze lifts to look upon his face, her eyes softer now than they were before, and even his voice when it reaches her is softer too – a small amount, but progress is progress, right? And she puffs out a sigh, seeking out that separate well of magic to ensure that it’s there and deep enough for the Sparkbird before she nods to him and offers a very small smile in response.
“I’ll be at the Temple. I look forward to it.” She says lightly, her voice having lost all of the edge of before, all the fury and frustration that she had buried deep within. “Thank you, by the way… For doing all of this, to save people.” Rexanna doesn’t know if he’s heard it yet or not, but she thinks it’s important. Because while she had been away destroying trees and inadvertently killing Fae, he had been here building and reinforcing the places people would stay. He had done the good thing.
Loren weirdly found that he was looking forward to it as well. At the very least, she was familiar to him now, and although they were not friends, he’d laid himself bare to her in a way that he’d done with very few people. Remi might think he knew the summoner, Ronin might have known the Launceleyn once upon a time. However, they’d changed, and so had Loren; he was not close to his former self, and everything he’d gone through during and after his return had just confirmed that he was a new man. That wasn’t even accounting for his recent bout of cruelty.
So when he spoke, his voice still came out with marginally less hostility. ”Me too.” Whether or not that was because he wanted to go a few more rounds or because he might actually take her up on her offer of friendship, even he couldn’t say. As she thanked him, however, his eyes searched her face, still half-thawed. ”It’s my job.” And everything and everyone kept reminding him what a piss poor job he’d been doing, at that, including himself. He hadn’t been there last year, his magic might not work, he was a martyr with a superiority complex, but no, he couldn’t think of any sincere thanks off the top of his head from someone who understood. Not that he needed it. Still, even he would admit that it felt good.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
Ah, it isn’t his job, but she doesn’t tell him that. She can understand it, in a way that’s far too personal for her to really have a judge of character on it. But even still, people liked to be thanked, people liked to feel recognized for the things that they did. And even if her and Loren weren’t exactly getting along right now, it didn’t mean she hated him.
She doesn’t. Not at all.
Still, the fact that they’re thawing ever so slightly – because of the bite? Maybe? It gives her hope for their next encounter. So when he searches her face, he’ll find nothing but true thankfulness from the depths of her heart. And she manages to give him a gentle smile in addition to the words. “It will be better, this year. With you here, everything you’ve done, what everyone’s done. Many of us know what to expect now where we were blinded before and a bit arrogant. But the work you've put in is leagues better than what the rest of us Outlanders did last year.” She comments, shoulders rolling in a shrug.
10-14-2019, 04:22 AM (This post was last modified: 10-14-2019, 02:16 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
Unfortunately, Rexanna’s words didn’t have the calming or soothing effect she might’ve expected. Instead, Loren just found himself slipping back into the darkness. While she might’ve thought his efforts were impressive—and while it might’ve indeed been far more than others, especially other Outlanders, had done—that didn’t mean they were enough. They never seemed to be enough when it really counted.
While the Launceleyn wasn’t quite so proud that he knew he could save everyone’s life, he was also someone who demanded perfection from himself, and who would punish himself for everyone he failed to save. His eyes flashed cold, though in a weird way, his gaze turned inward even though he continued looking ahead. ”We don’t know that it will be better. In fact, we don’t know enough about the monsters. For all we know, they will have developed new tricks to counteract whatever we used on them last year.” They were intelligent and malicious and powerful, all bad combinations in an opponent. And that uncertainty was killing him inside. Worse, it might literally kill others.
i want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way
still i'd trade all my tomorrows,
His gaze shifts when she speaks, and for a moment she holds her tongue to listen to him. They don’t know enough, it’s true. But her recent visit to the Voice has given her a bit more information that she personally didn’t know, and it’s the least she can do as she thinks over what he says, to pass it along. Even if he’s heard the information before, at least it does her some good to share what she knows too. For the greater good. “They’re drawn to movement, light, and heat.” She begins, recalling exactly what the Voice had said. “They can’t be reasoned with, but they’re attracted to power. Magical items, upgrades.” Another pause, eyes growing a bit more shadowed.
“The Voice told us this. They look for things that can appease them for a time.” She notes before the rest of the information hits and she takes one step closer toward Loren, a bit more of a haunted look to her eyes. “That secret I told you… Loren, we opened a Portal. It leads to a place called Halo.” She pauses briefly to shake her head and look away from him. “I thought you should know because... Zariah is there.” Because as much as Rexanna despises the ex-Queen, she’s still part of Loren’s family deemed missing. And perhaps it’ll help somehow.
Loren had known the information about light, heat, and movement, although it hadn’t necessarily been spelled out quite so clearly to him. However, the information about power was new; his eyes tightened as he considered the implications of that. It was a horrifying thought, given that the most powerful among them were also those most likely to think they could face the monsters. Just before he could ask Rexanna how she knew all this, she answered his question. The Voice had told the blue-eyed woman.
Then Rexanna stepped closer to him, and his eyes narrowed as she continued to explain, droping quite a bit of news. He didn’t know much about the portals, though he’d heard enough. Once more, though, Rexanna revealed information that shocked him to his core: Zariah was just through a portal. In a place called Halo.
His whole body stiffened, and he could feel himself closing off again. His cousin had been a tyrant, supposedly, but she was still his cousin. While he’d vowed to stand against her if she came back a conqueror, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. ”Can she get through the portal? And do you know anything about Halo?” That seemed to be the most relevant piece of information. And he certainly wasn’t going to talk through the implications with Rexanna, not until he knew how he felt about all this.
