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!
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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!
they tried to make you bleed with bullets and daggers
but your heart is made of steel
“I didn’t think I was either.” She trills in an almost singsong tone before shaking her head. She wouldn’t force him into it – it wasn’t a kind of thing you could force anyway. But the offers there, if he’s interested, to see what it’s like. But at the mention of Lucas and Edrei, both participants in Lily’s magic room, both gone too soon. And while Lucas had a thing or two to learn, she wanted to be the one to end him if it came to it. Not some ridiculous tree-portal-thing.
Instead, she nods to him in answer. “Yeah.” She admits, frowning lightly. But she thinks of Samuel, and his quiet yet determined answer to the call, and she tilts her head just enough to glance at the summoner with Samuel’s words ringing in her ears. “I think us Ascended might need some help avoiding the heat of that ordeal.” Because gods, they already weren’t trusted enough. And she needed to prove to everyone that they were human too, albeit different. But human still.
She needs her friends.
As he mentioned that Bastien and her got their happy ending, she smiles lightly at that comment. “Oh, I wasn’t even finished yet.” She jests with a wink, leaning toward him slightly as though she’s telling a secret. “He suggested we try out dating, because neither of us were really good with it. And I agreed. Then, when Zariah was queen, he made a slight scene at the Notice Board about the sign ups, and she had him thrown in jail.” Which had started the entire thing of Rexanna working for Zariah, but he already knew that. “And the first time we told each other we loved one another was when I visited him in the jail.” She says with a light hum of amusement. As though they both had been afraid of what it meant.
Apparently, Rexanna thought if Loren showed up he’d magically know what to do. Maybe that was true: he’d done alright with Frey. However, that was also his own body, under the watchful eye of the god of sex. And maybe hands. It was a bit hazy. He figured it would be a little different with real people. ”I’m pretty sure I know I am. I should uh…” As his voice trailed off, he flushed a furious shade of scarlet. Talking about his own sexual and romantic history after she’d just revealed her much more colorful past would probably just sound silly and lame. Granted, he wasn’t sure why he cared so much.
Unfortunately, the discussion of those they’d lost was enough to take his mind off it. This wasn’t better though. It was almost a relief to have the distraction the blue-eyed woman provided by bringing up the portal incident and how the Ascended might need help. Of course, it was concerning, but at least it wasn’t his problem, for once. Unless his friends were involved obviously or unless it spilled over to all of the Hollowed Grounds. ”All the Ascended? And why?” The summoner couldn’t be an effective advocate if he didn’t know what had happened; of course, he might not support their actions, in which case he didn’t know what he would do. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
It turned out the story wasn’t over, and not just because they were still living it. This time, he stayed quiet until she finished—though he winced at the mention of Zariah—before he finally responded. ”I guess you two were better at dating than you thought.” At that moment he realized there might be more to the tale, so he fell silent again. Still, her words were giving him a little bit of hope.
they tried to make you bleed with bullets and daggers
but your heart is made of steel
She’ll absolutely let him figure it out, but the offer is there. And she shrugs lightly toward him, shoulder brushing against his as her sapphire eyes drift toward him with a light smile. She’d thought it to be awkward too at first, until she did it. But it’s one of those things you just can’t force, and so she doesn’t push the point anymore. Either he wants to, or he doesn’t, and she’s fine with either.
At the mention of the Ascended, though, she chews on her lower lip. She trusts him, unknowingly if she should or not, but if they’re to be friends she needs to know that he can keep a secret. “Well, not all the Ascended. Bastien wasn’t there. But it’ll look bad on us.” She pauses to turn to him more fully, her face being far more serious than it had been the entire conversation so far. “Can you keep a secret until at least Longnight is over?” Because she needs to know he won’t go and tell everyone while they’re all trapped in locked place together. Her mind flits to Bastien and Clemente, taking the brunt of whatever fallout there is.
But with the conversation of Bastien and her own relationship, she shrugs lightly. “I guess we were.” She admits, a dark brow lifting while he draws silent. “And well, you know the rest.” The whole ordeal with Zariah, her Ascension, their marriage. A happily ever after, or at least as close as there could be in a place like Caido.
Loren bit his lip at Rexanna’s comment and then her question. While he knew what the right thing to say was—and what would get him the information, obviously—he didn't want to make any promises he couldn’t keep. Without knowing how bad it was, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep it private. ”I don’t know.” Maybe being honest wasn’t the right course of action, but hopefully the blue-eyed woman would understand. Some secrets weren’t meant to be kept as evidenced by the fact that the Ascended kept blabbing them to whoever crossed their paths. Not if they brought harm to others.
Of all people, he knew how much keeping secrets could hurt.
Presumably the rest was their eventual wedding: the Launceleyn nodded in understanding, feeling a bit guilty that Rexanna had told him the whole history of her relationships (or at least a large chunk of it), both ex-husband, current husband, and all the partners and orgies in between, while he’d said nothing. Plus, she’d mentioned her shiny new upgrade and he hadn’t told her about the strange developments in his magic. Well, better late than never. Perhaps she’d understand that he was just trying to be reciprocal.
Magic was easier. ”I forgot to mention this earlier but...I also need to test a new power.” He gave her a guilty and worried look. ”One of my Spark Birds left behind a feather.” A feather that was now safely secured in a pouch that never left his sight and was currently on his belt; the feather burned everything it touched, so he shouldn’t need to explain to an Ascended how terrifying that was. ”And...uh...while we’re on the ah subject of relationships…” He bit his lip as he felt a blush that was equal parts embarrassed and ashamed creeping over his cheeks. ”I’ve only slept with one person, technically. One time. Unless you count Frey.” It was always hard to know with the god. After two encounters, even Loren knew that.
they tried to make you bleed with bullets and daggers
but your heart is made of steel
He admits that he doesn’t know if he can keep the secret — and she understands what he means by it. And the honesty? She appreciates it enough. Flashing him a small smile in response, she nods. “It may be best to wait until it’s a bit more common knowledge.” It’s a sad admittance, because she wants to tell him. But she also has others she’s looking out for, that she won’t remain in the Temple long to protect them should they need it. And if things go south while she’s away? It’ll be even worse for her.
But he mentions a different power he acquired and she gives him her full attention, sapphire eyes scanning his face as he mentions a Sparkbird he summoned created a feather and left it behind. Her eyes grow a bit wide, brows lift in quiet surprise. “Wow, that’s wonderful news, right?” She asks because she’s uncertain if it is good news.
And when he mentions his own experience, she listens diligently to this as well, wanting to know more about the Summoner but not wishing to pry. And he offers it up easily enough, though she can sense the heat of a blush crossing his face, and he mentions sleeping with Frey that has a sound of surprise and blasphemy leaving her. “Frey?” She begins in all her surprise, every ounce the image of two friends gossiping. “I bet that was incredible.” She says with a dramatic sigh.
Either Rexanna understood, or she felt that Loren’s response made him untrustworthy enough that she wouldn’t tell him. Or she just realized that telling secrets was a bad idea. Regardless, the small smile she sent his way was encouraging enough that he hummed his agreement. Besides, he had much bigger concerns on his mind at the moment, like LongNight, his magic going awry, his crappy love life, and his affinity for screwing up his familial relationships and his friendships. Assuming he even survived LongNight, he could worry about the mess with the Ascended. And the Voice. And the portal. And Zariah.
Gods help him, it would never end.
Actually, no, it wasn’t wonderful. At least not in his mind. ”Not really. It almost burned down the Manor, and would have if Remi hadn’t been there. Worse, I don’t know how it happened, how to prevent it from happening again, or gods forbid, if I wanted to do it on command, how to do it again, or if it's just Spark Birds or if I need to worry about everything I summon.” The words came out in a fearful rush. All those worries were why he’d been sticking to his less dangerous creatures since the incident: if something else happened, he wanted to be able to contain it on his own. So no, he wasn’t super happy about his new ability. Unlike the blue-eyed woman, he liked to be in control.
Unsurprisingly, the mention of Frey got Rexanna’s attention. If anything, though the Launceleyn just blushed an even more furious shade of crimson. ”Well. Yes. It was. But uh, it’s ah...hard to explain. The first time, they uh, well, jerked...I uh, you know.” He waved a hand vaguely before letting it drop to his side, embarrassment practically radiating off of him. ”The, um, the um second time it was...gods, it was like I was...doing everything to myself. Like...could do whatever I wanted. Errrr...infinitely.” There were literally no words to describe it, especially given how awkward he was feeling.
they tried to make you bleed with bullets and daggers
but your heart is made of steel
When he says not really, her head tilts and she listens to him, brows furrowing slightly in her confusion. She had thought it would be a great thing, wonderful even, but he mentions the feather nearly burned down the Manor and her mouth forms a small “O” shape as though she’s finally understanding. “Well, I guess it means that they’re real enough? Not an illusion, especially if they can leave things behind?” She ponders thoughtfully. “It may be useful for creatures we might need things from?” She suggests, thinking of Sparkbird feathers and the like that had a purpose outside of being just… There.
“It does complicate things though.” She admits, because it’s something she’ll have to worry about as well, if she activates the Sparkbird magic that’s settled within her. But she understands as well, wanting everything to go according to plan.
At the mention of Frey, however, she smiles to him a bit sheepishly, dramatic and full of awe. She can’t imagine it – being Abandoned, and yet now Ascended, all thoughts of that are gone. But still, she can appreciate what her friend’s experienced, and she ignores the full embarrassment he has for it. She looks past it, listening as he continues on for the second time, and she can’t help but to snort at that, in disbelief and surprise. “Were you able to even think after?” She asks, a bright grin crossing her face. “I think I’d probably die. But what a way to go out, huh?”
Rexanna guessed wrong: they weren’t real enough to fulfill the purpose that they actually needed them for, which was keeping them safe during LongNight. Although that wasn’t exactly what she meant, Loren had been in a pessimistic mood lately. ”Apparently the feather doesn’t emit light to deter the monsters, just sets things on fire. And the luxere antlers only work on luxere.” So no magical solution to their problems was coming, and he could feel his doubts rise as his self-confidence plummeted. After all, without his magic, he was all but useless.
Again, he was taking the worst possible interpretation of the blue-eyed woman’s words, but at least this time he wasn’t cruel and angry, just tired and sad. Granted, that wasn’t much better. ”So again, while I don’t know if it even works with other creatures, I don’t know what other creatures or their parts might be useful.” Not at this exact moment in time, at least. At her comment about this development coming at an inopportune time, he gave her a wry look. ”I’m aware. I…” He trailed off with a sigh. ”I’ll try to figure it out, get a handle on it.” As much as he could while trapped inside, which probably meant he’d fail. At least he was getting good at that.
Surprisingly—or perhaps unsurprisingly, given the deity in question—Rexanna found the summoner’s experiences with Frey exciting, or at least worth talking about. He, however, was still feeling too awkward about even bringing it up to respond in kind; instead, he just rested his chin on his knees. ”Well. The uh...first time they took my clothes away. And it was already Deepfrost so…” So he’d been too busy worrying about not freezing anything off—and walking back home naked—to revel in the sensation. The second time, though, he’d definitely been practically catatonic for a while after. ”It certainly would be.” Out with a bang, as the expression went.
10-19-2019, 06:19 AM (This post was last modified: 10-19-2019, 06:21 AM by Rexanna.)
REXANNA
“Oh.” She replies simply, because what else can she say to that? It’s nothing on him, because without him they’d just be that much more worse for wear. Something was certainly better than nothing, and something to distract and make the monsters think it may be real, is good enough for her. It might cause that split second of pause, enough for them to take control over. And so she nods to Loren, uncertain what to say really, so she opts for her mind. “Something is better than nothing.” She offers.
As he talks of figuring it out, getting a handle on it, she nods to that too, because it’s something she has to think about as well. And she aims to reach out to rest a hand along his shoulder gently. She wants to tell him there’s plenty more seasons to experience, creatures to learn about – but he seems dead set on the reminder that he might not make it. And with it, she tries to convey the fact that she’ll be there for him. That others will too.
He’s not alone.
Thankfully, the awkward conversation takes root, speaking of Frey and she watches in quiet amusement as he rests his chin on his knees, drawing them up to his chest. “Ooh, not good.” She admits, shivering despite not feeling any sort of chill in the air or really much of anything at all. “That’s one thing I don’t miss about being Abandoned only.” She gives him a slightly wry smile. “There’s some other perks though.” Drawing her own legs up beneath her, she crosses them to sit crisscross, focusing on him again with a tilt to her head, hand running through her dark hair.
“I haven’t even been to a Shrine for the old gods. I’m pretty sure they’ll smite me on the spot.” And hey, Loren was Abandoned and still got to experience that with Frey. Perhaps there’s hope after all.
Actually, sometimes nothing was better: if Loren had said nothing, nothing to Remi about the Launceleyn's love, nothing to Jigano when they’d first met, nothing to Phoebe when the summoner had lost control, nothing to Rexanna when she’d visited him at the Manor, they’d all be better off. Of course, that wasn’t what the blue-eyed woman had meant, so this time, at least, he said nothing in response. Instead, when she laid a hand on his shoulder, he just reached up and rested his own hand there, fingers gently squeezing.
It was always a bad sign when talking about his sexual encounters with Frey was the more enjoyable and less uncomfortable conversation topic. At least the lack of clothes hadn’t been dangerous, just annoying. ”I summoned a phoenix. And uh...met someone who gave me some clothes.” Bringing up Roana seemed like a bad idea; he was supposed to be guarding her, but hadn’t even gotten word that she’d been brought in, so had assumed she’d evaded capture. Yet another problem for after LongNight. ”Perks?” He wasn’t sure if she meant perks to being Ascended, Abandoned, or a hybrid. As far as he knew, she was the only hybrid of her kind, so she likely had a unique perspective.
When she brought up how the old gods viewed her, though, the Launceleyn’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t been thinking of it like that, but he could see why they would dislike her more than most. Then again, he was still somewhat annoyed at whole races being punished for the actions of the new gods. Rexanna had chosen her status as an Ascended, but not an Abandoned or hybrid—and the summoner hadn’t chosen at all—but they were immediately lesser in the eyes of the old gods.
And yet Frey had still appeared to him. Twice. ”I thought so too, though mainly I figured they’d ignore me.” The summoner gave the blue-eyed woman a sheepish look. ”I would offer to go with you to the one in the Glade, except I’m not sure that my presence would help. Although...um...well, Frey. They ah, kind of asked me to do something.” It was even more embarrassing than what had happened with the deity and he immediately regretted bringing it up.
His hand lifts to hers, squeezing it back, and she gives him a bright smile in response. Progress, this was progress and it gave her so much hope it almost hurt. At the mention of how he stayed warm, she nods in understanding with that same smile gracing her features. “Smart.” She announces, about the phoenix, because it would certainly provide warmth. That and he knows how much she enjoys his phoenixes.
His question of perks, gives her an almost nostalgic look, though. “I do miss the sun.” She admits perhaps a bit ruefully. “And maybe a small part of me misses being a damsel in distress.” She snorts, head lifting back a bit in a dramatic sort of way – clearly Bastien has rubbed off on her a bit. But she hums a chimed bit of laughter after that.
When he says that he figured Frey would ignore him, she nods along. “They ignored me the first time I met them.” She announces, though didn’t ignore her enough to not bind and gag her… but that’s beside the point. They had came to her the second time, when it had only been her. And therefore, whether they chose to appear or not made little sense in terms of their Abandoned status to her. Regardless, she nods to him with a smile until he mentions they asked him to do something.
Dark brows raise and she leans forward, sapphire eyes alight with wonder. “Let me guess.” She says, glancing away from him as though she’s tallying the ideas in her head. “They suggested I try out a threesome when they ‘cursed’ me. So... Do you need to sleep with someone?” She asks, head tilting, dark brow raising in a conspirator kind of look.
Calling on the phoenix had been smart. Calling on Frey in the wilderness in the heart of Deepfrost? Not so much. Still, there’d been no harm done, and honestly a lot of good. Or at least there would have been if Loren hadn’t been such a complete idiot and a total stick in the mud. That encounter felt like a long time ago, but it had been relatively recently, so maybe the summoner had time left to internalize the god’s lessons. Probably not though, given how poor a learner the Launceleyn was.
”You can’t go out in the sun at all?” Although he vaguely remembered someone mentioning they risked bursting into flames—something that a similar race in Northaven did as well—he hadn’t known that Ascended couldn’t tolerate any sunlight. As for her being a damsel in distress, something that wouldn’t seem nearly as funny when she was out in the dark fighting monsters he couldn’t exactly speak to her previous experiences with that. ”I mean, I’m sure that can still be arranged. We got a nice empty prison just crying out for a damsel.” He chuckled at the idea, which settled into a smile after a moment. ”I’ll bet you much prefer being a damsel who can get herself out of distress though.” He would, in her shoes.
Although the blue-eyed woman had revealed bits and pieces of her encounter with the deity, apparently Loren hadn’t gotten the full story. ”I don’t think you mentioned that before.” Or if she had, he’d forgotten. ”I was alone when I went to go pray so…” He trailed off with a shrug; he’d been so worried about others getting hurt on the off chance a god did show up that he’d tried to minimize the potential targets to just him. Maybe that had been foolish, but it had worked.
However, it seemed that Rexanna’s experiences had been fairly similar to the Launceleyn’s, since her guess about Frey's request was right on the money. ”Close enough. I’m supposed to, um...cause as many orgasms as possible.” His voice came out very quietly on that last part, since he very much didn’t want anyone to overhear.
She shakes her head a small amount but shrugs her shoulders at the end. “We can after we get stronger. But since I’m so new, it’s not a good idea.” She admits with a light smile. She can recall the feeling of her fire magic trying to escape during her Ascension, recall the feeling of when she had opened the blinds of a sun-facing mirror by accident, and she hums a quiet sigh in response.
At the mention of the prison, she hums a light smile in response. Before, it might have terrified her, the prospect. But she has grown quite a bit in her own person since leaving Asciend, and it didn’t frighten her as much as it might have once done. “I do know my way or two around a prison.” She jests to him with a wink before falling into a small bout of giggles. He has read her right – having broken out of more than one prison in her life. “Mmm, yes, that’s correct.” She adds after she’s calmed herself enough.
When she tells him Frey ignored her the first time she met the deity, she nods. “Well, Remi was there. But they mainly ignored me and focused on him.” She says with a light frown, shrugging. It doesn’t really matter in the end. They had appeared when she went the second time. And that was enough. “I wanted to thank them for the glamour, the reward… But then I Ascended and it disappeared, and I’m sure they’re likely annoyed I tossed away a gift like that.” She shrugs, the past is the past.
But her guess to his quest was almost correct, and her grin shifts toward something a bit more like a smirk. “Ah and you are sure you don’t wanna come to the magic sex room to accomplish this?” She jests, aiming to nudge him with a shoulder.
Ah. That was news to Loren. ”I didn’t know that, I don't think. Stronger how?” It could mean any number of things, especially to someone with magic. Indeed, the summoner looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over, but he was one of the most powerful people in the Hollowed Grounds. And probably the most powerful person in the Temple. It made him worried, because he’d been told repeatedly that his spells might not suffice, so he didn’t know of anyone else who could do better. They needed to be their best at LongNight.
As Rexanna admitted that she was familiar with prisons—a fact he vaguely knew from her stint trapped at the Manor and her recounting of fleeing her ex-husband—he gave her a sympathetic grin. It might’ve been a sad comment, but she’d said it jokingly, so he would do his best to respond in kind. ”Sounds like you were a professional distressed damsel. Not anymore though! I don't know if that's a step up or a step down, though.” It wasn’t the best attempt at humor, but he’d never claimed to be funny.
Unfortunately, bringing up Remi was probably not the best idea, especially in relation to Frey, the deity that had stolen the alchemist’s love for the summoner. It was a long time ago, and didn’t really matter anymore. Stiil, the Launceleyn slumped a little, somehow, even though he was seated.
The blue-eyed woman’s explanation about what she’d lost when she Ascended didn't help matters. It also caused his eyes to flick to her brand. He’d offered to heal it before, an offer that still stood, but she would have to approach him about that. Instead, he’d see if he could offer her something else instead. ”I can pass along your thanks. If...if I see them again.” Frey almost certainly wouldn’t care, but Loren did. The if had more to do with whether or not he survived rather than seeing the deity, given the quest. ”I...no. No ah thank you. I just...I dunno.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. ”Jumping from having slept with one person to magic sex rooms and orgies feels like a...too much.” His voice came out wryly and awkwardly and stiltedly.
