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!
12-28-2019, 08:46 AM (This post was last modified: 02-02-2020, 08:05 AM by Skylark.)
show me all of your affection
let it rain on me
The Fae were only vaguely on Harper's radar, mostly learned from old messages on the Notice Board. They seemed impossible to meet outside of the Greatwood, and so of course Harper finds himself venturing through the woods driven by his curiosity. Whether he comes across anyone, it's a beautiful walk that he enjoys, calloused hands brushing against the bark of towering trees and staring up into the canopy with wide eyes.
It's easy to grab onto a low-hanging branch and lift himself skyward, tempted to use it like an uneven bar for a few fancy flips but tamping down on the urge. Instead he continues climbing and leaping upward, startling a few swallows that shriek at him angrily, making him laugh softly. Standing at the precipice of the tree he had chosen, unable to go any higher lest he break the branches with his weight, the man stares out over the horizon longingly. So many capable of flight; the Attuned, the Fae. He can't help but envy them.
Once he has his fill of the sky and the horizon that spreads out before him, Harper climbs back down, resting on the lowest branch with his back to the trunk as he hums softly to himself.
from what i’ve tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire
Human-Lily loves the Wildwood. Therefore, Cat-Lily does too, more so if at all possible.
That’s how she thinks of herself: human-lily and cat-lily. They are one and the same, but it’s taking a bit of time for the entertainer to wrap her head around that fact. Much like the magic and the Gods and everything else that is unique about Caido compared to her home world, it takes more than a little getting used to.
Oh, but it is a pleasure learning; the smells are so much stronger, she can hear the tiniest things! And she has the grace of a dancer still, with the flexibility and dexterity of an animal. She can wander inconspicuously through the Grounds, patter along rails and leap to roofs to avoid puddles and mud. She can avoid people if she wants to. Which she does, until the lovely little red cat comes to the Woods, where she strolls in, intent on exploring with her cat-senses.
That is, until she sees a young man (a decidedly not-Fae man) climbing down from a tree. As he descends, she inquires what he’s doing with a loud mrowww?
The Greatwood, as any forest unimpeded by civilization and its unnatural structures, is full of animals of all shapes and sizes. So as he settles down onto a lower branch, Harper isn't all that surprised for one to take interest in him. What does confuse him is the fact that the beautiful ginger furred cat his blue gaze lands on is...not exactly a wild animal he would expect to see here. Not that he questions it too deeply; this land is far too full of magic and mischief for Harper to make much sense of its rules.
Instead, he taps his fingers invitingly against the branch between his legs, crooning out a soft inviting sound to the cat. "Hello there beautiful. What are you doing out here on your lonesome?" Perhaps it's a pet that has wandered too far from home? He considers grabbing her, making a habit of returning lost pets, though the last one had also been a strange case being a chicken in the middle of the woods. Maybe this is his new magical power?
She isn’t alone, is she? He’s there. Taking a moment to consider the man’s invitation (a girl must always be a little standoffish and cautious, even if he seems harmless), the cat’s head tilts one way and regards him with a slow blink. Great green eyes stare up at him, then around at the forest. There isn’t anything else of interest around, so she leans back and then leaps up - mostly getting herself up on the branch.
Look. She’s got a lot to learn. Including flying. So… one step at a time, yeah?
Her back claws scramble against for a moment, but she gets herself up there with a little full body shake afterwards as if to say you didn’t see that and I’m totally fine. Then the cat sits facing Harper, her tail wrapping around her body and flicking every now and then, ears swiveling towards him and around at the surrounding area. Another little chirp as she looks up at the man expectantly. Here she is. As asked. Now what is he going to do about it?
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
Harper smiles winsomely, tutting softly with his tongue to try and encourage the coy cat to join him on the branch. He's rewarded a few prolonged moments later, laughing softly under his breath at the slight clumsiness to the jump and the landing. Ginger fur is shaken out summarily as if to discard the idea of any kind of mistake on her part, and Harper gently proffers his knuckles for her to investigate before he makes any kind of attempt at petting her. Still completely unaware that the intelligent green eyes staring back at him belong to a woman beneath the silken fur. The cat has a delightful little chirping noise, and it softens Harper's smile into something smitten. Gosh but he has always been a sucker for cute animals.
Reaching forward slowly, he hopes to try and stroke down her back as with any other cat he has encountered. "Are you lost? You're quite a pretty thing, I'm sure someone out there is missing you. But you can sit with me for a while, huh?" Harper has always been a big talker, and it's all the easier to speak to another living creature, even if they can't talk back.
She eyes his offering dubiously, more cat than human right now, because human Lily may or may not have played it so cool with the handsome young man. Eh, let’s be honest, she probably would have, but in this form she can touch and writhe and get all the pets she wants. And it’s surprisingly easy.
Nose and whiskers twitching, she accepts the knuckles in due time, sliding the side of her cheek along the lengths of his finger, the faintest inkling of a purr beginning to rumble from her amber chest. Under his careful ministrations, she is liquid fur - slinking down in the middle of her spine whilst arching her back end. She lets him continue like this for another couple of minutes, enjoying the feeling of hands on her and then pauses - her attention drawn by a noise somewhere beyond their tree. She cocks her head and then after a moment, leaps back down to the ground, taking a couple of steps in a direction that seems to lead deeper in to the Greatwood. She gives the man a quick look back, as if to ask are you coming?
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
There's a simplistic but overwhelming joy to being accepted by such a beautiful, proud creature. Harper smiles as her whiskers tickle against his skin, obligingly running his hand down the length of her spine and back again. Whoever claims to only favor one animal or the other in the great 'dog or cat person' war is an idiot. Just means double the victims for Harper's petting sprees. The two of them remain that way for a few long moments, Harper content to pet her until she bats him away as most cats will. Or until she wanders off, hopefully back to her owner. And yes he does intend to follow her if she does to ensure that.
So of course, as if aware of his thoughts, the ginger cat turns her head hearing something Harper could never hope to and leaps down from the branch. Harper swings his leg over to follow, landing in a crouch to keep the impact off his knees, and gleefully notes the way she hesitates as if waiting for him. "I'm coming dear," he jokes, glad nobody is around to hear him talking to a cat as if she's his lovely wife. Hurrying to her side he wonders if she'll lead him to whatever she hears, or if she'll just demand petting the entire time as she goes back to her owner.
Dear. She likes that. It's gentle and sweet and entirely unlike most men she's known.
With an approving mewl, Lily continues ahead of him with her tail up and waving like a beacon. Even though she’s been here before, none of this looks familiar, so she just wanders along the path, knowing that eventually the Greatwood will spit them back out again. After a good ten minutes of walking, Lily pauses and cocks her head again, looking off the path. Harper might be able to catch her then, but then she’s bounding quickly over a log and under a bush, rustling and rustling until it finally stops.
Behind a tree a couple of yards away, the cat has turned back into a red-headed woman. The man is delightful. She wonders if he’ll find her two-legged form as beautiful as her four-legged form. Regardless of whether or not he’s followed the cat off the beaten path, she takes a deep breath and steps out from behind the tree, a hesitant half-smile on her face. Tucking bright locks behind her ear, she waits for him to say something first.
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
With her stunning fur a contrast against the greens and holds of the forest and the waving flag of her tail, the cat is easy enough to track through the undergrowth though it's a little harder with his larger body. At least he's light on his feet enough to keep her in his sights even when she bounds past things that slow him down. He's definitely not familiar enough with cats to read her body language or expect her to suddenly go darting away, and he makes a wordless noise of concerned objection as she disappears from view.
Oh God he's gonna lose the cat and the owner is going to be devastated and then Harper isn't going to be able to sleep tonight -
Blue eyes lift from scanning the foliage desperately when a newcomer suddenly appears like a beautiful wraith from the trees. He realizes he must look ridiculous parting the fronds with his hands to try and find the cat, but when doesn't he look ridiculous? "Oh! I - sorry to disturb you, have you seen a cat in the last few moments?" He smiles shyly at her, hoping he hasn't already ruined her first impression of him. Straightening, he runs a hand through his hair - tugging idly at the strands that are getting curlier as they grow out and wondering if there's a barber in town - and faces her properly. "Or maybe you're the owner? You seem the type to have such an adorable cat." Maybe presumptuous, but at least it's sincere in the fumbled form of flattery he offers.
He’s so sweet. For a moment, the redhead feels quite badly about leading the man on, but it’s quickly replaced by the desire to flirt and have a little fun. Quickly chastising herself for assuming that the man can’t put two and two together, Lily looks around in slight confusion. There obviously isn’t a cat in sight. Chuckling at the idea that she might own a cat (rather than be part cat), Lily smiles benevolently on her victim the man and straight up lies to him. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t.” A brief pause as she gives him a look that says come on, you know better than that.
“Do we ever really own cats, anyway?” Leaning a shoulder against the trunk of the tree, she pretends to think very hard about this predicament. “Could live with the Fae, or be a Fae.” Oooh, a fairy cat! Now that would be a fun way to fuck with him.
Oh Lily, you cruel creature, you.
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
Harper distinctly experiences that feeling when someone is laughing you but you can't prove it, and it only deepens the heat in his cheeks as he clears his throat and tries to appear somewhat normal. Somewhere in the back of his mind he is curious, wondering how he'd missed her approach when she doesn't have the wings he'd been told the Fae had. However, her eyes are far too dazzling, easily wiping away such thoughts since she isn't actively threatening him. Ah, the curse of being an easily swayed man.
"It definitely seemed to own me for the brief time I was with it," he chuckles, concern still welling up for the cat but being easily tugged into conversation with the beautiful woman. Smiling warmly he moves closer to her, holding his hand out for hers as she teases him. Harper grins boyishly at her and bites his lip. "Now you're just teasing me, I hope. I'm Harper, what's a lovely lady like you doing out in these woods alone?" Then he pauses, the sentence striking him as an echo, and his blue eyes widen as he stares at her hair, envisioning the cat's auburn fur. "Wait...wait are you...?" He splutters, not sure how to word it without making himself seem like a presumptuous ass.
To be fair to the easily swayed man, it is Lily who was originally taken with him, sucked in by a gentle hand and sweet words - something that was perhaps too lacking in her world at any given time. A man like Harper, if he had such ill intentions, could probably manipulate her very easily.
So there’s that, at least.
Perhaps he wanted to be owned, Lily thinks, but answers instead with a raise of her brows and a slight shrug. Cats have a way of their own, either compelling or repulsing, but always on their own terms. She extends a hand to him as well, chuckling as she’s caught. “Guilty. It was a little too easy. I’m Lily.” No apology for leading him on, just a firm handshake before waiting to see if he’ll figure it out before telling him what she was doing in the woods.
And to his credit, he does. There’s the briefest ripple of striped fur up her neck, a flash of bright(er) green in her eyes while her pupils flicker between the circle of human and the slit of feline. Lily chuckles in the back of her throat, a warm, welcoming sound is meant to pull him into the fold of knowing. “Guilty again...” A cheeky wink. “I would have either told you eventually or kept making it more obvious.”
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
Her mischief is not misplaced or unappreciated here, and so Harper gives a deep belly laugh at both himself and the situation as he grasps her hand in his and shakes it. "You're not the first to call me gullible, I know I'm a sucker for cute things." Grinning he gives her a conspiratorial wink, unable to help himself with the evidence of her playful nature still tugging at his embarrassed strings. "So try to give me a break even in this form, huh?" Though she is far more beautiful than any notion such as cute or adorable, the compliment still stands.
"Everyone has warned me about the Fae, they should have told me about cat shifters who lure stupid men into the woods instead," he teases with a broad grin. "Or are you just visiting yourself?" Far be it from Harper to judge her potential money-making venture if that's what she does with her daily hours. He merely hopes that it isn't so that perhaps he can spend a few of those hours in her company.
“Gullible or not, you make up for it with pretty words,” Lily muses wryly, noting the numerous compliments he’s given her (and/or her cat form) in the last couple of minutes. Lest they stay at this tree forever, she takes a couple of steps past him and back on to the path, she whirls back around with more mischief in her eyes, meant to cause more intrigue and fun than further embarrassment. “Since you asked so nicely and you were very good at petting, I’ll go easy on you.”
Gesturing to either side of the path, Lily wonders if he knows that the Greatwood will spit them out eventually, regardless of whether or not he picks the right direction. “And as a show of good faith, you can lead us out. No shifter tricks…” Raising a brow and lowering her voice to a sultry level, she continues with, “Unless that’s your thing.” It’s mean to tease, and Lily certainly knows nothing about the term ‘furry,’ but she has, nonetheless, implied that Harper may have a thing for sexy animal women.
Oops.
Hey Mister, you can never own me I only let you hold me
