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!
"What about my pretty face?" His grin is boyish and mischievous, clearly teasing considering how humble he is but hoping to even the odds between them. All of the people in this world seem ridiculously forward and self-assured, and Harper is getting a little too used to drowning beneath their flirtations. At least he can try doggy-paddling his way to the surface.
Drawn like a moth to a flame he trails after her as she spins further up the trail, chuckling warmly at her gleaming eyes and bright grin. It helps diffuse the heat from his cheeks, despite the petting comment. "Ah, the benefits of good manners," he exclaims dramatically in return. Not that he knows anything about the Greatwood's love of getting people turned around, taking her words at face value. Nonetheless he vows dramatically and goes sweeping off towards what (logically) would be the path back towards the Grounds. Whether or not that proves to be true...
As he moves past her he darts a hand out to try and pinch playfully at her side. "It would be awfully bold of me to start talking personal kinks with a beautiful lady in a strange place so soon after meeting her." Azure eyes sparkling with humor he cheerily turns down the path, refraining from skipping like a child.
from what i’ve tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire
Would it be, though? Harper is blissfully unaware of Lily’s former profession. Sniggering to herself and almost cackling out loud in response, the entertainer misses the signs that he’s going to pinch, resulting in a very unlady-like high pitched squeak. “Oh God! No! Oh no!”
You see, dear friends, Lily is quiet ticklish. A good pinch in the right place and she’s jerking around like a fish on the line.
Gasping and darting playfully away, she tries to hold Harper at bay with a hand a wagging finger. Tsk tsk. “I think you mistake me for some kind of well-behaved woman.” Flushed, she tries to match pace with Harper while still keeping enough ‘safe’ space between them. Shaking her head (not in dismay, more in irony), Lily responds with “I’m not. Ask any lady from my home worl.” Turning a curious look in his direction, Lily thinks this path looks familiar and that they might be at the end of the path, but is loathe to give up the conversation quite yet.
“Where - and when - are you from?” The musician boldly assumes he’s an Outlander, purely because he hadn’t been on to her previous cat-tricks.
A mischievous, predatory gleam steals across Harper's blue eyes at Lily's reaction, advancing immediately after she wriggles from his grasp. Undeterred by the warning hand aimed at him as he wiggles his fingers threateningly at her. "Oh? Is the fair lady ticklish? I think I smell revenge!" He playfully darts forward to try and pinch her one more time before laughing and giving her back the space she'd put between them.
"Good behavior is overrated, unless it gets me a nature walk with a beautiful woman," he quips back with a wink and a cheeky grin. Harper certainly isn't going to be one to judge her, no matter how far her insinuation stretches. Just as reluctant to part so soon (not as though he had plans for today, since he's still a jobless freeloader) he's secretly relieved when she poses a new question. "I'm from a rather corrupt city, but at least it was very modern. Machines, medicine, superpowered individuals, electricity. I have to admit being jobless isn't something I'm used to." Chuckling he turns his gaze to her and reflects the question back at her. "What about you?"
from what i’ve tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire
Lily shrieks again (in glee, don’t let it fool you) as Harper darts forward, but she is rather unsuccessful against his efforts and is pinched again. She mock gasps and feigns injury before returning to the instructed amount of distance between them.
“Well this certainly isn’t good behavior, you scoundrel,” she retorts with another little finger wag, trying to hide a smile. Yes, she secretly likes it and him, stranger though he is. And while she is interested in where he comes from, he rattles off a list of things that do and do not makes sense. Her brow furrows slightly. Electricity? Superpowered individuals? “So like Caido and not like Caido?” Lily posits back, before answering the question too. “Portsmouth, in the great state of Virginia. 1790 - or at least it was when I left.”
They come to a clump of flowers and Lily pauses to pick a couple, before looking up and seeing the edge of the Forest. She isn’t ready to leave either, but there are things for her to do and they should totally meet again when timelines catch up. Gesturing at the edge, she smiles slightly. “And what did you do in this corrupt city?”
Her reaction is all the enticement he needs, and his jovial laugh follows her retreat when he has squarely snagged her beneath his nimble hands a second time. His own slate eyes bright with mirth as he grins shamelessly at her chastisement. "I don't see anyone else around as witness, I don't know what you could possibly be talking about." Though harmlessly aware that she could likely spin quite the tale and trap him in her net if ever she wanted to with how thoroughly she'd lured and tricked him just moments ago. She's quite talented to say the least.
"Yes, similar at least. Societies, different environments." Though the confusion becomes much clearer when she mentions what year she came from, and he gawks at her stupidly (and quite obviously) as he nearly trips over his own feet. It's ridiculous, he has met so many here in Caido who have come from odd circumstances, but she had come from 1790? "Then you at least hopefully know the name of where I came from - New York. Though I was living there in 2150." The difference in centuries is mind-boggling, even being read up on his history. It's completely different to meet someone from that time.
Harper is aware that their time together is dwindling, and as such does not object when she stops to pick a few flowers. "I was a sort of renegade force of justice for my city where the police force failed," he explains, trying to find a way to explain when their worlds were so different. "And you?" As they step closer to the end of the path, he turns and gives her a reluctant smile, sad that they will likely be parting. "Though you'll have to tell me more detailed stories when next we meet, it seems." As he surely would like to see her again.
from what i’ve tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire
She shamelessly giggles when he trips, unaware that she’s the one who caused the misstep. In fact, as he mentions New York, she gasps and nods enthusiastically, “Oh, yes!” escaping until he finishes with 2150. Her eyes go wide. 2150? But that’s… that’s almost four hundred years after her. “2150?” she repeats faintly, incredulous. There’s the distinct need to sit down, but alas, there’s nowhere to sit down, so she makes her legs keep moving.
“We could be -” she almost finishes that sentence with ‘- be related’ but can’t bring herself to do it. He’s too nice and handsome and she doesn’t want to ruin anything by suggesting that she might be a distant, distant eight or ten times grandmother. “Nevermind. Ah, I’m an… entertainer. Former lady’s maid. It’s a whole story.” Brushing that aside for a moment, she’s painfully aware that they’ve reached houses again and becomes unusually shy, quiet and looking down at her feet.
Absently, the redhead plucks a single flower from her small bouquet and offers it to Harper. “I’d like that. Sooner rather than later. Come to my place some time? It’s the house with the blue door and the yellow star. Can’t miss it.” She pauses. Well, maybe not. "Or we could meet at the VlamVloed?" They could have a drink then, sit in a darkish corner...
