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!
As soon as the music started up, Loren perked up. Normally, he disliked dancing, but that was partially because he’d never had anyone to dance with who he was actually excited to dance with. Although he’d lost track of Abasi during the chaos that had been the summoner’s Fiat Lux, he eventually stumbled upon the undertaker. Grinning, the Launceleyn practically ran over to the other man.
Bowing, Loren straightened up and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" He had to reach up with his free hand to settle the flower crown on his head, which had become precariously balanced. Laughing, assuming Abasi took the proffered hand, the summoner would tug the undertaker out onto the dance floor.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
Before the whole event descended into nightmarish chaos (timeywimey) Abasi was sampling the foods along the stalls at Fiat Lux. Some of them were reminiscent of his home - it was a comforting thought actually, that across the worlds humans were similar enough that their foods could call back to each other. He was asking about the ingredients in a particular pastry when he heard footsteps rushing towards him.
Turning, he smiled as he saw Loren...bowing? The crown on his head slipping down. He was about to laugh and ask why Loren as a man of higher station felt the need to bow, when the question came. "Ah..I..." He was not a dancer.
Even so, he was finding it hard to resist taking Loren's hand. The man had given him happiness, a home..the least he owed him was a dance. Abasi placed his hand in Lorens then made a noise of surprise as he was swiftly dragged forwards. "I refuse to be lifted." He said, drawing a line in the sand as far as dancing went.
Loren grinned as their hands linked, and he gave Abasi a gentle squeeze even as the summoner practically dragged the undertaker out towards the musicians. Turning, still holding the other man’s hand, the Launceleyn grinned. ”That’s alright. Worst case you can lift me.” Stepping closer, he released Abasi’s hand.
Then Loren placed his arms on the undertaker’s hips. Although the summoner was graceful enough on his feet, and had learned all the dances he was supposed to as a duke, he didn't know this music or any steps to it. And he didn't care. He just continued to grin and let his body and feet lead them where they willed, hopefully guiding the other man in the dance as well.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
"I don't want to do that either." Abasi grumbled, not having much patience for dramatic dances no matter who was getting spun or lifted or tossed. Dancing at all in public had been a thing for the lower classes in Egypt and he still felt embarrassment at being there at all. The more low-key they could make it, the better.
Still, he had some experience dancing; it had always been about symmetry. Abasi went to put his hands on Loren's hips to copy the movement of the Launceleyn, then looked down to carefully mimic every step his partner took, with some clumsy awkwardness stuttering his movements. "I...do not know the dance everyone else is doing." He explained unnecessarily as they moved entirely differently to the rest of the festival goers.
Letting out a huff of laughter, Loren patted Abasi’s right hip in a gently placating manner. "Our feet will stay firmly planted on the ground then." That didn't stop the summoner from continuing to lead the undertaker as they swayed and moved to the music.
Glancing around at the crowd, the Launceleyn grinned. "Nobody is doing the same dance. They're all just doing what they want, having fun." The grin softened into a smile. "But if you don't want to dance, that's fine. I just wanted some time with you, that's all." His tone was joyful, and his expression was downright radiant as the music filtered over them.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
"Good." Abasi tried to say flatly, but his laughter betrayed the tone. As much as he had been hesitant to start, he had to admit when he did start to dance with Loren in earnest, he enjoyed himself. Even if their steps were a little awkward, as Loren pointed out, no one seemed to be doing exactly the same thing anyway. This kind of fun chaos was completely opposite to how dances had been in his old world and Abasi found he actually enjoyed it more.
Shaking his head he leaned in a little closer, slowing the pace of their dance as the music changed tempo. "No, let's continue. This is what you wanted. Would you consider yourself a good dancer?" Abasi asked as they turned, laughing a little as he almost bumped into someone.
They spun around the dance floor such as it was, Loren attempting to do his best to lead them according to the melodies. At Abasi’s agreement, the summoner smiled brilliantly. However, the undertaker’s question caught him off guard. The Launceleyn tilted his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. ”Yes and no." His voice was soft.
"On the one hand, I learned all the courtly dances from my world, the ones to show I was of good breeding, and I was competent enough at them. On the other hand, I don't love to dance, and there was never really art or joy in it." Stroking Abasi's hip softly with a thumb, Loren grinned. "Maybe I just didn't have the right dance partner." There was a stupidly silly tone behind those words. "How about you?"
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
Despite Loren's assessment of himself, Abasi thought the man moved much more smoothly than he himself could; he felt stiff, made out of stone. He wondered how Loren would have looked, dancing those courtly dances, what the dignified movements of other places looked like...without thinking, he asked: "You must show me those dances, sometime. At our home." Abasi knew as soon as he'd said it he'd signed himself up for more dancing.
Yet somehow, he didn't mind so much when it was with Loren.
He laughed as Loren asked if he was a good dancer; could the man not see what was obvious before him? "Where I came from, dancing was for the slaves, the street merchants; not priests or men of respect like myself." Abasi broke from speaking for a moment to move forward, his arms wrapping tighter around Loren as he came to rest his chin on the man's shoulder for a moment during a slow moment, kissing his jaw on the way (in such a way it was hard to see by anyone else. Private, just for them). "Yet, I suppose I see what I may have been missing now."
Loren couldn't help but smile a bit mischievously. "I'd be happy to...dance with you in private." The words were soft, but more than a bit suggestive, especially coming from the summoner.
However, his steps faltered at Abasi's comment, particularly on one word. "Slaves?" The Launceleyn cleared his throat. "Well. That's a pity. But I'm glad you were introduced to the joys of dancing." Still, there was something a little off about his tone.
As the undertaker wrapped his arms around Loren, though, he relaxed into the embrace. When the other man's lips fluttered against the summoner's chin, he turned his own to nuzzle incredibly briefly against Abasi's hair. "Me too." There was a great deal of affection and joy in those two words.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
"I am sure it would not remain a 'dance' for long." Abasi replied, picking up on the suggestiveness in Loren's tone - once, he had not had much of an ear for such things, but a mix of hope and attentiveness when it came to the Launceleyn had gotten him more used to it.
He noticed Loren's surprise at his mention of slaves and reacted with a surprise of his own; he knew from earlier conversations that some of the people here came from worlds that disapproved of such practices, but had he truly never mentioned it before? "Yes, slaves. They used to dance and play their music in the night, when their jobs were done." Sometimes, back home, he would listen to the tunes made by strange, unfamiliar instruments under the stars and wonder what the names of them were - not that he had ever gone to ask, of course.
Abasi did not stay so close for long, pulling back away in case they were gathering too much attention.
Smiling suggestively at Abasi, the fingers of Loren’s left hand stroked against the undertaker’s hip. ”More like a different kind of dance." The summoner's voice came out in a slightly heated whisper.
As the other man pulled away, the Launceleyn let the distance grow, though he kept his hands on Abasi's hips. For a moment, Loren just swayed to the music. His eyes were distant as he was temporarily lost in thought. "Did you or your family keep slaves?" There was a slightly cautious edge to the summoner's voice, and his movements had lost more than a little bit of their grace.
More importantly, the joy had fled from his expression.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
"One that I like to think I am better at." Abasi replied, unable to stop his smirk from growing now, feeling a little hot tingle travel up his back as Loren stroked his hip; the only person he had ever let touch him so and he had continued to deserve it.
Yet...it seemed the moment was not to last. Loren stopped their dance almost entirely, awkwardly leaving them stood among couple still spinning to the beat. Abasi, confused as to if this was a problem (and how it was something Loren did not yet know about him), responded as honestly as he could: "Yes. I inherited my father's. One of them earned her freedom before I came here..." He could go into more detail, but he suspected that was not what Loren wanted to hear.
"I know it is not the same in many other places. I have understood from some that it is seen as wrong...?" He said questioningly, unsure what it was Loren wanted and feeling more concerned than he'd thought he would about the man's opinion.
Loren threw his head back and laughed at Abasi’s response. When the summoner returned his gaze to the undertaker, there was a wicked grin lurking on the Launceleyn’s lips. ”I'd agree with that." His tone was far more heated than he'd expected it to be.
However, all the flirtation fled as the conversation swung around to much more troubling topics. Still, he resumed the dance, leading the other man back into swaying to the rhythms of the music. There was something rote about Loren's movements, though. "And how do you feel about slavery now?" His voice was troubled, and his eyes studied Abasi's features closely as the summoner waited on the answer to his question.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
Flirtations were not meant to last during this dance, it seemed - as odd as it felt to be having a discussion about the morals of slavery during a festival dance, Abasi had learnt to roll with anything that came in Caido. All sorts of things were thrown at him, after all; he did try to direct himself and Loren more to the edge of the crowd, by a fence, where it was a little less central to the eyes of any passers by.
"Well..I..." Abasi tried to actually gather the thoughts he needed to answer the question; it was not just one simple answer. He had grown up, his entire life, in a world where slavery had simply been an accepted part of the world; those that opposed it were either slaves themselves (therefore just whining) or dreamy-eyed philosophers (therefore just weak men who did not understand society). To have come to this world and find that it was suddenly universally seen as a moral wrong had been rather a shock.
Yet, it had been a viewpoint he had seen the benefits of. "You must understand it is difficult for me to change my ideas on something I knew my entire life. Yet...I see why the people here are so against the idea and I must admit their arguments hold some weight. I think it is something I need to consider more, but I'm hardly going to demand slaves for myself here." He tried to laugh, just a little, hoping to lighten the mood. "I am not in favour of it, at least."
