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!
Tragedy continued to endlessly strike upon Caido and there were times where Bastien knew it was best to stay quiet, perhaps help the mourning, but to not insist on sunshiny smiles or any kind of joy from those bereaved. This was such a time - silence was heavy on the streets and he knew any attempt to lift it for the time being would simply hurt the people more.
That didn't mean he couldn't plan for some later revelry though. He still had machinations to host a party of epic proportions in Longheat; Summer had always been the best season for his kind of events. It was when the flowers were in full bloom, life was vibrant and people were ready to let loose.
And also, it being warm meant it was easier to wear less clothes.
The idea had first come to him as a joke, a passing thought that made him laugh...but then he'd found it hard to put down. He'd always loved performance, putting on shows. He desperately believed the people of Sanctuary deserved some sexy fun after all the dour and depressing events they'd been through. A few days after he'd first come up with the thought he was asking around to see if he knew anyone willing to participate.
First of all he asked within the guild, finding that Oliver and Amun were both open to the idea. Nate...had been somewhat of an opportunistic choice; Bastien had seen his Ascended brother and observing he had a rather pleasing build, had simply asked if he wanted to participate. That he'd said yes was a surprise, but Bastien was not one to question good fortune.
He'd played around with asking Deimos, but hadn't been able to bring himself to do it.
A strip show, then. He'd heard of them in passing troupes around Europe, though admittedly usually women. Perhaps he chose men because he wanted to be unique, though at least part of the decision came from wanting to be in the show himself (and of course, be the centre of attention). It would not be the first time he'd gotten naked on stage for money and he suspected it wouldn't be the last.
So a rehearsal was required. He had told everyone to come as the night began, windows shuttered to block noise escaping out into the grief stricken streets. For the next few hours, they didn't exist. Music from the Thought Player stuck to tunes quick and playful and he gave Rexanna a smile from where she was sat on the sofa, ready to judge them as they began to practice.
It would be a fun project, even if it was a terrible failure.
Amun had hesitated when Bastien asked the potter to join the other man’s...strip show? sexy dance troupe? performance. After all, Amun wasn’t exactly feeling attractive these days, not with one hand gone. However, in the end, the potter had agreed to it, mostly for lack of anything better to do. Worst case, they’d kick him out of the show and he could go back to moping.
Arriving at the Sanctuary at the designated time, a pair of shoes dangling from one hand, Amun slipped in quietly. He had the square in his belt pouch, figuring it might come in handy. Nodding at Rexanna and Bastien, the potter leaned against a wall, gaze far away.
Agreeing to strip was the weirdest thing Oliver had done since arriving here. Honestly? He wasn't entire sure why he agreed but there was no backing out now as he was officially throwing himself in head first. Of course, there was one stipulation where nobody was going to see him fully naked. Oliver wasn't about to let anyone find out about his current issue and that's how it would remain for the rest of time. Maybe it's because he still desires to feel like others like him or to feel attractive, but he graded to it nonetheless.
Just like Amun, Oliver arrived to the Sanctuary at the given time. He wore a tight-ish pair of pants and a button up top simply because he wanted to show off with this whole thing. He wasn't sure who was going to show up, so when he saw Amun his cheeks lit up and he turned his eyes away towards Bastien and Rex. And that's when he realized that he was about to have an audience and would be stripping in front of many people for the first time in his life. Fantastic. There's always a first to everything.
Walking on over to the table, Oliver took a seat on it and waited for the rest of the group to arrive, swaying his legs as he did so. Lets hope nobody pushes him to take off his underwear because...yeah, that's not about to happen.
At first, Nate had thought Bastiens request was a joke, or worse, an awkward attempt at flirting. Not that he was offended, really, he was flattered if he was honest, but... the artist wasn’t really his type. When it turned out to be serious, Nate had no idea how to respond. But he was flattered. And maybe it could be fun.
Nate was very nearly late, having spent a bit too long trying to find the place, given it was his first time at the sanctuary. He had dressed more casually than he usually did, if only for the manoeuvrability looser clothing gave him. Besides, the point was to take clothes off, wasn’t it? As he entered the building, his eyebrows rose at the selected group, more surprised by the silence of the other men than by the choices.
”Looks like everyone’s ready for a party, huh?” He joked, offering Ollie a wave and Amun a nod, if either of the men cared to look at him. Then he offered a little bow to their host and organizer, poking fun with the very gesture.
01-21-2020, 05:43 AM (This post was last modified: 01-21-2020, 09:40 PM by Rexanna.)
REXANNA
Rome wasn't built in a day.
When Bastien had suggested that she observe and judge the show he plans on putting on, well, she absolutely can’t deny the enticement of it. Of course, her eyes would be on Bastien, but she was absolutely interested in who else might show as well – what more she might be able to see. It’s been so long since she’d participated in anything remotely close, since before her Ascension even? It felt like ages ago when they’d all gotten together at Lily’s.
A quiet sigh of nostalgia leaves her as she lounges on the couch like a cat, sprawled out before everyone arrives, looking over to give Bastien a brightly fanged smile – at least until they start to arrive. She spots Amun next and sits up to give him a bright smile in response to his quiet nod. And Oliver shows up as well, though something seems off with him, and Rexanna can’t help but to give him a bright smile as well, settling back into the seats of the couch, drawing her sheer cloak around her. But soon enough, Nate arrives as well, and she gives her fellow Ascended a bright grin as well, hearing the jest and humming a chime of a laugh in agreement. “I personally can’t wait.” She teases the newest Ascended she’s met, offering him a small wave.
She’s also dressed down quite a bit, a dress of sorts that hugs her curves and shows off her assets, a playful kind of corset laced up in blacks and golds with a short skirt, hair long and pulled to the side in a small braid, all scars from LongNight and Halyven on display as she waits and lounges for the rest of them to arrive.
Unlike the others, Harper did not consider that this all may be a joke, and jumped in wholeheartedly the moment Bastien asked him if he'd be interested in a strip show. Because yes? Of course he would? Who do you think he is? It's the best thing he has been asked since arriving in Caido, and he could kiss Bastien just for suggesting it.
He arrives late, sauntering in with a radiant, sunny smile that he targets at every face - new and old alike - that he glances over. In the high heat of summer he's wearing the equivalent of daisy dukes, unashamed of his body and the thickness of his tanned thighs, a loose tanktop all he cares to wear on top. Not much hidden consider what he already has on display, but he's practically vibrating in place for a chance to start peeling them off. Entertainment, showing off, flirting? Oh yeah, this is exactly what Harper wants to be doing with his evening.
"Howdy," he chirps, winking at Amun and giving a warm smile to Oliver. As they all gather round his gaze draws to Bastien just as it had at the memorial, awaiting instruction while trying to keep from bouncing on his toes in excitement.
His dancers ('Bastien's Boys' as he was considering naming them) appeared one by one and he greeted each with a smile and told them to sit by the stage, not wanting to start until they had all arrived. Once he had each member before him he sat on the edge of the stage and for a moment just grinned, very happy indeed with the selection.
"Hello everyone, thank you for coming! Now. I am planning our next Artist's Sanctuary Affair, and I would like it to be the most explosive yet." To accompany this sentiment he gestured with his hands, fingers wiggling as they burst out from closed fists as if representing spreading fire. "Each of you has been chosen because of your incredible physiques, of course, but not just that - I think each of you has potential as a performer. However, I will not be the judge of that. For this, I am one of you. Your judge and observer for the evening is the lovely lady Rexanna." He gestured to his wife with a grin, looking over at her and unable to not smile when he saw how beautiful she appeared.
Standing, he clapped his hands together. "So! I have some dance training...or at least...for a certain kind of dancing." Motioning for everyone to get up and join him on the stage, he turned to face them. "First though, I'd like to see what you could do - don't be shy. Use the beat of the music and show me how you think you should move." He waved for everyone to begin, excitedly watching on.
As Oliver, Nate, and finally the mystery man from the woods arrived, Amun gave them all careful nods. He raised his eyebrows as Bastien further explained. However, the potter didn’t say anything in response. He simply quietly slipped the strange square onto his face.
Subtly, he altered his already handsome features until they were downright breathtaking. His eyes sparkled with sensual mischief, and his lips grew fuller and redder, as if he’d just come from kissing someone, and his cheeks gained a slight flush.
It was all fake, but so was this performance.
Then he struggled into the shoes, the process a challenge given that his prosthetic hampered his movements. He got them on eventually, and walked to the middle of the room. He started by tapping his foot to the beat.
Then he began to move.
It was simple at first, a twitch of his hips, a wink, a smirk, a flash of his fangs. However, he soon moved into a slow body roll, one that seemed to show off every muscle, even though he was still fully clothed. He hooked his thumbs into the hem of his shirt, but didn’t pull it off yet. Instead, he teased with tantalizing glimpses of his skin as he spun, stalked, and stepped, part tango, part jig, part strip tease.
All it was all impossibly sexy and alluring due to the enchantment of his shoes.
Nate kept quiet through Bastiens greeting and explanation, smiling playing on his lips the whole time. Despite the fact that he’d thought this was a joke to start, he was very excited about it, always eager for a chance to show off. Amun makes the first move when they’re I voted to show off what they can do, and Nate is content to lean back and take in the show for now. Though something about his fellow ascended looks... slightly different. Brighter, more alive, prettier for it. And then he starts to move.
Well. How the fuck was he supposed to follow Amun? How were any of them meant to? The man moved like sex incarnate, like it came to him more naturally than breathing, and for all Nate could tell, it might well have. Honestly, if he could still be affected by simple temptations of the flesh, he would be here.
Still he had to do something, and Bastien had made it seem like they would all be dancing together anyway. Nate stepped up into the stage, his own dancing as unconventional as the other mans, but not magically enhanced, and a touch awkward for it. He rolled his hips and ran a hand down his body, moving in time with the music as much as he could, though it seemed like he always focused on something at the expense of something else. When his feet were moving, his arms were too still, when he moved his arms he lost the rhythm with his hips. It was better than nothing though, and would only get better with a little instruction.
A familiar face was next to arrive, Nate. Looks like Bastien had decided to seek outside of the Guild and then- shit. At the sudden sight of Harper, Oliver almost choked on air, his eyes quickly darting over to Bastien before he returned back to an attempted neutral look. Did....did Bastien figure out who he was talking about? Surely not...he wasn't that obvious! And he didn't even have plans of ever actually telling Bastien who he was referring to! Hopefully nobody noticed his little reaction because that would only make things even worse. Still, he offered Harper a warm smile before turning to look over at Bastien, awaiting instruction. And instruction....they kind of received.
Amun and Nate went on ahead and did their own little thing. Obviously, Amun knew exactly what he was doing. The man was cocky as shit and knew he had a nice body, so obviously he would know how to flaunt it. Nate was someone he had only really met once, so he hadn't exactly gotten the opportunity to get to know the man enough to know how he'd react, but sure enough, he seemed to have an amazing handle of his body. Oliver decided to not go last, even though he knew that Harper was going to do incredible and blow his performance completely out of the water. Looks like he was the weak link out of all the men here. Hopefully this wasn't an elimination style thing and he'd actually be taught how to properly move his body.
Stepping forward, Oliver offered a faint smile towards Bastien as he tried to steady his racing heart before he moved on forward. While Oliver had the advantage of at least knowing how to move to a beat, he didn't have the benefit of magic or an overwhelming amount of confidence. Where he lacked in muscle he at least made up in the ability to try and move along with the tempo given to them. He started out by trying to get a hand of the rhythm, moving his hips along in a slow motion while running a hand along his body and down towards his crotch before his hands grasped at the top of his shirt, moving to slowly unbutton the top few buttons before pulling the shirt apart to reveal the hint of his tattoos. He'd proceed to try and tease, keyword try, by running a hand along the waist land of his pants and ever so slightly dipping his hands under.
Overall, he tried his best, but it was obvious he was lacking in the confidence department and the experience department, seeing as he had never put on a show like this before. Most of it was mimicry and what he thought a strip show consisted of.
Harper barely hears the entirety of what Bastien says, mind abuzz with excitement, but he at least does his best to pay attention. He's not sure what the dancing around words is about. They're here to grind, dance, and strip, and Harper is more excited for that than he probably was for any of his birthdays. Or maybe all of them combined. He's a performer, completely comfortable with his body, and a major flirt. What more could he ask for in one evening? Oh, aside from the beautiful woman keeping a shrewd eye on them.
The music starts, and everyone falls into line after that. Harper watches as they begin, content to be the last as he happily surveys the line of beautiful men. Honestly Rexanna has the best job in the house and he quite envies her position, but he's also not one to back down from a challenge. Even a self-imposed one.
At least the music is infectious and easy to move to. He starts simple, getting a feel for the beat, the dips of the music and the speed of it. As he goes his body coils sinuously, spinning on the balls of his feet and contorting in shapes he probably shouldn't be able to. Luckily he has kept up with his training since coming here, would never even dream of slacking, so it's easy to slide down into a full split and then bend backwards over one leg, beginning the slow and languorous upward slide as his shirt falls away from his stomach to coil beneath his arms. It's easy from there to entirely remove the garment and toss it away, hands running down his skin as he bites his lip and winks playfully at Rexanna. Lost in the fun of the show, in the dip and flex of his own muscles. This is the best night ever.
Bastien turned to watch his dancers show their stuff one by one, very excited indeed to see what they had for him (partly so he could choreograph the dance, but also partly because he was a pansexual disaster man). As it turned out, he had apparently chosen very well for his cast, as each turned out something rather special indeed - though it was rather clear Amun and Harper were the more confident among his dancers. No matter, they were all here to practice.
"Very good indeed. We will have to set up a fainting couch for the citizens of Sanctuary." He joked, clapping his hands together. "Still, a big part of a show like this is that we start small. So, watch - this will be your first step."
Bastien took a moment to centre himself and wait for the right beat of the music, then took a step forward, turning effortlessly into a spin and falling to the ground in a split, giving a wink to them all as he descended. This was something he'd learnt many years ago (that had been getting harder as he'd gotten older, but now with the advantage of his Ascended lack of pain, was easy again), though he wasn't quite done yet. Looking out towards Rexanna and biting his lip, he bounced his crotch up and down against the floor a few times, before sliding his legs back underneath him to come back up.
"Try your best. We're starting difficult, so I can see what level we're all at." For those who needed help he would show them how to do it, sliding their knees back and using their hands for balance and how to get back up - once you learnt how, it wasn't too complicated.
As Bastien demonstrated the move they were supposed to start with, Amun stepped back to watch. As he did, he raised his eyebrows. He let the head of the Artist’s Sanctuary finish. Then the potter stepped forward again.
Waiting for the proper beat in the music, he stepped forward onto the ball of his right foot. Spinning around it, he slid effortlessly into a split, bracing himself with a hand on either side. The prosthetic should've made it difficult, but maybe the magic of the shoes was helping. Bouncing in place, he shot a smirk at Rexanna.
Then he kept moving. Bringing his back leg forward, he bent his knees and laid on his back. Then, balancing on his elbows and his feet, he thrust his pelvis into the air a few times. All the while, he kept his eyes trained on the Queen. He even licked his lips.
Of course soon the host becomes the instructor, and Harper pauses - unable to fully stop moving as he sways in place to the music - to watch and learn this new move Bastien wants to impart upon them. Blue eyes light up at the split, already having done one and feeling warmed up wnd ready to take another crack at it.
Amun takes the lead again but this time Harper is close behind him, sinking into the splits with a gratuitous sigh as he undulates his hips, bouncing them in a slower grinding motion than Bastien but no less playful. His hands find his thighs and he rakes his nails up the length of them slowly, exaggerating his musculature before he slides out of the splits and does a body roll to finish the move in a fluid way that he enjoys. Beaming and bright eyed all the while like a kid looking for praise. Despite the adult nature of what they're learning.
