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!
Well, it had been a month since his gold-embossed, silk-printed invitations had gone out, which could only mean one thing: It was time for Bastien's annual dinner party.
He didn't like to brag (oh, who was he kidding, he loved it) but it was quite the annual event. There would be disappointed people in town who had not received the call, he was sure. His selection process was known only to himself, based on people he found interesting, connections he wanted to make, atmospheres he wanted to build. This wasn't just a party, after all - it was a consortium, a coming together of all different people to build something better than themselves.
Or maybe it was just a dinner party. Either way, he'd still had to set a table and buy hundreds of dollars worth of wine. He'd rather have died than served cheap stuff.
The apartment was clean but messy in the fun bohemian way, retro stereos over colourful couches and prints hanging on the walls; the only room off limits was his and Rexanna's bedroom. Some things had to stay private. After all, he'd just graced the cover of GQ magazine after his third successful art show in as many years - surely the paparazzi would be all over his secrets. (Oh haha, what a drag it was to be famous and successful! hairflip fake laugh smug m)
As for what dinner would be? For the moment it was a secret. Pottering around the apartment and neatening each corner, artfully arranging napkins, he waited to see what Rexanna had chosen to wear, as it was always a treat. Personally he had decided to dress rather modestly for the night, in a floral suit. Of course, he expected his guests to dress to impress too.
The time was near; he watched the door and waited for the first knock, pouring out preliminary wine glasses.
---
For an idea of how Bastien and Rexanna's apartment looks, here's some reference vibe pictures for a general atmosphere: bloopbloopbloop
01-24-2020, 04:45 PM (This post was last modified: 01-24-2020, 06:45 PM by Loren.)
Loren had frankly been surprised to receive an invitation from Bastien. Although the Launceleyn was sort of close with Rexanna (so maybe it came from her), he wasn’t actually all that close with the host. Still, Loren had decided to attend, if only to be polite. Worst case, he could duck out early.
Unfortunately for Bastien, the Launceleyn wasn’t exactly the snappiest of dressers despite his upbringing. Still, he’d put on his nicest pair of jeans, and a blue sweater over a white button down, which was probably too much in this heat, but oh well. At least he had put on brown dress shoes rather than sneakers (and a matching belt). As always, he had a pair of glasses precariously perched on his nose.
Holding a small bag in one hand, he walked up to the apartment door, more than a bit self-conscious. Well aware that he was pretty much on time and not even close to fashionably late, he knocked hesitantly. ”Hello? It’s Loren.” His voice was a bit quiet, but the opulent surroundings sort of called for that.
Loren is an aspiring journalist who has written for a few medium sized publications
Though Remi had tried to arrive early, apparently he wasn't the first guest. With a bottle of wine in hand, he poked his head through the door, trying to judge how early or late he was based on the number of shoes in the entranceway.
Dressed as he normally was in a fitted white t-shirt and black jeans, Remi slipped off his shoes and ran a hand through hair whose perfect balance of dishevelled and charming was only matched by Ronin's. "Hey Loren, long time no see." Putting the bottle of wine he'd brought into the crook of his arm, he reached out a hand laden with callouses out to shake the Launceleyn's in greeting.
AU Remi is an engineer and plays in a BAND. :D
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Alright, Samuel, forget him. You're going to go ahead and have a wonderful evening and it won't have to have anything to do with Nathaniel Bleeping Wren.
This was the mantra Sam had repeated to himself in the mirror several times over getting dressed, spending special time on selecting a nice suit, dabbing on just the right amount of cologne, neatening up his hair - maybe, just maybe, there would be someone worth meeting at this evening thing and he'd be able to move on from his most recent romantic tragedy (of many). Or at least maybe Bastien would have good enough wine for him to forget it had ever happened.
Taking a box of liquor chocolates he arrived at the time requested, seeing Remi just disappear into the door as he walked up the stairs. His heart stopped. One ex at the party already really didn't bode well, but at least he didn't have quite such an explosive relationship with this one.
With a sigh he knocked and walked in (he was reasonably familiar with the apartment - Bastien had designed sets for a few of his shows and Rexanna was a coffee friend), smiling a little awkwardly at everyone there in turn and placing down the chocolates on a table.
--
Sam is a Shakespearean actor who has had a number of TV roles.
Libbs inhaled her air sharply, as she entered the door first. Invited to this occasion by a guest that was given the invitation formally; she looked lovely. Lovely, but most definitely out of place. Her normally messy hair had been pinned very carefully out of her face with a flowery pin. Her backpack replaced by a purse. Her normal jeans and polos replaced by a lovely, simple, burgundy dress that stopped just above her knees, and a pair of sandals, with a thin black jacket over her tattooed arm.
She nervously walked into the room, keeping gaze to the ground. Ironic, for someone who had effectively climbed out of poverty into being a lead engineer, someone who regularly talks and presents grand schemes and designs for the next 'latest thing', she was being pretty shy! But most likely, because she was out of place. Libbs preferred hikes. Libbs preferred trips to the beach. Libbs liked indulging in a good book and working on her motorcycle.
Libbs had never been to a dinner party. She was only here because of her companion, and when she looked up, she realized, they disappeared!
--
If Liberty Walzek was not removed from her original world, she would have gone to school, and became an engineer for an automobile company.
01-26-2020, 07:30 AM (This post was last modified: 01-26-2020, 07:31 AM by Rexanna.)
REXANNA
when the nighttime comes, say yes, say yes
It’s been adorable, really, seeing Bastien so frantic when it came to something like this compared to all of the accomplishments he’s had as of late. Though while it does amuse her, she’s still incredibly supportive of him – arriving to every art show he’s been featured at, supporting him when it came to questions of whether to wear this or wear that. So when he’d mentioned he wanted to host a dinner party for their friends, well, she certainly couldn’t deny that idea. It’s been too long, anyway.
He’s up and ready and prepping things as per usual, and it takes her a bit longer to get her makeup in order – cursing at the stick of eyeliner for the third time before she finally gets her wings even. But finally it’s done, and she makes her way toward where Bastien begins to pour some of the wine glasses, grabbing one with a wink toward him. “I almost went with floral…” She hums to him stepping on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, before she hears the knock at the door.
She’s wearing a dark navy art deco style dress, one that hugs every curve as she bounds toward the door with the wine glass in hand. A large golden necklace sits along her neck, long dangling earrings in both ears that reflect the light around her face and long neck. And she opens the door to spy a variety of people who had arrived.
A bright grin crosses her face and she opens the door wide to let them all in, sapphire eyes shifting over each and every one of them so far. “Loren! Remi! Sam!” She cheers to each one of them, leaning back from the doorway to try to spot Bastien with a grin. And when she turns back, she spies Libbs – someone she hasn’t met just yet. “Hello darling!” She chimes, reaching forward to usher the woman in. “Come on in, Bastien’s been… Well you know how he gets.” It’s whispered almost like a secret, as she shoots a wink to their current arrivals. “Do make yourself at home, though!” She chimes, whirling back to Bastien’s side.
Rex is a fashion designer and a model! :D She’s also wearing this!
Ronin's arrival was preceded by the growl of an engine. On time? Maybe. A little late? More likely. Given his career, that was perhaps a little embarrassing, but ah well, it was a party. Climbing off the motocycle and heading inside, the helmet tucked under one arm and a six pack of craft beer in the other (fight him, I dare you), he headed up to where, apparently, the party was starting.
"Rex, Bastien," he called through the door in greeting, tipping Remi a wink at realising he had arrived first. Ronin had at least dressed somewhat appropriately; his jeans had barely any holes in and his shirt was clean and pressed (even if it was covered, currently, by the leather biker jacket he was wearing). "My hands are a little full, else I'd say hi properly." He bounced his eyebrows playfully at Bastien; hugging and cheek kissing were to be expected, he imagined.
Ronin is an ex-military biker. He races motorcycles for a living now.
Just as Bastien was selecting music for the evening (nothing quite so dull as background jazz - something more lively) Rexanna emerged from their bedroom and he turned to see her, gasping at the sight. They had been married for some years now yet with each new outfit she selected he saw her in a fresh light. "You do not need it. You are as beautiful as any flower in your own form. I will be outshone." Smiling at the kiss and running his fingers down her arm, he thought that he really would have to show her his appreciation for her later that night.
His guests began to arrive and the party was to begin. With a wide smile Bastien moved to greet the first two - Loren and Remi, both men he hoped to collaborate with at some point in his career (or at least work with in some capacity. He wondered if he'd be able to persuade Loren to interview him). "Ah, Remi, you brought wine! Wonderful. And as always, you are most efficiently dressed." Was this a compliment? That was for Remi to work out.
Bastien glanced to the small bag Loren held but did not ask of it, distracted by the arrival of Samuel and his offered chocolates, which he grinned at. "Thank you, Mr. Wordsworth. I will put these in the kitchen to come out with dessert. You know, I saw your Hamlet last month and I haven't had the chance to say, you were radiant."
He was vaguely aware there was some kind of past relationship drama involved with Loren, Remi and Sam, though he didn't know who had dated whom. Hopefully, it wouldn't all come to disaster with the addition of wine. Any of the three, should they want it, would have an offered hug.
The next to enter, a shy-seeming woman in an attractive dress, Bastien did not recognise. This was not necessarily unusual; sometimes Rexanna invited guests he did not know, or people brought +1's...though she did not seem to be connected to any of the guests already at the event. With a charming smile he held out a hand to her and introduced himself. "You must forgive me - I do not know your name. Indulge me?"
Ronin arrived carrying beer, which brought an amused quirk to Bastien's lips - with the accompaniment of the motorbike rumbling outside, it really did build an image of Ronin's character, quite in contrast to the expected company at these sorts of things. "Then let me empty them." He stepped forward to take away the beer, placing it down then indeed coming in to hug Ronin. "Welcome, friend."
"Be sure to make yourselves home. Dinner will be served in an hour, but feel free to have a drink or something from the table there." A refreshments table featuring several appetisers was off to the side, ready for picking.
As Remi approached, Loren shot the engineer a brief, but awkward smile. ”Hey Remi. Yeah, it’s been a while.” Although the Launceleyn’s voice was friendly and polite, it had a tentative quality to it, and he ran a nervous hand through his hair.
Thankfully, he was rescued when others began to arrive in swift successful. First was a vaguely familiar looking redheaded man, followed by a woman. Loren smiled at both of them. ”Hi there. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Loren.” He held out his free hand, in case they wanted to shake it.
Then the door opened, and Rexanna spoke up. Turning to her, he gave her grateful. ”Rexanna, hey! He was just about to head inside when Ronin showed up, and the Launceleyn grew self-conscious. "Hey Ronin." It was almost a relief to walk into the lavishly decorated apartment.
"Hi Bastien. Thanks for inviting me." He held up the bag. "I brought some paleo and vegan ice cream from that new specialty shop for dessert. And uh, some fresh berries. I can put them in the fridge." He'd been here before, so he knew where the kitchen was, so he gave the host and hostess a friendly nod and headed further inside to put his offerings in the fridge like he'd suggested.
It's not Oliver's fault that he didn't calculate for traffic and it's not his fault that he accidentally took the wrong turn multiple times. That is 100% not Oliver's fault and he was not going to take any criticisms on his inability to navigate anywhere. That didn't mean he felt happy about being late, completely the opposite. It was mortifying to just waltz right on in and have everyone awkwardly staring at you like 'who the fuck is this twink'. Not fun.
ANYWAYS.
Oliver was trying to make the most out of tonight. He had a few business cards cleverly stuffed into his small satchel. After all, nothing can exactly fit into his pockets seeing as....what he's wearing. What was he wearing? Nice, tight, black leather pants with a white turtle neck. No room for pockets in here, which meant his satchel had to hold his phone, his keys, and a few other necessities. Along with the satchel, he was also carrying a simple tupperware, one that literally cost him like. A dollar. Oliver didn't have bougee glass tupperware, hell no, he wasn't going to carry that shit with him around the city. Rather, it was just a basic plastic one. It did it's job and he settled for it.
Within the box were some cookies. And they weren't just any cookies. They were special cookies because.... he put in the ugliest, brightest, most obnoxious chocolate chips ever. They were just so colorful and he was going to buy them just to eat them but that wasn't healthy. He didn't have the time to go out and buy normal ones so looks like everyone is about to eat some unicorn chocolate chips. Suck it up.
Stepping in front of the door, Oliver checked a picture of the invitation on his phone one last time to make sure he was, you know, at the correct apartment before knocking at the door. Lets hope that the invitation wasn't aimed for a different Oliver that Bastien coincidentally knew.
Oliver makes and designs jewelry for a small shop that he owns! He also does side businesses that he doesn't tell anyone about but really he just designs websites and maintains them.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
01-27-2020, 07:57 AM (This post was last modified: 01-27-2020, 05:08 PM by Nate.)
Nate
You resemble a fool
Although you're only a man
Nate honestly couldn’t remember the last thing he’d arrived to on time, but it had never really mattered. The party didn’t start until he arrived, as far as he was concerned, even if it was just a dinner party, and not the kind he usually frequented. Or at least, the kind he frequented now that he was single again.
He was dressed to kill, dark jeans and a white shirt and jacket, fancy, but barely, with a pair of sunglasses on his face to complete the devil may care look. He had a bottle of rum in one hand, Something top shelf that he hadn’t looked too closely at, and in the other, he has a plate of home made pastries. A little birdie had told him a certain ex would be in attendance as well, and Nate was more than petty enough to outdo Samuel wherever he could. However, it did leave him with not quite enough hands to ring the bell.
Luckily, he wasn’t the only one to be arriving late, a slim, blonde man already waiting at the door when he walks up, one who he spares a glance to, nodding in greeting, the wide grin on his face making him seem friendlier than he really was.
Nate is a mostly successful doctor with a shady part a few bad habits ;)
That was the thing about dating within your friend group; exes abound.
With a boyish smirk at Loren's awkwardness and a polite nod in Sam's direction, Remi turned with obvious relief and delight as Rex appeared. "Stunning, as always." He said as she neared. Reaching out a hand to grab hers, he'd place a small baggy of...well, who knows what drugs into her palm with a wink.
Glancing over his shoulder at Bastien, Remi could only grin charmingly. "If I had as many buttons and zippers as the two of you, I'd never be able to skinny-dip in your pool when the evening starts to lag." He countered with a laugh.
The next few to arrive he didn't know well, so after returning his husband's wink, Remi made his way into the kitchen to see what sorts of morsels he might be able to steal before dinner.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Had he been invited? He can’t remember. All he does know is that a fair amount of his friends are going, and he’d invited himself. No problem in that regard, was there? He’s a bit late, seeing as he didn’t have quite the full on invitation, though it doesn’t bother him any. He knew he was in the right place as soon as he’d spotted Ronin’s bike outside among the rest of everything else.
He comes wearing a leather jacket and dark jeans, boots and a few rings on his fingers, a bottle of some good whiskey in his grasp as he approaches the door. A quick grin is sent to Oliver in greeting, but his eyes land on Nate with the briefest hint of a smirk. “Heya Doc.” A rumble of a greeting. Turning his head toward the door that’s closed and been knocked on, Sunjata smirks to his companions. “It’s a party is it not?” He asks, giving them all a wolfish grin before opening the door to slip on in.
He offers a grin to those gathered inside, but he seeks out Loren at first. “Nice work on that magazine, Loren.” He mentions, before slipping toward Remi and Ronin, aiming a roguish grin to the men. Steel eyes land on Ronin with a quirk of his brow. “When are you gonna hook me up with a bike?” He asks with a wink, a teasing tone to his accented voice. He has one, but it certainly needs an upgrade if he’s possibly caught dead with it.
Uhhh modern Sunjata is a boxer! He’s also got full sleeve tattoos bby
ain't no rest for the wicked
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Smiling as Remi entered and going to give him a hug (there was an ex he'd parted on decent terms with, because of them wasn't a betraying back-stabbing no good son of a --), Sam found himself glad he'd come. It was good to be social and to mingle with people every so often, especially new ones. He didn't know the woman that entered, nor the young man with pale hair - perhaps later in the evening he'd have a chance to talk to them.
He'd just had time to take a glass of wine and walk back to the main throng of people when of all people, Nathaniel entered the room. Aghast, he looked to Bastien - had he not seen his very clearFacebook post about his feelings on the man? Apparently not.
And as if things couldn't get any worse, a man entered soon after that Sam didn't know, but there was something in the way he looked to Nate...he now turned his gaze to Rexanna, hoping she'd understand his wide-eyed look of panic and disgust.
There was only one thing to do: be as petty as possible. "Oh, I didn't know you had time for parties, Nathaniel. After all, you're so busy at work."
