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 Nate reveals that Sunjata had a better reason for changing than he did, it sparks some interest on Sunjata’s end. His head tilts toward the Ascended, dark brow lifting as he watches the man laugh, but there’s something self deprecating within it. So instead of responding with his question immediately, he lets Nate sit up fully, gaze lingering along the panes of the man’s face.
He leans into the touch a small amount as the Ascended runs his hands along his feathers, the navy blues shifting with the touch, flexing and lifting a small amount. Until, of course, Nate pulls one out and the feathers flatten and there’s a slight hiss from Sunjata that results in a quiet chuckle. “Hey.” He says with some hint of reprimand but in no position to keep him from doing it again.
So he settles, tries to pull Nate closer. “Why did you Ascend?” It’s perhaps a loaded question, but now he’s too curious.
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
A charming, boyish smile spreads over Nate’s face, the face of a child being scolded for something he is immediately do again. ”Hey.” He echoes, fingers flattening out instead of pulling again, threading through feathers like a lovers hair. It takes some effort to not remove them, as he crawls onto the seat next to Sunjata, a leg splayed over the other mans lap easily.
It’s far too casual a position for the conversation, the question he hums over, deciding the best way to I let my dick do the thinking. ”I didn’t really see a downside, I guess. So when I was asked to, I mean... why not?” A shrug rolls over his shoulders, rocking against the attuned like a wave, before Nate continues, bright, unblinking eyes focused on Sunjata. ”I guess I wanted something different from home too.” Nate has to fight, just a little, to keep his voice even, his face light. Vulnerability does not come easily to him, and there’s no way for him to get drunk enough to grease those wheels anymore.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
A snort is given to Nate at the repeated ‘hey’, rolling his eyes in some amount of playfulness. But as the Ascended’s fingers drift along and through the flattened feathers now, it’s a rather nice feeling that relaxes any of the previous hurt away. His leg splays over Sunjata’s lap, and his bandaged hands find a place there content to remain, thumb idly stroking along his calf and thigh.
His answer and the shrug that bumps into him has him raising a brow toward Nate, head tilting slightly at the other man’s unblinking gaze. The mention of something different from home too has him nodding, a ghost of a smile crossing his face at that need to do something different. One hand lifts to run a finger along the Ascended’s jaw, steel gaze searching Nate’s face almost as if he’s seeking for something. “What was it like? Your home.”
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
Such casual closeness is something new to Nate, and he can't help but cast his eyes around, as if there was someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to jump out. As if they'd have waited until this point to jump out. It's only a glance though, his eyes really barely leaving Sunjata's face, responding to the searching gaze with a quirked brow, and a theatrical blink. "It was shit. Not like here, like..." Nate took a breath, the corners of his lips curled derisively, and shrugged. How was he supposed to explain it?
"Where I lived was... I guess worse, than most of the world. And it just kept getting worse. I... People like me weren't really helping." He snorts, shaking his head, and shrugged again. "It would have been bad no matter what I did though." Honestly, Nate isn't sure if that's true, but he's more than done with the focus being on him at the moment. "What was uh... Kono... Ka... Karafee? What was your home like?"
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
Casual closeness was something Sunjata had gotten used to – the ease of just… Relaxing, chatting, spending time with someone after other motives that helped you get to know them a small amount better. It’s like this now, with the way his thumb strokes idly along the Ascended’s leg while he watches him speak of his home. A small half smirk to that, understanding in perhaps a bit too deep of a meaning.
So he nods, getting the hint that Nate likely doesn’t want to talk about it too much. And when he turns the conversation to him about Korofi, the smile widens a small amount. “Korofi.” He explains, before shaking his head a small amount and leaning back into the cushions of the couch to look at the ceiling briefly. He has no qualms talking about his past home, not so much anymore. It didn’t… Hurt as much, to realize that the things he’d gone through were pretty fucked up. Something about hearing other people agree makes him feel as though he’d done something right when it came to the resistance.
So he inhales deeply, exhaling half a sigh before his gaze returns to Nate. “It was a harsh place to live.” A slight shrug. “People like me didn’t help much either.” He winks before shaking his head and settling again. “I was the son of the Arbiter, there. Basically the county or section that we lived in was the one that made the laws and enforced them. But it was backwards, pretty fucked up, trained us to be soldiers, enforcers, officers of a sort.” He pauses to mull it over, tongue clicking slightly when he recalls what to say.
“So I was the prince of the county, was supposed to take up my fathers place in writing the rules and enforcing them. But like I said, it was incredibly backwards and there wasn’t a guarantee I’d even get it. So I joined the rebellion when I got a chance.” He levels his gaze with Nate, trying to see what the Ascended might have to say about that tidbit of information.
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
"Korofi." Nate repeats, his pronunciation still lacking. He won't stumble over it again, at least. An absent hand reaches out to trace a circle on Sunjata's shoulder while his gaze lifts up, Nate managing to bite his tongue while the other man worked through whatever it was he needed to in order to speak. Considering he'd barely said anything about his own home, Nate really isn't expecting much, but he nods, a grin spreading over his face at the similarity, the confirmation that they'd both been shit stirrers.
The rest of it though, has Nate's brows rising, mostly in surprise. It's not the kind of origin he would have thought for the other man, considering where it is they're sitting now, and there's a clear struggle on his face as he tries to piece what he sees and what he's being told together. His mouth opens in the pause, stupid quips and comments on his tongue, nothing quite making it out before Sunjata's talking again, and Nate's nodding again, just to show he's paying attention.
Rebellion made Nate laugh, the confusion on his face clearing up all at once. "There it is. I was wondering how the fuck you got from..." He makes a face and waves a hand, gesturing blithely to everything Sunjata had said up until this point, "that, to this." Another laugh, then Nate's hand is pushing at the other man's shoulder, pushing for him to continue. And... maybe he can part with a little more of his own history, after. Make it more even.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
The light circling on his shoulder is distracting, but he leans into it a small amount when he begins the brief summary of Korofi. He can see the increasing confusion cross over the Ascended’s face as the tale moves on – however brief and details missing – before he offers the bit of information that causes Nate to laugh. And of course, it can’t stop the slight crook of a smirk along his face, pausing as he listens to the rumble of the man beside him.
Sunjata makes a show of considering the words before he’s pushed lightly on the shoulder and he chuckles a little bit to himself. “Boxing was illegal in Korofi, but I joined the resistance and became a boxer. Trying to sort of… Prove myself to them. Which was difficult ever since the Trial because they blasted my face in photographs and posters and videos.” There’s a curl of his lip in distaste as he recalls his, but he shakes his head and leans back in the couch to focus on Nate once more.
“Anyway, my… father killed my mother, broadcast it for the county to try and get me to say where the resistance was. I didn’t. And after that, well, I took all the secrets my father had and fed them to the resistance to hit him where it really hurt, you know?” There’s an avian tilt of his head toward the Ascended, a brow raised. “Worked for a few years until we were caught.”
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
There is some part of Nate that's pleased to see that despite the heavy nature of Sunjata's words, he can still laugh through it. It might be selfish, but it helps Nate to keep himself up, a feedback loop in the face of a horrifying story. He keeps a grin pasted to his face and nods along as the attuned continues talking, bits and pieces coming together to paint a picture of a world Nate had no idea how to connect to. He doesn't voice any of it yet, his questions, his surprise that maybe they're not so similar as they seem.
Shifting along with the other man, Nate moves closer, his arm wrapping around Sunjata's shoulders properly, so he's half supporting himself and half offering more comfort. And again, Nate nods along, accepting what he's being told. "Wait, what the fuck?" His brows pulled together in horror, not only at what was said, but how easily it was said. "Your father just killed your mom? Just like that?" And Nate had always thought his own family was fucked up, but apparently they were saints compared to what Sunjata went through. "That's fucked." He offers, unhelpfully.
"Did you at least... win, I guess, in the end?" Nate wasn't going to hold his breath waiting for a happy ending though, not that it would have meant too much from him anyway.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
Nate moves closer and Sunjata hums quietly from his throat, leaning his head back a small amount against the arms that find their way around his shoulders – settling in well enough. And when the horror reaches Nate, there’s some sort of flat look that crosses Sunjata’s to it. Having experienced it, having known his father? It was likely. They hadn’t thought it was at the time, but it had only been the start. “Just like that. Said her use was done, she’d had me and my sister. Enough to continue the line and the name.” He offers, shoulders shrugging a small amount, but he does nod his head in agreement to how fucked up it was.
The question of whether he won or not, causes him to look at the Ascended for what seems like a long while, before he inhales deeply and shakes his head, a hand coming up to run through his own dark hair. “No.” He says at first, letting it settle before continuing. “They caught my girl and I, tortured her for weeks and made me watch. Then, brought us to the foyer of my family home where my father killed her too.” He doesn’t quite mention the fact he’d nearly died too. “Then arranged marriages for my sister and I.” The same day, practically within the same breath though Sunjata hadn’t been quite coherent to hear it.
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
Nate has no idea how to respond when Sunjata says yes, yes just like that. It's a horror he can't quite imagine, and he had thought he'd gone through some shit of his own. He doesn't know what to say, doesn't know if he should say anything, and settles for pulling the attuned in a little closer, offering something close to a hug, something that would be one if Sunjata was willing to lean into it a little bit more.
The look on the other man's face, along with what he'd just learned, almost made Nate take back his question, but a morbid curiosity had seized him. The grin on Nate's face had long since slipped into a serious frown, but he tried to look at least a little bit encouraging as he nodded along to what Sunjata said. "I... He couldn't say that it as fucked again. "At least you're out now, right? No... marriages, or anything." A rough bark of laughter left Nate, as inappropriate as it was uncomfortable.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
Nate leans closer in what Sunjata perceives as some sort of embrace, but the angle is awkward and while Sunjata wasn’t used to such touchy kinds of affection (consolation?) he leans forward either way and wraps one of his free arms around Nate’s middle to lean into the touch a small amount. But he continues to explain, letting his words do the explanation, gaze finding his electric blues, a quirk of a smile crossing his face with the idea of no marriages.
“I’m out, yeah.” He agrees with a small huff of air. “Though I have you to thank for the second one.” He teases with a wink before settling and letting his gaze flicker along the panes of the Ascended’s face. “Enough about me for now, though. What was your home world called?” An unsaid question lingering within. ’What was it like?’
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
”I’m just glad I could help out.” Nate laughs properly, settling into the closeness, which comes surprisingly easily. They’re in an awkward twist of limbs now, comfortable and not all at once, but Nate is loathe to move now. ”Can’t say it was entirely altruistic though. I did get a lot out of it.”
The smile doesn’t leave, but Nate’s nose does wrinkle when the topic turns back to him again. ”It was called America. Or... is called? I don’t know how any of this works.” He chuckles, and considers leaving it at that, ignoring the unsaid question, but... it was the least he could do after Sunjata had Nate’d so much. He could spare a little vulnerability now and then.
”I wasn’t anything fancy though. Not a prince, or...” He taps his fingers against the other mans shoulders, moving on. ”My dad was in the middle of some jail time and getting kicked out of the military when my brother and me were born, and... things weren’t good before, as far as I know, but they were worse after.” It felt shitty, to be complaining about his childhood after the horror show Sunjata had shared, but... it was what he had. ”We got beat. Up until we were old enough to help my old man out with whatever shady shit he needed help with.” Theres an irreverence in Nate’s voice, like he’s describing a particularly shitty story plot, but something a little more tender, more fragile in his eyes.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
There’s an amused roll of his eyes granted toward Nate when he says he got a lot out of it. But the stance they’re in right now, the way Nate’s nearly draped over the attuned, is comfortable, and he leans into it as if the Ascended is some sort of cat, content to remain so long as Sunjata doesn’t make a move. Not like Sunjata has the energy at this very moment to do such a thing, so he leans back and watches as Nate filters through what kind of explanation he chooses to give.
Instead, he focuses on the light tapping to his tattooed shoulder, gaze lingering along Nate’s own tattoos before finding his face again. A frown finds his face at the mention of beatings, something they evidently shared with one another’s tragic pasts, but he doesn’t comment on it to take away from the fact. Just a hum from his throat in understanding. His hand finds Nate’s hair again, running through until he ends with his fingers tangled in the hair at the back of the Ascended’s neck, rubbing his thumb along the side.
“How old was that?” He asks quietly, wondering what it must have been like to be on the opposite side. The difference between his growing up and how he knows Lusea had, both similar and yet so different.
you put the barrel inside your mouth
just to feel the metal between your teeth
SuNJATA
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.
It's easy to keep talking, once he's started. Honestly, it's a little surprising to Nate how easy it is, to focus on the moment more than his words and let them keep pouring out. He leans back into the fingers at his neck, and narrows his eyes at the attuned, trying to remember. "We were... ten? It was just running packages around, cause no one notices kids, right? And when we got older we were moving drugs, or threatening people, or stealing shit." He huffs out a little laugh, and looks at Sunjata. "I don't wanna say we were good at it, but... I didn't get caught with anything until I was nineteen. I probably shouldn't be proud of that, huh?"
The tapping on Sunjata's shoulder pauses, a suddenly thoughtful look on Nate's face as he looks over, meeting steel eyes. "You would like my brother, I think. Not more than me, but... you would." It feels like a subject change, even though really, this is still his past, still part of who he is, where he came from.
But it takes someone to come around to show you how
