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!
"I'd appreciate that, as I'm sure many others would." He smiled, a small laugh catching his words.
Loren was rather obviously trying to politely tell him he looked messy, which made Sam smile rather than feel embarrassed (because well. Loren didn't look amazing either). At the suggestion they go to get showers and fresh clothes, a surprised (yet not entirely scandalised) question came out before he could help it: "...Together?"
Regardless of the answer, he began to walk with Loren back to the Settlement, looking back once to the Spire.
As Samuel laughed a little and said he'd appreciate it, Loren just nodded. Not quite understanding the redhead's tone and question in response to the healer's suggestion, he raised his eyebrows. "I'd be happy to accompany you, yes." It was polite, yes, but with the pleasant buzz of drink he also found that he wouldn't mind the other man's company on the way back to the town.
They set off, and the Launceleyn let the silence stretch between them for a moment. It got to be unbearable, so he cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. "So. Other than lonely, how have you been holding up?" He glanced at Samuel, hoping the question wouldn't be too intrusive.
I'd be happy to accompany you. Sam hadn't quite realised that was the tone the evening had taken, but given his wish to be desired, how lonely and quiet his house had recently felt...well, he wasn't going to argue. Quietly he looked down to Loren's hand between them, wondered if he could dare to take it during the progress of their walk into town; this particular line of thought involved him until Loren asked his question, at which point he glanced up.
"Oh-- mm. Well...I recently found out something about my family that was...unexpected, to be sure. My father died and...he left some letters." He said nothing more than that, not wanting to tell too many people about his and Amalia's new relationship until they had agreed to let it be public. "So...I suppose I just feel...like I'm constantly in the midst of chaos. I want to just have a time where I can be stopped, peaceful. Happy. Not...on the way to something, not in a 'period of change'..just...where I am." He sighed and looked over to see if Loren understood what he meant.
Loren listened to Samuel's revelation. As the healer did, his eyes crinkled in a small amount of amusement, though mostly his expression was understanding. "Well. I had a father who had more than his fair share of secrets. Including a daughter of his and a half-sister of mine that even he didn't know about. Probably more children out of wedlock besides." He gave the redhead a sympathetic look. "So I hope your father left more pleasant surprises."
As the other man expressed a desire for some things to be settled, the Launceleyn sighed, eyes growing sad. "Would be nice to have some peace and quiet for a change. But I'm afraid we might just have to find a way to learn to live with the chaos." He was shockingly accepting of that idea, surprising even himself.
That Loren's father had held such a coincidentally similar secret made Sam smile and as they met eyes, he laughed. "It was...very much like what you just said, actually." While he wouldn't reveal Amalia's identity still, it was too much of a coincidence to not comment on. "I discovered my father...well, me and my twin sister were not the only children." It still felt bizarre to say, the revelation still new in his mind. Did Evie know yet, he wondered.
"Mmm..maybe it's about finding the moments of peace and quiet...between the chaotic ones." He suggested as the town came into view before them, wondering when his next peaceful minute might come, though this walk had to be a close contender. "Finding the things that make you happy. It's why I've gone back to making my books so much lately...it fills the void, I suppose."
Unless Loren had anything vitally important to discuss, he would continue to chatter until they reached the domiciles, at an hour that he was beginning to worry was too bright for him, holding his hands over his face. "I have some clothes you can borrow...they were Nate's, so they should fit you."
As Samuel revealed his father had been a philanderer too, Loren's lips twisted in something halfway between a smile and a grimace, between amusement and sympathy. "Ah. Well. I'm sorry to hear that." His expression softened a bit. "Good luck, though. I know how tricky that is." Raising a hand, he gave the redhead's shoulder a gentle squeeze, though the healer's eyes had grown a bit sad as he remembered the awkwardness with Sulis, and that she didn't make it to Caido.
Sighing, he lifted his hand from the other man to run it through his hair. "Perhaps you're right. I'm trying to do that myself, I suppose. Trying to figure out what makes me...happy." Happy wasn't quite the right word, as evidenced by the Launceleyn's hesitation, but it was close enough.
The sun kept rising as they walked towards Samuel's home. The redhead chattered, and Loren interjected every now and then as needed. It didn't take long to arrival at the Domicile, and thankfully it was still early enough that the streets were almost deserted. At the other man's offer, the healer raised his eyebrows. "Thank you?" His confusion was evident. Glancing down at his own clothes, surprised at how rumpled and dirty they'd become (and how unfashionable, given how he'd thrown them on bleary in the middle of the night, not that he cared about such things), he shrugged.
"Thank you. I'm honestly unsure if I'm happy about it or not." It was still very much in the phase where he was struggling to even believe it had happened; struggling to look at Amalia and think anything more than Portal Guardian, Old God devotee, enemy. Hopefully over time it would change.
~
As he went to unlock his door he looked over his shoulder, not understanding the questioning tone of Loren's voice. "Well, you're welcome. You'll need them after...?" Not quite daring to say what he believed was the plan, he opened the door and stepped in, kneeling to pet Mia as she came to greet him.
Once she was satisfied he had not changed much since the last time she saw him, Sam stood and looked up the stairs. "The bathroom is upstairs, so...would you like to come up?" Perhaps a redundant question, given Loren's suggestion, but he'd always been awkward.
Still in the dark about what Samuel was talking about Loren's brow furrowed slightly. "Sure." His voice came out tentatively. Thankfully, Mia proved a welcome and timely distraction, and he knelt to give her some affectionate scratches. Once she was satisfied, they both stood up.
As the redhead explained the bathroom was upstairs, the healer just stared at the other man. "What?" Then some instinct kicked in (helped along by the liquor) and understanding dawned. Flushing a furious crimson, the Launceleyn hesitated in the doorway, shifting his weight awkwardly from side to side. "Oh." For a moment, he just stood there, trying to gather his scattered thoughts and recover from his surprise.
Then, however, something shifted, and he found himself regarding Samuel with eyes that suddenly glittered with something dark and hungry. The flush changed, not that the redhead would know that, turning from embarrassment to heat, one matched by the fire pooling in the healer's gut from the alcohol and the anticipation. "Yes. Yes, I would like that."
He gestured for the redhead to lead the way. Assuming he did, the Launceleyn would stalk behind, almost predatory in the motions. After all, he was trying to less dull, and his last attempt had been less than successful. Maybe this time would go better.
When Loren seemed so surprised by his question Sam gave him a similar confused frown, unsure of what exactly was going on now himself. As the blush spread over the Launceleyns face he found himself even more confounded, wondering if he'd somehow misread the entire evening, if he was now going to be unable to speak to the Summoner again out of shame - then the way Loren was looking at him changed somehow.
A pleased smile on his face Sam nodded and headed up the rest of the stairs, looking back at the top to ask: "...Did you not mean for this to happen? I thought it was the plan." Given that they both seemed to be on the same page now, he didn't see any harm at laughing at the misunderstanding.
Opening the first door on the landing he took Loren into a small bathroom, surprisingly neat compared to the rest of the house. With a wooden floor but tiles on the walls, it seemed a little more modern than the outside, a pile of books stacked over the toilet and across the wall leaving only a path to the shower. Turning to face Loren, Sam smiled, suddenly finding himself a little shy. "Well, here we are."
02-03-2020, 10:11 PM (This post was last modified: 02-03-2020, 10:14 PM by Loren.)
Loren shook his head. "No. Not at all." Then he smirked a little at Samuel. "It was an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise." Indeed, the more time that passed, the more the healer warmed to the idea (in more ways than one) even if it did just end with a bite.
As the redhead opened the door to the bathroom, the Launceleyn took it in at a glance, though his eyes unsurprisingly were quickly drawn back to the other man's face. "Here we are." Loren paused in the doorway for just a moment. Then he took a step forward and raised his hands to the redhead's cheeks in order to pull the other man in for a hungry kiss.
Sam laughed - if he had known on the way over that he alone had been imagining what they might do in his shower when they got home, he would have been mortified. Perhaps it was fortunate they'd not discovered their mistake until the very last moment.
He was not sure what he was expecting from Loren as he watched the other man enter, but the kiss was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Sam hummed happily into the contact, leaning up and rest his hands on Loren's shoulders; perhaps it had been more of a background thought but he realised then that was rather attracted to the Launceleyn indeed, especially when he could feel the lean muscle of his arms through his shirt, could taste the alcohol on his lips.
Pulling away just enough to speak, he spoke, voice distracted as his eyes searched Loren's face for something: "I meant it, earlier. When I said you were handsome." Pressing another shorter kiss to Loren's mouth his hand began to pull at his shirt, hoping to prompt the man to take it off so they could get to their main plan, now finding himself very eager indeed.
02-03-2020, 10:31 PM (This post was last modified: 02-05-2020, 02:10 AM by Loren.)
As Samuel accepted the kiss and brought his hands up to Loren's shoulders, he let out a growl. Deepening the kiss, he sought out the redhead's lower lip, biting and nipping at it. As the other man pulled away, the healer kept his hands on Samuel's cheeks.
Smiling a bit at the compliment, the Launceleyn let his hands slip down to the redhead's hips. "I think you're pretty handsome too." The words came out in a heated whisper. As the other man came in for another brief kiss, Loren responded eagerly. As he felt Samuel's hands pulling at the healer's shirt, he let out an amused huff.
Stepping back, he stripped it off in one smooth motion and tossed it aside, revealing a still slightly too thin frame. Almost immediately, his hands darted forward, dipping under the redhead's shirt, thumbs brushing against his hips. Then the healer tried to pull off the other man's shirt as well.
As hands slid down to his hips Sam let out a happy breath, the smile on his lips pressing into their kiss; it was almost the perfect answer to his earlier dilemma of being wanted. The way Loren seemed so hungry for him, the compliment...well, it was suffice to say Sam was charmed.
Seeing Loren shirtless only added to his excitement and he rushed to take off his own. Once he would have felt conscious about his body, the lack of tone and the brightly ginger hair covering his chest, but now he found himself eager to be under Loren's gaze. Before he returned to the other man he leaned back to turn his shower on, the pipes creaking as water rushed out, cold - it would need a moment to heat up.
Sam had an idea of how he might spend that moment. "While we wait for the water...I could..." He looked down, hooked a finger into Loren's pants and looked up at him, licked his lips. Hopefully the suggestion would be clear enough.
Almost as soon as Samuel removed his own shirt, Loren’s hands moved forward. They started at the top of the other man’s chest, tugging at the ginger hair there, before the healer raked his nails down to the Ascended’s nipples. There, the Launceleyn twisted, and it wasn’t gentle.
However as Samuel moved to turn on the shower, Loren let go momentarily. Lifting a hand to heat the water up, he paused as the Ascended slipped a finger into the healer’s pants. His lips parted. Nodding, he raised the hand he’d been planning to use for his magic.
It slid through the other man’s hair, past his ear, until it rested on the back of his head. The Launceleyn pulled him in for another hungry kiss. Breaking it off, he smirked. ”You were saying?”
