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!
Loren nodded at Kalynd's words. "Ah, so you're an Outlander." Giving the scholar a sympathetic look, the healer offered his flask. "Sorry to hear that. If you don't want to talk about your world, I understand." Indeed, his tone was quite compassionate.
Letting out a huff of laughter at the other man's words, the Launceleyn lifted a languid hand. He traced it down his chest, circling a nipple slowly before continuing the descent. The weasels, drawn by his compulsion, scampered up onto his lap. "Could be more thrilling." He smirked. "And you can always take the baseline after you've experienced the experiment." Tone still suggestive, it had gained a coaxing and reasonable edge.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
"Yes," Kalynd said simply. He gave the man a slight nod of acknowledgement and said, "I'm not opposed to speaking of it. But I suppose I must learn to think of it not as my world but as the world of my past. Caido is the world we all share now."
He knew that some Outlanders were determined to find a way to return to their homes and the lives they left behind. While there were some people Kalynd wished to see again, and some sights that he wished to behold of the great mountains and deserts he'd left behind, he did not feel any intense regret at the idea of never returning. Kalynd was determined to make the best of his new life here, and he supposed a part of him relished the chance to make his way without the burden of his name weighing him down.
Kalynd's brows rose slightly at Loren's suggestive movements and his laughter. The man laughed with the kind of fervor possessed by the desert hyenas of the Inkahlanai Desert of his homeland. And his actions definitely convinced Kalynd that he was being propositioned, though for what reason Kal could not imagine. He also could not think what would be thrilling about having intercourse with a stranger in the dirt where they could potentially be seen by other people, but he supposed everyone had their own tastes regarding such things.
"I think I would prefer to start with the baseline first, in this case," Kalynd said. He cleared his throat and gave the other man a slight bow. "Though I thank you for your interest."
Loren nodded at Kalynd's words. "Aye, that we must. Good luck with that." Toasting with the flask, the healer took a long pull.
Grinning a bit wickedly, he let his hand drop into his lap. Studying the other man's features, the Launceleyn sent two of the weasels back over to the scholar, trying to see if he could get them to climb up onto Kalynd. The third, Loren kept for himself. Making it open its mouth, he idly examined its teeth.
Then he shot the other man a sly look. "Well. If it's just the setting you object to, and not me, I'm not opposed to relocating." Smirking, the healer raised his eyebrows, both a question and a challenge. "Happy to start at the baseline and work our way up from there."
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Kalynd nodded at the man's good wishes. He watched as the torch weasels scampered about. Two of them suddenly came over to him, and a smile lit Kal's face as he bent down and held out his hands. The weasels seemed intent on climbing up him, though, and he chuckled as their little claws scritched in the rough fabric of his tunic.
He glanced up when Loren spoke again. It was a little surprising to him that the man seemed so intent on this, seeing as how they'd just met and there wasn't anything Kalynd could offer him. In the content of his own upbringing, Kalynd had no way to understand this request. People in the court didn't just sleep with each other for the hell of it.
"Um, forgive me," Kalynd said hesitantly, "But I wouldn't want to put you in a position you might later regret." He wasn't sure if the man was drunk or not, but Kal knew that if it were him in Loren's place, he wouldn't want anyone to take advantage of him.
As Kalynd practically lit up as the weasels scampered over to him, Loren grinned. He made the weasels play around a bit longer, before compelling them to be still so the scholar could study them properly. Then the healer returned to his own 'study.' He had the weasel stick out a paw so he could shake it.
However, he shot the other man a bemused look. "Why would I regret it?" There was an honest confusion in the Launceleyn's voice. "You're cute, and I imagine we'll have some fun and go our separate ways." Indeed, his eyes swept over Kalynd again, lingering on the scholar's lips. As Loren looked, he smirked slightly.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
02-11-2020, 05:36 AM (This post was last modified: 02-11-2020, 05:39 AM by Kalynd.)
Kalynd shrugged, finally feeling a little uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going.
"Well, I am not very familiar with the effects of drink, but I've been told they can make some people amorous. I'm sorry if I am under the wrong impression." He wasn't sure how to say no in a way the man would agree with. It's not like Kalynd had ever been propositioned before, so he couldn't rely on past experience to help him navigate this situation. Social interactions were difficult enough to navigate when he had some idea what to do. At the moment, he felt quite lost.
"Truth be told, in my homeland, among my people, sex is... well, costly, I suppose you could say." He didn't think that Loren was trying to get anything in return for his proposition--though he supposed he could be wrong about that. But he wasn't sure that he wouldn't end up paying somehow.
02-11-2020, 11:03 AM (This post was last modified: 02-11-2020, 11:03 AM by Loren.)
LOREN
Loren actually laughed outright when Kalynd revealed that his main concern was that the healer was a bit tipsy. "No, I'd say you were very much under the right impression. About me being amorous, at least." Winking, he smirked at the scholar.
Then the Launceleyn leaned forward a bit. "You are, however, mistaken about me being under the effects of drink." He made a show of slipping the flask into a pocket. "I'm tipsy, not drunk, and still in full possession of my faculties."
Returning to his previous position, he gave the other man a confused look.. "Don't worry. There are no strings attached to this offer." The Launceleyn's voice was firm about that. "So were location, inebriation, and potential compensation the only objections?" He tilted his head to one side as he waited for the answer.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Kalynd’s shoulders slumped a little. He had hoped to find some graceful means of rejecting Loren’s offer, but so far the man had been infuriatingly logical about every objection Kal had brought up. He supposed that left him with no real objections. Kalynd considered this. He supposed that he could have a worse introduction to physical intimacy than someone who simply wanted it for the fun and not with any strings or expectations. Sex was part of the human experience, and this presented at least an opportunity for Kal to understand why everyone thought it such an important piece. He’d never understood the appeal. But obviously there was one, or Loren wouldn’t be so persistent about wanting to sleep with him.
“I suppose that about covers it,” Kalynd said finally, giving a slight shrug. He didn’t have any other reason to say no, as it wasn’t as though the thought of sleeping with the handsome man in front of him was entirely unappealing.
Loren couldn't help but smirk a bit at Kalynd's response. Leaning forward a bit, the healer let out a huff of laughter. "Well you don't have to sound so happy about it." There was something both darkly amused and gleefully teasing about the words.
Leaning even further in to the scholar, the Launceleyn dismissed the weasels. They squeaked at him as they ran off, but he ignored it. Instead, he stared into the other man's eyes.
"Tell you what. Why don't we start out with a kiss, and see how it goes from there?" Loren spoke in a heated whisper. Pausing for just a brief moment more, he closed the last of the distance between them to press his lips to Kalynd's.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Kalynd wasn’t sure he did sound particularly happy about the situation, but he assumed from the man’s expression that he meant those words sarcastically. He didn’t want to offend Loren, of course, but Kalynd was out of his element in a social situation that he had no precedence for. He could also stand and watch as the man came closer, ignoring the torch weasels as they scampered off and left Kalynd and Loren alone.
At Loren’s suggestive words, Kalynd’s gaze dropped to the man’s lips, and while a part of him still felt hesitant, he didn’t resist when Loren closed the distance between them. He felt the touch of Loren’s lips and thought that the feeling was a little strange. Did people really do this for fun? Kalynd couldn’t imagine why. He kept still though, recognizing that he wasn’t the one who would make the best lead in this situation. He would observe for now and see what the other man would do.
Seeing as Loren had meant the words sarcastically, he wasn't at all surprised by Kalynd's lack of response. Besides, the healer was much more interested in the kiss (and in making sure the scholar was interested in the kiss). As their lips touched, the Launceleyn let out a pleased hum.
However, at the other man's lack of response, Loren moved again. Lifting one hand, he gently tucked a strand of hair behind Kalynd's ear. Then the healer closed his eyes and slid his hand to the back of the scholar's head, hoping to deepen the kiss. Simultaneously, the Launceleyn's tongue darted forward, seeking access to the other man's mouth.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Kalynd resisted the urge to move away when he saw the man’s hand move towards him. Loren touched his hair, and the gesture was oddly gentle. Kalynd wasn’t used to being touched at all really, so he wasn’t sure to make of this new way of being touched that was completely foreign to him. As Loren moved even closer, Kalynd could feel his fingers against the back of his head as the kiss changed.
The feeling of the other man’s tongue was surprising, but Kalynd didn’t back away from it, too interested to see how else this seemingly simple physical contact could change. So he parted his lips and allowed Loren to deepen the kiss. This was certainly going to be an interesting learning experience. And hopefully not an intensely uncomfortable one. But Kalynd supposed some discoveries weren’t always the most comfortable.
Again, Kalynd hardly responded in the way that Loren was hoping, but he supposed he didn't mind too much. One hand still on the back of the scholar's head, the healer reached up to rest his other hand on the other man's shoulder. As Kalynd's lips parted, Loren's tongue darted forward, seeking out the scholar's eagerly.
However, the healer was still gentle, almost tender in his movements. And it wasn't longer before he broke it off, leaning back and releasing the other man. Grinning a bit, the Launceleyn placed his hands in his lap. "There now. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Raising his eyebrows, he tilted his head to one side. "Also, you're allowed to kiss me back. And touch me."
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
If Kalynd thought the initial kiss was strange, this dance of tongues and breath was even stranger. He couldn’t decide his answer to Loren’s question when the man finally drew back and allowed him a moment to assess.
“Oh,” Kalynd said at Loren’s second comment. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong. Truth be told, I’ve never kissed before either,” he admitted. People rarely touched in his homeland, as letting someone get close enough to you to do so was to open yourself up to a knife in the chest.
