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've seen worse things, but not anything weirder." Sam clarified, laughing at Loren's comment.
While he was glad to find he and Loren shared a opinion of Remi and what right he had to comment on their lives anymore, he still found the other mans intensity to be slightly alarming. Leaning back a little he nodded. "My opinion is that you are probably one of the nicest men I've met in a long time and right now, that's desperately what I need." Softening his position he tried to give Loren a warm smile.
Sounded like Loren and Amalia had an alright enough relationship and Sam didn't want to ruin that, so he tried to put his words gently: "She...didn't seem happy that we were spending time together either." With a laugh he shook his head. "Everyone is so concerned about me. I'm a grown man. I can make my own decisions."
Humming, Loren gave Sam what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Fair enough. I'm sorry to hear that on all counts though." Leaning forward, the healer reached out to lay his hand on the bookmaker's.
Letting out a huff of laughter, he stroked the other man's knuckles. "Now if only I believed that," he quipped. However, it was a weak joke, and he couldn't help the almost shy smile that crept onto his lips. "I feel much the same about you." The Launceleyn squeezed Sam's hand.
Eyes narrowing, Loren tilted his head to one side. "Let me guess? Something along the lines of me being dangerously unstable and any relationship between us being doomed to disaster?" Snorting, he shook his head. "Pretty sure I told you that."
His expression changed at the last part of the bookmaker's statement. "You are and you can." There was a question lurking in the healer's expression. "And what would you like to do now?" He licked his lips subconciously.
The way Loren held his hand, stroked it as he spoke...it made Sam's heart rise in a hopeful flutter, but he also felt a creeping sense of dread just scratching at the back of his skull. Would this last? Would Loren hold his hand like this one day when they were actually something rather than maybe-one-days? He couldn't help the thought that it was entirely possible this would be the last time. Still, he smiled at Loren and bit his lip, flattered. "Thank you."
He laughed at Loren's guess, nodding. "Exactly like that. I don't trust either of you on it." Not that he thought that was entirely wrong either, but he wanted to give this a chance.
Something in the atmosphere changed at Loren's last question and Sam paused, a smirk growing on his lips. Stroking his thumb over Loren's hand, he shrugged, but a twinkle in his eyes said he was being coy. "Well, it would seem a shame for you to come over here without kissing me at least the once."
Loren smiled, actually smiled, one of the rare ones that transformed his usually anxious and depressed looking features into something more youthful and joyous. "I suppose I'm hoping you prove us both wrong." There was something almost shy about the way he said it. He squeezed Sam's hand to let the bookmaker know how much the healer appreciated the sentiment.
The smile morphed into something much different, more hungry, at the other man's words. "I think that can be arranged." The Launceleyn rose from his chair. Not letting go of Sam's hand, Loren closed the short distance between them. Kneeling, he cupped the bookmaker's cheek with his free hand. Stroking it softly, the healer leaned forward to kiss the other man. It was gentle and tender.
"It's admittedly rare that I'm right about things nowadays, but I hope so too." It was all they could do really, hope and hope and hope even when the world smashed against them. Loren's hand tightening around his made it all feel a little more possible at least, and Sam could feel that ember of desperate need for companionship truly begin to take light again.
While that wish was still for the moment achievable, it was good to see the desire in Loren's eyes as the Launceleyn moved to kiss him, Sam leaning forward in his chair to meet him with a gentle and sweet press of his lips. The hand on his cheek set a mood of softness and he closed his eyes, let out a content quiet noise as he kissed Loren slowly and sweetly.
Pulling away after a moment, his heart feeling as if it might fly out of his chest, he bit his lip then spoke quietly, asking: "Do you...want to go upstairs?"
Letting out a huff of laughter, Loren smiled. "Guess I might just have to help you out, then." It came out in a suggestive tone, and it was clear he was not exactly paying attention to the exact words he was saying.
The kiss was tender, and pretty much everything he wanted in the moment. When Sam broke it off and asked if the healer wanted to go upstairs, he licked his lips. Nodding, he stood up and pulled the bookmaker to his feet. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
Assuming the other man followed, the Launceleyn would begin to lead Sam towards the second floor. Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Loren would pull the bookmaker in for another kiss.
The mood was certainly tipping a certain way very quickly and Sam felt excitement build in his chest as they went to the stairs, his hand loosely in Loren's and a lightness to his step he hadn't felt in a while. There was still a part of him that was a little hurt, a little disappointed...but it was quickly becoming stamped down by the anticipation of what was to come.
Being pulled in for a surprise kiss at the foot of the stairs Sam let out a pleased hum, wrapping his arms around Loren's shoulders and lifting one leg; maybe they weren't romantically intertwined, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the kiss as if it were from a fantasy story for a moment. He pulled away before the kiss could become too deep and began to walk up the stairs holding Loren's hand, looking back every so often with a teasing smile.
"Could you..stay for the night after?" He asked as they crossed the threshold into his bedroom, turning to face Loren and gently run his hands over Loren's shirt collar.
Loren let Sam break off the kiss with only a slightly protesting whine. Still, the healer steps were a bit eager as he followed the bookmaker up the stairs. The Launceleuyn's smile was more hungry than teasing, but he still matched the other man expression for expression.
As they paused again, Loren's hands came to rest on Sam's hips. Hesitating for just a moment, the healer finally nodded. "Alright. But I've got to get up early to get back to Halo." Leaning forward he kissed the bookmaker on the forehead.
Then it was the Launceleyn's turn to tug the other man forward. Letting out a huff of laughter, Loren tossed himself onto the bed, letting go of Sam as he did. The healer landed on his back, then raised his eyebrows at the bookmaker challengingly.
The kiss on his forehead and hands on his hips made Sam feel even more thrilled and hopeful, leaning into Loren's touch and giving him a soft smile; even if Loren had to leave early he knew he'd have a while to hold him and be held tonight and that was worth anything else.
Unexpectedly, Loren threw himself on the bed rather than Sam; at the challenging look Sam realised what was being asked of him and stepped forward a little anxious but finding himself mostly excited. He shrugged his jacket off his shoulders then came to climb on his bed and crawl over Loren, eventually straddling his hips and looking down at the Launceleyn. "You are...very, very handsome." He said with an embarrassed huff of laughter as he leaned down to kiss Loren, harder and with more passion than before, less sweet and more need.
Where once he would have been unsure of what to do and scared to get it wrong, he was beginning to find a confidence in himself, one that allowed him to gently put his hands on Loren's jaw, slide down his neck and shoulders, to his side...then his fingertips just slightly pushed into the bottom of his shirt, a question without words.
04-06-2020, 05:02 PM (This post was last modified: 04-06-2020, 05:02 PM by Loren.)
As Sam climbed on top of Loren he grinned. At the compliment, he let out a huff of equally embarrassed laughter. Reaching up, he stroked the bookmaker's cheek. "You too." There was a sort of shy but grateful tone in the healer's voice.
As the other man bent down for a kiss, the Launceleyn responded eagerly. He propped himself up on his elbows to meet Sam halfway. Loren opened his lips to nip at the bookmaker's lower lip. Then his tongue tangled with the other man's.
As the redhead's hand moved down the Launceleyn's body and slipped under his shirt he let out a pleased and needy sound. His own hands sought Sam's hips, dipping under his pants to brush against his skin there.
Their mouths opened easily against each other and Sam encouragingly moaned into Loren's mouth, pushing his tongue into his mouth and feel his hips begin to rock on impulse as the kiss deepened, especially as Loren nipped at his lip. Once Loren had made an encouraging noise he pushed his hands up further to take off his shirt, running his hands over his chest and humming happily as Loren's fingers found their way into his pants.
Of course, they both knew what had to come eventually: Sam pulled away an inch from Lorens lips and with a smile, asked: "Shall I bite you..?" A kiss on the Launceleyn's jaw then another on his neck, exploratory and eager, punctuated the question. As much as Sam wasn't entirely sure he was good at this whole taking charge thing, he found that he was enjoying himself, hips beginning to push down a little harder.
They had to break off the kiss to get Loren's shirt off. Given that he was underneath Sam, it took the healer a bit of finagling to pull it off completely. Laughing good-naturedly as he tossed it aside, he slid his own hands under the bookmaker's shirt, trying to tug it off as well, and exploring the redhead's chest in the meantime.
However, the healer's hands stilled at the other man's question. Letting out another huff of laughter, he smiled faintly up at Sam. "Why do you even need to ask?" However, Loren nodded enthusiastically to let the bookmaker know it was okay, and that the healer wanted it. At the same time, he pressed upwards with his own hips, groaning as his hard length pressed against the other man.
Sam unbuttoned and pulled off his own shirt as swiftly as he could, letting it drop off the side of the bed and onto the floor; a real mark of how comfortable he was here. Usually he would have been distracted enough by that to jump off Loren and fold it - now all he could think about was continuing to kiss the man before him, roll his hips and build the heat between them, which was certainly reflecting in his bodies reaction.
He moaned against Loren's neck as their cocks touched through frustrating layers of fabric and moved to immediately bite, teeth puncturing skin and blood rushing into his mouth as Sam's hands ran up and down Loren's sides. The immediate satisfaction of the drink made him groan happily against Loren's neck and he closed his eyes, feeling the sensation drift down his body.
He knew Loren could heal himself and that the man would tell him when to stop, but he still lifted a hand to gently stroke along Loren's jaw; something a little softer, a little gentler, a reminder that he would not be doing this if he did not have a considerable amount of affection for him.
As Sam took off his shirt, Loren grinned happily. For a moment, he forgot the gentleness and he let his hands scratch down the bookmaker's chest. However, when the redhead's fangs sank into the healer's skin, he gasped as the familiar feeling of pleasure coursed through him.
Instantly, his mostly hard cock hardened completely. Throwing his head back, he arched up as best he could, given the other man was straddling him. Unsurprisingly, the Launceleyn wanted to grind his hard length into the other man.
However, even with the bite, Loren growled a little in annoyance at the fabric separating them. His hands fell to Sam's waist as the healer attempted to pull the bookmaker's pants off. The bite made the Launceleyn's movement more jerky than usual, so he was less than successful.
