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!
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
“Mhm.” He rumbles quietly, content to give into the kiss and let Nate test and poke the fangs, amused and content despite the rocky start of the beginning of the night. And then, as he pulls away and rests his head on Nate’s chest, the Ascended’s arms wrapping around him in some sort of warm embrace, despite the cool touch to the man behind it. And he remains silent, for a while, after Nate speaks, a hidden smirk crossing his face.
“That sounds sort of familiar.” He accuses, though it’s entirely teasing. He smirks as he lifts his head back, pulling at Nate’s embrace a small amount to look into electric eyes, shadowed by the night but lit by the glint of the moon. And he pushes back against Nate with a small, wry smirk that grows a bit more, aiming to push the Ascended back a small amount, a challenge granted out of sheer amusement and simply waiting to see how he reacts.
He’s quiet for a moment before his head tilts back to try and get a better view of Nate's face. “I had to shift back because I was pretty sure I was gonna go after one of them.” He rumbles, though it ends in a chuckle. “Didn’t quite want to ruin the night that way.”
'cause i might make a move
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.
Arms shift and adjust, letting Sunjata move however he wants against Nate's chest, blue eyes looking down at the attuned as he does. The smile is still on his face, a small huff of a laugh escaping him at the teasing accusation. "Only sort of familiar, huh? Guess I should work on my delivery." Despite how pliable he was before, Nate is still as stone as he's pushed against, his posture not yielding, but a brow rising, the look on his face daring Sunjata to try harder.
The confession makes him snort though, Nate pulling back so he doesn't laugh directly in the attuneds face. "Are you serious?" The words are barely sensible between the laughter, but he manages to calm after a moment, speaking a little steadier. "That woulda been some fucking damper. I almost would have thought you were trying to sabotage our good time on purpose." There's a teasing tone to the words, played up by the almost tickling ripple of Nate's fingers along the other man's sides.
"So... you feel the uh, instincts, I guess, while your shifted?" The question came after a moment, after Nate had managed to control the worst of his laughter and could actually think past the humour. It would be interesting to know, considering the lack that he felt with most things, the shifts he steals just a skin, something to wear once, but never fully step into.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
A brighter smirk is given to Nate at the comment of delivery, a tip of his head in agreement full of teasing. “I guess so.” He agrees, before he’s testing Nate again and finding him like a brick wall. A slight huff leaves him, pulling back to see the brow raise, cursing internally about how he was so good at stilling like that. But then, the laughter and the way Nate pulls back as well, has it reflecting in Sunjata’s face – eyes softening, nose wrinkling a small amount.
“It would’ve seemed like it, huh?” He hums with a laugh of his own, melding with Nate’s – though not quite as hard. And he settles as Nate gets the time to relax and control his laughter, a crooked grin crossing Sunjata’s face at the question. And, well, yes. That’s exactly it. So he bobs his head a small amount, reaching up to brush the sand off of his hand on Nate’s shoulder with a wink of amusement.
Though he has to pause just to think about what exactly to say. “I have… A lot more shifts than most people do, I think. At least being so young of an Attuned.” He admits, though there’s a hint of pride within it. “But I’ve got a pretty even mix of prey and predators, so when I’m shifted as the snake, panther, and whale, I can get kind of aggressive.” He snorts. “But the rest of them – the macaw, bull, and bat – make me pretty flighty.” He tilts his head, wondering if Nate’s seen that with the partial shifts that take over. The way he reacts when the horns sprout from his head, when the bat shift coats his arms, when the feathers show his anxieties.
'cause i might make a move
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.
Sunjata laughs along with him, which only makes the fit of hysterics last longer, makes it that much more mirthful. Nate leans in as it comes to an end, pressing his nose, a kiss to the ascendeds cheek. "I know you're not, but... it would have seemed like it. Just a little." A hand snakes out from where it's wrapped around the other man to show off just how little, fingers almost touching they're so close.
The nod at least, gives him something to focus on, shifting back to give the other man room again as he nods, and starts explaining. "You do have a lot." Nate agrees, noticing the pride and smiling along with it. "Does... that extend to the partial shifting too?" He licks his lips, unconsciously moving over his own fangs as he peered at the ones in the other mans mouth. Remaindering the feathers that sprouted while they were talking, the horns that had been near permanent for some time.
It added a much different meaning to those shapes, if they had the same feelings tied to them, the same sense of aggressive and flighty.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
“Just a little.” Sunjata agrees with a small little smirk, raising a brow to the Ascended as he feels Nate’s arm moving to show how close they were, nearly touching. But he settles back a bit, focusing on Nate as he explains his shifts and what each of them means, what kind of predatory and prey instincts take over when they’re around. And he lets his silver gaze focus on Nate’s own electric ones as a huff leaves him and a nod.
Surely Nate realized how many he had. He’d become a whale after all, using one of those shifts.
But did it extend to the partial shifts? His head bobs a small amount to that as he considers it, lips relaxing and pursing slightly as he figures out a way to explain it. “Yeah.” He begins, sitting back in the sand a small amount, though in a way that keeps Nate’s arm around him. “The bull shift… It’s like a gazelle. Which run at basically everything.” He snorts, shaking his head. “The bat is a fruit bat. So.” A wave of his hand in the space between them as if that explains it.
“It’s… Strange. I have to rein it in when I’m fully shifted, otherwise I’ll give into it.” He looks back to Nate then, forked tongue darting along his lower lip as well, showing off a bit as he offers a wry smile. “It's not really my goal to go and maim everyone when I'm shifted as a panther.” A wink to that, before he chuckles.
'cause i might make a move
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 one thing to be aware of the shifts lurking under ones skin, and another to simply have a power to reach for blindly. Nate had an idea, a rough feeling of what kinds of things he could take from the attuned, but he had never counted, never thought about it too much. It hadn't been his to think about. He rolls his shoulders in a light shrug, the huff not affecting him any more than that.
Nate shifts as Sunjata does, moving around to keep in touch, keep an arm wrapped tight around shoulders, fingers tapping out a slow, senseless beat as he did, head nodding slowly as he listened to the explanation. There's something rising in his chest, the information feeling important, though he can't quite put his finger on why, can't explain the way his arm tightens around the other man. "It... makes sense." His other hand comes up to push through Sunjata's hair, scattering sand through it as his fingers move to rub at the spot where horns so often spiral out. "So... I know you can, but do you always control the little bits?"
Memories of falling into a doze with a panther by his side suddenly come to the forefront of Nate's mind when the attuned says he has to reign in his shifts, amusement and realization both hitting him in equal measure. "I appreciate your restraint." The words come out as a purr, Nate leaning in to kiss at the corner of the smile. "I don't really... feel any of that, when I take it." Another small shrug, this one maybe a little more jealous, though, it makes sense. The shifts aren't extensions of Nate, of course it's not going to connect with him.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
He’s thankful for the touch, the connection that Nate continues to provide – endlessly craving that closeness that has him feeling… Important, in a sense. But his head tilts a small amount with the way Nate’s arm tightens, his gaze focusing a bit more on the Ascended as the words drift from his lips, as the sand covered hand comes up to run through wavy dark hair to rub at the space where horns usually protruded. He leans into it, gaze flickering closed with the sensation it brings, as the question leaves his lips.
“Not always.” He rumbles, eyes remaining closed as he continues to enjoy the touch. “Quick mood changes have a tendency of bringing them on. When I’m stressed, usually the feathers or horns appear.” Sunjata rumbles with a small half smirk, gaze flickering open as the realization of Sunjata’s next comment hits the Ascended. The light kiss to the corner of his lips has him angling his head a bit, pausing to let Nate finish what he has to say before he leans in to press a kiss to Nate’s own lips.
“You might, if you’re fully shifted long enough. You just have to give into the instincts of it.” He muses, lifting a hand to trail through Nate’s dark raven hair, fingers tugging at the strands by the Ascended’s chin – the same color as his panther shift. “We should go hunting as a panther. You’ll see what it’s like.” He offers with a light hum of a smirk. But then, a thought hits him – because he hasn’t quite shown Nate all the partial shifts he has.
“But... You should try partially shifting more than your hands.” He comments lightly, a small tilt of his head, fingers pausing as he adjusts himself in the sand to let his legs spread out to the side, sitting back on his elbow. And he partially shifts to his orca form, his lower half swapping for a tail that Nate would recognize instantly. A wink tipped Nate’s way paired with a curl of his tail.
'cause i might make a move
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 not clear if it's the topic at hand, instincts and animal urges, or something else, but Nate finds himself appreciating the catlike smugness that passes over the attuneds face as fingers move through his hair. "I've noticed the mood changes." A quiet rumble, Nate nodding, though it's a little strange nothing from the bat comes up. The train of thought leaves him, as Sunjata's lips bump back up into his. "Is it... just the submissive ones that come out like that?" There is a little bit of a teasing lilt to his voice with that, though it's more genuine curiosity.
A low chuckle leaves him at the suggestion that he just needs to give in a little, blue eyes rolling. "It takes a lot for me to give into something." As the other man should well know. "A hunt does sound fun though. Maybe we'll make it another date." It's a little bit of a tease, pressing at the limits of what Sunjata is comfortable with, just so he knows.
"Aren't my hands the obvious?" He asks, moving to help support the attuned as he shifts, first just his position, then his legs entirely. A low breath leaves Nate, the softest noise he can make to express his awe. He bites his lip just a little as he looks along the long smooth line of Sunjata's body, Nate shifting so he can follow his gaze with his hand. "This is... pretty cool. Maybe I could try it out." Leaning in, he lets a very intentional breath of air ghost over the other mans throat, the slightest edge of a tease.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
It is hard to not notice them, Sunjata absently thinks. But then he’s moving to press his lips briefly against Nate’s, pulling away as the Ascended’s teasing tone is met with a slight roll of his eyes. “For the stress? Yeah. Sometimes they come out with an over abundance of emotions.” He explains, offering a slightly fanged smirk. Nate would know this, the way the fangs and claws would appear as well, the way the bat shift coats his arms in certain instances but never anytime else. Just feathers, horns, and fangs for the most part.
Usually the fangs when he’s particularly feisty.
But Nate rolls his eyes, much to Sunjata’s amusement. A deeper chuckle leaving the attuned as he focuses on Nate. “Trust me, I know.” He winks back to him, before the man continues and Sunjata’s amused smirk fades to something a bit more… warm, endearing before he bobs his head. “We should. I think you’d enjoy it.” He rumbles, giving Nate a nice and long approving look. “It would suit you.” There’s another hum of that tease in his tone as he shifts then and Nate remains close.
A low chuckle leaves him again as he cocks his head to Nate, completely forgetting about the sea turtle excursion for how Nate reacts. “Just a bit, minnaar.” He challenges a small amount before the Ascended surveys the shift and Sunjata wiggles his tail fin a bit more, the smooth lines of black and white only broken up by pale crescent streaks of shark bites here and there. But Nate leans in to drag his hand down Sunjata’s side, and Sunjata leans into it a bit, giving Nate more room to run his hand along smooth skin. The Ascended leans in and Sunjata can feel the air ghosting across his neck in a way that has him humming lightly, challenge flickering in his steel gaze. “Maybe.” He rumbles in a bit deeper of a tone, the challenge clear in his voice as he pulls away to give Nate a crooked, fanged smirk.
'cause i might make a move
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.
Though most of what he had seen of the partial shifts so far had been negative, anxieties and discomfort and bullheadedness all, Nate wonders at what other kinds of reactions he could coax out, what buttons he would need to press to bring out else. Something to test out, in the next little while, to keep an eye out on what comes from what, specifically.
"You should know better than most, honestly." The laugh that leaves him seems to be an echo of the one he'd pulled from Sunjata, understanding floating between them easily. And then settling into a warmth, something Nate might call a moment when he thought back on it later. In it though, he just feels his smile grow, eyes softening as he looks over the other man. "I think I'd like it too." He agrees, cocking his head to the side. "I got nothing but free evenings coming up, and you know where I live. Just tell me when you want to go out."
Blue eyes follow the path of his hands down along the smooth skin, fingers tracing along crescent scars and white markings with an equal sense of awe, of reverence in them, though they snap back up to Sunjata's face when he speaks, a brow cocked in question. "Minnaar?" It's not one he remembers, though it feels warm. Curiosity doesn't stop him from teasing, from leaning in after the attuned as he leans away. Shouldn't he know by now Nate is going to follow, to press his lips against skin, starting against the strong jaw and trailing down. To just barely drag his teeth along the beat of a heart, before pulling away. "Maybe." He repeats, again, teasing still, slowly leaning closer to a proper bite, without actually breaking the skin.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
The grin that Sunjata shoots back to Nate is everything when he agrees with him. It’s warmth, his content with the way the subject shifts and the way Nate speaks as if they didn’t live together – likely another quip that has him playfully rolling his eyes as he hums, almost as if he’s thinking through quite the schedule. “Mm, well, you know I have quite the busy schedule myself. But I could squeeze you in.” He teases back, forked tongue edging out to stick it out at the Ascended, before he’s offering a slight challenge.
Subconsciously, he knows Nate won’t know what it means, but the question of it has him smirking lightly to himself, though he keeps the translation hidden while Nate’s hand trails and his heart thunders in his chest. Nate follows him, as he always does, and he tilts his head up a small amount as he feels Nate’s lips reach his skin – following acutely to the path it takes, the trail it blazes. It isn’t until the sharp fangs of teeth at his neck have goosebumps rising on his skin, flickering over his shoulders and creeping up the back of his neck. “It means lover.” He explains, though his voice trembles in the slightest way – unnoticeable for everyone else but Nate, if there were ears around to hear it.
And still, Nate comes closer, and Sunjata’s arm reaches out to pull him a bit closer with another feeling of those teasing teeth that get a rumble of a purr slipping from his throat. But of course, he doesn’t quite have the flexibility to keep him leaning up like that, so when he goes to grab the Ascended he gives into the sand at his back, hoping to tug Nate along with him.
'cause i might make a move
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 fun to be able to slip into a joke, to have Sunjata play along with him. "Well I know you're a busy man, with a big important job now." Nate reaches up to bop a finger against the attuneds nose playfully before he continues. "I am worth whatever time I take up though." A wink then, his own, more human tongue sticking out at the attuned in response. It doesn't quite feel like it has the same effect, much to his disappointment.
There's no answer to his question, no translation given, Nate left in the dark. A low whine leaves him, though he's easily placated by the expanse of skin under his lips, whats offered up as Sunjata tilts his head back. The first brush of his teeth brings words, and Nate has to force himself to pause, to listen. And he is glad he does. It makes something impossible in his chest thump, something in his hands tremble with the urge to splay more completely over the attuned's body. "I like it." Nate offers softly, a similar weight in his voice, a tremble that isn't quite that.
Again, he moves to follow Sunjata, to let himself be tugged in close. There is only a moment of resistance, when Nate shifts to straddle the attuneds hips, the space where man and whale meld together, and leans in so they are pressed against each other as flush as they can be. His lips move to seek out a proper kiss, before returning to the spot against the other man's neck. There's no more teasing though, teeth sinking in quickly, easily, and settling for a moment. Nate only needs a taste to use the shifts, but there's no reason to rush through some fun.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
'cause my life is like a bedroom door don't lead me in when you feel low
He wants to reply to Nate, to retort something along the lines of just how much Nate tends to make things worth their time, but the thought dies on his lips as soon as Nate’s lips are on him, pushing buttons Sunjata knows acutely that he’s trying to do. His head tilts back and the ghost brush of those fangs along his skin have him shivering, uttering the translation for Nate’s ears alone. He hums lightly to the sensation as he rolls back a bit, pulling Nate in closer — and closer Nate does get. He finds the resistance and brushes past it, until Nate’s straddling him and flush. “You are worth it, you know.” He rumbles with a small smirk. “The time.”
His hands immediately go to the Ascended’s side, fingers shifting to dull claws to rake down his side with an even and strong pressure, all the way down to Nate’s hips, to his thighs that press against the smooth transition of Sunjata’s lower half. He gives into the kiss that Nate seeks out, greedy and perhaps a bit pushy, those claws tightening so slightly around his legs as the kiss is broken.
And he trails his hands up, still digging in, one hand remaining at Nate’s hip while the other drifts up to tangle in the curtain of raven hair. And when the bite finally happens, Sunjata shudders — lower half of him wiggling a small amount, the tail flapping against the sand as the rest of him grips onto the Ascended tight and gasping a groan that slips from his lips. And he tries to focus as hard as he can, to keep the shift as is, but the longer the bite goes on the shallower his restrain gets, until eventually legs replace the black and white fin.
'cause i might make a move
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 keeps his face pressed in close against Sunjata's neck as the soft rumble reaches his ears. There is more of that gentle, tender ache in his chest, his throat, and he has to pause to rest his cheek, his ear against the pulse of the attuned, looking for some grounding force. "Aren't you sweet?" Nate purrs back after a moment, pulling himself back up.
Claws down his sides have Nate arching his back, rolling against the pressure, against the way the other man presses up into the kiss. There is not an inch he is willing to give, despite the claws on his body, the hand in his hair, the feeling thrumming through him. The feeling that only intensifies when he pulls back, when he bites. Nate leans in to the shuddering body beneath him, his arms coming up to cradle Sunjata's head, to hold him close, tight.
As the shift melts away, Nate pulls back, running his tongue over the bite mark before sitting up, straightening to smirk down at Sunjata. "I guess some things don't stick around as naturally, huh?" He teased gently, rolling his hips down against the other man, Nate's hands moving behind him to stroke up along the attuned's legs.
I would never call him enemy He's the bad god I need
