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!
Rance huffed a scoffing laugh. "Just bat your fuckin' lashes at every cock you pass on the street, then?" There was no venom to his comment, not now that flirting was clearly the last thing on her mind. Even if she had something of a point and he had started the actual dialogue, he wasn't going to apologize again.
Tailing along could get a little annoying if she kept doing it. He had an out in that he could simply fly, but even considering it felt like giving her the last word and he most definitely could not do that. "Literally jack shit." After all, assuming this was just one more abandoned house, he'd be grabbing any tools he found and marking it to be stripped for parts later if needed. His curiosity about the bats, however, was a much more immediate need to fill. "You can't tell me you don't want to see those little furry fuckers up close." Especially if she read about them, too.
Aisha gave a taunting purr to his response, "And puss, and body in general," was her reply, given with a playfully uninterested inspection of her fingernails. This interaction was proving to be far more fun than irritating, once she'd fleshed him out as nonthreatening, and a fellow cynic.
"So you want to see them up close, but also don't want to get mobbed? Tell me where that makes sense sugar," she chided, sending him a smirk in the twilight.
The woman's utterly unashamed and proud answer surprised a bark of a laugh out of Rance. It was an attitude he could definitely appreciate in anyone. Even if having a woman flirt with him had always ruffled his feathers, sarcasm and a dry sense of humor were at least qualities he found interesting.
"If you're quiet, it makes fuckin' perfect sense." Besides, he wasn't about to let a little thing like 'can't' or 'illogical' get in his way. "Go up, check out the nest without gettin' too close, get out. Easy." It wasn't much of a plan, but a few insect-eating bats hardly needed an intense strategy. While he was giving his explanation, they'd made their way around the side of the house, where a narrow door was half-splintered, ripped apart by some unknown force -- the notorious monsters? -- in the past. "Jackpot."
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Aisha gave another signature pfft at Rance's reply, happy to see she'd slightly wormed under his skin. It was a petty game she liked to play, but so rarely did someone play it with her that she cherished the biting moments like this. "If you say so," she hummed with a cheeky grin, following him to the spot where he stopped.
Jackpot, it seemed they were in luck. Note the they, for Aisha had decided that this was intriguing enough to follow, and explore the house too. She pushed past him just a bit to place her hands on the rotting wood, then with a bit of force snap it down and out of the way, clearing a hole big enough for her to fit in, well her in her leopard form at least. She could've just torn the door further, or squeezed through without shifting, but she liked the flashy appeal of this idea far better.
In a brief moment her body was covered in slick golden spotted fur, her eyes reflecting eerily white in the twilight. She glanced back to Rance, flicked her tail, then hopped through the splintered hole into the dusty abandoned house.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
Having the woman shove past and kick in the remains of the door caught Rance off guard, but only for a second. Momentarily surprise was replaced by another amused grin. When she shifted into a large spotted feline and leapt through the door, he felt a flutter of excitement. It still brought him a bit of startled happiness to see other attuned, even if he was learning that they were almost common place. His expression far from reflected it, however, grin joined by an arched brow. "This what you meant by showin' your 'puss'?"
He moved to follow, stepping over what bits of the door she hadn't knocked over -- and promptly tripped. Reaching back at the last second, he caught himself on the frame, swearing under his breath. A glance around showed the shadowed remains of a small sitting room, furniture in various states of disrepair. On their left, though, was what Rance had really been looking for: the stairs up.
With the beginnings of a cocky smirk, Rance looked back at the leopard and, in a flicker of movement, a raven replaced the man. He flew up the stairs, landing on the rail post at the top.
Comin'? His question came across the attuned bond, mockingly casual.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Aisha adored the startled expression, the hint of excitement in his heartbeat. She loved to show off, and be admired, Rance gave her exactly the attention her ego desired. A low rumble grew in her chest at his comment, her head snapping back to give an amused snarl.
Rance made to come in after her, tripping a bit and eliciting another rumbling laugh from the leopardess. Oh how she would love to tease him a bit, she had every word to do so but no method in this form. Luckily, he solved that problem for her. A raven held the place of the man, sleek and dark and melting into the shadows. Feline eyes could make him out better in the dark, her gaze following him up to his perch at the top of the stairs.
"Of course love, you think I'd let myself get shown up by a bird?" she scoffed through their bond, bounding up the stairs claws unsheathed, digging into the splintering wood. She was trying to be intimidating, for mere amusement purposes.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
06-08-2020, 01:47 AM (This post was last modified: 06-08-2020, 10:11 PM by Rance.)
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
While he hoped he'd surprised her a little, it wasn't exactly east to read a leopard's expression. A fact that wasn't helped by how shitty his night vision was. His 'hearing' was working just fine, though, and his wings were already half spread by the time she'd finished her little taunt.
No more than I'd concede to a gods-damned cat. He couldn't voice his taunt aloud, not without alerting the bat colony to the presence of predators. He could click his beak and duck his head low, wings spread is a threat that wasn't really serious. Especially one being so fuckin' destructive. Amusement leaked across the bond and, as she neared the top of the stairs, he took to the air again, looking for a sign of an attic entrance.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Aisha paused at the top of the stairs, puffing her chest and snarling silently as the bird puffed his feathers and clicked his beak. Nose scrunched up as her chest buzzed with mirth, "Remember it wasn't my idea, I'm just helping," she drawled at being called destructive, a notion that amused and delighted.
Rance was flying once again, and on silent cat feet the leopardess followed, up into the second level of the house. While Rance was looking for an attic entrance, Aisha decided to let her curiosity wander. The first room on the right for example; empty, dusty, and smelled of must. However after pawing through a pile of old debris her claws hooked on a piece of cloth, the further she pulled it she recognized it as the remains of a dress, possibly one of the last things in the room that had retained a bit of color.
It was no use to her, but it felt like some kind of treasure. After inspecting it for a moment she left the room, and the remnants of the past to ease back into the dust. Rance wasn't far ahead, she moved to meet up with him without a word.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
She was indeed helping, though Rance wasn't going to admit that to her. He would have gone in with or without her, of course, but it was certainly turning out to be a lot more fun having a 'partner' in his exploration.
There weren't that many doors on the second floor, though at least they were all open. This would have been better done earlier in the day, with more sunlight to reflect off potential interesting objects. As it was, even if he'd been in human form, nothing would have immediately attracted his attention. Not even, unfortunately, the entrance he was searching for. He did another loop of the rooms, caught sight of Aisha pawing through the detritus in one, landed briefly in the doorway of another. He was about to start a third pass when the wind from his wings ruffled what he'd assumed was a window curtain.
Found it! he crowed into the bond, landing and looking back to find her nearly on him. Don't know if they'll react any better to us this way than they would to two humans. Flying up there is definitely scare them and hopping up is going to be hell. If he could have sighed, he would have. Instead, he was nudging past thin, dingy fabric, preparing for the awkward hop-flight that would get him up the stairs.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Rance's discovery was called her attention, the leopard weaving her way back over to the raven as he inspected a curtain on an inward wall. That should've been obvious enough, the breeze that softly pushing outward at the fabric an indicator as well. It all felt rather secret-y, mysterious, Aisha could feel an excitement tingle at her skin.
He made a good point, leopard or girl she would still be seen as a threat to the bats. But this way she could be stealthier at least, so she went with that. "After you," she purred, and Rance began his ascent up the stairs. And oh how awkward it was, watching up hop into a flutter and land on the next step. Perhaps he would be better off a man than a bird at this point, Aisha on the other hand was built to move quietly.
Large paws spreading the impact, she walked up to the step he'd just landed on, flicking her ear at him as she spoke, "Hop on my back dumbass you look like you lost braincells."
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
Rance wanted to be offended by her rude observation. Should be offended, he could practically hear her rolling her eyes. But, insult or no, she had a point. If he looked half as ridiculous as he felt, then her comment was justified. Still, he had to at least put on the appearance of being insulted.
Sure, all the better to peck your eye out, he replied, mental tone casual, even as the feathers around his neck fluffed again, saying more about his embarrassment than he would admit to. Still, despite the attitude, another hop and flutter of wings had him landing on the big cat's back. He shifted his feet, talons flexing in thick fur and wings partially spread as he found his balance.
06-10-2020, 09:36 PM (This post was last modified: 06-10-2020, 09:38 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Aisha was incredibly amused at Rance's weak attempt to seem offended, she'd called him out good on this one, he knew how ridiculous he looked. If a leopard could give side eye, she gave it to him now, watching him bemusedly as he made him case. He fluttered and swooped all at once, Aisha braced herself against the brief torrent as he came to perch quasi uncomfortably on her back.
"Try anything like that, and you'll be shitting eggs even in human form for weeks," what a strange and mysterious threat, that left the subject wondering how, and what she meant. That of course was the goal, and without further explanation she continued her quiet saunter up the attic steps, raven on board.
Once they reached the top, she crouched a bit below the surface level, then called out to Rance, "You make sure they aren't about to fly at me." Play the scout, since she had so kindly played the convoy.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
Aisha's threat would have had him grinning had he lips. The amusement would be clear as day across the bond as he settled low on her back. That's a new one. I'm takin' it, give some flighty manners slut a heart attack." Because nothing spelled harmless fun like insulting someone so harshly that they swooned.
He didn't have a lot of experience clinging onto the moving back of a quadruped, but she was cautious and graceful enough that it wasn't too hard to keep balanced. As they neared the top, he realized belatedly that doing this in animal form had another distinct advantage: they could banter without the fluttering bats hearing them.
And there most definitely were still bats in the attic. Their squeaking became a bit louder as they came out to the top floor, as did the humming. It was surreal in a way Rance didn't have a comparison for. There was enough light that his avian eyes were able to pick out the fluttering, prey-sized forms of the bats, gaze jumping from one movement to the next. The humming wasn't steady, growing and quieting as the bats moved, but it was enough. Can't imagine how loud they are when the whole flock's home. Even though there was no need to whisper, his mental 'voice' was still quiet.
Not that noise was going to matter much now, as the the dozen or so adult bats still left smelled predators and took to the air, circling close enough that Rance ducked his head.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Aisha too would've grinned, and gave her own feline attempt at it, lips curling and teeth bared. Rances response satisfied, humorous and cheeky, and her amusement clashed with his, mingling together in the attuned bond.
Ah yes, bat could smell couldn't they. Well that sucked for them, for no sooner had Rance peeked above the floor that the squeaking cacophany grew louder, a symphonic and catastrophic melody. The raven ducked, and instinctively followed suit, pressing her body down into the steps, bright eyes aimed up as the storm of bats billowed into view. Less than storm it seemed, but enough to startle the two attuned.
Aisha straightened herself out upon realizing the bats weren't attacking. Just flocking and passing over their heads, flippantly on the wing. They were kind of pretty, the humming collective of the dozen bats was far more tame and fluent than the whole group. She leaned into it, and watched them until they began to disperse through an open window, one by one finding their way. She didn't say anything surprisingly, she just enjoyed the moment through cat's eyes.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
