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!
05-11-2020, 04:33 PM (This post was last modified: 05-29-2020, 01:29 AM by Aisha.)
AISHA
show me a sunrise i'll let my eyes burn
Aisha planned that come Flowerbirth she'd have some kind of idea of what she wanted to do with her life here. Concerning a job, a home, a purpose in general. Right now she felt fine enough staying by Oliver's side, being involved in the goings on of the Hollowed Grounds, and honing her skills with her sword.
Today it was the latter of her pursuits that she exercised. With the sword she'd taken from the barracks a mere couple months before, which was now constantly strapped at her hip. She'd grown used to it's weight, a familiar friend as much as any other. It would never be the sword she'd left behind in her old world, but it would do well enough in a fight. The dirt floor of the training ground had a damp sheen, a snowy layer turned to muddy turf under the boots of all who traversed here. Hair tied back by her golden ribbon, Aisha arrived and glanced around, predator gaze searching for her first opponent.
Aisha certainly isn't the only one directionless and bumming around town. Harper finally has a job, a real position of work and employ, though as a modern-century man it still feels rather lackluster compared to what he's used to. Torchline may be his new living grounds, but nothing is really home to him. Still prone to wandering, adventuring, listlessly exploring every nook and cranny of the Grounds. Mostly retracing his steps, having already done so.
At least he intends to visit Deimos, or perhaps merely take advantage of the training grounds. Find a like-minded partner if he's lucky. Harper feels stifled and brimming with directionless energy, and sparring has often been the only outlet for him, especially now that his vigilante activities have been forcibly removed from his itinerary.
There's only one another practitioner when he arrives, beautiful and striking gold against the bleak, utilitarian colors of the training area. Harper withdraws his shorter blade from his last training with Deimos, and gives an impish, handsome smile her way. "Care for a partner?"
some things take insane bravery
but after that, you'll be free
The prowling woman didn't have to wait long before a tall and rather cute man appeared, roguish and rugged and interested in a spar. That was all she needed to know, returning his impish smile with one of her own, pearly teeth and full lips just for him. "Only if you think you can handle it sugar," she replied, walking from where she stood and letting her sword swing at her side.
She came to a stop across from him, acting uninterested in evaluating him, smug and playful as she stretched and examined her weapon. "Aisha," she called over, glancing up past long dark lashes with a smirk.
06-02-2020, 08:54 PM (This post was last modified: 06-02-2020, 08:55 PM by Harper.)
HARPER
Her full lips and bright teeth are so reminiscent of his past love, and yet he's just as helpless to her beauty and mischief, adrenaline already beginning to thrum intoxicatingly in his veins. "Handle you, you mean?" he teases back, voice like smoke as he twirls the hilt of his sword in blatant show-off. What can he say, he's a gentleman but a little bit of teasing when blood is hot isn't beyond him. "I think I'm up to the task."
As she approaches he almost awaits an attack, and instead is given the purr of her voice announcing her own name. Harper grins, bright blues dancing with eager mirth as he too sidles just a little closer, body loose and expectant. "Harper." And then he winks at her and, ready to begin, hopes to catch her by surprise as his swinging swordhand grips tight, and Yanks upward in a cross body slash. Foregoing the predictable overhand most favor.
some things take insane bravery
but after that, you'll be free
Aisha liked her opponent already, his soft smoky tone, his boyish smile and good looks. The leopardess adored it, she adored the game he played with her. She was a girl for sarcasm, for jokes, for flirting and playfulness. It was always appreciated, always reciprocated, always enough to bring a smile to her lips. But everything is better with swords.
Harper provided his name and returned her teasing, a wink, closing the distance between them in such a lovely way. She was ready to purr back a response but a tense in his muscles caught her eye, she ducked backwards just in time, reactions sharp and poised. Adrenaline stoked her in that swift moment, then came down just a bit as she backed away, brow quirked as she licked her lips. Predatory, evaluating, amused was her expression, just before she dashed near again with a jab at his side.
Whatever chemistry may exist is already lending itself to the natural mounting adrenaline of a good fight. Harper, normally so cheery and boyish, already feels his smile folding into a sharper, more enticing edge as he adjusts to the weight and balance of the sword in his grip. When he lunges forward he is pleasantly surprised to see her dodge, sharp and lithe like a springing cat. He quickly adjusts the grip he has on the hilt, reversing the strike in anticipation of retaliation as well as to return to center mass. He's lucky to assume it, as their blades clash in a ring of metal as he deflects her jab towards his previously defenseless side.
With a devilish grin he tries to use his superior bulk to shove her sword away with his own, lunging closer to try and shove his free shoulder into hers to knock her off balance. All's fair in love and war right?
some things take insane bravery
but after that, you'll be free
Metal clashed with metal, a familiar and common sound at the training grounds, but ever so satisfying. The reverb flowed in shivers up her arm, her grip only tightening as she pressed her brute force against his, filled out muscles flexing and stressing over the pressure. Aisha pushed back stubbornly, unwilling to relent when it came to pure brute effort, not when she felt so confident in edge.
However he took an opportunity, lunging near and shouldering into her. She was pushed back from the clash, work worn boots sliding against the turf as she buckled down to keep sturdy. Honey eyes breaking from his sword to meet his gaze, she stepped in a quick circle around her own axis, then swiped her sword out horizontally at his, hoping the momentum and force might disarm.
Harper's grin is sharp and approving as she does not relent beneath the pressure of his muscle, his blade. It's an enticing match up, and if she cares to look between the clash of steel his admiration is blatantly obvious in the electric blue of his eyes. A chance meeting for a sparring partner has clearly landed him with a talented parallel, and he wonders if they could make this regular already.
She is shoved back by his shoulder, but again she does not relent, and a bark of an approving laugh escapes as the devilish twist of her sword unseats his own, slicing a thin bloody line across his forearm. But Harper is an acrobat, and he kicks out a leg to catch the sword on the bridge of his foot, tossing it back up to catch once more and falling back into a defensive position. The sting of a landed blow only fuels him, and he crooks a finger at her playfully, inviting her to make the next offensive move this time.
some things take insane bravery
but after that, you'll be free
As they clash, blades pressed against each other and unrelenting, Aisha glanced up onto a moment to meet his expression, the grin he wore. He was enjoying this as much as she was, and was that a hint of admiration? Oh she drank that up, perhaps that was the well needed boost of adrenaline that'd kept her going. Until the shoulder, and her breaking from it.
Her pivot and swipe meet their mark just perfectly, his sword flying from his grip, and her's taking a glancing slice at his forearm. She didn't expect the next move, the balancing act and catch that left the weapon in his hands once more. She quirked a brow, wondering just exactly where and how he'd learned that, and thinking it might be a useful endeavor to partake in. She might've asked, smirk clear and present, had he not beckoned her forward.
Another purr, adrenaline still pumping through her veins as she lashed out again, slicing diagonally up, but sliding a bit low, and aiming to kick at his ankles and knock him to the ground. The sword was her diversion, her real target was his foundations.
Oh, if she drinks up the admiration, he does so in turn. Sparing just enough time for a wink at the blatant display of acrobatic before they're both back on the move, forced backwards as she lashes out in a combo move he admittedly hadn't anticipated. Far too light on his feet, it's easy enough to jump the swipe of her long leg, but in doing so he sacrifices his guard to the sword. Meeting it with his own in a move that only partially redirects it. Stumbling backwards, he braces his good forearm against the blunt back of the blade, assuming a defensive stance and holding it for a moment until her strike runs its course. A damn good move, even if it hadn't turned out the way she'd planned.
Lowering his sword slowly, he catches his breath slightly and gives her a mischievous grin. "I'd ask you to hit the showers with me, but after seeing what you can do with a blade..." he trails off playfully, sheathing his own sword. They've both worked up a nice sweat, and from the voices he can hear drifting inward they won't be the only ones wanting the training grounds soon enough. "Will I see you around here again?"
some things take insane bravery
but after that, you'll be free
Her distraction proved to be her asset, Harper spending his efforts avoiding her kick and sacrificing the brute force against her sword. He was pushed back a bit, stumbling but holding the blade forward. Follow up maneuvers and machinations presented themself, all crying for her to choose them and press on, but once her sword broke from his she saw that he was lowering his sword.
Catching her breath, and realizing she was a little more worn than she'd felt a moment ago, she let her own tension diffuse, and her sword arm slackened. Her languid grin reappeared, Harper giving a coquettish comment to which she purred, "Oh sugar, this isn't the only sword I know how to play." Cheeky, steamy, and very sweaty even in the winter winds. To his next question she lazily gestured out and around, "You know where to find me," was her reply, and with that she started walking, shouldering coyly past him to make for the exit.
Oh what a fun boy she'd just met, and oh how she'd love to spar again.
