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!
They don't talk about it, not like the time in the ocean, that stumbling mess of emotions and memories, or like the time after the volcano, the somehow messier spiral and confessions. This feels more like an easy acceptance, like they don't really need words to get the feeling out. Maybe that means they're getting better at this. Nate hopes that's the case, hopes that it doesn't turn into something he should've said.
Either way, they move past it, leave it to be what it will.
"I'm glad you got so much faith in me, Jata." Nate laughs back, certain they were more evenly matched, even with his advantage of not feeling pain. He wouldn't say no to the flattery though. His uninjured hand reaches out to grab a length of bandage from Sunjata, wrapping his good hand easily as he's tugged along to the ring. "Guess this is another first then, huh?" He points out, tugging his shirt off and discarding it somewhere outside of the ring.
Blue eyes follow the motion of Sunjata's hands as he wraps just the right one, not rising to meet that smirk, that stormy gaze until they fall still. No left hands." Nate nods, tucking his own left hand behind his back, just to press the point a little further. His other one comes up in front of him, his stance shifting as he returns the smirk properly, waiting for the other man to be ready as well.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
A small grin crosses his face at the mention of having faith in him. And honestly? He doesn’t know if he ever wouldn’t. “Of course I do.” He offers easily, tattooed shoulders rising and falling in a shrug with that, offering some of the bandage for Nate to wrap his other hand up with. He doesn’t know what kind of fight Nate might put up, had never seen it in action, and while boxing was one thing? It was different place to place — as he’d found out when he’d sparred with Ronin.
But he’s tugging Nate along now, into the ring, unashamedly watching when Nate discards his shirt, gaze lingering along the tattoos briefly before he does the same for himself — peeling the shirt off and tossing it into a heap with Nate’s own. “I guess so.” He replies, a quiet chuckle of laughter leaving his throat. Yet another to add to the list as it seems to grow longer and longer the more time he spends with Nate.
He certainly isn’t complaining.
He follows the motion that the Ascended does, his left hand behind his back to keep from using it, before his gaze finds Nate’s own, smirk to smirk, adrenaline pumping in his veins already and increasing his heartbeat. He mimics Nate’s stance, waiting to ensure Nate’s ready. “So, if we fuck each other up too badly, I did replace the bed upstairs.” A wink shot toward Nate with that before he’s moving, shifting to step forward and bring his right fist toward the Ascended’s shoulder (very quite obviously holding back and still hoping he hits because he really doesn’t intend to hurt Nate, but a bit of roughing up was required.)
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
As soon as he sets foot in the ring, it brings a swagger to Nate's body, permeating every move he makes, from each step, to the way he flexes as he takes his shirt off, not missing the eyes on him. There's something more distinctly predatory in the gaze the roams over Sunjata in turn though, bright blue eyes glowing as they look over the other man, and... Nate has to blink, brows pulling together quickly, because there's a spot on the other mans leg that seems to shimmer. He stops just short of shaking his head, and tries to move past it, tucking away the event to talk about after.
A bright laugh leaves him at Sunjata's words, distracting him handily. "We'll have to break it in one way or another, won't we?" He sticks his tongue out at the tail of the words, not quite managing to school the expression back into focus before he's moving, stepping back easily, though it's not quite enough to entirely avoid the blow against his shoulder. It's barely enough to push him back though, and has his head tilting to the side, frown on his face. "You can do better than that. C'mon!"
He might love the other man, might be more than willing to entangle them together every time the option came up, to make promises and grand gestures, but Nate drew the line at pulling his punches. That much, at least. A jab shoots out, aiming at Sunjata's ribs, quick feet carrying Nate around the other man in a circle to follow it up with another one, aimed at his lower back. It's a struggle, clearly, to keep his injured hand behind his back, but he manages, for the moment.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
They would have to break it in one way or another, and Sunjata can’t tell which part he looks forward to most before he’s moving — aiming a fist at Nate’s shoulder, not going quite as hard as he usually might. And it’s noticed — of course, why wouldn’t it be? Nate would know that he’s holding back, and with it comes Sunjata’s first mistake.
His fist hits Nate’s shoulder, but not quite hard enough to stagger him around, and Nate’s retaliation for it is fierce, far less caring than Sunjata had been. And thank god for that. Nate’s own punches are felt, the first one hitting ribs with a slight popping sound that has him losing a fair amount of air, stepping (staggering) forward into the space the Ascended has abandoned and moving a small amount to try and twist and avoid the second punch. It’s more of a glance off his hip at that point, but it does give Sunjata a bit more motion through the sharp hint of pain that he can feel sprouting in his gut and along said hip. “Alright.” He grits out.
So half twisted, jaw slightly clenched, Sunjata aims a full turn now to face the Ascended, pushing off a small amount on the foot he’s placed his weight on to send the fist that much more in a calculated yet determined hook of a strike to Nate’s collarbone, fighting to keep his hand behind him and not reflexively pull it up to block the retaliation of it.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
A low huff of a laugh leaves Nate as his fist connects, hoping that some sense is knocked into the other man with the blow. There's a time to be concerned, a line that shouldn't be crossed, and they're not even close to it yet. The second strike is off, just a little, and it has Nate pulling back, just a step, shaking his fist out of habit, knowing the glance against Sunjata's hip should have left it twinging. His grin grows wider though, at the single word that drops from the attuned's lips, the only warning Nate gets before he's put on the defensive.
And this is really where his advantage becomes apparent, regardless of the way his footing is clumsy, backwards for the dodge he tries to do, pulling him into the blow rather than away from it. There's no way to block it with one fist, but the lack of pain makes it easier to not care, to shift with the blow and swing up again, aiming just below the spot he'd struck on Sunjata's ribs before. There's a twitch as Nate goes to follow it up with his other hand, stopping himself at the last moment, and bringing his leg up instead, inadvertently aiming for the spot he'd seen glowing earlier.
Maybe it was a little unsportsmanlike, but Nate couldn't imagine that the places the other man had fought before had been too concerned with sporting behaviour.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
Some sense definitely was knocked into him as he feels the reverberating sparks of pain that shoot up from where Nate’s punches had landed. And perhaps he was wrong in assuming that the spar would have much of a handicap despite their both chosen handicap of not using their dominant hands. However, Nate doesn’t feel pain and gods Sunjata absolutely does. He hisses beneath his breath as Nate takes the defense.
And Sunjata can definitely feel his fist collide with Nate’s and watch with some small part of frustration as the Ascended doesn’t even seem to react, continuing to move on despite something that would’ve probably knocked some air out of his lungs. But ah, right, he doesn’t need it. Sunjata grits his teeth as the fist lifts again and Sunjata tries so fucking hard to keep his left hand at his back – focusing perhaps a bit too much on that as the fist hits above where the last one did – already feeling the red splotches forming from the first one. It’s almost enough to try and pull his left hand out, but he grits his teeth and fights against that feeling specifically.
There’s power behind it, especially as Sunjata stumbles and staggers back a small amount, only to be caught by the leg that aims for his own – in quite a sensitive spot that Sunjata may or may not have forgotten blocked out of his memory. A few korofian curses slip from his lips, only adding to more of his stumbling. But ah, he’s attuned now, and he manages to even out a small amount – skin covering with that added thickness of the orca shift to help absorb some of the impact. “Hey.” He half grumbles, back suddenly quite near the ropes. “This is far less fair than I thought it would be.” Sunjata manages, surprisingly able to offer a slight smirk before the pain in his leg distracts him and he focuses on trying to put his weight on the other leg, half turning to offer a hook of a punch to Nate’s side with quite a bit more force in the attempts to get him to back away a bit.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
There is a huge amount of satisfaction that comes from seeing the frustration cross Sunjata’s face, as he seems to come to the same conclusion Nate had. A stronger willed man might be able to resist the urge to gloat, to let smugness take over, but Nate had never been in danger of being called strong willed, and sticks his tongue out in a childish taunt, just before he retaliates.
It’s the leg that presses that step too far, toes over the line, of course it is. And maybe Nate should be a little more worried about his lover, but it’s not like Sunjata went down, and its helped, just a little, by the partial shift. Maybe if he wasn’t ascended, or if he didn’t feel a little bad about the blow, he’d call it out as cheating. It strikes Nate suddenly that he’d seen the weakness, before he’d ever touched it.
The whine brings him back into the moment, drags a smile wide across Nate’s face. ”You can just admit you can’t keep up.” He teases, an exaggerated wink following the words. It’s clear to see he can’t keep up a completely carefree facade though, the way the other man is favouring his leg worrying him, slowing his step back just enough that he’s thrown off balance by the blow to his side, in the softness between his rib and his hip. It might not hurt, but it’s forceful enough to make him stumble, and make something like nausea rise up in the back of his throat. Nate takes a moment to recover, giving Sunjata the space he’d wanted, then, ever unwilling to give up the upper hand, his taunting position of superiority, stretches out his righty arm, opening himself up completely. ”Take a free one.” He offers. ”For the leg.” If Sunjata needs the incentive.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
If he wasn’t in so much of a surprising amount of pain, he’d probably laugh one of those rebounding chuckles to Nate’s taunt. As it stands now, however, he can’t help but to simply only offer a snort, still keeping his teeth clenched, still keeping that extra layer of protection along his skin. “Be a lot easier if I didn’t feel pain either. But fuck.” His accent is a bit thicker here, a sure sign of the pain he might be masking in his leg that shoots lightning through the rest of him.
But Nate slows after the stumble back, and Sunjata watches as his brow lifts in a silent question, his steel gaze narrowed along his lover, waiting to see just what Nate plans to do. He takes the space that’s offered to get his bearings again, his breathing and adrenaline under some sort of control, before Nate’s approach has him almost half wary to let the other man in his space once more (at least in this instance, not once it was over).
He does offer a bark of a laugh at Nate’s offer, a smirk splashing across his face though it holds some sharpness. “A free shot? I’m hurt, skatjie.” He hums, before likely making a mistake and getting a bit closer into Nate’s space, his right fist clenching and almost acting like he plans to take it (hopefully distraction enough), before he’s throwing his weight onto his good leg, and swinging out with the one that already sparks pain to try and sweep Nate’s legs out.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
"Don't worry darling, I'll take care of you once I'm done wiping the floor with you." There's something simpering in Nate's tone, despite the fact that it's more taunting. And somewhere deep down, Nate knows he should be careful, with his words and blows both, not wanting to cause real harm or get so cocky that the fall hurt when he fucked it up.
Falling comes sooner than he expects, and in a way he very much doesn't expect. Sunjata steps forward, closer than seems wise really, though Nate is going to keep his word, keep his hand down. "I just thought it might even it ou-" Words comes to an abrupt halt as Nate's feet are swept out from under him, sending his back thudding into the sand. It's a good thing he doesn't need breath, because all of it would have been driven from him by the impact. He has just enough sense to reach out though, to grab at the offending leg and tug, dragging the other man onto the floor as well.
Nate's lucky in the sense that he needs far, far less recovery time than someone else, say, the attuned laid out next to him. He shifts with a groan, feeling places in his back protest as he moves and ignoring it, shifting to crouch over Sunjata, right fist raised. He waits, wanting the steel eyes to meet dancing blues before he swings, aiming for the other mans jaw, for a knockout. The blow never connects though, at least not as anything more than a nudge, fingers uncurling to spread over the cheek instead. "Maybe next time." He chuckles, claiming the little victory easily.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
He’s tempted to chuckle brightly at Nate’s initial comment, the way his accent hits on certain words that have Sunjata forgetting momentarily about the sparks of pain that shoot through him, at the soreness and the redness of his body in certain areas. Instead, he focuses on his next chosen attack – especially when Nate’s close enough and he’s entering the space between them, edging on the fact that the Ascended is true to his word.
And he is, and Sunjata grins when Nate’s words come to a halt, when his leg connects with Nate’s own and sweeps them out, taking him down. Of course, the victory of that doesn’t last long, not as his lover is grappling for his leg, pulling him down with a loud thud and a pop of some sort of bone in his spine as he hits the ground and splays out beside Nate. His air leaves his lungs as well, and it takes him far longer to recover than Nate does, and already he’s half bleary eyed as he focuses on Nate’s stance when he goes to crouch.
Sunjata doesn’t even move, not able to find the air within him to nor to not focus on the even more stinging pain in his leg. So instead, he tilts his head toward the Ascended, smirking as the fist comes flying and then stops - half wondering if he would’ve continued on with it had it not been him, but that doesn’t really matter in the end. Instead, his head is nudged ever so slightly before lukewarm fingers splay over his stubbed cheek, and he nuzzles his head in a small amount – his hands coming up to pull Nate into him on the ground once more.
“Maybe next time a better handicap.” Sunjata smirks, though it’s evident he’s tired already with the sweat already gleaming along his skin and the bruises already forming. “I need a second.” He offers with a quiet and breathless huff of a laugh, chest rising and falling as he tries to ignore the pain in his leg.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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 his plan from the beginning to not actually have his fist connect with Sunjata's face, but Nate can't help but wonder what the other man must be thinking in that moment, as he leans in. It feels like trust, and as dumb as it is, as much as it should feel like a given at this point, it starts a mushy feeling flowing up in his chest, his smirk growing into something a lot wider and brighter. Hands convince Nate to lower himself again, leaning on his elbow beside the attuned, so he actually has the chance to get his breath back.
"Maybe. Or maybe no handicap." At this point, that was probably the most fair they could get, provided Sunjata used his partial shift the same way. "I... might have cheated too. I don't know." The admission comes out easily, a shrug rolling across Nate's shoulders before his head is lowering to rest against the other mans shoulder.
There's been more than a handful of moments now that Nate thinks he could live happily in, but this one seems particularly warm. Bright eyes roam over his lovers face, committing as much of it as he can to memory, the way he pulls in each breath, the dust sticking to sweat slicked skin, the smirk spread over his lips. "Take your second." Nate murmurs, leaning in to press his lips against Sunjata's cheek. It's not quite a kiss, or if it is, it's a long one, Nate content to sandwich the attuned's face between his lips and hand until they're ready to move.
05-20-2020, 06:32 AM (This post was last modified: 05-20-2020, 07:11 AM by Sunjata.)
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
The thought of no handicap, however, is one that Sunjata can’t quite fathom right now. Whether it’s the pain of his side along his ribs, whether it’s the stinging electricity sparking through his leg, whether it’s the fact that he still hasn’t caught his breath entirely yet, remains to be seen. So instead, he pulls Nate down, watching that smirk shift to something softer and brighter, wider and more charming and handsome in Sunjata’s eyes, and he’s content to remain in the sandy floor of the boxing ring just like this.
More so when Nate’s head lowers to rest along his shoulder, and Sunjata’s arm moves to wrap around Nate and keep him close. “It’s whatever. I cheated too.” He offers with a resounding rumble of a chuckle, a bit easier on the lungs now as he tilts his head back into the sand a bit, leaning into the touch and the kiss that’s pressed to his cheek, eyelids fluttering closed with Nate’s comment of letting him have this second.
It’s a memory he absolutely wants to keep.
After a few moments, or however long it’s taken, Sunjata’s breathing evens out and his heartbeat soothes a bit, able to take a deep breath and nuzzle into Nate a small amount, squeezing his shoulder gently. “You hit me in quite possibly the worst spot on my leg, by the way. So I’ll uh, probably need some help getting up the stairs.” A chuckle to this, despite the pain of it as he wiggles his foot and feels the pain spark once more.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
A low chuckle leaves Nate as an arm wraps around him, one that he promptly leans back against, even as it pulls him in closer. "We're really meant for each other, huh?" He rumbles back, settling easily in this warm space they've made. Though he manages to keep his gaze moving for a long moment after, committing everything he can to memory, eventually his own eyes fall still, fall closed, and he leans just a touch more of his weight against Sunjata, wanting to offer warmth he doesn't have, but settling for pressure instead. A weight, a reminder that he's right there.
Nate can feel the slowing of the other mans heart, pressed in close as he is. His eyes don't open when Sunjata shifts closer, when his shoulder is squeezed, when he speaks. "Yea, I think I... saw that." There's a little wince, wrapped around another grin, another, more apologetic kiss pressed in to the attuned's cheek. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't know it would be worse." Blue eyes finally snap open though, Nate rising to lean over Sunjata with a grin that is positively feral, that would be a little worrying if it were on anyone else's face. "Bet I could carry you." It's half joking and half serious, though it's clear by his face that this won't exactly be a romantic carry to bed.
we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels
rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing
“Cheaters in more way than one, huh?” Sunjata teases back, a light smirk crossing his face as he settles and keeps Nate close – chuckling lightly at the reply he receives. “I think we are.” He offers in response after, considering it and all the ways it could sound more poetic. Like how he can’t imagine this working as well as it does with anyone else. And how he’d have it no other way.
But he recovers as quickly as he can, murmuring to Nate as he feels and adores the weight he can feel pressed on him from the Ascended, steel gaze flickering to scan along Nate’s face – at the peace that seems to settle within it, and Sunjata’s far more content than he imagined he ever could be. “You saw that?” He asks after a moment, brows furrowing briefly in the confusion of that comment, before moving on.
And he can’t help the chuckle that leaves him as Nate moves, rising over him with a wicked and feral grin that reflects a small amount on Sunjata’s as he sits up a small amount and presses a kiss to Nate’s jaw before he leans back on his elbows. “I think I’d like to see you try.” He teases, flashing a wink, positive he’ll be shifting to a bird that’s far easier to carry if the Ascended struggles. “And if you’re successful then I’ll tell you the story of how my leg got fucked up.” He grins to this, head tilting, remaining still to let Nate try.
how willing you must be to kill angels
and how willing they must be to let you do it
SUNJATA
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.
