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!
Ronin has the good grace to play along, seeming utterly scandalised by his husband’s implication. ”No,” he says with playful indignance, ”I just know you love the thrill of the chas— oi!” He’s cut off by his own laugh, trying to flinch back away from the finger poking at his nipple. It certainly would have hurt like a bitch - probably as much as if Remi’s talons really had pierced his skin.
Still, he straightens up and falls quiet and still for the Alchemist to make his inspections, smile fading to something markedly more thoughtful. He watches Remi’s study, the intense focus, the fingers and feathers grazing over chafed skin that barely protests, such is his care. And a new smile graces Ronin’s lips; he reaches out to gently brush a curl out of his husband’s eyes. ”You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs, the words surprising himself as much as anyone else.
Though the Alchemist's face is mostly still, his mind is frantic. There's a wild and bright riot occurring in his soul; the thrill of something new to learn about his husband combined with the near-panic of needing to know everything now. That there is more to discover is a happy obstacle for the Alchemist to overcome, and so focused is he on his task that he hardly hears what it is Ronin is saying.
"I'm—" He says, as if slowing coming out of some sort of trance, lashes fluttering to refocus his gaze. Beautiful. Oh. Blushing furiously, coral creeping up from his jaw to blend in with the curls around his ears, the Alchemist can do little more than try and pull his lips back together despite his rapidly growing smile and deepening dimples. 'You're not meant to make me so tongue-tied, after all this time.' He says when his lips have loosened from the stupid-smile they were intent on forming.
THE ALCHEMIST
anymore than i can make my pain sweet
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Ronin’s blushing too, of course, the Star offering a crooked and bashful sort of smile to his husband. ”It’s true, though. I could watch you all day - I used to, when you were working on technical drawings for your inventions. If you think about it, it’s your fault anyway - you still make me feel like this, after all this time.” Shrugging his good shoulder, Ronin leans in to steal a sweet and slow kiss from Remi’s lips; and if not for the task at hand and the fresh ink on his skin, he probably wouldn’t have stopped there.
”Still need a lift?” he asks as he finally draws away, nodding over his shoulder to where his cloud still hovers, waiting for them. ”Supplies are already up on the roof. I put them there for us this morning.”
Had he not so studiously studied Ronin's shoulder keeping the fresh ink top of mind, he might have punched the Star's shoulder for his sass. "Sounds like you've got too much free time." The Alchemist replies, heart skipping a beat to feel the gentle press of Ronin's lips against his own. Much as their (much needed) night of passion lingered in the back of his mind, intimate and sweet moments that were nothing more than a kiss or the touch of a hand against a cheek were as healing as the release of sexual tension had been.
Humming out his exhale, Remi turns to look at the cloud still hovering nearby. At some point surely one of them would make a cloud-9 reference, but for now, already quite twitterpated, Remi is content just to follow behind Ronin as he cloud-elevators them to the roof.
"I suppose if we do take any damage, we can just call it a skylight." Remi observes with a grin. "Or I'll just start growing plants that stretch up the ceiling." With the return of his former earth magic, Remi's love of botany has returned as well. "Or I wonder if I could just reinforce the entire roof with vines and stocks.." Lost now in thoughts of a whimsical house made of vines and clover and moss, Ronin would have to snap the Alchemist out of it if he wanted any actual help.
THE ALCHEMIST
anymore than i can make my pain sweet
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”I beg to differ - look at all the chores there are to do,” Ronin says with a grin, carefully replacing the dressing and shrugging back into his shirt as they sink down onto the cloud. Buttoning his shirt as they fly up to the roof, he can’t seem to wipe the smile from his face. Feeling the skip of Remi’s heartbeat in his wedding band, watching the blush of coral around his ears... he’d meant it, when he’d called the Alchemist beautiful.
But there are things to get on with, regrettably. Climbing onto the roof and getting everything together, Ronin raises an eyebrow and looks back at his husband, flashing him a mischievous grin. ”I do miss our skylight,” he agrees, readying the roof tiles and the nails in a pot beside them. By then, of course, Remi has gotten lost in his own thoughts, and for a second Ronin is too happy to see the other man excited about something to react.
Eventually, though, he sidles up behind his counterpart, slipping arms around Remi’s waist and holding up a hammer for him to take. ”Before we do that, can we reinforce the existing roof?”
'Mmmhmm, all these chores to do and yet you've spent your morning on romantic gestures and compliments." It didn't sound at all like a complaint. In fact, if Remi has to use up all his strength to reinforce the house himself, he'd never complain for a second, for having had the opportunity to indulge himself in such shiny moments with his husband.
Startled by the arm around his waist, Remi flinches in Ronin's grasp. Images of a roof-ecosystem that becomes self-sustained with life disappear as a hammer waggles into his field of view. Huffing and accepting the hammer with a begrudging, "I'd rather hammer you" muttered under his breath, the Alchemist turns and gets promptly to work.
Having built a number of structures since having come to Torchline, it's actually quite easy for the pair to do the necessary repairs and reinforcements. With Remi's new abilities to produce metals as well as other supplies, the work goes surprisingly quickly.
"It's a bit quiet.." Remi says once their lunch break has concluded and they're back at work. "Serenade me, won't you?"
THE ALCHEMIST
anymore than i can make my pain sweet
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Ronin will happily spend every morning on romantic gestures and compliments if it means seeing Remi smile the way he has been, the Star letting out a filthy laugh at the muttered remark from his husband. Leaning in, he nips at the Alchemist’s ear, reaching back to give his ass a squeeze for good measure. ”Work first, play later,” he growls, the his breath hot against Remi’s cheek. Then they’re away, of course, hammering nails instead of each other, and getting the house all fixed up for monsoon season.
A morning well spent, Ronin is gathering together the supplies for their next task when Remi asks for his serenade. ”Go on then,” he murmurs, leaning across to kiss his husband’s temple, heading up the steps onto the porch and singing a low, sweet tune under his breath. It’s a song about a solitary rider, about loneliness and cold, about the dawning sun in winter. Hardly the same kind of shanty from when they were building canals, but it’s a fitting melody for the rain beginning to fall overhead.
