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!
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
Booze it is.
Taking Vervain's hand in yours you meander toward a stall selling what appears to be some sort of fruit-based beer. You pay the small merchant for two steins of it, ordering a blackberry brew for yourself and letting her choose her own.
Raising your glass in a universal sign of cheers, you grin at your date for the day. "Here's t'new things," you declare, thinking of the gift you still have to give her with a mixture of anxiety and glee. The drink is surprisingly both sweet and sour, and very frothy, leaving a second mustache of purpley-grey foam bubbling on your beard.
Vai goes for peach, in the end, and she clinks her stein against Zeph’s and offers him a bright grin as she takes a swig from it. Hers is sweet and smooth, but she’s giggling over the rim of the cup at the purpley second mustache that his drink leaves. ”You got a little something there, sweetie,” she says, blue eyes wicked as she reaches out to wipe the froth from his beard.
”Any good?” she asks, offering her own out so he can try it, and licking her fingers clean. The tart taste of blackberry after the sweetness of the peach makes her nose scrunch, but it’s nonetheless delicious. ”Does Torchline have much in the way of fruit beer?” she wonders, gazing up at the canopy of branches above them.
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
You nip playfully at the fingers that wipe your beard, licking your lips as she draws away. "I was savin' it for later," you protest, jutting out your chin and pursing your lips in a gesture that could only be described as nyyyeh.
"Fuckin' delicious." You offer yours in exchange for hers, swirling the amber liquid thoughtfully before taking a healthy sip. "Mmm, very sweet." Not in a bad way, but you prefer your tarter beverage. A little bit of zing is good for a man. "Nah, we're more'a hard liquor people. I can make a mean mojito, though." You waggle your eyes playfully, offering back her stein.
The crowd is growing, strains of music and laughter drifting pleasantly through the air. Wrapping your arm around her waist, you gaze into the crowd. "So what's tradition for this event, eh? Dancin'? Games? Presents?" The last word is said with a mischievous smirk, your earthen eyes twinkling as you look sidelong at Vai.
”No need to be so frugal, I’m sure we can just get you another one rather than you having to save it for later,” she remarks with a grin, accepting the stein in return and taking a healthy drink from it, though after the sweet peaches it’s almost enough to taste bitter in her mouth. Pleasant though, no doubt about it. ”I think yours bit me,” Vai says through a chuckle, accepting her own drink back and leaning into his arm.
”A man who makes cocktails,” she gasps, raising an eyebrow up at him. ”You’ve never told me this. I know what we can do when we get back.” As if. They’ll probably end up drunk off their tits and sleeping in the Greatwood.
Watching the festival through eyes that want to drink in everything, Vai can still feel the mischief in Zeph’s stare. ”All three, actually,” she murmurs. ”Why, you got a preference? Can you dance?”
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
"Cocktails can be manly," you counter in response to the unspoken tease, puffing up your chest and jutting out your chin again. "I'm a man'a many hidden talents. You never asked." You'll be more than happy to make a drink for her, whenever you get back to Torchline. Hopefully later rather than sooner - you don't fancy going through those portals again, and the day is too pleasant to abandon.
Looking back to the crowd, you grunt a soft, noncommittal sound. "Used'ta. Back before I got old'n achy." It's similar to what you told her about LongNight celebrations, but this time with far less conviction to remaining aloof. Suddenly you chuckle, adopting a far-off look. "Though I did take Red dancin' durin' LongNight. Poor kid'd never done it before."
”Oh I already know that,” Vai says of his many talents, grinning and slipping an arm around him in return with the explicit purpose of squeezing his ass. ”Though perhaps I should ask more questions. Like ‘why do you look like the cat that’s got the cream since we got here’, hm?” Chuckling, she takes another sip of beer, content to stand and chat and enjoy the atmosphere for the time being. The warmth of him against her side isn’t something she thought she’d find any time soon, if ever again, so she’s relishing this all she can.
Snorting, she gives him a good natured elbow in the ribs. ”If I can dance, you can dance,” she informs him, and it’s only confirmed at the remark about his lodger. ”How sweet,” she says, turning to slip her other arm around him now, swaying gently to the music. No real dancing, not when they might spill their drinks. But this’ll do. ”You’re a proper soft touch, you know that?” Vai winks.
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
You fall easily into the sway of her body, not really caring if you're moving with the music because you're moving with her. Your free arm maintains its place around her waist, and you take another long sip of your beer, chuckling at her designation of being a soft touch. "Lies and slander," you protest indignantly, leaning forward to kiss her nose. "'sides, if I'm a softy yer a marshmallow."
You're more than happy to stay here, like this, well into the sunset, but there are other matters on your mind, more things to explore. Your hand drops to squeeze cheekily on her ass before you let go, stepping away just enough to clasp her fingers in yours. "C'mon, let's go find some'a the games. You can win me a prize."
”Such lies. Much slander,” Vai confirms, closing her eyes as he leans in to kiss her nose. He smells like blackberries and the sea, and she smiles as they sway to the beat of their own drum. ”I never said I was anything but a marshmallow,” she informs him haughtily, though the way she acts (and drinks, and shoots arrows into things) says differently. Zeph squeezes her ass and Vai tilts her hips against him, stepping away to look around as well.
Her fingers slip into his more and more readily, the witch spying a hoop tossing game in one corner. ”A prize, eh? I think I could win you a little something.” Winking, she tugs his hand and leads them over to the game, accepting three hoops and narrowing her eyes at the pegs against the wall. ”Want to compete?”
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
You let her drag you to the ring-toss, grimacing at her choice but not protesting. It seems terribly stacked against you given her excellent aim and your total lack of it, but you're a good sport and willing to give (almost) anything a shot. "You jus' wanna kick my ass again," you protest with a smile, taking your own set of three rings into your left hand.
Honestly, it looks easy enough. Easier than managing a bow, you figure, so you probably won't make too much of a fool of yourself. "Ladies first," you say, bowing with an arm extended gallantly toward the pegs, definitely not planning on copying her technique.
”Excuse me, I am winning you a prize.” Vai giggles, nudging her shoulder against his with a shit-eating grin. She sizes up the pegs and their distance relative to where they were both standing, eyes narrowing as she considered it all. ”Kicking your ass again just happens to be part of the fun.” She shrugs, her expression growing more softly flustered as he bows to her. There’s something about that roguish charm that catches her every time.
”You can pick the next activity,” she suggests, taking a small step back before throwing her first ring. It spins through the air like a frisbee, landing squarely on the peg. The second follows suit, Vai cheering, but unfortunately the third goes bounces off into the forest. ”Oops.”
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
"I can think'a much funner things t'do with my ass," you murmur back, fixing her with your own roguish grin and winking your scarred eye. Carefully you watch as she lines up her shots, the temptation to pinch her butt mid-throw painfully tempting. You do want your prize, though, so you resist the urge.
She misses the third one, a great surprise, and you raise your eyebrows. "Oh ho ho, the mighty huntress has fallen," you tease lightly, lining up your own shots with a very exaggerated bravado that you will definitely follow through on.
The first ring lands - miracle of miracles! - giving you a very inflated sense of confidence. Then the second and third ones go very wide indeed. The fae gamemaster gives you a very scathing look, then extends to Vai a small stuffed rabbit. Play again to win another! he says cheerfully, his bright eyes twinkling.
That's a nope from you.
Waving off the invitation, you put an arm around Vai's shoulders and steer her towards where gold ears of corn are being roasted on an open flame. "I think eatin' contests're more my thing."
”The mighty huntress was distracted,” Vai remarks with a flash of teeth, stepping back to let him take his go, though it would be a lie to say she isn’t also considering sabotaging him. Still, her prize is a small stuffed rabbit, one that she tucks happily under her arm. Drinking the last of her beer, she leans into Zeph as they return to the festival, waving to the stall vendor.
The golden ears of corn certainly look tempting, especially when dripping with the flavoured butter that the Fae attending to it is doing. But an eating contest? Scoffing, she gives him an elbow in the ribs. ”I can think of something better to wrap my tongue around,” she says under her breath, before taking a seat before the fire. ”Go on then, sir.”
you'll breathe easier just knowing that the worst is all behind you
& the waves that tossed the raft all night have set you on dry land
"Aw, c'mon- I happen t'know yer awful skilled with your mouth," you tease as she goes to sit and watch. Very well: you will have to do your best and impress her with your incredible skills of stuffing your gullet. Very sexy. An excellent choice.
You take a place at the table of competitors, raising your eyebrows to Vai before taking stock of the others. Now that you've committed you're beginning to think you may not be even close to drunk enough for this shit, but it's a bit too late to back out with your dignity intact. Not that your dignity will be intact when you're done here, or that you had much to begin with, but eh.
A fae comes and sets a plate containing five ears of corn on the table in front of you. The rules are simple: first one to choke down all their corn and raise both hands in the air is the winner.
Ding ding, motherfuckers.
You eat with a furious concentration, standing up for leverage or something? man who knows. All in all the whole thing takes less than two minutes (horrifying) and then you're raising your arms with a triumphant "WHOOP!", face and beard covered with corn debris and butter, perfectly aware that you'll be shitting kernels for a week.
”If you win, maybe I’ll give you a taste of what I can do with my mouth,” Vai suggests, giggling as she goes to watch him sit at the competitors’ table. Vai, for her part, stays around the fire with a few others, nibbling on only one ear of corn in her own time whilst the others apparently try to gag themselves on it.
She’s watching the competition over the flames, though, with a mix of horror and fascination, a grin spreading across her face - Vai thought she was competitive, but this was something else. And wouldn’t you know it - Zeph is the first one to fling his arms up and proclaim victory, much to the whooping of other (much more drunk) people around the fire, and the groans of shame from his fellow competitors.
”I think that was the greatest and most terrifying thing I ever saw,” she remarks afterwards; Zeph’s prize - which is just as scary a thought - is free drinks for the rest of the festival.
