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!
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
Oh but she manages it, his praise and the posture she has him in has her unable to keep the grin from forming. She makes a note of what he tells her regarding shoulders, but doesn’t move to follow up. She’s already got him, much to her surprise, and she releases him with the easy pat on her arm. He breaks away and she stands relatively still, stretching out her wrists as she watches him, takes in the information he gives her, gives into the practicing until she’s breathing a bit heavier than normal, until a bit of sweat gleams along her temples.
But she is strong. Not in the way of fighting, but in building, in having to move heavy objects by hand, having to lift and pull and drag. Perhaps she’s better at this than she’s anticipated… until of course he’s asking her to tackle him. Brown eyes watch him with suspicion, the size difference between them, and how she imagines it might feel tackling a boulder (ie, a challenge).
But she takes a deep breath, shakes her head, dark hair dancing around her face. “This is going to go quite poorly, you know.” She informs him, quite matter of factly, before she’s loosened up while she thinks of the ways people had practiced here before as she’s walked past. So she decides to try it out; turning so she can launch herself at him from his side, hoping to somehow manage to wrap her legs around his middle, to wrap her arms around his neck, hopefully throwing him off balance to bring him to the ground with the way she’s swung herself.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
"Oh, I know," Ronin says with a sly sort of smile, shrugging his shoulders to her. And it does go poorly, just not quite in the way he anticipates; it's a difficult thing, to predict a small woman launching herself at you like a spider monkey. Indeed, it's not even something Ronin thinks would ever happen 'in the wild' (i.e. in a real assault) and that's probably why she pulls it off spectacularly. Instead of the grapple that he expects to pull her into, suddenly Sera is attached to him by all four limbs, and in his surprise Ronin goes down like a sack of potatoes.
He's laughing, though, and suddenly this combat has gotten even closer than intended, the Artificer atop him and the Star trying to get his elbows beneath him. "Okay, okay!" he chuckles. "You're kind of flipping this into a self-aggression lesson, you know. Remind me to learn a new way to defend against that, though." He raises his eyebrows at her, offering for her to climb off him any time she likes.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
She doesn’t know exactly what it is he’s expecting, but it doesn’t exactly go according to her plan either. She wraps around him, all limbs, taking him down and fully prepared to hit some part of her body against the springy training floor. But she doesn’t, wondering if he’s had the forethought to swivel his body a bit so that when they land, she’s straddling him, heat flaring across her cheeks as she peers down at him and that grin of his, of the laugh she can feel reverberating from him.
And really, it’s a bit awkward, Sera knowing that he’s married, but still unable to swap out of the flirtation now that she’s got him in a position like this, and instead her lips quirk into something akin to a proud smirk. “What? You said take you down. It worked.” She chimes, quite proud of herself before she’s leaning over him, hands braced on either side of him to peer at him with that dark brown gaze of hers. She leans in as if she’s got a secret to tell. “To be honest... I didn’t think it would work.” She murmurs, pulling back and away from him, flashing that grin at him again, though she doesn’t get off of him just yet.
He makes quite a comfortable seat while she catches her breath, she thinks.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
She's not the only one who needs to catch her breath, Ronin having successfully knocked the wind out of himself now that she's astride him, and as she leans in as if to confess some kind of secret, he can't help but scoff and shake his head to her. "Me neither," he admits with a grin, "though maybe you should make sure that your opponent isn't armed before you go trying that again, okay?"
Ronin isn't armed, luckily (though really, with skills like the ones he possesses, is that ever true?), but as she sits back, pleased as punch, all curves and sweat and dark hair, it doesn't take a genius to figure out where all the blood is rushing. Clearing his throat, Ronin's smile turns a bit wry, and he glances down at himself. "You want me to show you how this grapple is done?" he asks.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
He hadn’t expected it to either, the thought bolstering some of her pride. But he speaks of being armed and she realizes that it wasn’t even something that crossed her mind, smile faltering slightly in the corners as she adds that to another mental marker for her defense. Of course, someone like him could easily destroy her if he wanted to. It’s something she understands just given what he is.
Still, the last thing she expects when those thoughts cross her mind, is when she sits back, still relatively proud of herself and feels what it was she’s stirred in him. He clears his throat and her gaze focuses on his face, cheeks red just as much as before, if not a hint darker at the wry smile that crosses his face. And… Well, Sera can’t help but to keep the playful smile on her own, head cocking to the side slightly, shifting her body a fraction against him purely to see what his reaction would be. Distantly, she wonders what repercussions might come of it, but pushes it away for the answer. “I would love that.” She hums to him, pleased and playful and amused, her voice taking on a saccharine sweetness to it.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
This is absolutely not going how Ronin imagined it, and much as he wants to be bemused and unsure about it, it doesn't stop him (or his body, evidently) from responding. Indeed, as Sera shifts against him - on purpose, he thinks with a hint of amusement - she will feel a growing hardness that is entirely her fault. And even though she's agreeing to more training, she's not moving away from him. No, she's moving more, and the hissed inhale of breath it causes will doubtlessly spark more sweet smugness in her expression. Not that Ronin cares.
"With pleasure," he croons instead, trying to play it cool - as cool as one can play it with an erection that's only getting worse, anyway. "Though if I'm going to teach you anything I'm afraid you'll have to get me off-- I mean-- get off me." He huffs out a laugh, rubbing at the back of his head and gazing up at her expectantly.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
Really there’s little Sera should worry about. She’s in Stormbreak, she’s unattached, and it isn’t like she loves him or anything. It’s these thoughts that bounce to the forefront of her mind, amusement flickering in the dark gaze she casts over him, watching his hissed inhale of breath, feeling the effect she’s having on him. It isn’t how she expected this to go either, but she can’t say she’d complain.
She watches as he tries to play it cool, lips quirking a bit more edging into a smirk again as she hears his words, a huff of laughter leaving her, a raise of a dark brow aimed right at him. “I could.” She toys with the thought, the idea of it, letting that fiery flame begin to flit down her spine. But she digresses, shifting in almost teasingly slow movements as she pushes herself up and away from him, moving to stand, offering a hand out for him to help him up, all with a glimmering smolder dancing in her gaze.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
Were it not for the fact that his husband is thousands of miles away (potentially) and the only action Ronin gets these days, wet dreams aside, is from the Silk Houses - and oh what a debt he's probably racking up there - this probably wouldn't be happening. In fact it's a very rare thing indeed for the former Captain of Training to be riled up by a little close contact, even if Sera is an admittedly beautiful woman.
In short, it's equal parts frustrating and embarrassing, and there's a bit of pink to his cheeks as well as a crooked smile on his face as she finally rises to her feet. Ronin accepts the hand up, getting himself upright again (and taking a second to adjust certain parts of himself, to boot) before addressing her once more.
Exhaling a short, decisive breath as if to get himself back into business-mode, the Star motions for Sera to come at him again. "This time, act as if you want to knock me over, rather than come in for a hug?" he suggests with a smirk.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
They part and the flame in her simmers with the distance, even as she extends her hand to him, helps him right himself before he takes over from there and she’s rolling her shoulders a bit, loosening up again as she peers at Ronin and his sudden shift to Business Mode. It’s amusing to her, in all honesty, but she doesn’t comment on it — no, the flush to his cheeks is an indicator the effect she’s had on him hasn’t left.
Well that’s one thing for pride, she supposes.
But she studies him now, the way he holds his weight, using a bit of her work as an Artificer to figure it out. He’s taller than she is, and if one thing she knew from building and creating… Well, one needed to have a strong foundation. But her element of surprise to come at him is gone, and she decides to play a bit with it, coming in closer to him at an easy pace, looking almost like she might embrace him, before she’s moving swiftly now to try and use her leg to take his feet out from under him, hoping he hasn’t planted himself as hard as other parts of him.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
Fool him once, blah blah blah. Ronin isn't so lusty that he falls for the easy sway of her hips as she draws close to him, the Star playfully narrowing his eyes as if asking her to go ahead and make her move - a move they're both aware she's going for. And when it comes (ha), he's ready for it; his leg refuses to budge, and he uses Sera's forward momentum to topple her over back to the ground.
Ronin follows, of course, the intention always being to teach her how to down an opponent, though this is a great deal more of a detour than expected. He's chuckling, at least, as he gets a knee against her back (gently, of course - they're still training after all) and her arm twisted. "And that's how it's done," he says, releasing her almost instantly to straighten up again. "You think you could do that to someone in a pinch?"
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
He’s ready, she should have expected it, and she somewhat knew it. But she’s already in too deep, trying to hook around his legs, failing spectacularly, a surprised sound slipping from her lips as he deftly takes her down, knee gently on her back and arm twisted behind it. She squirms a bit, falling still as laughter, bright and billowing leaves her lips. Does she think she could do this? Gods no.
“Probably not when my opponent is hard as a rock.” She half mutters, half laughs — indicating the muscle tone and nothing else, even when she knows how it might sound. But she pushes herself up when he releases her, sitting on the ground for a brief moment to peer up at him. “Perhaps I’m better suited to traps.” She comments, pushing some of the loose hair from her face and brushing a bit of dirt from her clothes.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
"Practice makes perfect," Ronin retorts easily in response to her quip, though the pink still hasn't faded from his cheeks. Granted, they both know exactly what she's talking about (and it isn't muscle tone, washboard abs notwithstanding), and none of their antics have done anything to get rid of it even in the slightest. Still, the Star seems determined to ignore it if at all possible, although nothing about the encounter seems to have dissuaded Sera, and instead he offers her a hand up.
"So there you have it," he murmurs. "Get those perfected and you'll at least be a little more ready for anyone who tries to grab you, wherever it is you're going." With a lopsided smile, he'll help to pull her to her feet if she allows it, glancing over the dust and dirt that cover her clothes. "I hope you haven't got any important meetings after this," he says apologetically.
it's cold, it's dark, it's deep and it's wet and you ain't gonna make it if you don't let someone in
He responds easily enough, and it’s a phrase she’s heard and told herself numerous times in her life, enough that she nods and lets that be the end of it. The offered hand is taken quickly and easily, her own calloused hands fitting into Ronin’s as he pulls her up and back onto her feet again. “Hopefully I don’t have to use it.” But as always, it was better to know how just in case.
She smoothed her clothes out, not missing the way his gaze drops to the dust and dirt. Her own flicking up to his face with an amused smile. “I tend to schedule my meetings early in the morning just in case.” She winks, settling a bit more now that they’re done, her breathing starting to regulate. “And I wasn’t sure how long this would take, so I’m very much open the rest of the day.” She can’t help the soft him to her tone as she takes her hair out of the bun she’d had it in, the dark waves falling over her shoulders as she tries to tame it back into something presentable.
“What are your plans?” She asks, unable to hide the edge of a smirk from crossing her lips at trying to guess.
darlin', darlin', why don't you sleep at night? the colder the heart, the warmer the gun
"Better to have it and never need it than the other way around," Ronin reasons, though honestly, at this point he's just saying things for the sake of it rather than because it makes any sense or because he's paying attention to the words coming out of his mouth. It's a difficult thing, concentration, when his pants want to tent and the woman before him is taking her hair out of its fastenings and shaking it over her shoulders in a carelessly attractive way that he's never seen a guy achieve.
With a smile, he brushes off his own clothes as well, resisting the urge to rest his hands in his pockets lest he cut off the circulation to important places (it's tight enough down there already, thanks). "I should have known the Artificer would be good at organisation," he murmurs, before glancing around at the training grounds. "Me? I've got dummies to finish making. I work to my own schedule, so I can fill my time as I like. You've left me with a bit of a problem to take care of, though, so I'll probably deal with that first."
She knows exactly what he means. The hell she doesn't.
