Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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I want to know where I can go when you're not around
Her face shoves and nestles itself in against the warmth of his chest, grasping him with a distinct amount of desperation until her hands find their place up around his back. She stifles any further emotions that threaten to devour her and shake her down.
Several minutes will pass like this. Probably the only thing keeping her steady is Milo's presence and embrace, a solid foundation for her to engross herself in.
Her mind is in a whiplash, springing between the instinct to run and the ambition to get through it. One side of her wants to beg him not to make her do this, plead to him that they can forget about this shitty idea. Maybe she can get through life without mastering her abilities. The other side? The other side is a storm of anger and ambition, a driving force telling her that none of that is an option.
So at first, the breathing exercise is moot. Her three inhales come in quick gasps, not able to hold her breath in long enough. His patience is valuable, though. Eventually the adrenaline fades, leaving her only with the humiliating realization that she wanted to give up just when she had started to get control over this. Her muscles slump and she starts to pull back from Milo.
"I don't want to hurt anyone.. but it..." her voice is a meek crack in the sound of the ocean rolling in, of the fire bristling behind her, "it's gonna get out of my control, Milo, I know it is. And if that happens, and someone gets hurt, if you get hurt- It's gonna be my fault-" she can feel the panic rising back up, can feel it in the tightening of her muscles.
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
He’s patient as can be – content to be there however she needs him to be, for however long she needs him to be. It was one of the perks of being a runner, of having the ability to sit and wait for the packages to arrive before using most of his stamina and endurance to take the package wherever it needed to go. For her, though, he remains a steady pillar, focused entirely on her and her breathing, trying to get her to calm, using his arms as a weight to keep her close, to let her know that he wasn’t going anywhere.
And when she finally calms just enough, he can feel her shoulders slump, he can feel her as she begins to pull away, and he lets her – lets her have space, never one for smothering. “I know, ‘Relia. I know.” He murmurs to her after a few heartbeats of silence. But he steps toward her, reaching out to rest his hand on her arm, where his bracelet she had gifted him sat, trying to get her to look at him.
“People’ll get hurt whether y’know how to do it or y’don’t.” If she lets it get that bad. “But… Maybe I made a mistake too, askin ya t’bring it t’ya.” So he, instead, focuses on summoning another moth. It flits around his head and then hers, before drifting toward the fire, a fair and safe distance away from the two of them. “Y’wanna try puttin’ the fire on that? Or d’ya wanna stop the magic trainin’ for tonight?”
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
The braided cords on his bracelet brush over her skin and her mind draws a sudden blank.
"You're still wearing that..." she observes quietly, glancing up at those dark eyes of his.
All of these emotional rollercoasters her mind wants to take her on are difficult to deal with, and there's no pretending that everything is perfectly fine with her. But I have him now... she reminds herself, I have him - and everyone else here.
What he says holds merit. People will get hurt, people already might be getting hurt - with or without her help. There's not much use in worrying about something that's yet to actually happen when so much already is going on around them.
The moth flutters past her towards the fire but her gaze lingers on Milo a little longer. "No, I don't wanna stop- not yet. Just..." she doesn't know what she wants to ask of him. There's a bunch of things but, which words she wants to say most, she can't decide. Like the fact that this is incredibly painful. Or asking him to just stay here with her. Or that she needs him to keep talking, to get her through this. "Let me try again," is what eventually comes out.
She faces the flames once more and locates the moth as it flits about. Her anger has dissipated, replaced by a spark of determination. The emotion is much less extreme this time. She brings her hand back up as if laying it over the fire. She's hoping to start at the heart of it and that it'll be easier to find that tether if she does.
The force in the flames is a lot on her dampened mood, no longer masked by anger. Right as it feels like her concentration is about to lapse, her hand curls into a fist and a log in the firepit splits right down the middle with a raucous snap. At first, she jumps - but rather than let go, she keeps her focus. That isn't the objective. The objective is the moth.
Her arm swoops out towards where it hovers about in the darkness, and a ball of fire moves in tandem with it. The moth is eaten by the spitting flames. She only lets it fall away when the creature's nothing more than ash. A breath she didn't realize she was holding is released but otherwise, she feels undaunted.
"That was... better..." she admits, relaxing her stance and glancing over at Milo.
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
“Course I am.” He assures her with a soft smile. Why wouldn’t he be? It was a gift from her to him and despite the worry and fear that he’d gone through earlier and the distance between them, it wouldn’t stop him from wearing it. He told her he would try, and here he is… Trying. So he lets the smile fall over his lips, lets it light in his eyes, offering her all the encouragement he has to offer her.
She says she doesn’t want to stop just yet and the smile shifts to something closer to understanding – seeing the determination in her emerald gaze, lit by the flickering fire of the bonfire. “A’ight.” He remains by her side, a hand hovering near the small of her back, offering support should she need it as she faces the flames.
And again, he’s patient, as patient as he needs to be, letting that summoned moth flit around in the air a safe distance from them. She jumps with the crack of a log and he murmurs soft encouragement under his breath, watching and waiting. And it works, she brings that little glimmering blob of flame to hover beside the summoned moth, watching as it devours the insect and leaving ash in its wake. The grin that spreads across his face is proud, happy, excited when she relaxes her stance and glances over to him.
He leans over toward her a fraction and plants a kiss to her temple. “So, so good.” He comments, offering her another one of those bright grins, before he’s extending out his hand to summon another moth, but finds that he can’t. And so it’s that thought that has him turning toward his bag again, sure that he was about to run out of his summoning magic anyway. “A’ight so… let’s try other targets. Y’wanna try latchin’ onto a target on a rope?” He asks, grabbing a remade fishing pole specifically for a bit of target practice, to loop the edge of the rope around one of the targets he’d brought – and moving to ‘cast’ it by the flame, giving her room to focus on trying to latch her flame onto the metal knob.
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
His confident answer about the bracelet only fuels her own strength, bringing her back from that impulse to run away from who she is. If he can stand by her in spite of her past, in spite of the difficulty she's experiencing now, then that's all the assurance she needs that she's doing... something right.
She might lean back until she can feel his hand when she concentrates on setting fire to the moth. Any excuse to be close to him, to feel his warming touch, to let him lift her spirits because damn it she needs to lighten up. No pun intended. The kiss to her temple and his praise makes her look away sharply - as if embarrassed - but there is a small, tickled smile of her own.
"Um... sure!" She definitely doesn't sound sure, and she's not entirely clear on what he means, but she's willing to try whatever he wants her to.
She watches him set something up on what appears to be a fishing pole. This piques her interest some more and she readies her stance, feeling a little like this isn't so bad. It's almost a game at this point.
He casts one of the targets and she's readier this time than any of the others. Even if the size of the flame is small due to her dwindling stamina, it's with much more ease than before that she guides it straight for the target. Aurelia's starting to get used to the feeling, the motion of manipulating the fire.
She tries her best to stay focused on the target but her tether abruptly snaps like a tightly-wound thread. Confusion twists her expression as she loses the flame, reflecting in her bewildered tone, "Wait what? I thought I had that..."
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
He’s there for her wherever she needs him to be, stuffing down any worries or fears for her to be able to get a handle of this, a hold of it. His hand is at her back when she gets the moth to become alight with her flame and he watches it as the ash departs into the blackened night. But there’s pride that blooms along his face as he regards her, pressing the kiss to her temple, and going full steam ahead when she says sure.
The fishing pole is brought out – a typical little game given to the younger abandoned kids (not unlike shooting beer cans off a fence with a gun in one’s youth), only this time the target isn’t stationary. He keeps it as still as he can for this first attempt, watching her momentarily before the little line of flame begins to draw his attention. He steadies himself, waiting to watch and see if it engulfs the target, he’s even holding his breath – and when it doesn’t? When it disappears, there’s a furrowing of his brows briefly, before he smooths it over and flashes her a bright smile.
“Don’t forget yer breathin’.” He instructs easily, moving to adjust the target a bit. “Try again after a few inhales, try ‘n act like the fire’s an extension of ya. Like… An arm or somethin’.” Reach into the well within her and try to pluck that string she’s grasping onto, like the fire were her puppet.
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
The tether snaps and there's little she can do about it in the moment, lacking in the fortitude to bring it back from that brink. Does it deter her? Absolutely not. If anything, the frustration of it makes her want to rise to the challenge.
Setting aside how strange it is, how this element in particular can go fuck itself, she tries to listen to Milo's advice, tries to let his smile be a beacon in the dark. It won't fix everything but it does make the load feel a little lighter, to at least share it with someone.
Breath comes in and goes out slower, grounding her. One, two, three counts in, three counts out. In one final shove against her limits, she summons a bright flame. Using her body's tension to her advantage, she unleashes a leaping, twisting kick. The motion guides her fire toward the target but, after that? She leaves the rest to the flames. The target comes alight in a burning pile of parts, destroyed with ferocity - but little of it is her own doing.
Meanwhile Aurelia can feel her energy deplete, though it's a lot more mental than physical. One of her hands grasps for her temples, where a dull headache beats repeatedly against her forehead. She's done all she can for now, whether she wants to continue or not.
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
He gives her more guidance and she takes it easily, Milo standing there with the target on the end of the fishing rod, keeping it still as he waits for what occurs. And honestly, a lot does. The flame pulls and it’s a leaping string of flame that nails the target on the bottom, close to missing it but still managing to hit it. Luckily for him, he’d picked the target that was least likely to go entirely up in flames – the glass of the bottle warming up, the flame attaching itself to the end of the rope he’s used to tie it on.
Luckily, it’s easy for him to take the target on the end of the fishing pole to dunk it in the beach waters nearby, dropping it of its flame. He returns to set it up to dry, before he moves to reach for her, spying the pressure to her temples, and leaning in to wrap his arms around her in a gentle hug. “Y’did real good ‘Relia.” He hums, pressing his cheek into the crown of her hair.
“Let’s get ya some water. Come ‘n sit over here ‘n I’ll grab it.” Should she be willing, he’ll help guide her to the seat he’s picked, immediately moving to the pack he’s brought to pull out the jug of water he should have had out earlier but he’d been distracted. He plops a seat and offers it to her first – seeing as he’s hardly done the work here.
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
02-23-2021, 10:01 AM (This post was last modified: 02-23-2021, 10:05 AM by Aurelia.)
Aurelia
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
There is a moment of hesitance when her fire reaches past burnt glass for the rope. Fortunately, before the hungry flames can truly spread, Milo's got it under control.
As the tension leaves her muscles and control over that chaotic element is lost, the fire in the pit dies down to a more natural burn. All she's left with is a fatigued strain which pinches her eyes closed and brings her hand up to rub her forehead. The shuffle of sand underfoot and a faint scent of citrus makes her blink up to look at him.
"Thanks," she croaks out as she leans into his hug, lowering her hand away from her temples.
She amicably takes a seat where he directs, settling into the spot with a sigh. She bites back against the dull ache and accepts the waterjug, taking a few generous gulps from it. It's not ice-cold but it is cool and that gives her a bit of relief, easing her tense expression.
"I wish I had water magic instead," she says lamely as she sets the jug down. It's almost woeful and she kind of really means it but, she smiles softly at Milo and forces some humor into it anyway. She shifts in the sand to face him a little better, folding her legs.
More seriously, she's curious about his own magic. With a soft frown, she asks, "When you summoned the moth, did it... did you feel it when it died? Or..?" More specifically, did he feel its pain?
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
“Yer welcome.” He responds with an easier smile, shuffling in the sand a bit, leaning back on one hand to rest. His gaze never leaves her face, though, too distracted with ensuring that she’s okay. As for her comment about water magic? Well, Milo can relate. He laughs, a soft sound, bobbing his head in agreement. “I always wanted craftin’ magic. Or somethin’ fun like earth.” A shoulder shrugs idly, huffing out a quiet sigh as he focuses on the fact he doesn’t have either of those.
One day, maybe.
She distracts him from that rabbit hole with a question of his own magic, one that has his gaze drifting toward the crashing sea before returning to her after a few moments. “Nah. They don’t… Feel. They’re not really real so they don’t have pain ‘r anythin’.” He offers her an easy smile. “Nice t’have when yer fuckin’ with people tho. Summoned a cat once ‘n set Nate on a chase. Guess he was lookin’ fer one.” He’d eventually done the right thing but he couldn’t miss the opportunity of it all.
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
She mumbles out a laugh with him, agreeing that "Earth would suit you." Her gaze shifts slightly at the sigh he emits, thinking that it sounds disappointed. Rather than ruminating with him on magics they both don't have but wish they did, she leans in to bump him with her shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile. There is always one day.
Aurelia settles there, letting the distance remain closed between them, and listens as he explains what it's like for summoned animals. It's a little relieving to hear that they can't feel pain, she supposes. He moves on to add that he likes to use the animals to fuck with people. She didn't specifically take him for the prankster type but, now that he says it, it makes a lot of sense.
This causes a wry grin to grow onto her face, especially when he brings up messing with Nate - of all people. "Nate?!" She echoes, sounding both perplexed and amused, "He must really like cats. I didn't take him for the type to fall for something like that."
"Wonder how I could prank people with my magic." She tilts her head, letting her cheek rest on her shoulder, letting out a soft hum. "I guess I could always set Jack's hair on fire," her eyes light up probably a bit too much at that idea, but the look switches to something more mischievous as she glances down at Milo's shirt, "Or burn people's clothes off."
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
“Would, wouldn’t it?” He chimes about earth magic, huffing a quiet sound about it. Eventually, though, perhaps he’d manage to get that magic, to be able to shift and change the world around him as he saw fit. For now, however, he’s content to sit there beside Aurelia, to offer her some amusing tidbits about what kind of shenanigans he’s been up to. The wry grin on her face sparks an amused one on his own, crooked and bright.
A shoulder rises and falls in a shrug at that comment of cats, though. “Nah, he was lookin’ fer a Sear Cat.” Milo begins, flashing her a softer smile. “Needed t’get somethin’ from it t’get his eye back I guess.” A hand rises to tap at his cheek just under the eye that Nate had lost and had replaced, as if to explain it to her.
As for Aurelia pranking people with magic, he watches her almost coyly, a bright laugh leaving him at the mention of burning Jack’s hair off. But her next suggestion has him raising a brow, Milo peering over at Aurelia as she appraises him as if she might devour him. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t heat his blood. “Oy, y’know there’s a much more painless way t’do that.” He suggests, leaning over to latch onto her arms and pull her into his lap. “Otherwise y'might end up havin' t'kiss the burns 'n make 'em better.”
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
I want to know where I can go when you're not around
There's a pause in her breath as her lips press together and her gaze hooks onto that crooked beam of his, finding it almost impossible to resist. Almost. There's even a disappointed flicker of her gaze as she returns her attention to the actual words that are coming out of his mouth.
It is an interesting piece of information about Nate, though; something she hadn't known before. "Huh," she frowns thoughtfully, pouting her bottom lip a bit, "alright then. I guess that makes sense..." or not. How in the hell a sear cat would have anything to do with getting your eye back is completely lost on Aurelia.
She lets it go, though, in favor of making a fiery joke about Milo's clothes - or a potential lack thereof. As if she might devour him indeed. Her teeth even nip at her bottom lip as her gaze slips over the contours of his torso.
A playful grin breaks the look as he pulls her into his lap. She goes eagerly, one leg sweeping over so she can properly hold him between her thighs. "Is there?" She challenges, lifting her hands to gently cup the back of his neck.
Kissing him sounds good to her in any context, so she lifts her brows and presses herself in closer to him. With a smile and a tilt of her head she says, "Oh. Is that your way of convincing me not to? 'Cause it ain't workin'," a giggle stirs up in her chest.
and I'm feeling down so won't you stay for a moment
“You’ll hafta ask ‘im ‘bout it.” Milo offers, briefly of course, because then she’s looking at him like that and warmth blossoms through him as he reaches for her. She comes to him easily, legs wrapping around him and he’s left to peer up at her as he readjusts his legs, a crooked smirk along his face. “Mhm, there is.” He confirms as she’s cupping the back of his neck.
She nears him and that smirk remains as he peers back at her, his hands moving from her arms to her sides and her back, drifting down to her hips and slowly rising up under her shirt as his thumb makes brief passes. “Didn’ think it would t’be honest.” He teases her back, leaning in, pressing a kiss to her jaw that’s soft and tender and doesn’t last nearly as long as he wants it to. He pulls back, only to press another soft one to the corner of her lips, before pulling away — a picture perfect charming smirk crossing his face as Milo gets a gleam of challenge in his gaze.
“So whatcha gonna do ‘bout it?”
there's a fire in my heart and i can't stop it burning down
