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!
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
Luckily for Maeve, she could whisper as quietly as she possibly could, and that gilded earring in his ear would have him paying attention to it, able to hear her words as if it were clear as day. So he hears her, over the rushing sound of the waves, a softening of his face in a quiet hint of amusement at her statement. “Probably not.” He rumbles – except, he could probably, though he’d never want to. Not when someone else was vulnerable that had been kind to him without reason. Perhaps that’s another fact that makes it so he knows he couldn’t become his father.
Whatever it was, it fades away quickly as he helps keep her afloat, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, her hand at his cheek in a gentle touch. He thinks nothing of it, just as if it were a quiet thanks, but the touch starved part of him clings to it all the same – that touch of nothing being wrong with him, despite everything else.
“It will. Took me… Mm, five years until I was comfortable with the water again after I almost drowned.” He pauses, considering her with a tilt of his head. “The first time, though, not the recent one obviously.” He snorts to that, flashing a playful grin her way. “Do you want to start heading back now?” He asks, a gentle prod of seeing whether she wished to stay in the unpredictable waves or whether she wanted solid ground beneath her feet again.
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
Of course he could pry her off. He's strong. Stronger than her for sure. He's teasing her again and she feels her cheeks flush, shaking her head at him with a roll of her eyes. "Either way... Thank you for indulging me." Maeve murmurs, pursing her lips in an attempt to fight her smile. It doesn't work and it slowly creeps onto her lips, turning up the corners of her mouth as she peeks up at him. She ducks her head, looking down at the water before she remembers his earlier instructions. Look at me. Maeve tilts her chin back up, eyes on him as she finally gets her heart under control.
He speaks and her eyes drop to his lips, watching them as he speaks. Watching a bead of water spread across the chapped skin when they press together to form his words. Maeve swallows, thumb brushing absentmindedly over his cheek, "I was.. thirteen at the time? I think this is the deepest I've been since it happened. Never let my head go under. Never really went past the shallows." She admits softly, brows knitting together as she considers her words, "I guess I've always been too scared to try. Scared that no one would notice if I slipped under the waves." A humorless laugh pushes past her lips and she shakes her head, trying to cling to his light that's finally starting to show again.
Maeve manages to return his smile and she meets his eyes again, "I can stay longer if you want... Long as you promise not to let me go." She murmurs, tempted to drop her head against his shoulder and rest there. It would be so easy to. To let him support her weight as they float together on the tide. Except he's already handling so much weight. She doesn't want to add to it. To be another burden for him to carry. Even if it's just a physical one.
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
“Of course.” He assures her, flashing her a quiet smirk, letting the waves break against his back as he had the first time. She looks down again, though, and he’s half prepared to tell her to look back up at him, lips parting in an effort to begin, when she immediately does. So he says the other things on his mind, of the time he’d nearly drowned, how long it had taken him before he’d become okay with it. He mulls over his words carefully, wetting his lips with a suddenly forked tongue.
He mulls over her fears, over the light laugh that leaves her despite it being humorless, and tries to offer her an encouraging smile. “Well, you’ve done well.” He tries to assure her, keeping her close as she meets his gaze again, as he offers her whether she’d like to stay or return back to shore. It seems she’s content with staying in the water longer, so long as he doesn’t let her go.
The arms around her squeeze her gently around her middle, his head tilting a fraction as he peers down at her. “I already promised that.” He informs her with a matter of fact tone, paired with the tssk of his tongue as if he’s playfully chiding her. “And I haven’t let you go, yet.” A dark brow raises in a challenge to her, as if seeing if she'd challenge him back on it.
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
Maeve just barely catches a glimpse of that forked tongue and she's curious what shift is peeking out there. Is it his cobra? Something else? Her mind runs with the image of it and she takes a breath to dismiss it as his smirk causes her cheeks to flush in a way he's surely familiar with at this point. "Now the real question is if you're doing it because you want to or because I'm utterly pitiful out here trying to act all brave?"
He's given her so many smiles this afternoon. Spanning from ones that barely reach his eyes to others that cause a warm flutter in her chest. It's easy to give them back to him. To let her soft pink lips tug up into secret smiles just for him as her arm stays looped around his neck. Her fingers still tease into his curls even as he chides her. Maeve narrows her eyes at him, "Yet? Is that a threat?" She accuses him, no real heat behind her words even if her legs do suddenly wrap around his waist and her arm tightens just a hint around his neck. If he wants to let her go he's going to have to at least fight a little bit to make her.
Except his arm gives her a gentle squeeze and she knows that he won't let her go. Maeve drops her head against his shoulder, cheek resting there as she holds onto him, "Although, I don't know if this really counts as swimming and I proposed swimming." They're just sort of bobbing together in the water and he's doing majority of the work. She doesn't mind this, but he might. Maeve hopes that this is alright. That this is good enough for him. Her breath is warm against his chilled skin, fanning out as she speaks. Maeve allows her eyes to close for a moment. Something she never thought she'd be able to do in the water, but he makes her feel secure enough to chance it.
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
He considers her question for a bit longer than is necessary, his head tilting a bit as he debates his answer. “A bit of both.” He rumbles with that same playful smirk. “For what it’s worth, you are being quite brave.” There’s a shrug of his shoulders, however brief it may be, that draws her up a bit higher in the waves from where her arms wrap around his neck. Her legs follow suit, wrapping around his middle, one of her legs brushing the underside of that long dorsal fin. He snorts, shaking his head.
“It can be whatever you want it to be.” A threat or a statement, he isn’t picky.
He squeezes her lightly, her head dropping against his scarred and tattooed shoulder, and he simply remains there to continue focusing on keeping them afloat, on breaking the waves as they arrive. A low rumble leaves his throat in amusement. “No, it doesn’t really count as swimming. It’s a good start though. Perhaps you’ll venture out away from the shallows now?”
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
03-26-2021, 04:57 PM (This post was last modified: 03-26-2021, 05:30 PM by Maeve.)
Maeve
It's a small admission that he wants to be out here with her and it makes her smile into his neck as she rests there in his arms. Maeve preens with the praise, giving him a squeeze that might be a hug or her simply pressing closer to him. "I guess you make me want to try being brave." Maeve murmurs against his throat, lips brushing there lightly as she speaks. She nuzzles into the warmth of his skin and for the second time her heart starts to slow as the drift together.
Maeve huffs out a laugh to match his, focusing on the way his chest expands against hers. She can feel the water swishing this way and that as his tail keeps them in place, guiding them easily through the water as if it's second nature to him. Maeve lifts her head from his shoulder finally, letting her emerald gaze find his. The green of her irises having grown darker with the clouds that gather along the horizon with a promise of rain to come that evening. "Mmm.. Maybe. Only if I have the guarantee that a certain beastie will be nearby." She arches a dark brow, a smile curling on her lips as she tosses her new nickname at him with an ease that makes it feel like she's been referring to him that way for ages.
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
There’s a few moments where Sunjata’s quiet, contemplative while she sits there with him, resting her head against his shoulder, her lips brushing against his throat, over the scars of dozens of Ascended bites – a patch of them specifically located just beneath his ear. “I’m glad to have helped.” He rumbles instead, his head pulling back a fraction as she pulls hers back – their eyes catching finally. And it is getting late, the prospect of dragging the wheelbarrow of materials to the Slagveld. Perhaps he can take out a bit of his left over pent-up frustration in the ring before fully heading home. “Shall we?” He asks, jutting his chin toward the shore again.
For the rest of it though, he focuses in on her words, letting the nickname roll off her tongue a gain as he snorts, playfully rolls his eyes and readjusts them to start heading back to shore. “There’s always more time.” He murmurs with a slight shrug through the waves, keeping her close to him, that tail of his shifting back into his legs the further from the deep waters they get. He’d certainly hit the sand first. But as for time? He thinks he has plenty of time before his daughter arrives, plenty of time to come to terms with it. And oh, oh how wrong he’ll be.
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
He doesn't let her go even as they get closer to shore. Not until her feet safely can reach the sands hidden below the water. Even then he keeps her hand in his as he guides her towards the shore. The torches that dot the coast as starting to flicker to life, lighting up the sugary white sand that sticks to the bottom of her feet. "More time indeed. I'll surely come around to bother you again." Maeve laugh softly, pausing to wring out the water from her hair. The dark strands already starting to curl and dry from the breeze. She pauses by the rocks their clothes rest on, water dripping and soaking into the sand.
The ocean breeze draws goosebumps to the surface of her skin and she shivers, giving him her back as she unceremoniously tugs the wet scraps of fabric off of her body. She stands there naked as she works the water from her undergarments, tossing them onto the rock to in favor of her other clothes. Maeve gets her pants on first, wiggling and jumping a little as the fabric clings to her still wet skin. She snatches up the shirt next, getting it over her head before she's turning to face him as she shoves her arms through the sleeves. It's a second before her tits are covered, but clearly she has no qualms with her nakedness having gotten comfortable in her own skin ages ago.
"I can walk back with you if you'd like. Unless you're eager to be rid of me?" She wraps her arms around her middle in an attempt to keep out the chill that's already settling into her bones. Maeve looks up at him, bottom lip back between her teeth as she offers a faint smile, "I wouldn't blame you. I have bothered you majority of the day."
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
“I’m sure you will.” He rumbles with a hint of amusement, shaking out his hair before running his fingers through it to push it back, running his hands along his arms to rid the droplets of water that gather along his skin his skin. He doesn’t pay much attention to her while he gathers his things, ultimately deciding that if he shifts into something else he might be able to shake out the rest of the water clinging to him. So he tries, while she’s putting her clothes on, the Attuned shifts to his panther shift, shakes out his full body to rid the water where he can.
He hears her words over the sound of the drops hitting the sand, before he’s shifting back into himself and is a surprising amount less drenched, much to his pleasure, and casts his steel gaze over to her once more. “I’ve got to take the wheelbarrow to the Slagveld. It’s the same way to the Halenani.” He offers her, grabbing his shirt and boots, slipping his pants on over his dry shorts. The shirt he slings over a shoulder, moving to go and join her on the trek back up toward Haulani.
“You’re welcome to join me until then.” He doesn’t mind, honestly.
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
Unfortunately for her she doesn't catch the panther shift. Which is a real shame. Mostly because he's told her he would show her more. Maeve plucks her boots and her basket from the sand, tucking her arm through the handle of the basket before beaming up at him brightly. "I knew you enjoyed my company too much to send me away." She tease with a wink, bumping into his side as they start back up the path towards the city proper. With a quick pitstop at the clinic for Sunjata to gather the wheelbarrow, they're soon on their way towards their destinations.
She walks with him in companionable silence, considering the events of the day and all that transpired between them. His confession about Safrin and the baby. The fear of being like his father and losing those most important to him in his life. It's a heavy load for anyone to carry. Even someone as strong as Sunjata can't bare that burden alone. Maeve's turning all of this over in her mind as they walk, letting the quiet settle between them until they're reaching the Slagveld to drop off his supplies.
Her steps slow and she comes to a stop, gazing up at him, "I can make it back the rest of the way back from here. I know you have plenty to do." Maeve murmurs, stepping closer and easily finding his hand and giving it a squeeze. She rises up on her tip toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek if he bends down to meet her. "If you need anything you know where to find me and if I don't hear from you I'm definitely going to come find you. So keep that in mind." Maeve lowers herself back onto her feet, giving his hand one more squeeze but not releasing him just yet.
feeling alive while you fight for your life as you swim back to the beaches
He snorts to her retort, but doesn’t give her a committed answer. They walk back up the path toward Haulani, stopping only to grab the wheelbarrow and the rest of the items Sunjata needs to bring back to the Slagveld, before he passes a brief glance over the Clinic and how supported it would be given the storms that were approaching. He hopes it’s enough, hopes that Nate won’t return from his break only to find everything else destroyed.
So for now, it’s a silent contemplative walk back toward the Slagveld and Halenani, Sunjata stilling beside the boxing ring as he begins to unload everything. She peers up at him before he does, however, stepping close enough to grasp his hand and squeezes it. As for her kiss to his cheek, he does bend down just enough for it – after all, it had been a customary greeting and goodbye back in Korofi among the nobles and he thinks little of it – before she’s pulling away and he offers her an easy smile.
“I’ll keep it in mind.” He assures her, though whether he will reach out to her is another story. He’s pretty terrible about it, all things considered. “And thanks, Maeve, for putting up with me.” He murmurs, offering her a softer smile, before he’s leaving her be and begins to unload the rest of the wheelbarrow outside of the Slagveld to be taken to the back.
don't be scared of the tide, just prepare for the ride as you float, you float, you float
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.
He straightens and she steps back, releasing his hand as she shifts the basket on her arm to a more comfortable position. Maeve allows herself to look him over once more, taking in the soft smile curling on his lips and his relaxed shoulders. His eyes seem lighter. The turmoil he's feeling no longer to close to the surface. Even if it comes back, he at least was able to have a moment of peace before he has to face what's waiting for him at home. She waves off his thanks like it's nothing, but it makes her heart swell. In the end, she's glad she was able to be there for him. That was the goal of it all. Sure, there is an attraction and a want, but the more she's around him, the more she learns. She wants to know him.
Maeve returns his smile, "Call me crazy, but I'd put up with you any day. Goodnight, beastie. I'll see you around." She hums sweetly before she's disappearing into the night, casting one last look over her shoulder to watch him slip inside. Maeve already knows she'll have to check on him. Maybe bring him something for the baby.
