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!
Driving faster in my car Falling farther from just what we are
If he was sure they wouldn't be caught, he would've stayed down on the ground. But alas, there are still house windows facing the street they're playing on. Her nails bite into his skin and it does little to soothe the heat welling up in his belly. He licks his lips as he looks down at her, fingers brushing against her arms for a moment before she talks. Locke rolls his eyes, shaking his head, "I thought I was the perv here.." And honestly, he doesn't usually mind.
She's brushing the hair out of his face and he grabs her wrist, pressing a kiss into her palm. "Yeah. Can go warm up.. Maybe with a shower?" He wants to say together but he doesn't press. Instead he just holds his hand out to her, trying desperately not to look at the way her shirt clings to her breasts and the fact that he can see her nipples. It's not that he doesn't want to have sex or whatever. He just doesn't want her to think that's all he cares about.
Because it's not. He cares about her, about their relationship. About it being a real, proper one too. Sure, there's no 'I love you's' or 'Will you marry me's' in their near future but.. There might be, some day, and founding that all on sex doesn't sit right with him. If they're gonna do this, and do it seriously, there's gotta be more than that. But they're both so sexual that he finds it hard to find that balance. So she might need to take the lead again, a little bit, for a minute until he finds his footing again.
Smoke a cigarette and lie some more These conversations kill
Maeve doesn't even bother to bite back her grin as his fingers run up her arms and he rolls his eyes at her, "Guess you're rubbing off on me." She shoots back, winking at him as her teeth catch her bottom lip. Yeah, she knows how that sounds and she fully expect him to comment on it. Maeve honestly hopes that he does. He's not the only one with heat in their belly.
He catches her wrist, lips pressing a warm kiss into her palm as she looks up at him from beneath her lashes, nodding slowly. "A shower would be nice." They could take it together. She would like that and it's not something they've done before either. There are so many things they haven't done and she wants to cross all of them off the list. Her fingers slip into his, lacing through the spaces between them before she's tugging him back towards the house. Maeve doesn't really care what they do one way or another. Shower together or separately, cuddle on the couch, build a fire... It wouldn't matter as long as he stays.
It's a fine line to walk. A balancing act that they're both attempting to pull off. How much is too much? Where do they draw that line? It doesn't help that they both crave it. The heat and the touches. The closeness it brings. The intimacies that come when their bodies are tangled together. Her thoughts are a mess trying to figure out the best way to approach it, but there are other things to focus on like getting inside and finding the bathroom so they can strip out of their soaking wet clothes. As soon as they step inside the chill hits her and she shivers, goosebumps rising across her skin, "Definitely need a shower." Maeve huffs, a small smile on her lips as she tugs him towards the bathroom, trying and failing to keep water from dripping onto the floor.
Soon enough she's turning on the shower, steam filling the room as she turns to look at him, bottom lip back between her teeth. "Do.. you want to join me?" She asks softly, cheeks flushing pink as that fluttering feeling starts up in her stomach again.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Driving faster in my car Falling farther from just what we are
Locke huffs lightly, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" It's stupid and not worded well but it gets his point across, or at least he hopes it does. They're both floating in that little sea of lust, pulling and pushing again. Flirting and touching but never going beyond that. He kind of likes it, being built up and let down. Maybe he's got a problem. But then she's leading him back to the house and her shorts cling her legs in all the right ways. He can't help where his thoughts go..
She leads him into the bathroom and starts stripping down. He follows suit, even if his eyes linger on her bruises. It's the first time they've seen each other properly naked since sometime in Torchline. Some part of him is nervous, that she'll see his body and not like it for some reason. It was different when it was just sex and he just needed to make her orgasm. Does she actually think he's attractive? What about his body? His hand trails over his stomach in an act of self-soothing. It's fine. Why wouldn't she like it?
But then she's looking at him and he can tell the flush that had painted his cheeks earlier reaches his chest now. "Sure.. Don't wanna waste water.." They can shower together, without it being about sex? Right? As long as she doesn't look down, it'll be fine.
Smoke a cigarette and lie some more These conversations kill
In moments they're both standing naked in the small bathroom, steam swirling around them and slowly warming her skin. She licks her lips, unable to help the way her eyes trail over his body. The last time she saw him he was thinner. More lanky. Long limbs with lean muscle. He's bulked up a bit. Not in a bad way. His muscles are more defined and new scars litter his skin. Some still shiny pink from where they're just starting to heal. Maeve reaches out almost hesitantly, cool palms pressing against his chest and slowly slipping down his torso to his hips, thumbs brushing across the jut of his hip bones as her fingers curl there. She tugs him forward as she takes a step back towards the shower.
A nervousness of her own makes her pulse rabbit wildly and she draws in a breath, wondering if he still likes what he sees. She doesn't have any new scars. At least not physical ones. The bruises discolor her usually pristine skin. She's a little thinner from where she wasn't eating as much after the accident, but she looks mostly unchanged. All soft curves and smooth skin. Her hair is longer too, falling past her collarbone with the way it's weighed down from the rain water. Not much has changed, but at the same time it feels like everything has.
Finally she steps under the warm spray, pulling him in with her until they're both underneath, the door sliding shut behind them. She sighs softly, eyes fluttering closed as the chill is chased away and her hands tightens their grip on him. Only an inch or so separates them now and she hesitates to close that space even as her hands move from his hips to slip up his chest before her arms finally loop around his neck. She tucks herself against his chest, ignoring the way he's half hard between them, pressing softly against her belly. Maeve hums, enjoying the heat of his skin against hers as steam swirls around both of them. "This is nice..."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
She does look a little different, he can see the line of her ribs more easily, under the bruising. Speaking of, once she's touching him, he can't help himself. His fingers skim across her sides, pressing lightly as if to will the bruising away. They find her hips, pressing lightly there before he works his hands up her back. He just wants to feel her again, soak it all in. She presses herself against him and he takes a shaky breath. "Yeah.." Had he been cold before? If he had been, he hadn't noticed.
But now? His entire body feels like it's on fire. Every minute shift she makes only serves to make it worse. His breathing picks up a little as he leans down, pressing his lips to her's again. One of the hands on her back tangles into her hair, tilting her just enough he can kiss her properly. It only serves to stir up the heat in his belly but it's fine, he has self-control. A little bit anyway. He bites at her bottom lip, careful of her piercings, before pulling away.
His turn to tuck himself into her. He buries his head into her neck, nipping at the pale skin there before sighing softly. "M'sorry.. I want you.. So bad." His grip tightens on her, "I don't want to mess this up though." She's lucky if she can hear his little confession over the sound of the water.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
He doesn't touch her right away. His hands stay balled into fists at his sides. If she wasn't so caught up in exploring his skin, tracing over new scars, and planning out the path she's going to take to kiss every single on of them later she would likely be more irritated. As it is, he's pressed flush against her, the heat of his body soaking into hers and she's content to do the exploring for now. That's until his hands finally find her skin and it's like she's never been touched before. Her nerves flare to life, causing her to shiver as his fingertips brush across her skin in featherlight strokes, tracing over her ribs and the bruises there as if he can make them disappear with just his touch. They curl and press at her hips before skating up her back, following the curve of her spine until one tangles in her wet tresses, angling her head back to cover his lips with hers.
Maeve stutters out a breath against his lips, easily giving in to him as her body comes to life. His tongue presses into her mouth as she lifts up onto her tip toes, trying to get closer to him. Needing to be closer to him. Whatever chill that plagued her before was gone completely. All that was left in its wake was embers in her belly, stirring to life as he nips gently at her bottom lip. She takes in greedy sips of air when he pulls back, eyes fluttering open to look up at him and the typically pale green of her irises seems darker now, pupils blown wide with lust.
Her head tilts back further as he presses his face into her neck, teeth finding home in her pale flesh, reclaiming her for himself. A breathy sigh washes over her throat, bringing goosebumps to the surface as his breath cools the water that beads on her skin. If he wasn't so close to his ear, she likely would have missed what he said, but she's straining to hear anything from him. To figure out what to do. "Don't be sorry.." She breathes in return, fingers tangling in his hair as she arches against him, pressing impossibly closer. "I want you too." And she does. More than she realized. Not just physically. It's more than that, but her need for him is winning right now. There little reunion wasn't enough to satisfy her. Not when she finally has him.
"Aren't going to mess this up.." Maeve murmurs, running her free hand down his back lightly, nails trailing over his skin. It kind of clicks what he means. He doesn't want it to seem like he's using her. That this is just sex. It isn't just sex anymore. It can't be. Not after their talk. It's more than that and it will always be more than that. As long as they keep talking. They keep growing and building each other up. They can indulge. "We're both physical people... Would be dumb to think that we wouldn't do anything.." She says with a soft laugh, voice warm and sweet against his ear as she turns to press a kiss against the sensitive space beneath his ear.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
He is going to mess it up. Somehow, he's sure of it. But for now he'll let things be good between them, too caught up in the way her nails drag across his skin to care about the future anymore. He makes a soft little groan when she presses a kiss behind is ear, his grip tightening on her. He's not used to people being like this with him. Maybe a little but.. "Later.. Maybe.." The sex, he means. The touching he hopes never stops.
Speaking of, Locke pushes her back, the hand in her hair working out tangles and rinsing the rain water off. He used to think it was funny, to shower after going swimming or playing in the rain. Not so silly when it lets you see someone like her naked though. The hand on her hip slides down to her ass, gripping it tightly as he pulls her against him. Locke growls softly before letting her go. "Sorry, had to get one in, ya know.."
He steps back, untangling himself from her for a moment so he can run the water through his hair. One of his hands finds her's because he has to be touching her or else. He shakes his head, "Want to stay a little longer?" He does but he's not sure how it will go. There's water rolling down the valley of her breasts and all he wants to do is lick it off. Would she let him do body shots? Maybe he'll ask some day.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
Maeve draws her head back enough that she can look up at him, a hint of surprise swirling in her eyes at his response. She doesn't let it linger. Instead she just offers him a soft smile and nods, "Later." She agrees, giving his sides a gentle squeeze before he's guiding her back beneath the spray. Delicately he works the tangles from her hair, getting rid of any lingering snarls in her curls. Maeve sighs, eyes sliding closed as she basks in the warmth of the water and the gentleness of his touch, letting any lingering anxieties be soothed by his attentions.
When his hand slips to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze, she yelps before giggling and smacking playfully at his chest. "I thought we were behaving?" She drawls, arching a brow at him despite the way the heat in her belly flares at the sound of his soft growl. It sends shivers racing down her spine in the most delightful way. The contact is broken shortly after so he can rinse the water from his own hair, but he doesn't stop touching her completely. One of his hands captures hers, keeping her from going too far from him and she smiles as that fluttering starts all over again.
She hums in consideration of his question, head tilting to the side as the water continues to cascade down her body. It shapes to the soft curves of her waist, dipping into her navel, and running over her thighs. The water isn't shy about touching her everywhere and she watches as his eyes track the movements, breaths seeming to come faster. Maeve reaches back out for him, slipping a hand up his chest, tracing over the muscles of his torso before coming to rest at the nape of his neck. "Could stay in a little longer... Then maybe make a fire downstairs?"
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Locke grins at her, "I am behaving, thank you. If I wasn't, you'd know it." Not quite a threat, maybe a promise? Surely she knows what he means. If not, he'll have to show her later. But for now, they're having a good time in the shower. The lingering touches, the way the water rivulets run down her body, all serve to make him burn but he doesn't press any further. The promise of later and a fire give him ideas. He's never been romantic but he's always been a very good liar. Or he thinks he is.
She's in his space again, hands skimming along his chest. "Sounds good.. My clothes are soaked too. Can dry them by the fire if you don't mind me lounging around naked." The corner of his mouth quirks up as his hands find her side again, puling her to him, having finished drinking her in. He twists them around, pushing her back towards the wall. This is behaving still, right?
He cages her in with his body, shielding her from the spray and warming her with his own heat. His nose bumps against her's as he leans down to kiss her again. He's got a lot of half-kisses to make up for, right? Plus, he needs the practice. Kind of. It's not like he's bad at kissing. He just wants to make sure he's good enough..
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
She has a feeling she would absolutely know if he wasn't behaving, but she looks up at him innocently from beneath her lashes, "Would I? How could I possibly know?" Maeve purrs, bottom lip drawing between her teeth as she tries to keep from laughing. She just wants to hear what he has in mind is all. Can't really blame her for that.
Her hands slip over his chest, palms smoothing across scars and tanned skin as she presses into his space, not giving him a chance to get away from her. "You say that like I'd actually have a reason to complain. Maybe I'll do the same." She hums, arching a brow as she tilts her head back to look at him before he's suddenly moving her, pressing her back against the cool tiles of the wall. Maeve's eyes go wide and she hisses softly at the chill against her heated skin. Her back arches away from the tile, only serving to press her lithe form into him instead.
Maeve licks her lips in anticipation, eyes dipping down to his own before he gets too close and she's left to let them flutter shut instead. Her lips part easily as his lips find hers and she's never going to get tired of this. How many almost kisses had they shared? How many times had she wanted to reach up to cup his cheek and pull him into her? Now she can. She can and he wants her to. Her fingers slip into his hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp as her other hand cups his jaw, thumb brushing against the underside of it. Maeve wastes no time licking into his mouth, tasting him all over again with a little groan as her body arches to mold itself against his.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
He groans, partially in frustration and partially because she's egging him on. "Trust me Babe, you'll know." But he thinks he'll humor her a little, as a treat. "For one, you wouldn't be talking quite so much.. For two, you probably wouldn't be thinking quite so much either.. And for three, I'd be down on my knees.." He trails off his words, his mouth working down the side of her neck, leaving the tiniest of marks.
The thought of the pair of them lounging around naked is pretty enticing. He has a feeling it won't be the last time they do it either. It briefly occurs to him that she doesn't have a place to stay when she goes back to Torchline and for a moment he wonders if he should offer his own place. It's still there, right? Probably. His grip on her tightens as she groans into his kiss. Would that be too much? Too fast? He pulls away from their kiss, heart racing and chest heaving as he tries to breath.
The words almost come out of his mouth but he stops himself. They'll figure it out later, when they get there. She probably has a place lined up anyway. Locke gives her a little peck before kissing her again, properly. His arms slide between her and the wall, finding her ass again. "I missed this.. So fuckin' much.." He whispers against her lips and it's up to her to figure out if he means touching her or just grabbing her ass. She wouldn't be wrong either way.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
The groan vibrates through her, curling around her spine until it comes to a rest at the base, tingling there as she arches into him. Her hands tighten their grip on him. One at his shoulder and the other in his hair, tugging lightly at his soaked curls. It's a new pet name. It isn't kitten and somehow that makes it different. "Babe? Am I your babe now?" She teases, head tilting back to expose more of her throat to him, letting him leave his marks on her skin gladly. The words do nothing for the embers burning in her belly, only serving to make them flare brighter and hotter. She only hopes that it's a hint as to what's going to come later.
It definitely won't be the last time. It isn't even the first time. They used to do it together before he left. Sometimes not bothering to dress for hours because they were inevitably going to go again. Her thoughts aren't on Torchline right now. Not when he's pressing against her and kissing her throat the way he is. He holds her tightly to himself, letting her arch and gasp, breathing in greedy sips of steamy air as the water rains down on his shoulders.
They're kissing again, his mouth covering hers as his hands slip down her back, cupping her ass and pulling her closer to him. His fingertips knead the peachy flesh of her ass, whispering his confession against her lips like he's confessing his sins. Maeve's breath stutters out against his lips, "Me too.." It doesn't matter which one it is because she missed both things. They're supposed to be behaving. They aren't meant to go any further, but suddenly she's jumping up slightly, wrapping her legs around his hips because she can't fucking help it. She needs to be closer to him. So much closer. "Missed you.. Tu m'as manqué. Vous avez manqué votre bite. Ta langue. Tout. Je souhaite que vous ne soyez jamais parti." Maeve murmurs, the foreign language falling off of her tongue as she presses against him, her own lips finding his throat. She finally leaves a mark of her own, right over his pulse where he can't hide it from anyone. He's hers just as much as she's his.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
He laughs against her skin, retaliating with a bite. "Babe, Kitten, Mae, Maeve, Maevey, Baby, Love, Mine.. Can be all of those.." He wonders how she'll take the last part. He knows how to share, he really does. But for now he doesn't have to worry about it. For now he has her and she has him. Sure, she might have feelings for other people but he'd be a liar if he didn't too. It's not the same, really, but what does he know? The way her head tilts gives him more skin to devour and he's happy to. Maybe he was Ascended in a past life, so keen on biting.
All of this is new and familiar all at once. He knows the curves of her body almost by memory but there's something different in the way it all feels. It's never just been lust but he's never let that feeling linger, always shoving it aside for everything else. But now, since the seed is planted, maybe he'll let it water. Just a little. Her body molds to his like they were made for each other and he wants nothing more to be inside her properly.
She says something he doesn't understand, not totally. He's picked up random words in his time in Torchline but not enough to really get what she means. He takes a shaky breath, laughing down whatever sudden nerves he feels. "You gonna tell me what that means or do I have to guess? Maybe work for it?" He doesn't know any fancy languages and he kind of hates it. Maybe she can teach him. He'll teach her to swim and she'll teach him pretty words to coo into her ear.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
The myriad of names that fall from his lips are all delightful in their own rights. He bites the sensitive flesh over her pulse, making her shiver as she arches against him. Mine. Mine. Mine. It echoes in her head and a moan pushes past her lips, "Yes. Yours." She repeats because she is his. Even if she has feelings for Sunjata. It doesn't matter. Sunjata doesn't want her. Locke does. He wants her. Everything about her. All of her broken pieces and her mistakes.
To think it could have been like this before. She hates that they didn't give in to this sooner. Maeve isn't sure they would have been able to if he hadn't left her to go to Stormbreak. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and she's inclined to believe it. That fluttering is back in her chest, making her pulse rabbit beneath his lips as he presses her into the wall. His hands stay firmly on her ass, holding her up with ease and she uses it to her advantage to lick and nip at his throat, pressing kisses into his skin almost lazily. It feels so good. So fucking right. She never wants to stop.
"I'll tell you what it means if you really want to know." She purrs, nipping lightly at the lobe of his ear, giving it a soft tug. Her nails scratch down his back lightly, leaving faint red marks in their wake as she begins to speak. "I said that I missed you. Missed your cock. Your tongue. Everything. Wish you never fucking left." Her words are breathier, pitched up into something decidedly needy and perhaps a touch shy. Maeve draws back from his throat to look at him, a small smile on her lips as her cheeks flush prettily. "It sounds prettier in French.."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
