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!
Feeding people was a fun game in itself. There was something very satisfying about watching them eat and suddenly feel revived, just like this. "As you say," Seren agreed, and smiled away the gratitude. The lunch was delicious, and with no more heavy talks to slow them down, it was done away with quickly enough. The star-child ate more than was really good for her, and where Maeve seemed ready to run a marathon, she was left dazed and a little sleepy.
"I don't know what Marco polo is, but if it involves water, I vote for that," she murmured where she lay, splayed out on her back. "What is marco polo? A game? A riddle?" It did not matter; if Maeve wanted to do it, Seren would do it too.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve poked Seren's side lightly, "It does involve water. Just not too deep." Mostly because it would absolutely not be fair given that Seren had all the skills in swimming that Maeve absolutely lacked. She was going to learn. Eventually. Maybe. If she could get over her fear of it. As for the game, that was pretty easy to explain. "One person is Marco and the other is Polo. Whoever is Polo has to find Marco in the water with their eyes closed. While you're looking you call out 'Marco!' and then the other person has to answer 'Polo!'. Pretty straightforward, right?" Maeve explained, standing and brushing the sand from her skin so she could put on more sunscreen.
Once she felt suitably shielded from the sun, the Madame extended her hand down to Seren, helping her back onto her feet. "You're not supposed to leave the water. That's the other rule." It was a very simple game. One that Maeve had no doubt of Seren enjoying herself.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Groaning softly from the tightness of her belly, Seren let herself be dragged up on her feet. Funny how the tables turned; now it was she who wanted to doze in the shade. "Alright, sounds simple enough. I'll be Marco first. Suppose we take turns..?" It sounded like a game better played in a group, but it might be fun anyway.
Stripping down to bikini only, the young woman waded out into the water. The sea was pleasantly cool against her sun-warm skin, and a shiver of delight traveled up and down the spine as she adjusted to the temperature. She dipped her head under the water to soak the hair through properly, and made sure that Maeve had her eyes properly closed before she hurried off towards another part of the beach. Quick and quiet she was, and the water near the Madame soon lay as still as the sway of waves permitted, and only the sound of wind and Hels broke the peace.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
It was better suited for groups, but they could still play with just the two of them. "Can definitely take turns. Whenever you get caught you're it." Maeve hummed, tugging the starchild towards the water, faltering whenever she got up to her knees. She took a deep breath, licking her lips before powering through until she was up to her waist. Unlike Seren, Maeve didn't dare to duck her head under or even lower herself further into the water. Instead she splashed some onto her arms and shoulders to cool off before closing her eyes.
Honestly, that was scarier than anything else. Not being able to see if she was going to go deeper or not. "Marco!" She calls out against the waves and the Hels, listening closely for Seren's call so she can try her best to follow her voice.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Keeping in mind the rule of no swimming and no leaving the water, Seren made sure that there were no nasty rocks or corals between them. That said, she couldn't help but play a little bit with the volume of her voice. When Maeve called out, she answered "Polo!" much softer than she strictly had to, so that it sounded as if she responded from somewhere far to the woman's right.
In reality, she was only a few meters away, and grinned quietly to herself as she watched Maeve fumble along. This was perfect; she could just float around and wait until her friend found her. Bobbing in the waves. Trying to resist the temptation of drinking the sea water. Her stomach gurgled contentedly, and Seren had to struggle to keep from laughing.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Seren was already very good at this game. Not that it was too hard considering that she had the upper hand in almost every way. Maeve was good at many different things, but being confident in the ocean was not one of them. She extended her arms out in front of her as if that would help her from running into anything as she turned towards where she thought the starchild was. Maeve fell for it, moving right and stepping slowly as she tried her best to find the girl. "Marco!" She called out again when it felt like she was heading for the shore and no closer to where Seren was. This was not easy.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Seren lounged about for a while, but as Maeve slowly inched closer she gradually became more alert. With an impish smile, she shifted location slightly, keeping low in the water and moving slowly so there wouldn't be any splashes.
Going around her friend, Seren barely breathed from mounting excitement. When Maeve called out a second time, she stood slowly just behind her back, and leaned in to whisper a sharp "Polo!" in her ear. Ready to leap out of the way, in case there was a quick reaction. Or catch, if Maeve was spooked enough to stumble; Seren took her inability to swim seriously. There would be no accidents on her watch.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve had been so concerned with not losing her footing or stumbling off a sudden edge in the water that she really wasn't paying too much mind to where Seren might be. She was playing the game, but it was hard to give it all of her focus when the fear of finding herself in a suddenly unpleasant situation kept her on edge. Luckily, Seren was more than willing to take mercy on her. Even if her whispered 'Polo!' scared the shit out of her. She spun more quickly then one might think possible, hands darting out to seize the starchild as her eyes flew open. "Got ya!" Maeve declared, giggling as she wraps her arms around the girl, pulling her into a wobbly hug as they stumbled a bit in the water.
"You definitely didn't make this easy. I bet you'd be a master at it with more than one person playing." She grinned up at the taller girl, letting her go after they both regained their footing once more. "I'm not very good, honestly. Get too worried about like tripping or something."
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Seren did try to slip out of reach, but her friend was too fast. In good humor she accepted the loss, but honestly felt too pleased with herself for managing to sneak well. Letting herself be hugged and used for support, she giggled and slowly sank down into the water, bobbing along with the rise and fall of waves.
"It's easy when I can have my eyes open," she admitted. "I don't know that I'll be better than you at searching. Want to give it a try? Some revenge, maybe..." She worked playfully at Maeve.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve wrinkled her nose at her friend, sending a small splash her way, "Let's see how you like it. Might as well do both. That way you know how to play both parts." She hummed, bending to splash some water onto her own heated skin, trying to cool herself off a bit before she straightened once more. "Alright, same rules. Close your eyes and call out when you're ready. You normally go under water and count to ten." The Madame waited until Seren submerged herself before carefully hurrying away, being mindful not to send out too many waves.
She situated herself behind the girl a few meters away as she waited, a smile firmly on her lips as she waited for the starchild to properly begin the game.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
Choosing not to take the splashes as a call to war - because she absolutely could - Seren merely grinned and nodded. She had no qualms about sumberging herself, and drew in a deep breath before sinking down beneath the waves.
There was a slight temptation to cheat and look around while she was below. Maeve wouldn't know if she did, and she might see colorful fish while waiting. But an innate sense of fairness made her resist. Instead, she counted slowly and made sure to splash a bit extra when she shot back up at the count of ten, to give Maeve a bit of a warning.
"Marco!" she called, in a cheerful sing-song tone, her eyes tightly closed.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve grinned, trying to keep from giggling at Seren's enthusiasm as she popped up out of the water. The Madame backed up a little further, shifting to her left before calling out, "Polo!" She called out, using Seren's trick of making her voice a little softer so she seemed further away. Maeve lowered herself slightly in the water about up to her ribs, side stepping so she circled around Seren, keeping plenty of space between them.
The waves weren't rough today. Just a gentle lapping against her body before they broke closer to shore. Perfect conditions for someone of her swimming level.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
It was harder to be the chaser. Sound was an unreliable source of information, and with so many other things to distract, focusing was not the easiest thing in the world. Seren tried a different tactic than Maeve had. When she heard the soft 'Polo', she threw herself quickly after the voice, arms outstretched and not a care in the world for splashing or the idea of ending up under water.
She missed the moving woman with about a hand's with, but sensing someone nearby she began to flail about. "Marco!" she called again, pinching the eyes shut; hoping to hear a reply before Maeve could disappear off further away.
Seren
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Maeve barely managed to contain the squeal that bubbled up in her throat when Seren lunged after her, arms outstretched and reaching, but she managed to keep quiet and sidestep at the same time. While the starchild made a ruckus with her own splashing, the Madame used the noise to cover her hasty retreat towards more shallow waters so she could make a wide berth around the girl before sinking back into deeper waters. "Polo!" She called a little more loudly, tossing Seren a bit of a hint to her location and not minding all that much that she did. Especially at the look that crossed her face.
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
