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!
He hasn't exactly explained why he brought her here yet. He convinced her with promises of sweets and playing in the sand. Except that's not entirely true. He does have a little basket of goodies though because he's only kind of a dick. The pool might be deep but it's not a sheer drop or anything. Plus, the rocks protecting it shield it from the strongest of the waves. As long as she doesn't stray too far out in the water, she'll be fine. Plus, he's a pretty good swimmer..
He's got a basket in one arm and he's holding her hand with the other. "Well Mae, time to learn to swim." He gives her a little grin over his shoulder as he puts the basket on a rock (hopefully away from hels) and makes his way to the edge of the water. Things are still a little off between them, a little touch and go. But it's nice out today and like hell is he going to let the weirdness get to them. Plus, it's not like they haven't been able to fall into an easy enough routine.
"Promise it'll be fun."
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
Maeve was easily bribed with the promises of sweets and sandcastles. While she usually avoided the sun thanks to her normally pale complexion, the Madame was willing to risk it for some quality time with Locke. They were still working on finding their normal. It was a process, but every little bit helped. She holds onto his hand, lacing their fingers together as she tries to figure out where exactly they're going. "Swimming?" Her voice automatically pitches up, nervousness flaring to life in her belly as her brows knit together. "I thought we were going to build sandcastles?" Maeve only feels a little betrayed. Sneaky little sneaker. Tricking her into coming out for swimming. At least the promise of sweets wasn't a trick. Otherwise she'd be a whole lot angrier.
She stands near the basket, eyeing the pool warily as she toes off her sandals, fingers curling at the hem of the shirt she's wearing over her swimsuit. "Isn't the water here like really deep?" At least on the beach she could wade in and her feet could touch the ground. This was an all or nothing situation. Something the girl didn't take lightly when it came to water.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
The uptick in her voice makes him laugh. He knows she's scared but maybe if he's just real casual about all of this, it'll be fine. "I wasn't lying about the sandcastles.. We're just not doing that first." He's long since abandoned any clothing he doesn't absolutely need. It's fine. He'll have wrinkles when he's thirty five but it'll be fiiiine. He makes his way into the water, standing near the edge. "It's not deep everywhere. And the water makes it look deeper than it really is. C'mere." He holds his hand out to her, wiggling his fingers.
He makes his way a little deeper into the water, it's about up to his knees. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" The corner of his mouth quirks up into a grin, "Don't even gotta really swim today. Just practice kicking and stuff. You gotta build up those muscles. Learn to float. No need to be worried about how deep the water is if you're floatin'."
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
Maeve shoots him the tiniest glare, green eyes narrowing accusingly as she inches forward, "I'm counting on sandcastles after this, I'll have you know." She mutters before sighing, slipping her hand into his and holding on tightly. The water is warmer than the last time she properly went swimming, but somehow cooler than the air around them. He gently guides her into the water until they're up to his knees and to midthigh for her. She looks up at him from beneath her lashes, offering him a little smile as she draws closer to him, "I trust you."
His logic was sound enough, but she was still nervous about actually trying. Even though the water was nice and calm here, gently waves lapping at her legs and coming to a stop up against the rocks. "You'll hold onto me the whole time, right?" She asks, pressing herself flush against him as he continues to back them up into the water. Her heart is already starting to race, thumping against the inside of her ribs and Maeve forces herself to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm the nerves swirling in her belly as her grip on him tightens.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
"I'll even let you bury me in the sand." He grins at her as they make their way deeper. Her grip is tight and he gives her a little pat before pulling her deeper. It should be deep enough for her to float, if she wants. "The whole time. Won't let you go for anything, okay?" She's scared and he hates it but she's been willing so far.
He twists her around so she's facing away from him. "Lean back, okay? Just relax. I've got you." He let's go of her hand but only so his hand can press into the small of her back. Is this all an excuse to touch her? Maybe a little bit. Once she's leaning back, he grins down at her. "Feet up, it'll feel weird at first but I've got you." He keeps one hand between her shoulder blades while the other rests just a little lower.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
It's a promise and she thinks that it extends to things more than just swimming. "Okay." She says softly, giving him another smile because she does trust him. He's not going to let her go. Not at all. Not now and not ever. Maeve's doing well up until he tries to turn her around and she freezes, muscles locking up, but she takes a breath and forces that cold dread out of her stomach. Her back presses against his chest, leaning back into him heavily for a moment, but that isn't what he means.
His hand presses to the small of her back, hot even in the cool water and she slowly lowers herself back until her toes can't manage to brush the bottom anymore. Maeve's breath picks up and her lips part with a little gasp as water rushes over her shoulders, up around her ears to muffle all other sounds. He supports her weight, not letting her go as he helps her float and she doesn't hesitate to cling to his arm, craning her neck slightly to try to keep her head above water.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
It takes her a minute but she finally leans back against him before she's floating. "Good girl, that wasn't too hard, was it?" He grins down at her, leaning forward to give her a light kiss before sinking himself in the water a bit. He's not properly touching her now but he's only inches away, should she need him. "You feel alright? Try moving your arms a little." His hands come back up, in case she starts to move.
He wonders how many times he's done this, teaching someone to swim. He gets a tight feeling in his chest he doesn't care to explore but it's there nonetheless. "When you're ready to stand back up, you just lean forward, use your arms for balance."
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
The praise bolsters her a bit and she smiles, but it isn't more than a twitch at the corners of her mouth. The kiss helps soothe the nerves in her belly, but it isn't enough to fully put her at ease. Especially when he lets go of her. She shakes her head, trying to crane her neck so she can see him better. Her whole body dips below the water and she yelps, arms moving just short of frantically. "Locke.." Maeve's voice pitches up, chin jutting out as the water sloshes up towards her face thanks to her movements. He's right there, though. His hands coming up to brace her, helping her sit up a little bit so the water doesn't wash over her as it was before.
She moves a little awkwardly, toes finally managing to brush the bottom as she sits up, turning back around to hold onto him instead. Her tip toes barely reach the bottom and the water reaches up to her collarbone. Maeve presses against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, "I'm not very good at this."
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
She panics as soon as he lets her go. Which does nothing to keep her afloat. He catches her though, helping her right herself before she's wrapping herself around him. He makes a little noise, one arm going around her waist as the other catches his balance in the water. "No one is good at anything the first time they try it. Except me, of course." He grins down at her, wrinkling his nose.
His hands find her ass and he pulls her against him, the grin on his face almost wicked. "C'mon Mae, don't you wanna learn? Then we can go skinny dipping and play in the water all night, warm each other by a fire.. Doesn't that sound good?" He's practically purring as he works his hands across her thighs. Honey dipped words to distract her before he's suddenly dropping them both into the water. One of his hands is firmly wrapped around her, of course, and he pulls her up as soon as she goes down. A second to catch her breath before he's kissing her.
"See? Always here to pull you back up.. Jus' gotta trust me." As if he didn't just dunk her.
There's beauty in all kinds of danger But none so beautiful as you
A strong arm loops around her waist, holding her steady as she wraps her limbs around him, not daring to loosen her grip. Maeve rolls her eyes at him and even goes so far to stick out her tongue, "We're lucky your ego isn't any bigger. Otherwise we'd sink down to the bottom." Maeve quips back, huffing out a faint laugh as she leans into him. This is nice. This is the kind of swimming she wants to do. The kind where she hangs on to someone else and they do all the work.
But then he goes and makes it better. His hands shift to her ass, giving the soft flesh a squeeze as he draws her even closer to him until they're flush together. Her chest presses against his, pushing up her breasts just enough to be distracting. Not that he's all that distracted. It's her who lets her mind drift, listening to honey sweet words that warm in her belly, setting her heart beating for an entirely different reason. "That does sound nice..." She starts to agree. The scowl that was on her lips melting away into a little smirk. Up until he dunks them both. Her grip doesn't release him, but her eyes squeeze shut as the sensation of being submerged washes over her. She doesn't thrash in the water, but the instinct to draw in a panicked breath overwhelms her, resulting in water up her nose.
When they reemerge she coughs, wiping harshly at her face to push her hair from her eyes as her chest heaves with ragged breaths that do nothing to push away the icy panic. Maeve accepts the kiss, not having enough mind to push him away as the adrenaline courses through her body. "What the fuck?" She pants, shooting him a little glare even if nothing really happened. Even if he did pull her back up that wasn't cool. "Please don't do that again. Seriously. I don't like going under like that." The last part is said a little softer as her cheeks flush and she draws in another shaky breath, "It's too much like before." And she isn't really mad. Just scared. Maeve focuses on filling her lungs and calming her heart, meeting soft hazel eyes as she draws her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'll.. I'll try again, but slower, okay?" She was going to figure this out, damn it.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
The second he pulls away from the kiss he realizes how much he messed up. Egotistical smirk gone in seconds as he flounders in his own thoughts. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry. I forgot.. Promise I won't do it again." And he means it. No more playing. This isn't a little kid with no fear, this is a woman with trauma. He can't treat it the same. He brushes the hair out of her face before pulling her in for a soft kiss. "Let's take a break. Have some snacks, work on the sand castle then we'll try again, okay?"
"Gonna turn you again, okay? Just lay back and try to float and I'll put you to shore. Like a little boat." He tries to laugh like he hadn't just did something terrible to his girlfriend. Once she's turned, he hooks his arms under her arm pits and starts to walk backwards. He does his best to keep her at a not entirely uncomfortable angle but soon the water is too shallow and he's practically leaning over her as he walks. He drops sets her in the sand, letting the water lap at her legs before standing back up with a groan.
"Wanna see what I made you? I waited until you were working on the Halenani so it'd be a surprise.."
He looks so fucking sorry for what he did that Maeve couldn't even be mad if she wanted to. Any residual irritation melts away and she accepts the next kiss with more enthusiasm, giving him a little squeeze to reassure him that she's not upset. "It's okay. I'm not upset. Just scared me a little." Maeve reassures him, already looking much better after his promise to not doing it again. "That sounds good. I'm really good at building sandcastles." Mostly because she made so many while everyone else played in the water.
Maeve laughs softly, turning her back to him again and floating the way he showed her too. It's easier this time especially when his arms hook under her, dragging her backwards. It's actually pretty fun and she's giggling by the time they get back to shore. Even when he drops sets her down gently in the sand. It sticks to her skin, making her nose wrinkle as she gets to her feet, taking his hand again as she tugs him towards their spot. "You made me a surprise?"
She perks up considerably, arching a brow as a bright smile spreads on her lips. Her cheeks are already flushed pink from the sun and the tops of her shoulders too. They're going to have to make sure she doesn't burn, but she'll be okay for a little bit longer.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
Her giggle soothes his nerves as he plops her onto the sand. He helps her up before leading her to the little rock he's got everything on. After helping her up, he pulls himself up too. "I suck at building sandcastles honestly. Creative shit isn't my forte." There's a reason all the cakes he makes are minimalist. He doesn't mind though, it adds to the... Something. It just feels right. Plus, it's not like he can even do fancy things.
"Yeah. It's nothing fancy but I thought you might like it." He pulls out a few things, including a little tin of cookies. "New recipe. Lavender and lemon cookies.. I don't think I've got the ratio quite right but you're the lavender expert." Are his cheeks red because he's blushing or because of the sun? Good luck figuring it out Mae.
Speaking of pink, her skin is already starting to color. "Hey, did you need me to like... Put sunscreen on you?" He doesn't really wear it himself (oops) but she's so fair, she probably needs it. Plus, it's just another excuse among many to touch her.
05-14-2021, 03:04 AM (This post was last modified: 05-14-2021, 06:29 AM by Maeve.)
Maeve
Maeve makes a soft sound as he lifts her onto the rock, huffing a little as she shifts to sit on the blanket, crossing her legs, "Well, I can do all the creative parts and you can help with the digging. You'll be the muscle." She teases, giving his arm a little poke as a bright smile curls on her lips before her attention is shifting to watch him unpack the basket he brought. Instantly her eyes go to the tin, wiggling in excitement as she hears the tell tale rattle of baked goods inside.
Her eyes light up and she reaches for the tin, "Oh! That sounds really good." She pries the lid of the tin off, lifting the container to her nose and breathing in deeply. The familiar zing of citrus accompanied by the soft floral scent fills her senses, mixing with the salt of the sea and she sighs. Placing the tin back between them, Maeve plucks a cookie from inside, taking a bite and chewing slowly as he airs his question, a soft moan of delight cutting him off. "Those are amazing! I think you could do a little more lemon, but the lavender is perfect as is. Not too floral."
Cookie crumbs stick to her lips and her tongue darts out to lick them off, not thinking of how suggestive it might look. "I have some! Tobi gave it to me." She reaches into her bag, pulling out the sunscreen and offering it to him. Maeve put some on earlier, but the doctor said it would be best to reapply every hour if it was to work effectively. It's doing well so far considering she'd usually be burned by this point. She shifts to give him her back so he can start working the lotion into her skin.
If you love me let me go Cause these words are knives that often leave scars
