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!
06-15-2021, 01:45 PM (This post was last modified: 06-18-2021, 04:19 PM by Odd.)
RONIN
the darkstar
light is easy to love.
The sun is dipping below Stormbreak's clifftops, and Ronin has been preparing things since it was high in the sky. Since he'd sent his letter, honestly. The scene in the small apartment is like a completed version of the one he'd arrived home to not two days before. Except this time the bunting is complete and hung up, as is the bright WELCOME HOME banner. The cake he's had to make again from scratch (and again, after he got distracted and ate the cake batter), but it's now garishly iced and sitting beneath a cover ready for Mateo to attack the second they get home.
If they get home.
When they get home.
Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, Ronin checks his reflection again for the tenth time, making sure he's presentable (i.e. he's showered, neatened up his beard and his hair, he's adorned a shirt and pants that aren't training worthy) and wonders whether he ought to have taken a nap. But would Remi want to arrive home naked? What if he was trying to get in touch.
"You're overthinking this," he informs his reflection.
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
'You see? This is what can happen when you do not go to bed when you are told to.' Remi points out as he and Mateo stand in a dreamworld, searching for Ronin's mind and finding only the endless sea of stars that they had created together. 'Guess we'll have to volare' Mateo replies practically, but with an enthusiastic smile.
And so they do.
As swiftly as he's ever flown with his son cackling as he clings to his mane, Remi dwindles the distance between the Greatwood and Stormbreak. There is probably no one capable of a faster flight, and yet it still takes far too long for the alchemist's anxious heart. When they do arrive, it's dusk, and both Mateo and Remi have windswept curls and clothes better suited for digging in Vai's gardens. Whereas Ronin has had time to prepare, upon receiving the letter Remi instantly gathered up their son to return home. Hopefully, the Star would forgive him his unkempt appearance.
Barging in first, his shoes banging excitedly up the stairs, Mateo will be the first to greet Ronin. Remi isn't far behind though, looking contrite and optimistic as he peers through the doorway. "That banner was meant to be for you. And...that cake, as well." The alchemist points out, almost shyly. "Though.." Narrowing his eyes slightly, he sniffs at the air, noting that what Ronin has made and what Remi had intended, are quite different (no surprise there). "..I sense you have updated the recipe somewhat."
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Mateo is the first to erupt into the room, and Ronin is already laughing and scooping him up into his arms to hug him close. It leaves his shirt streaked with a bit of soil and his hair ruffled untidily (it was a lost cause, honestly), and he spends a moment or so pressing a kiss to their son's windswept curls. "Go on," he urges when he puts him down - the boy is jabbering away half in the travelling tongue and half not, and Ronin leaves him to go and get some cake. It's pre-sliced, he's not an idiot.
But then Remi's voice hits the air and the Star straightens up, feeling himself light up from the inside (and the outside, consequently) just to see his husband. "I ate your one by accident," he says of the cake, though quite how it was accidental is not worth arguing about. "Then I couldn't remember your recipe exactly, so I... yeah."
Feeling just as shy but not letting that stop him, Ronin steps forward towards the doorway, holding out his arms for the Lullaby. "Well, it's for both of us now. Welcome home."
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
Tense and uncertain though the moment might be, Remi feels as though he's caught a bit of Ronin's dazzle for the warmth and adoration that seems to shine out from his chest. "Mmmm." Unconsciously mirroring how his husband straightens, Remi hums a noncommittal sound. "Mateo and I spent the afternoon picking the sprigs of lavender and juicing the lemons ourselves. Did you at least cook it first..?" Having to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smirking, Remi suddenly imagines Ronin sitting on the floor, scooping out mostly-stale batter with a finger. It should be a sad image, but it's rendered amusing if only because of how often Remi is scolded for suggesting doing precisely that.
Despite the tone of Ronin's note—the elegance of which they'll discuss later—Remi is still the one in the wrong here, and so he forces himself to wait for the Star's cues. No sooner do Ronin's arms open, then Remi is instantly between them, wrapping himself as close to his husband as he can without resorting to using additional limbs. "You are not stupid. I am an idiot, and I am so sorry that I have done this to us. I promise I will make it up to you." The words are mumbled against Ronin's neck in a breathless and rushed heap, very much suggesting they've been rattling about Remi's brain for a few hours at least.
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"Nnnyos," is Ronin's elegant response to did you cook it first, the Star's sheepish smile probably saying more than his non-answer did. "I could taste the lavender. And the lemons." He smiles, especially at Mateo's call that he can 'taste the chocolate' in the current rendition of the cake. Luckily their son is as independent as they come, and both Star and Lullaby are left to their reunion.
Which is just fine by Ronin, his arms folding around Remi to hold him close, able to hear the hammer of their heartbeats, the rush of breath as he tries to get his words out. "Okay," he whispers back to his husband, kissing his messy curls and letting his hands map the planes of his shoulders and his back. They're beyond Ronin lying and telling him things like there's nothing to forgive, so he merely holds him close, as he should have done the first time.
"As long as you stay, we'll figure it out," he mumbles. "We can talk it over and make it make sense for us. Just stay, though."
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
Remi will leave it to the Star to decide if his slightly pursed lips and furrowed brow are an indication that he's bought what Ronin is trying to sell. It isn't worth wasting words on, not with the past 36 hours having felt like an eternity. So when Remi finds himself in Ronin's arms, there's precious little the Star could do to peel him away. Inhaling deeply, Remi is hit with various scents and tastes that speak to Ronin's preparations earlier that day. Laughing under his breath as he tries to shuffle his feet and fit all the more precisely against the Star, Remi readjust his fingers against Ronin's back, clutching at the material of his shirt and bunching it beneath his fingers.
"I love you more than anything, and...I know you know that, I just..it is all I want to say." Remi admits helplessly, leaning his cheek against the side of Ronin's neck as his teeth press together. "I genuinely cannot believe that I have done this." He adds in a small voice, the muscles of his arms quivering slightly with a tension he tries and fails to release.
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"You can say it as many times as you want to," Ronin mumbles to his husband, nestling close to him and letting him drape himself flush against the Star. There's no such thing as too close right now, not after their time apart (pitiful as it might seem) and he is content to stand like this for as long as Remi wants to. "I love you too. I'm sorry you had to leave." Pressing his cheek against the alchemist's crown of curls, he turns them a little so that they can at least keep an eye on Mateo and his cake conquest.
Ronin can't help but scoff to hear his husband's next point, raising his eyebrows. "Me neither," he all but blurts. "Honestly, I thought if it was going to happen at all, I'd be the one coming home trying to explain myself." It makes no sense for this to be something he can laugh about already, but it's the best medicine or so they say, and the smile that creeps across his face is one he can't wipe away.
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
"I understand why. It was selfish of me to demand that you process in a way that gave me what I needed. I...seem to have fallen back into old habits." Meeting his own needs first. Acting first and thinking second. Generally being a bit of a bumbling idiot.
Swaying slightly in each other's arms, Remi parts from Ronin only long enough to see a chocolate-smeared smile from his son. Mateo is no stranger to PDA in the home, and with an entire unguarded cake, he's more than content to let Ronin and Remi keep each other distracted. "I thought so too. I just always hoped it was not one from Safrin again." Remi says with a snort, shrugging against Ronin. "I cannot even call this bad luck. This was just.." Well, they'd already said what it was. Stupid. Reckless. Shortsighted.
"Not that I am trying to change the subject, but before I forget...I...bumped into Nate." Literally had bumped into him. Clicking his teeth together, he glances again toward Mateo as he considers. He should not hear this.
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Luckily for Remi, Ronin loves this bumbling idiot more than he can say, and he's smirking at Mateo as he spots the chocolatey smile directed over at them. Their son can play them like a fiddle at moments like this - especially at moments like this, and Ronin lets his hands sneak beneath Remi's shirt to roam across the warm skin along his lower back. "Gods, same," he mumbles with a wry smile, turning his head to kiss Remi's temple. "This just is what it is," he concludes, as if there's no real way to describe it without it getting... sticky.
His eyes widen a fraction to hear that he'd run into Nate, Ronin holding him a touch closer if that's possible. Do you want to talk about it like this? he asks, pressing another kiss against his husband's cheek. Or shall we enjoy cake before Mateo eats it all, and talk later? He leaves it up to Remi, though he has the idea that there's no way this will make for light conversation either way.
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
Remi's back arcs beneath his husband's fingers and the breath he releases against the Star's neck is shivery and warm. It is probably for the best that Mateo is only a few feet away, lest what Remi has to say is tossed to the side in lieu of other distractions. Cake first. And then Mateo needs to sleep. We flew through the night to get here. Mateo had clung on tight the entire time, but that hadn't stopped Remi from being a bundle of nerves, ready to dip and dive at the slightest indication that his son was growing too weary to continue.
"Ahhem." Loudly clearing his throat as he reluctantly parts from Ronin, Remi folds his arms across his chest as he eyes the cake (with more than one piece missing), and his son. "Have you spared any for us?"
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
06-15-2021, 05:53 PM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2021, 05:54 PM by Ronin.)
RONIN
the darkstar
light is easy to love.
Cake first, Ronin agrees, shivering in turn at the ghost of a breath against his neck. Then Mateo sleeps. Then we talk. Then we go to bed. Not necessarily to sleep, but he gets the idea that Remi will understand that much. Still, the worry for their son doesn't need to be said, and Ronin glances over Mateo with a protective eye even though he can see from here that the boy is just fine. "I'm glad he was with you," he mumbles, before grinning as Mateo pushes a couple of plates towards them, already laden with cake.
"Our son is nothing but not good at sharing," he murmurs to Remi with a wink, releasing him only so he can get some cake in his face. "Welcome home then, both of you."
It doesn't take long for Mateo to crash after the brief sugar high - Ronin barely manages to convince the boy to brush his teeth before he's carrying him into bed, promising that he can look at his present from Hak Etme - and the bone that's twice as big as he is - the next day. Once he's done saying goodnight, he slips into the room he shares with Remi.
"I didn't think it was impossible to miss someone so quickly, but you two managed it."
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
The cake isn't as sweet as the company, but Remi would be lying if he said it didn't hit the spot. Still, there's a twitchiness to the alchemist's movements as he eats and makes small talk, and though he tries to hide it, he's all too eager to have Ronin to himself if only for a few hours. As the Star puts their son to bed, Remi (badly) cleans up the kitchen, unable to focus as his mind is pulled in every which direction, before pacing about their room.
Sitting by an open window to try and capitalize on the breeze blowing outside, Remi rakes a hand through his curls, starting somewhat as the door is softly pushed open. With an instant smile he's on his feet, skirting the bed that he might tug Ronin toward him again. Words ball up in the back of Remi's throat—small talk mostly, none of it important—but he can't seem to find the motivation for any of it. "Kiss me." He begs with a crooked smile. "Per favore baciami. Mi sei mancato tanto."
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Smiling to see the alchemist at the window, Ronin doesn't expect Remi to sweep across to him quite so quickly, but he lets himself be tugged against him without complaint. With hands slipping around his waist, drawing their bodies even close together, it's the music in Remi's words that is the Star's undoing - as it always would be. "How am I ever supposed to say no to that?" he whispers, before he leans in to close the distance between them.
Never has he kissed the alchemist quite so sweetly or so hard; Ronin backs them up until the backs of his knees hit the bed, causing him to sink down onto it. That doesn't mean he releases Remi even a fraction, though. On the contrary, with a needy moan he draws the other man onto his lap, already trying to tug his shirt off like it's committing some crime by getting in the way of his touch.
And you should know, I left but never lost my place
How was he supposed to say no? Oh, because they still had to deal with Hotaru's pregnancy and Ronin's feelings about it. Because Remi was still a selfish idiot who'd turned their world upsidedown again. Because he hadn't had the chance to brush his teeth given how long he'd been flying for. So very many reasons, but gods if he isn't glad that Ronin doesn't seem to care about them.
The lips against his own cause Remi's ribcage and the muscles around it to expand, almost as if he were about to take flight. He might have gasped but for the desire to deepen their kiss, ignoring the dizzying need to breathe over parting from Ronin so soon. Reaching over his shoulder to grasp at his own shirt and help his husband's efforts, Remi takes the opportunity that tugging it over his head affords to exhale the air caged in his lungs. Immediately his hands reach for the bottom hem of the Star's shirt, and though he hasn't had the time to properly savour the amount of effort Ronin had put into his appearance, he tries to remove it from him just the same.
Remi needs to tell Ronin about Nate, he knows that. He really does. But he also knows that the warm press of their muscled and equally-scared bodies together will soothe the things that lay hard and jagged in the pit of his stomach. Things he's picked at and worried over. Things cutting him from the inside out and threatening to leave scars that will never properly heal.
and these nights I miss you most my heart is yours to break
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
